Lin Shu bid farewell to Kai and left to take care of some business. The first thing he did was change his mask. Then he activated his Chameleon Technique, shifting the colors of everything on him — his clothes, armor, even his hair. After weeks of practice, he'd mastered color-shifting on attached objects.
He shaped his facial muscles into a subtly different expression, changed his hair to a bright orange shade, and darkened his skin tone to a deeper brown. With this, his identity was completely concealed from anyone who knew his arena persona.
He didn't know exactly where to start searching, so he decided to head to the Mistveil Serpents to gather information.
Their base of operations changed every few months. When Lin Shu entered, he went to the Information Floor, but that wasn't where he needed to be. Instead, he descended further until he reached a guarded level. A few individuals blocked the door until he turned toward a counter with a small window behind it.
The person behind the window spoke gently.
"How may I help you, dear guest?"
"What's the price for an entry to the Floor of Secrets?" Lin Shu asked.
"One Bluesky Aether Shard," the man answered.
Lin Shu placed the shard on the counter. In return, he was granted half an hour inside, allowed to ask questions equal in value to what he'd paid for.
He entered a dim chamber. Beyond a dark counter sat someone whose features were obscured. Lin Shu took a seat and got straight to the point.
"I'll keep it short. I want to know every organization in Gloomvale that handles bounties."
He didn't specify criminal or legal. "Bounties" meant all of them. Assassins, hunters, mercenaries — everyone.
A soft woman's voice answered him from the shadows.
"Very well. To begin..."
The woman behind the counter let out a soft breath, then began speaking in a calm, steady tone.
"To begin… Gloomvale has many groups that deal with bounties, but only a few hold real power.
The first is The Obsidian Covenant. Their leader is a man known only as 'Shade Sovereign.' His strength is equal to the arena master Kuang Baotu. The Covenant deals with killings that must never be traced, disappearances that cannot be explained, and secrets that must remain buried. They value silence and precision above all. If you wish to join them, you don't apply. They send you a name. If you can kill that target without anyone in the city realizing it happened, a messenger will approach you. If the city hears even a rumor about the death… you're rejected forever."
She paused briefly, letting the weight of her words settle.
"The second is The Vermilion Titans. Their leader, Crusher Qorath, is also on the level of Kuang Baotu. But unlike the Obsidian Covenant, they despise stealth. They believe that if you must hide to kill someone, you are unworthy of the kill. Their members take contracts openly, crush their targets publicly, and leave the bodies where everyone can see them. Joining them is simple: survive a Scarlet Titan which is the second ranking in the organization,you have to survive in a duel. Survive, and you're accepted. Die, and… well, that's that."
Her tone shifted as she moved on.
"There are also mid-tier organizations, led by cultivators of the second rank. Not as mighty as the previous two, but dangerous in their own ways. The first is The Dusk Jackals. They prefer cunning over strength. They capture targets alive more often than they kill them, using traps, smoke, illusions, and bait. To join them, you must survive the 'Jackal Run.' For one hour, five of their hunters will chase you through the alleys of Gloomvale. If you evade them until the hour ends, you pass. If they catch you… you don't."
She lowered her voice slightly, almost as if discussing the next group was a subtle insult to the others.
"And finally, The Moonmark Seekers. They are investigators more than killers. They track patterns, study behavior, and deduce where someone will be before that person even realizes it themselves. Their leader, Tessha thorn, is a calm and patient woman, but her mind is sharper than any blade. To join the Seekers, you must take part in the 'Three-Night Trial.' Across three nights, they will give you three clues. With only those clues, you must locate a hidden individual somewhere within Gloomvale's walls. Find them, and you earn a Moonmark. Fail… and you try again next year."
She went silent then, as if that was all she was willing to share.
Lin Shu didn't waste a second. Time was ticking.
"And how would I reach out to each one?" he asked.
The woman behind the counter answered immediately, her voice calm and quiet.
"Unfortunately, you cannot reach them directly. Their quarters are constantly changing. For all their strength, they have too many enemies to stay in public. That is why they make deals with us and other groups like us. We can reach out on your behalf. But be warned… if you do not meet their requirements, they will not simply let you walk away. They value their time, and they will not allow the impression that they test or work for free."
Lin Shu fell silent, thinking quickly.
The Obsidian Covenant… good option, but I don't have anything that can make me untraceable. Their test requires killing someone in this city. I'm not doing that unless I get a technique that blocks investigation methods. Not worth dying for.
The Dusk Jackals? Mostly tools, traps, formations… I have no training in those. Not my place.
Moonmark Seekers? Tracking hidden targets, deducing movements… I have no network, no specialized techniques. Impossible right now.
His thoughts settled on only one path.
"That leaves the Vermilion Titans. Close to my style. They rely on power, not stealth. Their kills are messages—loud ones. Anyone who hires them wants a statement. But if they operate so openly, they must avoid jobs inside Gloomvale. Otherwise, every clan, sect, and even the empire would be hunting them. And since they still exist, they must hold enough influence here that no one can uproot them without great cost. If another force tries to take them down, the powers in this city wouldn't tolerate outsiders running around unchecked. Destroying the Titans would cause a power vacuum none of them want."
Lin Shu nodded to himself.
"The Vermilion Titans are the only feasible route. And their clients pay well. That's the best choice for now."
He looked toward the woman in the shadows.
"I would like you to inform the Vermilion Titans that I wish to join them."
She dipped her head slightly.
"I will see to it immediately. As for payment, you need not worry. The organizations themselves fund our recruitment services."
Lin Shu paused, then asked, "One more thing. If all these organizations are being hunted down and forced to hide… how come yours isn't?"
The woman let out a soft breath, as if she had answered this question many times.
"It is a common mistake to think we walk the same path. We do not. We deal only in information. For everyone, without exception. We are a neutral faction all sides rely on. We choose no side, support no cause, and join no conflict. We answer questions, nothing more. What you do with the information is not our concern. Think of us as a book—anyone may read it, and what they do afterward is their responsibility. We inform. We do not act."
Lin Shu understood… but not entirely.
"That reasoning works only if no one decides the book deserves to be burned alongside it's author and distributer", he thought." Information can kill just as effectively as a blade.Giving someone's enemies his secrets will get you hate and enmity no matter how you try to twist your doings no one is stupid enough to fall for such vague words."
But he didn't voice any of that.
The Mistveil Serpents likely had something far more reliable than neutrality protecting them.
"Their leader… he must be someone powerful. Strong enough to keep order and deter revenge. That's the only explanation that makes sense."
He simply nodded and rose to leave.
Lin Shu moved quickly, following the directions. First, he needed to leave the city through the main gate and then travel north along a road known as the Dim Road. Its name came from the morning gloom, when the enormous trees blocked most of the sunlight with their thick leaves. In his hand, he held the token given alongside the instructions, ready to present it when necessary.
As he walked, he sensed a powerful presence nearby. A black hawk hovered above him, and the aura of a cultivator radiated strongly. He followed the feeling and soon came upon the figure: a man clad in black, a hawk perched on his shoulder, a large blade strapped to his back. Without a word of greeting, the man spoke.
"The rules are simple," he said. "Survive against me for ten minutes, or contend with me. Fail to meet the requirements, and your life ends. I do not tolerate wasted time."
Lin Shu's armor quietly began forming beneath his clothes, careful not to reveal it—he could not risk linking this identity to his Li persona.
The recruiter moved, and ice formed beneath his steps. Sharp spikes suddenly erupted toward Lin Shu. He didn't flinch; the spikes struck his chest and shattered immediately. The man followed up with a punch aimed at Lin Shu's face. Lin Shu ducked and countered, but even his fist, moving with a speed comparable to a high-tier technique, only grazed the cultivator and struck a thick tree instead, crumbling it.
The recruiter regarded Lin Shu with a measured glance before tossing him a red token marked with a single white dot—different from the first.
"Return to the city," the recruiter instructed. "Head to the northern side and find a shop called the Blood Forgery. It's a weapons shop. You'll receive everything else there."
The black hawk landed back on the recruiter's shoulder as he vanished into the night.
Lin Shu moved swiftly, running back toward the city. Passing through the Darklight Gate, he navigated the streets, asking for directions until he finally found the shop.
The Blood Forgery was quiet, understandable given the hour. He rang the bell on the counter, and a young man appeared. His hair was short and messy, his plain blue robes modest. Glasses framed his eyes.
"How may I help you?" the man asked, smiling.
Lin Shu placed the red token on the counter. The young man's tone changed as he took it.
"Follow me."
Lin Shu followed silently. The man closed the shop behind them and led him to a staircase, ascending into a room above.