The Winds Rise

Inside the sports car. Li Hao crouched like a coiled tiger. Even though he was merely sitting, Wang Ming, who was at the wheel, could not shake the feeling that a live tiger was sprawled right beside him. Cold sweat began to seep from his pores. Li Hao was truly different today. Had he attained enlightenment? *** At that moment, Li Hao sat with his eyes closed in contemplation. Spirit intent! For the first time, he clearly felt spirit intent, the true intent of martial arts. His earlier comprehension of sword momentum and earth momentum had owed much to coincidence and lucky breaks. The ancestor's Long Life Sword had birthed his sword momentum, while earth momentum had come from the collision between Liu Long's Nine Refinements Force and his master's Five Animals momentum—an experience that could be called a sudden epiphany. Yet within the Five Animals Art, his current grasp of the tiger momentum could hardly be called an epiphany. Rather, his emotions and his martial path had both reached a bursting point. Today, they had erupted. Observing the captured beast and resonating with it, projecting himself into the tiger's plight—only then had this momentum taken shape. Yes, the tiger momentum was formed! In the Five Animals Art, tiger momentum belonged to water and governed the kidneys. Yet Li Hao paid no heed to that. Water? No! Hong Yitang had once pointed out the nature of momentum to him: momentum in its purest form possessed no fixed elemental affinity. Liu Long's Nine Refinements Force was water, while his father's had been fire, despite both practicing the very same secret art and technique. His own tiger momentum was also different from his master's. What affinity it took depended entirely on what matched oneself. A cornered beast still fought; a caged tiger never yielded. This was not water. Water was supple and soft. His tiger thirsted for slaughter, hungered for eruption, and refused to endure in silence any longer. It surged forth like blazing flames, yearning to incinerate this entire earth. There was a fire in his heart! Fire momentum! Yes, his tiger momentum was neither water nor metal. On the contrary, it was a tiger longing to burn. Fire momentum! Li Hao understood in his heart that this tiger was the fire within him. His master's ape was the Heart Fire Ape, but his own was a Heart Fire Tiger—two completely different styles, just like Liu Long and his father, where one forged fire momentum and the other forged water momentum. Within his chest, that fierce tiger leaped straight into his heart! His heart seemed to burst into flames, and massive chains rushed to bind this caged tiger, only driving the beast into an even wilder fury and madness. *You want to lock me up too?* Refusing to be bound was the very essence of a caged tiger. Yet now, the chains in his heart sought to bind it. Refusing to submit, it roared, snarled, and clawed in frenzy. Li Hao's expression remained tranquil. *Endure a little longer, just a little longer. Binding you today is only so you may be unleashed with even greater fury tomorrow.* The Fire Tiger sword momentum was his next objective. The Earth Mountain Sword was heavy as a mountain, grand and majestic. However, its lethality was still lacking. Li Hao began to lock the fire tiger within his heart. The chains were astonishingly thick, far stronger than the ones that had bound the Earth Mountain Sword. A Rising Light-level Blood God Seed had vastly expanded his potential, making his supernatural locks even sturdier. "Roar!" In that instant, Wang Ming seemed to hear a fierce tiger roaring directly in his ear. His face turned pale, and he glanced sideways at Li Hao once again. What was that? Momentum? Had Li Hao comprehended the tiger momentum? *** Li Hao paid Wang Ming no mind. Though bound by his supernatural locks, the fierce tiger struggled frantically, sending shockwaves that made his heart pound unceasingly. Excellent! This was precisely the drive he wanted. If it went completely still the moment it was locked like the Earth Mountain Sword, it would not be a caged tiger. This momentum was not necessarily stronger than the Earth Mountain Sword. In fact, it might even be slightly inferior. Yet that surging drive, that unyielding resolve, and that wild refusal to remain dormant perfectly mirrored Li Hao himself. This was an experience attainable only by projecting one's very being into the intent. Had Yuan Shuo been present, he would likely have been stunned. He would have told Li Hao that only today had he truly stepped across the threshold of the Thousand-Battler realm. Yes, this was Li Hao's true insight into martial arts, a genuine martial achievement. Intent in the heart! This was the third momentum Li Hao had grasped, though in truth it could also be seen as his second. He had made sword momentum his guiding foundation, unwilling to separate it into metal momentum alone; instead, it stood above and governed all other momentums. The starting point of the sword momentum was simply too high. Its origin was profound, guided into existence by the sword intent of a peerless expert. Forcing it into metal momentum now would only weaken it. The lingering energy of the blood shadows inside his body was rapidly repairing the minor injuries he had just sustained. Soon, his injuries healed completely. Li Hao had integrated a second momentum, transforming it into the momentum of his heart. From this point forward, both his heart and spleen nurtured a momentum of their own. When the fierce tiger was refined into the Fire Tiger Sword and merged into his sword momentum, it would undoubtedly become even more formidable. And right now, Li Hao needed to unleash his sword against someone! He needed to vent the fire in his chest! Although his eyes were closed and he seemed oblivious to his surroundings, Li Hao could faintly sense eyes watching him. People were still tailing him. It was just that his departure had been so abrupt, and rather than heading home, he had gone elsewhere, catching those watchers off guard. They had lacked the time to make a move. And that was precisely the outcome Li Hao needed. *** At the East City Hotel. Hu Qingfeng quickly received the intelligence as well. Surprised, he remarked, "Li Hao went out just now to look at a tiger... What was that about?" Beside him, Yu Xiao cursed under his breath. Why run around? Instead of obediently going back to draw the map, he had run off to see a tiger. Did he have too much time on his hands? "That Wang Ming probably put him up to it..." Yu Xiao offered as an explanation. He did not want Hu Qingfeng focusing too much on Li Hao right now, so he swiftly changed the subject: "Li Hao told me today that Hou Xiaochen will definitely emerge from seclusion within three days!" "Hmph!" Hu Qingfeng gave a cold snort. "His so-called seclusion is merely a smokescreen in my eyes. Who knows, he might have come out long ago." Yu Xiao remained silent. Not necessarily! Hou Xiaochen might truly be nursing injuries; otherwise, he would have consumed Li Hao already. Recuperating now was likely just to digest Li Hao all the better. Hu Qingfeng said nothing more, lost in thought. Soon, he asked again, "Is that Li Hao willing to hand over his blood?" "Yes!" Yu Xiao laughed. "How could he dare refuse? Besides, the fellow knows nothing. The moment I mentioned coming from headquarters, the expression on his face was more eager than if he had seen his own father. He probably has no idea what Hou Xiaochen is planning." Hu Qingfeng nodded. Fair enough. In the eyes of an ordinary Night Patroller, experts from headquarters naturally commanded respect. In the entire Silver Moon Night Patrollers, probably only a handful of higher-ups had an inkling of Hou Xiaochen's true intentions. He said no more. Yu Xiao had already mentioned that Li Hao needed a day or two before he could provide heart blood, and Yu Xiao had not asked for ordinary blood. Hu Qingfeng found nothing amiss with that. Obtaining heart blood was the best possible outcome. *** White Moon City. A small courtyard in the southern district. He Yong stroked his thick beard, frowning as he looked at the man before him. "He went to see a tiger? A captured one at that... To comprehend tiger momentum? Sounds like a long shot to me. That Li Hao doesn't have his master's overbearing nature, nor Yuan Shuo's mad, peerless arrogance. It will be hard for him to grasp tiger momentum!" His first thought had indeed been momentum comprehension. Yet it was virtually impossible. Momentum depended on the person. It was not as if he had never interacted with Li Hao. Even if the kid had some sly schemes of his own, he was still nothing like Yuan Shuo. The boy was simply too young, and he had always been protected and suppressed. Grasping the overbearing momentum of a fierce tiger was nearly out of the question. Looking was useless! What was more, it had been a caged tiger, making it even less likely. He Yong chuckled and shook his head. "Kids are so naive, thinking they can comprehend momentum just by looking at a tiger or a great bear. The Five Animals momentum isn't that simple." He said no more, waving his hand dismissively. "Go on. Remember, just watch. Do not rashly interfere in anything. Hou Xiaochen is still in the city; he isn't dead. Don't be foolish like the others. If someone makes a move now, even if they succeed, who could possibly get away once Hou Xiaochen emerges from seclusion?" He had some understanding of the matters surrounding Li Hao. Whether it was the Five Animals Breathing Art or a Rising Light-level Blood God Seed, he was not terribly interested. Having them was fine, but going without made no difference. Right now, anyone plotting against Li Hao was gambling with their life. He Yong had no interest in wagering his life for petty gains. As an instructor for the Imperial Family, he did not lack such treasures. What he lacked far more was personal enlightenment and guidance on the road ahead. *** All across the city, people were discussing Li Hao. The simple act of going to see a tiger had sparked speculation everywhere. Many guessed he might have gone to comprehend tiger momentum, but few held high hopes. Anyone acquainted with Yuan Shuo knew what his tiger momentum looked like. That was a true king of the mountains and forests! Yuan Shuo had comprehended his tiger momentum only after sweeping across Silver Moon, fighting dozens of renowned martial masters before he truly grasped the momentum and its absolute dominance. Li Hao... was far from that level! He could not even be considered a cub. *** Night Patroller headquarters. Li Hao stepped through the main entrance once more with a smile on his face. The fire in his chest had been reined in, nearly all of it folded into his tiger momentum. He appeared gentler now, every trace of emotion swallowed by that beast. When Hao Lianchuan saw Li Hao again, he was somewhat surprised and taken aback. At this moment, Li Hao gave him a feeling of utter purity. He looked just like an ordinary schoolboy. Before, Li Hao had always seemed to be putting on a bit of an act, but now, when he smiled, it felt genuinely from the heart. Hao Lianchuan found him harder to read than ever. He frowned slightly, though his brow soon cleared as he spoke: "Hu Dingfang sent another message telling me to keep you safe. He heard what you said today and told you to be careful. He also told you to stay away from Wang Ming—that guy is a disaster waiting to happen!" Li Hao smiled. After a moment's thought, he said, "Minister, please thank him on my behalf. But General Hu doesn't need to concern himself with my affairs." He paused, then added, "General Hu's efforts on me won't achieve anything. As long as my master approves, everything is fine. Trying to win my master over through me isn't a great approach... Even if he helps me tremendously, that is strictly my own affair. I don't want to become a means to influence my master." Hao Lianchuan smiled. "What's wrong? Isn't that a good thing?" "It's not bad, just unnecessary." Having said that, Li Hao spoke again: "Minister, in a couple of days I'd like to go see the ocean. Would you be interested in coming with me?" The ocean? Hao Lianchuan was taken aback for a second before nodding. "Sure. But the sea by White Moon is only an inland sea, not truly boundless. If you want to see the real ocean, you have to go further south. The southern seas are far vaster than the northern ones." "We'll see when the chance comes." Li Hao glanced around and said, "Minister, could you assign me an office or something? I like clocking in for work, and it's not very convenient hanging around your office all the time." "..." *Are you addicted to working, damn it?* *Or do you think you're about to become a deputy minister?* Only deputy ministers and certain finance personnel had private offices here. This kid... was truly interesting. After a moment's thought, Hao Lianchuan said, "The fifth floor is full, but there's an empty office on the fourth floor. It's rather close to Secretary Yu, though. Do you want it?" "There really is one?" Li Hao was somewhat surprised. They could actually assign him one? "It's just an office!" Hao Lianchuan said casually with a chuckle. "Besides... no one else wants to be neighbors with her. If you don't mind, tidy it up and move right in." Though Chief Steward Yu was reliable in her work, she gave everyone the cold shoulder except for Hou Xiaochen. As a result, the other Night Patrollers would rather cram themselves onto other floors than share a wall with her. Li Hao, however, did not care. It was great! On his second day in White Moon City, he had already secured an office at headquarters. He liked the idea, even wondering whether he should fetch that commendation banner from Silver City... But never mind; he would return to Silver City eventually. That banner could stay hanging in Silver City. *** That afternoon, Li Hao did virtually nothing else. He spent the entire time sweeping the office and tidying up, preparing to move in proper. Even some of the secretaries and drivers on the fourth floor were stunned. Someone actually dared to move in here? Many stole glances toward Chief Steward Yu, only to find that she paid it no attention whatsoever. Realizing there was no drama to watch, they gave up their gossiping. All they could say was that this newcomer, Li Hao, had nerve unlike anyone else! He worked all the way until quitting time. Looking over his new office, Li Hao was in high spirits. It was roughly forty square meters, not too small at all. A full desk set, along with a coffee table and sofa for guests. While it could not compare to Silver City, space here was at an absolute premium. Having an office of his own proved that knowing someone in high places made things easy. With just a word from Minister Hao, an office had been allocated to him. Admiring the fruits of his labor, Li Hao stepped out in satisfaction, locking the door and pocketing the key. In the hallway. Chief Steward Yu happened to be stepping out as well. Seeing Li Hao lock his door, her brows twitched. This guy... was truly... truly something else. Did he really consider this his territory now? Was he seriously planning to report for work every day? She checked the time: six o'clock, right on the dot for the end of the workday. Clocking in on time, never leaving early... Chief Steward Yu could hardly find the words to describe what she was feeling. "Li Hao!" "Chief Steward Yu!" Li Hao followed the general convention and addressed her as Chief Steward, speaking warmly: "Getting off work, Chief Steward?" "..." Chief Steward Yu had never known what "getting off work" felt like; she almost never left this building. Hearing his question, she froze for a moment before slowly nodding. "Getting off work!" "Chief Steward, leaving together?" "No need." Chief Steward Yu studied him for a moment, then said nothing more and walked away. Leave together? She wasn't even going outside, so how could they leave together? "Goodbye, Chief Steward! I'm heading home then!" Beaming, Li Hao was in a great mood. Today was a day worth celebrating. He went downstairs, neither driving nor riding a bicycle, but walking on foot toward the staff quarters. The moment he stepped outside the Night Patroller building, the "lightbulbs" appeared once more. Yet Li Hao paid them no heed. These people were not worthy of his sword. Besides, they did not dare make a move rashly right now; they would only strike after observing the situation thoroughly. They needed to see if anyone was following Li Hao to protect him. Without figuring out the Night Patrollers' arrangements, who would dare act blindly? Meanwhile, Li Hao behaved as if completely oblivious. Along the way, he bought several steamed buns and packed a bowl of beef noodles. He disliked troubling others; although the Inspectorate could deliver meals to his door, Li Hao preferred not to bother them. Being self-sufficient was fine, and it wasn't expensive. As a high-income earner, why would he care about such petty change? *** "Is no one really watching this kid?" In the shadows, someone grew suspicious. Li Hao was truly left unattended. Did the Night Patrollers think that because he lived so close, he needed no protection? Or did they assume that with Hou Xiaochen in the city, no one would dare touch him? They observed cautiously and confirmed there was indeed no one. As for the whereabouts of the Night Patroller experts, aside from Hou Xiaochen who was in seclusion and Hao Lianchuan who remained busy in the building, the other peak Solar Radiance experts all had their own duties. Almost every Solar Radiance Night Patroller had work to attend to. The only idle one was probably Wang Ming. Yet that fellow had driven off in his luxury car right after dropping Li Hao off in the afternoon. Someone was keeping an eye on Wang Ming as well; the guy was genuinely out partying, nowhere near the southern district. *** Going upstairs, Li Hao returned home. Opening the door, he wore a faint smile, acting as though nothing had happened, though he felt a flicker of surprise within... Had Red Moon sent someone else? There was actually a Red Shadow inside his apartment. Taking advantage of Hao Lianchuan's absence, a Red Moon cultivator had likely slipped in. No supernatural was visible, only the Red Shadow. They probably figured the shadow had little chance of being exposed, and right now, it hovered right in front of Li Hao. In the past, Li Hao would have trembled in terror. Now, however... he was truly used to it. He even gauged its strength; it seemed to be around early Solar Radiance, judging by its size. He had consumed many of these things by now, and seeing a Red Shadow now always made him feel like he was looking at food—he almost wanted to swallow it whole. Red Moon truly had nerve. Had another expert arrived, or had Ziyue recovered from her injuries? Red Moon's concern for Li Hao ran deeper than anyone else's. They were terrified he might die, terrified his movements might slip from their control. Li Hao often found himself thinking that in all of White Moon City, Red Moon was probably the only party that cared so intensely about whether he lived or died! Amidst his solitude, a touch of sentimental amusement was unavoidable. Red Moon was truly thoughtful! Li Hao did nothing else. He ate his buns and sat down at his desk. Beside him, the Red Shadow watched in silence, like a parent supervising a child doing homework. Li Hao began drawing a map. A map of the ruins. Since he had promised Yu Xiao, he would deliver on his word and draw him a map. As for the Origin God Armament, it was already gone. With no Origin God Armament left... Li Hao pondered for a moment, then marked a spot on the city gate tower with two words that were worth far more than any Origin God Armament! This was an authentic treasure map; Li Hao never lied. As for the Red Shadow watching, let it watch. Once they saw it, they could go check out those two words on the gate tower themselves. Perhaps they would get a wonderful surprise—if that murderous madman charged back from the past... the thought alone was thrilling. After finishing the map, the Red Shadow still had not left. It seemed Hao Lianchuan's movements were under close surveillance; knowing he had not returned yet, these people grew bolder by the minute. Li Hao ignored the Red Shadow. He began practicing his boxing. Each punch landed with considerable force, aimed squarely at the Red Shadow. While the shadow was immune to physical attacks, a martial master's vitality and blood could still harm it, to say nothing of spirit intent. After practicing his punches for a while and seeing that he could not drive the Red Shadow away, Li Hao picked up the Earth-Overturning Sword and began practicing sword forms! *** Inside the Inspectorate residential quarters. In one of the buildings, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man spoke into a communication device, frowning. "He hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. He came back, ate, drew a map, and started practicing martial arts... mainly boxing and swordsmanship. His sword intent is quite formidable..." He was exasperated by Li Hao. Work, go home, eat, practice martial arts... Was this how a young man lived? Did he have no hobbies at all? There was not the slightest abnormality! On the other end of the line. Outside White Moon City. Ziyue gazed toward the city. Beside her stood another man, wearing a playful expression as he looked toward the city as well. Hearing the report over the device, he chuckled. "This descendant of the Li family... is truly dull!" Ziyue nodded. Ending the call, she looked toward the city and said in a heavy voice, "We don't need to worry about him for now. Right now, Red Moon is being watched by every faction because of the Blood God Seed. Hou Xiaochen killed Hongfa; what do you think we should do next?" The man chuckled. "He killed him, so what? Killing one is enough—would Hou Xiaochen dare kill a second? Hongfa was far too careless and far too weak, getting run through by a single spear thrust... He disgraced Red Moon!" He continued, "For this trip, the chief gave me two tasks! First, bring back Li Hao, or his corpse! Second, bring back Yuan Shuo, or his corpse. As for Hou Xiaochen, the chief had few demands regarding him." He looked at Ziyue. "So Hou Xiaochen, the one who humiliated you, is not our primary target. The true core is Li Hao! We are different from the others; to us, Li Hao is more important than Hou Xiaochen. Ziyue, do not lose sight of our objective!" Ziyue frowned. "But... taking him alive is virtually impossible. That leaves only killing him. If we kill him, will he still be useful?" "I don't know," Lanyue replied casually. "I only follow orders. Perhaps the chief has other methods. Of course, capturing Li Hao alive would be ideal, to wait for the next rainy season. It won't be long—around December, the next rainy season will arrive." The intervals between Red Moon's killings of the Eight Families' descendants were growing shorter and shorter. Now, the next rainy season would come in December, less than half a year away. Ziyue was still reluctant. "Then... what about Battle Heaven Ancient City?" "If we can enter, we enter; if not, it doesn't matter," Lanyue said calmly. "Ziyue, the treasures and supreme artifacts in your eyes might not be worth mentioning in the chief's eyes! Origin God Armaments and divine energy stones may not be that important after all. Red Moon stationed so much strength in Silver Moon not for those things. From the very beginning, our target has been the Eight Families of Silver City, and that has never changed for over a decade." Ziyue frowned. "Then why didn't we imprison Li Hao earlier? Back then, he was just an ordinary mortal who hadn't apprenticed under Yuan Shuo yet. Why make things so complicated by leaving him free-range, leading to today's complications? Otherwise, Li Hao would have been captured long ago." Lanyue shook his head. "You don't understand; it's not that simple! We only discovered Li Hao's existence after he turned eighteen. It wasn't something known from the start. Only after he turned eighteen did we confirm he was the core direct descendant of the Li family among the Eight Families. Before that, even confirming he belonged to the Li family held little significance!" "By the time he was eighteen, he had already become an apprentice." At this point, he added, "Before that, the chief actually made a move against the Li family. His parents' deaths were our doing, but who could have expected... his father was not the core bearer of the Li family's inheritance... That was the frustrating part!" He paused, then murmured softly, "Besides, the timing back then wasn't suitable. We couldn't take Li Hao away; doing so would have caused his bloodline to degrade rapidly. His father lost the bloodline inheritance perhaps because the place where we struck was outside the city." Ziyue listened without comment; she had not participated in those events. She had learned about Red Moon's moves against the Eight Great Families only recently. Before that, she had been an outsider, having inherited the identity of Ziyue not long ago. Now, the chief seemed to have given up on capturing Li Hao alive, even ordering that a corpse would suffice. Whether this meant circumstances had changed, she did not know. "Lanyue, what do the Eight Families truly represent?" "Don't ask!" Lanyue said indifferently. "Even I am not entirely clear, but I won't ask. Asking too much is never wise, and knowing too much brings no good! What we must do is simple: bring back Li Hao!" "Then when do we strike?" Ziyue pressed in a heavy tone. "Hou Xiaochen is too powerful. Even you might not be his match." "When chaos erupts!" Ziyue fell into thought. When would chaos erupt? "Soon!" Lanyue smiled. "People from Night Patroller headquarters have arrived—a few brats who don't know the immensity of heaven and earth, thinking only of claiming credit, suppressing rebellions, and taking down Hou Xiaochen... Those fellows will be our greatest help." "Hu Qingfeng?" Ziyue's brow furrowed. "Though he's also a Rising Light, he's even weaker than Hongfa. Where does he get the nerve to provoke Hou Xiaochen?" *Has he gone mad?* "He hasn't gone mad. Not only is he sane, he's exceptionally clear-headed!" Lanyue chuckled. "He can't take down Hou Xiaochen alone, but... aren't there others willing to help him? For instance... me! Or King Pingdeng! Or Banshan!" Lanyue's smile turned radiant. "Hou Xiaochen is a thorn in our side, so I agreed! Of course, that's beside the point. All I need is for him to act. As long as he strikes and throws Hou Xiaochen into disarray, I will move to capture Li Hao... No, perhaps it's more fitting for you to go. I wouldn't mind crossing hands with Hou Xiaochen to see just how strong he really is." "If four Rising Light experts aren't enough, we can add more!" Lanyue chuckled. "Many in the Central Region want to see where Hou Xiaochen's bottom line lies. Even if we can't take him down this time, we'll bring five, then six... until everyone has made their move. If he still can't be taken down... then we wait for an even more powerful existence to arrive!" Ziyue took a deep breath. These factions actually intended to join hands. This was something she had not considered before, as she believed alliances were not necessarily a good thing. "Lanyue, tell me the truth. Did you come alone, or are there others?" Ziyue asked. Lanyue glanced back at her, his brow knitting slightly. "Ziyue, knowing too much is not good, as I've said!" Ziyue felt a prick of dissatisfaction, but pressed no further. Yet she wondered inwardly whether other members of the Elders Council or the Seven Moons had arrived. Knowing how powerful Hou Xiaochen was, it was impossible they had come completely unprepared. Lanyue alone, while powerful, was unlikely to match Hou Xiaochen in her estimation. To this day, she could not forget the absolute dominance with which Hou Xiaochen had skewered Hongfa with a single thrust. *** Inside the apartment, the Red Shadow had been toyed with by Li Hao until it was half-exhausted. Only when Hao Lianchuan returned did the shadow vanish. Li Hao did not go out to see Hao Lianchuan; seeing too much of him grew tiresome as well. Once the Red Shadow was gone, Li Hao began compressing the fierce tiger within his heart. A tiger-head sword! He wanted to see if, before tomorrow evening, he could compress this tiger into a Fire Tiger Sword! That night, Li Hao did not sleep. He spent the entire time attempting to compress it, but the tiger proved stubbornly obstinate. Even when squeezed nearly out of shape, it refused to transform into a blade. This gave Li Hao a headache; momentum could not be allowed to become too cluttered. A sword, a tiger, a mountain—such variety actually hindered full performance. While it made him more versatile, versatility often equated to mediocrity. Yuan Shuo was versatile, and though his master was far from mediocre, in terms of pure offensive power alone, he held no overwhelming advantage. Li Hao tried for a long time through the night. The tiger was compressed significantly, yet the shape of a sword never emerged. It was merely compressed into a smaller fierce tiger. *** In the blink of an eye, it was the morning of September 6th. As usual, Li Hao reported to work right on time, traveling alongside Hao Lianchuan. Along the way, far fewer monsters and ghosts lurked about. This was his third day in White Moon City. In the car. Hao Lianchuan glanced at Li Hao, whose eyes were closed, increasingly feeling that this kid was different from the past two days. "Li Hao..." "Yes." "Tonight... be careful!" "Understood." Li Hao nodded. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Minister, about how long will you need?" "Thirty seconds at most; ten seconds if things go fast!" Hao Lianchuan said in a heavy voice. "You must ensure you can protect yourself for at least thirty seconds. Otherwise... I'll abandon the idea. Killing someone or not doesn't really matter; it's just to vent some frustration, not an absolute necessity." That was not particularly fast. When powerful experts clashed, a battle could easily end within ten seconds. Hao Lianchuan had been at early Three Sols... though he seemed to have reached the middle stage now. His speed had never been exceptional, but combined with the Fire Phoenix Spear, it might suffice. Even so, thirty seconds was still a rather long time. "That won't do," Li Hao smiled. "Everything is already arranged. If we back out now, I'm afraid trouble will only dog my heels." "You... Well, think it through yourself. If something happens to you, your master won't let me off!" Hao Lianchuan suddenly felt a twinge of regret. Though he knew the kid was bold and had some wits about him, the realization suddenly struck that his master was Yuan Shuo. If Li Hao came to harm, even if Hou Xiaochen did not pursue the matter, Yuan Shuo certainly would. Regret began to creep in; had he known, he would never have agreed to this. Li Hao, however, remained exceptionally calm. He looked out the car window and exhaled softly. He truly hoped... he could strike with his sword today. Even a single strike would do. The tiger-head sword yearned to strike, and perhaps once it struck and vented its fury, it would finally be willing to take the shape of a blade!