Whether it was sheer dumb luck, or if Ye Wen was truly walking a path of fortune, following the establishment of his sect at the pinnacle of Dao Sui and the thorough dismantling of the Tianle Gang, the ensuing two months saw the Shushan Sect enjoy a period of remarkable tranquility.

The 'Youjian Inn,' having undergone extensive renovation, had reopened for business. Furthermore, due to the New Year celebrations, the landlord who employed Shushan disciples as guards presented Ye Wen with a gift of gold and silver tributes. Other local landlords followed suit with their own tokens of goodwill.

It was only then that Ye Wen learned these same landlords had conspired to absorb the two minor landlords who had not initially faced compensation demands. The seized land and assets of those two families had been divided among the rest, with a portion of the land deeds ultimately being presented to Ye Wen.

"One hundred and fifty acres? These landlords are truly terrified of crossing us now!"

Receiving the deeds for one hundred and fifty acres, Ye Wen understood this was their calculated move to mend relations. Because they had hesitated in immediately employing the Shushan disciples as guards earlier, fearing the wrath of a sect capable of slaying a Tianle Gang branch leader, these landlords, while offering gifts, also expressed a willingness to reconsider hiring Shushan disciples for security. Unfortunately, Ye Wen, ever cautious of the lingering threat from the Tianle Gang, politely declined their offer. He did, however, suggest that as the Shushan Sect currently had few disciples, any young nephews or nieces of the landlords wishing to learn martial arts were welcome to enroll at Shushan.

Upon hearing this proposal, the landlords merely smiled and said they would consider it. Ye Wen, however, saw through these old foxes: they knew the current hostility between Shushan and the Tianle Gang meant a major conflict was imminent. Sending their heirs to enroll would be akin to pushing them into a fire pit.

Thus, extending courtesies and incurring minor expenses was acceptable, but offering up personnel was out of the question! Not until Ye Wen’s Shushan Sect could decisively defeat the Tianle Gang and stabilize Shushan’s standing in Pingzhou would these old schemers even contemplate sending disciples to apprentice, thereby binding their own fortunes to the sect.

Ye Wen chose not to expose their intentions, instead engaging in a few pleasantries before sending them down the mountain. He then returned to managing sect affairs.

As the year drew to a close, the volume of administrative tasks within the sect increased. Although the profits from the Youjian Inn had been reinvested into the refurbishment, the account books still needed to be presented to Ye Wen for review. Even if he only glanced over the income and expenditures without detailed scrutiny, the formality had to be observed.

He delegated the detailed accounting to Ning Ruxue, who had willingly taken on the persona of the Shushan Sect's financial manager. Handling the ledger seemed perfectly suited to her disposition.

Meanwhile, Xu Ping was formally accepted as a disciple under Ye Wen’s tutelage. On the day of the initiation, the younger ones, Yue Ning and Zhou Zhiruo, indulged in the experience of being elders. Watching a man ten years their senior address them as 'Senior Brother' left Zhou Zhiruo feeling a mix of apprehension and bashfulness. Yue Ning, however, accepted Xu Ping’s deference straightforwardly—having come from a prominent family, such bearing had been cultivated from childhood.

In addition to Xu Ping, Li Sen, whose martial arts were mediocre but whose memory was exceptionally sharp, was also admitted to the inner sect. In recent times, Li Sen had diligently connected the Shushan Sect, the Yueshan Escort Agency, the Shushan Branch Courtyard, and the Youjian Inn into a cohesive network. Information relay and various miscellaneous tasks were managed by him with impeccable order. Ye Wen felt he deserved a significant reward for such dedication to the sect’s welfare, so he welcomed him into the inner circle.

Unlike Xu Ping, Li Sen was apprenticed to Xu Xian. After thoroughly assimilating the sword techniques taught by Ye Wen, the young master of the Xu family had developed an ambition to teach disciples. He had been frequently instructing the outer sect disciples in martial arts lately, providing Ye Wen considerable relief. Moreover, after Xu Xian demonstrated his skills one day, the outer sect disciples were delighted to receive guidance from him.

Indeed, after more than a year of dedicated study, Xu Xian had developed his own insights into swordsmanship, teaching the disciples with a respectable air. At least the few diligent practitioners among the outer sect had benefited immensely, their martial arts seeing varying degrees of improvement.

Li Sen’s acceptance under Xu Xian pleased both parties greatly. The only one feeling disgruntled was Ning Ruxue, who still had not taken any apprentices.

Seeing that Xu Xian, who joined later, already had a successor, and realizing she was the only one among the current generation at Shushan without a disciple, Ning Ruxue was deeply displeased. For several days, she maintained a stern expression that frightened the newly initiated Xu Ping and Li Sen, who mistakenly assumed their 'Second Martial Uncle' was naturally ill-tempered.

Consequently, during meals or conversations, they dared not even breathe loudly, fearful of provoking the severe 'Second Martial Uncle.' After taking on a disciple, one naturally must teach diligently. Setting Li Sen aside for a moment, Xu Xian’s first act with his new apprentice was to thoroughly critique his practice of the Songfeng Sword Style, then proceed to re-teach every stance, one movement at a time, from the beginning.

In Xu Xian’s deliberately profound manner of speaking: "First, bring that Songfeng Sword Style to a respectable level, then I will teach you other things. I do this to prevent you from embarrassing the Shushan Sect later on due to insufficient foundation!"

Regardless of Li Sen’s painful yet eager resumption of sword practice, Xu Ping felt profoundly uncomfortable standing before Ye Wen, who had been scrutinizing him for quite a while without speaking, leaving Xu Ping quite anxious. He inwardly worried, 'Have I accidentally offended Master?' Unbeknownst to him, Ye Wen was actually struggling with how to guide Xu Ping’s development! Xu Ping was a practitioner of the blade; his entire skill set was rooted in saber techniques, while his hand-to-hand combat was mediocre. Even though Ye Wen had taught him the Mian Zhang (Soft Palm) technique recently, his progress had been minimal.

Not only did he fall far behind Ye Wen, but even the younger Yue Ning and Ning Ruxue showed significantly faster improvement in their bare-handed skills. In contrast, the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber technique he performed thundered with powerful momentum. While not achieving the level of a true master, it certainly possessed its own unique flair. However, Ye Wen prioritized swordsmanship in weaponry. He had only glanced at the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber a couple of times to grasp the general idea and had never practiced it seriously. Teaching basic saber moves to novices was manageable, but offering instruction on a technique the student had already begun to master would be like a duck teaching a swan to swim.

The cup of hot tea in his hand had long since grown cold, and the liquid within was gone. Ye Wen even swallowed a few tea leaves, chewing them to savor their lingering fragrance, hoping to sharpen his thoughts. After composing himself and organizing his words, he finally spoke, "My sect has always followed a tradition of single-line succession, with martial arts primarily focused on swordsmanship. Even in my generation, although there are more disciples and a greater diversity of skills, the emphasis remains on the sword. Saber techniques were merely something I conceived based on personal experience. In truth, my understanding of the blade is limited; I am not a master."

Saying this, he glanced at the still respectfully standing Xu Ping, realizing that unless he made the matter clear, his disciple would remain silent.

"I observe that you possess considerable insight into the way of the saber and may forge a path for yourself in that discipline! However, I cannot offer you much assistance in that area. I summoned you here today to ask how you wish to proceed with your choice?"

Xu Ping replied, "This disciple will follow whatever my Master deems appropriate!"

Ye Wen did not state his intentions directly, continuing instead, "I possess unique expertise in the cultivation of Internal Energy, and regardless of any martial art practiced, Inner Energy is the foundation. Therefore, whatever path you choose next, you need not worry about your internal cultivation!"

"It is only regarding external combat techniques that I excel in swordsmanship. Since your prior training was in the saber, you must now decide whether to follow me in learning the sword or continue to delve into saber techniques?"

Ye Wen was reluctant to interfere in this matter. He wished for Xu Ping to choose his own path, promising only to provide dedicated guidance once that choice was made. As for the ultimate height he might reach, that was beyond Ye Wen’s control.

Xu Ping was momentarily stunned. Only then did he understand why his Master had looked at him with such difficulty—it turned out his entire foundation was in a different discipline from the sect’s core teachings. He had never imagined this. He had assumed that Ye Wen, the originator of the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber, must be proficient in various weapons, only to be told plainly today: 'Your Master only uses the sword and does not know the saber. That saber technique was created by chance. If you want me to teach you saber skills, you might as well practice randomly on your own!'

However, was it customary in the martial world for the apprentice to dictate the curriculum? Usually, the apprentice learned whatever the master taught. Just recently, Ye Wen had taught him palm techniques, and he had diligently studied them without complaint.

What Xu Ping didn't realize was that due to the shining examples set by Yue Ning and Zhou Zhiruo, his progress in palm arts had been a source of considerable frustration for Ye Wen. Ye Wen mistakenly concluded that Xu Ping simply possessed a natural aptitude for saber techniques but was slower at grasping other skills, leading to this conversation.

With this realization, he immediately declared, "...This disciple will learn whatever Master teaches!"

"How can a disciple of the Shushan Sect be so lacking in personal judgment? Do you not know what you wish to study or pursue?" Ye Wen disliked passive followers, especially since Xu Ping, despite being his disciple, was close to his own age. If Ye Wen’s martial prowess weren't so decisively superior, Xu Ping might have found taking a master of similar age quite awkward.

Hearing Ye Wen’s reprimand, Xu Ping realized that if he failed to satisfy his Master today, even acceptance into the inner sect might result in limited prospects. Yet, forcing himself to articulate his feelings was difficult, fearing his Master’s anger.

After deep consideration, he finally gritted his teeth and stated directly, "This disciple wishes to learn Master’s sword techniques, but I also do not wish to abandon my saber arts!"

Ye Wen waited a moment, surprised by this response, and asked, "You wish for both?"

Xu Ping paused, then nodded firmly. This outcome genuinely surprised Ye Wen. However, on second thought, it was not unreasonable. Ambition provided motivation; if one was content with nothing, they might as well return home to farm. Delighted, Ye Wen declared, "Good! You have spirit. Since you wish to learn both, I will not stop you. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you sword techniques. As for the saber, you must explore that path yourself!"

He added, "This road will not be easy. If you have decided, you must put forth significantly more effort than others!"

Xu Ping bowed, "This disciple understands!"

Ye Wen waved his hand, "You may return now! Remember not to neglect your daily practice of the internal energy cultivation method I gave you. After all, only with formidable internal power can both saber moves and sword forms be executed as desired, yielding overwhelming might! If your inner energy is insufficient, no matter how exquisite your techniques, they are useless if they cannot harm an enemy!"

"Yes!"

With that exchange, Xu Ping retreated. Watching his disciple leave, Ye Wen suddenly felt this student might turn out to be an unexpected source of delight.

"Mastery of both saber and sword? That path is rarely trodden!"

However, if Xu Ping truly succeeded, it would be of immense benefit to the Shushan Sect—a prospect Ye Wen eagerly welcomed.

Having resolved Xu Ping's dilemma, Ye Wen continued his relentless focus on sect affairs day and night, while simultaneously monitoring the shifting landscape of the Pingzhou martial world. The Yueshan Escort Agency had become the primary source of intelligence. Shushan disciples shuttled constantly between the Agency and Shushan; for any major news, Yue Hang would dispatch Gongsun Mu directly to the mountain to report.

Furthermore, due to the regular visits of certain established patrons, the Youjian Inn occasionally yielded valuable scraps of information. Ye Wen spent his days sorting through this intelligence, calculating the likely date for the decisive battle against the Tianle Gang while steadily developing his sect.

In terms of his personal cultivation, he dared not slacken. Besides his mandatory daily practice in the Cold Pool, he would spend time near the entrance of the Cold Cave. This served a dual purpose: observing the giant snake residing there and testing the degree of his power progression, as the cold emanating from the cave was significantly stronger than that of the outer pool.

Based on this metric, Ye Wen began cautiously altering his practice location in the Cold Pool, inching closer to the cave entrance. Initially, he could only practice in the water at the farthest edge of the pool; now, he had advanced past one-third of the distance towards the opening.

The chilling energy in the pool water intensified. To counteract this severe cold, the circulation speed of Ye Wen’s Zixia Gong (Purple Mist Skill) nearly doubled. Had his Zixia True Qi not been inherently balanced and harmonious, the surging energy would have surely ravaged his meridians. Practicing this way, however, could not be sustained for long; typically, Ye Wen had to emerge after about an hour, as any longer would constitute suicide rather than practice.

It was through this combination of the Cold Pool and a near-reckless practice regimen that Ye Wen managed to advance his skill rapidly. His Zixia Gong had reached another level, and Ye Wen was now certain that his cultivation surpassed that of Yue Buqun. He needed no other evidence than to recall the Zixia Gong level described in the original narrative: Yue Buqun only exhibited traces of purple energy on his face and perhaps around the tip of his sword during combat.

In contrast, when Ye Wen activated his Zixia Gong now, not only did his face glow with purple light, but his arms and hands were similarly suffused. If he stripped, his entire body would be covered in it. Moreover, faint wisps of white vapor drifted off him. This phenomenon greatly surprised Ye Wen.

"This situation is quite rare; few martial arts described exhibit such an effect. If there are, they are usually powers of monstrous strength, and my current Zixia Gong cultivation has certainly not reached that zenith!"

After various speculations, the only logical explanation Ye Wen could arrive at was that the ambient spiritual energy (Yuan Qi) in this world was far richer than depicted in those typical Wuxia novels. Once one's internal energy reached a certain threshold, it could trigger changes in the surrounding Yuan Qi. This explained why true masters, upon unleashing their power, displayed various strange phenomena—like himself, like Wei Peng, like Liu Qingfeng. It also accounted for why his own cultivation progressed so quickly (even accounting for various fortunate encounters, it was still faster than expected). "This conclusion isn't exactly comforting!"

Upon reaching this hypothesis, Ye Wen felt quite gloomy, as abundant Yuan Qi implied that the ceiling for martial arts in this world was higher than he had anticipated. He wondered what level of power those true peak masters must reach, and what terrifying spectacle their attacks might conjure.

"I currently only exhibit minor phenomena; if those super masters can manipulate Yuan Qi to cause natural disasters, wouldn't that result in the demise of thousands?"

Fortunately, Ye Wen had never heard credible rumors of such occurrences, so the terrifying image of an attack triggering widespread environmental catastrophe remained purely speculative.

Taking some solace, Ye Wen grew curious about the ultimate manifestation of his Zixia Divine Art once mastered. Recalling his duel with Wei Peng, when he unleashed his full power through his left palm, the surrounding white vapor seemed to shift towards purple?

"Could it be that once the Zixia Gong is perfected, my entire body will be enveloped in purple light?"

Looking at the faint white mist still swirling around him, this speculation seemed quite plausible.

"That would be rather good; at least the appearance is impressive!"

Navigating the martial world, especially as the head of a sect, aesthetics were a crucial consideration! After all, the universal penchant for looking cool was almost innate in everyone. Otherwise, why would moves like 'rolling like a lame donkey' be so scorned? It was purely because they ruined one's image!

Dispelling the Zixia Gong, Ye Wen looked at Ning Ruxue standing nearby. She was waiting for him to finish so she could use the Cold Pool for her own practice. The siblings had staggered their training times; when one session neared its end, the next would wait on the platform just outside the path, entering only after the predecessor had emerged. Today, Ye Wen had likely taken longer, and Ning Ruxue had come to check on him, worried something might have happened.

"Junior Sister has arrived!"

"Senior Brother!"

"How is the cultivation of that technique progressing?"

Over the past two months, Ye Wen had completed two more summoning cycles. Fortunately, he had managed to summon two new internal energy manuals, which he intended to let his disciples choose from or cultivate together. However, Ning Ruxue took one set, and Xu Xian took the other; the siblings each began cultivating a different internal art. During this period, not only Ye Wen, but Ning Ruxue and Xu Xian had also devoted themselves equally to internal cultivation.

Hearing Ye Wen's question, Ning Ruxue allowed a faint smile to grace her lips: "The internal technique Senior Brother gave me is very miraculous, but it is also extremely difficult to cultivate. I haven't even managed to reach the initial stage yet!"

Ye Wen nodded: "That is not surprising. The technique you requested is vastly different from Junior Brother Xu’s, which emphasizes a steady, foundational approach. Yours is highly specialized and possesses formidable power. When cultivated deeply, it allows one to command myriad techniques using a single source of internal energy. Naturally, it is hard to master! However, with the aid of the Snake Gallbladder Cold Pool, Junior Sister, you should be able to grasp its essence within a year!"

Sigh: Sigh~ I wanted to say something, but perhaps I shouldn't. (To be continued. For future developments, please visit PiPi XiongBi, where more chapters are available to support the author and legitimate reading!)