Chapter 78: Breaking the Rules
Chapter 78: Breaking the Rules
Three days later.
Song Yueyao, looking weary, returned to Cangyu City. Her Inspector mission was completed, and she temporarily set aside her official duties to report back to Tan Palace.
She had already learned that Li Hao and his companions had returned early, and they must have arrived back in Qingzhou by now.
Thinking of Li Hao's displayed strength, she gritted her teeth in frustration. After years of training at the Black and White Hall, she had seen all sorts of geniuses, but someone like him was a first.
This was a significant blow to her confidence.
"Yueyao?"
Just as Song Yueyao was about to return to the Black and White Hall to report Li Hao's situation to her grandfather, she encountered Su Yehua passing by the hall.
Seeing her friend, Song Yueyao slowed her steps. "Sister Su."
The two were only three years apart and had known each other for over a decade.
"You're back so soon. How did the mission go? Didn't you encounter any Great Demons?" Su Yehua asked gently, noticing Song Yueyao's tired appearance.
Mentioning "Great Demons", Song Yueyao couldn't help but recall the neatly arranged Demon Corpses Platform on the mountain, and her expression changed slightly.
"What's wrong?" Su Yehua was taken aback. Could it be that they really did encounter a Great Demon?
"Nothing", Song Yueyao shook her head slightly, then suddenly thought of something and said, "Sister Su, have Li Hao and the others returned?"
"Hmm?"
Su Yehua was surprised. Over the years, she had known Song Yueyao's aloof nature, treating outsiders like mere grass and trees, never caring about them. Why would she ask about the two young masters of the Li Family?
Suddenly, she remembered that the task they had taken was also in Cangyu City.
"Did they cause you any trouble?"
Thinking of one of them, who was usually carefree and often fell asleep in class, Su Yehua frowned and comforted her, "They are young masters from a prominent family, prone to acting on a whim. Don't take it to heart..."
Song Yueyao was taken aback, then shook her head. "No, something significant happened in Cangyu City. If not for Li Hao's intervention, I might not have made it back."
"What?"
Su Yehua was stunned, looking at Song Yueyao in disbelief, thinking she must have misunderstood something.
Song Yueyao wasn't surprised by her reaction. Clearly, Sister Su didn't know about Li Hao's strength. She then briefly recounted everything that had happened in Cangyu City.
After listening, Su Yehua stared at Song Yueyao in shock.
"Fifteenth Li Realm? Him?"
Su Yehua's mind flashed back to the boy who often slept in class. If she remembered correctly, he had registered at the academy at the age of... fourteen?
Seeing Su Yehua's stunned expression, Song Yueyao couldn't help but smile, feeling a strange sense of joy.
It seemed she wasn't the only one shocked.
The weariness on her face faded, and she waved to Su Yehua. "I need to report in now."
With that, she turned and floated away.
Su Yehua snapped back to reality, suddenly understanding.
No wonder Li Hao never attended classes or participated in the Martial Arts Rankings. With such a cultivation level, he could teach others on the stage.
But then again, with such cultivation, why did he even need to enter Tan Palace Academy?
She was puzzled and decided to investigate further when she met Li Hao again.
...
...
A few days later, the Alpha Court disciples who had been sent on the academy missions began to return one by one.
Su Yehua gathered the disciples to evaluate their performance on the missions.
Among them, the two teams led by the Princes performed the best. They had chosen the most difficult 15-credit missions and received perfect scores in the team evaluations.
Moreover, they had achieved significant accomplishments during their missions, assisting the Demon Suppression Bureau in solving major cases, earning a Third-Class Merit and a Second-Class Merit, respectively.
As for First-Class Merits, those were extremely rare and usually only encountered in border regions during times of conflict.
Even a Second-Class Merit was quite remarkable.
"Did they also encounter a Monster attack on the city?"
Du Qiuyue and Yu Wei were whispering to each other.
Yu Wei glanced around and whispered, "I don't think so. It's possible that the Demon Suppression Bureau flattered them by transferring some of the original credit to them, or maybe the place they went to was under the influence of their own factions..."
"Shh!" Du Qiuyue jumped, quickly hushing him.
Yu Wei knew he had misspoken. The complex matters behind the royal family were not something they could casually discuss.
Even though these two Princes were not favored, they were still of royal blood. Who knew if one day they might rise to power?
Apart from the two Princes, Wang Han and the Li Yun siblings stood out the most, excelling in the most challenging tasks and achieving full scores for their team, though without any additional achievements.
The other noble disciples had varied expressions. Some whispered among themselves, others admired their strength, and a few sneered, resenting their reliance on connections to score points.
Though they were only in their teens, they already understood the vast differences brought by their social status. This disparity would help them read people and become more worldly.
"These two..."
Li Yuanzhao watched as Li Yun and his sister received praise from Teacher Su Yehua. Despite their calm faces, the joy in their eyes was unmistakable.
Li Zhining seemed fine, but Li Yuanzhao noticed that Li Yun’s arm was wrapped in bandages, clearly injured. Yet, he still had a slight smirk on his face, appearing carefree. Li Yuanzhao couldn't help but shake his head.
Given Li Yun's strength and status, the reason for his injury was likely his eagerness to show off during the mission.
Compared to the showy Li Yun, Li Yuanzhao couldn't help but think of Li Hao.
He enjoyed playing with Li Hao, not only because they had similar backgrounds but also because he genuinely admired the spirit Li Hao exuded.
How to describe it? Using some of the peculiar words Li Hao had once used, it was his "Cool Factor."
Always calm and composed, as if everything was trivial.
As Li Hao would say, if you encounter a mountain that's hard to climb, then find a way around it.
Laziness alone wouldn't be a skill, but in Cangyu City, Li Hao defended the city alone and slew a Great Demon, earning great merit. Yet, he remained low-key and didn't boast, as if it were just a minor task.
This alone set him apart from Li Yun and the others.
Even the two Princes, who pretended to be calm, lacked the "Cool Factor" that Li Hao possessed.
Moreover, despite reaching the Fifteenth Li Realm, Li Hao had never boasted. If he had, his fame would have spread far and wide.
Most people sought fame and fortune, but Li Hao saw them as burdens.
When Li Yuanzhao first heard this, he felt a profound sense of awakening. Though he didn't fully understand it, he just knew it was incredibly impressive.
Because of this, Li Yuanzhao enjoyed being around Li Hao. It wasn't for any other reason; he simply loved learning from him.
"Teacher, where is Li Hao?"
At that moment, Li Yun noticed Li Hao was missing from Li Yuanzhao's side. He frowned, a sudden unease gnawing at him. Could something have happened to him?
"Li Hao..."
Su Yehua glanced at the empty spot next to Li Yuanzhao, her eyes showing a hint of complexity. "He has been granted an exception and entered the Black and White Hall."
"What?!"
The entire Alpha Court erupted in chaos. The noise was like a bustling market, with everyone clamoring to ask why and how.
Jiang Ye, who had been smiling, suddenly looked crestfallen.
As a Prince, he hadn't been granted an exception, yet a mere son of the Li Family had been?
His face darkened, but remembering the earnest guidance from his teacher in the palace, he regained his composure, though his anger simmered, his eyes darkening.
"Teacher", Jiang Ye spoke, and the noise around him seemed to quiet. "Why was he granted an exception?"
Jiang Ye stared at Su Yehua.
Su Yehua saw the anger in the Prince's eyes and thought to herself, if you could reach the Fifteenth Li Realm, or even the Divine Wanderer Realm, you too would be granted an exception.
But she kept a calm, smiling face and said, "Li Hao's cultivation surpasses yours. Additionally, he earned top achievements in the Cangyu City mission. To tailor his education, he has been allowed to enter the Black and White Hall early. If he stayed here, we wouldn't be able to teach him, and he would waste a spot in the Martial Arts Rankings."
Hearing this, everyone exchanged puzzled glances, dumbfounded.
Li Hao's cultivation surpassed theirs? Could he have already reached the Soul Continuation stage?
But... what about the top achievements?
Li Yun and Li Zhining also looked confused, turning to Li Yuanzhao for answers.
They had both been in Cangyu City, so why hadn't Li Yuanzhao earned any achievements?
Li Yuanzhao merely smiled faintly at the looks from Li Yun and her brother, feeling secretly pleased. Want to know? I won't tell you.
After all, Hao Ge had told him not to spread the news. He had asked for the reason, but Hao Ge had only mentioned wanting to enjoy a few more days of peace.
However, the matter concerning Cangyu City was too significant to remain hidden for long.
Li Yuanzhao was eagerly anticipating the moment when Li Yun and the others would learn of Hao Ge's cultivation. He wondered what expressions they would have.
With the Li Family, following the footsteps of Uncle Nine, they would surely rise to fame once again!
Thinking of that scene, he couldn't help but wish time would pass quickly, so the news from Cangyu City could spread as soon as possible.
...
...
Meanwhile, in the Tan Palace of the Black and White Hall.
Palace Master Song Yufeng sat above, the steam from his tea having long dissipated, yet he remained engrossed, forgetting to taste it.
Beside him, Shen Yunqing, Zhao Zongyuan, and Huang Lica, along with many other elders of the Tan Palace, were present. Only a few elders who had matters to attend to were absent.
Song Yueyao also sat at the end of the row, observing the young man before them just like the others.
Li Hao felt somewhat helpless under the gazes of the people around him, which had lasted for over ten minutes without a word. With that amount of time, he could have painted two pictures.
"You let me directly enter the Black and White Hall, and I am very grateful."
"But I don't particularly enjoy wasting time like this."
Li Hao cleared his throat, speaking with a modest and innocent expression.
The gazes of Song Yufeng and the others, which had been scrutinizing him like a monkey, finally became less intense.
Over a decade ago, the Li Family's Ninth Young Master had fallen, shocking the world. At nineteen, he had reached the Three Immortalities Realm, an unprecedented achievement.
Unfortunately, they had not been able to witness his appearance in person.
Now, seeing this fourteen-year-old in the Fifteen Li Realm, they couldn't help but observe him closely. Could he really have some extraordinary abilities?
Being human, how did this guy manage to cultivate so quickly?
Song Yufeng studied Li Hao for a long time, growing more and more amazed. He had secretly used his aura to probe Li Hao's cultivation but found it impossible to discern.
At his level, it was difficult to perceive such a young cultivator's true strength. This boy must have cultivated some technique to conceal his aura, and he had done so to an extremely high degree.
These techniques often had minimal impact on combat power. Yet, Li Hao, at just fourteen, had spent time mastering such a technique while simultaneously reaching the Fifteen Li Realm. His talent was truly extraordinary.
When the Emperor bestowed the name back then... it was the Emperor's keen eye!
Song Yufeng thought to himself, feeling even more reverence for the mighty figure on the dragon throne.
"You are already at the Fifteen Li Realm, and with such talent, you would be more than qualified to join the Qian Dao Palace."
Song Yufeng asked Li Hao with a hint of curiosity, "I wonder why you chose to come to our Tan Palace Academy?"
The others also looked at Li Hao with curiosity. Was it for the secret technique? Or something else?
Song Yueyao couldn't help but focus her gaze, awaiting Li Hao's response.
"The reason...?"
Li Hao recalled that day and said, "I guess it was because that morning, I happened to want a piece of Mianyu Crispy Pastry."
Everyone was speechless.
What?
They had anticipated various answers, but never this one.
What was Mianyu Crispy Pastry? A crispy snack?
People had all sorts of reasons for wanting to join the Tan Palace Academy—revenge, fame, inheritance, or to enhance their status—but never because of a crispy snack.
The hall fell into a stunned silence. After a moment, Song Yufeng came to his senses and chuckled, "That crispy pastry... must have been very delicious, then."
"Indeed."
Li Hao's expression became serious and somewhat enthusiastic, "If you get the chance, you should try it. Make sure to find the right place, the old Liu Family in Qinglian Alley."
Seeing Li Hao earnestly recommending it, everyone was speechless.
Qinglian Alley's crispy pastry... Song Yueyao murmured to herself, subconsciously making a mental note.
"Was it not for our Tan Palace's secret technique, the Taiji Cosmos Sword Technique?" Huang Lica couldn't help but ask.
He felt Li Hao's answer was too evasive. What crispy pastry? It was nonsense.
(End of Chapter)
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