"It was Lord Beirute who told us," Di Lin replied.
The Martial God also spoke: "After we returned from the Divine Graves and came back to the Yulan Continent plane, not long after entering the Yulan Continent, Lord Beirute suddenly said... Lin Lei is in danger. He told Di Lin and Tarosha to rush over as quickly as possible, so they might still make it in time to save him."
Di Lin and Tarosha both nodded slightly.
"If you had been a step slower, Di Lin, it really would have been dangerous," Tarosha remarked with feeling.
Di Lin smiled. "Dangerous? I'd guess that Lord Beirute had already arrived in the vicinity long before we did. Even if we hadn't made it in time during the most critical moment, Lord Beirute would have stepped in to save Lin Lei."
"Lord Beirute?" Tarosha furrowed his brow. "I'd say he wouldn't care even if every last human on the entire Yulan Continent dropped dead. Would he really have saved Lin Lei? I think the fact that he bothered to warn us at all is already extraordinary enough."
Tarosha had a very clear understanding of Beirute's ruthlessness.
"That's not necessarily true," Di Lin said, disagreeing.
"So that's how it was," Lin Lei sighed inwardly. No wonder, after he had sent a soul transmission to Bei Bei, Bei Bei hadn't told him whether Beirute was coming or not... It turned out Beirute had gone to the Divine Graves. He hadn't been in the Dark Forest at all.
Nobody had noticed.
Several miles from Dragon Blood Castle, a translucent figure hovered faintly in midair. The sunlight that struck it was completely absorbed; when an object reflected no light, its existence naturally went unseen.
"That brat Tarosha."
The translucent figure let out a self-mocking snort. "What I did during the War of Annihilation back then really did scare him good. He actually thinks I'm that cold-blooded." Then the figure vanished.
At the edge of the Dark Forest.
"Bei Bei, don't go! It's useless even if you reach Dragon Blood Castle — can you stand against a Mid-level God?" The Three-headed Purple Gold Rat Kings all tried to dissuade Bei Bei, but he remained single-minded, flying south at full speed. His heart was anxious beyond measure.
And just then —
"Bei Bei, I'm fine now." Lin Lei's voice echoed in Bei Bei's mind.
"Boss!" Bei Bei instantly brightened and stopped.
The Three-headed Purple Gold Rat Kings beside him were thoroughly confused. Bei Bei hovered in midair, communicating with Lin Lei soul-to-soul. After a good while, the conversation ended. "Boss, I'm coming to you right now." Bei Bei desperately wanted to see Lin Lei, and nothing and no one could stop him now.
"Bei Bei..." A hoarse voice rang out.
Bei Bei looked up, and a hint of displeasure flickered in his small, dark eyes. "Grandpa Beirute, it's about time you finally came back."
"Father." The Three-headed Purple Gold Rat Kings all showed proper respect.
Beirute smiled and reached out to take Bei Bei into his arms. "Bei Bei, come here." But Bei Bei dodged away. "Hmph, Grandpa Beirute, I already found out from Boss. You knew he was in danger. So why didn't you step in yourself? If you had, that bastard Ogavin would be dead for sure."
Bei Bei was deeply unhappy.
Ogavin had nearly killed Lin Lei.
In Bei Bei's heart, although Beirute filled him with pride and he loved Grandpa Beirute dearly, nobody was more important than the 'Lin Lei' he had grown up with since he was small. Just as, in Lin Lei's heart, Bei Bei was equally precious.
Through all those years, it had been Lin Lei and Bei Bei together. A human boy with no parents, a magical beast with no parents — they had played together, adventured together, and gradually grown up as one. That bond was unbreakable.
"Bei Bei, me personally stepping in to kill Ogavin?" Beirute smiled helplessly. "I can't handle everything myself, can I? As for taking revenge on Ogavin — that's something for Lin Lei to do on his own. The fact that I ensured his survival should be enough."
"You keeping my Boss alive? That was Tarosha and Di Lin who saved him," Bei Bei retorted, turning his head away in displeasure and refusing to look at Beirute.
Beirute gazed at Bei Bei before him, unsure what to say.
He, Beirute, held a fearsome reputation among the higher-ups of countless planes. His ruthlessness and cruelty were legendary. Even in front of his own sons, Beirute could be severe. Yet... before Bei Bei, that surge of doting affection simply overflowed from his heart.
It was like a father who was strict with his own children, but far more indulgent with his grandson.
Beirute had always been exceedingly strict with his descendants. But when it came to Bei Bei — the second God-Devouring Mouse born across countless planes in the Baruch Family bloodline — he simply couldn't bring himself to be harsh.
"Tarosha and Di Lin?" Beirute shook his head immediately. "Bei Bei, the truth is, I arrived at Dragon Blood Castle before they did, at the fastest speed I could manage. If they hadn't made it in time, I would have intervened." Beirute coaxed Bei Bei as though soothing a child.
Bei Bei regarded Beirute with a trace of doubt. "Really?"
"Of course it's real. When has Grandpa ever lied to you?" Beirute's smile was warm and kindly.
Only then did Bei Bei break into a grin.
"Okay, Grandpa Beirute, I'm going to Dragon Blood Castle first," Bei Bei said at once.
"Good," Beirute replied, still smiling. "You should go take a look. And Bei Bei, remember — you're getting close to your final transformation, close to full maturity. Once you've visited, come back quickly." Beirute emphasized this instruction.
"I know, Grandpa Beirute," Bei Bei answered.
"Hali, you go with Bei Bei." Beirute added the instruction, still unable to rest easy.
"Yes, Father." The Purple Gold Rat King 'Hali' replied.