Southern Border, Phoenix Harbor.
The torrential rain of early summer was like A Huan barging into a maiden's boudoir at night, coming on with fierce winds and sudden downpours, filling the channels and soaking the clothes in the blink of an eye...
Tap, tap, tap...
With a cloak draped over him, Fan Hainie hurried through a rain-soaked alley and entered a tiled-roof house.
Drafts blew through all four sides of the house, which looked abandoned, but a brazier stood in the middle, a kettle hanging over it and giving off billowing steam.
Several burly, round-faced men with full beards sat around it, occasionally looking toward the door, as though craning their necks in anticipation of a paying patron.
Seeing Hall Master Fan enter, Incense Master Li Song, who had established himself in Phoenix Harbor, rose to greet him attentively:
"Elder Fan, what brings you here?"
Fan Hainie had previously been only a low-ranking member of Blood Rain Tower in Luojing, but now he had become the Danyang Marquis's loyal hound and had even been specially appointed as his liaison. Naturally, his standing was nothing like before. Not only did his position within Blood Rain Tower rival that of an acting sect leader, but he was also a formidable figure no one in the Jianghu dared provoke.
However, the Southern Border was Ancestor Sikong's territory. That old bastard had even greater standing in the Jianghu and had clashed with Xie Jinhuan, so Fan Hainie was currently deep behind enemy lines. Keeping a fairly low profile, he removed his hood upon entering and asked quietly:
"Lord Xie has returned to the capital and will be coming to inspect the Southern Border soon. We need to gather our intelligence beforehand, so we don't draw a blank at every question. What's the situation in