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Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 268
🕑 Added 2025-03-11 01:50:26 +0000 UTCVolume 3 - Chapter 25: A Slap for Li Tiangang - Part 2
Li Xiaoran addressed the two men.
Just as he finished speaking, a voice reached the ears of Li Tiangang and Li Muxiu:
"Tiangang, Second Brother..."
Hearing this aged yet familiar voice, both Li Tiangang and Li Muxiu froze in shock. Their hearts trembled violently as they raised their heads in astonishment, only to see an ethereal figure—a heroic soul—emerge from behind Li Xiaoran.
The figure’s imposing frame and kind expression left the two of them stunned, as if they had been transported to another time.
"Father?"
Li Tiangang's pupils contracted sharply. He stood frozen for a moment before rubbing his eyes vigorously.
When he looked again, all the thoughts that had been swirling in his mind moments ago vanished instantly. His eyes filled with tears that welled up uncontrollably.
"Father!!"
His knees buckled, and he knelt mid-air before Li Tianzong. Tears streamed down his face.
"It’s all my fault! I’m unfilial, incompetent, and I failed to bring you home sooner!"
Li Muxiu, standing to the side, watched in a daze, his eyes reddening slightly. He said, "Eldest Brother, have you finally escaped the River of Death?"
Li Tianzong quickly raised a hand to help Li Tiangang to his feet. Smiling, he nodded in response to Li Muxiu's question. "Yes, I’ve escaped and can finally return home!"
Li Muxiu’s aged body trembled slightly. Clenching his fists, he bit his lip and lowered his head.
Time seemed to strip away the years, and this weathered old man once again resembled the spirited youth of years past, dressed in brocade robes. His shoulders shook as he suppressed the sobs in his throat, his voice choked with emotion.
"Eldest Brother, it was all my fault back then. My selfishness left you to defend Dragon City alone. I caused your death!"
"These years, I should have been the one suffering in the River of Death. It should have been me..."
Li Tianzong froze momentarily before lifting his hand gently to pat Li Muxiu on the shoulder.
Seeing the tear-streaked face of the brother who had grown up alongside him, Li Tianzong's gaze softened with moisture as well. He spoke softly:
"As a true dragon, the Battle of Dragon City was always my fight. It had nothing to do with you. Even if you had been there, we brothers would have all perished together."
"Thankfully, you weren’t there. I heard from Fourth Brother that the Li family depends entirely on you now. You’ve become the stabilizing anchor of the family..."
He smiled faintly at this point and said, "Do you remember when Father punished you, making you kneel in the courtyard for three days and nights? I sneaked food to you and told you back then that apart from me, you might one day be the most capable member of the Li family. You didn’t disappoint me."
Li Muxiu froze, staring into his brother's eyes.
The two old men locked gazes at that moment, sharing a bond forged over decades.
Although both wore the marks of age, it felt as if time had rolled back, carrying them to their youth...
Back to the courtyard on that sweltering summer day, where the elder brother practiced martial arts before a wooden stake, and the mischievous younger brother sulked by the pond.
The elder brother’s gaze remained as gentle as ever, while the defiant younger brother turned his head away in mock disdain, arms crossed.
Yet now, in this moment, the weathered gazes they exchanged melted all words into silence.
Li Muxiu wept uncontrollably. This battle-hardened old man, who had once emerged unscathed from piles of ten thousand demon corpses, now cried so hard he could not speak.
...
The knot and scar that had festered in his heart for years dissolved at that instant.
It turned out his elder brother had never blamed him...
Li Muxiu’s body trembled slightly, but he gradually composed himself. Wiping away his tears, his weathered face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
Quickly changing the subject, he asked, "Eldest Brother, how did you escape? Weren’t you supposed to pass through the trials of the River of Death? Didn’t you just say you hadn’t completed them?"
"It’s a complicated story," Li Xiaoran interjected. "But in short, we must thank Hao’er. It was his help that allowed Eldest Brother to escape."
At this, his heart ached slightly. Though the escape was a success, it also signified annihilation.
On the journey back, Li Tianzong had specifically instructed him not to reveal this truth to anyone. Li Tianzong only wanted to see his home one last time before quietly departing.
"Thank Hao’er?"
Li Muxiu was taken aback. His mind quickly recalled the boy’s repeated surprising feats, and his heart stirred with both pride and tenderness.
"Hao’er?"
Hearing Li Xiaoran’s words, Li Tiangang, who had just stood up, felt his heart jolt. "What does this have to do with Hao’er?"
"It’s everything to do with him!"
Li Tianzong picked up the conversation with a chuckle. "Fourth Brother told me Hao’er is your son. Tiangang, you’ve truly given me an outstanding grandson! He’s exceptional!"
Li Tiangang stood dumbfounded. He never imagined even his father would hold the boy in such high regard. Could the child truly be so remarkable?
"That boy lacks discipline and is unruly by nature. He hasn’t disrespected you, has he?"
Li Tiangang asked cautiously, his tone tentative.
At this, he no longer resembled the commanding general wielding a divine blade but instead reverted to a son before his father.
Li Tianzong froze momentarily, then burst out laughing. "What nonsense are you saying? Hao’er is lively and lovable. He’s skilled in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting. His martial talent rivals the reincarnation of an ancient saint. Among the countless generations of our Dayu Divine Dynasty, he stands as one of the top prodigies!"
"What’s more, he’s incredibly thoughtful. How could he be undisciplined? Formalities are just trifles. Our Li family needs rules, yes, but family and state are separate matters. At home, there’s no need for rigid decorum."
Li Tiangang was deeply shaken. He stood in a daze for a long while, unable to speak.
If anyone else had said this, he might not have believed it. But with his father’s endorsement, he began to wonder whether he had been wrong all along...
Had he been too harsh on the boy?
Had he been overly controlling?
Everyone who had interacted with the boy seemed to hold him in high esteem. Was it simply because of his noble status as a Divine General, or was it truly the boy himself?
Li Tiangang’s thoughts whirled as memories of his interactions with Hao’er since their return from Yanbei flashed through his mind.
But before he could dwell further, Li Tianzong gently said, "Fourth Brother told me that after Xiao Jiu passed, you took his place as the Li family’s True Dragon. These years must have been hard for you."
Li Tiangang snapped back to attention. Hearing this gentle concern, he felt as though his entire body trembled with emotion.
With a loud thud, he knelt again before Li Tianzong, his face streaked with tears as he sobbed:
"Father, Father, I am useless! I am not worthy of being the Li family’s True Dragon. Third Brother, Sixth Brother—they’re all gone, and I failed to protect them. I failed to safeguard this family!"
His shoulders shook violently. Not even the fall of the Liangzhou border had brought him to tears. His grief had long since been spent on the northern battlefields and at the funerals of his family members.
Yet here and now, he cried like a child once again.
Li Tianzong froze, recalling the family’s circumstances he had learned of during his journey back. Of his nine children, six had perished in battle, some even while he was still serving in the Divine General Mansion.
He had not expected that, after his departure, calamity would continue to strike the others one by one.
Seeing Li Tiangang's uncontrollable sorrow, Li Tianzong’s eyes filled with deep grief. Yet, he suppressed this pain, instead offering a smile as he gently helped his son to his feet.
"My child, it’s not your fault. It’s mine. If I hadn’t fallen in Dragon City, if I had reached the Taiping Dao Realm sooner, none of this would have happened."
"Father, how could this possibly be your fault? You were already strong enough," Li Tiangang blurted out. His grief, though overwhelming, was swiftly reined in by years of military discipline.
He wiped his tears away and grasped Li Tianzong's ethereal arm. "But now, it’s different. You’re back. Once I step into the Taiping Dao Realm, I’ll go retrieve Xiao Jiu myself!"
Seeing Li Tiangang’s resolve and determination restored, Li Tianzong smiled and patted his son’s shoulder.
"I always knew you could do it. Has Hao’er taken on the True Dragon role yet? Give him a few more years, and he will surely lead our Li family to vanquish all demons and restore the glory of our ancestors!"
Li Tiangang hesitated for a moment, his expression faltering slightly before nodding. "When he returns from the Great Wilderness Heaven, I’ll let him inherit the True Dragon mantle."
"Hasn’t he inherited it already?"
Li Tianzong was surprised. True Dragon inheritance was typically best undertaken in one’s youth, around fourteen or fifteen, as the ancestors’ guidance would amplify the cultivation speed needed to rise through the prodigy ranks and become a true powerhouse.
"He was supposed to," a cold voice interjected. Li Muxiu, standing to the side, spoke suddenly.
Li Tianzong blinked in confusion and looked at him.
Li Xiaoran’s expression shifted subtly. During the journey back, he had deliberately avoided mentioning the conflicts between Li Hao and Li Tiangang, hoping to spare Li Tianzong any unnecessary worries before his soul dissipated.
"Second Brother, what do you mean?" Li Tianzong asked.
"Ask him yourself," Li Muxiu said after a deep breath. He had initially wanted to mock Li Tiangang, but seeing father and son reunited, he realized his sarcasm would only be pointless. Instead, he restrained himself.
"Tiangang?"
Li Tianzong’s gaze turned to his son.
Facing his father’s inquiry, Li Tiangang had no intention of hiding anything.
"Father, when Hao’er was born, Yanbei was in turmoil. I was sent to lead the campaign in Yanbei, leaving him to cultivate in the mansion under Eldest Sister-in-law’s care. However, in the years I spent away, without me or Qingqing around, he developed numerous bad habits," Li Tiangang explained.
"When I returned and tried to discipline him, he drew his sword against me. We even fought each other, and eventually, he stormed off in anger, leaving the family to challenge me here at Tianmen Pass..."
"That’s nonsense!"
Li Muxiu, who had been suppressing his anger, exploded.
"Hao’er has no bad habits! Eldest Brother already said so—he’s a prodigy, skilled in everything from music to martial arts. He may enjoy those pursuits, but he’s never neglected his cultivation!"
"Isn’t his current strength proof enough? He’s far superior to his peers!"
"At just fifteen years old, he’s already in the Three Immortals Realm and capable of slaying a Demon King. Who else in the world can achieve such feats?!"
"For all the years you and Qingqing were absent, Hao’er endured being poisoned by Madam Liu and having his divine blood crippled. He hasn’t even had the chance to take revenge yet. And you—just because the eighth child’s daughter complained, you slapped him without even hearing him out. Is that what you call ‘discipline’?"
"Has Hao’er been any worse off without your ‘discipline’ all these years?!"
Li Tiangang's expression darkened. The words sounded familiar, echoing what others had told him before.
"But if he focused all his energy on cultivation instead of music and chess, wouldn’t he be even stronger?" Li Tiangang argued.
"Then why don’t you stop eating or sleeping and practice every second of the day?!" Li Muxiu retorted angrily.
"He’s your son, not a wooden puppet or a stone statue. He’s flesh and blood, just like you!"
Li Tiangang opened his mouth to respond but found himself at a loss for words.
Li Tianzong listened to their argument and quickly pieced together the situation. His expression darkened as he asked, "What happened next? Why did Hao’er leave home?"
"Because your so-called ‘discipline’ left him no choice," Li Muxiu said bitterly, glaring at Li Tiangang with sadness in his eyes. He vividly remembered the snowy day when Hao’er departed.
"The boy said he would no longer bear the surname Li. He would rather die outside than perish in the Divine General Mansion!"
"He refused to be beaten to death by his own father!"
"I would never have beaten him to death! I was just trying to teach him..."
A sharp slap suddenly cut him off mid-sentence.
Li Tiangang’s head snapped to the side. He stared in shock for a long moment before slowly turning back. Standing before him, his father, Li Tianzong, radiated anger, his faintly glowing figure trembling violently.
"How could you push the boy to say such heartbreaking words?!"
"How much pain must he have felt to utter such sorrowful things?!"
Li Tianzong’s voice quaked with fury as he glared at his son.
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