Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

Over the years, he has lived in anonymity, trying every means to earn cultivation resources, but his cultivation level is stuck at the late Grandmaster stage and he can't make any progress.

Lin Hansheng had already reached the peak of the Void Realm and become the undisputed local emperor of Baiyun City.

"I hate it!" Shi Yong suddenly knelt down on the ground, his forehead hitting the ground hard.

"But I am outnumbered and outmatched, and it is difficult for me to even get close to the Lin family mansion."

"I admire the renowned reputation of the Drizzle Pavilion! ... I beg you, sir, to grant me a way out!"

"If I, Shi Yong, were to enter the Drizzle Pavilion, I would brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, only hoping to exchange them for cultivation resources so that I may soon be able to personally kill that traitor!"

Jing Ke listened quietly, his fingertips stroking the dagger at his waist, his eyes showing no emotion.

He had seen far too many of these kinds of family feuds.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke:

"The Fine Rain Pavilion does need manpower, and with your personality, you'd be well-suited to be an assassin."

"We can let you join, but there's one condition—"

His tone suddenly turned stern: "Once you're inside, you have to abide by the building rules."

"If you dare to betray us, or ruin things in the building because of personal grudges, I will take your head before Lin Hansheng even has a chance to do it."

Shi Yong suddenly looked up, hope igniting in his eyes, and kowtowed deeply:

"Your subordinate understands! May you be struck down by heaven and earth if you harbor any disloyalty!"

Jing Ke nodded, and then said:

"There are rules in this building: task points can be exchanged for resources, or you can get help from the experts in the building."

"If you do well in your future tasks and accumulate enough points, it's not impossible for you to hire a top-tier assassin to wipe out the Lin family."

Unexpectedly, Shi Yong shook his head, his eyes unusually firm:

"Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I must avenge this grudge myself."

"Lin Hansheng owes my Shi family 113 lives. Only by breaking his neck with my own hands can I appease the spirits of my clan in heaven."

Jing Ke was taken aback for a moment, then a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes, and he laughed heartily:

"Good lad, you've got guts! Just for those words, if you ever really decide to take action, I, Jing Ke, will accompany you and back you up!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Yong was first stunned, then overjoyed, and kowtowed again, his voice choked with emotion: "Thank...thank you, Your Excellency!"

"Get up," Jing Ke said, raising his hand to help him up.

"Come back to the base with me. From this day forward, you will be the Xuan-level assassin of the Drizzle Pavilion. Do your job well and don't waste this opportunity."

"Yes!" Shi Yong stood up, his back ramrod straight. The scars on his face looked even more menacing in the setting sun, and the hatred in his eyes had not yet faded.

But he felt an added sense of certainty—he had finally taken a step closer to revenge.

Jing Ke said no more and turned to rush towards Qingzhou City.

Shi Yong took a deep breath, suppressed his turbulent emotions, and quickly followed.

Two figures, one after the other, disappeared into the twilight.

Inside the Guanyu Pavilion, Yuan Tiangang reported to Ye Junlin on the handover of Langya Pavilion.

Just then, as he went downstairs, he saw Jing Ke bringing back a burly man, and knew that it was Shi Yong who had asked to join him.

"Lord Yuan, this is Shi Yong, a late-stage Grandmaster, with a clean background and clear grudges. He is suitable to join the Xuan-level assassins," Jing Ke briefly introduced.

Upon seeing this, Shi Yong immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate Shi Yong greets Your Excellency!"

Yuan Tiangang nodded, his gaze sweeping over Jing Ke, and he knew that what Jing Ke said was true. He said calmly:

"Now that you've entered the Fine Rain Pavilion, you must abide by the rules."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Shi Yong kowtowed again.

"Jing Ke, take him downstairs first, arrange accommodations and training materials for him, and help him become familiar with the affairs as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Jing Ke then led Shi Yong to Tingyu Residence in the East Wing.

Looking at Shi Yong's retreating figure, Yuan Tiangang said to Nie Zheng and the others, "This kid has potential. With some polishing, he can amount to something."

Nie Zheng and his assassins chuckled: "A month should be enough to mold him into a fine piece of his character."

The East Wing Listening to Rain Residence, with its two hundred rooms, is nestled among verdant bamboo groves and flowing springs, offering a tranquil and serene atmosphere.

Jing Ke led Shi Yong through the winding corridors, pointing to a row of houses and saying:

"There are two hundred rooms in total. Pick one and stay there. This will be your place to stay from now on."

Shi Yong glanced around and saw that each room was elegant and tidy, with no distinction between superior and inferior ones. He then randomly chose one that was close to the bamboo grove and pushed open the door to enter.

The room was simply furnished with a table and a couch, and a traditional Chinese landscape painting hung on the wall, creating a serene atmosphere.

"Is this the one?" Jing Ke asked.

"Yes." Shi Yong nodded.

Jing Ke took out a transcribed booklet from his robes; the three characters "Blood Slaughter Technique" on the cover exuded a chilling, bloodthirsty aura, and handed it over.

"This is the first half of the Blood Slaughter Technique. Take it and practice it first. This technique tempers the body through slaughter, becoming stronger the more you kill, which suits your temperament perfectly."

Shi Yong took the ancient book, and after a brief glance, his pupils suddenly contracted—it was actually a Heaven-Rank cultivation technique!

It's already a luxury for an ordinary Grandmaster to obtain a Xuan-rank cultivation technique, and even a Heaven-rank cultivation technique might not be seen by a Celestial Realm cultivator.

"This...this is too valuable..." Shi Yong's voice trembled slightly.

"At Xiyu Tower, merit is rewarded."

Jing Ke said calmly, "If you can make great contributions in the future, I will give you the second half."

Shi Yong gripped the ancient book tightly, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.

He had thought that joining the Drizzle Pavilion would only get him some ordinary resources, but he never expected to receive a Heaven-Rank cultivation technique as soon as he entered. Such a gesture far exceeded his imagination.

"Oh, right," Jing Ke added, as if remembering something, "from now on, your code name will be 'Xuan Yi'."

"Xuan Yi?"

"The Xuan-level assassins are ranked according to their strength. You are the first Xuan-level assassin to be listed, so you will be temporarily called 'Xuan Yi'."

"If you are surpassed by someone who joins later, then the codename 'Xuanyi' will be given to someone else."

"This is not just a code name, but a symbol of power and authority."

Jing Ke explained, "Alright! Let's familiarize ourselves with the techniques first. I'll assign tasks in three days."

Having said that, he turned and left.

After closing the door, Shi Yong eagerly opened "The Blood Slaughter Manual" and began to study it carefully.

The opening of the cultivation method directly points to the fusion of killing and spiritual power, with every word being precious and infinitely profound.

The more he looked, the more alarmed and agitated he became, until he slammed his fist on the table.

"Joining the Drizzle Pavilion was definitely the best decision I ever made!"

Outside the window, bamboo shadows swayed, and Xuan Yi sat cross-legged, quickly immersing himself in the cultivation of his technique.

Meanwhile, Jing Ke returned to the Rain-Viewing Pavilion and saw Yuan Tiangang, Nie Zheng, and the others there. He then said:

"Shi Yong has been settled in. He has been given the first half of the Blood Slaughter Technique, codenamed 'Xuan Yi'."

Yuan Tiangang nodded: "Yes, tomorrow is the day we take over Langya Pavilion, so make all the necessary preparations."

He looked at Di Yun and Linghu Chong, "You two will come with me tomorrow to temporarily oversee Langya Pavilion and integrate the intelligence network."

"Your subordinates obey," Di Yun and Linghu Chong replied.

"Jing Ke, you seven guards will continue as usual, taking on missions and recruiting men. We cannot let our guard down at the stronghold," Yuan Tiangang added.

"Understood," Jing Ke and the others replied in unison.

The next morning,

The thin mist had not yet dissipated over Qingzhou City.

Yuan Tiangang then led Di Yun and Linghu Chong to quietly sneak into Langya Pavilion.

The three concealed their presence to the extreme, passing through layers of guards like ghosts, only revealing themselves in the inner hall. No one noticed them during the entire process.

When Shangguan Hong stepped into the inner hall, he was startled to see Yuan Tiangang already seated in the main seat, with two unfamiliar men standing beside him.