Volume 2 - Chapter 19: Introduction
"Ah, the exuberance of youth."
"The world chases fame and fortune, but we two remain so refined."
Two young temple attendants chuckled softly as they conversed.
Li Hao, who had walked away earlier, overheard their words and turned back. He grabbed a handful of white chess pieces from a nearby box and casually placed five on the board before letting out a quiet hum and striding off again.
"You insolent boy, you..."
The young attendant playing the white pieces was enraged and about to shout, but the boy had already gone far. Frustrated, he turned his gaze back to the board, ready to clean up the mess. However, he noticed his companion staring blankly at the chessboard.
Curious, he looked down and saw that the predicament he'd been trapped in earlier had been entirely reversed. The placement of those five pieces had opened a whole new realm of opportunity for him.
The key was that even one less piece would have left the configuration meaningless, making the change undetectable.
"This..."
...
After wandering around the area for a while, Li Hao felt a twinge of boredom. Seeing that Ren Qianqian’s soul fusion ritual was still ongoing, he approached an elderly temple attendant and requested that he relay a message to the young girl inside, asking her to wait for him there after finishing and not to wander off.
Handing over two silver coins, Li Hao received a wide grin and an enthusiastic agreement.
With a light swing of his empty sleeves, Li Hao leisurely left the Martial Temple and strolled into the bustling city. He made his way to a lively tavern, intent on gathering information about the renowned Grandmaster Bai Chunhai.
The tavern was packed, lively with chatter. Near the spiral staircase at its center hung a candle with a flickering flame. Suspended half a meter below the candle was a beautifully crafted dagger adorned with amber gemstones.
Downstairs, a crowd cheered enthusiastically.
After a brief glance, Li Hao realized the tavern was holding a competition. If someone could retrieve the dagger without causing the candle flame to waver, it would be theirs to keep.
Judging by the gemstones alone, the dagger was worth a fortune, which explained the crowd's excitement.
Li Hao had no interest in the dagger. He ascended a different staircase, found a seat near the balcony, and sat down.
Scanning the area, he tuned out the surrounding noise, focusing on filtering and discerning the various murmurs around him.
Thanks to his sharp hearing, he picked up not only conversations within the tavern but also discussions from nearby teahouses and pedestrians on the street.
Even whispers, intended to be secretive, reached his ears with crystal clarity.
From the table behind him and another downstairs, a few women giggled quietly: "That boy by the railing is so handsome..."
Li Hao’s mood immediately lifted.
Suddenly, his ears caught the name "Bai Chunhai" coming from a table near the window. Curious, he turned his attention toward it. There sat three figures—two women and one man—engaged in hushed conversation:
"Master has arranged a duel with Grandmaster Bai Chunhai. After the Grandmaster Assembly concludes, they'll head to Heavenly Sword Peak to spar."
"I heard Bai Chunhai’s palm techniques are extraordinary—capable of shattering a tree without disturbing the snow on its branches. I wonder if it’s true."
"Probably just his disciples bragging..."
Li Hao’s eyes lit up. Rising from his seat, he approached their table and interrupted politely:
"Excuse me, do you know Grandmaster Bai Chunhai?"
The trio froze, their expressions changing as they realized someone had overheard their conversation.
"Are you his disciple?"
They glanced at Li Hao warily, relaxing slightly when they noticed his youthful appearance.
If it came to blows over their gossiping, the boy’s age suggested he wouldn’t pose much of a threat.
"No, I just wish to meet him," Li Hao replied with a shake of his head.
The trio exchanged glances, visibly easing up.
"Are you here to seek him as your master?"
The girl in the simple white dress, with a gentle and elegant demeanor, asked softly.
Li Hao gave her a curious look before realizing that the Grandmaster Assembly attracted not only masters but also numerous young martial artists hoping to apprentice themselves to one.
Many were heirs of declining or newly established families who had traveled far and wide to seek tutelage.
After all, with so many grandmasters present, it was bound to be a fruitful endeavor for the lucky ones.
Li Hao smiled but didn’t explain further. "Do you know where he is?" he asked.
"And if we do, why should we tell you?"
The girl in the orange dress, whose features were delicate but whose demeanor was sharp, glared at Li Hao. Clearly, she was displeased that he had eavesdropped on their conversation.
The young man in the middle didn’t intervene, simply saying with a faint smile:
"If you’re seeking a master, wait outside the Grandmaster Assembly. You’ll meet him there eventually."
The girl in white glanced at her companions, noticed their hostility toward Li Hao, and said nothing more, simply casting him a look of mild apology.
Unperturbed, Li Hao took out a half-filled pouch of silver coins. "I’d appreciate it if you could lead me there."
"Who cares about your petty silver?"
The girl in orange snorted disdainfully. Glancing at the dagger hanging by the candle, she pointed at it with a mischievous smile.
"If you’re serious, retrieve that dagger for me, and I’ll tell you."
The young man sighed inwardly, recognizing his junior’s attempt to make things difficult for Li Hao.
He had tried to retrieve the dagger himself earlier and failed.
"Zhou Ling," the girl in white whispered gently, cautioning her. Then she turned to Li Hao with an apologetic smile. "I’m sorry, but we can’t disclose Grandmaster Bai Chunhai’s whereabouts lightly. If word got out and we were blamed..."
"The dagger, is it? That’s easy enough."
Li Hao chuckled, swiftly pocketing his silver pouch to avoid wasting money.
Though the dagger was undoubtedly worth far more, Li Hao saw money and treasures as tools for convenience. So long as they served their purpose, that was enough.
With his current strength, earning money was a trivial matter. Slaying a few demons would bring him substantial wealth—enough to live a carefree, opulent life.
As Li Hao turned and headed downstairs, the trio looked at each other, momentarily stunned. Zhou Ling snapped out of it and muttered, "Is he an idiot? Does he really think he can do it?"
"He probably doesn’t know the rules and thinks it’s just about jumping three meters high," the young man scoffed with a faint smile.
Nonetheless, they rose and moved to the balcony, peering down with interest.
...
Downstairs, Li Hao joined the crowd of eager challengers.
To participate, one had to first purchase a "Gold and Jade Banquet" meal set, which served as an entry ticket.
This familiar gimmick brought a nostalgic smile to Li Hao’s face.
Paying ten silver coins, he secured a meal set, though he had no intention of waiting for the food to arrive. Without delay, he stepped into the challenge area.
The moment he entered, the onlookers’ attention locked onto him. Seeing his youthful appearance, the crowd erupted into louder jeers, assuming he was some wealthy young master showing off for fun.
These rich scions were always easy targets for the tavern’s schemes.
A middle-aged man, likely the tavern's manager, eagerly explained the rules to Li Hao, expertly hyping up the challenge to the audience.
Unmoved by the growing commotion, Li Hao simply leaped into action. With a graceful bound, he ascended toward the dagger, his movements as light as a breeze.
Under the astonished gaze of the crowd, he plucked the dagger from the flame without causing the candle to waver.
The rules prohibited participants above the Tongli Realm or the use of external objects. The challenge tested pure martial arts skill.
Even those at the Spiritual Wandering Realm struggled to complete the task without disturbing the flame. Yet as Li Hao landed softly on the ground, the flame remained steady, the tip of the fire as straight as a needle.
The tavern manager stared in disbelief, unable to react as Li Hao handed him the dagger. With a faint smile, Li Hao turned and made his way back upstairs.
The tavern erupted in chaos as patrons voiced their astonishment, all eyes trailing after the boy who had just completed the impossible.
Reaching the balcony, Li Hao handed the dagger to Zhou Ling, whose expression was frozen in shock. "Lead the way," he said with a smile.
Zhou Ling and her companions snapped out of their daze. They had all clearly seen the candle’s flame remain utterly still.
"You... how did you do that?" Zhou Ling asked, holding the dagger and staring at Li Hao in disbelief.
The young man in their group widened his eyes, scrutinizing Li Hao. As someone ranked on the Kun Feng List, he couldn’t fathom how this boy had accomplished such a feat.
Could Li Hao also be a contender from the ranking?
Feeling the growing attention from the crowd around him, Li Hao repeated calmly, "Lead the way."
The trio exchanged glances. The young man studied Li Hao once more before saying, "Follow us. Grandmaster Bai Chunhai should be with our master, but we can’t guarantee you’ll meet him."
"Understood," Li Hao replied.
The young man led the way as the group exited the tavern.
The tavern manager, despite his astonishment, refrained from stopping them. In recent days, Dayue City had been swarming with young prodigies, and it was wise to avoid provoking potential trouble.
As they walked, Zhou Ling couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Li Hao. Though brash by nature, she held great admiration for those with superior skill. Her curiosity burned, and she bombarded him with questions:
"How did you do it?"
"What’s your name?"
"Where are you from?"
Li Hao didn’t answer, merely feeling as if a bee was buzzing persistently around his ears.
Even the girl in white, though quieter, observed him intently. Among her peers, she rarely encountered anyone as skilled as this boy.
Before long, the group arrived at the Grandmaster Discourse Platform in the heart of the city. The area was teeming with people, and the surrounding inns were packed to capacity.
The young man led them to a nearby tavern with a temporary stage set up. Inside, they found his master, a short middle-aged man named Zhou Haitang, enjoying a performance.
After a brief introduction, the young man leaned in and whispered the details of what had happened in the previous tavern.
Zhou Haitang paused, looking up at Li Hao with a faint smile. "May I ask where you’re from and how I should address you?"
"Ji Hao," Li Hao replied simply.
Zhou Haitang considered the name for a moment. Not recognizing it on the Qian Kun or Kun Feng rankings, he guessed Li Hao might be a young noble from a secluded lineage. His demeanor and age certainly fit the profile.
"An interesting coincidence," Zhou Haitang said with a chuckle. "You share a similar name with a peerless talent from the Qianlong Ranking."
He then added, "Are you seeking to apprentice yourself to Grandmaster Bai Chunhai? I also know a bit of martial arts. Would you perhaps be interested in studying under me?"
Zhou Ling and her companions were shocked. Their master rarely took an interest in accepting disciples, yet here he was, ready to take Li Hao under his wing.
Considering Li Hao’s remarkable display of skill, it wasn’t hard to see why Zhou Haitang might make an exception.
Still, the thought that this boy might surpass them in training filled them with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
"I’m not here to apprentice myself," Li Hao said with a slight shake of his head. "I simply wish to purchase a painting from him."