Tower of the Hand.
Lynn stood inside, with Sansa and Myrcella standing before him.
The two girls still had a trace of excitement on their faces from the success of their scheme.
They told Lynn the entire conversation with that mysterious assassin in detail.
"...He said Robert has been poisoned with chronic poison and won't live long."
Sansa's voice was very low, afraid the walls might hear.
"He also said he could help us forge evidence to pin everything on Stannis."
Myrcella added.
"He said he wants nothing, only requesting that after the matter is done, he can go to the North with you."
Lynn listened quietly, no expression on his face.
Jaqen H'ghar.
He had already known of this person's arrival through Greensight.
A person who shouldn't have appeared in King's Landing, let alone at this time.
Because he, this butterfly, kept flapping his wings, everyone's trajectory had shifted.
"You go back first."
Lynn ruffled Myrcella's golden hair.
"I will handle this matter."
"But..."
Myrcella wanted to say something more.
"Be obedient."
The two girls exchanged a glance.
Finally, they nodded obediently and left quickly.
Myrcella actually wanted to kill Robert.
It seemed this little girl had a small accident that shouldn't have happened...
Don't know if it's good or bad.
However, these were not important now.
What was important was Jaqen.
A Faceless Man.
Lynn withdrew his gaze from Myrcella.
The moment the door closed, Lynn closed his eyes.
The entire world changed instantly in his perception.
Light, sound, smell...
Everything turned into the purest stream of information, surging in his spiritual world.
His consciousness was like an invisible giant net, centering on the Tower of the Hand, spreading rapidly toward the entire King's Landing.
He "saw" Robert living a befuddled life in the Red Keep.
"Saw" Cersei indulging her body alone in her bedchamber.
Hmm?
Cersei has this kind of fetish?
Lynn saw something he shouldn't have seen.
Study later.
Business first.
Also "saw" Jaime wiping his new sword, preparing to pack and leave.
Soon, he found his target.
Flea Bottom, in the cheapest and dirtiest rental room.
Jaqen H'ghar was sitting cross-legged on the bed.
He had changed into ordinary commoner clothes.
There was no expression on that face so ordinary it would be forgotten instantly.
Lynn's consciousness, like an invisible probe, touched over carefully.
Too lazy to guess, directly look at your trump card.
[Greensight] Activated!
In an instant, countless chaotic images and information rushed into Lynn's mind!
It was a black and white temple located on an island in the bay of Braavos.
Deep in the temple, countless faces of the dead were enshrined.
The Many-Faced God.
Assassins here had no names, no past; their identities and names were decided by the "wearer."
They underwent the harshest training here.
They learned to take lives in different ways, learned how to change their faces into anyone's appearance.
Not traditional poisoning or dagger assassination; these traditional assassination methods were just their most common type.
Higher methods often didn't require them to kill personally.
They would judge according to the situation, or borrow others' hands...
For them, the process wasn't important; the result was.
They were servants of death, givers of "gifts."
The scene changed.
This was the mine buried deep underground in the Valyrian peninsula.
Countless slaves dug day after day under the whips of Valyrian overseers.
The first Faceless Man was born in this purgatory.
He gave the gift of "release" to those suffering compatriots, and also tried to give it to those high-and-mighty dragonlords.
The seed of hatred had been sown since then.
In the doctrine of the Faceless Men.
Dragons were symbols of the old era's tyranny.
Heresies that must be erased.
Valar Morghulis. All men must die.
Dragons were no exception.
Immediately after, Lynn saw a man wearing an eyepatch with a crazy expression.
Euron Greyjoy.
He placed a petrified dragon egg on the altar of the House of Black and White.
He wanted to buy the life of his brother Balon Greyjoy.
He wanted to become the actual ruler of the Iron Islands.
And Jaqen H'ghar was the person sent to execute this task.
Assassinating Balon was just done in passing.
His real purpose in coming to Westeros was to study Winter's weaknesses and find a way to kill a living giant dragon.
Then, bring this "knowledge" back to the House of Black and White.
Yes, dragons were also within their assassination targets.
Lynn slowly opened his eyes.
Cold light flashed in those deep eyes.
So that was it.
He wanted to use Sansa and Myrcella, borrowing the assassination of the King, to infiltrate his team legitimately, thereby approaching Winter to study its weaknesses.
What a killing two birds with one stone.
The corner of Lynn's mouth slowly curled up in a playful arc.
Want to study my dragon?
Then let you study properly what true fear is first.
...
Flea Bottom.
Jaqen H'ghar opened his eyes abruptly.
Just a moment ago, he felt a chill of being spied on.
As if invisible eyes were watching him in the darkness, seeing all his secrets clearly.
He had only felt this feeling when facing those oldest elders in the House of Black and White.
How was it possible?
Just as he was suspicious and uncertain, a gentle knock sounded on the door.
"Who?"
"Someone who can bring you a gift."
A calm male voice came from outside.
Jaqen's pupils contracted sharply.
He leaped from the bed, sticking silently behind the door, his right hand already reaching into his sleeve.
There, hid a silver needle quenched in deadly poison.
The door was pushed open.
Lynn walked in slowly regardless of whether Jaqen agreed or not.
He glanced at the simple furnishings in the room, then at the wary Jaqen.
"Jaqen H'ghar."
Lynn called out his name directly.
Jaqen's body tensed instantly, like a cheetah about to attack.
"A man has no name."
He said in that signature tone.
"Is that so?"
Lynn smiled.
As long as it's a person, they have a name; how could they really forget.
"Then why did you, a person from Braavos, come to Westeros?"
Jaqen didn't answer, just staring fixedly at Lynn.
"For Balon Greyjoy's head?"
Lynn approached slowly.
"Or for... a dragon's weakness?"
This sentence was like a thunderclap exploding in Jaqen's mind!
His plan, his true purpose here, his biggest secret...
Was actually broken by this man before him in one sentence!
How was this possible?!
Besides a few people in the House of Black and White, it was impossible for a fifth person to know this matter!
Who exactly was this man before him?!
A crack appeared for the first time on Jaqen's unchanging face.
He looked at Lynn; those grey eyes were filled with undisguisable shock and horror.
He felt he wasn't facing a mortal, but an omniscient god!
"A man... doesn't understand what you are saying."
Jaqen was still making a final struggle.
In the wide sleeve, his fingers had already pinched that poison needle.
He was confident that at such a close distance, no one could dodge his "gift."
"Don't move."
Lynn's voice was very soft.
"That silver needle in your left sleeve is quenched with basilisk blood, sealing the throat upon seeing blood."
"But it's useless against me."
"In front of me, you'd better put away those laughable little tricks."
As long as Jaqen dared to act, he would condense ice armor all over his body instantly.
This kind of sneak attack trick was completely useless against him.
The second time!
This was the second shock!
If Lynn speaking his purpose just now only shocked him.
Then now, when Lynn accurately stated the type and location of the poison needle hidden in his sleeve, what Jaqen felt was a shudder from the depths of his soul!
All his disguises, all his skills, in front of this man, were like children's tricks, easily seen through!
The assassination art he was proud of appeared so pale and powerless in front of absolute insight.
Jaqen's fingers stiffened.
He doubted himself for the first time.
"Who... are you exactly?"
This time, he didn't use "a man or someone" to address himself.
"Haven't you been inquiring about my clues?"
Lynn walked up to him, looking down at him.
"I am the Lynn you are looking for."
"Servant of the Many-Faced God?"
Lynn let out a sneer.
"Just a false god maintaining faith by killing and lies."
"Originally somewhat interesting, pity, you have completely changed flavor now."
"Killing everyone, good or bad."
"You!"
Anger ignited in Jaqen's eyes.
That was anger from faith being blasphemed.
"The plan you told Sansa and the other one is very good."
Lynn ignored his anger, speaking to himself.
"Robert's matter was Tywin hiring you guys to do it, right."
"Now, you try to use some forged evidence to splash dirty water on Stannis."
"After Robert dies, your House of Black and White not only clears suspicion but can also provoke internal strife in House Baratheon."
"Not only that, Tywin's reward, the millions of gold dragons the Iron Throne owes the Iron Bank of Braavos, you can get them all."
"I admit, this is exquisite, and safe."
"But not enough."
Lynn paused, looking at Jaqen's face written with suspicion.
"A good story needs a piece of physical evidence with enough weight."
"Evidence that can leave everyone speechless."
"You want to do this; I can help you."
Saying this, Lynn took something out of his tunic and threw it in front of Jaqen.
It was a human skin mask Lynn had just prepared.
The workmanship of the mask was exquisite, lifelike.
Perfectly replicating all facial features of another person.
Jaqen had seen that face in King's Landing.
Stannis Baratheon!
Jaqen's breathing stopped completely at this moment.
He reached out a trembling hand and picked up that mask.
It felt warm and moist, with the unique texture of skin.
He examined this mask with his most professional eyes.
From the arc of the brow bone to the nasolabial folds at the corner of the mouth, every detail was impeccably perfect.
This... this was definitely a top-level work of the House of Black and White!
Even more perfect than any mask he had ever seen!
The third time!
This was the third huge shock enough to overturn his entire worldview!
Besides the House of Black and White, there was actually someone in this world who could make such a perfect human skin mask!
"Could it be... you... you have already killed Stannis?"
Jaqen's voice carried a tremor even he hadn't noticed.
This was the only possibility he could think of.
Without killing him, how could a mask be made?
"Killing?"
Lynn smiled.
That smile carried a trace of pity, like looking at an ignorant child.
"Why kill?"
"Can't masks be made without dead people's faces?"
"It seems your House of Black and White still needs practice."
Jaqen was completely stunned.
Making a perfect human skin mask without killing?
This... this had exceeded his scope of understanding.
Could this really be done?
Looking at Lynn's meaning, he wasn't faking it!
This was no longer skill, but a miracle!
Power only a true god could possess!
He looked at Lynn before him, looking at those eyes that seemed able to penetrate everything.
An absurd and terrifying thought bred wildly in his heart.
Many-Faced God...
Could it be, the man before him was the real...
God?
Otherwise, how to explain?
No, it was also possible he was mistaken.
This world had many methods; it didn't rule out Lynn using some unconventional means.
But these were not important anymore.
Jaqen held that mask.
"Why do you want to help me?"
Lynn smiled.
"You want to recover debts, collect Tywin's bounty."
"I want to ruin the reputations of both Stannis and Renly."
"But these cannot do without the unlucky Robert."
"To some extent, your goal and mine are similar."
"Helping you is helping myself."
Jaqen nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright, I'm too lazy to say useless nonsense."
"I already know your purpose; you are not qualified to negotiate any conditions with me now."
Lynn's voice sounded gently in Jaqen's ear like a final judgment.
"You can choose to do this well for me."
"Then, you can go happily assassinate Balon in the Iron Islands."
"I have no intention of making enemies with the House of Black and White. Let's not interfere with each other; we might even become good friends, and I will become your potential client."
"Of course, you can also choose to refuse."
"But if you do that, the consequences will be serious."
"I will cut off your head, considered a trivial price you pay for coveting my dragon all along."
"You choose."
"Friendly reminder, I'm in a relatively good mood now; please don't make me unhappy."
"If I'm unhappy, don't even think about being happy, either."