Evidence of Treason

A very luxurious courtyard; one look from the outside was enough to tell that its owner was either wealthy or noble. Of course, ordinary people could never reach this place. It was a designated district for the rich, and commoners had no opportunity to enter. If any commoner attempted to trespass, they would be dealt with by the Shrek Guard. Most would be sent to prison for forced labor; the idea of being thrown into prison to receive free food and shelter was an impossibility.

However, compared to the harsh laws of other top-tier families, this was much better. Some families would simply execute intruders on the spot; after all, how could they allow "low-born" people to enter their living space? To them, the mere act of these people breathing the same air for a second was a form of pollution.

This mansion was the dedicated residence of the White Tiger Family in Shrek, used for emergency contact when special circumstances arose. Every family of note had a station here. You could have a poor relationship with Shrek Academy, but you could not afford to stop communicating with them. If a major event occurred and you lacked a channel, you were finished. You would be effectively expelled from the Douluo Continent and left to await your destruction, as no other family would help you. The resources left behind after a family's collapse were enough to make anyone salivate.

The reason there was no large-scale war right now was simply because Shrek Academy was suppressing it. Even so, the small, covert skirmishes had never ceased. The fight between the two examinees that Huo Yuhao witnessed was a conflict born from this very backdrop. Everyone was restless, yet no one wanted to be the first to act. The Sun Moon Empire was actually a perfect outlet for aggression, but it bordered the two great empires. Would the other one not strike from the shadows?

Everything between nations was a matter of interest. Although these great families shared some bloodlines—ten thousand years was enough time for intermarriage—what did that matter? Family interests came first, and national interests were merely a coalition of the wills of these families. Small sacrifices were unimportant, or perhaps they simply didn't consider you human; once you were married off, you were no longer part of the family. These were all just excuses.

Shrek's refusal to let war break out was also for the sake of its own interests. Otherwise, why didn't they intervene when the Heaven Dou Empire split or during the civil unrest in the Star Luo Empire? The existence of the Sun Moon Empire truly shook the status of Shrek Academy. Their system of cultivating soul engineers was an entirely different framework that did not rely on Shrek's existence. The top academies of the three great empires all had ties to Shrek; although not directly managed by them, the training methods and standards for soul masters were all set by Shrek, ensuring they never lost control.

Soul engineers were different. Their standards were almost entirely unlike Shrek's, yet they could achieve similar combat power. While there was a gap in top-tier strength, they held a complete advantage in mid-tier power, not to mention the absolute dominance soul engineers held on the battlefield. In recent years, the combat power of soul engineer teams in competitions had grown stronger and stronger. Their results were improving, and they were now able to clash with Shrek Academy—not necessarily winning outright, but trading blows and even gaining a slight edge.

This gave some people dangerous ideas. Shrek's foundation was built on absolute dominance—either a swift victory or a crushing defeat. Anyone who shook this foundation was an enemy of Shrek and could never be forgiven. From Shrek's policy of never interfering in continental affairs to their intervention to disrupt the Sun Moon Empire's momentum, it was all due to the lethal factor of soul tools.

Shrek lacked soul tools, which was their fatal flaw. Then came the era of peace where both sides developed what the other possessed. Shrek established a soul tool department, and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy made soul master combat a top priority. The difference was that the Sun Moon Empire had a foundation; after all, no matter how much a soul engineer relied on soul tools, they couldn't abandon martial arts entirely—what if they were separated from their tools? Shrek was different; they truly had no foundation at all. Their speed of catching up was naturally slower than the Sun Moon Empire, and Shrek faced significant resistance. The Martial Soul Department would never agree to heavily tilt resources toward the Soul Guidance Department. The Sun Moon Empire could use the power of the entire nation to support their efforts, while Shrek relied on funding from the three great empires. Of course, this was also the reason the three great empires allowed Shrek to exist; their financial dependence on them provided a measure of security, which in turn limited Shrek's true potential for development.

Only this year did Shrek's upper echelon truly decide to develop the Soul Guidance Department with full force. How much time had already passed? Whether they could catch up and achieve a "corner-cutting overtake" was an unknown. What was certain was that war would inevitably break out; it was right before their eyes. However, no one could be sure of the exact timing. Perhaps a single spark could trigger it, or perhaps things would remain calm. Both sides had factions that did not want war, as their interests would be damaged if it started. They would certainly try to prevent it, but it remained to be seen how long they could hold out. Or perhaps a small, seemingly insignificant incident caused by one or a few people could be exploited by those with ulterior motives to push the continent into war. Who could say for sure? Anything was possible.

However, what Wang Yi and Tian Meng had discovered might truly accelerate the path to war. The White Tiger Family was actually colluding with the Sun Moon Empire!

"Colluding" was an understatement; it was outright treason.

Wang Yi hadn't expected to uncover something this massive. He had only intended to investigate the assassination plan Dai Huabin had devised to eliminate Huo Yuhao, so how did this come to light?

Wang Yi and Tian Meng had snuck in with extreme caution because they had been spooked. The guarantee that "no one could see them" had been shattered immediately, leaving the timid Tian Meng afraid to move. One couldn't blame him; it was his racial instinct. Fortunately, Wang Yi was thick-skinned and mentally resilient enough to just bolt. Once he calmed down and summarized the situation, he realized there was actually no one in this world who could kill them, so what was there to fear? Consequently, the two of them, who could have walked through the front door, had climbed over the wall instead.

They hadn't arrived at a good time; they missed the meeting where the assassination of Huo Yuhao was being planned, so they could only rummage through the files in the room.

This search revealed something incredible: the White Tiger Family had committed treason. They had begun cooperating with the Sun Moon Empire. The Nether Civet Family, which was practically one with the White Tiger Family, was surely involved as well. At first, it seemed unbelievable, but upon closer reflection, it was quite logical.

Ask what the status of the White Tiger Family was ten thousand years ago: they were the Imperial Family, and the Nether Civet Family was the Empress's clan. And now? They were merely a first-rate family. Who would be satisfied with that? Not to mention how the White Tiger Family had stepped down from the throne.

The idea that the Imperial Family had lost most of its power in the war, and then a single loyalist force—consisting entirely of one family—had remained intact to defeat the Sun Moon Empire and ascend to the throne? You're joking, right? That kind of drama was far too fake.

And so, there was the letter—or rather, the evidence—in Wang Yi's hands. The two parties had formed an alliance to attack the Sun Moon Empire, with the Sun Moon Empire helping to dispose of Huo Yuhao, the traitor to the family.

There was no need to ask why they kept the letter; it served as a guarantee for both sides. Responsibilities had to be clearly defined to get things done. Besides, did they really think the Star Luo Empire's royal family didn't know? Treason of this nature was an open secret. Even if it wasn't known to everyone, the very top echelon was absolutely aware.

So, where was the resistance? It was right here. Why was the weakened White Tiger Family still allowed to exist? Purging remnants of the previous dynasty was a matter of course, but this family held another status: their ancestor was one of the original Shrek Seven Devils and had ascended to godhood alongside the Sea God Tang San. A god was not to be trifled with, so things had just been left as they were.

But now, things were different. This family had committed treason. Once there was an actual act of betrayal, they could be purged with full justification. The only unknown or uncertain factor was Shrek Academy. Or rather, one couldn't say they knew about this.

How to handle this news had become a difficult problem. The assassination wouldn't be an issue; don't look down on Tian Meng—the combined strength of Electrolux and Tian Meng could clash with a god. Even if that old man from Shrek intervened, the best outcome would be mutual destruction. The handling of this issue was crucial to Huo Yuhao's growth. That was the most important thing. Even if Huo Yuhao lived as a savage in the forest, he could still become a top-tier powerhouse, but ascending to godhood would be a bit difficult.