During the Qin Dynasty, he was in charge of the net.

Ten days later, in a courtyard on the fifth floor of the underground palace.

Li Ji sat leaning against the table under the pavilion, his fingertips lightly holding the rim of the cup, slowly sipping his drink, his expression calm and relaxed.

The two hunting leaders, Wuwu and Wuyao, stood below the steps, bowing and reporting on the various patrol and field operations.

The two spoke intermittently, frequently raising their hands to wipe the fine sweat from their foreheads with the backs of their fingers.

The two of them realized that what their master was drinking might not be tea at all, but some kind of poison.

At first, the two noticed that the steam in the cups was different from ordinary tea, with no tea fragrance at all, but instead a faint, sweet and cloying aroma.

Then, the two glanced at the liquid in the cup out of the corner of their eyes. It was not a clear, green tea color, but rather a translucent, light peach-colored sheen.

Ordinary tea drinks would never have this color and smell.

Upon realizing this, alarm bells rang in their minds: this was definitely not tea; it was most likely poison.

If that's the case, then who is the host holding the poison in the cup, and who is he going to give it to?

But after seeing him slowly drink it, they began to doubt whether they had made a mistake in their judgment.

Perhaps this really is some kind of rare tea?

But the next moment, when the two of them caught sight of the mutton-fat jade bottle on the table, their hearts tightened instantly.

What kind of tea would be served in such a precious jade bottle? Ordinary tea would not need such a precious item, and the size is also inappropriate; a jade bottle cannot hold much tea at all.

Although Li Ji had already torn off the label from the jade bottle, Wu Wu and Wu Yao still sensed that something was wrong.

In the net of mortals, mutton fat jade has always been the best container for storing poison.

Because mutton fat jade is light-proof and heat-insulating, it can help various poisons maintain their original efficacy for a long time.

Clearly, what their leader drank at that moment was poison.

Wuwu and Wuyao were both veterans of the Luowang organization, with extensive experience. They instantly recalled a rare poison in the secret vault.

This poison is not well-known outside, but it is infamous within the Luo Wang organization. It is said that this poison does not cause severe pain when ingested, and its incubation period can last for one or two months.

The poisoned person first experiences numbness in their skin, then their facial features gradually ulcerate and fall off, eventually becoming unrecognizable as a vengeful ghost, and dies in endless torment.

The liquid before them, its color and smell, and the jade bottle were exactly as described in the secret record.

The moment they understood the connection, a chill ran from the soles of their feet straight up to the tops of their heads.

Looking at their host's calm expression as he slowly sipped his tea, it was as if the cup truly contained only ordinary tea.

The two became increasingly alarmed as they watched, wiping away cold sweat repeatedly, keeping their heads down the entire time and not daring to meet Li Ji's gaze.

After the report, the two were left only with a sense of unease.

Is it possible that their platform owner is not even human?

Just then.

Footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, unhurried and unhurried.

Tian Yi, dressed in a black, tight-fitting hunting outfit, stepped into the courtyard, holding a pitch-black wooden box in her hands.

She glanced at Wuwu and Wuyao, who were bowing below the steps, then walked straight to the stone table in the pavilion and pushed the wooden box in her hand in front of Li Ji.

Li Ji glanced at Tian Yi, then opened the wooden box.

The head lay quietly inside, its blood already dried.

Li Ji paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had assumed that a more experienced hunter would succeed, but to his surprise, it was she who killed Wuwo first.

Li Ji put down his teacup, looked at the stern face on Tian Yi's face, and said:

"As previously agreed, you will replace Wuwo as the fourth hunting leader, and the ten hunters under his command will also be under your command from now on."

Tian Yi nodded slightly, then coughed softly.

Li Ji's gaze swept down from the mask on her face to a bloodstain on her right abdomen, and he knew that she had suffered a minor injury.

Although Tian Yi went out with many hunters, Wu Wo's last-ditch counterattack still injured her.

Seeing this, Li Ji said, "The matter is settled. Go back and rest first, and return to the Dark Execution Platform after you have recovered from your injuries."

Tian Yi frowned slightly behind her mask, but still replied, "I understand."

After Tian Yi left, Li Ji closed the wooden box on the stone table and then threw it onto Wuwu on the steps.

Wuwu quickly caught the wooden box, and then heard:

"You two are more familiar with Wuwo, so compile his deeds into a file. I want to see it at the execution platform."

Wuwu and Wuyao quickly agreed.

Li Ji then waved to signal that the two could leave. Wu Wu and Wu Yao were overjoyed and quickly left with the wooden box in their hands.

After Wuwu and Wuyao left, a figure silently arrived at the spot where the two had been standing.

This figure was none other than Wu Nian, who had already submitted to Li Ji.

He had changed into a large, unadorned black robe, the thick, dark fabric completely covering his flesh, making him look like a tall, silent assassin.

But who would have thought that his black robe was wrapped with heavy black iron chains, the chains as thick as finger joints, and the iron weight alone weighed over several hundred pounds.

Outsiders could not possibly see the weight beneath his robe.

His every movement was so light that it made almost no sound.

His breathing was so light that it was difficult for anyone to detect his presence.

He didn't appear out of thin air; he had been hiding in the shadows, observing everyone who approached Li Ji.

Sometimes he would stand in the shadows of a corner. Sometimes he would hide in a dead corner of a side corridor. Sometimes he would hang upside down from the top of a stone wall.

In the first few days, the black tiger in the courtyard was often frightened by Wu Nian.

Black Tiger often strolled around the courtyard on weekdays, patrolling back and forth.

Once, Black Tiger walked to the base of the wall and suddenly bumped into a large black robe in the dark shadows.

Black Tiger turned around and looked back. Suddenly, it arched its back, its mane bristling, and let out a series of low growls.

Wu Nian faced the Black Tiger without moving or roaring, only revealing a pair of cold, dark eyes beneath the mask.

Not many people have visited Li Ji's courtyard, but most of them have been frightened by the black tiger.

But that time, Black Tiger was the one who was frightened.

Tigers are the kings of the forest, best at approaching their prey silently and striking with deadly force. Moreover, black tigers are mutated tigers, making them even more adept at this.

Unexpectedly, Black Tiger was defeated by Wu Nian in this aspect.

Wu Nian had, of course, received Li Ji's orders not to attack Black Tiger. Black Tiger had previously witnessed Li Ji bringing Wu Nian into the courtyard, after which it returned to calm after a few low growls.

From then on, whenever Black Tiger passed through secluded or dead-end corners, he would frequently raise his head to be wary of his surroundings. Only after confirming that he had not spotted the dark figure would he slowly lower his guard and lie down to rest nearby.

If Black Tiger is the underling who patrols the territory for his boss...

Then, Wu Nian is the ghost that guards the master's vicinity.

At this moment, Wu Nian, the ghost, and the black tiger patrolling the territory both exhibited some unusual behavior.

Wu Nian always chooses a quiet place to lie still and does not easily move his body, so his sudden appearance now is quite strange.

At the same time, the black tiger, which had been resting on the ground, suddenly got up and paced back and forth in the yard, sniffing here and there.

The simultaneous occurrence of these two abnormalities can only mean one thing:

Outsiders have come to Li Ji's courtyard.

This person entered silently without giving any notice, suggesting that their malice outweighed their goodwill.