At the hour of Zi, by the City God Temple. Ye Wen looked up at the crescent moon hanging high in the sky and the brilliant constellations, sighing inwardly, "Where I come from, you can never see so many stars."

The hustle and bustle of the modern metropolis had dimmed the night sky; for some, he wondered if this was a huge loss. At least in this moment, Ye Wen felt it was a genuine pity that so many people were unable to witness such a magnificent starry expanse.

Just as he was gazing up, lost in thought, a hand clapped him suddenly on the shoulder. Ye Wen jumped, startled, and turning around saw Xu Xian looking at him with a knowing smile. "What has Sect Leader Ye so captivated, staring so intently?"

As he spoke, Xu Xian looked up and around, clearly curious about whatever held Ye Wen's attention so completely. Perhaps he, too, wished to see this wonder.

Little did he know that Ye Wen’s mind was racing: How did he get behind me without me noticing? Was I truly that absorbed?

Yet, he immediately dismissed the thought. He was certain that even while appreciating the stars, he had not let his guard down. His ears had been keenly tuned to every surrounding sound. If anyone approached him, unless their martial cultivation surpassed his own, they would never slip past his hearing undetected.

But he had sensed nothing of Xu Xian’s approach. Could this fellow be a hidden master?

If that were the case, this evening’s engagement might prove far worse than he had anticipated; unforeseen events could easily unfold.

Thinking this, Ye Wen subtly increased the distance between himself and Xu Xian, then responded with a smile, "Young Master Xu, for summoning me out so late, may I ask your purpose?"

Xu Xian seemed utterly oblivious to Ye Wen’s slight maneuver, maintaining his benign expression. "Earlier today, I heard the location of Sect Leader Ye's sect, and I became exceedingly eager to visit. After much deliberation, I’ve decided to trouble Sect Leader Ye to take me up the mountain with you—how about it?"

"Go... go up the mountain?"

Ye Wen had considered that Xu Xian, seeing him so young yet already a sect master, might harbor thoughts of challenging him to a match. If so, this scholar’s martial arts could not be underestimated. He had also entertained the idea that the man was unbearably bored at home and wished for a night out, but because of the current sensitive situation, he was dragging Ye Wen along for safety.

But no matter how he spun it, he had never imagined this young man would ask him to guide him up Mount Shu to tour his sect’s grounds.

Xu Xian spoke as if requesting a trivial errand, like paying a single coin to buy a sesame cake at a street stall, completely unaware of how demanding it was to summon someone in the middle of the night and ask them to climb a mountain. He paid no mind to Ye Wen’s face, which had darkened by half, and continued: "To ascend the mountain now, and catch the beauty of the sunrise from the peak—what a magnificent thing that would be..."

"So, you called me out at the hour of Zi to accompany you up the mountain just to see the sunrise?" Ye Wen felt his head threatening to explode. He never expected this fellow to be struck with a poetic fit, desiring a romantic climb. He desperately wanted to retort: My dear Young Master Xu, if you’re going to be romantic, find a young lady to accompany you! What kind of sick notion is it for two grown men to stay up all night climbing a mountain for the dawn? It’s not like we’re climbing a lover’s peak!

However, these words were impossible to utter, as, in a certain sense, this man before him was currently his employer. He had already accepted the retainer; the job was taken.

It’s just a trip back to the sect, and a chance to drop off some money for my junior sister, Ye Wen reasoned. With this thought, his resistance to the climb dissolved. He turned to Xu Xian and said, "Since Young Master Xu has such refined taste, I shall naturally accompany you."

Hearing this, Xu Xian smiled widely and set off toward Mount Shu first. As he walked, he said to Ye Wen, "Sect Leader Ye, stop calling me 'Young Master' all the time. I’ll call you Brother Ye, and you can just call me Brother Xu."

Ye Wen rolled his eyes internally, muttering, Do you think I enjoy calling you 'Young Master'? It makes me sound like your personal servant! He quickly agreed to Xu Xian’s proposal, though he still found little to say to him; after all, they were strangers, and Ye Wen had been dragged out here by force today.

Once on the road, Xu Xian fell silent, walking with his head down. The two proceeded in quiet haste, and before long, they reached the base of Mount Shu.

Ye Wen glanced at Xu Xian. Though he was a scholar, he had walked this distance without flushing or becoming winded, appearing to have energy to spare. It seemed his physique was not poor after all.

"We’re starting the ascent now. The beginning is easy, but the path gets treacherous past the midway point. If you can’t keep up, just let me know," Ye Wen said. Since achieving some mastery in his internal energy, ascending and descending mountains had become trivial for him. While it wasn't quite walking on level ground, he certainly didn’t stumble or collapse from exhaustion.

He had martial arts to support him, so he wasn't worried, but Xu Xian, a mere scholar—despite his apparent fitness—was unlikely to manage the climb easily, in Ye Wen’s estimation.

To Ye Wen’s surprise, they climbed steadily without stopping, and Xu Xian never complained of fatigue. Ye Wen initially paid it no mind, but after a while, something felt wrong. He was already circulating his internal energy just to maintain his pace, so how could this scholar keep up so effortlessly?

Turning back, he saw Xu Xian following, his long robe flowing gracefully, his steps light, not a speck of dust clinging to his feet. The man was employing an exceptionally refined Qinggong (lightness skill), trailing closely behind Ye Wen with an air of ease, even offering a slight smile when he noticed Ye Wen looking back.

At the sight, Ye Wen stopped abruptly, genuinely terrified. This confirmed his earlier suspicion from the City God Temple—he hadn't perceived Xu Xian’s approach there either, likely due to this superior lightness skill.

How foolish he had been to think it was merely momentary carelessness! This fellow was clearly a master hiding his strength. Worse, it took him this long to realize it, suggesting his experience in the Jianghu was still too shallow. He resolved to be far more cautious in the future.

Now that he confirmed the man possessed formidable skills, his insistence on ascending the mountain made Ye Wen question his true intentions. After all, his newly established sect was the apple of his eye. If Xu Xian went up, pronounced the location satisfactory, and then declared it his Xu family property after beating him soundly, Ye Wen would have nowhere to appeal.

He stopped, placing himself squarely in Xu Xian's path. "I seem to have misjudged you. I never expected Young Master Xu to possess such astonishing accomplishments." He didn't directly ask the man's purpose; he wasn't a fool, and Xu Xian was clearly no simpleton—if he had nefarious plans, he wouldn't announce them plainly.

Xu Xian seemed to have anticipated Ye Wen’s question. He stopped and replied, "I merely learned some Qinggong and pugilism incidentally for self-preservation. It is nothing compared to Brother Ye’s formidable internal force."

Ye Wen wasn't surprised Xu Xian could discern his profound internal energy, as his walking pace up the mountain had been completely ordinary, indistinguishable from a common traveler. To maintain such a steady demeanor on difficult terrain, the only possibility—besides laborers—was a martial artist with deep internal cultivation.

As for Xu Xian claiming he only practiced skills for survival, Ye Wen couldn't fully credit it. Especially after clearly hearing the conversation between Elder Master Xu and Yue Hang today, where the elder described his young master as a weak scholar incapable of binding a chicken, and repeatedly imploring True Man Liu to offer extra protection. Yet, secretly, he possessed such superb lightness skills! From that brief observation, Ye Wen suspected that if Xu Xian used his full power, he could have vanished over the summit long ago.

"Young Master Xu is too modest. With your Qinggong, climbing the mountain should be effortless, should it not? Why bother summoning me along just to watch the sunrise?"

"But without you, the master of this mountain, even if I found your sect’s gate, I probably couldn't enter, could I?" Xu Xian reiterated, emphasizing that his intention was indeed to tour Ye Wen’s grounds, necessitating the sect leader’s presence.

Ye Wen felt a growing headache. Finally, he reconsidered: My sect gate isn't exactly hidden. If he truly harbors ill intentions, I won't be able to stop him anyway. Since it’s settled, I might as well go up with him and see what trickery he’s up to.

Having settled this crucial point, Ye Wen moved aside and continued his ascent. "If that is the case, let us proceed."

Xu Xian smiled without answering, following quietly behind Ye Wen.

One with moderate internal energy, the other with exceptional lightness skill. Now that Ye Wen knew Xu Xian was a practitioner, he stopped slowing down and began moving briskly.

Xu Xian finally unleashed his own Qinggong, matching Ye Wen stride for stride. The two maintained a distance of about an arm's length, and in moments, they arrived at the entrance of the Shu Mountain Sect.

After they stopped, Ye Wen felt the inner Qi surging within him, warm and comfortable—a pleasant rush. This full-effort climb seemed to have slightly improved his internal energy.

He turned to look at Xu Xian, and this time, Ye Wen genuinely smiled. Xu Xian had appeared relaxed initially only because Ye Wen had been walking slowly, cautious about leaving him behind. Once he discovered Xu Xian’s skills, he had stopped caring and simply charged up the mountain, forcing Xu Xian to struggle mightily to keep up.

Though he maintained his position right behind Ye Wen, Xu Xian possessed only superior lightness skill; his internal cultivation could not compare to Ye Wen’s. This full-speed climb left him breathless, his fair, jade-like handsome face flushed crimson, as if possessed by Guan Yu himself.

"Brother Ye... why are you walking so fast?"

Seeing Xu Xian in this state, Ye Wen estimated that although Young Master Xu had excellent Qinggong, his internal energy was mediocre. If a fight broke out, he wouldn't fear him. Moreover, his junior sister was guarding the sect; if Xu Xian harbored any ill will, they could team up for a two-on-one beatdown that would ensure he never returned.

With this calculation settled, the doubt in his heart finally eased, and he found the humor to tease Xu Xian: "If I walk faster, I might get some sleep. I certainly don’t want to stand around foolishly waiting for sunrise."