A Thunderclap on Level Ground

Li Hao was thoroughly satisfied after eating and drinking his fill. Still, a few doubts lingered in his mind. After thinking it over, he looked at Wang Ming and asked, "Does Director Hou usually travel far from home?" "No idea. Why?" Wang Ming genuinely did not know; he was not familiar with the man at all. Li Hao nodded and did not press further. He had killed so many people today. No matter how one looked at it, that was no small matter. Yet the only person sent to handle it was Chief Steward Yu, who had acted in utter secrecy without revealing his identity, clearly intending to impersonate someone else. If Hou Xiaochen were truly in closed-door cultivation, there would have been no need for impersonation. That meant Hou Xiaochen really was not in the city. Where had he gone? He had just slain a top expert, and right now all eyes were on White Moon City—or to put it in more serious terms, more than half the dynasty's gaze was focused here. With him gone, was he not afraid of things going wrong? What else could possibly be worth disappearing for at a time like this? While Li Hao was pondering this, faint footsteps sounded outside the door. *Knock, knock, knock!* A knocking came from the door. Startled, Wang Ming glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao gave a nod and whispered, "Go open it." With a wave of his hand, Li Hao swept all the leftover scraps from their meal into the trash can and shut the lid. Putting on a slightly pale complexion, he walked toward the door. Wang Ming had no idea who had arrived and felt a little apprehensive, but he quickly opened the door nonetheless. The moment it swung open, he let out a sigh of relief. "Uncle Hu!" Hu Dingfang glanced at him, recognizing him this time. He gave a slight nod, though his expression was not particularly pleasant. In his view, Li Hao being ambushed this time had everything to do with what the two of them had said earlier. This Wang Ming had too big a mouth! "General Hu!" Li Hao seemed surprised. He looked at Hu Dingfang with a puzzled expression. "What brings you here, General Hu?" "Are you all right?" Hu Dingfang swept his gaze over Li Hao. Fortunately, he was fine; aside from looking slightly pale, he really had not suffered much harm. Li Hao offered a faint smile. "I'm fine. Director Hao arrived quickly, and they weren't trying to kill me—only capture me. So I didn't suffer any real injuries, just a few scratches." Seeing Wang Ming standing there with no intention of leaving, Hu Dingfang could only lament the young man's complete lack of tact. Without saying too much, he said in a deep voice, "If anything happens, you can come find me. Besides, the Night Patrollers aren't safe. If you have nowhere else to go, you can find me at the Tiger Wing Army. Some things aren't as Hao Lianchuan told you; there were coincidences and misunderstandings in what happened back then." He felt Hao Lianchuan must have embellished the story. Li Hao presumably knew that he could practice the Five Animals Secret Art. In Hu Dingfang's eyes, if Hao Lianchuan had not meddled, Li Hao might have chosen to join the Tiger Wing Army. That fat bastard was no good! Li Hao nodded repeatedly, looking somewhat awkward. "I understand, but... it's hard for me to make decisions right now. I have to wait for Master to return before making any further plans." "..." Hu Dingfang was rendered speechless and said no more on the subject. After a brief consideration, he added, "If you have time, you can... come have a meal at my home. Also, I'll find a way to get you some Blood God Seeds. Your strength is too weak. Being a Hundred-Breaker is all right, but the world will only grow more chaotic from here on out! "Silver Moon is actually considered relatively safe. In some neighboring provinces, chaos has already shown itself! The rebellion in the three northern provinces back then caused turmoil across the entire north. Although Marshal Yu put down the rebellion, scattered fighting continues to this day..." At this point, he felt there was no need to say too much, so he added, "If you find it difficult to advance further in martial arts, you can consider stepping into the supernatural. Mysterious energy is easier to come by. Although your master forged a new path for martial artists, he is an exceptional man. Not everyone can walk that road." Li Hao nodded quickly. Hu Dingfang fell silent, and Li Hao showed no sign of inviting him to stay. Seeing this, Hu Dingfang turned and left. "Take care, General Hu!" Hu Dingfang waved his hand without turning back. After waiting a moment for him to walk down, Li Hao went to the window and looked down. Sure enough, a woman was waiting below. Wang Ming walked over and glanced down as well, asking in surprise, "Old Hu's wife? She rarely shows her face in public, yet even she came out this time. Are you a relative of Old Hu's?" Down below, the woman seemed to sense something and looked up. However, the twelfth floor was quite high, so it was hard to tell whether she saw anything. Li Hao watched for a while, then glanced at Wang Ming and smiled. "You still haven't figured it out?" "Figured out what?" Li Hao sighed and shook his head. This fellow really was rather dense at times. Hu Dingfang knew the Five Animals Art, and was quite skilled at it too. Did Wang Ming really feel nothing about that? It was clearly related to the Five Animals Sect! Wouldn't any normal person have deduced something by now? Why didn't he use his brain at all? "The one down there... by seniority, you should probably call her Senior Sister." "Oh!" Wang Ming nodded at first, then froze. After a long moment, he said with an odd expression, "Got it! Teacher Yuan's former student? I never heard about that!" This time, he finally understood. Then he thought of Hu Dingfang. Pondering for a good while, he drew a sharp breath. "I see! Hu Dingfang knows the Five Animals Art, and he feels really strong—stronger than me! I'm a registered disciple who knows the breathing technique! Does that guy know it too?" Li Hao smiled. Not completely hopeless, then! What came next, however, nearly made Li Hao choke. Wang Ming kept gasping. "In that case, Hu Dingfang and I are of the same generation! I'm Teacher's registered disciple, while he's not even a registered disciple. In the Five Animals Sect, my status is actually higher than his... Senior Brother, do you think if I go up to him right now and say I'm his senior brother... will he beat me up?" "Get lost!" Li Hao cursed with a laugh. Watching Hu Dingfang and the woman depart together down below, he said slowly, "There's no need to get too entangled with them. Teacher was probably very disappointed in them!" Having said that, Li Hao shook his head and suddenly sighed. "Her talent is exceptional!" "What?" "Didn't you see it?" "Huh?" Wang Ming was still baffled. Li Hao tilted his chin toward the window. "Look at your senior sister's steps." Wang Ming leaned forward to look. After watching for a while, he said in confusion, "Senior Sister walks... rather alluringly..." Li Hao nearly rolled his eyes, utterly exasperated. "Alluring my foot! That's the Deer Walk, an instinctive reaction that only appears once the Deer Art has seeped into the marrow. When walking, she constantly observes her surroundings, alert to every rustle of the wind and grass. If I'm not mistaken, our senior sister is a Thousand-Battler martial artist, and she stepped into Thousand-Battler many years ago." *Hiss!* Wang Ming drew in a breath. "That strong? Stronger than Teacher?" Li Hao shook his head. "And you call yourself a martial arts practitioner? Read more books and ask more questions! Teacher fused five forces; he was no ordinary Hundred-Breaker, nor is he an ordinary Thousand-Battler." At that, Li Hao added, "In today's martial world—setting aside the outside and speaking only of Silver Moon—anyone who reached Thousand-Battler before Teacher, and by that I mean within the local borders, is trash!" "Huh?" Wang Ming was stunned. What did that mean? Thousand-Battlers were trash? Li Hao continued, "Those who failed to reach Thousand-Battler, or only broke through after leaving Silver Moon, on the other hand, might actually be true powerhouses." Wang Ming was completely lost; he really did not understand. Li Hao explained, "In the Silver Moon martial world, all the old-generation geniuses were suppressed by Teacher. Teacher swept through an entire generation of martial artists. Before he entered Thousand-Battler, their spirit, vigor, and will were perpetually suppressed by him! "It sounds mystical, but in truth, it isn't at all. It's a suppression of spirit intent and divine force! "That's why figures like Earth-Overturning Sword Hong Yitang and Brow-Height Staff Sun Yifei were unable to step into Thousand-Battler. In today's terms, what would Thousand-Battler even be to them? "Even He Yong only broke through to Thousand-Battler after venturing out." Li Hao was considered a martial arts master now, so he possessed a deeper understanding and poise. He continued, "To put it more simply, among those defeated by Teacher back then, some possessed astonishing talent. Anyone who could survive being defeated by him was an outstanding talent! But as long as they remained in Silver Moon, they couldn't break through to Thousand-Battler unless they ventured outside... and even if they did venture outside, breakthrough wasn't guaranteed..." Wang Ming scratched his head, finding it truly hard to fathom. Did that have anything to do with leaving? Besides, weren't they just talking about Senior Sister? Seeing that he did not get it, Li Hao could not be bothered to say more on that and simply returned to the main point: "Senior Sister was Teacher's disciple. Reasonably speaking, she shouldn't have advanced to Thousand-Battler before him. Not that it's impossible, but the fact that she broke through before Teacher only proves that her force was very weak—so weak that Teacher's suppression didn't even affect her! "To put it simply, only the strong are worthy of being suppressed by Teacher; the weak aren't! "Even Captain should be stronger than her. After all, Captain broke through while still under Teacher's suppression. Even though his advancement was somewhat rushed and his comprehension of force was not deep, he should still be stronger than an ordinary Thousand-Battler!" Wang Ming nodded. He still did not quite understand, but he grasped the general idea: anyone in Silver Moon who became a Thousand-Battler before Yuan Shuo was a weakling! That was what Li Hao meant, right? Although he still did not comprehend the reason, he understood that this came from Teacher's suppression. That sounded terrifying! "Senior Brother, do you mean that even though our senior sister is a Thousand-Battler, she's actually very weak?" "Not necessarily very weak, just normal Thousand-Battler level," Li Hao said with a smile. "If you divide Thousand-Battler martial artists into three tiers, Teacher is at the very top. Next are seniors like He Yong, who fled far away after being beaten down, reached Thousand-Battler, and were still able to make progress! The third tier includes Boss Liu and his ilk, which is normal Thousand-Battler level." "What about you?" Wang Ming could not help asking. Li Hao smiled. "Probably about the same as He Yong and the others. I'm lacking in terms of force, but slightly better off than He Yong's group because I'm from the Five Animals Sect. So you could say I'm above them, yet below Teacher." Got it! Wang Ming nodded. "The number two in the martial world?" "I wouldn't dare claim that!" Li Hao laughed. "It's not false modesty, but the truth. All I can say is that looking at the current Silver Moon martial world... that might hold true. However, the outside world is vast. No one knows how their martial arts have developed over the years, how many Thousand-Battlers there are, or whether any Thousand-Battler has stepped into another tier entirely. So one can't make such claims." Wang Ming nodded once more. As the two conversed back and forth, the silhouettes of Hu Dingfang and his wife had already disappeared. Wang Ming said with some regret, "You weren't very warm toward them. Otherwise, you could have borrowed some of their influence. Hu Dingfang is very formidable and holds high status as the commander of the Tiger Wing Army." "I'm not getting involved in his business with Teacher. We'll wait until Teacher returns," Li Hao said, shaking his head. Then he sighed with regret. "What a pity. I killed so many people today, yet I didn't harvest a speck of mysterious energy. What a waste!" It had been inconvenient to collect it at the time, so he had been forced to abandon it. Even though the strengthening of his internal organs had reached a short-term limit, the more mysterious energy, the better. Two Three Sols and two Solar Radiances held a substantial amount of mysterious energy—roughly three thousand cubes! All wasted! Wang Ming felt it was a pity too. He knew that later on, a Metal-element expert seemed to have headed over as well. What a true shame! *** After chatting for a while, Wang Ming also took his leave. One had to know when to bow out. Li Hao had just fought a great battle; constantly flattering him would only tire the man out. As for Li Hao, he was in no rush to tally his spoils. First, he took a thorough, refreshing shower. Only then did he enter his room and retrieve the two storage rings. Li Hao had never seen such items before, but he generally knew how they worked. He had memorized countless ancient texts, and some of them contained records of such things. It was very simple: mental energy... or as it was understood now, spirit intent or force. Using this special power, one could open a storage ring. As for how supernaturals opened them, Li Hao was not sure. Perhaps by binding them with blood? Who knew! He erupted with spirit intent. Sure enough, he sensed something on one of the storage rings, like a barrier. Transforming his spirit intent into a sword, Li Hao punctured it with a soft *pop*. In an instant, his vision shifted as though he had entered a tiny space. It resembled a pitch-black little room—hardly even a room, just a space roughly the size of a coffin. Fitting a person inside would probably be no problem. Using his spirit intent as a lamp, he was able to detect what was inside. "Five divine energy stones... What a wealthy man!" Li Hao smiled. Not bad at all; there were even divine energy stones. Then again, Yu Xiao had given him one earlier, though the fellow had certainly done so believing he could take it back later. Still, five divine energy stones were quite impressive. Besides these divine energy stones, there was another familiar object: an energy-storage ring, not a storage ring! An energy-storage ring was used to store mysterious energy. With a swift shift of his spirit intent, a ring materialized. Examining it, he found it similar to the energy-storage ring on his own hand, possessing five slots, each roughly holding two hundred cubes of mysterious energy. In this energy-storage ring, four of the slots were full, all of them Wood-element energy! "Yu Xiao's!" Li Hao knew where it came from. When experts like these traveled, they naturally carried supplies. Eight hundred cubes of Wood-element energy was no small amount. It might have been completely full before, but the fellow had probably used some. This was an unexpected windfall! It was also the first time Li Hao had obtained mysterious energy from an external source after killing an enemy rather than from the corpse directly. Those fellows from the Central Region were indeed rolling in wealth, completely beyond what local Silver Moon supernaturals could compare to, carrying vast amounts of mysterious energy as reserves. "Five divine energy stones can replenish energy for the little sword. And the eight hundred cubes of Wood-element energy can be used to nourish the wood force later on." Even though there was not yet a trace of wood sword momentum. Li Hao looked at the other storage ring and smiled. Since Yu Xiao, a mid-stage Three Sols, carried such treasures, the other fellow—a peak Three Sols of the Metal element—would hardly have less, right? Apart from those two items, Yu Xiao's storage ring held miscellaneous junk, such as several pieces of women's underwear... which even looked used! Li Hao could only conclude that the fellow had a cross-dressing fetish. As for anything else, he could not be bothered to dwell on it. There were also some of Yu Xiao's own clothes and a medallion. Li Hao had one of those as well; it was no treasure, merely an identification token symbolizing one's rank among the Night Patrollers. It was just a symbol, not of much practical use. Without hesitating, Li Hao soon set about opening the second storage ring. It proved slightly harder to breach this time, but still not too difficult. Once open, sure enough, the contents were similar. There were slightly more divine energy stones—eight of them. As for an energy-storage ring, there was one as well, but it contained even less Metal-element energy, only around six hundred cubes. This disappointed Li Hao considerably. Evidently, the peak Three Sols expert had consumed more, perhaps using it in daily cultivation. What a waste! All told, Li Hao had acquired two storage rings, over 1,400 cubes of mysterious energy, and 13 divine energy stones. This replenished his dwindling stock of divine energy stones. He had been severely wounded this time, nearly depleting the energy in the little sword. Before this, he only had seven divine energy stones left. Without this harvest, those seven would not have lasted long. Now with thirteen more in hand, he would not lack supplies in the near term. Aside from mysterious energy and divine energy stones, the two Three Sols experts had nothing else worth mentioning. As for the manual obtained from the Thousand-Battler martial artist, Li Hao opened it to take a look. "Hm?" A single glance gave Li Hao a slight start. What a familiar name! *Hundred Battles Spear*! Li Hao had heard of this spear technique before; it was the secret art of Bronze Spear Zhang Jin'an, one of the Three Spears of Silver Moon from back in the day. Bronze Spear was already dead! Could the spearman who attacked earlier have been Bronze Spear's successor or descendant? Li Hao frowned, but did not dwell on it. A kill was a kill. The person's background was rather similar to his captain's—likely a second-generation martial artist. Reaching Thousand-Battler could not have been easy. He simply should never have coveted the Blood God Seed on Li Hao. The Three Spears of Silver Moon had all been renowned martial arts experts back then. The man might not have cared about the Five Animals Breathing Technique; strong though it was, his ancestral secret art was not weak either. Recalling the fight, Li Hao remembered how the man's spear had surged forth like a dragon, indeed carrying an aura of a hundred battles. Yet he had probably never lived through the bloody eras of the past, so his killing intent had felt even less potent than Captain's. After all, Captain had fought numerous battles in Silver City. Now that Bronze Spear's successor had been killed by him... had Bronze Spear's lineage been completely severed? With that thought, Li Hao flipped through the booklet. The pages explained precautions for spear techniques and the fundamental elements of spearmanship. Turning to the final page, sure enough, there was no matching breathing technique. In that case, if Bronze Spear had no other successors, the Bronze Spear lineage was thoroughly extinguished! Li Hao did not know the breathing technique either. With only form and no foundational method, Bronze Spear's *Hundred Battles Spear* was merely for show. Li Hao skimmed through it for a bit. The stances were exquisite; for someone who used a spear, they offered valuable insights even without a breathing technique, which was quite good. Unfortunately, Li Hao did not use a spear and had no skill in spear techniques. "Martial artists... truly have nothing worth coveting!" Li Hao shook his head. Circumstances permitting, he had no interest in killing martial artists. It was pointless! Unless an opponent was evenly matched or stronger, which made things somewhat interesting; then it was not killing for the sake of killing, but for the sake of martial arts. Killing the weak was truly meaningless. It was very difficult to obtain a complete version of a secret art, and killing them yielded no benefits or mysterious energy, so why kill them? Teacher had managed to obtain the breathing technique of the Shadowless Sword back then likely because Shadowless Sword had been too confident—confident he would not lose and would not die. Otherwise, he would never have left behind a complete inheritance. Having tallied everything, that was all there was. Killing people for treasure was really not cost-effective. Under normal circumstances, an expert capable of killing Yu Xiao and the others would look down on such things. But for Li Hao, it was fairly decent. He tossed the two storage rings aside; once he had looked them over, he lost any lingering curiosity or fondness. Wearing them on his person later on would at least make things more convenient. Right now, what concerned him more was his Fire Tiger sword momentum! Merging his spirit intent into his heart, Li Hao clearly saw the tiger force as it was now—completely different from before. Within his heart, thick chains bound a sword: a fiery-red, tiger-headed sword! The blade seemed imprinted with a ferocious tiger, though it was ethereal and indistinct, as if the beast were lying in wait. "The fire sword and earth sword have both manifested... Ideally, the remaining three swords of the five elements—Wood, Metal, and Water—will come next!" The two swords had not fused. Yet Li Hao was in no hurry. Once all five elemental swords manifested, Teacher's experience would become useful. Teacher had fused five elements and five forces, which was fundamentally similar to what he was doing, so Yuan Shuo's experience would prove invaluable. Li Hao could save countless hours and take a shortcut to fuse the five swords under the command of sword momentum! When that time came, he would complete the fusion in an instant, perhaps even breaking out with five swords to unleash overwhelmingly terrifying power. "I don't have many clues for Metal or Wood. The pressing matter is to integrate water sword momentum!" He wondered if gazing at the sea would bring him any enlightenment. Perhaps it would, perhaps not. Still, he hoped to see it. His Nine-Forging Force was only at the seventh fold; reaching the ninth fold would likely require a bit more time. Rising Light was formidable. Li Hao estimated that if he could manifest three sword momentums, he would likely be able to deal with peak Three Sols. Manifesting four sword momentums might not match Rising Light, but within the Three Sols realm, he would probably be invincible. If all five sword momentums manifested, Li Hao felt he could truly match the Rising Light realm. And that was merely manifesting them, not fusing them. Once fused, Li Hao estimated that he might even be able to kill Rising Light experts... All of this was just theoretical deduction; whether reality would match depended on practical circumstances. Currently, no expert in the martial world had reached this stage—at least, he had never heard of anyone who could match Rising Light. Even Teacher, in the strength he had displayed before, had only matched peak Three Sols. At that time, Teacher had unleashed two spirits! Yet Teacher was different; he had fused five forces. His two spirits were somewhat different from Li Hao's current two spirits. "I probably need to unleash three spirits to equal Teacher's two... but in the end, when I fuse five forces, I might surpass Teacher's fusion of five forces..." Because his sword momentum was stronger than any single animal force of the Five Animals. The reason he could not match Teacher now lay in experience, combat reflexes, and the fact that his forces were not fused. Otherwise, given Teacher's experience and prowess, if Li Hao unleashed two swords, Teacher would likely have killed Huang Jie outright. In truth, Li Hao had benefited from Hao Lianchuan's sudden appearance, which rattled Huang Jie and allowed Li Hao to dispatch him swiftly. Li Hao reflected on the battle for a while. After every clash, one needed to contemplate, experience, and summarize, identifying strengths and weaknesses to better improve oneself. After thinking for a long time, Li Hao found himself missing Old Man Yuan a little. If Teacher were still here, he would definitely point out his flaws and share his own experience, and Li Hao would have gained even more. *** At the border of Linjiang Province. Night had fallen. On the wilderness, a campfire flickered. Yuan Shuo had hunted a rabbit from somewhere and was currently roasting it. Warming himself by the fire, he chuckled and said, "Emerald Light, stop cultivating. Cultivation requires balancing work and rest. In recent years, balancing work and rest is precisely how I gained new insights. Stubbornly training non-stop might not yield greater benefits than fighting a single battle!" Wu Hongshan opened her eyes and looked at him without saying a word. With nothing better to do, Yuan Shuo asked, "All these years, you never took an apprentice or anything?" "Why take apprentices?" Wu Hongshan said indifferently. "You took several disciples yourself, and how did that turn out?" Yuan Shuo laughed. "It's turned out great! What of it? Setting aside the earlier ones, my youngest disciple was already at Hundred-Breaker culmination and had comprehended two forces before I left. In the few days since I departed, he visited the ruins. Given his fortune and comprehension, who knows—he might have already stepped into Thousand-Battler!" Yuan Shuo chuckled boisterously. "Do you know how many years he's practiced martial arts?" Wu Hongshan raised an eyebrow. "Ten years?" "Hahaha, I knew you lacked breadth of experience... Three years... No, one year... Wait, two months!" "..." Wu Hongshan looked at him as if he were an idiot. *Keep dreaming!* "It's true!" Yuan Shuo laughed uproariously. "Wasn't I injured back then? Three years ago, I took him in, planning to have him inherit some of my scholarship... "And what happened? Aside from teaching him the Five Animals Art, I didn't teach him anything else, not even the Five Animals Breathing Technique. Yet the kid pulled himself up by his bootstraps! Come July, he said Red Moon wanted to kill him and he had to save himself, so he began training martial arts in earnest and absorbing mysterious energy. Good heavens, before long, he reached the Ten-Slayer realm!" Wu Hongshan said indifferently, "A Ten-Slayer realm achieved like that is completely hollow." "Nonsense, of course I know that!" Yuan Shuo roared with laughter. "So I didn't say anything either. But to be honest, even when the kid swiftly entered the late Hundred-Breaker stage, I didn't think much of it. Times are different from back then; with enough mysterious energy and without advancing to supernatural, late Hundred-Breaker can be reached very quickly. "But do you know what? He actually comprehended force in no time!" Yuan Shuo sighed with emotion. "Only then did I realize the kid is an absolute genius—a martial genius! You know Silver Spear's son, right? That day, I was helping him comprehend force, while my disciple was just watching from the side. As he watched... holy crap, he comprehended force too! I was dumbfounded!" Yuan Shuo beamed from ear to ear. "In the blink of an eye, he comprehended the force of the earth! Not only that, but not long ago, after a fierce fight with Sun Yifei's disciple, he comprehended sword momentum as well. Emerald Light, tell me, isn't he a genius?" Had it merely been Hundred-Breaker culmination, Wu Hongshan would not have cared. Hearing Yuan Shuo's account now, she nodded slightly. "Then he truly qualifies as a genius. However, sword momentum and earth momentum... honestly, they don't match well. His comprehension is somewhat scattered; it would have been better to progress step by step and walk your path of the Five Animals forces. Otherwise, once he enters Thousand-Battler, he can only focus on one primary force. Sword momentum is fine, but you're not skilled with the sword, so he might not have many opportunities in the future..." "You woman, if you're jealous, just say so. Don't act like you don't care," Yuan Shuo said with a chuckle. "It's already incredible. How long has it been? Besides, who says forces can't be fused? When the time comes and he fuses both forces, he might not match me, but he can still surpass you lot!" "Jack of all trades doesn't mean mastery," Wu Hongshan replied coolly. Even if he fused two forces, so what? Would it really be stronger than a pure, singular sword momentum? Spreading oneself thin without true mastery only squandered talent. "Keep on envying and being jealous!" Yuan Shuo scoffed, then sighed. "A pity the kid is plagued by troubles, and the martial world isn't what it used to be. Otherwise, I'd definitely take him around to visit old friends, challenge some geniuses, and build his practical combat experience." "Just like you did back then?" "Is there anything wrong with that?" "To become the public enemy of the martial world?" Yuan Shuo sneered. "What public enemy? I defeated you all back then with pure strength, not family background or cultivation realms! I won with real skill. What's this talk of public enemies? You were all just jealous and deliberately smeared my name!" If an ordinary person brought up being a public enemy, he would not even bother replying. But facing this fellow martial artist from his own era, he argued back a few words. You were simply inferior in skill. Even now, you still deceive yourselves with talk of 'the martial world's public enemy'—aren't you ashamed? Wu Hongshan did not dwell on the matter. After a moment of thought, she said, "I vaguely heard you took several other disciples, all quite strong and talented. Why don't you ever mention them?" "Nothing to say about them." Yuan Shuo did not elaborate on the topic. At this moment, like an old father who favored his youngest son, he grinned and said, "My youngest disciple is not only obedient, but well-behaved, sensible, very kindhearted, and handsome to boot. A pity you don't have a disciple; otherwise, I'd really introduce her to him." Yuan Shuo sighed with boundless pride. "Oh, and he's no brute either. He's a scholar, possessing outstanding talent just like me." Wu Hongshan remained silent. Yuan Shuo rarely praised anyone, even his own disciples. Yet tonight, having nothing else to do, he was singing his disciple's praises non-stop. Only here would one hear such words. If word spread, many would be astonished—Old Devil Yuan actually praising someone? Having reached this point, Yuan Shuo suddenly let out a curse. "Damn it, that bastard Hou Xiaochen is no good! God knows how he might be mistreating my disciple right now..." "Hou Xiaochen..." Wu Hongshan fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Is he from the Martial Guard Army?" "No idea. Who cares!" Yuan Shuo did not care in the slightest, remarking casually, "Doesn't matter whether he is or isn't. Even if he is, it has little to do with me. Those bastards might be universally despised, but the martial artists they killed were mostly the ones who didn't follow the rules! I'm a rule-abiding martial artist. First, I don't kill indiscriminately; second, I don't slaughter innocents; third, I don't bully the weak; fourth, I don't abduct women; fifth, I haven't murdered officials or rebelled... Tell me, what does the Martial Guard Army have to do with me?" Wu Hongshan suddenly smiled. "Don't forget, you were once a wanted man!" Yuan Shuo laughed heartily. "That had nothing to do with anything else! I was put on the wanted list because I stormed a military camp to fight Huang Yu. That crossed a line, so they just made a token gesture to warn the martial world. In the end, didn't it all blow over?" Had he not mentioned it, she would not have thought of it, but now Wu Hongshan grew interested. As a martial artist, she was very curious about the outcome of that battle. "Between you and Huang Yu, who actually won?" That duel had been too shrouded in mystery. No one knew who won; they only knew Marshal Yu was unharmed, and Yuan Shuo was unharmed. Yuan Shuo sank into memory, seemingly struggling with how to put it into words. After a long silence, he shook his head. "Hard to say! If we're talking about winning... maybe I won! But then again, I lost." "What do you mean?" "That old fellow might have already stepped into Thousand-Battler long ago!" Yuan Shuo said solemnly, "If both of us were at Hundred-Breaker, he was definitely no match for me. I was invincible at Hundred-Breaker, invincible among those in the same realm! But that guy... when we fought back then, both displaying Hundred-Breaker strength, I held a slight upper hand. Yet... when I was about to unleash a lethal move, that fellow suddenly leapt back, conceded, and refused to fight further!" Sighing, Yuan Shuo said, "So you see, in all probability, he was a Thousand-Battler, and might have broken through many years prior. Tell me, do you count that as me winning?" "A Thousand-Battler of the previous generation?" Wu Hongshan was not surprised that a Thousand-Battler existed back then. It was completely normal; Yuan Shuo had only suppressed those of his own generation. The existence of Thousand-Battlers from the prior generation was a normal occurrence, though one rarely encountered them in those days. Yuan Shuo nodded. "Mm, most likely. So after thinking it over, I didn't continue the fight; there wasn't much point." At that, Yuan Shuo smiled. "Back then, almost all three great commanders of the Martial Guard Army were gathered in Silver Moon. Do you think that old fellow could be one of them?" "Hm?" Wu Hongshan was startled. She had suspected Hou Xiaochen, but never Huang Yu! The man was a military commander! "The Cannibal, the Laughing Freak, the Sickbed Ghost..." Yuan Shuo smiled. "All three were exceedingly mysterious. Almost no one had ever seen them, yet everyone knew of their existence. Every strike they made was a guaranteed kill, their strength overwhelmingly formidable. Back then was different from now; to accomplish that in those days required top-tier intelligence, information networks, methods, aftermath cleanup, and martial might. If Huang Yu were one of them, wouldn't that make complete sense? The military's intelligence apparatus has always been first-rate." Wu Hongshan frowned. "If what you say is true and he was a Thousand-Battler... it's not impossible! Then is he the Cannibal or someone else?" Marshal Yu enjoyed a stellar reputation and was regarded by all as majestic and dignified. 'Cannibal' was hardly a flattering title. Naturally, it did not mean he actually ate human flesh, but that his methods were excessively brutal and sinister. Every kill left mangled flesh and blood, with almost no corpse left intact. The martial world had mockingly called him a cannibal, describing his slaughter as being as savage as eating humans. "Who knows?" Yuan Shuo remarked offhandedly. "If Hou Xiaochen and Huang Yu are two of the three great commanders, could the third be someone from Silver Moon as well? Only Silver Moon martial artists could effectively deal with the Silver Moon martial world! How could outsider martial artists possess such capability? If all three are alive, who in Silver Moon do you think could be the third commander?" Wu Hongshan pondered deeply, then suddenly glanced at Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo paused. "Why are you looking at me?" Wu Hongshan said in a hushed tone, "If we're talking about who resembles the third person most... it's you! How many martial artists did you kill? The entire Silver Moon martial world was thrown into turmoil and weakened because of you! What you did was far more devastating than the three commanders! Even the three commanders couldn't suppress every peer in the entire martial world, yet you managed it. Therefore... I think the likelihood of you being one of them is extraordinarily high!" Yuan Shuo was taken aback, then gave it serious thought and nodded. Honestly, it really did fit! If someone were to claim now that Yuan Shuo was one of the three commanders, upon careful reflection, it truly seemed very likely. It was just that he had always operated out in the open. Yuan Shuo laughed in spite of himself, somewhat helplessly. "Honestly, if I didn't know myself better, I'd think I was too! If I were one of the three... then I'd be the Laughing Freak, laughing after chopping people down. Wouldn't you agree?" Wu Hongshan remained silent. Who knew whether he was or not? Naturally, no one would pursue such ancient history anymore. The Laughing Freak... it really might be this guy. Huang Yu the Cannibal, Yuan Shuo the Laughing Freak, Hou Xiaochen the Sickbed Ghost... Was that really possible? Wu Hongshan cast the thought aside. It was all in the past; even if the three of them truly were, it was no big deal now. *** That night, White Moon City was far from peaceful. The battle at dusk had left many unsettled, even panicked. And the conversation on the wilderness of Linjiang Province remained unknown to all. The four major institutions—the Administrative Headquarters, the Inspectorate, the garrison, and the Night Patrollers—were ablaze with light throughout the night, strictly investigating demonic supernaturals and rooting out dangerous Red Moon elements in the city. Director Zhao was advanced in years and began to doze off. Hu Qingfeng had remained here without leaving, acting as though he was wholeheartedly investigating the case. He even kept the other two Three Sols experts with him to help oversee the headquarters, claiming he worried the Administrative Headquarters might come under attack by Red Moon. In reality, he was simply afraid of encountering danger at the hotel. Late into the night, seeing that Director Zhao had still not retired to rest, Hu Qingfeng smiled. "Director Zhao, it's getting late. Why don't you head back to rest early? I'll keep watch here!" Cooperating with the various institutions to pacify the populace involved numerous tasks for the Administrative Headquarters; at times, these trivial matters were even more troublesome than hunting criminals. Director Zhao yawned again and smiled faintly. "It's fine. Though I'm getting on in years and my health isn't what it used to be, pulling an all-nighter is still no problem. The dynasty places its trust in me, so Zhao must devote himself entirely..." As he spoke, a large communicator on the desk suddenly rang with a piercing chime. Hu Qingfeng frowned slightly. Not far away, Deputy Director Zhou, who had been bent over his desk working, abruptly looked up at the communicator on the director's desk. That was an emergency line—a specialized communication network spanning the entire dynasty, established at enormous expense. It was a system reserved for high provincial officials to communicate directly with the central authority! Director Zhao's eyes snapped open, gleaming brightly. He glanced at Hu Qingfeng. Saying nothing, Hu Qingfeng stood up and led the other two out of the room. Those two were still somewhat puzzled. Nearby, Deputy Director Zhou moved to rise and leave as well, but Director Zhao pressed down a hand to signal him to stay. Only after Hu Qingfeng had departed and walked a distance away did Director Zhao accept the call. From the other end came a brief transmission. Very quickly, the call ended. Deputy Director Zhou's gaze shifted toward Director Zhao, his eyes filled with shock. Director Zhao let out a gentle breath and murmured almost inaudibly, "The sky of the north... has partially collapsed... The north is going to descend into chaos!" Silver Moon was located in the north! A monumental figure had died! An extraordinarily important figure! How important? The rebellion of the three provinces back then had also occurred in the northern provinces, not far from Silver Moon. Later, the wartime fighting subsided, but turmoil continued. A prominent figure of the dynasty, backed by the imperial family, had arrived to suppress the rebellion and garrison the strategic hub of the three provinces! He had commanded the military affairs of the three provinces and suppressed them for years, slaughtering countless people. Through sheer bloodshed, he had terrified the three provinces into absolute silence. Even now, with the rise of supernaturals, this man remained the supreme authority over the three provinces and an exceptionally vital pillar of imperial strength beyond the capital! The Night Patroller system of the three provinces and other supernatural networks were almost entirely under his control! And tonight... he was dead! Director Zhao looked out the window. Deputy Director Zhou was equally horrified. Although he had made some guesses... when it actually happened, it was still hard to believe! The three northern provinces were going to plunge into chaos! That man had killed too many people. Suppressing the three provinces for years had accumulated boundless resentment, but he had simply been too powerful, wielding too much might... Any discontent among the countless inhabitants of the three provinces had been utterly futile. Yet now, he was dead! Director Zhao rubbed his cheeks, revealing a trace of helplessness and bitterness. He stepped out of the office. Outside, Hu Qingfeng had not eavesdropped. Eavesdropping on classified matters of state was easy to detect, and getting caught would spell disaster. "Director Zhao... what happened?" Looking at the old man staggering as though he might collapse at any second, Hu Qingfeng was surprised. Had he received some bad news? Were you stripped of your post? If so, that was great news. The old fellow talked in riddles all day and never discussed real business; good riddance if he got kicked out early! Director Zhao hesitated. After a long pause, he choked out with great difficulty, "Special... Special Commissioner Hu..." Hu Qingfeng just stared at him. *Out with it!* "The Great General Pacifying the North... is dead!" Hearing those words, Hu Qingfeng paused, racking his brain. Great General Pacifying the North? Who was that? Titles like 'Great General' were generally bestowed by the imperial family; the modern Nine Departments rarely conferred such titles. Hence, he could not place the name for a moment. Beside him, Deputy Director Zhou saw his confusion and added with difficulty, "It's... General Kou, Governor-General of the Three Provinces!" Governor-General of the Three Provinces... In that instant, Hu Qingfeng shuddered! His eyes filled with utter disbelief, astonished and stunned! How could that be? How could that be possible! It was not grief, nor sorrow, but sheer, overwhelming shock. How could he possibly be dead? Great General Kou! He was the imperial family's standard-bearer in the north. Honestly, the Inspectorate did not care whether he lived or died... but... but that was a peak Rising Light expert! How could he die? Moreover, he was guarded by countless experts... How on earth could this happen! At this moment, Hu Qingfeng was completely dumbfounded. Following the shock, a single thought gripped him... With his death, wouldn't the three northern provinces he had suppressed descend into chaos? The three northern provinces bordered Silver Moon. If a riot erupted, wouldn't it affect Silver Moon? He was not even afraid of that; what he truly feared was... wouldn't they conscript nearby experts to reinforce them? At that thought, Hu Qingfeng felt a chill run down his spine. Even Great General Kou was dead—who had done this? If he were redeployed there... that would be true danger! *** That night, ordinary people were unaffected. Ordinary supernaturals were unaffected as well. Yet that night, none of the high-ranking officials or top experts could sleep any longer. Not just in Silver Moon; this wave of sleeplessness spread like wildfire, all the way to Heavenly Star City tens of thousands of li away! A sudden thunderclap on level ground! Compared to this, what did the deaths of two Three Sols in Silver Moon even amount to?