“Ji Le Ping?”
Hearing Li Hao’s words, Ji Boduan was slightly stunned. Follow the mother’s surname?
It had always been customary to take the father’s surname; it was rare for anyone to take the mother’s surname, and he knew that Li Hao’s mother, Ji Qingqing, had intermarried with a clan from beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven, so it was impossible for that foreign clan to also have the Ji surname.
He glanced at Li Hao, the warmth in his eyes slightly fading.
But considering the rumors from above, that the War God of the Ji Family had highly praised this child and that he couldn’t see through Li Hao’s aura, he remained polite:
“Please follow me.”
Li Hao nodded and followed him.
The two quickly ascended the mountain.
The many younger members of the Ji Family who had come to see the novelty frowned upon hearing Li Hao’s words, some sneering and others scoffing.
“Ji Le Ping? What a bold face!”
“Clearly a barbarian from a foreign tribe, he actually dares to change his surname and seeks to ingratiate himself with our Ji Family!”
“He doesn’t even want his own father’s surname. What a social climber, thinking he can simply burrow into our Ji Family like this.”
“I thought he was truly a peerless genius as the War God had said, but it turns out he’s nothing more than a despicable person resorting to any means necessary. How disappointing.”
“Maybe he deceived the War God with his glib tongue. How else would he have had the luck to pass through the Mo River? It’s truly curious.”
All kinds of unpleasant discussions erupted.
These younger members faced Li Hao without much restraint. They were of the same age and their innate bloodlines made them disdainful of this mixed-blood intermarriage with a foreign tribe.
When they heard of the War God’s high praise, they felt even more indignant, as if someone from a small rural place claimed to be better than they were, which was embarrassing.
Among the crowd, some were descendants of Ji Yun Ge’s siblings. They had come out of curiosity, but upon hearing Li Hao’s words and the surrounding discussions, they could not help but frown inwardly, greatly disappointed in this prodigy their Uncle Yun Ge had spoken of.
Low birth was a minor matter, but to look down upon one’s own lineage was bound to invite contempt.
Many people quickly followed the youth who was swiftly ascending the mountain, their eyes filled with disgust, feeling as though the sacred ground of the Ji Family was being defiled.
If it weren’t for Li Hao bringing back Ji Yun Ge, they would have long expelled such a petty person.
Soon, Li Hao, following Ji Boduan, arrived in the heart of the Sacred Mountain.
This was also where the majority of the Ji Family’s elite direct descendants lived and conducted their daily lives.
Clusters of buildings sprouted like bamboo shoots, spreading across the area, monumental in stature.
The size of this Sacred Mountain was vast, equivalent to several cities, and could accommodate tens of millions of people.
The majority of Ji Family descendants with mediocre talents lived at the mountain’s foothills, in the cities there, focusing on other skills such as Artifact Refining, medicine making, talisman crafting, and so on.
Others tilled the fields, domesticated demons, and each carried out their duties.
At this moment, many people of the Ji Family, having heard the news, rushed to this place, curiously observing Li Hao.
The peak of the Sacred Mountain was not open for ordinary members of the Ji Family to ascend unless summoned.
But the words of Ji Yun Ge had spread throughout the Sacred Mountain, and many messages had already reached the mid-mountain levels. They knew a youth with the Ji Family bloodline had returned the War God.
“Is this the son of that person?”
“I can’t see through his cultivation level; it seems indeed very impressive.”
“What use is being impressive? I just heard he has changed his surname to Ji. His intentions for traveling a thousand miles to come here couldn’t be more obvious, could they?”
“Perhaps even his passing through the Mo River was aided by his family’s joint efforts. It’s a shame we couldn’t find the Mo River where the War God Yun Ge was detained, or we would have long gone to pass through it!”
As the crowd gathered, various discussions arose.
Li Hao, hearing this noisy banter, furrowed his brow. If these were ordinary juniors, he would have ignored them.
But now that there were quite a few middle-aged people among these individuals, also sneering and mocking, his eyes grew colder:
“Is this how the Ji Family treats its guests?”
Just as Ji Boduan had stopped, he gave a wry smile upon hearing Li Hao’s words. He could understand the thoughts behind these discussions; after all, Li Hao’s decision to follow his mother’s surname was indeed contemptible.
Though he was a subordinate of that elder and stood on Li Hao’s side, it was difficult for him to show partiality internally.
However, although he understood the thoughts of these commenters, he was commanded to receive this youth and immediately shouted:
“Disperse, all of you. What’s there to discuss? Make way!”
After scolding, he turned to Li Hao, “Please follow me.”
Saying this, he waved his hand to disperse the gathering crowd and led Li Hao into a grand hall, telling him:
“Rest here for a while. War God Yun Ge is explaining your situation to the family head. When it’s time for you to join the Ji Family, I will come to notify you.”
With that, he turned and left, gently closing the hall doors behind him.
Li Hao frowned but said nothing.
He had heard all the remarks along the way and knew explanations were of no use, so there was no need to bother explaining.
Once he saw his mother and if he could help her out of trouble, he would leave this place.
After all, the Dayu Divine Dynasty was always vulnerable to demon attacks, and although he was not a member of the Li Family, as he had said, he was a human, and therefore would willingly offer his strength to the Dayu Divine Dynasty.
Moreover, he had not yet repaid the grace bestowed upon him by that emperor.
…
…
Atop the Sacred Mountain.
Ji Yun Ge had already come out from the ancestral shrine, having offered incense to the ancestors and met the souls of his fallen brothers.
The spirits, learning that he could not return to the shrine and was about to dissipate, were all deeply grieved and saddened.
Ji Yun Ge had told Old Thirteenth that he had a grandson who was very promising and would become a prodigy of the Ji Family.