From the moment Dadatis became Zhang Heng's teacher, the old man's first requirement was that Zhang Heng conceal his connection to the Blade of Balance.
In Dadatis's words, that was the assassin's way of survival.
Especially two hundred years ago, when the appearance of a traitor not only caused the Blade of Balance's plan to assassinate Octavian to fail, but also led to the exposure of the organization's core members one after another. They had all been the finest assassins of their age, possessing extraordinary assassination skills. Yet once they were brought into the light, with the machinery of the state closing in from the front and the Hounds carrying out covert assassinations from behind, very few of them ultimately survived by luck.
The Blade of Balance learned its lesson from that. Core members no longer disclosed their identities to one another. Only two people knew the identities of every member: the chairman of the Assassin Council and Keleisi's Priestess. Of course, the organization did not forbid members from associating privately. If you found someone compatible and trustworthy, you could tell them your real identity.
"You've already met the Priestess. The current chairman of the Assassin Council is an old friend of mine, the Faceless One. Those two know your true identity. Besides them, there's also Hyacinth."
"Hyacinth? Who is he?" Zhang Heng asked.
"You should be asking who she is. You haven't passed the test and officially become one of us yet, so I can't tell you too much about her." Dadatis's expression turned somewhat strange at the mention of Hyacinth, carrying both tenderness and wariness, mixed with a trace of guilt. "We don't have much contact, but she personally went to see you not long ago. I need more people to support your joining the Blade of Balance.