“Why should my fiancé pretend to be your husband?” Jing Hengbo gracefully stepped forward and naturally linked her arm with Yelu Qi’s. “I can handle this myself.”

Yelu Qi turned sharply to look at her.

Jing Hengbo didn’t look at him, instead coquettishly resting her head on his shoulder. She winked provocatively at Fei Luo. “Female Chancellor, you’re getting old. This kind of thing should be left for us husband and wife to worry about, don’t you think?”

“Uh…” Fei Luo’s face turned from green to white, as if she couldn’t process the shock. After a long while, she finally said, “You… where did you get a fiancée?”

Jing Hengbo smiled without answering—she had already written the opening, and now it was up to her stand-in Yelu Qi to handle the rest.

Since she had been inexplicably pushed down earlier, in that split second she could only think of this solution. Fortunately, her makeup skills were excellent, and she had disguised her voice. Under Fei Luo’s shock, she really hadn’t recognized her.

As for Yelu Qi, he definitely knew.

Indeed, Yelu Qi reacted quickly, immediately smiling as he supported her arm. “How did you follow me here? You’re so mischievous…” Then he calmly said to Fei Luo, “This is Miss Nan from our Yu Kingdom’s Nan family, currently my fiancée.”

“How could the Nan family form an alliance with your Yelu family through marriage? Why haven’t I heard of this before?” Fei Luo looked suspicious.

“You left Yu Kingdom early, so there’s no reason you’d know about later events.” Yelu Qi’s answer wasn’t polite either. “This was arranged by the family. You know I’m someone who has made mistakes, so I cannot oppose the family’s arrangements.”

Fei Luo was struck at her weak spot and immediately fell silent. Yelu Qi’s mistakes were committed because of her.

“However, I’m very satisfied with Miss Nan,” Yelu Qi turned to look at Jing Hengbo with a smile. “She’s warm and affectionate, lively and intelligent, virtuous in character, perfect for managing a household—exactly the kind of proper wife I, Yelu Qi, have always yearned for.”

Jing Hengbo rubbed her arms to get rid of the goosebumps, resisting the urge to look at his deeply affectionate gaze, and gently leaned her head against his arm.

There seemed to be the sound of cracking tiles overhead again, but this time Fei Luo was distracted and didn’t notice.

“Your fiancée?” She clearly still didn’t believe it, looking up and down suspiciously. “Did she follow you here? Or did you bring her? How can she eavesdrop on secrets between you and me?” The last sentence turned sharp with killing intent.

“Naturally I brought her. We husband and wife are one body, sharing life and death. What secrets could there be?” Yelu Qi’s smile was so gentle it could intoxicate.

Fei Luo’s expression grew increasingly ugly. “No! This is my secret! I won’t allow anyone to eavesdrop! I must deal with her!”

“Don’t you want my help anymore?” Yelu Qi said lightly.

Fei Luo stopped in her tracks, her brows darkening. “You…”

“I know you should have backup hidden near this courtyard,” Yelu Qi said coldly. “But are you sure those people are still there?”

Fei Luo’s face changed dramatically.

“You arranged to meet me privately but still prepared guards for protection—who exactly are you guarding against?” Yelu Qi smiled, his smile deep and cold.

“No, no, I’m not guarding against you… If I didn’t trust you, how would I dare meet you alone in this ancestral hall… You would never harm me, I know that.” Fei Luo hurriedly explained. “I’m just worried about hostile enemies approaching, like Yong Xizheng and the others…”

“If you want to harm my people,” Yelu Qi said gently, “then I might have to disappoint your trust.”

Fei Luo bit her lower lip tightly, glanced again at Jing Hengbo. In the dim light of the old ancestral hall, Jing Hengbo, who had been sweetly leaning against Yelu Qi, looked like a fairly attractive young lady with some aristocratic bearing but completely without schemes.

Without high heels now, even Jing Hengbo’s height gave a different impression than before.

Jing Hengbo could feel the killing intent in Fei Luo’s eyes—this type of woman actually loved only herself, but had excellent self-regard and extremely strong possessiveness. In their eyes, all excellent men were prey. Even if they didn’t need this prey, in their subconscious, it should wait for them to claim it. Once another hunter got there first, they immediately felt their self-esteem wounded, their prize stolen, wishing they could grab an AK-47 and wipe out the entire family.

This made her smile even more sweetly and innocently, leaning against Yelu Qi’s arm in an even more feminine pose.

While smiling, she wondered at herself—clearly the person before her was one of her enemies, clearly she was indeed filled with hatred, yet she could still put on this act, still manage to smile, without any difficulty.

Perhaps someone who had died once was truly different.

Toward Fei Luo, including all those who had harmed her, she didn’t plan to simply stab them to death and be done with it.

She wanted everyone to taste life’s bitter ups and downs. She wanted them to experience the same journey from heaven to hell, from thinking they possessed everything to having nothing—that painful process.

Like a failed bungee jump, head-first plunging down, falling all the way with screams of terror, enduring heart-wrenching torment, finally meeting the thunderous crash of the end.

Among human sufferings, death was the simplest thing.

Yelu Qi smiled and tilted his head to look at her, reaching out to gently embrace her waist.

Jing Hengbo was startled—this seemed to be going too far. She secretly reached behind him and pinched his back hard—let go! Let go immediately!

Yelu Qi remained unmoved, the smile in his eyes growing brighter, like a masochist.

Even though Jing Hengbo’s waist was wrapped in several layers of cloth, feeling stiff and thick, he still seemed to sense the slender curves and tender skin beneath the coarse cloth, smiling with flowing eyes that seemed to hold light.

The two looked intimately close. There seemed to be strange sounds from the roof tiles again. Jing Hengbo didn’t know what was happening up there, so she could only cough desperately to cover it up.

“So what about my matter?” Fei Luo suppressed her anger for a long time before asking coldly, all her previous gentle charm gone.

“Whatever my fiancée says goes.” Yelu Qi looked at Jing Hengbo with deep affection, truly like a good husband who respected his fiancée.

Jing Hengbo gave him a sweet smile while increasing the force of her deadly pinch, sweetly saying: “I think it sounds fun. Since this auntie says she needs your help, and you have childhood friendship, helping out is fine. But let’s be clear upfront,” she pouted coquettishly, “the only person by your side can be me, the only person you bring out can be me. No stray cats, stray dogs, old hags, or unlucky widows allowed.”

Under the lamplight, Fei Luo’s face was iron-blue, her fingers clenched tight to stop their angry trembling.

“Naturally it can only be you,” Yelu Qi dotingly tapped her nose, in a very good mood as he turned to smile at Fei Luo. “My fiancée and I will attend the palace banquet for Yong Xizheng and the princess’s engagement. You just need to find a reason to get us in. After that, things will proceed according to the original plan. In any case, we’ll help you achieve your goal. How about it?”

Fei Luo thought for a moment, then said helplessly, “Fine.” Gritting her teeth, she said resentfully, “If Yong Xizheng hadn’t bribed my people and learned about my subordinates’ arrangements, I could have solved the problem with my own people. Why would I need to trouble you!”

“Since you know it’s troublesome, it can’t be settled with just lip service, right, auntie?” Jing Hengbo immediately responded. “When ordering people around, shouldn’t you pay some compensation? My fiancé has such high status, the compensation should match his position. Even if he can give you a discount because of your childhood friendship, I have no such friendship with you. If I’m going to work hard running around doing this killing business for you, don’t you plan to show some appreciation? Or are you used to getting people to work for free based on your face alone, thinking you can do the same with my fiancé? My fiancé isn’t the type of pig-headed fool who goes weak in the knees at the sight of third-rate beauty…” She smilingly poked Yelu Qi’s cheek with her finger. “He’s someone who can sit in a woman’s embrace without being disturbed, noble and upright, of high moral character, never lustful—a true gentleman!”

“Exactly.” Yelu Qi nodded in agreement without shame, virtuously holding her waist even tighter.

The creaking sounds from the roof tiles continued. This time even coughing couldn’t cover it. Fei Luo looked up and sneered, “Just how many people are hiding up there eavesdropping?”

“Just one of my guards,” Jing Hengbo simply admitted.

“Truly worthy of being a young lady from the Nan family, calculating every penny.” Fei Luo looked contemptuous, not even glancing at her as she turned to Yelu Qi. “Yelu Qi marrying into a merchant family—how truly fallen you’ve become.”

“If anyone has fallen, it’s only me,” Yelu Qi immediately smiled in response. “Who told me I’m a family sinner?”

Fei Luo had to fall silent again.

“Besides, what’s wrong with a merchant family? Meeting Little Nan is the greatest fortune of my life. I have no reason to be proud in front of her—I only hope she can accept more.” Yelu Qi turned his head, gazing at Jing Hengbo. Under the lamplight, his eyes were like water, seemingly able to drown someone.

Jing Hengbo had been treating everything playfully, but encountering this gaze, she was momentarily stunned. She released the hand that had been pinching him and imperceptibly leaned back.

Feeling Yelu Qi’s arm pause slightly, he also gently released her waist. There seemed to be a faint sigh by her ear, so soft it might have been imagination.

The next instant she saw him smile as usual. “Female Chancellor, I think my Little Nan’s suggestion is excellent. Even close brothers settle accounts clearly—between you and me, there’s no need for false politeness, is there?”

“Fine,” Fei Luo gritted her teeth. “What do you want?”

Yelu Qi looked sideways at Jing Hengbo. But Jing Hengbo hadn’t thought it through yet. Her eyes rolled as she smiled, “Let’s contact you later. Auntie has married three husbands, each one powerful and wealthy as a kingdom. You must have many good things. I need to think carefully so I don’t get shortchanged.”

With her repeated “auntie” and “three husbands,” Fei Luo’s already poor composure finally reached its limit. She suddenly raised her hand, pointed at Jing Hengbo, and said grimly, “You better watch yourself!”

“You better watch yourself too,” Yelu Qi immediately replied. “I’m easily frightened and might take threats seriously and strike first.”

Fei Luo’s finger froze in midair. After a long moment, she suddenly dropped it and strode out the door.

The precious phoenix paulownia ancient qin blocked her path. Without even looking, she kicked it. That most tragic prop in history crashed against the wall and shattered into pieces.

Jing Hengbo’s coquettish laughter followed.

“See! Auntie is rich! Look! Such a valuable qin, and she smashed it without hesitation! Fiancé, what do you think we should ask auntie for…”

The laughter stopped abruptly after Fei Luo walked out the door. Jing Hengbo slapped Yelu Qi’s arm hard. “Let go!”

“What do you think we should ask her for?” Yelu Qi didn’t let go, leaning close to her ear to whisper, “Little Wave, when you said fiancée earlier, I really…”

Above them came a crack, and a roof tile suddenly fell. Yelu Qi flashed aside to dodge it, and Jing Hengbo took the opportunity to break free from him.

“Who’s up there?” Yelu Qi frowned at the roof, his expression very ugly.

Jing Hengbo looked thoughtfully at the roof and slowly smiled. “Or we could go up together and take a look.”

“Don’t rush,” Yelu Qi smiled. “Fiancée, I suddenly remembered I still owe you an engagement gift.”

“Our engagement has already been called off. I think you’re indecisive and entangled, so I’ve already dumped you.” Jing Hengbo waved her hand. “That gift exchange business—forget it.”

But Yelu Qi looked very serious, grabbing her hand and opening his palm.

In his palm lay a ring of indeterminate material, gleaming with an ancient bronze color like accumulated time, set with a cat’s eye stone that flowed with light. Under the dim yellow lamplight, the cat’s eye emitted an unsteady dark gleam, mysteriously enchanting.

It was clearly a valuable item.

Jing Hengbo immediately refused. “I hate rings.”

She truly hated rings—seeing such things made her feel depressed.

“You’ve misjudged—this can’t really be considered a ring,” Yelu Qi bent down and whispered a few sentences in her ear.

The roof tiles above seemed to crack again.

Jing Hengbo’s expression gradually softened. After a while, she said “Mmm” and added, “Since it’s like that, I’ll borrow it.” She reached out to take the ring, but didn’t wear it, tucking it into her sleeve instead.

Yelu Qi smiled with satisfaction. He took her and leaped up, landing on the roof. The uninvited guest from before was gone, leaving only Tian Qi standing alone on the roof, his clothes fluttering, still wearing the kindly earth god’s clay mask.

“Hey, where did that person go?” Jing Hengbo looked around and walked to his side.

Tian Qi turned and pointed into the darkness. Jing Hengbo suddenly smiled, “Why haven’t you been speaking?”

The moment “you” left her mouth, she already had a dagger in her hand, stabbing toward him!

“Whoosh.” Yelu Qi simultaneously flashed over like lightning, his palm striking toward Tian Qi’s face.

“Who are you?”

In his shout, Tian Qi suddenly bent backward in an iron bridge, Jing Hengbo’s dagger scraping past his chest, tearing away a piece of black fabric.

Yelu Qi’s hand also arrived, grabbing his mask with a crack as it split.

Tian Qi’s figure flipped with the momentum, escaping their joint attack, and dropped back into the grove below with a thud.

How could Yelu Qi let him escape? Throwing away the mask fragments, he smiled, “I’ll strip your skin and see who you can impersonate this time.” He looked down, about to pursue. A figure suddenly stood up from the grove, looking up and cursing loudly, “What are you two doing? Why are you attacking people for no reason?”

Jing Hengbo was stunned, and Yelu Qi, who had rushed to the roof’s edge, nearly fell off.

The two stared in shock at the person who stood up from the grove. In the moonlight, it was crystal clear—it was definitely Tian Qi!

“You… you just now…” Jing Hengbo pointed at him somewhat stutteringly.

Just now she had clearly felt something was wrong with Tian Qi, his behavior and manner seemed different. Most importantly, after he went to the earth god shrine, when he came out, he hadn’t spoken a word. At first, because they were eavesdropping, she hadn’t spoken either and didn’t pay attention. But later, when he desperately protected his mask and refused to speak, it made her suspicious.

Initially she suspected it might be… him, but later discovered his body temperature was warm, clearly not the case. She couldn’t help but hate herself for going crazy—why did she see that person in everyone?

So downstairs, she had inconspicuously signaled to Yelu Qi, and they simultaneously struck when they came up, shattering “Tian Qi’s” mask, expecting to see a different face. Who knew the one standing up from the grove was still Tian Qi.

He had just fallen down and immediately stood up from the grove—the timing was too short. If there had been a problem, the real Tian Qi should have been at the earth god shrine and couldn’t have appeared here so quickly.

“What happened just now? Just now you two inexplicably attacked me—which wire got crossed?” Tian Qi looked furious, jumping onto the roof eaves.

Jing Hengbo rubbed her face, trying to calm herself down. She organized her thoughts and asked, “It was you the whole time?”

“Yes.”

“Then what happened just now?” she asked.

“We were eavesdropping on the conversation below, then some inexplicable guy came and fought with me. I was forced off the roof, and he pushed you down.” Tian Qi answered rapidly.

Jing Hengbo blinked, beginning to doubt her own judgment.

“Then why didn’t you speak the whole time?”

“Someone burned inferior incense near the earth god shrine that irritated my throat. Can’t I choose not to talk?”

“Fine, fine,” Jing Hengbo said helplessly. “I have one last question—why did you desperately protect your mask?”

“People who don’t know martial arts really ask stupid questions.” Tian Qi looked even more helpless than her. “Couldn’t you tell he wasn’t grabbing for my mask, but for my face? That guy’s martial arts were all in his hands—Nine-Practice Iron Claw technique. If he had grabbed my mask, he would have torn off a layer of my face skin too. If my flower-like beautiful face were ruined, could you bear it?”

“Fine, fine, I couldn’t bear it,” Jing Hengbo warded off with her hands, avoiding looking at Tian Qi’s coquettish flower-like beautiful face, muttering, “When you protected me just now, I thought…”

“I protected you wrong too?” Tian Qi pressed his advantage. “Fine, then don’t ask me to protect you when you sneak around in the future. Staying up half the night in the wind, fighting, and nearly getting killed by you two. I can’t do this job—I’m leaving!” He turned to go.

“Hey, hey, don’t be angry.” Jing Hengbo had to grab him and quickly coax the temperamental cross-dresser. After much coaxing, Tian Qi’s iron-blue expression returned to normal. He shook his torn chest clothing angrily, “Compensate me for a piece of clothing!”

“Fine.”

“I want one of those dresses you used to wear.” Tian Qi pushed his luck.

“Tian Qi!” Yelu Qi immediately roared in anger.

Tian Qi immediately realized he’d said the wrong thing, quickly closing his mouth. His arrogant momentum instantly vanished, and he looked somewhat uneasily at Jing Hengbo.

Jing Hengbo was slightly lost in thought.

For a moment, she suddenly returned to Nine Palaces Street, when she had brought Zirui to display modern fashion on Emperor Song Street, that moment of graceful turning and smiling that could topple cities under the sunlight by the small well.

Oh no, what could topple cities was never beauty—it was that changeable heart that calculated every scheme.

Her former dreams of a feminine commercial empire had somehow dissipated. Those things she once loved most—makeup, cosmetics, clothing, jewelry—were suddenly swept away by that snowstorm. When she demonstrated her makeup skills again, it was only to deceive and kill.

In the span of day and night, her mindset had completely overturned.

Meeting the uneasy yet concerned gazes of the two men, she slowly smiled, turned around, and pointed toward Emperor Song.

“Why fear mentioning the past? If we can’t even face it, how can we overturn and start over in the future?”

“Look at Emperor Song. Tian Qi, my cosmetics, jewelry, all my beautiful dresses—they’re all there. Someday, I’ll take them back and give them to you in front of everyone.”

On the way back, Jing Hengbo asked Yelu Qi if he recognized who that sudden intruder was.

“Pale-faced, quite handsome, fairly tall, with eyes that always look drowsy like he’s drunk, but very attractive when he smiles.” Jing Hengbo described, “Oh right, he really did smell of alcohol—I could smell it.”

“Could it be Ji Yifan?” Yelu Qi thought for a moment and smiled. “The close friend of Xiang Kingdom’s Deputy Chancellor Yong Xizheng, the legitimate son of the Ji family—one of Xiang Kingdom’s three great families, and the youngest brother of Xiang Kingdom’s Queen Ji. A true blue-blooded noble of Xiang Kingdom. It’s said he lives a carefree and romantic life, loving wine and women above all else, drinking every day without fail. He’s Chong’an City’s most famous dissolute aristocrat.”

“So he’s the second bird in Fei Luo’s killing-two-birds-with-one-stone plan,” Jing Hengbo laughed heartily. “This guy was actually there and heard everything. Now this is getting interesting.”

“Since he heard it all, Fei Luo’s plan can’t be carried out. But you and I are the executors of Fei Luo’s plan, and we’re still planning to get valuable compensation from her.”

“We need to earn money and handle business, but exactly how we handle it is up to us.” Jing Hengbo looked at Yelu Qi with a mischievous smile. “But I need to ask you something first—that little childhood sweetheart of yours, I want to oppose her. Can you bear to let that happen?”

“She’s not my childhood sweetheart. I always regarded her as a sister, but that’s all in the past now.” Yelu Qi said lightly. “Little Wave, in my life there are very few things I can’t bear to lose, but there are definitely some. If we’re really talking about what I can’t bear to lose, it’s certainly not her. Do you want to guess who I really can’t bear to lose?”

“Are you playing tongue twisters? So many ‘can’t bear to lose’s make my ears dizzy.” Jing Hengbo immediately let go and walked ahead with a mischievous smile.

Tian Qi made a face at Yelu Qi and silently mouthed, “Unrequited love.”

Yelu Qi smiled slightly, folding his arms as he watched Jing Hengbo’s resolute retreating figure, a faint melancholy surfacing beneath his lazy expression.

Jing Hengbo returned to the inn, removed her makeup, slept, and the next morning got up to apply new makeup, wanting to talk with the Seven Kills.

She wasn’t planning to ask them for help—these seven comedic characters had high martial arts skills but were destructive maniacs. At most they could help in emergencies; they absolutely couldn’t be used to execute specific plans.

Jing Hengbo was thinking about ways to make them cooperate quietly with her plans. Before she could reach the Seven Kills’ rooms, she discovered that entire row of their rooms was empty. When she asked the inn servant, he replied that the guests in those rooms had gone out early in the morning, saying something about not having enough travel money and needing to go out and perform for earnings.

Jing Hengbo held her forehead—their travel money was definitely sufficient for the short term. These guys must have had another bout of restlessness and gone to cause trouble again!

Learning they were “performing” on the busiest South Spring Street, Jing Hengbo prepared to go see what was happening.

Zirui and Yong Xue advised her to rest properly, but Jing Hengbo felt that whether she rested or not made no difference to her injuries. When they were going to flare up, they would flare up unpredictably anyway. When they weren’t flaring up, she was fine. The Seven Kills had said she couldn’t use too much teleportation and manipulation abilities, so she would just use them sparingly.

Moreover, each time her poison injuries flared up, the medicinal power stored in the Heavenly Fragrance Purple would be simultaneously activated. She could feel that with each poison flare-up, the protective power of the Heavenly Fragrance Purple grew stronger—it could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Before leaving, Jing Hengbo thought for a moment, then took out the ring Yelu Qi had given her from her bundle and put it on.

Because Fei Luo had returned to Xiang Kingdom, Er Gouzi and Feifei were ordered to stay at the inn—after all, when she was at Emperor Song, her two pets were quite famous among the high officials.

Er Gouzi had to reluctantly stay behind and stare at Feifei, while Jing Hengbo expressed hope that she would return to find its feathers still intact.

Jing Hengbo brought Zirui and Yong Xue, along with Yelu Qi and Tian Qi, leaving the inn in three separate groups, still pretending not to know each other.

Before they even reached South Spring Street, they couldn’t move forward.

The road was blocked by swarming crowds.

“There’s a good show ahead!”

“Quick, go look!”

“What new thing is it? Acrobatics? Beast taming? I’m tired of seeing those!”

“No, they’re selling people!”

“Oh, that’s fresh! We must take a look!”

Voices surged forward, flowing along South Spring Street like tides in waves. Jing Hengbo listened curiously—selling people?

After thinking for a moment, she slapped her forehead.

Could those seven comedians be playing some new trick again?

Originally she didn’t want to join the crowd since there were so many people, but now she felt increasingly uneasy. She had to follow the flow of people forward. Inadvertently looking up, she saw someone on a teahouse ahead push open a window with a snap, curiously looking down. It seemed to be a very young woman. Then a man walked to her side, apparently afraid she might be seen, and reached out to close the window.

Jing Hengbo suddenly felt that man’s figure looked somewhat familiar.

Just one glance, then she was swept into the crowd. Almost without needing to walk herself, she was quickly pushed to the entrance of South Spring Street. Sure enough, she could hear the sound of gongs and drums from far away, along with Er Lu’s broken gong voice.

“Selling brothers! Selling beautiful men! Genuine peerless beauties, one tael of silver per night!”

Jing Hengbo snorted and pulled Zirui and Yong Xue, saying, “Let’s go.”

This group of comedians was being unreliable again. Let them sell or not sell—whoever bought them would be unlucky. She didn’t want to get involved in this mess.

But she couldn’t leave. More and more people came, including quite a few women who squeezed in, looking at the seven brothers with great interest.

Xiang Kingdom indeed had more women. It was said that in ancient times it was called “Fragrant Kingdom,” taking the name of the first great king. The first great king was the founding empress’s first female general, with extremely high status. Xiang Kingdom was also close to Emperor Song, had many connections with the other kingdoms and tribes, and with favorable timing, geography, and people, after years of accumulation, its economic development became first among the six kingdoms. Generally, places with stronger economic power would have relatively more open-minded customs. This could be fully seen from the fact that Fei Luo had married three husbands and could still climb to high positions in Xiang Kingdom’s political arena.

It was said that Xiang Kingdom had quite a few women supporting family businesses, engaging in commerce and politics, with fairly high status.

So at this moment, quite a few women squeezed in, all pointing and commenting on the stage with great interest.

Jing Hengbo looked at the scene. Except for Yi Qi, the seven brothers had all carefully dressed themselves, posing and showing off in the arena, occasionally displaying some flashy moves. They were obviously competing—you perform a boxing routine, I’ll do a set of qinggong, he displays nunchucks, another makes sword light flash like clear waves, stirring up the arena with whooshing sounds, causing the young ladies and men to scream in waves.

Jing Hengbo seriously suspected these seven had made some bet again—like competing who could sell for the highest price, and who could ultimately scam the most money.

She also seriously doubted whether these comedians could actually sell themselves successfully.

But after finally taking a careful look at today’s Seven Kills, she had to admit that perhaps, possibly, probably, they definitely could be sold.

And the prices should be quite good.

Every time she had encountered the Seven Kills before, they were either making noise or causing trouble. She really hadn’t been in the mood to properly observe them. Now looking seriously, she was shocked to realize—there were so many beautiful men around her!

Er Lu had bronze-colored skin, thick eyebrows and dense temples, phoenix eyes and thin lips, radiating an extremely strong masculine aura.

Shan Wu was gentle and refined, with a mild temperament. When he didn’t speak, he looked like a scholarly gentleman.

Si Si was an elf-like slender youth. He wasn’t the youngest in age, but looked the youngest, with skin of a strangely rich whiteness, eyes hiding a faint purple color, as if he had foreign bloodline.

Wu Shan was a pure fake monk with pink cheeks and shiny black hair. According to him, he couldn’t bear to part with his absolutely magnificent hair, so despite having Buddha bones throughout his body, he hadn’t taken vows. He was the most comfortable-looking of the seven.

Lu Er was tall and distinguished, with a straight nose and square mouth, his whole body carved with sculptural lines, slim waist and long legs, naturally sexy. In modern times he would be top male model material.

Qi Yi was the oldest, with long hair flowing loose, bound with a blue headband, slightly scruffy, with a pair of soul-stealing peach blossom eyes. Even when not smiling, he looked romantic when looking at people. That unique charm of a wandering swordsman traveling the world with wine was most attractive to all the lonely mature women in their boudoirs.

Each had their own type, all with outstanding appearances. Though they were inferior to the two great state preceptors Yan Hua and Shen Xue, among ordinary people each was exceptional. What was even rarer was the stunning effect when they gathered together.

But this was contingent on them not opening their mouths.

Jing Hengbo felt it wasn’t easy to gather these seven types in the world, and their names were so coincidental. It must be Purple Micro Master’s wicked taste—that old fellow, could he be gay?

While she was lost in thought, bidding had already started below the stage.

“Peerless beauties! Pleasing to the eye and heart, can guard and warm beds, capable in both literature and martial arts, cheap and fine quality, extraordinary virility, honest prices for all ages, starting at one tael of silver, highest bidder wins!” Yi Qi beat the gongs and drums, pushing Qi Yi forward. “This is the eldest brother! Specializes in ‘Thousand Silk Entanglement,’ longest record three days and three nights. Don’t ask me what lasted three days and three nights—figure it out yourself! Now, begin!”

Jing Hengbo snorted again.

Had these seven comedians traveled through modern times and seen auctions?

Qi Yi tossed his long hair, pointed his finger at his chin, twisted his waist and thrust his hips, striking an S-curve pose.

Jing Hengbo grabbed her chin, deciding to ask him for copyright fees later—this was clearly plagiarizing her pose!

Almost immediately, bidding started below. Partly for novelty, partly for fun, all the bidders were men dressed as servants, though in the distance, mature women and married ladies hid behind fans, smiling charmingly at the romantically dissolute Qi Yi on stage.

Jing Hengbo fanned herself, saying expressionlessly to Zirui, “See any you like? If you do, I’ll buy one for you to take home and play with. You can vent anger, kick, bully, and do S&M—I’ll even pay you.”

“Thank you, Master,” Zirui immediately stepped back. “This servant wants to live a few more years.”

Jing Hengbo indicated this was the truth.

The bidding had already started over there.

“Ten taels!”

“Twenty taels!”

“Fifty taels!”

“One hundred!”

Soon the bidding became competition between several wealthy households, mostly wealthy ladies who controlled certain family businesses, had some say, and were lonely in their spring chambers ordering people to bid. Anyway, with the Seven Kills’ physiques, they could legitimately serve as household guards.

Qi Yi’s final sale price was two hundred taels, enough to buy over a hundred ordinary servants. The comedians excitedly divided the money behind the cloth partition. Yi Qi vigorously promoted the remaining ones, quickly selling all the other five at various high prices. When those six followed their masters home, winking and high-fiving, Jing Hengbo estimated that by evening, the masters would discover their people had disappeared and their money was gone too.

She decided to stay far away from them.

“Little Seven, I can’t bear to part with you…” Each comedian leaving hugged Yi Qi’s legs for “life and death partings,” and soon Yi Qi was covered with various snot and saliva they had wiped on him…

Yi Qi was busy counting money, determined to throw away this robe. Later he’d privately pocket their money and buy the most expensive ice silk robe in Xiang Kingdom—no, three robes: one to wear, one as cushion, one for wiping snot!

“All sold, all sold.” After counting the money, he waved goodbye to everyone.

Suddenly someone on a nearby building pushed open a window with a snap, leaning out to shout loudly, “Hey! Didn’t you say you were selling all seven together? Why aren’t you selling yourself?”

Yi Qi was stunned, looking up. The person leaning out upstairs was a young lady with large round eyes and thick black eyebrows. Originally she should have had a very heroic appearance, but her eyes were particularly misty with moisture, creating a contradictory beauty throughout her person. She was a woman with very distinctive features.

Her behavior was also very distinctive—she pointed at Yi Qi with one hand, loudly saying, “I’ve taken a fancy to you, I’ll buy you!”

The noisy street market fell silent, and everyone’s expressions immediately became colorful.

Earlier the auction had been in full swing, and the buyers were actually mostly women, but however it was, on the surface they were buying guards, and those who appeared were household stewards from various mansions. They had to maintain some dignity and couldn’t be too shocking.

Unexpectedly, what many noble ladies and mature women hadn’t dared to do, this young lady who still looked to be in her prime years did under everyone’s gaze.

For a moment, all the heads on the street turned toward that building like sunflowers. Looking down from above, there were countless black holes of open mouths—scatter a handful of sunflower seeds and hundreds of people could catch them.

Behind the upstairs window, a hand reached out, seeming to want to pull the young lady away, but she willfully shook off that hand.

“One thousand taels!” she angrily shouted, casually throwing down a bank note. “One price!”

Yi Qi quickly caught it, but after catching it felt it was hot to handle. His eyes darted around, then he suddenly began mouthing words to the crowd.

“Wife! Come buy me! Otherwise your husband will be bought by someone else!”

The crowd didn’t know what he was opening and closing his mouth for, looking at each other in bewilderment. In the crowd, Jing Hengbo held her forehead.

No need to guess what he was saying—understanding the two words “wife” was enough.

This guy Yi Qi was trying to drag her into the water again.

“Wife, my body, my heart, my person all belong to you. If you don’t buy me soon, I’ll drag you up here!”

Yelu Qi was nearby, and from his half-smiling expression, he seemed ready to cause mischief.

Jing Hengbo picked up a wooden board someone had discarded from the ground, covered her face, and began raising her bid.

“I want him too!” she said. “One thousand and one taels!”

With a thunderous sound, the crowd’s upturned heads swooshed down, turning toward her direction.

The wooden board firmly blocked Jing Hengbo’s face.

She couldn’t afford to lose this face.

The young lady upstairs hadn’t expected interference, her willow eyebrows standing on end. “Two thousand taels!”

Jing Hengbo sighed, but her voice wasn’t low at all.

“Two thousand and one taels.”

“Three thousand taels!” The young lady was going mad.

“Three thousand and one taels.”

“Four thousand taels!”

“Four thousand and one taels.”

Always one tael more than you anyway.

The whole street was first strangely silent, then burst into laughter.

The young lady upstairs was already flushed red. She suddenly yanked off the jade pendant at her waist to throw it down, but someone rushed over to stop her, urgently saying, “You can’t!”

Jing Hengbo’s gaze sharpened—she recognized this person!

The one who pushed her off the roof last night!

“It’s none of your business, get out of the way!” The young lady fiercely threw the jade pendant down. “This jade pendant is priceless, worth ten thousand taels!”

The street’s laughter was cut short, and everyone felt somewhat uneasy. A jade pendant worth ten thousand taels wasn’t something any family could produce—at minimum it would be from a top-tier wealthy clan. Such people couldn’t be offended.

Yi Qi quickly caught it with beaming joy, using his eyes to signal Jing Hengbo that she didn’t need to continue the double act. He felt this price was acceptable, enough to make him hold his head high among his junior brothers. With such wealth, it shouldn’t be missed. Later he’d go play with the lady for a while, then come back with earned money to buy flowers for his wife, kiss kiss.

Jing Hengbo glanced at that jade pendant and decided to ignore him.

“Ten thousand and one taels.”

With a roar, everyone was surprised and turned to look, wanting to see what kind of person this woman who really dared to compete with wealthy clans was. Unfortunately, no matter how they stood on tiptoes and turned around, Jing Hengbo’s face remained firmly hidden behind the wooden sign.

“Little Wave,” Yelu Qi moved close to her, whispering, “If someday I were snatched by someone, would you fight so desperately for me?”

Jing Hengbo rolled her eyes—which eye of his saw her “desperately fighting” to snatch men?

She was being forced into this, okay?

“If someday you’re surrounded and killed, I’ll definitely rush to add another blade.” She chuckled wickedly.

Yelu Qi looked at her for a long while, as if trying to discern the truth or falsehood of her words. In the past he would definitely have laughed heartily, taking it as a joke, but now, even though her smile was exactly the same as before, he could no longer be certain of truth or falsehood.

Wind, snow, stars, and frost change—no longer the youth of former days.

The young lady upstairs was furious beyond measure, her pink face iron-blue. Without speaking, she violently slammed the window shut. Then everyone clearly heard a series of rapid footsteps going downstairs, followed by a figure bursting out from the main entrance, pointing at Yi Qi and saying, “Snatch him!”

Figures flashed continuously, and immediately a group of big men rushed out from the crowd, grabbing Yi Qi and subduing him in three moves. Yi Qi didn’t struggle, smiling happily, “Hey, gentle!”

A horse carriage came over. The big men stuffed Yi Qi into the carriage, jumped on themselves, cracked the whip and charged toward the crowd. Everyone stepped aside, watching the carriage disappear in a cloud of dust at extreme speed.

This series of actions was as quick as a rabbit rising and a falcon falling, startlingly fast. The crowd had just clearly heard that shout of “snatch,” and the next instant the person had been snatched into the carriage and taken away. The long street was quiet for a moment, then burst into applause, all feeling it was spectacular—both women each had their own dominance and decisiveness, even snatching men so imposingly.

The young lady stood with hands on her hips at the teahouse entrance, chin slightly raised. She showed no satisfaction, but angrily glanced at the teahouse. The teahouse remained motionless—the man who had tried to stop her earlier hadn’t followed downstairs.

The young lady waited a while, her expression growing increasingly ugly. She stamped her feet heavily and said, “Let’s go back and appreciate the snatched treasure!”

Another horse carriage came, with vermillion wheels and carved saddle, golden bells and silk curtains, very luxurious. The young lady looked back again at the motionless teahouse, resentfully lifted her skirt to board the carriage, heavily dropped the curtain, and said, “Go!”

Inside the carriage the light was dim. In her anger, she sat down heavily, suddenly feeling something strange.

…Someone was beside her!

She turned sharply, and someone had already sweetly embraced her shoulder, smiling, “Good morning.”

This person was naturally Jing Hengbo.

“You…” The young lady wanted to scream, but Jing Hengbo’s hand was already covering her mouth. “Don’t scream, dear. I’m very timid—if you scream and my hand shakes, and the knife pokes into your flesh, that wouldn’t be very good.”

The young lady felt something hard pressing against her waist and immediately didn’t dare move recklessly, nodding tearfully.

Jing Hengbo observed her with great interest. This girl had beautiful eyes—even without tears they were already misty with moisture. With tears, they were simply like an autumn pond, truly deserving the words “pitiful and touching.” Just with these beautiful eyes alone, there weren’t many men in this world who could resist her.

But her temperament didn’t quite match these eyes.

Jing Hengbo pulled out a candied hawthorn stick to eat, the sharp end of the stick pressing hard against the young lady’s waist.

“What are you eating…” The young lady didn’t dare move or look around, asking with sniffles.

Jing Hengbo crunched the sugar coating, mumbling unclearly, “Eyeballs.”

Her mouth made crunching and crackling sounds—eyeballs being bitten through, splattering, shattering…

The young lady shivered, trembling as she said, “You… don’t gouge out my eyeballs… I… I have money, I’ll give you money!”

“I don’t care whether you have money or not,” Jing Hengbo said melancholically. “Anyway, none of the people around me are as rich as I am.”

“Then… I can get you an official position, I can help arrange any position below fourth rank…”

“Really?” Jing Hengbo asked joyfully.

“Really, really! Please let me go!”

“Can I become the Great King of Xiang Kingdom?”

“…”