Chapter 72
Chapter 72 Wuliang Mountain
The monstrous horde scattered in disarray, and Li Hao found Uncle Fu at a section of the city wall.
Seeing Uncle Fu unconscious and severely injured, Li Hao couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
It was all his fault for arriving too late and failing to protect Uncle Fu.
Li Hao sought out Yue Shuhong and asked him to arrange for someone to treat Uncle Fu's injuries.
Yue Shuhong readily agreed, immediately having Li Fu carried away and sending the best military doctors to treat him.
Wei Feng, along with Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian, found Li Hao and saw the scene before them.
The monsters outside the city had been defeated, and the ground beneath the high walls was littered with corpses. The sight was no different from the western part of the city, except that the number of bodies was greater, and the blood was thicker!
There were few injured on the city wall. Seeing Li Fu being carried away, Wei Feng glanced at Li Hao, who hadn't even gotten his sleeves dirty, and his lips twitched slightly.
Throughout history, it was only known that family guards secretly protected the young masters, but this was the first time he had seen a young master secretly protecting a family guard.
The Li Family was truly turning the world upside down...
"Your sword."
Li Hao, seeing Ren Qianqian, immediately handed the sword in his hand to her.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind: No, it's your sword.
Ren Qianqian, clearly unaware of what the young man in front of her was thinking, looked at him with a complex expression as she took the sword. Her gaze, however, remained fixed on Li Hao's face.
She, who had always been intimately familiar with her beloved sword, didn't even notice that the blade was slightly damaged.
"Are you really at the Fifteenth Li Realm?"
She bit her lip slightly, her heart heavy, as she asked.
This was a question Du Qiuyue and the others were also eager to know the answer to. Although they had seen Li Hao fly and defeat the monstrous horde, it all seemed like a dream, too unbelievable to be true.
Wei Feng's face changed slightly, and he glanced worriedly at his young miss. Encountering someone like Li Hao, a monster among their peers, could be a significant blow. If the young miss's Sword Heart were to collapse, leading to her decline, it would be a disaster!
Li Hao smiled but said nothing.
But this, in itself, was an answer.
Ren Qianqian, thinking of the bright moon, couldn't help but ask, "That sword technique of yours..."
"Want to learn?"
"Um-hum!"
Ren Qianqian's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
"Unfortunately, it's one of our family's supreme sword techniques, not to be taught outside. If you're willing to become a retainer of the Li Family or agree to serve in the Yuan Camp for thirty years, I might teach you", Li Hao said.
Ren Qianqian was taken aback, but then she suddenly clenched her teeth and said, "I can be your retainer."
"Mine?"
Li Hao was surprised and said, "Do you know what being a retainer means? Once you become one, it's a lifetime commitment. Your father is a grandmaster; with your status, you have a future of endless wealth and prosperity."
To him, this was clearly unnecessary.
It wasn't like he had a debt to settle, like he did.
"Yes, young miss, don't act on impulse!" Wei Feng hurriedly said.
If the young miss could learn from Li Hao, he would naturally be overjoyed, but becoming someone's retainer... that was a very low status!
If Li Hao weren't right there, he would have been even more stern.
Ren Qianqian shook her head and said, "As long as you teach me that sword technique, I'm willing. Besides, I've heard about the Rain Listening Pavilion of your Li Family, which houses countless cultivation techniques. If I become your retainer, can I see inside?"
"You sure know how to drive a hard bargain."
Li Hao laughed and said, "But to enter the Rain Listening Pavilion, I'll have to consider your performance."
"Deal!" Ren Qianqian said solemnly.
Wei Feng couldn't wait to interject, "Young miss, this is a major decision. You should discuss it with your master. You..."
"I am me, and he is him. He has his path as a grandmaster, and I will have my own path in the future!" Ren Qianqian said earnestly.
How foolish... Wei Feng's lips twitched. What kind of future could a retainer have?
He didn't dare think about it. When they returned, the master would likely skin him alive.
Li Hao hadn't expected this young girl to be so determined. Over the past few years, he had come to understand the people of this world, who were fiercely competitive.
A certain feudal mindset was deeply ingrained, such as the belief that a man who doesn't achieve fame is no different from a waste of space, despised and scorned by all!
The same applied to women. In this martial world, while there were certainly well-bred ladies, many women from a young age harbored the ambition to challenge the heavens and the earth.
And this young girl was from a martial lineage.
Worse still, she had grasped the Sword Heart and was deeply devoted to the Sword Dao, willing to go to extraordinary lengths to improve her sword skills.
Just like playing a game of chess, even if it means traveling over mountains and across thousands of miles, he would still be delighted.
"Alright, you can think about it on the way. We'll discuss it further when we get back to Qingzhou."
Li Hao said, worried that the little girl might act on impulse.
Wei Feng couldn't help but look at Li Hao with gratitude, his mind racing to think of ways to dissuade Young Miss from her idea.
Ren Qianqian, however, shook her head slightly and said no more. She knew her decision was final, and no one could change her mind.
Li Hao glanced at Li Yuanzhao, who seemed to have a lot to say, and patted his shoulder, signaling that they would talk later.
Li Yuanzhao understood Li Hao's meaning, suppressing his excitement and nodding vigorously.
After that, Li Hao found Yue Shuhong and inquired about any poetry collections, calligraphy, musical scores, or recipes from renowned chefs in Cangyu City.
Since it was rare for him to leave home, he didn't want to return empty-handed.
Hearing Li Hao's words, Yue Shuhong looked somewhat puzzled and confused.
He had expected Li Hao to ask about other things, but instead, he was interested in these seemingly trivial items?
His expression was odd, but he didn't ask further, assuming Young Master might have some special preferences. He shared what he knew and then called over a civil servant from the estate to take Li Hao around the city.
...
...
Wuliang Mountain.
As one of the top-tier forces in the Dayu Dynasty, Wuliang Mountain occupies a vast area in the Vast Heaven Pure Land, with a thousand-mile-long mountain range, majestic Arhat Buddha Halls, and over a thousand Mahayana Buddha Peaks.
Misty clouds drifted about, making the entire Pure Land world seem like a spiritual realm, ethereal and transcendent.
At this moment, in front of the Diamond Heart Hall on one of the Mahayana Buddha Peaks.
A man and a woman climbed up from the foot of the mountain and arrived at the entrance of this grand and magnificent Heart Hall.
"This is Qianfeng Junior Brother's Diamond Heart Hall."
The young bald monk in a robe smiled and said.
"Diamond Heart Hall?"
The woman beside him had long, flowing black hair, a peach-shaped face, and clear, lake-like eyes. Her eyes sparkled with surprise.
"Diamond Heart Hall? Last time, he was still a Dharmapala, but now, now he's already a Vajra?"
Dharmapala and Vajra are both titles and ranks within the Buddhist order of Wuliang Mountain.
A Dharmapala requires the Divine Wanderer Realm cultivation, while a Vajra must reach the Fifteen Li Realm.
"Qianfeng Junior Brother is highly intelligent. He came up the mountain at six and was apprenticed to the Ancient Buddha of Wuliang. By the age of eight, he had already reached Force Mastery Perfection. At ten, he achieved Zhou Tian Perfection, and at ten and a half, he inherited the Buddhist True Soul from me. By the age of fourteen, he had already reached the Divine Roaming Realm."
The young monk smiled and continued, "After returning from slaying demons in the mountains last year, Qianfeng Junior Brother entered seclusion for three months. Before he turned eighteen, he broke through the Divine Roaming Realm and officially entered the Fifteen Li Realm, earning the title of Vajra with the Buddhist name Qiankun Vajra!"
The woman's face showed shock.
"Qiankun Vajra", she repeated, the title sounding grand and significant.
It was clear how highly Wuliang Mountain regarded him.
Her admiration deepened, and the image of him wielding a sword to slay demons in the demon forest became even clearer in her mind.
"Take me to see him quickly."
The woman urged.
The young monk glanced at her and softly chanted a Buddhist verse.
"Laywoman, although Qianfeng Junior Brother is a lay disciple of our Buddhist order, he has great ambitions. Your visit might not be..."
"I don't care. I want to see him, and I'll speak to him myself", the woman interrupted, knowing what he was about to say. She had always been bold and straightforward, preferring to speak her mind clearly.
"Alright."
The young monk sighed, thinking of what his master had said about greed, anger, and delusion. This laywoman, he thought, was committing the sin of delusion.
"Please announce my presence. I need to register to see Qianfeng Junior Brother."
The young monk approached the entrance of the Heart Hall and spoke to the two soldiers standing guard, both clad in armor and holding steel spears.
Their armor bore special markings, and the shoulder plates had a gilded "Yuan" character, which reminded the young monk of the young man's prominent status. He felt a twinge of envy and jealousy but quickly realized he was succumbing to greed, so he silently chanted a Buddhist verse.
(End of Chapter)
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