Movements on All Sides

From all directions, supernatural energy surged. At Night Patroller headquarters, a flash of light pierced the void, hurtling directly toward the scene. Midair, Hao Lianchuan was still trembling with fear. It was not out of dread for the surrounding powerhouses, but because he could not forget what he had just witnessed—Li Hao's final, ruthless strike. Even though Li Hao had clearly seen him arrive, the ferocity in his eyes had remained undiminished to the utmost extreme. At the very final moment, he had still staked his life on a strike to impale Huang Jie through the skull. That look in his eyes... Hao Lianchuan could not even find words to describe it. A beast breaking from its cage? Revenge? Or the sheer, unadulterated gaze of slaughter? Hao Lianchuan looked down. At that moment, he saw the silhouette struggling to push itself up off the ground once more. *** In the alley. Li Hao struggled to his feet. Sword energy surged through his body, swiftly mending some of his injuries. A few remnants of the blood shadow's power, working in tandem with the sword energy, proved remarkably effective. A fierce tiger returned to its cage! Radiating the power of flame, the tiger-headed sword obediently reentered his heart. Yet it still seemed primed to devour anyone in its path, only without its previous thrashing. It was as if it had gone dormant, melting into mountain and forest, waiting for the next opportunity to strike. *** At that very moment, out on White Moon Mountain beyond the city. A striped tiger with broken fangs glanced back at Zhou Qin. Moving with extreme caution, it tested each step before gradually slipping into the mountain forest. Right before departing, its feline eyes gleamed with undisguised ferocity. Zhou Qin frowned slightly. Beside him, his friend shifted uncomfortably and murmured, "That tiger... the way it looked at us before leaving was pretty terrifying." "Old Zhou, we're really letting it go just like that?" Zhou Qin remained silent for a moment, then nodded without offering further explanation. It was let go. Wang Ming's friend had put in a word, and it was just a tiger after all. Zhou Qin hadn't pried too deeply into that friend's background, nor had there been any need to; he could deduce the broad strokes. The man was Li Hao from Silver City, a martial artist. A martial artist... Zhou Qin recalled the look in Li Hao's eyes when they had first met. In truth, it was remarkably similar to this tiger's gaze. Zhou Qin was no fool; he suspected the tiger might seek revenge on him someday. Yet he feared that martial artist even more! It was simply a lingering fear, hard to put into words. Yuan Shuo... the Old Demon! As for his disciple, Li Hao, Zhou Qin had made a few inquiries. People described him as a fine young man, but Zhou Qin suspected it was only because Li Hao hid it well. In truth, he was a savage individual. Could the disciple of the Old Demon possibly be a good person? The tiger lacked strength right now, so it bided its time. Letting it return to the mountains meant it might come looking for him once it grew stronger. But what about Li Hao... if he gained real power? A catastrophe might very well erupt! It was not that Zhou Qin was exceptionally clever, but rather that he had seen a different look in Li Hao's eyes, a different posture that was not in the least as honest and diligent as the rumors made him out to be. Heaven only knew how such rumors had spread in the first place. *** In the alley, Li Hao had no mind to spare for that tiger. He struggled to his feet, a faint smile suddenly appearing on his face. He glanced up at the sky. A fire phoenix soared above, and beside it, Hao Lianchuan looked down. This time, Hao Lianchuan saw Li Hao's smile. It looked so utterly innocent! A sudden chill gripped Hao Lianchuan's heart. He had already known this kid was no saint, but after slaughtering so many people and sustaining grave injuries himself, how could he smile with such apparent innocence? Was it genuine, or a facade? Yet with no one else around and all the onlookers dead, what need was there to pretend? That meant Li Hao was truly smiling. Did he feel... comfortable? Satisfied? Did he feel he had done a good job killing them, believing to his very bones that every last one deserved to die? At that moment, Hao Lianchuan's thoughts were a tangled mess. Down below, Li Hao chuckled. Staggering forward, he quickly walked up to Old Huang's corpse, searched the body, and pulled off a ring without looking at anything else. Next, he walked over to Yu Xiao, patted him down as well, and removed another ring. Before long, he reached the Thousand-Battler martial artist. The man's head was gone, and his corpse was battered beyond recognition. Li Hao searched him and found a small manual, though parts of it appeared to have been torn out. Quite normal. Many people were fond of doing this. This Thousand-Battler spearman carried the secret art on his person, but the breathing method had definitely been excised. Some didn't even bother carrying secret art manuals at all. It was an extremely common practice. Two storage rings and one secret art manual. Li Hao took only these three items. A moment later, he picked up the broken spearhead from the Thousand-Battler spearman and plunged it straight into Old Huang's head. Next, he stabbed it into the corpses of Yu Xiao and the others, each thrust precisely obliterating the sword marks on their bodies. Where the wounds were too severe to mask, Li Hao simply destroyed them thoroughly, obliterating all traces of sword strikes. Just as he finished tidying the scene, a flash of light streaked down from above. Li Hao did not even need to look to know that it was not Hou Xiaochen, but Chief Steward Yu. The newcomer was indeed not Hou Xiaochen. Hou Xiaochen might not even be in the city; no one knew where he had gone these past few days. In the blink of an eye, the figure of light descended and landed opposite Li Hao. Chief Steward Yu looked at Li Hao, and Li Hao looked back at her. He bowed slightly. "Li Hao greets the Chief Steward!" Chief Steward Yu swept her gaze across the corpses. Soon, she looked at Li Hao again, noting the marks on his body. Her eyes flickered. After a long pause, she said slowly, "Hao Lianchuan told you to fish for targets?" "Yes." "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?" Li Hao smiled and nodded. "A little! But I believe Minister Hou can handle it. It's only a minor inconvenience. Minister Hou needed to see my worth, and I am currently demonstrating it to him! If Minister Hou finds my value sufficient, then this won't be an issue. Conversely, if I find that Minister Hou lacks the ability to shelter me... I will have to consider whether to stay." Chief Steward Yu's expression was frosty. "Sheltering you naturally poses no problem. But that does not mean you may repeatedly bring trouble to the Minister..." "Wrong!" Li Hao disagreed, shaking his head. "Minister Hou should know that I am a martial artist! The disciple of Old Demon Yuan! As a martial artist, the condition for him taking on my protection is handling these troubles for me... A true martial artist never grows up in a greenhouse! My master is like that, and I... am the same!" Li Hao looked at Chief Steward Yu and added, "Chief Steward, you must have been a martial artist once as well. I've sensed a faint trace of force on you before, force converted into supernatural power. Since you once comprehended force as a martial artist, I imagine you understand far better than Minister Hao that people like us are born to stir up trouble!" Chief Steward Yu's eyes flickered once more. What a Li Hao! He had actually sensed a trace of force on her... It had been so many years that she had almost forgotten she had once been a martial artist. She looked around again, and after a moment, said coldly, "Let this be the last time... Go back for now. I will handle the trouble here. However, I must remind you: you can hide this for a time, but not forever!" Li Hao smiled. "That will be enough! It won't take long. Once my Spirit Nourishing reaches great accomplishment, if Chief Steward Yu wishes to see it, I am willing to demonstrate to Minister Hou and the Chief Steward what a true Spirit Nourishing martial artist looks like. My master has only recently achieved Spirit Nourishing, and the release of all five spirits is still far off. Perhaps... I will be faster? When that time comes, I believe today's small trouble will be no trouble at all!" The release of all five spirits! Chief Steward Yu felt a jolt in her heart. She knew some details of what had happened when Yuan Shuo beat Sun Yifei to death; two spirits had manifested from his body. And Li Hao? Though Huang Jie was no martial artist, he possessed peak Three Sols strength. Strictly speaking, even if he fell slightly short of Sun Yifei, the gap was not significant. Though she had not witnessed the full battle, she could deduce the general outline. Even if Li Hao lacked the raw power to solo kill Huang Jie... he must have engaged in a brutal battle against him. This young man's strength might truly be second only to his master, already surpassing countless martial artists! The second-strongest in the Silver Moon martial arts world? At that moment, Chief Steward Yu could not quite decipher her own feelings. A heavy silence hung in the air before she finally said, "Go back first!" "Much obliged!" Li Hao cupped his fists and turned to walk away. After a few steps, he suddenly turned back. "Does the Chief Steward have a storage ring?" Chief Steward Yu frowned slightly. "If so, did the Chief Steward bring a Night Patroller uniform?" Li Hao pointed to his tattered clothes and smiled. "They're too torn, and the battle marks are far too obvious. Could I change into a fresh set?" Chief Steward Yu had almost forgotten about that. Exhaling softly, she waved her hand. A brand-new uniform appeared and was tossed to Li Hao. Unlike ordinary uniforms, the material of this new set was visibly exceptional. Li Hao had seen it before! Hou Xiaochen wore this kind. Li Hao grinned. Without any shame, he swiftly stripped off his shredded garments, changed into the new uniform, and slipped into a pair of fresh leather boots. With a slight vibration of inner force, the bloodstains on his skin were shaken off. Hou Xiaochen's clothes fit him reasonably well, just slightly small. The man was two or three centimeters shorter than him, but it was hardly noticeable. Tossing his ruined clothes to the ground, Li Hao smiled. "Chief Steward, do you know how to start a fire? If not, have Minister Hao lend a hand." "I will handle it!" Chief Steward Yu glanced at him without further comment. Li Hao nodded and strode off. As for the mysterious energy of the two Three Sols experts, he had neither taken it nor brought it up. Right now, Chief Steward Yu and the others still needed the corpses to deal with the various factions. Leaving them mangled and bloody would look terrible and make the Night Patrollers appear petty, as if they had killed people only to immediately strip their mysterious energy. How could Li Hao do something like that? As for the storage rings... that didn't matter. When killing enemies, one naturally took their treasures. Otherwise, wouldn't the kill have been in vain? Only after Li Hao vanished at the end of the dilapidated alley did Chief Steward Yu's brow furrow slightly. Up above, Hao Lianchuan also descended. He glanced toward the end of the alley, then at Chief Steward Yu, his eyes flickering. Although he had always known she was not weak, he had truly misjudged her depth. "Minister Hou didn't come?" "Mm!" Chief Steward Yu said nothing more. Looking around, she instructed, "Burn everything. Aside from that broken Red Moon mask, incinerate every last thing. Leave nothing behind!" Burn everything, leave not a trace. As for what Li Hao and Hao Lianchuan had planned regarding pinning the blame on Red Moon, it didn't matter. Chief Steward Yu was well experienced in dealing with these matters. Even with the frame-up, once Hu Qingfeng saw the two corpses, he would be furious, perhaps even frantic, and would certainly stir up trouble... There was no need for such complications. Destroy everything, leaving nothing behind except half a mask. As for who died, how many died, and how they died... let them guess for themselves! Hao Lianchuan's eyes shifted slightly, but he didn't object. A wave of flames instantly swept through the alley. In a flash, the fire extended deep underground, burning the corpse of the Earth-element expert to ash. Plumes of mysterious energy drifted into the air—wind, earth, wood, and metal intermingling in utter chaos. Chief Steward Yu sensed the air, then waved her hand. A surge of lightning power erupted, instantly causing the surrounding walls to collapse and wiping away all remaining sword marks. Lightning element! Hao Lianchuan's heart stirred. The lightning element was exceptionally formidable in combat; this Chief Secretary Yu was certainly not weak. Having eradicated everything before them, Chief Steward Yu turned to look at him and said coolly, "When killing Huang Jie, how much force did you exert?" Hao Lianchuan fell silent for a moment before replying, "Thirty percent..." Chief Steward Yu understood. Looking once more in the direction Li Hao had departed, she took a gentle breath. "Keeping this person in White Moon City... whether it brings good or ill remains to be seen. Deal with him less, and conspire with him less to commit such reckless acts... You do not understand. A true martial artist is far more audacious than you can imagine! In the past, when Yuan Shuo ran rampant across Silver Moon, there was nothing he dared not do, no one he dared not kill. In my eyes, this kid's thirst for slaughter might be even greater than Yuan Shuo's!" "He is entirely alone, unburdened by ties. Aside from Yuan Shuo, who holds some sway over him, he has no shackles whatsoever. Hao Lianchuan, if you don't want to be dragged to your death by him, stay as far away from him as you can!" Hao Lianchuan felt a bit sheepish; this was the first time anyone had spoken to him like this. If someone had told him earlier to stay away from Li Hao or risk being dragged to his death, claiming the kid was a bloodthirsty butcher, he would have treated it as a joke. Could Li Hao possibly be more troublesome than me? Yet now, he began to think Chief Steward Yu might be right. He had only exchanged a few words with Li Hao, wanting merely to hook Yu Xiao and kill him as a deterrent to all sides. Yet as a result... even Huang Jie had been slain. If Li Hao hadn't lacked sufficient strength, Hao Lianchuan suspected he would have gone on a rampage today, slaughtering in every direction until even Hao Lianchuan was terrified! "Chief Steward Yu, what about now...?" "Now?" Chief Steward Yu glanced at him and said flatly, "You caused this mess; clean it up yourself. You killed all these people. Spin whatever story you like. Whether they believe it or not is up to them. Just stick to one point: you didn't know their identities, the Fire Phoenix Spear came out, and you killed them all... Simple as that!" Hao Lianchuan made a bitter face. Hu Qingfeng's side would find out sooner or later. His troubles ahead were not likely to be small. He had originally thought things might be easier if Minister Hou were present. Now that Minister Hou was absent, this Chief Secretary had no intention of helping him resolve these problems. "Then..." "That's all. I'm heading back!" Chief Steward Yu did not want to waste words. Her aura erupted, and the Fire Phoenix Spear returned to her grasp. In the blink of an eye, a streak of fiery light crossed the sky and vanished, returning to Night Patroller headquarters. She had arrived swiftly and left just as fast. Now, Hao Lianchuan was left in a bind. It was one thing to leave, but taking the Fire Phoenix Spear with you... You really... you really don't care if I die! He cursed inwardly. By now, he also sensed mysterious energy surging nearby. Clearly, seeing that streak of light vanish, people knew that the figure was no longer getting involved—most of them probably still thought it had been Hou Xiaochen. Now that they believed Hou Xiaochen had left, people began making their way toward the scene. Aside from the Three Great Organizations, who dared not show their faces publicly, the other factions had no fear of appearing, nor were they afraid of whatever Hao Lianchuan might do. The first to arrive was not Hu Qingfeng. A blast of air swept through, and two figures arrived in an instant. It was none other than Hu Dingfang and Chen Yuhua. With an ugly look on his face, Hu Dingfang arrived swiftly and surveyed the surroundings. All he saw was a sea of flames! He frowned. "Hao Lianchuan, where is Li Hao?" His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't died, had he? Beside him, Chen Yuhua's face was also extremely grim. Could her junior brother have perished before they even met? What were they supposed to do then! Hao Lianchuan glanced at the two and said calmly, "He's fine. Just minor injuries. I already sent him back. There was no need for a Hundred-Breaker martial artist to get dragged into this!" Hearing this, the two breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, more figures descended. Hu Qingfeng arrived first, looking calm on the surface, though annoyance was concealed deep within his eyes. Next came a burly man clad in an Inspectorate uniform. Unlike the others, his uniform was adorned with multiple gleaming stars. Wearing leather boots, he landed with a resounding boom, an imposing air about him. Hao Lianchuan ignored Hu Qingfeng, but upon seeing this man, he hastily offered a greeting: "Director!" This man was their nominal superior—not just his, but Hou Xiaochen's as well, for he was the Silver Moon Director of the entire Inspectorate system. Judging by his speed, he was an expert in his own right. The burly man nodded slightly and looked around. His tone was not overly imposing, merely calm: "Have all the invading evil supernatural elements been eliminated?" "All eliminated!" "Is there evidence indicating it was a Red Moon assault?" Hao Lianchuan replied swiftly, "No direct evidence, but several of them wore Red Moon ghost masks. Furthermore, they attacked solely to capture Li Hao, not to kill him. Beyond Red Moon, if someone truly wanted to ambush a Hundred-Breaker, it wouldn't require two Three Sols combatants just to capture him alive... Aside from Red Moon, I can't think of any organization that would do this." At that point, Hu Qingfeng spoke up, his voice tinged with coldness: "No survivors left?" "Once the Fire Phoenix Spear is unleashed... how could there be survivors?" Hao Lianchuan answered neither obsequiously nor aggressively. "Inspector Hu might not know, but the Fire Phoenix Spear has been nurtured by Minister Hou for years. It carries Minister Hou's will within it. Even if Minister Hou is not wielding it in person, with the Fire Phoenix Spear in hand, slaying two Three Sols is not particularly difficult." By now, more people gathered outside the alley. Hong Yitang, He Yong, and several others from the city arrived in quick succession. These people did not bother greeting Hu Qingfeng and his group. He Yong looked around, his eyes flickering slightly as he frowned. As a top-tier martial artist, he vaguely sensed something unusual. Sword intent? Spear intent? Something along those lines, at any rate. Hong Yitang, however, remained expressionless on the outside while his heart churned with shock... Sword intent! Not just sword intent; he vaguely... sensed a familiar aura. Maintaining his composure, he took a few steps toward the entrance of the alley and casually reached out to pluck something from the ground. An infinitesimally small metal fragment landed in his palm. At that moment, his shock was beyond measure! The Earth-Overturning Sword! He was far too familiar with his own Earth-Overturning Sword. Even if others noticed this tiny fragment, they wouldn't care. It was smaller than a grain of rice; who would pay attention to such a thing? Yet he cared! He knew the Earth-Overturning Sword had been with Li Hao. When Li Hao was attacked, even if the sword had been lost here, he wouldn't have found it odd. Yet right now... the Earth-Overturning Sword was shattered! Completely pulverized! That was not the crucial part; an opponent being too strong and shattering the sword was normal enough. However... this clearly had not been shattered from an external blow, but rather had ruptured from within. Nor had it been broken by supernatural power, but by... sword momentum! Countless thoughts surged in his mind, and he even reconstructed the scene. A top-tier swordsman had been ambushed, their sword momentum had erupted, and the Earth-Overturning Sword had instantly disintegrated, its fragments shooting out in all directions. The sword momentum was tremendously powerful, far exceeding the Thousand-Battler level! This person... was a swordsman as well! He could vaguely sense that killing intent, that rage, that frenzied madness... This sword intent felt faintly familiar too. Yet he hardly dared to believe it, hardly dared to let his mind go there. At that moment, he recalled the scene he had sensed in the ancient city. That day, when he gifted the Earth-Overturning Sword to Li Hao, he had faintly detected something different, though he hadn't thought too deeply about it then. Today... he had no choice but to think deeply. The battlefield had been engulfed in flames and thoroughly ruined, leaving behind only half a deliberately spared Red Moon mask while everything else was destroyed. If Hao Lianchuan had killed them with the Fire Phoenix Spear, why go to such lengths? What was he concealing? What could he be trying to cover up? Hong Yitang's eyes shifted. Naturally, he was concealing the fact that these people were not killed by him, but by a swordsman—an extraordinarily powerful swordsman. In the martial arts world today, how many could achieve such a feat? Yuan Shuo? Yuan Shuo was no swordsman. Perhaps Yuan Shuo was capable of such power, but it was definitely not him. If his sword intent were this strong, he would have been a top-tier swordsman long ago, rather than the Five Animals Beast King. "Li Hao!" That name surfaced in his mind with great difficulty, nearly shattering Hong Yitang's composure. Li Hao was an extraordinarily powerful swordsman. Just then, a voice came from beside him: "Earth-Overturning Sword, what are you looking at?" He Yong strolled over with a swagger, laughing loudly. "Scared out of your wits?" Hong Yitang turned to look at him. He Yong was staring at his hand, chuckling. "Pick up some money?" Hong Yitang clasped his hands behind his back, the fragment of the Earth-Overturning Sword slowly melting into his palm. He looked at He Yong and smiled. "Not as lucky as Brother He. It's not picking up money, just feeling sentimental... Three Sols experts—previously, all of Silver Moon didn't have many combined. Now look at it: batch after batch has died recently. If they keep dying like this, even I'm getting scared. A minor Three Sols like me... I could still get by before, but now I feel that fate is fickle and tomorrow isn't guaranteed!" He Yong laughed. "You're as timid as a mouse; are you really afraid of this?" After tossing out that sneer, he chuckled again. "Besides, you're not the one dead, so what are you scared of? Could it be that you did it?" "Brother He jokes!" He Yong chuckled, unbothered, but quickly sent a voice transmission: "Brother Hong, do you feel that... something's not quite right?" "What do you mean?" Hong Yitang replied via voice transmission. "I keep feeling... our Silver Moon might have gained another powerful martial artist. Or else, Old Demon Yuan never left!" "That can't be, right?" Hong Yitang feigned surprise, transmitting back: "Why do you say that?" "Forget it. You're a fake martial artist; there's no point telling you too much!" "..." Hong Yitang smiled wryly, saying nothing more. He Yong strode off to inspect other spots. Only after he had left did Hong Yitang exhale softly. He Yong had probably sensed something as well. Yet he would never guess that the powerful martial artist he spoke of was ninety percent likely to be Li Hao. Just then, Hong Yitang saw another crowd arriving. He saw officials from the Administrative Bureau, as well as military personnel besides Hu Dingfang. People from all four major authorities in White Moon City had come. Seeing this, Hong Yitang did not linger. He soon chose to take his leave. This matter was not something he could meddle in. Hong Yitang had no interest in any of it right now. He didn't care who had died, so long as it wasn't him. As for whether they were from Red Moon... who cared! Red Moon had plenty of experts, but a large batch had been wiped out earlier, including several Three Sols. Could they really afford to dispatch two Three Sols at this stage? Moreover, one of them seemed to be a peak Three Sols. Could Ziyue have been killed? That was a joke; Ziyue would never take such a risk. With two Three Sols missing, it was hard to tell who they were right now, but news would leak eventually. What concerned Hong Yitang more was this: if Li Hao had been the one to kill them... did he need to do something about it? He had originally thought Yuan Shuo would return sooner or later. Given Yuan Shuo's relationship with Hou Xiaochen, he might have aligned himself with Yuan Shuo, gradually drawing closer to the Night Patrollers. But now... he wondered. Yuan Shuo had vanished without a trace, and no one knew when he would return. What about Li Hao? That kid hid himself remarkably deep! However, since he had taken action today, it might soon become impossible to keep under wraps. Paper cannot wrap fire! Hao Lianchuan had set fire to everything, making it difficult for anyone to suspect Li Hao for now. But if Li Hao displayed any further anomalies, he would be exposed sooner or later. "I even gifted him an Earth-Overturning Sword... but it seems the Earth-Overturning Sword is gone now too." Hong Yitang pondered this as he departed. Once he was gone, He Yong's figure reappeared, his brow slightly furrowed. Had Hong Yitang discovered something? Earlier, he had clearly seen the man pick something up, only to hide it away quietly. Something was definitely fishy! He glanced at the ruined alley. Aside from fire, there was nothing. Destroying the scene? Was it because the people killed were extraordinary, or was there another reason? Mulling it over, He Yong did not linger either, departing swiftly. White Moon City was growing increasingly dangerous; all manner of monsters and demons were coming out of the woodwork. *** In the alley. Hao Lianchuan reported the situation to the Inspectorate Director, concluding, "Minister Hou came by just now. Knowing the enemies were all slain, he didn't stay. His injuries haven't fully healed, so he left the matter entirely to me!" Hao Lianchuan said gravely, "Red Moon is so audacious as to ambush a key Night Patroller officer inside the city. My proposal is to launch an encirclement campaign against Red Moon! Minister Hou is in seclusion, unable to come out due to his wounds, and the Night Patrollers are understaffed. Right now, we desperately hope to receive support from headquarters!" He turned to Hu Qingfeng and said sternly, "Inspector Hu, Red Moon has shown utter contempt for the Night Patrollers. As fortune would have it, several special inspectors are in the city right now. It is the Night Patrollers' duty to purge all evil supernatural elements! "Whether to uphold the honor of the Night Patrollers or to combat evil and defend justice... Red Moon's crimes are unforgivable and beyond counting! I hope Inspector Hu can provide some support!" Hu Qingfeng cursed inwardly! Yet at this moment, he could not refuse. As a special inspector of the Night Patrollers, if he refused now, the Night Patrollers' prestige would be completely dragged through the mud. No matter how many private thoughts he had, he had to show some restraint. After all, his faction was not the only one at headquarters. The situation at headquarters was complex; he represented only a segment of them, not the whole. If he left behind a reputation for dereliction of duty and disgraced the Night Patrollers here, someone would surely use it against him. Hu Qingfeng said in a deep voice, "Rest assured. The evil supernatural elements are so brazen that I naturally will not sit idly by! I will have men search for traces of Red Moon. If found, kill on sight!" He was merely paying lip service; he had no intention of doing any such thing. Hao Lianchuan didn't care either, merely nodding before adding fiercely, "Red Moon has crossed the line time and again. It was bad enough when they attacked Silver City, but now they dare invade White Moon City! They even infiltrated two Three Sols-level experts. Starting today, I propose that White Moon City be placed under martial law! The Inspectorate, the Night Patrollers, and the garrison will jointly take full control of White Moon City until the remnants of Red Moon are completely purged!" No one spoke. Someone glanced toward the Administrative Bureau's contingent. Director Zhao hadn't come; in his place was his deputy, the second-in-command of the bureau—an elderly man with white hair who appeared very scholarly. The old man said little, merely letting out a sigh before remarking softly, "Suit yourselves. We are responsible for the aftermath. I will have our people tally the losses to see if any innocent citizens were injured or suffered damage. Must supernatural battles never avoid populated areas?" After sighing, he looked at Hao Lianchuan and said, "Deputy Minister Hao, Silver Moon has been peaceful for years, and the people live in harmony. The Night Patrollers should exercise more caution. If supernatural enemies attack again, we hope the area can be contained, keeping as far from populated hubs as possible." Having said that, he turned finally to Hu Qingfeng: "Special Inspector Hu, the inspectors from Heavenly Star City possess formidable strength. Please expend extra effort this time. If the Red Moon organization can be wiped out, it will be a tremendous merit, and the Administrative Bureau will also petition honors on your behalf!" Hu Qingfeng smiled faintly and nodded. "We will. Deputy Director Zhou may rest easy!" The old man said no more and soon took his leave. It wasn't their domain of expertise. Since the crisis was over, the Administrative Bureau would no longer get involved. Just then, someone thought of something. An Inspectorate officer whispered a few words to the burly man. The burly man nodded, and soon, someone departed hastily. Surveillance! At the entrance of this alley, there had actually been a surveillance camera. Though it was destroyed now, if they could check the footage, they might uncover something or confirm the identities of the attackers. Up to this point, none of them knew how many people had died here; they only knew two Three Sols had been present. As for Hao Lianchuan, the answer he gave was that in his fury, he had unleashed the Fire Phoenix Spear directly, and the spear had naturally unleashed tremendous destructive power. By the time he descended, the attackers had all been slain! Aside from deliberately protecting Li Hao, everyone else had been reduced to ashes in an instant. He hadn't seen clearly how many there were or who they were. Seeing that nothing remained at the scene, the crowd dispersed one after another. Hu Qingfeng did not linger either, though he still could not conceal his anger and confusion. Had Red Moon lost their minds? Or was someone impersonating Red Moon? Three Sols experts had died; that much was indisputable. The chaotic mysterious energy was exceedingly dense. He judged that of the two Three Sols, one was Wood element and the other Metal element, and the Metal-element one had been remarkably strong! Likely on par with Huang Jie. And the Wood-element one was perhaps on par with Yu Xiao. Red Moon had clearly reached a tacit understanding with them... why would they do this? Though the bloodlines of the Eight Great Families were important, once Hou Xiaochen was brought down, wouldn't Li Hao be at their disposal anyway? He couldn't understand it! Soon, he returned to the hotel. Inside the hotel, the other two experts had not left without authorization, but had been waiting all along. Hu Qingfeng was in a foul mood. Sweeping his gaze across the room, he frowned. "Where are Huang Jie and Yu Xiao?" Those two bastards—when such a massive incident had occurred, they still dared run around? Just as the thought crossed his mind... he froze slightly. Right. Such a major event had happened, and he had ordered those two to guard the hotel. Why would they run off? Metal element... Wood element... A terrible premonition suddenly gripped his heart. His expression changed, and looking at the remaining two—a man and a woman—he asked grimly, "Huang Jie and Yu Xiao... did you see them when you came back?" "No..." The woman answered first. Hu Qingfeng's expression darkened further, turning ashen. He said coldly, "Did you call their communicators? Have you contacted them?" "...Not yet..." "Hurry up and do it!" Hu Qingfeng roared, frightening the two into confusion, while an uneasy feeling crept into their hearts as well. What was going on? Hu Qingfeng's face grew uglier by the second. It shouldn't be! Huang Jie and Yu Xiao weren't idiots; why would they go play highwaymen for no good reason? The bloodlines of the Eight Great Families... what did that have to do with them? Practically nothing! Therefore, aside from Red Moon, almost no one would bother causing trouble for Li Hao right now, when everyone was still trying to grasp the situation. And yet, the Three Sols who died were a Metal-element peak Three Sols and a Wood-element mid Three Sols. This... was too coincidental! Those two could not possibly have failed to sense the disturbance in the city. Yet they had never shown up! Where were they? The more Hu Qingfeng thought, the more uneasy he felt, the angrier he grew, and the graver his mood became. What if the dead were Huang Jie and Yu Xiao? Then... disaster had struck! He couldn't even claim that these two were dead right now. Otherwise, having just stood there and defined the incident as an evil supernatural assault, if he suddenly announced the dead were Huang Jie and Yu Xiao... the trouble would be enormous! "Damn that Hao Lianchuan!" He suddenly realized something, his eyes turning frigid. Hao Lianchuan had been deflecting all along, claiming he didn't know the attackers' identities and insisting they were most likely Red Moon, framing the ambush as an evil supernatural attack in just a few words—even forcing him, Hu Qingfeng, to contribute manpower. At this point, how could he possibly say those two might be Yu Xiao and Huang Jie! Not only could he not say it, but he also had to cover up the fact that they were missing! "Damn him, he deserves to die!" By this point, if he still couldn't determine who had died, he would be a complete idiot. In an instant, his face turned terrifyingly dark! He... had been led into a ditch by Hao Lianchuan! Hao Lianchuan definitely knew who had died! He did it on purpose! Before him, the woman soon whispered, "The call... won't go through..." Hu Qingfeng remained silent. Of course it wouldn't! The two were already dead, consumed by the flames; how could a call possibly connect? After a long pause, he said grimly, "They're dead! Say nothing about this. To the outside world, claim they were dispatched on an official mission and left White Moon City early this morning..." "Sir!" Both of them paled. Dead? The battle that erupted earlier had involved Yu Xiao and the other? Then... weren't they in danger as well? Hu Qingfeng took a deep breath. "Right now, everyone is only clashing in secret. Hou Xiaochen and his people dare not act against us openly... Still, White Moon City is no longer safe!" Yet they could not leave immediately. Doing so would be even more dangerous. Only now did real anxiety take root in his heart. He said heavily, "We cannot leave right away. Moving forward, make frequent public appearances. Do not go out without reason, and even if you must, stay inside the Administrative Bureau as much as possible!" The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. At this moment, the fat Hao Lianchuan was firmly etched into his memory! Bastard! As expected, the Silver Moon Night Patrollers were a bunch of rebels! That Hao Lianchuan had clearly known their identities, yet he had executed them anyway... Despicable, hateful! *** At the same time. In the Administrative Bureau. Inside a modest office. Deputy Director Zhou, who had departed earlier, looked at Director Zhao and said slowly, "The dead are Yu Xiao and Huang Jie. That fellow Hu Qingfeng didn't even realize it at first; he probably only noticed something amiss just now." He shook his head. "Hu Qingfeng may be strong, but his mind isn't sharp. At the scene, probably half the people guessed who had died. That Inspectorate Director, and He Yong from the imperial family... they all likely guessed it. Only he remained oblivious, completely duped by Hao Lianchuan's few words." "Was it Hou Xiaochen's doing?" Director Zhao murmured, but soon shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it. If it were truly Hou Xiaochen's doing, Hu Qingfeng wouldn't have escaped either! That means it was Hao Lianchuan's own initiative. That little fatty certainly has guts." Deputy Director Zhou shook his head. "Doesn't seem like it either. Or rather, it might have been his idea, but the outcome likely exceeded his expectations... He destroyed the scene! If he had truly planned it, he wouldn't have ruined the battlefield. Confirming their identities, even tying them to Red Moon—solidifying those charges would have been his goal... rather than leaving no proof and letting death wipe the slate clean." "What did you discover?" Director Zhao looked at his longtime friend, knowing his meticulous nature; he must have spotted something. Deputy Director Zhou exhaled softly. "The one who struck might not have been Hao Lianchuan, but someone else! Someone whose identity cannot be easily exposed. This person's strength is formidable, having slain two Three Sols combatants, yet their identity cannot see the light of day... It's either that Jade Rakshasa, or... Li Hao!" "Hm?" Director Zhao was taken aback. Ignoring the mention of Jade Rakshasa, he raised an eyebrow: "Li Hao?" "Yes!" Deputy Director Zhou pondered and said, "A Hundred-Breaker emerged unscathed from an ambush by two Three Sols. If it had truly been Red Moon, that might still be plausible. But if not Red Moon, and instead Yu Xiao and his companion, they must have discovered something. Would there be any point in capturing Li Hao alive? Could they take him away? Weren't they afraid Hou Xiaochen would break seclusion? Could they escape? Therefore... if they made a move, it was definitely to kill Li Hao, not capture him! "Hao Lianchuan rushed over very quickly, taking probably under thirty seconds. But for two Three Sols ambushing a Hundred-Breaker, that was more than enough time to kill him... unless they suffered internal strife. Yet unless something was wrong with their heads, why would they turn on each other at such a moment? "Therefore..." He thought for a moment, then added, "Or could it be that Yuan Shuo never left?" At this, Director Zhao also furrowed his brow slightly and shook his head. "Yuan Shuo has left! He truly left, genuine and verified. News came from neighboring Linjiang Province: Yuan Shuo joined forces with the Jade Light Sword. Last night they pulled off a major operation, joining hands in Linjiang to destroy a Red Moon stronghold and slay a Three Sols expert. Yuan Shuo even shouted harsh words, telling Ying Hongyue to wait for him in the Central Region, vowing he wouldn't return until he killed Ying Hongyue!" "..." Deputy Director Zhou took a deep breath. "Then does Li Hao have someone else backing him?" If not... that would be truly terrifying. At this moment, Li Hao's name firmly entered their sight. Director Zhao remained silent for a while, then suddenly laughed. "Never mind. Let's not worry about this for now. We'll wait until Hou Xiaochen returns." "Where did he go?" Deputy Director Zhou asked. Both men seemed certain that Hou Xiaochen was not in the city. As for the figure that had appeared earlier, they hadn't paid it much mind, as if they had known Chief Steward Yu's identity and strength all along. Director Zhao glanced out the window, pondered, and said, "Not entirely sure. Not only is he not in the city, but that person from the military definitely isn't either. The two of them leaving together must be to deal with a formidable foe... Ordinary people wouldn't be worth such effort. Hu Qingfeng being here simply serves as their cover; Hu Qingfeng can testify that they're in the city... Just wait. News will come soon. If a Rising Light dies next, or a top-tier figure falls, that's likely where they went." Deputy Director Zhou was silent. Even Commander Yu wasn't here? Who could warrant the two of them joining forces? He had a faint inkling, but dared not voice it aloud. Even with only the two of them in the room, he dared not speak it. If that were the case... the northern region might be thrown into chaos for some time. Silver Moon might actually usher in a brief spell of peace, no longer drawing too much attention! Whether it was Yuan Shuo or Hou Xiaochen, revealing their strength was meant as deterrence, and stirring up trouble was meant to divert attention... These people were terrifying. They never struck suddenly, killed suddenly, or erupted without cause... The martial arts world, the Night Patrollers, and the military had reached an accord. It seemed the situation in Silver Moon was even more intricate than imagined. In that moment, silence settled over the Administrative Bureau. *** Meanwhile. Inside Li Hao's room, Li Hao was eating his meal with great relish. Beside him, Wang Ming was entirely lost in thought. After Li Hao ate a few mouthfuls, Wang Ming hastily offered a drink, stammering, "Senior... Senior Brother Li, have a drink to wet your throat!" Li Hao took a sip and looked up at him. Wang Ming swallowed hard and stammered, "Senior Brother... our Five Animals Sect is truly... truly amazing!" Li Hao smiled. Seeing that, Wang Ming rushed to say, "Uh... I didn't see anything, by the way! I destroyed all the footage, absolutely nothing left, definitely no backups!" Li Hao nodded without a word. Wang Ming seemed to recover his wits slightly, looking at Li Hao with a strange expression. After a long while, he finally asked, "Senior Brother... do you think I still have a chance to practice martial arts?" "I don't know." "Come on, Senior Brother, give me a chance, will you?" Wang Ming looked at him with eager expectation. "I want to learn martial arts. Truly. I want to become a martial artist—a powerful martial artist!" "We'll see. The teacher might have a way; I don't." Alright then! Wang Ming was terribly dejected, yet his mind could not forget that scene... A sword piercing toward the heavens, a sudden manifestation of sword energy, a Solar Radiance slain in an instant, sword energy surging into the clouds, and then... nothing. That was all he had caught! Yet he knew two Three Sols had died. By the time Hao Lianchuan arrived, the battle seemed to have practically ended. This cheap senior brother of his... was fucking terrifying! So terrifying that he felt even Minister Hao might not be a match for him. Not "might"... without the Fire Phoenix Spear, he'd probably end up slain in a single strike too, right? Damn it! Were martial artists really this terrifying? Wang Ming waited on him attentively, his thoughts wandering far off. Even now, he could not calm down; it was simply too frightening. When killing Zhang Ting earlier, Li Hao had been formidable, but certainly not to this extent. His progress was so rapid that it bordered on terrifying. "Senior Brother... what do we do next? Will it be exposed?" Wang Ming felt apprehensive; the people killed were no ordinary individuals. Li Hao continued eating, not even looking up, and said calmly, "What do you mean, what do we do? If things truly go south... the teacher's path lies ahead, so I'll just go find him. What are you worried about?" Go find the teacher? Wang Ming sucked in a breath. If this one went too, and several killing gods gathered together... that would be even more terrifying. Just thinking about it was thrilling—no, terrifying! Wang Ming fell silent. At this moment, his mind was entirely consumed with thoughts of becoming a martial artist, a powerful martial artist. The Five Animals Sect was now deeply imprinted in his mind. Li Hao, meanwhile, glanced out the window. This time, people would probably deduce a few things. Therefore... he needed to grow stronger rapidly! Even with concealment, it was impossible to fool everyone, nor had he intended to keep them completely in the dark. So long as he advanced swiftly, keeping them anchored to the belief that he was merely at the level of killing Three Sols, once he reached the point of being able to slay Rising Light... what would it matter then? Li Hao smiled. Hou Xiaochen, Chief Steward Yu, Minister Hao, Hu Qingfeng... Name after name surfaced in his mind. Li Hao felt that he, too, could attempt to leap out of the board, using absolute strength to become one of the rulers rather than passively enduring whatever came his way. After eating for a while, Li Hao spoke: "The food tastes great, exceptionally fragrant. Old Wang, buy more of this next time!" "No problem!" Wang Ming answered hastily, his face flushed with excitement. Li Hao glanced at him and chuckled. This fellow was quite amusing at times. I don't eat people; why do you keep staring at me like that? Did you forget that you were one of the accomplices?