Chapter 1100: The Strength of Red Moon (IV)

“Me?” Director General Zhao held himself with some reservation. “I learned New Martial’s mental splitting technique a few years ago and also utilized Li Hao’s supernatural characters to create another copy of myself. It’s my supernatural character doppelgänger!

“I’ve utilized these two experiments in conjunction to separate myself into two. One of them can go off and be modified, the other one of me will need some support. After I am modified, the two of me can come back together as one. I will strip the other’s influence from my body, which will enable me to claim all of the benefits without having to honor the obligations...”

“You... can create replicas of yourself?” Deputy Zhou blinked.

“You can put it that way,” smiled the director general. “But the other me... is the same as this me. You’ve just never discovered it.”

“Wait... have you’ve swapped yourself out in front of me before?!” exclaimed Deputy Zhou.

“I have. I can’t be handling administrative affairs everyday, after all. I need to cultivate as well. I switch between the two every now and then so I can cultivate,” chuckled Director General Zhao. “And where am I supposed to find spare time if I’m administering the province and going to the ruins at the same time? The other me has been cultivating all this time...”

“Then what are you relying on to withstand Red Moon influence?” frowned the deputy. “The bloodline of the eight families?”

He looked at the director general with a slight shift in expression. Could it be that it wasn’t just Ying Hongyue seizing the eight bloodlines over the years, but that his old friend was involved as well? If Li Hao learned of this, their world would be turned upside down!

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Didn’t that make the director general a second Ying Hongyue?

“Of course not, I only learned about Ying Hongyue later. My thoughts are different from his and I haven’t known about his side for long...” Director General Zhao shook his head. “I’m utilizing another treasure, not the eight bloodlines. However, the effects are similar.”

“What treasure?” the deputy asked out of worry.

“Do you know Silver Moon’s martial university?” The director general grinned radiantly.

“It’s said that there was a martial university jointly constructed by the eight families. Li Hao wanted to search it out before, but he couldn’t locate it in the absence of clues... Do you know where it is?”

“No shit!”

The deputy was rendered speechless.

What, I would’ve gone a long time ago if I’d known where it is!

“It’s underneath the provincial government building.”

......” The deputy blinked.

“As a martial university jointly founded by the eight families, countless family disciples came to study in its halls. In order to retain control over the students, the university was bequeathed a seal of the eight directions!

“Thanks to decades of effort, I finally laid hands on the seal. I fashioned my replica through it. Although it is not a collection of the eight bloodlines, its use is on par with Ying Hongyue’s convergence of the eight!”

“So... you mean that you can use your body to open more dao meridians, then come back together with your replica to negate Earthflare’s corrosive effects?”

“Yes!” nodded Director General Zhao. “That’s what I intended to at first, but the second awakening has been delayed, so I didn’t utilize it because I was worried about the situation raging out of control. The only problem left now is if I go, accept the modifications, and am able to leave the ruins... I may not be able to immediately come back as one. My recombined selves might exceed the limits of the world!”

“Li Hao!” Deputy Zhou said urgently. “He can avoid the issue of the limits of the world.”

“He can,” coughed the director general. “If my guess is correct, when he sees me... that fellow’s reaction will be the same as when he meets Ying Hongyue.”

“Surely not...” The deputy quickly rebutted.

However, the director general had no choice but to continue when he saw his colleague frown. “Alright, let’s set this aside for now. Once I accept modifications, my primary goal after emerging will probably be to eliminate the eight main families. I will inevitably clash with Li Hao then!”

“Then what should we do?” The deputy’s frown deepened.

“We have one strategy available to us!” said the director general. “I must assimilate my replica and remove outside influence first before I can be enveloped by Li Hao’s heavenly will. But my modified self is sure to resist that course of action, so I’ll need your help.”

“How can I help?”

“Beat my two replicas until they’re forced to come together as one?”

“How strong will your replicas be?”

“I’m almost third level Sun and Moon and will be at least fourth level after I’m modified. The second replica might erupt violently and will be third level Sun and Moon...”

“I can’t handle that.” The deputy didn’t know what to say.

“Mmhmm. Li Hao won’t be able to come close to me then, so our only hope is to have that Director General Wang keep me under control. However, my Red Moon presence will be unmistakable in that moment. He might choose to kill me.

“Granted, he may be no match for me either...” Director General Zhao was quite resigned. “Therefore, if Li Hao can’t come close to me, you’ll have to find a few others for the deed. The Watercloud empress dowager, Great Li king, and Moon God can manage it.

“If Li Hao meets me in battle, I may be forced to self-detonate as I would bear too much enmity for the eight families then. That would be an immense loss.”

“Um... I have to ask Li Hao about this.” Deputy Zhou finally understood the winding explanation. “You speak of it so easily. We’ll be in trouble if there are other traps waiting for us.”

“Mmhmm, I’m also worried about this...” The director general had no intention of stopping his colleague. “There’s no way around it. I might be fifth or even sixth level Sun and Moon after I combine my two selves together. That was my original goal! With this level of strength, I won’t have to worry about anything even after the second awakening.

“But I’m also considering if we reach that step... what would I care about the Red Moon influence then? I’d just let loose with everything I have! That line of thinking doesn’t work anymore, I need to exercise control over myself.”

“Ole Zhao, you’re not keeping anything else from me, are you?” Deputy Zhou couldn’t help but ask. “You have a habit of hiding things so deep that I’m worried this is a trap. What if you release that Earthflare once you combine your two selves together...”

“How would I ever!”

“Anything is possible!” Deputy Zhou suddenly broke out in laughter. “I’ve already thought about it—no, I’m already implementing it. I’ve already transmitted all of this to Li Hao. Don’t you say that he won’t be able to come near you after you emerge from the ruins?

“He doesn’t have to, I’ll tell him to kill Earthflare when you’re done! Zhang An can go too, because New Martial doesn’t feel any pressure when they go up against those from Red Moon major world!” The deputy turned burning eyes on his old friend. “So it’s no use trying to trick me.”

“Kill Earthflare...” frowned Director General Zhao.

“That’s right, we can treat it as practice. A Saint, is he? We can witness the strength of a Saint for the last time! As for how Li Hao decides to choose, that’s up to him.”

“Wait, you, you betrayed me!” The director general didn’t know what to say.

I’m talking to you, but you betray me as soon as you turn your head!

“I didn’t,” the deputy shook his head. “It’s your condition that’s a bit off. Perhaps you’re already being influenced by Earthflare. You think you have him under control, but it’s actually him who’s subconsciously controlling you.

“Otherwise, you would’ve told me all of this a long time ago and not wait for me to ask you again and again. You’ve even hidden your replica from me all these years and concealed the discovery of the martial university!

“There’s something greatly wrong with you at present. Otherwise, you would’ve tried your plan as soon as the Great Li king invaded. You won’t have waited until now and still be trying to hide half of it.”

The director general was lost in thought.

“Ole Zhao, you better... control your desires!” murmured the deputy. “Or else I’ll have Gan Wuliang set up a watch on you!”

The director general frowned—the person mentioned appeared in the next moment. Zhao Shuguang glared at the newcomer, whereas Gan Wuliang looked at the director general like it was his first time meeting the man.

“What a dense concentration of greed!” He clucked his tongue with astonishment. “You seem very angry, Director General Zhao. You are angry, furious, and greedy. It looks like the situation is as Deputy Zhou said, you’re being influenced by something else!”

“Li Hao sent me to keep an eye on you.” Director General Wang next popped into existence.

Director General Zhao looked wordlessly at Deputy Zhou. He was quite dejected at how the situation had evolved. How could an old friend of forty years turn on him just like this!

“This is for your own good, don’t be mad,” sighed Deputy Zhou. “The old Ole Zhao wouldn’t be mad! So the commander was right after all, I need to be careful of you...”

“What do you mean?”

“The commander said that you seemed different lately, like you were someone else. You might be affected by the ancient cities. He discovered something different on his last visit to Silver City. Don’t worry, nothing’s amiss. We can proceed according to your plan. Your problems are easy to resolve!”

The director general frowned slightly and looked at the sky. Was he being influenced by something else? Why didn’t he feel anything at all?

......

In another locale, Li Hao received word from his people. He’d reached the stone door and shook his head at the message contents. “That guy’s not an easy target!”

“Who?”

“The one near the Star Gate... Anyone with a bloodline of the eight families is easily affected by that guy through the seal. I had Deputy Zhou test the director general a bit—it turns out that there really is something wrong with Director General Zhao. It looks like we have another practice target at hand before we attack the Zhengs.

“That’s just as well,” smiled Li Hao. “I can see how much influence this one can bring to bear. You need to be careful if I end up coming under his sway, teacher. I’ll lend you the supernatural characters of the five elements! Stop me if anything wrong goes with me!”

“Don’t worry!” Yuan Shuo nodded without saying anything else.

Li Hao took a deep breath; his blood started frothing. Light dawned in his eyes as he saw the diagram of the eight trigrams. His aura followed it upward, tracing a thread of blood into the diagram.