Seeing the obvious distrust and thinly veiled threat in Dugu Bo's tone, Zhu Fan's expression instantly turned wary, and he instinctively stepped forward.
He wanted to explain on behalf of Dai Chengfeng.
However, before he could say anything, Dai Chengfeng raised his hand to stop him, gently shaking his head.
Then, looking at Dugu Bo across from him, Dai Chengfeng remained calm and composed as he slowly spoke. "I originally thought that Miss Dugu Yan, due to her shallow cultivation, might not understand that she was poisoned, which would be understandable."
As he spoke,
He let out a faint sigh, a glimmer of mockery flashing in his eyes. "But I never expected…"
"The illustrious Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, whose title is 'Poison,' is also just a half-baked poison user."
Dai Chengfeng deliberately dragged out his words for emphasis, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You've been deeply poisoned by your own toxins and don't even realize it. Tsk, tsk~"
In fact, Dai Chengfeng's eyes were filled with pity.
Instantly, Ye Renxin and Ye Lingling exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with doubt and disbelief.
They had never expected Dai Chengfeng to utter such shocking words.
They simply couldn't believe that Dugu Bo could also be suffering from severe poisoning.
After all, as Dai Chengfeng had pointed out, they could understand Dugu Yan being poisoned by her martial spirit because of her shallow cultivation.
But who was Dugu Bo?
He was the forefather of poison users. How could he possibly be poisoned by his own martial spirit?
Even Dugu Yan, who had firmly believed she was poisoned, now looked at Dai Chengfeng with growing doubt.
'My grandfather is a Title Douluo. How could he possibly be poisoned, and severely at that?'
'Are the symptoms I'm experiencing just coincidental and not actually poisoning?'
Even Zhu Fan, who trusted Dai Chengfeng the most, began to have doubts now.
After all, this was Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. And Zhu Fan could vaguely sense that his lord seemed to be deliberately provoking Dugu Bo. 'Does His Highness want to rile up Dugu Bo?'
'But what exactly is His Highness planning?'
'And are His Highness's words meant to deliberately provoke Dugu Bo, or is Dugu Bo really suffering from severe poisoning?'
'If it's true, then it would be quite amusing that Poison Douluo Dugu Bo, renowned for his mastery of poisons, is unknowingly suffering from severe poisoning while His Highness spotted it at a glance!'
Thinking this, a sly smile appeared on Zhu Fan's lips as he gazed at Dugu Bo with an equally pitying look.
He knew that whether Dugu Bo was truly poisoned or not, he was likely about to be hoodwinked by his lord.
For a moment, Zhu Fan felt a flicker of anticipation.
"Hmm?"
While the others were still filled with doubt, Dugu Bo was momentarily startled, his mind inexplicably drifting to the strange sensations in his body.
But soon, Dugu Bo's expression returned to calmness, and he even deliberately curled his lips into a disdainful smirk.
His eyes narrowed slightly, the green pupils gleaming with dangerous light, like a venomous snake about to strike.
"Boy, you sure have a lot of nerve!"
Dugu Bo's voice was low and laced with anger. "You're the first person to dare call me a half-baked poison user!"
He took a step forward, his overwhelming aura growing even more intense. "I am a Title Douluo. How could I possibly be deeply poisoned by my own toxins without realizing it?"
"Do you really think I'm as easy to fool as Yan'er, that a few words can sway me so easily?"
Looking at Dugu Bo, who clearly didn't believe him, Dai Chengfeng remained unfazed, a faint smile flickering in his eyes, as if he had already anticipated Dugu Bo's reaction.
"If you don't believe me, then let's make a bet."
Seeing Dai Chengfeng's unwavering confidence, Dugu Bo let out a soft snort. "A bet?"
"Are you scared?"
A faint smirk tugged at Dai Chengfeng's lips. "Is the mighty Poison Douluo afraid of losing to me?"
"Hmph!"
Dugu Bo sneered. "Do you think I'm afraid of losing?"
"I just don't think your wager will interest me!"
Looking at Dugu Bo, who was gradually taking the bait, Dai Chengfeng shrugged slightly. "The bet is simple."
"If you win, I'll let you do whatever you want with me."
"If I win, my request isn't high—I just want you to be my bodyguard for ten years."
"What do you say?"
Dai Chengfeng was confident that Dugu Bo would agree.
After all, as a Title Douluo, Dugu Bo was extremely confident in his poison expertise and absolutely wouldn't believe he could lose.
Moreover, even if he harbored some doubts, he was now backed into a corner by Dai Chengfeng, especially in front of his granddaughter and Ye Lingling.
As a Title Douluo, he still cared deeply about his reputation.
Of course!
The most crucial point was the carefully chosen timeframe of ten years…
To Dugu Bo, this wasn't a long time at all!
Although there was much debate in the original story about how long a Title Douluo could live—High Priest Poseidon of the Sea God Island, Tang Xiao, Yu Xiaogang, and Tang San all gave different answers.
Yu Xiaogang's opinion could be directly dismissed.
What did he know about how long a Title Douluo could live?
Had he ever even become a Title Douluo?
As for Tang Xiao, his claim that only Limit Title Douluos could live past two hundred years could also be dismissed.
After all, both Tang San and High Priest Poseidon stated that Title Douluos could easily live past two hundred years.
Their words carried far more authority than Tang Xiao's.
Thus, a mere ten years—though not just a fleeting moment in the long lifespan of a Title Douluo—was certainly not a significant amount of time.
But!
Dai Chengfeng specifically needed those ten years.
If he could secure ten years of peaceful development, Dai Chengfeng was confident that he could attain the strength to rival a Title Douluo.
By then, whether Dugu Bo continued to serve as his bodyguard or not wouldn't matter much.
Moreover, Dai Chengfeng was confident…
If Dugu Bo stayed by his side for ten years, he could definitely win him over!
On the other side, Dugu Bo didn't immediately accept Dai Chengfeng's wager, but he didn't outright reject it either…
Instead, he lowered his head in deep thought.
'This brat is so confident. Is he trying to trick me?'
'But how could I possibly be poisoned?'
'Still, the strange sensations in my body have no clear cause. Could it be…?'
Dugu Bo thought, glancing at Ye Renxin, who also looked suspicious. 'But even Ye Renxin, the Medical Sage, didn't seem to notice that I'm poisoned.'
'How could this young whippersnapper possibly see through my condition without any diagnosis?'
'It's most likely that he heard about the rare herbs in my medicinal garden and is deliberately deceiving Yan'er.'
'Now that I've exposed him, he's probably trying to deceive me out of desperation.'
'And…'
'Even if, by some slim chance, I really lose, it's only ten years as his bodyguard. But in return, Yan'er and I will gain safety.'
'No matter what, I won't lose out!'
With this thought, Dugu Bo let out a cold snort.
"Fine!"
"Since you, a brash youngster, have the audacity to spout nonsense in front of me,"
"I don't mind taking the fourth prince of the Star Luo Empire as my servant!"
"I accept your bet!"
"Tell me, what poison have I been afflicted with?"
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