The Black Tower was enveloped in silence.
In the darkness, all eyes converged in one direction, yet no one spoke a word.
Young Li Mo even began to wonder if the place was called the Black Tower because they simply refused to light lamps—pitch-black to the point where people could barely be seen.
Whether it was due to poverty or an attempt to cultivate an eerie atmosphere, he couldn’t tell.
To accommodate any assassins with poor night vision, Li Mo considerately took out a luminous pearl.
"Is that really Li Mo?"
"He came to the Black Tower? How dare he?"
"This is downright disrespectful to our profession. What’s the difference between this and waltzing into a government office?"
The assassins in the Black Tower exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
In all his years in the business, this was the first time he’d seen a target with such a high bounty willingly walk into the lion’s den.
As the luminous pearl illuminated Li Mo’s face, hushed whispers began to spread.
"He seems loaded. Why don’t we just take him out here? We’d get the bounty and whatever valuables he’s carrying."
"No fighting inside the Black Tower."
"Why do you think that rule exists in the first place?"
"Take a wild guess why we’re called the Misty Rain Tower and not the Black Wind Bandits."
"Well, he’ll have to leave eventually. He can’t hide in here forever."
"Here’s a thought—what if he’s carrying some kind of high-grade destructive treasure and plans to blow himself up here?"
Someone’s offhand remark sent a chill down the spine of the manager behind the counter.
If Li Mo was here, he was either an irredeemable fool or had the confidence to walk in unscathed.
Given that he was ranked nineteenth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the former was impossible.
"Young Master Li, you’ve got nerve. May I ask what brings you here?"
The manager shot a meaningful glance at his subordinates before speaking up.
"Nothing so grand as 'guidance,'" Li Mo replied, strolling to the counter and taking a seat. "But when a guest arrives, isn’t it customary to serve tea? This seems rather impolite."
Suddenly, all his past life-and-death struggles felt utterly insignificant.
The green-faced manager paused, narrowing his eyes.
"Since when are you a guest?"
"The Misty Rain Tower operates without restraint, correct?" Li Mo met the man’s sharp gaze without flinching.
The manager nodded. "Aside from the Tower’s rules, that is indeed the case."
"Then that means even a bounty target can place an order, right?"
Li Mo had already studied the bounty board behind the counter.
There were plenty of examples of mutual bounties—Zhang San placing a hit on Li Si, only for Li Si to retaliate in kind.
The manager saw no reason to deny it.
After all, to the Misty Rain Tower, the target didn’t matter—only the payout.
Of course, placing a bounty on someone wouldn’t erase one’s own price on their head.
At best, it was a way to settle a grudge.
"Then as a paying customer, I’d like to place a bounty on those who want me dead."
"Who exactly? The Holy Maiden?"
The manager almost laughed.
The entire Black Tower erupted in mocking chuckles and sneers.
A bounty on the Holy Maiden?
Even if the manager dared to post it, who would be reckless enough to accept?
"Bothering with a mere Divine Perception cultivator is hardly worth my time. This is a major transaction."
Li Mo, ever the showman, exuded an aura of absolute confidence.
"I’m placing a bounty on everyone who wants me dead."
"To put it simply: whoever accepts the hit on me, I’ll place a hit on them in return."
The green-faced manager’s jaw dropped. His mind went blank.
This was the most absurd bounty request he’d ever heard.
For a full second, every assassin in the Black Tower experienced a collective mental shutdown.
"Can he even do that?"
"My head… suddenly itches."
The assassins huddled together, debating the logistics. After carefully reviewing the Misty Rain Tower’s rules, they reached a conclusion.
It was technically allowed.
But something about it felt… off.
Was this guy seriously hiring bodyguards through their assassination network?
Still, while it was permissible, there was no precedent—because no one had ever been rich enough to pull it off.
The manager realized this too. With a smirk, he grabbed an abacus and began calculating with sharp clicks.
"Bounties on Internal Breath cultivators average between a thousand taels of silver and ten thousand taels of gold."
"For ordinary Divine Perception cultivators, the Tower’s standard rate is five thousand to fifty thousand taels of gold—though exceptions exist, like for prodigies on the Hidden Dragon Ranking."
"An Inner Realm bounty? That’s far pricier. Starts at a hundred thousand taels of gold, plus rare treasures to incentivize takers."
"As for Outer Realm experts… well, Young Master Li, surely you—"
Li Mo cut him off, holding up five fingers.
"Five times the market rate."
"You can’t possibly—"
A deposit slip from the Flourishing Trade Bank slammed onto the table.
The manager squinted as he read aloud:
"Client Li Mo has deposited one gold mountain with our bank… what kind of unit is that?! … Plus thirty crates of rare treasures… a hundred spirit crystals…"
"The Tower may withdraw funds as needed per this voucher…"
The manager’s knees buckled.
He sent a swift subordinate to verify the slip at the bank.
When the man returned and whispered the confirmation, the manager forced a strained smile.
"Young Master Li… would you prefer Longjing tea or Da Hong Pao?"
And thus began the Misty Rain Tower’s first-ever business collaboration.
Li Mo’s bounty was posted at the very top, making him the Yunzhou branch’s highest-paying client.
Word spread like wildfire. Assassins from nearby regions flocked to the Black Tower.
Yet no one dared to immediately accept the hit.
After all, taking the job meant openly defying the Holy Maiden.
While client confidentiality was guaranteed, no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out.
But temptation gnawed at them.
"‘Holy Maiden’ this, ‘Holy Maiden’ that—what’s her face worth in silver?"
A woman’s cold laugh cut through the murmurs.
"When have we ever relied on her? We’re not some righteous sect."
"Fair point… but still…"
The assassins wavered.
She strode to the counter and slapped down a swallow-shaped token.
"If we’re still worrying about offending people, what’s the point of joining the Misty Rain Tower?"
"I’ll take the job first!"
With that, Shang Wu—who had been posing as a mere bystander—released her suppressed aura.
"This old man’s in too!"
Qian Bufan, another "bystander," stepped forward.
"Indecisive men never achieve greatness."
A frosty-eyed female assassin moved to Li Mo’s side, her gaze warning:
Though her cultivation level wasn’t visible, her demeanor screamed professional.
"Well… bold moves indeed."
Li Mo slammed the table and stood up, declaring, "I, Li Mo, admire those with commendable courage the most. This humble gift—please do not refuse it."
Without hesitation, he pulled out several Xuan Crystals and pressed them into the female assassin’s hand.
Soon, more bystanders joined in.
Among them were a diminutive dwarf assassin, a sinister-looking killer whose gloomy demeanor screamed treachery, and an Inner Realm poison master, his body adorned with vials and jars exuding the faint scent of elixirs—clearly a master of toxins.
As everyone knows, $2eople follow the crowd—assassins are no exception.
Seeing so many take the offer, even if the Holy Maiden sought retribution later, she’d never pinpoint the culprits.
Thus, the counter was soon packed to the brim.
The scene grew lively, almost resembling old ladies scrambling for eggs at a supermarket.