Chapter 460: The Narrow Minded Dai Huabin Part Six
The pain was unbearable too intense to describe.
Even though the act wasn't Dai Huabin's direct doing, it had become the deepest stain on his life. His hopes of becoming the White Tiger Duke had vanished, and he would now return home to face his mother's scathing reprimand. Additionally, Zhu Lu had annulled their engagement.
If the White Tiger family had retained its royal power, perhaps the Zhu family would not have dared such an act. But the once powerful tiger had lost its might and now found itself at the mercy of others.
Facing a bleak future, Dai Huabin's gaze grew increasingly despairing.
Step. Step.
Suddenly, measured footsteps echoed from the hallway, a sound all too familiar to Dai Huabin. His face tightened in discomfort.
Moments later, a young man with golden hair and the same heterochromatic eyes as Dai Huabin's appeared before him: his older brother, Dai Yaoheng, now a student in Shrek's Inner Court with a Soul Emperor level cultivation. Even Shrek was reluctant to expel someone of his standing, though his family's current troubles had somewhat lowered his status.
Unlike the brash Dai Huabin, Dai Yaoheng was shrewd and composed, possessing a strategic mind more like their father, Duke Dai Hao.
"Idiot," Dai Yaoheng spat, his words sharp as a blade.
Dai Huabin lowered his head, enduring the reprimand in silence, feeling the weight of his brother's imposing aura.
Seeing his brother's cowed posture only served to heighten Dai Yaoheng's frustration, which he eventually exhaled in resignation. "When you get home, focus on training and don't cause any more trouble. The family can't afford it."
With that, Dai Yaoheng turned and walked away, leaving Dai Huabin alone. The overwhelming pressure from Shrek had forced the White Tiger family to suffer this blow quietly.
Watching his brother's departing figure, Dai Huabin's gaze filled with a mix of envy, resentment, and regret. "Damn it, why does everything keep going wrong?"
Memories of his bitter encounters with Huo Yu'er replayed in his mind. Rage and frustration surged within him, but he had no outlet.
A servant entered to inform Dai Huabin that his belongings were packed, and the carriage was ready. He wordlessly followed, his shoulders slumped in defeat. But as he reached the carriage, he halted, a twisted smile creeping onto his face.
"Huo Yu'er, this is all your fault. If you had just lost obediently, none of this would have happened! If you'd just let me kill you…" His grin grew darker. "You treasure that little girl, don't you? Then, before I leave, I'll kill her. I'll make you suffer just as much as I have!"
As he vanished into the night, the servants looked on in confusion, unsure how to stop a soul master like Dai Huabin. Only his bodyguard, a Soul Emperor raised by the White Tiger family, followed him into the shadows.
In Shrek City's Commercial District
"Come here, little Snow Girl. Uncle has some candied hawthorns for you!" A vendor smiled, handing a skewer of candy to the Snow Empress, who took it eagerly, munching away.
In the past year, the little Snow Empress's adorable face and sweet personality had charmed nearly every merchant on the street. Attempts to kidnap her had ended in disaster, as Shrek's guards now adored the little "snow princess."
As she happily wandered, sampling treats offered by various vendors, no one noticed a pair of sinister eyes watching from a nearby alley.
Dai Huabin muttered to himself, "Not yet… Just wait for the right moment."
He kept himself hidden, blending in with the crowd, careful to avoid drawing attention. He had only seen the Snow Empress in photographs until now, but seeing her in person stirred something darker within him. She was captivating, an innocent little girl, but in his twisted mind, she could be much more.
"Ah Er, take that little girl out. Then disappear. If anyone catches you, you know what to do," he ordered his bodyguard coldly.
Ah Er hesitated briefly before nodding.
The Snow Empress, blissfully unaware, sensed a dark intent approaching her. Her innocence had not dulled the instincts she retained from her previous life as a powerful spirit beast. She turned her head, scanning her surroundings for the source of the ill intent.
Ah Er, his face hidden beneath a cloak, slowly approached her, concealing his weapon a long sword under his robe. Against a small child, he saw no need for flashy techniques; a swift slice to the throat would be enough.
"Who…?" The Snow Empress's voice trembled as she caught sight of the sword, her mind blank with fear.
In a desperate reflex, she activated her innate skill: Ultimate Ice – Frozen Domain!
An intense wave of cold instantly coated the street in frost, the ground turning a sharp, icy white. Ah Er was taken aback; he hadn't anticipated such power from a child who hadn't even fully awakened her martial spirit.
Yet the strength gap remained vast. Shaking off his surprise, Ah Er raised his blade again. Only one thought drove him now: kill the girl and escape. In his mind, completing his master's orders meant survival, regardless of the consequences.
With a cold, emotionless expression, he brought the sword down toward the Snow Empress's delicate form, now seemingly defenseless.
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