Star Gate

“Write up a document for me,” Li Hao transmitted to the peeping Yao Si. “Declare that Yellow Dragon is guilty of collusion with the three great organizations. I’m going to behead him tomorrow to establish my authority!”

Yao Si started. He looked at the young man and didn’t make a sound.

“Write that document for me if you’re still Yao Si. If not, I’ll chop off your head tomorrow as well!”

“……” Yao Si was in a complete daze. He was incredulous at what he’d heard. What was that from Li Hao?

No one was aware of the transmitted conversation between Li Hao and Yao Si. All they knew was the young man’s thick contempt for Yellow Dragon. Little Ye clenched her fists, a light dancing in her eyes.

He was back! He hadn’t run away!

But her excitement quickly morphed into worry and reluctance. You should’ve run away! You’re too silly, too much of a fool! Even if he was laughed at for deserting the battlefield, that was still better than going to his death tomorrow!

Li Hao ignored everyone as his voice rang in the surroundings, “I will be beheading some people at the northern city gates tomorrow at 10am. You don’t need to come watch the show, I’ll have someone project it to all of Skystar City. Nearby residents should evacuate, in case noble blood dirties your floors!”

A hushed silence stole through the city before it erupted with an uproar.

“Northern savages are really brave. Damn, I thought he ran off, but he’s back…”

“Holy fuck, this northern savage has balls of steel!”

“Hahaha yeahhhh this is nice. Look at that face slapping! What are those wusses who said he ran off saying now?”

“What you laughing for? He’s come back to his death!”

“Death your ass! I’ll chop your head off!”

“How dare you cuss at me!”

“I’m also going to chop your head off! The northern savage is executing nobles tomorrow, I’ll execute you since you’re their dog!”

“You’re… you’re crazy!”

“Better than being a dog like you!”

“……” The city boiled over with the intensity of various reactions, whereas the nobles went completely dark. Those jeering at Li Hao for running away were all silent now. No one said a word because they knew this might be his last bout of insanity. It would be a waste of one’s death to provoke him, since he was destined to die tomorrow.

Everyone was waiting for tomorrow.

……

The Night Watcher headquarters.

Mu Xiaorong and the rest warily backed away. No one raised any sort of hue or cry. In the distance, Yellow Dragon glowered and a livid Deputy Director Zhou brooded.

Li Hao wiped off his hands and looked at the Night Watchers in the distance. The looks in their eyes shifted rapidly.

“What are you looking at?” he barked with laughter. “Dismissed! I’ll treat you as Yellow Dragon’s dogs if you keep sticking around. I’ll help you on your way to hell, how about it?”

Everyone swiftly vanished from the premises, including the deputy ministers.

“Commander!” Chen Jin and the others were overjoyed. Commander Li was the best! He started killing as soon as he showed up! He killed the Nova, the son of a deputy director, and most important of all, no one dared make a peep of protest about it.

He’d killed Zhou Chao right in front of his old man! The commander’s might was unparalleled! In this moment, they even felt that Director Hou was a little… just a bit… well he’d hesitated a tad. Of course, they could understand the difficult straits he was in, but it was still such a thrill to have Commander Li act like this!

“What are you in a hurry for?” Li Hao smiled and transmitted to the Guards, “Watch how I beat Yellow Dragon to death tomorrow. You can admire what it means to be a martial master and what valor from head to toe looks like!”

He would’ve had to reveal certain trump cards if he killed Yellow Dragon today. The man was a metamorphosis, a level that the prior Li Hao should not have been able to handle!

“The commander is mighty!” roared the Guards after a beat of utter surprise.

Hou Xiaochen laughed ruefully in the distance. Manager Yu was also waving her arms around with great excitement. Hou Xiaochen sighed. Yu Luocha… you’re almost fifty! What are you so worked up for?

Shouts from the Silver Moon Guards rang throughout the Night Watcher headquarters. They all knew that the commander… was Li Hao. Even some of the Night Watchers waved their arms around, privately delighting in the kills. The demon Zhou Chao was dead! What a pity that Commander Li hadn’t executed his father as well. That was a damned shame! And Yellow Dragon too!

But of course, they understood that that would be a tall order. A mixture of excitement, disappointment, and worry washed over them. Commander Li should not have come back. He wouldn’t be able to get away now that he had.

……

Outside.

Li Hao grinned radiantly at the group of people leaving quietly, then looked at Yao Si even further away. “I’m waiting for the director’s document… I’m a Night Watcher, a law enforcer. I don’t kill innocents! Ah, yes, it’s best if you send me the official Night Watcher seal as well. I can just stamp whoever I want to kill!”

“……” Yao Si slammed his window shut without a word. Are you crazy?! Do you want to experience a bout of complete insanity?

But he suddenly smiled to himself and looked at Little Ye. “Li Hao wants me to give him the official seal. He’ll be able to approve whoever he wants to kill. What do you think, should I send it over?”

“I… don’t know…” Little Ye stammered.

“Then send it over!”

A thousand thoughts rose in Little Ye’s heart as an official seal appeared in her hand. This was the symbol of Night Watcher legitimacy. She stared at it, lost in a daze, then suddenly hugged the seal to herself and ran off. She was going to deliver it to Commander Li!

She didn’t care what the director thought. All she knew was that this might make life easier for Commander Li.

……

Li Hao was back!

The news swept through the entire city. No response was forthcoming from the nine ministries and royal family. Everyone soon learned that the young man had gone completely mad after he returned. He’d killed Zhou Chao and a Nova!

It was one’s last struggles and his final madness before death. It was an unbelievable madness! If he dared kill even Night Watchers, then what of the others?

All sides quickly came to a decision to hand over a list of names first, just in case Li Hao made good on his threat. They would give him a list and see if he really killed them! It was just a list, so what if they handed it over?

……

Li Hao was back. The young man who’d just arrived at Skystar City and had apparently run off, then suddenly come back, seemed to ignite something with his return. The numb masses appeared more… alive.

They didn’t know what they were being lively for or what they wanted. To kill nobles?

They didn’t know.

They were furious, resentful and numb, and directed hatred toward the nobles. Nobles were as lofty as the skies, as were powerhouses. The people weren’t interested in fights between powerhouses and treated them as casual gossip at most.

But for some reason, some happiness floated through them today. They’d neither read many books nor recognized many characters, but they were happy, joyful, and delighted in this moment. Some were even so excited that they couldn’t sleep.

Although they were in the dynastic capital, the royal city, many were those who weren’t literate. The literacy rate was acceptable when schools were first established. But a large sum of them shut down when the supernatural rose twenty years ago, and another significant batch were closed five years ago. Not many of the younger generation received education these days.

So why were they happy?

……

In the slums.

The north wind howled. Some empty yards of various houses were devoid of all furnishings; the bitterly cold wind stole in through cracks in windows.

A bonfire burned in one of the yards. A dozen children crowded around it. The short and thin Yu Ming bobbed his head around like he was an aged scholar. “You guys don’t know why you’re so happy, right? The granny who sells sweet potatoes gave me an extra potato today. She probably doesn’t know why she’s in a good mood either, but she gave me an extra when I bought sweet potatoes!”

“That’s right, Auntie Liu next door gave me a piece of candy this morning. She never did that before!”

“Yeah! A customer that rode my cart today gave me an entire coin in tips. I usually get only five extra cents at most!”

“……” The children were also very excited. They didn’t know why all of this was happening, but a lot of people seemed to be very happy today. It even felt like the new year.

Why was this? It’d be so nice if life was like this everyday.

“This is called an awakening! An awakening of the consciousness!” Yu Ming waggled his head while voicing extremely mature words. “We know that our lives aren’t good, but why is that? We live in the royal city and there’s a lot of rich people here. There’s opportunity and money everywhere, but why aren’t our lives good? We live in a numb haze, like we’re the living dead.”

“I know!” a child rushed to answer. “It’s because we’re not nobles!”

“I know, we need to be Heaven Favored!”

“Heaven Favored isn’t as good as nobles!” another kid refuted. “I saw it last time, Ah Shan from the street over became a Heaven Favored, but he’s coachman for nobles! If I’m a noble and you’re a Heaven Favored, you’ll have to pull my carriages for me!”

“No way! I’m going to be like Demon Sword and kill you!”

“Nuh uh!”

“Uh huh!”

“……” Squabbling interrupted Yu Ming’s words.

Yu Ming sighed, but he wasn’t angry. He smiled faintly and accepted a sweet potato that Yu Qing had finished roasting.

“You’re not allowed to buy any next time!” she snapped. “Cooked sweet potatoes are very expensive, we can do it ourselves. Why did you waste money!”

etvolare’s Thoughts

I suddenly feel like I’m getting Les Miserables vibes...