Chapter 14

Liu Yan did not take Li Hao to Liu Long's office.

Instead, she turned left and right, eventually entering the basement of the law enforcement building, an area where others could not enter.

The place was spacious, and as soon as Li Hao entered, he felt a sense of emptiness, but it was very quiet.

The silence was somewhat eerie.

In the law enforcement building, to feel such chills, this place was clearly not ordinary.

In the entrance area, there were a large number of exercise equipment.

The walls were also lined with various weapons, just like in Liu Yan's office.

There were both firearms and cold weapons.

Knives, spears, swords, and halberds, everything was available.

As for the firearms, Li Hao even saw a small cannon, which made his scalp tingle. My God, how many weapons do these guys have?

The law enforcement team has its advantages.

Even if someone found out about this place, it wouldn't matter. As the head of the law enforcement team, the leader of the city's violent institution, if he said these weapons were for dealing with criminals, no one could argue.

If Li Hao dared to stockpile so many weapons, he would have been arrested and executed long ago.

In front of the fitness area and the armory, there was a small passage that seemed to lead to other areas.

Liu Yan did not take Li Hao there.

Entering the fitness area, Liu Yan shouted loudly, "Boss, the person is here!"

A moment later, several figures emerged from the depths.

The tall and muscular Liu Long, the thin and wiry Wu Chao, a man so fat that he shook when he walked, and a small, kind-looking woman who didn't look too old.

Including Liu Yan, there were exactly five people.

This was the Demon Hunting Squad of the law enforcement team.

Despite the hot season, Liu Long still wore a trench coat, mostly to cover the weapons hanging all over his body. Otherwise, carrying so many weapons would make anyone suspicious.

"Liu Long!"

Liu Long strode forward, his cold expression unchanged, but he introduced himself again, "Captain of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for the main offensive!"

The thin and frail Wu Chao also smiled faintly, "Wu Chao, reconnaissance officer of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for intelligence gathering and drawing fire from the side!"

The incredibly fat man, with a thick and heavy voice, introduced himself, "Chen Jian, shield defender of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for defense!"

The small and gentle woman also spoke softly, "Yun Yao, doctor of the Demon Hunting Squad, responsible for healing."

Four people, each with different roles and functions.

The division of labor was very clear!

Few in number, but well-organized.

Li Hao glanced at Liu Yan, what was her role?

Liu Yan smiled and, seeing Li Hao's gaze, giggled, "What are you looking at? Liu Yan, deputy captain of the Demon Hunting Squad, secondary attacker! The boss is the main attacker, I'm responsible for the finishing blows!"

Li Hao understood.

Liu Long looked at Li Hao and said calmly, "We are all the members of the Demon Hunting Squad! There used to be more of us, but now... there are fewer, just a few of us!"

"Now, the squad has only two main attackers, one doctor, one shield defender, and one reconnaissance officer."

He looked at Li Hao and said solemnly, "Li Hao, are you willing to join us?"

Li Hao nodded.

Liu Long looked at him deeply, "Li Hao, do you know why we are called the Demon Hunting Squad?"

Li Hao didn't speak.

Liu Long answered his own question, "Because... we are justice!"

Justice?

At that moment, Li Hao felt a bit dazed, looking at the people in front of him, are we... justice?

Liu Long's voice was cold but firm, "We are justice! Perhaps we each have our own goals and thoughts, but don't forget, we are the law enforcement team of the Inspection Office! We are the law enforcement agency, we uphold justice, we protect Yincheng, and everything we do is, on one hand, to protect ourselves and become stronger, and on the other hand, to maintain peace!"

"The demons we hunt are those who disrupt the world and have blood on their hands!"

"Li Hao, the first thing to remember after joining us is to forget everything else and remember one thing: we are justice! And those who commit crimes are demons. If the Night Watchmen can't clean them up, we will do it for them, responsible for clearing away these filth!"

From the moment Li Hao joined the Demon Hunting Squad, Liu Long began to instill the squad's mission in him.

Or rather, this was the squad's charter!

A team with mixed motives was extremely dangerous for them, as their enemies were beyond imagination.

So, this small team had its own beliefs or faith.

Upholding justice!

Whether true or false, they firmly believed they were the guardians of justice, driving away the demons from Yincheng.

"Justice..."

Li Hao muttered.

Liu Long's voice was extremely serious, "Exactly! Justice! Li Hao, remember this! The Demon Hunting Squad is the guardian of Yincheng! Without us, Yincheng might have suffered countless casualties and become a playground for many superhumans, to be taken and plundered at will!"

"Of course, you may not truly believe it now, but if you go out and see the world, with hundreds or thousands of cities, the situation is already chaotic in all directions except the central region. The world is in turmoil, and human lives are as insignificant as ants!"

"The appearance of a superhuman can cause chaos in a city! Only in Yincheng, in recent years, has there been peace and prosperity, despite some unrest. The Demon Hunting Squad has been established for five years, and we have hunted five superhumans, one per year. Each time, we have saved Yincheng!"

Liu Yan stood beside Li Hao, arms crossed, and laughed, "What the boss said is true, though he likes to exaggerate a bit, but it's not false! We joined the Demon Hunting Squad with our own motives, perhaps not to protect anyone, but the fact is, because of our existence, Yincheng has been peaceful and prosperous!"

Li Hao was lost in thought.

Perhaps what Liu Long said wasn't entirely wrong.

They hunted superhumans, maybe to become superhumans themselves, but in fact, they might have also hunted some superhumans who intended to cause chaos in Yincheng.

Is the outside world really that chaotic?

Li Hao didn't know.

He had almost never left Yincheng. Saying "almost" is because he did go to a neighboring city once, but that was many years ago.

"Li Hao, this is the first lesson I give you upon joining the team!"

Liu Long's voice was stern, "Don't think we are secret operatives. No, we are enforcers, messengers of justice and law! So, to us, anyone who commits a crime is a demon! Demon hunting, we hunt these demons!"

Hearing this, Li Hao suddenly felt a bit relaxed.

Even though Liu Long's words were somewhat self-aggrandizing and self-justifying.

But when Liu Long said, "We are justice, we are enforcers," Li Hao suddenly felt... comfortable.

Just inexplicably comfortable!

We are not secret operatives, we are the guardians of the entire city. Even if our original intentions were not so noble, the facts speak for themselves.

Expert!

At that moment, Li Hao felt even more that Liu Long was an expert.

Not just in terms of strength and mind, but also in ideological guidance.

He made every member of the Demon Hunting Squad firmly believe that everything they did was for justice.

No guilt!

Killing superhumans would only bring a sense of achievement, protecting the people, protecting justice, and safeguarding Yincheng.

This psychological satisfaction was something ordinary leaders couldn't achieve.

And Liu Long had accomplished it in this aspect.

At that moment, Li Hao felt that joining the Demon Hunting Squad might really be a good choice.

And at that moment, Liu Long said solemnly, "Li Hao, introduce yourself!"

Li Hao thought for a moment and said, "My name is Li Hao, former inspector of the Confidential Office, a dropout from Yincheng Ancient Academy! I am skilled in the Ape Technique of the Five Animal Exercises, which makes me quite agile."

"Is that all?"

Liu Long looked at him, and Li Hao felt a bit embarrassed, "That's all."

Liu Long said coldly, "Just like that, you became Yuan Shuo's last disciple?"

Li Hao felt a bit awkward, "That's the teacher's favor."

"Li Hao, here, if you don't have enough value, when you encounter danger, we won't abandon you, but we won't risk our lives to save you! If you have enough value, even if we sacrifice ourselves, we will ensure your survival to keep our beliefs alive!"

Li Hao was silent for a moment and then added, "I am also skilled in ancient text analysis, which is a crucial part of exploring ancient civilizations. I have a strong memory, which is one of my strengths."

The others looked at each other, their eyes showing some surprise.

Ancient text analysis!

Is it useful?

Yes!

Very useful!

Yuan Shuo's current high status is because he is the head of the Ancient Civilization Exploration Department. His identity is not the key; the key is that Yuan Shuo is a senior expert in ancient civilizations, with deep research in the field.

So, even the Night Watchmen rely on him.

However, the Night Watchmen dare not let Yuan Shuo become a superhuman because once he does, many problems will arise.

Some things are useless to ordinary people but very useful to superhumans.

But often, superhumans lack the knowledge and insight to identify useful things.

Yuan Shuo can!

As an ordinary person, Yuan Shuo wouldn't dare to hide or keep things privately.

But once he becomes a superhuman, he might become uncontrollable. If he discovers some treasures, he might keep them privately, and no one would know.

At that moment, Liu Long's eyes lit up slightly!

"How much of Yuan Shuo's knowledge have you inherited?"

Li Hao humbly said, "Captain, you overestimate me. The teacher's knowledge is vast like the sea, and I have only absorbed a drop of it."

"Speak plainly!"

"..."

Li Hao, feeling helpless, said, "I followed the teacher for two years at the Ancient Academy, mainly learning, without participating in any practical work. The teacher is skilled in many areas, and I have only focused on ancient text analysis. My other abilities are far inferior to the teacher, who is skilled in many areas, such as trap solving, ancient artifact preservation, feng shui positioning, and ancient civilization humanities..."

Talking about Yuan Shuo, Li Hao felt a deep sense of admiration and inadequacy, sighing, "After leaving the Ancient Academy, I was busy with other things and had no time to continue learning. The teacher's skills are far beyond my reach!"

Liu Long said solemnly, "That's already very good! Being recognized by Yuan Shuo represents your talent and ability!"

Ancient text analysis...

He didn't say more about it, quickly adding, "Alright, Li Hao, from today on, you are the intelligence analyst and... bait of the Demon Hunting Squad!"

"..."

The room was silent.

Can bait be a part-time job?

Beside him, Wu Chao laughed eerily, his laugh always so ghostly and cold.

"Kid, it looks like I can be relieved! After the previous bait of the Demon Hunting Squad died, I had to take over. I was really afraid that one day I would die, but now it seems... someone has taken over!"

It turns out the previous bait was him!

Li Hao was speechless.

Of course, before coming, Liu Long had already made it clear that he would be the bait.

It was just officially confirmed now.

A moment later, Liu Long looked at Li Hao and said, frowning slightly, "Of course, I'm not sending you to your death by making you the bait! Your physique doesn't seem very strong, and even with the Ape Technique, it's too short a time to make much progress!"

Saying this, he walked toward the exercise equipment, "Come, let's test your abilities! I need to know what you can do, and then we'll see how to train you and whether you can escape from a superhuman."

Test?

Li Hao didn't say anything and followed.

The others were also curious and followed.

Liu Yan's mouth was almost touching Li Hao's ear, whispering with a smile, "Show your full abilities here, don't hide! If you're too weak, there's no point in hiding. Hiding your weaknesses will only limit your gains. The boss has some good things!"

Li Hao didn't say anything, just avoiding her mouth, "Don't blow into my ear, it's uncomfortable."

"Ha ha ha..."

Liu Yan laughed happily, and Liu Long ignored it.

Beside him, the female member, Doctor Yun Yao, smiled gently, "Sister Yan, don't tease him."

"Who's teasing him?"

Liu Yan smiled, "Little Hao is so handsome. Look at our team, a bunch of misfits! Thin like bamboo poles, fat like walls, the captain is okay, but he's old and has dark skin like a coal ball! Little Hao is the best-looking!"

The other three men's steps paused slightly.

No one said anything.

But Li Hao felt innocent, as if he had offended three people at once.

I didn't say those things, Liu Yan did. Don't hold a grudge against me.

At that moment, everyone had already reached the fitness area.

There was all kinds of equipment!

Liu Long ignored the previous incident and said, "Before entering the superhuman realm, there were also powerful cultivators in the human world, like your teacher Yuan Shuo, who cultivated the Five Animal Exercises to the extreme, making him extremely powerful!"

"Like the former head of the Inspection Office, who cultivated Iron Shirt to the extreme, making him impervious to ordinary blades and only slightly injured by firearms."

"These people are representatives of those who cultivated a single skill to the extreme in the human realm."

"Before the appearance of superhumans, we called these people martial artists! Masters and grandmasters of martial arts, using their human bodies to counteract firearms!"

Martial artists!

Li Hao listened attentively, as these were areas he had never explored before.

Liu Long continued, "Martial artists also have different levels of strength, but often, it's not just about raw power! Some are skilled in speed, some in defense, some in strength..."

"Each has their strengths, so it's hard to compare them directly! A fast martial artist might kill a strong, slow one! A strong martial artist might kill a fast one with a single punch."

"As a martial artist, you must have one outstanding ability, something beyond the norm, to be called a martial artist! Speed and strength are the most obvious, but other abilities, like defense, are hard to measure until a life-or-death situation arises."

Li Hao nodded again.

That makes sense!

He looked at Liu Long with some curiosity, "Captain, do you mean that it's hard to distinguish the strength of martial artists? So, all martial artists are about the same..."

"Bullshit!"

"..."

Li Hao was speechless, that's what you said.

Liu Long turned to him, "Don't overthink it, strong is strong, weak is weak! So, over a decade ago, martial artists were also divided by strength, but the levels were not many: Cutting Ten, Breaking Hundred, Fighting Thousand! That's what martial artists were!"

Li Hao was slightly stunned, this... is too straightforward!

And too simple!

Liu Long seemed to know what he was thinking and said coldly, "Understandable, right? It's that direct! Here, the term 'people' refers to the level of regular soldiers! Anyone who can be called a martial artist must be able to break through a squad of ten soldiers and kill them, that's the Cutting Ten level! Above that, Breaking Hundred, which is much harder, means you can defeat a hundred soldiers with a single strike, making you a Breaking Hundred level!"

"As for Fighting Thousand..."

Liu Long took a deep breath, "It's just a theoretical concept. In reality, no matter how strong you are, if you face a thousand soldiers, even without firearms, you're dead! Your stamina and energy will be quickly drained in battle, and no matter how strong you are, you have limits. You can't possibly fight a thousand!"

"Until the appearance of superhumans, some powerful superhumans truly reached the Fighting Thousand level."

Li Hao was slightly stunned and asked, "Captain, do you mean that only powerful superhumans can do this, so some weaker superhumans might only be at the Cutting Ten or Breaking Hundred level?"

"Only?"

Liu Long looked at him with some ridicule, "Only? Wait until you face one and see! Breaking Hundred, one against a hundred! Speed and strength are at their peak, and such superhumans also have special abilities. Even a Breaking Hundred level martial artist would face a near-certain death if they encountered one. Do you think they're weak?"

Li Hao didn't say anything.

Breaking Hundred...

It sounds easy, but in reality, if there were a hundred strong soldiers,