A great deal of silver flowed out, speeding up the construction work immensely; now, within the Shu Mountain Sect, the changes were nearly happening on a daily basis.

The first day Ye Wen awoke, he saw that the craftsmen had already cordoned off a large area between the main hall and the main gate, marking the precise locations for the perimeter walls, even detailing where the entrance gates should be situated. The base of the walls had already begun to be laid.

The path between the main hall and the gate was also being leveled to prepare for paving stones. Yesterday, the foreman Ye Wen had hired had gone down the mountain overnight to summon a large contingent of workers, bringing numerous stonemasons with them. After observing the layout overnight, these workers immediately descended the mountain to procure the materials—there were no suitable stones on the mountain itself for paving slabs. While there was plenty of rock, they couldn't expect the stonemasons to quarry and polish every stone to lay the path; by the time they finished that section, it would likely be the following spring.

Therefore, the paving stones the Shu Mountain Sect planned to use had been specially procured from the town below. Fortunately, the town of Shushan County had ready-made paving slabs, otherwise, repairing this road would have been truly problematic.

When Ye Wen emerged in the morning, streams of porters were constantly delivering the purchased slabs into the mountain gate. Everywhere he looked were busy craftsmen: some tirelessly working on the walls, others squatting down to level the ground, and still others standing, gesturing with their hands before looking down at the blueprints—sketched by Xu Xian the previous night.

"What a lively scene."

So many people gathered within the Shu Mountain Sect—this was a first since its establishment. Yet, with everyone ceaselessly occupied, Ye Wen felt as if he had walked onto a bustling construction site.

"If only all these people were my Shu Mountain disciples..."

As Ye Wen sighed, a voice echoed from behind him. Turning around, he saw Ning Ruoxue staring blankly at the throng of busy craftsmen. Her thoughts, however, were entirely different from Ye Wen's; she deeply wished that the Shu Mountain Sect would always be this lively, only she imagined all the countless craftsmen being replaced by Shu Mountain disciples.

Knowing his junior sister was dreaming of the sect's future prosperity, Ye Wen smiled and offered comfort: "It will happen, Junior Sister. You will see that day sooner or later."

Expecting his words to cheer Ning Ruoxue up, he was surprised when his junior sister shot him a look, her smile vanishing. She replied with a tone laced with slight mockery: "If it depends on Senior Brother to make it happen, I might close my eyes for the last time before that wish is fulfilled."

"Uh..." Ye Wen, rendered speechless by Ning Ruoxue's retort, could only shrug helplessly: "Do you really have so little faith in my ability?"

She scrutinized him from head to toe, and finally, under Ye Wen's slightly expectant gaze, she pouted: "Not at all." Then she turned away. The ponytail she had hastily tied that morning whipped past Ye Wen’s eyes in an exceptionally graceful arc, swaying before vanishing from sight.

Seeing Ning Ruoxue return to her room without looking back, Ye Wen muttered to himself, "So little faith in me? I’ve accomplished quite a bit, haven't I?" Yet, he felt no discouragement, for he firmly believed the Shu Mountain Sect would surely rise under his guidance: "Just wait until then, and see what you have to say."

What he didn't know was that as Ning Ruoxue hurried back to her room to tidy her hair and change clothes, her mind was racing: If I were the Sect Master, would I truly do better than Senior Brother?

After all, the Shu Mountain Sect had been built from nothing over the past six months, and now its headquarters rivaled those of well-known martial arts clans. With new disciples about to be accepted, and even Xu Xian taken on as a junior brother through proxy mentorship, the sect's strength had grown immeasurably compared to before—changes she had witnessed every step of the way.

She had always firmly believed that handing the position of Sect Master to her senior brother was a huge mistake, as Ye Wen was atrocious in both martial arts and interpersonal conduct. Ning Ruoxue, who had once idolized her senior brother in childhood, had grown increasingly disappointed as she aged and gained experience.

After defeating him in just a few moves when she was fourteen, she became convinced that the sect's continuation could not depend on this incompetent senior brother; only she was the hope for the Shushan lineage.

And six months prior, when Ye Wen lost instantly to Zhang Gui of the Zhengquan Sect, forfeiting the sect headquarters, its reputation, and all other assets, her conviction solidified: only she could save the Shushan Sect and ensure its continued existence. As for Ye Wen? Ning Ruoxue simply ignored him—perhaps, out of their shared history as martial siblings raised together, she might grant him a minor post within the sect.

"That way, he can continue happily reading his favorite books..."

That was what Ning Ruoxue thought then. But now, looking at the bustling, industrious craftsmen outside and the imposing main hall, her confidence wavered. For the first time in half a year, she questioned her own certainty.

"If I were the Sect Master, would I truly do better than Senior Brother?" While combing her hair, she looked at her hazy reflection in the bronze mirror, her face full of doubt. However, she quickly provided herself with an answer.

"I definitely can," as if to bolster her resolve, Ning Ruoxue brandished her comb toward her mirrored self: "Senior Brother only stumbled upon great luck, finding a decent job that led him to Junior Brother Xu. It is thanks to Junior Brother Xu that our Shu Mountain Sect has this current grandeur."

After telling herself this, Ning Ruoxue felt it was true; Ye Wen's ascent to the sect's current standing seemed like mere good fortune, devoid of any truly difficult challenges.

"If I had gone down the mountain, I would have done just as well... No, I would have done better." Ning Ruoxue even believed that if she had gone out, she wouldn't have returned with just Zhou Zhiruo and Yue Ning as disciples. She would have certainly taken three or five others, and along the way, she’d have eliminated some bandits, built up the sect's renown, and gathered some wealth. Under those circumstances, the Shu Mountain Sect would undoubtedly be even stronger than it was now. (She conveniently overlooked the short duration of Ye Wen's trip.)

Lost in these musings, Ning Ruoxue’s spirits lifted. The doubt that had clouded her face was replaced by a renewed smile. The morning sun streaming through the window reflected off the mirror onto her face, giving her an ethereal quality.

Well, that is, if her hair hadn't still been a mess and she hadn't been wearing only her close-fitting undergarments...

"Junior Sister, time for breakfast..."

The daydreaming, radiant Ning Ruoxue had finally managed her hair and was just reaching for clothes when Ye Wen—the man she had just mentally reduced to nothing—pushed the door open and walked straight in.

And then... copper coins danced with the washbasin, and the comb flew alongside the towel.

"Senior Brother, you don't knock before entering Senior Sister's room?"

Watching Ye Wen retreat in disarray from Ning Ruoxue's room, pelted by various objects until he couldn't lift his head, Xu Xian, standing nearby, asked with confusion.

"Heh heh, forgot, forgot," Ye Wen chuckled sheepishly. He had almost forgotten he was no longer in his original world. "Did that construction-site-like activity outside make me a bit dazed?"

His original world was extremely liberal; some girls would even sleep over in their boyfriends' dorms. Forget barging into a bedroom—even if something untoward had been witnessed, it would likely just result in a few light-hearted scoldings.

Suddenly thrust into this era, which shared many customs with the ancient times, Ye Wen still hadn't fully adapted. Moreover, for the past six months, he had been diligently practicing internal arts, rarely seeking out Ning Ruoxue. Their conversations were usually fleeting exchanges at the dinner table. Occasionally, if someone needed calling, Zhao Shen would be sent. But today, Zhao Shen was too busy cooking for the craftsmen to leave, so Ye Wen volunteered to summon her.

He hadn't expected such a disaster, forgetting that a woman's private chamber in this time was not to be trespassed upon casually—a beating would be the least of it. If Ning Ruoxue were to chase him across the martial world with her sword, he would be entirely in the wrong, and any retribution would be deserved.

However, his actions looked vastly different through Xu Xian’s eyes. Growing up in his environment, the scholar paid close attention to etiquette. Seeing Ye Wen casually storm into Ning Ruoxue’s bedroom startled him. Although he was immediately expelled, that was the extent of it. In his view, the relationship between his senior brother and sister had abruptly deviated from a simple sibling bond and veered onto a different path.

Never mind that Ye Wen was inwardly cursing his own carelessness, or that Xu Xian was contemplating the true nature of their connection—when Ning Ruoxue, having finished dressing, emerged, she found the two men standing frozen like statues. Ye Wen, positioned right at her doorway, even offered her a foolish grin upon seeing her.

Her pretty face instantly chilled, and she lashed out: "Senior Brother, why did you barge into my room so casually?" As she spoke, she recalled she had just been changing. Although she was still wearing her underclothes, those weren't garments meant for casual viewing—certainly not clothes that concealed her figure. Realizing this, Ning Ruoxue flushed, followed by annoyance: "If Senior Brother is so reckless again, don't blame Junior Sister for showing no mercy with my sword next time!"

Feeling this was insufficient to quell her anger, and that this outcome was too lenient for her senior brother, she felt dissatisfied at having been wronged only to utter a few harsh words. Seeing Ye Wen offer no reply, Ning Ruoxue lifted her foot, clad in her rough boots, and stomped hard right onto Ye Wen's instep. Then, without sparing him a glance, she snorted and turned away.

When his senior sister walked off, Xu Xian noted that Ye Wen remained standing where he was, unmoving, as if Ning Ruoxue’s stomp had barely caused an itch. "Senior Brother, have you perhaps practiced arts like the Iron Shirt or Golden Bell Shield?"

Before he could inquire further, Ye Wen managed, shaking slightly: "Junior Brother, can you help me up? I can't feel my foot..."