Chapter 333: Setting Strategy (I)

The three provinces of the north would be the center of trouble in times to come. That meant marching in their direction was a good decision, a very good decision. It would be chaotic there, which meant opportunity.

The disorder would be centralized in three provinces—they would become the main battlefield of the northern region. Large numbers of powerhouses would rise from them. There were numerous reasons for powerhouses abounding in the central region, one of which was the war. Times of trouble swiftly produced mighty experts.

Unrest in the three northern provinces would also attract powerhouses from all sides. Those from other regions would come, not just ones from the nineteen provinces of the north. People who could not make it in the central region and those of the other three regions who didn’t dare join the central war would congregate in the north!

“I will have Hao Lianchuan lead our people to reinforce the three provinces once the three great organizations are eliminated.”

Hao Lianchuan’s expression contorted with more suffering.

Why me again?

Hou Xiaochen remained calm.

Of course it’s you. You had your opportunity, but you didn’t treasure it.

“If possible, the Silver Moon Guards will also join the northern battlefield.”

“The Silver Moon Guards?” Hu Qingfeng jerked to attention like a hunter glimpsing prey. “Director Hou, what unit is this? Why isn’t it registered?”

Excitement blossomed. Finally some evidence after days spent searching, and it came from Hou Xiaochen himself! Of course, he didn’t intend to immediately take Hou Xiaochen to task for it, neither would the man fire back with hostility either. What Hu Qingfeng needed to do was to go along with Hou Xiaochen’s words for the moment and keep digging. He needed to dig for more!

The northern provinces were in disarray; he wanted to immediately rush back to the central region. But if he did so in this state, he would be walking into trouble. Yu Xiao and Huang Jie were dead, he could only return if he had some accomplishments to his name.

“Who says it’s not registered?” Hou Xiaochen coughed calmly. “The Silver Moon Guards are reformed of the few remaining after the Skystar Guards were disbanded. The unit does not fall under the Inspectorate system, so the Night Watchers naturally do not have it on our rolls. It’s registered under the royal family and always has been! You’ll find it if you go back and look it up. Although the royal family no longer allocates resources to it, the designation still exists.”

Hu Qingfeng blinked. Under the royal family? The royal family rarely showed itself these days. He looked skeptically at Hou Xiaochen.

“This is true,” Commander Yu said faintly. “It is registered under the royal family and its military designation still exists. There aren’t many of the Guards. I know that there’s only around a thousand of them.”

Hu Qingfeng sagged with disappointment. Was that it? While it would cause a bit of trouble for Hou Xiaochen as the royal family did not see eye to eye with the nine ministries, some potential dissatisfaction from the nine ministries wasn’t worth speaking of! Raising the Silver Moon Guards on behalf of the royal family? A minor detail!

It would be ludicrous to pin his hopes on using this to topple Hou Xiaochen.

“Cough cough cough...” The director’s renewed coughing broke Hu Qingfeng’s line of thought. “In addition, Special Agent Hu should be prepared to travel to the three northern provinces when business is complete here. The central Night Watchers have only just received word and may not have time to send reinforcements.”

Hu Qingfeng frowned wordlessly. He didn’t want to go! What if the powerhouse that killed General Kou was still there? It was too dangerous!

“There’s no rush in this, Director Hou.” He changed the topic without responding. “My concerns are if Silver Moon will have the strength to support the three provinces once it declares war on the three great organizations. Not to mention, there is great danger to be found in the ruins of Battle Heaven. Is it a good idea to be openly hostile with the three great organizations right now? We said we would explore and bear the risks together, but once there is war between us, it will be Silver Moon shouldering all of the danger...”

Did he make sense?

A little.

If it wasn’t for the three great organizations coordinating with the Night Watchers in the previous expedition, the Night Watchers would’ve suffered heavy losses and failed to make it into the inner city. Therefore, even if they were enemies, it was still a better idea to jointly assume the risks together for the excavations.

“Is there no way for us to explore without the three great organizations?” laughed Hou Xiaochen. “That matter is hardly urgent. The ruins are there and won’t run off. My thoughts are to rough them up first. We need to smack them around to the point where they know whose territory it is and how wrong they are. Negotiations can be conducted at a leisurely pace then. We’ll have more of an advantage at that point.”

“But according to what I know,” Hu Qingfeng protested. "Blue Moon, Half Mountain, and the Parity King are all Novas. There are three Novas from the three great organizations present in Silver Moon! Director Hao says you are injured and unable to take the field... Although I am also a Nova, I’m afraid the heart is willing but my strength is limited...”

He could sense that these guys wanted to use him as a borrowed blade—this was absolutely not what he wanted. Danger would close in around him if he proceeded down this path. There were multiple Novas and peak Solars like Violet Moon and Revolution King on the other side. They also carried origin weapons, so how would Hu Qingfeng dare officially set himself against them?

“Cough cough... It's fine!” Hou Xiaochen smiled. “Director Hao will have my Flaming Phoenix Spear. Although he will not be able to defeat Novas, he will be able to reinforce you to a certain degree. Not to mention, Silver Moon is not without experts. There are a few Dominators among the Guards. Although they aren’t too strong, they have room to maneuver when they form a battle formation...”

You’re going to fight, no matter what.

Hu Qingfeng didn’t respond.

I’m not doing whatever you guys are thinking of! I don’t care if you’ve agreed to a plan among yourselves, I’m not doing it! Worst comes to worst, I’ll wash my hands of the matter and go back to the central region! I’ll be censured at most if I go back.

The atmosphere in Silver Moon was strange and difficult to get a handle on. He’d painted too rosy a picture for himself before he came. Hou Xiaochen’s single spear jab had ruined many plans. The situation wouldn’t be what it was now otherwise.

......

As the group argued, Li Hao gradually came back to his senses. He ignored the discussion and carefully looked around the conference room. Of the military’s representatives and the three commanders, he knew that Hu Dingfang was a late Solar. The other commander of the White Dragons looked to be in his fifties. He was a bit younger than Commander Yu and a bit older than Hu Dingfang. He was another supernatural—the young man judged him to be peak Solar from his ball of light. That made Hu Dingfang the weakest. It was to be expected since he was the youngest.

Not many had come from the Inspectorate. Li Hao shied away from the piercing light exuding from the towering Kong Jie. The young man focused on the others; Hao Lianchuan hadn’t introduced them because they weren’t well known.

There were three others apart from Kong Jie—two men, one woman. One of the men was deeply tanned and flashed a friendly smile at the young man when he sensed the gaze. Li Hao found it strange—

who’s that? I don’t know him.

Hao Lianchuan took a break from cursing the room’s inhabitants when he saw the exchange. “You don’t know that piece of charcoal, do you?” he transmitted.

Li Hao suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, but also felt that it didn’t matter since that one likely couldn’t hear the transmission.

“You should know him!” Hao Lianchuan continued. “He was the last inspectorate general of your Silver City Inspectorate. He was transferred to White Moon City to be the inspectorate general of the capital’s Inspectorate. But his position doesn’t mean much as provincial headquarters call the shots here. White Moon is the capital, but he’s useless as the capital city’s inspector general. He would’ve been better off enjoying life in Silver City.”

The misfortunes of three lifetimes culminated in being the magistrate of a provincial capital city. Conducting evil for three lifetimes landed one in the local capital.

Being an official in the provincial capital—such as inspector general of White Moon City—was a tragedy. Hence, the Night Watchers eschewed a branch in White Moon City and maintained only their provincial headquarters. It had to do with few numbers of supernaturals, but also forestalled a lot of trouble.

Li Hao immediately knew who the man was after Hao Lianchuan’s introduction. The last inspector general had been well known, Liu Long had introduced him to Li Hao. He’d been a martial master and trained in the Iron Shirt method. Blade and spear could not touch him.

There’d been an exceedingly famous Iron Shirt cultivator among Silver Moon’s martial world back in the day. He stood with the Qimei Staff and others, but died when Yuan Shuo broke through his Iron Shirt and body.

This wasn’t an exclusive art, however. Many people knew it. It was a secret method that was passed on to many in the martial world.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Wang Henggang!

Li Hao recalled. His portrait hung in the Silver City Inspectorate, but he wasn’t this tanned in the portrait. Did he spend his days in the sun after coming to White Moon City? Li Hao thought he’d joined the Night Watchers as some said that he’d crossed over. So he’d stayed with the Inspectorate instead!

This was not a weak individual!

Late Solar?

Li Hao judged after momentary assessment. He really was a late Solar, when had he ascended?

The young man rummaged through his memories—Mu Sen hadn’t joined the Inspectorate for too long. The current inspector general had been installed in his post roughly... three years ago?

More or less!

That meant the former inspector general became a supernatural three years ago. If he’d ascended as a Sunderer, that made him a Sunflare. Jumping to late Solar after three years was an astonishing cultivation speed, and he didn’t stand out at all.

Few in White Moon City knew of him, whereas Silver City still remembered their old inspector general. Mu Sen, for example, mentioned him every now and then. There was another man and woman of the Solar level from the White Moon Inspectorate. They both looked to be between late and peak Solar.

Hot damn, this Inspectorate has multiple Solars. They have more than the Night Watchers!

Li Hao realized wordlessly. But when he thought of their boss, Kong Jie, he found the situation alright. It was still the Night Watchers that were stronger as Manager Yu was a Nova, at the very least. She was worth three Solars. Hao Lianchuan was the more embarrassing of the lot. As the first deputy director, only Deputy Zhou was weaker than him in the conference room. But Deputy Zhou barely had a ball of light around him!

How pitiful!

Commander Yu, Director General Zhao, Kong Jie, and Hou Xiaochen were eye piercing. Manager Yu and Hu Qingfeng were of the Nova level. There was another peak Solar and late Solar behind Hu Qingfeng. Apart from Deputy Zhou, that made Hao Lianchuan and Li Hao the weakest among the group.