For the next few days, Ning Ruxue indeed refused to acknowledge Ye Wen, though as the days passed, it wasn't quite as bad as that initial day when she wouldn't even grant him a proper glance.

By the time they reached the capital city, she was finally willing to respond to Ye Wen's words, which brought him a measure of relief.

"Oh my heavens! The authority of the husband has collapsed!"

He sighed inwardly, wiping away an invisible bead of sweat. Ye Wen suspected his future days would not be easy; he even felt as if this junior sister had sunk her teeth into him.

"Senior Brother, this must be so hard for you!"

The other disciples dared not speak, but Xu Xian, as a junior brother, was not so reserved. Seeing Ye Wen repeatedly suffer setbacks in front of the Senior Sister, he couldn't help but tease him.

"It seems Senior Brother's dream of basking in the glow of two beauties will be hard to achieve!"

During this time, Hua Yi remained among the people of the Shu Mountain Sect, occasionally allowing Ye Wen to use his Innate Purple Qi to mend her meridians. This was because the method Shen Yuqing used to absorb her power was overly forceful; if her meridians weren't properly regulated, the now powerless Hua Yi, unable to heal herself, might develop a chronic illness over time.

Fortunately, the Shu Mountain Sect had Ye Wen, the Sect Master who cultivated the Innate Purple Qi—a technique remarkably effective for healing—so Hua Yi's injuries were not a major cause for concern.

Simultaneously, Hua Yi’s mental state improved daily. By this day, she was no longer as vacant and foolish as before. Although she still appeared subdued, she finally spoke.

"Thank you, Sect Master Ye!"

On this day, as soon as Ye Wen finished regulating Hua Yi’s meridians and let go, he heard her expression of gratitude. Looking up, he saw that although the woman looked forlorn and confused, she finally had a spark of life in her. The smile she offered him, though perhaps strained, was certainly better than her previous state.

"It's good that you've finally decided to smile. I was afraid you’d become a 'Three-Noes' like Zhiruo!" Hua Yi’s improvement relieved him greatly. Having Zhou Zhiruo in the Shu Mountain Sect constantly wearing a cold expression was headache enough; if Hua Yi had ended up the same way, he truly wouldn't have known what to do.

Although the 'Three-Noes' attribute was quite popular in his former world, he had no affinity for that path! Moreover, he always found dealing with such people extremely troublesome. Zhou Zhiruo already gave him enough headaches; adding another one might drive him to smash his head against a wall.

"Three-Noes?" The strange term Ye Wen suddenly blurted out startled Hua Yi. Without knowing what the "Three-Noes" meant, it was natural for her to ask curiously.

"Nothing!" he replied vaguely. Ye Wen then glanced at his junior sister, who was sitting beside him watching closely to see if he was getting handsy with anyone, and seized the opportunity to add, "We missed finding lodging again today... so we’ll have to make do in this forest for the night. We’ve almost finished the provisions we brought. I need to go hunt some game. What would you like to eat, Junior Sister?"

Ning Ruxue didn't reply, just stared at Ye Wen.

Ye Wen met her gaze until Ning Ruxue finally grew embarrassed, turning her head away to say, "Whatever you think is fine! Just eat whatever you find. When sleeping rough in the wild, one can't be so particular." Ye Wen nodded, then grabbed Xu Xian and went off to find something, hoping to stumble upon some unlucky creature.

They hadn't gone far when Xu Xian began to complain: "Senior Brother, if you want to hide from Senior Sister, then hide properly. Why drag me out too?"

Ye Wen rolled his eyes at him: "Never mind me, what about you and Huang Rongrong? I've seen her looking miserable all these past few days!"

Xu Xian scratched his nose, finally offering an answer so embarrassing it nearly made Ye Wen stumble: "I told Rongrong that once we return to Shu Mountain, we will marry!" Had there not been a large tree nearby for Ye Wen to brace against, he would have been scared stiff and fallen over. Even so, he stood stunned for a good while before regaining his senses: "Are you really sure about this?" But then he realized something was amiss. If Xu Xian had proposed marriage, why was Huang Rongrong looking so desolate?

Just as he was about to ask, he heard Xu Xian add, "But Rongrong disagreed!"

"Huh?" Ye Wen was even more bewildered. Hadn't Huang Rongrong always pestered Xu Xian before? That girl always seemed eager to marry him, so why the refusal now that the wish was within reach? "What's the reason? Wasn't she always hoping to become a daughter-in-law of the Xu family?"

Xu Xian couldn't figure it out either. He casually waved his hand, sending out a Shaoze Sword Qi that pinned a rabbit watching the commotion nearby. He walked over and picked it up: "I can't figure it out either. Rongrong just mentioned things like being mismatched in status... my head spins just thinking about it..."

Only then did Ye Wen realize that Huang Rongrong had finally become aware of the vast gap in their social standings. However, to Ye Wen, such concerns were nonsense; he never cared about so-called 'matching social status.'

Of course, he wasn't saying the concept was entirely illogical; he even thought that matching status could be a correct notion in some respects.

For example, if a graduate of a world-renowned university married someone who had little to no education—the two would have vastly different views on life, their perception of the world, and countless other concepts, making communication difficult. How could they live together?

Admittedly, that analogy was perhaps too extreme. The gap between Xu Xian and Huang Rongrong shouldn't be that terrifying—at least both were martial artists and wouldn't lack topics for conversation.

But the disparity still existed. Previously, Huang Rongrong intentionally ignored it, but now that marriage was imminent, she had to seriously consider these issues.

"Rongrong is overthinking things," Xu Xian held up the dead rabbit in his hand as if it were Huang Rongrong, shaking it by the ears repeatedly. Matching status? If taken seriously, should this young master only marry the daughter of a renowned scholar, or a heroine from a major sect... Ah, a demoness from a Demonic Cult would also fit this great hero's identity just fine!" Seeing Xu Xian rambling nonsense, Ye Wen stopped paying attention, turned around, and casually shot out a beam of sword energy—this Zixiao Dragon Qi Sword was fast and sharp, followed immediately by a scream echoing through the woods.

"Ouch, caught a big one!" He had merely sensed something in the thicket and struck out with a casual sword strike. Looking now, he realized it was a wild boar. The boar wasn't particularly large, but it was more than enough meat for them.

More importantly, when Ye Wen walked over, he discovered a small river not far ahead. The river water was crystal clear, and numerous fish were swimming within.

"This is simply a perfect spot for an outing!"

He turned back, took the rabbit from Xu Xian's hand, and instructed him: "Junior Brother, go call the others over. I’ll process these two things here first!"

"Why me?"

"Because your lightness skill is better?"

"That's not a reason! Senior Brother's lightness skill is barely inferior to mine!" "Because I'm the Sect Master?"

"..."

With no one else around, the two spoke without so many reservations, joking freely without needing to hold back. After sending the disgruntled Xu Xian off, Ye Wen intended to use the river water to prepare the two pieces of game. However, as he looked down at the fish in the water, his attention shifted to these creatures again.

"People always say you can’t have both fish and bear's paw. Fish meat is considered a first-rate delicacy! I never understood that saying before, but now I do." In this world, there were no refrigerators or freezers. Once these fish were caught, they would spoil within a day or two if not eaten. Therefore, in a world with underdeveloped technology and poor transportation, fresh fish was a rare treat, especially inland.

Consequently, when the Shu Mountain disciples saw their Sect Master catch several fish, they were all quite happy—even the usually despondent Hua Yi showed a slight smile.

When Ye Wen presented a properly cooked grilled fish to Ning Ruxue in a gesture of attentiveness, it seemed to appease his junior sister's bad mood considerably.

"Senior Brother, why aren't you eating?"

"I don't really care for this stuff!" Ye Wen casually picked up a piece of roasted wild boar and ate a few bites with the remaining dry rations, showing no interest in the grilled fish.

"Didn't Senior Brother always love eating these things?" Ning Ruxue tilted her head strangely. She distinctly remembered that when their master used to bring back a fish from a small stream when they were children, this Senior Brother would be overjoyed and devour every last bit, leaving her not a single piece to snatch.

Recalling the Ye Wen of the past, Ning Ruxue couldn't help but complain a little more: "Back then, Senior Brother wouldn't recognize anyone when fish was around—even Master couldn't snatch any from you! Why don't you like it anymore?"

She spoke lightly, but sweat was breaking out on Ye Wen’s brow. He had no idea his predecessor had such a hobby. Moreover, after so many years, his guard had inevitably dropped, and he hadn't expected Ning Ruxue to suspect anything. He almost exposed himself over such a trivial matter.

Although the food at Shu Mountain was generally decent, the meat was mostly pork or chicken. Fish was usually the salted, preserved kind; live fish were rarely seen. Thus, he was unaware of this detail. He hadn't meant to almost give himself away just by trying to catch some fresh fish to please his junior sister today.

"Well... actually... I’ve grown tired of it!"

"Tired of it?" Ning Ruxue looked at Ye Wen skeptically. Seeing his awkward expression, she concluded that Ye Wen hadn't caught many fish and wanted to offer his share to her. Thinking this, a sweet feeling rose in her heart, and the tasteless grilled fish in her hand suddenly tasted like the most delicious thing in the world as she ate happily.

After finishing that grilled fish, Ning Ruxue smiled warmly at Ye Wen again, and her tone was no longer as cold as it had been for the past few days.

"One fish settled the matter with the young lady?" Ye Wen scratched his head: "Is fresh fish really that potent in this world?"

He turned and saw that Huang Rongrong had caught a fish and was roasting it to give to Xu Xian. As someone from a bandit background, Huang Rongrong’s fishing skills were far superior to Xu Xian's. Young Master Xu had poked around with his Shaoze Sword Qi for a long time without catching anything, whereas Huang Rongrong had casually whittled a wooden spear and speared one.

Seeing Xu Xian talking with Huang Rongrong, Ye Wen assumed that Huang Rongrong, having avenged her family, had resolved her inner turmoil and would likely return to normal soon, so he stopped worrying. But what was with the strange dissonance between those two? Did they look like little sisters showing off to an elder sister?

After watching for a moment, he turned away, afraid he might start hallucinating if he stared longer.

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing that she is returning to her former self?"

Unable to find an answer, Ye Wen kept watch by the campfire, letting the others find comfortable spots to rest. Ye Wen had the deepest cultivation and feared fatigue the least, so he insisted on taking the night watch, telling everyone else to sleep. The disciples had been traveling through the woods for days and were exhausted, so they soon fell asleep one after another.

Ning Ruxue initially wanted Ye Wen to take only half the watch, but he blocked her by saying, "We’ll reach the capital tomorrow anyway; I can rest well then." He further scared his junior sister by adding, "Junior Sister should rest more. If a girl doesn't rest well, she'll age faster."

Unfortunately, she retorted with, "If I become ugly, Senior Brother, will you stop marrying me?" This effectively silenced him.

Thinking about how he had been meeting with resistance from his junior sister lately, Ye Wen sighed: "...Why must she be so clever? Things were much better before!"

"Sect Master Ye!" As he muttered to himself, a soft call sounded beside him. Ye Wen turned his head and saw Huang Rongrong approaching. He asked curiously, "Something wrong?" No one would believe someone was awake in the middle of the night for no reason. Ye Wen tossed a few more pieces of firewood into the fire and waited quietly for Huang Rongrong to speak.

Huang Rongrong glanced at Ye Wen, then knelt before him, lowering her head: "I beg Sect Master Ye to abolish my entire cultivation!"

"Hmm?" Ye Wen was confused by Huang Rongrong’s sudden request and didn't respond immediately, just quietly waiting for her explanation.

"I swore before Sect Master Ye that I would never allow the secrets of your esteemed sect to leak! Now that the blood feud of the Huang Family Stockade has been avenged, what I received from Sect Master Ye today, I return to Sect Master Ye!" She then added, "Please, Sect Master Ye, abolish my cultivation!" Ye Wen remained silent, fiddling with the wooden stick in his hand: "Why abolish your cultivation? If you marry Junior Brother Xu, you will effectively become part of the Shu Mountain Sect, and practicing the Shu Mountain techniques won't be an issue!" Huang Rongrong bit her lip, seemingly wrestling with an internal struggle, before finally biting the bullet and saying, "I am unworthy of Xu Xian!" Once she started, the rest came easier. Ye Wen stayed silent, allowing Huang Rongrong to continue.

"Xu Xian is a renowned scholar in the realm. Now that he is entering the capital for the Imperial Examination, once it concludes, he will be a dragon among men. Even if he doesn't serve as an official, scholars across the land will look up to him! At the Martial Arts Assembly, he displayed extraordinary skill, securing a reputation that is far from weak—a rare talent accomplished in both literature and martial arts."

"And I am just a girl from a bandit background. Not only am I unworthy of Xu Xian, but marrying him would actually harm him!"

"Oh?" Ye Wen frowned. This was something he hadn't considered. If Xu Xian truly entered officialdom and married a bandit chief's daughter, how many ministers would impeach and ostracize him? In that case... "Wait? That’s not right! Junior Brother Xu seems intent on escaping the responsibilities of office. Perhaps marrying Huang Rongrong is part of that plan?"

Marry a bandit wife, face impeachment from numerous ministers, and then use that pretext to step down from office.

He shook his head. Ye Wen felt he had been thinking too much nonsense these past few days, resorting to conspiracy theories for every issue. If he kept this up, wouldn't he become the most detestable kind of hypocritical schemer?

"Amitabha, I despise those kinds of people the most! I should just continue being a good person."

Composing himself, Ye Wen looked at Huang Rongrong and said, "Considering all this, do you think Junior Brother Xu hasn't thought of it?"

Huang Rongrong paused for a moment, ultimately having to admit that the things she considered were not unique; with Xu Xian's intelligence, he should have realized them long ago.

"Since Junior Brother Xu foresaw these situations and still is willing to marry you, it shows his affection for you is much deeper than you imagine!"

In reality, Huang Rongrong’s sudden change of heart might have stemmed from the feeling that Xu Xian was perhaps pitying her. Having received so many great favors from him, she felt she couldn't continue this way. If she entangled Xu Xian further, wouldn't that be repaying kindness with enmity? That’s why she sought Ye Wen to abolish her power and planned to leave in the dead of night.

Seeing her sitting there in a daze, Ye Wen suddenly said, "If you feel you are unworthy of Xu Xian, then find a way to strive to become better, until you can stand beside him! As for abolishing your cultivation... you are currently Junior Brother Xu’s fiancée, so you are considered part of the Shu Mountain Sect. Don't mention that matter again!"

Huang Rongrong remained stunned, struck speechless by Ye Wen's words.

"Make myself better... so I can be worthy of Xu Xian?"

She had never thought of things this way before. This also related to some mainstream ideologies of this world; Ye Wen's theory bordered on defying fate.

You say I'm not good enough? Then I will work until I am!

This line of thought was actually detrimental to the rule of a feudal dynasty, especially threatening to those who already held vested interests, so it was not the mainstream idea. Even a girl with a bandit background like Huang Rongrong carried inherent beliefs like 'everything is fate' or 'this is destiny'—the notion that one with a poor background could never rise was deeply ingrained.

Now Ye Wen told her that if she felt inadequate now, she should strive to become better and then they could talk. This completely contradicted everything she had heard before, and such a shock was something most people couldn't process quickly.

Ye Wen knew she couldn't accept it all at once, so he added, "How was your martial skill before? How is it now? Since your martial arts could progress, why can't other things improve? You aren't that old yet; it’s not too late to put in effort! Moreover, Xu Xian is right beside you every day; if you want to learn something, asking him for guidance won't be difficult!" Finally, Ye Wen remembered the dire straits the Shu Mountain Sect was in when he first arrived and gently recounted that period as a story. After finishing, he said to Huang Rongrong, "Back then, I told my junior sister I would make the Shu Mountain Sect flourish. At that time, it was just the two of us, and we didn't even have a shack to shelter in! And now?"

And now? Huang Rongrong knew perfectly well the current scale and power of the Shu Mountain Sect, as she resided there.

"Can I do that too?" Ye Wen finally smiled: "You have to start doing before you can talk about achieving, but if you never start, you will never arrive..."