Duan Xiao

The setting sun sank in the west, staining the western pier of Yunyi Island a striking, dark red.

Ji Ning casually flicked away the few remaining drops of blood on his blade before sheathing his sword with a click.

He had just broken through to the Anjin Rank, yet the moment he emerged from his seclusion, he had defeated the higher-ranking Tang Jin and even severed his arm...

Yet, Ji Ning's expression remained as calm as ever, devoid of any self-complacency, as if he had merely performed a trivial task.

He stood there quietly, watching the patrol envoys and guards ruthlessly beat the retreating enemies.

Amidst the flashing blades, the miserable shrieks of the river bandits and lackeys echoed one after another.

More than half of the bandits were cut down. Only a mere dozens managed to scramble onto their boats in a panic, their oars frantically beating the water as they fled in utter humiliation.

After a moment, silence returned to the pier.

Ji Ning turned around, his gaze falling upon Shen Xiuhan not far away, and said slowly, “Patrol Envoy Shen... have you broken through to the Tendon Tempering stage?”

“Yes,” Shen Xiuhan admitted, cupping his hands.

When he killed Tu Xiaotian, Ji Ning had already been hiding in the bamboo forest, taking in the entire scene.

If Shen Xiuhan had not broken through the Tendon Tempering stage, it would have been impossible for him to forcibly slay that brutal bandit.

“Impressive... You did exceptionally well,” Ji Ning's voice carried a hint of admiration. “When I received the message and emerged from seclusion, I found Chen Xin had already killed Deng Shan and his three men. He was busy rummaging through the bamboo building for treasures and wealth, and I caught him red-handed.”

“After crippling his limbs and interrogating him, I learned that Chenjian Dock was launching an attack. Thus, I concealed my aura and hid in the bamboo forest, aiming to maximize our victory and deal a heavy blow to the bandits.”

“I originally thought it would be a stroke of great fortune if I could severely wound one or two of them...” At this point, Ji Ning looked at Shen Xiuhan, a peculiar gleam flashing in his eyes. “I never expected that you would kill Tu Xiaotian single-handedly, causing Tang Jin and Pang Yi to lose their minds and giving me the perfect opportunity!”

“Not only did we keep Pang Yi here permanently, but we also heavily wounded Tang Jin... For this great victory, you deserve the primary credit.”

Shen Xiuhan's face remained calm as he cupped his hands. “You overpraise me, Garrison Master. It was merely a stroke of luck.”

“Luck... Well, whatever you say.” Ji Ning chuckled and shook his head. His gaze fell upon Shen Xiuhan's waist. Through the fabric of his clothes, he seemed to sense something, and he raised an eyebrow. “Just now... did you use the 『Four Seas Heart-Linking Disc』 to track my location?”

“I did,” Shen Xiuhan admitted frankly. “Earlier today, I befriended a brother named Xiao Wu on the lake. He gifted me this treasure, saying that in a moment of crisis, I could use it to send a message to the Garrison Master...”

“Xiao Wu...” Hearing this name, Ji Ning showed an expected look, a trace of helplessness rising in his eyes. “As expected of Brother Xiao. He loves making friends, yet he is also incredibly proud. Since he was willing to give you the sub-disc, it means he acknowledges you...”

“Very well. A friend of Brother Xiao is a friend of mine, Ji Ning. From now on, let us dispense with the formalities and address each other as brothers.”

“This...” Shen Xiuhan hesitated for only a brief moment before readily cupping his fists. “Brother Ji!”

“Hahaha, excellent!” Ji Ning burst into hearty laughter.

He seemed to be very close to Xiao Wu. Upon learning that the other had gifted Shen Xiuhan the 『Four Seas Heart-Linking Disc』, his attitude became much warmer.

After exchanging a few more friendly words, Ji Ning's expression turned solemn once more as he said in a deep voice, “This time, Chenjian Dock has lost three of their leaders—Pang Yi, Chen Xin, and Tu Xiaotian—while Tang Jin was also heavily wounded. We have thoroughly offended them.”

“To prevent Chenjian Dock from taking desperate actions out of anger, I will immediately send a letter to my family to request reinforcements. Once we survive until the end of this month, we will leave the island together and return to the city to report our mission and claim our rewards!”

Shen Xiuhan nodded slightly and said calmly, “Indeed, that is for the best.”

He knew very well that although dealing such a heavy blow to the bandits of Chenjian Dock was deeply satisfying, they could by no means rest easy after just one victory.

On the contrary, this was actually the most dangerous period. They had to be extremely vigilant to prevent Chenjian Dock from launching a massive retaliation in their fury.

With that, Ji Ning began to make arrangements with swift efficiency.

He ordered the patrol envoys to lead their men in cleaning the pier, clearing the battlefield, and piling up the bandits' corpses to be burned.

He then ordered the cooks to slaughter pigs and sheep, setting up large cauldrons in the rear camp to stew meat, offering a grand feast to reward the various squads of patrol envoys and guards.

For a time, cooking smoke drifted upward on Yunyi Island, mingling with the lingering scent of blood.

...

Dongyi Island, hinterland.

Inside a vast compound that resembled a heavily fortified fortress.

In the depths of the main hall, fire pits flickered, casting slightly distorted shadows of the gathered crowd.

On a grand armchair on the left, a monk as massive as a mountain of flesh sat in a dominant posture.

Atop his head were six coin-sized Buddhist ordination scars arranged in the shape of a plum blossom.

With one hand, he gripped half of a greasy, sizzling roasted beast leg, tearing at the meat with large bites.

With his other hand, he held a wine jar, throwing his head back to guzzle it down. His Adam's apple bobbed as wine spilled over, wetting the thick hair on his chest.

In his embrace, he forcibly held a woman dressed in palace robes, whom he had kidnapped from who knew where.

The woman's hair was disheveled, her golden hairpins askew, and her robes half-pulled down. Her delicate body trembled violently in the demonic monk's arms like a bird caught in a predator's talons. She was a picture of pitiful beauty and utter terror, tears staining her cheeks, yet she did not dare to make a sound.

This monk was none other than the Second Chief of Chenjian Dock, Blood Dhuta!

On the opposite side sat two other men.

One was a sharp, robust man of upright posture, dressed in martial attire with a leather belt. His back was as straight as a spear, and he exuded a sharp aura akin to a military general.

The other was a chubby, middle-aged man dressed in luxurious silk.

His fingers were short and thick, rolling two jade walnuts in his palm. His plump face was wreathed in smiles, making him look very amiable, yet a sharp, cold shrewdness flashed from time to time in his squinted eyes.

These two were the Third Chief of Chenjian Dock, “Spear General” Lu Juncheng, and the Fourth Chief, “Fat Merchant” Jia Pingxiu.

Both of their gazes were directed toward the center of the hall.

There, a pale-faced man soaked in blood knelt on the floor.

The severed stump of his right shoulder was wrapped in white cloth, yet fresh blood still seeped through unstoppably, dripping down the bandages and pooling into a dark red puddle on the ground.

It was none other than Tang Jin, who had fled back in utter humiliation!

And the direction Tang Jin knelt toward was, of course, the exalted seat of honor.

The seat of honor was draped with a massive white-spotted tiger pelt.

The tiger's head hung off the side of the chair, its fangs bared and its eyes wide open, still retaining its ferocious majesty from when it was alive.

A middle-aged man wearing magnificent silk robes and exuding an overwhelmingly domineering aura sat reclined lazily within it.

His left elbow rested on a red sandalwood desk, his broad hand supporting his chin, while his right hand held a mutton-fat jade cup, gently swirling the fine wine within to create delicate ripples.

This person was none other than the First Chief of Chenjian Dock, who dominated Cloudwater Lake and struck terror into the hearts of countless merchant vessels—Duan Xiao!

Duan Xiao looked down at Tang Jin kneeling below, his deep, resonant voice slowly echoing through the hall.

“So... that kid from the Ji family is actually quite something.”

He set down his cup, the mutton-fat jade making a soft clink as it touched the desk. A cold light flashed in his narrow eyes. “He had just broken through to the Anjin Rank, his cultivation not even stabilized, yet he was already able to unleash sword-glow and heavily wound you... Heh, this talent of his is actually a few cuts above Ji Guannan from back then.”

The moment he finished speaking, Blood Dhuta slammed his wine jar down on the left. Residual wine splashed everywhere, causing the woman in his arms to shudder violently.

The demonic monk had no tenderness in him. He thrust his hand into the woman's collar, ignoring her face which contorted slightly in pain, and bared his teeth in a savage, mocking grin. “Who cares what kind of genius he is! Back then, wasn't that Ji Guannan the eldest son of the Ji family and their future patriarch? Didn't we still slaughter him and refine him into a blood pill? A mere Ji Ning, the son of a lowly slave dog, who was only lucky enough to be bestowed the Ji surname—what can he possibly do?”