On the main street of the northwestern part of the outer city, an old beggar sat on the roadside, dressed in ck tattered clothes.
His body emitted a stench so foul that many people quickened their pace as they approached him.
Despite the putrid odor surrounding him, the old beggar wore a bright smile on his face, watching pedestrians move back and forth.
He was known as the Smiling Beggar, a fixture in his spot both day and night, indifferent to the urrences in the city.
Today, however, things would be different.
As usual, the old man sat on his spot, smiling at passersby, unperturbed by the cold disdain in their eyes. He had grown ustomed to it. Suddenly, amid the throng of people, a child no older than eight approached the Smiling Beggar.
The child bent down, cing some bronze coins inside the small te in front of the beggar and skillfully putting a folded piece of paper beside him.
With that, the child ran away, blending into the crowd before disappearing from the bustling street.
The Smiling Beggar''s expression remained unchanged as he picked up the folded paper and read its contents. Afterward, he squeezed the paper, and it burnt to a crisp.
"I guess it''s time for these old bones to do some exercise," he thought, and his smile deepened.
Before anyone could notice anything, the Smiling Beggar had vanished from his usual spot.
Inside the lobby of the Death Shadow headquarters, a group of men with various masks on their faces looked at the mission board with slight shock.
"I never expected a tinum mission to appear this time," a hoarse voice came from a mask.
"Yes, this is beyond us. We should not concern ourselves with it."
"I agree, let''s move to the silver missions."
"Why be such a coward? Can''t you take the mission to broaden your experience?"
For a couple of seconds, the group fell into silence, staring at the individual who uttered those words.
"If you want to die without a grave, you can broaden your experience with that mission."
With that, the group scattered, moving in twos and threes.
As curses lingered in their hearts, a young man wearing a tiger mask strode forward, decisively tearing the tinum mission from the board before heading to the counter for registration.
The lobby descended into hushed silence, every gaze fixated on the mysterious figure. This enigmatic individual had only appeared a few months ago, yet his astonishing kill count left many assassins wary and intrigued.
Veiled in mystery, he moved freely,ing and going without leaving a trace. With efficient precision, he registered for the mission,pleting the process without uttering a single word.
"Did you all witness that?" a voice eximed. "That''s what a real assassin should look like!"
The sudden outburst shattered the silence, sparking a cacophony of discussions among the assembled assassins.
"Quiet!" another voice berated. "Why don''t you take the mission then?"
"Hah! A tinum mission is too easy for me to broaden my horizons. I need a more dangerous job," the man replied with a serious tone.
Instantly, the room fell silent, and every gaze turned toward him. The atmosphere became tense as the assassins felt an itch to address such unreasonable bragging.
Sensing the rising tension, the man swallowed his next words and made a hasty exit from the lobby, striding away with purpose.
He knew he had pushed his boasting too far, acknowledging that the organization wouldn''t tolerate a fight in the lobby.
He understood the potential consequences of his actions had the rules not been in ce.
****
Meanwhile, the various ns in the city were full of joy as they weed their younger generation, who was sent to the other city ns to strengthen themselves.
Everyone knew Baiyun City was the weakest city in the empire and, therefore, came to a conclusion to send their younger ones to more powerful ns in other cities for a chance to get stronger.
In the Wang n, Liu n, Cheng n, and other ns associated with them, instead of a moment of happiness, they were thrown into sadness.
Their n masters, wives, and all their powerful elders had all been killed, rendering them powerless in Baiyun City.
They were once the top ns in the city, but now they were the weakest. Almost all their resources had been taken from them, if not for their deep roots in the city. They would have long be history under the ws of greedy people.
With the arrival of the younger generations, the city became more lively.
Inside the city lord''s mansion, a young man and woman looked at their weak father with shock written on their faces.
The city lord looked at his two remaining sons with deep sadness on his face. He knew his greed and arrogance had led to his current situation, and if not for their deep foundation, he would probably be dead. Taking a deep breath, he controlled his emotions and said with a serious tone.
"You don''t have to worry about me. Since you''ve returned, I want to warn you."
The two young stars looked at each other and couldn''t believe their proud father would be like this. Still, they listened attentively to their father''s words.
"When you meet the Cao n and other people around them, be respectful, better still avoid them at all costs." His voice was grave, as if he was passing the most important news to them.
The Cao n!
For a couple of seconds, the two didn''t believe what they just heard. They should be respectful to the declining Cao n. What in the heavens was going on? They screamed in their minds.
The city lord looked at his two children and knew they didn''t take his warning to heart, but there''s nothing he could do. He had done his best as their father, and whatever decision they took, they would have to bear it.
"Remember what I told you. Now, you can leave; I want to rest."
The two didn''t utter a word and performed their respect before leaving the room with shock still written on their faces.
******
[AN: I don''t feel like writing today. I lost all my money to crypto trading. I''m sad.]