Chapter 109: Breach (Supplement 220)

All the ladies had a deep impression of Li Hao’s early maturity, but none expected it to be this extraordinary.

Had this not been the Divine General’s Mansion, where awareness of demons and peculiar phenomena is exceptionally acute, they might have suspected Li Hao had been possessed.

Yet, such individuals with innate exceptional memory do exist.

Thus, though stunned, everyone turned their gaze toward Liu Yuerong.

Liu Yuerong’s heart had turned to ice, trembling within; she now understood that this monstrous child had remembered this since childhood.

Yet he remembered every detail clearly, yet all these years, before her eyes, he had always worn a smile, responding to her concerned inquiries with pure innocence.

Even, this child would occasionally bring her food to eat—though the taste was poor, it still appeared as an act of filial devotion.

And yet.

All of it was fake?! Liu Yuerong prided herself on being deeply calculating, yet she never imagined this child, raised without parents, could achieve such depths.

Monster! Demon! Fear surged in Liu Yuerong’s heart, but sensing the gazes of others, her mind snapped clear—she knew she could not admit anything now, or Qianfeng’s future would be truly ruined.

“Is this your evidence?!”

Liu Yuerong sneered: “What a deep-laid scheme! The things you say are riddled with holes!”

She turned to the others: “He could have asked Zhao Bo from Shanhe Academy about this—nothing unusual. Is this really evidence?”

She stared at Li Hao: “If I poisoned you back then, why didn’t you report it to the First Lady? Why didn’t you speak up then?!”

Hearing this, the others felt it held some merit.

If Li Hao had been a child back then, and had spoken these words, and later failed to awaken his divine blood, everyone would have accepted it without doubt.

But Li Hao now… though still a youth, is no longer a child.

If he were two or three, innocent and ignorant, his words would carry high credibility—but Li Hao now is a youth capable of contending for the True Dragon! He has sufficient ability to lie, to fabricate.

Li Hao, seeing her evade, coldly said: “Even if I had spoken back then, without cultivating or reaching the realm of awakening divine blood, who would believe a child’s words? You’d simply claim it was a child’s idle babble, planted by some servant, then find another servant to be the scapegoat!”

“But my parents were not by my side—if I exposed this, you’d surely try to kill me again. How could I defend myself?!”

Liu Yuerong snapped: “In the end, you have no evidence—just empty words concocted here!”

Li Hao indeed had no concrete proof; the incident was too long ago, and back then, the poison she gave him was already prepared for exposure, so over these years he had quietly had others examine his body—yet found absolutely no trace.

No residue whatsoever!

His only proof was his own memory, to validate his words.

But as Liu Yuerong said, this was disputable, and Li Hao had long anticipated this—he planned to act first, then explain during the True Dragon contest, by crippling or killing her son, but was stopped.

He Jianlan glanced at Li Hao, then at Liu Yuerong, and her eyes slowly hardened.

This child had grown up under her watch; though his words and conduct today shocked her, she still chose to believe Li Hao.

The other ladies hesitated—this matter had no evidence, only conflicting claims, each side insisting they were right.

Moreover, if Li Hao spoke truth, recalling his performance over these years, they felt a chill—this child’s mind was too calculating! Li Qingzheng stared at Li Hao, his heart suddenly clear—he had interacted with Li Hao more deeply than these younger ladies; in chess, as in character, he believed Li Hao’s words.

Chen Hefang had just emerged from seclusion, unaware of these events; though she had quietly observed some things over the years, her knowledge remained superficial. Now, this earth-shattering secret—whether she was absent from the courtyard or even He Jianlan, who managed the Nine Courts, was kept in the dark.

Looking at the boy, her gaze was complex—perhaps due to some favoritism, this boy always carried the shadow of Jiulang, making her heart unconsciously lean toward him.

“You say I ruined your divine blood? But when your father sent word from the frontier, only then did we learn he had reached the Three Immortalities at twenty-three!”

Seeing the courtyard fall silent, everyone lost in thought, Liu Yuerong gritted her teeth: “Before that, who knew your father’s condition? Who knew you might awaken divine blood?!”

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions shifted slightly—indeed.

Unless Liu Yuerong had known in advance—but that would depend on whether Li Tiangang had ever revealed it to her.

In an instant, every gaze in the courtyard fixed on Li Tiangang.

Li Tiangang’s face was dark, eyes blazing with fury; he understood perfectly the implication behind their stares.

Though the boy was his son, he could not favor him—years as head of the Ministry of Justice had instilled in him from childhood a reverence for law, for order! Without law, there is no Dao; without law, there is no clarity, no continuity!

“My second sister-in-law should not have known my condition,” Li Tiangang said gravely.

Hearing this, Liu Yuerong exhaled in relief: “At least you, Li Tiangang, still have some conscience. So it seems Qianfeng’s injury wasn’t instigated by you—perhaps he met someone who fabricated this!”

Li Hao’s face darkened instantly as he stared at his father:

“You truly never revealed it to her—or anywhere else? She must have known—I heard it with my own ears! How could it be false?!”

Li Tiangang, hearing Li Hao’s accusation, looked at him, recalling in his mind—his attainment of the Three Immortalities had been extremely secret; he told no one, only his wife knew.

But his wife had always been by his side, and her talent and wisdom surpassed his—how could she have leaked this?

Seeing Li Tiangang’s silence, Li Hao’s eyes revealed unmistakable disappointment.

If others didn’t believe him, he could understand—but even his father didn’t believe him, not even a hint of partiality! Yet immediately, Li Hao laughed inwardly.

Fourteen years apart—what bond existed beyond blood?

Partiality? Why should there be partiality? Did he truly hope for kinship through blood?

“Baseless accusations, using this to kill Qianfeng—what a cruel heart!”

Liu Yuerong stared at the solitary, silent boy in the courtyard, her eyes glinting with coldness: “Moreover, even if we grant it’s my grievance with you, how could you treat your own cousin so ruthlessly?!”

“Has Qianfeng ever wronged you?!”

Li Hao snapped back, his gaze suddenly icy, fixed on her: “Whether he knew or not, I don’t care—he accepted your grace, so he must bear your consequences! I only intended to cripple him—but he struck first with murderous intent!”

“Today, neither you nor your son will leave!”

Seeing Li Hao’s murderous aura surge violently, everyone’s expressions changed.

Liu Yuerong laughed bitterly: “Fine, fine! Li Tiangang, this is the son you’ve raised? Utterly lawless! Are you really allowing him to bully us, a widow and her orphan?!”

“Back then, your second brother Fengping took a sword for you!”

“Without that sword, you’d be dead!”

Her eyes burned with hatred as she fixed on Li Tiangang: “If he hadn’t taken that sword for you, how would he have been wounded? How would he have died?!”

Li Tiangang trembled, pupils contracting, his breath heavy.

“Your son seizes the True Dragon and dares act so arrogantly, with no respect—soon, the entire Li household won’t be killed by demons, but by him!”

Liu Yuerong spoke each word like a dagger to the heart.

“That’s right!”

Everyone fell silent—but suddenly, a clear voice rang out from the crowd.

Li Fenghua looked up sharply and saw his daughter running toward him, tears streaming down her face, a bright red five-finger mark on her cheek.

He turned pale: “You—who hit you?!”

Anger flared in his eyes—he adored this daughter deeply.

Li Rumeng pointed at Li Hao, furious: “It’s him! He’s arrogant and tyrannical—I merely spoke out in disgust, and he slapped me!”

“If Mingguang and the others hadn’t been there, he might have killed me!”

“Mingguang and the others can testify.”

Hearing this, everyone turned to Li Hao and Li Mingguang.

Li Mingguang was startled—he resented Li Hao, but had witnessed the slap; he knew Li Rumeng had spoken out of turn first, and though Li Hao had punished her, it wasn’t nearly as severe as her claim of attempted murder.

Facing their stares, he hesitated.

He Jianlan immediately asked: “Is this true? If you were there, why didn’t you stop him?”

Li Mingguang lowered his head: “Cousin Li Hao did strike her—it was sudden, I didn’t anticipate it, didn’t react in time—but…”

Before he could finish, a sharp voice cut him off.

A bright red palm print appeared on Li Hao’s face! The entire courtyard froze, staring at the one who struck—Li Tiangang!

The slap was brutal; even with Li Hao’s physique, blood trickled from his lip as he staggered backward several steps.

Li Hao’s eyes widened, disbelieving, staring at the towering man before him.

But what he saw were eyes blazing with fury and authority.

“You’re utterly lawless!”

Li Tiangang roared: “You’ve been fraternizing with swine and dogs, even visiting brothels and disgracing yourself—I don’t know how you’ve lived these years!”

“Everyone has spoiled you, doted on you, out of respect for me—no one dared discipline you!”

“Today, I’ll do it myself!”

“I thought you’d mellowed, that your temper had calmed—but now that you’ve seized the True Dragon, you think no one can control you?!”

As he spoke, he stepped forward again toward Li Hao.

Li Qingzheng turned pale: “Tiangang, this matter needs investigation—let’s deliberate further. As for Rumeng’s incident…”

“Uncle, don’t interfere—it’s my own family matter!”

Li Tiangang didn’t turn, his voice icy.

Li Qingzheng froze.

“Uncle…” Bian Ruxue rushed forward, face trembling, trying to plead for Li Hao.

At the same time, a white figure suddenly darted out, leaping before Li Hao as if to shield him—it was the white fox.

Its eyes showed fear, yet it stared straight at Li Tiangang, every hair on its body standing, teeth bared slightly.

“Filthy beast! Even you dare defy the law?!”

Li Tiangang, enraged, waved his hand—power surged forth, striking the white fox instantly.

The white fox shrieked, slammed into the courtyard wall, smashing through it, and fell like a broken kite into the distance, life or death unknown.

Li Hao’s pupils shrank to pinpricks—he snapped back to awareness.

But the next instant, his mind exploded like thunder, his eyes blazing crimson.

“LI TIANGANG!!!”

The boy unleashed a deafening roar, eyes splitting with rage as he stared at the man.

Vast, ocean-deep energy erupted from his body, a whirlwind rising where he stood, sweeping dust into the air.

(End of chapter)