Dai Huabin truly was his biological son!
Knowing Dai Hao was fretting over how to curry favor with Dai Lingfeng, he had brought him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy, walking right into the line of fire.
"You unfilial son! Stop right now!"
"And you lot, do you have a death wish?"
Dai Hao arrived at just the right moment to save the day, his domineering presence on full display.
"Your Grace!"
When the guards ganging up on Huo Yuhao and his mother saw that it was Dai Hao, they were scared out of their souls.
Whatever else might be said of Dai Yuhao, his surname was still Dai!
Even if they were acting on Dai Huabin's orders,
if they kicked Dai Yuhao in front of Dai Hao, neither Dai Huabin nor the duchess could save them!
"Hmph, raising your hands against your betters-you truly have a way to bring death upon yourselves!"
Without another word, the White Tiger clan chief struck, killing every one of the guards!
Dai Hao, who had been a little slower to act, failed to claim the kills and could not help feeling annoyed.
What a wonderful chance to curry favor with Dai Lingfeng!
The clan chief had gotten it for nothing.
"Father!"
Dai Huabin was startled too. He had not expected Dai Hao and the clan chief to appear at a time like this.
The clan chief's forceful killing of the guards frightened Dai Huabin even more. He stood stiffly at attention, like an elementary school student who had done something wrong.
But when he saw Dai Lingfeng, he immediately understood.
No wonder Dai Hao had suddenly appeared. Dai Lingfeng must have tattled on him!
So, he actually dared to set him up!
A vicious look flashed across Dai Huabin's face as he glared fixedly at Dai Lingfeng.
Although Dai Lingfeng's appearance had changed greatly after awakening his Martial Soul, he was still easy to recognize.
Dai Huabin, Huo Yuhao, and Huo Yun'er recognized him at once.
"Dai Lingfeng, were you the one who tattled?"
"How dare you set me up!"
Dai Huabin glared at Dai Lingfeng and questioned him furiously.
He grew even angrier when he saw Dai Lingfeng's double pupils and dark-gold hair.
What right did this bastard have to awaken the White Tiger bloodline?
He did not deserve it!
Smack!
As soon as Dai Huabin finished speaking, Dai Hao's palm followed, slapping him hard across the left cheek.
The slap left Dai Huabin's left cheek badly swollen.
"Hmph, nobody tattled. If you don't want people to catch you with something on you, then don't do anything to feel guilty about."
"Now, apologize."
"I said apologize! Apologize to Lingfeng, Yun'er, and Yuhao!"
Dai Hao's voice was icy.
He did dote on his son Dai Huabin, but compared with the talent of Dai Lingfeng's Twin Martial Souls...
Dai Huabin really made a useful pledge of loyalty!
"Apologize?"
Dai Huabin's head was spinning, but he knew his father's authority was not to be questioned. He took a moment to steady himself,
then bit his lip until it broke and said:
"I'm sorry!"
Afterward, Dai Huabin's face was full of humiliation.
Apologizing to a lowly maid like Huo Yun'er and a pair of bastards like Dai Lingfeng and Huo Yuhao was a great humiliation to him.
"All right, get lost."
Dai Hao gave a cold snort and waved Dai Huabin away, still showing some intention of protecting him.
Dai Huabin did not dare say more and hurriedly fled.
By contrast,
Dai Huabin's humiliation let Huo Yuhao and his mother hold their heads high.
"Father."
It was Huo Yuhao's first time seeing Dai Hao. This father was not as warm as he had imagined, but Dai Hao standing up for them moved Huo Yuhao deeply.
"Mm."
Dai Hao gave him a perfunctory acknowledgment.
Innate Soul Power of level one,
a dog-like thing. If not for Dai Lingfeng's sake, he could not even be bothered to pay Huo Yuhao any attention.
"Big brother!"
Huo Yuhao then looked at Dai Lingfeng. Seeing his luxurious clothes and his completely transformed appearance and bearing, how could he fail to understand that this was all thanks to his brother?
His brother must have awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul!
And his talent was exceptional!
At the very least, it was far greater than Dai Huabin's, whose Innate Soul Power was level eight!
That was why Dai Hao, who never came home, had returned, met with them, and stood up for them.
"Your Grace."
Huo Yun'er was too nervous to look at Dai Hao, her voice dry and cautious.
Dai Hao, the man she had thought of day and night, had appeared before her,
yet Huo Yun'er did not dare face him.
The gulf between their stations was immense, and life had worn her down until she was a shadow of herself. Her youth was gone, while Dai Hao remained tall and imposing. She felt terribly inferior.
"Mm."
Dai Hao also gave a soft acknowledgment.
Seeing Huo Yun'er as she was now, he did feel a tiny bit of heartache. Perhaps he had once been moved by her too,
but now,
facing Huo Yun'er, all he felt was the awkwardness of being driven to anger by his guilt.
"Lingfeng, my good boy."
Huo Yun'er did not dare look at Dai Hao. She lowered her head to look at Dai Lingfeng, her eyes brimming with tears.
Her son had really done it.
He had truly awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul and brought Dai Hao to her side.
She had no regrets left.
"Mother."
Dai Lingfeng responded very indifferently.
The White Tiger clan chief and Dai Hao were both watching Dai Lingfeng's reaction. Seeing that his detachment did not seem feigned, they knew where things stood.
Sure enough!
Lowly people like Huo Yun'er and Huo Yuhao would only be a stain on Dai Lingfeng!
"Big brother, what's wrong?"
Huo Yuhao felt that something was off.
Although Dai Lingfeng had been aloof and quiet before, he had merely been silent. He had looked after them and never seemed so distant.
But now,
Dai Lingfeng had changed.
His expression had become confident and composed,
his clothes luxurious,
and his entire person lofty and beyond reach.
Huo Yuhao did not yet know how to describe the feeling, but he realized that his brother seemed very far away from them!
"I'm fine."
Meeting Huo Yuhao's bewildered and helpless gaze, Dai Lingfeng cursed Dai Mubai and Tang San a few more times in his heart.
He really did not want to be the bad guy.
It was all because the inherently evil God King Tang had forced him to!
Otouto, don't blame your big brother!
God King Tang is dead set on tormenting you. If I help you, I'll be tormented too.
"Are you really all right?"
"Big brother, are you feeling unwell?"
Huo Yuhao moved closer to Dai Lingfeng.
But Dai Lingfeng took a step back and said coldly:
"Don't get my clothes dirty."
The words were cold,
but Huo Yuhao's heart was even colder.
Huo Yuhao froze on the spot, the hand he had reached toward Dai Lingfeng suspended in midair. Two streams of tears slid uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.
Don't get my clothes dirty.
Those words struck far too hard!
They made the innocent Huo Yuhao realize clearly that they were no longer brothers,
but a filthy, insignificant piece of trash and a brilliant genius high above him!
"Lingfeng!"
Huo Yun'er covered her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.
The White Tiger clan chief and Dai Hao now understood exactly where Huo Yuhao and his mother stood in Dai Lingfeng's heart.
"Lingfeng, you've suffered."
Dai Mubai's voice sounded once more. He sighed and offered words of comfort.
As the mastermind behind it all,
even he felt guilty.
For Great God King Tang's grand plan, the child was truly suffering, forced to go against his heart and say such cruel words.
It was hard to imagine what pain Dai Lingfeng's young heart was enduring!
He had to make sure Tang San gave Dai Lingfeng credit for this later!
Dai Lingfeng's words were cruel,
but the one who suffered most was neither Huo Yuhao nor Huo Yun'er. It was Dai Lingfeng!
In a corner no one knew about,
Dai Lingfeng silently bore it all alone!