Ye Wen flinched at the sudden shout, freezing for a moment before looking up to see that it was Liu Qingfeng, the True Man Liu, who had somehow appeared in the front hall, having overheard his conversation with the ruffian.

However, now was hardly the time for pleasantries with True Man Liu. He turned back to the local thug. "You said that Wang Mazi caught the man surnamed Zhou. What about now?"

The thug, still shaken by True Man Liu’s booming voice, inwardly grumbled about yet another old Daoist appearing. Before he could process this, the young swordsman before him posed a thorny question. He blurted out, "Since Wang Mazi got the contract, he probably went over there to demand the person, didn't he?"

Glancing left and right and seeing the grim expressions on both Ye Wen’s and the old Daoist’s faces, the thug decided to throw caution to the wind and reveal everything he knew. "Actually, from what I know, Wang Mazi was always after the Zhou family’s wife and daughter. That’s why he tricked Mr. Zhou into gambling—until he lost all his fortune—and then wheedled him into taking out a mountain of silver loans, finally forcing him to sell his wife and daughter to settle the debt."

Noting that Ye Wen and the old Daoist remained silent, merely watching him, the thug knew they were waiting for more, so he continued, "I heard Wang Mazi is connected with some people who specialize in swindling money and robbing people of their wives and daughters, whom they then sell to brothels for cash."

"I’ve seen the Zhou family’s wife; she isn’t much to look at. Wang Mazi wouldn’t go to such lengths for just that woman. I suspect he’s after the Zhou girl, Ya Ya, intending to sell her for a high price. Young girls fetch a better price these days."

By the time this was said, Ye Wen had heard enough; there was no need to listen further. The picture was painfully clear: Wang Mazi was connected to the brothel business and frequently abducted girls to sell. This time, he had targeted the Zhou daughter, Ya Ya, setting a trap to drain the family’s wealth, yet refusing to stop, even coaxing the man of the house into gambling debts.

"No wonder that fellow surnamed Zhou ran off, yet these people keep showing up daily demanding repayment."

In the martial world at this time, there was an unspoken code that one’s vengeance should not extend to the family. If you had a feud, you dealt with the enemy directly, and failing to find them did not justify taking it out on their relatives.

Even in settling scores among martial artists, once the target was killed, the matter ended. To harass a man’s wife and daughters was utterly taboo; such actions could easily lead one to be branded a villain of the wicked path, drawing widespread condemnation.

Although Wang Mazi and his ilk were mere local thugs and not true martial figures, they still adhered to certain established norms of the martial world. If someone grossly overstepped, they were labeled shameless scum, and if some passing master heard of it, killing them would be considered 'eliminating a pest,' for which no one would speak up; instead, they’d applaud the deed.

Wang Mazi was indeed one of those types. He had a small sphere of influence in Linshan County and a few underlings. By bullying common folk, he lived quite comfortably. Moreover, he was astute enough to know which influential figures he couldn't afford to offend, so he had managed to thrive for years without attracting the attention of self-proclaimed righteous heroes.

But luck eventually runs out. Wang Mazi could never have imagined that his scheme would be brought to Ye Wen's ears by two utterly insignificant local rats.

Normally, Ye Wen might have simply heard the tale and dismissed it. If nothing else was pressing, he might have casually investigated, considering it a minor act of public service.

But this time was different. The person Wang Mazi had targeted happened to have some loose connection to him. Though the link was tenuous, they were still counted among 'his people.'

More importantly, by forcing Mr. Zhou to sign that contract, Wang Mazi had effectively purchased Ya Ya. If this wasn't dealt with now, someone might show up later with the indenture papers, seeking her. While Ye Wen wasn't afraid of trouble, it would certainly mean more annoyance. It was better to draw a swift line through the whole mess now.

Standing up, Ye Wen seized the thug’s shoulder, squeezing hard enough to make the ruffian’s bones ache and nearly buckle his knees, serving as a warning before he let go slightly. "Take me to Wang Mazi’s place." He had resolved that he wouldn't sleep tonight if it meant settling this matter completely.

Just as he was about to drag the thug out the door, Liu Qingfeng, True Man Liu, suddenly spoke. "Since Martial Leader Ye is heading out to root out evil, how can this old Daoist stand idly by? I shall accompany Martial Leader Ye."

Without waiting for Ye Wen’s assent, he turned to instruct his disciple, who had rushed out after being startled by the shout. "You two stay here and protect Young Master Xu. My disciple and I will return shortly."

The elder disciple, Liu Mo, quickly acknowledged, "Yes, Master." But the younger disciple, Zhao Heng, was clearly displeased. "For such petty vermin, why must Master attend personally? I can handle it."

True Man Liu did not relent, merely barking, "Stop dawdling! Stay put when told!" Then, he turned and left, using his lightness skill to quickly catch up to Ye Wen, who was already ahead.

Seeing his Master berate him, Zhao Heng felt a bit aggrieved and complained to his senior brother. "Master is too kind-hearted. He probably fears that this so-called Martial Leader Ye might run into trouble on this errand, which is why he insisted on following."

He assumed his Master was accompanying Ye Wen out of deference to Yue Hang, who valued Ye Wen highly, and since True Man Liu and Yue Hang were friends, he speculated that Chief Escort Yue had asked his Master to keep an eye on Ye Wen.

His senior brother could only shake his head helplessly at his junior's remark. His junior was talented in every way, but he was excessively arrogant, possessing a distinct air of looking down on the world’s heroes.

With resignation, he clapped his junior brother on the shoulder and pointed towards where Ye Wen had been talking with the ruffian. "Junior Brother, look over there."

Zhao Heng was mystified but felt compelled to look when his senior brother told him to. Turning, he saw, imprinted clearly on the hardwood table, a distinct palm print. Zhao Heng walked over, measured it with his own hand, and then tested the table's solidity—in any inn or restaurant, tables had to be sturdy, otherwise, they’d be replaced every few days, which was too costly.

After measuring and testing for a while, Zhao Heng exclaimed in astonishment, "This palm print... could this have been left by that Martial Leader Ye fellow?"

Liu Mo did not answer, merely sighing. "Don't underestimate others in the future. Although Martial Leader Ye’s sect is obscure, his cultivation is certainly not weak. This technique of condensing internal energy without dissipation—neither you nor I can match it." This statement was subtly meant to convey to his junior that Ye Wen didn't need their Master's protection; the man possessed genuine skill.

Zhao Heng pursed his lips, seemingly wanting to agree with his senior, but ultimately felt it would be too much of a concession. He huffed, "Hmph. Once I master the Tiger Yang Qi of our school, I naturally won't fear that so-called Martial Leader Ye."

Hearing his junior’s words, Liu Mo shook his head and returned to the back, thinking to himself, Is the Tiger Yang Qi that easy to learn? While our school’s internal art isn't some top-tier divine skill, it’s certainly not a third-rate technique anyone can practice. Setting aside its power, the entry requirement alone deters many.

He had cultivated with his Master for nearly twenty years and was only now approaching the standard required to begin practicing Tiger Yang Qi. After completing this current task, he might start his training upon returning to the mountain. As for his junior brother, though his talent and aptitude were excellent, he still needed years of hard practice before he could attempt this internal art.

What Liu Mo didn't see was his junior brother still measuring and testing, trying to see if he could replicate such an imprint.

Finally, Zhao Heng realized that if he struck the table with his full internal force, he might leave an imprint, but the table itself would shatter. Condensing internal energy without dissipation, leaving only the mark without destroying the wood—that was something he absolutely could not achieve.

"I wonder how that Martial Leader Ye practiced to achieve such profound internal mastery at such a young age."

In reality, neither of them knew that in terms of sheer internal depth, Ye Wen wasn't necessarily superior to them. However, the Quanzhen cultivation method was central and balanced, leading to the steadiest development, and giving him absolute mastery over internal energy manipulation.

When this internal art is cultivated deeply, uncontrolled internal energy ceases to be an issue, virtually eliminating the risk of internal deviation (zou huo ru mo).

Thus, for people like them, an imprint left by condensed, undissipated internal energy signified profound skill. For Ye Wen, it was merely normal operation.

As for the Tiger Mountain Sect's supreme art, Tiger Yang Qi, while also a Daoist heart technique, specialized in fierceness. Without sufficient cultivation, reaching a state where one could control this art with such precision—the ability to apply or withdraw force at will—was impossible. This led the two men to a flawed judgment; even True Man Liu made a similar mistake.

"I hadn't realized Martial Leader Ye's internal arts were quite this refined."

With the thug in his left hand guiding the way, Ye Wen proceeded until Liu Qingfeng suddenly spoke these words, catching Ye Wen off guard.

Then he recalled how he had casually slapped the table earlier, realizing the old Daoist must have witnessed it clearly. "True Man Liu flatters me."

Liu Qingfeng merely smiled upon hearing this and said nothing more, perhaps assuming Ye Wen was just being habitually modest and not taking the comment too seriously.

Meanwhile, the thug leading the way felt a pang of despair. What will become of me? If Wang Mazi sees me like this, I’ll never have a peaceful life. Thinking this, his steps unconsciously slowed, perhaps hoping to delay the inevitable, to put it off as long as possible.

Sensing the increasing sluggishness and weight in the steps of his guide, Ye Wen instantly understood the man's thoughts. Having spent time in the underworld himself, he grasped the psychology of such people. He said immediately, "Don't worry. Today, you lead me to Wang Mazi, and that fellow will never trouble you again."

P.S.: Always so late; is this some kind of sickness?