The Benefits of Fame

However, he reconsidered. Working in the cafeteria was actually quite good. He could use the pretense of delivering food to get close to his target, or even poison the food directly. It was safer than assassination and would make it easier to escape afterwards.

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you. It's really not easy to find a stable job these days."

Qingyan sighed in the tone of a long-unemployed youth, thanked him, and turned to leave. He thought to himself, having obtained a legal access pass, the assassination mission was half complete. Next, he only needed to spend half a day gathering intelligence, confirming the target's location, and another half day observing the terrain and formulating an assassination plan before he could take action.

Two days... no, if the timing is right, just one day will be enough. The legendary assassin is about to take his first step!

Qingyan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with unwavering conviction and boundless hope for the future. His heart brimmed with ambition, and even his steps became more powerful. He had a premonition that he was about to make history.

"Mission canceled."

The sudden notification left Qingyan dumbfounded.

"Huh? Why?"

"The client canceled the deal voluntarily. Congratulations, you can get another deposit for free."

"The deposit isn't important at all! You should tell the client that they only need one more day, just one more day, and I guarantee the target won't see the sun the day after tomorrow. Also, for this mission, I'm only taking the deposit, no other compensation. That means whether they cancel the mission or not, they'll still get the same amount of money. That should prevent them from canceling."

"It's not about the money. Fine, I'll just break the rules and reveal some information about my client. He's made a secret deal with the Black Earth Gang and become their implicit ally. Besides, the Thousand Ren Society is facing a sudden upheaval and is barely able to take care of itself. Whether the spy leaked information or not is irrelevant now. In fact, if the spy dies in prison, it will be detrimental to the cooperation between the two sides. He not only doesn't want to kill the spy, but he also wants to protect him to curry favor with the Black Earth Gang."

"... The world changes so fast! How did the Black Earth Gang and the Thousand Ren Society become allies? This is unbelievable! Which bastard did this?"

Qingyan sighed deeply; his mission was cut short before it even began.

The road to legend seems far from over...

Chapter 250 The Benefits of Reputation

The following morning, as Si Ming was pondering where to begin in his search for information on the Rust Disease, a member of the Black Earth Gang came to report to him.

"Lord Si, someone outside wants to see you, claiming to have the information you most need."

The messenger spoke with utmost respect, his gaze towards Si Ming filled with admiration and respect.

Since the news of Huyan Lie injury spread, Si Ming's status in the Black Earth Gang has been greatly elevated. Especially after learning that he was the last to appear and personally severed Huyan Lie's arm, everyone looked at him with awe and respect.

Of the three who ambushed Hu Huyan Lie, Lin Qingxiang and Zhu Hao were both veterans of the Black Earth Gang, long-established and renowned. Everyone knew of their abilities, so they weren't surprised. However, Si Ming was a newcomer, and frighteningly young. Lin Qingxiang was considered promising young, but he was already over thirty, more than twice the age of Si Ming. After this comparison, everyone felt that Si Ming had a bright future, and even if they didn't intend to curry favor with him, they wanted to make a good connection.

Si Ming didn't get carried away. He knew very well that half the credit should go to Yu Shuying. He, Lin Qingxiang, and Zhu Hao together only deserved half the credit. However, wise men like him never really showed off. Their abilities were usually only known to people in the circle. Outsiders always saw them as martial artists who killed powerful enemies on the battlefield.

Martial arts battles in the martial arts world are different from military wars. The latter at least have strategists and advisors as respectable and publicly recognized positions. However, the title of "wise man" is neither a position nor a recognized qualification certificate. It is just a kind of private praise. If no one publicizes it, outsiders will have no idea about it.

Moreover, in war, there are countless examples of the smaller side defeating the larger side, and everyone agrees on the idea that "all's fair in war." However, it is relatively rare for the weak to defeat the strong in a physical fight. Usually, it is the weaker side that is actually more skilled or has hidden advantages, and they are the stronger side in the end. If they win by intelligence, they are often considered despicable and treacherous, and their victory is not honorable.

This resulted in Yu Shuying being highly regarded despite having made the greatest contribution. People thought she might have contributed some ideas, but that was all. As long as Si Ming and the other two took action, they could definitely cut off Huyan Lie's arm. It didn't make much difference whether she was there or not; she just benefited from the situation.

In a sense, this situation is in line with expectations: Si Ming stands in the spotlight to attract attention, while protecting Yu Shuying by keeping her hidden behind the scenes.

"If there are no problems, let him in."

Although it was unclear whether the other party's information was related to Rust Disease, since there were no other clues at hand, they decided to give it a shot.

A short while later, the informant brought a shifty-looking man into the room. Although Si Ming had never seen the man's face before, he recognized him the moment he sensed his presence.

"So it was you! What, you were still upset about being taught a lesson that night and want to get revenge?"

The other party was the same rat demon who tried to snatch the Demon Race's Cultivation Method from Si Ming after the auction, but ended up getting beaten up and was eventually rescued by his companions.

The man cupped his hands in greeting, showing no anger or embarrassment, but rather a hint of shame, saying, "If you had severed Huyan Lie's arm a day earlier, I would never have dared to steal your things, nor would I have bid against you at the auction; I would have sought another way."

A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow; people in the martial arts world believe in this. As long as you make a name for yourself, others will respect you, and even the scoundrels will avoid you. Playing dumb to fool others is never the mainstream style in the martial arts world; it will only invite unnecessary trouble.

"It's not too late to know now. What brings you here?" Si Ming asked.

"I know you are investigating information related to Rust Disease. I happen to have some very important intelligence on the subject, so I'd like to make a deal with you. I'll give you the intelligence, and you give me a rubbing of the 'Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art'."

"We spent ten million to buy 'The Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art,' is your information worth ten million?"

The man smiled wryly and said, "Sir, that's not how the price is calculated. That ten million was already a premium. Besides, we don't want the original, just a rubbing. For you, there will be no loss; you can get important information for free. Where else can you find such a risk-free deal?"

"You know it's a premium, and all that extra cost is your fault!"

"You can't blame me. I was unaware of the situation at the time. Ignorance is no excuse."

The man acted quite submissively, showing no anger despite being repeatedly questioned; instead, he humbly begged for forgiveness—this is the benefit of fame.

Upon hearing that Si Ming had even severed the arm of a Nascent Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, how could he dare to adopt a tough stance? Huyan Lie was a veteran Nascent Spirit Transformation; although his strength wasn't among the top tier, it was still far superior to those newcomers. In terms of strength, he might not even be able to defeat his boss, yet he ended up in such a state.

Si Ming couldn't help but sigh inwardly. No wonder everyone loves to pick up the Huyan Lie. Even though it was him, Lin Qingxiang, and Zhu Hao who ambushed Hu Yanlie, he was the one who cut off the arm in the end. So when the news got out, he was the one who benefited the most, making it seem as if he had defeated Huyan Lie in a fair one-on-one duel.

In fact, there were many clear-headed people who raised objections, but as long as they asked a question like, "If you were in his shoes, could you cut off Huyan Lie's arm?" or "The wounded tiger is the fiercest; would you dare to go in his shoes?", the clear-headed people would have nothing to say.

"Only children can say ignorance is no excuse; for adults, ignorance is the greatest fault." Si Ming gestured for the other party not to rush to defend themselves. "How about this, I won't make things difficult for you. As long as you're willing to tell me the information first, and I find it to be indeed very important and worth the price, then I'll give you the rubbing of the 'Sea-Upholding Demon Dragon Art'."

This was practically equivalent to an unequal treaty that ceded national sovereignty and humiliated the country. Whether it was worth it or not depended on Si Ming's conscience; if he wanted to lie through his teeth, the other party would have no choice but to comply.

Sure enough, the man's face turned extremely ugly upon hearing this, but after several shifts in expression, he suddenly gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, as you request, I'll tell you the information first."

Good heavens, you agree to such conditions? Are you perhaps a tinkerer from the Qing Dynasty?

Si Ming was startled. Was his reputation really that powerful, reaching a level of "terrifying"?

"Wait a minute, don't rush to speak, let me find someone first."

To avoid any suspicion of a trap, Si Ming quickly sent someone to invite Yu Shuying over, to prevent her from lying and spreading false information.