"Grandpa, don't come any closer!"
Dugu Yan was flustered. "Can you get us two sets of clothes, for me and Ah Xuan? After that, just leave us alone!"
Dugu Bo paused. He couldn't see what was happening under the spring, but anyone could piece it together from that line.
He rummaged out some clothes for Dugu Yan and stepped away, turning his back on them. "Just wear my clothes for now, alright?"
There was a loud splash as Dugu Yan stepped out of the water, cheeks bright red. She glanced at Yin Xuan, her voice soft but insistent. "I'm going up to change. You can't look. Close your eyes and face the other way."
Yin Xuan nodded, feeling awkward, and turned his back as told.
Dugu Yan sighed, thought for a second, then gave Yin Xuan a quick kiss on his cheek before darting out of the water and grabbing her clothes.
Yin Xuan felt the warmth where her lips touched and couldn't stop his thoughts from wandering.
"All right, you can come up now and change too," Dugu Yan called, smiling.
Yin Xuan and Dugu Bo turned around together.
Dugu Bo only cared if his granddaughter was decent, not about Yin Xuan.
"Hey," he said, "you didn't do anything to my granddaughter in there, right?"
Dugu Yan flushed and snapped, "Grandpa! Stop it! Don't talk nonsense. Nothing happened underwater, and if you say that again, I won't talk to you for a whole day!"
"Alright, alright!" Dugu Bo gave in, happy on the inside.
When he looked at Yin Xuan, Dugu Bo raised his brow and grinned, "Yanyan's really going to be lucky in the future."
The clothes Dugu Bo provided looked comically oversized on Yin Xuan — moving was actually pretty awkward.
After a quick glance, Dugu Bo's attention shifted back to Dugu Yan. "How are you feeling? Anything uncomfortable?"
Her hair, once deep purple, now faded into a red-blue gradient, the ends flickering like fire and threaded with icy strands. Her skin glowed fair and flawless, and she seemed taller.
She smiled, "Grandpa, I've never felt so relaxed. I didn't realize how heavy my body was before. Now it feels like I lost some weight."
"That's wonderful!" Dugu Bo let out a genuine sigh, his face breaking into a big smile. He patted Yin Xuan's shoulder. "You're something else, kid. But why haven't you changed at all?"
Yin Xuan glanced at Dugu Yan. "Maybe it's something to do with Yanzi's martial soul."
Dugu Yan summoned her martial spirit, and Dugu Bo's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Ice and fire refinement really changed her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul. The bloodline evolved!"
As her martial soul enveloped her, vertical ice and fire patterns appeared in her eyes. The snake shape sprouted dragon horns and claws, the emerald scales streaked with red and blue.
"She's turned into a dragon!" Yin Xuan grinned. "If Yanzi takes the Grade Nine Purple Ganoderma and the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King, she'll get even stronger."
"Didn't you say she shouldn't eat too much of that stuff?" Dugu Bo looked surprised.
Yin Xuan explained, "Those two are compatible, so even if the effect lessens after eating both, it's fine. Anyway, there are only two. The ganoderma's not immortal grade yet, the ginseng barely is. Eating them together won't cause problems."
Dugu Yan pointed at the Narcissus Jade Bone. "But... I want that one, the one that makes you prettier…"
Yin Xuan and Dugu Bo shot each other a look — completely speechless.
Dugu Bo chuckled, "You're already beautiful."
He turned to Yin Xuan for backup. "Ah Xuan, what do you think?"
Yin Xuan stayed quiet.
Dugu Yan stared at him, waiting for an answer.
He finally said, "Let's save the Water Immortal Jade Muscle and Bone for after you reach Soul Emperor and Soul Saint. Right now, the Ginseng King and Purple Ganoderma are enough. As long as those herbs are stored properly, they'll last a hundred years, and stay good for a thousand."
"But I don't know what material is best for storing them. I'll ask Yang Wudi."
Dugu Bo perked up, curious about this Yang Wudi character. He wanted to let him taste the Jade Phosphorous Serpent King Poison and see if the guy could take it.
Instead, he redirected. "Ah Xuan, which herb do you think I should use?"
Yin Xuan shook his head. "I wouldn't. If your cultivation progresses too fast, the poison in your body could spike and you'll drop dead."
Dugu Bo frowned, dead-fish-eyed. "Can't you be a little more polite? Stop harping on 'dropping dead'!"
Yin Xuan shrugged, "I already used the honorific 'you.'"
Dugu Yan laughed, watching the old man and the young guy bicker. Somehow, it felt warm, like family.
Dugu Bo sighed, resigned but relieved inside. "Stop calling me 'senior.' Even if nothing happened under the water, you two were honest with each other. You need to take care of my granddaughter."
Yin Xuan glanced at Dugu Yan, who was crouched down, head low, shy and curled up.
He turned back to Dugu Bo. "You should think this through. My enemy's no joke. He's a Title Douluo, way tougher than Chrysanthemum Douluo. If he finds out I'm alive, he won't let me go."
"Who?" Dugu Bo asked.
"Haotian." Yin Xuan's voice was flat, no warmth in his eyes.
Dugu Bo stiffened, stunned. "Tang Hao? The guy who killed the Pope of Spirit Hall?"
Yin Xuan nodded.
Dugu Bo stared, "How'd you get on the bad side of someone like him? And how are you still alive?"
Yin Xuan smirked, "I already died once."
Dugu Bo paused, then burst out laughing, "If you become my grandson-in-law, your trouble is mine!"
Yin Xuan grinned and strode towards a bamboo stalk, dark as ink—he'd been eyeing it for a while.