"What exactly makes the greedy emperor on this continent treat you so different?"
The question from Wei Feng hung in the quiet room.
Across the table, Li Tian remained calm. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he poured tea slowly into two cups and pushed one toward Wei Feng.
"The answer is simple," Li Tian said after a moment.
"I make him rich."
Wei Feng narrowed his eyes.
"Many merchants make emperors rich," he replied. "Yet emperors do not personally host them, introduce their own children to them, or allow them to operate freely in their capital."
Li Tian smiled faintly.
"Then I should say it differently."
"I make him richer than anyone else can."
Wei Feng observed him silently. The confidence in Li Tian's voice did not sound like arrogance. It sounded like calculation.
The old prime minister tapped the table lightly.
"You introduced colored glass artifacts that none of the royal craftsmen could reproduce."
"You presented a metal brighter than silver and lighter than iron."
"And you casually handed them to Long Fang as if they were ordinary goods."
His gaze sharpened.
"A merchant does not create such things."
"So tell me."
"Who is the master behind you?"
Li Tian shook his head.
"There is no master."
"I made them."
Wei Feng immediately dismissed the claim.
"That is impossible."
Li Tian did not argue. Instead he picked up a brush and pulled a sheet of paper closer.
Calmly, he began sketching small diagrams while speaking.
He explained the principle of producing multi-colored glass by adding minerals into molten glass at specific stages of melting.
Then he briefly described the refining process of the silver-white metal.
The explanation was not complete. Several steps were intentionally vague.
But the structure of the method was logical enough that Wei Feng could not simply dismiss it.
After finishing, Li Tian added another statement.
"The paper widely circulating in the Azure Flame Empire…"
"I introduced that as well."
Wei Feng leaned back slowly.
For the first time since the meeting began, doubt appeared in his eyes.
The young man sitting in front of him was clearly not bluffing.
After a short silence, Wei Feng placed two ink containers on the table.
"One of these inks is yours," he said.
"The other one is mine."
Li Tian dipped the brush into the first ink and wrote several characters.
Nothing unusual happened.
Then he dipped the brush into the second container.
The moment the ink touched the paper, Li Tian felt something strange.
The sheet of paper began attracting natural qi from the surroundings. A faint stream of energy gathered around the written characters.
Li Tian's eyes sharpened slightly.
The ink was acting as a medium that allowed the paper to store qi.
Which meant the paper itself was also special.
Before he could continue analyzing it, Wei Feng suddenly grabbed the paper and pressed it against Li Tian's arm.
A small explosion burst out.
Boom.
Condensed qi scattered outward.
Li Tian stepped back slightly. His sleeve tore, but the damage to his arm was insignificant.
Behind him, several members of the Shadow Veil instantly moved forward with cold killing intent.
Wei Feng calmly raised his hand.
"Relax. It was only a demonstration."
The guards stopped but remained alert.
Wei Feng looked back at Li Tian.
"The ink gathers qi."
"The paper stores it."
"And when triggered, the stored qi releases."
"A simple concept for a qi-release talisman."
He then stared at Li Tian carefully.
"But the real purpose of this test was not the talisman."
"It was you."
Wei Feng slowly folded his hands.
"I wanted to see whether the man who impressed Long Fang was just a lucky merchant…"
"…or someone who truly understands materials, artifacts, and energy."
After a moment of silence, the old master nodded slightly.
"Now I understand why the emperor treats you differently."