Ji Xiaoxi was speechless. So too were the Yu clan guards.
Ji Xiaoxi explained weakly, “These bandits are out to plunder. I don’t think that they would bring their money out with them.”
The words made perfect sense to Zu An, but they couldn’t settle the ache in his heart. After all the trouble he had been through, even using up a Poison Bottle, he had ended up empty-handed.
What? Are you asking about the Rage points that they had provided me? Heh, can Rage points be eaten as food? It isn’t an accepted currency in this world!
His fruitless search over, Zu An finally noticed the shivering guards behind him. He quickly put on what he thought to be a kind smile and asked, “I think it’s only fair for me to pose a question to the rest of you too. Now that I’ve saved your lives, how do you intend to repay me?”
The Yu clan guards felt their souls leaving their bodies. They had witnessed the tragic fate that had befallen the bandits of the Blackwind Stockade, and were severely traumatized as a result. Just hearing the word ‘question’ was enough to make them shiver reflexively.
“Young hero, thank you for reaching out a helping hand to us and saving our lives. I am willing to offer you 10,000 gold taels as compensation for your help. May I know if such an arrangement is to your satisfaction?” A feminine voice emerged from within the carriage, which had been silent all this while.
A graceful hand parted the door curtains, and an absolutely gorgeous woman slowly made her way out.
Zu An believed that he had built up a high level of resistance against beautiful women. After all, hadn’t he seen countless different beauties in movies, dramas, and all sorts of internet videos in his previous life?
Be it Chinese, European, American, or even in 2D, he thought he’d seen all the world had to offer while swiping through Tiktok videos everyday. As such, he didn’t take the title of ‘number one beauty of the capital’ seriously. It was probably just a title some country bumpkins came up with, who didn’t know what true beauty was.
As he watched Madam Yu descend from her carriage, he realized that he had been sorely mistaken. No matter how many beauties he had seen through his handphone screen, nothing beat the powerful visual impact of seeing one in real life.
Her skin was more tender than a young girl’s, and it seemed like it was covered in a thin layer of milk, making it both smooth and soft to the touch. Her eyes seemed to reflect the countless stars in the sky, giving off a brilliance that drew people in.
Her face was a flawless masterpiece, and her long neck accentuated her gracefulness. Her hair, which was artfully arranged in a bun, lent her a distinguished maturity.
Zu An’s eyes slowly moved downward and swept over her shapely breasts. Her white dress was slightly tightened around her waistline, which highlighted her slender waist. The curves from her hip to her waist were so perfect that it made one salivate.
Even Ji Xiaoxi couldn’t hide her sense of inferiority in the presence of such magnificence. Even though those around her always complimented her beauty, she knew she came nowhere close to matching the mature and elegant disposition of Madam Yu.
“Do I look good?” Despite Zu An’s crude, assessing gaze, Madam Yu didn’t lose her temper. Instead, her lips curved up in a gentle smile.
“Yes, you do look good,” Zu An replied with a nod. “I thought that I was the best-looking person in this world, but you are just a tier beneath me.”
“Pfft~”
Ji Xiaoxi failed to tamp down her laughter. Her inner gloom was swept away in an instant.
Yu Yanluo was equally taken aback. She was used to men fawning over her looks, but none of them ever acted so… so naturally.
“You’re an interesting person,” Yu Yanluo chuckled, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. Her laughter felt warm, like the onset of spring that banished the frost and coaxed flowers into bloom. “What’s your name? You identified yourself as Cheng Shouping, but that lady over there addresses you as big brother Zu. I believe the latter should be your real name, right?”
“I don’t have the habit of giving my name away after doing a good deed,” Zu An replied with a shake of his head. He had used Cheng Shouping’s name so that his study companion would shoulder the blame for whatever he was going to do next. His standing in the Chu clan was precarious. Until he had a firmer grasp on the situation there, he did not want to reveal that he wasn’t as helpless as others thought him to be.
Yu Yanluo took in the bandit corpses strewn around, and her lips curled up charmingly. “But I don’t have that much money with me now. If you don’t tell me your name, how am I going to compensate you for the amount you deserve?”
Zu An scratched his head in frustration, conflicted over this matter. In the end, the money was too great a temptation. “Come with me for a moment!” He grabbed Yu Yanluo’s hand and pulled her to one side.
Yu Yanluo glanced at the hand that was grabbing her wrist. A cold glint flashed across her eyes, but she remained silent.
The eyes of the Yu clan guards bulged out of their sockets. They knew that their matriarch hated coming into contact with any man, yet she allowed this rascal to grab her without saying anything?
Some of them contemplated ordering that impudent man to let go of their matriarch, but the memory of the bandits’ recent suffering at his hand robbed them of their courage.
Zu An pulled Yu Yanluo to a remote corner before he spoke. “First, allow me to clarify myself. I’m not saying this for the sake of the 10,000 gold taels…”
With a sharp glance towards his hand, Yu Yanluo cut him off. “Can you let go of my hand first?”