Fan Xian noticed the fleeting glint of coldness in the woman's eyes and knew that the people from Baoyue Tower had deliberately appeared late. Even the burly man had been intentionally allowed into the courtyard. They suspected he had blocked the listening tube in the room and were wary of his identity, so they staged this scene, forcing both sides to reveal themselves.

However, they only thought he was from the Thirteenth Office of the Ministry of Justice, unaware of his true identity. Otherwise, the welcoming party would have been much grander.

The unconscious burly man was dragged before everyone, soaking a large patch of the grass. The woman said softly, "I heard earlier that a witty young Master Chen had arrived at the tower. I didn't expect Master Chen to possess such astonishing martial arts skills."

This was a blatant test. Fan Xian glanced at her but didn't bother to reply, walking directly into the courtyard. The courtyard and room doors had been smashed to pieces, and warmth streamed out from inside, making everything in the hall clearly visible.

A look of suspicion crossed the woman's face. They had initially believed that Fan Xian and his companions were experts from the Thirteenth Office of the Ministry of Justice, secretly investigating a murder case. They had used the popular courtesan Yan'er to serve them, hoping to glean information while the men inquired about the case. However, they didn't expect this expert to see through the listening device in the room and realize that Sang Wen hadn't emerged, fearing something had happened. Thus, they cleverly arranged the current situation.

They had thought that this "Master Chen" sending the burly man flying with a single palm would create a commotion, possibly leading to some conversation or even negotiation. Little did they know, Master Chen completely disregarded them and coldly walked back inside!

The woman bit her lip, forcing a smile and walking in. She said, "Baoyue Tower was negligent in its protection, disturbing the guests' evening. The tower will naturally cover tonight's expenses. Please forgive us."

Fan Xian frowned and said, "Very well, leave now."

Seeing his lukewarm response, the woman grew anxious. She smiled and said, "Why must Master keep us at arm's length? It's always good to have friends when you're away from home." She was now convinced that he was from the Thirteenth Office, so she became more direct.

Fan Xian wasn't keeping them at arm's length, but this woman was simply not qualified to negotiate with him. He glanced at her sideways and said, "I'm here to enjoy women, not to make friends."

The woman's heart tightened. She couldn't gauge the depth of this Master Chen. Her expression softened, and she said, "But the courtyard door is destroyed. Please move to another location."

Fan Xian looked at her with a half-smile, sat back on the couch, and didn't bother to speak further. Deng Ziyue said coldly beside him, "My master doesn't want to move. Just put up some screens."

Openly indulging in debauchery? What kind of perverse hobby was this? Deng Ziyue's expression was slightly cold, and he felt a little embarrassed, fearing that the courtesans in Baoyue Tower might mistake his director for having an exhibitionist tendency.

At this moment, the commotion in the courtyard finally startled Shi Chanli, who came over while fastening his outer robe. The courtesans in the courtyard, their clothes slightly disheveled, revealing glimpses of skin, remained outside the main hall with great propriety, waiting for the woman to speak to Fan Xian.

The woman's eyes darted around, landing on the sleeping Yan'er on the couch. Her heart stirred, then filled with joy. She feigned anger and gritted her teeth, saying, "That damned girl! She can actually sleep at a time like this, neglecting our guest. It's a grave offense!" She shouted, "Someone! Drag this girl out and beat her!"

Fan Xian frowned slightly, which didn't escape the woman's notice. Her expression didn't change as she said coldly, "Beat this girl to death!"

She thought, won't this soften your resolve?

……

……

Fan Xian frowned again and slowly said, "You're shouting about beating and killing someone in front of me, it's annoying… She's someone from your establishment. It's your business if she dies, but before you beat her to death, pick another pretty girl to come over. Remember, I like them plump."

His words were calm, but they radiated a chilling aura that pierced the heart!

This young master with a kind face didn't care at all about the life or death of the woman he had just been intimate with! The woman cursed her luck inwardly. She was skilled at reading people and knew that if she actually had Yan'er beaten to death in front of him, this Master Chen, with his incredibly cold demeanor, probably wouldn't even frown!

When did the Thirteenth Office produce such a character? The woman was momentarily stunned.

Fan Xian grew impatient. Deng Ziyue, understanding his master's intentions, said coldly, "Everyone out!"

The woman bit her lip. Since they hadn't completely fallen out and the other party was merely playing tough and refused to make any concessions, Baoyue Tower still had to do business in the capital. They couldn't stay in the guest's room forever, so they had to retreat for now.

Unexpectedly, just as the woman and the bouncers from Baoyue Tower were about to leave the courtyard, Fan Xian seemed to casually say, "Leave that burly man behind."

The words were casual, but they faintly carried the authority of an official. The woman, having suffered repeated setbacks tonight, turned back and said fiercely, "This master, this burly man will naturally be handed over to the Kyoto Prefecture for disposal."

Fan Xian finally granted her wish, sneering, "The Kyoto Prefecture can handle it, but can't the Ministry of Justice?"

The woman secretly smiled, thinking, you're finally willing to show your true colors. But before she could say anything, she heard Fan Xian say rudely, as if ordering a servant, "I want this Sang Wen."

Baoyue Tower had only been open in Kyoto for a few months, but its backing was extremely powerful. The woman also knew that her boss had some ambiguous relationship with the Supervisory Council and wasn't afraid of the Ministry of Justice. Hearing these rude words, a surge of anger welled up in her heart. She coldly mocked, "Sang Wen's redemption fee is quite high. This master… or rather, Your Excellency, although the Thirteenth Office isn't a poor one, the only people in the Ministry of Justice who can afford this are the Minister and the two Vice Ministers. May I ask who you are?"

Fan Xian raised an eyebrow and replied, "I'm neither. I just like listening to Sang Wen sing. I can still afford a few hundred taels of silver." The reason he wanted to redeem Sang Wen from the tower now was because they already knew he had spoken with Sang Wen in the room. If Sang Wen remained in the tower, she would probably become a corpse at the bottom of Thin Lake tomorrow.

The woman laughed in extreme anger, sneering repeatedly, "Very well, very well. So this master is using his official power to bully our establishment. It seems you don't know the depths of Kyoto's Thin Lake."

"Enough nonsense." Shi Chanli, knowing it was his turn to speak, sarcastically echoed his mentor's tone, "Sang Wen is a famous courtesan in Kyoto, not a military prostitute. According to the Qing law, as long as someone pays to release her from her registration, your Baoyue Tower must comply. What? Do you think we can't afford a few hundred taels of silver?"

A few hundred taels of silver? The woman was furious. If someone really wanted to redeem Sang Wen, they would have to pay at least two thousand taels of silver. These people who came to cause trouble actually mentioned such a ridiculous amount of a few hundred taels. Repeatedly provoked by Fan Xian's subtle teasings, she finally lost her cool and said angrily, "If the guest can bring ten thousand taels of silver, I'll let you take her away immediately! And the burly man will be a free gift!"

Ten thousand taels of silver could buy more than a dozen residential houses, enough for ordinary people to live on for dozens of lifetimes. Even in the wealthy Jiangnan, ten thousand taels of silver was an astonishing sum!

The woman sneered at the group, certain that no one would use ten thousand taels of silver to buy a courtesan with ordinary looks and only a remarkable singing voice.

But Fan Xian was waiting for this opportunity. Before she could change her mind, he waved his hand casually and said, "Then it's settled. Quickly bring the contract."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked. Even Sang Wen, who was guarding the soaking wet burly man, revealed a look of disbelief. The woman was even more astonished, standing there dumbfounded.

……

……

With a crisp "slap," a beautiful woman arrived in the courtyard, giving the woman a fierce slap. Then, she bowed slightly to Fan Xian and his companions, smiling lightly, "Master Chen is indeed a witty person who likes to joke."

Fan Xian didn't recognize this beautiful woman. He narrowed his eyes, looking at her willow-leaf eyebrows, red lips, and the tenderness in her eyes. A hint of appreciation appeared at the corner of his lips, but he felt somewhat uncomfortable. Although this beautiful woman seemed weak, she actually exuded an extremely arrogant air in her bones, looking down on the three of them. She was probably a capable assistant to Yuan Meng.

"Not a joke." Fan Xian suppressed his smile and said, "Ten thousand taels of silver to buy someone, that was agreed upon earlier. Could it be that Baoyue Tower is planning to go back on its word?"

The beautiful woman glanced at him coldly. After a long pause, she suddenly said, "Baoyue Tower will offer a thousand taels of silver to ease Master's shock. Let's not mention this matter again."

A thousand taels of silver was Baoyue Tower's sincerity, but Fan Xian, looking at the hint of condescension and disdain between the beautiful woman's eyebrows, said mockingly, "I had a pleasant evening, where did the shock come from? I just want this Sang Wen and that burly man. Do you dare to sell them or not?"

The beautiful woman seemed unable to believe that the other party would be so uncooperative. She mocked, "Could it be that Master really can produce ten thousand taels of silver?" At this point, it was no longer just a matter of redeeming Sang Wen, nor was it Baoyue Tower's concern about investigating the case. It was a contest of power between the two sides. Baoyue Tower would never give up Sang Wen, and the beautiful woman said this because she didn't believe anyone would carry ten thousand taels of silver in cash.

Fan Xian touched his smooth hair and didn't speak. Shi Chanli stood beside him, smiling and saying, "That doesn't need the lady to worry about."

The beautiful woman glanced at the three of them coldly, then suddenly said coldly, "So… you came here specifically to embarrass my Baoyue Tower… Let the three adults know, even if you redeem Sang Wen today, I'm afraid you will obediently send her back tomorrow!"

The threat in these words was very strong, but with Fan Xian's current power and status, how could he care about such things? He smiled at her and said softly:

"I'll give you ten thousand taels of silver notes tonight. I'm afraid you'll have to obediently send them back to me tomorrow."