Chapter 40: Envoys from the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old! Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard

"If you're plotting a rebellion and attempting to usurp the throne, am I supposed to risk my life and reputation to help you out?"

Ye Liuyun sat up straight again, poured himself another cup of wine, and drank in silence.

"Brother Ye, please don't misunderstand!"

Was she discovered? And judging by this tone, her identity had been seen through all along.

Hesitating for a moment, Yan Shuzhu finally raised her hand and pulled the hairpin from her hair.

Her long, raven hair tumbled down like a waterfall.

It had to be said that even when disguised as a man, Yan Shuzhu could hardly conceal the heroic aura between her brows. Now, in her feminine posture, she possessed an extraordinary and captivating charm.

"I did not mean to conceal anything from you, and what I am about to do is definitely not a rebellion to usurp the throne."

She was the emperor herself; how could she possibly plot to usurp her own throne?

"I know that Brother Ye is fiercely loyal and utterly upright. I never expected that the Brocade Guards would still harbor someone with such a chivalrous heart as Brother Ye."

At these words, both Si Nan and Shi Sheng, who had been maintaining serious expressions, nearly broke character.

*Seriously? Are you actually being serious?*

Noticing Ye Liuyun's sideways glance, the two men immediately straightened up and behaved themselves.

Ye Liuyun could see it now: Yan Shuzhu certainly possessed some cunning and political acumen, but she was still rather shallow and inexperienced.

"Ahem, I became a Brocade Guard not to become anyone's tool."

"I know. Everything Brother Ye does is for the common people of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Before Ye Liuyun could even finish, Yan Shuzhu quickly made excuses for him on her own.

"Please rest assured, everything I do is also for the Great Qian Dynasty!"

With that, Yan Shuzhu looked earnestly at Ye Liuyun.

Her imperial father had only recently entered seclusion, so Yan Shuzhu believed she still had plenty of time to recruit talented individuals.

Though Ye Liuyun did not agree outright, he did not refuse either.

Whenever Yan Shuzhu brought up various questions, he would answer them from his own unique perspective.

Before they knew it, over an hour had passed, and most of the wine was gone.

Noticing that Yan Shuzhu was slightly tipsy yet still eager to bombard him with all sorts of questions, Ye Liuyun promptly raised a hand to interrupt her.

"It is getting late. I still have to check in at the duty station tomorrow, so I will take my leave now!"

"Brother Ye, are you leaving already?"

Seeing that Ye Liuyun was about to depart, Yan Shuzhu felt a twinge of regret, but she knew the hour was indeed late.

She could only stand up and watch him leave, finally unable to suppress a sigh of admiration.

"Brother Ye truly is a man of exceptional talent!"

Thinking of how Ye Liuyun had effortlessly provided answers to so many questions that had long puzzled her—all from angles she would never have considered—Yan Shuzhu felt more strongly than ever that he was a rare and precious talent.

"If that is the case, Your Majesty, why didn't you tell him that you are the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty?"

Supporting the slightly swaying Yan Shuzhu, Lü Lan seized the opportunity to ask.

Yan Shuzhu had only revealed her identity as a woman, but she had not disclosed that she was the female ruler of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Let's wait a little longer!"

The boundaries between sovereign and subject were absolute.

Yan Shuzhu worried that once Ye Liuyun learned she was the emperor, he might no longer dare to speak to her with such uninhibited candor.

***

Both men were martial artists.

Not long after leaving the Jiaofangsi, the drunkenness that had lingered on the faces of Ye Liuyun and his companions vanished entirely.

"My lord, what do you suppose that person's intentions were?"

Shi Sheng had originally thought that Yan Shuzhu was simply trying to recruit Ye Liuyun, but offering no benefits whatsoever while persistently grilling him with questions was a first in his experience of recruitment.

"Personally, I think that person might have taken a fancy to our lord!"

Walking on the other side, Si Nan rubbed his chin with one hand and analyzed the situation with a serious expression.

"Really?"

Shi Sheng looked at Si Nan in surprise, clearly half-believing the notion.

"Would I lie to you? Look, let me break it down for you..."

Seeing Si Nan and Shi Sheng huddled together and whispering among themselves, Ye Liuyun cast them an exasperated look.

He was just about to say something when suddenly—

*Boom!*

A palm print formed from genuine inner qi suddenly hurtled toward Ye Liuyun.

Frowning, Ye Liuyun glanced in that direction and flicked his sleeve, instantly scattering the palm print into nothingness.

Dropping all thoughts of gossip, Si Nan and Shi Sheng immediately rushed to Ye Liuyun's side, flanking him left and right to provide protection.

"My lord, are you alright?"

"I am fine."

Giving a casual wave of his hand, Ye Liuyun narrowed his eyes and looked in a specific direction.

It was pitch black by now. After walking for some time away from the Jiaofangsi, the surrounding streets were completely deserted, save for Ye Liuyun's small group.

"It really is you!"

A moment later, accompanied by a low, deep voice, a figure tore through the night and landed heavily before Ye Liuyun.

Simultaneously, more than a dozen figures dressed in brocade garments emerged from the shadows around the street, tightly surrounding Ye Liuyun and his men.

They were clearly prepared and lying in wait.

Si Nan and Shi Nan stood on guard, watching the surrounding figures with intense vigilance.

As for Ye Liuyun, his attention was entirely focused on the first person who had appeared.

"Target: Guan Bao."

"Realm: Post-Natal Martial Artist."

"Inherent Traits: Bloodthirsty (Blue), Copper Skin and Iron Bones (Purple)."

"Bloodthirsty (Blue): The more injuries sustained in battle, the greater the explosive physical strength output."

Though there weren't many traits, both the blue and purple ones were exceptionally useful.

Furthermore, being a Post-Natal martial artist, he was certainly no nameless nobody within the imperial capital.

"Who are you?"

Guan Bao first grinned fiercely, then cupped his fists respectfully toward the direction of the imperial palace.

"I am Guan Bao, adopted son under the command of the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old!"

The Nine-Thousand-Year-Old?

"Guan Bao!"

Just as Ye Liuyun was deep in thought, Si Nan let out a sharp exclamation upon hearing the name.

"You've heard of him?" Ye Liuyun cast a curious look his way.

"I've heard some rumors."

Ever since entering the Brocade Guards, Si Nan had begun investigating the culprits who had murdered his entire family. In the process, he had gathered intelligence on many prominent figures within the Great Qian Dynasty.

"The Nine-Thousand-Year-Old has quite a few adopted sons, but only three of them are truly famous: He Long, Yun Hu, and this Guan Bao."

"These three brothers—Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard—possess formidable strength. The eldest, He Long, is even a Pre-Natal realm expert, while Guan Bao ranks third."

In short, he possessed great strength and an immensely powerful backer.

"You certainly know quite a bit!"

Glancing at Si Nan, Guan Bao didn't deny it, instead letting out a light chuckle.

That saved him the trouble of a lengthy introduction.

He shifted his gaze back to Ye Liuyun.

"At first, I wasn't entirely sure, but the fact that you were able to disperse my palm force proves you indeed have the capability to kill Lu Quan!"

He hadn't been certain previously whether Ye Liuyun possessed such strength, but now there was no doubt.

So it really was because of Lu Quan.

He had expected the retaliation to come from Commander Wan, but the other party had acted with unexpected decisiveness, directly reporting the matter all the way up to the Nine-Thousand-Year-Old.