"People who possess that kind of pharmacology and medical skill are extremely rare," Dugu Bo muttered, frowning slightly. Though he agreed with Chen Ming's reasoning, it only took a moment before a suitable candidate came to mind.
"Got it—the Nine Heart Begonia clan. I'll go find Ye Renxin and ask for his help."
As he spoke, Dugu Bo slapped his hand against his palm, clearly satisfied with his own idea. Ye Renxin was an old acquaintance of his.
Back in his youth, when his poison had flared up, Dugu Bo had once sought Ye Renxin's help. At the time, however, even Ye Renxin had been unable to provide a proper cure and could only stabilize his condition temporarily. Even so, over all these years, Ye Renxin had never revealed a single word about Dugu Bo's illness to anyone.
Later, when tragedy struck Dugu Bo's son and daughter-in-law, it had also been Ye Renxin who was called upon to help. But in the end, even the Nine Heart Begonia could not save someone whose poison had already seeped into the marrow.
Though their lives could be prolonged for a time, the suffering was unbearable. In the end, Dugu Bo's daughter-in-law chose death to escape it, and his son, unable to endure the grief, followed her a few years later.
Because of all this, Dugu Bo trusted Ye Renxin's character without the slightest doubt.
The Nine Heart Begonia had always been recognized as the finest healers on the continent. Whether it was the innate healing abilities granted by their Martial Soul or the medical expertise accumulated over generations, they stood unrivaled.
As Dugu Bo glanced at the medicinal herbs growing outside—so abundant they resembled wild weeds—his thoughts shifted.
"I'll gather some herbs. When the time comes, I'll ask Ye Renxin to teach you this method. With your talent, you should be able to grasp it within a month."
He was completely confident he could persuade Ye Renxin, and that confidence didn't come from their friendship alone. Strictly speaking, Dugu Bo still owed Ye Renxin several favors.
But more importantly, he had absolute confidence in the herbs growing in his garden—hundred-year, thousand-year, even ten-thousand-year medicinal plants that he treated as casually as cabbages. As a master of poison, he knew exactly how irresistible such high-grade herbs were to practitioners of medicine.
Back then, he had once given Ye Renxin a thirty-thousand-year Ginseng King to repay a debt. The man had been so moved he nearly dragged Dugu Bo into sworn brotherhood on the spot. Even now, that Ginseng King was reportedly still preserved, intended to be passed down as a family heirloom.
Although he no longer possessed anything quite that extraordinary, he still had over a hundred plants in the ten- to twenty-thousand-year range—Ginseng, Lingzhi, and the like.
With just a handful of those, how could Ye Renxin possibly refuse?
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Dugu," Chen Ming said with a slight smile, nodding in agreement.
Only then did Dugu Bo suddenly seem to realize something. He narrowed his eyes at Chen Ming, his expression turning serious.
"Wait a moment… were you deliberately trying to get me to bring up Ye Renxin? Your mind works better than mine—I don't believe you hadn't already thought of this."
"I did think of it," Chen Ming admitted calmly, "but sometimes thinking alone isn't enough. More importantly, if I had brought it up directly, it might have seemed disrespectful. So I only offered suggestions and ideas—the final decision was always yours, Senior."
He paused, his tone growing firm.
"However, I value my promises above all else. Since I've accepted your help and given my word, I will see your treatment through. As long as you uphold your side, I won't betray your trust."
"Hmph." Dugu Bo snorted, his expression turning somewhat awkward as if masking his thoughts. After a long moment, he finally spoke again. "Boy, you'd better not disappoint me."
"I won't," Chen Ming replied without hesitation. "Breaking one's word is something I despise the most."
A person should have integrity—should carry responsibility. Chen Ming wasn't rigid or inflexible, but deep down, he held onto a pride and stubbornness that were entirely his own.
Across both his lifetimes, nothing repulsed him more than betrayal and broken promises. And because of that, he made it a point to never go back on his own word.
With the addition of AI-like cognition, Chen Ming had grown increasingly accustomed to viewing things through a rational lens. He adapted easily to fixed realities and established rules, and much like the stereotype surrounding programmers—that they were often difficult to communicate with—he, too, had begun to lean more toward practicality and concrete reasoning.
Taking a selection of medicinal herbs, Chen Ming worked alongside Dugu Bo to process them into two different types of pills: water pills and honey pills.
During the process, Chen Ming carefully explained his reasoning behind the formulation—how each herb interacted with others, how their mutual reinforcement and suppression worked, and how the combination would stabilize Dugu Yan's condition. His goal was not merely to teach Dugu Bo the formula, but to ensure he truly understood it.
The water pills were made by sprinkling powdered medicine onto a bamboo tray, then lightly moistening it with water and shaking it into small granules about the size of sesame seeds. These were absorbed quickly by the body and were meant for daily use, helping to regulate and stabilize her condition.
The honey pills, on the other hand, were slightly larger than an egg yolk and contained additional medicinal ingredients. They were intended for use during periods of instability, when her condition required stronger intervention.
Compared to the water pills, the honey pills had a shorter shelf life due to the addition of honey. To prevent the loss of medicinal potency, Chen Ming sealed them with wax, extending their preservation time.
Though they appeared simple and unremarkable, this method could already be considered a form of external alchemy. In fact, the honey pills were closer to what was traditionally referred to as "elixirs." As for the more fantastical methods of pill refinement, Chen Ming currently had no clear direction.
For one, the Douluo Continent simply didn't possess that kind of system—there was no sign of things like Spirit Ascension Pill or Mystic Water Pill, leaving him with nothing to reference.
For another, even if Chen Ming wished to develop such techniques himself, his lack of fire attribute affinity made the process inefficient, yielding poor results for the effort invested. For now, he could only set aside the idea of advancing alchemy until the future.
That said, his upcoming trip to study with the Nine Heart Begonia clan did carry a hint of that intention.
After confirming Dugu Bo's condition and explaining how to maintain stability over the coming period—along with laying out a plan for managing Dugu Yan's situation—Chen Ming selected three ten-thousand-year medicinal treasures from within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. He carefully stored them in jade boxes, arranging them with meticulous care.
Before setting off, Chen Ming made a brief trip to the Heaven Dou Emperial Academy, where he quietly met with the three board members. He reassured them that he was alive and well, and that his talent and ideas had earned Dugu Bo's recognition—so much so that he was now cultivating under Dugu Bo's guidance.
He also inquired about the current state of Holy Soul Village. Only after confirming that his hometown was safe did he feel at ease enough to depart with Dugu Bo for the residence of the Ye family of the Nine Heart Begonia clan.
The Ye family estate was located in one of the most prosperous areas of Heaven Dou City. Though it covered an expansive area, the number of people living within was surprisingly small.
The Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul had always been passed down through a single lineage. At present, only Ye Renxin and his granddaughter, Ye Lingling, possessed it. While a few relatives also resided within the estate, their numbers were limited.
When the gate attendant reported that Poison Douluo Dugu Bo had come to visit, Ye Renxin—who had been in his study teaching his granddaughter medical techniques—froze for a brief moment. Quickly composing himself, he instructed Ye Lingling to return to her room before personally heading to the front gate to receive his guest.
Yet the moment he laid eyes on Dugu Bo, who appeared several years younger than before, Ye Renxin's pupils contracted sharply. Though he did his best to maintain composure, the shock in his eyes was impossible to conceal.
"Brother Dugu… you're alright now?"
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