Douluo: Emerald Poison Emperor [39]

After Chen Ming and Dugu Yan returned to their respective dorms, rumors about the two quietly began to spread across the campus.

Teacher Niu Dalì, who was in charge of overseeing the poison-affiliated mimicry training field, sought out Qin Ming. Under the pretense of discussing something important, he dumped everything he had seen onto Qin Ming before the latter even understood what was happening. This effectively dragged Qin Ming, who was resting at home, into the situation. Together, they reported the matter to the three board members of the academy.

Niu Dalì had only seen Chen Ming carrying Dugu Yan out of the training field, so he reported exactly what he had witnessed, emphasizing how Dugu Yan had glared at him.

Although he didn't exaggerate or fabricate details, his subjective interpretation was overly dramatic. As a result, the first conclusion the three board members arrived at was that the two students were in a romantic relationship, rather than considering any unforeseen accidents.

Thus, the three board members immediately organized a covert investigation to find out what Chen Ming had been up to and whether there were any witnesses along the way. They wanted to determine what others might have seen.

Once the news leaked even slightly, its spread was beyond anyone's control.

As the top aristocratic academy of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was filled with elites. However, the majority of its students were genuine social insects or gossip-loving humanoid creatures.

The things these students were capable of imagining often exceeded ordinary expectations.

Some people, who initially didn't care about who carried whom, suddenly became intrigued when asked about it. Others, who had seen Chen Ming carrying Dugu Yan, felt even more curious after being questioned.

Those who had witnessed the scene admitted to seeing it, those who hadn't seen claimed they had, and eventually, even those who hadn't seen anything started saying they had. The accounts grew increasingly exaggerated.

The universal tendency of intelligent beings to enjoy a spectacle was on full display, and the academy's noble students were particularly adept at stirring up trouble.

What began as a simple account of Chen Ming carrying Dugu Yan, with Dugu Yan looking slightly embarrassed, quickly escalated into a wild tale of Chen Ming engaging in indecent behavior with Dugu Yan in broad daylight in front of the students.

Though the few truly brainless students who intentionally pushed the rumors in an obscene direction were quickly identified by the three board members and disciplined—sent home for their parents to deal with them, often involving a switch and some harsh punishment—such actions only served to fuel suspicions among certain students. To them, the board members' intervention felt like an attempt to cover up the truth, making the rumors seem even more believable.

"Have you heard? Dugu Yan and that new student…"

"Did you hear? Dugu Yan was with a guy on the main road…"

"Hey, did you hear? The granddaughter of the Poison Douluo was with some random guy…"

Heaven Dou Royal Academy only had about 500 students, yet within a single night, half of them were discussing the matter. The other half weren't talking about it because they lived in Heaven Dou City and hadn't heard the news from the academy yet.

But that wouldn't last long. A few mischievous noble students, eager to spread the gossip, were already traveling overnight to share the scandal with their friends in the city.

The thirst for gossip was unstoppable. Although the three board members refrained from addressing the matter directly, delegating their subordinates to suppress the rumors, the efforts were futile. The curiosity of the students was too strong. Moreover, even the staff responsible for quelling the gossip couldn't help but listen to the various rumors while pretending to do their job.

Behind closed doors, when no outsiders were present, even the individuals entrusted by the three board members to handle the situation couldn't resist gossiping enthusiastically.

Entertainment was scarce on the Douluo Continent. Beyond indulging in food, drink, and leisure—which those living near Heaven Dou City had long grown accustomed to—the only things that brought them true joy were the once-in-five-years Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament and the occasional juicy gossip.

Surprisingly, early the next morning, people from Dugu Bo's residence quietly arrived at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. After notifying the three board members, they promptly took Dugu Yan away.

Although Dugu Bo himself wasn't home, his residence was still managed by a steward. This person, Dugu Bo's younger brother-in-law, and Dugu Yan's great-uncle, had no soul power and wasn't a Soul Master. However, thanks to his relationship with Dugu Bo, he had spent decades as the head steward, managing all matters of the household with meticulous care.

Normally, such a composed individual wouldn't lose his cool over mere rumors. However, this steward happened to be an eyewitness to the scene of Chen Ming carrying Dugu Yan.

Yes, he was the elderly man whom Chen Ming had mistaken for someone too uninterested to chase after them.

Uninterested? Not at all—he genuinely couldn't catch up!

Forget Spirit Elders, Spirit Ancestors, or Spirit Kings; he wasn't even a Spirit Scholar! His only advantage was maintaining decent health and appearing sophisticated due to years of handling Dugu Bo's affairs.

The moment he saw Chen Ming carrying Dugu Yan, his first reaction was to pursue them. But not only did he fail to catch up, he ended up exhausting himself. When he finally made it to Dugu Yan's dormitory, she was hiding under her covers, playing with her fingers, and he couldn't find her after searching for ages.

By the time he struggled down the mountain, he was full of anger and grievance but dared not share it with anyone.

When he finally returned to Dugu Bo's residence, it was already midnight. He had to figure out how to contact Dugu Bo and deal with Dugu Yan's situation. After a sleepless night, he set off early in the morning with a group of attendants to retrieve her.

Thinking his swift actions would prevent the situation from escalating, he was horrified to overhear students gossiping in hushed tones at the base of the academy mountain. The sheer absurdity of the rumors nearly caused him to faint on the spot.

After much pleading, he convinced the three board members to allow him to take Dugu Yan home. However, Dugu Yan, playing the ostrich, tried her best to avoid seeing her great-uncle. It took immense effort to persuade her to leave.

Once back home, he comforted Dugu Yan and immediately penned multiple letters to Dugu Bo, dispatching messengers to deliver them to their predetermined drop-off point.

The problem, however, was that Dugu Bo had recently checked his messages, found nothing urgent, and decided to enter a deep meditation to recover his strength. He planned to complete his recuperation soon and return to Heaven Dou City to personally watch over his granddaughter.

As a result, no matter how many letters were sent, Dugu Bo wasn't going to read them in the near future.

Meanwhile, the rumors spiraled further out of control. The gossip about Chen Ming and Dugu Yan spread throughout Heaven Dou City's noble circles, even reaching the ears of Emperor Xue Ye, Crown Prince Xue Xing, and Qian Renxue, who was disguised as Xue Qinghe.

Hearing the gossip, Qian Renxue—who initially had only mild interest in Chen Ming and considered him part of her broader network-building strategy—was taken aback. She immediately ordered her subordinates to elevate the status of the invitation and gifts prepared for Chen Ming, adding a touch of intrigue and anticipation to their impending meeting.