Chapter 5: The Duchess (1 / 1)
His voice was not loud, yet carried an unquestionable dominance and contemptuous indifference.
That faint but soul-shaking pressure once again spread out. The entire broken courtyard felt like a dragon's abyss.
The servant woman was terrified out of her mind and scrambled away to report back. The two male servants remained kneeling, trembling uncontrollably.
Huo Yuhao supported his mother, who had just woken up and was still weak. Looking at this mysterious and powerful young man, his mind was in chaos.
Lin Yu stood with his hands behind his back, gaze fixed on the direction of the Duke's mansion, filled with disdain.
The broken courtyard fell into suffocating silence, broken only by the panicked footsteps of the fleeing servant woman and the chattering teeth of the kneeling men.
Lin Yu slowly swept his cold gaze over the servants, then landed on Huo Yuhao and his mother.
Huo Yun'er had just regained consciousness. Although her breathing was steadier, her face was still pale and fearful.
She saw the scene clearly—the once vicious servants were now kneeling like dead dogs, while the mysterious youth radiated an oppressive aura.
"Mother! How do you feel?" Huo Yuhao asked anxiously, his voice hoarse with tears.
"Yuhao… mother is fine…"
Huo Yun'er answered weakly, then looked at Lin Yu and the servants in fear. She struggled to get up:
"Benefactor… great benefactor… thank you for saving my life…
But… please… let this end here… we… we cannot afford to offend the Duchess… we should leave… leave Star Luo City…"
Her voice was full of humility and fear. She only wanted to escape with her son, even if it meant enduring suffering, rather than facing the Duke's wrath.
Huo Yuhao looked at his mother's terrified expression, then recalled her nearly being beaten to death just moments ago, and all the humiliation they had suffered over the years.
A surge of rage and humiliation completely shattered his restraint.
Why?
Why, as blood of the White Tiger Duke, were Dai Huabin and others living in luxury while he and his mother were treated like dirt?
Why was his mother's life so worthless in their eyes?
"No! Mother! We cannot let it end like this!"
Huo Yuhao suddenly raised his head, eyes burning with fury and stubborn determination.
He turned toward Lin Yu, his voice low but firm, trembling with hatred:
"Benefactor! My mother is kind, she fears trouble, she only wants peace. But I can't swallow this! Why do they treat us like this?"
"Just because we are lowly? Just because they have power? If it weren't for you today… my mother would have…"
His fists clenched tightly, nails digging into his palms:
"I want justice! I want them to pay for this! I want that vicious woman to understand—we are not ants to be trampled!"
Huo Yun'er looked at her son in shock and fear, trying to stop him:
"Yuhao! Don't… don't say it… we cannot win…"
Lin Yu silently observed the boy.
Huo Yun'er's fear was expected—years of oppression had forged it into instinct.
But Huo Yuhao's reaction made a faint trace of approval appear in Lin Yu's deep dragon-like eyes.
Anger at injustice. Refusal to accept humiliation. Courage to resist even when powerless.
This was acceptable.
If he had chosen to endure silently like his mother, then even if he had so-called "God-King potential," he would not be worthy of being his disciple.
A coward who cannot defend his own mother has no right to inherit the path of a God-King.
Nor can he ever wield vengeance against that hypocritical God Realm.
Lin Yu nodded slightly. His playful, dangerous smile faded, replaced by a cold, superior acknowledgment.
"Good."
His voice calmly cut through Huo Yun'er's plea and Huo Yuhao's trembling breath:
"If you want justice… then I shall give you justice."
He no longer looked at them. His gaze returned to the Duke's mansion, as if piercing through walls.
A far more oppressive aura began to spread silently from him, like an ancient beast awakening.
The entire courtyard—and even the nearby streets—fell into absolute stillness. Even the wind vanished.
The two kneeling servants fainted instantly.
"I said before,"
Lin Yu's voice was calm, yet carried a pressure that made heaven and earth tremble:
"Bring them here. If they refuse… they will bear the consequences."
"This matter of justice… I, Lin Yu, will settle it for you today."
Although Lin Yu was still heavily injured, he had recovered some strength. His physical body was now at a level where even a peak Titled Douluo could barely injure him.
Of course, breaking his defense was impossible—at most it would slightly register.
As for attacking him, it was essentially impossible. His power had not fully recovered, and the super divine weapon could not be used freely. At best, he could handle ordinary Titled Douluo—an embarrassing state indeed.
Lin Yu stood with hands behind his back, domineering aura enveloping the courtyard, waiting for the Duke's response.
Huo Yuhao stood beside his mother, eyes burning with unprecedented fire.
At that moment, Lin Yu suddenly had a thought.
"Tch… almost forgot the main thing."
"System, sign in!"
[Ding! Host detected at Star Luo Empire—Star Luo City (outer White Tiger Duke estate). Sign in?]
"Sign in."
[Ding! Sign-in successful!]
[Reward: Breaking-World Dragon Spine Sword]
[Description: A blade containing a trace of annihilating sharpness and unyielding dragon soul. Its spine resembles condensed dragon bone, engraved with spatial crack-like patterns. Though not a divine weapon, it can easily tear through mortal defenses and strongly penetrate energy barriers. Upon formation, faint dragon chants can be heard.]
In his consciousness, Lin Yu felt a long sword appear—ancient, dark gold, with a dragon-spine-like ridge, radiating an extremely sharp aura.