The energy of the world shifted and began to move. It was like a dragon awakening, or a volcano erupting. Darian was, obviously, the center of it all—waves of Qi surrounded him and rose into the sky. He looked like a war god floating between heaven and earth.
Everyone stared at Darian as if he were a monster. This kind of power was something they had never seen or even heard of. The most shocking part was that his power resonated with the laws of the world.
No one could sense his cultivation, but they all felt that he was incredibly strong.
'Let me tell you this first: my attacks are just for show, to scare people. You'd better hurry, because if I die, I'll turn into a ghost and haunt you every night!' Darian said to Princess Lanaya.
Lanaya herself was startled by Darian's aura. An invincible force radiated from him, as if he were a god who had descended into the mortal world.
But when his voice echoed in her mind, that invincible image vanished like smoke. What kind of unmatched divine cultivator would say something like that?
'I know. Hurry,' she shot back.
Darian took a deep breath and moved, holding the same broken sword he had picked up earlier.
The old man coughed up blood. He was very close to activating his explosive power, but these people kept delaying him.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
The people around were amazed as the two clashed swiftly, sending sharp waves in every direction. They looked like two high-level experts, and Darian was fighting on equal footing.
"Ascending Dragon!"
Suddenly, that sharp voice echoed through the sky, and Lanaya's sword slashed downward. There was no trail of light—just a faint black crack appearing in space.
"!"
The old man was struck by that black fissure and exploded instantly, turning into nothing but dust that scattered into the air.
It was over. He was brutally killed without being able to do anything.
But everything he had been doing in secret was buried in the ruins, so the Kingdom could investigate properly.
Lanaya's eyes quickly lost their glow after using that move. Although the shine returned soon after, Darian knew she had paid a heavy price to use it. She was just pretending.
Darian smiled faintly. He already had some experience dealing with proud princesses.
"The princess is powerful and domineering. I still have some things to take care of, so I'll be on my way. If there's a chance in the future, I'll treat the princess to a meal," Darian said as he turned to leave.
"Wait! Who said you could leave?"
Lanaya spoke, looking at Darian with curiosity. She had felt something was off the entire time. Now, seeing him trying to leave so quickly, she became even more convinced that something was suspicious.
"Princess, are you trying to invite me to a meal? I appreciate your kindness, but I just ate, so let's schedule it for another day. On that occasion, I'll fully enjoy Your Highness's hospitality," Darian said smoothly.
"What is going on here? You want to leave without even giving your name? Don't you think you owe us a clear explanation?" Lanaya replied coldly, glancing around and pointing at the ruins on the ground. It was obvious she wanted to take Darian in for questioning.
She still felt something strange about him, but couldn't pinpoint what. Even though she had killed the old man, she still felt uneasy. So she wanted an excuse to keep Darian nearby.
However, she spent most of her time cultivating and lacked social skills. This was a rare day when she was allowed to leave the royal castle. So she used what she was most comfortable with—her status as a princess—to pressure Darian.
"Sorry, this humble one is called Darian. But what is there to explain? I found that bastards' stronghold and, for the honor of the great White Scale Kingdom, I risked my life to provoke them, causing a huge disturbance so you could come and kill them. Was there anything wrong with that?" Darian shrugged.
"But you… You could have reported it, and we could've handled the situation from there," the princess muttered.
"Princess, are you serious?" Darian shook his head. "Since they dared operate right in the capital of the White Scale Kingdom, do you think they wouldn't be prepared? They have countless external workers. How many eyes do they have among the street vendors you passed on your way here? By the time your men arrived, they would've been long gone. My method was the only right choice."
Lanaya's face turned slightly red at his arguments. Unable to refute him, she said irritably, "I don't care! Either way, you're coming back with us. There are many things you need to explain!"
Darian snorted, speechless. At that exact moment, a group of people approached.
Leading them was a young man. He wore proper clothing, even though much of his body was covered in white scales. He was handsome, quite similar to Lanaya—he was precisely the prince of the Kingdom.
"So you must be the world-famous Darian!?"
He had heard Darian's name earlier. That name had been spread across all four kingdoms as a declared enemy, wanted by the Golden Scale Kingdom.
Seeing the two arguing, the young man had no choice but to step in. He understood his little sister better than anyone. If he let her continue like this, he had no idea how embarrassed she might end up.
"I wouldn't dare call myself world-famous. May I ask who you are?" Darian replied politely.
The young man nodded and said, "This humble one is the Grand Prince—"
"Why so many words? He's Prince Davion, my Big Brother. Hurry up and come with us," Lanaya cut in impatiently, seeing them waste time on formalities.
Interrupted, Prince Davion said awkwardly, "Ahem, Sir Darian, how about we change locations before talking? This place isn't very suitable."
Darian smiled faintly and nodded. This guy was a good Big Brother.
Lanaya's expression turned a bit unpleasant when she saw Darian accept Davion's invitation so quickly. Darian hadn't given her any consideration before. She frowned, on the verge of exploding in anger.
"Mind your image." The elder right behind Davion suddenly frowned and spoke coldly.
Even the stubborn princess immediately fell silent. She pouted, her eyes turning red. That aggrieved expression made it look like she was about to cry.
That same elder waved his hand, and one of the surrounding buildings released a wave of light that enveloped everyone.
They disappeared from the spectators' sight.
They had just left when the Kingdom's soldiers arrived to clean up the damage. The spectators dispersed, but today, besides witnessing the princess's beauty and power, they also learned another name: Darian.
...
Darian was taken to an open-air flower garden. All kinds of rare flowers grew there, spreading their fragrance.
"Prepare wine and food at once. Use the standards of a Royal banquet," the prince ordered the servants.
They were surprised to hear that, but quickly left. The guards and elders who had been following the two princes were also dismissed.
"Humph, they're finally gone!" Lanaya celebrated immediately, like a bird that had been trapped in a cage for too long and had finally regained its freedom.
She immediately started making things difficult for the guest. "Darian, I demand to know why you refused to come when I invited you, but the moment he showed up, you agreed right away!"
Lanaya stared at Darian stiffly. His actions had clearly irritated her, and now that the elder had left, she went back to acting shamelessly.
"You little brat, stop causing trouble. If you keep this up, I'll report you to our father," Prince Davion complained.
"You…! You're cruel! I wasn't even doing anything to you… You weren't like this before… You're all bad men trying to bully me!"
Darian almost sighed inwardly as the powerful Lanaya started sobbing. He was baffled—at least Princess Tetoya was a truly strong and talented woman, and she would never cry or act this childishly.
Seeing Darian's stunned expression, Davion felt embarrassed. His little sister had always gotten along well with him since childhood. She often threw tantrums, and no matter what happened, she would always ask him to defend her. He truly loved her… but he had spoiled her and couldn't handle her properly.
"Lanaya, you're already a grown woman. You can't keep acting like this…" Davion said helplessly.
"Now that I'm older, you don't love me anymore, right? Father doesn't love me, mother doesn't love me, and now even you don't love me… That hurts the most!" Lanaya's face was covered in tears. It was heartbreaking to see.
"Alright, stop. I still love you, so stop crying!" Davion couldn't take it and patted her back.
"But you're still so cruel to me, saying you'll report me!"
"Fine, I won't report you, I won't be mean to you. It's all Big Brother's fault, okay?" Davion said helplessly.
"Really? Hehe, I knew Big Brother loved me more than anyone else. Darian, I demand to know why you didn't accept my invitation but came immediately when Big Brother invited you!"
Lanaya's face was still covered in crystal-like tears, but she had a victorious smile on her face.
"You!" Davion almost exploded in anger. He had fallen into her trap once again.
"Big Bro, why are you so stingy? I'm just asking a question. Do you have to glare at me like that?" Lanaya said.
Darian already regretted not choosing to approach the prince first. This princess was an extremely spoiled child.
Even so, he couldn't help but find it a bit amusing. Their sibling relationship moved him. After all, in royal families—where in many universes relationships were complicated and used only for personal advancement—it wasn't uncommon for children to kill their parents or for siblings to fight over power.
"Sir Darian, I…" Davion was also helpless.
"It's fine. The princess's question isn't hard to answer," Darian said. He noticed Davion giving him a meaningful look, signaling him to respect Lanaya, or she would immediately become hostile. Darian continued:
"If I had accepted the princess's invitation, the day of my death would've come sooner. I'm quite fond of being alive, so I couldn't accept it."
Lanaya was left speechless. Had he misunderstood her? She immediately exploded in anger. "I'm not that kind of unreasonable person! If I invited you as a guest, why would I kill you?!"
Darian shook his head. "You didn't understand what I meant. As soon as I entered the capital, I heard about the princess's exceptional beauty and unmatched abilities. You have countless admirers, and some of them line up outside the city just to see you. The line stretches endlessly… this humble one wouldn't dare accept a private invitation from the princess; those admirers would tear me apart."
Hearing that, Lanaya immediately smiled like a blooming flower. "So that's it. Hehe, tell me, which gate are they lining up at?"
"?"
She actually believed that nonsense? Darian realized she was genuinely full of expectation and didn't seem to be pretending.
He had only been giving a disguised apology, exaggerating a bit to turn it into a joke so everyone could laugh it off. But this girl actually believed it.
"Ahem… Sir Darian was talking about something that happened a few months ago. Lanaya, it's time for you to head back. You need to recover your internal energy, right? I need to discuss some matters with our guest," Davion quickly interrupted.
Lanaya was a bit reluctant, but she was eventually dismissed by her brother, even if somewhat forcefully.
"Sorry. This little sister of mine still has a child's temper. She… she's just spoiled." After sending her away, the prince apologized to Darian.
Darian shook his head. "There's nothing to laugh about. In fact, I envy you a lot. I wish I could've spoiled my little sister too. If she wanted to act like a spoiled child, I'd be happy to let her…"
Watching the bond between those two, Darian remembered his own little sister, Lucy. She only behaved like a younger sister when their mother was still alive. After that, she was brutally forced to mature—and then forced to fight.
Davion took a deep breath and nodded. "Sir Darian, come. The food and drinks are ready."
All kinds of delicacies were laid out on a table. They looked like precious jewels and smelled delicious. The first thing Darian thought of wasn't eating—but Niara. She would be very happy right now if she were here.
Then, he began tasting the food slowly.
"Try some of this. This is a special drink made from the Goddess's Dew. Please, have a taste." The prince handed Darian a cup filled with wine.
There was no scent coming from the cup at all. It looked like pure water. But… Darian felt a trace of power in it.
It was Niara's power.
It was almost identical to what he had felt in the body of that prince he had killed earlier.
Darian looked at the prince seriously. "Where did you get this?"
He smiled and replied calmly, "You don't know? The Goddess Temple distributes the Goddess's Dew to anyone who deserves it. Their priests are pretty strict, but anyone can try."
Darian sighed. He quickly remembered seeing something like that—something he had ignored—in that prince's memories.
Taking a deep breath, Darian drank a little, then ate lightly.
Soon, the two started chatting about random things. Davion tried to introduce him to some women from the royal family, hoping to get him to join the Kingdom. But he was surprised to learn that Darian was already married—and that his wife was a bit explosive, and if she heard about that, it would probably turn into a bloodbath.
Before long, they found common ground: their little sisters.
Darian shared that he had lived a complicated life, and his little sister hadn't been able to stay a child for long. That moved Davion, as he could feel the bitterness in Darian's words.
That brought them much closer. After several minutes, a delicate question came up:
"Sir Darian, I heard you killed Prince Wuini?"
Darian nodded. Then he explained exactly what he had seen on that mountain, which made the prince furious. The Golden Scale Kingdom was, in fact, a mortal enemy of the White Scale Kingdom, and they had nearly gone to war multiple times.
"When I was joking around with your sister, it seems she…" After answering, it was Darian's turn to ask a difficult question directly.
Anger appeared in Prince Davion's eyes.
"I'm not afraid of being laughed at, but just mentioning this already makes me furious. That girl… even though she has powerful cultivation, her mind is simple. She was charmed by an idiot pretending to be a hero, and ended up falling for one of the three princes of the Golden Scale Kingdom—Gofan." Davion was filled with anger as he spoke.
Darian's expression turned indifferent. He had guessed it correctly after seeing some fragmented information in that other prince's memories.
If Lanaya had really been seduced by a prince from the enemy kingdom, that would be a huge disgrace—and a devastating blow to the morale of the White Scale Kingdom.
"Didn't you try to convince her?" Darian asked, even though he already knew the answer.
Davion replied helplessly, "Do you think she would listen to me? She's extremely stubborn and refuses to listen to anyone."
"And your father?" Darian asked, referring to the king.
"Him? Hmph, he only cares about the Kingdom. Even though he hasn't said anything, I understand him. He does what's best for the nation. If Lanaya dares to try to marry Gofan, my father won't hesitate to kill her before that happens," Davion snorted angrily, clearly dissatisfied with his father.
"Really?" Darian feigned surprise.
"You just don't get it." The prince shook his head. "All rulers have to act like that. They must put the Kingdom's interests above their own. Anyone can be sacrificed for the nation. Even though I don't agree with that kind of thing, I have no choice but to admit there's no other solution. The White Scale Kingdom doesn't belong only to the imperial family—it belongs to every civilian living in it, and we have a responsibility to all of them."
Davion felt extremely frustrated about the situation. He understood Lanaya better than anyone. She was too stubborn and sometimes refused to change her mind even if it meant death. That was what worried him.
"Sir Darian, if you have the chance, I hope you can help me talk some sense into her. I really don't want to see the day she dies by our father's butcher blade." Davion looked at Darian with a pleading expression.
Darian sighed. He wanted to say he was powerless to do anything about it, but seeing Davion's pleading look, he couldn't bring himself to say it. At the very least, this might help him reach that place in less than two months, without causing trouble.
"Alright, I'll do what I can."
If their roles were reversed, he wouldn't be able to just stand by while his little sister fell into someone else's trap either. And the hardest part to accept was that the one who would kill his little sister would be their own father. That was incredibly tragic.
"Thank you very much. My little sister rarely talks to others, but she treats you differently. If she gets stubborn, just give in a bit, and she'll quickly become your friend. Even though she's stubborn and petty, she's kind at heart and trusts people easily. Otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen so deeply for that bastard," the prince said with a bitter smile.
The two kept drinking for several more minutes. Until…
"Lanaya, you came at the right time! Take Sir Darian for a visit to the Goddess Temple," Davion said excitedly when he saw his sister returning. Then, he gave Darian a meaningful look.
