The next morning came with pale sunlight stretching through the bamboo slats of Crane Ridge Villa.
Damon rose early and refreshed, silent in thought after cleaning up as he stood by the open courtyard pond for a moment, watching the koi break the surface of the water. When his trio of subordinates joined him, he turned to them without preamble.
"We're heading to the Sect Square," he said simply.
The group departed shortly after, dressed in the attire Damon had purchased for them the day prior.
As they stepped out of the villa's main gates, a few local villagers who had caught wind of the villa's new ownership whispered behind cupped hands. Some made signs of reverence, others of warding disaster, but Damon paid them no mind.
