All eyes on me

Night fell, dark and windy, with silence all around.

In the firewood shed, a cricket chirped incessantly from somewhere, its calls rising and falling in sync with a snoring sound, as if exchanging signals.

Splash—

A basin of water splashed onto his face. Xu Yi jolted awake with a start, opening his eyes to see three pairs of eyes staring down at him, blocking the light of the candle.

"Boss?"

Xu Yi shivered under their gazes and couldn’t help but ask:

"Are we... running a murder inn here?"

The three stood opposite him.

The woman as cold and ethereal as an immortal showed no expression, but the scrutiny in her eyes pierced straight to the depths of one’s soul, making it impossible to meet her gaze.

Another woman in palace attire twirled a trophy in her hand—a boning knife looted from a clumsy assassin who had botched his dive.

Only the boss seemed normal, still wearing his usual warm smile.

But realizing he was trussed up like a pig, Xu Yi suddenly felt that smile shift from "kind" to "deadly kind."

"He’s awake," Ying Bing said impassively.

"Awake, but not fully," Li Mo mused, narrowing his eyes.

"Hurry up and get it over with. It’s nighttime," Shang Wu urged impatiently.

Xu Yi: "!"

Get it over with?

Imagining the worst, his hair stood on end:

"Boss, don’t turn me into human meat buns! I can join you! I can run a murder inn too!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Li Mo didn’t follow.

A wisp of serene light emerged behind him, bathing Xu Yi in its glow.

After much experimentation, Li Mo had discovered that his "Intent Soul" could not only slightly alter the flow of time but also soothe the mind, bringing one back to their true self.

Hmm...

Xu Yi’s head was wrapped like a mummy, making his expression unreadable, but his eyes betrayed a seamless shift into the persona of the "Money-Hungry King of Hell."

"I was indeed planning to send a message to the Drizzle Tower that day, but not for..."

"No need to explain."

"...Then just do it."

Xu Yi’s gaze dimmed. A mere assassin from the Drizzle Tower couldn’t possibly expect trust from others...

Swipe—

A blade flashed toward him.

He closed his eyes, but after a long moment, the expected pain never came.

"I believe you now."

The ropes loosened, and Xu Yi stood frozen, his stone-carved face flickering with emotion.

He wasn’t a curious man by nature, but he couldn’t help asking:

"Why?"

"I admire your greed," Li Mo said, the obscurity in his eyes fading.

"...Thank you."

Xu Yi wasn’t sure if he should be happy.

Li Mo added, "Also, when you killed both Zou Gong and Luo Wubing, it wasn’t because your Intent Soul malfunctioned, was it?"

Xu Yi’s eyelids twitched, and he lowered his head in silence.

"Enough. Everything will proceed as we agreed. You’ll take us to the Black Tower."

Li Mo tossed aside the ropes and clapped his hands.

Xu Yi was a man who’d taken the wrong career path.

He’d have made a decent bounty hunter otherwise.

Xu Yi didn’t dwell on the matter. Turning to gather his tools, he left the trio with his back as he changed into his night attire and armed himself.

"Just having the ‘Swallow of the Hall’ isn’t enough. We’ll need disguises too," he said.

"I’ve got some experience in that. I can help you."

The boss and his wife were too high-profile, too conspicuous.

"No need for that (deep voice)."

"Huh?"

The voice sounded off. Xu Yi turned around.

At some point, Li Mo had changed into a fitted outfit, his face now obscured by a dragon-headed mask, exuding an air of lethal mystery.

Ying Bing had also donned the attire she wore during the Endless Trials.

A limited-edition skin making a comeback, so to speak...

And it wasn’t just them.

The elders and senior disciples of the Qingyuan Sect had also changed outfits, standing silently outside the firewood shed.

A full roster of villains.

Li Mo, masked in the dragon helm, stood at the forefront.

The very picture of a dark overlord.

Xu Yi: "..."

Who’s the professional assassin here?

He suddenly felt severely underqualified.

......

Baili Street in the eastern district of Yunzhou City was part of the old quarter. Like most cities, Yunzhou had its own murky underbelly—a gray zone where factions tangled like roots and shadows thrived.

Where there was light, there was darkness. Suppression was futile.

"Latest volume of ‘The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me,’ 200 taels of silver per copy."

"Two hundred taels? Is the cover made of gold or the pages?"

"Do you want it or not?"

"If it’s the genuine article, of course I do. But this one’s missing the official watermark."

A blade flashed, red meeting red.

Yet the onlookers remained unfazed, continuing their business without so much as a gasp.

The group stepped onto Baili Street.

Shang Wu’s eyes gleamed as she smiled.

"This place isn’t bad. I like it."

"Focus on the mission," Qian Bufan reminded her.

You like it?

Then this place is doomed.

They dispersed like water poured into the sea, scattering as planned.

Only Li Mo’s trio and Xu Yi proceeded to the Black Tower.

The deeper they ventured into the street, the more hardened and dangerous the people they encountered became.

At the very end stood a building larger than any tavern, its plaque reading "Wind Listening Pavilion."

Despite the late hour, the pavilion buzzed with activity, its doors never still.

"You’re sure no one’s allowed to fight inside the Wind Listening Pavilion?"

"Correct. That’s the rule set by the Tower Master."

"And multiple assassins can take on the same mission together?"

"Yes. Some jobs are too big for one person."

"Perfect."

Li Mo picked up another tidbit about the Drizzle Tower’s operations.

Turns out he hadn’t been a true member before, lacking knowledge of the finer details.

But it didn’t affect his plans.

They stepped inside.

For a moment, Li Mo felt like he’d walked into the Qingyuan Sect’s mission hall—only much larger, and instead of fellow disciples, the crowd was now composed of wary assassins navigating the shadows.

"Ten mystic crystals, 100,000 taels of gold, three bottles of sixth-grade elixirs?"

Li Mo read his own bounty notice.

Xu Yi took a deep breath. "Now you see why assassins are flocking after you..."

Li Mo nodded and sighed. "So assassins really are this poor, huh?"

Xu Yi: "..."

This bounty was equivalent to the wealth of an Inner Realm expert!

"You two also here for Li Mo’s bounty?"

The receptionist was a gaunt old man with a bluish birthmark on his face.

Li Mo didn’t answer, his eyes scanning the mission board.

"Even an Inner Realm expert failed today. That Li Mo must have strong protectors."

"So what if he does? Sooner or later, someone will break through."

"Tch. Nineteenth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking—such a big reputation."

"Remember the one ranked twelfth? Even he fell to the Drizzle Tower’s relentless pursuit."

"That time, the Holy Maiden herself took action."

"Nothing excites me more than killing a genius—I’ll take that mission!"

"Who knows if he’ll go into hiding? If he vanishes, I’ll have to spend extra to track him down..."

More assassins were eager to step forward, ready to claim the bounty.

Clearly, this wasn’t a solo mission.

Li Mo just wanted to settle this quickly. Suddenly, he raised both hands, dispelling the Veil of Formless Radiance.

"Eyes on me, everyone!"

"I am Li Mo!"