Someone else

Meanwhile, in the southern city, at the Hero's Terrace.

A group of martial arts practitioners rushed over, having heard that a silver-clad warrior had severely injured a martial artist at the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm with a single strike.

People in the martial arts world are particularly interested in this kind of news, and since he was nearby, he immediately rushed over to watch the drama unfold.

The conflict was over, and the crowd had mostly dispersed, leaving only a few idle men lingering.

This group of martial arts figures arrived at the Heroic Hero Platform, observed for a long time, and began to believe the rumors even more.

The reason is that the ring is too well preserved.

If the strength of a master of the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm were evenly matched, the damage would be clear and obvious. At the very least, this arena would not be preserved.

"Look here, and around here. What are these little holes?" a young swordsman asked.

"It seems to be Sword Qi, sharp and subtle. I've never heard of this kind of Swordsmanship before."

The speaker was a stunningly beautiful woman with bright, almond-shaped eyes like autumn water. Her lips were painted a vibrant red, and her makeup, though somewhat heavy, did not appear vulgar but rather enhanced her alluring beauty.

The young hero who asked the question nodded. If it were caused by qi stagnation, it would result in large areas of cracking.

The alluring woman turned to look at the other young hero and asked with a smile, "What does Young Master Liu think?"

Young Master Liu had a handsome appearance, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and carried a Seven Star Sword on his back.

In Beijing right now, anyone who can carry weapons on their person is someone with connections.

This young master Liu comes from Jianzhou, the holy land of martial arts in the Great Feng, and is from a sect called "Moge". Among this group of martial arts practitioners, young master Liu has the highest cultivation level and is the core of the team.

Most importantly, he was a swordsman.

"It might not be Sword Qi. These holes are unevenly distributed, like splashed ink, suggesting that they were formed when Sword Qi or saber energy collided and scattered in all directions."

After finishing his sentence, Young Master Liu beckoned to a layabout, tossed him a small piece of silver, and asked, "I heard that just now a silver-clad man wounded his opponent with a single strike?"

The idler crumpled the loose silver coins, his eyes revealing obsequiousness and delight, bowing and scraping. "Young heroes, you didn't see it, but that strike was quite something."

"These holes in the ground appeared after that man drew his sword; they looked like raindrops."

He vividly recounted what he had seen and heard.

"The result of the sword energy shattering... the opponent is indeed a man of steel." The alluring woman nodded.

Only those with skin of copper and bones of iron possess such a physique; those of flesh and blood below the sixth rank would only be cleaved in two by the blade's energy.

"As far as I know, the silver gongs of the Nightwatchers's office are mainly composed of those at the Spirit Refining Realm, with a few at the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm," another female warrior said.

This female knight-errant was from one of the thirteen counties under the jurisdiction of the capital, making her a semi-local. She had some knowledge of the famous Nightwatchers of the capital.

"Could this be considered the first time a master of the government has clashed with a martial arts master from the Jianghu? I really want to see the prowess of that strike," the alluring woman said with a smile.

Just then, they heard the sound of hooves, and a young man dressed as Nightwatchers rode a fine horse galloping towards them.

This group of gangsters glanced at each other for a few times, then looked away, guessing that the watchman came over to inspect the scene.

But the young Nightwatchers's next move both surprised and angered the group of young martial arts heroes.

"Clang!"

The Nightwatchers drew his sword and spurred his horse toward them.

Young Master Liu's expression changed slightly. He stood in front of his companion, patted his back, and the Seven Star Sword was drawn with a clang, spinning to block the Nightwatchers's blade.

With a light slash, the young Nightwatchers broke the Seven Star Sword in two, which fell limply to the ground with a clanging sound.

"You"

Young Master Liu was both shocked and furious. The magical Law Artifact bestowed upon him by the sect was destroyed, and he was heartbroken and could hardly breathe.

Xu Qi'an reined in his horse, pointed his knife at the alluring woman, and grinned maliciously. "You dare to come back, Miss Rongrong? You stole my treasure, and instead of hiding it properly, you dare to swagger back. It seems you haven't experienced the harsh realities of life."

"I'll give you two choices: First, hand over the treasure and become my concubine. Second, hand over the treasure, and I'll sell you to the Imperial Academy of Music."

They stole his treasure?!

The young heroes and heroines turned their heads in astonishment to look at the alluring woman.

The charming Rongrong girl's ever-smiling face visibly froze for a moment, then she frowned and gave her companion a barely perceptible shake of her head.

Young Master Liu forced himself not to look at his beloved sword, and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My lord, you must have misunderstood."

"Roll!"

Xu Qi'an scrutinized Rongrong; her hairstyle, clothes, and makeup were exactly the same—it was definitely her.

"My patience is limited. I'll give you three breaths. Hand over the treasure if you don't." He sneered three times.

The young heroes were furious.

Miss Rongrong stepped forward, fearlessly meeting Xu Qi'an's blade, and said softly:

"This humble woman has never met you before, sir, and has no idea what this so-called treasure is. Please explain."

Xu Qi'an, seated on horseback, looked down at her and slowly said, "Just now, an hour ago, we met at the restaurant and drank and chatted happily. Then, while I was downstairs for a duel, you secretly stole my treasure."

Before Rongrong could respond, Young Master Liu angrily declared, "Absolutely not! Rongrong has been with us the whole time and has never been here."

The other young heroes all testified.

Xu Qi'an frowned, thinking to himself, "Have I run into a gang?"

But judging from their tone and expression, they didn't seem to be lying. Xu Qi'an was well-versed in micro-expression psychology, had the insight to see through it.

Unless they are all award-winning actors and actresses, it's a pity the Confucian School magic book is also in the fragment of the Earth Book. Otherwise, a direct use of the Qi-Watching Technique would be enough to see if they are lying. Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and said:

"You will all come with me back to the Nightwatchers's office. Whether you have lied or not, I will judge for myself then."

How could that be!

The young heroes and heroines' expressions changed slightly; they began to doubt Xu Qi'an's true intentions. As martial arts figures with sect backgrounds, they had enough experience and knowledge to know that when it came to the tricks of the trade, masters with government connections were even more insidious and vicious.

Relying on their power, they easily bully men and women, and seize property by force.

The alluring Rongrong was quite famous in the capital for her beauty. Little did anyone know that this young silversmith might be after her beauty and was deliberately trying to lure them to the yamen under the pretext of a lost treasure.

Once you're on someone else's turf, life and death are at your disposal—it's all a matter of a single word.

"Do you really think we're fish on a chopping board?" Young Master Liu squinted and sneered.

The other young heroes remained silent, but simultaneously gripped the hilts of their swords and knives.

Although people in the martial arts world fear the government, they also have an unruly nature. If pushed too far, they dare to fight even the government officials to the death, even if it means becoming wanted criminals and wandering the martial arts world.

That's why they say warriors break the law with force.

At this moment, a loafer hiding to the side, considering the silver, cautiously reminded him, "He's the one who injured his opponent with a single blow on the arena."

The young hero and the heroines froze, their faces blank as they turned to look at the idler.

Then, with her neck stiff, she slowly turned her head to look at Xu Qi'an.

The tense atmosphere vanished instantly, and they no longer entertained the idea of a fight to the death.

Miss Rongrong took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "My lord, since I stole your treasure, I will go back to the yamen with you alone. This matter has nothing to do with anyone else."

"No!"

His companions were in a great hurry.

Rongrong gave a bitter smile and transmitted her voice, "What you should do is quickly inform your sect elders and find a way to rescue me."

Young Master Liu nodded vigorously, his face grim.

"If you really steal my treasure, even the Heavenly King himself can't save you." Seeing that she had finished transmitting her message, Xu Qi'an patted his horse's back and said, "Get on yourself!"

Rongrong hesitated for a moment, bit her bright red lips, and leaped onto the horse.

Xu Qi'an took the opportunity to touch her soft waist, and the beauty let out a soft "hmm" before collapsing limply into his arms.

"Drive!"

Xu Qi'an pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and rode away, leaving behind a group of young heroes and heroines who dared not speak out against their anger.

As Rongrong lay nestled in the broad, strong chest, the scenery on either side rapidly receding into the distance, she gritted her teeth and whispered, "What does the master intend to do with me?"

"According to the laws of the Great Feng, a thief shall be flogged fifty times and ordered to repay the owner in full. If unable to repay, his toes shall be cut off. I am a viscount, and what I stole was a treasure; therefore, my crime is increased by three degrees: one hundred and fifty times flogged, his toes cut off, and I shall be imprisoned for three years."

Rongrong's face turned pale. "Is this how theft is punished in the capital?"

This was different from what she knew.

"No, I made that up."

"."

Xu Qi'an felt the beauty in his arms seem relieved. He sneered, "But once we're in the Nightwatchers's office, how we're punished is entirely up to me."

The beautiful woman's body tensed instantly, and she said in a tearful voice, "I... I really didn't steal your treasure."

"I'll charge you some interest." Xu Qi'an raised the corner of his mouth and said, "What's so magical about the Soul-Sealing Hand?"

Miss Rongrong did not answer.

Xu Qi'an gave a dignified "hmm".

Rongrong gritted her teeth. "So you really were after my good looks."

"?"

Xu Qi'an simply wanted to understand how she had managed to steal the fragments of the Earth Book without his knowledge.

"Miss Rongrong, although you are naturally beautiful, don't underestimate men. In terms of beauty, there are two men in my family who far surpass you."

As Xu Qi'an spoke, he began to grope her body.

Rongrong blushed and her eyes filled with tears. She seemed to know what fate awaited her and only hoped that her companions could call for an elder as soon as possible to save her from her misery.

Wait, my fragment of the Earth Book isn't on her.

The mare lived up to her reputation as a warhorse-level steed; carrying the two men, she galloped at a remarkable speed to the government office.

Xu Qi'an handed the reins to the guards at the gate, dragged Rongrong into the yamen, and arrived at the hall of Yinluo Minshan. He ordered the clerks to tie her up tightly.

"Go to the Bureau of Astronomy and summon the white-robed Warlock; tell him you are acting on my orders."

"Yes."

After Tongluo left, Min Yinluo got up, walked around Rongrong, and said in surprise, "Where did you kidnap this beauty? Look at her figure, her face, tsk tsk."

"Sold to the Imperial Academy of Music, trained for a year or two, and she can become a top courtesan," Xu Qi'an commented.

"The most beautiful courtesan isn't judged solely on her looks." Min Shan shook his head. "Talent comes first, then beauty."

"Fine, then let's leave it at the yamen for us brothers to play with."

Rongrong tried to remain calm, but her pretty face had already turned pale.

After exchanging a few casual remarks, Xu Qi'an explained the situation, "This woman stole my treasure. She's truly a master of seduction; she did it so stealthily that I didn't even notice."

"She's a master of seduction!"

Min Shan suddenly realized, then asked in bewilderment, "What does the 'Soul-Stealing Hand' have to do with stealing?"

"Huh?" Xu Qi'an was taken aback.

"All martial arts practitioners who come to the capital are registered. Rongrong, the Soul-Stealing Hand, comes from the Wanhua Tower in Qinghai County, Yuzhou. It's an all-female gang known for its seductive charms and bewitching men. But it's actually related to their cultivation methods."

"Dual cultivation?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"No, it's said to be able to arouse people's desires and make enemies lose their fighting spirit. The ultimate cultivation technique is called..." Min Shan couldn't quite remember.

"The Six Desires Great (Hyper-Censor) Method." Miss Rongrong raised her chin.

"So how did you steal the treasure?"

I didn't steal your treasure.

Before long, the departing gong returned with a white-robed Warlock.

Xu Qi'an pointed at Xiaohun Shou Rongrong and said, "Ask her if she stole anything from me."

The white-robed Warlock's pupils lit up with a clear light. After asking the questions as instructed, he shook his head and said, "Young Master Xu, she wasn't lying."

Xu Qi'an was stunned for a moment.

"Search them to see if they have any Law Technique that can conceal their presence."

"Young Master Xu, no."

Ask her if she had any drinks with me at the restaurant.

"Young Master Xu, no."

Xu Qi'an thought to himself, "What the hell is going on?! Am I seeing a ghost?"

After his anger subsided, he calmed down and analyzed the situation. He concluded that the person who stole his things was definitely Rongrong, not that older woman. The biggest problem with this case was that there were two Rongrongs.

The Rongrong in front of me has never seen me before, but I have indeed seen Rongrong before.

Their hairstyles, clothes, and appearances are completely identical; even their eyes and speech are remarkably similar. Twins? Impossible. Even twins can't be exactly the same.

Disguise? If it is disguise, it can't fool my eyes.

In her confusion, Rongrong suddenly said, "I know! I know who it is!"

P. S.: There's a separate chapter at the end, which I originally wanted to put at the end of the main chapter, but it's quite long, so I won't try to scam you out of your money.

I'm mentioning this in advance mainly to prevent everyone from thinking there's another chapter, which could lead to huge disappointment and even profanity.

Update first, then revise.