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Chapter 263 - The Silent Remaining Years
Chapter 263 - The Silent Remaining Years
Chapter 263 The Silent Remaining Years
Li Tianlan quietly watched the old man walking into the Lonely Mountain.
His mind was wandering.
His world was quiet.
The lake surface was burst open. The water splashed against the bank, and the waves rose. The vast expanse of the lake was turbulent, as if a tsunami occurred in a violent storm.
But there was no sound in Li Tianlan’s ears.
The world was originally silent.
He could only hear the sound of the clouds and mist dissipating, quiet but incomparable pleasing to the ear.
The old man went up to the Lonely Mountain and stepped directly into Mount Qingyun without a stop. He rushed straight toward Li Tianlan through the sea of flowers.
The clouds and mist on Mount Qingyun wholly dissipated.
Li Tianlan, who was in the Invincible Realm but had no strength in actuality, began to relax his body.
He felt comfortable.
His realm finally began to fall back when the clouds and mist had disappeared entirely.
Invincible Realm, Half-step Invincible Realm, the peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm, the peak of the Fire-flaming Realm, the peak of the Ice-condensing Realm, Qi-controlling Realm.
His realm kept falling back and finally fell out of the Qi-controlling Realm.
The old man who trod on water and climbed the mountain conspicuously came to Li Tianlan and watched his aura ebb and flow. Most of the time, the look in his eyes was detached and intelligent, but now, it appeared somewhat complicated.
Li Tianlan smiled.
His aura was feeble, but his demeanor did not weaken even a bit. At this moment, his whole body seemed to glow, and his every movement was flawless. He was exuding dazzling and radiant charm.
It wasn’t until this moment that he knew for sure that he really had a new lease of life.
That was why he smiled.
But if he rebirthed today, what did he get for the previous 19 years?
He previously possessed the Wind and Thunder Veins. He had once entered the Invincible Realm. He was once the Heavenly Son of Zhongzhou State.
But now, he was merely an ordinary person with the Wind and Thunder Veins.
Perhaps only those who thoroughly understood Martial Arts knew how strange this sentence was.
His mind was so confused that even his excitement at seeing the old man was subdued considerably.
“Grandpa,” he said in a soft voice.
...
When Great Master Wuwei perished between heaven and earth, Li Honghe, who was the last person to show up, appeared here.
Li Honghe’s face was ruddy and radiant. After the border war, he seemed more than a decade younger. Looking at his grandson, who had been famous in the Dark World since he was young, he smiled with satisfaction. “You did a good job in East Island. Well, how do you feel now?”
Li Tianlan’s heart gradually sank to the bottom.
Autumn had just arrived, and the weather was still hot. It was midday, but Li Tianlan felt cold from head to toe.
Because Li Honghe’s current state was weirdly abnormal.
The Li family participated in the border war on the fifth day, which Li Tianlan had heard about while he was still in East Island. But messages from afar were naturally vague. Without being there, no one knew the impact and consequences of those actions.
But things were different now.
Li Honghe appeared directly in front of him, and his state was clear.
Li Honghe was a stranger to Li Tianlan in this state. Both in spirit and appearance, he was a completely different person.
Li Tianlan knew exactly what Li Honghe was like before. He was nearly eighty years old, and his physical strength was declining without control. He could only manage to keep himself in the Invincible Realm and struggle to exert all the power of the Invincible Realm.
But now Li Honghe was full of energy. His aura was so powerful that it almost overflowed his body, making others glance at him with awe. Li Tianlan felt that Li Honghe in this state was much mightier than he was in his heyday when Li Tianlan was in childhood.
Li Tianlan looked a little pale.
He knew exactly what this meant.
The so-called powerful aura that overflowed Li Honghe’s body was a sign of his inner strength going entirely out of control.
“You forced yourself back to your peak?”
Li Tianlan tried not to let his voice shake.
He was disconsolate about the death of Great Master Wuwei, but faced with Li Honghe in this state, he was powerless and even desperate.
“It’s no big deal.”
Li Honghe smiled optimistically. “I did it willingly.”
“Willingly?!”
Li Tianlan suddenly raised his voice and laughed coldly. “For Zhongzhou State? For the border?”
“And for the Li family.”
Li Honghe calmly looked at his grandson. He could clearly feel the coldness and stubbornness in the depths of Li Tianlan’s eyes.
“Rest assured.”
Li Honghe patted Li Tianlan on the shoulder and said, “I know my body. My health is not very good, but I can hold on for a few more years. There won’t necessarily be no turning point by then. Who knows for sure what will happen a few years later? How about you? Can you accept the current situation after experiencing sufferings?”
Li Tianlan was full of anger and resentment, but outwardly, he was indifferent like the iceberg.
He suppressed the anxiety and even fear in his heart, then breathed steadily and said flatly, “It’s just starting over.”
Li Honghe’s eyes were as gentle as ever. “But this is the second time,” he whispered.
“So it must be faster than the first time.”
Li Tianlan’s voice sounded firm, showing his persistence.
Li Honghe nodded, then pulled out a cigarette and lit it, saying no more.
“Why are you here?”
After a moment’s silence, Li Tianlan asked suddenly.
“I’m here to see the bald man off.”
Li Honghe took a deep drag on his cigarette, his eyes sad. “Unexpectedly, I was still late. This fellow was unwilling to see me in the end, I’m afraid.”
Great Master Wuwei, who was well-known in Zhongzhou State, got the address “bald man” from Li Honghe’s mouth.
Li Tianlan was a little sad, too.
Because Great Master Wuwei was not bald in the end.
His long hair, as white as snow, disappeared along with his body.
Li Tianlan sat down.
Li Honghe sat on his left.
And Great Master Wuwei perished on his right.
There was only a piece of rock facing the landscape. It was clean without any ash.
“You were good friends, weren’t you?” Li Tianlan asked softly.
...
Except for saying yes, Li Honghe didn’t say anything else.
Great Master Wuwei had a lot of secrets, and there were many secrets between him and the Li family.
But it was all gone.
He perished, so his past, secrets, and friendship with the Li family, all became stories.
Stories.
These stories were not worth listening to.
“The landscape here is tranquil and suitable for retirement. I like it very much,” Li Honghe said softly as he looked at the landscape before him with a faraway look in his eyes.
...
He looked at the dazzling Li Tianlan sitting next to him and smiled. “How about the Li family taking root here? You are in Huating and are near here.”
Li Tianlan raised his eyebrows in surprise. For a time he was not sure what Li Honghe meant.
“Here?”
“Yeah.”
Li Honghe sat on a piece of flat rock, with his back to the green hill and his face to the green water. His figure appeared small in the world, but he exuded an air of power and majesty that Li Tianlan had never seen.
Li Tianlan was somewhat excited.
He was sure what Li Honghe meant; his grandfather wanted all the members of the Li family to go out of the camp in the primeval forest and come to Mount Qingyun.
Could it be that the Li family and Zhongzhou State reached a new agreement during his “death”?
“Grandpa, are we free? You and Zhongzhou State...”
There was undisguised excitement in Li Tianlan’s voice.
“Don’t mention Zhongzhou State.”
Li Honghe shook his head. “From now on, the Li family will only live for the Li family.”
He cast a glance at Li Tianlan and smiled. “Of course, you are different. I am old, but you are young. You must be the God of War of Zhongzhou State in the future, which is the honor that the Li family deserves.”
Li Tianlan was still thrilled inside, but his brows furrowed.
What his grandfather meant was to go against the will of Zhongzhou State and forcibly relocate the Li family to Mount Qingyun.
He said after thinking for a while, “I’m afraid that by then, Zhongzhou State will find some reason not to let us...”
“Reason?”
Li Honghe smiled, but his face grew more majestic than ever. “They’ve been trying to get me back to Youzhou to recuperate these years. Now I took the initiative to come out of the primeval forest, but why can’t I choose to stay in Lin’an instead of Youzhou? And the so-called reason can be effective only if I accept it. If I don’t, that’s nonsense. At this stage, if I don’t let them talk, they don’t dare.”
Li Honghe’s tone was calm and confident. Vaguely, he seemed to have regained his aggressiveness and might when he was the War God of Zhongzhou State. “If I like this place, it belongs to me. The Li family will only live for the Li family.”
Li Tianlan’s mood was stirring, but his eyes grew dim.
He understood what his grandfather meant.
Li Honghe was now in a bad state, but at the same time, he was terribly mighty. The power inside him was utterly out of balance. In the years that followed, he would grow weaker and weaker, but stronger and stronger. Until his strength reached the limit of what his body could hold, his whole body would be blown to pieces.
But this would not happen in a day. It would take a relatively slow process. Li Honghe would grow weaker and yet stronger in the process. And the end of this road was death.
Only death.
No one wanted to provoke Li Honghe in this state, and naturally, no one dared to lay a finger on the Li family.
There was no need for such a provocation because Li Honghe would definitely die.
As long as Li Honghe, who lived only for the Li family, was still alive, no one in the entire Zhongzhou State would raise any objection even if he occupied Lonely Mountain.
But what if his grandfather went away?
Li Tianlan’s hands trembled slightly. He didn’t know how long it would take. However, he was well aware that it wouldn’t be short, but it would never be long. At least it was hard for him to enter the Invincible Realm during this period.
By then, if his grandfather went away and he failed to enter the Invincible Realm, without the deterrent power, the Li family would encounter the shadow and tusks of countless enemies inside and outside of Zhongzhou State.
Li Tianlan clenched his fists, and his eyes were determined.
“Grow up quickly.”
Without shooting a glance at Li Tianlan, Li Honghe laid his eyes on the West Lake and sighed gently. “Now that I have come to Lonely Mountain, as long as I don’t die, there won’t be many people who dare to harm you. The following period should be the safest time for you. Cheer up. The future of the Li family depends on you.”
“Don’t worry, grandpa.”
Li Tianlan’s tone was calm.
He seldom said such things, but every time he reassured Li Honghe, Li Honghe would really feel reassured.
The old man chuckled under the bright, scorching sun. He looked at Li Tianlan kindly and asked him suddenly, “How do you evaluate me?”
Li Tianlan froze.
“You’re my grandpa.”
He was surprised first, and then he said earnestly.
That was his evaluation.
No evaluation was an evaluation as well.
Li Honghe said calmly with a smile, “In my life, I have done a few things right and many things wrong. Many mistakes can eventually be made up, but some have been unable to make up so far. I can only leave them uncorrected and make the best of them. Tianlan, the thing I’m most proud of is that I have the best grandson, but the thing I regret the most is the same.”
“If, I mean, if I were to give you another chance to make a new choice, you wouldn’t have to think about the Li family and responsibility, and you could go down the mountain to be an ordinary person, go to Samsara Palace to stay with Boss Qin forever, or have other options, would you still be willing to shoulder the Li family’s past under such circumstances?”
Li Tianlan kept silent for a long time.
Li Honghe was talking about ifs.
But there were no ifs in life.
“I don’t have a chance,” he said calmly.
“Now, you have it.”
Li Honghe looked at Li Tianlan. “You can choose to abdicate your responsibility. I won’t blame you.”
“Hehe...”
Li Tianlan looked into the distance. His voice was steady, without the slightest hesitation. “The thing I’m most proud of is that I have the greatest grandfather. So it is in my heart and the hearts of people in Zhongzhou State.”
That was his answer.
Li Honghe was great in his heart because of kinship.
He was great in Zhongzhou State because of his glory.
The glory of which he was most proud.
Li Honghe smiled.
Instead of delight, there was a little bit melancholy in his smile.
“So... I’ll just make the best of the mistakes,” he looked at Li Tianlan and said softly.
...
“Not long after you left, Li Huacheng went to the camp once. I asked Wangsheng to stay by his side. Wangsheng is supposed to be one of his bodyguards now. When you return to Huating, go meet him. He has something for you. When you’re free, you can take those things to Dongcheng Clan,” Li Honghe said.
...
Li Tianlan thought of something. He wanted to ask things about Dongcheng Clan and Dongcheng Rushi, but when the words came to his lips, he nodded instead of speaking them out.
He had known of Li Wangsheng leaving the camp with the Leading Cadre of the Academics long ago. But when his grandfather mentioned this matter, he thought of something else. “I had an agreement with Zhuang Huayang that after the final battle of Changdao, I could transfer three veterans of the Li family out of the camp. I want...”
“I’ll arrange it.”
Li Honghe looked at Li Tianlan with a peaceful smile.
Li Tianlan’s body trembled slightly. His grandfather did not allow himself to mention the people he wanted by names but said he would arrange it. This cover-up directly touched on a question he had always wanted to ask but was afraid to ask.
On the fifth day of the final battle of Changdao.
The five forces jointly invaded the border of Zhongzhou State.
How many people were alive after the Li family, which were no longer at their peak, fought against the five forces?
“How many people are alive?”
Li Tianlan remained silent for a long time before he asked hoarsely.
“Sixty-three, including me.”
Without hesitation, Li Honghe gave an accurate figure. “Ten of them are seriously injured and have lost their combat effectiveness.”
Li Tianlan’s body swayed, and then he stood there impassive.
Ten out of the sixty-three had lost their combat capability. If he were given three people, the Li family would have only fifty people left.
When he left the border camp a few months ago, there were more than a hundred veterans in the camp!
They were called the veterans of the Li family, but every one of them who were alive today could be a general!
The Li family, unexpectedly, had lost more than half of the members in the border war!
Li Tianlan took a deep breath and said calmly, “I see.”
He turned and looked toward the top of the mountain.
In the direction of the top of the mountain, Qingyun Temple no longer existed. Li Tianlan could not see the silver light hidden in the flowers.
“There is also a murderous weapon called the Legend of Qin from the Jiang family of South America on the top of the mountain. The Human Emperor broke, but we haven’t suffered any loss as we have the Legend of Qin as compensation. But now it has entered the energy storage time, so let’s put it here,” said Li Tianlan.
...
Li Honghe looked at Li Tianlan’s arm.
In his hand was a long, scarlet sword with a broad blade.
It was the sword of their ancestor and named Divine Punishment.
Li Honghe was not surprised. He had seen Lin Fengting and the sword in the border war.
“Got it,” Li Honghe said with a nod.
...
“Let’s go.”
Li Tianlan cast a deep look at the old man in front of him. He understood the old man’s purpose of showing up here today.
With a high profile, the old man came to Mount Qingyun from the border camp to live out his life in retirement. He said he was living for the Li family, but what was more important was to protect him.
In the days when his grandfather grew stronger and stronger, his safety could be guaranteed.
As for what would happen in the future when his grandfather couldn’t hold on any longer and he couldn’t enter the Invincible Realm.
It wasn’t that his grandfather couldn’t think of this problem, but that he wasn’t qualified to think about it.
For so many years, the Li family had no future.
The so-called future could only be talked about in the future.
Li Tianlan did not say any more words of concern because everything was doomed.
Things that were meant to happen didn’t make sense.
He knelt in front of Li Honghe and kowtowed to him hard for a few times. Then he straightened up and went straight down the mountain.
As Li Honghe watched Li Tianlan leaving, there was palpable relief in his eyes.
Today’s meeting was out of his plan.
It was also out of his plan that Li Tianlan’s identity came to light so quickly.
As the general trend kept changing, too many accidents would make their appearances.
But Li Honghe saw the shadow of Qin Weibai in the general trend.
So he acquiesced in these accidents.
Without any other reason.
Because his instinct told him that the perfect, dreamy, extraordinary female was worth trusting.
...
The most precious thing in the world was someone worthy of one’s trust.
The old man watched Li Tianlan’s back calmly.
His back was receding into the distance.
He walked farther and farther away from him.
“Life is long, and the sky is vast. There will be shadows and light in your life.”
The old man slowly turned and walked toward the top of the mountain.
The grandpa and grandson went in opposite directions.
It was like their respective destinies.
The young man rebirthed after nirvana.
The old man would be silent in the rest of his life.