SL 2 Two Extra God Kings - 136 - 140 (Patreon)

Chapter 136: A Hug

“Gu Yuena?”

Receiving no response, Huo Yuhao shifted slightly and realized that the force restraining him had already disappeared.

Gu Yuena’s long eyelashes rested against her cheeks. Without her usual forceful demeanor, she looked peaceful and unexpectedly vulnerable.

Huo Yuhao’s gaze lingered on her breathtaking sleeping face. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly raised a hand and carefully brushed his fingertips across her warm, delicate cheek.

Gu Yuena’s cheek was incredibly soft, making him instinctively want to keep touching it...

Suddenly, as if sensing the contact, Gu Yuena furrowed her brows in her sleep. She unconsciously nuzzled against Huo Yuhao’s hand and murmured something unintelligible.

Huo Yuhao’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly withdrew his hand.

He carefully wrapped his arms around Gu Yuena, gently rolled over, and moved her off him.

Then he glanced at the damp bedsheets and her clothes.

Wouldn’t sleeping like this be uncomfortable?

At that thought, Huo Yuhao’s face flushed. He picked Gu Yuena up in his arms and carried her toward his room.

But just as he pushed open the door, a pinkish-blue figure slowly appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Mm, Yuhao, why are you still up so late...”

Before Wang Dong could finish, she froze.

Her gaze landed squarely on the sleeping Gu Yuena in Huo Yuhao’s arms, astonishment written all over her face.

To make matters worse, Gu Yuena refused to stay still even in her sleep, repeatedly nuzzling against Huo Yuhao’s chest.

...

Then, as if noticing something else, Wang Dong lowered her gaze and spotted a large wet patch on Huo Yuhao’s clothes that had yet to dry.

...

Wang Dong blinked.

A sour sting quickly filled her pinkish-blue eyes. She pursed her lips, and even her voice trembled slightly.

“U-Um, Yuhao, you don’t need to explain. People like this won’t shake my resolve. Mm...”

“Wang Dong, wait, I can explain. Gu Yuena got drunk, and I...”

“You even picked her up while she was drunk!”

With that, Wang Dong fled toward her room, her face bright red.

...

Huo Yuhao stood frozen in the empty hallway.

He looked in the direction Wang Dong had disappeared, then glanced down at Gu Yuena, who was still sleeping peacefully in his arms, and let out a quiet sigh.

His reputation...

...

Dai Yueheng stared coldly at the household servants kneeling before him.

“A bunch of useless fools. You can’t even find out where a few people went!”

As the eldest son of the Dai family, Dai Yueheng had naturally paid close attention to Dai Huabin being expelled for hiring people to assassinate Huo Yuhao.

Logically speaking, assassinating a Soul Elder should not have been difficult. Even if Huo Yuhao was exceptionally talented, one Spirit Emperor and five Spirit Kings should have been more than enough to complete the job.

The only plausible explanation was that someone else had been protecting Huo Yuhao.

He had heard that the Eldest Senior Sister had gone directly to Du Weilun’s office...

As for those six Soul Masters, despite his household servants spending several days investigating the area, they had failed to find so much as a trace of them.

Could all six have been captured and taken into the Academy...?

Bang!

At that thought, Dai Yueheng slammed his palm onto the desk, shattering the solid wooden surface.

Although he had done nothing himself and the Academy had yet to approach him, Dai Yueheng knew that he had probably already been placed under close scrutiny by Shrek Academy.

Damn that Dai Huabin.

Thanks to his outstanding talent, their mother had spoiled him relentlessly since childhood, turning him arrogant and domineering, with no regard for the consequences of his actions.

There had even been rumors within the Duke’s Mansion that Dai Huabin might replace him as heir to the White Tiger Duke.

Now he had been expelled.

Served him right!

And yet their mother had written to Dai Yueheng asking him to speak with Huo Yuhao, settle the matter, and see whether Dai Huabin’s expulsion could somehow be revoked.

Dai Huabin was still his younger brother, so he could not simply ignore the situation.

Damn second child!

Dai Yueheng raised a hand and rubbed between his brows before waving dismissively.

“All right. You may leave.”

“Yes!”

...

A blur of light flashed, and Huo Yuhao’s upper body suddenly appeared in front of Wang Dong.

Wang Dong nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Yuhao? Yuhao! Where are your legs?!”

“Xiao...”

Huo Yuhao’s voice sounded strangely distant, preventing Wang Dong from hearing what came afterward.

Wang Dong grabbed Huo Yuhao and shook him frantically.

“Xiao? Xiao what?! This is getting scary! Yuhao, hurry up and tell me!”

Suddenly, Wang Dong felt a small, bone-chilling hand settle on her shoulder.

An eerie cold seemed to seep through her flesh and straight into her bones.

“Ah! Who is it?!”

Wang Dong spun around.

The normally lively and adorable Xiao Xiao stood behind her with a deathly pale face, hollow eyes, and a stiff smile stretched across her lips.

“Wang Dong...”

“Xiao Xiao?! Xiao... Ah! Xiao Xiao, what are you doing?! Stay away from me!”

Xiao Xiao held an axe in her hand and slowly said, “Didn’t you and the class monitor say you wanted to ‘fight side by side’ with me? The class monitor is already by my side now. You should hurry over too.”

“Ah!”

The scream caught in Wang Dong’s throat as she suddenly bolted upright in bed.

Dawn was just beginning to break outside the window, and Xiao Xiao’s voice could faintly be heard from beyond the door.

“You lazy dog, Wang Dong! Hurry up and wake up!”

Wang Dong remained frozen for several seconds.

Then she rubbed her chest and suddenly burst out laughing.

“Coming!”

...

“Wang Dong, last night really wasn’t what you thought. Gu Yuena drank too much, and her bedsheets were damp, so I carried her into my room.”

Huo Yuhao walked beside Wang Dong, holding her soft, slender hand as he explained earnestly, sincerity filling his eyes.

Wang Dong allowed Huo Yuhao to hold her hand, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.

To be honest, even she did not know why she had said something like that last night.

Maybe after reading so many novels, suddenly seeing something similar happen in real life had made those words slip out before she could stop herself.

But if she backed down now, she would not be Wang Dong!

Her eyes curved into a playful smile as she murmured softly, “I know. Gu Yuena was drunk. You really couldn’t have left her alone in that condition.”

Huo Yuhao breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as she had not misunderstood, everything was fine.

Otherwise...

But the very next moment, Wang Dong moved closer.

Her warm breath lightly brushed Huo Yuhao’s ear, and a hint of anticipation entered her soft voice.

“Um... Yuhao, when we get back, could you hold me like that too?”

Huo Yuhao froze.

Looking at Wang Dong’s slightly flushed cheeks, a sudden wave of nervousness surged through him.

“If you want, I...”

“Hello, you two.”

Before Huo Yuhao could finish, an unexpected voice abruptly interrupted them.

Looking ahead, he saw a tall man with neatly cut light golden hair standing directly in their path.

As Huo Yuhao sensed the man’s Soul Power fluctuations, an inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over him.

The instant their conversation was interrupted, Wang Dong’s expression fell.

Her cheeks puffed out in irritation as she glared at Dai Yueheng.

She had finally found a good opportunity, only to be interrupted yet again.

Seriously.

Just looking at him was annoying.

...

Chapter 137: My Adopted Little Brother

Ignoring Wang Dong’s hostile stare, Dai Yueheng fixed his gaze on Huo Yuhao. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint chill flashed through them.

But that trace of hostility lasted only an instant before Dai Yueheng concealed it completely, replacing it with his usual calm and composed expression.

Then his gaze drifted downward and landed on Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’s tightly clasped hands.

At the Academy, Wang Dong still presented herself as a boy.

Combined with the male school uniform she wore and the faint blush on her cheeks, the sight was striking enough to make Dai Yueheng pause. Even his narrowed eyes widened slightly.

They were probably just close...

Dai Yueheng muttered inwardly before quickly looking away and turning his attention back to Huo Yuhao.

“Hello. I’m Dai Yueheng. My younger brother may have had some unpleasant dealings with you not long ago.”

Dai!

At the name Dai Yueheng, Huo Yuhao’s expression immediately hardened.

He finally understood why the Soul Power fluctuations coming from this man had felt so familiar.

For Dai Yueheng to seek him out now, there was an overwhelming chance it was because of Dai Huabin’s expulsion.

But the Academy already knew what had happened, and there were witnesses. Even if Dai Yueheng came looking for him, he could not change anything.

With that thought, Huo Yuhao became even more guarded.

His expression remained calm, and he did not yield in the slightest.

“Dai Huabin was expelled because of his own actions. I don’t think that has anything to do with us, Senior.”

Dai Yueheng smiled faintly.

“Actually, I’m not here to demand justice for him.”

As he spoke, his gaze once again swept over their clasped hands.

“Dai Huabin violated the Academy’s rules, and his expulsion was the consequence of his own actions. I understand that perfectly well.”

Hearing this only made Huo Yuhao more suspicious.

He studied the smiling Dai Yueheng in front of him, his guard rising even further.

“In that case, there’s nothing for us to discuss. Senior, please leave.”

Dai Yueheng took half a step forward.

“Let everything that happened stay in the past. I also hope you won’t continue dwelling on it in the future.”

“As his older brother, I apologize to you on his behalf. Huabin has been exceptionally gifted since childhood, which caused him to develop an arrogant personality. I’ve already reprimanded him, and I even slapped him. That was the first time I’ve ever hit him.”

“So let the past remain in the past.”

“He’s already gone back to the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion. I don’t know where he’ll go from there. As for you, you’re already a Core Disciple of the Academy at such a young age. Your future is obviously limitless.”

Half of Dai Yueheng’s words were conciliatory, while the other half carried an unmistakable pressure.

Everything he said, openly or otherwise, was meant to convince Huo Yuhao to stop pursuing the matter.

His words might have sounded reasonable on the surface, but this was an attempted murder.

How could something like that simply be brushed aside?

More importantly, Huo Yuhao had clearly sensed the intense killing intent that had flashed through Dai Yueheng’s eyes when they first met.

Huo Yuhao’s brows furrowed slightly, but his position did not change.

“Senior, please stop.”

“No matter what you say now or what compensation you offer, the grudge between Dai Huabin and me already exists. I can’t pretend nothing happened.”

“And by the same token, I won’t promise what I might do in the future!”

His hatred for Dai Huabin did not come from this assassination attempt alone.

Dai Huabin and the Duchess, with their arrogance and tyranny, had directly caused his mother’s death.

That blood feud had long since been carved into Huo Yuhao’s very bones.

Wang Dong, standing beside him, naturally knew what had happened between Huo Yuhao and Dai Huabin in the past.

What she had not expected was that Dai Huabin’s expulsion this time had also been connected to Huo Yuhao.

Could it have happened that night...?

Realizing this, Wang Dong frowned and stood firmly at Huo Yuhao’s side without yielding an inch.

“Are we supposed to pretend everything that happened never happened just because he was expelled once?”

“What, is being expelled some kind of devastating punishment? Does leaving the Academy mean he can’t do anything anymore?”

Wang Dong paused before continuing sarcastically.

“Or has the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion really fallen that far?”

Dai Yueheng’s shoulders stiffened.

He stared deeply at the two of them, and a trace of hostility entered his eyes.

“Fine. Very well.”

“It seems there’s no room left for discussion. In that case, I’ll just...”

“Dai Yueheng, what do you think you’re doing?!”

A familiar shout suddenly rang out.

In the next instant, a fierce burst of golden-red flame erupted and shot directly toward Dai Yueheng.

“We’re inside the Academy! How can you attack someone here, Ma Xiaotao?!”

Despite saying that, Dai Yueheng had already activated his White Tiger Possession and forcefully shattered the incoming flames head-on.

Seeing the situation turn dangerous, Huo Yuhao immediately unleashed his Ultimate Ice and pulled Wang Dong away from the clash.

Boom!

Two immense forces exploded within the courtyard.

A scorching heatwave and violent gusts spread outward, shaking the nearby buildings hard enough to cause some damage.

Dressed in red, Ma Xiaotao flew directly in front of Huo Yuhao.

Anger burned in her phoenix-like eyes, while the flames surrounding her body continued to flicker.

“Dai Yueheng, why are you bothering Yuhao? Have you no shame?”

In truth, Ma Xiaotao had no idea what had happened between Dai Yueheng and Huo Yuhao.

But while passing by, she had sensed the fleeting killing intent from Dai Yueheng and immediately attacked.

Dai Yueheng’s White Tiger Possession had yet to fully dissipate.

Feeling the burning heat lingering across his tiger claws, unease gradually rose in his heart.

For some unknown reason, ever since last semester, Ma Xiaotao’s Soul Power had been increasing at an almost absurd rate.

She had not even used her full strength just now, yet the heat from her flames was already far more intense than before.

That crazy woman!

Dai Yueheng cursed inwardly, though he forced himself to maintain a calm expression.

“This is between me and these two students. Ma Xiaotao, it’s none of your business!”

“None of my business?”

Ma Xiaotao sneered.

Then, right in front of everyone, she reached out and casually ruffled Huo Yuhao’s hair.

“Yuhao is my godbrother. His business is my business. Are you still going to tell me this has nothing to do with me?”

Feeling her hand ruffling his hair, Huo Yuhao immediately grew a little embarrassed.

“Sister Xiaotao, you really don’t have to do that...”

“Ah, haha. Habit.”

Godbrother, huh?

With the way you’re touching him, anyone would think you meant something else by that.

Dai Yueheng’s chest rose and fell as he clenched his teeth.

“Fine. I’ll remember what happened today.”

With that, Dai Yueheng decided not to continue the confrontation.

He slowly turned around and quickly walked away.

Only after Dai Yueheng had completely disappeared into the distance did the tense atmosphere finally begin to ease.

Ma Xiaotao withdrew the flames surrounding her body and turned toward Huo Yuhao.

“Yuhao, are you all right? Dai Yueheng didn’t give you two a hard time, did he?”

“He may look polite and refined, but you can’t take anything he says at face value. If you ask me, he’s nothing but a hypocrite!”

Huo Yuhao gently shook his head, his expression relaxing slightly.

“Thanks for the warning, Sister Xiaotao. But the main reason he came looking for me this time was because of Dai Huabin.”

“Dai Huabin? His younger brother? What did you two do?”

...

Chapter 138: A Big Gift for Dai Huabin

“What? Something like that happened and you didn’t tell me? Is Dai Huabin still at the Academy? Just watch me burn him to ashes!”

“If that’s not enough, I’ll bring Eldest Senior Sister and the others and storm the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion!”

Anger surged through Ma Xiaotao. The more she spoke, the angrier she became, until she started vigorously ruffling Huo Yuhao’s hair.

Huo Yuhao’s head was practically pushed downward beneath her hand. He helplessly turned away and reached up, trying to smooth his hair back into place.

Standing beside them, Wang Dong watched with the corners of her lips subtly turning downward.

When did this bandit of a senior sister become Yuhao’s god-sister?

Would she have to start calling her that too...?

“I just didn’t want you to worry, Sister Xiaotao. Besides, I want to settle the grudge between Dai Huabin and me myself.”

Huo Yuhao paused, then gave a mischievous smile.

“By now, the ‘gift’ I left for Dai Huabin should have arrived.”

Wang Dong blinked.

“A gift? Did you send him a bomb to blow his mother sky-high?”

Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao fell silent.

“It’s a secret. I’ll keep it to myself for now.”

...

A servant lifted the curtain of the carriage and respectfully addressed Dai Huabin inside.

“Second Young Master, we’ll be arriving at the Duke’s Mansion soon.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that! Don’t come in without my permission. Get out!”

Seeing Dai Huabin’s volatile mood, the servant quickly retreated.

“Yes...”

Seriously. He’s still this arrogant even after getting expelled. No wonder he ended up like this.

I heard the White Tiger Duke even returned from the front lines specifically because of what happened.

Let’s see how long you can keep acting like this.

Oh, right. I also heard that Dai Huabin wet himself in the infirmary.

Hah...

Inside the carriage, the atmosphere around Dai Huabin was oppressively dark.

The mere thought that he would soon have to face his mother again filled his eyes with humiliation and malice.

Everything that had happened.

Every last bit of it.

It was all because of that damned Huo Yuhao!

Wait.

Huo Yuhao...

Huo...

A sudden flash of realization passed through Dai Huabin’s mind, seemingly illuminating fragments of memories from many years ago.

Those scattered memories, things he had stopped caring about long ago, abruptly began fitting together.

The first image to surface was that lowly woman.

Then Huo Yuhao’s face gradually overlapped with the face of the bastard child who had once stood beside her.

...

Dai Huabin sat frozen in place, his entire body trembling slightly.

A moment later, he suddenly burst into laughter.

“Hehehe... Hahahaha! So it was you! You bastard! You worthless piece of trash!”

His voice echoed loudly through the enclosed carriage, filled with venomous hatred and sudden realization.

No wonder.

No wonder Huo Yuhao had dared oppose him so openly!

Hearing the nearly deranged laughter and muttering from inside the carriage, the servants outside exchanged uneasy looks.

“You don’t think the Second Young Master has gone insane, do you?”

“Probably... not?”

Dai Huabin clenched his teeth.

The smile vanished from his face, leaving only icy hatred behind.

“Just you wait, Huo Yuhao...”

But the moment that thought formed, Dai Huabin suddenly felt as though a dark purple eye were staring directly at him.

That destructive aura.

That eye.

It was the same one Huo Yuhao had used before...

Alarm exploded in Dai Huabin’s mind.

He tried to summon his Soul Power to defend himself, only to discover that an invisible force had completely suppressed it.

He could not mobilize even the slightest trace.

He tried to shout for the servants outside, but his throat felt exactly as it had when Huo Yuhao had gripped his neck.

No sound came out.

Then all color rapidly drained from his surroundings.

Only a dark purple divine eye remained suspended in the void, coldly fixed on Dai Huabin.

A destructive chill seeped from his scalp into every meridian in his body, penetrating all the way into the depths of his soul.

Suddenly, Dai Huabin realized that he could move his Soul Power again.

But the moment he actually tried to release it, before he could even react, a strand of dark purple Destruction Divine Power emerged from the void and completely devoured it.

“W-What the hell is this?”

Dai Huabin could feel his Soul Power Rank plummeting as rapidly as ice thrown into boiling water.

Level 34.

Level 32.

Level 30...

The moment it fell to Level 30, his 1,000-Year Soul Ring suddenly appeared on its own and began pulsing slowly.

In an instant, dark purple light crawled along the glow surrounding the Soul Ring.

Sizzle!

The 1,000-Year Soul Ring trembled violently.

Then it shattered completely and vanished without a trace.

“Gah!”

Dai Huabin screamed in agony.

His body collapsed onto the wooden floorboards, twisting and rolling uncontrollably.

The instant the Soul Ring disappeared, even the very foundation of his cultivation suffered severe damage.

The servants outside heard Dai Huabin’s horrifying scream and immediately began trembling.

They backed away one after another, exchanging frightened looks without daring to take a single step closer.

“Second Young Master? Second Young Master! Should we stop the carriage?”

But Dai Huabin’s Soul Power Rank was still falling.

How could he possibly respond to the servants shouting outside?

The only answer they received was another bone-chilling scream from within.

When his rank fell to Level 20, his yellow Soul Ring appeared.

Then it shattered as well.

Dai Huabin felt as though his skull had been struck by a Clear Sky Hammer.

A violent, tearing pain ripped through his head.

Suddenly, the metallic taste of blood flooded his throat.

He spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his clothes and splattering large patches across the inside of the carriage.

“Stop... please... Gah...”

Seeing blood beginning to seep out from inside the carriage, the servants looked at one another.

“What are we supposed to do? The Second Young Master specifically said we weren’t allowed to enter without his permission. If we...”

“But with this much blood, he might actually be dying...”

While they hesitated, one servant suddenly spoke up.

“Then hurry up and keep going! We just need to get the Second Young Master back to the White Tiger Duke’s Mansion!”

“That’s right! You usually look half asleep, but you’re surprisingly clever. Go, go! Hurry and get the Young Master home!”

The driver immediately cracked his whip hard against the horses.

Stung by the blow, the horses surged forward, causing the entire carriage to accelerate and shake violently.

Inside, Dai Huabin lay weakly across the wooden floorboards.

Although he was already on the verge of losing consciousness, an invisible Spiritual Power continued forcing him to remain awake.

When the carriage suddenly accelerated, Dai Huabin, already overwhelmed by searing pain, felt the world spin around him.

His body began rolling back and forth with every violent jolt.

As his Soul Power steadily disappeared, the body that had been strengthened by it also weakened drastically.

Whenever Dai Huabin slammed into the hard carriage walls, another wave of excruciating pain tore through him.

“You... stop...”

Blood and foam stained the corners of Dai Huabin’s mouth.

His voice had become little more than a whisper, far too weak to reach anyone outside.

Eventually, he no longer had even the strength to call out.

All he could do was remain painfully conscious as his Soul Power Rank continued to fall and his body rolled helplessly around the carriage.

...

“We’re here! We’re here! Hurry, go get the Duchess!”

...

Chapter 139: The Fallen Genius

“Soul Power Rank: Level 3!”

Hearing the healing-type Soul Master announce his current Soul Power Rank, Dai Huabin remained expressionless, though a trace of despair lingered at the corners of his mouth.

His hands were clenched so tightly that his slightly sharp fingernails dug deep into his palms, sending waves of piercing pain through him...

Dai Huabin, once the genius of the Dai family whose talent had surpassed Dai Yueheng’s and who had become a Soul Elder at such a young age, had now been reduced to a cripple with a Soul Power Rank of only Level 3.

“How could this happen? How could this happen to my son?”

The Duchess stared at Dai Huabin lying on the bed, her eyes red as she rushed to his side.

By the time the household servants brought Dai Huabin home, the journey had already left him covered in injuries. Combined with the annihilating effects of the Destruction Divine Power, many of his meridians had ruptured, leaving him weak and listless.

When the Duchess first learned that Shrek Academy had expelled Dai Huabin, she had been stunned.

Then came the anger.

How could he have even botched an assassination attempt?

If he had succeeded, how could Huabin possibly have been expelled?!

She had already written to Dai Yueheng and asked him to see whether the situation could be mediated, but judging from the lack of any reply so far, that effort had probably failed as well.

Dai Hao, who was still stationed at the frontier, had also learned what happened. The letter he sent back was written in heavy, forceful strokes, every line brimming with fury.

It was not difficult to imagine just how “pleased” Dai Hao was with Dai Huabin right now.

Inside the room, the Duchess’s sobbing was the only sound.

The oppressive silence made it difficult to breathe.

“Say something! How did Huabin end up like this?!”

The Duchess abruptly turned toward the household servants kneeling behind her. Her shrill reprimand carried a hint of hysterical madness.

“He was clearly not like this before the journey back! How did he become like this on the way home?”

The Duchess rose to her feet and looked down coldly at the servants.

“He became like this inside the carriage, and not one of you noticed?”

Not a single person dared answer.

Were they supposed to tell her that the Second Young Master had forbidden them from entering, so they had simply left him alone?

Saying that aloud might put their lives at risk.

“You useless trash! Get out!”

The moment she shouted, the kneeling servants scrambled toward the door, terrified that moving too slowly might earn them further punishment.

The Duchess watched them flee before turning back toward Dai Huabin, her heart filled with venomous rage.

She looked at the Soul Master nearby.

“Can you determine why Huabin ended up like this?”

The Soul Master’s expression was grave. He shook his head.

“I’ve seen Soul Masters whose cultivation declined after suffering severe injuries, but for Young Master Dai to fall across several cultivation levels and even lose his Soul Rings entirely... this may very well be the only case of its kind on the entire continent.”

“There’s nothing I can do.”

“I suspect there is an extremely domineering force inside Young Master Dai’s body. Any Soul Power I use to heal him is completely eroded by it.”

“But when I investigated more carefully and tried to determine exactly what it was, I found that it was as though nothing had ever existed inside his body at all.”

The Soul Master paused, then sighed.

“Simply put, Young Master Dai was most likely struck by some kind of curse-type Soul Skill.”

“If the curse cannot be removed, I’m afraid he may never be able to cultivate Soul Power again. He’ll remain at Level 3 for the rest of his life.”

“How could that be?!”

The Duchess felt her blood surge at his words.

Her body went weak, and she nearly fainted outright.

She clung to the edge of the bed, stroking Dai Huabin’s cheek with one hand as tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.

“How could this happen? Who could be so vicious as to do this to my son?!”

Could it have been Shrek Academy?

Only an expert could have reduced Dai Huabin to this state.

The thought struck her, and a fierce light immediately flashed through the Duchess’s eyes.

Her suspicions locked onto Shrek Academy.

Who else besides Shrek, with its extraordinary means, could silently cripple Dai Huabin in an instant and place such a vicious curse on him?

She had heard that the person who came into conflict with Dai Huabin was one of Shrek Academy’s Core Disciples.

Could Shrek Academy have done this just to protect that child...?

While the Duchess frantically turned the possibilities over in her mind, Dai Huabin, who had been lying weakly on the bed, moved his throat and managed to force out a faint sound.

“Mother, it was... Ngh...”

Just as Dai Huabin was about to utter the name Huo Yuhao, which was etched into his very bones, a cold and tyrannical Soul Power suddenly erupted from the depths of his soul.

It was like an invisible hand clamping tightly around his throat.

Dai Huabin’s mouth trembled violently.

He could not breathe.

Only when he abandoned the thought of saying Huo Yuhao’s name did the suffocating pressure gradually disappear.

Dai Huabin gasped weakly, his face turning deathly pale.

Huo Yuhao...

He had accounted for everything.

Fear and unwillingness churned in Dai Huabin’s eyes.

The realization that everything about him was now firmly under Huo Yuhao’s control caused tears of despair to stream down his face.

Seeing her son struggling in agony yet unable to speak, the Duchess hurriedly wiped his face.

“Huabin, what are you trying to say? Do you know who did this? Hurry and tell me...”

I want to tell you too...

Dai Huabin’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared at his anguished mother, his entire body trembling violently.

“It’s all because of that damned Shrek Academy...”

Before the Duchess could finish, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

The door was suddenly pushed open.

“Get out! Who told you to come in...”

Her words stopped the moment she saw the tall figure standing in the doorway.

“Hao?”

The newcomer was tall and powerfully built.

He looked to be only in his thirties, with well-defined features, deep-set eyes, and twin pupils gleaming within each of his deep blue eyes.

His face looked somewhat gaunt, as though recent matters had taken their toll on him.

Looking carefully, however, the proud and defiant features shared by Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin could clearly be seen in this man as well.

The Duchess stared at Dai Hao in disbelief.

She had known he would return, but how had he arrived so quickly?

Had he started heading back almost as soon as his letter was sent?

Dai Hao’s expression was grim as he looked at Dai Huabin lying weakly on the bed.

“How is Huabin?”

The Duchess glanced toward the Soul Master beside her.

Understanding immediately, the Soul Master quickly repeated everything he had just concluded.

...

Dai Huabin looked at Dai Hao, who had rushed back from the frontier.

For a moment, he felt both moved and terrified.

“Father, I...”

“Shut up!”

Dai Hao roared, his Soul Power erupting uncontrollably from his body.

“I don’t have a son like you!”

“If you weren’t already lying injured in that bed, I’d tie you to it myself and beat you to death!”

The Duchess immediately flared up in anger.

Her son had already been reduced to this state, and Dai Hao was still talking about beating him to death?

“Dai Hao! Huabin is already like this, and you’re still saying things like that?!”

Dai Hao immediately turned his furious gaze toward the Duchess.

“What? Did you think I was only going to scold him and let you off?”

...

Chapter 140: You’ll Regret This

“You’ve spoiled him like this since he was a child, and that’s exactly how he developed this personality. Why didn’t Yueheng turn out the same way?!”

The Duchess froze for a moment before hurriedly defending herself. “Weren’t you there back then too...? Besides, you were the one who said Huabin was more talented. Shouldn’t I have treated him even better because of that?”

Dai Hao was so infuriated by her argument that he actually laughed. Pointing at Dai Huabin, who was still lying on the bed, he snapped, “And look at the result! He violated the Academy’s rules and got himself expelled. Now even Shrek Academy may have a poor impression of our White Tiger Duke’s Mansion!”

The Duchess trembled, hatred flashing through her eyes.

“Shrek, Shrek... It’s always Shrek with you...”

“Do you even realize that Shrek Academy might be the one that reduced Huabin to this state?!”

Dai Hao’s pupils contracted sharply, his expression turning grave.

“Shrek Academy?”

Over the past ten thousand years, countless factions had risen and fallen across the Douluo Continent, yet Shrek Academy had remained firmly at the top throughout it all. That alone showed just how deep its foundations ran.

Moreover, Shrek Academy was not under the authority of any empire and even possessed its own city. Its graduates were spread across nearly every corner of the continent.

Even the Star Luo Imperial Family wouldn’t casually provoke Shrek Academy, let alone a single Duke’s Mansion.

Dai Hao glanced at the Duchess, then at Dai Huabin, who could only stammer without managing to speak. After thinking for a moment, he said sternly, “Don’t make wild accusations!”

“Shrek Academy is a superpower no matter how you look at it. Dai Huabin was one of its students until recently. Why would they resort to such vicious methods against him?”

Seeing Dai Hao acting so cautiously only made the Duchess more frustrated.

“But Huabin ended up like this precisely because he made a mortal enemy of that Core Disciple! Are you trying to tell me that student did this himself? Where could a student possibly get the power to do something like this?!”

The moment the Duchess unknowingly spoke the truth, Dai Huabin’s entire body began trembling violently, as though desperately trying to express his agreement.

“See! Even Huabin thinks that’s impossible!”

Dai Huabin fell silent.

Forget it.

The Duke’s Mansion was doomed.

“Something this incomprehensible could only have been done by Shrek Academy! Unless... could there be an Evil Soul Master inside Shrek Academy?”

“Maybe even someone among its upper ranks?!”

The more Dai Hao listened, the more alarmed he became.

“Shut up! You’re practically losing your mind! Someone, take the Duchess back to her room to rest!”

The two maids waiting outside immediately entered and moved to support the Duchess.

“No! Dai Hao! You can’t do this! You’ll regret it!”

“I am the White Tiger Duke!”

Bang!

Although the Duchess refused to accept it, Dai Hao was ultimately the one who held authority in the Duke’s Mansion.

After struggling a few times, she was still escorted away by the maids.

Despite Dai Hao’s harsh words, however, she refused to believe he could truly bring himself to kill Dai Huabin with his own hands.

Even a tiger would not devour its own cub.

...

After the Duchess was taken away, Dai Hao turned his attention to the Soul Master nearby.

The man had witnessed the entire family dispute, but he was a high-level Soul Master with a healing Martial Soul and was treated as an honored guest wherever he went.

Dai Hao had personally invited him here as well.

With that in mind, Dai Hao bowed slightly, his manner sincere.

“My apologies, sir, for making you witness such an embarrassing scene. But is there truly no possibility of my son recovering?”

The Soul Master hurriedly stepped aside to avoid receiving the bow, then quickly returned the gesture.

“Your Grace, please, there’s no need for this. I wasn’t able to determine the exact cause myself, so I certainly don’t deserve such courtesy.”

“As for his recovery... Your Grace could try inviting Senior Wang Xian’er, the Medical Immortal Douluo who serves the Star Luo Empire. As a Healing-type Super Douluo, she may have some way to help.”

Dai Hao thought for a moment before nodding.

“Very well. I’ll send someone immediately to invite the Medical Immortal Douluo and see whether she’s willing to intervene.”

...

Shrek Academy, the Tea House.

Tang Ya, dressed in a maid uniform, suddenly exclaimed when she saw the three people entering.

“Ah! Xiao Yuhao, Xiao Wang Dong, and... Senior Sister Ma Xiaotao from the Inner Court?!”

Huo Yuhao looked toward the voice and saw Tang Ya, whom he had not seen in quite some time, carrying a tray of black tea as she came to greet them.

“Sister Xiaoya? Why are you working here?”

“Mhm-hmm! As the Head of the Tang Sect, I naturally have to lead by example and earn money for the Sect. Even though we still haven’t managed to recruit any students...”

By the end of her sentence, Tang Ya looked noticeably dejected.

There was no helping it. Recruiting disciples for the Tang Sect was far too difficult when the entire Sect consisted of only two people.

On top of that, Hidden Weapons were not even as easy for newcomers to pick up as Soul Tools.

She had seriously studied the Tang Sect’s Secret Techniques, yet she always felt as though she had never quite mastered them properly.

Even Bei Bei felt the same way.

Could there be something wrong with the cultivation techniques?

But how could something passed down from their ancestors possibly...

Ma Xiaotao’s phoenix-like eyes curved into a smile as she lightly poked Huo Yuhao’s cheek.

“I didn’t expect this. So you know each other too.”

“Sister Xiaotao, stop doing that...”

While Ma Xiaotao was teasing Huo Yuhao, Bei Bei emerged wearing a waiter’s uniform.

“That’s right. We first met Yuhao in the Star Dou Forest. Time really does fly. I never expected Yuhao to become a Core Disciple of the Inner Court so quickly.”

Bei Bei paused, winked, and continued with a smile.

“And Yuhao, you’ve even earned yourself a nickname in the Outer Courtyard.”

“I think they call you ‘Snow Lady Yuhao.’”

The moment he finished speaking, Wang Dong burst out laughing.

“Snow Lady? Why would this guy be called Snow Lady?”

Huo Yuhao’s cheeks warmed slightly. He flicked Wang Dong on the forehead with a mildly resentful expression.

“You, Goddess Butterfly, really have the nerve to make fun of me...”

“So what? Anyway, I... Ahem... Never mind...”

Bei Bei smiled and explained, “It’s probably because Yuhao’s Ultimate Ice is so powerful, and with his handsome appearance, people naturally associate him with the Snow Empress, one of the Three Heavenly Kings of the Extreme North.”

At those words, the Snow Empress’s cold and breathtakingly beautiful appearance instinctively surfaced in Huo Yuhao’s mind.

“The Snow Empress...”

Did this count as a married couple starting to resemble each other...?

The instant the thought appeared, the tips of Huo Yuhao’s ears turned scorching hot.

He quickly shook his head, trying to throw the thought out of his mind.

Ma Xiaotao raised an eyebrow and studied Huo Yuhao for a moment.

“Now that you mention it, Yuhao’s hair really has grown quite a bit recently. And the ends are white too...”

After thinking for only a few seconds, Ma Xiaotao’s eyes lit up as though she had settled on an idea.

“Why don’t you grow your hair long from now on, Yuhao? I think you’d look really cute that way.”

...

After chatting for a little while longer, the group found somewhere to sit.

Ma Xiaotao blinked and glanced at Huo Yuhao sitting beside her, then at Wang Dong across from them, who looked somewhat jealous.

Something about this felt strange.

Could Wang Dong actually be a girl...?

There were already so many young girls around Yuhao, yet Wang Dong never seemed embarrassed by any of it.

But if Wang Dong really was a boy...

Could he have his eye on Xiao Yuhao?!