Volume 3 - Chapter 22: Li Tiangang's Wrath – Part 2
The two guards hurriedly bowed, their anxious demeanor making Li Tiangang frown even more deeply. His expression remained cold as he said:
"Has he not trained you properly? You lack discipline entirely. If you were to step onto the battlefield, how could you maintain order? You’d be nothing but scattered sand!"
The two lowered their heads nervously. One of them whispered:
"Major General Haotian said that with him around, we wouldn’t need to go to the battlefield. Besides, we’ve undergone rigorous training and generally don’t make mistakes...unless something unforeseen happens..."
Li Tiangang let out a cold laugh. "What arrogance! If he plans to do everything himself, what use are you? Who does he think he is? How many lives does he have to spare?"
Seeing the two trembling with their heads bowed, he didn’t bother berating them further and said curtly, "Open the door."
"Marshal, please wait a moment. I’ll inform Major General Haotian first..."
One of the guards, as if granted a reprieve, quickly turned and ran into the small courtyard.
Li Tiangang’s face darkened.
The other guard hurriedly explained, "Marshal, please don’t be angry. Our general said that no matter who it is, they must be announced first; otherwise, it will disrupt his...mood."
"Mood? What mood?" Li Tiangang’s eyes flashed with a stern light.
This guard, a Grandmaster renowned for years, could clearly see that this marshal was already furious. He had no choice but to force a smile and reply, "Major General Haotian enjoys taking midday naps, playing chess, or painting. If he’s disturbed abruptly..."
Li Tiangang’s expression grew grim. He hadn’t expected Li Hao to indulge in such leisure activities here at Tianmen Pass without restraint!
He had assumed that Li Hao’s extraordinary cultivation and combat prowess were inspired by his own example, achieved through rigorous training at this border post.
But it turned out that Li Hao remained as he always was—indulging in pleasures without restraint.
He hasn’t changed. Not in the slightest!
Li Tiangang took a deep breath. Reflecting on the recent events at the front lines, Li Hao’s achievements in battle, and the rescue of the millions in Liang Province, his rising anger gradually subsided.
With a soft sigh, he acknowledged that while Li Hao’s personality hadn’t changed, his talent was indeed unparalleled. Even amidst comfort and indulgence, he still wielded shocking strength and had achieved such illustrious merit.
Such remarkable accomplishments left Li Tiangang with little room for criticism.
Moreover, he knew his son’s stubborn nature well. This visit was meant to ease their strained father-son relationship.
Just then, the courtyard gate opened again. The guard emerged, looking nervous and uneasy.
He glanced at Li Tiangang, whose expression turned even more somber at the sight of the guard’s troubled face.
"Um..."
The guard hesitated before saying, "Major General Haotian said he won’t see visitors and asks you to return."
"That insolent boy!"
Li Tiangang erupted in fury. As a father, he had personally come to visit, a gesture of humility, yet Li Hao had the audacity to shut him out?
Where was the respect between father and son?
"Did he say that himself? Tell him to come out and see me in person!"
Li Tiangang’s face was icy. Realizing this was merely Li Hao’s clone, which might not carry much of the main body’s awareness, he suppressed his anger.
"Major General Haotian is painting."
"Painting? As a general, does he think he can create some world-renowned masterpiece?"
Li Tiangang had no patience for further discussion. He pushed past the guard before him. When the guard tried to block him, Li Tiangang’s eyes widened, unleashing the aura of a Fourth Pillar Realm cultivator.
The overwhelming pressure immobilized the two guards, leaving them trembling in fear.
Li Tiangang kicked open the courtyard gate and strode inside...
Within the courtyard, two figures were seated leisurely. One sat cross-legged, a sword resting across his legs as he meditated.
The other was painting, brush in hand.
The sound of the gate shattering startled them both. They turned to look at Li Tiangang.
Ren Qianqian immediately recognized him, her face filled with shock. She quickly stood and greeted him, "Uncle."
The shadow of Li Hao, seated before his painting, frowned slightly. His inherited memories were sparse, mostly scenes of painting, playing chess, and stargazing in an ancient, empty courtyard.
Occasionally, faces of women in luxurious silk flashed through his mind.
The face before him now felt unfamiliar, yet vaguely familiar, though it stirred a deep sense of rejection within him.
"This is the General’s residence. Who gave you permission to barge in?"
The shadow of Li Hao set down his brush, his expression growing cold. Rising to his feet, he assumed a combat stance.
Li Hao’s command to his clone was clear—defend Cangya City to the death.
"So carefree!"
Seeing that even the clone was painting, Li Tiangang felt a mix of anger and incredulity. Was even the clone this self-indulgent?
"Do you know who I am?" he asked coldly.
"It doesn’t matter who you are. Here, you follow my rules," the shadow of Li Hao replied icily.
"Does the clone retain no memory at all?"
Li Tiangang frowned. He knew that martial avatars were rare and difficult to master. Although they were external manifestations of the practitioner, their effectiveness was often limited.
An avatar inheriting even one-tenth of the main body’s strength was considered excellent. Meanwhile, training in other techniques could yield greater gains, such as a one-third improvement in overall strength, which far surpassed the utility of an avatar.
The only true benefit of an avatar was handling trivial matters. For a strong cultivator with no shortage of servants to handle such tasks, avatars were typically redundant, except for some secretive purposes. However, as far as combat was concerned, they were of little value.
If Li Hao were still under his watch, Li Tiangang would never have approved of him wasting time on such a technique.
But knowing Li Hao’s personality—his fondness for painting and chess that defied all efforts at discipline—it was no surprise that he would pursue an avatar cultivation technique.
He turned to Ren Qianqian and asked, "You’ve followed Hao’er here. Do you know if this avatar shares a life-link with his main body?"
Ren Qianqian’s face tensed as she replied, "I’m not sure about the young master’s matters."
"Aren’t you his personal maid?" Li Tiangang pressed with a frown.
"...But I never interfere with the young master’s affairs," Ren Qianqian said, lowering her head.
Li Tiangang let out a cold snort, visibly irritated. Turning to the shadow of Li Hao, he asked, "Your main body is trapped in the River of Death. Are you aware of this? Can you sense him? Is there a life-link between you and the main body?"
"That is my concern, and I have no obligation to answer you. Leave immediately, or don’t blame me for being impolite," the shadow of Li Hao said, his tone frosty.
Li Tiangang laughed angrily. "I am the Marshal of Liang Province. Tianmen Pass is under my jurisdiction. Here, my word is law, and you’re telling me to leave?"
"You may remain in the city, but not in this courtyard," the shadow of Li Hao replied, his frown deepening.
A dangerous light gleamed in Li Tiangang’s eyes. "I came here to summon you back and to see if you could detect your main body’s situation. Yet you dare to drive me out?"
"Qianqian, see him out," the shadow of Li Hao ordered coldly.
Ren Qianqian looked at Li Tiangang hesitantly and said, "Uncle, perhaps you should wait until the young master returns..."
"This is no place for you to speak!"
Li Tiangang’s cold glare shot at her like a sword piercing her heart. Her face turned pale, and she stumbled back several steps.
The shadow of Li Hao’s expression darkened, his eyes flashing with frigid light. With a wave of his hand, the Dragon Sky Sword, which had been planted in the ground where Ren Qianqian had been sitting, flew out with a resonant golden dragon roar.
The divine sword surged with power and slashed without hesitation.
Li Tiangang’s expression shifted as he raised his palm to strike. The golden radiance of the sword shattered under the impact, but he himself faltered, his face showing surprise.
The power behind that single slash was far greater than he had expected.
His body shifted back two steps before he could steady himself.
"Are you the main body or the avatar?" Li Tiangang asked, his tone filled with suspicion as he stared at the shadow of Li Hao.
The shadow of Li Hao’s gaze remained cold as the golden light of the Dragon Sky Sword hovered before him. "If you don’t leave now, I will treat you as an intruder."
Li Tiangang’s face darkened at the unrelenting hostility in the avatar’s tone.
"I’d like to see how you deal with your own father!"
Li Tiangang clenched his fists, his aura radiating an oppressive force.
At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared as if carried by a gust of wind, instantly materializing between Li Tiangang and the shadow of Li Hao.
"You’ve made enough of a scene!"
The stern voice came from Feng Boping, whose sharp gaze was fixed on Li Tiangang.
Feng Boping had sensed Li Tiangang’s arrival from the moment he entered the courtyard and had been observing from above the clouds, hidden from sight.
But witnessing the confrontation between Li Tiangang and Li Hao’s avatar had pushed him to intervene.
"Hao’er is currently trapped in the River of Death—a Netherworld-Level River of Death, no less—where life and death are uncertain. Are you truly going to destroy his avatar here as well?"
Feng Boping’s voice was icy.
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