Chapter 91

The day after the Li family banquet ended.

Far away in Yuzhou, the imperial capital.

Within that lavish palace, which drew countless gazes from across the land yet remained impossible to scale behind its towering walls.

An ancient hall, standing for a thousand years, solemn and majestic, with a dark golden dragon-scale carpet stretching from the doorway to the steps before the dragon throne.

Civil and military officials residing in Yuzhou stood lined on both sides.

From the highest-ranking ministers—Grand Preceptor, Grand Tutor, Grand General—to officials of the fourth-rank, such as provincial governors and the Director of the National Academy, all bowed their heads in silence, hands hanging low.

Even the lowest among these officials, if they stamped their foot, could make the people of dozens of cities kneel in submission.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty.”

“The Li family of Qingzhou held a banquet yesterday and proclaimed it to the realm: another divine child has been born to the Li house!”

One official respectfully reported.

Seated upon the deep, solemn dragon throne, the towering figure, though aged in appearance, stood upright, clad in a black dragon-embroidered imperial robe adorned with nine dragons, his gaze as piercing as candlelight, overlooking his ministers with supreme disdain.

At these words, a faint smile seemed to cross his face.

“Your Majesty, it is said that this Qilin child is none other than Li Hao, the infant you blessed and named fourteen years ago!”

“He is also the son of General Xing Wu Hou, who came here recently to receive his title!”

“Your Majesty’s wisdom is unmatched!”

The other ministers could not help but offer their praises and congratulations.

“Fourteen years ago, Your Majesty foresaw this child’s unparalleled talent—he is truly a star from heaven descended to earth, a great fortune for Great Yu!”

One official exclaimed with excitement.

Fourteen years ago, the State Pacifying Marquis ended a century-long demonic plague in Cangzhou, slew a great demon, and killed the Demon King—yet he was tragically pulled into the Youdu-level Mortal River and perished in Cangzhou, his heroic soul still unrested.

“Perhaps this Li Hao is the reincarnation of the State Pacifying Marquis’s star-soul, a new blessing bestowed upon Great Yu by heaven!”

Another spoke with fervent passion.

Facing the ministers’ congratulations, the figure upon the dragon throne seemed drawn back to that painful day over a decade ago.

That infant, once granted the emperor’s dragon-blood jade, had now grown into a youth of such achievement? A faint smile touched his lips; his gaze drifted beyond the hall, toward distant Qingzhou, ten thousand li away.

“Your Majesty, this child possesses unparalleled talent, yet has never before revealed any fame. I believe the Li family must explain this.”

When the congratulations ended, one man suddenly stepped forward: “Deceiving Your Majesty merits punishment!”

The others were startled, glancing sideways—it was Lord Helian Boya of the Divine General’s Mansion. They understood now; it was no surprise.

Among the Five Divine General Mansions, some were closely allied—for instance, the Wang and Li families had a marriage pact.

And among those with close ties, there were also those who despised each other: the Li and Helian families.

Seeing the emperor remain silent, another military officer stepped forward—he was a second-rank Commander who had fought alongside the Li family. He bowed respectfully and said:

“My Lord, I believe General Xing Wu Hou and his wife spent years campaigning in Yanbei, leaving their young child alone in the household with no protection. Naturally, they wished to conceal his cultivation to avoid assassination or envy—this is understandable!”

“Hmph!”

Helian Boya sneered: “Though young, the child was protected within a Divine General’s Mansion by countless warriors—who could harm him? Are you implying the Li family’s noble ladies lack loyalty, that they would betray their own child?”

The Li family’s ladies were mostly granted noble titles—Lady He Jianlan, the eldest, was a First-Rank National Lady.

Though holding no real power, their status was extremely high; they could enter the palace at any time to meet the emperor, and even if they erred, the judicial bureau could not punish them directly.

“I believe the Li family, having fought demons for years and slain countless of them, has drawn the hatred of many demons—such caution is not wrong.”

The commander still bowed his head.

Helian Boya scoffed: “Are you suggesting demons still dare invade Qingzhou? Do you dare look down on the Li family?”

Another civil official stepped forward, smiling: “I believe the Li family’s caution has merit. Now that Li Hao has reached the Fifteen-Li Realm, he can protect himself. If he ascends to Masterhood in a few years, he will have no need for such precautions.”

“If it’s a minor matter, then concealing it is even less excusable,” Helian Boya insisted.

The ministers silently shook their heads, thinking this marquis’s outburst made no sense—but they were used to it.

Over the years, since the Li family’s true dragon fell fourteen years ago and the entire realm mourned, the Helian family had never spoken up—except to insert their criticisms at every other opportunity.

Even now, after General Xing Wu Hou returned victorious from Yanbei, quelled the demonic unrest, and repelled the Holy Palace, this Helian marquis had spent half the court session arguing over the campaign’s duration and excessive supply losses.

And during the decade-long Yanbei campaign, many Helian-affiliated civil and military officials had criticized from behind, even submitting baseless impeachments against General Xing Wu Hou as commander.

But everyone knew only the Helian family could speak this way—if anyone else dared such criticism, they would have been branded a traitor and executed long ago.

The Helian family, however, had countless merits to their name; you could say they despised the Li family—everyone knew that—but you could not call them traitors.

After all, the blood they spilled along the northern frontier was no less than anyone else’s—enough to dye several cities red.

“Lord Boya is too hasty—now that General Xing Wu Hou has earned great merit, even if he had committed a crime, he couldn’t be punished at this moment, let alone over such a trivial matter…”

This Earl Bo Ya is too eager—now that General Xing Wu has achieved great merit, at such a critical moment, even if he caused trouble, he could not be punished, let alone for something so minor…

At this moment, the Emperor of Yu raised his hand, silencing the debate, and smiled: “Minister Liu speaks rightly—it is but a minor matter, unworthy of mention. General Xing Wu Hou has fought valiantly, sacrificed his family for the border’s safety—his loyalty shines as bright as sun and moon. Let us speak instead of Cangyu City.”

Seeing the emperor’s ruling, Helian Boya glanced at the civil official, sneered, and fell silent, turning instead to gaze at the dragon pillars of the hall, expressing his displeasure—as if to say: talk among yourselves, I won’t join.

Everyone knew the Helian family never participated unless they intended to criticize, so they ignored him and began discussing.

“Cangyu City nearly fell—Yue Shuhong carried thorns on his back to beg forgiveness and has been imprisoned in the Celestial Prison. His self-reproach letter is clear: only thanks to the Li family’s young master was Cangyu saved—truly, a hero in youth!”

“By the number of demons slain, he deserves a First-Rank Viscountcy.”

“For defending the city, with so many citizens saved, I believe additional rewards are warranted…”

Many ministers began debating.

Many ministers began to discuss it.

…

In a forest outside Feijiang City, Jingzhou.

Dozens of meter-thick trees crashed and collapsed like grass, split apart as a ten-meter-long tiger with bulging eyes sprinted through, four enormous eyes glowing with fierce, demonic red light on each flank.

But now, several of those eyes were pierced, shut tight, blood streaming continuously.

Suddenly, the tiger turned back. A golden light shot from the sky— a figure radiating brilliant golden light, with a Buddhist wheel behind his back, plunged into the forest.

This divine soul, shaped like a Buddha, bore the face of a teenager, calm and devoid of killing intent, yet his strikes were brutally fierce.

This divine soul, resembling a Buddha’s body, bore the face of a youth, calm and devoid of killing intent, yet his strikes were brutally fierce.

The tiger roared: “Li family, even in death, I will not forgive you!!”

The tiger roared in fury: “Li family, I will never forgive you—even in death!”

The teenager’s divine soul clapped his hands down, crushing the tiger with overwhelming spiritual power.

Behind the tiger, a demonic shadow surged forth—but before it could advance several zhang, the golden Buddha-hand crushed it down.

“My children, avenge me—my killer is the Li family of Qingzhou—”

The furious roar echoed through the forest.

But it ceased abruptly—the demonic soul scattered, the tiger’s body, unable to stop, rolled forward, smashing through a dozen trees before finally halting, half its eyes closed, lifeless.

Its amber pupils reflected the approaching figure of a teenager from behind the forest—until he stopped, kicking sand from his foot onto the tiger’s eyes.

The teenager stared for a moment, then stomped hard several times, shattering the tiger’s skull before he finished.

“Slaying this great demon merits a First-Rank Merit…”

The teenager murmured to himself.

He was Li Qianfeng, descending from the mountains into the world.

He bent to sever the tiger’s head, preparing to leave, when a violet sparrow, no larger than a palm yet flying like an arrow with a faint whistle, shot from the sky.

The teenager paused, dropped the massive tiger head, and caught the sparrow in his hand.

It was his mother’s pet demon sparrow—extraordinarily swift in flight, its combat power likely below the Zhou Tian Realm, yet even some Shenyou cultivators could not catch it.

Demon races cultivated slowly, but possessed unique innate abilities, just as humans could advance rapidly.

The sparrow opened its beak and spat out a strip of oil-paper parchment.

Li Qianfeng unrolled it, his expression of mild confusion instantly changed.

Fifteen-Li Realm?

Li Hao? Who is that?

The seventh uncle’s son? Li Qianfeng’s eyes widened in shock—especially since the note said the boy was only… fourteen!

Four years younger than himself?

He had reached the Fifteen-Li Realm at seventeen—he had beaten him by three full years! Though before the Tianren Realm, three years meant little, it revealed a vast disparity in talent.

And if Li Qianfeng remembered correctly, this pace surpassed even his ninth uncle’s! The parchment was crushed instantly between his fingers into dust.

Li Qianfeng’s face darkened. His original goal had been Li Wushuang—yet the man was Shenyou, and he had felt no great pressure.

Instead, he had reserved some attention for his aunt’s son and daughter, his cousin siblings.

And his third aunt’s only daughter, the cousin who joined the army at fifteen and was now a female general.

But they were older; though they had achievements, the True Dragon valued talent above all—in their age group, his reaching the Fifteen-Li Realm at seventeen should have made him first.

But now… a Li Hao had suddenly appeared.

A minor figure he had never noticed.

“He couldn’t have advanced this fast through his own cultivation—my ninth uncle reached Fifteen-Li at fifteen. Could the elders have intervened…?” Li Qianfeng frowned.

He recalled—the boy had no famous master, had remained within the family compound.

That meant he could have been influenced by the Li family’s elders.

But weren’t the elders forbidden from interfering with the younger generation before the True Dragon’s confirmation? That would be unfair! “I must ask the ancestors to verify this at the ancestral shrine. Also, should I inform my master?”

Li Qianfeng glanced toward the distance, his dark eyes flickering briefly—then covered by a flash of arrogance: “Never mind.”

He picked up the tiger’s head and raced back to Feijiang City.

He picked up the tiger’s head and rushed back into Feijiang City.

"With this achievement to my name, I'll head back early to take a look."

……

……

In Qingzhou, within the Divine General’s Mansion.

After the family banquet ended, the Shanhe Courtyard returned to quiet from its earlier bustle, yet remained noticeably livelier than usual; time and again, concubines and ladies from other courtyards came to offer gifts, bringing their children to greet Li Hao, hoping to become familiar with this future True Dragon of the Li clan.

Among these illegitimate sons, some were well-behaved and sensible, others shy and tense, while some had already learned to flatter and fawn.

One by one, they all came to know Li Hao, which allowed him to see just how difficult their lives were.

At least it would have made him feel awkward when his parents forced him to flatter another boy—but some of these children had already mastered it with ease.

This seemed unrelated to maturity or experience; some children were more eloquent and cunning than adults, purely a matter of temperament and character.

Li Hao’s own nature was of the idle, easygoing sort—taking things as they came.

It was early again.

Li Hao was still fast asleep when he suddenly heard a knock at his door.

He opened his eyes, swept his spiritual sense outward, and saw Yu Xuan, his father’s favored general, outside.

He rolled over and said, "Are you here to drag me out for training again?"

Yu Xuan recalled that day’s incident and let out a faint, bitter smile. "Young Master, the Marshal asks you to wash up and accompany him to pay respects to our ancestors, and to let the ancestors decide the matter of the True Dragon."

Li Hao raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, sat up, and called for Qingzhi to help him change clothes quickly.

Soon, he was washed and groomed. He opened the door, glanced at the young man, and said simply, "Let’s go."

Yu Xuan knew Li Hao still held a grudge over the painting incident, but he didn’t mind. He gestured with his hand. "Young Master, after you."

They passed through winding corridors and arrived at the main courtyard’s central hall.

Li Hao saw his father, already stripped of armor and dressed in white robes, but his bearing lacked the scholarly grace of his fifth uncle—instead, it bore the grim authority of a man long accustomed to war, his face naturally radiating solemnity and menace.

(End of Chapter)