Chapter 94: Dazzlingly Brilliant [Fourth Update]

“Freedom?”

“For example, you can’t demand I train anymore, nor interfere with what I do,” Li Hao said.

Li Tiangang fell silent.

Only then did he recall Li Hao’s usual habits—neglecting his duties, wasting his top-tier talent.

This was something he could never tolerate.

But… he had just promised Li Hao. Could he go back on his word now? His eyes flickered with conflict; silently, he thought: Given Hao’er’s talent, even if he temporarily stops cultivating and continues living as before, it won’t matter much.

When he becomes a True Dragon someday and inherits the family legacy, when he feels the weight on his shoulders and sees countless soldiers looking to him with hope and life itself entrusted to him, perhaps then he will devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

Thinking of this, Li Tiangang nodded at Li Hao and smiled: “Fine, I agree!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Li Hao exhaled in relief, feeling the heavy stone on his heart finally lift.

Judging by this father’s strictness, he was likely the most rigid in the Li family—far stricter than Auntie and the others. Without revealing his panel, it was truly hard to reason with him.

He hadn’t deliberately shown his strength back then, and wasn’t that also because he feared Auntie and the others would push him harder the more they thought he was talented?

It’s like someone who earns millions every minute, yet you see him lying around playing games.

How could that be allowed?! But his situation was special—he could earn millions every minute, yet he genuinely just played games, and he couldn’t explain it, because even if he did, no one would understand.

“Then I’ll go play chess with Fifth Uncle later.”

Li Hao said.

He’d been at Tan Palace all this time, plus training outside in Cangyu City.

The old man must be lonely after so long without seeing him.

Li Tiangang’s eyelid twitched; he had no reply, only said: “You may go, but don’t disturb the ancestral spirits.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got experience.”

Li Hao’s words nearly made Li Tiangang choke.

Seeing Li Hao turn to leave, Li Tiangang immediately said:

“Wait, I haven’t finished telling you about this yet. In two months, the True Dragon selection begins. You must prepare well. I’ve sent Yu Xuan to investigate—your biggest rival is likely the child of your second aunt.”

At the mention of Liu Yuerong, a flash of cold light passed through Li Hao’s eyes.

He looked at his father, remembering the poison pill, and opened his mouth to speak—but held back.

If he told his father now, he’d alert the enemy. He still wasn’t sure of his father’s methods.

Li Tiangang wasn’t just a Marquis and General—he was also Minister of Justice, overseeing the Great Yu Criminal Court. His personal guard unit was called the Fa Division, and he himself bore the title “Criminal Martial Marquis!” But that woman held the title of Noble Lady and was ranked First-Class Imperial Lady; the Ministry of Justice could only detain her temporarily, needing to report to the imperial court for formal proceedings.

If they arrested her, her son would surely be alerted. He’d panic, refuse to return for the True Dragon contest, and hide on Wuliang Mountain—making him nearly impossible to handle.

And that possibility was extremely high.

In Li Hao’s view, his Fifteen Li Realm status was already exposed; his talent was unquestioned. The opponent had little chance of winning the True Dragon title—better to retreat and preserve himself.

But that wasn’t the outcome he wanted.

If the opponent hid on Wuliang Mountain, they’d truly be powerless against him.

After all, the man had once become a disciple of that Buddha Master, a direct student! Over the years, Li Hao had conducted thorough investigations into Wuliang Mountain.

The Great Yu Dynasty had three top-tier forces.

First was Qiandao Palace, second was Wuliang Mountain, third was the Hanlin Hall.

The first was undisputed—it was guarded by the strongest man in Great Yu, a True Person.

The second, Wuliang Mountain, was guarded by the Wuliang Buddha Master, second only to the True Person.

The third, Hanlin Hall, contained nothing but scholars and Confucian masters, with no martial strength whatsoever—but behind them stood the imperial court, and the mysterious, all-powerful Emperor Yu.

In this world, scholars had no power to turn their words into attacks; their writings were merely documents and regulations. But these documents were law, were rules! A single decree could strip a family of wealth—even a top-tier sect dared not utter a sound.

Resist?

An army would immediately descend upon you. At that point, not only would your family be confiscated, even your eggs would be shaken until their yolks broke.

Thus, though Hanlin Hall had no martial strength, no one dared provoke it. The power of law stood equal to martial power—this balance of martial defense upholding civil law kept Great Yu stable for millennia.

Otherwise, if martial cultivators could freely murder civil officials, ignoring systems by force, if the nation were ruled by warriors alone, it would be a catastrophe—its people would suffer, its collapse imminent.

Beneath these three top-tier forces came the Five Divine Generals’ Mansions—semi-top-tier.

Below them were the imperial ministries, such as the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Mohe Bureau.

They were all established by the court; their martial strength aside, their status alone deterred anyone from daring to offend them—otherwise, an army would sweep them away, and no one could stand against it.

After these came the Jianghu’s top-tier forces like Jianlu and Qianji Mountain.

If the Wuliang Buddha Master chose to protect his direct disciple, even the status of a Divine General’s Mansion couldn’t shake him.

Moreover, strictly speaking, Liu Yuerong’s child had not participated—he was innocent.

But in Li Hao’s eyes, the child had benefited from his mother’s influence and must now pay the price.

Thirteen years ago, Liu Yuerong poisoned him—no grudge, no feud; her sole aim was to clear the path for her own child.

Li Hao’s goal wasn’t merely to win the True Dragon seat—he wanted Liu Yuerong to witness her own child crushed into the abyss, his future utterly destroyed!

The poison pill he had swallowed thirteen years ago.

It would now, thirteen years later, unleash its fierce, cruel toxicity! At this moment, Li Tiangang continued:

“Besides your second aunt’s child, your first and third aunts’ children also have a chance to compete. But your third aunt’s child is a girl, and I hear she’s formed a bond in the military and is betrothed—so an out-married daughter automatically forfeits her claim to the True Dragon title.”

“As for your first aunt’s two children, they’re both over thirty, have earned merit in the military, and hold the rank of General. If they compete, they’re formidable—but in talent, they still fall short of you and your second aunt’s child.”

“Besides, your first aunt long ago declared she wouldn’t let her children compete for the True Dragon title. I trust her word.”

Li Hao nodded—he already knew all this.

“Qianfeng is talented, but not as much as you. Yet he’s a disciple of the Buddha Master, cultivated under his guidance, so his character is unquestionable. I hear he’s also reached the Fifteen Li Realm—at seventeen. Excluding you, that’s quite impressive.”

Li Tiangang said.

He himself had reached the Fifteen Li Realm around this age, became a Patriarch at nineteen, and entered the Three Imperishables at twenty-three.

That was already monstrous—far surpassing even top-tier geniuses.

Of course, that’s assuming you don’t compare him to Ninth Brother. “His connections, with the Buddha Master behind him, won’t be inferior. Another advantage is his merit.”

Li Tiangang told Li Hao: “I’ve confirmed—he’s left the mountain but hasn’t returned. He’s clearly gathering merit. That’s a bonus.”

“You’ve spent years within the mansion with no merit to your name, which slightly weakens your standing—but it’s not fatal. In these two months, I plan to send you to the border to slay a major demon, earning yourself some merit.”

Hearing “merit,” Li Hao smiled faintly.

Li Fu beside him also struggled to suppress a chuckle.

Li Tiangang noticed their strange expressions and frowned: “What’s wrong?”

Li Hao said nothing. Li Fu respectfully replied: “My Lord, the Young Master’s merit is already considerable.”

“Hmm?”

Li Tiangang and Yu Xuan both turned to him, puzzled.

Li Fu smiled broadly: “My Lord, do you remember how I learned of the Young Master’s realm? In Cangyu City, when the demon attack struck, the Young Master saved the entire city alone!”

Hearing this, Li Tiangang and Yu Xuan froze, stunned.

They looked at Li Hao—saved the entire city? That was an enormous achievement!

For men who spent their lives in battle, merit rewards were second nature.

“Hao’er, you actually…”

Li Tiangang stared at Li Hao, utterly astonished, his eyes filled with excitement and joy—his affection for this son surged.

He’d assumed Li Hao was lazy and carefree, merely playing around—yet he’d quietly accomplished such a feat! Yu Xuan also looked at Li Hao with admiration—saving people from disaster was true merit! “The Young Master’s reward should arrive in Qingzhou soon,” Li Fu said, smiling, clearly looking forward to it.

“Good! Good! Good!”

Li Tiangang said three “goods” in succession, laughing heartily.

“Then the True Dragon title is already settled!”

Li Tiangang finally felt at ease.

Top-tier talent, plus a monumental achievement—even if his character was somewhat lax and not top-tier, such a feat proved his other qualities were strong enough. That was sufficient.

The gap was too great to bridge.

Even if the second aunt’s child sought merit, in just two months, he’d find no such opportunity.

Merit isn’t something you can just find—it’s not like you can go to the border and earn it easily. The Li family’s borders, except Yanbei, are mostly pacified—no current threats.

Going to other borders would complicate matters.

Besides, earning merit on the border isn’t easy. In waves of hundreds of thousands of demons, what’s a Fifteen Li Realm cultivator? The leaders commanding tens of thousands of demons are mostly Heavenly Humans or Patriarchs.

Hearing this, Li Hao said: “Then if that’s the case, do I have nothing more to do now?”

Li Tiangang had just laughed, but hearing this, he felt exasperated again—this child, left untrained for so long, was truly idle.

“If you won’t cultivate, what do you plan to do?” Li Tiangang asked.

“Whatever comes to mind—I’ll paint, play the qin, write poetry,” Li Hao said.

Li Tiangang’s lips twitched—none of those things appealed to him.

Had Li Hao said this earlier, he’d have rejected them all outright. But remembering he’d just promised, he swallowed his frustration and sighed: “Fine. Do as you wish. I promised—I’ll keep my word.”

“Good.”

Hearing this, Li Hao also relaxed—he knew his father disapproved, but he didn’t seek understanding. Permission was enough.

He immediately took his leave to find Fifth Uncle for chess.

Li Tiangang made no move to stop him, letting Li Hao go.

After Li Hao left, Li Tiangang sighed to Yu Xuan: “I wonder when this child will truly grow up.”

Li Fu smiled and said, “My Lord, the Young Master is already far more intelligent and mature than children his age. He went to see Uncle Wu not for his own amusement, but to keep him company.”

Li Tiangang froze, thinking of the lonely old man in the ancestral hall, and the solitary chessboard before him.

His expression shifted, and he fell silent.

Several days later.

Li Hao’s rewards finally arrived.

In recognition of Li Hao’s defense of the city and his protection of over a million civilians, he is granted the title of Third-Class Marquis! A city as his fief! Additionally, ten chests of jewels and gold.

A set of divine armor and weapons from the Fifteen-Li Realm.

For the rank and fief, these treasures were merely incidental.

Just as when Li Jun died, the reward of the Yu Dragon Token and ten dou of gold—gold was merely incidental, unworthy of mention.

The true reward was the Yu Dragon Token—a pardon of death!

Three Yu Dragon Tokens mean three pardons of death, revealing the magnitude of his merit!

When the investiture ended, Li Hao received the imperial edict and rewards from the court emissary, the “top student,” bowed deeply, and thanked him.

The news spread instantly throughout the mansion, then beyond it into Qingzhou.

The Young Master of the Li family, merely fourteen years old, has been granted the title of Marquis—and his own fief! Moreover, Li Hao’s defense of the city became known throughout the city, endlessly praised, leaving the common folk in awe, exclaiming, “No wonder he is a Li!” Some even faintly recalled rumors from around ten years ago, claiming the Li Young Master was a martial waste. Now it was clear: those had been false rumors.

Li Hao’s name now resounded fully across Qingzhou, and spread even farther!

Within the mansion.

Upon hearing the news, the ladies of every courtyard were stunned into silence.

He Jianlan was taken aback. Since Li Tiangang’s return, shocking news about Li Hao had come one after another, leaving her nearly numb.

Was this still the child she had pitied?

He was so brilliant she could barely bear to look at him.

“That child… he…”

In Piaoxue Courtyard, Gao Qingqing heard the news and found it hard to believe. Thinking of her past advice to her own child—to distance himself from Li Hao—she felt a quiet pang of regret.

Nearby, Li Xuanli, upon hearing the news, beamed with delight and exclaimed, “No wonder he’s Old Seven’s son! His bearing rivals even Old Nine’s in his prime! No, Old Nine wasn’t this radiant at fourteen!”

“Impressive—Old Seven really knows how to sire children!”

(End of Chapter)