At the Star Luo Empire Border, in a military camp not far from the Ming Dou Mountain Range.
The officers had originally come only to discuss military affairs, but after being forced to witness such explosive revelations, they sat with rigid posture while secretly glancing at White Tiger Duke Dai Hao's face, black as charcoal.
Outside the tent, the atmosphere was icy. No one dared to speak, afraid of provoking the commander's wrath.
After a moment of silence, Dai Hao suddenly spoke, turning his anger on a trusted aide beside him. "I defend our country from the front lines, yet Yun'er and Yuhao have suffered so terribly at home. Why didn't you report it to me?!"
Before the trusted aide could speak, Dai Hao continued furiously, "And Xu Qian indulged Dai Huabin in bullying his elders and brothers, letting him act arrogantly and tyrannically while managing the White Tiger Duke Mansion into a complete mess!"
"Why didn't you report any of this to me?! Do you still recognize me as the White Tiger Duke?!"
Hearing Dai Hao's questioning, the trusted aide was first taken aback, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes. But he immediately understood and dropped to his knees with a thud, begging through tears, "All of this... all of this was because the Duchess ordered me not to tell the Duke!"
"I was blinded by greed and accepted money from the Duchess. She even threatened my family. I didn't dare disobey! Duke, please spare me this once! I know I was wrong!"
Seeing how quickly his subordinate had reacted, a trace of satisfaction flashed through Dai Hao's eyes. He then pressed on, "Then why, after I repeatedly told you to take gifts back to Yun'er and Yuhao, were they still living in such misery?!"
The trusted aide prostrated himself and wailed, "Those gifts... those gifts were all skimmed by me too... Not a single one ever reached them!"
"How dare you! Do you really think my sword is dull?!" Dai Hao flew into a rage. His beard and hair stirred without wind, and his roar was like an enraged White Tiger's howl. With a clang, he drew his precious sword!
"Hmph. For the sake of the years you followed me, although you cannot escape death today, I will protect your family. I won't let them fall victim to Xu Qian's Poison Hand!"
"Thank you, Duke! Thank you, Duke! I will repay your great kindness in the Afterlife!" The trusted aide knelt prostrate on the ground, stretching out his neck.
Seeing this, Dai Hao sighed and said calmly, "Now that things have come to this, do you have any other hidden circumstances to reveal? If so, speak. I don't want you to die with an unjust charge."
"The underling isn't wrong. It's the Duke who's wrong!"
The trusted aide banged his head against the ground and sobbed, "This lowly one deserves ten thousand deaths. I sowed discord between the Duke and Madam Yun'er and Young Master Yuhao, causing the Duke to suffer injustice and be misunderstood by Young Master Yuhao..."
"They say that a person speaks kindly when death approaches. I only hope that the Duke can clear up this misunderstanding with Madam Yun'er and Young Master Yuhao as soon as possible. That would at least lessen some of the sins this lowly one has committed."
"Alas, if only you had realized your mistake sooner." Dai Hao let out a deeply regretful sigh, then swung his sword down without hesitation and severed the trusted aide's head.
Dai Hao Looked Around at the variously colored faces of the officers and waved for someone to drag away the trusted aide's corpse.
Then he said, "Speaking of which, I was at fault too. I focused only on guarding the border and defending the country. If I had managed to find some time to personally care for the two of them, Yuhao would never have come to regard me as an enemy."
Regardless of what the officers truly thought, they all expressed on the surface that the Duke's neglect of his family while serving the country and its people was understandable. Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, he would surely reconcile with his blood relatives and return to their former closeness.
Before long, the officers dispersed. Dai Hao waved over a subordinate and instructed him, "Send people to spread the news. Make sure the entire continent knows what happened here in the shortest possible time."
"Also... give Seventh a lavish burial. From now on, double the treatment provided to his family."
At the same time, in the Star Luo Imperial Palace, Emperor Xu Jiawei watched the Heavenly Screen while arranging for people to rush to the White Tiger Duke Mansion and check whether Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao were there.
If they were, they were to bring the mother and son back and find a way to repair their relationship. This would also prevent White Tiger Duchess Xu Qian from taking desperate action and doing something irrational.
If they were not, they were to keep an eye on Xu Qian and prevent her from escaping, then leave this mess for Dai Hao to deal with when he returned.
Although the content on the Heavenly Screen had not yet been verified, since it concerned the vital safety of the Star Luo Royal Family, they would treat it as true for now!
If evidence later proved the content on the Heavenly Screen to be true, then there would be nothing more to say—they would immediately cut ties with Xu Qian and expel her from the family records!
After all, the matter was of immense importance. Even if Xu Qian was the emperor's younger sister, he would not hesitate to abandon her when necessary.
The Heavenly Screen continued playing.
[Unable to dissuade Yuhao from changing his surname, Huo Yun'er could only agree. However, she still refused to move out of the White Tiger Duke Mansion, as Huo Yuhao wished.
She firmly told Huo Yuhao that all their suffering was worth it. Once Dai Hao returned, they would be able to live good lives.
Unable to persuade his mother, Huo Yuhao could only find a way to sell Grilled Fish, earn money to treat his mother's injuries, and improve their lives somewhat.
Time passed quickly. By the time Huo Yuhao was eleven, the mother and son still had not managed to wait for Dai Hao.
Huo Yuhao could no longer endure it. Using the excuse that he wanted to go Soul Hunting and attend school, but was afraid to travel far alone, he finally persuaded his mother to leave the White Tiger Duke Mansion with him.
The mother and son traveled onward. Under Huo Yuhao's deliberate guidance, they left the Star Luo Empire and arrived in the neighboring Dou Ling Empire.
After settling his mother and leaving behind the money he had accumulated from selling Grilled Fish over the years, Huo Yuhao bid farewell to her and went alone to the Star Dou Great Forest.
He ate Grilled Fish to stave off hunger along the way and happened to encounter Tang Ya and Bei Bei, who had come to hunt for souls.
Faced with Tang Ya's familiarity, Huo Yuhao did not hesitate to show off his Grilled Fish skills and invited the two of them to taste them together.
However, afterward, he did not continue associating closely with them. He turned around, said goodbye, and continued toward the Star Dou Great Forest.]
For the vast majority of people, this brief scene from the Heavenly Screen would not seem particularly unusual.
The people from Shrek Academy were the exception.
Bei Bei was one of the Outer Court Twin Stars, and because of him, Tang Ya was also quite well known at Shrek Academy.
Their appearance in the scene on the Heavenly Screen caused quite a stir among Shrek's students and teachers.
To prevent a crowd of Titled Douluo from gathering beneath the new students' dormitory and causing an uproar among the students, Shrek Academy's senior leaders had already moved to the edge of Sea God Lake.
Mu En watched his young, spirited great-grandson on the Heavenly Screen. After pondering briefly, he said, "Bei Bei came to see me ten days ago and said he was going Soul Hunting with Tang Ya."
"Judging by the time, if everything went smoothly, they should be about to return."
Qian Duoduo stroked his chin and said thoughtfully, "If the scene on the Heavenly Screen corresponds exactly to reality, then this child may have only recently finished adding his First Soul Ring."
"Our academy's admission standard is a Soul Power level of fifteen. A child who has only just added his First Soul Ring obviously wouldn't qualify."
"So, if Bei Bei and the others didn't bring him back to the academy, he should have gone to the Dou Ling Empire. His mother is still over there."
Elder Song, whose Martial Soul was the Azure Shadow Divine Eagle, glanced at Mu En and rose to her feet. "I'll go take a look in Dou Ling. With my speed, even at full strength, it won't take long."
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