In the back hall of the government office, in a dim room.
Compared to the noisy and bustling front hall, this place seemed much quieter.
At the table sat a young man, his face shrouded in shadows, dressed in a white robe, pouring and sipping his own drink.
If he stepped out of the hall, he would definitely be recognized.
Yin Huacheng.
Not long after.
The door of the dark room creaked open, and Cui Cabinet Master slightly adjusted his energy, making the smell of alcohol evaporate away; it was like the drunkenness in his eyes got sucked into a whirlpool, vanishing without a trace.
In an instant, his tipsy appearance morphed back into a sharp and composed one.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yin Huacheng, truly, government work is hectic; you should really be punished.”
Cui Cabinet Master chuckled while sitting down across from Yin Huacheng, pouring him a cup of tea.
Yin Huacheng squinted, sizing up the teacup. After downing it in one gulp, he chuckled lightly:
“With just the two of us, no need for the theatrics, right? Or has playing the Cabinet Master gotten to your head?”
“Cui Judge?”
The smile on Cui Cabinet Master’s face gradually faded.
After pouring himself a cup of tea as well, he continued:
“Li Mo and Ying Bing didn’t come today; you’re waiting for nothing, Yin Huacheng.”
“Didn’t come?”
Yin Huacheng tapped his fingers on the table:
“No matter, just let me know the moment you spot them.”
“I came this time for another matter.”
“The goods I ordered from the Huanmo Sect—aren’t they due by now with all this rain and wind?”
“This matter needs to be accounted for; you wouldn’t pull out some trivial stuff to brush it off, saying they couldn’t get it done.”
As he said this, Yin Huacheng’s tone turned slightly interrogative.
“With the current commotion, if our dealings leak half a word, my position as Cabinet Master is over.”
“And the total tower will question me; I can’t afford to be careless.”
Cui Cabinet Master looked a little tired, squinting his eyes.
Yin Huacheng’s expression flickered between dark and light.
The “deal” they talked about wasn’t the cooperation between Misty Rain Tower and Huanmo Sect.
It was a private arrangement between Cui Cabinet Master and his father.
But Yin Huacheng pressed on:
“Aren’t you keeping all the major sect guys under your roof? They’re all right underneath your nose; what’s there to be afraid of?”
“They’re under my nose, but I’m also right under their noses,” Cui Cabinet Master slammed the tea cup onto the table, wearing a forced smile as he said, “I’ll find a way about the business; I will certainly give you an answer. I’ll inform your father ahead of time.”
“Better do so,”
Yin Huacheng snorted coldly:
“If the sect misses a big deal, the one coming to talk to you won’t be me.”
Saying that, he suddenly got up and left.
Cui Cabinet Master watched him vanish into the distance, sneering.
“How did Yin Huaxuan raise such a fool?”
He stopped talking and fiddled with the tea cup in his hand.
Time passed.
After an unknown period, the door of the dark room suddenly knocked.
“Who?”
A voice condensed into fine lines and came in, and besides Cui Cabinet Master, no one else could hear.
“Me.” The voice came again.
“Come in.”
A shadow suddenly crept in close to the ground.
The shadow twisted a few times and solidified into human form.
This person wore a loose monk robe, their face covered by a smiling Buddha mask.
“Judge, the tasks outside have been completed.”
The voice beneath the Buddha mask was impossible to tell if it was male or female.
“Hmm, I have another personal task to assign to you,”
“Since it’s private, why not hang a red flower in the dark tower?”
The Buddha-masked person responded.
Misty Rain Tower only cared about cash, not people, and other than the Tower Master, there were no hierarchies among others.
Even a top assassin couldn’t command a hit without a valid reason.
“Even if I hang the red flower, who in the capital besides your Laughing Amitabha can make me feel at ease?”
“Why don’t we skip the fuss and get straight to it, what do you think?”
Cui Cabinet Master fished out a bag from his robe.
The Laughing Amitabha raised their hand and pulled the bag into their palm, sensed it slightly, then tucked it away, clearly satisfied with the reward.
“Speak.”
“Things are ramping up in the capital, so I need you to fish in troubled waters and grab some parentless street kids, and send them to my private place.”
“Easy peasy,”
The Laughing Amitabha agreed.
With the deal struck, the two started chatting casually.
“Any promising candidates in this trial?”
“Huai Shan San Sha, Flying Sand kn*fe He Bin, Qian Luo Hand Chu He, Night Ghost Liu Heng—all have a chance to make it to the end.”
“You do realize that the Huai Shan San Sha trio died already this afternoon, right? They seem to have met their match in Zuo Qiuyang.”
Cui Cabinet Master, noticing the other party’s disbelief, took out a register from his robe.
It was the special register sent down by the total tower, capable of sensing the aura from those in the front hall.
“Take a look yourself.”
“……”
The Laughing Amitabha glanced at it before raising their head.
That smiling Buddha face seemed to say, ‘You think I’m blind?’
Cui Cabinet Master raised an eyebrow and looked down at the register.
To his surprise, the names of Huai Shan San Sha were still glaringly present on the list.
He had clearly seen their names dissipate before!
Could it be that the front hall’s task had a problem?
If it was just one problem, fine. But three at once?
He, the Observation Realm, could hardly be mistaken.
……
At the relay station.
The relay station was spotless and tidy.
[You have a reward awaiting collection.]
[Claim Completion]
[Investment Return: Ruyi Technique]
[Ruyi Technique]: “Can alter one’s shape, even disguise one’s appearance, and change one’s aura. Even in the Observation Realm, it would be impossible to detect any flaws.”
“With my formless glazed silk, there’s no need to worry.”
Li Mo looked up at the others.
Those daring enough to participate in the Infernal Trials were mostly seasoned veterans.
If they didn’t put on a disguise, it’d be easy to spot them.
“I have a technique here that alters appearance and aura, undetectable even by the Observation Realm.”
Li Mo produced a piece of parchment from his robe.
“Ruyi Technique?”
Xiao Qian gazed at this remarkable martial art.
Qianxing Wuzun had told him this was a rare find.
Ying Bing tilted her head down, taking it into her hand.
After just a glance, her aura began to fade away gradually.
Li Mo was still hoping to think this was some form of investment.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t what they needed, and the system didn’t provide any hints.
Thus.
The relay station gained new staff—a waiter, a chef, a boss, and a boss lady.
As for why a chef was needed…
Because Li Mo had provided Xiao Qian with a hot pot base recipe.
That was his line of thought.
The better the business, the more people would come.
Those preparing to be assassins participating in the trials would definitely gather in a bustling place to collect information.
So, the relay station transformed into a hot pot restaurant.
……
A few days later.
“Hmm? Wasn’t this originally a relay station?”
A group of bodyguards’ horses and carriages stopped outside the relay station… oh no, the hot pot restaurant.
“Given the recent stir, we should enter the capital before discussing anything.”
“Exactly, which is why we should scout for information before entering the city.”
“Fair point.”
“So… are you sure it’s not because the aroma here is too tempting?”
The head guard stared at the hot pot restaurant’s sign:
[Joyful Yangyang.]
After a moment, he nodded.
“Let’s stay here tonight.”
As the bodyguards stepped inside the restaurant, the sound of lively chatter hit them like a wave.
This newly opened hot pot restaurant is doing such great business?
