Chicken Drumstick Douluo saw Wang Yan trembling violently, fists clenched, but saying nothing other than a stiff "Mm" before turning and walking away without looking back.
His wine-clouded old eyes followed Wang Yan's lonely retreating figure. With a faint sigh, he murmured to himself, "Ah… kid, this old man had no choice either. For the sake of Shrek's ten-thousand-year glory, how could I not pressure you a little?"
After that brief moment of sentiment, he went right back to drinking and gnawing on his chicken leg with a cheerful grin. Just a mid-level Soul King with no future—so what if he was one of his disciple's grand-disciples? If he really dragged Shrek Academy's honor through the mud, then he should just pack up and get lost.
Compared to Wang Yan, what Chicken Drumstick Douluo really cared about was the inner court treasure of Shrek Academy—Ma Xiaotao.
And even more importantly, that little brat from the Sun Moon Empire with the Ultimate Ice.
The old man tore off a chunk of chicken meat and chewed, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
—
White Tiger Duke's estate, inside the Duchess's chambers.
The White Tiger Duchess, dressed in extravagant robes, wore a face dark enough to drip ink. She paced the room furiously, hands tightly clutching a silk handkerchief at her chest.
"Disgusting… Disgusting! Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!"
She suddenly exploded, sweeping an antique porcelain vase from the table to the floor. The crash echoed through the room as the shards scattered.
From outside the door came a timid knock.
"Madam… is everything alright?"
The maid's voice trembled. Lately, with Dai Yaoheng still injured from the evil soul master's ambush, the Duchess's moods had grown volatile. The servants had learned to tread lightly, terrified of bearing the brunt of her wrath.
But that groveling voice only made the Duchess angrier. She thought of that woman, the lowly wench who gave birth to a bastard child, and her fury spiked.
"Get out of my sight!"
The frantic footsteps of the retreating maid were followed by a moment of peace. The Duchess sat down heavily, her heaving chest betraying just how enraged she was.
"That wench may be dead, but why… why the hell is that little bastard still alive?"
Her thoughts returned to the figure she'd seen in the arena—the blue-haired, blue-eyed youth representing the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. The one who had brazenly mocked the Star Luo Empire and even the entire Douluo Alliance.
She had gone through so much to see that woman dead and thought the bastard child had fled with her. She believed everything was settled, that no one could challenge the positions of her sons.
But now Huo Yuhao had reappeared—not only alive, but as a top seed representing the Sun Moon Empire.
He didn't threaten her sons' status directly, but what it implied… the Duchess wasn't stupid.
"If Dai Hao finds out… If he ever finds out..."
She thought of her husband's reaction upon learning that the child born from hatred had survived, awakened terrifying talent, and even become an enemy of Star Luo… He would explode.
"No… this has to be hidden. It must be."
But what could she actually do? Kill all the servants who knew about Huo Yuhao's existence? Impossible.
And so, the Duchess would continue her days tormented by fear and anxiety.
—
Star Luo Imperial Palace, in Emperor Xu Jiawei's study.
Still seething from that Sun Moon brat's open challenge to the Empire's military might, Xu Jiawei leafed through reports on the current state of Star Luo's forces.
"A standing army of one million regulars… Heh. And what use are they?"
Even soul masters couldn't withstand a barrage of soul cannon fire. What could mere mortals do?
"Our soul master legions… they're decent. But against those terrifyingly efficient Sun Moon soul engineer regiments, which haven't even deployed in nearly a century and are said to be made up of Soul Kings and Soul Emperors…"
"And not even fifth or sixth-level stationary soul cannon shells have been properly distributed yet..."
Xu Jiawei let out a heavy sigh.
"Judging by that kid's tone today… I can't be certain, but a large-scale war may be coming."
"Even if Star Luo's national strength is steadily improving… it's too late. We must prepare to form alliances with Heaven Dou and Dou Ling, maybe even with Shrek Academy itself."
Just as he was putting away the documents and resolving to initiate talks with other factions once the tournament ended, someone knocked on his door.
"Come in."
The door opened silently. A figure in a black cloak entered, handed him a stack of documents, and said nothing.
Xu Jiawei frowned and began reading. As his eyes scanned the pages, his expression darkened further and further. His grip on the papers tightened until, in a fit of rage, he slammed a palm on his desk and sprang to his feet. The documents flew from his hands, and with a surge of soul power, he reduced them to ash mid-air.
"Dai Hao… Dai Hao! You bastard!"
The man in the cloak sighed quietly. Having gathered the information himself, he knew exactly what those papers had contained—and understood why Xu Jiawei, a longtime friend of Dai Hao's, was so furious.
Who wouldn't be?
"Huo Yuhao… Huo Yuhao! What a fine young man! And Dai Hao, you unfaithful wretch! That boy should have been named Dai Yuhao—he should've served and fought for Star Luo!"
Huo Yuhao's talent had been on full display in the arena. And now that his past was clear… Why had he ended up in the Sun Moon Empire, turning his back on the nation of his birth?
Looking at his childhood experiences, the answer was obvious.
"Your Majesty, please remain calm. In this old minister's view, this matter must be strictly classified. It must never be made public. We cannot allow anyone to believe that Huo Yuhao carries even a trace of the White Tiger Duke's blood."
The cloaked man bowed deeply.
Xu Jiawei's anger subsided slightly as he pondered his words.
Truth be told, he'd been planning to summon Dai Hao, berate him thoroughly, and then have him deal with that wretched Duchess of his who'd caused all this trouble.
But it was too late.
Huo Yuhao had already branded himself a traitor—a "Sun Moon dog." He had stood in the arena and looked at him with such cold, piercing eyes.
This was a mistake that could not be undone.
If Dai Hao were punished now, if he learned the truth and lost control… it would bring no benefit to the Empire.
What really worried Xu Jiawei now was whether the Sun Moon Empire knew who Huo Yuhao truly was. If they did, things could get very, very messy.
So in the end, the only thing he could do was suppress all traces that Huo Yuhao had ever existed within the White Tiger Duke's estate.
"A sin... what a damned sin this is."
(End of Chapter)
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