Follow the path of Dao from infancy

“For example, you can no longer demand that I practice martial arts, nor can you interfere with anything else I do,” Li Hao said.

Li Tian Gang was speechless.

Only then did he remember Li Hao’s usual habits, his neglect of diligent study, and the waste of his top-notch talent.

This was something he could not tolerate.

But… he had just promised Li Hao, and now he was to go back on his word?

A struggle flashed in his eyes, and he thought to himself, with Hao Er’s aptitude, even if he temporarily stopped cultivating and continued his past life, it wouldn’t have much impact.

When, in the future, he became a True Dragon, inherited the Li Family business, felt the weight on his shoulders, and sensed the eager anticipation of countless soldiers entrusting their lives and hopes to him, perhaps he would wholeheartedly devote himself to cultivation.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Tian Gang nodded at Li Hao and said with a smile, “Alright, I promise you!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Li Hao couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief, feeling as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his heart.

Judging by the severity of his father, he was probably the most old-fashioned in the Li Family, stricter than any of the aunts, and difficult to persuade without exposing his strengths.

His initial decision not to deliberately show his strength was also partly due to fear that the aunts would push him to cultivate just because they saw his talent.

It’s like someone who can make millions in minutes, but you see him lying there playing games.

How can that be acceptable?!

Only, his situation was special; he was akin to being able to make millions in minutes through playing games, but he couldn’t explain that, and even if he did, they wouldn’t understand.

“Then I’ll go play chess with Fifth Uncle,” Li Hao said.

He had been in the Tan Palace for some time, on top of an excursion to Cangyu City for training.

It had been a long time since he saw the old man; he must be rather lonely by now.

Li Tian Gang’s eyelid twitched, left speechless, he could only say, “You may go, but do not disturb the heroic spirits of our ancestors.”

“Don’t worry, I have experience,” Li Hao said.

Li Tian Gang nearly choked at his words.

Just as Li Hao was about to step away, Li Tian Gang quickly said,

“Wait, we haven’t finished talking about the matter just now. In two months, the determination for the True Dragon will take place. You need to prepare well for this period. I had your Uncle Yu Xuan inquire about it, and your biggest competitor should be the child of your second sister-in-law.”

As Liu Yue Rong was mentioned, a cold light flashed in Li Hao’s eyes.

He looked at his father before him, thought of the poisoned pill, wanted to speak, but then held back.

Should he tell his father now, it would surely startle the snake in the grass, and he was not yet sure how his father would handle it.

Li Tian Gang was not only a lord and general, but also the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, overseeing the Dayu Penal Administration, so his personal guard was known as the Fazi Camp, and he himself was titled “Marquis of Penal Martial Law”!

But that woman bore the honorable title of a first-class national madame, and the Ministry of Punishment could only temporarily detain her, needing to report to the court, with multiple layers of appeals.

If they were to arrest her, it would surely alarm her son, frightening him away from returning to compete for the True Dragon, shying away to the sanctuary of Mount Wuliang, which would be quite difficult to handle.

Moreover, this was a highly probable scenario.

In Li Hao’s view, since his Fifteen Li Realm capabilities had already been exposed, and his talent was not in question, the other side didn’t have much chance of competing for the True Dragon seat, and retreating to ensure safety might be better.

But this was not the outcome he wanted.

If the other party holed up on Mount Wuliang, they truly wouldn’t know how to deal with him.

After all, that person was once a Direct Disciple of the Infinite Buddha Lord!

Over the years, Li Hao had made many detailed inquiries about Mount Wuliang.

The Great Yu Dynasty had three top-tier powers.

The first was Gan Tao Palace, the second Mount Wuliang, and the third Hanlin Hall.

The first power was undisputed, for it had the strongest person in Dayu, a real being, at its helm.

The second Mount Wuliang had the Infinite Buddha Lord, second only to the real being.

The third Hanlin Hall, though filled with literary men and scholars, with no martial strength, had the court behind them, that mysterious, omnipotent Emperor Yu.

In this world, literary men don’t create phrases that turn into attacking forces; they’re just simple clerks of laws and regulations, but these documents are the laws, they are the rules!

A decree to confiscate property, even the top sects wouldn’t dare to make a peep.

Rebel?

An immediate military campaign would follow, and not just property confiscation, even the eggs in the house would be shaken until their yolks were broken.

Therefore, although the Hanlin Hall had no martial strength, no one dared to provoke it, the power of law was on par with martial force, with martial arts protecting the way of letters, and that’s how Dayu remained stable for thousands of years.

Otherwise, if martial artists randomly slaughtered civil officials, disregarding the system with brute force, and the country was ruled by warriors, it would surely be a disaster, with the people leading miserable lives, destruction forthcoming.

Beneath these three top powers were the five major Divine General Mansions, considered semi-top tier.

Below them were various court departments, like the Monster Suppression Department, Mo River Authority, and so on.

They were also established by the court, their martial strength aside, their status prevailed, and no one dared to violate them, lest they face an unblockable sweep of the army.

After these came the Jianghu’s top forces like the Sword Pavilion, Qianji Mountain, and others.

If the Infinite Buddha Lord of Mount Wuliang decided to protect his Direct Disciple, even with the status of the Divine General Mansion, it would be difficult to shake them.

What’s more, strictly speaking, Liu Yue Rong’s child had not been involved and was innocent.

But in Li Hao’s eyes, the child had benefitted from maternal grace and enjoyed all the advantages, so naturally, he should pay back in kind.

That year, Liu Yue Rong poisoned him without any real enmity between them; her main goal was to clear the way for her child.

Li Hao’s goal was not merely to compete for the True Dragon seat but to make Liu Yue Rong witness with her own eyes her child being cast down into the abyss, with all prospects utterly ruined!