Chapter 80: The Visiting Lecturer
Jiang Hanxing quickly finished reciting his poem and looked at Li Hao with a self-satisfied expression. “Young Master Li, how do you think my poem is?”
“Very poetic,” Li Hao replied dismissively, suppressing a chuckle.
Jiang Hanxing laughed. “Young Master Li’s poem may not perfectly match the scenery here, but it’s still quite good.”
Seriously? You’re praising yourself now? Li Hao shot him a glance. The Poem Immortal’s verses in your hands are just ‘quite good’? You’ve got some nerve.
“How about another round?” Jiang Hanxing suggested.
As a self-proclaimed plagiarist extraordinaire, Li Hao wouldn’t stand for any slander against true poetry. He immediately prepared to show him something truly eye-opening.
“Oh?” Jiang Hanxing’s expression shifted slightly, betraying a hint of nervousness. “Another? What should the theme be this time?”
“You pick,” Li Hao said.
“How about… waterfalls?”
“Waterfalls?” Li Hao laughed. You’ve really gone and chosen the perfect setup for me.
“Alright.” Without hesitation, Li Hao picked up his brush, then looked up and began reciting with ease the Poem Immortal’s ‘Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu’.
When Li Hao reached the lines, “The torrent plunges down three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way fell from the heavens,” Jiang Hanxing was completely stunned. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he stood rooted to the spot.
The previous poem had barely left an impression on him, but this one hit the mark perfectly. He could practically see the image of a waterfall cascading with unstoppable force. “The Milky Way fell from the heavens”—how majestic and poetic!
Seeing Jiang Hanxing awestruck, Li Hao smirked faintly. There were plenty of ancient poems about waterfalls, but he had decided to let the Poem Immortal’s words prove their worth.
Initially, Jiang Hanxing wanted to try again, but he suddenly felt deflated. This poem seemed to have encapsulated the essence of waterfalls perfectly. Even if it wasn’t something Li Hao composed on the spot but rather an old favorite pulled from his repertoire, it was still a testament to his literary talent.
Improvising poetry was just talk, after all—they were martial artists, not the great scholars of the Hanlin Academy who spent their days chasing beauty in words.
“Young Master Li, I concede,” Jiang Hanxing said with a respectful bow.
“As long as you’re convinced,” Li Hao replied casually. Then, he picked up his brush and began painting.
“You’re from the Divine General Mansion, yet you’ve mastered both poetry and painting so well. Don’t the elders in your mansion try to stop you?” Jiang Hanxing asked curiously.
“Of course, they do,” Li Hao replied.
“Then how—?”
“They just didn’t succeed,” Li Hao said matter-of-factly.
“...” Jiang Hanxing was speechless for a moment before breaking into laughter. He felt he had encountered a truly unique individual.
This was the first conversation between Jiang Hanxing and Li Hao. Many years later, he would still remember it vividly.
Li Hao, meanwhile, paid Jiang Hanxing no further mind and continued painting. Jiang Hanxing, seeing how focused he was, left quietly without disturbing him.
...
...
The next day.
Before Li Hao could head to the cold pool to paint the Water Qilin, Shen Yunqing summoned him to the Tangong Academy.
Hearing Song Yufeng’s two conditions, Li Hao was momentarily surprised but didn’t hesitate long. He chose to become a visiting lecturer.
Staying for a year? That was far too long.
However, he had one condition of his own: Song Yufeng, along with all the elders of Tangong, would have to cooperate with him on one matter.
That was to pose as models for his paintings.
In modern terms, they were to be his art subjects.
Song Yufeng was somewhat taken aback by Li Hao’s unusual request, but since it was a trivial matter, he readily agreed, assuming it was just one of this Li family prodigy’s eccentricities.
As a visiting lecturer, Li Hao would be required to teach three classes each year. If he failed to teach any in a given year, they would roll over to the next, accumulating.
The term of a visiting lecturer was ten years.
That amounted to thirty classes—a relatively light obligation.
As if anticipating Li Hao’s decision, Song Yufeng also informed him that the students he would teach wouldn’t be from the White Hall but rather the Black and White Hall.
Li Hao didn’t particularly care. Whether anyone listened to his lessons or who attended them was irrelevant to him.
Seeing Li Hao readily agree, Song Yufeng smiled faintly. Both the elder and the young man got what they wanted, and the collaboration was smooth.
Leaving Tangong, Li Hao was on his way to the cold pool when Li Yuanzhao appeared.
“Hao-ge, Wushuang-jie has returned,” Li Yuanzhao said. “Auntie said there’s going to be a family banquet tonight to welcome her back, so we should head back early.”
“Huh?” Li Hao was momentarily caught off guard. After a moment of thought, a lively image of a little girl appeared in his mind.
Years ago, Fifth Aunt had tearfully watched as that little girl left, following an elderly, white-haired master.
Now, had she truly returned, having completed her studies?
The thought brought to mind the little tagalong he had left behind nine thousand miles away in the Sword Abode of the southern frontier.
Shaking his head, Li Hao replied to Li Yuanzhao, “It’s still early. I’ll go take care of a few things first and arrive just in time.”
As for that little girl, Li Hao didn’t feel much about her return. Besides, the deliberate distance Li Yun and his sister had kept from him over the years had reduced the interactions between him and Fifth Aunt as well.
“Uh, should we prepare a gift?” Li Yuanzhao asked.
His impression of Wushuang-jie was faint, but he had heard much about her over the years—how she was the star of their generation.
Of course, she still couldn’t compare to the present-day Li Hao.
“That’s true.”
After all, she was a cousin he hadn’t seen in years. It was only proper to prepare a small gift. Li Hao thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know what she likes, but food is always a safe choice. Go to Hongxiang Tower and buy a crispy roast goose, then to Cuihu Courtyard for some bamboo-smoked dragon liver… Make sure they’re fresh and hot, and deliver them to the banquet tonight.”
Li Hao listed off seven or eight of Qingzhou City’s famous delicacies, all of which he had personally enjoyed.
Li Yuanzhao was startled. “That’s it? But these don’t cost much—they’re only a few silver coins in total.”
“Our family isn’t short on money. The thought counts more than the price. Besides, she probably hasn’t tasted these while wandering outside. As for other gifts, she shouldn’t lack anything,” Li Hao explained.
Li Yuanzhao thought about it and agreed.
Wushuang-jie had studied under a master from the Qianji Sect. She wouldn’t lack for cultivation methods, weapons, or mundane riches.
“Alright, I’ll do as you say, Hao-ge,” Li Yuanzhao agreed.
After he left, Li Hao gathered his painting supplies and headed to the cold pool.
He set up his easel and reached into the water to stir it with his hand. As expected, a shadow surged upward, sending ripples and splashes everywhere.
Quickly retreating to his easel, Li Hao called out, “Senior Qiulin, please stay just like that.”
The Water Qilin, Song Qiumo, appeared in her original form—a majestic and awe-inspiring sight. She had initially planned to shift into her humanoid form but stopped when she heard Li Hao’s request. Instead, she froze the surrounding water mid-splash, creating a perfectly still tableau.
Li Hao picked up his brush and began painting rapidly. Before long, a stunning depiction of the Water Qilin emerging from the water was completed.
“All done,” he announced.
At his words, Song Qiumo withdrew the frozen water back into the pool. Then, stepping forward gracefully, her form shimmered and transformed into her humanoid shape. Barefoot, with her snow-white feet lightly touching the ground, she approached the painting.
“Not bad,” she remarked, her eyes sparkling with delight as she admired the artwork.
She hadn’t realized her emergence from the water could look so elegant. Glancing at Li Hao, she smiled playfully. “What do you think of my outfit today?”
Li Hao looked up to see her wearing the same water-blue dress as yesterday, but this time accessorized with silver bracelets and anklets that glimmered with crystalline brilliance.
Why do women always love shiny things? Li Hao chuckled to himself and said, “You look beautiful.”
Rolling her eyes at him, Song Qiumo retorted, “Then start painting.”
“Alright.” Li Hao began to work in earnest again.
With the added embellishments, Song Qiumo’s ethereal beauty seemed even more radiant today. By the time he finished the painting, he realized that the experience points gained from it had increased by over a hundred compared to usual. Evidently, these accessories weren’t ordinary items.
“Not bad,” Song Qiumo said again, her satisfaction evident in her glowing expression.
Li Hao smiled and asked her to try a different pose. Over the next few hours, he painted several more portraits, alternating between her humanoid and original forms. In total, he completed over a dozen paintings.
The rewards were substantial. He gained over four thousand experience points today alone, bringing his total from painting Song Qiumo to nearly twenty thousand points.
Li Hao had suspected this from the beginning—painting Song Qiumo yielded far more experience than painting others, such as Second Uncle or Wind Uncle. It wasn’t necessarily due to a disparity in cultivation levels but rather the fact that Song Qiumo didn’t suppress her aura. Her unrestrained, majestic presence infused his paintings with an overwhelming sense of power.
I’ll have to revisit Second Uncle and the others later and ask them to unleash their full strength for my art, Li Hao thought. However, coaxing Second Uncle would require preparing his favorite dish: stewed chicken with wild mushrooms.
“That’s enough for today,” Li Hao said, glancing at the sky as it began to darken.
Song Qiumo, holding the finished paintings, was beaming with joy. “If you ever need anything, feel free to ask me for help. As long as it’s within the bounds of Tangong, I’ll assist you.”
“Senior Qiumo, are you bound here?” Li Hao asked curiously.
Song Qiumo shook her head slightly but didn’t elaborate. “Until next time.”
With that, she gracefully dove back into the pool in a flawless motion, disappearing beneath the surface.
Li Hao packed up his easel and supplies, preparing to return to his residence.
...
As Li Hao descended the mountain and passed by the White Hall courtyard, he noticed that Li Yun and his sister were nowhere to be seen. However, the other disciples of the White Hall were still training. When they spotted Li Hao, someone gasped in surprise.
Soon, the rest turned to look, their gazes fixed on him with awe. Li Hao smiled and waved casually in greeting before hastily slipping away to avoid being bombarded with questions.
...
At the foot of the mountain, Li Hao mounted his horse and rode back to his family estate. As he approached the gates, he noticed an air of festivity within. The guards at the entrance greeted him with smiles and bowed respectfully.
When he returned to the Shanhe Courtyard, Zhao Bo informed him that news had arrived from Fu Bo in Cangyu City—his injuries were nearly healed, and he would start his journey home tomorrow.
Zhao Bo also handed Li Hao a gift box, saying, “Young Master, Miss Li Wushuang from Piaoxue Academy has returned to the estate today. The First Madam has arranged a family banquet in her honor and requested your presence. This gift is something I took the liberty of preparing. Please bring it to the banquet later.”