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A huge commotion broke out. No one in the crowd had ever thought they would run into something like this!
Those who were more cowardly fled straight away. Those with more notable backgrounds or higher levels of cultivation decided to stay and watch how things would pan out.
Those working for the black market dealer were all shocked. Many guards secretly surrounded the auction hall.
The young woman in charge of the auction shook her head in their direction. Then, she forced a smile and walked towards Sang Qian. “My lord, surely there has been some misunderstanding here. All of our activities have been cleared with the authorities.”
She slipped him a stack of banknotes as she said this.
The black market in Brightmoon City had flourished for so many years. To do so, it had to build up significant connections with government officials. Bribes had been paid out beforehand, and more bribe money had been prepared for tonight’s auction, just in case.
Sang Qian pushed her away. “Don’t bother trying such tricks on me. Search this place!”
“Yes sir!” Those subordinates instantly leapt on stage. Everything else in the auction had already been sold. The salt permits were the only item left.
Qin Wanru was shocked. “Didn’t you say that he wouldn’t bring all his men with him? What’s going on here?” she asked quietly.
Zu An pointed out their clothing. “Take a look. None of them are wearing official uniforms. All of them are in casual wear. Also, the first thing Sang Qian said was that he had been notified of the presence of illegal goods—he didn’t mention salt permits at all. It’s obvious that they want to deal with this matter quietly.”
The female host’s expression grew ugly. “Commander Sang, this is not in accordance with regulations!”
It was crucial for all those in her field to be familiar with all the important individuals within the city. Sang Qian’s own status—not to mention his father’s—was enough to make him a well known figure in the city. It wasn’t a surprise that she recognized him.
“How is this against regulations? I am responsible for arresting thieves. If all you have done is in accordance with the law, then you have nothing to worry about. We have no intention of wronging anyone, but we will not let criminals run free.” Sang Qian spoke with a bold and righteous attitude.
Those working for the black market were clearly agitated by this. Many of them were so angry that they wanted to dash up and confront Sang Qian, but they were stopped by their companions.
Seeing that Sang Qian wasn’t messing about, the black market dealers seemed to accept their fate. The guests who had stayed behind couldn’t do so any longer, and they quickly left, one after another.
Zu An grabbed Qin Wanru. “We’re leaving!”
“We’re leaving just like that?” Qin Wanru was stunned. She wasn’t even in the mood to berate Zu An for grabbing her so disrespectfully.
“No one will notice if we leave now, but we’ll draw attention if we stay behind,” Zu An explained. “Besides, this is not the place where these two parties will fight it out.”
Qin Wanru couldn’t believe her ears. “Do you really think that these black marketeers will move against Sang Qian?”
“Not openly, they won’t, but no one knows what they will do in secret.” Qiu Honglei had warned him earnestly against making a move against them. Clearly, the organization she worked for was not one to take such provocation lying down.
These salt permits were worth a few million taels of silver, after all. More importantly, Sang Qian had crossed the line.
If they did nothing, the black market’s reputation would be completely ruined.
This reputation was perhaps even more important than the several million taels of silver.
Unfortunately, Sang Qian didn’t know any of this. Clearly, as Qin Wanru had said earlier, the nobles of Brightmoon City didn’t think much of the black marketeers.
None of them knew that there was such a formidable power backing them.
Sigh, this is what happens when your information isn’t accurate.
Zu An and Qin Wanru departed the residence. However, they didn’t go far. They found a hiding spot close by, in the branches of a large tree.
Even though Qin Wanru wasn’t fully convinced, Zu An sounded so confident that she was willing to go along with him.
They hid within the tree and waited. Qin wanru’s eyes suddenly narrowed—the four who had mistreated her earlier had come into view.
“Damn it, I didn’t expect officials to show up. I wanted to find that ugly chick.”
“Yo, I thought she was kind of ugly before as well, but the more I think about her, the more I seem to want her. Isn’t that strange?”
“Heh, with that kind of ass and chest, who cares about the face?”
“That woman is a ripe honey peach, nice and juicy. I bet playing with her will feel amazing! I’m getting jealous of that man next to her. He must be living in heaven every day!”
Zu An was slightly embarrassed. These fellas’ mouths were absolutely filthy, but he didn’t have any long range moves that he could employ against them to shut them up.
Qin Wanru’s anger was so great that her face turned a deathly white. Ripping a few leaves off the tree, she flicked them forward with her fingers. Trailing streaks of green light, they shot through the darkness.
Zu An was left in awe. As expected of a sixth rank expert! There was no way he could pull off something like that.
“Ah! My butt!”
“Who hit me?!”
“My waist!”
“Damn it! Who hit me in the face! I’ve lost more teeth
”
The four louts screamed in rage, looking around frantically to no avail.
“Ghosts don’t exist
 do they?”
“Bro, I felt a chill run down my spine just now.”
“Let’s get out of here!”


Zu An was a bit surprised to see them get away. “Madam, why didn’t you kill them?”
“Do I look like such a ferocious woman to you?” Qin Wanru scoffed in annoyance. “Even though they are despicable, they don’t deserve death. It’s enough to teach them a lesson.”
Zu An laughed. “You have such a sharp mouth, Madam. I never expected you to have a heart as soft as tofu!”
Qin Wanru’s face grew red. “Shut up, someone’s coming.”
Zu An peered through the gaps in the leaves. Sure enough, Sang Qian’s group walked into view, escorting a cart with several large chests inside. These were most likely the salt permits.
“Strange
 they didn’t arrest a single person.” Qin Wanru’s cultivation was higher than his, so her eyesight was naturally sharper. She swept her gaze across the entire group of them.
Zu An took a moment to analyze the situation. “Sang Qian probably doesn’t want to escalate this matter any further. He’s letting the black marketeers know that he won’t touch their men, but he wants those goods. He wants them to admit defeat.”
Qin Wanru gave him a look. His analysis was incredibly sharp. He was nothing like that muddle-headed idiot she thought he was!
Hmph! He was probably just putting on an act before! I can’t believe he actually deceived me!
You have successfully trolled Qin Wanru for 379 Rage points!
Zu An was stunned. Why did she get angry at him out of nowhere?
“We’re following them!” Qin Wanru was still annoyed at being constantly dragged around by Zu An, so she decided to take the initiative this time. She grabbed his collar and followed Sang Qian’s men quietly.
They were still within the city limits. Even though this neighborhood was more remote, there were still homes along the streets that they could use as cover. Although she was dragging someone with her, they didn’t give away their presence.
Zu An was crying inside. He had been hoisted by the collar, and was being carried around like a little chick!
Qin Wanru was weighing her options. Sang Qian was only at the fifth rank. Even with a group of subordinates, she still had an even chance to seize the salt permits.
Not to mention, she had Zu An to help her.
The size of the chests was the biggest issue. It would be difficult for them to haul them back to the estate.
Zu An noticed how eager she was to jump in, and he was quick to caution her. “Don’t be anxious, someone will come.”
Suddenly, as if his words were some sort of confirmation, a volley of arrows flew towards Sang Qian’s group.
Sang Qian drew his blade in an instant to deflect the oncoming arrows, but he couldn’t block all of them. A number of subordinates behind him were struck down.
A group of black-clothed men leapt out from behind the houses around them, their blades glinting in the moonlight. They charged straight in.
Sang Qian’s voice was strained with anger, and shot through with more than a hint of alarm. “Name yourselves! Attacking a court official is an offence that can lead to the eradication of your clan!”
The black-clad individuals remained silent. They were completely focused on cutting down the people in front of them. Every single strike from one of these attackers hit a vital point of their opponents’.
Almost all of Sang Qian’s men were wounded in this first exchange, and several lost their lives immediately.
Qin Wanru was shocked. “Where did these black-clad men come from? Their individual cultivations are even higher than that of the soldiers in the Red Cloak Army!”