After confirmation revealed that this Young Master Xu was decidedly not the one who married a thousand-year snake spirit and was subsequently frightened to death by his own wife, Ye Wen remained preoccupied by the sheer interest of the news.

"Why would those brigands bother to intercept a man?"

Having been bombarded by an overabundance of unsavory information previously, Ye Wen’s first thought was that the man must be exceptionally handsome, thus attracting the attention of some individuals with rather specific tastes, leading to this calamity.

After all, the prominence of male companionship was hardly strange; it had thousands of years of history even in his original world. Therefore, even transmigrating to another world, encountering such a scenario didn't strike him as odd.

Yet, sometimes, the reality turned out to be far more difficult to accept.

"I suspect the esteemed guest is unaware. In the region of Dongzhou, there is a female bandit leader known as Mother Yaksha, whose influence is considerable. This group of brigands has openly declared their intent to seize Young Master Xu and take him up the mountain."

Hearing the waiter’s explanation, Ye Wen was utterly dumbfounded. No matter how wildly he had speculated, he could never have arrived at this conclusion. A powerful female bandit had taken a liking to Young Master Xu and intended to capture him while he was traveling south. As for the purpose of taking him up the mountain… "Is she planning to make him her captive husband?"

However, since this Xu Xian was coveted by a powerful figure from another state, he must possess considerable renown. Otherwise, why target him specifically and not seize anyone else?

Before Ye Wen could confirm his conjecture with the waiter, the young man began chattering away like beans pouring from a broken pod: "It’s no wonder the female bandit took a liking to Young Master Xu. After all, Young Master Xu possesses not only extraordinary, heroic looks but also boundless talent. He is a renowned scholar in Pingzhou, indeed, across the entire realm. Rumor has it that Young Master Xu excels in poetry, lyrics, and prose, and his proficiency in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting is unmatched. Countless young ladies from influential families are desperate for the chance to marry into the Xu family, yet never imagined this misfortune would befall him instead."

Hearing this, Ye Wen understood. Xu Xian must be an idol figure of this era. Moreover, the status of scholars was quite high at this time, and with Xu Xian’s widespread fame, he could achieve prominence at any moment. Countless aristocratic daughters must be crying out, wishing they could marry him.

But if this journey south truly resulted in him being kidnapped by the female bandit, his entire life would likely be ruined. It was no wonder the Elder Master Xu urgently sought protection for his son on his southward trip, hoping to prevent him from actually being seized and made a captive 'husband.'

Unfortunately, the Yue Shan Escort Agency, due to insufficient intelligence, failed to inquire thoroughly when accepting the commission, assuming it was merely standard escort duty. They didn't realize they were taking on a dangerous hot potato, which explained the later desperate invitation for martial artists from across the Jianghu to offer assistance.

Since the matter was clarified, Ye Wen stopped conversing with the waiter. He quietly resumed drinking his wine and eating his meal, simultaneously listening intently to the conversations around him, hoping to glean any other useful intelligence.

Unfortunately, for Ye Wen at that moment, very little truly useful information emerged. Most chatter consisted of mere rumors from the martial world: tales of a young hero emerging somewhere, or of some notorious bandit being eliminated in another locale.

Or perhaps gossip about which family had fallen into enmity with another, setting a date and place for a deadly confrontation—though based on what these two men were revealing, Ye Wen could roughly calculate that the news was severely outdated; the outcome of that feud was likely already decided.

Beyond that, there was only small talk about neighborhood trifles, the spices of daily life. Ye Wen initially paid attention but soon grew bored. He hastily finished the remainder of his food, rose, and returned to his room to rest.

Early the next morning, Ye Wen first performed a brief cultivation session of the Quan Xin Fa (Complete Heart Method) to put himself in optimal condition, then settled his bill and headed for the Yue Shan Escort Agency.

The task currently assigned to him was merely to deliver a letter for Aunt Zhao. However, upon learning about the situation at the Yue Shan Escort Agency, he felt that earning some silver there and testing his skills was a more pressing matter. Furthermore, if he were truly to travel with the escort team, he could deliver that letter personally to Aunt Zhao’s sister.

Because Aunt Zhao’s sister resided in Linshan County, which lay directly to the south, the Yue Shan convoy heading south was bound to pass through there.

Essentially, Ye Wen could resolve everything in one go, making the decision to go directly to the Yue Shan Escort Agency logical.

Asking for directions as he proceeded, Ye Wen arrived at the agency gates shortly thereafter.

The wide-open entrance was adorned with a massive plaque inscribed with the imposing characters for Yue Shan Escort Agency. He recalled from his conversation with the waiter yesterday that this plaque had actually been written by the Elder Master Xu himself back in the day. It seemed the Xu family and the Yue Shan Agency had a long-standing connection, explaining why they contacted this agency first when trouble arose.

Ye Wen appraised the façade of the agency and stepped toward the entrance. Because the Yue Shan Agency had openly invited martial artists, the main doors were left ajar for easy ingress and egress.

Entering, Ye Wen found himself in the front courtyard of the agency. The space, which would normally be quite broad, was now densely packed with people, appearing somewhat crowded. Seeing that everyone carried weapons, Ye Wen recognized these individuals as fellow Jianghu members with similar intentions to his own.

At that moment, these people were gathered in large circles, either in small clusters or standing alone, seemingly watching something. Ye Wen glanced around; seeing no one approach to greet him, he moved toward the center to see what commotion was causing this gathering.

However, standing at the rear of the crowd, he couldn't see clearly, compounded by the presence of several burly, stout men interspersed throughout. Ye Wen couldn't see a thing.

But possessing internal energy offered a distinct advantage: in such a crowded environment, he could use his Neijin (internal force) to push a path through. Moreover, with so many people present, even if someone was jostled, they couldn't immediately identify who did it. Amidst some grumbling and cursing, Ye Wen wormed his way to the front while surveying the area on either side. Whether this action would incite any brawls was not his concern.

Pushing into the middle and getting a good look, Ye Wen finally understood the nature of the gathering.

"It’s a sparring match, using such a cliché method. But I suppose it’s the simplest and most direct way."

Ever since the Yue Shan Agency posted a high bounty inviting martial artists to assist, the various minor sects on Scholar Mountain and even dilapidated martial arts halls received visitors daily. The purpose of these people coming here was naturally the generous remuneration offered by the Yue Shan Agency.

Although the agency had never stated the exact amount, numerous rumors were circulating nearby. Those who heard these tantalizing whispers rushed over eagerly.

The disciples from the various sects situated on Scholar Mountain made up the largest contingent.

With many sects in one location, competition was fierce. Coupled with the fact that these were mostly small operations with little regular income, a lucrative job like this naturally attracted intense rivalry.

Even the masters of some smaller sects personally led their people, hoping to secure a spot on the team protecting Young Master Xu based on their own skill.

Since so many people arrived, the Yue Shan Agency naturally couldn't hire them all. However, testing the martial skill of each person individually would consume far too much time.

Therefore, the Head Escort, the big boss of the Yue Shan Agency, Yue Hang, proposed an idea: all those who came to 'apply' must demonstrate their skills in the designated area. As long as the technique displayed satisfied Yue Hang, he would nod his approval for their inclusion.

Simultaneously, if someone in the circle felt another’s skill was insufficient and challenged them, the commission would likely go to the challenger’s pocket. Of course, this wasn't absolute. If Yue Hang felt both parties displayed good martial arts, he might invite both to join; it wasn't strictly necessary to win to be accepted.

Moreover, if someone genuinely believed their skill was supreme and capable of dominating everyone present, they could potentially take the entire job themselves. However, the difficulty of achieving this was astronomical. Perhaps some truly renowned figures from the Jianghu might succeed, but as for this group of martial practitioners gathered around Scholar Mountain County…

It wasn't that Yue Hang underestimated these people, but in his view, none of the martial artists present today were true masters; they were, at best, skilled in rustic, provincial techniques. After all, Yue Hang was in the escort business, traveling widely and gaining vast experience; he had a clear understanding of what a genuine master’s caliber entailed.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of those established masters, he was merely a fifth-rate figure who didn't merit their notice, leaving him with no close ties to truly high-level experts. Otherwise, why would he need to offer such heavy gold to hire people everywhere?

Just as Yue Hang watched with mounting helplessness as two men traded clumsy punches and kicks in the ring, eventually ending in one exhausted defeat, this farce of a contest severely undermined his confidence in the upcoming escort mission.

A middle-aged man standing nearby seemed to perceive the Head Escort’s worry and offered soft consolation: "Head Escort, do not fret. Even if we cannot recruit many genuine masters, it will at least ensure our personnel count is sufficient. After all, with the south filled with bandits as numerous as cow hair, having insufficient manpower will inevitably lead to losses."

Yue Hang understood this principle; that was why the poor quality of the practitioners before him hadn't driven him to immediately disband this 'recruitment drive.'

Seeing Yue Hang's expression slightly soften, the middle-aged man immediately continued, "Furthermore, the Head Escort has already invited Master Liu of the Guangcheng Sect. With Master Liu's skill, I trust that even if we encounter particularly fierce bandits, he can easily repel them."

Upon hearing the name 'Master Liu,' Yue Hang's expression finally brightened considerably. He regained the composure necessary to continue sifting through these performers, who looked more like itinerant acrobats, to find a few truly useful hands.

It was at this precise moment that one man in the ring, who had just repelled his opponent with a satisfying palm strike that showed Yue Hang a satisfactory level of skill, suddenly pointed towards a young man standing further back and sneered: "No wonder he looks so familiar. Isn't that Grandmaster Ye, who lost his own sect in just a few exchanges?"

The man pointed at Ye Wen standing near the front while wearing an expression as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. "What? Does Grandmaster Ye also want to jump in and earn some quick cash? I wonder if Grandmaster Ye’s martial arts have improved; otherwise, today he might not only fail to earn any silver but might also have to pay for his own medicinal fees."

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