Star Gate

Chapter 708: Turning Into a Fatty With One Bite (III)

One more group of martial brutes in this day and age wouldn’t change anything. The royal family would pay more attention if Li Hao proposed cultivating a bunch of scholars as these were the types that fanned flames in people’s hearts.

The seventh princess quickly weighed up the pros and cons. The young man’s proposed course of action did indeed seem to be irrelevant to the royal family. It would actually further set Silver Moon and the nine ministries against each other!

“Additionally, I’m concerned that the nine ministries have yet to send out their greatest powerhouses,” said Li Hao. “There might be some ancient heavyweights in store. Therefore, I’d like to make a trip back to Silver Moon and Battle Heaven. Perhaps I can request some of those ancient characters to emerge as well. If they really back me into a corner, I’ll go toe-to-toe with them to the bitter end!”

“The Skystar Marquis... has reached an agreement with those existences?” The seventh princess was startled.

“What agreement?” Li Hao was baffled. “I am the heir to the Lis of the eight families, it’s natural that they listen to me! Granted, I can’t command them at the moment, I can only try negotiating with them.”

“Can the existences in Battle Heaven... set foot into the world?”

“Can they not?” Li Hao asked with confusion.

The princess paused, on the verge of a slight mental breakdown. “Um... it’s better if the marquis makes a full inquiry. These existences... cannot easily emerge in our world. The supernatural has just awoken for the first time, which means that there is not enough energy in the world to support them. Second, the rules of dao have slightly changed, so these existences may not be able to adapt to the differences. All of this needs to be resolved by the second awakening...”

“The second awakening?” Li Hao was truly lost this time.

“It’s not just these ancient existences, but also us who need denser energy in the world to support us.” The princess nodded, she didn’t keep anything to herself. “Since we are inhabitants of this era, the effect on us is not as great. The reason why the Arcanus realm is not as stable at the moment also has to do with the lack of energy in the world. All of this requires the second awakening of the supernatural.

“The marquis is a core figure of Silver Moon, but you may not know yet that when the supernatural awakens for the second time, that is when all sides will invade Silver Moon.”

This was potentially a secret to Li Hao, but it was known to certain personnel of the province. The princess didn’t care whether the young man knew or not.

“We are not the only ones. Certain ancient existences also wish to set foot into the province upon the second awakening. Everyone wishes to intrude upon Silver Moon. I shall not speak further on why.

“The Skystar Marquis should not brashly invite those existences out into the open. It might give rise to unpredictable danger. This was why these entities didn’t appear in the battle between Silver Moon and the nine ministries. Otherwise, even the marquis’ master could have brought some to the battlefield...”

Li Hao glanced at her. She sure knew a lot!

“When is the second awakening?”

“We don’t know.” The seventh princess shook her head. “Everyone is waiting. It’s been twenty years since the last awakening. It might be soon, it might still lack certain turning points. However, I trust that it will be soon!”

She didn’t go into the specifics. As much as Li Hao wanted to roll his eyes, he didn’t ask further.

“Then I don’t care, I’m just going to go ask around,” the young man continued. “Apart from specific information on the nine ministries, the separation of the Night Watchers and others, I have another matter to request your help with.”

“Please go ahead, Skystar Marquis.”

“I hear people say that the current communication system and the transmission pendants were all created by something... called the Skystar... Research Center. I need some technological support. Additionally, I hear that the Nine Dragons Pavilion took in a batch of those people back in the day. I’d like to have them...”

“What??”

“What are you raising your voice for?” Li Hao looked wordlessly at the princess. “It’s just some mundanes, but I need to build my own communication system. I can’t keep using someone else’s. Whether it’s the Night Watchers, nine ministries, or even the royal family, how would I dare let you guys have control over my communications? I need to build my own intelligence network, what’s so strange about that?

“This is just a small matter.” The young man looked on innocently. “I hear that the Nine Dragons Pavilion can instantly communicate with the entire world...”

“The marquis can use ours. I promise that we absolutely will not eavesdrop...”

“Heh!” Li Hao snorted with laughter. “Do you believe your words? Just say it if you’re not willing to lend the people to me. It’s a good thing for you guys if I find my footing in Skystar City. You had no opinions about my earlier requests, but you have issues with me borrowing people and building up an intelligence system?”

“Skystar Duke, it’s not that I’m refusing you...” The princess frowned. “But that these people have either died, scattered to the four corners, or been recruited by others. I don’t have many on hand either and need them to maintain the operations of our transmission hub...”

This really was a difficult task to fulfill! Some of these people grasped advanced technology, some others possessed top secrets. Their research head had died earlier, which created a problem for the Nine Dragons Pavilion. That Li Hao had chosen to borrow these people now...

To be honest, these people didn’t amount to much in terms of strength, but they were irreplaceable when it came to importance!

“So the princess means not to fulfill my request, is it? Just say so if you mean so!” Li Hao frowned and rose to leave.

“Don’t be in such a hurry, Skystar Marquis.” The seventh princess rose with a dismayed cast to her expression. “I... need to discuss this with royal father.”

She hadn’t needed approval for her earlier matters, but she did in this one.

“Borrowing a few mundanes needs approval from the Skystar King? Are you kidding me?” Li Hao asked with blatant incomprehension.

“No...” The princess wasn’t at liberty to go into detail.

“This is so much hassle!” Li Hao frowned. “Honestly, it’s not a difficult task for me. Battle Heaven armor can transmit messages every thousand kilometers, I can just put personnel for every one thousand kilometers! It’s just that I won’t have that much armor to spare when my troops increase in number and I’ll have to be careful of being ambushed by others if I arrange for people everywhere.

“This is just adding to surefire success, not giving a hand for needed aid. That you decline even this... Do you think that I won’t be of any help to the royal family upon staying?”

The seventh princess blinked and noticed a key detail in Li Hao’s words. “The marquis can activate the armor?”

“No shit!”

The princess didn’t mind his rudeness. She quickly recovered her smile after a momentary frown. “I wonder... how many sets of armor can the marquis activate?”

“Only one thousand for now.”

The princess heaved a slight sigh of relief and deepened her smile. “Then the marquis means to say that you can activate more in the future?”

“I naturally can if Battle Heaven doesn’t reject me as a supernatural. The concern there is...” The young man gnashed his teeth. “I will take the nine ministries to task sooner or later for their responsibility in forcing me to become an Arcanus. They’ve wrecked so many of my opportunities!”

That was very true; the princess nodded in agreement.

“That’s right, it’s such a pity. If the marquis had always remained a Silver Moon martial master and leveraged your identity as the heir of the Lis, you would be guaranteed the greatest of fortuitous opportunities in Silver Moon. You might even be able to dominate the world! But now... it is indeed a pity!

“Forget it, the key is that you won’t lend me the people. Then forget about everything!”

“We will!” The princess had thought things through. “You are in too much of a hurry sometimes, Skystar Marquis. I merely said to discuss the matter for a bit, not that I was refusing you. It’s just that I won’t have that many people to lend you. After all, I don’t have that many people. How about... ten?”

“Will that ensure smooth communication function?”

“It absolutely will!”

“Then that works!” Li Hao nodded. “With so few people you should just raise a few more. It’s just a few mundanes, but look at you hemming and hawing like this.”

The seventh princess smiled without saying a word.

“Then it’s settled!” Li Hao said nothing further. “These are the three main matters. Once I find my footing in Skystar City, just watch the hell that I rain down on the nine ministries!

“Oh, right, I might need to kill some people in my quest against the nine ministries to come. There might need to be some from the royal family among them, so give me a list of pawns you can discard or people who don’t listen to you. I’ll take care of them for you!”

“Um...” The seventh princess paused.

“Don’t tell me that you guys are completely working together!” Li Hao snapped. “Do you think I don’t understand anything? Don’t you know to eliminate those who are of no help to you? I need heads to establish my authority and weaken the influence of the nine ministries. Of course, I can’t let people think that I am afraid of the royal family, so I’ll kill your people along with the rest! The nine ministries will think I’m crazy then and wait for us two to start fighting. Do you really think that all I know is to be rash?”

A light danced in the seventh princess’ eyes. This guy really wasn’t brainlessly rash! If he killed people on both sides, that might induce the nine ministries to discuss the possibility of allying against Li Hao. If the royal family took advantage of the opening to raise some demands, but continued to secretly partner with Li Hao in the dark... That might lead to unexpected benefits.

But in that case, that would strengthen Li Hao’s prestige.

Yet upon further thought, prestige was of no use in this day and age. Strength was king!

“Very well... but this matter needs to remain a secret!” The princess nodded after some thought.

“Of course! Am I supposed to announce to the world that I’m working with the royal family to help them eliminate dissidents? What a joke! Oh right, you must have proper evidence for these people. I don’t kill random people, so don’t give me a list of innocents. I have no interest in being your blade!”

“That won’t happen!”

“Then here’s to our partnership!” Li Hao grinned. “I shan’t be staying then. Ah, yes, send a meal’s worth of dishes to the northern city everyday. I’ll settle the bill at the end of the year!”

“Oh, that’s perfectly alright...” chuckled the seventh princess.

“Then I thank Your Highness for your generosity!”

“......” That stopped the princess in her tracks. Do you really lack this money, Li Hao? I was just being polite, but you took me at my word! Granted, this was just pocket change to her, so she didn’t voice a protest. “As we should!”

Li Hao left without another word. The princess didn’t see him out.