Joining the Martial Guard Army had not particularly interested Li Hao before.
Now, however, he found himself intrigued.
Golden Spear and Mu Lin had both walked very far along the martial path. Though he had not yet seen Golden Spear, Mu Lin alone was enough of a reason for Li Hao to stay.
As for asking for an official rank, that was merely incidental.
Exploring ancient ruins, fighting ancient civilizations, battling pirates...
The Martial Guard Army's mission was quite interesting as well.
Silver Moon was vast, but opportunities for real combat were rare. Joining the Martial Guard Army would likely grant him far more practical combat experience.
Besides, it bordered the sea.
Gazing at the ocean was its own kind of pleasure.
...
Inside the main hall.
Chief Steward Yu did not bother questioning Li Hao's demand for an official post. Since he was willing to stay, that was the best possible outcome.
As for the rank of Senior City Inspecting Commissioner... they could just try and see. It cost nothing, and if the Inspectorate and the Administrative General Office were truly willing to approve it, who would complain?
Unwilling to waste more words, Chief Steward Yu said, "Will you stay here now to interact with them, or head back and return tomorrow?"
"I'll come back tomorrow!"
Li Hao smiled. "My arrival was too sudden, and I ended up beating a few friends. I should give everyone some time to accept me."
Nearby, Mu Lin chuckled heartily. "No harm done. Getting injured during spars is entirely normal. When the Martial Guard Army was first founded, who knows how many fights broke out every single day? We have specialized healers here, so they will recover in no time."
The base was staffed with healing-type supers.
In the martial world of old, injuries were severe and difficult to heal; countless martial masters had fallen to lingering wounds. Now that supers had risen, it actually provided an opportunity for martial masters.
They no longer had to worry excessively about hitting too hard or holding back during spars out of fear of causing permanent harm.
Li Hao and Chief Steward Yu said no more.
Escorted by Mu Lin, the two walked out of the hall, crossed the square, and got into the car under the watchful eyes of many martial masters before driving slowly away.
...
As soon as they left, murmurs broke out across the square.
"The Old Demon's disciple is that formidable?"
"As expected, everyone from that lineage is a monster!"
"It's a pity the chiliarch isn't here, otherwise..."
"Naturally! If the chiliarch were present, he definitely would have taught that guy a harsh lesson. He's far too arrogant!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Yet, talk was just talk; a sense of helplessness lingered over them.
Who was their chiliarch?
Golden Spear!
A figure who had stood shoulder to shoulder with Yuan Shuo back in the day. Now, Yuan Shuo's disciple had come to the Martial Guard Army and swept through almost everyone beneath Golden Spear.
Although Mu Lin had managed to salvage some face at the end, the duel had concluded with Mu Lin injured while Li Hao had merely gasped for breath a few times. For the Martial Guard Army, this was practically losing all their dignity!
...
While chatter buzzed outside on the square, inside the hall behind it, all nine centurions had gathered together, joined by Mu Lin.
The injured centurions wore gloomy expressions, though their wounds were not severe. The worst off suffered only broken bones and slight internal concussions. Given the considerable gap in strength, Li Hao had held back against them.
"Mu Lin, didn't you say he was just a Hundred-Breaker?"
Chen Jin, inheritor of the Mountain Cleaving Axe, wore an ugly expression. Was this what he called a Hundred-Breaker?
He had been the first to attack, only to be knocked down in two punches!
What an utter humiliation!
Mu Lin laughed. "Why look at me? The kid improves fast, what can I do about it? Everyone had the same intelligence reports. I wasn't the only one saying he was a Hundred-Breaker. Everyone said so, yet he turned out not to be... and you're blaming me?"
The crowd fell silent.
Indeed, the intelligence they had received indicated that Li Hao was merely a Hundred-Breaker. How long had it been since then?
Xie Lan of the Jade Sword Sect coughed, genuinely hurt—not faking it like Hou Xiaochen and the others. Pale-faced, she spoke up: "Him defeating us isn't actually that big of a deal. What I'm wondering is... if he truly was at Hundred-Breaker culmination when he fought Sun Moxian... no, he was only at late Hundred-Breaker then, which was barely ten days ago."
Ten days!
Yes, only ten days.
Could intelligence from ten days ago be considered outdated?
Absolutely not. At least for martial masters, ten-day-old intelligence was fresh.
Yet the reality was staggering.
Mu Lin nodded slightly. "His rapid progress comes down to several factors. First, he went to Battle Heaven City. Second, the Rising Light-level Blood God Seed. Third, he seems to have comprehended another force..."
Taken together, there were reasons for Li Hao's strength.
Even so, it remained hard to believe.
Did this fellow have no bottlenecks whatsoever?
Did he just receive benefits, instantly comprehend forces, break through, and become stronger?
Who among those present hadn't practiced martial arts for over twenty years?
Mu Lin quickly added, "Forget it. He has his opportunities, and we have ours. Even if our fortunes don't seem as grand as his, we are still far stronger than ordinary martial masters outside!
"Now that he's agreed to join the Martial Guard Army, he'll be our colleague in the future."
Someone asked in a deep voice, "He agreed to join?"
"Yes."
"How will he be positioned?"
"Director Hou intends to establish another hundred-man unit and place him in command."
At those words, everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Well, that was acceptable!
Otherwise, life would be unbearable.
Whether Li Hao served as their superior or subordinate, it would feel awkward.
Having him as a subordinate would be uncomfortable.
Having him as a superior would be hard to stomach because he was too young; they couldn't immediately accept such a youthful martial master commanding them out of nowhere.
"Did Director Hou bring him in hoping to use his scholarship to help us explore the ruins?"
"Probably. Besides, he truly is powerful. His joining will make the Martial Guard Army even stronger!"
"Hard to say. If we had fought in formation this time, we wouldn't have lost so miserably!"
"..."
The crowd buzzed with debate, but none showed any real rejection toward Li Hao's joining now.
Martial masters were pragmatic.
If you were too weak, it was one thing if you were a nobody, but as Yuan Shuo's disciple, you could hardly blame others for ostracizing or bullying you.
Yet Li Hao was exceedingly powerful on top of being Yuan Shuo's disciple. That changed everything!
Such a figure had the right to join, and he had earned the right to be arrogant.
Mu Lin sighed. "My personal guard captain... is gone!"
Everyone was speechless, and a few rolled their eyes.
Even now, you're still dwelling on that?
Chen Jin sneered, "Mu Lin, your defense is invincible. A guy like you would be a perfect fit as a bodyguard captain for a swordsman!"
Guard captain?
This fat fellow was born to be a meat shield.
Mu Lin glanced at him and chuckled. "Still better than getting knocked flat in two punches."
"You..."
Mu Lin laughed heartily and ignored him, rising to his feet. "Disperse, disperse! If that guy really becomes a centurion... I suspect he'll draft some people into his unit. Watch out, everyone. Your subordinates might be tempted after seeing you all lose so badly today."
At that, several centurions grew tense.
That would never do!
They had spent a long time building their units. Even if casualties occurred, they were quickly replenished. With Li Hao newly arrived to establish a hundred-man unit, he would certainly draw away some veterans.
They couldn't possibly leave him bare-handed without assigning him any experienced soldiers.
After chatting a bit longer, the group quickly scattered.
Mu Lin lingered in place for a moment before chuckling, his thoughts drifting to his dear younger brother... My lovely brother, I hope you return to White Moon City soon. Your big brother will make sure to get very close with you!
...
Inside the car.
Chief Steward Yu kept her eyes closed, resting in total silence.
Li Hao reflected on the recent spars. This time had truly just been sparring; there was a clear gap in strength between him and the centurions, so he had barely exerted himself.
As for Mu Lin... the fat man focused purely on defense. Li Hao had merely slashed at him once, which hardly counted as a fight to the death.
What caught Li Hao's attention, however, was their physical constitutions!
All of them were exceptionally robust!
Even the centurions possessed terrifyingly powerful physiques, at least stronger than the captain's.
"Chief Steward, divine energy stones strengthen the physical body. Have they absorbed a lot of them?"
Li Hao asked directly.
Chief Steward Yu replied calmly, "Yes. Divine energy stones are usually the main harvest from ancient ruins."
"Is the Battle Heaven Army's black armor here as well?"
"Correct."
Chief Steward Yu continued, "The Battle Heaven Army was not the only ancient military force. Armies of that era used standardized armor, and black armor... was plentiful! The Martial Guard Army currently possesses five hundred sets of black armor. Unfortunately, many sets from Battle Heaven City were taken by others earlier."
The Three Great Organizations had each claimed a sizable share.
The Sword Sect had apparently taken some as well.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. Five hundred sets of black armor... With black armor, their defense was formidable. Even without the special energy support of the ground, the armor's protection alone would give a Solar Luminary a headache.
In other words, once equipped with black armor, these martial masters... could practically match Solar Luminaries...
That was terrifying!
Nearly a thousand Solar Luminaries... No wonder the Night Patrollers were dead broke. Hou Xiaochen had poured all their fine treasures into the Martial Guard Army, forging an extraordinarily powerful force.
Li Hao believed that this thousand-man Martial Guard Army would be considered top-tier even in the Central Region.
Muster the power of all Silver Moon to build an army of a thousand like this—this was likely Silver Moon's ultimate hidden card.
If everyone were equipped with black armor, spearheaded by Thousand-Battlers, and combined with battle formations...
Thinking carefully, Li Hao's eyes gleamed.
Any single hundred-man unit could easily subdue a Three Suns expert. With Golden Spear and Mu Lin present, taking down a Rising Light would not be overly difficult, and that was assuming Golden Spear couldn't defeat a Rising Light on his own.
Hou Xiaochen having him join the Martial Guard Army... meant he truly valued him.
After a brief pause, Li Hao asked, "Can I recruit my own people?"
"You may, but they must pass our assessments beforehand. You cannot simply recruit any wandering martial master from the pugilistic world."
Chief Steward Yu said evenly, "These martial masters were only able to join after undergoing various assessments, and they all signed confidentiality agreements to ensure nothing leaks... In fact, for the first three years, they are forbidden from leaving the base unless on a mission. After three years, they receive one month of leave per year on a rotational basis."
Three years without leaving.
To many martial masters, that was a form of torment.
Yet, on second thought, it made sense.
"Does that apply to me as well?"
"Centurions and above are exempt! As long as you are present when executing missions, you are free."
Li Hao nodded. That was fine, then.
Indeed, only officers enjoyed such privileges.
Ordinary grunts had to remain confined for three full years.
Li Hao pondered deeply. The Martial Guard Army received enormous benefits; looking at them, almost all were Hundred-Breakers... After absorbing so many divine energy stones and mysterious energy, it would be shameful if they hadn't reached Hundred-Breaker!
This place was a massive platform for martial masters to advance.
He thought of the Demon Hunt Squad.
Yet... what about Silver City?
He wanted to bring the captain and the others over. Liu Long stayed in Silver City, where absorbing a few divine energy stones was treated like a matter of life and death. Here, there would be abundant opportunities to help him catch up rapidly.
Liu Yan, Wu Chao, Chen Jian...
They had all stepped into Hundred-Breaker and were qualified to join. Moreover, as Night Patrollers, their vetting would pose no problem.
Li Hao also suspected there were treasures here that assisted in comprehending forces. Otherwise, it would be impossible for a hundred out of a thousand to reach Hundred-Breaker culmination; force was not that easy to grasp.
There were too many opportunities!
So many that Li Hao felt it was a waste to let the captain and the others remain stationed in Silver City.
Yet... Silver City was critical.
At the very least, that stone door was vital.
Then again, no one else could open the stone door anyway...
Liu Long was currently worried about the defense of Silver City, but once the Three Great Organizations' forces there were purged, arranging for a Solar Luminary to oversee Silver City while Li Hao was away would be more than enough.
"Chief Steward, can supers be recruited into the ranks?"
"Yes."
Chief Steward Yu replied coldly, "However, supers can only serve as support staff, not official combatants! You must form battle arrays, and once an array is formed, missing even one person disrupts its completeness. Certain areas are unsuitable for supers to enter, and if casualties occur there, it creates a massive problem!"
"Hmm?"
Li Hao paused. "Chief Steward, do you mean that the current battle array loses significant power the moment a member falls?"
"Is that not obvious?"
Chief Steward Yu frowned slightly and glanced at Li Hao.
Li Hao thought back to ancient battle arrays. They were not all like that; some were modular.
For example, five people per small array, so a hundred people formed twenty small arrays that together made up a hundred-man battle array.
This carried the advantage of being easy to coordinate and integrate.
Large-scale arrays, such as a hundred people acting as one, required a hundred individuals drilling and coordinating simultaneously, which was vastly more difficult.
Furthermore, modular arrays had another benefit: even if ninety-five people died, the remaining five could still form an array unaffected.
It seemed Hou Xiaochen had not obtained such formations.
Thus, he could only rely on a minimum unit of a hundred men per array. Under those conditions, integrating supers was indeed unsuitable. However, Li Hao happened to know a few small-scale battle formations.
Pondering this, he kept silent.
He would see about it later.
...
The car drove on.
This time, it took Li Hao straight home. The sky had darkened completely.
Downstairs.
Dropping Li Hao off, Chief Steward Yu departed with the driver, politely turning down Li Hao's invitation to dinner. In truth, Chief Steward Yu felt like cursing; that shameless fellow had invited her to eat at the Inspectorate residential quarters cafeteria.
Was that something a normal person would say?
As for the Fire Phoenix Spear, Li Hao had brought it up again, and Chief Steward Yu had agreed to give it to him tomorrow.
...
Going upstairs.
Just as Li Hao opened his door, the opposite door swung open. Tonight, Hao Lianchuan had returned earlier.
Looking mysterious and visibly anxious, he greeted Li Hao: "Li Hao, when I cultivated tonight... I felt... I felt what seemed to be a supernatural lock faintly emerging near my kidneys!"
Li Hao smiled. "A good thing, Director. It means the Blood God Seed truly works."
Hao Lianchuan nodded vigorously, his eyes reddening as he ground his teeth and whispered, "I'm preparing to encircle and annihilate Red Moon!"
He was ready to make his move!
"Haven't you always said that?"
"That was different. Before, it was just talk. As long as they didn't come to White Moon City, the city didn't want to fight them out in the wilderness... For example, places like Yaoguang City have traces of Red Moon, but we never made up our minds to truly purge them.
"This time, I want the Martial Guard Army to cooperate. Furthermore, I'll invite the Inspectorate and the military to mobilize together and wipe Red Moon out completely!"
He had truly steeled his resolve.
Red shadows!
Since the Blood God Seed was so effective, slaying members of Red Moon meant strengthening himself.
"Handle it as you see fit, Director."
Li Hao said nothing more. The various factions had long reached a consensus; this merely hardened Hao Lianchuan's resolve.
"You went to the Martial Guard Army?"
"Yes."
Li Hao opened his door and invited Hao Lianchuan inside.
Hao Lianchuan pondered for a moment and said, "I actually know a bit about the Martial Guard Army's existence. How did you find it during your visit?"
"Strong!"
Li Hao smiled. "In terms of individual strength, there are probably only two people stronger than you, Director. But if you went there alone... you'd probably be killed dozens of times over!"
"..."
That was rather depressing to hear.
Yet Hao Lianchuan didn't seem to mind. After a moment's thought, he nodded. "That's normal. The foundation of the Martial Guard Army is very likely that of the old Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army, which was comprised of formidable martial masters back then... Though after all these years, not all of them remain, a portion certainly does."
Li Hao's eyes flickered. "Was all of the old Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army in Silver Moon?"
Hao Lianchuan shook his head. "Silver Moon only held a large portion of it; another part was in Heavenly Star City. The three commanders of the Martial Guard Army were active in Silver Moon back then, but the army's Commander-in-Chief was stationed in Heavenly Star City."
"Commander-in-Chief?"
"Did you think the Martial Guard Army only had three commanders? If they refused to yield to one another, wouldn't that cause chaos? Besides, it was established by the imperial family, so naturally imperial figures oversaw it. When the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army was formed, the three commanders kept mysterious identities and served as the practical operators, while the Commander-in-Chief was a named Duke of the imperial family."
Hao Lianchuan gave Li Hao a brief rundown: "Today's Heavenly Star imperial family has a whole swarm of princes and imperial kin alongside the Heavenly Star King, but the rest are parasites not worth minding. However, the imperial family conferred titles upon nine Princes and thirty-six Dukes, who are worth watching. Some of them still guard regional territories, and among the ninety-nine provinces, several remain under imperial control. Otherwise, do you think the Nine Departments wouldn't have dissolved the imperial family already?"
Li Hao nodded.
Nine Princes, thirty-six Dukes...
He had heard rumors of this, though he hadn't known the numbers were so high.
The Heavenly Star imperial family had ruled the realm for 120 years. Although they had abdicated eighty years ago, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse; their foundation remained deep.
He didn't dwell on it too much; that Duke overseeing the Martial Guard Army had merely been a figurehead.
Li Hao said nothing further.
Hao Lianchuan had simply been too excited and couldn't resist dropping by to chat. Once finished, he didn't even offer to treat Li Hao to dinner, waving his hand and hurrying away, earning a quiet curse from Li Hao.
What a stingy guy!
...
The next day.
Li Hao arrived on time as usual.
At the Night Patroller Building.
Li Hao glanced toward the upper floors. Hou Xiaochen was gone, off to who knew where.
Li Hao couldn't be bothered to wonder; such experts came and went like dragons in the clouds, and their absence was entirely ordinary.
Fourth floor.
Li Hao headed straight for Chief Steward Yu's office.
Seeing Li Hao knock and enter, Chief Steward Yu seemed reluctant to exchange pleasantries. With a wave of her hand, a fiery-red spear materialized. At that moment, the small sword hidden inside Li Hao's combat boot trembled ever so slightly.
Li Hao knew it probably wanted to eat!
The Fire Phoenix Spear was extraordinarily powerful.
The Shadow Snake Sword it had devoured last time was merely a Yellow-tier Origin God Armament.
The Fire Phoenix Spear was said to be Heaven-tier, or perhaps Earth-tier?
Who knew.
Holding the spear, Chief Steward Yu felt the weapon quiver faintly. She knitted her brows, but soon dismissed the thought and said, "This is the Fire Phoenix Spear!
"The Fire Phoenix Spear has already acknowledged a master; it is the Director's weapon. Once an Origin God Armament recognizes a master, ordinary people cannot wield it, even though its material remains indestructible.
"The reason Hao Lianchuan could use it before was due to the weapon's nascent consciousness coupled with the Director's authorization... Now, the Director has loaned it to you, but he has not granted you the right to wield it. Therefore, you cannot activate it; even if you swing it, it will serve merely as an exceptionally durable weapon."
In other words, no special abilities, and no armament soul would manifest.
Li Hao understood.
Still relatively unfamiliar with Origin God Armaments, he asked, "Chief Steward, I heard Origin God Armaments can generate supernatural power and produce mysterious energy. How does it manufacture and generate it?"
This was not a closely guarded secret, so Chief Steward Yu explained coldly, "Once the divine soul of an Origin God Armament awakens, it can absorb mysterious energy from heaven and earth. The energy refined and released through an Origin God Armament is gentler and carries less disruptive impact, making it ideal for newcomers to break through.
"It does not generate mysterious energy out of nothing. Mysterious energy permeates the entire world, but ordinary people cannot perceive or extract it. You have seen mysterious energy before—once it dissipates into the air, it vanishes without a trace... It hasn't actually disappeared; it has simply dispersed beyond your ability to capture. Origin God Armaments possess the capacity to gather it."
Li Hao asked curiously, "Then doesn't possessing an Origin God Armament grant an infinite supply of mysterious energy?"
"Not quite; it depends on efficiency,"
Chief Steward Yu explained further. "For instance, a Yellow-tier Origin God Armament can produce at most around half a cubic unit of mysterious energy per day, which is negligible!
"The Fire Phoenix Spear is powerful and can yield around ten units daily, but... that too is negligible! Over a year, that comes to three thousand-odd units. Do you think that is a lot?"
Not a lot!
Li Hao shook his head, slightly disappointed. Only that much?
Too little!
That meant the Night Patrollers did not rely on the mysterious energy produced by the Origin God Armament for cultivation.
Ten units daily... One had to remember that when Li Hao was merely a low-ranking Inspecting Commissioner, his monthly stipend had been one unit.
The Night Patrollers had many supers; if they relied solely on the three thousand-odd units produced annually by the Origin God Armament, they would have gone bankrupt long ago.
Chief Steward Yu added, "Of course, this is an offensive Origin God Armament. Some Origin God Armaments are designed specifically for converting mysterious energy, and those can generate it in vast quantities. The Three Great Organizations and the Night Patroller headquarters likely possess a few. As for us, we only have this single Fire Phoenix Spear."
She continued, "The mysterious energy we currently use comes partly from our mission rewards, partly from the Fire Phoenix Spear, and partly... from ancient ruins!
"Origin God Armaments have another function: they can directly devour certain items from ancient ruins and convert them into mysterious energy. Some artifacts in ancient ruins contain mysterious energy, but cannot be absorbed directly; they require an Origin God Armament to consume them..."
"Doesn't the central government provide funding?"
Li Hao was curious. Even if Hou Xiaochen wanted independence, he hadn't formally acted on it. Did the central authorities cut off funding completely?
"We are self-sufficient! Currently, aside from the Central Region, all border provinces operate this way. The four cardinal frontiers are entirely self-reliant, but they also do not need to remit resources to the Central Region."
Li Hao nodded. So that was how it worked.
Yet in doing so... the Central Region's control over the regional frontiers naturally waned. If you didn't even pay their troops, why would they obey you?
Who knew what the central authorities were thinking.
Li Hao looked at the Fire Phoenix Spear. The fiery-red weapon lay completely still, its soul hidden, seemingly dormant.
Li Hao thought for a moment. "Can it be activated?"
Chief Steward Yu frowned slightly. "It's best not to try; things can easily go wrong! The Director is away and hasn't granted you authorization. If you trigger it, the weapon might very well attack you!
"Though you aren't weak, this spear is exceptionally powerful. Even without anyone controlling it, it can unleash the might of a Three Suns!"
That meant it could indeed be activated.
Li Hao asked curiously, "How do you activate it? By feeding it divine energy stones?"
"..."
Was this fellow even listening to her?
Recalling that Li Hao likely possessed no divine energy stones, Chief Steward Yu nodded. "Yes. A fire-attribute divine energy stone can activate the Origin God Armament, but there is no need. Li Hao, do not attempt it. Since you've taken the weapon, I suggest you merely study it. The Director has used this Fire Phoenix Spear for many years, so perhaps you can gain some insights and benefits. Beyond that... do not mess around!"
"Understood!"
Li Hao smiled and reached out to grasp the Fire Phoenix Spear.
Yet before his hand touched it, the weapon trembled slightly, as if reluctant to make contact with him.
Chief Steward Yu froze. This was the first time such a thing had happened.
She glanced at Li Hao, her brow furrowing. "You..."
"What about me?"
Li Hao looked utterly bewildered, though he understood internally. The weapon had likely sensed the aura of the Starry Sky Sword. Although the little sword was sealed, a sliver of the seal had been broken, and that serpent had been scared out of its wits last time.
Though dormant, the Fire Phoenix Spear's soul had awakened, so it might have sensed it as well.
Chief Steward Yu was equally puzzled.
Why would this happen?
Still... whatever. Since the Director had agreed, she didn't want to overcomplicate things. Handing the spear to Li Hao, she instructed, "Origin God Armaments can be absorbed into the body, even if they aren't yours! The Fire Phoenix Spear has already been unsealed, so you only need to drop a bead of blood on it to draw it into your body. This blood won't claim ownership; it merely allows the weapon to recognize your aura so it can merge into you."
Li Hao hesitated. Blood?
If he dripped his blood, wouldn't something go wrong with the spear?
He wasn't overestimating himself, but earlier when he had dripped blood, even the two characters of Battle Heaven City had reacted...
On second thought, ordinary blood should be fine.
Besides, he couldn't walk around outside parading this thing, could he?
Li Hao pricked his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the spear.
The moment the blood made contact, the spear trembled faintly. A phantom fire phoenix seemed to manifest across the shaft.
Li Hao looked at it curiously, and the fire phoenix seemed to open its eyes.
Yet the moment it sensed Li Hao's aura, the fire phoenix vanished instantly.
The fiery radiance enveloping the entire spear was extinguished in a flash.
Revealing its true form!
A spear that looked no different from ordinary iron. Stripped of its flames, ninety percent of its impressive presence evaporated. Moments ago, it had clearly been a divine weapon; now... it looked completely mundane!
Chief Steward Yu was caught off guard once more. Looking at Li Hao, she frowned. "The fire phoenix retracted... Strange... Is there something wrong with your blood? Is the bloodline of the Eight Great Families somehow distinct?"
After a moment's contemplation, she said, "The fire phoenix retreating completely means it has sealed itself away. In other words... don't even think about activating it. Even if you want to use it now, it will only function as an ordinary weapon. It has revoked even your ability to trigger it!"
"..."
Li Hao was utterly speechless. Was that really necessary?
What was the meaning of this?
"Can it be unsealed?"
"Yes, once the Director returns!"
Fine, consider it unasked.
Li Hao felt deeply disgruntled and sullen.
What was going on?
Did it think he was going to harm it, so it sealed itself the moment it sensed his blood?
With a thought, Li Hao drew the spear into his body. Though originally large, it shrank upon entering him like a needle, darting into his viscera and resting motionless.
How convenient!
Li Hao felt a twinge of envy; unfortunately, his little sword couldn't do this.
Still, this thing was quite uncooperative, having tucked itself away. How was he supposed to use it now?
"Return it to me in three days!"
Chief Steward Yu reminded him once more. "Don't get any ideas about absconding with the treasure. It's impossible. If you get too far from the Director, he will sense it, so don't even consider it!"
Li Hao froze, only now realizing her underlying suspicion. He looked completely innocent and aggrieved: "Chief Steward, you mean the only reason you didn't want to lend it to me was because you thought I'd run off with it?"
Why would she think that?
He had never even considered it!
Chief Steward Yu waved her hand, gesturing for him to leave, having no interest in explaining.
Whether he would or not, he knew best in his own heart.
The Five Animals lineage had courage that pierced the heavens; this wouldn't be their first time.
The possibility of Li Hao fleeing with the Fire Phoenix Spear to find Yuan Shuo wasn't zero—in fact, it was very likely. That was why she had been unwilling to lend it to him earlier. Unlike Hao Lianchuan, whom Hou Xiaochen had granted usage rights without worrying about him running off.
Clearly, even Hou Xiaochen had considered this... which was why he hadn't given Li Hao usage rights in the first place!
Had he granted them, getting it back once the kid bolted would have been a nightmare.
Li Hao looked thoroughly dejected. He really hadn't planned on running... Why falsely accuse someone?
If you keep falsely accusing me, what if I actually run off with it?
Seeing that Chief Steward Yu ignored him, he took the initiative to say, "Then I'll head over to the Martial Guard Army now..."
"Go downstairs and take the car. Also, you'll need to arrange your own vehicle from now on. Ordinary cars cannot go there or enter the perimeter; they will be destroyed. Buy a car yourself, then register it..."
"Wait, doesn't the organization provide a car?"
Li Hao was astonished. I'm on the public payroll!
Besides, I don't have the money to buy a car.
Chief Steward Yu had a headache. She didn't want to hear another word from Li Hao right now. This guy was utterly vexing at times, always looking to take petty advantages...
"Buy it yourself!"
"I don't have money!"
"You..."
Chief Steward Yu thought he was joking, but looking closely, Li Hao was completely serious: "I really have no money! I checked my card yesterday, and there was only around ten thousand yuan left. They didn't even pay me my salary last month, and that's not enough to buy a car!"
Heavens!
Only one thought crossed Chief Steward Yu's mind: how could this fellow... be this poor?
A dignified Thousand-Battler... no, practically a Spirit Nourishing martial master—how could he be so impoverished and take it for granted?
After a long pause, Chief Steward Yu sighed. "Fine, we'll assign you a car later!"
Li Hao beamed with joy!
Only then did he depart merrily.
Once he was gone, Chief Steward Yu was left speechless. After a moment, she picked up her communication device and dialed a number.
When the other end picked up, she remained silent for a beat before saying, "Hao Lianchuan, regarding Li Hao's salary... deposit... deposit one million into his account every month from now on!"
Hao Lianchuan was taken aback. "What? Isn't his salary paid in mysterious energy?"
"Transfer him money!"
Chief Steward Yu almost rolled her eyes. In all her years, she had never seen such a destitute martial master. It was downright embarrassing to speak of.
Li Hao might not care about a single unit of mysterious energy.
Perhaps one million would make the fellow much happier.
No wonder he acted so stingy and pinched pennies every day; he was genuinely broke.
Hao Lianchuan seemed to realize it as well, muttering, "Is he really that poor? No wonder he scrounges meals from the cafeteria every day, buying a few steamed buns at most... I thought it was just his personal habit."
Saying this, both felt an urge to laugh.
Yet alongside the laughter came a faint sense of dread.
At Li Hao's age, with his level of power, it would be completely natural for a young man to become conceited—let alone luxury mansions and sports cars, changing women every day would be standard fare.
Not to mention fine dining and drinking.
What about Li Hao?
He seemed never to have entertained such thoughts. A young powerhouse disciplined to the absolute extreme—that was what made him truly terrifying.
At this moment, Chief Steward Yu wondered: did that fellow demand a promotion just to get a salary raise?
If so...
She could only say that Li Hao was utterly insane!
Who on earth sought a promotion just for a meager bump in salary?
...
Meanwhile, heading downstairs, Li Hao was in high spirits.
Scored another car!
As expected, being on the public payroll was delightful. He wondered when he might be able to score a reasonably large house; up until now, he didn't even own a property under his name in White Moon City.
Chapter 122