Chapter 253: Chapter 36: Arrangements (7K Two-in-One Chapter)_4
Li Hao felt the old man’s sentiment and revealed a smile. “Second Uncle, you needn’t worry. I have my own ways to recover.”
Li Muxiu wanted to say more, but Feng Boping’s eyes flickered, diverting the topic. “Why did you come so late? Did that kid not let you come?”
Li Muxiu’s face slightly changed, he glanced at him, then at Li Hao, and said:
“Hong Zhuang returned home to ask for help and gather troops. I had just been to the Xia Family and had just returned to the clan not long ago. After hearing the news, Tiangang asked me to come as reinforcements, insisting that we must protect Hao Er.”
Feng Boping slightly raised his eyebrows, glanced at him, and after a brief silence, he said, “What did you go to the Xia Family for?”
“It’s the Divine General Mansion’s business; why are you asking so many questions?” Li Muxiu glared at him.
Feng Boping chuckled lightly, which also sounded somewhat scornful. He didn’t continue with the pleasantries but looked up at the white-clothed Tower Master and said,
“May I leave now?”
Lu Chunsheng looked at him coldly and said, “Considering your actions this time in warding off demons and defending the border, I will let you off for now. But next time I see you, I will show no mercy!”
“Heh, then I should thank you,” Feng Boping said mockingly with a chuckle.
He laughed in a strange tone, then cupped his hands together, turned around, and drifted away, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Lu Chunsheng glanced at Li Muxiu. He had clearly heard the conversation between the two earlier and was surprised to learn such astonishing news today.
Could it be that the old boxing saint of the Li Family was actually friends with this saint of thieves?
If the news got out that the Divine General Mansion was colluding with a great thief, the Li Family could end up bearing countless curses.
However, he naturally had no interest in revealing this. But such information could serve as a secret dossier, adding another bargaining chip to Tianji Tower.
“Don’t listen to the Old Madman’s nonsense. Tiangang may be hot-tempered and stubborn, but he wouldn’t be careless about such matters…” Li Muxiu turned his head and said to Li Hao.
“Second Uncle!”
Li Hao called out softly, interrupting him. With Li Muxiu’s eyes slightly stunned, Li Hao smiled at him and said, “I’m very happy that you could come. I will repay this favor.”
Li Muxiu’s face slightly changed, and he was taken aback.
He naturally detected the implication in Li Hao’s words, treating the act of assistance he received as a “favor.”
Rather than the aid of Li Muxiu being close friends with Li Hao.
Because he had mentioned that person, it led the kid to set boundaries for his visit.
Li Muxiu felt a bitter taste in his heart and sighed, “Hao Er, do you really plan to stand guard here for three years?”
“Yes.”
Li Hao nodded. “Today, I almost died. I was almost forced to flee, breaking the agreement.”
Li Muxiu’s face subtly changed once more, catching the underlying meaning: unless at the brink of death, he would be unwilling to break the agreement.
At that moment, Li Hao looked at the Tower Master, bowed slightly, and said:
“Thank you for your help, Tower Master.”
Lu Chunsheng replied with a smile, “Heavenly Gate Pass is a pass in my Liangzhou, and it is the territory of the Dayu Divine Dynasty. My coming here is not entirely to assist you. As Martial Artists, we should also take part in defending the border!”
Li Hao said with a smile, “That said, you are also helping His Majesty to solve problems and relieve his concerns.”
Lu Chunsheng was momentarily taken aback, his eyes suddenly sharp as he stared at the fourteen-year-old boy.
The casualness in the other’s words made it instantly clear to him that this boy seemed to understand everything and see through all.
Indeed.
His arrival was no coincidence.
The Grandmasters who came here, the Martial Artists from various states, it was all no coincidence either—they were all led by information spread by Tianji Tower, through subtle guidance!
Guiding these Martial Artists of Jianghu was not difficult.
And Tianji Tower, under the control of His Majesty, was the power of the royal family.
This, only a few people knew. And the older generation of the Divine General Mansion happened to be among those few.
The youth in front felt as though he had learned of this matter from the elders of Li Family.
With this in mind, the gathering of these Grandmasters and Martial Artists from various states, along with his appearance, made it not difficult to guess that this was all prearranged.
It was the arrangement of His Majesty.
In Dayue City, the youth had slain a minor Demon King and become famous throughout the world. How could Emperor Yu not take notice?
However, Liangzhou was a place guarded by the Li Family, and the royal family couldn’t rashly intervene, especially not overstepping the Li Family.
And in that battle at Qingzhou City, Li Hao had a special relationship with the Li Family. At first, everyone thought it was a farce, but as the youth killed the Demon King and suppressed Grandmasters with a single finger, nobody any longer regarded his leaving home as mere childishness!
This youth had the ability to stand alone against an entire region!
Given this, who would dare say that the youth would hit a wall, would bow his head, or need to turn back and rely on the glory of Divine General Mansion?
At fourteen, suppressing Grandmasters and slaying demons of the Three Immortal Realms! This alone was enough to fill one with pride.
Given time, this youth was bound to be a significant figure in the world’s future. By then, it would be uncertain whether the Divine General Mansion would be borrowing glory from the youth or vice versa!
And His Majesty did not send the Divine General Mansion to reinforce but instead utilized Tianji Tower to gather the strength of Jianghu’s Martial Artists to support the youth. There were several possible intentions behind this arrangement.
As for which one it was, that depended on how one interpreted the situation.
“Regardless, I will remember this favor,” said Li Hao to Lu Chunsheng with a salute, speaking earnestly.
Lu Chunsheng looked deeply at him. The gratitude and acknowledgment in the youth’s words were not attributed to Tianji Tower.
They had to be directed elsewhere.
He finally understood why His Majesty valued this young man so much that even during the struggle for the True Dragon of the Li Family, he intervened to award a decree, and when the young man was guarding the Frontier Pass, His Majesty bestowed upon him a named sword.
The youth’s talents were unmistakable, but even more so, his wisdom was far beyond what one would expect of a fourteen-year-old boy.
Indulged but not arrogant, sharp-minded and cautious, as well as humble and polite.
He suddenly found himself unable to comprehend what the Duke who now controlled the Divine General Mansion was thinking.
To abandon such a treasure in the wilderness, allowing him to almost lose his life.
Could it be that the glory of the Li Family over the past millennium was too overwhelming, and there was a desire to diminish it somewhat?
Lu Chunsheng shook his head, feeling a headache brewing at the thought of the deep grudges within the Divine General Mansion. He cast aside these thoughts and said calmly to the youth:
“I heard that you were unrivaled as the foremost among Grandmasters in the debate of martial paths, and Tianji Tower still owes you a reward. When will you have time to visit Tianji Tower for fun?”
“As soon as my injuries are healed, I’ll go,” Li Hao said with a smile.
“Good, I’ll prepare the tea and wait for you,” Lu Chunsheng replied with a smile.
He did not adopt the posture of an elder towards such an extraordinary individual.
In time, it was very likely that this young man would enter the Four Stands Realm. If he could maintain this momentum and break through without being hindered by bottlenecks, perhaps in a future generation, he could suppress the whole world and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Buddha himself.
Li Hao smiled and once again thanked the head of Tianji Tower.
Li Muxiu listened to the conversation, feeling an indescribable discomfort in his heart.
He too quickly understood that His Majesty had also secretly meddled in these affairs.
Yet, it seemed that His Majesty had no intention of reconciling Li Hao with the Li Family, which was quite thought-provoking.
Could it be that His Majesty was aware that Li Hao had not continued the soul of the Li Family ancestral hall?
Or was it that there were plans to support the rise of a sixth Divine General Mansion?
Or perhaps His Majesty simply liked Li Hao and didn’t want to see him wronged?
Li Muxiu felt that the last possibility was not very practical and frowned slightly, feeling somewhat worried.
While his affection for Li Hao was beyond doubt, he did not wish to see the child caught up in royal affairs and become a pawn of His Majesty.
If everything had never happened, and the boy was still at the estate every day painting, playing chess, and accompanying him while fishing by the lake… Li Muxiu sighed inwardly, feeling sentimental.