Lan Ya Mei could only stubbornly insist, "The money is in the carriage, go ahead and chase after me! What's the use of blocking me? I don't have any money." She sounded hysterical, but she was actually terrified, afraid that these ugly monsters would rob her of her virtue. She was determined to avoid conflict and run away at the first opportunity.

Seeing that the other party had backed down, Tie Tou was very pleased. "No money? No problem! Tie him up and sell him to Hua Man Lou. He'll be worth at least seventy or eighty taels of silver." The brothers obeyed the order and surrounded him to take him away.

Lan Ya Mei had no strength left to fight; she hadn't rested for over 30 hours. "Stop, stop, stop! Listen to me, my heroes! There's no need to traffic people; it's a despicable business, and you don't make much money from it. I have a great idea, and we can all get rich!" Lan Ya Mei raised her hands in surrender, promptly admitting defeat.

"Tell me about it." Knowing the other party couldn't escape, Tie Tou was curious to hear what else could make money. "Stop playing games with me!"

"No, no! My lords! Listen to me." Lan Yamei swallowed hard. This cat-and-mouse game couldn't go on forever. She was short-handed, so she decided to recruit these men. "My lords! I'm sure you don't want to live a life of constant danger. You all have parents to support, wives and children to raise. I understand you all need to make a living, so I understand your reasons for robbing. But think about the long term. Do you want your children to continue living like this when they grow up? What's wrong with us earning some honest money?"

"Nonsense! Where are we going to make money? That sounds nice, but even a hero can be brought down by a penny." One of the underlings lost his patience.

Many of them used to be tenant farmers, toiling in the fields year-round, their backs never straight, barely getting enough to eat. Earning big money honestly? Pure nonsense!

"That's right, boss, don't listen to her nonsense. Just tie her up, send her to the brothel, and the brothers can split the money. Wouldn't it be better to go home, eat meat, and drink wine?" Several people urged in unison.

Seeing that Tie Tou was moved by her words, Lan Ya Mei continued, "You've all seen it these past few days, my business is doing quite well. If a weak woman like me can make a fortune, what's so difficult for you grown men? In short, come work with me! You'll make a lot of money, and your families will be at ease."

"Boss, don't listen to her nonsense. Is money so easy to earn? I think she's just afraid of being sold to a brothel." The younger brothers urged him to get down to business.

"Hahaha, I thought you could come up with something fancy, but it turns out you're trying to kidnap my brother!" Tie Tou laughed for a moment, then his face fell. "Tie him up and gag him! Sell him to Hua Man Lou right now."

Lan Yamei cursed inwardly, "A bunch of blockheads, they deserve to be poor. Unable to win a verbal battle, they have no choice but to fight to the death."

Upon receiving the order, the henchmen surrounded him, baring their teeth and brandishing their claws.

In the blink of an eye, just as things were about to escalate, a white-clad man with flowing robes flew down from the tree above. He wore a veil and, using some unknown skill, waved a paper fan, knocking everyone to the ground in just a few moves.

When Tie Tou saw the jade-faced fox painting on the fan, he was so frightened that he dropped his Nine-Ring Moon Banquet Blade and hurriedly took the lead in kneeling down and begging for mercy!

The brothers naturally followed their leader's lead and dared not make any rash moves.

Knowing he had met a formidable opponent, Tie Tou could only plead for his life, "Please, Jade..."

Before the other party could finish speaking, the white-clad swordsman lightly waved his fan, and Tie Tou was struck as if by an invisible hand, rolling twice on the ground before the force dissipated and he came to a stop.

The brothers were stunned. Their burly leader couldn't even withstand a paper fan. Terrified, they all knelt down, trembling and shrinking back.

"Get lost!" the man said calmly.

Tie Tou hurriedly bowed and got up, then led his brothers away in a fluster.

Lan Ya Mei exclaimed in admiration! "Master Jin Yong was right! There really is a hero with unparalleled martial arts skills!" She immediately grabbed the man's sleeve, ready to kowtow and become his disciple.

The other person was startled, jumped back, and pulled off their veil, saying, "What are you trying to do?"

Lan Yamei then recognized the person who had just arrived—it was the scholar she had met twice before. She quickly straightened her knees, frowning, "It's you! Qiu Zeyu, I didn't realize you were so capable!"

"What's wrong? Did I delay your entry into the Flower Pavilion? Otherwise, I'll go and chase after them and call them back." Actually, he had been hiding in the tree and watching for a long time, not intentionally, but just happened to run into them while he was taking a nap.

"That's not what I meant! You look so thin and weak, yet you have such great power! I want to become your disciple!" He said, and was about to kneel down again.

Startled, Qiu Zeyu jumped onto the big willow tree and said, "If you keep doing this, I'm leaving. It's too scary."

Since transmigrating, Lan Yamei has come to understand that in this era, might makes right. As a martial arts enthusiast, she's glad she came to the right place; she's met a powerful master, and all she can think about is becoming his apprentice and learning martial arts, forgetting everything else.

"Get down first. At the very least, take me home. It's so dark. What if I run into someone who tries to assault me?" Lan Yamei pretended to be pitiful.

Qiu Zeyu then jumped down from the tree and said, "You're running an ancestral business; you've practically worn this road out of the ground. Are you afraid? Besides, with your looks, nothing bad will happen to you. I have important business to attend to, so I'll take my leave now." With that, he turned to leave.

Lan Ya Mei didn't care about manners or methods. She jumped onto the other person's back, hugged his neck tightly, and clung to him, saying, "No, I want you to take me home, Qiu Zeyu! Qiu Zeyu, you're the best person! Please, please." She said whatever was nice to her.

Having been in the underworld for so many years, this was the first time Qiu Zeyu had been outmaneuvered and had no choice but to compromise. "You scoundrel... you've remembered my name. Fine, then you'd better get down first."

"If you don't come down, you can fly." Lan Yamei was really afraid that this kid was just trying to fool her. Once she came down, he would disappear in a flash.

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