Dugu Bo stepped forward at Aether's words. After a moment of thought, he dropped to one knee and clasped his fists in a plea.
"My lord, please forgive my offense. At this point, if anyone can help this old man… it can only be you!"
Xue Qinghe and the others all turned their attention toward him.
Others might not recognize the old man, but he knew him all too well.
The reason he'd infiltrated the Heaven Dou imperial family and staged this whole "switched prince" act, posing as the son of Emperor Xue Ye under the identity of Xue Qinghe, was to eventually assassinate the emperor unnoticed and seize control of the entire empire.
Though his plans were progressing smoothly, there remained a major obstacle after the emperor's death—his third "brother," Prince Xue Beng.
Xue Beng was a good-for-nothing playboy, but he had the backing of Prince Xue Xing. Although a prince like Xue Xing wasn't enough to pose a serious threat to him, their real power came from the very man kneeling before Aether:
A Titled Douluo, ranked 91st, one of the top powerhouses of the continent—Dugu Bo, Title: Poison.
Prince Xue Xing owed Dugu Bo a great favor and had recruited him into the Heaven Dou Empire as a guest elder. He'd entrusted him with many important responsibilities.
Not only did Dugu Bo possess terrifying strength, but he also held significant sway over many imperial decisions.
Which meant, when it came to supporting Xue Beng, Dugu Bo stood as a major, formidable obstacle.
"Elder, please rise."
Aether stepped forward, reaching out to help him up, but the old man was stubborn—head bowed, fists clasped tight, refusing to budge.
His expression made It clear: If you don't agree to help, I'm not getting up.
"Eh? Grandpa, are you in trouble or something?" Paimon instinctively floated over to Aether's side. She smelled the familiar scent of a commission.
But weren't commissions supposed to be triggered by her?
This one actually came to them. It felt so backwards, she almost didn't know how to react.
"My lord, I…"
Dugu Bo opened his mouth, then swept a glance around the room. He recognized Paimon and the little fox girl as Aether's companions. But with Xue Qinghe and the restaurant manager still present, he hesitated.
As a Titled Douluo, the fewer people who knew his secrets, the better. If it were just Aether and his companions, it might be fine—but with a crown prince and a random civilian here too, he had to think twice.
"Your Highness, the dishes are ready. Should I bring them in now or…?"
"Go ahead. We can talk after dinner. What do you think, my friend?"
Manager Mu had come to confirm whether they should start serving, but was cut off by Xue Qinghe, who turned to Aether with a casual smile, seeking his opinion.
"Hmm~ Traveler…"
Paimon glanced at Aether. She wanted to know what the old man wanted, but she was also really hungry, caught in a tug-of-war between curiosity and appetite.
"Elder, the matter troubling you has clearly been weighing on you for some time. There's no rush—please, get up first."
Seeing Dugu Bo's concern, Aether gave a gentle hint that he already knew what was going on.
"My lord! You do know what I seek!"
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. Aether's few words had pierced straight through to the heart of his worry, leaving him shocked and—more than anything—hopeful.
The martial spirits of Dugu Bo and his clan were all Jade Phosphor Snake, a spirit with powerful innate poison.
While incredibly strong, it carried a fatal flaw: from the moment of birth, even without cultivation, the poison within would begin to corrode both the wielder and their close kin.
As a result, only he and his granddaughter remained alive from their clan.
He had scoured the world in search of rare herbs to suppress the toxins—not for himself, but to protect his granddaughter, the last of his bloodline.
He had come to the auction hoping to buy a certain spirit herb that might help curb the poison. But he knew it could only offer temporary relief—it wasn't a cure.
But then he had witnessed Aether's strength and mystery firsthand. It gave him hope—perhaps someone this powerful could do what no one else could: remove the poison from his granddaughter's martial spirit.
So he had trailed Aether carefully to this inn. As he hesitated at the door, he happened to overhear Paimon's story from inside.
The moment he learned that Aether could absorb the toxin of abyssal energy, he was almost certain—this man could help.
And now, with his secret pain laid bare in a single sentence, the flame of hope inside him blazed anew.
"My lord! I, Dugu Bo, have lived a solitary life. First, because my name as the Poison Douluo strikes fear across the continent. Second, because of my antisocial temperament—I've never cared for making bonds.
"But today, I throw aside my pride and beg of you… Please save my granddaughter.
"If you can remove the poison from her spirit, I swear loyalty to you alone. I'll go through fire and water without hesitation!"
He said nothing of his own suffering—his plea was entirely for his granddaughter.
"Elder, your granddaughter hasn't shown any serious symptoms yet, has she?"
Aether closed his eyes, digging through hazy memories. If he recalled correctly, Dugu Bo's granddaughter should still be at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and at this stage, the poison hadn't yet caused any major damage—just some changes to her body and personality.
"Reporting to my lord, for now, Yan Yan hasn't felt the backlash of her martial spirit's poison… but this is a curse written into our blood. She should be a carefree young girl, not someone doomed to suffer such pain…"
Dugu Bo's face twisted with sorrow.
What was the point of all his strength, if he couldn't even protect the one person who mattered? He had already buried too many loved ones. He couldn't bear to witness his granddaughter endure the same agony and die like the rest.
To bury black-haired youth with white-haired hands—that was a pain he never wanted to feel again.
Aether nodded silently. He raised one hand, and elemental energy surged. Two currents of wind formed beneath Dugu Bo and lifted him effortlessly off the floor.
"Mm… so be it. Let's eat first."
_
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