What a miscalculation! A complete blunder!
Just as Dugu Bo was inwardly berating himself—realizing that instead of breaking them apart, he had only pushed his granddaughter and Li Chang'an closer together—a sudden turn of events unfolded before him.
Li Chang'an, who had been holding Dugu Yan tightly, suddenly released her. Placing his hands gently on her slender shoulders, he looked into her bright green eyes and said softly, with a tone full of care:
"Yan'er, I'm truly moved that you're willing to wait for me. But how could I be so selfish as to let you waste away your youth? Life is short—how many fifty years do we even have? Even if I never reach the rank of Titled Douluo, at most I'll live barely a century before my time is up."
"Brother Chang'an, I—"
Dugu Yan panicked and tried to speak, but he lightly covered her lips with his hand, shaking his head.
"Listen to me. Let's make a promise. If I haven't reached the rank of Titled Douluo by the time you turn thirty, then forget about me. Go find a man who can truly make you happy."
Having said this, he turned to face Dugu Bo, whose expression was unreadable. "Senior, what do you think of that?"
The Limit of Possibility
Thirty years old? Become a Titled Douluo?
Dugu Bo stared in stunned silence at this boy who might be called either insanely arrogant—or terrifyingly confident.
After all, the youngest person in recorded history to achieve the rank of Titled Douluo was Tang Hao, at forty-four years old.
And now, someone dared to claim he would surpass that record by more than a decade?
It was simply impossible.
Could it be… this boy is only saying that to comfort Yan'er? Dugu Bo thought. Perhaps he's trying to give her false hope, so she can one day let go without guilt.
If that was truly his intention, then Dugu Bo had to admit—this kid wasn't completely useless. At least he understood restraint.
That thought softened Dugu Bo's gaze, just slightly.
"I don't agree!"
Dugu Yan, however, couldn't accept it. She, too, believed that Li Chang'an's "by thirty" declaration was only an excuse—his way of pushing her away.
Before she could continue arguing, Li Chang'an suddenly pulled her into his arms and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
In that instant, her mind went blank.
"Yan'er… believe in me."
Li Chang'an's deep black eyes locked onto her emerald ones. His gaze carried an unshakable confidence, as if he could transfer it straight into her heart.
And though logic told Dugu Yan that reaching the rank of Titled Douluo before thirty was absurd, something inside her changed.
That one kiss filled her with inexplicable courage and faith.
Eventually, she lowered her head shyly and whispered a soft "Mm…" like a docile little lamb.
Of course, that didn't mean she truly believed it.
In truth, though she nodded on the surface, she had already decided inwardly: Even if he never becomes a Titled Douluo, I'll wait for him. Always.
The Old Man's Worries
Naturally, Dugu Bo could read his granddaughter like an open book. He sighed heavily, feeling a splitting headache.
At nearly a hundred years old, even with the longevity granted by the Titled Douluo rank, his body had long been corroded by the poison of his own martial spirit. His lifespan was already far shorter than most of his peers.
Lately, he could feel it more clearly than ever—his strength waning, the end of his life drawing near. At best, he might have another ten or twenty years.
Death didn't scare him anymore. But what did terrify him was the thought of leaving his granddaughter alone—unprotected in this cruel world.
The realm of soul masters was anything but kind.
For a female soul master, especially one with a high-level martial spirit, life without protection was perilous. If she were lucky, some powerful soul master might take her as a concubine to "improve bloodlines." But far worse were those captured by clans or sects—turned into tools for breeding, stripped of freedom and dignity.
Such horrors were not rare in this world. They happened often to gifted but powerless common-born soul masters—those with no family background but strong martial spirits.
That was why Dugu Bo had long resolved to find his granddaughter a strong, reliable husband—a man of both exceptional talent and formidable backing.
And Li Chang'an, frustratingly enough, fit both conditions perfectly. His innate gifts were monstrous, his temperament calm, and even his manners—well, acceptable.
If not for the fact that he was already the royal son-in-law, Dugu Bo might have already arranged the marriage himself.
But now… the situation had become a tangled mess.
An Impossible Gamble
He had two choices.
One: forcibly break them apart, severing this "fated" bond before it grew stronger. But doing so risked his granddaughter sinking into despair, unable to love another man for the rest of her life.
Two: accept Li Chang'an's proposal—to use Dugu Yan's thirtieth birthday as the deadline and see if the boy could truly reach the rank of Titled Douluo before then.
But that was clearly impossible.
And worse, from the look in his granddaughter's eyes, Dugu Bo knew—no matter how impossible that goal was, she would never give up on Li Chang'an.
What then? Was he truly going to let Yan'er become a concubine someday?
Her reputation wasn't even the main issue—what if she was bullied later? What if she suffered and he was no longer there to protect her?
Dugu Bo's expression darkened, torn between worry, anger, and helplessness.
A Shock from a "Genius"
Seeing the old man's hesitation, Li Chang'an instantly understood what he was thinking—he didn't believe him.
Which, frankly, was fair.
Even a prodigy like Qian Renxue, born with a god-level martial spirit and innate level-twenty soul power, couldn't claim she'd reach Titled Douluo before thirty without divine intervention.
So of course, anyone hearing his words would call them delusional.
That's when Li Chang'an smiled slightly and said, "Senior, why don't you test my bone age?"
"Bone age?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "What good would that do?"
Still, out of mild curiosity, he extended his hand and grasped Li Chang'an's wrist. A flow of soul power spread into the boy's body, scanning every bone.
Normally, human bones record age like the rings of a tree—each year leaves a distinct trace. No matter how a soul master's body changes, those markings never lie.
Bone age was the most accurate way to determine someone's real age.
But the moment Dugu Bo sensed Li Chang'an's bone age…
He froze.
For a long while, he just stared at the boy, expression flickering between disbelief and confusion—as if even his years of experience couldn't convince him what he'd just discovered was real.
(End of Chapter)
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