Star Gate

Chapter 243: Director Hao’s Earnest Teachings (III)

Li Hao and the others blinked. Was there really a second way? Or was this just a bluff? Hao Lianchuan certainly knew that the three of them hadn’t taken an alternate route, but had been directly transported in. He was obviously aware of certain things since he hadn’t asked why they were in the city.

In that case, talk of another entrance was most likely fake.

“I said it’s very dangerous, that’s not a lie!” Hao Lianchuan’s brows were still knitted together. “We accidentally discovered it on a prior expedition and lost a lot of people, so we were forced to give it up. Martial masters don’t elicit much of a reaction from it, so it’s safer for them to go in. I had Liu Long and the others enter first so they could investigate the distribution of the Black Armors. Their layout is different every month...”

“We don’t need you to tell us about the dangers,” the Revolution King rejected coldly. “We just want to know where it is!”

“I said it’s very dangerous...” Hao Lianchuan frowned with budding irritation.

“Do you think we’re afraid of danger?” sneered the Revolution King. “There’s nothing you want more than for all of us to die. Would you be so kind hearted as to remind us of danger? Hao Lianchuan, there’s something special about this alternate way, isn’t there?”

The deputy director struggled for a bit, conflict visible on his face.

“We’ve lost quite a great deal at this point,” Violet Moon hissed. “Do you think you can continue to keep it from us, Hao Lianchuan?”

The deputy director looked at Hu Dingfang, who ignored him. He couldn’t call the shots in this, it was up to Hao Lianchuan.

“Fine,” the man sighed. “There’s a house on the first street with a front door different from the others. It happens to face outside, so we can enter the ancient city through it. Like I said, it’s very, very dangerous. Martial masters without supernatural ripples stand a ninety percent chance of survival. Supernaturals, on the other hand, have maybe ten percent!”

Eyebrows raised in the crowd. Enter directly through an ancient house? What was inside it and what did they stand to gain from it?

“Is there a difference between entering through the ancient house and through the plaza?” Violet Moon quickly asked.

“Yes,” a reluctant Hao Lianchuan answered grumpily. “We haven’t discovered any benefits yet for martial masters, but if supernaturals take that path, their supernatural ripples won’t be obvious when they fight. Just like martial masters, they won’t result in too much attention...”

The expressions of Violet Moon and the others shifted drastically. The Revolution King broke out in large curses.

“You bastard, why didn’t you say so earlier?! The Night Watchers want to end us all, alright!”

“You idiot!” Hao Lianchuan roared back. “How many will die from mere supernatural ripples? There’s only a ten percent chance of survival with the house, so you tell me which is the greater loss! And I want to end you guys? If I want to do that, I would’ve told you this from the get-go and let you all die! I didn’t say anything because I want us all to face the enemy together, or I would’ve taken that route myself!”

“Who knows if you speak the truth or not?!” Revolution snorted. “Perhaps you want to use the soldiers to kill us first and then take the way through the ancient house!”

No matter what, they’d gained a very important piece of information. Masking supernatural ripples! This meant that they would be able to attack without reservation. The Black Armors might not be able to pinpoint their location even after the expedition team killed some soldiers. This meant that the Solars could ambush the soldiers, and that the Silver Armor may not find them if they went into hiding!

Damn that little bastard Hao Lianchuan! The Night Watchers were holding a lot of secrets, alright! They didn’t want to share! Blast that entire organization!

It was normal for enemies not to share information, but it was Hou Xiaochen who’d called for general cooperation. The guy was a hypocrite! What kind of partnership was this??

The crowd didn’t say anything, but people started shifting in the direction of the first street. Hao Lianchuan wanted to protest, but swallowed his words. He desperately wanted to speak some sense into the assembly from the looks of his expression, but sighed after a long pause and couldn’t be bothered saying anything.

He looked at the trio, as if berating them for landing the Night Watchers in this mess. Li Hao was both surprised that there really was another passageway and also found that the deputy director’s acting was a bit over the top!

Your expression is so playing cat and mouse, and this reaction... Perhaps you really hadn’t planned on saying anything, but the more you’re like this, the more tempted people are, aren’t they?

So Director Hao had quite a few tricks up his sleeve!

Exposing the second entrance decreased the amount of attention on Liu Long and the others. Since there was another way in and these three were martial masters, it was truly possible that they’d been arranged to enter ahead of time. As for why the three had dropped out of sight from the beginning, perhaps they’d taken a different route in the first place. Who knew if the Night Watchers had that available to them as well?

“Hu Dingfang, keep an eye on things here,” Hao Lianchuan sighed. “I’ll accompany them to make sure they don’t get up to other antics. It won’t do for too many to die! Li Hao, you guys are with me!”

The trio quickly followed in the deputy director’s footsteps.

“If anyone asks you guys later,” Hao Lianchuan transmitted as they walked. “Say that it’s pitch black inside and that you couldn’t see anything. You don’t know what was in the house, just that it felt like countless little hands were touching you. That’s pretty much what it feels like. As for where you went after exiting the house, say you just randomly poked around.

“Also, remember to mention that you seemed to see a medallion right before you came out. It bore some resemblance to the city entry medallions as recorded in the ancient tomes. But remember, don’t say anything unless someone forces it out of you! Liu Long and Liu Yan, let Li Hao do the talking. This guy is good at lying...”

Li Hao looked on with wounded innocence. There must be a misunderstanding, a very deep one! He’d just felt that Director Hao had some tricks up his sleeves and wasn’t necessarily a good guy, so why did he suddenly seem so... calculating?

“Lastly.” Hao Lianchuan didn’t care what the young man thought. “Don’t tell anyone that you were directly transported into the outer city. There must be something special about that. It’s not like we haven’t sent martial masters in before, but they weren’t like you. It must have something to do with Li Hao! I told you long ago that you absolutely have something to do with this place. There’s a diagram of a large turtle over the inner city doors. This place might actually be related to the eight families.”

It was apparent that the deputy director was no fool. He’d always played the part to give nothing away.

“And remember not to wander off anymore from now on! Follow me closely. We might have a chance to enter the inner city. Li Hao, I think it’s still up to you to see whether or not we can claim the origin weapon that covers the entire ancient city. Things will be dicey if you’re dead. Your teacher will come looking for us, to say nothing of the origin weapon!

“And another thing that I almost forgot—if I’m busy when we run into danger, you can go to Hu Dingfang. That guy will definitely protect you! Your teacher’s wanted to come for him multiple times and even planned to assassinate him. He was talked out of it each time, but the guy’s dead upon exit if he doesn’t protect you well in the ruins!”

“......” Li Hao was a bit dazed. Was Hu Dingfang an enemy? Why else would teacher want to kill him?

“He... learned the Five Styles!”

That’s fine, many people knew the method. So long as he didn’t know the Breathing Method of the Five Styles, what would his teacher care about this?

“He knows the core too!”

Li Hao’s expression shifted slightly and his eyes took on a hard cast. The core? The breathing method? How was that possible?!

“Don’t be mad, it has nothing to do with you. It’s a long story, one that your teacher threw away later on. Anyway, just remember to stick by his side when you run into danger!”

Li Hao committed the advice to heart and took another glance at Hao Lianchuan. The deputy director usually presented a jovial, somewhat silly facade. It seemed he was just as vicious as the rest when he decided to scheme against someone!

Hao Lianchuan ignored the look. I didn’t say anything, do you have proof? I transmitted everything, which makes even recordings impossible. Sue me if you have the evidence to! Hu Dingfang you bastard... you can be responsible for the insane trouble that is Li Hao!

The deputy director would take off his head to kick around like a ball if the unrest inside the city had nothing to do with Li Hao and the others.

“Director, can I talk now?” Li Hao whispered.

“Of course!” Hao Lianchuan responded with surprise. “Why not? Is there anyone who can eavesdrop on our conversation?”

“......” The trio blinked. Then... what did you transmit your voice for? We thought there was someone listening in and didn’t dare say anything.

“Um... there’s a bad person in our team...” said a wordless Li Hao in a muffled tone.

“I see!” Hao Lianchuan nodded, then suddenly grinned. “Are you talking about yourself?”

“...no!” Li Hao still decided to put his cards on the table. Otherwise, what if this one was nearby when the young man conducted his ambush and thought that he was killing one of their own? Hao Lianchuan might kill him in return!

“I know who you speak of.” The deputy director frowned before Li Hao continued. “But remember, even though the director says that it doesn’t matter, you can’t really treat it like it doesn’t matter. Keep in mind that we’ll be in great trouble if that person dies. There will be another layer of crime levied on the director! It will also make some people feel that the director really is of the mind to... when that’s not the truth! The director just can’t be bothered to explain...”

Li Hao looked dumbly at the man. What the heck? How come you sound like you completely know what’s going on?

“Don’t look at me like that, I’m not blind to all things!” chuckled Hao Lianchuan. “That one’s not a professional in this arena and sometimes lets some things slip. They’re not an easy target to eliminate, do you understand me? Taking action means that trouble would soon be upon us.

“Another point is that what if they send a more deeply concealed plant if anything happens to her? That’s not even taking into account the criticism and censure that might follow. This one is at least a known factor and thus easy to defend against.”

“I... I lack water energy.” Temples throbbing with a headache, Li Hao scratched his head.

Hao Lianchuan rolled his eyes and looked at the young man. “What can you do with water energy if we give it to you? Can you immediately set foot into Summoner like your teacher?”

“No... but I have hopes for Dominator.”

Hao Lianchuan hesitated with internal debate. “In any case, you can’t take action against that person. You won’t necessarily resolve the issue if you do. But if you really want to, you can do so when there’s no one around. Remember, that’s when there’s no Night Watchers around. The caveat is that you must be confident of success...”

Instead of further opposition, he told Li Hao to refrain from action when the Night Watchers were around. That person may not be the only agent among the group’s ranks. She was just the one who’d concealed her strength. Perhaps there was another plant out in the open.

Li Hao understood.