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Chapter 145: In A Rush To Die (IV)

“So we’ve determined their strength and attributes. What a coincidence that the Qiaos would invite you to prospect the mines. They threw their brains away!” Liu Long snorted.

Threw their brains away? Li Hao pursed his lips. Not at all. Beautiful thoughts filled them. If you weren’t here, they’d very likely find a way to kill me.

“Then now...”

“We go see Director Hao. What, did you think I was joking?” Liu Long looked at the young man with surprise. You’re a branch deputy director. How can you not greet your direct superior? What are you thinking, boy?

Li Hao thought for a bit and nodded. “What level Solar is Director Hao?”

“That’s hard to say.”

“Do you not know, chief?”

“How would I possibly know?” Liu Long shook his head.

Should I ask? With Hao Lianchuan as a baseline, I should be able to tell what level Qiao Feilong is. Is he peak Sunfare, initial Solar, or even stronger? In Li Hao’s eyes, the ball of light around Qiao Feilong was slightly weaker than Hao Lianchuan’s, but not by much. He was a bit weaker than Brokensky, but also not by much.

......

The car quickly stopped at the Law Enforcement building. Li Hao once more saw Hao Lianchuan, the powerhouse that his teacher had summoned to be their spare tire in the trunk.

Hao Lianchuan seemed quite congenial and smiled kindly. He showered Li Hao with praise as soon as he saw the young man, expressing how much the Night Watchers cared about Li Hao and their difficulties. They’d taken the sword of the Lis and would deliver their part of the bargain in return, but they needed some time.

In other words, typical bureaucratic jargon!

Li Hao didn’t mind and spoke plainly when Hao Lianchuan had gone on for a while, “Director Hao, my teacher says that you’re very strong and that he may not be able to beat you even though he killed Brokensky. My teacher says that Brokensky doesn’t count as a strong Solar, that Director Hao is stronger than him. Is Director Hao a mid Solar?”

Directly asking someone about their strength, particularly a subordinate to their superior, was a very rude gesture. It was a flagrant violation of custom!

But since the speaker was Li Hao, a student of Yuan Shuo’s that was yet to graduate... And the crux of the question being that Yuan Shuo had praised Hao Lianchuan and claimed to be inferior... Everyone loved praise!

Hao Lianchuan was no exception. A smile crossed his face without a hint of dissatisfaction regarding Li Hao’s words.

It was Liu Long who furrowed his brows. “Manners, Li Hao! Don’t ask what you shouldn’t! Director Hao was a Sunflare before and can only be an initial Solar now. It’s impossible for him to be a mid Solar so quickly!”

Hao Lianchuan frowned in response, now these words grated on the ear despite being the truth! While he was put out, what could he say to a straight shooter like Liu Long?

“It’s fine!” He smiled instead. “Children will be curious. It’s as your Director Liu says, Li Hao. I am only initial Solar based on your divisions of initial, mid, and late. There’s nothing to hide about it, but there’s not much meaning in discussing this since Solar is so far removed from you.”

Li Hao nodded with a trace of yearning. “Being a Solar is amazing! Even teacher says Director Liu is formidable. Someone who teacher speaks about like this must be incredible! I hope I can dominate the lands like Director Hao one day!”

“You will, you’re still young.” Hao Lianchuan beamed radiantly. These words were right up his alley! Oh Yuan Shuo, you may be arrogant, but your student’s exposed everything about you. So you also think I’m very strong, hmm? What a simple child! You’ll be in for a beating if your teacher heard you.

You’re the heir to a martial master, yet admire a supernatural. That would be the greatest failure in Yuan Shuo’s eyes. The professor had killed a Solar, but his disciple thought less of him compared to Hao Lianchuan. Damned sweet!

Li Hao also smiled bashfully. “Then I won’t disturb Director Hao any longer. The director has a million things to attend to everyday, I am very honored with being able to meet you! Please go back to your day, director. I take my leave!”

“Mmhmm, work hard and try to join the supernatural as soon as possible. There’s a better environment at White Moon than here, so I hope to see you at White Moon soon!”

Li Hao nodded with a smile and left by himself. So Qiao Feilong is only initial Solar and a little weaker than Hao Lianchuan. Teacher ought to be able to handle him, right?

......

Inside the office.

“The educated are different, alright!” Hao Lianchuan complimented Li Hao a few more times. “They are highly cultured and steeped in propriety. This is something that Yuan Shuo will never measure up to. That guy is an absolute hypocrite and far from being a good soul. Thank goodness his student is different.”

Seriously? Is that all you can see? Liu Long wondered with resignation. He had to acknowledge, however, that Li Hao easily lulled one in. When he first witnessed the young man’s bashful smile, he’d thought that the lad was too pure. Someone as innocent as the boy shouldn’t be dragged into such dangerous affairs.

Of course, Liu Long no longer held those views. Li Hao was a massive trap on the same level as Yuan Shuo.

Liu Long fobbed Hao Lianchuan off with generic responses before quickly saying, “Director Hao, the others and I will be late to the ceremony tomorrow.”

“Eh?” Hao Lianchuan blinked. How could one conduct their business in this manner? There was nothing right about the hosts being late to their own event.

“You know about the Demon Hunters and our activities before the branch establishment, Director Hao,” Liu Long explained. “Liu Yan and the others have expressed a desire to pay a visit to our fallen comrades before the ceremony. It’s not that appropriate for the director to come with, so...”

“I...” Hao Lianchuan sighed. “Of course! These were all valiant people who fought the good fight. It’s just that the Night Watchers had our difficulties in the past, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

“Yes, and we hold no grudges!” Liu Long responded calmly. “Li Hao says that we’re Night Watchers now and to curse the Night Watchers is to curse ourselves. Therefore, there’s no need to cast blame. It was all our own decisions!”

Hao Lianchuan once again thought highly of Li Hao being a good lad! Of course, these words could only come from the cultured. Liu Long didn’t have it in him at all.

“Then you guys go pay your respects, I’ll host the ceremony. We’ll formalize the establishment when you guys arrive!

“My thanks to Director Hao!” Liu Long said perfunctorily.

“There’s no need for thanks,” Hao Lianchuan chuckled. “This is what I’m supposed to do!”

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before Liu Long left. He’d confirmed Hao Lianchuan running the show tomorrow and the team’s absence wouldn’t elicit the director’s confusion or dissatisfaction. That was perfect.

They might even have time to join the reception after they were done killing people.

......

Hao Lianchuan thought things over after Liu Long left, finding something amiss, but unable to put his finger on it. Forget it, nothing major would occur when he was here. Although, did they need to bring Wang Ming and the others with them?

“But it’s just as well, that means Liu Long and the rest have accepted them. This is good!” Hao Lianchuan smiled with gratification when he thought of this point. Being able to meld together was naturally the best possible outcome.

......

A day swiftly passed by.

August 1st.

Silver City.

Qiao Mining Industries.

The office on the top floor.

Qiao Feilong stood in front of a window and overlooked the entire city. The moderately sized metropolis filled his field of vision. It was a clear day, but it somehow gave him a stifling feeling.

“The winds are about to blow!” murmured the white-haired Qiao Feilong.

This wind didn’t pick up only today. It brewed in Silver City when Red Moon lost a Solar to Yuan Shuo during their operation to capture the last heir of the eight families. There was no other place in Silver Moon at the moment that was more tumultuous than Silver City. Red Moon, Celestial, Yama, a few mid-sized organizations, and the Night Watchers were all watching the city. How much longer could the Qiaos hide themselves?

Once they were exposed, Yama would be the first to bring arms against him. He was the organization’s pawn in Silver City. Yama had only known bits and pieces about the eight families, but once they understood that Red Moon had made preparations in the city, they sent Qiao Feilong back since he was a Silver City native.

Qiao Feilong had only been a peak Slayer then. That had been a passable level of strength in that period, but completely negligible to Yama. They undertook these actions to put a thorn into Red Moon’s side.

No one expected that Qiao Feilong would actually find something in Silver City and glean many benefits from it. Unbeknownst to the untold number of those fighting grimly outside, Qiao Feilong quietly set foot into the ranks of Solars with none the wiser.

Yama would certainly send someone to kill him once word got out. Their leader might even come for a personal look. Silver City’s ruins were plainly much more incredible than previously thought if they could facilitate a Slayer without much battle experience into crossing over.

“Time to go!” Qiao Feilong murmured once more. Silver City was not a place to stay for long. It’d drawn too much attention after a Red Moon Solar died here. However, he was loath to leave like this because he hadn’t fully excavated the ruins.

He even felt that he’d skimmed only a bit off the surface—just that was sufficient to help him into the Solar level. If he could inherit it all, he would certainly advance beyond Solar and even create a supreme supernatural organization on par with the three great organizations!

It grated to give up like this! Greed existed in everyone. Not to mention, he’d already obtained certain gains. How could he bear to relinquish his fortune like this?

“Li Hao..."