Old grievances resurface

After Li Xuanli arrived, he first gave a slight bow to First Madam He Jianlan in greeting.

He then greeted each of his other sisters-in-law, and then greeted his other younger brothers and sisters-in-law before sitting down, smiling as he said:

"Shuang'er, how is your cultivation at the Thousand Machines Sect? I heard you've made it onto the Qian Rankings, not bad."

Hearing her father's praise, Li Wushuang remained calm, while Li Yun beside her had shining eyes and looked quite proud. Li Zhining also looked at her elder sister with sparkling eyes, seemingly regarding her as her role model.

"It's just that he's ranked at the bottom. If he could be like Ninth Uncle, and immediately take the Champion upon entering the Qian Rankings, that would be truly impressive."

She wasn't trying to show off; she was just stating the facts.

Upon hearing his daughter mention the Ninth Prince, Li Xuanli's expression shifted slightly, and the smile on his face faded.

That dazzling figure, like a shooting star, was just as Yu Emperor had said fourteen years ago—that fallen light was the pain of the Li Family!

Although they have nine brothers and not Sisters, they are all very close and united.

They gradually drifted apart after they each married and visited each other less.

Back then, we practiced martial arts and ate together in the compound, laughed and joked around, and hid from our father's punishments together...

Time flies.

The summer croaking of frogs in the Courtyard, a memory lingering in my mind, is long gone...

Seeing that the atmosphere had quieted down a bit, Li Wushuang realized that she shouldn't have brought up that painful memory of the Li Family. Her pretty face changed slightly, and she remained silent.

Li Xuanli, who had been feeling down, snapped out of his reverie and noticed that his daughter was silent. He then realized that he had been affected by his own emotions, and immediately smiled slightly, saying nonchalantly:

"You want to compete with your Ninth Uncle? You're still too green. Your Ninth Uncle reached the Heaven and Human Grandmaster Realm at the age of seventeen, fought his way up, set up a challenge on Phoenix Ascension Platform Qingzhou City, and challenged all the proud talents in the All Under Heaven. In the end, no one dared to answer!"

When talking about his youth, Li Xuanli's face lit up with a smile, and he fondly recalled those spirited days.

Back then, they still had the sky above them, their fathers, and their Eldest Brother, which allowed them to roam freely and roam the world.

He drank wine, rode his horse, and traveled through Nineteen Provinces.

But as the sky above them collapsed, my father's soul returned to the Mo River, and to this day he cannot find peace, cannot return to the Li Family Ancestral Hall, and cannot be reincarnated.

They lost their leisurely pursuits and began to cultivate diligently.

At the same time, he also began to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Li Family, Border Defense, galloping across the battlefield, and slaying demons and monsters!

Hearing Li Xuanli's words, the ladies of each courtyard also had a hint of reminiscence in their eyes. That period was when most of them had just married into the Li Manor, when they were most innocent and carefree, and when they spent the most beautiful time with their husbands.

A longing appeared in Li Wushuang's eyes. Her father's few words had sketched in her heart a tall and All Under Heaven figure, the Ninth Uncle she was most proud of since she was Ninth Uncle.

Conquering the All Under Heaven with such domineering presence, how many people in this world can match that?

Li Hao sighed inwardly. Such Heavenly Prodigy, it's a pity he died young.

"The food's getting cold, let's eat first."

In the end, He Jianlan was the most rational. She regained her composure and said with a smile.

Everyone smiled, then greeted each other and started eating.

"Hmm, these dishes are quite good."

During the meal, everyone chatted about other things and didn't bring up those sad memories again, seemingly reaching a tacit understanding in this regard.

After tasting several dishes, Li Xuanli exclaimed in praise, "Shuang'er, it's rare for you to come back, you should try this. This Bamboo Scent Ink Dragon Liver is quite good, it tastes just like it did more than ten years ago, not changed at all. I haven't had it for many years."

"Oh?"

Li Wushuang, who had previously maintained a cool and aloof expression, now revealed a slightly girlish side, picking up a piece with her chopsticks with considerable curiosity and savoring it.

"Yes, it's really good." Li Wushuang smiled, revealing her teeth.

Li Xuanli looked at his Eldest Sister-in-Law and smiled, "Eldest Sister-in-Law -law, you're so kind to Shuang'er. The Bamboo Scent Ink Dragon Liver from Emerald Lake Courtyard is a specialty of Qing Prefecture. I haven't had it in so long that I almost forgot about it."

He Jianlan smiled slightly, glanced at Li Hao was eating and drinking with his head down, and said with a smile:

"This wasn't prepared by me; Hao'er and Yuanzhao bought it together. They said Shuang'er has been away for many years and probably hasn't tasted Qing Prefecture's delicacies, so they went out of their way to buy it."

Li Xuanli was slightly taken aback, then looked at Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao on the other side and asked, "Did you buy this?"

Li Hao glanced at him, showing considerable respect for his fifth uncle, a veteran of countless battles, and nodded.

Li Yuanzhao laughed from the side, "Fifth Uncle, Hao Ge knows his food best. The delicious dishes you just ate were all bought by Hao Ge. There are still several more to come, they'll be served soon."

"Oh?"

Li Xuanli was surprised. He naturally remembered Li Hao, the only son of his seventh brother and Qingqing. He had even attended Li Hao's 100-day celebration.

Later, I heard that the little guy had a body that was useless for cultivation, but it seemed to have been unblocked on its own. It was also possible that Second Master came up with some method to help him open it up. In any case, he was able to cultivate again.

It's a pity that he missed the Foundation Establishment and Blood Fusion stages, so his aptitude is inevitably inferior to others. In addition, he started late and wasted his time.

Thinking of all this, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, and his gaze towards Li Hao softened even more.

"Hao'er, you're very kind. I heard your father is returning soon, and the war in Northern Yan has ended and been submitted to the court. I believe you'll be able to see him soon."

As he spoke, he said to his daughter beside him, "Shuang'er, hurry up and thank Xiaohao. This sentiment is no less than any other gift."

Li Hao's heart stirred upon hearing this. This Fifth Uncle had Future earlier and was the last to arrive, yet his words were cryptic, suggesting that he had already used his Divine Sense to investigate this area.

He immediately felt a sense of goodwill towards his fifth uncle; he was clearly a reasonable person.

Out of consideration for the other party, Li Hao decided not to dwell on what had just happened and pretended to be nonchalant. At this moment, if he glanced at Li Wushuang even once, the other party would most likely feel embarrassed.

On the other side, Li Wushuang's expression changed when she heard her First Madam's words, and now, after hearing her father's words, she suddenly found it difficult to swallow the Dragon Liver she was chewing.

She glanced at Li Hao, only to see him picking up food with his chopsticks, seemingly not waiting for her thanks.

In her eyes, this attitude was nothing short of nonchalance and arrogance.

Her face turned cold. She picked up the half-eaten Dragon Liver from her bowl, put it on the table, and then picked up other dishes, saying:

"Father, I've already thanked him, and besides, I don't actually like Dragon Liver; it's too greasy."

Li Xuanli was taken aback, his face suddenly darkened, he put down his chopsticks, and stared at her, saying:

"Shuang'er, I've taught you since you were little to be honest and upright. You've only just returned, what prejudice do you hold against Hao'er? Just because he gave you a bottle of pills?!"

At this moment, he no longer hid the fact that he had noticed this place long ago.

As he became angry, everyone else at the table stopped eating. Gao Qingqing knew her husband's temperament and found it strange, Shuang'er wasn't like this before.

However, the situation was somewhat tense at the moment. If he were to ask his daughter to apologize again, with everyone in the room watching, he was afraid it would hurt her self-esteem.

Seeing the awkward situation, He Jianlan said gently, "Xuan Li, Shuang'er just returned, please don't be angry. Shuang'er, do you have some kind of opinion about Hao'er?"

Li Wushuang never expected her father to reprimand her in public. She felt inexplicably wronged. She had been away from home for a long time, and now that she was back, she and her father had barely seen each other a few times, yet her father was scolding her for the sake of an outsider.

She bit her lip and glared angrily at Li Hao: "You'll have to ask him about that. He bullied my brother while I was away. Dad, you've been recuperating at the Meditation Mountain, so you didn't know about this."

"Huh?" Li Xuanli was slightly taken aback. Li Hao was bullying his child?

Li Yun's expression also changed slightly, and he suddenly became a little nervous.

When their eldest sister returned, the three siblings naturally had a lot to talk about. When Li Wushuang casually asked with a smile, "Has anyone bullied you all these years?"

He then took the opportunity to recount how Li Hao had beaten him up when he was a child. It was a bit embarrassing to talk about this with his mother, but when he told this older woman, he felt like he had found a powerful backer.

He had considered getting it back on his own, but every time he saw Li Hao, he felt inexplicably afraid.

Upon hearing this, Li Wushuang naturally remembered Li Hao's name and thought about finding an opportunity to teach him a lesson.

So that's the reason... Li Hao was speechless. He glanced at Li Yun, who was blushing and nervous. He didn't expect this kid to hold a grudge like this. It seems that he didn't hit him too hard back then, but rather too lightly. He still dares to remember it.

"Yun'er, when did this happen?" Gao Qingqing's expression changed slightly, and she asked hurriedly.

Li Yun had never been watched by so many elders before, and his face flushed slightly as he lowered his head slightly. "Several years ago."

When exactly?

Five or six years ago...

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately realized it was a misunderstanding. Five or six years ago?

Li Hao and Li Yun were only eight or nine years old at the time. This was just kids playing around; it wasn't bullying at all.

Moreover, at that time, Li Hao seemed to still be in a crippled state, his Meridians were not yet open, and he had not yet embarked on cultivation.

Li Yun had already been training in the Martial Arts Arena for several years.

Huh? Yeah! How could they be bullied like this?

Upon realizing this, everyone looked at Li Hao with suspicion, then at Li Yun.

Gao Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't the kind of bullying she had imagined. It was probably just kids fighting because of a quarrel, and the injuries were probably not as serious as those from Sparring in the Martial Arts Arena.

"You silly child, it's been so long, why are you still holding a grudge and complaining to your sister?" Gao Qingqing said irritably. Her son was good in every way, but he wasn't magnanimous enough and hadn't learned his father's broad-mindedness.

The other ladies chuckled. Liu Yuerong smiled and said, "Yun'er, five or six years ago, your Hao Ge hadn't even started cultivating yet. So, were you bullying him, or was he bullying you?"

The words seemed like a joke, but Li Hao immediately sensed a probing tone in them.

Of course, it's also possible that he's overthinking it.

Li Yun's face flushed even more. He also felt ashamed, but at that time, he really couldn't beat Li Hao. The other party was much stronger than him.

I was careless at the time.

"He ambushed me, and he's very strong," Li Yun said, her face flushed.

Hearing Li Yun's words, everyone chuckled, remembering that Li Hao had previously Body Refining, so naturally he would be stronger.

Seeing Li Yun's blushing face, you could tell that the child was embarrassed because he was bullied by Li Hao, who hadn't trained, while he was practicing in the Martial Arts Arena.

As a result, she secretly complained to her sister, whom she hadn't seen for many years, which revealed the embarrassing incident.

"Hmph, it's all because you're always eyeing Hao Ge's fiancée."

Li Yuanzhao snorted angrily upon hearing Li Yun's words.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his mother's gaze, which conveyed three words in her eyes. "Shut up."

Li Xuanli realized it was a misunderstanding. He glared at Li Yun, annoyed, and said:

"Useless thing, you complain to your sister about such a small matter. If you're a grown man and you're not satisfied, go find Hao'er at the Martial Arts Arena Sparring a match. What kind of skill is it to cry and whine here!"

His harsh reprimand made Li Yun even more ashamed.

Gao Qingqing rolled her eyes at him, annoyed, and changed the subject, asking Li Hao:

"Speaking of which, Hao'er, when is your fiancée coming back? She's a disciple of the Sword Saint. When she returns, let her Sparring Sparring Shuang'er."