Truly, every smile and frown of his little darling struck straight into Hong Qilang's heart—he simply could not love her enough. Those charming eyes, that soft voice, that slender figure. Especially the adoring look she gave him, and the way she occasionally threw a little tantrum his way… this little vixen…
As he mused, his body began to stir with excitement, and a lecherous, somewhat smug grin spread across his face—when suddenly, everything went black before his eyes.
THUMP! Agonizing pain shot through him. Before he could even cry out, Hong Qilang crumpled to the ground.
To be safe, Mo Susu gave him another whack with the club. Only after confirming he was thoroughly unconscious did she begin swiftly and deftly patting him down.
Yan Ke picked up a box: "Wow, this is pretty heavy. Let me see what treasure this is—could it be gold?"
She opened the lid and saw something glinting inside. Her face lit up: "It really is gold! A big one too—we've hit the jack—"
But when she got a clear look at the object, her voice cut off abruptly, and her expression turned strange.
It took her a moment to confirm she wasn't seeing things, then she couldn't help but spit in disgust: "How does he have the nerve to have jewelry like this made of gold?"
Mo Susu was still searching through his clothes, but upon hearing this, she stood up curiously to take a look. Her expression also shifted into something subtle. “Is that… is that a… thing?”
Yan Ke nodded. She wasn't married, but she knew enough to recognize it.
Mo Susu angrily kicked Hong Qilang again: "Pah! With a sorry excuse for a man like you, you'd have that kind of thick, stout size?"
"Good-for-nothing indeed. You couldn't even pawn this off for cash—people would think we have some kind of weird fetish."
"But—" her mood perked up, "thick is good, heh heh. This thing weighs at least a couple of catties. Rich indeed, and generous in all the wrong ways."
Then something occurred to her, puzzled: "Wait, it's so heavy—how would you even… operate it?"
Yan Ke: "…How would I know?"
By evening, the unconscious Hong Qilang was finally found and carried home.
The next day, rumors ran rampant through Jiuan City. Word had it that Hong Qilang had been jumped with a sack over his head, beaten black and blue so badly that Old Madam Hong barely recognized her own son.
The Hong family immediately filed a report with the authorities. After greasing palms with a substantial "thank-you fee," the officials took the case seriously and began organizing an investigation.
Meanwhile, Mo Susu and her crew were already planning their second heist. Robbery, they'd found, was rather addictive.
Aside from that absurd gold ornament, Mo Susu had also turned up several fine items on Hong Qilang's person—a gold-inlaid waist ornament, a gold crown, and a pouch full of gold beads…
Two days later, Zhang Sanlang was ambushed with the exact same method: sack over the head, robbed clean, and beaten to a pulp.
Panic gripped Jiuan City. No one dared go out alone anymore; those who could afford it brought servants along, all for fear of being sacked.
At Fengge Pavilion, Li Tong mused: "These Jiuan City folks really are loaded. Word is Hong Qilang had several catties of gold on him. Who in their right mind walks around with several catties of gold?"
Chen Xi frowned, feeling something was off about this whole affair.
Li Tong leaned in, a sly grin on his face: "This 'no-cost business'—what do you say we try it ourselves? They weren't good people anyway."
Chen Xi shook his head: "No need. Not worth the risk."
The glass sold at Fengge Pavilion was practically legal robbery. Why get your hands dirty when you can fleece people in broad daylight?
"How many days until the ship arrives?" he asked.
Li Tong: "By my estimate, it should dock in Jiuan three days from now."
Chen Xi nodded: "Are the docking points all picked out?"
Li Tong grunted in confirmation: "All set. I've sent people ahead to scout and guard the location. Don't worry."
Chen Xi relaxed slightly: "Once the lord takes Donghu Commandery, we'll need even more funds. Shipping goods by boat will be far more convenient now—we can consider opening shops in the other counties of Sizhou."
Besides Jiuan City, there were plenty of noble families and wealthy clans in other counties as well.
Li Tong agreed: "Depends on how much stock this shipment brings."
Mei Sheng and his companion were equally thrilled. The more shops they opened, the better—they had a profit share, small as it was, but the margins were fat enough to make up for it.
While Sizhou was busy making preparations, soldiers under Qu Zhao suddenly stormed and besieged Lin County.
When he heard the war drums from the city tower, Zhou Leng froze for a moment, then rose abruptly and strode quickly toward the county office.
He had been in Lin County for a month now. From an initial sense of amazement, he had gradually adjusted: learning simplified Chinese characters, working as a clerk in the county office—everything had gone smoothly.
Qiu Liao had actually sought him out, offering to recommend him directly to Jiang Jin.
But he declined. He wanted to observe this rising new power longer, to absorb more, to learn more.
As he stepped out the door, he heard the shouts of the Jinyang Army.
"People of the city, hear this! Qu Zhao has surrounded the city! But don't worry—everything is under our control. Go about your business as usual. Go to work, do your chores, curse in the streets, throw your punches—life goes on!"
The townsfolk who had come out to check the situation had been tense, their old anxieties creeping back, memories of those fearful days returning.
But the Jinyang soldiers' casual words somehow settled them.
One citizen joked: "Now, officers, we're all law-abiding folks—when have we ever cursed or fought?"
The shouting soldier laughed heartily: "Just in case, that's all! Spread the word among yourselves—follow orders and don't panic. Everything's handled by us, the Jinyang Army."
That phrase—"everything's handled by us, the Jinyang Army"—made more than a few citizens' eyes grow red, filling them with profound reassurance.
"Got it!" The citizens smiled and headed back inside to cook their morning meals, lest they be late for work.
Watching how quickly the crowd had been calmed, Zhou Leng's hurried pace slowed. He felt something he couldn't quite put into words.
He'd been in Lin County for about a month. He was adapting, but the Jinyang Army's way of doing things—he still couldn't wrap his head around it.
He didn't understand why they were always so confident, why they seemed to trust their leader absolutely, defending him with such devotion.
When Zhou Leng reached the county office, he found—just as he'd predicted—a scene utterly different from what he'd imagined. No chaos, no panic. Everything was orderly.
"You're here earlier than usual today," Qi Xiao said, looking up at him.
Qi Xiao was the son of a small merchant who had once applied to be Jiang Jin's personal attendant. Though he hadn't gotten that position, he was indeed talented and had since become a civil official in the Gofeng County office.
Last year, during the assault on Lin County, he had come along, and now he served as Lin County's deputy magistrate.
Zhou Leng pointed toward the city tower: "Qu Zhao's attacking? How many troops?"
Qi Xiao waved negligently: "Yes, but the number doesn't matter. Since you're here, perfect—I've got some material that needs tallying. Come take a look."
Zhou Leng: "…"
He knew full well the city wouldn't really fall, but could you at least pretend to take this seriously?
Looking at the deputy magistrate, who was years his junior, he silently took the documents: "What is this?"
Qi Xiao puffed up with a hint of pride: "This is the development plan for Lin County. We still need a proper survey, but the weather will warm up soon, and then construction can begin."
He knew who Zhou Leng was—a man of considerable ability, they said.
But he was now part of the county office, and that meant doing his job. The higher-ups had said so: no special treatment.
Atop the city wall, Nan Wen studied the distant army of Qu Zhao: "That's got to be thirty thousand soldiers at least."
