His eldest brother’s gaze was as tender as it had been in the past, whereas the rebellious second brother turned his head away with crossed arms, showing a face of defiance.
But now, at this moment when their time-worn eyes met, all words melted away.
Li Muxiu’s face was streaked with tears, and this old man, who had never shed a single tear even when crawling out from beneath tens of thousands of demon corpses on the battlefield, was now sobbing uncontrollably.
The longstanding knot and scar in his heart dissolved at that moment.
It turned out his big brother had never blamed him…
Li Muxiu’s body trembled slightly, but gradually, he calmed his emotions, wiped the tears from his face, and a rare hint of blushing appeared on his weathered face.
He quickly changed the subject, thinking of important matters, and hurriedly asked, “Big brother, how did you break free? Wasn’t it said that one must pass through Mo River to do so? You just mentioned you haven’t passed through yet…”
“That’s a complicated story.”
Li Xiaoran said from the side, “But in short, we must thank Hao Er, his help allowed big brother to escape.”
At this, his heart soured, for escaping also meant vanishing.
But on his way back, Li Tianzong had instructed him not to tell anyone about this; Li Tianzong only wanted to come home for one last look and then leave quietly.
“Thank Hao Er?”
Li Muxiu was stunned, then he quickly thought of the numerous times that child had surprised him, and his heart stirred with a mix of pride and tenderness.
“Hao Er?”
Upon hearing Li Xiaoran’s words, Li Tian Gang, who was just getting up, knew something was afoot and asked, “What does Hao Er have to do with this?”
“It has a lot to do with it!”
Li Tianzong took over the conversation with a light laugh, “I heard from the fourth brother that Hao Er is your son, Tiangang, you’ve truly given me an exceptional grandson! He’s remarkable!”
Li Tian Gang was stunned. He had never imagined that even his own father would have such high regard for the boy. Was he really… that outstanding?
“That child doesn’t understand manners, he’s naturally casual; he hasn’t offended you, has he?”
Li Tian Gang couldn’t help but ask cautiously.
At that moment, he was no longer the general with the divine sword, but a son in front of his father.
Li Tianzong was taken aback and laughed, “What are you talking about? Hao Er is lively and endearing, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; unmatched in every aspect, his martial arts talent is comparable to an Ancient Sage reincarnated. In the thousands of years of Dayu Divine Dynasty, he has been a peerless prodigy!”
“Moreover, he’s sensible. There’s no lack of decorum, just cumbersome formalities. Although our Li Family needs family rules, a home is a home, a nation is a nation; there’s no need for everything at home to be so rigid.”
Li Tian Gang was deeply shaken and stood dumbfounded for a long time, unable to speak.
If it had been anyone else, he might not have taken the words to heart, but hearing this from his father, he suddenly wondered if he had been wrong all this time?
Had he been too harsh on the child?
Or perhaps, had he been too meddling?
Everyone who came into contact with the boy seemed to favor and admire him. Was it because of his esteemed identity from the Divine General Mansion, or was it simply because of the boy himself?
Li Tian Gang’s thoughts raced; the memories of his interactions with Li Hao since returning from Northern Yan flashed quickly through his mind.
But before he could reflect properly, Li Tianzong spoke gently, “I heard from the fourth that after Xiao Jiu passed on, you took over his position and became the True Dragon of the Li Family. You must have had a hard time these years.”
Li Tian Gang snapped back to reality, feeling his blood tremble at this gentle concern.
He knelt before Li Tianzong once more, crying inconsolably as he bowed his head, “Father, father, I am incompetent. I am not worthy of being the True Dragon of the Li Family. The third brother, the sixth brother, they are gone. I failed to take care of them; I failed to protect our home!”
His shoulders shook. He had not cried when the borders of Liangzhou were breached, his tears had dried up in Northern Yan, as they did during the Li Family’s funerals.
Yet, at this moment, he cried like a child again.
Li Tianzong was momentarily stunned, reminded of the family affairs he had inquired about from Li Xiaoran on the way. Out of his nine children, six had died in battle, some had even perished while he was still in the Divine General Mansion, such as the first and the second.
He hadn’t expected that after he was gone, the others would gradually meet with misfortune.
Seeing Li Tian Gang’s uncontrollable weeping, deep sorrow filled his own eyes, but he concealed his sadness, smiled gently, and helped Li Tian Gang to his feet:
“Child, don’t blame yourself. It’s my fault as a father for not doing well enough. If I hadn’t encountered trouble in Dragon City, if I had stepped into the Grand Tao of Peace Realm sooner, none of this would have happened.”
“Father, how can it be your fault, you were already strong enough.”
Li Tian Gang couldn’t help but say, momentarily releasing his restrained emotions, but his many years of military life allowed him to quickly regain composure.
He wiped the tears from his face and, grasping the arm of Li Tianzong’s spirit, said, “Now all is well, you’re back. When I step into the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, I’ll bring Xiao Jiu back too!”
Seeing his son regain his confidence and spirit, Li Tianzong smiled and patted his shoulder:
“I know you can do it, and Hao Er has inherited the True Dragon as well, hasn’t he? Give him a few more years, and Hao Er will surely lead our Li Family to eradicate all demons, restoring the Li Family to the glory of our ancestors!”
Li Tian Gang’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he nodded, “When he returns from the Great Wilderness Heaven, I will let him inherit the True Dragon.”
“He hasn’t inherited it yet?”
Li Tianzong was somewhat surprised. Inheriting the True Dragon was better done at a younger age, around fourteen or fifteen. With assistance from the ancestors, the speed of cultivation would skyrocket, allowing one to quickly surpass the genius phase to become a true powerhouse.