A heavy, suffocating atmosphere lingered over Falling Leaf Town. The earlier peace had been completely shattered.
What remained was a tense silence, the kind that followed the arrival of something far beyond the understanding of ordinary people.
No one in the town fully understood who these soldiers were or what authority they truly represented. But the moment the cavalry appeared and spoke of war conscription, fear had already taken root.
It was not just fear of soldiers. It was fear of power. Soon, the leader of the cavalry stepped forward once more.
He sat tall upon his armored warhorse, gaze sweeping across the trembling crowd.
His voice was cold and carried an unquestionable authority, infused faintly with spiritual energy so that every word echoed clearly through the town.
"My King Ji Canghai is currently engaged in a grand war against the barbarian tribes beyond the northern border," he declared.
