Star Gate

Chapter 630: Nine Dragons Pagoda (I)

Three humans and one dog stared at each other in an office. No one said a word. Li Hao was waiting for Hou Xiaochen to get up to go to dinner. There were too many people here, they should find a quieter place for dinner. It would be reimbursed, anyways. But... why was the director just sitting there?

Hou Xiaochen was digesting the latest developments, gearing up for motion, and thinking. He smiled after a long moment. He’s already here... it’s not like I can throw him out. It’s just as well that he’s here!

The director heaved a long sigh and looked at Li Hao with a smile that was much more natural this time. “Let’s go to dinner! I am so comforted that Little Li Hao is here. Little Yu, make a reservation for a grand meal at... the Nine Dragons Pagoda!”

Manager Yu sucked in a sharp breath. The director was crazy! What kind of place was the Nine Dragons Pagoda?? That was where the major personages of the nine ministries went to make merry and seek entertainment.

You want to take Li Hao there? Don’t you think we have enough trouble on our hands? Her head ached fiercely and she suddenly wanted to go back to Silver Moon...

Meanwhile, Hou Xiaochen had decided to throw caution to the wind. The lad was here already, was he supposed to send the boy away? Since the young man was here, they might as well have a grander time of things.

Of course, the duties that they should carry out still needed to be completed. As the Skystar commander and a deputy director of the Night Watchers, he had some responsibilities to uphold.

“Li Hao.” Hou Xiaochen laughed before they set out and swiftly scribbled something on a piece of paper. “You achieved certain merits before this, so the Inspectorate promoted you to peacemaker commissioner. You are to patrol your territory and ensure that peace and tranquility reside within it. This means you have important duties at hand now as well.

“Since you’ve just come to the central region, it will be troublesome for you to apply for some other positions. You’ll need to pass many checks...” Hou Xiaochen finished writing on the paper. “Therefore, in my position as the Skystar commander, I recommend you as the Skystar vice commander. The vice commander doesn’t need to be audited by the Inspectorate, it can be an internal decision through the Night Watchers. You will be the vice commander so long as our director agrees!”

Li Hao blinked. The Skystar vice commander? What did that do? That wasn’t important—more importantly was that he’d been promoted and didn’t know about it! Peacemaker commissioner! Didn’t that place him on the same level as Hou Xiaochen?

No wait...

The look in Li Hao’s eyes grew odd as he recalled a certain detail. “Director... I heard people say on the road... that you’ve... been demoted to high rank chief commissioner?”

Hou Xiaochen halted and looked at Li Hao. What do you mean by that?

“And I’ve been promoted to peacemaker commissioner?” the young man laughed dryly.

“That’s right, you’re higher rank than me. What are you trying to say?” Hou Xiaochen smiled at him.

Li Hao looked around sheepishly. I didn’t want to say anything, I just wanted to say... that your rank isn’t as high as mine after several decades of service. Damn, doesn’t that suck!

Hou Xiaochen couldn’t be bothered to continue the conversation. A knock sounded on the office door moments later. Everyone knew that someone had come—Li Hao didn’t know who the visitor was. Hou Xiaochen did and smiled in the direction of the door. You’ve got such sharp ears and eyes. Your people arrive as soon as Li Hao does.

“Enter!” Little Ye pushed the door open and looked at Li Hao—the weird person she’d noted earlier. She didn’t recognize the young man, so she didn’t greet him, but she did seem a bit wary of Hou Xiaochen.

“Director Hou, the director says that we didn’t host a welcome banquet for you and wishes to take you out to dinner sometime during these two days...” She bent at the waist.

“Sounds good!” Hou Xiaochen agreed readily—so readily that, despite this being a natural course of action, it made Little Ye uncomfortable that he didn’t ask anything.

“Take this back with you.” Hou Xiaochen directed a sheet of paper to drift over. “Have the director look it over and sign it.”

Little Ye regarded it doubtfully.

“Just take it back for the director to look at.”

“Understood!” Little Ye didn’t dare ask further. This person was a serial killer, a heartless man! He’d confiscated anything he wanted from the Steadfast Duke’s manor at the drop of a hat. She didn’t dare object to whatever he did, particularly as the old director primarily ocused on keeping himself in good health these days. He didn’t have much authority in the Night Watchers anymore.

As for what Hou Xiaochen wanted signed, she had no idea. Little Ye tried looking at the paper, but her eyes watered at the sight. It delivered even more shock to her. So even Hou Xiaochen’s written words delivered such an impact? That was terrifying!

Little Ye didn’t linger; she took another glance at Li Hao and the puppy before she left. Confusion still swirled in her heart—who was visiting Director Hou in the middle of the night?

She left with unanswered questions. Li Hao waited for her to be gone before asking with confusion, “That’s... our director’s secretary?”

“Yes.”

“How nice!”

“......” Hou Xiaochen blinked. What was nice about that?

“So I can have a female secretary when I’m a deputy director, and it’ll be the dynasty that pays her salary. I’m a peacemaker commissioner now. If I hire a secretary, the agency will pay her wages, right?”

“......”

Li Hao... why are you always so... different!

Hou Xiaochen had absolutely no words. What in the world are you cooking at a time like this??

Manager Yu completely ignored them and lowered her head, busy with unidentifiable work. Li Hao is as rich as a nation after raiding the Xu family treasury. Why is he always so cheap?

As much as they were joking, Li Hao was still considering some more serious topics. “The director is the old man with white hair, right?”

“You’ve met him?”

“I saw him when I came in just now.” the young man flashed a grin. “He’s very strong!”

“Of course.” Hou Xiaochen nodded. “He was the director when the Night Watchers were formed twenty years ago. The nine ministries and royal family didn’t want to devote additional resources to fighting the three great organizations. They wanted a blade, and the director was that blade! Keep in mind that in that age, even a blade needed to be worthy and capable of its position. I was a blade once, but I could only be used in Silver Moon. He, however, was the entire dynasty’s blade!”

“Then he’s definitely strong.” Li Hao nodded. “He seems to be a pure martial master! I wonder how many supernatural locks he’s saturated.” He looked at Hou Xiaochen again. “Director Hou seems to have perfected something. Have you improved in your cultivation again?”

“What makes you say that?” The man smiled, to which Li Hao responded smilingly as well.

Because you hurt my eyes before, and now you no longer do. This meant that the drawbacks or latent injuries left from converting from supernatural back to martial master had been overcome. They were suppressed or completely buried. It meant that Hou Xiaochen had undoubtedly improved and returned to being a martial master in both name and meaning.

Therefore, he must have improved. Otherwise, he would be like Manager Yu to the side, slightly searing to the eye. That was a sign of an incomplete conversion. Part of her energy couldn’t be fully withdrawn into her body. That residual energy stuck out like a sore thumb to Li Hao.

Hou Xiaochen didn’t mind this much and rose to say, “Come on, let’s head to the Nine Dragons Pagoda for dinner. The director should sign the paper soon. You’ll be a Skystar vice commander by the time we come back.”

“What good is that for?” asked Li Hao.

“Plenty of good!” Hou Xiaochen laughed as they walked. “It’s useful so long as there is a day in which the dynasty stands. Of course, the caveat is that you need to have enough strength for your position. Otherwise, you’ll be killed like Xu Qing. That won’t be much good then.

“It’s very useful in Skystar City. This isn’t the eastern continent, this is the territory of the nine ministries and royal family. If anyone dares kill a Skystar vice commander... the various factions will have to save you even if they want nothing more than your death. Of course, their response times may vary, so they’ll exact revenge for you if you’re killed.”

Li Hao smiled with resignation. Was that it? He’d thought it would be much more useful.

“There’s another benefit in that you’ll be assigned a house in Skystar City,” Manager Yu added in a chilly tone. “Although it’ll be very small, real estate is hard to come by in Skystar City. It’ll have a prime location of being on the Avenue of the Nine Ministries.”

“......” Hou Xiaochen wanted to roll his eyes. You talk of that at a time like this?

“That’s great!” Li Hao grinned. “That’s a fantastic benefit! Do I get the deed to the house?”

“......” Hou Xiaochen couldn’t be bothered with these two. Was Little Yu being affected by Li Hao’s weirdness as well? “Let’s go!”

Li Hao followed by the manager’s side as they talked. “If I’m a peacemaker commissioner, do I get a car?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Do I have to find my own driver, or do I drive myself?”

“Up to you.”

“I’ve never remembered to ask, but what rank are you, Manager Yu?”

“......” The woman ignored that question. You just want to know who’s ranked higher. You’re higher, happy now?

Hou Xiaochen continued to be speechless up ahead.

“Ah, yes. Where are Senior Golden Spear and the others?”

“Out on patrol of Skystar City,” Manager Yu explained. “Keep a low profile here and be careful. You need a legitimate pretext for any actions you undertake. You’ll be in grave trouble if you don’t! It’s a good thing that the Night Watchers are thus far the only officially recognized supernatural law enforcement agency. We have the right to administer the law, remember this well.”

Nothing else mattered.

“So, no one will be able to bring me in if I commit a crime, is that so?” Li Hao asked, deep in thought.

“Yes,” the manager answered. “But Director Hou calls the shots only inside the Night Watcher. We have no recourse if someone else puts out a warrant for your arrest.”