The weather was cooling.
In the courtyard, autumn winds swept through fallen leaves, rustling softly as the sun dipped westward. Its dying light cast long shadows, highlighting the slim figure of a young boy. His silhouette moved in harmony with the swirling leaves—each strike, each motion, full of focused rhythm.
As usual, Lin Xiao was practicing his martial forms without fail.
Dugu Yan had mentioned that her grandfather, Dugu Bo, would likely be returning soon.
So, Lin Xiao had moved back into the Dugu estate.
It had been three months since his first Evil Fire Body Tempering.
Evil Fire couldn't be triggered at will—it needed to build up. Only when the fire's intensity surpassed what his meridians could bear would the next session begin.
Until then, Lin Xiao subjected himself to extreme physical training.
Train until you break—then heal.
When he was on the verge of collapse, the Nine-Heart Begonia healed him.
Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan had tried to train alongside him, but they couldn't match his intensity. They'd watched Lin Xiao push himself to the brink of death, yet he never once flinched.
Remembering Ye Qingxian's words, both girls would go pale at the thought of the torment Lin Xiao must have endured during his Evil Fire Tempering.
Despite his young age, both Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had come to take him seriously—no longer treating him as a mere child. In fact, they had started learning from the strength of character he displayed.
"Huuh—"
After completing a set of the Five Animal Forms, steam visibly rose from Lin Xiao's body. The breath he exhaled was long and steady, stretching over three meters.
Then, out of nowhere, a cold, sharp voice broke the stillness.
"Where did you come from, little brat? What are you doing in my home?"
Lin Xiao turned, startled, and saw an old man standing by the courtyard gate.
He had green hair, and his pupils gleamed a dark, poisonous emerald. His presence radiated a venomous chill, as if a serpent king had set its sights on its prey.
There was no doubt.
This was Dugu Bo.
Lin Xiao clasped his hands respectfully and bowed.
"Lin Xiao, sir. I am a friend of Miss Dugu Yan."
Dugu Bo eyed him with vague amusement.
A boy of six, standing straight, showing neither fear nor arrogance—quite rare indeed. Still, Dugu Bo was an old fox and immediately picked up on the weak point in his statement.
"You say you're Yan-yan's friend?"
"What kind of teenager becomes friends with a child? Even if you are her friend, judging by the way you've settled in, you've been living here for a while now."
"So I'll ask again: what exactly are you doing in my home?"
His smile was cold, his eyes locking onto Lin Xiao like a serpent marking its prey.
A heavy, invisible pressure bore down.
Lin Xiao's body tensed.
This was it—the real test had come.
It had been relatively easy to win over Dugu Yan. As a girl his age, she was naturally more trusting and emotionally driven.
But Dugu Bo was another story entirely—suspicious, unpredictable, and potentially lethal at the slightest misstep.
Gaining his trust would require more than sincerity. He had to prove he was valuable—someone with knowledge and ability.
He bowed again.
"Your Excellency, Poison Douluo—I've been waiting for you."
Before he could say more, Dugu Bo let out a scoff.
"And who the hell do you think you are, waiting for me?"
Lin Xiao: "…"
He had heard that Dugu Bo was eccentric and antisocial. But now he fully understood why the man had no friends.
His mouth alone was enough to drive anyone away.
But strangely, Lin Xiao smiled.
If this was Dugu Bo's true nature—blunt and direct—then that was better than someone who smiled while hiding a knife behind their back.
"Hah! You've got the nerve to smile at me?"
Dugu Bo raised a brow.
Even Soul Douluo-level experts tread lightly around him. But this little brat had the gall to grin?
He didn't like the feeling—it made him feel… dismissed.
"Your Excellency," Lin Xiao began smoothly, "I've long heard that Poison Douluo is a man of eccentricity, disinterested in worldly matters and rarely seen in public. But having met you, I believe the world's assessment is off."
"In truth, the world is full of hypocrites and liars. But you—true to yourself, unafraid to be genuine—that is worthy of admiration."
Flattery never fails.
And no one punches someone who's smiling and respectful.
Lin Xiao wasn't dumb—he knew to soften the situation before things got worse.
"And it is precisely because of your example that Miss Dugu Yan is so sincere and open-hearted. It's been my honor to become her friend—and help her improve her strength."
More praise. More protection.
By claiming close friendship and valuable assistance to Dugu Yan, Lin Xiao was subtly saying: If you hurt me, you're hurting someone who's been good to your granddaughter.
And it wasn't even a lie. The servants had long grown used to Lin Xiao's presence here—proof enough.
Dugu Bo had met countless people in his lifetime. Most feared him, hated him, or fawned over him.
But this boy—this six-year-old—spoke to him without fear or resentment. His praise even sounded genuine.
Strange kid.
Dugu Bo's mood improved. He said bluntly,
"Flattering me straight out the gate—you must want something."
"I usually despise brown-nosers, but since you've got some honesty in you, I'll give you one chance to speak. If I feel like helping, I will. If not, get lost."
He had no intention of helping.
But he was curious.
What kind of weird request could a kid like this have?
Lin Xiao drew a deep breath.
"My martial soul has a fatal flaw. My life hangs by a thread."
"I want to ask—how did you, Poison Douluo, overcome the flaw in your own martial soul?"
BOOM!
The moment Lin Xiao said those words, Dugu Bo's killing intent surged.
His aura exploded around him like a storm. Gone was the casual demeanor—his eyes now radiated menace.
"Who gave you the right to speak such nonsense in my presence?!"
The secret of the Dugu family's flawed martial soul was something Dugu Bo had buried deeply.
If others discovered it, they could exploit his weakness—the moment when his poison flared beyond control was when he was most vulnerable.
He had to leave for months at a time to suppress it using the special properties of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Now this child had pierced the truth.
Dugu Bo's gaze turned murderous.
Unless Lin Xiao had a very, very good reason, no amount of friendship with Dugu Yan would save him. He would be imprisoned, interrogated… and likely eliminated.
Under that terrifying pressure, Lin Xiao's body trembled uncontrollably.
But he refused to back down.
Clenching his jaw, he raised his head and met Dugu Bo's deadly gaze.
"Senior Dugu…"
"My martial soul is flawed too."
"I want to work with you—to save myself… and also to save Miss Yan."
The words "save Yan" struck a nerve.
The suffocating aura suddenly halted.
And then… like a wave retreating to sea, it vanished completely.