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

Li Ji returned to his resting stone chamber, recalling the second task that the leader of the Luo Wang had mentioned earlier.

Luo Wang received information that a Baiyue secret treasure had appeared in Nanyang, South Korea, suspected to contain a fire rain agate vein and Baiyue witchcraft scrolls.

His mission was to seize the Fire Rain Agate and the Baiyue Witchcraft Scroll.

Some information about the mission surfaced in Li Ji's mind.

The so-called Baiyue was a country that had already perished ten years earlier.

This country once lived amidst dense jungles and towering mountains, and was composed of many tribes.

However, ten years ago, the State of Han joined forces with the State of Chu to launch a military campaign against the Baiyue, massacring tribes and capturing slaves, and the Baiyue were destroyed in a short period of time.

Fire Rain Agate is a unique mineral produced exclusively in the Baiyue region, named for its fiery red color resembling rain.

It is said that Fire Rain Agate is an indispensable and unique resource for practicing the secret arts of the Baiyue people and forging evil weapons.

As for the Baiyue witchcraft scrolls, even the Luowang (a secret organization) has very few records of them, only mentioning that they may contain the supreme secret arts of the Baiyue royal family that have been lost.

Although the leader of the Luo Wang organization only gave a few brief instructions on this mission, Li Ji believed that this mission was definitely not simple.

This mission, unlike the previous one, didn't involve assassinating a high-ranking figure, but the risks involved were extremely high.

Because money can move people's hearts, Luo Wang was able to obtain this news, while other forces and organizations were unlikely to get the slightest bit of information.

When faced with the so-called Baiyue treasure, a bloody battle is inevitable.

However, he can only take it one step at a time now; he has no way out.

This Baiyue secret treasure is related to his advancement to the first rank of the Heavenly Realm and the inheritance of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven), so he will absolutely not let it go.

After making a decision, Li Ji took the long sword from his waist and placed it on the weapon rack.

His stone chamber contained only a stone bed, a stone table, a weapon rack, a few black robes, and some miscellaneous items, making it quite simple.

Li Ji took off his shirt, lay down on the stone bed, and quickly fell asleep.

He slept for a whole day.

Because he was always extremely vigilant when he was away from home, even when he was with Lian Po, he would only go to sleep after he heard Lian Po's snoring and confirmed that Lian Po was asleep.

It wasn't that he had noticed anything, but rather a constant sense of caution. It was precisely because of this caution that he was able to survive after completing so many missions.

Ironically, although the mission to Luo Wang made him feel like he was walking on thin ice, only when he returned to Luo Wang could he have a moment of peace and rest.

After Li Ji woke up, he put on his black robe and took the longsword from the weapon rack.

His sword was not a famous one, but just an ordinary steel longsword, three feet long, with slight wear and a faint layer of rust on the blade.

Li Ji carefully wiped the sword from the guard to the blade with a soft cloth soaked in oil. He was completely focused on wiping the sword, with nothing else on his mind.

Fifteen minutes later, Li Ji finished maintaining his sword and slung it at his waist.

He knew it was time for him to set off. The appearance of the Korean treasure was bound to attract the attention of many forces, and he had to get involved as soon as possible.

But before setting off, he had to go to one place first: the secret vault of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven).

The Luo Wang Secret Treasury contains many rare and exotic items, and his mission is extremely risky, so he needs to make some preparations.

The stone door opened, and Li Ji glanced back at his stone chamber before leaving without a trace of regret and heading towards the Luo Wang Secret Vault.

The Luowang Secret Treasury is composed of several stone chambers, and various supplies are categorized.

Li Ji first obtained some antidote pills, because this mission involved the Baiyue people, who were particularly skilled in poisons, so he had to be careful.

He then replenished his supplies with healing pills, poisons such as Heart-Eating Powder and Fish-Scale Darts, as well as hidden weapons.

After taking the supplies, Li Ji turned and left. Apart from glancing at his token, the guards of the secret vault did not exchange any words with him throughout the entire process.

He then concealed his aura, avoiding all the traps in the underground palace passageway, his steps steady, ignoring the probing and eyes in the shadows.

Just then, Li Ji felt an extremely cold aura from the other side of the passageway.

Li Ji felt a sense of familiarity with this aura; such a bone-chilling aura was rare even among the madmen thronging the Luo Wang organization.

In an instant, Li Ji thought of a woman, a woman who had left a deep impression on him, whom he had met on his way to see the leader of the Luo Wang organization.

Sure enough it was her.

The next moment, a figure with black hair and black eyes, wearing a fish-scale bodysuit and an iron mask appeared in front of Li Ji.

This woman, within the net, dares to release her aura so openly. Is it out of confidence in her strength, or out of some kind of self-protection?

Judging from the slightly disheveled state of her clothes, she must have just returned from a mission.

They still didn't exchange any words and passed each other by.

As she watched Li Ji leave, the woman thought to herself, "He must be the Sword Demon who is known as the strongest among the second-class killers of the Luo Wang, right?"

Sword Demon, a nickname used by the Luo Wang (a secret organization).

It is said that during many missions, all the assassins from the Luo Wang organization who accompanied him died, but he alone survived unscathed. It is also said that he is a person who devours his own kind.

Among spiders, there is a type that most enjoys cannibalizing its own kind, and this person is a prime example of that.

She frowned slightly as she thought about these things, because they often reminded her of unpleasant experiences.

......

Before long, Li Ji left the Luo Wang underground palace and returned to the surface.

This time, Li Ji did not choose to walk. Instead, he went to a nearby town and bought an old horse and a scholar's robe.

This mission is deep in the heart of South Korea, unlike the previous mission which was located on the sparsely populated border of Zhao. Therefore, it is essential to disguise oneself and lie in wait.

And so, Li Ji entered Korea like a scholar traveling for study, stopping and starting along the way, and finally arrived in Namyang, Korea.

However, upon entering Nanyang, Li Ji found the official road deserted and sparsely populated.

Travelers and caravans, which used to be a common sight, have become extremely rare.

Li Ji even saw a group of Han soldiers with black bird flags patrolling around the area, even though it was still ten miles away from Nanyang City.

This situation was clearly highly unusual. Li Ji guessed that the so-called Baiyue secret treasure might have originated in Korea, where the news was likely received first.

After all, ten years ago, the State of Han personally participated in the destruction of the Baiyue, and much of the Baiyue land was divided between the State of Chu and the State of Han.

Many Baiyue people even live in Korea, so it's normal that Korea learned of the situation immediately.

The actions taken by South Korea may indeed indicate that the Baiyue treasure is a real thing.

As he approached Nanyang City, Li Ji became increasingly calm. He dismounted and walked to the city gate.

When he arrived, he found that a large number of people and travelers had gathered at the city gate, forming a long queue.

The originally spacious city gate appeared somewhat crowded under the long queue.

Li Ji, leading his horse, also joined the group.

This row of people had been lined up from midday until evening.

While waiting in line, Li Ji also received a message thanks to his exceptional hearing.

That is, now an official document is required to enter Nanyang City; without a document, one is not allowed to enter the city.

It was almost Li Ji's turn, and there was a merchant ahead of him.

The merchant, pulling a horse-drawn cart, was pleading with the city gate guards to let him in because he had no documents.

"Sir, please have mercy! I can't afford to delay this shipment."

The officer guarding him shouted, "By order of the General, there have been frequent disturbances in the interior of Nanyang, which may be caused by evil spirits. Nanyang is under martial law. No one is allowed to enter or leave without orders! Any further complaints will be treated as a spy."

The merchant shuddered; being a spy meant certain death. He dared not linger any longer and left dejectedly.

Once the merchants left, it was Li Ji's turn.

As usual, the guards asked, "Where are you from? What brings you to Nanyang? Do you have any official documents?"

Li Ji, leading his horse, replied, "I come from Xinzheng to study in Nanyang, but I have no official documents."

"If there's no paperwork, then come back another time. Next!"

Li Ji didn't pay any attention to this. He secretly slipped a money pouch into the soldier's arms and whispered:

"I do have urgent business to attend to, please make an exception."

However, to Li Ji's surprise, the soldier took out the money bag from his pocket and unbuttoned it.

"Splash!"

The coins in the money bag fell to the ground, and the soldier sneered:

"You've got some nerve, daring to bribe the Imperial Guards at the city gate? If you dare to get in the way again, I'll first charge you with disrupting the city's defenses!"

After saying that, he threw the empty money bag at Li Ji's face.

Looking at the soldiers in front of him, Li Ji's eyes were icy cold. With just a thought, he could have the soldiers' heads roll.

"What? Still not convinced?"

However, Li Ji ultimately held back. The city's defenses were at their strongest now, not the time to take action.

"Okay, okay, I'll be going now." After saying that, Li Ji tried to pick up the coins on the ground and leave.

Li Ji squatted down and reached for a coin, but the soldier's foot stepped right on it.

He reached out to exchange his coin, but his hand was stepped on again.

Li Ji crouched down and looked up, only to see that the soldier said nothing, but gave Li Ji a contemptuous sneer.

At this point, even the most dull-witted person would know what had happened.

Li Ji silently got up, led his horse, and left the crowd.

As he left, he glanced back at the soldiers standing at the city gate and then at the setting sun on the horizon.

The weather should be great tonight.

He's perfect for murder.