"Um?"
Both of them were taken aback. Was the battle damage really that light?
"How is that possible? Even with the support from the fifteen-mile boundary, there should be many casualties in such a chaotic fight. Are you saying the information you provided is wrong? There weren't that many monsters?" Xia Yong said sharply.
The coachman trembled in fear and quickly replied, "I would never dare to deceive you. There were indeed many monsters, a huge crowd. I heard there were around forty to fifty thousand, and I personally saw seven or eight powerful monsters, as well as a red dragon. Thankfully, thanks to Young Master Li, all of them were killed, which saved the entire city."
The red dragon must be the one that was driven out from the Sacred Palace... Xia Qingshuang's eyes shifted slightly, her expression turning serious.
That red dragon was not an ordinary monster from the fifteen-mile boundary; it had the skills of a monster trained in the Sacred Palace, only slightly weaker than them.
"I didn't expect the Li family to have such capable people in three generations," Xia Qingshuang said.
"Hmph, meddling in other people's business. This isn't Qingzhou; it's not the Li family's territory."
Xia Yong now believed the coachman's words and snorted coldly, "Just entering the world and coming here to show off, how ridiculous. Is the battlefield in Yanbei that the Li family guards not chaotic enough?"
"Hey!"
Inside the carriage, Li Yuanzhao couldn't hold back his anger and shouted, "How can you speak like that? We helped your Xia family deal with the monster threat, and now you're blaming us!"
"Um?"
Hearing the shout from the chubby boy, both of them were stunned.
Xia Yong's expression changed slightly, "You are a member of the Li family?"
"Of course!" Li Yuanzhao's face was filled with anger.
These students from the Tangu Palace shouldn't dare to impersonate the Li family... Xia Yong suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. He was just complaining behind their backs, and now he was caught.
At this point, admitting he was wrong would only tarnish the Xia family's reputation. He coldly said, "A member of the Li family who can get into Tangu Palace must not be that talented."
"You!"
His words angered everyone.
Tangu Palace was one of the top academies in the world. Although it wasn't as prestigious as Wuliang Mountain or the Divine General's Mansion, getting in was still extremely difficult.
How could it be described as a terrible place by the other party?
However, despite their anger, Du Qiuyue and the others didn't dare to say anything, as this was the Xia family after all.
Li Hao was slightly surprised. He didn't expect there to be someone with such low emotional intelligence in the world. No wonder ancient generals couldn't compete with scholars; this kind of person just offended others with their words.
"Yong Ge, let's go."
Beside him, Xia Qingshuang realized Xia Yong had gone too far. She was unwilling to stay any longer and prepared to go to Cangyu City. If there was nothing urgent, she would return home early.
Xia Yong snorted coldly and took the opportunity to leave.
Li Hao spoke up, "Are you just going to leave like this?"
"Um?" Xia Qingshuang frowned and looked at the boy sitting in the middle of the carriage. It was clear he seemed to be the core of the group.
"Helping you deal with the monster threat and not even getting a thank you, and now you think the Xia family can comment on the Li family's affairs in Yanbei?"
Li Hao said coldly.
If the other party hadn't mentioned Yanbei, he wouldn't have cared.
But his parents were still in Yanbei. Although he hadn't seen them in over a decade and may not have strong blood ties, he still remembered the rough father who returned with the remains of three thousand-year-old monsters and the concerned gaze of his young mother.
In his heart, he naturally regarded the other party as family.
"What are you? Looking for trouble? The Li family has been fighting in Yanbei for over a decade, and how much food and weapons have we requested from the court? Are we not allowed to say anything?"
Xia Yong's expression darkened as he looked down at Li Hao.
"You bastard, how dare you insult Brother Hao!"
Li Yuanzhao was furious. If he hadn't realized that the two in front of him were both very powerful, he would have rushed forward to teach them a lesson.
"My Li family has fought for over a decade, and we've swallowed our own hardships. Shouldn't the court provide food and supplies?"
Li Hao said coldly, "What? The Xia family has never asked the court for help? Since you are also part of the Divine General's Mansion, you should understand how difficult it is to guard the borders. Instead, you mock us here. Is this your Xia family's family motto?"
"Are you also from the Li family?"
Xia Yong's face flashed with anger and embarrassment. "You Li family are simply lawless. We haven't even left Qizhou yet; this is the Xia family's territory. How dare you question our thousand-year family motto? Slap yourself!"
He was at the fifteen-mile boundary, and when he said to slap, it was as good as done.
But Li Hao's hand didn't move; he just glared fiercely, and his power descended, pressing down on Xia Yong's head.
With a cry, the purple-horned horse Xia Yong was riding on let out a mournful sound.
This was a top-quality warhorse, on par with the red-blooded horse, battle-hardened and having seen countless monsters' blood. It had a fierce killing aura, but at this moment, it suddenly softened and knelt down.
Xia Yong's face changed drastically. He wanted to leap into the air but was pressed down by that force and fell straight off the horse.
He rolled on the ground and managed to stand up, his face pale with shock as he stared at the boy in the carriage.
Despite wearing the same academy uniform, the boy clearly had an air of nobility about him.
"Fifteen-mile boundary? How is that possible!"
Xia Yong couldn't believe it. How old could this boy be? He was actually at the same level as him, and that power was even more domineering than his.
Xia Qingshuang's pretty face changed slightly as she stared at Li Hao, "Which young master of the Li family are you?"
Li Hao couldn't be bothered to answer. He coldly said, "I need an apology from you, or no one leaves here today!"
"You!"
Xia Yong was furious. "This is Qizhou, not Qingzhou!"
"Even if this is right at the Xia family's doorstep, you still have to apologize!" Li Hao said word by word.
"Very well, then I will see if you can handle it!"
Xia Yong suddenly summoned his spirit, turning it into a golden light and striking towards Li Hao.
Li Hao remained seated, his golden light flashing behind him, and his own spirit also flew out, suddenly punching forward.
This was the ultimate skill taught by the second master, the Half-Step Invincible Fist.
This fist technique was even stronger than the fourth style of Hai Wuyou.
However, he didn't use all his strength.
With a loud bang, in the moment their fists met, Xia Yong's spirit melted away like snow meeting fire, shattered by a single punch!
Xia Yong's face turned ashen, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Li Hao in fear. He raised a trembling finger but couldn't say a word, and then everything went dark as he collapsed to the ground.
All of this happened in an instant, and Li Hao's spirit had already returned to his body.
Xia Qingshuang reacted, her face changing drastically. If his spirit was shattered, the injury would be severe. Even if the Xia family had countless precious medicines for recovery, he would need to lie down for half a year to a year. For an ordinary person, it could take decades to heal.
What a ruthless move.
Xia Qingshuang looked at the boy in the carriage, whose expression was as cold as ice, and he looked back at her.
"Your actions were too harsh!" Xia Qingshuang gritted her teeth.
"If it weren't for me today, any other member of the Li family would have either endured it or really slapped back!"
Li Hao's gaze was icy. "You Xia family dared to make my Li family slap themselves in public. What courage! Not killing him was already me showing mercy!"
A flash of anger crossed Xia Qingshuang's eyes, but she knew she was in the wrong. Moreover, she wasn't a match for this boy, so she raised her hand and lifted Xia Yong's body onto the horse from a distance, then said,
"Since you saved Cangyu City, I won't make things difficult for you. This matter is over!"
Saying this, she cracked the whip and rode off with Xia Yong.
Originally, she had planned to go to Cangyu City, but now that Xia Yong was seriously injured, she had to take him back to the family for treatment to avoid leaving hidden troubles.
Seeing them leave, the others in the carriage realized that just now, Li Hao and the others had most likely engaged in a battle of spirits, and they hadn't yet entered the spirit realm, so they couldn't see it.
"The Xia family is so unreasonable!" Li Yuanzhao said angrily.
"I didn't expect the Xia family to be like this."
Ren Qianqian frowned. At this moment, she had already considered herself a follower of Li Hao, almost a member of the Li family. Plus, with what Li Hao said at the tea stall earlier, she held respect for the Li family in her heart.
Seeing the Xia family, who was also part of the Divine General's Mansion, being so unreasonable, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Li Hao watched them leave but didn't make any move to stop them. He just shook his head slightly and instructed the coachman to continue on their way.
He didn't take this incident too seriously. In such a large family, it was inevitable to have some arrogant people. Li Hao had heard of the Xia family's remarkable achievements and didn't develop hostility towards the entire Xia family because of this. It just left a slightly worse impression.
(End of Chapter)