Star Gate

Chapter 513: Demon Hunters! (I)

While people surmised that the unrest in the three provinces was Hou Xiaochen’s chance to escape, that wasn’t what he sought at all. What he wanted more was for the nine ministries and royal family to fight each other in Skystar City. That was his true chance to free himself.

The current situation of near-open rebellion in the three provinces that could embroil Silver Moon at any second was far from ideal. Heading to the central region was a choice he’d made out of having no choice.

If they’d killed the Steppe Prince, that would’ve caused true turmoil in the world. The royal family wouldn’t be able to contain themselves. However, he and Huang Yu had both underestimated their opponent. While they’d wounded the prince, they were the ones who walked away with heavier injuries.

Manager Yu looked around in a daze and said softly after a long while, “No one will believe you if you speak of this without a dead prince to show for it.”

Even I didn’t consider the royal family as a culprit, much less those not in the know! The mouths of the people can fuse gold together. The director is behind it now, even though he isn’t.

“It doesn’t matter,” Hou Xiaochen laughed. “I intend to visit my old superior on this trip to the central region.”

“But...”

“It’s fine.” Hou Xiaochen shook his head. “I’m part of the nine ministries now. He won’t dare do anything while I’m there! My goal is twofold in traveling to Skystar City—first, eliminate the members of the three great organizations. Second, set myself against the royal family as a member of the nine ministries!”

Manager Yu didn’t respond. Either one of these goals was exceedingly dangerous. That the director entered the capital with these aims would truly turn Skystar City into a pool of dragons and den of tigers!

“I tell you all this so that you’ll understand the dangers within. Don’t be like Green Peacock and the others. My thoughts differ from Ying Hongyue’s. I had you oversee the Night Watchers these years because I wished for you to be able to act independently. You’ve done... well enough.”

A small smile bloomed over Yu Luocha’s face like an ice lotus unfurling. Hou Xiaochen didn’t pause to appreciate it. He closed his eyes to rest, leaving the manager looking at him in wordless resignation. The car quieted down as she ceased talking as well.

......

A ship shot over the water surface in the darkness, as if a kunpeng entering the sea. [1] Some illumination could be seen in the distance. Li Hao gauged them to be from Flowing Cloud, one of the three cities along the coast. Next came Abundance, and finally Southern Ford. Southern Ford was close to the North Sea.

Li Hao approached the ship’s bow and looked into the distance. Lights glittered in resplendent glory. The cities of Silver Moon’s south were more boisterous at night compared to the ones in the north. He could even vaguely make out people on the beach—couples that were enjoying the night. Did they know that a city along the coast might attract pirate raids?

Perhaps they didn’t.

Others joined him at the ship’s bow—Liu Long was as composed as ever, but Wang Ming was nauseous and seemed to be seasick. He dry heaved a few times as he stared at the lights.

“I feel awful... but we’re so fast! We’re already at Flowing Cloud?”

Several hundred kilometers separated White Moon from Flowing Cloud, yet it felt like they’d reached the city in the blink of an eye. The ship beneath their feet was fast!

“We saw some merchant ships along the way,” Liu Long transmitted through the armor when Li Hao didn’t say anything. “They are still around at night. I thought there was no sea commerce around Silver Moon, but now it looks like that part of trade is still thriving.”

There were some ships at sea; upon further observation, Li Hao found that they weren’t pirates. These ships generally had a supernatural in residence to account for accidents. If they really ran into pirates, one supernatural wouldn’t make a difference.

Li Hao continued to remain quiet as the little ship swiftly sailed beyond Flowing Cloud, leaving the lights behind them. Wang Ming continued to sway in a queasy daze.

“Sailing through the night reminds me of novels where they speak of cleaving through the darkness, braving wind and wave to protect the people! Some people probably don’t even know that there’s people safeguarding them on the seas in the middle of the night!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Liu Long laughed through the armor communication system. “Be careful of being so scared that you can’t even walk if we run into pirates. You already look like you're having trouble staying on your feet.”

“I’m seasick, this is a normal reaction. I might be fine from an adrenaline rush when we encounter enemies.”

Li Hao continued to silently stare ahead as the two chatted. Wang Ming’s words etched themselves in his heart. He thought of the Battle Heaven Army. Cleaving through the darkness, braving wind and wave, safeguarding Silver Moon...

Is that so?

He hadn’t thought this way before they set out, but a small degree of indescribable pride rose in his heart when he thought of the prosperous Flowing Cloud behind them. Do you guys know that there’s an army protecting your waterways in the darkness?

It hadn’t been complete impulse that he suddenly decided to sail the seas in the middle of the night. Various thoughts flashed through his mind in recent days, some influenced by the Battle Heaven Army, others by Hong Yitang and the rest. The young man couldn’t help but consider some issues he hadn’t before.

Would it impact Silver Moon if pirates really came? He might as well take the initiative then. If the pirates were so brash as to truly launch a raid, then he would fight when he should. After these thoughts came to be, resulting in concrete action, Li Hao realized that he’d been impacted by the others in the end. Whether it was a juvenile ideal or being a fool, he really did entertain the notion of destroying the enemies before they set foot on his home.

He didn’t purposefully control anything and would let the chips lie where they fell. The little ship traveled at fast speed over the water surface, tacking into the wind and being buffeted by the waves.

......

Another two hours passed in the blink of an eye. A second city came into view; it was very lively. The further south they went, the more bustling the cities became. The end of the Moon Sea was the North Sea. The North Sea resided in the north when it came to Skystar geography, whereas it marked the end of the south for Silver Moon. Entering the North Sea meant setting foot into the start of the northern expanses.

“The city of Abundance.” Wang Ming was much recovered next to them and shared his bountiful knowledge. There were quite a few people gathered at the ship’s bow as Demon Hunters had come out for a breath of fresh air and to take in the sights.

“Abundance is a large city with four million residents. It’s one of the richer cities in the south, but it doesn’t measure up to Southern Ford! Southern Ford is the richest city of Silver Moon’s south because it leads to the North Sea. The shipping business is incredibly prosperous and the city is a natural harbor. The central region sends various supplies to Southern Ford for further distribution to the rest of Silver Moon.

“There aren’t that many residents at Southern Ford—just a little over three million. Their annual tax revenues, however, are second only to White Moon City. They pay more than Flare City, making them an important economic pillar for the province.

“We can see some influences from the central region in Southern Ford. There’s all sorts of new and fun gadgets that may not be known in White Moon—they can only be found in Southern Ford! I’ve been a few times and encountered visitors from a lot of other northern cities, not just Silver Moon citizens. Some central region inhabitants also converge in Southern Ford. It has the feeling of an open port...” Being the son of a rich family, Wang Ming was very familiar with what he spoke of.

“There’s a Night Watcher branch in Southern Ford that’s decent. Two Sunflares are in residence, a dozen Darkmoons, and several dozen Starlight. Granted, that doesn’t seem like much now, but that does make it third only to White Moon and Flare.”

Li Hao inclined his head. This degree of power wasn’t much to them anymore, but one had to know that when Silver City established its branch, the presence of Dominator Liu Long made it a premier branch. The Night Watchers indeed placed great emphasis on Southern Ford.

“Not only that, but there’s a branch of the provincial army there. It’s just a small unit of roughly three thousand sent to maintain Southern Ford’s order.

“This ship is seriously fast. I think the director’s only just passed Southern Ford. This way makes for swifter time to the North Sea, but it’s an inconvenient way by land.”

Hou Xiaochen and the convoy should be taking the roads by land instead of the sea. Therefore, they wouldn’t pass by Southern Ford. Geographically speaking, however, it was faster to pass by Southern Ford, sail through the North Sea entrance, and directly enter the northern provinces.

“If we still don’t see signs of pirates when we reach Southern Ford...” Wang Ming raised with anticipation. “Can we disembark for some fun? My treat! Southern Ford food and drink is better than White Moon’s, and the atmosphere is also much more carefree. It feels like a commercial capital instead of the overly serious White Moon of politics and culture...”

“Is there that much fun to be had?” Li Hao asked with a chuckle instead of reprimanding the young man.

“Of course! You should know, leader, that there’s lights, action, alcohol, endless beauties, and money splashed everywhere there. You can do whatever you want so long as you have money...” Wang Ming grew more excited the more he talked. “How about I show you around? The girls there are known far and wide for their beauty...”

“Ahem!” Liu Long coughed gently and interrupted the handsome supernatural. This was getting out of hand! They weren’t engaging on a private channel—Wang Ming was almost guffawing and engaging in conversation out loud.

Demon Hunters such as Hong Qing and Liu Yan were beginning to look at him with derision. Their eyes were just obscured by the visor of their black armor.

A merry Wang Ming didn’t care. “Truly, leader. I’m only proposing to have some fun after the patrol is over, not now. What are you guys all looking at me like that for?”

It’s not like I’m affecting our mission.

“Be quiet for now.” Li Hao glanced ahead. There did seem to be more merchant ships the longer they sailed, he could even see some lights on the ships. This was a sight absent near White Moon.

The origin weapon avoided the merchant ships and found a picture of buoyant activity that grew more lively the longer they sailed. It was the dead of the night, but the lights seemed to be growing brighter. The city in the distance seemed like a city that didn’t sleep—quite a novel sight for Li Hao. He’d never seen night scenery like this.

1. The kunpeng is a mythological Chinese creature that can be a great fish in the water and a large bird in the sky. ☜