Chapter 815: Why So Foolish (I)

“I was so caught off guard by his sudden appearance that I forgot to greet my highest supervisor...” someone abruptly laughed. “We fall under the southern commander of the Skystar Commander Office. Who’s in charge of the south?

“Aha, Senior Southern Fist...” he chuckled.

The speaker was the province’s Night Watcher director. Everyone looked at him, he smiled back at them. “What?”

“You...”

“I am a Night Watcher and the Night Watchers answer to the Skystar Commander Office. I forgot to greet Commander Li when he arrived, I really shouldn’t have!” He turned to everyone and said quietly, “Everyone will keep your noses to yourselves over the next couple of days! Commander Li might not remember you all, but I do! I also know your families, subordinates, friends, bastard children...”

The group furiously cursed him out!

Fuck you, you shameless bastard!

He’d come back to his senses, hadn’t he? He’d been insulting Li Hao with the rest of them moments ago, but nearly wagged his tail as soon as he sensed how strong the young man was!

Li Hao might only remember their faces, but this one knew them all too well. Family, friends, subordinates, mistresses... He knew everyone related to them!

Pathetic henchman!

Some inwardly cursed up a storm while others regarded the development with resignation. The Night Watchers were under the command of the Skystar Commander Office to begin with; the office was previously just an authority established quite far away. Once Li Hao came in person and demonstrated such strength, would their Night Watcher director not immediately fawn over the young man?

......

Li Hao frowned slightly as he quickly left with everyone. “Can the Wind and Cloud Pavilion monitor us at every second?”

“They shouldn’t be able to.” Deputy Zhou shook his head. “Even if they do have such a strong treasure, they'll consume vast sums of resources every time they use it. The Divine Masters Ranking came out once a month before at most, which meant they utilized it once a month. They can’t possibly have it active at every second!”

All ancient weapons and treasures resided under a sealed status. The stronger they were, the greater the seal. Each instance of utilization required a price to be paid.

“That’s true!” Li Hao nodded. “We’ll publish the Divine Masters Ranking ourselves if they do not! What’s that bunch of rats got rattling around in their brains by setting themselves against the Skystar Commander Office?

“I’m going to head back and provide some cultivation assistance to the seniors. Everyone, please remain nearby and spread out. Call me if there’s any trouble. All of you have a set of black armor, so you can reach me at anytime within fifteen hundred kilometers!

“We’ll take down the Wind and Cloud Pavilion first.” Li Hao smiled beatifically. “Preferably in secret and seize their treasure. It’ll come in handy. I was just worrying that I didn’t know their exact strength. If they have a treasure like that... It’s mine!”

His people didn’t say anything upon seeing how confident he was. The young man had the right to be so confident as he did have some skill to his name. That year he’d spent as an inspector hadn’t been in vain—he’d identified the enemy in the blink of an eye. Deputy Zhou even felt that the kid could lead a squad of secret agents across the dynasty.

......

At this moment, in a ruin.

A group of people bustled around and someone called out, “Pavilion master, the new ranking is complete. Shall I distribute it?”

“Mm... but whether Li Hao is number one or not, put him in that spot. Leave the rest according to the ranking. Ah, if there are any Silver Moon martial masters, move them closer to the front as well.

“Understood!” The speaker quickly walked outside with the new ranking. A person walked out of the shadows in the hall and looked at the mirror in the hall. He hesitated—should he activate it once more?

There was probably no need to.

He’d just used it the day before; it was because of this that he’d grown into a panic. Li Hao was improving too quickly. Not only that, but the young man had some special qualities to him.

Each instance of using the mirror consumed several million mysterious power stones. It was an incredible depletion of resources.

“Forget it, as fast as Li Hao improves, he can’t possibly change by the day,” laughed the man. He was mistaking the shadow of a bow in a glass for a living snake. It was just one day, and yet he couldn’t contain the urge to activate it again.

“What a pity that you can’t be fully unsealed. You’d pull your own energy from the environment then and outright reflect every place. I wouldn’t need to supply you with mysterious power stones...” The master of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion disappeared after some murmurings.

Li Hao, ah Li Hao! Your rate of improvement scares me. I’m truly worried that you might create a miracle and set foot into Apex before the second awakening. If that is the case, you’d eliminate some fellows ahead of time given your personality.

Then it would remain to be seen if there’s any room to carve out space for the rest of us!

I hope... that all goes well!

The pavilion master was slightly regretful that the restrictions levied by the world were too extreme at the moment. What had Li Hao discovered to induce some changes in the situation?

It must be the young man as he showed signs of improvement with every change.

......

Li Hao did not stay long in South Peak. He’d only nabbed a fringe character, an inconsequential figure. The key to him was locating the source of the other’s printing operations. If he suppressed the source, then there would be no way for them to print their little ranking.

Did they really fancy themselves as Daoist Wind and Cloud? That august personage had erected an obelisk in the Forbidden Sea that constantly changed. Premier heavyweights were unable to break it and could only let it change at will. Countless people waited beside it, ready to copy any changes and distribute them to the world.

Can you do that?

Try erecting a treasure somewhere beneath the heavens tonight. It’ll be gone by the morning!

No, would it take till morning? It would be gone within an hour.

The restriction of the world was Li Hao’s greatest asset. No matter how strong one was, they could not emerge unless they possessed the ability to stabilize the void. As for that kind of heavyweight... then resistance was futile. They could do what they wanted as they could kill people with a single exhale.

......

The Skystar Commander Office.

Li Hao didn’t make it back until sunrise.

The rear yard.

Several old men were running through practice routines. A constant adherence to their skill was the surest way to maintain their battle capabilities. It didn’t matter to Li Hao since he was always either killing people or on the way to killing people. Hence, he didn’t have a need for daily practice.

There was an additional face today—Sky Sword.

Sky Sword had arrived very quickly and traveled a great distance, so he was rather weary. He tossed a booklet at Li Hao as soon as he saw the young man.

Li Hao identified it as the

Wind and Thunder Sword Art.

“Did you... seize it by force, senior?”

Sky Sword looked wordlessly at him and couldn’t be bothered to say anything. That wasn’t his style. Of course, he’d paid a certain price to obtain it, such as his own Sky Sword Art. He didn’t speak of that, however, and couldn’t be bothered to mention it.

Contrary to Southern Fist’s incessant chatter, he rarely spoke. This was similar to Tyrant Blade’s personality. Northern Fist liked to talk—he was a diminutive man, but he spoke of the rules and seniority all the time. He Yong often came in for his share of beatings and there was nothing he could do about it since Northern Fist styled himself as He Yong’s big brother.

Having come off worse for the wear on many occasions, He Yong always found it awkward when he saw Northern Fist.

“Is Little South here?” someone asked before another old man landed. He wore a smile that quickly froze when he saw the other old men present. Sky Sword looked remotely at him, but there seemed to be sarcastic hints in his expression.

Out of the six old men, one of them regarded the petite Northern Fist. The former’s hair was white; Li Hao wasn’t familiar with him. He only had time to identify himself as the old guard of Silver Moon before busying himself with other matters yesterday. Li Hao hadn’t had time to learn more.

White Hair stared at Northern Fist. The latter had announced himself in a loud voice moments ago, but now shrank in on himself like a quail and wanted to cover his face and run.

“How have you gotten so old?” White Hair asked curiously after a while.

“......” A sheepish expression spread over Northern Fist’s face and he lowered his head. “Martial uncle!”

Martial uncle!

“Why do you look older than me?” White Hair continued to stare at him.

“......” Northern Fist felt even more awkward. “That is... ah...”

“If I remember correctly, you’re only in your fifties and not even sixties?”

“I just wanted... to appear more mature, martial uncle,” Northern Fist offered dryly.

“And why are you always bullying He Yong?” frowned White Hair. “The Northern and Southern Fists are from the same line. His father was your martial uncle as well, so why do you always hit him? I’ve heard about your doings many times, but haven’t been of the mind to intervene. Have you gotten addicted to bullying him?”

Northern Fist was a highly tyrannical and arrogant individual in ordinary times, but now he barely knew what to do with himself. He was almost sixty, so it was quite embarrassing to receive a dressing down in public like this. What was this one doing here?

Li Hao was also surprised. Northern Fist’s martial uncle? And the two Fists were from the same line? Southern Fist was domineering and fiery, whereas Northern Fist was regal and magnanimous. They didn’t seem to hail from the same discipline. It was only today that he learned there was a deeper connection between them.

“Martial uncle, I’m just... looking after junior brother He,” Northern Fist coughed. “His nature is more indolent and slippery. He would’ve been killed by the Silver Moon Guard a long time ago if I hadn’t knocked him down a peg or two.”

“Don’t go too far,” White Hair simply cautioned. “He Yong is an old enough person now as well. It’s inappropriate for you to always beat him like you’re hitting a grandson!”

Northern Fist was quite resigned.

Who’s beating who? That brat had improved a lot the last time we fought. I can’t hit him like my grandson anymore, just my son, and not even that! How unlucky am I that you’re here!