Silver City Branch

Silver City. With the departure of Hao Lianchuan and his group, and the annihilation of the Red Moon interlopers, Silver City gradually returned to peace. It was as if the intense battles of the past few days had merely been a dream. Red Moon sent no reinforcements, and the Night Watchers had completely withdrawn. Silver City remained the same Silver City it had always been, except that within that ancient courtyard now resided a martial artist whose feat of slaying a Three Sols expert shook the entire Silver Moon Province! The Night Watchers had taken the sword Yuan Shuo gave to Li Hao. They had supposedly released the news to the public… As for how it was publicized, or whether it had actually been made public at all, Li Hao had no idea. He had not stepped into that sphere and was entirely in the dark regarding their intelligence channels. Still, with his teacher keeping watch, Li Hao wasn't afraid of them playing tricks. As for the promised benefits, the Night Watchers had yet to deliver them, claiming they needed time. Yuan Shuo told Li Hao to be patient. If the Night Watchers made a promise, they would fulfill it, though there might be a delay. Right now, with the ruins exploration imminent, the Night Watchers needed a vast pool of resources, so they were likely reluctant to expend too much on Li Hao's side at this very moment. Once the exploration concluded, regardless of success or failure, there would certainly be spoils. In Yuan Shuo's words, Li Hao might even be able to seize the chance then to pick out some treasures suited to him. Because of Yuan Shuo's advancement, the exploration had been pushed back a bit. Everyone needed time to process the development. The other supernatural organizations also required time to prepare. The Yuan Shuo of the past wasn't worth mentioning, but if the current Yuan Shuo chose to participate, they would have to commit significantly more power. The major factions would at least have to mobilize one or two Solar Radiance experts, or even a Three Sols master to counter Yuan Shuo. Such formidable figures could not simply be called upon at a moment's notice. …… In the blink of an eye, the date reached July 25th. Over the past week, Li Hao had spent his time adapting to his augmented strength. During the day, there was nothing to do at work; the entire squad was on downtime. In the evenings, he would go to his teacher's house to attend lectures and listen to the old man tell bizarre, fantastical stories. Well, records from ancient texts, to be precise. Over the years, Yuan Shuo had unearthed far too many ancient tomes. He never shared them with others, nor did he take them out of the ruins, as some were difficult to preserve. He simply read them, memorized them swiftly, and then destroyed them. Judging by such actions, the old man couldn't really be considered a good person. Of course, this also showed that Yuan Shuo possessed an extraordinary memory. Li Hao had a great memory as well, which explained why Yuan Shuo had been willing to accept him as a student in the first place. Clearly, a sharp memory had been one of his key criteria for assessment. After several days, Li Hao felt as though his head were about to burst. Claiming he had business to attend to in the near future, Yuan Shuo seemed desperate to impart decades of accumulated knowledge to Li Hao all at once. In just a few days, Li Hao had memorized dozens of books. Yet this was merely a drop in the ocean of Yuan Shuo's legacy. Yuan Shuo selected only the crucial ancient texts to pass down, leaving behind no written words and no data records. If Li Hao could commit them to memory, they were his; if he couldn't, Yuan Shuo wouldn't provide any alternative means of recording them. …… Inspectorate. Law Enforcement Team. Over the past few days, with no supernaturals appearing, the Law Enforcement Team had grown much quieter. Everyone patrolled as needed and solved regular cases as scheduled. Liu Yan and the others had moved out of the basement and returned to their regular offices. Li Hao clocked in as usual. He had now been officially transferred to the Law Enforcement Team. In the morning, as soon as Li Hao entered the building, the female inspector handling dispatch in the lobby flashed a radiant smile. "Li Hao, Captain Liu is looking for you. He said for you to see him as soon as you arrive!" "Understood. Thank you, Sister Wu!" Li Hao had a sweet tongue. Having been with the Law Enforcement Team for a few days, he had already become familiar with everyone. They all liked him, knowing he was a cultured youth from the Silver City Ancient Academy who greeted everyone with a smile. Occasionally, he would reveal a shy grin that made several female inspectors in the team fond of him. The members of the Law Enforcement Team knew a little about the Demon Hunting Squad. However, everyone also knew that Li Hao seemed to have been dragged into it by accident. He wasn't a battle-hardened martial master like their captain, so quite a few people felt a great deal of sympathy for him joining such a perilous squad. The female inspector on dispatch was one of those who felt deeply for him. Seeing Li Hao heading upstairs, she hurriedly added, "Li Hao, our team suffered quite a few losses recently, and many divisions are short-handed. When you have a moment, you can mention it to the captain and see if you can transfer to another branch… If all else fails, you can handle dispatch here with me. It's very relaxing!" "Mm-hmm, I'll definitely talk to the captain. Thank you, Sister Wu!" Li Hao turned back, flashing another smile. The inspector named Sister Wu returned a sweet smile of her own. She loved obedient, adorable young men like Li Hao. …… With a smile on his face, Li Hao walked up the stairs toward Liu Long's office. Over the past few days, everyone had been digesting their gains from the previous battles. *Why is the boss looking for me?* *Could there be another mission?* Filled with curiosity, he walked up the stairs. Before stepping into the office, his eyes twitched slightly with an odd expression. There was a light orb inside the office! A supernatural! Judging by its size and brightness, it should be a supernatural at the Lunar Nether level. Which supernatural had arrived? He knocked on the door, and Liu Long's voice came from within: "Come in!" Li Hao pushed the door open, took a look inside, and was momentarily stunned. There were no outsiders! They were all familiar faces from the Demon Hunting Squad. He looked toward one person in particular, thoroughly surprised. Yun Yao! Yes, Yun Yao had advanced. She had become a supernatural! The squad's doctor had actually broken through. Over the past few days, none of the others had made significant progress. The bottlenecks holding them back remained firm. After Liu Yan stepped into the Hundred-Breaker realm, she had practically bowed out of the race to become a supernatural. As for the remaining three, Chen Jian and Wu Chao had only just recovered from their injuries and hadn't dared to absorb too much mysterious energy recently. Yun Yao's injuries hadn't been severe, and she had healed long ago. She had absorbed quite a bit these past few days, but he hadn't expected her to actually advance! Seeing Li Hao gaze straight at Yun Yao the moment he arrived, Liu Yan, who was sitting with her legs crossed in the office, frowned displeasedly. "What are you staring at? Does she have flowers growing on her face?" Ever since advancing to the Hundred-Breaker realm, she no longer held the same wariness toward Yun Yao as before. Li Hao felt a bit awkward and didn't take the bait. He turned to Liu Long and gave a salute. "Boss!" "Mm. Now that you're here, everyone's accounted for!" Noticing that Li Hao had stared at Yun Yao earlier, Liu Long cracked a slight smile. "It seems that although your strength isn't high, your perception is quite decent… Did you sense something different?" "Yes!" Li Hao nodded, then looked back at Yun Yao and couldn't help but say, "Congratulations, Sister Yun!" A faint expression that may or may not have been a smile appeared on Yun Yao's face. She nodded slightly and said in a gentle voice, "It was merely a stroke of luck that I opened my supernatural lock and became a supernatural. It's just a pity…" She let out a soft sigh. Liu Long said calmly, "Advancing is already exceptional. Why demand too much?" Seeing that Li Hao was confused, Liu Yan chuckled and explained, "Yun Yao advanced, all right, but the minor healing ability she had before suddenly vanished. What this woman matched with turned out to be water-element energy! In an instant, she went from a doctor to someone playing with water!" Liu Long spoke up in Yun Yao's defense. "That's normal! Before entering the supernatural realm, no one can be certain what ability they will match with. Besides, water-element abilities also have healing properties. In some supernatural organizations, water-element supernaturals occasionally take on the role of healers as well!" That was true in theory, but in practice, there was a difference. Healers leaned more toward light or wood energy. In terms of healing efficacy, water energy was inferior to the other two. Yun Yao now managed a small smile. "It doesn't matter. Advancing is good enough. It's better than certain people who didn't advance at all." "Didn't advance?" Liu Yan sneered. "Do you think a Hundred-Breaker martial master is just for show? If you're not convinced, feel free to try me!" "Enough!" Liu Long interrupted their bickering. There were only two women in the squad, yet they couldn't stand the sight of each other. Previously, Liu Yan had been somewhat cautious, but now that she had entered the Hundred-Breaker realm, she clashed with her head-on. He looked at Li Hao and smiled. "I called you here because there's good news to announce!" With that, Liu Long grew visibly excited. "Word has arrived from White Moon City. The Silver City Night Watchers Branch should be officially approved! Minister Hao provided some assistance after his return, and the Night Watchers who came to Silver City this time also put in a good word. Considering all that, White Moon City agreed that our Silver City Branch can be established!" At these words, everyone else beamed with joy. Li Hao was also delighted. "Boss, does this mean our salaries are going up again?" "……" Liu Long was speechless. He gave him a look. What kind of brain did this kid have? Was this just about a salary? He snapped with amusement, "Nonsense! Once we become Night Watchers, our salary won't be paid in money anymore, but in mysterious energy! How much is one cubic meter of mysterious energy worth? Can a salary compare to that?" Li Hao felt a little sheepish. *I know that, but I'm not short on mysterious energy. My teacher has plenty.* *What I lack… is actual money.* His teacher might have money, but while Li Hao had no qualms asking for mysterious energy, he felt too embarrassed to ask for money. Mysterious energy was worth far more than currency, but that was used for cultivation. Li Hao was the student and Yuan Shuo was the teacher, so providing some resources was normal. Yet having no money to eat, no money to rent an apartment, no money to buy a car… was he supposed to ask his teacher for that as well? How humiliating! He was twenty years old, yet he couldn't even support himself. Liu Long couldn't be bothered to figure out what Li Hao was thinking. In high spirits, he continued, "According to the configuration in other cities, if the Silver City Night Watchers Branch is established, it generally requires at least ten people to complete its formation!" "Among them, one Branch Director, held by a City Inspecting Commissioner. One to two Deputy Directors, held by Senior Inspecting Commissioners. And one Operations Team Leader, held by an Inspecting Commissioner." "Because our numbers are small and the structure is compact, unlike large cities, these are the positions allocated." He looked around at everyone. "According to the news I received, this time White Moon City did not parachute in a Branch Director from above. I should be able to directly assume the role of Branch Director!" At this, the group was overjoyed! Liu Yan couldn't help but exclaim happily, "Boss, how did the higher-ups get so generous this time?" Liu Long chuckled. "Various factors. The main reason… has to do with Yuan Shuo. That man doesn't get along very well with some of the powerhouses in the Night Watchers. With him here, many people are reluctant to come to Silver City, fearing they might be suppressed by him! Furthermore, Silver City is too small, and we've offended Red Moon, so Red Moon might launch an assault. Therefore, no expert at the Solar Radiance realm is willing to come." As for those below Solar Radiance, they weren't stupid either. Liu Long was a peak Hundred-Breaker martial master. If a newcomer arrived and was placed above Liu Long, how would they manage the branch? Would anyone listen to them? Considering this, White Moon City had been pragmatic. If the branch was to be established, so be it, but the director position was left to Liu Long. Everyone was thrilled! Li Hao also grinned ear to ear. "It doesn't matter if others look down on it, as long as we value it! The boss is now a City Inspecting Commissioner!" Inspector, Inspecting Commissioner, and City Inspecting Commissioner—this was the three-tier system of the Inspectorate. Inspectors were divided into third-class, second-class, and first-class. Inspecting Commissioners were divided into junior and senior ranks, as were City Inspecting Commissioners. Of course, the word 'junior' was usually omitted in conversation. It was only mentioned casually in private; officially, junior inspecting commissioners and junior city inspecting commissioners were simply addressed as Inspecting Commissioners and City Inspecting Commissioners. Only the senior ranks had 'Senior' prefixed to their titles to highlight their higher status. Liu Long smiled as well, then pressed his hand down to signal for calm. "I'm just being thrust into the role with no other choice! The establishment of the Silver City Night Watchers Branch is not merely a promotion. You all understand what it means." "I called you all here today to share the good news, but also primarily to discuss the candidates for Deputy Director. If there is only one, I can recommend someone. If there are two, White Moon City might send one person to take the post, while I recommend the other." This was standard practice. At these words, Liu Yan glanced at Yun Yao and instantly understood the reason for their captain's hesitation. She scoffed, "If she wants it, give it to her. I don't care! After all, she's a supernatural, while I'm merely a martial artist!" Liu Long was at a loss for words. Who was she throwing shade at? Who here wasn't a martial artist? He was one too! Yun Yao's expression remained tranquil, completely unfazed. Seeing Liu Long look over, she said calmly, "I don't need it. If she likes it, recommend her. She's already the vice captain and an Inspecting Commissioner; that's more than sufficient." Both women claimed they didn't care. At that moment, Li Hao, who had been quiet on the side, spoke up cautiously, "Um… may I say something?" Everyone turned to look at him, bewildered. *Why are you chiming in?* *Do you want it too?* *Stop joking around!* Looking bashful, Li Hao said tentatively, "Well… I… I have a small suggestion. Truly, just a small suggestion! Deputy Directors are usually Inspecting Commissioners, and Sister Liu is already one." "In our squad, there's still me, Brother Wu, Brother Chen, and Sister Yun. All of us are First-Class Inspectors." He had only been promoted two days ago, but unfortunately hadn't been able to leap straight to Inspecting Commissioner. Li Hao continued, "Why don't we discuss this: the boss can recommend one of the four of us to be Deputy Director… Ahem, that's just for official records. In private, Sister Liu can still act as the Deputy Director. That way, our team gets an extra Inspecting Commissioner, which means a higher salary and better benefits. As for the other perks of Deputy Director, they can all go to Sister Liu…" "Maximizing our benefits!" Li Hao added, "Otherwise, even if Sister Liu gets the position, she'll still be an Inspecting Commissioner. It's difficult for her to be promoted to Senior Inspecting Commissioner right now anyway, so it would be a bit of a waste!" Liu Long and the others were dumbfounded! *You can calculate it like that?!* They had genuinely never considered this angle, because rank didn't seem all that important to them. Yet Li Hao didn't see it that way. He continued, "I heard from Wang Ming that even within the Night Watchers, different ranks receive different treatment. Strength is one factor, but rank is another! Some veteran inspectors and veteran Night Watchers might not be exceptionally strong, but they have seniority. Now that they've transitioned to civilian roles, their high rank gives them a significant voice!" "In that case, we shouldn't take this lightly. It might not matter in Silver City… but…" Li Hao said spiritedly, "But all of us are progressing. One day, when we become supernaturals, Hundred-Breakers, or Thousand-Battlers… if we are still part of the Night Watchers system, our rank will be very important!" "Take the boss, for example. With this promotion, he becomes a City Inspecting Commissioner. If he gets transferred to White Moon City, he'll be given a decent post. But if he were still an Inspecting Commissioner, there would be crowds of Inspecting Commissioners in White Moon City—how would they arrange a position for him then?" "The higher our status and the greater our voice, the better we can speak up if Silver City truly becomes indefensible one day, ensuring the smooth evacuation of its residents. So, Boss, rank isn't just useful—it's immensely useful! I refuse to believe that all the higher-ups in Silver Moon Province are supernaturals at the Solar Radiance or Three Sols levels!" Liu Long sank into deep thought. After a moment, he took a deep breath, looked at Li Hao, and said solemnly, "You have a point. Looking strictly at Silver City, it doesn't matter much. But if we truly can't hold Silver City in the end and must integrate into White Moon City… then rank will indeed be crucial!" "Currently, the authorities operate under joint governance between ordinary people and supernaturals; it isn't based solely on strength. Some powerful supernaturals have no interest in administrative work, so most tasks are still handled by ordinary people." He turned to the group. "Li Hao is right to remind us. Even if Liu Yan becomes Deputy Director, she can't be promoted right now. She hasn't been an Inspecting Commissioner for long, and reaching Senior Inspecting Commissioner will take some time. On the other hand, the rest of you can seize this opportunity to become Inspecting Commissioners!" Yun Yao, however, declined once more. "I'm not interested. I have no care for such things." Wu Chao gave a faint, eerie chuckle. "Boss, don't look at me. I'm not cut out for it, not even in name! Let Fat Chen take it…" Chen Jian said with honest simplicity, "I can't do it either! Boss, you know me—I get terrified whenever I see high-ranking officials. If I become Deputy Director and have to receive big shots… won't my legs turn to jelly?" Liu Long blinked in surprise. *None of them want it?* He looked back at Li Hao, whose face was flush with delight. "Boss, I'm willing!" "……" The room fell dead silent. Even Liu Yan couldn't help laughing in amusement. "Did you already know they wouldn't want it, so you deliberately pitched this just because you wanted a promotion? Little Hao, how old are you? You were just promoted to First-Class Inspector, and you're still not satisfied?" Li Hao grinned brightly. "Sister, that's not how it works. If I had graduated from the Silver City Ancient Academy, I would have become a First-Class Inspector very quickly anyway! So that promotion from a couple of days ago… doesn't really count. Becoming an Inspecting Commissioner is a real promotion!" "If Brother Chen and the others were willing, of course I wouldn't have any ideas. I'm young and the newest arrival, after all. But since they don't want it… then naturally, I should serve everyone and do my part for the team!" He made it sound grand, but in truth, he simply wanted a promotion! He was ecstatic! An Inspecting Commissioner! First, a higher salary, which went without saying. Second, if they ever went to White Moon City, it would indeed secure him a better post… No one wanted to start from the absolute bottom, not to mention Li Hao had already spent a whole year sweeping floors in the Confidential Records Office. Third, with a higher rank and status, the circle of information he could access would expand, which would prove useful in the future—for instance, making it easier to obtain intelligence regarding the Red Moon organization. Liu Long stared at Li Hao, speechless for a long time. He had thought Li Hao brought this up to help someone else get promoted. Who would have thought that everyone else would decline, leaving this kid eager and impatient to grab the chance! Impressive! So young, yet quite the little bureaucrat. "Li Hao, can you handle it?" Liu Long frowned. "Even if the higher-ups agree, they'll still need to vet you. Look at your age, and your strength… only in the Ten-Slayer realm… It might be a bit difficult." Li Hao hurriedly replied, "Boss, that's simple! You can just tell the higher-ups that this is to keep my teacher stable and tie me to our side! If I'm just an ordinary inspector, I can pack up and leave whenever I want. But if I'm an Inspecting Commissioner, I'm already part of middle management, so it won't be so easy to run off! To win over my teacher, what does a mere Inspecting Commissioner post matter?" Good grief, he had even prepared the excuse for himself. Yet it had to be said that if they reported it this way, the higher-ups likely wouldn't care about Li Hao's strength. He would simply serve as a figurehead, a bridge connecting the Night Watchers and Yuan Shuo. "Then some people might say you got the position through connections…" "Doesn't matter, I don't care!" Li Hao was resolute! He wasn't afraid of gossip. Securing the rank of Inspecting Commissioner was what brought real, tangible benefits. Liu Long was left with nothing to say. He looked toward Yun Yao and the others. "Are you sure none of you will compete for it?" Yun Yao shook her head indifferently, Wu Chao gave an eerie smile, and Chen Jian, honest as ever, said straightforwardly, "Just let Li Hao have it. He has a brighter future than us!" The main thing was that Li Hao was too cunning! Chen Jian felt it was better to support him now so the kid wouldn't screw him over once he grew stronger. He was far too devious! Wu Chao and Yun Yao had no objections either. Weak as Li Hao seemed, they all knew what kind of person he truly was. Everyone was well aware of how that Lunar Nether supernatural and Hundred-Breaker martial master had died. He was ruthless! Since he wanted the promotion, they were happy to humor him. The others were far more concerned with whether they could become supernaturals. "Then it's settled!" Liu Long hadn't anticipated this outcome either. By now, Li Hao was grinning from ear to ear. The Inspecting Commissioner rank was in the bag! Liu Yan didn't mind either. She spoke up, "Boss, according to the standard setup, we need at least ten people. Right now, there are only six of us. Even if the higher-ups send a Deputy Director, will they assign us a few more supernaturals?" Liu Long considered this, then shook his head. "Hard to say! They might, or they might not. If no one is sent from above, we'll have to wait a while for newcomers to advance! White Moon City will soon recruit newcomers from various cities to undergo energy infusion. They might allocate a few new Starlight Masters to us." At this, the group curled their lips, seemingly unimpressed. What was the use of Starlight Masters! A few Lunar Nether supernaturals would actually be helpful. Having recovered from his excitement, Li Hao thought for a moment and asked, "Why don't we recruit people ourselves?" "The number of supernaturals is limited. Anyone who could be recruited has already been scooped up by others." "I mean martial masters!" Li Hao explained, "Recruit martial masters! Doesn't our Silver City have a few capable martial masters left? If locals won't do, what about other places? While martial masters might not possess the diverse abilities of supernaturals, if we give them the chance to become supernaturals… they'll be willing to put in the work! Furthermore, once a martial master advances, even a Ten-Slayer can reach the Lunar Nether level and already possess ample combat experience. That's far better than green recruits." "We're situated on the fringes of Silver Moon Province and could encounter danger at any moment. Bringing in raw rookies really isn't suitable…" Liu Long felt like complaining: *You're a rookie yourself, yet you're already looking down on others!* Yet on second thought, which rookie had killed a Hundred-Breaker and a Lunar Nether right after joining? Li Hao had earned the right to look down on them! "We can give it a try!" Liu Long didn't reject the suggestion, though martial masters might not necessarily be willing to join; they often preferred serving large organizations. Of course, that was in the past. Once the Night Watchers Branch was established, he would no longer be just the captain of the Demon Hunting Squad, but the bona fide Director of the Night Watchers Branch. That carried far more authority than being a squad captain; it was an officially certified supernatural agency. At that time, the higher-ups would allocate mysterious energy, which was far better than having to kill people to acquire it. Beside him, Liu Yan giggled and patted Li Hao's head. Li Hao felt uncomfortable. *What now? Why are you petting me?* This woman loved taking liberties with him! Liu Yan smiled warmly. "Little Hao's head works pretty well. If not for your lack of strength, you could even be the Branch Director!" Liu Long glanced at her. What did she mean by that? Liu Yan chuckled. "No hidden meaning, Boss, don't misunderstand! I'm just curious. Little Hao absorbed mysterious energy very quickly before. He received thirty-two cubic meters of mysterious energy this time—how much did he absorb? Where are you now within the Ten-Slayer realm? I've reached the Hundred-Breaker realm, Yun Yao has become a Lunar Nether Master, and Wu Chao and Chen Jian only started absorbing energy these past two days because of their injuries… You weren't injured much, so how are you doing now?" At these words, even Liu Long grew curious. Li Hao hadn't advanced to the supernatural realm; everyone could see that. So on the path of a martial master, had he made progress? Mysterious energy provided a substantial boost to strength. Li Hao looked bashful. "Just so-so, not much improvement. It was a bit of a waste of mysterious energy." As for how much he had actually improved… *If I told you I've reached the Hundred-Breaker realm, you might not believe me. And even if you did, you'd feel hurt. After all, it's only been a few days since I entered the Ten-Slayer realm.* Seeing that he was reluctant to elaborate, Liu Long didn't press the matter. As for the improvement, he had probably progressed a step within the Ten-Slayer realm—mid-stage? Late-stage? Late-stage at most! As for reaching the Hundred-Breaker realm, Liu Long hadn't even considered it; it was practically impossible. "All right, everyone get plenty of rest over the next couple of days. Once the official documents arrive in a few days, the higher-ups' specific arrangements should be finalized. Also, regarding Li Hao's promotion to Deputy Director, I will submit the request." At this point, he couldn't help but sigh again. "Li Hao, it's really a waste that you didn't stick to civilian work." This kid was entirely focused on climbing the administrative ladder; he seemed far better suited for a civilian career. Li Hao said hurriedly, "Boss, aren't I riding on your coattails? Otherwise, where would I get such an opportunity? Besides, it's all thanks to my elder brothers and sisters looking out for me, knowing I'm young and too poor, giving me a chance to earn a higher salary… I went to check on my house yesterday. The explosives last time went off right near my place, and the building is on the verge of collapsing. These past few days, I've been thinking about finding a new place to live!" Indeed, his home hadn't completely collapsed, but it was close. On the night of the battle, a major explosion had rocked Silver City, and the residential compound where Li Hao lived had been one of Red Moon's diversion targets. At the time, it had only been meant to lure Liu Long away, so no one had been hurt, but the blast had caused the old building to partially cave in. The elderly folks living downstairs had been so frightened that they fell out of bed; he heard they broke their legs and were taken away by their children. No one was making noise over there anymore, but the place was genuinely uninhabitable. Li Hao was planning to find a new place to stay. He couldn't keep living at his teacher's house forever. A day or two was fine, but over time, with the old man moving about like a ghost, Li Hao would sneeze and the old fellow would materialize out of nowhere to say, "Young man, learn some moderation." After several occurrences, Li Hao couldn't handle the shameless old man anymore. "Come live with me!" Liu Yan draped an arm over his shoulder, smiling seductively. "My bed is huge!" Li Hao gave a strained laugh. "Never mind, I'm afraid I'd disturb you, Sister." "How could you!" Liu Yan laughed merrily, pinching Li Hao's cheek. "You're so cute, how could you ever disturb me?" Li Hao looked at the others pleadingly for help, but everyone averted their eyes, thoroughly enjoying the show. Ignoring their antics, Liu Long waved his hand. "All right, out you go! Also, be careful when moving around outside, including you, Li Hao. Even if you're looking for an apartment, try not to stray too far from the city center, or we won't even have a chance to rescue you!" "Understood!" The group filed out. Stepping out of the office, they saw Mu Sen walking toward them. They exchanged greetings without engaging in an overly enthusiastic conversation. Mu Sen, acting familiar as ever, greeted everyone before looking at Liu Yan with a chuckle. "Congratulations, Captain Liu. Or should I start calling you Director Liu?" Liu Yan smiled radiantly. "Don't say that, Director Mu. You are a City Inspecting Commissioner, after all. Besides… I'm not the director!" With that, she led Li Hao away. Mu Sen had presumably come to discuss this matter as well. It remained to be seen how he would react upon hearing that Li Hao was being recommended as Deputy Director. After walking some distance and putting space between them and Mu Sen, Liu Yan finally dropped her smile. "That fat man is far from simple. Don't be fooled by his smile! Mu Sen might have entered the Hundred-Breaker realm even earlier than the boss! Who knows what his intentions were in taking up a post in Silver City, but rumor has it his family has significant backing in White Moon City. If you can avoid offending him, don't, but don't get too close to him either!" Li Hao nodded, slightly curious. "Is Director Mu at the peak of the Hundred-Breaker realm?" "Hard to say, possibly. When dealing with that flying supernatural earlier, they say he brought the guy down with a single slash of his blade… In any case, he's at least in the late Hundred-Breaker realm!" Li Hao understood and asked no further. …… At the same time. White Moon City. Night Watchers Silver Moon Province Headquarters. Wang Ming looked stunned, and only after a long pause did he say in agony, "Me… go serve as this Deputy Director?" *Back to Silver City again?* *I don't want to go there at all!* He had lost all his face over there. If he returned now, wouldn't he just become a laughingstock? Besides, that place was too remote. He couldn't comprehend why the higher-ups would assign him there. He had already advanced to the Full Moon level, equivalent to the late Hundred-Breaker realm. Even at the Night Watchers headquarters, he was considered a young genius. Was it really appropriate to send him there? Opposite him, Huang Yun smiled. "This is the decision of several ministers. First, you are Yuan Shuo's nominal disciple, so it will be easier for you to establish yourself there! Second, you have the experience of fighting alongside Liu Long once before, so he will find it easier to accept you. Third… keep a close eye on Li Hao's every move!" Huang Yun said solemnly, "Li Hao is a descendant of the Eight Great Families, the sole remaining descendant! Just because people aren't talking about it now doesn't mean it has been overlooked! You know Li Hao, so by going there, you can interact with him more easily and even provide close protection… Red Moon won't give up easily! Of course, we are keeping watch on their top experts right now, but the Red Moon organization is vast; we can't keep an eye on all of them!" "Wang Ming, you will shoulder heavy responsibilities there! As for resources, don't worry, you won't be shorted. Contact me anytime if something comes up." Wang Ming wanted to cry, but had no tears! It was easy to say, but Silver City was exceedingly far away; under normal circumstances, communication wasn't even possible. He was completely done for! Was this considered being exiled? He couldn't help asking, "Then what about Hu Hao and Li Meng?" If he was down on his luck, surely those two… couldn't be doing any better, could they? Huang Yun chuckled. "Those two? They're going as well. The Silver City Night Watchers organization isn't strong enough and has too few people. With the three of you Lunar Nether supernaturals joining, it will be just right to set up the entire operational framework! You will serve as Deputy Director, while their roles will depend on how the branch assigns them. At the very least, you are stronger than them." Hearing this, Wang Ming consoled himself for a moment. That did make sense. Still… he really didn't want to go! Facing people like Li Hao and Liu Long again was going to be excruciating. However, the higher-ups' order had already been issued, leaving him no room to refuse. He could only plead, "Once things stabilize over there, can I return whenever I want?" "Of course!" "That's good, then." Wang Ming breathed a sigh of relief, hoping he could return as soon as possible. Silver City was far too small, and it was a place of heartbreak for him. After sending Wang Ming away, Huang Yun smiled again and murmured, "Finally got him over there… As for returning… come back when Silver City is evacuated!" The higher-ups had already reached a decision: the evacuation plan would proceed. Silver City was included in that plan. As for the exact timing, that depended on the circumstances.