Juan Diaz''s face paled as Conrad Thornton''s piercing gaze fixed on him.


    "Brothers?" Conrad''s voice was dangerously soft. "I''ve never seen this man in my life."


    I sipped my drink, enjoying the spectacle. Juan squirmed like a worm on a hook.


    "There must be some misunderstanding," Juan stammered, his earlier confidence evaporating. "I meant we''ve met at industry events."


    Conrad''s expression hardened. "I don''t attend small-market events in Havenwood City."


    "Sir, please," Juan pleaded, sweat beading on his forehead. "I simply admire your work from afar. A figure of speech—"


    "Enough," I cut him off, cing my ss down. "You''ve been running your mouth all evening about your connections while treating me and my associates with contempt."


    The restaurant had gone silent. Everyone was watching our table.


    Juan''s associate leaned in, whispering urgently in his ear. Juan''s eyes widened with recognition.


    "Wait... are you... Liam Knight? THE Liam Knight?" His voice cracked.


    I didn''t answer. I didn''t need to.


    "Mr. Knight," Juan stammered, "I had no idea. Please ept my deepest apologies for any disrespect—"


    "You called my guests ''actors,''" I reminded him coldly. "You suggested I hired security guards to pose as business leaders."


    Bert Mercer''s face darkened. "Is that so?"


    Juan''s hands trembled as he reached for his water ss. "A terrible joke. I didn''t mean—"


    "I don''t associate with people like you," I stated tly.


    The weight of those words hung in the air. Juan knew exactly what they meant.


    Qiue Ohli''s secretary stepped aside, phone pressed to her ear. After a brief conversation, she returned to the table.


    "Ms. Ohli has instructed all partners to cease coboration with Brilliant Real Estate, effective immediately," she announced. "The Riverside Heights construction will be reassigned to another developer."


    Juan gasped. "But that''s our biggest project!"


    Conrad Thornton was already dialing on his phone. "Hello, Daniel? Yes, terminate all pending agreements with Brilliant Real Estate in Havenwood City. Immediately." He ended the call without waiting for a response.


    Bert Mercer and the others followed suit, making simr calls in rapid session.


    Juan''s phone rang. His face contorted with panic as he answered.


    "What? That''s impossible!" he shouted into the receiver. "They can''t just stop construction! We have contracts!"


    I watched him disintegrate before my eyes.


    "What do you mean all five projects? Who ordered this?" Juan''s voice rose hysterically. "The Shince City Real Estate Association? They''re boycotting us?"


    The restaurant remained eerily quiet as Juan''s business empire crumbled in real-time. His associates had distanced themselves from him, moving to another table.


    "My bank ount is what?" Juan whispered hoarsely into his phone. "Frozen? On whose authority?"


    He finally looked up at me,prehension dawning on his face.


    "You''re not just Liam Knight," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "You''re the King of Eldoria."


    I nodded once.


    Juan fell to his knees beside our table. "Mr. Knight, please. I didn''t know. I have a family, loans to repay. Mypany employs hundreds..."


    "You should have thought about that before you opened your mouth," I replied, rising from my seat. "Wasn''t it you who said earlier that some people are just ''security guards'' pretending to be important?"


    Juan flinched at having his words thrown back at him.


    "Well," I continued, "now you''re just a bankrupt nobody pretending to be a businessman."


    I turned to my guests. "Shall we move to a more private room? I believe they''re setting one up for us now."


    As we walked away, Juan remained on his knees, his life''s work dismantled with a few phone calls. <em ss="phantom-imprint">Alwa%y.s rea#d& at the s#o@u+r&ce-—%*.-</em>


    ---


    Later that night, I stood on the balcony of my home, gazing at the city lights of Havenwood. The evening''s events yed through my mind, not bringing the satisfaction I''d expected.


    Power was a strange thing. A year ago, I''d been the one facing humiliation. Now I could destroy a man''s business with a word.


    My mind drifted to Isabelle. A memory surfaced—her sitting across from me in a café, sunlight catching in her hair.


    "If you could have anything in the world," she''d asked, "what would it be?"


    "Peace," I''d answered without thinking.


    She''d smiled that mysterious smile of hers. "Not power? Not wealth?"


    "What good are those without peace?" I''d countered.


    The irony wasn''t lost on me. Here I was, more powerful than ever, yet further from peace than I''d ever been.


    I checked the calendar on my phone. Seven months until my promised confrontation with Dashiell ckthorne. Seven months to prepare for a fight that would likely determine both our fates.


    My current cultivation progress frustrated me. Havenwood Citycked the concentrated Qi I needed to advance quickly. At this rate, I might reach thete stages of the Monastic realm, but that wouldn''t be enough.


    I needed to be at Monastic Peak, or better yet, breakthrough to Enlightenment.


    "The Celestial Apothecary Guild," I murmured to myself.


    The Guild headquarters contained concentrated spiritual energy and resources that could potentially elerate my cultivation. Plus, Mariana Valerius had extended an open invitation for me to visit.


    I made my decision. Tomorrow, I would make arrangements. By the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, I would set out for the Guild.


    My phone buzzed with a message from Roman: "Brilliant Real Estate''s stocks plummeted 70% after hours. Juan Diaz is finished."


    I didn''t reply. I should have felt triumphant, but instead, I felt hollow.


    What was the point of acquiring all this power if I couldn''t protect what truly mattered? Isabelle was still beyond my reach, and Dashiell ckthorne still stood between us.


    "I will be strong enough," I promised the night sky. "Strong enough that no one—not Dashiell, not the Ashworths, not even the Veridia City Martial Guild—can stand in my way."


    The path forward was clear. I needed to focus solely on increasing my power. Social events, business meetings, even public appearances—everything would take a back seat.


    For seven days, I cleared my schedule and meditated intensely, absorbing what little Qi Havenwood City could offer. My body hummed with energy, but it wasn''t enough. I needed more.


    On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, I packed lightly and prepared to leave for the Celestial Apothecary Guild. This would be my first step toward bing powerful enough to face whatever challengesy ahead.


    I knew one thing with absolute certainty: when I returned to Havenwood City, I would no longer be just the "King of Eldoria." I would be something far more formidable.