After leaving the dilapidated old woodshed, Huo Yuhao didn't immediately try to escape the White Tiger Duke's Manor. Instead, he chose to seek out the manor's steward.
This choice was entirely out of necessity.
Could he run? Yes, he could. But unfortunately, he wouldn't even make it a kilometer before being caught. The reason Chai San was targeting him was that this person, and indeed everyone in the woodshed, was following Dai Huabin's orders.
If he didn't resist, things would be fine. But the moment he fought back, he'd give these people an excuse to punish him. He'd be lucky to escape with just a layer of skin lost.
Because of her jealousy, the Duchess often assigned Huo Yun'er, who was physically weak, the toughest chores after Dai Hao went to the front lines to guard the border. After Huo Yun'er died, the Duchess didn't bother with Huo Yuhao anymore. After all, a first-rank waste with innate talent was insignificant. But her son, Dai Huabin, took over this "task" and enjoyed it immensely.
Dai Huabin, having grown up under the influence of the Duchess, developed an arrogant personality. He considered the White Tiger bloodline to be incredibly noble, and in his eyes, Huo Yuhao, the bastard child of a personal maid, deserved to die to avoid spoiling his sight.
Over the years, Dai Huabin had not only kicked Huo Yun'er but had also beaten Huo Yuhao. However, no matter what, Huo Yuhao was Dai Hao's child, and they couldn't just kill him. So, they could only keep sending their underlings to bully him.
Huo Yuhao had injured someone. Chai San and the others from the wood shed would definitely report him to the supervisor, who was a Great Soul Master. Once Dai Huabin got wind of it, he would surely make an issue of it. The people coming after him wouldn't be ordinary people, but Soul Masters.
How could he possibly escape in such a situation?
Therefore, he went to the Old Steward of the White Tiger Duke's Manor beforehand to complain about Chai San, and then, while Chai San and the others were still reacting, he would stabilize the situation.
Don't forget, no matter what, Huo Yuhao did have the White Tiger family's blood in his veins. According to the rules of the White Tiger Duke's Manor, if a servant offended someone above them, they could be executed.
The former Huo Yuhao wouldn't have dared to seek out the Old Steward. But the current Huo Yuhao was different. The moment he chose to fight back against Chai San, he was left with only one option: to seek help from the Old Steward. Moreover, based on his memory recall, he knew that the Old Steward and the Duchess didn't get along. Back then, a servant who cleaned the Maple Courtyard where the Old Steward lived had been executed by the Duchess.
The specific reason was unknown, but the Old Steward couldn't possibly be happy about having a servant from his residence inexplicably executed by order. Huo Yuhao also remembered that the Old Steward had endured it at the time, and there was no follow-up.
He stepped into the rain and mist, splashing water. The light from the Soul Guidance Lamps hanging on the walls seemed a little hazy. Huo Yuhao's steps were agile as he quickly headed towards his destination.
The White Tiger Duke's Manor was vast. The innermost area was the Inner Manor, covering a thousand acres, where the masters of the White Tiger Duke's Manor resided. The Outer Manor was where the direct subordinates of the White Tiger Duke's Manor lived. The Outer Manor was filled with experts and many Soul Masters, and its defenses were the strictest, always ready to protect the Inner Manor from harm.
As for the ordinary servants, their living quarters didn't have a special name, and were located outside the Outer Manor, near the outermost walls.
The Old Steward currently resided in the Maple Courtyard, located on the west side of the White Tiger Duke's Manor's Outer Manor. The most distinctive feature of the Maple Courtyard was a small grove of maple trees, which, with autumn in full swing, were undoubtedly ablaze with vibrant red hues.
The rain intensified, cascading from the eaves in a continuous stream, merging with the bluestone paving. The air grew colder, and a white mist hung in the air, as if the surrounding darkness sought to swallow the faint light emitted by the Soul Guidance Lamps.
As he walked, Huo Yuhao was struck by a problem, halting abruptly. He had overlooked a critical detail: ordinary servants were not permitted to enter the Outer Manor without authorization. To do so would be to invite immediate execution by the patrolling guards.
Huo Yuhao fell silent, his expression shifting. He seemed annoyed that he hadn't anticipated the situation, placing himself in danger. He let the rain soak his body. But even as he was thinking of a way out, his peripheral vision caught sight of the bedding at his waist. His heart skipped a beat, and his gaze locked onto the sheathed short blade.
The sheath was about one foot and two inches long, a dark green color, made from tough leather. Affixed to the leather was an imprint of a roaring White Tiger, symbolizing the White Tiger clan's inherited martial soul.
This was the White Tiger Dagger that Dai Hao had given to Huo Yun'er. It was said to have been Dai Hao's personal item. Within the entire duke's manor, only members of the White Tiger clan were permitted to use the White Tiger emblem on their weapons.
However, this simple, unassuming short blade provided Huo Yuhao with a chance to enter the Outer Manor.
This dagger isn't something you find on a street corner. He had heard his mother say that it wasn't designed for combat, but rather as a symbol of honor. Those who had made outstanding contributions to the White Tiger family were granted a White Tiger Dagger. In a way, possessing it meant he was recognized as a direct descendant of the White Tiger family, one of their own.
Taking a deep breath, Huo Yuhao braved the downpour and hurried towards the Outer Manor on the west side. Along the way, he encountered several servants at work, but he knew the paths in this area like the back of his hand. With a few well-timed dodges and concealing maneuvers, he managed to avoid being noticed.
The path was completely unobstructed.
Unlike the Outer Manor and the living quarters for ordinary servants, which had no gate to block them, the most noticeable feature of the Outer Manor's entrance on the west side was the several rows of ginkgo trees.
It was an arched entrance, eight meters wide and three meters high, with a White Tiger lamp stand on each side, emitting a clear light from within.
Huo Yuhao was breathing hard, his breath forming a visible mist. He glanced at the White Tiger Dagger and resolutely charged into the Outer Manor entrance.
Suddenly, the light became much brighter. The first square building he encountered after entering the Outer Manor was called the Spring Breeze Pavilion, where the White Tiger Duke's Manor distributed monthly allowances.
Compared to the ordinary servants' living quarters, where there was a Soul Guidance Lamp every five meters, the Outer Manor had one every three meters. Moreover, the quality of the Soul Guidance Lamps was much higher. A single injection of soul power could power them for ten consecutive days, twenty-four hours a day, and they illuminated a greater distance.
Three forks appeared before Huo Yuhao, leading in three directions. Fortunately, his memory was good, and he knew the way to the Maple Courtyard. Immediately, Huo Yuhao, enduring his hunger, hurried towards his destination.
Along the way, perhaps because of the rain, or perhaps because nothing had happened at the White Tiger Duke's Manor for a long time, the patrol team seemed somewhat lax. Huo Yuhao ran several hundred meters without encountering a single member of the patrol.
Finally, he ran to an arched bridge over an artificial river. Even though it was dark, he could still see the maple trees across the bridge, their leaves like flames growing on the branches, and a tall building beside them.
In the rain, everything seemed a bit conspicuous.
Maple Courtyard, here I am!
"Who's there!"
Suddenly, just as Huo Yuhao breathed a sigh of relief, a wary shout came from behind him, sending a chill down his spine.
He turned around and saw a team of twenty people standing at the exit of a flowerbed path, all of them staring at him intently.
All of these people were Soul Masters. With the help of his Spiritual Eyes, Huo Yuhao could vaguely see the fluctuating soul power on the leader of the group. The man had a stern face, his eyes filled with a fierce glare. He had a blade at his waist, unsure if it was a Soul Guidance Tool or an ordinary weapon, and his hand was already on the hilt, ready to strike at any moment.
"What's going on?"
Just as Huo Yuhao was about to produce the White Tiger Dagger to reveal his identity, a gentle voice spoke. Everyone was drawn to the sound, and they saw a beautiful, gentle woman approaching from a distance, accompanied by six maids holding umbrellas.
Upon seeing the woman, Huo Yuhao lowered his eyelids slightly, his tense body relaxing somewhat. This beautiful woman was none other than Dai Hao's concubine, and the biological mother of Huo Yuhao's only younger brother, Dai Luoli.
(End of Chapter)