Under the afternoon sun, a large white carriage traveled through the wilderness. Some distance ahead stood a building with a sign reading ''Fulu Rest House''. Around it, horses were tethered, and carriages were parked as people moved in and out.
The white carriage gradually slowed to a stop in front of the rest house. Kanoru, the driver, climbed down first. As he landed, a face peeked out from the carriage window—Bai Yue.
"Brother, why—" she started, then noticed the rest house and immediately thought of food. "Fulu Rest House."
Kanoru said, "I'll buy food. You all wait inside the carriage."
Asuna, understanding the situation, countered, "Let's go inside together."
Kanoru hesitated. He recalled stories from novels in his past life where the presence of beautiful women often invited trouble for the protagonist. Though he didn't see himself as one, he knew beauty attracted problems. With not one, but three stunning women in his company, he expected trouble from unruly or reckless men.
"Wear your veils before stepping out," he instructed.
They didn't object, and within two minutes, all three emerged, their faces now covered.
Kanoru gave a satisfied nod, then stepped forward, took Asuna's hand, and led the way toward the rest house.
Kanoru pushed open the door to the rest house and stepped inside. The room buzzed with conversation as men and women in diverse clothing filled most of the tables. Scanning the room, he spotted an empty table and led his companions to their seats.
After settling in, he looked around and spotted a waiter. "Waiter," he called.
A young boy, finishing up with another table, hurried over. "What would you like to eat?"
"What's on the menu?" Kanoru asked.
The boy quickly listed the available dishes. Kanoru turned to the three women. "What do you want to eat?"
Asuna hesitated. "I don't know most of the dishes. Cousin, you decide."
Bai Yue thought for a moment. "Silver-lin fish, Fried Goose, and Mountain Goat are the best choices."
Kanoru nodded. "Bring four plates of each, along with rice and a few good side dishes."
The boy nodded. "It'll be ready in twenty minutes."
As the boy left, Asuna, Mika, and Bai Yue leaned in and began whispering among themselves. Kanoru didn't join them. Instead, he focused on the conversations of the other patrons, picking up bits and pieces of local news.
"The Gu family from Shadong Town is hiring priests to kill a demon that murdered their eldest son."
"A war has broken out between the Black Tiger Gang and the Silver Snake Gang at Pearl Fish River. It's making travel across the river dangerous."
"A young man from the Si family advanced to middle-rank priest at just twenty years old!"
"The Wu and Pi families are arranging a marriage alliance."
"Li Shi, a poor villager, passed the imperial exam!"
"Darling, don't be mad! I'll get you your favorite Silver-Lin Fish!"
But then, from a table nearby, a thin man spoke in a hushed but urgent tone.
"Did you hear? The Evergreen Sect has been destroyed."
Kanoru's eyes widened, his focus snapping to the conversation.
He studied the thin man carefully. Seated with three others, and their clothing suggested they came from middle-class families.
Another man leaned in, whispering, "I heard the same thing this morning at the market. They say men dressed in black wiped out the Evergreen Sect last night."
"Really?" one of the others asked, doubtful.
"It's true, I can confirm it," the third man said firmly.
The thin man frowned. "Are you sure?"
The fourth man nodded. "Yes. My wife's brother works as a guard at the governor's mansion. Yesterday morning, six teenagers arrived there, all wearing the Evergreen Sect's outer disciple uniforms. They claimed the sect was attacked by men in black."
The third man hesitated. "So… they don't actually know if the sect was completely destroyed?"
"No," the fourth man admitted. "But the governor sent people to investigate. In a few days, we'll have confirmation."
The second man shook his head. "I never heard of the Evergreen Sect having enemies."
"Exactly," the thin man agreed. "The sect maintained good relations with other forces, even the imperial court, because of their pills. Why would anyone attack them?"
"The teenagers didn't know," the fourth man said.
Their conversation soon drifted to another topic. Kanoru let out a slow breath and glanced at his own table. Asuna, Mika, and Bai Yue were still whispering among themselves, unaware of what he had just heard.
Kanoru's mind churned with the weight of what he had just heard. But he chose not to inform Asuna, Bai Yue, or Mika yet.
"Why would such a powerful sect, with no apparent enemies, be destroyed?" he wondered. "Was it because they possessed something valuable? Or did they stand in someone's way?"
He decided to tell them only after they had left the rest house. Bai Yue's reaction was unpredictable, and if the Evergreen Sect had truly fallen, her situation was dangerous. As the sect leader's daughter, she might still be a target. "The enemy could still be searching for her," he thought grimly.
Another concern weighed on his mind. They couldn't go directly to the Evergreen Sect. If it was destroyed, marching straight into the ruins could be a death trap. But where could they find reliable information?
'The Evergreen Sect was the unofficial ruler of Ren County,' he mused. "They must have businesses and industries in the towns and cities. Before heading to the sect, we should visit those places to confirm the truth."
Resolving to follow this plan, Kanoru finished his meal in silence. After paying the bill, he stepped out of the rest house with Asuna, Bai Yue, and Mika.
Taking Asuna aside, he quietly told her what he had overheard.
Asuna, shocked, asked, "Are you sure?"
Kanoru shook his head. "I'm not. I only heard it from a conversation inside the rest house."
Asuna frowned. "Then what do we do?"
"We shouldn't tell Bai Yue yet," Kanoru said.
Asuna nodded. "But we also can't take her straight to the Evergreen Sect. The attackers could be waiting for her."
"Ren County's capital is only half a day's journey from here. Let's go there first and confirm the news," Kanoru suggested.
Asuna agreed but hesitated. "What do we tell her about the detour?"
Kanoru replied, "We'll say we don't know if her father is still at the sect, so we're stopping by the capital first. It's on the main road between the Evergreen Sect and Qinhua City anyway."
Asuna took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do that." She climbed into the carriage and relayed the plan to Bai Yue. To Kanoru's relief, Bai Yue agreed without suspicion.
Kanoru flicked the reins, steering the carriage toward Ren County's capital.