Chapter 14: The Softest Place
“What’s going on?”
The thin young man was momentarily dazed, unable to discern who the real assassin was.
But as he felt the powerful pressure on his throat, he quickly snapped out of it, staring in horror at the young boy in front of him.
What kind of monster was this? Not even seven years old, yet possessing such terrifying strength. Even someone at the peak of the Tongli Realm, combined with the Marquis's Divine Blood Revival, shouldn’t be this exaggerated, should they?
“Who sent you to assassinate me?” Li Hao stared at him, asking directly as numerous clues flooded his mind. The game of chess was merely a tactic to get close to him, indicating the assassin's purpose for entering the Divine General Mansion was clear—to kill him.
The thin young man fell silent. Everything about this child, from his strength to his displayed intelligence, was far from what an ordinary six-year-old should possess.
He had assumed he was dealing with a useless brat, but he had uncovered a terrifying truth instead.
“You’re not the Martial Waste Body they say you are. Did you hide your strength on purpose, or was it arranged by your father?” the thin young man asked with narrowed eyes.
Knowing he’d failed in his mission, he felt the deadly force pressing down on his throat, but instead of panicking, he grew calmer.
Assassinating the bloodline heir of the Divine General Mansion was always a near-impossible mission. Unfortunately, he’d failed to complete it.
“You know my father?” Li Hao’s eyes flickered slightly.
The thin young man scoffed coldly, “Who in the world hasn’t heard of Marquis Xingwu? Right now, he’s stationed at the border. A few months ago, he even gathered martial artists from the martial world in Yanbei to aid in subduing the demonic forces. He commands high respect.”
Aid in subduing demons? Li Hao frowned. Was the situation in Yanbei so dire that they had to enlist martial artists?
“Were you sent by my Second Mother?” Li Hao asked.
The thin young man hesitated, then quickly seemed to understand, a mocking glint flashing in his eyes. “You’ve been targeted before? I didn’t expect even the iron-blooded Divine General Mansion to have this kind of internal decay. No wonder you pretend to be a Martial Waste Body. But to be fair, I haven’t seen you cultivate. How many hours do you practice each day?”
Li Hao stared directly into his eyes, replying calmly, “Answer my question first, then I’ll answer yours. This is called an exchange.”
The thin young man raised an eyebrow, chuckling. This child was certainly interesting.
“Since I’m doomed anyway, and you’ve caused my mission to fail and my family to perish, why should I tell you?” the thin young man sneered lightly.
Li Hao responded, “Because I can tell you don’t want to die—you fear death. And there are many ways to die. I can grant you a swift end.”
The thin young man’s smile vanished. He fell silent briefly before finally speaking, “The one who sent me is…”
Suddenly, his arm twitched, and he punched toward Li Hao’s head.
Li Hao tilted his head slightly, dodging effortlessly without striking back, merely observing coldly.
The thin young man felt his heart sink as he sensed a chill. Was there really such a vast gap between them? A Zhoutian Realm expert like himself seemed to have reversed roles with this child. In front of him, he was like a mere child, seen through completely.
Feeling Li Hao’s contempt, he pulled his hand back in despair. “You really are a monster.”
...
“Now, speak,” Li Hao said coldly. “You should know that the Li family, being a military family, has captured countless prisoners and interrogated endless criminals. The torture methods are beyond what you can imagine. I can make sure you die without suffering if you cooperate.”
The thin young man’s eye twitched slightly. He understood the boy wasn’t lying, and a sense of fear began creeping into his heart.
“If I tell you, will you let me go?” the thin young man asked with a glimmer of hope, grasping at the idea that there might still be a trace of innocence in this child.
“Yes,” Li Hao answered.
The thin young man nearly spat blood. Could he be any more blunt? It was blatantly false—did he think he was dealing with a child?
With a bitter smile, he said, “It doesn’t matter now, I suppose. After all, my mission has failed, and my family won’t survive anyway. I came from Yanbei, and the one who sent me to kill you was Bai Shenjun.”
“Bai Shenjun?”
“Yes, one of the Three Demonic Lords of Yanbei. Terrifying strength, and an old rival of your father’s.”
The thin young man’s expression was complicated. “Your father is a brilliant military commander, and the Li family’s army is fiercely loyal. Yanbei would have already fallen if not for him. Now, the main battlefield has reached a stalemate, but Bai Shenjun sent me to assassinate you. News of your death would disrupt morale in the Divine General Mansion and spread to the Yanbei frontier, causing chaos in your father’s ranks. If he returns to avenge you, Yanbei will be lost.”
As he said this, he stared intently at Li Hao.
No one would have imagined that this child was a vital weight that could affect the lives of thousands in the many cities of Yanbei.
Li Hao was taken aback. So it was because of Yanbei.
The war there had reached even this far-off Divine General Mansion.
“Your father sits at the Yanbei frontier. He is flawless, unwavering. You, however, are his only weak point—his softest place.”
The thin young man added, “Only by targeting you can they bring down your parents, and with the border fallen, the demonic forces will pour in unchecked.”
Li Hao was silent, processing the man’s words. After a moment, he asked slowly, “You’re human. Why are you working for the demons?”
The thin young man hesitated, pausing before he looked at Li Hao with eyes filled with envy and resentment. “Not everyone is as lucky as you are. But you wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”
“Is that so?”
Li Hao looked at him calmly. “Since birth, my parents have been away, and my own relatives have plotted against me. Now, I’m targeted by assassins because of my parents. Do you call that good fortune?”
The thin young man opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
Li Hao didn’t press further, only saying, “I promised you a quick death.”
“Ha, you’re quite kind,” the thin young man forced a smile with faint sarcasm.
In the end, he would die. A trace of fear appeared in his eyes—he feared death, which was why he’d ended up serving the demons.
Li Hao seemed oblivious to the sarcasm and remarked, “Actually, I don’t want to kill you.”
“Oh?” The thin young man’s gaze held a cold smile, clearly unbelieving.
“Because your chess skills are decent,” Li Hao replied earnestly.
The thin young man froze.
After a moment, he sighed bitterly. “But it’s a pity—I never once won against you.”
“In your next life, perhaps.”
Li Hao’s hand tightened. “In your next life, don’t bother with martial arts. Just play chess. You’ll live longer and with more peace.”
The thin young man attempted to struggle, but seeing Li Hao’s calm and cold gaze, all that remained in his heart was despair. He murmured, “You truly are an unusual child.”
In the end, Li Hao still crushed him to death.
As the young man was about to suffocate, he struggled fiercely once more, but it was to no avail.
Once he had dealt with the assassin, Li Hao realized he still didn’t know the man’s real name.
The servant’s name he had used to infiltrate was one assigned by the Li family.
But...
Oh well.
...
...
With the assassin dead, Li Hao called for a servant, who arrived shaking with fear.
That night, the entire Divine General Mansion was thrown into turmoil.
The lights in every courtyard were lit, and the madams, woken from sleep, hurried over with their robes hastily donned. Seeing the assassin’s corpse slumped over the chess table, they were all stunned.
What kind of place was the Divine General Mansion that an assassin could infiltrate so easily?
Even the usually composed and dignified He Jianlan lost her calm, clutching Li Hao tightly, examining him up and down. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Auntie,” Li Hao reassured her.
Only after verifying that Li Hao was unharmed did He Jianlan relax. She questioned him thoroughly, and Li Hao recounted a story he’d already prepared.
The assassin had launched a sneak attack, but at the critical moment, an old man appeared and killed him.
The old man had then vanished.
Li Hao reasoned that if an assassin could infiltrate the Divine General Mansion, inventing a mysterious old man wouldn’t seem out of place.
After all, they hadn’t noticed the assassin’s presence, so not knowing of another expert should be understandable.
Hearing Li Hao’s explanation, He Jianlan’s heart trembled, and a suspicion emerged in her mind. Could it have been a hidden expert sent by Marquis Xingwu? Or perhaps…an elder of the clan?
Suppressing her speculations, she didn’t question Li Hao’s account.
After all, no matter how mature Li Hao seemed, he was still just a child of not even seven years.
Moreover, he hadn’t even begun practicing martial arts. Without the protection of a hidden expert, it would have been impossible for him to survive.
He Jianlan then instructed Xuejian to take Li Hao and Bian Ruxue to the Changchun Courtyard to rest and recover from the shock.
...
Meanwhile, He Jianlan remained in the main hall of the Shanhe Courtyard. She summoned the servant who had accompanied Li Hao during the chess games, as well as the first servant alerted by Li Hao’s cries. She began interrogating them in detail about the events.
Simultaneously, she called for the mansion’s experts to examine the assassin’s corpse.
Before long, the servants recounted the sequence of events.
The assassin’s infiltration, his display of chess skills to gain trust, and how he cleverly ingratiated himself with the servants—all became evident. It was clear that the assassin had meticulously gathered intelligence about Li Hao and used chess as a deliberate means of approach.
Later in the night, the results of the examination of the assassin’s corpse were revealed. The assassin was confirmed to be at the Zhoutian Realm, likely at the third or fourth stage.
This cultivation level was respectable for a wandering martial artist and could have earned him a decent reputation in the martial world. However, in the Divine General Mansion, where experts were as numerous as the clouds, it was considered ordinary at best.
That said, for assassinating a six-year-old child, this level of cultivation was more than sufficient—like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly.
...
Moreover, the assassin had consumed a special pill that suppressed his qi, making it impossible for anyone to sense his presence.
Upon hearing this, the madams of the various courtyards were filled with dread. If the target had been one of their own children instead of Li Hao, the outcome would have been certain death.
The realization that a Zhoutian Realm assassin could suddenly strike near a child was terrifying.
Even Liu Yurong, who had harbored some lingering doubts about Li Hao’s capabilities, felt reassured by the results of the autopsy.
Even if Li Hao’s Divine Blood hadn’t been destroyed, it was impossible for him to have killed this assassin unaided.
Clearly, the couple stationed at the Yanbei frontier had made ample preparations to protect their son.
Reflecting on this, Liu Yurong secretly felt relieved. It seemed her actions—poisoning him as per instructions from the Shuihua Courtyard—had gone unnoticed. After all, her own courtyard also had strong individuals...