Chapter 17 Sword Saint

Bian Ruxue won.

With a single stroke, she sent Li Dongbai's sword flying, while simultaneously thrusting her own blade to halt just half an inch from her opponent's throat.

The young man was so shocked that he stiffened; when he finally collected himself, he quickly retreated several steps, staring at the girl fearfully.

This scene was beyond everyone's expectations; they stared at Bian Ruxue, incredulous. Li Dongbai, after eight years of cultivation here, had been defeated by a little girl who had only cultivated for one year. Was this the disparity of talent?

Bian Ruxue withdrew her sword, her young face blooming with a radiant smile—she had won.

She then looked up at the boy before her and said earnestly, "I want you to apologize to Brother Hao."

Apologize? To that useless guy? Li Dongbai came back to his senses, his face instantly flushing with shame. He gritted his teeth and said, "I admit that I lost to you, but I will not apologize!"

"You..." Bian Ruxue furrowed her brows, unsure of what to do.

She thought for a moment then said, "If you won't apologize, I'll just have to compete with you again."

"Childish!"

Angered, Li Dongbai turned and ran off the platform. Sensing the gazes of others, he said nothing and ran straight out of the practice arena.

The veteran in the army didn't stop the youth's departure; some lessons needed to be learned on one's own after a setback.

Instead, it was the little girl who drew his admiration. The finesse of her swordplay was already very close to perfection.

This was no ordinary swordsmanship; it was of a high-grade and quite difficult to master.

The nine-tiered battle physique bestowed only the speed of cultivation, not the speed of technique mastery, which highlighted Bian Ruxue's sword talent as rare and exceptional, just like her cultivation aptitude!

"Did she really tap into her potential just because of a small defeat yesterday?" the veteran couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

In the arena, the children of lesser branches watched the girl's figure with complex expressions in their eyes.

They not only witnessed Li Dongbai's proud defeat but also recognized the disparity between themselves, children of the lesser branches, and those from the major courtyards.

"Xue'er, you're amazing."

Several small figures ran towards Bian Ruxue as she stepped off the platform—two siblings from the Fifth Courtyard and Li Yuanzhao from the Sixth Courtyard.

They were the same age as Bian Ruxue, with only a few months' difference. The youngest was Li Yun's sister, Li Zhining, who had just turned six this year and had recently arrived at the practice arena.

And their sister, Li Wushuang, had already left the manor to cultivate with a famous master.

It is Brother Hao who is amazing... Bian Ruxue thought to herself.

The three children gathered around Bian Ruxue, chattering excitedly about the thrilling battle. Li Yun, Li Wushuang's brother, was the most exuberant.

"Xue'er, do you want some milk crisp cakes?"

Suddenly, Li Yun produced a wooden box, beautifully decorated on the outside, and gently opened it to reveal a fragrant milky aroma wafting out, with soft white-as-jade pastry inside:

"Here, have these."

Bian Ruxue leaned in and sniffed, enticed by the pleasant aroma. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she happily asked, "All for me?"

"If you like them, take them all," Li Yun said with a wide grin.

"Thank you," Bian Ruxue didn't forget to express her gratitude as she took the treats.

The time had come to end the day's cultivation, so she waved her hand and walked away with the lunchbox in one hand and her sword cradled in the other.

Li Yun watched her departing figure, chuckling goofily.

Next to him, his sister Li Zhining looked up, her face etched with confusion, "Brother, wasn't that prepared by Mother for you? I haven't even tried it yet."

"If you want some, Mother can make more for you later. Xue'er hasn't had any yet," Li Yun said nonchalantly with a silly smile.

Li Zhining huffed, puffing her cheeks and turning to leave with a hint of jealousy.

"Ning Ning, you can have mine," said the short and stout Li Yuanzhao, rushing over with a beaming smile.

"I don't want your hand-me-downs!" the little girl retorted, slapping his offering away, still in a huff.

...

...

In the pavilion, Li Hao's chess game was only halfway done when he heard Bian Ruxue coming back.

He glanced over idly and, seeing the unmistakable smile on the girl's face, he already knew the outcome and continued to focus on his move:

"What's got you so happy? Share it so I can be happy too."

"I won," said Bian Ruxue as she dashed into the pavilion, full of high spirits. She eagerly fixed her sparkling eyes on Li Hao, as if waiting for praise for her achievements.

Li Hao chuckled and placed another piece, "As expected of Xue'er, impressive."

With that praise, the little girl's smile bloomed even more broadly. "You go ahead and play, Brother Hao. I'll give you something delicious to eat in a bit," she said.

"Oh?"

Li Hao noticed the wooden box in her hand, but he asked no further questions and continued his chess battle with Li Fu, quickly bringing the game to an end.

Li Fu's chess skills were only average among amateurs, far from a professional level, which meant that whenever Li Hao played against him, he could only gain one or two points of experience. As a result, he couldn't help but ruefully think that the assassin had struck too soon…

"What's the good stuff?"

Li Hao turned around carelessly and looked at the wooden box beside him.

Bian Ruxue put down her sword on the chair, carried the food box to the table, opened the lid, and a scent of milk wafted out, "Someone gave me these milk cakes, they look really tasty. Brother Hao, would you like to try some?"

"Who sent them?" Li Hao didn't immediately take one but asked with a sense of caution.

Bian Ruxue was taken aback, thought for a moment, then shook her head, "I forgot to ask his name, but Brother Hao, you should know him. It's the one we often run into when we go to greet the head lady in the morning."

"Those kids?" Li Hao was surprised.

Li Fu gave him a look, as if to say, aren't you a kid yourself?

But he had long been used to Li Hao's old-fashioned way of speaking.

"Uh-huh," Bian Ruxue nodded.

Li Hao felt a bit more at ease, "You girl, you've been training in the martial arts field with them for a year already. How could you not remember their names."

Bian Ruxue looked at him with a hint of grievance, "They never told me their names."

"They definitely have, and even if they haven't, the attendants around them would mention it. It's just that you haven't been paying attention," Li Hao remarked annoyed.

"Then I will ask again next time," Bian Ruxue said with a sullen face.

"You should be more sociable, or you'll get bullied in the future," Li Hao advised her.

"Nonsense," Bian Ruxue immediately raised her head, her face showing a hint of pride, "Teacher said I have great talent and will become very strong in the future. Then I'll protect Brother Hao, and I won't let anyone bully you again."

"Just take good care of yourself. I haven't been bullied," Li Hao replied, considering that his own daily life in the courtyard chess playing and strolling, was too comfortable, almost like he had retired early.

"Boy, Xue'er is offering this with all her heart, what's with your attitude?" Li Fu couldn't stand it and scolded.

Li Hao looked at him helplessly. The guy wasn't that old, in his forties, yet he acted like an old traditionalist.

Not bothering to argue, Li Hao turned to him and said, "Fu, you try it first. Test for poison. Although those kids aren't bad people, I'm worried they could be used by someone else."

Li Fu nodded slightly, then took another look at Li Hao. This youngster always gave off mixed feelings; sometimes he was meticulous, at other times, he seemed clueless.

After taking a bite of the fragrant cake, Li Fu then closed his eyes.

A moment later, as Li Hao was getting impatient, he asked, "How is it? There shouldn't be an issue, right? Say something, Fu."

"It tastes good," Li Fu opened his eyes and said.

Li Hao rolled his eyes at him and immediately told Bian Ruxue, "Hurry up and eat before it gets cold."

He also picked up a piece and started tasting it. It did taste good indeed, and he said, "It's somewhat like Fifth Lady's craftsmanship. Was it Li Yun who sent you this, or his sister Li Zhining?"

"It was Brother Yun," Bian Ruxue could still distinguish between brother and sister.

"Next time tell that kid to bring more. This little amount, who's it enough for?" Li Hao devoured his half rapidly but left the other half for Bian Ruxue.

"Mhm," Bian Ruxue nodded, registering it in her mind.

Li Fu shook his head discreetly on the side. At such a young age, why did this boy have such an air of shamelessness about him, which was quite distinct from the solemn and respectful style of the Li Family Manor?

…

…

Several days later, the Divine General Mansion suddenly welcomed a distinguished guest.

There was a bit of commotion inside the mansion, and the ladies of each court, upon receiving the news, hurried to visit, learning that the guest was none other than that person from the Sword Saint.

If they could establish some connection and have their children become his disciples, their future would surely be remarkable.

Among them, the concubines were especially active. Their children's training resources couldn't compare with those of the legitimate family, so a lot of the best opportunities had to be fought for on their own.

He Jianlan, entertaining the guest in Eternal Spring Court, felt the frequent flitting of figures outside and understood their motives. She wasn't blaming anyone, but when she heard what the rumored Sword Saint said, her face showed a touch of surprise.

After talking for a while, He Jianlan nodded slightly, stood up, and accompanied the guest to see them off.

Soon after, Mountain and River Courtyard welcomed its long-lost liveliness as a big group of figures approached.

Li Hao, playing chess in the pavilion and hearing the disturbance, was puzzled and then saw the leading head lady, with a long white-haired old man beside her.

The old man had sharp eyebrows and prominent cheekbones, giving off a very robust and lean impression.

Next to this unfamiliar old man was another elder, one from the martial training ground that Li Hao had seen several times and was fairly familiar with.

"What's going on?" Li Hao didn't understand the situation.

Li Fu, sitting opposite him, saw the white-haired elder and his pupils shrank in shock, then he stood up quickly.

As he felt astonished, he suddenly thought of something and became secretly excited.

Li Hao seldom saw Fu so stirred up and realized immediately that this unfamiliar elder must be a very important figure. However, there weren't many who could make the Li family treat them with such regard.

Looking at the unfinished game, Li Hao felt a bit reluctant, but had to set it aside for now and waited silently.

"Li Fu."

He Jianlan saw Li Fu and immediately beckoned to him lightly, then called out to Li Hao, "Hao Er, come over here."

Li Hao had to stand up and walk over.

"Where's Xue'er?" He Jianlan asked again.

Li Hao pointed to another part of the courtyard, "She's practicing her swordsmanship over there."

"Xuejian, go call Xue'er over," He Jianlan commanded a maid standing by her side.