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A look of doubt slowly appeared on his face. The others beside him exchanged glances. One person asked, "Brother Wang, is this the sect's carriage?"
The stout man squinted at it and replied, "I can't be sure; it looks a bit different from usual. Let's get a little closer to see clearly."
At that moment, a tall and thin man said, "It doesn't look like it to me. Just one carriage and one rider? The sect wouldn't send only two people to collect these payments, would they? That seems a bit too bold."
The stout man nodded in agreement. "You're right. Usually, they send three or five people. Even though this route is close, they still have to pass through Whirlwind Ridge. Sending just two is indeed quite presumptuous."
As he spoke, the stout man's tone turned slightly worried.
After a while, the carriage drew nearer, and the five peaks emblem of Wuhua Sect became clear on the carriage. The stout man whispered to the others, "It really is our sect's carriage; let's not speak ill of it."
When the carriage came close, the curtain was lifted, and Jiang Tiesuo poked his head out. Upon seeing the stout man, he smiled and said, "Boss Wang, you've gained some weight again! Just make sure you're not only gaining flesh but also keeping up with our sect's skills."
The stout man beamed with a smile and replied, "Brother Jiang is joking! Although I've put on some weight, I haven't neglected our sect's training for a single day. I'm still making progress."
Jiang Tiesuo laughed heartily. "You talk a good game, but where's the time for training when you're busy gaining weight? I'm worried you might get too heavy to climb into bed—what a shame for those lovely wives of yours."
The stout man blushed slightly and stammered, "It's all good; I can manage just fine in that regard."
As they chatted and laughed, the carriage entered the city.
The stout man rode ahead to guide the carriage to a building. He jumped off his horse and rushed over to open the carriage door, saying, "Brother Jiang, you've had a long journey. We've prepared a feast to welcome you."
Jiang Tiesuo bowed to Xunuo and said, "Shishu, please."
Xunuo did not hesitate and stepped down from the carriage.
Before them stood a three-story restaurant, shaped like a hexagon, with flying eaves and bright lights. Three golden characters adorned the entrance: Top Scholar Pavilion.
Jiang Tiesuo and Chaykov disembarked from the carriage in succession, joining Nangong Changjian as they stood behind Xunuo. At this moment, the group of plump men began to understand that this inspection team was led by Xunuo, who was not only an elder but also a young Outer Sect Disciple.
The plump men felt their minds were insufficient to comprehend the situation, so they decided not to overthink it. They hurriedly bowed deeply to Xunuo, all calling out "Shishu." Xunuo waved his hand slightly and entered the restaurant amidst the crowd.
Under the guidance of the plump man, they went straight to the top floor, and surprisingly, they did not encounter a single diner along the way. Xunuo thought to himself: Could it be that this restaurant has been booked exclusively?
On the third floor, at a table by the window facing the street, wine cups and cold dishes had already been prepared. Two people were waiting nearby.
One was tall with an eagle-like nose and a beard, his eyes sharp and full of spirit; he clearly had some martial arts background. The other had a dark complexion with yellowish facial hair, high cheekbones, and dull eyes. Both had received news of their arrival and bowed to Xunuo before saluting Jiang Tiesuo.
Jiang Tiesuo returned a slight bow and quickly gestured for Xunuo to take the seat of honor. Once everyone was seated in order, Jiang Tiesuo stood up to introduce Xunuo to everyone.
The individuals present were owners of pawnshops, rice stores, and inns. In fact, like Zhang Changzai, they were all managers of Wuhua Sect but operated outside.
Upon hearing Jiang Tiesuo's introduction that although Xunuo was an Outer Sect Disciple, he had already become a disciple under Tian Feiyu of Seven Star Sword Hall, these individuals—most of whom possessed mediocre martial skills but were adept at scheming—immediately understood the significance of this young man. They realized that if he wasn't exceptionally skilled, he must have powerful connections. Either way, neither was something that small figures like themselves could afford to underestimate.
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone immediately rose to congratulate.
Xunuo, on his first assignment of this kind, felt a mix of novelty and curiosity, lacking any formal protocol. The others continued to bow, but Xunuo grew somewhat annoyed and waved his hand to dismiss them. The few did not perceive any rudeness in Xunuo's actions; after paying their respects, they sat back down beside him.
Then Jiang Tiesuo began introducing the Manager Disciples to Xunuo. The first introduced was the leader of the Manager Disciples in this city, not the Fat Wang, but a man with an eagle nose and a mustache, surnamed Zhao. He ran the largest gambling house in the city. Only after that was Fat Wang introduced, who managed the local money shop.
As Jiang Tiesuo continued with his introductions, Xunuo merely nodded along.
When they reached the introduction of a certain Pervert with a dark complexion and yellowish beard, Xunuo scoffed upon learning he was the owner of a brothel. "Does my Wuhua Sect really have such enterprises?" he remarked disdainfully.
Jiang Tiesuo chuckled and replied, "It's not just my Wuhua Sect; even Pool Water Sect, Nanyue Sect, and even renowned sects like Shenlong Sect and Heavenly Shadow Sect are involved in these kinds of unsavory businesses behind the scenes. They just operate more discreetly, making it harder for people to notice."
Seeing that Xunuo still looked skeptical, Jiang Tiesuo gave Fat Wang a knowing glance.
Fat Wang quickly began arranging for the dishes to be served. Soon enough, a table filled with delicacies from land and sea was laid out before them. Even Xunuo, coming from an official family background, couldn't help but feel inadequate in front of such a feast.
Jiang Tiesuo poured a cup of wine for Xunuo before explaining the situation in detail.
In truth, it wasn't hard to understand. Most martial arts sects originated from grassroots heroes who engaged in acts of violence and robbery, carrying a certain banditry spirit. Even today, when young heroes meet each other, they often first inquire about past grievances as if taking lives were mere child's play.
Once they established their sects, they could no longer engage in such acts of plunder and had to seek legitimate businesses instead. Martial artists typically started from their own martial arts backgrounds and took control of escort agencies and martial arts schools. Some larger sects expanded their enterprises far and wide; for instance, Wuhua Sect opened taverns and martial arts schools as well as money shops and restaurants that flourished.
However, all these legitimate endeavors paled in comparison to the profits made from underground activities like gambling and prostitution. For those accustomed to violence in the martial world, such businesses were not considered anything significant but were heavily criticized by scholars and literati.
The Wuhua Sect and other self-proclaimed righteous sects pushed these lowly trades to the sidelines. Their disciples were secretly in control, while those who stepped into the light could not claim to be disciples of the Wuhua Sect. Over time, this arrangement became an unspoken agreement.
Around the prominent sects, brothels and gambling dens flourished even more. The order was somewhat better, with fewer incidents of cheating in gambling or prostitution.
Most of the industries in the cities surrounding Wuhua Mountain were controlled by the Wuhua Sect. However, their escort agency was forcefully taken over by the Nanyue Sect.
The Nanyue Sect did not resort to brute force; instead, they invested heavily and established the Nanyue Joint Transport Escort Agency in various states in the southwest of the Great Liang Kingdom. They set up branches in every provincial capital, claiming to operate escort services throughout the southwest without hindrance. This effectively squeezed out the Wuhua Sect's escort agency.
The Wuhua Sect watched helplessly as the Nanyue Sect drove their stake into their territory, unable to retaliate effectively. They attempted to rob a few caravans but found that for every caravan they robbed, the Nanyue Sect would hit back by robbing one of their money houses. After several exchanges, they gained nothing and suffered more losses. Eventually, they had no choice but to accept this established fact.
Fortunately, most of their industries were under their own name. The Wuhua Sect preferred to send their disciples down the mountain to escort silver rather than use the Nanyue Sect's escort agency. Thus, although the Nanyue Sect had established a foothold on Wuhua Sect's territory, their escort business was still quite dismal. They merely struggled to maintain it for the sake of coveting Wuhua Mountain's wealth.
Xunuo and his companions had two tasks on this trip: to inspect and collect debts, and to escort a shipment of silver back to Wuhua Mountain. During the meal, Jiang Tiesuo explained these matters one by one to Xunuo, even whispering about the confidentiality of this trip.
Xunuo was clever and not a naive scholar. After listening to Jiang Tiesuo, he understood most of it. The ordinary Outer Sect Disciples of the Wuhua Sect received a monthly allowance of one or two taels of silver. Not to mention those on the rankings and other Outer Sect Disciples who relied on silver for their daily needs.
In Xunuo's own family, there were legitimate businessmen who earned silver through hard work, far less quickly than those in lowly trades. Thus, after some contemplation, he felt relieved. After eating for a while, Xunuo felt full and excused himself to rest in his room.
In the following days, Xunuo accompanied Jiang Tiesuo to various businesses to check accounts and collect debts. Xunuo had no particular opinions on these matters; he merely enjoyed himself and drank with Nangong Changjian a few times. In the evenings, Xunuo practiced the Huayang Classic in his room.
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