In Douluo Continent, I am the mastermind behind the scenes.

Chapter 82. Huo Yuhao's Journey to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion!

On the other side, the final item to be auctioned was brought to the stage—eight lotus seeds from a 100,000-year-old snow lotus soul beast.

It was eventually won by Jing Hongchen for 15 million gold soul coins.

Thus... this top-tier auction came to a successful conclusion. Even though there were some minor hiccups along the way, it didn't stop the Star Luo Royal Family from making money. They finally earned their share of the military expenses for the next twenty years.

After the auction ended, the various teams left the Starlight Auction House one after another. Huo Yuhao, under the pretext of going to the restroom, left the Shrek team's line and approached a girl in a black dress outside the VIP room.

"Big sister, is Senior Dai Yueheng still at the auction?"

As he spoke, Huo Yuhao secretly slipped a bag of gold soul coins into the black-dressed girl's hand.

The girl in the black dress made no attempt to hide her feelings as she took the money pouch Huo Yuhao handed her. Feeling its weight, she immediately beamed and said, "You mean Young Master Dai... He left the auction house after the first item was sold."

"Oh, I see... Well then, thank you very much, big sister."

After saying that, Huo Yuhao ran towards the auction house without looking back. After leaving the auction house, he returned to the Starlight Hotel without stopping, went to the top floor, and knocked on the door of Dai Yueheng's room.

dong dong dong...

After knocking more than ten times, the door still showed no sign of opening. Huo Yuhao seemed to have thought of something, so he quickly took out his room card, opened the door to his room on the other side, and pulled Dai Ying, who was preparing the Bigu Pill, out of the room.

The two jogged all the way and soon arrived at the gate of the White Tiger Duke's mansion. Just as they were about to enter, they were stopped by the gatekeeper.

"Where did these beggars come from? This is the Duke's mansion, not a place to beg!" Seeing that Huo Yuhao and Dai Ying were dressed simply, the gatekeeper, who always looked down on people, mocked them without any restraint.

This time, Dai Ying straightened her back, pointed at the gatekeeper's nose, and scolded, "I am a princess appointed by the imperial court, the legitimate daughter of the White Tiger Duke's mansion. How dare you, you dog servant, speak to your master like that?"

As she spoke, Dai Ying threw her waist token at the gatekeeper's face.

The gatekeeper took the waist token and glanced at it. Cold sweat instantly poured down his forehead. He wanted to slap himself. What the hell was he doing drinking that wine? Now he had offended the princess, and his life was probably going to end here.

Despite having the cultivation of a Soul Master, the gatekeeper still dared not do anything to Huo Yuhao and Dai Ying. He could tell whether his own death was worse than the death of his entire family.

Left with no other option, the gatekeeper knelt before Huo Yuhao and Dai Ying, frantically kowtowing.

"Princess, it was my fault for being blind. Please forgive me this time."

boom! boom! boom!

As Huo Yuhao looked at the gatekeeper who was kowtowing repeatedly, his gaze grew deeper. This... is this power?

For a moment, Huo Yuhao even thought that after becoming a god, he would stay in the mortal world for a hundred years and be a mortal emperor for hundreds of years!

This feeling... is truly intoxicating.

Coming to his senses, Huo Yuhao stared at the gatekeeper in front of him and said in an icy tone, "I ask... you answer, has my elder brother returned to the manor?"

Calling him "big brother" felt a little awkward to Huo Yuhao, but he had no choice. In this emergency, he had to act according to his own circumstances. To uphold the honor of Shrek Academy, he had to play the family card. He had to call him "big brother" whether he wanted to or not!

The gatekeeper stopped kowtowing, forcing himself to endure the discomfort, and hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the young master, the eldest young master returned to the manor with the eldest young lady half an hour ago, and it seems they went to the back garden to practice swordsmanship."

Miss?

Huo Yuhao was somewhat surprised. He had lived in the Duke's mansion for eleven years and had never heard of Dai Hao having a legitimate daughter.

And so, Huo Yuhao and Dai Ying strolled side by side along the paths of the White Tiger Duke's mansion. Just as Huo Yuhao was pondering how to persuade Dai Yueheng, Dai Ying suddenly slapped her forehead and said somewhat urgently, "Yuhao, do you still have the pastries I made for you?"

"There are two more boxes. What are you going to do with them?" Huo Yuhao was completely bewildered, not understanding what Dai Ying was up to.

"Oh dear, Yuhao, this is our first time returning to our parents' home. According to aristocratic etiquette, we should pay a visit to the mistress of the house. We can't go to visit our stepmother empty-handed; that would be too impolite."

Despite being an illegitimate child, Dai Ying was beautiful and was fortunate enough to receive the treatment due to a concubine's daughter, with all the proper etiquette and manners expected of a noblewoman.

"Ah, is there such a rule?" Huo Yuhao was dumbfounded. At this moment... he regretted coming to the Duke's mansion. If he wanted to call the Duchess "Mother," he might as well have been killed!

"Of course there's such a rule," Dai Ying said irritably. "Now that I'm the legitimate daughter, even though I'm married, the Duke's mansion will still reserve a room for me, and it will be cleaned regularly. This means... no matter when I come to the Duke's mansion, I'll be returning as the mistress. Yuhao, tonight... let's stay here tonight, okay?"

As an illegitimate child, Dai Ying would not suffer abuse in the Duke's mansion, but at the same time... she would not receive any respect.

When she was little, Dai Ying dreamed that one day she could become the owner of this mansion. Now... her dream has finally come true!

Returning home in wealth and honor is like wearing fine clothes at night. Dai Ying has a small dream: to visit her childhood friends and offer them any help she can.

Hearing Dai Ying's words, Huo Yuhao felt completely numb, wishing he could slap himself! Seeing the Duchess wasn't enough; he actually wanted to stay overnight at the manor—this was truly...

ummm

never mind!

For Shrek Academy, for the Tang Sect, for the Sea God Pavilion (Spirit Ice Pavilion), he... endured it.

And so, Huo Yuhao and Dai Ying, each carrying a box of pastries, arrived at the pavilion in the backyard where a group of women had gathered, led by a maid.

With Dai Hao's return, the Duchess had some rare free time. Not needing to worry about the affairs of the manor for the time being, she gathered all the women of the household with official titles together, which could be considered a favor from her as the matriarch.

The two arrived at the pavilion and bowed slightly to Xu Lin (the Duchess) in the main seat, saying, "Daughter Dai Ying, along with her husband Huo Yuhao, greets Mother and all the aunts."

"No need for formalities, come and sit down." Xu Lin waved her hand, and the beautiful woman on the left understood, quickly leading the group of women behind her to make room for her.

The status of legitimate sons and daughters in the household is second only to the principal wife and above the other wives and concubines. Regardless of Dai Ying's previous status, she is now a princess conferred by the imperial court. If the other wives and concubines encounter Dai Ying in private, they must bow to her.

(End of this chapter)