The Boundless Sky for Birds to Fly

Hou Xiaochen left as soon as he decided to. In that instant, news of his departure spread swiftly, and a contingent set out toward Heaven Star City. ... In the Central Region. Deep in the mountains, within a great hall. Upon a throne. A man whose face was slightly pale yet abnormally handsome listened silently to the report from below. "Leader, Hou Xiaochen has set out. Jade Rakshasa, Golden Spear, and the entire Martial Guard Army, with the exception of Li Hao's Demon Hunt Corps, have all departed." High on the throne, the man rested his chin on his hand, looking rather languid. He listened in silence, seemingly lost in thought. To his left stood a beautiful woman clad in green robes, her gaze cold and fierce. "Leader, the day Hou Xiaochen and that bitch Jade Rakshasa arrive in the Central Region shall be the day they die! Red Moon's majesty has been trampled upon again and again. Hou Xiaochen, Yuan Shuo—all of them deserve death!" "No need for harsh talk." The man's voice was not harsh either. He made a pressing motion with his hand, signaling the woman to be quiet. The woman instantly fell silent. Below the dais, on either side of the hall, there were figures from Silver Moon. The light was not particularly bright, but a closer look revealed several Ghost Faces standing in the hall as well, completely silent, making the vast hall seem eerily quiet. "Hou Xiaochen..." The man seemed to be pondering. He let out a sigh. "Those people in Silver Moon... every last one of them wants nothing more than to eat my flesh and drink my blood. It isn't as if I've done anything to them—I only wanted to capture Li Hao, that's all. Why go to such lengths?" "What Battle Heaven City ruins? What Silver Moon mystery? At this stage, I don't have much interest in any of that. Only Li Hao. Tell me, were the Eight Great Families truly not meant to perish? Coming down to Li Hao, things have become quite amusing. Surprises keep popping up—first Yuan Shuo, then Hou Xiaochen... It's getting more and more interesting." The woman in green spoke again: "Leader, with Hou Xiaochen gone, why not enter White Moon City again and capture Li Hao?" The man seemed to roll his eyes and said lazily, "Hou Xiaochen probably wishes you would. With him gone, there's still Kong Jie and Huang Yu. And over at the General Administration Bureau... there might be another old ghost. Among the three grand commanders, aside from Hou Xiaochen—Kong Jie isn't one, another is Huang Yu, and the last has shown no sign of movement all these years. Aside from the General Administration Bureau, I can't imagine who else it could be..." "Sigh!" He sighed and shook his head. "A turbulent time, so much trouble. Had I known, I should have used thunderous means the moment Li Hao was discovered, capturing and killing him back in Silver City. Now, he's left Silver City, and his strength has advanced by leaps and bounds—perhaps enough to match a mid-stage Rising Light. What a headache." The woman in green froze. "He only killed a Three Suns..." How had it become mid-stage Rising Light? Ying Hongyue leaned back against his chair, disinclined to explain. Having to explain everything was exhausting. Would the Bright Light Sword have gone out of her way to pick a fight with Li Hao for no reason? Sometimes, a single piece of intel could reveal quite a lot. Even if Xu Feng hadn't been killed by Li Hao's own hand, Li Hao certainly had a hand in it. From that detail alone, plenty could be deduced. Li Hao had likely gained quite a few benefits inside Battle Heaven City. A pity... the world only cared about Hou Xiaochen's exploits, ignoring everything else. Still, that was fine. If not for that, how could his own wisdom shine through? Ying Hongyue smiled, appearing all the more strikingly handsome. In reality, even if he was younger than Yuan Shuo, he was already in his early sixties—a bona fide veteran martial master. Yet right now, he looked barely thirty. If he walked out onto the street, he would probably still make women scream. At this moment, Ying Hongyue seemed to be pondering. After a while, he said slowly, "If Hou Xiaochen wants to come to the Central Region, let him come. There is no need to meddle." "As for Li Hao..." He thought for a moment and added, "White Moon City is formidable and cannot be taken lightly. Unless I return in person, we are unlikely to achieve anything, and we would only suffer further losses—not worth the cost. For now, leave him be. It's best not to interfere with Li Hao at all, nor send anyone else there... We shall wait until he can progress no further in Silver Moon and crosses into the Central Region. That will be our chance to deal with him." This time, he had already probed out everything about those fellows in Silver Moon. Sending more people now might play right into their hands. "As for Purple Moon, have Orange Moon drop the mission to hunt Yuan Shuo and head to Silver Moon!" Ying Hongyue smiled, looking exceptionally gentle. "Show plenty of sincerity. They captured Purple Moon, and I know what they want. Have Orange Moon present ten mid-stage Rising Light Blood God Seeds and three late-stage Rising Light Blood God Seeds. In addition, promise Li Hao that Orange Moon will no longer hunt Yuan Shuo... in exchange for him returning Purple Moon." Beside him, the woman in green looked slightly envious, perhaps even jealous. She wanted to say something... Yet on second thought, she held her tongue. Perhaps... this was where Ying Hongyue's charisma lay. He was generous; with many people, he was remarkably generous. Thirteen Blood God Seeds were immensely potent, all at the Rising Light level, and some even at the late stage. They might make an enemy stronger, perhaps even solve some of their problems. Yet he was willing to part with them. Today it was Purple Moon who had been captured. If Hou Xiaochen had captured someone else back then—like Green Moon and the others—instead of killing them, Ying Hongyue would have traded for them as well. "Leader is wise!" the woman in green said. Ying Hongyue rubbed his temples and chuckled softly. "There's nothing wise about it. If I were truly wise, I wouldn't have underestimated those fellows. Knowing full well how dangerous they were, I still sent Green Moon and the rest. And now..." He shook his head and sighed lightly. "Such is fate and fortune!" He simply hadn't expected so many variables inside Battle Heaven City. Between the three factions, more than ten Rising Lights had been deployed, including several at the late stage. He had guarded heavily against Hou Xiaochen, and by his judgment, unless Hou Xiaochen was willing to unseal his power, he could not possibly have inflicted such heavy losses. There had to be another reason for the total annihilation of the Three Great Organizations' experts. Otherwise, with just Hou Xiaochen, Kong Jie, and Jade Rakshasa, it would have been impossible unless all of them had unsealed themselves. The woman in green said hurriedly, "That was because Hou Xiaochen was treacherous..." "Treacherous?" Glancing at Cyan Moon, he sighed. "Don't always belittle your enemies. Belittling the enemy makes me feel like I am useless. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging an enemy's strength. If the enemy is formidable and I suffer heavy losses, it makes me look like I merely suffered bad luck. If you say the enemy is trash, it only makes me look like a fool." "..." Cyan Moon was instantly struck dumb. Still, she wasn't particularly afraid, only a bit helpless. The leader had probably been in a sour mood lately; in the past, he wouldn't have given a long-winded explanation for a comment like that. "It's also my fault for indulging all of you too much over the years." Ying Hongyue shook his head again. "I always felt, why do women need such formidable strength? Women aren't naturally meant for combat; fighting is a man's business. As a result, it fostered bad habits in you. After stepping into Rising Light, because everyone showed you deference, no one dared to touch you without good reason... But this time dealt me a head-on blow, reminding you that those old friends in Silver Moon strike with more ruthlessness than the last!" He seemed somewhat bitter and helpless as he shook his head again. Cyan Moon said nothing more. Ying Hongyue continued, "Back then, of the six of you, Jade Rakshasa ran off, while Peacock and Goddess were killed this time. Spider and you are still alive... When Spider returns, work harder!" Having said that, he looked toward the lower end of the hall and spoke slowly: "Send word to the Duke of Dingguo's Residence: Li Hao killed Xu Feng, and the Bright Light Sword is on the verge of betraying them. Tell the Xu family to consider this carefully." "Understood!" Below, a figure swiftly vanished. As for whether the news was true or false... if the leader said so, then it was true. No one questioned it. Cyan Moon, however, asked once more, "The Bright Light Sword... betraying them?" "Indeed." Ying Hongyue sighed. "Silver Moon martial masters can never be truly tamed! The Xu family dangled the Wind-Chasing Boots to keep the Bright Light Sword on the hook all these years, promising that as soon as Xu Feng stepped into the Transformation phase, they would hand the boots to him. The Bright Light Sword played both mother and father to him, entirely focused on raising Xu Feng so he could quickly take charge of the Wind-Chasing Boots... Now that he's dead, it would be strange if she didn't rebel." Cyan Moon asked in confusion, "With the Bright Light Sword's temperament, she should have rebelled years ago. Why wait until now?" "In the past, people thought her strength was lacking, but with the news spreading now, the Bright Light Sword seems very powerful..." "Is the Xu family so weak?" Ying Hongyue chuckled softly. "They are very strong! And the Xu family didn't deceive her. If Xu Feng truly reached the Transformation phase, the Xu family certainly would have let him wield the Wind-Chasing Boots. When that time came, with yin and yang combining... don't mind that the Bright Light Sword is old and now exceedingly hideous... None of that matters. What matters is that Xu Feng might have seized the opportunity to gain pure yang energy, advancing beyond Rising Light in one stroke—a win-win situation... What a pity, it's all gone now." He seemed to know a great deal. Chuckling, he added, "So, let's watch the show. It isn't that I want to screw over this old friend of mine; I just want the Xu family to be on their guard. Once they settle their trouble, they'll have the energy to test Li Hao and Silver Moon on my behalf... rather than being caught flat-footed by the Bright Light Sword." "Oh!" Cyan Moon nodded. She wasn't young anymore, yet right now she seemed remarkably innocent. Ying Hongyue gazed at her with amusement and smiled. Innocent women were nice; a little innocence was good. Over the years, he hadn't let them get too involved in affairs, precisely because he didn't want their original purity to curdle. Only... looking at it now, it hadn't turned out so well either. His inner circle remained peaceful enough, but when it came to sending them out to handle matters... it was truly difficult. Their success rate was dismally low, not even matching non-martial-master supers. He wondered if Hou Xiaochen and the others cursed him behind his back for ruining these Silver Moon martial masters. "Leader, don't we need the Wind-Chasing Boots as well?" Cyan Moon asked. Wouldn't it be better to seize this opportunity to take them? Ying Hongyue shook his head. "The Liu family's weapon fell into the hands of the Duke of Dingguo years ago. There is no need to fall out with them over it. Among the eight weapons, the core remains the Li family's sword. Unfortunately... we couldn't locate it before, but now it's certain: if it's not in Li Hao's hands, then it's in Hou Xiaochen's." "Furthermore, the Zhang family's saber has fallen into Yuan Shuo's hands. That indestructible blade he wields—the Zhang family's saber is likely concealed within it." After saying this, Ying Hongyue pondered a moment and added, "Red Moon must avoid excessive contact with these people for the time being. I also need some time. Spread the word that the Li family's sword and the Zhang family's saber have fallen into the hands of Li Hao and Yuan Shuo respectively! Both weapons possess extraordinarily special functions. In particular, the Li family's sword is the master key to several vital ruins across the entire dynasty. As for the imperial family... tell them that the Heavenly Star ruins might be fully unsealed with the Li family's sword. Tell them to stop playing dead all day. If the Heavenly Star King wants to become a Human King, playing dead won't get him there; he has to fight for it!" He chuckled with a hint of mockery. "No Human King in all of history ever won by playing dead! A person like Li Hao, who not only survives every crisis but grows stronger by the end, is clearly difficult to deal with. They can study the records themselves to understand that. Let them handle it as they see fit!" Cyan Moon nodded. Seeing that he was about to leave, she couldn't help asking, "Then why doesn't Leader..." Why not take action personally to capture Li Hao? Even if Silver Moon was dangerous, the leader ought to be able to deal with the experts there by now, right? With Hou Xiaochen gone, it was a golden opportunity! "Silver Moon... is no longer a place one can enter lightly!" Walking inward without looking back, Ying Hongyue said, "Silver Moon has begun to recover. That year when I went, Hou Xiaochen was far weaker than me, yet he still managed to kill the second-generation Purple Moon. Certain beings in Silver Moon do not want me setting foot there again... They are all deterring me. It's difficult!" With a soft sigh, his figure vanished. Seeing him leave, Cyan Moon said nothing more. She looked down and coldly huffed, "Keep a close watch on Hou Xiaochen and his group! Even though the leader said not to provoke them for now, you must watch them like hawks!" "Understood!" The Ghost Faces below murmured perfunctory acknowledgments, not taking it too seriously. Even the leader had spoken, yet she still insisted on showing off—why bother? Still, among the Seven Moons, several had perished while Cyan Moon was favored, so there was no need to openly contradict her. ... On this day, various pieces of news began spreading rapidly as Hou Xiaochen and his entourage exited Silver Moon. The first to receive word was the Duke of Dingguo's Residence. In the heart of the eastern lands stood a magnificent estate. Inside a grand hall. A white-haired old man coughed lightly. As the fourth Duke of Dingguo, he was getting up in years. After a bout of coughing, he looked down at the middle-aged men below and sighed. "The white-haired burying the black-haired. Feng'er died in Silver Moon, and in the supernatural realm, the Xu family's younger generation has no outstanding talents left." He shook his head slightly. Below, a middle-aged man bearing a close resemblance to Xu Feng said in a deep voice, "Father, Feng'er dying in Silver Moon is inextricably linked to Hou Xiaochen. Now Hou Xiaochen has departed Silver Moon for the capital. Formidable though he may be, he is by no means invincible! Over at the Night Patrollers, Huang Long will hardly let him gain a firm footing. Why don't we..." "Set Hou Xiaochen aside for now!" The old man coughed lightly. "The Bright Light Sword should be returning soon. Any word from her?" "Not yet." The middle-aged man frowned. "The Bright Light Sword... hmph! I suspect she didn't put in her full effort this time. Otherwise, with her strength, it was merely exploring a ruin—how could she emerge unscathed while Feng'er died..." Below him sat a slightly younger man who spoke up slowly: "Eldest Brother, do not grieve excessively. The Bright Light Sword possesses tremendous strength, and the Xu family still needs her services..." "That's because it wasn't your son who died!" The middle-aged man snorted coldly. A clan with two hundred years of heritage naturally had its share of internal strife; his younger brother probably wished that both he and his son were dead. It was easy to talk about not venting anger on the Bright Light Sword. If it had been his brother's son who died, he wouldn't be nearly so composed. With Xu Feng dead, the ownership of the Wind-Chasing Boots was back up in the air. His younger brother was probably thrilled. Tap, tap! The old man lightly tapped the table, cutting off the brothers' argument. His tone was calm, accustomed to such squabbling. "Enough arguing about this. When the Bright Light Sword returns... make arrangements to ambush and kill her! Be careful; she is powerful and won't be easy to deal with..." At this, even the eldest brother was taken aback. Startled, he looked at the old man. "Father, that wasn't what I meant. I know she possesses great strength and is still useful to the family..." He had merely been venting his grievances; he hadn't actually considered killing the Bright Light Sword. She was immensely strong, and killing her might incur a tremendous price, not to mention she was still working for the Xu family. Losing a son was painful, but... throwing away the Bright Light Sword as well would only bring a bigger headache. He hadn't expected his father to genuinely intend to move against her. The old man glanced at his two sons and sighed. "If there were another way, I wouldn't want this either. Having the Bright Light Sword join the Xu family and serve us permanently would have been ideal. But you both know that very few people can utilize the Wind-Chasing Boots. I can draw on them slightly, but that Bright Light Sword... she's hideous herself, yet disdains me for being old..." The old man laughed dryly and shook his head. "Feng'er was handsome, so she was somewhat willing. As for me... that old hag would never agree. Originally, I thought of letting Feng'er bear with it. With that old hag's help, Feng'er would have gained a powerful backer. A man in this world shouldn't dwell on such trivialities. Once our Xu family broke out of the East, we naturally could have kept her under control! By then, wouldn't she have danced to Feng'er's tune?" "Now that Feng'er is dead, there's no other choice!" The old man stood up and let out a sigh. "I take no pleasure in this either, but that old hag is bound to seize the Wind-Chasing Boots by force. Better to kill her and be done with it! These Silver Moon martial masters are proud, stubborn, and intractable—they can never be truly tamed. Silver Moon's female martial masters can only be reined in through men. With Feng'er dead, her hopes are dashed, and she won't let the matter rest..." Below, the two brothers exchanged a glance, both enlightened and somber. "Father, it is said that when these martial masters reach the pinnacle, they can unseal their combat strength. Has the Bright Light Sword... reached that level as well?" "Perhaps." The old man was not entirely certain either. In a deep voice, he said, "The peak strength she revealed before was at the late-stage Rising Light level. As for her true depths, she has never shown them. But it's only normal for martial masters to conceal their strength. Mobilize several generals of the Dingguo Army to join forces and ambush her!" "Understood!" The two hastily nodded, raising no further objections. It seemed their father was utterly resolved to kill the Bright Light Sword. The Dingguo Army dominated the East, and its generals were immensely powerful; any single one of them was likely no weaker than the General Pacifying the North of the Three Northern Provinces. Their father intended to mobilize several of them to surround and destroy her together. The old man said nothing more. Just as he was about to leave, he paused and added, "By the way, after killing the Bright Light Sword, mobilize some men to Silver Moon to probe Li Hao's depths. Word came from Red Moon that Feng'er may have been killed by that Li Hao... Furthermore, he might possess the Li family's divine sword!" As for Li Hao killing Xu Feng, the dead were dead; going out of their way to Silver Moon for revenge wasn't strictly necessary. However... when it involved the Li family's divine sword, that was entirely different. How powerful the divine weapons of the Eight Guardian Families were was difficult for ordinary people to grasp. But possessing the Liu family's divine boots, they understood a thing or two—those Wind-Chasing Boots were precisely the heirloom of the Liu family. Miraculous beyond measure! The Duke of Dingguo's Residence had aided the Heavenly Star imperial family in stabilizing the realm two hundred years ago partly because of these boots. The first Duke of Dingguo had been a Thousand-Battler martial master, hailed as an earthly immortal. A Thousand-Battler back then was incomparable to a Thousand-Battler today. Back then, outside of Silver Moon, martial masters were scarce everywhere, and Thousand-Battlers were as elusive as dragons. Yet the Xu family had a Thousand-Battler holding down the fort. Incomparably formidable, single-handedly breaking through thousands, he was a pivotal figure in the imperial family's conquest of the world. Moreover, his speed was terrifying. Even when encountering another Thousand-Battler, the first Duke of Dingguo had slain them—all relying on the divine Wind-Chasing Boots. Only in recent years, as ancient records circulated and more ruins were excavated, did the Xu family learn that these boots were the heirloom of the Liu family, one of the ancient Eight Guardian Families. Originally, the Xu family knew little about the Eight Great Families. But when Red Moon's plot in Silver City was exposed, that frontier city so small no one paid it any mind instantly became the focus of many eyes. The Eight Great Families had actually been hidden away in that tiny backwater... Even if they beat their brains out, they never would have guessed! Yet before anyone could react and position their pieces, massive upheaval shook Silver Moon. In the blink of an eye, the deaths went from Three Suns to a deluge of Rising Lights, catching even the Xu family off guard. The Li family's divine sword ranked first among the weapons of the Eight Great Families. The old man knew without thinking that it possessed extraordinarily unique capabilities. Red Moon had broadcast the news in all directions purely out of wariness toward the Silver Moon martial arts world and figures like Hou Xiaochen. Everyone saw through Ying Hongyue's motives... yet with such a treasure in plain sight, who could remain unmoved? The old man said nothing more and turned to leave. The Bright Light Sword... what a pity! With great difficulty, they had brought a top-tier Silver Moon martial master into the fold to bolster their family's foundation, only for it to end like this. He only hoped no mishaps would arise during the ambush. ... Within a single day, various pieces of news circulated among the upper echelons and top experts. Just as when Hou Xiaochen had broadcast the efficacy of the Blood God Seeds, dealing Red Moon catastrophic losses in a short time until Red Moon managed to stem the bleeding by slaying several experts, news regarding the Li family's divine sword was now whispering into certain ears. True top-tier experts didn't care much about Blood God Seeds, because they knew that unless present in staggering quantities, weak Blood God Seeds offered little help at their level. Consequently, few top experts had been tempted. Divine armaments of the Eight Great Families, however, were precisely what stirred the greed of these supreme figures. ... Silver Moon. White Moon City. At the Night Patrollers' provincial headquarters, Li Hao had yet to recover from the gloom of Hou Xiaochen's departure. He was staring blankly at Hao Lianchuan, both of them completely at sea over how to manage the Night Patrollers' sprawling bureaucracy, when another piece of bad news arrived. Inside Hou Xiaochen's empty office. A red communication device began to ring. Li Hao looked at Hao Lianchuan, and Hao Lianchuan looked back at Li Hao. The two of them had just been wallowing in melancholy, and now the sudden ringing of the red line felt like an ill omen. Hao Lianchuan looked at Li Hao and raised his chubby chin. "My head hurts, I'm not answering it. You take it!" Li Hao rolled his eyes furiously! *My head hurts too! In all my life, I've never managed people. When I was a kid I was class monitor, but all I did was shake kids down for snacks. In the Demon Hunt Corps, everyone manages themselves by common agreement. I've got a massive headache right now!* Still, since the red line was ringing at a time like this, it couldn't be trivial. Li Hao picked it up swiftly. A voice came through the receiver: "Li Hao, or Hao Lianchuan?" "This is Li Hao..." Li Hao vaguely recognized the voice, though he wasn't entirely certain. "Good. Don't go running around lately. Either go chase after Hou Xiaochen right now and head to the Central Region with him, or... stay put in White Moon City! News is circulating in the Central Region that you hold the Li family's divine sword, and that the sword can open a large number of core ruins, even those controlled by the imperial family... You understand what that implies. As information on the Eight Great Families becomes common knowledge, your troubles are only going to multiply!" Li Hao froze. After a long moment, he said, "I gave it to—" "Enough. Do you take everyone for an idiot?" "..." Li Hao was speechless. It seemed people weren't stupid; in other words, people believed the Starry Sky Sword was still in his hands. The crux was that the news hadn't spread earlier or later, but broke the moment Hou Xiaochen departed... Clearly, without a backer, one was easily targeted! Previously, out of wariness toward Hou Xiaochen, everyone had played dumb. Now, they dropped the pretense. Troubles truly came one after another. Helpless, Li Hao heard the voice continue: "Not just you, your teacher is in serious trouble as well. The Zhang family's saber is reportedly in his hands. Originally, some didn't care that he was targeting Red Moon, but now... trouble is sure to find him too. No one knows exactly where all eight weapons are, but even if scattered, they are mostly held by major powers. Only you and your teacher are the weakest, yet you hold two of them. Tell me, who else would they target if not the two of you?" Li Hao frowned. "Did Red Moon spread the news?" "How did you figure that out?" Li Hao regained his composure. "Never mind me, but as for my teacher, aside from Red Moon and Ying Hongyue's deep familiarity with the Eight Great Families, no one would have suspected him of holding the Zhang family's saber." If the caller hadn't mentioned his teacher, that would be one thing, but claiming Yuan Shuo possessed one of the eight divine armaments confirmed it: Ying Hongyue was the source of the leak! After considering it, Li Hao asked, "If I stay in White Moon City, I'll be safe?" "Yes." "And if I leave... White Moon City cannot offer me protection?" "It cannot." Understood! Li Hao had only been asking; he didn't truly take it to heart. At this moment, he felt somewhat helpless. The exposure of the Starry Sky Sword meant his previous arrangements were completely undone, and eyes were no longer fixed on Hou Xiaochen. Fortunately, most people only knew the divine weapons were powerful without understanding their specific effects. Otherwise... the trouble would be astronomical! Those who truly knew were only his teacher, Southern Fist, Earth-Overturning Sword... and they wouldn't turn on him. Various thoughts surged through Li Hao's mind. He suddenly understood why Hou Xiaochen had wanted him to come along; perhaps Hou Xiaochen had predicted that the moment he left, Li Hao would be plagued by relentless trouble if he stayed in Silver Moon! "Thank you for the warning!" Li Hao offered his thanks, but before he could finish speaking, the line went dead. Li Hao was at a loss for words. Hao Lianchuan asked curiously, "Who called?" He had heard the voice and found it familiar, but couldn't place it in the moment. Li Hao jerked his chin toward the east. Hao Lianchuan froze, quickly thinking of someone: "Director Zhao? He has a direct communication line with the chief?" "..." Li Hao was exasperated. "They're both in Silver Moon, and both heads of the two major governing bodies. Is a private communication line that surprising?" What was Old Hao thinking, making a fuss over nothing? Hao Lianchuan shook his head. "No, that old man and the chief have always had bad blood. Anyone else I'd understand, but him... Furthermore, why would that old fellow tell you all this? What's his angle?" "Who knows." Li Hao sighed. Hao Lianchuan thought for a moment and said, "Does that mean the trouble just got bigger?" "Probably." "What does that Li family sword of yours actually do? If it isn't all that useful, you should have just handed it to the chief earlier to avoid being dragged into this mess..." Li Hao stared at Hao Lianchuan, speaking only after a long pause: "Chief Hao, why have you become so timid today?" Where was his earlier swagger? Before, even knowing how many experts the Three Great Organizations possessed, this man had enthusiastically pushed to slay Red Moon experts and seize Blood God Seeds. Yet now, he acted terrified of getting into trouble. Hao Lianchuan ignored him, drowning in self-pity. *Bullshit!* *I'm just a mid-stage Three Suns. Without Hou Xiaochen to borrow authority from, who the hell do I dare provoke?* *Old Hou wasn't fair either. Just before leaving, he told me to encircle and suppress the remnants of the Three Great Organizations. And now? You patted your ass and walked away, taking the entire Martial Guard Army and Chief Secretary Yu with you... leaving me behind to clean up this mess!* Hao Lianchuan slumped onto the sofa dejectedly, desperately craving a cigarette. He patted his pockets, only to remember... he didn't smoke. After a moment, he braced himself slightly. "Forget it, no use overthinking. Fortunately, most supers were wiped out in the ruins, and the remnants of the Three Great Organizations aren't too numerous. At this point, we can only pray these bastards aren't strong and that no Rising Lights come looking for trouble, or else... we'll be in serious trouble!" "Besides, your trouble seems pretty big too. Just do as he said and stay quietly in White Moon City. Either wait for Chief Hou to fight his way back, or... find a hole to hide in." Without lingering on that, Hao Lianchuan added, "When Chief Hou left, he insisted on promoting you, likely intending for you to take charge of a front. How about this: you take responsibility for coastal defense, and I'll transfer some supers over to bolster your garrison. As for outside White Moon City, since you can't roam freely... I'll handle it. Hopefully no one targets me. In any case, it'll just be like before, since I was handling those affairs anyway." At this point, he gave Li Hao a slightly hesitant look and said suddenly, "Li Hao, about that..." "What is it?" Li Hao looked at him suspiciously. What grievance was brewing now? Hao Lianchuan said gravely, "Don't take coastal defense lightly! Silver Moon hasn't experienced pirate raids, so people don't think much of them. But I know that around the North Sea, major cities can be raided by pirates at any time. A single assault leaves tens of thousands dead, and there have even been full-scale massacres! If you're careless and let pirates breach inland to strike our cities, many of those cities have no Night Patroller branch. When that happens... it will be an absolute slaughter!" "The Moon Sea coastline is very long! You don't have many hands. Don't assume that defending White Moon City's perimeter is enough. When pirates strike, they won't rashly assault White Moon City... They are far more likely to target surrounding cities." "Among the sixteen cities of Silver South, aside from White Moon City, three border the coastline: Nandu, Fenghai, and Liuyun. Of those, only Nandu has a Night Patroller branch garrisoned with two Solar Flares... The other two cities have virtually no supers at all." Li Hao frowned instantly. "How did the Martial Guard Army station their defenses before?" "They didn't station defenses—they took the initiative to strike! Every few days, they launched sweeping raids!" Hao Lianchuan said earnestly, "The Martial Guard Army has quite a reputation on the seas, so ordinary pirates dared not trespass into Silver Moon's waters. Besides, our region is impoverished; for those pirates, raiding Silver Moon wasn't half as profitable as raiding the North Sea. But now that the Martial Guard Army has left, do you think those pirates won't drop by to make a quick buck?" Li Hao's head throbbed instantly! Three cities, plus White Moon City—four cities in total. And under his command, his current headcount was—fifty people! If Liu Long left, forty-nine. With so few people, expecting him to defend four cities... was an absolute joke. Unless he did as the Martial Guard Army had done—taking the initiative to strike and annihilating the enemy at the junction of the Moon Sea and the North Sea—holding the line was flatly impossible. Hao Lianchuan was equally gloomy. "Don't look at me. I'll be lucky if I can guard the inland cities." He had no other options either. "What about the garrison and the Inspectorate...?" Li Hao glanced at him. Hao Lianchuan considered it and said, "We could request reinforcements, but the Night Patrollers used to be the supreme authority here. Both the coastline and the cities' supernatural affairs fell under our jurisdiction. Once we hand it over... we'll never get it back. I don't personally care about grasping for power, but Chief Hou just left; if we lose the territory he fought so hard to secure..." It would be hard to justify! "Alright, I understand." Li Hao said no more and stood up to leave. Hao Lianchuan called out hastily, "You're leaving?" "What else?" Li Hao said glumly, "I'll head back to the Martial Guard Army barracks first. Also... assign me a few cars. Running everywhere on foot every time I travel ruins my dignity." "Done!" On this point, Hao Lianchuan agreed without hesitation; it was simple enough. Li Hao thought for a moment, then tossed over a bottle. "There are some Blood God Seeds inside. Use them, Chief Hao. If you can locate your fifth supernatural lock, that's best. If not... we'll think of something else." Hao Lianchuan froze. *You still have Blood God Seeds?* He uncorked the bottle and peeked inside, drawing a sharp breath. There were quite a few, and several seemed to be at the Three Suns level. "Where did you get these?" "By killing people." Li Hao smiled. "Alright, Chief Hao, no need to be so pessimistic. Inland shouldn't be a big problem; the maritime front is the main issue, and I'll handle it! Just send me a few water-aligned supers. Other systems won't be of much use... Oh, flying-type or scouting-type would work too." At that thought, he paused and chuckled. "Just send Yun Yao, Hu Hao, and Li Meng!" Those three happened to fit the exact profiles he needed. What a coincidence! Li Hao hadn't had the time to consider it before, but now he remembered that all three had come to White Moon City and were currently stationed with the Night Patrollers. "Them?" Hao Lianchuan was taken aback. "They're only at the Lunar Glow level. Maritime defense is critical; what use are three Lunar Glows? We have more Solar Flares on hand, and even a Three Suns. Old He is water-aligned and has stepped into Three Suns; I'll send him over to assist you..." One had to admit, the fat man was truly loyal. Right now, the Night Patrollers only had three Three Suns in total, yet he was willing to spare one for Li Hao. Li Hao shook his head. "Never mind. A Three Suns or a Lunar Glow makes no difference; they're only serving as scouts. Sending a Three Suns is a waste. Let's stick with them. Besides, they're acquaintances of mine, which makes things easier. Director He isn't close to me and has seniority; having him work under me would be awkward for both of us." "Fine, then." Seeing his insistence, Hao Lianchuan dropped the matter. Noticing Li Hao heading downstairs, he followed along, saying as they walked, "Tell me, now that Chief Hou is gone, will he survive to return from the Central Region?" "..." Li Hao shot him a sidelong glance. Why did those words sound like he was practically hoping the man would drop dead in the Central Region? "I don't know." "Sigh, Li Hao, I'm feeling utterly dejected..." Hao Lianchuan let out sigh after sigh. "Originally, as a Three Suns, I felt pretty formidable. But lately, so many Rising Lights have died, and over a hundred Three Suns have perished. Now I feel like being a Three Suns offers zero security. But my talent is truly mediocre; my fifth supernatural lock refuses to appear. I'm completely washed up..." "Chief Hao, what on earth are you trying to say?" Li Hao was speechless. Sighing for this long—if he had something to say, why couldn't he just say it straight? "Ahem, nothing much. I just wanted to say... well... bring your big brother along to make a fortune!" The fat man suddenly broke into a broad smile, all of his earlier gloom vanishing without a trace. Li Hao froze. What did that mean? Hao Lianchuan winked slyly. "With Old Hou gone, Silver Moon belongs to the two of us brothers. I heard... you took down a Rising Light? Little brother, don't play dumb with your big brother! I've been sighing for half an hour waiting for you to offer me a hand. I'll just say it plainly: if there are spoils to be had... I can do killing and arson too! That kid Wang Ming is far too weak; could he possibly be more capable than me?" What was all this nonsense?! Li Hao was utterly struck dumb! *Damn it!* Where had this fat man heard such rumors? Making a fortune together... did he take him for a bandit? Besides, since when had they become brothers? Just a few days ago, Li Hao had addressed him as "Uncle," and today they were suddenly "brothers"? After all that sighing, Li Hao had genuinely thought he was in distress. How did it feel now like... this guy thought Hou Xiaochen's departure gave him more room to spread his wings? "Chief Hao..." "Call me Brother Hao!" Hao Lianchuan said with utter seriousness, "Don't be so distant! That kid Wang Ming reached late-stage Solar Flare in just a few days! I'm not asking for much. Next time you've got a gig, count me in, just help me reach the peak of Three Suns!" "..." Li Hao was completely at a loss and clamped his mouth shut. This man wasn't in his right mind, so talking was pointless. He quickened his pace. Behind him, Hao Lianchuan transmitted his voice: "Pirates actually have treasures, you know. The sea is full of goodies! If you go out on a sweep, remember to call me. I may be fire-aligned, but I can fight at sea too! The land is safe anyway; the sea is where the real opportunities lie... Remember that!" "..." Li Hao sprinted off without looking back. *He's gone mad!* Hao Lianchuan had completely exceeded his expectations. While Li Hao was nursing a headache, the fat man had already bounced back and was egging him on to go on the offensive to rob pirates... Was that something a sane person would do? Hao Lianchuan's voice echoed in his ears once more: "Seriously, pirates have treasures! If you don't believe me, check the Martial Guard Army's archives. The sea is loaded with riches. Rumor has it that deep in the ocean, there are ruins left behind by ancient civilizations, ore veins, and even water from the Spring of Life! While no one is watching us and everyone assumes we can only hunker down around White Moon City... going out to pull off a heist is guaranteed to make us rich!" "..." Li Hao ran faster and faster. Any slower, and he feared he might actually be swayed by this fat man. He hadn't even figured out his own plans yet, while this guy could think of nothing but striking it rich. "Go check the archives when you get back, seriously! There are several pirate factions near the Moon Sea... Out at sea, even if powerful enemies come looking for you, they'll never track your whereabouts! I recall the Martial Guard Army was allocated a ship back in the day, seemingly an Origin God Armament as well. I don't know if they took it with them, but chances are they left it behind. Go take a look when you get back, and don't forget! Make it quick—if we wait too long, the big pirates from the North Sea will arrive. We'd better clean up the petty pirates while we can..." "..." By this point, Li Hao had completely vanished from sight. Seeing him sprint away so swiftly, Hao Lianchuan sighed and shook his head. *Not much guts on the kid!* *If we don't pull off a few scores right now, I'm afraid we'll never get the chance.*