Chapter 148: Recommendation

"After all, he's just a boy."

"The world chases fame and fortune; who else is as refined as we are?"

Two young temple attendants chuckled as they conversed.

Li Hao, having walked far away, heard this and turned back, snatching several Go stones from the white stone box and placing them in five spots on the board, then gave a soft snort and strode off.

"Bold boy, you—"

The young temple attendant holding the white stones flew into a rage, about to shout, but the boy was already gone; he angrily withdrew his gaze, ready to clear away the disrupted stones, when he noticed his friend staring blankly at the board.

He felt surprised, looked down, and immediately realized his previous deadlock had been reversed—the five stones had carved out an entirely new territory for him.

The key was, one stone fewer would have been scattered, undetectable.

"This…"

…

After wandering around for a while, Li Hao grew slightly bored; seeing that Ren Ren Qianqian's soul-revival ritual wasn't over, he found the elderly temple attendant and asked him to tell the young girl who had just entered that she should wait for him upon exiting, and not wander far.

He handed over two silver pieces; the old attendant gladly accepted and promised to pass on the message.

Li Hao then swept his sleeves with a breeze of purity, strolled out of the Martial Temple, entered the city, and found a bustling tavern to inquire about Tianren Zongshi Bai Bai Chunhai.

The tavern was packed with guests, extremely lively; suspended from the spiral staircase was a candle, its flame flickering, and at half a meter above the candle hung a delicate dagger inlaid with amber and jade.

Below, many people were egging each other on.

Li Hao glanced twice—he learned the tavern was running a promotion: anyone who could retrieve the dagger without disturbing the candle flame would receive it as a gift.

Just by looking at the gemstones on the dagger, one could tell it was worth a thousand taels of silver; no wonder it drew so many.

Li Hao had no interest in the dagger; he took another staircase upstairs and sat at a seat near the railing.

He glanced around, filtered out the surrounding noise, and carefully sifted through the whispers he overheard.

His hearing was sharp; even conversations from outside the tavern—in nearby teahouses and among passersby on the street—were all caught clearly.

Even hushed secrets could be heard distinctly.

For instance, behind him and downstairs, several women whispered: That boy by the railing is so handsome…

Li Hao's mood instantly brightened.

Suddenly, Li Hao heard the words "Bai Bai Chunhai" coming from a table near the window; he was startled, and saw three figures seated there—two women and one man—speaking in low tones:

"Tianren Zongshi has challenged Tianren Zongshi Bai Bai Chunhai; after the Tianren Zongshi Conference ends, they'll duel at Heaven's Sword Peak."

"They say Tianren Zongshi Bai Bai Chunhai's palm technique is divine—capable of striking a tree covered in snow, leaving the snow unmoved while the tree shatters. I wonder if it's true."

"Maybe it's just his disciple exaggerating…"

Li Hao's eyes brightened slightly; he immediately rose and walked over to their table: "Forgive the intrusion—do you know Tianren Zongshi Bai Bai Chunhai?"

Their conversation fell silent; their expressions changed slightly, clearly surprised their private remarks had been overheard.

"Are you his disciple?"

They looked up, eyeing Li Hao with hostility; but when they saw his young age, they subtly relaxed.

To gossip about someone's master—should a real fight break out, this boy's age would make him no match for them.

"No, I just want to meet him," Li Hao said, shaking his head.

The three paused, exchanged glances, and relaxed.

"You're here to become his disciple, aren't you?"

The girl in the plain white dress, whose appearance was gentle and voice soft, spoke.

Li Hao stared at her, then realized: the Tianren Zongshi Conference attracted not only masters from across the land, but also many young martial artists eager to seek a master.

Some were scions of fallen noble families, others of newly risen ones—all traveling thousands of miles to find a teacher.

After all, with so many masters here, luck might just bring one or two within reach.

Li Hao smiled, offered no explanation, and asked: "Do you know where he is?"

"Knowing won't help—why should we tell you?"

Another girl, dressed in orange-yellow robes, more delicate in appearance but sharp-tongued, glared at Li Hao—clearly furious he'd eavesdropped.

The young man in the middle didn't stop her, only said coolly: "If you want to become a disciple, wait outside after the Tianren Zongshi Conference ends—you'll surely see him."

The girl in white, seeing their coldness toward Li Hao, merely glanced at him and fell silent.

Li Hao wasn't angry; he pulled out the remaining half-sack of silver: "Could you help me? Guide me there."

"Who cares about this little money?"

The girl in orange-yellow glanced at it, snorted, then turned and spotted the dagger hanging from the staircase; she casually pointed: "If you're truly sincere, bring me that dagger—I'll tell you."

The young man understood his junior sister was deliberately setting the boy a challenge.

He himself had just tried—he couldn't do it.

"Ling'er."

The girl in white gently called the girl's name, then apologized to Li Hao: "Sorry, we can't casually reveal Tianren Zongshi Bai Bai Chunhai's whereabouts—if we're punished…"

"The dagger? Easy."

Li Hao smiled, quickly tucked the half-sack of silver away—no point wasting money.

Though the dagger was far more valuable than his silver, in his eyes, money and treasures were merely tools for convenience—so long as they served his purpose. With his current strength, earning wealth was easy; slay a few demons, and he'd have more than enough to live as a wealthy man, free and easy.

Seeing Li Hao turn and walk toward the stairs below.

All three were stunned, exchanging glances; Zhou Ling'er snapped out of it and exclaimed: "Is he an idiot? Thinks he can actually get it?"

"Maybe he didn't read the rules—he thinks he just needs to jump three zhang high," the young man said, shaking his head with a faint sneer.

As they spoke, all three rose and moved to the railing, looking down.

Li Hao reached the ground floor; many nearby were eager to try.

To challenge, one had to first purchase the "Golden Jade Full House" meal package as a ticket.

This familiar routine stirred a touch of nostalgia in Li Hao.

He spent ten taels of silver to buy one, didn't wait for the dishes to arrive, and stepped onto the challenge area.

All eyes turned to him; when they saw his youth, the hooting grew louder—everyone assumed some noble brat couldn't resist showing off.

The money of these noble sons was the easiest to earn.

A middle-aged tavern manager nearby enthusiastically explained the rules, further stoking the atmosphere.

Before the crowd could erupt, Li Hao lightly leapt upward; under the gaze of the entire hall, he drifted up like a breeze, gently plucking the dagger from above the candle.

The rules forbade participants of the Fifteen Li Realm or above, and prohibited using qi to directly retrieve the dagger—it tested pure martial skill.

Thus, even those who had reached the Divine Wander realm, if their martial technique was mediocre, could hardly keep the candle flame still.

Yet now, as Li Hao landed, the candle flame burned steadily, its tip perfectly straight.

Li Hao smiled faintly at the stunned tavern manager, then turned and walked upstairs with the dagger.

After a brief silence, the tavern erupted in noise—everyone gasped in shock, countless eyes following the boy's figure.

Li Hao ascended, handed the dagger to Zhou Ling'er, who stood frozen by the railing, and smiled: "Help me find the way."

The three snapped back to reality—they had all seen clearly: the candle flame hadn't trembled at all; Li Hao's approach had stirred not even a breath of wind.

"H-how did you do it?" Zhou Ling'er, clutching the dagger, asked dumbly.

The young man beside her stared wide-eyed, scanning Li Hao—he was a genius of the Kun Feng List, and he couldn't do it; yet this boy had.

Was the boy also on the Kun List?

Li Hao felt the attention growing heavier; he repeated: "Help me find the way."

All three came to their senses; the young man studied Li Hao deeply, then said: "Follow us. Tianren Zongshi Bai Bai Chunhai should be with our master—but I can't guarantee we'll find him."

"Good."

Li Hao agreed.

The young man led the group out of the tavern.

The tavern manager glanced after them, but ultimately held back the urge to chase after them; lately, young nobles arriving in Dayue City were best left alone—they often stepped on iron plates.

Zhou Ling'er kept sneaking glances at Li Hao along the way; though her temper was fiery, she deeply admired strength, and kept asking questions.

"How exactly did you do it?"

"What's your name?"

"Where are you from?"

Li Hao said nothing, feeling as if a bee buzzed incessantly beside his ear.

The girl in white also quietly observed Li Hao, her eyes curious—among peers, she had rarely seen such prowess.

Not long after.

Under the young man's guidance, they arrived at the city's Tianren Zongshi Forum Platform, where crowds swarmed; the area outside was already packed.

All nearby inns were full.

In a tavern with a stage, the young man found their master—a short, middle-aged master named Zhou Zhou Haitang.

The young man introduced Li Hao, whispering briefly about the tavern incident.

Zhou Zhou Haitang, who had been watching the opera, looked up at Li Hao, then smiled lightly: "May I ask, young sir, where are you from, and what is your name?"

"Ji Hao."

Li Hao replied simply.

Zhou Zhou Haitang pondered the name briefly—it didn't appear on the Qian Kun List; likely a young scion from a newly emerged renowned family, his age fitting.

"He's just one character different from that peerless genius on the Qian Long List."

Zhou Zhou Haitang chuckled and said: "You wish to become Tianren Zongshi Bai Bai Chunhai's disciple? I know a bit of fist and foot techniques—interested?"

Zhou Ling'er and the others stared at him in surprise—never expected their master, upon seeing talent, would immediately offer to take the boy on.

However, given Li Hao's demonstrated skills and profound martial foundation, if he were to join, he might graduate faster than they did.

Thinking of this, all three felt a mix of tension and anticipation.

"I'm not here to take a master."

Li Hao shook his head slightly: "I want to buy a painting from him."

(End of Chapter)