Tents were limited, but the group from Silver City was allocated a large tent of their own, which was considered quite good treatment.
Even though Liu Yan was a woman, having everyone share a single tent was entirely normal. Among supers, such arrangements were common.
Naturally, as for Li Hao and the others bringing a dog along, some were surprised while others were indifferent. Supers had all kinds of eccentric temperaments, and so long as the dog did not interfere with official business, no one was going to bother with it.
***
After setting down their luggage,
Yuan Shuo wanted to rest, while Liu Long went to find Hao Lianchuan to discuss the upcoming tasks and operational details.
Li Hao, meanwhile, dragged Wang Ming along to get acquainted with new faces.
***
"Li Hao, this is Old Huang, whom you already know!"
Wang Ming could actually be quite generous and worldly at times. Under normal circumstances, even if someone took another person around to make social calls, they would only visit those at their own level. In the eyes of many, he was still just at the Lunar Nether tier.
Yet the very first person this fellow brought Li Hao to visit was Huang Yun, a Solar Radiance expert.
After all, the two had met before and were somewhat familiar with each other. Making a courtesy visit also carried the meaning of getting acquainted and asking for future care.
As a Solar Radiance expert, although Huang Yun had not been allocated a private tent, there were only two people in his quarters. Aside from Huang Yun himself, the other was a burly man who resembled a dark egg.
His skin was dark as iron, giving him an honest, simple look.
A dense aura of earth energy swirled around him, instantly marking him as an earth-element specialist.
Seeing Wang Ming arrive with Li Hao, Huang Yun smiled. He was fairly familiar with Wang Ming and was no stranger to Li Hao either.
"Greetings, Old Huang!"
Li Hao wore an innocent, green expression, vaguely tinged with shyness, looking like an inexperienced youngster with subpar social skills.
After greeting Huang Yun, he turned toward the earth-element expert and hurriedly said, "Greetings, big brother!"
Inside the tent, the sturdy earth-element man burst into laughter. "Big brother? I’m old enough to be your father! My name is Zhao Huan, City Inspecting Commissioner of White Moon City!"
Huang Yun also chuckled and introduced him: "Zhao Huan is an earth-element powerhouse whose Earth Escape Technique is extraordinary. Ascending the heavens or descending into the earth—ascending is hard, but descending into the earth is even harder!"
As he spoke, he ushered both of them inside.
The tents set up for this camp were not small, offering quite a bit of interior space.
Furthermore, because an earth-element specialist was present, several simple structures had been raised within the tent, such as stone tables and sleeping platforms, making it far more comfortable and well-appointed than the tents of others.
Wang Ming led Li Hao inside.
Seeing teacups arranged on the stone table, Wang Ming remarked enviously, "Having Uncle Zhao around really does guarantee superior treatment. In the future, even if earth-element supers don't fight anymore, they’ll be top-tier when it comes to building cities!"
Zhao Huan laughed heartily. "Little Wang, you metal-element fellows aren't bad either. If we really stop fighting in the future, I’ll build the city walls, and you can reinforce them with metal to forge a colossal fortress!"
The two joked back and forth, clearly well acquainted.
Of course, Zhao Huan and Huang Yun did not ignore Li Hao. Huang Yun gestured for them to sit down, looked at Li Hao, and said with a smile, "Li Hao, your teacher accepted Sun Yifei's challenge letter. You really ought to try persuading him out of it. Your teacher has few friends and no family; these past few years, he’s spent the most time around you, and you’re also the last disciple he took in. His temperament is unyielding, but Sun Yifei is tremendously powerful—a late-stage Three Sols presence, not someone Duan Tian could ever compare to..."
He wanted to use Li Hao to exert some influence over Yuan Shuo.
Fighting right now was not an optimal choice.
It would only benefit the other factions, while the ones taking losses would be the Night Watchers and Red Moon. Even then, Red Moon wouldn't suffer too badly; the Night Watchers stood to lose the most.
Li Hao nodded, his face solemn. "I will try to dissuade him! It’s just that my teacher has a stubborn temper. Even if I say something, it probably won't have much effect."
Saying that, he shook his head with some regret and lowered his voice: "Old Huang, the reason I asked Brother Wang to bring me here was actually to understand the situation a bit better... I feel too embarrassed to ask others, but having met you a few times, I can at least consider myself acquainted with you..."
Huang Yun smiled. "What would you like to know?"
"Well... um... I wanted to ask, besides Director Hao, does our Night Watchers have anyone else capable of dealing with Sun Yifei?"
Li Hao appeared somewhat anxious. "Old Huang, I heard that among all the various organizations gathered here, many Three Sols experts might have arrived, and all of them are displeased with our Night Watchers. We are indeed powerful, and you and the others are all top figures among Solar Radiance... but can we... really deal with so many Three Sols?"
What he actually wanted to ascertain was whether these people knew of that woman's presence.
Solar Radiance experts were considered the backbone of Silver Moon's forces.
If even they were unaware, then Hao Lianchuan would also need to be probed.
With the sudden emergence of a mid-stage Three Sols expert, Li Hao certainly had to distinguish friend from foe.
Huang Yun considered for a moment before replying, "There's no need to worry too much. The major organizations are hardly a monolithic bloc. Even when it comes to targeting the Night Watchers, they are not of one mind, and differences exist among them. Furthermore, the two mid-sized organizations are local entities, so they actually collaborate with us more often under normal circumstances. After all, the Three Great Organizations merely have footholds here; their primary focus is in the central region."
"So that means... on our side, Director Hao is the only Three Sols?"
Li Hao did not care to dwell on those points and simply asked directly.
Huang Yun nodded. There was nothing to hide about that: "It can't be helped. Within the Silver Moon Night Watchers, only Director Hou and Director Hao are Three Sols. Director Hou cannot leave his post, so Director Hao had to come alone."
He then added, "Still, don't think of us as weak. Seven Solar Radiance experts have come this time. Aside from Old Zhao and me, two of the others are peak Solar Radiance experts!"
Huang Yun was at the initial stage of Solar Radiance, while Zhao Huan seemed to be mid-stage; Li Hao judged this from the size of their inner suns without asking explicitly.
Two peak Solar Radiance experts... Li Hao matched this with the sizes of the suns he had observed earlier. They should be a man and a woman, both middle-aged.
"Director He of the water element, and Director Zhou of the metal element."
Seeing Li Hao's puzzled look, Wang Ming chimed in immediately: "Our Night Watchers organization has six directors in total—one chief and five deputies! Excluding Chief Director Hou, among the five deputies, Director Hao is the first deputy director. Of the remaining four, Director He came this time. She's a water-element peak Solar Radiance, that somewhat fierce-looking older woman from earlier..."
Both Huang Yun and Zhao Huan cast a glance at him. This kid was certainly daring.
Even if she was indeed middle-aged, calling her an 'older woman' so casually might earn him a harsh lesson if she caught wind of it.
"I'm even more familiar with Director Zhou!"
Wang Ming chuckled. "Since I'm also metal-element, I often go to Director Zhou to ask for guidance. Director Zhou was the handsome older gentleman standing beside Director Hao earlier, the one with a sword strapped to his back. A peak Solar Radiance! In my opinion, our Night Watchers' third Three Sols will very likely be Director Zhou."
The metal element excelled at offense, and sharing the same element made Wang Ming quite familiar with him and deeply respectful.
Huang Yun and Zhao Huan did not dispute the claim.
Director Zhou possessed formidable offensive power and was a veteran Solar Radiance; stepping into Three Sols was by no means impossible for him.
Li Hao smiled. Out of the seven Solar Radiance experts, he had now identified four.
Li Hao chatted with the two Solar Radiance experts for a few more moments. It was merely a social call, so there was no need to linger, not to mention that darkness had fallen outside, making an extended conversation inappropriate.
***
A short while later, Wang Ming led Li Hao away.
Since they had started making calls, they might as well visit them all.
Next, Wang Ming took him to meet the remaining Solar Radiance powerhouses.
Because Li Hao was Yuan Shuo's student, the other Solar Radiance experts treated him quite courteously.
Gu Mei, a wood-element mid-stage Solar Radiance, was the team's healer.
Liu Ping, a thunder-element initial-stage Solar Radiance, possessed terrifying destructive power. He was short—a full head shorter than Li Hao—but spoke with a booming voice.
Li Xiangdong, a special-type mid-stage Solar Radiance, happened to share the same surname as Li Hao. His ability was unique, serving as the eyes of the entire unit and specializing in reconnaissance. According to Wang Ming, he could clearly perceive everything within a radius of several li, able to pick up even the crawling of ants.
The Night Watchers' team composition was remarkably well balanced, covering offense, reconnaissance, healing, and defense. Combined with Huang Yun's wind element that excelled at rapid retreat, their overall strength was formidable.
***
Finally stepping out of the tent of the metal-element powerhouse Zhou Huaimin, Li Hao's smile had grown somewhat stiff.
He had been smiling for a long time!
As a junior meeting so many prominent figures for the first time, he naturally had to maintain a pleasant demeanor.
On the surface, everyone had treated him quite politely. Even the two deputy directors offered him words of encouragement, though they also did not forget to urge him to persuade Yuan Shuo against rashly accepting Sun Yifei's duel.
Having visited these people, Li Hao spoke up: "Brother Wang, how about we go greet those in the Lunar Nether realm as well?"
Wang Ming was at a loss for words!
He was exhausted. Mostly because he had to make the introductions every single time, explaining things over and over until his throat was dry. And now Li Hao wanted to visit the Lunar Nether practitioners... What was there to visit them for?
Wouldn't it be better to just chat when they ran into each other tomorrow?
"Li Hao, that's enough!"
Wang Ming was reluctant.
Li Hao smiled, simply watching him in silence.
Under that gaze, Wang Ming grew uncomfortable and cursed internally. *What are you looking at me for?*
*This guy has no respect for the strong at all.*
*I am a Solar Radiance!*
Cursing aside, he sighed after a long moment. "Fine! But as for some of the Lunar Nether ones, I'm not that familiar with them either. Not everyone came from White Moon City this time; some were transferred from other cities, including the Solar Radiance ranks, some of whom came from the Yaoguang City branch."
Li Hao nodded.
His gaze shifted toward the tent where the massive sun was located. That woman was over there.
Seeing him look in that direction, Wang Ming pondered for a moment before saying, "That over there seems to be... let me think... oh, that's where the female supers are staying..."
He stared at Li Hao. "Are you making social calls, or are you trying to pick up girls?"
Setting his sights on the female supers' tent right away!
Over fifty people from the Night Watchers had arrived this time. Naturally, not all of them would enter the ruins; a portion would remain outside, while about thirty-some would head in. There weren't that many female supers, only a dozen or so.
The Lunar Nether practitioners shared tents of four or five people each. The one Li Hao was eyeing was one of them.
"Let's go have a look!"
Li Hao broke into a smile and headed straight in that direction, whispering as he walked, "Female supers... seeing so many all at once is quite rare. Brother Wang, do you think if I marry a female super, we could produce a Heaven-Blessed Divine Master?"
Wang Ming was utterly speechless!
Where had this idea come from?
He had never heard Li Hao mention it before, nor seen any sign of such interest. Had this fellow completely let loose the moment he stepped outdoors?
Li Hao chuckled without explaining.
He wondered if that woman was listening.
It would be best if she was!
***
Inside the tent.
The female supers had not gone to sleep yet. Some were cultivating, while others chatted idly. All were at the Lunar Nether level, and with entry into the ruins drawing near, they were naturally tense and unable to rest.
In the middle of their conversation, someone remarked, "Someone's coming!"
"Who is it?"
Just as she asked, Wang Ming's voice sounded from outside: "Hello, everyone! It's Wang Ming. I've brought Professor Yuan's student to visit. Is it convenient for us to come in?"
"Wang Ming?"
Recognizing him, someone whispered, "It's Big Mouth Wang..."
"Don't call him that. Wang Ming is pretty good—talented, said to have discovered five supernatural locks, powerful, and a metal-element super..."
"And Professor Yuan's student, the shy young boy?"
"Probably him."
"..."
The muffled chatter of women drifted faintly from within the tent.
Li Hao remained impassive, but Wang Ming's expression shifted slightly. As a Solar Radiance, his hearing was far sharper than before.
*Big Mouth Wang?*
*Who gave me that nickname!*
*You're the big mouth!*
*Is my mouth big? Not at all!*
Wang Ming felt deeply helpless. If Li Hao hadn't insisted on coming, he wouldn't have bothered.
Soon, the tent flap opened, and the person who stepped out was precisely the woman Li Hao had been watching. She appeared in her thirties or forties, looking somewhat lean.
Wang Ming seemed to know her, smiling instantly upon seeing her. "Ah, so Sister Zhang is staying here."
Li Hao hurriedly whispered, "Brother Wang, please introduce me."
He looked just like a bashful young boy, not even daring to raise his voice.
Wang Ming chuckled on the surface while cursing internally. *This fellow... can really act!*
Having dealt with Li Hao for so long, how could he not know what Li Hao was like?
When Liu Yan teased him before, his expression hadn't twitched in the slightest. Where did all this shyness come from?
"Hello, I'm Zhang Ting, a Lunar Nether Full Moon, water-element super!"
The woman had also heard Li Hao's words and chuckled, taking the initiative to extend her hand as if wishing to shake his.
Among supers, handshakes were rarely part of an introduction.
Not just supers—martial masters would not shake hands either, unless they were testing one another.
A handshake could easily reveal far too many things.
Especially for martial masters: their inner force was contained within, making it hard to discern from appearance alone.
Yet now, this woman was actually offering him a handshake...
Of course, Li Hao was a newcomer and appeared weak to outsiders, possessing nothing worth hiding. A handshake was also a gesture of treating him as an equal, a sign of respect.
Wang Ming didn't think much of it.
Li Hao put on a bashful smile, reached out, and briefly took her hand before hastily pulling back, whispering, "My name is Li Hao. I'm from Silver City."
At that moment, the other women in the tent stepped out as well.
They glanced at Li Hao with varying degrees of curiosity before some began exchanging greetings with Wang Ming.
Seeing that the others weren't paying much attention to Li Hao, Zhang Ting assumed the role of an understanding older sister and struck up a conversation with him, smiling warmly. "Li Hao, is this your first time traveling far from home?"
"Yes!" Li Hao nodded. "I've always stayed in Silver City before this."
"Then it's so dangerous this time, why did you come along? You're a Ten-Slayer realm martial master, right? You haven't stepped into the supernatural yet?"
Li Hao shook his head. "I'm not in the Ten-Slayer realm..."
He then lowered his voice: "My teacher told me not to tell anyone, Sister Zhang, but I'm actually very talented in martial arts... Please don't tell the others, but I... I've actually reached the Hundred-Breaker realm. When I told Brother Wang and the others, they wouldn't believe me."
Zhang Ting laughed warmly.
What a fresh, innocent newcomer!
Hundred-Breaker!
In fact, she had sensed a hint of it just now—Li Hao might not be a mere Ten-Slayer. Even though the handshake had lasted only a moment, she had felt that he had likely entered the Hundred-Breaker realm. Sure enough, this green youngster knew nothing of discretion, blurting out his secret at the first opportunity, rather like that big mouth Wang Ming.
"Big Sister believes you!"
Zhang Ting gave a soft laugh. "Once we enter the ruins, if you need any help, you can look for me. You're still young; if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
"Thank you, Sister Zhang!"
Li Hao nodded eagerly, looking overjoyed.
Inwardly, however, he was calculating. *This woman is indeed a mid-stage Three Sols, and her ability is indeed water-element.*
*Not only that...*
Li Hao suspected that she was carrying an Origin God Armament as well.
Unlike Hao Lianchuan's Fire Phoenix, which was vivid, remarkably conspicuous, and constantly surging with power like a living thing, this woman had not drawn Li Hao's immediate notice at first glance.
Right now, facing each other at close proximity, Li Hao could practically see right through her.
The reason he suspected she carried an Origin God Armament was that inside the large Three Sols light cluster, he seemed to catch sight of a tiny snake swimming about—a tiny, transparent snake, so faint and small that it would be nearly impossible to notice without careful scrutiny, especially against the brilliant glow of the Three Sols light.
Furthermore, having gained a deeper understanding of supernatural energy, Li Hao could perceive more details now.
He could even discern specific anomalies. For instance, in the light cluster she manifested, her limbs were very bright, but her left hand was visibly weaker and dimmer.
This indicated that she had unsealed the supernatural locks in her right hand and both legs, and since the water element corresponded to the kidneys, she must have opened the kidney lock as well.
Unlocking four supernatural locks constituted the Three Sols realm. For this woman, her left hand might be her weak point; the strength in her limbs was uneven.
*A mid-stage Three Sols expert, carrying an Origin God Armament...*
Li Hao wasn't entirely certain if it was one, but he knew that anything capable of being stored within the body was extraordinary.
If it truly was an Origin God Armament, this woman was terrifying. Hao Lianchuan's weapon appeared more powerful, and in a direct clash, he might not lose to her, but this woman concealed herself deeply.
If she launched a sneak attack... Hao Lianchuan could be in serious trouble.
*Who planted her here?*
Li Hao pondered for a moment. Wang Ming had already finished chatting on his end, turning to Li Hao with a grin. "Let's go, on to the next place. Sister Zhang, we'll take our leave first."
Zhang Ting nodded, watching the two depart.
After walking some distance, Wang Ming muttered under his breath, "Do you have some strange preference? You ignored those young girls over there and went chatting up Sister Zhang instead. She's in her thirties or forties, and as for her looks... You definitely have an issue!"
Li Hao laughed lightly. "She speaks so gently and pleasantly. Those young women were busy talking to you the whole time; what else could I do?"
"Hmph, as if I'm interested in them!"
Wang Ming said smugly, "I'm different now. I have to look further ahead. Who knows, maybe in the future I'll marry a Three Sols or someone even higher..."
"They're all quite old!"
Li Hao reminded him. Wang Ming scoffed: "What do you know? That's just Silver Moon! In the central region, some Heaven-Blessed Divine Masters awaken directly at the Solar Radiance tier, and step into Three Sols within two or three years... Rumor has it that the youngest Three Sols right now is under twenty years old."
"That impressive?"
"Of course! That's why I need to set my sights there!"
The two chatted casually as they moved on toward other tents.
From that point on, Li Hao remained a spectator, mostly watching Wang Ming do the talking. Only when someone addressed him directly did he offer a few words, playing the role of someone afflicted with severe social anxiety.
***
After nearly two hours, once the sky was completely dark, Li Hao finally returned to his tent.
By now, Liu Yan was no longer there.
Seeing Li Hao's questioning look, Yuan Shuo, who was resting, spoke without looking up: "Liu Long returned just now and took her over toward Yama's side. They're probably near Yama's camp."
Li Hao frowned. "Teacher, won't a conflict break out?"
"With Liu Long there, probably not."
After speaking, Yuan Shuo glanced at Li Hao. "Ever since you arrived here, something's been off with you, dragging Little Wang all over the place. Out with it, what did you discover?"
Li Hao looked around.
Yuan Shuo said languidly, "If someone can eavesdrop on my conversations directly, it makes no difference whether we guard against it or not."
If a powerhouse of that caliber truly existed, whether they heard or didn't hear wouldn't change anything.
Li Hao turned to look at Wang Ming. Wang Ming had just entered the tent and hadn't reacted yet when Yuan Shuo said, "Go find the person in charge here and bring me some food. We're out of rations!"
"..."
Wang Ming was at a loss for words. Why didn't he send Li Hao?
Fine, I'm more familiar with this place.
Without a word, he turned and left.
Once he was gone, Li Hao spoke: "Zhang Ting. Water-element super, mid-stage Three Sols, likely carrying an Origin God Armament. Earlier, she was in the seventh position to our left, a lean woman in her thirties."
Yuan Shuo nodded. "I know. That woman glanced at me earlier, and I felt as though I was being scrutinized. I thought it was just a peculiar ability. Who would have thought!"
He showed no surprise, nor any anger or shock.
He remained remarkably calm.
"Hao Lianchuan most likely doesn't know of her existence. She's either Hou Xiaochen's hidden piece, a plant from higher up in the Night Watchers, or an operative from the Three Great Organizations."
Only these three possibilities existed; there were no others.
"To remain in the Night Watchers until now, it hasn't been just a day or two. She might have even pulled the wool over Hou Xiaochen's eyes..."
At that thought, Yuan Shuo laughed. "You don't need to worry about it. In a bit, I'll go see Hao Lianchuan. No need to tell him anything—I'll just find him and use special communications to contact Hou Xiaochen. I've wanted to chat with Hou Xiaochen for a long time. You can come with me shortly, observe Hou Xiaochen, and get acquainted with the man."
Hou Xiaochen!
Li Hao was also very curious about him, so he nodded.
His teacher was truly something else. While Li Hao was still debating whether to inform Hao Lianchuan, his teacher was already planning to contact Hou Xiaochen directly.
Having said that, Yuan Shuo stood up.
He walked straight toward the exit. Wang Ming happened to return carrying supplies, looking surprised to see both of them heading out. "You're not eating?"
"Not eating, you go ahead!"
Fine!
Wang Ming felt a bit dejected. A personal disciple was truly favored; a nominal disciple like himself was pitiable.
***
In the center of the camp.
Hao Lianchuan had a large tent all to himself.
At this moment, he was still considering whether to call Li Hao over for a talk when his gaze suddenly shifted. Opening the tent flap, he saw Yuan Shuo arriving of his own accord!
He thought Yuan Shuo had come around...
Yet before he could speak, Yuan Shuo chuckled and said, "Connect me to Hou Xiaochen. I want to speak with him!"
"..."
Hao Lianchuan's expression darkened, annoyance flaring within him. "If you have business, tell me directly!"
He then added, "The Chief Director might not even be there. I heard that people from Red Moon and Yama have gone near White Moon City, so he might have left headquarters."
If he had left, it would be difficult to establish contact.
"Give it a try. Even if they went, they'll likely meet on the twenty-eighth. Would they meet in advance just to exchange sweet nothings?"
Yuan Shuo's words left Hao Lianchuan feeling thoroughly helpless.
He couldn't resist saying, "Yuan Shuo, is this really necessary? How have I offended you?"
"You haven't!"
"Then why are you..."
Yuan Shuo sighed helplessly. "Do you want to listen? Do you insist on listening? It involves confidential matters; hearing it might not be good for you. Of course, if you insist, I won't stop you. You can just stand to the side. What do you think?"
Hao Lianchuan hesitated, opening and closing his mouth before saying in exasperation, "Forget it. Let me warn you, stop looking to cause me trouble all day long! Had I known you'd be like this, I wouldn't have invited you to this ruins expedition in the first place."
"Got it!"
Yuan Shuo waved his hand dismissively, not bothering to heed his complaints.
Hao Lianchuan felt ignored once more, his irritation deepening.
Li Hao, on the other hand, was suppressing a laugh.
He bore no ill will toward Hao Lianchuan, but seeing the man suffer setbacks repeatedly was rather entertaining.
Entering the tent, unlike the primitive setups of the others, Hao Lianchuan's quarters resembled an operational base. In the center of the tent sat a large display screen.
Yuan Shuo took a glance and nodded. "I didn't expect you people to actually cobble this together. The communication range on this must be quite good?"
"It's decent. So long as it doesn't exceed three thousand li, connection is generally possible... but once interfered with by supernatural energy, it may lose signal. Once we enter the ruins, contact with the outside will almost certainly be impossible."
As he spoke, he fiddled with the console, channeling a measure of mysterious energy into a small receptacle.
Next, he pressed several buttons.
It was already late at night.
Yet in less than ten seconds, the screen flickered to life, revealing a face that appeared quite youthful, bearing a somewhat lazy demeanor. He was just about to speak when he saw Yuan Shuo on the other end. The languid attitude vanished; leaning back in his chair, he let out a chuckle: "Professor Yuan, long time no see!"
"Director Hou!"
Yuan Shuo's eyes glinted slightly. "It has indeed been a long time."
"Chief Director, he insisted on contacting you..."
"Yes, I understand."
Hou Xiaochen gave a slight nod. "Go attend to your business outside. I will speak with Professor Yuan."
"Fine!"
Hao Lianchuan had no choice but to leave. Before exiting, he cast a glance at Li Hao, who kept his head down in silence, acting as if he hadn't noticed Hao Lianchuan at all, remaining planted right by Yuan Shuo's side.
"..."
Hao Lianchuan was rendered entirely speechless and walked straight out. He truly disliked staying around this master-disciple pair; it was suffocating every single time.
***
Inside the tent.
Li Hao pulled up a chair for Yuan Shuo, who took a seat with a faint smile.
Hou Xiaochen glanced at Li Hao and smiled. "He must be Li Hao?"
"Yes."
"Not bad at all."
Hou Xiaochen nodded slightly. "Unmoved by favor or disgrace, possessing the patience that brings good fortune. When his friend met a tragic death, he endured for a whole year without revealing a single clue. His temperament is far better than yours."
After offering a few words of appraisal, Hou Xiaochen looked back at Yuan Shuo. "Contacting me in the dead of night, you must have something to say?"
"Zhang Ting!"
Yuan Shuo uttered just those two words.
Hou Xiaochen fell into deep thought. After a moment, he spoke slowly: "Zhang Ting... hails from Nanyue Province. She joined the Silver Moon Night Watchers three years ago, originally belonging to the Nanyue Inspectorate. After offending a colleague, she was relegated to Silver Moon. Initially a member of the Inspectorate, she performed meritorious service on a mission three years ago, received an energy infusion, and became a member of the Night Watchers. Her currently registered strength is Lunar Nether Full Moon..."
Yuan Shuo cut in directly: "Do you know her current strength?"
Hou Xiaochen remained silent for a beat. "Did you obtain an Origin God Armament or some similar treasure? You have one of the Eight Great Families' weapons, don't you?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Without an Origin God Armament, how could you see through Zhang Ting?" Hou Xiaochen countered.
He then added with a half-smile, "Or was it this student of yours who saw through her? Is the bloodline of the Eight Great Families truly that miraculous?"
Yuan Shuo didn't bother to reply, asking straightforwardly, "Friend or foe?"
"Hard to say."
"Hard to say?"
Yuan Shuo frowned.
Hou Xiaochen smiled. "Most likely not from the Three Great Organizations. Probably placed here by certain fellows who want to guard against me declaring independence, keeping an eye on me."
"You plan to declare independence?"
Yuan Shuo was somewhat surprised. "You harbor such ambitions?"
Hou Xiaochen chuckled lightly. "I don't particularly harbor that ambition, but when the time comes to declare independence, one does what must be done. There's no need to be overly surprised. The central region has continuously summoned high-ranking frontier officials to the center, weakening frontier strength and throwing those people into the central battlefields to suffer countless casualties... Drawing geniuses to the center and deploying powerhouses into the meat grinder—against those plotting to stand on their own, this suppresses and restrains their ambitions. I approve of that."
"However, for our Silver Moon, we only have so many experts to begin with. We can't even overcome the local branches of the Three Great Organizations, yet they continue transferring our forces away and draining our reserve pool of geniuses. That is unacceptable! After stalling them several times, they grew dissatisfied and planted Zhang Ting to monitor me, that's all."
Speaking up to this point, he smiled again. "If they push me further, I might as well declare independence!"
"..."
Yuan Shuo was somewhat stunned.
Beside him, Li Hao was astonished beyond measure.
He had just been discussing this very topic with Wang Ming and the others in the car, concluding that Silver Moon had no such intentions. Yet here was the head of the Silver Moon Night Watchers, speaking openly and brazenly about preparing to declare independence!
Hou Xiaochen looked at Yuan Shuo and added, "Don't stare at me like that. You, Yuan Shuo, are hardly a saint. Do you actually care about such things?"
Yuan Shuo suddenly laughed. "I don't care. It's just... it's just you, of all people—I didn't expect you to truly have such thoughts. According to my impression, you should have gone to the central region bearing thorns to plead guilty."
"Why would I?"
Hou Xiaochen smiled. "If they sent forces to wipe out the Three Great Organizations and ensure Silver Moon could safely defend its borders, it wouldn't be out of the question for me to fight in the central region. But as things stand, Silver Moon is hardly a peaceful haven. If I leave, Silver Moon will be abandoned. In that case... why should I leave?"
He then chuckled softly. "The Night Watchers, the Inspectorate, and the garrison have already reached an agreement. Only the General Administration hasn't come around yet. Professor Yuan, are you interested in joining?"
"..."
Yuan Shuo felt a headache coming on. He had only come to inquire about the situation, but the man had turned around and invited him to rebel!
After a long pause, Yuan Shuo muttered sullenly, "Insufficient strength. The bird that sticks its neck out gets shot!"
"Mm, indeed."
Hou Xiaochen smiled. "That's why I'm in no rush; we take it slowly. Seizing the defensive Origin God Armament this time is also preparation for that. If you're willing to join, you might be slightly lacking right now, but once you make further progress and unleash your style as the Old Devil, killing until people tremble with fear, wouldn't that be exhilarating?"
Yuan Shuo's head throbbed. After another moment, he asked, "What about Zhang Ting?"
"Do as you please. She won't attack the Night Watchers, nor will she attack you... but if you encounter danger, don't expect her to step in either. Of course, if she ends up dead... then dead she is!"
Hou Xiaochen didn't care in the slightest, adding, "It doesn't matter if she dies, but Hao Lianchuan cannot die! If you have the capacity, help Hao Lianchuan resolve some troubles."
Yuan Shuo's headache grew worse. "I'm a Thousand-Battler, while he's a Three Sols."
"Oh!"
Hou Xiaochen nodded with a chuckle. "Doesn't matter, handle it as you see fit. By the way, do you want the method for extracting Blood God Seeds from Red Shadows?"
"..."
Yuan Shuo fell silent.
"Then I'll just tell you. It's very simple. If you possess an Origin God Armament, simply activate the spirit of the armament to absorb it directly. However, the weapons of the Eight Great Families might function somewhat differently... No matter, Hao Lianchuan brought the Fire Phoenix Spear with him; you can borrow it to use."
He then continued, "If you have the capability, slaughter everyone from the Three Great Organizations who came this time! If you can't kill them all, then once this ruins exploration ends, you'll have to go on the run!"
"Go where?"
Yuan Shuo looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Go wherever you please. Just send Li Hao to White Moon City."
Yuan Shuo pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Fine! So once the defensive Origin God Armament is seized this time, in name, it will be considered stolen by me? Correct?"
"If you think that works, then it works."
Yuan Shuo remained silent for a while before saying, "Fine, I'll consider it afterward! After this, I won't owe you any favors."
"You never owed me any to begin with. Suit yourself!"
Yuan Shuo turned and walked away. On the screen, Hou Xiaochen paused for a moment before suddenly adding, "I can give you one guarantee: the ruins in Silver City belong to Li Hao. I will not interfere!"
Yuan Shuo's frame trembled slightly. Without a word, he led Li Hao straight out.
On the screen, Hou Xiaochen fell quiet as well. A moment later, when Hao Lianchuan stepped inside, Hou Xiaochen said softly, "The Fire Phoenix Spear—at critical moments, you may lend it to Yuan Shuo!"
"Huh?"
"That is all!"
With those words, the screen went dark.
Hao Lianchuan cursed under his breath. *At it again!*
*These people are truly insufferable!*
Chapter 79