The Zhu Clan's Plot to Usurp the Nation, the Eve of Escaping White Tiger Duke's Manor

The iron box against his chest was icy to the bone.

Huo Yuhao locked the door behind him, leaned against it, and gasped for breath.

He spread out the items in his hands: blueprints, a secret letter, and a money pouch.

The instant he prepared to examine them closely, the magnificent pure-white hall in his mind descended with another thunderous roar!

[High-density, highly complex intelligence source detected... Thought Palace permissions upgraded.]

[Ultra-high-speed logical deduction module activated!]

[Information integration array deployed!]

It could still upgrade?

Huo Yuhao felt as though his brain had become the central processor of a supercomputer. The blueprints and letters before him were no longer mere sheets of paper. In an instant, they were broken down and scanned, transforming into countless torrents of data that poured into the pure-white hall!

He first focused on the thick stack of blueprints.

[Beginning analysis of soul tool blueprints...]

[Knowledge base matched: Earth physics, engineering, materials science...]

Within the hall, the intricate blueprints were instantly rendered in three dimensions, becoming virtual models suspended in the air. Every component and every circuit was dismantled, analyzed, and labeled.

"Impressive..." Huo Yuhao muttered.

This was no longer simply understanding them. This was reverse engineering!

[Soul power ray emitter... Energy conversion efficiency: 37%, 15% above current mainstream continental technology.]

[Linked amplification formation... Structure optimized. Stackable layers: +3. Stability increased by 22%.]

[Single-soldier soul tool propulsion wings... Anti-gravity core design... This technology is theoretically... at least fifty years ahead of its time!]

These blueprints were no ordinary inheritance at all. They represented an entire era's technological gap—terrifying technology capable of sparking a military revolution!

At that moment, a piercing alarm sounded within the hall.

[Warning! Unknown coded symbols detected!]

[Comparing language systems... Star Luo Empire script: match failed. Heaven Soul Empire script: match failed...]

Huo Yuhao's heart sank sharply.

He remembered his mother's final words.

"Go... go to the Sun Moon Empire..."

He immediately issued an order to the hall. "Match the Sun Moon Empire's writing system!"

[Command received. Beginning match...]

[Ding!]

[Match successful! Symbol system identified as advanced encrypted inscriptions of the Sun Moon Empire Royal Academy of Sciences!]

Boom!

It felt as though a heavy hammer had struck Huo Yuhao's head.

His mother had never been an ordinary maid of the Star Luo Empire!

She came from the Sun Moon Empire! And judging by the level of those encrypted inscriptions, her identity was anything but ordinary!

Before he could process his shock, he immediately turned his attention to the secret letter sealed with wax.

[Beginning analysis of secret letter contents...]

[Initiating deep correlation analysis with intelligence source: "Mother's Manuscript"...]

Within the hall, the two pieces of intelligence became two immense streams of data, frantically intertwining, colliding, and reorganizing.

Points in time, names, and events were precisely linked together, forming a vast, tangled network so shocking it made one's scalp tingle!

[Correlation analysis results:]

[Individual: Zhu Ruyi. Behavioral pattern: using her charm-type martial soul to control the White Tiger Duke.]

[Intelligence flow: Zhu Ruyi regularly transmits information regarding personnel changes among Star Luo's upper ranks to the "outside world" through secret channels within the manor.]

[Logical deduction: Zhu Ruyi's true objective is far more than merely becoming the duchess.]

The cold conclusion appeared in Huo Yuhao's mind.

[Final deduction: Zhu Ruyi intends to usurp the nation and restore the Zhu Clan as the imperial family.]

This was a power struggle!

The letter and blueprints in his hands were Zhu Ruyi's death warrant! They could uproot the entire White Tiger Duke's Manor—and might even trigger a political purge throughout Star Luo!

But immediately afterward, a bone-deep sense of helplessness seized him tightly.

What the hell was he now?

A little brat with only Rank One soul power, an illegitimate son considered less than an ant in everyone's eyes.

With this trump card in hand, forget blowing his opponents to death—if he dared reveal it, the first person to be blown to pieces would be himself!

"Stay calm. I have to stay calm!"

Huo Yuhao forced himself to settle down. His only advantage now was that the enemy stood in the open while he remained in the shadows.

He had to be like a top-tier hunter, waiting in the darkest corner for the deadliest strike.

[Thought Palace, activating tactical planning mode.]

[Primary task: formulate a safe escape plan.]

[Scanning the manor's personnel relationship network... analyzing security vulnerabilities...]

Within the palace, a three-dimensional map of the entire White Tiger Duke's Manor appeared once more. It was covered in countless points of light, representing every guard and servant.

Their patrol routes, shift changes, and behavioral habits had all been quantified into data.

Suddenly, several of the points turned a glaring red!

[Warning! Units with abnormal behavioral patterns detected!]

[Guard: Zhang San. Patrol route displays illogical deviations; has had secret contact with Guards Seven and Twelve.]

[Guard: Li Si. Has repeatedly appeared near intelligence transfer points while on night duty.]

[Guard...]

A total of five names had been marked in red by the palace!

There was something wrong with these five guards!

Huo Yuhao's pupils constricted as he immediately activated his Spirit Eye Martial Soul.

His vision pierced through the walls and precisely locked onto one of the guards patrolling the courtyard.

Vision Penetration!

Clothes, skin, flesh...

On the inner side of that guard's belt, Huo Yuhao "saw" a fingernail-sized metal sheet with an intricate structure.

[Thought Palace, initiating target identification...]

[Identification successful: miniature soul tool communicator, Sun Moon Empire military standard issue, third-generation model.]

Holy shit!

Huo Yuhao nearly cursed aloud.

That venomous woman Zhu Ruyi wasn't fighting alone—she had planted an entire spy team inside the duke's manor!

An even more terrifying thought rose in his heart.

What would she do if Zhu Ruyi discovered the evidence his mother had left behind?

Silence everyone!

No, it would not be as simple as killing him.

[Thought Palace, conducting crisis projection.]

[Scenario simulation: Zhu Ruyi discovers the evidence.]

[Projection result: to prevent intelligence leaks, Zhu Ruyi will initiate the highest-level silencing operation. Targets for elimination include: Huo Yuhao, as well as all "unstable factors" who may have come into contact with the intelligence.]

[Warning: On the list of "unstable factors," White Tiger Duke Dai Hao possesses the highest threat level!]

Huo Yuhao shuddered all over.

He understood in an instant.

Once this letter was exposed, Zhu Ruyi would not hesitate to kill even the White Tiger Duke in order to protect herself!

When that happened, with a duke who had "died for his country" and a "grief-stricken" widow, who would ever suspect her?

This evidence was not only a blade that could kill Zhu Ruyi—it was also a death sword hanging above the White Tiger Duke's head!

He could not wait any longer.

If he stayed, there would be only one road ahead: death!

[Action plan generated.]

Within the palace, the cold voice presented the only path to survival.

[Step One: immediately leave the duke's manor. Survival is the highest priority.]

[Step Two: take all evidence and travel to the Sun Moon Empire. That is your only place to break the deadlock.]

[Step Three: do not reveal any information until you possess the power to protect yourself. Be a perfect lurker!]

Huo Yuhao took a deep breath and carefully rolled up the stack of drawings and secret letters. Together with the heavy money pouch, he tightly bound them against his chest with strips of cloth.

He walked to the window and activated his Spirit Eye. The defensive layout of the entire duke's manor became as clear as day before his eyes.

Slowly, he pushed open the old wooden door, which creaked as it moved.