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Chapter 169: Five Thousand Li Flag
Chapter 169: Five Thousand Li Flag
Seeing Li Hao immediately reveal his identity, Boy's expression changed slightly.
He glanced at the young man with a peaceful aura, finding it hard to associate him with the fierce figure he had seen earlier beyond the pass.
But he knew that any misstep now could cost him his life.
"Salutations, Young General."
He bowed respectfully, then said nervously:
"A subordinate has been sent here. When you were cleansing Beyond the Pass, you destroyed the palaces and lairs of three Demon Kings. They have sent us, the Tianji Hall, to inquire about how you plan to compensate them."
"Compensate?"
Li Hao looked at him with surprise. "What kind of compensation do they want?"
"They hope you will apologize and promise not to invade again, ensuring that we live in peace. In return, they will guarantee that Heavenly Gate Pass remains safe, allowing you to defend it for three years."
Boy spoke respectfully, but his voice trembled slightly.
Li Hao narrowed his eyes and smiled lightly. "You know I'm going to defend this place for three years, so you must have some understanding of me. Tell them that the compensation is here, and they can take whatever they want, but they'll have to come for it themselves."
"Th-This..."
Boy's face showed his difficulty. "Young General, let's negotiate. You can't stay at Heavenly Gate Pass forever. I urge you to reconsider."
"Hmm?"
Li Hao's gaze suddenly seemed to carry the weight of a thousand mountains, pressing down on Boy, making his feathers almost burst through his skin and nearly revealing his true form.
His body bent, and he knelt on the ground.
"Please spare me, Young General, please spare me..."
Boy's prominent beak begged urgently.
Li Hao's eyes softened, and he spoke calmly. "I've said my piece. If they want compensation, they must come here themselves. Hiding like cowards and still expecting compensation—has your Tianji Hall not told them how I flattened their strongholds?"
Boy replied nervously, "We have, but they are very angry..."
Li Hao cut him off. "Or perhaps, your true purpose is to test my patience, or something else?"
Boy's heart constricted, nearly screaming in fear, but he managed a weak smile.
"How could that be? Our Tianji Hall, though a Demon faction, never participates in wars and has some cooperation with your Human Race. We are just passing on a message."
"Oh, and who do you cooperate with among the Human Race?"
Boy trembled. "I, I don't know. My cultivation is too low..."
Li Hao, tired of this small fry, said coldly, "Get out."
"Yes, thank you, Young General, for sparing my life..."
Boy felt the oppressive force on his back vanish and scrambled to his feet, ready to leave.
"Hold on."
Li Hao called him back, his voice icy. "Are you leaving empty-handed? Qianqian, give him my War Flag."
Ren Qianqian, who had been listening intently, was taken aback but quickly reacted, pulling the War Flag from its place and throwing it to the bird demon Boy.
The bird demon caught it, looking at Li Hao with a mix of tension and confusion.
"Take my War Flag and go back to your Demon territory. Plant it on the mountain where I reached the farthest. You should know which one it is, right?"
Li Hao's eyes were cold as he stared at the bird demon. "The next time I inspect the area, if I see my War Flag fallen or damaged, I will once again massacre Beyond the Pass, and the scope will be even larger!"
"Also, your Tianji Hall should be more cautious around me in the future."
Feeling Li Hao's unmasked killing intent, the bird demon was dumbfounded, trembling all over.
To have a human make a bird demon plant his War Flag in the heart of Demon territory, where he had advanced five thousand li, was a blatant act of humiliation and intimidation!
Arrogant, brutal, and audacious!
In that moment, the peaceful and gentle young man had vanished, replaced by a young war god who made all bow in fear.
"I, I understand."
The bird demon, still in shock, trembled as he agreed.
He knew that the only reason he would leave this place alive was to complete this task for Li Hao. Otherwise, he would never step out of this courtyard.
As the bird demon Boy left shakily, Ren Qianqian stepped forward, her face full of surprise.
"Young Master, you went to Beyond the Pass and flattened the Demon Kings' lairs?"
Li Hao nodded slightly, seeing her astonished expression, and smiled. "Practice your sword skills. One day, you'll be able to do the same."
Ren Qianqian's heart skipped a beat, and she laughed bitterly to herself. Her former aspiration had merely been to surpass the Grandmaster.
The Demon King... that was an existence in the Fourth Establishment Realm.
However, Li Hao's words seemed to open a broader door in her heart.
Her eyes sparkled with determination, and her cultivation drive surged.
Just as she was about to turn and eagerly head to practice swordsmanship, Li Hao called her back, asking her to fetch some paper. He wanted to write a letter.
Ren Qianqian obediently retrieved the paper from her room and asked curiously, "Young Master, who is this letter for?"
"To the Liangzhou military headquarters", Li Hao replied.
"Ah?" Ren Qianqian was puzzled. It seemed that Li Hao wasn't particularly familiar with them.
"These Demons from the Tianji Hall must be testing me."
As Li Hao wrote the letter, he continued, "The Demon King demanding compensation—if they had accurate information, they wouldn't dare even mention it, let alone threaten me. I think this bird demon is just here to test my limits, or to see if I'll be defending this place for three years..."
Considering the military report and advice from Uncle Fifth, he had some suspicions, though perhaps he was overthinking it. Still, it was better to be cautious.
Ren Qianqian's eyes widened slightly. The information in Li Hao's words was overwhelming, and she found it hard to digest.
One thing she caught was that the Demon King didn't even have the courage to demand compensation from Li Hao?
What had Li Hao done beyond the pass?
Soon, Li Hao finished the letter and handed it to Ren Qianqian, instructing her to give it to Li Hongzhuang to send to Uncle Fifth, Li Xuanli.
After that, Li Hao refocused his mind and continued painting.
...
Under the watchful eyes of many martial artists and soldiers, the young bird demon nervously flew out of the new border city and shot straight into the sky.
Once in the clouds, it accelerated, flying several hundred miles before slowing down. A few birds were waiting for it in the clouds ahead.
"Why did you steal a war flag?"
One of the red birds transformed into a red-dressed maiden and recognized the war flag in the young bird demon's hand as Li Hao's. She couldn't help but say, somewhat speechless.
The young bird demon nearly choked at the word "steal."
As if I'd have the nerve to steal that guy's war flag!
"Protector, I didn't steal it. That guy forced it on me", the young bird demon said, referring to the young man as "that kid."
"Hmm?"
The red-dressed maiden was puzzled. "Why would he give you his war flag?"
"To plant it on the mountain he flattened. He said if the war flag gets damaged, he'll come after the Tianji Hall and massacre Beyond the Pass again", the young bird demon said with indignation.
The red-dressed maiden and the other three birds were taken aback. That was awfully domineering.
"And what about the task you were given? How did the probing go?"
The red-dressed maiden glanced in the direction of Heavenly Gate Pass and asked.
"That kid is too shrewd. I barely mentioned it before he almost caught on."
Thinking about what had happened, the young bird demon's indignation turned to a hint of unease. "From what he said, he doesn't intend to leave Heavenly Gate Pass. The agreement is real."
The red-dressed maiden frowned and asked him to recount the entire incident in detail.
After listening, her frown deepened. "This young man is indeed a major threat. We should inform the Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace. If we don't eliminate this potential threat, it will cause endless trouble in the future."
"Agreed."
The young bird demon nodded in agreement.
"However, from the looks of it, he won't leave Heavenly Gate Pass easily to get involved in the Liangzhou war. Once the great elder from the Dragon Gate emerges from seclusion, we can deal with him then."
The red-dressed maiden glanced at the war flag in the young bird demon's hand and said, "Go and plant that war flag. Treat it as a symbolic gesture, and inform the surrounding demons to stay away from that mountain for now. Let's avoid a direct confrontation."
"Understood."
The birds immediately flew off to a more distant location.
...
In the western region of Liangzhou.
A blood eagle landed on the arm of a deputy general's personal attendant and delivered a letter wrapped in oiled paper. The deputy general quickly handed it to Li Xuanli, who was in the tent.
"A letter from my sister?"
Li Xuanli was surprised when the deputy general's personal attendant reported. He had just sent a letter to Heavenly Gate Pass and was already receiving a response.
These are unusual times, and frequent correspondence is not a good idea, as it can easily be intercepted.
He quickly tore open the envelope and began to read. Soon, his expression turned grave.
"The Demons intend to attack Liangzhou?"
"How does Li Hao know?"
Li Xuanli was surprised to see that the letter was from that young man. He felt a mix of surprise and suspicion. The letter didn't provide a clear reason, only mentioning it as a hypothesis and urging him to keep an eye on the Demons' movements.
Considering the previous retreat of the Demons beyond the border, Li Xuanli suddenly felt a chill. Could it be that the Demons' retreat was just a ruse, and they never truly intended to leave Liangzhou?
He put away the letter and immediately summoned his Deputy General's Personal Attendant, instructing him to closely monitor every detail beyond the Pass and to send the reconnaissance teams deeper into the area for further investigation.
...
...
Time flew by.
At Heavenly Gate Pass, Cangya City.
Not long after the bird demon boy left, Li Hao set out again beyond the Pass. As he traveled, he noticed that the areas he had previously cleared were once again teeming with Demons, which he dealt with swiftly.
When he reached the farthest hill, Li Hao saw the War Flag he had planted. The area around it was clear of Demons, seemingly under a lockdown, and there were birds watching it secretly. Satisfied, he then patrolled from east to west.
Wherever he went, the Tianji Hall responded as if facing a major threat, urgently notifying Demons in various locations to take cover.
The Demons hastily abandoned their newly constructed dens and fled. Only after the young man flew past did they slowly return.
However, the constant state of fear and tension was becoming unbearable for some of the Demons. Unable to tolerate it, they chose to leave the area and seek other places to settle, even if it meant sharing space with other Great Demons.
Once peace was restored beyond the Pass, Li Hao summoned his martial artists and instructed them to use their connections to spread news and invite various Art Masters skilled in Art Dao and Chess Dao to visit Cangya City.
During this time, Li Hao dissected the ghost woman's body, along with other Great Demons, and cooked them daily for everyone.
His Cooking Dao experience rapidly increased. At the seventh rank, he needed 500,000 experience points to reach the eighth rank.
A single Fourth Establishment Realm Great Demon provided 30,000 to 40,000 experience points, which was nearly half the required amount for the previous 100,000 experience bar.
Now, it was less than a tenth.
Even after cooking all the other Great Demons, he only accumulated a little over 70,000 experience points.
Fortunately, sketching the Demons' bodies also brought his Art Dao experience to the bottleneck of the Sixth Rank. He needed only a Painting Heart Spiritual Immersion to reach the seventh rank.
However, before doing so, Li Hao planned to find an art form and cultivate a Heart Immersion to break the third-rank restriction on his Body Movement Technique. This would allow him to directly advance to the Sixth Rank, significantly enhancing his speed, to the point where even some Fourth Establishment Realm Great Demon Kings might find it difficult to escape his grasp.
Li Hao had the various materials extracted from the Demons, along with the Dragon Dawn Sword, delivered to the Myriad Treasures Tower, leaving his signature for a second forging.
The Myriad Treasures Tower, being a semi-governmental organization, and Li Hao being a young general of the Border Pass, dared not embezzle his items.
Li Hao tested the array constructed by the Elder Star Constellation Official twice, easily suppressing the five Great Demons both times.
The Elder Star Constellation Official thoroughly examined the array but couldn't find any issues. Finally, he realized the problem and suggested that Li Hongzhuang, a general at the Peak of the Three Immortalities, test it.
As a result, Li Hongzhuang was beaten up and forced to retreat in defeat by the five Great Demons outside the array. This confirmed that the array was not the problem; Li Hao was.
The Elder Star Constellation Official and his students were speechless. They had pulled their hair out trying to find the issue, only to realize it wasn't their fault at all.
This young man's strength was simply too extraordinary.
Who would have thought that a fourteen-year-old could possess power surpassing that of a typical Demon King?
Elder Star Constellation Official and the others were both helpless and secretly excited. Li Hao's existence undoubtedly heralded the rise of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty. If this young man were given more time, the future Dayu would gain another war god, standing shoulder to shoulder with the True Person of the Qian Dao Palace!
With their students, Elder Star Constellation Official and the others bid farewell to Li Hao.
Xia Xianglan looked at Li Hao with a lingering gaze before leaving. "Will you always be here?"
"I'll leave once there are no more Demons daring to invade."
Li Hao smiled and replied.
Xia Xianglan nodded, then added, "I am from the Xia Clan. We are all descendants of the Divine General Manor. If you have the time, you are welcome to visit the Xia Clan anytime."
Li Hao shook his head slightly. "But I am not from the Divine General Manor. I am just a Wanderer."
"But you..."
Xia Xianglan wanted to say more, but Elder Star Constellation Official called her over. He glanced at Li Hao, sighed inwardly, and then led his students away.
Li Hao saw them off at Dragon Pass Road before returning.
Time passed swiftly as he idled away the days.
This dangerous land Beyond the Pass had become unusually peaceful, and the city within had grown increasingly prosperous and lively.
Caravans and escort agencies from various cities, upon returning, spread the word that Heavenly Gate Pass was now a well-fortified stronghold, and Cangya City was a bustling and thriving place.
With the influx of caravans and travelers, more and more people began to settle here, buying or renting houses to conduct business.
Avoiding the costs of transportation, they sold goods at higher prices than in the inner regions, but it was still a good deal.
People came from all over for the sake of profit.
The number of people flocking to Cangya City grew, and with demand came supply. Soon, travelers and many renowned heroes also visited Cangya City, eager to see the sights Beyond the Pass.
Li Hao, meanwhile, sat in the Wattle Yard within the city.
He was undisturbed.
He chose the Music into the Heart technique, playing the zither and listening to the sounds each day. Occasionally, he would venture Outside the City, sitting on the snowy mountains, quietly listening to the sounds of Spring—the sound of melting snow.
As the snow Beyond the Pass gradually melted, large patches of black soil, buried beneath the snow, were revealed.
Green sprouts began to sprout from the black soil, bringing new life.
During his practice of Music into the Heart, some of the martial artists he had previously invited through connections also visited Cangya City.
Li Hao invited them into his courtyard, where they played the zither, discussed paintings, played chess, and enjoyed wine, living a life of leisure befitting a wealthy young master.
But the martial artists within the Border Pass knew how extraordinary this young man's talent was. Apart from curiosity, they had no other thoughts.
Li Hongzhuang was surprised to see Li Hao not cultivating but instead indulging in leisurely activities to cultivate his spirit. However, she did not interfere. She valued results, and no matter how Li Hao achieved them, his accomplishments were already beyond what others could match.
That was enough.
These art masters initially thought Li Hao was just passing the time, mainly out of a sense of duty and social obligation.
But as they delved deeper into discussions, some of the art masters were nearly overwhelmed. Li Hao's questions about their fields of expertise were so insightful that even they struggled to answer, leaving them secretly amazed and deeply respectful.
While they revered martial artists for their power, they also held a deep admiration for someone who could engage in meaningful discussions about their lifelong studies. This respect was a blend of admiration, appreciation, and joy.
Through these art masters, Li Hao sought out the Masterpiece Catalog.
To his surprise, he found some unexpected treasures.
One painter master offered a famous painting he had cherished for many years.
A chess master known as the Little Chess Sage gifted Li Hao two chess manuals.
Unfortunately, one of the chess manuals was not a renowned work and could not be included.
Additionally, they provided clues about other famous paintings and the people who owned them.
Li Hao noted all this down, planning to visit these people later to see if they would be willing to part with their treasures.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, the snow had melted.
Spring had arrived.
(End of Chapter)
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