--- Chapter 16 ---
Huo Yuhao has never heard such a stupid false accusation in his entire life. Huo Yun'er stealing the White Tiger Duchess's treasure, like how? She has been in bed for weeks, finishing her legacy trials.
The White Tiger's Guards didn't even bother to check the area and shouted again, "Huo Yun'er, come out now, or we'll move you out by force!"
"I'll deal with them." Huo Yuhao said while raising the Baruka's Dagger in his hand.
Huo Yun'er giggled and replied casually, "No, let mom handle this, okay?"
She wiped her hand clean with a towel and walked out of the front door, greeting the guards with a smile on her face. They were mesmerized by her new appearances and dumbfounded for a moment.
Huo Yun'er felt disgusted inside because only Huo Yuhao should be stunned by her. However, she still maintained a calm smile and observed them silently. Yae has taught her many things in the legacy realm, and deception is one of them.
"Hmm, do you need something from me, guards?" She uttered with fake concern. "I've been sick in the past two weeks and couldn't get out. Did something happen in the White Tiger Mansion?"
"Don't play dumb, Huo Yun'er! You thief!" A woman shriek comes from the group. With some bold steps, a newly appointed head maid approached Huo Yun'er. She's a woman with long light brown hair, wearing purple-sashed maid clothes.
Huo Yun'er recognized this woman as the main court maid who dealt with household affairs under the White Tiger Duchess's order. It's not hard to guess the "strong." connection between them in this false accusation, but the White Tiger's Guards don't care.
'Well, what did I even expect from them? They are all ears with a blind sense of justice.' She thought while shaking her head slightly.
"Huh??" The newly assigned head maid stood before Huo Yun'er and realized her height wasn't even reaching this lowly woman's chin.
Huo Yun'er looked down indifferently and asked, "What proof did you have that I stole the Duchess's treasure? Do you think I'm dumb enough to let you humiliate me?"
"This case should be investigated thoroughly first, no?"
"This bitch-!" The head maid raised her hand and wanted to slap Huo Yun'er but got one herself first.
PA!
She fell to the ground dramatically with a burning red mark on her cheek, causing the area to become completely silent. It was out of everyone's expectation because the meek and weak Huo Yun'er fought back.
"W-What?!"
"Guard, A-Arrest-!"
BAM!
Huo Yun'er suddenly kicked the head maid in the face and made her release a pig-like squeal. "Yes, scream like that~! You're sounding more like a pig now." She indifferently said while covering her mouth.
"Ah, beg my pardon. I was disciplining a wild animal." Huo Yun'er moved her gaze back to the White Tiger's Guards. "Should we continue the conversation?"
Her pink eyes released intense spiritual energy, catching the guard in a powerful illusion. Huo Yun'er skimmed through their heads and discovered some interesting stuff about this accusation.
"Heh." Huo Yun'er widened her smile into a grin.
"Well, that was surprising." Huo Yuhao commented while walking out of the cottage. He observed Huo Yun'er from the beginning and sensed her spiritual energy control was close to him. She even created an illusion so casually.
Huo Yun'er hugged him and said, "Let's get out of this place. The White Tiger Duchess will pay for your journey."
"Err, how?"
"Trust your mom~!" She added with a wink.
...
...
At the White Tiger Mansion, the Duchess waited for the lowly maid Huo Yun'er to be caught by the Guards. She tolerated this whore maid for too long and couldn't hold herself after the head maid's death.
"Hmm?" She heard a knock on her room.
"Duchess. The White Tiger's Guards have caught and brought Huo Yun'er." Someone reported calmly, bringing a smile to the Duchess's face.
"Escort me there." The White Tiger Duchess opened the door and walked through the hallway, moving to the punishing court where all crimes within the Mansion harshly were punished.
She arrived at the punishing court and witnessed a familiar blonde woman tied with a rope and kneeling on the brown pavement. She couldn't help but smirk when seeing this.
"What a moment to be alive, isn't it? Huo Yun'er." She coldly said while looking down at the dirty woman who stole her husband's love.
"D-Duchess, what have I been doing wrong? You always make things hard for me, cutting my monthly food portion and even my nonexistent salary. What am I doing WRONG?!" Huo Yun'er screamed while releasing tears.
The Duchess was pleased seeing the tears on this woman and replied, "What's wrong you said? Your existence is wrong, Huo Yun'er. You're nothing but a mere maid."
"You've been caught red-handed, stealing my necklace last night. And I decided to punish you with one hundred whips and permanent banishment from this place." She added, watching a complete horror appear on her opponent's face.
"Guards, Do it."
Fwip!
"N-NO!!"
"Arghhh!"
...
"Well, just look at that." Huo Yun'er leaned on the wall behind the White Tiger Duchess. "You're not going to let me live peacefully, huh? No wonder Yae told me I was fucking dumb for living here my entire life."
Huo Yun'er has placed a powerful illusion on the White Tiger Duchess and showed her the ideal scenario deep within her wicked heart.
And the one who got punished in the punishing court was the new head maid, getting whipped violently by the guards. The poor woman was beaten to death, squealing like a pig on the ground.
Meanwhile, Huo Yun'er suddenly was inspired by this sight and imagined some wild things in her head. 'I don't mind getting whipped by Hao'er, hehe~!' She suddenly thought.
"Are you done?" Huo Yuhao asked while dragging a leather bag filled with gold coins and some treasure from the White Tiger's Treasury.
Huo Yun'er wiped the drool on her lower face and cleared her throat, "Ehem, we can go anytime."
"Is that so? You're not going to get your revenge on this woman?" He glanced at the Duchess. "She's the source of your suffering."
The Duchess is a beautiful woman for her age, having shining black hair and a sharp yet elegant-looking face. Her noble's lineage was clear from her appearance alone.
"Revenge? I've done it." Huo Yun'er smirked while glancing at the Duchess.
Thick and gloomy black lights gathered on the Duchess's head, signifying her horrible Qi Doom. She would experience the worst luck a human could get for ten years, suffering from illness and all kinds of miserable conditions.
Huo Yun'er hugged Huo Yuhao and returned, "Do you want to add something? No one would notice it because I've covered the whole Mansion with Illusion. Some powerful spirit master might catch the phenomenon, but they won't be able to do anything."
"A Deity-level Illusion is special, so normal mortals can't cancel it easily. Eh, Hao'er?"
"If you say so, I'll use this." A mysterious-looking bottle filled with green liquid appeared in Huo Yuhao's hand. He freed himself from his mother's grasp and shoved the bottle into the Duchess's mouth.
Huo Yuhao watched the potion disappear into the Duchess's mouth and nodded his head. "Let's go. This place makes me sick." He said while grabbing his mother's hand.
"Mm, let's go." Huo Yun'er replied naturally.
They walked out of the White Tiger Mansion, and Huo Yun'er had never felt so free in her entire life. It's a liberating feeling, like a heavy shackle off her legs.
"Hao'er, We should have left that cursed place years ago." Huo Yun'er breathed in the fresh air of the Star Luo Imperial City.
Huo Yuhao chuckled and answered, "We should."
They walked to the northern gate, where Huo Yuhao heard that a temple was holding a Spirit Awakening Ceremony today. And on the way there, Huo Yun'er becomes curious about the potion he used on the Duchess.
"Hao'er, I'm curious about the medicine you forced the Duchess to drink. What's it?" She asked while staring at him.
The blue-haired kid let out a vicious laugh and answered, "It's a harmless poison, but the Duchess who drank it will experience horrible diarrhea for a month. After that, all her hair would start to fall off, making her look like a hairless cat."
"Pfft-! Hahaha~." Huo Yun'er couldn't contain her amusement and laughed to her heart's content. She didn't know her son could be this vicious. Then, again no one could blame him because he was so handsome and adorable.
"My Hao'er is the best~!"
They went to the temple in the northern part of the Star Luo Imperial City and literally were greeted by a warm-looking woman in a white robe when stepping on the front gate.
Even though they look "rather." mysterious with cloaks sewed by Huo Yuhao a few days ago, the woman somehow still greets them warmly.
"Welcome to the temple. Are you here to awaken your martial soul?" The woman cheerfully asked while looking at Huo Yuhao.
"Um, Yes." Huo Yuhao answered, which caused the woman to giggle in amusement.
The woman guided them inside and said, "Come in. The Spirit Awakening Ceremony was about to get started."