After returning from delivering the corpse to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, Li Ban informed Du An and Huo Jiang about the mission he had received from Yan Jiu, as well as the intelligence he had gathered from Wang Lin.
Huo Jiang was shocked, never expecting Li Ban to advance to the 3rd Tier so quickly.
Lord Du, however, remained as calm as ever.
But he also warned Li Ban that the Myriad Ancient Pagoda was rife with internal strife, advising him not to get too close to anyone.
At the mention of the mission to assassinate Lu Weizhong, Du An fell silent in thought for a moment, appearing somewhat troubled.
Seeing this, Li Ban offered, "My lord, I am only a backup—perhaps just one of several. If you feel this is inappropriate, I can simply feign failure."
Du An raised a hand. "No need. Since Yan Jiu assigned this mission personally, do not fail on purpose. You cannot show any flaws."
"I was only wondering who exactly wants Lu Weizhong dead."
Du An pondered quietly, but the slight upward curve of his lips made Li Ban feel that the warden already had someone in mind. Li Ban was also thinking it over, though he lacked sufficient information.
Did the person aiming to assassinate Lu Weizhong want to target the grand prince?
If the grand prince's teacher was assassinated, the grand prince would have to come to Yu Province to offer his condolences no matter what, right?
Did Assassin Hall want to use this opportunity to assassinate the grand prince as well?
But thinking about it carefully, that didn't seem right.
If his teacher was assassinated, even if the grand prince attended the funeral, he would likely be afraid of being assassinated himself.
This assassination would instead be beating the grass to startle the snake—
Li Ban's expression grew a little strange.
Suddenly, Du An stood up and left the small study.
However, he didn't tell Li Ban to leave, so Li Ban waited in place.
A moment later, Du An returned and handed Li Ban a small bottle.
"This is a common poison. It's not subtle, but it seals the throat upon drawing blood."
A common poison meant it could be acquired anywhere, which also meant they wouldn't have to worry about anyone tracing its source back to the Death Prison.
Still, even for a common poison, achieving a toxicity that killed instantly upon drawing blood certainly wouldn't be cheap.
Li Ban accepted Du An's gift with complete peace of mind.
Du An nodded and sat back down behind his desk. "Although Lu Weizhong currently holds no identity, before he stepped down, he was a 5th Tier headmaster. Even if he doesn't practice martial arts regularly, his physical foundation is still there. Assassinating him head-on will be extremely difficult. Whether you use poison or a sneak attack, act according to the situation."
Two days later, at night, Li Ban received a mandatory awakening ping from the Laboratory.
The timing was quite suitable.
Li Ban naturally accepted and returned to the Laboratory.
Chen Dong was the one waiting outside; the strict Director was nowhere to be seen.
Since this was a temporary intelligence exchange, Chen Dong did not help Li Ban out of the Experimental Capsule.
"Does Assassin Hall have any new missions? Any news regarding the Myriad Ancient Pagoda?"
This time, Li Ban told Chen Dong about his mission to assassinate Lu Weizhong.
Watching Chen Dong record the information on his tablet as he listened, Li Ban also shared what he had seen at the Myriad Ancient Pagoda.
Hearing the news about the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, Chen Dong didn't look surprised or worried in the slightest.
'The mess Wang Lin referred to was indeed caused by the Laboratory's undercover agents, Qin You and Jiang Yue. But by now, Jiang Yue has probably already become one of Wan Chengming's trusted confidants,' Li Ban thought.
Unexpectedly learning this intelligence allowed him to plan better for himself.
Chen Dong recorded all the intelligence Li Ban provided, then said, "For this assassination mission against Lu Weizhong, you are only a backup assassin. Above all else, prioritize not exposing or harming yourself."
Li Ban nodded.
The thoughts of all three parties coincided perfectly.
The new Laboratory Li Ban had been transferred to held a total of twenty Experimental Capsules.
Supposedly, these were all personnel the Director had mobilized and prepared for this transfer of the Core Element.
These people had all been brainwashed, just like Li Ban.
However, Li Ban had never met any of the others. He guessed they all maintained single-line contact with Chen Dong to prevent anyone from slipping up and implicating the rest.
He just wondered how many people would ultimately obtain an entry ticket to the final mission.
"Regardless, my life is still in the Laboratory's hands," Li Ban mused. "This mission is a breakthrough point. Absolutely nothing can go wrong."
The sunny days of March were rapidly coming to an end.
The final day of March was the eightieth birthday of Lu Weizhong, the former headmaster of Qingshan Academy.
The prison official, Lord Du, took only Li Ban with him to offer birthday greetings.
In the past, he would always take Lu Qinghe to such occasions.
Now that Lu Qinghe was "dead," this errand naturally fell to Li Ban.
It was perfectly logical and reasonable.
Both the Death Prison and Assassin Hall likely thought so as well.
Daqingshan was located between Yu Province and Langzhou.
However, in terms of administrative planning, Qingshan Academy still fell under Yu Province's jurisdiction.
Since Lu Weizhong was a former headmaster, his birthday banquet was not held at the academy, but in a massive five-courtyard mansion at the foot of Daqingshan.
In all his time since arriving in the Wizard World, this was the first time Li Ban had seen such a luxurious residence.
Even the place where Lord Du of the Death Prison lived was merely a slightly larger two-courtyard compound, and the front yard was even shared.
Before even seeing the main gates, Li Ban heard the clamor of voices.
Carriages were parked in two rows along the official road at the foot of the mountain, while several servants wearing green scarves and felt hats continuously directed the newly arriving carriages where to park.
"May I ask if this is Lord Du's carriage?" a servant ran over and asked.
"Yes." Li Ban, who was driving, nodded.
The carriage of the Death Prison bore official government markings.
"The lord must be tired. I'll guide you to the front."
Saying so, the servant took the reins and led the horse further in.
Whether a carriage parked inside or outside, whether it was given directions to advance or had its horse led inside by a servant—all of these details carried specific implications of status.
Li Ban and Du An were led to a spot further inside, but one that was relatively easy to leave from.
The Death Prison and Qingshan Academy had no daily interactions.
Were it not for such a massive banquet, Du An absolutely would not have come.
But since he was, after all, an official of the Ministry of Justice and held a 4th Tier Identity, he was indeed important. Furthermore, out of consideration that they might want to leave immediately after delivering their gifts, a clear path for an early departure had been kept ready for them.
Following Du An out of the carriage, Li Ban looked up and saw the red-lacquered wooden doors built atop several steps ahead.
However, what drew more attention than the magnificent doors were two young men arguing out front.
People flowed endlessly in front of the gate.
Their dispute instantly drew a crowd of onlookers, effectively blocking the entrance.
Lord Du didn't like joining crowds; lifting his official robes, he strode straight inside.
Li Ban hastily grabbed the congratulatory gift and followed.
As he approached, he heard the two were still arguing.
"—Wealth is merely worldly possessions. Zhao Zilu, by gifting money, you demean the teacher's character!" scolded one man in a rough cloth green shirt, spitting as he spoke.
The man opposite him, Zhao Zilu, was dressed in a purple brocade robe embroidered with gold. Waving a fan, he replied with a half-smile, "A gentleman stays far from the kitchen. Zhang Yi, you gift the teacher a chicken—what are your intentions?"
Zhang Yi, having the shabbiness of his birthday gift exposed, wasn't afraid in the slightest. He even started listing off the various benefits of gifting a chicken one by one.
Just as he reached the third benefit, someone finally appeared to break the stalemate.
"Oh my, you two instructors, why are you arguing again? Regardless of what the gifts are, aren't they both tokens of your sincerity? The master is still waiting for you, so please, hurry inside."
A steward with a short beard and a maroon robe finally managed to invite the two of them inside by using Lu Weizhong's name.
He was just about to turn and follow them when he caught sight of Du An approaching. He hurriedly signaled a servant to go in after the instructors, while he himself stepped forward to greet the warden.
"Lord Du, your presence graces us! Please forgive my failure to welcome you further out!"
The steward wore a smile as he took the gift box from Li Ban's hands, remarkably even knowing Li Ban's surname. "Prison guard Li, you've worked hard on the journey."
The steward was about to personally lead the two of them through the doors when another person suddenly arrived.
Li Ban first saw the steward's abruptly changing expression before realizing that a troublesome guest had appeared behind them.
Du An had no interest in watching a spectacle and had already stepped through the main doors.
But Li Ban had a mission on his shoulders. As he stepped over the threshold, he couldn't help but look back.
The person behind them who had caused the steward's face to change so drastically was also a young man.
However, unlike anyone else present, his attire had a distinctly ancient and uninhibited style.
His long hair was draped loosely over his shoulders, and he wore a white robe with large, flowing sleeves.
As he walked, his movements transitioned seamlessly between an aggressive, imposing stride and a handsome, floating elegance.
He was an existence whose style completely clashed with everyone else.
Aside from his somewhat exaggerated appearance, he also held a gift box in his hands and wore a smile, looking for all the world like he was there to properly offer birthday greetings.
This time, however, the steward's reaction was entirely different.
The two arguing instructors from earlier had been politely persuaded and invited inside. But the moment this man showed his face from the crowd, the steward immediately hardened his expression and ordered his attendants.
"Throw him out of here!"
Two burly servants immediately rushed forward, grabbed the thin, white-robed youth by his left and right arms, and sprinted outward like they were running a hundred-meter dash.
Li Ban didn't continue watching after that.
He hurried forward, taking two steps at a time to catch up with Du An ahead.
This large, five-courtyard mansion covered a vast area. They followed the connecting corridors, making their way forward.
Both the first and second courtyards were set with round tables for the banquet.
People of lower status and standing mostly arrived early, so these two courtyards were already seated with quite a few guests.
Passing through the two bustling courtyards, they arrived at the main courtyard, where the people were much more reserved and restrained.
Although there were still people conversing, very few made any loud noise.
Du An was invited into the main hall of the main courtyard.
Only three round mahogany tables were set up in the main hall.
The people seated inside were either exceptionally wealthy or highly noble.
Although Li Ban had come with Du An, he had no qualifications to sit inside.
On the surface, he was still a prison guard with a Tier 2 Status, but sitting in the main courtyard, he felt completely out of place among the crowd of scholars.
In the end, Li Ban was invited by the subsequently arriving steward to a side hall, where he was even seated at the head of a table.
Li Ban wasn't here to listen to others' flattery, nor was he here to socialize and maintain connections.
Whenever others heard he was from the Death Prison, their enthusiastic smiles gained a hint of fear.
Li Ban was naturally too lazy to deal with these people. After eating a couple of bites, he used the excuse of using the restroom to leave the table.
During the banquet, many people were also walking back and forth, and for some, their secondary purpose for being there was to network. Because of this, Li Ban's movements didn't stand out.
He first passed through a circular archway and glanced at the main hall in the main courtyard.
Lu Weizhong had not yet appeared.
Du An was sitting with his eyes lowered, sipping tea.
Li Ban pulled his head back and thought, 'Lu Weizhong hasn't come out yet. Could the assassin in charge of the killing be in the backyard?'
He didn't really care about the situation of the main assassin taking action.
But since he was supposed to land the finishing blow if needed, he naturally had to confirm the progress and result of the attack.
Li Ban pretended to be captivated by the luxury of the Lu estate, admiring the scenery in the side courtyard.
But as soon as he neared the small path leading to the backyard, he saw two hands suddenly appear on the outer wall beside him.
Those were definitely not the hands of an assassin.
Li Ban had never seen an assassin who could do three pull-ups and still fail to climb over a three-meter wall.
Finally, the owner of the hands showed his face.
It was actually the white-robed youth who had been hauled away by the servants!
His face was flushed red as he finally managed to hook one foot over the top of the wall with great difficulty.
Li Ban was left somewhat speechless watching him.
What kind of person would get thrown out once, yet still climb over a wall to offer birthday greetings?
Was he really here to offer greetings?
Before the white-robed youth could completely cross the wall, a servant had already spotted his silhouette.
This guy was definitely someone famous.
The servant's face instantly changed upon seeing him. Raising the twig broom he used to sweep leaves, he charged over like he was herding off a roe deer.
'This guy is definitely here to cause trouble. But his background must be rather special, which is why everyone only drives him away without daring to actually hurt him.'
With a stir of thought, Li Ban flicked his wrist. A streak of silver light flew from his sleeve and struck the back of the servant's knee.
The servant, who had been about to swat the white-robed youth back, suddenly tripped and fell.
Seeming to seize the perfect opportunity, the youth forcefully tumbled down, landing on the servant with a heavy thud.
The servant's limbs twitched for a moment before he fainted.
Li Ban's mouth twitched as he watched this. He turned around, preparing to leave.
Unexpectedly, the white-robed youth struggled to his feet, one arm still clutching the gift box he had brought.
"Brother," he called out, stopping Li Ban. "May I ask which direction the main hall is?"
The youth's long hair was unkempt, and since he had just crawled up from the ground while wearing an all-white robe, he looked like a ghost in broad daylight.
Li Ban wasn't afraid; instead, he found it somewhat novel.
The other party's clashing style made him seem like he came from another world.
"They wouldn't let you in. It wouldn't be right for me to point the way for you."
In truth, the main hall was just next door. Even without Li Ban pointing the way, the man would have found it very quickly.
The white-robed youth wasn't angry. He continued to cup his hands in a salute. "Regardless, you didn't chase me out like the servants did. For that, you have my thanks."
"I am Shi Ming. May I ask your noble surname, brother?"
Li Ban was in no hurry to shake Shi Ming off.
Right after letting the Silver Kingfisher out earlier, he had directed the bird to go find Lu Weizhong in his stead.
A bird was much more concealed than a living person.
It wasn't yet time to use the Invisibility Plain Ring, either.
As Li Ban turned and walked toward the main hall, he casually chatted with Shi Ming.
"My name is Li Ban. I'm a prison guard from the Death Prison."
Shi Ming followed Li Ban and forcefully tossed the hair covering his face backward.
"A true hero indeed! You look completely different from those sour, pedantic scholars inside."
Ignoring the other man's clumsy flattery, Li Ban asked curiously, "Why wouldn't they let you in?"
From what Li Ban could see, this person wasn't a Spirit Practitioner. He didn't possess the slightest trace of spiritual rhinoceros. His body was simply thin and frail, completely different from the lean, starved toughness of someone like Zhai Liu.
Shi Ming smiled. "Because when I was in school, I put earthworms in Headmaster Lu's tea. And when I graduated from Qingshan Academy, I painted a portrait of his true essence for him."
Li Ban didn't understand what a 'portrait of his true essence' was, but for it to be placed alongside 'putting earthworms in tea,' it probably wasn't a proper painting.
Sure enough, Shi Ming sighed immediately after. "Alas, because the likeness was too striking, I caught a beating."
He tightened his grip on the gift box in his hands and said solemnly, "This time, I will definitely deliver this birthday gift properly!"
Shi Ming had only just declared his resolve when he suddenly saw several people running toward him from a distance.
It was the servants of the Lu estate.
These men were making a beeline for him, and Shi Ming instantly took off running.
He happened to run in the direction of his original destination, the main hall.
But right as he reached the festooned gate, he was intercepted by a servant stepping out from inside.
The two crashed directly into each other, and even the gift box in Shi Ming's hands tumbled to the ground.
The box, which had been loosely fitted to begin with, burst open immediately as the lid fell off.
Yet there was nothing inside.
It was completely empty.
Having just heard Shi Ming say how determined he was to deliver the gift to Lu Weizhong, Li Ban had assumed it would be something special.
Perhaps even something dangerous.
Shi Ming had already been seized and was being dragged away.
He had no chance of entering the main hall anymore.
So Shi Ming struggled with all his might, kicking both legs up in the air as he opened his mouth and bellowed, "Teacher Lu! I gift you two sleeves of clear breeze, and wish you a fitting death!"