Follow the path of Dao from infancy

Since Li Hao and Bian Ruxue returned from the temple fair that day, neither of them had gone out again, both quietly waiting for that day to arrive.

On ordinary days, Bian Ruxue practised her swordsmanship in the courtyard, focusing only on her Sword Intent, and not her sword moves.

Otherwise, the formidable might of her sword moves would likely sever the last hints of autumn in the courtyard.

After finishing her sword dance, the girl turned her gaze back to the pavilion.

But the pavilion was now empty, no longer housing the figure of the boy from before.

In the girl’s clear eyes, as pure as the first snow, an involuntary shade of sadness and despondency appeared, but only for a moment before she gathered herself and delved back into the cultivation of her Sword Intent.

Meanwhile, in the Li Family ancestral hall, Li Hao’s figure appeared from time to time. He would find Fifth Master for a game of chess, or head to the Listening Rain Tower to randomly pick up a book, and sit reading for an entire day.

As the two-month deadline drew near, only the last ten days remained.

On this day, Li Hao took out his sketchpad from his room by the pond—which he hadn’t touched for half a month—planning to capture the final fallen leaves of late autumn.

A figure ran into the courtyard: it was Li Yuanzhao.

Gasping for breath, he said to Li Hao, “Hao, Qianqian is looking for you.”

“Qianqian?”

“It’s Ren Qianqian. The one we went to Cangyu City with before,” Li Yuanzhao quickly added.

Recalling the matter, Li Hao asked, “What does she want with me?”

“She said her father agreed, and she wants to learn swordsmanship from you,” Li Yuanzhao immediately replied.

Li Hao was slightly surprised to remember this.

“Hao, do you agree? If you do, I’ll go and call her over,” Li Yuanzhao asked, as he was only sent to relay the message.

After some thought, Li Hao said, “Alright.”

Since she was so insistent, it wouldn’t be good for him to refuse any longer.

“Okay.”

Li Yuanzhao grinned, saying, “She’s just outside the mansion. I’ll go bring her in now.”

Li Hao nodded.

By the time he finished his painting with ink, Li Yuanzhao had led the slender and beautiful Ren Qianqian over.

The girl, holding a sword in her arms, didn’t glance around excessively. She simply turned her gaze from side to side subtly, scrutinizing the Divine General Mansion that so many people envied and aspired to.

Even as a Grandmaster’s daughter, well-travelled and knowledgeable, upon arriving here, Ren Qianqian couldn’t help but reveal a hint of nervousness on her cheeks.

From the entrance of the Divine General Mansion to the Mountain and River Courtyard was not a short distance. Along the way, there were elite guards with a natural air of solemnity stationed at regular intervals, and patrolling guards occasionally passed by.

To say it was a mansion was an understatement; it was akin to a slightly smaller palace.

On her journey here, Ren Qianqian had already seen several figures with a presence similar to her father’s, and some even more profound and restrained than his.

However, they lacked that detachment from worldly affairs and elegance, instead possessing a more reserved and deadly aura reminiscent of Blood Sea.

This revelation startled her internally. These figures, who had transcended worldly bounds and could be called Grandmasters, seemed to be mere guards within the Divine General Mansion.

“Hao, Qianqian is here,” Li Yuanzhao called out with a smile.

By the pond, there was only Li Hao sitting alone.

Ren Qianqian looked at this genius youth whose fame had spread like thunder through Qingzhou City in recent days, her eyes lighting up with admiration.

Since the battle in Cangyu City, she had predicted that his renown would sweep through Qingzhou City. Yet, she didn’t anticipate the fervor with which it actually happened.

At this moment, she saw Li Hao clad in a white robe, exuding a natural aura of elegance, holding a brush, having just paused from his sketching.

Ren Qianqian was surprised and taken aback, having thought that a talent like Li Hao would be relentlessly cultivating at every moment.

Yet here he was, relaxed as ever.

“I’ve thought it through,” she said.

Ren Qianqian collected her thoughts and straightened her posture a bit more, declaring, “I want to learn swordsmanship from you, the strongest swordsmanship of the Li Family. I am willing to serve at your command for life!”

The corners of Li Hao’s mouth twitched slightly; he, too, was before a child willing to give up everything for the sake of the sword.

He let out a faint sigh in his heart and set his brush down on the edge of the ink stone.

Then he turned in his chair to face the girl and asked seriously, “Have you really thought this through?”

“I’ve thought it through!” Ren Qianqian’s eyes were solemn and resolute.

“Your father agrees?”

“He has consented,” she replied.

“Really?”

Ren Qianqian nodded, clutching the sword tightly, “I want to transcend the Grandmaster, to achieve Immortality with my sword!”

Li Hao gave a faint smile and said, “What is Immortality, after all? Even a Grandmaster is not free from the mortal coil, and Immortality is not truly eternal.”

“Once today is over, you will be a person of the Li Family. You will never be able to leave, not even if you abandon your martial skills, because as long as you remember, you will not be allowed to go.”

“Unless you die!”

As he spoke, his eyes suddenly became sharp as blades, piercing into the girl, “Can you really do it?”

Ren Qianqian’s heart trembled slightly as she instinctively wanted to step back in the face of Li Hao’s intense gaze; the pressure was too overwhelming to bear.

But as her heels started to lift, she stopped herself. If she couldn’t even withstand the gaze of a peer her age, how could she talk of mastering the sword or achieving Immortality with it?

She took a deep breath, held her sword tighter, and gritted her teeth, “I can, I can do it!”

Li Hao looked deeply into her eyes, then withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, “Fine. From today onward, you are my sword attendant, bearer of my sword.”

Ren Qianqian’s heart shook slightly, and she immediately nodded, “Thank you!”

“No need for thanks, it is simply an exchange of efforts,” Li Hao said. “Later, I will take you to meet Zhao, and you will sign a servitude contract with him; you’ll also familiarize yourself with the environment and rules of the Divine General Mansion.”