Chapter 31: Better Broken Than Bent, Proud and Unyielding

After all, it is not everyone who can learn to willingly lay down their power, retire to their hometown, and enjoy their twilight years in peace. Precisely because they have tasted the benefits that power brings, they are all the more unwilling to let it go. Even after stepping down from their position, they still seek to control power through other means.

"That will be all. You may go now."

Wan Feiliang clearly had no intention of saying anything more. With a wave of his hand, he signaled that Lu Quan could leave.

"Yes, My Lord Qianhu!"

Lu Quan knew very well that some things were for him to hear, while others were beyond his station to know. Nodding understandingly, he bowed and retreated from Wan Feiliang’s courtyard. In his mind, he was already imagining the expression on Ye Liuyun’s face once he realized he had lost everything.

***

"A eunuch? There are eunuchs within the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

On the other side, Ye Liuyun, through Si Nan, had gained a fairly clear understanding of Wan Feiliang’s situation. Although he knew the Embroidered Uniform Guard had long been infiltrated by various factions, he truly had not expected a eunuch to be able to stick a foot in and get appointed as a Qianhu.

"I heard that Commander Wan is the godson of that 'Nine-Thousand-Year-Old' in the palace. His background is extraordinary; even the Regional Commander dares not offend him lightly."

"Nine-Thousand-Year-Old," is it?

This Great Qian Empire was truly more chaotic than he had imagined. Although he had pored over many files, the descriptions of the various forces within the empire remained too superficial, leaving many matters unknown to him. Seeing that Ye Liuyun was silent, Si Nan continued.

"It is said that everyone targeted by Commander Wan in the past has met a miserable end. They were either suppressed into cowering and sycophancy, or, if they were unwilling to submit, driven to ruin and the destruction of their families."

As he spoke, Si Nan’s tone grew increasingly worried, fearing that Ye Liuyun might end up targeted in the same way.

"How is his strength?"

Hearing these descriptions, Ye Liuyun’s expression did not change much; he simply asked a straightforward question.

"Hm?" Si Nan seemed caught off guard by the question.

"What is the strength of that Commander Wan?"

Ye Liuyun pressed further. When it came down to it, it was always a matter of strength. If you are strong enough, what is there to fear from being targeted?

"Uh, I heard he is a First-Class Martial Artist."

"Only a First-Class Martial Artist?"

He had expected at least a Houtian-stage martial artist; he hadn't expected it to be just First-Class.

"Uh!"

Si Nan was dumbfounded. What did he mean by "only" a First-Class Martial Artist? Such strength was already incredibly rare within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"My Lord, if you find him troublesome, why don't I find a time to get rid of this Commander Wan?"

Shi Sheng’s thinking was simple: since Ye Liuyun had helped him, now that Ye Liuyun was in trouble, he must repay the kindness. As for strength, that Commander Wan was a First-Class Martial Artist, but was he not one himself? He simply didn't believe he couldn't beat him.

"It hasn't reached that point yet."

Looking at Shi Sheng, Ye Liuyun laughed and shook his head. He then turned his gaze toward Si Nan.

"While you have men keeping an eye on Lu Quan, arrange for someone to watch Commander Wan as well. See when he intends to leave the Imperial City."

So, he was going to kill him after all. Since when had his Lord become so ruthless? He was the godson of the "Nine-Thousand-Year-Old," after all; if he were to die, it would surely cause quite a stir. Yet, even so, Si Nan dutifully accepted the order.

"Your subordinate will make the arrangements at once."

***

Over the next few days, Ye Liuyun waited to see how Wan Feiliang would retaliate. To his surprise, before Wan Feiliang could make a move, he instead found himself visited by Lü Lan, the guard by Yan Shuzhu’s side.

"The Jiaofangsi?"

Within the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, Ye Liuyun looked at Lü Lan with surprise. According to her, her master, Yan Shuzhu, had prepared a banquet at the Jiaofangsi to invite him.

"That is correct. There is a performance by the top courtesan tonight, and my mistress wishes to invite you to enjoy it with her."

Lü Lan’s face was cold and icy—perhaps related to her "Extreme Yin Physique," though Ye Liuyun didn't pay it much mind. He replied directly:

"Forget about tonight. I have a case to attend to later; perhaps next time."

This was not a perfunctory excuse; he truly did have a case to handle. This response caught the usually icy Lü Lan off guard. She had assumed Ye Liuyun was a man of carnal desires, yet upon hearing about a top courtesan’s performance, he remained completely indifferent. Had she misjudged him?

Recalling Yan Shuzhu’s instructions, Lü Lan said bluntly, "Do you know who it is you are refusing?"

"And do you know how many people will die tonight if I drop this case to go with you?"

Ye Liuyun looked up and gazed calmly at Lü Lan. Trying to intimidate him? Sorry, but if he had nothing else, he certainly had courage. Seeing Lü Lan lost for words, Ye Liuyun continued:

"Possessing a token that can mobilize the Imperial Guard of the palace—your master’s status in the palace must be extraordinary."

There were many princes in the palace, but those who were not favored, at most, lived in luxury without any real power. Anyone capable of holding such a token was certainly not "unfavored."

"Go back and tell your master: I did not join the Embroidered Uniform Guard to be anyone’s dog. If I only know how to cling to the powerful, then who will protect the safety of the people in the Imperial City? If she wants to find an obedient dog, there are plenty within the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I will not be keeping her company."

His words were lofty and principled, practically painting the phrases "unyielding" and "unbending" across his face. Lü Lan felt a sudden pang of shame. Ye Liuyun dared to speak this way simply because the talent traits he saw on Yan Shuzhu gave him confidence. In the face of such people, the more you debase yourself, the more they despise you. Conversely, the more unyielding you appear, the more they appreciate you—to put it nicely, they appreciate talent; to put it bluntly, they have a bit of a masochistic streak.

"I..."

"Very well, I have a case to investigate, so I will take my leave!"

Without giving her a chance to retort, he strode away. Watching his retreating figure, Lü Lan instinctively wanted to use force to drag him along, but remembering his words, she suppressed the impulse. She had not expected to find such an upright and incorruptible man within the Embroidered Uniform Guard. After a moment of hesitation, she departed.

***

"So young!"

Ye Liuyun’s men had already gathered. Sitting on his horse and watching Lü Lan depart from the other side of the headquarters, a smile touched the corner of his mouth.

Speaking the language of men to men, and the language of ghosts to ghosts—this was a skill Ye Liuyun had honed to perfection. Although Lü Lan was formidable, she had clearly spent too long in the palace and was utterly clueless about the intricate deceptions of the world. Two sentences had been enough to fool her completely.