Mist shrouded the entire wharf district at Xiushui Commandery City's Eastern Wharf, drifting like wisps of cloud.
When Tie Xiaosheng arrived at the Eastern City Eastern Wharf aboard a fast boat, he first cast his gaze westward.
Beyond the mist to the west, beside the official road roughly four li from the commandery city, stood a conspicuous row of wooden stakes about twenty feet long.
A blood-drenched corpse hung from each stake, forty-five in all.
They all shared one feature: someone had shattered their chests and lungs with a single saber strike, leaving scorch marks around the wounds.
Tie Xiaosheng recognized the Red Dragon Lineage's Red Fire Slash at a glance.
The attacker had simply intended to make a show of force and had not burned their bodies entirely to dust.
Tie Xiaosheng knew Eastern Province well, with its martial-world lore and notable figures at his fingertips.
Thus, upon closer inspection, he discovered that quite a few of the corpses belonged to well-known assassins of Eastern Province or demonic martial cultivators who operated alone.
"Survivors of the Red Dragon clan?"
Xunyang Hall Master Lu Jiuli had also followed Tie Xiaosheng back to headquarters this time.
His eyesight was not as good as Tie Xiaosheng's, but he could vaguely make out the scene on the stakes. His expression turned somewhat peculiar. "This person is incredibly strong. The third stake holds Fei Tuoluo, a fifth-rank expert from the Soaring Cloud Demon Sect. Judging by his condition, he apparently failed to offer any resistance before that person killed him with one strike."
"Let's go!"
Looking thoughtful, Tie Xiaosheng continued toward a Ten-Thousand-Material Ship with long, swift strides.
When they entered the temporary assembly hall at the bow on the ship's second level, they found several Iron Banner Gang Outer Hall masters who had