The Storm Gradually Subsided

The next morning, when the two subordinates responsible for supervision yawned and opened their eyes from their drowsy stupor, they checked the woodshed at the appointed time and discovered that Huo Yun'er, who should have come out to fetch water, had not appeared. They could not help voicing their confusion. "Huh?"

They looked again, but there was still no one.

In an instant, the two broke into a cold sweat.

They looked at each other, their faces gradually turning ashen.

"Go in and take a look?"

One of them gritted his teeth and took a step inside. But in the very next second, he recoiled as if electrocuted. After glancing around suspiciously and making sure that no young man would suddenly appear and beat him senseless, the unease in his heart began to grow.

That shouldn't be. The brat over there hated them coming inside. If he caught them crossing this line, the best-case scenario was getting beaten up, while the worst was being caught on the spot and tied to a tree. He had even claimed that the White Tiger Duchess would not argue with him over a few subordinates as insignificant as them. If they provoked him again, those three men were what would happen to them.

Thus, over the past few years, aside from their initial probing, almost no one had dared to incur his wrath.

But now, it was quiet—far too quiet.

"You're the senior, so you go in first. Please."

"No, no, no. Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a traditional virtue. You go first. What if he's already left? You definitely won't get beaten."

"Heh, those three fellows weren't beaten to death. They died horribly, and their corpses looked hideous. Maybe he really has some kind of miasma- or plague-type Martial Soul!"

The two kept pushing each other forward. Because of Lin You's notorious reputation for brutality, even though they had already guessed what had happened with eighty percent certainty, neither dared to cross the red line.

Only after they became truly terrified of the White Tiger Duchess's methods did they search around the woodshed from a distance. When they found no trace of anyone anywhere, they gradually fell silent.

"He probably ran away during the first half of the night. So it was the previous shift that failed to keep watch. This has nothing to do with us." One of them hurriedly shifted the blame to the previous shift, then quickly left to report.

Phoenix Hall.

Behind an extravagant screen adorned with pearls and jade, the elegant beauty slightly furrowed her slender brows. Her voice was cold enough to pierce bone. "What did you say? He ran away?"

"You bunch of idiots can't even keep watch over a few people. What use are you? Go and receive thirty military rods yourselves. Get out."

She waved her hand and did not lose her temper further, sending the subordinates away.

One of the older subordinates immediately wore a look of terror. He had served in the army before and knew that the military rods in Duke's Mansion were no lighter than those used in the military. Thirty blows could leave someone half-dead at best, and at worst ruin the rest of his life.

If the men wielding the rods happened to want to curry favor with the Duchess and struck them hard enough to kill, today might well be their last day alive.

"Madam, Madam, please show mercy. If we take those thirty rods, we'll lose our lives!"

A sinister glint immediately appeared in the White Tiger Duchess's expression. She had long known that her prestige in Duke's Mansion was not as high as it should be, but she had never expected that even these crude, ordinary Soul Masters discharged from the military would dare contradict her. They truly had grown too bold.

The next moment, she said casually, "Fine. You don't want the military rods? You failed in your duties, failed to guard properly, and couldn't even keep watch over a person. Those eyes of yours are probably useless anyway. Dig them out yourselves."

The two instantly felt ice run through their entire bodies.

But before anyone could drag them away, an aged voice slowly drifted in.

"Ahem. The people have already gone. Let's forget these harsh punishments."

An old figure, already on the verge of death, stepped into Phoenix Hall. His silver hair had been neatly combed back, revealing a broad forehead, and an imposing aura surrounded him. He was none other than Butler Dai.

He had not originally borne the surname Dai. Because he had rendered meritorious service saving the emperor and had worked tirelessly for many years, he had been granted the Dai surname. Although it could not be passed down to his descendants, he was still a living fossil of Duke's Mansion—a veteran of three reigns with immense power. Even setting aside his Soul Douluo-level strength, his credentials alone would have made him a crucial figure anywhere.

He had received the news a little earlier. At this moment, he had come here for only one reason.

"Old Dai, it's rare to see you out and about." The Duchess's eyes curved as she revealed a proper smile. Yet there was little genuine warmth in it. Instead, a faint chill spread through the surroundings.

"Ahem~ This old man is getting on in years. I can't bear to see family members fighting, so I came to see what was going on. Hehe, don't mind me. I'll take a couple of laps around the place and be on my way."

The White Tiger Duchess's face immediately darkened as she cursed inwardly, You old corpse. You came here to warn me not to touch that lowly woman, didn't you? And you still call her family. Hmph! What right does a servant have to share a man with me?

However, when she thought of how she had already dispatched the Shadow Blade Guard last night, the smugness on her face became difficult to conceal. In a gentle voice, she said, "Old Dai, I know Lin You has always wanted to go out and make his way in the world. But the road is certainly dangerous for them. Evil Soul Masters, Soul Beasts, bandits, and thieves—it's all far too dangerous. If anything were to happen, it would be troublesome. Fortunately, I already sent people to escort them. They should be arriving at Duke's Mansion around now."

Butler Dai's brows immediately drew together. After exchanging a glance with this poisonous woman, his expression turned ugly, and he said in a deep voice, "You really intend to exterminate them completely?"

Seeing this highly respected old man lose his composure, the White Tiger Duchess felt incomparably delighted.

She was not jealous of Huo Yun'er, nor was she worried that the girl without a White Tiger Martial Soul would come and seize some inheritance rights. She simply wanted to humiliate this woman.

Just a lowly servant, yet she still wanted to turn her fortunes around by relying on her son's status? What a joke!

The two confronted each other inside the room. The atmosphere was unbearably heavy. Feeling the terrifying pressure, the servants crouched below turned deathly pale, pressing their heads firmly to the ground and trembling like quails.

But when waves of faint commotion drifted in from outside, a trace of displeasure flashed across the White Tiger Duchess's face. She ordered, "Go outside and see who's making such a racket."

The two servants immediately felt as if they had been granted a reprieve and withdrew. But after hearing what the many servants, odd-job workers, patrolling stewards, and guards were discussing, they stood rooted to the spot in a daze.

"Have you heard? A lot of people died in the woods beside Star Luo Avenue. Judging from the marks on the corpses, they were people from the Star Luo Royal Family!"

"What? Royal Family members died here? Who died? A princess or a prince? Could it be that the emperor has passed away?"

"I don't know. Judging by their clothes, they didn't look like good people. They were all dressed in black from head to toe. I also heard there were wrecked carriage remains nearby. The beast's noise was so loud that it attracted the forest ranger, who then reported it to the authorities. We're the closest to the scene. After a while, the news will probably reach Star Luo City."

The group spoke with such certainty that it sounded as though they had witnessed everything themselves. It had been quite some time since anything involving the Royal Family had happened in the Star Luo Empire. This official road was regarded as the empire's arteries and a major transportation route, so it was heavily guarded. Moreover, there were plenty of passing merchant caravans, peddlers, and travelers. It was impossible to keep the news hidden.

As the group whispered among themselves, the two young men who had been quietly listening nearby exchanged a glance. Both saw shock reflected in the other's pupils.