When Ye Yin climbed out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Dugu Bo had not yet returned. With two hours remaining until the one-day deadline, he quickly set about packaging the immortal herbs. Each one was an incredibly rare and precious treasure. After some thought, he decided to set aside the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma for Dugu Yan. It wasn't that he was giving her the worst one; on the contrary, this particular herb, which had no single dramatic effect, was the most suitable. It would strengthen her foundation, improve her aptitude, increase her spirit power, and boost her cultivation speed.
Of course, the Marrow Cleansing Fruit and Soul Cleansing Fruit he possessed were arguably better for building a foundation, but they had an upper limit. The best approach was to use those fruits first to reach one's peak potential, and then use an immortal herb to break through to an even higher level.
Just as Ye Yin finished packing everything away, Dugu Bo arrived punctually. A dark green figure descended from the sky, landing beside him.
"Ugh!" Before the Titled Douluo could even speak, a powerful dry retch escaped him.
[Resentment from Dugu Bo +20!]
"What did you do?" he choked out, clutching his throat. "Why is there such a foul smell here? Ugh!"
[Resentment from Dugu Bo +21!]
The moment Dugu Bo landed, the strange odor lingering in the valley assaulted his senses. He traced the source to the well itself. The once pure red and blue spring water now had a murky, grey film on top, as if it had been horribly polluted. The steam rising from the hot spring carried the intense stench, spreading it everywhere.
"What in the world did you do?!" he roared, his voice a mix of disgust and fury. "Ugh! You've ruined my medicinal garden!"
[Resentment from Dugu Bo +32!]
Ye Yin shook his head frantically. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Do you really think I have the ability to change the environment here? How could I possibly do something that even a Titled Douluo like you can't?"
Dugu Bo paused, considering the boy's words. There was logic in what he said. Not even he could affect the energies of the extremely cold and hot springs. He held his breath, trying his best not to inhale the putrid air.
"How is it?" he demanded, changing the subject. "Have you made the Bezoar Detoxification Pill? You promised me one day."
Ye Yin casually purchased a pill from the system shop. "Here. This is the Bezoar Detoxification Pill. I can guarantee it's exactly the same as the one you took before. They're probably mass-produced."
Dugu Bo snatched the pill and examined it carefully. "Mass-produced? What does that mean?"
"Nothing, just that they're all identical," Ye Yin replied evasively.
"What is this pill made of?" Dugu Bo asked, his curiosity as a poison master piqued. He held it to his nose and sniffed but couldn't detect any specific ingredients. It was as if it were a perfectly natural, singular substance.
Ye Yin rolled his eyes. "It's made of Bezoar Detoxification Pill, of course."
[Resentment from Dugu Bo +20!]
The boy had said something that meant absolutely nothing. He had answered without answering.
"Can't you tell me what ingredients are in it?" Dugu Bo pressed.
"Emmm… maybe…"
[Resentment from Dugu Bo +30!]
Dugu Bo was so angry he didn't know what to say. The kid was good in every way, but why did he have to have such an infuriating mouth?
"Oh, right," Ye Yin said, changing the subject himself. "This is what I prepared for Dugu Yan." He took out a jade box containing the Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, a Marrow Cleansing Fruit, and a Soul Cleansing Fruit. "These are all treasures. Their value is no less than that of the pill."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. He grabbed the jade box and opened it. "I think I've seen this Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma in the garden before, but I've never seen these other two. Are these from your personal collection?" The alluring scent of the two fruits was so tempting it made him want to eat them on the spot.
"Naturally," Ye Yin said, quickly closing the box before Dugu Bo gave in to the impulse. "Since the pill is made, we should head back. I need to get back to my cultivation."
Dugu Bo carefully put the jade box away, gently rubbing his hands together. He had dropped all pretense of a Titled Douluo's lofty airs; it was useless against Ye Yin, who always managed to break his composure anyway.
"No rush, no rush," he said with a sly grin. "I have one more question. That thing you have, the one that can increase so many people's strength by fifty percent at once. Is that also one of your treasures?"
Ye Yin nodded and pulled out a clove of black garlic. "It's this. After eating it, all attributes increase by fifty percent for one hour. The side effect is that you turn completely black for a day. Clothes, spirit abilities, everything. It makes you extremely hard to spot at night, almost like you're invisible to the naked eye."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up with strategic thoughts. "Ye Yin... this black garlic of yours..."
Ye Yin simply tossed the clove to him. "If you want it, here. Have one."
Dugu Bo caught it, his mind already racing with ways to use it. The fifty percent increase was good, but the special blackening effect was the key. If used correctly, it would be far more powerful than a simple stat boost.
"Ye Yin," Dugu Bo said, his tone suddenly shifting. "By the way, what do you think of my Yan Yan?"
Ye Yin pondered for a moment, the image of a beautiful girl with a serpentine spirit appearing in his mind. "She's good! Very good! Extremely good!"
Dugu Bo nodded with satisfaction. "Then how about you help Yan Yan increase her spirit ring ages in the future?"
Ye Yin's eyes widened. "Isn't she with Yu Tianheng? I'm not really the kind of person who breaks up a happy couple..."
Dugu Bo rolled his eyes dismissively. "Just have Yan Yan follow you from now on! I've calculated it carefully; my granddaughter is only seven years older than you. It's not that big of a gap. You're getting a real bargain here, kid."
Ye Yin said faintly, "This is a matter between two people. Are you sure Dugu Yan would even agree? Are you planning to make your own granddaughter unhappy?"
The question made Dugu Bo freeze, and his expression turned ugly for a moment. "Sigh. That is a problem." But his scheming mindset quickly returned. "You and Yan Yan both cultivate at the same academy. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to get to know each other."
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion