Chapter 104: Why Is There Only One Room Every Time?
Fasnuo Province.
A small town near the Star Dou Forest.
This town is a key gateway for entering the Star Dou Forest, and as a result, it attracts many soul masters who are preparing to venture into the forest.
Those with a bit of business sense have opened taverns and inns here, with customers being well-off soul masters, making substantial profits.
An elderly man, accompanied by three children, approached the town.
Among the children, there was one boy and two girls.
One of the girls was older, dressed in a green gown, her emerald eyes glowing with an enchanting and dangerous allure, like a rose with thorns—beautiful but deadly.
The younger girl, though still small, already had a mature figure, cold in temperament with an icy expression, yet possessing a figure that was hot as fire.
The young man, golden hair flowing in the wind, moved with a confident stride, his eyes radiating self-assurance.
It was Dai Yao, Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, and Dean Jackson.
Over the past three years, Dean Jackson had managed to break through to the Soul Sage rank and become a Soul Douluo, and for this achievement, the Academy had celebrated with much fanfare.
Under the protection of a Soul Douluo, as long as they didn't venture too deep into the Star Dou Forest and seek death, there were no safety concerns.
Looking at the green silhouette ahead, Dai Yao couldn't help but sigh.
"Ugh, why is Dugu Yan here?! She really isn't planning to stick to me, is she?"
In the three years since Dugu Yan came to the Academy, Dai Yao had been helping her treat the toxins inside her body.
Due to the misunderstanding at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, every time Dai Yao treated her, Dugu Yan had been bare-chested.
After several months of treatments, Dai Yao's resentment toward Dugu Yan had faded significantly, and now, there was always a certain ambiguous atmosphere between them during their sessions.
Neither of them acknowledged it openly.
Dai Yao couldn't let go of what happened in the past, while Dugu Yan was still uncertain how to treat him. After all, she had once intended to kill him, but he had saved her without hesitation, leaving her confused about her feelings.
"Sigh~"
Dugu Yan sighed deeply inside. She wasn't sure why, but as soon as she heard Dai Yao was going to the Star Dou Forest to hunt soul beasts, she volunteered to come along.
As the granddaughter of the Poison Douluo, Dean Jackson naturally didn't refuse.
Dean Jackson glanced around and smiled at the three children.
"We're currently on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest. From now on, I won't intervene in anything and will just follow you."
"I'll only step in if you encounter enemies that you can't deal with or if you need to hunt a soul beast."
Looking at the three of them, whose expressions had grown serious, he continued kindly.
"In the Star Dou Forest, not only are there dangerous soul beasts, but there are also human soul masters. Many lose their lives while trying to fight for soul rings, and with the appearance of soul bones, it's likely that blood will be spilled."
"You must think carefully before making any decisions. This is not like the Academy; everywhere here is filled with danger, and deceit among soul masters is a daily occurrence."
"In the Star Dou Forest, if you encounter other soul masters, do not trust them easily. The cost of blind trust could be your life."
"With my protection, you should cherish this opportunity to get to know the soul beasts in the forest, combining what you've learned from books with actual practice."
After finishing, Dean Jackson surveyed their expressions before asking:
"Any questions?"
The three of them shook their heads firmly, their eyes filled with determination.
This was their first time in the Star Dou Forest, and though they were excited, Jackson's words had sobered them up.
It was already late in the day. Dai Yao glanced back at Jackson, who was quietly following behind, and said to Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing:
"It's getting late. Night is the time when soul beasts are most active, and it's even more dangerous than daytime. How about we find an inn to rest for the night?"
"We should rest well and set off tomorrow. What do you think?"
In truth, this suggestion was more for Dugu Yan's benefit. Zhu Zhuqing would not oppose his decision.
Seeing that Dugu Yan nodded, they followed the signs along the street and found an inn.
Inside, there were mercenary soul masters sitting on the floor everywhere—tall, burly, and with fierce expressions, their bodies covered in scars.
When they saw the three children and the elderly man following behind them, they could tell immediately that these were young people from a large force, here to train in the Star Dou Forest and hunt soul beasts.
They had no intention of provoking them.
Dai Yao was a bit puzzled. In some web novels, the protagonist always gets mocked for being young when entering a mercenary-type place, only to show off their strength and slap the mockers in the face.
Why didn't that happen here?
Shaking off the thought, he turned to the innkeeper and asked:
"Boss, we need four rooms."
The middle-aged innkeeper gave them a meaningful glance, coughed lightly, rubbed his hands, and smiled apologetically.
"Sorry, we only have one room available right now. If you don't mind, you can all share it."
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao's face went blank.
Why is it that in this world, every time he takes girls to stay at an inn, there's only one room?
When Tang San and Xiao Wu stayed at the Rose Hotel, there was only one room, and they had no choice but to share.
"Sigh, could it be that we have to share a room?"
Thinking this, Dai Yao looked at the innkeeper suspiciously and asked:
"Are you sure there's only one room?"
The innkeeper's expression was serious, his whole body exuding an air of righteousness:
"What do you take me for? Of course, there's only one room. Would I lie to you? If each of you had a room, wouldn't I be earning more money?"
Dai Yao thought about it for a moment and then turned to Dugu Yan.
"If you mind, we can find another inn or pitch a tent in the wilderness."
Dugu Yan glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, a flicker of fire sparking in her green eyes. She said in a sweet voice:
"I can accept it, but I'm afraid Sister Zhu might misunderstand."
Zhu Zhuqing snorted coldly, crossing her arms and turning away, unwilling to pay attention to Dugu Yan. Over the past three years, she had figured out Dugu Yan's feelings for Dai Yao.
For noble families, having multiple wives or concubines was nothing unusual. Even the refined Ning Fengzhi had once bought a cat-girl at the Tian Dou Auction House. Dai Yao, being such a talented individual, naturally attracted attention from women.
However, what Zhu Zhuqing couldn't accept was that Dugu Yan had once sworn to kill Dai Yao three years ago. She couldn't let go of that.
Seeing Dai Yao's pained expression, Zhu Zhuqing sighed helplessly and agreed.
Dugu Yan immediately raised her head, showing a victorious look, which only infuriated Zhu Zhuqing even more.
Dai Yao, seeing Zhu Zhuqing's helplessness, couldn't bear it. He gently said:
"Since that's the case, let's go find another inn."
Dugu Yan was taken aback and asked:
"Don't you want to stay with me?"
"No."
Dai Yao shook his head and then softly looked at Zhu Zhuqing, stroking her head:
"I just don't want her to feel uncomfortable."
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