Star Gate-Chapter 1625: No Mercy! (I)

“Senior Pagoda King!”

The Pagoda King swiftly rose to his feet and rushed through the air at the summons.

Li Hao was very polite to them and addressed them as senior, but the Pagoda King didn’t dare actually occupy that kind of status. While the young man was polite, he was also ruthless. The Silver Moon exalted emperors were immensely respectful toward him, so how could the Pagoda King rest on his laurels?

“Silver Moon kKng...”

“There’s no need to call me thus,” Li Hao interrupted. “You can just use my name.”

The Pagoda King smiled and didn’t answer.

“The senior and Senior Celestial Pole both relinquished your core origin and joined Silver Moon in a critical moment of danger,” continued the young man. “This should have been a decision made after enormous consideration. But given the situation... The two seniors have suffered a great loss, particularly with Senior Celestial Pole’s cultivation level descending drastically.”

“Not at all, we’re all one family, this is what we should do,” the Pagoda King hastily said,

“Gan Wuliang and the rest are cultivating.” That was the end of Li Hao’s pleasantries. “There are a few things that I would request the senior make a trip for me.”

“Please go ahead,” hastily concurred a happy Pagoda King. It was good that they were being given tasks.

He and Celestial Pole needed to make a good showing of themselves before they kicked back and relaxed. Anything was fine, so long as it wasn’t life threatening. Even if it was, they would have to accept the mission at first.

No one would take them to task for taking a load off their feet after they accomplished certain deeds and achieved great merit.

He’d been able to do nothing for one thousand years straight after rendering service to New Martial. The Pagoda King wanted to lie down longer this time!

“First, go to Orchid Forest and ask around if they have extra minor and mid worlds. I’d like to trade for those next time I kill exalted emperors.”

The Pagoda King committed it to memory with a nod.

“Second, go to those wandering cultivators and convey my intentions, whether through threats or force, that they need to retreat from Orchid Forest as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will make an example out of them!

“It would be best if they gathered together in response to your visit.”

So you purposefully want them to gather, so you can take them out in one fell swoop? You’re certainly devious!

“Understood!” nodded the Pagoda King. There was nothing hard about that. Both of these were simple tasks.

He continued to wait, hoping for harder missions so that he could demonstrate his value.

“Third...” Li Hao paused and said slowly. “If, and I mean if...” He switched to transmission. “If the situation changes, can the senior do me a favor with your reputation?”

The Pagoda King’s heart shook at this unusual solemnity. What was it?

“Please be frank, king of Silver Moon!”

What reputation? What kind of reputation do I have? I’m infamous! I’m renowned throughout the chaos for being disloyal! New Martial thinks the worst of me! When New Martial talks about betrayal, who’s the first one to come to mind?

General Pagoda!

Why?

Because General Pagoda’s forefather was the companion plant spirit of the Pagoda King. General Pagoda is just its descendant, but it’s the first one to come to mind! Isn’t that awful?

The Pagoda King’s heart skipped a beat, tensing in anticipation of the request to come.

“I may not be able to pull the wool over the eyes of premier existences,” Li Hao transmitted as expected. “Red Moon might not accept me in the end, they could just outright expose my identity.

“If that comes to pass, the senior should ambush me, kill me, take my sword, and offer it to the Red Moon master!”

“......” Fuck me!

The Pagoda King cursed madly to himself. This would be the death of him!

“The senior’s reputation is known. You are not strong and know New Martial like the back of your hand. If that time comes, you can sell out New Martial and Silver Moon. They will certainly spare you for it and even reward you handsomely!

“You are a second rank, a New Martial exalted emperor, and will possibly be the first captive of war that Red Moon has taken. No, not a captive, you will have defected to them.

“Given how many of their seventh ranks that New Martial has killed, Red Moon desperately needs a New Martial exalted emperor to salvage their dignity! The senior is the perfect candidate for that—they won’t think twice. Even if they suspect anything, they won’t mind it too much.

“It’s a common sight for second ranks to turn traitor. These words might not be pleasant on the ear. Please don’t be offended, senior.”

“......” The Pagoda King was highly resigned. Has my reputation really degraded to these levels? “So the Silver Moon king means that if there is a risk of exposure... I should attack you first, seize your sword, and hand it over?”

“Yes!” Li Hao further explained, “This is just a contingency plan. I am confident that I can fool the Orchid Forest master, but I’m not that confident in deceiving eighth ranks! So if it really comes down to it, I’m going to request that the senior be the bad guy for once. None of the others are suited for the job!”

“......” Just listen to you, kid. How is Celestial Pole any better than me? Your subordinate Gan Wuliang is also someone with a lot of thoughts running through his mind. And those three outsiders that’ve recently surrendered to you... Won’t it be equally normal for them to betray you?

Why me?

Fine, I know, it’s because my reputation sucks!

This blows!

“But what of the others once that time comes?” The Pagoda King wasn’t certain if Li Hao would die or not. Yet, since the young man had raised this possibility, he most likely wouldn’t.

What about the others? Could they be resurrected if they were killed?

If that really happens, I’ll conceal the dao river and help you guys change your dao. It’s not a big deal if anyone really dies either. But of course, it’d be best if no one died.

“Anyway, I’m only saying this just in case. Don’t attack me for no reason, senior...”

The Pagoda King laughed dryly. Why would he? Just what do you think of me? I’m so bad in your eyes!

“I understand!” The man nodded. The Silver Moon king certainly had quite a few ideas in mind! He didn’t seem to be as confident as the Human King. If it was the Human King, he’d be supremely confident in his inevitable success and trust that he would be able to fool everyone.

That was not the Silver Moon king.

He’s thinking of the possibility of failure and counting even me in his plans. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

“This stays between you and me, the rest don’t need to know about it!”

“Understood!”

“Does the senior mind?”

“Of course not!” laughed the Pagoda King. How would I ever? Although you have a misunderstanding of me, I can do this for the sake of the grand plan.

Would it be dangerous?

Very dangerous.

Although Li Hao said that Red Moon would paint a bullseye on him, what if... they didn’t? What if they felt that the Pagoda King wasn’t worth keeping around? Who could say?

“That’ll be all for now, senior. Please go back to your business.”

The Pagoda King quickly departed to converse with Orchid Forest senior council and the wandering cultivators.

......

The group cultivated for a period of time. Having devoured so many dao crystals, the two dao masters and Panther felt that they could immediately ascend.

At the same time, they were one step short, and not in terms of energy. They lacked a certain catalyst. Perhaps it would come around the next time they fought.

......

Elsewhere in Orchid Forest.

Ripples in society shook the world. The Pagoda King had been making the rounds over the past couple of days, both tempting and intimidating the wandering cultivators. Having killed four exalted emperors in the name of Orchid Forest, he strutted around with overweening pride!

Fawning self-assurance was the name of the game when he threatened the exalted emperors. Either they departed the world or they marched under the Exalted Myriad Dao Emperor’s banner.

His answers drew an answering backlash from those he approached.

Some wandering cultivators who were unwilling to depart Orchid Forest began to contact each other in private, worried that they might really end up dead from Myriad Dao’s group. That was a group that dared kill those from Red Moon, after all.

The scattered wandering cultivators began to form groups. There were quite a few of them in Orchid Forest, and not all of them low ranks.

Thanks to the Pagoda King’s unbridled arrogance, they quickly formed an unstable alliance. There were more than twenty exalted emperors in it. Two fourth ranks held down the fort.

That spontaneously emboldened the wandering cultivators. The next time the Pagoda King showed his face, he was nearly killed on sight!

If it wasn’t the wandering cultivators not desiring to completely antagonize Myriad Dao, the Pagoda King wouldn’t have made it back alive.

......

At the same time, in a place underground in Orchid Forest.

Void was very bored and cast a glance at the meditating Sword Sovereign next to him. They hadn’t done anything ever since he followed this one into Orchid Forest. They simply waited.

Li Hao seemed to have caused a great furor in the outside world, but the Sword Sovereign continued to wait.

What was he waiting for?

Void could barely keep his patience in check. Ever since killing that seventh rank, he’d really wanted to give attacking a major world another go!

“In a rush?” The Sword Sovereign suddenly opened his eyes.

“No,” Void chuckled. How could I be? I’m not in a rush!

“There’s no rush!” the Sword Sovereign chuckled as well. “We’ll wait a bit longer.”

More waiting?

“The longer we wait, the more likely it is that the Orchid Forest master will consolidate control over the dao universe. He might set foot into seventh rank then!” Void said after a while.

They had a chance of success if they worked together now. But if they waited until he became a seventh rank master of dao and had the advantage of being on home territory, then he would be a more difficult opponent than Clarity.

“We should wait a bit longer!” The Sword Sovereign wasn’t the type to hem and haw, but he suddenly wanted to take his time. “Li Hao... seems to have some sort of plan in mind. I’d like to wait a bit longer and see what he does.”

Plan?

Void thought it perfectly to be expected. Li Hao always came up with some plans first, whether or not he was confident in his chances or not. He always looked to be strategizing, but also promptly gave up when the occasion called for it. He was a very decisive person.

Void felt that Li Hao might not be planning something, he could just be making his regular arrangements. But since the Sword Sovereign had spoken, he had to nod. Then they would wait!