Andrew Thompson sat down on a folding stool and casually placed the leopard skin bundle on the low table. At this moment, the Shopkeeper walked over, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, “Sir, it seems this is your first time at our humble establishment!”

“I serve at the Suluofeng Garrison, so I rarely come to Bahuan City.”

“Oh! That’s quite far, sir. My surname is Baker, and I am the Shopkeeper here. If you visit Bahuan City again, please do come by our shop more often.”

“Of course! Of course!”

Andrew Thompson nodded with a smile. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, “Mr. Baker, which is the most famous jewelry store in Bahuan City? I mean a shop that specializes in precious gems.”

Mr. Baker thought for a moment and replied, “That would be ‘Sogdian Old Shop’—it’s the most renowned.”

“Thank you very much!”

Andrew Thompson opened the bundle and pointed at the black leopard skin. “Mr. Baker, may I ask, how much could this leopard skin sell for?”

“Ah! It’s a black leopard.”

The Shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise, drawing the attention of all the diners around. Everyone crowded over, discussing in astonishment.

“Sir, leopard skins are already expensive, but I’ve never seen a black leopard before. I’d estimate it’s worth at least one hundred and fifty strings of cash. If you sold it in a big city like Chang’an or Luoyang, it would fetch over five hundred.”

Only then did Andrew Thompson suddenly realize that black leopards should be jaguars, which don’t exist in the East at all. This one was probably a result of a genetic mutation. In that case, this black leopard might be truly one of a kind in the world. To just sell it like this would be a real shame.

“I was just asking out of curiosity. I don’t intend to sell it.”

Andrew Thompson changed his mind and put the leopard skin away. Seeing that he didn’t want to sell, the diners returned to their seats. At this moment, the food and wine were served.

Just as Andrew Thompson picked up his wine cup, he suddenly heard a crisp voice, “Soldier, sell your black leopard skin to me.”

……

Chapter Five: The Young Lady of Anxi

A person wearing a bamboo hat walked over—it turned out to be a young Han Chinese woman, about fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a red, tight-fitting, narrow-sleeved top and a green pleated skirt, with a long sword at her waist and a bow and arrows on her back, giving her a strikingly heroic appearance.

“Hey! Soldier, didn’t you hear me talking to you?”

This was the first young Han Chinese woman Andrew Thompson had seen since coming to Tang. His curiosity was piqued, and he looked her over carefully. She was tall, with long, straight legs, a slender waist, a full chest, and a very alluring figure. She was also quite beautiful, with a sweet face and a pair of large, bright, and sharp black eyes that seemed to see through everything—though her gaze carried a hint of arrogance.

“Not bad! Not bad!”

Andrew Thompson nodded and muttered to himself with a smile. He was not disappointed; Tang dynasty women were not all plump and round as he had imagined.

The young woman noticed his unabashed gaze and became annoyed. She banged the table hard with her sword hilt. “What are you staring at! Haven’t you ever seen a beautiful woman before?”

Andrew Thompson’s interest only grew. This girl actually had a bit of a modern girl’s personality—he liked it.

“Of course I’ll sell this leopard skin, but my price is high. I doubt you can afford it.”

“You think I don’t have money?”

The young woman snorted, took out six silver ingots from a leather pouch, and pushed them in front of Andrew Thompson. “This is one hundred and fifty taels of silver. Take it.”

As she spoke, she reached for the bundle with the leopard skin, but Andrew Thompson pressed it down with one hand and smiled, “One hundred and fifty taels isn’t enough. I want at least a thousand.”

“You…” The young woman’s face flushed red. “What do you think you’re selling? A thousand taels for a single animal skin?”

Andrew Thompson leisurely picked up his wine cup and smiled, “So what if it’s a thousand taels? I’m not forcing you to buy it!”

“No way, I must have that leopard skin.”

She drew her sword with a swish and placed it against Andrew Thompson’s wrist, saying coldly, “Let go!”

Andrew Thompson acted as if he hadn’t heard, drained his cup in one go, and squinted his eyes in praise, “Excellent wine!”

The young woman was furious and slashed at Andrew Thompson’s wrist, but Andrew Thompson was even faster—he snatched up the bundle, and her sword struck only air, the blade embedding itself in the table.

“Young lady, with such a temper, you’ll never get married!”

The diners around burst into laughter. The young woman’s face turned even redder. She stomped her foot angrily, sheathed her sword, and stormed off.

“Young lady, aren’t you going to take your silver?” Andrew Thompson took another sip of wine and called after her with a smile.

The young woman acted as if she hadn’t heard, quickly leaving the tavern and disappearing from sight. Andrew Thompson shook his head with a smile. Bamboo hat, long sword, tight-fitting clothes, and treating money like dirt—she really was like a heroine from a wuxia novel. Could it be that such people really existed in the Tang dynasty?

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard a whistling sound—a single arrow shot through his bundle, piercing several large holes in the black leopard skin.

“If I can’t have it, no one else can!”

The sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance, leaving only Andrew Thompson staring blankly with his wine cup in hand.

……

After finishing his drink, the apologetic Mr. Baker led him to the jewelry store called ‘Sogdian Old Shop’ and apologized again, “Sir, I’m truly sorry. Our shop didn’t take good care of you and ruined your leopard skin.”