Li Hao's Speed

The inauguration of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office had been fraught with complications. Everyone had assumed the day would pass peacefully. After all, Li Hao and his crew had just slaughtered scores of formidable experts a few days earlier, striking terror across all quarters. Who could have guessed that on the day of the inauguration, the elusive Wind and Cloud Pavilion would emerge, even killing the Duke of Anguo on the spot and throwing everything into turmoil? The Duke of Wuguo, who had arrived alongside him, might look big and burly, but his courage ran thin. He slipped away with his entourage that very night, treading with extreme caution the entire journey for fear of being discovered. …… Because they knew Li Hao had already taken care of a vast number of powerful foes in advance, several martial artists who had originally set out to reinforce him turned back halfway, missing the inauguration ceremony of the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office. Strolling along the central coastline, Northern Fist felt a tremor from his transmission jade. He pulled it out and glanced at the message. Surprise flickered in his eyes. Li Hao almost never reached out for help on his own. Even when cornered by the Nine Departments' oppression, he had never sent for aid; he had resolved each crisis with his own people, while the Silver Moon martial artists had always rallied voluntarily. This time was no different. Li Hao had even pre-emptively eliminated his powerful adversaries. The Silver Moon martial artists understood his temperament—the kid had an intensely stubborn, competitive pride. Yet this message on the jade had come directly from Li Hao. A call for reinforcements! Northern Fist was genuinely astonished. Examining the message more closely, he learned that some entity named the Wind and Cloud Pavilion had surfaced, prompting Li Hao to summon outside help. This was the first time Li Hao had ever reached out to ask the Silver Moon martial artists for rescue. "The Wind and Cloud Pavilion... is it really that strong?" Northern Fist felt both puzzled and intrigued. To force Li Hao into actively crying for help... that was practically unheard of. "Fascinating!" Northern Fist chuckled. He had thought that now that Li Hao had secured a firm foothold, no real trouble would brew before the second resurgence. Who would have predicted this sudden turn of events? He had been planning to return to Silver Moon, cross Mount Cang, and take a leisurely trip to Dali. From the look of things, there was work to be done again. Northern Fist wheeled around and flew toward the Central Region. The kid had bowed his head to ask for help for the first time. Refusing him would be too much of a slight. …… At the same moment, the grim Tyrant Saber also abruptly wheeled around, charging toward Heavenly Star City. …… From every direction, figures raced toward the capital. Thunderbolt Leg had practically arrived home when the message reached him. His teeth ached at the sight. What was going on with Li Hao? To actively plead for help, did he think he couldn't match the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, or did he think the release of the Wind and Cloud Roll would place him in mortal danger? "What a headache!" Thunderbolt Leg bared his yellow teeth, caught in an internal debate. Why did these young pups love stirring up trouble so much? Wasn't it great to find a quiet spot, take a few wives, and sire a brood of kids? After wrestling with himself for a while, he let out a sigh. He cast a longing glance at the compound before him, decided not to go inside to see his children, turned around, and took off. …… White Moon City. Director Zhao was buried in administrative duties. Ever since Old Zhou left, his workload had exploded. Particularly with the recent influx of refugees, his head felt as big as a bushel basket. Every single day brought a never-ending mountain of problems. Right in the middle of his bustle, the transmission jade at his side buzzed. Director Zhao picked it up, glancing over the text, his brow furrowing slightly. The Wind and Cloud Pavilion, the organization behind the Divine Master Roll. Their strength was unknown. Since their strength hadn't even been determined, wasn't Li Hao making... a bit too much of a fuss? The transmission stated that Li Hao hoped Silver Moon could dispatch Huang Yu and Kong Jie to support him. Director Zhao's frown deepened. "Old Zhou left, Little Hou left, and even those old ghosts ran off... and now he wants more people?" He felt thoroughly torn. Was it really necessary? You've nearly hollowed out everything Silver Moon owns! Nursing a headache, he was still deliberating when the doors were kicked open. Kong Jie said excitedly, "I'm going to Heavenly Star City!" "..." Director Zhao sighed. He had just managed to settle everyone down, only for Li Hao to throw another wrench in the gears. Whom had he offended in his past life to deserve this? The second resurgence loomed near; Silver Moon was dangerous enough as it was. What in the world was he thinking? Exasperated, he looked at Kong Jie, ready to speak, when Huang Yu strode in and said gravely, "Li Hao almost never asks for outside aid. He must have discovered something and realized he can't handle it alone. I'll go; Kong Jie stays." Kong Jie's face darkened. "Are you looking down on me?" Huang Yu nodded. Military men were straightforward. If you knew it in your heart, why bother saying it aloud? You don't even possess the combat prowess of divine power; what would you accomplish there? "..." Kong Jie snorted coldly. "My daughter is still over there!" "Your daughter and Mad Saber's master-disciple pair haven't returned yet. Don't use that as an excuse." Li Hao had never run into Kong Jie's daughter or Mad Saber and his disciple, though he hadn't paid it much mind. Hou Xiaochen had likely assigned them to some task, and no one had said they were dead. Kong Jie was furious! Director Zhao felt his head pounding. Dammit! They all wanted to leave? Every single one had wild ambitions, impossible to rein back in. Still, since Li Hao had actively called for aid... Oh well. Director Zhao sighed. "Then just go!" Since these two had come looking for him, their minds were clearly made up. What was the point of arguing? He rubbed his temples, worn thin. "Be careful. Don't go getting wiped out in Heavenly Star City. Remember... we are the Four Protectors of Silver Moon. With three of you gone, things are hard enough for me... The Four Protectors were established back then to safeguard Silver Moon, yet you all keep running off outside. You never let a man rest." "Don't worry, we're simply neutralizing the enemy beyond our borders!" "..." Where on earth did you learn that? Director Zhao shot Kong Jie a speechless glare before finally saying, "Go on, enough nonsense!" "Right!" Kong Jie answered with crisp decisiveness and was gone in the blink of an eye. Huang Yu offered a rare parting word of concern: "Don't exhaust yourself too much, Old Zhao. If there's work, delegate it to your subordinates. The younger generation needs tempering, after all." "Then don't leave! Things on Li Hao's end shouldn't be so dire..." Before the words finished leaving his mouth, the man had vanished. Huang Yu was gone! Fuck! Director Zhao cursed inwardly. If not for saving face, he would have cursed those bastards to high heaven. Was it really that exaggerated? …… On that day, powerful figure after powerful figure rushed toward Heavenly Star City. This was the Demon Sword's first time actively summoning reinforcements. Everyone was taken by surprise, and everyone was willing to grant him face. Sky Sword of Sky Sword Manor had barely arrived home when, after a brief chat with the successor of the Wind and Thunder Sword, he set off once more for Heavenly Star City. …… Meanwhile, ripples of unrest spread across the outside world. Inside Superpower City. The city's mistress frowned slightly, taking a long moment before murmuring, "The Wind and Cloud Pavilion... Could they have inherited the legacy of Daoist Fengyun?" Someone nearby who had never heard of Daoist Fengyun opened their mouth to ask, but the city mistress waved a hand. "No need to pry. All you need to know is that they're formidable. But this Wind and Cloud Pavilion... where did they come from? We've practically never heard a whisper of them before. We investigated the people behind the Divine Master Roll; they were mysterious, but who would have guessed they were tied to Daoist Fengyun?" No major faction could ignore an organization daring enough to rank everyone under heaven. Many had investigated long ago, but none had discovered anything. Every time the Divine Master Roll appeared, it did so abruptly. "Then what do we do now...?" "Wait!" The city mistress smiled. "Wait for the roll's reveal in three days. We'd like to see what backing they have to act so boldly!" Nowadays, every faction went out of its way to avoid Li Hao, dreading that he would pick a fight before the second resurgence. Yet this group had willingly provoked him before the second resurgence. How delightful. …… In Heavenly Star City. Li Hao gave a few quick arrangements without elaborating much. Shortly after, he strode into the yamen's main hall. "Bring me a copy of the Divine Master Roll... No, bring me every single issue!" "Understood!" A subordinate promptly hurried off. Before long, someone returned carrying a stack of booklets. The man delivering them was a deputy director from the Department of Criminal Law, wearing a flattering smile. "Governor-General, the Divine Master Roll first appeared two years ago. It used to be updated once every three months, and later once a month, for a total of ten editions." "These are all ten editions." Li Hao asked coldly, "Are these originals?" "Pardon?" "I asked if these are the original copies of the Divine Master Roll." The deputy director looked slightly embarrassed. "Well... I'm not entirely sure!" "Then find someone who knows and ask. I want originals—the very first batch of rolls that surfaced, not reprints!" Though the deputy director felt like cursing inwardly, he quickly went down to arrange it. As one of the world's Nine Departments, even though the father and son of the Hu family were gone, the Department of Criminal Law still commanded formidable competence. Li Hao waited less than an hour before the deputy director rushed back in, dripping with sweat, and pulled out ten copies of the Divine Master Roll. "Governor-General, these were collected from various quarters, the earliest issues acquired upon release... We cannot guarantee they are the pristine master copies, but they are definitely from the very first batch distributed to the public!" Li Hao said nothing. Reaching out, he drew the ten booklets into his hand. He lifted them for a careful inspection. All had golden covers, giving off an aura of lavish prestige. Red light flickering in his eyes, Li Hao examined them intently. Soon, he tossed one aside. That copy differed slightly from the other nine. Either that one was a fake, or the other nine were. He continued inspecting before saying, "Find me some veteran craftsmen related to papermaking. I want those with extensive experience!" "Yes, sir!" The deputy director had a faint inkling of Li Hao's intention and quickly sent men to search. …… Throughout the day, Li Hao interrogated multiple people. Having once served as an inspector—even if only for a year without handling many major cases—his observational skills, insight, and intelligence-gathering abilities were top-notch. Otherwise, he could never have unearthed the secrets of the Eight Great Families. It was only as his strength grew that he had stopped doing such detective work. Yet today, Li Hao had truly been provoked. Not only did he investigate personally, but he also summoned several veteran inspectors from Silver City to trace the Divine Master Roll back to its origin. …… Night fell. A cadre of powerful figures tore through the skies, heading straight for Nanyue Province. The Divine Master Roll had first surfaced in the Central Region. And according to the information Li Hao gathered, the original booklets were crafted from a paper unique to Nanyue. Thus, the enemy's lair was very likely located there. Nanyue was the southern shield guarding the core zone of Heavenly Star City. The Governor's Office of Nanyue. The Governor of Nanyue was relatively diligent, still holding a meeting late into the night. But the next instant, his expression shifted. Before he could speak, the conference room doors swung open, and a group of people strode inside. The Governor of Nanyue turned pale. Recognizing the arrivals, he felt a mixture of shock and dread. Rising to his feet, his expression wavered as he said, "I did not expect Governor-General Li to grace us with his presence... Pardon my failure to welcome you properly!" Li Hao gave a slight nod. Ignoring him, crimson light flared in Li Hao's eyes as his gaze swept across everyone in the room. The next instant, he thrust out a hand! A middle-aged man's face twisted in horror. He moved to flee, but with a thunderous boom, he coughed up blood and was seized straight into Li Hao's grip. The Governor of Nanyue's face drained of color! Li Hao's voice rang out with chilling indifference: "This has nothing to do with you! I am hunting down scoundrels of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion. Who is this man?" The Governor of Nanyue cursed inwardly! You struck before you even knew who he was? He ground his teeth, yet beholding the formidable figures arrayed behind Li Hao, he swallowed his anger and said in a muffled voice, "He is Deputy Director Wu, First Deputy Director of the Administrative Bureau... Governor-General Li, this is Nanyue Province, and Deputy Director Wu is an official of considerable standing..." "He is an evil-energy infiltrator. Are you pleading on his behalf?" The Governor of Nanyue froze, cursing silently. Just because you say so makes it true? The middle-aged man clutched in Li Hao's grasp coughed blood repeatedly. "Governor... save me... I have no... no idea what the Wind and Cloud Pavilion even is..." Li Hao slammed a palm down. With a resounding boom, the man's head was nearly pulverized. Li Hao addressed the room: "None of you are to leave. Cooperate with the investigation! This man concealed his strength. A mere deputy director actually possesses divine power! Furthermore, he has a treasure to mask his aura. Whether he belongs to the Wind and Cloud Pavilion or not, he is compromised!" The Governor of Nanyue was stunned. He looked at Li Hao, then back at the man, sheer astonishment washing over him. Divine power? Nanyue was governed entirely by his office, and he himself had only advanced to divine power recently. Prior to that, not a single expert in Nanyue wielded divine power. His advancement had only been possible because the Administrative Department of the Nine Departments had sent twenty drops of the Spring of Life. In this era, without a demonic plant as a patron, advancing to divine power on one's own was virtually impossible. Now, his expression shifted erratically. A divine-power expert! Dazed from Li Hao's strike, the man managed to regain a shred of clarity and coughed up more blood. "Governor... I... I've been wronged... I was planted by the Bureau of Military Law... The Bureau of Military Law placed me here... to monitor you... I am definitely not from the Wind and Cloud Pavilion..." The Governor of Nanyue remained silent, saying no more. The man might truly have been planted by the Bureau of Military Law, but planting a divine-power expert at his side showed an immense commitment of resources. Since Li Hao had apprehended the man, the governor had no desire to intervene further. Though it cost him face, even the Nine Departments had lost all face before Li Hao, let alone himself. Li Hao didn't waste any more words, dragging the man toward the exit. As he reached the doorway, the rest of his subordinates sealed off the meeting room. The next instant, agonizing screams echoed from outside the door. …… Li Hao looked at the battered man before him, took out a booklet, and asked flatly, "Recognize this?" A flicker of panic darted through the man's eyes before he replied quickly, "I recognize it. The Divine Master Roll." "Did you make it?" "No... I've only seen it. Governor-General Li, I..." Li Hao chuckled softly. "Every time the Divine Master Roll appears, it spreads across the provinces with shocking speed. There must be an aboveboard faction involved. If it were merely a band of recluses, they couldn't possibly achieve such efficient distribution without high-ranking accomplices aiding them!" "And the origin lies right here in Nanyue Province. That means a powerful figure or high-ranking official in Nanyue must be collaborating!" "The paper used is unique to Nanyue, and papermills were nationalized five years ago. Private papermaking is forbidden to suppress the spread of knowledge. Every release of the Divine Master Roll numbers in the tens of thousands... In an era with flourishing education, tracking it down would be difficult." "However, the Heavenly Star Dynasty suppresses education. In the entire Central Region, the official presses produce fewer than ten thousand books a month! Yet every time the Divine Master Roll is printed, it numbers in the tens of thousands... Did you really think you could force me to track down the mills paper by paper?" In an era with advanced education, a small workshop could easily churn out ten thousand books in a single day. Yet in this era, to suppress education, strict controls governed both papermills and printing facilities. Forget printing tens of thousands of books every month; even producing over a thousand books in an entire year would trigger an investigation unless someone powerful covered for you. And tonight, knowing the Nanyue officials happened to be meeting, Li Hao had struck specifically to catch the traitor off guard. Sure enough! He had snared a hidden divine-power expert. Li Hao couldn't be entirely certain this man was the culprit, but the man was undeniably suspicious, and that was enough. The man's concealment methods were formidable, but under Li Hao's illusion-shattering sight, nothing could stay hidden. Despair crept onto the man's face. It was simply too fast! Truly! The Wind and Cloud Pavilion had only revealed itself that morning, and by nightfall, he was caught in Nanyue Province. Everything had unfolded at blistering speed; the concealment techniques he had taken such pride in had proven utterly useless. Desperate, the man pleaded, "Governor-General, it has nothing to do with me... I was only... only doing a job for pay! They offered cultivation resources, and I provided them shelter. I didn't participate in anything else..." "So you admit you're a member of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion?" The man's face drained of color. "No... I'm... I'm just one of their... their business partners..." "You are an idiot! And they are idiots too!" Li Hao frowned. "This paper is produced only in Nanyue, yet they dared to print the Divine Master Roll right here. And you—you actually dared to print it! In the Heavenly Star Dynasty, printing more than a hundred thousand books a year... do you realize what that signifies?" The man smiled bitterly. Who would pay attention to something like that? As powerful experts, they felt little concern for ordinary matters. They lacked nothing, so who would bother analyzing where paper came from, or stop to consider that printing a few thousand copies was unusual? To them, a few thousand seemed negligible. Besides, once the Divine Master Roll circulated, copies and counterfeits flooded the market almost immediately. The volume multiplied instantly, making a few thousand original copies vanish into the sea of fakes. He had underestimated the capabilities of the Nine Departments, and he had underestimated Li Hao. The man forced a wretched smile. "Governor-General, I... I truly only took money to do a job. My crimes do not warrant death. Governor-General... grant me a chance to redeem myself through service..." "A divine-power expert merely taking money to do a job?" Li Hao sneered. "Do you take me for a fool? That said, if you provide valuable intelligence, I might spare your life!" Snaring such a big fish on his very first strike put Li Hao in high spirits. As for startling the snake by beating the grass... what was there to fear? If the other side truly possessed the strength to crush him, they would have made their move already. Did they even dare show their faces? Once he uncovered their background, he would have countless ways to dismantle them. They were nothing more than rats scurrying in the dark. If they panicked, all the better; panic bred mistakes. Let's see how they produce the Divine Master Roll three days from now! Will they write it by hand? Even if they hid inside ruins that contained ancient printing presses, the ruins were currently dormant. Clearly, they couldn't operate them, or they wouldn't have sought outside help in the first place. Li Hao would force them to write it by hand! If they wanted to circulate the roll three days from now, let them handwrite tens of thousands of copies! The man looked utterly miserable. Truly, retribution had come too quickly. Despair and frustration flooded his heart. Those fools in the Wind and Cloud Pavilion just had to provoke this monster. Less than a day later, the man had descended upon him. With a sigh, he nodded. "Governor-General, I will tell you everything I know. I only beg you to spare my life!" Li Hao smiled. "Now that's a good lad. Out with it!" The man let out a ragged sigh. "The Wind and Cloud Pavilion only appeared two years ago. Back then, I was a Three Suns cultivator in charge of Nanyue's neglected sectors—education, technology, and new development." "Two years ago, a prominent merchant approached me, asking permission to print promotional pamphlets... As your Excellency knows, the dynasty strictly regulates such things. I didn't think much of it at the time, especially when they presented me with ten divine energy stones..." Back then, ten stones was an immense fortune. Li Hao scoffed. "Ten divine energy stones for promotional pamphlets, and you dared accept?" The man fell silent. Any sane person would know something was amiss. But his thinking at the time had been simple: what if it were just banned books? The dynasty banned too many books nowadays—science, livelihood, education... all of it was forbidden. Turning a blind eye would fetch a massive payout. Ten divine energy stones! And so, the first edition of the Divine Master Roll was born. By the time he realized the truth, it was too late. The roll had already spread everywhere. As a provincial official, he knew that publishing such a document required backing and strength; no nobody could simply rank the world's masters on a whim. "By then, it was too late... They gave me benefits, and they backed it up with the threat of overwhelming martial might... Even back then, they had experts at the Rising Light tier." The man continued helplessly, "Later... later they gave me a drop of the Spring of Life and persuaded me further. In a moment of greed... I agreed." Li Hao laughed. "Understandable." These days, plenty of people colluded with the Three Great Organizations, and those were officially branded evil-energy groups. Colluding with an unknown faction that offered such astronomical rewards was a temptation that not even the Governor of Nanyue might have resisted, let alone a mere deputy director. "Is the man who dealt with you still around?" The man shook his head. "He only appeared three times before vanishing. After that, I took charge! In the later stages, weaker subordinates would show up, deliver a master copy, and have me print and distribute it. My duties were simple, yet the payoffs were enormous..." Li Hao nodded slightly with a faint smile. "Then this time... has their new roll arrived? They claimed it would be released in three days, and printing takes time." Even if printing took only a day, distributing it required advance preparation, didn't it? The man hesitated before replying, "It hasn't arrived yet... If... if things follow the usual pattern, they would most likely deliver the master copy tonight... But now..." Now that I've been captured and the alarm is raised, will they still come? Although Li Hao's group had arrived swiftly and locked down the area, that didn't guarantee word hadn't leaked. Li Hao chuckled. "It doesn't matter! If they don't provide it, I will! I'll draft a roll for you... and you'll print tens of thousands of copies to distribute!" "..." The man was dumbfounded. What sort of plan was this? Li Hao smiled. "Of course, getting the original is ideal. If you can't, I'll provide one!" "This..." "'This' what?" The man didn't dare argue. Li Hao asked coolly, "You've reached divine power, and this is all you know?" The man hesitated for a second. Seeing Li Hao raise his palm to strike, sheer terror struck him, and he blurted out, "No... I know one more thing! I wasn't their only contact. They likely have accomplices in other regions too!" "Do you know specifics?" "Roughly... roughly one or two. Once... I had people trail them... street beggars and the like whom they didn't notice. I don't know much else, but I know one high-ranking figure who seems to be colluding with them." "Speak!" The man dared not stall, hurriedly spitting out a name. *Smack!* Li Hao's palm strike nearly snapped his neck. "I don't know the name. Give me his title!" "He's... the Director of the Night Patrol in Nandou Province... though I'm not completely certain!" Li Hao nodded. Nandou Province. That reminded him of someone. Sun Moxian, disciple of the Eyebrow-Level Staff King, whom Li Hao had killed back then. He had hailed from Nandou Province. Back then, Li Hao had claimed the staff of will left behind by the Eyebrow-Level Staff King. By now, Li Hao understood that it was a combination of force and a supernatural lock—a weapon of will formed from the supernatural lock within the brain! When Li Hao took it, he had considered returning it to the Eyebrow-Level Staff King's disciple. Later, entangled in endless affairs, he hadn't found the time to seek the person out. "Is that all?" "That's... that's everything." "They gave you so many benefits without asking for anything else?" The man paused, then said hurriedly, "There was one thing! They mentioned that after the second resurgence, they would emerge from seclusion with countless powerhouses, including many from the ancient civilization. They told me to cooperate smoothly when the time came... They only brought it up once and didn't elaborate, merely saying that the Wind and Cloud Pavilion prioritized staying in hiding for now!" Yet now, they had emerged ahead of schedule! At that thought, the man added, "There's one more detail. When I broke through to divine power last time and masked my aura, they seemed to know immediately. Shortly after my breakthrough, they sent someone to offer congratulations..." Li Hao grew thoughtful. Were they probing the strength of life force? If they monitored it constantly, they might already know about his group's arrival. No matter! Li Hao chuckled and called out, "Director Zhou!" Director Zhou walked out from inside. Li Hao smiled and said, "Quickly draft an issue of the Divine Master Roll. Put the Old Heavenly Star King in first place, and Ying Hongyue in second..." He rapidly rattled off a few more names. "Also, rank me fifth, slightly below the heads of the Bureau of Military Law and the Department of Administration..." Director Zhou gave him an astonished look. Li Hao continued, "As for Silver Moon... put Director Zhao in sixth, and you in seventh... Fill the other slots with figures from other factions, and around the twentieth mark, put Martial Uncle Hong and the rest!" "..." Director Zhou stared blankly at him. Li Hao grinned. "What is it?" "This..." "It's nothing. We'll simply distribute it through their usual channels. Whether the Wind and Cloud Pavilion publishes theirs or not, who cares! If they still want to publish their own, their only option will be alternative methods... like unleashing their powerful divine weapon to project across the sky?" Li Hao smiled brightly. "If they do that, I won't even need to go looking for them!" Director Zhou inhaled sharply. This kid truly knew how to play the game. "What about this man...?" Li Hao didn't explain. Sending a divine character plunging into the man's mind, he said casually, "No problem. Let him go. Just say it was a misunderstanding!" Turning to the terrified man, Li Hao smiled. "It's a misunderstanding. Act as though nothing happened. If word spreads, so be it, but if you leak it intentionally... you'll explode!" Instantly, the fire-element divine character flared! The man grunted, spraying a mouthful of blood as if his brain were tearing apart, thrown into absolute terror. Li Hao patted the man's head and smiled. "If they contact you... and hand you the original, excellent. If not, so be it! If you secure the original, I'll reward you. If you don't... be careful, your head could detonate at any moment!" "We're withdrawing!" With that, Li Hao stepped back into the room and addressed the trembling assembly: "This fellow isn't much of an issue, just someone from the Bureau of Military Law. However, not a word of tonight's events is to leak. If any news escapes, everyone present... not one of you will live!" "You will all be executed for treason! After three days, do as you please, but for these three days... you had best keep your mouths shut!" The Governor of Nanyue's face shifted. "Governor-General Li... this..." Li Hao laughed. "You will oversee them. Oh, and that fellow earlier can move about freely; no need to monitor him. But if word leaks... care to guess whether I can wipe out every single person in this room?" "..." Silence fell. Some were terrified, some panicked, and some harbored indignation. Yet... none could resist. Li Hao and his entourage were far too ruthless and possessed overwhelming strength. If word truly leaked, he would genuinely butcher them all. "We're leaving!" Li Hao said no more. His group departed as swiftly as they had arrived, vanishing in an instant. The man who had nearly been beaten to death stood there in a daze. I... was released? But... what on earth is lodged inside my head? He could feel it ready to explode at any moment. A truly terrifying technique! Everyone in the room turned their gazes upon him. The Governor of Nanyue looked icy; because of this man, all of them had been dragged into jeopardy. There were over twenty people present. Who could guarantee there weren't spies from various factions among them? If news leaked, every last one would die... Who could bear such a consequence? The Governor of Nanyue said coldly, "You all heard him. Whether he can do it... needs no elaboration from me. Weigh your own lives, or see if anyone can shield you! For these three days... everyone stay quiet!" Turning to the battered man, the governor added coldly, "I don't care whose man you are or what your identity is... If you bring disaster upon Nanyue, I might not be able to kill you, but Nanyue is the territory of the Department of Administration. Ending your life... would be effortless!" The man kept his mouth shut. Just then, someone in the room let out a chuckle: "Let's drop the subject and pretend nothing happened. I have to say... that was astonishingly fast. The incident occurred this morning, and by nightfall, he's already kicked down our door. Tell me... can the Wind and Cloud Pavilion really contend with him?" "What concerns me more is that a divine-power expert was like a chicken in his grasp!" Someone murmured glumly. Li Hao had claimed the man possessed divine power, yet a single palm strike had left him utterly helpless. Just what stage had Li Hao reached? Why did he feel unnervingly, impossibly strong? In an instant, the room fell silent. A moment later, someone suddenly laughed. "I was too panicked earlier. My supreme superior arrived, and I actually forgot to pay my respects..." He chuckled and continued, "We fall under the jurisdiction of the Southern Governor-General's Office. Who was the Southern Governor-General again?" He smiled brightly. "Ah, Senior Southern Fist..." It was the Director of the Night Patrol. Everyone turned to stare at him. The director smiled. "What?" "You..." "I belong to the Night Patrol. The Night Patrol answers to the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office... Governor-General Li came, and I forgot to greet him. Truly remiss of me!" Turning back to the room, he said coolly, "Everyone, behave yourselves these coming days! Governor-General Li might not remember every one of you, but I know you all inside and out—including your families, relatives, friends, and illegitimate children..." Everyone cursed frantically under their breath! Fuck! Do you have no shame? The man had clearly come to his senses. Cursing Li Hao moments ago, he had immediately recognized Li Hao's terrifying might and was now shamelessly currying favor! Li Hao might only recognize their faces, but this director truly knew every detail about them. Family, friends, relatives, mistresses on the side... there was nothing he didn't know. A total lapdog! Some cursed inwardly while others felt resignation. The Night Patrol had always fallen under the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office; it was just that distance had kept the central authorities far away. Now, Li Hao had arrived in person, displaying staggering power. Could this man afford not to fawn over him? …… Meanwhile, Li Hao led his entourage away, his brow slightly furrowed. "Can this Wind and Cloud Pavilion track our movements at any moment?" Director Zhou pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Unlikely. Even if they possess such a formidable divine weapon, activating it must consume vast resources. The Divine Master Roll used to update only once a month, which suggests they could activate it at most once a month... They can't possibly keep it active indefinitely!" Presently, divine weapons were all in a sealed state. The stronger the weapon, the heavier the seal. Every activation carried a heavy price. Li Hao nodded. "True enough!" He chuckled. "If they don't publish the roll, we will! If they do, we'll publish ours too! A bunch of rats dare oppose the Heavenly Star Governor-General's Office? What are they thinking?" "I'll head back first to assist the martial artists with their cultivation... You few remain stationed nearby. Spread out, and call immediately if something happens. You're all equipped with black armor; within three thousand li, call me at any time!" Li Hao's smile grew radiant. "Let's take down the Wind and Cloud Pavilion first... Ideally, beat them to death in secret and seize their treasure. It would come in handy; I've been fretting over my lack of knowledge regarding everyone's exact strength. If they truly have such a treasure... it's mine!" Seeing his overflowing confidence, no one objected. He had earned the right to be confident. More importantly, this young man possessed genuine skill. His year as an inspector hadn't gone to waste; in the blink of an eye, he had ferreted out the enemy. Even Director Zhou felt that Li Hao had the makings of a master spy. …… At that very moment, deep within ancient ruins. A group of people bustled about. Soon, someone reported, "Pavilion Master, the compilation of the new roll is complete. Should we deliver it?" "Yes. However... regardless of whether Li Hao is truly first, place him at the top. The rest can follow the proper order! And the Silver Moon martial artists... rank them as high as reasonably possible." "Understood!" Soon, someone carried the newly compiled roll toward the exit. Inside the shadowy hall, a figure stepped forward, casting a hesitant glance at the mirror mounted in the hall... Should he activate it once more? Probably no need. It had just been activated a day ago... Only a single day had passed. Yet precisely because of what he had seen, anxiety gnawed at him. Li Hao's strength was growing too fast, and he possessed several deeply peculiar traits. A single activation devoured millions of divine energy stones, an enormous expenditure even for him. "Forget it. No matter how fast Li Hao advances, he can't possibly transform anew in a single day..." He chuckled softly, chiding himself for jumping at shadows. It had only been one day, yet he was already itching to activate it again. "What a pity... You cannot fully unseal. Otherwise, you could freely devour power and project reflections directly. Why would I need to spend divine energy stones to stimulate you...?" Murmuring to himself, the Pavilion Master of Wind and Cloud melted back into the darkness. *Li Hao, oh, Li Hao!* *Your progress terrifies me.* *I genuinely fear you might defy all reason and step into the pinnacle tier before the second resurgence. If so... given your temperament, you would likely wipe out your rivals ahead of time.* *And then, after the second resurgence, whether anyone else even gets a piece of the pie would be hard to say!* *"I hope... everything proceeds smoothly!"* With these thoughts, the Pavilion Master of Wind and Cloud felt a twinge of regret. Unfortunately, the constraints of heaven and earth were currently too severe. What method had Li Hao found to cause subtle shifts in heaven and earth itself? It had to be Li Hao. With every shift, Li Hao's strength took another leap.