Star Gate

Was Li Hao involved in this?

Probably not, because their intelligence indicated that the young man had gleefully brought the banner back to Classified Affairs to show off. If Zhou He’s capture had something to do with him, a rookie wouldn’t possess the composure to proudly show off the silk banner afterward. Therefore, the scarlet shadow faction immediately dismissed the idea of Li Hao being involved.

It was very likely that Liu Long and the others had discovered the two and secretly set up a sting operation.

“Zhou He, you damned idiot!” Loud cursing rang in the old man’s ear.

What an absolute idiot! Did you have nothing better to do than to give Li Hao a silk banner? That’s putting yourself straight in the lion’s den! Do you really think that Liu Long and his team wouldn’t do anything??

“Forget it, it is what it is. Those two don’t know anything, it’s just a bit of a pity. That idiot Zhou He would’ve been recalled after this mission to undertake the induction ceremony. He held high promise to cross over!”

All of the largest supernatural organizations placed great importance on a Slayer of Tens. Zhou He had been assigned an easy mission so he could add merit to his record. That would provide sufficient reason for him to undergo the ceremony. Once he was supernatural, it was very possible that he’d ascend straight to Darkmoon!

That was all empty dreams now—thanks to Zhou He courting death.

The old man sped up without a word until he eventually vanished in the alley. Since it was confirmed that Zhou He was in custody, there was no further need for him here.

……

The Inspectorate.

Although Li Hao was about to be transferred away, he solemnly completed his tasks. His desk phone rang in the afternoon when he finished his duties for the day. Liu Yan requested his presence at Law Enforcement.

Li Hao notified Chen Na and Wang Ming, leaving amid Chen Na’s admiring gaze and Wang Ming’s curious one. He headed for the building’s basement.

The blood was cleared away and there was no sign of the two to be found. Were they dead or alive?

Li Hao didn’t care. Sometimes, he viewed life and death through an indifferent lens. He was alone in this world—his friend was dead, his parents were dead, and the countless cases he’d pored over the years were filled with dead people.

The heart grew uncaring after seeing so much.

There was a small conference room in the basement. Liu Long and Liu Yan were sitting inside; there were no signs of the others to be found. The captain indicated for Li Hao to sit down after he walked through the door.

Liu Yan regarded the seated young man with an odd look. “Did your stomach turn after you went back to work?”

“……” Li Hao looked back at her, baffled. Why would his stomach turn?

“Nothing?” Liu Yan had to ask again.

“Eh?” Li Hao was well and truly confused. Why should he feel nervous or fearful? Wasn’t the fight over? Why be afraid now?

Liu Yan was quite resigned by the look in the young man’s eyes. The little guy was definitely perverse! He’d really gone back to work as if nothing had happened! Whether victory or defeat, people usually mulled over their first battle for a long period of time. Even one without spilling blood was grounds for endless mental replay!

But Li Hao?

He went back to his desk without skipping a beat!

“Little Hao Hao, did you really not think about the fight?”

“I did, I’m not heartless,” the young man said after some thought. “I wondered if Zhou He possesses any secret martial arts methods since he’s a Slayer. Any mysterious power? Is it possible to strip out mysterious power from a martial master, like we do from a supernatural? If not, what about their internal force?”

The hell?! Liu Yan was abruptly realizing that the kid was absolutely perverse!

“You damned perverse, cold-blooded guy!” she cursed lowly.

Meanwhile, Li Hao was the epitome of innocence! What? The Demon Hunters were the weird ones in his eyes. Weren’t these matters something any normal person would consider? As the saying went, people who set fires and killed others struck it rich. Was there anything wrong in asking if there were benefits to be had from killing a Slayer?

Liu Long was likewise speechless and interrupted their conversation. “Enough of that! I’ve just received word regarding an issue that involves you, Li Hao, so I had you come listen in!”

The young man nodded docilely.

“The Zhou He that you beat to death—”

Li Hao raised his hands like he was a student and quickly refuted, “I didn’t beat him to death!”

“……” Liu Long cast him a withering look. “You crushed his foot, pierced his sternum, kicked his kidneys to pieces, and pulverized his spleen. He would’ve died on the spot if it wasn’t for his strong vitality of a martial master! Even so, we weren’t able to save him!”

Thus, Zhou He really was dead. Li Hao looked away in a daze, but quickly regained his calm without another word.

So the guy was dead. He hadn’t personally beaten the man to death—Zhou He died during the interrogation and not in front of him. Therefore, Li Hao knew nothing. He’d killed a Slayer in his first battle!

That did bother Li Hao slightly, but his worries were allayed by the fact that the man was a villain. The Inspectorate had taught them during training that inspectors were to punish evil, raise up good, and discipline criminals! When the criminal resisted and could harm the inspector, outright execution was recommended!

In that case, there was nothing further to consider about the matter.

“Zhou He, forty years old, martial master from Flare City!” Liu Long ignored whatever might be on Li Hao’s mind. Flare City was the second largest city in the province, second to only White Moon City and ten times more prosperous than Silver City.

“He started martial dao practice at twenty-one years old and was apprenticed to a Sunderer from Flare City. His teacher passed away ten years ago. Zhou He set foot into the Slayer realm at thirty-two and did not make further progress over the next eight years!

“He joined a supernatural fringe group called Ghostface one year ago! Their leader is a Sunderer, not a supernatural. Zhou He and Yuan Xiao are both part of that group!”

A group subordinate to supernaturals?

Li Hao mused over the information while Liu Long continued solemnly, “There are many supernatural organizations, but one that appoints a Sunderer to set up a fringe group and recruits numerous Slayers… An organization like that is not weak!

“No one gets up early unless there’s something in it for them. It is difficult to bring in martial masters unless one can offer the hope of ascension. It is even harder to have them willingly risk their lives for the faction. This organization, however, offers a great deal of mysterious power to these Slayers.

“They can break through to Sunderer, at the very least, if they don’t cross over to the supernatural. You must know that not even the Night Watchers dare waste mysterious power like this!”

“So what you mean, chief…” Li Hao frowned. “Is that this organization has deep pockets? That they possibly operate on a massive scale and are very strong?”

“Yes,” Liu Long nodded and looked at Li Hao. “Additionally, if just a fringe group possesses a Sunderer… There aren’t many of those in this day and age. There may be more in Flare City, but a Sunderer is still a rare martial expert! It’s not an easy ask to have a Sunderer at one’s beck and call.”

Li Hao nodded again.

“Based on what Zhou He told us, his mission with Yuan Xiao was to follow you and prevent you from leaving the city. Their task was simple because they aren’t the key characters!”

Li Hao nodded again.

“There’s a problem with what we’ve learned. Have you identified it?”

A problem? The young man reflected on the latest findings and analyzed them. “Do you mean to say that this organization will be sending very strong people since they are very strong, chief? We surmised this long ago, so this shouldn’t be the key issue…”

He glanced at the deputy chief again. “If they have fringe groups, that means they’re not strictly just a supernatural organization. They won’t hold themselves superior to mundanes! Sunderers of Hundreds are usually relatively well off and of high status. They might be important personages like chief is… Ah! Hot weapons?”

The thought suddenly occurred to him! Liu Long and the team relied on the might of hot weapons to eliminate supernaturals. Did this mean that the organization might own hot weapons of their own?

“Not only that, but their martial masters might have once been part of the Night Watchers.” Liu Long nodded. “Hot weapons are one thing, but the second is that they might have full intel on the Demon Hunters. They might know all of our secrets!”

“Third,” Liu Yan continued. “Their intelligence networks will be up to speed since they have an organization among us ordinary people. Your teacher might fall under their purview too, as well as the two Darkmoon Night Watchers currently in Silver City.

“With their level of caution and preparations for a decade, they’ll send at least two on par with Sunderers and Darkmoons! Plus us… they’ll send at least five experts that rival Sunderers and Darkmoons!”

That ran outside the scope of their capabilities.

“It’d be fine if only one Sunflare came,” Liu Yan pondered. “Things will be dicey if multiple Darkmoon and Sunderers come. Powerhouses on the level of Sunflare are used to working alone. While they’re ferocious in battle, they’re limited by what they can do. If they split up on the day of the operation, however, they can preoccupy us with a portion of their people and send the rest to you!”

Li Hao didn’t make a sound. That would indeed be worrisome.

Liu Long glanced at the young man. “Therefore, I have an idea. With the sword of the Lis on you, they’ll want your life and the sword! It’s best to split the two up. If you trust me, you can leave the sword in my care. That ensures they won’t focus their energies on you. Even if they do successfully split us up, there will be less pressure on your side.”

Right, his primary goal was to have Li Hao hand the sword over to him. In the team’s eyes, the lad was just an ordinary person.