Douluo Dalu II—Chapter 83: Now, I Am Talking to Dai Hao
After hearing these words, every member of the Sun Moon team displayed excitement on their faces.
Xiao Hongchen nodded in agreement. "Junior Brother Yuhao is right. As long as we win the championship, we will be etched in the history of the Sun Moon Empire."
Huo Yuhao looked at everyone, his expression serious. "You are all my seniors. I have a request. Before the game, I would like to say something to the White Tiger Duke."
Ma Rulong was stunned. "The White Tiger Duke?" Confusion crossed his face. These two had no relationship at all, so why did Huo Yuhao suddenly want to speak to him?
Xiao Hongchen and the others exchanged puzzled glances. They knew who the White Tiger Duke was—a descendant of the former Star Luo Imperial family.
Jing Hongchen, thoughtful, chimed in. "Yuhao, I remember that you were originally from the Star Luo Empire and then became part of the Sun Moon Empire. So, do you have a grudge against the White Tiger Duke? Did you have no choice but to flee to the Sun Moon Empire?"
"Indeed, there is a grudge," Huo Yuhao replied, his voice steady. "I am the son of the White Tiger Duke."
He recounted his experiences from the Duke's Mansion to the Sun Moon Empire, emphasizing the grievances between himself and the Duke's household. However, he kept certain secrets close to his heart.
Meng Hongchen's eyes widened in disbelief. "You are the son of the White Tiger Duke, and he doesn't even know of your existence. Oh my God, how can there be such a father in the world? Moreover, the Duchess is cruel; she treated you and your mother so badly."
A pang of sympathy welled up within her for Huo Yuhao.
The others looked at him with increasingly sympathetic expressions. The revelation that such a peerless genius had faced such adversity surprised them all.
Jing Hongchen approached Huo Yuhao and patted him on the shoulder. "Yuhao, I didn't expect you to have such a life story. Don't worry; the other two level nine soul engineers and I will support you. Such a person is not worthy of being a father. Let's expose Dai Hao's true nature to everyone in Star Luo Square."
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly. "Okay."
To be honest, the only individuals who had treated Huo Yuhao well in the Duke's Mansion were Huo Yun'er and Dai Luoli's mother. The others had shown him nothing but disdain.
Now that he occupied this body, he had taken on the responsibility of dealing with certain people in the Duke's Mansion—people who had wronged him—and making them lose face.
According to the information he had gathered, the Duchess had cried so much over Dai Huabin's death that she fainted multiple times.
Because of this butterfly effect, the number of people killed by the Death God Envoy has increased. He couldn't help but acknowledge the bravado of the Death God Envoy; even level 98 super Douluo Xuan Zi had faced severe humiliation at his hands. He certainly deserved the title of strongest soul king on the Douluo continent.
As for his safety, judging from the original novel, even if he was unwilling to acknowledge Dai Hao as his father, Dai Hao would not harm his "son." Moreover, people from the Sun Moon Empire were secretly protecting him, allowing him the confidence to "talk" to Dai Hao without worry.
Atop the imperial city, Dai Hao sat in a chair, gazing into the distance. The death of Dai Huabin caused him profound psychological trauma. Although this son sometimes acted impulsively, he was still one of three sons—a continuation of his bloodline.
Nearby, Xu Jiawei leaned in with a smile. "Dai Hao, do you think the Star Luo team can win the championship today?"
Dai Hao frowned, momentarily taken aback. He quickly gathered his thoughts. "Your Majesty, for this kind of thing, we must wait for both sides to fight before we know the outcome. My prediction holds no validity."
Years of military leadership had taught Dai Hao that the battlefield changed rapidly, and the same was true for the Soul Fighting Competition.
If it hadn't been for his particularly good relationship with Xu Jiawei, he would never have voiced such uncertainty; he would have shouted like the other ministers that the Star Luo Team would win to please the Emperor.
Xu Jiawei, however, was unfazed by Dai Hao's candor. A faint smile appeared on his face. "In my opinion, the Star Luo team has a great chance of winning. Based on the trump cards revealed by the Sun Moon team during this period, I have devised strategies for the Star Luo team to take down the Sun Moon in one fell swoop."
"Dai Hao, you will see the surprise I have prepared for them later."
Xu Jiawei turned his attention back to the competition stage. "Now we just have to wait for the players from both teams to enter the arena. I can't wait to see Jiujiu lead the team to victory over the Sun Moon Team."
Soon, both the Star Luo team and the Sun Moon team entered the competition stage, and the audience erupted into cheers: "The Star Luo Team will win!"
Initially, during the beginning of this Soul Fighting Competition, many spectators were ready to cheer "Shrek will win" in the finals.
Though most of the audience in Star Luo Plaza hailed from the Star Luo Empire, if they were given the choice between supporting the Star Luo team and the Shrek team, they would undoubtedly choose Shrek.
Shrek Academy had ingrained its glorious image in everyone's minds through its formidable strength and influence, which had lasted for thousands of years. Even Xu Tianran, who became Emperor later in the original novel, expressed his desire to attend Shrek Academy to experience campus life.
It was ironic that Xu Tianran, Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire and the instigator of wars that swept across the Douluo Continent, was spiritually tied to Shrek, the enemy of his empire.
Wake up! You are the emperor of an enemy country, yet you admire Shrek Academy. Have you truly been brainwashed?
On the competition stage, as the game had not yet started, Huo Yuhao directed his gaze toward the top of the imperial city. He pulled out a pure white speaker and positioned it near his mouth. This soul guide device amplified sound, allowing him to project his voice.
"I am Huo Yuhao from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy. Now, I am talking to the White Tiger Duke."
His voice was calm but carried an inexplicable power that silenced the crowd.
For a moment, the audience area fell into silence. No matter what they had been doing moments before, their attention was captivated by Huo Yuhao's words.
Dai Hao, a high-ranking and powerful figure in the Star Luo Empire, felt the weight of Huo Yuhao's declaration. Why was this Sun Moon Team contestant addressing him directly?
Even Xu Jiawei, standing atop the imperial city, focused intently on Huo Yuhao. Without even turning his head, he asked, "Dai Hao, do you know this Huo Yuhao?"
Dai Hao shook his head, confusion etched on his face. "Your Majesty, that is not the case. This is the first time I have seen this young man. To me, he is a stranger. Perhaps this young man has seen me somewhere before."
Huo Yuhao continued, his voice steady. "I was born in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. My mother is Huo Yun'er, and my biological father is Dai Hao. However, in my opinion, Dai Hao is not worthy of being a father, so I do not acknowledge him as such and have chosen to take my mother's last name, Huo."
As soon as these words were spoken, the audience erupted in an uproar, each member donning expressions that screamed "I want to see this drama unfold."
Dai Hao's face turned pale as he stood up, disbelief coursing through him. "What? You said you are Yun'er's child. How is that possible? Yun'er and I don't have any children at all."
"Don't you have any children?" Huo Yuhao held up the White Tiger Dagger. "Dai Hao, look at what this is."
Dai Hao's eyes widened as he recognized the dagger in Huo Yuhao's hand. Shocked, he murmured, "That's the White Tiger Dagger I gave to Yun'er. How did you get this? Are you truly my child?"
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(End of this chapter)