The Hour Has Arrived

Li Hao was back. When this young man—who had only arrived in Heavenly Star City a few days prior—suddenly returned after rumors claimed he had fled, it felt as though something had been ignited in an instant. The numb and impassive populace seemed... somewhat jubilant. They didn't even know what they were rejoicing about. They didn't know what kind of outcome they wanted. The slaughter of the nobility? They had no idea. Toward the nobles, they felt anger, hatred, and a degree of numbness. The nobility was the heavens above them, and so were the powerful. In truth, they were not particularly interested in clashes between supreme experts; at most, they treated such matters as idle gossip over tea. Yet today, for some reason, a spark of joy stirred within them. Though uneducated and barely literate, at this very moment, they felt a touch of happiness, an undercurrent of excitement, a genuine delight... an exhilaration that kept them from falling asleep. Even in the imperial capital, right at the foot of the emperor's city. Among the tens of millions of ordinary people, few could actually read. Years ago, when schools were still being established, things had been decent. But after the rise of supernaturals twenty years ago, massive numbers of schools had been shut down. Five years ago, another wave of schools was closed. Nowadays, very few of the new generation received an education. Why were they happy, then? *** In the slums. The north wind wailed through an empty courtyard with almost no furnishings. Drafts whistled through the cracked window frames, bringing bone-chilling gusts inside. A bonfire crackled at the center of the yard. Several dozen children huddled close around the flames. The frail and short Yuming put on the posture of an old pedant, shaking his head knowingly. "You don't know why everyone is happy, do you? When I went out to buy a sweet potato today, the old granny selling them gave me an extra one! She didn't even know why she was in such a good mood... but she gave me an extra one anyway!" "Yeah, yeah! Just now, Liu Pockmark next door gave me one too. He would never have done that before!" "Right! Today I pulled a handcart for a customer. Usually he pays fifty cents at most, but today he gave me a whole dollar!" "..." The children were full of excitement. They didn't understand why, but today, so many people seemed joyful, almost as if the New Year were approaching. Why was that? If only every day could be like this. Yuming bobbed his head. "This is called awakening! A subconscious awakening!" The young boy spoke with precocious solemnity, carrying himself like a little adult. "We know our lives aren't very good, but why is that? We live right at the foot of the imperial city. There are so many rich people here, and opportunities, money, and wealth are everywhere... So why are our lives still so hard? Why are we so numb, living like the walking dead?" A child eagerly chimed in, "I know! Because we aren't nobles!" "I know! It's because we have to become Heaven-Blessed Godly Masters!" "Heaven-Blessed Godly Masters aren't as strong as nobles!" another child argued. "I saw it last time—Ah Shan from the next street became a Heaven-Blessed Godly Master, but now he drives carriages and holds the reins for nobles! If I were a noble and you were a Heaven-Blessed Godly Master, you'd still have to hold my horse!" "No way! I'd learn the Demon Sword and kill you!" "You wouldn't dare!" "Yes I would!" "..." The children's bickering interrupted Yuming. Yuming sighed, but he wasn't angry. A smile touched his face as Yuqi, sitting beside him, roasted a sweet potato and handed it over. "Don't buy them next time. The roasted ones are very expensive. We can roast them ourselves—why waste money?" Yuqi looked quite cross. Yuming nodded hastily, but murmured, "The granny selling sweet potatoes is pitiful. Winter is coming, the wind is freezing, and she can't sell many a day. She still has two grandsons to feed. Her son went on a business trip the year before last, got caught in a supernatural battle, and died out there. Her daughter-in-law ran off, so she has to support the whole family selling sweet potatoes." Yuqi had a sour look, but hearing this, she thought for a moment before conceding, "Still, you can't buy them every day... every three... every three days you can buy one!" With that, she suddenly added, "Tomorrow... if Governor-General Li kills... kills those people tomorrow, you can go buy one then!" Yuming broke into a smile and nodded. Then he whispered, "Older Sister, you've gone to school. Do you know why everyone is so happy?" Yuqi rolled her eyes. "How should I know?" Even as she said it, a fleeting spark of secret joy lit up her expression. "Because someone finally dares to kill them! To pass judgment on them! They oppress ordinary people, and they block and seal off every path forward for us, refusing to let us see any hope... Now, someone is smashing that hierarchy, breaking their monopoly..." She paused there. Glancing at her younger brother, she sighed softly. "Actually... I know there's no real hope. It's just a beginning. But... it's still worth being happy about. He didn't run away, did he?" Yuming nodded, then whispered, "If he didn't run... he's going to die." Yuqi's body stiffened. In that instant, tears welled in her eyes unbidden. If he didn't run, he was going to die. Those words caught like a fishbone in her throat, filling her with unspeakable sorrow. It was as if she could already see blood soaking the ground. As if she could see Li Hao's corpse hung high, could see his eyes filled with profound sadness... Yuqi shook her head violently, then suddenly smacked Yuming hard on the head! "Stop talking nonsense!" Her voice was shrill, startling the surrounding children into looking over. Yuming clutched his head, terrified to utter a peep. Seeing the others staring, Yuqi snapped fiercely, "What are you looking at? Keep looking and I'll beat you all!" No one dared to make a sound. Thinking their voices were too low for Yuqi to hear, some children whispered among themselves, "Sister Yuqi is so fierce, just like a noble!" "Nonsense, what noble would live with us..." "True!" "..." Yuqi said nothing more, only rubbing her brother's head with a touch of reproach. "Don't jinx it next time!" Yuming nodded frantically. Having taken a slap from his sister, he shrank back, thoroughly chastened. As Yuqi rubbed her brother's head, she gazed off in a certain direction. He... wouldn't die tomorrow, right? She didn't know who to ask; the thought simply lingered in her heart. *** Night Patrol Headquarters. Li Hao didn't care what outsiders thought. At this point, he was neither noble nor grand. Everything he had done in recent days was for his own conscience, for martial arts, and to vent his outrage at injustice. Salvation? That was not yet within Li Hao's considerations, for he knew it was too distant, too difficult. He was merely a martial artist. He could not usher in a new era, nor could he achieve too much. The only thing he could do was raise this sword and cut down injustice—even if the weeds would grow again with the spring breeze, even if the next time might be more rampant and outrageous. No one truly understood what Li Hao wanted to accomplish, because Li Hao couldn't put it into words himself. It was simply that the blood of the martial world had not run cold! I am a martial master, a wanderer of the rivers and lakes. When injustice blocks the path, someone must clear it. If others cannot do it, if they lack the strength to clear it, then I will! At this moment, Hou Xiaochen sat across from him. Chief Steward Yu sat off to the side, listening in silence as though witnessing something monumental. She felt solemn, struck by a sacred sensation... akin to the transfer of leadership between martial alliance leaders. Yet Li Hao and Hou Xiaochen entertained no such notions. Li Hao produced the official seal Xiao Ye had just delivered. Xiao Ye had seemed very excited, but Li Hao hadn't said much. He set the official seal right before Hou Xiaochen's eyes. Hou Xiaochen merely looked at it, then shifted his gaze to Li Hao, waiting to hear what he had to say. "Tomorrow, Director Hou must not intervene!" Hou Xiaochen's expression shifted slightly. Li Hao said calmly, "Naturally, if the situation turns favorable, then intervene! But if it proves impossible—if I, Li Hao, fail, if I cannot kill them all and am powerless... what difference does it make if a few more people throw their lives away?" "The Martial Guard Army is still inside the city. Therefore, as long as there is no hope and the enemy forces are overwhelming, Director, keep your head down and bide your time. Once you return to Silver Moon, our day will come sooner or later!" Hou Xiaochen quietly lifted his teacup, taking a sip without a word. Li Hao looked straight at him. "I owe you a favor, Director, and I don't want to incur another. I cannot repay these debts; debts of gratitude are hard to settle. I do all of this because I belong to the martial world, whereas you do not! If you are an official, be a good official. The people of the martial world have their own code. My master said that for martial masters of the Jianghu, if you don't listen to me, I kill you! Being an official isn't supposed to be like that!" Hou Xiaochen remained silent. Li Hao took up the seal. "This is an order from the Night Patrol!" Hou Xiaochen let out a soft laugh and said quietly, "You really are an interesting fellow." "Not really." Li Hao smiled as well. "It's just that the Martial Guard Army still has a thousand men, all of them Silver Moon martial masters. Their strength is too weak. If the cause is lost, why send them to their deaths? If the spirit remains, we fight another day. As long as the Jianghu endures, martial masters will never die!" Hou Xiaochen smiled. He studied Li Hao for a long time. "When do you think... there will be hope?" "When I have truly severed the heads of those people and hung them upon the city gates, when Divine Power dreads me and the Nine Departments step aside... then you may join the battle, Director!" "You rascal... By then, wouldn't there be nothing left for me to do?" "Hard to say." Hou Xiaochen chuckled. He looked at Li Hao, his brow knitting slightly as though pondering something. After a long moment, a touch of confusion crept into his voice. "On you... there's a different feeling, a certain change... Why?" "Did your strength improve?" He asked again, still somewhat perplexed. Li Hao gave him a peculiar sensation, like thunder and torrential rain, like howling wind and surging waves. It was a feeling difficult to describe. At this moment, Li Hao wore his armor, having never taken it off. Hearing the question, he smiled. "Good eye, Director. Without some improvement, how could I dare be so brazen? For a martial master, strength is the foundation!" Hou Xiaochen looked thoughtful. He scrutinized Li Hao a few more times, then said after a moment's consideration, "Do not absorb too many divine energy stones. If you take in too much and cannot digest it, it won't do you any good." He could faintly sense divine energy leaking from Li Hao. He had perceived it. Yet he did not let his thoughts wander any deeper. For no other reason than it being impossible. At Li Hao's stage, why would he ever break his supernatural locks? He had boundless prospects. One could say that in the world today, Li Hao might be the first martial master to step completely and fully into Divine Power combat strength. He required no transition period, no recovery period; he was a Divine Power martial master in the truest sense. Why would such a martial master destroy his own future? Moreover, Hou Xiaochen did not sense any potent power of the five elements, which further kept him from suspecting the truth. He assumed that Li Hao, overly eager for success, had absorbed too many divine energy stones, leading to an accumulation of undigested divine energy. Li Hao laughed and nodded. "I will, don't worry. Director, then it's settled. If the battle is hopeless, let it go. I'm not an idiot. If it really comes to that, I'll run. Even if I flee, they won't easily catch me—I still have the Wind-Chasing Boots." "Fine." Hou Xiaochen nodded, though only he knew what he was truly thinking. "Then I'll head to the back courtyard to see if the list of nobles is ready." Li Hao stood, taking the official seal with him as he departed. Once he was gone, Chief Steward Yu stole a few more glances in his direction. Hou Xiaochen gave a soft laugh. "Still looking?" Chief Steward Yu felt slightly embarrassed, but quickly composed herself. "Director, Li Hao said... well... tomorrow..." "I will weigh the circumstances," Hou Xiaochen said softly. "He says what he says, and I will do what I do. As for the Martial Guard Army, natural arrangements will be made. Rest assured." "Understood." Hou Xiaochen pondered a moment, then added, "I'm worried he was too hasty in seeking progress. Yuan Shuo's path of Spirit Accumulation and Spirit Merging might not be entirely perfected yet. For Li Hao to show signs of leaking divine energy is not a good omen. It means divine energy has pooled within him faster than he can assimilate it." Chief Steward Yu's expression changed abruptly, and she asked cautiously, "Could he... have severed a supernatural lock?" Hou Xiaochen thought about it and shook his head. "That shouldn't be the case, nor is there any need. Unless he severed six of them, it wouldn't grant him much of a boost; instead, it would devour his inner strength and drive him completely out of control! I sensed no power of the five elements, only a faint trace of lightning power." "That's a relief!" Chief Steward Yu breathed a sigh of relief. That was good. Just as Li Hao had said, he could still run away. There was no need to gamble everything in Heavenly Star City. If he had genuinely turned to supernatural advancement, Chief Steward Yu would have regretted it to death. "Li Hao has the Wind-Chasing Boots and the Li Family Divine Sword. If the situation turns sour... he should have hope of escaping, right?" "He does." Hou Xiaochen nodded again. Even if he didn't, he had to. In reality, if the Nine Departments truly intended to deal with him, they would certainly take that into account as well. The Wind-Chasing Boots could shake off Transmutation, but... they could not outrun Divine Power. Of course, there was no need to speak of that. Hou Xiaochen said no more on the matter. "I'll rest for the night. And don't just lose yourself in happiness. Usually, when serious business is scheduled for the next day, you prepare a good meal. Why hasn't there been one tonight?" Chief Steward Yu froze. That was right! She had forgotten all about it tonight! Li Hao had just returned in awe-inspiring fashion. Although killing a Rising Light was nothing extraordinary—the Director could easily do the same—seeing him fight his way back had made her a little giddy... Well, then. She stood up. "I'll go cook right away. Director, just wait a short while!" "Go on!" Hou Xiaochen nodded contentedly, settling back to await his feast. Chief Steward Yu opened her mouth to say something, but held back in the end. What she had wanted to ask was... should she prepare a portion for Li Hao as well? After some thought, realizing the Director had seemed a bit off recently, she decided against it. *** In the back courtyard. A great number of nobles were thoroughly dispirited by now. Huang Long and his faction had gone into hiding, several deputy directors had fled, and Zhou Chao had been killed... All of this had dealt a massive blow to their morale. Especially now, when they were about to vote. To pick one hundred people! Although everyone believed they wouldn't actually be executed—after all, wasn't everyone outside voicing their opposition?—still... what if they really were killed? Who wasn't afraid of dying? "I don't agree to voting like this!" someone shrieked. "This vote is unfair! I say it must be an anonymous ballot! Otherwise, people will be terrified of retaliation. Miss Mu, say something! Is an open vote fair?" They were about to vote now. In truth, the pool of candidates was quite small, because outside preparations had provided a three-hundred-person roster. The hundred people would be chosen from these three hundred. People like Mu Xiaorong were certainly not on it. This was a list drawn up through discussions and compromises among the nobles outside. Who would dare place someone like Mu Xiaorong, the direct daughter of a Department Director, on such a list? And now, a hundred had to be selected, so those outside had left the decision to those inside. They had even comforted them, saying it made no difference. It was merely for show, just going through the motions. They would never actually allow Li Hao to succeed. Yet... for those whose names were on the list, who wouldn't be terrified? Especially when someone proposed making the selection on the spot by calling out names and having people raise their hands to vote... Wasn't that an outright invitation to offend people? Who would do that? Naturally, those with the most prominent backgrounds would be safest, while those with weaker backings would be doomed! Mu Xiaorong frowned slightly. She also felt an open selection was ill-advised, as it could easily sow division. She nodded. "An anonymous ballot is fine. After all, this is just going through the motions; there's no need for everyone to worry so much." The noble who had raised the objection sighed in relief. Otherwise, a minor figure like him could easily end up on the list. Now, with an anonymous ballot, people might not even know his name. He knew these nobles well—in secret, they probably wished every single person with greater power and status would be selected! Such was reality! Out in the open, no one dared vote against them; behind closed doors, they wished nothing more than for these powerful, high-status figures to drop dead. The only reason Mu Xiaorong and her ilk weren't selected was because they weren't on the roster to begin with. Otherwise, those top-tier nobles would have garnered the most votes without a doubt. As they spoke, someone's body suddenly froze. A moment later, people turned their gazes outward, freezing one after another. Li Hao had arrived! Li Hao appeared entirely calm as he strode inside, looking at the crowd. "Is the list ready?" Mu Xiaorong's expression shifted slightly. She stood up. "Almost." "Hurry it up." Li Hao reached out, grabbing one of the men. "Give me a copy of that three-hundred-person list you received! I'll call the roll on the spot. Whoever is voted in to be killed... we'll see whose vote count earns them a spot on the list." Mu Xiaorong's face changed slightly. "Governor-General Li, we have already reached an internal decision..." Li Hao fixed his gaze on her. "I make the calls here. Say one more word, and you go on the list!" Mu Xiaorong frowned, but promptly held her tongue. She told herself it was just going through the motions, nothing to be afraid of. Even so, a faint unease gnawed at her. The man Li Hao had grabbed dared not speak. He hurried to pull out a list and hand it over. Li Hao swept his eyes across it. The roster was rather intriguing. Beside each name were notations detailing family, faction, noble rank, and official position. It was laid out clear as day! Even the families were categorized by power, such as Rising Light and Three Suns clans, or as vassal clans—for example, affiliates of the Nine Departments' Liu Clan, subordinates of the Nine Departments' Chen Clan... The classifications were surprisingly intricate. He scanned it from top to bottom: three hundred names in total. Some were powerful, some weak. The weakest was merely the descendant of a centurion from the Military Law Department. Could a centurion's son afford to live lavishly on Four Seas Island? Li Hao felt a strange amusement. A centurion... held very low rank. At least in this era, such a person wouldn't even count as a noble. Without a title of nobility or genuine authority, could one truly be considered an aristocrat? A petty centurion's son had actually gone to squander money on Four Seas Island. Had he gone as an attendant? After looking through the entire document, Li Hao seemed somewhat dissatisfied; they were mostly peripheral figures. Yet he said nothing of it, asking instead, "Where is the evidence?" The crowd looked toward Mu Xiaorong. Seeing Li Hao look her way, Mu Xiaorong felt a twinge of nervousness. "It's with me... but the list must be finalized first..." Li Hao stared at her. "Hand it over!" Intimidated though she was, Mu Xiaorong repeated, "The list must be determined first. Once the hundred people are confirmed, I will give it to you..." "One!" "I—" "Two!" The next instant, a thick dossier appeared in Mu Xiaorong's hands. Li Hao reached out and snatched it away, ignoring Mu Xiaorong's furious glare as he flipped it open to read. "Wu Yu, father Wu Hao. Deputy Chief of the Ninth Section of the Eastern Division under the Five Directions Division of the Administrative Department..." It began with identity details. Li Hao scanned it; the background was fairly ordinary. Below were records of offenses. "In the 1721st year of the Star Yuan Calendar, Wu Yu raped and murdered a young girl. When the dumped body was discovered, Wu Yu beat the eyewitness to death. Afterward, under the pretext of stealing classified secrets and colluding with Feitian, he had the young girl's reporting parents arrested and imprisoned in the Penal Department's cells. Three months later, the couple died in prison..." Li Hao read on. This Wu Yu seemed to have a particular perversion. All his cases followed the same pattern, each involving young girls. Some victims had died, some lived. Those who kept quiet generally survived, but anyone who reported him or confronted him ended up dead—and not just one or two, but whole families caught in the fallout. Early on, people still dared to file reports. Later... no one reported anything anymore. Reporting meant going either to the Penal Department or the Inspectorate. Both paths yielded the same result: keep silent, and the issue remained manageable; the moment an official record was made... entire families were wiped out. A deputy section chief under a sub-division of the Administrative Department's Five Directions Division was roughly equivalent to a low-ranking City Inspecting Commissioner in the Inspectorate—a post Li Hao had held long ago, as had Chen Jin and the others. Wu Yu's status wasn't particularly elevated. And even that was merely his father's position; he himself was nothing more than an idle loafer. Yet here, he had seemed capable of blotting out the sky with one hand! How fascinating! Li Hao read with a smile, though it held not a shred of warmth. He looked up at the crowd, smiling. "Which one is Wu Yu?" Among the crowd, a somewhat frail, pale-faced young man—not yet thirty—raised his hand nervously, looking thoroughly pitiful. "Governor-General Li, it's me..." Li Hao gave a slight nod and smiled. "Not bad!" The records began in the year 1721, nine years ago. He had already been doing this back then, when he was only around twenty. Wu Yu didn't know whether this "not bad" was genuine praise or something else. Praise seemed rather unlikely, didn't it? Li Hao continued reading, paying them no further attention. He went through them one by one. In truth, Wu Yu was not the most vile; compared to certain others, his deeds were merely a drop in the ocean. These people held modest official ranks and moderate status, yet when it came to committing atrocities, each seemed to outdo the last. A chiliarch of the Military Law Department had once led a thousand-man regiment under his command to eradicate a merchant guild alleged to have secretly backed the Three Great Organizations, massacring every single person in the guild—roughly a thousand lives in total. Yet now, the materials in hand revealed there had been no collusion with the Three Great Organizations at all. The merchant guild had been wiped out simply because its guild master had inadvertently obtained a Yellow Rank Origin God Armament. Somehow, word had leaked... and there was no afterward. After the deed was done, the chiliarch hadn't monopolized the Origin God Armament; he had auctioned it off, handing over seventy percent of the proceeds while keeping only thirty percent for himself, thereby escaping any punishment. Even this had been recorded in meticulous detail. Li Hao was genuinely curious. Had the people providing this evidence and documentation gone mad, or did they assume Li Hao would never have the chance to read it, wouldn't bother to read it, or would never have the opportunity to leak it? "Where is Zheng Liang of the Military Law Department?" In the crowd, a middle-aged man—carrying an air of authority yet looking somewhat bedraggled—raised his hand. A chiliarch! As for his strength, Li Hao checked: early Three Suns. It seemed he commanded no ordinary troop, but an elite unit; otherwise, finding a chiliarch with Three Suns strength would be exceedingly rare. He was among the highest-ranking figures on this three-hundred-person roster. Li Hao smiled. "You're not bad either!" Zheng Liang said nothing, his eyes narrowing slightly. He desperately wanted to know what was written in that dossier. Because that file had only been entrusted to one person: Mu Xiaorong. No one else had the authority to view it. Li Hao quickly finished reading the materials. Three hundred people didn't take up too much text, as each entry was merely a brief summary without exhaustive detail—one page per person. With his formidable divine intent, he finished reading in about half an hour. Exhaling softly, Li Hao chuckled. "Let's not limit it to a hundred. We'll make it all three hundred. That saves you from having to vote, squabble, and cause friction. After all, it's just going through the motions. Tomorrow, there might not even be a Li Hao anymore, right?" He laughed, then looked toward Mu Xiaorong. "Why don't these documents bear the official seals of the Nine Departments?" Mu Xiaorong's face changed slightly. "Is... is that really necessary?" What was Li Hao playing at? "Forget it, then. It's fine." Li Hao chuckled. "I'll go find Huang Long and have him stamp it. That will count as the Night Patrol agreeing to their executions! That settles it. Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, we will all head out together. Those to be executed walk in front, and those who aren't walk behind..." Someone asked with utmost vigilance, "Governor-General Li, didn't you say you would spare the rest of us?" Tomorrow, an earth-shattering battle was likely to erupt; who would want to go? As for those on the list... they were just unlucky! Whether anyone could protect them was hard to say, but some were bound to be caught in the collateral damage. The others had no desire to accompany them. Li Hao chuckled. "No worries. I will have the Martial Guard Army escort you. Your people will be present, and mine will be present. Even if someone truly moves against me... I won't drag you into it. When I give my word, it's cast in iron!" Hearing that the Martial Guard Army would escort them, the crowd breathed a sigh of relief. That... seemed acceptable. And Li Hao truly had no intention of involving them in the crossfire. For no other reason than... letting them die cheaply to collateral damage would be doing them too great a kindness! *** Paying them no further heed, Li Hao headed straight for the office building where Huang Long was stationed. At this hour, the building was ablaze with lights. When Li Hao reached the foot of the building, the Night Patrol members on duty blanched. Someone called out in a shrill voice, "Greetings, Governor-General Li!" Upstairs, a window was pushed open. Looking down at Li Hao with a grim expression, Huang Long stood by the sill. Li Hao laughed and pulled out the thick document. "Put your stamp on it. The Night Patrol approves the execution of these individuals; the evidence of their crimes is conclusive!" Huang Long said coldly, "Don't push your luck!" He actually wanted him to stamp it? Li Hao bared his teeth in a grin. "Are you stamping it or not? Huang, if you stamp it, tomorrow remains my own affair. If you don't, then right here and now, it becomes an affair between you and me!" Huang Long's eyes flashed with venom. This was an extortionate threat! A naked threat. Li Hao's insolence was appalling! Inside the Night Patrol headquarters, Li Hao had cursed and humiliated him time and again. After this was over, even if Li Hao died, Huang Long would likely become the laughingstock of the city. And yet... he consented anyway, his tone icy. "Bring it here!" The document flew upward! The next moment, Huang Long produced his personal seal and slammed it down. A faint ripple of divine energy radiated outward—this was a specialized seal that could not be forged, representing absolute authority. The document flew back into Li Hao's hand, a faint residual resonance leaking from it, which Li Hao casually crushed. He looked up at Huang Long with a laugh. "Childish!" "..." Huang Long's expression darkened and twisted. Without looking back, Li Hao strode away. "Tomorrow, the Night Patrol's senior leadership will accompany me. This is a monumental event for the Night Patrol, one to establish our authority. Huang Long, you must attend as well. Watch closely and see how I decapitate them!" "No need for you to tell me!" Huang Long sneered. "I will naturally be there!" Of course he would go! If he didn't, how could he watch you die? If this madman Li Hao did not perish, how could Huang Long ever hold his head high in the Night Patrol again? Li Hao didn't bother replying, continuing on his way. Ahead, three figures blocked the path. The saber-wielding man looked at Li Hao with conflicted eyes. "Governor-General Li, killing a few people changes nothing..." Li Hao fixed him with a frigid stare. "Not killing them changes even less! You think this way, he thinks this way—and that is why this world will forever remain shrouded in darkness! The three of you will never understand what a martial master truly is!" "Because... you were never martial artists to begin with! Martial masters cultivate the heart; supernaturals cultivate power! Whether martial master or supernatural, the distinction lies not necessarily in power, but in the heart. If a supernatural lacks heart, they can forget about ever ascending to the pinnacle!" After that sharp reprimand, Li Hao barked, "Out of my way!" The three silently stepped aside. Once Li Hao had walked away, the three stood in silence. Martial masters cultivate the heart; supernaturals cultivate power. And Li Hao had said that the difference between supernaturals and martial masters was not necessarily strength, but the heart. They had merely wished to offer a word of dissuasion—not out of malice, but from genuine goodwill. Looking at everything Li Hao had done, they felt a heartfelt admiration, yet they also knew it was a road of no return. Knowing dissuasion was futile, they had made an attempt anyway. And yet... Li Hao had rejected their goodwill and scolded them to boot. All three were older than Li Hao, yet right now, they felt an unbearable sense of shame. The spear-wielding man watched Li Hao's receding back. After a long silence, he murmured, "The spear travels straight; better to seek truth in the straight than compromise in the crooked..." "Old Spear, you..." The spearman said nothing, merely staring in the direction Li Hao had gone, sinking into deep contemplation. In the way of the spear, nine out of ten who cultivated the weapon were upright men; most were straightforward souls. Without righteous integrity, mastery of the spear was impossible. Old Spear seemed to be wrestling with his thoughts before turning to leave. Big Eyes and the saberman hurried after him, a bad premonition gripping their hearts. Big Eyes gritted her teeth and whispered, "It's no use, Old Spear, that's suicide! Divine Power is invincible; at this stage, Divine Power is an insurmountable existence... He's gone mad. Don't be like him. If there's only one Divine Power, there might still be hope... If there are two, it's certain death. If there are three... he won't even have a corpse left to bury!" If three Divine Power combatants arrived, Hou Xiaochen's intervention would be utterly inconsequential; death would be absolute. On Li Hao's side, Southern Fist, Hou Xiaochen, Yang San, Jade Rakshasa, Golden Spear, Qin Lian, and Black Panther were all factored into everyone's calculations. Southern Fist and Hou Xiaochen possessed the highest combat strength, yet neither could match a Divine Power. A single Divine Power might be enough to deal with both of them. Li Hao, Black Panther, and Yang San were next in line, and one Divine Power would suffice for them as well. As for the rest, no matter how many there were, they could not withstand a single Divine Power realm combatant. Therefore, should three Divine Powers appear, Li Hao and his circle were doomed. Given the resources and methods of the various major institutions and departments, they would never be careless in their attempt to slay Li Hao tomorrow. Having reached this stage, anyone who still underestimated him would be an utter fool. There might be even more! Nervous and flustered, Big Eyes sent a mental transmission: "Every faction wants him dead. Aside from the Inspectorate, whose stance remains ambiguous, all eight other departments want him dead. Even the imperial family does. Outside, the Three Great Organizations, the Seven Sacred Mountains—aside from Sky Sword Mountain—and even the City of Supernaturals will get involved! Everyone will also account for Silver Moon martial masters coming to reinforce him—like Northern Fist, Tyrant Saber, and Yuan Shuo, who are relatively close. While the Silver Moon homeland is far away, those in proximity might make it in time... not to mention the Sky Sword..." Big Eyes swiftly laid out the analysis for the spearman. "Taking all these factors into account, tomorrow's forces against Li Hao might... not just be three Divine Powers. Five, six, or even more are entirely possible!" She was frantic. "Old Spear, don't throw your life away. Don't go mad along with him, alright?" The surging heat in the spearman's chest gradually went cold. After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh and said no more. Big Eyes breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of preparations the various factions had made to crush the Silver Moon cadre tomorrow, or whether veteran department directors would personally step forth to slaughter Li Hao. If so, ninety-nine percent of those figures had already stabilized their realms; after all, the immense wealth of the Nine Departments was no fiction. When it came to foundational heritage, even the Three Great Organizations might not match the Nine Departments. After all, the Nine Departments had been established for eighty years, whereas the ancient ruins had existed for tens of thousands of years. The absence of supernaturals in the past didn't mean there were no ruins. Many conflated the two, but when supernaturals awakened, the ruins... awakened alongside them. *** That night, no one could sleep. The entire Heavenly Star City seemed enveloped in a sleepless night. Across the Heavenly Star Sea, Huang Yu gasped for breath, utterly exhausted as he finally arrived. He had made it at last! Even for him, sprinting tens of thousands of li had pushed him to his limits, leaving him visibly gaunt. "I'm here!" Huang Yu looked toward the Heavenly Star Sea and let out a laugh. How could Silver Moon not take part in such a momentous affair? I have arrived! *** Less than a hundred li from Huang Yu. Yuan Shuo stood beside Jade Light Sword, gazing across the Heavenly Star Sea toward the sleepless city on the opposite shore. His face held no smile, only murderous intent. "This disciple of mine... his ability to stir up trouble is second to none in this world!" "And yet... I bloody well love it!" Overcome with heroic fervor, Yuan Shuo threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Tomorrow, if he does not run, I will help him slaughter every foe!" Heroic ambition surged within him! Yet Jade Light Sword looked profoundly solemn. "Stop boasting. When Divine Power arrives... how can your half-baked Spirit Merging stand against them?" Yuan Shuo gritted his teeth. "No matter, I have preparations! Don't underestimate me—I only get stronger when facing stronger foes!" The next instant, he laughed boisterously. "Jade Light, my disciple... how is he?" Jade Light Sword remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly, "A true hero and champion." As someone of the martial world, she held immense respect for such a gallant figure. In her eyes, Li Hao was no member of the Night Patrol, but a heroic champion of the Jianghu. Such a man deserved the title of hero! If the Roster of Thirty-Six Heroes were to be redrawn, Li Hao would firmly occupy a spot in the top three! "Hahaha!" Yuan Shuo laughed wildly! This was the greatest praise he could hear. His disciple's name would be etched upon the Roster of Heroes; his disciple commanded the respect of the Seven Swords! In all this world, among all Silver Moon martial masters, who would dare say his disciple was unworthy of the Roster of Heroes? "One sect, two champions! Five Animals stands supreme!" Yuan Shuo laughed as he strode across the sea. I have come! Jade Light Sword said nothing. She was still weak, yet... she had come as well. Yuan Shuo had told her not to come, but Wu Hongshan had thought... perhaps this would be the first and last time in her life she would see Li Hao, see that Demon Sword, the eighth swordsman of Silver Moon whom she had never laid eyes upon. How could her heart rest easy if she did not come to witness it? And so, she came. A swordsman—a Silver Moon swordsman—even when marching toward death, should do so with grander flair than anyone else! Striding over the water, heroes gathered in droves. At this moment, across the sea, they were not the only ones. From other directions, experts soared through the air or sprinted across the waves, converging on Heavenly Star! All martial masters under heaven hail from Silver Moon! We, the martial masters of Silver Moon, are here to shake the heavens—to see him through, to fight alongside him! *** Inside Heavenly Star City, restlessness churned. Outside the North Gate, the silence was absolute. Gradually, the sky began to brighten. It seemed as though countless people had spent the night awake, waiting. Dawn broke. The early risers abandoned their usual clamor, moving and working in hushed silence, casting frequent glances toward the north. At that moment, massive projection screens rose across various parts of the city. People looked up... and saw the North Gate reflected upon them. *** Inside Nine Dragons Pavilion. The female manager looked toward the north, and then toward the massive screen erected inside the pavilion. Right now, numerous officials from the Nine Departments and members of the imperial nobility were gathered here, watching. The hall buzzed with agitated murmurs. "He must be killed, swiftly and brutally!" Someone gnashed their teeth, hissing in a low voice. Li Hao, you deserve to die! Clearly, members of their families were on the list—the three-hundred-person roster Li Hao had taken. The female manager silently observed them. Does killing Li Hao truly warrant such joy? Don't those on the list deserve death anyway? Which of them would dare claim to be innocent? She offered a self-deprecating smile and pushed the thoughts aside. Yet... her blood surged, and she silently prayed: Kill them! Li Hao, kill them all! Let the people of Heavenly Star know that no matter who commits a crime, the outcome is the same! *** On this day, the eyes of the entire city converged on the Night Patrol headquarters, fixed upon the northern district. And Li Hao, clad in armor and gripping his long sword, began to move. Over a thousand troops of the Martial Guard Army escorted more than two thousand nobles. The remaining thousand-odd people were left behind; they were merely service staff from the island and the colosseum, and bringing them served no purpose. A procession of more than three thousand people took no vehicles, simply marching out of the Night Patrol headquarters on foot. They stepped onto Nine Departments Avenue. "The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office is enforcing the law! Clear the way!" With a thunderous roar, Mu Lin advanced at the head of the army holding a massive shield, his shout resounding in every direction! Thousands of people set foot upon the grand avenue, marching toward the northern part of the city. The nobles covered their faces, thoroughly humiliated, wishing they could devour Li Hao alive. Li Hao... was parading them through the streets for all to see! Damn him! *** "Damn him!" "He deserves to die!" "Bastard!" At that moment, furious roars erupted from various quarters. Li Hao had gone mad; he was actually parading thousands of nobles through the streets! That wretched scoundrel—if not for their prior arrangements, they would have charged out to butcher him right this second! *** Along the avenue, the long procession advanced swiftly toward the north of the city. Li Hao appeared entirely at ease. Chuckling, he mounted Black Panther's back. On this day, the entirety of Heavenly Star City bore witness to this Governor-General Li riding an enormous dog—the Demon Sword Li Hao, the barbarian from the north.