Huo Yuhao froze in place, feeling as if a century had passed, though it was likely only a few seconds. His heart hammered against his chest so loudly he feared those outside could hear it. Snapping back to his senses, he bent down as if burned, his fingers trembling as he picked up the heavy, slightly lumpy small cloth bag and the crumpled, frayed scrap of paper.
A crisp metallic clink came from inside the bag, striking his nerves with every movement. Panicking, he hurriedly stuffed the two mysterious items into the innermost layer of his clothes. The icy sensation sent a wave of goosebumps across his skin. These things were too conspicuous; they absolutely could not be seen by anyone.
Had the terrifying sounds of fighting and shouting outside stopped? But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a more boisterous and chaotic din of voices and footsteps came surging toward him like a flood! The footsteps were heavy and urgent, sounding like quite a large group.
Oh no! It must be the guards of the Dukes Mansion drawn here by the commotion! Huo Yuhao's small face turned deathly pale instantly. If they discovered those three strange "things" had entered his home and even left something behind... what would happen to him and his mother? He didn't dare to imagine; the mere thought made his limbs go cold.
Anxious as an ant on a hot griddle, he spun around in place like a headless fly. His eyes darted frantically across the destitute, dilapidated room, finally landing on a pile of cold, black hearth ash in the corner. Ignoring the filth, he steeled his heart, rushed over, and grabbed several handfuls of the cold black ash, smearing it haphazardly over his face, neck, and his already faded, tattered clothes. Soon, he was covered in soot, leaving only a pair of wide, terrified eyes visible. Feeling it wasn't enough, he vigorously ruffled his hair until it looked like a messy bird's nest.
It still didn't feel quite right... With a ruthless glint in his eyes, he slammed his arm against the rough, uneven earthen wall and scraped it hard!
"Hiss—" A searing pain shot through him instantly as his flesh was torn by the rough surface. Tiny beads of blood immediately seeped out, mixing with the black ash to create a filthy, pitiful, and very convincing sight. Still fearing it wasn't realistic enough, he steeled himself and deliberately threw himself onto the ground, landing hard and coating himself in dust, looking even more wretched.
He had just scrambled up from the floor, trying his best to look like someone who had been scared witless and tripped several times, when the tattered, barely windproof door of their home was kicked open with a violent "bang" from the outside! The door slammed against the wall with a pained groan, wobbling as if it were about to fall apart.
Several men wearing the uniforms of the Dukes Mansion guards burst in, looking like fierce demons. Their sharp gazes scanned the impoverished, one-room shack like searchlights. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a cold, hard face and eyes carrying Evil Qi. The Soul Power fluctuations emanating from him made Huo Yuhao feel very uncomfortable. One white and one yellow spirit ring pulsed beneath his feet, marking him as someone not to be trifled with. The man's gaze swept the room and immediately locked onto Huo Yuhao, who was huddled in the corner, filthy, arm bleeding, shivering violently as he tried to shrink into a ball.
Almost simultaneously, from behind the thin, patched curtain of the inner room came Huo Yuner's weak and panicked voice; she was clearly terrified by the commotion outside: "Yuhao... what's happening out there? What's going on? Are you alright?"
Huo Yuhao's heart was in his throat. Before he could think of how to answer, the lead guard spoke up harshly, his voice cold and sharp with an unmistakable tone of interrogation: "Kid! Did you see anything strange run past just now?" His eyes were fixed on Huo Yuhao like hooks, not letting even the slightest expression escape him.
Huo Yuhao flinched violently, his words failing him as he stammered with a sob in his voice: "...There... there were monsters... a huge crab... and a flying... shadow... it went 'whoosh' past... I... I'm scared..." As he spoke, he tried to shrink back further as if to bury himself in the wall, making himself look even more pathetic. Tears welled up in his eyes, half from genuine fear and half from the pain in his arm.
The leader frowned, looking him up and down with extreme disdain. This child's Soul Power was so weak it was almost imperceptible; he was dressed in rags, covered in soot and blood, looking pitifully injured and utterly terrified—a clear picture of a spineless coward. He cast a disgusted glance around the dirt-poor room, which held nothing but a broken bed and table, and his slight suspicion vanished completely. Those three eerie and troublesome water-attribute Soul Beasts were quite powerful; even Young Master Huabin had suffered a bit at their hands. How could they have anything to do with a little waste like this living in the servants' quarters who didn't even have Soul Power?
He figured those three beasts must have sensed their large party approaching and realized something was wrong. In their panicked retreat, they likely just happened to pass by the door of this shack, scaring the brat half to death.
"Which way did they go?" the leader demanded impatiently, his tone foul. He felt that staying in this hovel for even another second was a waste of time; it would be better spent chasing those peculiar Soul Beasts.