Chapter 159: Complimentary Kiss-Up
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The morning sun rose slowly from the horizon.
Li Nianfan was sitting in the courtyard, pouring a cup of tea and savoring it with Daji.
There was a chessboard in front of him. The two of them were playing chess.
Daji’s chess skills had improved significantly. She could defend herself against Li Nianfan for fifteen minutes. If Li Nianfan went easy on her, she could handle it for half an hour.
It brought a little entertainment to his dull life.
Knock knock.
Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door.
Gu Changqing, the Holy Emperor, and Zhou Dacheng were standing at the door. They looked anxious.
They rushed over to visit the expert as soon as they got back. The three elders of Azure Ville did not tag along as they did not want to disturb the expert.
They were no longer cultivating bigshots at that moment. They were more like anxious students handing in their assignments.
They did not know whether the expert was satisfied or not.
Li Nianfan said casually, “Come in.”
Here it comes!
Gu Changqing and the others felt their hearts tighten and race faster.
They looked at each other and reminded themselves of the expert’s taboo. They took a deep breath before pushing the door open.
Creak!
Their footsteps were soft. They threaded in lightly with baby steps.
Li Nianfan was slightly taken aback. He thought he would see Qin Manyun and the others. He did not expect that it was the Holy Emperor.
He looked at Gu Changqing and felt slightly nervous.
This was the Lord of Azure Ville. He had amazing powers. He saw him cast the Demon Lockdown Spell to seal the demon entrance. The flame pillars left a big impression on Li Nianfan.
Opportunity! This was a huge opportunity!
Gu Changqing noticed that Li Nianfan was looking at him and he got extremely nervous. He quickly said, “It’s nice that Mr. Li’s here to be our guest. I’m sorry that we had some matters to settle. Please, forgive us if we were impolite.”
Li Nianfan instantly had a good impression of Gu Changqing.
He did not expect this powerful cultivator to be so humble. It was rare that he was not snobby!
His attitude and personality were hard things to come by. No wonder he would volunteer to seal the demon entrance and benefit the world.
This man was an esteemed cultivator. Respect.
“Lord Gu, you’re too courteous. You single-handedly looked after Azure Ville. You should be a role model for future generations with such spirit.” Li Nianfan stood up and said, “Your work is what’s important. I’m already a bother here, you shouldn’t have gone through the trouble to personally visit me.”
“You’re so modest, Mr. Li. I’ve heard from my daughter that the food cooked by Mr. Li is fabulous. My children wouldn’t exchange it for anything else. I haven’t thanked you for your hospitality towards them yet.” Gu Changqing laughed and continued, “Also, I love your writing, Mr. Li. The flow is superb. I also thought a lot about your unique understanding of ‘Journey to the West’.”
The Holy Emperor and Zhou Dacheng were baffled. They looked at Gu Changqing and wanted to label him as a teacher’s pet.
Gu Changqing looked old-fashioned. They did not expect him to be a masterful kiss-up. His words and actions were just right. It did not touch on the taboo, yet he could compliment the expert as much as he wanted to. The balance was just right. He was absolutely the role model of kiss-ups!
No wonder he could be a Mahalaya realm cultivator. He must have complimented a lot of people with this skill, right?
Surely enough, Li Nianfan smiled and was in a good mood.
He glanced at the Holy Emperor and Zhou Dacheng. He complimented the writing because of them. They were the ones who showed off the writing to Gu Changqing.
Gu Changqing also collected the three paintings. He was a cultured man who loved art and writing.
“I’m flattered, Lord Gu.”
Two can play the complimentary kiss-up game. Li Nianfan smiled and said, “It’s just for my entertainment. I’m nowhere near your level, Lord Gu. As the saying goes, ‘at worse you’re a successful man, at best you’re a legendary savior’. It really describes you, Lord Gu!”
‘At worse you are a successful man, at best you are a legendary savior’?
Gu Changqing and the others were baffled. The phrase seemed easy to understand, but it had a deeper meaning to it. It would have a different meaning every time one thought about it.
It could be applied to the basic life of an ordinary man and the ways of a noble Saint!
The expert was truly an expert. His random quotes were filled with meaning!
They pursed their lips and felt their hearts stir.
‘At best you’re a legendary savior’?!
The God-like expert must be up to something important!
It instantly reminded them of the changes in this realm. They confirmed it! The bridge to immortality was probably his doings!
It must be that the expert could not bear to see the doomed Immortal Realm. Therefore, he came to this realm to bless the people!
All of a sudden, they admired Li Nianfan very much.
His character and his level made him a worthy Saint!
Li Nianfan noticed that they were silent. He asked, “How about we drink some tea, everyone?”
Gu Changqing suddenly snapped out of it and hurriedly said, “Thanks for the trouble, Mr. Li.”
“No big deal,” said Li Nianfan.
Daji got up and poured tea for the three of them.
They carefully held the cup in their hands. Their hairs stood on end and their scalps tingled. They were shaking hard even though they were trying their best to control their hands.
That was an Immortal. It was unreal that an Immortal was serving them tea.
They took a deep breath and said respectfully, “Thank—thank you, Miss Daji.”
They picked up their teacups and took a sip.
The Insights came along with the aroma of the tea. It resonated within them, leaving them intoxicated.
Li Nianfan felt pleased when he saw their facial expressions. He asked, “Lord Gu, what do you think about the tea?”
“It’s good! It has a nice smell and it’s sweet to the taste. It’s fresh and fragrant, too. It’s the best tea I’ve ever tasted!” exclaimed Gu Changqing genuinely.
Li Nianfan laughed. “Looks like Lord Gu’s a fan of tea, too. Unfortunately, I came out in a hurry and didn’t bring any extra tea leaves with me. Otherwise, I would’ve left some for you. If Lord Gu’s free, you can swing by my place next time. I welcome you to visit, and I’ll give you some tea leaves then.”
Gu Changqing was overjoyed. He almost fainted from the sudden surprise. He blushed and almost laughed out loud.
He hurriedly suppressed his emotions and said with a trembling voice, “Tha-thank you, Mr. Li. I’ll visit next time for sure!”
The Holy Emperor and Zhou Dacheng felt envious. Gu Changqing was good at flattery!
Li Nianfan was apparently satisfied with the Azure Ville hospitality.
They had to invite the expert to visit their sect next time. Perhaps they would get a reward if the expert was pleased.
The kiss-up Gu Changqing got lucky this time!