From The Boundless River Sect
Lin Mu, Cattaleya, and Elyon went the opposite direction.
They found a tavern not far from the inn, a broad wooden building with open sides and hanging lanterns that glowed warmly as evening settled in. The place slled of grilled at, fernted fruit wine, and spices. It was lively but not rowdy, with clusters of cultivators talking over food and drink.
Lin Mu chose a table near the side, one that allowed a clear view of the room.
As soon as they sat down, attention drifted their way.
Cattaleya was impossible to miss.
At over two ters tall, broad shouldered, and radiating an aura that felt more like a beast than a cultivator, she stood out even among immortals.
Conversations quieted briefly. People whispered behind cupped hands.
"Is she a beast kin?"
"That build... maybe?"
"But she looks human."
"There's another beast kin with them. The dark one."
Lin Mu caught fragnts of the murmurs without effort. His gaze flicked subtly around the tavern, taking in the faces.
He noticed sothing else too.
There were barely any beast kin present.
Aside from Elyon, he counted only one other beast kin in the entire tavern, a thin fox kin seated alone near the back, head lowered, quietly drinking. That was it.
Given the size of the city, that was abnormal.
Lin Mu rembered the way the guards at the gate had scrutinized Elyon. The delay. The extra questions. And he rembered what the Bear King had said. That many beast kin lived in human lands, but often kept to the margins.
"They're keeping a low profile," Lin Mu murmured quietly.
Elyon nodded faintly. "Especially now!"
"With the wedding?" Cattaleya asked.
"Yes," Elyon replied. "Large gatherings make people cautious. Beast kin tend to attract attention. Not always the good kind."
Lin Mu recalled sothing else. The Bear King Sect did not claim authority over all beast kin, but it was undeniable that they acted as a protector. Any conflict involving beast kin inevitably drew the sect's gaze.
From a human kingdom's perspective, that made beast kin... inconvenient. The server arrived before the mood could sour further.
Food and drinks were placed on the table. Roasted river beast ribs, skewered spirit birds, bowls of pickled vegetables, and large clay cups filled with amber colored liquor.
The tavern noise gradually swallowed the earlier whispers as people returned to their conversations.
Lin Mu relaxed slightly.
And soon, as expected, the chatter began to turn interesting.
"...I heard they're giving out immortal fruits," one man said loudly at a nearby table.
His companion snorted. "To everyone? That's nonsense."
"No, no," the first insisted. "Even commoners. One fruit per person. Doesn't matter where you're from."
Lin Mu's brows rose slightly.
Another table chid in.
"It's true. My cousin works in logistics in a local rchant union. The shipnts have already arrived. Storage vaults full of them."
"That's millions of stones worth," soone muttered. "Even if they're just common immortal fruits."
"Exactly," the first man said smugly. "That's how you show power."
Cattaleya leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms. "One fruit each. Huh. That's actually... kind of impressive."
Lin Mu nodded. "Symbolic generosity. It buys goodwill. And attention."
"Also distractions," Elyon added quietly.
The conversations continued to overlap, waves of rumors crashing into each
other.
"There are competitions too."
"Martial ones."
"Cultural ones as well. Poetry, formations, crafting"
"I heard the Golden Urn Sect is doing a public demonstration."
"That's just showing off."
"Of course it is."
"Of course you'll ignore them. You just want to watch the dance performance
of the Boundless River Sect."
"Who doesn't?"
"That's right, hahahaha!"
Lin Mu listened carefully.
Competitions ant crowds. Crowds ant congestion. Congestion ant
delays.
But there was nothing to be done about that now.
Then, inevitably, the topic shifted.
"So who's actually getting married?"
The question ca from a traveler at a nearby table, his accent unfamiliar.
Soone across from him laughed. "You really are new."
"Well?" the traveler pressed.
The man leaned forward conspiratorially. "It's not just one wedding. It's six."
Lin Mu's fingers paused briefly on his cup.
"Six?" the traveler repeated.
"Three kingdoms," the man continued, ticking off fingers. "Two sects. Cross
alliance marriages."
"Explain."
"Each kingdom is marrying into both sects."
The table leaned in.
"The Olive Canopy Kingdom," the man said, "is sending one prince to marry a
female core disciple of the Boundless River Sect. And one princess to marry a
male core disciple of the Golden Urn Sect."
Lin Mu exchanged a brief glance with Elyon.
The man continued without pause.
"The Alabaster Plains Kingdom is doing the sa. Prince to Boundless River.
Princess to Golden Urn."
"And the Great Steppe Kingdom?"
"They're a bit different," the man said. "Instead of a prince, they're sending one
of their top generals to marry a Boundless River core disciple. But they're still marrying a princess into the Golden Urn Sect."
"So..." the traveler said slowly, piecing it together. "Golden Urn Sect provides the n. Boundless River Sect provides the won."
"Exactly."
Cattaleya snorted softly. "Subtle.""
Lin Mu exhaled.
It was a clean arrangent. Politically neat. Balanced. No kingdom favored over
another. No sect left out.
And far from romantic.
"This isn't about love," ng Bai would have said, had he been there.
Lin Mu thought the sa.
"This locks the kingdoms and sects together for at least a few generations,"
Elyon murmured. "Blood ties. Shared interests."
"And shared enemies," Cattaleya added.
Lin Mu took a slow sip of his drink.
The Bear King's warning echoed faintly in his mind.
Strange movents. Increased activity.
This wedding was not probably not the cause.
It was the cover.
He did not voice that thought. He did wonder what reason did they need this
alliance for. Whether it was just a natural relationship, or if they were going up
against a power they were wary off.
For now though, they were observers. Travelers passing through.
And if they were careful, they would remain that way.
The tavern's lanterns flickered softly as the night deepened, and Three Union
City buzzed with anticipation.
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