Star Luo Empire Fifty miles northwest of the capital Star Luo City.
A palace-like building is located here, with golden glazed tiles shining dazzlingly in the sun.
The antique style of the palace's golden dome and red door gives people a sense of solemnity.
Viewed from a distance, the foggy swamps and four tile kilns look like they were cut out with a single brick. The area is so vast that it feels like you can't see the end of it at a glance. On the five-foot-high main entrance arch, there are three characters Duke's Mansion.
It's noon, and the bright sunshine pours on the crystal glazed tiles of the Duke's Mansion, reflecting a dazzling golden halo. The high-end luxury can be clearly seen even from the top of Star Luo City.
Duke's Mansion The back door on the north side opened silently.
However, the person who stepped out of the shadow was not the frail young man who was destined to run away in his destiny, but an extremely luxuriously dressed woman with meticulously coiled black hair and a bone-chilling coldness in her condescending eyes.
Amidst the slight sound of the door shaft turning, a dark afterimage appeared at her feet like Gui Mei. She knelt down on one knee and said in a hoarse and respectful voice, "Master."
The Duchess frowned slightly and uttered a few words coldly. "Is the matter settled?"
"Reporting to the master, that woman has no chance of survival. She was killed by me personally. She is just another target——"
"How about the other one?" The woman's eyes were as sharp as a knife.
"Gone."
"Gone?!"
"After I dealt with the woman, I immediately lurked in accordance with your instructions, preparing to wait for the little beast to leave Duke's Mansion and wait for an opportunity to silence him. However, when my subordinates arrived, the woodshed was already empty!" The black shadow lowered his head suddenly and spoke very fast, "It rained heavily last night, and all the smells and footprints were washed away, completely cutting off the clues."
"Trash!"
The woman was furious, her originally graceful face distorted into a venomous look, and she gritted her teeth and said, "That little bastard born to a fox is really tough! Search for me! Send out all the people, even if they dig three feet into the ground, they will dig him out! Absolutely, absolutely we cannot let him live to see Dai Hao!"
"Yes!" The black shadow instantly escaped into the shadows and disappeared without a trace.
Star Luo City The suburbs are vast and wild.
A thin figure huddled in the dense bushes and panted violently.
He was an eleven or twelve-year-old boy who had not yet grown in stature. His rough gray cloth had already been soaked with mud and water and clung tightly to his body. He was carrying a small, shriveled bundle, and his muddy face showed sadness that could not be concealed in any way.
The young man stared in the direction of White Tiger Duke's Residence. The sadness in the depths of his pupils gradually faded away, replaced by a surge of hatred that would make even the adult Soul Master shudder.
His nails dug deeply into the soil, and bright red blood oozed out.
"Mom, your soul in heaven is watching. No matter how much the price is, even if you fall into the abyss -" the young man's voice was hoarse but as hard as steel, "One day I will come back with dignity, one day - I will make all of you pay with blood! From now on, I have no father, I will take your surname, my name is Huo Yuhao!"
Yes, this person is Huo Yuhao who just escaped death.
The causes of all these variables can be traced back to a year ago.
Before that, there seemed to be no deviation in the trajectory of fate. Huo Yun'er, White Tiger Duke's personal maid, had grown up with the Duke. Because of the Duke's accidental favor twelve years ago, Huo Yuhao quietly appeared in her belly.
Then, everything develops according to the established script.
As White Tiger Duke fought in the field for many years, Huo Yun'er, who lost his asylum, naturally suffered the jealousy of the Duchess.
The mother and son, who had no cultivation and no background, were ruthlessly driven to live in a cold and damp woodshed.
Young Huo Yuhao could not change anything, and the same was true for his mother. If everything continued to develop naturally, Huo Yun'er's already weak body would gradually collapse under the heavy labor and mental torture.
The duchess's servants who acted according to the circumstances and their people kept suppressing and humiliating the mother and son.
Until Huo Yuhao was ten years old, that is, one year ago.
Originally, during this period of darkness and suffering, his mother's frail body would completely collapse and she would become ill. She was destined to die this year, leaving him with endless grief and unquenchable hatred.
However, the appearance of an unexpected organization prevented all this tragedy from happening.
Star Tower.
A mysterious organization emerging in the Sun Moon Empire crossed national borders with amazing courage and established a branch in the capital of the Star Luo Empire.
Although there is a deep hatred between the Sun Moon Empire and Star Luo Empire, and the relationship between the two countries can be described as very hostile, Star Tower is, on the surface, a perfectly normal business organization.. With unimaginable foundation, despite being hindered by the Star Luo Empire officials and local forces in the early stage, they still successfully took root in Star Luo City and built an extremely amazing career.
The most important thing is that Star Tower is not only involved in business, but also conducts extensive business to help civilians and the bottom Soul Master.
It was this business that gave Huo Yun'er a hand.
Huo Yuhao was only ten years old at the time. Faced with his mother's increasingly heavy breathing and pale complexion, he searched for ways to save his mother's life, but found in despair that there was nothing he could do to save his mother's life.
Just when he was about to fall into the abyss, Star Tower appeared, like a ray of sunshine that broke through the gloom in his gloomy life.
Huo Yun'er's serious illness, caused by years of hard work, malnutrition and long-term depression, miraculously gradually improved with the resources and assistance provided by Star Tower.
Seeing the long-lost color on his mother's face, Huo Yuhao's cold heart felt real warmth for the first time. He was uncontrollably filled with goodwill and gratitude for the organization Star Tower.
"Star Tower----"
The young Huo Yuhao secretly swore in his heart, his eyes shining with unprecedented determination. When he grows up, he must join this organization and become a person like them who can protect the weak and help civilians Soul Master.
Everything should have continued like this.
If it were just an ordinary civilian family, with Star Tower secretly providing medical assistance, the mother and son's health would improve day by day, and they might really be able to spend the rest of their lives safely.
They have even begun to imagine their future life. When Huo Yuhao becomes the real Soul Master, they will completely leave this suffocating Duke's Mansion.
But fate obviously does not intend to let go of this Child of Destiny easily.
A piece of news came the day before, causing Huo Yuhao's fate that was supposed to be reversed to slide into the abyss of tragedy in a more tragic way.
White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, and Duke's Mansion are about to return.
Moreover, this is not just a simple short return home between battles on the front line like in the past.
This is a long stay.
There is no other reason. An invisible butterfly has flapped its wings in this world.
Because of the arrival of Ye Chenxing, the strategic focus of the Sun Moon Empire has shifted greatly, and the doves among the top management have gained the upper hand in an unprecedented manner.
The border wars that were originally full of friction have been greatly reduced. The huge Sun Moon Empire is like a giant beast that has actively gathered its claws, and the whole has fallen into a state of dormancy.
As the frontline commander of the Star Luo Empire, White Tiger Duke has been observing the border for a full year.
After confirming that Sun Moon Empire indeed had no intention of harassing or starting a war, the commander-in-chief, who had always been nervous, finally decided to temporarily lower the highest level of vigilance on the border.
He handed over the frontline defense and headed home for the first time in a long time, preparing for a long rest at Star Luo City.
The Duke is about to return home, and the entire White Tiger Duke's Residence is naturally decorated with lights and decorations. From the butler to the servants, everyone's faces are filled with a festive atmosphere.
However, amidst all the joy and noise, the one who least wanted to see Dai Hao come back was his closest pillowcase, the Duchess.
She knows Dai Hao too well.
If Dai Hao had just returned home for a few days as usual, with a busy military schedule and a full schedule, he might not have been able to remember that there was a woman named Huo Yun'er.
But once he stays in the Duke's Mansion for a long time, staying in the place where he grew up, looking at those familiar scenery, it is inevitable that he will be moved by the scenery.
What if he was strolling in the courtyard one day and thought of the gentle and gentle personal maid who had grown up with him?
As long as Dai Hao has the slightest sense of compassion, or wants to meet Huo Yun'er on a whim - the Duchess knows full well that the oppression and harsh treatment she has done to their mother and son over the years will be completely gone.
With Dai Hao's character, he absolutely cannot tolerate his blood being trampled on in this way.
Therefore, the tragedy was doomed at that moment.
In order to cover up a decade-long lie, she had to use more cruel methods to eliminate all hidden dangers.
Yesterday, the sky at Star Luo City was terribly gloomy, and it rained continuously.
Huo Yun'er went to the Star Tower branch for treatment as usual. In the past year, this should have been an ordinary trip.
However, until the sky completely darkened, the rain became more and more intense, and the cold raindrops hit the tiles of the dilapidated woodshed, making a dull and depressing sound, but the thin and gentle figure did not appear for a long time.
"Mom, why haven't you come back yet... are you trapped by the heavy rain?"
In the dim woodshed, the ten-year-old boy stood quietly for a while, listening to the howling wind and rain outside the window.
Finally, he turned around, picked up the old oil-paper umbrella in the corner, and pushed open the leaky wooden door. The thin figure walked alone into the rainy night and walked in the direction of Star Tower.
The location of Star Tower of Star Luo City is exactly the same as the branch of Heaven Dou City, both of which are built in sparsely populated remote areas.
White Tiger Duke's Residence is also located outside Star Luo City, with two points and one line. From the Duke's Mansion to Star Tower, the shortest way is to cross the countryside without entering the bustling city.
Huo Yun'er has walked this muddy suburban road many times, and this is also a dead end she cannot avoid today.
The Duchess naturally knew the news about Huo Yun'er's trip to Star Tower.
However, no matter how good her hands and eyes were, she would never dare to brazenly commit murder in the strict rules of the Duke's Mansion. Originally, she had excellent patience. Since Huo Yun'er was seriously ill and blind, she only needed to suppress it a little and let it fend for itself in this dilapidated woodshed.
However, the situation changed. The appearance of Star Tower made Huo Yun'er's health gradually improve, and White Tiger Duke Dai Hao was about to return to the house. Under the double pressure, the Duchess completely tore off the mask.
Since you can't wait until she dies of illness, then let her die.
On this suburban trail that must be passed through, the Duchess secretly used Star Luo Empire's best assassins - Netherworld Zhu Family's dead men. Huo Yun'er was only one of the cold-blooded killers on the list. The next target was the ten-year-old boy, Huo Yuhao, who also had the blood of the Dai Family.
Logically speaking, Huo Yuhao, who had been waiting at home for a long time without seeing his mother, took an umbrella and went out to find her mother. It was logical that he should have embarked on the shortest dead-end road and bump into the killer who had returned after completing the mission.
I don't know whether Child of Destiny exerted his strength again, or it was just a pure coincidence. Huo Yuhao changed his route by accident. He chose to take a long detour and walked into Star Luo City.
My mother didn't return home for a long time, and it was raining continuously. Maybe she took shelter from the rain in the pastry shop that my mother loved most during her lifetime.
It was this tiny thought that allowed Huo Yuhao to escape a certain death by a strange combination of circumstances.
When Huo Yuhao found nothing in the city and rushed to Star Tower anxiously, he was told that his mother had already left.
Strong heart palpitations surged into his heart, and Huo Yuhao ran back to the Duke's Mansion.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier. At a remote fork in the road, Huo Yuhao suddenly stopped.
The old oil-paper umbrella in his hand slipped silently, hit the mud puddle, and was rolled around by the strong wind.
He saw it.
That was Huo Yun'er. She was lying quietly in the cold muddy water. Her coarse cloth clothes, which were shabby but always washed cleanly, were now completely dyed with dark red blood.
There was a fatal penetrating wound on her chest. It was the most efficient killing method in the Hell Spirit Cat series. There was no struggle, and she was killed with one blow.
Compared to Todoroki's death on the hospital bed in the original work, the impact of his mother's murder on Huo Yuhao was much greater. He felt a violent roar in his brain, and the strong emotional fluctuations caused his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul to turn on unconsciously. Huo Yuhao felt that something had completely collapsed deep in his soul.
He moved step by step to the gradually cold body and knelt down heavily.
The muddy water splashed on his face, mixed with the tears that fell silently, and it was cold and biting.
He stretched out his trembling hands, trying to cover the hideous bloody hole in his mother's heart, trying to put the lost warmth back into her body, but he could not grasp anything except the stickiness and dead silence in his hands.
"Mom----"
The seeds of hatred, at this moment, along with the shower of fate, took root completely.