Night fell, and snow began to drift down.
Beside a desolate old road, an inn stood in silence.
A cold wind whipped its banner, which read in large characters: Jingyun Inn!
Inside the inn's main hall, a stove was lit. The tightly shut doors kept the cold wind at bay, but even so, it was still far from warm.
A crowd of guests from all corners of the land gathered in small groups, drinking wine from large bowls, tearing into meat with gusto, and talking boisterously.
The aroma of meat and wine mixed with the smell of the stove, creating a unique scent in the smoky, rowdy hall.
"Tell me, how could the Fierce Tiger Gang, which was doing just fine, be wiped out just like that?
"Their leader died under mysterious circumstances. Of their four Hall Masters—East, West, South, and North—three are dead, leaving only Tang Linfeng, whose whereabouts are unknown.
