Chapter 004:

Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou Empire, Dugu Family Residence

Near the outskirts of the Heaven Dou Empire and within one of its many great forests, there was a heap of mountains and a lone valley cutting across them like a snake. Sat inside this valley was a rather sizable mansion. It was grand yet also slightly cold and bleak. This was the Dugu Family Residence.

Looking past one of the residence's great halls, a room with five figures was visible through the cracks of the large, regal doors. All five figures shared either green or teal hair as well as somewhat somber expressions. Two of these figures belonged to the Dugu twins, Dugu Wei and Dugu Yan.

The pair's eyes lingered on a large mattress in the room where a man and women laid together, both having pale faces. This couple were the biological parents of the twins, the father Dugu Xin and the mother Dugu Mei. Seated on the edge of the bed was the last figure in the room, another man but much older than their father. He was their biological grandfather, Dugu Bo, the man who was said to be the best at poisons on the continent and was infinitely near the Douluo Rank.

The bedridden man Dugu Xin quietly asked Dugu Bo, "Is it too late, father?"

His father, Dugu Bo, sported a complex expression, both bitter and unwilling as he clenched his fist. Through gritted teeth and with dark-circled eyes clearly indicative of sleep deprivation, he said, "No, not as long as I am alive. I can cure you once I break through to become a Douluo."

While this might have sounded hopeful to another person, Dugu Xin knew exactly how bleak this answer truly was. If all it took was becoming a Douluo, wouldn't his father have broken through many years ago? To Dugu Xin, it was pretty much a death sentence. However, his face did not show any fear as he continued to gently smile.

The man said, "I have only lived this long because of you, Father. You have tried your best and I cannot thank you enough. Now, you should get some rest--"

Dugu Xin was well aware that if not for his father's tireless efforts day and night in prolonging his life, he would have already been dead as much as a decade ago. Not only that, but his father would have likely become a Douluo already as well. Dugu Xin had always seen himself to be a liability to his father, feeling sorry for that.

Dugu Bo forcefully interrupted his son, shouting angrily, "Quiet! I, Dugu Bo, am the master of poisons! There is no poison that can defeat me or my descendants!" In his mind, Dugu Bo had begun a very familiar process of self-blame for the condition of his family. And, being honest, he truly was the reason for his family's despair.

The day that he turned 6 years old, Dugu Bo was the first one in his family to awaken the powerful but double-edged martial spirit called the Jade Phosphor Serpent. This spirit was renowned for its intense and matchless poison. However, this poison was not fully under the user's control. Indeed, from the very moment of awakening the spirit, its user is quickly intoxicated with the poison of the Jade Phosphor Serpent, leaving them two fates. They could either cultivate enough levels to become a Douluo whose strong body could resist the poison, or to wait for death.

While Dugu Bo was talented enough to quickly raise his cultivation and slow down the rate at which the poison consumed him, his son was not as fortunate. As a result, the 35 year old man was already near death and would have long been dead if not for Dugo Bo's own actions. Thinking further upon this, Dugu Bo fled the room with a determined gaze. He was going to once more attempt to force his way to Spirit Rank 90, becoming a Titled Douluo.

In the wake of his disappearance, the room was silent. The first one to break this silence was Dugu Mei, who beckoned her two children over. Dugu Wei and Dugu Yan obediently stood next to the bed as she lovingly stroked their heads. "My precious son and daughter," She began, "I am truly blessed to have watched you two grow these past years. The heavens have been too kind to me. It is only fair." While Dugu Xin said nothing, only looking towards his two children, there was a sense of love and content in his eyes.

Dugu Yan was confused but something in the air made her cry and she was unsure why. All she could do was weep in her mother's arms, hoping to remain this way. At the same time, Dugu Wei had an odd expression on his face that resembled less of sadness and more of guilt.

In his head, the voice of an old man appeared. "She called you her son, Little Wei. Is that not enough?" It was his grandfather's voice, his old spirit still residing in the Sky Poison Pearl now bound to Dugu Wei's soul.

Dugu Wei looked down at the ground, his long hair masking his expression. His mother, Dugu Mei, thought it to be his own expression of sadness and continued to lightly comb through her children's hair.

While Dugu Xin had credited his father Dugu Bo as the person who had prolonged his life, that was not entirely true. While his father was a large reason for the poison's disappearance, Dugu Wei was actually a much larger reason. That was because for the past five or so years, he had been using the Sky Poison Pearl's innate ability of curing all poisons on both of his parents. Naturally, this meant that, at any time, Dugu Wei could completely cure them of their poison. But he did not.

This was because he was scared. More precisely, he was scared at being found out as a reincarnated person and being ostracized by his new, loving family. As a result, he had planned to slowly cure the couple bit by bit so as to not arouse any suspicion that it was him and give credit to Dugo Bo's medicine. However, he had not expected the couple's poison to suddenly flare up, now with the threat of death. As a result, Dugu Wei was now caught between two places.

"What should I do, Grandfather?", he asked in his headspace.

The spirit of his grandfather spoke out once more. "I cannot make any decision for you, Little Wei. But, I can give you some advice. In life, sacrifice is inevitable. Just like how I sacrificed my body for another chance and how Dugu Bo sacrifices time and money for your father. In the end, all one can do is simply choose to protect what he or she feels they cannot afford to lose. Now, Little Wei, what is it that you cannot lose?"

With that, Dugu Wei had a realization. The unsure look on his face previously was now replaced by his usual confident demeanor. "Of all things in life, I can lose my body, mind, and soul, but I cannot lose those whose love and faith resides in me. Even if they realize that I am not their real son, I will make sure that this family continues to exist, even if it no longer includes me in it. Thank you, Grandfather."

His grandfather only let out a laugh that faded away in his mind.

Turning to the Dugu couple, he said, "Mom, Dad. There is something I have to say to you both."