Yang Prefecture, Clear River Commandery dock.
Mist and waves stretched vast across the Canglan River, frost haze filling the air.
Morning fog like gauze shrouded the entire Grand Canal. The river lay white and boundless; beyond ten paces, even human figures were indistinguishable.
At the dock, the guards huddled in sheltered spots, dozing off. Days of peace had loosened their vigilance.
No one noticed the strange sounds drifting out of the fog.
The first to sense that something was wrong was Zhao Si, an old soldier on the dock watchtower.
He rubbed his bleary eyes, leaned over the wooden railing, and squinted toward the river.
The fog was too thick. He could see nothing.
But the sound of water grew closer and louder, shaking the planks beneath his feet until they trembled faintly.
"Something's wrong..."
Zhao Si muttered, then suddenly turned and shouted toward the city wall.
"Enemy—"
Before he could cry out the second word, an arrow tore through the fog and pierced his throat in an instant.
Zhao Si clutched his neck and fell. Blood gushed through his fingers, staining the watchtower's wooden boards red.
In the final moment of his life, he saw the sight emerging from the fog.
More than a hundred great ships sailed in a single line, charging out of the white mist like colossal beasts.
On the lead flagship, a great banner snapped in the wind.
One bore the two enormous characters "Giant Whale," while the other was embroidered with a lifelike giant whale. Black with golden edging, it billowed in the wind like clouds rolling through the sky.
Every ship was packed with Giant Whale Gang disciples, each one fierce and savage, blades in hand and cruel smiles on their faces.
The hundred ships hurtled toward the dock at astonishing speed, their