White Tiger Duke? How Dare You Insult My Disciple!

"However..."

Shen Zhou shifted his tone, looking toward Huo Yun'er.

"Although your mother's body has been healed by my eldest brother, she still requires recuperation. The Duke Mansion is no place to stay any longer."

Huo Yuhao's expression dimmed.

Indeed, his mother had served as a maid in the Duke Mansion for so many years, yet in the end, she didn't even have a decent room to call her own.

Now that she had just recovered from a critical illness, if she were to go back to doing chores, I fear...

"The academy is currently under construction, and there will be dedicated living quarters there."

"If you are willing, you can take on some light tasks at the academy, or simply do nothing at all and focus on resting."

"Sir, this... how could I possibly accept such a thing..."

Huo Yun'er struggled to get out of bed, but was stopped by Shen Zhou.

"No need for formalities. Huo Yuhao is my disciple, so his family is naturally my family as well."

He paused, then took a card emitting a faint golden light from his robes.

[Academy Construction Card]

[Effect: Can construct an academy out of thin air, containing multiple areas such as a Mimicry Training Ground, Soul Tool Workshop, and Battle Armor Forging Room. Subsequent areas can be unlocked through future rewards.]

Shen Zhou held the card, his consciousness stirring slightly.

"Use Academy Construction Card."

[Ding, please select the location for the academy construction.]

Shen Zhou closed his eyes, his perception spreading outward. A moment later, he opened them, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Let's choose that wasteland to the east of the Duke Mansion."

[Academy under construction... Estimated time: one quarter of an hour.]

[Ding, detected that the host has taken Huo Yuhao as a disciple, triggering side quest: The Disciple's Growth.]

[Side quest: Have Huo Yuhao break through to the second ring within three months. Reward: One ten-thousand-year soul ring (can specify the soul beast).]

Shen Zhou felt a surge of joy; this was truly an unexpected delight.

Break through to the second ring in three months?

For an ordinary soul master, this might be somewhat difficult, but Huo Yuhao was a person destined by heaven. With his own personal guidance as a Title Douluo, plus the various resources of the Spirit Pagoda and the academy, it should not be a problem.

Moreover, the reward of that ten-thousand-year soul ring was a solid, high-quality item.

"Master?"

Seeing Shen Zhou lost in thought, Huo Yuhao called out cautiously.

Shen Zhou snapped back to reality and smiled.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things."

"Huo Yuhao, pack your things. I will take you and your mother away from here in a little while."

"Leave?"

Huo Yuhao looked at the dilapidated woodshed, then at his mother on the bed.

Although this place was run-down, it was, after all, the place where he had grown up. To truly leave it behind, his heart felt somewhat conflicted.

"Yes, leave."

Shen Zhou patted him on the shoulder. "From this day forward, you and your mother will no longer need to live under someone else's roof."

"Martial Soul Hall Academy will be your home."

Just then, Guangling Douluo suddenly poked his head in to peek at the woodshed, then pulled it back, winking at the others.

"Big Brother, Eighth Brother really is addicted to taking disciples. He already took a few back at Martial Soul Hall, and now that he's in a new place, the first one he takes is still someone with an eye-type martial soul."

"Shut up." Qian Daoliu glanced at him indifferently.

Guangling Douluo immediately covered his mouth, but the amusement in his eyes could not be hidden.

Er Ha took the opportunity to sidle up to Huo Yuhao, nudging his leg with its head.

"Kid, from now on, you're the disciple of my boss."

"With White Emperor covering you, in this territory, if anyone dares to bully you, I'll bite their legs off!"

Huo Yuhao was somewhat at a loss; he wasn't yet used to communicating with a talking dog.

"Thank you... Senior White Emperor."

"Hey! That 'Senior' sounds comfortable!"

Er Ha's tail immediately wagged like a propeller. "From now on, just call me Brother White. 'Senior' this and 'Senior' that is too distant."

"Brother White." Huo Yuhao obediently changed his address.

"That's the spirit!"

Er Ha snorted in satisfaction.

Shen Zhou couldn't help but rub his forehead; this silly dog had completely messed up the seniority.

However...

Watching Huo Yuhao's expression gradually relax, a warmth surged in Shen Zhou's heart.

This young man had suffered too much in the original story.

The early death of his mother, the bullying at the Duke Mansion, the schemes of Tang Buddha Ancestor—he had crawled through the darkness alone, eventually becoming the God of Emotions.

But in this life, everything would be different.

With Martial Soul Hall as his backing, with him as a master to shield him from the wind and rain, and with seven titled elders acting as "uncles" to escort him, Huo Yuhao's path would be a hundred times smoother than in the original story.

And the glory of Martial Soul Hall would bloom once again in this era.

A quarter of an hour later, a thunderous roar echoed from afar.

The several elders looked up simultaneously, shock flashing in their eyes.

On the wasteland to the east of the Duke Mansion, a towering structure rose from the ground.

With white jade steps and golden tiled roofs, it covered hundreds of acres.

Above the main entrance, four large characters shone brilliantly—

Martial Soul Academy.

Shen Zhou took a deep breath and turned to look at Huo Yuhao.

"Let's go, let's go see our home."

Huo Yuhao supported his mother, carefully stepping over the threshold of the woodshed.

The heavy snow outside had stopped, but the cold wind remained biting.

Huo Yun'er was wrapped in the fox fur coat that Shen Zhou had previously given to Huo Yuhao; although her complexion had improved, her body remained weak.

Huo Yuhao held his mother's arm tightly, stepping onto the snow one step at a time.

The elders walked in front, with Qian Daoliu in the center and Golden Crocodile, Guang Ling, and the others flanking him, naturally forming a majestic formation.

Shen Zhou walked beside Huo Yuhao, while Er Ha trotted happily at the very back, a broken wooden stick he had swiped from the woodshed clamped in his jaws like a precious treasure.

As the group turned the corner, they ran head-on into a team of people.

Leading them was a nanny in a brocade cotton jacket, about fifty years old, her face caked in thick powder and her triangular eyes filled with malice.

Behind her followed four or five maids and servants carrying food boxes and hand warmers, seemingly heading toward the main courtyard.

The nanny spotted Huo Yun'er and her son at a glance; she froze for a moment, then her brows knitted into a knot.

"Oh, isn't this Concubine Huo?"

She emphasized the word "concubine" heavily, her tone dripping with mockery.

Huo Yun'er's face changed slightly, and she lowered her head without speaking.

Huo Yuhao, however, bit his lip hard.

His mother was never a concubine; she was just a maid in the Duke Mansion who had been taken advantage of by Dai Hao while he was drunk, and she hadn't even received a formal title after giving birth to him.

The nanny knew this perfectly well, yet she insisted on calling her "concubine," clearly intending to humiliate her.

"What, were you about to die from illness, and now you've come back to life?"

The nanny looked up and down at the fox fur on Huo Yun'er, a trace of greed and jealousy flashing in her eyes.

"This garment is quite nice, where did you steal it from?"

"Watch your mouth!"

Huo Yuhao couldn't take it anymore and stepped in front of his mother.

"Oh my, the little bastard dares to talk back to me?" The nanny put her hands on her hips, spittle flying everywhere.

"Let me tell you, Duke Dai Hao is returning to the mansion today. The First Madam has ordered you two to get as far away as possible and not to be an eyesore to the Duke!"

"If the Duke sees you two filthy things and it ruins his mood, watch out for your skin!"

The maids and servants behind her also began to sneer, chiming in one after another.

"Exactly, they don't even know their own place."

"A bastard born to a maid, actually thinking he's a young master."