Thanks to Ning Ruxue, Ye Wen quickly found a spot on Book Mountain that he was satisfied with—a vast platform nearing the summit. Beyond this point, the mountain rose into sheer cliffs, impossible to ascend without supreme Qinggong.

Furthermore, this platform was accessible by only one decent path leading directly from the main road up the mountain; all other routes were treacherous drops due to the surrounding sheer precipices. As a potential sect location, it offered excellent defense against a siege.

More importantly, the area was expansive enough that even if Ye Wen decided to construct a small palace for his nascent Shushan Sect, space would not be an issue—a necessity if the sect was ever to flourish and expand.

Thus, upon seeing this location, Ye Wen immediately decided to establish the new sect headquarters here.

“Isn’t this place a bit too high up?” Ning Ruxue wasn't entirely convinced. While the scenery was beautiful and the terrain advantageous, having only one entry point was a major liability, especially since that path was effectively controlled by the sects lower down the mountain. If this were the case, prospective disciples would likely never make it up, let alone join the Shushan Sect.

In Ning Ruxue’s mind, the growth of any sect hinged on an endless stream of disciples. Moreover, she and her senior brother could not possibly destroy the Zhengquan Sect and reclaim what was stolen relying solely on their combined strength.

She was unaware that Ye Wen was planning a strategy based on elite training: first, wholly dedicating himself to forging a top master (which would naturally be himself), then using this master as the core to build reputation, expand influence, and eliminate rivals. As for recruiting disciples? That could wait; at present, there was no need.

Besides, even if someone did come seeking tutelage, it was questionable whether the two of them possessed any martial arts worth teaching.

Basic striking and sword techniques? Even common street performers knew a few moves. Anyone genuinely seeking martial arts would already know the fundamentals. Unless they were children taken in from a young age, most hopefuls would come from established families—families unlikely to favor their decrepit, minor sect.

The Shushan Sword Style was even less appealing. In Ye Wen’s estimation, it was barely a step above introductory swordplay. He was genuinely curious how the previous masters of the Shushan Sect had managed to gain renown with such a mediocre style.

He had spent the last few days skimming the book detailing the sect's inheritance. He knew the second-generation Sect Master had been quite famous in the areas surrounding Book Mountain, and the Shushan Sect had once been a first-rate power in the region, enjoying considerable prestige.

“Perhaps some supreme skill has been lost to time?”

This was the only conclusion Ye Wen could reach. Still, he felt no distress, for with the magical ring on his finger, he was hardly worried about lacking martial arts manuals to practice.

Furthermore, his plan was to erect his residence here and then enter a prolonged period of secluded cultivation on the mountain, intending to avoid all contact with outsiders until his funds were entirely depleted.

It was conceivable that he would remain withdrawn for a significant time. Given the ring’s one-use-per-month frequency, he could summon a sufficient arsenal of martial arts manuals during this seclusion to facilitate his training.

Stroking his chin while surveying the surroundings, Ye Wen took a long breath, basking in the early morning sunlight as it crested the mountaintop.

“Since Senior Brother has decided on this spot, let’s find a craftsman to build us a couple of rooms,” Ning Ruxue finally spoke. She had remained silent while watching Ye Wen survey the area with obvious satisfaction, only to fall into a thoughtful silence. She knew her increasingly inscrutable senior brother was contemplating something important, so she refrained from interrupting.

However, his silence in response to her question did irk her slightly, making her tone somewhat stiff and her expression less than pleasant.

It was only then that Ye Wen remembered his junior sister. In his contemplation, he had completely centered his planning around himself, forgetting her presence entirely. He was reminded, right then, that another person was beside him.

“Junior Sister, how much silver do you have left? After building the housing, will it suffice for our daily sustenance?” This detail was crucial, as it determined how long they could maintain their planned secluded lifestyle.

Ning Ruxue replied stiffly, “After the cost of construction, if we economize strictly, the remainder should last us over two years.”

Her implication was that the leftover funds, used only for basic grain, could sustain them on the mountain for two years. Furthermore, her next suggestion supported Ye Wen’s secluded training plans: “If we buy some seeds and grow our own vegetables on the mountain, the remaining funds, buying only grain, could last us three or four years.”

Ye Wen recalled that the combined proceeds from the eight bandits they had stripped, the sale of unused weapons and miscellaneous items, and the bounty money amounted to less than fifty taels of silver—a significant fortune in this era.

Based on what he had observed over the last two days and what he had discreetly gleaned from Ning Ruxue, a commoner’s annual living expenses were only a few taels of silver. If they lived frugally, growing their own food and only buying essentials like oil, salt, vinegar, and sauces, they might spend just over one tael per year.

This realization showed that their accidental windfall had solved a massive problem; otherwise, they would have been forced to fell trees and build crude shelters themselves, having no spare funds to hire proper construction.

However, since they needed to establish an impressive facade for the newly founded sect, the building costs would likely consume a substantial sum. If they used up half or more of this fortune just for the structures—especially since labor costs on such a high mountain would surely exceed those in the county town—then twenty taels remaining would be considered fortunate. Twenty taels, used sparingly, might last two years; but if they undertook anything else, it could vanish in less than a year.

“Sigh… it seems that to make the sect powerful, figuring out how to earn money is a discipline in itself.”

This was vastly different from the management games he had played before. Who knew how sects in this era generated income? He couldn't simply emulate the bandits and go pillaging. As for collecting protection fees? That hardly seemed the purview of the minuscule Shushan Sect…

Ning Ruxue did not interrupt, as she too was clueless about resolving this issue. As for the former Shushan Sect? They survived on a few plots of land left by their predecessors, maintaining a few handyman gardeners whose produce primarily supplied their basic needs. They mainly purchased rice and miscellaneous items.

Those expenses were not high, manageable with the Shushan Sect’s formerly prosperous foundation. But Ning Ruxue knew her master had often fretted over this exact financial dilemma.

She had naturally assumed that upon her departure, Ye Wen would inherit the responsibility for solving this problem. Instead, it wasn't long before Ye Wen lost the sect to rivals, along with the few plots of land and the two gardeners. If Ye Wen’s master learned of this, he might well rise from his grave in anger.

The issue, therefore, had circled back to Ye Wen. Ning Ruxue wasn't sure if her senior brother, suffering from the soul-leaving malady, could devise any good ideas, and she waited with nascent hope for his next words, only to be met with a declaration that made her blood run cold.

“To hell with it! We still have plenty of money, so we don’t need to worry for now. We’ll deal with it later.”

Saying that, and ignoring Ning Ruxue’s increasingly grim expression, he turned and started down the mountain path. As he walked, he called out to the seemingly frozen Junior Sister Ning: “Junior Sister, let’s head down the mountain first to find some craftsmen and perhaps hire a handyman. We’ll be living on this mountainside from now on, and since coming and going will be inconvenient, we should solve anything we can on the mountain…”

Time flew quickly. After Ye Wen finalized the sect location and descended to hire artisans, nearly a month vanished in the blink of an eye.

During this period, the craftsmen, hired at considerable expense, had successfully enclosed the vast open area with a perimeter wall and erected a suitably imposing main gate. A massive plaque above it bore the gilded inscription ‘Shushan Sect,’ lending an air of grandeur.

However, the interior lacked the imposing nature of the exterior wall. Apart from a main hall designed for receiving guests, there were no other particularly impressive structures.

The vast, empty courtyard lacked even a single paving stone. Behind the main hall, there was only a rear hall dedicated to ancestral worship, the main living quarters, a kitchen for cooking, and a side annex for the laborers.

The significant expenditure lavished on the outer wall already displeased Ning Ruxue immensely. After all, the proper renovation of the main hall and the ancestral hall directly related to the sect’s dignity and reverence for their forebears, so why was so much money spent on such elaborate perimeter defenses?

Although Ye Wen’s justification—"We must secure the area first; it will be needed eventually anyway, and it prevents others from occupying it. Walls must be built sooner or later"—was not entirely irrational, she still felt it was wasteful. Wouldn't it have been better to fence the area with hedges initially and consider building proper walls once the sect grew strong?

What she failed to grasp was that Ye Wen viewed this land as his absolute private property, allowing no outside encroachment, which was why he insisted on walling it off early. In Ye Wen’s mind, this was the ground zero for his fresh start.

What further irritated Ning Ruxue was the immense cost attributed to just the main house and the side annex. She could not fathom the purpose behind the bizarre specifications Ye Wen had dictated: the hard-packed earth beds, the stove that looked better suited for a kitchen fire, and the hollow iron pipes crisscrossing the entire main room, leading to a metal chimney extending through the roof. She didn't understand what purpose those expenditures served.

Although Ye Wen had divided the large house into two non-adjoining rooms, suggesting more small rooms could be partitioned for future residents, the many inexplicable fixtures left her puzzled as to why the money was spent this way.

Ye Wen offered her no explanation, simply dismissing her queries with, “You’ll know in time,” before retreating to his bedroom, where he began tinkering with something, showing no sign of emerging to practice martial arts.

Ning Ruxue remained unaware that Ye Wen had waited long enough and finally saw this day arrive. Eagerly, he had rushed back to his room, channeling all his internal energy into the index finger of his right hand—specifically, the ring worn upon it.