What Pei Wei had said was merely a casual complaint, not meant to be taken seriously. However, upon hearing it, Guo Nu seemed to have struck upon something. He stopped Pei Bang’s grumbling, tilted his head in deep thought for a moment, then slapped the stone table before him with a sudden realization: “Exactly! If the Shu Mountain Sect were truly peerless and unmatched, why would they allow us to march on them time and again? They should have stormed our gates long ago! There must be something strange afoot here!” The more he pondered, the more convinced he became. Guo Nu chuckled, believing he had finally grasped the crux of the matter. In his triumphant excitement, he roared with laughter, sweeping his sleeve across the table, which scattered a layer of stone dust. It turned out that his palm strike moments before had unconsciously channeled his full internal energy, leaving a distinct imprint on the stone surface. Pei Fu observed the palm print and inwardly marveled, “Elder Guo’s skill has advanced again!” Guo Nu merely smiled without speaking. Firstly, he was genuinely pleased at having figured out the secret; secondly, he meant to assert his dominance over Pei Wei Fu. Though he held the premier position among the Four Great Elders, there was no rule stating this post was his for life. Furthermore, as he rarely ventured out, and Pei Bang had only recently returned to the fold, he needed to display his capability periodically lest this subordinate view him with contempt and offer only token obedience when handling affairs.

As expected, this display immediately quelled any nascent trickery Pei Fu might have harbored. He then bowed respectfully to Guo Nu: “Since Elder Guo has realized that the Shu Mountain Sect is merely putting up a facade to intimidate us, why don't we just strike directly and annihilate them? I believe that with Elder Guo and myself joining forces, the Shu Mountain Sect will certainly be unable to resist…”

Although the content of this proposal was the same as his previous suggestion, the delivery was significantly more deferential. Pei Fu fully expected Guo Nu to agree instantly, but instead, he shook his head once more: “If I had understood the situation a few days earlier, I would surely have led the troops to assault Shu Mountain, just as Elder Pei suggested. But at present…” He paused. “We still haven't fully ascertained the true strength of the Shu Mountain Sect, though I imagine they cannot be stronger than Pei Gonglie!”

“Is it possible that the tale of the Shu Mountain Sect killing Pei Gonglie is false?”

“That event should be true!” Guo Nu sat back down, tapping the stone table lightly. “But the Shu Mountain Sect is not as formidable as we assumed. Even if they did manage to kill the Crimson Sun Divine Monarch, they must have paid a devastating price, and it likely involved a degree of coincidence! Otherwise, there is no explaining why they killed Pei Gonglie and then remained silent, quietly waiting for us to arrive!”

“The only explanation is that the Shu Mountain Sect’s power is not as great as it appears on the surface. They, too, are wary of a sudden assault from us, which is why they spread rumors to create a diversion and buy time…” At this point, Guo Nu became slightly confused again, realizing he couldn't fully reconcile the latter part of his deduction.

Pei Bang, hearing this, was equally perplexed: “Buying time? What use is buying time for them?” Such a delay seemed like it couldn't last long, and what significant action could be accomplished in such a short period?

“Calling for reinforcements, or perhaps the expert capable of matching Pei Gonglie was injured,” Guo Nu rubbed his temples. “It must be one of those two possibilities!” Neither of them believed the Shu Mountain Sect could significantly boost their strength in such a short span, as advancements in personal martial cultivation or recruiting and properly training more disciples were not achievements that could materialize quickly. Thus, this possibility was dismissed out of hand.

“Moreover, our Celestial Joy Gang has received an invitation to the Martial Arts Assembly. This grand event is of paramount importance in the martial world; we absolutely cannot miss it because of some Shu Mountain Sect!” Guo Nu casually produced a letter—a personal dispatch from the Celestial Joy Gang Leader. Since the Leader was currently undergoing a critical breakthrough in his own cultivation, he had sent this letter instructing Guo Nu to represent the Gang at the grand assembly.

Only then did Pei Fu understand why Guo Nu had said he would have joined the assault on Shu Mountain a few days prior. The critical matter now lay in the Central Plains, and once Guo Nu departed, the combat strength of the Celestial Joy Gang’s branch would inevitably drop a full tier.

He was no fool. He didn't press the issue of taking men to destroy Shu Mountain. Given that Shu Mountain had managed to kill the Crimson Sun Divine Monarch, even if their strength wasn't as overwhelming as they estimated, they must still possess at least one expert comparable to Pei Gonglie. Otherwise, how could the one who could dispatch those they deemed insignificant in a mere moment have ended up killing that madman?

In summation, the current predicament left the Celestial Joy Gang unable to divide its forces. However, Pei Fu remained confident that once Guo Nu returned from the Central Plains, the day of Shu Mountain’s demise would arrive.

“Can we simply stand by and watch the Shu Mountain Sect enjoy their peace? Perhaps I should personally venture out to test the waters—maybe the person who fought Pei Gonglie is already severely wounded!” Guo Nu shook his head: “Do not act rashly. The Shu Mountain Sect is, after all, a newly emerged sect, lacking deep roots. Although they are gaining temporary renown, this cannot last long. Dragging things out will not be disadvantageous to us!” He paused, considering further. “According to rumors, Pei Gonglie was slain by Ye Wen. Why not send a letter inviting Ye Wen over for a discussion!”

“If he dares to come, it suggests he is supremely confident, proving that the Shu Mountain Sect still hides significant power. We can then make more thorough preparations to avoid rushing in blindly only to never return. If he doesn't come, it implies he harbors reservations—either severely injured or fearful of the Celestial Joy Gang’s might. In that case, the Shu Mountain Sect is not an immediate threat, and we can address them after I return from the Central Plains!” Pei Wei considered this, feeling that Elder Guo’s plan had limited feasibility. The two factions were now mortal enemies; how could they possibly send a formal invitation for a parley?

Guo Nu chuckled slyly: “We shall march on Shu Mountain with great fanfare, making a spectacle of it, announcing our intentions to everyone as we go! I want to see how Ye Wen dares to respond!” Hearing this, Pei Bang finally grasped Guo Nu’s true calculation.

What did martial artists value most in the Jianghu? Reputation, naturally! Even a petty thief who stole kisses treasured his reputation. If the Celestial Joy Gang orchestrated such a public display, and Ye Wen refused to meet them, it would mean the Shu Mountain Sect was afraid. By the time a fight even began, the aura of the Shu Mountain Sect would already be diminished.

It was akin to two armies arrayed for battle, where one side’s main general steps forward, openly challenging an opponent to single combat, yet no one dares to answer from the opposing ranks. Morale would plummet; it might even result in a rout without a fight. (Admittedly, such a scenario is unlikely in actual warfare; military strategists should not take this too literally.)

If Ye Wen were to learn of this scheme, he would likely sigh at its cleverness. If he refused the invitation, his meager foundation might crumble even without an external assault. How could he face his enemies if his own sect leader dared not accept a formal summons?

“Elder Guo’s strategy is truly brilliant!” Pei Bang now had no choice but to admit that Guo Nu’s position as the head elder was not solely due to his martial arts prowess.

Guo Nu chuckled smugly: “What I employ is what is called an 'open scheme'—a ploy whose nature is known, yet the opponent is compelled to accept!” Pei Fu nodded ceaselessly, giving a thumbs-up of praise: “Magnificent! Truly superb!”

While the Celestial Joy Gang finalized their plans, Ye Wen, having obtained the Purple Qi Heavenly Net, practiced diligently day and night. He even rehearsed his techniques while eating and drinking, striving for absolute control over the force—able to retract or unleash it with precision down to the finest margin.

As a result, strange occurrences began happening around Ye Wen frequently.

For instance: Xu Xian, returning from sword practice, suddenly felt the sword leap clean out of its scabbard while he was walking, startling the young master.

Or Ning Ru Xue, preparing to retire for the night, found the hairpin holding her hair had vanished without a trace.

Huang Rongrong suffered the most. Often while eating, the dish she intended to pick up would jump first into someone else’s bowl, or if she reached for fruit, it would suddenly disappear the moment her hand drew near—only for her to discover moments later that the fruit was invariably dangling from the lips of Chief Ye.

Of course, these latter examples describe the situation half a month after Ye Wen acquired the Purple Qi Heavenly Net.

The initial occurrences were actually like this: Xu Xian’s sword, still sheathed, would suddenly jerk, startling him so much that he tossed the entire weapon aside.

As Ning Ru Xue walked, she would feel someone tugging at her hair, only to turn and see her senior brother’s face flushed crimson, holding an awkward posture (truly strained, not caused by internal energy).

Initially, Ning Ru Xue didn't understand what was happening. After several times, she realized Ye Wen was causing trouble. Consequently, scenes of Ning Ru Xue chasing Ye Wen with her precious sword became common in the back courtyards of Shu Mountain. Fortunately, no disciples witnessed this; the only audience, Xu Xian, diligently adhered to the maxim of seeing nothing, hearing nothing.

As for mealtimes, it was initially a disaster. After repeatedly flinging chicken legs, wings, and vegetable leaves onto everyone's faces, Ye Wen was forbidden from practicing his skills during meals for a considerable time—especially Huang Rongrong, who suffered the worst, wholeheartedly supporting the ban.

Fortunately, only these few people were eating together during those days. Xu Ping had not yet returned from his trip down the mountain, Li Sen was constantly running errands up and down the mountain almost every day, and Yue Ning was visiting her father at home.

Zhou Zhi Ruo was initially free, but as the youngest disciple, she had recently dedicated herself to studying cultural knowledge. Ye Wen’s mention of hiring tutors a few days prior hadn't been idle talk; Li Sen had managed to find a rather down-on-his-luck elderly scholar just in the past couple of days. Thus, Zhou Zhi Ruo, who possessed the weakest formal education among the disciples, began the rote memorization ordeal that Ye Wen once deeply loathed, eating her meals separately.

Ye Wen had considered asking the tutor to instruct the outer disciples as well, lest his current roster of only two students proved too light a workload—and one of them, Yue Ning, due to her family’s scholarly background, had already mastered most textbook knowledge before the age of ten.

Naturally, there was nothing profound involved; any deep knowledge would only be sought from her martial uncle, Xu Xian, and wouldn't trouble this destitute scholar.

Only the little girl Zhou Zhi Ruo, with no foundational knowledge and having only learned rudimentary things from Ye Wen, was in urgent need of formal instruction. Therefore, once the tutor was hired, Zhou Zhi Ruo became his sole student.

When they first brought Zhou Zhi Ruo to the scholar, the old man exclaimed loudly, “You expect me to teach a mere girl?” This instantly exposed him as a staunch supporter of patriarchal norms, nearly earning him a swift slice from Ning Ru Xue’s sword.

However, the scholar’s convictions proved weak. Once Ye Wen mentioned the guarantee of room, board, and wages, the old man immediately ceased muttering objections like, “A woman’s virtue lies in her ignorance!”

It was only then that Ye Wen realized this world harbored philosophical tenets similar to those in his previous life’s history, though perhaps not as dominant. Women here were not placed as low as he had initially assumed, nor was there a strict rule confining them solely to domestic duties and keeping them from public view.

Even remarriage for women was quite common and unremarkable. It was said that two princesses of the current dynasty had remarried after their imperial husbands died, and one even more formidable princess had divorced her consort outright and remarried. If princesses were treated thus, what could be said of common folk?

It was at this point that Ye Wen finally gained a somewhat three-dimensional understanding of this world. From its culture and customs to certain aspects of daily life, he had finally begun to integrate into this world.

Regardless, Ye Wen’s unrestrained practice had not been witnessed by outsiders, and he had genuinely honed his Purple Qi Heavenly Net skills considerably. Now, he frequently practiced by drawing his longsword, tossing it out, and then drawing back on the subtle energy in his hand, causing the flying sword to zip back to him instantly, pulled by the aura of the Purple Qi Heavenly Net.

Although this move possessed little immediate offensive power, Ye Wen believed that as his cultivation deepened, its lethality would multiply. After all, few people would ever think to defend against a sword thrown by their opponent!

It wasn't until Ye Wen demonstrated this move that Ning Ru Xue realized the purpose behind her senior brother’s recent eccentric behavior: “Senior Brother, were you practicing this marvelous technique these past few days?”

Ye Wen nodded, adopting a proud expression, fully expecting Ning Ru Xue to exclaim, How powerful! Senior Brother, you created such a miraculous martial art, you are truly the greatest!

Unexpectedly, Ning Ru Xue frowned and commented, “Senior Brother, couldn't you have found a better way to practice? Those antics were truly irritating!”

Completely taken aback by Ning Ru Xue’s reply, Ye Wen didn't know how to respond. He held his precious sword, stuttering awkwardly for a long moment before finally managing nothing.

“Senior Brother should search for a proper method of cultivation! Otherwise, no matter how profound this skill is, it will never amount to anything significant!” Turning away, she tossed her head back and sniffed elegantly before leaving.

Seeing Ning Ru Xue walk away, Ye Wen turned to Xu Xian, who had remained silent: “How is this technique useless in a real fight?”

Xu Xian remained silent. These past few days, he too had been thoroughly put out by Ye Wen’s sporadic, bizarre displays. Furthermore, whenever they sparred, he felt an overwhelming discomfort throughout his body. That technique, the so-called Purple Qi Heavenly Net, was too bizarre; he simply didn't know how to counter it.

Given that his cultivation was already significantly weaker than Ye Wen’s, the influence of the Purple Qi Heavenly Net was even more severe on him. Once caught in Ye Wen’s energy flow, he found movement difficult, let alone evasion.

Even if he avoided the direct contact of Ye Wen’s energy, the moment he attacked, his sword would often be deflected to another spot by the swirling air current Ye Wen casually generated. If he got too close, he risked being ensnared by that bizarre energy, rendering him able to exert only eight-tenths of his effort—a truly frustrating experience.

The only viable method was to rely on light footwork, constantly moving to avoid being targeted by Ye Wen, while occasionally launching a surprise thrust. If the attack missed, he would retreat swiftly.

But could that even be called sparring? After a few attempts, Xu Xian swore he wouldn't spar with Ye Wen again; he would rather fight his martial sister, as their skill levels were closer, allowing for some actual benefit from sparring.

Since he didn't reply, Ye Wen stopped pressing the issue, instead focusing on contemplating whether this technique could be adapted for other novel uses. Just then, Li Sen rushed in breathlessly. After bowing to both men, he hurried to state, “Master, Martial Uncle Chief, the Celestial Joy Gang is making moves!”

“Oh?” Ye Wen immediately turned his attention away from Xu Xian and directly asked, “Is the Celestial Joy Gang preparing to attack Shu Mountain?” Seeing Li Sen’s panicked haste, he assumed the entire branch of the Celestial Joy Gang was mobilizing.

To his surprise, Li Sen shook his head, his expression odd: “The Celestial Joy Gang hasn’t come to attack us. Instead, they sent someone to deliver a formal post to Martial Uncle Chief!”

“A post?” This time Ye Wen was genuinely puzzled, unsure of the meaning. “Describe the entire sequence of events clearly!”

Li Sen took a breath and stood before Ye Wen, recounting how the Celestial Joy Gang had made a grand spectacle of their actions, how they had loudly demanded a face-to-face meeting with Ye Wen. He concluded, “The Celestial Joy Gang’s messenger has already reached Linshan County and should arrive at Shu Mountain soon!”

Ye Wen fell silent upon hearing this. Even Xu Xian beside him lowered his head in deep thought. Finally, both sighed in unison: “The Celestial Joy Gang is openly trying to test us!”

However, Ye Wen felt no fear. If this had been half a month ago, he might have been apprehensive about how to handle the situation, knowing that Pei Fu and Guo Nu, two experts, were stationed at the Celestial Joy Gang branch. If he accepted the invitation, there was a real possibility of being swarmed, and he might not be able to fend them off.

But now…

Though the Purple Qi Heavenly Net hadn't increased his raw power, it had significantly enhanced his combat effectiveness and defensive capabilities. Ye Wen estimated that if he used this technique skillfully, he could maintain a stalemate even against both of them simultaneously. At the very least, escaping would be feasible.

“Guo Nu does have some cunning,” Ye Wen mused.

From the moment he heard Guo Nu had sent a formal invitation requesting his presence, Ye Wen knew his intention to stall for time had been perceived.

In fact, after mastering the Purple Qi Heavenly Net, he had already contemplated preemptive action to sow greater confusion among the enemy. He hadn't settled on a decision before the invitation arrived.

“Staying on the mountain waiting to be attacked is indeed stifling. Since they have sincerely invited me, it would be rude to refuse them outright!” He turned to Xu Xian: “I will handle this confrontation alone. I will personally meet with the elder of the Celestial Joy Gang. You and your martial sister must guard the sect gates well and continue your training, ensuring no one takes advantage of our absence to assault the mountain!”………………………… PS: Uh… Ah… Forget it. I won't say anything.