Chapter 280 Hei Yuhao is almost old enough to sit at the same table as Hei Xuanzi.
In the dark world, in the squares of major cities, Soul Masters looked at the sky, and discussions arose once again.
"Huo Yuhao of this dark world has completely forgotten his mother's hatred," a Soul Master said, shaking his head. "Back in the Duke's mansion, how did his mother die? She was abused to death by the Duchess. What about the White Tiger Duke? Did he care? No. Now that she's in trouble, he's all over her."
"Exactly," someone nearby chimed in. "Once there's one, there's two, and then there's three. Ever since he saved Dai Hao in the Valley of Love and Destiny last time, he's been going there on his own initiative now. Last time, you could say he was forced by Cupid, but this time he went on his own. Nobody forced him."
"I really feel sorry for his mother." A female Soul Master sighed. "She raised him with great difficulty and even made him remember the hatred before she died. And what did she do? He turned around and went to save his enemy. If his mother knew, she would be turning in her grave."
"So, Hei Yuhao has long since lost all sense of decency," another Soul Master said. "When Wang Qiu'er sacrificed herself for him, he knelt down and cried a couple of times. When his own father died, he didn't even care about his own life. His relationships with people are crystal clear."
"Do you all remember?" an older Soul Master said. "Back in the Duke's mansion, how did his mother, Huo Yun'er, die? She fell ill from overwork, and the Duchess cut her rations. In the dead of winter, she didn't even have a thick coat. And what about Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger? Where is he? He's fighting on the border. He has no idea that there's a mother and son like that at home. Does not knowing mean he can ignore them? They are his woman, his son."
"Even after we found out, we didn't see him do anything." The person next to him sneered. "Did he ever arrange anything for Huo Yuhao? No. He didn't even apologize. Now that Huo Yuhao has grown up and is capable, he's here to receive favors. What do you call that? You call it retribution."
"The most ridiculous one is Huo Yuhao," another Soul Master said. "He could have ignored it, he should have hated that man. But he went anyway, twice. The first time, you could say he was forced by Cupid, that he would die if he didn't save him. But this time? No one forced him, he went voluntarily. What does that mean? It means he had already forgiven him in his heart, or rather, he never truly hated him."
"That's not entirely true," someone said, defending Huo Yuhao. "Dai Luoli is his brother. His brother came to him for help, so he felt bad refusing. Besides, saving someone is one thing, and hating someone is another; they are two separate things."
"Two different things?" the female Soul Master retorted. "If he truly hated someone, he wouldn't have gone. Going means he no longer hates them. If you hate someone, would you go to save them? You'd rather they were dead. Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, not only saved them, but he went to such lengths. Last time in Qiankun Valley of Love, he almost risked Wang Dong'er's life to save Dai Hao. And this time he went to save her again. Is that what you call hatred?"
"Alright, alright, stop arguing," someone said. "Let's look at the sky. I want to see how he's going to save us this time."
All eyes were once again focused on the sky.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
[Eagle's Sorrow Gorge: The cliffs on both sides of the canyon soar into the clouds, and the passage in the middle is narrow and cramped. Duke Dai Hao's chariot is trapped deep in the canyon, blocked from both the front and back by evil spirit masters.]
Dai Hao was covered in wounds, his right arm corroded by a dark purple poisonous mist, turning it a bluish-black color. He leaned against the carriage, panting heavily, with fewer than ten guards remaining beside him. The guards formed a circle around him, protecting him, their faces etched with despair.
"Commander, there are too many evil spirit masters; we can't break through," a guard said anxiously.
"Hold on a little longer," Dai Hao gritted his teeth. "Reinforcements should be arriving soon."
"Reinforcements?" A sharp laugh echoed from above the canyon. A black-robed evil spirit master stood atop the cliff, a bone staff in his hand, its head inlaid with a dark purple skull. He looked down at Dai Hao, his eyes full of mockery. "Dai Hao, don't dream. We've set up three lines of defense along this road; your reinforcements can't get through. Today, you're going to die here."
Dai Hao remained silent, only gripping his longsword tighter.
The black-robed evil spirit master raised his bone staff, and the skull at the top opened its mouth, spewing out a stream of eerie green flames that transformed into a fiery serpent, lunging downwards into the canyon.
"Protect the Commander!" the guards shouted in unison, desperately shielding Dai Hao. Two guards were struck by the fire snakes, their bodies instantly bursting into flames. They screamed and collapsed to the ground, quickly falling silent.
Dai Hao's eyes reddened. These were veterans who had followed him for many years, and they had died right before his eyes.
"General, let's go!" the remaining guards shouted. "We'll hold them off!"
Dai Hao didn't move. He knew he couldn't leave. The canyon was blocked from both ends; even if he could break through this section, he wouldn't be able to get past the three outer lines of defense.
Just then, a violent roar came from the entrance of the canyon. A burst of icy blue light exploded within the canyon, filling the air with chilling energy, and instantly freezing the ground with a thick layer of frost.
A figure rushed in from the canyon entrance. He was incredibly fast; wherever he passed, evil spirit masters were frozen into ice sculptures, which then shattered into pieces.
It was Huo Yuhao.
[Dairoli followed behind him on horseback, shouting as he rode, "Father! We're here!"]
[Dai Hao suddenly looked up and froze when he saw Huo Yuhao beside Dai Luoli. He had never seen Huo Yuhao before, but that face reminded him of a woman from many years ago. That gentle and humble woman he had forgotten in the backyard of the Duke's mansion.]
Huo Yuhao didn't look at him. His gaze swept across the cliff tops on both sides of the canyon, his spiritual eyes activated, and his mental detection instantly covered the entire battlefield.
"There are fifteen evil soul masters in total. Three on the cliff top and twelve in the canyon. The one in black robes with the highest cultivation is a Title Douluo," Huo Yuhao said coldly.
"What should we do then?" Dai Luoli asked anxiously.
"Take your father and retreat out of the canyon," Huo Yuhao said. "I'll hold them off."
"You alone?" Dai Luoli's eyes widened. "Can you take on so many?"
"We have to fight even if we can't win." Huo Yuhao didn't explain further and charged straight into the depths of the canyon.
He unleashed his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial spirit, and the chilling aura of extreme ice condensed around him. The ice on the ground grew thicker and thicker, and the rock walls were covered with white frost. The twelve evil soul masters attacked simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of dark purple soul skills upon him.
Huo Yuhao did not dodge. He thrust his hands forward, and the Wrath of the Ice Emperor, imbued with the power of extreme ice, transformed into a massive ice wall, blocking his path.
[boom--]
The ice wall shattered, and Huo Yuhao was thrown back more than ten steps by the shockwave, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. But he didn't fall; instead, he used the recoil to charge towards the nearest evil soul master.
[With a single palm strike, the evil soul master was frozen solid before he could react. The ice rapidly spread, and within two breaths, he was transformed into an ice sculpture. Huo Yuhao kicked it away, shattering the ice sculpture and scattering fragments across the ground.]
"Damn it, this kid's weird!" The black-robed evil spirit master's expression changed. "Attack together! Don't give him a chance to pick them off one by one!"
The remaining eleven evil soul masters gathered together, surrounding Huo Yuhao. Instead of attacking separately, they joined forces to unleash a large evil soul array. Dark purple light intertwined in the air, forming a giant net that descended upon Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao felt an immense pressure. His chilling aura weakened under the suppression of the net. The ice began to melt, and his movements became sluggish.
He knew that if things continued like this, he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.
"Mental interference," Huo Yuhao uttered in a low voice, golden light flashing in his spiritual eyes. An invisible mental wave spread out from him, impacting the consciousness of those evil soul masters.
Several lower-level evil spirit masters swayed, their soul skills instantly spiraling out of control. Cracks appeared in the formation.
[Huo Yuhao seized the opportunity, his figure flashing as he broke through the encirclement. He arrived in front of an evil soul master, striking out with a palm that froze him into an ice sculpture. Then he turned and struck another with his palm.]
One, two, three...
Huo Yuhao traversed the canyon, each palm strike claiming the life of an evil soul master. But he also bore several wounds. His left arm was corroded by poisonous mist, the pain almost unbearable. A dark purple beam of light struck his back, scorching a large patch of his clothes, tearing away flesh, and drawing blood.
[Dai Luoli led Dai Hao as they retreated out of the canyon, glancing back as they ran. He saw Huo Yuhao, covered in blood, still fighting, and his eyes reddened. He wanted to rush back to help, but Dai Hao held him back.]
"Don't go," Dai Hao said. "You'll only cause him trouble."
[Dairoli gritted her teeth and kept running forward.]
The battle within the canyon continued. Huo Yuhao killed four more evil soul masters, but his stamina had reached its limit. He had at least seven or eight wounds, blood staining half of his clothes. His breathing grew heavier, and his vision began to blur.
The black-robed evil spirit master stared at the ice shards scattered on the ground, his face extremely grim. He hadn't expected that a level 80 junior could withstand their siege for so long and even kill so many people.
"Who exactly are you?" the black-robed evil spirit master asked through gritted teeth, staring at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao didn't answer. He stood there, panting heavily, but his eyes remained resolute.
Just then, the sound of orderly hooves and shouts of battle came from outside the canyon. Reinforcements had arrived.
The black-robed evil spirit master's expression changed drastically, and he roared, "Retreat!"
The remaining evil spirit masters retreated like a tide, disappearing into the shadows of the canyon.
Huo Yuhao stood there, watching their departing figures, swayed, and then collapsed to the ground.
"Yuhao!" Dai Luoli rushed back, helped him up, and tears streamed down her face. "How are you? Don't scare me!"
Huo Yuhao opened his eyes, glanced at Dai Hao, who was being supported by his guards in the distance, then looked at Dai Luoli, and said softly, "It's alright. I won't die."
[Dai Luoli cried, "You're covered in injuries, and you said you were fine..."]
Huo Yuhao didn't speak again and closed his eyes.
Dai Hao stood there, looking at the blood-covered young man, his lips moving. He wanted to go over and say something, but his feet seemed rooted to the ground, unable to move an inch.
The young man saved his life. The young man's face reminded him of the woman he had wronged. Her child must be about this age now.
"Father, he is..." Dai Luoli started to say something, but Huo Yuhao grabbed her hand.
Huo Yuhao shook his head, signaling him not to speak.
Dai Luoli bit her lip, swallowing back the words that were about to come out.
Dai Hao finally came over. He stood before Huo Yuhao, remained silent for a long time, and then bowed deeply.
"Young brother, I will never forget your life-saving grace," Dai Hao said in a slightly hoarse voice. "May I ask your name? I will certainly repay you handsomely in the future."
Huo Yuhao looked at him. This was his father. This was the man he had hated for over a decade. He had fantasized countless times about what he would say if he ever met this man. He would question this man about why he had abandoned him and his mother. He would tell him how his mother had died. He would make him know how much he owed them.
But now, the man stood before him, looking at him with grateful eyes, and said, "Thank you for saving my life."
Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
"You're welcome," Huo Yuhao said calmly. "It was nothing."
He didn't reveal his name. He didn't tell Dai Hao who he was.
Dai Hao glanced at him again, then nodded: "Young brother, I will remember your great kindness. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to come to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion to find me."
Huo Yuhao remained silent.
Dai Hao turned around and, with the help of his guards, boarded the carriage. The convoy slowly drove out of the canyon.
Huo Yuhao stood there, watching the carriage disappear into the distance, a strange feeling welling up inside him.
The man was grateful to him. He said, "I will repay you handsomely in the future." The man didn't know that he was his son.
Huo Yuhao felt a warm feeling in his heart.
Dai Luoli stood beside him and whispered, "Yuhao, why didn't you tell him?"
Huo Yuhao shook his head: "There's no need."
["But..."]
"Let's go." Huo Yuhao mounted his horse. "We'll talk about it when we get back."
The two rode their horses towards the military camp.
In the plaza of the Dark World, the Soul Masters witnessed this scene, and their discussions erupted once again.
"Heh, so he's come looking for fatherly love, huh?" a Soul Master sneered. "Being thanked by his enemy makes him feel all warm inside. Has he forgotten how his mother died?"
"Disgusting," someone nearby said. "After the Valley of Love and Destiny, Huo Yuhao has completely lost his humanity. He was forced to save Dai Hao the first time, but he did it voluntarily the second time. He's swallowed all the hatred he had in his heart long ago."
"He's almost good enough to sit at the same table as Hei Xuanzi," another Soul Master said, shaking his head. "Hei Xuanzi neglects his duties to eat chicken legs, and Hei Yuhao forgets the hatred of killing his mother in order to find his father's love. These two are both hopeless."
"And have you noticed?" a female Soul Master said, "He saved Dai Hao, and Dai Hao was grateful to him, which warmed his heart. This shows that what he really wants is not revenge, but to gain that man's approval. He wants fatherly love, he wants Dai Hao to say 'good son' to him. This kind of mentality is too twisted."
"Yes," someone nearby chimed in. "His mother died for him, and he turns around and tries to please the man who killed her. This kind of person is even worse than those unfilial sons."
"Alright, alright, stop talking," someone said. "Watching too much of this is really disgusting. Bai Shijie is better; at least Bai Yuhao knows who he should hate."
"The sky should be switching back to the white world soon," another person said. "The dark world's plot is enough to raise your blood pressure."
The murmurs in the square gradually subsided, but everyone's face was filled with disgust and disdain for Huo Yuhao.
The scene freezes on Huo Yuhao's departing figure on horseback. The setting sun casts a long shadow. He had saved his father and earned his gratitude, filling him with warmth. But his mother's grave hadn't been visited in a long time.
(End of chapter)