Star Gate

Chapter 651: Paper Tiger (I)

At this moment, in the Colosseum.

“Something seems to have happened at Four Seas Island.” Wu Yong frowned and looked at Liu Sha. “The lines of communication are not clear. Many have told me that they can’t get in touch with their family. We received a message from the island moments ago, but no one responds to further contact...”

“Can something have happened?” Liu Sha furrowed her brows as well.

Wu Yong started, then looked at Liu Sha with some... disbelief. “Do you think... Demon Sword...” he transmitted.

“Would... would he dare?” Her eyes widened.

He absolutely would! Whether it was attacking the Colosseum or the Four Seas Company, it was all the same. So why wouldn’t he?

Wu Yong swallowed hard. If things were progressing according to his guesses... then... they were in great trouble! Although there were a lot of Novas at the Four Seas Company, Demon Sword wasn’t weak...

He frowned anew after further thought. There were so many people on the island, couldn’t any of them get away and fire off a message? Perhaps he was just thinking too much.

“Tell the minister that I’m going to take a look at the island. Stay on guard at the Colosseum, be careful of this being a diversion...”

“You’re going alone?”

“Mmhmm!” Wu Yong nodded. “I’ll go alone and take... that... with me. You keep the energy bombs. That gives us both a certain degree of self-defense.”

“Alright!” The two discussed for a while before Wu Yong left with two Novas. Although he was concerned that this was a tactic to lure him out, he was also deeply afraid that something had gone wrong at Four Seas Island. They would be in grave trouble then as there were many treasures on the island and the descendants of many noble figures.

His head would roll if they all died! Not even the minister would be able to save him then!

Liu Sha quickly reported the latest developments after Wu Yong left. Minister Liu’s response returned shortly. “Go with Wu Yong, don’t set out on your own!”

Minister Liu was quite irked. Of course they had to move as a team at a time like this! Were they insistent on giving the enemy the chance to take them out separately? These two were complete idiots!

......

The minister frowned in his office at the Ministry of Finance, contemplating whether or not Li Hao was behind the irregularity. Did the young man have the boldness and the ability to deliver such a blow to the Four Seas Island, to the point in which no word could get out?

That’s only possible if he has help, and exceedingly powerful help. It’s not feasible otherwise...

He swiftly gave orders for people to keep an eye on Hou Xiaochen. He wasn’t the one making a move, was he?

The minister’s men quickly reported back that Hou Xiaochen was still at Night Watcher headquarters. That put Minister Liu more at ease.

“It should be fine...” He heaved a long sigh, whether out of self-comfort or true belief. Faint unease still pricked at him.

......

In the darkness.

A massive flying ship traveled through the air. Thousands of people were imprisoned in the hold. Two ashen-faced Novas watched as Li Hao’s internal force sank into their bodies and slowly reached their hearts. Despair and fury filled their eyes.

The young man didn’t care about that. He was very calm and painstakingly wrapped their organs with his internal force. Hard at work, he was very gentle and tender.

People said that men hard at work were the most handsome, but that was the furthest thought from the Novas’ minds. They felt only terror. Their hearts were clenched tight, as if explosion was possible at any moment.

“Don’t move!” Li Hao frowned slightly with a soft rebuke. “Mysterious power is unstable. Although internal force is stable, shifting about randomly might cause mysterious power to leak out and collide with internal force. Your organs will explode from the clash!”

“You know just as well that mysterious power is unstable...” Mu Xiaorong was pale. “We’re already your prisoners! This will easily cause our hearts to be accidentally blown up!”

“It won’t.” Li Hao grinned brilliantly. “I keep my actions within the proper limits of behavior. You don’t have to worry about your heart exploding so long as you don’t bring more than the force of a Solar to bear. I’m not fully in control of you either, I just don’t want some unpleasantries to happen. Do you understand?”

Mu Xiaorong set her jaw and didn’t say anything else. Li Hao was openly flying them back to Skystar City. This would easily arouse backlash from the Ministry of Finance. When battle was joined... the circumstances would be very dangerous for them.

“What do you want to do, Commander Li?” Mu Xiaorong tamped down the fear in her heart. “There’s no need for this since you won’t be killing us. We’ll cooperate and might even be able to help if you encounter danger.”

“Oh no, that’s fine!” Li Hao declined the offer with a smiling shake of his head. “You’re far too noble for that, I couldn’t bear to let you be so tired.”

Mu Xiaorong was rendered speechless. Li Hao looked outside the ship. They would finish crossing the Skystar Sea soon. The royal city would be at hand after another uninhabited expanse past the sea. Would the Ministry of Finance send anyone?

“You have a lofty status.” He smiled at Mu Xiaorong. “You will stand at the ship’s bow. If there’s anyone from the Ministry of Finance or government present, they won’t dare attack you on sight. The nine ministers are too noble for anyone to harm their children. What do you think?”

Mu Xiaorong paled again.

Li Hao looked into the distance and saw balls of light swiftly approaching. He picked up Mu Xiaorong with a pinch and threw her to the front of the ship. “I’m giving you an order, not making a request! Think on it yourself how you can best prevent those coming from attacking you or the ship.”

He then looked back at the trembling nobles in the ship’s hold. “All descendants of deputy directors and above, as well as members of the royal family, shall approach the front. Carry on enjoying yourselves as you did before!”

No one in the group dared move. They knew that it would be very dangerous at the ship’s bow, that people might die.

“That was the first time.” Li Hao grinned. “I don’t like repeating myself, so you have one more chance...”

A rustle stirred the crowd as one, two people walked out... They shook violently, but they didn’t dare delay their actions. They knew how dangerous and ruthless the person in front of them was. The thousands of corpses on the island bore testament to that.

Novas that were normally eminent beings were paper tigers to their attackers. They were killed instantly; the captives still didn’t know how many powerhouses they faced. Only Southern Fist was familiar to them, they didn’t recognize the rest.

Approximately twenty people walked to the front of the ship. They were as quiet as mice. Li Hao was quite displeased at that and manifested a massive mysterious power stone to illuminate the ship.

“Come, carry on like you did on the island!” he commanded coolly. “Don’t men and women like to have fun with each other? Show me that fun! Whether you kiss or engage in other actions, move yourselves! Let people know that you’re having fun here!”

The group continued to tremble. Mu Xiaorong glared lividly at Li Hao, he looked back just as viciously at her.

“I don’t want to kill those of the nine ministries, but don’t force my hand! I won’t be able to guarantee how many survive in the times to come otherwise! Don’t think that I’ll be in any trouble after I kill you. There are too many who want to kill me—because of that, I don’t care if I offend a few more!”

The prisoners moved to stiff action. Some conversed in low voices with those next to them, others played games with those they knew. Some shakily wrapped their arms around their partners to kiss...

Although they were enjoying themselves, all of them shook uncontrollably. They feared Li Hao. As arrogant as they were, that was under the auspices of their background. Now that they faced someone who didn’t care about their identity, there was nothing they could do but submit.

Li Hao looked into the distance once more. There were too many lights from Skystar City in the darkness, so he couldn’t make out the balls of light too clearly. He decreased his speed as he wasn’t prepared to enter the city. That would give the enemy more time to exit the city, which would make their balls of light more apparent.

A massive ball of light approached from a distance; there were two smaller balls of light next to it. Three Novas! Someone was coming.

Not only that, but Li Hao abruptly jerked his head back to see a fourth, prominent ball of light following the first three. It slowed as it approached.

The young man raised an eyebrow. A metamorphosis expert was following behind the trio of one metamorphosis expert and two peaks Novas. The first three were likely Wu Yong and his men, so who was the fourth?

Friend or foe?

Most likely foe.

It looked like they’d discovered something and were following him. Neither He Yong, Yang Shan, or the hidden Qin Lian had raised the alarm. The others were less than five kilometers away, which indicated superior powers of concealment.

Dark supernaturals? Assassins? Celestial!

Li Hao swiftly came to the conclusion that the onlookers were likely from Celestial. Only someone like that could evade He Yong and the others. His people followed from the shadows, but hadn’t discovered this group. To powerhouses, five thousand meters was a short distance.

Would just one metamorphosis expert dare come by themselves? The enemy should know that he wasn’t an easy target. Three metamorphoses chasing him in the east last time failed to succeed. These guys wouldn’t be that dumb.

“Therefore... that they’re here... and guess that I’m here... means that they can’t possibly think one metamorphosis is all that it’ll take.”

There must be an ace up their sleeves. What was it? An energy bomb or something else?

There had to be something. These metamorphoses wouldn’t be so bold otherwise. Various thoughts rose in Li Hao’s mind and he walked up the ship’s bow before gradually vanishing from sight like he’d gone invisible. Mu Xiarong and the others gaped—Li Hao had run away!

Or rather, he was using them as bait and hiding in the darkness. What should they do?

“He’s gone, should we run for it?” Mu Xiaorong transmitted to the North Sea Nova.

The latter ignored her and looked at the young man next to him. The young man shook his head ruefully. These royal city nobles didn’t know anything. They lacked understanding of how savage these northern barbarians could be!

As a North Sea pirate, he knew what Li Hao and these Silver Moon martial masters represented in the north. They would rather be a shattered vessel of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery. If they didn’t listen to Li Hao and help kill enemies, none of them would survive. Someone like Li Hao would certainly kill them at crucial moments and run off.

Flee?

That was the dumbest decision possible. It was better to wait for a glimmer of hope to arrive.