This oaf—the guide—glanced quickly at the longsword in Ye Wen's hand. Meanwhile, that old Daoist certainly didn't strike one as a figure of mercy; it seemed these two fine gentlemen were intent on a massacre today.

"Two... two good sirs," the guide stammered, the thought of possible bloodshed crossing his mind. "Could I perhaps lead you to the place and then take my leave?"

He certainly didn't want to be implicated in any murder case. The officials might not be able to handle these martial artists who flouted the law, but they could certainly deal with low-level ruffians like himself. If the constables couldn't resolve the case, it wouldn't be impossible for them to drag him in to make up the numbers and pin the blame entirely on him to close the file.

Therefore, the safest course of action was to ensure no one ever saw him connected to them in the first place.

"Yes, better to clear out to another region and lie low for a while."

He told himself this internally, while simultaneously weeping and begging Ye Wen to spare him.

"Once you take me to Wang Mazi, you can leave," Ye Wen said, not making things difficult for him. As long as he found the main culprit today, this guide would cease to matter. Whether he fought or killed next was his own affair, and this fellow wouldn't be needed. Naturally, he could let him go.

"Thank you, good sir, thank you, good sir."

As they spoke, the group arrived at a district on the edge of the county town. It was dark and devoid of light, and most of the surrounding dwellings were dilapidated. If Ye Wen were to describe it, it was a textbook slum.

"You brought me here—can we find that Wang Mazi?" After walking and observing for a while, Ye Wen felt the environment was a bit too wretched. Did Wang Mazi really live here?

When Ye Wen asked this, the guide thought the great master was growing suspicious and quickly explained, "Wang Mazi doesn't usually live here, of course. But since he captured that Zhou family man, it was inconvenient to bring him back to his own place. Hardly anyone comes by here, and the residents don't dare offend Wang Mazi, so they wouldn't say anything if they saw anything, thus..."

The rest needed no saying. Ye Wen nodded, uttered, "Understood, lead on," and ended the topic.

The old Daoist, Liu Qingfeng, had not interjected a single word during the journey, watching Ye Wen with curiosity. Seeing Ye Wen speak and act, he didn't appear like a green novice. Though slightly immature, he clearly possessed some experience in the martial world. This, however, made Liu Qingfeng wonder: "His martial arts are not bad, and his experience is adequate, yet he is quite young. Truly strange."

Just as Liu Qingfeng was puzzling over this, the guide leading the way suddenly stopped and whispered to Ye Wen behind him, "We're here. See that courtyard ahead with the light and voices? That's Wang Mazi's lodging here. They're likely drinking and making merry right now. Sir, perhaps we should wait until they're asleep before making a move?"

Ye Wen gave a cold laugh upon hearing this: "Why make things so complicated? You just confirm for me if Wang Mazi is inside. If he is, tell me, and you can leave."

The guide hadn't expected this gentleman to be so straightforward, and his heart immediately rejoiced. However, this fellow was quite meticulous; he crept to the base of the wall to listen for a moment, then stealthily peered over the top, nodding to Ye Wen afterward: "Wang Mazi is drinking with his brothers."

"Alright, you can go," Ye Wen waved his hand and didn't spare the guide another glance, walking straight toward the courtyard gate. The guide watched Ye Wen leave, then glanced at Liu Qingfeng, noticing the old Daoist hadn't paid him much mind either. Without hesitation, he turned and fled, vanishing from sight.

Whether he packed his belongings immediately to hide elsewhere or simply deserted the area for good remained unknown.

As for Ye Wen, he strode to the entrance, looking at the loosely shut wooden door—a thing that could be opened with a gentle push. Instead, he gathered all his strength, raised his right foot, and delivered a powerful kick.

The already weak wooden planks immediately flew outwards, happening to strike a certain unlucky fellow who was enjoying drinks in the courtyard.

The men who were drinking sprang aside, and one of them cursed toward the doorway, "Which blind fool dares storm in here?"

But before the man could finish speaking, he felt a blur before his eyes, then a sharp pain on his forehead, causing him to pitch backward, never to rise again. The others looked down and saw a large, dark bruise blooming on his forehead. Nearby lay a small stone, presumably the projectile that had knocked the man senseless.

Ye Wen had become quite adept at the art of projectile striking. Now aided by his nascent inner strength, both its power and accuracy were incomparable to before.

Forget knocking out an ordinary thug; he could have easily killed him on the spot. However, Ye Wen had acted casually just now, which was why this man had luckily survived.

Seeing their companion struck down by a casually thrown stone after only shouting a harsh word, and recalling that the intruder had kicked the sturdy gate so far away that it felled one of their brothers, the remaining men realized they had encountered a tough opponent and dared not utter further threats.

Then, a man of distinguished appearance, looking quite gallant, clasped his hands and inquired, "May I ask which faction this gentleman belongs to, and for what purpose you have come? Please state your intention, sir."

The few sentences this man spoke were neither overly humble nor arrogant, carrying a distinct air of authority. Coupled with his good looks, most people on the street would mistake him for a true hero.

Ye Wen sized him up for a moment, then casually asked, "Where is Wang Mazi? I have a few questions for him."

The gallant man frowned, then answered loudly, "I am Wang Mazi. May I ask what business this brother has with me?"

Ye Wen was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. He scrutinized the man up and down, asking with slight surprise, "You are Wang Mazi?" He had fully expected Wang Mazi to be a sordid fellow with a sinister look and a face covered in pockmarks, not such a commanding figure.

The vast gap between reality and expectation held him still for a moment until Wang Mazi replied, "Indeed, I am," bringing him back to his senses.

Seeing the other man admit it so readily, Ye Wen disregarded the discrepancy between his appearance and his expectation. He stepped into the courtyard and demanded sternly, "Did you have anything to do with the matter of the Zhou family on the east side of town?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Mazi couldn't quite discern the focus of Ye Wen's question. Assuming this was someone sent by the Zhou family woman to seek redress, he merely chuckled and replied, "The Zhou family's debt? Their man owed me a great deal of silver. Coming to collect a debt is a perfectly natural affair..."

Before he could finish, Ye Wen interrupted him with a cold laugh: "Still trying to argue with me. I ask you, was the Zhou family's fortune swindled away by your machinations?"

At these words, Wang Mazi knew exactly what the matter was about. This was something he had indeed done, and he admitted it quite directly: "Heh heh, my livelihood is in this line of work. If that man hadn't insisted on gambling with me, he wouldn't have owed me so much silver..."

By admitting the deed, he understood that setting up traps to fleece people of money, while despicable, was considered a trade, one acknowledged in the martial world.

"Hmph, you are truly cunning," Ye Wen interrupted Wang Mazi again upon hearing this. "It seems you won't tell the details unless I show you some force."

Wang Mazi knew he was in trouble the moment Ye Wen spoke. He tried to quickly retreat, intending to evade Ye Wen's attack. However, the gap between him and Ye Wen was far too wide. Before he could even take a proper step, he saw the young man, who had been several paces away moments before, suddenly appear before him. Ye Wen then swung his right arm, keeping his left steady, delivering a direct punch.

Ye Wen was employing the only complete set of boxing techniques he currently knew—the Taizu Chang Quan (Grand Ancestor Long Fist). This style was said to have been created by Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty, and following his conquest, it became known to nearly everyone in the Great Song Empire. Yet, this technique was unremarkable, not much different from the introductory long fist known by almost every martial artist.

Although Qiao Feng used this style to battle formidable enemies in the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils novel, it wasn't due to the technique's subtlety, but Qiao Feng's astonishing personal cultivation. Any skill in his hands could unleash terrifying power, leading to those glorious achievements.

Now, in Ye Wen's hands, though he wasn't as formidable as Qiao Feng, his opponent was merely a local gang leader, not a martial arts master. Furthermore, Ye Wen imbued the punch with his full internal force, making it both swift and urgent. Wang Mazi barely had time to react before the punch landed squarely on his face.

The force erupted, sending Wang Mazi flying backward to land sprawled on the ground. His entire nose was smashed inward, bleeding profusely and staining his face to resemble a demon from hell, completely stripping away his earlier gallant demeanor.

"Looking at that face of yours angers me. Clearly not a good person, yet you possess a handsome exterior," Ye Wen muttered inwardly. He looked back at Wang Mazi, who was clutching his ceaselessly bleeding nose and gazing at him with terror. Even his brothers had retreated to the side, fearful that this harbinger of doom might inflict a similar disfigurement on them with a single punch.

"I'll ask you one last time: did you set a trap to defraud the Zhou family of their wealth, and then force him to sign a contract selling his daughter? And did you intend to sell the Zhou girl into a brothel?" Ye Wen shook his hand. The punch hadn't injured his own fist, but it was now smeared with bloodstains.

Wang Mazi finally understood: this person had thoroughly investigated the matter and had come specifically to cause trouble. Judging by his skills, this was a genuine martial artist. But he couldn't fathom why a true martial artist would seek out an insignificant local hoodlum like himself.

'Could I have run into one of those self-proclaimed righteous martial heroes, specifically here to enforce heavenly justice? If that's the case, this day probably won't end well for me.'

After some hasty deliberation, Wang Mazi, clutching his nose so his voice changed pitch, roared fiercely, "Yes, I did all those things! Good sir, stop with the nonsense. Whether you kill or slice me, do as you please. Since I, Wang Mazi, walked this path, I knew this day would come. If you're a real man, give me a clean end!"

Ye Wen roared with amusement upon hearing this, cursing back, "You scoundrel who steals women, and you actually think you're some kind of figure? Talking so heroically, playing the hero?"

However, Ye Wen didn't anticipate that before he could finish his tirade, Wang Mazi bellowed another retort: "But I have a prior warning: don't blame me later if the Tianle Gang comes looking for trouble with you!"

P.S.: Good heavens, it’s already so late... Sigh~ What am I going to do if this continues?