Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

"Zhu Lu, don't you understand the ancestral teachings of the Dai and Zhu families?"

"You are bound by an engagement to Huabin. Why are you now with this man?"

As Dai Hao spoke, the oppressive aura of a military leader steeped in decades of battle surged toward Qian Ran and Zhu Lu. The revelation from Dai Yueheng had infuriated him—his useless son, Dai Huabin, couldn't even hold on to his own fiancée. It was humiliating.

"White Tiger Duke, Zhu Lu and I are truly in love. As for your so-called engagement, Zhu Lu never consented to it. Wasn't it arranged when she had just awakened her martial soul? Why should her life be dictated by the decrees of two decrepit old men from your Dai and Zhu families?"

Qian Ran pulled Zhu Lu behind him, his voice cold and defiant.

Dai Hao's face darkened further at the boy's audacity.

"Gasp!"

Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were stunned. They had known Qian Ran was bold, but to challenge the White Tiger Duke, one of the most powerful nobles on the continent?

Even Wang Yan, usually unflappable, was caught off guard. As a teacher, he had seen Qian Ran's rebellious streak but hadn't expected him to be so confrontational.

"Pfft—this kid has guts! Even if he's a bit of a womanizer, he's got spine. A real man!" Elder Xuan, lurking nearby, nearly choked on his wine and sprayed it out in laughter.

Zhu Lu, however, was terrified. She tugged on Qian Ran's sleeve, afraid he was pushing the White Tiger Duke too far.

"True love, you say?" Dai Hao sneered, his gaze sharp enough to pierce steel.

"Do you think you can protect her? If you can't even protect the woman you claim to love, what right do you have to call it love? Your presence in her life will only bring her ruin—perhaps even death!"

Dai Hao's words dripped with contempt, his killing intent intensifying. Over his long career, no junior had ever dared speak to him like this.

"So, what you're saying is that a man who can't protect his woman isn't a real man. Is that it, White Tiger Duke?" Qian Ran's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"That should go without saying!" Dai Hao replied dismissively.

"Then, White Tiger Duke, by your own standards, you're utterly worthless."

"What?"

The words hit Dai Hao like a slap.

"You couldn't protect your own woman, yet you stand here lecturing me?" Qian Ran's tone was dripping with derision.

"Do you remember the name Huo Yun'er?"

Dai Hao's entire body stiffened at the mention of that name.

"Huo Yun'er grew up in your White Tiger Duke's mansion. You two were childhood sweethearts, weren't you?"

"Here's some news for you—Huo Yun'er is dead. Care to guess how she died?"

Dai Hao's face turned pale, and his clenched fists trembled.

"You, the so-called White Tiger Duke, supreme commander of the empire's armies, master of tens of thousands of soldiers and a legion of elite White Tiger Guards… Yet you couldn't even protect the woman you loved."

"What right do you have to bark orders at me?" Qian Ran's voice was sharp, each word a stab at Dai Hao's pride. "What do you have to show for yourself besides years of cultivation? A crumbling Dai family dynasty that lost its claim to the throne?"

The entire group stood frozen, dumbfounded by the brutal verbal assault.

What kind of scandal had they just uncovered?

They exchanged worried glances, fearing that Dai Hao might resort to silencing them all to protect his family's reputation.

Elder Xuan, eavesdropping nearby, spat out another mouthful of wine. "This kid… He knows everything! Even the skeletons in the White Tiger Duke's closet. And he's saying it all out loud! Just how insane is this kid?"

"You!" Dai Hao's bloodshot eyes were filled with rage, his breath heaving.

Qian Ran's words had cut deep, hitting every raw nerve.

Huo Yun'er's death had always been a painful memory for him. He had thought she had succumbed to illness, but now…

"Oh, and here's another fun fact for you, Duke."

"Huo Yun'er bore you a child. A boy. Not that it matters much—he's a waste, though his talent still surpasses Dai Huabin and Dai Yueheng."

"As for Huo Yun'er's death? I'll spell it out for you: she didn't just 'fall ill.' Your 'dutiful' son, Dai Huabin, had her beaten to death by your mansion's guards."

The words were a thunderclap. Dai Yueheng staggered, his face pale.

This wasn't just a personal disgrace—this was an earth-shattering scandal for the entire White Tiger Duke's household.

"Impossible!" Dai Hao roared, his voice filled with fury and denial. His trembling hands clenched into fists as he struggled to process Qian Ran's accusations.

"Impossible? Let me paint you a picture, Duke."

"One day, Dai Huabin, astride his noble steed, passed by Huo Yun'er as she was hanging laundry with her son. Something about the scene displeased your precious little heir. So, he ordered your soldiers to beat them.

"Huo Yun'er stepped in to shield her child and bore the brunt of the punishment. Frail as she was, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after."

Qian Ran's voice was ice-cold as he continued, "So tell me, Duke—did Dai Huabin kill her, or not?"

The air around Dai Hao seemed to freeze. His eyes, now devoid of their earlier authority, wavered with doubt and pain.

"How dare you lecture me, White Tiger Duke?" Qian Ran's voice was unyielding. "A man who couldn't even protect the woman he loved. A 'commander' whose household was ruled by chaos and cruelty."

For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence. Everyone present, from Ma Xiaotao to Ling Luochen, was utterly dumbstruck.

"You talk about honor, Duke, but you're nothing more than a hypocrite!"

Qian Ran's words were razor-sharp, cutting through the air with chilling precision. "Don't try to intimidate me with your title. You're unworthy of my respect."

Dai Hao's body trembled. His lips quivered as he tried to refute Qian Ran's words, but no sound came out.

For the first time in his life, the White Tiger Duke was rendered speechless.

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