Star Gate

Chapter 709: Turning Into a Fatty With One Bite (IV)

The princess’ thoughts turned inward after Li Hao left. What an interesting young man. The requests he’d raised weren’t hard. It would be a good thing for the royal family if he could truly find his footing in Skystar City. After some musing, she took out a mirror that had a face reflecting out of it.

“You heard him too, royal father. What do you think?”

“Li Hao is quite interesting.” An august voice slowly trailed out of the mirror; some amusement could be heard within it. “He wants to establish his authority and even manifest greater prestige among the people. He intends to create a scene of the four cardinal directions bowing to his every word.

“However, he overestimates the people. I don’t know if he wishes to be the Human King, but Silver Moon has never been a place to bow to discipline. The world’s chaos starts from the north! But chaos is good. Haven’t we done everything we’ve done so far for this?

“Agree to everything he wishes! He has become an inalienable part of Silver Moon! Earthturner Sword, the Five Styles King, and the others have close relationships with him. We may need Li Hao’s impulsive nature and ambitions if we want Silver Moon to further war with the nine ministries!”

Whether it was brashness or ambitions, all was fine. Li Hao’s personality destined him for more clashes with the nine ministries.

“We should impose more restrictions on the nine ministries so that Li Hao has more room to develop and grow...”

“But royal father, what if... someone from Silver Moon fully finds their footing in Skystar City...” the seventh princess said softly.

“Do you think that is a possibility?” came the stately voice. “If we hadn’t kept the nine ministries preoccupied in the prior battle, those of Silver Moon wouldn’t have had good endings. This is Skystar, not Silver Moon! Do you understand?”

“Understood!” The princess nodded as the person in the mirror vanished.

......

Li Hao walked out of the Nine Dragons Pavilion, accompanied by the female manager. He didn’t mind that she was as enthusiastic as ever. The young man was lost in thought.

Whatever the royal family was thinking, they would sit idly by while he built a reputation of irreconcilable differences with the nine ministries. There was even Battle Heaven and Silver Moon standing behind him.

That the royal family had been forced behind the curtains meant that they either were of the same strength as the nine ministries, or they were slightly weaker and needed his help. Although, were the nine ministries that strong? After setting foot into Arcanus, Li Hao didn’t think much of this level.

The nine ministries had eighteen ministers total, if counting the previous generation. Well, there were seventeen now. Even if they were all Arcanus who wielded ancient weapons, could they suppress the royal family with that?

The royal family possessed nine princes and thirty-six dukes, as well as twenty-two children in the youngest generation. There was also the Skystar King—was this level of force insufficient to battle the nine ministries?

Li Hao decided that he might need to wait until he obtained information from the royal family before he could complete his understanding. The most pressing task at hand was to return to Silver Moon for a visit. He needed to look in on Battle Heaven, the little tree, Silver City...

He’d told the royal family about everything—would they ambush him when he left?

Attacking from the shadows... they might as well ally with the nine ministries to kill him! Li Hao laughed. That might lead to greater overall losses for the royal family, so it was more worthwhile to let powerhouses of the nine ministries end him.

......

The Night Watcher headquarters.

“You’re going back to Silver Moon right now?” Hou Xiaochen frowned slightly.

“Yes.”

The man continued frowning as he considered the notion. “Will you be coming back?”

“Of course!”

Hou Xiaochen thought it over again and again, his head aching. “I’m worried about you creating even greater trouble after you return to Silver Moon. Don’t do anything rash... Whether it’s Battle Heaven or others, it’s not time for those existences to emerge into the world yet! You raise disturbances everywhere you go. As opposed to generating more trouble in Silver Moon, you might as well stay in Skystar City. At the very least, this is someone else’s territory if you muck it all up. Silver Moon is our home.”

“Am I that kind of person? Am I such a troublemaker in the director’s eyes?” Li Hao exclaimed with indignation.

Are you not? Hou Xiaochen wanted to roll his eyes. How are you not? Think about what you’re saying! When do you not create massive trouble? First you attack the Steadfast Duke, then you attack the nine ministries. Are these the actions of a normal person??

As much as his head ached, he knew that the young man was going back because he had matters to take care of. “It’s fine if you want to make a trip back, just be careful on the road! Also, I want to remind you that the ancients are the ancients, and we modern people are modern people! The two are different, particularly monster spirits. They cannot be easily trusted!

“By the way, the Inspectorate says that the Ministry of Finance has relinquished a ruin. It might have belonged to a martial university. Do you want to participate in the excavation? But it’s not like they have good intentions...”

“I’ll consider it when I get back!” Li Hao swiftly made some calculations. “I’m fast since I have the Windchaser Boots and am of the wind and thunder attributes. It’ll only take me two or three days to go back to Silver Moon, and roughly a week total for the trip. We can discuss this when I return. You can talk to Director Yao about this, Director Hou. Have him join us with the Night Watchers and become part of the Skystar Commander Office or one of its subordinate agencies...”

“......” Hou Xiaochen felt a migraine setting in. “Go speak to him of this yourself!”

“I’m not going!” Li Hao shook his head. “I’m a youngster with a hot temper. I might end up fighting with him. Director, you’re mature and prudent. You’re the perfect candidate to talk to him.”

Damn it! Hou Xiaochen wanted to smash the kid’s face in. Was Li Hao even listening to himself? Yao Si had been his supervisor to start, now the kid wanted to recruit him as an underling?? He was the one who’d set up the Night Watchers, but Li Hao wanted to take it for himself. His appetite was more than unusually big!

Won’t that old thing send me flying with a punch if I go talk to him?

“Maintaining the status quo is quite nice...”

“That gives rise to illegitimacy!” Li Hao shook his head. “The proper trappings of power are very important at times! Why else would the nine ministries establish themselves otherwise? The director should know more about this than me.”

No shit I do, but do you even realize what you’re doing? Why don’t you go yourself? You also know that if you go, you might end up fighting with Yao Si, don’t you? Not to mention that the entire Inspectorate might want to fight you!

“To the capable falls more responsibility!” Li Hao said sincerely. “The director is omnipotent in my eyes! Ask Manager Yu if you don’t believe me! Manager Yu, can our director convince Director Yao?”

“Of course!” Yu Luocha immediately nodded.

“......” Fucking hell! Hou Xiaochen wanted to curse at someone, but didn’t know who to curse. Little Yu’s mind... Well, it wasn’t her fault. After so many years, Yu Luocha firmly believed that he could do anything and everything. But... but...

Hou Xiaochen didn’t know what to say! Li Hao certainly knew to pick his hapless targets well.

“Let’s talk about this later, I’ll try my best,” Hou Xiaochen caved with reluctance. “Additionally, don’t get too close with the royal family. They’re far more than they appear to be. They already commanded the Black Armaturas two hundred years ago, which means they obtained the legacy of some ruins during that time. You know how it is from your dealings with the Battle Heaven Army. The supernatural hadn’t arisen then, but martial masters were always present. Do you know what I mean?”

Li Hao nodded, he did. The royal family also had more than one thousand Black Armaturas. That meant that the royal family might’ve had a commander level officer in their own army two hundred years ago, or that they hadn’t activated their armor. Otherwise, they should have a full division of ten thousand troops!

The city of Tranquil Star City had had one hundred thousand city defenders. They were a bonafide corps when it came to military designations. Who knew what level the royal family had progressed to? If they sent in someone with a high level of authorization and was recognized as a troop leader, that meant their Black Armaturas might be one hundred thousand strong!

But that wasn’t likely, was it?

Li Hao knew that the possibility was very difficult, unless the royal family had someone descended from the city defenders of old and snuck into the ancient city like he had. They would’ve nearly become a commander, and if he’d been strong enough, he would’ve been a first rank general to lead ten thousand people.

“Right, give these things to the provincial government.” Hou Xiaochen took out a storage ring. “Don’t look at it, there’s no treasure inside. It’s just some supplies that Silver Moon needs. Give it to the right people when you return!”

“Alright!”

“Be careful along the way. As fast as you are, keep an eye out for the three great organizations.”

“Understood!” Li Hao quickly set out on his way. As for whether or not Hou Xiaochen and the rest would be safe in Skystar City, there weren’t many issues with that at present. The royal family was still there curbing the nine ministries. The young man wouldn’t leave so easily otherwise.

......

Not long after Li Hao left the Night Watcher headquarters, a massive collision rang through the air. Yao Si sent a person flying as he roared with anger!

Hou Xiaochen sighed and permitted himself to soar back to his office building.

I knew this would happen!

It was one thing for Li Hao to be drunk on power and wanting to seize control, but to move the Night Watchers under his banner... This was truly adding insult to injury. It was mercy enough that Yao Si didn’t want his head for it!

......

Li Hao wasn’t in a hurry to leave after departing from the Night Watcher headquarters. He set out only after taking his leave from Hong Yitang and Light Sword.