West Pool Garden.
The victory banquet had already ended, and the guests had dispersed.
But Xie Xuan'an still sat in the seat of honor, his deep gaze fixed on empty space as he remained silent.
After a while, a guard entered, cupped his fists, and asked, "What are your orders, my lord?"
Xie Xuan'an raised his head expressionlessly and ordered in a low voice, "Gather some men, prepare torches, and come with me."
"Yes."
The guard did not dare ask further questions.
Before long, he summoned several guards. After lighting their torches, they escorted Xie Xuan'an out of West Pool Garden.
The night was deep, and the wilderness outside West Pool Garden was silent.
The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, leaving the land shrouded in darkness.
"My lord, this way."
A trusted subordinate walked at the front, leading Xie Xuan'an onward.
Earlier, he had reported Sun Bo'an's death to Xie Xuan'an during the banquet and learned where Sun Bo'an's body was.
Now, at Xie Xuan'an's command, he led the group farther into the wilderness.
After walking for roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at a wild mountain ravine thick with grass and trees.
Holding up his torch, the subordinate looked around to get his bearings. Suddenly, he stopped and cried, "My lord, we found him!"
Xie Xuan'an strode forward and raised his torch to illuminate the ground ahead.
In the firelight, a headless corpse abruptly came into view.
The body lay facedown on the ground, its gray robe stained with blood and badly disheveled.
Xie Xuan'an recognized it as Sun Bo'an's usual attire.
He lowered his head for a closer look and saw obvious bite marks on the corpse's arms and ribs. The flesh had been torn back, exposing pink raw meat