Star Luo City, White Tiger Duke Mansion. Oh no, it should be called White Tiger Viscount Mansion now.
By the time Dai Hao and Dai Yueheng returned to their residence under the "escort" of two State Guardian Douluos and a horse patrol, they saw massive construction crews dismantling the buildings and estates of the original Duke's Mansion.
The plaque that once stood at the main entrance with the three large characters for [Duke's Mansion] had been taken down and replaced with [Viscount's Mansion].
The nearly iconic White Tiger statue in the entrance plaza had also been moved away. Word was that because the carving materials were of good quality, Xu Jiawei, acting on the principle of not wasting anything, had taken it to be used for something else.
Although Dai Hao said nothing, it wasn't hard to tell from his tightened jaw that he was suppressing a mountain of rage.
This world is ultimately unequal. When he held the highest rank of Hereditary Duke, the mansion's grounds spanned over three thousand acres, almost comparable to a small city. But now his title had been slashed to Viscount, and it no longer carried the word "Hereditary." Naturally, his treatment had to match that of a Viscount.
Forget three thousand acres; it would be lucky if three hundred acres remained.
Prestige, status, power... these were things he had enjoyed for decades, things that had integrated into every aspect of his life and had long since become routine. In a single night, they had vanished without a trace.
It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to return to frugality from luxury. It would be a miracle if Dai Hao could adapt to such a change.
The original White Tiger Duke Mansion managed such a vast territory and network of connections that its required expenses were astronomical. Now that his salary had been cut beyond recognition, forget maintaining his original network—there might not even be enough money to feed the [White Tiger Personal Guard]. They could only live off the savings left behind by the Duke's Mansion over several millennia.
But how many years would that last? In five years at most, that jinx would come knocking on his door. How many people would even be left here by then?
Without even looking, White Tiger... no, Dai Hao knew that the Viscount's Mansion must be in a state of total chaos.
He sighed in his heart. This was likely exactly what that rebellious son wanted to see most. What is the point of killing someone? Destroying the heart is the best revenge.
Since he was no longer a Hereditary Duke, the two State Guardian Douluos naturally didn't need to be as respectful to Dai Hao as before. With a snort, the two transformed into streaks of light and vanished on the spot.
Dai Hao bowed toward where the two had disappeared, then, with a dark face and ignoring the greetings of the servants bowing around him, strode toward the main hall.
In just a few short days, the prime-aged Dai Hao looked much more haggard than before, with several strands of white hair appearing.
Xu Jiawei was actually quite decent; he had ordered the demolition crews to work from the outside in. The most important areas of the Dai family, such as the White Tiger Hall which enshrined the [White Tiger God of War], had not yet been touched.
Inside the hall, Dai Hao's wife, the Duchess, stood up. [To avoid confusion, let's continue to refer to her as the Duchess for now.]
A luxurious black and gold dress hugged her mature and charming figure, and her beautiful face was adorned with extremely exquisite makeup.
As a direct daughter of the Zhu family, the Duchess herself was a Soul Emperor of considerable strength. Combined with the excellent genetic traits of the Zhu family's Hell Civet martial soul, it was impossible to tell from her face that she was a woman who had given birth to two children.
Swallowing hard, the Duchess stood up with a forced smile, her voice gentle. "Husband, you're back..."
Good news doesn't leave the house, but bad news travels a thousand miles. The storms in Star Luo City over the past few days had long reached the Duchess's ears. She naturally knew how furious Dai Hao was right now.
The Dai and Zhu families had always been in cahoots, rising and falling together in the Star Luo Empire. Since the Dai family had lost power, Xu Jiawei naturally wouldn't let the Zhu family off the hook.
The Zhu family's punishment wasn't as severe as the Dai family's, but their Dukedom had also been stripped and demoted to an Earldom. An elder of the Zhu family who served as the Minister of Military Affairs was also forced to resign and take the blame.
It could be said that both the Dai and Zhu families suffered this calamity because of the Duchess alone.
Slap!!!
Dai Hao didn't give her even a hint of a smile. Instead, he walked up and slapped her across the face. That face with its exquisite makeup instantly swelled up.
"???"
Feeling the burning pain on her face, the Duchess looked at the man with the distorted expression before her, looking completely dazed.
After a brief silence, the Duchess erupted into a scream, roaring at Dai Hao like she had gone mad. "Dai Hao, have you lost your mind!? At a time like this, you're still hitting your wife!?"
Dai Hao's anger flared instantly. He lunged forward with a kick, landing it heavily on the Duchess's stomach, sending her flying into a wall and even shattering several pieces of expensive antique porcelain.
"You still know you're my wife?! All these years I let you manage the Duke's Mansion, and this is how you managed it!"
"You wicked woman! You low-life, you stinking bitch..."
Dai Hao continued to rain punches and kicks down on the Duchess, occasionally grabbing nearby chairs and stools.
"Speak! What happened to Yun'er! What happened to Huo Yuhao! Why did you hide it from me! Huh!"
"Father, Father, please stop hitting her..." Dai Yueheng stepped forward and grabbed Dai Hao's leg, trying to stop the Dai Hao who had transformed into "Jin Fu" (the domestic violence king), but he was immediately kicked aside by Dai Hao.
A Soul Douluo possesses a total physical suppression over a Soul Emperor, let alone a martial soul like the White Tiger that emphasizes physical attacks. This kick nearly made Dai Yueheng faint.
How could someone like the Duchess, who was pampered and used to being overbearing, take a beating quietly? She naturally had a woman's weapons.
While screaming, she released her Hell Civet martial soul. Her sharp cat claws slashed at Dai Hao's face while her legs kicked wildly, and she occasionally spat in Dai Hao's face.
"Come on! Keep going! Tomorrow the whole of Star Luo City will know that you, Dai Hao, are just a coward who only shows strength at home by beating his wife!"
The Duchess's words only made Dai Hao more furious. He increased the force of his strikes. "You slut! You still have the nerve!"
The Duchess met him head-on, not backing down an inch. "Am I wrong?! It's clearly your own fault for not being able to keep your pants up! You even expected me to take care of a mistress! Ask any woman in this world—who could do such a thing!"
Hearing these strangely familiar words, Dai Hao couldn't help but pause his movements. The Duchess seized the opportunity to perform a cat-like flip, kicking Dai Hao in the face with both feet to push him back and allow herself to stand up.
Wiping the blood from her face, she shrieked at Dai Hao: "Your son was beaten to death, and instead of seeking revenge for him, you're taking it out on your wife! Are you even a man!?"
"..."
Dai Hao fell silent. Lies don't hurt, but the truth is a sharp blade.
Sigh... it had been too long. He could no longer remember exactly what his thoughts were back then. After more than ten years, even the silhouette of that woman had long since blurred in his memory.