A Long Grind to Daoist Monarch-Chapter 181 - 149: Bai Qi? He Will Never Return!

A solitary lamp burned in the shop, where a middle-aged man with a turban was busy keeping accounts. Two candles, one red and one white, were placed on the table before him.

This was the rule of the Hidden Pavilion.

The red candle for accepting jobs, the white candle for buying lives.

He heard a series of knocks, two long and three short, signaling neither an assassin taking a job nor a client buying a life.

So he opened the ventilated skylight, letting out a few points of light:

"Three hundred taels of gold, friend, you're asking for too much."

Even the wealthy families of Yihai Prefecture only used snowflake silver.

Gold? It wasn't even a currency used in regular markets.

Only Daoist Officials liked using it for alchemy.

"We've heard rumors, this person is worth a bounty of a thousand taels, making his life so precious, of course, there's a multitude willing to buy related information."

The yellow-faced man seemed to intentionally suppress his voice, which was not unusual. Those who knew of the Hidden Pavilion were typically in disguise from start to finish.

"So we need to verify the quality. Hidden Pavilion is not a charity, casually throwing money to aid you. From Black River County Bai Qi, directly instructed by Tongwen Hall, the information from various channels is already more than a thousand entries.

Friend, how can you be sure your stuff is worth three hundred taels of gold?"

The yellow-faced man mumbled:

"Second Bone Training Barrier, six times blood change, skilled in Fist and Palm, decent Body Technique, trained in Tongwen Hall's Five Grand Captures, most proficient in Arhat Hand and Dragon Palm, and also possesses a Hundred-step Piercing Willow archery skill..."

The middle-aged man remained unmoved, all these were not new things.

"In a few days, he'll return to Black River County to take over several ferries from the He Family Fishery, with no one accompanying him."

The yellow-faced man added:

"I have the exact route."

The middle-aged man finally showed interest, casting a sideways glance:

"Guaranteed?"

The yellow-faced man nodded:

"Eighty percent sure."

After a while, a small brush dipped in ink, along with several sheets of rice paper, was passed out through the skylight.

"Write it down. I will report it. If verified as correct, I will contact you with a listing, pay one hundred and fifty taels of gold, and if the assassins accepting the order find the information reliable and valid, evaluate it as qualified, the remaining bounty will be settled."

The Hidden Pavilion has a meticulous operational system, and one can't exchange a lot of silver for a few dubious pieces of information.

This rapidly rising force seems loosely structured, merely acting as an intermediary platform for clients buying lives and assassins accepting orders.

However, from the numerous shops spread across counties, townships, and villages, and the exceptionally smooth information channels, it shows its extraordinary nature.

If not for the massive investment of manpower, material, and financial resources, how could it support the vast Hidden Pavilion, famously called the "Ghost Gate Barrier"?

Having your name in the Hidden Pavilion and listed alone is akin to having one foot in the Ghost Gate Barrier.

"Alright."

The yellow-faced man didn't hesitate, quickly writing it down, then turned and left.

The Hidden Pavilion does business relying on the word 'credibility.'

This is something not to worry about.

"Tsk, tsk, setting up such a vast net just to kill a junior who just entered Second Bone Training. As Ninghai Zen's disciple, truly unlucky."

The middle-aged man closed the skylight, adhering to the rules without looking further, directly rolling it into a bamboo tube.

The Hidden Pavilion sends messages through three lines: by water on boats every five days, by land with merchants every half month.

And it also raises black-mouthed carrier pigeons, releasing three daily.

It is said that at a higher level, it's even possible to directly use the government office's postal stations for communication.

If this is true, the identity of the noble person behind the Hidden Pavilion becomes apparent.

...

...

Crack, crack, the intertwining of muscles and bone echoed. The yellow-faced man transformed again, becoming a skinny young man with gaunt cheeks like a bamboo pole.

His aura was entirely different now, with the intensity of Qi Blood increasing, maintaining at the Third-Stage Skin Cultivation level.

He frowned, adjusting his features a few times, slipping into an alleyway and opening a wooden door, taking out a black fitted garment.

Then he searched for a mask, one of the twelve zodiac masks, choosing the snake.

After a moment of reflection, he soared towards the flower boat anchored within the Black Water River Inner City.

Even with the deep night and bone-chilling cold, it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the wealthy to seek pleasure.

The flower boat, adorned with large red lanterns, docked at the riverbank, with robust security guards patrolling the surroundings, and several sampans patrolling to fend off water thieves.

Ninghai Zen, who perfected the Thousand Transformations Skill and the Hidden Form Method and innovated them, boldly stepped onto the flower boat.

A long sword hung at his waist, exuding an intimidating aura keeping strangers at bay.

Saying little, he requested a private room from the madam, who was a slightly older woman.

Once inside, he silently wore the snake mask and didn't touch the tea served.

Before long, several more people arrived intermittently.

Each wore a twelve zodiac face mask, including pig, dog, ox, and horse, around four or five figures.

They picked a chair, sat down nonchalantly.

Dog was the first to speak:

"How about this big deal? A thousand taels of gold is no small sum."

His figure was short and sturdy, somewhat solid. From his voice, he sounded around his forties or fifties, not young.

"I think we should wait, see the situation. Ninghai Zen is no stranger to anyone here. Hidden Pavilion has sold a lot of information about him. A ruthless figure who killed a Grandmaster of the same realm with one hand, can't be touched."

Pig shook his head, very cautious:

"This business seems lucrative but is actually tricky. Killing a fledgling who just stepped into the Bone Training Barrier is easy, but with a formidable star always by his side, it would be akin to courting death."

Ox and Ma, seemingly twin brothers, had identical body shapes and voices.