Chapter 1104: Shearing Sheep (III)

A vexed Director General Zhao was hauled to a small mountain like he was a prisoner.

“Ole Zhou... who would’ve thought that even you wouldn’t trust me!”

“I do trust you, Ole Zhao,” smiled Deputy Zhou. “Don’t misunderstand us, we’re doing this for your own good.”

“Screw you!” Director General Zhao was quite helpless and even more resigned when he saw Li Hao and Zhang An waiting for him.

“You should go in first, Director General Zhao.” Li Hao wasted no time. “Ask him if it’s possible to modify numerous people. There’s no need to attempt any lies, the truth will do. We shouldn’t try to deceive a Saint.

“Just tell him that we want to attack a main city, but need to increase our strength because current levels aren’t enough. I can supply large numbers of Silver Moon martial masters if we can strike up a partnership... A Saint who is possibly at his peak can help us quite a bit.”

“This is... not a good idea.” Zhang An suddenly frowned at the young man’s words. “First of all, forcefully growing stronger may not be good. Second, unexpected developments might occur if they really are from the World of Desire. Third, each instance of strengthening others is one of weakening the self, even for Saints.

“Of course, it’s another case since they have other goals in mind. However, it would be frightening if they agreed to the proposition. Weakening himself to enhance you guys... means he has greater ambitions in mind!”

“I know,” Li Hao nodded. “But... isn’t the senior right here?”

Zhang An was out of good responses.

I’m here, but it’s just as hard for me to expel mental influences if you’re taken over by someone else. It’s a huge hassle! What do you have in mind?

Director General Zhao didn’t protest. Since Li Hao insisted, they could give it a try. He waved a dark passageway into being and looked at the group. “The world tolerates replicas now, so everyone stand further back, particularly Senior Zhang.”

Zhang An furrowed his brows, but vanished without a word.

......

The ruins of Jade Mountain Town.

“You’re here,” sounded a wispy voice as soon as the director general walked inside.

“Yes. Has the senior been outside lately?” asked Director General Zhao.

“No.” A figure manifested—wearing a blue shirt, not a red robe. He appeared quite genteel and smiled easily. “Do you need my help with something?”

“The senior is wise!” Director General Zhao spoke rapidly. “We’ve encountered some trouble in Silver Moon...” He quickly relayed the situation. “Therefore, the descendant of the Lis wishes to attack a main city and seize it to prevent the second awakening.”

“His reasoning makes sense, but it is very risky...” nodded Earthflare after some thought.

“It is indeed dangerous, which is why...” Director General Zhao was conflicted. “I hope that the senior can help us. I would like to strengthen our physical bodies and clear more acupoints. Of course, I know that this will expend a lot of the senior’s energy...”

“It’s not much to think of,” chuckled Earthflare. “You’re not that strong, so clearing acupoints is of no difficulty whatsoever. Except, Shuguang, you know very well what this means, right?”

“We can’t be worried about that much at this point!” intoned Director General Zhao.

“Ai!” Earthflare sighed softly as a red light glinted in his eyes. He looked at the old man, sending him into a daze. Earthflare’s mental strength emanated from his body and scarlet energy stole into the director general.

The Red Moon powerhouse chuckled again after a moment. People always liked to overestimate themselves. Zhao Shuguang had a good idea in mind, but could the seal of the eight families really constrain a Red Moon powerhouse?

Earthflare had known about this plan a long time ago, but what of it? This only served to make life interesting!

You will find it difficult to withstand an attack of Red Moon strength so long as you bear desires in your heart. Wanting to grow stronger, wanting to protect others, wanting to suppress the four sides... Those are desires!

No part of you can escape in front of a Saint.

Director General Zhao struggled as Earthflare gloated. The director general seemed oblivious of what had taken place when the Red Moon power was withdrawn.

“We also wish to obtain more help from the senior this time—please fortify more powerhouses for us. Of course, we’ll pay large sums of mysterious power stones and Water of Life in return. We won’t have the senior work for free.”

“Alright, but... we can’t do too many.” Earthflare nodded with a smile. “Let’s limit it to ten.”

“Very well!” Director General Zhao nodded.

“Does Li Hao require my help?” asked Earthflare.

“Ah... we won’t bother the senior with that.”

“You... are still wary of me. Is there a need for that?” Earthflare smiled gently. “You and I have worked together for many years. I am not on the same side as those people and have my own goals in mind...”

“I understand!” Zhao Shuguang said nothing further. “Then I’ll collect my people. We’ll have to trouble the senior when we’re all assembled.”

“That is no problem.”

They’ve presented themselves on a silver platter! Heh, Zhao Shuguang wasn’t in such a rush before. Maybe... he’s become bold because he thinks he can still remain in control of himself?

Your confidence is quite... laughable. So long as your desires remain, so will the power of Red Moon! Don’t think of emerging unscathed after being touched by it. Even that Ying Hongyue won’t be getting away with the bloodline of the eight families.

......

Li Hao soon received word that he could send ten people. It was interesting that the Red Moon powerhouse had limited the number of candidates. Wasn’t it the more the better?

Or does he sense danger because he knows that there are potentially heavyweights outside with designs on him? Maybe he doesn’t want to expend too much energy because of it.

At the same time, it doesn’t seem like he can keep his own desires in check either.

Li Hao laughed. Earthflare might know that the young man was plotting against him, but was still willing to take such a risk. As expected, those that manipulated desire in turn struggled with their own.

“Director General Zhao, teacher, Gan Wuliang...” Li Hao selected three in the vicinity. “We’ll have Director Hou, Inspector General Kong, and Commander Yu come as well. In addition, Martial Uncle Hong, Lin Hongyu, Chen Zhongtian... and Senior Sky Sword will be part of the ten.”

He Yong and the others were yet to return. These ten would be the first batch then. Clearing just another dozen acupoints would be a solid enough outcome. That was not a simple task.

One had to maintain the integrity of the body and organization of dao meridians during the process. It wasn’t just a matter of brute forcing acupoints. One needed to expend a large sum of strength to maintain and strengthen the components.

It was beyond Li Hao’s abilities, anyway. He would shatter his own body if he tried to force anything.

I wonder if Zhang An can do so? He doesn’t have a physical body and his energy isn’t dense enough.

Li Hao had never asked. All that mattered was that a Saint was willing to help him. Once the situation got out of hand, he’d throw them all into the Hao Cosmos. He might be able to shear some more sheep that way!

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“You guys head in first. If all goes well, I’ll send the rest in when they arrive!” Li Hao waved them off.

“This is too risky!” Zhang An’s voice sounded in Li Hao’s ear as soon as they were gone.

“I know, but we’re out of options.”

Zhang An frowned from the shadows, but he had nothing to say. What could he say? Based on his thoughts, they should charge in to kill the other. However, that didn’t seem to be Li Hao’s intention.

Indeed, the young man didn’t want to proceed that way. He planned to enter the ruins after his people were finished being enhanced. He would go as many rounds as possible with the enemy and lose all of them, running away to the Hao Cosmos each time. This would exhaust Earthflare’s Red Moon energy after each encounter!

What meaning was there in a simple execution?

Zhang An did not know the wonders of the Hao Cosmos, so he didn’t understand this course of action.

Neither did Li Hao bother explaining. Sometimes, it wasn’t good to be too clear in all matters.

Expectation tinged the young man’s thoughts. Earthflare smiled in the ruins. How interesting! Li Hao was... very bold, but did he really understand the power of Red Moon?

......

The ruins of Jade Mountain Town.

Earthflare showed himself when Director General Zhao brought others in. He seemed exceedingly gentle and harmless. Everyone’s first impression of him was that he was very affable and easy to get along with.

“Junior Yuan Shuo!”

“Junior Gan Wuliang!”

“Greets the senior!” The duo introduced themselves with extreme politeness.

Earthflare appeared very young and smiled faintly. He nodded after looking at the group. “Not bad, not bad. You have such strength at such a young age. Both of you are extraordinary and would be the favored geniuses of heaven in any age.

“I am not too familiar with the new martial dao as Shuguang doesn’t visit that often. It’s plain to see that you have a unique understanding of the new martial dao since you have such accomplishments at your age. Could the two of you discuss it so we might be better prepared in the strengthening to come?”

“As we should!” Gan Wuliang quickly said. “How can we hide anything when we need the senior’s help?” He babbled on before the other two had a chance to speak. “The new martial dao is also called the Hao Cosmos dao. The new humans cultivate dao meridians...”

He thoroughly spilled the beans with a very deferential attitude, as if deathly afraid that the senior wouldn’t help him. In the end, he even spoke of the attributed dao meridians, unattributed dao meridians, and how 360 meridians formed a sword.

Yuan Shuo and Director General Zhao frowned at his actions, whereas Earthflare smiled with astonishment.

“Who would’ve fathomed that the new martial dao would be so formidable? I know a thing or two about Shuguang’s situation and have gained hints of the thirty-six dao meridians. Who could’ve imagined that it would be only one-tenth of the complete picture, and just one-tenth of the unattributed dao meridians? This new dao is wondrous beyond imagine and might stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the core origin dao of New Martial.”

“The senior is a Saint.” Gan Wuliang was wreathed in smiles. “We might not be as strong as a Saint of the core origin era even if we opened all 360 dao meridians. It is like candlelight vying with the sun and moon if we are to compare to the senior.”

“Now now, we can’t put it that way. Embarking on a new path is always the most difficult...” Earthflare snuck a side glance at the other two as he laughed. They wore solemn expressions, clearly feeling that Gan Wuliang had spoken too much.

Earthflare smiled again and looked at Gan Wuliang. This was the weakest among the trio—he could sense an overflow of desire from the man! This kind of ruthless ambition strained at the limits of being concealed.

As a Red Moon cultivator, this kind of desire was all too obvious to Earthflare. It was so dense that he was surprised by it. He knew of Yuan Shuo, but Gan Wuliang was not nearly as renowned. How did Li Hao have such a hotly ambitious character under his command?

That he’d entered with Zhao Shuguang and Yuan Shuo clearly meant that he was one of Li Hao’s confidantes. Did the young man know how deeply this person’s ambitions ran?