Star Gate

Chapter 282: The Terrifying Hou Xiaochen (I)

Li Hao smiled and shook his head, continuing to walk forward. He hadn’t taken this path before.

Darkness enveloped them. The group would reach the door in the cliff face once they made their way through the gloom. There was only one road and it was very dark. This route wasn’t the safest either. Something broke through the air as they walked and flew at them.

Bam!

Hu Dingfang punched outward and redirected the unknown object.

Li Hao frowned, what was that?

Hao Lianchuan knew that the young man was operating in unfamiliar circumstances as he’d been directly transported to the inner city. “There seems to be some strange things on the two sides of this road,” he remarked casually. “They feel like wooden spikes or possibly some sort of mechanism.”

Wooden spikes?

Li Hao found it strange, but didn’t say anything. There was no way out from the sides, the expedition team could only follow the path to the cliff face. The wooden spikes didn’t pose much of a threat, but he felt that they weren’t a mechanism. They seemed more like... something alive!

But that was impossible! How could there be living entities in this place after being sealed shut for eons? Those suits of armor had been dead too—just a sliver of consciousness remained in them. They swiftly crumbled away after they came back to life.

The attacks persisted for some time as the group walked forward, but were easily dispelled each time. Thus, they suffered no injuries, just as no damage had been done when the group first entered the ruins.

Light soon appeared up ahead; Li Hao and the rest had come to a massive plaza. There was a door frame in a cliff ahead—the exit to the ruins.

It was not yet time to leave, so the group stopped. More footsteps sounded in the darkness after a while, resolving themselves to be the Revolution King and the Sunflare who’d threatened Liu Long. Even Li Hao admired the latter at this point—that was some kind of fortune to be Yama’s sole survivor in the ruins!

Violet Moon soon joined them, three Sunflares following by her side as well. Apart from those who’d left earlier, these six were the only ones left of the three great organizations.

“Have you two discovered any treasure?” Hao Lianchuan asked merrily to see them emerge.

“It’s all inside the inner city. If you want them, Director Hao, go back for them!” the Revolution King said faintly.

Treasure? When would it ever be their turn for treasure in the outer city? The Night Watchers would’ve claimed it all a long time ago.

Violet Moon and the Revolution King were of the same mind at the moment. The Night Watchers hadn’t lost much on this excavation as both of their Solars were still present. Violet Moon and Revolution King might not walk out of the ruins alive if they chose to bicker with each other now.

“I would never dare!” Hao Lianchuan chuckled. “I’m just an initial Solar, hardly a powerhouse like the two of you! After we leave, you’ll probably be able to join the next expedition even if Red Moon and Yama headquarters send people. It’ll be tough to say if I’m present then as well!”

The deputy director sighed, “An initial Solar like me doesn’t have much of a voice.”

Although he was laying it on a bit thick, he very possibly spoke the truth.

Violet Moon couldn’t be bothered to listen to this bout of hypocrisy and neither was she interested in learning about the man’s worries. She looked at Li Hao instead.

“Li Hao, who knows how many people will be lying in wait for you when we leave,” she said calmly. The Night Watchers will be able to protect you if they bring their full strength to bear, but do you think that’s likely to happen? How many in the Silver Moon branch are willing to protect you, to say nothing of your headquarters?”

The young man didn’t respond.

“Join Red Moon!” Violet Moon curved her lips slightly. “It might not end in your death if you come to Red Moon! I know that you’re afraid of us killing you, but I promise you’ll live if there’s any way that does not require your death. You’ll live a wonderful life!”

“How will you execute your plan of collecting the eight bloodlines if you don’t kill me?” Li Hao said softly. Who are you kidding? Do you really think I’m an idiot?

“That was then,” Violet Moon chuckled. “What did the death of a mundane matter? Were we supposed to train them and bring them back to study how best to handle them? Things are different now. Your teacher has risen to Summoner of Spirit and you have reached perfection for Sunderer of Hundreds yourself. Your value is different, so your treatment will naturally be different!”

“I say, isn’t this uh... a little inappropriate?” Hao Lianchuan burst out laughing. “Your organization killed the other eight families and wants to kill him, and you might be behind the deaths of his parents. Now you want to recruit him? I’m really seeing everything today. If you’re not afraid, Li Hao, have at it!”

What in the blazes was this? Violet Moon was going crazy, wasn’t she, to propose something like this?

“There’s nothing inappropriate about it,” the woman remained calm. “You do not know Red Moon’s purpose, nor would you understand it. Only through joining us will you come to learn of it and how Red Moon is far more grand than you imagine!”

“Heh!” Hao Lianchuan snorted and couldn’t be bothered with anything else.

“You’re simply relying on Ying Hongyue and his inner circle.” Hu Dingfang flicked a glance at Violet Moon. “But will they come to Silver Moon? What basis do you have to be so cocky if they don’t?”

“The might of Red Moon is beyond your comprehension!” Violet Moon turned aloof. “You are gravely mistaken if you think only our leader is strong. Don’t think too highly of your Tiger Wings, Hu Dingfang! In this era of the supernatural, an army of mundanes is not worth mentioning! Sunflares can fight a thousand at once and Solars can take on ten thousand. It is only a matter of time before hot weapons lose their effectiveness in the rise of the supernatural!”

“They’re still effective at the moment!” Hu Dingfang was just as detached. “We shouldn’t have a problem blowing you up for the moment. You can give it a try if you don’t believe me!”

Silence.

The two sides no longer conversed. These kinds of threats were ineffective on each other; the only thing to do now was await the opening of the ruins.

“Just stay quiet after we get out,” Hao Lianchuan transmitted to Li Hao. “There’s no need to pay attention to that woman. She thinks that the three great organizations will be able to threaten Director Hou just because they’re sending more people from the central region. The director is not one to underestimate—he’s a merciless character who prevented even Ying Hongyue from taking your teacher back in the day!”

Li Hao nodded. Was he nervous? Not really. If the Night Watchers were truly outmatched, he’d just make a run for it. There was nothing to be afraid of.

His teacher had gone on the run; he might be able to make it out too if he exercised prudence and caution. These people wouldn’t immediately kill him if they captured him—Red Moon even wanted to take him alive.

Rumble!

The cliff face in front of them suddenly started trembling. It wasn’t long until the outside world could be vaguely seen through the rock. They hadn’t been able to see inside when the expedition team entered the ruins. This entrance resembled a one-way mirror in that only the conditions of the outside could be seen clearly.

There was no danger or anyone beyond the cliff face, just Hou Xiaochen!

Indeed, Hou Xiaochen waited at the door!

Violet Moon and the Revolution King grew nervous. Where were those of the three great organizations? Why was it Hou Xiaochen standing outside?

The two were on edge and their Sunflares even more panicky. Hou Xiaochen was the boss of the Silver Moon Night Watchers... Even though he had no battle achievements to speak of in recent years, he still incited fear!

As they fretted with worry, the cliff face trembled violently and water ripples undulated over its surface. That was the sign that it was time to leave! The Revolution King and Violet Moon didn’t dare brashly exit the ruins. Hao Lianchuan and the Night Watcher contingent weren’t as concerned. They walked out without a care in the world, Li Hao hot on their heels.

The rest of the expedition had no choice but to follow the team out. If they didn’t and the entrance closed, that would truly be a death wish.

......

“They’re out!” Thankfully, Violet Moon heard a familiar voice the second she walked out. She immediately heaved a sigh of relief! There was too much pressure involved in facing Hou Xiaochen. Her heart could be at ease when she heard the voice as she knew who’d come!

Red Moon had seven leaders with “moon” in their title; they were named after the colors of the rainbow. While Violet Moon was the third generation of her position, she was one of the leaders as well. Her status was high despite not being a Nova—it was due to her position as the Violet Moon.

There were naturally certain reasons as to why she inherited this position, but she wasn’t interested in revisiting those now.

The organization possessed a few other renowned powerhouses aside from the Seven Moons. The speaker, for instance, the Red Hair Butcher, was a famous heavyweight outside of the organization. He’d killed countless people and was known throughout the central region.

He was second to only the Seven Moons inside the organization. Red Hair and a few other powerhouses formed the second layer of command in the organization—the elder council.

Red Hair had come, and he was a Nova! Violet Moon instantly relaxed.

Meanwhile, the Revolution King remained indifferent. He’d recognized the speaker from his organization—the Parity King!

Ninth among the ten court masters, the Parity King was much more illustrious than the lowliest Revolution King. Apart from being a Nova, he oversaw sixteen minor hells. Sixteen Solars answered to his banner, accompanying him in his conquests!

He was typically active in the southern region instead of Silver Moon. To think that he was here this time! While he was ranked number nine, he was so much stronger than Revolution.

Both Violet Moon and the Revolution King were leaders of their organizations in Silver Moon, but they were the weakest when it came to strength and skill. The reason for this laid at Hou Xiaochen and Yuan Shuo’s feet!

The Revolution King was also the third generation of his title! The first had died to either Yuan Shuo or Hou Xiaochen—no one knew. The second had also died, again to an unknown assailant. More than one Heaven Favored had died in Silver Moon back in the day; someone like Yuan Shuo also never admitted when he killed someone. The only thing that could be certain of was that Hou Xiaochen had killed the second generation Violet Moon, and that he’d done so in front of Ying Hongyue. Everyone knew of this, but the deaths of the previous two Revolution Kings were a mystery.