They fall into silence, the weight of Asuna's identity and the dangerous web of political schemes pressing down on them.
Xialing's fingers twitch slightly. If she reveals her true strength, she might be able to protect Kanoru—but doing so would expose too much. For now, that's the last resort.
Bai Jun runs a hand through his hair, frowning deeply. He tries to think of a way out, a solution, but everything feels like walking into blades. His gaze shifts to Bai Yanli. She didn't come all this way just for conversation. She must have a reason—a plan.
"Cousin?" he says, his voice unsure but hopeful.
Xialing also turns toward her, reading her calmly. She knows the truth too—Bai Yanli's blood purity means she's someone of high status in the Bai Family. If anyone here holds the weight to make a move that could shield Kanoru from both the First Prince and the Sky Sword Sect, it's her.
The First Prince… even if he knows the truth, even if Kanoru and Asuna were never truly married, the rumours have spread. That alone is a stain he won't accept. And the new elders of the Sky Sword Sect? Their plan is unravelling. If the sect leader receives the Blood Pearl without their control, they'll lose all influence. So no matter how innocent Kanoru is, they'll want him gone.
Xialing's voice is quiet but sharp. "Do you have a way to remove Kanoru's wanted order?"
If they could lift the warrant, Kanoru wouldn't have to run from the shadows. He could walk through cities, buy supplies, and speak to people without risking betrayal. The bounty wouldn't hang over his head like a blade.
Bai Yanli's expression doesn't change. "I can't take down an arrest order issued through JinHai's authority. Not unless Kanoru surrenders himself and asks for a trial to prove his innocence."
Bai Jun immediately shakes his head. "No. With JinHai present, our influence in Mugen has shrunk. And with the First Prince's backing? If Kanoru enters jail, he'll be dead before dawn."
Xialing nods in agreement. "Even if he surrenders in another province, it's still too dangerous. They'll find a way to silence him."
"I know," Bai Yanli replies. "But if Kanoru enters Baidi, we can give him a fair trial. The Bai Family will support him. The problem is—if we move too openly, they'll target his family. Threaten him into admitting guilt. Even if we shield him, they'll strike elsewhere."
Bai Jun and Xialing both nod grimly. The web of power is too tight. Too many strings lead back to the First Prince and the new elders.
Bai Yanli inhales, then continues, "So my plan remains the same. We send Kanoru into the Yao region. Let him train, grow stronger, and return only when he reaches the second turn of the Great Samurai realm. By then, the First Prince's attention will shift. The Sky Sword Sect's internal power will stabilise. And if not, Kanoru's strength will make them hesitate. During that time, we'll work to clear his name and reach a settlement."
Bai Jun's eyes widen. He sees it now. He knows, if they bring Kanoru back through Baidi, the Bai Family could protect him openly. They could even relocate his family. Yet Bai Yanli pretends it's not an option. He doesn't understand why she's lying, but he doesn't refute her either.
Xialing folds her arms. "There's no other way?"
Bai Yanli meets Xialing's gaze. Her expression stays calm, but hesitation flickers beneath the surface. Xialing might know the geography and history of the Owani Kingdom, but she is clearly unaware of the finer layers of human politics. She doesn't question why a family as powerful as the Bai, a family capable of shaking royal stability, cannot simply remove a wanted order and shield a single man and his kin.
Leaning slightly, Bai Yanli rests her hand on the chair's armrest and says, "For now, there's no immediate danger. But the longer he stays in the Owani Kingdom, the greater the risk becomes. He should leave for the Yao region within a few days."
Xialing nods. "But before that, we need to find him."
Bai Jun looks up at the ceiling, as though searching through memory. "I only know he escaped last night. He was injured… by an elder from the Sky Sword Sect—a high-ranking samurai."
Bai Yanli's brow rises. Her surprise is real. Until now, she believed her fiancé was only a talented healer. But now it seems he's more than that. "How?" she asks.
Bai Jun sighs, a hint of conflicted pride and jealousy in his voice. "I heard he's comprehended the furthest edge of the artistic conception of wind and cloud. According to that elder, his cultivation has reached late middle-ranking Samurai. He's also proficient in a high-level movement technique."
Yanli's mind begins working. The plan remains the same—send Kanoru to the Yao region. No matter how gifted he is, without a powerful bloodline, his path would still likely end at the second turn of the Great Samurai realm.
But if his potential exceeds that… then she would need to reassess. Perhaps even offer him benefits, compensation, something to bind him to their family. So that if he returns alive, he won't turn against them.
She turns to Xialing, her eyes thoughtful. "Do you know when he advanced to late middle-ranking Samurai?"
Xialing doesn't answer right away. Her thoughts are already drifting, scanning the possibilities of where Kanoru might have gone or how to track him. "Around fifteen days ago," she finally says.
Hearing that, something shifts in Bai Yanli's mind.
Only three months ago, Kanoru was in the early stages of Middle-Rank Samurai. Now, he's already at the late stage. If he continues at this pace, it wouldn't be surprising if he reached the High-Ranking Samurai realm within another three months. And from there, stepping into the Great Samurai realm would be a matter of time, not chance.
With such momentum, Yanli begins to wonder—does he also have talent in the Spiritual Way?
Even if he doesn't at the moment awaken his mental energy, it could awaken during the transition from High-Ranking to Great Samurai.
Many cultivators gained their spiritual talent only then. Her fingers press into her cheek as she rests her face on her palm, eyes narrowing in thought.
A new path unfolds in her mind—a route not just to smuggle Kanoru into the Yao region, but one that would train him, test him, and prepare him. A route where he might glimpse the edges of the Spiritual Way and gain strength enough to survive not only the Yao lands, but the political storm that awaits when he returns.
And if he returns before eighteen, with cultivation at the Spirit Core realm and the second turn of Great Samurai... then marrying him wouldn't be a shame—it would be a gain.
The Spirit Core realm corresponds to the Great Samurai realm. After that, cultivators aim for the True Core realm, then the Formation realm. Only beyond that lies the elusive Ancestral Realm.
There are only nine known Ancestral Realm cultivators. Seven from the Yao and Beast races. One dryad. One from the Fin race.
Among the seven ancestors from the Yao and Beast races, one should be from the Yao and Beast race.
The founder of the Spiritual Way had sacrificed his life to kill the Dark Ancestor. If he had killed the Dark Ancestor without sacrifice, then maybe the founder would be the Dark Ancestor.
And the human race's power in the world increases, and no longer lives at the mercy of the Beast races.
Yanli blinks, returning to the present. She looks at the others, her voice calm but edged with urgency.
"We have to quickly find Kanoru." She turns to her cousin. "Send out our scouts to locate him, and keep a close eye on the members of the Sky Sword Sect."
Bai Jun nods. Yes, they need to monitor the sect members. If they find Kanoru first, things could turn dangerous.
But if he remains hidden long enough to advance to High-Ranking Samurai, the sect members, without new reinforcement from the Sky Sword sect, won't be able to match him. And Bai Jun doubts someone like Kanoru would let go of a grudge once he gains power.
Xialing speaks up. "Can you tell me where the Sky Sword Sect members are now?"
Bai Jun looks at her carefully. "Don't do anything to them. For now, they're under Jinhai's protection."
"I know," Xialing replies. "I'll just observe. They're waiting—and so will I, until Kanoru moves to take revenge."
She remembers the day she followed Asuna to the secluded place where she and Kanoru used to train. If she hadn't been a dryad, she wouldn't have noticed Kanoru at all. That's why she's certain—none of them will be able to find him. The only way to meet him again is when he returns to settle scores with the Sky Sword Sect.
After confirming with Bai Jun that she'll be informed if there's any news about Kanoru or the sect, Xialing takes her leave.
As she walks out of Bai Jun's house, across the wide estate, she pauses. A small butterfly flutters down. She lifts her palm, letting it land. Her eyes flash green for the briefest moment—then the butterfly takes flight.
Without looking back, she resumes her steps toward her room.
The butterfly drifts through the estate and lands on a single green shrub nestled in a window box, unfazed by the winter chill.
It rests quietly outside Bai Jun's office window.
----
Under the cover of night, Merin moves through the quiet streets of Kage Town, cloaked and cautious. Due to the ongoing war, guards patrol every alley, but none notice him. The town's wooden buildings offer enough shadows and rooftops for someone like him to pass unseen.
He had entered Kage Town only at sunset, climbing over the town wall instead of using the gates—showing his face openly would be far too dangerous. As soon as he sets foot inside, he realises he made the right choice. Wanted posters bearing his face are plastered on the walls of nearly every building. Every street he passes confirms it—he's being hunted.
His frown deepens. Did the Bai Family refuse to help him? Or were they simply unable to? If they chose not to, then hiding the marriage contract was the right decision. Who knows what would have happened otherwise? Still, there's also a chance they tried but failed—he has no way of knowing.
He still doesn't understand why the Sky Sword Sect and another unknown faction want him dead. To uncover that, he needs to eavesdrop on the sect's members stationed in town. With his magical abilities, they'll never detect him. And he must learn whether Asuna was involved in this plot. If she were… he can't imagine what he might do.
Because of her, he left Susa City too early and was forced to involve himself in the Mugen conflict. And now the Sky Sword Sect wants him dead. He hopes she isn't involved—after all, she's only a disciple, even if she belongs to the sect leader. They wouldn't inform her of every decision, and if the matter concerned him, they might have chosen to keep it from her entirely.
But to get any answers, he needs information from the sect members themselves.
He walks the silent streets, peering into windows, searching. Eventually, he finds them within a small estate. Climbing over the wall, he spots two disciples patrolling the grounds. They pose no threat. He easily slips past them and climbs onto the roof of the main building.
Just as he's about to sneak inside, the thundering of hooves breaks the night silence. The estate gates slam open, and a rider gallops in, shouting news. Within moments, lights flicker to life inside the buildings, and people spill out.
Merin spots him, the elder who injured him.
"What is it? Why all this noise at this hour?" the elder barks.
The rider dismounts in haste. "Elder, urgent news!"
The elder scowls. "Is there any new information on that bastard Kanoru?"
The rider shakes his head. "No, Elder. But we've received word that tomorrow morning, the court, the Snow Mountain Tribe rebels, and the Beast Clan plan to begin the decisive battle."
The elder's expression darkens. "A decisive battle? So soon? General Jinhai only arrived in Mugen yesterday. He hasn't even begun to assemble his full forces."
Another man speaks. "Exactly. How could the General agree to this?"
A woman adds, "There must be a reason all three forces agreed to move now."
The elder narrows his eyes. "Where will the battle take place?"
"By the Lotus Lake," the rider replies.
The elder's eyes flash with something unreadable. "Prepare immediately. We leave for Lotus Lake at once." Without another word, he turns and enters the building.
From the rooftop, Merin frowns. A battle this sudden—something's wrong. When something feels wrong, there's often a demon behind it.
He vanishes from the rooftop without a sound, moving swiftly toward the Lotus Lake.
He no longer cares about the Sky Sword Sect members—they'll be heading there anyway. What matters now is finding out why the three factions have agreed to battle so prematurely. The outcome itself doesn't concern him. But he needs to know who wins.
Because the victor may reshape the fate of the Owani Kingdom.
And depending on the new situation, he'll need to adjust his next move. He has to return home. He needs to check on his parents, now that he's a wanted man. He still doesn't understand why the sect and that other force are targeting him, but he'll never let them harm his parents.
After regaining the memories of his past life, much of his emotional connection to them faded. Yet they are still his parents. He didn't possess someone else's body—he reincarnated into it. From flesh to spirit, they are truly his. Even if it's hard to admit, even if he hesitates to feel it.
They are his family.