Noontime.
Liu Long stayed for lunch. Yuan Shuo's residence looked somewhat battered at the moment, with who knew how many floor tiles shattered underfoot.
Normal people did not fight in their own homes.
Evidently, none of the three seated here right now were entirely normal.
Having stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm, Liu Long possessed a hearty appetite and devoured his food ravenously.
Before outsiders, Liu Long was powerful, highly placed, and commanding.
Here, there was no need for that.
Back when Yuan Shuo ran rampant across the region, Liu Long had merely been a boy coming to seek instruction; before Yuan Shuo, he had never been able to hold his head high.
Yuan Shuo, meanwhile, sipped a bit of liquor. Across the entire table, he was the only one drinking. Liu Long appeared rough and burly, yet he never drank, believing that alcohol invited mistakes.
Yuan Shuo, on the other hand, held the demeanor of the older generation of martial masters—meat and wine passed through the belly, thoroughly carefree.
Sipping his liquor with narrowed eyes, Yuan Shuo looked neither at Liu Long nor at Li Hao, lost in his own thoughts.
Originally, he had worried about what Li Hao would do if he left Silver City.
Until the matter of the Eight Great Families was resolved, Li Hao would remain perched on the edge of danger.
Yet now that Li Hao had grasped the embryo of momentum today, Yuan Shuo felt considerably more at ease. He even found himself looking forward to whether Li Hao might have a chance to step into the Thousand-Battler realm before he departed.
Yes, the Thousand-Battler realm!
Now that Li Hao had comprehended momentum, aided by the sword's energy, if Yuan Shuo could secure more five elements mysterious energy along with some Red Shadow power, he would smash and hammer Li Hao through by sheer force if necessary!
Momentum was the greatest obstacle impeding a martial master's advancement. In Yuan Shuo's eyes, everything else counted for little.
Last time, he had obtained over a thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy.
He had constantly entrusted the Night Watchers to exchange it for him, yet that side kept dragging its feet. Even now, he had not received the equivalent amount of five elements mysterious energy.
Originally, he had not been in a rush.
What was the hurry?
Though Li Hao advanced quickly, there was no need to force everything in an instant. Yet right now, Yuan Shuo felt a sudden urgency.
Bastards!
Too slow!
Now that Li Hao possessed the embryo of momentum, he remained in a period of rapid advancement. Every day wasted was a crime, a form of torture.
As for the risk that Li Hao might swallow too much and cause his power to surge so fast that his experience could not keep pace with his strength... Yuan Shuo did not care.
He was different from other martial masters.
No matter how lacking a Thousand-Battler might be, weren't they still stronger than a Hundred-Breaker?
Raise the cultivation realm first. Once the realm and strength rose, what did experience matter? Slay a few more people and combat experience would naturally follow. A martial master's power originated from within oneself, free from the danger of losing control.
That being the case, who cared about experience? So long as Li Hao was not so foolish as to go pick fights with Solar Radiance and Three Suns figures immediately after entering the Thousand-Battler realm, it would not be a major problem.
By then, taking down Hundred-Breakers and Lunar Nethers would be effortless.
Pondering this, Yuan Shuo suddenly stood up.
Li Hao raised his head, just about to pour more wine for his master, when Yuan Shuo reached out and snatched the communicator not far away straight into his hand.
After a brief thought, he dialed a number.
"It's me!"
"Old Yuan..."
A familiar voice came from the communicator—it was Mu Sen.
Both Li Hao and Liu Long were somewhat surprised. Why was he contacting Mu Sen?
Yuan Shuo said coldly, "I can't reach Hao Lianchuan, but your side definitely can! Tell him I want to see my mysterious energy tonight—every last bit of it! If I still don't see it, then that's the end of the ruins affair! Don't play these games with me. Stalling won't solve anything. Are you waiting until I come out of the ruins to give it to me? Or are you waiting until I die to burn it for me?"
"Old Yuan, this... we can't get in touch with White Moon City either..."
"Mu Sen, do you insist on having me come to your office and grab you by the neck to ask?"
"..."
The line fell quiet for a moment.
A moment later, Mu Sen said helplessly, "Using the emergency communication channels is generally reserved for major incidents. Every time it's used, it consumes manpower and resources..."
"The major incident is that if Hao Lianchuan doesn't give me my goods, I'll slaughter Inspectorate Director Mu Sen. Is that reason enough for you?"
"..."
The corners of Liu Long's mouth twitched into a grin, though he kept silent.
Li Hao also stifled his breath, wary of letting Mu Sen hear that he was present.
After a short silence, Mu Sen said helplessly, "Fine, I'll notify them immediately. But tonight... that place is quite a distance from us. Even if they're prepared, it'll probably be hard to deliver it today."
"Hao Lianchuan can fly. It's just a journey of over a thousand li—let him fly here! I don't care about anything else. That's final!"
With a snap, Yuan Shuo tossed the communicator aside, no longer caring how they communicated.
Long-distance intercity communication was indeed difficult.
Yet if even the supreme chief of the Inspectorate had no way to contact White Moon City, White Moon City's control over Silver Moon Province would instantly plummet to rock bottom.
Back then, Hao Lianchuan had arrived so quickly precisely because there was a means of rapid contact; it was simply not used under ordinary circumstances.
"These fellows won't move unless pushed!"
Yuan Shuo grumbled in irritation. "I understand their intentions all too well! Soon we'll enter the ruins. If we die in the ruins, they won't have to give up anything. If we make it out alive, there will naturally be gains, and a bit of mysterious energy won't matter... Giving them your sword and letting them hand over the compensation after the ruins was bad enough, but they even want to pocket the mysterious energy from when I killed Broken Sky..."
The more he spoke, the angrier he became!
Li Hao hurriedly urged, "Master, quell your anger. It's not like we need it right this second anyway."
Nonsense!
Yuan Shuo shot him a glare. Who said you don't need it?
You need it right now, and urgently at that.
To save Liu Long this time, more sword energy had been spent. Now the sword energy grew increasingly scarce. If Li Hao's strength was not boosted soon, once the sword energy was completely depleted, advancing rapidly would become extraordinarily difficult.
There were limits to absorbing mysterious energy; one could not absorb it infinitely.
Li Hao could manage it because the sword energy neutralized the backlash.
Otherwise, even with his solid physical constitution, his absorption would merely be slightly better than an average person's, rather than effortlessly taking in over thirty cubic meters of mysterious energy as he did now.
To the side, Liu Long spoke up, "Old Yuan, are you in urgent need of mysterious energy? On my end..."
"Eat your food!"
Yuan Shuo cut him off directly. As if he didn't know Liu Long's meager savings?
Last time, Liu Long had indeed received a fair share of mysterious energy, coming to nearly fifty cubic meters, which was not small.
Yet to Yuan Shuo, what did that amount to?
Li Hao currently needed to temper his five viscera and required balanced five elements energy. What Liu Long possessed was unsuitable to begin with, and far too little besides. While sufficient for an ordinary Hundred-Breaker, it fell vastly short of Li Hao's needs.
Liu Long held his tongue.
After a few more bites, he was just about full. Only then did he turn to serious business. "Old Yuan, regarding those three Solar Radiance figures, is there any further intelligence?"
All they knew was that there were three Solar Radiance combatants.
Were they early, mid, or late stage?
What abilities did they specialize in?
They were virtually in the dark about the enemy, knowing only their cultivation level and numbers, with everything else completely obscure.
Under such circumstances, it was difficult to guarantee nothing would go awry.
"None,"
Yuan Shuo replied, then added, "My having Hao Lianchuan come is also meant to hold the line! When there's meat to eat, we won't call him, but if trouble strikes... we'll drag him in!"
Liu Long stared blankly.
Yuan Shuo continued, "With your branch being established, wouldn't someone from above come to offer congratulations? Hao Lianchuan is the most fitting candidate! His arrival to congratulate your founding will show that higher-ups take it seriously, while also keeping the supernaturals on the scene suppressed so they won't interfere. Lastly... if something truly goes wrong, Hao Lianchuan can clean up the mess for you in time."
Indeed, this was Yuan Shuo's plan.
He had forced them to deliver the goods tonight. Aside from Hao Lianchuan, who could rush over through the night to bring them?
As for whether he would come... if not tonight, he would certainly arrive tomorrow.
And it was bound to be Hao Lianchuan!
For over a thousand cubic meters of mysterious energy, no ordinary Solar Radiance would dare cross a thousand li lightly to deliver it. Did they think there were no supernatural highwaymen out in the wilderness?
Li Hao could not help but praise, "Master's considerations are truly thorough!"
Of course, what reaction Hao Lianchuan would have when the time came was another matter.
Yuan Shuo added, "Pay no mind to what he thinks. Can't the Night Watchers eliminate wanted criminals? What's more, the various factions are currently waiting to cooperate with us to develop the ruins, so as long as it doesn't turn into total warfare, it won't be a big problem—provided these people don't know Qiao Feilong's true strength."
The two nodded.
Liu Long pondered for a moment. "So that means we have to resolve the three Solar Radiance figures on our own?"
He thought it over, recalling Yuan Shuo's remark about having Hao Lianchuan clean up, and concluded that the issue shouldn't be insurmountable.
Naturally, no plan was ever foolproof.
Wealth was sought amidst danger!
If Yuan Shuo wasn't afraid, he had nothing to fear either.
"Then after I return, I should make appropriate arrangements. I'll need cooperation from others to at least prepare for an encirclement."
At this point, he hesitated slightly. "Right, there are likely quite a few ordinary people in the mine. Once large-scale destructive weapons are deployed..."
He was visibly hesitant.
On this matter, Yuan Shuo was actually more ruthless than him.
However, knowing Liu Long's temperament, Yuan Shuo did not dismiss his concern outright and began pondering as well.
Li Hao chimed in, "While developing the ruins, they couldn't possibly allow ordinary people into that area. I observed earlier that the three Solar Radiance figures are still some distance from the ordinary miners' sector—roughly over a thousand meters."
It wasn't far—in fact, it was very close.
Yet with a distance of a thousand meters, being cautious enough would allow them to avoid collateral damage.
After a thought, Li Hao added, "If Boss feels it's improper, I have a suggestion."
"Speak."
"Give them a holiday!"
Liu Long blinked. A holiday?
He thought swiftly, frowning slightly. "There's no reason for a holiday!"
Li Hao smiled. "Why wouldn't there be? The day after tomorrow, our Night Watchers branch opens. To celebrate this occasion and mark Silver City having its own supernatural organization, the entire city gets two days off: the day after tomorrow and the day after that! We tell that to Silver City's upper echelon, while down below, we just call it a simple vacation."
With a two-day break, most people would head home.
Especially at the mine, where the work was grueling. Having finally obtained time off, they certainly wouldn't stay behind. Naturally, not everyone would leave, but the crowd would be far smaller.
Separated by a thousand meters, losses would be kept to an absolute minimum.
"Could that alert the enemy?"
Liu Long considered and raised the question.
"It's a city-wide holiday, not just for the Qiao family!"
Li Hao smiled. "Moreover, it only targets ordinary civilians. The Qiao family shouldn't become suspicious."
"Still, we cannot let our guard down!"
Yuan Shuo interjected, adding, "Besides, does giving ordinary people a holiday to mark the founding of the Night Watchers make any sense? And would the Qiao family necessarily obey and let them take leave just because you say so?"
Yuan Shuo glanced at Li Hao and shook his head. "You, your clever tricks are fine, but in critical moments you're prone to blunders."
Li Hao lowered his head and said no more.
Since his master spoke like this, perhaps his master had a better way.
"Directly granting them leave is unreliable..."
Yuan Shuo narrowed his eyes. "About a thousand meters from the three Solar Radiance figures, right? Then I'll head over tonight and orchestrate an accident—a mine collapse will do! I know that place well; I went there last time to open a new mine shaft. If I tamper slightly with the original cave-in section, the collapse will continue. No one goes down into the shafts at night anyway. Once it collapses, the Qiao family will grant a holiday on their own, and it'll take ten days to half a month just to recover."
Liu Long nodded slightly. "A mine cave-in works. After all, it wouldn't be the first time. Back when I was in the Law Enforcement Team, several collapses occurred at Qiao's Mine, but none caused serious casualties, so it ended with routine rectification."
"Naturally!"
Yuan Shuo chuckled. "The area they collapsed was likely close to the ruins, so naturally no one was there. Since a cave-in occurred, they could only halt for rectification. Now that ruin excavation has likely begun, after several cave-ins over the past few years, one more is no big deal. To prevent anyone from prying, they'll certainly clear the workers away."
Li Hao nodded; that sounded reasonable.
As for suspicion... it wasn't the first time. The Qiao family might be more anxious than anyone else about drawing attention and would wish to shut down operations immediately for rectification to keep people from inspecting the site.
Thus, the moment an accident happened, work would certainly halt without delay.
"Can Master avoid their senses?"
"Nonsense, I'm a martial master, not a supernatural!"
Yuan Shuo snapped. He didn't even understand basic common sense! The greatest advantage of a martial master lay right here: inner force was generated internally, and unless projected outward, there was nothing extraordinary to detect.
It was exceptionally difficult for supernaturals to perceive a martial master's presence.
Li Hao gave a dry chuckle and said nothing further.
With the overall plan established, Liu Long's worries were settled. As for whether it would succeed... that depended on luck.
Whether he could deal with those three Solar Radiance figures also depended on luck.
...
Both his master and Liu Long possessed quite a gambling streak. In Li Hao's view, bringing Hao Lianchuan along to act together would have been far safer.
Yet neither of them harbored such a thought at the moment.
Resolve it themselves if possible, and see what happened if they couldn't—this did not quite align with Li Hao's preferences.
Yet right now, Li Hao could only go along with it.
Afterward, the group continued eating without further discussion of the matter.
...
After lunch, Li Hao and Liu Long departed together.
As for the broken floor tiles in his master's house, someone would naturally handle them, so it was none of Li Hao's concern.
In the car.
Liu Long kept his eyes closed in thought.
As Li Hao was about to drive into the Inspectorate, Liu Long suddenly opened his eyes. "Tell me, should we call Liu Yan and the others?"
He was actually asking Li Hao!
Li Hao was somewhat surprised, but replied nonetheless, "If they still want more resources and aren't afraid of danger, then call them! If they feel they can peacefully retire now and wait to collect their wages, then don't! In truth, even if they don't participate, once something happens to us, Silver City will be in danger as well."
"You think we should bring them along?"
"Boss should have your own considerations."
Li Hao did not elaborate. Liu Long was no indecisive man; it was merely that Solar Radiance figures were involved and the squad members were his brothers and sisters, making him overly protective.
Li Hao was certain that if told, Liu Yan and the others would likely choose to take part.
As for Wang Ming and his companions, that was harder to say.
Liu Long fell silent again for a while, then spoke. "We'll hold a brief meeting shortly. Do you think we should call Wang Ming and the others?"
Those three were outsiders, after all.
Li Hao pondered briefly. "Call them. The three of them are young and driven! This is also an opportunity to integrate the team. Otherwise, our squad will remain divided into two parts and never truly merge. Only by fighting together can they become our own people."
"Well said."
Liu Long smiled, but his expression soon turned cold and proud again. "I have stepped into the Thousand-Battler realm. Though the other three's circumstances are unknown, I am confident I can crush them! Just three rats who have never appeared in the supernatural realm; perhaps they have never even fought before. To conceal their existence, how much combat awareness could the Qiao family have allowed them to develop?"
"Probably not much,"
Li Hao also smiled. "Maybe even less than mine!"
"Indeed!"
Liu Long nodded in agreement.
Not just those three, but Qiao Feilong as well—he hadn't fought in years. Back then, he had only possessed the strength of the Ten-Slayer realm; even if he had now entered the Three Suns realm, how much combat awareness could he have?
Slaughtering the weak was one thing, but against peers of equal strength?
At this moment, whether comforting himself or genuinely believing it, Liu Long was instantly brimming with confidence.
...
The Law Enforcement Building.
Having just made the rounds at several businesses, Wang Ming grumbled to Hu Hao upon hearing that another meeting was called: "People used to say White Moon City had too many meetings, and I took it to heart! But after coming to Silver City, I've realized that the smaller the pond, the more turtles it holds!" How many days had it been, and how many meetings had they held already?
Meetings over every little thing!
He was thoroughly dissatisfied with Liu Long. He had initially assumed Liu Long was indifferent to fame and fortune—after all, the man held some reputation in White Moon City, where supernaturals regarded him as an extraordinarily stubborn individual.
Yet now, he looked more like a power-hungry bureaucrat with every passing day!
Good grief, now that he was branch director, meetings followed one after another without end!
Not only that, but he insisted on holding some opening ceremony the night after tomorrow... Bah!
We're the Night Watchers, not a private corporation.
Hosting an opening ceremony—weren't they afraid of becoming a laughingstock?
"Not a single piece of real work gets done!"
Wang Ming complained once more. Hu Hao didn't respond; he was naturally reserved and rarely spoke much.
Li Meng, however, nodded in full agreement. "Exactly! When higher-ups assigned us to Silver City, I thought fighting might break out here just like last time, full of danger, and that they sent us to temper ourselves. But these past few days... if it's not meetings, it's freeloading all over town, drifting through martial arts gyms and corporate offices for free meals and drinks... I'm nearly bored to death."
What a joke!
Li Meng also felt that White Moon City had somewhat overestimated these Silver City martial masters.
Ever since the last battle ended, these people seemed to have slipped into retirement mode, each busy asserting their authority. Utterly dull.
"Director Wang, Li Meng, let's head to the meeting!"
Hu Hao spoke up. They were still inside the Law Enforcement Building, after all.
It wouldn't do to be overheard.
The three of them formed their own clique. Over the past few days, they hadn't truly integrated with Liu Yan and the rest, maintaining only superficial pleasantries.
Wang Ming snorted and rose. "Let's go. I'd like to hear what nonsense they have to say today. Leaving a proper conference room unused to hold a meeting in the basement—they really must be starved for things to do!"
Chatting along the way, the three walked toward the basement.
This time, the meeting was being convened down there.
...
The basement.
Liu Yan and the others arrived one after another. Yun Yao and several teammates had actually continued living down here; the offices upstairs were empty most of the time.
They were simply more accustomed to this place.
Seeing Li Hao and Liu Long enter together, nobody paid it much mind. Liu Yan vaguely knew a thing or two and kept quiet.
Seeing that Wang Ming and his group had not arrived yet, Liu Long glanced at Wu Chao and Chen Jian, frowning slightly. "You only began absorbing the mysterious energy these past two days?"
The two nodded.
"Within two days, absorb all of it! Regardless of whether it leaves hidden injuries, absorb it all!"
The two were stunned. Such a rush?
They had been allocated twenty cubic meters. Under normal circumstances, taking half a year would not be considered excessive; after all, there was no guarantee of future income, so stretching it out maximized the benefits.
Why the sudden rush?
Still, Liu Long's authority remained absolute, and they trusted him deeply. Both quickly nodded without asking questions.
"Yun Yao!"
"Here."
Yun Yao raised her head to look at Liu Long.
Liu Long said gravely, "You're a water-attribute supernatural. How much of your healing capability remains?"
"About the same as before."
Yun Yao adjusted her glasses. She hadn't worn glasses previously, but lately she always favored wearing a pair. Li Hao knew a little about this; back then, that accessory had seemingly allowed her to catch a faint glimpse of the Red Shadow, which had helped her evade its pursuit.
Liu Long nodded. "Then you will continue serving as the healer. Until genuine light-attribute or healing-attribute supernaturals join the team, you will be responsible for treating the entire unit's injuries."
"Understood!"
Just as she finished, a knock sounded at the door, and Wang Ming pushed it open.
With a smile on his face, he glanced at the group and nodded to Liu Long. Looking around for a place to sit, he found everyone lounging about haphazardly, with the chubby Chen Jian sitting straight on the floor.
At a loss for words, he gave up on sitting altogether and stood beside Li Hao.
Li Meng and Hu Hao didn't sit either, walking over toward Chen Jian and the others.
Liu Long looked at the trio and got straight to the point. "You three have only recently arrived and aren't particularly familiar with us. We did fight side by side once before, but it was brief."
"I only want to ask one question: did you come to Silver City to pad your resumes, or to truly experience life and death?"
Wang Ming looked slightly displeased. "Naturally, to temper ourselves! Pad our resumes? If a supernatural lacks strength, what use is padding a resume? Does Director Liu look down on us that much?"
Li Meng chimed in, "Director, we came to Silver City because we heard reinforcements were needed, not to play around."
"Good!"
Liu Long said coldly, "Soon, a battle will erupt in Silver City. Who the enemy is, you do not need to know! You only need to obey orders—don't lose your nerve, don't disrupt the plan, and don't interfere with your teammates. That will suffice!"
A battle?
Wang Ming was taken aback. Where was a battle coming from?
"Director, what strength does the enemy possess?"
"Solar Radiance!"
Wang Ming's brow furrowed slightly. "Not impossible to deal with, though the danger is indeed significant. May I ask if the opponent belongs to the Three Great Organizations or some other supernatural faction?"
"Consider them part of the Three Great Organizations!"
"But right now, White Moon City's stance is that it's best not to initiate conflict..."
"This is Silver City!"
Liu Long stated coldly, "So here, my decision is absolute! Unless I step down and you take over, what I say goes!"
Wang Ming curled his lip. Fine, have it your way.
He wasn't particularly afraid.
It was only a single Solar Radiance. Silver City's current strength was decent; though they had no Solar Radiance combatant, the squad possessed four Lunar Nethers and two Hundred-Breakers. They could put up a fight.
As for the danger... as he had said, encountering danger was precisely the kind of life they had envisioned when coming here.
Hu Hao, who had remained silent all along, spoke up. "Director, do we have the time and location of the operation?"
"I'll notify you when the operation begins!"
Very well, that meant he didn't quite trust them yet.
Naturally, that was to be expected.
Though somewhat dissatisfied, Wang Ming accepted it. Setting that aside, he asked, "Is there a combat plan? How will we coordinate? I am a metal-attribute supernatural, Li Meng is special-attribute, and Hu Hao is flight-attribute. In White Moon City, supernatural operations usually involve prior drills to ensure seamless teamwork and avoid interfering with each other's abilities..."
"No need. Just coordinate well amongst yourselves!"
Liu Long looked at him. "The three of you must be prepared for a Solar Radiance rushing your way. How to withstand the opponent, and even obstruct them to prevent their escape—that is what you should be considering. If you can't do it... say so in advance!"
Wang Ming's heart jolted!
The three of them, prepared to withstand a Solar Radiance?
This... was too intense!
He felt excited, apprehensive, and somewhat embarrassed all at once, but managed to say, "Well... Director, we... we lack combat experience, and to be blunt, our coordination isn't polished. If we truly face a Solar Radiance... we might not be able to stop or withstand them."
Liu Long actually smiled; he appreciated the man's honesty.
Boasting now was useless; if someone was struck dead the moment they hit the battlefield, it would harm both themselves and others.
"The opponent is a rookie as well!"
"Huh?"
Wang Ming and the others froze. A rookie too?
"There are rookies among Solar Radiance supernaturals?"
They could hardly believe it. Reaching the Solar Radiance realm and still being a rookie?
Solar Radiance figures had generally been supernaturals for at least a decade.
Whether in the Night Watchers or other organizations, a supernatural active for over ten years couldn't possibly have avoided combat, especially at the Solar Radiance level—unless they were a Heaven-Blessed Divine Master who naturally cultivated to that realm... In that case, it was hard to say.
"Most likely a rookie... Not a hundred percent certain, but the probability is as high as ninety percent! Even if they have fought, it was at lower levels at most; they shouldn't have combat experience against peers of the same tier!"
Wang Ming let out a breath of relief. "If that's truly the case, there's nothing to fear. Hu Hao can fly, Li Meng can lock onto positions and distance, and I can attack. If the three of us are careful, we might not defeat them, but running... ahem, stalling them appropriately shouldn't be an issue."
Having suffered a setback last time, the three of them had gained some experience.
"You may withdraw if you wish. If not... then it's settled!"
Liu Long concluded, "Everything remains strictly confidential. Without my permission, not even White Moon City may be informed! Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Then the meeting ends here. Be prepared for battle at any moment!"
"Yes!"
Everyone responded in unison.
The members of the Demon Hunting Squad remained calm. If it was Solar Radiance, so be it. They used to hunt Lunar Nethers; now that everyone had grown stronger, hunting a Solar Radiance was hardly incomprehensible.
...
Liu Long's meeting was brief.
The group dispersed.
Wang Ming caught up with Li Hao, lowering his voice as they walked. "Targeting Galaxy?"
Li Hao bared his teeth. "Take a guess."
"..."
Guess my foot!
That was his only guess. Rumor had it that Galaxy Group possessed Lunar Nether supernaturals, but Solar Radiance... did Galaxy Group have one?
He had no idea.
"Forget it. Whoever it is, as long as it's not the Night Watchers!"
Wang Ming didn't care much about the details; so long as they weren't turning on their own, striking anyone else was fine.
With that thought, he asked another question: "Will your master make a move?"
"Probably."
Hearing that, Wang Ming felt relieved. With a Thousand-Battler martial master ready to intervene at any moment, their safety was guaranteed.
It was just dealing with a single Solar Radiance!
Even if they couldn't hold out, once Yuan Shuo arrived, wouldn't the enemy be cleaved to death in moments? Last time, Yuan Shuo had killed Ying Hongyue's son with a single slash, right before their eyes.
Utterly terrifying!
At this thought, Wang Ming relaxed.
Seeing his casual attitude, Li Hao said softly, "Stay vigilant; it won't be that simple. Treat every battle as your last—that's what my master taught me, and I pass it along to you. Capsizing in the gutter happens all the time."
Wang Ming's brow tightened, and he nodded. "Understood!"
With that, the two parted ways.
...
Soon, quitting time arrived.
As always, Li Hao did not work overtime, heading out the moment his shift ended.
His behavior was impeccably ordinary!
Anyone observing Li Hao would only arrive at one conclusion: this fellow was thoroughly uninteresting.
Punctual for work, punctual to leave.
Aside from visiting his master's home, he went nowhere. His routine was more regular than that of an old pensioner.
...
Just as Li Hao was heading home.
At the Yuan residence.
Hao Lianchuan landed, breathing heavily and visibly irritated. He pushed the door open and stepped right inside. "Professor Yuan, was that really necessary? Threatening people with the Inspectorate Director isn't a very bright idea!"
He was genuinely disgruntled!
Joking around was fine usually, but Mu Sen had made it sound dire, saying Yuan Shuo would slay him if Hao Lianchuan didn't show up today!
With the chief of a city's Inspectorate involved... even though Hao Lianchuan was swamped with work, he had rushed over immediately.
Yuan Shuo's threat had crossed the line!
It was a gross overreach!
"Where are the goods?"
Yuan Shuo ignored him and cut straight to the point. "Did you bring the goods? Don't give me all that talk. You took my things and vanished for days without a word, and you swallowed the Li family sword to boot. If I didn't demand it myself, were you never going to hand it over? Are the Night Watchers committing daylight robbery now?"
"..."
Hao Lianchuan felt rather helpless. "I've been arranging the exchange of mysterious energy for you..."
"If the Night Watchers can't even produce over a thousand cubic meters of five elements mysterious energy, you might as well shut your doors and close up shop!"
Well, Hao Lianchuan had no retort to that; of course they could produce it.
He had indeed intended to stall until after the ruins expedition, but since this old man refused to budge, he couldn't keep withholding it.
"I brought the goods. Two hundred cubic meters for each of the five elements..."
"I gave you thirteen hundred!"
Yuan Shuo's expression turned cold as he glared at him, clearly dissatisfied.
Hao Lianchuan explained, "I'm truly not pocketing it, nor would I stoop to that! But you insisted on equal amounts of each element, and that was all we could muster. For the remaining three hundred cubic meters, I exchanged it for non-elemental mysterious energy, which is even more helpful for martial masters. What do you think?"
Only then did Yuan Shuo nod; that was acceptable.
"Then so be it. Also, Liu Long came by this morning and said that if you showed up, you should help hold the line for him. He's planning to hold an opening ceremony..."
"I'm busy to death, where would I find the time for that!"
Hao Lianchuan nearly laughed out of sheer exasperation. With so much on his plate, did he have the leisure to hold the line for him?
What a joke!
"Silver City is crawling with snakes, insects, rats, and ants. Do you expect a mere Hundred-Breaker like him to keep them in check?"
Yuan Shuo remarked casually, "Suit yourself. It's only the day after tomorrow anyway. Now that you're here, are you going to rush all the way back right now?"
"..."
Hao Lianchuan thought about it, rendered speechless. After a long pause, he finally said, "Fine! Nothing major should happen recently anyway. I've already coordinated with several major organizations, so rest easy! Messy as the Central Region may be, it hasn't affected our parts yet. Everything can wait until the ruins expedition concludes."
"Mm."
Yuan Shuo waved him off, signaling that he could leave now.
Hao Lianchuan grew even more exasperated. He was a Three Suns expert, after all.
This old fellow was growing increasingly arrogant!
Right now, he truly carried the demeanor of Old Demon Yuan.
Unwilling to waste more breath, he turned and left. As for why Yuan Shuo wanted five elements energy, he didn't bother asking. He harbored faint suspicions; last time Yuan Shuo had advised him to absorb a bit of other elemental energies, and he had followed the advice with decent results.
The chest pain from his old condition seemed somewhat alleviated, even if it didn't appear to boost his strength.
Even so, the matter was of considerable importance.
Hao Lianchuan intended to test it for a while longer. If no issues arose, he would inform the Night Watchers to see if they should research whether balancing all five elements could better promote supernatural progress.
Precisely because Yuan Shuo had provided this insight, Hao Lianchuan had been so responsive, rushing over the moment he was summoned.
Stepping out of the Yuan Family Compound, he paused just outside the courtyard.
His foot rested upon a shattered floor tile. Looking down, his brows lifted slightly.
As a Three Suns powerhouse, his discernment was sharp.
"The application of momentum?"
He pondered inward; it didn't look like Yuan Shuo's handiwork. Could it have been left by Liu Long when he visited this morning?
If so, Liu Long had begun making contact with momentum as well. That was quite promising—it seemed the man might actually have a shot at entering the Thousand-Battler realm.
At this realization, a smile crept onto Hao Lianchuan's face.
An unexpected gain!
No one had told him the news, and Liu Long hadn't mentioned it either. Was he planning to give the Night Watchers a surprise once he broke through?
"If he can advance... that would be excellent. Holding the line for him this time will be well worth it!"
Chuckling, Hao Lianchuan strolled toward the Inspectorate in high spirits.
As for Silver City, none of the others could stir up much of a storm right now.
Chapter 59