270

Chapter 270: Lingyuan Pavilion

Hearing Li Hao's inquiry, Ren Qianqian's expression changed slightly. She hesitated before softly saying, "Old Feng has left."

"Left?" Li Hao was stunned and immediately asked, "Was there something urgent? Where did he go?"

"Old Feng didn't say."

Ren Qianqian shook her head slightly and looked at Li Hao before deciding to share what she had witnessed. She believed it was Li Hao's private matter, so she should just honestly recount what she saw and let him judge for himself.

After hearing Ren Qianqian's account, Li Hao's face turned grim. As she described, during his time in the Mò River, Li Tiangang had come to Tianmen Pass and had an argument with his doppelganger. Old Feng had gone to confront him and never returned. He did not send any messages indicating his departure, making it seem like he left without a word.

Later, Li Muqiu told Ren Qianqian that Old Feng had left for some matters and instructed her to guard Tianmen Pass for Li Hao.

Though it was just Ren Qianqian's verbal account, Li Hao could almost picture the clash that ensued, imagining the humiliation and difficulties Old Feng might have faced. Clearly, Old Feng was forced to leave.

Anger surged within Li Hao. He took a deep breath and soon sensed something was off. With Old Feng's temperament and strength, Li Tiangang couldn't have forced him out through sheer power. Even though Li Tiangang was the true dragon of the Li family and could fight beyond his level, Old Feng was stronger than ordinary transcendent realms and incredibly agile. In a real fight, Li Tiangang wouldn't even be able to touch him.

It had to be words that drove Old Feng away. Old Feng was indifferent and not easily affected by insults or mockery. To make him leave, something truly hurtful must have been said.

Thinking this, Li Hao felt a sharp pain in his heart. His anger burned but was quickly suppressed, turning into a sharp, cold resolve.

"Did Old Feng not say goodbye to you when he left?" Li Hao asked Ren Qianqian.

She nodded, and Li Hao's brow furrowed. It was unlike Old Feng to leave without a word. Given his character, he would have explained his departure clearly. Especially since Ren Qianqian had followed them all the way, and Old Feng liked her quite a bit, he wouldn't have left without saying goodbye unless he had to leave in a hurry or was deeply hurt by someone's words.

It seemed Old Feng might have wanted to sever ties to avoid dragging Li Hao down with him. Li Hao's name had become Old Feng's weak point, causing the elder who had protected him from Qingzhou to leave quietly.

But Old Feng should have known that Li Hao didn't care about his reputation.

"Old Feng, where did you go..." Li Hao muttered, looking at the city outside the courtyard. The elder who had helped him build this city left in silence just as it was thriving. How sad must he have been?

"Young master, can we find Old Feng?" Ren Qianqian asked, unable to hold back.

She didn't know Old Feng's identity but liked the elder who never put on airs and was pleasant to be around.

Li Hao fell silent. If Old Feng wanted to hide, who could find him? The world was vast, and with Old Feng's agility and experience, he had avoided capture despite being wanted for years. Old Feng had even shown Li Hao wanted posters of himself, joking about how poorly they depicted him.

Once, while fishing, Old Feng had Li Hao draw a wanted poster for him. He then replaced the official one in a city with it overnight, criticizing the original's poor quality and the incompetence of the hired artist, saying it didn't match his status. Li Muqiu and Li Hao had both laughed at this story.

But now, those peaceful days seemed distant and unreachable.

"Unless Old Feng wants to be found, no one can find him." Li Hao shook his head slowly and told Ren Qianqian, "Ask the Liangzhou commander to come see me."

She nodded, feeling a bit sad.

Li Hao planned to use Liangzhou's resources to spread the word that he had returned to Tianmen Pass, hoping Old Feng would come back upon hearing it.

He entered the small courtyard, where the familiar setup hadn't changed much. He quickly sketched portraits for wanted posters. If Old Feng saw these, he would know it was Li Hao looking for him.

The idea of using wanted posters to find Old Feng made Li Hao both amused and sad. The old man would likely recall their past times if he saw the posters.

Next, Li Hao called in a commander to send a message to the Xia family in Youzhou, asking for their help in finding Old Feng and spreading the news. The young man had been too weak to protect him before, but now, Li Hao wouldn't let Old Feng suffer any more indignities.

Time flew by.

Cangya City held a grand banquet for Li Hao's return, with the entire city celebrating for days. The news of his return quickly spread through the Tianji Palace demons watching the city. They couldn't hide the cheers, and the news spread fast.

In the thousands of miles outside the city, demons had sneaked back to their old haunts after Li Hao's initial sweep, but with the news of his return, they fled overnight, fearing another purge.

This situation left the bird demons of Tianji Palace conflicted. Li Hao's mere return to Cangya City scared off thousands of miles of demons, showcasing his terrifying influence. Two years ago, he had just entered the pass, and now his growth was unimaginable.

Shortly after Li Hao's return, the Xia family received the news, and Xia Yuanwu personally came to thank Li Hao. After the crisis in Youzhou, they hadn't had a chance to properly express their gratitude.

For this elder of the Xia family, Li Hao invited him to sit in the courtyard. He downplayed his assistance, saying it was a small matter.

Xia Yuanwu felt embarrassed. Inviting Li Hao to the Xia family, he mentioned they had planned to give him a chick from the old lady's flock. But with Li Hao's mount now a four-pillar demon king, that "small gift" seemed inadequate. Instead, he offered one of the Xia family's four-pillar demons, with a special blood contract preventing betrayal, as a significant gift.

Li Hao politely declined. A typical four-pillar demon was of little use to him, and a blood contract meant nothing. Even a too peaceful demon king couldn't resist his will. Keeping it would be more of a burden than a help.

Seeing Li Hao unmoved, Xia Yuanwu was troubled. What other noble families coveted was worthless to this young man. Feeling his sincerity wasn't enough, Li Hao suggested something else.

"Can I see the Lingyuan Pavilion?"

Xia Yuanwu was stunned. The Lingyuan Pavilion was the Xia family's treasure trove of techniques, akin to the Li family's Tingyu Tower.

"If it's difficult, even half would suffice," Li Hao said.

Xia Yuanwu relaxed slightly. The Lingyuan Pavilion held most of the Xia family's techniques, though not all, and seeing them was normally a great honor.

"Li Hao can view it all if he promises not to share," Xia Yuanwu said. "But I need to report to the family head first."

Aside from a few exclusive techniques, the Lingyuan Pavilion housed 99% of the Xia family's knowledge.

"Alright," Li Hao agreed. He intended to use the techniques for his own improvement, ensuring any shared knowledge would differ enough from the originals to avoid betrayal.

After some small talk, Xia Yuanwu left to report back. Two days later, he returned with the family head's approval, inviting Li Hao to the Lingyuan Pavilion.

Li Hao was pleased with the Xia family's decisiveness. Leaving some banners in Tianmen Pass, he took Ren Qianqian along to broaden her horizons. She had been cooped up in the small courtyard for too long.

Zhu Huoshen grumbled when Ren Qianqian climbed onto his back, but Li Hao's gentle touch calmed him.

On the way, Li Hao asked Xia Yuanwu to help find Old Feng. Xia Yuanwu, who had heard of Feng Boping, agreed to assist.