Chapter 353: Do You Know Who I Am

Objectively speaking, Qin Wanru's masked appearance was not ugly; it was merely ordinary. However, her impressive figure and back view had given people endless fantasies, leading to such a significant discrepancy and disappointment upon seeing her face that people unconsciously felt she was very ugly.

As the Duchess, Qin Wanru was accustomed to everyone around her treating her with utmost respect, fearing even the slightest offense. Ordinary men rarely had the chance to approach her, and even the few who did were too self-conscious to gaze at her. It was nothing like this situation, where she was surrounded and openly criticized by a group of men. What was even harder to accept was being called ugly. Even though she knew it was due to the mask on her face, she still found it unbearable.

Just then, another person spoke:

"I think she's alright, not that bad. Especially, I feel she has a noble aura, quite captivating."

"You can see nobility in this? Are you blind?!"

"Don't say that, her demeanor does seem a little different."

"Damn, with a figure like that, her face doesn't matter anymore. I'd definitely go for it!"

Feeling Qin Wanru trembling with rage, Zu An was somewhat surprised that she hadn't lashed out, considering her temper. He figured she must be worried about alerting others and causing trouble. However, these people were truly going too far. Zu An lightly coughed, stepping forward to block them: "Did you eat dirt this morning? Your mouths stink!"

The men had never heard such a scathing remark and instantly flew into a rage.

Qin Wanru, who had been seething with anger, couldn't help but crack a smile at that moment. She used to think Zu An's mouth was too venomous, but today, for the first time ever, she found his sharp tongue somewhat endearing.

"Brat, do you know who we are?" The four men angrily stepped forward, menacingly closing in on the pair.

"We haven't had the pleasure," Qin Wanru said coldly. These men clearly saw that she and Zu An were strangers and thought they would be easy to bully.

"Well, we are East Degenerate, West Lewd, South Lustful, and North Dissolute!" The four men introduced themselves while striking a pose, clearly something they had meticulously prepared.

Qin Wanru was speechless.

Zu An was speechless. He hadn't expected such ridiculous characters to exist in this world.

"I can tell, it certainly suits your temperaments," Zu An remarked, unable to resist.

"Since you know our names, then obediently leave this woman here. Although her face is a bit ugly, her figure is top-notch, so we brothers will make do," Ji Wuli said.

Qin Wanru was on the verge of exploding with fury, truly wishing she could dismember these scoundrels.

At this point, Zu An said coldly, "Then do you know who *I* am?"

Hearing the unusual tone in his voice, the others were startled: "We don't know, who are you, sir?"

"It's good that you don't know." No sooner had Zu An finished speaking than he moved, transforming into a blur and instantly slapping each man across the face. His Sunflower Phantoms, improved by Mi Li, now had even more miraculous footwork and greater speed. Ordinary people could not possibly react in time. The four men only saw a flash before their eyes, felt an intense pain in their mouths, and found themselves flying into the air before crashing to the ground.

Qin Wanru, standing by, widened her eyes. In that instant, even she hadn't clearly seen how Zu An had moved. Moreover, she hadn't expected him to act so suddenly. Hadn't he just said they needed to keep a low profile here and avoid drawing attention?

The four men were completely stunned, their heads ringing. They felt something was wrong in their mouths, and when they spat, several teeth fell out.

"You... you... how dare you provoke us four brothers! Aren't you afraid of retaliation?" The four men mumbled curses at Zu An, trying to get up and fight, but the blow to their faces had left them feeling dizzy for a moment.

Zu An chuckled, "If you don't know who I am, how will you retaliate?" With that, he took Qin Wanru's hand and walked further inside. He left the four men standing there, questioning their lives. What that guy said made too much sense; they couldn't even refute it. The thought infuriated them even more.

Qin Wanru followed Zu An, hurrying inside until they quickly found a place to sit among the crowd. She couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you say earlier that we needed to keep a low profile and absolutely avoid trouble?"

Zu An sighed, "I couldn't just stand by and watch you get bullied."

Qin Wanru was momentarily stunned, taking a long time to recover. She recalled a time in her youth when Chu Zhongtian had protected her in the same way. Since becoming the Duchess, there had been nothing she needed to risk herself for. She hadn't experienced the feeling of being protected like this in years. However, she quickly regained her composure and subtly withdrew her hand. "But won't this draw attention?"

Zu An replied, "Don't worry, there weren't many people around just now, and we finished quickly. It shouldn't have attracted too much attention."

Only then did Qin Wanru breathe a sigh of relief.

Soon, people continued to stream in, and they even saw the four men searching around for their whereabouts. However, due to the unique nature of the auction, each guest had a relatively private space. The four men's searching quickly caused dissatisfaction, and the guards, who arrived upon hearing the commotion, stopped them. It was unclear whether they were escorted out or relocated elsewhere.

Not long after, a beautiful, well-figured young woman walked onto the stage to announce the start of the auction, drawing whistles from many in the audience. Zu An, however, remained calm. He was usually surrounded by stunning beauties, and while this woman was attractive, she was far from comparable to his confidantes. Furthermore, in terms of figure, she was no match for Qin Wanru beside him.

Hmm? Why does that feel a bit strange...?

On stage, a wide variety of treasures were quickly put on display, and the bidding crowd became fervent. Several items even piqued Zu An's interest, but remembering the main purpose of their visit, he suppressed any thoughts of getting sidetracked.

Finally, it was time for the grand finale. When it was revealed to be a large batch of salt warrants, gasps rippled through the hall. Clearly, they were aware of the Chu clan's situation; acquiring these salt warrants would undoubtedly offend the Chu clan. However, those capable of attending this auction generally possessed considerable power, and some had even received prior intelligence.

Soon, the first bidder emerged, then the second, and quickly, everyone began to compete fiercely. In this era, salt represented wealth. With salt warrants, one could legitimately sell private salt, making it an extremely lucrative business. Therefore, the auction price continued to climb higher and higher. Even Qin Wanru felt the urge to bid several times. After all, buying the salt warrants back from here would undoubtedly be far cheaper than paying the 16 million taels in compensation; it was a bargain no matter how one looked at it.

Zu An stopped her: "These are already ours. Why should we spend money? Don't worry, someone will bring them to us soon." No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of burly men suddenly burst in from outside. The leader was none other than Sang Qian. He scanned the room and declared loudly, "We've received a public report of illegal transactions here. We are now here to seal the premises. All irrelevant personnel, please vacate immediately."