In the deserted cobblestone square of Iron-Tusk Boar City, Upper-Realm Envoy Xue Sha stood breathing like a bellows, blood dripping from his swollen nose onto his crimson breastplate.
Three feet in front of him, the bright yellow Rubber Boar Training Dummy in the paper chef’s hat rocked gently back and forth on its weighted base, grinning at him with painted-on cartoon eyes.
Hanging from the rubber dummy’s neck on a loop of red kitchen twine was a square piece of brown cardboard.
Staring down with bloodshot eyes, Xue Sha read the neat, fourth-grade handwriting written in bold black marker across the cardboard sign:.
> DEAR UNCLE MURDERHOBO:.
> No XP Here! Everyone went to eat hotpot and watch cartoons with my Dad.
> Slashing squeaky toys will not pay off your midnight loan-shark bill.
> Please put down your rusty knife and go do your Morality Homework!
