Chapter 15: Defeat
At the northern frontier of Yanbei, in Yuanyue City...
Within the city, a grim atmosphere lingered, while outside, the ground was a desolate sight, riddled with craters. In the mountains a hundred li away, massive, diverse forms lurked within the peaks and forests. Shadows of demons loomed heavily, and a few slender figures, human-like in appearance, sat cross-legged at the mountain tops.
The ground here was stained with blood, scattered with bones like a forest of dry wood, while torn scraps of skin hung loosely on tree branches and rocks.
At this moment, a beautiful young woman was holding an armored arm, gnawing on its fingers, her lips and cheeks smeared with fresh blood, yet she seemed utterly unconcerned.
Suddenly, a tiny black dot appeared on the horizon, rapidly speeding closer. Upon nearing, it revealed itself as a three-clawed black bird, over ten meters long.
The bird shrank as it landed, transforming into the figure of a young man with a black headscarf, who approached a small group seated together. Finally, he stopped before a white-robed youth, who had a long qin resting on his knee.
The youth plucked the strings of the qin softly, the notes drifting out in waves, but his gaze was fixed on the distant, grim city that loomed like a stone blight. From there, one could vaguely see the dense black clouds gathering above the city and the indistinct figures standing guard on the city walls.
“Bai Shenjun,” the black-scarfed youth said, cupping his hands respectfully. “We just received word that the worthless flesh seed we sent in earlier failed. The Divine General Mansion is now on high alert, and I heard that the child has a powerful protector in secret.”
“This was a failure? Useless trash!”
Beside him, a hulking man with a large frame frowned, his face twisting into a half-smile that revealed sharp, inhuman teeth.
“Didn’t he already infiltrate the child’s side?” asked the beautiful woman gnawing on the arm. She frowned, pausing her chewing to glance at the black-scarfed youth.
“Half a month has passed, and his identity definitely wasn’t exposed. Yet after all this time, he still couldn’t find a chance to strike?”
A young man with yellow eyebrows furrowed as well. “To avoid the Divine General Mansion’s intelligence being inaccurate, Xingwu Marquis went out of his way to hide the true circumstances of the child. We sent a flesh seed at the Zhoutian Realm, close enough to kill with a single blow—he could have struck so swiftly that even a Tongli Realm tenth stage couldn’t react in time. With a protector there, they shouldn’t have been able to interfere, right?”
The black-scarfed youth sighed, saying, “The specifics are unknown, but who would have thought he’d be so incompetent?”
“Hmph, not only did he fail, but he alerted the Divine General Mansion. Now, that information has surely reached Li Tiangang, and he’ll send more men to protect him. Damn that flesh seed!” the hulking man grunted angrily.
The black-scarfed youth nodded. “Going forward, an assassination will be even more challenging. Since that flesh seed failed, his family no longer needs to be kept alive. Let the little ones below enjoy them.”
“They’ve already feasted on them long ago.”
The beautiful woman tore off another finger, chewing as she spoke.
The black-scarfed youth said nothing more, instead looking toward the white-robed youth who had paused his playing. His gaze held a hint of reverence. “Bai Shenjun, what should we do next? Shall we launch a frontal assault?”
The others also looked to him, awaiting his instructions.
Bai Shenjun’s expression remained largely unaffected as he gazed at Yuanyue City in the distance, speaking softly, “This Li family is indeed a hard bone to crack. If we go with a frontal assault, our losses would be too great.”
“Yes, and those allies refuse to lend a hand—utterly infuriating,” muttered the hulking man in displeasure.
“Should we continue with the assassination?” asked the black-scarfed youth.
Bai Shenjun turned to him, asking, “What do you think?”
...
Since Li Hao’s assassination attempt, the security of the Divine General Mansion had become more stringent.
He Jianlan deployed experts from the inner courtyard to guard the front, meticulously screening each servant who had entered the mansion over the past three years.
The investigation was extensive, but every courtyard cooperated eagerly, understanding the peril of the recent assassination. Everyone feared the same fate might befall their own children.
Through the Li family’s intelligence network, it was discovered that the assassination was linked to the demons of Yanbei.
Li Hao approached his aunt, asking her to conceal news of the attempt, so it would not reach the Yanbei battlefield or disturb the front lines, especially the couple stationed there.
He Jianlan, hearing Li Hao’s request, was momentarily stunned. Watching his young face, her heart ached slightly, as though something had clenched within it.
This child, who had almost been killed due to the situation in Yanbei, was now worried about affecting the other side. His maturity was heart-wrenching.
However, keeping the assassination under wraps was impossible; the news quickly reached the Yanbei border.
In the military camp, Xingwu Marquis was livid upon hearing it, and Ji Qingqing was equally furious. They quickly discerned the demons’ intentions—to use Li Hao’s death to disrupt morale and divert them from the Yanbei conflict.
Should they abandon the front line, the enemy would surely launch an overwhelming assault.
Leaving the battlefield was out of the question. Enraged, Xingwu Marquis immediately dispatched a trusted confidant to return to the mansion and guard Li Hao closely.
The mansion relayed back news that Li Hao’s hidden protector had thwarted the assassination attempt.
But Xingwu Marquis knew he had not arranged for anyone to secretly guard Li Hao.
With the guards of the Shanhe Courtyard and its placement within the Divine General Mansion, he hadn’t anticipated anyone targeting a mere child.
If Li Hao had shown extraordinary martial talent, he might have considered a secret guard to protect the future pride of the Li family, preventing a potential prodigy from being stifled in infancy.
Yet even without such a gift, he had nearly been killed.
And all of this stemmed from the cursed deadlock they were trapped in.
...
Days turned quiet once more.
Half a year passed, and Li Hao turned seven.
The attempted assassination was now six months past, and no one mentioned it anymore.
Since then, the strongman sent from Xingwu Marquis's army had remained beside Li Hao, ever-vigilant. He was a man of sturdy build and solemn demeanor, cautious and meticulous in his work. His name was Li Fu.
Rumor had it that Li Fu had been an orphan taken in by the Li family years ago. Some had remarked that although his fate was grim, his fortune lay in being found at the doorstep of the Divine General Mansion, which earned him the family name Li and the given name Fu.
Li Fu had grown up alongside Xingwu Marquis in the Shanhe Courtyard.
Being seven or eight years older than Xingwu Marquis, he had always treated him with the care of an elder brother, though their relationship remained that of superior and subordinate in the military.
Furthermore, Li Fu was one of Xingwu Marquis’s most trusted aides.
“Uncle Fu, you lost again.”
In the pavilion, a game of chess had just ended, and Li Hao said cheerfully.
Li Fu’s serious face showed a hint of helplessness. “I was practically brothers with your father; you should call me Uncle.”
“But calling you Uncle Fu sounds too much like saying you’ve lost,” Li Hao pouted. “When I play chess, I only want to win—I don’t like losing.”
Li Fu found himself at a loss for words. Just because of this trivial wordplay, he had been demoted in seniority.
“Well, you can call me Uncle Li instead.”
“But in the Li family, there are too many people with that name. If I call you Uncle Li, how would I ever find you?” Li Hao reasoned.
Li Fu sighed again, resigned.
“To be honest, Uncle Fu, you shouldn’t have been named Fu. Since they say you’re blessed with fortune, you should’ve been called Li You.”
Li Hao said earnestly, “Look, Li You sounds great—‘You have, you have,’ meaning you have everything! It would be like you’re lacking nothing at all!”
Li Fu felt the urge to knock on his head. Unlike the rigid personality of Xingwu Marquis, his son was playful and clever.
“Don’t talk nonsense. If your father were here, he’d surely scold you for your disrespect,” Li Fu reprimanded, putting on a stern face.
“But he’s not here,” Li Hao replied casually.
Li Fu was about to lecture him further to keep him from becoming too unruly, but hearing Li Hao’s careless remark, something tugged at his heart.
When Xingwu Marquis had first left for the front lines, Li Fu had followed, well aware that Li Hao had now reached seven years old, and the marquis had been at Yanbei for exactly that long.
The situation in Yanbei had become so complex that even Ji Qingqing, who had initially gone to assist, was unable to return, unwilling to leave her husband at risk.
Seeing this young child, who hadn’t had his parents by his side for seven years, Li Fu couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
...
“Why are you back so early today? Hungry?” Li Hao asked, waving with a smile.
Bian Ruxue approached with her sword in hand, her face sullen and expression downcast. “I’m not hungry,” she replied.
“What’s wrong? Did someone upset you?” Li Hao teased.
Bian Ruxue bit her lip slightly and turned her head away without saying a word.
Li Hao had asked casually, but seeing her reaction, he raised an eyebrow. “Tell me, what happened?”
“It’s nothing.” Bian Ruxue stood up, clutching her sword, and ran to her usual practice spot.
Li Hao thought for a moment, then called over the maid who trained alongside her. “What’s wrong with Xue’er?” he asked.
“Master, Miss Xue’er lost in a sword match at the training field,” the maid replied respectfully, despite Li Fu’s presence and Li Hao’s lack of martial talent.
“That’s it?” Li Hao said, relieved. “It’s just one loss. For a martial artist, victories and defeats are common. She just needs to win next time. What, she can’t take a loss?”
The maid hesitated before lowering her head. “That’s not it, Master. The one who beat Miss Xue’er also insulted you to her face. That’s why she’s upset.”
“Ah?” Li Hao hadn’t expected this turn of events. So the little girl had been standing up for him?
He glanced at the distance, where the young girl was already practicing her swordsmanship, her movements filled with frustration.
Li Hao’s gaze flickered slightly as he told the maid, “I understand. You may leave.”