Early the next morning, Li Xin headed to Shadow Owl. Although he received the promise of the Immortal, a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.

Even if he had to risk everything, he’d rather be a full ghost; Night Patrol has taken on a massive responsibility but the benefits are too poor. Now that he’s the captain, he has to resolve it. Having a goal makes a huge difference.

Upon arriving at Shadow Owl, he handed pastries to Meng Po. As Copper Owl, Meng Po’s living conditions were equally dire. Although Meng Po never complained, her clothes were hardly changed—either her uniform or an old gray cotton dress. Meng Po said this was to confuse the enemy.

Seeing Meng Po’s happy face while eating the sugared pastries, she smiled broadly. Although she never said anything during the days without the pastries, her mind was constantly worried. Now with the child by her side, she can finally be at ease.

"Sister Meng, where’s our carriage?" Li Xin asked, suddenly remembering that Captain Jiang used to have one.

"Captain, given our current situation, we can’t afford a carriage. Captain Jiang’s carriage was borrowed from the Knight Order; after Captain Jiang’s death, it was taken back by the Knight Order," Meng Po replied.

"It’s okay, let them take it back. I’m thinking of ways to resolve our current issues. We shouldn’t let the brothers work hard and still live in poverty," Li Xin said.

He hated empty promises. A profession like Night Patrol shouldn’t be rich but definitely shouldn’t be like this. Hardship should not be considered a noble virtue.

Since deciding to find solutions through the Black Market, he felt particularly refreshed. When a person is doing the right thing, they have this feeling, and no matter how many challenges there are, he remains fearless.

"Captain, are you really planning to start from the Black Market?"

"Of course. Rules are rules, and this is within our Night Patrol jurisdiction; no one should step outside. I discussed this with the other captains yesterday, and I will take the lead," Li Xin said with a smile.

Meng Po frowned, and Li Xin quickly waved his hand, "It’s not what you think. Everyone advised me, but I was determined to do it this way. It allows me to act under the name of Night Patrol, more in line with the rules."

Meng Po breathed a sigh of relief, fearing the other captains were setting Li Xin up.

"Sister Meng, what’s the situation of Hundred Martial Hall in the Black Market?" Li Xin asked.

Meng Po pondered for a moment, "Protection fees are part of Hundred Martial Hall’s income but not a lot. They have a wide array of businesses spread across Li Long, but the Black Market is an exception. It seems they did consider the idea but gave up after hitting a wall."

Li Xin nodded, that’s fortunate. If Hundred Martial Hall were involved, a tough battle would be inevitable. Since they couldn’t tackle it, he at least has one less opponent.

"Call Old Lu over. Later, have him come with me to the Black Market."

"Got it, Captain." Meng Po nodded.

Li Xin went upstairs to handle some files. Some backlog cases had to be sorted out slowly. There were far too many cases, and not enough manpower. They couldn’t even sustain the current staff. Solving cases requires first tackling the funding issue; otherwise, it would be futile and exhausting.

He spent most of the day dealing with those files. By noon, he ate at Night Patrol, and the food was truly terrible. In the past, he would surely sneak into the Canon Law School for a free meal.

Near evening, Li Xin and Snake Skin Lu Shuimo headed to the Black Market. On the carriage, Lu Shuimo felt a bit jittery too. Night Patrol barely had a presence in the Black Market. Li Captain is trying to stir up trouble here, but he’s likely choosing the wrong opponent.

Black Water Lane, Three-Eared Bar.

In the morning, the bar’s door was ajar. Li Xin and Lu Shuimo pushed the door open and walked in. The place wasn’t crowded, with only a few servers cleaning up. Sister Yan was wiping glasses and grinned upon seeing guests arrive.

"Oh, a rare guest. Isn’t this our Lord Li?" Sister Yan gracefully put down the glass and flirtatiously shook her hand.

"Sister Yan, no need to be formal; we’re old friends after all," Li Xin smiled, "Haven’t seen you for a few days, and Sister Yan has grown even more charming."

Lu Shuimo’s eyes widened; how can this be said? It really wasn’t like Li Captain’s usual style; he originally planned to deal with Sister Yan himself.

Sister Yan beamed, "I dare not accept Lord Li’s praise. Is there some task so early?"

"Alas, bound by duties. Night Patrol leads a tough life," Li Xin leaned against the bar, "Two glasses of Moon in the Well, please."

Sister Yan personally mixed the drinks and placed two glasses of Moon in the Well before them, "To celebrate Lord Li’s promotion, this drink’s on me."

Li Xin handed a glass to Snake Skin without hesitation, "Sister Yan, ideally, the keys to entering and exiting the Black Market should be held by Night Patrol. It helps us maintain order. How does Hundred Martial Hall hold them instead?"

Sister Yan’s expression subtly changed but quickly returned to a smile, "Lord Li, you might not be aware, but the Black Market is a very special entity. It’s autonomous, the same in any country. Gatekeepers must be members of the Black Market, and Hundred Martial Hall reluctantly shoulders this responsibility. We are just small-time traders, fair and square, earning little; we still face responsibility if anything goes wrong."

Li Xin smiled at Sister Yan, knowing full well that those responsible for intelligence within the sub-clans hold critical positions. This position is essential unless it involves permanent merchants from Gold Market, Silver Market, or Copper Market; others must enter via buying tickets, making intelligence and revenue quite substantial, unlike what she explained.

"That’s tough." Li Xin finished his drink in one gulp.

With a smile, he waved goodbye to Sister Yan and entered the Black Market with Snake Skin.

Sister Yan watched Li Xin’s back, her smile gradually fading. She had hoped for confrontation, but asking a few questions and leaving lightly made her uneasy.

Hundred Martial Hall doesn’t see the mere Night Patrol captain as important, yet this Li captain is no ordinary.

Li Xin hasn’t figured out how to handle Hundred Martial Hall yet, but it’s not the primary target for now.

By then, Copper Market already had a decent flow of people. Most shops were open, and stall owners had secured spots early.

However, seeing the two in Night Patrol uniforms, no one solicited their business, not out of fear but knowing Night Patrol was broke.

Li Xin led Snake Skin straight to Silver Market. Snake Skin was about to advise against it, but realized no one stopped them. The two entered Silver Market smoothly.

Snake Skin then realized that his new captain might be different from what they saw and understood—a calmness that belies his age.

"Old Lu, today’s task is scouting, targeting the Gourmet Association," Li Xin said, knowing the Gourmet Association was equally wealthy.

Lu Shuimo dared not respond; he usually dealt with Falling merchants and hadn’t been to such places.

"Following captain’s orders."

Before even reaching the Gourmet Association’s entrance, someone approached first, "Mr. Li, it’s an honor, please come inside."

At the entrance, Lan Yue in a light gold cheongsam, elegant and luxurious, welcomed them warmly.

"Mr. Li, you finally remembered us," Lan Yue jested. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Chairwoman Lan, your place is not somewhere I dare visit often," Li Xin joked, noticing a middle-aged man with a square face studying him.

"Allow me to introduce, this is Mr. Li Xin, our esteemed guest at the Gourmet Association, also the chief of Shadow Owl, and this is Duke, President of the Adventurer Association’s Dragon Capital Branch, a figure of high influence in Dragon Capital," Lan Yue introduced warmly.

"Though it’s our first meeting, I’ve long admired Captain Li’s name, renowned far and wide," Duke smiled, extending his hand proactively.

The two shook hands, and Li Xin met Duke’s gaze. The Adventurer Association, an incredibly unique Secret Organization, was essentially Dao Yuan Continent’s largest brokerage. However, this brokerage held secret intelligence even the Kingdom coveted.

"How does President Duke know of someone insignificant like me?" Li Xin asked with a smile.

"If Captain Li is considered insignificant, then there aren’t many notable figures among Dao Yuan Continent’s younger generation. Does Captain Li know his ranking in the Adventurer Association?" Duke asked.

"What ranking?" Li Xin inquired, he hadn’t really interacted much with the Adventurer Association, the last time being for collecting bounty when Simmons went.

"Our Adventurer Association maintains a ranking for the younger generation’s abilities and growth potential, covering all nations of Dao Yuan Eastern Continent. Captain Li is ranked fifth, just above Prince Achilles of Hedan, who is sixth. The rankings are adjusted; your latest ranking surpassed Prince Achilles after you left Hedan," Duke explained.

Beside him, Lan Yue’s expression noticeably changed, and Lu Shuimo’s eyes bulged slightly. Achilles? Which Achilles? How many Achilles are there in Hedan?