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"Evil soul masters… and people from the Star Luo Empire?!" He recognized the decorative style, his eyes flashing with cold light. His powerful spiritual power swept across the surroundings, but aside from the lingering death energy, there was no trace of the perpetrator.
"Someone come!"
Yan Shaozhe flew back to Shrek Academy, holding the semi-conscious Huo Yuhao who still trembled from intense pain and psychological shock. His voice was icy and piercing, "Seal off the scene, thoroughly investigate this corpse, find out his identity, and get to the bottom of this."
...
Shrek Academy, infirmary.
Huo Yuhao lay on the hospital bed, his face as pale as paper, staring vacantly at the ceiling.
The intense physical pain had been alleviated by Yan Shaozhe's powerful light soul power treatment, but the indescribable void and humiliation of having his life essence stripped away gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
Tian Meng Ice Silkworm remained silent within his spiritual sea, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
"Brother Tian Meng... I..." Huo Yuhao's voice was hoarse and dry, filled with endless despair and confusion.
"Yuhao..." Tian Meng Ice Silkworm's voice was unusually solemn and angry, "It was an evil soul master, and definitely one of the top human evil soul masters! That death aura... it was too pure and terrifying."
Huo Yuhao's gray eyes suddenly filled with boundless hatred, his words brimming with chilling killing intent, "Brother Tian Meng, I want revenge!"
Tian Meng Ice Silkworm nodded heavily, feeling the same as a fellow male, "I will definitely help you!"
"We found out."
Yan Shaozhe entered the ward with a grim face, holding a report, "That Soul Emperor frozen into an ice sculpture was a captain in the direct guard team under White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, confirmed without a doubt."
Huo Yuhao's vacant eyes instantly focused, exploding with terrifying resentment and hatred. The Duke's Manor hadn't let him go!
And Dai Huabin, the only person he offended in Shrek Academy, just because he won against him, just because he called him a soft-footed cat?! "Principal... I want him to pay the price!" Huo Yuhao's voice was like a cold wind from the netherworld, filled with deep hatred and a hint of chilling madness.
Yan Shaozhe looked at the almost tangible hatred in Huo Yuhao's eyes and felt a chill. He said gravely:
"The evidence is conclusive. The Dai family must give Shrek an explanation. I have already issued the harshest inquiry letter to White Tiger Duke Dai Hao in the name of the academy. Additionally, the academy will do its best to track down that evil soul master."
But Huo Yuhao knew that was all they could do. With his status, the academy couldn't truly offend the leader of the largest military nobility in the Star Luo Empire for his sake.
In his mind, he said, "Brother Tian Meng, I need to go to the Extreme North earlier."
"Alright, I didn't expect human society to be so dangerous. I'm not good at fighting. When you get your second martial soul, someone will protect you."
...
Sun and Moon Mountain Range, military camp tent.
A strongly worded inquiry letter from Shrek Academy, accompanied by detailed evidence, was slammed onto the desk in front of Dai Hao.
Dai Hao's face darkened enough to drip water. Reading the accusations about his son Dai Huabin hiring assassins, colluding with evil soul masters to harm Shrek students, especially the horrific injuries suffered by Huo Yuhao, an uncontrollable rage and overwhelming sense of shame instantly overwhelmed his rationality.
"Traitor!"
Dai Hao's roar echoed like an injured lion, shaking the entire tent. He abruptly stood up, his rampant soul power uncontrollably overflowing, cracking the sturdy desk.
"Order! Immediately bring that wretch to me! As fast as possible!!" Dai Hao's bloodshot eyes roared towards the tent entrance.
For someone like Dai Hao facing the Sun Moon Empire army, no one understood better than him the importance of Shrek Academy to the three kingdoms of Douluo. Without Shrek Academy's deterrence, the Sun Moon Empire would have long since started a war, and the three kingdoms would have been unable to resist.
Now his son, for such a trivial conflict, assassinated a classmate—it was the epitome of both evil and stupidity!
Several days later, Shrek Academy, Outer Court Square.
The atmosphere was solemn and heavy. All Outer Court students were gathered; senior students, teachers, and even high-ranking officials like Yan Shaozhe were present with grave expressions.
In the center of the square, Dai Huabin was forcibly held kneeling on the ground by two White Tiger personal guards, his face pale, his eyes filled with fear and disbelief.
He never imagined things would unravel so quickly and completely, nor did he expect his father to handle him this way!
Dai Hao's messenger, clad in military attire, stood before Dai Huabin. Looking at this son once highly regarded by the Marshal, his eyes held no warmth, only extreme coldness and disdainful shame.
Frontline soldiers fought desperately against evil soul masters, yet he conspired with them, harming classmates in such a despicable and insidious manner—this utterly trampled on the honor of the White Tiger family and the bottom line of the Star Luo Empire's army.
"Dai Huabin, son of White Tiger Duke Dai Hao," the messenger's voice thundered across the square with undeniable iron-blood authority, "Conspiring with evil soul masters, hiring killers to harm classmates, methods despicable, provoking divine and human wrath. His actions tarnished the ancestors' glory! His crimes are unforgivable even by death a hundred times over!"
With a swift motion, he drew the White Tiger Bright Light Blade, reserved only for personal guards, its blade gleaming coldly.
"Today, I, as the envoy, enforce family law on behalf of the Marshal, to set an example! And to show Shrek Academy and the world the Marshal's stance!"
Before the words faded, the envoy flicked his wrist, the long blade turning into a streak of sharp cold light.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
Heavy and loud slaps resounded like whips, harshly striking everyone's hearts.
The envoy didn't use the blade but the heavy back of the sword, each strike containing terrifying force with his Soul Douluo strength.
The back of the blade struck like an iron whip, ruthlessly lashing Dai Huabin's back, shoulder blades, and thighs. Each hit was accompanied by clear sounds of bone fractures and Dai Huabin's distorted, agonizing screams.
Blood instantly stained his luxurious clothes, flesh torn open, bones visible.
Ten lashes! Twenty lashes! Thirty lashes!
The envoy showed no mercy. He and Dai Hao had saved each other's lives four or five times, which allowed him to represent Dai Hao and enforce family law. Each lash represented the White Tiger Duke Manor's fury and resolve against evil soul masters.
They needed to regain Shrek Academy's favor and ensure no one thought the White Tiger Duke Manor colluded with evil soul masters.
Dai Huabin's screams turned from piercing to hoarse and weak, eventually reducing to painful convulsions and moans.
Like a pile of mud, he collapsed on the ground, his back and thighs a bloody mess, countless bones broken, completely unconscious, barely breathing.
The entire square was silent, everyone stunned by this iron-blooded, brutal family law. Some timid girls even covered their eyes.
The envoy sheathed his sword, not sparing a glance at Dai Huabin lying like a dead dog, and bowed to Yan Shaozhe and the Shrek crowd, his voice mournful and stern:
"The Marshal has sent me to apologize, acknowledging his failure in raising his son, leading to this unforgivable crime. Today's family law punishment addresses only his crimes. This son is now ruined. From now on, he has no connection with the White Tiger Duke Manor, his fate left to destiny. As for that evil soul master, the Duke Manor will spare no effort until death."
Yan Shaozhe looked at the lifeless Dai Huabin on the ground and then at Dai Hao's resolute stance, finally nodding slowly:
"The Duke sacrificed his kin for justice, and Shrek Academy will remember. We hope the Dai family fulfills its promise to track down the evil soul master."
The envoy deeply bowed, ordering someone to drag the unconscious Dai Huabin away like a dead dog. Then, with his personal guards, he left Shrek Academy without looking back, his figure heavy yet decisive.
At the back of the crowd, Huo Yuhao, supported by Wang Yan and Wang Dong, barely able to stand, still had a pale face. But his eyes, fixed on the direction Dai Huabin was dragged, harbored a deeper bitterness and... a twisted satisfaction beneath the void.
However, this satisfaction was soon drowned by the deeper despair brought by the irreparable emptiness and excruciating pain in his lower body.
"Dai Huabin... ruined?" Huo Yuhao's voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper rubbing, "Hah... heh... not enough... this isn't enough..." His voice was barely audible, yet carried a spine-chilling coldness.
Not far away, Gu La watched everything quietly, like an outside observer. He observed the envoy's decisiveness, Dai Huabin's dire state, and the bottomless hatred and despair in Huo Yuhao's eyes. A faint, cold smile curved his lips.
"It seems the situation on the front lines is very dire," Gu La muttered inwardly, "Dai Hao even ruined his top-talent son. Even if he returns and seeks Immortal Doctor Douluo Wang Xian'er, it's unlikely there won't be any lasting effects."
"And considering Wang Xian'er's role as a royal Elder with little time left, whether she'll intervene is uncertain. It looks like Dai Hao is prepared to lose a son."
"True, he has plenty of sons, and after more than ten years away from home, it's hard to say how important a son really is. After all, Dai Huabin is around the same age as Huo Yuhao, and Dai Hao might have seen him only a few times."
His gaze seemed to pierce through space, focusing on the border between the Sun Moon and Star Luo Empires, seeing the strategic Marshal calculating whether relations with Shrek Academy could be restored.
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