The distance between a boy and a man is often just a single step.
The strength that helps a boy take that step can come from family responsibilities or emotional setbacks.
Of course, it can also come from the trials and tribulations of the outside world.
After sensing the impending crisis, the two brothers, Cao Tianlong and Cao Dilong, finally understood the importance of power and took the initiative to tell Li Chang’an they wanted to learn Martial Arts.
Li Chang’an, for his part, welcomed all comers.
He not only taught the brothers Cao Tianlong and Cao Dilong, but also began recruiting homeless beggar children throughout Chun’an County to teach them martial arts.
...
The news that Martial Champion Scholar Cao Shu was dead and that the Martial Champion’s Mansion had a new master soon spread throughout the area around Chun’an County.
When the major families in the surrounding counties heard that the one who inherited the estate of the Martial Champion’s Mansion was a child who had just turned six, many of them started getting ideas.
But Li Chang’an was a veritable god of death.
How could he possibly be someone to trifle with?
Anyone who dared to reach their greedy hands toward the Martial Champion’s Mansion was swiftly and decisively cut to pieces by him.
After several of these bloody lessons, the surrounding families finally learned to behave and no longer dared to send anyone to test the waters.
[Ding! You have successfully Defied Fate!]
[At six years old, you have ’taken up your father’s mantle’ by inheriting the estate of Martial Champion Scholar Cao Shu. You have begun gathering disciples and widely promoting the Martial Dao!]
[Rebirth evaluation has increased. You have received an additional 10,000 Rebirth Points!]
...
Perhaps it was because his recent exploits had earned him some recognition, or perhaps for some other reason entirely.
A few months later, the Li Yang Imperial Court sent someone to deliver an official document. First, it posthumously granted an official position to Cao Shu, the nominal Martial Champion Scholar. Then, it bestowed the title of ’Lady’ upon his wife, Zhang Xiang.
Finally, it included a letter addressed to Li Chang’an, inviting him to participate in the Li Yang Imperial Court’s Martial Arts Examination in September and informing him that he had already been registered.
After receiving the letter, Li Chang’an was completely baffled.
The invitation was stamped with the exclusive seal of the Li Yang Imperial Family.
To make sure he wasn’t mistaken, Li Chang’an had his steward, Li Guisan, check it several times.
After discussing it, they were astonished to realize that the seal not only belonged to the Imperial Family, but had most likely come directly from the current Empress Liyang, Su Ying.
Squeezing the faintly fragrant letter, he wondered, ’Why would Empress Liyang go to such lengths to send me an invitation to the Martial Arts Examination? What is she planning?’
After a long moment of thought, Li Chang’an felt a slight stir in his heart and muttered to himself, ’Is she hinting that I should pledge allegiance to the Imperial Court? No, that’s not right. It isn’t a hint. By inheriting the Martial Champion Scholar’s mantle, I’ve already chosen to align with the Li Yang Imperial Court in the eyes of the world.’
After much consideration, Li Chang’an concluded this was the only explanation that made any sense.
He just couldn’t figure out how the Empress had singled him out from the vast sea of people, much less why she admired him enough to personally write a letter inviting him to the Martial Arts Examination.
None of that really mattered, though.
What mattered was how to proceed.
According to his pre-ordained fate, a Cultivator would appear right on schedule in the year he turned forty.
To avoid being killed by this Cultivator—and to be able to kill them in turn and torture them for their miraculous Cultivation Techniques—Li Chang’an had to increase his strength as quickly as possible.
But just increasing his own strength wasn’t enough insurance.
He had to build an extremely powerful faction, one strong enough to unite the entire Jianghu and help him capture that damned Cultivator.
Originally, Li Chang’an had planned to painstakingly cultivate his own faction, then gradually take over the Jianghu and rule the world.
After all, only a faction he had built from the ground up could be considered truly trustworthy, known inside and out.
But on second thought, he only had forty years. Even if one out of every ten disciples he trained proved capable, he would, at most, be able to produce a hundred or so combat-ready disciples in that time.
Would that be enough manpower?
For other tasks, probably.
But to deal with a Cultivator? It was almost certainly not enough. Not by a long shot.
This meant Li Chang’an’s time management needed to be even more precise. He had to pursue a multi-pronged approach: not only must he cultivate his own followers, but he also needed to broaden his channels to recruit talent from all over the world.
With that in mind, joining the Li Yang Imperial Court seemed like an excellent option.
The Demon Sect and the Buddhist Sect might seem more suitable at first glance.
But Li Chang’an disliked the way both of those Sects operated.
Even setting aside his personal preferences, if he were to join the Demon Sect or the Buddhist Sect, he would have to waste a significant amount of time just earning their respect.
The Buddhist and Demon Sects were too powerful right now, and their internal factions were constantly at odds with one another.
The infighting for power and influence was severe.
The Li Yang Imperial Court, on the other hand, was currently in decline. But it was, at least in name, still the ruler of the land. That nominal authority alone could save Li Chang’an a great deal of unnecessary effort.
In other words, the Li Yang Imperial Court was indeed an excellent stage for Li Chang’an.
With this thought, Li Chang’an tucked the letter into his pocket, his decision made.
...
The Martial Arts Examination was set to begin in September.
That left a little over a month.
Li Chang’an used this time to return to his old home. After practicing the Martial Arts Techniques he had provided, the guards at the Tian Family Manor had all grown considerably stronger.
Even Tian Fugui himself had been carrying himself with much more confidence lately.
Upon seeing Li Chang’an, Tian Fugui chuckled and asked, "Chang’an, how are your studies going in the county town?"