The Purple-Haired Girl

"How? Didn't you leave?"

Huo Yuhao asked in disbelief.

"Hahahahaha!"

The fat man and the thin man doubled over with laughter.

"Haha, kid. Didn't you know a martial soul's traits can affect the person who possesses it?"

"We smelled the blood on you and your mother from far away. We were just playing with you earlier."

The influence of their martial souls had made their sense of smell extraordinarily keen. Even their personalities had grown catlike: they enjoyed toying with their prey.

Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth and glared at the two men.

"Yuhao!"

He pulled his mother behind him and held the White Tiger Dagger across his chest. If either man made a move, he would charge them and fight to the death.

Looking at Huo Yun'er and her son, the fat steward forced his fleshy face into an ugly smile. "Third Young Master, come with us! Once you go back and accept the punishment the elders and the Duchess have prescribed, everything will be fine. Otherwise... Heh, heh."

He broke off with a cold chuckle. He didn't need to finish the threat.

"Yuhao, run! Leave me!"

Huo Yun'er, who had remained unconscious until now, had awakened. She struggled to shield Huo Yuhao, but her injuries and weakened body made it impossible.

What do I do? Elder Jiang fell into a deep sleep after that teleportation. I'm afraid we can't get away now.

In the dim forest, Huo Yuhao faced the two men while desperately searching for a way out. Then he felt something cold press against his lower back.

He turned and found his mother quietly handing him a silver-white dagger. He remembered what she had told him: the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, had given it to Huo Yun'er as a "Token of Love" on that night seven years ago. It was the White Tiger Dagger.

A mocking smile touched Huo Yuhao's face. If his teacher hadn't pointed it out, he might never have thought about it. What kind of man gave a dagger to a woman he had just slept with?

You really are cruel and heartless, Dai Hao!

As Huo Yuhao recalled all this, he watched the two men. Evening had darkened the forest, and they had let down their guard against a mother and son they considered ordinary people.

Without betraying his intentions, he slipped the White Tiger Dagger into his hand and slowly fed Soul Power into it. The dagger was supposedly a Level Four Soul Tool. He didn't know much about Level Four Soul Tools, but he had heard people at the Duke's Estate say that a Soul Tool's level corresponded to a soul master's rank.

A Level Four Soul Tool ought to be stronger than a three-ring Soul Elder. He planned to risk everything with it and give his mother a chance to escape.

The fat steward grew impatient with Huo Yuhao's long silence and stepped forward to grab him.

"You don't want to take the easy way out? Then don't blame me for getting rough."

The thin man stood to one side, wearing the look of someone waiting for a good show.

Just as the fat steward reached Huo Yuhao, he froze. The mockery on his face stiffened as a streak of white light burst from Huo Yuhao's hand and passed through his neck like a hot knife through butter.

The fat steward felt a stab of pain in his neck. Then the world spun. The last thing he saw was his own headless body.

How could this happen?

Psssh! Blood gushed over Huo Yuhao's face, soaking his short blue hair once more. Dark red drops trickled down onto his cheeks.

Thud!

The headless body toppled backward and struck the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Blood still sprayed from its neck, swiftly staining the earth red.

"Old Dai! You little bastard, I'll kill you!"

The thin man, who had been watching from the sidelines, flew into a rage at his companion's death. His fury made him forget the Duchess's and the elders' orders to take them alive.

His third soul ring flared. Black light flashed across his hands, and jet-black claws sprang from his fingertips as he lunged at Huo Yuhao.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The thin man slashed both claws toward Huo Yuhao's head. The wind of his attack struck Huo Yuhao's face, stinging his cheeks like a flurry of knives.

Huo Yuhao tried to feed Soul Power into the White Tiger Dagger again, but the emptiness inside him told him he had used it all.

Damn it! This Soul Tool uses too much Soul Power. I'm out!

Huo Yuhao's heart sank. Without Soul Power, the White Tiger Dagger was merely a sharp dagger. As the thin man's claws closed in on his head, a fierce light appeared in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

Damn it. I'll take him down with me.

"Mom, run! Leave me!"

Whatever happened, even if he had to trade his life for the thin man's, he would buy his mother time to escape.

Huo Yuhao sprang up from the ground with the White Tiger Dagger in hand. Ignoring the claws about to rake his face, he drove the three-inch blade straight toward the thin man's face.

"Grandma Man Yi, stop him!"

A clear, melodious voice rang out from nearby in the forest.

Before the thin man could react, a powerful surge of Soul Power struck him. He had no time to dodge and went flying, only stopping when he slammed into a large tree.

Two figures slowly emerged from the forest. In front was a girl who looked eleven or twelve years old. Long purple hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore a purple dress. A faint light shone in her pale violet eyes; looking closely into them gave the impression of a boundless sea.

Behind her followed an old woman who looked at least eighty. Her hair was white as snow, setting off her bright red dress. Her eyes, however, were rather gloomy.

The girl's pale violet eyes lit up when she saw Huo Yuhao. She gave a soft laugh and reassured him:

"Don't be nervous, little brother. You're safe now."

By then, the thin man had climbed to his feet beside the tree. He eyed the two newcomers warily.

"You two, I'm Dai Qi, a guard from the White Tiger Duke's Estate. I'm here under orders to bring our Third Young Master home. Please don't interfere."

Their fine clothes and bearing marked them as nobles. The old woman in particular had sent him flying before he even saw what had happened. Her level could not be low.

But the moment Dai Qi finished speaking, an immense pressure slammed him to the ground, leaving him unable to move.

The old woman stepped beside the purple-haired girl and asked quietly, "Your High—Miss, what should we do with him?"

The girl's pale violet eyes had grown brighter still when she heard Dai Qi call Huo Yuhao "Third Young Master."

She didn't spare Dai Qi another glance. She merely waved a hand. "Grandma Man Yi, take care of him."

At her words, Dai Qi was so terrified he lost control of his bowels and bladder. He shouted at the girl and the old woman:

"You can't kill me! I'm from the White Tiger Duke's Estate! His Grace won't let you get away with it!"

The girl said nothing. She only glanced at Man Yi, who understood at once.

Dai Qi, who had been shouting a moment ago, could now make only muffled whimpers. He could do nothing but watch as Man Yi carried him out of the forest as easily as an eagle snatching a chick.