A big, simple-minded guy, a mysterious old man, a little madman, and finally, a big fool.
Is this combination really reliable?
Li Dao shook his head, opened the registry in his hand, and flipped through the information of the remaining three.
"Name: Little Madman"
"Gender: Male"
"Age: 17"
"Crime: Injuring Royal Guards, resisting arrest"
"Cultivation: None"
"Details: Fast, agile, with steel-like bones and sharp nails"
......
"Name: Old Ghost"
"Gender: Male"
"Age: 101"
"Crime: Selling fake medicine, hiding deadly poisons, practicing medicine without a license"
"Cultivation: Acquired 1st Grade"
"Details: Skilled in medicine, poison, and health preservation"
......
"Name: Xu Hu"
"Gender: Male"
"Age: 12"
"Crime: Resisting arrest, murder"
"Cultivation: Acquired 9th Grade"
"Details: Innate divine strength"
Besides this information, the registry also had special notes on the three.
According to the notes, Little Madman was originally an ordinary child, captured by a stranger and turned into a Gu Child. His body was fixed from then on, and even his mind was affected due to the bizarre process of becoming a Gu Child.
He was locked up here because the stranger who harmed him released him to fight the Royal Guards when captured. The stranger was killed on the spot, and without anyone to control him, he was captured and brought here.
Seeing Old Ghost's notes, Li Dao was even more surprised.
Old Ghost was initially just an ordinary disciple of the Medicine King Valley. After saving someone once, he became obsessed with human medical mysteries, leading to a sort of madness later on.
There was also an explanation about Old Ghost's Acquired 1st Grade cultivation.
The technique he practiced was a simple yet hard-to-master method from the Medicine King Valley.
This technique doesn't grant great power but mainly strengthens the body and prolongs life.
So, even though he had the strength of Acquired 1st Grade, he had little real combat power and could only use poison techniques to deal with others. Moreover, Old Ghost had a bad habit of never using poison to kill.
Because of Old Ghost's solitary nature and eccentric personality, the authorities feared he might cause a disaster with his poison techniques someday. Additionally, he offended a big figure while treating and saving someone, leading to his capture.
As for the last one, Xu Hu...
Li Dao carefully looked at the name column and then at the towering figure of Xu Hu beside him.
Is this guy really twelve years old?
Whose twelve-year-old child is two and a half meters tall?
But this information was investigated by the Royal Guards, so there shouldn't be such a low-level mistake.
Looking at his physical condition, it's like he was born to be a warrior.
According to the notes, Xu Hu was an orphan. At birth, his large size caused his mother's death, and his father abandoned him in the wilderness in anger.
Yet, the abandoned Xu Hu didn't die. Instead, he was taken and raised by a tigress.
Because his father's surname was Xu, he was named Xu Hu.
Perhaps due to drinking tiger's milk from a young age and his extraordinary talent, he developed this physique at twelve.
He was captured here because his adoptive mother, the tigress, was killed by hunters in the forest.
In a fit of rage, Xu Hu killed all the hunters to avenge the tigress.
After the Royal Guards found out, they captured him.
As for his cultivation, the Royal Guards detected a small amount of True Qi in Xu Hu's body, so they classified him as an Acquired Martial Artist.
How the True Qi was cultivated, no one knows.
After flipping through the registry, Li Dao felt that aside from Chen San, the rest were three problem children.
However, although they were problem children, they were also three talents.
Little Madman, despite being turned into a Gu Child and having some mental issues, was lucky enough to retain some intelligence, as evidenced by his fear of Li Dao. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Moreover, as a Gu Child, his bones were extraordinary, with steel-like strength and incredible speed. Even without cultivation, Chen San, who excelled in lightness skills with Acquired 6th Grade cultivation, couldn't easily shake him off.
With a good cultivation aptitude, his future achievements would be significant.
Old Ghost needed no further explanation.
Having lived over a hundred years, he was like a living legend.
There's a saying that the older, the wiser. Though eccentric, he undoubtedly knew more than anyone present.
Lastly, Xu Hu needed no further mention.
He was naturally gifted, even without a good background.
If Xu Hu had his background, with this physique at twelve, he would be a perfect battlefield general.
If he had a bit of talent in cultivation, he'd be a battlefield meat grinder.
And then there's him, the one with a cheat-like existence.
Li Dao couldn't help but admire Wei Yun for assembling such a team.
The saying is true; this prison is full of talents.
As for the last one, Chen San...
Li Dao glanced at the big fool still questioning life and shook his head. This guy looked more like a mascot.
No, having him around wasn't auspicious.
He could barely be considered an accessory.
"Alright, fatty, stop dwelling on why you were caught. Instead of worrying about that, think about how to leave the Death Row Camp."
Old Ghost couldn't stand it anymore and reminded him from the side.
Chen San snapped back to reality, gave Wei Yun a resentful look, and could only accept his bad luck.
Li Dao put down the registry and asked, "Is there a mission now?"
Wei Yun was taken aback, "You five just got together. Are you sure you don't want to get acquainted first?"
Li Dao glanced at Chen San and the others, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "No need. Instead of sharpening the knife here, better to go directly."
"Alright then."
Wei Yun nodded, "I happen to have an urgent matter that requires your action."
"What is it?"
"Assassinate the Third Prince of the Luoyun Tribe."
"Hmm?"
Later, after Wei Yun's explanation, Li Dao and the others understood the mission.
Although the Northern Barbarian is nominally a dynasty, its internal forces are complex, more like a dynasty composed of large and small tribes combined.
The relationships between tribes vary.
Currently, the main adversary of the Great Qian is a large tribe within the Northern Barbarian Dynasty.
The Tamu Tribe.
They target the Great Qian partly because winter is approaching, and the Tamu Tribe wants to plunder resources from the Great Qian Dynasty.
Another reason is that the Tamu Tribe borders the Great Qian Dynasty, with daily conflicts and deep-seated grievances.
The reason for assassinating the Third Prince of the Luoyun Tribe is that the Great Qian Dynasty received intelligence that the Tamu Tribe intends to ally with the Luoyun Tribe against the Great Qian.
The Third Prince of the Luoyun Tribe is the negotiator for this cooperation.
Due to the suddenness of the situation, the Great Qian couldn't mobilize personnel in time.
Thus, they had to select people from the border military camps.
Moreover, because they couldn't let the Luoyun and Tamu Tribes know it was the Great Qian who sent people to assassinate the Third Prince, the military personnel couldn't take action.
At this point, the special death row prisoners in the Death Row Camp became the alternative candidates for the mission.
Long Valley Town is very close to the location where the Third Prince of the Luoyun Tribe will pass, so Wei Yun received this mission.
"Luoyun, Wei Yun."
Chen San chuckled, "I say, Commander Wei, this tribe is naturally your nemesis."
Wei Yun ignored him, looking at Li Dao, "So, will you take this mission?"
"What if we don't?"
"Nothing much. Because this mission is so sudden, even if it's not done, I won't be blamed. But if it's done, I might get some credit."
Wei Yun said casually.
"Do you have any information on the escorts around the Third Prince of the Luoyun Tribe?"
"Yes."
Wei Yun nodded and explained, "Because the decision for the Luoyun Tribe to negotiate was also sudden, there shouldn't be many experts around him. Even if there are, they aren't very high-level. However, there should be many ordinary soldiers. I found out that there are at least three hundred people in the Third Prince's entourage."
Not many experts?
At least a three hundred-man team?
Li Dao was stunned. Was this a task delivered on a silver platter?
For him, killing experts and killing a group of ordinary soldiers was easier, with the latter offering the greatest benefits.
If all this was true, then this mission was perfect for him.
"Is it difficult? But yes, a three hundred-man team is indeed too much for just the five of you."
Wei Yun thought Li Dao was considering giving up when he saw his silence.
"Wait, we'll take the mission."
Li Dao suddenly said.
"Hmm, you're taking it?"
"Yes."
"But it's three hundred people, and there might be hidden experts. There are only five of you."
Wei Yun said, puzzled.
He wanted Li Dao and the others to do him a favor but didn't want them to die. He had previously said he wouldn't let them take on a suicide mission.
In his view, charging into a three hundred-man team, even if they succeeded in assassinating the Third Prince, they might not make it back, or they might suffer significant losses.
Upon hearing this, Li Dao smiled faintly, "I have to give you some return, don't I?"
Wei Yun: "......"
He wanted to say that wasn't the way to return a favor, but since the other party agreed so readily, what else could he say?
After all, whether the task was completed or not wouldn't affect him.
As he said, they were death row prisoners. Even if some had special abilities, they were still death row prisoners, and their existence was to create extra value for the Great Qian Dynasty. If they couldn't create value, it wouldn't affect anything else.
"Alright, but aren't you going to ask the others for their opinion?"
Wei Yun looked at the other four. He did appoint Li Dao as the leader, but if the other four didn't cooperate, there was nothing he could do.
"Is it necessary?"
Li Dao didn't answer but turned to look at the four.
Xu Hu said in a muffled voice, "I'll follow you, you decide."
Little Madman had a shadow over Li Dao, so he naturally wouldn't object.
Old Ghost chuckled, "Young people like to mess around, but I like it. Just three hundred people? I've used more than that as test subjects before. I'll join for fun this time."
Lastly, there was only Chen San.
"I... I..."
Chen San was about to say something but found the others' eyes on him, so he could only mutter, "You four have no objections, what can I say alone?"
Hearing this, Li Dao turned back to Wei Yun, "They all agree."
Wei Yun gave a thumbs up, unable to resist saying, "You five really fit together."
"Since you all agree, this mission is yours. If you need anything, just ask now."
A stick of incense later.
Chen San looked at his previously confiscated equipment with a grin.
Old Ghost was muttering to himself, holding a pile of bottles and jars.
Little Madman and Xu Hu, surprisingly in sync, were devouring a heap of food, seemingly starved in the Death Row Prison.
"What do you want?"
Wei Yun looked at the last remaining Li Dao and asked.
"What do I want?"
Li Dao thought for a moment and said, "If you really want to give me something, then give me a blade that can kill three hundred people without dulling."
Wei Yun raised an eyebrow, "Are you planning to do it all yourself?"
Li Dao shrugged, "That's the idea, but I don't know if I can."
"You're quite a talent."
Wei Yun took the sword from his waist and placed it in front of Li Dao, "Forged from a hundred-year-old Black Iron, you can borrow it for now."
Li Dao raised an eyebrow, "So generous? Aren't you afraid I won't complete the mission and let the Luoyun Tribe capture this sword?"
Wei Yun smiled, "At first, I thought you were crazy, but then I realized you're too smart to do something you're not confident in. So I'm betting you'll come back."
"If I lose, it's just a sword. If you lose, you lose your life."