Huo Yuhao's expression shifted from calmness to ferocity, his eyes flashing with a murderous intent.
No one in the room dared to meet his gaze, let alone try persuading him to stay at Shrek Academy. It was only now that they remembered—this was a man who had slaughtered dozens of evil soul masters with the bloodiest means possible, even decapitating the leader of the evil soul masters and taking his head as a trophy.
Huo Yuhao's usual playful and carefree attitude had masked this ruthless, almost devilish nature.
"Old Xuan, this Lanchu chicken soup is quite precious and hard to come by. You should be the first to enjoy it," Huo Yuhao said, holding a bowl of chicken soup and picking up a chicken head with his chopsticks.
"Look, this chicken couldn't even close its eyes at the moment of death, just like Chen Zifeng when he died. Old Xuan, how about you start with this chicken head?"
Elder Xuan's face turned ashen, and he turned away with a cold snort, his body trembling slightly.
"Sister Ling Luochen, I heard that Xi Xi was your best friend, and Yao Haoxuan once pursued you. Come, this is the chicken soup made from their sacrifice. Drink it while it's hot!"
Ling Luochen covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. She gagged and quickly ran toward the restroom.
"Teacher Wang, have a chicken leg. Speaking of chicken legs, it's unfortunate that Dai Yueheng's legs were severed by the evil soul masters. The proud White Tiger Clan now has no successors."
"Cooking beans with beanstalks, the beans weep in the pot. Born of the same root, why such eagerness to destroy one another?"
The Shrek Academy and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion shared a history deeply intertwined with the Shrek Seven Monsters of 10,000 years ago, connections that ran bone-deep. Huo Yuhao's poetic words were not just cutting but carried an accusation that hinted at a conspiracy, suggesting that the tragedy at the Ming Dou Mountain Range was orchestrated by Shrek Academy itself to wipe out the White Tiger Duke's lineage.
Wang Yan lowered his head, saying nothing further. Yet, in his mind, he couldn't shake the image of Elder Xuan pushing the soon-to-explode Yao Haoxuan toward the gravely injured Chen Zifeng. Was it really not intentional?
Elder Xuan had initially come intending to unite with Wang Yan and a few students to apply mental pressure on Huo Yuhao, persuading him to join Shrek Academy. But he hadn't expected that under Huo Yuhao's skillful manipulation, Wang Yan, Ling Luochen, and even other Shrek students now harbored varying degrees of dissatisfaction toward Elder Xuan and Shrek Academy.
After savoring the chicken soup, Huo Yuhao left the meeting room. Ning Tian followed him, leaving the others behind in a deathly silence.
"Yuhao, you're planning to leave Shrek Academy and return to the Body Sect in the future?" Ning Tian asked as she walked beside him.
"Yes, Shrek Academy isn't my permanent home," Huo Yuhao replied with a smile. "You don't seem too surprised about my affiliation with the Body Sect. Did you already know?"
"Our Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect may have declined in strength, but our intelligence network is stronger than it was 10,000 years ago. After all, there's no information in this world that money can't buy," Ning Tian replied with a smile.
"When Shrek Academy sold your information to the Body Sect for five million gold soul coins, and later when a powerful enemy appeared right after you faced injustice at the academy during the freshman assessment, it wasn't hard to deduce your identity when combining these details with other intelligence gathered by our sect."
"You're indeed very smart. Having you as my partner puts me at ease," Huo Yuhao chuckled again. "I might not go to the Body Sect in the future, but instead…"
"The Sun Moon Empire, right?" Ning Tian interjected.
"Uh…" Huo Yuhao was momentarily speechless. He realized that Ning Tian could predict everything he wanted to say, which left him feeling uneasy.
"Am I the protagonist here, or are you? Do you have any sense of politeness?"
"I apologize; I know it's impolite. But since our relationship is so close, the intelligence department of our sect naturally took the liberty of investigating your background as well," Ning Tian said in a low voice, glancing around. "You're the son of Duke Dai Hao, the White Tiger Duke, aren't you?"
"As expected of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's millennium-old legacy," Huo Yuhao said with a faint smile.
For him, this wasn't a secret that needed to be hidden. Dai Huabin and Dai Yueheng had already been reduced to mere remnants under his schemes. Now, only Duke Dai Hao and his wife remained. Even if they knew Huo Yuhao was coming for them, it didn't matter anymore. With Huo Yuhao's current power and status, he could reveal everything openly.
"When our sect retraced your journey to Shrek Academy, we eventually uncovered the existence of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. By bribing some servants in the mansion with money, we learned about your past," Ning Tian explained hesitantly.
"Haha, yes, my life wasn't easy. As soon as I was born, I was abandoned by my father, who might not even know I exist," Huo Yuhao laughed bitterly. "My mother should have been one of his concubines. Even if she wasn't valued, she should have lived a life of luxury."
"But lacking background and power, she was reduced to the lowest rank of servants in the mansion, constantly bullied by other maids and servants. And all because of a single word from Dai Huabin, my mother was beaten to death. I was the one who had to collect her remains."
"Can you imagine it, Ning Tian? An eleven-year-old, malnourished boy, struggling to carry his mother's body to give her a proper burial. From that moment, I swore that everyone in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion who had wronged my mother, everyone who had bullied us, would be sent to hell by my hand!"
"And to fight against the White Tiger Duke, to bring him down, I must defeat him openly on the battlefield. Only in the Sun Moon Empire can I find that opportunity!"
Tears welled up in Ning Tian's eyes as she listened. Although Huo Yuhao usually appeared cheerful, it was just a facade. Beneath it lay the deepest pain, driving him forward relentlessly. Despite the scars covering his body, he never slowed down or wavered.
To gain such power, Huo Yuhao had endured unimaginable suffering. Any other person would have succumbed to this torment long ago.
"Yuhao, all the maids and servants who bullied you and your mother have been eliminated under my orders. From now on, no one will be able to uncover your true identity through the same means," Ning Tian whispered.
"Those who know, like the Duchess, might still exist, but they'll bury your mother's story deep in their hearts, never revealing a single detail. Neither Shrek Academy, the Star Luo Empire, nor any other faction will know that you're the son of Duke Dai Hao. You are you; you are Huo Yuhao."
"If you decide to go to the Sun Moon Empire, Wu Feng and I will follow you because we are your comrades. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will always be your most reliable support!"