Nine Departments Avenue, Criminal Law Department Avenue.
The Demon Hunt Army moved in.
Outside, profound silence reigned as if the entire city had fallen dead. Only inside the Department of Criminal Law was there a murmur of commotion.
In the back courtyard of the department, powerhouses had gathered.
All yamens of the Nine Departments operated with administrative offices in the front and private residences in the rear. Naturally, the Hu family of the Department of Criminal Law consisted of far more than just Hu Xiao and his son; they were a large clan.
Hu Mingfa had died abruptly, and Li Hao had taken over the department in the blink of an eye. With their vast estates and numerous kin, the Hu family had possessed no time to evacuate.
Thus, at this moment, the rear courtyard was packed with members of the Hu clan.
An octogenarian leaned forward on trembling legs, trailed by several hundred downcast, shell-shocked relatives who looked toward Li Hao and his entourage.
The old man wasted no words. The moment Li Hao entered, he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground, quavering, "A sinner of the Hu clan pays his respects to the Governor-General! Hu Xiao and his son deserved death ten times over; the Governor-General was fully justified in executing them... However, the rest of the Hu family is innocent..."
Li Hao cast his gaze over the crowd. There were over a hundred of them, spanning the aged, the young, and small children.
All of them were as quiet as cicadas in winter.
He looked down at the old man. "Who are you?"
"The younger brother of Hu Xiao, and at this moment... the patriarch of the Hu family!"
The old man let out a heavy sigh. "Years ago, my elder brother slew a dragon, and the Hu family rose to prominence. Alas, his ambition outstripped his strength, and he was seduced by an ancient demon. Unable to resist the monster's temptations, yearning for longevity, my brother fell into the demon race's trap... He permitted the world to plunge into lawlessness. That he perished... was only what he deserved."
He raised his head to look at Li Hao. "Now, both my brother and Mingfa are dead. The Governor-General is benevolent, and young children bear no guilt... The other members of the Hu family enjoyed the shelter of my brother's shade; even if they were to die, they would have no regrets... But within the Hu family, there are seventeen children under the age of ten... I beg the Governor-General to show mercy!"
Thud!
The old man prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing for clemency.
Winners were kings, while the vanquished were bandits.
With both of the Hu family's greatest powerhouses dead, the family had already fallen into ruin. The Nine Departments had abandoned them, and even the founder of the Military Law Department had merely instructed Li Hao not to kill indiscriminately anymore. The Hu family knew then... that the Hu family of the Department of Criminal Law had completely bowed out from the struggle for supremacy.
Although about half of these hundred-odd people were supernaturals, and a few were even at the Rising Light Realm... how could such strength hope to challenge Li Hao?
What use was Rising Light?
The old general had just been slain outside, and they all knew he had been the last Divine Power Realm powerhouse loyal to the Hu family. He had gone out knowing he would die, yet in the end... he had failed to draw out even a single veteran Silver Moon martial master.
The old man kneeling before him was no weakling either. He possessed early Rising Light power, though he was decrepit with age. In the outside world, he would still count as an overlord.
Yet here, he was no different from an ant.
Li Hao simply looked at the assembled crowd. Piteous though the old man seemed right now, in ordinary times, he had likely been unbearably haughty and overbearing.
"Director Zhou!" Li Hao called out calmly.
Director Zhou walked forward from behind, glanced at the kneeling crowd, and said softly, "The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office was founded upon the law. Everything should be handled strictly according to the law. Whether the Hu family is guilty or innocent will be determined through legal process. Currently, the legal framework is incomplete, and Heavenly Star's laws must be reassessed and newly codified... Yet the law cannot divorce itself from human compassion... Governor-General, the women and children of the Hu family may be settled in a separate courtyard, provided with meals, and restricted in their movements."
He continued, "As for the able-bodied men of the Hu family, detain them first and investigate them thoroughly. Those found guilty will be punished accordingly, while the innocent will be released immediately! The Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office will neither wrong a single innocent person nor spare a single guilty one. All property of the Hu family will be confiscated by the state, for it was amassed through the corruption and graft of Hu Xiao and his son..."
Li Hao listened for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Proceed as you have outlined!"
Up front, the old man breathed a sigh of relief and kowtowed once more. "Thank you, Governor-General, for your mercy!"
Defeat in the contest for the realm normally meant the extermination of all nine familial relations.
Now, only Hu Xiao and his son had died, and though another batch of people whose misdeeds were uncovered would likely be executed in the days to come... compared to their anticipated total slaughter, this was far better.
"Guards, take them away!"
Soon, soldiers of the Demon Hunt Army entered and escorted the detainees out.
The old man of the Hu family was the last to walk out. Approaching Li Hao's side, he hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "Governor-General, in the back courtyard lies a passage leading to the ruins. All Nine Departments possess such passages... The ruins belonged exclusively to my brother and his son; no one else could enter... I do not know if there was a key or some other mechanism... Now that my brother and his son have perished, the rest of the Hu family can no longer enter..."
Li Hao nodded slightly without saying much.
He already knew that each of the Nine Departments controlled a crucial ruin, perhaps even more than one, though they were not necessarily nearby. Within each department's headquarters, there was usually an entrance to a ruin, which was the very reason the Nine Departments had been constructed in this manner back then.
Of course, the reality was that they had been built by the Heavenly Star dynasty—nine princes flanking and guarding the imperial family!
As for why the nine princes had adopted such a layout of nine prince manors... it was likely related to the ruins as well.
Li Hao surmised that the ruins in the vicinity of Heavenly Star City might form one vast, unified whole!
In ancient times, this place must have been a magnificent metropolis. Although Battle Heaven City was officially called Heavenly Star Town, its garrison alone numbered a hundred thousand, so it was certainly no ordinary town.
The subterranean expanse beneath Heavenly Star City might very well be an entire ruins complex.
Yuanping Martial Arts University was in the outskirts, relatively farther away.
As for why they were so close together... Li Hao reasoned that they probably had not been so near to each other back then. With the subsequent upheavals of heaven and earth, these ruins—at least Battle Heaven City was capable of expanding and contracting—had gradually converged under the shifting of seas and lands.
The members of the Hu family were all escorted away.
The rear courtyard gradually quieted down as the Demon Hunt Army began sweeping and searching the grounds.
Li Hao looked toward the depths of the rear courtyard. If there were ruins here... then there was a monster plant.
The Hu family...
He recalled the monster plant that Hu Mingfa had summoned earlier. Of the seven great monster plants, what had Hu Mingfa produced? It had looked rather like a coconut tree.
Probably so.
It truly looked like a massive coconut palm.
At that moment, Director Zhou silently stepped closer and murmured, "The ruins of the Nine Departments are rather unusual. Among all the various ruins, their monster plants awakened relatively early and are among the stronger ones. They might have some connection to the imperial family's ruins."
Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't an early awakening mean weaker strength?"
Normally, the weak awakened faster.
Director Zhou chuckled and softly replied, "That holds true for Silver Moon... but this is Heavenly Star. It's not quite the same."
"Why?"
"On the Silver Moon side..."
Director Zhou pondered before explaining, "On the Silver Moon side, powerful beings require too much energy, which was in short supply, whereas the weak required very little and could barely get by. Hence, the strong awakened late. On the Heavenly Star side, energy was abundant. The stronger an entity was, the more easily it could absorb energy, so they awakened relatively early."
It was linked to the massive energy mine!
Li Hao understood.
He nodded slightly.
So that meant the monster plants of the Nine Departments might have awakened as early as eighty years ago?
That early?
How strong were they, really?
In any case, what had appeared before was only an avatar, so he had not been able to gauge much.
According to the martial divisions of the ancient civilization, above the Peak Realm lay the Immortal Realm, and above the Immortal Realm was the Great Sage Realm. Could these monster plants compare to the black armor?
Director Wang and his peers appeared to be only at the Peak Realm.
Could it be... that these monster plants were all stronger than Director Wang?
Li Hao felt some doubt.
Of course, without seeing them in person, it was hard to say.
Moreover, he could not rashly enter the ruins right now. If there were still Hu family powerhouses inside, coupled with the true body of the monster plant, that would spell trouble.
He felt that the Hu family had more than just these few powerhouses.
Could they have suppressed the world for eighty years with merely Hu Xiao and his son?
With just the Heaven's Punishment Army?
Under normal circumstances, factions like these maintained an elite force dedicated exclusively to exploring ruins, mostly consisting of martial masters. Even the Xu family of the Duke of Dingguo had one; it was said the Xu family's ruins were Star Suppressing City, a sacred land of the ancient civilization, though none knew if it was true.
Before Xu Qing died, he had even invited Li Hao to explore it with him.
Li Hao looked toward the rear courtyard and mused, "Over on the Nine Departments' side, every family has a divine weapon guarding their foundations... Yet none of the directors we killed had one, except the one from the Commerce Department, who put up the Floating Sword as collateral... The rest merely carried ordinary divine weapons, nothing like those self-operating weapons from before..."
The Hu family had lacked one as well!
Hu Mingfa had not brought one either.
Only the veteran director, Qian Wanhao, had carried a Floating Sword—supposedly forged by Lü Zhen—though whether it was truly the Nine Departments' ultimate heirloom weapon remained unclear to Li Hao.
Back when he killed Hu Xiao, the Nine Departments had deployed several divine weapons that were extraordinarily potent, even triggering the Starry Sky Sword.
Yet this time, when killing Hu Mingfa, he had seen no such weapon.
He truly lacked key intelligence regarding the Nine Departments. The imperial family had provided him with a dossier on the Nine Departments, but it omitted all such secrets, offering only rudimentary details.
And now, they certainly would not furnish Li Hao with top-secret intelligence.
As he spoke and Director Zhou prepared to reply, Li Hao suddenly looked back toward the administrative quarters.
In an instant, a somewhat furtive figure materialized not far away.
In the blink of an eye, several figures surrounded the newcomer.
Hong Yitang wore a faint smile, Hou Xiaochen crossed his arms, Sky Sword arrived a beat later, and Southern Fist and Bright Sword swiftly rushed over shortly afterward...
The figure looked shadowy and ghostly, his expression fraught with gravity.
These fellows... had terrifying perception!
Li Hao remarked coolly, "Since you have already come, Director Chen, why act so furtively? You are, after all, one of the contemporary overlords of the world."
"Impressive!"
Chen Yao chuckled. "Indeed, this place is already a dragon's pool and a tiger's den. I was merely testing the defenses of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office... It seems they are excellent!"
Inwardly, however, he drew a sharp breath.
He was by no means weak; in fact, he was formidable.
Ever since Li Hao and his company fought that major battle, every faction had desperately pushed their cultivation, and he had raised his strength to the level of three-element divine power. Yet infiltrating this place with such strength, he had been detected in the span of a breath.
And not even by Li Hao!
That was truly alarming.
Had Sky Sword and the others all stepped into the three-element tier?
Chen Yao almost felt like cursing. Were they really this wealthy?
Truly, even he had felt immense heartache when pushing to three elements, having spent millions of divine energy stones and traded for drops of the Spring of Life to stabilize his realm.
For people of their caliber, breaking through was feasible.
However, each breakthrough required divine energy stones first, monster plants second, and thirdly depended on whether one's mysterious energy, inner strength, vitality, and physical body could keep pace.
Otherwise... relying solely on the Spring of Life was useless.
Every advancement took an exorbitant toll.
Could those impoverished Silver Moon bumpkins really advance this quickly?
It defied expectations.
After all, even if Li Hao had seized so many treasures, they could hardly be converted into personal strength so fast, could they?
Keeping these thoughts to himself, he said impassively, "Li Hao, you are about to establish your governor-general's office. I feared there might be things you do not yet understand. How about a chat?"
Li Hao smiled.
The Chen father and son... were quite intriguing, typical fence-sitters.
To call them corrupt, the Inspectorate certainly had its share of graft, though it was not thoroughly rotten to the core, yet it was by no means clean.
To call them good, the pair had lent a hand last time, and currently, the Inspectorate was the only body that still managed mundane civil affairs and criminal cases, barely holding things together.
They were the quintessential sort who would not do an ounce more than required, nor an ounce less, as if doing a fraction more work would kill them.
His evaluation of the Inspectorate... boiled down to a single word: mediocre!
Just like Chen Yao's father, they were utterly mediocre.
Neither high nor low, neither leading the pack nor trailing behind.
In front of them were the two senior directors, and behind them were others holding up the rear.
Their authority was not the greatest, but neither was it the least.
Their strength was not the foremost, but neither was it the weakest.
People like this... frankly, often seemed awkward and irritating. Never standing out, never lagging behind, they carried an air that made it hard for anyone to genuinely like them.
"Director Chen is too polite!"
Arriving so furtively—it was truly... beyond words.
Nevertheless, Li Hao did not mind talking with him. He had never formally communicated with this man before and wanted to hear what his purpose was in coming here.
"Let's find a casual spot to sit. I am visiting this place for the first time myself and am not too familiar with it."
Li Hao strolled toward a lakeside pavilion. The rear courtyard was truly spacious, complete with an artificial lake and a pavilion in its center. The cold wind howled at this moment; had there been a brazier, some barbecue, and a bit of wine, it would have been quite pleasant.
Chen Yao glanced at the figures encircling him. "Gentlemen... could you give us some room?"
Why were they still hovering?
The martial masters smiled and vanished in an instant.
Coming and going like ghosts, each possessing formidable prowess, they put Chen Yao under immense pressure. These Silver Moon people were progressing far too swiftly.
...
Inside the lakeside pavilion.
There was no conversation by a warm hearth, no piping-hot tea, and certainly no barbecue—only the shrieking, icy wind.
The chill wind swirled around Li Hao before gradually dying down.
As if before the progenitor of wind, the biting gale naturally parted around Li Hao.
Li Hao sat down, and Chen Yao took a seat across from him.
Only now did Li Hao clearly observe the director of the Inspectorate for the first time. He looked relatively young, around forty years of age, though appearance meant little. Somewhat lean and not particularly tall, he exuded a casual, insolent demeanor reminiscent of a street delinquent.
Chen Yao felt rather uncomfortable and uneasy.
Sitting face-to-face without tea or wine was genuinely awkward.
"Does Governor-General Li drink?"
"A little would be fine!"
"Wonderful!"
Chen Yao beamed. With a wave of his hand, a jar of wine appeared before him. Unsealing it, he let an enticing aroma waft through the air.
He produced two white jade cups, sliding one across to Li Hao.
Seeing that Chen Yao was about to pour, Li Hao smiled faintly. A mist of water manifested in his palm, instantly washing over the cup and cleansing it thoroughly...
Chen Yao's expression stiffened slightly.
Was that... any way to treat a guest?
Was he showing disgust, or what?
Without a word, the wine flowed like a water dragon, pouring into Li Hao's cup.
Chen Yao lifted his own cup and took a small sip. Only then did the atmosphere feel less strained. He opened, "Does Governor-General Li know how the Nine Departments were originally founded?"
"Not in detail. The histories contain some records: over eighty years ago, when the common folk were plunged into misery, nine great sages arose. Among them were court officials, figures of the martial forest, and military commanders... Discontented with the imperial family's tyranny, they overthrew the previous Heavenly Star King, forced the imperial house behind the scenes, established the Nine Departments, and inaugurated the era of the Nine Departments..."
Chen Yao nodded slightly. Regarding Li Hao's sarcastic tone when saying "great sages," he took no offense, merely chuckling: "Truth be told, if you asked those centenarians whether life was better eighty years ago or now... you would have your answer."
Li Hao nodded. "I have never denied the Nine Departments' contributions. Even back during my days in Silver City, I heard about them. When I arrived in White Moon City and people mentioned the Nine Departments, I once remarked that they had done well! Only later did I realize... I had thought too highly of them. It is all the same! It appeared better on the surface, but in reality, it was even darker."
Chen Yao fell silent for a moment before continuing, "At the outset, the Nine Departments truly wished to shatter feudal rule, rebuild a flourishing dynasty, ensure peace for the populace, and foster national prosperity. But later, we discovered... there was no way!"
"No way?"
Chen Yao nodded. "Truly no way... especially after the rise of supernaturals, it became entirely impossible! Beings from the ancient civilization stirred up trouble, local overlords threw their weight around, the Three Great Organizations, the Seven Sacred Mountains, monster races everywhere, regional warlords, pirates across the four seas... none of them could be reined in."
He sighed. "Tell me, if that were all, it might not have come to this; the Nine Departments still possessed strength. However... the crux lay in the fact that the imperial family had only barely been subdued back then and never ceased scheming... What could the Nine Departments do?"
"In the end... we simply let the broken pot smash. We survived one day at a time, prepared to break the status quo and start anew from scratch. Sometimes, destroying and rebuilding is far easier than making repairs."
"This dynasty was rotten at the roots from the beginning, and the Nine Departments could not completely suppress it... We could only patch things up as we went, until finally, everyone reached a tacit understanding... let this dilapidated house collapse entirely. Smashing it to rebuild might very well prove easier."
Li Hao drank a cup of wine without speaking. Perhaps there was truth in that reasoning, but... since the Nine Departments thought that way, why cling to power until now?
Why not simply dissolve early on!
Occupying the post without fulfilling its duties, taking up the latrine without moving their bowels—they were far more abominable than Yao Si.
Chen Yao smiled. "Fine, seeing your expression, you clearly aren't interested in this! Then I'll tell you something you do want to hear. In truth, up to this point, the greatest enemy of the Nine Departments remains the imperial family!"
He continued, "The old Heavenly Star King never actually died back then. Nor were the ruins only discovered in recent years... Ruins existed long ago; it was just that most monster plants and beasts had not yet awakened back then. You likely know a bit about the Heavenly Star Army—the armor from the ruins that the imperial family later used to form the Black Armor Army."
"Eighty years ago, the nine founding directors of the Nine Departments suppressed the Heavenly Star King, suppressed the nine princes of the time, slaying some and wiping out others, while shattering several commanders of the Black Armor Army... Yet the old Heavenly Star King still escaped into the ruins with a remnant force."
"From then on, a tug-of-war unfolded between the two sides... We wished to annihilate them completely... but we could never manage it. Entering the ruins was difficult, for one, and the enemy was exceptionally powerful, not to mention the intervention of ancient demons... Eighty years ago, while ancient demons had not fully revived, fragments of their spirits lingered. Though not as formidable as they are today, they were still beyond our ability to match."
He looked at Li Hao. "Thus, both sides were forced to compromise. The old Heavenly Star King abdicated, passing the throne to the current king... Yet the imperial family refused to remain dormant, and several disruptions occurred along the way... The greatest disruption happened twenty years ago with the revival of supernatural power. The old Heavenly Star King reaped vast benefits within the ruins and staged a comeback... During that clash, the Nine Departments' directors paid an immense price to break him and suppress him, thoroughly sealing him away using nine divine weapons combined with Star Suppressing supreme skills..."
"Yet they still could not kill him. The monster plant backing him had awakened substantially twenty years ago, and at the critical juncture, it hauled him back using origin power... That monster plant likely intends to use the imperial family's identity to reap greater benefits and swiftly recover... With the imperial family acting as its proxy, it will not permit their destruction."
Chen Yao spoke at length, and Li Hao listened attentively throughout.
After a moment, Li Hao asked curiously, "Then what is the current situation?"
"Currently, the old Heavenly Star King remains hidden inside the ruins. He is sealed; if he wishes to break the seal, he must step outside the ruins. So long as he stays inside, he cannot break it..."
Chen Yao explained, "What bound him back then was a unique seal technique among the Star Suppressing supreme skills: the Nine-Word Suppression Method, infused with the essence blood of the nine founding directors and the power of divine weapons... Thus, when several veteran directors moved against you last time... he saw an opportunity, attempting to breach the ruins and shatter the seal, only to be suppressed once more..."
"However, now that you have slain Hu Xiao and Qian Wanhao... that seal has likely loosened somewhat."
Li Hao nodded, then asked, "Why are you so terrified of him breaking the seal and emerging?"
Was there truly a need?
What would happen if they simply let him out?
Why let things reach this state, where the top powerhouses of the Military Law Department and Administrative Department dared not act freely and had to keep their eyes fixed on the imperial family, ready to suppress him the instant he tried to emerge?
Chen Yao chuckled. "Because he is too strong."
"Too strong?"
"Yes."
"Stronger than a monster plant?"
"Not quite that far."
Chen Yao explained, "His sheer strength is one reason; secondly, we must prevent him from obtaining further benefits once unsealed. The previous Heavenly Star King is exceptional, possessing immense authority within the ruins... You ought to know how much advantage high authority confers in the ruins. That man... put on golden body armor twenty years ago!"
Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. Golden armor twenty years ago!
Did that not mean... he had attained division commander rank twenty years ago?
"Do you understand now?"
Chen Yao sighed. "The ruins of the Heavenly Star imperial family have actually seen very little development, yet even so, the imperial family has become this formidable. Tell me, how could we dare let that old fellow roam freely? Now that he is suppressed, his status, rank, and strength are useless. The moment he steps beyond the monster plant's umbrella of protection, we can easily detect him and suppress him to death!"
"Hence, both sides are locked in a stalemate. We dare not let him continue gaining authority. If he truly takes full command of the Heavenly Star Army, it will be catastrophic—the entire ruin will belong to his imperial family, all benefits will be theirs, and the Nine Departments can only barely hold on."
Li Hao was still somewhat surprised. "Twenty years ago, when supernatural power had only just revived, martial masters held sway, and the strongest martial master was merely a Thousand-Battler. Back then... how could he have become a division commander?"
It seemed utterly unbelievable!
Chen Yao chuckled. "You overlook one thing. Supernatural power had just revived twenty years ago, that is true! There were few powerhouses, that is also true. But you must understand that back then... whether it was the armored soldiers in the ruins or anything else... they were all in a dormant state. At that time, obtaining authority was actually easier, provided one possessed sufficient strength and luck."
Powerhouses had been scarce, but ancient civilization entities had not fully awakened either. Both sides were on the same playing field. If one could become a division commander today at the Divine Power Realm, then twenty years ago, a Thousand-Battler could have done the same.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? My teacher began exploring ruins years ago, yet I never saw him gain massive benefits."
"It was different... Over in Silver Moon, revival only began twenty years ago after remaining completely sealed. In Heavenly Star City, signs of revival appeared two hundred years ago, likely related to the ancient records noting that this place was the core energy mine of the entire Silver Moon region."
Li Hao understood. So that was how it was.
Chen Yao drank a cup of wine and continued, "That is the reason for the tug-of-war between the Nine Departments and the imperial family. I tell you all this merely to make one point: if you kill several more veteran directors, it will only make it easier for the old Heavenly Star King to break his seal... When that happens, the trouble will be enormous. That is why Qi Pingjiang did not want you to continue killing... In addition, you are too powerful, and he knows that if the Nine Departments wish to kill you, they would have to mobilize in full force... But if the old Heavenly Star King breaks out at that moment, having been suppressed by the Nine Departments for so many years, would he not strike back? Facing trouble on both fronts... it was better to set one aside first."
Li Hao nodded slightly, offering no comment.
Seeing this, Chen Yao had no choice but to add, "Therefore, everyone is currently awaiting the secondary revival. Once the secondary revival occurs, space will stabilize, and everyone will be able to break through. Even if the old Heavenly Star King was formidable before, after the second unsealing, everyone will have the hope of stepping into seven-element divine power, matching the Peak Realm of the ancient civilization... At that point, everyone will stand on the same starting line. Victory will then depend on the strength and number of ancient civilization powerhouses backing each faction."
Li Hao nodded again.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Then why go to Silver Moon?"
Why not simply wait quietly for the secondary revival? Why go to Silver Moon?
He had never understood what benefit going to Silver Moon held for these people and ancient demons.
"Going to Silver Moon... because the ancient beings in Silver Moon, if not dead, have almost none of them fully awakened!"
He hid nothing: "You must understand that for these ancient demons today, they were not the strongest batch back then. The truly formidable ones are all in Silver Moon! For example, if a monster plant swallows the guardian monster plant of Battle Heaven City... it can take a giant leap forward, breaking through its ancient constraints."
"For us, once the ancient demons and ancient cities of Silver Moon fall... it will signify that the entire Heavenly Star dynasty will revive once more. Those ancient cities and ancient powerhouses seal away countless things, making this world increasingly barren!"
"Furthermore, Silver Moon was the center of heaven and earth in that era, holding countless treasures: inheritances of the mighty, martial arts supreme skills, remnants of ancient demons, enlightenment grounds of supreme experts... Only there can we shatter our current shackles... and advance step by step! Only by seizing the moment when revival has just begun, while the ancient beings of Silver Moon are still slumbering, can we attain victory and seize the chance to ascend to greater heights!"
He looked toward Li Hao once more. "Moreover... legend has it that in Silver Moon... one can step out of this world... and enter an even mightier realm! That is the road leading to the ancient civilization, and the Eight Great Families were said to guard that passage. Did you... know about this?"
The Star Gate?
This was not the first time Li Hao had heard of it.
The Eight Great Families guarded the Star Gate, holding the passageway. Perhaps... one could follow the Star Gate to find the ancient human kings and their peers... Of course, in everyone's eyes, the ancient human kings had long since perished, and the ancient civilization was utterly annihilated.
Yet regardless... that was the path leading to higher realms.
Thus, Silver Moon had always been a battleground coveted by all these factions.
Li Hao nodded slightly. "And then?"
"And then?"
Chen Yao was somewhat at a loss for words, forced to spell it out even more plainly: "Therefore, when the secondary revival begins, the first to emerge will not be the ancient powerhouses of Silver Moon, but the monster plants and beasts backing the imperial family and the Nine Departments. They will immediately invade Silver Moon, seizing the remains of experts, devouring origin power, and breaching the Star Gate..."
"So, that is when your trouble will officially begin, and when Silver Moon's catastrophe will truly arrive!"
"At this stage, you have demonstrated your immense strength, so everyone is exercising patience, thinking there is no need for a hard clash when they can simply wait."
He probed, "The reason you can hold off the various factions lies precisely here. But time is running short; the secondary revival should be soon... In fact, Heavenly Star City is the key. Both the Nine Departments and the imperial family know that the secondary revival is likely linked to the massive mine beneath Heavenly Star City..."
Li Hao understood. "Director Chen means that when that time comes, it will be the day of my death?"
"I don't necessarily mean that... but at that point, your best outcome would be fleeing back to Silver Moon! Silver Moon is strong, I know. It has many martial masters, and quite a few veteran martial masters are still alive... Years ago, they stormed Heavenly Star City to seize ruins; many died, but some survived."
"Yet can they... hold back beings that have survived countless ages?"
Li Hao chuckled. "I understand! Director Chen simply wants to ask whether I have someone backing me. Truth be told... I don't. As you said yourself, the powerhouses of Silver Moon can hardly awaken. When that time truly comes, how could I match the monster plants and beasts backing you all?"
"..."
Chen Yao felt thoroughly exhausted. Did this young man truly fail to grasp his point?
"You... you managed to swiftly reach five elements, and from my perception... it feels formidable! I was thinking that if you can step into seven elements before the secondary revival, you would have the qualifications to purge a batch of enemies beforehand. At that time, perhaps you could seek cooperation with some monster plants... such as the Hu family's monster plant. Monster plants actually need our help as well; it would merely be mutual exploitation..."
"Wait, hold on!"
Li Hao interrupted him. "Once monster plants awaken, they are incomparably mighty. Aren't you afraid they will destroy you? What makes you think a monster plant would help you?"
Where did such confidence come from?
Chen Yao laughed. "Since we dare cooperate with monster plants, we naturally possess some assurance. The Origin Dao no longer applies to the Silver Moon lands. Even if a monster plant awakens and devours Origin Dao powerhouses, if it ultimately wishes to leave this world or continue surviving, it must rely on contemporary powerhouses. Therefore... under normal circumstances, we sign a symbiosis pact..."
"What does that mean?"
"Symbiosis!"
Chen Yao explained again, "Just like in the ancient civilization era, such pacts existed: shared life, shared energy, shared Dao... That way, neither side can harm the other."
A symbiosis pact?
Li Hao's heart stirred. He extended his divine intent into his storage ring. "Senior Little Tree, do you know of... a symbiosis pact?"
The little tree trembled slightly. Only after a pause did its spiritual ripples emanate: "You... wish to sign a symbiosis pact with me?"
"No, I'm just asking."
Li Hao was speechless. What was it so afraid of?
I have no desire to sign one with you!
The little tree seemed terrified, which meant such a thing truly existed.
"A symbiosis pact was a special Dao technique devised in ancient times when the human race cooperated with monster plants to prevent betrayal. Both parties signed the pact to achieve symbiosis, depending on each other. Humans gained longevity, while monster plants gained certain benefits from humans—a win-win scenario."
"It was only later that it was gradually abolished."
"Why?" Li Hao asked curiously. Why abolish it?
"Symbiosis pacts had drawbacks. For instance, if one party wished to die... the other would easily be dragged down. If one party was too weak, the other would also suffer. Slaying a weakling could drag a supreme expert into death."
That made sense!
"Furthermore, once a symbiosis pact was signed, interference easily occurred between the human's Dao and the monster plant's Dao... The upper limit was actually not high."
So that was how it was.
Li Hao asked, "Then symbiosis pacts truly exist and are effective, correct?"
"Yes!" the little tree replied, but added, "However, if you ever wish to sign a symbiosis pact with a monster plant, you must exercise caution. Later on, to avoid certain complications, secondary symbiosis pacts were devised. They share only a portion of origin and a portion of life... For example, this avatar of mine could sign one with you... but if something went wrong, only my avatar would perish, not my true body."
Li Hao was inwardly shaken. This surely counted as a secret, yet the little tree had disclosed it!
The little tree seemed to read his thoughts: "I tell you this merely to warn you never to trust a symbiosis pact blindly. If you trust it completely, the other party could gladly sacrifice a portion of their origin to put you to death. Under normal circumstances, however... unless pushed to absolute extremes, no one would do so, as losing origin is a terrible setback, especially in this era!"
Li Hao understood. That was true.
The little tree added, "Besides... you are the successor of the Sword Venerable. If you truly wished to sign one with me, I would not necessarily lose out."
Its implication was practically telling Li Hao: *If you truly want to sign, I could agree. After all, your identity and background are decent, and your talent is fine, so signing wouldn't be out of the question!*
Li Hao was speechless.
I have no such intention!
Across from him, seeing Li Hao lost in thought, Chen Yao frowned. At that moment, Li Hao suddenly spoke up: "Director Chen, so you haven't signed this pact yet, correct?"
"Right."
Chen Yao nodded. "Currently, on one hand, we are too weak, so the monster plants are unwilling. On the other hand, their awakening has not reached its peak. Signing now would burden them; if someone outside died, it would drag them down. But before the secondary revival begins, we will sign, lest the monster plants awaken fully, emerge from the ruins, and immediately turn hostile."
Understood!
No wonder these fellows were not overly worried about being butchered by the monster plants. Yet if the monster plants severed only a portion of their origin to sign, as the little tree had described... if they truly turned hostile, the monster plants would merely lose some origin, while these men would die.
Did these fellows know that?
Perhaps they did, perhaps they did not. In any case, until a critical moment arrived, the monster plants would probably not sacrifice their origin just to kill them.
Li Hao roughly understood Chen Yao's intent now. With a half-smile, he said, "So Director Chen came to me today merely to tell me all this? To warn me to be careful, because once the secondary revival happens, I'm finished?"
Chen Yao frowned at him. "Did Governor-General Li truly not understand?"
Li Hao chuckled. "What do you want me to say? That I can definitely find a massive backer before the secondary revival, or become a supreme expert myself capable of fending off monster plants, or what?"
Chen Yao cursed inwardly. *Exactly! That's precisely what I wanted to hear!*
"You swiftly stepped into five-element divine power... Do you... have a method to bypass certain obstacles and enter seven elements?"
He dropped the pretense and asked directly!
"How would I know!"
Li Hao laughed. "If I truly reach it, I will tell Director Chen then. Otherwise, wouldn't that just be drawing an empty pie in the sky?"
*Right, you won't even bother drawing an empty pie?*
Li Hao smiled. Director Zhou had once said that sometimes dangling an empty promise offered people hope.
Yet... why should I dangle an empty promise for you!
He sought like-minded companions, not simply raw expansion of power. This Director Chen was indecisive and wavering; Li Hao saw through him completely.
He simply wanted to probe whether Li Hao could resolve certain troubles before the secondary revival and find a mighty backer; if so, he would throw in his lot with him.
Yet Li Hao refused to bait him.
Join if you want, leave if you don't!
Sharing so many secrets, recounting the origins of the Nine Departments and the imperial family's trump cards, was merely Chen Yao's way of saying: *Both the Nine Departments and the imperial family will grow instantly stronger after the secondary revival; the enemy is terrifyingly powerful, so do you have any trump cards left?*
*I don't even know if you're friend or foe, so why would I share that with you?*
Chen Yao grew somewhat irritable. Li Hao clearly understood his meaning, and he had already signaled his desire to cooperate, yet Li Hao refused to take the bait. Was he looking down on him?
Chen Yao spoke with a touch of anger: "Governor-General Li, setting the future aside, even right now... the City of Superpowers and the Three Great Organizations pose immense trouble for you. I believe you still need allies. The martial masters of Silver Moon cannot fight for you forever... because Silver Moon itself requires powerhouses to hold the fort."
Li Hao took a sip of wine and chuckled. "So what? As one of the top three major departments, the Inspectorate and your Chen family are powerful. Why hitch yourself to my leaky boat, which could capsize at any moment?"
"I..."
Chen Yao grew exasperated. "Does Governor-General Li lack even a shred of courtesy toward talent? I came with sincerity, so why must Governor-General Li keep me at arm's length?"
Li Hao sat up straight, meeting his gaze. "It is indeed rare for the third department of the Nine Departments to seek ties with me; I never expected it... However, even if I, Li Hao, seek allies, I want those with clear purposes and resolute convictions—not fence-sitters who turn hostile the moment disagreements arise or weaknesses show! Such people are far more dangerous than outright enemies!"
"Are you saying my Chen family is that sort of people?"
"Precisely!"
Li Hao showed no courtesy at all. "In my eyes, the Chen family is exactly that sort! If you truly intended to ally with or submit to me, Director Chen, you would come directly. Skulking about, sneaking around, probing back and forth—it's meaningless."
"I must be responsible for the Chen family and the Inspectorate!"
Chen Yao frowned. "I am not alone! Do you think I'm like Southern Fist and the others, where one person eating fills the entire family? Do you realize that the Chen family numbers a hundred and seventy-six mouths? I have thirty-seven younger brothers and sisters alone..."
Li Hao's jaw dropped. What on earth?
You have that many younger siblings?
Are you kidding me!
Even more prolific than Thunderbolt Leg... no, was your father truly that fertile?
Chen Yao said crossly, "Don't look at me like that, they aren't my children, just younger brothers and sisters! I tell you this to make you understand that cooperation between factions is entirely different from an individual joining you. Southern Fist and his peers need only care for themselves, but what about me? I must consider the future... Otherwise, today's Hu family would be our fate, facing total destruction on a whim. If you truly wish to gain the Chen family's support, you must at least offer some hope... Just like Yao Si—for him to submit to you, you must have given him hope... Otherwise, with Yao Si's character, would he have so easily brought the Night Patrollers into your Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office?"
Li Hao paused, pondering. That seemed fair.
Silver Moon martial masters never bargained, so he naturally disliked this transactional attitude.
Yet what Chen Yao said held some truth. With a massive clan behind him, a wrong alignment would cost the lives of his entire household.
After musing, Li Hao shook his head. "Even so, I can give you no promises. I myself do not know what lies ahead, so how would you have me answer? Lie to you? What purpose would that serve? All I can say is... if you are willing to come, then we will struggle and strive together toward that goal! As for the rest... Director Chen should consider it carefully for himself."
Chen Yao sighed.
Li Hao... to call him honest, the man was truly honest, refusing to compromise even at this stage.
Yet taking this stance made things terribly difficult!
After hesitating repeatedly, Chen Yao said, "Then I have only one condition... If you agree, the Inspectorate will assist you with all its might going forward!"
"Let's hear it."
Chen Yao looked toward the Hu family's rear courtyard, remaining quiet for a long while before speaking: "So long as you can take down the Hu family's ruins—regardless of the method... If you can take them down, the Inspectorate will fully assist you, and the Chen family will not break its word!"
Li Hao smiled, thought it over, and nodded.
That worked!
This would serve as a demonstration of strength. If he could take down the Hu family's ruins, it proved he could do the same to the other families. Whatever hidden trump cards and foundations lay behind him would be revealed. As things stood, the monster plants within the ruins possessed at least Peak Realm power.
If he could deal with them... then all issues would be resolved.
And Li Hao truly had this intention anyway.
Since that was the case... he might as well go with the flow. Whether the other party would truly assist with all their might was irrelevant.
"Deal!"
Seeing him agree readily, Chen Yao's expression shifted slightly, and he added, "Good! In that case... my Chen family is not stingy either. I can first dispatch two Divine Power powerhouses to assist you. Their identities will be kept discreet, serving as a token of the Chen family's sincerity!"
Li Hao chuckled. "So generous?"
"Lest Governor-General Li look down on the Chen family!"
Li Hao laughed. "Fine, then thank you... But let's establish the ground rules beforehand: I don't pay salaries, and when getting things done, my word is law. If they cause trouble, I will kill them without hesitation. What do you say?"
"Naturally!"
Chen Yao said no more, rising to his feet. "Then so be it... I await your good news!"
With that, he turned and left.
Li Hao stood up and saw him off for a few paces before stopping, a slight smile on his lips. This was rather amusing. As for those two Divine Power powerhouses, even if they died, the Chen family likely would not be crippled.
Did he want to see whether his side could resolve the Hu family's ruins?
As he pondered, Director Zhou appeared and murmured, "Why didn't you offer him a bit more hope?"
"The Nine Departments rub me the wrong way!"
Fair enough.
Director Zhou was left speechless, merely feeling that Li Hao still possessed the temperament of the martial forest.
Still, for him to have achieved this much in such a short span was already remarkable; there was no need to be overly critical. If they truly conquered the Hu family's ruins, whether through cooperation or extermination, the Chen family would make the right choice.
"What about the Hu family's ruins..."
"We will discuss it shortly and see!"
Li Hao was also considering it: the ruins definitely had to be conquered!
First, to prevent any remaining Hu family powerhouses from hiding inside.
Second, since the ruins were right there, why not take them? There might be treasures within.
Third, he needed to test whether his side was capable of slaying a monster plant... Slaying, because Li Hao had never considered cooperation. Cooperate my foot; he wanted to try killing a monster plant!
Fourth, were the Hu family's ruins part of a unified whole with Heavenly Star Town?
If they formed a single entity, that would be truly interesting. The Nine Departments had been able to suppress the old Heavenly Star King across the ruins, leading Li Hao to strongly suspect that these ruins might be interconnected, existing within a single realm. That was the crux.
He wanted to dig up the imperial family's roots!
To hell with the imperial family—the great Heavenly Star mine belonged to him!
If he mined it ahead of time, how could they achieve a secondary revival?
Revival would only happen when he willed it!
The Hu family was merely the breach. Even without Chen Yao's proposition, Li Hao had never intended to let them off.
Chapter 251