Chapter 159 - 28: The Opportunity Arrives! Calculations on Both Sides

After dropping that remark,

Shi Sheng stared straight at Ye Liuyun.

That gaze was a bit too fiery—enough to make Ye Liuyun feel a bit uncomfortable.

He was hesitating whether to just raise his hand and give him a slap.

But then—

Shi Sheng seemed to genuinely notice something. He started stroking his chin and muttered to himself.

"Weird, why does it feel like your aura, Sir, is even stronger than before? Don’t tell me you’ve broken through?"

"!"

The hand he was about to raise paused. Ye Liuyun arched an eyebrow and looked at Shi Sheng with a hint of surprise.

You really guessed something, huh?

Ye Liuyun never went out of his way to hide things, but he wasn’t about to shout from the rooftops about his own affairs either.

Plus, when it came to suppressing his aura, Ye Liuyun had gotten quite handy at it—mainly thanks to buying a special aura-concealing cultivation manual from Xie Ling’Er not long ago.

Unless someone’s cultivation was way higher than Ye Liuyun’s, they basically couldn’t see through his true level.

Sharp eyes?

No, it should be intuition—a martial artist’s pure instinct.

This kind of thing can’t really be explained, but it’s real all the same.

Ye Liuyun glanced at Shi Sheng with a bit of surprise, but thinking closer, Shi Sheng was indeed the dedicated martial artist type.

"Are you stupid or what!"

However—

As soon as Shi Sheng said that,

Si Nan couldn’t help but retort from across the table.

She shot Shi Sheng a scornful look.

"Our lord here is already at Innate Perfection. One more step and he’ll be in the Grandmaster Realm! Do you even know what that means?"

"I definitely know more than you!"

You’re not even as strong as me, and you dare question me?

Shi Sheng glared right back at Si Nan, just as annoyed.

As if you’re tougher than me or something.

"Anyway, I just feel like Lord Ye has gotten stronger. Even though his aura doesn’t seem different, I just get this sense. If I went up against him now, I probably wouldn’t last even one move!"

"Like you ever lasted one move before!"

Si Nan definitely wasn’t buying this baseless, gut-feeling kind of reasoning.

She rolled her eyes,

then turned to look at Ye Liuyun again.

"My lord, don’t you think Shi Sheng’s guess is a bit ridiculous?"

"Ridiculous? I think it’s quite all right."

Nursing his wine, Ye Liuyun smiled faintly and replied casually.

"Quite all right?"

Ye Liuyun’s answer left Si Nan momentarily stunned.

She didn’t get it for a second.

Fortunately, Si Nan had a brain. While she didn’t get it at first, she quickly realized something. Her eyes grew wide and her expression turned incredulous.

"Clack!"

The wine cup she’d been holding slipped from her hand and hit the ground thanks to sheer shock.

"What are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re drunk already?"

Sitting across the table, Shi Sheng looked at the wine splashed on himself and barked at Si Nan irritably.

But—

Right now, Si Nan’s entire focus was on Ye Liuyun. She didn’t care about Shi Sheng at all.

"M-My lord!"

Her voice actually started trembling.

"Did—did you really break through?!"

"?"

Shi Sheng, who had just been annoyed, now froze on the spot.

Honestly, Shi Sheng had just been guessing—he didn’t really believe it himself.

After all, if Ye Liuyun advanced any further, that would be the Grandmaster level.

That realm isn’t something you just step into so casually.

"Is there a problem?"

Ye Liuyun replied calmly—in other words, giving off pretty strong "show-off" vibes.

Hey,

Sometimes you have to put on a show, especially in front of your subordinates.

If you don’t show off your power, how are your people supposed to be convinced?

"Hiss—!"

Other than sucking in a cold breath, Si Nan couldn’t come up with any other reaction for a second.

Shout in surprise?

There are too many eyes around. Si Nan knew their lord didn’t want a fuss. If she started exclaiming, he’d definitely be pissed.

"Th-this is just too shocking! My respect for you, my lord, is like the rolling rivers—unceasing and never-ending. Your will is my pursuit, your ideas are my goals. My lord, you are honestly—"

Grandmaster! That’s a Grandmaster!

The boss is a Grandmaster.

That means, as a little brother, I can walk sideways through the Imperial City from now on, right?

No, saying ’walk sideways’ might be an exaggeration, but at least in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I definitely don’t have to worry about anything anymore, right?

I have a Grandmaster for a backer, after all!

"Enough, enough!"

Seeing Si Nan was about to start and never stop,

Ye Liuyun waved her off, cutting all the bootlicking short.

"As for Grandmasters, there is no limit in the path of martial arts. Grandmaster is just the beginning, not the end. Don’t forget, there are Great Qian Grandmasters out there, too."

"As expected of my lord!"

Hearing Ye Liuyun say that,

Si Nan looked even more in awe.

"Steady in mind and determined in goal—I bet there aren’t many in the whole world who can compare to you, sir. You’re seriously the role model guiding my life. There’s so much I need to learn from you."

One line after another.

Si Nan spouted every fancy phrase she could come up with.

As for Shi Sheng, sitting beside her—

At first he was still shocked about Ye Liuyun reaching Grandmaster,

but after listening to all the bootlicking from Si Nan, he snapped out of it.