Chapter 94: Gareth’s Last Gamble

After joining the Shadow Pavilion and becoming a Shadow Cloaker, one did not have to pledge allegiance to any faction or surrender one’s freedom.

The Shadow Pavilion imposed no restrictions on the personal lives of its members. Shadow Cloakers were free to come and go as they pleased, pursue their own cultivation, and engage in other activities without interference.

Their relationship with the organization was straightforward: the Shadow Pavilion provided missions, and its members decided which ones to accept.

Whenever a patron placed a bounty, the Shadow Pavilion would issue the corresponding mission to eligible Shadow Cloakers. Those interested in participating merely needed to imprint their exclusive Shadow Token when accepting the assignment.

The imprint served as confirmation that they had accepted the bounty and agreed to its terms.

Once the mission was completed and the reward collected, the proceeds would be divided between the Shadow Cloaker and the organization.

Ordinary Shadow Cloakers received sixty percent of the bounty, while the Shadow Pavilion retained the remaining forty percent.

For Earth Ranking Shadow Cloakers and those of higher standing, the arrangement was considerably more favorable. They received eighty percent of the reward, leaving the organization with only twenty percent.

Naturally, such privileges were reserved for the strongest members.

Anyone who successfully passed the Shadow Trial could officially become a One-Star Shadow Cloaker and gain access to the organization’s numerous high-reward missions.

From there, members could gradually advance through the ranks by fulfilling specific promotion requirements.

Two-Star Shadow Cloaker.

Three-Star Shadow Cloaker.

Three stars represented the highest rank among ordinary Shadow Cloakers. Certain special bounties imposed minimum star-rank requirements, and the higher a member’s rank, the fewer restrictions they faced when accepting missions.

However, becoming a Three-Star Shadow Cloaker was not the ultimate goal for those who aspired to stand at the pinnacle of the organization.

After reaching Three-Star status, a member could challenge one of the experts ranked among the top one hundred on the Earth Ranking. Successfully defeating such an opponent would earn them the title of Earth Ranking Shadow Cloaker.

The Earth Ranking represented an entirely different level of prestige.

Every individual who secured a place among its hundred positions was an exceptional talent with extraordinary combat abilities, unwavering resolve, and a proven record of overcoming formidable opponents.

Their rankings were not handed out as honorary titles. Every position had to be earned through strength.

...

Originally, Gareth had intended to place a bounty on Ryan Cole and his entire family.

Five people in total.

However, after learning that assassinating a Bloodline Fighter at the Origin Spirit Realm or below cost 500,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones per person, he immediately abandoned the idea.

Five targets would cost him a staggering 2,500,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones.

That was an astronomical sum for someone in his current predicament.

After considerable deliberation, Gareth ultimately decided to concentrate all his resources on hiring an Earth Ranking Shadow Cloaker to assassinate Ryan.

As long as Ryan died, the rest of the family would no longer pose a serious concern.

Even with his crippled body, Gareth was confident that he could deal with the remaining members of the Cole family himself.

Besides, Ryan was the true source of his troubles.

As long as that young man remained alive, Gareth could never feel at ease.

That was why he had decided to take the most direct approach.

Rather than risk hiring an ordinary assassin and allowing Ryan another opportunity to survive, he would spend more money on someone capable of guaranteeing the outcome.

Strictly speaking, there was no such thing as absolute certainty in an assassination. Even the Shadow Pavilion’s formidable reputation came with a reported failure rate of two percent.

Nevertheless, Gareth was determined to reduce that possibility as much as he could.

In his estimation, paying an additional 200,000 Low-Grade Origin Stones to secure the services of an Earth Ranking expert was a worthwhile investment.

After all, what was the point of saving a little money if Ryan survived and eventually came after him?

With that thought in mind, Gareth looked at the black-robed old man and repeated his offer.

"Seven hundred thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones to hire an Earth Ranking Shadow Cloaker..."

The old man fell silent for a moment.

He then retrieved a jade tablet from his spatial ring, raised a finger, and infused it with a trace of Origin Energy.

The tablet immediately lit up.

Using his Mental Awareness, the old man began examining the latest quotations submitted by the various Earth Ranking Shadow Cloakers.

He scanned the information carefully, checking their current rankings, cultivation realms, and minimum acceptable bounties.

After a considerable amount of time, he finally sighed and shook his head.

"This patron, I’m afraid your offer is still too low."

He placed the jade tablet on the table and explained patiently.

"The standard starting price for hiring an Earth Ranking expert is at least one million Low-Grade Origin Stones, twice the amount you’ve offered."

Seeing Gareth’s expression change, he continued.

"At that price, you might be able to hire an Earth Ranking Shadow Cloaker to assassinate a target at the Peak Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm. However, that is merely a general guideline. The higher an expert’s position on the Earth Ranking, the more expensive their services become."

The old man felt a little regretful.

If an Earth Ranking Shadow Cloaker had been willing to accept Gareth’s offer, he would have been more than happy to facilitate the transaction.

After all, the Shadow Pavilion had never been in the habit of casually turning away business. Every accepted commission represented a source of revenue, and every Origin Stone mattered.

One of the organization’s founding principles was simple:

The higher the price, the greater the service. Pay enough, and the Shadow Pavilion will do everything within its power to resolve your problem.

Unfortunately, business principles could not change the market.

Seven hundred thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones was still insufficient for most Earth Ranking experts.

"Even seven hundred thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones aren’t enough to hire one?"

Gareth’s expression darkened.

For a moment, he felt thoroughly embarrassed.

He had gone to considerable lengths to gather that amount of cash, selling off valuable possessions and liquidating a large portion of his remaining resources.

These Origin Stones represented his final gamble.

If he couldn’t use them to hire an expert powerful enough to kill Ryan, where else could he possibly turn?

Finding another source of wealth would be extremely difficult in his current condition.

He had clearly underestimated just how expensive the Shadow Pavilion’s most formidable assassins were.

The black-robed old man shook his head helplessly.

"Indeed. Seven hundred thousand is slightly below the usual starting price."

He reached for the jade tablet, intending to put it away and conclude the meeting.

However, just as his fingers touched its surface, the tablet suddenly flashed.

The old man’s hand froze.

A moment later, his eyes widened slightly, and he abruptly withdrew his hand.

"Wait a moment!"

He leaned forward, staring intently at the tablet.

"The rankings and market quotations have just been updated. Let me take another look."

The jade tablet was a specialized artifact refined by the Shadow Pavilion. It was connected to the organization’s internal information network and could display the rankings, quotations, and mission statuses of Shadow Cloakers throughout its operational territory.

The Earth Ranking, in particular, was constantly monitored.

The hundred experts listed on it attracted considerable attention from patrons seeking reliable assassins. Any change in their rankings or service quotations could affect the demand for their services, so the jade tablet was updated whenever new information became available.

For a moment, the old man carefully examined the newly updated entries.

Then Gareth’s voice rang out.

"All right! I’m offering seven hundred thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones. Any Earth Ranking expert will do!"

A trace of urgency crept into his tone.

"I want you to place a bounty on Ryan Cole, a Bloodline Fighter currently at the Seventh Stage of the Origin Sea Convergence Realm. Find someone capable of killing him, and I’ll pay the full amount!"

Although his words sounded forceful, Gareth was far from confident.

He had already discounted and sold numerous treasures to gather these Origin Stones. If even this amount couldn’t secure the services he needed, his plan for revenge might collapse before it even began.

He had come too far to accept that outcome.

"Found one!"

The black-robed old man’s eyes suddenly lit up.

He looked at the tablet again to confirm the information before announcing solemnly, "Earth Ranking No. 98, Caspian Wren!"

He turned toward Gareth.

"His current cultivation is at the Peak Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm. He has only just entered the Earth Ranking, so his starting quotation has not yet been adjusted to reflect his new position."

A faint smile appeared beneath the old man’s mask.

"You could say you’ve stumbled upon an excellent opportunity. His current price is exactly seven hundred thousand Low-Grade Origin Stones."

He paused briefly before asking, "Would you like me to place the order?"

"Origin Spirit Realm Peak?!"

Gareth froze.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the old man, wondering whether he had heard correctly.

Then his expression changed.

"Are you certain he’s actually on the Earth Ranking? Isn’t his cultivation realm a little too low?"

His initial excitement vanished, replaced by disbelief and a growing sense of frustration.

He had expected an Earth Ranking expert to possess overwhelming strength. After all, these were supposed to be the strongest assassins in the Shadow Pavilion.

Yet the person the old man had found was only at the Peak Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm.

Was this some kind of joke?

Gareth himself had once possessed that level of cultivation. Even after resorting to the Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique, he had failed to kill Ryan.

Of course, his previous defeat had been heavily influenced by the poison afflicting him, but that did little to improve his opinion of an assassin who shared his former cultivation realm.

What he needed was someone who could eliminate Ryan without giving him the slightest opportunity to escape.

And the old man was offering him an Origin Spirit Realm Peak cultivator?

For a moment, Gareth even suspected that the Shadow Pavilion was attempting to deceive him.

The black-robed old man immediately noticed his reaction. A hint of displeasure entered his voice as he responded.

"This patron, I would advise you not to underestimate him."

He tapped the jade tablet with one finger.

"There are no mediocre individuals among the hundred experts on the Shadow Pavilion’s Earth Ranking. Even though Caspian Wren currently occupies the ninety-eighth position, his strength is far beyond what his cultivation realm alone would suggest."

The old man’s voice grew firmer.

"Although he is only at the Peak Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm, he is a Double Bloodline Fighter."

Gareth’s expression changed slightly.

The old man continued without giving him time to interrupt.

"The previous Earth Ranking No. 98 was an expert at the Origin Ascendant Realm who possessed a C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline. Caspian Wren defeated him despite the difference in their cultivation realms, taking his place on the ranking."

He leaned back and regarded Gareth through the openings in his mask.

"Tell me, if you were in Caspian Wren’s position, could you defeat an opponent of that caliber while fighting across an entire cultivation realm?"

Gareth opened his mouth, but no answer came immediately.

"What? He defeated an Origin Ascendant Realm expert with a C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline?"

His eyes widened in disbelief.

"And he’s a Double Bloodline Fighter?"

For the first time since entering the Shadow Pavilion, Gareth’s skepticism began to waver.

He knew perfectly well that he could not achieve such a feat.

Without using the Scarlet Flame Blood Burning Technique, he would have had little choice but to flee if he encountered an Origin Ascendant Realm expert possessing a C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline.

Yet Caspian Wren had defeated such an opponent while still at the Origin Spirit Realm.

That was an entirely different level of combat prowess.

"Precisely."

Seeing that Gareth was finally beginning to understand, the black-robed old man’s tone softened.

"Caspian Wren recently accepted a bounty mission in the vicinity of Ashfall City. He arrived from a neighboring city not long ago and has temporarily settled here."

The old man glanced at the jade tablet before continuing.

"As it happens, the previous Earth Ranking No. 98 was also residing in Ashfall City. Caspian challenged him, defeated him, and claimed his position."

A hint of admiration entered his voice.

"His talent is exceptional. Both of his original bloodlines were D-Grade Low-Grade Enhancement-Type Bloodlines: Sword Heart and Cloud Body."

He paused to let Gareth absorb the information.

"Through his cultivation and comprehension, he advanced them to C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodlines: Sword Heart Enlightenment and Cloud Drifting Body."

The old man’s voice became increasingly confident as he described the young assassin’s abilities.

"Caspian possesses extraordinary swordsmanship. His control over his weapon is precise, his movement technique is elusive, and his speed is exceptional. Since becoming a Shadow Cloaker, he has never suffered a defeat."

He then added another detail.

"Even before entering the Earth Ranking, while he was still a Star-Ranked Shadow Cloaker, he had already killed three experts at the Origin Ascendant Realm."

The old man set the jade tablet down and looked directly at Gareth.

"Now, do you understand why he has earned a place among the hundred strongest Shadow Cloakers?"

Gareth remained silent.

The doubts that had initially filled his mind were gradually replaced by astonishment.

He had assumed that the Shadow Pavilion’s Earth Ranking was merely a list of experts with sufficiently high cultivation realms. He had never imagined that a cultivator at the Peak Stage of the Origin Spirit Realm could claim a position on it.

But after hearing about Caspian Wren’s battle record, he finally understood.

The Earth Ranking was not determined by cultivation realm alone.

It recognized those who possessed the strength to defeat opponents whom ordinary cultivators could never hope to overcome.

And Caspian Wren had proven that he belonged among them.

For someone like Gareth, who desperately needed Ryan Cole dead, such an assassin might be exactly what he had been searching for.

After all, if Caspian could defeat an Origin Ascendant Realm expert with a C-Grade Top-Tier Bloodline, then killing Ryan, whose cultivation was only at the Seventh Stage of the Origin Sea Convergence Realm, should be well within his capabilities.

At least, that was what Gareth desperately wanted to believe.

[Bloodline Profile: Sword Heart]

[Type: Enhancement Type]

[Original Grade: D-Grade Low Grade]

[Bloodline Ability: No active abilities]

[Passive Effect: Grants exceptional sensitivity to sword-type weapons and enhances the wielder’s comprehension of sword techniques, allowing them to grasp the principles of swordsmanship more easily.]