Li Yuan’s plan was straightforward. He’d use pressure, not brute force. He had no desire to handle it all on his own. Knowing that he was far stronger than the people around him, he felt perfectly safe.0

Whoever targeted Lin Silang almost certainly did so to steal secrets from the tavern’s distillery. If that was the case, Li Yuan needed to make an example of them; otherwise, people would think he and the Ginger Tavern were easy prey, and his growing business could be threatened.0

After a quick trip to the inner district and back, Li Yuan soon returned with a contingent of people from the Blood Blade Sect—both outer disciples and associates—plus Qian Da. Accompanying them were Zhou Jia and the hulking blackrock mastiff, Cinder.0

They marched down the wide central street of Silver Creek. Li Yuan strode in the middle, carrying the Horse Butcher and a horned beast-bow slung across his back. Zhou Jia followed close by, and the Blood Blade Sect disciples fanned out around them.0

At the front, Cinder sniffed the ground, tail...0