10. Attributes of the Myriad Forms

Chapter 10: Attributes of the Myriad Forms

Li Hao pondered whether if he were to undergo bone measuring again, the results would be different.

But there was only one chance, and no one believed that the old Taoist from Qingqiu Mountain would make a mistake.

Since the day the bone measuring ended, he could clearly feel the liveliness in the Shanhe Courtyard decreasing. In the past, the mistresses of various courtyards often brought their children to play with him or invited him to have some cakes and fresh fruits, tributes from the border regions or foreign countries, and let their children play with Li Hao to establish a close relationship from a young age.

But now, two months later, only the First Lady, the Fifth Mistress, and the young Ninth Mistress came to see him.

After confirming he was fine, they didn't come again.

However, he occasionally received fruits, pears, and pastries sent from the Changchun Courtyard.

Now that winter had arrived, he even received two sets of short cotton pants and jackets sewn from fine animal fur, as well as a scarf.

Li Hao draped the scarf around the little girl's neck.

...

The next day.

At the break of dawn, Lin Haixia was already in the courtyard practicing swordsmanship with Bian Ruxue.

Previously, at the weapon rack, Lin Haixia had the child choose various weapons and test her weapon talent by practicing each. Bian Ruxue ultimately chose the sword.

And through practice, Lin Haixia found that she indeed had talent for swordsmanship, so he taught her earnestly, sometimes strictly.

At noon, Li Hao finally woke up. He was not yet six years old and didn't need to adhere to family rules that required morning greetings to the First Lady at the Changchun Courtyard, allowing him to sleep in comfortably.

Seeing the small figure practicing diligently in the courtyard, Li Hao shook his head slightly, feeling pity for her. He then washed up, ate breakfast, and routinely called for the two servants who could play chess to set up the board in the pavilion.

Before long, the game ended, but Li Hao realized he hadn't received a notification of increased experience points, which puzzled him.

Then he saw words appear before his eyes:

{Third Stage of Chess: You need a chess heart to continue improving.}

A chess heart?

Li Hao was confused.

As if sensing his thoughts, the words gradually disappeared, only to reappear with an explanation:

[To cultivate a chess heart, one must be devoted to chess and love it wholeheartedly.]

A very straightforward explanation.

Li Hao was surprised he could interact with these words.

Hello?

The words vanished.

Li Hao tried calling them a few more times, but there was no response. He didn't dwell on it and instead pondered what it meant to be devoted to chess.

Did he need to cultivate a chess heart to gain experience points?

In the God General's Mansion, Li Hao had heard of sword hearts, spear hearts, and even the saying "a sharp tongue with a soft heart," but he had never heard of a chess heart.

It made sense, as chess and other minor arts were considered trivial in the God General's Mansion.

However, the chess heart was probably similar to the sword heart, right?

He recalled the chats of the mistresses who carried him, talking about some young man who practiced swordsmanship every day since childhood, even holding a sword while eating and sleeping, and how he advanced rapidly after condensing a sword heart.

So, do I need to do the same to condense a chess heart?

But does Li Hao like chess?

In his previous life, he only knew a little about it, and just a little.

Who seriously loves chess?

Playing cards is more fun than playing chess.

Work was tiring enough, who had time for such brain-draining activities?

Unless it was for novelty, to occasionally switch up the entertainment.

Even with the panel providing experience points for chess, Li Hao only regarded it as a tool to farm art skill points. Truly loving it, being devoted to it, was difficult.

Li Hao, slightly skeptical, had a servant play another game with him.

Then he accepted reality.

This left Li Hao somewhat troubled, his little face scrunched up. Just as he was enjoying the sweet fruits of cultivation, he was told he couldn't gain chess experience anymore. How could this be?

Does it mean I have to carry a chessboard everywhere?

But without experience points, what's the point?

Should I switch to practicing other arts?

Yet I wonder what the chess heart is good for. I should ponder it more.

In the following days, Li Hao moved the chessboard to his bed, laying a blanket over it and using it as a pillow.

While eating, he placed the chessboard beside him like an offering to Buddha.

However, this kind of formalism seemed to have no effect.

Li Hao stopped asking the servants to play chess with him and would just watch the little girl practice swordsmanship or go to the Listening Rain Tower to browse books.

One day, while flipping through books in the Listening Rain Tower, Li Hao found several pages of chess records in one of them, which surprised him.

The book recorded anecdotes of a famous figure from hundreds of years ago who was insulted as a youth and later sought revenge against an enemy who had abandoned martial arts for chess.

The famous figure had said that when seeking revenge, he would utterly crush his opponent and then kill them.

However, the enemy, having learned chess for years, challenged him to a match on the spot.

The great man lost miserably, and being obstinate, he truly didn't kill the enemy right away.

However, he did massacre the enemy's entire family, sparing no women or children, leaving only the enemy and vowing to return.

Yet, he never managed to solve that chess problem until his death.

After reading, Li Hao couldn't help but laugh.

It seems that enemy knew the great man very well, realizing that while he couldn't compare in martial arts talent, he was clever enough to avoid a fatal outcome through chess.

Suddenly, Li Hao found chess to be somewhat interesting.

No wonder the Li family, even he, in this martial world, deep down thought chess was just a trivial entertainment, insignificant.

But now, his thoughts shifted slightly.

{Detecting chess record 'Myriad Forms', would you like to record it?}

Words appeared before him.

Li Hao was surprised and suddenly remembered the panel had a section for recording chess diagrams.

Clearly, he hadn't been interested in chess, merely using it as a tool for experience points. Over five years, he hadn't recorded a single chess diagram.

Now, he felt a bit ashamed.

Li Hao immediately chose yes.

Soon, the panel had an additional entry, a chess record named Myriad Forms.

Moreover, there was a prompt that said it could be embedded.

Li Hao was puzzled and tried to embed it.

A line of text appeared:

{Please choose an embedding target: Physical Body Path, Swordsmanship.}

Li Hao was surprised. What did this mean?

He thought for a moment and chose the Physical Body Path.

Just beginning cultivation, having experienced the surge of power throughout his body, he had grown fond of the Physical Body Path.

[Embedding successful.]

At this moment, Li Hao suddenly felt a complex surge of information wash over him.

This sensation was familiar, and moments later, he had digested it. Li Hao checked his panel:

Physical Body Path: First Stage (Myriad Forms)

And the fragmented information in his mind told him what had happened.

Myriad Forms: It places the target amidst the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth, making them undetectable, able to conceal all energy and presence.

Li Hao slightly activated it, and his entire aura instantly retracted. The surging strength and energy within him seemed to contract into countless pores and cells, becoming unobservable.

"A special attribute?"

Li Hao was astonished, not expecting a chess record to have such an effect. It was incredible.

With his second-level chess ability, he could somewhat understand the chess record, containing grand formations within small formations, step-by-step traps and pitfalls. No wonder that great man couldn't solve it his entire life.

However, embedding the chess record into the Physical Body Path gave it a similar attribute.

Had he chosen to embed it into swordsmanship, would his sword techniques gain some sort of confusing effect, making the true killing move undetectable?

Combined with the brilliantly extravagant Tidal Sword Technique, it would be even more dazzling.

Li Hao glanced at the panel, and the embedding option behind the Myriad Forms chess record had disappeared, meaning only one choice could be made.

Nonetheless, it opened a new world to him. It seemed chess records were the way to go!

If he could collect other kinds of chess records, wouldn't he be able to attach various special buffs to his attacks?

Excited, Li Hao eagerly searched the building.

But while the Listening Rain Tower was a sacred place for martial artists worldwide, it wasn't a sanctuary for chess players. After several days, Li Hao found only three chess records, with one even used as a bookstand.

Flying Segment, Hidden Bow, and Tiger Pressure.

Having obtained the three chess records, Li Hao studied them and inferred their attributes, embedding Flying Segment and Hidden Bow into swordsmanship.

Tiger Pressure was embedded into the Physical Body Path.

Flying Segment: Doubles attack range, allowing long-distance strikes.

Hidden Bow: Hides the killing move, allowing a one-step execution.

Tiger Pressure: Slightly increases strength, with intimidation effects.

The three chess records significantly boosted Li Hao's capabilities.

Regrettably, though the God General's Mansion had everything, being a martial family, it didn't habitually collect chess records.

Returning to the courtyard, Li Hao could only have his servants seek chess records outside, but they hesitated, unwilling to assist the young master in "straying further down the wrong path."

Helpless, Li Hao resorted to heavy rewards for motivation.

In the following days, while awaiting chess records, Li Hao also began pondering chess.

He removed the blanket from the chessboard by his bed and put it back, taking down the board from the dining table. Occasionally, he'd wander the courtyard or watch the little girl practice swordsmanship.

Perhaps due to losing her parents young and experiencing hardships, the little girl was incredibly diligent, making great strides in swordsmanship under Lin Haixia's tutelage.

"No, this move isn't right."

During swordsmanship instruction, Lin Haixia displayed the stern side of a military officer, satisfied as he was with Bian Ruxue's talent, still critiquing mistakes harshly.

The little girl held back tears, stubbornly practicing again and again.

Watching this, Li Hao shook his head in exasperation. Lin Haixia was a good person, but not necessarily good at teaching according to talent.

With harshness, the little girl's sword stance was becoming distorted.

At night, seeing the little one still practicing alone in the courtyard, Li Hao called her over.

"This stance isn't right, bend your arm a bit more, yes, like this. Don't keep your waist too stiff…"

With no one around, Li Hao privately tutored the little girl, guiding her hand by hand.

Bian Ruxue wasn't dumb and indeed had talent for swordsmanship. Under Li Hao's guidance, her stance quickly became accurate, with a hint of sword rhythm.

"Brother Hao, you know swordsmanship too?" The little girl asked excitedly after practicing, "Can we practice together tomorrow?"

"Don't say nonsense, I don't want to get up early."

Li Hao was startled, quickly denying.

"Uncle Lin would be happy to know you know swordsmanship," Bian Ruxue said hopefully. Though she didn't understand much, she sensed the elders seemed disappointed in Li Hao.

The diligent girl held a grudge in her heart, thinking that while others said Brother Hao couldn't, she thought he was smart.

"I really don't know swordsmanship, don't spread it around." Li Hao urged quickly. Little girl, don't repay kindness with betrayal and ruin my good sleep; I'd cry.

Bian Ruxue asked confusedly, "But you clearly…"

"Go to sleep, go to sleep." Li Hao rolled his eyes, shooing the girl away, reminding her to keep quiet.

The next day.

In the courtyard, Lin Haixia widened his eyes, watching Bian Ruxue practice her sword moves.