Star Gate

Chapter 670: Arcanus! (I)

“Very well, my thanks! I’m off then!” Li Hao tightened his trench coat and strode off. The female manager followed him, not saying a word as she accompanied the young man downstairs. She watched the young man and dog disappear into the darkness.

After a long moment, someone behind her asked faintly, “What are you thinking of?”

She whirled around and ducked her head. “Pavilion master!”

There was an elegant, poised woman behind the manager who held herself with an extraordinary bearing. “Have you learned anything new after conversing with him for a while?” she asked faintly.

The manager thought for a moment before responding, “Brazen, unscrupulous, and unprincipled. He’s a complete lunatic who will sooner or later die without even a burial place. If not this time, then next time. People like him don’t meet with good ends.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes.” The manager nodded. “He’s also extremely cheap and can give Southern Fist a run for his money in that regard.”

“Then we don’t seem to need to worry about too much given what you say,” chuckled the elegant woman. “Do you think he’s being overly confident when it comes to the projection screen in three days, or is this how he wishes to save himself? Some people might have reservations about killing the boy if the entire world is watching him. But of course, it is only due and proper that he is executed to restore order throughout the lands.”

“This subordinate does not know!” The manager shook her head. “Milady, I only think that he is young and hot-blooded. He will stop at nothing, but doesn’t seem to be as thorny of a problem as we once thought. Does he really know the consequences of killing nobles? Perhaps he hasn’t thought about this yet, why not send someone to discuss it with him?”

“You’re the one thinking about things too simply!” the woman commented casually. She was unwilling to say more and vanished on the spot with a flash of her body.

The manager waited for the pavilion master to be gone before lifting her head and looking in the direction where Li Hao had disappeared. He... should understand the consequences!

But will you succeed?

She was suddenly rather expectant and yearned for his success. No one wished to be born a servant or lesser than others. No one wished to be assigned the role of a toy for nobles at birth, their puppet to pull the strings of.

Nobility controlled everything about them—their life, death, sickness, and old age. One could not escape this fate even when they reached Nova. Whether it was the royal family or the nine ministries, who was stronger?

The nine ministries had been the dragon slayers of old, but now they were the evil dragons themselves. With individual families holding the reins of the ministries, everyone had become their servants.

Can you succeed, Li Hao?

Despite how benevolent the pavilion master appeared, the manager didn’t say anything else to her. That woman was part of the nobility at the end of the day, she didn’t know what the people thought.

I’m not as brave as you, no one else. There were once true resistors in Skystar City, but they’re all dead. Those who survive are those who’ve resigned themselves to a life of hardship. Li Hao, can you light the fire of hope for everyone? Even a spark will do! We can’t, but we hope that someone can overturn the oppression from this class hierarchy that is as weighty as Mount Tai. But... is it possible?

The manager quickly turned back to the Nine Dragons Pavilion, dimpling in a charming manner as she welcomed the next guest. The establishment was as lively as ever tonight, full of hustle and bustle. Although they were short a few of the usual faces, such as the nine ministers, they did not lack for business.

A ball of fire was stuck in the manager’s throat. It sputtered, threatening to go out any time. Could that young man fully set it alight? Perhaps... there were countless people like her, craving and hopeful that he would succeed. But this hope might go out at any time and drown in an even deeper darkness.

There are too many mountains over your head, Li Hao. Can you level them all?

......

The vast Skystar City seemed like a volcano ready to erupt. On this day, fires arose in countless hearts, whether those of insight or others who refused to accept their lot in life. All of them yearned for something and they shared the same identity—the common people. Although life was difficult in this age, some ordinary people were still required for their labor. The nobles weren’t all-powerful.

The threat of sophisticated might had turned the capital into a swamp of stagnant water. It wasn’t until today that someone was willing to step forward and break the stalemate. While the rest of the people were not brave enough to join him, he was reinforced by prayers and hopes that this flame of hope would not go out.

If it did, an even darker era awaited them.

......

Within the gloom.

Li Hao walked down a street and looked around, saying calmly, “Why don’t you come out and kill me now, or I’ll kill all of you if you continue following me! Do you have a death wish in tailing a peacemaker commissioner like this?”

Nothing answered him from the dark. Li Hao sneered and reverberated the ground with a stomp of his foot, shaking someone into meat paste. Sword qi raced into the air and immediately ripped another person to shreds. Panther disappeared like a hunter in the darkness; several low screams quickly sounded from the dog’s direction.

After that, Li Hao left with the dog.

“He’s completely out of control.” Someone appeared in the darkness after a while. There’s no need to follow him, he’ll show himself again in three days, no matter what he’s going to do. Perhaps he’s gone to look for help, perhaps he’s in closed door cultivation. No matter what, we’ll make a clean sweep of everyone who comes. Let him go!”

A figure swiftly retreated in the darkness. Just as the speaker had said, it didn’t matter who Li Hao went to visit. Even if it was Sky Sword, he would be captured if he dared buy into this operation!

All they needed was some time to reach an accord. The only answer to their plans was if Li Hao ran off. But if he did, he would become the laughingstock of the world, so he could just try doing that.

......

Li Hao broke through the void in the darkness, exiting the city before long. The atmosphere within the capital was too stifling. He continued forward and crossed the Skystar Sea. No one followed him now.

Perhaps his absence was better for Skystar City. If that came to pass, it would result in less effort required to thoroughly erase the influence that Li Hao exerted before. Otherwise, moving against the young man now wasn’t a good idea for some people. The Arcanus cultivation level was not yet stable.

Li Hao put everything out of his mind and flew a very, very far distance away. His eyes sparkled meaningfully when he saw a large mountain start to loom closer in his field of view. A ball of light within the mountain indicated the presence of a Nova level major monster spirit.

This mountain had an owner.

“Panth!” Li Hao looked at the black dog. “Go have a friendly chat with it. Kill it if it’s ever eaten humans. If not, have some fun playing with it!”

“Arf arf!” Panther vanished on the spot with a twinkle; it also moved very quickly.

Shortly afterward, the ball of light within the mountain flickered in and out of sight. When Li Hao landed, he saw a major monster spirit that resembled a rhinoceros; it was several dozens of times the size of Panther. Shaking violently, it meekly permitted the dog to sprawl on its head. It didn’t dare move.

“I’m just borrowing your wonderful home for a few days. I’ll leave after that.” Li Hao grinned.

“Please do as you wish, milord!” The rhinoceros’ thought ripples quavered. “Commander... Li... could you ask... this ancient monster spirit lord to... slightly retract the power of its bloodline... This minor spirit cannot endure the stress.”

“You know me?”

“Milord’s name has traveled throughout the central region. Minor spirits will recognize you as soon as they see you...” the rhinoceros answered carefully.

Of course they did! A dog spirit, sword cultivator, formidable, and cruel. Who else would it be if not Li Hao and Panther? These days, who in the central region did not know of this name, be it powerhouse, monster spirit, or human?

The only detail they didn’t know was why Li Hao had left Skystar City to come here. It’d almost scared the rhinoceros spirit out of its skin.

“How interesting. Indeed, it would be difficult to make my name widely known if I did not visit Skystar City!” Li Hao laughed and walked into the cave in the rear, leaving Panther to gently smack the rhino’s head.

Be quiet and less bullshit!

The rhino spirit didn’t dare defy the ancient monster spirit. It was just an initial Nova and swaggered around in ordinary times. But... there was nothing to do but submit when these two. How many Novas had they already killed?

......

Inside the cave.

Li Hao wasn’t thinking much. He freshened up the air with a casual wave of his hand. The young man hadn’t gone to anyone, not even the nearby Sky Sword. The rest of his acquaintances weren’t on his list of potential recruitment. Li Hao set the fateful date for three days, not seven or ten, because he didn’t want anyone to make it in time.

For the group in Silver Moon, ten thousand kilometers was almost impossible to cover in three days. Li Hao knew full well that danger lay ahead—it wasn’t his desire that they were repeatedly dragged into the muck.

Three days was a deadline for himself and for the nine ministries and royal family. As for Hou Xiaochen... he was already caught in the jar, and that wasn’t from Li Hao actions. The young man couldn’t decide how Hou Xiaochen would think about everything.

“All of you think that I can only rely on others and wait for death. Is being brash or ensuring that my victories don’t result in any deeds of merit the best you can do?” Li Hao chuckled. He could afford to wait and keep waiting... and waiting...

But he didn’t like that course of action. It was maddening and frustrating! At the same time, it was a rare opportunity. Who knew when another chance would come around, if at all? If he acted, he needed to be swift and sure to clean house. On the other hand, small and consistent accumulation would not lead to such results.

At this stage, they should call upon their fortitude to break everything! Otherwise, I can easily seek out Ying Hongyue, then return to Silver City to finish perceiving sword intent and perfecting the melding of the five auras. I can think about what’s to come only after I enter Refiner of Spirit, but that will make me the next Yao Si!