The word made Ye Wen pause in surprise for a moment, but then he realized the familiarity Xu Xian spoke of referred to people within the martial world.

As a relatively renowned scholar of the time, Xu Xian’s circle of acquaintances had always been confined to those scholarly men devoted to literature and poetry. As his own status within the literati rose, he gradually made contact with higher-ranking scholars, but they were still confined to that world, perhaps with the occasional local official.

Yet now, he was about to step into a realm he had barely encountered before. His only previous connection to the Jianghu—the pugilistic world—was an old man of unknown name, and his current companion, the Sect Master of the Shu Mountain Sect...

"Rather than apprenticing myself to those I've never met, whose temperament I cannot gauge, I would prefer to join Master Ye's sect. At the very least, I deeply respect Brother Ye's character."

Ye Wen didn't know what aspect of him Xu Xian respected. Had his single act of serving justice for the Zhou family somehow caused this sheltered young scholar, who had never tested the Jianghu, to view him as a great chivalrous hero? Perhaps this was the scholar’s idealized vision of the martial world—a place of swift retribution and the power to right wrongs with a mere three feet of sharp steel.

He was unaware that his guess was, in fact, precisely what Xu Xian envisioned. Xu Xian yearned to roam the Jianghu, driven by that very aspiration of unrestrained freedom attributed to martial heroes. Therefore, in his mind, if he were to enter the martial world, he was destined to become a great hero who enacted heavenly justice and purged evil for the common people.

Although there were numerous sects today, few held true renown for chivalry. Many of the widely acclaimed ones were major established powers. If he joined such a sect, he would likely have to start as a junior disciple, possessing no say in matters and perhaps having little personal freedom left—a life unlikely to be better than staying home.

As for the minor sects, most were run by opportunistic, crass individuals whom Xu Xian deeply disdained. Perhaps the only one that fit his criteria, and was conveniently nearby, was Ye Wen’s Shu Mountain Sect.

Furthermore, he and Ye Wen already shared some acquaintance; they had gained a preliminary understanding of each other’s character. This was certainly preferable to binding himself to a stranger as a master. The only uncertainty was whether the Shu Mountain Sect would even accept him.

A sect was not like a mere gang; one couldn't simply possess some strength and be inducted as a member, assigned a task, and be done with it.

Sects fundamentally relied on master-disciple hereditary ties. Xu Xian was unsure if any elders were still living in the Shu Mountain Sect; otherwise, his entry might become complicated.

"At worst, I can simply take this Brother Ye as my master. As the saying goes, the capable one is the teacher. In the path of martial arts, I know I am inferior to this Master Ye."

Unbeknownst to Xu Xian, who had reached this internal resolution, Ye Wen had already conceived a method for his induction. The two were still discussing matters concerning Xu Xian himself.

"Young Master Xu, although my Shu Mountain Sect is not a great power, you have already acquired skills. If you truly wish to enter our mountain gate, I request that you detail your current martial accomplishments for me."

Ye Wen wanted to gain a clearer understanding of Xu Xian. He knew Xu Xian had learned some martial arts from an unnamed old man, especially excelling in Qinggong (lightness skill), but he remained ignorant of everything else. This was a good opportunity to inquire thoroughly.

Xu Xian stood up, looked around the expansive main hall, and cupped his hands toward Ye Wen: "Since that is the case, I shall report my skills to Master Ye."

As he spoke, he separated his hands, brought his fingers together into palms, and immediately demonstrated a set of palm techniques—a dazzling array of empty and solid movements that were both confusing and unexpected, culminating in a heavy strike. If used in combat, it would prove quite fierce.

However, Ye Wen observed that Xu Xian seemed to lack depth in his internal energy (Neigong). While the palm technique itself was excellent, many of its most lethal killing moves seemed impossible for Xu Xian to unleash. What should have carried formidable power, Xu Xian could only manifest at about forty percent.

But considering Xu Xian’s rather impressive Qinggong, weaving and maneuvering while deploying such captivating palm work, an ordinary person would genuinely find it hard to parry. Ye Wen estimated he himself would need to rely on his deeper internal foundation to force Xu Xian into a direct confrontation to secure a victory.

When Xu Xian finished demonstrating the palm set, he smiled and added: "I also have a foundational breathing technique (Tuna Xinfa) and the lightness skill you have already witnessed. However, the breathing method cannot be demonstrated."

Ye Wen nodded, signaling his indifference. He had known Xu Xian for quite some time and had discerned his internal cultivation level—barely past the initial stages of entry. Given that Xu Xian claimed to have learned these skills several years ago, it was clear the breathing technique was not some advanced method of internal arts.

It seemed the old man only intended to teach some rudimentary skills to prevent Xu Xian’s health from deteriorating too severely. Unexpectedly, Xu Xian possessed good aptitude, and the old man, knowing his time was short, hastily wished to pass on his learning. Unfortunately, lacking sufficient time, the effort ultimately proved fruitless. Although he poured a great deal of knowledge into Xu Xian, the scholar lacked the foundational groundwork to grasp most of it. In the end, the old man’s life's expertise turned to dust with him—a true pity.

Ye Wen unconsciously touched the ring on his right index finger, thinking to himself: "If it weren't for this ring protecting me, ensuring I have no shortage of martial arts manuals, I might truly hate this foolish scholar for returning empty-handed from a treasure mountain."

Having gained a better understanding of Xu Xian's abilities, Ye Wen began to formally discuss bringing him into the sect.

"My intention is that in five days, Young Master Xu will join the Shu Mountain Sect alongside Yue Ning and Zhiruo." Since the initiation ceremony was approaching in a few days, Ye Wen decided to bundle the induction into a single event to avoid endless administrative bother.

"I will naturally abide by Master Ye's arrangements." Xu Xian felt fine with this, though he hadn't expected others to join the initiation with him. He had assumed he would be joining alone. "Will there be other fellow disciples then? Perhaps I could meet them first?"

Ye Wen blinked, then realized Xu Xian had misunderstood, and quickly clarified: "Yue Ning is the son of Chief Escort Yue Shan of the Yue Shan Escort Agency; he has already decided to join my Shu Mountain Sect. Zhiruo is the young girl I found in Linshan County some days ago; you have already met her."

"Ah…" Xu Xian understood immediately. It seemed that besides himself, the others being initiated were children. "I see…"

He inwardly lamented that he would likely only associate with young novices and felt a touch of gloom, but Ye Wen continued: "You are different from those two children. They will take me as their master, becoming the next generation of disciples in the Shu Mountain Sect. As for you, Young Master Xu… my intent is for this to be an adoption on behalf of a master, officially bringing you into the ranks of the Shu Mountain Sect. This way, Young Master Xu will be my martial junior brother."

Xu Xian was overjoyed upon hearing this. After all, no one enjoyed being deemed a generation lower if it could be avoided. If he could be Ye Wen’s contemporary, that would be ideal. "That is best. As for being a junior brother, I am entering the sect late anyway, so it is appropriate for me to be the junior."

Seeing that Xu Xian held no dissatisfaction, Ye Wen nodded. "Since that is settled, we will proceed this way. I will speak with my martial sister later to make proper arrangements. After the formal rites in a few days, you and I will be fellow disciples."

Saying this, he glanced toward the main hall entrance and realized the hour was late; darkness had completely enveloped the outside. Sitting in the main hall, one could barely see the scenery beyond. If Aunt Zhao hadn't come in to light the lamps, he and Xu Xian would have been facing each other in pitch blackness.

"It is getting late, and we haven't even eaten dinner. Let's go eat first."

He then led Xu Xian out of the hall. Having secured Ye Wen's agreement for his initiation, Xu Xian felt a weight lifted and his mood improved significantly. He was now acutely hungry. Hearing Ye Wen suggest a meal, he chuckled dryly: "Master Ye, I completely forgot I hadn't eaten."

Since returning home, he had been busy talking with his father, followed by a succession of unexpected events. He hadn't even managed lunch or breakfast; his stomach was now churning fiercely, threatening to revolt if he didn't satisfy his hunger soon, lest he faint from starvation.

As the two exited the main hall, they saw Yue Ning standing at the doorway holding a lantern. Upon seeing Ye Wen and Xu Xian emerge, he immediately spoke: "Martial Uncle instructed me to wait here. If Master and guest came out, I was to inform Master that the meal is prepared."

Ye Wen nodded, very satisfied with his newly accepted eldest disciple. Moreover, it was winter, the night was cold, and they were on a mountain besides. The boy had waited by the door in the cold for so long yet remained respectfully in place, never overstepping. This confirmed that the Yue family's upbringing was indeed strict, producing such a well-mannered child.

Regarding Yue Ning calling Ye Wen 'Master' before the formal induction, no one paid it any mind. Everything was essentially decided, and no unexpected issues were likely to arise. Besides, Ye Wen had already drunk the tea served by Yue Ning, so being called Master was normal. Even if the initiation ceremony were to somehow fail later, at worst, Yue Ning wouldn't be recognized as a Shu Mountain disciple, but Ye Wen’s status as master would remain unchallenged.

Yue Ning held the lantern behind them while Ye Wen and Xu Xian walked ahead. Along the way, Ye Wen questioned his new disciple a few times: "Have you learned about the environment within the sect?"

"Martial Uncle and Aunt Zhao took this disciple around today; I have memorized the key locations."

"And accommodations are arranged?"

"Arranged, but Aunt Zhao mentioned there aren't many bedding rolls or sheets on the mountain. We can make do tonight, but we will need to go down the mountain tomorrow to purchase more."

Ye Wen realized upon hearing this that he hadn't prepared many of these miscellaneous living necessities. He turned to Xu Xian and said, "Now that you mention it, I fear you might only be able to make do tonight as well."

Xu Xian immediately replied dismissively: "It’s no trouble. However, since we need to go down the mountain for procurement tomorrow, I suggest we buy more items then. We should also construct a few more dwellings; our sect seems a bit too sparse."