Chapter 37: You Like to Dance? Then Go Dance in the Underworld

Ye Liuyun stopped in front of a residence with a plaque that read "Sheng Manor."

"Is this the place?"

Looking at the Imperial Guards standing watch outside, it was clear that someone had already taken charge of the case. Ye Liuyun led his men straight toward the entrance. When someone tried to block his path, Ye Liuyun simply produced his badge of rank as a Hundred-Man Commander.

"Lord Commander!"

The Imperial Guards, who had been preventing unauthorized entry, immediately bowed and stepped aside in a hurry upon seeing the badge.

Inside the courtyard, many bodies were scattered about—mostly maids and household servants. It felt like a vendetta; if the target had only been Sheng Li, there would have been no need to harm these servants.

Just as Ye Liuyun was about to lead his men deeper into the estate, a familiar voice, laced with mockery, reached their ears.

"Oh, if it isn't Commander Ye Liufeng?"

The man who approached was Lu Quan, whom Ye Liuyun had dealt with not long ago. Lu Quan did not seem surprised by Ye Liuyun's appearance; instead, his smile grew even more brazen.

"My apologies, Commander Ye, but I have already taken this case. I’m afraid I cannot just let you waltz in."

He must have known who had died to be acting so bold. Ye Liuyun did not answer. He looked at Lu Quan as if he were watching a mere clown, ignored him, and continued toward the inner courtyard.

"Commander Ye! You..."

Lu Quan intended to block his path again, but before he could finish, Ye Liuyun placed a hand on his shoulder and, with a slight exertion of force, shoved him to the ground. He was as weak as a girl.

"Ye Liufeng, you have some nerve!"

With his patron dead, he still dared to be this arrogant. Humiliated in front of so many people, Lu Quan shrieked in anger and scrambled to his feet to intercept him again.

This time, before Ye Liuyun could say a word, Shi Sheng stepped directly in front of Lu Quan, brandishing a fist.

"If you dare block my Lord's path again, I will beat you to death!"

After throwing a provocative look at Lu Quan, Shi Sheng followed Ye Liuyun. Being a Hundred-Man Commander himself, Lu Quan felt his face flush with a mix of shame and rage at being threatened by a mere Flag Officer in public. However, he dared not stop them again.

Lu Quan knew that a brute like Shi Sheng, who had nothing but fists on his mind, was actually capable of attacking him in public. More importantly, he suspected he might not actually be able to defeat Shi Sheng in a fight.

***

In the back courtyard, Ye Liuyun finally saw the body of Sheng Li. He appeared to have been quite old, his hair graying, and he was still dressed in his official robes even in death. There were numerous wounds of varying sizes on his body, suggesting he had been tortured before he died.

To strike down a court official within the Imperial City—even if Sheng Li had already retired—required either immense power or a very high status.

"Commander Ye!"

At that moment, Lu Quan caught up. Seeing Ye Liuyun staring intensely at Sheng Li's corpse, Lu Quan felt the pent-up frustration in his chest dissipate.

*How about that? Are you anxious now? With Sheng Li gone as your backer, let’s see how you survive in the Imperial Guard.*

"So, do you finally realize the consequences of offending Thousand-Man Commander Wan?"

Lu Quan leaned in close to Ye Liuyun’s ear and whispered, "Without your patron, I want to see how you manage to hold onto your position."

With that, he signaled his men to search elsewhere. Ye Liuyun watched him leave, his eyes narrowing slightly.

*So, it was Thousand-Man Commander Wan who did this?*

Originally, Ye Liuyun had been indifferent toward Lu Quan—let him jump around like a clown if he wanted to. But if he was going to make a concerted effort to be a nuisance, that was a different matter.

"My Lord!"

Si Nan and Shi Sheng looked over. Although Lu Quan had spoken quietly, they were close enough to overhear. Ye Liuyun did not intend to waste words.

"Before sunset tonight, by any means necessary, I want him out of the Imperial City."

He had originally intended to wait for Lu Quan to leave on his own, but since the man liked to dance so much, he would send him off to dance in the underworld instead.

"Understood!"

Si Nan, being the more clever of the two, understood immediately. Without the slightest hesitation, he replied, "I shall see to it at once."

Si Nan turned and left. Shi Sheng, who had been a bit slow to react, stood there for a moment before scrambling after him.

"My Lord, I’ll go help too!"

Ye Liuyun watched them leave with a calm gaze, then glanced toward Lu Quan, who was still wearing an expression of triumph in the distance.

Ye Liuyun hated trouble. Rather than worrying about others plotting against him, it was better to crush the source of the trouble at the start. Whether Sheng Li lived or died mattered little to Ye Liuyun; he didn't know the man, and in this era, people died every day. Why shouldn't it be Sheng Li?

As for a "patron," Ye Liuyun’s own strength was sufficient; he didn't need to worry about his position being affected. As for promotion, even if Sheng Li were alive, he wouldn't have been able to help Ye Liuyun climb any higher anyway. But if someone was clearly targeting him, that was a different story.

Ye Liuyun watched for a moment longer before leading his remaining men away. Lu Quan, catching a glimpse of them leaving, allowed his smile to grow even more arrogant, completely unaware that disaster was looming.

***

Si Nan was highly efficient. That very evening, he kidnapped Lu Quan’s youngest son. It had to be said, while the method was despicable, it was unexpectedly effective.

"My Lord, rest assured. I scouted it out beforehand—Lu Quan dotes on his youngest son the most. I left a note; he will definitely come alone."

In a forest not far from the Imperial City, Si Nan pointed to a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy tied to a tree, speaking with pride. Though the boy was gagged, his eyes were full of venom, glaring fixedly at Ye Liuyun and the others.

To avoid complications, only Si Nan and Shi Sheng had accompanied Ye Liuyun. Meeting that venomous gaze, Ye Liuyun withdrew his eyes with an indifferent expression.

"Well done."

He offered a word of praise. Using a child as a threat sounded villainous, but after personally killing his own brother, Ye Liuyun had no intention of playing the good guy.

To achieve one's goals by any means necessary—was that not the natural order of things?