Bian Ruxue won.
With a single swing, she knocked Li Dongbai's sword away and pointed her own blade just half an inch from his throat.
The boy was so shocked that he froze. When he finally came to his senses, he quickly stepped back a few paces, staring in fear at the little girl in front of him.
This scene surprised everyone. They couldn't believe that Li Dongbai, who had been training here for eight years, was defeated by this girl who had only been practicing for a year. Was this the difference in talent?
Bian Ruxue sheathed her sword, a bright smile lighting up her small face. She had won.
Then she looked up at the boy and said seriously, "I want you to apologize to Brother Hao."
Apologize? To that useless person? Li Dongbai snapped back to reality, his face turning bright red with shame. He gritted his teeth and said, "I admit I lost to you, but I can't apologize!"
"You..." Bian Ruxue frowned, unsure of what to do.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "If you don’t apologize, I’ll challenge you again."
"Childish!"
Li Dongbai was furious and turned to run off the stage. Feeling the gazes of others on him, he didn't say anything and dashed out of the training ground.
The old man in the military did not stop the boy from leaving. After facing defeat, some things needed to be understood on his own.
Instead, he was a bit amazed by the little girl. The skill she displayed with that sword was already very close to perfection.
This was a high-level sword technique, which was quite difficult to master.
The ninth-level battle body only provided speed in training, not in mastering techniques, showing that Bian Ruxue's talent for swordsmanship was as rare as her training aptitude!
"Did losing just once yesterday really bring out her potential?" The old man couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
In the arena, the other disciples watched the little girl's figure with mixed feelings.
They not only saw Li Dongbai's proud defeat but also recognized the gap between them, the illegitimate children, and those from the main families.
"Xue'er, you're amazing."
A few small figures ran up to Bian Ruxue as she stepped down from the stage. They were siblings from the Fifth Courtyard and Li Yuanzhao from the Sixth Courtyard.
They were all about the same age as Bian Ruxue, with just a few months' difference. The youngest was Li Yun's sister, Li Zhining, who had just turned six and had only recently started coming to the training ground.
Their older sister, Li Wushuang, had long left the estate to train with a famous master.
It was Brother Hao who is amazing... Bian Ruxue thought to herself.
The three children surrounded Bian Ruxue, chattering excitedly about the recent match, with Li Yun, Li Wushuang's brother, speaking the most.
"Xue'er, do you want some milk cakes?"
Li Yun suddenly pulled out a beautifully decorated wooden lunchbox, opened it gently, and a rich milky aroma wafted out. Inside were soft, white cakes.
"Here, have some."
Bian Ruxue sniffed the air, the scent was delightful. Her eyes sparkled with joy as she asked, "Can I have all of it?"
"If you like it, take it all," Li Yun grinned.
"Thank you."
Bian Ruxue remembered to express her gratitude and gathered everything up.
At this moment, it was time to end their training for the day. She waved her small hand, holding the lunchbox in one hand and cradling her sword in the other, and left.
Li Yun watched her retreating figure, grinning foolishly.
Beside him, his sister Li Zhining looked up with a puzzled expression and asked, "Brother, wasn't that prepared by Mother for you? I haven't even tasted it yet."
"If you want some, just ask Mother to make more later. Xue'er hasn't had any yet," Li Yun said, still smiling.
Li Zhining huffed, pouting in jealousy as she turned to leave.
"Ning Ning, you can have mine," Li Yuanzhao, the short and chubby boy beside them, chimed in cheerfully.
"I don't want it!" the little girl snapped, swatting his offer away.
...
...
In the pavilion, Li Hao was halfway through a game of chess when he heard Bian Ruxue return.
He glanced over casually and saw the unmistakable smile on the little girl's face. He already had an idea of what had happened and continued focusing on the chessboard, saying, "What’s made you so happy? Share it with me so I can be happy too."
"I won!"
Bian Ruxue ran into the pavilion, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked at Li Hao, waiting for praise.
Li Hao smiled and placed another piece on the board. "As expected of Xue'er, impressive."
With that compliment, Bian Ruxue's smile widened even more. "Brother Hao, you go first. Later, I’ll give you something delicious."
"Oh?"
Li Hao noticed the wooden box in her hand but didn't ask further, continuing his game against Li Fu. He quickly finished the match.
Li Fu's chess skills were only at an average level, not even reaching the first rank. This meant that Li Hao could only gain one or two points of experience from playing against him, often feeling frustrated that the assassin had acted too early...
"What’s the good stuff?"
Li Hao turned casually to look at the wooden box.
Bian Ruxue set her sword down on a chair and brought the food box to the table. She opened the lid, and a milky scent wafted out. "It’s milk cakes someone gave me. They look really tasty. Brother Hao, you should try some."
"Who gave them to you?" Li Hao asked, not taking any right away but feeling a bit cautious.
Bian Ruxue paused, thought for a moment, and shook her head. "I forgot to ask their name, but Brother Hao, you should know. It’s the ones we often bump into when we go to greet the elder."
"Those kids?" Li Hao was surprised.
Li Fu shot him a look, thinking, aren’t you also a kid?
But he was already used to Li Hao's old-fashioned way of speaking.
"Yeah," Bian Ruxue nodded.
Li Hao felt a bit more at ease. "You’ve been training with them at the training ground for a year. How could you forget their names?"
Bian Ruxue looked a bit wronged. "They never told me."
"They must have mentioned it. Even if they didn’t, the attendants would have said something. You just weren’t paying attention," Li Hao replied, a bit annoyed.
"I'll ask next time," Bian Ruxue said, her little face looking gloomy.
Li Hao advised her, "You need to be more sociable, or else you might get bullied in the future."
"I won’t!" Bian Ruxue immediately lifted her head, her face showing a bit of pride. "Teacher said I have great talent and will be very powerful in the future. Then I’ll protect Brother Hao and won’t let anyone bully you again."
"You just need to take care of yourself. I’m not getting bullied," Li Hao said. He spent his days playing chess in the courtyard, enjoying life, almost like he was retired early.
"You brat, Xue'er has good intentions, and look at your attitude," Li Fu scolded.
Li Hao looked at him helplessly. This guy wasn’t that old, just in his forties, but he acted like an old stick-in-the-mud.
Not wanting to argue, Li Hao said to him, "Uncle Fu, why don’t you try some first? Test it out. Even if those kids aren’t bad, I’m worried about being taken advantage of."
Li Fu nodded slightly and glanced at Li Hao. This kid always seemed to be a mix of careful and reckless.
He picked up a piece of the milk cake and closed his eyes as he chewed.
After a moment, Li Hao grew a bit impatient and asked, "So? Is it okay? Say something, Uncle Fu."
"It tastes good," Li Fu said, opening his eyes.
Li Hao rolled his eyes at him and quickly told Bian Ruxue, "Hurry up and eat, don’t let it get cold."
Saying that, he took a piece for himself. It really was delicious. "It’s a bit like Fifth Aunt’s cooking. Was it Li Yun or his sister Li Zhining who sent it?"
"It was Brother," Bian Ruxue said, able to tell the difference between the siblings.
"Next time, tell that kid to bring more. This little bit isn’t enough for anyone," Li Hao said, devouring the cake but leaving half for Bian Ruxue.
"Okay," Bian Ruxue nodded, remembering it in her heart.
Li Fu shook his head secretly. This kid, at such a young age, had a shameless streak that was quite different from the serious demeanor of the Li family.
...
...
A few days later, the Divine General's residence suddenly welcomed a distinguished guest.
There was a bit of a stir inside the estate. The ladies from various courtyards received the news and hurried to pay their respects. They learned that this guest was someone from the Sword Cottage.
If they could establish a connection and have their children become disciples under him, they would surely achieve great things in the future.
Among them, the concubines were the most proactive. Their children’s training resources couldn’t compare to the legitimate ones, so many top-tier opportunities had to be fought for themselves.
He Jianlan was receiving guests in the Changchun Courtyard. Noticing the flurry of activity outside, she understood the ladies' intentions. However, when she heard what the rumored Sword Saint had to say, a hint of surprise appeared on her face.
After a round of conversation, He Jianlan nodded slightly and stood up to accompany the guest out.
Before long, the Shanhua Courtyard was bustling with activity again, a large group of figures rushing in.
Li Hao, who was playing chess in the pavilion, was surprised by the commotion. He then saw the leading lady, along with an old man with long, snow-white hair.
The old man had sharp eyebrows and prominent cheekbones, looking very strong and lean.
Beside this unfamiliar old man was another elder, the military elder from the training ground, whom Li Hao had seen several times and was somewhat familiar with.
"What’s going on?" Li Hao asked, confused.
Li Fu, sitting across from him, saw the white-haired old man and his pupils shrank in shock as he hurriedly stood up.
He was astonished and suddenly thought of something, feeling secretly excited.
Li Hao rarely saw Uncle Fu so agitated and immediately understood that the unfamiliar old man was a big deal. However, there weren’t many people who could receive such treatment from the Li family.
Looking at the unfinished chess game, Li Hao felt a bit helpless and could only set it aside for now, turning to wait quietly.
"Li Fu."
He Jianlan spotted Li Fu and waved gently at him, then called out to Li Hao, "Hao'er, come over."
Li Hao had no choice but to stand up and walk over.
"Where’s Xue'er?" He Jianlan asked again.
Li Hao pointed to another part of the courtyard. "She’s over there practicing her sword."
"Xue Jian, go call Xue'er over," He Jianlan instructed a maid beside her.
(End of Chapter)