The carriage traveled through Jinhung City toward Wang Clan Manor, passing streets where merchants had already begun discussing Autumn Memory Pavilion's destruction. Madam Lily remained quiet beside Guo Jiang, although her hands tightened whenever she remembered the people who had died inside the establishment. The six major clans held considerable influence over Jinhung's commerce, employment, transportation, and the movement of valuable resources. Their economic strength allowed them to maintain armed retainers and extensive estates, giving their patriarchs authority beyond ordinary wealthy households. Guo Jiang understood that influence because he had inherited responsibility for a region whose stability depended partly upon those established families. His position as Eastern Demigods stood above local clan authority, yet ruling did not require interfering in every merchant di

Wang Dewu remained seated after Guo Jiang announced the need for compensation, considering what acceptance would mean for his household and reputation. The patriarch had lost his only son, yet he also understood that the Eastern Demigods possessed authority beyond any single Jinhung clan. "Your Excellency, I will accept responsibility for my retainers' actions, but I ask that my son's murder remain part of your investigation." Guo Jiang nodded, recognizing that compensation should not be presented as an exchange for abandoning the search for Wang Ding's killer. "The assassination remains unresolved, Patriarch Wang, and I intend to investigate the foreign forces connected with the disturbances in eastern Logun." Madam Lily listened without interruption, grateful that the judgment did not treat her employees' deaths as an insignificant extension of a commercial loss. <

Sakimoto remained beside the large map, waiting for Ning Ju to identify the person responsible for the deaths of ten foreign operatives. The silence between them grew uncomfortable because he recognized her reluctance, although he could not yet determine its cause. "Was this person someone we knew in Yin Continent, or are you referring to an acquaintance from another period of your life?" Ning Ju glanced toward the map before answering, her expression revealing little of the turmoil beneath her controlled appearance. "The answer matters less than the danger, Sakimoto, and I have already advised you to prepare an evacuation." His pale face tightened, and he placed one hand against the table as though restraining the anger rising through him. "You cannot return after losing ten operatives, demand that everyone withdraw, and refuse to identify the enemy responsi

By the third night watch, the Almaria Chamber of Commerce had begun preparing its personnel to leave Shiwei City. The compound remained orderly despite the urgency, with guards and attendants following established instructions rather than spreading rumors about the reason for departure. Ning Ju had finished preparing her belongings, although she still did not know whether Sakimoto would accept the evacuation himself. The decision to move north had already shaped the preparations, because other foreign forces were expected to be operating in that direction. She understood that the withdrawal represented preservation rather than a new offensive, especially after the losses suffered in Jinhung. The Spirit Ship waited above the city, its crew attending to the ordinary preparations required before leaving the coastal trading region. Below, the night watch continue