Ye Wen had been seated in the center of the main hall, but he was startled when he suddenly heard Xu Xian running up, unsure why Xu Xian had made a special trip to see him.

After some thought, he concluded that Xu Xian must have reached some kind of resolution with his father and was coming to tell him about it. Whether the outcome was good or bad, Ye Wen couldn't yet know.

The others in the hall also heard the shouts from outside, and all eyes turned toward Ye Wen, the Sect Master, which made him distinctly uncomfortable. He spoke up, "A guest has arrived; I shall go and greet them."

He wasn't particularly close to Xu Xian, but the Xu family held considerable standing in Shushan County, and the young master's name was known to many. Moreover, the Shu Mountain Sect was hardly a prominent sect at the moment and was in no position to put on airs. Thus, Ye Wen dispensed with all the usual ceremony and headed straight out of the main hall toward the main gate.

As soon as he emerged, Ye Wen saw Xu Xian walking leisurely in his direction, glancing around to take in the environment of the Shu Mountain Sect while simultaneously searching for Ye Wen and the others. Although the Shu Mountain Sect was sparsely populated, it occupied a vast area, and Xu Xian wasn't sure exactly where Ye Wen was, forcing him to look about continually.

The moment Ye Wen stepped out of the main hall, Xu Xian spotted him and the group standing behind him.

"Brother Ye, I've come to seek refuge with you!"

The moment he appeared, Xu Xian's opening words nearly made Ye Wen stumble and fall. He certainly hadn't expected that upon meeting Xu Xian again, the young master of the Xu family would start with such a declaration.

"Young Master Xu is joking," Ye Wen replied.

Xu Xian had reached Ye Wen’s side, and upon hearing the words, he shook his head, his earlier smile gone, replaced by a solemn expression. "I am not speaking in jest. I have just been expelled from my family by the Elder. I am truly without a home."

Ye Wen’s mouth twitched. "So you've come up the mountain to seek refuge with me?"

Xu Xian nodded, his smile returning. "Precisely. Sect Master Ye won't refuse me, will you?"

Hearing that Xu Xian had genuinely fallen out with his father, Ye Wen didn't know how to offer comfort. He could only pat the shoulder of the Xu family young master, who was several years his senior, and say, "If Young Master Xu is willing to seek refuge here, it shows you respect my Shu Mountain Sect. Since that is the case, please settle in for now."

Ye Wen assumed Xu Xian would only be staying temporarily on the mountain and didn't think much of it, expecting that after some time, Xu Xian would look for another place.

Little did he know that before this thought had even settled, Xu Xian's next sentence struck him like a thunderbolt.

"In that case, I request Sect Master Ye to accept me into the gates of the Shu Mountain Sect."

Ye Wen’s eyes widened as he stared fixedly at Xu Xian. After observing him for a long while, he finally became certain that the young master before him was not jesting. He glanced around and noticed Ning Ruxue standing beside him wearing an equally surprised expression, looking toward him for guidance.

"Young Master Xu, please do not joke..."

Xu Xian shook his head. "I am definitely not joking. I genuinely wish to become a disciple of the Shu Mountain Sect. Does Sect Master Ye perhaps look down on me?"

Ye Wen immediately felt a splitting headache; the current situation genuinely troubled him. It wasn't that he looked down on Xu Xian, but Xu Xian was older than both him and his junior sister, and his martial arts skill was not insignificant. Could he really accept someone older than him and nearly as capable as a disciple? What did he even have left to teach?

Besides this issue, he also had to consider the reaction of the Xu family. Even though Xu Xian claimed to have broken with his father, matters between a father and son were never that simple. For now, their falling out was easily managed, but what if Old Master Xu regretted it someday and wanted his son back, only to discover that this young man had become his beloved son's master? And what if this master lacked any profound, unparalleled arts capable of subduing him? It would inevitably lead to a heap of trouble.

In truth, these problems weren't entirely unsolvable. If there had been an elder of the Shu Mountain Sect present, accepting Xu Xian as a disciple would have resolved the matter.

But the only elder in the Shu Mountain Sect was Ye Wen’s master, who had passed away more than half a year ago. At this point, was he expected to summon the ghost of the old man to take Xu Xian as a student?

"Uh... thinking about it this way, it seems not entirely unfeasible..."

As this thought occurred to him, Ye Wen realized it wasn't completely without possibility. At worst, he could use the pretext of accepting a disciple on behalf of his master to bring Xu Xian into the sect. This way, Xu Xian would merely become his junior brother due to joining later, saving a lot of hassle.

As for the benefits of accepting Xu Xian?

At the very least, the Shu Mountain Sect would become stronger by starting to accept disciples, and moreover, Xu Xian's skill was considerable, granting the sect an extra capable hand, which would bolster their confidence when facing enemies.

Then there was the influence of the Xu family. If the Xu family's young master was willing to become a disciple of the Shu Mountain Sect, it was tantamount to providing the sect with massive free publicity. Many people would likely learn the name of the Shu Mountain Sect because of this, which was a huge blessing for any martial arts sect.

Otherwise, why would so many major sects favor accepting disciples from well-known aristocratic families? Firstly, it was to display their status and strength, and secondly, it was to leverage the reputation of these families to boost their own sect's prestige.

If Xu Xian joined the Shu Mountain Sect, it would achieve a similar effect. Naturally, Ye Wen had no reason to refuse.

However, after considering all these factors, there were still many things he hadn't clarified, so making a snap decision in a few sentences was difficult. He felt it best to have a thorough conversation with Xu Xian to understand the full situation before deciding.

"Does Young Master Xu truly intend to join my Shu Mountain Sect?"

"I am here in person, so of course it's true. Does Sect Master Ye still think I am joking?" Xu Xian understood this was a serious matter and couldn't be treated carelessly. Therefore, even though Ye Wen repeatedly confirmed, he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he felt that the Shu Mountain Sect possessed the demeanor of a substantial institution, being cautious and careful about accepting disciples, not just grabbing anyone who came along. "Far better than those fellows down at the foot of the mountain who drag people in indiscriminately."

"In that case, Young Master Xu, please come in with me, as I have a few matters I need to discuss with you." With that, he gestured for Xu Xian to enter and turned back toward the main hall.

Xu Xian naturally followed, but Ning Ruxue and Aunt Zhao, knowing the conversation was personal and that their status made it inappropriate for them to eavesdrop, remained outside instead of returning. However, a moment later, Aunt Zhao exclaimed, "Oh dear, I almost forgot to pour tea for the Sect Master and our honored guest," before hurrying into the main hall. But after only a brief moment, she reappeared.

"We shouldn't stand here delaying Sect Master Brother and our guest's talk. Let's each return to rest," she said, then added to Yue Ning, "Come with me first; I'll show you where you can rest."

When the Shu Mountain Sect built its structures, they had considered where future disciples would reside, but due to a lack of funds at the time, while the location was selected, the buildings were never erected. However, the residence Aunt Zhao currently occupied had a few spare bedrooms originally intended for future servants and laborers. It was fine for Yue Ning to make do for a while; the bedrooms weren't bad environments anyway.

In the blink of an eye, the others had vanished, while Ye Wen and Xu Xian sat in the main hall, discussing in detail what had happened after Xu Xian returned home.

It turned out that after hearing Ye Wen’s words that day, Xu Xian felt his actions had been too rash. Furthermore, he had never truly sat down and talked with his father, and he couldn't be certain his father would absolutely refuse his request. So, he had turned his entourage around and returned to his residence in Shushan County.

As soon as he got home, Xu Xian sought out his father and, for the first time, expressed his true intentions... However, the result was much like his previous conjectures. When Old Master Xu heard that his most promising younger son did not want to continue his studies but instead wished to roam the martial world, he became furious, flying into a rage, and snatched up a nearby stick, intending to beat this unfilial son to death.

If Xu Xian hadn't relied on his superior Qinggong to evade his father's 'Fatal Soul-Chasing Stick,' the next time Ye Wen saw Xu Xian might have been at his funeral.

Ye Wen broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Old Master Xu to have such a fiery temper, immediately resorting to violence against his own son. "It seems Old Master Xu placed great hopes on Xu Xian, which is why he was so disappointed and enraged upon hearing that Xu Xian no longer wished to study."

A commotion then erupted in the Xu household. Xu Xian’s mother intervened and finally managed to stop Old Master Xu from continuing his assault. The old master demanded that Xu Xian kneel before the ancestral tablet to admit his mistake, and then the matter would be dropped, allowing him to return to his studies.

But the old master didn't know that Xu Xian had already firmly decided not to continue living a life he disliked. Had it not been for Ye Wen’s words, he probably would have already left Pingzhou and formally begun planning his escape from home. Therefore, he absolutely refused to kneel and admit fault. He only stiffened his neck and refused to comply, adding, "I only want to do what I want to do," before turning to leave.

The Old Master Xu was so angry his beard bristled. He roared, "If you dare step out of this door today, you will no longer be my son, Xu Zhan, from this day forward!"

Yet, Xu Xian had already made up his mind. He left the Xu residence without looking back, wandered the streets aimlessly for a while, unsure where to go, and only then did he remember Ye Wen, deciding to seek refuge at his Shu Mountain Sect.

"Then why do you want to join my Shu Mountain Sect?" This was, in fact, what Ye Wen found most peculiar. If Xu Xian merely wanted to explore the martial world, there seemed no need to specifically join the Shu Mountain Sect, right?

To Ye Wen's surprise, Xu Xian chuckled and replied, "I know my martial arts are lacking. If I just rushed into the Jianghu like this, I might be hacked into several pieces before long and wouldn't amount to anything. So, I want to join the Shu Mountain Sect to practice my martial arts diligently before considering venturing out..."

Ye Wen nodded; Xu Xian wasn't foolish. He asked again, "Then why my Shu Mountain Sect?" With Xu Xian's reputation, if he announced his desire to apprentice and learn martial arts, the number of people wanting to accept him would likely stretch from Shushan to Hushan, undoubtedly including many famous masters. Even seeking tutelage at the Hushan Sect, they would likely be happy to take in this talented scholar as a disciple.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xian scratched his cheek, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Because I'm familiar with you..."