King of Assassins

A bunch of red-haired thugs, without even a single swordsman. The strongest among them is only Level 6.

It's quite lucky for these guys to still be alive. Of course, there must be some major force supporting this gang.

Otherwise, they would have been wiped out long ago.

Gao Xuan asked the red-haired guy, "Who's your boss?"

The red-haired guy stammered, "We are the Red-haired Ghost Gang. Our boss is the Red-haired Ghost King. A big shot in Hundred Ghosts City, very powerful..."

"Your boss should be called Liu Tang," Gao Xuan quipped.

The red-haired guy seemed confused. He was uneducated, couldn't even recognize all the characters, let alone read the ancient classic "Water Margin" from thousands of years ago.

Gao Xuan casually blasted the red-haired guy's head with a gun, ending his bewilderment.

"Since you're thinking so hard, take a rest."

Gao Xuan discarded his weapon and got into the beat-up sports car, trying to start it, and it fired up without issue.

Gao Xuan had never driven this type of old vehicle, but after watching the red-haired guy drive, he knew how to operate it.

He practiced with the clutch, gear, and accelerator, and quickly got it moving. His incredible control allowed him to master the throttle, brakes, and steering wheel in just a few seconds.

He spun around the spot and the sports car roared off along the road it came from.

Compared to electric flying cars, this kind of fuel vehicle is really outdated. The energy conversion efficiency is particularly poor. However, the roar of the fuel engine is indeed more exciting than an electric car.

Gao Xuan pulled out a map of Hundred Ghost City from his backpack and after getting back on the main road, drove for more than three hours before reaching the central area.

The management of the Black Banner Alliance is very backward, including traffic management, which is mostly done manually. There's no omnipresent Celestial Net here, and no Light Computer to control dispatch. The efficiency is very low.

The only benefit is the lax management; no one asked where Gao Xuan came from or what he was doing.

The Purple Lily Hotel is located in a bustling part of the city center, with purple outer walls and a huge purple lily hologram above the hotel. The tackiest part is the group of half-naked women jumping around the lily flower.

There's no parking space, so Gao Xuan just found a random spot by the street to park the car and left it. He didn't even take the keys out.

Entering the Purple Lily Hotel, he registered easily. The receptionist just asked for Gao Xuan's name without any verification.

Once Gao Xuan paid a deposit of five thousand, he easily got the suite key.

The suite was on the top floor, the eighteenth floor. Yes, this already counts as a tall building in Hundred Ghosts City...

Gao Xuan opened the curtains of the guest room and glanced outside. The Celestial Dragon Eye behind his mechanical eyes allowed him to see far, far away.

Overall, Hundred Ghosts City is still quite rundown. It's just that various holographic projections conceal the city's decay.

Without those colorful, flashy holographic projections, Hundred Ghosts City is very old and backward, like those ancient cities in historical dramas.

Even in such an advanced suite, the room is filled with a faint moldy smell, and dust is flying everywhere. The bedsheets are covered with patches of mites. Even cockroaches crawl back and forth under the bed.

No city hotel in the Alliance would ever have such terrible sanitary conditions.

No Light Computer, no cleaning robots, and no strict hygiene standards. Hundred Ghosts City would make any normal Alliance citizen feel very uncomfortable.

Gao Xuan didn't mind; his body was completely enveloped in his metallic nanomechanical battle armor, so the external sanitary environment had no impact on him.

He just felt a bit emotional; even the underground base where he trained was cleaner and more sanitary than this.

Gao Xuan hadn't been sitting for long when the phone on the bedside table rang.

A very soft and charming voice coyly asked, "Sir, do you need a massage service?"

"I do, I need to see Ms. Bai He, I have some business,"

Gao Xuan said, "Please convey the message, I'll wait for her in the room."

He was staying at this hotel as per a recommendation from someone on the Bee. He also checked on the Dark Web, and despite Purple Lily being quite shady, they still maintain some etiquette in their dealings.

Gao Xuan didn't want to cause trouble in Hundred Ghosts City; his best bet was to directly buy the Book of All-Knowing and leave immediately.

He loathed the place, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

The Black Banner Alliance is like humanity's dumping ground, sewer, toilet. Probably necessary to exist, but no normal person would like it here.

In less than five minutes, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Gao Xuan opened the door to see a mature woman in a purple cheongsam. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but her gaze was full of allure. She looked like someone with a lot of stories.

"Please come in."

Gao Xuan invited the woman in and directly said, "I was referred by Prince. He mentioned your excellent reputation."

As for who Prince was, or whether such a person existed, it didn't really matter.

The mature woman gave an enchanting smile, "How may I serve you?"

"I need to attend the Qiqu Pavilion auction."

Gao Xuan didn't beat around the bush; many people come to the Planet of Death looking for treasures.

This place is a gathering spot for space pirates, housing stolen goods hidden from the entire Alliance.

Stolen goods need to be dealt with cheaply, priced at only a third of the original price or even lower.

Even a super company like Qiqu Pavilion couldn't publicly sell stolen goods within the Alliance's jurisdiction.

Using the Planet of Death to dispose of stolen goods, after being sold several times, their whereabouts become untraceable.

This is a huge business. Some organizations have stationed people permanently in the Black Banner Alliance just to make money here."

The mature woman looked a bit troubled and said, "This auction seat requires a guarantee."

Gao Xuan flicked his finger, and a Source Diamond fell into the mature woman's hand.

The mature woman carefully examined the Source Diamond for a while, confirming its authenticity, and then her face beamed with joy.

This Source Diamond is worth at least fifty million.

"Rest assured, I'll handle this matter,"

the mature woman said, "but I'll need a 10% commission."

"Agreed," Gao Xuan replied readily.

The mature woman's eyes lit up; she liked this kind of generous patron. She slowly moved closer to Gao Xuan, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, "Sir, my name is San Baihe. How should I address you?"

Gao Xuan curtly replied, "Huang Mao."

The mature woman giggled, "I love straightforward and bold people like Mr. Huang..."

Gao Xuan brushed off San Baihe's hand, "I don't love your type. Get things done quickly, and I'll give you an extra three-point commission."

San Baihe understood what Gao Xuan meant. She stepped back two steps and nodded respectfully, "Rest assured, I'll get it done as quickly as possible.

"It's late, so I won't disturb you. Good night."

San Baihe left the room, shaking her head slightly. She thought this Huang Mao carried the air of a noble youth, arrogant and extravagant. He also spent money with a certain flair.

She took the elevator to the third basement floor and reported to the person in charge.

"I don't know which noble family this rich kid ran away from, very arrogant, spends generously. He promised me an individual commission but couldn't detect his background..."

The person in charge nodded, "No big issue, handle this matter."

She pondered for a moment and said, "I've heard there will be some distinguished guests visiting soon, be cautious and avoid any problems."

San Baihe curiously asked, "Where are these distinguished guests coming from?"

The person in charge gave San Baihe a deep look but didn't speak, just pointed upwards.

San Baihe understood this meant the high-ups from the Black Banner Alliance were coming to Hundred Ghosts City.

At a place like Qiqu Pavilion, there's a significant chance of encountering high-level visitors. It's essential to be extra careful, especially given this employer's strong-willed personality.

Purple Lily is also a major force in Hundred Ghosts City, arranging an auction seat is quite simple.

By the next noon, Purple Lily delivered the auction invitation to Gao Xuan.

San Baihe explained, "Qiqu Pavilion holds auctions every three days, and there's one tonight..."

Gao Xuan nodded, "Great, we'll go tonight."

This morning, he also used the Cover Page to check, and the Book of All-Knowing was still with Qiqu Pavilion.

In the evening, San Baihe drove Gao Xuan to the Qiqu Pavilion auction.

Qiqu Pavilion has its own auction hall, and it's decently decorated.

Gao Xuan spent enough money, so San Baihe got a seat in the very front row, with an excellent view.

The process of the Qiqu Pavilion auction is the same each time, with an auctioneer showcasing items on a high platform while the audience freely bids below.

The auction had barely started when a large group of people entered. This group went straight to the front row, and a large man wearing sunglasses pointed at Gao Xuan and San Baihe, "Leave immediately."

Other VIP guests in the front row were also being driven out.

The scene turned a bit chaotic.

San Baihe's face changed. She tugged on Gao Xuan, saying, "Those are outside guests; we can't afford to provoke them. Let's go..."