Chapter 22: The Spoiled Young Miss

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As Li Luochen was deep in thought, pondering how to play matchmaker, he suddenly collided with someone.

"Oof, what the...!" Li Luochen fell to the ground, his train of thought completely disrupted. Truly, one shouldn't daydream while walking.

"Ouch! Who's the scoundrel who dared to bump into me? Do you have a death wish?!"

The speaker was a young girl with short, deep purple hair. She exuded an air of boldness and, though not exceptionally beautiful, possessed a strange, bewitching charm. Her green eyes were peculiar, giving off an eerie vibe.

This girl was none other than Dugu Yan, now fourteen years old. She had been in a foul mood lately—her mother had died during childbirth, and her father had passed away two years ago.

Now, she could only rely on her grandfather, who spent most of his time tinkering in his secret medicinal garden, leaving her alone.

Dugu Yan had become extremely introverted, disliking conversation. She could sense that some people looked at her with fear, disdain, or disgust.

If it weren't for her grandfather, Jade Phosphorous Douluo, whose poisons were said to dominate the world, no one would dare say a word against her.

Because of this, Dugu Yan had no friends. She was solitary and prone to anger, often acting arrogantly and domineeringly, all in an attempt to draw attention to herself.

"Hmph! You little pretty boy! How dare you bump into me? Do you even know where you are? This is Tian Dou City! Do you want to live or not? Do you know who my grandfather is?"

Dugu Yan glared at Li Luochen, determined not to back down unless he apologized immediately.

"Hah! Little brat, don't put on airs. Do you think your father is Zhang Erhe? You're the one who wasn't watching where you were going, charging around recklessly. What, do you expect me to kneel and kowtow to apologize?"

{T/N: I have no idea who Zhang Erhe is.}

Li Luochen frowned. He had never encountered such an arrogant girl. Though he found her features somewhat familiar, he couldn't quite place her. His thoughts had been interrupted—like being interrupted right before reaching climax, which left him thoroughly irritated.

"Hah! Alright, little pretty boy. I'm definitely going to teach you a lesson!"

Dugu Yan was like a powder keg ready to explode. Her mood had already been sour these past few days, and on top of that, she had been feeling unwell. At night, she felt pain all over and couldn't sleep, making her irritable.

"Jade Phosphorous Snake, Attach!"

Her martial soul activated, and two yellow soul rings appeared. Her body became incredibly flexible, her legs fusing together into a thick snake tail that supported her as she moved. A diamond-shaped green scale appeared on her forehead, and her green eyes grew sharper, radiating coldness devoid of any human emotion.

'It's her! Damn, I was careless. No wonder she has purple hair and green eyes—her martial soul is the Jade Phosphorous Snake. This little brat is Dugu Yan!'

'Crap, her grandfather holds grudges like no other. If she sets her sights on me, I'm done for.'

Dugu Yan noticed Li Luochen's wavering gaze and assumed he was afraid. She sneered.

"Tch, scared now, aren't you, pretty boy? Not bad-looking, but turns out you're all bark and no bite. Seeing my strength must've made your legs go weak."

"You're so tall and built, but clearly just a pushover. Are you intimidated by me? Kneel and beg for mercy, and maybe I'll let you off easy!"

Dugu Yan's verbal barrage was relentless, escalating to outright personal attacks. Even with Li Luochen's years of self-restraint, he was pushed to his breaking point.

Already in a foul mood from being interrupted, he was now subjected to this verbal onslaught. His forehead was practically covered in "＃". To hell with her grandfather—he'd deal with her first. Could a living person really be cowed by threats?

Li Luochen unleashed his Dragon Pattern Staff, and three soul rings—yellow, purple, and purple—appeared. The overwhelming presence of a high-level Spirit Elder pressed down on Dugu Yan.

The surrounding crowd had already dispersed when Dugu Yan released her martial soul. Soul master battles were forbidden in Tian Dou City.

"Impossible! How can a pretty boy like you be so strong?! I refuse to believe it! Jade Phosphorous Snake Poison!"

Dugu Yan unleashed her snake venom, a green mist rushing toward Li Luochen.

"Hmph! Jade Phosphorous Snake Poison? Is this all you've got? Your cultivation is still lacking!"

From the bracelet-type soul tool on his left arm, Li Luochen retrieved a jar of realgar wine. He shortened his Dragon Pattern Staff to thirty centimeters, summoned flames to its tip, took a sip of the wine, and exhaled it onto the flames.

A small flame ignited the alcohol, creating a massive fireball that surged toward the venomous mist. Upon contact, the mist dissipated instantly.

"What?! Impossible! How could you possibly break through my Jade Phosphorous Snake Poison?!"

Dugu Yan couldn't believe it. Her family's pride—their snake venom—had been neutralized so easily. Even though her poison wasn't at full strength yet, it was potent enough to take down a Spirit Elder.

"Hmph! I told you, your cultivation isn't complete. Playing with poisons and yet you don't even know that realgar counters snake venom? Moreover, you probably don't even realize the extent to which your own venom has affected your body."

Though sharp, Li Luochen's words were measured. Unlike Tang San, who might outright call someone's poison garbage, Li Luochen knew better than to offend a powerful opponent without cause. Respect for the strong was essential.

Dugu Bo, hiding in the shadows, heard every word. Initially, he hadn't planned to intervene, thinking it would be good for his granddaughter to learn a lesson. But when her snake venom was effortlessly countered and Li Luochen mentioned the issue with Dugu Yan's venom...

Dugu Bo couldn't stay idle any longer. Though Li Luochen hadn't explicitly stated it, Dugu Bo knew the truth—Dugu Yan had been born with poison, and it had long since seeped into her bones. Most people wouldn't notice, but this boy could see it.

Moreover, this boy's soul rings were extraordinary. His second ring was at least two thousand years old, and his third ring, a deep purple, was at least six thousand years old.

Such a monster was dangerous. He needed to keep an eye on him.

"Damn it, damn it! I refuse to believe this! Arghhh! Pretty boy, prepare to die!"

Dugu Yan snapped. Being mocked by a pretty boy about her incomplete cultivation was unbearable. She was about to become a Spirit Elder, and even her grandfather hadn't reached her level at her age.

She considered herself a genius, yet she was being belittled. So what if he was a three-ring Spirit Elder? She charged forward recklessly, intent on close combat.

Dugu Yan maneuvered her snake tail, rapidly crawling toward Li Luochen. She threw a punch, but it was riddled with openings and easily dodged.

"Hmph! Your snake venom cultivation is lacking, your attacks are sloppy, and your movements are full of holes."

Li Luochen had stopped caring about the consequences. This little brat had aimed her punch straight at his sensitive spot. Even clay figurines had their limits.

He transformed his Dragon Pattern Staff into something resembling a teaching rod and smacked Dugu Yan's rear end.

"Ahhh! Bastard, shameless!"

Dugu Yan was both enraged and embarrassed. Her grandfather had never laid a hand on her, and here she was being spanked.

Dugu Yan's attacks became increasingly chaotic, easily dodged by Li Luochen. Each strike landed squarely on her snake tail.

"That's for cursing me, for bumping into me, and for trying to hit me there. Keep acting up, will you? Keep jumping!"

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