"Outer Sect?" Hearing Ye Wen's suggestion, Ning Ruxue frowned. It wasn't that she didn't understand what an Outer Sect implied; the question was whether Mount Shu Sect truly qualified to establish one right now.

In the martial arts world, any sect establishing an Outer Sect was invariably one of the great, established schools. With only a handful of people on their own mountain and little renown, how could they possibly assemble such a thing? Even if they put up a sign recruiting personal disciples, few would likely come to apprentice, let alone an Outer Sect?

Ultimately, the Mount Shu Sect currently lacked the capital to indulge in the sorts of games played by the major schools. Ning Ruxue had initially thought that as Ye Wen began seriously contemplating the sect's development over the past few days, he had matured overall. Yet, it seemed now that many immature ideas still lingered.

"Senior Brother, with the reputation of our Mount Shu Sect, I fear it will be difficult to recruit Outer Sect disciples..."

Ye Wen nodded, fully aware of this point. He understood the logic behind it, but at this moment, the Mount Shu Sect had too few people. This situation constantly reminded him of the Mount Hua Sect under Yue Buqun's stewardship.

With only a junior sister by his side and not a single disciple in the vast sect, Yue Buqun's own martial arts remaining stagnant was likely linked to how much effort he poured into developing the sect. By the time Mount Hua regained some vitality, he had missed the best period for martial cultivation.

Ye Wen had no desire to end up as wretched as Yue Buqun. Even if the current trajectory of Mount Shu seemed far superior to Yue Buqun's Mount Hua, it didn't guarantee a better outcome than that 'Gentleman Sword' who was forced into practicing the Bixie Sword Manual.

More crucially, with such a large gate, there wasn't even a single person patrolling. If someone genuinely intended to sneak in, they would encounter virtually no obstacle. The only inconvenience would be the grand wall specifically built to look imposing. Once scaled, the intruder could do as they pleased. They couldn't possibly expect Ye Wen and the others to stand guard under the wall day in and day out, could they?

The Mount Hua Sect had been unassailable back then because it had long been a renowned grand sect. Although in decline, its lingering prestige remained. Ordinary martial artists likely wouldn't even entertain the thought of forcing their way through the Mount Hua gates.

Mount Shu was different. With little fame, occupying such a large territory and erecting such magnificent gates was essentially broadcasting, "We are rich!" Certain unscrupulous individuals would certainly covet the wealth and valuables within Mount Shu. The number of 'gentlemen of the roof beam' attempting infiltration would likely be considerable.

Although Ye Wen wished to establish Mount Shu's prestige during the upcoming ceremony, the effect would be limited to a certain circle at best. Some who hadn't witnessed it firsthand might not believe that a sect they had never heard of possessed significant capability. He couldn't wait until everyone came knocking with greedy eyes blazing green before figuring out a solution.

After Ye Wen voiced these concerns, Ning Ruxue realized this was indeed a predicament. After all, the 'Mountain of Books' was home to more than just their sect; one couldn't guarantee what malicious ideas their neighbors might harbor. Moreover, the relations between Mount Shu and some of those neighbors were hardly amicable, making this an issue requiring prompt resolution.

"Why not recruit some bodyguards and escorts?" Xu Xian’s idea was straightforward, tied to his background. Since they lacked personnel for protection, why not hire some for money?

However, Xu Xian overlooked that what needed guarding was a martial arts sect. If a sect had to rely on hired help just to secure its very gates...

Ye Wen naturally noticed this point and could only offer a wry smile toward his junior brother without answering.

Seeing Ning Ruxue’s expression—one that clearly asked, 'Are you an idiot?'—even if Xu Xian were genuinely foolish, he should have realized he spoke nonsense. Furthermore, he wasn't an idiot; a moment of reflection revealed the core issue.

As the common saying goes, "No one is first in literature, no one is second in martial arts." If Mount Shu could only rely on outsiders, it might as well cease mingling in the Jianghu, shut down its sign, and settle into being a landlord on the mountain.

"Ultimately, it boils down to strength and reputation." If they possessed enough of both, no one would dare breach the gates even if they were left wide open, for no one wished to provoke truly powerful entities.

The current Mount Shu Sect had neither, yet occupied a vast piece of land and built imposing gates. This was akin to a seemingly frail, weak scholar clutching a massive gold ingot while sitting in an area surrounded by bandits. Even if the scholar wasn't truly defenseless, trouble would constantly find him.

"What should we do?"

Faced with the current situation, Ning Ruxue couldn't eat another bite, her brow furrowed so tightly it seemed it might twist into a knot. Even Xu Xian, who had been unconcerned, now wore a long face, unable to come up with any good ideas either.

For a moment, the entire table fell into silence. The two young disciples of the eighth generation dared not even breathe loudly, standing dutifully—seeing their seniors looking troubled, they didn't even dare to remain seated.

But standing still for too long inevitably led to numb feet. Yue Ning was fine; having come from a martial arts family, even if he hadn't practiced profound arts, he had a foundation, so standing for a while was no issue. Zhou Zhiruo, however, suffered. Having practiced no martial arts, she had endured hardship over the past half-year, and her body hadn't fully recovered. Thus, after standing briefly, she could no longer hold on.

Though she gritted her teeth and dared not speak, her body unconsciously swayed, bumping against the stool beside her and making a faint sound. If Yue Ning hadn't moved quickly to steady her, the little girl might have tripped over the seat.

The movement they caused wasn't loud, but in such a quiet environment, it became conspicuously obvious. Ye Wen turned his head to glance at the two disciples. Seeing they were fine, he paid no further mind. However, that glance sparked an idea in his mind—vague and indistinct, so he looked again, trying to recapture what that flash of inspiration had been about.

"Zhiruo? No, it shouldn't have anything to do with her... Yue Ning?"

Thinking of Yue Ning, Ye Wen vaguely grasped something, though he couldn't pin down the specifics.

"Yue Ning... Yue Ning..." Unable to grasp anything while focusing on Yue Ning himself, Ye Wen finally shifted his train of thought to matters related to Yue Ning. At this, his thinking became clear.

"The Yue Family... Yue Hang, Yue Shan Escort Agency." Understanding dawned, Ye Wen instinctively slapped the table and exclaimed with a smile, "Right! How could I forget this?"

His sudden action startled everyone at the table. Ning Ruxue nearly jumped up, then realized her reaction was perhaps excessive, attributing it to Ye Wen's sudden outburst: "Senior Brother, what madness has seized you?"

Ye Wen smiled, waving his hand in apology, then turned to his disciple and asked, "Ning'er, what kind of people are generally the escorts and runners employed by your family's Escort Agency?"

Yue Ning didn't understand his master's intent but respectfully replied, "They are mostly idlers my father recruited in the county town, and some are martial artists who came seeking employment out of admiration."

Ye Wen asked again, "So, many of the escorts in your agency have no sect affiliation? What styles of martial arts do they use?"

Others might not know the answer to this, but Yue Ning had practiced with the escorts in the agency since childhood, and some would offer him pointers. Thus, Yue Ning was very clear about the martial backgrounds of most escorts: "The escorts who came seeking refuge already had their own skills; specifically, each has a different lineage. A small number came from other regions, while those promoted from within our own agency only learned some basic fist and footwork, or received instruction from my father and Uncle Gongsun."

Ye Wen nodded. It seemed the escorts of the Yue Shan Escort Agency were indeed as he suspected—their backgrounds and affiliations were simple. In that case, his idea was indeed feasible.

After asking these questions, Ye Wen stopped talking and turned to his junior sister and Xu Xian, announcing, "We have found a solution for our Outer Sect disciples."

This statement left Ning Ruxue utterly bewildered, while Xu Xian seemed to grasp something, though he remained silent, waiting for Ye Wen to reveal the answer.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen had no interest in explaining. Perhaps feigning mystery to appear superior, after that single sentence, he casually waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue eating, and then said no more. After the meal, he returned directly to his room, leaving Ning Ruxue staring wide-eyed behind him in frustration.

It wasn't that he was truly playing the inscrutable master. While the matter had a potential path, success or failure was still uncertain. Until there was concrete progress, he saw no need to reveal everything. Otherwise, if it succeeded, fine, but if it failed, it would make him appear rash and impulsive, lacking in composure.

Back in his room, he sat down to cultivate his inner energy, then carefully recalled the insights from his Mian Palm practice that day, inevitably testing the techniques for generating force within the room. By the time he was done, it was late, and he turned onto his bed to sleep.

The next day, Ye Wen was unseen for the entire day, not even checking on the sect's construction projects. He only returned for dinner that evening without needing to be called, then retreated to his room again, closing the door. Ning Ruxue had no idea what her senior brother was busy with, but she didn't press the matter further; she had grown accustomed to Ye Wen's secretive ways over the past six months.

When the deadline he set for the craftsmen passed, Ye Wen finally remembered to check the progress of the construction in the front. As he walked through the pre-arranged passage to the front of the main hall, Ye Wen saw that the previously chaotic courtyard had been completely transformed. A path paved with flagstones now directly connected the main hall to the main gate.

Simultaneously, a circle of tall, brand-new perimeter walls gave the front courtyard a proper sense of place, no longer appearing as an empty expanse like the wilderness.

Seeing the results of the work, Ye Wen nodded and praised, "Not bad." He then distributed some reward money, settled part of the wages, and sent the temporarily hired craftsmen home down the mountain.

After finishing these tasks, he began to eagerly anticipate the Initiation Ceremony scheduled for the next day.