Tan Palace Academy

Tan Palace Academy

The era name "Qingyuan" had been newly established the year Li Hao was born, which showed the depth of Yu Emperor's favor toward the Li Family.

This dynasty, which had stood for more than three thousand years, was still like a male lion. Though it was gradually aging and weakening, its accumulated might ran deep, protecting more than half the nation in peace and keeping the demons and monsters of the eight wastes and four wilds from daring to trample wantonly into the inland territories. It also kept those vassal states that bowed their heads and called themselves subjects still offering tribute year after year! That year, in the Secluded Valley Mountain Range on the border of Yun Prefecture, the eighty-six-year-old veteran general Jiang Tianshou set out amid the cheers of the border herdsmen, leading more than thirty thousand royal iron cavalry. In only three days, he annihilated one hundred thousand Tiger Leopard Demon Race that had been harassing the border, expanded the frontier by a thousand li, and his name spread through the Nineteen Provinces!

That year, the Young Phoenix Bright Moon Sword, only twelve years old, broke through the Nine Gates of Heaven, entered Qian Dao Palace as a Personal Disciple, listened to the dao tones of saints, and shook the world with his name!

And that old grandmaster who had secluded himself on Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain for thirty years also descended the mountain that year. He dueled someone by the shore of Red Water Lake, drawing people from all under heaven to go and watch, yet in the end, no one knew who won or lost.

At this time, it was late autumn in the tenth month.

Withered yellow leaves covered the land of Qingzhou.

Tan Palace Academy, the sacred land of cultivation in Qingzhou City known as the "Leaping Immortal Gate," also opened the gates of its academy palace, which had been sealed for six years.

Once the news came out, it swept through every province.

Countless young talents, heirs, and commandery princesses rushed over from every province under heaven like crucian carp crossing the river, fighting over this chance at fame and fortune.

Yet inside Qingzhou City, in a small courtyard of the Divine General Residence not far from Tan Palace Academy, a young man sat at ease.

He listened to the sound of falling leaves drifting in the courtyard, brewed a full pot of green tea, and quietly played a game of chess.

It was as if the clamor and strife outside the courtyard

had nothing to do with him.

"Fifth Master, you lost again."

A black stone fell, sealing off the last retreat of the white pieces. Checkmate.

The young man picked up the teacup beside him and took a light sip, then said with a smile.

His lips were red and his teeth white, his eyes like brilliant stars, clear and deep. The contours of his slightly youthful cheeks were soft yet sharply lined, and his fair skin seemed long untouched by sunlight, revealing a faint, moon-white chill. The fingers holding the piece were slender and strong, the nails translucent, without the slightest impurity.

After he finished speaking, the corners of the old man's mouth twitched as he sat opposite him before the chessboard. He knitted his brows and examined the board carefully, but in the end, he could find no way out. So angry that he tossed the white piece at his fingertips back into the chess bowl.

"You brat, your chess skill is getting more and more refined."

Fifth Master Li Qingzheng said. Though he was praising the young man, his gaze was especially resentful.

The path of chess he had immersed himself in for most of his life, and which he was proudest of, had actually been defeated again and again by this brat lately. He could only win one game occasionally, leaving him endlessly gloomy.

"It's all because Fifth Master has been such a good sparring partner." The young man was precisely Li Hao, and he laughed modestly.

"Stinking brat!"

Li Qingzheng rolled his eyes at him in annoyance. He wanted to play another game, but looking at the board before him, he felt a little dispirited.

He still had not figured out how he had lost that last game.

At this moment, the crunch of withered leaves being stepped on rang out from the ground. A snow-white figure darted over at high speed and, without a word, leaped straight into the young man's arms. It was a white fox.

The white fox's ears were reddish orange, two vivid splashes of color adding a bit of liveliness to it.

Li Hao rubbed the white fox that had burrowed into his arms to act spoiled, sniffed, then frowned and said, "Why is there a whole smell of medicinal fragrance on you? Where did you run off to steal food again?"

Hearing this, the white fox burrowed its head even deeper into Li Hao's arms, as if hiding from having to answer.

Just then, Li Hao heard footsteps. He raised his head and looked over. A figure in green clothes came trotting over, a maid of sixteen or seventeen, with bright eyes and white teeth, rather pretty.

Panting, she reached the outside of the pavilion. Seeing Li Qingzheng, she hurriedly lowered her head, bowed, and gave a greeting before anxiously saying to Li Hao, "Young Master, Xiao Rou ran to First Madam's kitchen again, and she even knocked over First Madam's beautifying medicinal soup. Evergreen Courtyard is searching everywhere for the culprit right now..."

Li Hao was speechless. He dug out the little head that had burrowed into his arms and said in annoyance, "I told you not to be naughty everywhere. Do you want another beating?"

The white fox's little head tried hard to turn away, not daring to look into Li Hao's eyes, seemingly aware that it had made a mistake.

"If you keep this up, I'll hand you over to First Madam and let her give you a proper thrashing, stripping all your fur off!" Li Hao threatened.

The white fox seemed to imagine that scene, and its fox body trembled in fright. It twisted its head back and looked at Li Hao in grievance.

"You're already in the Circulation Realm, so why still can't you talk..." Li Hao looked at the white fox's aggrieved eyes and also felt rather helpless.

He turned his head and said to the maid Qingzhi, "In a bit, go apologize to First Madam on my behalf, and while you're at it, send over a plate of Perilla Cake I made. Also, what about today's Cotton Jade Crisps? Did you buy them?"

Qingzhi pouted and muttered softly, "It's me again. Every time it causes trouble, I'm the one who gets scolded."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll go buy the Cotton Jade Crisps first." Qingzhi hurriedly said, then swiftly ran off like a green cloud.

"This little girl is getting more and more unruly." Li Hao picked up his tea and shook his head helplessly.

Li Qingzheng glanced at him. "How many proper ones are there in your courtyard?"

Li Hao nearly sprayed out a mouthful of tea. He looked at the old man speechlessly. "Fifth Master, you can't just say things like that."

Li Qingzheng snorted coldly and said, "The manservants don't stand like they're standing, the maids walk around like mad girls. Go look at the other courtyards, which one isn't proper and orderly? That little fox demon too, always causing trouble everywhere. Sooner or later, someone will catch it and stew it. Truly, when the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam goes askew. The main problem is you. You clearly had a bright future, yet you insisted on messing around on your own. Could our family's ancestors really not compare to a demon dragon?"

Speaking of this, anger surged up in him, and he blew his beard and glared.

Clearly, even after several years, this matter still rankled in his heart.

When Li Hao was eight, he had clearly been able to step into the Soul Succession Realm, yet he forcefully dragged it out by a year himself.

In the end, when those old ancestors in the ancestral hall could not hold back and asked about it, they sent him to find this brat again, only to discover that Li Hao had already succeeded his soul.

He had used a body-refining cultivation method to slay a flood dragon and succeed a Demon Soul.

Although what he had succeeded was a dragon soul, how could a mere little dragon compare to the generations of ancestors of the Li Family?

Moreover, Demon Souls inherited nature. Inheriting a Demon Soul would inevitably make one bloodthirsty and brutal in temperament.

Fortunately, over these years, Li Hao had not displayed this side. Most likely, it was also because he had played chess with him for years and been influenced by him... Li Qingzheng stroked his beard in relief.

It was just that the demon dragon soul had lowered Li Hao's soul succession aptitude, dooming him to count only as upper-middle within the Soul Succession Realm.

Against most others in the Soul Succession Realm, it was still decent, but compared with the top Soul Succession Realm cultivators of the various sects and schools, it paled like a crow beside a phoenix.

After all, when others released their Soul Avatar, it was an old ancestor of the Four Establishments Realm. His own family's, however, was a demon dragon.

And the demon dragons that those other ancestors had slain before their deaths were countless. Just the dragon-slaying aura carried by their Soul Avatar alone could probably scare Li Hao flat to the ground.

Thinking of this matter made Li Qingzheng's belly fill with anger.

Those old ancestors in the ancestral hall had also been furious beyond measure.

As a son of the Li Family, he had inherited a demon dragon soul. Where were they, a host of old ancestors, supposed to put their faces?

There was even an old ancestor who proposed that Li Hao be heavily punished and locked in the Li Family's Heavenly Prison so that he could properly learn a lesson.

Even Li Muxiu, who had stayed by Li Hao's side all year round and served as half a guardian, had also been scolded one by one by the old ancestors...

However, Second Brother deserved it too! It was precisely because Second Brother indulged this brat too much, spoiled him too much, and ignored everything that he let him become lawless!

If not for the fact that Li Hao played a fine hand of chess, he would absolutely have given this brat a harsh lesson himself.

Thinking to this point, Li Qingzheng looked at the chessboard before him, and his anger flared three parts hotter.

How had he lost!

Ever since the year he stepped out of the ancestral hall, he felt that the tranquil state of mind he had maintained for decades seemed to have more and more ripples.

"I think it's pretty good. The servants are comfortable, and I'm comfortable too."

Li Hao gave the old man an embarrassed smile.

"With you so lax, your servants are lax too. When your father comes back, we'll see how he disciplines you." Li Qingzheng snorted coldly.

Li Hao said, "What if he won't let me play chess with you anymore?"

"He dares!"

Li Qingzheng immediately glared.

Li Hao chuckled. At this moment, another burst of footsteps came over, though from the sound, it was not that girl Qingzhi.

He looked over in surprise and saw a familiar face, Xue Jian from Evergreen Courtyard.

Only now, after several years had passed, that young girl of back then had gained more and more of a dignified charm.

Behind her followed two little maids, their brows lowered and eyes restrained, walking without a sound. Clearly, they were much more proper than those in his own courtyard... and much more hardworking.

Seeing that Fifth Master was also there, Xue Jian hurriedly bowed in greeting. While astonished inwardly, she could not help glancing at Li Hao. Everyone in the residence knew that this young master of Mountains and Rivers Courtyard idled away his days without learning or skill, yet he got along quite well with both old masters.

"Young Master, First Madam asked me to come inform you that Tan Palace Academy has opened this year. This is the invitation the academy palace sent to the residence. Madam asked me to bring you a copy."

Xue Jian lowered her head respectfully and handed Li Hao an invitation with a black-and-white twin-fish exterior.

Although she might not truly respect Li Hao much in her heart, not the slightest fault could be found in her attitude.

Li Hao had long known that this girl handled matters with excellent propriety. Smiling, he accepted it, then casually tossed it beside the mat and said, "Many thanks, Miss Xue Jian."

Xue Jian lowered her gaze and saw that this precious invitation, which warriors all under heaven could not fight fast enough to seize, had been casually placed to the side just like that. Thinking of this young master's temperament, it was indeed just as Madam had predicted.