The First Test of Leaving the Duke's Mansion

Huo Yuhao watched Old Chen's retreating figure, a flicker of realization passing through his heart.

In truth, leaving the Duke's Mansion through the back gate did not require passing by the Firewood Room. In other words, Old Chen had deliberately led him through there.

More importantly, it was as if Old Chen had calculated the timing perfectly. Just as the two of them arrived, the Firewood Room servants happened to begin gathering for work.

As they were about to pass a corner, Huo Yuhao cast a cold glance at the Firewood Room building. His right hand instinctively reached for the White Tiger Dagger at his waist.

It seemed that the first test of leaving the Duke's Mansion had arrived...

Old Chen walked ahead. Perhaps sensing something, a faint smile rose at the corner of his mouth.

There were several back gates in the Duke's Mansion, and the one Old Chen had brought Huo Yuhao to was the one he often used.

At that moment, the back gate was tightly shut. Dim yellow light spilled across the walls, leaving mottled shadows behind.

"Creak."

It was an iron gate. Somewhere, it had apparently rusted, and it let out a harsh screech of metal grinding against metal as it opened.

Once the gate opened, a gust of cold wind swept in from outside, instantly clearing Huo Yuhao's mind and leaving his thoughts refreshed.

After stepping out of the Duke's Mansion, Old Chen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the faintly brightening horizon. Without turning around, he said, "I'll see you off here. From now on, everything depends on you."

Huo Yuhao said nothing. He merely clasped his fists and bowed toward Old Chen's back.

The next moment, Huo Yuhao went around Old Chen and followed the path out. The level ground made his steps steady.

Gradually, Huo Yuhao's figure disappeared from view.

Old Chen watched with profound eyes. After a long while, he flicked his sleeves and departed.

After walking roughly six hundred meters along the back-gate path, Huo Yuhao finally reached the main road connected to the Official Road.

The road was quiet at this hour. Even the insects hiding in the grass were still asleep.

"I wonder how many people are coming to make trouble for me."

He glanced back at the vast complex of the Duke's Mansion, then strode forward. He had no intention of leaving immediately. Instead, he chose to visit Huo Yun'er's burial place to say goodbye. Once he left this time, he did not know when he would return.

It was as though time had turned back. Huo Yuhao walked that same road again, but one journey had been a return, while this one was a departure.

After nearly half an hour, before he had even arrived, Huo Yuhao could already hear the clear sound of flowing water.

As he drew closer, he saw at a glance that the winding Stream shimmered beneath the light. A few fish lay motionless near the riverbed.

The surroundings were covered in dark green woods, and the air carried a faint floral fragrance.

Whatever else could be said about Douluo Continent, its natural resources truly were excellent.

"I'll come back for you later," Huo Yuhao said lightly as he looked at the fish in the water.

With that, he turned and prepared to enter the forest path, intending to find Huo Yun'er's grave and keep her company for a while.

However, the instant Huo Yuhao turned around, he seemed to notice something. He twisted his head toward a towering tree.

The tree stood six meters tall, its trunk thicker than a water vat. Yet that was not the important part. Huo Yuhao's gaze quickly dropped to the sunken roots, which resembled enormous pythons.

The roots were tangled and intertwined, spreading outward from the base of the trunk. They visibly protruded five or six meters from it.

A large tree was normal, but what was abnormal was that Huo Yuhao clearly remembered this being the tree struck by the Golden Light before.

It had been late at night and raining at the time, so he had left without getting a chance to inspect it.

But he was absolutely certain that this tree had not been nearly so large just a few days ago, nor had it possessed so many roots. Back then, they had almost all been beneath the grass, with none exposed. How had it grown so wildly after only a few days, as though it had been fed some miracle fertilizer?

A trace of doubt rose in his heart, but Huo Yuhao did not approach it. His Spirit Eye could help him observe it from afar.

"Whoosh." A faint deep-blue gleam lit up in his eyes, as if they contained the stars of the universe. Huo Yuhao examined the tree carefully.

Yet after looking, he found nothing particularly unusual. The only noteworthy thing was perhaps its exceptionally vigorous Life Force.

Huo Yuhao frowned and muttered, "When it attacked Chai San, the Golden Light stripped away his Life Force. This tree was struck too, but it doesn't seem to have lost any Life Force. On the contrary, it has grown stronger. Could the Golden Light released by the Heavenly Eye also enhance the Life Force of whatever it hits?"

His mind worked quickly, and he soon reached that conclusion.

Clearly, another possibility had to be added to his speculation about the Heavenly Eye.

After watching for several more seconds, Huo Yuhao finally shifted his gaze away and headed directly toward the entrance to another patch of woods.

Unlike a few days ago, the path was no longer muddy.

But Huo Yuhao did not notice that after he left, the roots of that enormous tree suddenly twitched, as though they had just been holding something back.

After some time, Huo Yuhao arrived before the familiar ruined grave. Looking at the crude wooden grave marker engraved with "Tomb of Mother Huo Yun'er," he set down his pack and sat cross-legged on the ground.

He had never met Huo Yun'er in person. He had only searched through his memories for that gentle woman. In a life of less than thirty years, the first half had been decent enough, at least with food and clothing provided. But the latter half had been spent living beneath the weight of one word: suffering.

She had worked until she coughed blood, until her hands were covered in calluses. Dai Huabin had kicked her with his foot. Even in her final moments, she had worried only about the child who had yet to grow up, never herself.

Throughout her life, she had continued to believe in Dai Hao. Other than pitiful, there was no other word to describe her.

The Original Work said Huo Yun'er had been beautiful, and she indeed had been. But that beauty was long gone. She was already thin and frail. After all, how could someone subjected to years of intense labor still have any beauty to speak of?

Second by second, time passed. Huo Yuhao did not say a single word, and he eventually gave up on all the things he had wanted to say.

The wind gradually strengthened, stirring the surrounding leaves into a rustling whisper.

"I'm leaving."

At last, Huo Yuhao spoke. He stood up and patted the dust from his trousers. His tone was gentle, and a smile rested on his lips, as though he were bidding farewell to a friend he had not seen for a long time.

After standing there for several seconds, Huo Yuhao did not hesitate in the slightest. He slung his pack over his back, turned, and headed down the path he had come from. This time, his destination was Shrek City.

Unlike that foolish Huo Yuhao from the Original Work, who had given up on revenge, he would not forget any of this.

Your own mother's blood feud, and just because the Duchess died, you decided not to take revenge?

Wasn't that brain-dead?

If his strength had allowed it, he would have avenged every grievance on the spot.

Unfortunately, he was not powerful enough yet, so... he would return to settle this grudge someday.

It was all the same.

Walking out of the woods, Huo Yuhao had just reached the exit when, before he could step out, several voices speaking abruptly rang out.

In an instant, Huo Yuhao's steps came to a sharp halt.

Ordinarily, hardly anyone came to this place.

Without the slightest hesitation, Huo Yuhao immediately hid in a relatively concealed patch of flowers. He intended to observe the situation from the shadows.