Li Tianlie was stunned for a moment. Then, his eyes locked onto Ling Xiao’s, and a raging fire ignited in his heart.

Hai Tian was someone he had just acquired from the Wulan Clan. A Tier Two Demon Swordsman! This was no common Sword Master. Although Hai Tian had always been a wanted criminal of the Empire, for the Royal Family, that was no problem at all!

Li Tianlie had even given Hai Tian a rather fine name: Nameless. Yes, he declared that Hai Tian was Nameless, and from that moment on, Hai Tian was Nameless! Who would dare say otherwise?

To show his eagerness to recruit talent, Li Tianlie had specifically brought him and a few trusted confidants here to celebrate. He never imagined that such a High-level Martial Artist, such a rare and skilled fighter, would be killed in the middle of the street! And Ling Xiao’s completely nonchalant expression nearly made Li Tianlie faint from rage.

In fact, while Ling Xiao and Hai Tian were fighting, someone had already informed him of Ling Xiao’s identity and the history of the grudge between them. Li Tianlie was surprised that the mediocre third son of the Ling Family, the famous Celestial Vein Master, had suddenly become so outstanding. Seeing him together with his own younger brother, a trace of vigilance rose in his heart. He had even considered that if Hai Tian ended up killing Ling Xiao, he would just have to send Hai Tian to some remote place; he would never have punished him.

After all, Ling Xiao had been the one to provoke the fight first; many people present could attest to that. Although it was nothing shocking for a nobleman to kill someone without a title, if that person was in a Prince’s entourage, it was a different matter entirely.

Li Tianlie had even figured out how to handle the situation once Ling Xiao was killed. But what he never, ever expected was that he had predicted the beginning but failed to predict the end. Otherwise, he absolutely would have stopped this conflict.

"Really? Are you saying this prince was deceived?!" Li Tianlie’s face filled with indignation as he glared at his surrounding advisors and Guards. "You! Tell me, is what he said true?!"

Everyone exchanged glances. It was obvious the Prince was looking for a scapegoat. But who would be willing to take the fall for this? Years ago, in the Imperial Capital, Hai Tian had slaughtered an entire Marquis’s family overnight! The crime he committed was enough to warrant the execution of his entire clan! He had been secretly rescued by the Wulan Clan and had been in their service ever since, until Li Tianlie discovered him and demanded him from the Wulan Family. The Wulan Clan was already aligned with the Crown Prince’s faction, so of course they would jump at the chance to curry favor with Li Tianlie. Besides, Hai Tian had already annihilated that family, so the so-called manhunt was merely a gesture from His Majesty the King to appease the nobility. With no one desperately seeking revenge against him, Hai Tian had naturally been living quite freely.

Finally, one of Li Tianlie’s personal Guards had no choice but to step forward. With a look of shame, he said, "Your Highness, please calm your anger. It is all this lowly one’s fault. I should not have introduced him to you."

Li Tianlie’s eyes widened. "So you’re saying you knew his identity?" His tone was grim, his eyes fixed on his subordinate Guard.

The Guard understood the implication and shook his head repeatedly. "Your Highness, this lowly one did not know! I only recommended him to Your Highness because I saw he was skilled. I pray Your Highness will calm your anger."

Li Tianlie shot his Guard a fierce glare, then turned back to Ling Xiao and said, "Many thanks, young brother. If not for you, this prince would have nearly been deceived by a scoundrel and kept such a treacherous person by my side."

Ling Xiao gave a faint smile, clasped his hands in a brief salute to Li Tianlie, and turned to leave.

Li Tianlie watched Ling Xiao’s departing back, his expression fluctuating, as a strong sense of alarm rose in his heart. ’To think that mediocre talent from the Ling Family has become so outstanding. He killed my man and still managed to put me in his debt. Brilliant, truly brilliant!’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Constanda stared blankly at the handsome youth’s face, which bore no expression. Then he glanced at the betting pool he had just set up on his side; it seemed like a complete mockery.

Li Tianluo, smiling, swept the money into his Space Ring and asked Constanda, "Well? I didn’t take more than I was owed, did I?"

Constanda could only shake his head with a wry smile. Fortunately, after paying out the five thousand gold coins to Li Tianluo, he still had one thousand left. But the shock of today’s events was too great. He was a scholar and had always felt that the continent’s reverence for martial arts, this idea that strength determines everything, was incredibly foolish. ’No matter how great your martial power is,’ he thought, ’isn’t it still the scholars who govern the world?’

But today, he discovered he was wrong. Terribly wrong!

His father, Constant, once told him that on this continent, it wasn’t just martial power that decided everything. It was the people who possessed both formidable martial power *and* a superior intellect! They were the ones who could ensure a family’s lasting prosperity—this was true even for the Royal Family! The Crown Prince was sharp-witted, humble, and well-loved by the people, but why was he not as famous as the Southern King, Li Wutong? It was because Li Wutong was a Tier Three Demon Swordsman! The Crown Prince, on the other hand, only had the cultivation of a Sixth Rank Mad Sword Master.

Constanda had originally come to have dinner with friends, but now he had no appetite at all. He saw that the others looked as lost and shaken as he did. It clearly wasn’t because they had lost money, but because the third son of the Ling Family, the Celestial Vein Master, actually possessed the strength to slay a Demon Swordsman... This news was too astonishing. They had to go back and report this.

So, before Constanda could even suggest it, the others all waved their hands in farewell. Everyone knew what the others needed to do, so no one asked. They all went their separate ways.

Li Tianlie had long since lost any mood to celebrate. He glanced at Hai Tian’s corpse, whose eyes were still wide open, and gritted his teeth. "Hai Tian, the mass murderer wanted in the Imperial Capital for ten years, has been brought to justice! Hang his body at the city gate and display it for three days... as a warning to others!"

With that, he turned and stormed off with a flick of his sleeve. As he left, the look he gave Li Tianluo and Ling Xiao was heavy with meaning.

Li Tianluo, however, simply smiled warmly as he saw his royal brother off. Then he said quietly to Ling Xiao, "Brother Ling, your move really hit my dear brother where it hurts. And by extension, you’ve also offended the Crown Prince. To kill someone like that, why did you have to do it yourself?"

Ling Xiao just smiled faintly without a word, so Li Tianluo didn’t press the matter. When the three of them entered Xiangxie Residence, the stunningly beautiful hostesses all sized up Ling Xiao with looks of astonishment, many with a peculiar glint in their eyes.

’To kill one of the Prince’s men right under his nose, and then stroll in here for a meal as if nothing happened... how admirable!’

When Kaelin saw Yisha, her face lit up with joy. Upon learning about the major incident that had just occurred outside, Kaelin exclaimed, "Heavens, I can’t believe I missed a scene like that!" As she spoke, she shot a somewhat reproachful look at Li Tianluo.

Li Tianluo smiled and said, "From now on, you shouldn’t watch scenes of fighting and killing like that. I don’t want you to ever get hurt again!"

Sweet words always bring joy, and Kaelin was no exception. She smiled shyly and didn’t bring up the subject again.

The food at Xiangxie Residence was truly unique, and the group ate with great enjoyment. After experiencing the bloody battle in Cameron Town, a fight like today’s was hardly enough to affect their appetites.

Li Tianluo raised his cup to Yisha and Ling Xiao. "For certain reasons, I had to change my name. I hope you and Brother Ling can understand. You both saved Kaelin, and for that, I am endlessly grateful. I toast you both!" He drained his cup in one go, then looked at Ling Xiao again. "In the next ’First Sword of the Academy’ competition, Brother Ling will surely steal the show! Haha, I think Brother Ling has a great chance of surpassing the Sword Saint of yesteryear, Yun Zilan! The Ling Family’s General’s Son is truly worthy of the name; with both brothers being so outstanding, I imagine General Ling must be very proud, right?"

Ling Xiao’s eyebrow twitched, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Yun Zilan. He had heard that name before—a master who had managed to reach the realm of a Sword Saint in just fifty short years! A strong urge to fight Yun Zilan suddenly rose in Ling Xiao. ’Between him and Dugu Qiubai,’ he wondered, ’who is stronger?’