The next day after the battle, the manor lay in ruins. Debris and rubble were scattered everywhere, and the walls were crumbled and broken. The once beautiful garden was now a mess of uprooted plants and shattered ornaments.
As word of the attack spread, people began to gather in the nearby towns to discuss what had happened. There were rumors and speculations about who the stranger could be and why he had attacked the manor. Some believed he was a rival cultivator of Aric, while others thought he might have been hired by a jealous competitor.
