A Bountiful Harvest

Night shrouded Lanzhou, and mist blanketed the river.

Lu Li slipped out through the back door of Peng's branch office, flashed once, and vanished into the darkness.

Reality-Void Hidden Edge.

His presence was concealed, his body seemed insubstantial, and even his footsteps on the bluestone pavement made no sound.

He raced along the riverbank. Half an hour later, the outline of Riverheart Islet appeared in view.

Riverheart Islet was an island in the middle of the river, surrounded by water on all sides. There was only one waterway leading onto the island. A stone fortress stood upon it, built against the mountain and commanding the high ground—easy to defend, difficult to assault.

Lu Li stood by the river and assessed the stone fortress across the water.

Torches burned at the fortress gate. Several river bandits patrolled there with sabers at their waists, yawning.

"I'm dying of sleepiness. When is this damned job ever going to end...?"

One river bandit rubbed his eyes and muttered.

"Cut the crap. If the boss hears you, he'll skin you alive."

Another bandit shot him a glare.

"Got it, got it..."

Lu Li listened, his thoughts stirring.

River bandits were river bandits. Their discipline was lax; they could not compare to regular troops.

His gaze swept over the woods surrounding the fortress. The Mind's Eye of the Heart-Breaking Buddha Body operated as he sensed the flow of nearby auras.

Hidden sentries were concealed behind trees in three locations. Their breathing was faint, but it could not escape his ears.

"Three hidden sentries..."

Lu Li calculated silently, his gaze settling on the crossbow towers on either side of the fortress.

Two crossbow towers stood on either side of the stone fortress. Mounted atop them were heavy crossbows, their bolts as thick as an arm, their arrowheads