Ye Wen and his company proceeded slowly toward Mount Shu, pausing often along the way, occasionally taking in the surrounding scenery so that the journey did not feel tiring.

The Eldest Princess, long confined to the deep palace, was endlessly curious about the outside world. Though it was late autumn and edging into winter, and there was little scenery to observe—most trees were already bare—it did nothing to dampen her enthusiasm.

Having spent so much time together, Ye Wen finally learned the Eldest Princess’s name: Wei Shishi. It wasn't particularly striking, nor was it disgustingly vulgar; overall, it was rather unremarkable. Given that Ye Wen had recently encountered so many unusual names, he felt a touch of disappointment. "A pity you aren't surnamed Li or Liu," he mused, "that name holds nothing special then!"

It was the maidservant’s name that was quite pleasing: Yuhuan. However, having been sent into the palace as a child, she had no family name. Ye Wen, with a touch of wicked humor, had asked if she wished to adopt one, suggesting the surname Yang. The young maid quickly rebuffed him, stating that it would depend on what the future Prince Consort’s surname turned out to be.

She was quite clear about her station. Having served the Eldest Princess since childhood and now being her personal attendant, it was almost certain she would be married off with the Prince Consort as a concubine—or at the very least, a household maid familiar with the master’s bed.

The journey had not been entirely without incident. This reckless and impulsive Eldest Princess, Wei Shishi, seemed to possess an innate skill for attracting trouble. Even spotting a mundane group of bandits would lead her to chase after them, inevitably drawing a swarm of mountain brigands.

Then, she would inevitably try to intimidate them by revealing her status as the Eldest Princess, only... to be soundly mocked by the bandits.

"Eldest Princess? Then I must be the Prince Consort! Hurry up and come home with me, girl!"

"Hahaha..."

After being ridiculed for a time, if the bandits became too aggressive, she would simply shove Steward Zhou forward and shout, "Kill these annoying rascals! Kill them all!" If they were simple highway robbers who weren't overly provocative or insulting, the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect would usually step forward.

For instance, Xu Ping would advance, cup his hands, and say politely, "I am Xu Ping of the Mount Shu Sect. We are merely passing through your esteemed territory; we hope you might grant us safe passage!"

Most of the time, the reputation of the Mount Shu Sect proved very useful. Upon hearing they were from Mount Shu, these bandits would immediately apologize, clear the way, and watch the group depart.

This trend became even more pronounced upon entering Pingzhou territory. The local bandits had specifically made inquiries about the Mount Shu Sect's uniform; upon merely seeing the group’s attire from a distance, they dared not even show their faces. Ye Wen’s previous carnage had left the greenwood figures of Pingzhou utterly terrified. Who among them would be foolish enough to seek out that harbinger of death?

Thus, ever since entering Pingzhou, no bandits had dared to obstruct their path. Instead, they encountered more martial artists, who invariably stopped to exchange greetings upon seeing Ye Wen’s party.

In their leisure time, Ning Ruxue would happily tell Ye Wen, "Senior Brother, our Mount Shu Sect has truly earned respect and made our name known throughout the martial world!"

Ye Wen smiled, patting Ning Ruxue’s hand, which he held. "Junior Sister has finally achieved her wish!"

However, Ye Wen made no effort to conceal this gesture from the others, and they all saw it clearly. Ning Ruxue couldn't help but blush deeply, quickly withdrawing her hand before giving Ye Wen a playful, chiding look.

Wei Shishi, sitting opposite them, observed the pair and finally realized the situation belatedly. "Oh, that’s right! Hero Ye and Heroine Ning are already engaged! I wonder when the wedding will be!" Huan'er, standing behind her, rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, She only just noticed?

Even Steward Zhou, who had been sipping tea, nearly spat out a mouthful. Of everyone present, only Zhou Zhiruo remained completely unmoved. Seeing that Wei Shishi had finished her meal, she stated coolly, "After dinner, we resume training. Do not try to skip out later!"

Wei Shishi's face immediately fell upon hearing this. Since Ye Wen had tasked Zhou Zhiruo with instructing her, her days had become progressively harder.

The first few days were fine; driven by novelty, she found everything Zhou Zhiruo taught her to be quite interesting. But after a few days of the same material being repeated, she grew weary.

Furthermore, the internal cultivation mantras Zhou Zhiruo imparted left her completely bewildered. She couldn't grasp the meaning of the complex jargon the young girl spoke. Even having Steward Zhou explain it only left her partially enlightened.

In recent days, Zhou Zhiruo had begun making her practice horse stance and basic sword forms. Only now did she realize how blissful and entertaining the preceding days had been; the current situation was nothing short of miserable, painful, and dreadfully boring.

"Horse stance again?"

Zhou Zhiruo held a small bowl filled with cabbage broth, slowly taking a sip before emitting a drawn-out, nasal sound of contemplation, "Mmm."

"Sister, I’ll give you something good," she tried, sipping again. "Teach me some other skills? Perhaps that flying kind of kung fu?" She had tried this form of bribery countless times to no avail, but she persisted, escalating her offers. "How about I have my Imperial Brother grant you an official post?"

Zhou Zhiruo continued to sip her soup.

"Then I'll gift you a grand estate?"

Sipping...

Wei Shishi was at a loss. For the moment, she couldn't think of anything else that might sway this young girl. Just then, Zhou Zhiruo put down her bowl. "That's enough. Go practice in the back courtyard!"

Wei Shishi: "..."

After Zhou Zhiruo led the dejected Wei Shishi to the rear courtyard, Ye Wen felt a secret sense of triumph. "Indeed, letting Zhiruo handle this Eldest Princess is the most suitable arrangement!" He made no effort to hide his pleased expression. Ning Ruxue, noticing the Princess’s pained look, laughed. "Senior Brother, you did that on purpose, didn't you? Making Zhiruo teach the Princess!"

Ye Wen nodded, offering a perfectly reasonable justification. "This Princess has a lively and flighty nature. Having her spend more time with Zhiruo might encourage Zhiruo to become a bit more cheerful! I toil endlessly for the sake of the Mount Shu Sect!" He struck a pose of benevolent suffering, as if he had borne immense hardship.

Ning Ruxue knew her Senior Brother was just teasing, but recalling the former state of the Mount Shu Sect compared to its current strength, she conceded that it was indeed the result of Ye Wen’s efforts. "We see all of Senior Brother's hard work!"

Saying this, she placed her hands into Ye Wen’s palms, filling him with a profound sense of satisfaction. He thought, My efforts these past few years were not in vain! At the same time, he resolved firmly to bring his accursed Innate Purple Qi to mastery soon; otherwise, how could he ever marry his Junior Sister?

While those two delayed their wedding due to Ye Wen’s cultivation progress, Xu Xian and Huang Rongrong were discussing the details of their own marriage.

"We will marry as soon as we return to Mount Shu!" Xu Xian calculated, tilting her head. "Though I need to inform my family, and picking the right date will be complicated. It might take some time!" Huang Rongrong kept her head down, fiddling with the short blade in her hand. Only after Xu Xian finished speaking did she look up and say, "Xu Xian, could you wait until I have become better before marrying me?"

"Hm?" Xu Xian looked up, expecting Huang Rongrong to simply shake her head in refusal as usual. To his surprise, she had changed.

Huang Rongrong took a deep breath. "I... I am lacking so much compared to you, whether in martial arts or anything else. I want to have at least one thing I can claim as worthy to stand beside you, be it martial skill or something else!" At first, her words stumbled, but they flowed more smoothly as she continued: "When we return to Mount Shu, I will learn needlework and cooking from Aunt Zhao, and martial arts from Sister Ning and Sect Leader Ye. When I have achieved some mastery, then you may marry me..." "Of course," she added, her head dropping back down, making her look like a student receiving a reprimand before Xu Xian. "If you no longer wish to marry me by then, that is fine too."

After a moment of silence, hearing no reply from Xu Xian, Huang Rongrong cautiously raised her head to peek. She saw Xu Xian looking at her with a gentle smile, before rubbing the top of her head a few times. "That won't happen. I will always wait for you! But don't make me wait too long!"

"Mm!"

Sitting nearby and observing the scene, Ye Wen felt the moment was strangely off. He thought it might be more coordinated if Huang Rongrong had a pair of cat ears atop her head or a small tail wagging behind her, and if Xu Xian were holding a lollipop.

"What are you thinking about now..." The journey had been quite joyful due to these miscellaneous interludes. Ye Wen took the opportunity to offer guidance to his disciples and found that their martial arts had improved to some degree after this excursion. It wasn't a sudden surge in power, but rather a deeper comprehension of their own skills and martial arts in general, leading to the formation of personal insights—which was far more valuable than rote learning.

"Indeed, they needed to see the world!"

Seizing this moment, Ye Wen had Xu Ping teach Guo Jing some introductory techniques for the Pure Yang Limitless Skill. This guileless boy learned internal cultivation faster than others. Because his mind was unburdened by distractions, there was no danger of qi deviation; moreover, his singular focus was not on self-aggrandizement. This non-demanding attitude suited the Complete Perfection Cultivation Method perfectly, resulting in rapid progress.

As a reward, although his power was not yet sufficient for the Pure Yang Limitless Skill, Ye Wen gave him the mnemonic, allowing him to cultivate it once his realm allowed.

As for Huayi, the woman who willingly became a maidservant to Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue, Ye Wen never truly treated her as a servant, nor did he assign her any chores. Ye Wen often wondered what skills she possessed.

Along the way, he taught her the Complete Perfection Cultivation Method. After practicing for some time, Huayi had recovered much of her internal energy. However, what she cultivated now was no longer Yin Essence Qi, but orthodox Quanzhen internal energy. Coupled with the fact that her meridians had already been widened by previously immense internal power, her progress with the Complete Perfection Method was exceptionally fast. In a short time, she recovered to about two or three-tenths of her previous peak level.

At this rate, she should recover half her former strength by the time they returned to Mount Shu. However, progress would slow thereafter, and if she couldn't regain her full strength within a few years, her meridians might gradually atrophy to match her current cultivation level.

Ye Wen was aware of all this, but he wasn't worried. If Huayi truly wished to recover her former power, he had plenty of methods once they reached Mount Shu.

Even without using cheat-like rare treasures, given a decent internal cultivation manual, she could recover on her own soon enough. The only real dilemma Ye Wen faced was choosing which manual to give her.

"Should I give her the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies, My Only Honored Skill, like Huang Rongrong?" He scratched his head, feeling that Huayi’s temperament didn't suit this domineering technique. Giving her that might be less effective than giving her the Minor Formless Skill.

Thinking this over without a conclusion, he looked up and realized he was standing outside Huayi’s room. The window was open, and she sat by it, tending to something.

He walked over and saw she was coaxing a silkworm larva. He had obtained this creature from Situ Haoyun—it had been in a small vial, and he hadn't paid it much attention initially, assuming it was just a container for medicine.

Later, out of boredom, he opened it and found a silkworm. For the descendant of the Demon Sect's Situ family to treasure such an item so highly, Ye Wen decisively concluded it must be an unusual species.

"It really is a minor BOSS, and it even dropped a treasure for me!"

Unfortunately, no one in the Mount Shu group was knowledgeable enough to understand something that looked identical to a common silkworm. Eventually, Ye Wen, frustrated, handed it to Huayi, telling her to care for it well, claiming it was just a plaything to alleviate boredom. He promptly forgot the whole affair afterward. If he hadn't seen Huayi feeding the creature just then, he might have completely forgotten he possessed such an item.

"It isn't an Ice Silkworm emitting chilling aura that frightens people; I truly see nothing special about it. Situ Haoyun is certainly eccentric to carry this thing around. Why not carry something like the Heaven Sword or Dragon Slaying Saber!"

As Huayi was feeding the small creature, a shadow suddenly fell, obscuring the light from the window. Turning, she saw Ye Wen and immediately stood up. "Master!"

Ye Wen frowned. "Stop calling me that; you're making me sound old!"

"Then 'Young Master'? But 'Young Master' seems inappropriate!" In her memory, a Young Master was someone within a powerful family who didn't hold the ultimate authority. Ye Wen, as the Sect Leader, wielded immense control; calling him 'Young Master' was clearly unsuitable.

After some thought, Ye Wen had to admit he couldn't conjure up any novel alternatives and reluctantly accepted the title. "Master it is then!" He watched as Huayi returned the silkworm to its vial, noticing some crystalline threads left on the table. Puzzled, he asked, "What is this?"

Huayi smiled. "This is the silk it just spun. I've never seen any so crystalline before, though. Yes, this silkworm is indeed an unusual species!"

Ye Wen picked up the thread, so fine it was almost invisible, feeling no weight in his hand. He gave it a casual tug and laughed. "Too bad the Mount Shu Sect isn't in the silk business; this thing is rather... " As he spoke, he abruptly stopped, his expression shifting dramatically. Even Huayi, standing before him, was startled by his sudden change. "Master, what is it?" Ye Wen remained silent, staring intently at the thread between his hands. He had shielded it from the sunlight, so Huayi moved closer to see that it was indeed a single, extremely fine strand. She suddenly recalled how Ye Wen had tugged it casually just moments ago. Given Ye Wen’s current cultivation, even a casual pull carried tremendous force—yet this thin silk hadn't broken?

Huayi blinked, thinking she had misjudged, but when she looked again, Ye Wen was pulling several more times. The thread between his hands remained intact until, after more than a dozen pulls, it finally snapped into two pieces.

"Hey! This thing is quite interesting!" Huayi couldn't tell, but Ye Wen knew he had channeled his Innate Purple Qi just to break the fine strand, revealing its astonishing tenacity. And this was just one unassuming thread; imagine the strength of countless strands woven together.

"Could this be the legendary Heavenly Silkworm Silk?"

He ran through possibilities. The material famous for its toughness, associated with silkworms, could only be Heavenly Silkworm Silk. He had heard tales of Heavenly Silkworm Armor countless times. He never expected to acquire a creature that could possibly produce it.

"No wonder Situ Haoyun kept it close to him; it truly is a treasure!"

Ye Wen was unaware that this Heavenly Silkworm was a prize Situ Haoyun had tracked down and fought for after hearing rumors while traveling through the Central Plains. He intended to raise it carefully back at his sect to produce silk for protective gear, but he had ended up losing his life to Ye Wen instead. Furthermore, he had told no one, not even Shen Yuqing, that he possessed such an item, allowing Ye Wen to benefit by chance.

"I'll make a Heavenly Silkworm vest, and maybe some Heavenly Silkworm shorts!" He stroked his chin, feeling the smooth thread again. He mused, "Or perhaps I should make a pair of Heavenly Silkworm stockings for Junior Sister?" His thoughts brightening, he saw Huayi looking at him with curiosity. "Hmm... I should make a pair for Huayi too!"

Cheered by the thought, he tugged the crystalline thread again, though he lamented aloud, "What a pity, it's only white!"

Huayi didn't know what he was thinking and simply replied, "It can be dyed!"

"Ah? Can silkworm thread be dyed?" Huayi nodded. "Of course! Otherwise, where would all the colors in silk fabrics come from? I just don't know if this unusual strain of silk will take dye!"

Ye Wen nodded upon hearing this, smiling broadly. "Is that so!"

Seeing Ye Wen's radiant smile, Huayi tilted her head curiously. "Master, what are you thinking about that makes you so happy?" Ye Wen chuckled, and just then, Ning Ruxue turned into the back courtyard. He announced, "I was just considering making some inner armor out of this material for Junior Sister and for you!"

He then nodded again, repeating himself with firm conviction: "Yes, protective inner armor!"