Chapter 85: Reunion of Father and Daughter
“Fifteen-li Realm?!”
Li Wushuang’s pupils contracted in shock, utterly horrified, her mind buzzing in confusion.
Her entire body was immobilized, bound by an invisible force so strong that she couldn’t even turn over.
This was pure suppression of realms.
Furious, she shouted, “Bastard, let me go!”
“Your younger brother once said the same thing.”
Yesterday, Li Wushuang’s anger had boiled over, unaware that Li Hao wasn’t one to tolerate insolence. Hearing her continued rudeness, he mercilessly slapped her over a dozen times.
If it weren’t for the object manipulation force holding her up, each slap would have been enough to split the ground.
Of course, for Li Wushuang at the Spiritual Wandering Realm, it was bearable—but painful enough that she clenched her lips tightly, her eyes reddening.
“L-let me go!”
She struggled, attempting to cast her soul out to break free of Li Hao’s grasp. But he immediately forced her soul back into her body, securing her entirely.
“Still refusing to yield?”
“You’re a monster!”
Li Hao responded with another series of slaps.
Suddenly, soft sobs sounded beneath his hand.
Li Hao hesitated, looking down. The once proud “Celestial Daughter” who had returned home now had eyes brimming with tears, her cheeks wet with pearly droplets—she was crying from the beating.
Her previous cold elegance was nowhere to be seen; she looked more like a dignified fairy who had stumbled into the mortal world.
Li Hao paused, lowering his hand. He asked coolly, “Ready to submit?”
Lying face down on the horse’s back, Li Wushuang bit her lip stubbornly, refusing to speak, though a few more tears fell.
Li Hao was unmoved by this act and sneered, “Cousin, if you still don’t submit, do you believe I won’t strip you, seal your powers, and hang you on that tree branch?”
“!!”
Li Wushuang lifted her head sharply, staring at him in shock.
Did he really just say that?
I’m your cousin!
Next to them, Li Yuanzhao froze, his eyes faintly brightening.
Li Hao, of course, had no inappropriate intentions toward Li Wushuang—it was just a threat. With a cold smirk, he said, “I’ll count to three!”
“You—you wouldn’t dare!” Li Wushuang’s face turned pale, a mix of anger, urgency, and a tinge of fear.
“Two!”
“You…”
“One!”
“I-I yield!” Li Wushuang said hastily. She wasn’t familiar with this cousin of hers and truly couldn’t predict what he would do, which filled her with some trepidation.
Li Hao had anticipated this. With a mocking smile, he thought to himself: No matter how gifted one might be, in the end, she was still just a sixteen-year-old girl. This method was simple but effective.
With a casual flick, he tossed her away.
No longer bound by his object manipulation force, Li Wushuang felt her body regain movement. She gracefully landed and quickly wiped the tears from her face mid-air. The moment she touched down, she turned to glare resentfully at Li Hao.
“Cousin, you’d best not think about tattling.”
Li Hao, seated high on his Crimson Blood Horse, looked down at her indifferently. “And don’t come provoking me again. If you try your nonsense again, I’ll do exactly as I said.”
Li Wushuang gritted her teeth. Even when she’d joined Qianji Sect as a disciple, she had never suffered such a humiliation, nor had she ever taken such a harsh loss.
But the thought that this younger cousin—two years her junior—had already reached the Fifteen-li Realm? A realm above her own. How was that even possible?
Didn’t her brother say he’d once been a martial waste, only able to cultivate freely around age eight or nine?
From then until now, it’s only been a few years!
Li Wushuang’s mind was a whirl of disbelief. Today’s events were as unbelievable as seeing a ghost.
“Cousin, Brother Hao is right. It was Li Yun who deliberately provoked Brother Hao in the first place. You’re completely in the wrong, and you’re not even a match for him.”
Li Yuanzhao, standing off to the side, offered a word of advice. Seeing that Li Wushuang was slightly hunched over and unable to stand straight, he felt a bit sympathetic.
After all, until yesterday, he had looked forward to seeing this cousin. From a young age, he had heard stories of her apprenticeship under a renowned master and admired her greatly.
Li Wushuang glared at the chubby young man. “Stop rubbing salt in the wound!”
Li Yuanzhao was dumbfounded. He was sincerely trying to help—how did he end up “rubbing salt”?
However, seeing that she was clearly in a bad mood, he decided not to press his luck further.
“So you’ve been hiding your strength all along. Was Second Grandfather personally training you?”
Li Wushuang shot Li Hao an angry look, her face flushed with shame and frustration. Their blood relation kept her from having any untoward thoughts—her humiliation was solely from being beaten.
“None of your business,” Li Hao snorted. “If it had been someone else, your recklessness would have gotten you killed long ago.”
Li Wushuang gritted her teeth, feeling fury rising. Her reason for returning was to lay claim to the True Dragon Position.
She had even conspired with her aunt during yesterday’s family feast. Among their generation, only she and Li Qianfeng were the most likely contenders.
She had already resolved to follow in an ancestor’s footsteps, remain unmarried for life, and take command of the Li family.
Yet, here she was, just a day later, thoroughly beaten by Li Hao.
“Stop pestering me; I don’t have time for you.”
With a dismissive glance, Li Hao tugged on the reins. His Crimson Blood Horse trotted past her without sparing a second glance.
“You!”
Li Wushuang trembled with rage, tempted to retaliate, but she held back. She still had numerous skills, secret techniques from Qianji Sect—but the disparity between the Spiritual Wandering Realm and the Fifteen-li Realm was simply too vast.
With just object manipulation alone, he could completely immobilize her, rendering all her techniques useless.
Unless she too reached the Fifteen-li Realm, she’d have no chance of a fair fight against him.
Watching the two figures on horseback ride away, Li Wushuang felt a blaze of anger within her. But suddenly, she remembered something.
He was only fourteen but already at the Fifteen-li Realm.
This… it seemed he had broken Uncle Jiu’s record!
Her pupils shrank slightly, a thunderous realization striking her mind.
...
That once-invincible figure she had revered since childhood—had he… been surpassed?
Not long after this shocking realization, the stinging pain on her backside brought her back to her senses. She pressed a hand lightly against it, noticing a faint trace of blood seeping through her dress.
Biting her lip softly, she felt an odd sense of grievance welling up, her eyes reddening again.
...
“Brother Hao, don’t you think you went a bit overboard just now?”
Some distance away, Li Yuanzhao asked Li Hao with a hint of concern.
Though his eyes were small, he had caught a glimpse of a faint red mark as they passed.
“It’s merely a minor flesh wound—she’ll be fine with some medicine in a couple of days.”
Li Hao replied calmly, “I hit her hard for her own good. Didn’t you see her demeanor at the family feast last night? Early fame isn’t always a blessing. When surrounded by sycophants, even a pig would start to believe its own greatness, oblivious to its flaws.”
“She may have learned skills from Qianji Sect, but she’s been flattered far too long. While she’s young, it’s best to correct this. If she stays this way, she’s bound to suffer a serious loss one day!”
Li Yuanzhao blinked, not having thought as far as Li Hao.
However, the more he considered it, the more he agreed with Li Hao’s point. He couldn’t help but feel a deeper admiration for him.
“Brother Hao, you speak and act like someone from my parents’ generation,” Li Yuanzhao said.
Li Hao shot him a glance. With a soul from two lifetimes, his mental age was indeed closer to that of his Fifth Uncle. Thus, his actions just now bore a hint of an elder’s guidance.
From beginning to end, he hadn’t seen his generation as his peers.
It wasn’t arrogance—it was simply his mindset.
...
At that moment, as Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao headed to Tangong Academy, the Divine General Mansion suddenly bustled with activity.
Li Wushuang had just snuck back into the mansion, quietly changing into a fresh set of clothes, and rummaging through her room for the bone-strengthening medicine she used when she began training around age six or seven.
Each step deepened her resentment toward Li Hao, though thoughts of his cultivation also stirred conflicting feelings.
She was beginning to realize, she might indeed have been in the wrong.
After applying the medicine and donning new clothes, she heard loud commotion outside. She immediately thought of Li Hao. Could it be that his cultivation level had been revealed to their parents?
But she hadn’t even had a chance to tell anyone yet.
Stepping out of her courtyard, she asked a servant about the disturbance and learned it wasn’t about Li Hao—but rather that Marquis Xingwu had returned.
...
The return of Marquis Xingwu had already shaken all of Qingzhou!
In Qingzhou, the Li family held unparalleled prestige as the recognized allies of the king. Their ancient lineage and unyielding spirit were renowned throughout Qingzhou City. Statues of the Li family stood everywhere, and four ancestral temples had been built in their honor.
While other cities might not feel the Li family’s legacy as deeply, in Qingzhou, it was deeply embedded in the hearts of the people. Everyone knew the Li family’s hardships and greatness.
Six of nine brothers had perished in battle—a tragedy that mere words could not capture.
This time, Marquis Xingwu had returned after fourteen years of war in Yenbei, slaying countless demons. The list of his demon-slaying achievements alone filled three thick tomes.
When the triumphant procession reached the thirty-li official road outside Qingzhou City, news was quickly relayed back to the city and the Li family.
The people of the entire city were ecstatic upon hearing the news. Many spontaneously gathered to welcome him.
Some merchants at the morning market hurriedly closed their stalls, while others handed their businesses over to family members and carried food and drinks to greet the famous demon-slaying general.
As the thirty-li road filled with people, more and more locals arrived.
Others who had heard the news incorrectly rushed to the wrong city gate.
At the east gate, a dense crowd stood on both sides of the official road, gazing into the distance.
Soon, as a battle flag fluttered in the wind at the far end of the road lined with cypress trees, waves of cheers erupted from the gathered crowd.
“Marquis Xingwu returns victorious!”
“Long live the Divine General Mansion!”
“Marquis Xingwu returns victorious!”
“Long live the Divine General Mansion!”
The enthusiastic chants rose and fell like waves, showcasing the Li family’s immense prestige. The sight left passing travelers, adventurers, and merchants from other cities in awe.
After inquiries, they learned the cause of this fervor and came to understand that during the past fourteen years of peace, fierce battles had raged in Yenbei.
Marquis Xingwu’s triumphal procession was modest, consisting of the elite personal guards from the Fa Camp he had led into battle years ago.
However, the five-hundred-strong force that had once marched forth was now reduced to fewer than a hundred soldiers.
Some were missing limbs, while others had bandages wrapped around their heads. This was a company of wounded veterans.
And yet, the battle flag they carried still flew proudly, exuding unparalleled might and resilience.
The sight of these battered warriors brought tears to the eyes of some onlookers, who stepped forward to offer them eggs from their baskets or cured meats they had brought along.
The Li family’s deep bond with the people of Qingzhou fostered a mutual trust that eliminated fear, creating an extraordinary scene of unity.
This left outsiders speechless.
While they had seen victorious armies before, such soldiers were usually so imposing that commoners could only observe from afar, intimidated by their deadly aura.
The Li family, however, shared a bond with the people akin to that of fish and water, living in harmonious coexistence.
...
Meanwhile, Li Hao had just arrived at Tangong Academy when he received word of his father’s return.
Shen Yunqing, panting as he rushed to find Li Hao, exclaimed, “Why are you still here? Your father, Marquis Xingwu, has returned victorious!”
Shen Yunqing’s voice carried a trace of excitement, understandable given the influence of the Li family in Qingzhou.
Li Hao froze in place.
His father… had returned?
Fleeting fragments of memory surfaced in his mind, though they were faint and scattered. Fourteen years was long enough for an infant to grow into a youth, long enough for memories to blur and fade.
He paused for a moment before quickly regaining his composure, nodding his thanks to Shen Yunqing before leaping into the air and flying swiftly out.
...
Shen Yunqing watched as Li Hao sped off, blinking in surprise before stroking his beard with a sigh.
“The Li family’s True Dragon of this generation… truly surpasses the last…”
Li Hao shot out of Tangong Academy, descending the mountain at great speed.
Kicking open the stable doors, he mounted the Crimson Blood Horse he had ridden earlier that morning and snapped the reins.
On the city streets, the sound of sharp hoofbeats rang out as the young man raced through, prompting pedestrians to step aside.
Upon recognizing the Crimson Blood Horse, those startled by his abrupt passage relaxed, some even offering smiles of understanding.
...
Finally, when Li Hao urged the Crimson Blood Horse to its fastest speed and reached the official road outside the city, he caught sight of the end of the road.
There, battle flags fluttered in the wind, and a majestic figure rode atop a Flood Dragon-Lion, moving steadily forward.
Li Hao pulled the reins sharply, causing his mount to rear with a piercing neigh before coming to a stop.
One Flood Dragon-Lion, one Crimson Blood Horse.
One father, one son.
At this moment, their gazes met.