"These deeds are the property of the Zhengquan Sect, concerning about ten mu of farmland in a village about five li from the mountain base, along with some wasteland—though this land is quite useless, and we don't know why the Zhengquan Sect bothered acquiring it."

"Those ten mu of fields have been leased out by the Zhengquan Sect to two nearby farm families. They collect rent after every autumn harvest, taking seven-tenths of the yield, leaving the rest for the farmers. They already collected this year’s rent, so if we want the harvest from this land, we’ll have to wait until next year."

Ye Wen nodded. These ten mu of fields were definitely a valuable asset. Whether he assigned his own people to cultivate them or rented them out to farmers, they provided the Shushan Sect with a fundamental guarantee of income. This wasn't like the vegetable patch in their own compound; this was tangible grain production.

In this era, grain yields were not high, meaning grain prices remained stubbornly elevated. If the Shushan Sect sold the grain produced by these ten mu, it would undoubtedly generate substantial income, easily covering the sect's basic necessities. However, Ye Wen wasn't interested in speculating on grain. He felt the greatest utility of this land was ensuring the Shushan Sect could feed itself with its own produce, saving considerable expense.

"Furthermore, the Zhengquan Sect also maintains connections with several landlords in various villages. These wealthy landowners have all employed members of the Zhengquan Sect as guards. Now, the Zhengquan Sect is handing these guard duties over to us, saying they will recall their own men tomorrow and instruct us to take over immediately."

At this point, Ning Ruxue frowned: "What if these landlords don't acknowledge the capability of our disciples and are unwilling to hire us?"

In truth, Ning Ruxue suspected the Zhengquan Sect wouldn't be so forthcoming. After all, matters of household protection usually favor the familiar over the unknown. If the Zhengquan Sect merely mentioned before leaving that they were forced to give up these posts, it would likely sour the attitude of those paying landowners toward the Shushan disciples.

Ye Wen had considered this as well, and in a flash, he devised a strategy: "Don't worry about it. We send people to the ones willing to accept our services; we won't force the others. But since the contracts are in our hands, if they refuse our protection, we demand compensation for breach of contract."

In reality, even if these landlords truly wanted long-term security provided by Shushan disciples right now, Ye Wen would be reluctant. He simply didn't have enough disciples to spare. A portion of them were needed for escort duty with the Yueshan Escort Agency, leaving only ten disciples who could remain permanently stationed at the sect grounds.

Compared to the vast compound he had painstakingly built, stationing these ten disciples within it meant they were rarely seen during their routine activities. Unless it was time for practice, instruction, or meals, it wouldn't be strange to go an entire day without seeing any of them wandering about.

Therefore, Ye Wen had no desire to take over all these landlord protection jobs. The ideal scenario would be for one or two landlords to agree to employ Shushan disciples, while the rest refused. However, Ye Wen certainly wouldn't be the one defaulting on the agreement; he had no intention of absorbing the losses associated with contract violations.

"But will those landlords willingly pay compensation?" Ning Ruxue doubted these people would happily foot the bill for troubles caused by the Zhengquan Sect. After all, the contracts were signed with the Zhengquan Sect. If the Shushan contingent now claimed breach of contract while holding the deeds, the landlords might simply refuse to pay, and there seemed little recourse.

Ye Wen considered this, finally stating: "If they refuse to pay, we won't press the issue. But we will note down precisely which households refused. If they ever seek our aid in the future, we'll settle the score then."

After careful thought, Ye Wen realized he truly couldn't force the issue if these people stubbornly refused payment. His sect was positioned as a righteous faction. Ye Wen held no interest in becoming a martial world enemy, a bandit leader, or a supreme demon lord. So, if they were determined to withhold payment and didn't need his disciples anyway, he was powerless.

He couldn't very well storm their estates and wipe out their entire families, could he?

He was the Sect Master now, responsible for dozens of people, and his base was right here on Shushan Peak. He was no rootless drifter, no solitary wanderer who could just arrive and depart as he pleased. That kind of life had slipped away the moment Ye Wen decided to forge a powerful sect.

Thus, he had to consider many factors when making decisions. Matters that would obviously taint his sect's reputation required extreme caution. If the name of the Shushan Sect were ruined by these petty conflicts, all his efforts to date would be for naught.

However, Ye Wen wasn't without means to manage these individuals. Once the Shushan Sect suppressed the surrounding powers in Shushan County—especially after clearing out most of the various sects located above them on Shushan—those landlords, forced to seek new protection, would inevitably come crawling back. At that point, he could dictate the terms.

More critically, conflict existed even among the landlords themselves; disputes over interests sometimes escalated into minor armed clashes. This was precisely why landlords paid high prices to secure formidable guards.

Ye Wen could easily support the landlords who showed allegiance to the Shushan Sect while actively suppressing those who were obstinate.

After briefly outlining his plan to Ning Ruxue, who then understood how to proceed, he set aside the contracts for guard employment.

"Wow, Senior Brother, the Zhengquan Sect actually owns an inn in Shushan County!" Ning Ruxue exclaimed, looking at the documents in hand, genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected the Zhengquan Sect to possess such a substantial source of income beyond collecting rent and providing security.

Moreover, this inn wasn't a partnership like the arrangement with the Yueshan Escort Agency. This inn was established with the Zhengquan Sect as the sole, hidden proprietor. Its entire development path was dictated by the Zhengquan Sect. In fact, if Wang Shu simply spoke the word, the inn would be obliged to remit all its profits to the sect and shut down by the next morning.

The innkeeper and the servers were all hired staff. The Zhengquan Sect would dispatch someone periodically to audit the accounts and retrieve a portion of the income for the sect—a task usually rotated among the Four Great Stewards. Naturally, disciples were also stationed there long-term to prevent any disruption.

Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue were unaware of the specific management methods the Zhengquan Sect employed for this subsidiary enterprise. However, Ye Wen could easily surmise the strategy. In fact, if things went as expected, Ye Wen himself would adopt a similar approach, as the sect was his foundation, and these surrounding industries existed only to serve it.

However, Ye Wen intended to place greater emphasis on the independent growth momentum of these assets. He understood that an inn provided more than just revenue; it was also a vital conduit for gathering intelligence from the jianghu.

It was unavoidable; limitations in this world's technological capabilities meant that obtaining information relied entirely on the movement of people, and inns were the largest concentration point for such mobile populations.

Therefore, Ye Wen hoped this inn would expand as much as possible, ideally becoming the largest establishment in Shushan County, ensuring the maximum concentration of intelligence reached his ears.

Almost instantly, Ye Wen recognized the immense value of this inn and immediately decided to reduce the collected revenue, diverting more profits toward scaling up its operations. In contrast to Ye Wen’s strategic focus, Ning Ruxue was preoccupied with the immediate returns the inn could offer.

"According to this, the Zhengquan Sect collected accounts roughly every three months. Doing the math, the next collection is imminent. With this, we won't have to worry about New Year's provisions!"

The mention of such things brought a smile to Ning Ruxue’s face. Even though the Shushan Sect was not currently struggling for sustenance, she was overjoyed that their sect could gain another source of income—the poor girl had experienced hardship deeply.

However, matters were unlikely to be this simple. The Zhengquan Sect was defeated just yesterday, meaning the personnel stationed at its surrounding assets likely hadn't received the order to withdraw yet.

Just like the guards at the landlords' estates, the Zhengquan disciples currently managing the inn probably hadn't been informed, suggesting another confrontation when the Shushan disciples went to take over.

"This Zhengquan Sect, rushing to hand over these contracts but refusing to personally send people for a handover—they clearly have malicious intent."

To be honest, Ye Wen hadn't initially foreseen this angle. Thinking deeper, he realized the Zhengquan Sect's scheme: "They give you the contracts, but they won't take any responsibility if the Shushan Sect fails to secure what it wants."

Thinking of the Zhengquan Sect Master, Ye Wen felt another surge of contempt: "With a leader who loves playing tricks like that, the Zhengquan Sect isn't worth fearing. Their Master fell victim to his own machinations; how much trouble can these riffraff stir up?"

In truth, Ye Wen misjudged Wang Shu on this point. Wang Shu had collapsed into a coma immediately upon returning to the Zhengquan Sect, and sending the contracts over was the idea of the Vice Master, Jiang Zhen. Though Jiang Zhen held the high rank of Vice Master, his martial skills were mediocre; any one of the four Stewards surpassed him. His elevated position stemmed entirely from his reputation as the Zhengquan Sect’s resident schemer.

The Zhengquan Sect’s sizable current network in Shushan and its numerous assets were largely due to Jiang Zhen’s strategic advice. Furthermore, the policy of aggressively suppressing smaller neighboring sects was also his creation.

It could be said that before encountering Ye Wen, the Zhengquan Sect's development had proceeded steadily along the path laid out by Jiang Zhen. Had it not been for the Shushan Sect, which existed on a plane far above Shushan County's average martial standard, the Zhengquan Sect might very well have become the preeminent power in the region, and Jiang Zhen would have been lauded as a sect hero.

Alas, all the Zhengquan Sect's years of effort ultimately served as a stepping stone for Ye Wen. In his frustration, Jiang Zhen couldn't help but resort to petty maneuvers.

While these actions seemed somewhat comical to Ye Wen, Jiang Zhen’s intent was simple: "Even if you win, we will leave a foul taste in your mouth."

But with a mere gesture from Ye Wen, Jiang Zhen’s scheme fell flat: "Send Junior Brother Xu to take over this inn. Have him bring two disciples. Anyone who steps forward to obstruct them is to be severely beaten."