Nine Dragons Pavilion

Hou Xiaochen had come around to the idea. The kid was already here; could he really kick him out? Since he was here, things might as well get a little livelier. Of course, the necessary formalities still had to be handled. As the Heavenly Star Governor-General and a deputy director of the Night Patrollers, he still possessed some authority. Just as he was getting ready to head out, he suddenly gave a soft chuckle and quickly scribbled something down on a sheet of paper. "Li Hao, given your past merits, the Inspectorate promoted you to a Provincial Governor-level Inspector. A provincial governor inspects one territory and pacifies its people... You could be considered a man shouldering grave responsibilities now. "Since you just arrived in the Central Region, applying for other posts would be troublesome, requiring layer upon layer of review..." After a moment's thought, he finished writing. "Now, in my capacity as the Heavenly Star Governor-General, I am recommending you for Heavenly Star Vice Governor-General. Deputy posts don't require review by the Inspectorate—our Night Patrollers' internal process is enough... As long as the Chief Director agrees, you'll be the Heavenly Star Vice Governor-General!" He quickly finished the document. Li Hao blinked. Heavenly Star Vice Governor-General? What was that for? Of course, that was not important. What mattered was that he had actually been promoted without even knowing it! A provincial governor! Did that not mean he was on the same level as Hou Xiaochen? Wait... Something clicked in Li Hao's mind, and his expression turned peculiar. "Director... on the road here, I heard people saying that you... seemed to have been demoted to Senior City Inspecting Commissioner?" Hou Xiaochen froze for a second, glancing at Li Hao. *What are you trying to say?* Under his stare, Li Hao offered an awkward laugh. "So I really was promoted to Provincial Governor?" Hou Xiaochen looked at him and smiled. "Yes. Your rank is higher than mine now. What of it?" Li Hao grinned abashedly. *I didn't mean anything. I just wanted to say... you've spent decades climbing the ladder, yet now your rank isn't even as high as mine. What a pitiful man!* Hou Xiaochen could not be bothered to indulge him. A moment later, a knock came at the office door. All three of them knew someone had arrived. Li Hao did not recognize who it was, but Hou Xiaochen did. He smiled and glanced in that direction. *Sharp eyes and keen ears indeed. Li Hao just stepped through the front door, and your person is already right behind him.* "Come in!" The door swung open, and Xiao Ye walked in. She glanced at Li Hao—the strange young man she had spotted outside earlier. Not recognizing him, she offered no greeting. Toward Hou Xiaochen, however, she felt quite a bit of trepidation. Bowing slightly, she said, "Director Hou, the Chief Director mentioned that when you arrived, the department didn't host a welcoming banquet for you. He would like to treat you to a meal in the next couple of days..." "All right!" Hou Xiaochen agreed so readily that Xiao Ye felt a bit thrown off. Though it was only natural to accept, agreeing without asking a single question made her uneasy. Hou Xiaochen smiled, and a slip of paper drifted across the room toward her. "Take this back to the Chief Director, have him look it over, and ask him to sign it." Xiao Ye looked puzzled. "Take it back to him and he'll understand." "Yes, sir!" Xiao Ye did not dare pry further. The man before her was a blood-soaked demon of slaughter, a ruthless figure who had raided a Duke's residence on a whim. She had no intention of provoking him, especially since the old Chief Director had spent all these years quietly nurturing his health and no longer wielded much actual authority within the Night Patrollers. As for what needed signing, she had no idea. She tried to take a peek at the small slip of paper, but her eyes immediately stung with a sharp, pricking ache. Her heart leaped in terror. *Could his handwriting alone carry such lethal power?* *Terrifying!* Xiao Ye did not linger. Before leaving, she cast another glance at Li Hao and the little puppy at his feet, still baffled. Who would come looking for Director Hou so late at night? Full of confusion, Xiao Ye departed. Once she was gone, Li Hao asked curiously, "Is that... the Chief Director's secretary?" "Yes." "I'm so jealous!" "..." Hou Xiaochen froze. Jealous of what? Li Hao sighed with deep feeling. "Turns out when you become a director, you can have a female secretary whose salary is paid by the state. I'm a provincial governor now—if I get one, the public coffer pays for her too, right?" "..." *Li Hao, why do you always have to be so... unique?!* Hou Xiaochen was utterly at a loss for words. *What on earth are you thinking about at a time like this?* Chief Steward Yu did not even look at them, keeping her head down as she busied herself with something, silently criticizing him in her heart. This fellow Li Hao was practically rich enough to rival a nation after seizing the Xu family's treasury, so why was he always obsessed with petty perks? Jokes aside, Li Hao spoke with a thoughtful expression. "The Chief Director is a white-haired old man, right?" "You've seen him?" "I saw him just now when I came in." Li Hao smiled, then added, "Very formidable!" Hou Xiaochen nodded. "Naturally. Twenty years ago, when the Night Patrollers were first established, he was already the Chief Director! Neither the Nine Departments nor the Imperial Family wanted to expend their own strength dealing with the Three Great Organizations, so they wanted a blade... Back then, he was that blade! You must understand, in that era, even to be used as a blade, one needed the power and value worthy of being one! I am a blade as well, yet my blade could only remain in Silver Moon, whereas he was a blade for the entire dynasty!" Li Hao nodded. "Then he's certainly not weak. He must be a pure martial master! I just wonder how many supernatural locks he has saturated." With that, he turned his gaze back to Hou Xiaochen. "Director Hou seems to have perfected something. Did you take another step forward?" Hou Xiaochen smiled. "Why do you say that?" Li Hao smiled without answering. Because in the past, Hou Xiaochen had been glaringly bright! Now, he was no longer glaring. That meant that whatever hidden injuries or defects had remained from his transition back from supernatural energy had now been overcome and suppressed, allowing his energy to be thoroughly contained within. That was definitely progress. Hou Xiaochen had, in the truest sense, returned to being a martial master. Progress was inevitable. Otherwise, he would have been like Chief Steward Yu beside him—somewhat glaring to the eye. That was the result of an impure martial path, where a portion of energy could not be restrained and fully integrated into the body. To Li Hao, that made her look like a giant light bulb. Hou Xiaochen did not dwell on it. Standing up, he said, "Let's go. We're eating at Nine Dragons Pavilion. "The Chief Director will probably sign off quickly. When you turn around, you'll be the Heavenly Star Vice Governor-General." "Is that useful for anything?" Li Hao asked. Walking out the door, Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "Of course it's useful. As long as the dynasty hasn't collapsed, it'll be useful every single day. Provided, of course, that your strength is sufficient. Otherwise... you'll end up like Xu Qing. If you're killed, it won't do much good. "Even so, it's very useful here in Heavenly Star City. This isn't the east; this is the territory of the Nine Departments and the Imperial Family. If anyone dares to kill a Heavenly Star Vice Governor-General in broad daylight... even if every faction wishes you were dead, they would still have to come to your rescue. Of course, the response time might vary. And if you are killed, they will avenge you." Li Hao smiled wryly. *Just that?* *Here I thought it was something grand.* Chief Steward Yu spoke up coolly, "There is another benefit. You can be allocated a small apartment in Heavenly Star City. Small as it is, property here is hard to buy, and the location is excellent—right on Nine Departments Avenue." "..." Hou Xiaochen almost rolled his eyes! *At a time like this, you bring that up?* Li Hao, however, beamed. "Not bad! That's decent compensation. Do I get the deed?" "..." Hou Xiaochen could not take the two of them anymore. He felt that Xiao Yu was developing a few quirks of her own. "Let's move!" He strode outside. Li Hao did not follow him, choosing instead to walk beside Chief Steward Yu, asking curiously, "Since I'm a provincial governor, do I get a car?" "Yes." "When will it be assigned to me?" "Tomorrow." "Do I have to find a driver myself, or drive it myself?" "Up to you." "Chief Steward Yu, I've always forgotten to ask—what rank are you?" "..." Chief Steward Yu remained silent, ignoring him entirely. *All these questions—aren't you just trying to see who outranks whom?* *You outrank me, all right?* Ahead of them, Hou Xiaochen was equally speechless. Li Hao spoke up again. "By the way, where are Senior Golden Spear and the others?" "They went to assist in patrolling Heavenly Star City," Chief Steward Yu replied. She added, "Keep a low profile here and be careful. Doing anything in this city requires a justifiable pretext. Without one... it's very dangerous! Fortunately, the Night Patrollers are currently the only official supernatural law-enforcement agency, endowed with full enforcement authority. Just remember that." As for the rest, it hardly mattered. Li Hao looked thoughtful. "So I can break the rules, but others have no right to touch me, correct?" "Correct," Chief Steward Yu said, then added, "However, Director Hou doesn't have sole say within the Night Patrollers. If others within our organization come to arrest you, there's nothing we can do." "Understood!" Li Hao nodded. "I know there's a deputy director named Huang Long who doesn't seem to get along with Director Hou. What's his strength?" "He entered the Transformation stage long ago. Whether he can step into Divine Ability is unknown." Ahead of them, Hou Xiaochen was already descending the stairs. He said calmly, "Don't take the Night Patrollers' sole enforcement authority too seriously... Recruiting someone into the Night Patrollers is simple. At the deputy director level, bringing someone on board requires no formalities at all—a direct appointment does the trick! In other words, if someone attacks you... all they need is a word from us, and the attacker becomes a member of the Night Patrollers! "Of course, ranks differ. If they attack you, that constitutes insubordination against a superior... but that becomes an internal matter, and everything will only be dealt with after the fact. In short, keep low when you should in this city. Don't go too far the moment you arrive... Every move you make, every trouble you stir up, must serve a purpose and a target, rather than picking fights for no reason... That would just be foolish!" Li Hao nodded repeatedly. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Then going to eat at Nine Dragons Pavilion..." "Is to get acquainted with people. You need to know who can be provoked and who cannot. Think of it as paying your respects to the turf so you don't act recklessly." Li Hao felt quite wronged. "I never act recklessly!" "And what about the Xu family?" "That was striking first to gain the upper hand! I killed Xu Zhen, I killed Xu Feng, and the Bright Light Sword killed so many generals of the Xu family. Xu Qing would never have let us off! Since the enemy was powerful, of course we had to strike first!" Even Chief Steward Yu could not help interjecting, "If someone hadn't come to your rescue, you would have died without a doubt after being so reckless!" Li Hao shook his head. "Not necessarily!" Chief Steward Yu could not be bothered to argue with him—stubborn as a dead duck. Yet Li Hao truly believed it. A man like Xu Qing would never resort to self-mutilation unless pushed to the absolute brink. On that day, even if his teacher and the others had not stepped in... Li Hao felt he still had a decent shot at escaping. It had not been hopeless. Of course, time had passed, and dwelling on it was pointless. Besides, his teacher and the others had risked their lives to save him; Li Hao would not bring it up, choosing simply to engrave the debt into his heart. Li Hao continued, "I won't cause trouble here. Besides, aren't the two of you here? I feel very safe with you. Have a little faith in me too—unseal yourselves whenever you need to, what's there to fear?" He added, "If they truly push me to the wall, I'm no pushover either. At worst, I'll snap my supernatural locks and fully become a super. Once I do, unleashing that latent potential, I ought to be even stronger than I am now!" *Completely snapping his supernatural locks...* Chief Steward Yu glanced at him, but Li Hao paid it no mind. What of it? Could he not? He had no fear of his five viscera exploding! Never mind snapping one—even if he broke them all, he had nothing to fear. His physical body and five viscera were at the absolute peak. Even without sword energy, snapping them would not kill him. By unleashing the potential trapped within the supernatural locks, he could not guarantee he would instantly enter the Divine Ability realm, but he would not be wiped out by a Divine Ability expert in a single blow either. Without a bit of confidence, would Li Hao have dared come to Heavenly Star City? He was not the type to rely entirely on Hou Xiaochen; otherwise, he might end up dead without even knowing how he died. Hou Xiaochen said nothing further. The group of three people and one dog walked toward the parking plaza, evidently intending to take a car. Just as they reached the parking area, Hou Xiaochen's vehicle pulled up. The driver was the same one as before; the man seemed never to rest, never to sleep. Li Hao was actually somewhat curious about this driver's strength. He was likely a pure martial master, and quite formidable at that. Before the three of them could board, Xiao Ye came sprinting from the distance, panting for breath. She said hurriedly, "Director Hou, here is the official order signed by the Chief Director... Are you heading out?" "Going out for a meal!" "Oh!" Xiao Ye was curious, but she did not press. She handed the order to Hou Xiaochen. Hou Xiaochen chuckled and tossed it to Li Hao. The three climbed into the vehicle. As before, Li Hao immediately slipped into the front passenger seat. He lifted the document and glanced at it; it bore Hou Xiaochen's signature alongside the Chief Director's. Yao Si! Li Hao blinked. What... was this? "Our top boss... is called that?" Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "What of it? In those days, names like that were perfectly common." Fair enough. *Yao Si... sounds like 'want to die.'* Not a very auspicious name. Holding the official order, Li Hao felt quite delighted and grinned from ear to ear. A promotion! Heavenly Star Vice Governor-General. Of course, after witnessing so much, Li Hao did not think much of the titles themselves. Whether it was the Inspectorate or the Bureau of Military Law, they were all thoroughly corrupt. Still... free money—why refuse it? He regarded the Nine Departments as hypothetical enemies; accepting wealth delivered by the enemy was a sheer delight, was it not? The car began driving away. *** Inside the Chief Director's office building. The old man walked over to the window once more, gazing into the distance with an indescribable expression. Heavenly Star Vice Governor-General! Hou Xiaochen was quite amusing, apparently dead certain that he would approve it. Li Hao's rank was certainly sufficient. Never mind Vice Governor-General; he could even serve as Governor-General. Of course, that would require the signature of the Inspectorate's Director, whereas a deputy post could be settled by an internal decision. Where were they heading now? Ever since Hou Xiaochen arrived in Heavenly Star City, he had spent nearly all his time here. Yet the moment Li Hao showed up, he was taking him out... for a meal? Where would they dine? Don't tell him they were going to Nine Dragons Pavilion! "Getting more and more interesting!" The old man chuckled, no longer bothering to dwell on it. *** The car exited the Night Patrollers headquarters and drove toward the end of the road. The end of Nine Departments Avenue. The Nine Departments were laid out like an eight trigrams array, except there were nine of them, resembling long dragons. Nine Dragons Pavilion sat at the confluence of those nine dragons... where the imperial palace stood! Indeed, Nine Dragons Pavilion was situated right beside the imperial palace! Hou Xiaochen kept his eyes forward and remarked casually, "Nine Dragons Pavilion is a place where high-ranking figures of the Nine Departments dine and make merry... Of course, that's just how it's described. In reality, it's where the Nine Departments keep watch over the Imperial Family. Only prominent figures go there. "It sits right by the imperial palace. Looking out from its heights, one can even see inside the palace grounds. "Nine Dragons Pavilion has nine floors... The ninth floor is reserved exclusively for department heads." Li Hao nodded. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Then who opened Nine Dragons Pavilion?" "Hahaha, now that hits the nail on the head." Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "Nine Dragons Pavilion... was opened by the Imperial Family!" Li Hao was stunned. Were they out of their minds? Opening a venue just to let others spy on them? Yet thinking about it from another angle, it was quite clever. Since they knew the Nine Departments did not trust them, they offered reassurance: *I'll open Nine Dragons Pavilion myself so you can rest easy. Come and watch me! Watch as much as you like!* "Is the Imperial Family very strong?" "Yes." "Then eighty years ago, why did they..." "I don't know." Li Hao was a little surprised. Was there really something Hou Xiaochen did not know? Hou Xiaochen said calmly, "Eighty years ago, I wasn't even born yet. How could I know such things? Why the Imperial Family declined... who can say? Why the Nine Departments rose to power, nobody knows for certain either. Perhaps only those nine department heads and the Imperial Family know the truth." Li Hao nodded and continued, "Those prominent figures from the Nine Departments wouldn't go to Nine Dragons Pavilion every single day, would they?" "At least five days out of ten!" "How carefree." Hou Xiaochen could not even be bothered to reply. He called that carefree? Well, if he thought so, fine. The car continued forward. Nine Departments Avenue was quite long, stretching all the way to its end... In the distance, a colossal edifice came into view. Inconceivably massive! It was the Heavenly Star Imperial Palace. Yet it appeared somewhat gloomy, its sparse lights flickering like will-o'-the-wisps. While other areas blazed with illumination, the palace seemed exceedingly dim. Nine Dragons Pavilion was not inside the palace grounds, but just outside, near the palace's eastern gate. There stood an antique, tower-like pavilion. It seemed somewhat out of place. Originally, only the imperial palace sat at the center of the Nine Departments; the addition of Nine Dragons Pavilion made the layout appear somewhat strange. At this moment, that pavilion was ablaze with light. Li Hao opened his Dharma Eye and peered into the distance. With that single glance, his eyes narrowed. A great deal of supers! And they were all powerful. Those were only the supers. How could the major figures of the Nine Departments not know the drawbacks of supernatural energy? Perhaps many of them still practiced martial arts, or like Hou Xiaochen and the others, had traversed the supernatural path first before returning to martial arts. If Hou Xiaochen and his peers could do it, there was no reason the big shots of the Nine Departments could not. In that case, one would have to draw close to see them clearly. Right then, Li Hao's brow furrowed. A small mirror materialized in his hand. He possessed two mirrors: one obtained after killing Qiao Feilong back in Silver City, which seemed still unsealed, and the other obtained from the Duke's estate, which appeared to be merely a fragment. At this moment, the mirror fragment from the Duke's estate trembled faintly. Frowning, Li Hao glanced in all directions. Someone was monitoring them! Or rather, monitoring this car. That did not matter; what mattered was... it was likely another fragment of the mirror. Li Hao swiftly tucked the fragment away. Understanding dawned. Something similar must exist in this area. If that were the case... He looked toward the imperial palace. That meant someone inside the palace was monitoring them in the same manner. Interesting! Could the Imperial Family have built Nine Dragons Pavilion specifically to monitor those people? Moreover, the sensation felt much more concealed. This suggested that the Imperial Family's mirror fragment might be larger and more potent, which was why Li Hao had barely sensed it, whereas at the Duke's estate, he had felt it clearly. *Do the Nine Departments know about this?* Li Hao thought to himself. At the Xu family estate, he had seen the surveillance display—it was crystal clear, capturing even sound. Did that not mean every move made here could be known to the other party? The Nine Departments might not actually know. Otherwise, with so many people visiting Nine Dragons Pavilion, word would have leaked out somewhat... Of course, as far as the Nine Departments were concerned, they might also be deliberately spreading false information. Even before entering Nine Dragons Pavilion, Li Hao could already feel the gloom and mutual scheming pervasive in Heavenly Star City. In the back seat, Hou Xiaochen glanced at Li Hao. Li Hao sent a voice transmission: "Someone is watching us." Hou Xiaochen was not surprised and replied aloud, "Normal. Whether it's the Nine Departments or the Imperial Family, they can't afford to ignore the movements of powerful experts. When my car rolled out, it naturally drew attention." "Don't be too confident, Director. Speaking out loud like this might get you overheard." Hou Xiaochen smiled. "It's not that exaggerated. If that were truly the case, I would sense it." "What if it's a fragment of the Heaven-Peeping Mirror?" Hou Xiaochen paused, taking a long moment before answering, "Unlikely... An imitation fragment, perhaps. The genuine Heaven-Peeping Mirror, according to ancient texts, was omnipotent and unimaginably powerful, capable of peering across the entire world with ease... Even a fragment would not be something present-day people could control and wield." Li Hao was somewhat surprised that Hou Xiaochen actually knew about it. "That object you just brought out—it's a fragment, isn't it?" "Yes." "Put it to good use," Hou Xiaochen chuckled. "Refining it might be impossible for others, but you might manage. If you can refine it... it would be quite useful for eavesdropping and surveillance." Li Hao said nothing. He had tried, but unfortunately it had not worked. The thing seemed to be a purely inert fragment, devoid of spirituality. There was no refining it to speak of. Amid their idle chatter, the car pulled up in front of Nine Dragons Pavilion. Instantly, several female supers at the entrance stepped forward with radiant enthusiasm to open the doors. All of them were supers! Li Hao's gaze flickered. Quite lavish, though understandable. What kind of place was this? The very heart of the realm! For a Nine Dragons Pavilion run by the Imperial Family to entertain major figures, mere Lunar Nether and Solar Flare supers were plentiful. "Director Hou's presence brings light to our humble establishment..." As the words sounded, a woman around thirty years old stepped forward. She was not overtly seductive, exuding instead a pure yet capable air. Usually, purity suggested naive simplicity, but this woman gave off an impression of razor-sharp competence. A very distinct temperament! The moment the car door opened, she offered a gentle smile and a greeting. When her eyes fell upon Li Hao, a trace of bewilderment showed. *With that outfit... what kind of eccentric is this?* Hou Xiaochen said nothing. The three of them stepped out of the vehicle, and the driver drove off. Li Hao looked around, somewhat envious. So wealthy! At the entrance, large divine energy stones were actually being used as light bulbs. They emitted faint wisps of mysterious energy, exceptionally pure, granting anyone who arrived an immediate sensation of refreshing comfort. In front of the small pavilion grew various grasses. Li Hao looked closely... Every single stalk radiated an aura of energy. They could probably be counted as natural treasures. Hou Xiaochen, as if having seen it all before—even though this was his first visit as well—paid no heed to these details and said directly, "Find us a place to eat." "Certainly. Director Hou, this way!" The woman maintained her smile without further chatter. The security guards and doormen outside were all supers as well, and now each of them bowed low. Ahead, crystal doors were quickly pulled open. A massive foyer unfolded before their eyes. A few people were waiting in the foyer—drivers, secretaries, or lower-ranking officials of the Nine Departments waiting in line to dine and enjoy themselves. When the doors swung open, the crowd froze. Seeing Hou Xiaochen, everyone was stunned. The next moment, several officials from the Nine Departments who had been sitting sloppily immediately straightened their postures. Members of the Inspectorate and Night Patrollers rose directly to their feet. "Greetings, Director Hou!" Hou Xiaochen gave a faint nod, looking straight ahead as he continued walking. Meanwhile, Li Hao leaned on his small cane, wearing his top hat, glancing around with a faint smile. His eccentric attire quickly drew the attention of quite a few people. Chief Steward Yu could not help transmitting her voice: "Why are you dressed like this?" It felt thoroughly embarrassing! "Don't you think it's very elegant?" "I..." Chief Steward Yu was speechless. Elegant? It looked ridiculous! Chief Steward Yu could not be bothered to say more. Li Hao, however, remained immersed in his own world. Wasn't it handsome? Whether it was handsome did not matter... What mattered was that this made it convenient to draw his sword. He couldn't very well run around with a sword strapped to his back, could he? Besides, this allowed him to nourish his blade on the sly. He had already made up his mind: he would dress like this from now on. Only by dressing this way and holding the Starry Sky Sword disguised as a cane could he draw his weapon at a moment's notice while constantly nourishing it. His Sword Nourishing Technique had yielded little result so far, solely because he had nourished it for too short a time. And he couldn't walk around brandishing a sword, could he? How wonderful this was! Ahead of them, the woman leading the way remained enthusiastic and spoke up. "Director Hou, there are two dining areas. The second floor has more guests, while the seventh floor is quieter and features private dining rooms. Director Huang and the others usually prefer to dine on the seventh floor..." "What about the ninth floor?" Hou Xiaochen asked. The woman's smile did not falter as she continued, "The ninth floor has dining spaces as well, but only nine private rooms. All of them have been reserved on a permanent basis." Nine rooms! Needless to say, they were reserved by the heads of the Nine Departments. Hou Xiaochen smiled. "Are all nine department heads here today?" "No, five rooms are currently vacant. Would Director Hou like to use one?" The woman did not stop him, keeping her smile intact. "However, should those esteemed guests arrive... we might have to trouble Director Hou to yield the room, which might make for an unpleasant dining experience. The view on the seventh floor is actually quite similar." "To the ninth floor!" Hou Xiaochen said with a faint smile. "The ninth floor is better, with a superior view. We'll take the room reserved by the Department of Finance." The woman's expression changed slightly. "What, is the head of Finance here?" "No..." "Then that settles it!" The woman seemed to deliberate for a brief instant before regaining her smile. "Very well, Director Hou, please follow me." Department of Finance! Li Hao mused internally, thinking of a person: the Rising Light youth who had been killed by Qi Gang and the others back then was said to belong to the Liu family of the Department of Finance. The group stepped into the elevator. In the foyer below, the people had clearly overheard. None of them were deaf, and who among those who came here lacked strength? At this moment, many faces turned pale. What was Hou Xiaochen trying to do? Snatching a private room reserved for a head of the Nine Departments—what was wrong with this man? "Too arrogant!" Among the crowd were members of the Department of Finance. With grim expressions, they quickly exited the foyer. This matter had to be reported immediately. This was no longer about a dining room; Hou Xiaochen was staging a deliberate provocation. Was he mad? In the eighty years since the Nine Departments were founded, they had always been the symbol of inviolable majesty. Yet Hou Xiaochen was so brazen... directly taking over a private room at Nine Dragons Pavilion, and specifically demanding the one reserved by Finance. This was utterly shocking! *** Inside the elevator. The cabin ascended smoothly. Hou Xiaochen did not appear to feel anything amiss. Just having a meal and taking a private room—was that not allowed? Beside him, Li Hao was equally unbothered, asking curiously, "Excuse me... miss, how much does a meal here cost?" "..." The woman's smile turned slightly stiff. In all her years working here, this was the first time anyone had asked her that question. *How much does a meal cost?* Though dumbfounded, she replied after a moment, "It depends on what the esteemed guests order. At the low end, a single divine energy stone; at the high end, hundreds or even thousands..." Li Hao gasped. "Are you joking? One divine energy stone can be traded for a thousand units of mysterious energy. One unit of mysterious energy sells for a million star coins on the black market, if I recall... If you actually converted a divine energy stone into money, that's a billion... Well, granted, hardly anyone would trade it like that, but a single stone is undeniably priceless... And you're telling me a meal here costs that much at minimum?" "..." Silence fell over the elevator. The woman simply wanted to say: *Your math is wonderful, truly impressive...* The smile on her face was almost impossible to maintain, but she forced it to stay. "Esteemed guest, Nine Dragons Pavilion is no ordinary establishment. As you have seen, mysterious energy radiates everywhere here. On the ninth floor, there is even life energy present..." "The Spring of Life?" "Yes... Of course, it's merely faint traces of energy emanating from the Spring of Life, which is why our esteemed guests find it so satisfying..." "*Hiss!*" Li Hao drew a sharp breath. "Then eating on the ninth floor must be even more expensive?" "Naturally... Under normal circumstances... it starts at a hundred divine energy stones." Li Hao clicked his tongue. That was the bare minimum. By that calculation, the nine rooms alone would bring in at least a thousand divine energy stones a day. Factoring in the other eight floors... wouldn't this place pull in three to five thousand divine energy stones a day? And that was based on minimum spending. Under normal circumstances, wouldn't it be over ten thousand a day? Heavens above! Li Hao calculated for a moment, then asked, "How many years has this place been open?" "Eighty years." "And when did you start accepting divine energy stones?" *Are you conducting a census?* The female manager's smile was practically cracking! Stiff as a board. "About... about ten years now." "Does your annual revenue reach three million divine energy stones?" The female manager cast a pleading look toward Hou Xiaochen. Who was this person? His subordinate? What was he trying to get at? Hou Xiaochen acted as if he had heard nothing, even turning his head away from Li Hao and the others. Li Hao looked surprised. "Is it confidential?" "No..." "Then does it?" "No... it doesn't." The female manager was close to breaking down. Her hospitality skills were top-tier; no one had ever complained about her, and she always answered whatever was asked. But this person... was an absolute oddity! This was the first time she had ever encountered someone like this! She had no choice but to say, "The revenue isn't that high—around a million stones a year. But... we don't actually make a profit. We need to purchase various treasures, and divine energy stones are heavily consumed, along with all sorts of natural treasures..." "So there's at least a ten percent profit margin, right?" Li Hao calculated. "That means an income of at least a hundred thousand stones a year. Over ten years, that's a million stones... Do you hand that over to the Imperial Family, or keep it in your own reserves?" "..." The female manager's face drained of color. What was that supposed to mean? Could it be... that he was planning a robbery? Where was this? This was the heart of the Nine Departments, the outer perimeter of the Imperial Family! Someone was actually asking her about Nine Dragons Pavilion's treasury reserves... Her composure crumbled completely. Only after a long pause did she manage to say with difficulty, "The esteemed guest's question... is beyond my ability to answer. That is not under my purview." As she spoke, the elevator doors opened. Instantly, she hurried out ahead of them, appearing thoroughly flustered. So oppressive! Li Hao, meanwhile, stroked the small mustache on his chin. *There's definitely a reserve!* At least a million stones in profit. He just didn't know whether it had been sent to the Imperial Family. Even if it had... Never mind, he was only daydreaming. The next moment, he asked again, "We can charge this to an account, right?" "..." "Yes, you can!" The female manager practically ground her teeth. "Director Hou can charge it to the Inspectorate's account... though there is a... limit on the quota." "How much can be charged?" "A year... one thousand stones!" Li Hao was astonished. That much? "What about an ordinary provincial governor?" "Five hundred stones." "A Senior City Inspecting Commissioner?" "One hundred stones," the woman answered, adding, "This is restricted to the Heavenly Star City Inspectorate system." Oh! Li Hao calculated in his head, then looked at Hou Xiaochen and grinned. Between the three of them, they could charge sixteen hundred stones... Hou Xiaochen was utterly exhausted! *Just destroy it all!* *Wipe this fellow out!* "Let's eat first. We'll talk about that later!" Hou Xiaochen walked briskly toward one of the private rooms. Chief Steward Yu quickly followed. On this ninth floor, aside from a grand foyer, the other nine private rooms were each practically independent halls. Four of them appeared to be occupied. Four department heads were actually dining here. Li Hao's heart stirred, and he glanced toward the occupied rooms. The next instant, a sharp, pricking pain stabbed his eyes, forcing him to shut them immediately. *Holy hell!* Quite a few formidable experts! More importantly, that might not even be all of them; if any were pure martial masters, he would not even be able to see them. *** Meanwhile, inside the other private rooms. Someone glanced toward the corridor, brow furrowing slightly. Another person gazed out the window at the imperial palace below, not even turning his head, his tone utterly placid: "Go see who came up. Did they bring a Heavenly Eye cultivator? What are they trying to do?" "Yes, sir!" Someone quickly took the order and left. Li Hao, who had always succeeded with his sight, had not expected that a single glance would be detected so swiftly. That had never happened before. Ahead of him, Hou Xiaochen's voice reached his ears: "Don't go looking around recklessly. I only brought you here to have a look and familiarize yourself, not to stir up trouble. If you want to cause trouble, fixate on one target... If you stare down several at once, are you trying to get me killed?" Li Hao understood. It seemed Hou Xiaochen had set his sights on the Department of Finance! Still... *could you tell I was looking at others?* Old Hou seemed to have grown stronger! In the past, whenever Li Hao looked at him, Old Hou had never reacted like that. The next moment, the group entered a grand hall—the so-called private room. Taking a single look around, Li Hao inhaled sharply, then inhaled again. *This is a private dining room?* *This looks like an imperial palace!* A faint aura of life energy surged forth, and in an instant, Li Hao felt so comfortable he nearly groaned. What a marvelous place! This money was truly well spent!