Challenging a Silver Gong

The woman looked to be in her early thirties, with an average figure and mediocre looks.

Xu Qi'an had seen many beauties of the same age, such as Consort Chen, the Empress, and his aunt. In terms of looks and figure, each of them would far surpass this woman.

But she had a drive that these beautiful women lacked.

Spoiled and willful, that's exactly it.

It's quite rare to see such a temperament in an older woman.

Xu Qi'an understood what was going on, but he wouldn't admit it. "What purse?"

"A light green purse, containing twenty taels of gold." The woman pressed her hands on the table, looked down at Xu Qi'an, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Give it back to me."

Gold?! Xu Qi'an's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface, even puzzled. "Ma'am, what does it have to do with me that your purse is missing?"

"Auntie!?" she screamed.

The aunt's face turned bright red with anger, her ears turning red as she glared at Xu Qi'an with wide eyes, her anger practically spitting fire.

What's with this reaction? Doesn't she know her own age? Xu Qi'an waved his hand, dismissing her. "I didn't take your purse, get lost."

The woman took a deep breath, turned around, and called out, "Come here!"

At the top of the stairs, a child's face peeked out; it was the same child who had been scared away by Xu Qi'an earlier, and also the child who had witnessed him picking up the purse.

"It was him! He picked up the purse and threatened me!" the child shouted, pointing at Xu Qi'an.

The surrounding patrons all turned to look, and the alluring woman also glanced over, watching the spectacle with a smile.

"Kid, come here." Xu Qi'an beckoned.

The child shook his head, staring warily at Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an took out a small piece of silver from his pocket, flicked it with his finger, and the silver rolled to the ground in front of the child. He smiled and said:

Say it again, I didn't hear you clearly.

The child, beaming, picked up the broken pieces of silver and exclaimed, "I didn't see anything! I don't know anything!"

Xu Qi'an laughed heartily, "Let's go buy some candied hawthorns."

The child happily went downstairs.

The two gong players laughed along, looking mockingly at the plain-looking woman.

The surrounding patrons also turned their attention away, losing interest in watching, and continued to focus on the fight on the stage.

Even a newcomer to the capital knows that Nightwatchers are local bullies and not to be trifled with. This woman, it seems, is short-sighted and doesn't understand the power of the Nightwatchers.

Even if they pick up your purse, or even drag you into a private room to have their way with you, if you don't have powerful connections, there's nothing they can do.

The woman stared at Xu Qi'an for a moment, then suddenly smiled, revealing an indescribable allure.

She sat down gracefully, picked up the bowl and chopsticks that Xu Qi'an hadn't used, and started eating as if no one else was there. She seemed to be really hungry, as she ate rather quickly at first. After filling her stomach, her eating manners immediately became elegant.

After she finished her drink, she glanced at Xu Qi'an and sneered, "Oh, sir, aren't you going to tie this little lady up and take her to the yamen?"

Xu Qi'an calmly replied, "Auntie, it's just a few bites of food, it's not that serious."

The woman guessed it was lunchtime and she was hungry. She reached into her pocket and found her purse was missing, so she retraced her steps and found him there.

The aunt gritted her teeth again.

"Hmph, I told you he's a privileged son who lives off his elders' achievements, otherwise how could he have become a Silver Gong at such a young age?" A young swordsman next to him said in a low voice, full of resentment.

The woman, who was about the same age as the aunt, glanced at Xu Qi'an defiantly upon hearing this.

"That's right, if someone would even steal from an old lady's purse, they're obviously no good," another young swordsman whispered.

Upon hearing this, the woman said expressionlessly, "You're a silversmith, aren't you angry that people are gossiping about you behind your back?"

"This woman is quite petty," Xu Qi'an asked with a smile. "What do you think we should do?"

The woman angrily shouted, "Send them all to the Nightwatchers's jail!"

The young swordsmen at the next table overheard this, but they didn't argue and tacitly kept quiet. In the end, they didn't dare to Nightwatchers.

"That's going too far. They were just gossiping a bit," Xu Qi'an said, then added, "Looking at their poor appearance, they can't even squeeze a few taels of silver out of them. What a waste of their energy."

The young heroes dared not speak out against their anger.

The woman ignored Xu Qi'an, sipping her wine and eating her food while watching the martial artists fight on the stage with great interest.

Xu Qi'an didn't chase this interesting aunt away because he felt she wasn't as ordinary as she appeared.

To reiterate, she is indeed very ordinary in appearance, without a voluptuous and alluring figure or a stunningly beautiful face.

But her identity must be extraordinary. A normal person wouldn't carry so much silver when they go out. Half a catty is eight taels, and twenty taels would be a little over a catty.

It wasn't heavy; even a child could bear its meager weight. But for an ordinary family, twenty taels of silver was equivalent to a year's savings.

If it were gold, it would be an unimaginable fortune.

This woman, dressed in ordinary women's clothes, had beautiful, jet-black hair, tied up with a wooden hairpin. To paraphrase Xu Qi'an's words from his previous life:

He was dressed head to toe in cheap clothes, costing no more than a hundred yuan.

However, this ordinary middle-aged woman, when faced with the heartless Nightwatchers who found her lost fortune, merely stood with her hands on her hips and glared at him. Her anger at Xu Qi'an for not returning what he had found was even greater than the loss of the fortune itself.

Is this the kind of composure an ordinary person can possess?

Twenty taels of silver—if it were Xu Qi'an himself, he would have fought to the death with the guy who picked up the money and refused to return it.

If it were twenty taels of gold, well, Jack Ma would have already called the police.

"My lord, may I have a few drinks with you?"

Just then, that wanton and seductive woman, holding a wine glass, walked over gracefully, swaying her hips.

Xu Qi'an then noticed that she was wearing a long, fitted dress, a ribbon outlining her slender waist. Wow, what a figure!

He glanced subconsciously at the middle-aged woman beside him. She was dressed very conservatively in thick cloth, and given her age, her figure probably wasn't in great shape.

"Sure."

Xu Qi'an quickly gestured for the beauty to sit down, but a problem arose: all four stools were occupied, and a charming woman with beautiful almond-shaped eyes looked left and right, unwilling to sit down.

Not daring to offend the two gong-wielders, she looked gently at the woman and said with a light smile, "Auntie."

The middle-aged woman suddenly turned around, staring aggressively at the alluring woman. But after looking her up and down, this woman in her thirties gave a disdainful "heh" and turned back to watch the fight.

What was that look in her eyes just now? Her eyes were full of contempt and disdain. The alluring woman narrowed her eyes; it was the first time a woman had ever looked at her like that.

In the past, wherever she went, she was the center of men's attention.

In the eyes of men, her every move was alluring, captivating, and made their blood boil.

Women envy her, are jealous of her, and secretly criticize her.

But the older woman's eyes just now were filled with blatant disdain.

Xu Qi'an glanced at the bronze gong on his left. The gong, being quite obedient, immediately picked up its sword and said respectfully, "Sir, this humble servant is going to patrol the streets."

Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement and smiled, gesturing for her to sit down. "Heroine, please have a seat."

The alluring woman smiled sweetly and sat down, pressing her skirt against the floor.

She had been observing Xu Qi'an for a long time. This man was a good prey. First of all, he was handsome, with exquisitely sculpted features and bright, star-like eyes.

With his high nose bridge and thick, dark eyebrows, coupled with his strong facial features, he exudes a powerful masculine aura.

Furthermore, what she cared about even more was Xu Qi'an's status as a silver gong. To achieve such a position at such a young age meant either exceptional talent or a powerful elder in his family.

Regardless of which one, they are all worth befriending and getting close to.

"I have yet to ask your esteemed name, sir."

"What is Miss Xu Qi'an's name?"

"Rongrong."

"Miss Rongrong, do you have a name tag?" Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "What a beautiful name, a name as lovely as a fairy's, perfectly suited to a fairy-like person."

Rongrong covered her mouth and giggled, adding, "I also have a title: the Enchanting Hand."

Xu Qi'an put down his wine glass and looked Rongrong up and down repeatedly. Rongrong didn't seem to mind his blatant stare; instead, she straightened her back.

"I've long admired your name."

Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "Am I having a stroke of good luck with women? I just heard my second uncle talk about the four most beautiful female warriors in the capital this morning, and I've already met them by noon."

"Cough cough!"

He put down his wine cup and introduced himself, "So you are the Enchanting Hand, Miss Rongrong. Let me introduce myself again. I am Xu Qi'an, and my uncle serves in the Imperial Saber Guard."

Upon hearing this, Rongrong, the enchanting beauty, felt somewhat disappointed.

Although the Imperial Saber Guard were one of the five guards in the capital, their power was determined by their positions, and they were not considered a prestigious government office.

But Xu Qi'an's next words changed Rongrong's perception.

"Back then, I served under Duke Wei and made many meritorious contributions in the Battle of Shanhai Pass. It was because of this relationship that I was able to obtain a minor official position in the Nightwatchers's office."

"Prince Yu was my uncle, and he was a close friend of my father. My father was an earl, but unfortunately he passed away early and was unable to secure the right to inherit the title. As a result, I am left with only a minor viscount."

Her uncle was a confidant of Duke Wei, her father was a close friend of Prince Yu, and she herself was both a Silver Gong and a Viscount. Miss Rongrong was stunned for a moment, her beautiful eyes fixed on Xu Qi'an without blinking.

She had long heard that the capital was teeming with nobles and officials, and that even a random guy she met might have a family member holding an official position.

But no matter how high an official's rank, is it higher than Wei Yuan's? No matter how noble one's status, is it higher than Prince Yu's?

In an instant, Rongrong became even more enthusiastic.

In his past life, due to social obligations, he frequented nightclubs and was adept at flirting with women like that. It wasn't that he was lusting after her body; Xu Qi'an simply missed the feeling from back then.

Occasionally, she might make some crude jokes or tease him, but this alluring woman, who calls herself Rongrong and is nicknamed "The Enchanting Hand," would never get angry.

If it were a respectable woman, she would have blushed and spat at him. "Pah, you lecher!"

For those with a strong personality, the 24k titanium alloy slaps of a straight-as-an-arrow woman are already on the line.

At this moment, Rongrong looked towards the arena and asked, as if asking a question or testing him, "Young Master Xu, who do you think will win between these two?"

"Naturally, it's that young swordsman." Xu Qi'an without hesitation.

"Even a fool could see that." The old lady snorted, making her presence known.

The young swordsman dominated the axe-wielding man from beginning to end, walking with ease and displaying exquisite Swordsmanship, which occasionally drew cheers from the onlookers.

"Before the Qi Refining Realm, strength is judged by physique. The axe-wielding man is superior to the swordsman in both strength and physique. So why is he at a disadvantage? That young swordsman's Swordsmanship is just for show," Xu Qi'an said.

The older woman ignored her, but secretly pricked up her ears.

"I guessed it was an actor," Xu Qi'an revealed.

"Actor?"

Rongrong had never heard of this word before.

"It's just playing along," Xu Qi'an explained.

Rongrong suddenly understood and said admiringly, "So that's how it is, Lord Xu has such keen insight."

As he spoke, his eyes revealed a matching expression of admiration.

Old Si Ji didn't expose Xu Qi'an, and instead showed a smug smile.

Rongrong possessed a profound and subtle aura, clearly not a weakling, and had undoubtedly already seen through the tricks on the stage. Only the willful old aunt hadn't realized it yet, and remained skeptical of Xu Qi'an's words.

At this moment, the young swordsman on the stage parried the man's axe with his sword, and then kicked him in the chest, sending the man flying out of his hand and off the stage.

After that, no one went up to compete for a long time.

"I'm full, give me back my purse." The old lady reluctantly withdrew her gaze, glaring at Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an pretended not to hear, and she didn't press the matter. She just looked at Xu Qi'an for a long time, then got up and went downstairs without saying a word.

"His back view isn't bad at all," the last remaining gong player remarked.

After he finished speaking, he realized that he was being looked down upon by Xu Qi'an and Miss Rongrong.

"Did this young man lack maternal love when he was young?"

Xu Qi'an patted Xiao Tongluo on the shoulder, then reached into his robes and pulled out a light green purse. He opened it and found ingots of bright orange gold.

"Wow, it really is gold!" The gong's eyes widened, revealing a look of wild joy. "Sir, we're rich! We're rich!"

Xu Qi'an tied the tassel on his purse and said, "Don't covet this ill-gotten gain."

With a gentle toss, the purse was tossed out of the building.

Immediately afterward, a woman screamed from downstairs. The purse hit the old woman's toes. She squatted on the ground, her skirt spread open, tears welling in her eyes. She grimaced and glared hatefully at the second floor.

"Auntie, you should go home quickly," Xu Qi'an kindly reminded her.

The old woman bit her lip, picked up her purse, and limped away.

Xu Qi'an continued his sparring with Rongrong, both determined to keep the other in their own "fishpond." There were far too many scheming women in this era; they loved to flaunt their allure and then cultivate handsome young men into their devoted followers.

This kind of woman is the ancient version of a manipulative woman.

Xu Qi'an hadn't encountered a scumbag woman in a long time, so he happily played along with her.

About fifteen minutes later, a furious roar suddenly came from the direction of the arena, "Xu Qi'an, get down here!"

"???"

Xu Qi'an looked around blankly and saw a man dressed in coarse cloth standing on the arena. The man was eight feet tall, with a thick beard and eyes as big as copper bells.

Standing proudly on the arena, exuding a powerful aura.

Even the onlookers could sense that this hero's aura was different from those of the other chivalrous figures from the martial arts world.

Xu Qi'an was somewhat confused, thinking to himself, "Who the hell are you?"

"Does Lord Xu know this person?"

Rongrong pursed her fiery red lips, looking at the man with apprehension.

Xu Qi'an shook his head. "I don't know him."

"Then let it go," Rongrong said softly. "This man's body is shimmering with divine light; he's a master of the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm. Lord Xu is naturally not afraid of him, but there are civilians all around. If we fight, innocent people might get hurt."

This was said tactfully, saving face for Xu Qi'an. But Rongrong knew in her heart that even ten Xu Qi'an wouldn't be a match for that expert.

After all, he became a silver gong because of his ancestors' achievements.

"Xu Qi'an, the night Nightwatchers and gong -Xu Qi'an, get out here and kowtow to apologize, or I'll crush your head today!" the man yelled.

"Whoosh"

The onlookers and people in the world were in an uproar.

It turns out that Xu Qi'an was actually a night Nightwatchers, and a silver gong no less! Since the establishment of the Heroic Heroes' Terrace, finally a wandering swordsman has appeared to challenge the masters of the government.

The young heroes at the opposite table were taken aback at first, then quickly turned around to look at Xu Qi'an.

Their expressions were almost identical—gloating.

"Come out and call me 'Father,' kneel down and kowtow, or I'll come up here every day and shout. Xu Qi'an, the night Nightwatchers Xu Qi'an, son, get out here now!"

The man's strong voice echoed throughout the area, drawing a large crowd of onlookers from the surrounding taverns and teahouses.

PS: Updated first, revised later.