Chapter 59: This Is the True Shadow King

After taking care of this matter.

Ye Liuyun was actually planning to have Xing’Er boil some hot water, so he could get a bath first.

But just then,

"Oh, right!"

Sheng Lanzhi seemed to remember something, took out a booklet from her person, and strolled over to Ye Liuyun.

"You weren’t around these past few days, so I had people gather even more martial arts. This swordsmanship here is the best of the lot."

"Swordsmanship?"

Ye Liuyun perked up a little.

Apparently, all the heroes in Jianghu love using swords. Seems like it’s more stylish that way. But up to now, Ye Liuyun hasn’t really studied swordsmanship much.

He’s got Swordsmanship Talent too, just not the best quality.

’Four Directions Swordsmanship!’

Looking at the four bold characters on the booklet, Ye Liuyun opened it up to have a look.

His Swordsmanship Talent might not be high, but thanks to his Extraordinary Comprehension, Ye Liuyun could see this swordsmanship was high-quality—definitely a top-grade technique.

"Funny thing, really. Someone else had their eye on this technique first, but apparently his money got stolen, so I picked it up cheap."

As she said this,

Even Sheng Lanzhi felt it was a little unbelievable. Stuff like this doesn’t happen every day.

Coincidence?

Ye Liuyun closed the cultivation book and simply smiled without commenting.

The effects of Luck Boost are even crazier than I expected.

"Well done."

Ye Liuyun didn’t say much more, just praised Sheng Lanzhi, then sent Xing’Er off to boil water.

...

Training isn’t urgent. There’s a drinking party tonight—no reason not to wait till I’m back to start practicing.

Soaking in the wooden tub,

Ye Liuyun relaxed and closed his eyes while a pair of small hands gently kneaded his shoulders.

"The strength today..."

Xing’Er had massaged him so many times before, Ye Liuyun knew exactly what sort of pressure he liked. But something was off today.

He had just opened his eyes, and saw behind him—Sheng Lanzhi, draped in light gauze, smiling softly.

No wonder.

"You’ve been away so many days, Master, you must be tired. Let me do the massage for you this time."

Sheng Lanzhi spoke naturally, her gaze intimate and gentle.

Looking at this Sheng Lanzhi,

Ye Liuyun only chuckled, not refusing her.

"Then I’ll trouble my Lady."

Having real power sure is nice.

...

Nightfall.

Southern Governor Qi Yuanliang’s welcoming banquet for Lei Zheng was being held at the Golden Tower.

Ye Liuyun had heard plenty about the Golden Tower, but to be honest, it was his first visit.

Famous tavern in the Imperial City, the Golden Tower’s décor was seriously lavish—hard to tell if it was just gold paint in some places, or actually real gold. Everything glittered.

Ye Liuyun figured he’d just come for a free meal.

But unexpectedly, this Southern Governor took the initiative to greet him as soon as he saw him.

"This must be Hundred Commander Ye Liuyun, right?"

Qi Yuanliang’s warm smile hovered in Ye Liuyun’s direction, surprising him a bit, but he returned the smile.

"I’m Ye Liuyun. Greetings, Governor."

"This isn’t the Embroidered Uniform Guard; no need to be so formal."

Qi Yuanliang chuckled, waving his hand for Ye Liuyun to relax.

And the way Qi Yuanliang looked at Ye Liuyun—it was like sizing up a bright young talent.

"I’ve heard a bit about your deeds, Commander Ye. For the sake of avenging your brother, you endured years of hardship. I truly respect your spirit. Look, if you run into any trouble in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, just come find me."

"I might not be the strongest, but if it’s something I, Qi Yuanliang, can help with, I absolutely will!"

No wonder people say the Southern Governor is the most well-liked person in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

With that attitude—if Ye Liuyun couldn’t see Qi Yuanliang’s status tag, he’d probably believe it.

You shouldn’t be called Smiling Tiger—you’re an Oscar-level "Shadow".

"Thank you for your support, Governor. If something does come up, I definitely won’t stand on ceremony."

Ye Liuyun was never the polite type.

No matter if you’re only being courteous or really mean it, I’ll make use of this connection for sure.

Qi Yuanliang hadn’t expected Ye Liuyun to be so direct.

But he didn’t dwell on it, just smiled, and when more guests arrived, moved on to greet them.

Ye Liuyun had thought,

Was this banquet for Lei Zheng just so Qi Yuanliang could fish for info on the recent trip?

Turns out,

Most of the talk at the table was just small talk and chit-chat. Qi Yuanliang never mentioned anything about whether Lei Zheng had found a Spiritual Artifact on his trip. The atmosphere was rowdy and lively.

Ye Liuyun couldn’t help stealing a couple more glances at Qi Yuanliang.

After the banquet, Ye Liuyun left with Si Nan and Shi Sheng.

"Maybe one day, when you become Governor, we can be this impressive too."

On the way home,

Si Nan couldn’t help sighing—the higher you climb, the clearer you see the importance of power.

Think about all those people at the banquet sucking up to the Governor. Si Nan was genuinely sighing.

"If you’ve got time, spend it training instead. If Master makes it to the top and you end up weaker than his men, that’d be embarrassing."

After all this time,

Shi Sheng and Si Nan now got along pretty well. But when it came to Si Nan’s skills, Shi Sheng really wished he’d just buckle down.

"Don’t make me yell at you on the happiest day."

After hearing Shi Sheng’s buzzkill remark,

Si Nan shot him a glare.

"Tsk!"

Shi Sheng rolled his eyes, completely unfazed. Yell at me? Hit me if you’ve got the guts. But you’d need some real skills for that first.

...

Late at night.

Back home, Ye Liuyun didn’t rush off to bed.

He hadn’t drunk much, so while his hands were warm, Ye Liuyun picked up a treasured sword from the weapon rack in the courtyard and started practicing the Four Directions Swordsmanship he’d memorized.

The blade danced in a circle four feet wide, trapping opponents in all four directions, moves quick and nimble.

After cycling through a few sets, Ye Liuyun grasped the essence of Four Directions Swordsmanship. It excelled at fighting groups—its true strength shows when fighting against many at once.

Ye Liuyun’s Swordsmanship Talent was only blue grade,

But with purple-grade Extraordinary Comprehension, plus all his stacking bonuses,

It took only half an hour to reach the basic proficiency with this swordsmanship.

But to master it—or even truly perfect it—would take some more time.

"Not bad!"

Just as Ye Liuyun stopped and began channeling his energy to regulate his breath,

A familiar voice drifted in from beyond the courtyard wall.

Looking up, it was Lv Lan again, light gauze fluttering, her figure graceful.

Lv Lan had actually arrived earlier, but when she saw Ye Liuyun practicing, she’d held back and just watched for a while.

A true swordswoman.

Lv Lan could tell exactly how Ye Liuyun had, in such a short time, taken a high-quality sword technique and gone from complete novice to basic mastery.

Such talent—only fitting for someone with the Pure Yang Body.

...