After having Yuan Muzhi's head preserved in salt and hung above the city wall for public display, Xie Xuan'an continued burying himself in the aftermath of the battle.
The aristocratic clans tallied their losses, divided up the prisoners, and arranged accommodation for thousands of people... countless matters tangled together like a thousand strands of silk.
He worked until the sun slanted toward the western horizon before he finally managed to unravel a few threads and catch his breath.
At that moment, Xie Xuan'an suddenly remembered something. Xie Guanyun had gone out on an errand that morning, but there had been no word from him since.
Judging by the time, he should have returned long ago.
Yet Yuan Muzhi's head was already hanging above the city wall, while Xie Guanyun was nowhere to be seen.
Xie Xuan'an's brows furrowed slightly, an ominous foreboding stirring in his heart.
"Could something have happened?"
He rose to his feet, sensing that something was wrong.
Xie Guanyun had always handled matters with care. Even if he had come back empty-handed, he should have sent someone to report.
This was unusual.
Without further hesitation, Xie Xuan'an summoned several personal guards and led them to the rear mountain to investigate.
The group hurried along the mountain path and soon reached the Earthen Mound.
The Xie Family had occupied this Fortress for years, and he knew this ancient tomb intimately.
The Xie Family had already turned the place upside down. It held no secrets anymore.
He waved a hand, signaling for his guards to search the cave.
The guards filed inside with torches in hand and searched carefully.
A moment later, one of them hurried out to report.
"My lord, we found no trace of Young Master Xie Guanyun, but there are bloodstains near the stone coffin in