A few hours after Bai Yue woke up, the convoy entered a town to rest, as there was a branch of the Golden Sparrow Caravan there.
Inside his and Asuna's room, Kanoru finished dressing. He planned to practice in A training field beside the branch. After adjusting his clothes, he stepped out and knocked on the door of the room next to his.
"Who?" Mika's voice called out before the door creaked open.
Peering inside, Kanoru saw both Asuna and Bai Yue. He wasn't sure how or why, but ever since Bai Yue woke up, she and Asuna had become instant friends.
"I'm going to train," Kanoru said.
Asuna glanced at him. "Is there a place to practice nearby?"
"Yes, to the right of this building," he replied.
Asuna nodded. "I'll bring your dinner to our room."
"Thank you. I'm going now."
Asuna nodded again, and Kanoru turned, walking away. Mika shut the door and returned to her seat.
Bai Yue looked at Asuna. "Cousin, you and your husband weren't familiar with each other before marriage, were you?"
Asuna didn't react to being called 'cousin.' She had already learned that Bai Yue's mother was from the Shui family, while her own mother was from the Yun family—two families connected by blood. Her maternal grandmother was from the Shui family, making them distant relatives.
"No," Asuna replied. "We've known each other for seven years and were friends, but we're still adjusting to our new roles."
Bai Yue tilted her head. "What was the reason for your marriage?"
"My father arranged it six years ago."
Bai Yue frowned. "Six years… yet in all that time, you two remained just friends? Being engaged didn't change that?"
Mika scoffed. "That wooden head only cares about practice."
Bai Yue raised an eyebrow, intrigued, waiting for more details.
Asuna replied, "After our engagement, he left for a village my father awarded him. Over the next six years, he spent about 80% of his time there."
Bai Yue sighed. "Oh! So his mind is only filled with training. Then why did you agree to marry him?"
"Because he's talented," Asuna said. "At seventeen, he's already a middle-rank Samurai and has grasped the nature of wind's power. How could I pass up such a husband? In this dangerous world, only a strong husband can protect my family and me."
Bai Yue understood her reasoning, though it didn't apply to her. As the daughter of the Evergreen Sect's leader, a high-rank warlock, and Shui Xueling, an even stronger great warlock, she never had to worry about protection. "If I ever marry, it'll only be for love," she stated.
Asuna nodded, respecting her view. Though she didn't love Kanoru, she saw him as a friend and trusted he would protect her. Suddenly, she remembered something—before Kanoru knocked on the door, she had been about to ask Bai Yue about her mother.
Her expression turned serious. "Cousin, do you have any news about my mother?"
Bai Yue's face fell, and she hesitated.
Seeing her silence, fear gripped Asuna. She grasped Bai Yue's hand. "Cousin, is my mother okay?"
Bai Yue sighed. "I don't know much… only that she's unconscious, but her life isn't in danger."
Asuna's breath caught. "When did she fall unconscious?"
"Eleven months ago. She was ambushed while returning to the capital. She killed all her attackers, but she was poisoned. At first, she only grew weaker, and two months later, she lost consciousness."
Asuna's eyes widened. "Poisoned?"
"Don't worry," Bai Yue reassured her. "The poison doesn't threaten her life—it just prevents her from waking up. My father has already found the cure."
Asuna leaned forward. "What is it?"
"The Hundred Herb Pill. It should have been refined a few days ago, and in a day or two, my father will bring it to the capital."
Asuna's resolve hardened. "Then we should go to your sect and join your father on his journey to the capital."
Bai Yue smiled. "Good. Tomorrow, we'll head to my sect."
Asuna stood abruptly. "I need to inform Kanoru."
Mika rose to follow her, but Asuna stopped her. "You two don't need to come with me."
Kanoru arrived at the practice field and found it completely empty. He thought, *I have the whole place to myself.*
Sitting down, he took a deep breath and began opening the inner gates of his body, one by one. Up to the fourth gate, there was no visible reaction, but as he opened the fifth, a surge of energy erupted within him. Like a wildfire, it raged through his body, surrounding him in a red aura that flickered like flames.
He focused his chakra, trying to tame the wild energy, but it bucked like an untamed horse, tearing through his insides and leaving internal injuries. After five minutes, he shut the gate, sensing the accumulated damage reaching a dangerous level.
Channeling his chakra, he directed it toward his injured areas, accelerating his body's natural healing. Fifteen minutes later, he resumed training. Repeating this process again and again helped him grow familiar with the energy inside the fifth gate. With each attempt, he gained more control, slowly refining it into his chakra. This not only strengthened his control over the energy but also tempered his body.
On his third recovery session, as his chakra worked to heal his wounds, he heard approaching footsteps. A voice called out, "Kanoru! Where are you?"
Under the moonless, starless sky, Asuna couldn't see him.
Hearing her voice, Kanoru recognized it immediately and called out, "Here." He listened as her footsteps drew closer.
"Kanoru, tomorrow we won't be following the caravan. We're heading to the Evergreen Sect," she said.
Kanoru frowned. "Why? Is it because of Bai Yue? I didn't know you two had become so close."
Asuna crossed her arms. "I learned something surprising—you know, Bai Yue is my cousin."
Kanoru raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Did she have any news about your mother?"
Asuna nodded. "She did. Mother was poisoned and has been unconscious for months, but don't worry—her life isn't in danger. The Evergreen Sect has a pill called the 'Hundred Herb Pill' that can wake her. I want to escort it to her personally."
Kanoru considered this and then said, "Then at dawn, I'll inform the manager, and we'll leave for the Evergreen Sect." He closed his eyes, focusing on healing his body.
Asuna hesitated before asking, "Are you not coming back with me?"
Without opening his eyes, Kanoru replied, "I want to practice a little longer."
Asuna suddenly said, "Okay," and she walked away, leaving Kanoru to practice.