Chapter 176 Xu Jiawei: My Hatred for Dark Soul Masters Is Irreconcilable
After some time, Dai Hao arrived at the Duke's Mansion, accompanied by his personal guards and several servants.
By then, the royal guards had already surrounded the mansion, their expressions grim and serious.
The sight was highly unusual, drawing the curious gazes of many passersby, who stretched their necks, eager to see what had happened inside the Duke's residence.
However, the guards held their positions firmly, preventing anyone from getting a clear look.
"The Duke has returned! Make way!"
One of Dai Hao's personal guards, mounted on a tall warhorse, shouted as he cleared a path.
Upon hearing this, the crowd quickly stepped aside, their eyes turning to the renowned White Tiger Duke.
Once, Dai Hao had been widely revered throughout the Star Luo Empire.
But ever since Huo Yuhao had publicly exposed his actions, his reputation had suffered greatly.
Some of these stains came directly from Huo Yuhao's revelations.
But others stemmed from the fact that the "righteous and loyal" Duke had a son who had defected to Sun Moon Empire.
And not just that
Huo Yuhao was thriving there.
This had a massive impact on Star Luo's people.
Many who were dissatisfied with the imperial family even started to admire Sun Moon Empire.
Dai Hao felt the weight of their stares.
But he didn't let it distract him.
Right now, his top priority was getting inside to confirm what had happened.
Soon, Dai Hao arrived at the mansion gates.
The royal guards, upon spotting him, immediately stood at attention and saluted:
"Duke!"
Then, they stepped aside, granting him entry.
Inside, Dai Hao quickly spotted Xu Jiawei.
He immediately saluted.
"Your Majesty!"
Xu Jiawei turned around, his eyes red rimmed with grief.
"Dai Hao, you should already know what has happened here.
According to the surviving servants, my daughter was killed by those damned dark soul masters.
I never imagined their audacity would grow to this extent
That they would dare infiltrate the Duke's Mansion to commit murder.
If only I had assigned a Title Douluo to protect her…
Perhaps she wouldn't have died today.
I will never forgive the dark soul masters."
Beside him, the Guardian Douluo, Cheng Gang, stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, please restrain your grief.
No one could have predicted that someone would dare to murder a princess.
This is an outrageous crime.
Dai Hao's eyes turned red as well.
He grabbed Xu Jiawei's arms, his voice choked with emotion.
"Your Majesty, this is my failure.
I should have fortified the Duke's defenses more carefully.
Since dark soul masters have breached the White Tiger Mansion,
I bear responsibility for this tragedy.
I swear
One day, I will eradicate every dark soul master from this continent.
And I will avenge my wife."
Although he disagreed with many of the Duchess's actions,
They had been married for years and shared two children.
To say he felt nothing would be a lie.
Xu Jiawei nodded solemnly.
"Dark soul masters are a plague.
Dai Hao, there is something you must know.
The dark soul masters are not just scattered individuals
They have an organization.
It is called the Holy Spirit Cult.
And I strongly suspect that the attack on the Duke's Mansion was orchestrated by them.
The number of assassins involved was far too many for this to be a random act."
Dai Hao was stunned.
"The Holy Spirit Cult? A… dark soul master organization?"
Like most people, Dai Hao had always believed that dark soul masters were bloodthirsty, evil loners who rarely worked together.
But now…
There was an actual group?
"That's right," Xu Jiawei said, his expression darkening.
He had known about the Holy Spirit Cult for a long time.
After all, he had connections within Sun Moon's highest circles.
If he could obtain a 100,000 year old soul beast embryo from their top tier soul engineers,
Then learning about the Holy Spirit Cult was hardly a surprise.
Of course, he wanted the Holy Spirit Cult to clash with the Sun Moon Empire.
If they became enemies,
Star Luo Empire could exploit the chaos for its own gain.
Dai Hao clenched his fists.
"Your Majesty, where is their headquarters?
I will lead my troops and eliminate them at once!"
Xu Jiawei shook his head.
"Dai Hao, I do not know their exact headquarters.
But what I do know is that they have a strong presence in Sun Moon Empire.
Wiping them out will not be easy."
Even though the Duchess's death filled him with grief,
As an emperor, Xu Jiawei knew he couldn't act recklessly.
He couldn't just charge into battle against a massive secret organization.
Dai Hao frowned.
"Your Majesty…
Is it possible that the Emperor of Sun Moon is supporting them?"
If he were Sun Moon's Emperor,
And a group of dark soul masters were operating within his empire,
He would never allow them to exist
Not unless he controlled them.
Xu Jiawei immediately dismissed that thought.
"Dai Hao, this wasn't ordered by the Sun Moon Emperor.
Much as I despise their ambition,
Attacking the Duke's Mansion brings them no strategic benefit.
Instead, it only fuels our hatred and accelerates the likelihood of war.
If I were Sun Moon's Emperor,
I would focus on strengthening my military,
Not antagonizing foreign royalty.
This was most likely an independent action by the Holy Spirit Cult."
Dai Hao took a deep breath.
He had spent years leading troops and knew the importance of strategy.
His initial rage had blinded him,
But Xu Jiawei's words made sense.
"Then, Your Majesty, how should we retaliate?"
Dai Hao asked.
Even though Xu Jiawei always treated him as a brother,
Dai Hao never forgot his place.
He was a subject of the Empire.
He could not make major decisions without the Emperor's approval.
Xu Jiawei's eyes gleamed coldly.
"The simplest way to hurt the Holy Spirit Cult is to expose them.
Shrek Academy suffered because of dark soul masters in the previous Soul Master Tournament.
They have every reason to despise them.
In fact, they've been hunting dark soul masters recently.
If we leak their location,
Shrek Academy will seize the chance to strike.
The next Soul Master Tournament will be held in Sun Moon Empire.
Shrek won't pass up an opportunity for revenge.
And this will also allow Star Luo and Shrek Academy to form a stronger alliance."
Xu Jiawei then turned to Dai Hao.
"Of course, I would like to hear your thoughts as well."
Dai Hao nodded.
"Your Majesty is wise.
My suggestion is simple
We must increase our investment in soul tool technology.
Cultivating a Title Douluo is far too difficult.
But if our military is equipped with advanced soul tools,
We can neutralize powerful enemies with fewer soldiers.
That way, if we ever face the Holy Spirit Cult,
We will be better prepared to destroy them."
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