I Want Them All-Give Me Ten!

Black Wind Stronghold, the accounting room.

Zhang Fangchang was reading. Years ago, he had been a brute with nothing but muscle in his head. His methods were cruel and bloody, and whatever the situation, he had only one answer: charge!

In battles at the lower levels, when two foes met on a narrow road, the braver one won. Charging headlong could indeed carve out a place in the world.

But as Black Wind Stronghold grew more powerful and its operations spread wider, brute force stopped being enough. More and more problems demanded brains instead.

Zhang Fangchang realized this and, enduring the discomfort, began cultivating his mind and temper. Only gradually did he become the man he was now.

Many at Black Wind Stronghold thought his mild, scholarly manner was his true nature. Very few remained who had seen him in his old, brutish days.

"Hm?"

Zhang Fangchang suddenly frowned. He rose, walked to a cabinet, and pulled out a stone tablet.

The tablet was called the Oath-Brotherhood Stone. Many names had been carved into it in blood. If a name's owner died, the blood-red color would drain away, leaving the name dull and lifeless.

At a glance, he saw that Bamboo Pole's name had darkened.

Bamboo Pole was dead!

There was no need to verify it. The Oath-Brotherhood Stone had never been wrong.

"It seems... Mai Yuqiang really may have broken his vow and gone to sea!" Zhang Fangchang murmured, staring at Bamboo Pole's name.

He was about to close the cabinet when Baldhead's name suddenly darkened too. His pupils contracted. Both of them were dead, which meant no report would come back.

He had remained calm a moment ago because Baldhead was still alive. Who would have thought Baldhead would die the instant he looked away?

"I'm afraid this