Night was black as ink, yet a strange stillness flowed through the Star Gazing Pavilion.
This stillness was not silence, but a higher-dimensional pressure, as though even the dust in the air had been caught by some invisible gravitational field and suspended in midair.
At the stairway, Han Yuchen stood with both hands in his pockets, looking down from above at the "important figure" standing in the center of the hall.
Xue Qinghe, formerly the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, now the emperor.
He wore a gold-threaded dragon robe, his face warm and refined as jade, the corners of his mouth carrying a smile placed at precisely the right angle, a flawless mask tempered through countless trials.
Behind him, two rows of Royal Guards stood as solemn as sculptures, their killing aura faintly locking down the entire hall.
"Pavilion Master, this Star Gazing Pavilion of yours truly has wonders hidden within."
Xue Qinghe was the first to break the silence. His gaze swept over the star-map patterns on the surrounding walls that seemed to be flowing, and a trace of barely perceptible surprise flashed in his eyes. "Rumors outside say the Pavilion Master possesses power that reaches the heavens and penetrates the earth. Seeing it today, just the style of this décor alone already surpasses the palace by far."
"Your Highness overpraises me."
Han Yuchen slowly descended the stairs. With every step he took, faint blue ripples spread beneath his feet, as if he were not stepping on wooden boards, but on a deep water surface. "The palace is magnificent and resplendent, symbolizing the authority of the mortal world. This little shop of mine merely sells a bit of stardust, hardly fit for refined company."
He sat down in the main seat and waved casually. The tea set