Such a large piece of Dushan jade rough, with such full and fine texture—he’d dealt with jewelry all his life, how could he not recognize it?

Weighing about four jin, it would be a bit small if carved into a jade cabbage, but if made into a seal or a small beast, with his skills, earning several thousand taels of silver would be a breeze.

What a windfall!

He examined the stone carefully under the streetlights, already converting it in his mind into a tidy sum of money. This was his first bucket of gold earned since arriving here.

A night breeze swept through the alley, and a shadow silently appeared atop the wall.

He was still lost in delight when he suddenly felt a gust at the back of his head.

His martial prowess from before meant his body’s foundation was still there; a natural sense of danger made him feel the threat, and his body sprang up instinctively.

“Bang!”

A muffled thud.

He took a blow to the back of the head, his body swaying, vision going black. The rough stone he’d just acquired tumbled into the water channel in the alley.

His strong physique allowed him to withstand the blow without passing out.

Dazed, he turned his head, only to see a woman with an impressive chest, wielding a thick wooden club, swinging it down at him again...

===Chapter 3 My Name is Scott Miller===

“Did you hear? Rogue Carter got kidnapped.”

“Oh my! He finally got what was coming to him. That chivalrous hero did a good deed—I need to go home and set up a longevity tablet for him.”

“With the reputation of the tyrant of the capital, he’s probably been chopped to pieces by now. Old Dog Bennett has lost his beloved son—there’s bound to be a bloodbath in the city.”

“I heard it was someone sent by Old Turner from the southern city. What a man, I respect that!”

“It wasn’t me, I didn’t...”

The sudden disappearance of William Carter caused a wave of secret jubilation.

But the capital’s noble families and officials all became as quiet as mice, afraid the emperor was about to make an example of someone, so they deliberately spread rumors to mislead.

The anxiety among the high-born didn’t affect the daily life of the common folk.

In a small alley called Shiquan on Yanglou Street, a bronze lock hung on the main gate, and three lush pagoda trees stood at the entrance.

Inside the residence, by the lotus pond, in a lakeside cottage.

A hemp rope was tied to the beam, and William Carter, dressed in a scholar’s robe, was tightly bound and hung upside down from the beam, head down and feet up, with two big lumps on his head.

A gentle breeze blew from the small lake, making the lotus leaves sway and waking him up.

“Damn...uh...”

He slowly came to, frowning as the scene before him came into focus.

A small room, the tables, chairs, and cabinets covered with white cloth and a bit dusty, only the small bed was clean, with a bundle and a long sword on it, and a white spear leaning against the bed.

A woman in red was applying medicine to a wound at her waist; the table blocked the cut in her dress, so only her profile was visible.

Her brows and eyes were as beautiful as red apricots, her glances full of charm, but her gaze was sharp, giving her an air of heroism inside and out.

Realizing his predicament, hanging from the beam, he was instantly alarmed.

He was a double-flowered red stick of the imperial guards, high-ranking, powerful, and ruthless. Few in Bianjing dared to mess with him, but those few, if given the chance, would make sure he was utterly destroyed.

No wonder he always brought a hundred or so lackeys when going out. He regretted not bringing bodyguards this time. Without his peerless martial arts, he was now a sitting duck. He’d only been a big shot for a few days, hadn’t even had time to flirt with the maids, and now he was done for—his shop hadn’t even opened and he was already finished.

In the idle residence in Shiquan Alley, the woman in red turned her head, noticing her captive had woken up, her gaze turning cold:

“Awake?”

“Miss—no, hero, I’m just a scholar, always law-abiding and self-disciplined...”

At this point, he could only hope his identity hadn’t been discovered, so he put on the airs of a scholar and rattled off a bunch of virtuous-sounding words.

He was a model youth of the new era—dying here for no reason would be such an injustice.

The woman closed her red dress, stood up, and tossed a wooden badge to the floor: “This is a Black Feather Guard badge. You’re with the court.”

Hearing this, he actually felt relieved. As long as they didn’t know he was William Carter. With the reputation of the capital’s tyrant, if he was found out, he’d be dead for sure.

Facing the woman’s cold gaze, William Carter put on a friendly smile: “I’m a scholar, surname Miller, given name Scott, courtesy name Taibai, also known as the Hermit of Xiangshan. A proper scholar, only forced by circumstances to join the Dian Kui Department.”

After years in business, he had some acting skills.

The woman in red was half-convinced, picked up the long sword from the bed, and said coldly:

“If you’re a scholar, recite a poem for me.”

Talk about walking right into it.

He was secretly delighted, but put on a troubled face, hesitating for a long time before finally saying with difficulty, “Poems are born of nature, sometimes crafted by a master’s hand... How about you let me down first, hero...”

The long sword rang as it was drawn, cold as frost in midwinter.

“Hey, hey! Just kidding, don’t rush, let me think!”

Seeing her about to act at the slightest provocation, William Carter stopped negotiating, pretended to ponder for a moment, and softly recited: “Who first spoke of the Dragon Boat Festival? For ten thousand ages, it’s been said for Qu Yuan. How laughable that the vast Chu River cannot wash away... the loyal minister’s injustice... sigh...”

His tone rose and fell, expressing all his pent-up grievances. Though the timing was off, the sentiment was quite fitting.

The woman in red was stunned for a moment, not expecting this court lackey to actually compose poetry. She stood in the room, frowning slightly, as if deep in thought.

He was secretly pleased—this was the advantage of being a modern person. See? He’d immediately impressed her.