90: Chapter 90 A False Alarm

In fact, when Li Youming had just arrived at the door, Ye Tian had already discovered him.

Of course, Li Youming had not concealed his aura either. As a subordinate, having finished a task for his superior, he stood at the door fearing he might disturb his superior's rest.

Such dedication must be made known to the superior.

Only when the superior knows, does his effort have meaning!

If the superior doesn't know, then how is his effort any different from feeding a dog?

If he still wanted to advance, then every little thing he did for his superior had to be known by the superior. If the superior didn't know, he had to find a way to make the superior know.

Li Youming, being such a smart person, naturally understood this principle.

Therefore, when he came to Ye Tian's residence, he never even thought about concealing his aura!

Of course, Ye Tian wouldn't deliberately leave him hanging. After all, the other party was a loyal subordinate working for him, and he had a favorable impression of this aspect of Li Youming's personality.

The reason he hadn't let him into the room was that after these few days of cultivation, his strength had reached a critical point.

Ever since they returned from Tianlan World, although Wang Chen had not specifically bestowed rewards upon them, he had not mistreated them either; everyone had received a strand of Power of Imperial Fortune!

Although it was not as much as the reward received last time when annexing the Wilderness World, it had still saved them years of arduous cultivation!

As time passed, the aura around Ye Tian surged like tides, and finally, with a slight hum, an aura even more powerful than before emanated from his body.

Middle Stage Land Immortal.

It was done!

Although it was only a Breakthrough in a small Realm, at the Land Immortal level, every step forward meant a significant increase in strength.

Most importantly, only powerful strength could match his position as Deputy Commander of the Divine Martial Guard!

One must know, within the Divine Martial Guard, there were still quite a few existences stronger than him. If his Realm couldn't far surpass others, how could he have the nerve to occupy the position of Deputy Commander...

After slowly opening his eyes, Ye Tian casually said to the outside of the door, "Come in."

Upon hearing this, Li Youming, who was outside the door, immediately wore a smile. He first straightened his robes before gently pushing the door open and entering.

"This subordinate greets the Commander! Congratulations to the Commander for your cultivation advancement; the Dao is within reach!"

Ye Tian waved his hand, signaling that he needn't be overly formal.

"How did the investigation go?"

Hearing Ye Tian's inquiry, Li Youming immediately restrained his smile, assuming a serious expression.

"Reporting to the Commander, according to our investigation, ever since Grand Secretary Li was removed from his official post, the Li Family has actually been far from what it once was."

"Nowadays, it is already a struggle for the Li Family to maintain a veneer of respectability, and their internal livelihood has become the primary issue. If it weren't for the fact that Prime Minister Zhuge specially approved a settlement allowance when they were dismissed, they might have already starved to death."

"But living off one's savings is not a long-term solution. The Li Family has recently been trying to find new businesses, but due to a lack of capital, progress has been minimal."

"As for the backers behind them..."

Li Youming paused for a moment before speaking very affirmatively, "After repeated verification by this subordinate, since Grand Secretary Li lost power, there have been no figures with real authority maintaining close contact with him."

Hearing this, Ye Tian couldn't help but frown, feeling very puzzled.

Since the other party had no backers, why would they dare to openly intercept the shops that the Ye Family had their eyes on?

Or was it that... they truly didn't take him, a Deputy Commander of the Divine Martial Guard, seriously?

Was he really that insignificant?

Seeing Ye Tian's puzzled expression, a strange and helpless smile appeared on Li Youming's face, and he then explained to Ye Tian.

"Commander, please calm your anger. This matter... is actually a bit of a misunderstanding."

"According to this subordinate's investigation, the matter of intercepting your Family's shops was not instructed by Grand Secretary Li himself; he was not even aware of it beforehand. It was entirely the unauthorized act of his third son, a dissolute Young Master named Li Mao."

"Li Mao?"

"Exactly." Li Youming nodded. "This son is incompetent and relies on the Li Family's former prestige and some old connections to hang around the bottom-tier merchant circles of the Imperial City."

"He accidentally learned that a few shops on South Street were being transferred and that they had considerable profits, so he set his sights on them."

"But he had limited funds on hand, and wanting to impress his father, he used some underhanded means—half-threats and half-inducements—to force the shop owner to breach the contract and leave the shops to him."

"As for your Family... according to our questioning of Li Mao himself, he only knew that the Ye Family had moved to the Imperial City from a small place. He knew nothing of your specific background, and even less about you, Commander."

"In his view, bullying a 'country bumpkin' Family from out of town carried zero risk."

Ye Tian: "..." After listening to Li Youming's explanation, Ye Tian was speechless.

After all that, it turned out to be a farce caused by information asymmetry?

He, a dignified Deputy Commander of the Divine Martial Guard, an old monster who had experienced Rebirth 100,000 years ago, had actually been "scared" by an incompetent dissolute Young Master.

If this got out, wouldn't he become a joke?

Thinking of this, Ye Tian's face couldn't help but feel a bit hot, and he felt both angry and amused.

What the hell!

He had almost capsized in a gutter, although this "gutter" was pitifully shallow.

Watching Ye Tian's changing expression, Li Youming cautiously added, "Commander, how should Li Mao be dealt with?"

Hearing Li Youming's words, Ye Tian thought about it seriously. This matter not only concerned the Ye Family's face but also concerned his own dignity; it absolutely could not be let go lightly.

"Li Youming, you go on a trip for me."

"Please, Commander, give your instructions!"

"Go and see that Young Master Li Mao, as well as the shop owner, and handle the shop issue!"

"But remember! We, the Divine Martial Guard, are the sharp blade directly controlled by Your Majesty. We must be 'fair and just' in our actions and must never use our power to bully others."

He paused, then said meaningfully to Li Youming: "Remember, convince people with reason!!"

Li Youming was such a shrewd person; he immediately understood the deep meaning behind Ye Tian's words.

This meant he was to go "uphold justice"—he had to get the shops back, make the Li Family concede and admit their fault, and yet not provide any pretext for being accused of using power to suppress others.

The so-called "convincing people with reason" naturally could not lack a display of the power behind the word "reason".

Of course, this word "reason" might also refer to "physical" reason!

"Hehe... Commander, rest assured!" Li Youming's face revealed that fawning and shrewd smile again, and he patted his chest in guarantee.

"This subordinate understands! I will definitely handle this matter properly!"

Ye Tian nodded; he was confident in Li Youming's ability to handle things.

For this kind of matter that required gauging the right measure, handing it over to this old fox was most appropriate.

"Go. After you finish, just inform my father of the result; no need to come back and report to me!"

"Yes! This subordinate takes his leave!"

After bowing and saluting, Li Youming immediately exited the room with a full face of smiles.

Li Youming was very happy in his heart. Because he knew clearly that handling such private matters for a superior required being a trusted aide, and this was also a sign of his superior's trust in him.