"My lord, please pardon the embarrassment."
After Hu Liena left with Yan, Yue Guan offered a slightly apologetic smile.
Aether simply chuckled and shook his head.
"We're just passing through to purchase some supplies. No need to be so formal."
Their group had only just arrived in Spirit City, yet as a Spirit Hall elder, Yue Guan had already appeared to receive them. Clearly, someone of significance within Spirit Hall had been alerted.
Still, judging from Yue Guan's attitude toward them, it was evident that Spirit Hall wished to establish friendly relations.
"My lord, you honor us with your presence. For you to grace Spirit City is our fortune. If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to let us know."
Yue Guan had lowered himself with astonishing humility.
As an elder of Spirit Hall and a titled Douluo in his own right, showing this level of deference was a clear sign of how highly they regarded Aether.
"This is our first time here. If possible, we'd appreciate a guide to show us around."
After a moment's thought, Aether agreed.
Given how persistent these types were, even if he refused, they'd likely trail him in secret anyway. Better to just keep Chrysanthemum Douluo close.
First, having a native guide when visiting a new place was always a boon.
Second, he wanted to take a look inside the Worship Hall of Spirit City—to see that so-called Angel God statue.
According to his memories, the statue's description bore a striking resemblance to Barbatos in Mondstadt, Teyvat. He was simply curious.
"Of course! Where would you like to go first, my lord? Spirit City may not be as grand as the empire's capital, but it's got everything you might want. You'd be surprised what strange and marvelous things one can find."
Yue Guan's alluring eyes narrowed slightly with a smile.
"Sis, we're looking for snacks! Where can we get good snacks?"
When it came to shopping, Paimon was naturally the one in charge.
And her priorities while shopping? Food, food, and more delicious food!
"Hehe~ You must be Paimon, then?"
Seeing the adorable little figure float out from behind Aether and call him "sis," Yue Guan's smile deepened.
In the intelligence gathered on Aether, there had been numerous mentions of Paimon.
"Yup! I'm Paimon! This is Keke, that's Zhuqing, and over here's Fire Meow Meow~"
Paimon introduced the group with gusto, and Yue Guan likewise gave a brief introduction of himself.
With the introductions complete, Yue Guan dismissed the surrounding guards and began leading the group on a casual stroll through Spirit City.
Unfortunately, this part of the city didn't have a proper food street. In the early morning, there might've been vendors lining designated streets with a wide variety of breakfast items. But now, nearing noon, most stalls had already packed up. Realizing this, Yue Guan decided to bring them straight to the highest-rated restaurant in Spirit City.
After a delightful meal that left everyone satisfied, Yue Guan saw his opportunity and clasped his hands politely.
"My lord, I've long had a question buried deep in my heart. Now that fate has granted me this meeting, may I ask for your insight?"
"Oh? What is it, Chrysanthemum Douluo? Go ahead."
Aether subconsciously activated his Elemental Sight—but saw no quest marker above Yue Guan's head.
"I heard that you possess the ability to heal martial souls. Might I ask…"
Yue Guan probed carefully—this was a matter of grave importance to him.
According to highly confidential intelligence he had obtained while accompanying the Pope on a mission, a fellow Spirit Hall elder—also a Titled Douluo—had passed along this astonishing information:
Aether had once helped a defeated opponent, Dugu Bo, in Heaven Dou City by cleansing his martial soul of something called a soul toxin.
Though Yue Guan wasn't exactly sure what that was, the message made it clear that this "soul toxin" was a flaw inherent in Dugu Bo's martial soul.
Something irreversible—yet Aether had not only mended this defect, but also triggered a positive mutation in the granddaughter's martial soul.
This kind of mysterious and potent power had sounded unbelievable to Yue Guan at first.
But after verifying the events through Spirit Hall's informants in Heaven Dou, he became convinced. The deeper he investigated, the more captivated he became.
In his mind, no one in Spirit Hall—save for a few key figures—understood Aether better than he did.
That's why he'd treated Aether with such care today.
"Healing, you say?"
Aether raised an eyebrow, then chuckled knowingly.
"Chrysanthemum Douluo… you're asking whether I can remove flaws from a martial soul, correct?"
"Indeed. As expected, nothing escapes your perception, my lord…"
Yue Guan lowered his head, acknowledging the truth without hesitation.
"Your martial soul has a flaw?"
Aether scrutinized Yue Guan. As far as he remembered, his martial soul had no notable weaknesses.
Unless, of course, you counted the crossdressing and his soft, feminine demeanor.
Yue Guan's martial soul was the Chrysanthemum, a delicate, plant-type soul that leaned heavily into feminine yin energy. His demeanor likely stemmed from that—though the real reason lay elsewhere.
He and his elder sister had depended on each other growing up. She had gone into debt to ensure his education. When the creditors came calling, an accident took her life.
Since then, he'd often reminisced about her. And given that their appearances were nearly identical, he began dressing as her—his crossdressing a heartfelt tribute.
That was the real reason behind his feminine guise.
"My lord… it's not me. It's my brother—his name is Gui."
After speaking, Yue Guan glanced up nervously at Aether.
"I see. You mean the Ghost Douluo in the Chrysanthemum-Ghost Douluo pair?"
The famed Chrysanthemum-Ghost Douluo duo, known for their martial soul fusion technique. Not only were they highly respected within Spirit Hall, but also well-known across the entire continent.
Dugu Bo, the one Yue Guan mentioned earlier—Aether vaguely recalled him being hunted by these two.
"That's him! My lord, my brother… well…"
Yue Guan launched into a story—of how Ghost Douluo had once died young, only to later awaken his martial soul under strange, almost supernatural circumstances.
Paimon, who hated all things creepy and ghostly, clung to Aether in fright as Yue Guan recounted the eerie tale.
When the story ended, she cautiously asked,
"Sis Yue… do you think this Gui guy could be, like… a spirit that possessed a corpse or something?"
"Paimon's not far off. Only… Gui seems more like a soul that left the body and couldn't return—so it became his martial soul instead."
Yue Guan mused aloud. In truth, he and Gui had pondered this mystery together for many years. That explanation might just be the most plausible one.
Wasn't Ghost Douluo one of those rare individuals on the continent who had pushed an innate martial soul to the level of a Titled Douluo?
As Paimon and Yue Guan discussed, Yu Keke could be heard gasping from time to time.
In fact, Ghost Douluo's condition—and Yu Keke's—were both representative of what later generations would refer to as Innate Martial Souls: rare, powerful martial soul manifestations rooted in the soul itself.
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