Ye Wen could not for a moment imagine that the Zhengquan Sect would actively seek trouble, and judging by what the disciple said, their arrival was aggressive, clearly indicating some underlying motive.

Yet Ye Wen feared them not. Even if they did storm the gates, he was confident enough now to send them packing in utter humiliation. Still, he had been planning to deal with these minor pests on Mount Shu anyway, and was just looking for a proper excuse. In a way, this could be an opportunity for the Shu Mountain Sect to grow stronger.

"Lead the way! I want to see exactly what this Zhengquan Sect is up to!"

With a casual wave, Ye Wen instructed the doorkeeper disciple to guide him. Soon, Ye Wen arrived at the front courtyard of the Shu Mountain Sect. There stood the contingent from the Zhengquan Sect, accompanied by a sprawling crowd behind them. It seemed the Zhengquan Sect had called for reinforcements, though Ye Wen couldn't fathom why these other factions would join them in stirring up trouble at Shu Mountain.

The moment he appeared, a barrage of shouts erupted: "The Shu Mountain Sect bullies people too much! Do you think Mount Shu is your private territory?" Amidst the various cries, this specific accusation was the loudest and clearest to Ye Wen’s ears.

Upon seeing their Sect Master, the outer disciples who had been braced for a fight immediately retreated to his side. The disciple who had been guarding the mountain gate reported, "Reporting to the Sect Master, besides the Zhengquan Sect members, there are about twenty other gangs and sects from Mount Shu—some as large as the Zhengquan Sect, and some as small as just one or two people. They all stormed up here demanding an explanation from the Shu Mountain Sect!"

Ye Wen nodded, assessing the disciple and finding him quite astute. However, dealing with the immediate confrontation was paramount.

Glancing back, he saw Liu Qingfeng had also emerged, with his young disciple Zhao Heng standing behind him. Beside Ye Wen stood mostly outer disciples; his direct disciples were too young to be of use here.

As for Ning Ruxue? She had injured her foot yesterday and was still moving with difficulty. Coupled with her temperament, her presence might only cause more trouble! Xu Xian, presumably, was deep in a critical phase of his cultivation. Moreover, the Desolate Valley where Xu Xian resided could only be found by Ye Wen himself. But surely he couldn't just tell the enraged mob, "Hold on a moment, I need to step away!"?

It seemed, then, that he would have to resolve this matter alone.

Stepping forward, Ye Wen addressed the assembly: "May I ask why you have all honored my Shu Mountain Sect with your visit?"

With this single sentence, Ye Wen had secretly channeled his internal energy. Thus, despite the overwhelming noise in the courtyard, his voice carried clearly, effortlessly suppressing many of the surrounding sounds. Everyone present distinctly heard his words. Many with weaker cultivation even felt a dull ringing in their heads, as if someone had suddenly shouted right beside their ear without warning.

Some muttered in astonishment, "Such potent internal energy!" Zhang Gui, who had previously clashed with Ye Wen, secretly remarked to someone beside him, "His internal arts seem to have improved again!"

After that single statement, the plaza fell silent. Countless martial artists stared, somewhat dumbfounded, at Ye Wen standing alone, seemingly facing hundreds of people.

However, those with stronger cultivation reacted quicker. Seeing the Shu Mountain Sect Master had appeared, they exchanged glances. Finally, a man around thirty years old stepped forward, positioning himself opposite Ye Wen, and announced loudly, "We have come today to ask the Shu Mountain Sect one question: Does the Shu Mountain Sect regard the heroes of Mount Shu as nothing?"

Ye Wen observed the man. Though handsome and possessing decent cultivation, his opening remarks immediately lumped him in with the masses, clearly a manipulative tactic. Ye Wen instantly felt no goodwill towards him, and his reply was coolly indifferent: "What is the meaning of this?"

Perhaps Ye Wen's unexpectedly cold reception surprised the man slightly. In this man's estimation, anyone facing such an impassioned crowd storming their gates should naturally be agitated. It would seem normal behavior to be slightly more courteous when seeking negotiation.

But Ye Wen’s patience was thin. Seeing the man pause to contemplate something instead of speaking, Ye Wen pressed: "If you do not know, then call forth the one who does to speak with me!"

This display made the man's brow furrow deeply. He seemed utterly unable to comprehend what gave this young Shu Mountain Sect Master the confidence to be so aggressive, as if this hundred-plus crowd held the weight of mere ants in his eyes.

Especially since the young man didn't seem to grant him, a noted figure on Mount Shu, the courtesy of being seen as an equal worthy of dialogue.

"Perhaps he does not know who I am?"

He cupped his hands and announced, "I am Wang Shu, Sect Master of the Zhengquan Sect..."

"Ah, Sect Master Wang! My apologies for my lack of courtesy!" Unfortunately, Ye Wen returned the salute perfunctorily. While his words spoke of apology, his expression showed no such sentiment; instead, it retained a hint of impatience.

Ye Wen did not actually need to be told who Wang Shu was. The moment he stepped onto the plaza, his eyes had immediately recognized the Zhengquan Sect members he had previously routed. Zhang Gui and Shi Cui were both present, and this middle-aged man stood before them. With Zhang Gui and Shi Cui standing obediently behind, Ye Wen had instantly deduced the man’s identity.

He also suspected the Zhengquan Sect was behind this incident, which was why he offered Wang Shu no pleasantries. According to Ye Wen’s old temper, not charging forward to fight immediately was already proof of significant progress in his mental cultivation.

After this exchange, Wang Shu finally understood he wouldn't receive any pleasantries from Ye Wen today. His face darkened, and he cut to the chase: "Sect Master Ye puts on quite the air. If others didn't know, one would think the Shu Mountain Sect was the preeminent power on Mount Shu!"

"I dare not claim such honor!" Ye Wen responded, but his smiling nod was profoundly irritating, clearly communicating to Wang Shu: Indeed, our Shu Mountain Sect is the top power on Mount Shu!

This infuriated Wang Shu, who had always believed the Zhengquan Sect was the number one martial force on Mount Shu, perhaps even in the entire Shushan County, provoking him to a violent rage. He roared, "I won't speak of trivialities; let us discuss today’s matter!"

Only then did Ye Wen grant Wang Shu a direct look. In truth, Ye Wen was genuinely curious what pretext the Zhengquan Sect had conjured to instigate this confrontation. He felt his sect and disciples had been quite low-profile recently, rarely leaving the mountain, focusing solely on cultivation. How had the Zhengquan Sect managed to seize hold of a handle?

Therefore, the doubt in his gaze was genuine. Yet, to the onlookers, this display looked like mere pretense.

"Sect Master Ye, why did you send men to smash the stele at the foot of the mountain engraved with the words 'Mount Shu' and replace it with another engraved with 'Shu Mountain'?" Wang Shu recalled the matter with indignation, especially given the pressure the Shu Mountain Sect had recently exerted on him: "Do you think Mount Shu belongs solely to the Shu Mountain Sect? You can just change the mountain's name at will?"

At these words, Ye Wen was first stunned, then convinced Wang Shu was lying. However, seeing the indignant expressions on everyone present, he confirmed Wang Shu’s claim was not fabricated.

At this point, Ye Wen was genuinely confused. He had certainly not ordered anyone to do such a thing!

Fortunately, a nearby disciple stepped forward and spoke to Ye Wen, "The disciple knows about this. Recently, the Sect Master was busy treating True Man Liu’s injuries; this was ordered by Old Madam Xu!"

The disciple did not intentionally lower his voice, so many in the crowd overheard this. This revelation caused a massive ripple. Many who merely survived on Mount Shu were instantly taken aback to hear that the Xu family had sent people to do this.

After all, everyone on Mount Shu knew that the Young Master Xu Xian had been accepted as a disciple by the Shu Mountain Sect, and the Xu family had sent a considerable gift on the day of the apprenticeship. Regarding changing the mountain's name, it was likely an attempt to curry favor with the Shu Mountain Sect, offering a cheap favor.

If that was the case, then their aggressive march up the Shu Mountain Sect’s gates with the Zhengquan Sect seemed rather rash, as, fundamentally, the Shu Mountain Sect hadn't committed the act!

Ye Wen now looked enlightened, but in a flash, he looked toward the Zhengquan Sect members nearby. He waved the disciple back and announced loudly, "Although this matter was not carried out by the Shu Mountain Sect, it arose because of us. Therefore, the Shu Mountain Sect accepts responsibility! Consider it done as if I ordered the name change. How do you wish to proceed, sirs?"

This declaration caused many people to secretly give Ye Wen a thumbs-up, praising, "A true man, a genuine hero! Such responsibility!" After all, martial world practitioners respected those who dared to bear responsibility the most. With Ye Wen’s words, more than half of the hundred-plus people present let go of their resentment. Instead, they felt the Shu Mountain Sect truly possessed the bearing of a great power, and its Sect Master was an upright man.

This turn of events suddenly made the Zhengquan Sect members panic. Wang Shu listened to the murmurs rising from behind him— "Sect Master Ye is truly the finest hero in Shushan County, so responsible!" "Sect Master Ye is truly manly; for his sake, we’ll let this matter go today!"—and inwardly panicked, thinking, Today’s affair is ruined!

Glancing around, he saw that many people were no longer inclined to pursue the matter—most understood it was impossible to pursue anyway; many had only come to shout a bit and establish their presence. Realizing the front he had painstakingly built using the name change was disintegrating, Wang Shu sensed that pressing further would likely be detrimental to himself and the Zhengquan Sect.

As the leader of the Zhengquan Sect, besides being skilled in martial arts, Wang Shu was naturally sharp. Seeing the situation, he immediately decided to retreat for now and deliberate further another day. He then said, "Sect Master Ye is indeed a true hero. Since this matter was not carried out by the Shu Mountain Sect, we shall depart now!"

But before his words fully landed, Ye Wen drawled lazily from his position, "To come when you please and leave when you wish—what kind of place do you take the Shu Mountain Sect for? Do you truly think our Shu Mountain Sect is easy to bully?"

P.S.: The veteran author of competitive football novels, Biergaizi, returns with a new book, Rebellious Front. Readers familiar with my previous work should enjoy this one. The link is below. [bid=1938670,bnme=《》] [.16U