Chapter 1197: The Amiable Li Jingzhe
The little courtyard located in the sea of bamboo was silent. As the wind whistled past, only the sound of leaves rustling could be heard.
Li Luo didn't feel restrained in any way as he dragged Jiang Qing'e further in. Li Hongyou hesitated for a moment before cautiously following them.
There was just a single square table in the abode, and there were already a few piping hot dishes on it. It looked as though it had just been prepared, all by Li Jingzhe himself.
Food prepared by a Dual Crowned King was something that few in the Dragon's Fang Lineage had been able to enjoy.
"Sit, sit." Li Luo gestured for the other two to sit, and he then turned towards Li Jingzhe with a smile.
"Grandpa, do you need my help?"
Li Jingzhe waved his hand, signaling “no” as he continued to hustle and bustle. A while later, a dish of bamboo leaves and shoots made its way over to the table before he sat down himself. Li Luo immediately picked up the flask of wine on the table and poured him a cup.
As Li Jingzhe held the cup, his gaze lingered upon Jiang Qing'e, who was beside Li Luo. His expression was often solemn, giving others a sense of oppressive pressure when combined with his might. Even his two sons were often jittery and trembling in fear before him.
However, his expression swiftly softened and he did his best to give an amiable smile before saying gently, "Your name is Jiang Qing'e?"
She nodded slightly. "Greetings..."
She had wanted to call him "Lineage Chief," but that seemed a little distant, considering Li Luo's relationship with him.
"You can call me ‘Grandpa’ like Li Luo does," Li Jingzhe replied as though he had read her mind.
"Greetings, Grandpa." Jiang Qing'e did as she was told, speaking without any pretense or fear.
"Did both of you live in the Xia Kingdom?" Li Jingzhe continued asking.
"Mhm, I lived with Master and Mistress, along with Li Luo, in the Xia Kingdom since I was young. They established House Luolan there, and although it wasn't as vast and grand as the Dragon's Fang Lineage, it was a loving home," Jiang Qing'e softly replied.
"I signed an engagement contract with Li Luo before Master and Mistress."
These words inadvertently caused Li Luo to reveal a strange smile. The supposed engagement contract was just his old man cajoling a young girl. In the end, the joke had been taken too far and it resulted in him bearing the brunt of his wife's fury, ending up beaten and kicked out of the house entirely. It in no way happened as affably as Jiang Qing'e's simple words suggested.
"With both parents as witnesses, this is naturally in line with the rules. It seems like Li Luo's very fortunate." Li Jingzhe revealed a slight grin. The girl before him not only had an excellent temperament and appearance, her talent was unrivaled. Qin Yi might have once been considered unparalleled in her generation, but when compared to her, bluntly speaking, she fell short.
"Come, let's eat while it's hot." Li Jingzhe then pointed towards the dishes on the table.
Li Luo did not stand on ceremony, ravenously tearing into the food. On the other hand, Jiang Qing'e and Li Hongyou were refined in behavior, only lightly sampling the food before their eyes dazzled with amazement at how tasty it was.
Li Jingzhe did not touch his chopsticks, only watching the youths before him as he fell into a daze, reminiscing the past. Perhaps if he had treated Tan Tailan and Li Taixuan the same way, things might not have ended up as they had.
Why were his bones so stubborn and head so furious in the past? His heart was full of complex emotions. Perhaps he had reigned the Dragon's Fang Lineage with an iron fist for far too long. As a result, he was absolutely incensed at Li Taixuan's rebellious acts. After all, he had maintained his dignity before his three children for so many years.
In the end, all he had to show for himself was a painful lesson. Now that Li Luo had returned with Jiang Qing'e, Li Jingzhe let go of all his inhibitions, prestige, and solemnness, doing his best to be a friendly and loving grandfather.
"You’ve been gone for half a year. I almost sent your eldest uncle to the Heavenly Origin Ancient College to retrieve you," Li Jingzhe said.
Li Luo grinned. "I simply participated in the ancient college's mission. You didn't have to worry, Grandpa."
After which, he haughtily bragged. "Have you seen how strong I am now?"
Li Jingzhe briefly glanced at him and nodded. "Greater Heavenly Resonance Tier. Your advancement has been swift, so it does look like you've reaped quite a few benefits."
"However, compared to Qing'e... I'm still far too lacking."
"The speed at which she reached the Duke Stage has surpassed even Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan in the past. She possesses three ninth-grade light resonances and also formed a Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried, stepping on the Path of Ascension."
His eyes were full of praise when he looked at Jiang Qing'e. Her talent was something even an expert like him was greatly surprised by. If he truly had to compare, Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan simply were not her equals.
At the very least, the first Duke Bergfrieds they formed were Nine-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds. That was just one pillar off.
Of course, forming a Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried upon reaching the Duke Stage didn’t guarantee that one would become a Transcendent Duke. After all, the path they walked on was no easy stroll.
There were countless ancient records of heaven-cherished geniuses who had managed to seize the opportunity to form a Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried as their first Duke Bergfried. Yet as they continued to cultivate, they started strong but finished weak. Each of their subsequent Duke Bergfrieds had fewer and fewer pillars. Even then, these individuals were superior to their peers, but they had not been able to walk the Path of Ascension.
Without seven Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfrieds as a foundation, they could not form the Unrivaled Heavenly Throne and ascend as a Transcendent Duke.
Conversely, there were others who had not formed a Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried to start with but accumulated experience over time. As a result, they walked the Path of Ascension afterwards!
No matter what was said, those who were able to start with a Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried were exceptionally talented. After all, they had the best starting conditions. With Jiang Qing'e's three ninth-grade light resonances, she was a natural Light Sacred Seed, capable of controlling Authority over light. If she were to truly become a Transcendent Duke, she would tower over heaven and earth, looking down upon Kings in disdain. If the old fools from the other lineages knew of his granddaughter-in-law, they would surely seethe with eyes full of jealousy.
Even someone with Li Jingzhe's character couldn't help but to stroke his beard with this thought in mind. An inexplicable sense of pride arose in his heart.
It looked like his grandson was truly blessed!
When faced with the prospect of Li Jingzhe using Jiang Qing'e to restrain him, Li Luo didn't really seem to care. He had already been well-trained since young to do such things...
Even then, so what? She was still his fiancee. Li Luo grinned and decided to take advantage of the opportunity, as though he was patiently waiting for the right time to strike a snake with a stick.
"Since you're so pleased with Sister Qing'e, can I trouble you with a little matter?"
"What?"
Li Luo took out the Divine Thorns he had obtained in the Fifth Minor Earthly Branch Realm. He had purposefully picked them up for Jiang Qing'e.
"I need your help, Grandpa! Could you help Sister Qing'e craft a Duke-level treasured artifact with these materials, please?"
Now that Jiang Qing'e had entered the Duke Stage, her previous treasured artifacts were a little lacking.
Li Jingzhe waved his sleeve, and the Divine Thorns were whisked away as he gave a smirk. "You can rest assured that I won't disappoint you."
He had actually prepared some greeting gifts, but since Li Luo had put his heart into this, he wouldn't mind spending some of his time and footing the cost to ensure the gift was perfect.
He knew that youths loved to engage in these little acts of service.
Jiang Qing'e then echoed Li Luo's thanks before she raised a new topic. "Li Luo's talent is also second to none. He has three palaces and six resonances, which is in no way inferior to me. Now that he's at the Greater Heavenly Resonance Tier and not far from the Duke Stage, I feel that the speed at which he will break through will be quicker than me. Perhaps he will form a Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried too."
Li Luo sucked in a breath of fresh air. “Sister Qing'e, could you please not place me on a pedestal! Does she think that a Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried is easy to form?”
However, having Jiang Qing'e's speak so highly of him warmed his heart.
Li Jingzhe revealed a hint of a smile. "This brat isn't bad at all. He has a heroic demeanor, and if he can become a Transcendent Duke, my position as Lineage Chief will be passed down to him. That said, he's still quite a distance away. So, what are your plans now?"
"What do you think I should do, Grandpa?" Li Luo asked in response.
Li Jingzhe sighed lightly. "Go to the Dragon's Fang Guardians. That is the most suitable place for you. All of the best and most elite talents in the Dragon's Fang Lineage have congregated there. If you wish to obtain the best Foundational Spirit Treasures, you'll have to go there. That said, it is full of danger and far more competitive than the Twenty Banners. Also, your status won’t be very helpful there.
"So? Do you still wish to go?"
Li Luo flashed his most radiant smile at his grandfather in response.
"Well, it doesn't matter, honestly. If my status isn't helpful, I still have a triple ninth-grade light resonance, Ten-Pillar Duke Bergfried fiancee to support me."
Li Jingzhe didn't know if he was supposed to laugh or cry when faced with Li Luo's outrageous words.
“This brat...
“If you can't rely on your status, you'll rely on your fiancee?
“Isn't he living much too flagrantly?”
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