Chapter 47

In Yun Kai County, Meng Hao had visited several times, mostly to buy writing materials such as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Perhaps due to the numerous wealthy landlords here, who needed scholars to add a touch of culture, the prices of writing materials were surprisingly cheap.

Even after three years, the place remained the same. As Meng Hao walked through the streets of the county town, he noticed that many shops had lanterns hanging outside their doors, with the character "Li" written in a flowing, elegant script.

According to the little fatty, his father was the wealthiest landlord in Yun Kai County, almost owning half the town. His family not only had a lot of land but also many shops, and any shop with the character "Li" hanging outside belonged to them.

After a brief inquiry, Meng Hao learned the direction of the little fatty's home. As he walked, the sky turned to dusk, the sun set, and the afterglow spread across the land.

Before long, he saw a vast mansion at the eastern end of Yun Kai County, with pavilions and buildings standing tall. The signboard was grand, with the characters "Li Family" prominently displayed. There were servants guarding the gate, and inside, there was music and dancing, a lively scene.

Meng Hao glanced at the mansion and, in a flash, entered it.

The Li Family's mansion was large, with a courtyard in the center. At that moment, actors were performing on a stage, and dancers were gracefully moving. A middle-aged man with a plump body, dressed in luxurious robes, stood there. He bore a resemblance to the little fatty, and it was clear he was the little fatty's father. He stood there with a cautious expression, accompanying a young man who was seated beside him.

The young man had a haughty look, dressed in fine clothing, but his body was somewhat frail, as if drained by wine and women. He held a wine cup, his eyes occasionally revealing a lustful gleam as he scanned the performers.

"Why haven't they arrived yet?" The young man, perhaps tired of waiting, frowned and said coldly.

"They will be here soon, please wait a little longer, Young Master Zhao. My daughter-in-law is a bit slow," the little fatty's father said, a hint of humiliation in his eyes, but he had to lower his head and smile. As he spoke, several maids approached, followed by a woman. She wore a water-robe, adorned with a phoenix hairpin, her face beautiful, but she looked frightened and trembled as she approached.

"Father..." The woman bowed to the little fatty's father as she approached.

"Xiang'er, this is the eldest son of the Zhao family from Yun Hai County. Go and offer him a cup of wine," the little fatty's father said gently. He always felt guilty towards this daughter-in-law, as his son had been missing for many years, yet she had waited faithfully, never complaining, and was very filial to him.

"Please meet Young Master Zhao," the woman said softly, despite her fear, aware of the family's current difficulties. She picked up the wine jug, filled a cup, and offered it to the young man, whose eyes gleamed with intense desire.

Young Master Zhao swallowed hard. To him, the woman was a celestial beauty, and his heart was already stirring with lust. He smiled lecherously and, as he took the wine cup, tried to grab her hand, which frightened her and made her step back, causing the wine cup to fall to the ground with a clatter.

"How dare you!" Young Master Zhao's eyes flashed, and he kicked the table in front of him, spilling wine and dishes everywhere. He pointed at the little fatty's father.

"I'm telling you, Li Dafu, my brother has returned from his travels and is now a celestial being. He only wants your family's wealth, not your lives. I pitied you and spoke well of you, but you humiliate me like this!"

"Young Master Zhao, this..." the little fatty's father quickly said.

"Shut up! I'm telling you, this matter isn't over. If you know what's good for you, you'll have your daughter-in-law accompany me tonight. Once I'm satisfied, I'll speak well of you to my brother. Otherwise..." the young man sneered, his eyes scanning the frightened woman, his lustful gaze evident.

The little fatty's father's face turned ashen. At first, he had agreed to the request for a toast, but now it was too much. He gritted his teeth, thinking that if he couldn't protect his daughter-in-law, what was the point of living if his son was missing.

"Get out! Get out of here! Someone, throw this man out! Even if the Li Family goes bankrupt, we will not be humiliated by the Zhao Family!" he shouted.

"Such arrogance." Young Master Zhao sneered, turned, and walked away, his eyes revealing a murderous intent.

The banquet ended, and the woman bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. She was about to say something when the little fatty's father spoke calmly.

"You don't need to worry about this. There is still the law in this world! Take the young lady back." Servants immediately came forward and escorted the woman away. Once the surroundings were quiet, the little fatty's father trembled, staggering back a few steps, looking much older.

He shook his head and walked forward, soon arriving at a house. He pushed the door open and entered. The room looked luxurious, but it would have been even better if not for the numerous bite marks on almost every surface.

"Fu Gui, where have you gone, why haven't you returned..." the little fatty's father sat in a chair, his figure looking increasingly aged, touching the bite marks on the table, muttering to himself.

"He is doing well," a calm voice suddenly echoed in the room, making the little fatty's father look up in shock. He saw a man standing by the window, dressed in a scholar's robe, who was none other than Meng Hao.

"You..." Li Dafu immediately stood up, his eyes filled with caution, and he took a few steps back.

"I am Meng Hao, a fellow disciple of Li Fu Gui from Yun Jie County," Meng Hao turned, his gaze leaving the bite marks on the window sill, and looked at Li Dafu.

"Meng Hao!" Li Dafu was taken aback, suddenly remembering this name. After his son disappeared, he had investigated the area and learned that four people had gone missing during that time, one of whom was named Meng Hao.

"Fu Gui..." Li Dafu's body trembled, his eyes filled with excitement, but he still had some doubts.

"He is not in the Zhao Kingdom at the moment, but he should return soon," Meng Hao walked a few steps and sat in a chair.

"I saw what happened in the courtyard earlier. I will stay here for a few days and handle this matter." Meng Hao spoke calmly, and with a flick of his right hand, a piece of paper appeared and was placed on the table.

"Make three long spears according to the design on the paper: one of iron, one of silver, and one of gold." Meng Hao closed his eyes after speaking.

Li Dafu's face showed hesitation, but he quickly nodded. Regardless of the credibility of the matter, he decided to believe it. He picked up the paper and hurriedly left.

As for Young Master Zhao, he left the Li Family with a dark expression, leading his servants out of Yun Kai County. Late at night, he returned to his home in Yun Hai County, gritted his teeth, and slapped himself hard, leaving a clear handprint. He then approached a courtyard, his expression turning respectful, even reverent, and spoke softly.

"Little brother, are you asleep?"

"What is it?" a faint, somewhat sharp voice replied after a moment.

"The Li Family not only rejected your suggestion but also humiliated our Zhao Family and slapped me," Young Master Zhao said, looking humiliated.

The door of the house suddenly opened, and a boy of about twelve or thirteen, dressed in luxurious robes, stepped out. He had clear features and a handsome appearance. If Meng Hao were there, he would recognize this boy as one of the disciples sent out by Elder Ouyang after the dissolution of the Relying Mountain Sect, and also Meng Hao's attendant, Zhao Hai.

His goal, like the little fatty's, was to become a wealthy landlord. Now that the little fatty had been taken away, he had returned to begin plundering the wealth of the local landlords. As for Li Dafu being the little fatty's father, he was unaware of this, as family matters were usually kept secret from outsiders.

"You useless fool, do you think I am as foolish as you? The direction of the slap is wrong; you slapped yourself," Zhao Hai sneered, his face showing disgust, but he still frowned, as the person in front of him was his brother.

"Never mind, I need to cultivate and break through soon. In seven days, I will go to the Li Family with you," Zhao Hai turned and returned to the house, the door slamming shut. Young Master Zhao looked pleased, raising his head to look in the direction of Yun Kai County, his heart burning with excitement as he imagined the woman's plight under him in seven days.

Seven days passed, and on that day, Zhao Hai walked out of the Zhao Family in Yun Hai County, followed by Young Master Zhao and a group of servants, all with a fierce expression, heading straight for Yun Kai County.

Inside Yun Kai County, Meng Hao sat cross-legged in the little fatty's house, meditating. At noon, the door was gently knocked, and as Meng Hao opened his eyes and spoke, Li Dafu pushed the door open and entered, followed by over a dozen servants, each group of three carrying a long spear, made of iron, silver, and gold.

The spears were intricately carved, giving them an ancient yet luxurious appearance. Meng Hao raised his right hand, and the iron spear flew into his hand. This scene, witnessed by Li Dafu and the servants, made them gasp in shock, their eyes filled with amazement.

The iron spear was extremely heavy, and Meng Hao's ability to move it as if it were weightless was even more astonishing.

Li Dafu's body trembled, his eyes shining brightly. He had already suspected that Meng Hao was no ordinary person, so even though he was skeptical, he had the spears made as requested. Now, he was certain that Meng Hao was not an ordinary person.

Meng Hao nodded, then tried the silver and gold spears, and with a flick of his sleeve, placed all three spears into his storage bag. This action caused a series of thuds as the servants, shocked, immediately knelt down.