A First Test of Skill

Having given away the stone saber, Li Hao felt considerably calmer. He had done everything he ought to do. At his current level, this was as far as he could go. As for the Night Watchers, that depended on how Liu Long arranged things. Li Hao had already told Liu Long about Wang Ming's presence. Though Li Hao didn't understand the specifics, Liu Long surely knew how to handle it better than he did. *The fact that the Red Shadow is invisible—now both Teacher and Liu Long know it too!* Was there anything else he hadn't mentioned? Li Hao thought back. *Oh, there's still one thing I didn't say: I can see it... But that doesn't matter anymore.* There was no need to lay bare every last card in his hand. If no one knew he could see it, that might still prove useful; blurting it out wouldn't necessarily help anyone anyway. *Over the next few days, it's time to pour all my effort into improving myself!* Right now, there wasn't enough time to grow strong on his own. Otherwise, Li Hao would have preferred to cultivate quietly in secret and then take down the Red Shadow with his own hands. Yet time was not on his side. Still, having brought things to this point, what he needed to do next was very simple: become stronger. Ever since stepping into the Ten-Slayer realm, he had not exchanged blows with a single powerhouse. Nor had he fought a battle in any practical sense. In his teacher's words, a martial master like that was just an empty facade—lacking any real combat ability, merely running a bit faster than others and packing a bit more punch when throwing a blow. *** Another night passed in peace. July 15th. The Inspectorate basement, Demon Hunting Squad base. Li Hao arrived very early today. He had no interest in playing mind games with Wang Ming, so he came straight here. Early in the morning, Li Hao began practicing the Five Animals Art in the room. Here, he didn't have to worry about disturbing the auntie downstairs. Fist strikes, clawing maneuvers, bear hugs, tiger pounces... This time, Li Hao attempted to employ all five animals in unison. Tiger, bear, deer, ape, bird. As he practiced, his forms looked somewhat clumsy. He even used hands and feet together, at times sprawling flat against the ground like a wild beast before springing up and charging forward. Among the Five Animals Art, the Bird Art was actually the hardest to master. The Bird Art emphasized lightness of body and soaring into the air, relying primarily on borrowing momentum to take flight. This was extremely unfriendly to a novice like Li Hao. After several leaping lunges, Li Hao crashed heavily straight onto the ground each time, finding it far less practical than the Ape Art. After a few attempts, Li Hao simply gave up on the Bird Art and focused on the Ape Art, with which he was most familiar. Just as Li Hao was training vigorously, someone walked in. The immensely burly Chen Jian pushed the door open looking half-asleep and wearing a simple, honest expression. When he saw Li Hao, he froze for a moment, visibly surprised. "Li Hao, you're here this early?" He hadn't slept well last night, yet he was still the first to arrive, never expecting Li Hao to beat him to it. As for the mission to protect Li Hao, with the boss around, Chen Jian didn't need to worry too much. "Brother Jian!" Li Hao panted lightly and smiled. Then he suddenly said, "Brother Jian, interested in sparring with me again?" "Huh?" Chen Jian was rather surprised. He had assumed that after suffering a setback last time, Li Hao probably wouldn't want to cross hands with him again. He hadn't expected the kid to bring it up of his own accord. Chen Jian gave an honest chuckle. "You want to spar with me? I'm not really good at attacking, mainly defense... How about this: I'll just defend and won't attack, acting as your sparring partner!" A look of delight surfaced on Li Hao's face. A shield-defense sparring partner like Chen Jian was practically a dream come true for a newcomer like him. A living person was completely different from a training dummy, after all. What was more, the other party was an extremely powerful martial master shield specialist. Sparring against Chen Jian would undoubtedly be vastly better than practicing alone. "Brother Jian, I absorbed mysterious energy yesterday..." "No problem!" Chen Jian smiled naively, though he couldn't help muttering internally. *I know that!* *You absorbed two cubic units yesterday—of course I know. The point is... you know you only absorbed it yesterday, too. Mysterious energy doesn't just work in a single day; it takes a long process of digestion and assimilation.* Besides, though Li Hao had some foundation before, it really wasn't much to speak of—just a bit stronger than ordinary people. Before a true martial master... he couldn't take a single hit! Chen Jian was a shield specialist anyway; why would he worry about Li Hao hurting him? Li Hao halted his training, his face brimming with joy. "Then... then I won't be polite. Brother Jian, please give me your guidance!" "Hit me however you like. While I won't strike back, I will dodge—that's a shield specialist's basic instinct..." "Understood!" Li Hao beamed. That was even better. Otherwise, he might as well just pound on an iron anvil. Without further words, Li Hao executed a tiger pounce, opening straight with the Tiger Combat Art. Both hands hooked into claws, aiming directly for Chen Jian's arms in an attempt to lock them down. Though Chen Jian was stout, his movements were remarkably agile. Without any large motion, he shifted his foot slightly and evaded by three inches. Li Hao clutched empty air, his grip whipping up a low whistle. Having just dodged, Chen Jian froze slightly. *A claw strike breaking the air?* *He improved this much?* In that exact split second, Li Hao wasted no time. Seeing his claw fail to connect, he dropped smoothly to the ground, all four limbs touching the floor. Pushing off with both legs, he erupted like a stag. A deer moved with light, effortless agility, maintaining a calm and relaxed demeanor; yet when faced with danger, the explosive force of a stag was formidable in the extreme! "Eh..." Chen Jian moved again, about to dodge, but he wasn't quite as fast as Li Hao's kick off the floor. Chen Jian stopped trying to evade. As a shield specialist, if you couldn't dodge, you defended! *Boom!* A resounding blast! Suspended midair after driving off the ground, Li Hao concentrated his full body's strength into his arms. Like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, he clenched both fists and hammered down from above! *Bang!* Chen Jian took a step back, and Li Hao was also jarred back by the tremendous counterforce. Yet the instant he rebounded, he seemed like an ape, executing an unbelievable midair swing. Li Hao, who had been flying backward, suddenly swung right back. This time, his hands formed claws, tearing downward! Chen Jian found it completely unbelievable. He had actually been forced back a step by Li Hao, and his arms even throbbed with a dull ache. The shock was so great that it momentarily dazed him. Only the day before yesterday, he had crossed hands with Li Hao and sent the kid flying with a single slap. How could Li Hao possibly push him back! Yet feeling shocked was ill-timed right now. Li Hao swung back at an astonishing speed. His twin claws clamped onto Chen Jian's arms, sharp power bursting from his ten fingers. In a single swipe, he shredded the sleeves covering Chen Jian's arms into tatters! *Clang!* A harsh screech rang out like grinding metal. Li Hao's fingers clawed across Chen Jian's arms, instantly leaving ten bloody gashes. Of course, Li Hao didn't come off unscathed either—the fingernails on all ten fingers were partially peeled back. "Hiss!" Now Chen Jian was genuinely astonished. But locked in combat, he had no time to question it. He had already stated he would only defend, and he had no intention of changing his mind now. Seeing Li Hao claw at him again, he shook his arms, tossing Li Hao off. Crossing his arms together, he blocked Li Hao's incoming punch. In the next instant, Chen Jian doubted his own hearing. *Crack, crack, crack!* A rapid cascade of tendons and bones popping rang out. The next thing he saw was Li Hao's leg whipping through the air like a lash! "Holy crap!" Chen Jian could no longer hold back. *Damn it!* *The Ten-Slayer realm!* *Are you kidding me? He was a total weakling two days ago, and after just one day, he's a Ten-Slayer? Are you pulling my leg?!* Chen Jian himself was only in the Ten-Slayer realm. Though he wasn't a novice, taking an unprepared kick from a Ten-Slayer martial master would still hurt like hell. Only now had Li Hao unleashed his full strength. Without another thought, Chen Jian clenched his right fist and punched straight toward the sole of Li Hao's foot. Forget only defending—he wasn't about to play that game. Taking a solid kick from Li Hao might not cause serious harm, but it would certainly hurt like agony. *Bang!* Another deafening collision. Li Hao was wearing the Inspectorate's standard leather boots, which were sturdy and rigid. This kick collided square against Chen Jian's fist. Chen Jian's fist was terrifyingly hard as well. *Snap!* Another faint crack sounded; Li Hao felt as though the bone in his foot had fractured. Yet at that moment, Li Hao acted as if nothing had happened. Borrowing momentum once more, he swung upward like an ape. Chen Jian's fist became a pivot point, and with his foot anchored against it, he drove his body into a full rotation. To an outsider, it looked as if Chen Jian had grabbed Li Hao's foot and swung him in a circle. In reality, that wasn't the case at all. Chen Jian felt as though his fist had been caught by Li Hao's foot! Glued together! Using the fist as a fulcrum, Li Hao circled once, pushed off, leaped into the air, and unleashed a frenzied barrage of kicks! *Smack! Smack! Smack!* Explosive cracks of displaced air sounded incessantly. Chen Jian's expression turned solemn. He protected his head and vital points with both hands, throwing an occasional counter-punch whenever an opening appeared. The two traded blows back and forth, engaging in a fierce battle across the gym area. Li Hao delivered another heavy kick. Chen Jian dodged, and with a resounding crash, Li Hao's foot blasted a hole straight through the wall. *** While the two were locked in intense combat... By the doorway, someone was watching in utter disbelief. Liu Yan stood dumbfounded, turning her head to look at Liu Long. Liu Long was equally slack-jawed, his gaze somewhat unfocused. After a long silence, he said in a low voice, "Mysterious energy... the first absorption really works wonders!" Other than that, there was nothing to say. Everyone had seen what Li Hao was like the day before yesterday. Yesterday, after absorbing mysterious energy, Li Hao had indeed improved enough to land a kick on Liu Yan. But today's Li Hao... if Liu Long hadn't been certain of the date, he would have suspected years had passed since he last saw the boy. Good grief, in a single night, he had reached the Ten-Slayer realm! Though he still appeared somewhat raw and visibly lacked experience, his opponent happened to be ideal for showcasing his strengths—a shield specialist who rarely attacked, allowing Li Hao to put his full power on display. Liu Yan rolled her eyes. *Come off it!* It wasn't as if they hadn't absorbed mysterious energy before. When had it ever produced such miraculous results? If absorbing two cubic units could turn someone into a Ten-Slayer martial master... then the so-called Starlight realm probably wouldn't even exist among the Night Watchers! Once a Ten-Slayer martial master advanced, they almost always became a Lunar Nether! That was why the Night Watchers actually hoped martial masters with some foundation would join them, channel energy into their bodies, and become Lunar Nether Masters. Of course, reaching Hundred-Breaker was far too difficult. Take Liu Long, for instance: if he could break through with ease, the Night Watchers would treat him like a treasure. Yet Liu Long had absorbed plenty of mysterious energy without ever managing to advance. This left the Night Watchers disappointed and helpless, forcing them to abandon further support and send him packing back home. During his time with the Night Watchers, he hadn't merely been passing through; it was just that being unable to advance made life exceedingly stifling for a martial master there. Choosing to return to Silver City had been Liu Long's own decision. Ten-Slayers were also the group the Night Watchers most preferred to recruit. Unfortunately, martial masters were difficult to cultivate. Those who reached the Ten-Slayer realm were rarely young. Furthermore, with the rise of supernatural abilities, quite a few people couldn't endure the grueling grind of martial arts, itching to become supernaturals right away. Those who could quiet their hearts and practice martial arts were few and far between. Just then, Yun Yao, who had remained quiet all along, suddenly murmured, "The mysterious energy inside him... can any of you sense it?" Under normal circumstances, when a novice like Li Hao absorbed mysterious energy, it would continuously leak and dissipate outward. Even Liu Long had mysterious energy lingering around his body, as did everyone in the Demon Hunting Squad. That was why Li Hao had been able to see the starlight. Yet with Yuan Shuo, Li Hao couldn't see a thing. The moment Yun Yao spoke, Liu Long's expression shifted slightly. An instant later, something clicked, and he gave a cold chuckle. "Yuan Shuo's disciple really is something else! That old fellow—the martial master path is on the brink of extinction, yet he hoards his secrets day and night, refusing to lend a helping hand to fellow martial masters!" At this moment, he thought of Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo was just like that! Every time he finished absorbing mysterious energy, nobody could detect it, as if he had absorbed every scrap of it completely. The Night Watchers knew of this as well. Everyone suspected Yuan Shuo possessed an extraordinary Energy Channeling Method. Unfortunately, Yuan Shuo kept his mouth shut, and no one could force him to speak. Previously, they thought it was because Yuan Shuo was simply too powerful. Yet today, not a trace of mysterious energy could be sensed on or around Li Hao's body either. Liu Long understood in an instant what this signified. "Yesterday afternoon and evening, this kid visited Yuan Shuo twice... Who knows whether he just learned it or had mastered it long ago and went to discuss it with Yuan Shuo. I heard Yuan Shuo even passed down other secret techniques to him, refusing to give the Night Watchers any face and critically injuring one of them!" Liu Long was very well-informed; he had already received word of yesterday's incident. Liu Yan asked in a low voice, "Boss, are you saying... Li Hao learned Old Yuan's secret technique?" A supreme secret technique for absorption? That was something practically everyone craved! Logically, possessing a jade ring invites calamity. With such a formidable technique, even if Yuan Shuo were a grandmaster of the ancient civilization department, he ought to have drawn countless eyes. Yet Yuan Shuo was still doing just fine and hadn't handed it over, which proved the old man had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. "Mm!" Liu Long nodded, unable to think of any other explanation. He felt some envy, but also some resentment toward Yuan Shuo. In truth, he and Yuan Shuo went way back. His father had been on decent terms with Yuan Shuo in the past, and as a boy, Liu Long had even visited Yuan Shuo hoping to be taken on as a disciple, only for Yuan Shuo to reject him. According to Yuan Shuo, he preferred teaching clever people; even if clever people had too many ideas and weren't very obedient, that was still better than teaching a fool! He had stopped just short of calling Liu Long a fool to his face! And so, Liu Long had formed a grudge against Yuan Shuo in his youth. Now, the martial master path was nearly extinct. Liu Long wanted Silver City's martial community to stand tall and provide some security for the city when the Night Watchers were unwilling to station forces in a small town. Yet that old fellow Yuan Shuo, possessing a lifetime of accumulated wealth, refused to pluck a single feather! Forget supreme secret techniques—the old man was unwilling to contribute even an ordinary martial arts manual! At times, Liu Long couldn't understand Yuan Shuo at all! Why bother? Those things were of little use to Yuan Shuo anymore; wouldn't it be good to carry forward and expand the martial master path? Silver City was too small and lacked powerhouses. If some talent emerged, wouldn't it bring honor to your name as well? Having taught at Silver City Ancient Academy for years, Yuan Shuo never taught martial arts—only academic subjects. This was also a point of criticism for many. Over the years, the students Yuan Shuo accepted were limited, and some hadn't learned a lick of martial arts at all. Li Hao, on the other hand, had learned the Five Animals Art, making him one of the few students who had acquired Yuan Shuo's martial skills. Had Li Hao not joined the Demon Hunting Squad, he might have treated it as an ordinary fitness exercise, ultimately achieving nothing from it. The demon hunters fell silent. All of them turned their gazes back to the fight. Li Hao kept pressing the attack! Chen Jian focused on defense while occasionally countering, and the two traded blows with remarkable vigor. *** "Brother Jian, watch out!" Just then, Li Hao let out a sharp roar, catching Chen Jian's attention. In the next instant, a tiger's roar reverberated through the basement! *Roar!* A fierce tiger roared! Naturally, while Li Hao had seen tigers, he had only seen caged ones. He had never truly seen wild tigers in nature, nor had he heard the roar of a wild beast. Therefore, this roar was completely incomparable to Yuan Shuo's. Yuan Shuo was someone who had truly fought and killed wild tigers. Comparing Li Hao to Yuan Shuo was like comparing a caged tiger to a wild beast—it lacked lethal intent and overwhelming deterrence. Even so, Li Hao's sudden tiger roar still rattled Chen Jian slightly, jarring his eardrums. In that split second of distraction, Li Hao lunged like a black bear, wrapping his arms around Chen Jian. Fat and burly, Chen Jian was much larger and heavier than Li Hao, resembling a black bear far more. Yet in this moment, Li Hao uprooted him like a willow tree, tearing him straight off the floor! "Up you go!" With an enraged bellow, Li Hao channeled every ounce of strength in his body, straining with every fiber of his being as he hauled Chen Jian off the ground before snapping his arms and hurling him outward! *Boom!* A massive crash echoed as Chen Jian slammed directly into the wall, leaving a distinct indentation while bits of concrete came clattering down. Covered in plaster dust, Chen Jian looked a bit disheveled, but he was completely uninjured. He was merely stunned and surprised, staring at Li Hao in utter disbelief. "Phew!" Panting from exhaustion, Li Hao stared back at Chen Jian with equal disbelief. *Good grief!* After fighting for so long, aside from a few bloody scratches on his arms, Chen Jian hadn't taken any damage at all. Was he even human? Li Hao had even snapped a cast-steel pipe with a kick earlier, yet Chen Jian didn't have a scratch on him. At this rate... even if they fought until daybreak, he wouldn't be able to beat him to death! He would probably die of exhaustion first! "Brother Jian, you're amazing!" Chen Jian's face instantly flushed bright red. He felt Li Hao wasn't playing fair, mocking him at a time like this. *Clap, clap, clap!* At that moment, applause sounded from outside the doorway. Liu Yan's face was blooming with smiles, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at the sweat-drenched Li Hao. Before he could even react, Liu Yan closed the distance in a flash, hooked an arm around his neck, and cooed in a sickly-sweet tone, "Little Hao-hao, you're really amazing!" "..." Li Hao stayed calm, shifting slightly, but couldn't shake her off. A faint fragrance drifted into his nostrils. Li Hao rubbed his nose, looking a bit shy. "Sister Yan, let go of me first!" "Oho, shy, are we?" Liu Yan shook with laughter, but instead of letting go, she pressed even closer, her voice sweet and sultry. "Little Hao-hao, you absorb mysterious energy so fast. Can you teach big sister?" Li Hao gave a sheepish grin. "Sister Yan, let me ask my teacher first to see if I'm allowed to pass it on, and whether doing so will get me purged from the sect." "..." Liu Yan froze instantly, shoving Li Hao away with an aggrieved glare. "Not a shred of tenderness for a lady!" The little guy certainly knew how to talk. She couldn't afford to offend that old man. If he really came to purge the sect, who could she plead her case to? Hadn't everyone seen how Yuan Shuo nearly beat a Night Watcher to death yesterday just because they wanted a peek at what he was teaching? It was best not to provoke an old monster like that. As for Li Hao, now that he had displayed the strength of a Ten-Slayer, he had no intention of hiding it. The Five Animals Breathing Art would be hard to conceal anyway. There was no mysterious energy lingering on Li Hao's body. Anyone could tell at a glance that he had already digested it. Yuan Shuo had actually mentioned this: it didn't matter. Yuan Shuo was the same way, and the Night Watchers knew about it. It was no big deal. Knowing of it was fine; what mattered was that they didn't know how to practice it. At this moment, Liu Long stepped forward, looking somewhat appreciative. In a rare display of gentleness, he praised, "Not bad! You exceeded my expectations. I thought channeling mysterious energy might allow you to enter the Ten-Slayer realm quickly, but by quickly... I thought it would take at least a month!" Yet Li Hao had done it in a single day! Li Hao said modestly, "It wasn't my doing; my teacher is the capable one! When I went to find him yesterday, Teacher was truly terrifying!" Li Hao sighed with emotion. "Yesterday, because someone spied on his martial training, Teacher was furious and unleashed power he shouldn't have tapped into. At that moment, Teacher said he felt as though a god had descended upon him! He said that for that brief instant, he approached his past peak, with spirit descending upon his body... It was also then that Teacher guided me to comprehend the Five Animals Secret Art, using his spirit intent to usher me into the Ten-Slayer realm..." At this point, Li Hao's face suddenly filled with sorrow. "However... after guiding me into the Ten-Slayer realm, Teacher couldn't stop coughing up blood. I'm worried... Sigh!" Hearing this, Liu Long let out a long sigh of his own. His past complaints suddenly vanished. With a mix of self-mockery and sorrow, he said, "The number one martial arts grandmaster of Silver Moon Province may truly be taking his final bow! I heard about yesterday's events. Yuan Shuo was severely injured years ago, and yesterday, after someone spied on his secret technique, in his fury he unleashed the combat power of a peak Hundred-Breaker martial master, routing two Lunar Nethers with a single move... Sigh, what a pity! At that moment, he must have truly approached the Thousand-Battler realm, with spirit descending upon his body... the very realm I've always yearned for. Who would have thought you would get to witness it ahead of time?" At this moment, he was not in the least surprised that Li Hao had crossed into the Ten-Slayer realm! A peak Hundred-Breaker martial master, in a final explosive burst, had grasped spirit intent once more. Such a figure could have stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm! Yet Yuan Shuo was old, and his injuries were too severe. In the end, all he produced was a Ten-Slayer disciple. Thinking about it carefully, it was damn well not worth it! Even if word spread, even the powerhouses among the Night Watchers would lament that it wasn't worth the cost! Li Hao entering the Ten-Slayer realm was just a small fry. If Yuan Shuo could have stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm, that would have been truly magnificent. Hearing these words, the other demon hunters also looked at Li Hao with peculiar expressions. Spirit intent! Liu Yan marveled, "Spirit descending upon the body... that's a Thousand-Battler technique! If Old Yuan hadn't been injured years ago, he probably would have stepped into the Thousand-Battler domain and become an earthly immortal of the martial path!" She felt shock, sorrow, envy, and also sympathy! Yes, sympathy! How tragic! A grandmaster of that caliber would likely never be able to replicate yesterday's feat again, routing two Lunar Nethers in a single strike. Li Hao let out a sigh as well, offering a bitter smile. "That's why the moment I arrived today, I wanted to test my strength to see if I could live up to Teacher's nurturing! Otherwise, my conscience would give me no peace!" Liu Long nodded slightly. "You did very well! Chen Jian is at the mid-stage of the Ten-Slayer realm, not a newcomer. Strictly speaking, if the Ten-Slayer realm were divided from slaying 10 to 99, Chen Jian would possess the strength to slay around 30! Of course, he still focuses on defense. Being able to push him this far means your offensive power is greater than an ordinary Ten-Slayer's..." He was only referring to attacks! In actual combat, it was hard to say; perhaps someone weaker than Li Hao could still kill him. Li Hao, however, looked somewhat disappointed. "Brother Jian wasn't even injured, yet I gave it my all!" "You actually wanted to injure him?" Liu Long laughed. "If he were that easily injured by you, how could we hunt demons? Chen Jian can take a strike from a Hundred-Breaker martial master without suffering severe injury. Just now, he didn't even activate his Iron Robe Art when sparring with you. Did you really think that was the limit of his defense?" "..." Li Hao felt even more helpless. So the guy hadn't even gone all out! And here he was, thinking he was pretty formidable! Liu Long calculated for a moment before quickly saying, "Looking at you now, the two cubic units of mysterious energy you absorbed yesterday to advance to the Ten-Slayer realm have probably been fully digested. Originally, I promised yesterday to provide you with another two cubic units after a few days, but judging by this... let's make it today!" "Boss!" The others turned to look at Liu Long. Another two cubic units? This mysterious energy didn't belong to Liu Long alone. Though they acknowledged Li Hao was impressive, still... they had risked life and limb to obtain this much. Wasn't this a bit unfair? Liu Long smiled. "If we survive this time and Li Hao lives too, he'll get a smaller share later! If he dies, those of us who survive will split his share. And if we all die, keeping it won't do any good anyway!" Hearing this, the crowd fell quiet. Thinking about it carefully, that seemed reasonable. Having said that, Liu Long looked back at Li Hao and sighed softly. "Li Hao, you might not understand, but I still have to say it: mysterious energy is truly precious. Killing a Starlight Master usually yields around five to ten cubic units. "Killing a Lunar Nether yields about twenty to forty cubic units. As for those stronger, I don't know, because I've never killed one. "Our Demon Hunting Squad has killed five rogue supernaturals, gathering a total of one hundred and twenty cubic units of mysterious energy. Most of it was absorbed by the few of us, while some was absorbed by others... who are now all dead! The remaining twelve cubic units are all the mysterious energy we have left, paid for with dozens of lives!" He thought for a moment and gave a self-mocking laugh. "Let me count: twenty-two brothers have died. If you measure it in human lives, a single life amounts to only five or six cubic units of mysterious energy—and those were all elites of the Inspectorate! For you to absorb another two cubic units... that's almost the price of a human life!" At that moment, Li Hao suddenly felt the crushing weight of that mysterious energy. Twenty-two dead, for a harvest of one hundred and twenty cubic units of mysterious energy! The... the price was far too steep! "Boss... was it worth it?" Li Hao suddenly asked. Liu Long smiled. A wild, unrestrained smile! "It was worth it! Because... we are justice!" Envoys of justice protecting Silver City! Li Hao turned the words over in his mind. Earlier, he had found them very... very laughable. Yet at this moment, he couldn't laugh. It seemed it wasn't so laughable after all. Was it justice? Perhaps it was!