News of the Battle Heaven City ruins spread like wildfire.
The entire Heavenly Star Dynasty was buzzing with discussion, overshadowing even the unrest in the Three Northern Provinces. For all the turmoil in those three provinces, thousands of supers and dozens of Rising Lights had never perished all at once.
As for the deaths of common folk, nowadays no matter how many died, few people paid attention.
Continuous turbulence and countless corpses could not match the shock of a single Rising Light falling.
...
In the small town, the members of the Demon Hunt Corps listened as Liu Long recounted the situation inside the ruins.
After a long while, Hong Qing could not resist speaking up: "Vice Corps Commander, you said several immensely powerful sword cultivators appeared in the ruins this time, and that the Bright Light Sword could even match the peak of Rising Light? My father was ranked above her among the Seven Swords back then..."
She suddenly felt a twinge of jealousy!
The Bright Light Sword!
Hearing that the Bright Light Sword could match the peak of Rising Light, she could not help feeling sour. Her father, the Earth-Overturning Sword, was also one of the Silver Moon Seven Swords, and ranked second among them back in the day.
Now, the Jade Light Sword followed Yuan Shuo, sweeping through the Central Region.
The Bright Light Sword had emerged, shockingly mighty.
The Sky Sword roamed the Central Region unhindered.
The other swordsmen were dead, and of those left alive, her father had ended up the most pathetic. Hearing this... felt terrible.
It hurt!
And she felt bitter. Her father was only a Three Suns in the past, and she used to think he was quite formidable, but now... what was a Three Suns worth? He couldn't even beat their corps commander.
Liu Long was left speechless.
For a moment, he did not know what to say.
During this trip to the ruins, his greatest shock had probably been the explosive power displayed by the Earth-Overturning Sword and Southern Fist, but... it was hard to talk about.
Li Hao had never brought it up, playing dumb while knowing the truth.
Now, Liu Long could not say much either.
Yet seeing Hong Qing green with envy, so sour her teeth almost dropped out, he really wanted to say: your father... is truly fierce. He fought a whole crowd by himself and suppressed all those top experts of the Silver Moon authorities single-handedly.
Yet ironically, as his daughter, she remained completely in the dark, still believing her father was just an ordinary Three Suns.
Nearby, Li Hao flipped through an ancient book while smiling. "Uncle Hong isn't weak either. Keeping a low profile is good. People like the Bright Light Sword are far too high-profile."
Hong Qing said wistfully, "Well, I wish my father were a bit more high-profile too. Sadly..."
Forget it, no point dwelling on it!
With that, she added, "Still, the Bright Light Sword is truly shameless, bullying the weak as an elder. As fellow Silver Moon martial masters, she showed no respect for rules whatsoever. My father may not be as strong as her, but he always says that in life and conduct, one must abide by rules. If nobody follows rules, the world will fall into complete chaos."
Li Hao chuckled.
Liu Long could not resist asking, "What does Sword Master Hong usually do at Sword Gate?"
At this moment, he was curious.
He wanted to probe and get a better sense of Hong Yitang's character. Asking meant his interest had been piqued. Hong Yitang's strength was beyond question, but Liu Long was not familiar with him and wanted to learn more through others. And right before him was the best channel—his daughter, his disciples, and sect members were all right here.
"What does he do?"
Hong Qing paused in surprise, then answered after a moment, "It seems he doesn't do much. In Sword Gate, my father usually just teaches martial arts, tends to things, and grows vegetables... Oh, right, sometimes he takes us on missions issued by nearby cities. When some cities suffer disturbances from supers, they ask our Sword Gate for help if the Night Patrollers are too busy... That way we can earn some household expenses and maintain our daily cultivation.
"Sometimes they give money and supplies. There are a lot of people on the mountain, so we have to make money."
Liu Long froze. "Make money?"
"Yeah."
Hong Qing nodded. "Sword Gate has quite a lot of people, including many children. Food, clothing, shelter, transport... Father always likes strolling outside. Sometimes when he goes out and sees homeless people, he wants to take them in... One thing led to another, and now Sword Gate has nearly a thousand people.
"Yet at Sword Gate, there are only thirty or forty martial masters, and thirty or forty supers—less than a hundred people who can fight."
Thirty martial masters from Sword Gate had joined the Demon Hunt Corps at once. In reality, besides Hong Yitang, the sect had almost no martial masters left; even if there were any, they hadn't stepped into the Ten-Slayer realm and couldn't truly be counted as martial masters.
After saying that, Hong Qing perked up with excitement again. "Still, we can support ourselves now, and we've reaped quite a harvest—far more profitable than those small missions in the neighboring cities! Once we get our salaries next month, we can send some back. Then it won't matter if Father picks up a few more kids."
Liu Long looked at her with pity, as did Li Hao.
Could she be considered the most pitiable second-generation martial artist?
She had a father whose combat power reached the heavens, but... she knew nothing about it. She had to take on small missions just to put food on the table, and now that she was working out here, she still had to earn money to send home to support the family.
Not just her; all the martial masters from Sword Gate seemed to share the same mindset.
Waiting for payday so they could send money back to support Hong Yitang... It felt genuinely miserable.
Speechless, Liu Long sent a voice transmission to Li Hao: "Isn't the Earth-Overturning Sword taking this a bit too far? Even if he's hiding his strength, with the power of Three Suns he displays, there's no reason to make his daughter and disciples work outside to feed the family, is there?"
So these people were literally waiting on their wages to put rice in the pot!
In all these years, Liu Long had barely ever worried about a salary.
To think about it... it was absurd enough.
Li Hao smiled, glancing at Hong Qing and then at the others. "Uncle Hong picks up people everywhere, and none of you try to stop him? Besides, it's hard enough for martial masters to cultivate on their own, let alone support others... Isn't that a bit too much?"
Hong Qing grinned. "It's fine. Some of the kids are really adorable. When I'm in the mountains, they cling to me every day, shouting 'Big Sister, Big Sister!' Corps Commander, you wouldn't know, but those kids can be really fun sometimes."
Nearby, Hong Hao remained calm and picked up the conversation: "Corps Commander might not know, but we were among those rescued back then as well... In the beginning, there was no Sword Gate in this world. Master took pity on us, took us in, taught us how to read and write, and trained us in martial arts. For those who couldn't practice martial arts, he did his best to help them learn a trade so they could survive once they went out into the world...
"Right now, there aren't many adults in Sword Gate; most are children. But over the years, many have left. Across Silver Moon, there are many grown children from Sword Gate serving as officials, joining the Inspectorate, starting their own businesses, trading, or working jobs... They do all sorts of things. Most of those who left Sword Gate are willing to give back. Aside from essential living expenses, many send the money they earn back to Sword Gate..."
Hong Hao looked at Li Hao. "So whatever Master decides or enjoys doing, we support it. Without Master taking us in back then on a whim... how could we be here today?"
In the beginning, there was no Sword Gate in this world!
The so-called Sword Gate was merely born from an impulse of kindness when someone took in a group of people. Then... the Earth-Overturning Sword had a few more burdens, and over time, one more sect appeared on the land of Silver Moon: Sword Gate.
That was why Sword Gate had few experts. Aside from his eldest disciple Hongxiu, who had broken through to Three Suns, the sprawling Sword Gate barely had a few Solar Flares in the supernatural domain, while its martial masters were even more pitiful—not a single Thousand-Battler among them.
Such strength was actually inferior to the former Bright Island, which Yuan Shuo had wiped out with ease.
Because Hong Yitang never went out of his way to search for Heaven-Favored Divine Masters or martial prodigies; he simply let fate run its course. If anyone among those he took in showed aptitude for martial arts, he taught them a bit.
As a result, the people of Sword Gate were upright, gentle, and solidly grounded. But none could be called breathtakingly brilliant—if they were truly extraordinary, they would have become Thousand-Battlers long ago.
Hong Yitang did not place high expectations on them; in these chaotic times, possessing the means to protect oneself was enough.
His demands were modest as well: once they left, as long as they did not do evil, he did not care whether they acknowledged being from Sword Gate or switched allegiances to another organization.
Liu Long listened quietly.
At this point, he asked, "Has Sword Gate taken in many people over the years?"
"I don't know," Hong Hao shook his head. "People come and go, and Master never stops them. Whenever someone wants to leave, they can. Once you reach adulthood, whether you go out to work, get married and have children, or do something else... Master doesn't interfere much. He has an easygoing temper and rarely leaves the mountain except to take on tasks from the Night Patrollers. But over more than twenty years, the children Master has taken in... must number at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand."
Who could keep count?
With people coming and going, Sword Gate currently had barely over a thousand residents. Still, many people returned to visit, though some never came back after leaving.
Hong Hao had grown used to seeing this; if they didn't return, so be it.
At least every year, many were still willing to visit and offer Sword Gate support. Much of their food, clothing, and daily necessities were sponsored by those former disciples.
Hong Qing chuckled as well. "My father only has this one hobby. Later, my Eldest Senior Sister... ahem, stoked the flames and encouraged Father to keep picking up children. He's found even more in recent years. Otherwise, I remember Sword Gate used to stay around five hundred people... Now it's nearly a thousand.
"My Eldest Senior Sister... even urged Father to take in some adults... But it worked out fine. Some of them came from war-torn areas and are actually wonderful people. They help out with chores, cleaning, cooking, laundry, and the like. Sword Gate is much cleaner than a few years ago. Back then, there were too many kids and hardly any adults; it was filthy! During that time, I even had to wash clothes..."
Speaking of this, Hong Qing was almost in tears. Years ago, Sword Gate had mostly small children and far too few adults. Even though she was the sect master's daughter, when the dirty clothes piled up, she had to do laundry too.
It was an unforgettable ordeal—the older children's clothes weren't so bad, but those little toddlers who couldn't control their bladders or bowels... washing their clothes had been pure misery.
Hong Hao laughed. "Master said that once you marry, you won't suffer mistreatment because you'll know how to do everything—laundry, cooking, raising children, and martial arts..."
Hong Qing rolled her eyes. "I'm not getting married! Isn't practicing martial arts great? If I become as strong as our corps commander, would I ever need to care what anyone thinks?"
Nearby, Li Hao remained silent, continuing to read his ancient book, The Five Bridges Construction Method.
Liu Long, however, seemed entirely captivated. "Are the children of Sword Gate all from Silver Moon?"
"Not really. Most are actually from outside—some from the Central Region, others from northern provinces... Silver Moon is relatively peaceful without much warfare, but there are more from the Three Northern Provinces because of the constant unrest there."
"Does Sword Master Hong teach skills other than martial arts?"
"My father only teaches martial arts. My Eldest Senior Sister teaches other things. She... actually knows a lot. Supposedly she came from a prominent family back in the day... Ahem, who knows? We don't ask about that anyway. Eldest Senior Sister teaches the girls other skills—aside from cooking and laundry, she knows zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting, and she can even weave cloth..."
Liu Long kept asking questions, and Hong Qing, having nothing better to do, answered them all.
There were no great secrets anyway. Hong Hao listened from the side, only subtly intervening when Hong Qing mentioned details regarding the Earth-Overturning Sword's martial arts; otherwise, he didn't mind.
The circumstances of Sword Gate held few real secrets; apart from the gossip about their master and eldest senior sister, to outsiders, it was nothing more than ordinary, mundane daily life.
...
This sort of conversation was mundane, yet Liu Long, Hong Qing, and the others chatted until dawn was nearly breaking.
The crowd then dispersed.
Today, they still had to rush back to White Moon City.
Once everyone had left, Liu Long looked at Li Hao. Tonight, Li Hao had spent the entire time reading, which was quite rare.
Liu Long took a deep breath. "If you go to the Central Region... I... want to stay behind."
"Are you sure, Boss?"
"Yes!"
Liu Long said solemnly, "Seeking the extraordinary within the ordinary! I didn't understand Sword Master Hong very well before. The martial world had only one reputation for him: timid and cowardly. His refusal to fight Professor Yuan was the greatest grievance the martial arts world held against him.
"Yet... after hearing about everything at Sword Gate, I think that perhaps... this has always been Sword Master Hong's pursuit: living like an idle cloud or a wild crane, yet shouldering real responsibilities. Now that he wishes to do more, I feel... I should stay. Being invited by Sword Master Hong is something to take pride in.
"Moreover, with my strength, I wouldn't amount to much in the Central Region. Here, I can still look after Silver City. Although Silver Moon is free of major warfare right now and the Three Great Organizations have been wiped out, I worry they will strike back sooner or later..."
He had decided to stay.
Originally hesitant, this night's conversation had made up his mind.
Li Hao nodded. "Then stay!"
Liu Long let out a breath. "And are you certain you're going to the Central Region?"
"I'll put it on hold for now. I've gained plenty of resources recently, so I want to absorb and digest them first. Even if I go... it won't be to be hunted down or thrown away to die. If I go... it will be to kill!"
Li Hao's eyes turned frosty and fierce.
Kill whom?
Red Moon was naturally the top priority!
Some hatreds could never be washed away.
The murder of his parents, the murder of his brothers, and the desecration of his parents' graves—a vengeance so deep that not even all the waters of the world could cleanse it. Until Red Moon was destroyed, his heart would never find peace.
Liu Long could stay, but Li Hao could not.
If Red Moon did not come to him, he would go to them.
However, not right now. Li Hao had made his plan: continue strengthening his body, bolster his vitality and blood, reinforce his five viscera, construct the Five Bridges, take the Spirit Nourishing Fruits to empower his forces, and cultivate the Willow Fluff Sword to its peak. If he could comprehend the wood force, splendid; if not... he was even prepared to consume the Heavenly Gold Lotus to strengthen his other forces first.
As for strengthening the other forces causing an imbalance once he eventually comprehended the wood force... that was a problem for later.
Therefore, Li Hao had plenty on his plate at present. He was not at leisure.
Hou Xiaochen could leave with swagger because he was powerful—powerful enough to be a dominant lord even in the Central Region. Li Hao could not do that yet.
...
At dawn, the group ate breakfast and set out toward White Moon City.
It was now October 1st.
Crossing Cross-Cut Gorge, they found it sparsely populated. People had either left or died, leaving only a few Night Patrollers and Martial Guard soldiers guarding the ruins' entrance.
As Li Hao crossed Cross-Cut Gorge, he bumped right into a hurried Hao Lianchuan.
Hao Lianchuan saw Li Hao and his group, rushing over out of breath. "You're heading back to White Moon City?"
"Yes. Where are you off to, Director?"
"Hunting down the remnants of the Three Great Organizations!"
Hao Lianchuan panted, "Not a moment's rest all night! Red Moon had so many people, and quite a few fled. Over a thousand Red Moon supers had gathered across the nineteen northern provinces before. Many died, but many escaped... Now I have to lead a team toward Yinbei; word is some supers entered the Mount Cang area..."
Li Hao frowned slightly and quickly warned, "Forget Mount Cang. Don't bother with it."
"Why?"
"I went in there earlier; it's extremely dangerous. Banshan, Haixiao, the Wheel-Turning King, and the Lord of the Sixteen Hells were all killed there!"
"..."
Hao Lianchuan gasped. He truly had no idea.
No wonder none of those people had shown up.
He had assumed they were hunting Li Hao, had gotten lost, or were still wandering Mount Cang... Only now did he learn that they were all dead. It was horrifying.
Seeing his ignorance, Li Hao explained, "There are great demons there, extremely powerful ones. I barely escaped with my life. Since those people went in... let them. It's a dead end!"
With that, he considered for a moment and added, "However, since you're heading out, Director Hao... why not stay in Silver City for a few days? That will prevent defeated remnants of the Three Great Organizations from striking at Silver City."
Currently, Silver City was guarded by only a single Solar Flare.
Though the Three Great Organizations were fleeing like stray dogs, if driven into a corner with nowhere left to run, they might commit atrocities that outraged heaven and earth.
Originally, Li Hao had planned to have Liu Long return for a few days, but upon reflection, he realized he should give Liu Long more benefits during these few days. Li Hao would likely leave eventually, parting ways with Liu Long, so he needed to temper Liu Long's five viscera to a certain level first.
"Me, go to Silver City?"
Hao Lianchuan was taken aback. I'm a deputy director, and you want me to garrison Silver City?
Li Hao smiled. "I have a few treasures on hand that might help the director discover his fifth supernatural lock."
Hao Lianchuan immediately struck a righteous pose. "Mm, then I shall lead a team over to check. Silver City is remote and close to Mount Cang; it is indeed dangerous!"
Li Hao chuckled and nodded. "Then I trouble the director!"
"As I should; it's all part of my duty!"
Hao Lianchuan said with a hearty laugh. Heading anywhere was still heading out; inspecting Silver City and returning in a few days would give Silver Moon time to settle its chaos anyway. If Li Hao could help him locate his fifth supernatural lock, that would be the best outcome of all.
Soon, he led his team away to oversee Silver City.
Liu Long could not help laughing. "Our Director Hao truly is made for work. No wonder Director Hou hasn't bothered with daily affairs for all these years and handed everything to him."
Look how eager he was!
Give him a little benefit, and he was ready to pour his blood and sweat into the job.
Li Hao laughed too, but gave it some thought. Perhaps it really was time to help him locate his fifth supernatural lock. With Hou Xiaochen's departure, if Hao Lianchuan didn't improve in strength, life would become difficult for him.
Once Hou Xiaochen left, Chief Steward Yu would most likely go with him, and Golden Spear and the others might follow as well...
Though Silver Moon would still have many experts, the Night Patrollers' strength would plummet to rock bottom in an instant.
...
It was not until afternoon that the group arrived back in White Moon City.
White Moon City was as calm as ever.
No one would come to White Moon City to court death right now. With Hou Xiaochen and the rest having returned, White Moon City was more perilous than anywhere else.
"Return to the Martial Guard Army station first. I'm going to the Night Patrollers' compound..."
Li Hao gave a few instructions, then headed to the Night Patrollers' station alone.
As a member of the Martial Guard Army, he was still Hou Xiaochen's subordinate. While away, he could claim to be busy, but now that he was back, he needed to give a proper report.
Rules, after all!
In the past, Li Hao might not have cared much, but remembering the rules of a certain golden division commander... he'd better watch out, or Hou Xiaochen might punch him!!
...
At the Night Patrollers' compound, people were coming and going in high spirits when Li Hao arrived.
Seeing him, several immediately greeted him with enthusiasm.
This man was no ordinary figure—he had previously slain six Three Suns. Even if his deeds inside the ruins were not well publicized and people didn't know what happened, being able to escape the pursuit of the Three Great Organizations and enter the ruins already proved he was a formidable beast.
Li Hao nodded with a smile and walked upstairs.
Hou Xiaochen's office was on the sixth floor.
The sixth floor held only his office.
The door stood open. Hou Xiaochen was inside, accompanied by Chief Steward Yu. Li Hao knocked on the door and shouted, "Reporting!"
"..."
Hou Xiaochen and Chief Steward Yu were slightly surprised, looking at him.
They knew he was here, and they knew he had walked up... why shout so loudly?
"Come in," Hou Xiaochen said from behind his desk. Once Li Hao entered, he raised his chin, motioning for him to sit down.
With a sharp snap, Li Hao stamped his foot, assumed a solemn expression, sat down, and held himself ramrod straight.
"..."
In the office, Hou Xiaochen smiled. "Showing off the Battle Heaven Army's military discipline to me?"
Li Hao broke into a smile. "Not at all. I just thought it looked handsome and wanted to give it a try!"
Hou Xiaochen laughed, glanced at Li Hao, then looked at Chief Steward Yu. "Go on ahead. I'll be over shortly."
"All right." Chief Steward Yu nodded and walked toward the exit. At the door, she turned back and cast a glance at Li Hao. "Remember, your task isn't complete. Don't forget what you promised when you borrowed the Fire Phoenix Spear."
With that, she turned and left.
This fellow is getting cocky.
Don't forget what you promised.
Li Hao coughed dryly without answering. He indeed had promised—he had agreed to help Hou Xiaochen seize the Black Tortoise Seal inside the ruins to repay two previous favors, one left over by Yuan Shuo and one of his own.
He remembered it well, but... asking him to snatch the Black Tortoise Seal from Director Wang was worse than killing him.
Hou Xiaochen chuckled and looked at Li Hao. "Don't listen to her nonsense. I'm a man who gives favors without demanding repayment... Just consider it that you owe me a weapon comparable to those of the Eight Great Families. That Black Tortoise Seal is likely the Wang family's weapon, so you owe me one. Just keep that in mind."
"..."
Li Hao was utterly speechless.
He remained silent, and Hou Xiaochen took no offense, smiling as he asked, "Did you come looking for me about something?"
"No, just giving a brief report on the situation." Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "Earlier, after we killed some people, we were chased into Mount Cang. Inside Mount Cang, I encountered four great demons of immense power. Banshan and the others were all killed by those great demons..."
He briefly explained what had happened, uncertain whether Hou Xiaochen knew about the Mount Cang demons—though he likely did.
Once he finished, Hou Xiaochen nodded slightly. "The demon race of Mount Cang..."
"Mount Cang is not simple. Deep within Mount Cang lie many treasures, and even remnants of ruins. Dali, across Mount Cang, is not simple either. The presence of the Mount Cang demon race is a good thing right now; they prevent Dali experts from entering Silver Moon."
He indeed knew, and quite a lot at that.
Hou Xiaochen said calmly, "The world believes Dali has perished, but we know it still exists. Not only does it exist, it harbors many experts! Those savage Dali powerhouses are currently unable to cross Mount Cang, bogged down by the Mount Cang demon race; otherwise, they would have attacked Silver Moon long ago.
"Dali likely obtained ruins inheritances as well, which is why they have many experts, especially those walking the path of ancient martial arts. Ancient martial arts differ somewhat from modern martial arts: their physical bodies and vitality are exceedingly powerful, but their spirit intent is much weaker. They also possess quite a few supers and powerful martial masters..."
Li Hao was slightly surprised; Hou Xiaochen spoke as if he had visited Dali himself.
"Have you been to Dali, Director?"
"Once..." Hou Xiaochen nodded. "It's very dangerous. Try not to go there without good reason, but going there to spar in martial arts does have its benefits. Drawing broadly from diverse strengths, taking the essence while discarding the dross, and making it your own are all ways to improve yourself. Dali won't be able to cross over in the short term, but we must be wary of the Mount Cang demon race reaching some agreement with Dali...
"Still, Silver Moon has its own foundations, so there is no need to worry excessively. However, once Dali invades, Silver Moon will be in trouble, and war will be unavoidable."
After a few brief remarks, he added, "For now, you don't need to concern yourself with the Mount Cang demon race. I will set out in three days to leave Silver Moon. I won't bring too many people, but I can't go alone either; without people, I would have no backing once I arrive. Xiao Yu and the Martial Guard Army will accompany me; over there will be a place of new opportunity for them. What are your thoughts right now?"
"You're taking the entire Martial Guard Army?"
"Yes." Hou Xiaochen nodded. "All of them! Here, it's hard for them to step into Thousand-Battler. Going to the Central Region and participating in more battles and struggles to temper them is their only hope of stepping into Thousand-Battler and becoming an army entirely made of Thousand-Battlers!"
His decision to take the Martial Guard Army—and all of it—caught Li Hao somewhat by surprise.
"Then what about the pirates?"
If the Martial Guard Army was taken away, what would happen if pirates arrived in the Moon Sea?
"Do you think the Martial Guard Army is the only force capable of handling business in Silver Moon?" Hou Xiaochen laughed. "Don't underestimate Silver Moon. The Inspectorate, the garrison, and the General Administration Bureau aren't just useless freeloaders. Just because I'm leaving and the Martial Guard Army is leaving doesn't mean they aren't still here."
With that, he chuckled softly. "To think you'd actually worry about the pirate problem. I thought you would be more concerned about your salary and benefits once the Martial Guard Army leaves."
Li Hao paused, then quickly smiled. "I merely heard them mention it before. The pirates aren't weak, but since you say so, Director, there's no problem."
Hou Xiaochen waved it aside and asked again, "What are your plans?"
"Nothing decided for now. Before my teacher left, he told me to keep a low profile. Leaving with you, Director... might be too conspicuous."
"Suit yourself." Hou Xiaochen pressed no further, but cautioned Li Hao: "Don't constantly delve into ruins. It's true you bear the bloodline of the Eight Great Families, but you must also understand that entering ruins too often isn't necessarily a good thing. The influence is too heavy. You can study ancient martial inheritances, but you shouldn't adopt all of them or become obsessed. Otherwise, you'll simply become the next ancient martial artist. Those who cultivate ancient martial arts are all strong, yet they... aren't supremely powerful! The Jade Light Sword, Mad Saber, and their like all walked the ancient martial path. Their strength is not weak, but compared to the truly elite, they still fall half a step short."
Li Hao nodded.
Hou Xiaochen waved his hand. "Go on, attend to your affairs!"
"Orders acknowledged!"
Li Hao stood, stamped his foot with another sharp snap, turned, and walked away.
His formality left Hou Xiaochen feeling slightly awkward.
Once Li Hao had gone, Hou Xiaochen shook his head and chuckled. Little rascal, who are you showing off to?
After thinking it over, Hou Xiaochen dialed a number: "Li Hao might not head to the Central Region for the time being. If he doesn't... have his Demon Hunt Corps guard the Moon Sea for now."
On the other end, a voice replied, "The Demon Hunt Corps has barely fifty people. Can he hold down the Moon Sea?"
"We'll see."
"Fine."
The call ended. Hou Xiaochen stood up and walked to the window, glancing down. At this moment, Li Hao was walking outside.
Hou Xiaochen's eyes flickered, his thoughts unknown. He watched Li Hao until he disappeared from sight before sighing softly. The Eight Great Families... the guardian families... After countless years, perhaps the world has long forgotten.
...
Meanwhile, Li Hao soon returned to the Martial Guard Army station.
Golden Spear and the others were not around, likely out clearing away the Three Great Organizations. Only a single hundred-man company remained behind to guard the compound.
Li Hao found a large cultivation chamber and gathered the Demon Hunt Corps. He cultivated in the small inner chamber while having the others cultivate outside, beginning to extract elemental energy.
This time, he prepared to thoroughly elevate his strength, putting every treasure at his disposal to use.
With Hou Xiaochen and his cohort leaving, even if Li Hao chose not to depart yet, he had to take precautions. Compared to Hou Xiaochen, he was far less familiar with figures like Kong Jie, Director Zhao, and Huang Yu.
Hou Xiaochen was at least more dependable than them.
After Hou Xiaochen departed, as the only team of the Martial Guard Army left behind, who knew if they would run into trouble?
Furthermore, there were the oft-mentioned pirates—once they learned Hou Xiaochen had departed with the Martial Guard Army, would they launch an attack?
Various thoughts drifted through Li Hao's mind.
At this moment, he began absorbing elemental energy while pondering The Five Bridges Construction Method. Without constructing the Five Bridges, maintaining the balance among his five viscera required equal elemental energy every time, which was too cumbersome and would severely drag down his cultivation speed.
...
At the same time.
Sword Gate's sanctuary.
Nestled within a vast mountain range, Sword Gate had established a sect and carved out a living settlement. At this moment, people bustled about in lively spirits.
From several buildings drifted the clear voices of children chanting their lessons.
Beyond the buildings lay farmland where people labored in the fields.
It looked just like an earthly paradise.
Hong Yitang watched from his two-story building. Ever since returning, he had stood there watching, gazing out for a long time.
"You've been watching for hours. Tired? Would you like something to eat?"
Behind him, the young Hongxiu looked at him with concern. It had been a very long time since this imposing man had acted like this, staying silent as though wrestling with some momentous decision.
The last time he was like this... was when he decided to marry her.
That had been a defiance of conventional worldly ethics; Hong Yitang had hesitated for a long time before ultimately making his choice.
Hong Yitang continued looking out, then said softly, "The ancients said: 'Do not commit an evil act just because it is minor; do not overlook a good deed just because it is small.' A small kindness is still kindness. If you can carry it out with your own hands, then do it. I have held fast to this belief for years, willing to contribute my own tiny bit to this world within my power, willing to harbor an extra measure of goodwill so long as it does not disrupt my own life."
Hongxiu nodded quickly. This was no small kindness; in this era, it was the pinnacle of benevolence. That was why she worshipped, loved, and would give everything for this man—because men like him were far too rare.
Hong Yitang continued, "Yet I also hold to another principle: in poverty, cultivate your own virtue; in prosperity, aid the world. I cannot worry before all under heaven worry, and rejoice only after all under heaven rejoice. I am not the strongest in this world. In Silver Moon alone, if I count them up, perhaps... I wouldn't even rank in the top five. In the wider world, I might not even make the top hundred. That is my strength.
"As for authority and influence... a tiny Sword Gate with a few dozen supers and a few dozen martial masters barely registers. The warlords stir up wars with grand ambitions to rule their domains... What right or ability do I have to mend the cracks and heal the wounds of this world?
"When others vie for hegemony and you play the virtuous man, even if you have no wish to meddle, in the eyes of outsiders you are merely a hypocrite cultivating a reputation, bound to harbor great schemes! In times of chaos, a good reputation is itself an original sin... Sword Gate is so peaceful and harmonious; if we rashly get involved, what will become of our disciples?"
Hongxiu seemed to understand, saying softly, "A true man knows there are things to do and things to refrain from doing. Every disciple of Sword Gate is willing to follow you, Husband, whether into war or into seclusion. We were duckweeds in a chaotic era to begin with, without roots, ties, or worries... Whatever my husband wishes to do, no one at Sword Gate will object—only support you! We share the same fate; if someone knows no gratitude or compassion, why seek common ground with them?"
Hong Yitang remained silent for a long time, gently wrapping an arm around the beauty beside him as he looked toward the farmers working the fields. After a long while, he smiled.
"Then... I shall follow my heart!"
At this moment, the earth force surged!
The vast Sword Gate Mountain seemed blanketed by a boundless force at that instant. From the mountains, the reading voices and cheerful laughter seemed to echo outward, like sparks spreading beyond Sword Gate Mountain.
When the heavens change, someone must stand forth. This era should not be like this!
Chapter 165