https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-148-Borrowing-a-Breath-from-Heaven-and-Earth/13450172/
Chapter 147: Fourth Uncle of the Li Family
Chapter 147: Fourth Uncle of the Li Family
"Achoo!"
In Liangzhou, within the Cangya City camp at Heavenly Gate Pass.
In the thatched cottage covered with snow, Feng Boping, who was adding new firewood to the stove, suddenly sneezed, nearly extinguishing the flames.
He rubbed his nose and muttered to himself, "Why is my nose suddenly itchy? Could someone be talking about me?"
Li Hao was kneading dough nearby. Once the dough was ready, he tossed it onto a warm stone to ferment.
Then he summoned the Dragon Dawn Sword and quickly chopped the Demon flesh he had picked, turning it into minced meat.
"Such a good sword, and you're using it as a cleaver."
Feng Boping shook his head disapprovingly.
"Use everything to its fullest potential, right?"
Li Hao smiled. After preparing all the ingredients, he started cooking.
Since returning from Daiyue City, they had resumed their peaceful life within Heavenly Gate Pass.
The Demons outside the pass and the rumors inside were all isolated by the snow, leaving only daily hunts and three meals a day.
As lunchtime approached, Li Hao sent the Little White Fox to call Song Qiumo and Li Hongzhuang to come and prepare for the meal.
"Smells delicious!"
Li Hao's cooking skills earned high praise from everyone. Around Li Hao, their days were filled with their own thoughts and the anticipation of the delicious meals.
While eating and chatting, Li Hao asked Song Qiumo to help him go to a nearby city in the afternoon to purchase supplies for the residents.
In the camp, besides their small wattle and daub cottage, Li Hao had gradually built more houses for the residents around it.
With his Fifteen Li Realm Object Control ability, construction was extremely easy. He split a distant mountain, cut the stones, and transported them to build simple stone houses.
"Are you really planning to rebuild this place into a city?"
Before Song Qiumo could speak, Li Hongzhuang spoke up first. She swallowed a piece of meat and stared at Li Hao.
"Not rebuild, just restore the original city."
Li Hao smiled. "Since we're defending the city, we should have a city to defend, right?"
Li Hongzhuang looked at him deeply but didn't say anything more. "If the Demons don't attack again, it won't be a problem. But what if they destroy it again after we build it?"
"Then we'll rebuild it."
"What if we can't defend it?"
"Then we'll rebuild it again."
"..."
Seeing the young man's carefree demeanor, Li Hongzhuang fell silent. However, her heart couldn't help but feel a bit hopeful.
If this city could be rebuilt and the Demons outside the pass suppressed, restoring the city to its former glory a hundred years ago, where the ferocious and bloodthirsty Demons dared not invade, the sight would surely bring tears to the eyes of Third Brother and Sixth Brother...
She lowered her head and tore a piece of roasted meat tendon from her hand, tasting a hint of salt.
"I heard you killed the Wanshan Little Demon King. If I leave, what if the Myriad Mountains Demon King takes advantage of the situation and launches a surprise attack?"
Song Qiumo frowned. When Li Hao returned from Daiyue City, they asked him about it, and he had briefly recounted the events. That's when she learned that Li Hao had killed the son of a Demon King.
Moreover, the Young Demon King was highly talented. As a Demon herself, she understood the potential of the Young Demon King, which, if compared to humans, could almost match Li Hao.
Yet, such a Demon prodigy was slain by Li Hao, making it clear how furious the Myriad Mountains Demon King must be.
The Demon King had even arranged for another Demon King to secretly protect the Young Demon King, showing how much he valued him. Even a Fourth Establishment Realm alone might not have posed a threat, but they didn't expect to encounter Feng Boping and Li Hao as a team.
"I have hidden lines of communication set up within a three-hundred-mile radius. If Demons invade, I will detect it and have time to retreat."
Li Hao smiled.
The hidden lines from his Sixth Rank Fishing, combined with the Hidden Bow attribute, made it difficult even for a Fourth Establishment Realm to detect.
Additionally, the famous painting he had obtained from Grandmaster Bai Chunhai, the "River Snow Painting", was embedded into Yudao, providing an Object Manipulation Power environment that allowed for stealth.
His Qi Power attacks would be hidden and hard to detect, making it a perfect match for his fishing line.
Even a Fourth Establishment Realm expert would find it difficult to detect him at close range, let alone from three hundred miles away, especially when the other party was completely unguarded.
However, maintaining such a long-distance fish line required Li Hao to continuously channel his Qi Power. If it weren't for the 98 Major Meridians he had cultivated, along with the Yin-Yang Dual Meridians, he wouldn't have been able to sustain it.
Now, with the constant intake and output of Qi Power, he could barely keep up.
"Let me go."
Li Hongzhuang said to Li Hao, "Senior Song is right. Although you have the protection of this senior, you killed a Young Demon King. I've heard that the Myriad Mountains Demon King dotes on his only son, treating him like a treasure. If he hasn't come these past few days, it's likely because he's waiting for Senior Song to leave."
Song Qiumo's eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at Li Hao and softly said, "I originally planned to stay for only half a year, but now that you've encountered this situation, I'll stay with you for three years."
Li Hao was slightly taken aback. He looked at her and teased, "What about your Tan Palace?"
"Only three years. I've overseen it for nearly a thousand years; a little more won't make a difference", Song Qiumo said calmly.
Li Hao knew it wasn't as easy as she made it sound. Song Qiumo, recorded as one of Qingzhou's Demon Kings, couldn't stay away for too long.
Staying for half a year was probably the maximum she could manage, and three years would be a significant burden for her.
"Let's see. Maybe they can't wait that long."
Li Hao said this, feeling a sense of urgency about his own strength.
Of course, he had another option.
He could temporarily abandon this place.
But he was unwilling to break the three-year agreement unless faced with a certain death.
Song Qiumo nodded slightly. "It's indeed a bit premature to discuss this now. If the Myriad Mountains Demon King does come, we will likely face three Demon Kings!"
She had mentioned this before, and both Li Hao and Li Hongzhuang's expressions grew serious. Besides the two Demon Kings from the Myriad Mountains, the Dragon Lord who had previously clashed with Song Qiumo would likely seize this opportunity to intervene.
This seemingly peaceful Heavenly Gate Pass was actually on the brink of a terrifying disaster.
Li Hao nodded slightly, not saying anything more.
In the following days, everyone in the courtyard continued their normal lives, appearing relaxed but secretly on high alert for the Demon Kings' potential attack.
However, the Myriad Mountains Demon King didn't seem to have lost control in his rage and didn't choose to act.
Perhaps he saw that Li Hao was still active within Heavenly Gate Pass and was wary, fearing that this young man had other powerful backers. Therefore, he opted for a more cautious approach—waiting for Song Qiumo to leave.
Or perhaps he was waiting for a vulnerability or an opportunity.
One day, two letters arrived at the courtyard.
Both were from the Divine General Manor in Qingzhou.
One of the letters had Li Tiangang's personal handwriting on the cover.
Li Hao saw the writing and crumpled the letter, tossing it into the kitchen fire to burn as kindling.
The other letter was unsigned. Li Hao opened it and found it was from Second Uncle.
The letter expressed Second Uncle's concern and affection, and also discussed the matter of the Myriad Mountains Demon King.
Li Muxiu, concerned about the Demon King's grief over his son's death, warned Li Hao to prepare for an attack by three or four Demon Kings.
He also provided Li Hao with an escape plan. If the situation turned dangerous, Old Feng should quickly take him to a secret location outside the borders of Liangzhou.
This place was a secret realm containing a Mourning River, which was of Yudu Grade!
Only a Fourth Establishment Realm expert could hope to survive in such a perilous place, which extended so far that it was nearly impossible to block, making it a forbidden zone.
However, Li Muxiu suggested this secret realm not to help Li Hao use it to counter the Demon King, but because it was guarded by his brother, Li Xiaoran, the Fourth Uncle of the Li Family.
In Li Muxiu's generation, there were six sons, three of whom had fallen. The remaining three were:
Li Qingzheng, who guarded the Ancestral Hall; Li Muxiu, who oversaw the Rain Listening Pavilion and the Divine General Manor; and Li Xiaoran, the Fourth Uncle of the Li Family.
The opponent was seated outside the Yudu Grade Mourning River.
The area where the Yudu Grade Mourning River extends was once within the borders of Liangzhou. However, due to the Mourning River being impassable and extremely difficult to destroy, that region was declared a Forbidden Area and placed outside the borders.
A single Yudu Grade Mourning River forced the Great Yu Divine Dynasty to officially announce the loss of that territory.
However, the reason the opponent was stationed there was not to monitor the condition of the Mourning River. Instead, it was because the Heroic Souls of the Li Family were submerged within it.
One of those Heroic Souls belonged to Li Hao's own grandfather, Li Tianzong.
Li Hao had heard from Second Uncle during his Fishing expeditions that Fourth Uncle was often absent from the Divine General Manor, instead residing outside a Mourning River somewhere, repeatedly challenging and attempting to pass through it, in hopes of retrieving the submerged Heroic Souls of his elder brother.
He never imagined that the Mourning River in question was located outside Liangzhou.
Li Hao pondered for a moment before putting the letter away.
In the days that followed, the Myriad Mountains Demon King remained inactive. However, Li Hao received another reward from Emperor Yu in the Imperial Capital, delivered once again by Eunuch Chu Jiuyue.
"Earl Rank, it's good to see you again."
Eunuch Chu Jiuyue saw the same figures in the small courtyard as before, but this time, there was a more lively and comfortable atmosphere, like a peaceful countryside.
Li Hao welcomed him with a smile, took the imperial edict, and learned that he had been granted a higher noble rank, advancing from a third-rank earl to a first-rank earl.
Additionally, he received numerous rewards, including gold, treasures, and servants.
The fief he had been granted last time had not yet been inspected, and it was likely still managed by his servants.
While he had little interest in these matters, he considered that in three years, when he would leave Heavenly Gate Pass, having a fief to call his own would be a good thing.
After accepting the edict, Li Hao invited Eunuch Chu Jiuyue to stay for a meal, and this time, the eunuch did not refuse.
As they ate and drank to their hearts' content, Eunuch Chu Jiuyue rolled up his sleeves and sat cross-legged by the pot, completely disregarding his image.
After a satisfying meal, Eunuch Chu Jiuyue rode back on his horse, and before leaving, he secretly handed Li Hao a treasure talisman. He informed Li Hao that this was the true gift Emperor Yu intended to bestow upon him—a Sacred Heart Amulet.
It could save his life in times of danger.
Li Hao was utterly astonished. He often chatted with Second Uncle and Fifth Master about such things and knew about this item.
This was something only Fourth Establishment Realm experts would use, and it was an extremely precious item.
All weapons and armors had their own grade classifications, such as those used in the Circulating Heaven and Soul Continuation realms.
For the Divine Wanderer Realm to the Tian Ren Master Realm, there were spiritual items.
For the Three Immortalities Realm and the Fourth Establishment Realm, there were Divine Weapons and divine armors. For example, Li Hao's Dragon Dawn belonged to the Divine Weapon category and was one of the most renowned among them.
However, this referred to its fame, not its grade.
Some Divine Weapons, once forged, rarely appeared in the world, and those who had seen them might already be dead.
Regardless, this sword was of the top-tier Divine Weapon grade.
Above that were the Sacred Heart Celestial Treasures, which were extremely rare. Even a typical Fourth Establishment Realm expert might not possess one, and only a few Fourth Establishment Realm experts had them.
The Sacred Heart Amulet Li Hao received was even more precious. It was a consumable item, and even for Fourth Establishment Realm experts, it was extremely rare.
The Sacred Heart Amulet in Li Hao's possession was not for offensive purposes but for protection.
If it were an offensive type of Sacred Heart Amulet, it could pose a threat and even harm a Fourth Establishment Realm expert.
(End of Chapter)
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