Chapter 84

After Li Xuanli came over, he first bowed slightly to the Eldest Lady He Jianlan to greet her.

Then he greeted the other sisters-in-law one by one, and greeted the other brothers and sisters, before sitting down and saying with a smile: "Shuang'er, how is your cultivation in the Qianji Sect? I heard you made it onto the Qian Ranking. Not bad."

Hearing her father's praise, Li Wushuang's expression was calm, but Li Yun beside her had shining eyes, revealing a rather proud appearance, and Li Zhining also looked at her eldest sister with sparkling eyes, as if she had already regarded the other as her role model.

"It's just ranked at the end. If I could be like the Ninth Uncle, once I entered the Qian Ranking, I would win the championship in one go, that would be amazing."

She didn't mean to show off, just speaking the truth.

Hearing his daughter mention the Old Ninth, Li Xuanli's eyes changed slightly, and the smile on his face faded.

That dazzling figure like a shooting star back then, just like what Emperor Da Yu said fourteen years ago, that falling light was the pain of their Li Clan! Although they had nine brothers, not counting sisters, they were all connected in heart and extremely united.

It was just that later, they each married wives, and they interacted less, so they gradually drifted apart.

Thinking of the past, they were all practicing martial arts and eating together in the big courtyard, talking and laughing together, avoiding their father's punishment together...

Time flies like a shuttle.

The summer frog croaks that stayed in the courtyard in that memory could no longer be heard...

Seeing that the atmosphere at the scene was slightly quiet, Li Wushuang also realized that she shouldn't have brought up that Li Clan scar, her pretty face changed slightly, and she didn't say anything more.

Li Xuanli, whose mood was low, came back to his senses and noticed that his daughter was silent. Only then did he realize that he had been affected by his own emotions, and immediately smiled slightly, saying freely:

"You want to compare with your Ninth Uncle? Then you are still too green. Your Ninth Uncle reached the Heavenly Human Grandmaster Realm at seventeen, pushed back all the way, set up a ring at the Fengxian Terrace outside Qingzhou City, challenged the proud talents of the world, and finally fought until no one dared to respond!"

Talking about those youthful days, Li Xuanli's face had a few more smiles, very nostalgic for those high-spirited times.

At that time, they still had the sky above their heads, their father, and their eldest brother, so they could enjoy the Jianghu and roam the four directions.

Drinking wine and riding horses, traveling through the nineteen states.

But as the sky above their heads collapsed, their father's soul returned to the Mo River, and to this day, he could not be liberated, could not return to the Li Clan Ancestral Hall, and could not be reincarnated.

They no longer had that leisure to continue wandering, but began to practice desperately.

At the same time, they also began to shoulder the heavy burden of the Li Clan, guarding the frontier, galloping on the battlefield, killing demons and eliminating evil!

Hearing Li Xuanli's words, the ladies of each courtyard also had some aftertaste in their eyes. That period of time was also when most of them first married into the Li Mansion, the most innocent and romantic time, and also the most beautiful moment they spent with their husbands.

A yearning appeared in Li Wushuang's eyes. Her father's few words outlined a figure with a majestic back, invincible in the world in her heart. That was her Ninth Uncle, the Ninth Uncle she had heard about since she was a child, the one she was most proud of.

Challenging the world—just this disdainful style, how many people in the world could do it?

Li Hao sighed secretly. Such a proud talent, unfortunately, died young, which was regrettable.

"The food is getting cold, let's eat first."

In the end, He Jianlan was the most rational, withdrew her thoughts, and said with a smile.

Everyone smiled, then greeted each other and picked up their chopsticks.

"Mm, these dishes are not bad."

During the meal, everyone talked about other things and didn't bring up those sad memories again, seemingly reaching a tacit understanding in this regard.

Li Xuanli ate a few dishes, praised them, and said: "Shuang'er, it's rare for you to come back, try it too. This Bamboo Fragrant Ink Dragon Liver is quite good. It's the taste from more than ten years ago, not changed at all. I haven't eaten it for many years either."

"Oh?"

Li Wushuang, who had always maintained a cold expression, now also revealed a bit of a young girl's foolishness, quite curiously picked up her chopsticks, picked it up, and tasted it carefully.

"Mm, it's indeed not bad." Li Wushuang smiled, revealing her teeth.

Li Xuanli looked at the Eldest Sister-in-law and smiled: "Eldest Sister-in-law is thoughtful for Shuang'er. This Bamboo Fragrant Ink Dragon Liver in the Cuihu Courtyard is a unique delicacy in our Qingzhou. I haven't eaten it for too long, I almost forgot."

He Jianlan smiled slightly, glanced at Li Hao who was eating and drinking with his head down, and smiled: "This wasn't prepared by me. It was bought by Hao'er and Yuanzhao together, saying that Shuang'er has been outside for many years and must not have eaten Qingzhou delicacies, so they specially went to buy it."

Li Xuanli was stunned, looked at Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao on the other side, and said: "You bought this?"

Li Hao glanced at him. He was still quite respectful to this Fifth Uncle who galloped on the battlefield, and nodded.

Li Yuanzhao smiled on the side: "Fifth Uncle, Brother Hao knows how to eat best. The delicious dishes you just ate were all bought by Brother Hao asking me to go buy them. There are several more, and they will be sent up in a while."

"Oh?"

Li Xuanli was surprised. He naturally had an impression of Li Hao, the only son of the Seventh Brother and Qingqing. He even attended his hundred-day banquet.

Later, he heard that this little guy was a martial arts waste body, but it seemed that he had cleared it up himself, or maybe the Second Master thought of some way to help him clear it. In short, he could practice again.

It was just a pity that he delayed Foundation Establishment and Blood Melting, so his aptitude was inevitably inferior to others, and coupled with starting late, he wasted time.

Thinking of these, he couldn't help but feel a burst of regret in his heart, and the look he looked at Li Hao became even softer:

"Hao'er is thoughtful. I heard your father is coming back soon, and the war in Yanbei has also ended and been submitted to the imperial court. I believe you will see him soon."

Saying that, he said to his daughter beside him: "Shuang'er, why don't you thank Little Hao quickly? This intention is no less inferior to other gifts."

Li Hao felt a move in his heart. This Fifth Uncle didn't come before and arrived last, but these words were pointed. It seemed that he had already used his spiritual sense to investigate here.

He immediately felt a good impression in his heart. This Fifth Uncle was obviously a reasonable person.

For the other party's sake, Li Hao didn't care about the previous matter anymore, pretending to be indifferent. At this time, if he looked at Li Wushuang one more time, the other party would mostly feel embarrassed.

On the other side, when Li Wushuang heard the Eldest Lady's words, her face looked a bit wrong. Now, after hearing her father's words, she suddenly felt that the dragon liver she was chewing in her mouth was actually a bit difficult to swallow. She glanced at Li Hao, but saw that the other party was picking up vegetables, seemingly not deliberately waiting for her thanks.

This attitude in her eyes was indifference, a bit arrogant.

Her face turned cold, she picked up the dragon liver she had bitten twice and had half left in her bowl and placed it on the table, turned to pick up other dishes, and said in her mouth:

"Father, I have already thanked him, and I actually don't like eating this dragon liver; it's too greasy."

Li Xuanli was stunned, his face suddenly sank, he put down his chopsticks, stared at her and said:

"Shuang'er, Father has taught you since you were young that you should be honest and open. You just came back, what prejudice do you have against Hao'er? Just because he sent you a bottle of pills just now?!"

At this moment, he didn't hide the fact that he had noticed the situation here long ago.

As he got angry, others at the dining table couldn't help but stop their chopsticks. Gao Qingqing knew her husband's temperament and also felt strange. Shuang'er wasn't like this before.

However, the situation was a bit stiff at the moment. If she asked her daughter to apologize again, with a room full of people watching, she was afraid it would hurt the child's self-esteem.

He Jianlan saw that the scene was a bit embarrassing, and said softly: "Xuanli, Shuang'er just came back, don't get angry. Shuang'er, do you have any opinions about Hao'er?"

Li Wushuang didn't expect her father to scold her in public. She suddenly felt an inexplicable grievance in her heart. She hadn't returned home for a long time, and now that she was back, father and daughter hadn't met many times, yet her father scolded her for an outsider.

She bit her lip and glared at Li Hao: "This has to be asked of him. When I was away, he bullied my brother. Father, you have been recuperating in the Zen Mountain, so you don't know about this."

"Mm?" Li Xuanli was stunned. Li Hao bullied his child? Li Yun's face also changed slightly, and he suddenly became a bit nervous.

When the eldest sister first came back, the three of them naturally had a lot to say. When Li Wushuang asked with a smile, has anyone bullied you over these years?

He took the opportunity to talk about the time he was beaten by Li Hao when he was young. He felt a bit ashamed to tell his mother about this kind of thing, but telling this eldest sister, he felt a sense of finding support.

He had thought about asking for it back himself, but every time he saw Li Hao, he felt inexplicably afraid in his heart.

And Li Wushuang heard this, naturally remembered Li Hao's name, and thought about finding an opportunity to clean up the other party.

So the reason was here... Li Hao was speechless, glanced at the blushing and nervous Li Yun, didn't expect this kid to hold such a grudge. It seemed that he didn't hit too hard, but too lightly, that he actually dared to remember it.

"Yun'er, when did this happen?" Gao Qingqing's face changed slightly, and she hurriedly asked.

When had Li Yun ever been watched by so many elders? His face turned slightly red, and he lowered his head halfway: "Several years ago."

"When exactly?"

"Five or six years ago..."

When everyone heard this, they immediately knew it was a misunderstanding. Five or six years ago?

At that time, Li Hao and Li Yun were only eight or nine years old. This was at most children messing around, how could it be called bullying?

Moreover, Li Hao seemed to be a waste body at that time, his meridians were not open, and he hadn't stepped into cultivation.

And Li Yun had already been practicing in the martial arts field for several years.

Mm? That's right! How could he still be bullied? Thinking of this, everyone's eyes became suspicious, looking at Li Hao, and then at Li Yun.

Gao Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't the kind of bullying she thought, it was mostly children fighting because of a verbal dispute. The injury was probably not as heavy as the sparring in the martial arts field.

"You child, how long has this been, why are you still holding it in your heart and complaining to your sister." Gao Qingqing said unpleasantly. Her son was good at everything, just that his spirit wasn't big enough, and he didn't learn his father's magnanimity.

Other ladies laughed lightly. Liu Yuerong smiled and said: "Yun'er, five or six years ago, your Brother Hao hadn't practiced yet. Was it you bullying him, or him bullying you?"

This sounded like a joke, but Li Hao immediately heard a sense of probing.

Of course, it might also be his overthinking.

Li Yun's face became even more congested. He also felt ashamed, but at that time, he really hadn't beaten Li Hao, and the other party's strength was much greater than his.

"I was careless at the time."

"He ambushed me, and his strength was great." Li Yun said with a red face.

Hearing Li Yun's words, everyone laughed dumbly, thinking that Li Hao was body refining earlier, so naturally his strength would be greater.

Looking at Li Yun's blushing face, they knew that this child was considering that he was practicing in the martial arts field, but was bullied by Li Hao who hadn't practiced, which was shameful to say.

As a result, he secretly complained to his sister whom he hadn't seen for many years, but spilled this embarrassing thing out.

"Hmph, isn't it because you always miss Brother Hao's fiancée."

Li Yuanzhao heard Li Yun's words and said angrily.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the gaze cast by his mother, and she said three words with her eyes: You shut up.

Li Xuanli understood that it was a misunderstanding. He glared at Li Yun unpleasantly and said: "Useless thing, complaining to your sister about such a small matter. A dignified seven-foot man, if you are not convinced, go to the martial arts field to spar with Hao'er. What kind of ability is it to cry to your father and mother here!"

He scolded severely, making Li Yun even more ashamed.

Gao Qingqing heard him scolding her son like this, rolled her eyes at him unpleasantly, changed the subject, and asked Li Hao:

"Speaking of which, Hao'er, when will your fiancée come back? She is apprenticed to the Sword Saint. When she comes back, let her spar with Shuang'er."

(End of chapter)