Star Gate

Chapter 657: Martial Masters Cultivate the Heart (I)

“I know.” Li Hao nodded. “There’s trouble coming for us, but it’s not that bad. I can tell that whether it’s the nine ministries or royal family, they’re all a bunch of paper tigers. They pose and posture threateningly, but no one dares pay the hefty price needed to kill me when their interests are truly threatened. They can’t bear to spend the resources. It’s similar to when the Night Watchers were established.

“The strength I demonstrated today shows that it will at least take an Arcanus to kill me! But if one comes, there’s still you, Director Hou! They’ll have to reach an agreement first, but that will take time. Do you think I’ll be able to kill that Arcanus during this period of time?”

“You...” Hou Xiaochen roared with laughter. “You are quite interesting. You’re so different from before that I almost think you’re an entirely different person!”

“I don’t want to be so different!” Li Hao shook his head. “But this world tests my bottom line again and again and pushes it further back. I’ve thought things through—if I don’t change, then I won’t be able to solidify my footing. If I do not, then what talk of change is there?”

Hou Xiaochen thought for a bit, then nodded. He looked at the young man in a new light.

“How do you plan on handling those outside?” he asked after a long moment.

“Investigate them. Those without many issues can be released after their family pays their ransom. Those who do have significant problems in their file... can be handed over to the Inspectorate,” Li Hao responded calmly. “They can be let go if the Inspectorate refuses to manage the matter. It’s not like we can actually kill them.”

“Hahaha, very well, this is a good idea!” Hou Xiaochen nodded. “It’s great because if the Inspectorate does let them go, it’s on them...”

“No, I’ll capture them again if the Inspectorate lets them go!” Li Hao shook his head.

Hou Xiaochen blinked, then looked at Li Hao. What did the young man mean?

“I am the vice commander of the Skystar Commander Office!” Li Hao declared calmly. “I have the right to do so! I want Skystar citizens to know that I, Li Hao, am not afraid of strength or authority. I am perfectly daring enough to flip the table!

“Indeed, the people’s heart is useless and worthless, just like Minister Liu said. But I’m thinking that if I can give them a spark of hope... can it burn into a flame? Can it blaze among the plains? How many supernaturals are there in our world and how many mundanes?

“So long as supernaturals have not transcended this way of life, they will still need the crowds whether in terms of rule or intimidation. I wish to light some hope in their hearts...”

Hou Xiaochen was lost in thought and chuckled after a brief pause. He nodded. “That makes sense and it’s quite an... idea that you’ve got there. It’s just that it will be hard for me to hold up my side of things.”

He sighed wearily. What are you up to? I’m suddenly beginning to get scared... Li Hao seemed to have partially lost his mind these days. Who’d filled his thoughts with these concepts?? Was it Hong Yitang or Battle Heaven? Hou Xiaochen would be crushed by the weight of having to clean up after the young man if this continued!

Manager Yu walked in from outside the door, having heard the conversation earlier. She was both stunned and surprised by what she’d heard. “Li Hao... the director will support you wholeheartedly. He holds justice in his heart as well!”

“......” Hou Xiaochen wanted to roll his eyes. What do you know? All you know is to say stuff like this! It was his first time thinking that Yu Luocha trusted him entirely too much. Who knew if this was good or bad? She felt that he was almighty and omnipotent... What a helpless predicament!

“Of course, the director is the basis of confidence in all that I do!” Li Hao couldn’t help but laugh as well and nodded. “He said before that he would kill an Arcanus to intimidate everyone. Since one hasn’t appeared this time, I need to find a way to lure them out so we can establish our authority!”

“......cough cough cough!” Hou Xiaochen’s old ailments struck again as he went into an uncontrollable coughing fit. It was a very long while later before he panted, “No need, things are fine now. You must be tired, Li Hao. You should go back and sleep!”

“I don’t have a place to stay yet, so I’ll bunk in the office for a night. I’ll see where my new manor is tomorrow!”

Hou Xiaochen was incredibly soul weary. Don’t do that, leave now, damn it! Well, he had to leave since the young man wasn’t going to. He rose with a cough.

“Then I’ll leave you to it, some rest will do you some good. I’m going to take a look around and also visit the Inspectorate to report on the Colosseum matter. After all, it has to do with the Skystar Commander Office.” He left without further discussion, at the end of his tether with Li Hao.

The young man didn’t say anything; he sent off Hou Xiaochen with an attentive look. He suddenly laughed and called out, “Someone, come!”

“Do you have any instructions... Commander Li?” Someone gingerly entered the office.

“Go find a place... Nah, the Night Watchers should have a dungeon. Lock all those people in that.”

“Commander... we... do have dungeons...” Color drained from the person’s face. But their capacity is only a few hundred people. There’s...”

Too many people outside!

“Then hold them in offices that no one’s using. They won’t dare run off—it’ll be a death sentence if they do! Also, arrange for the various Skystar news agencies to report on events that happened tonight...”

“Ah... the agencies... don’t know about the particulars... and it’s usually the Ministry of Administration that exercises control over this task...”

“Do the Night Watchers not have any news agencies in their pockets?” Li Hao looked at him.

“We do... but very few...”

“That’s enough!”

“Director Yellow...”

Li Hao interrupted him with a cold look. “Do as I say! If this ruffles Yellow Dragon’s feathers, have him take it up with me!”

The subordinate who’d answered the summons quickly trotted off to carry out his orders. Li Hao’s voice chased him down the hallway.

“Grab any random flier off the streets for what should be reported, make sure their crimes are clearly listed. Also add a word that the supernaturals are in disarray. Superhumans are completely out of control and must be brought to heel. The Skystar Commander Office will take care of these pests!”

The runner stumbled, but didn’t dare look back. He hastily nodded before swiftly departing. Li Hao... was too crazy! He couldn’t afford to offend this personage. As for Director Yellow... It might even be for the best if the man didn’t cause a fuss at the moment. Otherwise, Li Hao could be even more ruthless than Hou Xiaochen. They could reason with Hou Xiaochen for a thing or two, but that was completely impossible with Li Hao.

......

At the same time.

The director’s building.

The old man took a sip of tea and breathed out, murmuring to himself with a smile. “They’ve ushered a wolf into the house!” He shook his head with amusement. Skystar City would be quite exciting in the days to come.

......

In Hou Xiaochen’s office.

Being a pigeon who occupied the sparrow’s nest, Li Hao leaned back in a chair, his thoughts keeping him company. He’d come to Skystar City to see through the heart of certain matters and truths. Perhaps he’d glimpsed some tonight, but they weren’t that clear. He was still a bit lost.

However, what he’d seen was enough. Human lives were as worthless as stalks of mustard in this day and age.

Whether it was the nine ministries or three great organizations, they were all the same. There really was no difference between pirates, the nine ministries, or three great organizations. The only difference was that one held the right to rule and the others didn’t.

The trading company beneath the Ministry of Finance’s banner fed humans to monster spirits! And the key thing was, the monster spirits didn’t eat humans to begin with. It was humans themselves who delivered their own kind on a platter and begged the monster spirits to consume them. How base and crude were they?

This was not the time of the ancient civilization in which monster spirits were strong and humans weak. The humans of this era were very strong!

There weren’t many notable monster spirits in this time period. Only a few places such as Phoenix Mountain and Sky Roc Mountain were famed for monster spirits. Humanity was stronger than other races as a whole, so there was no need to bow and scrape to monster spirits.

On the contrary, it should be monster spirits cowering before humans. That was what made sense. Unfortunately, humanity was too scattered. Everyone hoped to receive backing from monster spirits, so some bent their heads to curry favor and even offered up their fellow humans on a platter.

“They’re all the same.” Li Hao wrote down a few things on a sheet of paper. They were truly all the same and wouldn’t call each other out for it. That was why no one thought much of the crimes that he’d exposed today—whether mundanes or superhumans.

This was what everyone did, it was all very normal.

Mundanes would likely be furious or grieve for a few moments, and then... be able to do nothing about it. There was nothing that could be done, so what could they do?

Overthrow the nine ministries? Would there be a difference if it was the royal family in charge? How about three great organizations? Life would still continue as is.

The harm wasn’t done to the ordinary people, they weren’t suffering, so this was all there was to life. It was a helplessness to change their circumstances that led to the sorrow of only being able to wait for powerhouses to conclude their struggles. They could only passively accept a new ruler.

“Apart from being Heaven Favored, mundanes have almost no avenues of improving their lot in life. The academies are monopolized by the powerful, martial masters need money and resources to cultivate, there’s no sect accepting them. Just as the girl said, it’s completely useless to learn anything. This is an era that focuses on strength...”

There was no path available to them. The most tragic of an era was being unable to break through the divisions caused by class. Someone like Li Hao was a complete accident. The reality of the situation was one either had to be a Heaven Favored, or there was absolutely nothing one could do to change their fate.

All of these powerhouses had a great background. There were almost none from purely ordinary origins. Of all the Novas that Li Hao had met before, who came from humble beginnings?

Various thoughts formed in his mind as Li Hao sank deeper into his thoughts. He was considering some matters that he never would’ve before. He felt possessed. Battle Heaven, Hong Yitang, the existences in the realms of illusions—so many things had continuously affected him that he’d unknowingly chosen to set foot into the swamp that was Skystar City.