Reactions Within the Duke's Mansion

"No way? Could it have been... You-ge and the others?"

Jin Longsheng then recalled how Lin You had come looking for them two days ago, stuffed several small gourds into his hands, and taught him some throwing techniques. His expression immediately became incomparably animated.

Holy crap, You-ge really had some tricks up his sleeve!

Worthy of being the big brother—he could always do things they never even dared to imagine.

Luo Zhong had already expected it. You-ge would definitely go out early in the morning to train his physical fitness, yet he had not been seen even now. Clearly, he had left last night.

As for Lin You and the mother and daughter, Huo Yuhao and Huo Yun'er, leaving without saying goodbye, he did not have any particular thoughts about it. Instead, he felt faintly relieved.

At the very least, his big brother had set out on the path he wanted to take. That was good enough.

"All right, stop talking. We need to leave too. Remember Uncle Li, the captain of the guards? You-ge told me before that he'd already put in a word for us. Let's hurry and leave the Duke's Mansion to enlist in the army."

As the external brain of his friend group, Luo Zhong had already foreseen that the Duke's Mansion would soon be filled with undercurrents. As Lin You's longtime friends, the two of them might even face retaliation from the White Tiger Duchess. Enlisting in the army was their only solution.

"Huh? Now?"

"Yes!"

Very quickly, the two quietly backed away amid all the gossip and headed to the stone house. Before long, they left through the side gate, boarded a carriage, and sped toward Yuming City near the Mingdou Mountain Range.

Both of them possessed Soul Power and had already become Level 13 Soul Masters. With You-ge's help, they had hired some military experts to hunt Soul Rings for them, all of them hundred-year Soul Rings. In the army, compared to ordinary soldiers, they would definitely start out at the middle ranks, so they had little to worry about.

Inside the stone house.

Uncle Li puffed away at his pipe, white smoke curling through the air. Yet it could not conceal his twitching brows, brimming with delight, much less the corners of his mouth that were harder to suppress than an AK's recoil.

"Fuck, that little bastard ran off without even telling me. If it weren't for these little toys, I'd definitely beat him up the next time I see him." Uncle Li muttered as he tossed around the gifts Lin You had left behind, grinning broadly.

Originally, Uncle Li had thought Lin You would endure for a while longer. After all, he had survived so many years already; there was no need to rush. At worst, he could leave after obtaining his Soul Ring.

But he had never expected that even he would not receive definite news that the boy had left last night. His mouth was sealed tight—he had not leaked even the slightest hint. By the time Uncle Li learned the news, too much time had already passed. The boy had even wiped out the White Tiger Duchess's pursuers!

That kid was far too bold.

Unlike those two fools, who were simply happy that Lin You had gained his freedom, Uncle Li understood far better just how vicious the White Tiger Duchess's methods were. He could not help but worry.

Provoking that petty woman was like kicking the hardest steel plate within a hundred miles. If that madwoman truly lost her mind, she might even be able to call in Soul Douluo-level experts from the imperial family, rather than sending some Soul Ancestor squad that everyone could conveniently turn a blind eye to.

Of course, if she did that, the Duke would certainly not stand by either. If his wife became entangled with the imperial family, it would be no different from burying a ticking bomb in his own backyard.

No matter what, Lin You had already been gone for an entire night. No matter how fast they were, they could not catch up now. From this day forward, he would be like a fish leaping through the vast sea, a bird soaring through the high heavens. What he could achieve in the future would depend entirely on himself.

As for his own circumstances, Uncle Li was not worried. He had served in the mansion for many years and would not be killed without cause. At most, he would face some targeted treatment. It was nothing serious.

But when he imagined the wonderful expression the White Tiger Duchess—who had always been arrogant and all-powerful—would wear upon hearing this news, Uncle Li's laughter gradually rose. He chuckled. "Haha, forget it. Let's have a little drink and celebrate first!"

Before long, the fragrance of wine drifted out.

Inside Phoenix Hall.

The oppressive atmosphere had nearly reached its peak. Bone-chilling killing intent surged into the air, making Butler Dai narrow his eyes slightly. Yet his body remained as unmoving as a pine tree in a freezing wind, like a stabilizing pillar suppressing the resentment so intense it made one's scalp tingle.

"Good. Very good. Every last one of you is useless." The White Tiger Duchess forced the icy words through clenched teeth. When she heard this news, she could hardly believe her ears.

The Shadow Blade Guard—all of them armed with Soul Tools, with a Soul Ancestor as captain and Soul Elders as members, well-trained and perfectly coordinated—was dead. They were all dead?

Not even a single messenger had made it back alive?

If that old bastard before her claimed this had nothing to do with him, the White Tiger Duchess would not believe it even if she were beaten to death!

To accomplish such a thing, to wipe out an entire squad, required at least the strength of a high-level Soul King or a Soul Emperor. Even if the guards encountered an unbeatable opponent and scattered to flee, an ordinary Soul King could not hunt them down one by one. There should have been survivors.

And such an expert was clearly not someone Lin You or that mother and daughter could hire. That boy might have some connections and could get people to show him some respect. Asking them to help hunt a few Soul Rings was not a problem, since the debt would be counted against his parents. But asking an expert to personally take action? Being merely the son of a Soul Saint, with no proof or backing of his own, did not qualify him.

If he had been the son of a Title Douluo, that would have been more plausible.

But within this Duke's Mansion, there was one person who could do it.

Status, background, prestige, connections—so long as this person was willing to speak, there would absolutely be experts who owed him favors and were willing to lend a hand.

The White Tiger Duchess stared fixedly at the gray-haired old man before her and gritted out, "Butler Dai, you've overstepped your bounds, haven't you?"

The people she had sent out had been slaughtered to the last man. It was practically like slapping her across the face with the sole of a shoe.

The old butler remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was utterly shocked.

Good kid, you actually managed to do something this impressive.

This old man thought that escaping with your life would already mean your methods were quite good.

But I never expected you to wipe out every single pursuer. You've truly opened this old man's eyes.

So be it. A towering tree was merely old, not fallen. It was not yet time for you, boy, to step into the spotlight.

Thus, facing the Duchess whose ferocity seemed to reach the heavens, Butler Dai laughed cheerfully to himself and took a step forward.

Though he said nothing, the Duchess understood everything from his demeanor. Her pupils shrank at once, and she laughed in furious disbelief. "Fine. Good. Butler Dai, for your sake, I won't pursue the matter for now."

"Someone, I'm tired. I need to rest. See Butler Dai out."

The old butler did not intend to say anything more. He turned and left, taking the blame for Lin You upon himself.

Yet he bore no resentment. Instead, he looked into the distance and spoke softly, "Little You, this old man doesn't have many years left. I don't know how long my influence can protect you. After I die, with her methods, she'll probably dig three feet into the ground to find you. You'd better grow stronger quickly."

After Butler Dai left, the Duchess, who had been holding in a bellyful of fury, dismissed all her subordinates with an icy expression. Not long afterward, the sounds of smashing and destruction rang out, terrifying in their intensity, as though boundless resentment lingered overhead.