The vehicle once again crossed through White Moon City, passed through the forest, and entered the grounds of the Martial Guard Army.
Li Hao stepped out of the car and adjusted his clothes.
The driver immediately drove off. This was Hou Xiaochen's personal vehicle; had Li Hao not lacked a ride, the man wouldn't have bothered driving him at all.
At the gate.
Someone was waiting.
With nothing better to do, Mu Lin was obviously the most suitable candidate. As for the other centurions... not a single one showed up. They had their own duties and were currently drilling troops in the distance.
Of course, they could have spared the time if they wanted to, but having been beaten up only yesterday, welcoming him today would have been far too humiliating.
"Welcome!"
Mu Lin was just as polite as he had been the day before.
He smiled genially.
Li Hao had come to realize that fat people always seemed to like smiling. A smile made them look honest and harmless.
Director Hao was fat and liked to smile too.
Then there was Mu Lin's younger brother, Mu Sen—that Chief Mu was also a smiling tiger.
Li Hao mused inwardly, wondering if the Mu family had another brother named Mu Mu. Between the two brothers, their names had seven trees in them. Why not add a few more?
"Chiliarch Mu!"
"Don't call me that!"
Mu Lin said with a wide smile, "Just call me Brother Mu Two! I'm still young, barely in my early forties. What's with all this 'Chiliarch' talk? In our Martial Guard Army, people usually just use my name, or if they want to show some respect, they call me Brother Mu Two!"
The only reason he was "Two" was that the top spot belonged to Golden Spear, whom he couldn't beat.
Mu Lin looked at Li Hao with a chuckle. "Didn't bring any luggage? No problem at all. We have everything here—whatever you need, we've got. Aside from being a bit short on manpower, we have all the necessities!"
With that, he politely took Li Hao by the arm to lead him inside.
Li Hao calmly pulled his arm back.
By calmly, it meant he kept his eyes straight ahead and simply tugged his arm free as if he hadn't noticed anything. As long as he didn't feel awkward, the awkwardness belonged to Mu Lin.
Mu Lin didn't mind in the slightest and continued to smile cheerfully.
"Brother Li, since you're new here and don't know the lay of the land, I'll show you around so you can get familiar with the place."
Li Hao nodded. "Thank you, Brother Two Mu!"
"..."
Mu Lin froze for a moment. Brother Two Mu?
I said Brother Mu Two—did you mishear me?
On second thought, he chuckled again. Whatever. Brother Two Mu it was. It was all the same.
He led Li Hao through the gatehouse. Beyond it lay that colossal plaza. It was vast, and crossing it took some time. Mu Lin guided Li Hao along the perimeter, explaining as they walked: "This is the martial arts drill ground. Everyone trains here normally. If anyone feels their secret arts aren't suitable for public viewing, they can cultivate in their rooms. There are also several cultivation chambers in the back that are free to use."
Li Hao gave a slight nod. Right now, the drill ground was packed with at least four to five hundred people. Many practiced their martial arts while sneaking glances in this direction, only to quickly avert their eyes whenever Li Hao looked back.
"The entire base is divided into three main zones, and this is one of them. Behind it lies a living area, followed by the cultivation area.
"In the living area, everyone gets their own room, while centurions each have a private courtyard."
Li Hao was quite pleased to hear this. That sounded nice—did this mean he would get a spacious house?
As expected, real estate in the suburbs wasn't worth much.
"Over in the cultivation area, there are specialized training methods unique to the Martial Guard Army, which are immensely beneficial for martial masters' advancement."
Li Hao's interest was piqued. "What kind of special training methods?"
Mu Lin smiled, this time with genuine delight. "Before supers rose to power, martial masters had an excruciatingly hard time cultivating. Often, people would train for seven or eight years, or even over a decade, and still remain stuck in the Ten-Slayer realm.
"After supers emerged, martial masters discovered that non-elemental mysterious energy could strengthen the physical body, which opened up a new path for us.
"Later, we discovered that divine energy stones provide a comprehensive strengthening effect for martial masters, far superior to non-elemental mysterious energy!"
Li Hao nodded continuously.
Mu Lin went on, "And so, over the years, the Martial Guard Army established a non-elemental energy chamber and a divine energy stone cultivation chamber. Both are sacred grounds that help martial masters advance rapidly. At least before the Thousand-Battler realm, their body-tempering efficacy is peerless!
"Below Thousand-Battler, one uses the non-elemental mysterious energy chamber. Above Thousand-Battler, one uses the divine energy chamber."
Li Hao's eyes flickered. "The Martial Guard Army is this lavish? Divine energy stones aren't plentiful, are they?"
"They aren't. Even for us, they're scarce. But they can be replenished with mysterious energy—absorbed and then released through the stone, the effect remains quite impressive."
Li Hao nodded as he listened, then asked, "Is that all?"
While impressive, Li Hao felt he hadn't touched on the crux of the matter!
What was the crux?
Momentum!
A regiment of a thousand men, with over a hundred having comprehended momentum—what kind of joke was that?
There had to be something here critical to helping martial masters comprehend momentum.
Mu Lin glanced at Li Hao, his eyes shifting slightly. "Brother Li isn't satisfied?"
"What about momentum?"
Li Hao had no interest in beating around the bush and got straight to the point. "Could one-tenth of the Hundred-Breaker culminations really all be geniuses who comprehended momentum with ease? My teacher said that on the martial path, comprehending momentum is the hardest hurdle. If momentum could be grasped so easily, martial masters would never have fallen into decline. Even with the rise of supers, if every martial master were a Thousand-Battler, would they still fear supers?"
Mu Lin nodded.
Sure enough, this fellow had seen straight through to the core of it at a glance.
He said, "There are indeed treasures here that aid martial masters in comprehending momentum... but such opportunities are extremely hard to come by."
Li Hao smiled and pointed toward the martial masters on the field. "A hundred people have comprehended momentum, which means several hundred might have actually tried. How hard to come by can it really be?"
He didn't buy it at all!
At a loss for words, Mu Lin pretended not to hear and continued, "What do you think momentum is?"
This actually made Li Hao hesitate for a moment. Only after a pause did he reply, "There are multiple types of momentum."
Nonsense!
Yet Mu Lin soon stopped thinking of it as nonsense.
Li Hao continued, "In my experience, momentum falls into three categories! The first is an eruption of one's own mood, emotions, and feelings. This type of momentum fits oneself best, an insight born from deep within. I call it human momentum!
"The second comes from cultivating martial arts to the absolute peak. For instance, when a secret art is mastered completely, you follow the established steps to comprehend and study the path of predecessors. Take the Five Animals Art: if I keep walking that path, I might eventually comprehend the Five Animals momentum. That is a momentum inherent to the secret art itself. I call it martial momentum!
"The third is exceedingly rare... You witness supreme experts clashing, seeing an unfathomable strike of a sword, saber, or spear. You perceive the intent and momentum left behind by ancient masters, and by imitating and copying it, you comprehend a momentum of your own. This type of momentum, I call heavenly momentum!
"It's hard to say which of the three is stronger. But the second has the least potential, in my view. The first possesses immense potential, though that doesn't necessarily mean greater destructive power. The third may wield greater power, but its potential is hard to gauge..."
This time, Mu Lin was genuinely stunned.
He stared at Li Hao, speechless for a long while.
Only after an extended silence did he sigh. "I originally thought you were merely strong. But this discourse on momentum makes me realize that disciples of the Five Animals sect are truly extraordinary! Distinguishing between three kinds of momentum... to be frank, not even I could categorize them so clearly."
Indeed, very few people ever bothered summarizing it like that, because most only ever comprehended a single momentum. Why bother making such fine distinctions?
Yet Li Hao had laid out three clear classifications.
In truth, Li Hao had experienced them all.
Fire Tiger momentum was human momentum, an eruption of his own inner emotion.
Earth Sword momentum had come from witnessing Liu Long's Nine Refinements Force and seeing Yuan Shuo take action; through reflection and imitation, Li Hao had formed it. It counted as heavenly momentum, though it wasn't as formidable as another type of heavenly momentum—like when he witnessed that ancient sword strike and comprehended sword momentum, where the overarching sword momentum was vastly more powerful!
These were what Li Hao currently grasped. As for martial momentum, that was what he intended to comprehend next. With water momentum, he wanted to push the Nine Refinements Force to its absolute limit and deduce momentum through the secret art itself—that would be martial momentum.
The invincible momentum recorded in ancient texts was also human momentum: an eruption of inner emotions, accumulating unstoppable presence through a hundred undefeated battles, an inner conviction that made one invincible under heaven.
Li Hao's ability to summarize this did not come from Yuan Shuo's teachings, but from his own breadth of experience.
He might be young and had not seen much of the wider world, but there were things he had witnessed that others never would.
He Yong had said that across this ancient land of Silver Moon, every blade of grass and tree might carry the momentum of top-tier experts. If so, Li Hao suspected that the Martial Guard Army possessed certain treasures.
Treasures infused with the momentum of ancient civilization experts!
In fact, Li Hao had seen such things before. The words "Battle Heaven" in Battle Heaven City were precisely that, only far too advanced—the person who wrote them had been so terrifyingly strong that Li Hao couldn't perceive much of anything.
He had managed to perceive something from his ancestor's sword strike, however. Even without a physical relic, if others had seen it, they too might have used the chance to comprehend some form of sword momentum, even if it differed from his.
...
At this moment, Mu Lin felt rather conflicted.
A strong rival wasn't terrifying; what was terrifying was someone who was both powerful and held a crystal-clear understanding of martial arts. Such an individual would be very difficult to suppress.
Dropping the mystery, he said, "Earlier, I found it hard to explain, but based on your terms... you're entirely right. The Martial Guard Army does possess treasures that hold heavenly momentum! They are traces left behind by clashes between ancient experts—sword gashes, saber marks... marks that have remained intact through countless ages. Such treasures make it much easier for everyone to grasp momentum.
"There are also broken weapons found in certain ruins that contain lingering intent, which likewise help us comprehend momentum."
Li Hao's eyes shifted. "What about Origin God Armaments?"
If even broken weapons worked, why had no one mentioned using Origin God Armaments to comprehend momentum?
Even He Yong had only suggested trying to perceive Hou Xiaochen's momentum.
Granted, He Yong had also mentioned that when sealed Origin God Armaments were unsealed, they might release some residual momentum.
Mu Lin smiled this time; it was reassuring to see there was something the kid didn't know. He explained, "Origin God Armaments were naturally left by ancient experts as well, but they are generally intact. Having endured countless years, many have long lost the traces of their previous masters.
"For example, if a saber was snapped in two, we can look at the fracture countless years later and imagine how it was severed back then. But an Origin God Armament has no such marks. A pristine blade looks brand-new—what could you possibly glean from that?"
Put that way, it made sense, yet something still felt off.
Li Hao frowned. "Doesn't that mean Origin God Armaments are inferior to broken weapons?"
"No!"
Mu Lin refuted the idea. "Origin God Armaments actually come in two types. The first are those that awaken after falling dormant, which is what I just described. The second are sealed Origin God Armaments! They aren't dormant, but actively sealed and unopened. Once such an armament is unsealed, the master's intent and momentum can erupt in that very instant... though it's best not to try perceiving it, or you'll very likely die!
"Some experts seek out that second type, even looking for ways to break the seals just to experience the sheer might of ancient experts in that fleeting burst... but they are exceedingly rare. There aren't many sealed weapons around."
Li Hao thought of the Starry Sky Sword, the weapons of the Eight Great Families, and that sword he had handed over to the Night Patrol in exchange for a Rising Light-level Blood God Seed.
He had offered that one up under the guise of it being the Li family's sword.
The thought flashed past, and Li Hao asked, "Does the Martial Guard Army have many such treasures?"
"Not many, and there's another complication... preserving them is terribly difficult!"
With a sigh, Mu Lin said, "Some treasures work well the first time, but by the second use, the intent inside may scatter. Others can be used three or four times... but after that, the effect fades! Those that can maintain their potency indefinitely are extraordinarily rare. The entire Martial Guard Army only has two or three... and those are personally held by Boss Golden Spear. Even I don't have the authority to manage them."
Li Hao nodded.
Now he understood why so many in the Martial Guard Army commanded momentum.
"Were all these treasures obtained from ruins?"
"Yes."
Mu Lin nodded. "Almost all of them, though a few weren't—they were seized from pirates. The North Sea has many pirates, and some dredge up relics from the depths. They aren't ruins, but they still carry special properties."
"Are pirates that strong?"
"Some are strong, some are weak. They aren't a single faction, but many. The North Sea cuts across the central and northern territories, flowing through more than a dozen provinces. Small groups might have a few dozen men, while the largest pirate armada on the North Sea numbers over ten thousand, with more than half being supers!"
Li Hao was startled. That many?
How could that be possible!
"Where did so many supers come from?"
"During the conflicts in the Central Region, many supers couldn't survive there anymore—either they made enemies, lost their families, or became wanted criminals... The Three Great Organizations used to be very strict with recruitment: they rejected the weak and the untalented. Medium and small organizations had limited resources and couldn't sustain so many supers. As a result, these people took to banditry, heading either to the mountains or out to sea!"
Li Hao frowned.
Becoming pirates...
"How do they survive?"
"Plunder! There are plenty of merchant fleets on the sea. Furthermore, once they set their sights on a city, they make landfall in sudden raids—they've even slaughtered entire cities before. They move like the wind, and once they escape back into open waters, tracking them down is nearly impossible. That's why pirates are a constant headache for the northern provinces and coastal central provinces. Our Martial Guard Army is primarily responsible for clearing out pirates around Moon Sea. There aren't that many here, to be honest; Silver Moon isn't wealthy to begin with, so major pirate armadas don't bother with us."
He added, "Besides, the sea has plenty of mysterious energy and treasures, so powerful figures among the pirates aren't uncommon."
Li Hao nodded. He had never heard of a pirate threat before.
It seemed the Martial Guard Army was formidable enough that any incoming pirates had already been dealt with.
Fair enough. No matter how strong the pirates were, if the Martial Guard Army couldn't even handle them, Hou Xiaochen's efforts over the years would have been completely in vain.
After all, this wasn't the entire North Sea, merely its tributary branch, Moon Sea.
...
After chatting for a while, the two crossed the massive plaza and entered the residential area behind it.
There were ordinary people here as well.
They weren't martial masters or supers, just regular folks handling logistical work like cleaning.
There were also cooking and laundry duties. Martial masters were too busy to deal with such chores; if left to them, the place would smell worse than a latrine before long.
Li Hao didn't smell, of course... Whenever his clothes got dirty, he simply swapped them for new ones. The Night Patrol had dedicated changing rooms stocked with uniforms that he could wear whenever he wanted.
Besides, the Inspectorate residential quarters had staff specifically assigned to handle those tasks.
There were small buildings here as well, none of them tall, typically about three stories high.
Mu Lin continued his introduction: "There are a hundred of these buildings in total, with six rooms per floor. Each building can accommodate eighteen people, meaning up to eighteen hundred martial masters in total... Of course, the rooms are very spacious, nearly a hundred square meters each. Housing six to eight people per room wouldn't be an issue either; if we really packed them in, ten thousand could fit! But they're all martial masters, and everyone wants some privacy. Besides, with our current numbers, even these hundred buildings aren't fully occupied.
"Our quarters are a bit further back, where everyone gets their own standalone house."
Each small building occupied considerable ground, complete with its own courtyard, covering nearly a thousand square meters. A hundred buildings alone took up nearly one hundred thousand square meters. Factoring in the open spaces, the residential zone was likely no less than two hundred thousand square meters—an immense expanse.
Yet broken down, it was only about three hundred mu of land, which wasn't absurdly large for this location.
"There are cafeterias and shops here too. Also, if anyone has family, there's a large building up front that serves as a hotel where relatives can visit... However, only veterans of three years or more qualify, and background checks for family members are very strict. Normally, we don't encourage families to come here; members can return home instead, as everyone gets one month of leave each year."
Li Hao nodded as he walked alongside him, taking everything in.
Whenever people along the path spotted Mu Lin, they hurried to step aside. Those who couldn't avoid him snapped crisp salutes, ordinary staff included. This man was the second-in-command here, and since the chief was frequently absent, he was effectively the head.
Even the centurions, however much they disliked him or addressed him directly by name, had to obey him without question when push came to shove.
...
After walking a while longer, a separate cluster of standalone houses came into view.
Li Hao swept his gaze across them: about twenty to thirty two-story houses stood spaced comfortably apart. Unlike the buildings up front, this area felt noticeably quieter and more aesthetically pleasing.
"We live over here!"
Mu Lin pointed inward. "Currently, fourteen of them are occupied, and sixteen remain empty. You can pick whichever you like."
"Fourteen?"
Nine centurions, plus Mu Lin and Golden Spear, made only eleven!
Seeing Li Hao's puzzled look, Mu Lin chuckled. "Boss Golden Spear has an apprentice who stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm, so he gets one. His guard captain is also a Thousand-Battler, so he gets one too."
Li Hao's heart stirred slightly. There were two additional Thousand-Battlers!
It made sense—how could Golden Spear's personal guard be weak? "What about the last one?"
"The last one belongs to Director Hou, though he rarely comes by."
Li Hao understood.
He surveyed the area, in no rush to choose a house.
"What should I be doing right now?"
"Assembling your unit!"
Mu Lin answered promptly. "Also, come up with a resounding name for your hundred-man squad! For instance, Chen Jin, whom you dropped with two punches—his squad goes by the resounding name of the Mountain Cleaving Army!"
"..."
A hundred men, calling themselves an army!
Besides, an inheritor of the Mountain Cleaving Axe naming his squad the Mountain Cleaving Army—how was that resounding?
What should I call mine, the Five Animals Army?
What a joke!
"Do I have to recruit everyone myself?"
Li Hao frowned. "Excluding the people here, I don't even know a hundred martial masters!"
"Of course not entirely on your own. Before Boss Golden Spear left, he mentioned that if Liu Long... we thought Liu Long was coming at the time. If Liu Long came to form a new unit, he could draft ten men from Golden Spear's personal guard.
"As for the other squads, it's best not to pull from them, since they're already accustomed to their training methods and partners... Of course, if you really want to, you can draft up to three men from each of the nine squads, provided they aren't centurions... Anyone you pick cannot refuse!
"If you make full use of that, you can assemble thirty-seven men right off the bat, leaving the rest up to you!"
That was more than a third. Selecting the remainder himself would make things far easier and facilitate their integration.
Li Hao nodded. That sounded reasonable.
"What about the Martial Guard Army's benefits? Even if I go recruit people, I need to know what perks to offer, right?"
Mu Lin laughed. "The benefits are excellent. Leaving mundane wealth aside, Thousand-Battler martial masters receive one divine energy stone per month! On top of that, once every three months, you can choose a treasure to perceive for a full day—which means perceiving momentum... While Thousand-Battlers have already grasped momentum, perceiving a similar type offers tremendous help!"
A divine energy stone!
Damn!
That was outrageously generous. A single stone was worth hundreds, if not a thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy.
Core troops were truly core troops!
Back in Silver City, Li Hao and his squad received one cubic meter of mysterious energy a month, barely a thousandth of this. There was simply no comparison. Li Hao's eyes practically reddened with envy; the Night Patrol was truly pathetic by contrast.
Director Hao probably only earned a few dozen cubic meters of mysterious energy a month, yet a Thousand-Battler here got a whole divine energy stone.
Of course, Hao Lianchuan's salary was just his base pay; if needed, he could requisition divine energy stones on an emergency basis.
A single divine energy stone alone was enough to tempt any Thousand-Battler, to say nothing of the chance to perceive momentum once every three months.
"What about Hundred-Breakers?"
"For Hundred-Breakers: early and mid-stage Hundred-Breakers get ten cubic meters of non-elemental mysterious energy a month. Late-stage Hundred-Breakers get the same amount of mysterious energy, but can perceive momentum once every six months, which isn't necessary for early and mid-stages anyway. As for Hundred-Breaker culminations, the waiting period is two months shorter—once every four months, second only to Thousand-Battlers, though they don't get divine energy stones."
Li Hao nodded.
In other words, the Martial Guard Army's greatest allure lay in comprehending and strengthening momentum!
Those relics carrying residual momentum and intent were the Martial Guard Army's most precious assets. As for divine energy stones, there weren't many Thousand-Battlers anyway, so an expenditure of a dozen or so stones a month, slightly over a hundred a year... after exploring so many ruins, they could certainly afford it.
"How are the spoils divided when exploring ruins?"
This was another point Li Hao cared about.
Mu Lin said with a smile, "I figured you'd ask. It depends on the circumstances! For example, discovering a ruin and exploring it on your own is one scenario. The higher-ups providing a ruin for you to explore is another. Seizing a ruin that enemies discovered first is yet another.
"The rules Director Hou laid down back then state that if the higher-ups provide the ruin, it's a fifty-fifty split! If you discover and explore it yourself, it's a thirty-seventy split—seventy percent for you, thirty percent for the higher-ups. If you seize it from enemies, you keep everything!"
Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Even if we discover it ourselves, the higher-ups still take thirty percent?"
A fifty-fifty split when the brass provided the lead was fair enough, and keeping everything when taking it from enemies made complete sense, given the mortal risk involved.
Yet even for finding and clearing a ruin on one's own, they still had to hand over thirty percent...
Mu Lin explained, "Brother, to put it bluntly, many people here reached their current strength only because Director Hou supported them. Without that strength, could you claim so many benefits? Besides, the brass needs funds too. Our salaries rely entirely on Director Hou's subsidies... How could he have kept funding us this long otherwise? The predecessors plant the trees so the descendants can enjoy the shade. The Martial Guard Army has 'Army' in its name, after all. If everyone acts purely for themselves, an army can never hold together!"
Li Hao considered this and nodded without pressing further.
Perhaps that was true.
Mainly, he lacked experience with such arrangements. The last time he explored a ruin with Hao Lianchuan and the others, he had kept everything for himself, so he had never developed that mindset.
Back in the Demon Hunt Squad, Liu Long handled all distributions directly.
"By the way, the split I mentioned applies between the leadership and commanders like us... Whatever you receive, it's up to you how much you share with your subordinates. If they contributed, you have to give them a cut... You could also choose not to share, but over time, people will quit. Don't blame them if they jump to another squad—that would just be your own incompetence!"
Li Hao nodded. "Understood! So we can poach people in the Martial Guard Army?"
"Of course!"
Mu Lin said with a laugh, "Though usually that doesn't happen. The centurions know their limits. Truth be told, the Martial Guard Army operates somewhat like private retinues; the subordinates under your command are your people. That's how the imperial family used to run things. There were plenty of downsides to it, but imposing too many restrictions on supers and martial masters isn't practical, so Director Hou grants everyone maximum freedom!
"However, remember one thing: in the Martial Guard Army, there is one rule that must be obeyed without exception!
"When Director Hou's orders come down, no matter how dangerous it is, there is only one response... execute the order! Refuse, and you die!"
Li Hao raised an eyebrow and nodded.
That was how it should be!
Otherwise, with such relaxed rules where one simply showed up to collect benefits, life would be far too cushy for martial masters.
Hou Xiaochen clearly cared only about results, not the process.
As long as everyone obeyed when it truly counted, he didn't care what they did in the meantime.
With the benefits settled, the grounds toured, and the situation understood, Li Hao asked one last question: "How often are we deployed on missions normally?"
"Not often. Usually about once a month, or once every three months if things are quiet. After all, ruins don't appear everywhere, and pirates don't show up every day."
"Understood!"
Li Hao exhaled. "The perks are great, the mission frequency is reasonable, and the split is acceptable. I'll take the job!"
Mu Lin laughed heartily. "Under normal circumstances, nobody would refuse!"
Then he leaned in conspiratorially. "There's one more benefit that might seem unremarkable on the surface, but is actually fantastic: there's a library here built by Director Hou, packed with secret arts and manuals, including breathing techniques! They were seized by the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army back when they purged the scum of the martial world during the martial ban, wiping out numerous disreputable sects. There are also ancient texts... Your teacher dug up plenty during his grave-robbing days, though he destroyed quite a few. Director Hou managed to preserve some, including materials your teacher later helped unearth from ruins, alongside relics we gathered ourselves."
Li Hao's eyes shifted slightly. That was indeed wonderful.
Though it might not seem like monetary wealth, knowledge was priceless!
"Alright, Brother Li. Go ahead and pick a house for yourself, and move over whenever you're ready. There's nothing special about the southern district; it's much quieter here, and far better for practicing martial arts!
"If you know anyone suitable, poach them over... Don't you know Liu Long? He's a Thousand-Battler; if he joins, he's guaranteed to advance further. To tell you the truth, I originally wanted him as my personal guard captain... I even asked my younger brother to pass along the message, but unfortunately, he didn't come."
So that was why Mu Sen had been acting so mysterious last time—it was all to recruit Liu Long as this man's guard captain.
Li Hao was utterly speechless!
"If Captain Liu came, couldn't he become a centurion?"
Li Hao asked. Mu Lin shook his head. "If you didn't take the post, he could! But since you did, he can't. We don't have that many billets. Adding one hundred men is manageable, but adding two hundred is more than the Martial Guard Army can afford to support. Over all these years, the army has remained capped at a thousand men precisely because the resource consumption is too enormous!
"If you feel bad about it, you can serve as his deputy and let him be the centurion... No one will stop you!"
Li Hao curled his lip. No way.
Being the leader meant taking a larger share of the spoils.
As for the captain, he would ask him about it later.
Finally, Mu Lin added, "Right, don't forget to collect a specialized communicator later. It has a range of a thousand li for contact, and includes a tracking device so we can locate you at any time! We won't track you under normal circumstances, but if something happens and we can't reach you, or if you run into danger, we can pinpoint your location immediately. I'm telling you upfront so you don't think we're spying on you."
Li Hao nodded, finding the arrangement quite reasonable.
As for exposing his location... a living, breathing person like him already had countless eyes watching his every move. What difference did exposing his location make?
So his next step was to recruit men and buy horses?
Once he gathered his people, he would go accomplish great things?
What great things? Killing Red Moon members and claiming red shadows, of course...
Naturally, that was secondary.
Li Hao had his own small ambitions as well. If he could lead a group of men, reap benefits from the Martial Guard Army, and bolster their strength, they might be able to explore ruins down the line. His gains from Battle Heaven City had been tremendous, after all.
...
Afterward, Li Hao headed to the rear residential area and chose a standalone house on the outer edge. Behind it lay an artificial forest, and beyond that was the coastline, bordering a sandy beach—ideal for gazing out at the sea.
Li Hao didn't care much about houses; it wasn't under his name anyway.
Living anywhere was the same.
Back in Silver City, he had a spacious house, but it wasn't registered under his name either; if he stayed away long enough, it might belong to someone else.
The only property that truly belonged to him was the old family house.
However, it was currently classified as a dilapidated building and cordoned off, supposedly awaiting demolition... Li Hao had refused outright. It was his only home; if it were torn down, he would have nothing left.
...
While Li Hao busied himself with his tasks.
Outside the city.
Several Rising Light experts convened once more.
Lanyue lightly fluttered his paper fan, his brow furrowed. "That spineless coward Hu Qingfeng actually claims he wants out... He says Hou Xiaochen agreed to be transferred away, and the idiot actually took it at face value!"
Originally, Hu Qingfeng had been the one to contact them, claiming the Night Patrol brass supported eliminating Hou Xiaochen.
Yet now, the fellow had gotten cold feet.
Because Hou Xiaochen agreed to be transferred... Hu Qingfeng had taken full credit for it. In his reports to Night Patrol headquarters, he claimed it was entirely his doing—that he had pressured Hou Xiaochen until he had no choice but to yield.
In any case, Director Zhao and the others wouldn't dispute the credit.
Since he had already secured merit, Hou Xiaochen appeared formidable, and two people had already perished, Hu Qingfeng had grown terrified. Now, he was beating a retreat, abruptly refusing to cooperate further.
Beneath his cloak, Banshan's voice sounded eerie and cold. "It's normal for Hu Qingfeng to back out. The man is scared. The deaths of Yu Xiao and Huang Jie were likely a warning. Even in the Central Region, he's notorious for cowardice—rushing in when there's profit, fleeing when there's none..."
Lanyue said nothing for a moment, pondering before asking, "Without Hu Qingfeng, do we continue probing Hou Xiaochen? What do you all think?"
"Why not wait?"
King Pingdeng spoke up. "Wait until we enter the ruin before probing him! Hou Xiaochen seems prepared to enter Battle Heaven City... That will avoid unnecessary complications!"
A ruin!
Lanyue said in a deep voice, "The worry is that the man won't let us enter."
"It's not up to him!"
King Pingdeng said chillingly, "We will enter Battle Heaven City, without question! The Three Great Organizations share the exact same objective this time. If Hou Xiaochen thinks he can stand in our way... he will only be courting his own doom!"
An ancient city like that, still not fully explored and guarded by top-tier puppets—countless factions wanted a taste of the spoils.
Now that the Central Region knew about it, the decision was no longer Hou Xiaochen's to make.
With that, King Pingdeng sneered, "Besides, we aren't the only ones! Next time we go in, it will involve multiple parties. As for the imperial family, He Yong has stayed here all this time—did he come just to watch the show?
"Among the Nine Departments, only Hu Qingfeng has shown his face so far. Have the other eight departments truly made no moves, sent no people?
"And what about the neighboring provinces—does no one there have ambitions? Across the nineteen northern provinces, aside from the chaotic three northernmost ones, the other regions are hardly devoid of experts. Once the news spread, who wouldn't be tempted?
"Hou Xiaochen cannot stop this, even if he wants to."
Lanyue gave a slight nod. Stopping it was indeed impossible; refusing entry to everyone would ultimately bring catastrophic trouble upon Silver Moon.
"Then for now, we can only wait. But while we wait, the Night Patrol, the military, and the Inspectorate have joined forces to hunt down our three organizations..."
Just as Lanyue spoke, Banshan cut in: "I have matters to attend to. I'll take my leave!"
King Pingdeng vanished in an instant as well.
Neither had any interest in discussing the topic!
Because the Night Patrol's primary target right now was Red Moon, hunting Red Moon members everywhere and tracking down their strongholds, while exerting far less pressure on Feitian and Yama.
The Three Great Organizations were hardly a loving family.
Whether Red Moon's people lived or died was none of their concern.
Lanyue stared coldly in the direction they had departed, letting out a chilly snort!
Those two bastards couldn't wait to see more of Red Moon's people die.
Only after they were gone did Ziyue speak from the side: "So we're giving up on striking at Hou Xiaochen for now?"
Lanyue nodded slightly.
Hu Qingfeng's withdrawal merely meant losing one Rising Light expert; they could still make a move if they truly wished. But his departure signaled unpredictability. That man... was entirely capable of turning around, betraying them, and allying with Silver Moon to strike at the Three Great Organizations instead.
He was certainly capable of such a move.
If he could betray Hou Xiaochen, he could certainly betray the Three Great Organizations. The man had no bottom line whatsoever; a single flip on his part would create a swing of two Rising Light combatants.
Lanyue exhaled softly, feeling somewhat irritated, but soon said, "Since Hou Xiaochen said he intends to explore the ruin... that is an opportunity in itself! Inside the ruin, we can eliminate unexpected variables—such as external reinforcements! Silver Moon may not be as simple as it looks; ambushing Hou Xiaochen within Silver Moon carries far too many uncertainties."
Ziyue said in a heavy voice, "However... that applies to us as well! Once inside the ruin, we will lose access to external help, not just Hou Xiaochen..."
Lanyue fell silent.
Entering a ruin alongside Hou Xiaochen was naturally perilous, but what choice did they have?
Ziyue asked again, "Is Hou Xiaochen truly one of the three commanders of the Heavenly Star Martial Guard Army?"
"Unclear. Probably, but perhaps not..."
Nonsense!
Ziyue was speechless, then hesitated before asking, "Is that Chief Steward Yu the legendary Jade Rakshasa?"
Lanyue pondered for a moment and smiled. "It's possible!"
"You don't know her?"
Ziyue was utterly surprised. You don't recognize the first-generation Ziyue?
Lanyue laughed. "Why are you looking at me like that? Back when the Seven Moons gathered, the first-generation Lanyue was my master, not me. All seven of them were extremely mysterious, including your mother. If even you don't recognize the first-generation Ziyue, how could I?"
Hearing this, Ziyue nodded.
The Seven Moons were indeed deeply enigmatic. Even whether the first-generation Ziyue was truly the Jade Rakshasa remained uncertain, merely a rumor circulating in the outside world, as Ying Hongyue had never mentioned it.
Her mother rarely spoke of such matters either, falling silent whenever the subject arose.
Lanyue had no desire to dwell on it further. He rose and said, "Be careful these days. Silver Moon is targeting Red Moon with full force, so the danger is substantial. Don't get caught by Silver Moon's dogs. If you die, it'll cause me trouble."
Ziyue frowned and kept silent.
Lanyue floated out of the hall, his voice carrying back: "Do not try to make contact with that Chief Steward Yu. Even if she truly is the Jade Rakshasa, truly the first-generation Ziyue, and truly your mother's sworn sister, she is now the Chief Steward of the Night Patrol! Once a woman's head is turned by love, sisterly bonds become a laughingstock... If she truly decides to kill, you might just find out how she earned the title of Rakshasa in the first place!"
"I'm not that foolish!"
Ziyue snorted coldly. How could she be?
There was no way she would seek out that Chief Steward Yu—was she courting death?
Besides, even though Hou Xiaochen's spear thrust hadn't killed her that day, it had scared the living daylights out of her. How could she dare throw her life away at the Night Patrol's doorstep?
"I certainly hope so!"
Lanyue's laughter trailed behind as his figure disappeared.
Chapter 123