Heaven Dou Imperial Academy
After the tension had subsided, Ye Lingling curiously asked Dugu Yan why she had reacted so emotionally earlier.
The others also looked over with interest—even Shi Mo and the other three stopped their sparring to listen.
They too were eager to know how Qi Lin had managed to win over Sister Yan so quickly.
Dugu Yan then explained the hereditary toxin backlash within the Dugu Clan.
Only then did everyone understand.
No wonder she had reacted so dramatically—it turned out to be a matter of life and death.
By that measure, it wasn't an exaggeration to say Qi Lin had saved her life.
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong both let out a quiet sigh of relief.
As long as Sister Yan wasn't romantically interested in Qi Lin, they would have one less rival to deal with.
"Little Brother Qi Lin, I want to inform my grandfather as soon as possible that the toxin backlash in my body has been cured by you. So I plan to leave the academy for a bit tomorrow."
"Why don't you come with me? Your kindness is too great to go unreturned. A life-saving favor... I must repay you."
"My grandfather has collected many rare treasures. Come back with me, and anything you fancy—just take it."
Qi Lin's heart stirred at her words.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—it had long been on his mind.
So, upon hearing Dugu Yan's invitation, Qi Lin didn't hesitate and replied, "Alright. I didn't accept Senior Dugu Bo's invitation last time. If I refuse again, that would be quite disrespectful."
Dugu Yan beamed with a beautiful smile at his agreement.
"Great! I'll come find you first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Alright!"
As the group chatted and laughed, a contingent of royal guards clad in golden armor suddenly approached from the distance.
Leading them was the warm and elegant Xue Qinghe.
"Brother Qi Lin!"
From afar, Qian Renxue (disguised as Xue Qinghe) waved at Qi Lin.
Shi Mo and the others exchanged glances.
All of them came from noble families within the Heaven Dou Empire, and were especially sensitive to political signals.
The Crown Prince himself showing such warmth—what did it mean?
Judging by appearances, Qi Lin and the Crown Prince were quite close. Perhaps... he was aligning himself with the heir to the throne?
After all, they all knew Qi Lin had no backing. Aligning with the Crown Prince wasn't unthinkable.
Especially now that Xue Beng was dead, Snow Qinghe was the sole heir to the empire.
"Brother Xue!" Qi Lin responded with a cheerful smile.
Once Qian Renxue arrived, the two lines of royal guards behind her stopped in perfect unison as she came to a halt.
With a smile, she unfolded a royal decree and began to read it aloud.
First, the decree condemned the crimes of Xue Beng and his cronies, then it outlined the punishments for their affiliated factions. Finally, it announced that Qi Lin was being granted the noble title of Marquis, and Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Gu Yuena were each granted the rank of Viscount.
Qian Renxue continued, listing Qi Lin's newly awarded fief and a variety of material rewards.
The monetary compensation alone reached a staggering 500,000 gold spirit coins—not to mention all the rare treasures included.
To wrap up, Qian Renxue added with a smile:
"My royal father instructed me to reward you with some additional items. As your older brother, I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I picked them myself."
"I remembered how we talked a few days ago. You mentioned your special interest in metals and exotic items—so I selected some in that direction. I hope they suit your tastes."
Clearly, she was using the Empire's wealth to deepen her personal connection with Qi Lin.
"F-Five hundred thousand gold spirit coins!"
Xiao Wu stood there, stunned, hands covering her mouth. Her mind echoed with just that number.
She had never seen so much money in her life!
Next to her, Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes in disdain. "It's just five hundred thousand gold coins. Don't be so dramatic. Honestly, don't go around telling people you know me—Miss Ning."
"You're embarrassing."
Xiao Wu shot her an indignant look. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"
Ning Rongrong huffed and didn't provoke her further.
She knew Xiao Wu wasn't one to back down—last time she'd annoyed her, she ended up pinned to a wall getting her butt smacked.
Very shameful indeed!
On the other side, Qi Lin smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Xue, for all your thoughtfulness."
Qian Renxue returned the smile warmly.
"Since you've called me Brother Xue, it's only natural I put in the effort for you."
The two exchanged a knowing smile—brotherly affection clear between them.
---
The Next Morning
Dugu Yan arrived at Qi Lin's dorm bright and early.
Accompanying her was an elderly man.
Dugu Bo's medicinal garden was deep in the Sunset Forest—Dugu Yan naturally couldn't return on her own.
So each time she returned home, she was escorted by a Spirit Saint.
Dugu Bo might be a Titled Douluo, but he wasn't a loner. He still had loyal subordinates.
This Spirit Saint was essentially a retainer of the Dugu Clan, mainly responsible for protecting Dugu Yan whenever her grandfather was in seclusion.
As Dugu Yan arrived, Qi Lin stepped out to join them.
She had invited only him—bringing anyone else would be impolite.
"Little Brother Qi Lin, let's go!"
Seeing him come out, Dugu Yan smiled brightly.
"Alright!" Qi Lin glanced at the old man beside her and replied with a smile.
The Sunset Forest was only about a hundred miles from Heaven Dou City, so the trio made quick progress. That very night, they reached their destination.
"Young Miss, since we've arrived, this old servant will take his leave."
The Spirit Saint respectfully saluted Dugu Yan as he looked toward the thick purple poisonous mist ahead.
His gaze also flicked briefly toward Qi Lin—an assessing look in his eyes.
Dugu Bo had never allowed outsiders into his medicinal garden. Not even this old man, who had served him for decades, was permitted to enter.
And yet this young man, Qi Lin, was allowed in—and even came with Dugu Yan.
Could it be… that this was the Dugu Clan's future son-in-law?
"Take care, Grandpa Chen," Dugu Yan said warmly.
The old Spirit Saint nodded and turned to leave.
Once he was gone, Dugu Yan explained, "Grandpa once saved Grandpa Chen. In gratitude, he has followed Grandpa for decades."
Qi Lin nodded. This person hadn't appeared in the original story, but that was understandable—the novel was told solely from Tang San's perspective.
It was normal that unrelated characters didn't show up.
Then, Qi Lin turned his gaze to the thick purple mist ahead. Beyond it lay Dugu Bo's valley and the medicinal garden.
At that moment, Dugu Yan held a white pill delicately between her long fingers and brought it to Qi Lin's lips.
"My grandfather laid a poisonous formation here. Without this antidote, even a Spirit Saint would suffer muscle spasms and meridian failure within an hour from the poison—and die."
With that, she gently pushed the antidote into Qi Lin's mouth.
Qi Lin couldn't help but notice the sensation of her fingers touching his lips.
Hmm…
It was... strange, but kind of nice.