Star Gate

Chapter 943: Winding Up Loose Ends (III)

Director General Wang’s expression turned increasingly forbidding as he memorized the names of the attackers.

“As for the scarlet shadow...” Sun Xin shook his head. “I can’t tell if it’s a powerhouse from the mental strength dao of Initial Martial, or an alien being. I was just an Immortal back then, so I couldn’t see anything. I did meet it once after I became a Saint, but since you two noble ones are unable to see anything, I naturally cannot either.”

“Who was it that originally contacted you?” the Black Armor suddenly asked. “It can’t be any run-of-the-mill person if they were able to convince or threaten you. This is one detail that you've yet to mention.”

Regular people didn’t have the right or the courage to threaten a vice commander at a vital spot like Skystar Town. Not to mention, Sun Xin was a veteran general from the early days of New Martial.

The man remained quiet; he didn’t say a word.

“Are you trying to get away with not mentioning his name, or want to continue covering up for him?” Zhang An said coldly. “Do you think that’s possible?”

“Dean Zhang, you really...” Sun Xin laughed ruefully and sighed heavily. “Li Daoheng.”

“Who??”

“Li Daoheng!”

Director General Wang was more shocked than when he heard the Zheng patriarch identified as one of the co-conspirators. He took a moment to collect himself. “I’ll kill you on the spot if you’re just running your mouth!”

“Do I actually have a chance to live?” Sun Xin laughed softly. “I lost that a long time ago, so what is the point of lying to you? There’s no use in saying anything either, it would just put everyone in a bad mood. You guys insisted on having me spit the name out. Listen to my words if you wish.”

Director General Wang looked at Li Hao. The young man had thought of someone and asked, “Li Daozong is the Ninth Division leader and his name means a sect of dao... This person’s name means eternal dao and is so similar to the division leader’s...”

“Li Daoheng is the Ninth Division leader’s brother,” sighed the director general. “His elder brother, born to the official wife of the main branch!”

“So... that makes him part of the Li family?” Li Hao blinked.

“Yes.” Director General Wang nodded, a lost look on his face.

Indeed, he didn’t know what to make of this new information. Something might go wrong with anyone else, but the Lis? How was that possible? Silver Moon belonged to the Lis! Their Sword Sovereign personally sat in residence in this world! This was their territory!

No wonder Sun Xin had capitulated so easily. Someone from the Li family had come, this entire world belonged to them. Could he not bow his head? Even though he once marched under Supreme Zhang’s banner, this was the Li family’s feudal land.

Supreme Zhang was close to the Human King, but the Li family Sword Sovereign had an even more extraordinary relationship with the Human King. They were both his protectors, steadfast friends, and teachers.

Supreme Zhang carried less weight than Sword Sovereign Li in Silver Moon.

Director General Wang shook his head without a word.

“The Li family... that makes sense as well!” Zhang An responded slowly after thinking it over. “To be honest, regular people wouldn’t be able to close the Star Gate. It all comes together if there was a Li family member participating. It’s just that no one dared seriously consider before that someone from that family would have participated.”

Director General Wang’s expression remained unpleasant. If the Ninth Division leader’s brother had betrayed them, then what of the Ninth Division leader?

He trusted his comrade, but great troubles might arise once this news became more commonly known!

“You are of the Li family, correct?” Sun Xin smiled and finally looked at Li Hao. The young man inclined his head.

“The Li family... Silver Moon was your family’s to begin with, but your family chose to drag me down into the pit of damnation. I have no good inclinations toward you either. Your family cannot escape the responsibility of me standing where I am!”

“Excuses,” laughed Li Hao. “Even my old man can’t force me to do something I don’t want to do! If anyone tried to stop me from doing something I wanted to do, I wouldn’t pay attention to them either.”

What was all this talk about the Li or Zhang family? This soldier was the one who’d done something wrong, but felt that it was someone else’s fault for where he’d ended up. Li Hao found it preposterous and wasn’t interested in the Gold Armor.

The only thing he paid more attention to was some of the information Sun Xin shared. Li Hao memorized the names mentioned—he would do his own poking around when he had time. Director General Wang might not be forthcoming with everything he knew, so the young man had to verify what he could.

“So you mean that the enemy took most of the ores that year,” Zhang An continued his questioning. “He might be already revived now and simply waiting for the world to stabilize before he shows himself?”

“Most likely.”

“Did they say what their ultimate goal was?”

“That was a matter for the great ones,” Sun Xin said calmly. “But I probably knew what Li Daoheng intended—he wanted to refine Silver Moon! There might have been some Li family members who were unwilling to let things stand. Sword Sovereign continuously refused to refine the world, and while he wasn’t weak among the exalted emperors, he was widely regarded as lacking stamina in battle. So as strong as he was, his drawbacks were apparent.

“Such were the failings of the sword of the Lis! They were invincible among their peers, but complete weaklings after that one move. It’s very likely that some of the Lis weren’t willing to suffer such a large disadvantage...”

“Not all the Lis were thus!” shouted Director General Wang. “Even if there were, it was only Li Daoheng who thought that way!”

“Who knows?” Sun Xin chuckled. “Li Daoheng was just from a side branch, how would he have so much charisma on his own? Perhaps there were even more key personnel who’ve yet to show themselves.”

No one made a sound.

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?” laughed Sun Xin.

“Is this all that’s left of the one hundred thousand strong army?” Li Hao interposed himself again. “Where is the armor of the Skystar soldiers that died that year? Where is the city’s weapon forge?”

Sun Xin frowned and flicked him a glance, unwilling to respond. Li Hao grinned, this guy seemed to be irritated by the very sight of him.

That’s fine, I can figure it out myself if you don’t say anything.

“Then I ask you...” Director General Wang took a deep breath. “These five troop leaders and these soldiers...”

“I take full responsibility for my own actions!” Sun Xin declared. “There is no way forward but death for me. They do not need to be dragged down into the muck with me. They knew nothing and guarded the mine this entire time. Their only crime was being a bit too foolish and trusting me too much.

“They were not involved. How could mere troop leaders be involved in something so big? Even I was not highly ranked among the participants. Those with even lower status would not know anything.”

The Silver Armors did not demonstrate gratitude for his clarification. There was only rage, reluctance, distrust, and dense killing intent on their faces. So the great disaster they’d suffered at Skystar Town had much to do with this one. Their friends, family, relatives, and subordinates had all died in that uprising!

What was there to be grateful for?? Not to mention, they truly hadn’t participated in these affairs. The Black Armor would proclaim their innocence regardless when he made his investigation

“Sun Xin!” snarled one of the Silver Armors as he teetered on the brink of enraged fury. “There were one hundred thousand soldiers that all died in that battle! None survived apart from us! You protected humanity from the early days of New Martial until today. Was that all a joke to you?! Do you have no friends or family?! How could you??”

Sun Xin was initially silent, then replied slowly, “The human heart changes most easily. We cannot be a good person in every age, or always be so selfless and magnanimous. it’s just that you guys cannot bear to believe my changes. If you walk out from here, you will find that many have suffered changes of heart. Don’t be so childish.

“Also, while I thought that the army would be defeated and the commander would die, I didn’t think that they’d raze the entire city,” he sighed softly. “I thought that they would need people even in the advent of refining this world. I... did not expect this.”

Was there a difference? Were the Skystar soldiers not people? Commander Jiang had treated Sun Xin well, why had it come to this?

The Silver Armors couldn’t accept it, whereas Zhang An was unwilling to ask or speak further.

“Do you need me to waste more energy?” He looked at Sun Xin.

“No,” the man sighed. “Thank you, Dean Zhang, for letting a criminal choose his way to die. No wonder people say that of the Zhang family’s third generation, Zhang An is the most gentle. If your brother Zhang Peng was here, he would’ve cut me in half a long time ago!

“Your sister would likely do the same thing. Zhang An, you... are too soft!”

He laughed again, a smile that could be either sardonic or contemptuous on his face. His physical body suddenly collapsed, his great dao broke, and his core origin stilled.

Sun Xin looked calmly at Zhang An, sighing at the last possible second, “If there is a chance for you to see Director Zhang in the future... erase my name from the Stele of Merit. This criminal... is not worthy!”

He faded away upon the wind!

Zhang An closed his eyes without a word. He was the middle child of his siblings. His elder brother was ferocious and ruthless in battle. He’d weathered the wars of New Martial in his youth and possessed an extraordinary strength and bearing. His younger sister was equally formidable and had followed the Evenround principal is another universe, killing the enemy wherever they travel to. She accomplished immense deeds of valor!

As for him... he was too softhearted and didn’t kill often.

So this was how the outside world viewed him.

......

Sun Xin had committed suicide. Zhang An had permitted him to do so. The bramble rose had also technically committed suicide. Again, Zhang An had given it the chance to do so.

Li Hao was actually considering the dean in a new light. He’d found the man cold and heartless before, but now it seemed he was very merciful. Sadly, it was this mercy that caused others to underestimate him at times, particularly in a time of war. Mercy gave the enemy a reason to laugh at one.

The five Silver Armors knelt on bended knee and looked silently at Zhang An. Behind them, the remaining hundreds of the Skystar Army also took a knee. They were asking for their punishment.