Star Gate

“I’ve been wondering,” Li Hao sneered, “if the world would be worse off with the three great organizations as the rulers instead? Not necessarily, I think! The three great organizations have killed many, which was why I thought they were too wicked to be pardoned before, but now it seems that more innocents may have died in ministry hands. What right do the nine ministries have to criticize the three great organizations?”

“You’ve got some nerve!” Yao Si straightened in his seat, rather surprised by the response. He wasn’t angry, just astonished that Li Hao would prove so bold. “Keep in mind that I call the shots here!” He looked at the young man. “Not even Yellow Dragon would dare speak to me in this manner.”

“That’s right, someone who doesn’t dare speak to you like this has fouled up the entire agency.” Li Hao grinned widely. “I know, you’ll say that you’re letting him do this on purpose. But you have to know that biding your time to accumulate your strength like this has only let the Night Watchers turn completely rotten!

“What does it mean when a law enforcement agency is corrupt and a shell of what it should be? It means that regular people no longer have a venue to raise their grievances! That means there is no longer any fairness or justice to speak of in this world! You guys bear great responsibility for the declined state of the dynasty!”

“Li Hao.” Puzzled, Yao Si looked at the young man. “Is all this that important to you? I’d thought you’d take advantage of this meeting to ask me for help. Why… do you choose to approach in this way?”

“Because I’ve sensed a hint that subordinates are following the bad example set by leadership!” Li Hao looked at him. “Lacking ability is one person’s problem, but if a general lacks boldness or ability, that becomes the entire army’s problem!

“You are a general, the leader of the strongest agency outside the nine ministries! I would fawn over you a bit if you were a secluded powerhouse, one of the Silver Moon martial masters, a lord of the seven divine mountains, or even a leader of the three great organizations. But you are not!

“You are the leader of the Night Watchers, yet you ignore your duties and allow Yellow Dragon to swagger around. You permit the Night Watchers to sink into depravity. In my eyes, your sins eclipse that of many others!”

“Sins?” Yao Si blinked. Sins… He stared at Li Hao. “Are you saying that I have sinned?”

Yao Si started. He… really hadn’t thought that Li Hao would criticize him like this. He was a sinner? Never had he imagined that one day, a youngster would declare him a sinner to his face. The source of sins!

“Li Hao, you don’t understand,” the director replied softly. “Staying quiet and accumulating my strength is in pursuit of a greater eruption…”

“No, laying low just permits bad guys to grow more arrogant,” Li Hao refused calmly. “It causes the extinction of good people and dissipates morale. It will plunge the world into darkness! Your fire is gone after so many years of quiet, so what is this talk of a greater eruption?

“When you reach Arcanus, you’ll say that there are too many Arcanus supernaturals around. The nine ministries are too strong, as are the three great organizations too strong. You won’t be able to withstand them, so you need to bide your time a while longer. Once you exceed Arcanus, so will others have done so as well. You’ll say then I need to wait a little longer.

“Then a few years later, when you’ve got one foot in your grave, you’ll tell your descendants that you were waiting for an opportunity your whole life. What a pity that it never arrived…”

Li Hao laughed jeeringly. “Indeed, it never arrived! It would be one thing if this was the only matter, but because of you lying low, the entire Night Watcher agency has become completely rotten inside and out! What is that, if not a sin?”

Yao Si’s thoughts churned swiftly. Indeed, he hadn’t thought that this would be the kind of conversation they would have. He was growing tired, so he said softly, “You can leave for now, I’ll think on this. I… never thought that someone would say this of me. I thought… I thought you needed my help…”

He chuckled sardonically at himself. And here I thought Li Hao would come to me for help. I thought people like Hou Xiaochen and Li Hao would sense how strong I am. I had no idea this would be the conclusion instead!

Li Hao rose and looked at the old man, saying softly, “I did think I would need your help, but once I thought of the vows I took at the Night Watcher induction ceremony to safeguard the peace and safety of a certain area, to safeguard our homeland and nation… and then I look at you sitting here, drinking Water of Life with an air of being prepared to sit back and watch the world change around you… I… find myself disgusted!”

He turned and left, leaving the old man in a daze. He… was disgusted? The young man was disgusted!

Yao Si’s expression flickered rapidly. He slammed his hand down on the table after Li Hao was far away, shattering it and bringing Little Ye to the door.

“Get out!” raged the old man like he was a rampaging lion!

Little Ye jumped with surprise and quickly turned to leave. The old man suddenly called out to her, “Let me ask you something, Little Ye. In your eyes, is it right or wrong that I do not actively oversee the Night Watchers?”

The secretary started and looked back at her superior officer, not sure of what to say. Yao Si maintained a fixed stare at her and grit his teeth. “I ask you, are the Night Watchers rotten or not?”

“No… of course not…” Little Ye said nervously. “How could they be…”

“Is the world more chaotic after these five years or better?”

“Um…”

“Speak!”

“More… more chaotic,” the petite woman answered apprehensively. “But it’s all Director Yellow’s fault. When you were in charge, sir, you could somewhat corral the unstable elements of society. The same could not be said after Director Yellow took charge. The battles against the three great organizations have been waged in the haphazard manner. Not that many of their members have died, but a dozen of our cities have been destroyed and several million people dead. Tens of millions have been displaced from their homes…”

The old man sagged and waved her off listlessly. “I understand, you may go!”

“Y-yes!” Her heart in her throat, Little Ye quickly took off. She slightly regretted her words, maybe she shouldn’t have said all that.

The old man, on the other hand, was weary down to his bones. I am disgusting? he laughed at himself. I am the source of all evil?

But… but… it was just as Li Hao had said. Indeed, the young man had spoken correctly. Yao Si had indeed wanted to wait a bit longer because he felt there was no hope. He wanted to bide his time until he became Arcanus, stabilize his cultivation, then emerge to bring the world back into order again.

Yet, just as Li Hao pointed out, that sentiment was a joke. He would think that Arcanus was not enough when he finally reached that level. He would want to wait a bit more! Wasn’t that enough? He would be an Arcanus at that point! But would he think that was enough?

No!

The covers were abruptly yanked back from his thoughts, shining an uncomfortable light of shame on them. He was irate and also felt aggrieved. Indignation churned through him and he ground his teeth in fury!

“Responsibility?! How are you fit to speak to me of these matters! I founded the Night Watchers with an attitude of sure death when circumstances were their most difficult! I fought hundreds of battles to suppress the three great organizations and lost count of how many I killed. I forged the Night Watcher name through fire and blood, managing to ultimately occupy a seat at the supernatural table.

“How… you… call me disgusting??

“I kept the world in check for fifteen years and only gave Yellow Dragon this chance in the last five years because I need to stabilize my cultivation level. Someone else stands behind him, so I don’t wish to erupt in open hostilities with him. How dare you talk about me in that vein?!”

He was both furious and felt unfairly wronged, as well as not wanting to accept the situation. However, Li Hao’s words stabbed into him again and again.

You are not a secluded powerhouse, you are the only agency with actual power outside the nine ministries. You are the only agency with the power to step forward and protect the people. But if you batten down the hatches and bide your time… You represent not only yourself, but all hotblooded supernaturals!

“Have I made a mistake?” Yao Si sprawled on his chair and curled up on it. No one had ever said these words to him before because they all thought that his actions were normal.

Indeed, normal.

They knew that he was consolidating his Arcanus realm, so weren’t his actions normal? Yao Si wasn’t even a supernatural, he was a martial master. Granted, he was on a similar footing because his cultivation level was very high. It eclipsed even He Yong and the others, making it understandable that he was viewed as an Arcanus.

His organs were so strong that they could deploy the battle strength of what others could bring to bear after breaking their supernatural locks.

But, had he made a mistake?

His noncommittal mindset abruptly collapsed. It was one thing if Li Hao was spewing bullshit, but the key was that the young man spoke the truth. Even Little Ye said that in the five years that Yao Si had taken a backseat, the world had gone to the wolves. Millions were dead and tens of millions displaced.

And this was just the central region.

The old man curled up in a corner, unmoving, like he was dead. Martial masters cultivate the heart while supernaturals cultivate strength. His heart was in disarray, and it was thanks to the question from an exceedingly young martial master.

Do you have a clear conscience? You are a sinner, Yao Si! You… are very disgusting!

……

Li Hao was in the highest spirits when he walked out of the director’s office. Damn it felt good to cuss out the director! The young man was highly dissatisfied with the senior executives who enjoyed the privileges of their position, yet did not exert themselves to commensurate action. He boiled with rage!

He was unfamiliar with Yao Si, so there wasn’t much that could be said about the man. But the Night Watchers were indeed rotten, yet also somehow stronger than the other nine ministries.

That was it!

As the head of the agency, Yao Si’s inaction also caused great displeasure in Li Hao. He could identify some of the undertones from the man’s words.

I thought you guys would need my help.

The man was saying that he was willing to help Li Hao and the rest, but the young man told him that they didn’t need his help! Even if he did, it was to be expected. And it wasn’t help, but Li Hao was enforcing the law!

I represent the Night Watchers in enforcing the law and laying down order. This is what you should be doing, so why do you think you’re helping me? That’s completely wrong!

etvolare’s Thoughts

We will have a chapter reading this Saturday 10/19 @ noon US EST, 9am US PST to celebrate chapter 666! That is midnight Sunday 10/20 @ GMT+8, but should be Saturday for everyone in the west! See you on Discord~