Chapter 115: Li Hao

“Uncle, stop shielding him!”

Li Tiangang said coldly, “Though you are my uncle, I am still the True Dragon of the Li family. Please don’t interfere—don’t forget our ancestors’ rules. Do you want me to invoke the ancestral spirits and damage their souls over this matter?!”

“You, you’re completely insane!”

Li Muxiu, enraged, raised his hand to strike.

Li Tiangang did not dodge, only stared coldly at him and said, “Uncle, this matter must end today. You’ve already let these people watch enough of a spectacle. Do you want them to see more?”

“You care about what people think?!”

Li Muxiu’s face turned ashen; he sensed that warriors across the entire city were rushing toward this place to witness the drama unfolding in the General’s Mansion.

Among them were several powerful, tightly restrained auras—he recognized them all, famed figures from years past.

This affair will surely spread across the land, shattering the General’s Mansion’s honor.

“You’re utterly disgraceful!”

Li Muxiu glared at him fiercely, then turned to the blood-soaked boy on the ground. His eyes grew moist; he knelt and gathered Li Hao into his arms, teeth clenched:

“Li Tiangang, when I left, I entrusted you with Hao’er’s care—what did you promise me? Is this how you care for him?!”

Li Tiangang’s expression darkened. “I gave him chances. But he was too reckless. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone this far.”

Li Muxiu trembled with rage, but he restrained himself. At this point, healing Hao’er came first.

“Hao’er, hold on. Your second uncle will make sure you get justice.”

He spoke, then moved to carry Li Hao away.

Li Hao slowly shook his head, weakly saying, “It doesn’t matter anymore, Second Uncle.”

The old man’s body trembled slightly, then Li Hao continued: “From now on, I will no longer bear the Li surname. I will use nothing from the Li family. Everything I’ve eaten, drunk—I will repay it all.”

“But this life is mine. Tell him—his son has been dead for a long time. He was assassinated long ago!”

As he spoke, Li Hao’s chest surged with chaotic qi, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

The twin dragon fangs pierced through him, their chains heavy, pulling with agony that felt like tearing out his spine—he clenched his teeth in instant pain.

Li Muxiu’s spirit trembled at these words; his eyes burned red with tears. “Hao’er, how can you say such things? It’s my fault for arriving too late—I’ll take you to heal now.”

“No.”

Li Hao’s weak eyes suddenly blazed with light; he gritted his teeth: “Second Uncle, just pull out these things. I can walk myself.”

He wasn’t entirely boasting—he possessed the recovery trait of the chess manual “Conceal Brilliance and Nurture Obscurity,” capable of regenerating even severed limbs.

It simply required time.

This was effectively the first-layer special ability of the Three Imperishables.

Li Muxiu’s gaze fell on the twin dragon fangs piercing his body. His eyes flared with fury; he raised his hand and released a force to stabilize the fangs, preventing them from shifting and tearing the wounds further.

Then he turned and shot Li Tiangang a furious glare—without a word—he rushed toward the General’s Mansion.

He feared Li Hao could not endure the fangs being ripped out on the spot.

“Second Uncle.”

Li Hao cried out urgently, but his qi surged violently, his vision darkened, and he fainted.

“Tiangang, you’ve disappointed me deeply!”

After Li Muxiu carried Li Hao away, Li Qingzheng gave Li Tiangang a long, piercing look, then swept his sleeve and followed after them.

Others watched from afar, their expressions complex. They wanted to intervene, but Li Tiangang had clearly lost control—even Fifth Uncle couldn’t reason with him, so they had no place to step in.

Moreover, Li Hao had dared to attack Li Tiangang so fiercely—they didn’t know whom to stop. If they stopped Li Tiangang, it would imply Li Hao’s assault was justified, violating moral order.

The best outcome would’ve been to let Li Tiangang subdue Li Hao, then gradually counsel him. But this father-son battle had shattered heaven and earth—Li Tiangang’s blows were devastating, and Li Hao’s stubbornness was unyielding.

“Young Seventh, you acted recklessly.”

Li Xuanli walked over, his gaze complex. “No matter what, Hao’er is still a child—and he’s brilliant. Though I’ve had little contact with him, I can tell he’s measured in his dealings. This matter requires thorough investigation.”

Li Tiangang opened his mouth to speak, then suddenly paled and spat blood.

He clutched his chest; his towering frame swayed precariously.

Li Xuanli was stunned, rushing forward to support him.

Only then did he recall: suppressing the oath must have severely injured him—but he hadn’t expected Li Hao’s fight would drive him to this brink.

But soon, Li Xuanli remembered something else, a smile appearing in his eyes: “Tiangang, did Hao’er just enter the Master realm?”

Li Tiangang’s eyes narrowed slightly, then nodded. “Yes.”

“Hah! You’re incredible!”

Li Xuanli burst into laughter: “A Master at fourteen? That’s absurd. Has the Li family ever produced a monster like this?”

Li Tiangang fell silent, shaking his head slightly. “Let’s return first. Even with such talent, he must walk the right path.”

Li Xuanli hurriedly said, “When you return, speak gently to the boy. This matter…”

He lowered his voice, whispering: “There may be something more to it.”

Li Tiangang’s eyes grew cold. “Compared to what he did today, that’s irrelevant!”

Li Xuanli froze, staring at his cold, resolute gaze. For a moment, the seventh brother who had fought for over a decade in Yanbei felt strangely unfamiliar…

…

…

In the General’s Mansion, everyone had returned.

In the Shanhe Courtyard, inside the bedroom, all eyes fixed on the blood-soaked boy on the bed, then turned to the physician treating his wounds. He Qianlan asked anxiously: “How is he? Why hasn’t Hao’er woken yet?”

The physician frowned, his face filled with disbelief. “Strange… very strange.”

“What’s strange?!” Li Muxiu snapped, pacing back and forth.

The physician hesitated, then said, “Hao Young Master’s body cannot absorb these medicines—as if his meridians are blocked. The healing herbs… they’re completely ineffective!”

Li Muxiu’s face turned pale; he rushed to the bedside. The precious herbs applied to Li Hao’s wounds were indeed seeping out with the blood, untouched by absorption. “H-how is this possible?!”

The physician had never seen such a bizarre phenomenon; he could not speak.

“Then what of Hao’er’s injuries…?” Li Muxiu gritted his teeth. Was he to just wait for death?

The physician quickly said, “Don’t panic. Although Hao Young Master’s body cannot absorb medicine, strangely, his body is slowly healing itself—as if…”

He paused, then uttered a shocking statement: “As if he’s reached the Immortal State of the Three Imperishables.”

The physician had treated those who reached the Three Imperishables. This phenomenon matched what he’d seen.

Hearing this, everyone in the room trembled, faces filled with horror.

Similar to the Immortal State of the Three Imperishables?

Could it be that in this battle, Li Hao had entered the Three Imperishables?

Impossible!

Even Li Tiangang, seated elsewhere and covered in medicinal poultices, paled at these words.

Li Hao entering the Heavenly Human realm had already shocked him—leaping from the Fifteen Li realm straight to the Imperishable? Even a sage reincarnated couldn’t do that!

Among the crowd, Liu Yuerong’s face changed drastically, her expression vacant.

“Li Tiangang!”

Li Muxiu suddenly turned, storming toward Li Tiangang, teeth clenched:

“Look! Look what you’ve done! Hao’er’s body is unique—medicines can’t be absorbed. You claim his achievements come from Li family herbs? You know nothing about your own son!”

Li Tiangang was momentarily speechless. This situation had never crossed his mind. His union with his wife was exceedingly rare; in other words, a body like Li Hao’s had almost never existed before—and even if it had, no one had paid attention.

Hearing Li Muxiu’s words, everyone’s expressions shifted. They stared at the bloodied boy on the bed, falling silent.

Without any medicine, he had reached such a level? It was horrifying, inconceivable. Even among those who had seen countless prodigies and monsters, none had witnessed such an extreme case.

Outside the room, in the courtyard, Li Mingguang, Li Wushuang, Li Qianfeng, and others heard the conversation inside. Their faces turned pale with shock.

As Li family sons, they had seen many geniuses—but compared to the wounded boy on the bed, they all seemed insignificant.

Li Qianfeng’s face turned ashen; his fingers clenched tightly within his sleeves.

“Hao-gege…”

Inside the room, Bian Ruxue stood beside the foot of the bed, her eyes filled with awe and worry.

“What do we do now?”

Li Muxiu turned to the physician, urgently asking.

The physician looked at the boy, his expression pained. “If Hao Young Master can’t absorb medicine, we can only let him heal naturally. But the dragon fangs pierce him constantly, inflicting continuous damage—this severely hampers his self-recovery…”

Li Muxiu’s fists cracked with pressure; he forced down his rage: “Then we remove the dragon fangs first.”

Hearing this, Li Tiangang’s lips twitched as if to speak, but he held back.

“I’ll help,” Li Qingzheng said immediately.

The physician nodded. “Protect his heart meridian—prevent tearing when removing the fangs.”

Under his direction, Li Qingzheng and Li Muxiu worked in tandem—one guarding the heart meridian, the other extracting the fangs.

As the chains were pulled free, the boy on the bed spat blood, his face twisted in agony—but his brows remained tightly furrowed, as if trapped in a nightmare, unawake.

Li Muxiu’s eyes welled with tears as he watched the physician bandage Li Hao’s wounds and wipe away the blood. He took a deep breath, teeth clenched: “Everyone, leave. Let Hao’er rest. I’ll find out why you’ve treated him like this!”

As he spoke, his gaze locked onto Li Tiangang, then he turned and walked out first.

The others sighed in sorrow and followed.

Li Qingzheng stayed behind, tending to Li Hao, and cast a dark glance at Liu Yuerong as she walked out last.

He had witnessed the entire explosion—and now, a suspicion stirred in his heart.

…

…

“So, did Hao’er attack Qianfeng to avenge the poisoning from years ago?”

In the Li family’s Enforcement Hall, everyone had gathered.

Li Muxiu sat upright on the dais, his face grim, his gaze sweeping over Liu Yuerong.

He suddenly recalled how, the first time he met Li Hao, Li Hao had regarded him with a hint of caution.

His heart ached—he must have been remembering the poisoning incident back then, which was why he had been so wary of others.

“Uncle, this is baseless. Don’t speak recklessly.”

Liu Yuerong rose quickly and said: “Hao’er has had a rebellious nature these years, associating with the wrong people. Who knows what nonsense he heard from servants—or whether someone deliberately stirred up trouble to mock our General’s Mansion?”

“Shut up!”

Li Muxiu roared: “Wicked woman, do you think I don’t know what kind of person Hao’er is? If he had no grudge against you, why would he care about the position of the Li family’s True Dragon?!”

“Even if he handed it over to your son, what difference would it make?”

“Glory? Fame?”

He couldn’t help but laugh bitterly: “With Hao’er’s talent, these things are within his grasp!”

“He reached the Fifteen-Li Realm at thirteen!”

“What?!”

Hearing Li Muxiu’s words, everyone turned pale with shock.

He reached the Fifteen-Li Realm at thirteen?!

Li Muxiu stared at the beautiful, dazed woman and sneered: “Tell me—how could anyone in this world not know the name of a child who reached the Fifteen-Li Realm at thirteen?!”

The hall fell silent, all in stillness.

Given Li Muxiu’s nature, this was almost certainly true. Even if he were fourteen, the boy was still astonishing enough to stun the world.

But the earlier shock had come too fast—they hadn’t thought of this.

Liu Yuerong snapped back to herself, forcing calm into her pale face: “Uncle, even if Hao’er’s talent is unparalleled, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t covet the True Dragon position. With the True Dragon’s resources and the aid of the Li ancestors, he could ascend even further. Isn’t that temptation great for a genius?”

Li Muxiu sneered: “Still making excuses. Do you think I don’t know Hao’er’s nature?”

“Glory and profit pass before his eyes; honor and disgrace never touch his heart!”

“His talent surpasses your imagination. Don’t forget—he spends his days either fishing with me or amusing himself. Has any of you ever seen him cultivate?”

Upon hearing this, Li Xuanli and Li Fenghua showed no reaction, but the ladies in the courtyard all paled.

Indeed.

Over these years, they had never once seen the boy cultivate.

He spent his days eating, drinking, and playing, even had time to visit the kitchen and play with the cooks, learning to cook—wasting precious time.

Could such a person really fabricate lies to kill Ganfeng and eliminate rivals for the True Dragon position?

Could he possibly envy the benefits of the True Dragon legacy? Who would believe that?!

At this moment, no one had any doubt left.

Liu Yuerong’s body trembled slightly: “Uncle, you’ve spent too much time with Hao’er—you can’t be biased. This boy seems simple, but he’s anything but! He claimed he remembers everything since he was one. If that’s true, how terrifying is this child?”

“All these years, he’s been pretending. Playing a role.”

“He’s pretending to be a naive child. Pretending to be innocent.”

“At such a young age, he has such deep cunning—can you really trust him?”

“Shut up!!”

Li Muxiu slammed the table and roared: “Even if Hao’er is pretending, even if he’s faking—how precious is a genius’s time?!”

“No matter how cunning you are, you still only have twenty-four hours a day. You say he’s pretending to play—doesn’t that still consume real, irreplaceable time?”

“If he had used that time to cultivate, he wouldn’t just be in the Fifteen-Li Realm—he might even reach the Three Immortalities!”

“At that point, why would he care about your son? One slap would crush him. Does your son even deserve to be compared to Hao’er? Does he deserve to compete with him?!”

At these words, everyone turned to look at Liu Yuerong.

Her words no longer held any weight for them now.

The earlier shock had been too sudden—they hadn’t had time to think. But now, with a moment’s reflection, they knew Li Muxiu spoke the truth.

The key was—it was fact.

Li Hao had never cultivated. Even if he’d deliberately pretended to be playful before others, the cost was far too great.

Had he used that time to cultivate, why fear competition? The truth was, Li Hao’s talent was simply too monstrous.

For such a genius, they could not imagine any other motive for framing Liu Yuerong or murdering Ganfeng.

Competition? As Li Muxiu said, although Ganfeng was a rare talent and a direct disciple of the Buddha Lord, compared to Li Hao…

He truly wasn’t worthy.

(End of Chapter)