Chapter Six: The Despicable Man!

The team set off from the capital in a grand procession, heading west.

Meanwhile, at Chen Tian’s residence, a heavy palm slammed against a table inside the antique-styled parlor.

"Damnable wretch! How dare you ruin my plans? You deserve to die!"

The table instantly shattered into countless pieces.

"Cough, cough..."

Having vented his fury, Chen Tian was suddenly overcome by a surge of rage. He coughed violently, a trickle of blood spilling from his lips as his body swayed. He had been wounded by Chen Xuan; although he had taken medicinal pills, his recovery was minimal, and his current rage had caused the injuries to flare up.

"Why is the young master so worked up?"

A man wearing black Taoist robes, a scholar’s cap, and holding a feather fan walked in from outside.

Upon seeing him, Chen Tian immediately changed his demeanor and hurriedly stepped forward to welcome him. "Master Sima, you have finally arrived!"

"Following the secret strategy you provided, I successfully framed that piece of trash, Chen Xuan, and had him thrown into prison..." Chen Tian recounted the events. "The women I had my eyes on are top-tier cultivation vessels, especially that disciple from the Snow Sword Sect. If I can engage in dual cultivation with her, I will surely break through my current realm in no time! For him to dare snatch the women I desired—he is guilty of a crime punishable by death!"

Sima Xiba smiled, exuding a confidence that suggested everything was under his control. "Young Master Chen, do not worry. I have already arranged for men to handle this. Chen Xuan will not live to reach the frontier. As for those women you desire, I will have my men bring them back to you, completely unharmed."

***

The road was long and bumpy. Li Xiuning, An Ruxue, and the other women sat inside the carriage, surrounded and protected by the guards of the security firm.

Chen Xuan sat on the carriage seat, chatting idly with Yang Xun while occasionally stealing glances at Yang Ying'er, who was riding a white horse.

"Hmph, what are you looking at? Keep staring and I’ll dig your eyes out!"

Sensing Chen Xuan’s gaze, Yang Ying'er snorted in annoyance.

Yang Xun immediately reprimanded her: "Ying'er, show some respect!"

Although Chen Xuan was currently a prisoner, he was still a descendant of the Chen family, one of the three great clans of the Great Qian Dynasty. Yang Xun had to address him as "Thirteenth Master." Furthermore, Chen Xuan was now their firm's benefactor; both reason and etiquette demanded respect.

"Father, what did I do? He’s the one who can’t keep his eyes to himself! I’m being generous by not acting on it yet! Giddyap!"

Yang Ying'er kicked her horse’s flanks and cracked her whip. The white horse let out a whinny, reared its front hooves, and quickly pulled away from them.

"You..."

Looking at his proud and headstrong daughter, Yang Xun sighed helplessly. He turned to Chen Xuan and offered an apologetic bow. "Thirteenth Master, please forgive me for my lack of discipline."

"Haha, it’s no matter."

Chen Xuan laughed heartily, unfazed. Yang Ying'er’s rebelliousness did not disgust him; on the contrary, he found the young girl quite endearing.

[Ding!]
[Detected: Yang Ying'er's favorability toward the host -1.]

The system's notification chimed. Chen Xuan was left speechless. He hadn't even said anything bad about her, so where had he offended her again?

The caravan traveled onward, stopping for only half an hour at midday to eat. By late afternoon, as day transitioned to dusk, Yang Xun's expression grew solemn.

"Thirteenth Master, we have left the capital's jurisdiction and are about to enter the territory of the Bandit Mountains."

The Bandit Mountains were a notoriously dangerous place. Countless mountain peaks hid tens of thousands of bandits. Whether it was merchant caravans or high-ranking officials passing through, everyone had to pay a heavy price in "road money."

The imperial court had sent massive armies to suppress the region, but the terrain was complex, rugged, and full of hidden peaks. Even the imperial forces struggled to eradicate the bandits and suffered heavy losses, eventually forcing a retreat. With the court unable to do anything, the reputation of the bandits in these mountains grew immensely.

Of course, after the court’s encirclement, the bandits had suffered significant losses and were not as rampant as they once were. If they encountered a large, well-defended caravan, they would think twice before attacking. Chen Xuan’s team was sizable, and the security firm’s men were all stout, highly skilled fighters. Even if they encountered bandits, the outlaws would have to weigh the risks.

"There are dozens of bandit strongholds here, ranging from large ones with over a thousand men to small ones with a hundred," Yang Xun said, his brow furrowing into a knot. If not for the generous pay Chen Xuan offered, he would never have taken this assignment.

"Then everyone, be careful," Chen Xuan said, his expression also turning serious.

Logically, the Bandit Mountains were close to the capital and should have been peaceful. Yet, banditry was rampant here, leaving the local people in misery. It reminded Chen Xuan of Mount Lion Camel from *Journey to the West*—the closer one got to the spiritual center, the more the land was littered with corpses and rivers of blood.

"Everyone, stay alert!" Yang Xun’s voice boomed.

They had reached the most dangerous spot.

"Everyone, take a break here. Eat something and recover your strength," Chen Xuan suddenly suggested. They had been traveling for an entire day, and everyone was exhausted.

"Very well, let's follow the Thirteenth Master's lead. Rest here!" Yang Xun commanded.

As the team rested, a head poked out from the carriage. A pair of large eyes darted around before settling on Chen Xuan. "Husband..." the girl called out in a sugary, sweet voice that made one’s skin crawl.

"Cough, cough. Miss Xu, is something the matter?" Chen Xuan asked, feigning seriousness.

"I need to use the latrine," Xu Ruolan said, her face flushing slightly with embarrassment.

"Uh, there are no latrines in these wild mountains. Just find a small grove of trees to take care of it," Chen Xuan said, feeling a bit awkward.

"Oh, but I heard there are many bandits around here. I don't feel safe. Could you come with me, Husband? If any bad men try to peek, you can chase them away!" Xu Ruolan blinked, looking bewitchingly charming.

For a moment, Chen Xuan couldn't tell if she actually needed to go or if she was trying to seduce him.

"Fine. Is there anyone else who needs to go? Let's go together," Chen Xuan asked the other women in the carriage.

"I'm not going!"
"Me neither!"
"How embarrassing! How could I let a man follow me to relieve myself?"

Lu Qiqi, Su Qingcheng, and the others shook their heads like rattles. They would rather hold it than let Chen Xuan see—it was too awkward.

"Oh my, the sisters didn't drink much water before we left, but I drank quite a bit," Xu Ruolan said, casting a flirtatious glance.

*This little vixen,* Chen Xuan thought, *could she be trying to get me into the woods to stir up trouble?*

"Cough, cough. Fine, get down. I'll keep watch for you."

Chen Xuan cleared his throat. Xu Ruolan immediately stepped out of the carriage, and the two walked toward a nearby grove of trees.

"Pah! Dirty lecher, disgusting!" Yang Ying'er watched their retreating figures, unable to stop herself from spitting and cursing.