Silver Moon's Reaction

On the wilderness outside Hengduan Canyon, Li Hao stood in place in silence, motionless. Watching the car slowly drive away, his mind wandered slightly. After an unknown amount of time, someone arrived. Liu Long sprinted toward him at extraordinary speed, hurtling closer. Behind him came Wang Ming, bounding along with awkward leaps. The two pulled up beside Li Hao. At this moment, Wang Ming was still in a daze, whereas Liu Long had regained his senses, though the shock in his eyes remained impossible to conceal. "Li Hao!" Liu Long called out. Snapping back to reality, Li Hao looked at Liu Long and nodded. "Boss!" "Are you alright?" "What could happen to me?" Li Hao smiled, then turned to Liu Long and asked abruptly, "Boss, would you say... he's really injured, or faking it?" "I don't know." Liu Long shook his head, unable to hide his awe as he marvelled, "Too strong! Strong to the point where I feel... he's simply not on the same level as us. To think such a figure still exists in Silver Moon!" Hou Xiaochen was not an obscure name in Silver Moon. Yet across the entire Heavenly Star Dynasty, he was merely the chief of the Night Watchers in one remote province out of ninety-nine. In terms of rank within Silver Moon itself, he did not even place in the top three. The General Administration Directorate, the Garrison Headquarters, the Inspectorate Headquarters... The leaders of these departments outranked him in status. And yet, today, this very man had pinned down Heavenly Star with a single spear! This struck with far greater shock than even Yuan Shuo slaying a late Three Sols expert earlier! It was not a hard-fought kill, but... a total crushing! Yes, an absolute thrashing. It left one suspecting that even if Redhair had been stronger, he still would not have escaped death. To the side, Wang Ming was still bewildered, but hearing their conversation seemed to snap him out of it. He mumbled, "Why overthink it? He... the Director is our direct superior! It's a good thing—the stronger he is, the better!" With that, he suddenly looked at the two with a burst of excitement, as if only just realizing something, and said breathlessly, "Li Hao, we're rich!" "..." The two stared blankly at Wang Ming. Why the sudden mention of getting rich? Yes, inside the ruin, they had struck it rich. But... was there any reason to get excited about that only now? Wang Ming said frantically, "No... not that! I mean... I mean Director Hou just killed a Rising Light!" *And so?* Both looked bewildered. Yes, one was killed, but the Director had already ordered Hao Lianchuan to collect the Rising Light's body. Did you think no one wanted it, so you could just go scavenge it? *What are you thinking?* Wang Ming was practically burning with anxiety. "Ziyue fled, and the Red Moon people are nearly wiped out, but... have you forgotten? There are still three Red Moon Solar Radiance experts alive! Everyone else was scared out of their wits and fled, so who's paying attention to those Solar Radiances right now? The Night Watchers are busy dealing with the aftermath... nobody is watching them!" *Still don't get it?* Those three Red Moon Solar Radiance experts who came out of the ruin were completely unattended! Li Hao and Liu Long opened their mouths, expressions frozen in shock. *Holy crap!* To think this guy was actually scheming about this right now—it was truly unbelievable. Truthfully, even Li Hao hadn't considered it. Wang Ming urged anxiously, "There's a metal-element one among them... I remember, one of the three is metal-element! Quick, a Solar Radiance's speed is only so-so, they definitely haven't gotten far... Li Hao, isn't this a windfall?" *Alright, so that was it.* Because there was a metal-element expert among them, this guy had set his sights on them. Wang Ming pressed on, "Are we going or not... hurry up, or once the others come to their senses, there won't be anything left for us!" Li Hao glanced at Liu Long, and Liu Long glanced back at Li Hao. A moment later, they exchanged a look and smiled. Though Wang Ming currently seemed somewhat insatiable and blinded by greed, one had to admit that if they didn't deal with those three Red Moon Solar Radiances now, they really wouldn't get a share later. Once the others recovered and remembered, spurred by the allure of Red Shadows, they would likely move swiftly. Since things had already come to blows with Red Moon, eliminating every one they could was a net gain. Without another word, Li Hao leaped forward, giving chase in a specific direction. Members of Red Moon were simply too conspicuous. The Red Shadow was something they could never conceal. Normally, it was a lethal threat to others, but right now, it was a death sentence for them. The Red Shadow was far too glaring. On this open wilderness, other supers might have escaped without drawing too much notice, but could those blood-red things hiding on Red Moon members escape Li Hao's eyes in the dead of night? Even a mosquito leg was still meat! Not to mention the mysterious energy from three Red Moon Solar Radiances—that was minor. The crucial part was that all three had emerged from the ruin and had even entered the inner city. Although their divine energy stones might have been handed over to Ziyue... What if they hadn't? What if they hadn't surrendered them yet? What if they had secretly pocketed some? If Liu Long and his group could think of skimming a cut, could those Solar Radiances truly be so obedient as to hand over every last divine energy stone? Besides, even if they had to surrender them, wouldn't they wait until they were safely out of the ruin? Anything was possible! Add in the Red Shadows... For Li Hao, at this stage, hunting Red Moon operatives brought the greatest benefit. He moved at blinding speed, with Liu Long and Wang Ming closely trailing behind. Their party consisted of two Thousand-Battlers and one Solar Radiance. They also knew the enemy's strength: two mid Solar Radiances and one late Solar Radiance. None of them were weak! Wang Ming was so bold not because he thought himself powerful, but because he knew how terrifying Li Hao was. Earlier, Li Hao had nearly killed him with a single sword strike, and together they had even slain a mid Three Sols expert. Now, facing three late Solar Radiances who had been scared out of their wits, where would the difficulty be? ... Out on the wilderness. The three Red Moon experts trembled with dread. When they had emerged, it was the middle of the night. However, near the canyon, powerhouse after powerhouse had illuminated the surroundings with supernatural energy, making the area bright as day. In reality, it was late in the night. The three Solar Radiance experts were shivering all over. Fleeing from the canyon, their immediate choice had been to hide rather than blindly run, as countless experts were scattering in all directions right now. If they carelessly bumped into an enemy, it would mean disaster. Elder Redhair was dead! Chief Ziyue had fled... The earlier batch that had exited had likely been arranged to depart, since they carried the black armor. Now, in the entire Red Moon organization, only the three of them remained here. The moment Redhair died, their souls had nearly scattered in fright. Fortunately, everyone else had been frozen in terror back then, and Hou Xiaochen had paid no heed to tiny shrimps like them, granting them a lucky escape. Currently, the three were hiding inside a boulder. Yes, a boulder. One of them, an earth-element expert, had directly used supernatural energy to hollow out the rock. The three concealed themselves inside and resealed the stone, quieting their supernatural energy entirely. This was the safest method of hiding. As for tunneling into the ground... the earth pressure subterranean was immense. Hiding shallow was useless, and burrowing deep required enduring the constant crushing pressure of the soil. The three had made up their minds to stay hidden here. As for when they would come out? Without waiting three to five days, they wouldn't dare step outside! Huddled within the massive stone, the three remained silent, their faces pale with dread and restless panic. The mighty Red Moon organization had sent a prominent Rising Light from the central region this time. And yet... he was impaled and killed with a single spear strike! What an unforgettable sight that had been. It was even more terrifying and hopeless than when that Golden Warrior had punched Dingchen to death. Perhaps the Solar Radiances of Feitian had felt this exact panic back then, though none of the three had any mind to dwell on Feitian's thoughts—everyone from Feitian was dead anyway. The surroundings gradually fell quiet. Faint breathing could be heard as all three let out gentle sighs of relief. One of them whispered in a voice so faint it was barely audible, "Will... will Lord Ziyue remember us?" Staying hidden here forever wasn't an option. Yet venturing out on their own was out of the question. At this point, their only hope was for even stronger figures from the central region to march back alongside Ziyue and the others, at which point they could safely emerge. "I don't know..." "Quiet!" The third person hissed a low warning. They couldn't speak, for even though they were concealed in the core of a massive boulder where not a whisper could escape, caution was never amiss in such times. It was too dangerous! The three went silent once more, making not a sound. ... Outside the boulder. Li Hao stared at the three conspicuous clusters of light in the center of the rock, then looked at the three equally glaring Red Shadows beside them... He was left speechless! *They're so blindingly obvious—what's the point of hiding in there?* Of course, he knew it was because he was special and could see what others couldn't. Under normal circumstances, who would specifically search for one particular rock among countless boulders, and go so far as to probe inside it? No normal person would do such a thing. Liu Long glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao shook his head slightly. He signaled with a hand, indicating for Liu Long to wait a moment. Meanwhile, Li Hao began brewing something. Brewing what? He was preparing to compress his Earth Sword! Indeed, within his spleen, the great mountain had been compressed down to the size of a pillar. He had previously kept it under control without compressing it further, but now, he wished to squeeze it down again. A rock was perfect. It belonged to the earth element after all! If he condensed the Earth Sword momentum and unleashed it, wouldn't it be immensely powerful? He wanted to test it. The three inside made the perfect targets. Furthermore, since they were currently staying completely still with no threat to speak of, they afforded Li Hao plenty of time to test his Earth Sword momentum for the first time. What considerate people! Within his spleen, the Earth Sword was compressed, tightening down further and further until Li Hao soon delineated the shape of a greatsword. He had deliberated over this sword for quite a while... and in the end, sculpted it in the likeness of that silver greatsword. Yes, that Silver Warrior had wielded a greatsword—blunt and heavy, yet possessing extraordinary cleaving force. That final strike remained unforgettable to Li Hao. Previously, he had felt that strike didn't quite mesh with the sword momentum he had comprehended earlier. Yet now, he felt that strike was exceptionally suited to the Earth Sword momentum! In his hand, the Earth-Overturning Sword vibrated faintly. The Earth-Overturning Sword—that weapon from Hong Yitang—was formidable indeed. Hong Yitang had said it would serve Li Hao well up to Spirit Nourishing. Yet at this moment, as Li Hao's Earth Sword momentum slowly manifested, the blade trembled. As if this were the true Earth-Overturning Sword! Gradually, Li Hao's momentum underwent a subtle shift. When the greatsword took shape, he felt a sudden intuition: this sword could merge directly into his sword momentum, becoming a true Earth Sword momentum! Earth and sword, fused as one! This sensation was even clearer than when he had stepped into Thousand-Battler. The moment he had reached Thousand-Battler, he had felt he was forcing the momentum to fuse. It had seemed deliberate, unnatural. Yet now, the fusion felt completely seamless. A smile crossed Li Hao's face as he raised the Earth-Overturning Sword. Gazing at the boulder before him, he recalled the Silver Warrior's strike from before... The next instant, Li Hao's aura transformed! An unstoppable drive! A strike aimed at that unknown enemy in the firmament, fueled by a resolve to embrace death without looking back... "Slash!" With a low shout, Li Hao found himself unable to contain his emotions. This strike filled him with such excitement and surging impulse that he couldn't help but cry out, even though he knew doing it silently would be safer. *But... what do I have to fear?* With his low cry, the three Solar Radiances inside the rock heard it, felt it, and their faces drained of color! The next moment, the rock split open. The three attempted to burst out instantly. They didn't know who had come, but fleeing was their first priority. Yet the moment they opened the stone... an overwhelming, crushing weight like Mount Tai bore down upon them. *Earth element?* The earth-element expert among them roared, unleashing a surge of earth energy. The metal-element expert instantly condensed countless sharp spikes, hurling them toward the unseen enemy! The final water-element expert sent a water dragon surging directly at Li Hao... The trio responded with ruthless decisiveness. Not only that, but the three Red Shadows—which they had previously kept concealed nearby to avoid detection—were commanded to lunge straight for Li Hao as well. The silent, deadly Red Shadows were typically Red Moon's trump card. This time, however, they had gravely underestimated Li Hao's strength. *Boom!* A colossal greatsword crashed down. In an instant, the earth shield conjured by the earth-element expert shattered, the outgoing metal spikes detonated, and the water dragon was cleaved clean in two by the blade. The greatsword continued its descent! *Bang!* The earth-element expert took the brunt of it. This mid Solar Radiance cultivator was crushed directly beneath the weight of the massive blade, his bones snapping inch by inch. The next moment, the sword came down completely, and with a resounding *bang*, he blew apart into bloody mist! Even in death, he was filled with sheer disbelief. *What is this?* *Not supernatural energy?* *A martial master!* *This is a martial master!* At that final moment, the first name that crossed his mind was Hong Yitang. Yes, the Earth-Overturning Sword! *Overturning heaven and earth!* *But why would Hong Yitang want to kill him?* He had no time to ponder further. The shattering of his body brought all his thoughts to an end. The metal-element expert's face warped with horror. He was the strongest of the three, having reached late Solar Radiance. Yet even at full power, he could never slay a mid Solar Radiance in a single strike... *Three Sols?* He spun around to flee! Yet only now did the greatsword fully descend. With a rumbling crash, boundless gravitational suppression cascaded down, mingled with razor-sharp sword energy. In a split second, the sword energy sliced him into a bloody mess. The heavy blade crashed down with a booming thud, crushing him entirely! He fared slightly better than the earth-element expert, having not exploded. Yet all this had taken just a single strike! Beneath one sword strike, a mid Solar Radiance of earth was blown apart, and a late Solar Radiance of metal was crushed to death... At this moment, how could the water-element Solar Radiance have any thought of fighting? His sole impulse was to run. Taking advantage of the moment Li Hao's sword descended, he fled. He bolted in the opposite direction from Li Hao. Right then, the faint sound of crashing waves echoed in his ears. The next instant, a fist materialized. Liu Long had been crouching in wait the entire time; now, like a hunting leopard, he shot forward and threw a punch! Nine Refinements Force! Against a Solar Radiance whose courage was shattered, who had eyes only for escape... The man had barely covered ten meters when the punch struck. With a loud *bang*, it tore straight through his water shield, and more than that, punched a clean hole right through his body! Liu Long's expression was icy. He had struck multiple times during this excursion. Back when he fought Li Dahu, failing to kill him with a single blow had weighed on his mind, etched deep into his memory. Against Zhang Ting, he had racked his brain trying to figure out how to break the defense of a Three Sols expert. After killing Zhang Ting, his confidence had soared. This punch served as a culmination of his recent growth. With that single blow, he punched straight through the mid Solar Radiance's chest. The next instant, Liu Long's fists blurred like phantoms, pounding out over a dozen strikes in succession until the man was blown entirely to pieces. Only then did Liu Long stop. In the blink of an eye, the battle was over. Meanwhile, the three Red Shadows in the air had rushed right up to Li Hao's head, only to halt instantly. It seemed they had lost their orders. It almost felt like meat delivering itself to the chopping board. In the distance, Wang Ming was rushing over in a hurry. Earlier, Li Hao had told him to wait a moment and charge in once the fighting started. The moment Li Hao made his move, Wang Ming had dashed forward... And then... it was over! The battle was done! Liu Long was clearing the battlefield, while Li Hao had pulled out a small sword and was stabbing randomly at empty air, doing heaven knew what. As for Wang Ming... he stood frozen in bewilderment. *It's over?* *Three Solar Radiances are dead?* *Were they fighting Solar Radiances, or Lunar Nethers?* *What did I even come here for?* Wang Ming's mind was an absolute muddle, completely dazed from the moment he left the ruin until now. *Nothing left?* Only after Li Hao dealt with the Red Shadows and absorbed their power did Wang Ming snap out of it. He looked at Liu Long, who ignored him and kept busy, remarking excitedly, "Sure enough, there really are divine energy stones! Not many, though. These three weren't very brave—they only stashed three stones, one each for earth, metal, and water. Looks like they only dared to keep one stone matching their own attribute." Previously, they had obtained thirty-two stones. Adding these three made a full thirty-five! Wang Ming said dryly, "Um... Chief Liu, next time... next time just leave clearing the battlefield to me." *I didn't do a damn thing!* *Now I don't even get to clean up the battlefield.* He suddenly felt completely useless. If this continued, would he even get a share when the spoils were divided next time? *This won't do!* Meanwhile, Li Hao was absorbing the power of the three Red Shadows. This time, no Eight Trigrams diagram appeared; it seemed the diagram only showed itself in Silver City. He was in high spirits. Not because he had killed three Red Moon Solar Radiances, nor because he had cleaved a late Solar Radiance in a single blow, but because he had gained new comprehension of the Earth Sword momentum. After testing it, Li Hao discovered his momentum was far stronger than before. Sure enough, Hong Yitang's theories were sound. This strike had proven it all. "Clean it up quickly, then let's go!" Li Hao was in an exceptionally good mood. Since the fight had ended so quickly, they should make their exit early. Liu Long quickly destroyed any traces of the battle. Seeing this, Wang Ming hurriedly joined in to help clean up. Before long, everything was tidied up. Without a word, the three departed swiftly. ... A short while later. Hao Lianchuan arrived leading several Solar Radiances. Sensing some fluctuations, they had rushed over as fast as they could. After examining the scene, Hao Lianchuan frowned slightly. "A battle took place here. Not sure if it was those Red Moon people... but the scene was cleaned up. Someone must have died!" He sensed carefully and seemed to detect a faint trace of sword intent, though it was barely noticeable. "Director, should we keep searching?" someone asked. Hao Lianchuan had only remembered those remaining Red Moon Solar Radiances after finishing with the Rising Light's corpse. Hou Xiaochen might not care, but he had to. Solar Radiances still posed a threat. Now that they had completely torn all pretense with Red Moon and even slain a Rising Light, how could they let the survivors get away? However, after tracking them along the way, he had failed to catch up. Just now, he had felt a disturbance in this direction and rushed over at top speed, only to arrive too late. *Did a Three Sols expert strike?* He couldn't be sure either; that earlier impression felt somewhat like the work of a Three Sols. Of course, who knew how many hidden powerhouses were currently lurking in Silver Moon? It was hard to tell who had acted. The dead were likely Red Moon's people; at this stage, Red Moon was about the only faction anyone would dare target. "Let's go, head back!" Hao Lianchuan gave up the pursuit. Too much time had already been wasted. White Moon City was the priority now. Director Hou had slain a Rising Light with a single spear strike; in the days to come, who knew how many troubles would need settling. ... This night was quiet on the surface, yet fraught with undercurrents. It felt like an approaching storm. As Hou Xiaochen entered White Moon City, the city immediately entered the highest state of alert. Movements of the Tiger Wing Army became frequent, and large numbers of the city's Inspectorate deployed to patrol the streets. The General Administration Directorate, contrary to its usual quiet, was brightly lit throughout the night. Hou Xiaochen might rebel! This was the assessment of several individuals. Of course, it could not be confirmed. Yet Hou Xiaochen had waited for the central region to intervene, and when nothing came, he took action himself, slaying a top-tier powerhouse on the spot. If this man led the Silver Moon Night Watchers in rebellion, backed by the Tiger Wing Army and the Inspectorate... Then the entire Silver Moon would instantly plunge into turmoil. Furthermore, in all things, the danger lay in someone taking the lead. Once Hou Xiaochen rebelled, beacon fires might soon erupt everywhere! A riot by isolated powerhouses was not a major crisis. The critical issue was that Hou Xiaochen represented the Night Watchers, working in tandem with the Inspectorate and the garrison. This was not a matter of one or two experts; it was a major upheaval in the entire official hierarchy. Such a shift could not be tolerated. Presently, although the Heavenly Star Dynasty was in chaos, with ambitious figures harboring desires for independence, across the ninety-nine provinces, only sporadic uprisings had occurred so far... No titan-level figure had stepped forward to lead. Hou Xiaochen could be counted as one. ... The General Administration Directorate. At this moment, not only were members of the Directorate present, but also several guests of special status. Among them, some even wore Inspectorate uniforms. A short-haired man with piercing eyes looked at the several people in the small conference room and said in a heavy voice, "Never did I expect Hou Xiaochen to hide so deeply! Back when he fought Ying Hongyue to a standstill and survived, we knew this man was extraordinary! Afterward, the central region requisitioned him multiple times, offering promotions and titles. The Inspectorate even offered extraordinary terms, promising him the post of Deputy Director of the Central Bureau, yet he refused them all!" In terms of hierarchy, the Inspectorate was one of the Nine Directorates, whose directors were the nine giants of the dynasty. The deputy director beneath them was an eminent figure across the entire realm. From Hou Xiaochen's current rank, that would have been a jump of three full grades! Yet even so, Hou Xiaochen had turned it down. The man sneered, "Sure enough, this fellow has harbored rebellious thoughts all along! He refused every summons, and now he no longer bothers to hide it. In my view, he will revolt very soon..." "*Cough, cough!*" In the small conference room, an elderly man with greying hair coughed softly. "Mind your words! Refusing a summons was Hou Xiaochen's fault, but stepping in to kill a Red Moon Rising Light was entirely justified... So long as he hasn't raised a banner of revolt, he remains an important official of the dynasty. Do not speak recklessly! Otherwise, if you force Hou Xiaochen into rebellion... who among you will bear the blame?" Everyone in the room turned to look at the old man. This was the nominal supreme leader of all Silver Moon—Director Zhao of the Silver Moon General Administration Directorate. Hou Xiaochen colluded with the military and acted in cahoots with the Inspectorate, but the General Administration Directorate had remained aloof, repeatedly warning the superiors to pay attention to Silver Moon. Thus, those fleeing Hengduan Canyon had come directly here. "Lord Zhao..." The man attempted to argue, but the old man coughed once more. Hearing the cough, several people present looked visibly uncomfortable. Hou Xiaochen loved to cough too! People from Silver Moon were all like this, coughing at every turn. Supposedly, that Yuan Shuo did the same occasionally. *Were they all frail and sickly?* This Lord Zhao, Director Zhao, had originally been a mere scholar. However, after the rise of supers, as the supreme leader of Silver Moon, the superiors had granted him generous benefits, allowing him to step onto the path of the supernatural... Over twenty years, he had barely scraped into the Solar Radiance tier. A Solar Radiance... granted, he was advanced in years, but surely his health couldn't be that poor! Several people grumbled inwardly, feeling exasperated. His combat power might not be formidable, but his standing was immensely high, and his connections in Heavenly Star City were intricate. None of them dared interrupt him casually. The old man coughed a few times before speaking slowly, "Gentlemen, you would do well to stay calm! Let us wait and observe. Unless pushed to an unavoidable corner, someone like Hou Xiaochen will not lightly raise a banner... At this stage, I believe we can still... appropriately win him over... Having such formidable combat power in Silver Moon can stabilize the province. If he is willing to go to the central region, he can fight for the dynasty across the realm... Forcing him into rebellion benefits no one!" "Lord Zhao, do you mean... we just leave him be?" The short-haired man frowned. "Today, he deliberately called out for reinforcements from the central region... Given his strength, that was an obvious provocation!" "..." Director Zhao offered a faint smile and replied gently, "Do not overthink it. Perhaps he simply was reluctant to act. I think it best not to jump to conclusions for now. After all, he killed a Rising Light with one spear. I doubt any of you wish to see him forced into rebellion, do you?" At this, he added, "I still suggest that everyone meet and talk! That includes the three commanders of the garrison, the Director of the Inspectorate, Hou Xiaochen, myself, and all of you delegates from Heavenly Star City... Let us sit down and discuss!" "Discuss?" The short-haired man said grimly, "Is he willing to talk? If we show ourselves, he might kill us on the spot!" He paused for a moment before continuing, "Furthermore, there is another matter. Earlier, headquarters dispatched a special commissioner to Silver Moon to supervise certain cases, and during this expedition, he went missing!" "Missing? A commissioner?" "Yes, a mid Three Sols Night Watcher carrying an Origin God Armament entered the ruin alongside the others, and never came out!" The short-haired man's tone grew heavy. "Both the person and the Origin God Armament are gone. We've inquired through certain channels, and all sources claim that once he entered the city, he vanished without a trace. I suspect..." The old man began coughing again. "I have heard of this. It is said the inner city was fraught with peril, with Rising Light and even beyond-Rising Light entities. Among the Three Sols who entered, only Hu Dingfang and Hao Lianchuan had any chance of dealing with them... Yet those two moved alongside the other Three Sols the entire time. If they had truly acted, would Ziyue and Lunzhuan have covered for them?" Frowning, the old man scolded, "You may harbor suspicions, and you may question Hou Xiaochen, but do not listen to the wind and call it rain! Above all, do not fabricate false charges!" "I am displeased by certain actions of Hou Xiaochen, even more displeased by his collusion with the military, and unhappy that he hollowed out the Inspectorate..." "However!" The old man's voice took on an authoritative weight. "That does not mean every crime should be pinned on him. This conduct is deplorable! Heavenly Star City sent you all here, all powerful supers, but why did they not send a single civil official with a clear head?" Ignoring their darkening expressions, he frowned. "This is improper! Martial might is not everything! If absolute strength could accomplish all things, what would be the purpose of people like us?" He spoke with mounting indignation, "You lot act rashly, walking paths devoid of righteousness! I understand your intent: proof be damned, just pin the commissioner's death on the Night Watchers. If he hasn't rebelled, force him to rebel!" He slapped the table, visibly incensed. "Is this how you conduct affairs? If Hou Xiaochen rebels, do you have the confidence to pacify him and claim grand merit, or do you have the ability to decapitate him and present his head in Heavenly Star City to boast of your achievements?" The more he listened to their tone, the more distasteful and intolerable it became. To think the individuals sent this time were all such reckless fools! He was thoroughly disgusted! Among the people in the room, some looked sullen, while others remained silent. After all, the old man held superior authority. Though they possessed formidable strength—the short-haired man was even a Rising Light, a top-tier Heaven-Blessed Divine Master of terrifying power—at this moment, they could only frown and endure the rebuke. "Lord Zhao!" The short-haired man's brow furrowed tightly. "Fine. We can follow your plan and speak with him... But I will not show my face. I leave this matter to you, Lord Zhao, so our presence does not incite unnecessary conflict... I will enter the city in a day or two... I hope Lord Zhao can keep this confidential." The old man sighed. "Why bother? Do you truly believe he doesn't know you've arrived?" Entering the city in a day or two was naturally a facade to claim they hadn't arrived in time. *Did they really take Hou Xiaochen for a fool?* Over these years, with the rise of the supernatural, a batch of super powerhouses devoid of talent, virtue, and competence had ascended to high positions! To handle the affairs of Silver Moon, a frontier province, they hadn't dispatched a single dependable official of the dynasty, but rather a few brutish fighters with raw strength... How could anything be accomplished this way? Looking exhausted, he waved a dismissive hand. "Very well, I understand! You may all go rest. I will do my best to communicate with Hou Xiaochen. Silver Moon will not fall into chaos in the short term, nor will it be allowed to!" Saying nothing more, the short-haired man stood up. The others quickly rose as well and filed out together. Their patience with the old man had worn thin as well. *He's merely a Solar Radiance!* *Yet he dares put on such airs before us.* ... Once everyone had departed, the old man glanced at his deputy beside him and sighed. "It seems the Nine Directorates also believe that strength is paramount, while talent, intellect, and tact are all secondary. People like us... are on the verge of obsolescence!" The deputy was well along in years as well, his hair touched with white. Wearing a pair of spectacles rarely seen in this day and age, he was reviewing documents. Hearing this, he looked up and smiled. "Director, you must accept the reality of this new era! Chaos is spreading through the central region, with endless wars where strength is king! The Nine Directorates are desperately doing everything they can to bolster their own might. Without power... how could they suppress those unruly powerhouses?" The old man sighed and asked, "What do you think I should do?" "Haven't you already made your decision, Director?" "Perhaps!" The old man sighed once more, looking deeply fatigued. The delegates sent this time had dealt him a heavy blow. He had thought that some old acquaintances—sharp, capable individuals from the past—would be dispatched. With just one of them present, even if they couldn't dissuade Hou Xiaochen from harboring rebellious thoughts, Hou Xiaochen wouldn't have acted rashly. Instead, they had sent several bastards who could hardly wait for Hou Xiaochen to rebel! They feared nothing more than Hou Xiaochen *not* rebelling. Without a rebellion... where would their military merit come from? If he didn't revolt, how could they prove to their superiors that Hou Xiaochen was in the wrong and they were in the right? Feeling ever more helpless, the old man stood up and lamented, "The mansion teeters on the brink of collapse, and monsters run rampant! Might makes right, and the common people suffer! In this age, how many still care for the livelihoods of the people?" "I once thought Hou Xiaochen was a rebel king, a treacherous official..." "And yet now... looking back, Hou Xiaochen actually counts as a rare good man! How pitiful, how laughable, how lamentable!" Shaking his head, the old man slowly walked away. All these years, he had been suppressing the growth of the Night Watchers, striving to have Hou Xiaochen transferred away. This man stationed on the border was simply too dangerous; his prestige in Silver Moon was too vast, which was no good thing. Yet looking at the situation now... any newcomer would almost certainly be far worse than Hou Xiaochen! Silver Moon could only rely on the people of Silver Moon! ... At the very same time. Within the Night Watchers. Hou Xiaochen looked toward the General Administration Directorate with a faint smile. Beside him, Hao Lianchuan was delivering a detailed report on the events within the ruin. Hou Xiaochen seemed to have little interest in the report, merely gazing in that direction. After a long silence, he asked, "Old Hao, tell me: is that man surnamed Zhao weeping or laughing right now?" "Huh?" Hao Lianchuan froze. *What is he talking about?* *Who is he talking about?* "I mean that one over at the General Administration Directorate." "Oh!" Hao Lianchuan understood, grinning. "That stubborn old coot is probably terrified right now that you'll take his head, Director!" "Then you're mistaken!" Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "That old coot isn't afraid of that at all. Besides... why would I want his head? You make me sound like a villain, Old Hao. That's a bad impression to have. Have I ever done such a thing over the years?" "..." Well, Hao Lianchuan was left speechless. "Director, what about the ruin?" "We'll talk about it next month!" Hou Xiaochen chuckled and gave a light cough. "Alright, let's leave it at that. Don't look for me over the next two days unless it's an emergency; my old injuries are acting up, and it's rather uncomfortable. In three days, once Li Hao arrives in White Moon City, inform me then." "Understood!" Hao Lianchuan nodded. Yet inwardly, he grumbled: *Injuries acting up?* *Really?* To be honest, he didn't even believe it anymore! *You claim you're injured, yet you impaled a Rising Light to death with a single spear strike—who are you trying to fool?* *This fellow always treats himself like a parent and everyone else like children to be duped... What a bully!*