A string of names came out, and while the others didn't find it particularly amusing, Ye Wen was nearly doubled over with laughter! Yet, he had to maintain a perfectly solemn expression on his face, which was terribly difficult.

Fortunately, Xu Xian's next few words diffused the tension, otherwise, Ye Wen might not have managed to hold it in.

“Senior Brother, these names are quite good. For example, that one, Degang, has quite a fine meaning!”

The suppressed laughter nearly burst out again. Ye Wen had initially thought of that name himself, but imagining calling A’Niu by it—he’d constantly picture that round fellow, which was unbearable. He couldn't possibly laugh hysterically every time he called the name, could he?

“Let’s drop that name. I suddenly recall a rather unreliable person who shares that name…”

“De...,”

Xu Xian started to ask for details, but then reconsidered. If he hadn't known the person, it wouldn't matter, but since he did, sharing a name would indeed be awkward. So, he stopped talking and moved on to discuss the other names.

After explaining each name one by one, Ye Wen realized that the names he had casually suggested each carried some hidden meaning, and he could spin a rationale for any one of them. Thinking of this, Ye Wen felt a sudden surge of respect for the language he'd spoken since childhood: “What excellent language and writing, yet they don't study it properly! Instead, they go learn that tongue-twisting foreign script! What is there to promote in a garbage language where even a simple, direct term like ‘retarded’ requires half a day of explanation?” Ye Wen’s resentment stemmed entirely from cramming for that damned exam during university, reciting things day in and day out just to pass. Who would have thought back then that he would end up in a world where Chinese was the primary language? All that effort had been utterly wasted.

His mind wandered too far; he quickly reined it in. After much discussion among them, they finally settled on the character Jing (). Xu Xian explained that the name implied peace and stability, as well as respectfulness and propriety—a perfect fit for the honest and simple Guo A’Niu.

Unbeknownst to them, Ye Wen smacked his lips twice and muttered internally, "It is fate!" He then announced to A’Niu, “The name I have chosen for you is Jing. From now on, your formal name shall be Guo Jing. You should stop using the name A’Niu!”

Guo A’Niu—now called Guo Jing—was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed his thanks. However, he finished with a questioning look: “Master, which Jing is this name?”

Guo Jing had grown up in the countryside, his family poor, and he had never received any formal schooling. The characters he knew could be counted on one hand. Now that he had joined the Shu Mountain Sect, he had learned a little from the scholarly master who taught him, but his vocabulary remained limited. Hearing his master bestow a formal name upon him filled him with joy, yet he was quite puzzled about how to write the character.

Ye Wen paused, then understood the crux of the matter. He asked someone nearby to fetch paper and brush, then boldly inscribed the character Jing onto the paper. He handed it to Guo Jing, telling him to practice diligently back in his quarters so that in the future, he wouldn't be laughed at for not even knowing how to write his own name, which would reflect poorly on the Shu Mountain Sect’s teaching methods.

“Thank you, Master!” Guo Jing bowed respectfully, accepted the character, and returned to tidy his bedding. From now on, he wouldn't need to stay in the outer disciples' quarters; he would move into the inner disciples' dormitory. This would not only signify his elevated status but also allow him to be closer to hear his Master’s teachings.

However, when it came to actual instruction, Ye Wen ran into a snag.

“Jing’er…” He murmured to himself, feeling slightly strange, then continued seriously, “Your nature is pure and simple. Many of our Sect’s techniques rely on intricate changes and maneuvers, which might not suit you. For now, I have only one of the simplest techniques to impart. If you practice it well, making a name for yourself with it won't be difficult.”

After speaking, Ye Wen exchanged a glance with Xu Xian. This man, who had just been promoted to Third Senior Brother and was no longer the youngest apprentice, cheerfully unhooked the large object from his back and smiled at Guo Jing: “Youngest Martial Brother, this heavy sword I carry came from Master. It has helped me immensely these past days, and now it must be yours!”

Hearing it was Master’s possession, how could Guo Jing not accept it with extreme reverence and care? Yet, the moment the heavy sword entered his hands, Guo Jing felt its immense weight. Even with his already considerable arm strength, he needed to circulate his internal energy just to hold it steady.

“Although our Sect has a diverse range of skills, swordsmanship is paramount. When I was training, I occasionally realized a method of using a heavy sword to temper my arm strength, allowing my swordsmanship to advance further. I discovered that practicing with this heavy sword not only strengthens the arms but also cultivates internal energy, greatly benefiting cultivation! In the future, carry this heavy sword whenever you have free time to train; your progress will surpass that of ordinary people by far!”

Guo Jing didn't overthink it, only hearing about the many benefits of using this thing, and laughed, “Thank you, Master!”

Ye Wen nodded. “In addition, I once used this heavy sword to enact a set of Heavy Sword techniques. This style is completely different from conventional swordsmanship; it doesn't focus on nimbleness and change. Instead, the moves are extremely straightforward, direct, emphasizing using clumsiness to overcome skill, brute force to overwhelm others—one strength conquers ten skills! I see your arm strength is extraordinary, making you the most suitable person to practice this style. I shall pass this sword technique on to you, and from now on, this heavy sword is yours!”

In truth, this heavy sword technique was the Xuan Tie Swordplay used by Yang Guo. The style had few set moves, revolving only around basic stances like thrusting, lifting, sweeping, churning, and smashing. The difficulty lay in cultivating one's internal power to such a formidable degree.

Although Guo Jing’s inner power cultivation was shallow, his brute strength was unmatched. Coupled with the several dozen pounds of the heavy sword, smashing people with it would yield significant power!

Seeing Guo Jing still staring intently at the heavy sword in his hand, Ye Wen summoned the sternness of a Master: “Today, we won't practice anything else. We’ll start by having you acclimate to the weight of this heavy sword!” He instructed Guo Jing to assume a horse stance, then hold the heavy sword with both hands extended forward, gripping the hilt, ensuring the sword remained perfectly level—not allowed to rise even slightly, nor permitted to sag downwards.

“Hold that for one hour!”

“Yes, Master!”

Guo Jing was simple and loyal; upon receiving his Master's order, he carried it out without compromise. Ye Wen didn't even bother supervising; after ensuring the posture was set, he went straight to teach Liu Muyan calligraphy.

The issue was that since Liu Muyan had become Ye Wen’s student, Guo Jing’s seniority—whether he was the Fourth or Fifth Martial Brother—had been troubling Ye Wen for quite some time. If Guo Jing was the Fourth Disciple, Liu Muyan had indeed joined earlier. If Liu Muyan was the Fourth Disciple, he wasn't here to learn martial arts.

The entanglement arose because although Liu Muyan wasn't learning any profound martial arts, he treated Ye Wen with the respect due to a master, which made it hard for Ye Wen not to treat him as a direct disciple; learning calligraphy was also learning a skill.

Fortunately, Guo Jing was currently the youngest, so for now, just calling him ‘Youngest Martial Brother’ caused no trouble. Ye Wen considered waiting a few days until Liu Muyan’s calligraphy practice showed significant progress, then he would properly assess his intentions. If he had no desire to remain at Shu Mountain, Ye Wen would let him leave. If he continued to respect Ye Wen as his master, Ye Wen couldn't treat him as an outsider forever, so he might as well let him formally join the Shu Mountain Sect before letting him go.

As for Liu Muyan’s martial talent? A few days ago, he had mentioned he couldn't even defeat Guo Jing. At the time, Ye Wen thought this was only natural, as everyone assumed Guo Jing was the worst martial artist in the Shu Mountain Sect. Liu Muyan had only been learning for a short while, and even with Ye Wen watching over him, his progress shouldn't have been that fast.

But now that he knew Guo Jing was actually a genius—though he only learned the rudimentary First Ancestor's Long Fist, his combat strength was unmatched among the outer disciples. Not to mention Liu Muyan, none of the many outer disciples could defeat Guo Jing. Even several of the original twenty disciples who joined earlier had participated in the recent grand competition, and they were all defeated and knocked off the stage by Guo Jing’s single punch without any suspense.

“In that case, I need to ask in detail exactly how long Liu Muyan lasted under Guo Jing’s hands…”

A moment later…

“What? One move?” Ye Wen opened his mouth, then found he was utterly speechless, left only staring in shock at this person he wasn't sure whether to call a student or a disciple.

Liu Muyan also nodded with a look of shame. Being defeated in a single move was too humiliating—it was no wonder he hadn't entertained the idea of refining his martial arts. Even Guo Jing winning first place in the competition couldn't change his mind.

“When I am free, I sparred with Martial Brother Guo (Liu Muyan joined the Sect later than Guo Jing, so he called him Senior Brother, but Guo Jing, believing he had been taken in by the Master earlier, also called him Senior Brother—so these two’s mutual deference led to very confusing terms). Every time, I was struck on the chest by Martial Brother Guo’s punch, and then I couldn't even catch my breath, naturally making further competition impossible…”

Saying this, Liu Muyan looked a little embarrassed, fidgeting slightly as he spoke, causing the characters he was writing to look crooked and misshapen.

“Focus! Concentrate your Qi!”

With a sharp reprimand, Ye Wen didn't know what else to say. Liu Muyan couldn’t even take one move; it seemed he truly had no talent. If he were to learn martial arts, there probably wasn't anything suitable for him. Coupled with his advanced age, his meridians were already set, making any great achievement in internal arts unlikely in this lifetime—unless he had some rare chance encounter or a special technique that could change his tendons and forge his bones, improving his physical condition; otherwise, mastery would be out of reach.

“The Yi Jin Jing, Xi Sui Jing, and the bone-forging chapter of the Nine Yin Manual all seem to have similar effects… It’s a pity I don’t have any of those techniques. Among the few manuals I possess, only the Quanzhen Xinfa has no strict requirement for aptitude and can achieve a considerable level through diligent practice. The other cultivation methods demand harsh prerequisites; practicing them without sufficient talent would only harm the practitioner. It’s better not to teach him.”

He glanced at Liu Muyan. The student was now quietly concentrating, focusing on his calligraphy. Although the characters were neat and unremarkable at this moment, they were already infinitely better than the bizarre, abstract scribbles from before. If Liu Muyan was as well-read as he claimed, this level of writing would be sufficient for him to pass examinations.

However, this disciple possessed a certain pride, stating that since he was learning, he intended to learn the best. Having finally found a master calligrapher, simply writing neatly wouldn't do justice to his Master’s reputation. Ye Wen agreed with this sentiment and continued teaching him.

But calligraphy required persistence; a personal style only emerged after years of writing and gaining insight. Although Liu Muyan’s calligraphy had improved immensely, he was still far from becoming a true master. However, if his goal was merely to write beautifully, giving him examples of famous masters' scripts to imitate wouldn't be difficult to achieve.

For this purpose, Ye Wen specifically copied several Daoist canonical texts and bound the printed volumes into copybooks, presenting them to Liu Muyan as models for practice. With this, Ye Wen had very little left to instruct directly, only needing to check in occasionally to see his progress or clarify any confusion—for instance, why Ye Wen’s brushstrokes produced certain effects when writing certain characters, or how Ye Wen controlled the force of his wrist.

Even detailed explanations took less than fifteen minutes, after which he would have little to do except sit nearby and drink tea.

Previously, he had written alongside Liu Muyan, but after day after day of writing, he grew weary. Ye Wen suddenly remembered he hadn't painted in ages and thought perhaps painting some landscapes would be a pleasant diversion.

He acted immediately. Since the Shu Mountain Sect became wealthy, it had accumulated countless miscellaneous items. Setting aside books, the supplies for calligraphy—paper, ink, brushes—could fill a warehouse on the mountain. Even watercolors for painting were all available; if you could think of it, you could find it.

The study Ye Wen specifically used to teach Liu Muyan was stacked with volumes of ancient texts and always kept these painting supplies ready. Recalling this, he didn't need to call anyone; he just turned around, took out everything he needed from the cabinet.

Lifting the brush, Ye Wen suddenly recalled that after being busy with the grand competition, which had concluded, he should start thinking about the matters between himself and his Junior Sister.

Thinking of Ning Ruxue, Ye Wen wanted to paint a portrait of his Junior Sister. If it turned out well, giving it to her might bring a smile to her face.

“So be it!”

The scroll was unfurled, and Ye Wen put brush to paper. As his inspiration peaked, he became completely oblivious to his surroundings. His brush darted and weaved—at its peak, it seemed as if two hands were wielding two brushes simultaneously. Liu Muyan, who had been concentrating on his writing, suddenly noticed his Master’s face alight with brilliance, his brush flying so rapidly that it was nearly a blur, leaving Liu Muyan staring dumbfounded. He secretly praised, “Master’s divine skill! If I could learn even a fraction of it, I would be content!”

He understood that Ye Wen’s ability to wield the brush with such masterful control, without any unevenness in force, was built upon a deep foundation of martial arts. If he tried to move his own brush that fast, the characters he was writing perfectly might end up like ghostly scrawls, indecipherable to ordinary eyes.

Therefore, Liu Muyan deeply envied Ye Wen’s effortless control over his brushwork. During the most spectacular parts, he nearly exclaimed in applause but restrained himself for fear of startling his Master.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Xian entered slowly, holding a scroll. Seeing Ye Wen’s brush dancing, he chuckled lightly, “Senior Brother has started painting again!”

Hearing this, Liu Muyan desperately wanted to make a ‘quiet down’ gesture toward his Martial Uncle Xu Xian, but his profound respect for seniority and hierarchy forbade him from acting so disrespectfully toward Xu Xian, who was reputed to be a scholar—even though he hadn't been fond of Xu Xian before, upon learning he was his Martial Uncle, he treated him with utmost respect.

Xu Xian noticed his anxiety and smiled reassuringly, “Don't worry. Once Senior Brother enters this state, ordinary sounds cannot reach his ears. Unless you snatch the scroll from in front of him, you won't be able to wake him!”

Liu Muyan marveled even more, concluding that his Master had reached a state of oneness with Heaven and Earth, detached from external objects. Yet, he inwardly wondered: Since Master is a martial artist, wouldn't remaining in this state constantly create an opportunity for sneak attacks?

Xu Xian didn't offer further explanation, walking over to Ye Wen’s side to quietly observe the painting scroll before him. On the pure white canvas, a graceful figure was beginning to take shape. The rather familiar face belonged unmistakably to his Senior Sister, but the expression and demeanor were ones Xu Xian had never witnessed.

Furthermore, the floating white skirt the woman wore, and the colorful ribbons fluttering around her waist and neck, were also unfamiliar to him… Most importantly, the woman in the painting was barefoot. Those bare feet were rendered with such lifelike realism, it seemed as if a pair of three-inch golden lotuses had been placed directly onto the paper. The sight of that jade-like whiteness made one’s heart yearn to reach out and touch them.

“This is Senior Sister…”

At this moment, Ye Wen returned to normal, staring at the painting with a furrowed brow. He had been lost in the excitement of the painting; his brush had moved like a dragon, moving without pause. The entire painting was finished in one breath, almost subconsciously capturing the image that flashed through his mind. He had intended to paint a heroic female knight, but unexpectedly, he had drawn this.

“I don’t think it looks much like her,” Xu Xian observed again. He saw that the face was indeed his Senior Sister’s, but the complexion, expression, and clothing were not things his Senior Sister would ever wear. Although the Senior Sister had shown more feminine traits lately and wore skirts more often, she had never donned such luxurious attire, reminiscent of a courtesan.

Besides the clothing, one other detail made Xu Xian very surprised: “I didn’t expect Senior Brother to have such a fondness for this sort of thing…” Though he didn't point directly, his expression was perfectly clear. He didn't dare look at the painting too long, fearing his Senior Brother might get angry and beat him.

Ye Wen offered no explanation, as he felt he had none to give. Xu Xian didn't know, but couldn't Ye Wen himself tell what he had drawn? The clothing, the bare feet—this was unmistakably Elder Hua. He hadn't realized his subconscious had sketched out that temptress. Worse, he had drawn those bare feet so vividly. If his Senior Sister saw this, wouldn’t she tear him limb from limb?

“Do I still miss that enchantress?” Ye Wen stroked his chin, looking at the figure on the painting, who seemed like an immortal beauty about to soar away on the wind, pondering to himself. “Or is it that men are inherently predisposed to covet what they can’t have?”

There was no answer to these questions. Ye Wen casually picked up the scroll, removed the rollers from both ends, leaving only the paper, and carelessly rolled it up before turning back from behind the desk.

Xu Xian felt a pang of heartache seeing Ye Wen treat such a fine painting so carelessly. He said softly, “Senior Brother, be careful. It’s such a beautiful piece of art; treating it like this is too wasteful!”

Ye Wen didn't care. He merely replied, “Wasteful of what? I’m about to burn it!” Without waiting for Xu Xian to inquire further, he walked to the section with the furnace in the side room, opened the lid, and tossed the paper inside!

“Others might not recognize it, but my Senior Sister certainly will. Keeping this painting is inviting disaster; burning it cleanly is the best solution…” PS: Choosing Guo Jing seems to be everyone's wish… Also, anyone trying to bribe me is a bad person!