Douluo Continent: Heavenly Pill Demon Tiger

Chapter 149 "Bad News" Descends: Dai Youheng Filled with "Grief and Indignation"

Chapter 149 "Bad News" Descends: Dai Youheng Filled with "Grief and Indignation"

Seeing Xu Jiujiu's sudden change in expression, Dai Youheng knew his time had come. His smile slowly froze, replaced by confusion and unease. He tentatively asked, "What's wrong, Your Highness? Don't you like this gift?"

"No—no." Xu Jiujiu spoke with difficulty, avoiding his gaze, "Youheng, you've just returned to the city, and you probably don't know yet, but your mother and brother—something happened to them. You must be mentally prepared."

"Mental preparation?" Dai Youheng repeated in astonishment, her confusion quickly replaced by anxiety. "Something happened? What happened? Your Highness, what are you talking about? What happened to my mother and Luo Li? Tell me quickly!"

His voice rose involuntarily, with just the right amount of trembling.

Knowing she could no longer hide it, Xu Jiujiu took a deep breath, took out a soul guide image scroll that contained a copy of the captured image from her bosom, and unfolded it with trembling fingers.

The document clearly records the conversation between Zhu Man and Dai Yueheng, who conspired to capture Bai Wanning and her son.

"Zhu Man sent men to capture your mother and Luo Li, intending to secretly send them to the Zhu family as hostages, but—" Xu Jiujiu's voice was heavy and sorrowful, "but during the transport, the carriage exploded violently, leaving a horrific scene. Your mother and brother—they—could not escape."

The images and words struck Dai Youheng like a bolt from the blue.

He staggered back three steps, his face turning deathly pale in an instant. His pupils contracted sharply, as if he couldn't comprehend or accept this horrifying news. His lips trembled as he muttered to himself, "No—it can't be, this absolutely can't be true! Mother and Luo Li, it can't be—"

The next second, as if swallowed by immense pain and rage, he turned around abruptly and, like a mad beast, rushed out of the princess's study and ran wildly toward the duke's mansion, even forgetting about the necklace as it fell to the ground.

"Youheng!" Xu Jiujiu exclaimed in surprise, her heart clenching as she watched his out-of-control fleeing figure. She hurriedly called out from the shadows, "Grandma Manyi, hurry and follow him! He's having an emotional breakdown right now, I'm worried he might do something irreversible!"

The figure of Nebula Douluo Manyi quietly appeared. She glanced in the direction where Dai Youheng had disappeared, nodded, and said in a steady voice, "Princess, rest assured, I will protect him and will never let him suffer any harm."

Before she finished speaking, she had already chased after him like a wisp of smoke.

Dai Youheng rushed back to the Duke's mansion like a whirlwind.

The once majestic mansion is now a shocking sight of white mourning, with white elegiac couplets and lanterns fluttering sadly in the wind, creating a suffocating atmosphere of oppression.

The guards at the door saw him and quickly bowed, their voices tinged with caution, "Second Young Master, you're back."

""

"Get out of my way!" Dai Youheng didn't even look at the guards blocking his way, and rushed into the mourning hall with a chilling aura.

Inside the mourning hall, the air was filled with the scent of incense.

Dai Hao was standing with his back to the door, personally placing three incense sticks into the incense burner before the cold memorial tablet. Hearing hurried and chaotic footsteps behind him, he turned around, his face weary and heavy. Seeing that it was Dai Youheng, his brows immediately furrowed, and he demanded, "Youheng! You finally decided to come back! Where have you been for the past month?"

Dai Youheng seemed not to hear his question at all. His gaze was fixed on the two memorial tablets engraved with "Dai Family Bai Clan Wan Ning" and "Dai Luoli," his eyes filled with anger, his voice hoarse and trembling, "What—what's going on here? Tell me!"

Seeing his expression, Dai Hao felt a pang of pain in his heart and said in a deep voice, "It was an accident. Your stepmother invited Wan Ning and Luo Li to visit the Zhu family, but the carriage suddenly exploded en route. They met with misfortune as a result."

He tried to keep his tone calm and objective, saying, "I've been waiting for you to come back, so the mourning hall hasn't been removed and the memorial tablets haven't been moved, just so you can see them off on their final journey. After you've paid your respects, I will formally place their memorial tablets in the Dai family ancestral hall."

He still harbored the idea of ​​settling things peacefully. When he first heard the tragic news and saw the photograph, how could he not be furious? He even slapped Zhu Man hard, something that was unprecedented for him. But Zhu Man knelt on the ground, crying and swearing that she had never killed anyone, but only wanted to bring the person back to the Zhu family as a bargaining chip.

After calming down, Dai Hao was inclined to believe this explanation.

It wasn't because he trusted Zhu Man's character so much, but from Zhu Man's perspective, capturing Bai Wanning alive was indeed much more beneficial than killing her. As long as Bai Wanning was in her hands, she could completely control Dai Youheng. But if Bai Wanning died, Dai Youheng would have no weakness left and would be irreconcilable with her. What benefit would that bring her?

Rather than saying that Dai Hao trusted Zhu Man's character, it would be more accurate to say that he believed his wife's intelligence was not that low.

Furthermore, the photos that circulated throughout the city could not possibly have been spread by Zhu Man herself; there was clearly someone behind it all, and his first suspect was actually the Xu family of the royal family.

The Xu family must have been monitoring the Dai family all along. After learning about this, they used this as a pretext to kill Bai Wanning and Dai Luoli, and then framed Zhu Man, so that Dai Youheng and the direct line of the Duke's mansion would completely break off relations, thus bringing him under the control of the royal family.

Dai Hao told himself that he could not be easily manipulated by the royal family. No matter how big the mistake Zhu Man made in this matter, he had to protect her.

"An accident? Heh—hahahaha!" Dai Youheng suddenly raised his head, letting out a series of cold and indignant laughs, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Dai Hao, "You think I didn't see it? I saw it clearly just now with Princess Jiujiu!"

"It was that bitch Zhu Man! She plotted to capture my mother and Luo Li! She killed them!"

Dai Hao's heart sank. It really was the royal family! They couldn't wait to give the "evidence" to You Heng!

Just then, Dai Yueheng helped Zhu Man, who was pale and swaying, out of the inner hall.

Zhu Man had clearly heard the commotion below. She knew that she couldn't back down now; she had to be firm. Besides, she was certain she hadn't killed anyone, and she was absolutely confident.

"Dai Youheng!" Zhu Man shouted shrilly, her voice unusually harsh despite her weakness. "Watch your mouth!"

The deaths of your mother and brother have nothing to do with me; I didn't kill them!

Because she truly didn't kill him, she said this with absolute certainty and without any hint of guilt, the kind of statement that even a lie detector couldn't detect.

"You wretch! You killed my mother and brother and you still dare to argue? I'll make you pay with your life!" Dai Youheng roared like a madman, the Tyrant Tiger Soul Refining Blade already in his hand!

A torrent of violent soul power surged out of his body like a burst dam, its momentum rising steadily until it reached the peak of level fifty-eight!

Dai Hao was shocked upon sensing this soul power. "Level 58 peak? This child has progressed so quickly? He's only fifteen!"

Although he was always away, he still cared about the strength of his children at home, and every now and then someone would report to him that Dai Youheng must not have been this strong not long ago.

Could it be that grief and anger have unleashed the potential of the Shadow Tiger?

This talent far surpasses that of Dai Yueheng. Dai Yueheng was only level 62 at the age of 20, which is far inferior to Dai Youheng, who was level 58 at the age of 15. With this kind of progress, he may reach the Soul Saint level before the next competition.

"Overlord Tiger Annihilation Slash!" Dai Youheng unleashed his fury without holding back! The ferocious and malevolent blade energy tore through the air, sweeping out with an aura of annihilation. The tables and chairs in the mourning hall shattered and turned to dust under the terrifying blade light!

"Youheng, stop!" Dai Yueheng was shocked and instantly activated the White Tiger Vajra Transformation and White Tiger Demon God Transformation, bracing himself to stand in front of his mother. But even with his full defense, he was no match for Dai Youheng's furious attack. With a muffled thud, he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the wall.

Without pausing, Dai Youheng unleashed a second slash, carrying even greater killing intent, aimed directly at Zhu Man, whose face had turned deathly pale!

If Zhu Man were in her prime, with her Soul Douluo cultivation, she would not be afraid of this attack, but now she is seriously ill and cannot muster much soul power to resist.

"presumptuous!"

Just as the blade's edge was about to strike, Dai Hao roared, his figure appearing suddenly before Zhu Man like a ghost. The immense soul power of an 89th-level Soul Douluo erupted, his eight soul rings—two yellow, two purple, and four black—shone brightly.

With a mere wave of his hand, a solid and heavy barrier of soul power easily shattered the violent sword energy, and the aftershocks forced Dai Youheng to retreat several steps.

Dai Hao's face was ashen, his tiger-like eyes filled with menace as he stared intently at his son, who was on the verge of losing his mind. His voice, like a thunderclap, echoed throughout the mourning hall, "You dare to try to kill your stepmother right in front of me! Dai Youheng, do you even consider me your father anymore?"

Dai Youheng's bloodshot eyes were fixed on Dai Hao, a cold and mocking smile curving his lips. His laughter was low and suppressed. "Heh, Father?"

He abruptly raised his hand, his fingertips pointing directly at the cold, glaring memorial tablet. "That wicked woman was your wife, but isn't the name written on this tablet hers too? You know perfectly well that she killed my mother and brother, yet you still protect and shield them! What right do you have to stand here and reprimand me in the name of your father? Since you've chosen to protect him, from now on, you'll only be the Duke of White Tiger in my eyes. I won't call you father; I'll only call you Duke!"

Dai Hao was speechless for a moment after hearing his words, and his face turned even uglier. He knew that he was indeed in the wrong in this matter.

Even though he firmly believed that Zhu Man did not directly carry out the killing, if she had not harbored malicious intentions and kidnapped people first, how could she have given others the opportunity to set up this vicious scheme of sowing discord?

"Youheng, calm down!" Dai Hao tried to suppress his anger, his voice slow and deliberate. "The truth is not yet clear, and what you see may not be what you think! If you kill your loved ones now, wouldn't you be playing right into the hands of the mastermind behind this, causing pain to your loved ones and joy to your enemies?"

"Friends? Enemies?" Dai Youheng keenly caught the bias in his words, a cold smile playing on his lips, but his anger only intensified. "Tell me, who's friends? Who's enemies? Who's stirring things up?"

Dai Hao naturally dared not utter the royal name directly, and could only hint cryptically, "It is naturally the one who took advantage of your trust in her, deliberately spreading rumors and instigating you to cause trouble in the mansion. Her intentions are despicable!"

He believed that, having gone this far, Dai Youheng would surely understand who he was referring to.