Li Hao got up, tidied up briefly, and then set off with Zhuhuo Shen and Xiyan towards the Li family's majestic divine general mansion.
This time, he had come to retrieve his own official seal and appointment decree.
According to the old man, the couple was unwilling to give them up. Since that was the case, he had no choice but to come and get them himself.
Standing in front of the magnificent divine general mansion once again, Li Hao lifted his head slightly, gazing at the huge golden words above. Memories of the past flashed through his mind, but eventually, they all slowly settled in his heart.
The news of Li Hao's arrival caused a stir in the divine general mansion, and He Jianlan and the others personally came to the entrance to greet him.
When Li Hao explained the reason for his visit, the faint hope that had risen in He Jianlan and the others' hearts quickly faded away.
He Jianlan invited Li Hao to the Changchun courtyard and treated him like an honored guest. With her own fair hands, she personally brewed tea for Li Hao and then ordered someone to notify Li Tiangang of the Shanhe courtyard, asking him to bring Li Hao's belongings.
Upon learning of Li Hao's arrival, the other ladies in the mansion also hurried over. They knew that this young man was about to bid them farewell, and it might be a long time before they saw him again, perhaps even many years...
The usually serene Changchun courtyard suddenly became lively.
The message reached the Shanhe courtyard, where Li Tiangang had just returned after spending the night kneeling in the ancestral hall.
He had intended to pay his respects to the ancestors and then go inspect the military situation in various parts of Qingzhou, but after stepping into the ancestral hall, he never left.
He did not dare to hide anything from the questions of the ancestors, and reported everything truthfully.
He did not try to justify his actions but simply narrated the events objectively. He also acknowledged his mistakes in this matter, his face bearing an expression of sorrow and regret as he spoke.
The ancestral spirits of the Li family were shocked and furious upon hearing this, but ultimately, they felt a sense of melancholy.
They found it hard to believe that such a prodigious child of the Li family had been driven out by his own parents.
On that pitch-black night, furious roars of anger were confined behind the doors of the ancestral hall.
The heartbroken and resentful curses were all hidden in the darkness of the night.
Only Li Qingzheng, sitting outside the ancestral hall, heard them, but he leaned against the newly blossomed peach tree outside the ancestral hall square, unmoved by the falling peach petals or the wine he had brought back from Yunxia Tower.
He drank alone.
He heard the angry curses of the ancestors behind him, but he did not feel any joy, and his heart remained unstirred, like a dead lake.
He simply gazed at the moon, at the lights of the various courtyards of the divine general mansion illuminated by the moonlight, the cozy lamps contrasting sharply with the darkness.
There were countless lights, but the most precious one was missing.
He poured wine into his mouth, but it seeped out from the corners of his eyes.
At this moment, Li Tiangang, who had just returned to the Shanhe courtyard with a tired body, saw his wife still sitting in the hall, looking haggard as if she hadn't slept all night, and his heart ached once more.
But before he could sit down, he received a message from the Changchun courtyard.
Upon learning that it was Li Hao who had come, he felt a surge of joy, but when he found out that Li Hao had come to take the official seal and decree, the joy that had just risen in his heart was extinguished like a bucket of cold water, leaving him torn with grief.
He went straight to the Changchun courtyard.
When Ji Qingqing heard the news, her numb and hollow eyes suddenly snapped back to attention, and tears welled up in her long-dry eyes.
She quickly got up and flew towards the Changchun courtyard.
In the Changchun courtyard, Li Yuanzhao, Li Wushuang, and the others rushed over upon hearing the news. They looked at the boy surrounded by his elders, a scene that seemed familiar yet more fervent than usual.
Li Hao chatted and laughed with He Jianlan and the others, who asked about his future plans.
Li Hao smiled and said that he intended to travel far and wide, to see the world and the landscapes of different places.
Since he had come into this world, he naturally wanted to explore and see if the world could meet his expectations.
Hearing Li Hao's words, Li Xiaoran, sitting on another eave outside the hall, had a bitter smile on his face.
If the boy were still a member of the Li family, he would have found these words nostalgic, reminding him of his own youth when he had hidden his identity and wandered the land, defeating various sects and schools.
But he had had a home to return to after his travels.
As for this boy, wherever he settled would become his home.
The soft voices in the hall were soon interrupted by two whistling sounds as Li Tiangang and Ji Qingqing rushed over one after the other, landing in the courtyard.
The bitter smile on Li Xiaoran's face faded.
The quiet murmurs in the hall also seemed to quieten, as everyone's gaze fell on Li Tiangang. He Jianlan lowered her eyes and saw that Li Tiangang's hands were empty, and her expression changed slightly as she asked, "Tiangang, where are Hao'er's things?"
A frown appeared on Li Hao's forehead as he replied, "I've said it before, we have no connection. Stop trying to act like my parents, and respect my wishes."
"Your mother had no choice either. Do you expect me to give you my life right now?!" Li Tiangang said through gritted teeth.
Li Hao's frown deepened, and his eyes turned colder, "I've made myself clear. The past is the past. From now on, the mountains are mountains, and the sea is the sea. You are you, and I am me. Is that not clear enough?"
"Do you know how agonizing these days have been for us? Your mother cries herself to sleep every night, filled with regret. We are suffering too!" Li Tiangang's eyes turned red, and beneath his thick eyebrows, his sorrowful gaze turned angry.
"... "
Li Hao looked at him quietly for a moment, once again understanding that this man had not changed at all. Even in his regret and sorrow, he still refused to listen to what Li Hao had to say.
However, the current Li Hao was no longer affected by this.
Since he wouldn't listen, there was no point in continuing the conversation. Li Hao picked up his teacup and took a sip, lowering his head.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, He Jianlan's emotions stirred, and she stood up. "Tiangang, why are you saying these things here? Can your pain compare to Hao'er's? He nearly lost his life several times!"
Li Tiangang's expression changed, and his eyes filled with sadness. "But what can we do?"
He Jianlan gritted her teeth. "Aren't his words clear enough? He has cut ties with you. He came here to take what belongs to him—the honor he earned in Liang State. Did you bring it?"
Hearing the sharp words of his sister-in-law, Li Tiangang's heart trembled, and the pain in his eyes deepened.
He raised his head to look at He Jianlan, then at Li Hao, who remained silent and drank his tea. "Since you've severed your bloodline and let go of the past, why did you come here?"
Li Hao put down his teacup, his expression as calm as still water. "It's precisely because I've let go that I came."
Hearing these words, He Jianlan and the others felt a stab of pain in their hearts, knowing that this young man had truly moved on.
But it also made them feel even more distant from him.
With a gloomy expression, Li Tiangang said, "Do you want me to beg you? Fine, I'll beg you right now in front of everyone. Please come back, will you?"
He Jianlan's face twisted with anger. "Is that how you beg?!"
Li Hao shook his head slightly, signaling for He Jianlan to calm down. He turned to look at Li Tiangang and said seriously, "Stop clinging to the past. If you uphold the law so dearly, then you should know that I have no relation to the Li family anymore. What do you mean by withholding my official seal and appointment decree?"
Li Tiangang's expression turned ugly. His emotions were in turmoil—while he could analyze battlefield matters clearly, these family matters muddled his thoughts.
All he knew was that if he handed over those items to Li Hao, it would truly be the end.
"Child..."
Ji Qingqing stepped forward, her face wet with tears, also wanting to plead.
But when Li Hao saw her tearful appearance, he frowned and stood up. "Never mind. If you don't want to give them to me, then I won't take them."
After saying this, he turned to look at He Jianlan and the others, bowing to them. "Your junior, Haotian, bids farewell to the seniors. Thank you for your care in the past. Hopefully, we will meet again in the future."
After saying this, he bowed deeply to He Jianlan. Then, he walked past Li Tiangang and his wife, heading for the exit.
"Stop!" Li Tiangang called out hastily.
"Hao'er!" Ji Qingqing chased after him with a pained expression, but she was stopped by an invisible force—Li Hao's domain.
Li Hao's steps paused when he saw a stooped figure at the door. His cold expression softened as he said, "Zhao, why didn't you come last night? I was waiting to offer you a drink."
The housekeeper, Zhao, at the door, lowered his head and wiped away his tears. With a forced smile, he said, "Young Master, this old servant had other matters to attend to. Please forgive me."
Li Hao guessed the reason and didn't blame him. Instead, he smiled and said, "I'm no longer the young master of Shanhe Court. Just call me 'kid' from now on."
Zhao slowly shook his head. "You will always be my young master."
Li Hao's lips twitched as he saw the sincerity in Zhao's eyes, and he didn't correct him again. He raised his hand and took out a Demon King's heart from the space between heaven and earth. "This demon heart can be used as medicine and has the effect of prolonging life and shaping the body. Take it."
Zhao's voice became choked with emotion. This child hadn't changed at all. He still treated the things others pursued as insignificant, yet cherished the ordinary things in life with deep affection.
"Child..."
Li Hao patted Zhao on the shoulder. Thinking of Li Fu, who had died in Liangzhou, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion. He didn't say anything more.
As he walked out the door, he saw Li Xiaoran on the opposite eaves. He nodded and smiled slightly at him.
He bid farewell to this elderly man who had fought alongside him in the face of death.
Li Xiaoran merely nodded slightly, his emotions restrained, his expression unreadable.
As Li Hao reached the steps, Li Yuanzhao and Li Jianming, among others, hurried forward to meet him. But before they could say anything, streaks of golden light suddenly whistled toward them from a distance.
The golden lights turned out to be numerous ancestors of the Li family, rushing over from the direction of the ancestral hall.
At the forefront was a towering and slender figure, whose soul was several times larger than the other spirits. It was the ancestor of the Li family, Li Tianyuan.
The arrival of these ancestors surprised everyone in the courtyard, and they quickly knelt down to pay their respects.
The servants and maids surrounding the courtyard also knelt down and bowed their heads upon hearing the young masters and mistresses shouting.
"Ancestors?"
Upon hearing the news, He Jianlan and the others in the hall rushed out. When they saw Li Tianyuan, they were shocked and quickly knelt down to pay their respects.
Inside the room, Ji Qingqing and Li Tiangang also saw this, and their faces changed as they quickly knelt down.
In an instant, the only figure left standing in the entire place was Li Hao.
Facing the dozens of ancestral spirits of the Li family filling the sky, Li Hao was somewhat surprised.
"Child."
Li Tianyuan's eyes softened as he looked at Li Hao, and he said gently, "I've heard about what happened. It was your parents who wronged you. Although we have disciplined them, we cannot make up for their mistakes on their behalf. But can you, for the sake of the rest of us in the Li family, stay with the Li family?"
Li Hao's expression was calm, his face as serene as a gentle breeze, and he said, "I have not forgotten the kindness of the elders in the Li family who treated me well. We can meet and gather anywhere in the vast world, and we need not be bound by whether or not we are in the Li family. I hope you can understand."
Hearing these words, Li Tianyuan and the other ancestral spirits showed varying expressions. Some looked sad, some sighed softly, knowing that this child had severed his bloodline and couldn't be easily persuaded back.
They had come to make one last effort.
"Your father has made a mistake. Although he has made achievements in his external endeavors, he has been overbearing and arbitrary within the family, showing partiality. Starting today, he is stripped of his position as the True Dragon."
Li Tianyuan spoke in a low voice.
As these words landed, the courtyard fell silent. Everyone was shocked to hear that Li Tiangang's position as the True Dragon would be taken away by the ancestors themselves.
In the past, only those who committed grave errors and sins would incite the ancestors to take action in their anger, dismissing the True Dragon. Yet, Li Tiangang had consecutively made achievements in Yanbei and defended Liangzhou, but he was still stripped of his position.
However, everyone understood that as the ancestors said, while his external achievements were commendable, forcing Li Hao out of the Divine General Mansion was a stain on his record that couldn't be erased.
Inside the hall, Ji Qingqing was slightly dazed, looking at her husband by her side.
Li Tiangang's expression was sorrowful, and he didn't seem surprised, as if he had already known this would happen.
At the steps of the hall, Li Hao's expression remained calm, unchanged.
Just as he had said, he had let go, which was why he had come.
Therefore, whatever decision the Li family made no longer mattered to him.
"Although you no longer carry the bloodline of my Li family, if you are willing, I can make an exception and announce that you will become the True Dragon of my Li family. My Li family will spare no effort to assist you in your cultivation, helping you to further progress and strive for the realm of enlightenment!"
Li Tianyuan looked at Li Hao, his eyes solemn as he spoke.
The other ancestors of the Li family already knew of the Ancestor's decision, and their eyes were filled with anticipation as they looked at the lone boy standing there.
In the hall, He Jianlan, Gao Qingqing, Li Xuanli, and the others were all stunned. They were somewhat surprised by the ancestor's decision to dismiss Li Tiangang as the True Dragon, but they could understand it. However, the idea of making an exception and appointing Li Hao, who no longer had the Li family bloodline, as the True Dragon was truly unprecedented!
For a moment, their eyes turned to Li Hao, filled with anticipation and hope.