When Gao Qingqing heard this, her eyebrows shot up, and she grabbed the soft flesh around Li Xuanli's waist, gritting her teeth:
"What do you mean by that, Li Xuanli? Are you saying I can't have children?"
Li Xuanli was taken aback, realizing he had misspoken. He didn’t dare to resist her grip and quickly begged for forgiveness:
"My lady, I was wrong, it was just a slip of the tongue."
"I think you just let your true feelings slip out!"
"My lady, how can you say that? I love my own children dearly! To me, they are the best, no one can compare!"
"Hmph!"
...
In the Shuihua Courtyard, Liu Yuandong learned the news from the steward and turned pale, nearly losing her balance.
How could this happen?
Only fourteen years old, and already granted the title of count?
Even if he saved the entire city, there was no need to skip over the ranks of baron and viscount!
Being a first-class viscount is already impressive; why is he a count?!
It’s worth noting that even the children of He Jianlan, who have been in the military for many years, are only viscounts now, and Li Hao is only fourteen this year!
Liu Yuandong gritted her teeth, angrily cursing the foolish ruler in her heart.
But on the surface, she didn’t dare to show any doubts or express her feelings; she just vented her frustrations internally.
With only two months left, even if she had another six months or a year, where would her son Qianfeng find enough merit to be a count?
Gaining merit requires not just strength but also opportunity.
Going to the border?
That’s too dangerous!
After a long while, Liu Yuandong finally calmed herself down, thinking that at least merit is just a bonus, not the deciding factor.
The news from Wuliang Mountain had already reached her, saying not to worry, as they had summoned Qianfeng back to help him seize the position of True Dragon.
Now, Liu Yuandong could only pin her hopes on the incredible abilities of that Wuliang Buddha.
...
Time flew by.
Since the announcement of the True Dragon from the Li family, the outside world was in an uproar.
Li Qianfeng received a summons from his master. The proud young man originally planned to return home first to assess the situation but now had to head back to his master’s sect.
Not long after he returned, he learned that his cousin, Li Hao, had already been granted the title of third-class count!
This completely shattered the pride he held deep inside, and his expression turned ugly.
The merits he had earned from slaying a great demon had also been rewarded, but he only received a first-class viscount title.
Normally, this would be quite an achievement, having jumped two ranks from third-class to second-class viscount.
But compared to Li Hao, he was three ranks behind, a whole viscount!
Setting aside their cousin relationship, when he saw Li Hao, he would have to bow and address him as Count, showing him respect!
What a humiliation!
Under all this pressure, even though Li Qianfeng initially wanted to refuse his master’s help and rely on himself, he now had no choice but to accept.
He carried the hopes of too many people.
When Li Qianfeng returned to Wuliang Mountain, many forces and gifts had already arrived at the Qian Kun Heart Hall in Wuliang Mountain.
Similarly, even more gifts were sent to the Shanhe Courtyard.
Many forces, having learned that the Li family’s True Dragon would be chosen from these two young masters, had already started to make connections.
In the past, when the Li family’s third generation was still young and their brilliance had not yet emerged, the goal of competing for the True Dragon was unclear. If one wanted to get close to the next generation of the Li family’s True Dragon, they had to please them all equally, which was too costly to sustain.
Now that the target was clearer, investments could be concentrated. The more one invested, the more hope there was to build connections.
Years ago, when Li Qianfeng first became a disciple at Wuliang Mountain, many people had already started to send gifts and plan.
Now, facing Li Hao, who had suddenly emerged, it was too late to change course; he could only stick to one path.
...
As the winds rose and dark currents gathered from all directions, one of the main characters in this whirlwind, Li Hao, rode calmly to the Tangong Academy.
He first visited the Cold Pool to see the Water Qilin, Song Qiumo. Li Hao painted two more pictures for her and brought some small pastries.
Song Qiumo glanced at them and said she didn’t like dry snacks like that.
Li Hao smiled and urged her to give it a try.
"Fine, I’ll try it."
Song Qiumo didn’t refuse his kindness. After tasting it, she immediately asked where she could buy such things.
Li Hao laughed, seeing her delight, and honestly told her he made them himself.
Upon hearing this, Song Qiumo looked at him with envy.
Before she could say anything, Li Hao promised to bring more next time.
Hearing this, Song Qiumo smiled with satisfaction and waved her hand, causing a seven-leaf purple herb to fly out of the Cold Pool.
This herb was deep purple and emitted a shimmering glow, looking quite beautiful.
She handed it to Li Hao and said, "This is the thousand-year Xuan You herb. If you refine it, it can resist cold ice attacks and greatly assist in practicing cold ice techniques. Even if you don’t practice such techniques, it will enhance your defense against water monsters in the future!"
Li Hao looked at it and shook his head, saying, "You should keep this precious herb for yourself; I don’t need it."
"Why not?"
Song Qiumo was stunned and quickly added, "I know your Li family has abundant resources, but this thousand-year Xuan You herb should still be a rare treasure for you."
This was indeed true; Li Hao understood that. However, his situation was special.
Although the herb was good, he couldn’t absorb it, so it would be useless to him.
Compared to the boosts he could get from his panel, he didn’t need the effects of this herb. He could easily surpass it by recording a technique into his system.
After all, the body has limits, and once those limits are reached, no amount of herbs would help.
While he could give it to someone else, this herb was precious. It would also be effective for Song Qiumo, who likely planned to wait until it aged further for her own use.
"You keep it for yourself; I don’t lack anything," Li Hao said with a smile.
Song Qiumo was taken aback, stunned.
Over the years, to fulfill her promise of guarding the Tangong Academy, many disciples had tried to get close to her, all with their own agendas.
Seeing Li Hao come to the Cold Pool to paint, she thought he was trying to get close to her too. She never expected that when she offered a treasure, he would refuse it.
Aside from this herb, she didn’t have much else to offer.
Some had come to form connections, but for Li Hao, it seemed unnecessary.
He was the young master of the Divine General’s Mansion, with extraordinary talent. Why would he need to go through so much trouble to curry favor with a mere fourth-level demon?
"Are you really not going to take it?" Song Qiumo asked hesitantly.
Li Hao sighed, "If you have plenty of these and insist on giving me one, I’ll just take it home to feed the pigs."
"You wish."
Song Qiumo rolled her eyes at his words. Feed pigs? What pigs are worthy of that?
But Li Hao thought it wouldn’t be bad to take it back for Li Yuanzhao...
At the Tangong Academy, Li Yuanzhao, who was caught in the crossfire, suddenly sneezed and looked around in confusion, wondering who was cursing him. Could it be that brat Li Yun?
On the other side, Li Yun also sneezed, turning around abruptly to meet Li Yuanzhao’s eyes, instantly connecting with him.
In front of the Cold Pool, Song Qiumo put away the precious herb and returned it to the Cold Pool for nurturing. Although it was slightly injured when taken out, it was a precious herb, full of vitality, and would quickly take root and recover.
"Next time, you must bring more of those snacks," Song Qiumo winked at Li Hao.
Li Hao waved with a smile, "Feeding you is quite a task, but satisfying your cravings should be doable."
With that, he said his goodbyes and left.
Song Qiumo watched the young man’s retreating figure for a long time, a smile blooming on her lips.
Then she turned and quietly slipped back into the water, returning to the Cold Pool.
Meanwhile, Li Hao walked into the Black and White Hall.
He had previously informed Master Song Yufeng that he wanted to teach today. Since he had taken on the role of a registered teacher, he needed to fulfill his duties, and he happened to have some free time.
When Li Hao arrived at the Black and White Hall, he suddenly heard angry shouts from inside:
"Get out! Stand outside!"
"What nonsense are you writing every day? Are you here to practice martial arts or to study?!"
"If it weren’t for your father begging me, how could someone like you with such talent even enter the Black and White Hall?"
"Just staying in the outer courtyard is already a privilege!"
Li Hao was taken aback, his expression strange.
This sounded a bit backwards.
It was as if someone was saying, "What are you studying? This is gym class! Did you hear me? Go to the playground!"
Isn’t that a bit too much?
But this is the Tangong Academy, so of course, academic subjects wouldn’t be accepted.
Li Hao stepped inside.
The Black and White Hall consists of two halls: the Black Hall and the White Hall.
The Black Hall is for disciples in the Soul Connection realm, while the White Hall is for those in the Divine Travel realm.
Song Yufeng had asked Li Hao to teach in the White Hall, and he was currently in the White Hall, not far from the Black Hall, so it was commonly referred to together.
At this moment, the White Hall was very spacious, but there were only fifty seats, arranged neatly, not too many or too few.
Inside, Li Hao saw a familiar figure, Song Yueyao.
She sat at the front, wearing the same uniform as the White Hall, but stood out like a beautiful landscape.
In front of the students, a young man in his twenties, with his head down, was blushing and embarrassed as he listened to a lecture.
The one scolding him was an elderly man with white hair and beard, who was naturally the teacher of the White Hall.
Li Hao was somewhat speechless. This young man was at least in the Divine Travel realm, and in the outside world, he could be considered a strong figure.
But here, he was being scolded like a primary school student.
"If I see you bring those trashy books to class again, don’t come back! Don’t let one bad apple spoil the whole barrel!"
"Get out, stand outside!"
The old man was extremely irritable, shouting loudly.
The young man’s face turned red, gritting his teeth as he walked out. When he reached the door, he bumped into Li Hao, and was taken aback, stopping in his tracks.
At this moment, everyone else also noticed Li Hao entering.
"It’s him."
Song Yueyao was surprised and thought of what her grandfather had said, her eyes lighting up. Could he be the one here to teach?
She didn’t think Li Hao could teach much. Although he was at the Fifteen Li realm and had a higher cultivation level than her, having high cultivation didn’t mean he could teach others, especially since Li Hao was only fourteen, in her eyes, just a younger brother.
"Hey, this guy looks a bit familiar."
Beside her, Song Yueyao’s good friend Lin Feifei said in surprise, feeling like she had seen him somewhere.
Song Yueyao smiled wryly; she hadn’t told her friend that Li Hao was the one she had seen at the river crossing that day.
It was no wonder they didn’t recognize him; who pays attention to how these guys look?
They’re all just blocks of wood and trees.
"Who is this guy?"
"He looks young, is he new?"
The other students whispered among themselves.
The young man who had bumped into Li Hao felt embarrassed, not expecting to lose face in front of the new student. He was also surprised; this newcomer looked so young. Which young master could he be?
"What are you still doing standing there? Hurry up and get out and stand outside!"
The angry shout came from behind, and the young man hurriedly walked out.
At this moment, the old man also recognized Li Hao and immediately recalled him from the last time he made an exception to let Li Hao into the Black and White Hall.
In recent days, Li Hao’s name had spread throughout the city. Everyone in Qingzhou knew about the fourteen-year-old count, and he was quite impressive.
"Young Master Li has arrived, are you here for an exchange? Please, go ahead."
The old man, named Sun Hongdian, had a smile on his face, his anger vanished, and he was extremely polite to Li Hao.
This drastic change in attitude left the other students stunned, their mouths agape.
When did they ever see this old man so respectful?
Probably only when the palace master occasionally made an appearance.
"Um, hello," Li Hao replied with a smile, instinctively stepping forward to shake hands.
As they shook hands, Li Hao placed his other hand on top of the old man’s hand, giving it a little shake.
(End of Chapter)