Chapter 13: Chapter 12 Death Notice
Translator: 549690339
Lin Haixia finally left.
However, unlike the regret and desolation he felt earlier, he left the Divine General Mansion nearly running, filled with an excitement that made his heart leap.
He wanted to report the incredibly happy news to the commander at the border as quickly as possible.
If they knew their child possessed a swordsmanship talent that arose once in a thousand years, they would surely be immensely surprised and comforted!
That one sword, Lin Haixia understood, yet did not fully understand.
He recognized that sword technique, the most famous in the Li family’s collection, the Endless Sea Tide Sword Skill!
But compared to those versions of the Tide Sword Skill he had seen, even those at the perfect level, this one was not inferior and even had a special feeling.
After searching his mind, he could only think of two words:
Complete.
Even more flawless than perfect!
Lin Haixia knew that beyond technical perfection, there was another deeper realm called Perfection.
But even for those immersed in a technique for decades, it was very hard to reach.
Besides hard training, one also needed an extreme talent.
Yet, this world-shocking sword had now been displayed by Li Hao.
A six-year-old child.
Even for those dazzling prodigies, to practice a technique to proficiency by the age of six was already extremely difficult.
Moreover, Lin Haixia had never seen Li Hao practice swordsmanship.
But without doubt, he felt Li Hao had been secretly practicing.
However, whether poor or rich, every day only had twelve hours.
In front of time, everyone is equal, and whenever he saw Li Hao, most of his day consisted of playing chess, playing around, wandering, daydreaming, eating, and drinking.
He had never seen him practice swordsmanship, not even touch it.
Even if he was secretly working hard, how much time could he possibly squeeze out?
He asked Li Hao, “Why do you secretly practice swordsmanship?”
And, “Why conceal this astonishing talent?”
But Li Hao just smiled and shook his head without speaking.
Lin Haixia thought of much, including those imperial family feuds and intrigues of noble families he had heard about, and he vaguely guessed something.
Looking at Li Hao’s quietly smiling face, Lin Haixia felt a twinge in his nose. He understood that if the man from the border returned, this child would not be without support.
He could shine brilliantly, yet now he must hide and keep a low profile.
If this child had not seen his sincerity, he probably would not have let him see this hidden true face… Thinking of this, Lin Haixia felt quite touched and consoled.
This one sword had not only revealed Li Hao’s talent in swordsmanship to Lin Haixia but, combining it with Li Hao’s usual manner of speaking, had also made him truly understand how smart this child really was!
…
…
Lin Haixia left in a hurry, so much so that when he passed the front courtyard, he didn’t even greet Bian Ruxue.
With Lin Haixia’s departure, the courtyard returned to its usual tranquility.
But now, being six years old, Li Hao needed to get up early every day to go to Eternal Spring Court to pay his respects to his aunt, which was a matter of etiquette.
The purpose of this etiquette was to cultivate from an early age respect for teachers and the resolve to repay kindness.
Bian Ruxue, as Li Hao’s fiancée since childhood, almost considered a member of the Li family, naturally had to accompany him in paying these respects.
During these morning visits, it was inevitable to run into other children from various courtyards, though there were only four or five of them.
All were around Li Hao’s age.
For instance, the second son and youngest daughter of Fifth Lady.
The orphaned son of Sixth Lady.
The son and daughter of Eighth Lady.
The other children, either like Li Qianfeng and Li Wushuang with exceptional talent taken away by famous teachers,
or older, enlisting in the military to strive for a career in the army.
Like the son and daughter of the aunt, both in their twenties, serving as junior generals in the army, who would occasionally return if there was no warfare.
But as members of the Li family, they had military discipline ingrained in their bones, strictly following it, thus the aunt barely saw her children throughout the year.
After the morning respects, Li Hao and Bian Ruxue were invited by the aunt, He Jianlan, to enjoy the nutritious breakfast she had prepared. After chatting casually with the dignified and graceful aunt for a while, the two small figures, one after the other, wobbled back to their own courtyard.
Li Hao resumed his usual routine of daydreaming about chess.
Bian Ruxue practiced her swordsmanship in the courtyard.
The high-quality sword technique Lin Haixia had taught her before leaving was enough for her to practice for several years.
One would have thought this peaceful and harmonious time would just slowly continue to pass.
Until several days later, a sudden message drastically returned to the Divine General Mansion.
Lin Haixia had come back.
A warrior enveloped in heavy armor, with a robust body and a cold gaze, had brought Lin Haixia back.
But only brought back one hand.
When Li Hao heard the news from Zhao, he was stunned.
The chess piece in his hand fell to the ground, but normally, his eyes were only for chess pieces, yet now, he didn’t even glance at it.
He didn’t bother to put his boots on, and barefooted, he dashed out and rushed into the Eternal Spring Court.
The maid at the door meant to report his arrival but Li Hao had already dashed inside.
Then, he saw within the main hall of the Eternal Spring Court, where he usually paid his respects in the morning, a soldier kneeling on one knee.
Li Hao’s heart trembled, and looking past this soldier, he saw a piece of red cloth on the ground in front of him, upon which lay a hand.
At the point of severance, it looked torn, the flesh mangled and uneven.
Wrapped in a blue sleeve, this was the clothing Lin Haixia wore when he left.
This hand had, just a few days ago, tousled the little girl’s hair.
In his ear, this soldier was reporting to He Jianlan:
“Lin was ambushed by demons lurking on the road to Northern Yan while passing through the national highway of Qi State.”
“The stalemate on the Northern Yan battlefield led to demons infiltrating various cities of Northern Yan, attempting to disperse our army’s forces, with other states also experiencing frequent demon attacks…”
“Stop for a moment.”
He Jianlan interrupted the soldier.
She was slightly distracted, watching Li Hao, who rushed into the hall barefoot and in haste.
Then, thinking of something, a sigh appeared in her eyes as she instructed Xuejian beside her, “Take the arm away for now.”
“Yes.”
Xuejian nodded gently and then looked up at Li Hao, who had rushed in. She was quite familiar with this little fellow and knew that the owner of this arm had been one of Li Hao’s mentors in Foundation Establishment.
However, in a General’s Manor, she had long been accustomed to life and death separations, and apart from a silent sigh, she felt little else.
As Xuejian approached, Li Hao stepped forward, blocking her path.
Ignoring her astonished expression, Li Hao turned around and stared intently at the soldier:
“Which demon killed Uncle Lin?”
The soldier looked up and saw a little boy of about the same height as his kneeling figure, staring at him with a face full of anger. Those eyes were exceedingly cold and furious, as if they did not belong to a child.
Recognizing from the jade pendant hanging by his waist that this was a member of the Li Family, though he did not know which branch,
he immediately reported truthfully: “It was a millennium Great Demon of the Fourth Realm, leading several demons in an assault, dismembering Lin and consuming him. By the time the City Defender from Qi State arrived, only this arm was left.”
Consumed! Li Hao’s mind roared like thunder, his eyes suddenly reddened, his blood seemed to flow backward, rushing to his head.
He could scarcely imagine the scene, how cruel it must have been!
Having come to this world and resided in the Divine General Mansion, though he had heard quite a bit about demons from his surroundings, he had never truly seen one; although he knew the battlefields were brutal, this was the first time he was facing this harsh reality so directly.
“Does that demon have a name?”
Li Hao asked in a low voice.
The soldier replied, “Yes, that demon resides outside the city of Qi State and has self-proclaimed the title ‘Tiger Robe Immortal.’”
Li Hao silently engraved this name into his memory, a surge of indescribable killing intent welling up in his heart, but he controlled his emotions and asked no further, merely turning around, picking up the red cloth from the ground, and covering the arm properly.
Then, Li Hao looked up at the Family Head: “Fifth Lady, I have taken Uncle Lin’s hand back. Excuse my rudeness today, please don’t be upset.”
Having spoken, he then turned around, holding the arm, and left barefoot.
He Jianlan’s eyes flickered slightly. From Li Hao’s actions, she sensed something unusual, seldom seen in the boy—an indication that he was more mature and astute than she had thought.
“Xuejian, bring Cheng Zhi’s boots for Hao,” He Jianlan instructed.
Xuejian nodded, went to the side room to find the boots, and just as she was rushing out of the courtyard, she saw that the small figure had already gone far, disappearing from view.
…
…
Back at Mountain and River Courtyard.
Li Hao found a spot and buried the arm, then he fetched a wooden plaque, carved “Lin Haixia” on it, and placed it into the soil.
He instructed Zhao, “Cordon off this area, no one is to step here.”
When Zhao learned that what was buried was Lin Haixia’s remaining arm, he quickly advised, “Young master, this is the Family Head’s courtyard, we shouldn’t bury remains here. We have a heroes’ cemetery for burial of war heroes, let’s take Colonel Lin there.”
Let’s prepare a ceremonial grave there for Uncle Lin.”
Li Hao shook his head slightly, surveying the courtyard: “This vast Mountain and River Courtyard can accommodate Uncle Lin’s hand.”
“Young master…”
As Zhao was about to continue, Li Hao stopped him, leaving him no choice but to give up.
“Make sure to provide for Uncle Lin’s family well,” Li Hao said to Zhao.
Zhao replied, “As a military man, the Northern Yan side should already be aware and will handle his family’s situation properly.”
“That is there; this is here,” Li Hao glanced at Zhao. “You should understand what I mean.”
Zhao paused, then nodded slightly, “I understand.”
The death of Lin Haixia, much like a small stone thrown into the bottom of a lake, caused little more than a ripple within the Divine General Mansion.
Life continued as usual in the other courtyards, but within Mountain and River Courtyard, Li Hao became even more engrossed in chess, even neglecting Bian Ruxue’s sword practice.
He didn’t tell the little girl about Uncle Lin, to spare her the sorrow.
Time flew by.
One day, Li Hao awoke from his sleep, wherein he had been playing chess with Uncle Lin. Suddenly, a fierce tiger rushed in from outside the chessboard, knocking it over and pinning Lin Haixia to the ground by his neck.
He sat up in bed, gasping for air.
The little girl by his side woke up disturbed, her eyes sleepy as she rubbed her eyes and asked, “Brother Hao, what’s wrong?”
Li Hao came to his senses and shook his head, “It’s nothing.”
As the little girl fell asleep again, Li Hao covered her with the blanket that had slipped aside, then sat up and went to the window.
Under the moonlight, words suddenly appeared before Li Hao’s eyes:
[You have comprehended the spirit of chess.]