Chapter 81: The White Tiger Duke's Wrath
As the Duchess savored the service of the White Tiger Duke's concubine, the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, returned to the mansion in a rush. The moment he stepped into the hall, he witnessed the scene of the concubine serving the Duchess.
For a brief instant, Dai Hao felt as though someone had used his toothbrush to clean a toilet and then asked him to brush with it in front of them.
Fuming, the White Tiger Duke glared. "What are you doing, you crazy woman?!"
The Duchess sneered. "Oh, crazy woman? That's not what you called me when you were chasing me!"
"You promised we would be together forever! I worked hard to be with you despite my father's objections, to help you climb to the position of Duke! But what do I get in return? You said Huo Yun'er was just a temporary accident, and I endured that! She was just a maid! I didn't make her life difficult, I gave her a yard, and let her live there peacefully!"
"But you! Once Dai Yuhao wasn't enough, now there's Dai Luoli! Once was an accident, but twice?! How many children have you had over the years? Are they all accidents?!"
The Duchess stood, her eyes bloodshot, her face contorted in fury. Her regal demeanor vanished, replaced by the venom of a scorned woman ready to strike.
"Enough!" Dai Hao growled, his patience thinning. "Which man doesn't have affairs? Before Hua Bin was born, I was indeed with you and had no other women!"
The Duchess' sneer deepened. "Oh, before Hua Bin was born? Back then, you hadn't even secured your title as Duke! You sent Yuheng off to Shrek Academy as a child—he probably still believes his father is an upright man, loyal in love, with no other women!"
Dai Hao was rendered speechless. With his level of cultivation, he could hear Dai Yuheng talking to others at Shrek, claiming his father had no other women. The realization hit him hard, as he recalled the peculiar look on Dai Huabin's face when he heard Dai Yuheng talk about his father's so-called loyalty. Dai Hao had no way to defend himself.
"What's wrong? No words now?" The Duchess taunted. "If I hadn't been there, would you have ever become Duke? Your so-called military merits didn't get you anywhere. How is your older brother any worse than you? He has more talent, experience, and the Zhu family's martial soul fusion technique! And besides the evil-eyed white tiger martial soul, all you've done is pretend to be some poor civilian, rising quickly by letting everyone think you're a Duke's son from the Dai family with an evil-eyed white tiger, and now you're leading the charge to rise through the ranks. What battles have you won in all these years? I'm sure you'd be dead by now if someone from the Sun and Moon Empire ran into you during patrol!"
"Enough!" Dai Hao's fury erupted. He could handle the insults, but not when it came to his army. Summoning his soul power, he released two yellow, two purple, and four black soul rings, activating the White Tiger Possession and swiping his claw at the Duchess.
The Duchess was no mere soul master either. With a Star Crown martial soul, she summoned a barrier to block the White Tiger Duke's devastating strike.
"Hmph, Dai Hao, do you think I'm still the innocent little girl you used to fool? The one who could be slapped around by you, bloodied, but said nothing?"
"If you raise your hand again, I'll expose everything to my brother, and I'll tell him the truth: you've had rebellious thoughts! Even though I'm no longer a princess, I am still the biological sister of the current Emperor of Xingluo!"
"You vicious, unreasonable woman!" Dai Hao cursed as he stormed out of the room.
Dai Hao knew that, with Hua Bin's birth, he had solidified his position as Duke and was no longer afraid of the Duchess' wrath. But something gnawed at him.
As he entered his private room and confirmed he was alone, a soul master appeared in front of him and knelt.
"Master."
"How long before this crazy woman dies?"
"About ten years, my Lord."
"Too long. Hurry up."
"My Lord, if you increase the dosage too quickly, the royal family might notice something's wrong."
"Don't worry. The Sun Moon Empire might invade at any time, and the emperor is no longer concerned with my family's matters."
"Yes, and Madam Huo passed away while you were away. Master Yuhao, who was born for you, has left the Duke's Mansion."
"Yuhao?" Dai Hao paused, trying to recall.
"The one with innate first-level soul power," the subordinate clarified.
Upon hearing that, Dai Hao's face tightened. "Forget about that waste. Prepare the grave and have some flowers sent from time to time. After all, she was the woman I had a child with."
"My Lord Duke is merciful."
"Now, leave. Make sure that woman dies quickly."
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Xiao Qiang was watching the entire situation unfold through mental detection, and everything suddenly clicked for him.
The original story of Unrivaled Tang Sect stated that when Huo Yuhao was born, the mother was revered by the son. As a result, Huo Yun'er received a small yard. When Huo Yuhao turned two, he was abandoned in a woodshed. The Duchess had been tolerating Dai Hao's infidelities for years, but once Dai Hao had another child, her mental state began to collapse. The fact that Huo Yuhao's mother came from a humble background had made her an easy scapegoat.
Dai Hao's repeated affairs had broken the Duchess' spirit, and she had been pushed too far. The death of the Duchess was even more tragic given her status as a soul master—someone who would not have died easily under normal circumstances.
It became clearer to Xiao Qiang why Dai Yueheng had been sent to Shrek Academy early. This was likely the reason Dai Yueheng had spoken so highly of his father, claiming he had only one woman.
"I just feel bad for the Duchess. She was a woman who was deceived and had no way out…" Xiao Qiang muttered softly, thinking about the tragic situation.
"Hey, Xiao Qiang, can you lend me your body for a while?" The Ice Emperor's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Sure, what do you need to do?"
"Don't ask," the Ice Emperor replied, her tone slightly embarrassed. "Also, you're not allowed to watch."
"Huh? What are you thinking?" Xiao Qiang was confused.
Before Tian Meng could finish his thought, the Ice Emperor quickly darted off. "Tian Meng, you can't look either!"
"Wait, what's going on?" Tian Meng asked with growing unease.
The Ice Emperor's voice became serious. "Just let me do it, and don't question it."
Using her mental detection, the Ice Emperor observed the Duchess and the concubine before thinking of the Snow Emperor.
"Anyway, you're not allowed to ask or watch! I have my own plans."