Star Gate

Chapter 759: Knowing Full Well (III)

“We’re being kept under surveillance, they’re all on guard against us. The Ministry of Administration has also sent a warning. Either we wait quietly, or we stay out of things, or we act with them. How are we deciding?” The inspector general looked at his father.

“One hundred million... is such a large expenditure!” sneered the old man. “And they’re not afraid of falling head over ass because of it!”

It wasn’t much to one faction—just five million mysterious power stones. That was a matter of elevating a two element Arcanus to three elements. But was Li Hao worth the trade-off of one less three element Arcanus and such a collectively high price?

He was worth it!

These people would feel so ill at ease if Li Hao didn’t die. But their method was also a clear sign to the young man that there was danger here. There would be extreme danger as a massive vein of mysterious power stones had appeared in a grade two ruin. Would he believe the report, especially at a time like this?

If Li Hao really did undertake an excavation, that would mean he possessed sufficient confidence to do so. It was a headache-inducing decision facing the Inspectorate.

“We can contribute our share of mysterious power stones!” the old man determined after some thought. “We’d be in trouble if we didn’t. If we refrain from putting up money and people, that’d be forcing the rest to act against us! We can give our portion of the money, but... not necessarily our part of the people.”

The old man frowned slightly. “It’s too risky, it’s better to go slow and steady.”

“But...” The inspector general was doubtful. “No matter who wins, it will mean trouble for us.”

“I know!” The old man nodded. “But trouble is better than being dead. If it comes down to it, we can just add splendor to something that is already beautiful and bow our heads to whoever wins!”

“But...” The inspector general looked at his father with bafflement. “The Inspectorate is not weak, why must we persist in this manner?”

Continuously biding their time would only lead them to deviate from their original path.

“Because you are not the sort to be a feudal lord, and neither am I,” his father said softly. “I would not conduct our matters this way if you were a bit more up to snuff! Look at what you have to show for yourself after all these years!

“The Night Watchers have always been under the Inspectorate, but look at your relationship with Yao Si! If you can’t do it, what can I do about it? Why do you always think that it’s me not helping you? It’s because you haven’t demonstrated any of the requisite qualities! I think that by the time we Chens reach your children’s generation, you’ll be lost if I die!”

He’d thought of contending for supremacy before. He wouldn’t be staying out of everything and just looking to stick to the middle of the road if his son could take anything on his shoulders. His son somewhat liked to help people, but was also a bit irresolute and hesitant. He couldn’t play the part of a ruthless villain, but neither was he saintly enough to be a deliverer. In that case, the family might as well sit back and watch life pass them by, since they could be neither.

“I think I’ve done better in the Inspectorate over the last thirty years than you did when you were in charge!” The inspector general flushed with anger.

“...heh!” the old man jeered. “And what you have to show after thirty years is the Night Watcher secession! You never think of how to resolve problems when they occur—you wait for the results to be apparent before making your decisions!

“When Li Hao fought in the east, you insisted on waiting for the outcome to take shape before calling it! Being slow with one step means being slow in all! It would’ve been fine if you’d decided to support either the Xus or Silver Moon. Waffling either way the entire time... And you ask me why I conduct our affairs in this manner! I’m just following your lead!

“Since you can’t make a decision in a critical moment, then we shall continue in this vein! We will not seek riches or glory. If it comes down to it, we will fully serve whoever is the victor. We won’t truly die out that way!” The old man grew tired as he spoke and waved a hand. “This is how we’ll settle it! We’ll offer money, but not people!

“As for Li Hao’s side, if he can win... if he can make it out of the ruins, then you’ll immediately join his Skystar Commander Office with the Inspectorate! Joining at first light means that he won’t really do anything to you even if he isn’t fully satisfied. Since we can’t be an overlord, we’ll strive for wealth!”

The inspector general was completely silent. He knew that his father didn’t think he could build an empire by himself. But...

“If I can’t, what about you?” He looked at his father. “The supernatural has risen and immortality is no longer a joke. You’re stronger than me and see things more clearly. Have you never thought of it for yourself?”

“Me?” The old man burst out laughing. “I know my limits well. I am less than the one in Administration when it comes to the civil subjects. I am less than the one in Armed Forces when it comes to the martial subjects. I fall short in terms of viciousness compared to Ying Hongyue, and fall short in strategy compared to that old fart in Silver Moon. Of those in my generation, there are plenty stronger than me. I do not stand out, and neither does my son. Am I supposed to bet my life against people?”

“Why do you lack so much confidence?” The inspector general frowned.

“It’s not that I lack confidence!” smiled the old man. “But that I know how hard it is! I am afraid of precisely that difficulty and hardship. If not, I would’ve personally led the charge many years ago. I’d thought that I could go to the depths of humiliating myself in order to wrangle a chance for you, if you showed promise. But... you’re a lost cause, so what can I do?

“Of the second generation ministers, only the ones of Administration and Armed Forces are decent. The rest are all lost causes! Each generation is worse than the previous. What am I supposed to do about it?”

The inspector general was silent, burning with some fury and indignation. I’m a lost cause? Am I that bad? He thought that he’d done well enough for himself. The Inspectorate had expanded appropriately under his administration. As for Yao Si... the man was impregnable to threats and bribery alike. What was he supposed to do about it?

However, the inspector general grew despondent when he thought of how Yao Si had bowed his head to Li Hao. I’m not a young’un, but I keep getting mocked for being incompetent!

“What if Li Hao dies?”

“Then we just continue on as before! Choose one between Armed Forces and Administration!” the old man replied noncommittally. “Don’t think of siding with the royal family. That one has quite the ambition and isn’t satisfied with just restoring the dynasty to its former glory. He wants to overthrow everything and start afresh according to his own designs. That’s a very dangerous path!

“That will be all, you decide the rest for yourself!” he concluded in an impatient harrumph.

What is left for me to decide?? cursed the inspector general before walking away. He looked at the seat of his ministry’s operations when he walked out of the yard. It was in a slight uproar and Li Hao’s name was voiced with regular frequency. Plainly, the Inspectorate was also in a panic.

The Chens didn’t bring them any sense of security or stability. I can’t either! Why?? The Inspectorate had directed the inspectors of the world for eighty years. The Chens had never committed any major mistakes and the years passed in peaceful stability. Was that not enough? Was stability wrong?

......

The various organizations, divine mountains, and City of Supernaturals had all received certain intelligence reports. Ying Hongyue looked at a group of people in front of him and said slowly, “The nine ministries are taking an enormous risk. It’s fine if they succeed, but if they fail... Once Li Hao takes those stones and revitalizes the plant spirits in Battle Heaven... the trouble will be yet to come.”

Of course, if he really did succeed, it wasn’t just trouble that was yet to come. It indicated that Li Hao was beyond the imagination. The possibility had not gone unconsidered by the nine ministries. What could they do if Li Hao really did end up snatching victory out of the situation?

“Is the leader going to take the field yourself?” Orange Moon asked next to him.

“Me?” Ying Hongyue closed his eyes and sighed moments later. “It would just be more trouble if I went to kill Li Hao! If I fail, he would gain all eight bloodlines. I would be delivering everything to him on a silver platter. What a pity that I’ve yet to fully meld the seven bloodlines!”

“Then... does leader think that Li Hao will win? Or that he won’t even go into the ruins?”

“It’s hard to say,” Ying Hongyue laughed. “It’s difficult to anticipate his moves. He’s a carp leaping over the dragon’s gate ever since leaving Silver Moon. The skies are high, the birds can soar as they wish. It’s a very perplexing issue to determine his mindset. If the nine ministries fail... then the world will be thrown into chaos! Our troubles will have fully arrived as well.”

“Then let’s have the elder council and Ancient Guard fully mobilize!” Orange Moon set her jaw. “Everyone knows of the threat that Li Hao poses. We must bring our full strength to bear. We’ll take origin talismans and energy bombs with us, we’ll be ready for death. Let’s even bring a pile of city annihilation missiles! Li Hao will surely die if we pay the requisite price!”

Ying Hongyue was silent. Who knew? Li Hao had escaped from death time and time again, growing stronger as he did so. Were the eight families not meant to be exterminated? His own smooth sailing had been shattered after Li Hao appeared. Was this because the young man was the bane of his existence? Perhaps... it was time he thought of a plan. This situation should not be allowed to persist.

......

Li Hao did not care about the happenings of the outside world, he simply waited patiently. On the second day, he summoned all of his people to gather in the complex in the northern city quadrant.

There were more than fifty Demon Hunters, almost one thousand Silver Moon Guards, more than one thousand from the Silver Moon provincial army. It made for approximately two thousand personnel. There were almost all martial masters; few were the supernaturals.

Hou Xiaochen was present, as was Manager Yu and a few others. Deputy Zhou, Hong Yitang, Light Sword were in attendance, and even Yao Si alighted from a car moments later.

Two thousand people were assembled together. All of the troops were dressed in black armor; a nervous atmosphere wafted through the air. The strongest of them had reached Summoner of Spirit or Solar, and their weakest was only Slayer. They were hardly worth mentioning in Skystar City.

Two thousand people wouldn’t give rise to much in the city, but they were the ones who’d arrested all the nobles yesterday. Of course, they were borrowing Li Hao’s name. It wasn’t that they themselves were so strong that the nine ministries would be wary of them.

Li Hao didn’t say a word; he continued to wait. Yang Shan and Qin Lian arrived shortly thereafter, whispering a few words to the young man. Dressed in bronze armor, He Yong appeared a few minutes later.

He sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of all the people standing at attention in the yard. Was Li Hao going for something major? But... he wanted to say that this was an unwise course of action, that he shouldn’t waste his resources this way even if he had plenty to spare.