The three words "three years ago" instantly brought the scene from that day back into Huo Yuner's mind. Three years ago, when the Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao, returned to the Duke's Mansion, she had mustered all her courage to take her son to see his father. However, they were publicly blocked by the Duchess Zhu Yunqing's maidservant, who threatened them into leaving. That powerlessness, that despair, and the heart-wrenching pain of being unable to protect her own child instantly overwhelmed her again!
Her pupils suddenly constricted, her face turned instantly pale, and her body even began to tremble uncontrollably. This made Huo Yuner realize that while the White Tiger Duke's Mansion seemed safe, they could also suddenly lose their lives here. As a mother, she could endure any hardship herself, but she absolutely could not tolerate her son being in danger! The worry for her son's safety instantly overcame her fear of the unknown outside world.
Huo Yuner was about to nod in agreement, but the towering figure that had lingered in her heart for many years suddenly appeared, causing her to hesitate for a moment. She looked at her son's clear and resolute eyes; her gaze flickered several times, her lips moved, and she softly uttered a few words.
"But Yuhao... your father..."
The words had barely left her mouth, not even finished, when Dai Yuhao interrupted her.
"Mom!" Dai Yuhao's voice suddenly rose, carrying an emotion that had been suppressed for a long time and was now close to erupting. "In these past 3 years, he has come back several times!"
Dai Yuhao's voice trembled slightly with excitement; every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "How many times has he ever spared us even a single glance?! Has he ever asked how we were doing?!" He took a deep breath, as if to pour out all the grievances, confusion, and hatred accumulated over the years in his heart. "In his heart, there is no place for us, mother and son, never has been! Mom, wake up! He doesn't care if you're tired, he doesn't care if I can eat my fill and stay warm, and he doesn't care what kind of life we live here! He probably doesn't even remember us, mother and son!"
Dai Yuhao's voice grew louder, practically a shout. "He doesn't deserve to be a husband! And he certainly doesn't deserve to be a father!"
Dai Yuhao's final words were like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely against Huo Yuner's heart and utterly shattering her last shred of illusion. How could Huo Yuner not know this cruel truth? On countless late nights, she wept alone, recalling the brief and vague tenderness of the past, contrasting it with the long, hopeless, cold reality of the present, her heart having long since turned cold. It was only that humble love, that illusory longing for a complete family, and that obsession with wanting her son to have his father's recognition, that made her choose self-deception time and time again.
And now, this thin veil of self-deception was pierced so bluntly by her son, turning all her excuses and fantasies instantly into dust. The naked truth lay before her, making it impossible for her to escape any longer. A profound sorrow, like a breached dam, instantly flooded Huo Yuner. Her body swayed, as if she had lost all strength. Tears streamed down like broken pearls, rolling down her pale, thin cheeks and dripping onto her worn clothes. She covered her mouth but could not suppress the broken sobs.
Seeing his mother so heartbroken, the anger and excitement in Dai Yuhao's heart quickly subsided, replaced by deep heartache. He stepped forward, extended his small hand, and gently wiped the tears from his mother's face.
"Mom, please don't cry. He is not worth your tears. From now on, having me is enough. Starting today, I will no longer bear the Dai surname. From now on, my name is... Huo Yuhao!"
After Huo Yuhao failed to awaken his Spirit, aside from the time Dai Huabin brought his followers over, the Duchess Zhu Yunqing seemed to have stopped paying attention to the mother and son. The next day, just as dawn broke and the morning mist had not fully dispersed, Huo Yuner and Huo Yuhao, mother and son, had already packed their few belongings into two small bundles. Without alerting anyone, they quietly slipped out through the small, almost unguarded gate on the north side of the Duke's Mansion.
Outside the gate was an empty alleyway, and in the distance, the streets were slowly waking up. The slightly cool morning breeze blew against their faces, carrying the scent of freedom. Huo Yuner turned her head and took one last look at the majestic, continuous walls of the manor behind her, which had never given her a shred of warmth. A complex emotion flashed in her eyes. There was relief, sadness, but mostly, a sense of lightness after escaping confinement. She squeezed her son's hand, turned away, and did not look back.
"Let's go, Yuhao."
"Yes, Mom."
The mother and son first arrived in Star Luo City. Huo Yuner used the small savings she had painstakingly accumulated over the years to rent the most basic carriage at the coach station and headed east. After spending a day traveling, they finally arrived at a small city called West Arrival in the eastern part of the Star Luo Empire. Xilai City was small, with narrow streets, low and old houses, and simply dressed pedestrians. The pace of life was noticeably slower than in the larger cities.
But the air here was filled with a sense of tranquility, making it the perfect place for Huo Yuhao and his mother to start their new lives. After paying the carriage fare, Huo Yuner had very little of her savings left. She didn't hesitate, taking out the White Tiger Brush, a token of love Dai Hao had given her years ago, and pawned it for 1,000 gold coins. For an ordinary commoner family, this was a considerable fortune, enough for them to live securely in Xilai City for some time.
With money, things went much smoother. They quickly rented a two-room house with a small courtyard in a relatively quiet alley in the west of the city. Although the house was old, it was clean and tidy. Huo Yuner meticulously cleaned it inside and out and purchased some necessary household items. A "home" of their own had taken shape. Once everything was settled, Huo Yuner wanted to go out and find some work to supplement their household expenses.
But this time, as soon as she mentioned it, Huo Yuhao firmly stopped her. They had fled the Duke's Mansion partly for his mother's health, so how could he possibly let her work now? When Huo Yuner insisted, Huo Yuhao had no choice but to reveal his identity as a Spirit Master, stating that it was easy for Spirit Masters to earn money. Looking at Huo Yuhao, who acted like a little adult, Huo Yuner finally agreed.
However, although Huo Yuhao was a genuine Spirit Master with a 1,000 year first ring, and his mental force far surpassed his peers, the reality before him was that he was only 6 years old. At this age and size, finding a job based on his Spirit Master identity was not easy. Even for the most common guard work, they wouldn't hire a child, even if his strength was greater.
However, since Huo Yuhao dared to decisively flee the Duke's Mansion with his mother, he was naturally mentally prepared and had done some research and planning beforehand. After wandering around Xilai City for half a day and making a few inquiries, Huo Yuhao locked onto his target: a blacksmith shop. That's right, the job Huo Yuhao was looking for was blacksmithing!
In the stories circulated across the continent, the Sea God Tang San, 10,000 years ago, had worked in a blacksmith shop during his youth. More importantly, in the Spirit Pagoda 10,000 years later, the sub-profession Huo Yuhao had chosen for himself was Blacksmith! Although he hadn't officially started learning yet, blacksmithing in this era 10,000 years later could be considered professionally relevant.
Soon, he found a blacksmith shop on a relatively busy street in the west of the city that looked moderately sized and seemed to have good business. The shop had a semi-open structure outside. The furnace fire was blazing, illuminating the area near the entrance with a red glow, and the rhythmic clanging of hammers rang out. A slightly worn wooden plaque hung at the entrance of the shop, simply displaying the large characters: "Wu's Blacksmith Shop."
Huo Yuhao stopped, standing a short distance outside the shop. He didn't rush in but quietly observed first. Inside the shop, two burly men, stripped to the waist and wearing only heavy leather work pants and aprons, were working up a sweat. Their muscles were bulging, and their skin, constantly baked by the furnace fire, was tanned bronze and glistening with sweat. One man was using iron tongs to hold a glowing red iron bloom on the anvil, while the other wielded a heavy hammer, striking the billet repeatedly, sending sparks flying and producing a dull, rhythmic "Clang! Clang!" sound.
Sweat ran down their strong backs, dripping onto the scorching floor with a soft sizzling sound. Perhaps he had been standing there too long, or perhaps it was simply conspicuous for a small child to be standing and looking around outside a blacksmith shop. The burly man responsible for swinging the hammer paused after another strike, wiped his face with the sweat towel draped around his neck, and caught sight of Huo Yuhao out of the corner of his eye.
He stopped working, leaned his hammer on the ground, and caught his breath. Then he turned his head, fixed his gaze on Huo Yuhao, and asked in a rough voice, "Hey, little friend over there! You've been watching for ages. Did an adult from your family send you to get something forged?"
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