Fortune Too Shallow

Li Hao took the sword, his thoughts racing.

He no longer cared about deliberately hiding himself. What he weighed now were the gains and losses.

If he displayed his swordsmanship and revealed his talent, he would naturally astonish everyone.

Even without exposing his physical cultivation, using only the body of an ordinary child to wield the sword, he could not unleash the Supreme Perfection level of the Tide Sword Art. But as long as he borrowed a trace of that Supreme Perfection charm, this old Sword Saint, with his viciously sharp eye for the Sword Dao, should be able to see his potential.

With a Sword Saint as his master, there would naturally be no need to worry about others coveting him.

But if he became the man's disciple, he would have to follow him to the Sword Hermitage in the south to cultivate.

That was a holy land for swordsmen, but in terms of overall foundation, it might not be as profound as the Divine General Residence or as richly endowed as the Listening Rain Pavilion.

And he needed to improve through the Chess Dao and other arts. Judging by this old Sword Saint's grim, unsmiling appearance, he would most likely be extremely strict and might not tolerate him "neglecting proper pursuits."

Or perhaps he could become the man's disciple and discuss having him stay in the Divine General Residence to teach him?

But the Divine General Residence might not tolerate an outside powerhouse comparable to a generation of the Li Family remaining in the residence for long... and the man might not agree either.

"Forget it. He needn't demonstrate."

At that moment, Sword Wudao's voice came over, carrying a hint of displeasure.

Li Hao, who had been weighing his choices, was stunned when he heard this and looked at him.

He Jianlan came to her senses and hurriedly said, "Senior Sword Saint, w-why is that?"

"There is no sword in his eyes. He does not love the sword. At such a young age, his thoughts are already muddled and variegated. He is not suited for sword practice."

Sword Wudao's face returned to its indifferent calm. If this had not been the Divine General Residence, he would have already turned and left, without bothering to offer even a single explanation.

"Senior Sword Saint, the child must simply be nervous. Why not give him a chance to show himself..." Li Fu hurriedly said from behind. This was an opportunity that came once in a thousand years; missing it would be far too great a loss.

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

That cold gaze, sharp as a sword's edge, made Li Fu's throat turn icy. It felt as though his life had been severed, and his words abruptly stopped.

"Senior Sword Saint, Hao'er has lived in the residence since childhood and has never seen the world. Besides, he cannot practice martial arts, so he surely has not touched a sword much in ordinary times. Is it not normal that he has no particular love for them?" He Jianlan said, her elegant brows knitting.

Sword Wudao would not treat He Jianlan as he had Li Fu. After all, she was the current First Madam of the Divine General Residence and acted in charge of the divine residence. He glanced at her and gently shook his head.

"I understand First Madam's intentions. But you do not use the sword, and you do not understand the Sword Dao. If he merely wished to reach an ordinary standard, or become an expert among common folk, then with this old man's instruction, he could barely manage it."

"But if he wishes to reach the pinnacle, to attain even the lowest standard of my Sword Hermitage, then he falls far too short."

"When I judge sword practice, I look at only two things. First, talent in the Sword Dao. Second, one's feeling for the sword."

"If one has talent but no feeling for the sword, one can only reach the second-rate level."

"But if one loves the sword itself, then even if one's comprehension is rather ordinary, once one grasps the Sword Heart in the future, one can step into the first-rate ranks!"

Rarely speaking so much at once, Sword Wudao simply laid everything out clearly.

He looked toward Bian Ruxue and said to He Jianlan, "When this little girl walked over earlier, holding the sword, I could see a sword in her eyes. She loves swords. Out of a thousand weapons, she would spot a sword at a single glance!"

"With that alone, even if her talent were a little lacking, if she practiced the sword day after day and condensed a Sword Heart, she would still achieve great things in the future. Not to mention that her talent is exceptional."

After saying that, he looked at Li Hao again. "But this child has not the slightest shadow of a sword in his eyes. Even after taking the sword, he showed no emotion. Whatever his talent may be is no longer important."

"He is not suited to the path of the Sword Dao!"

He delivered his final assessment.

After those words, He Jianlan was completely rendered speechless.

Silence filled the courtyard.

He Jianlan seemed to want to speak, then stopped herself. Seeing the resolute look in his eyes, she knew further persuasion was useless. Unless she invited the clan elders to intervene—but that would lower the Li Family's standing too much.

She lowered her head and looked at Li Hao, her gaze complicated as she sighed inwardly.

How could she not know that this child had a wild temperament? He often sought out the guards and servants in the courtyard to play chess with him. Such trifling arts were merely playthings beneath an age of prosperity.

But Li Tiangang and his wife were not here, so she could not discipline him too harshly. She had spoken to him a few times, but the child did not listen and secretly had the servants accompany him. There was nothing she could do.

So this was fate, after all? As He Jianlan stood silent, Sword Wudao no longer cared what others thought. He had made himself clear enough. If the Li Family could not tell good from bad and insisted on stuffing this child under his tutelage, he would not be polite.

He looked toward the little girl at the side. The fondness in his eyes could not be concealed, and even the coldness on his face melted somewhat. Smiling, he said, "Little girl, what is your name?"

"Bian Ruxue."

The little girl answered obediently.

Then she looked at Li Hao and said to the old man before her, "Can you let Brother Hao demonstrate? Brother Hao is very smart, much smarter than Xue'er."

Sword Wudao smiled faintly. What use was being smart? Which of those scholars and poets in court were not smart? Besides, he had just seen that Li Hao's eyes were filled with complicated thoughts. At such a young age, he already had so many schemes in his heart. His disposition was not pure enough. When it came time to endure the bitter practice of the early stages of the Sword Dao and lay a solid foundation, he would only be distracted by three hearts and two minds, wasting himself.

That was why some children who showed early brilliance later vanished into the crowd, while some quiet, unremarkable children ultimately became great talents late in life.

Sword Wudao did not like the phrase "a great talent blossoming late." He believed it was merely the ignorance of worldly people, unable to see through the protective outer shell of a true genius.

Focus and single-mindedness—those were the qualities of genius.

Some children seemed clever, understanding a little of everything. They could even chime in when adults spoke, making the adults laugh heartily and praise them as smart. But in cultivation, the greatest taboo was being clever in one's own eyes.

Steadiness and pragmatism, with a touch of spiritual insight—those made the finest material.

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

"Will you take Brother Hao too?" Bian Ruxue lifted her head and asked.

"Only you."

"Then I'm not going."

Bian Ruxue immediately said so, taking a step back at the same time. As though afraid he would forcibly take her away, she shrank to Li Hao's side and hugged his arm. "I want to stay with Brother Hao. I'm not going anywhere."

Sword Wudao's expression changed slightly, his brows furrowing.

Still, though Bian Ruxue's talent was extraordinary, she was ultimately only a child. He was not angry. He merely turned to He Jianlan and said, "First Madam, I will take Xue'er away. Once she has achieved something in cultivation, I will let her return. Of course, perhaps in only a few years, you will hear of the name she has stirred up beyond these walls."

He spoke with great confidence, because so long as he announced it now, countless people across the land would immediately learn the name "Bian Ruxue."

The newly accepted young disciple of the Sword Saint of the Path of Nothingness—this 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's words.

Li Hao had also long since recovered. His lips twitched, but he said nothing. Fine. The choice had been made for him, saving him the trouble of agonizing over it.

"Brother Hao, I don't want to go."

Bian Ruxue clutched Li Hao's arm tightly. Her eyes were red as she spoke timidly.

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

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

But if she became a Sword Saint's disciple, that lineage alone would grant her vast connections, and she would get to see a broader world beyond.

Out of selfishness, he wanted to keep her. With this little tail by his side, he felt secure and happy within.

But for Bian Ruxue's sake, he still chose to let go for now. He softly said, "Xue'er, be good. Go cultivate with this old grandpa. Once you accomplish something in cultivation, you can come back to see me. Then I'll take you to eat delicious food again."

"I'm not going! I don't want to cultivate! I won't practice the sword anymore! I hate swords!" Bian Ruxue immediately burst into tears.

Sword Wudao frowned, realizing that he had underestimated the little girl's feelings for this boy.

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

He thought to himself that if it truly came to it, he could accept Li Hao as well. With a talent like this little girl's, even if she wore a piece of broken junk as an ornament, she would still be worth fighting over.

"Be good. You're already a big girl, so you can't keep crying," Li Hao said gently, using his sleeve to wipe away her snot. His heart tightened slightly as well, unwilling to part with her.

The adults throughout the courtyard remained silent, simply watching one child comfort another.

Many wore complicated expressions, feeling both jealousy and envy. Children were children in the end; they understood nothing. Being able to enter the Sword Hermitage was what kind of opportunity? If their own children could go, they would immediately kick them out the door and let them experience the footwork of a loving mother.

After much effort, Li Hao finally managed to comfort the little girl.

Bian Ruxue rubbed at her tear-filled eyes and 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 gentleness.

Though he could have ignored Bian Ruxue's wishes and forcibly taken her away—after all, she was only a half-grown child, and however reluctant she was now, half a year at the Sword Hermitage would smooth it all away with time.

But since she was willing to follow him up the mountain obediently, that was naturally better.

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

"Xue'er has a gentle nature. Old man, you must protect her for me. Don't let anyone bully her."

After soothing Xue'er, Li Hao lifted his head and spoke earnestly to Sword Wudao.

Sword Wudao raised a brow slightly at Li Hao's form of address. For the child's sake, he did not become angry. He merely said flatly, "Little fellow, rest assured. I will take good care of Xue'er. At my side, no one under heaven will be able to bully her!"

"Good." Li Hao looked deeply at him, then said to Bian Ruxue, "Xue'er, if anyone at the Sword Hermitage bullies you, write it down in a little notebook. One day, I'll bully them back for you."

Everyone simply took the child's words as the deep affection of children, spoken without knowing the weight of things. No one took them seriously.

Before leaving, Sword Wudao thought for a moment and said to He Jianlan, "My Sword Hermitage has a Body Refining Manual. I'll send someone to deliver it later. If it is placed in your Listening Rain Pavilion, it should be able to reach the Sixth Layer, yes? Let this child try it then."

He Jianlan was delighted and hurriedly thanked him. Then, still holding onto a sliver of hope, she asked, "Can Hao'er truly not become your disciple?"

Sword Wudao left.

He left behind only one sentence: that child had a good fate, but his fortune was too shallow.