Volume 2 - Chapter 14: Returning the First Favor to the Li Family - Part 1
Li Hongzhuang and Li He felt deeply conflicted as they watched Li Hao converse so freely and familiarly with the Great Demon King.
It was clear to both of them that this Great Demon King held Li Hao in high regard, treating him as though they were close friends. This level of respect couldn’t simply be attributed to the prestige of the Li family, nor even to Li Hao's exceptional talents, which might not have been enough to attract such favor.
After all, this was a Great Demon King of the Fourth Pillar Realm.
Even if Li Hao was an unparalleled prodigy, his ultimate potential would most likely cap at the Fourth Pillar Realm, at best allowing him to brush against the feet of a Qian Dao Palace True Person.
To surpass the Fourth Pillar Realm was an almost insurmountable task. Each step within this realm was as vast as the heavens, crossing over them akin to ascending to the heavens themselves.
In the clouds above, Feng Boping nodded slightly to Song Qiumo before his figure vanished. He didn’t descend for polite exchanges, as such social pleasantries didn’t suit his free-spirited nature. Even among other Fourth Pillar Realm experts, he had little to say and only found a few individuals worth conversing with.
Had it not been for Li Hao, he would have remained a lone wanderer in the mortal world, like a breeze traversing the land, free and unfettered.
“The wind stirs not my heart; when the heart stirs, the wind is hard to calm...”
...
“How long do you plan to stay here?”
After his brief exchange with Song Qiumo, Li Hao brought her into the camp.
As Song Qiumo surveyed the surroundings, her gaze lingered on the city, now reduced to a mound of rubble. Her eyes narrowed slightly before falling upon the sword-wielding Ren Qianqian and the small white fox, which stared at her nervously.
She smiled faintly and asked Li Hao in a seemingly casual tone, “How long do you want me to stay?”
Li Hao responded without hesitation, “The longer, the better, of course.”
Song Qiumo chuckled and said, “I had thought you were living in poverty. I came to extend you a small favor, thinking you’d be grateful enough to repay me when you reached the Fourth Pillar Realm. But upon arriving here, it seems I’m merely adding flowers to brocade.”
“This barren frontier might just be lacking your bloom,” Li Hao replied with a smile.
Song Qiumo had not expected such a remark from him. Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she gave Li Hao a sidelong glance before saying, “I’ll stay here for no more than six months.”
Li Hao nodded slightly, knowing she had prior commitments. Six months was already a generous offer.
“For these six months, whatever you want to eat, you’ll have it,” Li Hao said with a grin.
“I want little crispy cakes,” Song Qiumo replied.
“No problem,” he agreed immediately.
Though the camp lacked flour and other ingredients, Li Hao procured paper and ink, listing all the supplies he needed. The list included an abundance of "extra items," featuring many of his favorite foods, as well as ink, brushes, and even a chessboard for leisure.
While there wasn’t a worthy chess opponent at present to improve his skills, Li Hao didn’t mind preparing for when fate might deliver one.
He borrowed a geographical map of Liang Province from Li Hongzhuang and handed it to Song Qiumo, asking her to buy supplies from the nearest city.
Even so, the closest city was a thousand miles from the pass.
Previously, Feng Lao had been nearby, requiring vigilance against potential Fourth Pillar Realm Demon Kings, making travel impossible. Now, with Song Qiumo assisting, the camp’s provisions could finally be replenished.
Li Hao used his Object Manipulation Ability to gather wood and stone, constructing a small courtyard around the rubble. Within the yard, he built several pavilions and towers using the collected wood.
To see a Fifteen Li Realm expert take on the role of a foreman seemed almost comical, yet it was an ideal match.
Watching Li Hao gradually transform the dilapidated camp, Li Hongzhuang felt a surreal illusion that this young man might one day rebuild the city that had been destroyed.
Yet, the thought seemed far-fetched. The Great Demon King had already stated she would only stay for six months.
After that, only the Fourth Pillar Realm expert above the clouds would remain. But how long would such a supreme expert continue to protect Li Hao?
Top-tier powerhouses rarely tether themselves to a single person.
...
Before long, Song Qiumo returned from her shopping trip, bringing back a large quantity of supplies and food.
Li Hao directed Ren Qianqian and the small white fox to help move everything into the newly built courtyard.
Though the little white fox had yet to take human form, it managed to carry a few mats and blankets with its small paws, staggering as it walked upright into the courtyard.
After half a day of work, the camp had taken on an entirely new appearance.
The freshly constructed courtyard exuded a woody, forest-like aroma but lacked the lived-in warmth of human presence.
“A yard is just a yard—only with people does it gain life,” Li Hao remarked.
In the courtyard, he lit a fire and selected the choicest cuts of meat from the Demon corpses outside, grilling them over charcoal. He left Ren Qianqian to watch the fire while he kneaded dough nearby to make flatbreads for Song Qiumo.
From within the courtyard, the scene seemed cozy and peaceful—so much so that one might momentarily forget the blood-drenched battlefield and towering piles of Demon corpses just beyond its walls.
Li Hongzhuang, however, felt a vague sense of emptiness. It seemed as though her role here had diminished.
With two Fourth Pillar Realm experts present, word would soon spread. Save for a few foolish minor Demons, most of the stronger ones wouldn’t dare approach again.
She no longer needed to keep her sword at the ready, prepared for battle at any moment.
After over a decade of tension, her body slowly began to relax.
She found herself sitting by the fire, the aroma of grilled meat filling her nose. Watching the young man kneading dough nearby, she felt as if she were dreaming.
Never could she have imagined a day when she could enjoy such leisure in this perilous pass.
Before long, the dough was ready, and with Li Hao’s infusion of energy, the fermentation process sped up.
Li Hao heated a pan and cooked flatbreads, then started another pot of oil to fry the little crispy cakes for Song Qiumo.
He added minced coriander and other seasonings to enhance the flavor.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Once everything was prepared, Li Hao called Feng Lao to join them.
Since Feng Lao had already revealed his presence to Li Hongzhuang, there was no longer a need for him to hide. Apart from his identity, there was little reason for secrecy in daily interactions.
The group gathered around the fire, eating and drinking casually.
Feng Lao ate and drank with gusto, alternating between grilled meat and wine. Li Hao handed him a flatbread stuffed with roasted meat, which the older man sampled with curiosity before praising its taste.
While Feng Lao was enjoying himself, Li Hao took the opportunity to swipe his wine bottle for a couple of swigs. He sighed in satisfaction before Feng Lao realized and snatched the bottle back, glaring at him.
There wasn’t much wine left, after all.
Li Hongzhuang and Li He watched Li Hao’s carefree interactions with the elder expert in bewilderment.
...
After the meal, Feng Boping clapped his hands clean, stood up, and left the courtyard without a word, disappearing from sight. His departure seemed utterly unrestrained, befitting his nature.
Li Hao watched Feng Lao leave, sighing inwardly. He understood that the elder had left to avoid lingering too long and risking his identity being uncovered by Li Hongzhuang and the others, which could bring trouble.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Li Hao got up and began sorting through the Demon corpses.
He planned to brew a special batch of wine as thanks for Feng Lao.
From the corpses of several Three Immortals Great Demons, Li Hao salvaged valuable materials and returned to the courtyard to begin the brewing process.
Song Qiumo, meanwhile, lounged in one of the side rooms, yawning and looking utterly bored. Occasionally, her gaze would fall on the busy figure in the courtyard, and a faint smile would curve her lips.
She had come here to deliver a sword manual—an absolute treasure of the Tangong Academy. Yet the young man had merely tucked it into his robe without so much as a second glance.
The supreme techniques of the world and the vast wealth of the Divine General Mansion seemed to pale in comparison to the simple pleasures of cooking in the courtyard.
“What a peculiar little fellow...” Song Qiumo muttered with a soft laugh.
...
By evening, Li Hao had finished setting up the wine jars and buried them in a cellar behind the courtyard to ferment.
Under the glow of the red sunset, he finally had a moment to relax. Settling into a rocking chair he had crafted from wood, he took out the sword manual and began leafing through it.
Tai Chi Qian Kun Sword.
The manual described the interplay of yin and yang.
Li Hao carefully read through it once, and a notification flashed in his mind—he had already grasped the fundamentals.
Satisfied, he put the sword manual away and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes to reflect.
As the sword technique’s concepts and essence flowed through his mind, he began to deconstruct its mysteries and connect it to his understanding of the Dao.
“What is ‘Tai’? More than great, it is the ultimate.
“What is ‘great’? The heavens and earth themselves are great.”
“All things in heaven and earth possess a Dao. My current understanding of both intent and Dao remains shallow. These sword techniques and martial arts share commonalities. If I can merge them, I might create a technique that encompasses all.”
A sense of clarity dawned upon Li Hao.
Having reached the Heaven and Man Realm, Li Hao had merged his soul with the heavens, achieving a state of semi-transcendence.
His thoughts were no longer confined by the techniques themselves. He could grasp their essence without being bound by their form.
His Dao as a grandmaster was one of all-encompassing understanding. Yet, he realized he had only taken a small step on this path.
If he could reach its ultimate pinnacle, what kind of vistas would await him?
Li Hao’s thoughts wandered briefly before he smiled and shook his head.
“Let everything follow its course naturally,” he murmured.
His grandmaster’s heart sought balance and natural flow. It was neither obsessive nor forced, like sunlight warming the earth, a natural cycle of heaven’s order.
To greedily pursue the light, chasing the sun like Kuafu, would only lead to exhaustion and death.
Sunlight is warm but not to be stared at directly.
The moon, cold as it may be, reflects light through the ages.
One need not cling to the heavens or the earth. All things in this world have their own grace.
The heavens are thus, people are thus, and so too are techniques.
Li Hao felt his mental state improve slightly. Concepts and techniques in his mind began to shift subtly, though he remained far from the ultimate summit of the grandmaster's journey.
Unperturbed, he picked up a sketchpad and began to draw.
Rising into the air, his spirit observed the pile of Demon corpses in the distance.
His hand moved with precision, sketching one Demon after another.
Though they were lifeless, drawing their forms still granted him valuable experience.
Li Hao created thousands of sketches over the next two days, refining his skills until his Painting Dao broke through to the sixth level. He even gained an additional Artistic Skill Point.
The experience needed to advance from the sixth to the seventh level was immense—ten thousand points. To break through, he would need to imbue his paintings with a sense of life, achieving “spiritual resonance.”
“When will I truly achieve spiritual resonance?” Li Hao muttered to himself, feeling as though he was still far from grasping it.
...
At noon on the second day, the courtyard was peaceful, with faint plumes of smoke rising from the kitchen.
Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses broke the stillness as a figure approached the camp at high speed.
Feng Boping’s expression shifted as he seemed to sense something. Without a word, he vanished from the campfire where the meat was nearly done.
The others, accustomed to his comings and goings, paid no attention to his disappearance and instead turned their focus to the new arrival outside the courtyard.
Li Hongzhuang narrowed her eyes and froze. “Chu Gonggong?”
The man who entered on horseback was someone she recognized. As a child, she had seen him deliver imperial edicts to her father.
Chu Jiuyue rode into the camp, his gaze sweeping over the desolate scene. His eyes hardened slightly as he observed the ravaged, uneven ground.
The soil here was a deep crimson, as if soaked with endless blood...