A few words exchanged, though seemingly inconsequential, the twenty Xuanqing Guard elites knew this journey marked a chasm. Their lives would likely be upended from now on.

Shen Hao no longer spoke, leaving time for them to say their final farewells—to their companions and to their current identities.

The rules within Xuanqing Guard left no room for regret. Once chosen, there was only one path forward, no turning back.

Even though Shen Hao deliberately left things unsaid, the intense discipline among these military-trained elites kept their emotions in check. They merely glanced at each other knowingly, understanding this farewell might be for a lifetime. As for their future lives? They didn’t even know where they were headed, so there was no point in thinking about it.

"Sir, we’re willing to follow you first."

Zhang Lie stepped forward, hands clasped, expressionless, as hard as stone. Whether men like him could adapt to the looming upheaval, no one knew.

"Very well, you come with me. Liu Meng, you all stay here and eat something, I’ll be back shortly."

"As you wish, sir."

Leaving the side room, Shen Hao led the ten from Team A to the tavern’s back yard, then through a small alley to knock on the door of a ramshackle courtyard.

"Sir, you’re here!"

"Mm."

The door was opened by Flying Dragon; the courtyard, bought together with the tavern, served as one of their concealed bases.

Right now, Flying Dragon was alone in the courtyard. He’d received Shen Hao’s notice yesterday to come here today, but hadn’t been told why.

"Let me introduce, this is Flying Dragon, the biggest broker in the Black Market under Li City and Pingshun City. He controls most of the trade movements in those markets, and is now encroaching toward Tu Kui City and Tan City." Shen Hao first introduced Flying Dragon to Zhang Lie.

Then he turned to Flying Dragon and introduced Zhang Lie: "This is Zhang Lie—those behind are his men. They’re here to assist you with the steps ahead. They know a lot—not just skilled in combat. You should take time to get to know each other well."

Flying Dragon’s face was all smiles, repeatedly saying, "Finally, been waiting for this!" but internally, he was clear-headed. He understood Shen Hao was planting nails in his turf. Cooperation, yes, but also coercion—should he harbor any treachery, these men could end him in an instant.

Yet, on the flip side, with these ten powerful helpers, the scattered Black Market operators in Tu Kui City and Tan City would no longer be a threat. They’d fought two clandestine battles before—one win, one loss, both sides wounded. Now, they’d likely crush the opposition.

But unlike Flying Dragon’s clarity, Zhang Lie and his men’s expressions changed drastically when Shen Hao told them their new missions and identities. Even those who’d kept cool just now struggled to keep composure.

To shift from the Personal Guard of the Governor of Xuanqing Guard to Non-tiered Black Market merchants? Black thugs? That kind of fall tested anyone’s limits. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Zhang Lie clenched his mouth, his eyes flickering restlessly, True Qi surging from the emotional turbulence, taking quite a while to calm down.

"Zhang Lie, you know the rules. Once you’re involved, there’s no retreat. Your brothers will eat from the same trough as me, Shen Hao, from now on. And Flying Dragon—even if his background is humble, he’s capable, especially skilled with Black Market ways. Your job is to cooperate with him to the utmost. You must deliver."

"Sir, rest assured. From now on, we are no longer Xuanqing Guard—at least, not publicly. We will fully cooperate with Flying Dragon and strive to adapt to our new identities quickly."

Shen Hao didn’t linger. He could contact Flying Dragon or Zhang Lie directly whenever needed. Some things would wait until they’d grown more familiar with each other. For now, handing Zhang Lie’s men over to Flying Dragon was enough.

Returning to the side room, only Liu Meng’s group remained.

Seeing Shen Hao return—without Zhang Lie and his men who’d left with him—Liu Meng and the remaining ten knew their turn had come.

Where they would be sent was still unknown.

They split into six groups, leaving the small town, heading first to Fengri City, then on to Li City, ending up in an ordinary tavern’s private room.

This time, someone was already here waiting for Shen Hao and his group.

Zhu Shou. Dressed in coarse cloth, meticulously disguised—even his hair was messy. He looked more like a wandering merchant, no hint of being a powerful figure in the brokerage.

"Alright, let me introduce. This is Zhu Shou, Chief Steward of the Fengri City brokerage, Lord Zhu." Then, pointing at Liu Meng, Shen Hao said to Zhu Shou, "This is Liu Meng and his men."

"All these people?!" Zhu Shou had been notified by Shen Hao to meet here, and knew ahead of time that today, Shen Hao would plant people in various city brokerages for direct involvement in the plan. Yet he hadn’t expected so many at once.

"Yes. All these people need to be inserted into brokerages in each city. Not necessarily all at once, but it must be done quickly." Shen Hao would not slacken his demands because Zhu Shou looked troubled. The brokerage was a key part of the Black Water Plan. Zhu Shou couldn’t drag his feet or delay, and there was no way every crucial scout would be handed over to him for training. All must be under Xuanqing Guard’s control.

As for Zhu Shou... from the start, he was just a tool. If he knew his place, he’d last; if not, he wouldn’t live long. The forceful arrival of Liu Meng’s men was Shen Hao’s way of warning Zhu Shou yet again.

"Hmph, arranging ten people into the system is a hassle. If I can’t raise suspicion, I’ll have to ask others for recommendations as intermediaries. It’ll take time—at least two months to do it properly."

"One month. There’s no time to waste—please, Lord Zhu, devote yourself to it."

As he spoke, Shen Hao pulled a stack of silver notes from his jacket, placing them on the table—fifty thousand, allocated as operating funds. "Future funds will be given to Liu Meng to pass to you; sometimes silver notes like these, sometimes Elixirs or other valuable items."

Zhu Shou’s face twisted in constipation, suffering inside. He hadn’t meant to stall—arranging so many into the system at once was indeed difficult. Two months was a reasonable buffer. But Shen Hao cut it in half, just like haggling in a morning market. Was he serious?

Yet Zhu Shou had no right to refuse, only to endure and figure it out. Until he earned Shen Hao’s trust, he could forget about any privilege.

As for Liu Meng and his group—the internal shock was significant, but compared to Zhang Lie’s men tasked with being Black Market merchants or thugs, their new identities at least were as Officials.