[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback":3,"chapter-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-113":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising from Obscurity: My Martial Path Comeback",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2265948,4424,"Chapter 113: Li the Magistrate Chases Lin Chen Beneath the Moon (Requesting Subscriptions)","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-113",113,"\u003Cp>Cannot cultivate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen suddenly realized he didn’t know what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since arriving in this world, he spent most of his time cultivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, it was to change his fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment he became first in the Martial Hall, he had already altered his fate, achieving a small social ascent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when he entered the martial academy and experienced the events at Qingfeng Martial Hall, though he said nothing on the surface, he had long held back a breath of resentment inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later still, when he took the extreme path of martial cultivation, martial arts were no longer just about changing his fate—he discovered he had grown to love the feeling of cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The relatively fair promotion system of the Great Liang Dynasty allowed him to train without distraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Li residence was grand, with carved dragons and painted beams, and featured lakes and mountain scenery alike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lin Chen had no intention of leaving the courtyard; noble families had many taboos, so he might as well spend the night inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Tai had sent a servant to say he was visiting friends, so Lin Chen went into the study on one side of the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Liang had no civil examination system, but that didn’t mean martial cultivators didn’t read—only that most didn’t delve as deeply as their ancient predecessors once had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first visited his mistress’s residence, the several ink-wash landscape paintings on the wall had been profoundly evocative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this era, writing and painting were more a matter of personal interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the desk lay a stack of calligraphy copies; Lin Chen picked one up and flipped through them. He didn’t understand calligraphy well—he was a complete outsider—but the characters looked excellent, yet as he turned to the next sheet, he forgot the previous one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Stone Soul Copy\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he saw this copy, Lin Chen’s eyes sharpened. He didn’t know what style of script it was, yet it held him spellbound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rock bones do not change for wind or snow,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cloud roots plant themselves toward the nine heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Laugh at peach and plum competing for spring,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alone they guard the cold mountain, white for ten thousand years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a poem—not particularly profound, with simple, direct wording.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What drew Lin Chen was the script itself; though he knew nothing of calligraphy, for some reason, the characters felt deeply soothing to look at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grind ink, lift the brush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen picked up a sheet of rice paper from beside him and couldn’t resist trying to copy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first attempt differed greatly from the original.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frowning, he crumpled the paper into a ball and began his second copy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the paper basket beside the desk was full of crumpled balls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still lacking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This stroke is wrong…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the original, the horizontal strokes were like axe-chopped cliffs, exerting maximum force, penetrating three-tenths deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vertical hooks resembled pine trees breaking through snow, utterly unrestrained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The right shoulder of the character “stone” was deliberately raised by three-tenths, forming a lone peak holding up the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too proud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brushstroke was like the person!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen recalled a saying about calligraphy from his past life, and seeing his own copies, he finally understood why he couldn’t replicate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The master who wrote “The Stone Soul Copy” possessed peerless pride and aloofness—he was a solitary, haughty soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I have pride, I am not like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One may be proud, but must not be isolated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calligraphy need not be an exact replica.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Lin Chen lifted his brush again; compared to the original’s extreme, sweeping horizontal strokes, he altered the ending of each stroke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same applied to the vertical hooks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, Lin Chen put down his brush and gazed at his own version of “The Stone Soul Copy.” It resembled the original in general outline, yet upon close inspection, it was entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of his copying, Lin Chen no longer limited himself to “The Stone Soul Copy”—he began copying other calligraphy sheets as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But like “The Stone Soul Copy,” he sought resemblance in form, not in spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time Lin Chen realized that copying calligraphy gave him the same thrill as martial cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he brushed, his internal blood and qi flowed with each stroke; every stroke was like completing a full cycle of breath and absorption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The neighboring courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mournful jade flute melody rose; Wang Yuyao, clad in a moon-white ruqun, leaned against the corridor, playing a short jade flute, while Li Qi and another woman sat nearby, listening, their faces filled with sorrow, lost in the music.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using sound to convey emotion…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This flute is too sad—it makes me want to cry,” Li Qi said, her eyes slightly red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When Yuyao suddenly arrived in Quzhou, I felt something was off—I suspect she’s suffered some misfortune. Later, we must comfort her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the neighboring study, Lin Chen heard the flute and frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensual, decadent music—it disturbed the mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know who was playing, but he could tell the sound came from nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This entire area was the Li family’s guest quarters; as a guest in their home, playing such a flute here was sheer idleness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set down his brush and stepped out of the study, confirming the flute came from the neighboring courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Li family forbids noise—so is this rule only meant for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flute played for a long while without stopping; Lin Chen remembered the servant’s earlier words and sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—people are ranked in tiers, and so are guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m just an ordinary guest, bound by Li family rules; the person next door is likely a distinguished guest, so rules don’t apply to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Wang, have you encountered something troubling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few minutes, the flute stopped, and voices came from the neighboring courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yuyao, is this about that Qin Young Master …?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the voices from next door, Lin Chen paused, then turned and walked back into the study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eavesdropping might satisfy curiosity, but Lin Chen had no interest in strangers’ private affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he overheard something too intimate, it might bring him trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He returned to his room and resumed copying calligraphy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the neighboring courtyard, Wang Yuyao looked at her two close friends, her face heavy with sorrow: “Cheng has already given his heart to someone else—flowers wish to fall, but the stream flows on indifferent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could this happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qin Young Master  and Sister Yuyao grew up together, and the Qin and Wang families were bound to marry this generation—Yuyao, could you be mistaken?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No mistake—he told me himself—he has someone else in his heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two women were stunned. The Qin and Wang families were both prominent clans of Quzhou; Yuyao and Cheng were universally regarded as a perfect match—how had things gone wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Wang Yuyao was about to explain further, Li Qi suddenly remembered something: “Not good—there’s someone next door. Let’s not discuss this now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was about Yuyao and Cheng, or the Qin and Wang families, if this leaked out, it would shake Quzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi’s reminder jolted Wang Yuyao and the other woman into awareness—especially Wang Yuyao, whose expression changed instantly: “Qi, this must not get out—if the Qin family finds out, they’ll pressure Cheng. I don’t want him to suffer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Wang Yuyao still defending Cheng at this moment, Li Qi thought her sister was impossibly kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, let’s go check on the situation next door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock knock knock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen, just lifting his brush to write in the study, frowned at the knock. When he stepped out, he found the courtyard gate had been pushed open again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen was annoyed—the Li family servants were too arrogant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the grandest households must observe proper guest etiquette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To enter without waiting for my response is an extreme breach of manners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this, Lin Chen’s face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, did you eavesdrop on us in the courtyard just now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi pushed open the gate and saw Lin Chen standing in the courtyard with a grim face; her own expression turned cold—she had never been given the cold shoulder in her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Qi and the two other women, Lin Chen suppressed his anger—Li’s granddaughter, the Li family’s noble daughter, was far above his station to offend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other woman’s gaze swept over Lin Chen: “Have you been staying in this courtyard the whole time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was copying calligraphy in the study and came out when I heard the noise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their tone was arrogant and casual, Lin Chen, preferring to avoid trouble, answered calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Copying calligraphy? You’re a martial cultivator—why copy calligraphy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi clearly didn’t believe him—a martial student from a small county academy, not even at the Organ Cultivation stage, would bother with calligraphy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the Entry Grade, cultivators almost never touched such things—even she, her grandfather and father had forbidden her from learning calligraphy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi strode in, bypassing Lin Chen entirely and heading straight for the study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Li, this is indeed the Li residence, but I am staying in the guest quarters—shouldn’t a host extend proper hospitality to guests?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A guest resides under a host’s roof; even the host, without the guest’s consent, must not intrude upon the guest’s private quarters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hospitality?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi halted her steps: “You’re just a trainee from a county martial arts school. If not for the old debt my grandfather owes your school, you’d never in a lifetime have set foot in my Li household. Anywhere in this house, I can go as I please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi knew her father had no fondness for Zhenyue Martial Arts School—otherwise, he wouldn’t have refused to meet its headmaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhenyue Martial Arts School is utterly uncouth—only knows how to flatter my grandfather, yet has never sent a single gift for any of our family’s celebrations these past years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a stingy guest? I don’t care for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, Li Qi strode toward the study. Lin Chen made no further attempt to stop her. She was right: she was the Li family’s only daughter, and she could go anywhere in the Li household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the study, Li Qi saw crumpled sheets of paper in the wastebasket, then the calligraphy copy Lin Chen had been practicing on the desk—her eyes widened in surprise. He really had been practicing calligraphy here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his characters were abysmal—wildly different from the original model, clearly the work of someone who’d never touched a brush before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she stepped out of the study, Li Qi saw Lin Chen’s grim expression and snorted: “Whether you heard it or not—if word gets out, I won’t let you off easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hurling that threat, Li Qi left the courtyard. Wang Qingyao and the other woman had never entered at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Sister Wang, he wasn’t lying—I saw many crumpled papers in his study. He truly was practicing calligraphy there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the courtyard gate, Li Qi’s voice carried through. Lin Chen took a deep breath, turned, and walked back to his bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aristocratic households—unattainable heights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Tai had told him this visit’s purpose: to seek even a word of guidance from the Li family’s elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Li elder is a sixth-rank hardening martial artist. With his guidance, my Iron Bones Art could reach perfection, saving me years of effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with this kind of hospitality, he no longer expected any guidance from the Li elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One may lack arrogance, but one must not lack pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he still clung to staying in the Li household, even if the elder returned and honored the old debt, his heart would remain blocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A humble martial artist must seize every chance to rise—but he must also hold onto something he refuses to abandon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he becomes a petty man who stops at nothing for the sake of cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder owes me a debt of guidance; the young owe me a grudge of humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How then should he treat the Li family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Li residence’s main gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen waited outside the Li residence’s gate, some twenty paces away. Half an hour later, Tai Rubai appeared in his sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lin Chen, what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a Qi-Organ martial artist, Tai Rubai naturally spotted Lin Chen at once. Seeing the pack slung over his shoulder, he asked gravely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Tai, I thank you for your kindness, but the Li household is an aristocratic family—beyond the reach of a humble disciple like me. The debt of gratitude between your school and the Li elder? Let it be preserved for future disciples.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Tai Rubai studied Lin Chen for a long moment. He saw no anger on Lin Chen’s face—only resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai did not know what Lin Chen had endured in the past hour and a half since leaving the Li residence, but he knew Lin Chen well: he was no petty man, nor a pampered brat unable to bear slight slights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qingfeng Martial Arts School had scorned Lin Chen, yet he still joined it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Qingfeng Martial Arts School abandoned him a second time, after he won the martial competition’s top rank, he never uttered a single word against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in public, not in private.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No secret in this world stays hidden forever—even private words, once heard by another, will spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with Qingfeng Martial Arts School’s contempt, Lin Chen proved himself with the highest rank among the Eight Martial Schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a youth with unyielding pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this is one reason why he was willing to expend the precious debt of gratitude between Zhenyue Martial Arts School and the Li elder—for Lin Chen’s sake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had great faith in Lin Chen’s future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand. Then wait a moment—I’ll leave with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Tai…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Chen was startled. He had assumed he would depart alone—he hadn’t expected Master Tai to leave too. After all, for Zhenyue Martial Arts School, this debt of gratitude was invaluable, preserved for decades—shouldn’t it not be abandoned so lightly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Li elder isn’t that petty. Since he’s away, our departure is only natural.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai patted Lin Chen’s shoulder, offering reassurance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Li household may be aristocratic, but in his view, after the Li elder, the next generation—Li An—possessed not even one-tenth of his father’s stature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he wouldn’t still be stuck at ninth rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Li household has no worthy successor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, two swift horses rode out of the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, a carriage sped into the city, heading straight for the Li residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage halted at the Li residence’s main gate. An old man stepped down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eye sockets were sunken like ancient wells, yet his pupils gleamed with startling clarity. When he raised his gaze over the gate, not a single servant who rushed forward dared meet his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father’s back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An, informed by the servant, looked astonished. His father had gone to the estate to visit friends—he should’ve stayed overnight, returning no sooner than tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man had barely entered the residence when Li An hurried from the back courtyard to greet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, why didn’t you stay the night at the estate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! You sent word that someone from Zhenyue Martial Arts School came to the house—how could I possibly stay away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan laughed loudly. He had waited for this day a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take me to Tai Rubai.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, why should you go to them? I’ll send a steward to summon them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An didn’t understand why his father was so agitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well. Have Tai Rubai and that boy brought to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After giving the order, Li Yueshan noticed his son’s puzzled expression and sighed inwardly. He had once devoted himself entirely to breaking through in martial cultivation, neglecting An’s upbringing. An was not a worthy heir to the Li household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know the history between me and Zhenyue Martial Arts School.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Father studied there for a year, and thus holds a debt of gratitude toward them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then do you know why, over the years, every Zhenyue headmaster who came here only visited me—and never approached any other member of our family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An paused. He had assumed the Zhenyue headmasters were stingy—or snobbish—only seeking to flatter his father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he could not voice this thought aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knows a son better than his father. Seeing his son’s silence, Li Yueshan understood his thoughts. His expression turned stern: “Every time Zhenyue sent someone, they came only to me because they knew: though there is a debt of gratitude between them and me, it is shallow. I only stayed a year, and never even enrolled as a student in their official roster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan recalled his youth: he had entered Zhenyue Martial Arts School through the connection of a ninth-rank elder from Quzhou, who at the time was director of the Poyang County Wuzhengsuo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This debt of gratitude can be used only once. Every Zhenyue headmaster who seeks to befriend any member of my family is using up this debt—because without it, they’d have no chance to connect with you at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Myself and every Zhenyue headmaster understand this clearly. Don’t foolishly think Zhenyue truly lacks the means to send a single gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his son’s thoughtful expression, Li Yueshan’s face softened slightly. Though his son lacked martial talent and was soft-natured, softness had its virtue—he could listen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This debt of gratitude is extremely precious to Zhenyue Martial Arts School—they would never waste it lightly. Since Tai Rubai brought a boy this time, it must be their most promising trainee in over a decade. I must meet him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was one thing Li Yueshan did not say aloud—he preserved his son’s dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he grew old and his son could no longer uphold the Li household, the Zhenyue Martial Arts School’s gifted trainee would be his way of repaying the debt. He would guide the boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the boy, this would be a debt owed to the Li household. Should he one day reach great heights in martial cultivation, bound by this debt of guidance, he would not stand idle if the Li household faced trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan’s face was grim. Behind him, Li An’s face was pale. Li Qi’s eyes were brimming with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai and the other had left!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An had not known until he sent servants to summon them—only then did he learn they had already departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Rubai had not slipped away without word—he had told a servant outside the courtyard gate. But because Li Qi had ordered servants to roast meat in the courtyard, the servant had not reported it immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather, I only went to his study to confirm he hadn’t overheard Big Sister Wang and us—I never meant to drive him away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi had never seen her grandfather, who always doted on her, so furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was just a trainee from a small county school. I didn’t even mistreat him. Who knew he couldn’t bear even this small slight? He just walked off—so impolite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan said nothing. He entered Lin Chen’s courtyard and headed straight for the study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather, his handwriting is terrible—he had the nerve to copy your calligraphy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up, you fool! You’ve been spoiled rotten by your father!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding a calligraphy sheet, Li Yueshan could no longer contain himself—he roared, and the entire study trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An, seeing his beloved daughter scolded, could not help but speak up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you… you’re trying to kill me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan pointed to the sheet in his hand: “This ‘Stone Soul Scroll’ was written by me when I first entered seventh rank. At under forty, I reached sixth rank, my hardening art shattered its limits—how proud I was then, convinced no one in the world could match me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Characters reflect the man. Writing reveals the spirit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This ‘Stone Soul Scroll’—ordinary people cannot perceive its essence. Only a hardening martial artist, with profound insight into hardening arts, can discern the hardening intent hidden within these characters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan pointed at the ink still wet on the paper: “You think it doesn’t resemble him? That’s because when I wrote, I was filled with pride—but when he finished, his brush revealed sharpness without breaking, the tip curling back like a spearhead trembling. That state of mind, even I cannot match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An and Li Qi exchanged a glance, both filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How old is this boy? How could he possibly be more talented than his father—or even his grandfather?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan sighed inwardly. If only I had possessed this state of mind at forty, I wouldn’t have stalled at the sixth rank. Fifth rank—or even higher—might have been within reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan set down the calligraphy copy, face dark with anger, and strode toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To catch up to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Catch up to him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li An stared in disbelief. Tai Rubai and the other had been gone for two hours already—how long would it take to catch them now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, it’s already late. Why not let me go after him tomorrow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A brush that reveals sharpness without being brittle belongs to a man with unyielding spirit. You go? You’ll bring back nothing but nonsense. I’ll go myself—and you two follow. Especially…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yueshan drew a deep breath and looked at his grandson: “Qi’er, my words earlier may have been harsh, but this boy’s future is so vast, even I cannot fathom it. Forming a bond with him could secure our Li family’s safety for the next twenty years. Your father cannot bear the weight of this entire household alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Li An’s expression darkened, but he knew his father spoke truth. Though it stung, he accepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather, I understand. When we catch up to him, I’ll apologize to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Six thousand characters delivered. Another ten thousand done today. Checked the monthly votes—holy shit, of course there’s a surge at month-end. We might make it to six thousand. Any more?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3694,"2026-06-19T20:25:56.550Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","01ea1fe5bdeb1bc6759e5e0428032736b7782ddc742fd97c8a66ef0e969d3e7f","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-114","rising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-chapter-112",591,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-from-obscurity-my-martial-path-comeback-cover.jpg"]