Chapter 97: Chapter 87 So What?
As Li Fu finished speaking, a hushed silence seemed to fall over the courtyard.
Zhao’s eyes, full of wrinkles, slowly widened in disbelief as he looked at Li Fu and then turned to look at Li Hao.
Hao… Fifteen Li Realm?!
Li Tian Gang and Yu Xuan beside him were stunned, their faces showing surprise.
Li Tian Gang, seeing Li Fu so excited, knew that given Li Fu’s careful nature, he would never make groundless claims, but the news was too thrilling and shocking for him.
“Really? Hao Er hasn’t established his foundation, nor undergone Blood Melting, has he?” Li Tian Gang couldn’t help but say excitedly.
Li Fu nodded vigorously, joyfully saying, “It’s true! Absolutely true! I don’t know the reason either; only Hao knows. I guess the second uncle secretly helped him.”
Second Uncle…
Li Tian Gang’s heart shook violently.
The Second Uncle was at the Four Stands Realm, and that realm had a power that made countless martial artists green with envy.
That was to defy the heavens and change fate!!
They could help a person, alter their destinies, even if it was a naturally untalented beggar, their fortunes could be reversed, turning them into unparalleled geniuses, the dragon and phoenix among people!
Therefore, a family with a Four Stands Realm member, even if it declined for a generation, could still pull itself back up.
Of course, continuous decline would not be feasible.
Because the Four Stands Realm’s destiny-changing power could only be used once, for only one person!
Thinking of this, Li Tian Gang felt deeply thankful, with his eyes turning red. How come his son, who neither had the merit nor the capability, managed to receive such affection from the Second Uncle!
“Good, good, this is wonderful!”
Li Tian Gang said ‘good’ three times in succession, his voice trembling until he moderated it, took a deep breath, and looked softly at the youth before him:
“With such great news, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Li Hao, seeing his excitement, felt hardly any ripples in his heart, only a slight stirring:
“I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you asked me to rest early and interrupted.”
Li Tian Gang suddenly remembered last night’s conversation and couldn’t help but feel at a loss. When he heard Li Hao talking about trivial matters that were off-topic, he couldn’t bear to listen and asked Li Hao to rest.
“Well, let’s not dwell on the past.”
Li Tian Gang said with a smile, “When did you reach the Fifteen Li Realm? Why haven’t you written to tell me all these years? Did the second uncle forbid you to speak of it?”
Li Hao asked in return, “Even if I told you, what could you have done? Could you have come back?”
Li Tian Gang paused slightly, looking into the young man’s calm, black eyes, and suddenly felt as if his heart had been pricked.
But then, a wave of anger surged:
“At least your mother and I would have been happy for you. We would have asked your aunt to find a Grandmaster to teach you!”
Li Hao said, “A Grandmaster? Isn’t it enough to be taught by the second uncle? Are you still not satisfied with my cultivation level?”
Li Tian Gang was taken aback, at a loss for words.
Indeed, the Second Uncle at the Four Stands Realm was also comparable to a Grandmaster.
But for the Li Family descendants to take a Grandmaster as a teacher, it wasn’t just for learning; it was also an accumulation of connections for each generation.
That way, when the older generation is gone, those favors might not be of much use to the next generation. Generation after generation, a millennium of heritage, connections are one of the great foundations.
These connections might not be needed on a daily basis, but at critical moments, they could be a tremendous help.
“You’re taking this too lightly.”
Li Tian Gang shook his head, feeling that Li Hao was still naive and didn’t argue with him further.
In his heart, Li Hao retorted, you are the one who is naïve.
Li Fu, watching this father and son, also noticed something amiss. How come it seemed that there was a sense of estrangement and a gap between the lord and the young master?
“You are only fourteen years old and have stepped into the Fifteen Li Realm, which is extremely rare. This record has even surpassed your Ninth Uncle!”
When Li Tian Gang thought of Li Hao’s Cultivation Realm, his mood brightened, and he said to Li Hao with a smile:
“Now that I’ve returned, there’s no reason for the Second Uncle to keep you hidden anymore. Zhao, go and inform your aunt right away. Let the whole mansion know and tell the entire world: the son of Marquis Xing Wu is an unparalleled genius!”
“I want everyone to know that my son’s talent is first in a thousand years!”
He spoke with boundless pride, as if expressing a burden that had accumulated deep in his heart for many years, his face beaming with smiles.
Zhao was overwhelmed with excitement at the moment, his lips trembling slightly.
Over the years, he had witnessed Li Hao’s maturity and cleverness, his smart talents, and often couldn’t help but secretly weep and feel heartbroken, lamenting the injustice of fate, wondering why it withheld the most deserved gift of cultivation talent from Li Hao.
To think that now, even this last deficiency had been brought to perfection.
Hao is unmatched in both talent and intelligence!
With that thought, Zhao’s entire body trembled, and he immediately agreed excitedly, wiping away the old tears that had trickled from the corners of his eyes:
“I will go now.”
“Zhao.”
But Li Hao stopped him, saying, “First, have someone move all my paintings out of the firewood shed.”
Zhao was startled but quickly nodded, “Yes!”
Li Tian Gang snapped back to reality, frowning as he thought back to the recent events. His face darkened as he said:
“Hao Er, with such extraordinary talent, do you still want to indulge in these messy things? If you had practiced diligently with the Second Uncle over the years, focusing solely on cultivation, maybe you could have reached Grandmaster level by now!”
How do you know I haven’t practiced diligently? Li Hao looked at him but knew that others would naturally think this way since his façade could never be clearly explained to anyone. There was no need for him to justify himself, and he simply asked:
“If I focused solely on becoming a Grandmaster as you wish, then what?”