Spoils of War

Silver City. July 19th. It was still raining, but the downpour had lessened compared to the night before. A gentle drizzle came down, lending a touch of coolness to the summer air. Everything from last night seemed to have been forgotten. Of course, the people of Silver City could not truly forget. They could not forget the blazing sun rising over the northern suburbs, nor could they forget it crashing down and plunging the world into darkness. They had no idea what had happened. Yet they knew the local authorities still stood. That day, the Inspectorate carried out its routine patrols as usual, and that was enough. At any time—and especially in chaotic times—the authorities were something they leaned on and trusted all the more. In moments like this, they had no one else to rely on. The Cathedral in the city had been destroyed. Today, the site was sealed off, turned into a forbidden zone. Not just there, but any area where supernaturals had died was declared restricted. Inspectorate personnel stood guard, barring anyone from entering or leaving. The warehouse in the northern suburbs was the top priority among them! A supreme figure beyond Solar Radiance had been slain right here by Yuan Shuo, carved into a thousand pieces until he was as dead as dead could be. *** Near the warehouse. The warehouse had long since been smashed to pieces during last night's battle, exposing large quantities of explosives buried underground. Beyond that, several cannons were hidden in the distance, another part of Liu Long's preparations. It was a pity they had never been used. Of course, not needing them was a blessing. Had they actually been fired last night, the outcome might have been entirely different. At this moment, a crowd had gathered near the warehouse. They all congregated where Divine Master Duantian had fallen the previous night. Huang Yun, Wang Ming, Hu Hao, Li Meng... Several powerhouses from the Night Watchers were present. In addition, the pudgy Mu Sen had arrived, and Liu Long, nursing his injuries beneath a trench coat, stood waiting in the rain. Just then, the rain seemed to stop. In an instant, a figure materialized in midair. It was a short-haired man whose face bore traces of exhaustion, as though he had traveled a long distance without even a chance to rest. Huang Yun was the first to spot the newcomer. Stepping forward, delight showed on his face. "Minister Hao came in person!" He had not expected him to arrive so quickly. Even rushing straight from White Moon City, this was remarkably fast. It seemed the incident in Silver City had truly unsettled the Silver Moon Province Night Watchers headquarters. The short-haired man dropped straight out of the air. He was not very tall, about one point seven meters, and looked to be around forty years old, his expression weary. Seeing Huang Yun, he gave a slight nod, then looked toward Mu Sen and offered a faint smile. "Director Mu!" In terms of rank, Mu Sen stood quite high. As a City Inspecting Commissioner, he was the true head of Silver City's law enforcement. Technically, he was even one rank above Huang Yun. Of course, Huang Yun was nominally only an Inspecting Commissioner, equivalent to Liu Long, but Night Watchers ranks carried greater weight than equivalent Inspectorate positions, so Huang Yun could be regarded as Mu Sen's equal. Mu Sen nodded slightly. "Minister Hao arrived fast. Is everything all right in White Moon City?" "No issues!" The man addressed as Minister Hao gave a polite smile. "White Moon City is impregnable. No one dares cause trouble in the city..." He was merely exchanging pleasantries. Yet Mu Sen offered a sardonic retort: "Is that so? If White Moon City is impregnable, how did a Solar Radiance show up here last night? Big cities count as cities, but small ones don't?" "..." Minister Hao was momentarily caught off guard. *I was just being polite, and times are tough as it is. How did that turn into the Night Watchers being utterly wicked?* "Director Mu misunderstands..." Mu Sen put on a nonchalant face. "I'm used to it! Small city, barely a million people. Doesn't matter if they all die off, right? What is White Moon City in comparison? Thirty million people, a megacity. If something happens there, a lot more die! See, Silver City doesn't even have a Night Watchers branch... That's the bloody truth of it!" To the side, Liu Long kept his head lowered. Hearing this, his ear twitched slightly, and he murmured, "Silver City is too small. We have practically no supernaturals, and even if any emerge, they leave for White Moon City. There's no way to establish a branch here." Mu Sen chuckled. "True enough! The former director was quite capable. I heard he broke through from the Hundred-Breaker realm into the supernatural, becoming a top-tier powerhouse at the Solar Radiance level. A pity, though... he'll never come back! The grass is greener outside. The world is vast, and he wanted to see it... Nothing we can do about that." Minister Hao was at a loss for words. Nearby, Huang Yun cleared his throat softly. "Director Mu, the situation is even more critical than you imagine. The Night Watchers are few in number, and with constant trouble in the Central Region, some of our elites had to be pulled away... Across the thirty-two cities of Silver Moon Province, we truly cannot cover every corner." He continued, "This time, I deliberately abandoned my post guarding Hudong City to come here in secret... Fortunately, nothing happened there, or I would have been guilty of an unforgivable offense." He was playing the emotional card. *Haven't I already come?* Silver City had plenty of grievances against White Moon City, which was unavoidable. What Mu Sen said was also true: Silver City did not even possess a branch office. The Night Watchers had more than just the White Moon City headquarters in Silver Moon Province; several other major cities had branches staffed by Starlight Masters and Lunar Nether Masters, and some even had Solar Radiance figures stationed there. Mu Sen sneered. Minister Hao offered a conciliatory smile. "Silver City's Demon Hunting Squad is stronger than the Night Watchers branches in many cities! Liu Long alone is worth several Lunar Nether Masters, and Director Mu is extraordinarily formidable himself... Silver City may be small, but its defensive capability is far from weak. No one could have foreseen that the enemy would send so many powerhouses this time!" "One Three Sols, one Solar Radiance, ten Lunar Nether Masters, one Hundred-Breaker, and nine Ten-Slayer realm fighters... Realistically speaking, aside from White Moon City and Yaoguang City, not a single other city among Silver Moon Province's thirty-two could have held against that!" These words were an attempt to flatter Mu Sen and his people. Yet flattery was not what Mu Sen wanted. He smiled. "So Minister Hao acknowledges our strength in Silver City?" Minister Hao looked somewhat awkward. Mu Sen pressed his advantage. "In that case, I propose upgrading the Demon Hunting Squad into the Silver City Branch of the Night Watchers! Liu Long can serve as the branch's City Inspecting Commissioner!" "This..." Before Minister Hao could respond, Mu Sen continued, "Liu Long performed tremendous merit this time and must be rewarded! He may not be a supernatural, but do the Night Watchers judge people solely on whether they possess supernatural power rather than actual combat ability and achievements? If so, the Night Watchers are far too shortsighted!" Smiling amiably, Mu Sen went on, "If it's upgraded, standard protocol requires staffing it with at least ten Night Watchers—whether Starlight Masters or Lunar Nether Masters, either will do! In addition, a monthly allocation of one hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy is standard... Silver City is in grave danger right now, so I don't think we should follow normal allotments. At least one thousand cubic meters will be needed!" Minister Hao's jaw dropped. Huang Yun stared in stunned disbelief. As for Wang Ming and the others, they were utterly dumbfounded. *What in the world is happening?* Mu Sen chuckled again. "Aside from that, all standard equipment can follow the distribution rules for other cities! Furthermore, we killed one Three Sols and one Solar Radiance this time... The Night Watchers must allocate supplies and credit according to our merits!" "Oh, and Silver City suffered heavy losses last night. The Night Watchers had better provide some material support... especially ice crystals. We need a massive quantity, ideally enough to ring the entire city!" "Also, we'll need some supernatural weapons!" "..." Silence. Complete, utter silence. Minister Hao stared at him for a long time before finally saying, "I am only a deputy. I will relay your requests when I return, but as for whether they are approved, I have no authority to decide!" He opted to stall. *Is this fat bastard Mu Sen out of his mind? Cornering me with this the moment we meet—are you trying to get me killed?* Mu Sen acted completely indifferent. "Then we'll take it as Minister Hao's agreement! The Night Watchers in Silver Moon Province have one chief and five deputies. With Minister Hao agreeing, I imagine the others won't be a problem." *To hell with you!* Minister Hao nearly cursed aloud. *When did I ever agree?* The higher-ups' policy regarding Silver City was dissolution and relocation. Setting up a Night Watchers branch would signify a commitment to hold the city, a promise he dared not make lightly. All of a sudden, he felt he had picked the worst possible time to arrive. He felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. *Damn fat bastard. This guy's knack for seizing every opening is truly... unrivaled!* Mu Sen spoke again: "Minister Hao, I'm not trying to make things difficult for you, but the truth is, we have to establish one! Yuan Shuo has stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm, reaching the peak of it. Having slain a Three Sols, he can be treated as equivalent to a Three Sols supernatural... Would you leave the hometown of a Three Sols powerhouse without so much as a Night Watchers branch? Are you trying to chill his heart? Besides, Silver City clearly isn't that simple. What with the Eight Great Families and all... that alone warrants the Night Watchers' full attention!" "If you ask me, not only should a branch be formed, but a Three Sols should be stationed here! Sending several dozen Solar Radiance fighters wouldn't be excessive either..." He was growing more and more preposterous. Yet what the fat man said could not be entirely ignored. Minister Hao pondered for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "I will pass it along. Again, I cannot make the final call!" "Understood!" Mu Sen stopped pressing him. The man was only a deputy after all; expecting him to make the call on the spot was unrealistic, but getting the message across was enough. He turned to Liu Long. "Captain Liu... no, Commissioner Liu, give Minister Hao your proper thanks! Make sure to share the good news with your colleagues in White Moon City. Minister Hao traveled thousands of li to promote you and give you greater responsibilities. Let all of White Moon City know that the Night Watchers are fair with rewards and punishments!" Minister Hao could take no more. "Director Mu, that's quite enough. I will speak well on your behalf, but as I said, I am merely a deputy!" With that, he ignored the fat man entirely. He was going to be infuriated to death at this rate! He strode off into the distance, where numerous chunks of flesh and blood lay scattered, still uncleaned. Huang Yun hurried after him, speaking quickly: "These are the remains of the Three Sols, brimming with Three Sols energy. I was afraid that cleaning it up carelessly would cause the energy to dissipate! Your arrival is timely, Minister Hao. You are a Three Sols yourself... You should be able to harvest the mysterious energy!" A supernatural's mysterious energy varied in potency. As a Solar Radiance, it was not impossible for Huang Yun to collect Three Sols energy, but it easily leaked or dissipated, which would be a massive loss. It was better left where it was! No one knew how Yuan Shuo had killed the man, but even now, the energy within the remains seemed sealed in place. Minister Hao crouched down and picked up a piece of the corpse. The next instant, a wisp of blood-red saber qi burst forth! A thunderous boom echoed across his palm, instantly leaving a faint bloody cut on his skin. Minister Hao's expression turned grave. "What dense saber qi, what sharpness!" The lingering saber qi had actually managed to injure him! The slash Yuan Shuo had used to kill this foe was unimaginably potent. *Was that truly a Thousand-Battler?* It was not as though he had never seen a Thousand-Battler martial master before—though not in Silver Moon Province. He had fought Thousand-Battler martial masters in the past. They were strong, but to claim they could cross realms to kill a Three Sols was pure fantasy. Supernaturals who reached the Three Sols level did not lack combat experience or life-and-death tempering. Aside from perhaps having trained for less time, supernaturals were in no way inferior to veteran martial masters. And yet... Divine Master Duantian had been slain across realms by Yuan Shuo! Mu Sen and the others were equally startled. The residual saber qi had actually wounded Minister Hao—unbelievable! "His weapon is extraordinary!" Minister Hao remarked, adding, "And not just his weapon; his secret technique is unusual as well! Spirit intent merged with blood and qi, body and spirit unified as one... Yuan Shuo is truly worthy of his past reputation as a top-tier martial master who swept through all directions!" The old man was stronger than other martial masters because he possessed more secret techniques! Minister Hao's eyes grew slightly solemn. He wondered whether he would hold the upper hand if he fought Yuan Shuo. He was also at the Three Sols level, with strength comparable to Duantian's. If Yuan Shuo could kill Duantian, then under the right circumstances, it was not impossible for him to kill Hao as well. Of course, when powerhouses clashed, the outcome depended on timing, terrain, and circumstances. Anyone could slay anyone. "With Duantian dead, Red Moon will likely face some turmoil!" Minister Hao added. Huang Yun voiced his concern: "Will they attack again?" "Heh, no need to worry!" Minister Hao chuckled. "The death of a Three Sols is enough to make them ache for a long time. Besides, Red Moon's main forces aren't in Silver Moon Province right now; they are in the Central Region! They can't divert too much power here. If they dare come, aren't they afraid of losing a second or third Three Sols?" He added, "Still, we must remain vigilant! The Night Watchers have too many large targets to defend. As a clandestine organization, they can evade notice far more easily. We must be cautious!" Mu Sen had no interest in hearing this; he knew it all already. He cut straight to the point: "How many cubic meters of mysterious energy can be extracted?" That was what mattered! Who cared about the rest? Minister Hao surveyed the scattered remains, considering for a moment before saying, "A good deal has leaked out, but if everything is extracted, about one thousand cubic meters should be possible!" One thousand cubic meters was a cube ten meters on each side. Obviously, a single person could not hold all that! However, the volume of mysterious energy was not calculated by the space an individual occupied, but by how much space it filled once dispersed into ice crystals until it stopped expanding. Mu Sen frowned. "So little? Slaying a Lunar Nether usually yields twenty to forty cubic meters! If we take thirty as an average, a Three Sols is only worth thirty Lunar Nethers?" That seemed far too little! Minister Hao shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. Besides, this person expended a massive amount of energy, and the corpse was left out overnight. Being able to extract one thousand cubic meters is already quite good! That's only because not too much of it dissipated." Huang Yun nodded and chimed in, "The Solar Radiance was Ying Hongyue's son, a lightning-element supernatural! He exhausted quite a bit as well; getting one or two hundred cubic meters from him will be plenty." As for the ten Lunar Nethers, combined they would yield perhaps two to three hundred cubic meters. Off to the side, Liu Long ran the numbers. In total, they could harvest around fifteen hundred cubic meters... an astronomical figure! His Demon Hunting Squad had slain five supernaturals and collected a total of one hundred and twenty cubic meters of mysterious energy. That had taken over three years. This time, the haul was over ten times greater. For the Demon Hunting Squad, it would have taken more than thirty years to harvest this much. Yet considering a Three Sols had shown up... there was nothing to complain about. If anything, he found the yield rather meager! The risk was not ten times greater than usual; it was a hundred, a thousand times greater! Without Yuan Shuo, everyone would have been wiped out! Huang Yun continued, "Additionally, there is one supernatural item. That lightning-element supernatural was carrying a supernatural weapon!" As for the Three Sols before them, he had carried nothing at all. That was somewhat regrettable! "Mm, not bad!" Minister Hao nodded, then asked, "Where is Yuan Shuo?" "He left last night with his student... the descendant of the Li family!" "I know." Minister Hao nodded. Right then, his gaze shifted slightly. A moment later, a dog came into view, leading the way. Shortly after, Yuan Shuo and Li Hao ambled toward them. Yuan Shuo had spotted the man from far away and murmured to Li Hao, "See that short fellow up ahead?" "Yeah." "That fellow is named Hao Lianchuan. The Night Watchers have their provincial headquarters in Silver Moon Province! They have one chief and five deputies—six minister-level figures in total! This guy ranks among the top three! Aside from the chief, he's one of the very best. It's said that in Silver Moon Province, the Night Watchers might have only two Three Sols powerhouses: the chief and him... I couldn't be sure before today, but now I know for certain. The guy is indeed at the Three Sols level!" Li Hao nodded. He could see it. Even from a distance, he had spotted that radiant sphere of light! "Teacher, the Night Watchers only have two Three Sols in all of Silver Moon Province?" "Just about," Yuan Shuo said softly. "Don't go thinking Three Sols are everywhere... If there were really that many, Duantian wouldn't have been the only one to show up last night! I told you before: once I reached the Thousand-Battler realm, only three to five people could match me. Silver Moon Province only has three to five Three Sols figures on the surface!" Li Hao understood, murmuring, "Then does that mean you rank in the top five now, Teacher?" Though his teacher had not advanced to an even higher realm, he had slain a Three Sols... Would any other Three Sols dare look down on him? Yuan Shuo gave a reserved smile. "Don't put it like that... Top five?" He paused and chuckled softly under his breath. "Even the fellow ranked number one—would he dare challenge me? I've killed a Three Sols. Have they? I might very well be the first person in Silver Moon Province to kill a Three Sols! Understand?" Realm was realm, and combat power was combat power. Other Three Sols might be strong, but that did not mean they could kill one of their own. As for Yuan Shuo, no matter how he had managed it, he had done the deed! On that point alone, no other Three Sols would dare casually pick a fight with him. As they drew closer, Yuan Shuo continued, "Killing this Three Sols cost your teacher a heavy price. I wonder if the spoils of war will be enough to make up for what I spent!" *Spoils of war!* In the distance, Hao Lianchuan's gaze grew peculiar. Mu Sen and the others heard it as well, but kept their mouths shut. Huang Yun, wearing a helpless expression, looked at Hao Lianchuan and whispered, "When he left last night, he said all the spoils belonged to him..." *What do we do about this?* Hao Lianchuan said nothing. Yuan Shuo was an old acquaintance! "Professor Yuan!" From a distance, Hao Lianchuan took the initiative to greet him with a smile. "Congratulations, Professor Yuan, on stepping into the Thousand-Battler realm in a single leap, slaying a Three Sols, and establishing yourself as the foremost figure in the Silver Moon martial arts world! A true earthly immortal!" "You're too kind!" Yuan Shuo chuckled and cupped his hands. "Pure luck! That fellow wasn't very bright; when I chopped him, he didn't even strike back... Supernaturals, you know, they probably lack combat experience. I had no choice but to hack him a few more times until he died! Had I known a Three Sols was so easy to kill, I should have tried a few years back before advancing. Who knows, maybe I could have killed one back then and broken through to become a supernatural!" "..." Awkwardness settled over the scene! Huang Yun did not know if Hao Lianchuan felt awkward, but he certainly did. Then again, trying to debate this with a Thousand-Battler martial master who had just slain a Three Sols seemed impossible. Hao Lianchuan did not take offense. He smiled and said, "Indeed, Professor Yuan has practiced martial arts for decades and dominated the region twenty years ago. We are all your juniors; when it comes to experience, we naturally cannot compare to you, Professor." *You may be right, but you are also very old!* *Why bring all that up?* Back when he hadn't broken through, the old man hadn't been nearly this arrogant. Now that he had advanced... he dared mock even a Three Sols. Yuan Shuo was not interested in trading barbs. He laughed and turned to Li Hao. "Go on, have your Uncle Huang harvest that mysterious energy for you. Collect whatever ought to be collected. We took a huge loss this time, so we need to recover some of our expenses!" With that, he looked toward Liu Long. "Where is my student's sword?" Liu Long remained silent, merely taking out a small sword. Beside him, Hao Lianchuan's eyes shifted slightly. *The Li family sword?* He had not known it was in Liu Long's possession. Otherwise, he would have taken a look earlier. Unfortunately, with Yuan Shuo present, he could not say much. Li Hao stepped forward, took the small sword, and asked softly, "Boss, where are the others?" Only Liu Long was present; Liu Yan and the rest were nowhere to be seen. "Treating their injuries! Wu Chao was hurt badly, and the others carry wounds as well. Yun Yao is tending to them." Li Hao nodded. Then he looked toward the old man—the Uncle Huang his teacher had mentioned. His meaning was clear: *Please help me collect the mysterious energy. Ordinary people can't harvest this stuff.* Huang Yun looked slightly uncomfortable and glanced at Hao Lianchuan. Hao Lianchuan said nothing. A living Three Sols was precious, but a dead one... was just that! No one counted on killing supernaturals to obtain mysterious energy, except perhaps people like Liu Long. Slaying a Three Sols yielded one thousand cubic meters... but advancing from a Hundred-Breaker martial master to a supernatural might take just as much, or perhaps a little less. Killing a Three Sols purely for mysterious energy was absolutely not worth it! Li Hao thought mysterious energy only came from killing people because he lacked world experience. If that were truly the case, the supernatural realm would have descended into utter chaos long ago! Mysterious energy was important, but at the same time, it was just energy. Hao Lianchuan did not dwell on it. Instead, he looked at Li Hao, the sword in his hand, and the young man himself. *The Li family descendant!* *The last descendant of the Eight Great Families of Silver City. What secret do the Eight Great Families hide?* *Red Moon was willing to pay such an enormous price just to kill the Eight Great Families' descendants!* "Professor Yuan, this is Li Hao? Truly worthy of being your esteemed disciple!" Hao Lianchuan chuckled and added, "I heard he joined the Inspectorate, which makes him a colleague of sorts! Avenging a friend with deep loyalty, and performing great service this time by wiping out the Red Moon operatives... The Inspectorate will surely reward him according to his merits. I'd say a promotion to Inspecting Commissioner is practically assured!" Yuan Shuo laughed. "A pay raise, then? From two or three thousand to ten or twenty thousand?" "..." Hao Lianchuan was speechless at the quip. "Professor Yuan, Red Moon's attack was unexpected, though it was certainly connected to Li Hao himself. To be honest, we don't know much about Silver City, especially regarding ancient matters. Even you didn't foresee this, Professor, let alone us!" After offering this explanation, Hao Lianchuan continued, "I've heard that a ballad circulates in Silver City, and one line mentions 'the Li family sword.' Might I have the honor of admiring it?" Over on the side, Li Hao glanced at Yuan Shuo, then at Hao Lianchuan, before stepping forward to hand the small sword over. Hao Lianchuan offered a smile in return. Reaching out with his perception, his heart stirred. *It's sealed!* He probed carefully; the power of the seal was exceptionally strong! He could not discern the sword's specific secrets, but such a powerful seal was proof enough that it was no ordinary object! Yuan Shuo got straight to the point: "The Night Watchers want it?" "Indeed!" Hao Lianchuan did not beat around the bush, speaking frankly: "With you here, Professor Yuan, there's no need to mince words! First, Red Moon likely came for this sword. It is far too dangerous in Li Hao's hands, as you must understand!" "Second, we are genuinely curious about the Eight Great Families and hope to trace their origin to uncover Red Moon's objective. We need to study this sword!" "Third, Li Hao has not unsealed it and will likely struggle to find a way to do so... Perhaps we can try. You know the Night Watchers are a vast organization with countless talents; our methods for breaking seals are certainly more numerous than Li Hao's!" He looked at Li Hao, then back at Yuan Shuo. "This sword is a source of calamity right now!" Yuan Shuo laughed. "I know. That's why my student gave it to me! So it's no longer a calamity! Let Ying Hongyue come find me. He was a dog twenty years ago, and he's still a dog twenty years later!" "Professor, twenty years have passed... Ying Hongyue has been a supernatural for twenty years, and he even has Three Sols subordinates now. What kind of strength do you think he possesses today?" Hao Lianchuan spoke solemnly: "Just two years ago, Ying Hongyue took action and killed a Three Sols! And it's hard to say whether he even went all out! Right now, he's in the Central Region clashing with Yama, Feitian, and the Night Watchers headquarters. He can't come here for the moment, but that doesn't mean he never will!" "You are a smart man, Professor, so I'll be blunt: handing it over to the Night Watchers is far safer than keeping it with you." Yuan Shuo laughed. "Fair point! How about this, then? My conditions aren't extensive. First, publicly announce that the Night Watchers took the Li family sword! Second, guarantee my safety and Li Hao's! Third, ten thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy. Fourth, Li Hao joins the Night Watchers. Fifth, I want all the ancient texts you've collected over the years. Sixth, you personally protect Li Hao. Seventh, during future ancient ruins expeditions, Li Hao gets first pick of three ancient civilization relics. Eighth..." Hao Lianchuan felt worse than if he had swallowed filth. The Li family sword was still sealed, so it was impossible to tell what tier of treasure it was, or even if it could be unsealed. Red Moon might know how, but the Night Watchers currently knew very little. Taking the sword was also meant to protect Li Hao, yet Yuan Shuo was opening his mouth wide enough to swallow an elephant. And the old man was still going! Just the initial demands were impossible to grant, yet Yuan Shuo was growing more excited by the second, practically trying to tie the entire Night Watchers organization to his belt! "Eleventh, return all those red fruits I discovered last time." "Twelfth..." Hao Lianchuan was forced to cut him off. "Professor, keep the sword!" *We don't want it anymore.* *Do as you please!* Yuan Shuo raised an eyebrow, glanced at him, and chuckled. "Don't play that game with me! The Night Watchers have plenty of good things. I unearthed a whole pile of them myself! To be blunt, the treasures I uncovered for you are worth more than what I'm asking for, so am I being unreasonable? If I hadn't helped you all these years, would you even have so many treasures?" "Professor, the Night Watchers have paid a heavy price over the years. You know how many people died, not to mention that we have to fend off criminals... Some of those resources were used up long ago." "Forget it then." Yuan Shuo snatched the small sword back. "Take it or leave it! It doesn't matter much if I keep it anyway. If Ying Hongyue dares to come, let him try! I wasn't afraid of him back then, and I'm even less afraid now! As for the Eight Great Families of Silver City, maybe they hide countless treasures and secrets... We'll dig them up ourselves." Hao Lianchuan was completely speechless. He looked toward Li Hao and smiled faintly. "Li Hao, what do you think?" Li Hao looked slightly awkward. Glancing at his teacher, he whispered, "Teacher... why don't we give it to the Night Watchers?" "Hm?" Yuan Shuo flared up. "Have you forgotten who protected you?" Li Hao said sheepishly, "No, Teacher... I'm worried you'll be in danger! Giving it to the Night Watchers is safer, at least... Your conditions sounded excessive even to me. It's just a sword. I usually treated it as a keepsake. When Wang Ming offered a hundred-odd thousand to buy it last time, I nearly agreed." Beside them, Wang Ming felt so awkward he wished the ground would swallow him up. *Why bring that up now?!* Li Hao continued earnestly, "The Night Watchers defend the nation; they need to cultivate countless elites to resist powerful enemies! Teacher, if we take too much, what will they do? We are on the side of justice, not bandits!" Hao Lianchuan secretly approved. *Not bad!* No wonder the intelligence reports described Li Hao as sensible, loyal, and thoroughly honest, with glowing praise throughout the Inspectorate. Based on these words alone, the young man was worth nurturing! "You foolish brat, what do you know?" Yuan Shuo scolded, "You idiot, am I doing this for myself? I'm doing it for you..." "Teacher!" Li Hao stiffened his neck, not quite daring to meet his teacher's eyes. "Just let me be stubborn this once. I... I don't want the Night Watchers to pay such a heavy price that people end up dying for it! I think some of your conditions can be trimmed down—especially Minister Hao personally protecting me, which isn't necessary at all. He is a supreme powerhouse who must protect all of Silver Moon Province, not just me! And the mysterious energy—ten thousand cubic meters... Teacher, do you know what kind of price that entails? I think... at most, a third is enough!" Li Hao added, "As for the other things, I don't really know how precious they are, but I think we should only ask for a third at most!" "..." Hao Lianchuan cursed inwardly. *A third? Kid, you really have no idea how much that's worth. Even a third would make the Night Watchers cough up blood.* "That's my final word!" Li Hao gritted his teeth. "Teacher, I can only accept terms like these at most. Otherwise... I'll just give it away for free!" Hao Lianchuan wished he truly would give it away for free. Meanwhile, Yuan Shuo appeared furious yet helpless. After a long pause, he snorted, "It's your item, so you decide. A third it is, but don't regret it later! Once this treasure is taken, you won't get it back! In my eyes, it's worth ten times what I asked for. You ignorant fool, once you become powerful, you'll realize how little I was asking!" At this point, Hao Lianchuan could not even bring himself to refuse. A moment of awkwardness hung in the air. *Should I accept or not?* Look at Li Hao—he had nearly turned against his own teacher over this. He felt helpless; this was a difficult matter. He could only submit a request and see! For now, he said nothing more, deciding to wait and see. Yuan Shuo seemed thoroughly annoyed. Flicking his sleeve, he said, "I'm heading back! Also, I'm the one who killed them! Aside from the share Liu Long and the others killed, deliver everything else to me! As for the Night Watchers' reward, this old man disdains to collect it!" In truth, even if he asked, they would not grant it anyway. *** Yuan Shuo simply walked away. Hao Lianchuan watched him leave, lost for words. The old man's temper was growing worse by the day. In the past, he could at least be somewhat intimidated, but now... things were tricky. He looked back at Li Hao and smiled. "Do you want to become a supernatural?" Li Hao nodded in pleasant surprise. "Yes!" Inwardly, he was calculating: *Absorbing mysterious energy only strengthens my physical body; it doesn't seem to open supernatural locks. Teacher also told me not to think about becoming a supernatural for now... I'll just agree for now.* This was a Three Sols powerhouse before him; it was best to play the obedient student. "Huang Yun, you handle harvesting the other mysterious energy. I'll take care of this spot. The rest of you may head back!" After issuing the instruction, Hao Lianchuan looked toward Liu Long. "I've seen the Demon Hunting Squad's performance... but I must still say, perhaps relocation is the best safeguard! You felt last night's chaos firsthand. A Hundred-Breaker cannot hold firm ground in an increasingly powerful supernatural realm! Unless, like Professor Yuan, you can step into the Thousand-Battler realm as well!" Liu Long said in a deep voice, "Understood! But my stance remains unchanged: relocation... is not out of the question! However, the prerequisite for relocation is that satellite towns must be built near White Moon City! You cannot simply dump people into a big city and wash your hands of them! Their food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and employment must all be taken care of... Otherwise, how many families will be torn apart, their lives ruined?" "The higher-ups have their considerations, and we have ours. Otherwise... Liu Long will continue to stand guard in Silver City. Though my strength may fall short, I am willing to defend this final pure land for Silver City!" Hao Lianchuan sighed, attempting no further persuasion. *A stubborn block of iron!* Leaving one's homeland was hard, yet in this increasingly chaotic world, standing isolated meant peril could strike at any moment. As for the conditions Liu Long mentioned, they were simply unfeasible. Settling a million people at once was hard enough, and Silver City was not the only one; many smaller cities needed relocation. If they all demanded the same as Silver City, it would be utterly impossible to accommodate them! Liu Long did not dwell on it. He knew the higher-ups would never agree. Looking at Li Hao, he murmured, "Let's head back first!" Li Hao nodded and walked alongside him. Before leaving, he smiled at Hao Lianchuan and the others, then said to Wang Ming, "Xiao Ming... I mean, Officer Wang, I'll treat you to a meal next time we get the chance. Thank you all for risking life and limb to help me!" Wang Ming's face turned slightly red. *Risking life and limb to help you?* *Well... we joined the battle, but our results were hard to boast about.* *More like making fools of ourselves.* Fortunately, Li Hao had not seen it, so Wang Ming could only grin. "Don't mention it, it's what we should do!" Hao Lianchuan also nodded with a smile, once again thinking that Li Hao was a good kid. A pity, though, that he had become entangled with a major organization like Red Moon; his future was difficult to predict. *** A moment later, Li Hao and Liu Long left the area. As they walked, Liu Long said in a low voice, "I originally thought to groom you... Now it seems that won't be necessary. You'll probably be leaving Silver City soon. That's fine too; White Moon City is safer." Li Hao smiled an honest, simple smile. "Is the boss planning to abandon me? Why should I leave?" "Hm?" Liu Long was taken aback. *Not leaving?* "You should know that Silver City is no longer safe..." Li Hao smiled again. "Not necessarily!" *Leave?* He didn't really want to. Though his teacher advised him to depart early, Li Hao had ideas of his own. The enemy had suffered devastating losses this time and might not return anytime soon. Going to White Moon City was not necessarily a good thing; there were too many powerhouses there, and everything would be under their watchful eyes. Some things would be hard to conceal—such as the matters concerning the small sword. Of course, staying in Silver City was dangerous; that was a fact. Yet nominally, the small sword was about to be taken away. Whether Red Moon truly needed the sword or his bloodline, and when the blue rain would fall again, were still uncertain. According to past patterns, an entire year had passed between incidents; the next might come in six months... He had at least half a year of safety. Otherwise, killing him outside that window would be useless to them anyway. *For at least the next six months, I don't necessarily have to leave!* Li Hao pondered this, his thoughts turning toward the possibility that some Red Shadows might still linger within Silver City. It was inconvenient to retrieve them right now, but he could go after them once the Night Watchers powerhouses departed. Otherwise, they might notice something amiss. Those were immense tonics. The previous one had been too massive, causing him indigestion, but if the others had left Red Shadows behind, he should be able to assimilate them. Perhaps he could step into the Hundred-Breaker realm soon. Once he did, even if he went to White Moon City, he would possess some ability to protect himself. *And then there are the spoils from this battle... Teacher will take the lion's share, but a smaller cut for me is fine too. The five elemental powers strengthen the five visceral organs; I haven't tried all types of mysterious energy yet. After this, I can develop in peace for a while.* With these thoughts flitting through his mind, Li Hao truly was unwilling to leave in the short term. Beside him, Liu Long's gaze turned complicated. *Not leaving?* *This kid has some serious guts.* Liu Yan had mentioned that the kid had engineered the deaths of two powerhouses this time. Recalling that, Liu Long felt a surge of emotion. Perhaps... staying wasn't a bad idea either. He might even live to see Li Hao become a supernatural, reach Lunar Nether, or even attain Solar Radiance. If a Solar Radiance were willing to remain in Silver City, the city might receive far greater attention from above. Each lost in his own thoughts, the two returned to the Inspectorate in silence.