Under the morning sky, a group of 100 riders moved in unison toward a city. All but one wore identical red robes and bronze chest armor. Leading them at the front, clad in a white robe and red armor, was Yun Feng—also known as Mori Takumi, the eldest son of Mori Tsuki and Yun Xin.
He and his family's private army were on their way to the Evergreen Sect to escort Sect Leader Bai Mo and the Hundred Herb Pill to the capital for his mother.
Suddenly, Yun Feng halted. The riders behind him followed suit. He looked up and saw a blue, glowing bird soaring toward him. Raising his hand, he let it land on his palm, where it transformed into a scroll. Unrolling it, he read the message. The moment he finished, the scroll dissolved into thin air.
A woman riding beside him asked, "Lord, what was it about?"
Since it was no secret, Yun Feng answered, "A letter from my second brother. He wrote that my little sister and her husband are on their way to the capital."
Surprised, the woman asked, "Lord, you have a little sister?"
"I have two younger brothers and one little sister," Yun Feng replied.
"So, one of your brothers and your sister don't live with you?" she inquired.
" Yes. They live with my father, a minor lord in Athia," he confirmed. He continued, "My little sister and her husband left Xinghai City two weeks ago."
The woman noted, "To reach the capital, they'll have to pass through Ren County City."
Yun Feng nodded, musing to himself, "Then they should be arriving in Ren County City or have already arrived."
Since they hadn't crossed paths on the road, he assumed they hadn't left the city yet. Thinking of reuniting with his sister after many years, he pulled the reins of his horse and urged, "Hyah!"
His horse surged forward, and his army followed, kicking up a cloud of dust as they raced toward their destination.
-----
At the same time, on a busy road between farmlands, Kanoru drove his carriage with Asuna seated beside him. He glanced at her frowning face. Ever since he told her the rumor about the Evergreen Sect's destruction, she had remained worried. Her mother's healing depended on the Hundred Herb Pill, and Bai Yue, her newly recognized cousin, was from the Evergreen Sect.
"Stop frowning," Kanoru said.
Asuna sighed. "I keep thinking… what if my mother's enemy attacked the Evergreen Sect? It's too much of a coincidence that they were attacked right after the pill was completed."
Kanoru considered her reasoning—it made sense. "It's possible," he admitted. "But it's just a rumor from three people. It could be false, just someone spreading baseless news."
Asuna shook her head. "If it were any other place, maybe. But this is Ren County. No one would dare spread false rumors about the Evergreen Sect. You saw how the caravan reacted when they found out Bai Yue was from there."
Kanoru had to agree. A rumor this bold likely had some truth to it—otherwise, who would dare spread it?
Asuna clasped her hands together. "I just pray nothing has happened to the Evergreen Sect or the Hundred Herb Pill."
Kanoru reassured her, "Even if something did, someone must have the pill recipe. If we need to, we can refine another one. And if that fails, we can always find an alternative treatment. So don't worry."
With his right hand, he reached over and gently squeezed her left hand. Asuna leaned her head on his shoulder, silent, until the gates of Ren County City came into view.
----
Inside the city, in a dimly lit dining room, a man sat alone, calmly having his breakfast. The door swung open, and a woman entered. She had a round face, sparkling green eyes, and hair styled in an elegant bun adorned with gold and gemstone jewelry. Her red dress hugged her figure, accentuating her curves.
As she walked toward the man, silver snakes materialized around him and lashed out at her. She leaped back just in time, a fire shield forming where she had stood, blocking the attack. The silver snakes and the shield vanished into thin air.
"What is the meaning of this?" the woman demanded.
The man's gaze remained cold. "For giving us false information."
"What false information?" she snapped.
"Why didn't you mention that Bai Mo was the husband of the Great Warlock, Shui Xueling?"
The woman's expression changed to shock. "You… you killed Bai Mo?"
The man's voice remained indifferent. "Didn't you tell me about the Hundred Herb Pill so I could obtain it?"
Her hands clenched into fists. "Yes, I told you about the pill and how to obtain it," she hissed, her voice rising. "But I never told you to kill Bai Mo!"
Taking a deep breath, she suppressed her anger—fear flickering in her eyes. Softening her voice, she continued, "There were many ways to get the pill. You didn't need to kill him."
Then, she suddenly recalled the rumors circulating in the city—several teenagers and children, outer disciples of the Evergreen Sect, had escaped the attack.
"The outer disciples… why are they still alive? They can expose you."
Her mind raced. If she wanted to survive, she needed to find a way to kill this man first.
The man spoke calmly. "Don't worry. I didn't act personally—I paid the Nine Reverse Palace to do it."
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Does the Nine Reverse Palace even know it was you who hired them?"
The man smirked. "Of course not. I didn't go myself—I sent a servant."
She crossed her arms. "Then what happened to the Evergreen Sect and the Hundred Herb Pill?"
The man leaned back in his chair. "My servant went to the Nine Reverse Palace's station to inquire. We'll wait for his report."
The woman nodded and sat opposite him, falling into silence. On the surface, she appeared composed, but inside, her thoughts were in turmoil. She needed to escape this situation before it was too late.
Any other family would have been manageable, but the Shui Family was different. They were one of the rare millennial clans in the land, producing Great Warlocks in nearly every generation. Sometimes, they were even more powerful than the royal family itself. Dynasties rose and fell, but Families like the Shui Family only grew stronger with time.
She and the forces backing her had to sever their ties to this man before it was too late. The best option was to eliminate him—but first, she needed to be certain he hadn't left behind any information that could implicate them.
An hour passed. The door creaks open, and a middle-aged man enters with a smile, closing it behind him.
The man asked, "Dazhe, did they get the pill?"
Dazhe remained smiling. "No, but they destroyed the Evergreen Sect and killed their sect leader, Bai Mo. Only some teenagers and children managed to escape."
He failed to notice how the room's atmosphere turned ice-cold.
The man's expression darkened. "So they didn't get the Hundred Herb Pill?"
Dazhe quickly reassured him. "Don't worry, sir. They captured an inner disciple of the Evergreen Sect. That disciple can help us locate Bai Yue—she knows where the pill is."
The woman finally spoke, her voice sharp. "Wei Min, not only did you fail to obtain the Hundred Herb Pill, but you also got Shui Xueling's husband killed. I thought you were a smart man."
She stood up and walked behind Dazhe.
Wei Min scowled. "If you had given me all the information, this wouldn't have happened."
The woman's tone was cold. "Forget the pill. Start covering our tracks before Shui Xueling finds us."
Wei Min exhaled sharply. "I'll raid every Nine Reverse Palace station in Ren County."
The woman nodded. "Do that. But first—"
A sharp golden blade suddenly emerged from Dazhe's chest. He gasped, blood spilling from his mouth, before collapsing to the ground—dead.
Wei Min's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't necessary. His family has served my mother's family for decades. He wouldn't have betrayed me."
The woman's gaze was indifferent. "I don't care. If, within a week, I don't hear that every Nine Reverse Palace station has been uprooted in the Ren county, you'll be lying there just like your servant."
Without waiting for his response, she turned and left.
Wei Min stared at Dazhe's corpse in a daze. Then, fury overtook him. He slammed the table, shattering it and sending plates crashing to the floor.
Through gritted teeth, he muttered, "Lu Ying."