Cheng Qingyuan looked nervous and stayed by her side, ready to deal with any emergency at any time.
However, just as they were about to leave.
Suddenly, a noisy sound of footsteps was heard coming from afar, and then several officers holding torches and with arrogance blocked the front door of the inn.
Leading the group was the flabby-faced He Zhixian, who was standing at the door.
His eyes were slightly narrowed, with a hint of sneer, and a greedy gleam in his eyes.
"Girl, what's the hurry? It's so late, where do you want to go?"
County Magistrate He's voice was filled with coldness as he spoke.
The surrounding officers gathered around and sealed the door of the inn, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Fang Qingyue's face darkened slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
She thought she could avoid these troubles by acting carefully, but she didn't expect to be targeted in the end.
She smiled coldly, hiding the sharpness in her eyes, and said calmly, "Master He, what can I do for you, Lord He, blocking the inn late at night?"
County Magistrate He swaggered forward a few steps and stood in front of Fang Qingyue.
He looked her over undisguisedly, then said with a sly smile, "Girl, don't play dumb."
"I, He, love making friends. As long as you can show me some sincerity, I will ensure that you will have no worries in this town in the future. No one will dare to embarrass you again."
"Sincerity?" Fang Qingyue sneered, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice was cold and contemptuous. "What kind of 'sincerity' do you want me to show, Lord He?"
Seeing the sarcasm in her tone and her lack of fear towards him, He Zhixian felt his anger rising gradually, but he still maintained a hypocritical smile, and his tone became more and more frivolous: "The girl is smart, she must know it well."
"You have two choices. Either pay five hundred taels of silver and buy a safe life; or... hehe, become my eighteenth concubine. I will definitely not treat you unfairly."
As soon as he said this, the officers around him burst into low laughter, and the atmosphere was filled with vulgarity.
County Magistrate He looked at Fang Qingyue proudly, as if he had already defeated her.
"Five hundred taels of silver?" Fang Qingyue's expression turned slightly colder, and a cold light flashed in her eyes.
She was originally considering whether to hand over some silver to settle the matter.
But County Magistrate He's exorbitant demands were obviously meant to make things difficult for her, and his vulgar words only made Fang Qingyue even more furious.
"Did Lord He overestimate me, or did you overestimate yourself?"
Fang Qingyue was neither humble nor arrogant, with a hint of coldness in her tone, "Five hundred taels? You might as well go and rob it."
The smile on Magistrate He's face gradually froze, and a haze appeared in his eyes. He took a step forward and stared coldly at Fang Qingyue: "Miss, don't refuse a toast and then drink a forfeit. I'm giving you a chance because I think highly of you."
"If you continue to be so ignorant, don't blame me for being rude."
Fang Qingyue refused to back down and sneered, "It seems that Lord He is really used to being a local tyrant. He even wants to use threats to get this little money."
County Magistrate He was so irritated by her words that his face turned pale and he completely lost his patience.
Fang Qingyue was unusual. Since he couldn't persuade her, he planned to force her.
He waved his hand and ordered his men sternly, "Tie her up! Since she refuses to pay, take her back to the government office and I'll teach her a lesson!"
Several officers obeyed the order and immediately rushed forward, reaching out their hands roughly towards Fang Qingyue.
At the same time, the atmosphere in Ancheng was tense all night.
At daybreak, the city lord Duan Cheng hurriedly put on his outer robe and paced anxiously in the lobby of the city lord's mansion. The followers behind him did not dare to breathe loudly.
Shen Yuhan's face was as gloomy as water, his eyes were cold, and there was a chilling chill in his eyes.
Sitting in the middle of the lobby, his fingertips tapped lightly on the table, making a dull sound.
The atmosphere around seemed to be frozen, as if the entire lobby was shrouded in a gloomy cloud.
Duan Cheng almost didn't dare to look up at Shen Yuhan's face.
His men did not sleep all night and searched almost the entire Ancheng, but still could not find Fang Qingyue's whereabouts.
This made him even more anxious, and beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead.
"General Shen, your subordinates are incompetent. We searched the entire city last night but found nothing, but we have..."
Before Duan Cheng could finish his words, Shen Yuhan suddenly stood up and interrupted him coldly: "No results?"
These two words seemed to carry an endless pressure, instantly silencing Duan Cheng.
He watched Shen Yuhan walk towards him step by step. Every step was like a huge rock pressing on his heart, almost making it difficult for him to breathe.
Shen Yuhan spoke slowly, "I gave you two days, but you didn't even find a trace?"
His voice was as cold as a knife and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, staring at Duan Cheng so hard that his heart tightened.
Shen Yuhan's reputation was well-known both in the court and in the army. Duan Cheng knew very well that this general was not just a name.
His seemingly calm tone at this moment actually contained anger that was about to explode.
Duan Cheng's legs trembled slightly. He swallowed hard and quickly bowed his head. "General, calm down! I've already sent more troops. The four city gates are heavily guarded. Anyone entering or leaving Ancheng is being strictly checked..."
"But this woman is most likely not an ordinary person and is good at hiding her tracks, so..."
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that he was making excuses for his incompetence. His heart suddenly turned cold and the cold sweat on his forehead became more and more dense.
Shen Yuhan sneered, his voice even colder: "Hide her tracks? If she wants to hide, you rubbish can't even catch a foreign woman?"
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