Ling Yi and Yu Niang walked out of the yamen. Yu Niang was the woman in red.
Yu Niang tapped the money pouch in her hand, then took out two pieces of silver and tossed them to Ling Yi, saying, "If it weren't for you, this deal would be lost."
Ling Yi didn't stand on ceremony and asked curiously, "What exactly does this 'The Assassins ' do? Does he just help the government catch wanted criminals?"
"There are three types of the Assassins. The most common one is the human the Assassins like me, who earns money by taking on wanted missions from the government."
"The other two are the Earth Card the Assassins and the Heaven Card the Assassins."
"Those with the best cards in the land and sky usually take on big deals, but they are also extremely dangerous. It's like walking on a knife's edge, with their hands constantly on the line. A single deal can be enough to cover a year or two of extravagant spending."
"However, these the Assassins only care about money; as long as the money is right, they'll take any job."
"How do I become the Assassins?" Ling Yi asked.
"There aren't many requirements for hiring a 'knife the Assassins'. You just need to pay a fee and register at the yamen. Even an ordinary person can become the Assassins.' Basically, all you need to do is pay the fee, two taels of silver!"
Yu Niang gestured with two fingers!
"But obtaining the Earthly Card and the Heavenly Card is not so easy. First, you must pass a strength test, and second, you must have a guide to introduce you. As long as you meet these two conditions, you can go to the White Tower to accept the mission."
" White Tower?"
"Yes, the White Tower. The White Tower is everywhere and has an extremely large influence. Only missions accepted by the White Tower will be recognized and have a guaranteed reward."
What if you take on jobs privately?
"Taking on the side? Ha, then you'll be the target!"
Ling Yi understood. White Tower was playing the monopoly game. You had to go through White Tower to post a task, and you had to go through White Tower to accept a task. White Tower didn't allow employers and the Assassins to take on jobs privately.
What kinds of tasks does the White Tower offer? What are the rewards?
Ling Yi looked at the money pouch in Yu Niang's hand and asked.
Ten years ago, the White Tower had some rules regarding its missions; it basically only accepted missions that did not violate the code of the Jianghu.
"But now, the White Tower dares to take on any mission. Previously, it only dealt with matters of the Jianghu, but now it's under the control of the imperial court."
"However, those the Assassins come for the money and leave for the money; they don't care about the quality of the mission."
Ling Yi understood; this so-called "The Assassins " was actually Hire.
"Does one need a mentor to become the Assassins at White Tower? What if one doesn't have a mentor?"
"Hey, it's simple, just pass the White Tower's test."
"Where is the White Tower?" Ling Yi became interested in the Assassins.
Yu Niang raised her hand and pointed to the right front, laughing, "That's the White Tower!"
Ling Yi looked in the direction Yu Niang was pointing and saw a three-story red sandalwood building.
Above the main entrance plaque of the wooden building are the three characters "House of Red Delights" (Yihong Courtyard).
Is this White Tower? Where is it white?
Seeing Ling Yi's puzzled expression, Yu Niang laughed heartily and said, "Haha, isn't it unbelievable? This filthy place is actually a hub for all kinds of information."
After a pause, Yu Niang said earnestly, "Young Master Ling, how about we make a deal?"
Ling Yi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the spirited woman before him, awaiting her response.
"If you pass the White Tower test, please let me be your guide."
Seemingly aware that Ling Yi was unfamiliar with the concept of a guide, Yu Niang explained, "A guide is someone who specifically takes on missions and gathers information for the Assassins; they are essentially the Assassins's partner and assistant."
Ling Yi understood that this guide was probably a logistics staff member, specifically serving the Assassins the service.
Having such a guide is essential; it saves the Assassins a lot of trouble, allowing the Assassins to simply complete the task.
"I don't want much, just a 20% commission."
Ling Yi was unfamiliar with the market rates and didn't know that the 20% commission rate varied, but Ling Yi had no shortage of money and didn't need it.
Ling Yi simply didn't know anything about this woman.
This Yu Niang appears bold and forthright, yet her words reveal a shrewdness.
Does Ling Yi care about this?
No matter what schemes Yu Niang had, they were all just a joke in the face of absolute power.
"Okay!" Ling Yi nodded in agreement.
Ling Yi's quick agreement surprised Yu Niang.
Aren't you worried?
"Whatever!"
Yu Niang scrutinized Ling Yi with her beautiful eyes for a long time. She saw a force field in Ling Yi that was different from others, but the most obvious thing was the strong confidence that Ling Yi exuded.
It was an extreme confidence, a feeling that one could easily suppress any difficulties and obstacles with a wave of the hand.
For some reason, they seem very capable and trustworthy.
Yu Niang had never seen such a person, such a temperament.
Ling Yi stepped into the " House of Red Delights " and was immediately hit by an extremely unpleasant and chaotic smell.
It smelled of various cheap cosmetics, the aroma of food and wine, and a faint fishy odor.
This " House of Red Delights " served as a cover for the White Tower, and also ran a "legitimate" business.
Even in broad daylight, the place was bustling with noise, almost every seat was taken, and strange noises could still be heard coming from the second floor.
Business is really booming!
Since Ling Yi was brought in by Yu Niang, and almost everyone here knew Yu Niang Yu Niang her identity, the madam completely ignored them.
Ling Yi followed Yu Niang straight up to the third floor and stopped in a room at the corner.
Yu Niang turned and glanced at Ling Yi, saying, "Young Master Ling, once you agree to the test, there will be no turning back!"
"Just knock!" Ling Yi said.
Yu Niang said no more, took a deep breath, and carefully knocked on the door.
"Thump, thump-thump!"
"No regrets for taking up the knife, no fear of death; think carefully before you go in!"
A cold, hoarse voice came from inside the door.
"Knock knock!"
Yu Niang knocked on the door twice more.
"Enter!"
Hearing the sounds inside, Yu Niang appeared visibly nervous. She gently pushed open the door and gestured for Ling Yi to go first.
Ling Yi nodded and stepped inside.
Unexpectedly, this room was quite large, nearly 300 square meters, and looked like an indoor training ground.
A long row of weapon racks was placed on the west side of the room, displaying all sorts of weapons, both Ling Yi and unfamiliar.
On the east side is a row of four closed windows.
In the center of the room stood an old man with a mask, a full head of silver hair, and a gray robe.
The old man held a cane in his hand, his head was slightly lowered, and his eyes were half closed, Aura Field of a hermit sage.
" Yu Niang, it's been a long time. Your cultivation hasn't improved at all. It seems the one who should be taking over the sword is the one beside you."
"Yes!" Yu Niang replied respectfully.
The old man opened his eyes and looked at Ling Yi. A glint of light seemed to flash in his slightly cloudy eyes. The next moment, he took out a golden diamond-shaped plaque from his pocket and threw it to Ling Yi.
Ling Yi raised his hand and caught it. It was a gold-plated plaque with extremely fine workmanship, and the edges were engraved with sword and blade patterns.
In the middle of the sign, there is a red word "" written on it.
"Young master, please state your name, and I will register you shortly!" the old man said calmly.
" Ling Yi!"
"That's all done, now you can leave!"
"Thank you!" Ling Yi clasped his hands in thanks, then turned and left.
Yu Niang followed Ling Yi out with a blank and puzzled look on her face.
Why is this happening?
After leaving the White Tower, Yu Niang asked, puzzled.
"What should it have been like originally?" Ling Yi asked with a smile.
"This old man is named Yang Qing, a top-tier master in the White Tower. To become the Assassins, one must withstand several moves from him."
"I couldn't even last a single move against him before, which is why I was Facheng the Assassins at the White Tower."
Why would Old Yang give you the plaque directly, and why would he give you a top-tier plaque?
Ling Yi chuckled and said, "Because he can't beat me!"
On the third floor of the " House of Red Delights," Yang Qing slowly opened her eyes. Her previously calm face now showed a look of solemnity and shock.
As veteran the Assassins and top-level experts, they all possess an instinctive sense of life and death.
The moment Ling Yi appeared in the room, he felt a strong sense of crisis.
He hadn't felt this way in a long time; only when facing a stronger opponent would he experience such a feeling.
"When did such a powerful figure appear in the Jianghu? I hope he doesn't ruin Your Highness's plans!"
In Yu Niang's home, Ling Yi looked at the dilapidated courtyard and didn't know what to say.
Is the life of the Assassins really that frugal?
This morning, Yu Niang received a reward of ten taels of silver from the yamen.
Don't underestimate these ten taels of silver. In this era, two taels of silver is more than an average person's annual income, so ten taels of silver is no small amount. It's enough for an average family to eat and drink well for two or three years.
Seemingly sensing Ling Yi's thoughts, Yu Niang said, "We the Assassins are homeless and don't know what tomorrow will bring, so we usually don't save much money."
"I have no parents, I am all alone, so saving money is useless to me."
"Moreover, there are too many the Assassins nowadays, and the government can't just accept any task. Even if they do, there's often competition among them!"
"I'm not skilled enough, and often I go three to five months without any missions to take on, or I take on missions only to have them snatched away by others."
Are the Assassins really this competitive?
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Where there are interests, there will inevitably be struggles. And White Tower is only responsible for issuing tasks, without much rule-based constraint on the Assassins.
Even with rules in place, they probably won't be very effective.
Those the Assassins engage in such transactions are all desperate criminals who have no other choice but to risk their lives. No decent person would do such a life-or-death deal.
Most the Assassins are driven by self-interest, devoid of morality; they would likely do anything for a reward.
Three days passed, and Yu Niang, who went to the White Tower every day to gather information, finally got Ling Yi his first job.
" Ling Yi, this mission is to kill a group of thirteen people. Each person will be rewarded with ten taels of silver. If you can kill their leader Ni Yun, you will receive an extra fifty taels!"