Ye Wen looked at Constable Li Fu, who was weeping buckets, and felt an urge to slap the man across the face and yell, "What in the hell of a past connection do we have!"

However, such satisfaction could only be enjoyed in the privacy of his own mind. To actually act on it would invite countless complications. If Ye Wen were a lone wanderer, it would be one thing, but he was currently the sect master of an established faction, and his own businesses were overseen by this very Constable Li. He had to afford him some face, to some degree.

"What ails you, Constable Li? Just tell me what trouble you're in!" Yet, Ye Wen still managed to ask coolly, "If it isn't too much trouble, helping Constable Li out wouldn't be a great matter for me!"

By now, everyone in Pingzhou knew that Ye Wen had accepted an invitation from the Tianle Gang and was preparing to descend the mountain for the banquet. Countless heroes and renowned figures were watching the two men, and Li Fu, as the constable of a county, was certainly not unaware of this.

But since Constable Li sought help even knowing Ye Wen had important business elsewhere, the matter must either be truly trivial—a way to deepen their acquaintance—or Li Fu genuinely felt the situation was quite thorny.

Indeed, once Ye Wen had essentially agreed, Li Fu was overjoyed. He quickly said, "This matter is incredibly tricky for us ordinary constables, but for Sect Master Ye, it is naturally a triviality!"

He then gestured ahead: "Let's talk as we walk. To deal with this, Sect Master Ye won't even need to alter his travel plans!"

Ye Wen now understood that the matter did not conflict with his journey south along the route, which was why Constable Li had come to seek aid. He knew that if it didn't interfere with his own affairs, Ye Wen would certainly show him courtesy.

The two walked side-by-side, and in a short while, they exited Shushan County, heading towards Linshan County.

Along the way, Ye Wen learned that the issue didn't even originate in Shushan County. It was the Prefectural Government of Pingzhou that had issued a sea-capture warrant, summoning constables from all over the prefecture to apprehend a notorious, invading villain, determined to capture that infamous repeat offender.

"What did this infamous repeat offender do to provoke such an order from the Prefectural Government?"

Generally, unless a villain had committed a crime so heinous it outraged both heaven and man, the officials rarely exerted such effort in an arrest. Moreover, such evil scoundrels usually weren't the sole concern of a mere prefecture; the Imperial Court would naturally dispatch masters from the inner circles to hunt them down across the land.

Therefore, a situation where the Prefectural Government mobilized manpower to desperately capture one person was an exceedingly rare occurrence. No one knew what this villain had done to incite such great fury in the Prefectural Governor.

Li Fu heard this, glanced left and right, saw his subordinates were still some distance away, and then whispered to Ye Wen, "Sect Master Ye, this matter passes from my mouth to your ear; let no one else hear it!"

Ye Wen nodded: "I understand!" He guessed the matter probably wasn't pleasant to hear, and listening was enough; gossiping widely would easily lead to trouble.

"I heard the Prefectural Governor recently took a new concubine. This concubine was more beautiful than any flower and greatly favored by the Governor... but unexpectedly, on the very first night she was brought into his residence, the Governor drank too much and could not consummate the marriage, allowing that villain to claim the 'first bloom'..." As he reached this point, Li Fu seemed to recall something, and his expression became strangely twisted—as if trying to laugh but daring not, bottling it up with great effort.

Ye Wen's expression was hardly better upon hearing this; his face was contorted, struggling to suppress his laughter to the point where he nearly suffered internal injury: "The 'first bloom'... you mean... that was a common philanderer?" Thinking of this, Ye Wen no longer found it strange that the green-faced Governor issued such an arrest warrant; perhaps no one could endure such an event.

Li Fu took several deep breaths, regained his composure, and continued helplessly, "What angered the Governor even more was that the villain not only claimed the 'first bloom' but also made off with several treasured ancient paintings and calligraphy works from the Governor's residence—items worth at least several thousand taels of silver. The Governor nearly fainted from rage!"

"Uh... hmph..." Ye Wen didn't know how to respond. He was almost impressed by the man; stealing a person wasn't enough, he also stole valuables, and stole them right from the Prefectural Governor's home. This man was utterly audacious. However, Ye Wen strongly detested flower thieves.

Li Fu stopped speaking there, believing Ye Wen now understood the nature of the task at hand.

As expected, Ye Wen asked nothing more during the subsequent period. He had learned all he needed to know. Li Fu sought his help this time, most likely, to have him serve as ballast. The whereabouts of this so-called great thief must already have been determined by these constables, and this trip was specifically for the apprehension.

But martial artists come and go with supernatural grace, and this man was also a master thief (specializing in seducing women and stealing treasures). If he utilized his Qinggong (lightness skill), these constables would likely be left staring uselessly.

Ye Wen glanced back; there were indeed a few people in the contingent not dressed as constables. At first, he thought they were mere servants, but now he understood—those were likely martial artists Li Fu had invited to assist in the fight. Although their skills appeared mediocre, it was better than nothing.

He even guessed that constables from other towns would act identically, inviting familiar martial arts acquaintances to lend support. Considering this order came directly from the Prefectural Governor, any constable who managed to capture this man would surely earn great favor in the Governor's eyes, wouldn't they?

Ye Wen didn't even need to inquire to know that the County Magistrate of Shushan County must have given Constable Li a directive: arrest that accursed villain and deliver him to the Prefectural Governor—and, in Ye Wen's estimation, the instruction likely ended with a phrase about collecting a reward; that would be the true meaning.

He cared little for these matters, nor did he believe that these few fellows dabbling in superficial tricks could be of much use.

Although Li Fu had said little earlier, he had provided Ye Wen with several key pieces of information.

This scoundrel came from elsewhere, committing that incident in Pingzhou along the way. It was likely this person had caused trouble in other places before but hadn't provoked such a massive reaction locally. The only explanation was that he had been cautious then, daring not to overstep.

His current arrogance in Pingzhou suggested he was quite confident in his own martial arts, believing no master in Pingzhou could detain him.

If that were the case, his Qinggong must possess some depth, yet it was also limited. Otherwise, he would have been equally arrogant in the Central Plains, wouldn't he have been so cautious?

Traveling south, they arrived at Linshan County within a few days. A long time had passed since Ye Wen was last here, yet he remembered everything from that previous visit.

Seeing Constable Li lead his men to report to the county yamen, he returned and told Ye Wen, "Sect Master Ye, that villain is staying in a brothel in the county seat called Baihuayuan. The surrounding area has already been sealed off like an iron barrel by brothers from various counties. If we hadn't arrived, they would have started the arrest by now!"

"Oh."

Ye Wen followed Li Fu toward Baihuayuan. He observed the constables stationed everywhere, above and below. He surmised that the esteemed brother thief had long been aware of the situation. Yet, there was no reaction so far. This meant either he was utterly fearless or completely helpless.

He hoped for the latter; if so, he would be free of involvement, able to watch a grand spectacle of officials catching a thief, exchange a few pleasantries with Constable Li, and continue his journey.

If it were the former...

Ye Wen looked around. Many people stood nearby, many holding staffs, casually chatting with the local commoners, appearing quite familiar with them.

Li Fu noticed Ye Wen's look of confusion, glanced in the direction he was looking, and immediately understood. He clarified for Ye Wen: "Those are members of the local Mu Bang (Wood Gang)!"

"Mu Bang?"

Li Fu continued, "Although Linshan County is surrounded by mountains, the terrain is gentle, and the forests are dense. Many people make a living by felling trees and gathering firewood. But when too many people do it, disputes are inevitable. Over time, a gang formed to mediate these disputes and, crucially, to ensure that locals weren't pushed out of this livelihood by outsiders! Because the gang was initially formed over the timber trade, it was named Mu Bang. Even after expanding, they never changed the name, signifying they haven't forgotten their roots!"

"Oh."

Ye Wen then realized that the most important business in Linshan County was timber. Looking at the continuous mountain range outside the county seat, with forests so dense they merged into one, it wasn't surprising that people relied on it for their living.

"Indeed, they eat what the mountain provides, just as others rely on the water," he mused.

He then thought about Shushan County, always a small town, simply because it lacked any distinctive features and wasn't a crucial transportation hub, hence its failure to grow. It was likely the County Magistrate assigned there was exceptionally frustrated.

As they were speaking, someone called out to Li Fu. Li Fu exchanged a few words with that person and returned to Ye Wen, saying, "We are about to rush in and grab that fellow. Sect Master Ye, are you joining?" He had expected Ye Wen's aid would guarantee the merit fell into his hands, but now it seemed he was a bit late; the brothers from Linshan County had already laid the net and were waiting to draw it in.

Still, he managed to secure a scrap, and Li Fu accepted his fate. However, he didn't think Ye Wen had any chance to act, so he wouldn't mind if Ye Wen declined to join.

Seeing Li Fu and the group of constables charge into Baihuayuan, Ye Wen stood at the entrance, looked around, and finally found a chair at the roadside to sit down.

It was an ordinary roadside stall, selling cold noodles and tea. If one was tired from walking, they could rest their feet and fill their stomach here.

But two people were already seated at the table he chose, and Ye Wen sitting down startled them both. Upon seeing a handsome young man, they chuckled, "Is this young brother looking for some fun inside Baihuayuan? You can forget about it today; the officials are trying to catch someone hiding in there, and who knows how long it will take!"

Ye Wen was startled; he realized he had been misunderstood. He didn't explain, just smiled and shook his head.

The two took it as Ye Wen being disappointed that he couldn't enter after arriving, so they paid him no mind and resumed their own conversation. As they spoke, Ye Wen learned that these two table-mates were members of the Mu Bang, sitting there to form the outermost net supporting the local constables.

"That so-called great thief probably can't escape today. Forget all these officials; with over a hundred of our gang brothers surrounding the place, how could anyone get out?"

The slightly older one replied, "Don't be so absolute! I heard that thief is a martial arts master from the Central Plains, extremely skilled at soaring high and landing lightly. If those officials can't stop him, our group will be powerless against him!"

"How can he be that skilled? Soaring high and landing lightly—is he a bird, or a man?"

Ye Wen smiled upon hearing this, realizing the younger man hadn't encountered a true martial arts master and spoke out of inexperience. Though he knew it wasn't their fault, thinking that he himself was the "non-human" existence this person described, a smile inevitably curved his lips.

He smiled without making a sound, but the two men, despite talking amongst themselves, kept paying attention to Ye Wen. Ye Wen's clothes were expensive, and his appearance striking; it was hard not to notice him on the street. Moreover, sitting at this roadside stall right next to them made it impossible not to watch him.

Thus, even as they spoke, their eyes flickered toward Ye Wen. Ye Wen, focused on Baihuayuan, hadn't noticed. When he curved his lips slightly, the two caught it clearly. They assumed the young man was mocking them, and the younger man's face immediately flushed with embarrassment.

Fortunately, the older man's gaze was sharp. Seeing the young man's extraordinary bearing, coupled with the long sword he carried, he suspected he might be a fellow practitioner. Furthermore, his fine clothes suggested high status—if he were from the Jianghu, anyone able to afford such attire would belong to a major sect. So, he stopped the young man and cupped his fist: "What is Little Brother smiling about? Did I say something incorrectly?"

Ye Wen then realized he had inadvertently offended someone. He cupped his fist in return: "Nothing, I just found what Brother said quite amusing, which led to an involuntary slight smile. It was not meant maliciously."

"What was amusing?"

"That sentence: 'Soaring high and landing lightly—that's a bird, not a man!'"

When Ye Wen said this, the old man and the youth were both bewildered, completely failing to understand what was amusing about the statement. Before they could ask further, a cacophony erupted from inside Baihuayuan—clattering, followed by sounds of struggle: shouts, the clash of metal, and things falling to the ground... interspersed with the occasional shriek from a woman—in short, a messy jumble of noise.

"Judging by those sounds, things are not going well!" At this moment, even someone with no Jianghu experience knew the arrest was not proceeding smoothly. If it were going well, why such chaotic noise?

Before the few men could speak, a figure suddenly flashed onto the high wall of Baihuayuan. In the blink of an eye, he paused on the parapet and mocked the Mu Bang members and constables standing by the entrance: "You think I'm an idiot? I'd use the door? What's the use of you guarding there?" Before anyone could react, he leaped upwards, his body soaring into the air like a spreading roc, clearly about to break through the encirclement.

In the tea shed, the younger man stared dumbfounded at the figure soaring high and mumbled foolishly, "People can really fly..." The older man, however, wore a look of resignation, as if he had anticipated such a turn of events and was not surprised by the sight. Only Ye Wen glanced over, his expression placid, casually taking out a copper coin, and letting out a light shout: "Villain, dare not cause—"

Before the words were finished, the sound of the coin cutting through the air reached the soaring man. He didn't even have time to see who called out before feeling an object hurtling toward him. If he didn't evade immediately, he risked being struck down on the spot.

"Hah! Such arrogance!" The man twisted his body mid-air, narrowly dodging Ye Wen's flying coin, and still had the leisure to speak with his internal energy uninterrupted. This Qinggong was indeed worthy of pride, explaining his utter disdain for others.

Buoyed by this Qinggong, he was arrogant because he believed that in this desolate region of Pingzhou, there were no true masters to challenge him. This thief of feminine charms, calling himself "A Touch of Red Under the Moon," believed no one in this realm could catch him, and even if they reached his elevation, they couldn't touch him. Furthermore, he could twist his form at will, so he wasn't afraid of hidden weapons—crossbows were restricted to the military, forbidden even to constables.

Just as he was feeling smug, he suddenly saw a young man leap into the air. His long sword flashed with a shua, and he saw only a streak of purple light, followed by a chilling wave of sword energy rushing toward him. He was instantly alarmed: "There is such a master in Pingzhou?" Ye Wen had thrown the coin, found it missed, and muttered, "A bit interesting..." He immediately leaped up, employing the Ti Yun Zong (Cloud-Treading Skill), leaping straight in front of the thief in a single bound. He twisted his body, drew his sword in the same motion, and unleashed a move from the Hui Feng Luo Yan Jian Fa (Returning Wind and Falling Wild Goose Sword Technique).

Down below, the young Mu Bang member gaped: "So many people can fly..." Ye Wen was not deeply proficient in the Hui Feng Luo Yan sword style; he only knew the basics. If facing a formidable enemy, Ye Wen would never dare employ it so recklessly. However, airborne, this Hui Feng Luo Yan was the only suitable sword style, and since it was a fast-sword technique, one move followed another rapidly. If reaction was too slow, one would immediately be struck by seven or eight blows.

Ye Wen’s Purple Mist Divine Art was now complete, and his true qi flowed freely. With his internal cultivation established, even skills he wasn't highly proficient in could manifest considerable power. The sword style he used casually now was fiercely sharp, most suitable for forcing the thief to retreat.

The thief was indeed utterly shocked. He fumbled for something in his hand, judged the point where Ye Wen's sword was about to strike, and then a metallic clang sounded. The "Touch of Red Under the Moon" actually fell directly from the sky.

Ye Wen didn't even understand what happened. After descending, he looked at the figure on the ground, unable to move, and finally realized: in that single exchange, the thief had suffered internal injuries from the rebound of Ye Wen's Purple Mist qi. His true qi faltered, making further effort impossible, causing him to crash down.

"Tsk! Can't even withstand a single move. With such meager ability, he dares to be so arrogant?" As he was about to question him, the thief glared fiercely, "Who are you, and why did you interfere with me?" Even while captured, his words were filled with resentment.

Ye Wen saw the man acting so belligerently even after capture and lost his temper: "You commit evil acts and act recklessly in my Pingzhou; naturally, everyone has the right to kill you. Never mind stopping you, even killing you with one sword stroke—what would you have to say for yourself?" At these words, many surrounding constables shouted approval, and even many common folk watching cheered loudly.

The thief's face changed as the crowd roared in agreement, but he still barked fiercely, "It's my misfortune to fall into your hands today. Our green mountains remain unchanged, and the green waters..." Ye Wen became even more irritated upon hearing this. He directly cut off the thief's drivel: "You still think you have a life left? A thing like you, harming innocent reputations, keeping you alive is a blight on the common folk. Today, I shall act on behalf of Heaven and end you with one sword!"

Before the words were fully spoken, his long sword left his hand and flew out. The thief had planned to utter some platitudes and then suddenly leap up to escape while everyone was caught off guard, but how could Ye Wen let him have his way? He used his long sword directly as a projectile, imbued with tremendous force, which outsiders couldn't react to. In the blink of an eye, the long sword pierced the thief's chest to the hilt, running clean through his heart.

Seeing the man open his mouth, eyes wide, seemingly still unable to believe what had just happened, Ye Wen added another statement: "Die knowing this clearly: the one who killed you is Ye Wen, Sect Master of the Shu Mountain Sect! Go in peace..." With that, he waved his hand, and the long sword embedded in the thief's heart suddenly flew out of the body again and, to everyone's astonishment, returned to Ye Wen's hand.

...

PS: A friend mocked me today, saying I am nothing but a tragedy! I asked why. He replied: My new book is two spots away from the top in both Monthly Votes and Category rankings...