Meeting an acquaintance, Ye Wen naturally wouldn't remain silent in his seat, especially since this acquaintance looked to be in poor shape. He rose, cupped his hands in greeting, and called out, "Daoist Master Liu!" successfully drawing the attention of the old Daoist and his two disciples onto himself.

The moment Liu Qingfeng stepped into the inn, he heard someone call out to him. Looking up, he saw it was Ye Wen, whom he hadn't seen in a year. Although Ye Wen hadn't aged much, his bearing had transformed significantly along with the deepening of his cultivation. Liu Qingfeng couldn't help but secretly praise him with just a single glance.

"Sect Master Ye." Although Liu Qingfeng was a senior figure in the martial world, Ye Wen was the dignified head of a sect; proper courtesies had to be observed, which was an unwritten rule of the Jianghu.

His two disciples, Liu Mo and Zhao Heng, were momentarily startled upon seeing Ye Wen. They vaguely sensed a change in him compared to a year ago, yet they couldn't pinpoint what exactly was different.

"Perhaps it's because his clothes are better now?"

In the end, the two could only settle on this conclusion, attributing the feeling to the fact that Ye Wen was no longer wearing the ragged attire they remembered from their last encounter.

Ever since Xu Xian joined the Shu Mountain Sect, the disciples’ living conditions had greatly improved, thanks to the abundant wealth sent by the Xu family. Only a fraction of those riches had been spent to date. Simultaneously, large quantities of cloth and silk had been used to make numerous garments, meaning Ning Ruxue and Ye Wen no longer had to wear the same worn-out clothes they had for ages.

The desire for beauty is common to all, and as the head of a sect, Ye Wen certainly couldn't maintain such a shabby appearance forever. Thus, his current attire was quite similar to that of a young master from a wealthy family. Coupled with Ye Wen's already striking features, he was now a match for Xu Xian, each possessing distinct charms.

Because of his refined dress, his entry into the main hall for a meal had initially attracted considerable attention. Some assumed he was a young master from a noble lineage out for leisure, while others with ill intentions began scheming about how to seize Ye Wen, who clearly looked well-off. Little did they know that Ye Wen, relying on his profound internal energy, had overheard their murmurs. He scoffed inwardly but paid them no mind.

"If they dare to approach, I'll make sure none of them return alive."

However, the sudden appearance of Liu Qingfeng made Ye Wen completely forget about those plotting individuals, perhaps even forgetting his own immediate plans. He gestured for Liu Qingfeng to sit down before inquiring, "What ails you, Daoist Master Liu?"

Liu Qingfeng possessed none of the ethereal grace he exhibited when they met last year. His face was slightly sallow, and his walk was somewhat unsteady; without his two disciples supporting him, he might have already collapsed. He held his right hand pressed perpetually between his chest and abdomen, occasionally coughing—it was clear even to the least observant eye how dire his condition was.

Given Liu Qingfeng's level of cultivation, it was unlikely he would contract a common illness easily. Considering that he had been traveling south with his disciples a year prior to broaden their horizons, the most probable cause was that Daoist Liu had been injured in combat.

Indeed, when Ye Wen inquired, Liu Qingfeng replied, "This old Daoist's skill proved insufficient; I was struck in the chest and abdomen by a palm strike and suffered an internal injury, which is why I am like this." The old Daoist was remarkably composed, showing no sign of shame, speaking with an air of ease, even managing a slight smile.

Ye Wen genuinely admired such a breadth of mind, but he was intensely curious about who could inflict such damage on a master like Liu Qingfeng, especially as he had only just detected signs of movement from the Tianle Gang. Could this incident be related to them?

"Daoist Master Liu, is this injury perhaps from...?"

Liu Qingfeng understood Ye Wen's implied question. He merely smiled, waved his hand, and replied, "It wasn't them. I sustained this injury while sparring with someone during my travels in the Central Plains. It was a fair contest, and I was simply outmatched. It can be considered self-inflicted humiliation."

Ye Wen was somewhat perplexed by Liu Qingfeng admitting defeat and calling it self-inflicted humiliation. Was there some hidden context to this matter?

Before he could ask, Liu Qingfeng's younger disciple, Zhao Heng, interjected, "That man was utterly unreasonable. Master was merely arguing for justice. What kind of hero relies on brute force when he has no leg to stand on? And this man is supposedly someone of note in the martial world!"

Ye Wen glanced at Zhao Heng, thinking that while the disciple had gained much experience during his year away and lost his former arrogance, his temper seemed just as sharp.

Hearing his disciple’s outburst, Liu Qingfeng coughed and admonished him sternly: "Where in the Jianghu is there so much room for reason? All that matters is a pair of fists and the weapons in hand. If you can defeat your opponent, you can seize the argument, even if you were in the wrong. Do you think the Hushan Sect maintains its standing in Pingzhou simply by appealing to reason? If your skill is lacking, it’s lacking. What use are endless words?"

This rebuke shamed Zhao Heng into silence, unable to retort a single word, merely bowing his head and repeating, "Master teaches wisely."

Ye Wen also inwardly admired the sentiment: "Daoist Master Liu sees things clearly. These words, though harsh, are the truth. In the Jianghu, reason often fails. When your fist is harder, even if your justification is weak, others dare not question you."

If everything relied solely on righteous principles, a large portion of the martial sects would surely have to close their doors. Not to mention, did the Tianle Gang achieve its current influence through argumentation? What justification could a scoundrel who incites others to force decent women into prostitution possibly possess?

Ye Wen and Liu Qingfeng failed to notice that because they hadn't kept their voices low, the surrounding tables had overheard their exchange. Most people were startled to learn that the old man was a master from the Hushan Sect, and several individuals with slight reputations in Pingzhou even considered approaching Liu Qingfeng to strike up a beneficial acquaintance.

As for the ruffians who had intended to target Ye Wen, upon hearing that the old Daoist was a master from the Hushan Sect, they immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Seizing a moment when the others weren't looking, they quickly settled their bill and slipped out.

"That was close, that was close. If we had accidentally provoked the Hushan Sect tonight, we might not live to see tomorrow," one of them said, wiping sweat from his brow outside.

The person next to him snorted, "Why worry about tomorrow? If we had actually made a move tonight, next year at this time would likely be our death anniversary." Seeing his brothers look confused, he continued, "Didn't you notice how the Hushan master addressed that handsome young man?"

His reminder made everyone recall that when Liu Qingfeng entered and greeted Ye Wen, he had called him 'Sect Master Ye.' This clearly indicated that the young man was also an extraordinary figure. Regardless of his specific sect, his very identity as a genuine martial artist meant these petty thugs couldn't afford to provoke him.

"Fortunately... fortunately..."

Ignoring the hoodlums, after talking for a while, Ye Wen perceived that Liu Qingfeng's injuries were severe, possibly affecting his meridians. He couldn't help but ask, "Just who managed to injure Daoist Master Liu to this extent?" He knew Liu Qingfeng’s Tiger Yang Inner Energy was formidable; in terms of cultivation, Ye Wen wasn't confident he could completely suppress Liu Qingfeng.

Hearing the question, Liu Qingfeng did not conceal anything: "This old Daoist was injured by Pei Gonglie, known in the Jianghu as the Crimson Sun Divine Monarch." At this, he sighed again, "I thought my cultivation, while perhaps not top-tier in the Central Plains, was respectable enough. Now I realize I still underestimated the heroes of the world."

Upon hearing this, the two disciples beside him exchanged looks, their faces turning very grim. The younger disciple, Zhao Heng, even showed a trace of horror, suggesting the Crimson Sun Divine Monarch had greatly intimidated them both.

Ye Wen's expression remained unchanged, yet he observed everything. Seeing this scene, he was secretly startled: "It seems Daoist Liu didn't last more than a few exchanges under the Crimson Sun Divine Monarch, otherwise he wouldn't look like this."

His guess was correct. Before Ye Wen could ask further, he saw Liu Qingfeng speak with self-mockery: "This old Daoist only managed to exchange fewer than ten moves with the Crimson Sun Divine Monarch before he struck me here,"—he pointed to the area he had been pressing—"and then I lost all ability to fight. Even to this day, the injury has not healed."

Hearing Liu Qingfeng's words, Ye Wen was genuinely shocked. Guessing was one thing, but hearing it firsthand was another. Moreover, while he had suspected Liu Qingfeng suffered a bad defeat, he hadn't anticipated it being this devastating.

"Fewer than ten moves?"

Liu Qingfeng nodded: "Fewer than ten moves..." He then coughed a few more times, as if adding a heavy emphasis to his failure.

Ye Wen gasped. He had previously heard that the strength of the Pingzhou martial world greatly lagged behind the Central Plains, but he hadn't imagined the gap was this vast.

Liu Qingfeng was, after all, a known master in the Pingzhou region. While there were many peers comparable to him in Pingzhou, there weren't too many. Yet, the moment Daoist Liu reached the Central Plains, he was reduced to utter trash, dispatched with a casual move. The disparity seemed almost too exaggerated?

While still reeling in shock, Liu Qingfeng across from him suddenly frowned, his forehead beaded with sweat, and a strange crimson tint broke through his waxy yellow complexion. His expression became distorted with pain.

The two disciples immediately rushed to support their master upon seeing this, preventing him from collapsing from the agony, though all they could do was offer physical support. An internal injury of this severity was beyond their capacity to assist with.

Their original purpose in returning to Pingzhou was precisely to escort their master back to the sect so the leader could treat him. They hadn't expected to run into Ye Wen here.

P.S.: So unlucky~ I had almost finished writing this chapter when a massive thunderstorm hit... power outage... Thankfully, the power returned, and I managed to recover a part from WORD; otherwise, I would have cried myself dead.