Star Gate

The deputy chief left, leaving behind Li Hao with a dour expression. He wasn’t displeased with Liu Long leaving, but enraged that the guys who wanted to kill him would be so callous and utterly lack scruples!

They were using all of the citizens to force the Demon Hunters to stay out of the matter. Even though they didn’t feel that the team was worth bothering with, they still decided to hold the city hostage in an overabundance of caution.

They absolutely deserve to die! The young man snarled inwardly. Sadly, there was nothing he could do as he was too weak.

……

Silver City was partially enveloped by pandemonium. It rained, but many places were on fire. The mayhem didn’t begin to calm down until Liu Long led his team to investigate all of the disturbances.

……

Silver City Veteris Institute.

The Yuan residence.

More than Yuan Shuo stood in his yard. There were two Night Watchers next to him—Hu Hao and Li Meng. Li Meng seemed much recovered; only her face was a little pale.

Hu Hao could sense the disruption outside as he looked beyond the house.

“Elder Yuan,” he said softly. “We’ve reported to headquarters and reinforcements will be here soon. But it’s best if you don’t go outside right now. It’s safer inside!”

Hu Hao subconsciously knew that the enemy didn’t want to antagonize the Night Watchers. Neither were they here for Yuan Shuo. They wanted the professor’s student. From a Night Watcher perspective, these people demonstrated the height of disrespect with their audacity. They courted death!

But their mission was to protect Yuan Shuo, so the professor was more important than Li Hao. They couldn’t expose the old man to danger for the sake of his student.

Yuan Shuo said nothing and continued to look outside. The ruckus gradually quieted down.

“Aren’t they bold!” the man suddenly exclaimed with a trace of frostiness. “Supernatural they may be and mundane is the rest of the world, but laws still exist! This organization is too cocky! Do the Night Watchers know who they are?”

Too cocky by far!

Silver City was insignificant and far from the central seat of power, but it was still a city under the government’s jurisdiction. Yet today, it was treated as a tool to threaten the Night Watchers and Inspectorate with!

“I do not oversee this operation, so I’m unfamiliar with it.” Hu Hao shook his head. “But to act in such a wanton, unbridled manner and be so untraceable… It can only be one of the three major supernatural organizations—Red Moon, Celestial, and Yama!”

Yuan Shuo’s brows drew tight. Was it one of them? If so, then his student was truly in much greater trouble than they’d thought. These three organizations had been on the scene before the Night Watchers. The latter was formed twenty years ago, but the three even earlier. They remained in the shadows upon inception. It wasn’t until the Night Watchers came to be that the official authorities received some clues about the existence of the three.

Compared to other supernatural organizations, Red Moon, Celestial, and Yama had explored further in their domain and possessed more powerhouses. One glimpse of any of the three might reveal heart-pounding secrets.

Their strength exceeded the imagination.

Yuan Shuo said nothing further. If it really was one of the three… Silver City was in significant trouble. But since they were here for Li Hao, they wouldn’t send experts too beyond the pale. None of the three wished to lose any premier heavyweights in a miscalculation against the Night Watchers.

Thus, the professor remained put. He waited.

It wasn’t time for him to take action. Either he bided his time, or he achieved great effect once he made a move. Otherwise, it would be more difficult to handle the snake if he didn’t beat it to death the first time.

Within the house.

The two Night Watchers considered the situation with unpleasant expressions. They were the legitimate supernatural organization of the government, yet here they were, suffering in silence. They weren’t strong and this mission wasn’t something they could take on. All they could do was watch as Night Watcher dignity was used to mop the floor!

As small as Silver City was, it was still a city of a million strong. And now, it was shrouded by terror from another.

“We’ll eliminate them sooner or later!” Li Meng snorted.

A newly born calf was not afraid of a tiger. She talked a big talk and had the courage to back it up.

Yuan Shuo, on the other hand, remained silent. Hu Hao sighed inwardly. It was easy to conjecture boldly—they would’ve eliminated these organizations a long time ago if they could do so. The Night Watchers couldn’t and these groups were impossible to trace. Such were the reasons behind the events of the day.

The supernatural field had arrived and risen so quickly that the government hadn’t been able to grasp full control of it from the beginning. Its appearance wasn’t even spontaneous—it was premeditated. Of this, the government had been unaware as well.

Once they knew, they had to call upon deep foundations to hastily convene the Night Watchers. Only then did the authorities barely manage to stabilize law and order in the various provinces.

Unrest once more engulfed the land now and the Night Watchers were limited. How could they subdue all sides?

An undercurrent of worry ran through Hu Hao as they’d been endlessly compromising over the past twenty years. As time went on, the various supernatural organizations grew ever more out of control. In certain places, even the Night Watchers had become corrupt.

How long could such a peace last?

Silver Moon was fine enough, but would the turbulence of Silver City spread elsewhere?

The residence fell silent. Both Night Watchers were furious and reluctant, but could only quietly watch things unfold outside. Perhaps headquarters would send someone so strong that they would quell the upheaval with one move and bring the supernatural field to heel!

However, they’d nursed such hopes for years with rarely anything happening.

Yuan Shuo leaned against a chair and said nothing. His hand caressed a large blade. When he made his name back in the day, he’d done so without relying on a weapon. His skills were very comprehensive and he was proficient in all manner of weapons, including hands and feet. Now, however, he carried a blade wherever he went.

No one paid attention to the newly forged weapon. The two next to him didn’t and cared even less that a tiny stone blade was embedded inside. It was roughly eight centimeters long and only three centimeters wide—smaller than the hilt!

Yuan Shuo gently caressed it and breathed rhythmically; his muscles continuously writhed beneath his clothes as currents of strength rushed throughout his body.

……

Silver City.

There was a large church less than three thousand meters from the Inspectorate. In its abandoned state, it more resembled a ghost’s abode. It was deathly quiet!

A low chuckle traveled from a shadow in the corner after who knew how long. “Liu Long’s out! Yuan Shuo’s stuck in the Institute and the two protecting him don’t dare take a single step away from him.”

“Have the Night Watchers made any arrangements?”

“We haven’t discovered any yet, but that is of no matter. There are only so many premier experts at the headquarters of the Silver Moon Night Watchers. They’re all out on missions and we have our corresponding plans. Their movements are under surveillance, not to mention they won’t easily take action.

“We might have raised their attention had we sent our own premier powerhouses, but this time? They don’t want to take the risk of open hostilities if they kill us!”

If they could kill some organization heavyweights with a single blow, the Night Watchers might be tempted to, even if they had to pay a price. But earning the enmity of a major supernatural organization in return for killing a few mid-level characters? That wasn’t worth it to them!

Dark laughter carried satisfaction and pride to the shadows. It was such an accomplishment to envelope Silver City under their influence!

So what of the Night Watchers?

They were here to harvest a mundane this time. No matter how glorious the Li clan might have once been, present day Li Hao was nothing more than a mortal. Someone from Silver City wished to stop them? What a fool who didn’t know their strength!

“When do we make our move?” came another voice from the darkness.

“There’s no rush, we wait!”

For what?

Some knew, some didn’t. A rookie among the Ghostfaces couldn’t help but ask, “Liu Long isn’t there and Yuan Shuo can’t move. The timing is perfect. Are we still going to wait?”

Wasn’t this the ideal opportunity?

“We’re going to wait a bit longer. You don’t understand. We’re going to first make the others so busy that they trip over their feet, then wait until lightning brews at night and the rain turns blue. That’s when we make our move!”

Blue?

There was such a thing as blue rainwater?

Not all of the Ghostfaces had come to Silver City before and not all of them were previously part of the mission. Surprise and confusion appeared in those who weren’t in the know.

Could rain turn blue? Why did they need to wait for this phenomenon?

……

The basement.

Li Hao breathed out heavily and looked at the others.

“They’ve lured chief away, but still don’t make their move.” He was growing anxious. “What are they waiting for?”

He’d thought the enemy would act as soon as Liu Long left, but that wasn’t the case! They were still waiting! What else did the scarlet shadow need other than the rains? He was growing frantic while waiting for them!

If worst came to worst, he’d just go toe-to-toe against them! It’d be great if he won and still be better than endlessly waiting if he died.

Not too far from him, Liu Yan chuckled softly with amusement. “Are you that eager to die?”

“What if we can kill them instead, sis?” Li Hao chuckled as well, some agitation abating. “Fine, let’s wait! Why don’t we take the initiative and head to the spot? If they’re waiting, that means the time isn’t right yet. They won’t necessarily make a move even if we leave now!”

The scarlet shadow faction still needed time and he didn’t want to sit here to wait for death.

“We wait for the chief!” Liu Yan didn’t normally listen to Liu Long’s orders all that much, but she seemed to place all of her trust in the man at a time like this. He hadn’t sent them out when he left, so she didn’t talk of leaving. No matter what Li Hao said, she insisted on staying.

……

Outside the Inspectorate.

Liu Long made his rounds with a squadron, left a few people behind to handle the case, and returned to headquarters.

But not to the basement.

The rain was growing heavier and lightning brewed in the darkness. Muffled claps of thunder sounded in the sky. Next to him, rainwater trickled down Panther’s glossy fur, but didn’t drench the dog.

They were being extremely passive! Liu Long knew that he was being led around the nose by others. It was pressure from the city and from the unknown enemy. He had no choice but to follow their path.

Regardless, there was no sign of unease or trepidation to be found in his eyes. Just calm and aloofness.