The family banquet was held at the Mountain River Courtyard.
The wives from various courtyards gathered to congratulate Li Tiangang.
Outside the courtyard, many other concubines and illegitimate children were peering in, eager to catch a glimpse of the young man who was said to be the most talented in the history of the Li family.
Li Hao's name had spread throughout the Li residence. The servants and kitchen staff were all talking about this remarkable young master of the Li family while preparing meals.
After being hidden away for fourteen years, he suddenly shook the world.
The news not only spread within the Li residence but also reached beyond its high walls, flying over countless rooftops to inform some powerful factions stationed in Qingzhou City.
Soon, this information was rapidly passed along like threads in a spider’s web.
Various forces and people watching over Qingzhou learned of this news, and they were all shaken.
The true dragon of the Li family that had fallen fourteen years ago seemed to have revived with even greater strength after all this time!
At this moment, as the news spread and the family banquet was filled with joy, Li Hao, guided by Uncle Zhao, arrived at a quiet room deep within the inner courtyard.
He opened the door and saw neatly arranged scrolls inside.
After scanning with his mind, Li Hao counted them and found none missing.
“Master, please don’t be angry with the old master. Yu Xuan has been with him for many years, risking his life on the battlefield. Plus, he is an orphan, so the old master treats him this way not out of anger towards you,” Uncle Zhao said softly from behind Li Hao, with a sigh.
An orphan, huh… Li Hao thought to himself.
Even though he had parents, didn’t he feel like an orphan too?
He sighed softly, trying to push those thoughts away.
After all, he had waited fourteen years for this man, who was his father in this life.
He didn’t accept it.
He just let it be.
“Master, now that you’re showing your cultivation, everyone will know your name. No one will look down on you anymore,” Uncle Zhao said, trying to lighten the mood by talking about the good news of the day. Thinking about Li Hao’s cultivation, he couldn’t help but feel a bit excited.
Li Hao smiled and replied, “Didn’t the world know my name when I was born?”
Uncle Zhao was taken aback, then realized that Li Hao was indeed named by the Emperor Yu when the true dragon of the Li family fell, and that decree was announced to the world.
“But so many years have passed…” Uncle Zhao said with a forced smile. After all, he was just a baby back then; who would have cared? Everyone’s attention was on the remarkable Ninth Young Master of the Li family.
“That’s why I say, everything will pass.”
“In this vast world, even a sage is just a speck of dust in the passage of time.”
Li Hao turned and walked out of the room, looking at the empty courtyard, where the starry sky and moonlight contrasted sharply with the bright lights in the front yard.
“Let’s go join the fun.”
“Yes, Master.”
Uncle Zhao sighed in relief; he had come to persuade Li Hao to attend the banquet.
…
At the banquet, with Li Hao’s arrival, the atmosphere became even more lively.
Li Wushuang and her siblings, along with the children of the Eighth Madam, Li Jiangying and Li Rumeng, sat at one table.
Most of the other wives’ children had not returned.
Their eyes immediately focused on Li Hao, each with different expressions.
“Brother Hao is amazing!”
The most excited was Li Yuanzhao. He knew of Li Hao’s strength from Cangyu City and had been looking forward to this moment. Seeing others shocked, he felt a thrill like eating ice in the middle of summer.
He cast a proud glance at Li Yun, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
But Li Yun and his sister, Li Zhining, were too preoccupied to pay attention to Li Yuanzhao. Their expressions were complex, as this scene reminded them of when their elder sister returned, surrounded by admiration.
However, today’s scene was even more bustling and impressive.
“Hmph, it’s just the Fifteen Li realm. What’s so impressive about that? Only entering the Master realm counts as real skill.”
At another table, Li Rumeng suddenly huffed.
Li Yuanzhao was taken aback; he didn’t expect to hear such an unpleasant remark. He turned to see it was the precious pair of the Eighth Madam.
He had seen them when he visited his aunt in the mornings but didn’t know them well at all.
They never spoke to him or Li Yun; they always acted high and mighty.
They usually trained together, creating their own little world and avoiding contact with others.
The Eighth Madam cherished her children greatly and spoiled them. Once, when a junior disciple accidentally injured Li Jiangying during training, the Eighth Madam rushed in and had that junior disciple’s arm broken.
Though it was just a minor injury that could heal quickly with Li family medicine, the incident caused quite a stir.
The junior disciple’s mother even came to plead for forgiveness.
This event attracted a lot of attention, and it was said that the matter calmed down only after the elder lady intervened.
The Eighth Madam came from a prominent family, with the surname Wang.
She had married into the Li family and was known to be difficult to deal with among the aunts.
However, hearing Li Rumeng’s mocking words made Li Yuanzhao restless. He sneered,
“What’s so impressive? Then may I ask, what cultivation level are you and your brother at, being sixteen and fifteen?”
Li Rumeng, already jealous, was taken aback by Li Yuanzhao’s taunt and then flew into a rage.
“We don’t cling to Second Master like he does! He can cultivate so fast because Second Master favors him!”
Li Yuanzhao became even angrier. “Then why doesn’t Second Master favor you?”
“Of course, he’s clever and knows how to flatter!” Li Rumeng retorted coldly.
Li Yuanzhao’s face turned red with anger as he glared at her.
Li Yun and his sister frowned, glancing at Li Rumeng. They were distant from Li Hao but had reservations about the Eighth Madam’s children and didn’t want to provoke them.
They didn’t want to end up in trouble with their mother later.
“Hmph, all Li family children, yet you’re jealous of others for not having skills. How shameful!”
Li Wushuang coldly interjected.
Li Yuanzhao was surprised to see her speak up for Brother Hao.
Brother Hao had once beaten this cousin…
“You, who are you calling useless?!” Li Rumeng shouted angrily.
Li Wushuang glared at her, saying, “Whoever shouts the loudest is who I’m talking about! You’ve just entered the Soul Realm; how dare you say that someone in the Fifteen Li realm is nothing? Are you saying your Soul Realm is impressive?”
“They’ve entered the Soul Realm?”
Li Yuanzhao and the Li Yun siblings were shocked.
They trained in the same martial field and had similar talents, yet the other side had advanced before them.
“It’s really nothing impressive,” Li Jiangying said coldly, seeing her sister being bullied.
“Li Wushuang, don’t think just because you’re in the Spirit Travel realm that you can do anything. The world is vast, and those outside the Heavenly Man realm are just ants. You better cross that threshold before you talk!”
Li Wushuang’s eyes turned sharp. “How bold! You don’t even call me cousin anymore, just my name? Is that how your mother taught you? As for that threshold, don’t worry; I’ll definitely cross it before you. You can talk when you reach the Spirit Travel realm!”
“Just relying on having a famous teacher; we wouldn’t even bother to worship him!”
Li Rumeng retorted angrily.
Li Wushuang couldn’t help but laugh in anger. She wanted to say more but was pulled back by Li Yun.
“Sister, don’t stoop to their level. Be careful they don’t bring up their mother to settle scores,” Li Yun said sarcastically.
“What do you mean by that?” Li Jiangying glared at Li Yun.
Li Yuanzhao frowned. “Just stop. This is the Mountain River Courtyard, not your Mohe Courtyard. Even if your mother comes, she still has to call Uncle Tiangang ‘brother’!”
Li Jiangying and her brother’s expressions changed slightly. Though they were spoiled, they felt a bit restrained in this situation and didn’t dare to really argue.
Seeing them quiet down, Li Wushuang rolled her eyes and lost interest in them, secretly finding it amusing that the Eighth Madam’s children were so rude.
At this moment, Li Zhining noticed Li Hao walking directly toward the elder lady’s side and couldn’t help but ask, “Why isn’t Brother Hao coming over here?”
Li Yuanzhao glanced over and laughed,
“Brother Hao is eating; he doesn’t sit with the kids.”
…
On the other side, Li Tiangang was being “interrogated” by the wives.
They questioned him about why he had concealed Li Hao’s cultivation and how Li Hao had trained.
Li Tiangang felt a bit of a headache, thinking that the noise from these seven or eight women was even louder than the roar of thousands of soldiers on the battlefield.
But he still smiled and answered each question.
He had initially thought it was his second uncle helping, but now that he had to explain, he couldn’t make sense of it either and could only say that Li Hao was naturally talented.
Who would believe that? Although no one said it, everyone had their suspicions.
Li Hao was so close to Second Master and Fifth Master, yet he suddenly cultivated so well and was so extraordinary; it was hard not to think they had changed his fate.
When Li Hao walked over, the aunts immediately surrounded him, asking questions enthusiastically. When the older ones couldn’t get anything out of him, they turned to the younger ones, but Li Hao’s lips were even tighter than Li Tiangang’s.
Liu Yueren couldn’t get anything out of him and gritted her teeth in frustration, hating the two of them.
…
…
In the southern region, nine thousand miles away, in the Sword Cottage.
“Master!”
Three or four figures rushed into the grass hut, reporting the news they had just received to their master, who was reading a sword manual.
“The Fifteen Li realm?”
Hearing his disciples’ report, Jian Wudao was momentarily stunned.
Is it that little fiancé of Xue’er?
Slowly, some memories that had been buried in his mind began to resurface.
Eight years ago, when he descended the mountain, in that bustling city, in that grand yet empty courtyard, there was a mature-looking child.
Fourteen years old… just a few months older than Xue’er.
And Xue’er had only just entered the Spirit Travel realm last month.
That’s a full major realm ahead!
Jian Wudao’s expression changed, becoming serious.
Such talent was far stronger than he was back then, even surpassing the previous true dragon of the Li family.
“The Li family is about to have another true dragon!”
“With such talent, if he becomes the next heir, the true dragons of the other divine general houses will surely be restless.”
“In the past hundred years, the Li family has truly been blessed, favored by destiny.”
The disciples discussed and marveled. They considered themselves geniuses, but upon hearing this news, they were all left speechless.
“Master, I heard you almost brought this Li family prodigy back and accepted him as a disciple. We almost became fellow disciples with such a monster,” one young disciple said.
Jian Wudao immediately recalled the day he was recruiting disciples and shook his head slightly.
“At that time, it was rumored that this child was a martial arts waste. Now it seems either the Li family deliberately concealed it or those old fellows from the Li family intervened to change his fate.”
“However, even if his talent is extraordinary, he will not enter my sect.”
“Master, why is that?”
The disciples asked.
“He is not a sword practitioner; he is not on the same path as us,” Jian Wudao replied.
The others suddenly understood.
A genius is indeed a genius, but he is not a sword cultivator.
“What a pity; otherwise, being a brother to such a monster might be quite motivating,” someone joked.
“Fourteen years old and at the Fifteen Li realm is indeed terrifying,” someone nodded.
Jian Wudao glanced at a few of them and said,
“I have always said there are heavens beyond the heavens. Now you know, right? Although your talent is decent, you are still far from suppressing the next generation. Go practice your sword well!”
They all showed bitter smiles; with countless heroes in the world, who could suppress the next generation?
“Xue’er has probably descended the mountain by now?”
Jian Wudao thought of something and asked.
One of the handsome young disciples smiled and said, “The little junior sister said she wanted to return home as soon as she broke through to the Spirit Travel realm. She has already set off.”
Jian Wudao frowned slightly and finally sighed,
“After all, she has received kindness from the Li family. I hope she can resolve things this time. The sword path and the mortal world can only choose one.”
(End of this chapter)