The chilling aura released by the Twilight Sword sent a wave of fear through the maid. She shuddered and took several steps back.
Even the Duchess's expression grew visibly serious as she unconsciously took a step back.
As the wife of Duke Dai Hao, the Duchess was herself a Soul Master—but her cultivation wasn't high, only at the Soul Emperor level. Although she had the optimal six-ring configuration, she should not, in theory, have feared Jiang Shengyu, a mere four-ring Soul Ancestor.
But Jiang Shengyu was far from an ordinary Soul Ancestor. The aura emitted by the Twilight Sword was terrifyingly sharp. A Soul Emperor like her had no confidence she could safely withstand its edge.
Especially after so many years in her noble role, her combat instincts had long dulled.
"Is the Duchess… afraid?"
Seeing the reactions of both the maid and the Duchess, Jiang Shengyu let out a cold chuckle.
"Our Sun Moon Empire has a legacy spanning ten thousand years. Even the three original empires of the Douluo Continent wouldn't dare openly call us 'barbarians'. Yet here you are, Duchess—allowing a mere maid to insult us as such.
The White Tiger lineage truly lives up to its reputation as the former royal family of the Star Luo Empire!"
"You—!"
The Duchess's face visibly tensed when he mentioned the White Tiger lineage as "former royalty."
Everyone knew that the current imperial family was in decline, with only a single promising member left—a princess named Xu Jiujiu.
By contrast, the White Tiger line was thriving: Duke Dai Hao was a Titled Douluo, both his sons were enrolled at Shrek Academy, and his youngest was gaining military experience. A family brimming with talent.
A fading royal line, outshone by a powerful noble clan—that was enough to make any emperor uncomfortable. If Jiang Shengyu's insinuations reached the wrong ears, it could spell serious trouble.
Watching the Duchess's reaction, Jiang Shengyu chuckled again,
"Careful now, Duchess. Don't pass out from anger."
The Duchess took a deep breath and turned to glance at the trembling maid beside her. Meeting the Duchess's eyes, the maid swallowed her fear and stepped forward to bow.
"P-please… forgive me, sir."
Jiang Shengyu waved her off and turned back to the Duchess.
"As for your so-called justice—are you really unaware that your son started the fight?
Even Shrek Academy has no complaints, yet you came here to stir trouble. Are you saying you're stronger than Shrek Academy?"
A verbal hatchet—perfectly timed.
The Duchess had never met such a difficult opponent before. Her face flushed red, then pale, then red again—like a chameleon.
Watching her expression shift, Jiang Shengyu muttered half-jokingly, Could her martial soul really be a chameleon?
"Still here, Duchess?" he added casually.
"Waiting for more people to gather so we can keep chatting about your former royal family background?
I'm sure most spectators would take your side—old royal blood and all."
He latched onto the topic like a dog with a bone, twisting the knife with practiced ease.
"You… very well!"
Spitting out those three words, the Duchess turned and stormed off with her maid in tow. She knew that if things escalated further, no one would come out looking good.
—
Only after they'd left did Jiang Shengyu withdraw his Twilight Sword, return indoors, and shut the door. He turned to Huo Yuhao, who was sitting quietly in the corner, and said,
"They're gone. Nothing to worry about now."
Yuhao looked at him and nodded in thanks.
"I've only met the Duchess a few times… and that was when I was a child. Even if I stood in front of her now, she probably wouldn't recognize me."
"You still can't take that risk."
Of course, Jiang Shengyu knew she wouldn't recognize Yuhao, but as an older cousin, he had to stand up and protect his little brother—no matter what.
Gu Lingjun and the team's supervising teacher exchanged glances and spoke to the team:
"This matter is settled for now. Everyone, get some rest. There are still plenty of matches ahead."
Heeding their advice, the Sun Moon Empire's representative team began restricting their movements. Most of them stayed inside the hotel. Even if the Duchess wanted to act, she'd be more cautious about doing so in a public place.
—
That night, just as Huo Yuhao was about to go to bed, a sudden knock came from the door.
He glanced toward it, puzzled.
"Who is it?"
A soft voice replied from outside, "It's me—Nana."
Nana?
What was she doing here?
Huo Yuhao got up and opened the door. Standing outside was Nana, her expression visibly conflicted.
"It's late, Senior. Is something wrong?" Yuhao asked politely.
Nana looked around to make sure no one else was nearby, then asked,
"May I come in and speak privately?"
Yuhao didn't think much of it and stepped aside to let her in. Once inside, Nana turned to him and asked seriously:
"Junior Yuhao… when you fought Dai Huabin earlier, you used power at the soul level, didn't you?"
Just as Yuhao was about to deny it, she interrupted,
"My martial soul is Ghost. I have deep understanding of soul-based power. You can't fool me."
Yuhao furrowed his brows slightly.
"Senior Nana… what are you trying to say?"
Suddenly, Nana dropped to her knees before him and bowed deeply.
"Please, junior… help me!"
Yuhao was taken aback. He immediately stepped sideways and tried to pull her up.
"Senior! What are you doing? Please get up!"
"I know this puts you in a difficult position," Nana said, looking up at him with eyes already reddening. "But I truly have no other choice. Please…"
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Yuhao sighed helplessly.
"If you want my help, you need to tell me what's going on first. Come on—stand up. Then we can talk."
He helped her up, and Nana began to explain her story.
She told him about her parents, and how their souls had been taken hostage by a mysterious and evil organization.
Yuhao was stunned. He hadn't expected something like that—not in Mingdu, the very capital of the Sun Moon Empire!
The fact that an evil soul master organization could exist right under the Empire's nose was deeply alarming.
Yuhao tried to calm her.
"Senior… I want to help, I really do. But with just two rings, I can't take on something like that.
An organization of evil soul masters is bound to have terrifying experts. I wouldn't stand a chance!
And… shouldn't this be reported to the academy? Why come to me?"
Nana shook her head.
"I don't want the academy to know… And you're not just Teacher Xuan's disciple—you're also the Marquis's cousin. You can move forces I can't."
"You don't want the academy involved? Why?" Yuhao pressed, confused.
Nana hesitated, then said softly,
"They used my parents to threaten me. I've… already done things for them."
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