"The Duchess already disliked us, and now I have innate full soul power and a Tiger-type Martial Soul. She'll be even less willing to leave us alone. That man still has trusted men here in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, so she probably won't make a big scene, but slipping us some poison would be perfectly normal."
Of Huo Yuhao's long speech, only two key phrases reached Huo Yun'er's ears: innate full soul power and Tiger-type Martial Soul.
As for what the Duchess might be thinking, she ignored that completely. Only after Huo Yuhao finished speaking did she give a soft gasp.
"Oh, Yuhao, you have innate full soul power?! That's wonderful! Mommy is so proud of you!" Huo Yun'er patted Huo Yuhao's shoulder excitedly, leaving him rather helpless.
Then she touched her lips and said, "The Duchess just sent over a box of pastries to celebrate your successful martial soul awakening. What do you think we should do with them?"
Huo Yuhao's heart lurched. She really moved fast... Fortunately, he had rushed straight home almost immediately. If Huo Yun'er had taken even one bite before he arrived, it would have been too late.
At that thought, Huo Yuhao hurriedly said, "We definitely can't throw them out. If we openly break with her, she'll resort to even more extreme measures. Keep them and treat them as decorations. Don't even think about eating them... And don't eat anything from the kitchens for the next few days."
Huo Yuhao impressed these warnings upon Huo Yun'er. He could hardly be blamed for being so vigilant.
During the three years he had lived with conscious awareness in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, Huo Yuhao had already experienced just how terrifying the Duchess could be even when she wasn't taking her anger out on Huo Yun'er.
No one could say for certain just how far her reach extended.
Even Huo Yuhao couldn't be certain what would happen if the Duchess truly decided to kill them.
Whether the men Dai Hao had left in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion could protect mother and son... or even protect Huo Yuhao alone, was anyone's guess.
Seeing Huo Yuhao looking as though he faced a formidable enemy, Huo Yun'er couldn't help sighing.
"Mommy is useless. I can't even give you a healthy, happy environment to grow up in."
As she spoke, Huo Yun'er stroked Huo Yuhao's head tenderly. Huo Yuhao replied helplessly,
"This isn't the time for that, Mom. You have to remember what I just told you. The steward has already sent someone to notify that man. If we fall before he comes back, we'll have lost far too much."
All Huo Yun'er could think about was that Dai Hao would be coming back to see her. Once again, she paid no attention to the truly important part of Huo Yuhao's words.
She stroked Huo Yuhao's head and admonished him, "Don't keep calling your father 'that man.'"
Huo Yuhao immediately felt a crushing helplessness, defeated by Huo Yun'er's love-addled mind. He waved a hand.
"A father who's been absent throughout my childhood? Forget it."
Their conversation ended on that unhappy note. That night, Huo Yuhao lay anxiously in bed.
The steward had deliberately added a bowl of porridge made with whale rubber to his dinner, saying it was preparation for obtaining a soul ring later.
Thanks to the whale rubber's effects, although Huo Yuhao's body was still too immature for him to feel urges of that sort,
he was nonetheless wide awake, as though he had drunk a strong dose of coffee.
He lay in bed, reviewing the events of his martial soul awakening while considering what methods the Duchess might use.
After a long while, he sat up, removed his shirt, and faced the somewhat damaged mirror to examine the Qiongqi tattoo that had appeared on his upper body.
His fingers gently brushed the mirror as Huo Yuhao murmured to himself,
"You made me reincarnate on the Douluo Continent, then saddled me with something this sinister. Just what is that supposed to mean?"
While Huo Yuhao was murmuring, a pungent smell of burning suddenly reached his nose.
He jolted as though struck by electricity, threw on his clothes, and climbed out the window, following the smell.
Someone had started a fire at a corner of Huo Yun'er's room. By now, it was spreading along the old tree in the courtyard and into the room.
"The Duchess really has gone mad. This is the first time I've seen someone launch a fire attack on their own home."
Huo Yuhao cursed under his breath, then shouted "Fire!" louder than he ever had in his life.
Once lights came on in the servants' rooms throughout the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, Huo Yuhao charged headlong toward Huo Yun'er's burning room.
Just as he reached the doorway, a powerful hand caught him and pulled him back.
"Have you lost your mind? With your current strength, charging straight into a fire is practically asking to die!"
The steward's voice sounded behind Huo Yuhao. Struggling desperately, Huo Yuhao shouted over his shoulder,
"You have time to stop me, but you won't go put out the fire?!"
The steward snorted coldly, then flung Huo Yuhao backward and told him,
"Stay right here."
With that, he turned his gaze toward an elderly woman standing nearby.
The old woman rolled up her sleeves, kicked open Huo Yun'er's door, and carried the panic-stricken Huo Yun'er out of the blaze over her shoulder.
"Little Yuhao, thank goodness you're all right..."
Huo Yun'er's clothes were still reasonably neat. The instant she saw Huo Yuhao, she placed both hands on his shoulders.
After confirming that Huo Yuhao was real rather than an illusion, Huo Yun'er's head tilted to one side, and she fainted.
Huo Yuhao hurriedly caught her in his arms. Although he was only six years old, his soul power was already at rank ten.
In terms of actual fighting strength, even an ordinary grown man might not be his match. Supporting Huo Yun'er was naturally no trouble at all.
He felt Huo Yun'er's forehead. At least she didn't have a fever.
Huo Yuhao then turned his gaze toward the burning room.
There was something suspicious about this fire. He already had an answer in his heart as to how it had started.
But he wouldn't voice that answer until he had the power to take revenge.
Holding Huo Yun'er, he drew a deep breath. Just then, the heavens obliged, and rain suddenly began to fall.
It wasn't the Blood Rain from Huo Yuhao's martial soul awakening, but ordinary raindrops.
The steward glanced at Huo Yuhao and Huo Yun'er, then said quietly to them,
"Given the circumstances, make do with my room for tonight. We'll decide what to do tomorrow, once His Grace returns."
Huo Yuhao nodded and said to the steward, "Thank you."
The steward waved a hand. He didn't go back into his room, merely watching as Huo Yuhao supported Huo Yun'er and brought her inside.
Although he rarely showed Huo Yuhao a pleasant face, he knew about Huo Yun'er's relationship with the White Tiger Duke.
He knew enough to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
At noon the following day, Dai Hao came rushing into the White Tiger Duke's Mansion with two personal guards...
Before you continue