Heaven Dou was in turmoil. Dozens of nobles had mysteriously disappeared, and the rumors of an evil spirit master at work had only fanned the flames of fear. Surprisingly, this chaos worked in Qian Renxue's favor. The death of Xue Beng had been conveniently lumped into the growing list of disappearances, ensuring that no one suspected foul play beyond the city's paranoia.
As for the so-called 'evil spirit master' responsible for these deaths? He was currently lounging in the Dugu Mansion, sipping tea.
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I turned the small serpent over in my hand, its sleek jade-green body coiling around my fingers. A Nine Segment Jade—one of the most venomous creatures in existence. It wasn't a spirit beast, but its lethality rivaled even the most terrifying of them. One bite could kill a Titled Douluo outright.
"Fascinating," I mused, watching its tongue flicker in and out. "Are you willing to trade it?"
Dugu Bo studied me with a contemplative look, still adjusting to the fact that I could shift into an adult form at will. He had already been stunned when he discovered I was a Titled Douluo after only a few weeks—now, he was grappling with the reality that my growth defied logic.
"I could be persuaded," he finally said, stroking his beard. "For some of those potions of yours."
I already knew what he wanted.
Liquid from the Fountain of Youth—a substance he believed to be a high-quality elixir capable of healing wounds and extending lifespan. And Liquid Luck—which I had let him sample once. The results had been hilarious. In a single day, he had managed to clean out several gambling dens in Heaven Dou, find rare poisonous plants, and stumble across priceless treasures—all without breaking a sweat.
I pulled out two jade bottles—one filled with shimmering pink liquid, the other glowing gold—and slid them across the table.
Dugu Bo's eyes gleamed as he eagerly tucked them into his treasure pouch. Meanwhile, the small viper in my hand slithered lazily before flicking its tongue toward Serenity.
Behind me, Serenity's purple eyes were locked onto the snake, practically sparkling with interest. She loved snakes.
I smirked and casually handed the serpent over. Serenity cooed, stroking its smooth scales with delicate fingers, treating it more like a kitten than a deadly viper.
Dugu Bo leaned back and chuckled. "You know, the Crown Prince and Ning Fengzhi have been looking for you. Stopped by a few times, asking if I'd seen you."
I waved a hand dismissively. "I've been busy training. And going on dates." I grinned. "Sounds like a much better use of my time than whatever nonsense they want to drag me into."
Dugu Bo snorted. "You do realize nobles are disappearing left and right? Another prince was found dead in a brothel. They think an evil spirit master is behind it."
"Evil spirit master my ass," I scoffed. "Aside from Xue Beng, those nobles were all idiots who thought they could threaten me and the girls. I simply turned them into ash and erased the memories of everyone involved."
Dugu Bo didn't even blink. He wasn't the sentimental type, and he knew better than most that noble status meant nothing when you were dead. He had dealt with his fair share of nobles so he understood how stupid they could be.
"Ah, that would explain things," he said, completely unfazed.
I shifted the topic. "Did you get the item I asked for?"
He smirked and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in silk. "I did. The Speed Clan had no idea what they even had—just knew it was some kind of treasure. They've fallen on hard times, so I bought it off them for 10,000 gold spirit coins."
Unwrapping the silk, I felt my lips curl into a satisfied smile.
Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng.
An immortal herb, and more importantly, one that paired perfectly with another herb I had stored in my Inner World—the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
Individually, both herbs could enhance talent, cultivation, and even force an evolution in one's body. But together? They unlocked something even more valuable—revival.
Having extra revival items was always a smart move.
Of course, the requirements to pick the Yearning Heartbroken Red were strict. It could only be obtained by someone who had experienced true love. Not an issue for the girls. I hoped at least.
I flicked my wrist, summoning my Alchemy Fowl. It blinked at me with a confused expression before tilting its head.
"Here," I said, handing over the ginseng. "Make sure it's planted properly."
The Alchemy Fowl cradled the ginseng with its wing-like arms, chirping eagerly.
Then, with a salute—yes, a salute—it vanished into my Inner World.
Inside the Inner World, the Alchemy Fowl wasted no time. It sprinted toward the Ice and Fire Well, wings flapping, before carefully planting the ginseng in a perfect spot.
Not satisfied, it then darted over to the Life Spring Pond, scooped up water in its beak, and diligently watered the herb, as if nurturing a precious child.
With the 1:1000 time dilation and the 100x plant growth boost near the Ice and Fire Well, the ginseng would be popping out more but I couldn't use the time dilation right now as we were essentially living in the inner world and the girls would grow bored. At full time dilation a single day outside would be 3 years almost inside.
They girls were many things but patient wasn't one of them for the most part.
"Here." I tossed out a couple poison and snake type spirit bones I had gotten from slaughter city. None of them were older than 1000 years so none of my girls would absorb them, but to Dugu Bo they were treasures much more valuable than the herb or the 10,000 gold he spent.
[Send your Powerstones, Soda Money, maybe throw in a nice review. Cashapp $Ryantheholy. Feel free to join the discord as well, we been discussing future harem members in there. Link in the aux chapters.]