The dimly lit tavern in downtown Purple Lotus City served as a meeting place for secretive plots and underhanded transactions. It naturally attracted drifters, mercenaries, and information brokers - some drowning their sorrows, others striking deals. This evening's mood felt particularly heavy, with an unseen menace lurking in the dark corners. Sequestered in a private booth, Xun Bai, the infamous Spectral Sage, nursed his drink while reflecting on his triumph over the serpent hierarchy. Now he weighed his next move. Although his collaboration with Chen Fong had proven fruitful, Xun Bai stayed characteristically cautious, monitoring each element of the circumstances obsessively.
Yet even meticulous strategies remained vulnerable to unforeseen disruptions.
