Chapter 109: Irreconcilable Break (Supplement 220)

The ladies had all been deeply impressed by Li Hao’s precociousness, but none had expected such an astonishing revelation. Had they not been within the Divine General’s Residence—where sensitivity to Spirit Beasts and anomalous phenomena was exceptionally acute—they might have seriously suspected Li Hao had been possessed by another soul.

Still, individuals with extraordinary memory from birth were not entirely unheard of.

Thus, stunned as they were, all eyes turned instinctively to Liu Yuerong.

At that moment, Liu Yuerong’s heart had turned to ice, trembling uncontrollably within her chest. She finally understood—this prodigy child had remembered everything since infancy.

And yet, for all these years, he had worn a smile on his face, responding to her concern with innocent, childlike expressions. Even when he occasionally brought her food—though the taste was terrible—it had looked like filial devotion.

Now, the truth struck her like a hammer.

All of it… was a lie.

She had prided herself on being shrewd, cunning—yet this orphaned child, raised without parental guidance, had outmaneuvered her with such chilling precision.

Monster… Demon creature…

Terror surged through her veins, but as she felt the piercing gazes of the others, her mind snapped back into clarity. She could not admit anything now. If she did, Qianfeng’s future would be utterly destroyed.

“So this is your proof?” Liu Yuerong sneered, her voice sharp with cold mockery. “How deeply you’ve plotted. Every word you’ve spoken is riddled with holes!”

She swept her gaze across the gathering.

“Anyone could’ve asked Zhao Bo at Mountain and River Courtyard about this. It’s nothing special. How is this even evidence?”

Her eyes locked onto Li Hao.

“You claim I poisoned you as a child. Then why didn’t you go to the Elder Lady with it? Why didn’t you speak up back then?”

A ripple of silence passed through the courtyard. There was logic in her words.

If Li Hao had been a child back then—naive, unawakened, with no cultivation or Divine Blood awakening—his claims would have been dismissed outright.

But now?

Though still a youth, Li Hao was no longer a child. He was a young man capable of standing as a contender for the True Dragon. He had the intellect, the cunning—enough to lie, to fabricate.

Seeing her smug defiance, Li Hao’s voice turned icy.

“Even if I had spoken back then, with no cultivation, no awakening of Divine Blood—who would believe a child? You’d have simply claimed it was childish nonsense, that some servant had planted the idea in my head. Then you’d have sacrificed a servant as a scapegoat!”

“Yet my parents were gone. If I exposed you, you’d have struck again in secret. How could I protect myself?”

Liu Yuerong’s voice rose in fury. “So you’re saying you have no evidence? Just empty words from your mouth!”

Li Hao had no tangible proof. The incident had happened too long ago. The poison she gave him had been carefully administered—she’d anticipated this moment, and left no trace. Over the years, he’d had his body examined by countless experts, but no residue remained.

Nothing.

His only evidence was his own memory.

But as Liu Yuerong had said—memory was subjective. And Li Hao had anticipated this very doubt. That was why he’d planned to act before the truth came out—before the True Dragon Contest, to remove her son by force, perhaps even kill him. But someone had intervened.

He Jianlan watched Li Hao, then Liu Yuerong, her eyes slowly darkening with cold calculation.

She had watched Li Hao grow. Though the revelation stunned her, she chose to believe him.

The other ladies, however, hesitated. Without evidence, this was merely a clash of words—each side claiming truth. And if Li Hao spoke the truth… the thought of how long he had been playing the part chilled them to the bone. This boy’s mind was far too calculating, too deep.

Li Qingzheng stared intently at Li Hao. In his heart, it all clicked. He had known Li Hao longer than these younger ladies. He understood the boy’s character. He believed him.

Chen Hefang had only just emerged from her cultivation retreat. She had observed quietly over the years, but her knowledge remained superficial. The truth of this matter—this earth-shattering secret—had been hidden even from He Jianlan, who had been managing the Nine Courtyards in her absence.

As she looked at the young man, her expression was complex. Perhaps it was a bias born of affection. The boy carried echoes of the Ninth Young Master—something in his bearing stirred a quiet warmth in her soul, making her instinctively lean toward him.

“You claim I ruined your Divine Blood,” Liu Yuerong said, her voice hardening as silence settled over the courtyard. “But before your father returned from the Frontier Border with news of his achievements, who knew he’d reached the Three Immortalities at only twenty-three?”

Her words struck like lightning.

The crowd fell silent. It was true. Unless Liu Yuerong had known beforehand, no one could have predicted such a possibility.

In that instant, every eye turned to Li Tiangang.

Li Tiangang’s face was dark with fury, his eyes blazing with suppressed wrath. He understood perfectly what they were thinking.

Though this was his son, he could not show favor. Decades as head of the Ministry of Punishment had forged in him an unwavering loyalty to law and order. Law was the foundation of virtue, the root of discipline, the key to survival.

“Second Aunt,” Li Tiangang said coldly, “you could not have known.”

Hearing that, Liu Yuerong exhaled in relief. “At least you still have a shred of conscience. So perhaps Qianfeng’s injury wasn’t your doing after all. Maybe he just made it up—after being influenced by someone.”

Li Hao’s face darkened instantly. His eyes locked onto his father.

“You really never told her? Not even in private? She must have known. I heard it with my own ears. How could it be false?”

Li Tiangang stared at him, his mind racing. He had kept his attainment of the Three Immortalities utterly secret. He had told no one—only his wife, who had been by his side for years. And she was far wiser than he was. Why would she have betrayed him?

Seeing Li Tiangang’s silence, Li Hao’s eyes filled with unmistakable disappointment.

He could understand if strangers doubted him. But his father… his own father, who had never once shown him even a hint of bias?

But then, a bitter smile tugged at his lips.

Fourteen years apart. What bond could possibly exist beyond blood?

What right did he have to expect familial loyalty?

Why should he expect favor?

“Spouting lies to destroy Qianfeng,” Liu Yuerong spat, her eyes glacial as she stared at the lone, silent boy. “What a cruel heart you have. Even if we have our differences, how could you raise your hand against your cousin?”

“Did Qianfeng ever harm you?”

Li Hao snapped back, his gaze freezing like ice.

“I don’t care if he knows. He has received your kindness. So he bears your burden.”

“Originally, I only meant to remove his cultivation. But he was the one who drew the first blade.”

“Today… you two won’t leave this courtyard alive.”

The killing aura radiating from Li Hao was palpable. The air itself seemed to tremble. The crowd’s expressions shifted—pale, uneasy.

Liu Yuerong laughed—cold, sharp, mocking.

“Good, good. Li Tiangang, this is what you’ve raised? Lawless. Unruly. You let him bully us, helpless orphans and widows?”

“Your elder brother, Fengping, once died for you!”

“If not for that blade, you’d be dead!”

Her eyes burned with hatred as they fixed on Li Tiangang.

“Had he not died protecting you, how could he have fallen?!”

Li Tiangang stiffened. His pupils contracted. His breath grew ragged.

“Now that your son has claimed the True Dragon, he dares to act like this—unrestrained, arrogant. One day, the entire Li Clan won’t be destroyed by demons… but by him!”

Her words cut like knives.

“Exactly,” murmured a voice from the crowd.

Everyone turned.

Li Fenghua looked up sharply—his daughter stood there, face red, eyes blazing with tears. A deep, crimson five-fingered imprint marred her cheek.

His face paled instantly. “Who… who did this?”

His eyes flashed with fury. He adored this daughter above all.

Li Ruomeng turned, pointing at Li Hao.

“He did! He’s arrogant, reckless! I only spoke up because I couldn’t stand it—he slapped me!”

“If Mingguang hadn’t been there, he might have killed me!”

“Mingguang and the others can all testify!”

The courtyard fell into stunned silence.

Li Mingguang’s face twitched. Though he was furious with Li Hao, he had witnessed the incident. Li Ruomeng had spoken first—Li Hao had acted in anger, yes—but not with the murderous intent she claimed.

He hesitated, caught between loyalty and duty.

He Jianlan stepped forward. “You were there. Why didn’t you stop it?”

Li Mingguang lowered his head. “Li Hao did strike. It was sudden—I didn’t react in time. But—”

His voice was cut short.

A sharp crack echoed through the courtyard.

A crimson palm print bloomed on Li Hao’s face.

Everyone froze.

The one who struck him was Li Tiangang.

The blow was brutal. Even with Li Hao’s hardened body, blood trickled from his mouth. His body recoiled violently, stumbling back several steps.

Li Hao stared, wide-eyed, at the towering figure before him.

But all he saw was a pair of furious, unyielding eyes.

“You’re unbearable!” Li Tiangang roared. “Fraternizing with lowlifes, visiting pleasure houses—what kind of life have you lived these past years?”

“Everyone spoils you. They dote on you. Out of respect for me, no one dared to discipline you.”

“So today… I will do it.”

“I thought you’d changed. That you’d grown humble. That you’d learned restraint.”

“But now that you’ve claimed the True Dragon, you think you’re above everyone?”

He took another step forward.

Li Qingzheng’s voice rose in alarm. “Heavenly Pole, this matter must be investigated. We must proceed with caution. As for Ruomeng—”

“Fifth Uncle, don’t interfere,” Li Tiangang said without turning. His voice was like ice.

Li Qingzheng froze.

“Uncle…” Bian Ruxue rushed forward, tears streaming, her face pale with fear. She reached out, trying to plead for Li Hao.

At that moment, a flash of white darted forward—leaping between Li Hao and Li Tiangang.

It was the Little White Fox.

Terror filled its eyes, but it stood firm, fur bristling, teeth bared.

“You—you wretched beast, dare to be unruly?” Li Tiangang snarled.

With a flick of his hand, a surge of power erupted.

The force struck the fox like a thunderclap.

The Little White Fox screamed in agony, its body slammed into the courtyard wall—crack!—and shattered through it, tumbling like a broken doll into the distance. Its fate hung in the balance.

Li Hao’s pupils contracted to pinpricks.

His mind shattered.

Then—explosion.

His eyes turned blood-red.

“LI TIANGANG!!!”

A roar tore from his throat—raw, primal, filled with rage so immense it seemed to split the sky.

A torrential aura erupted from his body, spiraling upward like a vortex from the earth, tearing up dust and debris, swirling around him in a storm of fury.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end