The last rays of the setting sun painted the river's surface a fiery red.
Jagged reefs pierced the water, making the current here exceptionally violent.
This was Black Flood Dragon Beach, a name that struck fear into the hearts of passing merchants.
A large cargo ship flying the Wu Family's flag had been forced to a stop by several smaller, faster boats in a relatively open cove. Thick ropes were crudely tied to a few crooked trees on the bank.
The sailors and Wu Family guards on board were herded to a corner of the deck, their faces filled with terror. Many of them were wounded.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, sweat, and the river's fishy smell.
On the shore, before a simple Water Stockade built against a rock wall, a bonfire blazed.
Five bare-chested men sat around the fire, drinking from large bowls and tearing into freshly roasted meat.
