“`
“Hmm,”
“Then why didn’t they join forces to attack Heavenly Gate Mountain?” Li Hao asked.
“The, the King said that the Dragon Master doesn’t want them to take down Heavenly Gate Mountain too soon. That way, they can slowly savor more delicacies and at the same time, tie down the Li Family’s military forces…” the burly woman Trembled as she spoke, her eyes filled with fear, yet it seemed she was also hiding a ferocity.
“If that’s the case, why does it want to attack tonight?”
Li Hao asked again.
“The King said it wants to eat Li Hongzhuang, as for Heavenly Gate Mountain, it can just stay here, waiting to see if any other Li Family members will come to continue guarding it. If there is one, he will eat one,” the burly woman said, cautiously watching Li Hao, the young man in front of her, who also seemed to be a member of the Li Family.
Li Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly; was Heavenly Gate Mountain being used as bait?
Using Heavenly Gate Mountain to consume offerings from the Northern Cold Country while also fishing for the Li Family.
“Why do they want to keep the Li Family delayed here?” Li Hao asked once more.
“I don’t know that, the King didn’t tell me,” the burly woman said, her face turning pale.
“Hmm?”
Li Hao regarded her intently.
“It seems…” the burly woman said nervously, moving closer.
Roar!
Suddenly, her mouth filled with fierce teeth ballooned in size, her expression hideous as she transformed into a huge lion’s head, attempting to bite off Li Hao’s head.
But the moment she lunged at him, Li Hao pressed down with his palm from above her head, and her chin fiercely knocked against his knees as he sat there. The bones of the lion head’s face, evidently, couldn’t withstand the hardness of Li Hao’s kneecaps; it was like smashing against stone, resulting in the sound of bones fracturing.
While her mind was buzzing in confusion, Li Hao’s palm had already swept to the back of her neck, and with a flick of his finger, Sword Qi shot out from his fingertips.
It pierced through her cervical spine at the back of her neck, severing a vertebra, decapitating her.
At that moment, a Divine Soul flew out from the lion head in a panic, attempting to escape in fear, but Li Hao blew on it, cloaking it with the power of object manipulation and explosively crushing the Divine Soul.
After doing all this, Li Hao’s gaze fell upon the two Cultivation Techniques in his hand.
Clasping them tightly, the pages of the techniques crumbled to pieces, scattering onto the ground from between his fingers.
Li Hao stood up, dusted off his bottom, and then carried his Boar Tusk Sword out of the cave.
He stood at the entrance of the cave, his Divine Soul flying out, using the mountain as a center to survey the area for dozens of miles around.
He used his Divine Soul to sweep across all the demons within a thirty-mile radius, slashing and killing them.
On the ground, he saw some wild animals not yet tainted with demon aura and dispatched them as well.
Including several ant nests behind the mountain, he waved his hand and collapsed them, even a group of small fish swimming in a nearby stream got crushed.
Meanwhile, he manipulated the soil to fill in both ends of the stream, cutting off the life of this water source.
Without a water source, wild animals would not gather here, greatly reducing the chances of survival.
After doing all this, Li Hao checked again to ensure he hadn’t missed any signs of life before stepping away and disappearing into the night.
One hour later.
Li Hao appeared in another hill basin.
This was the lair of the Six-Tusked Boar, with a minor demon wandering on the hilltop outside the basin patrolling.
Li Hao casually picked a weed and pierced its brow from ten miles away.
The patrol flag the minor demon was carrying also dropped.
Li Hao walked straight into the basin. The stench of feces and urine hit him in the face, causing him to frown slightly. He immediately held his breath and rushed in quickly.
Before long, the stench in the basin was intermixed with a heavy scent of blood.
Li Hao’s figure rushed out from the inside, swiftly leaving while covering his nose.
The place where the boar demon lived could genuinely suffocate a person…
That boar demon knew how to enjoy itself; aside from seven or eight sow demons, there were also two Leopard Demons and a Sparrow Demon in its lair, leading a rather colorful private life.
Rushing through the night, Li Hao returned to the camp.
Li Hongzhuang sat on a small mound, holding a sword in her arms, appearing to be resting with her eyes closed.
The sound of Li Hao returning made her brows twitch slightly and she slowly opened her eyes, a hint of weariness in her gaze, which she quickly suppressed and asked, “Did you find it?”
“Hmm.”
“`
Li Hao nodded.
“There’s no danger, right?” Li Hongzhuang asked, but after glancing at Li Hao’s body, she knew it was an unnecessary question.
“Almost threw up.”
Li Hao said with lingering fear.
“?”
Li Hao smiled, “You should rest first.”
Li Hongzhuang gave him a look, asked no more, closed her eyes, and drifted back to sleep.
Li Hao returned to the campfire, where Ren Qianqian came out from the tent and said, “Young Master, you’ve returned.”
“Haven’t you slept?”
“Just fell asleep.”
“Then go back to sleep.”
“But you…”
“Don’t worry about me, go rest,” Li Hao waved his hand.
Ren Qianqian looked at him twice, knowing she could not be of any help, wished him goodnight, and went back into the tent.
Li Hao sat down by the campfire, looked around at the night, knowing Feng was still accompanying him in the dark, and couldn’t help but silently sigh, even more eager to become stronger quickly so that the old man could relax a bit.
“Add a meal tomorrow.”
Li Hao mumbled to himself.
“Cheeky boy, remember what you said.” A voice drifted into his ears.
Li Hao laughed when he heard it and nodded firmly.
Under the moon and stars, the sky was clear.
The silhouettes of the old and the young were covered by the night, both faces revealing faint smiles.
Li Hao did not rest but began to practice the Body Refining Techniques he had just acquired, a total of five.
However, only two of them were top tier, even surpassing the Listening Rain Tower’s Thousand Jiaos Holy Body.
Probably only when Li Hao fully developed the Primordial Skill, he could compete with them.
The two techniques were the “Five Organs Primordial Body” and the “Bright Jade True Demon Skill.”
As the skills were input into the panel, both techniques were quickly raised to the highest level.
The massive memories that had flooded into his mind were now sifted through by Li Hao, he reviewed them once, then stood up in front of the extinguished campfire and began to practice.
With the movements of his body, his bones rumbled like low thunder.
His blood and flesh were stimulated to exert tremendous power through the practice of the techniques, simultaneously greedily absorbing the energy of the world, continually filling up.
Li Hao’s physical body was rapidly transforming, his skin becoming delicate, smooth, and tough.
Li He, standing in the darkness, watched Li Hao practice, his eyes filled with amazement.
Following these days, this was the first time he saw the peerlessly talented young master practice.
He had heard from people inside the residence that they never saw the young master practice, but to his surprise, the young master practiced in the middle of the night.
But, could practicing for just this bit of time every day raise him to a world-renowned level?
At that moment, Li He saw the energy between heaven and earth surge and rapidly converge towards the young man’s body.
Li He’s pupils constricted sharply, showing a look of horror.
Was this practicing or plundering?
The energy of the world gathered like a storm, funneling into Li Hao’s body and being absorbed by the Five Organs Primordial Body Skill.
Li Hao’s body was being rapidly forged and tempered, his internal organs, including his blood and flesh, and meridians, were all being refined.
Terrifying forces radiated from Li Hao’s body as his physical strength greatly increased.
Such a commotion made Li Hongzhuang, who was far away, inadvertently open her eyes slightly and look over.
With one set of the technique completed, Li Hao felt his strength increase substantially, his body’s energy became more abundant, and his flesh as tough as beast hide.
He then continued to practice a second and a third time.
With each repetition, by the ninth time, the enhancement provided by this technique gradually saturated.
Li Hao immediately converged the Qi force within his body and gently moved his hands and feet. With the understanding of the Sixth Stage of the Physical Body Path and the penetrating insight of the Grandmaster Realm, he easily gauged the current strength of his flesh.
About 400,000 jin.
Initially, it was 100,000 jin. With the improvement of the Physical Body Path and the completion of the Primordial Cultivation Skill to the fourth chapter “Primordial,” coupled with the derivation and enhancement of many other techniques, it increased to over 300,000 jin.
Now, this perfected Demon technique had directly added 100,000 jin of strength.
It might not seem like a large increase in strength when compared to the tens of millions of jin of True Qi, and it’s not worth mentioning, but excluding Demons, including the strong ones of the Human Race at the Four Stands Realm, very few would have pure physical strength of 100,000 jin!
The stronger the physical strength, the stronger the impact of the Qi force it could withstand.
It’s the same blood reversal, others might lose half their lives, but Li Hao would at most spit out some clotted blood and then recover.
As he perfected the Five Zang Hunyuan Skill, in addition to the increase in physical strength, Li Hao felt that his internal organs, like metal, provided him with strong support whether he was walking, sitting, or standing.
Li Hao did not rest and continued to cultivate another technique, “Bright Jade True Demon Skill.”
This technique focused on cultivating the exterior, and as he practiced, the energy of heaven and earth once again converged, quickly pouring into his body.
This energy, like dark evil, blocked out the clear night sky and the stars and the moon.
The technique primarily refined energy using Demonic Qi, and fittingly, this place was a battlefield, where the Demonic Qi was most dense.
Countless dark Demonic Qi surrounded Li Hao, shrouding him in darkness, he resembled a true Demon; with every opening and closing of his eyes, it seemed a crimson light burst forth.
“Did he just master that technique… just like that?”
In the shadows, Li He watched in astonishment as Li Hao switched to another technique, the aura of his cultivation even more formidable than the last.
The previous technique, with Li Hao’s repeated execution, went from unfamiliar to skilled, and then to rounded perfection, all in the span of seven or eight tries.
Is this… the young master’s secret?
A few repetitions to perfection?
It wasn’t just Li He, Li Hongzhuang was also shocked from a distance. She had seen prodigies, but never one quite like this.
Even when Li He practiced as a child, it would take a few days to perfect a skill.
Back then, with a technique that would take others the whole night just to grasp, he would be entering the doorway by the next day, eliciting admiration and envy from his siblings.
But the Li Hao in front of her, this wasn’t mere entry level accomplishment in a night. This was outright perfection!
And it was not even a full night’s work!
As the Demonic Qi converged and continuously poured into his body to be refined, hammering on his body everywhere, Li Hao’s physique improved rapidly, his complexion became as fair as jade, like porcelain glazed with a fluid-like strength within.
While absorbing the Demonic Qi, Li Hao started to practice again.
The first time, the second time…
As he continued to perform, the Demonic Qi drew in like a storm.
In the blink of an eye, the eighth repetition was completed.
The Bright Jade True Demon Skill was already mastered, reaching the realm of perfection.
The surrounding Demonic Qi all calmed down, revealing the stars and the moon, shining upon the young man’s frame.
Li Hao exhaled gently and looked down at himself; his fingernails were pale, yet with a little force, a faint black Demonic Qi seemed to emerge between them.
This was originally a Demon technique, more suitable for the physique of Demon babies.
But he had altered it through the Physical Body Path into a Body Refining Technique that the Human Race could also practice.
Still, the core essence of Demonic Qi within the technique couldn’t be erased.
Li Hao closed his eyes slightly, then reopened them, a faint black air flashing through his pupils, as if his vision had become different, sharper and brighter.
He saw a faint and vague silhouette to his left, it was Li He hiding in the shadows.
He paid no attention; at this point, there was no need to deliberately hide or disguise anything. After all, this place was no longer the Li Mansion.
After finishing his cultivation, Li Hao gauged his bodily strength.
The pure Strength of the Flesh had increased to around 550,000 jin.
This Demon technique’s enhancement was more pronounced than that of the Five Zang Hunyuan Skill.
Yet, it still hadn’t reached the physical limit of the Power Passage Realm.
Could it be a million jin of strength was necessary… Li Hao’s gaze flickered. At the common stage of the Power Passage Realm, addition of Divine Blood amounted to tens of thousands of jin, which was now a hundredfold!
One wonders how exaggerated the limits of other realms could be.
No wonder even within Listening Rain Tower, there were no records of the limits of each realm. If it weren’t for his panel, such limits would be unimaginable for ordinary people.
Looking at the stars and the moon, Li Hao pondered for a moment, then settled back without further action and entered light sleep to rest.
Li Hongzhuang glanced at the young man, suppressing the urge to go and ask. Li Hao had slain Chi Hu Jun last night; there was likely to be a fierce battle today, and she needed to quickly adjust her state.
Without the obstruction of city walls, as the dawn light shone in from beyond the pass, it was like a warm hand softly caressing the faces of the two.
Li Hao awoke from his light sleep. With the chess characteristic of concealing one’s abilities and biding time, a one or two-hour light sleep was enough to dispel his fatigue.
But besides relieving tiredness, sleeping also felt quite nice.
Too bad the conditions outside the pass didn’t allow him to sleep in.
Li Hao rummaged through the camp and found more paper; he immediately began to write again.
Li Hongzhuang also woke up. The chilly morning at the beginning of winter brought with it a light frost mist, making her speech visible as a faint white breath:
“Are you writing another technique?”
“Yes.”
“There might be a tough battle today.”
“Let’s talk about it when it comes.”
Li Hao appeared casual, seemingly unconcerned.
Li Hongzhuang glanced at the technique Li Hao was writing and said, “Even if you finish writing, there’s no one who can deliver it back for you.”
“Maybe this senior gentleman can help.”
Li Hao looked toward Li He hidden in the shadows.
Li He hadn’t expected Li Hao to be aware of his location. His expression changed slightly. Since things had come to this, there was no need to continue lurking in the darkness. He walked out openly and approached them, saying:
“I am here under your father’s orders to protect you. Without a direct command from him, I will not leave.”
“Old man, you’d better change your way of talking. Don’t keep saying ‘your father’.”
Li Hao’s eyebrows creased as he stared at the other person.
Li He was slightly taken aback, feeling a chill approaching.
He felt somewhat uncomfortable in his heart. Although he had been transferred here temporarily and had heard about the father-son battle in Qingzhou City, in his view, what if there was a battle? After all, they were father and son; could they really sever ties completely?
“Young master, you are being rather disrespectful,” Li He said earnestly, his face solemn.
“To you, or to whom?”
Li Hao’s eyes narrowed, a black aura swirling around him, flashing dangerously.
Li He noticed it, but his straightforward nature compelled him to say honestly, “Of course, your father. As for how you treat me, I don’t mind…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the young man on the ground suddenly burst into action.
With a whooshing sound, he threw a fierce punch.
Li He was slightly taken aback, his gaze instantly stern as he quickly blocked with a palm strike.
With a bang, two great forces collided, sending Li He flying backward, retreating several tens of meters before coming to a stop. His aged face was filled with shock.
Having observed Li Hao slay two Immortal Great Demons before, his previous experience was not as intense as this moment.
The power of Li Hao’s fist was difficult for him to withstand.
“Considering you are an elder, I won’t bother with you, but if you don’t learn to speak properly, I will really make you shut up!”
Li Hao stood his ground, giving him a cold glance, without pursuing further.
Li He’s face grew ugly, as he wanted to say something but stopped himself upon seeing the genuine chill in the youth’s eyes, restraining himself.
If Li Hao had made a full effort like yesterday, he doubted whether he could have resisted, after all, his duty was to protect the young man.
“Hao Er!”
Li Hongzhuang called out in a frown when she saw Li Hao actually strike.
Li Hao glanced at her and said, “Elder Hongzhuang, I hope that aside from the arduous task of slaying demons, I can be a bit more pleased in my mood, and I hope you will conduct yourself accordingly.”
Hearing Li Hao use such distant language, her face changed slightly as she gazed at him.
She did not know what had happened between this father and son to elicit such strong aversion from the child, even toward her, upon mention of Seventh Brother.
She sighed inwardly and remained silent.
Li Hao went back to his seat as if nothing had happened, continuing to write the secret manual.
Li He stood with his hands behind his back, but the palm that had caught Li Hao’s punch was trembling slightly.
Fortunately, the healing ability of the Immortal Great was formidable, capable of regenerating limbs. Soon, the meridians in his arm became smooth again.
Li He looked deeply at the young man, feeling pity, and wondered if the letter sent to Qingzhou City had been received by the general.
…
…
In Qingzhou City, at the Divine General Mansion.
A green finch flitted in through the window and landed beside the inkstone on the desk.
Its palm-sized body suddenly swelled to the size of a head, and a scroll of letter was squeezed out from its beak.
The middle-aged man in brown clothes at the desk quickly picked up the letter, spreading it open to read carefully.
After reading, his face turned darker with urgency, and he crushed the letter.
“My lord, is that a letter from the young master?”
Yu Xuan walked in upon seeing the green finch, his eyes revealing concern.
After all, that was the heir of the main house, whose talents, if nurtured, could be sufficient to suppress demons and monsters in the world.
“Humph!”
Responding to Yu Xuan’s concerned tone, Li Tian Gang snorted angrily, eyes filled with rage:
“It’s a reply from Li He. I was wondering why he’s so stubborn, turns out someone’s backing him. Uncle Two, Uncle Five, truly harmful. Do they really have to ruin Hao Er before they are satisfied?”
Yu Xuan was a bit taken aback and couldn’t help asking, “My lord, what do you mean by that?”
Li Tian Gang was in no mood to continue.
The content of the letter had rekindled the anger he had managed to subdue over the last few days.
He had sent Li He to covertly protect Li Hao along the way, only for Li He to discover that another powerful figure was secretly following Li Hao, and he suspected it might be one of the top figures from the Four Stands Realm.
That’s the Four Stands Realm, a place with few such individuals in the whole Dayu, so why would someone of such stature condescend to protect a child?
Undoubtedly, it was Uncle Two and Uncle Five who pulled strings, calling in favors from their old friends.
This was equivalent to wasting precious favors for nothing, and employing a Four Stands Realm expert to accompany a child was an enormous waste.
With this spare time, they could have slain numerous demons!
Most importantly, it went against his wishes.
He wanted Li Hao to go to Heavenly Gate Pass, to the frontier, to crush his stubbornness, to let him witness the terror between life and death, to let him realize that the outside world was not as comfortable and warm as the Divine General Mansion.
Now, with a Four Stands Realm expert secretly protecting him, how could he experience anything!
In doing so, did they really have to wait three years for the kid to return and sever ties with him? With the boy’s stubborn nature, he’d likely harbor grudges after three years.
The more Li Tian Gang thought about it, the angrier he became, hoping that the Four Stands Realm expert wouldn’t have the patience to accompany Li Hao for three years.
Given the boy’s disagreeable temperament, it was unlikely the other party could endure.
However, if Uncle Two and Uncle Five indulged him and promised great favors, it was not impossible that they’d really accompany him for three years.
Thinking of this, he immediately set out to go find them for an explanation.
Just as he stepped out of the room, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
The early winter snow had arrived.
Li Tian Gang obviously didn’t care about the snowflakes, not bothering with an umbrella as he flew straight to Listening Rain Tower.
Inside Listening Rain Tower, the guards at the door immediately bowed in greeting upon seeing Li Tiangang.
Li Tiangang went straight to the seventh floor; his gaze swept the area but did not catch sight of his second uncle, which only fueled his anger.
He turned back downstairs and asked, “Where is the old man?”
“The old Marquis seems to have gone fishing.”
“Where is he fishing?”
“This servant does not know.”
Li Tiangang was furious. Since childhood, he had heard that this second uncle was loose in discipline, not getting along with his father’s brothers, and it was indeed the case.
The man’s duty was to guard Listening Rain Tower, yet he was nowhere to be seen, and even when intending to find him, he couldn’t be located.
Seeing his angry face, the guard became frightened and, as if thinking of something, hastily said, “My lord, this lowly one thinks he knows a place the old Marquis might go to.”
“What place?”
“The young master mentioned it once, Blackwater Demon Lake, about two thousand li east of the city,” the guard said respectfully.
Li Tiangang determined to set out at once, but suddenly, he furrowed his brows and said, “Why did that child mention this place to you?”
“The young master mentioned it casually. He often sends pastries to the old Marquis, and since the journey is long, the young master worries that the food container won’t keep warm…”
Li Tiangang’s expression immediately darkened: “Instead of properly cultivating, he sweet-talks and flatters others; no wonder the second uncle shields him so!”
With a sweep of his sleeves, he soared into the skies and in the blink of an eye, he was flying out of Qingzhou City.
Before long.
Li Tiangang arrived at the edge of Blackwater Demon Lake; the vast expanse of the lake was boundless, with black waves crashing incessantly.
He surveyed the area and after a moment, he found a figure at one part of the lakeshore.
Li Tiangang flew straight toward it and descended.
The figure at the lake heard the noise and subconsciously turned around, “Hao…”
The smile had just appeared on his face when he saw Li Tiangang’s stern expression and immediately snapped back to reality, his eyes dimming.
“Second uncle.”
Despite the anger in his heart, Li Tiangang still bowed first upon landing, then approached and glanced at the lake, asking, “Are you here to fish?”
Fishing… Li Muxiu’s face regained its cold detachment, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly; he was merely sitting here in silence.
“How did you know of this place, and what do you want from me?” Li Muxiu asked indifferently.
Seeing this, Li Tiangang also dispensed with the niceties and directly said, “Second uncle, I know you care about that child, but don’t you realize you are harming him this way?”
Li Muxiu turned his head to look at him and said, “How am I harming your son?”
“You let your friend watch over Hao Er and protect him in secret; is this not the same as forcing me to truly sever ties with him?” Li Tiangang’s voice contained anger.
Li Muxiu was slightly taken aback before it dawned on him.
When Li Hao left that day, he had noticed Feng Boping lurking in the shadows, who also communicated briefly with him about escorting Li Hao away.
Beyond expressing his gratitude, his feelings were extremely complex.
Without Feng Boping’s support, perhaps the child might never have stepped through that threshold.
But, Feng Boping’s willingness to support might be due to his inability to watch Hao Er suffer in front of his father.
When even outsiders could not bear to see it, what a failure it was.
Contemplating these things, Li Muxiu looked at the anger in Li Tiangang’s eyes and could not help but let out a snort of laughter, saying:
“Now you are afraid, afraid of losing Hao Er? When you returned, I heard you even slapped Hao Er; why weren’t you afraid then?”
“And after inquiring about the details these past days, wasn’t it because that little girl was arrogant due to being spoiled and insulted Qingqing that Hao Er slapped her?”
“Is Hao Er wrong for defending his mother?!”
As he spoke, the calmness in him surged with emotion again, anger flashing in his eyes.
Li Tiangang’s face changed slightly, at a loss for words.
He had also looked into this matter later; Li Mingguang, Li Wushuang, and others were present, corroborating this point.
Indeed, it was his eighth brother’s daughter Li Rumeng who first brought up Qingqing with disrespectful remarks.
Regarding this, the eighth brother himself had slapped his own daughter, had a major argument with his wife that day, and since then, turmoil reigned in his household.
Li Tiangang could no longer blame or chastise anyone, and he felt some regret for that slap.
“Second uncle, I know I am not a competent father, but my goal is only to teach him well. I already regret not having kept him by my side to raise and care for these years,” Li Tiangang continued, “But the child’s temper, as you have seen, is like stone. If you allow your old friend to continue protecting him, he will never experience the harshness and hardships of the outside world.”
Li Muxiu looked at him coldly, saying:
“He is your son, not your enemy; why do you insist on making him experience the hardships of the world?”
Li Tiangang was taken aback.
“I have no children of my own; if I did, I would wish to hold them and dote on them every day!” Li Muxiu said coldly, “Having children is not about making them endure the harshness and cruelty of the world, but about them feeling their parents’ love. I couldn’t do this in the past, which is why I never married or had children, as I didn’t trust myself to be a good father.
But looking at it now, you are far less worthy!”
Li Tiangang fell silent for a moment, then said, “Second uncle, you’ve never been a father; you don’t understand my good intentions. I, too, want to treat him well, to make up for those years he spent alone, but there must be a limit to kindness!”
“How many sons of the battlefield are longed for by their mothers and wives, yet they lay buried on the field. He’s lucky enough to have seen me return alive! But I will inevitably die one day, and if he does not grow up, how can he shoulder the responsibility of carrying forward the Li Family? Can he bear the legacy of our ancestors?”
Li Muxiu sneered and said, “How do you know he can’t handle it if you don’t try? Hao Er is not as weak as you think. You don’t understand him at all; you have never truly cared about him!”
He raised his hand to catch the snowflake before him, and passed it to Li Tian Gang:
“Look.”
Li Tian Gang wanted to argue, but he was startled and said, “What?”
“It’s snowing.”
Li Muxiu stated.
“I know,” Li Tian Gang replied.
“Besides the day that child left, this is the second snowfall.”
Li Muxiu looked at Li Tian Gang and said, “You drove him out of the Li Family when the first snow fell. Now, during this second snowfall, you come to question me why I let an old friend protect him. Ha, those unaware would think you and he are not father and son but rather sworn enemies with deep-seated hatred!”
He looked directly into Li Tian Gang’s eyes and said softly, “I wonder if the first thing that came to your mind upon seeing this Falling Snow was whether that child was cold, and whether he could eat well and stay warm at the border.”
Li Tian Gang’s face slightly changed, and he clenched his fists tightly as he said in a low voice:
“With your old friend’s protection, I presume his journey has been quite comfortable. The Demon Kings of the Four Stands Realm dare not invade, and with Li He there, Hong Zhuang also does not provide peace of mind, staying there to look after him.”
“This child is showered with love by many. What’s a bit of snow to him?”
Li Muxiu gazed at him and said, “Let’s not mention that old friend of mine. The Li He you arranged should only act when the child is not facing a deadly situation, shouldn’t he?”
“Certainly,” Li Tian Gang said. “Otherwise, how will he learn to retreat in the face of difficulties?”
Li Muxiu took a deep breath, no longer wanting to continue the conversation, and said, “You should go back. Don’t bother me again if it’s not important.”
Li Tian Gang immediately said, “If you would have your old friend come back and stop spoiling him, I would have no reason to seek you out.”
Li Muxiu laughed coldly and said, “Do you really think that my old friend is looking after Hao Er just to please me?”
Li Tian Gang raised his eyebrows, saying, “Could it be, Uncle, that you’re suggesting Hao Er has befriended your old friend? He is a strong being of the Four Stands Realm; who would care about him?”
Li Muxiu was furious, but he held back his words at the last moment.
It was inconvenient to reveal Feng Boping’s identity, as it could cause more trouble than necessary.
“You may leave!”
Li Muxiu said coldly, “Rest assured, my old friend knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t intervene in ordinary situations, only if a Demon King from the Four Stands Realm crosses the border.”
“A Demon King from the Four Stands Realm doesn’t have the gall to invade,” Li Tian Gang stated.
“What if they do?” Li Muxiu locked eyes with him.
Li Tian Gang’s expression changed slightly, and suddenly he fell silent.
“The interrogation results for Liu Yue Rong must be out soon, right? You would be better off seeking justice for your son with all this energy you have. As for the matter of Divine Blood, do you truly believe that Hao Er slandered her out of nowhere?” Li Muxiu said coldly.
Li Tian Gang, thinking of this, flashed a look in his eyes but said nothing, simply bowed, turned, and flew away with a flick of his sleeve.
Li Muxiu watched as the other’s figure disappeared, the coldness on his face dissipating as he sighed.
His gaze fell upon the Demon Lake before him, and then slowly, it moved to a depression at his side.
Not far from where Li Tian Gang had stood was the fishing platform where his son fished.
“Second Uncle, I’ve got another one on the hook!”
“Haha, Second Uncle, come see, it looks like a big one this time!”
“Second Uncle, it’s cooked, come and eat!”
Li Muxiu’s eyes rimmed with red as he realized deep down that with the child’s character, he would likely never return again.
…
…
In Dayu State, the imperial holy city of the capital.
Within the grand palace.
The civil and military officials stood on the sides of the dragon-skin long carpet, having reported the affairs of the various states, were now engaged in a fierce argument.
“Your Majesty, six days have passed; it’s time for you to decide!”
“That Prince of Martial Punishment has just returned from victorious battles in Northern Yan, elevated to a third-rank duke. His son, spoiled by favor, has grown arrogant, relying on his unparalleled talent, he fought a great battle with the Prince of Martial Punishment. Father and son killing each other is completely contrary to natural laws and ethics!”
“If we do not severely punish him, it would merely corrupt public morals. If everyone were to follow suit, how would we uphold the duty and respect between sovereign and subject, parent and child!”
“Your Majesty, your servant believes there are underlying reasons for this matter. We still need to thoroughly investigate before making any hasty judgments,”
“It’s said that the child possesses extraordinary talents, having reached the Heavenly Human Realm at only fourteen years old, even more fearsome than the ninth son of the Li Family in his day. It’s inevitable he’d show some arrogance and recklessness, but he has already been chastised by King Xingwu, sent to guard Heavenly Gate Pass. That punishment is already severe enough!”
“That’s just for show. I don’t believe he wouldn’t have someone secretly guard him. Hmph, if Heavenly Gate Pass were to fall, I’d like to see if his son could bear the responsibility!”
“To assign such a strategically crucial place to a child is utter nonsense. What if it were lost? Behind Heavenly Gate Pass lie billions of commoners in the Grand Liang State!”
“Those who are disrespectful deserve death!”
People argued fiercely, their views falling into two categories: one side believed in severe punishment, while the other thought there were mitigating factors worth investigating, or that it should be handled by the Li Family themselves, seeing it not as a matter of state but a private family affair.
Regardless of the viewpoint, each had its flaws ripe for rebuttal, so the debate went unresolved for several days.
Astride the dragon throne, the imposing Emperor Yu wore a gaze as inscrutable as the stars and moon, daunting any direct look.
As he heard the boisterous debate, the corner of his mouth curved slightly, reminiscing about the scene by Liu Shu Lake …
“That impertinent boy, such a fiery temper,” Emperor Yu thought to himself.
His gaze swept across the room, landing on the quiet group of scholars on the other side, and he asked with interest,
“Members of the Hanlin Hall, what are your thoughts?”
When the Emperor spoke, the other debates ceased, and all eyes turned to the group of great scholars, with curiosity and puzzlement on their faces.
In such cases of impropriety in the past, these feeble scholars were always the first to protest, their sharp tongues even making them reluctant to engage.
After all, they were martial artists; in a battle of words, they were no match for those wielding pens.
Yet, on this occasion, these individuals were silent as bystanders, seemingly deaf to the arguments.
Fearing the Divine General Mansion? Fearing the Li Family?
That would be a spectacle indeed.
These fellows didn’t hesitate to criticize even princes, so what was the Li Family to them, when each of the five divine families had faced their rebuke?
If not for their immeasurable contributions to history, which left them beyond reproach, they would have been silenced long ago.
Disregarding the proprieties is tantamount to killing the common people, a favored argument of these scholars. They persist in equating the two, much to the annoyance of those who care little for such trivialities.
Moreover, the Emperor held the Hanlin Hall in high esteem, and the status of civil officials within the court did not fall short of that of the military officers; in fact, their perceived weakness often garnered them greater protection from the Emperor.
While slaying demons was the duty of the martial artist, governing and bringing peace to the nation was the act of a civil servant.
This world is not solely plagued by demons; the hearts of the people can bring down great nations as well.
And in swaying the hearts of the people, civil officials excel!
“In response to Your Majesty, we believe that Li Hao, despite his youthful arrogance, is certainly not a wastrel indulging in arrogance. His aspirations are as boundless as the clouds spreading across ten thousand miles, and he bears a patriotic and sympathetic heart.
Surely, there is a reason behind this conflict, and we hope Your Majesty will thoroughly investigate and render justice to this youth,”
After a pause, the Grand Preceptor of the Hanlin Hall stepped forward respectfully and spoke as their representative.
Upon hearing this, everyone in the court was taken aback.
Was this the same Hanlin Hall they knew?
Was this the same obstinate Grand Preceptor they were familiar with?
He must be under a spell!
“Grand Preceptor, are you aware of what you are saying?”
Before the Emperor could speak, a military governor from Liangzhou who had earlier argued for severe punishment stood out, exclaiming,
“A son wounding his father, no matter the reason, should not draw his sword against his own father, no? That’s his own flesh and blood!”
“Indeed, if even this can be tolerated, what atrocities will they not commit in the future?” another person quickly chimed in.
The Emperor’s lips curled into a faint smile momentarily before he composed himself, unnoticed as none dared keep their eyes fixed on him. Speaking impassively, he queried,
“Esteemed official, what evidence do you see for such praise?”
“In reply to Your Majesty, we certainly have evidence,”
The Grand Preceptor glanced disdainfully at the Liangzhou military governor, his eyes filled with contempt. Although a civil official himself, with the backing of Emperor Yu, not one of the martial artists dared lay a finger on him.
Besides, he understood why the opponent had proposed such vehement measures—it was because King Xingwu had dispatched Li Hao to Heavenly Gate Pass, raising fears that it might fall, and the invading demons would necessitate his being on the front lines to slay them.
“Oh? What evidence?” Emperor Yu inquired with interest.
