This sleep was unusually deep and peaceful. When Dai Yuhao opened his eyes again, the first thing that met his gaze was a smooth and flat ceiling above him, rather than the familiar dark beams of his own home with their fine cracks and rain stains.
He blinked and sat up somewhat dazed.
The quilt covering him was white and soft, its texture incredibly delicate, completely different from the hard and thin old cotton quilt in his home.
He looked around; the room wasn't large, but it was exceptionally tidy and bright. The walls were a uniform white, and the floor was polished to a shine. There was no familiar damp smell, nor any signs of repair.
Everything silently told him: this was not the small room he shared with his mother.
"Awake?"
A gentle voice came from the side.
Dai Yuhao turned his head toward the sound and saw a tall, slender figure approaching the bedside.
The newcomer had long, thick red hair, as vivid as flames or mellow wine, flowing with a unique luster under the soft indoor light, making it extremely eye-catching.
Dai Yuhao's eyes suddenly widened, and his small mouth opened slightly as he cried out in disbelief, "Auntie... Auntie Leng?!"
This beautiful and somewhat cool face before him was clearly the same Auntie Leng from that wonderful dream last time, who had shown him countless novelties and given him much gentle care!
His heart was filled with both surprise and wonder, mixed with a hint of childish excitement.
Could it be... could dreams actually continue from where they left off?
This discovery made him temporarily forget his slight unease about the unfamiliar environment.
Leng Yaozhu watched the undisguised astonishment on Dai Yuhao's face, a sharp glint suddenly flashing through the depths of her eyes.
A child's expression is the most pure and difficult to fake; this reaction... was a bit off.
It had clearly only been one sleep, so why did it seem as if they hadn't met in a long time?
She didn't show it on her face, only leaning over slightly to bring her gaze level with the child sitting on the bed: "What? Is little Yuhao so surprised to see Auntie?"
Dai Yuhao was only 3 years old and naturally didn't have many schemes; he simply said whatever was on his mind.
He looked at Leng Yaozhu and replied without any wariness, "I didn't expect to see Auntie Leng in a dream again, so I was surprised!"
"A dream..."
Leng Yaozhu repeated those words in her heart, her gaze meticulously scanning every trace of genuine expression on the child's face.
She had read countless people and could naturally distinguish truth from falsehood. Dai Yuhao seemed to truly believe that everything now was just a dream.
On the surface, she maintained a gentle smile, while a hidden strand of mental force quietly reached out, sweeping over Dai Yuhao's body and spirit like a breeze over a lake for a detailed inspection.
After a moment, her heart sank slightly.
There were no residual mental imprints, no fluctuations of external interference, and absolutely no traces of being controlled or suggested by any mental-type Spirit Master.
Suppressing the many doubts in her heart, Leng Yaozhu's smile became even softer, as if she were just chatting along with the child's words: "Then... you just woke up from a dream, right?"
Dai Yuhao nodded vigorously: "Mm-hmm!"
"After waking up from the dream, did you see your mother?"
"I did!"
At the mention of his mother, Dai Yuhao's eyes lit up.
Leng Yaozhu proceeded step by step, asking in a relaxed tone, "Then what fun things happened during these days? Why don't you tell Auntie about them?"
Normally confined to the small courtyard, Dai Yuhao had almost no one to talk to besides his mother.
Now, gently guided by Leng Yaozhu, the stifled experiences in his heart flowed out like a stream after a dam had been opened.
He sat on the soft edge of the bed, his legs swinging gently, and began his intermittent descriptions.
When Leng Yaozhu first listened, she maintained a gentle smile, as if listening to a child's naive fantasies.
However, when Dai Yuhao gesticulated wildly while describing his father, who wore shiny clothes and whom many people called Duke, the curve of her lips suddenly froze.
Duke of White Tiger Dai Hao.
This name stirred ripples of shock and doubt in her heart. Although she hadn't specifically researched the old affairs of Star Luo from 10,000 years ago, she had a basic understanding of the continent's historical context.
She clearly remembered that as the Star Luo Empire moved overseas 10,000 years ago to re-establish the nation, the throne was once again exchanged from the Xu family back to the White Tiger lineage.
And it was precisely from then on that there were no more Dukes of White Tiger!
If what Dai Yuhao said was true, then the father he spoke of actually pointed to... a figure from 10,000 years ago?
Gurgle...
A clear sound of a stomach growling came from Dai Yuhao, interrupting Leng Yaozhu's heavy thoughts.
She instantly retracted all her shock and doubt, a smile reappearing on her face as her tone returned to its previous softness: "Are you hungry?"
Dai Yuhao's small face turned slightly red, and he nodded somewhat shyly.
"Let's go." Leng Yaozhu naturally reached out and took Dai Yuhao's somewhat thin little hand: "Auntie will take you to eat something delicious."
The words something delicious seemed to have magic, instantly lighting up Dai Yuhao's eyes.
In his limited understanding, the unprecedented delicacies Auntie Leng brought in his dreams were undoubtedly the greatest temptation and joy.
A glow of anticipation appeared on his face as he let Leng Yaozhu lead him off the bed, his mind already starting to imagine what novel and wonderful flavors he would taste next... Shrek City, Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, in the library on the 101st floor.
Leng Yaozhu sat alone in a secluded corner, a heavy book spread open on the wide desk in front of her; it was the History of Star Luo.
Her gaze was sharp as she scanned the records, which were slightly blurred due to their age, word by word. Her fingertips moved slowly across the yellowed pages, finally stopping at a paragraph on a certain page.
[Dai Hao, the last Duke of White Tiger of the Star Luo Empire, a Rank 95 Titled Douluo, title White Tiger...]
[His primary wife was Zhu Yunqing, and his concubine was Huo Yuner...]
[The son born to Huo Yuner, originally named Dai Yuhao, later changed his surname to his mother's and was renamed Huo Yuhao, who is the revered Spirit Ice Douluo of later generations and also the founder of the Spirit Pagoda...]
She slowly closed the book in front of her, then leaned her entire body back into the high-backed chair and closed her eyes, her brow furrowed with deep gravity and unbelievable shock.
If that child wasn't lying, then this Dai Yuhao was indeed the founder of the Spirit Pagoda, the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao!
But how could that be possible?!
The Spirit Ice Douluo was someone from 10,000 years ago!
Even with her mental state, she couldn't maintain complete composure at this moment.
After a moment of silence, Leng Yaozhu slowly opened her eyes, a sharp light flashing within them.
The corners of her lips curled up, but what they formed was a cold sneer without any warmth.
Dai Yuhao indeed came from the Star Luo Dai family.
But not the current Star Luo Dai family far overseas; rather, it was the Dai family from the White Tiger Duke Mansion 10,000 years ago.
And Dai Yuhao was even that Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao who single-handedly founded the Spirit Pagoda, ascended to godhood, and whose name would be remembered for eternity!
Such a conclusion was naturally absolutely impossible in her eyes!
To her, this must be a calculated arrangement by some mastermind with ulterior motives.
Sending a legend who founded the Spirit Pagoda 10,000 years ago to her, the current Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda—the purpose was definitely not simple!
But how could the Spirit Ice Douluo be so easily impersonated!
Dai Yuhao was only 3 years old this year. According to the traditions of the Douluo Continent, a child must wait until the age of 6 to undergo Spirit Awakening.
At that time, the power sleeping within the bloodline would reveal everything.
No matter what heaven-defying methods the other party had, they couldn't predetermine or disguise a child's innate spirit.
The Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao's iconic Original Body Martial Soul, the Spirit Eyes, did not leave behind a stable bloodline legacy on the Douluo Continent!
Thinking of this, Leng Yaozhu's heart settled.
She stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and returned the heavy History of Star Luo to its place.
As she slowly walked out of the silent library, she had already made a decision!
Three years' time was but a snap of the fingers to her.
She had enough patience and enough strength to protect this child and uncover the final answer.