The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with an ordinary figure and plain looks. Xu Qi An had seen many beauties of the same age, such as Noble Consort Chen, the Empress, and his aunt. In terms of beauty and figure, each of them would easily outshine this woman.
However, she possessed a certain zeal that those beautiful ladies lacked. Willful… yes, that was it. This willfulness was rare to see in a middle-aged woman.
Xu Qi An had figured it out, but he didn’t admit it aloud. “What pouch?”
“A light green pouch with twenty taels of gold inside.” The woman pressed her hands on the table, glaring down at Xu Qi An. She gritted her teeth and said, “Give it back to me.”
G-gold?! Xu Qi An’s heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a calm exterior, even feigning confusion. “Madam, you’ve lost your pouch. What does that have to do with me?”
“Madam?!” she shrieked.
This woman’s face turned red with anger, even her ears flushing. She widened her eyes, glaring at Xu Qi An with fury about to erupt.
What’s with this reaction? Doesn’t she know her age? Xu Qi An waved his hand dismissively. “I didn’t pick up your pouch. Now scram.”
The woman took a deep breath and called out, “Come here!”
At the stairway, a child’s face peeped out. It was the same child Xu Qi An had frightened away earlier, who had witnessed him picking up the pouch.
“It’s him. He picked up the pouch and threatened me,” the child said loudly, pointing at Xu Qi An.
The surrounding patrons all turned to look. The alluring woman also glanced over, smiling as she watched the scene unfold.
“Come here, child,” Xu Qi An beckoned.
The child shook his head, eyeing Xu Qi An warily.
Xu Qi An took out a piece of silver from his pocket, flicked it with his finger, and the silver rolled to the child’s feet. He smiled and said, “Now, say that again. I didn’t hear you just now.”
The child picked up the silver piece with a grin and loudly declared, “I didn’t see anything. I don’t know anything.”
Xu Qi An laughed heartily. “Go buy some candied haws.”
The child happily ran downstairs.
The two Bronze Gongs laughed along, looking mockingly at the plain-looking woman.
The surrounding patrons also averted their gaze, no longer interested in watching. They returned their attention to the matches on the stage.
Even newcomers to the capital knew that the Night Watchmen were the local bigshots, not to be trifled with. This woman had long hair but short wit, unaware of the Night Watchmen’s influence.
Not only could they pick up her pouch, but even if they dragged her into a private room to have their way with her, she would have no recourse without backing.
The woman stared at Xu Qi An for a moment, then suddenly broke into an inexplicably charming smile.
She sat down nonchalantly, picked up Xu Qi An’s unused bowl and chopsticks, and began eating as if she owned the place. She seemed genuinely hungry at first, eating hastily, but once her stomach was filled, her manners became more refined.
After drinking a cup of wine, she glanced at Xu Qi An and sneered, “Well, isn’t this esteemed official going to tie me up and drag me to the magistrate’s office?”
Xu Qi An calmly replied, “Madam, it’s just a few bites of food. No need for that.”
The woman seemed to have arrived at mealtime feeling hungry, and upon discovering her pouch missing, had retraced her steps to find him.
“Madam…” she gritted her teeth again.
“Hmph, I bet he’s just a spoiled brat riding on his elders’ coattails. How else could someone so young become a Silver Gong?” a young man nearby muttered in a low voice, filled with resentment.
The woman, hearing this, cast a challenging glance at Xu Qi An.
“Indeed, coveting even a middle-aged woman’s pouch. He’s no good,” another young man whispered.
Upon hearing this, the woman said expressionlessly, “You’re a Silver Gong after all. Doesn’t it anger you when people gossip behind your back?”
This woman was quite petty… Xu Qi An smiled and asked, “What do you think I should do?”
The woman angrily replied, “Throw them all in the Night Watchmen’s jail!”
The young men at the neighboring table heard this but didn’t argue back. They wisely kept silent, still too afraid to provoke the Night Watchmen.
“That’s going too far. They’re just running their mouths,” Xu Qi An said, then added, “Besides, looking at their shabby appearance, we couldn’t squeeze much silver out of them anyway. Not worth the effort.”
The young men were furious but dared not speak up.
The woman stopped engaging with Xu Qi An and instead focused on enjoying her meal and wine while eagerly watching the martial artists fight on the stage.
Xu Qi An hadn’t chased away this interesting “madam” because he sensed that she wasn’t as ordinary as she appeared.
To reiterate, her appearance was indeed ordinary, lacking both an alluring figure and striking beauty.
But her status was likely extraordinary. Normal people don’t carry that much money around—half a jin or so, about twenty taels, which is just over one jin. Not heavy, even a child could carry such a weight, but twenty taels of silver is equivalent to a year’s savings for an average family.
If it were gold, it would be an unimaginable fortune.
Yet this “madam,” dressed in ordinary women’s clothing, with glossy black hair tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, looked utterly unremarkable. In Xu Qi An’s previous life, he might have described her outfit as “straight from a bargain bin, not worth more than a hundred yuan.”
However, this seemingly ordinary middle-aged woman, upon encountering a corrupt Night Watchman who had picked up her lost fortune, merely stood with her hands on her hips, glaring. Her anger at Xu Qi An for not returning what he’d found seemed to outweigh her distress over losing such a large sum.
Is this the attitude of an ordinary person?
Twenty taels of silver—if it were Xu Qi An himself, he would already be fighting to the death with anyone who picked up his money and refused to return it.
If it were twenty taels of gold, well, he’d have already called the authorities.
“Young master, may this humble woman join you for a drink?”
At this moment, the alluring, coquettish woman approached, swaying her hips as she walked, carrying a wine cup.
Xu Qi An now noticed that she wore a form-fitting long dress, with a silk ribbon accentuating her slender waist. That figure, tsk tsk…
He instinctively glanced at the “madam” beside him. She was dressed conservatively in thick cloth garments, and at her age, her figure was likely unremarkable.
“Of course, please do.”
Xu Qi An quickly gestured for the beauty to sit, but a problem arose—all four stools were occupied. The alluring woman with beautiful almond eyes looked left and right, unwilling to sit.
She didn’t dare offend the two Bronze Gongs, so she turned her gentle gaze towards the woman and said with a light laugh, “Madam…”
The “madam” abruptly turned her head, her gaze fiercely aggressive as she stared at the alluring woman. After looking her up and down, this woman in her thirties surprisingly let out a disdainful “hmph” and turned back to watch the fight.
What was that look like just now? Her eyes were full of contempt and disdain… The alluring woman narrowed her eyes. It was the first time another woman had looked at her like that.
Usually, wherever she went, she was the focus of men’s attention.
Her every move in men’s eyes was full of charm, bewitching, making their blood rush.
While other women envied her, were jealous of her, and gossiped about her.
But this middle-aged “madam” had just given her a look of naked disdain.
Xu Qi An glanced at the Bronze Gong to his left. The Bronze Gong understood immediately, picking up his saber and respectfully saying, “Sir, this lowly one will go on patrol.”
Xu Qi An nodded and made a welcoming gesture with a smile: “Please, have a seat.”
The alluring woman smiled charmingly and sat down, smoothing her skirt.
She had been observing Xu Qi An for a while. This man was a good catch. First, he was handsome, with delicate features as if carved, and eyes like stars, bright and piercing.
His high bridge nose and thick, dark eyebrows, coupled with his strong facial features, exuded masculinity.
Moreover, what interested her more was Xu Qi An’s position as a Silver Gong. To achieve such a position at a young age, he must either be exceptionally talented or have influential elders in his family.
Either way, he was worth getting close to and befriending.
“May I ask the young master’s full name?”
“Xu Qi An… And what’s your name, miss?”
“Rong Rong.”
Ah, Miss Rong Rong, do you have a professional title?… Xu Qi An smiled and said, “A beautiful name, fitting for a heavenly beauty like yourself.”
Miss Rong Rong covered her mouth and giggled coyly, adding, “This humble one also has a title: ‘Enchanting Hands.'”
Xu Qi An put down his wine cup and looked Rong Rong up and down repeatedly. She didn’t mind his blatant staring, instead pushing out her chest slightly.
“I’ve long heard of your reputation.”
Xu Qi An thought to himself, is this my lucky day? Just this morning, Second Uncle was telling me about the four most beautiful female warriors in the capital, and now I’ve met one at noon.
“Ahem!” He put down his wine cup and introduced himself properly, “So you’re the famous ‘Enchanting Hands’ Rong Rong. Let me introduce myself again. I am Xu Qi An, and my uncle serves in the Imperial Blade Guard.”
Upon hearing this, ‘Enchanting Hands’ Rong Rong felt a bit disappointed.
Although the Imperial Blade Guard was one of the five major guards of the capital, their position determined their power, and it wasn’t considered a prestigious office.
But Xu Qi An’s next words changed Rong Rong’s perception.
“Back then, he followed under Duke Wei’s command and repeatedly distinguished himself in the Shanhai Pass campaign. It’s because of this connection that I was able to secure a position in the Night Watchmen’s office.
“Prince Yu is my godfather, and he was a close friend of my father. My father was an earl, but unfortunately, he passed away early and couldn’t secure hereditary status. By the time it came to me, all that was left was a small viscounty.”
Uncle was Duke Wei’s confidant, father was close friends with Prince Yu, and he was both a Silver Gong and a viscount… Miss Rong Rong was stunned, her beautiful eyes fixed unblinkingly on Xu Qi An.
She had heard that the capital was full of nobility, and you might bump into someone from an official family at any time.
But no matter how high the official, could they be higher than Wei Yuan? No matter how noble the status, could it be nobler than Prince Yu?
At this moment, Miss Rong Rong became even more enthusiastic.
In his previous life, Xu Qi An had frequented nightclubs for social occasions and was adept at flirting with such women. It wasn’t that he coveted her body; he just missed the feeling from back then.
Occasionally saying some risqué words or teasing her a bit, this alluring woman who called herself Rong Rong and went by the nickname ‘Enchanting Hands’ wouldn’t get angry.
If she were a respectable woman, she would have long since blushed and spat at him: “Pah, you lecher!”
If she had a fiercer temperament, a 24K titanium alloy slap from an iron-willed straight woman would have already landed on his face.
At this moment, Rong Rong looked towards the stage and asked, as if inquiring yet also testing, “Young Master Xu, who do you think will win between these two?”
“Naturally, it’s that young swordsman,” Xu Qi An replied without hesitation.
“Even a fool could see that,” the older woman snorted coldly, making her presence known.
The young swordsman had been dominating the axe-wielding man from the start, moving with ease, his swordsmanship exquisite, occasionally drawing cheers from the spectators.
“Before the Qi Refinement realm, the strength of a fighter is determined by their physique. The axe-wielder surpasses the swordsman in both strength and build. So why is he at a disadvantage? That young man’s swordsmanship is just for show,” Xu Qi An said.
The older woman didn’t respond, but she perked up her ears.
“I guess they’re actors,” Xu Qi An revealed the truth.
“Actors?” Rong Rong hadn’t heard this term before.
“It means they’re putting on a show,” Xu Qi An explained.
Rong Rong suddenly understood and admiringly said, “I see. Young Master Xu truly has keen insight.”
As she spoke, her eyes showed a look of admiration.
What an old pro… Xu Qi An didn’t expose her, instead playing along with a smug smile.
Miss Rong Rong’s qi was profound, contained but not revealed. She was no weakling and had certainly seen through the stage’s tricks long ago. Only the willful older woman hadn’t figured it out yet and was half-believing, half-doubting Xu Qi An’s words.
At this moment, the young swordsman on stage parried the axeman’s weapon with his sword, then flew up with a kick to the opponent’s chest. The axe flew out of the man’s hand and off the stage.
After this, no one came up to compete for a long time.
“I’m full now. Give me back my pouch,” the older woman reluctantly tore her gaze away from the stage and glared at Xu Qi An.
Xu Qi An pretended not to hear. She didn’t press the issue, just looked at Xu Qi An for a long while before silently getting up and going downstairs.
“Her figure from behind isn’t bad actually,” the remaining Bronze Gong remarked.
After saying this, he realized he was being looked at with disdain by both Xu Qi An and Miss Rong Rong.
“Young man, did you lack motherly love as a child?” Xu Qi An patted the young Bronze Gong’s shoulder, then reached into his robe and pulled out the light green pouch. He opened it to see shining gold ingots inside.
“Wow, it is gold!” The Bronze Gong’s eyes widened, showing wild joy. “Sir, we’ve struck it rich!”
Xu Qi An tied the pouch’s string and said, “Let’s not covet ill-gotten gains.” He tossed the pouch out of the building.
Immediately after, a woman’s scream came from below. The pouch had landed right at the older woman’s feet. She crouched down, her skirt spreading out, tears in her eyes, grimacing in pain while glaring hatefully up at the second floor.
“Madam, you’d better hurry home,” Xu Qi An kindly advised.
The older woman bit her lip, picked up the pouch, and limped away.
…
Xu Qi An continued to spar verbally with Miss Rong Rong, both trying to reel the other into their fish pond. There were many “femme fatales” in this era who liked to flaunt their charms and cultivate young, handsome men as their devoted followers.
These women were the ancient version of green tea b*tches.
Xu Qi An hadn’t encountered such a woman in a long time and was happily playing along.
About a quarter of an hour later, a sudden roar came from the direction of the stage: “Xu Qi An, get your ass down here!”
“???”
Xu Qi An looked out in confusion to see a man in coarse clothing standing on the stage. The man was eight feet tall, with a full beard and eyes as big as bronze bells.
Standing proudly on the stage, he exuded a magnificent aura.
Even the commoners watching could sense that this man’s presence was different from the previous martial artists.
Xu Qi An was somewhat bewildered, thinking to himself, who the hell are you?
“Does Young Master Xu know this man?” Rong Rong asked, pursing her flame-red lips and looking at the man with apprehension.
Xu Qi An shook his head. “I don’t know him.”
“Then let’s not bother with him,” Rong Rong said softly. “This man’s body is flickering with divine light. He’s a master of the Bronze Skin Iron Bones realm… Of course, Young Master Xu isn’t afraid of him, but there are civilians all around. If you were to fight, innocent people might get hurt.”
Her words were tactful, saving face for Xu Qi An. But in her heart, Rong Rong knew that even ten Xu Qi Ans probably wouldn’t be a match for that expert.
After all, he had only become a Silver Gong thanks to his ancestors’ achievements.
“Night Watchman Silver Gong Xu Qi An, get your ass out here and kowtow to apologize, or I’ll crush your balls today,” the man shouted provocatively.
“Whoa…”
The spectating commoners and martial artists burst into an uproar.
So that Xu Qi An was a Night Watchman, and a Silver Gong at that? Since the establishment of the Heroic Platform, this was the first time a martial artist had challenged an official expert.
The young martial artists at the nearby table were stunned at first, then quickly turned their heads to look at Xu Qi An.
Their expressions were almost identical—schadenfreude.
“Come out and call me daddy, kneel and kowtow, or I’ll come up here and shout every day. Night Watchman Silver Gong Xu Qi An, son, hurry up and get out here.”
The man’s voice, full of vigor, spread throughout the venue. A large crowd of onlookers poured out of the surrounding taverns and teahouses.