"Freedom?"
"For example, you can't force me to practice martial arts anymore, and you can't interfere with what I do," Li Hao said.
Li Tiangang was speechless.
It suddenly struck him that Li Hao had a habit of slacking off, wasting his incredible talent. This was something he could not tolerate. But… he had just promised Li Hao; could he really go back on his word?
He hesitated for a moment, thinking that with Hao'er’s talent, even if he didn’t practice for a while and continued living his usual life, it wouldn’t matter much. When the time came for him to become a true dragon, to inherit the family business, and feel the weight of responsibility, he would probably devote himself to his training.
Thinking about this, Li Tiangang nodded to Li Hao and smiled, "Alright, I agree!"
"Really?"
"Really!"
Li Hao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a huge weight lift off his shoulders.
From how strict his father was, it seemed he was the most rigid in the Li family, much more so than his aunts. It was hard to have a reasonable conversation without revealing his true abilities.
He hadn’t shown his strength on purpose, fearing that his aunts would push him harder to train if they thought he was talented.
It was like someone who could make millions in an instant, but instead, you see him lying around playing games. How could that be acceptable?!
But his situation was unique; it was like he could make millions, but he was genuinely just playing games, and he couldn’t explain it to anyone. If he did, no one would understand.
"Then I’ll go find Fifth Uncle to play chess," Li Hao said.
He had been in the Tangu Palace for a while, plus he had been out training in Cangyu City. It had been a long time since he last saw the old man, and he probably felt lonely.
Li Tiangang’s eyelids twitched, and he was at a loss for words. He simply said, "You can go, but don’t disturb the spirits of our ancestors."
"Don’t worry, I have experience."
Li Hao’s words almost made Li Tiangang choke.
Just as Li Hao was about to leave, Li Tiangang quickly added, "Wait, I haven’t finished what I was saying. In two months, the true dragon selection will happen. You need to prepare well during this time. I had Uncle Yuxuan inquire about it, and your biggest competitor should be the child from Second Aunt's family."
Mentioning Liu Yuetong made a cold light flash in Li Hao's eyes.
He looked at his father and thought about the poison pill incident. He wanted to say something but held back. If he told his father now, it would surely alert the enemy, and he wasn’t sure how his father would handle it.
Besides being a marquis and a general, Li Tiangang was also the Minister of Justice, overseeing the laws of Dayu. His personal guards were even called the Law Camp, and he himself was titled "Marquis of Justice and Martial Arts"!
But that woman had the title of a noble lady, and she was of the first rank. If the Ministry of Justice wanted to deal with her, they could only detain her temporarily and report to the court, which would involve a lot of bureaucracy.
If they tried to arrest her, it would definitely alarm her son. At that point, he might be too scared to come back and compete for the true dragon title, hiding away on Mount Wuliang, which would be hard to deal with.
And this was a very likely scenario.
In Li Hao’s view, his news about the fifteen-mile realm had already leaked. His talent shouldn’t be a concern; the other side wouldn’t have much chance to compete for the true dragon title. It would be better to take a step back and protect themselves.
But that wasn’t the outcome he wanted.
If the other side retreated to Mount Wuliang, they would really have no way to deal with them. After all, that person had been a disciple of the Buddha and was his direct student!
Over the years, Li Hao had done quite a bit of research on Mount Wuliang.
In the Dayu Dynasty, there were three top forces.
The first was Qiandao Palace, the second was Mount Wuliang, and the third was Hanlin Academy.
The first force was unquestionable because it had the strongest person in Dayu, the True Person, in charge.
The second, Mount Wuliang, had the Buddha in charge, second only to the True Person.
The third, Hanlin Academy, was filled with scholars and intellectuals, with no martial power, but it was backed by the court, which was ruled by the mysterious and powerful Yu Emperor.
In this world, scholars didn’t have the power to attack with words; their documents were just simple regulations. But these documents were the laws, the rules!
A single document could lead to the confiscation of property, and even a first-rate sect wouldn’t dare to make a sound.
Resistance?
Immediately, a great army would come rushing in. At that point, not only would they lose their property, but even the eggs in their house would be scrambled.
So, even though Hanlin Academy had no martial power, no one dared to provoke them. The power of law was equal to that of martial power, and the martial way protected the literary way, allowing Dayu to remain stable for thousands of years.
Otherwise, if martial artists could kill scholars at will, disregarding the system, a country ruled by martial men would surely lead to disaster, and the people would suffer.
Below these three top forces were the Five Great General Mansions, considered semi-top.
Next were the various departments of the court, like the Demon Suppression Division and the Death River Division, among others.
These were established by the court, and their status alone made them untouchable. Otherwise, they would sweep through with their armies, and no one could stop them.
After these, there were the Sword Cottage and Qianji Mountain, among other first-rate forces in the martial world.
If the Buddha of Mount Wuliang wanted to protect his direct disciple, even the General Mansion would find it hard to shake that off.
Moreover, if it came down to it, Liu Yuetong’s child hadn’t participated and was innocent.
But in Li Hao’s eyes, since they benefited from their mother’s grace, they should also repay it.
Years ago, when Liu Yuetong poisoned him, there was no grudge; the main goal was to pave the way for her own child.
Li Hao’s goal wasn’t just to compete for the true dragon position; he wanted Liu Yuetong to see with her own eyes that her child was brought to ruin, with no future!
That poison pill he swallowed thirteen years ago would truly unleash its fierce and cruel poison after thirteen years!
At that moment, Li Tiangang continued speaking:
"Besides Second Aunt's child, the children from Eldest Aunt and Third Aunt's families also have a chance to compete. But Third Aunt’s child is a girl, and I heard she has made a connection in the army, so she automatically withdraws from the true dragon competition."
"As for Eldest Aunt's two children, they are already over thirty, have made achievements, and hold general titles in the army. If they were to compete, they would be quite competitive, but their talent is still a notch below you and Second Aunt's child."
"Moreover, Eldest Aunt said long ago that she wouldn’t let her children participate in the true dragon competition. I still trust her on this."
Li Hao nodded; he was aware of these matters.
"The child from Qianfeng may not have talent as good as yours, but he is a disciple of the Buddha, training by his side, so his character is naturally solid. I heard he is now also at the fifteen-mile realm, achieving it at seventeen. If we don’t count you, his talent is quite impressive."
Li Tiangang said.
He himself had reached the fifteen-mile realm around that age, then became a master at nineteen and entered the three immortals at twenty-three. That was already considered quite extraordinary, far surpassing top talents.
Of course, that was as long as he didn’t compare himself to Ninth Brother.
"With the Buddha’s connections, he wouldn’t be lacking, and his achievements would also add to his score."
Li Tiangang told Li Hao, "I’ve learned that he has already come down from the mountain but hasn’t returned. He must be out there earning achievements, which would be an added bonus."
"And you have been in the mansion for years without any achievements, which might weaken your standing a bit. But it’s okay; in these two months, I plan to arrange for you to go to the border and slay some big monsters. That would count as earning some achievements."
Hearing about achievements, Li Hao smiled slightly.
Li Fu beside him couldn’t help but chuckle.
Li Tiangang noticed their strange expressions and frowned, "What’s going on?"
Li Hao didn’t say anything, but Li Fu respectfully said, "Marquis, the young master’s achievements should be quite significant."
"Huh?"
Li Tiangang and Yuxuan both looked at him, puzzled.
Li Fu smiled broadly and said, "Marquis, do you remember how I learned about the young master’s realm? In Cangyu City, when the city was attacked by monsters, it was the young master who single-handedly saved the entire city!"
Hearing this, Li Tiangang and Yuxuan were stunned, a bit shocked.
They looked at Li Hao. Saving an entire city? That was a huge achievement!
For them, who had fought in battles for years, they were very familiar with the assessment of achievements.
"Hao’er, you actually…"
Li Tiangang looked at Li Hao, utterly astonished, his eyes filled with excitement and joy, his fondness for this son greatly increasing.
He had thought Li Hao was just a carefree child, but who knew he had quietly accomplished such a feat!
Yuxuan also looked at Li Hao with admiration, his eyes showing appreciation. Saving people from disaster was already a significant achievement!
"The young master’s merit reward should arrive in Qingzhou soon," Li Fu said with a smile, looking forward to it.
"Good, good, good!"
Li Tiangang repeated "good" three times and burst into laughter.
"With this, the true dragon position is as good as secured!"
Li Tiangang felt completely at ease.
With top talent and a great achievement to back him up, even if Li Hao’s character was a bit carefree and not top-notch, his significant contribution showed he was not lacking in other areas, which was enough.
Such a gap was hard to bridge.
Even if Second Aunt’s child went to achieve something, in just two months, it would be hard to find such an opportunity.
Achievements aren’t just something you can get whenever you want. Even if you go to the battlefield, the Li family’s borders are mostly stable except for the North Yan region, so there’s not much going on for now.
Going to other borders would complicate matters.
Moreover, it’s not easy to earn achievements on the border. In a tide of monsters numbering in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, what does the fifteen-mile realm even mean?
The leaders of such a horde are mostly at the level of heavenly masters.
Seeing him say this, Li Hao asked, "So, if that’s the case, does that mean I won’t have much to do later?"
Just as Li Tiangang finished laughing, he felt helpless upon hearing this. This child hadn’t been disciplined for years and was truly too carefree.
"If you don’t practice, what do you want to do?" Li Tiangang asked.
"I’ll do whatever comes to mind, like painting, playing the piano, or writing poetry," Li Hao replied.
Li Tiangang’s mouth twitched. He didn’t think much of any of those things.
If Li Hao had said this earlier, he would have likely rejected all of them. But remembering that he had just promised Li Hao, he could only hold back, sighing, "Fine, do as you wish. I promised you, so I will keep my word."
"Alright."
Seeing him say this, Li Hao also felt relieved. His father might not like him doing these things, but he didn’t expect him to understand; it was enough that he allowed it.
He immediately said goodbye and went to find Fifth Uncle to play chess.
Li Tiangang didn’t stop him any further and let Li Hao go.
After Li Hao left, Li Tiangang sighed to Yuxuan, "I wonder when this child will truly grow up."
Li Fu smiled and said, "Marquis, actually, the young master is already much wiser and more mature than other children his age. When he goes to find Fifth Uncle, maybe he’s not just playing but keeping him company."
Li Tiangang was taken aback, thinking of the lonely old man in the ancestral hall and the empty chessboard in front of him.
His expression changed, and he fell silent.
A few days later.
Li Hao’s reward indeed arrived.
Recognizing Li Hao’s contributions in defending the city and protecting over a million citizens, he was granted the title of a third-rank earl!
He received a city as his fief!
Additionally, ten boxes of jewels and gold.
A set of divine weapons and armor suitable for the fifteen-mile realm.
For weapons and titles, these riches were just a bonus.
Just like when Li Junye fell, the reward of the Yulong Order and ten dou of gold was just a side note; the gold was insignificant.
The real reward was the Yulong Order, which was a life-saving token!
Three Yulong Orders meant three chances to avoid death, showcasing the magnitude of his achievements!
After the granting ceremony, Li Hao received the imperial edict and reward from a "top student" sent from the palace, bowing to thank him.
The news spread throughout the mansion and even outside to Qingzhou.
The young master of the Li family, only fourteen years old, was granted the title of earl!
And he had his own fief!
Moreover, Li Hao’s merit in defending the city spread throughout the city and was continuously celebrated, leaving the people in awe, exclaiming that he was truly a son of the Li family!
Some people still vaguely remembered the rumors from about ten years ago, saying that this young master of the Li family was a martial arts failure. Now, it was clear that those were just misunderstandings, mere rumors.
Li Hao’s name now echoed throughout Qingzhou and beyond!
Inside the mansion.
The various ladies of the courtyards were all stunned upon hearing this news.
He Jianlan was somewhat bewildered. Ever since Li Tiangang returned, the news about Li Hao had been pouring in one after another, almost overwhelming her.
Was this still the child she felt sorry for?
He was shining so brightly that she could hardly look directly at him.
"That child… he…"
In Piaoxue Courtyard, Gao Qingqing heard this news and found it hard to believe. Remembering her advice to her child years ago to distance themselves from Li Hao, she couldn’t help but feel regretful.
Beside her, Li Xuanli heard the news and was overjoyed, exclaiming, "As expected of the seventh son’s child! His demeanor is simply not inferior to the ninth son back in the day! No, the ninth son wasn’t as dazzling at fourteen!"
"Impressive! The seventh really knows how to raise children!"
(End of Chapter)