Star Gate

Chapter 524: Yuan Shuo’s Resentment (II)

The first generation of ministers had nursed great aspirations. But when each ministry came under the sole control of one family, such as the Lius for the Ministry of Finance, they deviated from their original mission statement.

The human heart was in a constant state of flux. The dragon slayers ultimately became dragons themselves and started guarding themselves against each other. Wary of their brethren and worried that the price would be too heavy to pay after the three great organizations grew in strength, the various ministries made different choices that set them on different paths.

“When the supernatural rose twenty years ago, the three great organizations were still in their infancy. We could’ve swiftly suffocated them,” Kong Jie laughed. “The Ministry of Armed Forces was very strong then, to say nothing of the others. However, they were concerned about depleting too many resources if they faced the three great organizations, so they decided to shy away from conflict! The royal family’s Black Armaturas were equally strong, but they worried that they would lose too many if sent out in battle.

“The other ministries had their own forces to deploy. There were still martial masters in places other than Silver Moon, and we’d excavated some powerful weapons from the ruins. However, everyone was very cautious that if we used up our aces, what would we do against the other eight ministries or royal family?

“That was the most important reason why the supernatural rose swiftly and the three great organizations were not eradicated. Leaders like Ying Hongyue were very smart and knew that this would be the result...

“Ultimately, the Inspectorate decided to establish the Night Watchers and received support from the other ministries and royal family. Since no one wanted to take action, we would establish a new organization and recruit powerhouses from all sides to work for the dynasty.

“At that time, no one fathomed that the supernatural would grow so quickly in twenty years. They surpassed martial masters in the blink of an eye and even became stronger than some powerful hot weapons...”

Li Hao listened silently to the background of the world. He drank a few cups of wine and looked at the feasting Demon Hunters around him.

“Let’s set this aside!” The young man smiled. “There’s not much meaning to it anyhow. I was confused about this before because I felt it was unfair. I hated the situation and refused to accept it!

“But when the inspector general said that this age is just this rotten and that even the nine ministries are rotten, I suddenly feel that there’s no need to listen to anything else anymore.”

Indeed, there was no need. This era was rotten to the core. The royal family was possibly in cahoots with the three great organizations. Favors traded hands with each other and no one was willing to take a definitive stand against the three great organizations. Various hegemonies in other provinces wished for the three great organizations to curtail the central region, so they secretly supported the supernatural heavyweights.

It was laughable, but very true. The three great organizations had a wonderful time in their operations. They didn’t suffer or scurry in the shadows like mice, as was so commonly thought of them.

Not by far!

The true situation was that minor scuffles appeared with regularity between the two sides, but never a major skirmish. As for the city annihilation missiles trained on them... how many powerhouses would that really kill?

It was far more likely that the civilians would suffer instead.

As for the Night Watchers, it was said that some troublemakers fooled around, killed Yama’s grandson, and stole the Heavens Dictate to elevate the fights into all-out war. It dragged in Novas and caused the deaths of supernaturals of that level.

Before that, the Night Watchers had been in retreat on all fronts and doggedly stuck defense. They didn’t dare take proactive action.

When Li Hao first heard this information, he’d been speechless. With the scale of the mess that those troublemakers had created... they weren’t spies, were they? Now that he looked at it, perhaps they were just acting according to their will and not paying attention to the nine ministries and royal family. They turned everything into shambles because they didn’t have any other thoughts in mind. It was the others who had their own schemes and plots in mind.

Kong Jie said nothing further.

......

Li Hao relaxed after everyone finished eating and announced, “Now that we’ve eaten and drank our fill, let’s have fun in the city! Everything’s on me! However, remember to conceal your identity. Do not reveal that you are a Demon Hunter. If you are exposed, don’t start any conflict and contact me for anything!”

“Leader, we’re not going...”

“Go!” Li Hao roared. “Why not?! Everyone into the city! It’s just one day and we might not have the chance for vacation or rest tomorrow. There might only be never-ending battle and a standing mission to exterminate the pirates!

“I hung up the White Shark Raiders today, White Shark himself is still alive and wishes to maintain his control over the seas. He’ll come for us sooner or later! Otherwise, the other seven factions will eat him alive if he doesn’t dare respond after we killed their number two and three. No matter what, he’ll come for revenge. He’ll come even knowing that Silver Moon is not a faction to antagonize!”

Kong Jie inclined his head. Li Hao read the situation very clearly sometimes. If White Shark wished to maintain his footing in the North Sea, he would have to find a way to eliminate Li Hao, whether for intimidation, to cement his own reputation, or for revenge. Otherwise, his White Shark Raiders were done for.

If he didn’t dare even scream with outrage after losing two of his commanders and six hundred supernaturals, who would dare join his banner in the future? Perhaps he would suffer desertions as his men joined other pirate groups.

No one protested after Li Hao’s words. Perhaps... perhaps they wouldn’t have a chance to relax in the future. Thus, no one refused the leader’s suggestion.

“You take everyone into the city and pay for everything first!” Li Hao looked at Wang Ming.

“That’s easily done!” Wang Ming quickly responded. Super easy! I have so much money!

“You two have another mission.” Li Hao looked at Hong Qing and Hong Hao. “Have the local army send one hundred people to escort you and the women to the Sword Sect.”

Hong Qing bobbed her head rapidly.

“Let’s take care of the remaining corpses on the ships.” Li Hao looked at Liu Long. “If any of them are the women’s family... ask them if they wish to be buried at the Sword Sect. If not, bury them here with the rest.”

“Understood!” Liu Long answered crisply, looking at Li Hao differently from before.

The young man didn’t mind and turned to Kong Jie. “Inspector General Kong, please keep me notified of any intelligent reports...” He thought for a bit and took out a set of black armor. “Please keep this for now. You can use it to contact me if we are within five hundred kilometers of each other.”

Kong Jie’s eyes widened and he stared at Li Hao. “I hadn’t thought that you’d obtain authorization... That’s very rare!” Plainly, he knew a bit of the ancient armor’s purpose.

“Does the inspector general mean to say that others have obtained it before?”

“Yes, the royal family’s Black Armaturas!” Kong Jie intoned. “They seem to have this kind of armor and it should come with some authorization. When the Black Armaturas conquered the ninety-nine provinces, they were able to coordinate their efforts within five hundred kilometers through a superior communication system...”

The Black Armaturas!

It wasn’t his first time hearing this name. Li Hao thought of the Skystar Garrison and the one hundred thousand troops on duty there to protect the island of energy. Perhaps the royal family had obtained authorization over that troop. That indicated they really had discovered the garrison’s ruins.

Would there only be one of this army back in the day? There might be others, such as the other seven families’ cities. There were certain to be other mid-sized cities as well. Some people had explored other ruins before and may have obtained armor there. Granted, they wouldn’t have necessarily received the same authorization.

Li Hao continued giving his instructions. Wang Ming left with the Demon Hunters. Hong Qing and her fellow disciple escorted the survivors to the Sword Sect. Liu Long directed burial efforts for the rest of the bodies.

Delicate sensibilities were not considered when the bodies were shifted out. The Southern Ford citizens observing from the distance paled with horror. They hadn’t felt this way when they saw the pirates’ bodies, but color drained from their faces when they saw the civilians’ corpses.

They’d been like Li Hao before, rather indifferent to news of places being razed to the ground. Silver Moon was a wonderful environment. But now as they saw corpses devoid of organs and the grisly way that children had died... Many looked on with ashen faces while others flushed with fury.

“Animals!” they cursed, hot-blooded natures at the core of their being.

They watched gruesome corpses being carried out and thought of these bandits killing untold numbers of people. That had only been abstract numbers before as they hadn’t personally seen the victims. Now that they did... the crowd bitterly hated the pirates!

Thank goodness the Demon Hunters had been nearby last night, or this would have been Southern Ford’s fate. Attitudes shifted from their previous fear and wariness when they looked at the soldiers in black armor again.

“Well done!” Someone raised their thumb. “Silver Moon’s army is the foremost throughout the world, already! We scattered those animals upon the wind, well done!”

“It’s Silver Moon’s martial masters that are the best!” An old man gnashed his teeth in the crowd. “Such was the case back in the day. Who dared bully Silver Moon’s people? Our martial masters walked uncontested through the world. It’s one thing if we beat each other to death, but there’s no way that outsiders could profit at our expense! Foreign martial masters would be chased to the ends of the world if they dared seize a cup of water from us!”

The old man didn’t say that Silver Moon martial masters back in the day were not the benevolent sort. He still recalled some martial masters—they ate and drank without paying. Stubborn as goats, they would ask the old man if the latter wanted their lives or money. If the old man wanted their lives, the martial masters would cut off their own heads for payment!

Right, the old man still recalled one of his old customers with a loud voice and big beard. Another person came for him later, calling him Southern Fist. This Southern Fist still owed his little restaurant three hundred coins! That was a lot back in the day. I wonder if Big Beard is still alive or not?

The newcomer eventually sat on Big Beard and smashed his face into the ground. The old man had applauded with glee and forgotten to demand payment. The martial master to beat up Big Beard had been such a good guy that he still couldn’t forget it! That one seemed to have been called... Big Monkey Demon King!

The old man took a walk down memory lane and jerked out of it, sighing when he saw the ghastly state of the Near River corpses. As annoying and strong as Big Beard had been, he’d only refused to pay his debt. If payment was demanded, he simply blustered to offer his head instead. None of those people were as cruel as these pirates as to slaughter an entire town of people just because they were in a bad mood.