The young man with glasses pushed open the door to a small, dimly lit room and stepped inside.
"I don't usually enlist new members," he said, adjusting his messy hair as he took a seat. "But our supervisor for this section isn't here, so I'll have to do it."
He held out his hand.
"Now then, give me the token the tester gave you."
Lin Shu silently handed it over.
"I see…" The man examined the token before nodding. "He gave you this one. That means you were good enough to be a Scarlet Titan."
Lin Shu said nothing.
The young man chuckled. "Ah—right. I forgot you probably don't know our organization's structure." He leaned back in his chair, tapping the token lightly. "Let me explain."
"Well, you see, we're divided into five ranks. The Red Titan is the first rank. After that comes the Scarlet Titan, the rank you'll be receiving. Scarlet Titans get far better chances at securing quality targets.
"The third rank is the Crimson Titan. Crimson Titans can choose to lead a section—a small number of Titans under their command. For example, our section leader here is a Crimson Titan. To reach this rank, it's simple: you just need to take down a Crimson-level target.
"Next is the fourth rank, the Carmine Titan. These ones lead multiple sections at once. They're all rank two cultivators, well-known throughout the region.
"And finally…" The young man's tone shifted slightly, a faint hint of respect—or fear—slipping through. "Our supreme leader. The only Vermilion Titan—Crusher Qorath. I've never met him, but I've seen the aftermath of his work. Anyone he targets is erased. He doesn't fight often; someone of his stature would devastate clans and sects. Given enough time… he could level an entire town alone."
Yin placed the token on the table and folded his hands.
"Now that we're done with the structure, let's go over the rules."
His voice became firm.
"Rule one: never reveal the location of any of our bases.
Rule two: you must complete at least one kill every month. Getting complacent is how you die.
Rule three: never show mercy to a target. Ever. If you accept a mission, you either return defeated or return with the target dead. Nothing in between. No mercy. No deals. No exceptions."
"Is that clear?"
Lin Shu nodded.
Yin adjusted his glasses again, satisfied.
"Good. Now let's prepare what you'll need, since you'll be heading out on a mission right away."
Lin Shu asked, "Do you not form contracts or oaths?"
Yin's eyes flickered with amusement.
"I guess this is your first time involving yourself in this kind of business. No. There's no point in contracts or oaths. No one wants to be chained or restrained."
He waved dismissively.
"Oaths? Contracts? They're meaningless. With enough wealth, both can be broken. Organizations that call themselves 'honorable' might use them, but trust me—stay away from those. Their contracts are just slave bindings disguised as agreements."
Lin Shu nodded slowly. "I see."
"Good." Yin opened a drawer and pulled out a necklace. Hanging from it was a red token shaped like a skull, blood dripping from its carved eye sockets.
"This will be your personal token. Proof that you're one of us. Protect it and keep it hidden. It's not made to take damage. But before I engrave it, I need a name to register you under."
He asked casually, "So, what should we call you, new friend?"
"Nie is fine," Lin Shu replied.
Yin smiled. "Then Nie it is. I am Yin."
He inscribed the name, then handed over another small item.
"Alright. Now that formalities are done, it's best if you start immediately. Your first mission will be assigned right now. You don't get to choose the first one… but you'll have that privilege later."
Yin pulled a file from one of the drawers beneath his desk and flipped it open.
"Let me see…"
He skimmed through several folders before pausing.
"Ah. This will do."
Yin glanced up at Lin Shu.
"Now, Nie—you look young. Maybe around sixteen?"
Lin Shu was fourteen, but he nodded anyway. It didn't matter.
"Well," Yin continued, "since you're still young, you probably haven't done many… gruesome jobs. And as you should know, gruesome is nothing short of a core value in this establishment."
He leaned forward, lowering his glasses slightly so his eyes were clearly visible.
"So I'll say this one last time."
"Failing a mission due to unexpected circumstances can be overlooked.
Failing a mission due to weakness can be punished—but not always."
His voice dropped.
"But failing a mission because you chose mercy or pity toward your target is nothing short of betrayal."
Yin stared directly at Lin Shu.
"So remember this—whenever you think about letting someone go, remember that you'll be taking their place as the target. Just a piece of advice."
Lin Shu didn't move. He had expected something like this. The place was designed to cultivate fear and power; weakness—emotional or physical—was something they would never tolerate.
"I understand," Lin Shu said.
Yin studied him for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
"We'll see if you do."
He slid the file across the table.
Lin Shu opened it. Inside were three portraits: a woman, a young man who looked about seventeen, and a child.
Yin began speaking.
"The woman's name is Bing Wan. Her younger brother is Bing Tuo. The child is her son, Dang Ji."
He continued calmly.
"They belong to a low-sized clan. Because of the brother's talent and strength, he was taken in as a disciple by an elder—a peak-stage cultivator. Your task is simple: go there and kill all three. Why is irrelevant."
Yin tapped the table once.
"And you are to do it using the requested method. Hang their bodies somewhere the Rong Clan—the ones who took them in—can see."
Lin Shu continued reading the file. The mission was straightforward. The clan was small, with only one rank two cultivator. As long as he avoided the patriarch, none of them should be able to stop him. He was also relieved that the targets' locations were clearly marked—tracking was not something he could do on his own yet.
Yin watched him closely.
"Do you have any questions, Nie?"
Lin Shu closed the file.
"No. I'll be leaving now."
Yin smiled. He was glad the boy hadn't protested. If Lin Shu had tried, Yin would have taught him—very personally—what protesting meant in this place.
Lin Shu headed toward his targets as soon as he left the city. Once he was far enough away, he removed his mask and activated his chameleon technique again, shifting his hair and eye color to new shades.
His destination was Twin Pillars Village—a small settlement half a day north of Gloomvale City.
He moved quickly. He needed to return before too much time passed.
Hours slipped by as Lin Shu crossed forests, dirt roads, and stretches of quiet land. When he finally saw the wooden sign marking Twin Pillars Village, he slowed his pace.
He didn't enter immediately.
Instead, he circled the outskirts, carefully observing the layout. Charging in and killing his targets openly would certainly please his organization—but Lin Shu wasn't reckless.
He considered his options.
I could kidnap the child, he thought. Use him to lure the woman and her brother somewhere isolated.
He dismissed the idea almost immediately. That plan carried too much risk. If they brought someone strong enough to intervene, the situation could spiral out of control.
Another possibility surfaced.
Kill one of them first, he thought. Force the others to search for the missing body or the child, then strike while they're separated.
But even that felt flawed.
"There's no clean way to gather all three in one place without being close to the village—and too close means too many variables."
With no better alternatives, Lin Shu entered the village.
He suppressed his cultivation aura as he moved through the streets, blending in among the villagers. After a short while, he spotted a gate bearing the emblem of the Rong Clan—the place where his targets resided.
Not far from the street facing the gate stood an inn.
Lin Shu's eyes lingered on it.
That will do.
"I'll rent a room there," he decided. "Somewhere with a clear view of the clan gate."
From there, he could wait, observe, and confirm their movements—making sure none of his targets slipped away before he acted.