Volume 2 - Chapter 1: Henceforth, Only Joy
The bold recitation of that poem by the young man caused the faces of everyone within the Divine General Mansion to change slightly.
"Who in the world does not know my name?"
Such arrogance and confidence, yet it was undeniably real.
A fourteen-year-old Grandmaster of Heaven and Man Realm, unparalleled in history, had departed from the Li family.
"Tiangang, could you not have softened your words to Li Hao, spoken to him with more compassion?"
He Jianlan's heart was filled with sorrow. Remembering that obedient child who once came early in the mornings to greet them, she couldn't help but voice her feelings to Li Tiangang.
Li Tiangang regained his composure but remained expressionless and said nothing.
"Li Tiangang, you drove Hao'er away. You drove away the most dazzling genius our Li family has seen in millennia," Li Muxiu said, his voice heavy with desolation. His face bore a weathered expression as he looked deeply at Li Tiangang and declared:
"You will regret the words you said today."
Li Tiangang's lips twitched slightly. He was indeed pained by the boy's talent, which had astounded him.
But regret?
Memories of recent events flashed through his mind. In the end, he took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice: "I will not regret this. He will. If I cannot temper his stubbornness, the demons will!"
"Within three years, he will return, crying and begging to come back. He will understand that what he abandoned today is what countless people dream of having. He is still young and cannot appreciate the blessings he has been born into."
As he spoke, his gaze turned toward Li Muxiu and the others before him, and he continued slowly:
"As the True Dragon of the Li family, I command that none of you provide him with any assistance in secret. Any violation of this will be met with severe punishment under family law!"
When he finished, his face grew cold again. He added, "Helping him is harming him. Do not interfere. I will make him return."
The crowd's expressions shifted subtly, shocked by his unwavering determination.
"Old Seven," Li Xuanli said hesitantly.
Li Muxiu's lips quivered slightly, and he said, "Do you realize he is still injured? Now that he has left, do you know how many eyes are watching?"
"The Li family is a thorn in the side of demons, an enemy they would love to destroy. Now that this child has left Qingzhou, the number of demons lying in ambush to attack and assassinate him will be unimaginable."
"The millennium-long enmity between our Li family and the demons may all now fall upon his head."
The crowd's pupils contracted slightly, their hearts sinking as they realized the danger awaiting the boy on his journey.
Li Tiangang's expression remained stoic. "Second Uncle, Hao'er is still my child. If you can think of these dangers, I, of course, have thought of them as well. I will send people to watch over him in secret and intervene if necessary."
He looked seriously at Li Muxiu and said, "I have given him three years—not out of a moment of anger, but to give him time to temper himself. These three years are for his benefit. I will seek permission from our ancestors to delay the decision regarding the True Dragon seat. If he can correct himself by then, the position will still be his."
Li Muxiu's face twitched as he watched the boy's gradually receding figure, his heart heavy with bitterness.
The child had never cared about the True Dragon seat. In three years, he would care even less...
Moreover, with the boy's talent, if he devoted himself to cultivation, it was likely he would reach the Three Immortals Realm within three years...
Suddenly, a figure darted out, passing the crowd and quickly chasing after the boy.
It was none other than Ren Qianqian, the sword attendant recently recruited into the Divine General Mansion.
She had yet to study the techniques of Tingyu Pavilion. Although her household registry was now listed under the Divine General Mansion, no one stopped her from following the young man.
However, the girl left alone without bringing the black sword box.
Chen Hefang noticed this, quickly recovering from his daze, and said urgently, "Muxiu, Hao'er didn’t take his sword! How can that be? Yongye, quickly, bring it to him!"
Li Muxiu was startled. He released his senses and quickly located the black sword box in the Shanhe Courtyard. Retrieving it with a wave of his hand, he hurried to catch up with Li Hao.
"Hao'er, you forgot your sword," Li Muxiu said, his expression pained as he addressed the young man.
Li Hao glanced at the elder and shook his head slightly. "Second Granduncle, there is no need to grieve. I do not want this sword. Please thank Grandmother for me and have her gift it to someone else."
"Who in the Li family could possibly deserve this sword besides you?" Li Muxiu protested.
Li Hao’s gaze lingered briefly on the black sword box. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Handle it however you wish. In any case, I will not accept anything from the Li family again."
With that, he turned and continued walking.
"Hao'er..."
"Second Granduncle, please return," the boy said, raising a hand dismissively without turning back.
Li Muxiu stared at the black sword box in his hand, his heart heavy with sorrow.
Two generations of owners had abandoned it.
Eternal Night, Eternal Night—it seemed it was destined to slumber in the dark forever.
...
Following the street, Li Hao walked steadily onward, feeling as if each step lightened his body and eased his spirit.
At the gates of the Divine General Mansion, he caught sight of Song Yufeng and Song Qiumo. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment but did not speak, maintaining a distant demeanor.
He did not wish to involve the Tangong Academy in his affairs.
Footsteps sounded behind him, quick at first, then slowing as they approached.
Without turning around, Li Hao said, "I am no longer the young master of the Li family. Why are you following me? You have not yet entered Tingyu Pavilion. Speak with Zhao Bo—she can release you from your servant contract."
Ren Qianqian shook her head slightly, clutching her sword. "Without Tingyu Pavilion’s techniques, I can learn other techniques from you."
"My techniques may not suit you," Li Hao replied. "Besides, heading to Tianmen Pass is fraught with danger. Survival itself is uncertain."
"Then let us slay demons together," Ren Qianqian said resolutely.
Li Hao hesitated briefly before continuing forward. His voice was calm. "Then let us travel together."
Ren Qianqian's face lit up with joy, and she quickly followed.
Snowflakes drifted down, mingling with the misty frost of the cold air.
The once-prestigious young master strode through the snowstorm, accompanied by only a white fox, a sword attendant, and the wind in his sleeves.
Embarking on the martial world, he had forgotten to bring a sword.
Reentering the martial world, he carried no sword to wield.
"Faraway roads stretch endlessly; henceforth, only joy. What can idle sorrows do to me?"
Suddenly, the young man began to sing loudly, his voice brimming with carefree laughter.
...
At the gates of the Divine General Mansion, Song Yufeng and Song Qiumo stood silently, watching the departing figure of the young man.
Neither had anticipated that after the father-son clash, the situation would deteriorate so badly. The immensely gifted boy was now leaving his family and cutting ties with the Li clan.
In a world where countless people would yearn for even a tenuous connection to the illustrious Divine General Mansion, the boy discarded it as if it were mere refuse.
"Who dares say Heaven is inhospitable? The vast snowstorm accompanies a lone figure," Song Yufeng murmured to himself.
Before the gates, Li Yuanzhao stared blankly at Li Hao's receding figure and muttered, "Does this mean that starting today, Brother Hao has lost his father?"
As the boy spoke, his mother, Xiao Yujing, immediately shot him a stern glare before glancing at Li Tiangang, whose face remained as cold and unmoving as an iron slab. Her brows furrowed in concern.
Standing beside Li Yuanzhao, Bian Ruxue suddenly trembled, as though struck by lightning. Her eyes widened as fragmented memories surfaced in her mind.
Years ago, she had walked through these very gates, crying the entire way, following Uncle Lin into the grandiose Divine General Mansion.
In that unfamiliar setting, it had been a boy with eyes like stars who comforted her, telling her that her father was in the heavens above.
On that day, she had found solace and a new pillar of support in the boy who stayed by her side.
Yet now, years later, the same boy, who once gave her solace, was leaving under her watchful eyes, losing his own father in the process.
And she, unable to offer even a word of comfort, could only watch him leave without being there for him.
The thought pierced her heart with sharp sorrow, as though a thorn had pricked her deeply.
With a rush of determination, she sprinted forward in an attempt to catch up, but the snowstorm had grown heavier, and the boy was nowhere to be seen.
...
Tianmen Pass lay to the north of the Liang Province border.
The Liang Province was vast and sparsely populated, with its cold winters, scorching summers, and barren lands rich in mineral veins. The people here seldom tilled the soil, relying instead on livestock and trade. Most of their grain was imported from other provinces.
Under the cold moonlight that illuminated the land, a campfire blazed in a clearing within a dense forest at the border of Liang Province. Around the fire sat two people and a white fox.
Skewered on sticks made of green vines, tiger paws and tiger liver roasted above the flames, filling the air with tantalizing aromas. The quantity of food far exceeded the needs of just two individuals.
"Almost done. Just wait a bit longer," Li Hao said, stroking the little white fox at his knee with a smile.
Five days had passed since they left Qingzhou. Thanks to Ren Qianqian's funding, the two had managed to rent a carriage that carried them to Liang Province.
Upon returning the carriage at a local station, they had no choice but to travel to the borderlands on foot.
Fortunately, after five days of travel, Li Hao's injuries had fully healed.
During his free time, he pondered his various techniques, combining them to create a cultivation method uniquely suited to himself.
When he first stepped into the Heaven and Man Realm, the hastily cobbled-together powers he wielded had failed to manifest the full strength of a Grandmaster. Now, after thorough contemplation, he felt confident that if he fought his past self again, he could easily claim victory.
As for whether he could defeat that person, Li Hao pushed the thought aside, unwilling to consider it for now.
"Feng Lao, it's almost ready," Li Hao called toward the forest.
It had been Feng Lao's voice, transmitted secretly within the Divine General Mansion, that had convinced him to come to Tianmen Pass.
Otherwise, even in his determination to sever ties with the Li family, Li Hao would not have gambled with his life by venturing here alone, knowing it was as good as courting death.
The forest remained silent, offering no response.
Li Hao, accustomed to this, paid it no mind.
Suddenly, the sound of rustling came from the woods not far away.
Looking up, Li Hao extended his spiritual sense to investigate and saw a familiar figure parting the foliage and approaching the campfire.
Moments later, Bian Ruxue emerged, drawn by the firelight.
When she spotted Li Hao, her face lit up with joy. "Thank goodness, I finally caught up to you!"
"What are you doing here?" Li Hao asked, surprised. His brows furrowed. "This journey is dangerous."
"I haven’t encountered any demons," Bian Ruxue replied.
As she looked at the young man by the fire, the emotions she had struggled to suppress over the past few days resurfaced. Her eyes reddened slightly as she said, "Back then, you stayed by my side. Now, it’s my turn to stay with you."
Li Hao gave her a puzzled look and asked, "You’re giving up the sword path?"
Bian Ruxue froze for a moment, then fell silent before replying, "I won’t give up the sword, but I want to stay by your side. Otherwise, I can’t feel at ease."
Li Hao immediately understood that she was acting out of guilt.
With a faint smile, he said casually, "Silly girl, don’t worry about me. I’m not as fragile as you think. I’m not like you—I don’t cry at the drop of a hat."
Bian Ruxue’s cheeks flushed slightly as she recalled her childhood, when nightmares often left her crying. She quickly retorted, "Let’s not talk about the past. Back then, my father wasn’t around, and you stayed with me. Now, it’s my turn to stay with you."
"Are you trying to repay a debt of gratitude in this way?" Li Hao asked with a laugh.
Bian Ruxue bit her lip lightly and did not deny it.
"If you’ve chosen the sword path, you shouldn’t waver. With your temperament, you’ll never reach the summit, let alone take a step beyond the foothills," Li Hao said. "As for that so-called debt, it’s not something I care about. I accompanied you back then, and you accompanied me as well. We’re even."
Bian Ruxue stared blankly at him, her thoughts adrift. Looking at his carefree smile, she hesitated before asking, "Really?"
"Really," Li Hao replied with a calm smile.
The flames of the campfire flickered in the chilly night breeze, casting a warm glow on Li Hao’s face as he sat before it.
Smiling gently at the girl, he said, "You should go back. I’ll be waiting for the day you reach the pinnacle of the sword path. When that day comes, return and tell me—what did you see from up there?"