Douluo Dalu: The Abandoned Child

The room was tense. Dugu Bei sat at the table across from the Madam, his expression calm but watchful. Behind him, Dugu Xin and Liu Erlong stood like sentinels, ready for any sign of hostility. Mirroring their stance, two men flanked the Madam, their hands resting on the hilts of their weapons.

The second-floor room was a stark contrast to the dilapidated inn below, polished wood floors, fine furniture, and a faint scent of lavender spoke of a hidden elegance. Yet the atmosphere remained heavy, the air thick with unspoken words.

The Madam was the first to break the silence. Her sharp eyes bore into Bei as she spoke. "Where is the Titled Douluo?" Her voice was steady, but there was a note of expectation in it. She leaned forward slightly as if to scrutinize his every reaction.

Bei met her gaze without flinching. "He won't be traveling with us."

The Madam's eyes widened, and for a moment, she seemed genuinely taken aback. Then her expression hardened, and she slapped the table with enough force to make the glasses on it tremble. "Damn it! Everything was going so well!" She threw back a drink from her cup, the frustration clear in her movements.

Bei waited patiently, letting her gather herself. When she finally calmed down, he leaned forward. "You'll have to elaborate," he said. "We're missing something here."

The Madam sighed, her gaze flickering between the trio before her. Finally, she spoke. "This was my last chance to get to Sea God Island," she admitted. "And now it's ruined." She laughed bitterly and shook her head. "We're all going to die now. " she pointed at Bei, "You should stay behind. It'd be a pity for someone so young to throw his life away."

Bei didn't respond immediately, his expression was unreadable. Instead, he waited for her to continue.

After a long pause, she leaned back in her chair and sighed again. "My family has held a map to Sea God Island for generations," she began, her voice quieter now. "I made a promise to myself that I'd see it with my own eyes before I died. But there's a problem." She hesitated, her fingers tapping the table rhythmically. "We found a tribe of sea soul beasts along the way. They're led by a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast."

The weight of her words hung in the air. Dugu Xin and Liu Erlong stiffened visibly, their shock mirroring Bei's. None of them had ever seen such a creature before, not even Bei if we exclude Ah Yin in her weak state.

After a moment of silence, Bei's voice cut through the tension. "Is the hundred-thousand-year beast a whale?" His tone was cautious, almost apprehensive. The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King loomed large in his mind. If it were that beast, they would have to find another way to get to Sea God Island because there was no way they would survive without the help of the Sea God as Tang San did.

The Madam frowned, her brow furrowing slightly. "No," she said slowly. "It's an orca-type soul beast."

Bei exhaled audibly, relief was evident on his face. "Good," he muttered. "In that case, I think we can manage." As long as it wasn't that 1,000,000-year soul beast, he was confident to at least be able to escape if the situation required it.

The Madam stared at him as if he'd grown another head. "You're still planning to go?" she asked incredulously. Her gaze shifted to Liu Erlong and Dugu Xin. "And you're letting him?"

Liu Erlong remained silent, her expression unreadable, while Dugu Xin looked torn. Finally, the Madam shook her head and stood up. "We'll leave tomorrow morning, with or without you," she said, her tone dismissive. Without another word, she left the room, her two guards following closely behind.

The trio sat in silence for a moment before Dugu Xin finally spoke. "Are you insane, Bei? A hundred-thousand-year spirit beast isn't something we can deal with."

Bei smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Well, not with that attitude, Uncle. You need to be more positive."

Dugu Xin sighed heavily, clearly exasperated. Liu Erlong still said nothing, her gaze fixed on the table as if deep in thought.

Bei stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "I came here to reach Sea God Island," he said firmly. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do. Think about it, if it were easy, anyone would do it."

He turned and walked to the door. "I'll be on that ship tomorrow," he said over his shoulder. "Feel free to decide what you'll do. Whatever you choose, I won't hold it against you."

With that, he left the room, leaving Dugu Xin and Liu Erlong alone in the silence of their thoughts.