Chapter 47: The Eight Realms of Martial Arts
By the time Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao returned to the base of the mountain, bright lights illuminated the plaza. Though night had fallen, the bustling crowd showed no signs of thinning.
This scene reminded Li Hao of the night markets from his past life. Taking a deep breath, he caught a whiff of grilled food carried on the crisp night breeze, instantly stirring his appetite.
"Come on, let’s grab something to eat," he suggested.
On the Ascension Staircase, prodigies from aristocratic families across Qingzhou competed to ascend to the summit, vying for glory.
Meanwhile, atop the mountain, a lone figure leapt down, diving into the worldly hustle and bustle of the massive crowd below...
...
It wasn’t long before Li Hao, relying on his culinary expertise, carefully selected some delicious treats from the many stalls, packing them all to go.
He and Li Yuanzhao each carried an armful of food, eating as they walked toward the carriage, drawing curious stares from passersby.
“What’s that smell?”
Inside the carriage, Li Yun, who had been waiting impatiently, suddenly caught the aroma of roasted meat. Startled, he lifted the curtain.
The scent of grilled food wafted in, and he saw Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao approaching, their mouths glistening with grease.
"Fu Bo, sorry for the wait. Here you go."
"Ming Bo, this is yours. Is it enough?"
Li Hao had bought plenty, cheerfully sharing as he passed by, ensuring everyone got their share. Naturally, he didn’t forget the portion meant for his personal maid, Qingzhi.
Then, carrying the remaining large and small bags, he climbed into the carriage and entered the compartment.
Inside, an oil lamp cast a warm yellow glow over the faces of the siblings, Li Yun and Li Zhining. They sneaked glances at Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao as the enticing aroma made their mouths water, their expressions slightly awkward.
“I thought you would have returned earlier.”
After sitting down, Li Yuanzhao took a bite of roasted meat and then, as if remembering something, handed two extra bags to Li Zhining.
“Zhining, want some?”
Li Zhining initially intended to refuse, but the tempting aroma made her hesitate. Noticing her brother’s Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard, she quietly accepted the bag. “Thank you, Yuanzhao-ge,” she murmured.
“If you’d gone ahead, you’d have missed this treat,” Li Yuanzhao said with a smile.
Li Zhining said nothing but glanced briefly at the figure in front of her. The person hadn’t looked their way even once, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes.
Shaking off the thought, she opened the bag and handed one to Li Yun. “Here, brother.”
“I’m not eating that.”
Li Yun turned his head, frowning disdainfully. “Street food? Who knows if it’s clean? It’s filthy. You shouldn’t eat it either.”
“It’s not going to kill you,” Li Yuanzhao retorted, glaring at him. The remark had soured his appetite.
“You—!”
Li Yun, annoyed, shot him a glare but found himself at a loss for words. Huffing, he turned away and stuck his head out of the curtain, suddenly finding the night scenery fascinating.
Li Zhining knew her brother wouldn’t back down, feeling slightly helpless. However, the aroma from the bag was irresistible. She finally took a small bite, her eyes lighting up slightly.
The taste was unexpectedly better than the delicacies she was used to in the family estate.
...
“Ming Bo, aren’t we leaving yet?”
Li Yun called impatiently from the front of the carriage, peering out from the curtain.
Ming Bo, munching on a piece of grilled meat, immediately grabbed the reins and urged the flood dragon-lion forward, turning the carriage toward the estate.
...
Back at the estate, Li Yun and the siblings parted ways with Li Hao, each returning to their respective residences.
At Piaoxue Courtyard, Fifth Madam Gao Qingqing was embroidering in the main hall when a maid hurriedly rushed in to report. Startled, Gao Qingqing almost pricked her finger with the needle. She quickly put down the embroidered handkerchief and hastened to the courtyard entrance.
There, she saw her son and daughter arriving with Li Ming accompanying them.
“How did it go? Was everything successful?” she asked eagerly.
Li Ming smiled silently while the well-behaved Li Zhining nodded. “Yes, my brother and I were both admitted to the A Courtyard.”
“You comprehended it in just one day?” Gao Qingqing exclaimed in delight, planting a kiss on her son’s forehead.
Li Yun blushed, awkwardly pushing his mother away before walking moodily toward the main hall.
Unbothered, Gao Qingqing kissed her daughter’s forehead as well, then held her hand as they walked back into the hall. Along the way, she instructed the housekeeper to reheat their dinner.
“Just heat my brother’s portion. I’ve already eaten,” Li Zhining said, shaking her head.
“What did you eat?” Gao Qingqing asked curiously.
“Some street food from the stalls nearby. It was delicious,” Li Zhining replied, still savoring the memory.
“Hmph, let’s see if you get a stomachache later,” Li Yun grumbled from the front.
Gao Qingqing chuckled, pulling her daughter to sit down as they began chatting about the day’s events.
“As expected of my children—comprehending it in half a day!”
“He was admitted to the A Courtyard as well?”
Hearing this, Gao Qingqing looked surprised, then nodded thoughtfully. “That boy is exceptionally clever. It’s a pity he chose the path of body refinement, which has such a low ceiling. Otherwise, he’d likely be the true dragon of your generation.”
Li Zhining’s gaze flickered as she thought of his calm and indifferent face. Her mother had said this more than once, and a faint sense of regret stirred in her heart.
“Hmph! What talent? If it were my elder sister, she’d comprehend it in the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn!” Li Yun interjected from across the room with a cold snort.
...
At Shanhe Courtyard, Li Hao returned with Fu Bo and Qingzhi accompanying him.
Under the cold moonlight, Housekeeper Zhao Bo hurried over, draped in an outer coat, and greeted him promptly. “Young Master, was everything successful? I’ll warm up your dinner.”
“Zhao Bo, don’t trouble yourself. I ate outside,” Li Hao replied with a smile. “I was worried the food would go cold on the way, so I didn’t bring you any.”
“Young Master is considerate,” Zhao Bo chuckled, noticing the faint trace of oil on Li Hao’s mouth, a clear sign he wasn’t lying.
Earlier, Li Fu had been waiting outside the carriage and hadn’t had a chance to talk with Li Hao. Now he couldn’t resist asking, “How did it go today?”
Li Hao thought for a moment, then replied, “The food was excellent.”
Li Fu was speechless for a moment. That wasn’t what he meant. After a few more questions, when he learned that Li Hao had been accepted into the A Courtyard, both he and Qingzhi beamed with joy.
...
The “Yuexian Gate” admission trials at Tangong Academy had concluded.
Many young hopefuls who hadn’t arrived in time could only look up at the Ascension Staircase with deep sighs. Some tried to use their connections to gain a last-minute entry, but the reply was that all spots were filled.
A total of 825 candidates had been accepted.
Some questioned why more students couldn’t be admitted, saying they were even willing to pay a sky-high tuition. But the only response was—
“There are only 825 seats available.”
Thus, many young aristocrats left, sighing in disappointment. The grand event that had drawn prodigies from across Qingzhou began to settle down.
Yet, at the summit, with the formal start of the semester, life grew lively again.
There were four courtyards: A, B, C, and D.
The A Courtyard held only fifty seats.
The B Courtyard had two hundred seats.
As for C and D Courtyards... they were lesser in prestige.
Besides the new students, each courtyard also held a few older students who had stayed on.
At the A Courtyard, Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao sat together in the second row, with other new students filling in around them.
In front of them, Shen Yunqing, accompanied by two older students from A Courtyard, arrived with stacks of academy robes. The uniforms were distributed one by one, establishing a sense of unity in attire.
The scene brought back memories for Li Hao, reminding him of his school days in his past life. He looked around at the young faces, his age and younger, and couldn’t help but smile, feeling a sense of nostalgia.
When the distribution of uniforms was complete, Shen Yunqing laid out some basic academy rules: no private fights, respect for the honored ancestors, and more.
After Shen Yunqing finished, a slender woman entered. With a willowy waist and graceful poise, she appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six. Her dark hair cascaded like ink, and her delicate features held a serene elegance, much like the moon shining over snow-capped peaks.
She introduced herself as Su Yehua, the Dean of A Courtyard and their primary instructor.
The recently departed Shen Yunqing, it turned out, would be their instructor for Movement Techniques.
This first lesson was to be taught by Su Yehua.
Li Hao noticed that as soon as Su Yehua arrived, the courtyard, previously filled with murmurs and idle chatter, fell silent. The young students who had been speaking casually moments before were now sitting upright, their postures disciplined.
“Martial arts encompasses eight realms,” Su Yehua began, her willow-leaf eyebrows exuding a clear, noble air. Yet, there was a gentle smile at her lips.
“The first four realms are Tongli, Zhoutian, Soul Fusion, and Spiritual Wandering.”
“The last four realms are the Fifteen Li, Heavenly, Three Immortals, and Fourth Pillar.”