After riding for a short distance, Jing Hengbo spotted a village by the roadside. She dismounted and traded the fine horse with the villagers for an ox cart, along with a new jacket, a skirt, and a fresh headscarf. With help from the village women, she changed into these clothes, asked for directions to the nearest county town, and continued on her journey by cart.
She headed straight for the most prosperous county town.
Among the four members of the research team, in this situation, Jun Ke would likely hide in the mountains first, Wen Zhen would probably settle in some village, while Taishi Lan would wander randomly, going wherever fate took him.
But for Jing Hengbo, who loved excitement, enjoyed luxury, and craved attention, she would rather be captured than live in deep mountains or shabby little villages. She was determined to choose the most prosperous location, convert her emeralds into cash, and live the high society life first and foremost.
If she couldn’t enjoy life, she’d rather die.
After most of the day, she reached the nearby San Shui County town. She had already inquired about the pawnshop’s location and headed straight there.
A quarter-hour later, she sat comfortably by the table and chairs prepared for customers, leisurely drinking tea. A young shop assistant bustled around her attentively, bringing tea one moment and pastries the next, his eyes darting around as he stared at her legs clad only in black stockings beneath her lifted skirt.
Jing Hengbo generously extended her long legs for him to admire, occasionally changing positions to give him a more comprehensive and detailed view.
What was the point of having a beautiful figure?
It was meant to be worshipped and admired!
The clothing of this era was too ugly! Too stifling of people’s natural love of beauty! How could these crude garments that failed to showcase curves be allowed to conceal her wonderfully perfect figure?
Jing Hengbo sat there, lifting her skirt this way and that, draping it across her slender legs. The men coming and going in the pawnshop had their eyeballs rolling all over the floor. One fellow, still turning back to look as he stepped out the door, tripped over the threshold and tumbled out with a clatter.
Jing Hengbo watched with delight, resting her chin on her hand, her lip corners curved upward in brilliant crimson, making everyone draw sharp breaths of amazement.
Finally, hurried footsteps approached. The old shopkeeper personally rushed over from the back courtyard. Jing Hengbo, considering her emerald a major business transaction, had insisted the assistant must invite the shopkeeper to personally examine it.
“Miss…” The old shopkeeper was clearly experienced. Though he paused slightly upon seeing her, his expression remained normal.
Jing Hengbo smiled sweetly as she set down her cup, her palm producing an emerald as if by magic.
“Ah…” Gasps of admiration rose from all directions.
In her snow-white palm, the emerald radiated magnificent light, white and green interplaying in clear, brilliant colors.
“How about it? Worth good money, right?” Jing Hengbo was smugly proud.
A fellow with a dog-skin plaster stuck to his cheek swaggered forward, grasping Jing Hengbo’s fingers and making appreciative sounds.
“So beautiful… so white… skin like jade… jade fingers like shells… truly valuable! Miss, how much?”
Jing Hengbo kicked him with her high heel, creating two holes in him.
“Shopkeeper, what do you think?” Busy dealing with the lecher, she looked up to see the old shopkeeper’s expression seemed somewhat wrong.
The old shopkeeper straightened his expression and hastily smiled: “Indeed, it’s a fine piece. However, wealth shouldn’t be displayed openly—with people coming and going here, it’s not quite appropriate. Miss, please follow this old man to the back courtyard, and we can discuss this slowly?”
Jing Hengbo found this reasonable. She closed her palm to put away the gemstone, and a group of men watched her pale golden fingernails with golden gleams in their eyes. Seeing her follow the old shopkeeper to the back courtyard, they all let out sorrowful sighs.
“Gentlemen, our small shop is closing early today.” The assistant came to shoo people away. After everyone left, he put up the shop boards.
The old shopkeeper, walking toward the back, half-turned and gave an eye signal to one assistant. That assistant opened a side door and left.
Jing Hengbo didn’t notice this. She followed the old shopkeeper all the way to the back courtyard, where they sat down as host and guest in the back courtyard’s flower hall. Just as she was about to discuss price, the old shopkeeper stood up again, tremblingly saying: “This old man’s eyesight isn’t what it used to be. I need to fetch some reading glasses to examine it carefully. Besides, your gemstone is quite valuable—this old man must also gather some silver.”
Jing Hengbo was delighted, waving her hand: “Yes, yes, go quickly, go quickly!”
The old shopkeeper left the room, closing the door behind him. Jing Hengbo paid no attention.
She waited in the hall, finished a bowl of tea, but still no one came. After waiting a while longer, feeling the call of nature, she opened the door to look for a toilet.
When she pulled the door, it wouldn’t budge.
Jing Hengbo peered through the door crack and saw it was locked!
Why lock the door for no reason? Something was clearly wrong. Jing Hengbo’s first thought—this old bastard wants to rob me!
Damn it, she’d run into a crooked shop!
Jing Hengbo jumped onto a chair and looked around outside the window. Seeing no one, she pondered the house’s structure and layout—where would the old guy’s bedroom be?
She wanted to teleport onto the old guy’s bed and scare him to death!
Suddenly urgent footsteps approached. Through the window crack, she saw a crowd gathering—a large group of people had arrived. Leading them was the old shopkeeper, followed by a big group all wearing identical clothing: red front-buttoned shirts, black pants, with circular badges on their chests bearing the character “Guard.” They all carried flat, round sticks.
Jing Hengbo found this outfit quite familiar.
The old shopkeeper led the way, talking as he walked, his voice drifting over from afar.
“…honorable officials… truly prophetic… indeed someone came to pawn emerald gemstones… yes, yes, star-rayed top-quality emeralds… mm-hmm… we absolutely dare not conceal the fencing of stolen tribute… the person is already locked in the main hall… please…”
The old shopkeeper unlocked the door and pushed it open.
“Creak—” The door slowly split the light and shadows.
Everyone looked up, stunned speechless.
“Where is she?”
…
At the same time.
Jing Hengbo was stunned speechless.
She looked down at the wooden platform beneath her feet, at the scantily clad woman with garish makeup and panicked expression on the platform, at the various ornately decorated small buildings around her, then at the equally gaping, terrified-looking… men below.
What the hell.
Where had she ended up?
…
The surrounding architecture was gaudily styled, the girls wore gorgeous yet revealing clothing. Her current position was on a viewing platform with a pink gauze curtain stretched in front. There were women both inside and outside the gauze—the ones outside seemed to be dancing. Through the gauze, she could see the men below with lewd and excited expressions, their eyes either bright red or gleaming green.
Based on Jing Hengbo’s years of movie-watching experience, the atmosphere and style displayed by such a venue was ninety-nine percent certain to be a brothel.
A song and dance performance was currently underway, and she had teleported directly to behind the viewing platform.
Behind her came a “thud.” She turned to see a middle-aged madam in red silk clothing, eyes rolled back, collapsing to the ground, trembling as she pointed at her with terror-filled eyes: “You… you… where did you come from…”
The girls hadn’t reacted yet, staring at her with wide eyes.
At this moment, shouting voices came from not far away: “Where is she? How did she disappear? She definitely didn’t get far—search the area!”
Jing Hengbo silently cursed. So her teleportation this time hadn’t taken her very far, and the pursuing soldiers were nearby!
She frowned darkly, thinking that this county town was having a market day today, everywhere was quite lively. Unlike the previous wilderness, moving around in broad daylight like this would easily be seen by people, which would instead bring trouble.
“There’s a ghost!” The madam behind her let out a shriek that sounded like her neck was being stretched straight.
Jing Hengbo suddenly spun around dramatically, raised her leg high, hands on hips, pointing her ten-centimeter stiletto heel at the madam’s neck: “Scream! Keep screaming!”
The madam’s shriek got stuck in her throat with a “geh” sound, sounding like a crowing rooster.
The screams of several girls couldn’t be controlled and escaped, but were covered by the sound of music from outside.
Jing Hengbo wiggled her shoe, smiling seductively: “Every time you scream, I twitch. I can’t guarantee this heel won’t thrust forward and pierce your neck…”
The madam suddenly paused, studying her smile, then looked her up and down.
Jing Hengbo smiled sweetly and let her look, even deliberately striking a pose, making her neck, chest, waist, and hips each hold tension separately, creating curves and displaying infinite charm and allure.
The madam’s eyes lit up, even forgetting the weapon heel at her neck.
A woman who could withstand such scrutiny and still pose so confidently was rare!
A natural beauty, this one!
Jing Hengbo’s eyes showed some irritation because the sounds of pursuit were getting closer.
“Search the brothel next door first!”
Damn, they were right next door!
Suddenly the pink gauze curtain lifted, and a girl spun in, but before finishing her turn, she collapsed to the ground, rubbing her ankle and crying out sweetly: “Oh mama, quickly find someone to replace me—I’ve twisted my ankle and can’t dance anymore!”
“This… what can we do!” The madam was startled, forgetting about the heel at her neck, and quickly ordered a girl in yellow: “Caihuan, you quickly take her place!”
“Mama!” The girl called Caihuan nearly cried: “Sister Manyun learned the new Drunken Feather Dance—we haven’t learned it yet…”
“Oh, you useless silly girls when trouble comes…” The madam began scolding endlessly. The men below, growing impatient, began making noise, while Jing Hengbo, who had been listening intently, only heard the sound of a large wave of people rushing out of the neighboring courtyard.
Soon people would arrive here…
With so many people coming, and talking about tribute, this must be no small matter…
The pursuers in the adjacent courtyard showed moving heads, the audience outside the curtain roared loudly, the dancing girl before her whimpered in pain. Jing Hengbo glanced at that skirt and styling, curling her lip: What feather dance? More like a turkey dance! So tacky!
She suddenly had an idea. She quickly put away her shoes, crouched down, grabbed the madam by the neck, and amid the low cries and screams of the group of women, quickly said: “Hey, how about we make a deal?”
By the way, regarding the plot where Da Bo’s emerald gemstones for sale turn out to be tribute items, leading to pursuit by soldiers, I should explain this. This is still related to “A Thousand Gold Laughs.” In “A Thousand Gold Laughs,” the Crown Prince Nalan Junrang of Da Yan schemes to strip the Ji Bei Prince of his power, first targeting Ji Bei’s ally Yao Kingdom. He personally leads people to hunt down Yao Kingdom’s messenger seeking help from Ji Bei. The messenger carries Yao Kingdom’s unique star-rayed emerald gemstones, so Nalan Junrang brands anyone possessing star-rayed emerald gemstones as criminals who “stole tribute items,” issuing secret orders nationwide to search and capture them. Da Bo picked up several gemstones and foolishly went to pawn them, walking right into the trap.