Chapter 72: Mount Wu Liang

The Spirit Beasts scattered in disarray, and Li Hao found Fu Bo lying unconscious on a section of the city wall. Seeing the old man severely wounded, Li Hao let out a silent sigh, regret heavy in his heart. I came too late. I failed to protect him.

He quickly sought out Yue Shuhong and asked him to arrange for Fu Bo’s treatment. Yue Shuhong agreed without hesitation, immediately ordering his men to carry Li Fu away and summon the finest military physician to attend to him.

Wei Feng arrived with Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian, and upon seeing the scene, their expressions darkened. The Demon creatures beyond the city walls had been utterly crushed. The ground beneath the high walls was littered with corpses, a gruesome sight that mirrored the devastation of the Western City—except here, the numbers were greater, the blood thicker, the carnage more intense.

Few wounded remained atop the wall. Wei Feng watched as Li Fu was carried away, then turned to look at Li Hao—still untouched by blood, his sleeves pristine, as if he’d stepped out of a battle unscathed. A faint, involuntary twitch crossed his lips.

Since time immemorial, it’s been the loyal retainer secretly protecting the Young Master. Now I see the Young Master secretly protecting his retainer. The Li Clan is truly turning Heaven upside down…

“Your sword,” Li Hao said upon seeing Ren Qianqian, suddenly remembering. He handed over the weapon he’d been holding.

A strange thought flashed through his mind: No… it’s yours.

Ren Qianqian, unaware of the thoughts swirling behind his eyes, looked at him with a complex expression. She took the sword from him, her gaze lingering on his face. The sword’s blade was slightly curled from the fray, but she didn’t notice—her focus was entirely on him.

“Are you really at the Fifteen Li Stage?” she asked softly, biting her lower lip, her emotions tangled.

This question echoed the silent wonder of Du Qiuyue and the others. Though they’d witnessed Li Hao soaring through the sky, dismantling the Spirit Beast horde, it all felt like a dream—too unreal, too impossible.

Wei Feng’s face tightened. His concern deepened. A boy like Li Hao was a monster among peers. If this shattered his master’s faith in her own path—especially her Sword Heart—she might never recover. The consequences would be catastrophic.

Li Hao smiled faintly, saying nothing. But the silence itself was answer enough.

Ren Qianqian thought of the moon that night. Without hesitation, she asked, “That sword technique you used…?”

“Want to learn it?” Li Hao asked.

“Yes!” Her eyes lit up instantly, nodding firmly.

“I’m afraid it’s one of my family’s Ultimate Grade Sword Arts. It’s not taught to outsiders. If you’re willing to become a retainer of the Li Clan, or agree to serve in the Yuan Character Camp for thirty years, I might consider teaching it.”

Ren Qianqian froze. Then, with sudden determination, she declared, “I’ll become your retainer.”

“Your retainer?” Li Hao blinked in surprise. “Do you understand what that means? Once you’re bound, it’s for life. Your father is a Master. With your status, you could inherit endless wealth and privilege.”

To him, it was senseless. He wasn’t burdened by debt or past debts to repay.

“Of course, Miss, don’t be rash!” Wei Feng interjected quickly. While he’d be overjoyed if she learned something valuable, becoming a retainer? That was far too low a position! Had Li Hao not been standing right there, he’d have delivered a much sharper rebuke.

Ren Qianqian shook her head. “If you’ll teach me that technique, I’ll do it. Besides… I’ve heard the Pavilion of Listening to Rain within your clan houses countless combat scriptures from across the world. If I become your retainer, would I be allowed to enter?”

Li Hao chuckled. “You’ve got quite the calculation going, don’t you?”

“Fine,” she said solemnly. “I’ll prove myself. I’ll earn my place.”

Wei Feng couldn’t hold back. “Miss, this is a decision of such magnitude—you should discuss it with your master first!”

“I am me, and he is him. He has his path. I have mine,” Ren Qianqian said with quiet resolve.

Idiot… Wei Feng’s lips twitched. What path could there possibly be as a retainer? He dared not imagine what his master would do to him when they returned.

Li Hao hadn’t expected such stubbornness from a girl so young. But after years of observing this world, he knew all too well how deeply entrenched its customs ran. The idea that a man without an official title was no better than a worthless wretch—it was universally scorned. And women? In this martial world, while noble ladies existed, many girls from martial families dreamed of challenging the sun and moon from childhood.

And this girl? She came from a martial lineage. Worse—she’d awakened her Sword Heart, utterly consumed by the Dao of the sword. She’d go to extremes, make choices beyond reason, just as he once would—traversing mountains and plains, walking thousands of miles for a single game of chess, all with joy in his heart.

“Alright,” Li Hao said, “think it over on the way back. We’ll talk when we return to Qingzhou.”

Wei Feng let out a quiet breath of relief, casting a grateful glance at Li Hao. His mind raced, searching for ways to dissuade her.

But Ren Qianqian only shook her head. No more words. She knew her decision was final. No one could change her mind.

Li Hao glanced at Li Yuanzhao, who stood beside him, clearly holding back a storm of emotions. He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, giving a gentle nod—We’ll talk later.

Li Yuanzhao, trembling with excitement, nodded vigorously.

With that settled, Li Hao turned to Yue Shuhong and asked if there were any poetry collections, calligraphy scrolls, musical scores, or even the recipes of renowned chefs in Cangyu City.

He wasn’t about to return empty-handed after such a journey.

Yue Shuhong looked puzzled. He’d expected more practical inquiries—armaments, strategies, terrain reports. But these? Books, paintings, music, recipes? Nonsense. He frowned slightly, recalling rumors of certain young masters with odd, refined tastes. He said nothing, simply listed everything he knew.

But as a martial general, he’d never paid much attention to such things. So he called for one of his court scholars and instructed him to escort Li Hao through the city.

…

…

Mount Wu Liang

As one of the top-tier powers of the Great Yu Dynasty, Mount Wu Liang resided within the Fantine Pure Land Realm—a boundless expanse of mountains stretching for a thousand miles, dotted with majestic Arhat Buddhist Temples and over a thousand Great Vehicle Buddhist Peaks.

Mists drifted like silk across the sky, the entire sacred realm floating like a dream, ethereal and untainted by the world below.

At the moment, atop one of the Great Vehicle Peaks, at the entrance of the Diamond Heart Hall—the inner sanctum of the realm—two figures ascended the mountain path from its base.

“This is Brother Qianfeng’s Diamond Heart Hall,” said the young bald monk in saffron robes, smiling.

“Diamond Heart Hall?” The woman beside him, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall, her face like a blooming peach, her eyes clear as a mountain lake, blinked in astonishment. “Diamond Heart Hall? He was only a Garbhadhara Dharma Deity last time I saw him. Now… now he’s already a Diamond Saint?”

Garbhadhara Dharma Deity and Diamond Saint were both high-ranking titles within Mount Wu Liang’s Buddhist hierarchy. Garbhadhara Dharma Deity required cultivation at the Divine Travel Realm. Diamond Saint, however, demanded the attainment of the Fifteen Li Stage.

“Brother Qianfeng is exceptionally gifted. He joined the mountain at six, entered the lineage of the Ancient Buddha at eight, and reached the Peak of Strength Consolidation before he turned eight. At ten, he achieved Perfect Circulation of the Heavenly Circuit. By ten and a half, he inherited the True Soul of the Buddha. By fourteen, he had already achieved spiritual wanderings.”

The young monk smiled proudly. “Last year, after returning from slaying demons in the lower realm, he secluded himself for three months. Before his eighteenth birthday, he broke through to the spiritual wanderer stage and officially entered the Fifteen Li Stage. He was bestowed the title of Diamond Saint, and his Buddha Title—Qiankun Diamond Saint!”

The woman’s face was struck with awe. “Qiankun Diamond Saint?” Her voice trembled. “That title… it’s enormous. Clearly, Mount Wu Liang holds him in the highest regard.”

Her admiration deepened. The image of the young man cutting through the Spirit Beast forest, sword flashing like moonlight, flashed vividly in her mind.

“Take me to him,” she said urgently.

The monk glanced at her, then murmured a Buddha title: “Nan Lady. Though Brother Qianfeng is a lay disciple of our sect, his heart is set on great ambitions. You come at a time when he may not be receptive…”

“I don’t care,” she interrupted sharply, her voice firm. “I must see him. I’ll speak to him myself.”

She knew what he was about to say, but she refused to be deterred. She was bold, passionate—she would face any truth head-on.

“Very well,” the monk sighed, shaking his head. He remembered his master’s warning: Greed, anger, delusion—this lady has broken the Precept of Folly.

“Please inform him,” the monk said, stepping toward the hall’s entrance, “that I have come to register for Brother Qianfeng’s reception.”

Before two armored guards—each bearing the sacred mark of the “Yuan” symbol burned into their shoulder plates—he announced his presence.

The young monk’s eyes flickered with a brief pang of envy. The prestige of the “Yuan” name—so powerful, so honored—was undeniable. But he quickly chastised himself. This is greed. I must let go.

He whispered a silent Buddha title, calming his heart.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end