Dai Youheng had thwarted several of Zhu Man's assassination attempts with thunderous force, and he knew the time was drawing ripe.
With Zhu Man's narrow-minded, vicious nature, after repeatedly running into a wall with him, she would very likely turn her venomous gaze toward the weaker, more vulnerable Bai Wanning and Dai Luoli, hoping to control them and force his hand.
And he was waiting for her to make precisely that move.
As it happened, when he returned to the Duke's Mansion that day, where the atmosphere lay heavy and tense, he found Dai Yueheng there as well. His eldest brother, who had been perpetually gloomy ever since his hand was crippled, actually wore a rare hint of relief.
The reason was simple. After nearly a year of waiting and adjustments, his right hand, which had been lost after being corroded by the Death Messenger's toxin, had finally been replaced with a soul-powered prosthesis meticulously crafted by Shrek Academy's Soul Tool Department.
The prosthesis was exquisitely made, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Its joints moved freely, allowing him to manage his daily life without difficulty and even engage in combat that was not too strenuous.
Yet it was ultimately an external object. It could not replace his original hand, much less support the White Tiger Martial Soul's most aggressive tiger-claw skills. For a Power Attack System Battle Soul Master, this was undoubtedly a tremendous shortcoming.
Zhu Man doted on her son. Seeing him finally recover somewhat, only to remain burdened by this deficiency, she racked her brains and came up with a solution. If his tiger claws could not be restored, why not make up for them with a powerful weapon?
And right now, an ideal weapon lay within reach: Dai Youheng's Level 8 melee Soul Tool, the Tyrant