Chapter 89: What's all this chirping about? Old Huo doesn't want to hear it!
Boom!!
As soon as these words were uttered, Xu Jiawei's conjecture was verified, and countless spectators and participating team members from various academies of the Star Luo Empire stood up in shock.
"What?!"
"Huo Yuhao, he's the son of White Tiger Duke Dai Hao? His father, that irresponsible bastard, is Dai Hao?!"
"No wonder, no wonder Huo Yuhao went for the kill against Dai Huabin during the match. So this was the reason?"
"Looking at White Tiger Duke's expression, is he really unaware?"
"Is it possible this is just Huo Yuhao's one-sided story? Could these things be false?"
"Did your brain get squeezed by a door? Who would joke about something like this!"
Over at Shrek, the originally dejected crowd, upon hearing such sensational gossip, all stood stunned in disbelief.
Especially Zhu Lu, who hadn't yet recovered from her sorrow over Dai Huabin's death. Now, hearing that Huo Yuhao was actually Dai Huabin's brother, she immediately wanted to speak out.
But before she could, Su Tong covered her mouth.
"Don't speak. This kind of situation is not something a small fry like you can get involved in."
What a joke. Didn't they see the two imposing, super-powerful backers behind Huo Yuhao? Huo Yuhao dared to speak like that, making the entire audience quietly listen as he recounted his deeds, because of Kong Deming and Poison Undying.
Try it with someone else, and you'll see if those Titled Douluo from Star Luo Empire don't finish you off. And shouting in public?
Do you really think just anyone has the right to speak to His Majesty the Emperor and the White Tiger Duke like that?
Wang Dong and Ning Tian both watched this scene. Wang Dong was curious because Huo Yuhao had said before that he had never seen his irresponsible father since childhood, which resonated with her own experience.
After all, she had never seen her own father since she gained consciousness. Her Big Uncle and Second Uncle always said her father had important things to do, and she had never seen her father, who only existed in verbal descriptions.
If not for her Big Uncle and Second Uncle's genuine love for her, she might even think that the father who only existed in stories was fabricated.
So, regarding what Huo Yuhao said, she even felt she could empathize.
As for Ning Tian, she didn't find Huo Yuhao's identity strange; she was puzzled by the puppets Huo Yuhao had used earlier.
She seemed to see a hint of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Heart Separation Control in those puppets. It was strange, yet not quite—those puppets were clearly released as part of a Soul Skill. It couldn't simply be that controlling several puppets constituted Heart Separation Control; that wouldn't be logical.
Xu Jiawei swore he had never regretted his curiosity as much as he did now.
Before, he was excited to learn Huo Yuhao's background and understand everything that had happened to him.
But now that the truth was revealed, he felt so uneasy. Huo Yuhao was actually Hao's son. Was there anything more messed up in this world?
"You..." Dai Hao was stunned—truly stunned.
'This is my son, and my son killed my son. He just found out he has another son. Who killed whom?'
These words left his mind in chaos. He couldn't even hear the surrounding sounds, only feeling a rush of dizziness and weightlessness.
Huo Yuhao had been observing Dai Hao's expression. From his current reaction, he indeed didn't know about Huo Yuhao, his illegitimate son.
However, this doesn't prove that Dai Hao didn't know Huo Yun'er. But that's not important.
Dai Hao wanted to make amends—after all, this was truly unbelievable.
"Yuhao, I... I truly didn't know about your mother's situation. No one ever told me..."
He didn't doubt Huo Yuhao's words because, as most people said, no one would joke about such a matter.
He finally understood where his earlier unease came from. He now recognized that the distinctive ice-blue eyes that appeared when the child's Martial Soul possessed him were the mark of the White Tiger Duke's lineage.
Huo Yuhao didn't want to hear such disgusting words. What nonsense about no one telling him? Even if no one really told him, did he not have legs? Didn't he know to ask?
If he truly cared about Huo Yun'er—even if she died—he should at least know how she died. This clearly showed he didn't care about a mere maid. Could the White Tiger Duke's wife really conceal it just by hiding?
What a joke!
While the White Tiger Duke's wife deserved to die, she was at most a jealous woman. The root of everything was actually Dai Hao; he was the true source.
Pushing everything onto others—do you really think I'm Huo Yuhao?
You apologize, kowtow a few times, and repent with tears— and I'll forgive you? Go to hell!
"Enough. During the days my mother and I lived together, she always worried about you, saying you were the greatest hero in this world. I once thought so too, but now it seems I only find my past self so ridiculous."
He was speaking Huo Yuhao's words, so everything flowed smoothly. As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took out the White Tiger Dagger and casually toyed with it in his hand.
"I said, whether you remember or not, from the day I left the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, I have had no connection with you. My surname is Huo, and between me and you— the White Tiger Duke— there is only hatred."
"This is the dagger you left for my mother back then. I think I can guess what you meant at the time. This thing will serve its purpose in the future; I will personally use it to kill you and avenge my mother."
"As for you—there's no need to pretend. If you're a man, remember what I said and accept it graciously. Don't let me look down on you."
What nonsense about letting Dai Hao spend the rest of his life in remorse? That kind of thinking is unacceptable. This old man, as the Star Luo Military God, has killed thousands—if not tens of thousands—of people.
He watched Dai Huabin die by his own hands, yet he was rational enough to negotiate with Du Busi and his own teacher. Do you really expect such a person to repent for Huo Yun'er?
Dai Hao might regret not realizing he had this illegitimate son, but that's only because he's now shown his talent and has become famous across the continent.
If he were still the Huo Yuhao with innate soul power of rank one, in a place like the White Tiger Duke's Mansion—where the fittest survive—he wouldn't have much attention, and the outcome wouldn't change.
He could roughly guess what Dai Hao was about to say next: nothing more than the "responsibility first" argument—the idea that family and national duty outweigh personal emotions.
He's too lazy to listen to such nonsense—blaming everything on asymmetric information or claiming that out-of-control domestic management and war obligations prevented him from paying attention.
What, did Dai Luoli just pop out of a rock?
If he could remember Huo Yun'er's name without me giving him a hint, then Old Huo would have nothing to say. Is that possible? Absolutely not!
It might work for someone brainwashed, or Huo Yuhao, whose soul was held by Tang San, but to try and fool him? Save it.
By the way— is Huo Yun'er's soul still around? After the competition, when he deals with Dai Hao and that White Tiger Duke's wife, perhaps he can have Old Yi retrieve Huo Yun'er's soul— if it hasn't dissipated.
(I personally think Tang San obtained Huo Yun'er's soul when Huo Yuhao encountered the Tianmeng Iceworm, and his identity as the Son of Destiny was discovered. Now that Huo Yuhao's Destiny has changed, and Tang San has lost control of the God Realm's core and cannot monitor or interfere with the lower worlds, as long as Huo Yun'er's soul hasn't dissipated, it's definitely not in Tang San's hands.)
"Alright, Yuhao. Hao actually bears an unimaginably heavy responsibility. He failed to notice you and your mother in time, and he bears the primary responsibility, but a greater responsibility lies with the border war."
"He is your father, after all. If your mother were alive, she wouldn't wish..."
What's all this chirping about? Old Huo doesn't want to hear it!
"Morally blackmailing me—replacing evil with good— it's just cheap, unexamined forgiveness!"
—
End of Chapter