A small patch of dense forest a few kilometers east of Nuoding City.
Ye Qiu had already been thrown to the ground by Tang Hao, and was bent over, gasping for air with his mouth wide open.
The cold wind rushed into his mouth, making his heart feel icy cold.
Fortunately, he was strong and healthy, so he didn't feel too bad.
He was just putting on a good show.
"Kid, did you train your Soul Elder cultivation for nothing?"
Tang Hao sat cross-legged on the grass and couldn't help but mock Ye Qiu.
"It's clearly because Uncle Haozi is too fast..."
Ye Qiu cleared his somewhat dry throat and plopped down on the ground.
After a while, Ye Qiu opened his bright black eyes and looked at Tang Hao with deep confusion and shock.
Tang Hao took out his wine gourd and took a large gulp.
Alcohol not only helped him drown his sorrows, but also eased the pain in his body.
Ever since that battle, Tang Hao had been at the end of his tether.
The injuries inside his body were far worse than they appeared.
Noticing Ye Qiu's gaze, Tang Hao raised his eyebrows.
"What are you looking at me like that for? Spit it out if you have something to say."
Ye Qiu swallowed, moistened his throat, and tentatively asked, "Uncle Haozi, are you a Titled Douluo?"
"Hmm?"
Tang Hao glanced at Ye Qiu calmly and said indifferently, "So what if I am... so what if I'm not? Do I need to explain myself to you?"
"Uh..."
Ye Qiu was speechless, awkwardly scratched his head, and chuckled, "I'm just curious, since Uncle Haozi is a powerful Soul Master, why would he let Xiao San live such a hard life?"
"Hard life?"
Hearing this, Tang Hao's eyes widened instantly, and he angrily rebuked, "Where is it hard? Hasn't it been like this for so many years? Isn't he still living well?!"
A look of hatred and guilt flashed in Tang Hao's eyes.
In these years, the one who had suffered the most was clearly him!
"..."
Ye Qiu seemed to be stunned by his roar, staring blankly at Tang Hao, motionless.
After a long while, seeing Tang Hao calm down, Ye Qiu asked, "Uncle Haozi, is this... a story?"
"Hmph! Enough.
I didn't bring you out here to ask questions!"
Tang Hao snorted coldly, no longer wanting to communicate.
He tilted his head and drank the wine in the gourd in one gulp, then casually threw it aside and lay down on the grass.
He covered his eyes with his arm, and a hoarse voice came out.
"Tell me, how have you and Xiao San been all these years?"
Ye Qiu pouted.
This guy was really being wishy-washy.
If he wanted the immortal herb, he should just say so.
Why all this beating around the bush and being secretive?
Ye Qiu didn't want to say too much, so he could only make a note of this matter in his little notebook.
Today you play these games with me, wasting my breath.
One day, I will make Ah Yin waste her breath and play her games.
"Cough cough..."
Ye Qiu cleared his throat and began to tell his story.
From the beginning of his enrollment, Ye Qiu spoke very broadly about some aspects of college life.
After all, anyone who has been to school or worked knows that it's nothing more than a three-point line.
Seeing the same people every day, being managed by the same people, and repeating some courses.
There was nothing much to say about these things.
Ye Qiu focused on Tang Xiao San's longing for his father.
As well as their dormitory friendship, often using him as a whetstone—no!
Often sparring with him and practicing combat skills.
Under Ye Qiu's concise narration, everything was quickly explained clearly, depicting himself as a close friend and a big brother who Tang Xiao San relied on to express his longing for his father.
"Hoo—!"
Ye Qiu let out a long breath of stale air, took out a water bottle from his soul tool, and took a few sips.
"Uncle Haozi, I'm done talking.
Do you want a couple of sips?"
Ye Qiu handed his water bottle over.
Tang Hao took his hand down, glanced at it, and lost interest.
He somehow pulled out another can of wine, sat up, and said disdainfully, "Man, when you're thirsty, you should drink wine!"
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes.
He drank some horse piss and thought he was a real man?
He wasn't even upright and honest in his actions.
Instead, he was sneaky and lingering.
If you don't want it, fine.
This young master was already disgusted to death, and you still dare to mock me.
As his thoughts turned, Ye Qiu smiled shyly and agreed, "Uncle Tang is right!
When I go back, I'll drag Xiao San to practice drinking and teach him how to be a real man!"
"Pfft... cough cough..."
Tang Hao, who was drinking heartily, was almost choked to death by the alcohol.
The injuries in his body were agitated, and his face looked much worse.
He used his abundant soul power to suppress the surging qi and blood in his body and snorted coldly.
"You are still young, your hair hasn't even fully grown yet, how can you be considered a man?!"
Ye Qiu was stunned for a moment, his face full of dissatisfaction.
"Uncle Haozi, you're wrong about that!
I already have a girl..."
"Alright!
I don't want to hear any more.
Drinking always leads to trouble."
Tang Hao said forcefully, a slight smile appearing on his face again.
"You kid, you're doing pretty well... you've even settled your lifelong matter."
"Hehe... Of course."
Ye Qiu chuckled proudly, his face full of arrogance.
"I'm not like your Xiao San, who is so repressed and claims to be pure and clean... Actually, after spending so much time with Yu Xiaogang, that middle-aged single man, he keeps putting his hand in his blanket every day... I don't know what he's messing with."
Tang Hao's face darkened, feeling a little choked up.
"Hmph!
I don't know why you two, who spend all day together, have such a big difference.
Forget about relationships, even your cultivation levels are so far apart!"
Speaking of cultivation, Ye Qiu secretly cursed his shamelessness.
As expected!
This old guy was playing so many tricks just to ask about the immortal herb.
Beating around the bush, it was really a waste of breath!
After Tang Hao finished speaking, he looked at Ye Qiu with interest, waiting for his explanation.
"Hehe..."
To Tang Hao's surprise, Ye Qiu actually laughed out loud, the smugness on his face impossible to hide, and he teased, "Uncle Tang, you don't know about this."
"Oh? It seems you haven't finished what you were saying just now?"
Tang Hao said indifferently, his face full of curiosity.
"Yes, this semester just started, so I didn't mention it."
Ye Qiu's eyes were smiling.
As he spoke, he took out a handful of grass-flavored candies from his soul tool and handed the candies in his hand to Tang Hao.
"Here, Uncle Haozi, I'll treat you to some candy.
Consider it wedding candy..."
"Wedding candy?!"
Tang Hao raised his eyebrows.
Could it be that what this kid said was all true?!
"Yes, wedding candy!
I found myself a fiancée last month."
Ye Qiu's face was beaming with joy, and he sent some more candy over.
"Haha... You kid, it seems Xiao San is indeed far behind you.
Then congratulations."
Tang Hao laughed and took the candies, unwrapped them, and put them in his mouth.
"Thank you."
Ye Qiu nodded slightly.
"But... is there any connection between your fiancée and your cultivation being so far ahead of Xiao San's?"
Tang Hao chewed slowly, looking at Ye Qiu with some curiosity.
"Of course there is!
Uncle Haozi, listen carefully as I explain..."
Ye Qiu slapped his thigh and stood up directly, beginning to explain vividly, still talking about the chase, the medicinal herbs, the old man, and the fiancée.
After finishing his vivid narration, Ye Qiu wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead and sat back down.
"That's basically it.
My cultivation level only improved recently."
"I didn't expect you, kid, to encounter such an interesting thing the first time you went out."
Tang Hao smiled and nodded.
"I don't know which family's girl was actually ruined by you."
"What ruined or not ruined!
We've already signed a marriage contract..."
Ye Qiu's face changed, feeling a little unhappy.
He directly took out his large marriage contract from his soul tool and placed it in front of the small Tang Hao, shaking it.
Noticing the name engraved on the marriage contract, Tang Hao's eyes suddenly burst with brilliance!
The old poison from the Dugu family?!
At this moment, Tang Hao finally believed Ye Qiu's experience.
If it was Dugu Bo...
It was really something he could do to capture this kid and refine him into medicine.
With his eccentric personality, it wasn't strange for him to turn his medicinal ingredient into a grandson-in-law.