The next day.
Su Chen did not go to the Martial Arts Hall, just as usual. Since his goal had already been achieved, it did not matter whether he went or not. After waking up early to practice his fist and palm techniques for an hour, he ate breakfast and left the city.
His destination this time was Lin Family Castle. It was a small fortress situated over ten kilometers northwest of White Stone City, having stood there for more than a decade. Rumor had it that the previous County Magistrate’s surname was also Lin, and he had specifically applied to build it for certain reasons. Today, Lin Family Castle had developed into another territory for the Lin Family, functioning much like a small town.
After leaving the city, it took Su Chen half a day to reach Lin Family Castle. Though called a castle, it was essentially just surrounded by a two-meter-high perimeter wall—paling in comparison to the five-meter walls of White Stone City. Still, the ability to construct a fortress in this remote area was a testament to the Lin Family’s power.
The structure of Lin Family Castle mirrored that of White Stone City. It was divided into two zones, equivalent to the Inner City and Outer City of White Stone City. Anyone willing to pay could enter the outer zone, but the inner zone strictly required the Lin Family’s permission. While not as prosperous as White Stone City, the area was still quite bustling.
Upon paying the entrance fee, Su Chen walked into the fortress and immediately noticed the contrast with White Stone City. Just as Li Mo had mentioned, apart from a few merchant caravans, most people deliberately wore bamboo hats to conceal their identities. Furthermore, the majority of pedestrians on the streets were Martial Artists. Su Chen himself had also put on a disguise.
"Mist Rain Tower!"
After a short walk, Su Chen arrived before a magnificent tavern. He hesitated for a brief moment before stepping inside.
According to Li Mo’s introduction and the information he had gathered himself, Mist Rain Tower was an establishment allegedly founded by the Lin Family to exclusively serve Martial Artists. Through the tower, Martial Artists could conduct all sorts of transactions: selling information, posting bounties, and accepting missions. Its nature was actually somewhat similar to a Government Office. The difference was that Mist Rain Tower’s scope was far broader and much more chaotic, with most of its dealings being entirely under the table.
When Li Mo first told him about it, Su Chen had been somewhat surprised that his friend even knew of such a place. Li Mo simply replied that he had heard it from a friend. Su Chen didn’t press the issue; instead, he asked for a few details and made up his mind to visit.
"Sir, do you need any assistance?" Seeing that Su Chen had been wandering around the lobby for quite a while without taking a seat, a waiter walked over and asked politely.
"I want to accept a mission," Su Chen said, lowering his voice.
Hearing this, the waiter bowed. "Please follow me, sir."
The waiter then led Su Chen through a series of twists and turns until they reached a side room. Several people were either standing or sitting inside. They didn’t seem the least bit surprised by Su Chen’s arrival.
"Sir, you can accept missions here. Feel free to browse, and once you’ve made your selection, you can speak to that man to claim them." The waiter pointed to a short man behind the counter.
Su Chen nodded, taking out a few copper coins and handing them over. The waiter thanked him and turned to leave.
Su Chen looked ahead at the sheets of white paper hanging on the wall. Some featured portraits, while others only contained text; each one was different.
"Hmm? Liu Tong?" Suddenly, Su Chen’s eyes caught a portrait. It was none other than Liu Tong, the man he had seen before. However, the description beneath it was a bit more detailed than the one at the Government Office. It not only listed the times and locations of Liu Tong’s crimes but also the names of the innocent people he had murdered.
"One hundred taels!" As he reached the end, Su Chen’s gaze sharpened. The bounty amount listed was an astonishing one hundred taels.
"Old Lin, I want to cancel this assassination mission." Just then, a man walked over and spoke to the short man. It was obvious that his voice had been deliberately altered.
Old Lin quoted a price without questioning the man’s identity. Once the man paid the money, Old Lin canceled the assassination mission and took the paper down.
He thought, "An assassination mission for Zhao Hai? Could he be Zhao Hai?" Su Chen caught a glimpse of the name on the portrait and paused, inwardly guessing the man’s true identity.
He wondered, "You have to pay to cancel a mission too?" Harboring doubts, Su Chen didn’t step forward to ask right away. Instead, he sat on a chair in the back and observed for a while.
During this time, people came and went. The majority were buying information, a small portion were posting missions, and one or two were turning in completed tasks. Almost no one else canceled a mission like that man had.
After watching for a while, Su Chen gradually figured it out. That man who canceled the mission earlier likely wasn’t the original poster. Just as he suspected, there was a high probability that the man was the very target in the portrait.
He thought, "To think that after an assassination mission is posted, the target can actually pay to cancel it! If the poster puts it up again, and the target cancels it again, this endless cycle means Mist Rain Tower is absolutely making a killing!"
At this thought, Su Chen even felt a faint sense of envy. That was true easy money! Moreover, it came with zero risks!
Moving past his envy, Su Chen stood up. Having watched for long enough, it was time to claim some missions. He hadn’t forgotten that his entire reason for coming here was to take on tasks and earn money.
"Sir, what can I help you with?" Old Lin asked with a smile.
"I’d like to ask, is the information on these entirely accurate?"
Old Lin shook his head. "Not entirely. Most of it is provided by the posters themselves. If Mist Rain Tower happens to know better, we might make some minor corrections, but not often."
Su Chen nodded in understanding and casually pointed to a few portraits. "This one, this one, and this one. I’ll take them all. What do I need to do?"
"Here are the mission tokens. I also need to register you. May I ask your surname?"
"No need for the honorifics. Surname Tie, given name Niu!"
Upon hearing this, Old Lin’s hand, gripping a writing brush, paused slightly. This name... However, he didn’t hesitate for long. He quickly wrote the name down and handed three small wooden tags over to Su Chen. Once Su Chen claimed them, Old Lin took the three corresponding mission papers off the wall.
"One more question. What should I do if I find out the information on a mission is wrong?"
Old Lin replied, "You can cancel the mission free of charge, as long as you provide proof."
Hearing this, Su Chen felt reassured. Holding his three missions, he turned and left.
Stepping out of Mist Rain Tower, Su Chen soon left Lin Family Castle. He found a quiet spot, unfolded the three missions he had accepted, and read through them carefully:
"Kill Sun Fan, Gang Leader of the Cloth-Soaking Gang in Niu Family Manor. This man is steeped in evil, trafficking women and using children to beg for profit. His strength is at the Power Training Realm. Bounty upon kill: five taels of silver."
"Kill Lu Tao, a disciple of the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall. Relying on the backing of the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, this man oppresses the innocent. His strength is at the Power Training Realm. Bounty upon kill: ten taels of silver."
"Kill Qian Huan, the supervisor of the Medicine Gang in Liu Family Town. This man uses his position to forcefully abduct civilian women. His strength is at the Power Training Realm. Bounty upon kill: fifteen taels of silver."