At the Second-in-Command's sharp command, several men rushed forward, quickly surrounding Shi Bingyuan, binding him left and right. Shi Bingyuan offered no resistance; he understood his current predicament. To fight back would only lead to a worse outcome, so he willingly submitted, allowing two underlings to secure him. "No need to tie me up," he said with a grin, his lips curling upwards, "I won't run."

"You don't look malicious, but we have a persistent nuisance of scoundrels down the mountain that we haven't cleared out yet. So, for caution's sake, better to be safe than sorry. Please bear with this inconvenience," the Second-in-Command spoke with a veneer of courtesy and reason. However, there was one thing: he kept his weapon clenched tightly in hand, fearing Shi Bingyuan might attempt something unexpected—a sudden move that would surely catch him at a disadvantage.

One of these men was exceedingly cautious, while the other offered firm non-resistance. To Old Xue, this entire exchange was quite amusing; having lived long and seen much of the world, very little struck him as a significant event anymore.

Only upon reaching old age does one truly grasp the marvelous strangeness of the world.

Fortunately, the men the Second-in-Command had brought along were not ill-mannered brutes. They simply had Shi Bingyuan walk ahead while they followed slowly behind.

Shi Bingyuan walked with remarkable ease, step by step, toward the imposing hall that loomed before them. Upon entering, the drunken louts he had seen that morning were entirely gone, replaced only by middle-aged and older figures diligently clearing the remnants of the battle. Seated upon the highest central throne was a stout, short figure, adorned with a thick, unkempt beard that, upon closer inspection, appeared meticulously trimmed.

"Second Brother, who have you brought up from below? How many times have I told you, anyone from down the mountain who sets foot up here is to be executed without question." The man spoke sharply to the one called Second-in-Command, indicating he must be the Chief. Yet, he didn't resemble the easygoing sort Old Xue had described. What was going on?

Shi Bingyuan was deeply puzzled, but he watched Old Xue shuffle into the hall, taking his time with each step. Old Xue clasped his hands together. "My Lord, this man shares a fate almost identical to mine. I suggest you keep him; he is certainly not one of the lowland rabble."

"Hmm? Old Xue, you know him?" the Chief asked Old Xue.

Old Xue nodded. "I do, though we just met. I implore the Chief to keep him; I, Old Xue, guarantee with my integrity that he is not from down below."

"Oh? Heh heh, Old Xue, on what grounds do you make such a claim? Did you watch him climb the mountain?" The Chief smiled, his eyes fixed on Old Xue.

Old Xue nodded again. "Yes, I watched the entire route they traveled from Black Mountain. I am certain that the scum from below has been utterly dealt with by them. That is why I report this to you, my Lord."

"What? The swordsmanship of that leader down below was extraordinary. They? You mean there was more than just him?" As the master of the mountain, the Chief could not afford to be careless, yet Old Xue's loyalty and clear competence were evident in his demeanor.

Old Xue smiled. "My Lord, didn't I mention wanting to return home some time ago? Well, when I reached Black Mountain, I encountered a large pride of tigers. I fled, but after running only a short distance, I noticed the tigers behaved strangely; they didn't pursue me, nor did they attempt to devour me upon seeing me. I found this highly unusual. When I crept back to observe them, I saw these individuals finishing off every last tiger. I realized then that these were no ordinary people."

"Truly? Then why is only one of them here?"

"The others are resting in my woodshed. I didn't wish to disturb them, planning to wait until they woke up naturally. I didn't expect this gentleman to awaken first and be found squatting beneath the watchtower. I began speaking with him, and the Second-in-Command promptly brought him here."

Listening, the Second-in-Command felt that Old Xue’s tale sounded a bit too fantastical. He secretly dispatched men down the mountain to check the situation. Then, seizing the floor from the Chief, he interjected, "So you're saying these people are masters? But when I bound him just now, he offered no resistance. That seems contradictory!" In truth, he was deliberately stalling for time.

"Second Brother, don't worry too much. I just returned from patrolling below. All those scoundrels have been handled. The large manor is empty, save for one massive stone tomb. I sent men in to look; it was nothing but bare bones inside—likely done in by some demon or spirit." A young scholar entered from the doorway.

Old Xue immediately greeted him with excitement. "Third-in-Command, you arrived at a good time. You speak the truth; I was just about to ask this gentleman about those bones."

Shi Bingyuan’s expression immediately turned grave upon hearing this. He assessed the men present, noting that each seemed capable of handling themselves. He then spoke, "This... this is rather difficult to bring up. The truth is, those bandits down the mountain were not killed by us!" Shi Bingyuan spoke honestly, intending to mention the two female ghosts but deciding against it as inappropriate.

"Hahaha, I knew it! How could they possibly be a match for those thugs? However, one of our men saw you battling the tigers; that indeed sounds impressive. Old Xue, tell us again, how did the riff-raff in the manor perish?" As he spoke, the Chief slowly rose from his seat.

Old Xue stepped forward again. "Last night, I only saw these individuals grappling with those villains for a short time. But then, suddenly, they all froze. Moments later, I saw all those holding swords and blades collapse, and in no time at all, they turned into a pile of white bones. It wasn't until this morning when I returned to the stronghold—and as the Third-in-Command just mentioned those bandits below have become bones—that I realized their technique must have been incredibly fast."

"Very well. Go wake up those others. We will prepare food and drink for them. We can sit down and talk over a good meal; let's not disturb our guests," the Chief said, his tone suddenly very amiable.

But at that very moment, another figure approached the entrance. Stepping into the hall, the newcomer announced, "To these esteemed leaders, my sincerest apologies for the intrusion. We were merely passing through and had no intention of troubling anyone, but necessity forced our hand. We are running low on provisions and came only to find something to eat and a place to rest for the night."

"And who is this young man?"

Zhou Huan entered from the doorway, having clearly woken up at some point, his face etched with exhaustion.

Old Xue immediately grew agitated and alarmed upon seeing Zhou Huan. "My Lord, he is the one who killed the tigers! And he's the one who dealt with all those men down at the manor!"

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, the Chief immediately moved close to Zhou Huan, scrutinizing him from head to toe with great respect. "How should I address you, Master? You appear gravely ill. You are clearly no mere mortal, but surely a recluse of high standing."

Zhou Huan offered a faint smile. "I am capable of nothing much, truly. I am only good at running and being agile, which is how I managed to narrowly kill those few tigers."

"Might this hero allow me to check your pulse? You seem to have sustained serious injury?"

Indeed, he possessed some skill; otherwise, how could he be the Chief of this mountain stronghold? To even know how to take a pulse and practice medicine.

Zhou Huan blinked slowly. "That would be agreeable. I am always a burden to my disciples anyway. If you can cure this ailment of mine, I would be truly grateful."

The Chief slowly extended his hand toward Zhou Huan's wrist. Gripping the pulse point, he felt it carefully for a long moment. "Master, there seems to be something circulating within your body. However, in all my years practicing medicine and treating every ailment found on this mountain, I cannot precisely diagnose your condition. What you require is certain medicinal herbs to promote the smooth flow of your vital energy."