Chapter 25

Soon, Li Li Muxiu landed on the previous fishing platform.

Scanning with his gaze, he didn't see Li Hao's figure. His face changed, and he quickly scanned the surroundings, immediately seeing Li Hao crouching on the ground near a dirt pile a thousand meters away, fishing there.

"Did he really lose his patience?"

Li Li Muxiu shook his head slightly and was about to rush over when he suddenly saw a fish demon with a smashed skull in his peripheral vision.

He was stunned for a moment, his figure flickered, and he appeared in front of this fish demon like a teleportation.

Examining it carefully, he realized it was a wound smashed out by a fist.

Li Li Muxiu reached out and touched the fish demon's body, sensing carefully, and his face changed instantly.

Zhou Tian Realm? And about the third level! This fish demon... was killed by that little guy?!

A flash of shock appeared in Li Li Muxiu's eyes, and he couldn't help but look at Li Hao in the distance. Then, without a word, he flew a thousand meters and arrived at Li Hao's side in the blink of an eye.

"Kid!"

The sudden voice gave Li Hao a fright.

He had been concentrating on the float and was a bit absorbed, not noticing when the old man had arrived.

"Shh!"

Li Hao hurriedly made a gesture.

Li Li Muxiu was stunned. The words he was about to ask stopped at his lips, and he followed Li Hao's gaze to the float.

His gaze penetrated to the bottom of the water, and he immediately saw a fish demon circling near the fishing hook, seemingly hesitating.

What surprised Li Li Muxiu was that the fishing hook was completely covered by the bait, hidden perfectly; it was impossible to detect that there was a hook inside this food.

Good heavens, when did he learn this hidden-hook technique?

While Li Li Muxiu was shocked in his heart, the circling fish demon finally couldn't hold back. Although it felt a faint sense of unease in its heart, it couldn't say why. Finally, stimulated by the bait, its brain heated up, and it impulsively bit down.

It bit! Li Hao's eyes lit up, and when the float sank, he pulled hard.

The hook instantly locked onto the fish demon's mouth, and the stinging pain made it struggle, causing waves in the water.

Li Hao didn't hold back, quickly pulling the line and using the previous fish-playing technique to skillfully drag it in the water, left and right, exhausting its strength.

A few minutes later, this fish demon was dragged ashore by Li Hao; it was a small demon at the sixth level of the Tongli Realm.

Seeing Li Hao's relaxed appearance, Li Li Muxiu's eyes flickered slightly. After Li Hao removed the hook from the fish demon's mouth and swung it onto the hillside behind, Li Li Muxiu said: "That fish demon over there, did you kill it?"

"Mm."

Li Hao nodded in admission.

There was no one else here, so lying made no sense.

"Do you know what realm that fish demon was?" Li Li Muxiu narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at Li Hao's eyes, as if wanting to see through this child's soul.

"Zhou Tian Realm?"

Li Hao estimated according to the power the fish demon had erupted with in the water.

In any case, it couldn't be the Tongli Realm.

"That's right, at least the third level of the Zhou Tian Realm!" Li Li Muxiu stared at Li Hao: "You only practice Bull Strength, at most the sixth level of the Tongli Realm. Honestly, did you secretly practice something else?"

Li Hao had long since prepared his excuse. Seeing him take the initiative to offer the opening, he pretended to hesitate for a moment before nodding: "That's right."

"Which one?"

"The Thousand Dragon Sacred Body on the sixth floor," Li Hao said.

Li Li Muxiu raised an eyebrow. Such a coincidence? He had wanted to say that if Li Hao truly had body-tempering talent, he wouldn't mind teaching him this body-tempering secret manual later. He didn't expect this kid to have gone to learn it himself, and looking at the situation, he seemed to have learned it quite deeply! "What level have you practiced to?" Li Li Muxiu stared.

"The second level," Li Hao said truthfully.

The second level is the Dragon Body, capable of erupting with half-dragon strength. Even without stepping into the Zhou Tian Realm, it could exert strength comparable to the early Zhou Tian Realm, so it could explain why he killed the fish demon.

Hearing this, Li Li Muxiu secretly gasped in his heart. Good heavens, the second level?

He looked at this child who wasn't even eight years old, so tiny, and actually practiced to the second level?! It seems that brat Li Fu wasn't wrong; this child truly has a talent for body tempering.

"Even with the Dragon Body, being able to drag that fish demon ashore is very difficult. You little guy, not only do you have talent for body tempering, but in fishing, you also have great potential!" Li Li Muxiu said with a very gratified tone of praise.

Li Hao scratched his head and smiled modestly, but in his heart, he was complaining: listening to the old man's tone, it feels like his body-tempering talent isn't even as pleasing to him as his fishing talent.

"They all thought you were a martial arts waste, but I didn't expect that at such a young age, you could already slay the Zhou Tian Realm, haha..."

Li Li Muxiu burst into hearty laughter. Regardless of the future limit, at this very moment, Li Hao's combat power was three times stronger than those top geniuses with ninth-grade battle bodies!

As the laughter ended, Li Li Muxiu thought of something and looked down at Li Hao:

"Speaking of which, Li Fu shouldn't know about this, right? You little imp, when did you secretly practice this, and why didn't you tell Li Fu? Is it because you don't trust him?"

"A few years ago, when I first entered the Listening Rain Tower, I was already learning it."

Li Hao said with an honest face: "Uncle Fu... he... he didn't ask me."

Li Li Muxiu rolled his eyes. "If people don't ask, you don't say, is that it? Stop it. No wonder you could practice Bull Strength to perfection in three short months. With such a foundation, practicing Bull Strength isn't like eating and drinking? Is this something your father told you to hide?"

Li Hao thought about it and shook his head slightly.

"Then it's your own idea?"

Li Li Muxiu narrowed his eyes.

Seeing Li Hao silent, not speaking, many things flashed through his mind, and cold light appeared in his eyes: "Could it be that someone in the mansion covets you, so you chose to be low-key and disguise yourself?"

Li Hao looked into the old man's eyes and saw the cold murderous intent within. He deliberated and just nodded slightly.

"Who is it?!"

Seeing it was indeed so, Li Li Muxiu was furious.

To let a seven-year-old child suffer such grievances, those second-generation little hussies are simply going to turn the sky upside down! Li Hao shook his head slightly and said: "For now, I don't want to say."

"Why?" Li Li Muxiu was stunned, staring at Li Hao, and then immediately understood the child's thoughts:

"You don't trust me? You think I might be related to the person who covets you? *Heh*, you're overthinking it. I have no children, and there aren't many people in this world worth my concern."

Li Hao still shook his head, not making a sound.

Li Li Muxiu stared at him with a dark face. A moment later, the anger on his face disappeared, and he nodded slightly, revealing a gratified smile:

"We two just met, so we aren't exactly familiar. It's normal for you to maintain such caution. However, since you refuse to say who that person is, why are you willing to expose your strength in front of me? You could have completely let that fish demon unhook, let it drag the rod away, and continued to hide."

Li Hao smiled slightly and said: "Because you're not a bad person, old man."

Li Li Muxiu was stunned, looking at the bright smile on Li Hao's face and his clean eyes; he was lost in thought for a moment.

Half a moment later, he came to his senses and laughed with a bit of self-mockery. "You've misjudged. I'm not a bad person, but when I get bad, I don't act like a human."

"Then what are you like?"

"When you step out of the Divine General Mansion in the future, you'll hear my name outside," Li Li Muxiu laughed.

Seeing this, Li Hao didn't pursue it further.

"You little guy, you're quite clever at such a young age; it's a bit of a pity." Li Li Muxiu looked at Li Hao, liking this child more and more. If such a seedling could cultivate normally, wouldn't he likely be another Little Jiu?

However, he only felt a bit of regret, without any deep obsession.

After all, even if he became Li Li Junye, didn't he also die on the battlefield? This seems to be the fate of the Li family's sons.

"From now on, you don't need to hide your body-tempering talent in front of me. Show it openly. I've seen many geniuses; you are just at the level of a normal first-class genius, you can't scare me."

Li Li Muxiu said calmly: "If anyone in the mansion covets you again, feeling that you are in the way of some people, I'd like to see if our Divine General Mansion can't accommodate a child who practices body tempering."

After cleaning up the catch, Li Li Muxiu took Li Hao and flew back to Qingzhou City.

To increase Li Hao's interest in fishing, Li Li Muxiu didn't land directly in the Listening Rain Tower in the inner mansion, but landed at the main gate of the mansion, then let Li Hao carry the creel, and the old man and the young boy walked into the mansion in a grand manner.

"Old man, what are you doing?" Li Hao asked, puzzled.

"You don't understand, this is the fishing tradition."

Li Li Muxiu held his head high and chest out, looking proud and calm:

"Not counting that one you killed and the one you borrowed as bait, you caught four; for a beginner like you, that's already a big harvest. Must show everyone."

"Is there such a rule?" Li Hao was surprised.

Li Li Muxiu rolled his eyes at him, "I say there is, so there is."

"Marquis Lord Mutian!"

The retainers and maids along the way were startled when they saw Li Li Muxiu, not understanding why this pillar of the Listening Rain Tower, who rarely left, was here, and hurriedly knelt to pay their respects.

Li Li Muxiu ignored them, paid no attention, and led Li Hao straight past.

The two took many turns, going only to places with many people.

In the martial arts field, the clan's disciples were practicing, and an old man from the army was lecturing on the platform. Li Li Muxiu pushed the door and walked in.

The old man from the army was about to frown, but after seeing Li Li Muxiu's face, he was startled and hurriedly stood up to welcome him: "The old general of the Yuan Battalion pays respects to Marquis Lord Mutian!"

"Lecturing, are you?"

Li Li Muxiu asked a question he already knew the answer to, and said calmly: "Took Hao'er out fishing today. Hao'er is trying it for the first time and has no experience, so he only caught these few small demons. Do you want to take them to go with your wine?"

The old man from the army was stunned. Seeing the few small fish demons struggling in the creel in Li Hao's hand, he hurriedly said: "Thank you for your kindness, Marquis, but I already have side dishes for my wine today."

He politely declined.

Having been in the mansion for many years, how could he not know the temperament of this old Marquis? He immediately understood that this was a routine procedure; he had come here to show off.

If he really took them, he would definitely get angry and run over in the middle of the night to secretly beat him up.

By then, he might not even be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

He didn't dare take such a risk.

"Oh, that's fine, then you continue teaching." Li Li Muxiu said casually and led Li Hao away.

Li Hao had black lines all over his head. This is the fishing tradition? Too forceful!

Turning past the martial arts field, they turned to the Changchun Courtyard.

"Second Uncle, why do you have time to come over? It's almost lunch; shall I have the servants add a pair of bowls and chopsticks for you? What would you like to eat?" He He Jianlan was chatting with the fifth aunt, Gao Shi. Seeing Li Li Muxiu, the two hurriedly stood up to welcome them.

Li Li Muxiu said calmly: "Hao'er caught a few small fish; make a soup for you."

"This was caught by Hao'er?"

He He Jianlan was stunned, seeing Li Hao carrying the creel and the few small fish struggling and jumping inside.

"Otherwise? You think I would fish for these small fish?" Li Li Muxiu glared at her unhappily, looking displeased.

He He Jianlan was speechless, knowing this Second Uncle had a strange temperament; being rude to him was a small matter, but one must never talk about fishing.

"Yes, yes, since it's a gift from Second Uncle, I will thank you and accept it," He He Jianlan said immediately.

"Why thank me? It's Hao'er's fish," Li Li Muxiu emphasized.

He He Jianlan was stunned and could only say helplessly: "Then thank you, Hao'er."

"Don't be polite, Eldest Aunt," Li Hao said hurriedly, while squinting at the old man. This tradition made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles, like thorns on his back, like a fishbone in his throat.

The fish were handed to He He Jianlan. After the old man and the young boy left, He He Jianlan looked at these few small fish and realized they were all Tongli Realm small demons, which couldn't help but surprise her.

Having heard Li Fu say before that Li Hao had talent in body tempering, it seems it was indeed so.

"Was this really caught by that child?"

Gao Ji Qingqing looked at the small fish in surprise. Li Hao was a martial arts waste, as everyone knew. Everyone thought the child was just an ordinary person, but didn't expect he could catch Tongli Realm small demons, which meant Li Hao had also embarked on cultivation, and his progress wasn't bad.

"Second Uncle wouldn't lie about fishing," He He Jianlan said.

She looked at the courtyard gate, where the old and young figures were no longer visible: "It seems that child has started cultivation through the path of body tempering. This is a bitter path; poor child."

Gao Ji Qingqing couldn't help but shake her head slightly and sighed softly.

Although Li Hao had talent for body tempering, this path was too bitter; not many people could persist to the end. If it were her child, she would rather let the other party be an ordinary person and enjoy a lifetime.

"It must be the intention of Little Seven and the others... truly ruthless enough," Gao Ji Qingqing said in a low, ghostly voice.

Returning to the Listening Rain Tower, Li Hao saw Li Fu waiting outside the building from afar.

Li Li Muxiu also saw him and snorted lightly.

When he saw the two, Li Fu immediately welcomed them. Looking at the fish blood stained on Li Hao, his face changed, and he hurriedly said: "Second Uncle, Hao'er he..."

"Fishing, you know, it's inevitable to have a contest with fish demons. Don't worry, with me by his side, Hao'er won't get hurt," Li Li Muxiu said calmly.

Li Fu breathed a sigh of relief and then handed the things in his hand to Li Hao: "This is a letter from the Sword Hut; it should be from Miss Xue'er. Take a look."

(End of chapter)