Chapter 312 - 79: What Kind of Hapless Chump Talent Is This?

Although Marquis Rong’gong was furious, he hadn’t completely lost his mind.

After hearing the name Ye Liuyun, Marquis Rong’gong’s emotions took a sharp nosedive; his previously enraged mind suddenly became much clearer.

"You’re Ye Liuyun, that young Grandmaster?"

Ye Liuyun’s fearsome reputation preceded him; of course Marquis Rong’gong had heard of him.

It’s just that he’d never met him before,

and really hadn’t expected that he’d encounter Ye Liuyun in a situation like this.

"Didn’t imagine that someone with my meager reputation would actually make it to Marquis Rong’gong’s ears."

Ye Liuyun flashed an indifferent smile.

"So, have you already decided how you want to take revenge on me?"

"..."

Seeing Ye Liuyun’s smiling face again, Marquis Rong’gong felt his scalp tingle a bit.

Even though he had good connections at court, Ye Liuyun’s notoriety was simply on another level—so much so that he was like a walking plague god; nobody dared to provoke him.

Marquis Rong’gong had heard more than once from others,

that in the Great Qian Dynasty nowadays,

even if you pissed off Prime Minister Fu Zhengqing, you still really shouldn’t mess with Ye Liuyun.

Because Fu Zhengqing would let things slide, but Ye Liuyun will absolutely come for revenge, and he was infamous for bearing grudges; whoever got targeted by him was finished.

"H-how could that be?!"

"What are you saying, Governor Ye!"

Marquis Rong’gong hadn’t gotten from ordinary guard to powerful marquis by being an idiot.

He was well aware of who could be provoked and who absolutely could not.

The previous Lord Thousand Households didn’t matter.

But the Ye Liuyun standing here right now—that was someone you just could not piss off.

"If burning a few more places makes Governor Ye happy, it’s no big deal! How could I possibly argue with Governor Ye? To be honest, I always thought the decorations in these places were pretty lousy anyway—if you weren’t going to burn them, I’d probably torch them myself!"

See, this is the influence of power.

No wonder Ye Liuyun was so addicted to being strong.

He just had to be the guy who, if he didn’t take a seat at the table, nobody else would even get to eat.

"Is that so?"

The change was so abrupt that the expression on Marquis Rong’gong’s face was practically twisted.

Raising his eyebrows slightly.

Ye Liuyun played along, continuing,

"Since that’s the case, why don’t I help Marquis Rong’gong out a bit?"

As he finished,

Ye Liuyun immediately started directing his men to get ready to keep burning down the building.

"Uh!"

This was just too much for Marquis Rong’gong to handle.

Like—wait, you’re actually serious?!

Of course, Ye Liuyun was just messing around; he wasn’t actually planning to set the place on fire again.

"Just joking around!"

Seeing Marquis Rong’gong’s face nearly twisting up, Ye Liuyun finally relaxed, waved his hand to call his men back, then draped an arm over Marquis Rong’gong’s shoulders.

"Just trying to liven things up a little, hope Marquis Rong’gong doesn’t mind!"

"..."

Would it even matter if I minded?

Marquis Rong’gong genuinely felt he must have used up eight lifetimes’ worth of luck to be this unlucky today.

He really shouldn’t have left his house.

If he’d just stayed quietly in his own marquis residence, he wouldn’t have run into Ye Liuyun and none of this would have happened.

"Boy, it sure is hot today!"

Seeing Marquis Rong’gong remain silent,

Ye Liuyun wasn’t bothered; he just kept talking, and fanned himself, looking for all the world like he really was overheating.

But the weather was actually a bit cool today, so saying it was hot was definitely an exaggeration.

"I left in such a hurry, I even forgot to bring water. Would you look at this mess—I really am too careless!"

"..."

Marquis Rong’gong still didn’t say anything, just stared at Ye Liuyun’s slightly ostentatious performance, his mind utterly blank.

So... am I getting extorted here?

Ever since I became a marquis, I honestly never thought I’d be targeted for a shakedown—and the worst part is, I don’t really have any way to refuse.

Stories of Ye Liuyun leading his men on house raids were definitely something Marquis Rong’gong had heard.

Even ministry officials with higher rank than him had absolutely no power to resist Ye Liuyun, so who did he think he was...

Compared to getting one’s house pillaged, getting squeezed for a bit of money didn’t seem all that bad, really.

Comforting himself with these thoughts,

Marquis Rong’gong managed a smile and turned to Ye Liuyun.

"Lord Ye, working out here under this scorching sun is truly hard work. As it happens, I’ve got a silver note for ten thousand taels here—please take it and buy yourself a drink!"

Saying this,

Marquis Rong’gong, face full of pain, produced a silver note for ten thousand taels from his person.

Rich as he was,

giving away money for nothing still sent such a stab of pain through Marquis Rong’gong’s heart he almost felt it seize up.

"Marquis Rong’gong, you’re too kind!"

Even so, Ye Liuyun scooped up the note without hesitation.

He figured that would be that.

But as soon as he’d pocketed the money, Ye Liuyun glanced at the Embroidered Uniform Guards around him, then looked back at Marquis Rong’gong with a smile.

"But this much is just enough for my own drink—what about all my brothers here?"

"..."

Wait, ten thousand isn’t enough? What kind of water costs ten thousand taels, are you planning to drink yourself to death?

Marquis Rong’gong kept up a beaming smiling, but inside he was cursing nonstop.

Greedy! Unspeakably greedy.

Goddamn it.

With people like this around, Great Qian Dynasty’s days are numbered—does anyone still enforce the law? Does the law even exist anymore?

No matter how he felt inside, though,

on the outside, Marquis Rong’gong could only put on a show, take out another stack of silver notes, and smilingly say to Ye Liuyun,

"Yes yes yes! That was my oversight, didn’t think of the others. Here you go, my lord—will this be enough?"