Star Gate

Chapter 375: Mask of Pain (III)

“Then I’m off,” said Manager Yu. “Additionally, you should refrain from walking around too freely lately. Large numbers of Red Moon powerhouses have surged into Silver Moon to stand against the operations conducted by the four institutions. All powerhouses from nineteen northern provinces have congregated upon us. Hao Lianchuan was injured last night, the Night Watchers have lost a few, and all four institutions are being impacted. We’re discussing amongst ourselves if we should give up our earlier plans and no longer seek to eliminate them...

“You are a thorn in their side, so you should be careful. Granted, they don’t have the nerve to enter White Moon City.”

“Large numbers of powerhouses have come from Red Moon?” Li Hao’s eyes darted around.

“Correct!” Manager Yu nodded, then frowned faintly again. “The four institutions haven’t killed that many Red Moon powerhouses, but some others are acting from the shadows. The blood pearls previously elicited quite a great deal of attention. We’re not the ones killing so many Red Moon members that they’ve been forced to gather in Silver Moon.”

The four institutions possessed limited strength; powerhouses among their ranks were mostly hidden or concealed. Therefore, they didn’t have that much of an impact on the supernatural organization. The institutions had only managed to kill a few supernaturals below Solar. Although Red Moon lost quite a few Solars, that didn’t have much to do with the Night Watchers. Hao Lianchuan himself was only a mid Solar, so it wasn’t easy for him to kill Solar powerhouses.

Blue Moon might not have called all the nearby Red Moon members to Silver Moon if it was just the four institutions targeting them. Plainly, it was hardly just those four.

Silver Moon’s martial world, martial masters all throughout the lands, and even Yama and Celestial were acting from the shadows. This was why Blue Moon had staked everything on a single throw and summoned all powerhouses to Silver Moon in a fit of anger.

“Are there many Red Moon powerhouses in the nineteen northern provinces?”

“Many.” Manager Yu was as aloof as always. “If there’s roughly fifty in each province, that makes for almost one thousand supernaturals in the northern region. They all start at Darkmoon and there’s plenty of Sunflares. Even if there’s only two or three Solars per province, that’s a couple dozen! Rumors say that a Nova might be hiding among them as well. There was a Nova in residence at the three northern provinces, but those are in such disarray now that our intelligence indicates the Nova might come here. So you should stay within the city if possible!”

“Understood!” Li Hao nodded solemnly. A Nova! He couldn’t afford to offend that, not even if he’d melded three auras with his organs. He could fight a peak Solar and possibly have a chance of killing such an opponent, but a Nova? Absolutely not.

When he melded two auras together, he’d had to employ the Incantation of the Blade of Blood to triumph over a peak Solar. That only put him on par with his opponent, or even a little less. He might not have killed Huang Jie if it wasn’t for Hao Lianchuan’s appearance. So when Li Hao heard that a Nova might have come... he was very nervous.

Gotta be careful! Can’t piss that one off! But what else am I afraid of? Not Red Moon’s people! Their first thought is to take me alive, not kill me. That was why Li Hao wasn’t that apprehensive. If he ran into Celestial or Yama’s Novas, however, he’d be terrified out of his mind.

Manager Yu was simply giving him a warning. Li Hao was no child, he had his own thoughts, so she turned and walked off without a word.

The young man thought for a bit and still decided to ask, “Manager, what do you think about me attacking Violet Moon with my people?”

The woman’s footsteps slowed and she looked back with an arctic look. “You can cease your tiresome probing. I left Red Moon many years ago and I am not interested in your affairs. Red Moon was just an organization in the shadows when I departed. I am unfamiliar with the current Violet Moon and have not been in contact with the Black Spider for many years. Are you satisfied?”

“Satisfied, very satisfied,” Li Hao hastily responded. “Don’t misunderstand, I’m just afraid of hurting someone on the same team.”

“Additionally.” Manager Yu took another few steps before turning back. “You better not execute such a plan! The current Violet Moon may very well be Ying Hongyue’s daughter... I’m not certain of the particulars. The Black Spider has a unique personality and most people would not be able to convince her to birth a child...”

“Ying Hongyue’s appetite is that expansive?” Li Hao blinked.

“Ying Hongyue... is an interesting character!” Manager Yu suddenly smiled. “You’re right to wonder if his appetite is that comprehensive. Your master killed one of his sons not too long ago, but Ying Hongyue has an entire hall of them. He has at least eighty, if not one hundred children. However, he quite values Violet Moon. She may be different from the trash that died before.”

A stud stallion! Li Hao took a sharp breath, only now understanding that Ying Hongyue had so many freaking descendants! Just his sons and daughters numbered nearly one hundred—if his grandchildren and great grandchildren were also totaled, then wasn’t he creating a massive organization of nearly a thousand people strong by himself alone?

Hot damn!

Ying Hongyue deserved to have the title of Old Lecher affixed to his name!

“I see!” Li Hao nodded, secret glee blooming in his heart. Ying Hongyue’s daughter? That was even better! It would mean more to threaten or kill her.

Ying Hongyue wouldn’t care about a son or daughter he didn’t value, such as the initial Solar that his teacher had killed. But if Violet Moon was dead, Ying Hongyue might erupt in a rage.

Manager Yu furrowed her brows, unsure of what Li Hao was thinking while also understanding something else. Forget it! She disappeared in front of the young man. She was only here for the Flaming Phoenix Spear.

......

Moments later, Li Hao was overjoyed to see Liu Long and the others.

“Chief, Sis Liu, Brother Chao, Brother Jian...” Wreathed in smiles, Li Hao stepped forward with his arms outstretched. Liu Long wasn’t used to this kind of greeting and was about to step forward with a hug when Li Hao circled past him to hug Liu Yan. Liu Long blinked, nonplussed.

Liu Yan simply smiled coquettishly. “Why the sudden passion?”

“Long time no see, Sis Liu!” Li Hao dropped his hug as soon as he touched the woman. “You’ve gotten prettier! I would’ve visited you a few days ago had I known! Are you in a better mood because you’re seeing the chief again?”

“......” Liu Yan rolled her eyes at him and couldn’t be bothered to respond.

Liu Long didn’t pick up the conversation either. He looked at Li Hao and asked in a low voice, “You’ve been training hard the past couple of days. Have you improved again?”

“More or less!” Li Hao responded merrily. “But not that much, I’m probably not up to my teacher’s level yet...”

What kind of response is that? Liu Long wondered gloomily. What do you mean you’re probably not up to your teacher’s level? When your teacher left, he killed the Qimei Staff, someone on par with peak Solar. So you mean you also have a chance of killing peak Solars?”

“Perfect timing, chief. I have some business to take care of, let’s go together.”

“To do what?”

“To meet Wang Henggang and ask him for some people. I want to see if there are any Iron Shirt powerhouses that can join my team. They can work with Brother Jian and form a defensive squad. When they’re equipped with black armor... Heh, Sunflares won’t be able to damage them and even Solars will gape with shock!”

“Wang Henggang?” Liu Long frowned. “Are you familiar with him?”

“No, but chief is.”

The heck! Liu Long was indeed familiar with the man as Wang Henggang had been present in Silver City for many years. However, the man frowned. “While I do know him, we broke off in open hostilities years ago. He insisted on leaving Silver City and I wanted to return, so we left on bad terms.”

“It’s fine, it’s better to get rid of a grudge than to keep it alive. Chief, does he have any people under his command?”

“He certainly would,” Liu Long explained. “He’s a powerhouse of the Iron Shirt discipline and made it to half step Dominator years ago. He’s one of the more renowned martial masters in this locale and took a few martial master experts from the Inspectorate when he left. That was why our Inspectorate grew weaker, so I’m full of ill will toward this guy...”

“Then we should go see him. Right, he’s either a late or peak Solar now, so let’s be polite when we see him, chief.”

“Eh?” Liu Long started. He nodded without further word. Peak Solar? Wang Henggang? This rate of improvement was blazingly fast. But it made sense since he’d crossed over to the supernatural years ago. He should’ve done so as a Sunflare, so becoming a Solar a few years later was only normal. Martial masters possessed significant potential. It was just that peak Solar was still a bit beyond expectations.

“Sis Liu, you guys chat with the Sword Sect people first. Chief and I will be back soon!”

“Okay!”

......

Li Hao and Liu Long quickly left the barracks, taking a car that Li Hao had requested from Mu Lin. The Guards had its own cars; Mu Lin was very generous and lent Li Hao his own car.

Inside the car.

Liu Long drove. Li Hao wanted to drive, but Liu Long didn’t let him.

The young man felt that the chief thought too little of him. It was true that he’d struggled with control during his first drive, but he was so strong now and much more experienced! It was inappropriate that the chief still didn’t think much of his skill.

Liu Long ignored Li Hao and spoke as he drove, “Wang Henggang is a Silver City native and not that old. We’re about the same age. He was a good inspector general—you know how safe the city was when he was at the helm. I formed the Demon Hunters after he left. Before that, regular supernaturals didn’t dare trespass in Silver City when we were both in residence.

“The two of us wanted to join the Night Watchers together. His ascension was successful, mine was not. He wasn’t willing to leave White Moon after he crossed over. My dissatisfaction toward him doesn’t stem from his refusal to leave, but from his refusal to support my proposal of opening a Night Watcher branch in Silver City. He would be the director, we would be his subordinates. He was a Sunflare then, perfectly adequate for overseeing the situation.

“Sunflares were still the peak of supernatural strength four years ago. There weren’t that many in the entire Night Watcher system, but he refused the notion...”

“To each their own.” Li Hao nodded. “That’s not important. If he has men, he can lend me some martial masters.”

“I might know some of them if the old guard’s still there.” Liu Long nodded after further thought. “He took more than a dozen Slayers with him that year and a Sunderer. I don’t know if they’ve become supernaturals or continued the path of martial masters.”

These people were the foundation of the Silver City Inspectorate back in those days, but they were all moved to White Moon.

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