"Did I hear you guys destroyed the maple tree in my courtyard?"
Had Chi Douluo not brought it up, all would've been fine. But as soon as Qian Renfeng mentioned it, Chrysanthemum Douluo Yueguan quickly tried to clear his name.
"T-That wasn't me, Your Highness!"
"Aside from helping injure Dugu Bo, I didn't do anything else!"
Qian Renfeng spoke in a flat tone, "And attacking Elder Citu last night—that doesn't count?"
"What, you don't even consider Elder Citu human now?"
Hearing this, Citu Douluo stepped toward Yueguan in perfect coordination.
Normally, he would never take the initiative to provoke Chrysanthemum Douluo.
But now, he was part of the Second Young Lord's faction!
And Yueguan? He was just a captured prisoner. What was there to be afraid of?
Yueguan hastily waved his hands and explained, "No, no, Your Highness, that's not what I meant!"
"I swear I wasn't the one who destroyed your courtyard maple tree!"
"Someone else must have done it!"
Seeing that the intimidation had achieved its purpose, Qian Renfeng didn't bother pressing further.
"Fine. One maple tree, and your worthless life in exchange for ten years of service. How about that?"
Yueguan was left speechless.
Why not just say you want me to work for you?
What's with all this roundabout nonsense?
My life's already in your hands—if you want to kill me, it's as easy as flipping your hand.
"I've always belonged to Your Highness!"
"I'm willing to charge through fire and water, die a thousand deaths for you!"
Qian Renfeng nodded and looked out the window, saying no more.
A moment later.
He downed his cup of wine in one gulp.
"Let's go then—time to charge through fire and water."
"Huh? You mean… for real?!"
—One hour later—
The three of them arrived at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
Chrysanthemum Douluo looked up at the strange scene before him. "There's such a mystical place inside Sunset Forest?"
"We never even found it before."
"We were always blocked by the outer layer of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Flower Array."
Citu Douluo nodded. "This place doesn't seem very suitable for humans to live in."
"But if some soul beasts settled here, they'd probably experience a qualitative leap in growth."
Qian Renfeng leapt forward, bringing the two Title Douluo with him deeper into the spring.
A true demonstration of Title Douluo-level strength.
"Old Poison! Get out here!"
A moment later.
A weak voice echoed from the spring.
"Scared me half to death."
"I thought the three Title Douluo had suddenly shown up!"
"I almost ran off with my pants half on!"
Poison Douluo Dugu Bo slowly floated up, his figure swaying as if even staying aloft for a short time was a struggle.
"What brings you here today?"
Mid-sentence, Dugu Bo's pupils widened when he noticed the golden-armored man behind Qian Renfeng.
The golden-armored man smiled and waved cheerfully at Dugu Bo.
"Hahaha! Old Poison, didn't expect you to end up like this, huh?"
"Finally tracked down your little hideout!"
The sight of Chrysanthemum Douluo made Dugu Bo stiffen like he'd seen a mortal enemy.
His energy surged.
"Chrysanthemum Boy!"
"You sissy freak! Don't you dare mock me!"
"Just because you beat me once doesn't mean you can win again!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo sneered, covering his mouth as he laughed, "Come at me, then!"
"Today I'll beat you until you finally submit!"
Qian Renfeng waved his hand to cut them off.
"Enough nonsense."
"Old Poison, take us inside. I need some herbs."
Of course, others may not know Dugu Bo's real strength, but Qian Renfeng certainly did.
He was the doorman of the Title Douluo realm.
He couldn't beat a single Title Douluo above his level!
Sure, he talked big and challenged people often, but when it came down to real combat, who could he beat?
Chrysanthemum Douluo could mop the floor with him in silence. Out of ten fights, he'd win at least nine and a half.
The other half? A draw for Qian Renfeng's sake.
"Hmph! I'll deal with you later, you rotten chrysanthemum!"
Once inside the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well—
Citu Douluo didn't feel much, aside from a heat stirring his soul power and some refreshing air, leaving him mentally alert.
But Chrysanthemum Douluo had the strongest reaction.
This place was a paradise for plant-type spirits.
The moment he stepped in, his soul power began to boil with excitement.
If he could cultivate here, his training speed would increase by at least 30%!
While he wasn't sure about breaking into a higher realm…
…reaching Level 97 might not be impossible!
Qian Renfeng ignored his amazement and dragged him over.
"Find some Dragon Zhi Leaves."
"That stuff's perfect for restoring the body's foundation—top-tier medicine!"
Dragon Zhi Leaves.
Back on Purple Pearl Island…
Tang San had been severely wounded, yet was able to recover thanks to these very leaves, given to him by Ji Xiang.
Dragon Zhi Leaves were exceptional for healing injuries.
If even Ji Xiang could identify them, of course, a Title Douluo could too.
Chrysanthemum Douluo walked in a certain direction, and after a while—
He returned holding a small pile of leaves.
There weren't many, about a dozen or so.
But for Qian Renfeng, that was more than enough.
"That's the most I could gather without damaging the roots."
"In about two weeks or maybe three months, they'll grow back!"
"Then we can harvest more!"
His face glowed with excitement. This botanical paradise was perfect for him!
For a fleeting moment—
He even wanted to snatch it away from Dugu Bo.
But seeing Dugu Bo's close relationship with Qian Renfeng, he quickly gave up the idea.
No matter how valuable the herbs were, his life was more important.
Qian Renfeng divided a third of the Dragon Zhi Leaves and handed them to Dugu Bo.
"These will help rebuild your foundation and speed up recovery."
"This much should be enough for you to heal. If you need more, harvest it yourself in two weeks."
He also split some off for Chrysanthemum Douluo and Citu Douluo.
After all, everyone gets a share—he didn't need that much himself.
Once the herbs were safely stored away—
Qian Renfeng casually asked, "Old Poison, do you remember what you said before?"
Dugu Bo immediately shoved a leaf into his mouth and began absorbing it with soul power.
"What? We've talked about a lot of things."
"But I'm sure I never said I'd let you marry Yan Yan!"
"Stop trying to make a move on her!"
Qian Renfeng's face darkened. "What nonsense are you on about?"
"I treated you like a brother, and you wanna be my grandpa?"
"Cut the crap. Nobody's after your granddaughter—keep her for yourself!"
Dugu Bo chuckled awkwardly. If he could become this kid's grandpa, it would be a huge win.
If he had a grandson like Qian Renfeng…
He'd probably laugh himself awake in his sleep!