Striking at the Duke's Estate

"What are you two standing around for? Get over here and seize the brat!"

Furious with embarrassment, Yi Yin called to the two guards behind him. He meant to abduct Huo Yuhao on the spot.

The two burly men advanced with vicious grins, cracking their knuckles. Five Spirit Rings—two yellow and three purple—appeared around each of them.

Just as they reached Huo Yuhao, a sharp rebuke rang out from the far end of the staff passage.

"Who's got a death wish, causing trouble here?"

A dark figure flashed past. The two men went flying as though a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had slammed into them. They smashed through several walls before coming to a stop.

As the dust settled, a towering old man stood where they had been. His short hair bristled like steel needles, and his enormous muscles stretched his loose robe until it looked tight. He was Huo Yuhao's Guardian, Star Luo Empire Protector Douluo Cheng Gang.

Huo Yuhao let out a long breath when he saw Cheng Gang. He did not know why seeing the man always made him feel as though someone had a hand around his throat, but he respected his Guardian all the same.

Startled by the sudden turn of events, Yi Yin stumbled backward until he tripped over a fallen brick.

"Who do you think you are? Stay back! My father's Yipu. Touch me, and I'll have him kill your whole family!"

"Hmph!" Cheng Gang gave a cold laugh.

"Kill me? Tell your father to come find me. I'll be waiting."

Before Yi Yin could say another word, Cheng Gang seized him by the throat, forcing the rest of his threat back down.

"Yuhao, are you all right?"

When Xu Jiujiu heard that someone was causing trouble in the auction house's staff passage, she had feared the worst. She spent the whole way there worrying that someone had gone after Huo Yuhao. Only when she arrived and saw Cheng Gang in action did she remember that Huo Yuhao had a Guardian. At last, her heart settled.

"I'm fine, Jiujiu. Don't worry!"

Xu Jiujiu also noticed the girl trembling nearby. She simply pointed toward the other end of the passage, signaling for her to leave.

The girl forced down her fear and bowed deeply to Xu Jiujiu and Huo Yuhao.

"Thank you for helping me, Princess and Young Master Huo."

Then she fled down the staff passage.

Cheng Gang brought Yi Yin before Huo Yuhao and Xu Jiujiu, carrying him as easily as a chick.

"Your Highness, what should we do with him?"

"He bullies men and abuses women. There's no evil he won't commit. Hand him over to Imperial Brother."

At Cheng Gang's form of address, the venom in Yi Yin's eyes gave way to shock, then pleading, and finally despair. He knew he had crossed someone he could not afford to offend. This time, even his father probably could not smooth things over.

A foul smell spread through the staff passage. Everyone looked down to find that something warm had soaked the front of Yi Yin's trousers. What it was needed no explanation.

Xu Jiujiu stared at Yi Yin in disgust and waved for Cheng Gang to drag him away.

"How dare you! Which bastard laid a hand on my son?"

A booming, hoarse voice came from beyond the holes the guards had made. Its owner was a fat, ugly man with a brutish face: Yi Yin's father, Imperial Knight Yipu.

Yipu had planned to take his wife to visit the White Tiger Duke that day. His sister-in-law was the Duchess, and he intended to pass Dai Hao's letter to her while he was there.

But just as he and his wife finished getting ready to leave, one of Yi Yin's guards reported that the young master was about to make trouble at the Starlight Auction House.

Yipu flew into a rage. He had told his son long ago that Star Luo City was full of powerful nobles. Here, he needed to keep his head down and stop picking fights.

That damned brat. When he finally makes trouble, he goes straight for the worst possible place.

Yipu cursed inwardly. Ordinary nobles might not know who stood behind the Starlight Auction House, but as White Tiger Duke Dai Hao's brother-in-law, how could he not?

He hurried toward the auction house, hoping to save his son before anything happened. But as he reached the entrance, he saw the other two guards assigned to protect Yi Yin come flying out.

In his panic, he charged straight in, no longer caring that he was causing trouble there himself. For the sake of the bigger picture, the Star Luo Emperor would not turn against them over this.

At worst, if he could no longer stay in Star Luo City, he would return to the Mingdou Defense Line. For years, a rough man like him had lived as though there were only a Great General and no emperor.

At the sound of his father's voice, Yi Yin struggled wildly. "Mmph! My dad's here! You'd better let me go!" he tried to threaten them through Cheng Gang's grip.

Xu Jiujiu did not even look back. She merely waved to Cheng Gang and Man Yi behind her. Before Yipu could release his Martial Soul, a vast Ant Phantom engulfed him. Its crushing pressure made it hard for him to breathe.

Before he could react, a pitch-black fist shot straight at his face.

Bang! Yipu flew out like a kite with its string cut, passing through the holes the two guards had made.

Xu Jiujiu, Huo Yuhao, and the others followed through the opening, leaving the reeking staff passage behind.

A crowd of onlookers had already gathered outside. Cheng Gang released a trace of his pressure, and they scattered as though they had seen something terrifying.

Man Yi dragged the limp Yipu back by the head and hauled him before Xu Jiujiu and the others.

Xu Jiujiu looked down at Yipu, who lay there like a heap of mud.

"Oh! Knight Yipu, isn't it? Why have you and your son both come to cause trouble at the Starlight Auction House today?"

Yipu's pupils contracted as he stared at the purple-haired, purple-eyed young woman. He recognized her: Xu Jiujiu, the Star Luo Eldest Princess.

"Your Highness, I—"

Xu Jiujiu cut off his plea with a wave and told Cheng Gang to take father and son away for her Imperial Brother to deal with.

That night, at the Duke's Estate.

"Sister, you have to save our family! Xiao Yin is your own nephew!"

A woman who looked remarkably like the Duchess clung to her and wept.

She had intended to visit her younger sister that day, but just before they set out, a servant called Yipu away, saying Yi Yin had gotten into trouble. At first, she thought little of it. She and Yipu had cleaned up their son's messes plenty of times. It was nothing serious.

But she waited at home for hours, and neither her husband nor her son returned. All she received was word that Yipu and Yi Yin were suspected of attempting to assassinate the Princess.

With the pillar of her household about to collapse, she rushed to the Duke's Estate to beg her younger sister to intervene. She hoped her sister could save her husband.

"There, there, Sister. I'll help. Don't worry. It may all be a misunderstanding."

Seeing her older sister in tears, the Duchess could only comfort her again and again.

After finally settling her sister in, the Duchess heard frantic knocking at the gate of her courtyard.

Creak.

Without waiting for the Duchess's permission, the person outside hurriedly pushed the door open.

"Madam, something terrible has happened!"

"Why are you panicking? The sky isn't falling. Stop rushing about like that."

The Duchess scolded the maid who had barged in, then took an unhurried sip of tea.

"What happened? Go on."

"Madam, an imperial decree has ordered Knight Yipu's household seized and its property confiscated. Soldiers have come to arrest Madam Zhu. They're already outside the Duke's Estate, demanding we hand her over."

"How could it have become this serious?"

"They say Knight Yipu is suspected of embezzling military pay and colluding with bandits at the Mingdou Defense Line."

A cold glint flashed in the Duchess's eyes as she listened. Yipu's actions had clearly crossed the emperor's line. That branch of the family was no longer of any use.

She signaled for the maid to lead the soldiers to her sister's courtyard. As for family ties? Since when had the White Tiger Family or the Netherworld Family cared about those?