Child King Li Hao

Child King Li Hao

Hearing the child's careful, word-by-word instructions, He Jianlan's expression tightened slightly. She nodded faintly and said warmly, "First Madam will pass all of it on for you. You needn't worry. Follow Second Grandpa and cultivate well. Listen to the old man, don't act rashly, and when you have time, you can go to the Martial Arts Arena to train as well. You're welcome there anytime."

The reason she had not asked Li Hao to go to the Martial Arts Arena before was because she had been afraid he would be bullied. Now that Li Hao could be considered to have stepped onto the path of cultivation, going to the Martial Arts Arena would let him spar and exchange pointers, temper himself in real combat, and help his cultivation.

After Li Hao and Li Fu withdrew together, He Jianlan could not help letting out a soft sigh.

Beside her, Xue Jian saw her expression and asked cautiously, "Madam, why do you sigh?"

"Little Seven is busy with military affairs in Yanbei. Perhaps he got so busy he forgot. This couple, too—after so many years without seeing him, they don't even know to send more letters home, to show this child a little care. Hao'er is actually very sensible..."

He Jianlan murmured softly to herself, her tone carrying a little helplessness and a few traces of reproach.

Xue Jian was quick-witted and was immediately startled. "Could it be that what Madam just said was all..."

He Jianlan glanced at her. Xue Jian instantly shut her mouth and lowered her head, only unable to stop herself from secretly looking up toward the outside of the courtyard. That small figure had already swayed off into the distance.

So Madam had made up all those words of care and greeting herself on their behalf, yet that little young master had taken them as real...

Back at the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard.

Before Li Hao had time to take out his drawing board, he received another letter delivered by a servant. Seeing the signature, a smile instantly appeared on his face, and the faint sense of loss in his heart also dispersed.

Although he had not had much contact with that couple in Yanbei, strangely enough, when the night was deep and all was quiet, he could not help missing them a little.

Perhaps the warmth of that embrace had surfaced again in some dream.

Or perhaps those sincere eyes were something he still had not forgotten to this day.

The letter in his hand came from the Sword Hermitage, so naturally it had been sent by that adorable little girl.

Ever since she went to the Sword Hermitage, she had sent letters back every so often. At first, one arrived every three to five days. Later, the letters said that her Sword Saint master was watching her more strictly and wanted her to settle her heart and cultivate, so the frequency of the letters gradually decreased. Even now, however, he would still receive one every month.

The letter no longer recorded daily trifles. After all, she had said too many times that cultivation at the Sword Hermitage was extremely dull and repetitive. Cultivation was like this; practicing the fundamentals was inevitably tedious.

Li Hao opened the letter and sat in the reclining chair beneath the sunlight. With a smile on his face, he leisurely read through it word by word, missing nothing.

Inside, he even saw one incorrectly written character, as well as a circle and a cross; it was a certain character she had written wrong, then did not know how to write, so she had simply skipped it.

In Li Hao's mind, he seemed able to picture the little girl bent over the letter, scratching her ears and cheeks in frustration. He could not help laughing despite himself.

The letter recorded what she had been eating recently, as well as the Precious Medicine that Sword Saint master of hers had obtained for her. Her cultivation had already reached the fifth level of the Circulation Realm, and her meridian opening had also reached twenty-one meridians. What she cultivated was the strongest Qi Circulation Method in the Sword Hermitage.

Li Hao had once heard Second Grandpa say that the Sword Hermitage's Qi Circulation Method was the Star River Sword Qi Art, a top-tier technique. If cultivated to the perfection of the Circulation Realm, it could open forty-nine meridians! Compared with the Li Family's fifty-four-meridian "Dragon River Divine Meridian" technique, it was only half a notch inferior.

In addition, the little girl had actually already opened the Grand Yin Nether Meridian and was deeply beloved by her Sword Saint master.

Seeing this, Li Hao could not help feeling happy for her as well. The Dragon River Divine Meridian technique was not taught to outsiders; only the direct line could cultivate it. Even though Bian Ruxue was his fiancée, she still could not. As for the madams of the various courtyards, including First Madam He Jianlan, they were also not qualified to cultivate it.

However, what they could cultivate were also all top-tier techniques, merely slightly inferior.

If one's talent was extremely high and one could open two special Great Meridians on one's own, then one could make up for the difference in foundation between the techniques. But clearly, those with such talent were few and far between in the world.

After reading the letter, Li Hao called over a servant and had him prepare brush, ink, paper, and an envelope for him.

With easy, flowing strokes, he slowly finished writing a letter, talking about his recent lessons in painting, cooking, and other matters, as well as some of the pleasures he had found while fishing, and the interesting old senior he had befriended.

Of course, the letter did not mention the title or name of the Thief Saint.

After all, this Old Feng was considered a villain in Great Yu and was disliked by every faction. Only someone with Second Grandpa's free and carefree temperament would befriend such a person into a close friend. But outsiders did not know of their relationship. Otherwise, they would definitely curse loudly and viciously behind his back: what a fine collusion between official and thief! After finishing, Li Hao once again casually drew a little expression as usual, encouraging her to work hard at cultivation so they could encourage each other together.

(_)

After handing the letter to a servant to send out, Li Hao brought over his drawing board and began painting as usual. Now that his painting path was at the second stage, his painting skills were even more exquisite than before.

On the surface, the changes in his sketches were not large, but in truth, one could discover that the eyes had grown increasingly vivid, as if they were gazing from the paper.

Before he had finished one painting, a group of figures came rushing in from outside the courtyard, shouting and clamoring. From far away, he could already hear someone stretching their throat and yelling, "Brother Hao, we're here!"

He looked up and saw three little brats running over with pattering steps.

They were the Sixth Madam's only son, Li Yuanzhao.

And Fifth Madam's second son and third daughter, Li Yun and Li Zhining.

On the day Bian Ruxue had been sent off to the Sword Hermitage, they had come to the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard as direct-line "classmates" to bid her farewell, so they had also gotten to know Li Hao.

Later, that kid named Li Yun had repeatedly run over to inquire about Bian Ruxue's news and ask when she would return. Only then did Li Hao realize that this little brat whose hair had not even fully grown dared to covet his little girl.

However, he did not lower himself to argue with this little brat.

—He had merely beaten his backside fiercely swollen, that was all.

Then, after a round of threats and intimidation, he made this little brat too afraid to go complain to Fifth Madam. After all, when children fought, it was no fun if adults interfered.

Of course, the main reason was also that he could win.

From then on, Li Yun carried a bit of a shadow and fear whenever he saw Li Hao. But because of this, he did not become too afraid to come to the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard again. Instead, he later dragged along his younger sister and another old sixth to bolster his courage and came together with them.

After a few encounters, Li Hao easily became the Child King among these three children.

"Brother Hao, last time, the monkey you were talking about got suppressed, but you didn't finish. What happened after that?"

Li Yuanzhao's short, chubby body trotted over to the drawing board, but his dirty little hands did not dare touch the drawing paper, afraid Li Hao would knock him on the head.

"Yeah, yeah." Li Yun also nodded repeatedly, his head like a chick pecking rice. He had long since been subdued by Li Hao.

Beside them, the little girl Li Zhining handed Li Hao a food box. Her little eyes sparkled as she said, "Brother Hao, these are crispy fragrant cakes my mother made. We all ate some already. They're really good. These are for you."

"I haven't eaten any yet." Li Yuanzhao immediately tore down her stage and reached out with his dirty little hand that had just finished training at the Martial Arts Arena to take one, but Li Zhining twisted aside and dodged, even glaring fiercely at him.

The little fatty immediately looked at her in grievance.

Li Hao smiled and did not stand on ceremony. He took the food box and opened it, and a fragrant aroma rushed into his nose. He picked one up and tasted it. It was indeed quite good. He then divided the rest among them and said, "Go move over little stools yourselves. Eat while I tell you."

"Uncle Zhao, chairs!" Li Yun immediately stretched his throat and shouted.

Li Hao irritably knocked him on the head. "Is Uncle Zhao someone you can order around? Get it yourself!"

Li Yun clutched his head, a little frightened, and muttered something indistinct. Then he pointed at a servant and said, "You, bring me a stool."

That servant did not dare disobey and obediently went to fetch one with a smile.

Li Yuanzhao and Li Zhining, on the other hand, were already familiar with the way. They ran into the room themselves to find little stools, then obediently sat down beside Li Hao.