The events at Courtyard A of Shushan Sect had not garnered much attention from anyone nearby. After all, those living in the vicinity were prestigious martial arts sects, and since the last assembly, they'd developed some understanding of Shushan Sect's reputation.

The flash of green swordlight followed by a flicker of purple aura was clearly the signature techniques of Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue—certainly nothing more than their usual sparring session. Nothing worth paying heed to.

Actually...

Ning Ruxue’s face burned crimson, her eyes shimmered with moisture as if ready to spill tears at any moment.

Ye Wen watched his junior leap away, hands shielding her back, blushing furiously while glaring at him. He inwardly groaned—had he truly overstepped in some way?

“Uh… this is awkward,” he muttered, stepping forward only for Ning Ruxue to retreat a step further, her blush deepening. She accused, “Senior Brother, you’re such a jerk!” before fleeing back into her room and slamming the door shut.

“Junior Sister! I was just joking around!” He knocked on the door but received no response. Scratching his head in frustration, he finally returned to his own quarters, puzzling over where exactly he'd gone wrong.

“It was just a gentle pat,” he mused aloud. “I’ve touched her before when carrying her back after she got bitten by that snake. Why this reaction now?”

Glancing at his hand, Ye Wen couldn’t help but smirk, “Her touch is even better than it used to be.”

Hua Yi suddenly emerged with tea and pastries in hand, teasingly asking, “What were you thinking about just now, Master? Though she was staring pointedly at that misbehaving hand of yours while smirking. She’d been watching from her room earlier when Ning Ruxue fled—choosing not to interrupt the scene unfolding before her.

Ye Wen coughed awkwardly and glanced at Hua Yi, “Nothing.”

Hua Yi arched an eyebrow, “Are you getting impatient, Master? I know about your waiting for cultivation mastery before marrying Ning Ruxue… but it seems like you’re already straining to hold back.”

After all, this Shushan Sect’s current leader, though a scholar of Daoist classics and adept in divine arts, carried an entirely different temperament. He resembled aristocratic scions more than ascetics, with a penchant for seizing advantages like merchants.

Over these years, Hua Yi had sensed his subtle advances toward her—deliberately orchestrated, no less.

When he gently caressed her dainty palm and asked, “Hua Yi, why did my junior sister suddenly get so angry?” she chuckled, “Anyone would be furious if you behaved like that!”

Ye Wen protested, “It was just a gentle pat! Would you have been upset?” Hua Yi inwardly rolled her eyes at such an absurd question before choosing to remain silent. He mistook this for female reserve, concluding, “I’ll try again later after she cools down.”

As he turned away, he added, “Remember to prepare my bedding first.”

Hua Yi blinked mischievously and countered, “Shall I warm your sheets with me as well?”

Ye Wen nearly choked on his tea. Waving her off in alarm, he feigned sternness, “Don’t push it—I might just eat you up right now.”

“Understood~” she replied teasingly, her ease of banter a far cry from the timid girl who’d first climbed Shushan’s slopes years ago.

Later that day, Ye Wen attempted to confront Ning Ruxue again only to be met with another slammed door. With no choice but to wait until nightfall, he used his Purple Qi Sky Net technique to displace the door latch and slipped in uninvited.

To his surprise, Ning Ruxue sat there glaring at him as if she’d been expecting this intrusion.

“How did you get in?”

He studied her posture before checking the now-dislodged door latch, “You expected me to break in?” The moment he said it, Ning Ruxue turned beet red once more. After much coaxing and reassurances, Ye Wen finally calmed her down—only for his curiosity about her reaction to resurface later that evening.

Through gentle probing, he eventually uncovered the truth: as a child, she’d often been scolded by their master with a slap on the rump. The sight of Ye Wen’s “joke” had dredged up those memories, triggering her outburst.

“Oh! You were afraid of that?” He smirked wickedly.

Ning Ruxue immediately regretted revealing this weakness. As Ye Wen declared, “From now on, this shall serve as our family's official punishment!” she blushed furiously again and literally kicked him out before collapsing into her bed in a huff. The memory of his touch left her posterior burning with embarrassment well past sleep time…

Several days later, the major sects had assembled at Chan Buddhist monastery where leading figures from these factions took residence. To Ye Wen’s left stood Beijianmen and Qinglonghui; across the courtyard was Yulei Sect while directly opposite lay an empty chamber.

When these two sects arrived, exchanges were inevitable. Upon meeting Zhang Dongyi of Beijianmen, Ye Wen noted his continued vigor but found himself more captivated by the two figures behind him.

“This is my son, Zhang Wujie,” Dongyi introduced. “You must know him—his duel with Lin Hai and prior victory over Guo Nu were quite famous.”

Ye Wen did remember Wujie. Years ago, Guo Nu had settled near Shushan’s base, occasionally chatting about his defeat at the hands of Wujie—a former Tianle Sect elder who still grumbled decades later: “If not for my cultivation being restrained by his techniques, the outcome would have been uncertain.”

It was thanks to such firsthand accounts that Ye Wen's father had refined Ning Ruxue’s Qinglian Sword Chant and his own Zixiao Longqi sword skills. Guo Nu might not know the specifics of Qinglong Yin but his personal experience proved invaluable in refining these techniques.

This connection made Wujie’s name particularly memorable for Ye Wen. Though his appearance had changed, recognition was instant. Compared to five years ago, Wujie now carried himself with greater poise and his mastery over Qinglong Yin seemed more advanced—perhaps even perfected.

Dongyi appeared proud of his eldest son but hesitated when introducing the second figure behind him.

“This is my second son… Zhang Sheng.”

The man stepped forward with a womanlike grace, dressed in male attire yet possessing an undeniably feminine demeanor and voice that sent a shiver down Ye Wen’s spine as he wondered if Thailand even existed in this world. Comparing him to his equally beautiful junior disciple Xu Xian—the latter having no traces of femininity beyond mere appearance—Ye Wen was utterly baffled.

Zhang Sheng performed an elegant bow (ye wen sweated). Her words were soft-spoken and precise, revealing absolutely no teeth (ye wen gushed with sweat). The voice itself was undeniably feminine (ye wen's sweat now flowed like a waterfall).

Seeing Ye Wen’s discomfort, Dongyi sighed heavily but forced a cheerful smile as they conversed. His eyes avoided his second son entirely.

Ye Wen noticed Zhang Sheng's subtle resentment toward both father and brother when she returned to her place. Though puzzled by the grudge, he dismissed it with a mental note: “Leave others’ family affairs be.”

After their departure, Ye Wen exhaled in relief—his mind still reeling from this strange encounter. Hua Yi finally broke the silence.

“Master is still thinking about that Eastern Lady?”

“What Eastern Lady?” He blinked before realizing she referred to Zhang Sheng. Dongyi had clearly introduced her as a son though her appearance screamed daughter. Recalling her feminine traits, Ye Wen chuckled at Hua Yi’s joke until she added: “Though this 'Zhang Sheng' claims to be male, I’ve noticed subtle signs of femininity—her slight chest curvature, the delicate waistline, rounded hips…”

Ye Wen suddenly analyzed Zhang Sheng more carefully and indeed found these feminine indicators. Could it be a female in disguise? Why would Dongyi publicly claim her as his son? Such questions remained unanswered until the next day when Chan Buddhist monk Huixin invited all leading sect leaders to an assembly at a side pavilion.

The banquet featured meat, wine, and was held in a side hall to avoid desecrating Buddha statues—this one instead housed numerous Bodhisattva statues, hinting at its role as a space for martial discussions rather than religious rituals.

As Ye Wen took his seat beside Ning Ruxue on the pre-assigned dais, attendants brought tea and fruit while main dishes awaited all arrivals. He counted the limited seats—each assigned to major sects with just a few extra places left. This must be about something beyond mere convention then.

After decades of effort, Shushan Sect had finally earned its place among these great factions—a thought that made Ning Ruxue roll her eyes at his smugness.

Indeed, the meeting’s purpose was to discuss demonic sects. Ordinary martial artists could only serve as messengers or flagbearers while true responsibility fell on elite sects like theirs.

Huixin gathered these righteous forces to strategize against demons. When Ye Wen arrived early and questioned this, Huixin smirked, “You already know the reason, so why ask twice?”

The other leaders soon arrived: Beijianmen’s Duzhou Yan with his heir Duzhou Xuan; Tianshan Sect's leader accompanied by his younger brother Zheng Ting; Tianyi Zhenren alone took a place beside Huixin—effectively making him an honorary host. Yudong Sect’s Yuxingzi brought two unknown disciples, their identities unimportant given the sect’s limited presence besides him and Jiuxian.

Ye Wen noticed Yuxingzi looked older but moved slower than before, prompting grimaces from all present including Huixin who sighed at his deteriorating condition—Yudong’s last hope with Jiuxian having already transcended into another realm.

When Qinglonghui’s Dongyi arrived and introduced Zhang Sheng, no one questioned her feminine traits beyond a few suspicions about possible secrecy. Only when she approached Yuxingzi did things get interesting: the old master stiffened as if struck by lightning before declaring, “Phoenix Rebirth!”

Dongyi’s face paled instantly but quickly bowed respectfully, “Elder’s insight is unmatched! I am in awe.” After Dongyi confirmed this truth aloud, Yuxingzi forced a sigh and returned to his seat. Others speculated wildly about this mysterious Phoenix Rebirth technique—now practiced by Qinglonghui’s heir.

With Tianle Sect already shattered due to their feud with Qinglonghui, the latter had gained immense influence through both territorial gains and this powerful new disciple.

Ye Wen suspected some connection between Phoenix Rebirth and techniques like Jiuhuabaodian given Dongyi’s insistence on calling Zhang Sheng a son. Ning Ruxue whispered her curiosity about the technique but was only met with Ye Wen’s shrug before being elbowed in return for his evasiveness.

Huixin and Tianyi Zhenren exchanged glances, their minds awash with conflicting thoughts—could such a powerful method bring calamity or salvation to righteousness? Tianshan Sect’s Li Xuanyuan mused about testing this technique himself if it proved as formidable as rumored…

As these musings unfolded at the table, new arrivals entered. The first man Ye Wen didn’t recognize but noticed his companion: Nan Gong Tinghai of the Nan Gong Family.

“So that must be Nan Gong Wutian,” he deduced just before hearing a lazy voice declare, “Hey! If you call me late, I’d be the worst offender—hurry up and let me in before someone sees me!”