Chapter 668 490 Spear

Li Zhouwei responded promptly, Hu Clan could only nod, watching him return to the desk to grind ink for him, and the child wrote, stroke by stroke, without uttering a word.

She watched the child write characters in neat, orderly strokes, both horizontal and vertical, and for a while, she didn't know what to say.

Hu Clan waited until late into the night, and Li Zhouwei hadn't shifted from his seat at all, showing none of the naughtiness or restlessness typical of children, and even his expression hardly changed while he silently practiced his calligraphy.

Hu Clan stared into his eyes, watching the color slowly change, becoming more dazzling as the sky darkened. An old ape approached and lit a lamp, and the dim yellow glow mesmerized Hu Clan.

She sat until the sky was completely dark, when the old ape came forward, his voice hoarse:

"Madam, please return... The young master should rest."

The White Ape had long since ruined his throat and lost his voice, now using Mana to cause his vocal cords to vibrate, sounding devoid of any emotion. Awoken from her trance, Hu Clan hastily stood up, and Li Zhouwei quietly got to his feet and escorted her to the courtyard entrance, murmuring softly,

"Seeing Mother off."

Several female servants had been waiting at the door for a long time, and upon seeing Hu Clan emerge, they hurriedly greeted her. Hu Clan walked for a while, still appearing absent-minded, and couldn't help but look back.

But all she saw was darkness, and from afar, two golden eyes in the depth of it, floating in midair, like a tiger or leopard lurking in the night, quietly staring at her retreating figure.

Hu Clan stumbled in alarm, quickly turning back, and the attendants at her sides looked at her. She took several deep breaths to steady herself, still a bit confused, and murmured,

"Is this truly my son… born divine, or…"

She swallowed the rest of her words, feeling a chill in her heart:

"Or born malevolent."

Hu Clan walked away, while Li Zhouwei stood in front of the courtyard, waiting until the group was far away before he turned and spoke with a somewhat childish voice,

"Mother is afraid of me."

The old ape crouched by his side, pacing with him, and said in a raspy voice,

"Everyone in the courtyard fears the Princely Heir, those who do not fear now will fear later, and those who fear now will fear even more in the future."

Li Zhouwei remained silent, and the old ape helped him off with his shoes and escorted him into the sleeping hall, croaking,

"I've been around Wu Yue for over a hundred years, having seen countless people, and yet I've seen no one quite like the Princely Heir. Upon careful consideration, only the Young Master of the Tu Jun Sect could compare somewhat."

Li Zhouwei turned his head,

"Was that Young Master someone people feared?"

The old ape combed his white fur and shook his head,

"No, Princely Heir, you are somewhat similar yet not. It's like comparing a sovereign to a benevolent hero; they are incomparable."

Li Zhouwei nodded as if he understood but didn't fully grasp the meaning and slowly closed his eyes, the two faint glimmers of dark gold finally disappearing into the darkness.

...

Li Chengliao had been extremely busy over the past year. The climate in the north of Yue had become unpredictable and strange, with periods of sunshine alternating with scattered showers, dividing the land.

One constant remained the barren soil that could not grow crops. Aside from a few Noble Families, other families were contemplating relocation, dispersing the population southward.

The situation had already taken shape, and those with discerning eyes could see that the disappearance of the "Xuanping Spiritual Aura" was beyond saving. They watched Xiuyue Sect and Green Pond Sect vie for power in the north of Yue, observing the direction of the political currents.

Li Chengliao sat within the Central Hall, meticulously reviewing the flurry of reports arriving daily. After a thorough examination, he noticed something interesting.

"The Xiao Family has closed off their mountain for three years, all of the Direct Lineage have withdrawn to the mountain… closing it off to outsiders… It seems they wish to avoid conflict between the two Sects."

After considering this for a while, he felt the action was rather rash, and thought to himself,

'Everyone says Xiao Chuting attained Zifu by craftiness; surely this move is not so simple. There must be aspects that we fail to see.'

He gathered up several letters sent by Li Xizhi and read them carefully, breathing a sigh of relief,

"At least Xiuyue Sect hasn't burned bridges and shown intentions of attacking Green Pond from the south... But perhaps, if a real fight breaks out, the 'Xuanping Spiritual Aura' will collapse even further."

No blame could be placed on Xiuyue Sect for being outmaneuvered; the "Xuanping Spiritual Aura" was, after all, one of the most delicate and fragile spiritual energies, vulnerable indeed. The fact that they had maintained it undisturbed for so long had already overextended Xiuyue Sect's prestige and aura of intimidation.

Now with Green Pond Sect leading the charge, few Sects wished for Xiuyue to gain another Golden Core; both overtly and covertly, they were causing disruptions. It was impressive that it had been upheld for so long.

'In any case... these matters are too big; I cannot interfere, I'll only rescue the commoners.'

Li Chengliao put away the letters and redirected his thoughts when Chen Mufeng reminded him,

"Sir, today you should go to... the Princely Heir's place."

Chen Mufeng, who had made a mistake and was once demoted to an ordinary courtyard guard, was understood by Li Chengliao to have been influenced by Xu Xiao. After so many years, he had been allowed to climb back up, becoming the second-in-command of the Jade Courtyard Guards, second only to Chen Donghe.

"I've been so busy I forgot!"

Li Chengliao exclaimed as he was reminded, suddenly realizing his oversight, and prepared to stand up. Reports had already been made below that the Princely Heir was in attendance.

It turned out that after waiting and not seeing Li Chengliao come over, and with evening approaching, Li Zhouwei took it upon himself to come. He was still dressed in a white gold robe as he entered through the stairs.

He was now five years old and growing quickly, his long hair tied back and his small eyebrows knitted together, giving him a very stern look. He greeted with a salute and said softly,

"Father."

Li Chengliao laughed heartily,

"I've always intended to choose a weapon for you, but I've been too busy and forgot. Come, come, come!"

He took Li Zhouwei's hand, dismissed everyone else, and hurried back to the rear hall where several Jade Boxes had been prepared. Li Chengliao told him to stand properly and opened the first Jade Box, whispering,