Name: Li Hao
Age: 0 years
Cultivation Level: Ordinary
Art Skills: None
Art Points: 0
These clear letters formed a character panel that Li Hao was very familiar with. The reason he felt familiar was that he had seen this thing in his past life. But not in reality, rather in a game.
When he crossed over, Li Hao was bored and casually downloaded a casual mobile game from a leading store. This panel was from that game. However, at this moment, there was an extra attribute: Cultivation Level.
The age and name fields also switched to reflect his current real state, instead of his long-standing online name: Past Events Follow the Wind. As for the final attribute, Art Points, that felt more personal to him.
Unlike the adventure and card games that required intense grinding, this game focused on light entertainment. There was no combat system, no battle gear, just flashy outfits and various artistic leisure activities like chess, fishing, painting, and sculpting. You could also watch movies and play cards, the proper kind. The only thing missing was wild monsters, and you couldn't fight at all. Different skills would accumulate Art Points, and each Art Point could directly improve your art level, unlocking more gameplay.
To his surprise, he had brought this thing along when he crossed over. Wait a minute. This thing isn't going to make him a full-time master of life like in the game, is it?! Li Hao felt a bit stunned and speechless. This was the Transient Realm; what use was art here! He wanted to fight!
Suddenly, while Li Hao was lost in thought about the panel, a sharp military report sounded from outside the courtyard. A soldier from the Li family rushed in, breaking the peaceful and joyful atmosphere. He knelt before the Marquis of Martial Justice and quickly reported, “My lord, there’s a riot in Yanbei. The King of Hengping has colluded with demons, slaughtering the border city of Mofeng and eight nearby towns. The Emperor has ordered you to set off immediately to quell the rebellion!”
Everyone in the courtyard, including nobles and ladies, turned their attention to the Marquis of Martial Justice, their expressions varying. Li Hao came back to his senses, feeling a bit shocked. It had only been a few months, and there was already war?
The Marquis's smile faded, replaced by a cold, murderous aura. His eyes, like cold lightning, stared at the soldier in front of him before he slowly stood up. It seemed he sensed something, and he looked over at Li Hao, meeting his wife's gaze. The killing intent in the man's eyes instantly dissipated, replaced by a look of regret. “Qingqing, you take care of Hao'er during the hundred-day banquet. I will go and return quickly.”
Ji Qingqing's expression turned slightly grim. She turned to hand Li Hao over to the maid beside her. Looking at the baby in the swaddle, Ji Qingqing felt a strange illusion, as if the child was seriously watching her, and there was a hint of reluctance in his eyes. She shook her head, thinking it was just her imagination; after all, the child was only a few months old and didn’t understand parting.
“Mom will be back soon; you have to be good.” Ji Qingqing gently stroked Li Hao's forehead, her eyes filled with reluctance. But then she resolutely walked over to the Marquis of Martial Justice. “This journey is dangerous; I will go with you!”
The Marquis immediately shook his head. “You stay here to take care of Hao'er. He is still young and needs you.”
“I am a general; the commander is already in place. How can I be absent?” Ji Qingqing said seriously. “The King of Hengping is cunning and has been patient for many years. Now he suddenly strikes; I worry there’s more to it. Let me accompany you.”
The Marquis looked at her, knowing his wife was stubborn. He sighed and didn’t try to persuade her further. “Fine, then I’ll leave Hao'er in the care of all of you sisters and brothers. We’ll return as soon as possible.”
“You must be careful.”
The eldest lady approached, her face showing concern. “Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of Hao'er.”
“Thank you, elder sister.”
The Marquis smiled slightly, then turned and shouted, “Prepare the horses, gather the soldiers from the Law Division, and follow me!”
The Li family was a prominent family known for their swift actions. The couple quickly led a team of soldiers out of the residence, hurrying to the military camp in Yanbei. That place had been a battlefield for the Li family for many years. They were most familiar with the terrain, the demons, and their opponents there, as it was also where the Li family was stationed.
Because of this, Ji Qingqing was determined to follow. With so many people around, there was something she didn’t say out loud: why did the Emperor receive news of the Yanbei riot before they did?
As early winter arrived, Qingzhou City welcomed its first snow. More than a year had passed since the hundred-day banquet, and Li Hao was now a year and a half old. His parents were still away on the battlefield in Yanbei. According to secret reports from the Li family’s army, the situation there was tense, and it seemed to be developing into a prolonged conflict.
At this moment, a year and a half old Li Hao stood alone in the courtyard, hands behind his back, like a little adult, gazing at the large snowflakes falling from the sky. He wondered how the little girl who became his mother was doing in Yanbei.
The servants and maids around had long gotten used to the young master’s behavior. Although Li Hao had just turned one, the reputation of him being a child prodigy had already spread throughout the Li residence. Since he was half a year old and started making sounds, he had never wet the bed again. While other children cried and made noise, the young master could already use simple words like “eat” and “poop” to remind the wet nurses.
At one year old, while other children were just learning to walk, Li Hao was already running around and could point to words in books, asking the servants to read to him, teaching himself to read. He was quiet and sensible, which was the impression the servants had of him.
“Second Madam, the young master is over here.”
At that moment, a graceful and elegant figure entered the courtyard. Seeing Li Hao standing alone in the snow, the beautiful woman frowned and scolded, “How are you all watching over the young master? Are you not afraid he’ll get cold in this snow?!”
The surrounding servants and maids were startled and quickly knelt down. The head steward nervously replied, “Reporting to Second Madam, it was the young master who wanted to see the snow and asked us not to disturb him…”
“The young master is still a child; does what he says go? If he told you to die, would you die?!”
The Second Madam’s face turned angry. She quickly walked over to Li Hao, scooping him up in her arms and brushing the snow off his head. “Even if the young master wants to see the snow, can’t you hold an umbrella for him? And wearing such thin clothing, I see you don’t want to live!”
Everyone was immediately drenched in cold sweat, not daring to breathe.
“Second Mother, don’t blame them; it’s me who didn’t let them come.” Li Hao said helplessly. Since his parents went to the battlefield in Yanbei, he had been taken care of by the various madams in turn. Each of them treated him very well. The Second Madam, Liu, was gentle but very strict with the servants. If he didn’t speak up, the servants would surely suffer.
Hearing Li Hao’s clear and logical words, Liu Yueren’s eyes sparkled, and she snorted lightly. “For Hao’er’s sake, I’ll let you off this time. If I see this again, I’ll let you taste the cold lake in winter!”
After saying that, she turned and smiled softly at Li Hao. “Hao’er, let’s go eat something delicious. You should have worn more; even if you have the Dragon Blood Jade given by the Emperor, what if you get sick…”
She chattered on, her words full of concern, as she carried Li Hao out of the courtyard. Li Hao had long gotten used to it and allowed the Second Madam to hold him.
Before long, Liu Yueren brought Li Hao to the Shuihua Courtyard. In the courtyard, a child around four or five years old was swinging a wooden sword, performing quite impressively.
This was the Second Madam’s only son, Li Qianfeng. Despite his young age, he had a focused and determined look in his eyes. Beside him, a sturdy middle-aged man was guiding him, nodding frequently.
Li Hao knew that this was one of the seven military instructors teaching Li Qianfeng swordsmanship. Seeing the Second Madam approach, the burly man quickly bowed and greeted her, glancing at the baby in her arms. He knew this was the young prodigy bestowed by the Emperor, and once his talent was tested, he might not be inferior to Li Qianfeng.
The child practicing swordsmanship didn’t get distracted by his mother’s arrival and continued to focus on his training. Liu Yueren didn’t interrupt; she nodded slightly to the burly man and walked to a nearby pavilion, holding Li Hao.
On the table in the pavilion were precious fruits and pastries. Liu Yueren held Li Hao, feeding him while watching her son practice swordsmanship. Her eyes sparkled, and before long, she became lost in thought, forgetting to feed him.
“Is this the best sword technique of the Li family, ‘Endless Sea’?”
Li Hao blinked his little eyes, curiously observing. This child of the Second Madam was said to have been measured for his bones and had excellent talent. He wondered how his own measurement would turn out in the future.
In the courtyard, five-year-old Li Qianfeng was practicing with precision. Although he was only practicing stances, his form was standard, making the burly man nod repeatedly and praise him. Yet the child showed no joy on his face, remaining focused.
“Do it again!”
Though the burly man praised him, his teaching was very strict. The child practiced again from the beginning, his movements skilled, clearly having mastered them.
Li Hao watched intently when suddenly, a message popped up in front of him.
“Have learned the basics; would you like to record it?”
What?!
Li Hao was surprised and instinctively chose yes.
“Recording successful!”
At that moment, the panel popped up in front of him.
Name: Li Hao
Age: 1 year
Cultivation Level: Ordinary
Swordsmanship: Not yet started (can add points)
Skill: Endless Sea Tidal (not yet started) [forbidden]
Art Skills: Chess
Chess Level: One (82/500) (can add points)
Chess Collection: 0
Art Points: 1
For more than a year, Li Hao had been trying to explore his panel, but because he was too young, he couldn’t show too much precociousness. The things he could test were limited, and luckily, there was a chessboard in the residence.
At half a year old, he lay on the chessboard, playing against himself. The wet nurses and maids saw that the young master seemed to like the “chessboard” as a toy, and they were relieved. It was better than him crawling around everywhere.
In his exploration, Li Hao was amazed to find that by playing chess, he could actually gain experience points just like in the game!
You should know that in reality, improving your chess skills is extremely difficult. It requires focus, talent, and hard work. Li Hao had only been at an amateur level in chess. But now, just by playing simple games on the chessboard, he could gain experience points.
To go from 0 to 1 in chess level, only 100 experience points were needed. From level one to level two, it was 500 points. If not for the maids occasionally checking on him, making Li Hao not dare to show too much, he would have gained even more experience.
After all, even though these maids didn’t understand chess, they had some common sense. If they saw Li Hao, who was not even a year old, arranging all the chess pieces perfectly, it would definitely seem a bit strange.
And at this moment, besides the chess skill, two new attributes, Swordsmanship and Skill, appeared on the panel, which hadn’t been there before. Especially the hint behind Swordsmanship made Li Hao curious and excited. Could it be that swordsmanship could be improved with Art Points just like chess?
He didn’t think too much and chose to add points.
(End of Chapter)