News of death

Lin Haixia left in the end.

But unlike his earlier regret and dejection, he was now so excited he could barely keep still, practically running out of the Divine General Residence.

He wanted to report this tremendous news to the commander at the frontier as quickly as possible.

If they knew their child possessed a talent for the Sword Dao seen only once in a thousand years, they would surely be overjoyed and deeply reassured!

Lin Haixia had understood that sword strike, but not entirely.

He recognized the sword technique-the most renowned swordplay in the Li Family's collection, Boundless Sea - Tide Swordplay!

Yet compared with the Tide Sword Art he had seen performed even at the perfection level, it was every bit as good, and even carried something distinctly different.

He racked his brains, but in the end, only two words came to mind:

Perfectly whole.

Even more flawless than perfection!

Lin Haixia knew that above perfection in a technique lay another, deeper realm, called Supreme Perfection.

But even those who had immersed themselves in a single technique for decades struggled to reach it.

Beyond grueling practice, it required unparalleled talent.

And yet this world-shaking sword strike had emerged from Li Hao's hands.

A six-year-old child.

Even for dazzling prodigies, mastering a technique to the dexterity level at six was already extraordinarily difficult.

Moreover, Lin Haixia had never seen Li Hao practice with a sword.

Still, he had no doubt that Li Hao had been practicing in secret.

But rich or poor, everyone had the same twenty-four hours each day.

Everyone was equal before time, and whenever he saw Li Hao, the boy spent most of his day playing chess, playing around, wandering, staring into space, eating, and drinking.

He had never seen him practice with a sword, or even touch one.

Even if he worked hard in secret, how much time could he possibly squeeze out?

He asked Li Hao why he practiced with a sword in secret.

And why he concealed this astonishing talent.

But Li Hao merely smiled and shook his head without speaking.

Many possibilities occurred to Lin Haixia. He had heard a little about the feuds within royal families and great houses depicted in storybooks, and a vague suspicion formed in his heart.

Looking at Li Hao's quietly smiling little face, Lin Haixia felt his nose sting. He understood that if that man at the frontier returned, this child would never be left with no one to rely on.

He could have shone with boundless brilliance, yet now he could only keep a low profile and lie hidden.

If the child had not recognized his sincerity, he probably would never have let him see his hidden true self... At that thought, Lin Haixia felt deeply moved and reassured.

That sword strike had not only shown Lin Haixia Li Hao's talent for the Sword Dao. Combined with the way Li Hao usually spoke, it also made him truly understand just how clever this child was!

Lin Haixia left in such a hurry that he did not even greet Bian Ruxue when he passed through the front courtyard.

With Lin Haixia's departure, the courtyard returned to its usual peace.

But now that he was six, Li Hao had to rise early every day and go to the Evergreen Courtyard to pay his morning respects to First Madam. This was proper etiquette.

The purpose of such etiquette was to instill respect for teachers and their teachings, as well as gratitude and the desire to repay kindness, from childhood.

As Li Hao's betrothed from infancy, Bian Ruxue already counted as half a member of the Li Family, so naturally she had to accompany him to pay her morning respects.

During these morning visits, they inevitably encountered children from the other courtyards, though there were only four or five.

They were all around Li Hao's age.

For instance, Fifth Madam's second son and youngest daughter.

Sixth Madam's orphaned son.

And Eighth Mother's son and daughter.

The other children were either extraordinarily gifted, like Li Qianfeng and Li Wushuang, and had been taken in by renowned teachers.

Or they were already old enough to enlist in the army and pursue merit and fame.

First Madam's son and daughter, for example, were both in their twenties and served as major generals in the army. When there was no fighting, they would occasionally return.

But as members of the Li Family, military law was already etched into their bones. Strictly disciplined, they all led by example, so First Madam rarely saw her children even once throughout the year.

After they paid their morning respects, First Madam He Jianlan invited Li Hao and Bian Ruxue to stay for the nourishing breakfast she had prepared. At the table, Li Hao chatted a little longer with the dignified, elegant First Madam before the two small figures finally toddled back to their own courtyard, one behind the other.

As usual, Li Hao stared into space and thought about chess.

Bian Ruxue practiced with her sword in the courtyard.

The high-grade sword technique Lin Haixia had taught her before leaving would be enough for her to practice for several years.

They had thought these peaceful, harmonious days would simply continue slipping quietly by.

Until, several days later, a piece of news suddenly reached the Divine General Residence.

Lin Haixia had returned.

A burly soldier clad in heavy armor, with a cold, piercing gaze, had brought Lin Haixia back.

But he had brought back only one hand.

When Li Hao heard the news from Uncle Zhao, he froze.

The chess piece in his hand fell to the floor, but though he usually had eyes for nothing but chess pieces, this time he did not even glance at it.

Without stopping to put on his boots, he raced out on his little bare feet and rushed into the Evergreen Courtyard.

The maid at the entrance tried to announce him, but Li Hao had already charged straight inside.

Then he saw a soldier kneeling on one knee in the main hall of the Evergreen Courtyard, the very place where he usually paid his morning respects.

Li Hao's heart trembled. Looking past the soldier, he saw a red cloth spread on the floor before him, with a hand lying upon it.

The severed end looked as though it had been torn apart, a ragged mess of mangled flesh.

A green sleeve with binding straps-these were the clothes Lin Haixia had worn when he left.

Just a few days ago, that hand had rubbed the little girl's head.

The soldier's voice reached his ears as he reported to He Jianlan:

"On his way to Northern Yan, Commandant Lin was ambushed by demons lying in wait along the Qizhou National Road."

"The fighting on the Yanbei Battlefield is at a stalemate. Recently, demons have infiltrated the cities of Northern Yan in an attempt to scatter our forces. Frequent demon attacks have also occurred in other provinces..."

"Stop for a moment."

He Jianlan interrupted the soldier.

She stared briefly in surprise at Li Hao, who had hurried into the hall on his little bare feet.

Then, realizing something, a trace of regret appeared in her eyes. She instructed Xue Jian beside her, "Take the arm away first."

"Yes."

Xue Jian nodded gently, then glanced at Li Hao with her almond-shaped eyes. She knew this little fellow quite well, and also knew that the owner of this arm had helped him with Foundation Establishment and was something of a teacher to him.

But in an aristocratic military clan, she had already witnessed many partings in life and death. Beyond an inward sigh, she felt little else.

When Xue Jian approached, Li Hao stepped forward and blocked her.

Ignoring her startled expression, Li Hao turned and fixed his eyes on the soldier:

"Which demon killed Uncle Lin?"

The soldier looked up to find a little boy, as tall as he was while kneeling on one knee, glaring at him with a furious face. That gaze was so cold and enraged that it hardly seemed to belong to a child.

From the jade pendant hanging at the boy's waist, he recognized him as a Qilin Child of the Li Family, though he did not know which branch he belonged to.

He immediately answered truthfully, "It was a thousand-year-old great demon of the fourth realm. He led several demons in surrounding Commandant Lin and dividing him among themselves to eat. By the time the city guard from Qizhou arrived, only this arm remained."

Divided him among themselves to eat! A roar filled Li Hao's mind. His eyes instantly reddened, and all the blood in his body seemed to surge backward, flooding his head.

It was not hard to imagine what had happened, or how cruel it had been!

Since coming to this world, Li Hao had lived in the Divine General Residence. Although he had heard plenty about demons from those around him, he had never truly seen one. He had always known the battlefield was brutal, but this was the first time he had felt that shock so directly.

"Does that demon have a name?"

Li Hao asked in a low voice.

The soldier said, "Yes. That demon has lived outside Qizhou City for a long time and calls himself the Tiger Robe Immortal."

Li Hao silently carved that name into his heart. An indescribable killing intent welled up within him, but he controlled his emotions and asked nothing more. He simply turned, gathered up the red cloth on the floor, and wrapped the arm securely inside it.

Then Li Hao looked up at First Madam in the seat of honor. "First Madam, I'm taking Uncle Lin's hand back with me. Please forgive my lack of manners today."

With that, he turned and left barefoot, holding the arm.

He Jianlan's eyes flickered slightly. In Li Hao, she dimly perceived something she rarely saw in him. This child was more mature and more intelligent than she had imagined.

"Xue Jian, take Chengzhi's boots to Hao," He Jianlan instructed.

Xue Jian nodded and went to a side room to find the boots, but by the time she hurried out of the courtyard, that little figure had already gone far away and vanished from sight.

He returned to the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard.

Li Hao found a place to bury the arm, then fetched a wooden plaque, carved "Lin Haixia" onto it, and planted it in the earth.

He instructed Uncle Zhao to fence off the area and forbid anyone from entering.

When Uncle Zhao learned that Lin Haixia's remaining arm was buried there, he hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "Young Master, this is the courtyard where the heads of the household live. We can't bury remains here. We have a cemetery for fallen soldiers. Let us send Commandant Lin there."

"Arrange a cenotaph for Uncle Lin in the cemetery for fallen soldiers."

Li Hao shook his head slightly and swept his gaze over the courtyard. "This vast Mountains and Rivers Courtyard has room for one of Uncle Lin's hands."

"Young Master..."

Uncle Zhao wanted to say more, but Li Hao stopped him, leaving him no choice but to let the matter rest.

"Remember to provide compensation to Uncle Lin's family and treat them generously," Li Hao told Uncle Zhao.

Uncle Zhao replied, "Commandant Lin was a military man. Northern Yan should already have received the news. They'll make proper arrangements for his family."

"What they do there is one thing. What we do here is another." Li Hao glanced at Uncle Zhao. "You should understand what I mean."

Uncle Zhao paused, then nodded slightly. "I understand."

The news of Lin Haixia's death was like a small pebble dropped into a lake. It stirred no great waves within the Divine General Residence, only a few faint ripples.

Life in the other courtyards continued as usual, while in the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard, Li Hao became even more absorbed in chess, paying no attention even to Bian Ruxue's sword practice.

He did not tell the little girl about Uncle Lin, lest it make her sad.

Time flew by.

One day, Li Hao jolted awake from a dream. He had been playing chess with Uncle Lin when a fierce tiger suddenly charged in from beyond the board, overturned it, pinned Lin Haixia to the ground, and sank its teeth into his neck.

He sat on the bed, gasping for breath.

The little girl beside him woke at the noise. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she asked, "Brother Hao, what's wrong?"

Li Hao came to his senses and shook his head. "Nothing."

Once the little girl fell asleep again, Li Hao pulled the bedding that had slipped aside back over her, then got up and went to the window.

Moonlight spilled down, and words suddenly appeared before Li Hao's eyes:

[You have comprehended chess heart.]

(End of chapter)