Star Gate

Chapter 790: The Demon Hunter Army (I)

Kong Jie stroked his chin and came back with, “But Li Hao has sword energy...”

“Are you close to him? Will he going to give any to you?”

“Why not?” Kong Jie snapped. “I’ll just join the Skystar Commander Office as well then. What’s the big deal in that?”

“......” Director General Zhao coughed and tried placating his old colleague. “Don’t be like this, we don’t have many old friends around anymore. You’re at least familiar with the ins and outs of the province. How about this, I’ll give you some Water of Life.”

“How much?”

“Ten drops.”

“Screw you! Do you think I don’t know that Li Hao spent two hundred drops to get Ole Zhou?”

“Are you worth that?! Go ask Li Hao. He wouldn’t even want to spend ten drops on you! Why else hasn’t he talked to you yet?”

“......” That hurt the ego too much! Kong Jie rose with gritted teeth. “Don’t you regret saying this!”

“Ah, don’t, Little Kong, I was joking. How about twenty drops? I really don’t have that many... I’d give it all to you if I did!”

Kong Jie snorted and turned back for a glance. “Send it all to me this afternoon. That’s all. It’s not like I don’t have anywhere else to be!”

Director General Zhao irritably slapped his hand on the table after the man was gone. “One after another... do they think Skystar City is some idyllic place? That it’s a haven of relaxation?”

“......” Huang Yu was deep in thought before he said quietly, “Ole Zhao, my portion... should be doubled as well. I need to undergo some tough closed door cultivation in the days to come.”

“Wait, Ole Huang...”

“Send my portion this afternoon as well. It’s not like I don’t have anywhere else to go!” Huang Yu rose without a look back.

“......” Director General Zhao broke out in loud curses when Huang Yu was gone. He couldn’t hold it in anymore! What was all this?! So what if Silver Moon was a bit poor compared to the rest? What does Li Hao having a grand time in Skystar City have to do with the rest of us? How are you guys leveraging him to exert pressure on me?!

Pah!

I won’t give you shit, let’s see if you go! You’ll help me save money if you go! It’s not like you guys don’t know the province’s situation! There’s a bunch of gluttons here that devour any treasures that pop up. When is it ever our turn?

“What a bunch of bastards!” the director general cursed for a while before he got it out of his system. “Double, is it? Very well, I’ll have you guys pay it back tenfold later on!”

As good as venting his emotions felt, Director General Zhao was still depressed at the end of the day. Why did everyone want to leave? Li Hao was truly such a troublemaker!

......

Winds of change surged in Skystar City as waves of reaction reared through its streets. This savage from the north... was vicious, ruthless, and ferocious! People who’d been worrying over whether it was safe to attend the Skystar Martial Academy or not were now utterly tempted. What was there to be afraid of?

Those brave enough to take a risk would gain plenty of benefits for doing so, but those too prudent and cautious to set a toe out of line would obtain nothing for their cowardice. It was rare for an academy to not levy many restrictions and be open to all. Nobles probably wouldn’t dare attend, but this was an enormous opportunity for civilians. While the academy wouldn’t accept that many this time, it was still a chance for all.

Were they willing to be so mundane for the rest of their lives? Did they wish to live under another’s suppression forever?

Although Li Hao had already killed a lot of people, many could tell that an era of chaos was still inevitable. There were some nobles inside the capital yet to become aware of the situation, but the common popular was already cognizant of it. The price of grain had increased lately!

Any with general practical wisdom would understand that it was an indicator of things being severely wrong. Skystar Dynasty had enjoyed favorable weather for many years and ample food was no issue. But after several years of war in the central region, the northern region, and scuffles elsewhere...

The price of regular grain in the marketplace was rising!

Winter was upon them, making sea transport difficult. Skystar City was just the capital of the dynasty and had few farmers among their numbers. There were already signs of a food shortage in various locales around the central region.

Those with sharper wits could tell that disaster was nigh. It’d been many years since the dynasty had suffered from a shortage of food. Not only that, but this winter was shaping up to be extraordinarily cold. The climate seemed to be changing, making life more difficult for ordinary people.

Skirmishes often erupted and supernaturals required more nutrients than mundanes. A portion of fertile land could be reduced to barren wasteland after their attentions. Supernaturals absorbed mysterious power—this was an energy that naturally emanated from nature. The more fertile a location was, the more mysterious power there was. It could be found in the air, ground, and all locations.

After some supernaturals furiously absorbed every drop of energy they found, certain tracts of land were exhausted to the point of sterility.

Under such circumstances, Skystar Martial Academy thronged with applicants. It’d been wholly ignored before, but after Li Hao’s recent demonstrations and the state of the world, no one cared about serving up revenge later!

They could barely survive these days. It was a difficult question whether they’d still be alive next year if they didn’t find a way to survive the harsh winter. If such were the scenes in the rich royal capital, it was easy to imagine how miserable other locales must be.

......

People jostled for space at the sign-up spot. As Li Hao returned through the air, he called out, “Men, follow me to the Avenue of the Nine Ministries to occupy the governmental seat of the Ministry of the Judiciary! Screw setting up a complex for the Skystar Commander Office! That’s just bullshit! Set out for the Ministry of the Judiciary!”

The crowd was stunned by the words. They weren’t aware of Qi Pingjiang’s conversation with Li Hao, so they didn’t know that Li Hao had permission to replace the Ministry of the Judiciary. All they knew was that this was a ministry that had stood in Skystar Dynasty for eighty years. It was one of the nine and incomparably powerful. But now... it was to become the Skystar Commander Office??

Incredulity slowly turned to excitement and agitation.

“The commander is mighty!” Roars erupted. What a domineering show of force! What good was a complex for? He was going to outright occupy a seat of government! Li Hao had killed both generations of Judiciary ministers—even if the Hus had anyone left, who would dare fight Li Hao for territory?

“Forward march!” A command mobilized thousands of soldiers dressed in black armor. They presented an awe-inspiring sight with their spears and longswords.

Thud thud thud!

Drums pounded and the Li tiger flag unfurled in the air.

“Give way, the Demon Hunter Army is coming through!” yelled a soldier.

Thump thump thump!

The drums were thunderous as high emotion gripped the Demon Hunter Army. They were excited, agitated, and inexplicably proud of themselves. This last feeling had been absent from their hearts before, but now it arrived in spades.

......

The Avenue of the Nine Ministries.

Powerhouses hovered in the air as silent spectators. They watched as an army of thousands mobilized through the city, watched by countless other eyes. The Skystar Commander Office was officially installing itself in Skystar City. But when these heavyweights saw the troops make a beeline for the Ministry of the Judiciary, their composure still cracked.

“How arrogant!” Cold looks flashed out of some eyes. It wasn’t like everyone at that ministry was dead.

Countless agencies were still operating at the Avenue of the Judiciary. This ministry oversaw enforcement of all the laws in the land. Law and order were still present in Skystar Dynasty, to say nothing of anything else. It was just that the superhuman, local overlords, evil supernaturals, and nobles didn’t fall under its purview...

Was Li Hao really going to occupy one of the nine ministries today?

......

The Avenue of the Judiciary.

Of the various agencies, some had their doors tightly shut, others had their doors wide open. Expressionless officials and managers walked out of the latter. No one knew what they were thinking as they quietly watched the street ahead.

There wasn’t a soul to be seen on the avenue. Gates were flung open at a massive seat of government located at the end and a hotbed of activity had engulfed out. Various experts were in a panic as the old and current minister were dead. The Hus were done for!

With only the minister being dead, it would be fine as there were still heavyweights at the judiciary, as well as vice ministers. They were Nova at the very least, with quite a few metamorphosis.

But now, what good were they?

Judiciary also had an independent army of supernaturals named the Judgment Guard. They meted out punishment on behalf of the heavens!

This supernatural army possessed three thousand troops, almost all of which were stronger than Darkmoon. This was an army trained by the Ministry of the Judiciary for use against the Night Watchers.

Their commander-in-chief was Hu Mingfa. He was dead, which put the second-in-command in charge. Dressed in green armor, an old man with white hair gripped a spear. Five thousand troops had surrounded the ministry and didn’t let anyone in or out.

The old general stood in front of the doors and his army prevented anyone from moving. They’d sealed off the entire ministry.

“What do you mean by this, General He?!” someone shouted angrily. Why was he doing this now??

“Are you betraying the ministry as well?! Is this a demonstration of loyalty to Li Hao?”

The old general seemed to be sealing off the complex and preventing anyone or any treasures from leaving. He was keeping everything intact for Li Hao.

The old general raised his spear at the door and turned his back on the people. “No one is allowed in or out! Those who violate this order will be executed!” he said unusually calmly.

“How dare you!” shouted the vice minister. “Are you rebelling?!”

The old general simply flared his presence instead of responding. The crowd immediately fell silent with hushed shock. When did this one set foot into the Arcanus realm? Metamorphosis had been the mainstream peak of strength before—Arcanus was just a recent development. The old general had been a metamorphosis as well, but he’d set foot into Arcanus after just a few days!

This agitated the crowd, but they knew that they couldn’t afford to irritate this one. He was an Arcanus! The Hus had also heavily invested in the five thousand supernaturals of the Judgement Guard. There were more than ten Novas, a dozen Solars, and half of their number were Sunflare. The rest were Darkmoon. This was not a faction to get on the wrong side of. If it wasn’t for the two ministers dying, the Judgment Guard would’ve dared go toe-to-toe against the Night Watchers.