Star Gate

Chapter 495: The News Spreads in All Directions (III)

In the wake of Silver Spear’s death, his innumerable enemies had come calling. Martial masters of Silver City had stepped forward to protect his son, as did the great personages of the city. The Silver character in Silver Spear was also the Silver of Silver City!

He had been Silver City’s pride and glory. Thus, the older generation of martial masters in Silver City had fought for his son again and again. This was a very different experience from Li Hao’s childhood.

“Chief, I might go to the central region,” Li Hao breathed out. “I’ll be further away from Silver City. I summoned you here from Silver City, but now I might leave again. I’m getting farther away from home!

“Martial Uncle Hong is strong and I can tell that some of his ideals are to make what changes he can. If he thinks you’re suitable to go with him, I think you can give it a try.”

Hong Yitang had extended an olive branch to Liu Long. Li Hao had heard it, and was possibly meant to hear it. Liu Long wouldn’t gain much following Li Hao around as the young man ran through the world. His personality and mind intent would not improve from killing more. Sometimes, a kind of faith and motivation were needed in addition to battle experience.

Hong Yitang would need the help of people like Liu Long if he wished to establish his little utopia. He wouldn’t be able to accomplish it by himself.

Water was gentle. Liu Long comprehended the water aura because his own personality wasn’t that of violent might. This was a tender mind intent—his waves veered on the ferocious side because Li Hao and Yuan Shuo had given him that suggestion, but it wasn’t necessarily the most suited for him.

Liu Long frowned and didn’t say a word.

“Are you worried about Sis Liu and the others?” Li Hao asked. “If you’re worried about them, bring them with you. Or if you trust me enough, they should come with me.”

He didn’t want Liu Long to come with him, but rather Liu Yan and the others instead. That drew a surprised look from the man.

“They can only go to the Sword Sect if they follow you, chief,” Li Hao continued. “That is a safe place good for retirement. But their personalities aren’t like yours! I can see it—whether it’s Brother Chao, Jian, or Sis Liu, none of them are willing to spend a lifetime cowering in Silver City. They want to rush out onto the battlefield and vent the resentment in their hearts. They bear bitterness, just like I do, and don’t know how to release it.”

Celestial had slaughtered Wu Chao’s entire family, but even now he’d yet to take revenge. Yama had killed Liu Yan’s husband. Although Hu Po was dead, she didn’t seem to have let that go. Chen Jian’s history was unknown, but he seemed to be having a good time in the Silver Moon Guards.

These people might be more suited to travel the land with him. Residing in danger might inspire them more, whereas Liu Long wished to stand guard over Silver City. They were people with different personalities.

“Are you really going to the central region?” Liu Long asked instead. “You have room to improve here too...”

“I haven’t made up my mind yet.” Li Hao gave it some thought. “Maybe I’ll wait a bit longer for news from my teacher. I’ll go if he still doesn’t come back. I was too weak to go with him before, so he left alone. But now that I have some skill to my name, how can I just sit by while Red Moon chases him?

“Only chief and my teacher were willing to take a stand for me when I was at my most helpless and surrounded with the most danger. Once chief is settled in, I’m going to go look for my teacher!

“Chief fought Red Moon cultivators for me that day, despite knowing the danger.” Li Hao smiled. “Teacher risked his life to kill a Solar. My parents are dead and my best friend was murdered in front of my eyes. I have no other ties apart than you two! Martial Uncle Hong’s heart is boundless and majestic. I may not be as benevolent as him, but I know that a drop of kindness should be answered by a spring of gratitude!

“I must look in on my teacher.” The young man traveled to the central region not to see the wider world or meet powerhouses of all factions, he primarily wanted to find Yuan Shuo. His teacher could not die out there. Everything else was a secondary, minor reason. He could battle Novas now—he was no longer the weakling who couldn’t even hold down a chicken.

Liu Long said nothing more.

“You’re going to the central region?” An excited Wang Ming had been listening quietly off to the side. “Are we going to look for teacher? Take me with you!”

“You seriously aren’t afraid of death!” Liu Long rolled his eyes at the young man.

“Who isn’t, Director Liu?” Wang Ming cackled. “But being mediocre is even worse than death! To be honest, I like some thrills, so being commonplace is worse than death for me! I see how my grandfather struggles between being ordinary and superhuman. He expended most of his strength to enter peak Solar, but will likely never take another step forward. Look at Director Hou and the others—they’re all dashing figures in their fields. If a man doesn’t live like them and lives like my grandfather instead, they’ll drown from their own suffering!”

“Won’t your grandfather beat you for saying this?” Li Hao laughed.

“I don’t know,” Wang Ming chuckled. “But I do know that this kind of opportunity is rare. I may never leave the region if I don’t grasp it! I don’t understand the path of martial masters, but I do know that the supernatural path might be a viable one if we continue to walk down it...”

Li Hao didn’t say or promise anything. It was unexpected that Wang Ming wanted to go with him, but also reasonable. The guy was quite bold. He had to be, to attack a Solar in the ruins. He had to be, to be bait. He had to be, to run around with Li Hao and ignore Hao Lianchuan and Hou Xiaochen’s orders. Didn’t that mean he wanted more opportunities when he followed Li Hao around?

The handsome supernatural was fearless!

The group walked toward a town in the distance. The Demon Hunters were waiting for them.

......

News swiftly spread on this day. Silver Moon supernaturals had completely perished! Thousands of supernaturals had died in one fell swoop and the number of Novas dead were more than could be counted on two hands!

The three great organizations had sent nine Novas—ten counting Yellow Moon. They were all lost, including some wandering Novas, someone from the Xus, Lius, and a general from the Near River Director General Office...

Added to that Half Mountain, Tidal Wave, some Solars, and the Revolution King that’d disappeared earlier, plus Red Hair from even longer ago... More than twenty Novas had died or gone missing in Silver Moon over the short span of a month!

It was even more frightening when it came to Solars as more than one hundred of them had died! It was an incredible loss, too many powerhouses had died in the Battle Heaven ruins!

The news elicited an uproar from all sides when it spread. Some Novas had died in the central region war after all these years, but never on a scale as seen today. One excavation of an ancient ruin had caused the deaths of multiple Red Moon leaders! Yama was the same, the Parity King was dead and the Revolution King missing!

Some other details spread in the wake of the news—the Xu representative who escaped was the Light Sword of old. This detail came from the Night Watchers, along with the full story that Light Sword had threatened Li Hao over Xu Feng’s death. She sought to capture the young man to use him against Hou Xiaochen...

Indeed, that was the story in circulation. As for why she wanted to use Li Hao to threaten Hou Xiaochen... who knew!

Some guessed that Hou Xiaochen might’ve killed Xu Feng—actually, it wasn’t a guess, but the truth. This was the common sentiment. The three great organizations wanted to be active in the eastern provinces, which was Xu territory. There was no need for those organizations to pit themselves against the Xus.

It was rather Hou Xiaochen who was completely unscrupulous, unprincipled, and wouldn’t necessarily care about much. The general public was ninety-nine percent sure that he was behind Xu Feng’s death.

Hou Xiaochen’s brutal reputation spread throughout four corners of the land as a terrifying fellow to be wary of. No one knew what the inside scoop was, but everyone knew that Silver Moon’s official authorities had barely lost any personnel. They’d only lost two of Hu Qingfeng’s men.

Something was afoot here, a fact easily detectable by those sharp enough to keep their wits about them. Another piece of news traveled out at the same time—out of the Seven Moons, Violet Moon of Red Moon was not yet dead. She was being held in the Inspectorate dungeons, not the Night Watcher headquarters, as it was the Inspectorate who’d shut her away. The Inspectorate was spreading the news so that Orange Moon would turn herself in!

Otherwise, it would soon pass judgment on Violet Moon. As one of the leaders of the three evil organizations, she would ninety-nine percent be sentenced to death. There had never been an instance of a powerhouse from the three great organizations being tried and sentenced, Silver Moon might set the precedent.

These pieces of information swiftly spread through the land, crossed the North Sea, and entered the central region! Even the heart of the dynasty was in a hubbub over the happenings.

Hou Xiaochen chose this timing to announce that he was heading to the central region to take up his post. He had accepted the Night Watcher redeployment order and was going to be a deputy director at central headquarters.

That sent another wave through the land. The man who’d just intimidated the world had forsaken forming his own kingdom and raising the flag of independence in Silver Moon. He’d given up being a traitorous king. Instead, he would take up his post at Skystar City. How astonishing!

Everyone’s attention immediately shifted from those who’d died to Hou Xiaochen. That person was coming to the central region!

......

In the far off Skystar City.

Lights were on throughout the night at various agencies when they received word.

“While Hou Xiaochen has agreed to redeployment... who will actually dare make use of him?”

“That’s right, it’s a huge problem as to where he’ll be placed.”

“The three great organizations won’t show him mercy. He was so ruthless as to kill more than a dozen Novas, one hundred Solars, and thousands of supernaturals in Silver Moon. As expected of one of the three commanders, he reeks of blood!”

“Heh, we’ll just sit by and watch two tigers fight. The Night Watchers need to resolve their internal conflict. Yellow Dragon’s wanted to control the agency for a while now and I think the one in charge was weaker than him. Now that reinforcement has come, I think Yellow Dragon has the biggest headache!”

“Haha, that’s true! But I wonder if the Ministry of Finance will erupt with anything. Hou Xiaochen was too brazen and arrogant as to kill one of the Lius!”

“......” No sleep could be found throughout Skystar City tonight. News from the border, from the savage wasteland swept throughout the dynasty. Some were hopeful, some were indifferent, and yet others clenched their fists with fury!