"Haor."
Seeing Li Hao, Li Tiangang smiled and said, "Come, let's go to the ancestral hall to pay respects to our ancestors."
"Okay." Li Hao nodded.
After leaving the Shanhua Courtyard, the two flew through the air, one in front and the other behind, heading to the deepest part of the Divine General's Mansion.
At the foot of the hill, they arrived at the ancestral hall. Dressed in white, Li Tiangang and Li Hao floated down and landed in the square outside the hall, then walked towards the grand and majestic building that carried the glory of the Li family for a thousand years.
"Fifth Uncle!"
Li Hao called out as he spotted Li Qingzheng, Fifth Uncle, by the door of the ancestral hall.
Hearing Li Hao's call, Li Tiangang's serious expression changed slightly, and he frowned. He glanced at Li Hao, who had already dashed ahead to greet Fifth Uncle in the hall.
"It's you, Haor."
Li Qingzheng turned with a glimmer of joy in his eyes and said, "What brings you here to see me?"
Then he noticed the tall man behind Li Hao and said, "Ah, Tiangang is back too."
"Fifth Uncle, it looks like you're losing again," Li Hao said with a laugh, glancing at the chessboard in front of Fifth Uncle.
Fifth Uncle grinned slightly, "Don't talk nonsense, the game isn't over yet."
At that moment, Li Tiangang approached, his expression respectful as he slightly bowed and asked, "Fifth Uncle, how have you been lately?"
Li Qingzheng ignored Li Hao's teasing and looked up at Li Tiangang, smiling, "It's been over ten years since we last met. You've grown quite robust! How's life in Yanbei? Is it hard?"
"Pretty good."
Li Tiangang smiled, "Just a bit of wind and sand. I've gotten used to it. There's often fighting out there, and I don't have time to clean up, so I've just let it be."
Li Hao looked up at him and noticed that his father, compared to the tall and handsome young man he remembered, had now become a middle-aged man with stubble.
He suddenly felt that he hadn't shown enough care for this father of his.
"You've grown up, not as mischievous as before."
Li Qingzheng said with a chuckle, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
The once young boy had grown up, and they had aged too.
Though they could live a long time due to their status, humans were different from demons. Demons lived long lives mostly in a state of hibernation, fighting only to hunt and fill their bellies.
Humans, on the other hand, lived their lives for relationships.
With feelings come desires, which led humans to fight, seek fame, and suffer injuries, often leaving old wounds unhealed while gaining new ones, thus shortening their lifespans.
Living long wasn't hard; one could stay in a safe place, enjoy wealth, avoid weapons, and live like a saint, easily living for hundreds or even a thousand years.
But in the bustling world of the city, standing firm for hundreds of years without bloodshed was perhaps quite difficult.
For example, if a neighbor you had known for years was bullied by bad people, you couldn't just stand by and watch without getting involved.
If you did nothing, your heart might feel uneasy and hurt.
Such years could stretch on for hundreds, feeling incredibly long.
"After all, you are a father now."
Li Tiangang smiled, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes, but quickly concealed it.
The hardships of time would toughen a once-soft heart until it became calloused and more restrained.
"Fifth Uncle, I've brought Haor here to pay respects to our ancestors and also to ask about the True Dragon of this generation."
Li Tiangang shifted back to the main topic.
Li Qingzheng understood his purpose and nodded slightly, his gaze landing on Li Hao.
His expression softened as he smiled, "Haor has extraordinary talent, surpassing your ninth brother. He is the fastest in our Li family to reach the Fifteen Li realm in a hundred years, truly breaking records."
"Back then, Jun Ye became the True Dragon of your generation, but unfortunately, he passed away young, and you took over."
"But Haor's generation is indeed ahead of the rest by a wide margin; there’s no one even close."
Hearing Fifth Uncle's praise, Li Tiangang smiled.
Indeed, in terms of talent, his son was excellent to the extreme!
This made him feel proud deep down.
"Go ahead."
Li Qingzheng said with a smile.
Li Tiangang nodded, slightly bowing again before turning to lead Li Hao to the front of the altar in the ancestral hall.
"Li family descendant Li Tiangang, the one hundred and seventh generation, comes to pay respects to our ancestors!"
"Li family descendant Li Hao, the one hundred and eighth generation, comes to pay respects to our ancestors!"
Father and son knelt and bowed together.
As they did, many spirit tablets in the hall trembled slightly and glowed, revealing the spirits within.
After finishing his bow, Li Hao raised his head. Last time he didn't pay much attention, but this time he saw that while many ancestors were honored, quite a few tablets were dim and lifeless, with no spirits appearing.
Among them, the closest tablet bore a familiar name:
The spirit tablet of Li Junye, the one hundred and seventh generation descendant of the Li family.
To the left of the tablet was the title: Duke of the Nation.
To the right was the military title: General of Divine Mandate.
This was his ninth uncle's tablet, but no spirit appeared above it.
Like other ancestors, the tablets had titles and military positions, or deeds, but only a few had titles without military service, and instead had a poem written beside them.
For ordinary families, the tablets were simpler, usually just stating "Spirit Tablet of Ancestors," which encompassed all ancestors in one go.
After all, most common folks occasionally faced hardships, and over time, their family records might be lost, so they had to do it this way.
Only families that could be called "noble" had complete family trees and traditions preserved, with ancestors clearly recorded.
"Tiangang, I heard you’ve been fighting in Yanbei. How many demons have you killed?"
A light laugh came from nearby.
Li Tiangang looked up to see his third uncle, Li Xuanyin.
His spirit was still in his prime, only about thirty, handsome and refined.
Li Tiangang's eyes flickered; his third uncle had favored him during his youth, but sadly, he had passed away young.
In their father's generation, there were six brothers, three of whom died in battle, leaving only the second uncle, fifth uncle, and the fourth uncle who had been away for many years.
Both his father and third uncle had already passed.
The spirits of his father and sixth uncle had yet to return, trapped in the River of Death, unable to escape.
In the past hundred years, the demon calamity had been frequent, and their defense at the border had been costly, making rescue impossible.
Even if they had the strength, it was difficult because that was the River of Death at the level of the Netherworld; to rescue them, one had to pass through the river.
This was something even those at the fourth level found hard to achieve, unless several of them worked together.
"My nephew greets you, Third Uncle."
Li Tiangang first bowed before saying, "Those who crossed Yan Province have mostly been dealt with."
"Good!"
Li Xuanyin laughed heartily. He hated demons deeply, as someone he loved had perished at their hands.
"Where's Qingqing? Why didn't you bring her?" Li Xuanyin asked.
Li Tiangang's expression changed slightly as he whispered, "She has left."
Left... Li Xuanyin paused, about to ask more when he noticed Li Hao beside them and immediately stopped. He then sent a thought, "Did she really leave?"
Li Tiangang's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Yes."
Li Xuanyin couldn't help but show a hint of regret. He had been quite fond of that daughter-in-law, especially since her background was good. He was the first to support their union back then.
"You little brat, are you going to keep reminiscing? Aren't we here to discuss serious matters?"
At that moment, a reprimanding voice came from above.
Li Xuanyin shrank his neck and turned to see his father, smiling awkwardly as he said, "Dad, Tiangang is still here, and his son is here too. Can you give me some face?"
"I think you need a beating. It takes energy for us to awaken, and if you want to waste it, that's your business. But to make our ancestors waste it too, I want to kick you!"
"Dad..." Li Xuanyin immediately drooped his head, feeling a bit wronged.
Li Hao watched in astonishment.
Just a moment ago, the seemingly dignified and composed third uncle was now being scolded like a child.
Oh, maybe it should be said he was being scolded like a son.
But really, this great-grandfather had quite a temper.
"Why are you shouting? Xuanyin has only said a few words. What's wrong with reminiscing? It's just a little energy. If you can't afford it, just go back!"
At this moment, a white-haired elder's spirit chimed in from above, scolding.
The previously irritable great-grandfather shivered and helplessly turned to say, "Dad, this kid just needs to be taught a lesson..."
"I think you need a lesson." The great-great-grandfather snorted.
"You little brats, what are you calling each other? Don't you have any respect for your elders? Hurry up and get to the point. Once we're done, I'm going to sleep." Another voice spoke up.
The great-great-grandfather's expression changed slightly, and he quickly nodded while glaring at his son.
The great-grandfather, feeling helpless, shot a fierce glare at Li Xuanyin.
Li Xuanyin felt awkward and forced a smile at Li Tiangang, not daring to speak again.
Li Hao found the whole scene amusing and almost laughed out loud.
With so many ancestors gathered together, it was truly lively.
The ancestors of the Li family had built their legacy alongside the previous emperor, establishing a thousand-year family, and this family had existed for over three thousand years, being one of the two oldest among the five Divine General Mansions.
The Dayu Dynasty has a history of over three thousand five hundred years, and now it was reaching its twilight.
But it was a pity that awakening these ancestral spirits required energy; otherwise, he would love to set up a mahjong game for them to play... Li Hao thought to himself.
Just imagining that scene brought him joy.
"Brat, do you dare to cheat your grandfather?"
"Cheating? You dare to self-draw the ancestors' tiles? I’ll beat you to death!"
"Touch me? Who's this little brat's son? Come and take care of him..."
Thinking of this, Li Hao couldn't help but grin.
"Alright, let's get to the serious matter."
One of the ancestral spirits spoke up.
Li Tiangang respectfully nodded, his expression serious as he said, "Tiangang has come today to ask the ancestors to decide on the True Dragon's quota."
"First, tell us about this generation's situation," one ancestral spirit said.
Li Tiangang nodded and then explained what he had learned from his sister-in-law over the past two days.
"So, there aren't many qualified descendants this generation, but your son’s talent is extraordinary, even better than we were in our youth. He could easily match several others."
"If there’s no suspense, there’s really no need to delay. Besides, he’s already begun his cultivation."
"But we can't just give it to him; we need to see his character too, and let others be convinced. The selection should still happen, but we can move it up to two months from now to give others some preparation time."
The ancestors quickly discussed and made a decision.
Li Tiangang nodded and bowed again in respect.
Seeing this, Li Hao followed suit and bowed as well.
"Kid, keep an eye on your son, don’t let him become the next Jun Ye," one ancestor warned as they were about to leave the ancestral hall.
Li Tiangang nodded quickly.
The other ancestral spirits gradually fell silent.
"Let's go."
Li Tiangang was about to take Li Hao away.
Li Hao looked at Fifth Uncle and asked, "Can I stay and play with Fifth Uncle for a while?"
Li Tiangang was taken aback and frowned, "Fifth Uncle doesn't have time to play with you. The True Dragon selection is in two months. You have a lot to prepare for. Even though your talent is top-notch, you can't fall behind in other areas either, or people will talk behind your back."
Li Qingzheng smiled and said, "With Haor's talent, who would dare to argue? Tiangang, don't overthink it. I won’t delay Haor. You just returned; you two should spend some time together."
Li Tiangang nodded and bowed to say goodbye.
Seeing this, Li Hao waved at Fifth Uncle, "Then I'll come back to keep you company next time."
"Go on, go on." Li Qingzheng waved with a smile.
He watched as the father and son walked away.
In the now quiet ancestral hall, only countless silent tablets remained, along with the lonely chessboard in front of Li Qingzheng, and him sitting alone.
After an unknown amount of time, he slowly withdrew his gaze, looked at the chessboard, thought for a moment, then reached out to pick up a white piece and placed it down, murmuring, "It's your turn."
Moments later, he picked up another black piece from the box and gently placed it down, lost in thought.
(End of Chapter)