Star Gate

Chapter 522: Making His Name Known (III)

“I chatted with them,” said Hong Qing. “They said that we killed one of the three commanders of the White Shark Raiders in our earlier battle. The pirates broke into their village this afternoon and killed everyone in the village. Women that were passable when it came to appearance were spared, especially as there were children that needed to be nursed. These situations have happened before and always end up with all of the women being killed. The children are often raised into pirates...”

Li Hao frowned, not wanting to say too much or understand any of this in greater detail. Despite the victories, he still felt a knot of emotion churning in his stomach in the aftermath.

“The White Shark Raiders have lost six hundred supernaturals, two Novas, and eight Solars in this skirmish,” he said instead. “How strong do you guys think they still are?”

Li Hao took a deep breath before receiving a response. “Forget it, let’s not talk about this yet. We have more people now, so let’s head back first. Get all the pirate corpses back onto the first ship and hang them up!”

Some eyes widened!

“Hang them on the ship and sail them back!” A cold light glittered in Li Hao’s eyes. “The news will spread at daybreak and the White Shark Raiders can come as they wish if they want revenge! If they don’t seek vengeance, then I’ll go find them when I’ve settled these people in and fully rested!”

“Leader...” Liu Long frowned. “Why don’t we keep a lower profile? We might stand a chance of ambushing them then...”

“No!” Li Hao shook his head. “There’s no point in keeping a low profile. These animals get more vicious the more humble you are! The only way to stop them is through equal violence, equal slaughter! That Nova pirate leader wasn’t afraid even when I wanted to kill him. He was afraid only when I used a more brutal method against him. Not only do we need to kill this kind of person, but we need to strike fear into their hearts!”

The young man knew that it might be better to sink the ship and pretend ignorance. It would create a more advantageous situation for their next ambush. But in that case, these fellows wouldn’t be afraid.

“But if they attack us and penetrate Silver Moon...” Liu Long worried.

“Hmph!” The look in Li Hao’s eyes was cold. “If that’s the case, the ones in White Moon City better make their moves. There’s nothing worth pining over for Silver Moon if they don’t! Which out of Kong Jie, Director General Zhao, Deputy Zhou, and Commander Huang Yu isn’t a premier powerhouse? And don’t forget Earth...”

He wanted to say Earthturner Sword, but decided not to upon seeing that Hong Qing was still present. With so many powerhouses in the province, would they all bide their time unto their deaths if they still didn’t take action when pirates attacked? Li Hao didn’t care what they were planning. He just knew that the White Shark Raiders might not have the courage to come for revenge.

If they did, he’d kill them!

Liu Long nodded after some thought. He didn’t try to speak other sense into the young man.

Li Hao was suffering from an impact he’d heretofore not experienced; he’d begun to lose his composure. Someone normally as low profile as him suddenly wanted nothing more than for everyone to know his strength. Hanging all of the pirate corpses on the ship was also a warning to the White Shark Raiders.

Liu Long said nothing else and called out, “Hoist all of the pirate corpses over the sails!”

“Understood!” shouted the Demon Hunters. Some of the Sword Sect disciples were thrilled by the command and didn’t find anything inappropriate about it. The disciple who’d told Li Hao about the cruelties of the pirates felt his blood run hot and luxuriated in the sweet thrill of vengeance. He leapt into motion and pierced through multiple bodies, threading them with a rope and hanging them on the sails!

The women being transferred out of the ship emerged with children in their arms. Liu Yan wanted them to back away and wait for a while, but they insisted on burrowing out and glaring hatefully at the pirates draped over the ship’s sails. Great enjoyment spread over their faces, but they ultimately covered the children’s eyes out of pity.

Li Hao watched silently until the scene was cleaned up. “Return to the city!” he ordered.

The two ships headed south, crewed by the Demon Hunters. The sky was beginning to brighten. Li Hao ripped apart the pirate flags fluttering in the wind with a single punch!

After some thought, he hung a piece of long black cloth on the sails and directed his mind intent to brand it with a bloodthirsty tiger, one that seemed ready to break out of a cage. He wrote with his fingers and emblazoned a bloody “Li” character on the newly made flag.

It hung high in the air and undulated in the wind. Li Hao regarded it with quiet contemplation. A ferocious tiger breaking free of its cage! He wanted to say something, but didn’t know how to say it. Thus, he created the first flag of his life—the Li flag of the ferocious tiger!

Darkness faded away from the sky. The flag fluttered in the wind, snapping like a tiger howling through the mountain and ready to pounce on its next target!

......

Southern Ford.

Kong Jie had arrived. He furrowed his brows in a look of tired concentration at the coast. He’d traveled through the night, finding a prolonged sprint wearying even at his level of strength. Originally planning on heading out to sea, he paused when Wang Ming stopped him to say that Li Hao and the others were returning.

The inspector general frowned even more fiercely at that. How could Li Hao set out in the middle of the night?! What would they be able to do if he was lost at sea??

Thankfully, there hadn’t seemed to be much of an issue. The young man had returned. Perhaps he hadn’t run into any powerful existences.

Kong Jie wasn’t that concerned about pirates attacking. Silver Moon wouldn’t be completely caught off guard in Hou Xiaochen’s absence. If pirates really did come to Southern Ford, the city would be able to defend itself for a while. Reinforcements would quickly come along—it wouldn’t immediately fall to the pirates like Li Hao imagined.

“What is that?” someone gasped on the shore.

Kong Jie quickly looked into the distance and saw two ships loom into sight. One of them had a flag streaming in the wind. It wasn’t too big, yet seemed close at hand. It seemed that a ferocious tiger was ready to erupt with a roar. A “Li” character the color of blood was written on it with a foreboding air, like it was going to rip straight through the void!

Li Hao?

Kong Jie paused; his pupils constricted violently. There were some things swaying on the big ship—he’d thought it was the ship’s moorings. However, his eyesight was keen and that was when he reacted.

Corpses!

Numerous corpses, likely hundreds of them and all tattered or in pieces, were hung on the ship!

In the distance, Li Hao seemed to recover himself and suddenly boomed, “The Demon Hunters of the Silver Moon Guard have exterminated a branch of the White Shark Raiders. We executed hundreds of supernaturals and display them as a warning. Residents of Southern Ford. There is no need to panic!”

His voice was resonant and carried throughout the four directions!

A disturbance grew in the city and a group of people quickly rushed over. All of them were astonished by the two massive ships. Hundreds of supernaturals?

“The Demon Hunters of the Silver Moon Guard?”

“Haven’t heard of them before...”

“I know a thing or two, they’re led by Li Hao. There’s very few of them and they killed a lot of members from the three great organizations near Rift Canyon a while ago. So he’s gone off to kill pirates this time...”

“The White Shark Raiders! That’s one of the eight pirate factions! He’s so... so bold! Won’t this result in vengeance from the pirates?”

“......” Discourse bubbled up as those of Southern Ford knew much of the world. Part of them often sailed the seas as merchants, so their horizons were indeed broad. This was far beyond the capabilities of the people in a tiny Silver City in the north of Silver Moon.

Southern Ford residents knew about the eight pirate factions, the three great organizations, and the existence of supernaturals. As a port, their knowledge was expansive. Regardless, some were still horrified when the two ships drew near.

“They say that Li Hao is the Demon Sword and kills without blinking. Who would’ve thought that he’s even crueler than the legends! My heavens, how many people has he killed? This...”

“Pfft, he killed only pirates. Why don’t you talk about how cruel they are? But he’s certainly bold. Isn’t he afraid of retribution from the White Shark Raiders? Apparently they have Nova experts. Li Hao’s killed Solars, but when it comes to Novas...”

“Idiot, there was probably a Nova leading a crew of this size. Can Li Hao kill Novas now?” Intense discussion circulated as some grappled with the implications of this operation.

“That’s... a... ship belonging to one of their commanders. It’s Sea Shark’s ship! He’s a mid Nova. Is he... is he dead?” Color drained from some faces.

“If Sea Shark’s ship is here, was he ready to attack Southern Ford?” gasped those who thought further. “Why would they run into the Silver Moon Guard otherwise? My goodness, were the White Shark Raiders preparing to ambush the city last night??”

“You’re behind the times, I heard this morning that the town of Near Sea was razed to the ground yesterday. It’s a town close to us in Near Sea province, everyone was butchered. I wanted to evacuate my family this morning, but now we see Sea Shark’s ship.”

“......” People were looking at the scene from all sides and also discussing the black-armored warriors on the ships.

The Demon Hunters!

More were looking at Li Hao, the young man standing at the bow. Some were afraid, others envious, and some worshipful. Kong Jie was also staring at Li Hao with shock and at the ships with incredulity.

Sea Shark... was dead? And not only Sea Shark, but he recognized the second ship as well. “Faceless Shark?!”

“Huh?” Wang Ming started next to him.

“The second commander of the White Shark Raiders. He always appears in a mask, so people call him the Faceless Shark!”

Since Kong Jie recognized the ship, as did others. A supernatural in the city sucked in a sharp breath. “That’s... that’s Faceless Shark’s Seabreaker! How is that possible for Sea Shark’s ship and Seabreaker to both be here?! They’re the two Nova commanders of the White Shark Raiders, how is this possible??”

Incredible, impossible! These two were tyrants of the sea and a large reason why the White Shark Raiders were ranked number four out of the pirate factions. But now... they were both... dead? How else would their ships be towed back here if they weren’t??