Chapter 83: Revisiting the Past
After Li Xuanli arrived, he first greeted Madam He Jianlan with a slight bow.
He then proceeded to greet his other sisters-in-law one by one and exchanged pleasantries with his younger siblings before finally sitting down. With a smile, he said:
"Shuang'er, how is your cultivation at the Qianji Sect? I heard you've made it onto the Qian Kun Ranking. Well done."
Hearing her father's praise, Li Wushuang's expression remained calm. However, her younger brother Li Yun, sitting beside her, looked at her with shining eyes, his pride evident. Li Zhining, too, gazed at her eldest sister with sparkling eyes, as if she were already her role model.
"It's just the bottom of the list. If I could be like Uncle Jiu, who entered the Qian Kun Ranking and immediately claimed the top spot, that would be truly remarkable," she replied honestly, without any intention of boasting.
When Li Wushuang mentioned Uncle Jiu, Li Xuanli's expression shifted slightly, and the smile on his face faded.
That dazzling figure of a meteor from years ago, just as Emperor Yu lamented fourteen years ago, was a fallen light—a painful scar for the Li family.
Although the family had nine brothers, no sisters, their bond was exceptionally close and united.
Over time, however, as they married and started their own families, their interactions gradually grew distant.
In the past, they had all trained in martial arts, dined, laughed, and dodged their father's punishments together in the same courtyard...
Time flies.
Even the summer evening sounds of frogs croaking in the courtyard, once etched in memory, had long faded...
...
Sensing the atmosphere growing a bit solemn, Li Wushuang realized she shouldn't have brought up the Li family's painful memory. Her delicate face reflected a hint of guilt, and she fell silent.
Li Xuanli, lost in his melancholy thoughts, noticed his daughter's silence. Aware that his emotions had affected her, he smiled lightly and spoke with a carefree tone:
"You want to compare yourself to your Uncle Jiu? You're still too young. Your Uncle Jiu reached the Heaven and Man Grandmaster Realm at seventeen and fought his way to the peak. Outside Qingzhou City, he held a contest at Fengxian Terrace, challenging the geniuses of the world. In the end, no one dared to respond!"
As he reminisced about his youth, Li Xuanli's face showed a trace of nostalgia for the spirited days of his past.
Back then, they had their father, their eldest brother, and the entire world to explore freely and unrestrained.
They drank, rode horses, and traversed the nineteen provinces of the Great Yu Dynasty.
But as the "heavens above them" collapsed, their father perished in the River of Death, and his soul remained bound, unable to return to the Li family ancestral hall or reincarnate.
Their carefree days of wandering ended, replaced by rigorous training and the heavy burden of guarding the borders, battling demons, and defending the family.
The wives present, hearing Li Xuanli's words, also looked wistful. Those days marked the early years of their marriage into the Li family—the most innocent and carefree time, filled with beautiful memories with their husbands.
Li Wushuang's eyes gleamed with longing. Her father's few words sketched a towering and invincible figure in her heart—her Uncle Jiu, the one she had heard about since childhood and took the most pride in.
Challenging the world... Such unparalleled dominance. How many in the world could achieve it?
Li Hao, however, sighed inwardly. Such a prodigy—gone too soon. What a pity.
"The dishes are getting cold; let's eat first," He Jianlan said, her voice calm and rational, bringing everyone back from their reverie.
The group exchanged smiles, then began to eat.
"Hmm, these dishes are quite good."
As they ate, the conversation shifted to other topics, steering clear of bittersweet memories. In this regard, everyone seemed to share an unspoken agreement.
Li Xuanli tasted a few dishes and praised, "Shuang'er, since you're rarely home, you should try this Bamboo-Fragrance Ink Dragon Liver. It's just like it was over ten years ago. The taste hasn't changed at all, and I haven't had it in years."
"Oh?"
Li Wushuang, who had maintained a cool demeanor, revealed a hint of curiosity, her expression softening into a slightly girlish look as she picked up her chopsticks to taste the dish.
"Mm, it really is good," Li Wushuang said with a smile.
Li Xuanli turned to his sister-in-law and said with a smile, "Eldest Sister-in-law, you've been thoughtful. This Bamboo-Fragrance Ink Dragon Liver from Cuihu Garden is a delicacy unique to Qingzhou. It's been so long since I've eaten it that I'd almost forgotten."
He Jianlan smiled faintly, glancing at Li Hao, who was eating quietly. She said, "I didn't prepare it. Hao'er and Yuan Zhao bought it together. They said since Shuang'er has been away for years, she probably hasn't tasted Qingzhou's specialties, so they went out of their way to get it."
Li Xuanli paused and looked at Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao. "You two bought this?"
Li Hao glanced at him briefly. He respected his Fifth Uncle, who had fought bravely on the battlefield, and nodded slightly.
Li Yuanzhao, sitting beside him, laughed. "Fifth Uncle, Hao-ge knows the best food. The dishes you just praised were all picked by Hao-ge, and there are a few more to come later."
"Oh?"
Li Xuanli was surprised. He clearly remembered Li Hao—the only son of his Seventh Brother and Qingqing—who had attended his hundred-day banquet.
Later, he heard the boy had been born with a Martial Waste Body. However, it seemed the boy's meridians were somehow unblocked, whether by the Second Master’s methods or otherwise, allowing him to begin cultivation again.
Unfortunately, he had missed the foundational stage of training, as well as blood refinement. His aptitude would inevitably fall short of others, and his delayed start wasted valuable time.
Thinking of this, a sense of pity arose in his heart. He softened his gaze toward Li Hao and said:
"Hao'er, you're considerate. I heard your father will be returning soon. The battle in Yanbei has concluded, and the reports have been submitted to the court. You’ll likely see him very soon."
He then turned to his daughter and said, "Shuang'er, thank Hao'er properly. His thoughtfulness is as valuable as any gift."
Li Hao was slightly moved upon hearing this. His Fifth Uncle, who had arrived last, had evidently been observing them with his divine sense.
This thoughtful gesture made Li Hao develop a good impression of him. Clearly, his Fifth Uncle was a reasonable man.
Out of respect, Li Hao decided not to dwell on the earlier incident. Acting nonchalant, he refrained from sparing Li Wushuang a second glance, knowing it would likely embarrass her.
Across from him, Li Wushuang’s face stiffened as she heard her father's words. She looked down at the half-eaten Dragon Liver on her plate, suddenly finding it unpalatable.
Glancing at Li Hao, she saw that he was calmly eating and not expecting her gratitude.
To her, his attitude seemed dismissive and even arrogant.
Her face turned cold as she placed the remaining Dragon Liver on the table and reached for another dish. "Father, I've already thanked him. Besides, I don't particularly like this Dragon Liver—too greasy."
Li Xuanli froze, his expression darkening as he put down his chopsticks. Fixing her with a stern gaze, he said, "Shuang'er, have I not taught you to be honest and straightforward? You’ve only just returned home. Do you hold a grudge against Hao'er because of the pill he gave you earlier?"
He made no effort to hide that he had already observed what transpired earlier.
As Li Xuanli's anger flared, the others at the table put down their chopsticks, the atmosphere turning tense. Gao Qingqing, knowing her husband's temperament, also found her daughter's reaction uncharacteristic.
However, the situation was delicate. If she now asked her daughter to apologize in front of everyone, it could hurt the girl’s pride.
He Jianlan, sensing the tension, spoke gently, "Xuanli, Shuang’er just returned. Don’t be so harsh. Shuang’er, do you have any specific grievances against Hao’er?"
Li Wushuang had not expected her father to reprimand her publicly. A surge of indignation rose in her heart. After being away from home for so long, their reunion had barely begun, yet her father was chastising her for the sake of an outsider.
Biting her lip, she glared at Li Hao and retorted, "You should ask him! While I was away, he bullied my younger brother. Father, you’ve been recovering at Chanxiu Mountain, so you wouldn’t know."
"Oh?" Li Xuanli raised an eyebrow. "Hao’er bullied you?"
Li Yun’s expression shifted, his face suddenly nervous.
When his eldest sister had just returned, the three siblings naturally had much to catch up on. During their conversation, Li Wushuang had asked with a smile, "Has anyone bullied you over the years?"
Without thinking, Li Yun had mentioned that he was once beaten by Li Hao as a child. While he had felt too embarrassed to bring this up with his mother, sharing it with his elder sister gave him a sense of having found a protector.
He had considered dealing with Li Hao himself but felt a strange sense of apprehension whenever he saw him.
For Li Wushuang, however, the name "Li Hao" had stuck in her mind as someone who needed to be “handled.”
Now, Li Hao sighed inwardly as the truth dawned on him. Glancing at Li Yun, whose face was flushed with nervousness, he realized the boy still held a grudge after all these years. It seemed that, if anything, he had gone too easy on him back then.
"When was this, Yun’er?" Gao Qingqing quickly asked, her tone slightly anxious.
Blushing, Li Yun lowered his head slightly. "It was several years ago."
"How many years ago, exactly?"
"Five or six years..."
The room fell silent as everyone processed the timeline. Five or six years ago?
At the time, both Li Hao and Li Yun would have been just eight or nine years old. This was nothing more than children squabbling. How could that be considered bullying?
Furthermore, Li Hao had been born with a Martial Waste Body, his meridians unblocked only later. Back then, he hadn’t even started cultivating, while Li Yun had already been training at the martial grounds for a few years.
Wait... That didn’t add up. How had Li Yun managed to get “bullied” under those circumstances?
The realization brought amused, curious glances toward Li Hao and Li Yun.
Gao Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn’t the serious kind of bullying she had feared. More likely, it had been a childhood quarrel, no worse than the sparring matches on the training grounds.
"You’re still hung up on something so trivial?" Gao Qingqing scolded her son, her tone exasperated. "How could you bring this up to your sister? It’s just embarrassing."
The other women chuckled, and Liu Yurong teased with a smile, "Yun’er, five or six years ago, your Hao-ge hadn’t even started cultivating. Who was bullying whom, really?"
Though spoken in jest, Li Hao detected a subtle undercurrent in her words, perhaps probing for something. Or perhaps he was just overthinking it.
Li Yun’s face flushed deeper. He felt embarrassed but couldn’t deny the truth. Despite his martial training back then, he hadn’t been able to beat Li Hao, whose physical strength had far exceeded his own.
"I was caught off guard," he muttered. "He ambushed me and was stronger."
The table burst into laughter. It was clear to everyone that the “bullying” had been little more than roughhousing between children.
"Humph, wasn’t it because you couldn’t stop thinking about Hao-ge’s fiancée?" Li Yuanzhao chimed in with a playful snort.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he felt his mother’s sharp gaze warning him: Shut up.
Li Xuanli finally understood. Shaking his head with a hint of exasperation, he turned to Li Yun. "Useless. This was such a minor incident, and yet you ran crying to your sister? A man should face his grievances directly. If you’re dissatisfied, go to the martial grounds and challenge Hao’er yourself. What’s the point of whining here?"
His stern rebuke left Li Yun even more mortified.
Gao Qingqing shot her husband a glare for scolding their son so harshly. She quickly turned to Li Hao, changing the subject.
"Hao’er, speaking of which, when will your fiancée return? I hear she’s now apprenticed to a Sword Saint. When she comes back, she should spar with Shuang’er."