Du Gu Bo stopped in front of Du Gu Yan, his sharp gaze locked onto the boy hiding behind her. Oscar didn't dare meet that stare—this whole mess was, in truth, his fault.
And to make things worse, the old man had just seen him holding Du Gu Yan in his arms. Naturally, Oscar felt guilty.
Gai Yue, too, was staring intently at him. Even though joy and excitement surged in his heart at seeing Oscar alive, he knew it couldn't be that simple.
Before this, even Du Gu Bo had been convinced that Oscar was gone for good. Yet now, here he stood, perfectly unharmed—and even close with the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo. Clearly, something had happened.
Oscar gave Du Gu Yan's shoulder a small squeeze, silently signaling her to speak first. He didn't dare to be the one to open his mouth.
Feeling his subtle gesture, Du Gu Yan's delicate brows twitched. She then slowly said:
"Grandfather, Little Ao wasn't in danger. At that time, he had eaten two of the immortal herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Because of their special nature, he was able to enter the spring without harm.
That's why we couldn't find him when we searched that afternoon. Then, the very next day—shortly after you left—I went down again, and that's when I ran into him coming out of the well. That's when we realized it was all a misunderstanding…"
As she spoke, the scene from that day flashed through her mind. Remembering Oscar's astonishing physique at that time, her cheeks turned crimson.
Seeing her falter, Oscar hurried to continue:
"Your Excellency, that's the truth. It was all a misunderstanding. By the time Sister Yan explained everything to me, you had already left. With our speed, we couldn't possibly catch up.
So instead of wasting time, we chose to stay here and cultivate while waiting for your return. We knew you'd come back, and then everything could be cleared up."
After explaining to Du Gu Bo, Oscar turned toward Gai Yue:
"Teacher, this time it was my recklessness that made you worry."
Gai Yue finally exhaled in relief:
"It's fine. So long as you are unharmed."
Du Gu Bo's expression gradually softened as he listened to their explanation. But his sharp gaze still lingered on Oscar.
"Then let me ask you—are you planning to let go of Yan Yan anytime soon? Or do you intend to keep hugging her forever?"
Oscar jolted like a startled rabbit, immediately releasing Du Gu Yan and retreating two steps. Hearing her grandfather's words, Du Gu Yan's face flushed even redder, as red as a ripe apple.
Oscar, flustered, quickly tried to clarify:
"Don't misunderstand! We were just researching poisons together, nothing else."
But his words only made Du Gu Bo's forehead veins twitch.
Researching poison? My ass! You jumped into the Ice and Fire Well without permission, and now, after only a few days, you're already hand-in-hand with my granddaughter? Researching poison, huh? Since when does researching poison require holding hands?
Just as his anger flared, Oscar hurriedly added:
"Your Excellency! About your poison—I've already found a solution. I even have a way to cure Sister Yan's poison completely!"
Those words made Du Gu Bo pause. He frowned, then let out a long breath.
"Is that true?"
Oscar nodded firmly.
"Of course. But first, you and Sister Yan must extract the toxins from your bodies and store them in a soul bone. Only then can I administer the treatment completely. Without that step, I cannot eradicate it.
So, you'll need to find a suitable soul bone for her—preferably a ten-thousand-year one. The higher the quality, the better."
Du Gu Bo's eyes flashed. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded.
"I can prepare a soul bone for Yan Yan within half a month. What else must we do?"
Oscar thought a moment before answering:
"First, transfer all the poison into the soul bone. Afterward, I will prepare medicinal pills for both of you. With them, Sister Yan's poison can be completely cleared in three months.
As for you… Your body has suffered far more damage. Conservatively speaking, you'll need about a year."
"A year?" Du Gu Bo muttered, then asked in a lower voice:
"And how confident are you about curing me?"
Oscar replied with a smile:
"At least eighty percent. If nothing goes wrong, it should be fully cured. In fact, once the toxins are gone, your strength may even improve."
Seeing his grin, Du Gu Bo glared at him.
"Don't get cocky, brat. Just because you can help this old man doesn't mean you can act without restraint. I—"
Before he could finish, Du Gu Yan quickly interrupted:
"Grandfather, why are you being like this again? Little Ao is helping us. Without him, who knows how much longer the poison would torment us?"
Her words made Du Gu Bo calm down. She wasn't wrong. Besides, hadn't he already considered the idea of bringing these two together? Oscar was undeniably outstanding.
And yet… whenever he recalled the image of Oscar holding his granddaughter's hand-in-hand, he couldn't help but feel a sting of irritation.
Oscar didn't mind. Of course, the old man would feel this way. He's treasured his granddaughter all her life, and now some eleven-year-old brat shows up and gets that close in just a week?
In real-world terms, it was like some punk pulling up under your window on a motorcycle, honking for your daughter, and then cheekily asking, "Hey, old man, is it cool if I park here?"
Still, the situation was different because that "punk" was Oscar.
Oscar wasn't just a prodigy with heaven-defying talent—he could cure their poison. From Du Gu Bo's perspective, if Yan Yan and Oscar ended up together, he would benefit just as much as she did.
Not only could Oscar save them, but he also had limitless potential. Even as a food-type spirit master, Du Gu Bo believed Oscar would one day reach Title Douluo. His external spirit bone would only grow stronger with him—eventually reaching the hundred-thousand-year level.
That meant even if Oscar couldn't dominate in battle, his self-preservation was assured. Combined with his unmatched support abilities, his achievements would be extraordinary.
So yes—if his granddaughter chose Oscar, Du Gu Bo would, deep down, be satisfied.
But for now? Seeing two children, who had known each other for barely a week, acting so close? Unacceptable.
Besides… wasn't Oscar only eleven years old? Since when did eleven-year-olds get this good at charming girls?!