Star Gate

Chapter 704: Gains and Reports (III)

As various thoughts rose to the forefront of Li Hao’s mind, someone knocked on the door.

“Commander!” Mu Lin’s voice rang on the other side, surprising the young man. He’d given orders not to be bothered.

“What is it?”

“Someone wants to see you.”

“Who?”

“A little girl. She says that the commander gave her two hundred star coins the day you arrived in Skystar City, that you’re old acquaintances...”

Li Hao blinked, recalling the person in question. He grew distracted, what was going on? Did he accidentally pay her off with fake coins? That shouldn’t have happened. Or had the little girl recognized him and felt like the thigh of a hotshot was worth holding on to?

But... I only got a ride from you. There’s not much of a relationship between us, is there?

Mu Lin was still waiting outside and normally wouldn’t have called upon the young man for this matter. But the visitor had said she was a known acquaintance and that Li Hao had given her two hundred coins...

His mind was swiftly grasping at wild straws!

Under what circumstances would Li Hao give someone so much money? And a girl who looked like she was sixteen... So Li Hao was this kind of person?!

Heavens above!

The girl had come looking for him, could it be...

Some matters did not bear deeper contemplation. After all, why would someone hand over two hundred star coins for no reason whatsoever?

Li Hao was well known for being a miser. He wasn’t a skinflint when it came to cultivation resources, but very much a tightwad with regards to regular wealth. It was said that he’d always been short on money, so it was definitely a case of the sun rising from the west for him to give someone two hundred star coins.

“Commander!” Mu Lin reminded.

Li Hao waved a hand to open the door. “Did she say what she wanted to see me for?” he asked curiously.

“No, just that she has important matters to discuss with the commander...” Mu Lin answered offhandedly. “So she’s not lying about the commander giving her two hundred coins?”

“That did indeed happen.” Li Hao nodded.

Mu Lin understood the situation. He’s worse than an animal! She’s only sixteen!

Meanwhile, Li Hao didn’t think much of the possibilities. So what of two hundred star coins? It was a rare chance for him to be generous. He was just surprised that she’d come calling. After some thought, he rose to his feet instead of having Mu Lin send her away. “Let’s go take a look. Did I pay her with counterfeit coins or something last time?”

Mu Lin followed him without a word, his mind racing through endless possibilities. Could it be... No it couldn’t be! Was the commander about to become a father?

But, that also seemed like a nice development. They just had to be sure it was the commander’s. Mmhmm! Li Hao was so young that such matters needed to be taken seriously.

“What are you thinking about, Brother Second Mu?”

“Eh?”

“I’m asking you a question!”

“What?”

“I asked if there are any disturbances in the city today. How are the nine ministries?” Li Hao looked wordlessly at him. What’d gotten into Mu Lin today?

“Ah, nothing... The Night Watchers have demonstrated their might and the nine ministries are keeping quiet. There’s been no movement from them ever since.”

“I see.” Li Hao nodded. Was Mu Lin distracted because Golden Spear had left?

The young man walked outside. The city defenders used to be camped at the northern city quadrant, but this area had been temporarily claimed as the Skystar Commander Office.

To be honest, Li Hao should be focused on building the Skystar Governor General Office, but strictly speaking, that position was under the control of the royal family. He didn’t think much of the appointment either—being the Skystar vice commander was better. He was only under Night Watcher jurisdiction then and that agency was his home turf. The title was more humble, but he could avoid the royal family.

A girl waited anxiously outside the complex. A Silver Moon Guard invited her inside, but she insisted on waiting outside. Some of the martial masters within the Silver Moon Guard were agog with the spirit of gossip.

A very young girl was here for Li Hao! She said that he’d given her two hundred star coins!

These details were all over the Silver Moon Guards and even Manager Yu’s figure could be glimpsed in the distance. Perhaps Hou Xiaochen had sent her here to listen to the gossip.

None of this occurred to Li Hao. If it did, he’d probably kill a few people to shut up the rest! This was an affront to his reputation!

......

Yu Qi was both excited and agitated when she saw Li Hao. She happily ran over from the distance and said apprehensively when she drew near, “Um... ah... Master... Master Li... Do you remember me? I’m the one who showed you around the Avenue of the Nine Ministries... I also said that you can come find me at the eastern city quadrant if you have need... I’m called Yu Qi...”

Li Hao nodded. Of course he did, his memory wasn’t that bad.

The look in Mu Lin’s eyes grew more complicated. Come find me if you have need? How... incredible!

“Yu Qi, is it? I remember!” Li Hao laughed loudly. “Those weren’t fake coins that I paid you with, were they? I got those coins from killing others and I’ll pay you again if they’re fake!”

“No no!” Yu Qi hastily shook her head. How was this the conclusion that he’d jumped to? “I’ve come to you because I have some business, Master Li...”

“Just call me big brother!” Li Hao said casually, drawing attention from numerous people around him. He was confused by their attention. What, couldn’t he have an acquaintance in the city?

Another thought occurred to him when he noted the gossipy nature of their looks and he turned to Mu Lin. When he read incredulity in the man’s eyes and the suggestion that Li Hao was a downright animal...

The young man understood!

“C’mon, let’s chat inside,” he said smoothly. “I haven’t had the time to thank you for showing me to the Night Watcher headquarters last time! It’s not an easy thing to be working and supporting your family at such a young age!”

The crowd blinked when they heard these words. Showing him to headquarters? Was that it? Seriously?

Mu Lin also started. So things aren’t as I thought?

“Don’t just stand around, Brother Second Mu.” Li Hao clapped Mu Lin’s shoulder. “Go about your business!”

“Oh, I see, okay!” Mu Lin quickly nodded.

Li Hao walked inside with Yu Qi, but Mu Lin abruptly felt a piercing pain in his body not long after the young man crossed the threshold. He shrieked with agony in the next second, startling the Silver Moon Guards so much that they thought an enemy attack was upon them.

Mu Lin waved them off, his hair standing up straight as bolts of lightning exploded over his head. Electricity coursing through his body numbed him as he laughed ruefully. Was there any doubt as to who’d done this?

Incredible! Li Hao had likely sent mysterious power into his body when the lad touched him. It didn’t explode until he left, nearly turning Mu Lin into charcoal.

“It’s the girl’s words that were ambiguous and open to interpretation. What are you smiting me for?” It was clear as day that Li Hao had realized what was going on and taken revenge. The lad was so petty!

......

Within the hall.

Li Hao laughed and looked at Yu Qi. “Go on, take a seat. What kind of business do you have with me?”

“Master Li...”

Li Hao didn’t say anything upon seeing that she hadn’t changed his honorific for him.

“I... I have a crime to report!”

A crime? Li Hao was rather surprised. “Does someone owe you for your taxi services?”

What else could there be, other than this?

Yu Qi looked glumly at him—how was that possible? Not to mention, who would use a bicycle for a taxi? Only Li Hao would be this foolish, erm, generous!

The little girl looked carefully around her; Li Hao couldn’t help but laugh at seeing her surreptitious demeanor. What was she doing?

“This is my territory, there’s no one else here. Not even the nine ministries reach this far! Tell me who you want to file a complaint against, I happen to need to kill people to establish my authority. Of course, we’ll have other people in the office take care of minor characters...”

“They’re all major characters!” Yu Qi hastily piped up.

“Major characters?”

The little girl decided to come out with what was on her mind. She was already here and thus naturally hoped for Li Hao’s help.

“Master Li, I want to file a report against many people. Some of them are princes, some are high up in the nine ministries, and there’s also the headmaster of the Skystar Supernatural Academy. Oh, and there’s major characters in the Inspectorate!” She set her jaw. “I want to expose that they killed innocents and seized another’s property!”

Li Hao furrowed his brows and took a closer look at Yu Qi. She was a mundane and a child. Her clothing was shabby and she searched for customers off the streets. Such an ordinary person wanted to accuse princes, headmasters, and those of the nine ministries?

As he continued frowning at her, Yu Qi once more grit her teeth. “I... I can offer a good benefit! So long as Master Li helps me, I can tell you the location of a ruin!”

“A ruin? You know about ruins?”

“Of course!” Yu Qi threw all caution to the wind and lowered her head, not daring to look at Li Hao. “I know the location of a ruin, one that’s different from the rest. Most ruins are of martial dao, army sites, or sect headquarters. This ruin seems to be... where the ancient civilization conducted research. It’s not a martial university, but possibly a research station or a research institution.

“So long as Master Li is able to help me, I’ll tell you where it is and how to enter it...”

She really was putting everything on the line. “I don’t dare tell anyone else, but I trust that you are a good person. You might be the only person in the entire dynasty who can help me and the Yun family!”

The Yun family?

One person came to mind—Yun Yao, the quiet healer of the original Demon Hunters. The thought vanished as soon as it came to mind.

“Tell me more details.” He looked at Yu Qi.

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