# 276. Bail
Xu Qi'an sat comfortably in the large chair, sipping his tea slowly. "Go ahead, explain," he said calmly.
Miss Rongrong pursed her red lips and said, "Since Sir Xu has heard of my reputation, you must also be familiar with the Thousand-faced Thief, right?"
"I've heard of her," Xu Qi'an stroked his chin, eyeing her. "So, you're saying the one who stole my treasure was actually that Thousand-faced Thief?"
"Silver Gong Min, could you fetch me the file on that woman," Xu ordered.
Min Shan immediately instructed a clerk to retrieve the file. After a cup of tea's time, the clerk returned with a booklet, opened to the relevant page, and handed it to Xu Qi'an.
The file on the Thousand-faced Thief was brief. It only noted that she was an exceptionally skilled thief, always working alone, with no known master or background, having committed countless crimes without ever being caught.
From this entry, Xu Qi'an gleaned two pieces of information: first, that the thief was no ordinary criminal, capable of pulling off major heists without failure. Second, her domain was limited to theft; she lacked destructive power, which was why the Nightwatchers had only recorded a few lines about her, not considering her a serious threat.
"Quite a specialist," Xu Qi'an closed the booklet and handed it back to the clerk, then turned to the tightly bound Miss Rongrong. "Why did the Thousand-faced Thief disguise herself as you?"
Miss Rongrong sneered, "Who knows? Maybe she's jealous of how charming I am."
*...Seems like they've had some bad blood before, and now it's payback.* Xu Qi'an picked up his sabre and hooked it back onto his belt. "Min, she's your responsibility now. No one releases her without my permission, no matter who it is."
After some final instructions, Xu Qi'an hurried out of the constabulary, mounted his beloved mare, and rode towards the outer city.
The only option was to seek Daoist Jinlian’s personal intervention. Fortunately, Xu knew where Jinlian lived, though he had never visited.
As the sun gradually dipped lower, curfew loomed an hour away. Xu needed to find the female thief and retrieve the earth book fragment before curfew, or else he'd have no choice but to return to the constabulary and ask Wei Yuan to issue a search warrant.
Daoist Jinlian resided in a small courtyard by the river in the northern city. The telltale sign was the tiny straw doll perched atop the roof of the main house.
Xu Qi'an arrived and knocked on the courtyard gate. Silence. No one responded.
*Is the Daoist out?* Xu Qi'an vaulted over the wall, entered the courtyard, and pushed open the door of the main house. The interior was clean and orderly. On the bed lay Daoist Jinlian, his face peaceful as though he had passed away.
Xu Qi'an called out "Daoist" a few times. Seeing that Jinlian remained unresponsive, he realised the old man must have slipped into his cat form again.
*Why has he suddenly developed this strange habit...? What should I do now?* After pondering for a moment, Xu Qi’an had an idea.
He casually walked to the bed, raised his hands, and began slapping the Daoist's face back and forth with a crisp "smack smack smack."
As a seasoned veteran of the martial world, Daoist Jinlian surely had measures in place to protect his body. If his physical form suffered harm, he would immediately sense it and...
"Smack smack smack!"
The sound of slaps filled the room.
After some time, a calm, emotionless voice came from the doorway. "What are you doing?"
The slapping stopped instantly. Xu Qi'an turned around with delight. "Daoist, you're back!"
At the threshold stood an orange tabby cat, staring at him coldly.
Seeing the Daoist remain silent, Xu hurriedly explained, "I have an urgent matter to discuss with you, but you weren't in. I figured you must have left some safeguard on your body, so I had no choice but to wake you this way."
The tabby cat’s voice remained flat. "Did you ever consider that I sensed your presence the moment you entered the courtyard?"
*So, Daoist Jinlian sensed my arrival as soon as I entered the courtyard...* Xu Qi'an blinked. "I had no idea."
The orange cat nodded, gracefully trotting into the room and leaping onto the bed. "What do you need?"
"My earth book fragment was stolen."
Xu Qi'an quickly recounted how he had been duped by the Thousand-faced Thief and mistakenly captured Miss Rongrong.
"The earth book fragments, once bonded to their owner, cannot be seen or accessed by others. You need not worry," the orange cat said calmly.
"Then, when I obtained it from you, it was a neutral object?"
"The imprint had been erased by the Daoist of the Earth Sect."
Xu Qi'an nodded, already aware of this. "Time is of the essence; we must retrieve the fragment."
"Follow me."
The orange tabby hopped off the bed and dashed out of the house. Xu Qi'an followed, noticing the cat sitting on his mare's back, its head tilted as if waiting for him.
*Why isn't the Daoist using his human form? Even if he enjoys being a cat, this is serious business... Could it be that to him, it makes no difference whether he uses his physical body or his spirit?*
With lingering doubts, Xu untied the reins, patted his mare's face, and mentally apologised for making her carry someone else.
Clip-clop, clip-clop...
The mare galloped through the spacious streets. Pedestrians quickly moved aside—no one in their right mind would block his path.
This was an era where people made way for vehicles.
"Turn left!" the orange cat suddenly commanded.
Xu Qi'an steered the mare into a sharp drift, smoothly turning left.
Following the Daoist's directions, Xu Qi'an rode from the northern city to the eastern city, stopping outside an inn.
"The earth book fragment is inside," said the orange cat.
As he spoke, Xu Qi'an felt a faint connection with the fragment, a subtle, almost mystical sensation of closeness, confirming the fragment’s location.
The earth book fragment would resonate with its host at close range.
...
Inside a room in the inn, a woman with heavy makeup, large almond-shaped eyes, and a seductive gaze sat at a table. One hand propped up her chin while the other played with a small jade mirror.
"Why can't I use this treasure?"
The impostor Rongrong scrutinised the earth book fragment. Though it appeared unremarkable at first glance, her keen instincts as the only heir to the Thieves Guild told her otherwise.
Finding treasures was a natural skill for disciples of the Thieves Guild.
The fragment’s surface was etched with strange patterns—a chest, silver banknotes, a military crossbow, silver ingots... Drawing on her years of "treasure hunting" experience, she quickly deduced its nature:
This was a blood-bonded magical artefact with storage capabilities.
Immediately, her heart surged with excitement. She had hit the jackpot, not only acquiring a magical item but also discovering a fortune inside.
"How do I get the items out...?"
The fake Rongrong knocked the fragment on the table, thinking.
For blood-bound magical items, she knew the basic rule: if you destroyed the item, everything stored inside would be released. However, this particular item was clearly of extraordinary value—destroying it to access its contents would be like killing the goose that laid golden eggs.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
The fake Rongrong frowned. She hadn’t called for hot water, and her room fees were paid up.
"We’ve come to read your water meter," came a man's voice from outside.[^1]
Upon hearing the voice, the expression of "Rongrong" changed drastically. Without thinking, she grabbed the jade mirror, stuffed it into her pocket, and rushed toward the window.
“Bang!”
She opened the window, preparing to escape, only to find an orange cat sitting by the window, its amber eyes quietly watching her.
"Rongrong" felt as though her brain had been pierced by steel nails, ripping through her soul. She clutched her head and groaned, slumping to the floor.
The door opened, and Xu Qi'an, one hand resting on his sword, strode in with an air of indifference.
The orange cat leaped from the windowsill into the room.
“It’s you after all!” Xu Qi'an drew his black-gold sword and rested it against "Rongrong’s" neck, sneering, "The Thousand-Faced Thief."
“Sir, what are you talking about?” "Rongrong’s" lively eyes darted about, seemingly searching for a way out.
Xu Qi'an extended his hand and lightly grasped the air. The fragment of the Earth Book flew out from "Rongrong’s" pocket and landed automatically in his hand.
"Rongrong" let out a startled "Ah!" and reached out in an attempt to grab it back, but a sharp pain in her neck forced her to give up the idea.
This man was powerful. Even ten of her wouldn’t be able to withstand a single strike from him.
After inspecting the Earth Book fragment and confirming that nothing was missing from it, Xu Qi'an let out a sigh of relief, as though a weight had been lifted off his chest.
The treasures within the fragment, including the silver notes and hard metals, were his entire savings. After six months of hardship in this world, it had taken him great effort to amass this wealth.
It was, after all, his dowry fund.
He tucked the Earth Book fragment back into his chest, sheathed his sword, pulled up a chair, and sat down with a playful grin as he eyed the now defeated female thief.
"Huh, aren’t you going to try denying it?"
“Caught red-handed, what’s there to deny?” The thief rolled her eyes, muttering, "I’ve roamed the Nine Provinces for years and never thought I’d fall in the capital. They say it’s the greatest city under heaven, so I suppose I can’t complain…”
Her tone and demeanour had shifted dramatically from the coquettish act she had put on in the restaurant. Now, her real persona, a seasoned rogue, had emerged.
At the restaurant, she had been playing a role. This was her true nature.
Xu Qi'an, like a cat toying with a mouse, teased, “Come on, try to talk your way out of it. Maybe if you make me laugh, I’ll let you go.”
The thief’s expression changed in an instant, becoming pitiful and tearful. "I’m just a poor woman. I was sold to a brothel at the age of three, forced to serve customers by the time I was ten, and at fifteen, I was taken in by my master. I thought my suffering had finally ended, but then, on a dark and stormy night, he… he…”
Her acting was so convincing that Xu Qi'an wasn’t sure whether to believe her or not.
“Alright, alright, I sympathise with your story, but the law is the law. I’ve got a few questions for you. Answer them honestly,” Xu Qi'an said. “How did you manage to steal my treasure without me noticing?”
“That’s my specialty. Below the fourth rank, I can steal from anyone, however I please.”
“And how did you disguise yourself?” Xu Qi'an leaned closer, pinching her chin as he scrutinised her face. “This isn’t a human skin mask, but this face clearly isn’t yours.”
“This is a unique technique from my Thieves’ Guild called the 'Veil of Heaven.' It’s not just a disguise; it actually alters one’s appearance, far superior to ordinary techniques.”
“Wait!”
Daoist Jinlian suddenly interrupted, his amber eyes fixed on the thief. "What did you just say? What school are you from?"
Sensing the deadly aura, the thief weakly replied, "The Thieves’ Guild…"
Daoist Jinlian turned to Xu Qi'an, his voice cold, "Might as well just kill her."
*This was likely the most humiliating moment for the Daoist sect…* Xu Qi'an, barely able to suppress a smirk, replied solemnly, "Do you have any idea who this is in front of you?"
The thief shook her head.
“He’s a high-ranking member of the Daoist Earth Sect.”
“From now on, we’ll change our name to the Divine Hand Sect.” Her survival instincts were strong.
*Changing the name of a sect just like that?* Xu Qi'an was momentarily stunned, but seeing that Daoist Jinlian had no further comment, he returned to his questioning. “Hand over the secret manual.”
With a resigned look, the thief said, “It’s not something you can learn from a manual. It’s a skill taught personally by the master from a young age. I started training when I was four and only mastered it after over a decade.”
"Didn’t you just say you were sold to a brothel at three, served customers at ten, and became your master’s personal little girl at fifteen?"
"...Perhaps Sir Xu misheard?"
Xu Qi'an realised then that you couldn’t believe a single word out of a rogue’s mouth.
“Hand over the disguise manual.”
The thief nodded in defeat, “It’s in the wardrobe. I’ll go get it.”
Seeing Xu Qi'an nod in agreement, she walked over to the wardrobe and took out a bundle. "The manual is inside."
Xu Qi'an opened the bundle, but the moment he did, a green mist erupted from it. Caught off guard, both he and Daoist Jinlian inhaled a few breaths of the mist, and instantly fell unconscious.
Having held her breath in advance, the female thief pulled out an antidote from the bundle, took it, and then inhaled deeply before smirking triumphantly. “You dare go up against me? You’re still far too green.”
She then kicked Xu Qi'an a few times out of spite and rummaged through his robes to retrieve the jade mirror.
Suddenly, she felt something hard pressing against her lower back. Xu Qi’an’s voice came from behind her: “Looks like I’ll have to kill you after all.”
The "Rongrong" impostor looked down in shock to find that the Silver Gong lying on the ground had vanished.
She dared not move, realising that what was pressed against her back was a sword.
“I told you, this is a high-ranking Daoist of the Earth Sect. You didn’t even realise you’d fallen under an illusion,” Xu Qi'an chuckled. "Nice ass though."
The thief had completely given up at this point.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Ge Xiaojing.”
………
Xu Qi'an sealed the female thief Ge Xiaojing's acupoints, tied her up tightly, and threw her onto his horse. He bid farewell to Daoist Jinlian.
The orange cat nodded slightly and advised, “Be careful on the road.”
With that, it walked away elegantly.
Xu Qi'an loosened the reins, about to mount his beloved little mare, when suddenly the horse went wild. It spun around, lifted its head, and delivered a swift kick, sending Xu Qi'an flying through the air.
With a neigh, the horse galloped off into the distance.
“???”
Xu Qi'an, covered in dirt, chased after it, managing to stop the horse just before it collided with pedestrians. After calming it down for a long while, the mare finally became docile again.
“Little mare, don’t you love me anymore? Ever since that old Daoist Jinlian rode you, you’ve been neglecting me.”
Xu Qi'an sat on the horse, thinking to himself that he wouldn’t try to play tricks anymore—after all, ginger gets spicier as it ages.
…
Back at the Nightwatcher Constabulary, Xu Qi'an threw the female thief into the dungeon, warning the guards not to lay a hand on her, as she still had use to him.
By now, the curfew had been in effect for two hours, and the sky was dark. However, for a Silver Gong, curfew meant little.
“I can release the Soul-Stealing Hand Rongrong, but it’s already curfew. She can’t leave the inner city. I’ll deal with her tomorrow…”
The next day, Xu Qi'an rode back to the Constabulary, where a clerk was waiting for him at the entrance. Upon seeing him, the clerk jogged over and said, “Sir Xu, a group of Jianghu people has come to the Constabulary to bail someone. They’re asking about the girl you brought in yesterday. She’s with Silver Gong Min now.”
*Only now they come to bail her out? If I were one of those lecherous people, I could have filled the child’s bedroom several times over by now…* Xu Qi'an clicked his tongue and said, “I see.”
---
[^1]: A Chinese Police classic