Stepping out of the noisy Soul Fighting Arena, Dai Youheng immediately spotted the striking scene not far away.
Dai Huabin's face was ashen, his expression as ugly as if he had swallowed a fly, yet he still knelt ramrod straight before Huo Yuhao.
Under the complicated gazes of the many students around him, he gritted his teeth and kowtowed heavily three more times. Each blow landed solidly, producing a dull thud. Then he practically roared, his voice filled with humiliation and resentment, "I was wrong!"
A bet was a bet; the loser had to pay. Dai Huabin certainly followed that principle to the letter.
Or rather, a wager made under so many watchful eyes involved more than his own dignity. The White Tiger Duke's Mansion's reputation was also at stake. If he reneged and word spread that the Dai Family's children could not bear to lose, the disgrace would be far greater than what he suffered by kowtowing and admitting his mistake.
With his arms folded across his chest, Dai Youheng stood leisurely to one side, quietly waiting for Dai Huabin to finish this "ceremony." Only after Dai Huabin stood up and brushed the dust from his knees, trying to preserve his last shred of pride, did Dai Youheng stroll over.
"Hey, Dai Huabin." His tone was flat, as though he were greeting an ordinary classmate. "Where are my Soul Bone and three million Gold Soul Coins? Time to pay up, isn't it?"
Those words were like a fuse igniting a powder keg. Before Dai Huabin could speak, Zhu Lu could no longer restrain herself. Her pretty face frosty, she snapped, "Dai Youheng, don't go too far! Do you even remember which family you belong to? Must you help outsiders humiliate Huabin like this?"
She was both anxious and furious. Dai Huabin had already suffered enough embarrassment lately, yet he kept losing wagers, especially Soul Bones!
Even the Dai Family could not squander such precious resources at will.
The first Thousand-Year Soul Bone Dai Huabin had lost was still manageable, but this second Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone had been obtained in advance by drawing on his share of the family's resources for a considerable stretch of the future!
Losing this Soul Bone as well meant that Dai Huabin would be unable to obtain any substantial support from the family for a long time to come.
Although the Dai Family currently had no imperial throne to fight over, there was still competition over who would inherit the ducal title. How the resources were allocated was crucial.
As Dai Huabin's fiancée, Zhu Lu naturally kept his interests in mind at all times. Seeing her fiancé suffer losses that might affect his future, how could she not feel as though her heart were on fire?
"Dai Huabin and I don't really count as family anyway." Dai Youheng glanced at Zhu Lu, his tone as indifferent as ever. Never mind him-even the original lovesick lapdog Youheng had never considered himself and Dai Huabin family.
In that cold Duke's Mansion, Dai Huabin looked down equally on every child born to a concubine or out of wedlock, making exceptions only for his father, Dai Hao, his mother, the Duchess, and his eldest brother, Dai Yueheng. He had often bullied Dai Youheng and Dai Luoli as well. Who could feel any sense of kinship with someone like that?
"You...!" His casually spoken yet utterly distant words made Zhu Lu's brows shoot up in anger. Even her Soul Power grew somewhat unstable.
"Enough!" Dai Huabin abruptly cut Zhu Lu off. His expression was so dark it seemed ready to drip water. He stared coldly at Dai Youheng, his voice filled with undisguised contempt and superiority. "He's right! He doesn't count as my family. A mere concubine's son-what right does he have to be mentioned in the same breath as me? He isn't even fit to carry my shoes!"
He drew a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning rage and humiliation while clinging to that twisted pride. "But I, Dai Huabin, am the Duke's legitimate son. I keep my word and honor my wagers!"
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist and viciously hurled an object shimmering with a deep purple glow and a purple-gold card at Dai Youheng!
"Take them!"
Dai Youheng casually raised a hand and caught both items with precision.
The object that landed in his hand was a dark purple Soul Bone shaped like a fragment of some kind of skull, radiating considerable spiritual fluctuations and an aura of energy.
The other was a Gold Soul Coin card bearing the seal of Shrek City's largest bank and a denomination of three million.
Was this a Ten Thousand Year Head Soul Bone?
Sensing the Soul Bone's energy, Dai Youheng felt a flicker of interest.
The quality of Dai Huabin's wager this time far exceeded that of the previous Thousand-Year Left Arm Bone! Even if it had only just reached the ten-thousand-year level, its value was beyond comparison with a Thousand-Year Soul Bone, especially since this was an exceptionally rare and precious Head Soul Bone!
Had Dai Youheng not sought the very best Soul Bones-had he been an ordinary Soul Master-this Ten Thousand Year Head Soul Bone would already have been enough to tempt most people.
But he knew what opportunities lay ahead, as well as the existence of many Soul Beasts over a hundred thousand years old. Crucial positions such as the head and torso had to be reserved for the best possible choices. He could never settle for less.
A smile appeared on his face, seemingly satisfied but actually carrying a hint of mockery. Putting away the Soul Bone and coin card, he thanked the ashen-faced Dai Huabin. "Much appreciated. If you have any more lovely opportunities to shower me with gifts, remember to let me know in advance."
Those words undoubtedly poured oil on the fire. Dai Huabin's fists instantly clenched, his knuckles turning white. He wanted nothing more than to lunge at Dai Youheng and attack, but in the end, he forced himself to hold back. With only a heavy snort, he pulled Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie away and strode off without looking back, as though staying another second would be torture.
Dai Youheng could not be bothered with his fury. He tallied his current wealth: nearly a million saved up from his earlier efforts to "rob the rich and aid the poor," nine million obtained by looting that Level 9 Soul Engineer, the three million he had just received, and his winnings from betting at the gambling house...
His liquid cash now amounted to an astonishing thirteen million Gold Soul Coins and more! It was a fortune large enough to make even Soul Douluo-level powerhouses green with envy!
That did not even include the three Soul Bones he possessed. Selling them all would bring in another immensely substantial sum.
The Treasure Appraisal Fair at Shrek City's Treasure Gathering Pavilion will be coming up soon, Dai Youheng calculated inwardly. If I remember correctly, the most expensive treasure at that fair in the original story was the Golden Earth Dragon King's right arm bone, worth nine and a half million. With this fortune of over ten million, I'll have enough to sweep up every resource that catches my eye!
With Zhu Lu and Cui Yajie in tow, Dai Huabin all but fled the area where he had suffered such humiliation.
The surrounding gazes-sympathetic, mocking, or gloating-stabbed into his back like needles, making every step burn with pain.
Only after turning onto a secluded path and confirming that no one else was nearby did Dai Huabin suddenly smash his fist into the wall beside him. Spiderweb cracks instantly spread across the hard stone bricks. His chest heaved violently, his ragged breathing barely containing his towering fury and murderous intent.
"Huo Yuhao! Dai Youheng!" He forced the two names through his clenched teeth, one syllable at a time, his gaze terrifyingly sinister.
In just a few short days! Twice
within that time, he had been forced to kneel and kowtow to Huo Yuhao. What an utter disgrace! This had crossed his bottom line completely, trampling every shred of pride and dignity he possessed as the White Tiger Duke's legitimate son!
And that Dai Youheng! He was nothing but a lowly concubine's son, yet he dared to help outsiders oppose him again and again. Now he had even won two precious Soul Bones and a fortune from him. That smug face of a petty man intoxicated by success was simply nauseating!
"Huabin..." Zhu Lu looked at him worriedly and ventured cautiously, "Are you... all right?"
"All right?" Dai Huabin abruptly turned, glaring at Zhu Lu with bloodshot eyes and frightening her into taking half a step back. "How could I possibly be all right? When have I, Dai Huabin, ever suffered such humiliation in my entire life?! Huo Yuhao! I'll make sure he dies! And Dai Youheng will have to cough up those three Soul Bones he's carrying!"
Cui Yajie frowned slightly nearby, hesitating to speak. She felt that Dai Huabin had already lost his head to anger, but faced with his towering rage, she did not dare offer much advice.
Dai Huabin took several deep breaths and forced himself to calm down, but the murderous intent in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest. Looking at Zhu Lu, he lowered his voice and instructed her coldly, "Zhu Lu, go request a leave of absence from the academy for me. Tell them I'm unwell and need a few days to rest."
"Huabin, where are you going?" Zhu Lu's heart tightened with a bad feeling.
"Stay out of it." Dai Huabin's tone allowed no argument. "I have my own arrangements. Huo Yuhao must die. We can't let him keep growing! As for Dai Youheng, hmph, I'll show him what happens when he offends me!"
He did not intend to kill Dai Youheng. After all, killing one's own kin was a grave taboo. He merely wanted to reclaim the Soul Bones and teach Dai Youheng a lesson he would never forget!
Seeing the madness and resolve in Dai Huabin's eyes, Zhu Lu knew she could not persuade him. She could only nod worriedly. "All right. I'll go now."
Dai Huabin said no more. He turned and strode toward the academy's exit, his figure soon disappearing at the end of the path.
He was going to contact certain people-people who hid in the shadows and specialized in handling "dirty work." To eliminate Huo Yuhao and take revenge on Dai Youheng, he was willing to employ unconventional means, even if it meant paying an even greater price.
In fact, when Dai Youheng saw Dai Huabin leave, he already knew what was on his mind.
But he was not worried in the slightest, because he had an extremely simple way to draw all that hatred onto Huo Yuhao.
Whatever happened, he would not be caught in it.
Before you continue