Revenge

The White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

Dim moonlight pierced the dense clouds and shone on the golden glazed tiles, its reflected glow faintly illuminating Huo Yuhao by the wall.

Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes in the light and held his breath, carefully sensing the guards' patrol routes. He silently calculated the intervals between them. His fingers gripped the White Tiger Dagger, rubbing its surface unconsciously.

Just then, a gap opened in the clouds, revealing the moon. The moonlight illuminated the entire Duke's Mansion. Huo Yuhao was awestruck every time he saw it. It was practically a palace. The moonlight from the south fell from its golden roofs onto the heavy red doors. Anyone who saw it would feel the weight of history and the splendor of the present.

Huo Yuhao didn't lose himself in its grandeur. Hatred once again filled his heart. He thought back to all the abuse he and his mother had suffered here, and his grip on the dagger tightened. The Duchess couldn't personally deal with the two of them without damaging her reputation, but the servants would do anything to win their master's favor.

Stealing their monthly allowance was only a minor offense. They could scrape by with a little less money. The maids' abuse of his mother was far worse. At first, they only played small tricks behind her back to make her suffer. But things grew worse as they pushed their luck. A group of them began openly bullying her. Eventually, they got physical, and his mother was badly hurt.

The matter eventually blew up, and the maids were put under house arrest. His mother and he received some monetary compensation. Huo Yuhao was also able to start attending school. In truth, most of the abuse had been directed at his mother. Huo Yuhao was, after all, the Duke's son. No matter how arrogant the servants were, they couldn't break the rules. And breaking the rules meant death.

Once, a guard—whether driven by lust or pity for the mother and son, or perhaps both—had even proposed marrying his mother. He was just a nobody, and after his intentions were exposed, he disappeared. No one knew whether he was alive or dead, but nobody ever brought it up again. After all, the Duke's dignity mattered.

Just as Huo Yuhao was lost in memories, the guards began another round of patrols. The moonlight revealed his figure. Soul Power detection methods couldn't sense him, but the human eye could.

A huge white shape stood by the wall. It had been too dark to make out before, but now the risk of being spotted had skyrocketed.

Huo Yuhao was wearing the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Slough. This artifact-like garment could conceal every trace of his presence, kept its wearer warm in winter and cool in summer, and never gathered dust. The one flaw—that people could see it—was offset by the Soul Masters' habit of relying on their senses to detect things. After all, Soul Masters were powerful and confident, which made it easy for them to overlook what was right under their noses. It was the perfect choice for sneaking into someone's home or having a secret affair on a dark, windy night.

He had come for revenge with a clear, complete plan. He would use the Silkworm Slough's excellent concealment to sneak into the Duchess's room, announce her crimes and pass judgment, then create a diversion and escape by the path at the back gate.

That was the plan he and Tian Meng had come up with together. When Wang Yi woke from his slumber and heard it, he was so stunned by its perfection that his jaw nearly dropped. In the end, he said nothing, since he didn't know the situation well enough to comment. He was only an ordinary person and didn't understand the Soul Master system very well. He had no constructive suggestions to offer, either.

Wang Yi had arrived after Electrolux while Huo Yuhao and Tian Meng were merging, much to Tian Meng's fury. His arrival also caused their auras to leak. Several powerful presences from the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest rushed over, so Tian Meng hurried to flee as soon as the merging was nearly complete. Ice Silkworms really were naturally gifted at escaping. Surrounded by all those powerful beings, Tian Meng had vanished without effort, though the experience had badly frightened him. Tian Meng had already realized during the merging that he couldn't hurt Electrolux, so he could only vent his anger on Wang Yi.

The two had a cordial discussion, thanking Wang Yi for coming and reminiscing about the past while looking to the future. They both agreed that they should strengthen Huo Yuhao's personal abilities and develop his Spiritual Power and Soul Power equally. Both needed to be strong. They would work to optimize his Soul Ring Configuration and cultivate his spiritual character, joining forces to do their utmost to raise a self-reliant, strong, and positive Soul Master. Though they had their disagreements along the way, they agreed on the overall direction and stuck to the principle of setting aside differences while seeking common ground.

In truth, Tian Meng had beaten Wang Yi, but it hadn't done any good. His Mental Attack couldn't harm Wang Yi's true form at all. He could only frighten him into not harboring ill intentions toward Huo Yuhao. Wang Yi's true form seemed to be a mass of life force. Being near it made one feel life itself rising to a higher level. There wasn't much of it, but its nature seemed extraordinarily high. It could greatly benefit Huo Yuhao's body, though its precise effects remained to be discovered.

Wang Yi knew he was in the wrong, too, so he opened his memories for them to experience. There wasn't much to see, after all—just an ordinary working stiff's life. A carefree childhood, a youth spent studying hard, a wild college life, then graduation, job hunting, finding a partner, getting swindled out of the bride price, and working hard. Then it ended here.

Tian Meng and Huo Yuhao were both stunned by that world. How could things be so good there? In the end, they could only express their envy. They couldn't go there, anyway.

Just as Huo Yuhao was about to change positions, he heard a very familiar voice.

"Commander Wei, where are we going to have fun after the patrol?" a young soldier asked.

The soldier leading the group was clearly taller than the others. He wore heavy armor that fit the palace's grandeur perfectly, but he wasn't wearing his helmet. Holding a spear in one hand and his helmet in the other, he replied, "We can't go out as often lately. That woman died, so there's no extra income anymore."

The others looked disappointed. They began cursing that woman for not knowing what was good for her and flattering Commander Wei. Commander Wei brushed off their praise while smiling and nodding in agreement.

Huo Yuhao listened silently to their conversation from not far away, along with the occasional burst of laughter. His body tensed and began to tremble.

He remembered how his mother had taken extra work after finishing the tasks assigned to her just to earn money. Those jobs were the worst of both worlds: little pay and lots of work. As a child, he'd thought that working hard would bring in money. When he grew a little older, he saw how much of it was taken away by others. The servants—men and women alike, represented by Commander Wei—had taken it. A Duke's actual concubine and a Duke's son's monthly allowance, on top of the money earned from extra work, added up to quite a lot. To help Huo Yuhao grow up safe and sound, his mother had silently endured all that oppression and humiliation. No one knew how the Duke's pampered, favored maid had managed to endure it. Huo Yuhao had only seen the wrinkles multiplying on his mother's face, and the cracks spreading across her hands and feet.

He had wanted to help, but she refused. She said it wasn't his responsibility. What he remembered most vividly was one winter, when the cold wind stung people's faces and their ears had nearly gone numb. His mother had been ordered to do the laundry. They were so poor that they didn't even have enough firewood to burn, let alone hot water. She could only wash the clothes by the river. Flowing water was better, since in winter only a thin layer of ice formed along the riverbank.

His mother broke through the thin ice and started washing. Compared to the cold wind, the icy water somehow felt warmer. She ran into plenty of difficulties. The clothes froze as soon as she lifted them from the water, so she had to keep wringing them out. Ice slowly formed into pillars nearby, and layers of it built up in the basin.

The sun was bright that day, its dim light filtering through the rising steam. The branches of an old tree by the river swayed in the wind, at times blocking his mother from view as she washed the clothes.

She washed them perfectly and earned a good deal of money. They could have a decent New Year. But what was the price?

At first, his mother's hands merely itched and turned red on the surface. Then sores appeared. She'd suffered frostbite. After that, she developed a headache and a fever, and collapsed. She spent the New Year sick and exhausted. Once she recovered from the cold, her health grew worse year by year. She died when Huo Yuhao was eleven. The seed of hatred had been planted. Yet his mother had always taught him to be kind and treat everything in the world with joy. He'd been so naive then. The bitter wind always blew, but his mother would shield him from it, and sunshine had always been part of his life. But that dream was destroyed, and the seed of hatred was richly nourished. It grew into a towering tree.

His mother was dead. He had to avenge her. Someone had to die. He had to kill. What if someone stood in his way? He would kill anyone who stood in his way, even gods or Buddhas.

Gray gradually spread across his deep blue eyes, as if a storm were brewing within them. Though Huo Yuhao was furious, he hadn't lost his reason. His mind focused sharply, while his emotions seemed to detach from his body and look down on the guards. What should he call this state? The wrath of a god!

Suddenly, Huo Yuhao's body began to change, too. His heart pounded violently, and hot blood rapidly circulated through his body. His muscles quivered as his limits were lifted. A thread of life force flowed through Huo Yuhao's body. It was the aura Wang Yi had brought with him.

Flecks of green appeared in his gray eyes, gradually forming two halves. Huo Yuhao's consciousness began to take control of his body. His body was strong now. He could use all of its strength.

The sound of his heartbeat began to spill out. Huo Yuhao took a deep breath, bent forward, and crouched down. Then he shot out like lightning. Several sharp cracks rang out as he moved.

Commander Wei had heard a faint disturbance, but paid it no mind. Years of comfortable living had worn away his vigilance. Wouldn't it be a bother if he checked every little noise? Who'd be bold enough to cause trouble at the Duke's Mansion? Even though they were all hostages, that didn't mean anyone could mess with them.

A white figure rushed toward him at incredible speed, making his pupils contract. It was too late. With something in each hand, he didn't know what to do for a moment, but his reflexes as a three-ringed Soul Elder kicked in. He raised his spear in time to block the weapon wielded by the short assassin in front of him: a white dagger.

For an instant, he saw the assassin's face, and anger and disdain rose in his heart. He was just about to speak when the situation he thought he had under control changed.

Huo Yuhao looked indifferently at Commander Wei's twisted face and took a breath. His frail body burst with even greater strength. He adjusted the angle of his wrist and forced the spear back with a speed too fast to follow, stopping only when it was close to the man's throat.

The White Tiger Dagger suddenly blazed with light. After absorbing a great deal of Soul Power, it could release a blade of light—not very long, just long enough to pierce a throat.

Blood gushed out. Commander Wei fell, his face full of disbelief. His spear and helmet clattered to the ground. He clutched his throat, eyes wide, making gurgling sounds. A three-ringed Soul Elder had just been taken down by a child with one ring. He hadn't even released his Martial Soul.

The guards beside him were dumbfounded. The whole thing had taken only a few seconds. No one had ever taught them what to do in this kind of emergency. A bunch of old soldiers were scared stiff. Who'd dare rush forward and risk his life? It was just a guard—why should they throw their lives away?

Huo Yuhao looked up at them. The guards shuddered at his gaze. It was like he was looking at corpses. Before they could react, Huo Yuhao abruptly retreated and vanished into the darkness.

Only then did someone shout that there was an assassin. The guards scattered to fetch reinforcements. No one paid any attention to Commander Wei lying on the ground.

Completely exhausted, Huo Yuhao leaned against a corner and gasped for breath. His heart wouldn't stop pounding. If he lifted his shirt, he could see his left chest rising and falling. His hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.

So this was what killing someone was like? It didn't seem that hard. Huo Yuhao's thoughts drifted as blue, gray, and green crossed in his eyes. His mind returned from its earlier, detached state. Now he began thinking about what to do next.

As soon as he thought it through, he realized how bad things had become. He'd alerted them. The people in the Duke's Mansion were already mobilizing to search for him. He could run now, and nobody would be able to track him. But some part of him didn't want to leave. Seeing the light come on in the Duchess's room in the distance, he made up his mind to stay.

Just then, a sentence suddenly appeared in his mind: "Little fellow, I can help you."

The Duchess's room.

The lights were on. The Duchess, woken from her sleep, listened impatiently to the head maid's report. She said angrily, "So that little bastard came back? Find him and kill him." The head maid understood and prepared to go out and give the orders.

Once she'd woken up a little more, the Duchess called her back. "Don't kill him. Capture him and cripple him. Someone with the White Tiger Bloodline can't die." The head maid hesitated, then said that she understood. As she left the room, she heard the Duchess cursing: "Damn old bastard, always putting restrictions on me. You're all better off dead."

Pretending not to have heard, the head maid hurried outside and began issuing orders to the guards. They had to capture Huo Yuhao.

Before long, good news arrived: the guards had cornered Huo Yuhao. Catching a turtle in a jar should have been easy. Then a commotion broke out in the encirclement. Thinking the guards had gotten rough with him, she hurriedly ordered them not to kill Huo Yuhao. But things didn't seem to be going as she'd imagined.

Gray had now completely filled Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes. The green and blue had disappeared. Trapped with nowhere to retreat, Huo Yuhao didn't panic. Instead, he looked down at the guards before him with cold contempt. He stood there like a mountain, steady and imposing, with the air of a master. He said, "I'm not interested in killing you. Move aside."

Some guards couldn't help laughing when they heard a child say something like that. But the atmosphere grew heavier and heavier, and they soon stopped with a few awkward chuckles.

When they ignored his warning, "Huo Yuhao" strolled toward the encirclement. Intricate patterns surfaced in his eyes, which were gray as well. A white Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet. Seeing that he was a One-Ring Soul Master, the guards all breathed a sigh of relief. His aura had frightened them.

Electrolux paid no attention to their reactions. He spoke to Huo Yuhao in his Sea of Spirit. "I'm not from this world, and I don't understand its rules of power. But the nature of power is the same everywhere. For someone like me, how much power you have matters—and it doesn't. Everything depends on how you use it. Watch closely and see how Spiritual Power is used." As he spoke, Huo Yuhao's First Soul Ring shone brightly.

Mental Interference Domain! Mental Soul Skills were extremely rare, and a mental domain was one in ten million. It was an extraordinarily powerful group-control ability.

Most of the ordinary people in front of Huo Yuhao held their heads and swayed. Those with weaker constitutions fainted on the spot. Only a few strong ones remained standing out from the crowd, watching Huo Yuhao with grim expressions. A question now troubled them all: could a Ten-Year Soul Ring really have this effect? If so, who would want a Century Soul Ring?

By then, Huo Yuhao had already approached the nearest Soul Master. His Soul Ring shone brightly again.

Soul Shock!

Huo Yuhao was only a One-Ring Soul Master, and his Soul Ring came from a gentle Ice Silkworm that wasn't suited for attacking. But the one using the Soul Skill was Electrolux—the Holy Necromancer! The Mental Attack shot into the Soul Master's Sea of Spirit like a needle.

The defenses of his Sea of Spirit were useless. It felt as if a needle had pierced his brain. The pain was worse than the toothache people called soul-piercing. This really did pierce his soul.

Without putting up any resistance, he let Huo Yuhao cut his throat with the dagger. Blood gushed out, and he fell dead.

The other Soul Masters were terrified. They had no idea why the man had been killed. They all released their Martial Souls and prepared their Soul Skills. Countless Soul Rings rose into the air, alternating between white, yellow, and purple. None were black.

Huo Yuhao wasn't surprised at all. He continued walking slowly. He killed each person he reached. Whenever someone tried to release an offensive Soul Skill, an extremely faint Soul Shock would disrupt it at just the right moment.

And so Huo Yuhao walked out of the encirclement without a drop of blood getting on him.

He killed as casually as if strolling through a courtyard, and walked right out of the encirclement.

The gray gradually faded, and his eyes returned to their original deep blue. Before Huo Yuhao could react, intense pain struck him. Nothing escaped it, not his brain or his body. He had overexerted himself too badly.

The green seemed to sense the state of Huo Yuhao's body and began circulating through him, easing the pain. His body temperature rose sharply, and adrenaline flooded his system.

Huo Yuhao had no time to investigate why. The Duchess's room lay ahead. She was in the room where the light was still on. He could keep going. He wiped the nosebleed caused by overusing his Spiritual Power and pressed on.

Just as he reached the door, someone blocked his way. An old man wearing plain hemp clothes stood there. He looked vigorous, with eyes as sharp as torches. But that wasn't the main thing: seven Soul Rings floated beneath him.

A Seven-Ring Soul Sage!

The old man regarded him approvingly. "You're a fine child. Don't go any farther. If you leave now, our White Tiger Family can pretend this never happened, and you can still return to your family."

"Move aside."

That brazen reply made the old man angry.

"If you turn back now, you're still one of the White Tiger Family. The Duchess absolutely cannot die. You can kill those servants to avenge yourself. Your mother's tragedy wasn't caused by the Duchess."

Hearing that, Huo Yuhao's mind wavered. So they had known what his mother had suffered. Why hadn't they stepped in sooner? Then his mother wouldn't have had to die. Couldn't they have given her even the slightest bit of fair treatment? He screamed inside, his emotional turmoil sending waves across his Sea of Spirit.

"Because you started fighting back," the transmigrator Wang Yi explained to Huo Yuhao. "People don't have to use violence, but they must have the courage to use it. You were bullied because you were too weak. So what are you going to do?"

"I'll kill her. She has to die."

"All right." Tian Meng had already discussed the theory of how to deal with the powerful with Wang Yi. Tian Meng had a way, but his appearance wasn't quite right for the job. Wasn't this just the moment for Wang Yi to be useful? Wang Yi would take the lead, while Tian Meng supplied the strength. In principle, they should avoid fighting whenever possible. That energy needed to be saved for little Huo Yuhao's growth.

Seeing Huo Yuhao fall silent, the old man thought he had persuaded him. He continued, explaining his views and advising him to do good, respect his elders, and make the most of his future. He told him to make a good impression and earn a place in the Main Sect, where he could shake off the label of traitor, and went on and on. In the end, he was abruptly silenced.

He sensed an utterly terrifying Spiritual Power locking onto him. Beads of sweat rolled down his wrinkled face. Slowly looking up, he saw a young man floating in the air, smiling at him. Apart from special circumstances, only Titled Douluo could float so easily. Soul Douluo could do it, too, but it was too difficult to be worthwhile compared to walking.

And with such terrifying Spiritual pressure, this had to be a Titled Douluo. He was just about to apologize when the young man stopped him.

"Shh. Don't make a sound. Just enjoy the show," the "Titled Douluo" said calmly. The old man quickly agreed and obediently stood there watching. He couldn't help wondering which powerful family had sent someone to interfere in the affairs of the White Tiger Family. After all, there were only so many powerful outsiders, and they were all listed in the major families' records. This man hadn't appeared in any of them.

While the old Soul Sage was lost in thought, Huo Yuhao had already passed him and entered the mansion. It really was lavish.

It didn't have the gaudy look of a nouveau riche's home, all gold and silver. At first glance, it seemed to have a scholarly air. But look closer, and it was astonishing. All the furniture was made of thousand-year-old Soul Fir Wood and coated in red lacquer. Every small object was a finely crafted gold or silver piece, elegant without being vulgar. Several paintings and works of calligraphy hung on the walls.

What a wealthy household!

Huo Yuhao wasn't interested in any of it. He went straight to the Duchess's bedroom. The door even had a Mechanical Lock with a code. He didn't understand it and didn't want to waste time, so he punched through the wooden door. He paid no attention to his injured hand. His eyes locked on the Duchess, who was hiding under the bed. He casually stabbed the head maid to death as she hid behind the door, ready to ambush him. Ambushing him was a joke. Electrolux didn't need Spiritual Detection, but that didn't mean the ability wasn't useful. With Spiritual Detection, he could see everything clearly, so being ambushed was practically impossible. The head maid was the one who'd led the bullying of his mother. After her stint under house arrest, she'd risen to become head maid. He had nearly settled the score with the servants. Now it was time to punish the ringleader.

Without the woman in front of him giving the signal, how would those servants have dared to touch a woman carrying the Duke's child? When he was little, he'd been terrified of her. Now, seeing the woman crawling under the bed, that childhood fear vanished. He couldn't help laughing, though his eyes remained cold, without the slightest warmth.

Huo Yuhao stepped forward and dragged the Duchess out. She suddenly pulled out something shaped like a long stick, pointed it at him, and pulled the trigger. Huo Yuhao had already seen the gun before she took it out. Wang Yi's memories had helped him recognize the danger. He dodged the aim before she could fire. With a deafening bang, the Duchess's face turned deathly pale. The bullet shattered the Soul Guidance Lamp in the room. It crackled and spat sparks.

He snatched the gun away and hung it on himself, then pressed her face down so she would have a good look at him. The flickering light of the lamp made Huo Yuhao look terrifying. Not everyone could see in the dark, after all.

As the Duchess stared in terror at someone she'd never once bothered to look at, Huo Yuhao also wondered what he should say. The Duchess seemed to beg for mercy, but Huo Yuhao didn't hear her. He just thought to himself. In the end, he couldn't think of anything to say. He'd paid the price for being uneducated.

He dragged the Duchess out of the room. At first, he had meant to carry her, but she was taller than him, which looked terribly awkward. He could only drag her along. On the way, he passed the head maid's pool of blood, and blood smeared across his clothes. It made the Duchess feel sick.

He dragged her to the doorway. The scene outside was spectacular: countless guards and maids stood waiting with torches and weapons. But their faces all looked grim. There was a Titled Douluo up there. Weren't they just sending themselves to their deaths by standing here? When they saw Huo Yuhao drag out the Duchess, covered in blood, they were nearly scared to death. They had no idea what he would do next.

Huo Yuhao paid no attention to their curses and confusion. He just looked down at the dagger in his hand. After a night of killing, it was coated in blood. He spoke to himself. "This is the keepsake my mother left me. That's what I always believed."

"But I think it's a shackle, a link between me and this sinful place. As long as I have it, I can't be at ease. Mother would never approve of my decision."

"But I believe Mother would support my decision. What mother doesn't want her son to be happy?" For the first time, Huo Yuhao smiled brightly as he spoke. Then he thrust the White Tiger Dagger into the White Tiger Duchess's throat.

He hadn't spoken a single word to her, nor had he listened to anything she said. What does your death have to do with you?

And so the White Tiger Duchess was killed in front of everyone. After stabbing her, Huo Yuhao let go so everyone could see her ugly final moments. She clutched her throat and struggled nonstop. Soon, she stopped moving, her eyes wide and fixed on Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao paid no attention to her. He straightened up and let out a long breath.

The moon had emerged, and the clouds had cleared. It hung directly above Huo Yuhao, scattering moonlight over him. His eyes shone brightly, his face radiant. With his smile, he looked adorable.

I should go, he thought. Then he set off, leaving the White Tiger Dagger behind. He was completely carefree.

The old man, who hadn't said a word until now, finally spoke up. "Do you know how serious a crime it is to kill her?"

"I know. If you want to come after me, then come. I only have one thing to say to all of you." He took a deep breath, recalling a line Wang Yi had remembered.

"Those who follow me will prosper. Those who oppose me will perish!"

After saying it, he felt boundless heroism surge through him. Wang Yi, hovering above him, sensed Huo Yuhao's thoughts. As Huo Yuhao walked out through the Duke's Mansion's imposing, historic gates, a force erupted. With a mighty, earth-shaking blow, it smashed through the gate and brought down its plaque, splitting it in two.

Thus, Huo Yuhao broke through the gate and walked out. He was no longer connected to Duke White Tiger in any way.