Chapter 866: All Sorts of Bad Creatures (III)

“The partnership that the commander speaks of...”

“It can create rations to feed the people or provide Water of Life. An exchange of five thousand mysterious power stones per drop is acceptable. It just can’t be too greedy! That allows for a high profit margin already as those who partner with me normally do not charge any processing fees and produce Water of Life for free...”

“Five thousand pieces?” Lin Hongyu’s heart skipped a beat. Would the redwood tree erupt with outright hostility if she spoke of this?? The best price that anyone had at present was fifty thousand pieces per drop!

“It can agree if it finds this rate acceptable.” Li Hao smiled. “If not, it can keep a low profile and wait for the second awakening! But if it is reluctant to accept the situation... I will show City Lord Lin some face and seal it if I can. I will kill it if not!”

“......” So tyrannical! This was her first time meeting a modern powerhouse who was so overbearing towards ancient heavyweights. Lin Hongyu couldn’t help but ask, “Does the commander display the same attitude toward General Pagoda of Battle Heaven?”

“That one?” Li Hao laughed. “I supplied thirty million stones for it and it paid me back with ten thousand drops after three days. If it wasn’t for the amount of time needed to coalesce the Water of Life, I would have as much as I want! Therefore, I do not lack partnership and aid from a plant spirit!”

“How is this possible?” Lin Hongyu could scarcely believe her ears! “They need energy to revitalize as well. They earn nothing from such a transaction!”

“And how do they not?” Li Hao laughed. “Don’t I invest my own resources when I awaken them?”

That... counts?

Lin Hongyu had nothing to say. She felt that it would be very difficult for Li Hao to reach such an agreement with the redwood tree. He was truly offering too little, and the young man wasn’t the one who’d awakened the redwood tree.

“Everything else can be discussed and I am amenable to any arrangement as well,” she had to say. “But the plant spirits are powerhouses of the ancient civilization. We rely on their Water of Life for cultivation now. Perhaps the commander does not lack for this resource, but there are many who do in the world...”

“Ancient humans are hard to find, as are ancient beast spirits.” Li Hao frowned. “But there is an endless mountain of ancient plant spirits! Just Battle Heaven alone boasts of thirty-seven. They can quietly remain in place if they aren’t willing to cooperate. We kill them if they stir up trouble! What is the meaning of persistently accommodating their demands?”

“......” Lin Hongyu felt a headache set in. “But...”

“Are you worried that it won’t agree?” Li Hao burst out laughing. “It’s fine, leave it to me. I’ll talk to it if you’re worried!”

You... probably won’t be just

talking

to it, will you?

Lin Hongyu sighed, “I’ll try my best...” and said nothing else on that matter. “There is one more thing I’d like to tell the commander that you may not be aware of, and that’s the ancient aristocracies really do come from the ancient civilization, or they might’ve stumbled upon ruins early on, or their legacies might not have broken throughout time. Some families have their own ultimate weapons of note.”

“Are their weapons stronger than the ones owned by the nine ministries?”

“That’s... hard to say!” Lin Hongyu explained. “The nine ministries wield ones that likely belonged to Saints. It’s a similar story for us.”

“They’re all shabby hunks of metal in the outside world!” Li Hao didn’t mind this much. Weapons of Saints didn’t have much power outside the ruins. None of them were awake. He’d smashed the one that belonged to the Chens and fed it to the little sword.

Granted, it was still prudent to be on his guard. The twelve ancient aristocracies... the heritage of the ancient families. Li Hao thought of someone—a snake. “Are you all of the ancient families in the dynasty?”

“Pretty much!”

“Has anyone ever given pointers to the snake in Kui Mountains?”

Lin Hongyu blinked and shocked her head. “No, but I do know of it. It resided in the mountains more than one hundred years ago. Back then, people said that there was a dragon in the mountains. This is recorded in the Lin family history—the snake was already very strong in those days. Regular martial masters wouldn’t run afoul of it, much less give it pointers. There was no way to communicate with it.”

Li Hao started. But he recalled that the Kui snake had mentioned someone teaching it. Could it be members of another family that the Lins were unaware of? Additionally, it was surprising to hear that the snake hadn’t surfaced only in the past twenty years, but one hundred years ago. It was an old snake then.

“That will be all for today!” Li Hao wasn’t willing to say too much to this one. It was difficult to say whether this was a genuine capitulation or precursor to a trap. All would be revealed in three days’ time.

“Then I await the commander’s arrival in three days!” Lin Hongyu promptly vanished on the spot. Li Hao glanced in the direction where she’d vanished in—she was strong, alright. She should be a martial master like Chen Zhongtian, one with weapons protecting her meridians. That equipped her with the strength of peak six elements and made her quite strong.

“Interesting!” Li Hao downed his wine and broke through the ice on the water with a hand. He grabbed a large fish and smiled at it. “What are you spying on me for?”

The big fish struggled for freedom and powerful energy ripples undulated over it! However, its body crumbled as Li Hao tightened his hand. It gaped with anguish and transmitted, “Mercy, milord. This minor spirit is only following orders...”

“Whose orders?”

“The... orders... of the Sea Pacification Envoy...”

“He’s certainly bold!” Li Hao laughed. “And quite decisive! If I remember correctly, the Human King personally bequeathed the titles of the Sea Pacification Envoy and Monster Spirit Envoy in the ancient civilization. The Monster Spirit Envoy oversaw all monster spirits beneath the heavens and the Sea Pacification Envoy oversaw all monster spirits in the sea. That makes it a localized emperor, so who is so bold as to borrow its identity?”

“Milord... this minor spirit... really... is here on behalf of orders from the Sea Pacification Envoy...”

Li Hao frowned and was about to squeeze the fish to death when his eyes widened. The great sea fell silent and a faint tendril of core origin landed on the big fish. It was still a fish, but there were changes in its presence.

“We have made a fool of ourselves in front of the heir of the Sword Sovereign. However... this old one truly is a monster spirit in the service of the Sea Pacification Envoy!”

“You show incredible determination to venture into the outside world!” Li Hao’s eyebrows shot up.

“No, this is just a tendril of my core origin!” agitated the big fish’s mental ripples. “I was asleep when your utilization of a plant spirit’s core origin started me awake. I was wondering who it was that dared to employ core origin in the outside world.”

When was this?

Li Hao blinked.

When did I ever utilize core origin in the outside world?

It took him a while to recall the first time when the little tree gave him a core origin replica. That wasn’t even a replica, just a tendril of core origin that Li Hao used to sense the wood aura.

Was that the instance?

Monster spirits from the ancient civilization?

Li Hao frowned slightly. He knew that a Sea Pacification Envoy’s residence was located on Skystar Island, but that was the island, not in the North Sea. Not to mention, so what if this monster spirit was in service to that one?

I’ve met even the guard of the imperial palace. The Sea Pacification Envoy is also less than the Monster Spirit Envoy, and the latter is working for me. So is the guard of the imperial palace!

As strong as this monster spirit might be, Li Hao was not afraid. He wasn’t afraid of any one of them in the outside world. However, it was unacceptable that they were keeping tabs on him! He had been discussing important matters with Lin Hongyu! This monster spirit was entirely too forward!

“Simply show yourself no matter what you want to do, or if you wish to see me,” Li Hao said brusquely. “Keeping me under surveillance is not a good idea!”

“That is a misunderstanding... I am just unable to continuously expose my core origin to the outside world and so borrowed this minor spirit’s body. I do not mean to keep you under surveillance, I just wished to be acquainted with you...”

“What is the point in that?” Li Hao barked with laughter. “I am a weakling of the modern age and the senior should keep yourself hidden well in the ruins. Brashly exposing your core origin like this might lead to it being destroyed!”

The powerhouse temporarily borrowing the big fish’s body was quite resigned. The young man... ran utterly wild and did not fear authority at all.

“Alright then, I shall speak frankly. I seemed to sense the presence of the great Monster Spirit Envoy a few days ago. Although it dissipated quickly, I still sensed it. I have intelligence reports that say Commander Li has a strong dog with the bloodline of ancient monster spirits?”

“So?”

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

“......” The big fish briefly choked. “I also sensed a few days ago that General Pagoda might have awoken...”

“Yep, so?”

“......” The big fish wanted to break into curses!

So your ass!

“I mean to say that New Martial has ended its rule of Silver Moon. Perhaps we can all meet after the second awakening. Communication is difficult at the moment, so could the commander please pass the word to the others? We should discuss how to face the situation to come...”

Li Hao understood the fish’s intentions, but was baffled. “Is there a need for that?”

“......” Whyever not?!

A large beast spirit in the ruins of the North Sea wanted to bash its head into the sea bed with frustration. Whyever was there not a reason?? The descendant of the Monster Spirit Envoy had appeared and General Pagoda was awake. These were all powerhouses of New Martial and its colleagues!

We have matters to discuss and cannot communicate easily at the moment. Just relay the message! What’s with all this talk! Also, although I don’t know the particulars of the first core origin ripples, it felt legitimate as well. You’re the one who can contact everyone, which is why I came to you. Do you think I

want

to talk to you?

“I have some things to discuss with them, some important matters...”

“What things?”

“You...” The fish gaped, wanting to erupt in a rage.

“Alright, I’ll convey your words.” Li Hao grinned. “What is the senior’s name? I need to make sure that they know who is talking to them.”

“Capsize Sea.”

Li Hao committed it to memory.

What kind of weird name is this? Monster spirits choose really weird names. I’ve run into a ton of weird people on my way back. First it’s Lin Hongyu, then it’s a heavyweight under the Sea Pacification Envoy’s banner. When was I this popular?