Chapter 40: Bringing Myriad Men to Their Knees

Hearing Li Erzhua’s voice, Xu An immediately went out to greet him. Li Erzhua walked in, carrying the seventy-plus pounds of raw sugar.

"Xu An, is everything alright at home?" Li Erzhua asked. "I saw two people tied up at the gate. Are those the ones?"

Xu An smiled. "Fortunately, everything is fine. Thank you for your hard work on the road, Brother Erzhua. Dinner is ready; come on in and eat!"

"As long as you're safe, that's what matters. I won't stay for dinner; I need to get back home, there's still work to finish," Li Erzhua said as he set the raw sugar down.

"Fair enough. Once we’ve made some silver, we’ll find a proper place to celebrate," Xu An replied. "And after you finish your chores, you should come by my place again. Remember to bring that large pot from your house."

"Understood, I'll come over once I'm done." After helping Xu An unload everything and placing it in the courtyard, Li Erzhua left with a hearty laugh.

Once Li was gone, Xu An brought the supplies inside and prepared to serve dinner. Meanwhile, the little girl took advantage of Tao Qianqian’s distraction to carry a meal into the inner chamber for Mu Qingqing.

"Sister Mu, are you feeling any better?" The little girl looked at Mu Qingqing, who was still seated in meditation, her face filled with guilt. If not for saving her, Sister Mu would never have been so severely injured.

"Much better. Oh! Today’s meal looks quite sumptuous; it seems rather good!" Smelling the aroma of the food, Mu Qingqing immediately opened her beautiful eyes.

"It was all made by my husband. He’s an excellent cook!" the little girl said, sounding quite proud, as if she had made the meal herself.

"They say a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, but I didn't expect him to be so skilled. I must try it," Mu Qingqing said, intrigued. Xu An was rarely home, and she hadn't had the pleasure of tasting his cooking—leftovers didn't count.

After taking a simple bite, Mu Qingqing’s eyes lit up. Although the ingredients weren't top-tier, she could tell the level of the cooking—it was chef-quality! As she devoured the meal, she laughed. "Not bad, not bad at all! This is top-notch! I’ll have to tell your husband to cook more often. If he refuses, I’ll just use the favor I’m owed to pressure him, haha!"

Su Yan’er: "..."

"Um, Sister Mu, you go ahead and eat. Just leave the bowl and chopsticks there; I'll come back later to wash them!"

"Mm, go on!" Mu Qingqing waved her off, then added, "Right, remember to practice the mental cultivation method I taught you every day. Otherwise, it’s hard to achieve anything."

"Don't worry, Sister Mu, I will!" The little girl nodded emphatically.

...

Outside, Xu An had set the food on the table. Looking at the spread, Tao Qianqian’s beautiful eyes brightened, and she couldn't help but swallow.

"Xu An, your culinary skills are impressive; this is so fragrant. It’s even better than my family’s chef. Why don't you come work for us? I'll have my father pay you two taels of silver a month. No, five taels!"

"Haha, thank you for the offer, Miss Qianqian, but I’ve grown accustomed to a life of leisure and don’t care for being managed. I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Xu An said with a smile.

To be fair, five taels a month was a significant amount. In the Great Wei Dynasty, a seventh-rank official’s annual salary, excluding their integrity allowance, was only about fifty or sixty taels. However, Xu An had not transmigrated to this world to be a cook. A mere fifty or sixty taels a year meant nothing to him. Once he implemented his plans, five or six million—or even tens of millions—of taels would be well within reach.

"That's a shame," Tao Qianqian said, sounding disappointed, though she didn't press the matter.

"By the way, Miss Qianqian, I heard you mention your father earlier. What does he do?" Xu An probed cautiously. "Of course, if you'd rather not say, it's fine. I was just idly curious."

"There's nothing to hide. My father is the magistrate of Linyuan County. Though, last year he was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, but he’s been demoted since," Tao Qianqian replied calmly.

Xu An paused, asking instinctively, "Your father was demoted—such a major event—how are you so calm about it?"

Tao Qianqian glanced at him. "It was my father who was demoted, not me. He’s the one who should be angry; why should I be?"

Xu An: "..."

"It must have had quite an impact on you, though, right? The most direct change is that you went from being the daughter of a Vice Minister to just a magistrate’s daughter. Don't you feel that drop in status?"

Tao Qianqian looked puzzled. "Why would I? Status isn't something I pursue. If I really wanted status, there are plenty of young talents in the capital who would love to court me. If I just married a noble, wouldn't I have all the status I needed?"

"That’s true!" Xu An nodded. One had to admit that being beautiful was indeed a form of capital. Beautiful women often found it much easier to obtain things than ordinary people.

The little girl sat down, and they began to eat. Xu An looked at Tao Qianqian again and asked, "Everyone comes into this world with something they pursue. Miss Qianqian, what is it that you seek?"

Tao Qianqian glanced at the spear beside her and said without hesitation, "Naturally, I seek the pinnacle of spear arts!"

Xu An was speechless. He knew nothing of martial arts, but historically speaking, for a girl to pursue the "pinnacle of spear arts" seemed like a pipe dream. After all, the vast majority of legendary spear masters in history were men. He hesitated and said, "Is there nothing else? Something more... pragmatic?"

Tao Qianqian replied, "I want to be a divine captor, just like Master Mu Qingqing. To catch criminals and uphold justice."

Xu An and Su Yan’er exchanged a glance. If Tao Qianqian knew that the very person she was talking about was sitting in the inner chamber, he wondered what her expression would be.

Xu An asked again, "Why do you want to become someone like Master Mu?"

Tao Qianqian looked at him. "Don't you think it would be incredibly satisfying to be a woman who can suppress thousands of men beneath her?"

Xu An: "..."

"Then, I wish you success!" Xu An felt Tao Qianqian was a bit eccentric, but he couldn't bear to dampen her enthusiasm, so he offered a half-hearted encouragement.

"Thank you!" Tao Qianqian felt her ideals had been respected and thanked him sincerely.

After dinner, it was completely dark. Tao Qianqian, her stomach full, leaned against the wall to digest. She rarely ate so much, but Xu An’s cooking was simply too delicious.

Xu An hesitated, then said to her, "Miss Qianqian, it’s quite late. Why don't you stay here for the night? Though, one of my beds was chopped up for firewood, so you'll have to squeeze in with Yan'er, and I’ll make do with a pallet on the floor."

"No need, I have to go back tonight. I have to report for duty tomorrow morning," Tao Qianqian said.

"That's over twenty miles of mountain road in the middle of the night. It's not very safe for a girl," Xu An said, concerned.

"Is that so?" Tao Qianqian suddenly leaped up, her spear carving a fierce arc through the air. A cold glint flashed out, sweeping across the ground.

*Rip!*

The ground was instantly gashed by a trench several feet long and an inch deep.

*Hiss!*

Seeing this, Xu An gasped. This world truly was a high-martial arts realm. Powers like true energy, far beyond his scientific understanding, actually existed!

"Well, Xu An? Are you still worried about me encountering danger?" Tao Qianqian asked, lifting her chin with pride.

"No, no, my ignorance was showing," Xu An said, suddenly leaning in with a friendly smile. "Miss Qianqian, you must come over to eat more often. Although we are but passing acquaintances, we share a kindred spirit. We should keep in touch so our friendship doesn't fade. Rest assured, as long as you come, I will personally cook for you and ensure you are well-fed!"

Tao Qianqian looked at him with a knowing smile. "What? Want to learn?"

Xu An nodded without hesitation. "I do."