The morning sun climbed slowly, and Elm Forest Alley woke beneath the brightening sky to begin a day like any other.
Cooking smoke curled upward. Roosters crowed, dogs barked, and neighbors opened their doors to sweep, while children's laughter wove it all into the clamor and vitality of everyday street life.
Yet an unusual restlessness and a current of whispers spread quietly through the lanes, like oil across water.
"Have you heard? Something big happened!" Wang Laowu, who sold flatbreads at the alley entrance, kneaded his dough absentmindedly as he muttered to Li Si, a peddler who had stopped to buy breakfast.
"How could I not? Word was everywhere before dawn!" Li Si leaned closer, his face a mixture of fear and excitement.
"The Blackwater Gang! The one holed up by the Blackwater River west of town—someone raided their headquarters!"
"Are you serious? That's the Blackwater Gang! Their leader, the River-Turning Crocodile, Xiao Shan, is supposed to be a peak Soul Ancestor!
"He had countless capable men under him. How could they just—" Wang Laowu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"It's true, every word!" Li Si swore. "My brother-in-law's younger brother's sworn brother works hauling cargo at the docks. He saw it with his own eyes the night before last! Flames shot into the sky, battle cries shook the ground, and Osprey Sect men surged in like a tide, cutting down everyone they saw! The Blackwater Gang's men either died or fled. It was awful!"
"The Osprey Sect? Of course, it had to be them! Those two have been fighting over the docks for ages!" Realization dawned on Wang Laowu, but worry soon replaced it. "What are we supposed to do? With the Blackwater Gang gone, the Osprey Sect will have the run of the place. The rules at the docks