Chapter 104 - 9: The Difference Between Taming Beasts and Taming People! Outstanding Concealing Breath Talent_3

"Understood!"

The next moment, a calm voice from Shadow came from beneath the darkness.

...

The next day, everything was calm as usual.

It was as if nothing at all had happened within the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The most noteworthy thing was that as soon as Shi Xing’an took the Lord Thousand Households position, he started frantically amassing wealth, lining his own pockets to the extreme—almost to the extent of plucking feathers from flying birds.

One knows his own affairs best.

Shi Xing’an was well aware of what he had sacrificed to earn this Lord Thousand Households seat.

He’d practically sold off everything he owned, giving it all away as bribes.

Fortunately, he’d succeeded in rising to the position, so of course he had to seize every opportunity to make money; otherwise, he wouldn’t even have a place to stay.

Of course.

But a Lord Thousand Households pocketing money wasn’t unusual at all in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Everyone just thought Shi Xing’an was a little too desperate in how fast he was grabbing for money, but aside from that, no one cared much.

That night.

In the palace, Yan Shulan finally received a bit of information.

Even though she was the emperor, Yan Shulan’s intelligence network wasn’t anything impressive. Only lately, after the Old Eunuch’s grip on the palace guards relaxed, could she finally catch some news from outside the palace.

And even then—

Yan Shulan didn’t find out until the next day.

The Lord Thousand Households position she’d reserved for Ye Liuyun had unexpectedly been snatched by someone else.

"Damn it! What the hell is that guy trying to do?!"

Upon learning it was the Southern Governor inside the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had done this, Yan Shulan looked thoroughly grim.

She’d heard that, according to rumors, this Southern Governor was supposed to be a loyal and upright man.

But now it seemed, rumors really couldn’t be trusted.

To take her own prize and hand it to someone else.

If not for a bit of reason left, Yan Shulan would have sent someone to drag Qi Yuanliang over for a heavy interrogation.

"..."

But in the end, aside from cursing the bastard a few times, she could do nothing more.

"Lv Lan!"

After adjusting her breathing,

Yan Shulan looked over at Lv Lan by her side.

"Go find Ye Liuyun and make it clear to him, this Lord Thousand Households position was not a trick by me!"

The rest didn’t matter much.

Yan Shulan only worried that, after promising the Lord Thousand Households post to Ye Liuyun, it had ended up with someone else.

If Ye Liuyun thought she’d been toying with him, wouldn’t all her previous efforts be wasted?

Lv Lan knew what Yan Shulan was worried about.

So after nodding, she reassured her,

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, Ye Liuyun is a smart man. He won’t misunderstand you."

In Lv Lan’s opinion, given Ye Liuyun’s intelligence,

of course he would understand that their Majesty would never play with him over something like this.

There must have been circumstances that made it impossible.

"I know!"

Having calmed down now,

Yan Shulan also realized her worry was unnecessary.

But she still said,

"Go anyhow and talk to him. There aren’t many talents left at my side."

It wasn’t as though Yan Shulan had never tried recruiting others before, but regrettably,

every one of them had been discovered by other factions and poached away.

Now, having finally secured such a capable talent, Yan Shulan had no intention at all of repeating her earlier mistakes.

"Understood!"

At this,

Lv Lan said no more and simply nodded.

Then she immediately took her leave.

In fact, Lv Lan herself also wanted to meet Ye Liuyun.

...

That same night,

Ye Liuyun returned rather late.

On Si Nan’s side, worried that Ye Liuyun would feel upset about having his Lord Thousand Households post taken,

she had invited him out for drinks at the Imperial Music Bureau.

To be honest,

Ye Liuyun really didn’t feel much. But since someone was treating, it would be a waste not to go, so he decided to enjoy himself a little.

So, he got back quite late.

After parting ways,

he walked alone on his way back. By now it was completely dark; the Imperial City had a curfew at night, barring ordinary people from going out, so the streets were especially empty and cold.

But with his Embroidered Uniform Guard badge, Ye Liuyun naturally had nothing to worry about.

"Phew!"

He stretched lazily as he walked.

The girls at the Imperial Music Bureau did indeed have soft, graceful figures and spoke ever so gently—it was no wonder the Imperial Music Bureau was so lively every night.

"Hm?"

Just as Ye Liuyun was relaxed and unworried, he seemed to sense something.

His steps suddenly halted.

He turned to scan the deserted street.

Strange, that odd feeling of being watched had returned again.

He had felt it back at the Imperial Music Bureau, that unexplainable sense that someone was secretly observing him. But with so many eyes in a crowded place, he’d ignored it.

But now, that gaze was back.

Yet, scanning with his inner strength, he found nothing.

A hallucination?

No, once or twice might be an illusion, but when it happens repeatedly, it can’t just be in his head.

This time he scanned much more carefully.

And, by chance,

Ye Liuyun’s gaze paused for a moment on a wall cloaked in shadow.

It wasn’t as if he saw anyone, and even extending his inner strength revealed nothing unusual.

But the system prompted him—there was a target under that shadow whose Talent Entry could be detected.

Truly, the system’s detection ability could be downright unbeatable at times.

"Target: Shadow!

Cultivation: Early-stage Innate!

Talent Entries: Concealing Breath (Purple), Treading Snow Without a Trace (Blue),"

"Concealing Breath (Purple): Possesses outstanding innate talent at concealing breath, making it extremely difficult for others to detect when hiding their aura."

Not only was there blue-quality Qinggong for concealing breath,

there was even a purple-quality concealing breath talent.

No wonder!

Even though it was merely early-stage Innate, with such a concealing talent,

even with his own Innate Perfection cultivation, without the system’s detection, it would be almost impossible to notice.

Still, why would someone like that be following him?

...