The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 139 Baochai's Deep Affection, Rescuing a Beauty in the Bustling City

Baochai pronounced the word "word" with exceptional clarity and length, as if savoring the word between her lips and teeth.

After saying this, she was immediately overcome with embarrassment and hurriedly covered half of her burning face with a handkerchief, revealing only a pair of glistening, hesitant almond-shaped eyes. The shy and alluring look in her eyes seemed almost to overflow with tears, clearly saying: This "word" is more than just words on paper; it's about the 'simple truth' within!

When Ximen Da Guanren saw her charming appearance, so different from her usual dignified demeanor, his heart fluttered, and he let out a low "Good!"

Having received permission, Xue Baochai's face lit up with even greater joy, her eyes practically overflowing with honey. She rose to fetch the brush and ink, saying sweetly, "My lord, please wait a moment, Baochai... Baochai will go fetch the brush and ink, and then I'll grind the ink for you..."

“No need, Miss Xue!” The official gestured to stop her. He then pulled out a charcoal pencil, carefully wrapped in oiled paper and gleaming black, from the pocket close to his body. His rough fingers held the thin charcoal stick with an incongruous air of familiarity.

I haven't mastered calligraphy with a brush yet; only my charcoal writing is passable.

It wasn't his own fault, but rather the beautiful maid Xiangling's. Every time he sat down in the study to practice, Xiangling would sit in his lap, so soft and gentle, like two little pink balls rubbing against him. How could he possibly concentrate?

So one more chapter is still missing.
Ximen Qing's gaze swept intently across the flower hall, finally settling unabashedly on the white handkerchief that Xue Baochai was clutching tightly in her hand, which was now slightly crumpled.

Xue Baochai was suspicious. What was this? Was it a brush? She glanced sideways at the official and asked, "What are you looking for, you rascal? Are you looking for drawing paper? Where would you find drawing paper in this room?"

Following his burning gaze, she looked down—oh! There she was—the very handkerchief she had been clutching and rubbing for half a day! Instantly, she blushed so deeply that her cheeks turned as red as burning clouds, and even goosebumps rose on her milky white neck.

It turned out she wanted my handkerchief. The handkerchief had been crumpled and slippery from her nervousness and embarrassment, covered with the fragrant sweat and perfume from her palms, and also from the hot, damp beads of sweat that she had secretly wiped from her chest while instructing the maid to wipe her neck!
A young woman's handkerchief, pressed against her skin, is damp with her most intimate, warm, and fragrant sweat. How could it be casually caressed and played with by anyone? It holds the most secret scents of a young woman.

But then she thought to herself, "He's already groped and fondled my most private parts, and my heart has long been ripped out, crushed, chewed up, and swallowed by this damned bastard. Why bother with this nonsense?"

She bit her lip tightly with her pearly teeth, her eyes shimmering like spring water, her heart pounding. Finally, her delicate hands trembled slightly as she pulled the handkerchief, still warm and fragrant with her body heat, from her sleeve and handed it to the official.

Ximen Da Guanren slowly unfolded the paper and laid it flat on the small rosewood table between the two of them, then took a charcoal pencil and wrote the past.

Baochai stood to the side, her heart feeling as if it were being scratched by a cat's claws. She wanted to get closer to see clearly, but she was afraid that if she got too close, this rascal would laugh at her for being frivolous and reckless.

He could only suppress it, but his nose was filled with the man's scent, and he seemed to be back on that day again—he held a silver spoon and fed him spoonfuls of warm pear soup, the soup sliding down his throat, and the touch of his knuckles seemed to still burn his cheek... He was so infatuated for a moment.

Before long, the official straightened up and put away the charcoal pencil.

Xue Baochai's heart pounded wildly, like a deer trapped in its belly. She was filled with shyness, anxiety, and curiosity. She stretched out her trembling, nail-painted fingers to take the handkerchief: "My lord... have you finished writing? Let me see it quickly..."

"Hey—what's the rush!" The official took the initiative, grabbing the handkerchief stained with his bold handwriting and Baochai's fragrance, and clutching it tightly in his hand!

A smile played on his lips as his gaze lingered on Baochai's dignified yet even more radiant face. "Miss Xue, this 'poem'... we can look at it later! As for your promise to 'give directions'... shouldn't you fulfill it? Tell me, which wealthy tycoon would be the most suitable?"

When Xue Baochai saw that he was being so unreasonable, clutching her handkerchief and refusing to return it, she was both anxious and annoyed, and a girlish coquettishness surged up from her.

She suddenly raised her pretty face, which was so red it was almost bleeding, and stared at the man with her almond-shaped eyes, which were full of watery eyes. Her eyes were like hooks coated in honey, and her reproachful expression was full of captivating charm. Even her slightly pouting red lips seemed to be asking for a kiss.

"My lord! You...you're so shameless!" Her voice was sweet and crisp, with a slight tremor, like a nightingale's song. "You even...you've got my handkerchief in your hands...are you afraid...are you afraid I'll go back on my word?"

As soon as she said those words, she was so ashamed she wanted to disappear into the ground. The image of "holding her handkerchief in her hand" was more explicit and ambiguous than any words could express! It was clearly saying: "You already have her, why are you afraid she'll run away?"
Baochai parted her cherry lips slightly, took a gentle breath, and glanced at the official's face before slowly saying, "Official, tell me, are you just looking for a quick and easy way to sell this official position to any random owner, or do you intend to... sell it for a hefty price?"

Master Ximen exclaimed "Oh?", raising an eyebrow with a hint of interest: "There's a reason for this?"

Baochai smiled and tapped her fingertips on the small rosewood table a few times, as if she were manipulating invisible abacus beads: "If you want something quick and easy, that would be cheap. Just take the Xue family name card that Baochai gave you and casually visit those wealthy people in the capital. Although my Xue family is in decline, we still have some influence after meeting them. I estimate that 6000 taels of silver is no problem."

"This small amount of money is nothing more than a hair pulled from a nine-oxen ox in their eyes! Even if they don't do business with salt permits, they will definitely buy it just because of the 'official permit' in your hand that allows them to withdraw official salt in advance."

"Why is that?" Master Ximen asked, even more puzzled.

“Firstly,” Baochai’s eyes darted around, revealing a shrewd understanding of the world, “this amount of silver is just a drop in the ocean for them. Secondly…”

She lowered her voice slightly, "My lord, you are unaware of the great treasure you possess! With this official document, your value in their eyes will naturally rise. They might already be considering you as the trusted agent of that Salt Commissioner, Lord Lin Ruhai!"

"This is clearly a roundabout way of handing over a ladder and doing a favor to Lord Lin! As for the price, since we can't figure out the truth, it's just a meaningless 'market price'."

The official pondered for a moment, then a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes: "What if I wanted to sell it for an astronomical price?"

Upon hearing this, Baochai leaned forward slightly, a faint fragrance wafting from her sleeves, and her voice carried a hint of eager anticipation: "Then... I'll have to trouble you, sir, to move your esteemed feet to a place that truly spits out gold and silver and stirs up storms!"

"where?"

"In the capital city, outside the Donghua Gate, deep within Panlou Street, lies a lane called 'Jieshen Lane'!" Baochai enunciated each word clearly, her eyes shining.

"That place, with its towering buildings and bustling crowds, is truly a first-class wealthy market! It is the premier financial hub of the capital, a gathering place for the world's wealthiest merchants, especially those engaged in the border tea-horse-salt trade!"

"They specialize in dealing in huge transactions of gold, silver, and silk that can easily reach tens of millions of strings of cash! Ordinary people would be terrified just hearing about those transaction amounts!"

"There are those big tea merchants who travel the border roads all year round!" Baochai continued, her speech quickening.
"They brave wind and rain to smooth things over with the tea and salt trade and reap huge profits! This 'official order' in your hand, which allows you to withdraw government salt in advance, is to them nothing less than a timely rain in a drought or a burning ember in the snow!"

"With it, you can seize the initiative and transport the salt to the border regions where it is in dire need as soon as possible. The profits... will more than double! It is a treasure more valuable than gold! If you go there and find the right customers, why worry about not being able to sell it for an astonishingly high price? Doubling the price will be a piece of cake!"

After Baochai finished speaking, she raised her eyes and looked at the carved window.

Outside the window, it was already late autumn and dusk. A few withered yellow sycamore leaves, swept up by the west wind, swirled and fell against the window frame before helplessly sliding down, much like the fleeting, elusive thoughts of parting that lingered in her heart.

She paused, her gaze seeming to hold a thousand words, but in the end, it condensed into a clear instruction: "Judging from the sky, the market closure time is not far off! If you want to get this done today, sir, you'd better hurry!"

"Go straight to that alleyway and find the one with the grandest entrance and the most eye-catching gold signboard! Go inside and don't look for anyone else, just find Young Master Liu..."

“Just say it was an introduction from an old friend of the Xue family. Once he hears that name, he'll know how to treat you!”

Upon hearing this, the official suddenly understood. The intricacies of this trade route were truly profound! He couldn't help but look deeply at the woman before him and sighed inwardly, "What a clever and insightful Xue Baochai!"
Such a woman, with her profound wisdom and business acumen, is trapped in this lavish cage of the Jia family mansion, forced to be a well-behaved and subtly sarcastic "Miss Bao." Isn't that a waste of her talents?

Having achieved his goal, the official glanced at the gloomy sky outside the window, then handed the handkerchief, which already bore the scent of the two of them and seemed to still carry the cool fragrance of sandalwood, back to Baochai. He bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you so much for your guidance today, Miss."

Baochai reached out and took it. The handkerchief was slightly warm to the touch, as if it still held the traces of his fingertips.

She didn't immediately unfold the newly composed poem to read; instead, she clutched it tightly in her palm, her pearly teeth sinking deep into her rosy lower lip. She endured it again and again, but finally raised her watery eyes and asked in a trembling voice the question that had been pressed to the tip of her tongue: "Will...will you come to see me again?"

Deep inside, another voice pounded in her heart like a deer's, almost bursting from her throat: "Will...will you come and take me away?"

Meeting her almost suffocating gaze, the official smiled confidently, his voice low but clear: "Of course."

Upon hearing those four words, Baochai's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, which she could no longer hold back. Afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would break down in tears in front of him, she disregarded even the proper etiquette of taking her leave. She abruptly turned around, clutching the handkerchief, and like a startled butterfly, stumbled and ran out of the room.

The cold wind of late autumn and early winter swept across the corridor like a knife, whipping up her loose hair and skirt. The tears that had just rolled down her cheeks were chilled by the wind, sticking coldly to her burning cheeks, adding to the piercing bitterness.

Baochai ran all the way to a secluded, deserted corner of the corridor, leaning against a cold pillar before daring to unfold the handkerchief with trembling hands. On the plain white handkerchief, ink splattered, was a newly written poem:
The knocking at the window brings no peace in the night; the lonely lamp casts a chill upon my shadow.

A thousand worries are locked between her brows, and countless strands of sorrow are entwined on her fingers.

The ink is exhausted, the tears are hard to dry, I want to write a letter but I have to delete it again.

My longing for you has been relentless, so how could I possibly have time to curse you!

Baochai, well-versed in poetry and literature, glanced at the poem and immediately noticed that the rhyme scheme of this "Partridge Sky" poem was slightly off, and the word choice and sentence structure were somewhat blunt, far inferior to the elegant and refined poem he had previously composed, where every word was precious.

A faint sense of disappointment and the pickiness of a talented woman swept through my mind, but as I read on, my gaze suddenly fixed on the last sentence!

"I'm already constantly thinking of you, so how could I have time to curse you!"

This...this is no ordinary woman's lament. This is clearly...clearly the resentment that has churned in her heart a thousand times, yet she dares not even tell herself!
The word "curse" was used in such a vulgar and sharp way, yet it was also so direct and heart-wrenching!
This nemesis... the first poem this nemesis sent her was a man's poignant expression of longing!
But this second verse seemed to drill into her heart, tearing out her unspoken, resentful, and conflicted feelings, exposing them nakedly on this handkerchief!
So this damned bastard actually knew! He even saw through her hidden, resentful, and obsessive thoughts!

With a sudden "boom," immense shame and even greater bitterness overwhelmed her like a tidal wave. Her hands, clutching the handkerchief, trembled uncontrollably, and scalding tears, like broken beads, fell "plop, plop" onto the still-wet ink of the "curse" character, instantly blurring the infatuation and resentment into a hazy ink stain.

She bit her lip hard, pressing the handkerchief tightly against her violently heaving heart, as if trying to hold it down from its precarious state. A sob escaped her throat, barely suppressed.

"My nemesis... my nemesis... I hope... I hope you really will come... and take me away..."

The high-ranking official stepped out, where Dai'an was already waiting with two fine horses. The official mounted his horse and shouted, "Go! Jie Shen Lane!"

The master and servant then headed east along the Imperial Street. Although Bianliang was a bustling city with a dense population and a market lined with jewels, and the streets were crowded with carriages and horses, they dared not ride their horses at full speed. Instead, they held the reins and slowly made their way through the crowd.

After walking for a short while, we arrived at the renowned Jieshen Alley. The moment we stepped into the alley, an overwhelming aura of wealth and opulence washed over us! There we saw:
The houses stretched to the clouds, and the shops were all decorated with carved beams and painted rafters. The vermilion doors reflected the gleaming gold banners with the words "Gold and Silver Notes" and "Colorful Silk Exchanges" written in large characters.
The road in front of the gate was blocked by carriages and horses, all of them luxurious carriages and fine horses with brocade saddles and carved bridles; the people coming and going were all dressed in silk and brocade, and adorned with dazzling pearls and jade.

All that could be heard was the clattering of abacus beads like a sudden downpour, the clanging of gold and silver ingots like a babbling brook, and the loud bargaining and the hushed transactions, all blending into a buzzing, noisy cacophony of wealth.

As far as the eye could see, the open boxes of official silver were dazzlingly white under the sun;
Furthermore, the gold leaf and the salt certificate for exchanging paper money circulated rapidly in the hands of merchants. Every transaction was probably worth a fortune of thousands of strings of cash!
Even a high-ranking official with extensive experience couldn't help but gasp upon seeing such a sight. Wasn't this the largest financial market?
Just as they were about to ask someone where the largest storefront was to find Young Master Liu, they suddenly saw a large crowd gathered in front of a silk shop ahead, laughing and making a lot of noise.

The official reined in his horse and approached, parting the crowd to see several slick-haired, finely dressed young men, leading dozens of fierce-looking servants, surrounding a woman and two female attendants, pushing and shoving them, and speaking lewdly.

The woman had a head of jet-black hair, styled in a fashionable double-heart bun, with a kingfisher feather hairpin inserted at an angle.

She was tall and slender, even taller than Meng Yulou with her long legs, making her extremely eye-catching in the crowd!

Her face was as white as jade and as beautiful as a lotus!
Her skin was fair and translucent, but her two long, arched eyebrows were not as delicate and curved as those of a typical young lady; instead, they were slightly slanted, exuding a commanding and heroic air.

Her almond-shaped eyes, now filled with both anger and arrogance, yet the corners of her eyes and brows naturally exuded a charming and alluring air, concealing a hint of unwitting coquetry.

Others might not see through her, just thinking she's a delicate young lady, only a bit taller.

But the master, a womanizer who had seen countless women, could tell something about this stunning woman at a glance.

Her waist was tightly bound by an apricot-red palace sash! It was so tight, so alluring! It seemed as if any more force would snap her slender, snake-like waist in two!

Yet, even beneath this delicate fabric, through that thin layer of clothing, one could clearly feel the taut, lively muscles and flesh inside! It was not the soft, fragrant flesh of an ordinary young lady, but rather the firm, resilient flesh honed through years of martial arts training and bone-strengthening!
Looking down, she saw an ivory-white pleated silk skirt. With each step she took, the skirt rippled like the wind on a lake. And with that ripple, the outline of what lay beneath the skirt could no longer be hidden!

Round and full like wheat ears saturated with syrup, these lines and weight are not something a delicate young lady raised in seclusion could possess. They are clearly the result of years of riding horses and dodging through swords and spears, toughened and honed through hardship!
It inexplicably blends sensuality and physical strength into one, and in its contours, an untamed power seems to burst forth!

It was clearly a budding, alluring beauty, yet it was also imbued with the ruthless edge of someone who had tasted blood! A scent that was a mixture of sweat, perfume, and the stench of blood!
It is lively and robust, like a wildflower, as if it were a thorny peony that grew out of the wild!

At this moment, she instinctively held one hand to her chest, her eyebrows raised, her almond eyes wide open, and she and her attendants formed a protective triangle. Although they had no weapons in hand, the imposing and unapproachable aura and the sense of power that was about to be unleashed made the nearby servants feel a chill down their spines and dare not approach easily.

Among the onlookers, some discerning merchants were already pale with fright and whispered among themselves:

"Good heavens! That guy in purple... is the mischievous young master from Grand Commandant Gao's mansion!"

"That young man in blue robes waving a fan is none other than Third Master Liu of the Duke of Li's mansion! A notorious playboy!"

"Hiss... That guy in the moon-white robe, speaking in a sinister tone, is Chen Ruiwen, the young master of the Qi State Duke's mansion! I heard... I heard that none of the maids carried out of his mansion had a single good limb..."

"Look over there! That gentleman standing with his hands behind his back... judging by his demeanor... could it be the Second Master Shui from the Prince of Bei Jing's mansion? Good heavens, how did these troublemakers get together like this? This lady... is probably in for a terrible disaster!"

The young man in the purple robe, waving a gold-flecked folding fan, his almond-shaped eyes like hooks, grinned lewdly:
"Tsk tsk tsk! What a seductive and alluring young lady!! Young lady, judging by your bearing, you must be some prince's canary who escaped from his palace, right? Why bother coming to this alley and squeezing in with these money-grubbing boorish men to look at ordinary fabrics?"

"The goods here are nothing but coarse linen and cheap silk used by peddlers and laborers, rough and stiff commercial currency. How can they be worthy of your delicate and tender skin, my lady? This body... hehe, such good flesh that makes people's hearts itch with desire?"

He closed his folding fan and pointed at the spirited young lady, speaking in a flippant tone: "If you want to find fine fabrics to make clothes, why don't you come back to my manor with me! My storeroom is piled high with top-quality Hangzhou silk, Suzhou satin, Sichuan brocade, and cloud gauze, every thread worth its weight in gold. Even nobles in the palace may not have such things often."

"That material is incredibly smooth! As thin as a dragonfly's wing!" He licked his lips, his voice becoming increasingly vulgar:

"Make it into a small handkerchief or a breast wrap, and wrap it tightly around your wife's body... Hehe, that would be a perfect fit, guaranteed to make your wife feel comfortable from skin to flesh, inside and out... moaning softly."

Having said that, the pampered hand, adorned with a large jade thumb ring, reached out to touch her slender waist, which was tightly bound by an apricot-red palace sash!

A cold glint suddenly flashed in the woman's eyes! Her right hand, which was protecting her chest, snapped shut with a "crack" and grabbed Gao Yanei's outstretched wrist! Her five fingers, like hooks, dug deep into his pulse point!

"Ouch!" Gao Yanei cried out in pain, his lewd grin freezing instantly. But the beating only intensified his itch, so he used the momentum to thrust his greasy face forward, his alcohol-reeking mouth almost touching the woman's temple, deliberately taking a deep slurp.
"Hiss...smells good! It's fucking intoxicating!" He endured the excruciating pain in his wrist, his voice becoming increasingly slutty and vulgar.
"Young lady's grip... it's making my bones feel numb! Could it be that you can't wait to go back to the manor with me and sneak into that ecstasy tent for some fun?"

"Brother Gao, what a stroke of luck! What a delightful mood!" Beside him, Liu Fang, dressed in a sapphire blue brocade robe with gold embroidery, waved a gold-flecked fan, her peach-blossom eyes like two brushes dipped in grease, scrutinizing the woman's body.

"Tsk tsk tsk! Look at that face, that figure! Even Li Shishi, if she stood here naked, would be outshone by three points!" "Brother Gao, how can you treat such a celestial beauty like a prostitute by force? You have to peel back the layers slowly and savor the details to truly appreciate her!"

"Brother Liu, I cannot agree with your words." Chen Ruiwen, dressed in a moon-white robe and with a pale face, strode forward with a sinister look: "This kind of beauty is like someone who has been soaked in a honey jar for many years. Her skin is so delicate and white. If you pinch her, I'm afraid she would ooze sweet water?"

He stretched out his pale, bloodless fingers, pointed at the woman, and lewdly laughed at Gao Yanei: "Brother Gao, what kind of taste can you get just by touching her with your hands? This wonderful woman needs to be..." He made an extremely vulgar and obscene gesture, which caused the surrounding servants to burst into lewd laughter, like maggots exploding in a cesspool!

“Brother Gao, you’re clumsy and inexperienced; please don’t be so impolite to the fairy,” Chen Ruiwen suggested. “In my humble opinion… perhaps we should first invite this young lady to a private room in the teahouse next door to undress and allow us brothers some space…”

A morbid excitement gleamed in his eyes, "...Let's take a good 'examination' of this rare body of flesh? We can also 'give our opinions' on behalf of our wife..."

He licked his thin lips, his voice like venom dripping, "...Is the Hangzhou silk smoother against your snowy breasts? Or is the gossamer-thin gauze more alluring when wrapped around your body?"

"You bastard! Prepare to die!"

That long-suppressed anger, like magma bursting from the crater, erupted! A clear shout ripped through the clouds!
The woman's five fingers were already firmly gripping Gao Yanei's vital points, and at this moment she suddenly pulled downwards! At the same time, her slender waist, which was being constricted by the apricot-red palace sash, burst out with the strength of a wild leopard and twisted violently!

"Ugh——!"

His right leg, honed by years of riding and fighting, possessed immense power, and swept out with unparalleled ferocity, like a venomous dragon whistling through the wind!
The sturdy deerskin boot on his feet, with the fierce force of a garlic pounder cracking a walnut, whistled through the air, heading straight for the evil creatures committing wicked deeds inside Gao Yanei!

The groin kick! A deadly, inflicted strike on the battlefield, capable of wiping out one's offspring!
Gao Yanei felt a chilling wind pierce his very soul, rushing straight to his groin. The lewdness he had felt earlier instantly turned into a terrifying cold that made his soul fly away! His oily face turned even whiter than Chen Ruiwen's robe in an instant!
"Agh—!!!" A heart-wrenching, inhuman scream burst from Gao Yanei's throat!
His oily face instantly turned from red to white and then to purplish-blue, his eyes bulged out, and his body, like a mangy dog ​​whose spine had been removed, collapsed to the ground clutching his groin, rolling and howling, tears streaming down his face, unable to utter another single vulgar word.

"Young Master!" "Protect the Young Master!" Liu Fang, Chen Ruiwen, and their servants were suddenly jolted awake, filled with shock and anger!
"You shameless slut! Seize her! Seize her! Strip her clothes off, I'll inspect her here today!"

A dozen or so fierce-looking henchmen, brandishing batons, short sticks, and fists, swarmed towards the beautiful young lady and her two female attendants like a hornet's nest disturbed! They rained blows down on her head and face, and their fists and feet were aimed specifically at her groin, their attacks incredibly vicious!

This beautiful British woman showed no fear, her movements as graceful as a butterfly flitting among flowers, or like a female leopard in battle!

She twisted her body to dodge the club that was about to smash into her head, the wind from the club grazing her dark temples! Her jade-like hand formed a claw, and with lightning speed, she grabbed the wrist of a thug wielding a short stick. With a twist, a crisp "crack" rang out, and the thug's wrist bone broke instantly. He screamed and threw down the stick.

Her skirt billowed like waves! With each twist and kick, her wasp waist, tightly bound by the palace sash, unleashed a wild horse-like force! The full, rounded breasts beneath the skirt bounced and jiggled violently in the fierce struggle, their full curves taut against the skirt, a breathtaking blend of carnal desire and leopard-like ferocity, making the viewer's heart pound!
Her two female attendants were also as fierce as tigers! Bare-handed, they fought against enemies several times their number, their blows landing hard and their roars echoing.

This sudden and fierce fight was like pouring cold water into boiling oil, instantly causing chaos! The onlookers screamed in terror, like startled birds, instinctively retreating desperately! Pushing, trampling, overturned stalls, and fabrics scattered all over the ground... the scene was utterly chaotic!
The "crowd" suddenly dispersed in all directions, like the tide receding abruptly, instantly exposing the official who had been standing a little further back and observing coldly, leaving him standing alone like a reef at the forefront of a messy "open space"!

Almost at the same instant, the official's sharp gaze pierced through the chaos and accurately captured the two people who remained "unmoved" even after the crowd on the other side had dispersed!

The leader was over eight feet tall, with a face like jade, eyes like bright stars, and piercing pupils! He wore a sun hat made of felt from Fanyang, a plain brocade robe with dark patterns, a belt of exquisite lion-shaped jade around his waist, and a pair of fast boots with tiger grips on his feet.

This jade belt is so lustrous and smooth that you could almost feel the water inside. The carving is so exquisite that you can see every hair. At first glance, Master Ximen knew it was no ordinary piece! It was an item of wealth and extravagance! This one alone would probably cost several hundred taels of silver.

Let's look further down.

His posture was as upright as an ancient pine tree, deep and imposing, his demeanor as serene and composed as a mountain. Though he stood with his hands behind his back, the natural majesty and the subtle, palpable aura of menace that seemed to have witnessed countless carnage were not qualities possessed by ordinary, wealthy, or idle men!
This person possesses an aura that hints at the stature of a Qilin and the might of a dragon and tiger!
Standing half a step behind him was a young man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He had lips as red as painted vermilion, eyes as black as polished lacquer, and a face as smooth as piled jade. He was truly handsome and dashing, with a naturally upright and dignified appearance! He wore a tight-fitting, neat blue satin robe with arrow sleeves.

At the open neckline, a complex and exquisite brocade tattoo can be vaguely seen, adding to his heroic and unrestrained spirit!

In an instant! The gazes of the high-ranking official and the man in brocade robes with a jade-like face and a calm and composed demeanor, separated by the chaotic and noisy battlefield, collided suddenly in the air like two invisible lightning bolts!
There were no words, no actions. But they both instantly understood each other from their auras: they were no ordinary bystanders!
At this moment, although the three women, Yingmei and her companions, were brave, the enemy outnumbered them too much, and servants were constantly flanking them from the outside, about to cut off their retreat to a narrow alley! Several fierce servants had already blocked the alley entrance with sinister smiles!
A hair's breadth! The official's eyes narrowed slightly, and his wrist twisted beneath his wide robe sleeves!

*Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!* Several faint, almost imperceptible, sharp sounds pierced the air! Several dark, finger-sized, sharp-angled pieces of silver shot with unparalleled precision toward the calves or ankles of the thugs blocking the alleyway!
(End of this chapter)