Chapter 44 I Am Your Grandfather_2
"In this competition, they displayed an unyielding spirit and valiantly fought hard. I hope everyone can learn from them."
After the referee finished speaking, he turned to look at Shrek, and everyone cracked a slight smile, "Thank you for bringing us such an exciting match, now please go and rest."
Uh...
The members of Shrek Academy should be bewildered.
Did we try hard?
Did we fight hard?
We won utterly out of the blue, okay?
The referee's words made all of them feel a burning sensation on their cheeks.
Because they felt it wasn't a compliment, but a mockery.
Yet, they had no idea why Sky Spirit Academy would go easy on them to such craziness...
Why on Earth did this happen...
But.
There were still some who were clear-headed.
Wang Yan rushed out from backstage and hurried to the edge of the ring, urging, "Everyone, come down quickly."
Upon hearing Wang Yan's shout, everyone snapped back to reality and hurriedly followed him off the stage.
On the other side.
The members of Sky Spirit Academy also made a quick escape.
Those who were sober and in good condition carried their feigning teammates and rushed away in a hurry.
It was a good thing they moved fast.
From the distance in the stands, an array of items, including watermelon rinds, rotten eggs, and slippers, was being thrown onto the ring.
"Quickly raise the defensive shield!"
Seeing this, the referee hurriedly instructed the 108 Soul Masters around to raise the defensive shield again.
"Refund!"
"Refund!"
"I'm done watching, it's too damn eyesore!"
The audience was furiously indignant.
They clamored for refunds.
Some of them even got up and left immediately.
"Heh, I really don't get it, what's Shrek's game here? Clearly, they're strong, so why shoot themselves in the foot?"
Amidst the crowd, Jing Hongchen watched everything unfold and chuckled to himself.
...
Xu Jiawei, from his high vantage point, witnessed everything that had happened, his eyes twitching violently a few times.
"My Lords, I feel unwell and must return to the palace to rest," he announced.
Initially, he had wanted to enjoy the lively scene.
He had even intended to cheer on and support the Star Luo Royal Team.
Now, with such a fiasco unfolding, he had no desire to watch any longer.
It was vexing.
"We escort Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, take care!"
The ministers all bowed deeply as they saw off Xu Jiawei.
Not until Xu Jiawei was out of sight did they straighten up.
"Pah, His Majesty has left; I've got no mood to watch anymore."
One minister left after speaking, flinging his sleeves dramatically as he turned to go.
"He's gone, so I'm leaving too."
Another minister departed.
"If you're all leaving, I won't stay either."
As someone took the lead, the situation snowballed.
Soon there were hardly any people left on the city wall.
What was the point of staying put?
Wasn't it embarrassing enough?
Staging a rigged match.
And His Majesty even choosing to cover for it!?
It was utterly absurd.
...
On the other side.
After stepping down from the city walls, Duke Baihu Dai Hao didn't immediately return to his Duchy Residence but instead went to the hotel where the Shrek Academy team was resting and lodging.
With his status, he easily obtained the information on where the members of Shrek were staying and found Dai Huabin's room.
"Is Huabin inside?"
Dai Hao, who had fought many battles and killed countless men as the Duke Baihu, suddenly felt a need for some courage to knock on his own son's door.
After all, he, as a father, hadn't taken good care of his two sons for many years.
For the sake of the country, he had forsaken kinship.
But Huabin had grown up so much, he should understand my difficulties, right?
Thinking thus.
Dai Hao gathered some courage in his heart, and he lifted his hand, lightly tapping on the door.
"Who is it?"
Dai Huabin's voice came from inside the room.
"It's me..."
"Who are you?"
Sigh, I have seen my children so rarely that they don't even remember my voice... A strong sense of defeat suddenly welled up in Dai Hao's heart.
What's the use of winning the world?
I've lost so much anyway.
He tried to soften his tone, "I am your father."
After a brief silence, an enraged voice erupted from the room, "The hell you are, I'm still your grandfather!"
He was the son of the highly esteemed Duke Baihu.
A top noble of the Xingluo Empire.
And someone dared to insult his father?
I can't stand it.
Actually, it's not Dai Hua Bin's fault for being impulsive—who'd blame him when he barely saw Dai Hao, his father, throughout his life?
In his memory, his father's voice and face had long since become blurred.
To him, "father" was just a word that held no emotions, feelings, or real significance.
But when he angrily pushed the door open, he was stunned.
The man outside was tall and straight.
His face was resolute, his demeanor imposing.
He wore the opulent attire that signified the status of a duke.
"You, you..."
Dai Hua Bin shuddered instantly, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Everyone knows.
In the entire Xing Luo Empire, randomly wearing this outfit could get someone killed.
Moreover.
This man's face bore at least a fifty to sixty percent resemblance to his own.
So his identity was quite apparent.
"Dad, Daddy..."
"Is it really, really you?"
Dai Hua Bin was dazed.
The man had truly returned.
And now he was standing right before him.
This was way off the mark.
"Don't call me Dad; aren't you my father?"
Anger blazed in Dai Hao's eyes. The faults of the son are the fault of the father.
It was his own lack of education that led Dai Hua Bin to such rudeness.
He deserved punishment!
"Dad, please, don't be impulsive; it's all a misunderstanding..."
Dai Hua Bin hurriedly explained.
But how could Dai Hao listen to him?
A palm as large as a fan slapped across Dai Hua Bin's face.
A crisp slap was followed by Dai Hua Bin's scream.
Dai Hua Bin spun several times in the air before crashing to the ground.
A red and purple handprint vividly appeared on Dai Hua Bin's face.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
It was evident how strong Dai Hao's hand was.
And he didn't hold back much.
Fatherly kindness, filial piety—nothing more than that.
"Dad, I really made a mistake."
Dai Hua Bin got up from the ground with a roll, knelt, and kept kowtowing to Dai Hao.
He was truly panicked.
He knew very well his father's ruthless methods.
He was truly afraid that the next blow would leave him unable to care for himself.
On the other hand, after delivering that slap, Dai Hao's rage dissipated considerably.
After thinking it over, he ultimately did not continue to punish Dai Hua Bin.
"Alright, get up and talk."
"Thank you, Father, thank you so much, Father."
Dai Hua Bin was overflowing with gratitude toward Dai Hao, then hurriedly stood up.
Even unconsciously, he changed the way he addressed Dai Hao.
He felt calling him "Dad" was too intimate.
He and Dai Hao hadn't reached that level.
Calling him "sir" seemed more appropriate.
"Father, please come in to talk, won't you?"
Saying so, he stepped aside to allow Dai Hao to enter the room.
Dai Hao did not refuse; after all, the doorway was no place for a conversation.
Once inside the room, he pulled over a chair and sat down authoritatively, "I came to ask why your Shrek Academy participated in a rigged competition?
And also, I heard from His Majesty that your elder brother also registered for the Soul Master competition, but why haven't I seen your elder brother? Where did he go?"
Humph.
You scold and beat me but show great concern for my brother?
Is this what a father should do?
Dai Hua Bin was filled with anger inside. He felt he was being treated unfairly.
At the same time, he felt even more convinced that Dai Yueheng being crippled was for the best.
Of course.
Discontent as he was, he didn't dare speak those words.
If Dai Hao heard them, Dai Hua Bin wasn't sure if he would be skinned alive.
"Father... my brother, he's had a rough time."
Dai Hua Bin said tearfully.
Seeing this, Dai Hao's heart skipped a beat.
A bad premonition instantly shrouded his heart.
He forced himself to remain calm, "What happened to your brother? Stop crying and tell me everything..."
Upon hearing this, Dai Hua Bin quickly wiped the tears from his face and still with a sobbing voice said, "It happened in the Ming Dou Mountain Range..."
He told Dai Hao about the incident in the Ming Dou Mountain Range with extremely concise and succinct language.
Dai Hao was stunned after hearing it.
What?
Dai Yue Heng can no longer breakthrough to the Soul Sage realm?
Isn't that as good as being crippled?
The twin stars of my White Tiger Clan haven't even risen, and one has already fallen?