Fury blazed through Xu Qi'an. The instant the hooves reared up, he drew the string of copper coins from his bosom and hurled them with all his might, even as the flagstones under his feet cracked and his body shot forward like lightning.
Seventy-two copper coins screamed through the air and rained down upon the young master in brocade.
He had no reaction at all to the killing strike — the amused, about-to-step-on-an-ant look still frozen on his face. It was a retainant who reacted, his face draining of color as he lunged and bore the young master off the horse. The two tumbled to the ground in a rolling heap.
Thup, thup, thup. Part of the coins shot past them; the rest embedded in the horse, blood splashing across Xu Lingyin's face.
Boom! By then Xu Qi'an had arrived, slamming his shoulder and back into the horse.
The great steed was sent hurtling several yards, dragging a glaring trail of scarlet across the street. The common folk scattered to a safe distance to watch.
Xu Qi'an snatched the little bean into his arms and held her close, watching her expression: "Don't be scared, don't be scared, big brother is right here."
The little bean's lips quivered, and at last she snapped out of her daze and burst into sobs.
The retainers who had ringed Xu Lingyue abandoned her. Seizing the chance, Xu Qi'an handed his little sister over. "Take her to the Changle County yamen. Beat the drum and say I sent you. Have Warden Wang fetch Second Uncle from Hundred-Commander Zhu's home, on Huanglin Street. Hurry!"
Xu Lingyue gave Xu Qi'an a long, deep look, then scooped up the little bean and fled.
"You dare kill my horse." The young master snarled, twisting free of his retainers and waving a hand to surround Xu Qi'an. And I'd like to kill you...
That was a snow-hoof black steed worth a fortune untold — in the army, only vice-generals and above got to ride one. Xu Qi'an's second uncle came from the military, so he recognized the horse's grade at a glance. In modern terms, it was a Lamborghini — and whoever could afford one was top-tier official second-generation. Rich kids were worthless in this era; money bought no status. And it wasn't just the steed: the sky-blue riding outfit, the jade belt carved with chimeric dragons, the jangling pouches and pendants — every detail screamed the young master's standing.
"I am Xu Qi'an, nephew of Xu Pingzhi, Hundred-Commander of the Imperial Blade Guard. Those two were my sisters." Xu Qi'an clasped his fists, swallowing his temper to speak courteously. "To save my little sister, I've accidentally slain your noble steed. I'll make good the loss."
As for what had touched off this clash, Xu Qi'an didn't need to think twice. The young master had caught sight of Xu Lingyue's striking beauty and moved to toy with her — or even carry her off.
A month in the yamen had taught Xu Qi'an plenty about how such young masters operated. Swaggering, overbearing, running roughshod over everyone. Abducting common girls was child's play; murdering common folk was everyday. Settling it was easy — a bit of carrot and stick, and anyone who still dared gripe was invited to have his family killed. The higher the family's rank, the truer this held. Did the court ever strip a high official over a few commoners' lives?
Only an official second-generational could beat an official second-generational. Xu Qi'an barely counted as one — Xu Pingzhi wore the green robe of a seventh-rank official, a titled officer and not some ragged commoner. Second-generationals bullied the masses freely, but showed restraint toward others drawing the court's salary. Because the capital ran deep!
The young master gaped a moment at Xu Qi'an's words, then asked: "Xu Pingzhi — the one who lost the tax silver?"
"Precisely!" Xu Qi'an let out a breath.
The young master's face abruptly clouded over. "Cripple him. Leave him just enough breath to live."
Are you out of your goddamn mind... Xu Qi'an barely held back a curse.
The retainers were all trained fighters, and one by one drew daggers from their pockets. In the capital, no ordinary man could wear a blade — only officers, and only in uniform, on pain of eighty strokes and a hundred-tael fine; to assemble brandishing weapons was summary execution. But daggers weren't covered; the group had found a gap in the law.
The five retainers had drilled in combined-assault techniques and moved like a single instrument.
Two retainers came at him in unison, daggers thrusting. Xu Qi'an seized both their wrists, bracing to strike back — when the two peeled apart left and right, and the retainant who'd saved the young master leaped in with a vicious flying knee at his chest.
Xu Qi'an had no choice but to pull back and cross his arms over his torso.
Boom! The iron-hard kneecap slammed into his arms with a searing pain.
The remaining two closed in from the flanks. One dagger cut empty air; the other gouged a bloody gash across Xu Qi'an's waist.
"Cut his tendons, cripple him," the young master snarled.
Xu Qi'an gave him a glance but said nothing, reading the situation. They're all at Essence Refining, but not at the peak. One on one I could beat the dog-shit out of any of them — but they've trained in combined assault...
A dagger came again. Xu Qi'an parried with the grappling arts of his past life, pretending to flag. A martial artist at the peak of Essence Refining had endless stamina, but he couldn't let them gauge his real measure, or he'd never get a chance.
Seeing the retainers still unable to put Xu Qi'an down, the young master jeered: "Xu, kneel, kowtow, call me granddaddy twice, and this young master might spare your life."
Xu Qi'an called back loudly: "Granddaddy, your great-grandmother's flavor was truly delightful."
Rather than riling Xu Qi'an, the jibe riled himself. "Kill him!" the young master shouted.
Boom!
After trading a fist-for-fist blow with the strongest retainant, Xu Qi'an pretended to lose his footing and staggered back. The other four retainers saw their opening and closed in.
It was then that the flagstones under Xu Qi'an's feet cracked, his leg muscles swelling, and he burst forward like a loosed arrow, slamming into the retainant on the left, who sprayed blood as his chest-bones cracked.
The retainers hadn't expected hidden strength; caught off guard, they let him burst loose through their ring.
Xu Qi'an didn't flee. He made straight for the young master and, through the man's terror-stricken face, seized him by the throat and drove a vicious fist into his belly. The young master folded into a prawn, spewing filth. Xu Qi'an hammered a few more blows until the young master collapsed to his knees, then barked at the retainers rushing to the rescue: "Stay where you are, or I'll kill him." Fearing for the young master, they stopped dead.
"Good... very good..." The young master lifted his head, venom in his eyes. "Do you know who I am?"
Boom! Xu Qi'an stomped his face down into the filth, grinding his heel relentlessly until the young master howled with a heart-searing scream.
"Then let me teach you a lesson too, young master." Xu Qi'an's face darkened. "A common man also has his fury — and when a common man's fury burns, his blood splashes five paces."
The two sides held a long standoff. Then a company of constables in dark uniforms, axes at their waists, arrived with over a dozen civilian constables in tow, led by Warden Wang.
His little brother had been beaten, and Warden Wang was furious. But at the sight of the young master's fine brocade, his face stiffened; his eyes flickered once, then settled back into outrage: "Who here is so brazen as to brawl in the middle of the street within the jurisdiction of Changle County!"
Seeing his colleagues drawing their broadswords and surrounding the retainers, Xu Qi'an finally released the young master.
"Arrest him!" the young master bellowed. "This young master will have him drawn and quartered!"
Warden Wang pretended not to hear. "Idiots, the lot of you. Take them all away." No matter how the young master announced his status, Warden Wang kept up the air of an unlettered brute — the whole "I've got no learning, and I'm proud of it" act. Perhaps judging the constable too ignorant to bother with, the young master went quiet and allowed himself to be escorted toward the Changle County yamen.
Warden Wang fell back to Xu Qi'an's side. "Brother, you've stepped in it good this time. That son of a bitch is no ordinary man. You got a plan?" Old Wang had sharp eyes.
I've run out of roads... Xu Qi'an said in a low voice: "Did you send word to my second uncle?"
They talked as they walked, and in no time they'd reached the county yamen.