After a day's journey, Ma Xiaotao and the others finally arrived at the border between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire.
The terrain here was uneven, with rolling mountain ranges stretching into the distance. A murderous aura permeated the air, and even the wind carried a hint of chilling sharpness.
Although there were currently no large-scale wars on the continent, the border where the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire met was a place of constant friction. The border line between the two nations was like a taut string that could snap at any moment. To guard against the Sun Moon Empire, the Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao, led the Western Army Group and had been stationed here for a long time.
The Evil Soul Masters that the Shrek Inspection Team intended to eliminate were located deep within the Mingdou Mountain Range. However, before officially 'suppressing the bandits,' they naturally needed to recharge their strength.
Conveniently, the Inspection Team included Dai Yueheng, the eldest son of the Duke of White Tiger. Therefore, the place they chose to rest before the battle was naturally within the Star Luo military camp.
Sure enough, after meeting Dai Yueheng, everyone enjoyed unimpeded passage. The guarding soldiers and patrolling generals all saluted and let them through the moment they saw Dai Yueheng. Good food and drink were immediately arranged for them.
However, the Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao, did not make a direct appearance. It was unclear whether he was tied down by official duties or if he simply didn't feel that these people were worth his personal appearance.
Inside the camp tent, by the dining table everyone was too tired to talk, simply wolfing down various dishes. They looked like a group of refugees who hadn't eaten for three days and nights. It wasn't that the military rations were exceptionally delicious, but rather that they truly hadn't eaten anything good on their journey. Sleeping in the open, gnawing on dry rations, and drinking cold water had left their palates utterly bland.
However, Dai Yueheng did not pick up his chopsticks. He looked at Du Leisi, who was about to walk out, and called out, "Uncle Du, is my father in the army?"
Du Leisi turned around with a gentle smile on his face. He was a middle-aged man with a resolute face and a steady aura, clearly a veteran of many battles.
"The Duke is in the camp," he nodded. "He should have just finished a meeting. Does the Young Master wish to see him?"
Dai Yueheng nodded, then stood up and walked out of the camp with Du Leisi. With Du Leisi leading the way, Dai Yueheng soon arrived at the commander's tent in the center of the camp.
This commander's tent was much larger than the surrounding tents and possessed an extraordinary air. Two personal guards stood outside. Seeing Dai Yueheng, they merely saluted silently and did not block his path.
Dai Yueheng took a deep breath and reached out to lift the tent curtain.
The light inside the tent was bright, and the furnishings were simple. A massive sand table occupied most of the space, marked with every detail of the border terrain.
Behind the sand table hung a military map, densely covered with various markings. A tall figure stood with his back to the entrance, facing the sand table with hands behind his back. Although it had been a long time since he last saw his father, Dai Yueheng recognized at a glance that the person before him was the Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao.
Dai Hao turned around. His resolute face remained calm, showing no ripples of emotion. Seeing Dai Yueheng, a glint of light flashed in his eyes, but his face showed no particular surprise.
Then, he spoke. "Perform well in the competition this time. I will also return to Star Luo City to watch the finals."
Dai Yueheng did not reply. He just quietly watched his father, his gaze carefully scanning his face, as if trying to discern something from it.
But he was disappointed.
There was nothing on that face.
Dai Yueheng hesitated for a moment before asking, "Has Father received any letters from home recently?"
Dai Hao shook his head. He frowned slightly, looking at his son's hesitant manner with a flash of incomprehension in his eyes.
His voice then carried a hint of displeasure: "A man should speak his mind directly. What is this hesitant behavior?"
Upon hearing this, Dai Yueheng's heart sank. He was now almost certain that his father still knew nothing. He didn't know what his mother had done behind his back. He even less knew that his own backyard was about to catch fire!
Dai Yueheng took a deep breath. He knew that his next words might enrage his father, but he had to say them.
"Father," his voice was low and serious, "do you still remember Dai Yuhao?"
Dai Hao's eyes flickered and his brow furrowed slightly, clearly trying hard to remember. However, he failed to provide an answer for a long time.
That resolute face was filled with blankness.
Dai Yueheng sighed inwardly. Not even remembering his own son, he also felt that his father was not competent.
He spoke up to remind him: "This Dai Yuhao is, in a sense, my... third brother."
Dai Hao was stunned for a moment. A look of thought flashed across his face before he finally seemed to recall something.
"Why mention him all of a sudden?" His tone was somewhat casual, as if referring to an insignificant person.
Dai Yueheng weighed his words and slowly spoke: "He... is also at Shrek Academy now."
"His talent is very high, and he is highly valued by the academy."
Hearing this, Dai Hao actually laughed. There was a hint of pride in that smile.
His voice was full of gratification: "If even you evaluate him this way, it seems his talent is indeed good. Worthy of my Dai family Bloodline."
Listening to the proud tone in Dai Hao's voice, Dai Yueheng could not feel happy. He knew that his father still hadn't realized the severity of the situation.
He gritted his teeth and said, "But... his surname is no longer Dai!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expression on Dai Hao's face instantly froze! A look of disbelief flashed in those eyes. Then, his eyes widened, and he snapped his head around to look at his eldest son. That gaze was as sharp as a blade.
"What do you mean?"
Dai Yueheng opened his mouth and spoke with difficulty: "When he was six years old, he ran away from home with his mother."
"Now, he has changed his name to Huo Yuhao."
Dai Hao's face darkened. In his mind, the blurry figure of Huo Yun'er emerged. She was a good-looking maid with a gentle face and soft eyes. He remembered she was just an ordinary person with a relatively weak personality. But it was such a woman who now seemed to have raised an ungrateful wolf.
This made Dai Hao's expression very unsightly.
His voice sank, carrying a hint of suppressed anger: "I lead troops abroad all year round, and everything at home is left to your mother's responsibility."
"Is this how she manages the household? She couldn't even keep track of a mother and son?!"
Dai Yueheng's heart tightened, thinking that this was indeed his mother's fault. But how should he say the next part?
He composed himself for a while before continuing: "This was indeed Mother's mistake. She didn't care enough for that mother and son. When Huabin was young, he also frequently bullied them..."
Next, Dai Yueheng told everything he knew. From how Dai Huabin bullied Huo Yuhao and his mother, to how the Duchess treated them with indifference, to how the mother and son were forced to flee home...
Case by case, incident by incident, he tried his best to tell the truth.
However, since it involved his own biological mother after all, his words were also quite vague and held much back. But Dai Hao could naturally hear the underlying meaning. Complex emotions surged in those eyes.
He led troops abroad, guarded the border, and exhausted his mind and body so that the Sun Moon Empire would not take a single step across the Mingdou Mountain Range.
But he didn't expect his own home to be in such a mess!
After a long silence, Dai Hao glanced at Dai Yueheng, his voice terrifyingly low: "I know about this matter now."
"When I return to Star Luo, I will deal with it myself."
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A/N: Wdym you're gonna deal with it yourself? U ain't no Thanos buddy.
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