“They were all taken away by father,”
“Taken away?”
Li Hao’s heart tightened slightly.
Li Hongzhuang, holding a wooden horse toy in her hand, pushed it along the ground while recalling,
“When father was eating, he told mother to have Uncle Zhao pack them all up, to be displayed in your courtyard when you separate from the family in the future, so that your wife can see the talent you had when you were young.”
Although she was only two years old, she spoke clearly, recounting the conversation she had overheard without missing a single word.
After finishing, she looked up at Li Hao with confusion, “Brother Ten, what does it mean to separate from the family? And what is a wife? Is it something delicious?”
The little girl’s face was full of wonder, but she saw that “Brother Ten” seated in front of the drawing board, was silent and unresponsive, like a statue.
…
Time skipped forward repeatedly, and whenever Li Hao traveled through time, he aimed to jump to his spare moments so that he could go to the side room to paint.
He had no memory of what happened during the times he skipped, only occasionally gathering some information from Li Hongzhuang.
After seven consecutive jumps, several months had passed by the Mo River, but to Li Hao, it felt as if he had only sat and painted for seven days.
The sheets of paper scattered around him would disappear each time he time-traveled.
The papers he had carelessly strewn on the ground, on jumping forward to the time for dinner, he saw neatly placed on the shelf next to the main hall.
That place had originally been filled with precious Divine Weapons, ceramics, and precious jade gifted by the royalty, but now most of it had been cleared away to make room for stacks of paper paintings.
“My son’s painting skills are improving day by day, and his teacher says he’s also learning to read at an astonishing pace, catching on after being taught just once, haha!”
At the dining table, Li Tianzong laughed heartily.
Li Hao, however, was silent.
This was the first time since arriving at the Mo River that he had joined this “father” and “mother” for a meal.
He didn’t skip this time, silently eating his food while holding his bowl.
“Old Ten, I heard you drew a portrait for everyone, why don’t I have one?”
At the table, a child stood up to speak, it was Li Tiangang.
The news that Li Hao could paint had already spread, and his brothers had seen his works, marveling at their own portraits, except that Li Tiangang could not find his own no matter how much he searched.
Li Hao glanced at him, though only eight or nine years old, the boy’s facial features were already somewhat similar to those in his memory.
Li Hao didn’t say anything, instead continuing to focus on eating.
“Old Ten, why don’t you answer me?”
Li Tiangang called out anxiously.
Li Hao closed his eyes slightly, the scenery before him rapidly shifted, and he jumped to a few days later.
He stood in the courtyard, being wiped down by a maid, apparently having just absorbed some unfamiliar blood.
The teacher came over, leading Li Hao to study characters.
After the daily Blood Melting, it was time to learn characters, and only after that was Li Hao’s free time.
This time, Li Hao didn’t jump ahead and actually followed along to study. Since he already knew the material the old teacher was teaching, he held the writing brush and composed poetry on his notebook while listening.
[Poetry and Books Experience +53]
[Poetry and Books Experience +46]
…
With each piece of poetry written, his experience in Poetry and Books also increased.
The teacher stopped halfway through teaching when he saw Li Hao busily writing notes, and he nodded silently in admiration. When he leaned in for a closer look, he was immediately stunned.
The notebook did not contain the characters the teacher taught, but several pieces of poetry instead.
The teacher quickly picked up Li Hao’s notebook and examined it closely, the more he looked, the wider his eyes grew until, in disbelief, he turned to Li Hao,
“This, this is all written by you?”
Li Hao nodded.
This wouldn’t expose anything, it could only be considered his own poetic talent.
Only by mentioning things like Liangzhou, the Demon King Candle Flame God, and other matters that, given his current identity, he could not possibly have any contact with, would his true identity be exposed, creating a discord with the current situation.
“This, this…”
The old master was so shocked that he was at a loss for words.
This was truly a prodigy of the times, with the bearing of a great Confucian scholar!
Having just learned to recognize characters and already able to write poetry, even if he were to be placed in a family of great Confucian scholars, it would surely astonish the entire household!
Not to mention being born into a family of generals, possessing such poetic talent is extremely rare!
Moreover, he knew that Li Hao’s talent for cultivation was equally terrifying and had already spread throughout the Divine General Mansion; he was the most exceptional talent the Li Family had seen in hundreds of years!
He excelled in both literary and martial arts!
“I must tell the master this news,”
the old master said excitedly, “If the master knew of your talents and intelligence, he would be overjoyed!”
Thinking of that “Grandfather,” Li Hao’s eyes flickered subtly, and deep inside, he also felt a certain anticipation.
Since ancient times, being able to recite poetry upon just learning to read has been considered a sign of a child prodigy, and some great Confucian scholars were able to compose simple poems about chickens and ducks just two or three years after learning to read.
But this was often the result of being nurtured by the articulate conversations of elders in a family of Confucian scholars, where daily exchanges were filled with splendid rhetoric. Of course, some were naturally gifted and hailed as incarnations of the Wenqu Star.
At this moment, after the old master excitedly dashed out of the classroom, Li Hao went to his side room as usual to draw.
He invested himself wholeheartedly, and with the painting on the main hall’s cabinet in mind, his gaze became intense and serious, fully engaged.
Painting…
Li Hao’s brushstrokes scattered, feeling each line’s contour meticulously.
He was completely immersed, his thoughts revolved solely around the artwork.
“Once your painting skills improve, make one for me as well, include your brothers and Hongzhuang too…”
“Once you finish it, I will treasure it well. My son not only has martial arts talent but also outstanding artistic flair, haha…”
Li Hao’s brush danced, his focus entirely on the painting, seemingly deaf and blind to everything around him.
All that remained was the figure on the painting becoming more distinct, a mighty, imposing general standing tall between heaven and earth!
His expression was stern, yet his eyes were gentle; his posture upright, and his presence unparalleled in all directions.
As the final stroke was drawn, a text prompt leaped before Li Hao’s eyes.
But Li Hao ignored it outright.
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After sitting in silence for a long time, his mind returned to the present, and only then did he recall what had just been prompted and checked the panel.
[You have comprehended the ‘State of Mind in Painting’]
[State of Mind: Painting]
Li Hao was taken aback for a moment; his Painting Experience hadn’t even reached the third segment saturation, yet he had already prematurely comprehended the ‘State of Mind in Painting’].
He fell silent for a while, gently dried the paper before him with his breath, then carefully set it aside, no longer carelessly tossing it on the floor.
Afterward, he took out another piece of blank paper and continued painting.
One piece after another.
His Painting Experience kept increasing.
Once it was fully saturated at the third segment, it quietly advanced to the fourth, and his Skill Points increased by one.
Li Hao checked the Skill Points he had accumulated thus far; aside from the one point spent on swordsmanship, he had four left, three from Painting, two from Poetry and Books.
Chess, Carving, Fishing, and other arts had yet to be touched.
Li Hao thought of Listening Rain Tower, it was time to go over there and have a look.
Speaking of Listening Rain Tower, Li Hao couldn’t help but wonder what his Second Uncle looked like when he was young.
At dinnertime, Li Hao left the side room and returned to the main hall.