Why Should I Pay When Someone Else Is Eating?

That night.

Ye Liuyun was practicing the Pine Wood Saber Technique in the courtyard.

After all these days, the Pine Wood Saber Technique had already reached major accomplishment. It likely would not be long before it reached perfection.

But just then, the maid Xing'er suddenly came looking for him.

"Master!"

"Hm?"

The movements of his hands abruptly stopped as he looked over at her in puzzlement.

Normally, unless it was something important, Xing'er would not disturb him while he was practicing.

So, had something happened?

"Has something happened to Madam?"

"Uh, it has nothing to do with Madam."

Why was Madam the first person he thought of?

Xing'er did not dare dwell on it and immediately said,

"It is one of Master's subordinates in the Brocade Guard."

A subordinate in the Brocade Guard? Other than Si Nan, there did not seem to be anyone else.

Could something have happened within the Brocade Guard?

With that thought, Ye Liuyun set his saber aside and gestured to Xing'er.

"Bring him over."

"Yes, Master!"

While Ye Liuyun stretched his somewhat sore limbs, Xing'er brought Si Nan over.

"My lord, are you practicing martial arts?"

Seeing Ye Liuyun as he was now, Si Nan froze for a moment. Like Xing'er before him, he found it utterly unbelievable. Ye Liuyun actually practiced martial arts?

...You're making me sound like an idiot.

He waved a hand, too lazy to dwell on such matters, and said directly,

"If you have something to say, say it. Don't interrupt my training."

"Yes, my lord!"

Snapping back to his senses, Si Nan hurriedly gathered his thoughts and said earnestly,

"It is like this. Tonight, Centurion Lu Quan has reserved the Golden Pavilion to host a banquet for guests. He hopes that my lord can make an appearance."

"Inviting me to dinner?"

Ye Liuyun knew of this Brocade Guard Centurion Lu Quan. After all, Lu Quan's name had been on the roster his brother left behind, marked as greedy and lustful.

The Golden Pavilion was a rather famous restaurant within the imperial city. Many wealthy officials and nobles held banquets there.

This Lu Quan was quite generous.

After muttering to himself inwardly, Ye Liuyun gave it little thought and waved his hand.

"No need. Tell him my training has reached a critical juncture and I truly cannot spare the time. We can leave the dinner invitation for next time."

Ye Liuyun was not lying to brush him off.

He truly felt that his Pine Wood Saber Technique was only a tiny step away from complete perfection.

A dinner invitation was not something he absolutely had to attend this time. Going next time would not be a problem.

However.

Upon hearing Ye Liuyun's words, an awkward expression instead crossed Si Nan's face.

"It is not an invitation to dinner. Centurion Lu Quan's side is nearly done eating already."

"They're nearly done eating, so why are they calling for me? To pay the bill?"

Ye Liuyun even suspected that Si Nan was fooling him. They were already almost finished eating, so what was the point of calling him over now?

"..."

He had only made an offhand jab.

Yet after saying it, Ye Liuyun discovered that both Si Nan and Xing'er had fallen silent. Their gazes seemed to tacitly confirm his answer.

"?"

Wait, they really intended to have him pay?

Were they insane? He was the one treating people to dinner, so why should Ye Liuyun pay?

Ye Liuyun suddenly recalled his brother's usual behavior and asked tentatively,

"Did this kind of thing happen often before?"

"Yes!"

Si Nan answered as if it were perfectly natural.

"It was not only Centurion Lu Quan. Whenever many Centurions or Chieftains held banquets, my lord would think of going over to pay the bill."

Perhaps it was because this had happened far too many times, but Si Nan's tone was incomparably natural as he said it.

...What a sucker!

He thought he could use this to draw closer to them, but they had probably already treated him like a fool with more money than sense.

Seeing Ye Liuyun remain silent.

Si Nan called out tentatively, "My lord?"

There had been too many changes in his master recently, so Si Nan could not quite gauge what sort of temperament Ye Liuyun had now.

"It is nothing."

Even if he was angry, there was no reason to vent it on Si Nan. Ye Liuyun simply waved a hand.

"If something like this happens again, there is no need to report it to me. Tell them directly that if they cannot afford to pay, they should not invite people to dinner. They expect me to pay for them? Am I their father?"

I am already an Acquired Realm martial artist. From what Ye Liuyun understood, even Brocade Guard Chieftains were only around the Acquired Realm.

If he still had to meekly swallow his pride and keep currying favor with others.

Then what was the point of practicing martial arts? To be an ox and horse for others? Were his knees made just so he could bow and scrape?

"Uh!"

Si Nan felt that if he truly passed those words along, he would certainly offend Centurion Lu Quan.

But judging by his master's manner, he did not seem to care whether Lu Quan was offended or not.

"Is there any other problem?"

"N-No!"

Si Nan thought it over and decided to let it go. His master did not care, so why should he, a subordinate, insist?

His master must have his reasons for doing this.

The recent events had made Si Nan deeply convinced by Ye Liuyun.

After saying a few more words, Si Nan left.

Xing'er, meanwhile, had remained quietly at his side the entire time.

However, Si Nan had already been gone for a while, yet Ye Liuyun still stood there lost in thought. This left Xing'er somewhat puzzled.

"Is Master troubled by something?"

Xing'er thought that Ye Liuyun was worried about offending that Brocade Guard Centurion.

However.

"It is not that I am troubled. I am merely thinking about how I can get that money back."

No wonder.

When he had sorted through his brother's "inheritance," he had not seen much money. So this was where it had all gone.

Xing'er did not know how to respond to that.

She merely looked at Ye Liuyun for quite a while. No one knew what she had thought of, but a smile gradually appeared at the corners of her lips.

"What did you say?!"

Inside the Golden Pavilion.

Listening to the report from his attendant, Lu Quan's previously cheerful face instantly darkened.

Accustomed to being flattered, Lu Quan had never expected that dog, "Ye Liufeng," would actually dare defy his orders.

If there had not been so many people of notable status around him, Lu Quan would have cursed outright.

"What is the matter, Centurion Lu?"

Someone had clearly noticed the change in Lu Quan's expression and asked curiously.

"N-Nothing. Just one of my subordinates being disobedient. It is a small matter, nothing but a small matter!"

Lu Quan did not want to lose face here, so he immediately forced out a smile as he spoke.

But inwardly, he had already decided that when he returned to the Brocade Guard, he would make that "Ye Liufeng" suffer.