Star Gate

Chapter 631: Nine Dragons Pagoda (II)

“Understood!” Li Hao nodded. “I know of a deputy director named Yellow Dragon who seems to be at odds with Director Hou. How strong is he?”

“He made it to metamorphosis a long time ago. I’m not sure if he’s ascended to Arcanus yet.” Hou Xiaochen was already downstairs. “Don’t think too highly of our sole right to administer the law. It’s easy to join the Night Watchers—anyone that the deputy directors wish to recruit may join! There is no need for any process or procedure, they can be directly appointed! That means that if someone moves against you, they’ll become a fellow colleague with a single word!

“Of course, their rank will be different, so it’ll be insubordination if they attack you. However, that means this becomes an internal affair and judgment can wait until later. In other words, keep as low a profile as you can within the city and don’t go overboard, considering you’ve just arrived. All the trouble that you make should have its purpose or goal. Don’t raise a fuss for no reason at all, that would be playing a fool!”

Li Hao nodded consecutively, then asked, “What about the Nine Dragons Pagoda...”

“I’m taking you there to familiarize yourself with certain people, so you’ll know who you can provoke and who you cannot. It’s also an introduction of you to everyone else. This way, you’ll be less likely to get up to no good.”

Li Hao was growing dejected. “I’d never do that!”

“How do you explain yourself at the Xus?”

“That was just making the first move! I killed Xu Zhen and Xu Feng, Light Sword killed so many of their generals. The duke wouldn’t have shown us any mercy and he’s very strong, so I had to strike the first blow!”

“If it wasn’t for someone coming to your rescue, you would’ve died with how brash you were!” Manager Yu couldn’t help herself.

“Not necessarily!” Li Hao shook his head.

The manager couldn’t be bothered with him, the kid was just refusing to admit to his weakness! However, Li Hao truly thought that way. Xu Qing was not the sort to harm himself—unless he was backed into an absolute corner. If it hadn’t been for his teacher and the rest, Li Hao felt that he could’ve made it out.

Those events were in the past, there was no point in speaking of them now. His teacher and the others had put their lives on the line to rescue him, so Li Hao didn’t mention anything further. He just quietly committed everything to memory.

“I won’t get myself into trouble here,” the young man continued. “Not to mention, aren’t the two of you here? I feel so safe and secure, so have some more faith in me. Unseal yourself whenever you wish to, have no fear!

“If they really make me desperate, I’ll just completely break one of my supernatural locks and become a full supernatural. When my potential is released, I’ll be stronger than I am now!”

Fully break his supernatural locks...

Li Hao pretended not to see Manager Yu’s look at him. What, could he not do that? I’m not afraid of the five organs bursting! I can break all of them, not just one! My body and organs are world class and I wouldn’t die even if I break them in the absence of sword energy. I wouldn’t say that I’d immediately cross over to the Arcanus level, but I wouldn’t immediately die to supernaturals of that level either.

Hou Xiaochen didn’t say anything further. Three humans and a dog headed to a parking lot. It looked like they would take a car to their destination.

Hou Xiaochen’s car drove out to meet them as soon as the group reached the parking lot. The driver was the director’s old driver—he never seemed to rest or sleep. Li Hao was rather curious what level of strength the driver was. He looked to be a pure martial master who was quite strong.

Little Ye hurriedly ran out to meet them before they had a chance to climb into the car. She panted heavily, “Director Hou... this is an order signed by the director himself. Are you guys headed out?”

“Out for dinner!”

“I see!” Little Ye was curious, but didn’t inquire in further detail. She handed the note from earlier to Hou Xiaochen.

The man laughed and tossed the note to Li Hao. As the three climbed into the car, Li Hao took a closer look at the piece of paper. There were Hou Xiaochen and the director’s signatures on it.

Yao Si!

Li Hao blinked. What... kind of name was this? “Our superior officer... is called Yao Si?”

“What?” Hou Xiaochen laughed. “These names were very common back in those times.”

Alright then. But Yao Si... sounded exactly the same as the characters for “to die”! What an inauspicious name. Having claimed the passenger seat at the first opportunity, Li Hao beamed merrily at the order. Hehehe, he’d been promoted to Skystar vice commander!

Granted, he didn’t think much of the position given his expanded worldview these days. Whether it was the Inspectorate or Ministry of Armed Forces, they were all quite rotten. But if someone was giving him money, who was he to refuse?

Li Hao thought of the nine ministries as imaginary enemies. Wasn’t it lovely to accept wealth and riches that his enemies gave him?

The little car started driving out of the Night Watcher headquarters.

......

The director’s building.

The old man once more approached the window and looked out of it with an indescribable expression on his face. Skystar vice commander! Hou Xiaochen was an interesting one. Had he been convinced that Yao Si would agree to the arrangement?

Li Hao’s rank was high enough—he could even step into the position of Skystar commander if he so wished. Of course, that would require a signature from the inspector general. A vice commander was something they could decide on internally.

Where were they going now? Hou Xiaochen had remained at headquarters nearly the entire time since arriving at Skystar City. He took Li Hao out as soon as the boy came. To dinner? Where to?

Surely not the Nine Dragons Pagoda!

“Things are getting ever more interesting!” The old man laughed and put the matter out of his mind.

......

The little car drove out of the Night Watcher headquarters and headed to the end of the Avenue of the Nine Ministries. The nine ministries were spread out like the eight trigrams—except there were nine of them—and the Nine Dragons Pagoda sat at the convergence of those nine dragons where the palace was. Indeed, the restaurant was close to the palace!

Hou Xiaochen looked ahead and said casually, “The Nine Dragons Pagoda is where a lot of major figures eat and make merry. That’s what is said on the surface, but it is actually where the nine ministries keep an eye on the royal family. Only important personages go there.

“It’s close to the royal palace and has a view to match the height. We can even see into the palace. There are nine floors to the Pagoda and only director level personnel can enter the ninth floor.”

Li Hao nodded, then thought of another question. “Who built the Nine Dragons Pagoda?”

“Hahaha, good question,” Hou Xiaochen laughed. “The royal family built the Nine Dragons Pagoda!”

Li Hao blinked. They were crazy, weren’t they! Why create a place for people to monitor you with? But that was an interesting thought. They plainly knew that the nine ministries weren’t at ease when it came to the royal family, so they decided to establish the Nine Dragons Pagoda of their own accord.

There, you guys will feel relieved now, right? Monitor us then! Monitor us all you want!

“Is the royal family very strong?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Then why... eighty years ago...”

“I don’t know.”

Li Hao was rather surprised. So there were matters that Hou Xiaochen didn’t know of?

“I wasn’t born yet eighty years ago,” Hou Xiaochen responded calmly. “How would I know about any of that? Who knows why the royal family declined and why the nine ministries arose? Perhaps only the nine ministers and royal family know.”

“The major characters of the nine ministries don’t go to the Nine Dragons Pagoda everyday, do they?” Li Hao nodded.

“They go at least five days out of every ten!”

“What a carefree life.”

Hou Xiaochen couldn’t be bothered to respond. How is that a carefree life? Well, if you think so.

The little car continued forward—the Avenues of the Nine Ministries were pretty long. A massive structure loomed into view at the end of it. Colossal and immense, it was the Skystar royal palace!

It was slightly dim and its lights seemed more like ghost fire. Buildings elsewhere in the capital were ablaze with illumination, but the palace seemed exceedingly dark.

The Nine Dragons Pagoda was situated outside of the palace, close to the eastern gate. It was a tiered structure with an ancient flair that stuck out where it stood. Only the palace once stood between the nine ministries. Now that there was a Nine Dragons Pagoda; it threw the picture composition off balance.

The pagoda was entirely lit up. Li Hao opened his unique eyes and scanned it, immediately narrowing them protectively. There were many powerful supernaturals ahead! Additionally, would the noble and lofty beings of the nine ministries be unaware of the domain’s drawbacks? Perhaps many of them were still martial masters, or were similar to Hou Xiaochen and the rest—first supernatural, then martial master. If Hou Xiaochen could do it, so could others.

He would have to approach closer to have a more accurate determination.

Li Hao abruptly frowned and manifested a small mirror in his hand. He had two—the bronze one from Qiao Feilong in Silver City. That one seemed sealed. The other one had come from the Steadfast Duke, it seemed to be a fragment. It was the latter that was trembling.

The young man’s frown deepened and he looked around him. Someone was watching them! Or rather, they were watching the car. That didn’t matter, what mattered was that the tool used to surveil them might be another fragment of this mirror.

Li Hao quickly put his fragment away, understanding that something similar must exist nearby. If that was the case... He looked toward the palace. That meant someone was keeping an eye on them from the palace.

How interesting!

Had the palace actually constructed the Nine Dragons Pavilion to monitor guests of the establishment instead? It provided more discreet cover for their purposes. It also seemed that the royal family’s fragment was larger and even possibly stronger. That was why Li Hao didn’t sense anything to begin with. He’d felt something in the duke’s manor.

Do the nine ministries know about this? Li Hao had seen the images generated by the mirror when he stayed with the Xus. They were so clear and sound was audible through them. Didn’t that mean that anything that happened on the premises was within the royal family’s purview?

The nine ministries may not know about this. Otherwise, certain news would have leaked out at some point, given all the foot traffic that this establishment saw. It was also a possibility that they were of the mind to release fake news instead.

Li Hao could already sense the undercurrent of schemes and counterplotting before he even set foot into the Nine Dragons Pavilion. Behind him, Hou Xiaochen glanced quizzically at the young man.