Chapter 13: Assassination

Seeing the prompt, Li Hao’s heart didn’t surge with excessive joy.

He had long cast aside ambition and desire for gain. It was precisely because he had given himself fully to the present moment—without ulterior motives—that he had cultivated the Chess Heart.

Now, the idea of using Go Art merely as a tool to train his martial path felt not just outdated, but utterly repugnant.

In fact, an intense urge surged within him: to pour all his Art Skill Points directly into Go Art.

But then—those memories returned. The severed arm. The drunken man.

He restrained himself.

Chess was important. It was what he loved now.

But there were things that had to be done. Like tearing that Tiger-Robe Immortal to shreds.

Yet the man was a Great Demon of the Fourth Realm. Reaching such a level wouldn’t happen overnight.

All Li Hao could do now was grow up—fast.

…

…

Chess Heart was not a skill. It was a state of mind. A way of being.

After attaining it, the days that followed saw Li Hao once again lost in endless games of Go within his small courtyard.

But this time, it wasn’t about finishing a single game to earn a few points of Experience.

He was immersed in the process—every precise placement of a stone, every intricate layout, every deep calculation—fascinated, enraptured.

Like a child lost in a game he adored, he couldn’t stop.

Even when eating. Even when sleeping. Even when watching the little girl practice swordplay—his mind drifted back to the board.

As a result, everything else in life paled in comparison.

One day, Xuejian from the Changchun Courtyard brought word: the elder lady had invited Bian Ruxue to join the Training Ground of the Divine General’s Residence.

It was the official cultivation site for Li family descendants.

After the age of six, those without a master from a famous mountain would come here to train, guided by retired warriors from the family’s military ranks.

Li Hao accepted without hesitation. Though he could teach the girl himself, the Training Ground offered far more—sword drills, cultivation techniques, knowledge of the martial paths, and even stories from the outside world. A complete, all-around cultivation.

From that day on, after paying his morning respects to the elder lady, Li Hao parted ways with the girl at the Changchun Courtyard—she returned to the Mountain and River Courtyard, while he was sent to the Training Ground.

The Training Ground housed not only the direct descendants of the Li family, but also minor branches and bastards. There were dozens of children, though only five were true heirs—Li Hao and the others who had bowed to the elder lady that morning.

Bian Ruxue, as Li Hao’s future fiancée and half-Li by blood, was granted full treatment as a direct heir.

In the Training Ground, the true heirs were like stars in the sky—elevated above the others.

Their access to cultivation resources—especially during critical stages like Foundation Establishment and Blood Melting—was at least one level above the bastards.

This gap bred a vast difference in talent.

Most of the bastard children were teenagers, with cultivation potential between four and six out of ten—average, capable of becoming regional commanders in the future.

Only those among them with a potential of seven or higher were given special attention, receiving nearly heir-level resources.

After entering the Training Ground, Bian Ruxue officially stepped onto the path of cultivation.

And now, the terrifying power of the Ninth-Rank Combat Body became evident.

Within just a few months, Li Hao watched her surge to the fourth level of the Strength Integration Realm.

Almost one breakthrough per month—so fast it felt effortless, like drinking water or eating rice.

Of course, this speed was fueled by the Li family’s unlimited cultivation resources, lavished upon her without restraint.

But to absorb such an immense amount of energy, even a sponge would struggle. Her talent was extraordinary.

Meanwhile, the other teenage boys in the Training Ground were still lingering at the eighth or ninth level of Strength Integration.

In another six months, this little girl would overtake them all.

As for Li Hao? He continued his daily routine—sitting in the courtyard, playing Go, undisturbed.

The elder lady hadn’t ordered him to join the Training Ground.

Li Hao understood her intent.

She didn’t want her true heir to suffer humiliation among the young trainees.

Because in the Training Ground, besides teaching, they staged frequent sparring matches and competitions—designed to ignite the children’s drive to cultivate.

For someone like Li Hao—without any cultivation talent—being thrown into such a place would be painful.

Some of the brats spoke without filter. Some even stirred up trouble.

If it escalated to the elders’ ears, it would only bring shame.

The elder lady, as the de facto head of the Divine General’s Residence, only wanted peace.

And Li Hao? He was happy with it.

He preferred a quiet life.

After all, cultivation was just wasted time for him.

He had no interest in fighting with these boys. It was boring.

…

“After so many games, you still don’t learn! You’ve lost three times already with the same mistake!”

Li Hao snapped at the servant before him.

The servant flinched, leapt up, and stood stiffly, trembling like a frightened quail.

“Young Master, please be calm!”

Now, Li Hao carried the aura of a small master. They no longer treated him as a child.

His words were taken seriously.

“You’re not even thinking about the game. What are you daydreaming about?” Li Hao growled.

The servant inwardly groaned.

He’d always played like this before.

Back then, Li Hao never cared. The games ended quickly, and the young master was even happy.

But now—something had changed.

The games were terrible. The young master turned black-faced.

And the servant’s heart sank.

“You two play so poorly. After all this time, you’ve made no progress at all!” Li Hao grumbled, annoyed.

The servant begged for mercy.

The other servant, suddenly remembering something, glanced at Li Hao and whispered, “Young Master… I know someone who might play. A new third-class servant, recently taken into the estate.”

“Oh?” Li Hao raised an eyebrow. “Where?”

“In the woodshed. He’s in charge of chopping firewood.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Bring him here. I’ll test him.”

“Right away, Young Master!” The servant beamed and hurried off.

Not long after, a thin, wiry youth in servant’s garb was brought before Li Hao.

“Why are you standing there? Greet the Young Master!”

“Y-yes, Young Master, may you be in good health.” The youth dropped to his knees, trembling.

Li Hao waved a hand. “Stand up. Speak.” He pointed to the board. “I hear you know how to play Go. Play a game. If you’re good, you’ll stay in the Mountain and River Courtyard from now on—promoted to first-class servant, and serve beside me.”

“Wh-what?” The youth stared, stunned.

He’d never expected such fortune to fall from the sky.

Then, with dazed joy, he stammered, “T-thank you, Young Master! Thank you!”

He wiped his hands on his clothes, sat down at the board, and prepared to play.

The game began. Li Hao took white.

After just a few moves, Li Hao felt a spark of delight.

This man knew how to play. And not just a little—his skill was real.

Li Hao, now more serious, made no mercy.

In less than half a candle’s time, the youth’s face turned pale. Cold sweat broke across his brow. His eyes widened with fear.

Finally, his hand trembled as he stared at the board, then at Li Hao.

Unbelievable… this child… how deep is his mastery of Go?

“I… lose,” he said, standing up, his expression a mix of resignation and bitter resentment.

Li Hao blinked, only now realizing what had happened.

He laughed.

“Excellent. Wonderful. From now on, you’re my first-class servant. You’ll stay here, and play Go with me every day.”

The youth froze. “B-but… I lost.”

Li Hao smiled.

Just as the game ended, a prompt flashed in his mind—+20 Experience.

That was more than double the usual 3 points he’d gotten from playing with the two other servants.

The difference was staggering.

It meant the higher the opponent’s skill, the more Experience he gained—not just from sheer volume of games.

“If every game gives me 20 points, ten games would be 200. Five thousand points? Only 250 games. Even if I play ten a day, it’s only one month.”

Li Hao’s eyes gleamed. He looked at the youth with renewed delight.

“If you can beat me,” he said with a grin, “I’ll give you ten thousand taels of gold.”

The youth froze. His whole body trembled with shock.

Li Hao waved him to sit. “Don’t just stand there. Play.”

Then he turned to the two other servants. “Go prepare the registration paperwork. Transfer him to the Mountain and River Courtyard.”

And so, the games began.

A day turned into two. Two into a week. A week into half a month.

One night, after dinner, Li Hao called for the youth to play again.

In the dim light of the night lamp, two silhouettes clashed across the board—small and large, master and servant.

“Young Master…”

As Li Hao leaned in, deep in thought, the youth suddenly spoke.

But his tone—calm, serene—was unlike his usual fawning voice.

Li Hao looked up—

And saw a flash of silver.

A dagger, swift as a serpent, lashed toward his face.

His pupils contracted. His body reacted instinctively—kicking back with lightning speed.

He dodged.

In the next instant, the youth was still poised over the board—left hand on the table, right hand still locked in the stabbing motion.

His face showed shock.

He hadn’t expected the child to dodge.

“Hmm? You…?”

Li Hao’s mind reeled.

This was sudden. Unprepared.

But in a flash, his eyes hardened.

Cold.

“Assassination? Who sent you?”

His mind flashed to the woman from the Water Splendor Courtyard.

But he dismissed it.

He was useless. A broken vessel. No one would waste a blade on him.

Then the youth stared, equally bewildered.

How…?

This child was supposed to be a useless, untrained wretch.

For days, he’d watched him play Go—no cultivation, no training, nothing.

Yet the boy had stayed in his courtyard, playing games, ignored by all.

The intelligence was accurate… yet utterly wrong.

The youth snapped back to his senses.

His body exploded forward—moving with terrifying speed, a blur of motion, lunging straight at Li Hao.

No one can live after seeing this.

His eyes burned with murderous intent.

But on the other side, Li Hao thought the same.

He must not scream.

If he did, too many would come.

Kill him.

Without retreat, Li Hao charged forward.

His small frame shot like thunder.

A faint wind roared in his wake.

At the last moment, he tilted his head—watching the dagger’s tip slice past his eye.

Then—crack!—his fist struck the youth’s stomach.

Li Hao had never fought before.

But this was everything.

A deafening thud, like a sack of sand hitting the floor.

The youth’s eyes bulged. His body curled into a shrimp, thrown back into the table.

Li Hao didn’t know how much power his punch held.

But he could lift a two-thousand-catty artificial hill.

This punch? Likely tens of thousands of catties.

As the youth collapsed, Li Hao pounced.

His tiny hand shot out—like an eagle’s claw—clamping onto the youth’s throat.

“Don’t scream.”

The youth: “???”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end