Xu Qi’an sat in the large chair, holding a teacup. He took a sip and said slowly, “Let’s hear it.”
Miss Rong pursed her red lips and said, “Since Your Excellency has heard of my name, I assume you’re not unfamiliar with the Thousand-Faced Female Thief.”
“I’ve heard of her,” Xu Qi’an stroked his chin, looking at her. “Are you saying the one who stole my treasure was this Thousand-Faced Female Thief?”
“Constable Min, help me find the files on that female thief.”
Min Shan turned to instruct a clerk to search for the information. After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the clerk returned with a booklet, opened it to the corresponding page, and handed it to Xu Qi’an.
There wasn’t much information on the Thousand-Faced Female Thief. It only recorded that she was an extremely skilled thief who worked alone, with unknown origins or background. She had committed numerous crimes, both major and minor, and had never been caught.
This record provided Xu Qi’an with two pieces of information: First, she wasn’t an ordinary thief, committing major crimes without ever failing. Second, the female thief’s domain was limited to theft, without much destructive power, so the Night Watchmen’s Office had only a few brief records and didn’t take her too seriously.
“She’s quite a professional thief,” Xu Qi’an closed the booklet and returned it to the clerk. He then turned to the tightly bound Miss Rong and asked, “Why did the Thousand-Faced Female Thief disguise herself as you?”
Miss Rong sneered, “Who knows? Perhaps she’s jealous of my versatility.”
…It seems they’ve had a falling out, so she was retaliated against. Xu Qi’an grabbed his sword and hung it back on his waist, saying, “Constable Min, I’ll leave her in your custody. Don’t release her without my consent, no matter who comes.”
After giving his instructions, Xu Qi’an hurriedly left the office, mounted his beloved mare, and galloped towards the outer city.
He had no choice but to seek out Daoist Jin Lian in person. Fortunately, he knew where Daoist Jin Lian lived, though he had never been there before.
The sun was gradually setting westward, and curfew would begin in about two hours. He had to find the female thief and retrieve the Earth Book fragment before curfew, otherwise, he’d have to return to the office and ask Wei Yuan to sign a search warrant.
Daoist Jin Lian lived in the north of the city, in a small courtyard by the river. Its distinctive feature was a small scarecrow standing on the roof of the main house.
Xu Qi’an arrived and knocked on the gate. It was quiet inside, with no response.
“Has the Daoist gone out?”
Xu Qi’an climbed over the wall into the courtyard and pushed open the door of the main house. The room was clean and tidy. On the bed, Daoist Jin Lian lay with a peaceful expression, as if he had passed away.
Xu Qi’an called out “Daoist” several times, but seeing him in deep sleep, he realized the old fellow had gone out in his cat form again.
How did he suddenly develop this strange habit… What should I do now? We don’t know when the Daoist will return… Xu Qi’an frowned in thought for a moment, then had an idea.
He walked casually to the bedside, raised his hand, and started slapping Daoist Jin Lian’s face repeatedly.
As a mature jianghu veteran, Daoist Jin Lian should know how to protect his physical body. He must have left some safeguard. If his body was harmed, he should be able to sense it immediately, and even…
“Slap! Slap! Slap!”
Only the sound of slapping filled the room.
After a long while, Xu Qi’an heard Daoist Jin Lian’s emotionless voice from the doorway: “What are you doing?”
The slapping stopped immediately. Xu Qi’an turned around in surprise and looked towards the door, saying, “Daoist, you’re back.”
An orange cat stood at the threshold, gazing at him quietly.
Seeing that Daoist Jin Lian didn’t speak, Xu Qi’an hurriedly explained, “I have an urgent matter to discuss with you, but you weren’t in the courtyard. I guessed you must have left some safeguard on your body, so I had no choice but to resort to this method.”
The orange cat still spoke in an emotionless tone: “Did you not guess that I sensed your presence the moment you entered the courtyard?”
Daoist Jin Lian had even sensed that a guest had arrived when I entered the courtyard… Xu Qi’an said blankly, “I didn’t know that.”
The cat nodded, entered the room with elegant feline steps, leaped onto the bed, and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“My Earth Book fragment was stolen.”
He then told Daoist Jin Lian about his encounter with the Thousand-Faced Female Thief and how he mistakenly arrested Miss Rong.
“Once the Earth Book fragment recognizes its master, others cannot see the transmitted messages or take out the items inside. You can rest assured,” the orange cat said calmly.
“So when I received it from you, it was ownerless?”
“The Earth Sect Patriarch had erased its imprint.”
Xu Qi’an nodded. He already knew these things. “Time is of the essence. Let’s go retrieve the Earth Book fragment.”
“Follow me.”
The orange cat leaped off the bed and darted out of the room. When Xu Qi’an followed, he found it crouching on the horse’s back, tilting its head, quietly waiting for him.
Why isn’t the Daoist using his physical body? Even if being a cat is his quirk, this is official business… Could it be that for him, using his physical body or his spirit form makes no difference?
With these doubts, Xu Qi’an untied the reins, stroked the mare’s face, and thought to himself, sorry to let another male ride you this once.
Clop, clop, clop…
The mare galloped down the wide street, with pedestrians consciously making way. No one was foolish enough to block the middle of the road.
This was an era where people gave way to vehicles.
“Turn left!” the orange cat suddenly said.
Xu Qi’an turned the horse’s head, controlling the mare to execute a beautiful drift, turning to the left.
Under Daoist Jin Lian’s guidance, Xu Qi’an rode from the north of the city to the east, arriving outside an inn. Daoist Jin Lian said, “The Earth Book fragment is inside.”
As he spoke, Xu Qi’an felt a blood-linked sensation, mysterious and profound, clearly sensing the location of the Earth Book fragment.
The Earth Book fragment and its owner could resonate when nearby.
…
In a room at the inn.
A woman with heavy makeup, large almond-shaped eyes, and a coquettish gaze sat at the table. One hand propped up her chin, while the other played with a small jade mirror.
“Why can’t I use this treasure?”
The fake Miss Rong examined the Earth Book fragment. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but as the sole heir of the Thief Sect, she had a keen intuition for treasures.
Searching for treasures was an innate skill of Thief Sect disciples.
The mirror’s surface had many strange patterns – chests, banknotes, crossbows, silver ingots… Based on her years of “treasure hunting” experience, she quickly guessed:
This was a blood-bound magical item with built-in storage capabilities.
“Miss Rong’s” heart immediately burned with excitement. She hadn’t expected to catch so many big fish in one net. Not only had she obtained a treasure, but it also contained a huge fortune inside.
“How do I take out the things inside…”
The fake Rong gripped the Earth Book fragment and banged it on the table repeatedly.
She had never seen a blood-bound magical item before and was at a loss. Of course, there was one unchanging principle: for any storage artifact, if the artifact was destroyed, the stored items would automatically fall out.
But this was a blood-bound magical item, priceless beyond measure. It certainly couldn’t be treated like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
“Who is it?”
“Miss Rong” frowned and asked. She hadn’t called for hot water from the attendant, and there was still plenty of money for the room.
“Water inspection,” a man’s voice came from outside.
Hearing this voice, “Miss Rong’s” face changed drastically. Without thinking, she grabbed the small jade mirror, stuffed it into her pocket, stood up, and strode towards the window.
“Bang!”
She opened the window, about to escape, but saw an orange cat crouching by the windowsill, its amber eyes gazing at her quietly.
“Miss Rong’s” brain felt as if it had been pierced by a steel nail, tearing her soul apart. She clutched her head and slumped to the ground with a muffled groan.
The door was pushed open, and Xu Qi’an, with one hand on his sword, strode into the room with determined steps.
The orange cat also leaped into the room from the windowsill.
“So it was you!” Xu Qi’an drew his black gold sword and held it to “Miss Rong’s” neck, sneering, “Thousand-Faced Female Thief.”
“Your Excellency, what are you talking about?” “Miss Rong’s” lively eyes darted around, seemingly considering her options.
Xu Qi’an reached out his hand, and with a gentle grasp, the Earth Book fragment flew out from “Miss Rong’s” bosom, automatically landing in his hand.
“Miss Rong” let out a small “Ah!” and reached out to retrieve it, but a twinge of pain on her neck made her abandon the idea dejectedly. This man’s combat prowess was formidable; even ten of her wouldn’t be enough to withstand a single slash from him.
After inspecting the Earth Book fragment and confirming that none of the items inside were missing, Xu Qi’an breathed a sigh of relief, the weight lifting from his heart. The gold, silver, and banknotes inside the mirror were all his savings. In the half year since coming to this world, he had been through wind and rain, and it was not easy to accumulate this wealth. It was all for his future wife.
He put the Earth Book fragment back in his bosom, then withdrew his sword. Pulling up a chair to sit down, he smiled as he scrutinized the dispirited female thief, saying, “Well, aren’t you going to try to explain yourself?”
“What’s there to explain when caught red-handed?” The female thief rolled her eyes and muttered, “I’ve roamed the nine provinces for years, never thought I’d fall in the capital. As expected of the most virtuous city in the world, can’t complain…”
Her tone and demeanor were that of an old hand, thick-skinned and unapologetic. It was completely different from the coy attitude she had displayed in the restaurant earlier. That had been a disguise; this was her true personality.
Xu Qi’an, like a cat that had caught a mouse, teased, “Come on, try to explain. Who knows, this master might have a change of heart and let you go.”
The female thief changed her expression in an instant, putting on a pitiful look and seeming on the verge of tears: “This poor girl has had a hard life. Sold to a brothel at three, forced to receive customers at ten, and chosen as a disciple by my master at fifteen. I thought my days of suffering were finally over, but who knew my master was also a beast in human clothing? On a dark and windy night, he… he…”
Her acting was so convincing that Xu Qi’an couldn’t tell if it was true or false for a moment.
“Alright, alright. I sympathize with your experiences, but the law shows no mercy. I have a few questions for you, answer honestly,” Xu Qi’an said. “How did you manage to steal my treasure without anyone noticing?”
“That’s this girl’s specialty. Below the fourth rank, I can steal however I want.”
“And how did you disguise yourself?” Xu Qi’an leaned forward, grasping her chin and examining her closely. “It’s not a human skin mask, but this face is not yours.”
“This is our Thief Sect’s unique secret technique, called the ‘Deceiving Heaven and Earth Technique.’ It truly changes one’s appearance, far beyond ordinary disguise methods.”
“Wait!” Daoist Jin Lian suddenly interrupted, his amber eyes fixed on the female thief. “What did you just say? What sect are you from?”
Feeling a sudden sharp killing intent, the female thief weakly said, “Thief Sect…”
Daoist Jin Lian looked at Xu Qi’an and coldly said, “This female thief, just kill her.”
This was the worst defamation the Dao Sect had ever suffered… Xu Qi’an suppressed his rising smile and said seriously, “Do you know who this is before you?”
The female thief shook her head.
“A big shot from the Earth Sect of the Dao School.”
“From now on, our Thief Sect will be renamed to Divine Thief Sect,” the female thief said, her survival instinct strong.
Can a sect’s name be changed so easily? Xu Qi’an was stunned for a moment. Seeing that Daoist Jin Lian had stopped speaking, he continued the previous topic: “Hand over the secret manual.”
The female thief put on a pitiful expression: “This is a technique practiced from childhood, taught hands-on by the master. There’s no manual. I started practicing at four and it took over a decade to master.”
“Didn’t you just say you were sold to a brothel at three, started receiving customers at ten, and became your master’s exclusive plaything at fifteen?”
“…Perhaps Your Excellency misheard?”
Xu Qi’an thought to himself that indeed, not a single punctuation mark could be trusted from such an old hand of the jianghu.
“Hand over the disguise technique manual.”
The female thief resigned herself and nodded: “The manual is in the wardrobe. I’ll go get it now.”
Seeing Xu Qi’an nod, she stood up and walked to the wardrobe, taking out a bundle. “The manual is inside.”
Xu Qi’an took the bundle, and as he opened it, a green mist suddenly burst out. Caught off guard, he and Daoist Jin Lian inhaled a few breaths and immediately fell unconscious.
The female thief, who had been holding her breath in anticipation, took out a porcelain bottle from the bundle and swallowed the antidote inside. Only then did she breathe freely, grumbling:
“You’re far from being a match for this grandma.”
Saying this, she kicked Xu Qi’an a few times out of spite, then reached into his bosom, feeling around for a moment before retrieving the jade mirror.
Suddenly, she felt something hard pressing against her backside, and Xu Qi’an’s voice came from behind: “It seems we should just kill you after all.”
“Miss Rong” looked down in shock, realizing that the constable who had been lying there before was gone.
She didn’t dare move, knowing that what was pressing against her backside was a sword.
“I warned you, this is a big shot from the Earth Sect of the Dao School. You didn’t even realize when you fell under the illusion,” Xu Qi’an said with a smile. “Your backside is quite perky.”
The female thief completely resigned herself to her fate.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Ge Xiaojing.”
…
Xu Qi’an sealed the acupoints of the female thief Ge Xiaojing, tied her up tightly, and threw her on the horse’s back. He bid farewell to Daoist Jin Lian.
The orange cat nodded slightly and cautioned, “Be careful on your way.”
It walked away with elegant steps.
Xu Qi’an untied the reins and was about to mount his beloved mare when suddenly the horse went berserk. It turned its head, pivoted at a 45-degree angle, and with a beautiful backkick, sent Xu Qi’an flying.
Then with a long neigh, it galloped away.
“???”
Xu Qi’an, covered in dust, chased after it and managed to subdue it before it could crash into pedestrians. It took a long time to calm the mare down before it became docile again.
“Little more, don’t you love me anymore? After being ridden by that old codger Jin Lian, have you become fickle?”
Sitting on the horse’s back, Xu Qi’an thought to himself that he would never try to be clever again. The old ginger is indeed the spiciest.
…
Back at the Night Watchmen’s Office, Xu Qi’an locked the female thief in jail, warning the jailer not to do anything unnecessary as he still had use for her.
By now, the curfew had been in effect for two-quarters of an hour, and it was dark. However, for a constable, the curfew was essentially meaningless.
“Rong Rong of the Soul-Consuming Hands can be released, but with the curfew in effect, she can’t leave the inner city. We’ll deal with her tomorrow…”
The next day, Xu Qi’an rode his horse to the Night Watchmen’s Office. A clerk was already waiting at the door and ran up to meet him, saying:
“Your Excellency, a group of jianghu people have come to the office to ransom someone. It’s the lady you brought back yesterday. They’re with Constable Min now.”
They’re only coming to ransom her now? If I were a lecherous scoundrel who bullied men and women, I could have filled a child’s bedroom several times by now… Xu Qi’an clicked his tongue:
“I see.”