Volume 3 - Chapter 392: My Name Is Haotian (Part 3)
Yet Madam Su had not explicitly rejected him, nor had she thrown him out. She hadn’t even given him a particularly cold face. Soon, Yaoqin led Li Hao to the western sector of the Su estate—a quiet, secluded area compared to the grand halls he had passed earlier. Still, its understated simplicity was relative: these courtyards were no less extravagant than palaces.
This was the Side Garden, a reception area meant for guests of lower rank. Visitors to the Su family varied in status, and the Side Garden was designated for common families.
“This is Sea Moon Hall,” Yaoqin said as they arrived. “You’ll stay here for now. If the madam wishes to summon you, she will.”
Her gaze flicked over, and at once the servants and maids within the courtyard rushed over and bowed in a flurry of greetings, each addressing her as “Miss Yaoqin” with the utmost deference.
As Madam Su’s personal handmaid, Yaoqin held immense status within the Su household. Even the stewards of various residences went out of their way to curry favor.
“Summon me?”
Li Hao’s brows knit tighter. Was this not just a more refined form of house arrest?
“May I walk around and explore a bit?”
He asked directly.
Yaoqin had expected this question. Without hesitation, she answered, “Within the Side Garden, you may look around freely. But elsewhere—there are women present. You’d best avoid causing offense.”
Though firm, her words were not without reason.
Li Hao fell silent. So many things now lay beyond his control. It had been that way in the Southern Domain—and it seemed the Su family was no different.
When he didn’t reply, Yaoqin’s lips curled faintly. Seeing the youth stifled like this brought her a flicker of inexplicable satisfaction. She had always harbored disdain for those who clung to the coattails of power. And now, thinking of the Su family’s breathtakingly talented young ladies, the thought that one of them might be married off to this boy felt like a priceless jewel being dropped in the mud.
“See to it that the guest is well looked after,” she said to the steward of Sea Moon Hall. “If anything happens, you’ll be held responsible.”
The steward—an Immortal Lord—nodded rapidly, his face full of flattery.
Once Yaoqin departed, the steward and several maids approached Li Hao, asking whether he wanted to rest or take a stroll through the courtyard. They offered to show him around.
Li Hao wasn’t in the mood to sit idle, but neither did he want to wait passively. He asked the steward to walk with him around the Side Garden. Maybe, just maybe, he’d catch sight of Ying Xiaoxiao’s reincarnation by sheer luck.
The steward agreed readily, and they set off, leaving Sea Moon Hall to wander the vast grounds of the Side Garden.
The place was enormous—larger even than some royal capitals. Many of the individual courtyards had formations that blocked spiritual sense from peering in.
Li Hao walked the entire circuit. Many areas were clearly inhabited, but inaccessible. Other than enjoying the scenery and marveling at the opulence of the Su family, he saw no sign of the person he sought.
With a quiet sigh, he decided to return to Sea Moon Hall and wait.
Since Madam Su hadn’t thrown him out, Li Hao believed she wouldn’t keep him in limbo for long. Eventually, a decision would come.
Just as he was turning back, a sudden roar erupted overhead, followed by the sharp resonance of a sword—a cry like a dragon’s roar. A massive Dharma Image flickered into view, its explosive might surging through the air.
The shockwave reached the Side Garden’s perimeter wall, but was dispersed soundlessly by the formation barrier.
Li Hao stopped in his tracks and looked toward the source. Though it was some distance away, he could sense it: two Immortal Lords locked in fierce combat. One of them wielded a sword—his Sword Dao was profound, reaching the Fifth Layer of Dao Origin.
Someone dares to battle openly within the Su family?
Li Hao was surprised. The steward beside him quickly explained, “Master Haotian, that’s the Earth-grade Sparring Arena. The young lords of the Su family enjoy competing there.”
Li Hao nodded in realization and was just about to look away—when suddenly, two streaks of rainbow light streaked across the sky.
Their robes fluttered. One figure wore garments of deep azure-blue, like a splash of summer coolness across the sky.
Li Hao froze. His pupils dilated.
The rainbow light expanded rapidly before his eyes, and soon, the face of the figure in azure-blue robes came into focus.
Li Hao’s heart jolted. Her face. Those bright, spirited eyes. That flawless, delicate beauty.
It was Ying Xiaoxiao.
She was really here.
Her reincarnation?
His mind buzzed. Blood surged through his veins.
Whoosh!
In a sudden burst, he shot into the air. With a roar, he tore through the air, his speed pushed to the extreme. Void Return and movement techniques activated unconsciously. In a single step, he pierced the sky—appearing directly before her.
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