Chapter 101: Li Qianfeng Returns to the Mansion
Time passed quietly in the small courtyard.
Since Li Hao and Bian Ruxue returned to the Divine General Mansion after the temple fair, neither had ventured outside. They were both quietly waiting for the fateful day to arrive.
Most days, Bian Ruxue practiced swordsmanship in the courtyard. She focused solely on cultivating Sword Intent, avoiding physical sword techniques.
Otherwise, the powerful momentum of her sword techniques would obliterate the last vestiges of autumn lingering in the courtyard.
When her sword dance ended, the young girl turned to glance at the pavilion.
Yet, the pavilion stood empty, devoid of the boy who once lingered there.
Her clear eyes, pure as the first snow, involuntarily dimmed with traces of melancholy and disappointment. But only for a moment. She quickly composed herself and resumed her dedication to cultivating Sword Intent.
...
Meanwhile, in the ancestral hall of the Li family, Li Hao’s figure often appeared. Sometimes, he sought out Fifth Uncle for a game of chess; other times, he visited Tingyu Pavilion, casually opening a book and spending the entire day immersed in it.
The two-month deadline was drawing ever closer, now only ten days away.
That day, Li Hao sat near a pool in the courtyard, retrieving his painting board, untouched for half a month. He intended to sketch the last fallen leaf of deep autumn.
Suddenly, a figure rushed into the courtyard—it was Li Yuanzhao.
Gasping for breath, Li Yuanzhao called out, “Hao-ge, Qianqian is looking for you.”
“Qianqian?”
“Ren Qianqian, the one who went with us to Cangyu City earlier,” Li Yuanzhao explained hastily.
Li Hao recalled the name. “What does she want with me?”
“She said her father agreed. She wants to learn swordsmanship from you,” Li Yuanzhao immediately replied.
Li Hao remembered the matter and felt slightly surprised.
“Hao-ge, will you agree? If you do, I’ll bring her in,” Li Yuanzhao asked, clearly here as a messenger.
Li Hao thought for a moment. “Fine.”
Since she was so insistent, he couldn’t refuse her any longer.
“Got it.”
With a cheeky grin, Li Yuanzhao added, “She’s just outside the mansion. I’ll bring her over now.”
Li Hao nodded.
After finishing his ink preparations and completing the painting, Li Yuanzhao returned, leading a slender and elegant girl—Ren Qianqian.
The girl cradled a sword in her arms, her gaze darting lightly as she subtly examined the Divine General Mansion, an estate envied and admired by countless people.
Even as the daughter of a Grandmaster, someone well-versed in the world, Ren Qianqian couldn’t help but reveal a hint of nervousness on her cheeks upon arriving here.
The journey from the mansion gates to the Shanhe Courtyard was long. Along the way, every short distance was guarded by personal soldiers exuding a chilling aura of lethal intent, while patrols of guards passed regularly.
The “mansion” resembled a small palace more than an estate.
Throughout the walk, Ren Qianqian noticed several figures whose presence felt as formidable as her father’s—some even more profound and restrained.
Yet, these individuals lacked the ethereal detachment of her father, replaced by an aura steeped in carnage and death.
She shivered inwardly. These beings, who had surpassed the Heavenly Gate and reached the level of a Grandmaster, were mere guards within the Divine General Mansion.
“Hao-ge, Qianqian is here,” Li Yuanzhao called cheerfully.
By the pool, Li Hao sat alone.
Ren Qianqian’s eyes lit up as she looked at the young genius whose name had recently been the talk of Qingzhou City.
After the battle in Cangyu City, she had anticipated that his fame would sweep across Qingzhou. But even so, she hadn’t expected the frenzy to be so overwhelming when it happened.
Now, she saw Li Hao dressed in white, exuding an air of noble refinement. Holding a brush, he had just finished sketching.
Ren Qianqian was both astonished and surprised. She had assumed that someone like Li Hao—a prodigious talent—would spend every moment diligently training.
To her surprise, he was so relaxed at this moment.
“I’ve made up my mind,” Ren Qianqian said, straightening her posture. Her voice carried a resolute tone. “I want to learn swordsmanship from you—your family’s most powerful sword techniques. I am willing to dedicate my life to your service!”
Li Hao’s lips curled slightly. Here was another child willing to forsake everything for the sake of the sword.
He sighed inwardly, placing his brush by the inkstone.
Turning to face the girl, he asked seriously, “Have you truly thought it through?”
“I have!” Ren Qianqian’s eyes shone with solemn determination.
“Your father agrees?”
“He has already given his consent.”
“Truly?”
Ren Qianqian nodded, clutching the sword in her arms tightly. “I want to surpass the level of a Grandmaster and achieve immortality with my sword!”
Li Hao chuckled faintly. “What is immortality worth? A Grandmaster is not untouchable, and immortality is not truly immortal.”
“Once you pass this threshold, you will belong to the Li family. From that day forward, there will be no escape, even if you abandon your martial arts. As long as you retain your memories, you will never be allowed to leave.”
“Unless you die.”
His gaze sharpened suddenly, like a blade, locking onto the girl. “Are you certain you can handle that?”
Ren Qianqian’s heart quivered. Facing Li Hao’s piercing stare, she instinctively wanted to retreat, overwhelmed by the intense pressure.
But when her heel lifted slightly, she forced herself to stop. If she couldn’t withstand the gaze of a peer, how could she hope to wield the sword and achieve immortality?
She took a deep breath, tightened her grip on her sword, and gritted her teeth. “I can. I can handle it!”
Li Hao regarded her for a long moment before withdrawing his gaze and responding indifferently, “Very well. From today onward, you are my Sword Attendant, serving as the one to carry my sword.”
Ren Qianqian trembled slightly, then immediately nodded. “Thank you!”
“There’s no need for thanks. It’s a mutual exchange,” Li Hao replied. “Later, I’ll take you to see Uncle Zhao. You’ll sign the household contract with him and familiarize yourself with the Divine General Mansion’s rules and environment.”
“Yes.”
Ren Qianqian nodded, then asked, “When can I begin learning swordsmanship?”
Li Hao glanced at her. “I will first teach you one move. Study it, ponder it, and understand it slowly. Ask me if you encounter difficulties.”
“Understood,” Ren Qianqian said eagerly. Noticing that Li Hao didn’t have a sword nearby, she quickly offered her own. “You can use my sword.”
“There’s no need.”
Li Hao turned and picked up the brush lying on the inkstone.
With a casual flick of his wrist, a streak of Sword Qi shot forth.
The Sword Qi swept across the pool, parting the water. The separation lingered like a cut through a waterfall.
Several breaths later, the water gradually closed, the pool returning to its tranquil state. The Sword Qi extended to the far end of the pool but left no trace—no grass was bent, no leaves disturbed.
Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian stood frozen, their expressions dumbfounded.
They could release Sword Qi themselves, but to do so as effortlessly and with such precision as Li Hao was beyond imagination.
Especially how the Sword Qi vanished without a trace—it was a level of control that left them both speechless.
“Hao-ge...”
Li Yuanzhao snapped out of his daze and exclaimed, “Hao-ge, I want to learn too!”
“The sword manuals are in Tingyu Pavilion,” Li Hao replied with a sidelong glance. “Go flip through them. If you can’t figure something out, then come ask me.”
“Got it!”
Elated, Li Yuanzhao bid Li Hao farewell and dashed off enthusiastically.
Ren Qianqian, however, remained by the pool, staring blankly at the water.
Time passed quickly.
In the following days, Li Hao continued to spend his time reading in Tingyu Pavilion, occasionally zoning out in the courtyard, deep in thought.
As for Ren Qianqian, Li Hao didn’t rush to teach her advanced sword techniques. Instead, he instructed her to practice on her own in the courtyard. Occasionally, he pointed out flaws in her technique, helping her improve and gradually refine her swordsmanship to a higher level.
...
In the courtyard, Li Hao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at a barren, yellowing tree.
Bian Ruxue approached, her gaze catching sight of a young girl practicing swordsmanship on the other side of the tree. Her eyes flickered slightly.
She had heard recently that this girl was now Li Hao’s Sword Attendant and the daughter of a Grandmaster.
However, while the status of a Grandmaster’s daughter was prestigious, it wasn’t particularly remarkable within the Divine General Mansion.
Bian Ruxue observed the girl’s swordsmanship. It was indeed exquisite, but still far inferior to her own.
Uninterested, she looked away. After all, there were countless swordsmen in the world, and many possessed exceptional skill.
“Hao-gege, what are you looking at?”
Seeing Li Hao staring at the tree, Bian Ruxue couldn’t help but ask.
...
The last remnant of autumn on the tree had long since fallen.
Li Hao’s gaze gradually sharpened as he murmured, “I’m looking at the wind.”
“The wind?”
Bian Ruxue glanced around. She could feel the presence of the wind, but how could one “see” it?
“Sadly, the wind is too weak,” Li Hao said with a faint smile. “Too weak to sweep away the scattered leaves on the ground, let alone shake this tree.”
Bian Ruxue paused, her gaze shifting to the tree.
Indeed, she could feel the breeze brushing against her face. If it were spring, with the tree full of leaves, the wind’s movement might have been visible in the swaying branches.
But now, in late autumn, the tree stood bare.
Suddenly, the sound of hooves pounding the ground echoed from afar, growing louder as they approached the courtyard.
Bian Ruxue was startled.
It wasn’t unusual to see people riding horses within the mansion, but who would dare gallop in a group with such reckless speed?
Her Divine Soul left her body, floating above to observe the scene. She saw a group of figures dressed in kasayas galloping past Shanhe Courtyard and heading toward a distant location—Shuihua Courtyard.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man clad in a pristine robe, his solemn expression radiating an air of Buddhist tranquility.
Bian Ruxue had learned about prominent forces in the world during her training at Jianlu, as part of her preparation for venturing into society. She understood that knowing people and navigating the world could be as important as skill with a blade.
The individuals before her belonged to Boundless Mountain.
The leader, dressed as a Bodhisattva, was a Fourth Pillar Realm powerhouse, second only to the Boundless Buddhist Lord, who had enjoyed centuries of incense offerings.
Bian Ruxue’s expression shifted slightly. Riding beside the Bodhisattva was a young man.
As they passed Shanhe Courtyard, the young man suddenly turned his head, locking eyes with Bian Ruxue’s Divine Soul. Their gazes met briefly.
Bian Ruxue immediately recognized him as the son of her second aunt—a contender in the True Dragon Competition and Li Hao’s rival—Li Qianfeng!
The warhorses galloped away swiftly, the eye contact lasting only a fleeting moment before the young man turned back and rode on.
Bian Ruxue’s Divine Soul returned to her body, and her expression grew heavy as she warned Li Hao, “Hao-gege, be careful of him. I just felt something unsettling about him!”
That brief exchange of glances had sent a chill down her spine, raising every hair on her body. She had the distinct sense that if the young man decided to strike, he could kill her in an instant.
Her heart couldn’t help but worry for Li Hao.
“Hmm.”
Li Hao responded with a faint smile.
A gentle breeze stirred at his feet, lifting a single leaf, which landed lightly on his shoe.
...
With the days counting down, the Divine General Mansion grew increasingly lively after Li Qianfeng’s return.
Every day, visitors came to the mansion, though most made their way to Shuihua Courtyard.
The majority of these visitors were members of the Liu family, relatives who had come to support their nephew.
Three days before the final event, Li Tiangang led Li Xuanli and the women of various branches of the family deep into the Divine General Mansion’s Wuyou Mountain to retrieve an elderly woman who had spent twenty years in seclusion.
This elderly woman was Li Tiangang’s mother, Chen Hefang—also known as Li Hao’s grandmother.
At the same time, she was a member of the Chen family, one of the five great Divine General Mansions.
She had once married into the Li family and borne nine sons, all of whom had become renowned figures.
However, it seemed that she had severed most ties with the Chen family long ago.
The intricate web of grudges and rivalries between the five great Divine General Mansions, combined with the internal strife within the Li family itself, was too complex to untangle.
After Chen Hefang was brought out, everyone in the mansion gathered at Qinglian Courtyard, which had been thoroughly cleaned and prepared.
In the spacious main hall, the second generation of the Li family, led by Li Tiangang, offered their respects. Even Eighth Uncle Li Fenghua, who had been stationed at the border, returned to witness this pivotal moment.
It was here that Li Hao and Li Qianfeng met again.
For Li Qianfeng, this was his first time seeing Li Hao.
As for their childhood encounters when Li Hao had been carried into the courtyard by his mother, Li Qianfeng hadn’t paid any attention. If he had seen him then, the memory was long forgotten and insignificant.
So, this is Seventh Uncle’s son?
Standing with his hands behind his back, Li Qianfeng turned to scrutinize Li Hao, his narrowed eyes observing him intently.
He glanced briefly at Li Wushuang and the rest of the third generation standing behind Li Hao but found no one worth noticing.
The opponent he had once considered—Li Wushuang—was revealed under his scrutiny to be merely at the Spiritual Wandering Realm, far from the Fifteen Li mark.
Even if they competed using similar levels of power, he had no fear.
Only this boy in front of him, the one whose name had spread far beyond Qingzhou, gave him an unfathomable feeling.
He couldn’t discern Li Hao’s cultivation level at all.