Riding a short distance, Jingheng Bo spotted a village by the roadside. She dismounted, exchanged her spirited horse for a cart with the villagers, and traded her clothes for a new gown, skirt, and headscarf. With the assistance of the village women, she changed into the new attire, inquired about the nearby county town, and continued her journey by cart.
She headed straight for the bustling county town.
In this situation, the four members of the research institute would likely have different reactions. Junkai might choose to hide in the mountains, Wenzhen probably found accommodation in the village, while Taishilan might casually roam wherever he pleased.
However, for Jingheng Bo, who loved excitement, enjoyment, and extravagance, she would rather be captured than live in the deep mountains or a run-down village. She must choose the most prosperous place and sell her emeralds. Let’s talk about living a high-society life.
Enjoy it or die.
After a good half-day, she arrived at the nearby Sanshui County. She had already inquired about the location of the pawnshop and went straight there.
A quarter of an hour later, she sat by the table and chairs set up exclusively for customers in the pawnshop, enjoying her tea. The young waiter attentively moved around her, serving tea and snacks alternately, with his eyes rolling around. He circled her, stealing glances at the legs clad in black stockings exposed beneath her lifted skirt.
Jingheng Bo boldly extended her long legs for him to admire, occasionally striking a pose to provide a more comprehensive and detailed view.
Why does one have a splendid figure?
It’s for others to admire and appreciate, of course.
The clothing in this era is too ugly! It suppresses the innate desire for beauty! How can these crude and curve-concealing clothes be allowed to obscure her incredibly wonderful figure?
Jingheng Bo sat there, playfully lifting the left side of her skirt, then the right, draping it over her slender legs. People coming and going in the pawnshop had their eyes rolling on the floor. One man, in particular, couldn’t resist turning around repeatedly as he left, only to trip over the doorstep and tumble out.
Jingheng Bo rested her chin on her hand, finding joy in the spectacle. The corner of her lips lifted, radiating a charming vermilion, leaving everyone breathless in amazement.
Finally, the footsteps grew clamorous, and the old shopkeeper hurriedly arrived from the rear courtyard. Jingheng Bo believed her emerald was a significant deal and insisted that the assistant must have the shopkeeper personally oversee the evaluation.
“Miss…” The old shopkeeper had seen a lot in his days, so while he was momentarily taken aback upon seeing her, his expression quickly returned to normal.
Jingheng Bo smiled gracefully, set down her cup, and, as if performing a magic trick, presented a piece of emerald in her palm.
“Ah…” Gasps of amazement echoed from all sides.
The snowy white palm cradled the resplendent emerald, radiating a brilliant play of colors with its combination of white and green, showcasing a vivid and clear hue.
“How is it? Valuable, isn’t it?” Jingheng Bo said, exuding a proud satisfaction.
A guy with a piece of dog-shaped plaster on his cheek swayed forward, lifted Jingheng Bo’s fingers, and praised with a clucking sound.
“So beautiful… so fair… the texture like jade… fingers like pearls… it’s indeed valuable! Miss, how much?”
With a high-heeled shoe, Jingheng Bo kicked him twice and left two holes in his clothes.
“What do you think, shopkeeper?” She was busy dealing with the intrusive fellow and glanced up to notice the old shopkeeper’s expression seemed a bit off.
The old shopkeeper’s face brightened, hastily smiling, “Indeed, it’s a good item. However, we shouldn’t reveal our wealth in such a busy place. It’s not quite appropriate. Miss, please follow me to the rear courtyard. We can discuss things more leisurely there.”
Jingheng Bo found the suggestion reasonable. With a firm grip, she put away the gem. A group of men stared at her golden nails, their gazes gleaming. As she followed the old shopkeeper into the rear courtyard, a collective sigh of lamentation escaped from the onlookers.
“Everyone, the shop is closing early today.” The assistant came to usher the customers out, and once they had all left, he closed the shop.
On his way to the rear courtyard, the old shopkeeper half-turned and signaled to one of the assistants. The assistant opened a side door and exited.
Unaware of this, Jingheng Bo followed the old shopkeeper into the rear courtyard. They settled in the flower hall, with Jingheng Bo about to negotiate when the old shopkeeper stood up shakily and said, “My eyesight is not good. I need to fetch my magnifying glass to examine the gem carefully. Besides, considering the high value of your precious stone, I must gather some silver.”
Jingheng Bo was overjoyed, waving her hand, “Yes, yes, go quickly!”
Once the old shopkeeper left and closed the door behind him, Jingheng Bo didn’t pay much attention.
She waited in the hall for a while, finishing a bowl of tea, but as no one showed up, she grew a bit impatient. Feeling the need to use the restroom, she approached the door. However, when she tried to open it, the door wouldn’t budge.
Peering through the crack, she realized it was locked!
Why on earth was the door locked? Something was amiss, and Jingheng Bo’s first thought was that the old man wanted to deceive her.
Damn, she had walked into a shady establishment!
Jingheng Bo jumped onto a chair, peering outside in all directions. Not spotting anyone, she contemplated the layout of the room. Where could the old man’s bedroom be? She was determined to sneak into his bed and give him a good scare!
Suddenly, there was a hurried sound of footsteps. Through the crack in the window, Jingheng Bo saw a crowd gathering, led by the old shopkeeper. Behind him, a large group of people dressed in identical attire—red-collared shirts and black pants, with a round symbol of the character “Wei” on their chests—approached, each holding flat, round sticks.
Jingheng Bo found this style quite familiar. The old shopkeeper led the way, speaking as he approached, his voice echoing from a distance.
“…Esteemed officials, truly foreseeing, indeed, someone has come with an emerald gem… Yes, yes, an exquisite emerald with a stellar radiance… Mmm, mmm… We dare not conceal stolen offerings. The person is already confined in the main hall… Please…”
The old shopkeeper unlocked and opened the door.
“Creak—” The door parted slowly, revealing a play of light and shadow.
Everyone looked up, stunned.
“Where is the person?”
…
At the same moment, Jingheng Bo was also stupefied. She looked down at the wooden platform beneath her feet, then at the woman on the platform with a panicked expression and vibrant makeup. Glancing around at the various brightly adorned buildings, she observed the equally agape and terrified expressions on the men below.
What on earth?
Where had she ended up?
The buildings surrounding her had a gaudy architectural style, and the women were dressed in luxurious and revealing attire. Jingheng Bo found herself on a platform, with a horizontal piece of pink gauze in front of her. Both sides of the gauze were occupied by women, with those on the outside seemingly engaged in dancing. Through the gauze, she could observe the lecherous and excited expressions of the men beneath the platform, their eyes either reddened or gleaming with a greenish hue.
Based on Jingheng Bo’s extensive experience in watching various scenes over the years, the atmosphere and style exhibited in this setting were almost certainly that of a brothel.
They should be in the midst of a song and dance performance now, and she had directly teleported behind the scenes of the platform.
Behind her, there was a “gudong” sound. Turning around, she saw a middle-aged woman in a red silk dress, rolling her eyes and falling to the ground. Shaking and pointing at Jingheng Bo, the woman’s eyes were filled with fear, “Where did you come from…”
The women on the platform had yet to react, staring at her with wide-eyed astonishment.
Meanwhile, not far away, shouts could be heard, “Where’s the person? How did she disappear? She must not have gone far, search the nearby area!”
Jingheng Bo inwardly exclaimed that this was not good; it turned out that her recent teleportation hadn’t taken her far enough, and the pursuers were already nearby!
Frowning, she realized that the town was bustling today due to the gathering, unlike the desolate areas she had previously teleported to. Moving around so conspicuously during broad daylight could easily attract attention and bring trouble.
“There’s a ghost!” The madam behind her made a screech, sounding as if someone had pulled her neck straight.
Jingheng Bo suddenly executed a big turn, lifting her leg high and placing her hands on her hips. With the pointed spikes of her shoes just ten centimeters from the madam’s neck, she threatened, “Scream! Go on, keep screaming!”
The madam’s scream choked in her throat, resembling the crowing of a rooster.
The screams of several girls couldn’t be restrained and escaped, but the sounds of silk and bamboo from outside drowned them out.
Jingheng Bo shook her shoes a bit, giving a charming smile. “You make a sound, and I give a shake. I can’t guarantee that these spiked heels won’t lunge forward and stab your neck, you know…”
The madam suddenly froze, scrutinizing Jingheng Bo’s smile and giving her a thorough once-over.
Jingheng Bo continued to smile, allowing her to scrutinize. She deliberately adjusted her posture, creating tension in her neck, chest, waist, and hips, forming elegant curves, exuding various postures and a charming demeanor.
The madam’s eyes lit up, completely forgetting about the threatening heels on Jingheng Bo’s neck. A woman who could withstand such scrutiny and still maintain such a poised and attractive posture was indeed a rare sight!
A natural beauty indeed!
Jingheng Bo, however, felt a bit irritated because the sounds of pursuers were getting closer.
“Search the neighboring brothel first!”
Oh no, it’s right next door!
Suddenly, the pink gauze curtain lifted, revealing a girl spinning into the room. Before she could complete the turn, she fell to the ground, rubbing her ankle and cooing, “Oh, mama! Quickly find a replacement for me. I’ve twisted my foot and can’t dance anymore!”
“This… what should we do!” The madam was startled, completely forgetting about the shoe heel around her neck. She quickly instructed a girl in a yellow dress, “Caihuan, you quickly replace her!”
“Mama!” Caihuan was on the verge of tears. “Sister Manyun learned the Drunken Feather Robe, which is a new dance. We haven’t learned it yet…”
“You bunch of useless girls in times of need…” The madam continued scolding, and the impatient men below began to clamor. Meanwhile, Jingheng Bo, who had been attentively listening, could only hear a large group of people rushing out from the neighboring place.
People will be here very soon…
With so many people and talk about ‘offerings,’ this must be something big…
The pursuers from the neighboring place are approaching, the spectators outside are cheering, and the dancers in front are wailing in pain.
Jingheng Bo glances at their outfits and styles, sneering, ‘What feather dance? More like a turkey dance? So tacky!’ Suddenly, an idea strikes her.
She quickly retrieves her shoe, squats down, grabs the madam’s neck, and, amid the gasps and screams of the women, swiftly says, “Hey, how about we make a deal?”
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Author’s Note: Regarding the situation where the large batch of emeralds sold by the protagonist is considered an offering and leads to pursuit by government forces, I need to explain that further. This is still related to “Qian Jin Xiao.” In “Qian Jin Xiao,” the Crown Prince of Da Yan, Nalan Jun, employs a cunning strategy to strip the Northern Ji Province Prince of his authority. As part of this plan, they first deal with Yao Guo, a country allied with Northern Ji, by personally chasing down the messenger seeking help from Northern Ji. The messenger carries a unique star-patterned emerald, and anyone found with such an emerald is labeled a criminal by Nalan Jun for “stealing offerings,” and a nationwide manhunt ensues. Our protagonist happens to pick up a few of these gemstones and unwittingly becomes a target.
