A Meager Share of Fortune

Li Hao took the sword, his thoughts racing.

He was no longer concerned with deliberately concealing his abilities. Instead, he was weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

Displaying his swordsmanship and revealing his talent would naturally astonish everyone.

Even without revealing his physical cultivation, and wielding the sword with only the strength of an ordinary child, he could still draw on a trace of Supreme Perfection's essence, though he could not unleash the Tide Sword Art at that level. With this old Sword Saint's keen eye for the Sword Dao, that should be enough for him to recognize Li Hao's potential.

With the Sword Saint as his master, he naturally would not need to worry about others coveting his gifts.

But becoming his disciple meant following him south to cultivate at the Sword Hermitage.

That was a sacred haven for swordsmen, but its overall foundations might not run as deep as those of the Divine General Residence, nor its resources be as abundant as those of the Listening Rain Pavilion.

And he needed to improve through the Chess Dao and other arts. Judging by this old Sword Saint's stern, unsmiling demeanor, he would probably be exceedingly strict and might not tolerate Li Hao "neglecting his proper pursuits."

Or perhaps he could become his disciple and negotiate with him, asking him to stay at the Divine General Residence to teach him?

But the Divine General Residence might not tolerate an outside powerhouse on par with an entire generation of the Li Family remaining within its walls for long... and the man himself might not agree either.

"Never mind. There is no need for him to demonstrate."

Just then, Sword Wudao's voice rang out, tinged with displeasure.

Still pondering his decision, Li Hao froze at those words and looked at him.

He Jianlan collected herself and hastily said, "Senior Sword Saint, wh-why is that?"

"There is no sword in his eyes. He does not love the sword. His thoughts are already muddled at such a young age. He is not cut out for swordsmanship."

Sword Wudao's expression returned to indifference. Had this not been the Divine General Residence, he would already have turned and left without offering a single word of explanation.

"Senior Sword Saint, the child must be nervous. Could you give him a chance to demonstrate..." Li Fu hurriedly pleaded from behind them. This was an opportunity that came once in a thousand years; missing it would be an enormous loss.

But before he could finish, the man glanced at him.

That cold gaze, sharp as a sword's edge, sent a chill through Li Fu's throat. He felt as though his very life were being severed, and his words involuntarily stopped.

"Senior Sword Saint, Hao has grown up within the residence and has seen little of the world. Besides, he cannot practice martial arts, so he surely seldom touches a sword. Isn't it understandable that he has yet to develop a fondness for it?" He Jianlan asked, her graceful brows knitting.

Sword Wudao would not treat He Jianlan as he had Li Fu. After all, she was the Divine General Residence's current First Madam, managing the residence in its master's stead. He glanced at her and gently shook his head.

"I understand your intentions, Madam. But you do not wield a sword, and you do not understand the Sword Dao. If he only wished to attain an ordinary standard, or become an expert by worldly measures, then with my instruction, he could just about manage it."

"But if he wished to reach the pinnacle and meet even the lowest standard of my Sword Hermitage, he would fall far short."

"When it comes to swordsmanship, I look at only two things: talent for the Sword Dao, and a feeling for the sword."

"Someone with good talent but no feeling for the sword can only reach the second rank."

"But someone who loves the sword itself, even with relatively ordinary comprehension, can enter the first rank once they comprehend the sword heart!"

It was rare for Sword Wudao to say so much at once, so he decided he might as well make everything perfectly clear.

He looked at Bian Ruxue and told He Jianlan, "When this little girl walked over earlier, holding her sword, I could see a sword in her eyes. She loves the sword. Among a thousand weapons, her eyes would find the sword at a glance!"

"With that, even if her talent were a little poorer, practicing day after day and refining her sword heart would still lead to great accomplishments. And her talent happens to be exceptional."

Then he looked at Li Hao again. "But this child has not the faintest shadow of a sword in his eyes. Even when he took the sword, there was no feeling in him. His talent no longer matters."

"The path of the Sword Dao does not suit him!"

That was his final judgment.

Those words left He Jianlan utterly unable to reply.

Silence filled the courtyard.

He Jianlan wanted to speak but hesitated. Seeing the resolve in his eyes, she knew further persuasion would be useless unless she invited a clan elder out. But that would be far too demeaning to the Li Family's standing.

She lowered her gaze to Li Hao, her eyes complicated, and sighed inwardly.

How could she not know that this child had an unruly disposition? He often sought out household servants in the courtyard to play chess. Such a trifling art was merely a plaything in prosperous times.

But with Li Tiangang and his wife absent, she could not discipline him too strictly. She had spoken to him a few times, but the child would not listen and secretly had the servants accompany him anyway. There was nothing she could do.

Was all of this truly fate after all?

While He Jianlan remained silent, Sword Wudao no longer concerned himself with anyone else's thoughts. He had explained clearly enough. If the Li Family failed to understand and insisted on forcing this child under his tutelage, he would not stand on ceremony.

Now he turned to the little girl nearby, unable to hide the fondness in his eyes. Even the coldness on his face softened a little as he asked with a smile, "Little girl, what is your name?"

"Bian Ruxue."

The little girl answered obediently.

Then she looked at Li Hao and asked the old man before her, "Could you let Brother Hao demonstrate? Brother Hao is very clever, much cleverer than Xue'er."

Sword Wudao smiled faintly. What use was cleverness? Which of those scholars and poets at court was not clever?

Besides, he had already noticed the tangle of thoughts in Li Hao's eyes. The boy had so much on his mind at such a young age, and his heart lacked purity. That would make it even harder for him to lay a solid foundation through the grueling practice required in the early stages of the Sword Dao. His heart would wander in three directions at once, and he would only hold himself back.

That was why some precocious children later faded into the crowd, while certain quiet, unremarkable children became great talents late in life.

Sword Wudao disliked the phrase "a great talent matures late." To him, it reflected the ignorance of worldly people, who could not see through the protective outer shell of a true genius.

Focus and single-minded devotion-those were the qualities of a genius.

Some children who seemed clever knew a little of everything. They could even interject into adult conversations, making the adults chuckle and praise their intelligence. But in cultivation, the greatest taboo was trying to be clever.

Steadiness, solidity, and a spark of insight made the finest raw material.

"Xue'er, come cultivate with me in the mountains," Sword Wudao said gently.

"Will you take Brother Hao too?" Bian Ruxue asked, looking up.

"Only you."

"Then I'm not going."

Bian Ruxue answered at once and took a step back, seemingly afraid he might force her to leave. She shrank against Li Hao and hugged his arm. "I want to stay with Brother Hao. I'm not going anywhere."

Sword Wudao's expression shifted slightly, and his brows furrowed.

But despite Bian Ruxue's exceptional talent, she was still a child, so he did not become angry. He merely turned to He Jianlan and said, "First Madam, I shall take Xue'er with me. Once she has achieved success in her cultivation, I will let her return. Of course, perhaps in only a few years, you will hear of the reputation she has stirred up beyond these walls."

He spoke with great confidence, for the moment he announced it, many people throughout the realm would immediately learn the name "Bian Ruxue."

The Sword Saint Wudao's newest little disciple-that title alone would be enough to make her famous throughout an entire province!

He Jianlan nodded slightly. Naturally, she had no reason to refuse Sword Wudao.

By now, Li Hao had long since come back to his senses. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he said nothing. This was fine too. Someone had made the choice for him, saving him the trouble of deliberating.

"Brother Hao, I'm not leaving."

Bian Ruxue clutched Li Hao's arm tightly, her eyes reddening as she spoke timidly.

Li Hao was reluctant to part with the little girl too, but he understood that this was her opportunity.

If she remained at the Divine General Residence, aside from cultivation, everything in her life would stay confined to his side.

But becoming the Sword Saint's disciple would give her an immense network of connections through her lineage alone, and let her see a far wider world outside.

Out of selfishness, he wanted to keep this girl with him. Having such a little tail following him around made him feel secure and happy.

But for Bian Ruxue's sake, he still chose to let go for now. He said softly, "Be good, Xue'er. Go cultivate with this old grandfather. Once you achieve success, you can come back and see me. Then I'll take you out for delicious food again."

"I'm not leaving! I don't want to cultivate! I won't practice swordsmanship anymore! I hate swords!" Bian Ruxue burst into tears.

Sword Wudao's brows furrowed. He realized he had underestimated the little girl's attachment to this boy.

That made sense. He had heard they were childhood sweethearts who had grown up together.

He thought that, if there really was no other way, he could take Li Hao in as well. A little girl with such talent was worth fighting over even with a shabby trinket dangling from her.

"Be good. You're a big girl now. You can't keep crying." Li Hao wiped her runny nose with his sleeve and spoke gently. His heart tightened a little too, reluctant to part with her.

The adults throughout the courtyard stood in silence, watching one child soothe another.

Many wore complicated expressions, envy and jealousy mingling in their hearts. Children were children after all, understanding nothing. What an incredible opportunity it was to enter the Sword Hermitage! If their own children could go, they would immediately kick them out the door and let them sample their loving mothers' footwork.

After considerable effort, Li Hao finally calmed the little girl down.

With tear-filled eyes, Bian Ruxue said, "Then it's a promise. Brother Hao, you have to wait for me to come back. Right here. You're not allowed to go anywhere."

"Mm." Li Hao stroked her forehead and nodded with a smile.

Sword Wudao's expression eased as well, and even his gaze toward Li Hao gained a trace of warmth.

He could have ignored Bian Ruxue's wishes and forcibly taken her away. After all, she was only a young child. However reluctant she was now, half a year at the Sword Hermitage would let time smooth it all away.

But naturally, it was better if she was willing to follow him up the mountain obediently.

After all, with talent like hers, time was precious and could not be wasted.

"Xue'er is gentle by nature. Old man, you have to protect her for me. Don't let anyone bully her."

Having soothed Xue'er, Li Hao looked up at Sword Wudao and spoke earnestly.

Sword Wudao raised an eyebrow slightly at Li Hao's form of address, but did not get angry, considering that he was a child. He said calmly, "Rest assured, little fellow. I will take good care of Xue'er. At my side, no one in this world can bully her!"

"Good." Li Hao gave him a long, searching look, then told Bian Ruxue, "Xue'er, if anyone at the Sword Hermitage bullies you, write it down in a little notebook. Someday, I'll bully them back for you."

Everyone merely took the child's words as an expression of deep affection, spoken without any sense of their weight. No one took them seriously.

Before leaving, Sword Wudao considered for a moment, then told He Jianlan, "My Sword Hermitage has a Body Refining Manual. I will have someone send it over later. If you put it in your Listening Rain Pavilion, it should qualify for the Sixth Layer. Let this child try it then."

Delighted, He Jianlan hurriedly thanked him, then clung to one last thread of hope. "Can Hao truly not become your disciple?"

Sword Wudao left.

He left behind only one remark: the child had been born to a good fate, but his share of fortune was meager.

(End of chapter)