The next morning.
The atmosphere in Canglan Prefecture City was unusually oppressive.
News that Fierce Tiger Stockade had been wiped out in a single night by a mysterious figure spread through every street and alley as if it had grown wings.
Some said the Prefecture Army had secretly gone out to suppress the bandits; others claimed that a passing hero had upheld justice.
But whoever was responsible, the news sent an unusual chill through the major powers in the city.
Meanwhile.
In the eastern part of the city, inside an upscale teahouse called Tingyu Pavilion.
The teahouse operated on a membership basis, and its usual guests were all high-ranking officials and nobles who were either rich or influential. The setting was tranquil, and its privacy was excellent.
On the top floor of the teahouse, inside its most secluded private room.
A middle-aged man in a brocade robe and with an imposing air sat upright in a Taishi Chair. He toyed with a string of jade beads in his hand, his brows knitted tightly.
He was Wang Tianlong, current head of the Wang Family, one of the four great families of Canglan Prefecture.
The Wang Family and the Li Family were known as the twin powers of Canglan Prefecture. The two families had openly and covertly fought for decades, and their grudges ran deep.
Half an hour earlier.
Wang Tianlong had received a mysterious letter.
It had been delivered through a secret channel of the Blade Catcher Guild, addressed to him by name and marked for his eyes only.
The letter contained just one sentence:
"If you wish to destroy the Li Family, come at once to the Tianzi Room of Tingyu Pavilion. I won't wait."
It was signed: Nameless.
Ordinarily, Wang Tianlong wouldn't have given such a secretive letter a