The high-speed descent down the rugged slopes of the Crimson Mountain Range was nothing more than a casual warm-up for Shen Yu.
Moving like a ghost under the cover of the fading twilight, his boots clicked silently against the jagged stones, leaving no traces behind.
By the time the primary moon had fully ascended, casting its pale silver glow over the sprawling, black-smog-choked expanse of Crimson Iron City, he had already slipped past the outer walls undetected.
Instead of returning immediately to his inn, Shen Yu drifted through the outer rings toward the central commercial district.
He wanted to see if the gears he had set in motion were turning at the proper speed.
He didn't have to wait long to find his answer.
Unlike the loud, chaotic preparation of an open military campaign, the grand headquarters of the Golden Cauldron Merchant Union was operating under a veil of absolute, suffocating secrecy.
There were no shouting disciples or frantic hauling of crates in the open.
