Huo Jiang brought news of Li Ban into the fourth level.
The prison guard currently on duty was Zhao Kangyun, the newcomer who had replaced Zhao Yu.
Because he had only recently advanced to the 3rd Tier, he was quite respectful to the other veteran guards.
"Clerk Huo, why are you here so early? It's not time yet," Zhao Kangyun said, standing up with a smile on his slightly boyish face.
"I have nothing else to do anyway. You can go back and cultivate," Huo Jiang replied in his usual honest-man persona, adopting the tone of a senior looking out for a rookie.
"This... Alright, thank you, Clerk Huo." Zhao Kangyun picked up the sword on the desk—since he had joined the Death Prison midway through his career, he didn't use a Ghost-Head Saber—and got up to leave.
Once Zhao Kangyun was gone, Huo Jiang approached Zhai Liu.
"Ptoo!"
Before Huo Jiang could even speak, Zhai Liu spat a wad of saliva right in his face.
"No, I was wrong, sir." Huo Jiang kept his head bowed, feeling the spit slide down his cheek. He didn't dare wipe it away.
"Zhao Kangyun isn't Zhao Yu!" It was rare for Zhai Liu to lose his temper this genuinely. "From now on, unless there's an absolute emergency, don't make excuses to come down here!"
"Yes, yes!"
Having finished scolding Huo Jiang, Zhai Liu reverted to his usual lazy, bored demeanor.
"Did Li Ban receive his mission?"
"He did. It's a convoy hijacking this time."
Huo Jiang obediently relayed the details of Li Ban's assignment, along with his and Li Ban's theories regarding the overt and covert convoys.
Previously, Huo Jiang had wanted to urge Zhai Liu to make a move on the covert convoy, but after just being reprimanded, he didn't dare say too much lest he provoke further displeasure.
Zhai Liu's attention, however, wasn't on the convoys at all. He crouched by the bars with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring blankly ahead. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Huo Jiang faintly heard him mutter something about the "test being over" and "needing to speed things up."
Zhai Liu didn't bother explaining. He simply ordered, "Go tell Lu Qinghe to protect Li Ban from the shadows. If an opportunity arises, have her kill the Iron Token leading the group and clear a spot for Li Ban."
"But... will Chief Du allow that?"
"Heh. Sending Li Ban undercover was Du An's idea to begin with."
Huo Jiang was shocked.
He had absolutely no idea that Li Ban's infiltration of the Assassin Hall had been orchestrated by Du An.
Originally, they had planned to send in Gu Yueqi, who had a clean background and the right motives.
But Gu Yueqi was killed by Tree-Person B for a completely ridiculous reason.
Right around that time, Li Ban came to the fourth level as a handyman.
Lacking any other candidates, Zhai Liu had considered using him.
However, unsure of Li Ban's actual capabilities and strength, he hadn't fully committed to the idea.
Then, one day, Zhai Liu suddenly instructed Huo Jiang to have Li Ban replace Gu Yueqi and use the Cat Girl to slip into the Assassin Hall.
Huo Jiang had always assumed it was because the Cat Girl had once let Li Ban off the hook.
To think that Chief Du An had a hand in it all along.
Huo Jiang had always revered and feared Chief Du. But since Du An could never offer him a higher identity, Huo Jiang had chosen to secretly work for Zhai Liu instead.
"Does Chief Du have some sort of connection with Li Ban?"
Zhai Liu shook his head. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter; I can roughly guess what he's planning. Besides, it's not like I'm sending Li Ban to his death."
Mid-conversation, Zhai Liu's expression suddenly shifted. He smacked his lips. "Even though Li Ban does look delicious..."
In the blink of an eye, the day of Li Ban's rendezvous arrived.
He changed into an inconspicuous brown outfit and donned the human-skin mask Huo Jiang had prepared for him, transforming into a middle-aged man with prominent cheekbones and a thick, bushy beard.
He even purposefully darkened his neck and hands with plant ash.
Carrying a standard-issue long saber on his back, he set off for the mountains north of Qingcheng County.
In the past, Li Ban's destinations had either been the River of Forgetfulness and the Myriad Ancient Pagoda to the south, or Qingcheng County to the northwest. This was his first time heading further north beyond the county.
Due to his identity and missions, he had always been confined to a small region. He wondered if he would get the chance to see other places before completing his assignment.
To reach the designated gathering point on time, Li Ban traveled through the night. It wasn't until dawn was breaking that he climbed a large tree to rest for a short while.
Once the sun fully rose, he woke and resumed his journey.
Finally, just before the morning dew completely evaporated, he arrived in the mountainous northern outskirts of Qingcheng County.
The mountains to the north were much steeper and more treacherous than those to the south.
As he hurried along, he passed several raging rapids and precariously narrow mountain paths.
People always said Yu Province was a remote and difficult place to traverse; Li Ban finally had a clear understanding of what that meant.
He crossed a low hill and slipped into a forest, though he didn't venture too deep.
After walking along the treeline for a while, Li Ban finally spotted the abandoned cabin mentioned in his mission brief.
Hiding behind a tree, he looked over from a distance and noticed two lookouts stationed near the building.
They had concealed themselves quite well, but Li Ban's eyesight had improved again after absorbing the spiritual rhinoceros.
Even though their silhouettes barely contrasted with the surrounding environment, he spotted them at a glance.
This was also how he ensured no one was sneaking up on him.
Li Ban checked his mask and clothes to make sure they hadn't shifted during the journey. Satisfied, he approached the cabin.
When he was less than ten meters away, a person hiding in a nearby tree parted the branches.
"Who goes there?"
"Ninety-Seven."
Ninety-Seven was Li Ban's code name for the mission.
"Who are you looking for?" the sentry continued.
"Butcher."
Butcher was the Iron Token assassin's code name.
Li Ban was quite pleased that the Assassin Hall didn't use flowery poetry for their aliases.
"Go inside. Divide the deer."
The lookout gave the final countersign and retreated back into the foliage.
There were already four people inside the cabin.
Some wore veils, others wore masks, and a few had their faces exposed like Li Ban—though they were almost certainly wearing disguises as well.
Regardless of their appearance, every single person eyed the others with deep suspicion.
Li Ban did the same.
The gazes directed at him felt as though they were calculating the best way to kill him.
At a time like this, he couldn't afford to show any weakness.
Li Ban swept his gaze directly across everyone in the room.
He didn't look at their faces, but rather studied their hands and arms.
After a single glance from Li Ban, three of the people staring at him backed down.
The only one who maintained eye contact narrowed his eyes, his expression turning solemn.
Li Ban didn't linger in the doorway. He wasn't here to make friends, nor was he trying to make enemies.
Having asserted his presence, he walked over to the wall beside the window and leaned against it, occasionally glancing outside.
Over the time it took an incense stick to burn, three more people arrived one after another.
Then, the other person who had been hiding outside emerged from the woods and strode directly into the cabin.
As soon as he entered, he flashed an iron-gray token to the room.
'So he's the Iron Token,' Li Ban thought.
The leader of this operation had not only been the first to arrive, but had also been hiding in the brush observing them the entire time.
He was a surprisingly responsible and diligent man.
"Squad Four has ten members in total, and everyone is here. I am Butcher. For this mission, all of you will follow my orders. If anyone disobeys, I will execute them on the spot."
No one in the room spoke.
Butcher nodded. "Get ready. The moment the message arrives, we move out."
The group waited for a short while longer.
From the corner of his eye, Li Ban caught a small shadow approaching. He turned his head just in time to see a dusty gray bird dart through the broken window frame and land on the table in front of Butcher.
Butcher picked up the bird, glanced at its leg, and instantly stood up.
"Move out!"