Chapter 16: Heart and Character
Chapter 16: Heart and Character
After the female attendant left, Li Hao didn't continue playing chess. He got up and walked toward the courtyard.
Li Fu also stood up. When Li Hao wasn't speaking to him, he reverted to his emotionless military demeanor, following Li Hao like a silent shadow.
He had asked the servants about the assassination attempt, carefully inquiring about the details and feeling a bit of fear.
Especially during these days of accompanying the child in chess, he realized that the seat he now occupied was the same one the assassin had once sat in.
Just a chessboard away.
At such a close distance, taking advantage of a child's vulnerability and lack of attention, it would be enough to strike with lethal force in an instant!
But such an assassination attempt was somehow thwarted. It was hard to say whether the assassin was incompetent, the clan elder who intervened was terrifyingly powerful, or this child truly had a great destiny and fortune!
Therefore, Li Fu took it as a lesson and stayed by Li Hao's side at all times, whether eating, drinking, or sleeping. He would give any servant or maid a stern, eagle-eyed scrutiny if they came within three feet of Li Hao.
This made the servants and maids in the courtyard secretly complain. Whenever they reported to the young master, they were always on edge, too afraid to even lift their heads... they were becoming quite introverted.
Seeing Li Hao approach, Bian Ruxue pouted slightly and turned her body, as if she didn't want Li Hao to see her.
Li Hao looked at her sulky and aggrieved expression and smiled. He called a servant to bring a small stool and some pastries and fresh fruit, then sat down beside her and started eating.
"Practicing swordsmanship half-heartedly won't help you win against others", Li Hao said with a smile, noticing how her sword swings were messy and clearly distracted.
Bian Ruxue's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She stopped her practice and lowered her head. "If Brother Hao could cultivate, with your intelligence, you would definitely surpass me and become the best swordsman."
After a year of training at the grounds, Bian Ruxue had grown rapidly. As she matured, she began to understand why the adults had looked at Li Hao with that particular gaze after the Bone Measurement.
She also understood what Li Hao had lost that year.
Hearing Xue'er's words, Li Fu's brows furrowed, and a hint of regret and sorrow appeared in his otherwise emotionless eyes.
This was not just a regret for the Li family, but for Marquis Xingwu as well!
Li Hao felt a bit helpless. He wasn't sad, so why was this little girl so upset?
"Don't say that."
Li Hao comforted her. "Practicing swordsmanship is so tiring. Look at you, every day facing the wind and sun, enduring the cold of winter and the heat of summer. How exhausting it must be. Unlike me, I get to eat chilled melons in the pavilion during summer and play chess, and in winter, I can stay warm in bed, sleeping until the sun is high. That's what I call happiness!"
Li Fu couldn't help but glance at the boy, knowing that this was exactly the kind of thing he would say.
Without Marquis Xingwu around, the other courtyards' ladies couldn't strictly discipline him. Li Fu had noticed that the child's attitude had become somewhat carefree.
"You're not afraid of hardship", Bian Ruxue said, looking up.
"You don't understand."
Li Hao said irritably. "Look at me now. I'm too lazy to even stand, sitting whenever I can, lying down whenever possible. Some hardships are meaningless. What's the point of suffering if there's no sweetness to balance it? You're still young, you don't understand. Just focus on your sword practice."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Li Fu couldn't stand it anymore and scolded him. "What kind of rubbish is this? Hardship has no meaning? Every soldier on the frontier endures hardship."
As a martial artist, the only thing to fear is not having talent or resources, not the hardship itself.
This boy was truly ungrateful, complaining about his good fortune and disliking the effort. He needed to set a better example, especially since he was influencing Xue'er.
Bian Ruxue's talent in Sword Dao was clear to Li Fu. She was very promising and would surely achieve great things in the future, becoming a protective shield for Li Hao. He couldn't let this troublemaker ruin her future.
"Grandpa Fu, I think Brother Hao is right."
Bian Ruxue quickly defended Li Hao.
Li Fu's eyes widened, and he became even angrier. This girl was too obedient to Li Hao. If he really corrupted her, it would be disastrous.
"Don't fill Xue'er's head with such nonsense. Don't think I won't dare to beat you. If I did, your father would commend me!"
Li Fu didn't want to scold the well-behaved girl who had lost her parents, so he sternly threatened Li Hao instead.
Li Hao smiled sheepishly, knowing that there was no common ground in this matter with the stern and rigid man.
And the Divine General Manor is a family of military heritage, where the Li family has always advocated frugality and the spirit of enduring hardship.
Despite the ladies of each courtyard being dressed in fine silks and enjoying luxurious lives, which the world envies, the Divine General Manor, with its status and resources, could afford an even more extravagant lifestyle.
Mother He Jianlan, for many years, has insisted on eating vegetarian meals twice a week. Though a military person who has seen countless battles, she does not believe in Buddhism. Instead, she uses this practice to remind herself and her children not to become overly indulged in the opulence and wealth, and to remember the principles and integrity of a military family.
"Yes, yes, Uncle Fu is right."
Li Hao said to Xue'er, "Look, you've made Uncle Fu angry. Hurry up and practice your sword."
Xue'er batted her little eyes and pouted slightly, clearly it was Brother Hao who provoked Uncle Fu.
However, she did not argue. If she could take the brunt of Uncle Fu's anger for Li Hao, she would be happy to do so.
Hearing Li Hao's shameless words, Li Fu was almost amused to the point of anger. He rolled his eyes; this boy was really too difficult to discipline.
"Uncle Fu, could you please take a look and guide Xue'er's sword technique?" Li Hao asked Li Fu.
Li Fu replied indifferently, "I use a saber, not a sword."
"Knives and swords are similar, not much difference", Li Hao said with a smile.
"What do you know? To perfect a weapon, even the slightest difference can be infinitely significant", Li Fu retorted irritably, but then he held back his temper. After all, this boy doesn't understand Martial Dao, so it's normal for him to have such a view.
Li Hao felt a bit helpless and continued to eat fresh fruit, crossing his legs and watching Xue'er practice her sword.
"Your spinning technique, I think it's not quite right."
Halfway through, Li Hao casually pointed out to Bian Ruxue, "If you pull your arm down a bit more, it will look better."
"Don't talk nonsense, you'll interfere with Xue'er", Li Fu frowned and scolded.
An outsider giving advice to an insider? This was simply outrageous!
Bian Ruxue, however, ignored Li Fu. She was already used to Li Hao's casual pointers. Although Brother Hao had not entered the Martial Dao, every time she practiced according to his suggestions, she felt the movements were smoother.
At that moment, she lowered her arm and used the spinning technique again, and indeed, she felt a sense of natural ease.
Li Fu let out a light "hmm" not because Bian Ruxue had listened to Li Hao, as the girl was too obedient to him, but because the slight change in posture, as Li Hao suggested, actually made her sword technique more powerful.
He looked down at the boy who was eating fruit and sitting with his legs crossed in an improper manner, wondering if it was just a coincidence.
Or was he judging based on aesthetics?
"You need to use your waist. For a spinning long slash, it's not just your hand; you need to use your waist to drive your arm", Li Hao added.
Bian Ruxue nodded slightly and tried again, repeating the movement several times until she finally grasped the key. The sword movements were now more fluid, and the power was noticeably greater.
Li Fu raised an eyebrow, surprised. Once might be a coincidence, but twice was not.
Could this child actually understand sword techniques and have a talent for Sword Dao?
Although Li Fu did not like Li Hao's personality, he had to admit that after half a year of interaction, the boy was very intelligent and showed maturity and wisdom beyond his years.
Could it be that he actually has a talent for Sword Dao, but because he cannot practice martial arts, he cannot demonstrate it?
At this thought, he felt a pang of heartache. If that were true, what a great loss it would be!
As Li Hao casually guided her, Bian Ruxue's sword technique gradually approached perfection.
There was no way around it; with Li Hao's understanding of Sword Dao, he could see a few movements and instantly grasp the essence of Bian Ruxue's high-quality sword technique, then refine it to the Ultimate level.
He used his Ultimate-level understanding to point out flaws, even bypassing the Perfect stage. As long as Bian Ruxue grasped a bit of it, she could achieve near-perfect power.
Next, Li Hao asked the girl to demonstrate the move that had defeated him during their earlier sparring session.
Bian Ruxue obediently followed his instructions.
Li Hao immediately understood and even envisioned how the opponent had defeated him.
However, he did not say anything. With Li Fu nearby, it was fine to show a bit of his talent for Sword Dao, but being too detailed would make him seem too exceptional.
"This sword movement is not aesthetically pleasing. I think the downward slash should be changed to a diagonal cut, with the elbow pulled back."
"Here, switching from a slash to a thrust would be better. Don't let your wrist wobble."
Li Hao pointed out casually.
Bian Ruxue was puzzled, listening carefully and gradually understanding Li Hao's words. She then followed his instructions, practicing over and over again, gradually getting closer to Li Hao's description.
Li Fu glanced at Li Hao, now convinced that Li Hao also possessed exceptional Sword Dao talent.
Although this young boy's way of expressing himself was quite amateurish, using only "good-looking" and "not good-looking" to correct Bian Ruxue's movements, the fact that he could perceive the beauty of a weapon at such a young age was indeed a form of talent.
After all, in the eyes of a genius, some things look different.
Li Fu sighed inwardly, feeling even more sorry for Li Hao.
The next day.
The two went to the Changchun Courtyard early in the morning, and then Bian Ruxue excitedly rushed to the Training Grounds.
After the morning practice and lessons at the Training Grounds, Bian Ruxue found the Secondary Lineage youth from the previous day. The little girl, holding a sword almost as tall as herself, had a serious expression on her face as she challenged him again.
Hearing Bian Ruxue's words, the youth couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The other Secondary Lineage youths surrounding him also joined in, mocking and ridiculing her.
They didn't dare to provoke the Main Lineage members much, but Bian Ruxue was not from the Li family's Main Lineage. She was just the Main Lineage's fiancée, who hadn't even married into the family yet. Moreover, that Main Lineage member was already known throughout the Divine General Manor as a waste. Any one of them would surpass her in the future.
Naturally, they couldn't stand the idea of someone sitting on a treasure mountain, enjoying endless resources and favor.
"Didn't you learn your lesson after being beaten by Brother Bai yesterday?"
"If you want to stand up for that waste, why don't you let him come himself? I can let him use both hands and still beat him easily!"
"Hmph, Brother Bai was already holding back yesterday, yet you still don't know when to quit."
"Your talent is good, but Brother Bai has been practicing here for eight years. If you want revenge, maybe you'll have a chance in half a year, but by then, Brother Bai will probably be gone."
Bian Ruxue bit her lip, her face serious as she stared at the youth in the center. "Dare you or not?"
This instantly roused the youth's blood. The youth, whose full name was Li Dongbai, was one of the three most talented Secondary Lineage members at the Training Grounds, a Seventh Rank Battle Body, enjoying resources almost on par with the Main Lineage. He had already entered the Zhou Tian Realm.
However, the Training Grounds' rules for technique competitions required the stronger party to suppress their cultivation to match the weaker party's level.
Bian Ruxue's current cultivation was at the Tenth Level Perfection of the Tongli Stage!
"Today, I'll make you lose clearly and convincingly."
Li Dongbai's eyes turned cold. He hadn't intended to provoke this extraordinarily talented little girl. He had merely been chatting with his friends about something, mentioning that waste, and expressing a few thoughts, which led to her confronting him.
Despite being a Secondary Lineage member, he had a high spirit and naturally wouldn't apologize, leading to yesterday's confrontation.
"Come on!"
Li Dongbai stepped onto the Training Grounds' platform.
Soon, the platform was surrounded by a crowd, all excited to see the match between these two Secondary Lineage geniuses and the extraordinarily talented girl.
Outside the arena, the old man from the military, the Training Grounds' instructor, smiled and watched the young, spirited fellows compete. He encouraged such rivalries among the young.
A sharp sword is honed from repeated sharpening; without the struggles of youth, where would the setbacks and progress come from? It wouldn't do to wait until one was as old as he was, with a body of old bones, to start fighting.
Soon, the two figures, one big and one small, clashed fiercely.
The old man from the military had seen the same scene yesterday, and today's difference was minimal, except that Li Dongbai's attacks were a bit more vicious.
"It looks like this child Xue'er is going to lose again", the old man thought to himself. "After all, her cultivation is too short, and even though her talent is excellent, she still needs more tempering."
At that moment, the figures in the arena crossed paths, and the most intense sword strike was unleashed.
With a sharp sound, a sword flew out, rolling off the platform and embedding itself in the sand.
The figures on the platform froze.
The cheers and shouts from the crowd below also froze.
And the old man from the military's smile froze on his face.
(End of Chapter)
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