Chapter 4 Oath

Staying in his personal bathes, he relaxes and mulls over the implications of his mistake, though still guilty he is weighing his options. He wants to love his lover, but the responsibility that comes with being a duke and a general of The Star Luo Empire is too great.

The bathes are extremely luxurious filled with statues pouring purified water, with large of amounts of gold acting as pillars and whatnot.

Through this environment he thinks about what his son could bring.

'That son of mine could be what loosens those chains binding me that is my influence', though his longing in his eyes can't be mistaken, it quickly disappears.

Replaced with colder eyes, eyes of someone weary. Of someone tired of something, someone tired of being guilty that it weighs on him everyday.

He had both impregnated his wife and political ally. Then, he had impregnated his lover and childhood friend. For good men the guilt would weigh on them everyday. But he wasn't that, he was a duke.

He wants and has too assist his beloved country but, to do that he had cast aside what made him, him. 'Every battle killing thousands, trampling enemy lines, for what? That bloodshed was so needless. So useless, why was it done?'

The look in his eyes suddenly starts turning blank.

'Merely for glory? Not even that, I have that even now, not doing anything staying in these springs. Where as every second in bed at war those eyes come back to me, each one killed was a letter with a pension inside delivered rather then their son or daughter coming home to the average soldier's family.'

'The tears they spilt, both our troop's family and the enemy's, for all the glory promised. For all the opportunity in war for heroes. It's all a sham. Everything stripped away it's just ceaseless slaughter, nothing rewarded to the common soldier.'

'Nothing ventured either, The Royal family sometimes would lead, but otherwise they leave it to us, the generals, and they stay enthralled by luxuries no one in common populace would have. They venture nothing, but gain almost everything, for every story like mine, there are thousands killed on the battlefield.'

'The blood in my nails, the blood spattered in my face. Friends and enemies alike cut down to fuel the greater machine that is war.'

He sighs but his eyes finally returns to normal but not before he starts thinking about his son, his most talented one it seemed.

'Maybe he could but an end to that war, his aura was no where near average. Only the greatest of killers and tyrants had that aura I had only seen one and that was from an Quasi-God of The Sun Moon Empire.'

'Saying his future or he is less then that, is an insult no one like him would take lying down.'

'But really this isn't enough time, only two years of leave. For all my meritorious service I can't even stay with my family, every second is precious because of that.'

Sighing, he walks out of the bathe towards his room. But as his sight wanders towards where the servants were supposed to leave a new set of clothes for him.

But instead there lies his wife, Zhu Jiao Ao, they stay in silence for awhile but then she breaks it, "Hello, I was wondering where you were." Her voice was melodious though scary because even if her beautiful face though morphed not in an angry way, it's certainly conveys she's annoyed.

She's lying on the bed under the blanket, she can't be seen wearing anything because of this but it doesn't mean she isn't wearing anything.

Her eyes though are not veiled, though it doesn't reveal much, the force behind those eyes can't be mistaken for anger.

The duke sees this and frowns, "Jiao Ao, what are you doing here?" Even though the tension in the air can be cut with a knife, his awkwardness shines through. Being both naked and not truly emotionally involved with his wife.

"Come here." The duke though confused by this, obliges. Walking to his bed, when he gets close, his hand is taken by his wife's hand. He is so surprised he doesn't make use of any of his strength.

When pulled close enough, The Duchess pulls him onto the bed and under the blanket then suddenly kisses him deeply. His surprise evident on his face doesn't let him react before his wife notices his hesitation and pulls him in deeper.

"Please, Dai Hao, promise this one thing." The duke replies, "That's dependent on..." He's cut off by her crying, "Not anything of value to you, promise something not as The Duke of The White Tiger. Promise me this as my husband!"

Her Crying grows louder and she cries into his shoulder, "No as you said, I'm one of the dukes of The Star Luo Empire, so I can't in good conscience..." He is cut off by another kiss, "You know me, you know I wouldn't want to jeopardize your career. Your future, our children's future!"

His stoicism cracks a little, at this, "But honey.." Cut off, again, "Not 'But honey' this the only thing I demand from you as your wife, and your saying no?" The sadness apparent in this sentence shatters his facade completely.

Going in, he changes his expression to be more friendly, he comforts her by bringing up the blanket their under in. Pulling it around to wrap around her, "Honey, you know I wouldn't do that. Come on what's the promise."

Sniffling she asks, "Really?" The distrust in this, took the final brick from his mental wall, "Of course, I would, when have you felt you married a liar?"

She calms down, but hits back replied, "Everyday, for the past seven months." Continuing, "Only eight months ago did your private attendant shown signs of pregnancy. Then a month later I had learned you where the father."

Her tone immediately changes to anger, "You know how betrayed I felt, how much pent up emotion I felt at this, yet because of our family's alliance, I had to stay with you!"

Her eyes become more red bordering on blood shot, "That feeling should be apparent to you having felt betrayal before! As an army men only caring about 'battle that' and 'empire this'! You had never cared for your family after you became a general!"

Her eyes dim until all the hope is gone, "You know how hard it was raising a child on my own, without a father! Him looking at you with so much admiration. Like every citizen The Empire looking at you like a saint. Yet I still loved you."

Every word in this sentence is dripping with sarcasm. The sentence in particular hurt the owrst.

The duke remains silent, "Promise me, no make an oath, under no circumstance shall you be enthralled with another woman!" Following this, "Not that, more then that, make an oath to me that no mother's child outside of ours shall be the head of the household!"

He stay's silent following this, "Or do you not want this any more?" Her eyes stops being bloodshot and all that remains is betrayal and sadness.

"No." His voice gains resolve as he says this, "I as Dai Hao of The House of The White Tiger swears upon his name that I shall no longer interlope with any woman outside of my wife, Zhu Jiao Ao and no children of mine with another woman shall be the head of this honorable house."

His voice filled with fake joy asks, "Jiao Ao are you happy?" Smiling she takes him into the blanket she is in and sniffles further in his shoulder. "Yes dear, yes dear." He smiles, but his smile is genuine. Not faked for political reasons.

But happy as a husband toward his wife. They stay like for awhile until morning comes.

But outside of this. We come upon a blue haired woman named Huo Yue Er caring for her two children. One of dark blue hair and the other of light blue hair.

They're twins, yet their complexions are wildly different. The light blue child is normal, having a expression any baby would have.

The other one is cooing and awing at any and everything the light haired one does, "Though I'm sad Dai Hao isn't here to name them with me but it's fine I had pre-planned a name for the first Child I birthed. The name was Yu Hao, but I didn't realize I had another child. But Yu Wu would work well for the second one, it sounds vaguely similar." At this the darker haired one turns to face her and gives her a thumb up.

She chuckles good heartedly at that, she had gotten used her child's intelligence after a few hours. Though it's weird she feels strangely comfortable around him. He feels warm to her reception, but strangely really likes to hug his brother.

But that's okay, even encouraged to develop their relationship as brothers. Still though, that aura that was there originally, unsettles her.

That presence is too strong, it felt like a god but not, it feels natural but also artificial. That was what was felt, the paradox of what I was feeling. She is fine with it especially it may signify his future competence or his potential as a future soul master.

But around three months ago when her womb started feeling lighter it was like her world had come crashing down on her but when she had looked down.

She had found that her body had grown stronger even though she was heavier. Her instinct points toward it having something to do with her child.

Mulling this over a bit more, she decides she's overthinking this and picks up here children and leaves the room.

Moving outside of The Star Luo Empire we come to a small village outside of Shrek City. The number one city of the continent.

We come to go in a small house made of stone ran by a family of kind fruit merchants. Their hosting a celebration because their daughter had found husband she likes.

Though that is a major part of it, the other more important part is that he is soul master.

Though he is an amnesiac with undetermined backstory, he's a spirit sage, a spirit sage saved by their daughter, for someone like that they must have bright future. He's also very devoted and young. Liking their daughter fine.

Such a great cause for celebration made them the envy of their entire village, with their family being the talk of the town. And apparently their son in-law is going to be a teacher at Shrek academy in a few weeks.

Such a thing is only possible with the luck obtained over a dozen lifetimes. It's why their drinking and eating lavishly for their average family today.

For this they hoped this would last forever. Being their the parents of that girl, that soul sage would never let them live a bad life. And like that, two years has passed.

In The Duke's Mansion a week has passed since when the duke has recalled for the war against The Sun Moon Empire, yet the mansion has only started to change it's operations. It's now handed to The Duchess.

And already she has started suppress The Dukes Lover. The reason is very appropriate as she had slept with her husband and she had been spreading rumors of how Huo Yue Er is sick with an infectious disease without a cure.

Servants didn't immediately believe her but as The Duke was gone, she was in charge and they humored her because they feared her.

But they also felt sympathetic for her circumstances so they acted as she wanted even though they really didn't believe word she said because they see their mistress running around everyday with her healthy children.

One carried, the other keeping up her even though he's only two years old. Not an insult to her, he's more athletic than some full grown men. That may not be normal but The Mistress waves it off like it's nothing.

Today though, The Duchess is pushing again, just not hard for them to leave the mansion, why would she? Her position is safe and her children are the future of the house.

Another month passes peacefully, but this day will not remain so peaceful. Yue Er's children are too talented, one of them can speak. Already knowing the intricacies of language. Easy baiting some of the servants to promise to take them out to get some fish.

Though no knows why except the one asking. But he did you it, and it's harmless no one would care for it at the slightest.

Afterward he just went to his room and started playing with it.

Everyone is too busy to care for that, pondering why her children stay together like glue, even The Young Master doesn't stay with his mother or brother all the time. Or how talented the dark haired one is.

But this had somewhat hurt The Duchess's confidence. Thus she sent them off to the servant quarters with the guise of them having an infectious disease and not thinking much about it.

No one was willing to oppose her a couple of children and mother without any real power. She's right in this sense. But what if one of the children could oppose her?

But the black haired one, his actions dictate this.

Staying on his bed, he mulls over his best course of actions. Though kind of disappointing I should use that fish, I can form a nice manifestation from this. I'll do linked as this will be my master and it'll need to be easy to coordinate.

He hops out of his bed going to the river he pulled a fish from. Going then, to the pail he hid that contains a fish in it. Forming astral hand and fishing the fish out of it. Manipulating his mana to form a spirit core, implanting it and linking with his consciousness.

It's just as easy as a remember, he flicks his wrist and a drop of blood flows out and into the fish. He coordinates it to move and convert all the fish blood into human blood through alchemy and slowly increases it's size until it's human sized.

Then when he's done with this he starts to form human organs. This takes sometime but it's done none the less.

Following this we can see a perfect man with light blue hair, and if not for the fish scales parallel to each other on his back we wouldn't know about his past as fish body.

Sighing the boy takes one of the handsome mans scales and copies it to form more of it, then using mana to make mana threads which he weaves into a suit. Then taking the scales and attaching it though weaving mana though it.

Smiling at a job well done he does back to the servant quarters. The man awakens quickly after that and goes to hide the river.

Some hours past and it hits night.

The Duchess sitting down on her bed in her bedroom, filled with gold trinkets and various furniture, including her wardrobe willed with hundreds of dresses.

But when she is about to tell the servants to turn off the lanterns, a man turns up at the window. He's dressed in a blue patterned suit. Made with hundreds with intersecting fish scales that form a larger pattern that represent a beautiful river fish.

His face is perfect, no blemishes. To say it's merely beautiful is an insult and as she was mesmerized his dulcet voice rang out, "Not to insult you, but can you please stop staring at my face."

Though posed as question it was not that, it was a order.

She blinks, she snaps out of her state, and backs off, but defensively asked, "Why are you here, more importantly who are you?"

His face stays the same, "You ask this, do you ever you ever do research." It's in the same tone, no care no uniqueness, calmly she states, "Yes everyone does in their life some time. Searching for answers is what research is."

"Then you should you've wronged my disciple's family." The Duchess feigns ignorance, "What are you speaking of I've done no such thing."

"Ah, such a basic lie, how about that family you threw out because of your insecurities. How about my disciple, Huo Yu Hao."

She freezes up, "Your disciple was him?" His face breaks his stoicism and opens up in pride, "Yes he is, his talent is infinitely greater then mine."

Continuing this, "Our family's arts allows outsiders to learn it if their recognized by The Patriarch or Matriarch of the family. This art depends on a talent outside of Spirit Master. Someone a master of our arts can fight gods, merely being average at it allows the strength of a Spirit Douluo."

"I may be above average I may never reach the Realm of the Gods, he has that chance to reach it and carry our family's art further then our ancestor."

The Duchess can't process this, this breakdown of her worldview. The breakdown of all her hopes, her children's future that has been jeopardized out of nowhere.

"Your lying, if such a thing on the continent exists no one would not know of it..." Cut off, "As I said, it's my family's secret art, anyone that tried to spread it is six feet under."

"But besides that point, either let my disciple back into the manor or suffer my wrath." Her reply is, "I'm The Duchess of The White tiger what ever you can do to me is not of y concern." His hand reaches out and grabs her neck.

Both of his eyes becomes ice cold, "Are you sure that's a fact? No one knows he has my backing, you being dead is something that can just be attributed to The Sun Moon Empire. Nothing would change."

Yelling in anger, "Like hell nothing would change, my children you know how lonely they are with only one parent with none how do think they'll turn out!"

His eyes turn colder, "That's not of my concern, swear an oath, or you can die." Her hand ignites on fire and she activates her spirit avatar, a Vermillion Bird, and tries to use her forth spirit ring to escape his grasp but before this happens, his aura presses down on her.

Her terror is palpable, his aura is on the level of a Quasi-God, his strength is unparalleled among mortals, this aura spreads throughout the manor and everyone passes out.

But a pair of small boys that witness the scene as the strange man leaves, one of fear and awe, the other of job well done.