Chapter 278: Gains (IV)

Chapter 278: Gains (IV)

Director Zhou and Zhao Huan brought out a small bundle at this time—mysterious power stones. They’d discovered some as well.

Hao Lianchuan nodded, fully expecting their find. “The old rules apply,” he said as he took the bundle. “You’ll receive a large sum of mysterious power for this or anything else you want to trade for.”

He took inventory of their gains; they’d discovered quite a bit at twenty pieces. When combined with what he’d taken from Celestial, they’d reaped fifty pieces on this expedition.

As for himself, the Solars really hadn’t come across mysterious power stones. But it wasn’t that they completely lacked any gains—theirs were significant, there was just no need to go into detail with the rest of his people.

“Let’s take another look in the outer city.” Hao Lianchuan rose after concluding his business. “Although we went through it quite a few times before and didn’t see any houses with open doors, we might discover something else without the Black Armors around. If we can obtain some more stones, Night Watcher strength will increase as a whole after this expedition.”

Hao Lianchuan was in a very good mood as their losses hadn’t been too severe and their gains significant. Meanwhile, Li Hao stared fixedly at the man, looking until he saw the bundle vanish.

There was definitely a storage treasure on him! Perhaps he could ask for one of those. He couldn’t store Stellaris inside his body yet, so he had to keep it hidden on him. Thankfully, it was feasible due to its moderate size. But if he lost it... Li Hao would die of tears.

......

At the same time. Outside Rift Canyon.

Powerful presences swept the canyon. Numerous Night Watchers were stationed around the four corners and there was even a military blockade stopping anyone from entering.

Inside the blockade.

“They’re almost out, what are you in a rush for?” Hou Xiaochen coughed a few times and looked at the furious powerhouses outside. “We’re not letting you in only because we don’t wish for you to add to any chaos or trouble...

“Haven’t we given you everything that is yours?” He smiled. “See, which of the Red Moon, Celestial, or Yama finds have I kept instead of handing over to you?

“Cut the bullshit, Hou Xiaochen!” snapped a red-haired hulk in the air. “We want the ruins and Yuan Shuo! If not, give upLi Hao!”

“You really... are a hasty one!” Hou Xiaochen chuckled ruefully. “Yuan Shuo’s gone, where am I supposed to find him? As for Li Hao... he’s still inside the ruins. What are you in such a rush for? Maybe he’s died inside! Didn’t you hear the survivors say how dangerous the ruins are?

“Look at how many went in and how many are left. Apparently there’s only thirty alive inside. Added to those who came out, that makes for a maximum of fifty out of approximately two hundred... Are you sure Li Hao will come back out? Being so eager to kick up a fuss... you really don’t think much of the Night Watchers!”

Red Hair snorted, “You’re highly responsible for Yuan Shuo getting away!”

“Now now, how can you say that?” Hou Xiaochen shook his head with resignation. “Sadly, those who’ve come down in the world must endure such treatment. After all, I’m no longer a tenth of who I used to be after being injured for so many years. You’re a luckier one, Red Hair, to have made it to Nova. You’re a hot shot now, I wouldn’t dare offend you.”

A variety of expressions flickered across Red Hair’s face. Damn it! The more this fellow was thus, the less he dared make a move. Ying Hongyue had personally summoned him before he left the central region to give one instruction—do not break ties with Hou Xiaochen until the last possible moment.

That was the only thing the leader said! Despite Red Hair being a Nova and Hou Xiaochen just a sickly Solar, the man knew that Ying Hongyue wouldn’t voice unfounded statements like these. Plainly, Hou Xiaochen was not a character to run afoul of.

The Silver Moon Night Watcher director might seem feeble and cough with every other sentence, but were the Novas maintaining order and silence out of fear of the Night Watchers?

No one knew why this city had been abandoned, if its denizens had all died or migrated elsewhere. There was no way to find out now. No one dared enter the houses with closed doors to see what was inside either.

According to Director Zhou and Zhao Huan, some of the open houses were empty. There were only antique furniture and other trappings to be found. In the absence of treasure, their furnishings were no different from regular houses.

After searching for a few hours, the remaining expedition team members didn’t want to waste further time. They sat down to cultivate and digest their gains. There were only fourteen living souls in the entire outer city. The silence was so deafening that it was a bit terrifying.

Hao Lianchuan and Hu Dingfang had both suffered some small injuries, so they focused on rest and recovery.

......

At a spot a little removed from the Night Watcher contingent.

Li Hao and Hong Yitang had struck up a conversation. Perhaps due to the fact that they were fellow martial masters or that the swordsman was a martial senior who didn’t seem to share a deep grudge with his teacher... the young man was very willing to chat with the leader of the Sword Sect.

“Martial uncle Hong, are there many surviving powerhouses from the martial world of yesteryear?”

Hong Yitang had nothing better to do at the moment, so he took a walk down memory lane. “Although there were no Dominators forthcoming from the Silver Moon martial world, it was still a peak martial faction in the ninety-nine provinces! We had too many half step Dominators, to say nothing of anything else!

“And many left Silver Moon to become the best and brightest of the martial worlds in other provinces!” Hong Yitang declared with gusto. “The supernatural world had yet to appear then, so Silver Moon’s martial masters could be found throughout Skystar Dynasty. They defined the era! Everyone knew that if they wanted to truly forge a path in blood, they should go to Silver Moon!

“If they wanted to witness the true blood and gore of the martial world, go to Silver Moon!

“The supernatural didn’t make much of a splash when it first appeared twenty years ago. Silver Mono’s martial world was so strong that the initial supernaturals—Starlight, Darkmoon, and even those who swiftly made it into Sunflare—found nothing but doom awaiting them. They were rookies pitting themselves against half step Dominators!”

Being a Sunflare twenty years ago made one a Heaven Favored. Those who survived those times were either Solar at the very least, or Nova at the most in present day. But in that age, they couldn’t survive in Silver Moon because there were too many martial masters!

It wasn’t until later that martial dao’s slow pace of development that they were overtaken by the supernaturals. By the time Solars appeared, martial masters found it hard to withstand their counterparts.

Li Hao nodded.

“Martial masters are partially responsible for Silver Moon’s supernatural domain not being that strong,” Hong Yitang chuckled. “We killed too many of them! A portion of Heaven Favored visited the province back in the day, and we also had a lot of homegrown ones. But too many of them died here. It wasn’t just your teacher, I killed my fair share too. What a pity... those guys would be Solars and Novas now if they’d survived to this day.”

Li Hao nodded thoughtfully and whispered, “Was Director Hou a martial master?”

“Him?”

It was no wonder that Li Hao asked as Hou Xiaochen wasn’t that old, but said to be very strong. Was he a martial master back in the day? No one had ever heard of such rumors. If he had been, surely he would’ve bore a great reputation.

“Maybe... maybe not?”

Li Hao blinked. How was that an answer? He was a martial master if he was one!