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Chapter 84: Revisiting Old Matters
Chapter 84: Revisiting Old Matters
Li Xuanli came over and first greeted the First Lady, He Jianlan, with a slight bow.
He then greeted the other sisters-in-law one by one and nodded to the younger siblings before sitting down and smiling.
"Shuang'er, how is your cultivation in the Thousand Mechanisms Sect? I heard you made it onto the Heaven List. That's quite an achievement."
Hearing her father’s praise, Li Wushuang’s expression remained calm. However, Li Yun, who was sitting beside her, had a gleam in her eyes and looked quite proud. Li Zhining, too, looked up at her elder sister with admiration, seemingly viewing her as a role model.
"It’s just at the bottom of the list. If I could be like Uncle Nine and top the Heaven List right after joining, that would be impressive."
She wasn’t trying to boast; she was simply stating the truth.
Upon hearing his daughter mention Uncle Nine, Li Xuanli’s expression changed slightly, and the smile on his face faded.
That meteor-like figure, as Emperor Yu had said fourteen years ago, was a fallen star, a source of pain for the Li Family!
Though they had nine brothers, excluding the sisters, they were all deeply connected and extremely united.
However, after they each got married, they saw each other less and gradually grew distant.
In the past, they would all practice martial arts, eat, and laugh together in the courtyard, and even dodge their father’s punishments as a group...
Time flies.
The frog croaks that once filled the courtyard in summer are no longer heard...
Noticing the slightly somber atmosphere, Li Wushuang realized she shouldn’t have brought up that painful memory for the Li Family. Her expression changed, and she didn’t say another word.
Li Xuanli, who was feeling down, snapped out of his thoughts and noticed his daughter’s silence. He realized his emotions had affected her and smiled, trying to be more carefree.
"Want to be like Uncle Nine? You’re still too young. Your Uncle Nine ascended to the Tian Ren Master Realm at seventeen, pushing his way up and challenging the world’s elite on the Fairy Phoenix Platform outside Qingzhou City. In the end, no one dared to face him!"
Talking about those youthful days, Li Xuanli’s face lit up with a nostalgic smile, remembering those carefree and spirited times.
Back then, they still had a sky above them, a father, and an elder brother, allowing them to roam the world freely.
They drank, rode horses, and traveled through the Nineteen Provinces.
But when the sky above them collapsed and their father’s soul returned to the Mourning River, unable to find peace or return to the Li Family Ancestral Hall, let alone reincarnate, they lost their carefree ways.
They began to focus on their cultivation and took on the heavy responsibilities of the Li Family, guarding the Border Pass, fighting in battles, and slaying demons!
The ladies of the various courtyards, upon hearing Li Xuanli’s words, also had a wistful look in their eyes. Those were the times when most of them first married into the Li Family, their most innocent and joyful days, and the best times they had with their husbands.
Li Wushuang’s eyes filled with longing. Her father’s few words painted a picture in her mind of a towering, invincible figure—her Uncle Nine, the one she had heard about since childhood, her proudest and most admired uncle.
Challenging the world, such a domineering and confident stance—how many in this world could achieve that?
Li Hao sighed inwardly. Such a prodigy, tragically cut down in his prime, was truly a loss.
"The food is getting cold. Let’s eat first."
In the end, it was He Jianlan who remained the most rational, snapping back to reality and smiling as she suggested.
Everyone laughed and began to serve themselves, picking up their chopsticks.
"Yes, these dishes are quite good."
During the meal, they talked about other things, avoiding the sad memories, as if they had tacitly agreed to do so.
Li Xuanli tasted a few dishes and praised them, saying, "Shuang'er, you rarely come back, so try this Bamboo Fragrant Black Dragon Liver. It’s quite good, just like it was over a decade ago. It hasn’t changed a bit, and I haven’t had it in years."
"Oh?"
Li Wushuang, who had maintained a cool and distant demeanor, now showed a hint of childish curiosity. She picked up her chopsticks and carefully tasted the dish.
“Hmm, indeed it’s quite good.” Li Wushuang smiled, showing her teeth.
Li Xuanli looked at his sister-in-law and said with a smile, “Sister-in-law, you’ve really thought of Shuang'er. This Cuihu Academy’s Bamboo Fragrant Black Dragon Liver is one of the specialties of Qingzhou. It’s been too long since I last had it, and I almost forgot how delicious it is.”
He Jianlan smiled slightly, glancing at Li Hao who was eating and drinking with his head down. She said with a smile, “This wasn’t prepared by me. It was Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao who bought it. They said Shuang'er has been away for so long and must not have tasted Qingzhou’s delicacies, so they specially bought it.”
Li Xuanli was slightly taken aback and looked at Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao on the other side. “You two bought this?”
Li Hao glanced at him. He held a deep respect for his fifth uncle, who had fought many battles. He nodded.
Li Yuanzhao laughed from the side, “Fifth Uncle, Hao Ge is the one who knows the best about food. The few dishes you just had were all bought by Hao Ge. There are a few more dishes that will be served shortly.”
“Oh?”
Li Xuanli was surprised. He naturally remembered Li Hao, the only son of his seventh brother and Qingqing. He had even attended the Hundred Day Feast back then.
Later, he heard that the little guy had a Waste Body, but it seemed to have been unblocked on its own, or perhaps Second Uncle had found a way to help him. In any case, he could cultivate again.
However, it was a pity that he had missed the Foundation Building and Blood Dissolution stages, which inevitably made his talents inferior to others. Added to that, he had started late and wasted a lot of time.
Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. His gaze softened as he looked at Li Hao.
“Li Hao, you’ve been thoughtful. I’ve heard your father is about to return, and the war in Yanbei has ended. He has submitted his report to the imperial court, so I believe you will be able to see him soon.”
As he spoke, he turned to his daughter, “Shuang'er, why don’t you thank Little Hao? This gesture is no less valuable than any other gift.”
Li Hao’s heart stirred. His fifth uncle had arrived last, but his words seemed to have a deeper meaning. It seemed he had already used his Divine Sense to investigate the situation here.
He felt a growing admiration for his fifth uncle, who was clearly a reasonable person.
Out of respect for him, Li Hao no longer dwelled on the earlier incident. He pretended as if nothing had happened, knowing that if he looked at Li Wushuang now, she would likely feel embarrassed.
On the other side, Li Wushuang’s face had already turned sour when she heard her mother’s words. Now, hearing her father’s words, she felt the dragon liver in her mouth becoming hard to swallow.
She glanced at Li Hao and saw that he was busy picking up food, seemingly not waiting for her thanks.
In her eyes, this attitude was one of indifference, even a bit arrogant.
Her face turned cold, and she placed the half-eaten piece of dragon liver back on the table, picking up another dish instead. She said, “Father, I’ve already thanked him. Besides, I don’t really like this dragon liver. It’s too greasy.”
Li Xuanli was taken aback, his face darkening as he put down his chopsticks and stared at her.
“Shuang'er, I have always taught you to be honest and upright. You’ve just returned, so what grudge do you have against Li Hao? Is it because he gave you a bottle of pills just now?!”
At that moment, he no longer hid the fact that he had been paying attention to the situation.
As he grew angry, the others at the table also stopped eating. Gao Qingqing knew her husband’s temper and found this strange. Shuang'er had never been like this before.
However, the situation was now tense. If she asked her daughter to apologize, it would likely hurt her self-esteem in front of everyone.
He Jianlan saw the awkwardness and gently said, “Xuanli, Shuang'er has just returned. Don’t get angry. Shuang'er, do you have any issues with Li Hao?”
Li Wushuang hadn't expected her father to scold her in public, and she felt a deep sense of injustice and resentment. Having been away for a long time, she was hurt that upon her return, her father was reprimanding her for the sake of someone outside their family.
She bit her lip and glared at Li Hao, “You should ask him. He bullied my brother while I was away. Father, you’ve been recuperating on Meditation Mountain, so you don’t know about this.”
"Hmm?" Li Xuanli was taken aback. Li Hao bullying his child?
Li Yun's face also changed slightly, and he became a bit tense.
When the eldest sister first returned, the three siblings naturally had a lot to talk about. When Li Wushuang asked with a smile if anyone had bullied them over the years, Li Yun took the opportunity to mention how Li Hao used to beat him up when they were younger. He felt a bit embarrassed to tell his mother about it, but talking to his eldest sister gave him a sense of finding a protector.
He had thought about standing up for himself, but every time he saw Li Hao, he felt inexplicably intimidated.
Li Wushuang naturally remembered Li Hao's name and planned to find an opportunity to deal with him.
So that's why... Li Hao was speechless. He glanced at the blushing and nervous Li Yun, not expecting the kid to still hold a grudge. It seemed he hadn't hit him hard enough back then; he had hit him too lightly, and the kid still dared to remember it.
"Yun'er, when did this happen?" Gao Qingqing's expression changed, and she asked urgently.
Li Yun had never been the focus of so many elders before. His face turned red, and he lowered his head slightly. "A few years ago."
"Exactly when?"
"Five or six years ago..."
Everyone immediately realized it was a misunderstanding. Five or six years ago?
At that time, both Li Hao and Li Yun were only eight or nine years old. This was at most just kids playing around, not bullying.
Besides, Li Hao back then was still a Waste Body, with his meridians not yet unblocked, and hadn't started cultivation yet.
On the other hand, Li Yun had already been practicing at the Training Grounds for a few years.
Hmm? That's right! How could he have been bullied then?
Everyone thought about this and looked at Li Hao with suspicion, then at Li Yun.
Gao Qingqing sighed in relief. It wasn't the kind of bullying she had feared. It was probably just a fight over some trivial matter, and the injuries were probably lighter than those from sparring at the Training Grounds.
"You child, this happened so long ago, why are you still holding a grudge and telling your sister?" Gao Qingqing scolded, not in a good mood. Her son was good in every way, but he lacked the broad-mindedness and magnanimity of his father.
The other ladies all chuckled. Liu Yuerong smiled and said, "Yun'er, five or six years ago, Hao Ge hadn't started cultivation yet. Who was bullying whom, really?"
Her words seemed playful, but Li Hao immediately sensed a hint of probing.
Of course, he might just be overthinking it.
Li Yun's face turned even redder. He felt ashamed, but at the time, he had indeed been unable to beat Li Hao, who was much stronger than him.
"I was careless."
"He ambushed me and was much stronger", Li Yun said with a red face.
Hearing Li Yun's words, everyone burst out laughing. They remembered that Li Hao had been a Body Cultivator at the time, so he naturally would have been stronger.
Looking at Li Yun's blushing face, they knew he was embarrassed because he had been practicing at the Training Grounds but still got bullied by Li Hao, who hadn't started cultivation. He had come to his long-lost sister to complain, only to reveal this embarrassing incident.
"Hmph, you were always thinking about Hao Ge's fiancée."
Li Yuanzhao said this with a huff after hearing Li Yun's words.
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his mother's gaze, which clearly said three words: shut up.
Li Xuanli understood it was a misunderstanding. He glared at Li Yun in annoyance. "Useless thing, you come to your sister to complain about such a small matter. A man of your size should challenge Li Hao to a sparring match at the Training Grounds if you're not satisfied. Crying to your mother and father is no way to prove your worth!"
His harsh scolding made Li Yun even more ashamed.
Gao Qingqing, hearing him criticize her son, shot him a disapproving glance and changed the subject. She turned to Li Hao and asked, "Speaking of which, Li Hao, when is your fiancée coming back? She's apprenticed to the Sword Saint. When she returns, have her spar with Shuang'er."
(End of Chapter)
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