The moment Li Hao spoke, Duan Yu instantly gave up on calling for help.
What the hell was this guy thinking? What did he mean, "Burn yourself, and let Mr. Murong down there ask you about it himself"?
Was that how you handled things? You're so amazing—did your parents know?
Duan Yu was full of grievances with nowhere to vent. Who had he offended? Li Hao was even known as a great hero, so why was he so dead set against him?
It wasn't as if he'd hit on Li Hao's wife. No, he didn't even have a girlfriend right now. Sure, there was the mischievous little sister Zhong Ling and the cold, aloof on the outside but warm-hearted on the inside Mu Wanqing, but he hadn't even held their hands.
Li Hao: It's because of them that I have to kill you. Only when you're dead will they be mine. No, there's also Duan Zhengchun. He has to die too. Otherwise, Dao Baifeng and Qin Hongmian won't come with me.
"Young Hero Li is absolutely right. I feel an instant kinship with you. Why don't you come with me to visit Canhe Manor? Once I've taken care of my business, we can compare our martial arts. What do you think?" Jiumozhi genuinely felt a connection with Li Hao. Perhaps it was a case of kindred spirits recognizing one another!
System: Bah! They're both villains. It's more like birds of a feather flock together.
"It would be my honor. How could I refuse?" Li Bai had been in ancient times for a while now. Though he hadn't learned to speak in the style of classical scholars, he'd picked up a few phrases of archaic speech all the same.
"Master, why not sit in the carriage? It's quite comfortable," Li Hao invited him.
His carriage was incredibly luxurious. In modern times, it would be like an extended Rolls-Royce.
"This humble monk is a man of the cloth. For those who have renounced the world, cultivation matters most. Comfort and luxury are of no concern," Jiumozhi said proudly.
"No wonder you're a venerable monk who has attained the Way, Master. Your enlightenment is truly impressive. I'm just a common man who wants a wife, children, and a warm bed, so I really can't compare to you." Li Hao gave an awkward smile.
"Young Hero Li, there's no need to be modest. You're young, yet already possess such martial skills and wealth, with beautiful women at your side. You've reached the pinnacle of life that most people can only dream of."
"Master, you flatter me. Heh..."
These two shameless bastards! What am I supposed to do? Father, come save me! Duan Yu was close to tears. He'd planned to copy out a fake sword manual for Jiumozhi and then make his escape, free to roam wherever he pleased. But then he'd run into Li Hao, that bastard, who had actually suggested burning him alive.
Just wait until my father gets here. I'll make him chop you up.
As they went along, Jiumozhi managed to keep pace on foot with the carriage driven by Yan Shun.
"Xiao Hei, go knock. Be polite," Li Hao ordered. Naturally, he wasn't going to make a servant's errand like knocking on the door himself.
"Yes, Young Master." Xiao Hei immediately dismounted, went to the gate, and began knocking with the knocker in his right hand.
"So this is Canhe Manor. It's so grand!" Li Hao exclaimed, admiring the Suzhou Gardens-style architecture outside the manor. These wealthy families really knew how to live.
It was incredible. A family whose kingdom had fallen over a hundred years ago still had such deep pockets.
"Hey, country bumpkin! Why are you knocking on our manor's gate?"
Just as Li Hao was lamenting how unfair the world was, a side door opened. A girl in green came out and asked Xiao Hei, who was knocking.
"I... I'm not here for anything. It's our Young Master who has business here." Xiao Hei could barely get the words out when he saw the girl in green.
"Your Young Master? Who's your Young Master?" Seeing Xiao Hei's expression, the girl in green covered her mouth and laughed.
"Our Young Master is called Li Hao. There—he's right there." Xiao Hei pointed to Li Hao, who was chatting merrily with Jiumozhi in front of the carriage.
"Ah, is it Li Hao, the Amorous Swordsman?" The girl in green immediately panicked. She hurriedly gathered up her skirt and ran toward Li Hao. That was a little too enthusiastic, wasn't it?
She couldn't help it. There was a special reason she had to be so welcoming toward Li Hao.
Just last night, the steward, who hadn't been seen in a long time, had suddenly returned. He'd gathered everyone at Canhe Manor and revealed a shocking secret.
Li Hao, the Amorous Swordsman, whose name was now renowned throughout the martial world, was actually a descendant of the Murong family—and Murong Fu's cousin.
According to the steward's secret agents, the Old Master had once raised an army to restore the kingdom, but his rebellion had failed. The Old Master had been slain on the battlefield by a general of the Imperial Dynasty.
With no other choice, the Empress had taken Murong Fu's father, Murong Bo, and hidden away at Canhe Manor.
Meanwhile, amid the chaos of the army, the Old Master's other wife, Consort Li, had taken another young master of the Murong family and gone into hiding around Zhongnan Mountain.
After an investigation and painstakingly piecing together the clues, the spies finally found the place where Consort Li had lived in seclusion. But Consort Li had long since died, and the young master of the Murong family had changed his surname to Li to avoid pursuit.
The Murong family's Second Young Master, Murong Bo's younger brother, had been renamed Li Tiezhu by Consort Li. But Li Tiezhu had also died of illness a few years earlier, and his son's whereabouts were unknown.
After all, their family's identity was no ordinary one, so they hadn't dared to associate much with outsiders.
There was a ninety percent chance that Li Hao was the son of the Second Young Master who'd been taken away by Consort Li back then.
"Greetings, Young Master Li. Your servant A Bi pays her respects." The girl in green ran over to Li Hao and bowed deeply.
"Miss A Bi, you're too kind. We've arrived without an invitation, so please forgive the intrusion." Li Hao hurriedly reached out to help A Bi up.
The girl was pretty and delicate, with the fresh, gentle charm of a Jiangnan girl. Though the Gallery of Beauties hadn't given her a rating, her looks and bearing were worth at least a 9.5.
In the modern world, with a little polish, she'd easily become an influencer with millions of followers.
"It's all right, it's all right. Young Master, you must come often from now on. You can even think of this place as your home." A Bi was getting a little carried away with her words.
She was now certain the chief steward had been right. Young Master Li Hao had to be of Murong blood. Just look at the resemblance between his eyes and brows and Young Master Fu's—there was an eight- or nine-tenths similarity.
If anyone claimed he had no connection to the Murong family, no one would believe them.
"Miss A Bi, you're very kind. We've caused you a lot of trouble by visiting." The girl's enthusiasm left Li Hao at a loss.
She was inviting him to come often and telling him to make this place his home. Was she trying to get him to marry into the family?
But he'd never heard that the Murong family had any daughters. Strange.
"Miss, this humble monk is a friend of Mr. Murong Bo. I heard of his passing, so I've brought a gift to pay my respects," Jiumozhi said with his palms pressed together.
I'm a great and venerable monk, standing right here. How come the young lady hasn't noticed me?
Instead, Young Hero Li, who came along with me just to tag along, is the one receiving all this attention. Sure enough, this is a world that judges people by their looks.
In this life, Duan Yu wasn't so lucky. A Bi, who had been destined to help him escape danger, had already been completely captivated by Li Hao's peerless looks.
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