However innocent Ye Lingling might be, as someone from a noble family, she knew that in this situation, Ye Wen absolutely could not be allowed to leave.
If anything were to happen later, the wrath of Dugu Bo would be something neither Yu Tianheng nor any of their families could bear alone.
Though she felt guilty, Ye Wen had to stay as the scapegoat.
Little did she know, this was exactly what Ye Wen wanted.
This was part of Ye Wen's plan. A wise predator often appeared in the guise of prey.
After all, being forced to stay and choosing to stay were two entirely different concepts.
If it were the latter, others might easily notice something amiss. And Dugu Bo was notorious for his unpredictable temper—Ye Wen didn't dare gamble with his life.
But if it were the former, Ye Wen would position himself as the weaker party from the start. And the weak were often the easiest to make others let their guard down.
Yu Tianheng, who had been wandering aimlessly, wouldn't be found anytime soon. However, Qin Ming, as the team leader, had at least left some information about his whereabouts to ensure his students could find him in case of an emergency.
But upon hearing that Dugu Yan was in trouble, Qin Ming—who had been happily reminiscing with Flender—felt a chill run down his spine. This was far more terrifying than if something had happened to Yu Tianheng!
After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family was large and prosperous, with another promising heir among Yu Tianheng's peers. But Dugu Bo was truly alone—if he found out that his last granddaughter was in danger, the consequences were unimaginable.
"Teacher Qin Ming, what should we do now?" Ye Lingling asked pitifully, looking up at Qin Ming.
If you asked Qin Ming to fight or resolve conflicts, he'd step up without hesitation.
But healing wasn't his specialty—what could he possibly do?
And after the earlier lesson, Ye Lingling no longer dared to use her martial soul to treat Dugu Yan. She feared that the more she treated her, the faster Dugu Yan might die—and then she'd be the one held responsible.
With even Qin Ming, their last pillar of support, collapsing under pressure, the members of the Imperial Team began pacing anxiously like ants on a hot pan, jumping and shouting in blind panic, unable to come up with a solution.
Seeing that the atmosphere had reached its peak, Ye Wen timidly raised his hand and said:
"Um… everyone, why don't I give it a try?"
Though his voice was soft, it instantly drew everyone's attention in the room.
Qin Ming frowned. In his earlier state of worry, he hadn't noticed there was still an outsider in the room. He immediately asked:
"Who are you?"
Before Ye Wen could respond, Ye Lingling quickly answered for him: "Teacher Qin Ming, this is the person who brought Yan Yan back."
The seasoned Qin Ming immediately thought of the worst possibilities. How could a perfectly healthy person suddenly be poisoned? He eyed Ye Wen suspiciously.
But just as Qin Ming was about to interrogate him, Ye Wen hastily raised his hand to stop him and quickly explained:
"I know this gentleman has many questions, but I assure you, I have no ill intentions. If we keep delaying like this, Miss Dugu's condition will become truly critical.
Since none of you here have a solution, and you might incur the wrath of the Title Douluo behind this young lady, why not let me take a chance? It's better than doing nothing. I can guarantee that my treatment won't endanger her life—it might even effectively alleviate her condition."
Qin Ming looked at Dugu Yan's worsening condition. Though he had many thoughts swirling in his mind, he could only reluctantly agree with a dark expression.
Seeing this, Ye Wen inwardly sighed in relief. The final goal of his plan was about to be achieved.
While rummaging through his storage-type soul tool for equipment, Ye Wen turned to the members of the Imperial Team and said:
"Could someone please fetch a large basin for me? I'll need it shortly."
As Ye Wen had now become their last hope, the members of the Imperial Team didn't dare object. They quickly sprang into action, finding a basin and placing it beside him.
But the next moment, Ye Wen's actions caused everyone in the room to gasp in shock.
Ye Wen took out a sharp dagger and swiftly slashed Dugu Yan's right wrist.
Instantly, blood gushed from her wrist, flowing profusely. Amidst the crimson stream were faint traces of green, accompanied by a slightly fishy odor that began to spread.
With his beast-type martial soul, Qin Ming had an excellent sense of smell and immediately detected the abnormality. The blood carried toxins. But Qin Ming couldn't dwell on that now—he grabbed Ye Wen angrily and shouted:
"Boy, what do you think you're doing? Are you trying to kill her? Right in front of our eyes?
Lingling —"
Just as Qin Ming was about to call Ye Lingling to use her healing soul skill to stop Dugu Yan's bleeding, Ye Wen hurriedly raised his hand to stop him and quickly explained:
"Don't! This is a special treatment method. By diluting the toxins in her bloodstream through heavy blood loss, we can reduce the concentration of toxins in her body. While it won't completely eliminate the toxins, it will lower their levels and delay their activation."
Ye Lingling, as a healing-type soul master, recognized the validity of this theory. But the next moment, she furiously shook her head and retorted:
"Your theory may be correct, but even my soul skills can't restore such a massive loss of blood in a short time. You're playing with her life!"
Ye Wen was well aware of the flaws of this bloodletting therapy, which had once been popular in the West in his previous life. But this wasn't an ordinary world—it was the world of Douluo.
At this moment, Ye Wen feigned a pained expression as he picked up a vial he had taken from his storage-type soul tool earlier and said:
"I'm fully aware of that, which is why I've prepared a special blood-replenishing medicine. Though it has some minor side effects, it's still the best option compared to letting her die from poison right now.
Once this young lady's condition stabilizes, we'll hurry to the Tian Dou Empire's capital to seek the help of the Poison Douluo. With his unparalleled expertise in poisons, he should have other ways to save her."
However, Ye Wen privately held little hope that Dugu Bo's poison techniques would be able to cure Dugu Yan.
But due to hereditary factors, the high-level cultivation of Dugu Bo could indeed suppress the toxins within Dugu Yan using his own soul power.
Combined with this bloodletting therapy, this was Ye Wen's confident method of establishing a connection with Dugu Bo.
Qin Ming's expression wavered between light and shadow, but in the end, he gave a reluctant nod.
Having graduated from Shrek, he clearly understood the principle of cutting losses when necessary. Rather than letting Dugu Yan wait for death, it was better to gamble on whether the minor side effects would provoke the Poison Douluo.
After all, these side effects weren't caused by him. If things went south, it would be Ye Wen who bore the consequences—so why not take the risk?
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