The Name of Eternals

Chapter 168: Planting Flags Five Thousand Miles Away

Seeing Li Hao immediately recognize his identity, the boy's expression shifted slightly.

He took a cautious glance at the peaceful-looking young man before him, finding it hard to reconcile this image with the fierce figure he had witnessed outside the pass. Yet he knew that any misstep now could cost him his life.

"Greetings, Major General."

He bowed respectfully, his voice trembling as he spoke: "I have been sent on a mission. You recently destroyed the palaces and lairs of three demon kings outside the pass. They have asked the Tianji Hall to inquire about how you intend to compensate them."

"Compensate?"

Li Hao looked at him with some surprise. "What kind of compensation are they asking for?"

"They hope you can apologize and ensure that there will be no further incursions. If you agree, they will guarantee that Tianmen Pass remains peaceful for the next three years, allowing you to guard it without issue."

The boy's voice was respectful, but he trembled slightly.

Li Hao narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. "They even know I'll be guarding this place for three years. It seems they are well-informed. In that case, tell them the compensation is here. They can take whatever they want, but they must come in person."

"This..."

The boy looked troubled. "Major General, we are trying to negotiate. Please do not be angry. Surely you don't intend to stay at Tianmen Pass forever? I advise you to reconsider."

"Hmm?"

Li Hao's gaze suddenly bore down on him with a pressure that felt like a thousand pounds, making the boy's feathers rise as he nearly reverted to his original form.

His body bowed, kneeling on the ground.

"Mercy, Major General, mercy..."

The boy's beak protruded as he pleaded urgently.

Li Hao retracted his gaze and said calmly, "I've already said my piece. If they want compensation, they must come in person. They should know how I leveled their lairs."

The boy, still trembling, said, "We told them, but they were very angry..."

Li Hao interrupted him. "Or maybe your real purpose here is to test my patience or something else?"

The boy's heart skipped a beat, nearly screaming in fear, but he forced a smile and said, "How could that be? Although we at Tianji Hall are a demonic force, we never participate in wars and have some cooperation with humans. We are merely messengers."

"Oh, then tell me, who do you cooperate with among humans?"

"That... I do not know. My rank is too low..." The boy shivered.

Li Hao, tired of playing games with such a minor character, coldly said, "Get lost."

"Yes, thank you, Major General, for sparing my life..."

The boy felt the oppressive force lift and hurriedly got up to leave.

"Wait."

Li Hao called out, "Leaving empty-handed? Qianqian, give him my military flag."

Ren Qianqian, who had been listening intently, was startled but quickly fetched a military flag from the side of the courtyard and handed it to the boy.

The boy took it, confused and anxious.

"Take my flag back to your demon territory and plant it on the furthest mountain I reached. Your Tianji Hall should know which mountain that is."

Li Hao's eyes were cold as he stared at the boy. "When I patrol next time, if I see my flag fallen or damaged, I will cleanse the entire area outside the pass again and expand the range!"

"Also, your Tianji Hall should be careful when dealing with me in the future."

Feeling Li Hao's undisguised killing intent, the boy trembled violently.

He was being ordered to plant the flag of this young man in demon territory? And it couldn't be damaged?

Li Hao had pushed five thousand miles into the demon lands, deep within their territory! Now he was demanding his flag be placed in plain sight of the demons, a blatant insult and warning.

Dominant, arrogant, overbearing!

To the boy, the previously gentle and refined young man had transformed into a fearsome war god, instilling terror and submission.

"I... I understand."

The boy, trembling, agreed.

He knew the only way he would leave this courtyard alive was to complete this task; otherwise, he wouldn't make it out.

As the boy shakily left, Ren Qianqian approached, her face full of shock.

"Young Master, did you really level the lairs of the demon kings outside the pass?"

Li Hao nodded slightly, smiling at her stunned expression. "Train hard, and you'll be able to do the same one day."

Ren Qianqian's heart pounded, and she smiled wryly. She had only ever aimed to surpass masters.

Demon kings... those were beings of the Four Unyielding Realm.

However, Li Hao's words seemed to open a door to a broader world in her mind.

Her eyes sparkled with newfound determination.

Just as she turned to practice her sword, Li Hao called her back, asking her to fetch some paper and ink for a letter.

Ren Qianqian obediently fetched the materials, puzzled. "Young Master, who is this letter for?"

"For the military governor in Liangzhou," Li Hao replied.

"Ah?" Ren Qianqian was confused. Li Hao didn't seem to have a close relationship with that side.

"This visit from the Tianji Hall demons is likely a probe."

As he wrote, Li Hao said, "It's not about the demon kings seeking compensation. If their intelligence is accurate, the demon kings wouldn't dare mention it, let alone make threats. I believe the bird demon's visit was to test my resolve or see if I'll stay here for three years..."

Considering his fifth uncle's earlier warnings, Li Hao had his suspicions. It might just be his caution, but it was better to be safe.

Ren Qianqian's eyes widened. The implications of Li Hao's words were huge, and she struggled to process it all.

She grasped one thing, though: the demon kings didn't dare demand compensation from Li Hao?

What had he done outside the pass?

Li Hao quickly finished the letter and handed it to Ren Qianqian, asking her to deliver it to Li Hongzhuang for dispatch to his fifth uncle, Li Xuanli.

With that done, he returned to his artwork.

...

The boy flew out of the new border city under the watchful eyes of soldiers and warriors, then sped into the sky.

He accelerated through the clouds, only slowing down when he reached seven or eight hundred miles away, where a few birds awaited.

"Why did you bring back a military flag?"

One red bird transformed into a girl in a red dress, recognizing the flag as Li Hao's. She couldn't help but feel perplexed.

The boy nearly choked. "Bring back? I didn't steal it. He forced it on me."

"Why?"

"He wants me to plant it on the mountain he leveled and keep it from being damaged. Otherwise, he'll cleanse the pass area again and expand the range."

The girl in the red dress and the other birds were taken aback by such audacity.

"What about the probing? How did it go?"

The girl glanced at the pass before questioning.

"That boy is too shrewd. I barely hinted, and he almost caught on."

Recalling the encounter, the boy shivered. "From what I gathered, he indeed has no plans to leave Tianmen Pass. The agreement is real."

The girl frowned and listened to the full account. Her frown deepened.

"This boy is a major threat. The Dragon Gate and Sacred Palace must be informed. Such a danger must be eliminated."

"Indeed."

The boy agreed.

"But given the situation, he likely won't leave Tianmen Pass to participate in the Liangzhou war. Once the Dragon Gate elder emerges, he can deal with him."

The girl said, looking at the flag. "Go, plant it and inform the surrounding demons to avoid that mountain for now."

"Alright."

The birds flew further away.

...

Western Liangzhou. A blood eagle arrived at the camp, delivering a letter to Li Xuanli from his younger sister.

"Xiaomei's letter?"

Li Xuanli was surprised. He had just sent a letter to Tianmen Pass and already received a reply.

During these times, frequent correspondence was risky, potentially intercepted.

He quickly read the letter, his expression growing serious.

"Demons planning to attack Liangzhou?"

"How does Hao'er know?"

Seeing that the letter was from the young Li Hao, Li Xuanli was surprised and puzzled.

The letter only mentioned speculation, advising vigilance.

Considering the recent demon retreat, Li Xuanli felt a chill. Could the retreat be a feint?

He put away the letter and immediately ordered his subordinates to monitor the area more closely, sending scouts further out.

...

Time flew by.

At Tianmen Pass, Cangya City.

Shortly after the bird boy left, Li Hao ventured outside the pass again, clearing any demons in the areas he had previously scoured.

Reaching the furthest mountain, he saw his flag intact, with no demons around and birds secretly watching. Satisfied, he patrolled from east to west.

Wherever he went, Tianji Hall mobilized demons to avoid him.

Demons abandoned their newly built lairs, fleeing until the boy passed before returning slowly.

This constant fear wore on the demons, and some chose to leave, seeking peace elsewhere.

With the area secure, Li Hao instructed his subordinates to use their networks to find artists, inviting them to Cangya City.

During this time, Li Hao cooked the demon corpses, feeding the soldiers and gaining rapid cooking experience.

At the seventh stage, advancing to the eighth required 500,000 experience points.

Each Four Unyielding Realm demon provided 30,000-40,000 points, a significant boost initially but only a fraction now.

Drawing these demon corpses also boosted his art skills to the sixth stage, nearing the seventh.

Before advancing his art, Li Hao decided to master a new skill to break through his movement limit, aiming to enhance his speed to rival the swiftest Four Unyielding Realm demons.

Sending the materials from the demon bodies and the Dragon Roar Sword to the Wanqi Pavilion for reforging, Li Hao left his name.

The semi-official Wanqi Pavilion dared not misappropriate his items.

The star official's formation was tested twice more, each time with Li Hao easily overpowering the five demon souls.

After thorough inspection, the star official concluded the issue was Li Hao's overwhelming strength, not the formation.

For this, the star official and his students were speechless. They had meticulously examined the formation, only to realize the issue was Li Hao's extraordinary power.

No one expected a fourteen-year-old boy to possess strength surpassing most demon kings.

Leaving with his students, the star official felt a mix of frustration and excitement. Li Hao's potential signaled the future rise of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, possibly producing a new war god.

As they left, Xia Xianglan, lingering, said to Li Hao, "Will you stay here?"

"Once there are no more demon threats, I'll leave."

Li Hao smiled.

Xia Xianglan nodded, then invited him to visit the Xia family, a part of the Divine General's family.

Li Hao shook his head. "I'm just a wanderer."

"But you..."

Xia Xianglan wanted to say more but was called away by the star official.

Li Hao escorted them to the Longguan Road before returning.

In his leisure time, the border became peaceful, and the city grew more prosperous.

Trade caravans and merchant guilds spread the word, attracting more people to Cangya City.

With increasing visitors, the city became a bustling hub.

Settlers built homes and businesses, avoiding transport costs by selling goods at higher prices, still affordable.

The city's growth attracted travelers and renowned heroes eager to see the frontier.

Li Hao, in his quiet courtyard, remained undisturbed.

Choosing music for his heart, he practiced daily, sometimes sitting on snowy mountains, listening to the sounds of spring—melting snow.

As the snow melted, the black soil underneath revealed fresh green sprouts.

During his musical practice, artists invited by his subordinates arrived, joining him in playing music, painting, and discussing art, resembling a leisurely aristocrat.

The border warriors, knowing his extraordinary talent, admired him.

Even Li Hongzhuang, surprised by his leisurely demeanor, didn't interfere, respecting his proven results.

These artists, initially thinking he was seeking connections, were astounded by his insightful questions, gaining deep respect for the young man.

They admired his power but found joy in intellectual discussions, appreciating his knowledge and passion.

Some artists gifted him treasured works and chess manuals, offering clues to other valuable pieces.

Li Hao noted these, planning to seek them later.

Time passed, and the snow melted.

Spring arrived.