Douluo Dalu: The Abandoned Child

I stood there, watching as Liu Erlong massacred the robbers with an efficiency that could only be described as terrifying. Her movements were calculated, her strikes brutal. I had read about her in my previous life, and while I knew her reputation, seeing it firsthand was an entirely different experience. Of all the soul masters in the continent, what were the chances of meeting her here? I tried to recall everything I knew about her. Liu Erlong, the fiery, vengeful Spirit Emperor who rampaged against criminals after my trashy father, Yu Xiaogang, abandoned her.

As the battle reached its conclusion, I noticed a nuisance behind me. One of the criminals had survived, and he was now pressing a dagger, his martial soul, against my throat. His hand trembled, and I could feel the fear radiating from him. But I didn't care. My focus remained on Liu Erlong.

Suddenly, his shaky voice broke the silence. "Stay back," he stammered, "one more step, and I'll kill him!"

The forest fell eerily quiet, the tension thick in the air. Liu Erlong froze, her fiery aura simmering but not extinguished. She glared at the man, calculating her next move.

I, however, had no such plans to remain passive. I started clapping, slowly and deliberately, a smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. My applause echoed in the stillness, breaking the stalemate. Both the criminal and Liu Erlong looked at me as if I had gone mad.

"Bravo," I said, my voice laced with amusement. "What a performance! That was amazing. You, fiery lady, must come work for me. I'm opening an academy, and I need teachers. Of course," I added, tilting my head, "you don't meet the minimum requirements yet, but we can fix that easily."

Liu Erlong's expression shifted from shock to incredulity. "Are you insane?" she snapped. "Do you even realize the situation you're in?"

The man behind me tightened his grip on the dagger, his desperation evident. "Shut up, kid! You think this is a joke?"

I sighed, annoyed. "Quiet," I said coldly. "Insects like you should know their place and remain silent while people are talking."

The man flinched, his grip faltering for a moment. Liu Erlong's eyes widened as she watched me. I could tell she was trying to figure me out, but there was no time for explanations. I felt the man behind me try to adjust his stance, likely to press the dagger harder against my skin. That was his last mistake.

With a thought, my Eight Spider Lances erupted from my back. The sharp, gleaming appendages moved with precision, piercing through the man's body before he could even scream. His limbs were severed cleanly and his head impaled on one of the lances like a trophy.

Blood spattered the ground as I turned back to Liu Erlong, my smirk still in place. Her expression was a mixture of horror and awe.

"Now," I said, brushing a speck of blood off my sleeve, "where were we?"

For a moment, Liu Erlong just stared at me. Her eyes flicked to the severed head still impaled on one of my lances, I saw fear in her eyes for the first time since she appeared. Finally, she broke the silence, her voice trembling slightly. "You're crazy."

I chuckled, gripping the head and yanking it off the lance before tossing it toward her. She caught it instinctively, disgusted as blood dripped onto her hands.

"Takes one to know one," I said, flashing a murderous smile.

For a heartbeat, the forest was silent, the tension thick. Then, unexpectedly, she started laughing. It was a rich, genuine sound that echoed through the trees. Her laughter was infectious, and I found myself joining in. We stood there in the middle of the carnage, two lunatics laughing as if the world wasn't stained with blood around us.

As our laughter subsided, Liu Erlong wiped a tear from her eye and looked at me with a smirk. "Allright, kid. Tell me more about this academy you were talking about."

I grinned. "Oh, you're going to love it."