Chapter 170: A Grandmaster Who Enjoys Good Wine
On the outskirts of the imperial palace, seven or eight figures hovered in midair or stood atop the walls, restless and eager, awaiting only the emperor's command to join forces and slay the enemy. These old immortals and martial grandmasters knew each other inside out and fought with tacit understanding. One-on-one, none of them considered themselves a match for that outlandish man, but in the celestial battles of this world, duels were not the preferred method.
Beyond the high wall of the Wuying Hall square, the old eunuch, whose once-vibrant crimson python robe was now tattered and torn, stood up and moved his lips slightly.
The Great Sui emperor nodded and said, "Be careful."
At the same time, within the vast area between the imperial city and the outer city of the Great Sui capital, great mysteries lay hidden. The Astronomical Bureau had twelve golden-armored warriors, gleaming with golden light, breaking through the earth from all directions. They stood three or four *zhang* tall, bore inscriptions, and each held a divine weapon meant to protect the nation.
From a temple, the sound of bells rang out, accompanied by the faint melody of Sanskrit chants. In a Daoist temple, purple mist rose from an incense burner, and the incense smoke condensed into a giant talisman. Beneath a stone arch bridge, a white flood dragon clung to the bridge's wall, poking its head out over the railing...
Within the palace, a dragon-wall formation protected the dragon sons and grandsons of the Great Sui Gao clan. Outside the palace, a grand formation of immense power, built and reinforced over centuries by the Great Sui, safeguarded the entire capital from threats posed by mountain forces.
Once this city-protecting formation was activated, it could suppress all qi refiners and pure martial artists within the capital, forcing them to drop one or two realms under the suppression of the Gao clan's dragon qi. Suppose a fifth-tier qi refiner attempted to wreak havoc in the Great Sui capital. Even if they were eventually killed, the damage to the capital would be unbearable for the Great Sui Gao clan.
But if they faced a fifth-tier cultivator suppressed to the tenth realm, it was clear that every aspect of the Great Sui capital would have an easier time. Even if everyone's cultivation dropped, it would be like a swarm of ants killing an elephant—the destructive power of a tenth-realm expert, no matter how desperately they fought without holding anything back, was something the deeply rooted Great Sui capital could still handle.
Suppressing with formations was like setting up checkpoints on the Bridge of Long Life, hindering the flow of qi for cultivators and martial artists, forcing them to slow down.
Back then, the Li Zhu Cave Heaven, suspended above the Great Li territory, was jointly created by the four saints. It was said to prohibit all magical techniques and divine powers within the small cave heaven. If someone forcibly cast spells, the backlash was immense. Back then, the River-Sealing True Lord Liu Zhimao only performed a divination or two, yet it cost him decades of his lifespan. The power of the formation was evident.
The Li Zhu Cave Heaven was undoubtedly the originator of such formations.
After standing up, the old eunuch slammed his fists together heavily. His eyebrows and hair bristled as he roared, "Come!"
The nine golden illusory flood dragons hidden within the palace's dragon-wall formation swiftly converged from all directions toward the eunuch's position. Strands of golden light climbed up and transformed into golden snakes the length of a finger, entering his seven orifices and merging with his spirit.
The old man quickly transformed into a golden deity from an ancient celestial court. He strode toward the hole in the high wall, each step leaving golden ripples on the ground. Without lowering his head, he directly smashed through the wall with his hand and walked straight back into the Wuying Hall square.
Civil and military officials, who assist the ruler, are dragon-supporters. Inner court eunuchs are a lower-tier dragon-followers. Both sides have a certain connection to the emperor's dragon qi. But for this aged eunuch, one of the guardians of the Great Sui capital, to commandeer the dignified Gao clan dragon qi for his own use was still incredible. The qi refiners and martial grandmasters at the edge of the palace exchanged glances, their eyes filled with fear and astonishment.
Clearly, there must be some ulterior secret behind this.
The old eunuch glared at the outlandish man and said fiercely, "A rematch, how about it?!"
If before he was a weak ninth-tier national go player of Great Sui, now he had truly surged in strength, jumping to become a top-tier strong ninth-tier national go player.
Li Er looked at the old man, somewhat surprised. The other's body seemed to be filled with a large amount of golden liquid, similar to the divine-summoning methods of the two military ancestral courts, but logically, it shouldn't be the case.
Li Er didn't bother to think too hard. He nodded and said, "Now this is more like it."
In his great battle with the Great Li vassal king Song Changjing within the Li Zhu Cave Heaven, there were two whetstones. One was the ninth-realm peak Song Changjing, the second was the Li Zhu Cave Heaven itself. Yet even so, Li Er still couldn't break through. Instead, he successfully sent Song Changjing into the legendary tenth realm, the true martial endpoint.
If he said he wasn't the slightest bit disappointed, that would be impossible. That's why Li Er agreed to old man Yang's request to leave East Vial Bottle Continent and seek his own opportunity for enlightenment.
Back then, the old man had revealed a sliver of heavenly secrets, saying, "Your breakthrough, Li Er, is not found between life and death."
Li Er looked around and suddenly gained some understanding.
Why did Old Man Yang want him to deliberately suppress Li Huai's natural talent and bone structure? And why did Mr. Qi visit that night, drinking wine and seemingly casually saying those words: "The strong draw their blades against the stronger." Looking back now, this was clearly Mr. Qi's recognition of his martial path. At that time, Qi Jingchun had already clearly and thoroughly pointed out the great path Li Er himself was walking, the path he had never realized.
Striking against the stronger is not wrong!
In the life-and-death battle with Song Changjing, Li Er was already at an advantage. He hadn't had much fighting spirit; it was just following his teacher's instructions. Plus, he really did want to know how much his martial arts were worth. So in the end, the fight was still quite exhilarating and satisfying. But deep down, Li Er didn't feel like that was him wanting to "vent his anger."
But now, in opposing the entire Great Sui empire, if the initial cause was standing up for his son Li Huai, now with enemies on all sides, surrounded by wolves and tigers, Li Er smiled—a hearty laugh.
Li Er, earlier on the peak of East China Mountain, had clearly wanted to say something, but he didn't know exactly what to say. So he had to fight to understand.
Thus, Li Er, who had been a nobody in Li Zhu Cave Heaven his whole life, figured it out. His son was so obedient and sensible, yet still got bullied. If he, as a father, with a ninth-realm cultivation wasn't enough to convince the opponent, then he would break through the damn ninth realm and become a tenth realm!
Li Er took a deep breath, silently feeling the invisible pressure from all directions. In his heart, he murmured, "Don't rush. Eat one bite at a time. This whetstone isn't heavy enough yet."
Li Er, unarmed except for his fists, and the old eunuch, who had molded a golden body from the Great Sui dragon qi and wielded no divine weapons either, began to charge at each other.
At the pinnacle of martial arts, there were no flashy techniques at all—only the three words: fast, accurate, and ruthless. With the greatest speed and the greatest force, strike the opponent's weakest spot. Grind each other down like water wearing away stone. Whoever could hold out the longest, whoever stood, lived; whoever fell, died. It was that simple.
The two strongest martial artists of the world, both at the ninth-realm peak, clashed. Each punch they landed on the other made the qi refiners and martial artists at the edge of the palace feel their mental lakes shake violently and their qi become turbulent.
The battle between Li Er and the python-robed eunuch was no different from a fight between mountain immortals. This wasn't like martial arts fights in the underworld with limited killing power. You mustn't get too close to watch the excitement. That was an unwritten rule among mountain immortals.
Watching a show might truly cost you your life. As for clapping and cheering or commenting on the fight, that was a huge taboo. In battles between qi refiners, treasures often appeared, causing widespread collateral damage. The more desperate the fight, the more the battlefield shifted and moved, easily jumping from one place to another. If you were careless and got caught in an area covering several li or dozens of li, you'd be left without a trace of life. If you still craved the excitement, what was that but courting death?
The reason why people were still willing to risk their lives to watch these soul-stirring peak battles was that when a strong man met a stronger one, they sought to temper their minds, use another's stone to polish their own jade, and try to find gaps and flaws to perfect their own techniques. It was certainly not to comment on how beautiful a strike was or how crafty a punch was.
So, in the midst of the life-and-death struggle, the aged eunuch, as the gatekeeper of the Great Sui capital, still managed to set a rule with Li Er between punches: "Whoever leaves the Wuying Hall square loses!"
Truly well-intentioned.
Fortunately, Li Er nodded and agreed.
The two fought in an inch of space, creating an earth-shattering aura.
The once neat and smooth Wuying Hall square was now filled with cracked bricks, ravines, and large patches of uneven ground.
Even the crimson high walls on both sides had more than a dozen large holes. Behind Li Er, there were only four or five. Behind the python-robed eunuch, the wall was even more shattered. At one point, three holes were smashed in a row, causing a whole section of the wall to collapse, as if opening a large door. Each time, neither of them truly retreated beyond the walls. That meant the outcome was undecided, and the fight continued!
Although the aged eunuch was at a considerable disadvantage, he grew stronger with setbacks, showing no signs of decline. His symbol of power, the crimson python robe, was becoming more and more tattered. But his indestructible golden body showed no signs of dimming. After all, fighting here, this Great Sui inner court eunuch had the advantage of both time and place. He had gone from weak ninth to strong ninth, and the dragon qi of the palace, closely tied to the Great Sui dynasty's fate, continuously flowed into him, keeping the old man invincible.
A real straight swap of punches. The golden-bodied old man punched Li Er in the head. Li Er punched the old man in the chest.
Li Er's body flew backward. He stomped on the high wall, using the rebound to lunge forward even faster. Behind him, a large section of the wall collapsed with a boom. The old eunuch, having taken that punch, stumbled backward, his feet sinking deeper into the ground with each step, gouging out a deep trench over ten *zhang* long. When Li Er pounced on him, he could only raise his arms to block above his head.
Li Er's punch drove the old man more than two *zhang* deep into the ground, leaving a large pit on the surface.
Li Er didn't stop. He leaped high and, with both hands clasped together into a fist, came down like a sledgehammer on the old man, who was half-kneeling at the bottom of the pit.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
From inside the pit came a series of dull thuds, as urgent as the pounding of iron horse hooves on the ground.
With each violent tremor underground, the pit expanded outward, and bricks and rubble on the surface shattered and flew in all directions.
That brutally fierce man was practically digging a well!
He beat the old man until he had no power to fight back, his body sinking, his golden light exploding continuously.
A tenth-realm qi refiner, who was hovering in the air on his flying sword, smiled bitterly and said, "I never knew a ninth-realm peak martial artist could be so unreasonable."
As he spoke, his flying sword beneath his feet swayed slightly, like waterweeds swaying in a raging river. If the helmsman weren't steady enough, he would have drifted far away.
If it weren't for his duty, as a renowned top-tier qi refiner enjoying fame both in court and among the people, with no benefit to his own cultivation from a martial arts fight, why would he be here, drinking the northwest wind?
The Great Sui palace had a hidden corridor wall that could secretly lead to various places, like the Astronomical Bureau, the Six Ministries, and the new Cliff Academy on East China Mountain. The emperor could walk within this corridor without alarming court officials or the people of the outer city, so whenever he left the palace, the commoners didn't need to clean the streets.
A tall old man with a red punishment ruler hanging from his waist walked slowly. Beside him was a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, sweat beading on his forehead. Like the eunuch fighting for the nation at the Wuying Hall square, he also wore a crimson python robe. Although their positions were of similar rank, they were as different as clouds and mud.
The eunuch had to once again cautiously urge Old Mao to hurry into the palace. But Mao Xiaodong, who had left East China Mountain, nodded in agreement but still walked at a leisurely pace. This made the eunuch so anxious he wanted to pick up the old man and run to the palace.
At the Cliff Academy on East China Mountain, the white-clothed boy who had officially changed his name to Cui Dongshan left the mountaintop and lazily walked toward his study room. He had a secluded small courtyard to himself. Now, he, the Cui family patriarch who had fought his way up, and the young girl Xie Xie—or rather, the genius cultivator of the Lu dynasty, Xie Lingyue—had become his legitimate disciple, moving into the courtyard to serve him.
Cui Dongshan walked into the courtyard. With a graceful flick of his sleeve, a go board and two boxes of stones appeared on the stone table. Stones were already placed on the board. The game was in the middle stage. Black and white stones interlocked like teeth, the situation complex.
Cui Dongshan stood and picked up a white stone, pondering in silence, hesitating to place it.
The young girl, who had already removed half of the Trapped Dragon Nails, had her qi refiner cultivation restored to the fifth realm. If you looked closely, you could faintly see a flowing, radiant light all over her body.
Cui Dongshan sighed, put the white stone back into the box, ignored the game, walked into the room, sat upright, placed a Confucian classic in front of him, and interlaced his fingers on his lap.
A gentle breeze brushed over the book, turning a yellowed page.
The young girl Xie Xie stood at the door, her expression both respectful and envious.
That gentle breeze was the distinctive "page-turning wind" unique to Confucian academies and colleges.
Unfathomable, unpredictable, with mood swings.
That was her and Yu Lu's biggest impression of this boy-faced Grand Tutor of the Great Li.
You never knew what was going on in his head, what his next move would be.
She suddenly thought of that ragged youth who wore straw sandals all year round. How had he managed to suppress the Grand Tutor of Great Li in every aspect? Was it really just by relying on the title of an inexplicable "teacher"?
The battle of minds was like tug-of-war; there had to be a winner.
Cui Dongshan remained motionless, letting the page-turning wind flip the pages. He looked down at the words of the sages' teachings and smiled. "A Liang once had a catchphrase: 'In the martial world, we must conquer with virtue and defeat with looks.' My teacher has truly mastered it. So as his disciple, I lose with heartfelt admiration."
The young girl lowered her eyes, not daring to reveal her expression.
Cui Dongshan still didn't lift his head and said with exasperation, "Ugly people, get out of here. Sharing a room with a handsome young man like me, aren't you ashamed? If I were you, I'd have died of shame long ago!"
The young girl curtsied and said softly, "Your servant will take her leave."
Cui Dongshan added, "If you're going to die, don't do it in the courtyard. There's a tall ginkgo tree on the mountaintop—go hang yourself there."
The young girl left silently. She sat down on the stone stool in the courtyard and looked at the go board. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, as if she had found a way out.
Sensing the young girl's unusual qi fluctuation, Cui Dongshan burst out laughing inside the house. He laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach. Wiping away tears, he shouted, "With you as my teacher's wife? Damn, you're going to laugh me to death! You're really something, trying to laugh your young master to death..."
The young girl fell into despair again instantly.
Inside the house, the white-clothed boy was already rolling on the floor with laughter.
---
Deep within the pit of the Wuying Hall square at the Great Sui palace.
The old eunuch staggered to his feet. Nine tiny golden flood dragons withdrew from his acupoints, dispersing and returning to the dragon-wall formation in the earth.
The old man was now drenched in blood, but his spirit was high, as if he had gained much from this exchange. Although he hadn't shown signs of a breakthrough, it was like the weakest ninth-dan national go player steadily improving to mid-tier ninth-dan strength. But even so, he still couldn't deal with the man in front of him. So he would no longer squander the precious dragon qi of the Great Sui Gao clan.
The old man swallowed the blood rising to his throat and said with a free and easy smile, "I lose."
Li Er looked up. The sky was hazy with mist. The winter sunlight seemed distorted as it passed through the clouds and mist—quite unusual.
The old man continued, "But you lost too."
Li Er asked with a smile, "Is it the formation suppressing my realm, dropping me to the eighth realm?"
The old eunuch didn't hide it and frankly said, "Exerting the full strength of the city to surround and attack a ninth-realm peak martial artist—victory or defeat wouldn't be in doubt, but the cost would be too great. But dealing with an eighth-realm martial artist would be much easier. Although it's only a difference of one realm, the Great Sui capital would pay a much, much smaller price."
The old eunuch rarely spoke his mind and looked at this terrifyingly powerful martial grandmaster. "Whatever your reason, if you want to see His Majesty, that's fine. You have that right. But you absolutely shouldn't be so arrogant. After all, our Great Sui court has its face to consider."
Li Er grinned and said, "You mean the fists of a ninth-realm martial artist are still not bigger than the face of your Great Sui, right?"
The old eunuch was stunned, then said with a bitter smile, "You could put it that way."
Li Er held his breath, sank his qi sea, and gently took a step. The man, who had used no techniques in the entire battle, for the first time struck an ancient martial stance.
His fist intent was ancient and simple, fierce and unmatched!
The old eunuch, who had already fallen to the eighth realm, stared in horror.
As the mist covering the entire capital began to descend.
All middle-fifth-realm qi refiners and pure martial artists above the sixth realm in the capital clearly felt their qi flow become sluggish.
An unknown, down-and-out storytelling old man showed a look of surprise. After a moment's hesitation, he put down his storytelling gavel, apologized, and ignored the cursing audience. He walked out of the makeshift storytelling shed. The old man looked up toward the palace with a heavy heart. The young girl who played the pipa for him came to his side and asked softly, "Master, what's wrong?"
The old man said softly, "A ninth-realm martial artist has forcefully broken into our Great Sui palace. I'm afraid I have to go and take a look in person."
The young girl hugged her pipa, tilted her head, and said innocently, "Master, you're a great eleventh-realm cultivator, you know? And you're Great Sui's chief patron, not bound by the city-protecting formation. An eleventh-realm fighting an eighth-realm—isn't that a bit embarrassing?"
The slightly hunched old man sighed and said, "Who says it must be eleventh against eighth? Hard to say. If he breaks his bottleneck, the formation's restriction will no longer apply. Besides, although my realm is eleventh, I'm not a sword cultivator or a military strategist skilled in killing. I've never really been good at fighting. That's the most troublesome part."
The young girl, who knew many inside stories of cultivation, was shocked. Her face turned pale as she trembled and said, "Master, you must be careful!"
The storytelling old man hummed in response. He lightly stamped his foot, and a cloud of dust rose from the stall, blotting out the sky. When the dust settled, the stooped old man was nowhere to be seen.
---
Li Er stepped into the void, one step at a time, and his sturdy figure reappeared on the Wuying Hall square.
First, from the eighth-realm peak, he smashed through the invisible barrier of the great path between heaven and earth, returning to the ninth realm!
Then he rose again to the ninth-realm peak!
Finally, when the man closed his eyes and slowly extended a punch, he said softly, "Get out of my way!"
All around, it seemed countless shackles were breaking simultaneously. Around the man, extremely dark cracks appeared in the void, crisscrossing.
With Li Er as the center, a fierce gale sprang up.
It swept up countless bricks and dust.
On the Wuying Hall square, a whirlwind rose from the ground!
When Li Er withdrew his stance and stood still.
The cyclone that reached the sky instantly dissipated.
The short man standing in the center of the square opened his eyes and said in an almost inaudible voice, "The feeling of the tenth realm is indeed comfortable. Compared to eating the chicken leg my son left behind, it's just a little bit better."
---
The Great Sui emperor, who was standing under the eaves waiting for news, saw the tall old man from the Cliff Academy walking quickly. The old man shouted, "Your Majesty, you can stop now."
A breeze brushed by his side. The stooped storytelling old man stood beside the emperor and said softly with a sigh, "Fighting any further will require dismantling half the capital."
In the emperor's mind lake, the python-robed eunuch's urgent voice stirred ripples, transmitting his thoughts: "That man actually used the opportunity to break through to the tenth realm of martial arts! Your Majesty must not continue to clash head-on!"
The Great Sui emperor did not panic. He just sincerely exclaimed, "Although I didn't see it in person, I can imagine that the scene at Wuying Hall must have been spectacular."
The Great Sui emperor turned around and, to everyone's surprise, made a respectful bow to the storytelling old man, lowering his head and saying, "I humbly request the ancestor to invite that man here."
Mao Xiaodong strode closer and urged, "Your Majesty, I'm more suitable to go. That man is the father of one of the children at our academy. He heard his son was bullied badly, so he came to the palace in anger to reason with Your Majesty. Your Majesty didn't want to see him before, but now he's been forced to break through and become the third martial endpoint grandmaster on Vial Bottle Continent. His momentum is at its peak. He may not be willing to stop now."
The Great Sui emperor smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble Old Mao to go. I'll wait in the Mind-Nourishing Studio."
When the tall old man leaped away, the storytelling old man said softly, "What you did was reasonable but not humane. You were wrong."
The Great Sui emperor nodded. "This matter is my fault first. The disturbance before was the Great Sui's fault first. Two faults combined..."
The Great Sui emperor said with a bitter smile, "Ancestor, this time is going to be a bit difficult to get through."
The aged storytelling old man, whose clothes were washed to a faded white, smiled and said, "Since things have come to this, either you sincerely admit your mistake, or you fight him to the end. Neither is easy, but neither requires much thought. Don't overthink it."
The Great Sui emperor smiled knowingly. "The ancestor's thinking is indeed thorough and clear."
The old man patted the Great Sui emperor's shoulder and comforted him, "Sitting on the dragon throne and wearing the dragon robe, bearing the fate of the entire country, some mistakes are inevitable. If I were in your position, I wouldn't have done better. Don't blame yourself. I originally overruled all objections and chose you to inherit the throne, and I still believe it was the right choice."
After waiting for an unexpectedly long time, the Great Sui emperor, standing in the corridor under the eaves outside the Mind-Nourishing Studio, finally saw Old Mao walking briskly over, followed by an unremarkable man.
Mao Xiaodong said with a strange smile, "Your Majesty, his name is Li Er. He's the father of Li Huai, a student at our Cliff Academy. He insisted on walking to meet Your Majesty, saying that flying around in someone else's home isn't the right attitude when you're coming to reason with them."
The Great Sui emperor was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
The storytelling old man, who had been tense, finally relaxed.
They walked into the Mind-Nourishing Studio together. Only four people were inside. Each sat down: the Great Sui emperor, the storytelling old man, the vice-master of Cliff Academy, and Li Huai's father, Li Er.
Li Er spoke first: "It wasn't easy to see Your Majesty."
The atmosphere instantly became heavy.
The Great Sui emperor didn't even know how to respond.
Fortunately, Li Er got straight to the point: "The ones who bullied my son include the Pillar-State Han family, the Nanxi Chu family, the Marquis of Huaiyuan's family, and five or six other families. I humbly ask Your Majesty to have the patriarchs of these families step forward. I, Li Er, will fight them one by one. If they think I'm bullying them, that's fine—they can all come at once. They can borrow more magic treasures and weapons from friends. I just need Your Majesty to find a large, quiet place in the capital so we can fight freely. If that's not possible, we can go outside the capital."
Mao Xiaodong suppressed a laugh, barely holding back from gleefully bursting out.
The storytelling old man glared at him. Mao Xiaodong rolled his eyes back.
The Great Sui emperor was dumbfounded and asked softly, "Do you have to fight again?"
Li Er said glumly, "I didn't come here to fight you. But Your Majesty wasn't willing to show yourself, and you insisted on fighting, so I had no choice but to go along. The people I really want to fight are those who bullied my son. If children fight, that's normal. Even if Li Huai was ganged up on by his peers in the dormitory, I, as his father, would feel sorry for him, but I wouldn't say anything. But how could they be so arrogant? Relying on their family background, they think they can bully others without even apologizing or returning what they stole?"
Li Er's face darkened as he continued, "If your Great Sui thinks it's in the right, then let's keep fighting. I know your Great Sui has deep resources and isn't afraid of trouble. But I find it strange—if all Great Sui officials are like this, what good will it do for my son Li Huai to study in a place like this?"
Li Er immediately turned to the storytelling old man. "Old sir, you count as someone who can fight. The one in the red robe earlier only counts as half."
The stooped old man was drinking tea and almost choked on it.
The Great Sui emperor laughed. "Alright, I can send word to those families and have their elders step forward. But the Marquis of Huaiyuan might be a problem. Although the Marquis is a descendant of a founding military meritorious official, his family's ancestor has long passed away. He himself is just an ordinary person, not even a martial artist."
Li Er obviously had anticipated this. "Then let the Marquis of Huaiyuan hire someone. I don't mind."
The Great Sui emperor asked, "Do you need those families to publicly apologize to Li Huai?"
Li Er shook his head. "A bunch of old men and gentlemen apologizing to a child—what's the point? No need. Besides, I don't want Li Huai to be unable to study peacefully at the Cliff Academy. I just can't stand the way those families do things. After I've fought them, the old ones will naturally go home and teach the young ones a lesson. That's enough."
The Great Sui emperor breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Mr. Li Er, you are indeed reasonable. If I had known this earlier, I should have met with you sooner."
Li Er quickly waved his hand. "I'm no 'mister.' Old Mao is the real one. The two teachers who teach Li Huai at the academy also spent half a day chatting with our family of four. They can be considered true 'misters.' They're courteous to everyone. Those are real scholars."
Mao Xiaodong smiled without a word.
This was a huge face he was being given.
The storytelling old man heard this and finally spoke with a smile. "This time, 'you don't know a man until you've fought him.' That you, Li Er, have such a reasonable father, and that Li Huai can study in the Great Sui capital, are both blessings for our Great Sui. Good things, indeed."
Li Er said gruffly, "I'm not good with polite words. Anyway, I'll just wait here today until those families send people out to fight. Your Majesty, just so you know, I need to get back to the academy early. Don't let them deliberately delay me, or I'll have to visit each household one by one."
The Great Sui emperor gave Mao Xiaodong a look and stood up. "I'll have people pass the message right away."
Mao Xiaodong followed him out of the Mind-Nourishing Studio, leaving Li Er and the storytelling old man behind.
With a worried expression, the Great Sui emperor walked side by side with the tall old man in the corridor. "Old Mao, what do you advise?"
Mao Xiaodong laughed. "Very simple. Have the heads of those families—whether they can fight or not—well, actually, none of them can fight against Li Er anyway. Have them all come to the palace, stand still right in front of Li Er, just lower their heads and admit their mistakes, putting on a pitiful appearance like they're ready to be beaten without fighting back. That'll settle the matter. Your Majesty can rest assured—Li Er is so honest and simple; he definitely won't strike."
The Great Sui emperor stopped walking and said with mock anger, "Old Mao, tell me the truth—have you been waiting for today just to laugh at me?"
Mao Xiaodong shook his head with a laugh. "To be honest, I didn't know Li Huai had a father like this. If I had known earlier, I would have come to see you sooner. That would have avoided such a big commotion. Now Your Majesty is probably brooding. Who knows, one day you might take it out on the academy. That would be a loss outweighing the gain."
The Great Sui emperor laughed angrily. "Take it out on you? Do I dare?"
Mao Xiaodong suddenly dropped his playful tone and reminded him quietly, "Your Majesty, as your elder said, although this is a loss of face for now, in the long run, it's definitely a good thing!"
The Great Sui emperor smiled. "I'm not that muddle-headed!"
The tall old man said slyly, "If Your Majesty were really muddle-headed, I wouldn't dare bring the students to Great Sui."
The Great Sui emperor summoned a palace eunuch, gave the orders, and then asked, "Li Er is willing to stop here. Old Mao's brilliant plan and Li Huai's two teachers deserve great credit. I won't stand on ceremony with you, Old Mao. As for the two teachers, do I need the Ministry of Rites to commend them?"
Mao Xiaodong's expression turned solemn. He refused, "No need!"
The Great Sui emperor asked in confusion, "Why?"
Mao Xiaodong said gravely, "Your Majesty should know this: this is the true scholarship of our Cliff Academy. Why would it need Great Sui's deliberate commendation? In the next ten or a hundred years, our Cliff Academy will still teach and nurture students in this way, fostering and protecting true scholars for Great Sui."
The Great Sui emperor was shaken, as if meeting the tall old man for the first time.
The slight resentment in his imperial heart finally vanished.
The Great Sui emperor took a step back and bowed for the second time that day. "On behalf of Great Sui's state, I thank the Cliff Academy in advance!"
The tall old man did not dodge, showing a hint of defiance of protocol, and accepted the sovereign's solemn thanks as a matter of course. With a stern expression, he said, "Mao Xiaodong accepts this on behalf of the Cliff Academy."
---
When Li Er left the palace, he walked with Mao Xiaodong in that imperial corridor wall. He felt that the old man beside him had schemed against him and was a bit displeased.
Mao Xiaodong laughed. "They admitted their mistake. Did you really have to beat them all until they had to be carried out of the palace? In the future, your son will be studying in the capital's academy for a long time. You'll see each other often. Now they all feel wronged, and even the Great Sui emperor feels he owes you, Li Er, a huge favor. Isn't that good?"
Li Er sighed. "I just feel these people don't learn their lessons. I can't stay at the academy. Old Mao, please take care of Li Huai and the others in the future."
Mao Xiaodong nodded. "Of course. Besides, isn't there the Yiyang Commandery Gao clan's patriarch, right?"
A stooped old man appeared within the corridor wall. He nodded and smiled. "Right. Li Er, this time you took the initiative to back down once, so Great Sui will naturally be willing to offer double sincerity."
Li Er nodded. "I hope so."
Mao Xiaodong asked with a smile, "Li Er, you were already a ninth-realm martial artist in Li Zhu Cave Heaven. Why did you live so shabbily and miserably? Now you're a tenth-realm martial artist, one of the top three martial artists in all of East Vial Bottle Continent, and your combat strength must be ahead of Song Changjing's. Haven't you thought of telling your family, at least letting them live a good life?"
Li Er shook his head. "Oh, dressing my wife in colorful clothes, covering her in gold and silver, giving Li Liu a pile of cosmetics, and having Li Huai eat meat every day—is that really good for them? I don't think so."
Mao Xiaodong teased, "What if your wife and children think it is?"
Li Er shook his head again. "Someone told me not to do that. That's one reason. The other reason is that I myself feel that way. Back in the small town, if I had done that, my wife's relatives would have gotten up to all kinds of bad things. What would I have done then? Beat them to death? Reason with them? Would they listen? They'd say one thing and do another behind my back. In the end, only my wife would be the most hurt, caught between her own family and her in-laws. Of course, in Li Zhu Cave Heaven, even the best family conditions weren't that great."
Li Er completely retracted his aura, looking even less impressive than an ordinary man, hunched and listless. But his expression lit up as he spoke, no longer like the bored, downcast, spineless man from the small town. "Even though I've been stuck in a tiny place all my life, I can still understand this much. A family, living peacefully and safely. No one goes hungry. My children and wife can eat meat when they want. When I crave a drink, I can have some wine. That's better than anything."
Li Er looked at the scenery of the capital outside the corridor wall. There was a thought he kept to himself, not spoken aloud.
Even if I really am a good-for-nothing, now in my son's heart, I, Li Er, am already a decent father. I didn't embarrass him. Do you know how happy I am knowing that?
Thinking of this, Li Er said goodbye and vanished in a flash, rushing back to the Cliff Academy on East China Mountain as if his pants were on fire.
Besides missing his wife and kids, there was something about his son that he could finally take action on now.
---
Mao Xiaodong sighed in admiration. "Li Er has truly understood how to live. Many smart people are far inferior to him."
The storytelling old man laughed. "A tenth-realm martial artist from sixty years ago—how could he possibly be foolish?"
But then the stooped old man sighed with emotion. "But from the look of things, among the three, it's still the weakest in combat, the Great Li vassal king Song Changjing, who has the best hope of reaching that realm. And it's not just because he's the youngest."
Mao Xiaodong nodded. "Song Changjing's martial spirit is even more terrifying than his youth."
The stooped old man smiled and asked, "Are you referring to the time when that person appeared at the Great Li palace with absolute crushing dominance, and Song Changjing dared to swear not to retreat even unto death?"
Mao Xiaodong smiled back and asked, "Are you trying to ask whether the Great Li's White Jade Pavilion is real or fake?"
The two old foxes, both living as if they were spirits, walked side by side, their gazes never meeting.
---
When Li Er returned to his lodgings, his wife and children were eating. Lin Shouyi had brought two large food boxes of dishes, filling the table. The woman sat on the same long bench as Li Huai. Li Liu and Lin Shouyi sat across from each other. Another bench was left for the man, who had been away for a long time.
Li Er came empty-handed. When he reached the door, he remembered he had forgotten to buy something. Because Lin Shouyi was present, the woman only shot him a "we'll talk later" look. Li Er rubbed his hands and sat down. He noticed a jar of wine and looked at Lin Shouyi. "Want to have a drink together?"
Lin Shouyi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "My tolerance is low. I'll just have a little with Uncle Li."
Li Er grinned. "Not having good alcohol tolerance is no good."
The woman snapped, "What's wrong with that? Isn't one drunkard in the house enough?!"
Lin Shouyi, being such a clever person, immediately flinched and nearly dropped the large white bowl he was reaching out for the wine. The normally taciturn, stern boy now couldn't stop smiling.
Li Er was also startled by the woman and nearly dropped the wine jug.
Li Huai gnawed on a greasy chicken leg and mumbled, "Dad, tomorrow I'll go to the foot of the mountain and buy you a jar of good wine. I'll borrow the money from Lin Shouyi, and later I'll have Chen Ping'an pay him back for me. You just drink."
Li Er beamed and let out a loud "ah," as if he had received a special imperial decree from his son, allowing him to drink. Now, in front of his wife, he had no fear.
The woman always spoke gently to her son. "You can buy wine, but buy the cheapest kind. For your father to drink good wine is just a waste of money."
Li Er poured half a bowl for Lin Shouyi, then poured a full bowl for himself, nodding and laughing. "Right, right. Cheap is fine. No need for good wine."
Li Huai rolled his eyes. "Mom, with you controlling everything like this, aren't you afraid Dad will run off with some little fox spirit one day?"
The woman shot a seductive glance at the man across the table, hiding a deadly intent. "How dare he? Besides, who would want him? Right?"
The man quickly downed a large gulp of wine and nodded. "Right, right. No one would want me."
The woman slammed the table. "Whether no one wants you or not is one thing. Whether you have any improper thoughts in your head is another. Speak! Do you?!"
The man immediately put down the bowl, straightened his back, and swore, "Absolutely not!"
Then the woman glanced sideways at Lin Shouyi, who was sitting upright drinking his wine, and said with a smile to her own daughter, "Liu'er, in the future, you must find a reliable man to marry. Do you understand? Then you won't be bullied."
The young girl nodded slightly, always silent, but she smiled and put a piece of boneless fish in Li Huai's bowl.
Lin Shouyi only dared to steal glances at the girl from the corner of his eye. After just one sip of wine, he was already tipsy and dazed.
It was like seeing the most beautiful landscape painting in the world.
---
The next day, Li Huai secretly bought his father a jug of good wine. He squatted by the lake with his father, watching him drink. He whispered, "This one's expensive, Dad. Drink it first. I put the cheap one back in the house. You can drink that at the dinner table later. Mom won't scold you."
Li Er nodded with a smile and drank heartily.
The man felt this was even more satisfying than breaking through to the tenth realm.
He asked with a simple grin, "It was really expensive, wasn't it?"
The child propped his chin on his hands and looked at his father with a bright smile, not answering directly. "Dad, don't worry. I'm doing well at the academy. Really. I'm so happy that you came to see me."
The man nodded, barely daring to look up as he drank, nearly tearing up.
Only then did he remember that he had been in a hurry to return yesterday and seemed to have forgotten about the Cai Jingshen fellow. After he finished his drink, he decided he wouldn't go to reason with him this time. He'd just give him a beating first and talk later.