After being stopped at the entrance of the , did not insist.
He simply turned around and abandoned the idea.
There was no reason to force entry into a place reserved for someone like .
Instead, he returned to the market.
The atmosphere there had changed.
A crowd had gathered, voices overlapping in confusion and fear.
Li Tian stopped near a fruit vendor.
"What happened?" he asked calmly.
The vendor lowered his voice.
"Three royal guards were killed."
"They belong to Young Master Ming."
Li Tian's expression did not change, but his thoughts paused.
"Killed?"
The vendor nodded.
"The Nightwatchers say it was the work of an assassin."
Li Tian immediately glanced at the members of the beside him.
The Shadow Veil leader stepped forward and spoke in a low tone.
"It wasn't us."
He continued calmly.
"The wounds on the bodies… do not match our techniques."
Li Tian believed him.
The Shadow Veil did not need to lie.
That meant someone else had interfered.
Soon after, the situation escalated.
The Nightwatchers sealed parts of the market and began investigating.
Every foreign merchant present was taken into custody for questioning.
Li Tian was no exception.
The officers examined each person carefully, looking for traces of qi, suspicious movements, or hidden weapons.
Li Tian remained calm throughout.
After a thorough investigation, no evidence pointed toward him or any of the other merchants.
One by one, they were released.
But before the situation could settle—
A powerful presence descended upon the market.
The crowd parted instantly.
arrived, surrounded by his guards.
Beside him stood an old woman.
Her presence alone suppressed the entire area.
She was .
A cultivator at the peak of the Half-Saint Realm.
For over a hundred years, she had served the Tang family—the maternal family of Ming—and had protected him since birth.
Her gaze swept across the crowd.
Then it stopped on Li Tian.
Without warning—
She moved.
A sudden attack surged toward him.
The air itself seemed to tighten under her pressure.
Before it could reach Li Tian, the Shadow Veil leader stepped forward.
With great effort, he blocked the attack.
Even then, the difference in strength was clear.
He was only at the beginning of the Half-Saint Realm, barely holding against her.
Grandma Tang's eyes narrowed.
"Shadow qi…"
She stepped closer.
"Explain."
An investigation began immediately.
Li Tian did not resist.
When he had previously ordered the Shadow Veil to protect the boy, the guards had only been knocked unconscious.
But traces of shadow qi remained on their bodies.
That was enough to raise suspicion.
However, as the investigation continued, another detail emerged.
The killing method used on the guards was different.
Darker.
More vicious.
It carried a different type of shadow energy.
"The Venomous Shadow Assassin Cult…" Grandma Tang muttered.
This organization was one of the top assassination forces within the .
Unlike the Shadow Veil, their techniques were poisonous, cruel, and designed purely for killing.
Yet no direct trace of them could be found.
No witnesses.
No remaining clues.
With uncertainty still present, Grandma Tang made a decision.
"We will detain him."
Before the guards could act, Li Tian calmly took out a token.
A simple object.
But the moment it appeared, the atmosphere shifted.
The token of the title—
"Emperor's Friend."
Granted by .
Grandma Tang's expression changed slightly.
She immediately called an informer and ordered verification.
After a tense wait, confirmation arrived.
The token was genuine.
Silence followed.
Grandma Tang stepped back.
"You are free to go."
But beside her, Ming's expression darkened.
His guards had been humiliated.
And now, his pride had been touched.
He said nothing.
But the intent was clear.
The next day, Li Tian returned to the Dragon Tear Flower Garden.
This time, it was open.
Merchants, travelers, and nobles filled the area, admiring the red flowers and the calm river flowing through them.
The atmosphere was peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
As Li Tian walked along the garden paths, his attention was drawn to a figure.
A person wearing a white robe.
A mask covered most of the face, but the eyes were visible.
Red eyes.
The same as the royal bloodline of the Blaze Continent.
Li Tian moved closer.
From the posture and movement, he realized—
It was a girl.
Her eyes were striking.
Even among the sea of red flowers, they stood out.
She was holding street food, eating casually.
In a way that completely contradicted her identity.
When she noticed Li Tian approaching, she froze.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Then—
Panic.
She quickly threw away the food and turned to run.
In her haste, a small hairpin slipped from her hair and fell to the ground.
Li Tian watched her disappear into the crowd.
Then he bent down and picked up the hairpin.
Later that day, an official invitation arrived.
As planned by , Li Tian was invited to the royal palace.
A grand reception had been prepared.
After all, he was now known as the "Emperor's Friend" of Long Fang.
Inside the royal court, Li Tian finally saw Dongfang Jun.
For a brief moment—
Something felt strange.
Even Li Tian paused slightly.
Jun's appearance was… unreal.
Refined features.
Calm presence.
Almost too perfect.
It created a strange sense of discomfort.
Jun noticed the reaction but maintained his composure and introduced himself formally.
He then introduced his younger brother Ming, along with the prime minister and other officials.
Li Tian maintained a calm expression, but a strange thought briefly crossed his mind—
This man is more beautiful than most women…
He immediately dismissed it.
Irrelevant.
Focus returned.
That night, a banquet was arranged.
During the dinner, Dongfang Jun showed clear respect.
He had already gathered detailed information about Li Tian.
And what he learned had increased his interest.
As the conversation continued, Li Tian finally spoke.
His tone was calm.
But his words were calculated.
"Your Majesty…"
"Would you like to earn more?"