Chapter 208: Chapter 21: The Divine General Mansion Lost Him (Chapters Combined)_2
They had never seen the legendary figure of Qingzhou, but at such a young age, he had reached the Grandmaster Realm. In the entire world, apart from that youth, there seemed to be no second person!
“We should be able to go in now, right?”
Li Hao said.
The two youths came to their senses, overwhelmingly excited, and hurriedly made way for Li Hao.
Ren Qianqian had long known about Li Hao’s realm; she simply wore a smile at this moment. Han Wu, after being momentarily stunned, quickly came to his senses and hurried to catch up, flustered and eager to ask questions but fearful of disturbing Li Hao.
After they entered, several figures slowly approached from a distance, noticing the scene of the youth’s entry. The young man leading them, wearing a kasaya, narrowed his eyes slightly.
…
This Grandmaster dojo was not set up at the city center but next to a river outside of the protective moat.
This river, in the Grand Liang State, was extremely famous, called the Dragon River.
The Dragon River meandered for seven thousand miles, crossing over half of Liangzhou, connecting more than a dozen cities.
At this moment, the river rushed, churning up layers of muddy yellow water.
Next to the Dragon River was a majestic Dao Platform, and when the river waters surged rapidly, they would splash some waves on the edge of the platform.
In such a grand and dangerous place, one’s spirit could soar with grand ambitions and heroic feelings.
Grandmasters contending with heaven and earth, such an environment was suitable for resonating with one’s state of mind.
In the inner area outside the Debate Platform, figures stirred. Although only Grandmasters and their families could enter this inner area, the number of Grandmasters gathered from all over the world, plus the fact that each Grandmaster could bring five others in, made the inner area bustling.
Some acquainted Grandmasters recognized each other, exchanged pleasantries, and also introduced their disciples or the young masters and misses brought in with rich sponsors’ money.
Li Hao looked around and saw not only the atmosphere of martial arts but also the intertwining of fame and fortune.
Ren Qianqian and Han Wu looked around, inevitably feeling a bit nervous and uneasy, as everyone present was a powerhouse who had founded schools in various places. Those in the Three Immortal Realms were on a level that transcended ordinary people, with one foot stepping into the realm of legends.
“Come on, let’s find a place to sit down first,”
Li Hao said, leading the way to an empty table which also had snacks and drinks.
He casually tasted one and found the flavor to be average, so he did not take a second piece.
“Young master, you couldn’t possibly be the fifth-ranking person on the Qian Dragon List from the Divine General Mansion…”
After sitting down, Han Wu looked around for a moment and, unable to contain his excitement, asked Li Hao in a low voice.
Li Hao shook his head slightly, “You’re overthinking it.”
You can’t fool me… Seeing Li Hao deny it, Han Wu silently chuckled, convinced in his mind.
Although his father always scolded him, saying, “My foolish son, why do you insist on practicing martial arts? Isn’t it better to inherit my vast wealth honestly?” he felt he wasn’t foolish at all; it was his father who was foolish. In these times, when demons roam free, what use is mere wealth? Power is supreme!
He wanted to turn his family, from his generation onward, from a family of wealthy merchants into a martial arts household.
The ancestors of those families, too, had mostly transformed in this way. Once the transformation succeeded, the family records would start being written with him.
And right now, the chance to rewrite those family records was right before his eyes.
“Young master, why don’t you take me as your disciple?” Han Wu said, and was about to rise and kneel before Li Hao to perform the apprentice’s salute.
But before his knees touched the ground, he was lifted by a force. A smile played on Li Hao’s mind; this young fellow wasn’t very old, but he had a merchant’s shrewdness.
“I don’t take disciples,” Li Hao said.
“I am hardworking, charitable, and willing to do anything…”
Han Wu hurriedly added, about to showcase his virtues.
Li Hao quickly stopped him, saying, “I don’t have the time to teach, and even if you took me as your master, it would be useless.”
If it were teaching chess or painting, he might have been interested, but teaching martial arts genuinely bored him and tortured his soul.
If it were not for Ren Qianqian’s following him for thousands of miles from Qingzhou, he would not have offered guidance.
“Young master…”
Han Wu showed a sad face, attempting to squeeze out a few tears: “Actually, I lost my mother when I was young…”
Li Hao was somewhat speechless, was this kid trying to burst into song?
“Huh? How did you guys get in?”
Just then, a surprised voice rang out.
Li Hao, finding the voice familiar, turned to look and saw Zhou Haitang approaching with his disciples.
Zhou Ling’er’s expression changed slightly when she caught Ren Qianqian’s gaze, a flash of annoyance flickering in her eyes. She was, after all, a Grandmaster’s daughter but had been beaten by someone who had just entered the Soul Succession Realm, a humiliation of the highest order.
She didn’t know whether to avoid the gaze or meet it, and with frustration in her heart, she angrily turned her gaze onto Li Hao.
“Zhou,”
Li Hao didn’t look at the young girl beside him but greeted Zhou Haitang with a slight bow, a polite acknowledgment, yet he didn’t rise from his seat.
After all, they were both Grandmasters, and according to the customs of the Martial Artist world, they could be considered peers.
Unless they were from the same family, they would have adhered to seniority in their salutations.
Zhou Haitang’s eyebrows slightly furrowed at Li Hao’s action, interpreting it as a grudge against his previous cold attitude, and decided it was not worth squabbling with a junior. He said, “The Bai Chunhai you’re looking for is over there.”
He pointed, and Li Hao followed his gesture to see an old man in a grey robe, with a kind face, engaged in conversation.
“Thank you,”
Li Hao nodded.
Zhou Haitang then left without further delay.
He knew the score well in his heart; aware that his daughter had accepted a dagger as a gift from someone, and with this pointing, he considered it repayment, leaving no debts unbalanced.
The Jianghu was not just about fighting; it was also about human relationships and proprieties.
Therefore, in the Jianghu, the last thing one wanted was to owe favors.