Chapter 108: The Breaking Point
The ladies of the Divine General Mansion had always been deeply impressed by Li Hao's precocious intelligence, but none of them had anticipated such extraordinary capabilities.
If not for their heightened sensitivity to demonic influences and other anomalies in the mansion, they might have mistaken Li Hao for being possessed.
However, individuals with an innate talent for exceptional memory were not unheard of.
Even so, the shock among the gathered individuals drove them to direct their attention toward Liu Yurong.
At this moment, Liu Yurong felt as if her heart had frozen solid, trembling uncontrollably. She now understood that this monstrous child had remembered everything from an early age.
Yet, despite recalling it all with perfect clarity, this child had maintained a smile in her presence over the years, responding to her concerned inquiries with nothing but innocent expressions.
He even occasionally brought her gifts, food items that, while not particularly tasty, seemed to reflect filial piety.
And yet...
It was all an act?!
Liu Yurong prided herself on her composure and depth of thought, yet she could never have imagined that a child who had grown up without the guidance of parents could scheme to such an extent.
A monster! A demon!
...
Although fear gripped her, Liu Yurong was snapped back to reality by the gazes of those around her. She realized she absolutely could not admit to anything at this moment; otherwise, Qianfeng’s future would be utterly ruined.
“So this is your so-called evidence?!”
Liu Yurong sneered coldly, saying, “What an elaborate scheme. Yet your story is riddled with holes!”
Turning to the others, she said, “Anyone could find out such things by casually asking someone like Zhao Bo from the Shanhe Courtyard. This hardly qualifies as evidence!”
Then, facing Li Hao directly, she continued, “You claim I poisoned you back then. Why didn’t you report it to the First Lady? Why didn’t you say anything at the time?!”
The crowd, hearing this, found the argument somewhat reasonable.
If Li Hao had mentioned it as a child, and considering his later failure to awaken Divine Blood, there would have been no doubt in anyone’s mind.
But now, despite still being young, Li Hao was no longer a mere child.
When he was two or three years old, his words would have been considered highly credible due to his innocence. However, Li Hao now stood as a poised young man capable of contending for the True Dragon title.
And as someone of his age, he was certainly capable of lying and fabricating stories.
Li Hao, seeing her attempt to argue her way out, responded coldly, “Even if I had spoken out back then, who would have believed a child who had not yet embarked on cultivation or reached the level of Divine Blood Awakening? You would have dismissed it as childish nonsense, claimed it was an idea planted by a servant, and then found a scapegoat among them.”
“And with my parents absent, if I revealed the truth, you would have simply sought another opportunity to harm me. How could I defend myself against that?!”
Liu Yurong retorted angrily, “So, in the end, you have no evidence. You’re just spinning lies with your tongue!”
Indeed, Li Hao lacked concrete evidence. The event had taken place too many years ago, and Liu Yurong had carefully ensured no traces remained when administering the poison. Though Li Hao had spent years consulting various experts to examine his body, no signs of the poison could be detected.
Not a single residue remained!
The only proof he had was his memory.
As Liu Yurong had pointed out, such memories were open to dispute. Li Hao had anticipated this from the start, which was why he had planned to deal with the matter decisively during the True Dragon competition—crippling or killing her son first. However, that plan had been thwarted.
He Jianlan glanced between Li Hao and Liu Yurong, her eyes gradually filling with a cold light.
Li Hao was a child she had watched grow up. Though his behavior and revelations today had shocked her, she chose to believe him.
The other ladies, however, appeared hesitant. Without evidence, the matter devolved into a he-said-she-said argument, leaving both sides with plausible claims.
Yet, if Li Hao's accusations were true, the thought of his years of pretense unsettled them. This child was far too calculating.
Li Qingzheng, gazing intently at Li Hao, felt a sudden clarity. His interactions with the boy had been more frequent than those of the younger women present. In chess, as in life, one’s nature was revealed. He believed Li Hao's words.
Chen Hefang, recently emerged from seclusion, knew little about these events. Though she had observed some undercurrents over the years, her understanding was limited. Now faced with this shocking secret, even He Jianlan, who had temporarily managed the Nine Courtyards, had been left in the dark.
Looking at the young man, a complexity of emotions surfaced in her gaze. Perhaps it was favoritism, but Li Hao’s bearing always reminded her of Jiulang, drawing her sympathy.
“You claim I crippled your Divine Blood. Back then, when your father sent word from the frontier, we all learned he had stepped into the Three Immortals Realm at the age of twenty-three!”
Liu Yurong, seeing the courtyard fall into silence, gritted her teeth and continued, “Before that, who could have known of his condition? Who could have guessed your potential for awakening Divine Blood?!”
Her words caused the crowd's expressions to shift. It was indeed a valid point.
Unless Liu Yurong had known in advance, her alleged actions hinged on whether Li Tiangang had ever revealed his breakthrough to her.
In an instant, all eyes turned to Li Tiangang.
Li Tiangang's face darkened as anger flared in his gaze. He understood what those looks meant.
Even though the person in question was his own son, he could not allow himself to be biased. As the long-time head of the Ministry of Justice, he had always upheld laws and rules as sacrosanct.
Only with laws could there be order. Only with order could there be continuity.
“My second sister-in-law could not have known about my situation,” Li Tiangang said gravely.
Hearing this, Liu Yurong sighed in relief and remarked, “At least you, Li Tiangang, still have a conscience. If that’s the case, it’s unlikely you were behind Qianfeng’s injuries. Perhaps he came into contact with someone else and fabricated this story!”
Li Hao’s expression darkened as he stared coldly at his father.
“You mean to say you’ve never let this slip before her or in any other circumstances? She definitely knew. I heard it with my own ears—how could it be false?!”
Li Tiangang looked at Li Hao, frowning deeply as he tried to recall. His breakthrough to the Three Immortals Realm had been a closely guarded secret, shared with no one but his wife.
And given her constant presence by his side, her intelligence and discretion were beyond question—there was no way she would have leaked this information.
Li Tiangang's silence caused a flicker of undisguised disappointment to cross Li Hao's eyes.
It was one thing for others not to believe him, but for his own father to show no inclination to side with him was deeply disheartening.
But then, Li Hao laughed bitterly at himself.
Fourteen years apart—what bond could there be between them? Besides blood, what remained of their connection?
Bias? Why should he even expect it? Was he really pinning his hopes on something as tenuous as familial ties?
“You fabricate these baseless accusations merely to kill Qianfeng. How ruthless your heart must be!”
Liu Yurong’s voice was laced with venom as she glared at the isolated, silent boy standing before the crowd. “Even if we assume this is between you and me, how could you turn such a cruel hand against your own cousin?!”
“What has Qianfeng ever done to you?!”
Li Hao snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze turning icy as he locked eyes with her. “Whether he knows the truth or not, I don’t care. He enjoys your protection, so he must share your consequences.”
“Initially, I only intended to cripple him, but he was the one who acted with murderous intent first!”
“Today, neither you nor your son will leave here alive!”
The killing intent surging from Li Hao’s body made everyone present pale.
Liu Yurong, stunned, burst into laughter. “Fine! Li Tiangang, is this the son you raised? Utterly lawless! Are you going to stand by and let him bully a widow and her orphaned child?!”
“Don’t forget, your second brother Fengping once shielded you from a sword strike!”
“If it weren’t for that wound, would he have died later?!”
She fixed Li Tiangang with a hateful glare. “If not for that sacrifice, you wouldn’t even be alive right now!”
The words struck Li Tiangang like a thunderclap, causing his entire body to tremble. His pupils shrank, and his breathing became labored.
“Your son takes the True Dragon title and dares to act so arrogantly, treating others as beneath him. At this rate, the entire Li family won’t need to fear monsters or demons—they’ll be wiped out by him!”
Her cutting words struck the hearts of everyone present.
“You’re absolutely right!”
A sudden, clear voice rang out.
Everyone turned to see Li Rumeng standing there, her face swollen with a fresh, red handprint. Tears streaming down her face, she ran into the courtyard.
Li Fenghua’s expression changed. “Who hit you?!”
He doted on his daughter and was immediately furious.
Li Rumeng turned and pointed at Li Hao. “It was him! He’s arrogant and overbearing. I only said a few words he didn’t like, and he slapped me!”
“If not for Mingguang and the others being present, he might have killed me!”
“Mingguang can vouch for me!”
All eyes shifted toward Li Hao and Li Mingguang.
Li Mingguang hesitated. Though he bore resentment against Li Hao, he had witnessed the incident and knew Li Rumeng had spoken out of turn. While Li Hao had slapped her, it hadn’t escalated to the point of life-threatening violence.
Seeing the gazes, Li Mingguang hesitated to speak.
He Jianlan immediately asked, “Is that true? If you were there, why didn’t you intervene?”
Li Mingguang lowered his head. “Li Hao indeed acted. It was sudden—I didn’t have time to stop it. But...”
Before he could finish, a sharp, resounding sound interrupted him.
A red handprint appeared on Li Hao’s cheek.
Everyone gasped and turned toward the source of the strike—Li Tiangang.
The slap had been so forceful that blood trickled from the corner of Li Hao’s mouth as he staggered backward.
Li Hao’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the tall, imposing man before him.
But the only response he saw was a pair of furious, commanding eyes.
“You’ve gone too far!”
Li Tiangang’s voice thundered. “Making friends with worthless scum, embarrassing yourself in brothels—I don’t know how you’ve been conducting yourself these years!”
“Everyone has indulged and spoiled you out of respect for me. No one has dared discipline you!”
“Today, I’ll discipline you myself!”
“Just days ago, I thought you had matured and restrained yourself. But now, the moment you gain the True Dragon title, you think no one can control you?!”
With that, Li Tiangang took another step forward.
Li Qingzheng’s expression changed. “Tiangang, this matter requires investigation. We must deliberate carefully. As for Rumeng...”
“Fifth Uncle, stay out of this. This is a family matter!”
Li Tiangang didn’t look back, his tone ice-cold.
Li Qingzheng was stunned into silence.
“Uncle...” Bian Ruxue stepped forward, trembling, intending to plead for Li Hao.
At that moment, a flash of white streaked through the air and darted in front of Li Hao. It was the little white fox, standing protectively before him.
Though its eyes were filled with fear, it bared its teeth and stood its ground, fur bristling.
“Insolent beast! Do you dare to act up as well?!”
Li Tiangang’s fury flared, and he waved his hand, releasing a force that struck the little white fox.
The fox let out a pitiful cry as its body was flung against the courtyard wall, crashing through it before falling to the ground in a crumpled heap.
Li Hao’s pupils shrank to pinpoints, and his mind went blank.
The next moment, a thunderous roar erupted from him.
“Li Tiangang!!!”
A boundless, ocean-like pressure surged from his body, forming a tornado that swept up the dust around him.