At the ninth relay station.
Another demon plant refused negotiations and rejected cooperation.
This time, Li Hao did not wait for anyone else to make a move.
Sword light flashed. Li Hao traversed the void, vanishing instantly. When he reappeared, a single thrust impaled the demon plant’s heart of life, and a bare-handed punch snapped its main trunk.
He whirled around with another slash, cleaving through the void and severing its Great Dao.
The Great Dao snapped!
The entity did not even have time to plead for mercy.
Prior to this, Li Hao had always spent time trying to persuade them.
Of the nine relay stations, besides Redwood, three others had chosen to cooperate. There were also those that had surrendered after fighting, whom Li Hao had accepted.
Yet for this one—the ninth—Li Hao gave it no time to think at all.
Everyone’s expression shifted slightly.
They could vaguely sense that Li Hao was growing impatient, more pressed for time than before, completely unwilling to waste any more precious moments.
That was why he had struck down the ninth demon plant without hesitation.
Redwood said nothing.
The avatars of the other three surrendered demon plants were present as well. They had originally intended to advise their old friend, but seeing it slain in the blink of an eye... whether out of shared grief or pure dread, none dared utter a word.
"All nine relay stations have been secured!"
Ignoring the others, Li Hao stowed the demon plant’s remains and turned to Director Qi. "Senior, can we calibrate them now?"
Director Qi stepped forward. Behind them, a tall tower stood dark and dull.
He examined it and nodded. "The relay stations are intact and operational. Now, we must do one thing: liberate them. The ruins are blocking the stations' signals."
Without lingering on the fallen demon plant, Director Qi swiftly continued, "We must break open all the ruins housing the nine relay stations... The ruins exist because heaven and earth sealed themselves back then. Now, as long as we shatter the seals and let the relay stations re-emerge into the world, the unsealing will be complete."
"Understood!"
Li Hao nodded. As long as they were intact, that was all that mattered.
He turned to the group. "Send word outside. Have the personnel stationed in the other locations break the seals simultaneously to free all the relay stations!"
"Understood!"
Someone quickly left to transmit the order.
The nine relay stations were not all in the Central Region. Four were in the Central Region, while the others were spread across the other continents.
There was even one located within the ocean.
At present, the one Li Hao and his group had broken into was situated in the Northern Continent.
Once the messenger departed, Li Hao gazed at the relay station, deep in thought. Unsealing the stations would restore communication across the entire Silver Moon continent.
It would block out all communication lines of other factions within the borders.
It would sever everyone's basic connections, rendering their communication networks inoperable.
Suddenly, Li Hao asked, "Director Qi, can I cut off the communication systems within all military armors?"
Director Qi frowned slightly at the question.
After a moment, he replied, "You can cut off their external channels, but their internal communication... functions like a local network. Within a certain range, they can still communicate."
"How large is this range?"
"Within about a hundred li."
Li Hao nodded. That was not very large. Before the relay stations fell into ruin, military armors had functioned as local networks too, but their range had been far greater—easily reaching a thousand li.
For golden armors, it could even extend to several thousand li.
Now, with their signal amplification completely severed, the armors would only be able to maintain communications within a hundred li.
In that case... if experts from various factions wanted to contact one another across distances, they would have to rely on shouting.
A powerful expert's shout could carry past a hundred li, broadcasting their voice quite far.
Once he controlled the sky screen network, overhauled the relay stations, and jammed all non-Heavenly Star official communication channels, then even if the four nations collaborated, they would have to advance and coordinate purely by intuition.
As these thoughts crossed Li Hao's mind, he asked another question. "Director Qi, if we don't jam the signals, can we tamper with the messages being sent?"
Director Qi started slightly and looked at Li Hao.
Tamper?
Li Hao added, "If we can't tamper with them, can we intercept and monitor them?"
There was a trace of anticipation in his voice. "Monitor all internal communications, including military transmissions..."
Director Qi furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No! At least... not right now. The nine relay stations do not possess that capability. If they did, their defenses would not have been so modest; they would have been far stronger! To freely tap into military transmissions and alter military dispatches... each relay station would have required at least a Saint stationed there, and perhaps even more than one."
If the stations possessed such capabilities, how could their defenses be so fragile? Wouldn't they fear an enemy breach?
Li Hao’s heart stirred, and he nodded.
Though it was a pity, he was not too disappointed.
Being able to temporarily jam all signals was good enough.
As they spoke, Li Hao walked up to the colossal tower. After observing it for a moment, he soared into the air and tore through the void with his sword. The sealed ruins, having lost their guardian demon plant, were cleaved open as Li Hao's sword split the heavens. It was as though the sky had cracked apart.
Rumble!
The earth trembled.
Amidst deep rumbles, the relay station in the north emerged from beneath the ground. A towering spire rose into view, dark and lusterless, resurfacing in the Northern Continent after countless years of slumber.
Simultaneously, the same scene played out in other regions.
Tower after tower rose from the depths of the earth.
All of them were dim and dormant.
Director Qi's voice rang out: "Use the Starry Sky Sword to obtain administrative control over the station, infuse it with sufficient energy, and follow the prompts to configure a specific frequency. From then on, communication will only be possible through that designated frequency."
Without a word, Li Hao followed Director Qi's instructions, channeling the Starry Sky Sword into the relay station to secure Tier 1 authority.
The Starry Sky Sword indeed possessed extremely high clearance.
Before long, Li Hao had mastered control over this relay station, and by extension, secured authority over all nine stations.
Now that the station was exposed aboveground, Li Hao brought out his damaged golden armor and adjusted its frequencies and permissions according to the armors he had previously activated.
Soon, he attempted a transmission: "Uncle-Master Southern Fist, can you receive this?"
Li Hao was in the north, while Southern Fist was stationed in the south.
They were tens of thousands of li apart.
The signal seemed weak at first. After quite some time, Southern Fist replied, "Did you come to the Southern Continent?"
Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief. It worked!
With the relay stations unsealed, the signal propagation had already expanded tremendously.
Even though they were not fully powered up yet, they could already establish contact across vast distances.
He wasted no more time and quickly finished the adjustments.
Fetching a large quantity of divine energy stones, he poured energy into the station. The once-dim spire instantly flared with a faint radiance.
In the blink of an eye, beams of light rippled outward from the station. Before long, the relay station before Li Hao phased into the void and vanished from sight.
At the same time, the personnel stationed at the other eight locations inserted large quantities of divine energy stones. All nine relay stations shone with brilliant light.
A moment later, every single one of them sank into the void, disappearing without a trace.
At this moment, looking down from the starry expanse above, one would see the nine relay stations circling the continent like satellites. They radiated subtle vibrations, blanketing the entire Silver Moon world in a unique field of resonance.
Right then, Li Hao locked down the frequency. Except for the armors he had personally activated, all other signal frequencies were entirely blocked.
The operational frequencies of the nine relay stations were updated accordingly.
***
In an instant, across the entire world, every communication jade system, every alternative transmission method, and all previous long-range communication using military armors ceased functioning—except for Li Hao’s side.
***
A man departing from Dali suddenly tilted his head toward the sky, brilliant light flashing in his eyes.
He frowned slightly.
Beside him, several black-robed experts stopped in their tracks as well upon seeing him pause. "My lord?"
The man gazed into the sky for a long time before speaking. "It seems the relay stations have been reactivated... Try sending messages to all directions."
"Yes!"
Several of them quickly tried to transmit messages, but... their attempts were like stones sinking into the vast ocean, yielding no response whatsoever.
Next, they brought out their armors to transmit, but again, nothing came back.
After a long while, someone said in a low voice, "My lord, there is no response."
The man nodded, looking up at the sky once more with a furrowed brow. "Someone has seized control of the relay stations... It's Li Hao's doing. In this era, only he, wielding the Starry Sky Sword, possesses the authority to do this. No one else has the clearance, unless the master of the Sword City wields the Sword City Lord's Seal. Otherwise... the Starry Sky Sword holds the highest authority."
Hearing this, the black-robed figures frowned.
Soon, however, one remarked, "They've only seized control of the relay stations... That shouldn't have much of an impact on us, right?"
The effect wasn't immense.
It was merely less convenient than before. In the past, deploying a few scouts allowed rapid transmission in all directions. Now, even military armors had likely had their transmission range curtailed.
Conducting comprehensive intelligence distribution would become quite troublesome.
The man frowned. "How could it have no impact? An information blackout can be extremely dangerous! The world today is different from that era; when a powerhouse falls... there are no grand celestial phenomena. With a bit of concealment, no one will know. If news is blocked as well... then if another incident occurs, no one will be the wiser."
"My lord, should we... seize the relay stations?"
"It's useless."
The man shook his head. "We lack the clearance to control them, and the stations are difficult to destroy."
He looked toward the sky and added, "Making too much noise would only expose us. Besides, at this stage, without our true bodies emerging, how could we easily destroy the relay stations? Those nine stations were forged by top-tier beings of old."
Li Hao had managed to silently capture all nine relay stations.
The man’s brow furrowed slightly.
Severing everyone's communications?
It was troublesome, certainly.
Yet if one truly paid it no mind, it might not pose an insurmountable problem either.
"Let's head to the Great Desolation and see what's happening!"
He said no more, deciding to assess the situation in the Great Desolation first.
The black-robed experts held their tongues as well, swiftly following the man as he departed.
***
Meanwhile.
Factions everywhere found their sources of intelligence abruptly cut off. Some ancient cities had stationed personnel outside and established basic communication networks, but now, all had fallen out of contact.
Even military armors—an exceptionally stable transmission medium—had their range reduced to a mere hundred li.
Deploying too few scouts made relaying messages impossible.
Deploying too many made them easy targets for detection.
For a time, discussions erupted among the various forces. Everyone guessed that Li Hao must have captured the relay stations; they had not self-destructed. If they had survived for all these years, how could they suddenly be ruined now?
***
At this moment, Li Hao finally let out a small breath of relief.
Three days.
It had taken three days to capture all the relay stations. Although it didn't inflict direct harm on his enemies, it severed their communication links, making their coordination far more cumbersome.
This would... create opportunities to fight battles using information asymmetry.
Otherwise, the moment he finished a battle against the Western God Nation, even without broadcasting it via sky screens, news would reach the other factions immediately afterward. Now, even if rival experts lurked in the shadows and observed, relaying word back would take time.
Meanwhile, his side could send messages everywhere in an instant.
"Can everyone receive this message?"
"Loud and clear!"
"Received!"
Li Hao transmitted messages in all directions, and the personnel stationed across various locations swiftly replied.
Aside from Qian Wuliang's group, everyone responded.
Li Hao breathed easier and sent another dispatch: "Everyone, drop whatever you are doing. Convene in Heavenly Star City over the next two days... Actually, come directly to Silver Moon!"
"Understood!"
Replies poured in one after another.
Li Hao turned his gaze in a certain direction. Today, Qian Wuliang and the others had gone to visit the Zheng family's ancient city. That was an extremely perilous task; there was a ninety-nine percent chance the Zheng family had turned traitor.
Despite the high probability... Li Hao still needed to confirm it.
Consequently, Qian Wuliang and his teacher were in immense danger.
His earlier public accusation against the Zheng family head might have left behind dangerous consequences.
Li Hao could only pray that nothing went wrong.
In truth, targeting the Liu family would have been fine.
Visiting the Zheng family had not been strictly necessary.
Yet Li Hao knew that both his teacher and he wanted to be certain: had the entire Zheng family city betrayed Neo-Martial, or was the truth something else entirely?
***
Just as Li Hao was transmitting orders to all sides...
The Zheng family's ancient city.
The city was named Wubian City.
Inside the City Lord's Estate, a warrior in golden armor was receiving Qian Wuliang and his companions. His tone was distinctly cold. "Li Hao, successor of the Li family, dared to slander the head of our Zheng family as a traitor to Neo-Martial. During his battle against the King of Dali, he spouted utter nonsense. How dare you set foot here?"
The gold-armored warrior's voice was chilly. "On the day of the celestial upheaval, our family head departed Wubian City to aid various factions and has not returned since. Perhaps he perished long ago, or perhaps he is trapped somewhere... You besmirch the untarnished name of our Zheng family. Do you truly take us for easy prey?"
Sensing the other party's fury, Qian Wuliang hurriedly said, "Senior, please calm your anger! The news did not originate from the Governor-General, but... from Sun Xin, Vice Commander of the Heavenly Star Army. He truly betrayed Neo-Martial and confessed to this personally before Senior Zhang An, claiming that the Zheng family head led the operation... We could hardly believe it either. The Governor-General is young, and in his fury that day, he spoke rashly... We came here today partly to verify the truth, and partly to inform you seniors.
"Perhaps Sun Xin made false accusations before his death, or perhaps he intentionally sowed confusion. Whatever the case... sitting down to clear the air will avoid needless trouble."
The gold-armored warrior nodded slightly, his fury abating somewhat.
He said calmly, "Sun Xin's betrayal... is indeed unexpected. But his words are undoubtedly slander! The family head would never turn traitor. As a member of the Zheng family and part of Star Suppressing City's heritage, how could he betray Neo-Martial? Aside from the Human King, Star Suppressing City was the premier faction of Neo-Martial! We produced multiple Sovereigns. We endured the darkest days of Neo-Martial—why would we turn traitor now?
"There may well be some misunderstanding in all of this."
At that point, his tone turned icy once more. "Yet Li Hao, making no distinction between right and wrong, spread such claims publicly with ill intent! Perhaps someone among the Eight Great Families did turn traitor, but airing it so blatantly—does that not cut off Wubian City's way out? Does it not wound the hearts of our soldiers? We have guarded this place for countless eras. To utter the word 'betrayal' is easy, but do you know the price that must be paid for it?"
Qian Wuliang hurriedly said, "Senior, please quell your anger. In truth... the Governor-General could hardly believe it either! His words that day were also intended to put the real traitors off their guard."
At this, Qian Wuliang hesitated slightly before venturing, "Senior, forgive my boldness, but if Senior Zheng did not turn traitor... that would mean there is no Heavenly Star Great Mine ore vein within the city. May we... look around the city?"
"You wish to inspect my Wubian City?"
Qian Wuliang wore a helpless expression. "Junior would not dare... but... it is our duty! It is not just the Governor-General, but also the seniors of Battle Heaven City, the Martial Forest Alliance, Star River City, and other places who hope to confirm this. In my boldness, I also wish to clear Wubian City's name! They dared not come rashly for fear of causing a misunderstanding that would harm our harmony. After all, the eight families share deep roots..."
The gold-armored warrior stared coldly at them for a long while before speaking slowly. "Ordinarily, you would have no right! But my Zheng family would never betray Neo-Martial. Very well, you may look around as you please. Remember: you are not to disturb a single blade of grass or tree in this city!"
"Not at all, my lord, rest assured!"
Qian Wuliang said with utmost sincerity, "If we can prove the Zheng family was wrongfully accused, the Governor-General will travel to the other cities to testify on your behalf. Please rest easy, Senior."
"Begone!"
The gold-armored warrior was disinclined to say more.
Qian Wuliang hastily bowed and took his leave. Yuan Shuo and the others had barely spoken a word; they now exited alongside Qian Wuliang.
The city was deathly quiet.
Qian Wuliang did not stand on ceremony, leading the group through the streets. A few patrolling soldiers were visible, though like Battle Heaven City, most were mere lingering remnants of consciousness.
A few higher-ranking entities, such as bronze-armored soldiers, possessed some awareness. They ignored the visitors, though a faint hostility was palpable.
They knew that outside, the Zheng family's name had been dragged through the mud by the successor of the Li family.
Yuan Shuo said nothing, silently observing everything.
If a city had not undergone true dormancy and had instead remained active, then even with deliberate concealment, its inhabitants could not have remained in secluded cultivation for a hundred thousand years. They would have left behind traces of daily living.
He inspected every corner, quickly covering almost the entire city.
Eventually, they walked outside the city walls, where they saw a colossal yet dim guardian demon plant.
Judging by its condition, it had clearly not awakened yet.
It was remarkably similar to Battle Heaven City's initial state.
Director Zhou and the others watched in silence, their expressions perplexed. From the internal state of the Zheng family's city, it truly appeared to have only recently begun reviving, bearing no signs of prolonged activity.
Could it be... the Zheng family's ancient city was not the traitor after all?
The enemy frequently deployed dozens of origin avatars, which meant that many powerhouses had revived. With so many experts, they must have occupied an ancient city; without one, they could not shield so many powerhouses from the suppression of heaven and earth.
An ordinary small city would never suffice!
At present, aside from Sword City, only the Hong family's Thunderstorm City remained unvisited. If it wasn't the Zheng family, could it be the Hong family?
The group looked toward Yuan Shuo. Yuan Shuo shook his head slightly.
He hadn't found anything amiss.
The main city showed no signs of large numbers of living people having dwelt there.
As they pondered this, an aged human face manifested upon the massive trunk of the demon plant. Its voice was gentle: "The Zheng family would never betray our cause! We know this matter might be connected to that Silver City folk ballad... Someone may be deliberately misleading you. What Sun Xin said was likely meant to make you suspect the Zheng family.
"The ballad claims the young master of the Zheng family dragged his feet... Yet of our young masters, those who died are gone, and those who survived departed to follow the Sword Venerable into battle. How could they turn traitor? The family head had unfinished business that day and could not accompany the Sword Venerable immediately. But the moment the celestial upheaval occurred, he ventured outside. As an expert at the peak of the Saint Realm, he must have sensed something and chosen to offer aid, not slaughter people at Heavenly Star Town!"
"Senior!"
Yuan Shuo bowed slightly. "Do you mean to say the Zheng family head might have gone to rescue Heavenly Star Town, only to be ambushed and slain by the real traitors, who then framed the Zheng family?"
"It is possible."
The aged visage on the tree sighed. "The one who spread that Silver City folk ballad may well be the key! The ballad and Sun Xin's testimony complement each other, a layout woven over countless years. Perhaps... they were waiting for this very day, waiting to push the Zheng family into an inescapable trap!"
Yuan Shuo's thoughts stirred. That was indeed a possibility.
The ballad described the other seven families in an ordinary light, singling out only the Zheng family as dubious.
And before dying, Sun Xin had named several individuals—with the head of the Zheng family foremost among them!
Paired with the ballad, anyone's first thought would be that the Zheng family had turned traitor. But what if... the person who spread the ballad was the true traitor, who had planned all of this long before the revival to absolve themselves in advance?
He looked back at the Zheng family's ancient city and scanned their surroundings, brow slightly furrowed.
Through his eyes, the city truly lacked any signs of living people having dwelled there for an extended period.
Strange!
Could it really be the Hong family?
The ancestor of the Hong family had not been part of the first generation of Neo-Martial powerhouses. Unlike the other families, who had fought alongside the Human King in the dawn of the Neo-Martial era, the Hong family had risen later. Now, only the Hong family remained unvisited.
Could it be that the Hong family had framed them?
Yuan Shuo's mind raced.
At that moment, the gold-armored warrior materialized, saying calmly, "If Li Hao wishes to establish cooperation and reach certain agreements, it is not out of the question. However, he must clear our Zheng family's name! Otherwise, the Zheng family will never cooperate with someone who defames our clan's honor!
"The only reason we did not kill you is that we do not wish to deepen this misunderstanding. Otherwise... for daring to publicly slander our family head, Li Hao would have become Wubian City's greatest enemy!"
Yuan Shuo replied hurriedly, "I will pass on your words. Please quell your anger, Senior. Perhaps... it truly is a misunderstanding! If that is the case... I will have Li Hao visit every city to speak on the Zheng family's behalf!"
"I hope so!"
The gold-armored warrior spoke no further. Qian Wuliang also added hastily, "Senior, this matter is of great import, so we shall take our leave. If the information was erroneous, it might lead to... complications. We must return and inform the Governor-General to prevent any further misunderstandings."
The gold-armored warrior did not bid them stay, vanishing instantly.
Yuan Shuo and the others exchanged glances and swiftly made their way out.
They did not stop until they had exited the ruins.
***
Outside the ruins, the group sprinted toward Silver Moon.
Director Zhou asked in a deep voice, "Are we certain it isn't the Zheng family?"
"For the most part, yes!"
Yuan Shuo frowned. "There were no traces left behind. No matter how powerful someone is, strength is strength; signs of daily life cannot be masked by mere prowess. Unless we fell into an illusion and everything we saw was false... Wubian City bears no signs of powerhouses living there for years."
Director Zhou looked toward Qian Wuliang. Qian Wuliang sighed as well. "I didn't detect many abnormal emotions either. There was anger and indignation, which is only natural. If they were truly wronged, anger is completely expected, as is a touch of hostility."
"Then could it be the Hong family?"
"It's possible."
"..."
After a brief discussion, the group hastened their flight toward Silver Moon.
Up to this point, only the Hong family had yielded zero news. They had never visited them, nor had they located Thunderstorm City. Furthermore, the Hong family ancestor was not among the first generation of Neo-Martial powerhouses, which amplified their suspicion tenfold.
***
Silver Moon.
Silver City.
Half a day later, Li Hao met up with Qian Wuliang and the others.
Seeing that they were unharmed, he let out a slight breath of relief.
At this time, powerhouses from all directions were converging on Silver City once more.
Hong Yitang and the others were naturally curious. Hong Yitang smiled. "Walking out of the Zheng family's ancient city unscathed... that is certainly worthy of congratulations."
Li Hao cut straight to the point: "Qian Wuliang, brief us on the situation."
Qian Wuliang dared not delay and quickly outlined what they had seen. Upon hearing it, everyone—including Director Wang—frowned. Director Wang mused, "So it really might be the Hong family? That is certainly plausible. Of the Eight Great Families, only the Hong family lacked a deep foundation. If their ancestor harbored dissatisfaction... it is understandable. As a late-rising family, the Hongs possessed no root whatsoever in the main world.
"Although the Hong family ancestor graduated from Magic Martial, countless people graduated from there. He was remarkably talented, but he was reportedly stuck at the peak of the Saint Dao for an eternity without progress. That was why he came to this minor world, because the Sword Venerable was also the chancellor of Magic Martial..."
Director Wang pondered for a moment before continuing, "The Hong family had no backing. If the enemy offered them tremendous benefits—promising to help him become a Heavenly King, a Sovereign, or the master of this minor world—he truly had a high chance of betraying our cause... As for the Zheng family... they produced a Sovereign. Even though this branch was only a collateral line, based on your report, they may indeed have been falsely accused."
At this, he sighed with relief. "That is for the best. If the Zheng family is not the traitor, our troubles will be far smaller. If the Zheng family had betrayed us, remember that the Star Suppressing lineage includes the Zhou, Liu, and Zheng families—multiple main cities."
He felt much more at ease knowing the Zheng family had not turned traitor.
As for the Hong family... choosing them among the eight was the easiest outcome for everyone to accept, causing the least disillusionment.
Thinking of this, he looked hesitantly at Li Hao. "If the Zheng family did not turn traitor..."
He trailed off, clearly conflicted.
It would be best to leave the three families of the Star Suppressing lineage alone.
Li Hao understood his thoughts and nodded. "I will take that into consideration!"
Director Wang hesitated, but held his tongue.
Li Hao smiled. "General Qian, you and the others have had an exhausting journey visiting two main cities... Go rest for a bit... Actually, I'll escort you back, and while we're at it, I'll share some recent discoveries of mine. They will be of great help to your cultivation, things you might not know yet."
The others exchanged glances. Another new discovery?
In that case, they saw no reason to refuse.
Yuan Shuo smiled. "Excellent. My progress has stalled lately, so a breakthrough in understanding is just what I need."
With that, Li Hao left together with the group.
Director Wang sighed as he watched him go.
Perhaps... Li Hao was still determined to strike at an ancient city, and simply preferred not to discuss it with him.
What a headache!
If the Zheng family had turned traitor, Director Wang and his peers would have had few objections if Li Hao targeted the Liu, Zhou, or Zheng families, since all three might have shared the same stance.
Star Suppressing City was essentially a faction within the eight main cities.
Yet now that the Zheng family appeared to be innocent... Director Wang felt deeply conflicted about this coming battle, though he could hardly stop Li Hao.
***
Silver City, an old courtyard.
Yuan Shuo's residence.
Now that they had returned, Yuan Shuo stayed in his own home.
When the group entered, the courtyard was rather dusty. With a casual wave of his hand, Li Hao swept away the dust, then walked inside and opened the door with practiced familiarity. Without another word, he glanced at the group and said, "I'll take you to the Bright Star Realm to see my new discovery..."
The group started. In the next instant, Li Hao's sword seemed to pierce through the firmament.
The void cracked open.
Li Hao vanished in a flash, his voice drifting out: "Follow me inside. As long as we don't wander too far, there won't be any danger."
Without hesitation, the group slipped into the spatial rift.
Li Hao could now bring people directly into the Bright Star Realm.
Yuan Shuo had been there before, but Director Zhou and Qian Wuliang had never set foot in the Bright Star Realm.
A moment later, awe washed over them.
Before them stretched a boundless starry cosmos!
Countless stars gathered in every direction.
Yuan Shuo's gaze flickered. It was different from before... Previously, the stars had been scattered haphazardly across the void, but now, they had coalesced into distinct, dedicated regions. He surveyed the sight, his heart stirring, and cast a glance at Li Hao without speaking.
Li Hao gazed at the vast cosmos for a time, then said, "Qian Wuliang, I saw that you had something to say earlier. Why didn't you speak up?"
Qian Wuliang's heart skipped a beat!
After a brief silence, he ventured, "Governor-General, I..."
"Speak plainly!"
Qian Wuliang took a deep breath. After another pause, he said, "Right now, the Governor-General wishes to claim an ancient city—any of them would do. However, because there are many Neo-Martial seniors in our camp... they will be reluctant to agree, let alone assist, if we attack any city other than the traitorous one.
"Now, if the Zheng family isn't the traitor, then it must be the Hong family... If—and I only say if—the Governor-General proposes to attack the Hong family, do you think Senior Zhang An and the others would agree?"
Li Hao frowned. "If the Hong family is the traitor, then even with their help, we would be no match for them!"
"But what if... the Governor-General insists on taking the risk?"
Qian Wuliang lowered his voice. "There are many justifications. Perhaps the traitors within the Hong family have already left for another location, or something of that sort... But if we can establish that the Hong family is the traitorous city, and the Governor-General decides to attack it, the Neo-Martial powerhouses will likely agree!"
Li Hao scowled, his tone turning frosty. "Speak plainly. Do not play your little mind games before me!"
Qian Wuliang drew a deep breath. After a moment, he said, "Very well, I shall be blunt. However... this is merely my conjecture! I suspect that more than one city has betrayed our cause—in fact, there may be several! Perhaps that wasn't the case in the past, but over all these years, some cities that originally remained loyal might have been usurped by their people!"
Qian Wuliang said solemnly, "Both the Liu family and the Zheng family might be compromised! I even suspect that aside from Sword City, every one of the eight main cities has been infiltrated by their people. Sword City might be the same; we simply haven't visited it yet.
"On the contrary, I believe the Hong family might not have turned traitor at all... The Hong family was never particularly close to the others, and as a recently risen family, they were more dependent on the Sword Venerable's lineage. Thus, the Hongs might not harbor grand ambitions.
"However, to make taking down a city easier, I believe... we can play along with them, label the Hong family as the traitors, and attack the Hong family's ancient city!"
At these words, both Yuan Shuo and Director Zhou frowned.
Yuan Shuo asked, "Why do you believe the Hong family is innocent, while the Zheng and Liu families are compromised? I didn't see any suspicious signs..."
Qian Wuliang replied softly, "Professor Yuan may have forgotten that the ancient city we saw is only a fraction of its true self, not the whole thing! At its peak, it could house tens of millions of people. If the traitorous city still has powerhouses and sufficient energy, that means what they revealed to us is merely an outer corner, while the true city remains entirely hidden from your sight.
"The Zheng family might simply be trying to cover up their tracks through an elaborate ruse. I even suspect the folk ballad was spread by the Zheng family themselves, and that Sun Xin was telling the truth. Because the Zheng family's guilt appeared so obvious, it became remarkably easy to overturn that conclusion, just as we did today... But what if they did that intentionally?"
He looked toward Yuan Shuo and continued softly, "Back in Wubian City, no one discovered anything amiss or sensed any oddities. Even I failed to detect any abnormal emotions."
He paused, then added, "However, there was one peculiar detail. I wonder if the Professor noticed: at every ancient city I visited, I mentioned a certain person..."
"Li Hao?"
"No, Senior Zhang An!"
Qian Wuliang said gravely, "When I mentioned Senior Zhang An in Battle Heaven City, I observed their reactions. Their emotions were complex—reverence and admiration, but also a hint of disappointment.
"Yet when I brought up Senior Zhang An in the Zheng and Liu cities, their reaction was... complete indifference."
"What?"
Yuan Shuo looked puzzled, while Li Hao frowned.
Qian Wuliang explained softly, "There were no ripples in their emotions, no meaningful reaction. In Battle Heaven City, when I asked, they hadn't known Senior Zhang An had remained at Yuanping Martial Arts University until the Governor-General told them. According to the Governor-General, they were overjoyed back then, because Senior Zhang An is the grandson of the Supreme..."
Li Hao nodded slowly. "Yes. At the time, both Division Commander Nine and Director Wang stated that if Senior Zhang An were willing to come, he could even command Battle Heaven City's military authority!"
Qian Wuliang nodded. "That is the natural reaction. Yet the two families we visited this time didn't even bother to ask further questions—even though both families have descendants of Star Suppressing City studying at Yuanping Martial Arts University.
"Their reaction to Senior Zhang An being alive was utter tranquility. No reverence, no anticipation... only flat detachment. That is deeply unnatural."
Qian Wuliang exhaled. "Beyond that, I have no further evidence. But I suspect both families are compromised. For the Governor-General to choose between the two would be exceedingly perilous! On the other hand, choosing the Hong family's main city carries far less risk!
"The Hong family has a shallow foundation, few surviving powerhouses, and their guardian demon plant is said to be relatively weak... That being the case, by following the Zheng family's narrative, we can persuade Senior Zhang An and the others to join forces with us against the Hong family!"
Put simply: they would directly pin the blame of betrayal onto the Hong family, and families like the Zheng and Liu would likely echo the accusation.
The danger would be minimal, and they would secure powerful allies.
In Qian Wuliang's view, all the Governor-General needed was an ancient city; whether it was truly a traitor was irrelevant.
That was why he had agreed with Director Wang's earlier deduction.
The moment Director Wang suspected the Hong family, Qian Wuliang was the first to endorse it...
Li Hao glanced at him and frowned. "Is that why you kept quiet earlier?"
"Governor-General... I... these are merely my conjectures. I had no solid proof, and I wished to find an opportunity to report to you in private."
Li Hao furrowed his brow. "Setting that aside, if you believe both the Zheng and Liu families are traitors, where do you think their main force is stationed?"
"The Liu family!"
Li Hao was taken aback. "Why do you think so?"
Now that Qian Wuliang had spoken his mind, he did not mind demonstrating his value further. He said softly, "Because if the Zheng family truly turned traitor, they wouldn't keep their main force within their own city. If a top-tier expert came to investigate, wouldn't everything be exposed? On the contrary, stationing them with the Liu family would draw far less suspicion... Their main force might even be within the Zhou family.
"Meanwhile, to avoid suspicion, the Zheng family would deliberately leave almost no one behind!
"They would also worry that if someone revived earlier and grew powerful enough to emerge from the ruins, unexpected variables might arise..."
He continued, "Therefore, I suspect there is a high probability that the Zheng family has almost no powerhouses guarding their city."
It was merely a guess!
He could not be certain, nor could he prove it.
Li Hao fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Very well, the Zheng family it is!"
Qian Wuliang froze. "Governor-General, that was only my conjecture! A wrong choice would spell utter catastrophe! Right now, I still believe it is best to play along with them and strike the Hong family. Furthermore, we can quickly pinpoint the Hong family's location..."
Whether the Hong family was truly a traitor did not matter.
In Qian Wuliang's eyes, this was the optimal path!
Figures like Zhang An would likely lend their aid.
He could even use his silver tongue to present their deductions to the other main cities, convincing them to send reinforcements. Once they took down the Hong family's city, even if no traitorous powerhouses appeared, they could fabricate any excuse—claiming the traitors were hiding elsewhere.
Neither Yuan Shuo nor Director Zhou said a word.
Qian Wuliang's motives were far from noble, but one had to admit that if things were as he described, the Hong family was indeed the best choice!
At least for Li Hao, it was the optimal move.
It would allow them to secure assistance from Zhang An and the others!
Li Hao, however, shook his head. "There's no need. We choose the Zheng family!"
"This..."
Qian Wuliang wanted to protest, but Li Hao tore open the void. The group reappeared back in the room.
Li Hao said, "It's decided. Say no more about it, and act as though nothing was said earlier."
"Understood!"
Qian Wuliang nodded, feeling utterly helpless.
The Governor-General... truly was... sigh!
What was wrong with catering to the mindset of the Neo-Martial powerhouses to secure their aid?
Chapter 333