Crimson Blood Horse!
Li Tiangang sat steadily on the back of his Jiao Lion, spotting a young man in the middle of the road at the end of his line of sight. He immediately recognized the horse the young man was riding. Looking at the boy's face, he found it strikingly handsome and clear, especially the features that resembled the outline of his beloved etched in his heart.
Li Tiangang's heart trembled.
Li Hao was also staring at the strong and steady man. The blurry images in his memory suddenly became clear at this moment. It was the man who had ruffled his hair with his rough hands fourteen years ago.
They hadn't seen each other in fourteen years, but in that brief moment of eye contact, they quickly recognized each other's identities.
Whoosh!
Li Tiangang suddenly leaped from the back of the Jiao Lion, landing in front of the young man's Crimson Blood Horse. The boy quickly dismounted as well; it didn't make sense to talk to his father while riding.
"Hao'er?"
Li Tiangang's voice trembled slightly.
Li Hao felt the concern and deep emotion in his father's voice, and the initial feeling of strangeness vanished in an instant. Perhaps this was the feeling of blood connection?
"Father."
Li Hao spoke, though a bit awkwardly and shyly. But he knew that this man before him was his father in this life.
Li Tiangang excitedly pulled Li Hao into his embrace.
Fourteen years had passed, and his child had grown so much!
His emotions surged. The wide embrace and strong arms made Li Hao feel a solid sense of security. At that moment, his heart seemed to settle.
He gently wrapped his arms around his father's waist, but suddenly thought of something, looked around, and asked, "Where's Mother?"
As soon as he spoke, he felt the man holding him tremble slightly.
Li Hao's face changed, and it felt as if the blood in his body had frozen in an instant.
Li Tiangang slowly released Li Hao, and his dark, deep eyes revealed a hint of bloodshot and pain. "Your mother... she has passed away."
Passed away?
Li Hao's mind seemed to stall.
The woman in his memory with bright, caring eyes... had passed away?
It felt like a beautiful painting shattered in darkness.
Li Hao suddenly looked towards the returning procession, ignoring the countless envious and concerned gazes and voices coming from both sides of the road, focusing only on the injured soldiers. But among them, he couldn't find the beautiful figure that had held him fourteen years ago.
Li Hao's expression turned grim. "How could that be? Didn't Mother always stay with you? Didn't you both face life and death together?"
Li Tiangang's lips moved slightly, but he couldn't utter a word.
Li Hao looked at him sharply. "When did Mother leave? Why didn't Auntie ever mention it?"
"Several months ago."
Li Tiangang paused for a moment. "I kept the news from spreading."
At this point, he saw that Li Hao seemed about to say something, so he patted his son's shoulder gently. "Let's go home and talk."
Li Hao's earlier joy turned into a sense of hopelessness.
The people by the roadside were still cheering, praising the return of the Marquis of Martial Justice, celebrating the great achievements of the Li family.
Only Li Hao, who was pulled onto the Jiao Lion by Li Tiangang, knew that on this day, he had lost his mother.
...
Back at the Divine General's Mansion.
He Jianlan, Liu Yueren, and many other ladies had gathered together, already waiting in the Shanhua Courtyard.
Li Xuanli was pacing back and forth at the gate, anxiously looking out until Li Tiangang appeared, and both brothers finally smiled.
After a deep embrace, Li Xuanli playfully punched Li Tiangang's armored chest and then rubbed Li Hao's head, looking around with a smile.
"Where's my sister-in-law?"
Li Tiangang's expression changed slightly as he shook his head. "We'll talk about it when we get home."
Li Xuanli was stunned, his expression changing instantly. He then noticed that when he rubbed Li Hao's head, the little guy didn't move at all.
Li Xuanli's smile faded, and he nodded slightly, accompanying them back to the mansion.
In the Shanhua Courtyard.
With Li Tiangang's return, it was lively, but soon they learned that the seventh lady, Ji Qingqing, had not returned.
Li Tiangang only said two simple words and left.
The atmosphere in the courtyard immediately turned cold.
Everyone exchanged glances, revealing a hint of sadness and sighing. They had experienced such things many times.
One by one, they stepped forward to comfort Li Tiangang and Li Hao.
Only He Jianlan watched from a distance, sighing without saying a word.
Li Wushuang, who had just been beaten up by Li Hao that morning, still felt some lingering pain in her bottom. But looking at the lonely figure standing silently beside his father, her heart was not filled with schadenfreude; instead, she felt shocked and sympathetic. All her previous resentment suddenly vanished.
Although she had wanted to teach Li Hao a lesson and was angry about being humiliated, they were still blood relatives, members of the Li family, and she had never truly thought of harming him.
The planned celebration ended abruptly, but they still had to eat. During the meal, everyone spoke softly, asking Li Tiangang about the situation in Yanbei over the years.
Although there had been occasional major events, military reports were sent home, but it was inconvenient to elaborate. Now, the accumulated stories over the years could finally be shared.
As the sun began to set, the ladies gradually left, but Li Xuanli wanted to stay and keep the seventh brother company, only to be pulled away by his wife.
Gao Qingqing noticed her husband's thoughts and, feeling a bit annoyed, pulled him aside to whisper:
"Do you think you can comfort them with just a few words? They've been apart for so many years; what are you doing here getting in the way?"
Li Xuanli suddenly realized, holding his wife's hand and secretly sighing, feeling fortunate to have such a wise wife. He then bid farewell to Li Tiangang and led his wife and children home.
Soon, only Li Tiangang remained in the courtyard, along with his followers from Yanbei, Li Hao, Zhao Bo, and others.
During the meal, Li Hao listened to the other aunts' inquiries and learned a lot about the situation in Yanbei.
Ordinary battles lasted at most two or three years, and it was rare for wars to continue for seven or eight years. This time, the stalemate lasted for over a decade mainly because the Holy Palace forces of the demon clan wanted to tear Yanbei apart to occupy a favorable position against Dayu.
Through conversations, Li Hao also learned that although Dayu was in a prosperous era, prosperity did not mean that the borders were peaceful.
In any dynasty, there were always soldiers stationed at the borders because there were always intruders; it was just a matter of how many.
However, from this battle, it was clear that Dayu had not completely eliminated foreign enemies, or rather, the territory and deterrence established by Dayu's previous emperor had shown signs of resurgence after thousands of years.
Dayu was like an aging lion, showing signs of decline in its prosperous era.
But how long could this remaining power intimidate others?
Li Hao wanted to ask about the details of his mother's incident, but as soon as he brought it up, Li Tiangang shook his head with a grim expression and said:
"Hao'er, I am sorry for your mother. From now on, it will just be the two of us in this courtyard."
Li Hao fell silent.
He suddenly realized that the pain from his mother's incident was not felt only by him.
She had rushed to the border with her husband, showing their deep love for each other.
Over the years, Li Hao had heard many stories about his parents' love when they were young.
He had only spent a short hundred days with his mother, but his father had spent over a decade with her, and their bond was likely deeper than he could imagine.
After a brief silence, Li Hao asked, "Has Mother's revenge been taken?"
Li Tiangang's body trembled slightly, then he nodded. "It has been avenged."
Li Hao let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."
The father and son looked at each other, both silent.
Li Hao had many things he wanted to say and ask, but after listening to his father talk with the aunts about the events in Yanbei, he already knew a lot about what had happened, and the resentment he had harbored for many years faded away.
Now, he couldn't think of anything else to say.
It seemed that throughout history, fathers and sons often found it easy to fall into silence with each other.
In this silence, it was Li Tiangang who spoke first, softly saying, "Hao'er, I’m sorry for not being by your side all these years. You must have suffered."
Li Hao shook his head slightly, smiling. "I didn’t suffer. Zhao Bo kept me company, the second uncle taught me fishing, the fifth uncle played chess with me, and the aunties treated me well. Ninth Aunt occasionally sent me delicious royal pastries..."
He shared the interesting stories of the past years with his father.
But Li Hao didn’t notice that at first, Li Tiangang wore a smile, but as he listened, his expression gradually turned serious.
"So, you mean to say that your meridians are clear, but you haven't practiced much?" Li Tiangang asked with a serious tone.
Li Hao was taken aback, scratching his head. "I practiced, but there's not much to say about it."
Li Tiangang looked at him for a moment, sighed slightly, and said, "It’s getting late. You should go back and rest early."
Seeing his father look tired, Li Hao thought about the long journey back from Yanbei and didn’t say anything more. He nodded and got up to leave.
After Li Hao left, Li Tiangang called for Zhao Bo.
"Where's Li Fu?"
"Li Fu is in Cangyu City. Young Master has entered the Tangu Academy. He went there to carry out a mission, and Li Fu is secretly protecting him. He got injured and is recuperating there. He has already sent a letter back saying he is on his way back."
Zhao Bo spoke respectfully with a smile about this man who had watched Li Hao grow up and had become a famous general.
Li Tiangang's expression changed slightly. "Injured? Did Hao'er encounter an assassination attempt?"
"No, he just told me to take good care of the young master and said he would have great news when he returned," Zhao Bo replied.
"Great news?" Li Tiangang was puzzled. How could there be good news when he was injured?
He thought for a moment; Cangyu City was under the jurisdiction of the Xia family in Qizhou, not too far but not too close. If he rode fast, he could return in about two days.
"Zhao Bo, tell me about Hao'er's situation over the years."
Li Tiangang pointed to a cushion beside him.
Zhao Bo was slightly taken aback but sat down with a smile. "Master, why not just ask the young master directly? You haven't seen each other for so many years; you must have a lot to talk about, right?"
Li Tiangang shook his head slightly, sighing. "I see that Hao'er speaks casually and behaves a bit unruly, lacking some manners. He probably hasn't had much discipline over the years, and his character has become a bit wild. You should tell me about it."
"Master, you're being too harsh. Although the young master has become a bit carefree, he is definitely a good child. He has a kind heart and treats the servants in the courtyard well, showing respect to the elders in the family, never overstepping his bounds. He hasn't caused any trouble over the years, except for a few years ago when he played with some strange things in the kitchen..."
"Just tell me about his cultivation." Li Tiangang interrupted him.
Zhao Bo hesitated for a moment and said, "Well..."
Seeing Zhao Bo struggling to speak, Li Tiangang's expression darkened. "So, you mean he hasn't practiced at all?"
"Not exactly..."
Seeing Zhao Bo stammering, Li Tiangang's expression grew stern. "Has he given up? It’s not easy for his meridians to be clear. Even if he hasn’t built his foundation, what does it matter if he’s a step behind others? With my immortal bloodline, he can surpass his peers in the early stages!"
"When it comes to soul inheritance, with the techniques from the Listening Rain Tower and the help of our ancestors, he can still make it onto the Qian List and at least have the strength to protect himself. How could he have fallen so low!"
Zhao Bo looked awkward, saying, "Actually, the young master is still trying hard..."
"Trying hard?"
Li Tiangang shot him a sideways glance, a look that carried the remnants of battlefield authority, making Zhao Bo's heart tremble slightly.
"It seems you all have spoiled him too much. Indulging him is harmful, you know?" Li Tiangang said sternly.
Zhao Bo couldn't sit still anymore and quickly stood up. "Master, it's my fault for not watching over him. It's an old servant's mistake."
Li Tiangang was taken aback, suddenly realizing that he had been too serious. The tense life on the battlefield for over a decade had made it hard for him to relax.
Looking at the steward who had taken care of him since childhood bowing in apology, he felt a bit guilty and sighed. "This isn't your fault. It’s just that Hao'er has received too much pampering."
Zhao Bo lowered his head, not daring to respond further.
Li Tiangang suddenly lost interest and waved his hand. "You can go rest now."
Zhao Bo hesitated for a moment, then bowed and left.
...
...
The next day.
Li Hao slept in late.
With his father back, he naturally wanted to spend more time with him. He didn’t need to go to the Tangu Academy for the next couple of days anyway. After all, there wasn’t much for him to do there. It was just painting by the cold pool or playing chess with Old Shen while having a drink.
Perhaps because he had been thinking too much before sleeping, in his dreams, he vaguely saw those familiar eyes gently coaxing him to sleep, but suddenly a horde of demons surrounded them.
"Young Master!"
Suddenly, a soft call came from beside him.
Li Hao was startled awake, opening his eyes to see a young man standing by his bed.
"When did you come in?" Li Hao couldn't help but ask.
He recognized this young man as one of his father's followers who had returned from battle yesterday. He looked to be in his late twenties, slim, with sharp eyes.
"Young Master, the Master sent me to call you. It's time to practice in the front yard."
The young man, Yu Xuan, said with a smile.
Li Hao sighed inwardly, realizing that his leisurely days were coming to an end.
Thinking about the beautiful dream he had just been interrupted, he frowned and said, "From now on, you are not allowed to enter my room without my permission."
Yu Xuan nodded. "Understood."
Only then did Li Hao reluctantly sit up and call for Qing Zhi to prepare clean clothes for him.
Seeing Li Hao acting like a wealthy young master, Yu Xuan stood silently beside him, his expression showing no signs of change.
However, Li Hao's movements were slower than he had expected. Standing there casually, allowing the maid to dress him slowly, he couldn't help but remind him, "Young Master, the Master is already waiting for you."
Li Hao was taken aback and quickly dressed himself in a few movements. "Let's go."
The two left the room and walked towards the front yard.
As they passed the main house, Li Hao casually glanced inside but suddenly froze, his face turning pale as he rushed into the main house.
He saw that all the paintings he had accumulated over the years were gone.
"Zhao Bo!"
Li Hao called out urgently.
Zhao Bo hurried over from the front yard. "Young Master."
"My paintings?!"
Li Hao rarely showed such anger towards Zhao Bo.
Zhao Bo's expression changed slightly as he hesitated. "The Master saw the paintings this morning and had them all moved."
"Moved where?"
"To the woodshed..."
As soon as Li Hao heard this, he felt a surge of rage rising within him. The woodshed? Were they going to burn his paintings like trash?!
If it were any other paintings, he might not care, but among those paintings was the one of his mother, whose image had become blurry in his memory!
"Bring them back immediately! Move them all back! No one is allowed to touch my paintings from now on!" Li Hao gritted his teeth, speaking each word clearly.
Zhao Bo had never seen Li Hao so furious in all the years he had known him. He was momentarily stunned and quickly said, "Young Master, please don’t be angry. I’ll go right away."
But just as he was about to leave, a hand stopped him.
Yu Xuan blocked Zhao Bo, still wearing that calm expression, and said to Li Hao, "Young Master, those paintings were ordered to be moved by the Marshal. You should go practice with me now."
Li Hao guessed that besides his father, no one in the courtyard would dare to touch his paintings. But hearing Yu Xuan say this made him feel an intense anger that he couldn't suppress.
"Get out of my way!" Li Hao glared at him.
Yu Xuan calmly met Li Hao's gaze, his arm unmoving. In the army, he only followed Li Tiangang's orders.
In this Shanhua Courtyard, it was the same.
Because he was the true master here.
Li Hao clenched his fists, glaring at him. "I'll say it again, get lost!!"
"Who do you want to get lost?" Suddenly, a voice came from the side as Li Tiangang approached, his face looking somewhat dark.
Yu Xuan lowered his arm and bowed to him.
"Father, those paintings contain..."
Seeing his father come over, Li Hao hurriedly spoke.
Before he could finish, Li Tiangang shook his head, his face cold. "Apologize to your Uncle Yu Xuan!"
Li Hao was stunned, his eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at his father.
Zhao Bo's face also changed, quickly saying, "Master, the young master is just anxious about those paintings. They are his hard work over the years, and he spoke impulsively..."
"Shut up!"
Li Tiangang rarely scolded him like that.
Zhao Bo was taken aback.
Li Tiangang's expression was angry. He had already felt some dissatisfaction last night, and this morning, seeing the room filled with paintings, chessboards, and fishing rods carelessly left around, he was furious.
Just looking at these things made it clear that Li Hao was not just not practicing; he was wasting his potential!
Yet, these people in the mansion still spoiled him so much.
He knew that Li Hao was his son, the young master here, with a noble status. Zhao Bo and the others wouldn’t dare to go against him.
His sister-in-law and the others probably wouldn’t dare to discipline him too strictly either.
But now that he was back, everything had to change. Li Hao needed to be put on the right path and cultivate properly!
"Immediately, right now, apologize to your Uncle Yu Xuan!"
After scolding Zhao Bo, Li Tiangang turned to Li Hao, his expression stern.
Li Hao stared blankly at him, feeling somewhat unfamiliar and incredulous, as if he was seeing him for the first time.
Clearly, just yesterday...
Suddenly, he felt a hint of amusement in his heart.
Yes, they had only just met yesterday. How much did he really know about this father?
And how much did this father know about him?
He gazed at the man before him and said, "Is it because you think I haven't practiced? What if I told you that I have been cultivating and my level is quite high?"
Li Tiangang's eyes showed no change, and he replied seriously and coldly, "I don’t care how capable you are. Do you know how many demons your Uncle Yu Xuan has slain while following me through life and death? Do you know how many lives he has saved?"
"He is at the Celestial Realm, he is a Master!"
Li Tiangang said word by word, "Masters cannot be insulted. Even if you are my son, you must apologize today!"
Hearing this, Li Hao couldn't help but want to laugh, but he felt his smile was very sad.
"Such a Master cannot be insulted. Do you know that in those paintings of mine..."
Before he could finish, a figure rushed into the courtyard, and upon seeing Li Tiangang and Li Hao, he exclaimed excitedly:
"Marquis, Young Master!!"
Both turned to look, and it was Li Fu, who had just rushed in, his face filled with excitement.
Li Fu had hurried back from Cangyu City. Just as he reached the official road outside Qingzhou City, he heard travelers at a nearby tea stall discussing that the Marquis of Martial Justice had returned.
Hearing this news, Li Fu was overjoyed and immediately rushed back at full speed.
"Li Fu."
Li Tiangang's expression softened a bit upon seeing Li Fu, but he quickly noticed that Li Fu had rushed in so recklessly, which was not like the disciplined demeanor he had when he followed him.
It had been years since they last met, and he had become so unruly.
Li Hao saw it was Uncle Fu and didn't react much, as they had only been apart for a short time.
"It’s been years since we last met, and you’ve lost all discipline," Li Tiangang said with a slight frown.
Li Fu was taken aback, realizing his mistake, and quickly bowed.
Then he looked at Li Hao, unable to hide his joy. "Marquis, I sent you a letter. Did you receive it?"
"A letter?"
Li Tiangang asked, "Was it sent to Yanbei? When did you send it? I haven't received it."
Li Fu realized that by the time he sent the letter, the Marquis had already set off for home.
During his recovery, he had inquired about the battle in Cangyu City and, after understanding the details, found it hard to believe.
He later confirmed the information with the city guard, Yue Shuhong, and was convinced.
When he first learned of this, he didn't send a letter back home but sent it to Yanbei first.
After all, such astonishing news should be shared with Li Hao's parents first; they were the ones who would believe it the most.
As for notifying the mansion, that was secondary. He planned to return and personally tell his second uncle and the others, while also asking if they already knew about Li Hao's situation.
"It doesn’t matter if you didn’t receive it. Now that the Marquis has returned, I can tell you in person."
Li Fu said with a big smile, glancing at Li Hao, his voice trembling with excitement. "Young Master has reached the fifteen-mile realm!"
(End of this chapter)