Liu Yan did not take Li Hao to Liu Long's office.
Instead, she led him through a series of turns and brought him down into the basement of the Law Enforcement building—an off-limits section that ordinary personnel could not enter.
It was a vast space. The moment Li Hao stepped through the door, he felt a sense of emptiness, but above all, silence.
A silence so profound it felt eerie.
To feel one's hair stand on end inside the Law Enforcement headquarters was a sure sign that this place was anything but ordinary.
Near the entrance stood an abundance of exercise equipment.
Mounted across the walls, just like in Liu Yan's office, hung rows upon rows of weapons—both firearms and cold steel.
Broadswords, spears, swords, and halberds were all on display.
As for firearms, Li Hao even spotted a compact artillery cannon of considerable size. The sight made his scalp tingle. *Good heavens, just how many weapons have these people hoarded?*
The Law Enforcement Team certainly enjoyed its privileges.
Even if someone discovered this place, it wouldn't matter. Liu Long was the team captain, the top authority of Silver City's armed arm. If he claimed these weapons were stockpiled to deal with violent criminals, no one could fault him.
Had Li Hao hoarded such an arsenal, he would have been arrested and executed by firing squad long ago.
Past the fitness area and the armory, a narrow passage seemed to lead deeper into other sections.
Liu Yan did not lead Li Hao inside.
Stopping in the training area, she called out loudly, "Boss, our guy is here!"
Moments later, several figures emerged from the depths.
There was the tall and burly Liu Long; the reed-thin Wu Chao; a man so corpulent the floor seemed to vibrate with every step he took; and a petite, friendly-looking woman who did not appear particularly old.
Counting Liu Yan, there were exactly five of them.
This was the Demon Hunting Squad within the Law Enforcement Team.
Despite the sweltering heat of the season, Liu Long still wore his trench coat, largely to conceal the weapons strapped all over his body. Walking outside loaded with that much gear would instantly arouse suspicion.
"Liu Long!"
Liu Long strode forward, his face as cold as ever, and introduced himself once more: "Captain of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for frontal assault!"
Wu Chao, thin as a flagpole, gave a faint, eerie chuckle. "Wu Chao, scout of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for intelligence gathering and drawing enemy fire from the flanks!"
The astonishingly stout man introduced himself in a heavy, honest rumble: "Chen Jian, shield guard of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for defense!"
The petite woman spoke in a gentle voice: "Yun Yao, medic of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for treatment."
Four people with distinct posts and distinct duties.
Their division of labor was crystal clear!
Though few in number, the squad was complete in every vital part.
Li Hao glanced toward Liu Yan. What was her role?
Liu Yan flashed a smoky, dazzling smile. Noticing his look, she teased, "What are you staring at? Liu Yan, deputy captain of the Demon Hunting Squad, secondary striker! The boss handles the main assault, and I deliver the finishing blow!"
Li Hao understood.
Liu Long looked at Li Hao and said calmly, "This is the entire Demon Hunting Squad! We used to have more people, but now... we've dwindled down to just the few of us.
"Right now, we have only two strikers—main and secondary—along with one medic, one shield guard, and one scout."
Fixing his gaze on Li Hao, he asked gravely, "Li Hao, are you willing to join us?"
Li Hao nodded.
Liu Long stared deeply at him. "Li Hao, do you know why we are called the Demon Hunting Squad?"
Li Hao remained silent.
Liu Long answered his own question: "Because... we are justice!"
*Justice?*
For a moment, Li Hao felt dazed. Looking at the people before him, he wondered, *Are we... justice?*
Liu Long's tone was cold, yet carried unquestionable conviction: "We are justice! We may harbor our own goals and selfish motives, but never forget: we are the Law Enforcement Team of the Inspectorate! We are an instrument of the law. We uphold justice, we protect Silver City, and everything we do is meant to protect ourselves and make ourselves stronger while safeguarding the peace!
"The demons we hunt are the blood-soaked butchers who disrupt the mortal world!
"Li Hao, the very first thing you must do upon joining us is forget everything else and remember one truth: we are justice! And those rogue supernaturals are demons. The Night Watchers may fail to purge them, so we do it in their stead, cleaning up the filth!"
The moment he brought him in, Liu Long began instilling the squad's mission into Li Hao.
Or rather, this was the charter of the Demon Hunting Squad!
A team riddled with hidden agendas would face lethal danger, especially against enemies far beyond ordinary comprehension.
Therefore, this small unit needed a conviction, a faith of its own.
To uphold justice!
Whether true or false, they had to firmly believe they were emissaries of righteousness, banishing evil from Silver City.
"Justice..." Li Hao murmured.
Liu Long said with utter solemnity, "That's right! Justice! Remember this, Li Hao! The Demon Hunting Squad is Silver City's guardian deity! Without us, Silver City would have suffered countless casualties long ago, turned into a playground for supernaturals to plunder at will!
"Naturally, you might not take it to heart right now, or even believe it! But go outside and see for yourself. In this vast world of hundreds, thousands of cities, everywhere except the Central Region has fallen into chaos. A turbulent era is upon us, and human life is treated like grass!
"A single supernatural can plunge an entire city into turmoil! Only our Silver City has enjoyed peace and prosperity these past few years. Despite occasional unrest, peace has held firm! In the five years since the Demon Hunting Squad was formed, we have hunted down five supernaturals—one per year. And every single time, we saved Silver City!"
Standing beside Li Hao with folded arms, Liu Yan grinned. "The boss is right. He likes to boast a bit, but he isn't lying! We all joined the Demon Hunting Squad with our own motives, and perhaps our initial goal wasn't to protect anyone, but facts are facts: it is because of our existence that Silver City can live in peace!"
Li Hao grew pensive.
Perhaps Liu Long wasn't entirely wrong.
They hunted supernaturals to attain the extraordinary themselves, but along the way, they likely had eliminated individuals poised to bring ruin to Silver City.
Was the outside world truly that chaotic?
Li Hao didn't know.
He had rarely ever stepped outside Silver City. The only exception was a trip to a neighboring city many years ago.
"Li Hao, this is the first lesson I will teach you upon joining!"
Liu Long's tone turned chillingly stern. "Do not think of us as sinister specters lurking in the shadows. No, we are law enforcers, emissaries who uphold and champion justice! To us, anyone who crosses the line is a demon! In 'Demon Hunting,' those are the demons we hunt!"
Hearing this, Li Hao felt an odd sense of relief.
Even if Liu Long's words carried a hint of self-aggrandizement and rationalization, hearing him declare that they represented justice and the law made Li Hao feel... strangely comfortable.
An inexplicable sense of ease.
They were not treacherous figures skulking in the dark; they were the guardians of this city. Regardless of their original motives, the reality remained undeniable.
*What an expert!*
Li Hao felt all the more that Liu Long was extraordinary.
Not only were his strength and intellect top-tier, but his ideological guidance was equally formidable.
He made every member of the squad believe with absolute certainty that everything they did was righteous.
No guilt!
Slaying a supernatural brought only a sense of accomplishment—the satisfaction of protecting the people, upholding justice, and guarding Silver City.
That psychological fulfillment was something ordinary leaders could never provide.
Yet Liu Long was remarkably adept at it.
At this moment, Li Hao thought that joining the Demon Hunting Squad might truly be a wise choice.
Just then, Liu Long said gravely, "Li Hao, introduce yourself!"
Li Hao thought for a moment before speaking: "My name is Li Hao. Formerly an inspector in the Confidential Records Office, and a dropout from Silver City Ancient Academy! I specialize in the Ape Art of the Five Animals Art, and I'm relatively agile."
"That's it?"
Liu Long stared at him. Embarrassed, Li Hao replied, "That's it."
Liu Long said coldly, "And with just that, you became Yuan Shuo's final disciple?"
Li Hao smiled awkwardly. "My teacher was merely flattering me."
"Li Hao, here, if you don't possess enough value, we won't abandon you when danger strikes, but we won't risk our lives to rescue you either! If you have sufficient value, we will gladly sacrifice ourselves to keep you alive and ensure our conviction carries on!"
Li Hao fell silent for a few seconds before adding, "I am also proficient in deciphering ancient scripts. In ancient civilization exploration, script analysis is a crucial element. I have an exceptional memory, which is one of my strengths."
The others exchanged glances, their eyes shifting with subtle intrigue.
Ancient script analysis!
Was that useful?
Extremely!
Yuan Shuo held an elevated status precisely because he was the head of the Ancient Civilization Exploration Department. His title wasn't the deciding factor; what mattered was that Yuan Shuo was a seasoned master of ancient civilizations with profound expertise.
Even the Night Watchers relied heavily on him.
Yet the Night Watchers did not dare allow Yuan Shuo to become a supernatural, for if he did, endless trouble would follow.
Certain items were useless to ordinary mortals but held immense value for supernaturals.
However, supernaturals often lacked the knowledge and discernment required to identify what was truly beneficial to them.
Yuan Shuo could do it!
As an ordinary mortal, Yuan Shuo wouldn't dare hoard or embezzle anything.
But once he gained supernatural powers, he might slip entirely out of control. If he discovered valuable treasures, he could easily pocket them without anyone ever knowing.
At that thought, Liu Long's eyes flashed with interest!
"How much of Yuan Shuo's true teachings did you inherit?"
Li Hao replied modestly, "Captain overestimates me. My teacher's knowledge is vast as an ocean; I have merely scooped up a single drop."
"Speak human!"
"..."
Helpless, Li Hao confessed, "I only studied under my teacher for two years at the Ancient Academy, mostly doing academic work without much field practice. My teacher excels in too many areas; for now, I've only delved into ancient script deciphering. In other fields, I'm nowhere near his level. He masters trap disarming, relic preservation, geomantic surveying, ancient cultural studies..."
Speaking of Yuan Shuo, Li Hao couldn't help but sigh with genuine admiration. "After leaving the academy, I was occupied with other matters and had no time to continue my studies. I truly cannot hold a candle to my teacher's abilities!"
Liu Long replied in a deep voice, "That is already quite impressive! To catch Yuan Shuo's eye proves your talent and capability!"
Ancient script analysis...
He didn't dwell on the matter, quickly continuing, "Very well. Li Hao, starting today, you are the intelligence analyst of the Demon Hunting Squad... and our bait!"
"..."
Silence fell over the room.
*Can 'bait' be a concurrent role?*
To the side, Wu Chao gave a faint, eerie chuckle, his smile carrying a sinister chill. "Little brother, looks like I'm finally off the hook! Ever since the previous bait died, I've had to fill in. I was genuinely terrified my turn to die would come any day now. Looks like... someone has taken over!"
*So he was the last one!*
Li Hao was speechless.
Of course, Liu Long had made it clear before they came down that he would serve as bait. It was simply formalized now.
A moment later, Liu Long examined Li Hao and frowned slightly. "Naturally, making you bait does not mean sending you to your death! Judging by your build, your combat capability isn't much. Even if you've practiced the Ape Art, the training period has been too brief to yield significant results!"
With that, he turned toward the exercise equipment. "Come, let's test your skills! I need a clear baseline to plan your training, and to see if you have any hope of escaping a supernatural's grasp."
*A test?*
Without a word, Li Hao followed him.
The others grew curious and tagged along as well.
Liu Yan leaned in so close her lips brushed Li Hao's ear, whispering playfully, "Show everything you've got. Don't hold back here! You're already weak, so there's no point in hiding anything. Feigning clumsiness will only lessen what you gain. The boss has some good stuff on him!"
Li Hao said nothing, subtly tilting his head away from her mouth. Having warm breath blown into his ear was deeply uncomfortable.
"Hehehe..."
Liu Yan giggled delightedly. Ahead of them, Liu Long paid no attention.
Beside them, the other female member, the medic Yun Yao, said with a soft smile, "Sister Yan, stop teasing him."
"Who's teasing him?" Liu Yan replied with a bright smile. "Little Hao is so handsome! Just look at our squad—a bunch of crooked melons and split dates! One's skinny as a bamboo pole, another's wide as a brick wall. The captain's decent, but he's getting on in years, not to mention his skin is pitch-black like a lump of coal! Little Hao is far better to look at!"
The three men paused in their tracks for an instant.
None of them said a word.
Yet Li Hao felt entirely blameless, having seemingly offended all three men in a single stroke.
*I didn't say any of that—Liu Yan did! Don't hold a grudge against me!*
By now, the group had arrived at the fitness area.
Every variety of training equipment was present!
Ignoring the banter, Liu Long spoke in an even tone: "Before stepping into the supernatural realm, humanity possessed formidable practitioners of its own. Take your teacher, Yuan Shuo, for instance—he mastered the Five Animals Art to the pinnacle, possessing terrifying combat prowess!
"Take the previous Chief of the Inspectorate, whose mastery of the Iron Shirt reached perfection; ordinary blades could barely pierce his flesh, and firearms only left superficial wounds.
"These individuals represent the pinnacle of mortal martial arts!
"Before supernaturals emerged, we referred to such people as martial masters! Grandmasters and masters of martial arts who could contend with modern firearms using only their mortal flesh!"
*Martial masters!*
Li Hao listened intently. This was a realm he had never explored before.
Liu Long continued, "Martial masters also have degrees of strength. Naturally, in many cases, it isn't a simple matter of raw power! Some specialize in speed, others in defense, and others in strength...
"Each has their own strengths, making direct comparisons difficult! A fast master might slay one who possesses greater strength but slower speed. A powerful master might crush a swift one with a single punch.
"To be called a martial master, one must possess an exceptional capability that surpasses ordinary mortals! Speed and strength are the most direct manifestations, while defensive prowess—like Chen Jian's—is difficult to gauge until life-and-death moments arise."
Li Hao nodded once more.
That made sense!
Looking at Liu Long with curiosity, he asked, "So Captain means martial masters are hard to rank? That all martial masters are roughly comparable..."
"Nonsense!"
"..."
Li Hao was at a loss for words. *Weren't you the one who just said that?*
Liu Long turned to him. "Don't overthink it. Strong is strong, and weak is weak! More than a decade ago, martial masters were indeed ranked by tiers, though the divisions were sparse: Ten-Slayer, Hundred-Breaker, and Thousand-Battler! Such are the ranks of martial masters!"
Li Hao froze slightly. *That... is remarkably straightforward!*
And exceedingly simple!
As if anticipating his thought, Liu Long said coldly, "Easy to understand, isn't it? It really is that direct! The 'men' in question refer to standard regular army soldiers! The bare minimum requirement to be hailed as a martial master is the ability to breach a ten-man squad frontally and slaughter them all—that is the Ten-Slayer level! Beyond that lies Hundred-Breaker. The difficulty exceeds your imagination; if you can break an army of a hundred men through individual might, you are a Hundred-Breaker powerhouse!
"As for Thousand-Battler..."
Liu Long drew a deep breath. "That exists only in theory. In truth, no matter how strong a mortal might be, encountering a thousand-man army spells certain doom even if they don't use firearms! Your stamina and focus would rapidly deplete in battle. Strength has its limits; achieving Thousand-Battler is fundamentally impossible!
"It wasn't until supernaturals emerged that certain powerful individuals truly attained the Thousand-Battler level in the literal sense."
Li Hao paused, raising a question: "Captain means only powerful supernaturals can achieve that. Does that imply weaker supernaturals are merely at the Ten-Slayer or Hundred-Breaker level?"
"'Merely'?"
Liu Long looked at him with faint mockery. "Merely? When the day comes, try facing one and you'll see! A Hundred-Breaker stands against a hundred men! Their speed and strength reach the utmost peak. When such supernaturals also wield specialized abilities, even a Hundred-Breaker martial master faces near-certain death against them! Do you call that weak?"
Li Hao remained silent.
A Hundred-Breaker...
It sounded simple enough, but in reality, facing a hundred formidable soldiers would get Li Hao pummeled to death the moment he charged in.
At the same time, Li Hao grew curious about Liu Long's own prowess.
"Then Captain... possesses Hundred-Breaker strength?"
Liu Long's face remained impassive, while Liu Yan chimed in with a grin, "Close enough, barely! If the boss weren't strong, how could he lead us in hunting supernaturals? Supernaturals are formidable foes. Even the weakest among them rival Hundred-Breakers, and they're far trickier to deal with!"
Only now did Li Hao grasp just how terrifying their captain was.
Of course, it was merely an intellectual understanding; he still lacked a direct, visceral sense of that power.
*Hundred-Breaker doesn't sound that impressive on paper.*
"What about Teacher Yuan?"
"In his prime, your teacher likely possessed Hundred-Breaker combat strength. But now, advanced age and declining stamina have taken their toll; his speed and vitality are waning, so he's likely fallen off."
Liu Long shook his head slightly. "Back then, a handful of top-tier martial masters reached that level! However, in recent years, with the rise of heavy firearms and the advent of supernaturals, everyone chases supernatural power. Hardly anyone is willing to endure the grueling effort of practicing mortal martial arts anymore!
"Channel mysterious energy, and you ascend to heaven in a single stride—your physique bolsters, your stamina surges. An ordinary person can rival a Ten-Slayer master within a day, and become a Hundred-Breaker grandmaster shortly thereafter! Tell me, who would still want to practice ancient martial arts?"
He looked at Li Hao and let out a sigh. "Supernatural power shatters human limits, allowing mankind to transcend itself and elevate its ceiling indefinitely. Even a wooden bucket filled with just a splash of water holds more than a wine cup! Mortal martial masters are wine cups; supernaturals are wooden buckets! Do you understand?"
Li Hao nodded. He understood.
It truly was despairing!
If a mortal martial master could not channel mysterious energy to become a supernatural, an entire lifetime of cultivation could never break through mortal limits. To train bitterly for decades only to fall before a novice supernatural—what deeper despair could there be?
Take Yuan Shuo: he had practiced martial arts since youth, and now, past seventy, his stamina was declining. Once a leading figure in the martial world, he had fallen from Hundred-Breaker to what might only be Ten-Slayer strength.
Such strength was merely entry-level in the eyes of supernaturals!
A grandmaster in his seventies could only measure up to greenhorns who had just stepped through the door. No wonder when Yuan Shuo taught him the Five Animals Art, he only spoke of it as a tool for self-preservation and physical fitness.
He had never called it a killing art!
Because reality was simply too bleak!
After his brief explanation, Liu Long said, "Go on, give it a try. Let me observe your speed and strength to see what you're capable of."
Hearing this, Li Hao said no more.
He didn't hold back, nor did he need to.
His modest proficiency in the Ape Art was hardly going to impress anyone here.
Stepping into the ring, Li Hao moved like an ape, leaping and tumbling across the fitness area, occasionally throwing out ape-style punches that sent heavy sandbags flying.
...
From the sidelines.
Liu Long watched in silence.
The gaunt Wu Chao watched for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "Stronger than an ordinary person, roughly on par with some veteran inspectors on the force, but... Boss, can someone like him really escape a supernatural's pursuit?"
The hefty Chen Jian also mumbled, "He's nowhere near Ten-Slayer—maybe Two-Slayer or Three-Slayer at best! In all these years, this is the weakest recruit our squad has ever taken in, right?"
Against two or three soldiers, Li Hao's skills might be enough to kill them.
Yet the difference between two or three soldiers and ten was not three or four times greater—it was more than tenfold the difficulty.
In their eyes, the current Li Hao was far too weak.
Liu Yan folded her arms, watching with a smile. "Keep him around. He's pleasant on the eyes, and he can handle logistics or intelligence analysis. He's civilian staff, not a brute like you lot!"
Li Hao was a clerk; they should have expected this.
Liu Yan saw nothing wrong with it.
The others reflected on her words and found them reasonable.
Liu Yan added, "Equip him with firearms. Is a Ten-Slayer really that invincible? One cannon blast will blow them apart just the same! Of course, once you reach Hundred-Breaker, whether martial master or supernatural, they become exceptionally hard to deal with."
The primary issue was targeting: the moment your eyes registered the target and your brain issued the command, the opponent was already in front of you, crushing you with a single strike. Even the mightiest weapon became useless then.
Below Hundred-Breaker, however, firearms still packed devastating lethality.
With someone pinning them down, even a Hundred-Breaker could be blasted to pieces.
Liu Long nodded faintly. "He definitely needs firearms. Pick out some handy, lightweight, reliable pieces for him! As long as his brain works, that's enough. As for combat skills... if we can take down a supernatural and channel some mysterious energy into him, even if he doesn't become a supernatural, boosting his physique and speed to break ten won't be difficult."
He then chuckled softly. "More importantly, this kid... isn't just an ordinary clerk. He's an expert in ancient scripts. Even if he can't match Yuan Shuo, he should be more than enough for our needs!"
Hearing that, the others grew thoughtful. Indeed.
Li Hao still had significant value.
Having him join the Demon Hunting Squad seemed like a fine arrangement after all.
...
Meanwhile, actively leaping about, Li Hao felt quite pleased with himself—he was certainly much stronger than before.
When he finally stepped out of the training space, panting slightly, he asked with a look of anticipation, "Captain, how do I compare to a Ten-Slayer martial master? Would I qualify as a Ten-Breaker?"
He genuinely believed he stood a chance against ten men now!
Liu Long hesitated, caught in rare embarrassment, unable to formulate a response for several moments. *Where did this kid get his confidence?*
*Ten-Slayer? With this?*
The others exchanged bewildered glances. Humans truly lacked self-awareness!
*Ten-Slayer? Go home and sleep!*
Li Hao gradually sensed something was off. After an awkward pause, he ventured, "Nine-Slayer?"
"..."
None of them spoke.
"Five-Slayer?"
"..."
Still silence.
Li Hao's expression shifted. *Surely it can't be that bad! After drinking the sword-infused water, I felt remarkably strong—I even thought I could trade blows with Teacher Yuan! But Teacher Yuan was a Hundred-Breaker; could the gap between us really be this massive?*
*Teacher Yuan could only sustain five rounds of the Ape Art for a dozen-odd minutes, and I can already keep it going for nine minutes!*
After a long silence, Liu Long finally broke the quiet: "Don't overthink it. Weakness isn't scary; laziness is! Work hard. A Ten-Slayer isn't all that special anyway."
"..."
Silence descended once more.
Li Hao understood completely, a wave of helpless sorrow washing over him. *So I don't even have Five-Slayer strength?*
*And here I was, scheming to kill the Red Shadow... damn it, ignorance truly is bliss!*
Chapter 14