Star Gate

Chapter 332: Blinded (III)

“Look to the left.” Hao Lianchuan kicked Li Hao again. “The three on the left are the commanders of the Silver Moon army! The one in the middle with the white hair is Commander Yu of the Silver Moon Division. That old man’s really something! He’s fought in wars before and personally pacified a rebellion, but he’s also cocky as hell. I’ve met him twice, but he’s always super frigid. I don’t like having to interact with that old guy!”

Li Hao looked to the left and saw the three people. He also saw Hu Dingfang looking at him; the man nodded at his wife’s junior brother. Next to him was a blinding existence. The old man happened to be looking their way, seeming to look at both Li Hao and Hao Lianchuan. He was expressionless and very stern.

“Now look to the right, see that big hulk on the right?” Hao Lianchuan continued transmitting. “That massive beefy guy is the inspector general, our superior in the hierarchy of power. His name’s Kong Jie—like a woman’s, isn’t that funny? Don’t look down on Mr. Hulk, he’s pretty strong as a peak Sunflare. They say he’s almost a Solar, which makes him just a little less than me. That’s not bad!”

The towering inspector general on the right also looked over at them. He seemed to speak to Hou Xiaochen in an even tone. “Xiaochen, leave the riff raff behind next time we have a meeting. This just creates a mess!”

“......” Hao Lianchuan continued after a beat. “He’s talking about you! This guy doesn’t know how strong you are, otherwise...”

It was Li Hao’s turn to kick the deputy director, horrified ruefulness welling up in his heart. My dear Lord Hao, will you stop talking?! Shut up! I’m not strong, I’m not strong at all. What am I worth? I’m shit!! And they’re not talking about me, they’re talking about you! You’re donezo!

What an incredible feat it was for Hao Lianchuan to survive to present day! The ones he’d talked about were all people who blinded Li Hao when the young man looked at them. This is nuts! What’s with Silver Moon? All of them are making me go blind, I can’t look at them! It doesn’t look like balls of light or auras...

They exuded a terrifying feeling to the young man, but it didn’t seem like they were simple martial masters or supernaturals. He just felt that he was going blind and losing his mental facilities.

Hao Lianchuan thought that transmission was foolproof—and indeed it was. Regular Novas wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop. He added another word, “Blondie over there is Hu Qingfeng. He’s a Nova from central headquarters. He’s the second strongest here after Director Hou, so be careful of him!”

Li Hao looked at Hu Qingfeng—blindness didn’t threaten him this time! The man’s ball of light was enormous. Mmhmm, he was indeed very strong. And that was all there was to him!

Hu Qingfeng’s expression was so frosty that it was like everyone owed him money. Li Hao didn’t care. He looked at Hu Qingfeng, then at the others before sighing inwardly. So someone like this had come to Silver Moon. It was only today that the young man understood a little more about the particulars of the province.

Silver Moon was hell!

Solars were insignificant fireflies! Not even the late Solar Hu Dingfang stood out. Li Hao began doubting his eyesight when he looked at the Deputy Zhou again. Are my eyes going bad and I’m just not seeing what makes the deputy director general special?

Every minute in this conference room was thought!

There were four people on his side. Li Hao was thinking that if the newly ascended mid Solar Hao Lianchuan didn’t carry the Flaming Phoenix Spear, he wouldn’t have the right to sit here at all! At least the young man found his own presence slightly more worthy! Mmhmm, I’m young!

“We’re all here,” announced Director General Zhao. His voice was resonant, if a bit sleepy like he was running short on sleep. “We must decide on the directives today!” The old man glanced at Hu Qingfeng. “Special Agent Hu, we can discuss Director Hou’s matter later. I’d like to bring up the three provinces in the north first. I trust you have no other opinion?”

“No other opinion!” Hu Qingfeng affirmed.

“We received news last night that the governor general of the three provinces in the north, General of Northern Pacification Kou Shiming, was murdered in his residence!” The director general coughed and continued in pained tones, “General Kou quelled the uprising of the three provinces and was instrumental in maintaining the continued peace and stability of the nineteen northern provinces. He put an end to turmoil, but fell to foul cretins last night! Cough cough cough... It’s hard to fathom and unbelievable. The land will reel from this event!

“We hold this meeting today also to mourn and cherish his memory. Unrest will flare anew in the three provinces without General Kou at the helm. They might even spread to other provinces. Thus, our meeting is also to discuss countermeasures against this potential disorder. Silver Moon does not border them, but we are not too far from River Origin. Once Near River is under threat, it will soon spread to our doorstep!”

“......” Li Hao’s jaw dropped. Director Hou had just mentioned this person! The first thing he learned in this meeting was that this legendary figure was dead—murdered! And the director had just returned to the city...

Waves of shock assailed the young man’s heart. Oh. my. fuck. What kind of twisted place am I in?

Hao Lianchuan seemed to realize something as well, judging from the sudden pallor of his face. He’d also listened to the conversation in the car. Did... the death of this general have something to do with Director Hou?

“There is no need for further words,” Commander Yu proclaimed solemnly. “The three great organizations must be held responsible for this. We should petition the nine ministries to grant us permission to march on the evil organizations and crush the upheaval of the north!”

“There is no need for the director general to be concerned,” the inspector general of the Inspectorate added calmly. “The Inspectorate will fully mobilize starting from this day and eliminate the remnants of the organizations in our borders! We will ensure Silver Moon’s security. On the Night Watcher side, Xiaochen’s presence will be a certain deterrence. We must capture all of the evil supernaturals during this operation. It is just as well that Special Agent Hu is here. With a Nova in residence, we are certain to eliminate the enemy in one fell stroke and clear out the bandits plaguing our home!”

“......” Hu Qingfeng opened and closed his mouth, unable to say a word. Two great personages had spoken and settled the matter! It started off as the death of a great general, but turned to hunting down the three great organizations and obliterating evil supernaturals in the blink of an eye.

Director General Zhao furrowed his brows and nodded after a moment. “We can do that, but we must also keep ourselves in check. Be careful not to disturb Silver Moon’s peace or disrupt order. Keep in mind that only a branch of each organization is in the province! Eliminating them all is a temporary solution and does not get at the root of the problem.

“Thankfully, Special Agent Hu and the others are here. It remains to be seen just how much Director Hou can bring to bear despite his extraordinary strength. He is heavily injured, so it is fortunate that we have Novas in residence.”

Li Hao’s mouth opened wide; he didn’t make a peep. He just thought that all of these people were devious, wily old foxes! Every single one of them with no exceptions!

When he looked at Hu Qingfeng again, he suddenly pitied the mighty Nova. Condolences should be tendered to this important figure as the other three parties—no, all of Silver Moon—wished for him to stay. They hoped for him to remain and exert himself on the province’s behalf.

Li Hao swallowed hard and lowered his head again. I didn’t hear anything, I didn’t see anything. I’m blind and deaf. Director Hou had brought him to broaden his horizons today; the young man considered his horizons broadened. This was Silver Moon? A barren land for supernaturals? A weak province that Solars could rampage through?

It was said that Novas were powerful figures in the central region. A Nova like Hu Qingfeng would be able to issue orders there, despite it teeming with powerhouses. But... why did he appear so... lonesome in Silver Moon?

“Cough cough cough...” A fit of coughing started around the conference room. Led by Hou Xiaochen, the others all coughed as well. Other than Kong Jie’s highly fortified physique, everyone was coughing, even Commander Yu.

“The Night Watchers,” Hou Xiaochen recomposed himself. “Will absolutely coordinate with Special Agent Hu and surround the three great organizations... But I am injured,” he said apologetically. “Long trips are not for me. If they are in order, we’ll have to ask the special agent to carry more of the load. Deputy Director Hao Lianchuan will be tasked to collaborate with you!”

“Cough cough cough!” Another coughing fit circulated as the conference room seemed to turn into a sick ward. An itch started in the back of Li Hao’s throat, he wanted to cough too.

Meanwhile, an aggrieved Hao Lianchuan looked on. Why am I involved in this?

The others looked so approving of the decision that Li Hao strongly suspected this was their revenge! It was their punishment for someone’s wild transmissions and offensive words! That’s right, it’s you!

Coughing abounded within the large room. The meeting’s participants coughed one after another, immensely irritating Hu Qingfeng’s group. The executives of Silver Moon are all sick cats! One of them is always sick!

Deputy Zhou suddenly interjected a statement to interrupt the group coughing session.

“Everyone,” he said softly. “Permit me to interrupt. We need to add another line to today’s agenda, and that is the topic of reinforcements!

“The three provinces are beset by problems and will surely erupt in an uproar now that General Kou has fallen. There is no other possible outcome. The three great organizations are highly active in them, as well as many other ambitious factions. The inexhaustible North Sea pirates continue to operate in the waters and frequently attack the North Sea province...

“We are far away from the central region, its troops are slower to reach us. With the rise of the supernatural, many experts and large amounts of wandering supernaturals have joined the agitators. Commander Yu led the Silver Moon Division in eliminating bandits back in the day—they hate us for it. We were unable to fully eradicate them, so they will want revenge sooner or later!

“Therefore, we need to be ready to reinforce the provinces even without an order from the central region. Both the military and supernaturals need to be ready!”

The group nodded at his words. Commander Yu remained as stern as before.

“I cannot mobilize without an order from Skystar City. But Dingfang can lead the fifty thousand of the Tiger Wings to reinforce the three provinces. The Tiger Wings are a mobile unit, after all. There shouldn’t be a problem so long as they do not cross the North Sea.”

“I will carry out Commander Yu’s commands to the utmost!” Hu Dingfang swiftly concurred.

The old man of the provincial government didn’t say anything.