The Terrifying Hou Xiaochen

Stepping out of the outer city, Li Hao glanced back. Vaguely, he felt as if someone were watching him. Li Hao paused and looked back for a moment. Beside him, Wang Ming whispered, "What is it, still reluctant to leave all those treasures behind?" *What does it have to do with you?* *Just how much has this guy, Li Hao, harvested this time, and he's still not satisfied!* Li Hao smiled, shook his head, and continued forward. He had never walked this stretch of road before. Darkness enveloped it. Only after passing through the darkness here would they reach the cliff-like gateway through which they had originally entered. There was only one path, and it was pitch-black. Nor was it entirely safe. As they walked, something in the shadows seemed to burst through the void with a soft *pfft*. *Bang!* Hu Dingfang threw a punch, driving away whatever it was in the dark. Li Hao frowned slightly. What was that? Knowing Li Hao was unfamiliar with the route—since he had been directly teleported into the inner city—Hao Lianchuan remarked casually, "There seem to be some strange things along the sides of this path. They feel like wooden thorns... probably some sort of mechanism." *Wooden thorns?* Li Hao felt a twinge of oddity, but said nothing. It was impossible to step off to either side; they could only continue forward along the path. The wooden thorns posed little real threat. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't a mechanism at all. It felt... like living creatures! Still, that was impossible. This place had been sealed for countless ages; where could living creatures come from? Even the suits of armor were inanimate objects, retaining only faint traces of consciousness that rapidly collapsed upon awakening. As they advanced, similar attacks occurred several more times. Each was easily neutralized, just as when they had arrived without suffering any losses. Soon, a glimmer of light appeared. In the next moment, Li Hao and the others arrived at a vast plaza. At the far end stood another cliff-like gateway—the exit leading outside. It was not yet time to leave. The group came to a halt. After a while, footsteps echoed from the darkness. Moments later, the Wheel-Turning King emerged, still flanked by the fellow who had threatened Liu Long. That guy was remarkably tough to kill; even Li Hao couldn't help admiring how he had survived until now as Yama's sole remaining seed. Soon after, Ziyue arrived as well, accompanied by three Red Moon Solar Radiances. Apart from those who had left early, only these six remained of the Three Great Organizations. Seeing them emerge, Hao Lianchuan chuckled. "Did you two find any treasures?" The Wheel-Turning King replied indifferently, "All the treasures are in the inner city. If Director Hao is interested, feel free to go back and get them!" *Treasures?* If the outer city actually held any treasures, would it ever be their turn to claim them? The Night Patrollers would have cleared everything out long ago. Right now, Ziyue and the Wheel-Turning King stood united. The Night Patrollers had suffered minimal losses, and both of their Three Sols were present; if the two of them had a falling out, it would be hard to say whether they could even make it out alive. "I wouldn't dare!" Hao Lianchuan laughed. "I'm only an early-stage Three Sols, unlike you two powerhouses! Once we step outside, even if headquarters from Red Moon and Yama send reinforcements, you'll probably still be able to enter next time... but for me, that's hard to say!" Hao Lianchuan sighed. "An early-stage Three Sols like me... has hardly any say." Though his words rang somewhat hollow, that really might be the case. Ziyue couldn't be bothered with his hypocritical chatter, nor was she interested in hearing it. She looked at Li Hao and said in an even tone, "Li Hao, once you step out, countless people across the realm will be coming after you! With the Night Patrollers' strength... if they truly go all out, they could naturally protect you. But... do you think that's possible? Forget headquarters; even within the Silver Moon branch, how many do you think are willing to stake everything to defend you?" Li Hao remained silent. "Join Red Moon!" Ziyue smiled faintly. "Coming to Red Moon doesn't necessarily mean death! I know you're afraid Red Moon will kill you... but as long as killing you isn't the only option, as long as there is any other way, you... can survive, and live exceptionally well!" Li Hao said softly, "Without killing me... how will you carry out your Eight Lineages Convergence plan?" *What a joke!* *Do you take me for a fool?* Ziyue gave a light chuckle. "The past is the past. A common mortal was just someone to be killed—why go out of our way to nurture him only to capture him later and slowly figure out what to do with him? But the present is different. Your teacher has advanced to Spirit Nourishing, and you are at the Hundred-Breaker culmination... with different value comes different treatment!" Hao Lianchuan laughed out loud. "Hey, isn't this... a bit improper? Your Red Moon murdered the other Seven Families and tried to kill him too; his parents' deaths were probably your doing as well, and now you want to recruit him? Fine then! Li Hao, if you're not afraid, go right ahead!" *What a joke!* He felt Ziyue had lost her mind. How dared she say such things? Yet Ziyue remained perfectly calm. "There is nothing improper about it. You do not understand Red Moon's purpose, nor could you ever grasp it! Only by truly joining can you come to know that Red Moon... is far greater than you imagine!" "Heh heh!" Hao Lianchuan chuckled, not bothering to say more. Hu Dingfang glanced at her, equally calm. "You rely on nothing more than Ying Hongyue and his ilk. Will those people... actually come to Silver Moon? If not, what right do you have to act so arrogant?" "Red Moon's might is beyond your comprehension!" Ziyue said with chilling detachment. "If you think only our leader is formidable, you are sorely mistaken! Hu Dingfang, do not think your Tiger Wing Army is anything special. In this era of rising supernaturals, an army formed of commoners... is beneath contempt! A Solar Radiance can battle a thousand; a Three Sols can contend with ten thousand... sooner or later, so-called thermal weapons will lose all effectiveness before the rise of the supernatural!" "At least they still work right now!" Hu Dingfang replied coldly. "Right now, blowing you to bits shouldn't be an issue at all! If you don't believe me, you're welcome to test it!" Silence fell. Neither side spoke further; such threats were meaningless to both. All they could do now was wait for the ruin to open. To the side, Hao Lianchuan glanced at Li Hao and sent a voice transmission: *Once we're out, just keep your mouth shut. Don't pay any attention to that woman. Does she really think reinforcements from the Three Great Organizations can pressure Director Hou? Don't underestimate him... back then, not even Ying Hongyue in person could take your teacher away from that ruthless man!* Li Hao nodded. Was he nervous? Not particularly. If the Night Patrollers truly had no way out... he would just run for it. What was there to fear? His teacher had run, too; as long as he was careful, he might well slip away. Even if these people caught him, they wouldn't kill him right away; Red Moon still wanted him alive. Just then, a thunderous rumble sounded! The cliff before them began to tremble. In the blink of an eye, the scene outside became faintly visible. Entering before, they hadn't been able to see inside from the outside; it acted somewhat like a one-way mirror, allowing them to clearly see the conditions outside. Outside the cliff, there was no sign of danger, nor any crowd of people. There was only Hou Xiaochen! Indeed, Hou Xiaochen was actually standing right at the entrance! Now, it was Ziyue and the Wheel-Turning King who grew nervous. Where were the people from the Three Great Organizations? Why was it Hou Xiaochen waiting outside? The two were gripped by tension, and the Solar Radiances beside them grew flustered. Hou Xiaochen... the head of the Silver Moon Night Patrollers! Even though Hou Xiaochen hadn't achieved notable battle records in recent years, everyone feared him all the same! Amid their tension, the cliff shuddered, ripples spreading across its surface like water. This signaled that they could leave! The Wheel-Turning King and Ziyue dared not step out rashly, but Hao Lianchuan and the others had no such reservations, walking out with easy smiles. Li Hao quickly followed. With no other choice, Ziyue and her companions could only brace themselves and head out; if the gateway closed and trapped them inside, that would be true death. *** "They're out!" Fortunately, the moment they stepped through, Ziyue and the others heard a familiar voice. A breath of relief escaped them instantly! Facing Hou Xiaochen was truly suffocating. Only upon hearing that voice did Ziyue's heart settle. She knew who had come! Red Moon had seven leaders bearing the name of the Moon—Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Purple. Ziyue was merely of the third generation, yet she was still one of the leaders... Though not at the Rising Light realm, her status was exceedingly high, owing to the identity of Ziyue itself. Naturally, there were reasons she could inherit this title. Of course, Ziyue had no inclination to dwell on that right now. Beyond the Seven Moons, Red Moon possessed other widely renowned powerhouses—such as the one who had just spoken: the Red-Haired Man-Slayer. He was a famed figure of Red Moon, having slaughtered countless souls, and a celebrated powerhouse in the Central region. Within Red Moon, his status was second only to the Seven Moons; together with several other powerhouses, he formed the organization's second tier—the Council of Elders. Redhair had come, and he was at the Rising Light realm! Ziyue was instantly put at ease! The Wheel-Turning King also composed himself. He too recognized a voice—the Equal-Ranking King had arrived! The master of the Ninth Hall of the Ten Halls of Yama, the Equal-Ranking King! Compared to his own bottom-ranked position as the Wheel-Turning King, that man was vastly more distinguished. In addition to being at the Rising Light realm himself, the Equal-Ranking King commanded the sixteen minor hells, backed by sixteen powerhouses who campaigned across the four quarters alongside him—and every single one of those sixteen was a Three Sols! Of course, the Equal-Ranking King did not typically operate in Silver Moon; his active territory was in the South. No one had expected him to come this time. Though ranked ninth, his strength far surpassed that of the Wheel-Turning King. In Silver Moon, whether it was Ziyue or the Wheel-Turning King, both were among the leaders of their respective organizations, yet in terms of strength, they were the weakest. Strictly speaking... this had a great deal to do with Hou Xiaochen, and no small part to do with Yuan Shuo. Counting it down... this Wheel-Turning King was roughly of the third generation as well! The first generation had died... whether slain by Yuan Shuo or Hou Xiaochen, no one knew for sure. The second generation... had also died! Back then, more than a few Heaven-Blessed Divine Masters had been killed, and men like Yuan Shuo would never admit to the deeds after the fact. Only one thing was certain: the second-generation Ziyue had been killed by Hou Xiaochen, right in front of Ying Hongyue. Everyone knew that. But the deaths of the two generations of Yama's Wheel-Turning King remained an unsolved mystery. In truth, it wasn't much of a mystery. Whenever someone died in Silver Moon, it was either Hou Xiaochen or Yuan Shuo; regardless of whether it was true, pinning it on those two was never far off the mark! As the two were lost in thought, Hou Xiaochen smiled warmly at them. "Lunzhuan, Ziyue, you've both come out!" Hou Xiaochen's smile was exceptionally gentle. He looked at the two and nodded slightly, then glanced at Hu Dingfang and the others, offering a pleased nod. "Not bad!" Quite a few had survived. As for Zhang Ting... gone was gone. He then looked at Li Hao, and then at Liu Long... his smile returning once more. "All not bad! Coming out alive is a good thing." At this moment, Ziyue and her companions quickly took to the air, flying straight outward. Remaining here exerted immense pressure. Meanwhile, the Equal-Ranking King and Redhair were waiting outside. In the distance, a cloaked figure spoke with a chilly voice: "Dingchen didn't come out?" Hou Xiaochen turned, glanced at the figure, and looked toward Hao Lianchuan with a chuckle. "This is Banshan. You know him, right?" Hao Lianchuan was slightly surprised. "Banshan... hasn't he been missing all this time?" "Cut the chatter!" Hou Xiaochen interrupted him. "He's asking you a question: where is Dingchen?" He then added, "Banshan has advanced to Rising Light; why else do you think he'd show up this time? He's a big shot of the Rising Light realm now, so be polite and answer honestly: where is Dingchen?" Hao Lianchuan felt speechless, but answered truthfully, "Dingchen and Kong Qi both died in the inner city. You probably know the rough situation: there was a golden warrior inside who pulverized Dingchen with a single punch and shattered his Origin God Armament... Then, while we were all fleeing, Kong Qi was foolish enough to try flying... and was shot dead by the inner city's defense system!" Having said that, he immediately looked toward the cloaked figure. "Banshan, don't say I'm making things up. Ask Ziyue and the others yourself. Red Moon and Yama aren't in cahoots with me, and everyone saw it with their own eyes... Don't go wrongly accusing me of setting them up..." The cloaked figure looked toward Ziyue and her group. Ziyue frowned slightly and said indifferently, "He speaks the truth! It wasn't just Dingchen; I was also severely injured inside. Origin God Armaments couldn't block those monsters at all!" "Then... what about the others?" Banshan asked darkly. "All dead?" Losing two Three Sols could be chalked up to terrible luck. But what about the remaining Solar Radiances? Ziyue replied calmly, "Without the protection of Three Sols... don't look at me, we weren't going to protect your people for you. The inner city was unimaginably dangerous. Once the Three Sols died, those people were completely swept away by the golden warrior. No one was going to help you protect Feitian's men... so don't talk about standing by and doing nothing... there was no reason to save them!" Cold-blooded words, yet entirely reasonable. Yes, we saw them die... but who would rescue strangers from a rival organization? Beneath the cloak, Banshan fell silent. Two Three Sols leading the team, multiple Solar Radiances, and an Origin God Armament... and the result was total annihilation! No, six people had made it out. Yet... their core strength had been completely wiped out! At this moment, the expression of this Feitian leader in Silver Moon was exceedingly grim beneath his hood. A catastrophic loss! "So... you entered the inner city... and failed to retrieve a single treasure?" Banshan pressed. Not far away, the Wheel-Turning King said casually, "There were treasures—many Origin God Armaments, and extraordinarily powerful ones! At least Heaven-tier Origin God Armaments! Divine energy stones were everywhere; we casually picked up quite a few just off the ground!" At these words, a stir rippled through the surroundings. People were gathered all around the cliffs, though none had dared to draw close. Ziyue sneered mockingly. "More than that—there are puppets beyond the Rising Light realm. If you can bring one back, it's guaranteed to slay Rising Light experts! "It just depends... on whether you have the lives to spare to take them! Our strength was insufficient, barely enough to preserve ourselves!" At this moment, the two chimed in together. Not to help anyone else, but to help themselves. To absolve themselves of blame! It wasn't that they were weak or incompetent; it was that the interior was simply too dangerous. Having suffered such severe losses, they knew the consequences would be severe once accountability was pursued. Since that was the case, they might as well pass the buck. They couldn't blame the Night Patrollers—failing even to overcome Hao Lianchuan and his group would only be a display of utter incompetence. The blame had to be pinned on the ruin itself. Besides, the inner city truly was perilous; that golden warrior was an entity none could match, and that was a verified fact. The surroundings fell quiet. Everyone understood the meaning. Nothing could be brought out because powerful puppets guarded the place, capable of killing Dingchen even while he wielded an Origin God Armament. From that alone, the sheer terror of the danger was plain to see. Redhair, the Equal-Ranking King, and Banshan all furrowed their brows. That formidable? Naturally, as Rising Light powerhouses, they weren't truly afraid. Though it sounded terrifying, it was ultimately just a puppet; how exaggerated could it really be? On the other hand, Heaven-tier Origin God Armaments... divine energy stones... hearing of such things made their blood surge with excitement. Was it true? Redhair looked toward Ziyue, who nodded slightly and sent a voice transmission: *No lies were told. There is at least one Heaven-tier Origin God Armament inside... Moreover, we didn't explore much, only checking a single area. Divine energy stones really were scattered everywhere. We obtained forty, Yama probably got about the same, and the Night Patrollers got slightly more, around fifty...* Their subordinates had picked up some as well. All told, the three parties had obtained over a hundred divine energy stones. Hearing this, even Redhair was visibly moved. Casually picking them up yielded that many? Could it be real? In that case, this ruin was truly terrifying—and exceptionally important. While they were conversing in secret, a voice roared from the distance: "We don't care about the ruin! The Three Great Organizations, the Night Patrollers—none of that is our concern! I just want to know: did Yuan Shuo's disciple, Li Hao, come out alive?" The voice was deafeningly loud! In the crowd, hearing himself named, Li Hao looked at Hao Lianchuan. Seeing that the leaders said nothing, he called out, "I am Li Hao!" Just then, a burly, rugged man came charging along the cliff above. He did not descend, but stood upon the precipice and bellowed, "You're Li Hao? Li Hao, let me ask you: did your master truly step beyond the Thousand-Battler realm?" Li Hao nodded. "Probably. I'm not clear on the specifics." "Bullshit, how could you not know?" the man bellowed. "In other words, he really entered the so-called Spirit Nourishing realm, didn't he?" Li Hao spoke again. "I truly do not know for certain, but my master killed Sun Yifei, and he claimed himself that it was Spirit Nourishing..." "Then that's that!" The man laughed uproariously. Seeing that Li Hao looked unfamiliar with him, he boomed with laughter, "You, come with me!" Li Hao was completely baffled. Where had this fellow come from? He saw no aura of mysterious energy around the man, marking him clearly as a martial master. Yet martial masters were generally only at the Hundred-Breaker level, and even Thousand-Battlers were exceedingly rare. Even if this man was a Thousand-Battler... to boldly demand that Li Hao come with him right under the noses of all these Three Sols and Rising Light experts... just how arrogant was he? The man roared with laughter. "What are you staring at! It doesn't matter if you don't know me, as long as I know you! Come with me. Around here, everyone else is probably looking to kill you. Follow me, lead me to your master, and I'll let you go. It's safer than staying with them!" Li Hao remained lost. The man grew slightly exasperated. Seeing Li Hao make no move, he remembered something and laughed loudly again. "I forgot to introduce myself! Back in the day, I had some small fame in Silver Moon—Southern Fist He Yong! Over the years, I had no affinity for supernaturals, but by sheer luck I stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm in the Central region. A Thousand-Battler martial master, hardly worth mentioning!" Li Hao was stunned. A Thousand-Battler martial master... was formidable, but... but there was a whole circle of Three Sols and Rising Light experts here! How could he be this brazen? Southern Fist He Yong! Li Hao recalled his master mentioning him once: Silver Moon had the Northern and Southern Fists. Was this the Southern Fist King? He Yong laughed boisterously once more. "Don't be afraid. My grudge with your master isn't deep... put it this way: back then, anyone who wasn't beaten to death by him didn't have much of a grudge! A Thousand-Battler martial master like me truly amounts to nothing. Oh, I forgot to mention one more thing: I, He Yong, disgraced the martial masters of Silver Moon. Unable to scrape by over the years and left with no way out, I ran off to the Heavenly Star imperial family some years ago to become their lapdog, teaching martial arts to the imperial princes and princesses. I can barely be counted as an imperial martial instructor!" Li Hao was taken aback. The imperial family? The Heavenly Star imperial family had a very low presence these days. Yet it had to be said that no matter how low their presence was, this was still the era of the Heavenly Star Dynasty. Though the imperial family had retreated behind the scenes, they still possessed strength, and even the Nine Departments nominally fell under imperial governance. Back then, Silver Moon martial masters despised the court's lapdogs above all else... and now... just as He Yong said, he had disgraced the martial masters of Silver Moon! Yet his status was genuinely not low. An instructor to the imperial family... in a sense, calling him an imperial preceptor wouldn't be entirely wrong. He Yong laughed heartily. "However, this time I don't represent the imperial family, nor could I... I just want to find Old Monster Yuan and tell him that I'm still a martial master, and see for myself what this Spirit Nourishing realm looks like! Of course, if you follow me... if these bastards dare to stop us, I'll block them. If they kill me, that's provoking the imperial family! The imperial family may not be what it once was, but a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Who would dare recklessly make an enemy of the imperial family?" He laughed raucously, full of bravado. Yet beneath that bravado lay a trace of... helplessness and sorrow. He didn't claim he would kill anyone who stood in his way; he only said that whoever stopped them could kill him, and whoever killed him would be in trouble. What was this if not tragedy? The dignified Southern Fist King of Silver Moon was reduced to relying on such threats to make others wary... At this moment, Hong Yitang to the side couldn't hold back. Indignant and unwilling, he gave a strained smile. "Brother He, I thought... you were going to say you'd punch to death anyone who blocked you!" "Yo, the Earth-Overturning Sword is still alive!" He Yong laughed boisterously. "No good anymore, I'm old! In this era of rising supernaturals, martial masters... are finished! But Yuan Shuo still seems to have some fight in him. That old bastard is truly something, so I want to see just how strong Spirit Nourishing really is! Can it beat someone beyond the Three Sols to death? Can it battle that Ying Hongyue!" Wild and untamed, his face covered in stubble, he laughed at the top of his lungs. "I rushed for three days without stopping... what a damn shame I missed his battle against the Brow-Height Staff! Did you see it?" Hong Yitang called out loudly, "I did, exceptionally brilliant! The Five Animals Art clashed against the Brow-Height Staff. The Brow-Height Staff King won by a single move, but lost his life..." He Yong continued laughing wildly. "Really? The Brow-Height Staff won? I don't buy it! Did Old Monster Yuan pull his punches? Hahaha... Sun Yifei didn't die in vain! If I get to witness a Spirit Nourishing martial master, I'd consider it worth it too!" With that, he looked back at Li Hao. "Boy, are you coming with me? Silver Moon is no longer the Silver Moon of the past. Back then, who dared run wild in Silver Moon?" He gave a wild laugh. "Whoever came, died! If you didn't want to die, you played the grandson and fought your way up step by step until you beat everyone, only then earning the right to plant your feet in Silver Moon! "Without killing a few renowned martial masters, you dared establish your name in Silver Moon? What a joke!" His laughter remained swaggering, as if those glorious years still endured and this land were still his domain. Yet vaguely... the martial masters felt only desolation. The Southern Fist King... could only reminisce about the past. "Are you coming or not?" He Yong roared again. "Boy, why don't you have a shred of a martial master's backbone? They say you beat the Brow-Height Staff's chief disciple to death. I thought you were a man like Old Monster Yuan, so how did you end up like Hong Yitang, someone who couldn't squeeze out a fart even if you hit him with three sticks?" Hong Yitang smiled bitterly, saying nothing. Li Hao took a deep breath and spoke: "Senior, I belong to the Night Patrollers, the Silver Moon Night Patrollers. Here... Director Hou is present, and Director Hao is present as well. I hold an official post and cannot leave without permission." "Bullshit!" He Yong raged. "You're counting on these guys? Hao Lianchuan doesn't amount to a fart, and Hou Xiaochen has always played the smiling tiger—all he knows how to do is smile, while in truth he can only wait for reinforcements from the Central region. If he dared resist, he would have done so long ago; would he let others run wild here?" He roared, "This fellow only had tricks up his sleeve back when he hunted Silver Moon martial masters—killing every single one he targeted..." Hou Xiaochen frowned slightly. "Senior He Yong, words shouldn't be thrown around recklessly." He Yong sneered. "Recklessly? You think I don't know your background from my time with the imperial family? Back when the Heavenly Star Dynasty established the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army, you were one of them—perhaps even one of the three commanders! Don't try denying it!" At these words, many faces shifted slightly. Newcomers knew nothing of it, but veterans remembered the chaos of the martial arts world during that period. In particular, the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army had secretly slaughtered numerous martial masters. Utterly ruthless, their body count was beyond reckoning; some martial masters would go weak at the knees at the mere mention of the Martial Guard Army. Even with the strength of the Silver Moon martial arts world, it had been tormented half to death by that army back then. And among them, the most terrifying figures of the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army were the legendary three commanders. Hou Xiaochen sighed helplessly. "How could that be? More than twenty years ago, how old was I? I'm only in my early forties now. Over twenty years ago, I was in my teens; could a teenager become a commander of the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army? Senior He Yong... could you... be a bit confused?" Hearing this, some people looked thoughtful. That was true! The Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army had been established over thirty years ago, and even the later three commanders dated back twenty years, until the army was disbanded upon the founding of the Night Patrollers. Back then, rumors claimed the three commanders were all Thousand-Battler martial masters! A teenage Thousand-Battler martial master? Impossible! Even an old monster like Yuan Shuo hadn't reached the Thousand-Battler realm by the time he was nearly fifty. He Yong was momentarily tongue-tied, but insisted stubbornly, "Don't deny it! I don't know why you're so strong, but you're definitely one of the three commanders—and even if you weren't, you must be a legacy disciple of one of them!" Hou Xiaochen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I'm truly wronged... fine, if you say so, then so be it! Also, the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army wasn't that notorious; it merely executed a faction of scum who brought chaos to the realm and the martial arts world. Look, aren't you all living well enough? Ordinary sparring was never investigated. Even a demon like Yuan Shuo only killed martial masters during duels, and despite having a warrant out for him, no one actually did anything to him... The way you put it makes the Martial Guard Army sound thoroughly villainous..." At these words, everyone's expressions grew even stranger. Could it be... you really were one of them? Hou Xiaochen sighed. "Don't look at me like that. Isn't the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army just the predecessor of the Night Patrollers? Calling the Martial Guard Army bad is the same as calling the Night Patrollers bad." It was the same concept! One was an official martial master organization, and the other was an official supernatural organization. They were fundamentally the same; as a representative of the Night Patrollers, it would be strange if he didn't defend them now. At this point, he added, "Senior He, stop stirring up trouble. Even if you were killed, the imperial family has kept a low profile for so many years; would they really go to war with the Three Great Organizations over a mere Thousand-Battler martial master?" He Yong sneered. "That's hard to say! The imperial family has lost everything now... except face. If even that face is gone, they'll truly have nothing left. The Three Great Organizations are formidable, but it's not as if the imperial family lacks power!" "Fine, fine, fine, you're right!" Hou Xiaochen laughed, saying no more. He turned toward the other powerhouses. "Our squabbling has made a spectacle for everyone. The matter regarding Li Hao is merely a trivial affair; the key lies in the ruin..." Ziyue sneered. "Li Hao is hardly a trivial affair!" Hou Xiaochen sighed helplessly. "Why wouldn't it be... if you want him, go directly to Yuan Shuo. As for the so-called Eight Great Families of Silver City... stop joking around. Countless years have passed, and no one even knows the origins anymore; don't use that as an excuse!" He urged them earnestly, "Everyone, isn't a Heaven-tier Origin God Armament far more important than Li Hao? As for Yuan Shuo... go find him yourselves! If that doesn't work, set up a public martial arena and declare that Yuan Shuo's martial arts are trash; he'll likely come looking for you. Doesn't that make sense?" At these words, several people were momentarily taken aback. Truth be told... *cough*, that really might draw Yuan Shuo out. Of course, that was assuming he would come openly and honorably, rather than slipping in during the night to take your head! He then looked toward the Equal-Ranking King and Banshan. "I can understand Red Moon fixing their eyes on Li Hao, but you two needn't do the same. You know nothing of the details, so staring him down like this is inappropriate, wouldn't you say?" The Equal-Ranking King was a dignified middle-aged man. Hearing this, he said calmly, "Director Hou needn't concern himself with us. If Red Moon retreats, we shall naturally retreat!" "Very well!" Hou Xiaochen nodded, then looked toward Banshan. Beneath his hood, Banshan said chillingly, "I have no intentions. If Director Hou has fury to vent, do not direct it at me!" Both Rising Light experts remained very restrained. Redhair, however, frowned slightly. Sure enough, Hou Xiaochen turned his gaze toward him. "Redhair, don't go looking for trouble. We can explore the ruin together and divide the Origin God Armaments among us. Making a grand fuss over a mere Li Hao isn't worth it, is it?" Redhair's brow furrowed deeper as he replied coldly, "You speak reasonably... In that case, why repeatedly oppose Red Moon over Li Hao?" He added, "The situation in Silver Moon is not as stable as you imagine! Hou Xiaochen, must you ruin this favorable state of affairs?" Hou Xiaochen gave a bitter smile. "It seems we can't see eye to eye!" With that, he called out, "Has anyone from Night Patroller headquarters arrived? Their people have been here for days, yet you still haven't shown up? What on earth are you doing! I'm just a Three Sols—an injured Three Sols at that... If you still don't arrive, will our Night Patrollers have any face left?" He shouted several times, but no one responded. Hou Xiaochen looked increasingly dejected. "Why bother!" Redhair remained utterly calm. "You know that certain people wish for nothing more than to see you fall out with us. We actually have no desire to do so. Over the years, you killed the second-generation Ziyue, yet we didn't seek trouble with you... Now, you persist in opposing us. No matter how magnanimous Red Moon may be, our tolerance has its limits!" He was being remarkably restrained. He appealed to reason and laid out the broader situation. Of course, taking Li Hao away was a mission that had to be fulfilled. He did not wish to turn hostile against Hou Xiaochen. Certain people were itching for him to clash with Hou Xiaochen to probe what state the man was currently in. Yet... why must it come to that? Hou Xiaochen sighed, glanced at Li Hao beside him, and said softly, "Little fellow, as I told you before: if your value isn't high enough, I might not protect you. Look, a Rising Light expert is dead set on taking you, no one above is willing to shield you, your teacher has fled, and you can't rely on Hu Dingfang... A Three Sols is unreliable; a Rising Light could easily beat him to death." He sighed. "As for me... I'm truly in a difficult position... Young man, what do you think I should do?" Li Hao thought for a moment, then reached out toward his hand. Hou Xiaochen smiled and extended his own hand as well. Their hands gripped together. At that moment, an incomparably sharp sword qi circulated into Hou Xiaochen, followed immediately by an immensely heavy earth momentum laced with sword intent bursting within his perception. Li Hao simply looked at him, motionless. Hou Xiaochen smiled back at Li Hao. Their hands slowly parted. Hou Xiaochen chuckled and patted Li Hao on the shoulder. "You, even if you want to get close to me... sticking my neck out for you is difficult!" Then he smiled again. "Still... who told me to be your director! Letting someone take you away would be far too humiliating, wouldn't it? After that, who in the Silver Moon Night Patrollers would ever listen to me, right?" Li Hao nodded. "Director, from now on, I'll listen to you!" "What a well-behaved child!" Hou Xiaochen beamed. He turned toward Redhair. "Redhair, Li Hao says he'll listen to me and be good from now on, so don't cause any more trouble. I'll count to three. You leave, and later I'll take you along to explore the ruin and share the treasures." Redhair's expression darkened! What... kind of tone was this? Was he coaxing a child? Around them, the faint figures of many onlookers began to materialize. The Equal-Ranking King tugged at the Wheel-Turning King, and the two vanished from the spot. Banshan disappeared instantly as well. Redhair frowned slightly, and Ziyue's expression shifted. "Hou Xiaochen, are you certain you want to protect him?" "One!" Hou Xiaochen smiled, raising a single finger. "Hou Xiaochen—" "Three!" Right at that instant, he suddenly skipped two. In that very breath, Hou Xiaochen vanished. And simultaneously, Hao Lianchuan's Fire Phoenix Spear vanished as well. *** In midair. Redhair had meant to speak, but before the words could leave his mouth, his expression changed drastically. In the next instant, the image of a fire phoenix materialized in his mind! That fire phoenix... bore an utterly chilling gaze. He knew he was in trouble! At this moment, Redhair let out a roar. An intensely terrifying blaze of fire energy—like a scorching sun, far surpassing Qiao Feilong and his ilk, and vastly stronger than Sun Yifei in his prime—erupted instantly! A punch smashed out, threatening to tear heaven and earth asunder! Redhair roared in frenzy! Yet right at this moment, several onlookers witnessed it. They saw a man, and a spear, in midair! Appearing in an instant! A fiery-red spear, carrying not the slightest aura—so cold, yet radiating extreme heat—plunged into Redhair's chest in a single instant! In a flash, the spear pierced through Redhair! In that same flash, Redhair threw his punch! Yet the fist was too late. In the next instant, coughing broke out. Hou Xiaochen coughed softly as he withdrew the spear. With a sweeping strike through the air, *bang*, Redhair's distinctive red-haired head... vanished in an instant. A white handkerchief appeared in Hou Xiaochen's hand. He coughed, dabbing at his mouth as blood welled forth, staining the fabric red. A gentle smile touched his face. With another sweep of the spear, a thunderclap boomed, and a bolt of lightning in midair instantly dissipated. Ziyue transformed into lightning, fleeing into the far distance! Hou Xiaochen chuckled softly. "What are you running for? I never said I'd kill you. You're so well-behaved, I couldn't bear to do it. Besides, you're one of the Seven Moons; I wouldn't want Ying Hongyue coming after me... Redhair is just a member of the Council of Elders; killing him doesn't matter... honestly!" With a light laugh, he looked down, spotted Li Hao, and smiled broadly. "See? Uncle Hou is still quite impressive. It's just that I'm injured and can't usually fight; whenever I do, I cough up blood!" "..." The surroundings were suffocatingly silent. Aside from the crackle of the retreating lightning, not a single sound arose. Upon the cliff, He Yong quietly backed away and bolted at top speed. Banshan's flickering shadow vanished into thin air. The Equal-Ranking King pulled the Wheel-Turning King along, transforming into a breeze that disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye. Across the surrounding cliffs, powerhouses vanished one after another. Flee! Not a single person dared linger. That spear strike... No one dared imagine it. Nor could anyone believe it! Hou Xiaochen... the Hou Xiaochen who had been tormented by injury and illness for years, had made his first direct move in ages—and on his very first strike... he had slain a Rising Light realm expert with a single thrust! At this moment, Hou Xiaochen was terrifying to the point of suffocation. Upon the cliffs, several covertly lurking figures wore exceedingly grim expressions. Some of them even wore black uniforms. The uniform of the Night Patrollers! In this instant, those few figures retreated noiselessly, their faces filled with nothing but gravity and dread. Hou Xiaochen! He... had actually struck! *** Below. Li Hao's jaw dropped, Wang Ming's jaw dropped, and everyone else stood slack-jawed. In midair, Hou Xiaochen casually tossed the Fire Phoenix Spear down to Hao Lianchuan and walked down step by step, coughing incessantly as the bloodstains on his handkerchief grew darker. With a refined smile, he walked up to Li Hao and grinned. "Isn't Uncle Hou very handsome?" "..." Li Hao swallowed hard. Only after a long pause did he manage to squeak out nervously, "Handsome!" "That's the spirit!" Hou Xiaochen laughed, glanced around, and finally remarked with a chuckle, "Alright, see? Aren't they all gone? They've been clamoring for days. If I hadn't been waiting for Hao Lianchuan to bring out the Fire Phoenix Spear, I would have speared them to death long ago—thoroughly annoying!" At this, he looked at Hao Lianchuan with mild disappointment. "The Fire Phoenix Spear stayed with you, yet you didn't kill a single soul... Had I known, I wouldn't have let you take it!" Hao Lianchuan opened his mouth, completely at a loss for words. *If I had fucking known you could spear a Rising Light to death... I... I...* He didn't even know what he was supposed to say! Only at this moment did everyone understand why the Three Great Organizations, despite having lost so many people in Silver Moon, had never dared cross this man. He was too strong! Absurdly, ridiculously strong! What was more... not only was he terrifyingly powerful, but he was utterly ruthless when making a move. He claimed he would count to three, yet struck a Rising Light expert dead on his second count! "Let's go, let's go. This place won't open again until next month... Time to head back. Old Hao, tidy up. The bones of a Rising Light are valuable... take them back, don't let them go to waste!" With that, he patted Li Hao's shoulder, beaming brightly. "Little Li isn't bad! While you can't compare to your teacher, you were still worth me stepping in once. Back then, when I stepped in for your teacher, he promised to explore thirty ruins for me. Little Li, what do you think you should do?" "..." Li Hao couldn't utter a word for a long time. Eventually, he offered a stiff smile. "I... in life I belong to the Night Patrollers, and in death I shall be a ghost of the Night Patrollers!" "..." Now Hou Xiaochen was caught off guard. After a moment, he said, "That's... a bit extreme. Be specific!" Li Hao said solemnly, "Wherever you point, I'll strike!" Hou Xiaochen chuckled and nodded. "Not bad! You're a young man with a bright future, much better than your teacher. That teacher of yours... never keeps his word. He fled before finishing all thirty ruins; make sure you don't follow his example!" Li Hao smiled stiffly, offering no response. Hou Xiaochen draped an arm around him, cordially taking to the skies together. Director Hou was truly warm and hospitable! At this moment, those hidden in every direction watched from afar. Hou Xiaochen! After today, the name Hou Xiaochen would surely resound across the Heavenly Star Dynasty! Slaying a Rising Light in a single spear strike! Silver Moon seemed to remain that same terrifying Silver Moon of the past! Lying low for years... no, perhaps he hadn't been lying low at all. Perhaps he simply felt no one was worthy of him making another move. He didn't seem to care whether he kept a low profile or not! Otherwise, why would he strike so casually today, killing a Rising Light with one blow? In this instant, some came to understand. The reason Hou Xiaochen hadn't made a move since that previous battle was simply that no one had posed a genuine threat to him—and no one had dared threaten him! *** In an instant, countless pieces of news began spreading in all directions! The ruin was merely a secondary topic. The crux of it all was Silver Moon's Hou Xiaochen. Just how strong was this man? Was his injury real or feigned? Back then, had he truly been one of the three commanders of the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army? A Thousand-Battler martial master over twenty years ago! In this instant, the entirety of Silver Moon fell dead silent. No powerhouses raised a clamor anymore; the Equal-Ranking King and Banshan had vanished, and several domineering Rising Light experts had fled without so much as daring to make a peep. Only Redhair was left behind, never to leave again. And this place had already become the burial ground for a great many Red Moon powerhouses. *** Inside the car. Hou Xiaochen was still coughing, while Li Hao sat beside him, motionless as a corpse. After a bout of coughing, Hou Xiaochen chuckled, "Don't be afraid, I don't eat people! Just be good and obedient, and later I'll feed you that big red shadow. Then you'll be formidable—a Rising Light Red Shadow is an immense tonic!" With that, he laughed at his own words. He added, "Though I'm afraid you won't be able to digest it... never mind, we'll talk about it later. Little fellow, once you get back, take three days off, then come report to me, understand?" "Understood!" "Good boy!" Hou Xiaochen patted his head, and then... tossed him straight out of the car. "Go on, head back to Silver City first. Take a vacation and relax; no one will dare trouble you right now, you have my word!" "Thank you, Director!" Li Hao only let out a breath of relief once the vehicle had completely vanished. *Fuck!* *Terrifying!* It felt... it felt no less terrifying than that golden punch! No, perhaps it was even stronger. That punch had killed a Three Sols, but he had just slain a Rising Light!