"This organization dares to assassinate a court official? Doesn't anyone care about this?"
Looking at the huge task list in front of him, Lin Shan didn't have time to sigh. Seeing the more than twenty black-clothed people who came with him all heading upstairs to the second floor, he quickly followed this small group.
Upon reaching the second floor, he took a quick look around and found that the layout was similar to the first floor, except there were two lines in front of the counter. Lin Shan also joined a line. He saw everyone handing over their identity tokens to the registration staff in front, seemingly settling tasks.
When it was Lin Shan's turn, he handed over the token he held. The person registering was a young woman in her twenties, with a black mole on the tip of her nose, and she was quite pleasant to look at.
"Soldier 21, collective task of robbing official silver completed, personal contribution 15 points, collective contribution 5 points."
"Total contribution 20 points, token balance 50 points."
After the black-moles woman finished recording, she threw the token back to him, not even waiting for Lin Shan to process the information.
"Next!"
...
"Robbing official silver task? So those dozen carts of escort fees were all official silver? My goodness, that must have been hundreds of thousands of taels!"
Lin Shan was also secretly speechless. In the face of huge profits, the government colluded with powerful families to set up a scheme, and Chief Wang was sacrificed for profit just like that.
But thinking about it, as a killer, participating in such a shocking case only earned him 20 contribution points! Isn't that too little?
'And why was this dead fat man's inheritance only 30 points? He was at least a Viscera Training expert who had entered Protector Jiang's sight!
He's been a killer for so many years, and this is it?'
Lin Shan was completely unaware that he was a latecomer to the profession. In the case of robbing official silver, he was merely on the fleeing side and made no contribution at all. It was already good that they settled the task for him.
After wandering around the second floor, he found that most killers went downstairs after handing in their tasks. Only a small number went up to the third floor. He hesitated for a moment and followed them.
A large sign stood at the entrance to the third floor,
Exchange Hall.
Lin Shan's mind immediately understood. Entering the hall, the layout was similar to the first and second floors, with a backdrop behind the counter listing a dense exchange table:
""Precious Yellow Book" Innate Skill 1000 points".
""Mayfly's Thread of Heaven" Innate Skill 1000 points".
""Savage Strength" Acquired Martial Art 500 points"
""Giant Spirit Palm" Acquired Martial Art 300 points"
""Mammoth Art" Acquired Skill 200 points"
...
Lin Shan was dazzled. Even Innate Skills could be exchanged. He couldn't help but be impressed by Nightingale's magnanimity. Innate Skills were closely guarded secrets in other families and sects, not easily taught to anyone who wasn't a core direct descendant.
But in Nightingale, whether you were a latecomer or a new or old member, contribution points were king!
However, Lin Shan calmed down and calculated carefully. Robbing hundreds of thousands of official silver, with a collective deployment of over twenty killers, such a large task only gave 20 points. To gather enough to exchange for an Innate Skill, it meant doing 50 such tasks!
Lin Shan couldn't help but shake his head. Killers danced on the tip of a knife every time. If they were careless and died once, there was no coming back, just like his Senior, the short fat man. For 50 large tasks involving first-rate experts, who would dare say they could retreat unscathed every time?
As he browsed down and saw the Acquired Martial Art Giant Spirit Palm, Lin Shan recalled the scene of fighting alongside Master Pu against the short fat man. He also roughly understood that the guy probably spent all his savings buying an outer sect martial art, which was why he was so poor.
"A full three hundred points!"
Lin Shan was heartbroken and inwardly cursed the short fat man for being a spendthrift! He squandered the property that should have belonged to him!
'I have 50 points now, what can I exchange for?'
Lin Shan, with a troubled expression, finally found in the corner that the items below fifty points were only some bruise medicine, trauma medicine, and some weapons.
Even a steel saber required 20 points!
Lin Shan suddenly remembered when he fought Scarface, that guy's steel saber was chipped but he couldn't bear to throw it away.
"So, Scarface comes back from one task and only has enough to replace his saber?"
The exploitative face of capitalists! Poor corporate slave Scarface!
Lin Shan stroked his chin in thought, suddenly realizing a problem: 'Holy crap, I forgot about Scarface!'
He quickly turned and scanned the stairs. The first and second floor halls were still brightly lit, but each black-clothed person was heavily covered with face masks and headcloths, making it impossible to distinguish who was who.
After all, killers also have identities in reality. Once they take off their black outfits, they are also good citizens!
'What? You said killer? What does that have to do with me?'
Lin Shan had a depressed look. Now this was good; because of his oversight, Scarface went from being in the open to being hidden, and the dynamic between them reversed.
He originally thought he could use the Broken palm to fight Scarface with a good chance of winning, since Scarface didn't know he had the Innate secret technique, thus directly ending this trouble. But now, he could only take one step at a time.
'Alright, let's let him off the hook for now.'
...
Lin Shan looked around. This 'Jingan Residence' had more than three floors; there were floors above. With the thought of giving it a try, he planned to go up to the fourth floor to see.
Before he even stepped onto the stairs leading to the fourth floor, an aged voice sounded in his ear.
"If you're not afraid of death, go up. The fourth floor is where Protector Jiang rests. Without my guidance, you will surely die if you go up."
Lin Shan's raised right foot suddenly froze. Turning his head, he saw an old man with a grizzled beard, sitting calmly by the exchange counter, looking at him with a smile.
Lin Shan quickly went over to thank him. "Thank you for the guidance. May I ask for your esteemed surname, elder?"
"Young man, you must be new. You don't even know this rule." The old man stroked his beard and slowly drank his tea.
"My surname is Jiang, and I am in charge of the third floor. People usually call me Steward Jiang."
Lin Shan quickly bowed, while thinking to himself that this old man seemed quite approachable. He saw at a glance that Lin Shan was new, so it was a good chance to ask him for some information.
"This Junior's ancestors lived in Guangnan Commandery. I've just arrived. I dare to ask Senior to not hesitate to teach me about Nightingale's rules."
What killers feared most was exposing their public identity. Others might not dare to speak of his background from the Clear River County escort agency, but Protector Jiang definitely knew, and the more than twenty colleagues who robbed the official silver together probably knew too.
But if he hid with his face covered for a few days, when they met again, no one would know who was who, unless he was identified by the short fat man's token number. However, probably only Protector Jiang knew everyone's numbers, and Protector Jiang naturally disdained dealing with a small fry like him.
Lin Shan still maintained a cautious mindset. After all, who knew what trouble a single oversight could bring? One must be careful when traveling the pugilistic world.
Steward Jiang didn't care whether what he said was true or false. He took a sip of tea and put it down, just smiling at him without saying a word.
Lin Shan immediately understood, and took out ten taels of silver from his person to offer.
"The child is teachable!"
Steward Jiang casually accepted the money and naturally no longer hesitated to offer guidance. As he slowly recounted, Lin Shan gradually gained a general understanding of Nightingale, this killer organization.
General pugilistic world forces basically rise and fall within a hundred years, but Nightingale, this ancient killer organization, has existed and been passed down for eight hundred years.
The reason is simple: this organization is like raising Gu; the capable rise, the weak fall. Therefore, every generation of higher-ups consists of individuals with excellent minds and martial arts! Coupled with the tradition of 'recognizing the token, not the person', there is no situation of a lack of successors, and it is also widely renowned in the pugilistic world.
Almost all Martial Artists who roam the pugilistic world know about 'recognizing the token, not the person' and greatly admire it.
The 'Jingan Residence' here in Zangke County city is merely a Branch Leader of Nightingale in the Southwest of Great Song. There are no less than a dozen similar Branch Leaders in various places.
The headquarters is said to be located in the Emperor Capital of Great Song, Kyoto Bianliang!
The Branch Leader here in Zangke County is naturally an Innate Expert, but He has been traveling for many years and his whereabouts are unknown. Therefore, affairs within the Branch Leader are basically managed by Protector Jiang, a half-step Innate Expert.
Nightingale's restrictions on killer members are not harsh. Besides the most basic rule of not revealing the location of the base or the task employers, ordinary members must complete at least three tasks a year.
Of course, Steward Jiang also subtly revealed here that if one was willing to spend money to bribe him, the tasks could also be negotiated.
Finally, Steward Jiang, considering the ten taels of silver, kindly advised him that contribution points could be used to buy some concealed weapons for self-defense first.
And so, Lin Shan spent all 50 points in his token to exchange for a sleeve arrow, and walked out of the 'Jingan Residence' under the smiling gaze of Steward Jiang.
Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Lin Shan stood on the steps in front of the main gate. Blown by the morning breeze, his mind cleared a little as he looked at his identity token and the sleeve arrow in his hand.
Well, now he was a poor ghost again!