Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 2 - 2 Compilation of Swordsmanship

Chapter 2: Compilation of Swordsmanship

Translator: 549690339

[Name: Li Hao]

[Age: 0 years old]

[Cultivation Level: Mortal]

[Mastered Artistic Skills: None]

[Skill Points: 0]

Floating before him, these transparent lines of text formed a character status screen that Li Hao recognized instantly.

His familiarity stemmed from having encountered this exact interface in his previous life.

It wasn't something from the real world, but rather a feature from a video game.

Before his reincarnation, Li Hao had downloaded a simple mobile game from a popular app store out of boredom, and this display was a direct copy of that game’s character panel.

Now, however, a new attribute titled “Cultivation Level” had been integrated.

Furthermore, the name and age sections had been updated to reflect his current reality, replacing his old, permanent gaming handle: “Past With the Wind.”

The “Skill Points” listed at the bottom were also deeply familiar to him.

In contrast to mainstream RPGs or gacha games that demanded endless grinding, the primary appeal of that game was its casual, low-stress nature.

The game lacked a combat system or battle gear; instead, it focused on extravagant fashion and various artistic or leisure pursuits.

Activities included things like chess, fishing, painting, and wood carving.

One could even engage in watching films or playing poker.

It was strictly wholesome entertainment.

The only missing element was monsters; there was no way to engage in combat.

By refining different arts, one would earn “Skill Points,” which could then be used to immediately level up artistic proficiency and unlock further content.

He never expected that this system would follow him into his new life after crossing over.

Hold on a moment.

Was this thing seriously expecting him to become a professional lifestyle master just like in the game?!

Li Hao felt a wave of shock and disbelief wash over him.

In a world of immortals and Qi, what possible use could there be for mere arts!

I need to be able to fight!

…

…

“Report——”

While Li Hao was lost in his shock over the interface, a piercing military shout suddenly echoed from beyond the courtyard walls.

An elite soldier of the Li Family burst into the garden, instantly shattering the calm and celebratory mood. He dropped to one knee before the Lord of Fazi Camp and delivered an urgent message:

“My Lord, Northern Yan has fallen into chaos! Prince Pingcheng has conspired with demons to massacre Mofeng City on the border, along with the eight surrounding towns. Emperor Yu has released an imperial decree, commanding you to depart at once to suppress the uprising!”

The eyes of every influential figure and noble lady in the courtyard immediately snapped toward the Lord of Fazi Camp, their faces reflecting a mix of emotions.

Li Hao snapped back to reality, feeling stunned.

Only a few months had passed, and yet another war had already broken out?

The warmth vanished from the Lord of Fazi Camp’s expression, replaced by a chilling aura of lethal intent. His eyes flashed like cold lightning as he looked down at the soldier, slowly rising to his feet.

Sensing the weight of the moment, he glanced toward Li Hao’s position, his eyes meeting those of his wife.

The bloodlust in the man's gaze softened instantly, replaced by a look of sorrow. “Qingqing, please stay and celebrate Hao Er’s hundred-day feast. I shall return as quickly as possible.”

Ji Qingqing’s complexion paled slightly as she handed Li Hao over to the Fifth Lady standing nearby. As she gazed at the infant in his swaddling clothes, she had a brief sensation that the child was looking back at her with genuine understanding and a trace of sadness in his eyes.

She dismissed it as a trick of the mind; the boy was only months old, so how could he possibly grasp the concept of farewell?

“Mother will return soon, so you must be a good boy,” Ji Qingqing whispered, gently stroking Li Hao’s brow, her own eyes brimming with reluctance.

Despite her feelings, she walked firmly toward the Lord of Fazi Camp. “This mission is riddled with peril; I am coming with you!”

The Lord of Fazi Camp shook his head immediately. “You must remain here to look after Hao Er. He is still an infant and requires your presence.”

“I hold the rank of a senior general in the military. When the commander deploys, how can I remain behind?”

Ji Qingqing’s expression turned solemn. “Prince Pingcheng is a devious man who has hidden his ambitions for years. This sudden move suggests a deeper plot; it is better if I am by your side.”

Looking into her eyes, the Lord of Fazi Camp recognized his wife’s unyielding nature. He sighed and stopped trying to convince her. “Very well. Ladies, sisters, please look after Hao Er in our absence; we shall return as soon as we can.”

“Please, exercise extreme caution.”

The Lady of the House stepped forward, her face clouded with worry. “You may leave Hao Er in our care without a second thought.”

“My thanks, sister-in-law.”

The Lord of Fazi Camp gave a brief smile, then turned to bark orders. “Ready the horses! Elite soldiers of Fazi Camp, assemble and move out!”

Inside the General’s Manor, efficiency was paramount; they were a family forged in war. Within moments, the couple led a contingent of elite troops out of the gates, galloping through the night toward the Northern Yan frontier.

That region was the Li Family’s defensive responsibility, a place where they had spent years fighting against demons and rival forces.

This was precisely why Ji Qingqing insisted on going.

With so many eyes watching in the courtyard, she hadn't voiced her private concern: Why had Emperor Yu received word of the Northern Yan rebellion even before they did?

…

…

In the early winter, the first snow began to fall over Qingzhou City.

More than a year had elapsed since the hundred-day feast, making Li Hao a year and a half old.

His parents remained locked in combat on the Northern Yan front. Secret intelligence from the Li Family Army suggested the conflict had reached a stalemate and might drag on for a long time.

During this time.

The eighteen-month-old Li Hao stood by himself in the Mountain and River Courtyard. With his hands tucked behind his back like a miniature adult, he watched the heavy snowflakes drift down from the heavens.

He wondered how the woman who had become his mother was holding up in the northern wars.

The servants and maids nearby had long since grown used to the young master’s peculiar habits.

Though Li Hao was barely a toddler, his reputation as a child prodigy had already taken root within the Li Mansion.

From the moment he could make sounds at six months old, Li Hao had stopped wetting his bed entirely.

While other infants were screaming and crying, the young master was already using basic words like “eat” or “poo” to signal the wet nurses for his needs.

By the time he was one, while his peers were just finding their feet, Li Hao was already running about. He would point at characters in books, demanding the servants read to him so he could learn to recognize the script.

He was quiet, brilliant, and remarkably sensible—this was the image the household staff held of the young master.

“Second Lady, the young master is right here.”

A refined and noble woman entered the courtyard.

Upon seeing Li Hao standing alone in the snow-covered yard, the beautiful woman’s brows furrowed, and she immediately began to scold the staff. “Is this how you care for the young master? Do you intend for him to freeze to death in this storm?!”

The servants and maids trembled in fear, quickly dropping to their knees.

The head steward stammered nervously, “To answer the Second Lady... it was the young master’s wish to watch the snow. He specifically ordered us not to bother him...”

“The young master is but a child! Does that mean everything he says is law? If he told you to jump into a grave, would you do it?!”

Fuming, the Second Lady hurried to Li Hao’s side. She scooped him up into her arms and began brushing the accumulated snow from his head.

“Even if he wanted to see the snow, could you not have provided an umbrella? He is dressed so thinly; I think you all have a death wish!”

The servants were drenched in a cold sweat, hardly daring to draw breath.

“Second Mother, please don’t be angry with them. It was my choice to keep them away,” Li Hao interjected, feeling a bit bad for the staff.

Since his parents’ departure for Northern Yan, he had been cared for by the various ladies of the household in rotation; each treated him with immense kindness. The Second Lady, Liu Yue Rong, was generally gentle, but she was notoriously strict with the help. If he didn't speak up, the servants would surely face a harsh punishment.

Hearing Li Hao speak so clearly and logically, a light flickered in Liu Yue Rong’s eyes, followed by a soft huff.

“I shall let you off this once for Hao Er’s sake. If I see this again, I’ll make sure you experience the chill of the frozen lake yourselves!”

She then turned back to Li Hao, her face softening into a warm smile. “Hao Er, Second Mother is going to get you something delicious. And you—why didn't you wear more layers? Even with the Dragon’s Blood Jade gifted by Emperor Yu, you could still fall ill...”

Continuing her motherly lecture, she carried Li Hao out of the courtyard.

Li Hao, accustomed to the affection, simply relaxed in her embrace.

Shortly after, Liu Yue Rong brought him to the Shuihua Courtyard.

In the center of the yard, a boy of about four or five was practicing with a wooden sword. His movements were remarkably fluid and indicated a high level of skill.

This was Li Qianfeng, the Second Lady’s only son.

Despite his youth, the boy’s eyes were filled with an intense focus and grit.

Standing beside him was a sturdy, middle-aged man providing instruction and nodding in approval.

Li Hao recognized him as one of Li Qianfeng’s seven military instructors, specifically the one tasked with teaching him the Dao of the Sword.

Upon noticing the Second Lady, the man bowed deeply. His gaze briefly shifted to the child in her arms, knowing this was the "Kylin Child" praised by the Emperor. He suspected that once the boy's talent was tested, he might even surpass his current student, Li Qianfeng.

The boy practicing didn't let his mother’s arrival break his concentration; he remained entirely absorbed in his forms.

Liu Yue Rong didn't disturb him, giving the instructor a small nod before taking Li Hao to a nearby pavilion.

The table there was set with fine fruits and delicate pastries.

Liu Yue Rong sat with Li Hao, feeding him snacks while she watched her son train. Her eyes shone with pride, and she eventually became so mesmerized by the display that she forgot to keep feeding him.

“That is the Li Family’s premier sword technique, ‘Endless Sea,’ isn't it?”

Li Hao’s small eyes widened as he watched with genuine interest.

It was common knowledge that this child of the Second Lady had been found to possess extraordinary talent when his bone age was first measured.

Li Hao wondered what his own results would be when the time came for his measurement.

In the yard, five-year-old Li Qianfeng trained with rigorous discipline. Even though he was only performing the basic forms, his technique was flawless, earning him frequent praise from the instructor.

The child, however, showed no pride; he remained locked in his focus.

“Again!”

Despite the praise, the instructor’s training was demanding.

The boy restarted the sequence, his motions perfectly smooth, showing he had memorized every detail.

As Li Hao watched intently, a line of text suddenly manifested before his eyes.

“You have grasped the basics. Do you wish to record this?”

What?!

Startled, Li Hao instinctively gave his consent.

“Recording successful!”

A status panel immediately appeared in his field of vision.

[Name: Li Hao]

[Age: 1 year]

[Cultivation Level: Mortal]

[Sword Dao: Not Entered (Points can be added)]

[Skill: Endless Sea?Tide (Not Entered) [Locked]]

[Mastered Artistic Skill: Chess Dao]

[Chess Dao: Level One (82/500) (Points can be added)]

[Chess Catalogue Collection: 0]

[Skill Points: 1]

For more than a year, Li Hao had been investigating the functions of his panel. Because he was so young and didn't want to seem like a freakish genius, his testing opportunities were scarce. Luckily, there was a chessboard available in the manor.

When he was six months old, he would lie on the board and move pieces around by himself.

The staff caring for him assumed the young master simply enjoyed the “board game” as a toy and were happy to let him play quietly.

It was much easier than chasing him around as he crawled.

Through this, Li Hao was stunned to discover that by playing chess, he could earn experience points and level up his skill, exactly like in the game!

In the real world, mastering chess was an arduous task.

It required immense focus, natural ability, and years of study.

Li Hao himself had been nothing more than a casual player in his past life, possessing no formal rank.

Now, simply by messing around on the board, he could accumulate experience.

Reaching Level One in Chess Dao required only 100 points.

To reach Level Two, he needed 500.

If not for the constant supervision of the maids, which forced him to be discreet, he would have gathered far more experience by now.

He had to be careful; while the maids knew nothing of high-level chess, they had basic intelligence.

If they saw a child who wasn't even a year old setting up complex, correct board states, it would look incredibly suspicious.

But at this moment,

The panel had gained two entirely new categories—[Sword Dao] and [Skill]—which hadn't existed before.

The notification regarding [Sword Dao] particularly piqued his curiosity and excitement. Was it possible that he could use skill points to instantly master the way of the sword, just like he did with chess?

Without hesitation, he decided to invest his point.