41: Navigating the Jianghu Requires...

Chapter 41: Navigating the Jianghu Requires...

The fragrance of the cottonseed oil pastry wafted over from afar, and Li Hao could tell it was made by Uncle Liu himself.

Though Uncle Liu was merely a small vendor, his deep-fried pastries were unmatched. His ability to maintain a stall on the busiest street outside the God General's Mansion for years attested to his skill.

At the edge of the square, when Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao arrived, they noticed significantly fewer youths than before, all heading toward the entrance steps of Tan Palace Academy. Still, many lingered around the various stalls, clearly from out-of-state, eager to sample the local delicacies while in Qingzhou.

Li Hao saw a long queue in front of Uncle Liu's stall, mostly women, alongside some servants lining up to buy for their masters.

Pulling Li Yuanzhao along, Li Hao lined up at the end of this long queue.

"Brother Hao, did you skip breakfast?"

Li Yuanzhao couldn't help but ask.

Li Hao nodded.

"Hold on, I'll go buy it for you."

Saying this, Li Yuanzhao shouted loudly to the front, "Uncle Liu, prepare two servings of breakfast for us!"

The voice was loud and drew the attention of those around, seeing the two young men dressed in fine clothes, their expensive attire marking them as sons of wealthy families.

Aunt Liu, busy taking money and serving customers at the stall, looked up at Li Yuanzhao's shout and saw that it was Young Master Li Hao at the back. She quickly smiled and relayed to her husband, who was busy working:

"It's Young Master Hao from the God General's Mansion. Quickly make two servings for him."

Old Liu, busy with work, looked up and, seeing the young man at the end, couldn't help but smile.

For small vendors like them, part of the lowest rungs of society, the nobility usually looked down on them with disdain and scorn.

But Young Master Hao treated them equally, without hesitation. Three years ago, he even sat on the ground in front of their stall, hawking goods for them. The scene had given the couple quite a fright, leaving them feeling flattered and impressed. Since then, they remembered this unique noble young master.

"You rascal..."

Li Hao intended to stop Li Yuanzhao, preferring to wait patiently. Seeing Aunt Liu smile at him, he reluctantly led Li Yuanzhao to quietly wait on the other side of the stall.

Nearby, some of the servants in line kept glancing over but dared not say anything.

However, the young women in line were less restrained, casting hostile looks and voicing their displeasure:

"Why can he cut in line? That's not fair!"

"Exactly!"

"Owner, you're being unfair!"

Hearing these accusations, Li Yuanzhao was about to mention the God General's Mansion to assert his identity but was stopped by Li Hao, who pressed his chest to hold back.

With things as they were, Li Hao could only step forward to resolve the issue, feeling somewhat helpless. He smiled at the chattering young women, then pulled a gold ingot from his pouch and handed it to the stall:

"Ladies, no need to be upset. Fairness can be bought. Here's five times the price."

Aunt Liu was flustered and tried to push the gold back into Li Hao's hand: "Young Master Hao, we can't accept this!"

"No need for change. Consider it for future orders," Li Hao said with a gentle smile, his eyes firm but friendly.

Small vendors are adept at reading situations, and Aunt Liu quickly understood and no longer refused.

Li Hao added, "Five portions, please, Uncle Liu."

"Oh, alright!" Uncle Liu quickly agreed.

Since even his wife wasn't arguing, he just had to get the work done.

The other young women in line were indignant at Li Hao's extravagance. They could afford five times the price for a pastry but didn't want to be taken for a fool.

Soon, with five servings of cottonseed oil pastries in hand, Li Hao handed one to Li Yuanzhao and left the crowd.

"That's a lot. Can you eat it all, Brother Hao?"

Li Yuanzhao asked, taking a bite of his own portion. "It's delicious! No wonder you like it!"

Li Hao smiled, returning to the carriage and handing a bag each to Qing Zhi and Li Fu, who were waiting behind the carriage.

"Young Master, aren't you going to the entrance steps?" Li Fu asked, surprised as he took the breakfast.

Li Hao replied, "Gotta fill up the belly first."

Li Fu was speechless, but after accompanying Li Hao for five or six years, he knew this young master's temperament and said nothing more. After all, they had an invitation.

Returning to the front of the carriage, Li Hao glanced at Ming Bo, seated on the carriage board. Though Ming Bo was from the Piaoxue Courtyard, he was always polite to him, so Li Hao casually handed him a portion.

"Thank you, Young Master Hao," Ming Bo accepted with both hands, standing up to express his gratitude.

He then voiced the same doubt as Li Fu, "Young Master Hao, haven't you gone to the entrance steps yet?"

"I'll go after eating," Li Hao replied.

Li Ming was slightly taken aback. Young Master Yun and Miss Zhi Ning had likely already entered the mountain gate, yet this Young Master Hao was still lingering at the foot of the mountain. Indeed, just as the rumors said, he was truly leisurely...

...

After filling his stomach, Li Hao took the now-impatient Li Yuanzhao, squeezed through the crowd, and arrived at the entrance steps.

Called steps, it was actually a long staircase.

It's said to have a thousand layers leading to the entrance of Tan Palace Academy.

This was also the first test of Tan Palace Academy.

Climbing a thousand steps wasn't difficult, but on the other side of the steps, near the woods, were numerous figures of monkey demons leaping about.

Though they were demon creatures, they were tamed by Tan Palace Academy.

The challengers ascending the entrance steps would be attacked and disturbed by these monkey demons during the climb. If they couldn't reach the top within ten breaths, they'd fail the first test.

This test wasn't easy. Climbing required the power of the sixth or seventh level of the Tongli Realm, not to mention avoiding the sudden attacks of the monkey demons, which further tested eyesight and agility.

"Miss, this test seems a bit difficult!"

In the crowd, a maid holding an umbrella spoke nervously to the white-clothed girl beside her.

"It's not difficult at all. Such a small test can't trouble me."

Si Xiaolan's expression was calm, but her eyes were scanning the crowd. "Compared to this test, there are quite a few strong opponents among these people..."

With her exceptional insight, she spotted many noble families as she glanced around.

Among them, some had higher status than the Si family, while others were slightly inferior.

"Miss, those two over there seem to be young masters from the God General's Mansion," the maid said, looking around and pointing to the left.

Si Xiaolan looked up, recognized the sleeve patterns, and nodded slightly, "That's right."

At that moment, as she glanced over, the two were about to register and enter.

Si Xiaolan was intrigued and stepped forward to register together.

"What of the God General's Mansion? I've heard that the Li family are all true dragons. I want to see how much better they are than me," Si Xiaolan thought, her eyes shining with a stubborn determination.

"Age, birthplace, name."

"Jizhou, Si family."

In front of the registrar, Si Xiaolan only gave her family name. This first test's registration was casual. Sure enough, upon hearing the name Si family, the registrar glanced at her and nodded:

"Go ahead. You know the rules, right? Just reach the top within ten breaths, whatever it takes."

"Ten breaths? That's too long," said another well-dressed youth nearby.

Si Xiaolan glanced over and recognized him as a descendant of another notable family, making her eyes light up even more.

"Miss, they're all from notable families. Should we wait for the next group..." the maid hesitated nervously, tugging at the girl's sleeve.

"What are you afraid of?"

Si Xiaolan's eyes sparkled with determination. "Navigating the Jianghu isn't about family name but true skill!"

Saying this, she told the maid to wait obediently and followed the others into the field.

She wanted to make a secret comparison.

"Get ready," said an elder in a meditative state, lifting his eyelids slightly.

Everyone began adjusting their breathing and stretching their joints.

"Yuanzhao, do your best," Li Hao smiled encouragingly at Li Yuanzhao.

This kid insisted on passing the test by his own ability, and he couldn't argue.

"Yeah!"

Li Yuanzhao nodded emphatically.

The others glanced at Li Hao, finding his words strange but thinking little of it.

Then, at the elder's command, more than ten people started at once!

Whoosh!

A gust of wind suddenly picked up nearby. Li Yuanzhao's figure shot forward like a cannonball, leaving a dent where he stood.

In the blink of an eye, he had scaled a hundred steps, then took another step forward, like a hurricane, quickly reaching the top!

It took only three breaths.

Li Hao knew that this wasn't even Li Yuanzhao's full power at the Perfection of the Zhou Tian Realm.

When Si Xiaolan saw Li Yuanzhao's burst of speed, her beautiful eyes contracted slightly. She then erupted with power, turning into a white light, quickly catching up, but was soon left behind.

A monkey demon suddenly attacked, but she was prepared and gracefully dodged like a butterfly. A few strides later, she reached the top.

She calculated it took seven breaths.

Almost simultaneously, others arrived.

After ten breaths, only seven out of twelve passed.

Those standing on the mountaintop had complex expressions, looking at the short, plump, unremarkable guy with awe.

The speed Li Yuanzhao displayed earlier was terrifying. The gale from his movement alone was as fierce as a tiger's roar.

Is this the God General's Mansion's prodigy? The gap is enormous.

Si Xiaolan's eyes were grave, constantly examining the slightly younger, chubby boy, feeling deeply frustrated.

Then someone noticed only one of the God General's Mansion's pair had reached the top.

Turning back, they were stunned to see a figure leisurely strolling up the steps.

Meanwhile, the monkey demons didn't attack him.

"Brother Hao."

Li Yuanzhao turned around, waving.

Soon, Li Hao reached the top, smiling at Li Yuanzhao.

"Is he considered to have passed?" someone questioned incredulously.

"Ten breaths have long passed, haven't they?"

People were puzzled and doubtful.

At the top, an elder verifying the contestants heard their discussion and said calmly, "You've all passed. Proceed to the second test. But be warned, you could lose your life there. If you want to quit, feel free. Other noble families are recruiting, too."

His words were irrefutable, conveying confidence.

"Is he considered to have passed?" Si Xiaolan frowned, pointing at Li Hao.

"Of course, he has an invitation," the elder replied calmly.

"Invitation?"

"Tan Palace Academy has invitations?"

Everyone was stunned, shocked at this revelation.

While they competed, someone had a boat ticket, personally given by Tan Palace Academy!

Li Hao smiled at the upright, white-clad young girl, teasingly showing his invitation before moving on.

Si Xiaolan was dumbfounded for a moment, recalling her earlier statement about navigating the Jianghu with skill... Skill, my foot! He relied on connections!

Thinking of Li Hao's smug expression, she stomped her foot angrily, then gritted her teeth and followed.

...

Before long, they reached the second test.

Not far from the mountaintop was a cliff, with chains fixed into the rocks, connecting the opposite side.

Each chain was widely spaced, meaning only one could stand on a chain.

A thousand-foot cliff, walking on a single chain?

Some hesitated, considering retreat.

Si Xiaolan's eyes narrowed, her palms slightly sweating. She glanced at the two noble figures ahead.

Here, they can't rely on invitations, right?

She inwardly scoffed.