Chapter 28: An Unforgivable Miscalculation
What a blunder. A monumental, irredeemable blunder.
Dugu Bo stood in silent frustration, watching the budding romance he'd tried to strangle now blossom wildly before his eyes. He had meant to douse the flame—not fuel it. Yet here they were, locked in a tender embrace, declaring eternal devotion. He could almost hear the sound of shackles clanking onto his plans.
And then, just as he was about to step forward and rip them apart with one sharp word, Li Chang'an suddenly pulled away from Dugu Yan. Gently, he rested both hands on her shoulders and looked into her emerald-green eyes with a gaze full of conflicted warmth.
"Yanzi, I'm grateful. Truly," he said softly. "But how could I be so selfish as to let you waste your youth on me? We only live a hundred years, if we're lucky. How many decades can a person wait?"
"Chang'an, I don't—" Dugu Yan began to protest, her voice trembling with urgency.
But Li Chang'an pressed a finger gently to her lips, silencing her.
"Listen to me. Let's make a pact. If I haven't become a Titled Douluo by the time you turn thirty… then let me go. Find someone else who deserves you."
Having said that, he turned to Dugu Bo with calm resolve. "Senior, is that an acceptable condition to you?"
Dugu Bo didn't answer immediately. He stared at the young man in front of him, trying to determine whether he was arrogant, deluded… or quietly walking away with dignity.
Thirty years old? A Titled Douluo?
It was laughable. Tang Hao—Tang Hao!—held the record as the youngest Titled Douluo in history, and even he had only broken through at the age of forty-four.
Was this brat trying to give his granddaughter a graceful way out?
The more Dugu Bo thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Maybe this boy was wiser than he looked. Maybe he understood that this match was doomed and wanted to make it easier for Yan'er to let go in the future.
If so… then this kid had a good head on his shoulders.
But before he could say anything, a sharp voice rang out.
"I don't agree!"
Dugu Yan stepped forward, her eyes misting over with emotion. She clearly believed, just like Dugu Bo suspected, that this was a convenient excuse—a lie dressed up as love.
Before she could say more, Li Chang'an pulled her back into his arms and gently kissed her lips.
Time seemed to freeze.
Dugu Yan stood motionless, stunned by the sudden kiss.
"Yanzi," he whispered against her lips. "Believe me."
When she looked up at him again, her gaze was full of silent awe. Logic told her what he promised was impossible—but her heart had already chosen to believe.
"…Mmm."
Her quiet murmur of assent came so soft, it was almost inaudible. Her cheeks glowed crimson, and she lowered her head like a meek lamb, subdued by emotion.
But Dugu Bo was no fool.
He could see it clearly: his granddaughter hadn't accepted the condition at all. She'd only agreed to play along. In her heart, she had already made her decision—she would wait, thirty years or more if necessary.
No matter what.
Dugu Bo sighed deeply, his heart heavy. He was old—pushing a hundred now. And while reaching Titled Douluo had extended his lifespan, his peculiar poison martial soul had eroded him from within. The clock was ticking. At best, he had a decade or two left.
He didn't fear death. What he feared was what would happen to his only granddaughter once he was gone.
The world of soul masters was not kind to women.
A female soul master with a powerful martial soul but no protection? At best, she might be snatched up to become a concubine for the sake of bloodline improvement. At worst, she could be imprisoned, used like breeding stock by a clan or sect with no moral qualms.
These weren't rare exceptions—they were common outcomes.
That was why Dugu Bo had long since resolved to find her a husband she could rely on—ideally, a young genius with real talent and a secure background.
And Li Chang'an, unfortunately, checked every box.
A powerful martial soul. A promising future. A respectable character. Even his political connections were impeccable—he was the emperor's future son-in-law.
This was the worst-case scenario: someone ideal, but already spoken for.
Now, Dugu Bo was stuck.
If he forced the two apart, Yan'er might never love again. Her heart would harden, and she might spend the rest of her life alone.
But if he accepted this condition… if he bet on the impossible, and let her wait until thirty… and then Li Chang'an failed to break through…
What would become of her then? Would she become someone's concubine?
That, he could never accept.
Dugu Bo's expression grew darker with each passing thought. He was weighing consequences no grandfather should ever have to consider.
Meanwhile, Li Chang'an stood silently, watching him. He could guess what Dugu Bo was thinking—any rational man would see his promise as delusional.
And it was delusional.
Even Qian Renxue, born with a god-level Seraphim martial soul and innate rank 20 soul power, wouldn't dare claim she could reach Titled Douluo before thirty. Without some heaven-defying opportunity, such cultivation speed was a fantasy.
So it was no surprise that Dugu Bo remained silent. Who could believe him?
But then—
"Senior," Li Chang'an said, taking a step forward and holding out his arm. "If you don't believe my words, then judge my potential with your own hands. Why not measure my bone age?"
Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. Bone age? What would that prove?
Still, he reached out and casually pinched the boy's wrist. His soul power flowed smoothly into Li Chang'an's body.
And what he sensed next made his eyes widen in disbelief.
In the world of soul masters, bone age was the most accurate way to determine a person's true age—more reliable than appearance, which could be altered by soul skills, potions, or external forces. A person's bones, like the rings of a tree, recorded every year with perfect clarity.
No matter how a person's body matured, their bones couldn't lie.
Yet what Dugu Bo felt at this moment…
…made him question the reliability of the very method he had used for decades.
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