Li Hao received the sword, his thoughts swiftly spinning.
Now he did not care to deliberately hide anything, but was weighing the pros and cons.
Displaying his swordsmanship, revealing his talent, would certainly dazzle the crowd.
Even without exposing his Body Refinement, using just an ordinary child's body to wield the sword, although he could not exhibit the Tide Sword Skill at its peak, with just a hint of its quintessence and the Sword Saint's sharp eye for swordsmanship, his potential in the sword arts should be recognizable.
Having a Sword Saint as a mentor, he naturally did not worry about others coveting his skill.
However, becoming a disciple meant following the other to the southern Sword Hut to cultivate.
That place is a holy land for swordsmen, yet its overall heritage might not match the depth of the Divine General Mansion, nor the richness of Listening Rain Tower.
And he needed to enhance his swordsmanship through Chess Tao and other arts. Given the Sword Saint's stern and no-nonsense demeanor, it was likely he would be extremely strict and might not tolerate his "distractions."
Or perhaps, upon becoming his disciple, he could negotiate with him, and have him stay at the Divine General Mansion to teach him?
But the Divine General Mansion might not accommodate a foreign expert, comparable to a generation of the Li Family, staying within its premises for long... And the person in question might not agree either.
"Forget it, he doesn't need to perform."
At this moment, Jian Wudao's voice came, with a hint of displeasure.
Li Hao, who was pondering his options, was startled upon hearing this and looked towards him.
He Jianlan, snapping back to reality, hurriedly said, "Sword Saint, why is this so?"
"He has no sword in his eyes, does not love the sword. At such a young age, his thoughts are scattered and he lacks the makeup for sword training."
Jian Wudao's expression turned indifferent again. Were it not for the setting in the Divine General Mansion, he would have already turned to leave, not bothering to explain further.
"Sword Saint, the child must be nervous inside, why not give him a chance to demonstrate..." Li Fu from behind hastily added, as it was an opportunity of a lifetime, too great a loss to miss.
But before he could finish, the other gave him a glance.
That sword-sharp, indifferent gaze made Li Fu feel a chill in his throat, as if his life was being sliced apart, and he involuntarily stopped speaking.
"Sword Saint, Hao Er has been sheltered in the mansion since he was young, has not seen much of the world, and he couldn't practice martial arts. Naturally, he hasn't handled swords much, so it's normal for him not to have an affinity for them," He Jianlan said with furrowed majestic brows.
However, Jian Wudao didn't treat He Jianlan the way he did Li Fu, as she was after all the contemporary madam of the Divine General Mansion and in charge; he gave her a glance and subtly shook his head:
"Madam, I understand your considerations, but you don't wield a sword, you don't understand swordsmanship. If it's just about reaching a common standard, or becoming a high-level expert in the secular world, with my guidance it would be feasible."
"But aspiring to reach the pinnacle, to meet the minimum standard of my Sword Hut, that's far beyond reach."
"In training with the sword, I only look at two things: swordsmanship talent and the feeling for the sword."
"Good talent, but no feeling for the sword, can only achieve a second-rate standard."
"Love for the sword itself, even with average understanding, one day when the essence of the sword is grasped, they can enter the ranks of first-rate!"
Unusually verbose this time, Jian Wudao made himself absolutely clear.
He looked at Bian Ruxue and said to He Jianlan, "When this young girl came over, holding the sword, I could see in her eyes the sword, her love for it. Out of a thousand weapons, she would spot a sword at a glance!"
"With that, even if her talent is lesser, as she continues to practice swordsmanship, cultivating the essence of the sword, her future achievements will be great, not to mention her excellent talent."
Having said this, he turned to Li Hao: "This boy, however, doesn't have the slightest hint of a sword in his eyes. Even when he took the sword, there was no emotion. No matter his talent, it's no longer important."
"He is not suited for the path of swordsmanship!"
He gave his final appraisal.
After these words, He Jianlan was completely silenced.
Silence filled the courtyard.
He Jianlan wanted to speak, but seeing the determined look in the other's eyes, she knew further persuasion was useless unless they called upon the clan elders, which would be too demeaning for the Li Family's status.
She looked down at Li Hao with a complex gaze and sighed inwardly.
She was all too aware that this child was wild by nature, often indulging in games of chess with the house servants in the courtyard; such trivial skills were no more than playthings in prosperous times.
Yet with Li Tian Gang and his wife not present, she couldn't discipline him too strictly. After telling him off a few times without being heeded, and the child secretly enlisting servants to accompany him, she was at her wits' end.
Indeed, was all of this simply fate?
As He Jianlan remained silent, Jian Wudao, having made his point, paid no more mind to what others thought. He had been explicit enough; if the Li Family insisted on foisting the child onto him, he would not be courteous.
At this moment, looking at the little girl beside him, his eyes couldn't hide the affection as the coldness on his face melted a bit, and he said with a smile, "Little girl, what's your name?"
"Bian Ruxue."
The little girl answered honestly.
Then, looking at Li Hao, she said to the old gentleman, "Can you let Brother Hao demonstrate a bit? Brother Hao is very smart, much smarter than Xue'er."
Jian Wudao smiled faintly. What use is being clever? Aren't those scholars and literati in the imperial courts all clever?
Moreover, he had already noticed the complex thoughts lurking in Li Hao's eyes, the heavy considerations within. At such a young age, his impure heart would make it even harder to lay a solid foundation in the initial stage of sword training, leading him to distraction and delay.
This is why some precocious children eventually fade into the crowd, while some inconspicuous and reticent ones may become great figures later in life.
Jian Wudao did not like the phrase "late bloomer," to him it was the ignorance of worldly people who could not see through the protective exterior of true talent.
Focus and dedication, these are the qualities of genius.
Some seemingly clever children, who know a little about everything and can interject in adults' conversations, eliciting laughter and praise for their intelligence, are exactly what one should avoid in the path of cultivation.
Solid and steady, with a bit of Spirit, that is the best seedling.
"Xue'er, come with me to cultivate in the mountains," Jian Wudao said gently.
"Then will you take Brother Hao with us?" Bian Ruxue asked, looking up.
"Just you."
"Then I won't go."
Bian Ruxue said immediately, taking a step back as if afraid he might forcibly take her away, snuggling beside Li Hao and hugging his arm, "I want to be with Brother Hao, I won't go anywhere else."
Jian Wudao's expression changed slightly, and his brows furrowed.
However, Bian Ruxue, despite her exceptional talent, was after all still a child, and he did not get angry, but turned his head to He Jianlan and said, "Madame, I'm taking Xue'er with me. When her cultivation bears fruit, I'll let her come back. Of course, it might not take many years before you hear of her renown outside."
He spoke with confidence because the moment he announced it, many people in the world would immediately recognize the name "Bian Ruxue."
The new protégé of the Sword Saint Jian Wudao, with this title alone, she would be famous throughout the province!
He Jianlan nodded slightly, naturally finding no reason to refuse Jian Wudao's words.
Li Hao had already recovered his composure, his lips twitched slightly, it was fine, she had made her choice for herself, saving him the trouble of pondering.
"Brother Hao, I won't go."
Bian Ruxue clutched Li Hao's arm tightly, her eyes red and a hint of timidity in her voice.
Li Hao also did not want to see the little girl leave, but understood that this was her opportunity.
Staying in the Divine General Mansion, she could cultivate, but everything else was limited to what was around her.
Being the disciple of a Sword Saint, just the mentorship alone was a significant connection, and she could experience a much broader world outside.
Selfishly, he wanted to keep the little girl, having such a little tail around made him feel secure and happy.
But considering Bian Ruxue's welfare, he elected to let go for now, softly saying, "Xue'er, be obedient. Go cultivate with this old master, and once you have achieved something in your cultivation, you can come back to see me. Then I'll take you out for something delicious."
"I won't go, I don't want to cultivate, I won't practice the sword anymore, I hate the sword!" Bian Ruxue suddenly burst into tears.
Jian Wudao's brows furrowed as he realized he had underestimated the little girl's attachment to the boy.
After all, they were said to be childhood sweethearts who had grown up together.
In his mind, if it truly didn't work out, taking Li Hao as well might be an option. With the girl's talent, even with a worthless accessory, she was still worth competing for.
"Be good, you're already a big girl, you can't always cry," Li Hao wiped her nose with his sleeve and gently reassured her, feeling a pinch in his heart and a reluctance to let go.
The adults in the courtyard silently watched one child console another.
Many had complicated looks in their eyes, jealousy and envy mixed together. Children were still children, unaware of their fortunes. They too wished their own offspring could enter the Sword Pavilion—for them, the mothers would have kicked those children out the door long ago to let them taste how their mother's kick felt.
Eventually, Li Hao managed to soothe the little girl.
Bian Ruxue, with tear-stained eyes, said, "Then we have a deal, Brother Hao. You must wait for me to come back, right here, and not go anywhere else."
"Mhm," Li Hao replied, touching her forehead with a nod and a smile.
Jian Wudao's face also relaxed, his gaze at Li Hao even softened a bit.
He could have ignored Bian Ruxue's wishes and forcefully taken her away; after all, she was just a bigger child, and no matter her reluctance now, a half year's stay at the Sword Pavilion would smooth it over with time.
But now that she was willing to go with him willingly, it was naturally a better outcome.
Such talent should not be delayed; time was precious.
"Xue'er is tender-hearted, old man, you must protect her well for me, don't let anyone bully her," Li Hao said reassuringly to Jian Wudao, after calming Xue'er.
Jian Wudao raised an eyebrow slightly at Li Hao's address but didn't get angry considering the child's behalf and said indifferently, "Young fellow, don't worry. I will take good care of Xue'er. By my side, no one in this world will be able to bully her!"
"Good," Li Hao took a deep look at him and then told Bian Ruxue, "Xue'er, if anyone bullies you in the Sword Pavilion, write it down in a little notebook, and I will bully them back for you later."
The adults dismissed the child's words as deep affection of youth, not taking them seriously.
Before leaving, Jian Wudao paused, and turning to He Jianlan, he said, "In my Sword Pavilion, there is a Body Refinement secret manual. I will send someone to drop it off later. Placed in your Listening Rain Tower, it should allow one to reach the sixth level. Let the child try it."
He Jianlan was delighted, quickly expressed her thanks, and then clung to hope, "Can Hao Er truly not become your disciple?"
Jian Wudao walked away.
Leaving behind only one sentence, that child is fortunate, but his destiny is shallow.