The ultimate confrontation between Ye Wen and Ning Ruxue concluded, as expected, with Ye Wen’s victory, though he felt deeply content, having successfully taken a massive stride forward!

The next morning, Ye Wen awoke feeling refreshed and invigorated. A mischievous grin spread across his face when he saw his junior sister still entirely buried in the covers, refusing to emerge. He chuckled, and at the sound of his happy laughter, Ning Ruxue burrowed even deeper into the quilt; where her hair had been visible before, now not even a stray strand could be seen. Seeing her reaction, Ye Wen understood that some matters required patience, especially things so contrary to her past beliefs—it would have to be a gradual process.

"I'm heading out!"

With a brief announcement, Ye Wen quickly pulled on his clothes and walked out, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

The moment he stepped outside, he found Huayi watching him with a knowing, pleased expression.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Huayi covered her mouth, "I just feel like you’re awfully happy today!"

Ye Wen didn't reply, merely glancing up toward the second-floor bedroom. He paused, listening, but heard no sound; his junior sister likely hadn't adjusted yet and was still hiding.

Paying it no mind, Ye Wen and Huayi headed directly toward the school grounds. Since its establishment, Ye Wen had paid little attention to the school outside of attending classes; Huayi and his junior sister usually managed all the affairs. It struck him then that he was a rather negligent principal.

Since the thought had occurred, he supposed he should fulfill some of his duties as principal today.

He settled into his office, deliberately chosen for its prime location that offered a panoramic view of the entire campus. The principal's office was expansive, situated at the very top of the main teaching building, allowing him to survey more than just one direction. A quick turn in his chair brought the main entrance into view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Turning to look, he spotted a young woman with long, flowing hair and a short skirt entering the school gates. The girl’s black hair was long and straight, and she wore a pair of glasses.

"Huh? Where did this long-haired, black-haired girl with glasses come from? If she were wearing a sailor uniform, it would be perfect. This baggy, frumpy tracksuit she has on really ruins the aesthetic."

To his surprise, as he observed her from his perch, the girl actually tilted her head up and looked directly at him.

"Hmm?"

Ye Wen suddenly felt a prickle of unease. How could a student in his school possibly spot him from hundreds of meters away? Setting aside his own power level, the mere fact that a student could perceive him across such a distance, through an intervening floor-to-ceiling window, was enough to set him on guard.

He casually activated the computer beside him and began scrolling through student files, while simultaneously peering out the window. The girl was no longer looking his way. If Ye Wen hadn't possessed such powerful divine sense, he might have dismissed his observation as a mere illusion.

"She was definitely looking at me just now, and it wasn't a casual glance—it was a definitive recognition of my presence!"

Student files flashed before his eyes until Ye Wen’s gaze locked onto one of the class composite photographs. With his current eyesight and reaction speed, even a fleeting glimpse was enough for him to find what he sought.

"Class Three, Grade One—Zhang Ling!"

A completely ordinary name. From the photo, aside from fitting a certain niche preference of some people, there was nothing remarkable about her. If he hadn't decided to look out the window today and this whole thing hadn't happened, Ye Wen likely never would have noticed this anomaly.

He checked the class schedule and discovered that he coincidentally had a Martial Arts class for Class Three, Grade One, today.

"I'll test you then!"

In past classes, Ye Wen would simply demonstrate the forms move by move, then observe how closely the students could mimic his movements. Generally, a student with outstanding talent could at least grasp the basic shape of the Mian Zhang (Cotton Palm), even if they couldn't capture its essence. Of course, some individuals might struggle due to personality—but that wasn't Ye Wen's immediate concern. Moreover, the Shushan Academy of Arts and Martial Sciences maintained highly detailed performance evaluations, so even if a student didn't score well in Ye Wen’s class, high marks from other instructors would still draw his attention.

This was one of the primary reasons Ye Wen had hired so many teachers. He couldn't possibly monitor every student himself, so bringing in more instructors allowed for a broader assessment of whether a student truly possessed the qualities he sought in a disciple.

He pulled up Zhang Ling’s report card and the evaluations provided by her teachers. This detailed archive had all been organized by Huayi, specifically to accommodate Ye Wen.

"Chinese, excellent! Mathematics, excellent! Social Studies, moral character, excellent! Martial Arts… hmm?"

Ye Wen blinked, confirming he wasn't seeing things: "Martial Arts course… failing…"

He then flipped through the teachers' comments regarding this specific student. Because these remarks were strictly confidential, never shared with students or parents, and each teacher was barred from seeing others' comments on the same student, these evaluations tended to be highly objective, with the influence of personal favoritism suppressed to the absolute minimum.

"Every single one believes this student is unsuitable for martial arts training…"

He checked the section where Zhang Ling stated her reason for wanting to learn martial arts; her answer was simply: 'To strengthen my body!'

"She hides things very deeply…"

Ye Wen folded his hands behind his head, propped his feet up on the desk, and began humming a tune while waiting for the class time.

His martial arts session was scheduled for the afternoon, right after lunch and the midday break. Today’s class was set in the indoor martial arts hall—which was normal, as the weather was turning chilly toward the end of the year.

By the time he arrived, the students were already changed and waiting for him. Given what they knew about their principal, they expected another session practicing the Mian Zhang. If they hadn't already known their principal was a pinnacle master of this style, these energetic, young students probably wouldn't have managed to practice it for long.

Everyone waited for the principal’s command, ready to begin drilling the forms. Most students didn't really care how they performed, knowing the principal would only offer a bland compliment, so they often went through the motions half-heartedly. Only a small portion, recognizing the value of the opportunity or simply being diligent by nature, would meticulously follow Ye Wen's instructions.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wen waved his hand and announced, "No Mian Zhang today. Pair up and spar for me to observe!"

"Uh…"

The students hadn't anticipated this, so they exchanged confused glances, unsure of what to do next to their peers.

"Hurry up! You have five minutes to find your partner…"

Fortunately, discipline at Shushan Academy was strict. Ye Wen’s sharp command immediately prompted the students to form pairs. As Ye Wen expected, Zhang Ling was left standing outside—no one wanted to partner with her, perhaps fearing they might accidentally injure her.

Watching the young girl stand there with remarkable calm, she offered Ye Wen a slight smile: "Principal, I'll just watch them practice from the side…"

"No need!" Ye Wen returned her smile, "I'll spar with you!"

A brief flash seemed to cross Zhang Ling's glasses (though Ye Wen suspected it was his own illusion). Her expression toward the principal shifted slightly, while Ye Wen struck a triumphant pose. "You attack; I will only defend!"

Ye Wen had a calculated reason for this: he assumed that anyone with true strength, when underestimated, would inevitably unleash their full power, making concealment impossible.

His thinking was sound, but reality delivered a harsh blow. The young woman adjusted her glasses, then proceeded to execute the Mian Zhang set he had taught her, executing the movements with a rigidity that was astonishingly unnatural.

"Sister! Even Guo Jing couldn't make it look this stiff!"

Zhang Ling stepped forward with her left foot, then pushed her right palm forward dryly. Forget Mian Zhang; no martial art utilized such a stiff striking posture—it looked like an unlubricated robot extending an arm.

A dark line faintly appeared on Ye Wen's forehead. He casually blocked with his left hand, intending to lightly tap her away to startle her, but unexpectedly, his casual block nearly sent the girl flying backward.

"…" Ye Wen stared at the stumbling Zhang Ling with helplessness.

Then he straightened up, appearing perfectly calm, looking steadily at Ye Wen, which suddenly instilled in him a feeling of guilt, as if he had done something wrong.

"Are you… alright?"

"I'm fine…"

After a moment of thought, Ye Wen felt too unwilling to let the matter drop, but the central question remained: what faction had this girl been sent by?

His eyes darted, and Ye Wen smiled again. "If you're fine, let's continue. This time, I’ll just be a target dummy; feel free to use any move you know!"

Saying this, he assumed a stance and allowed Zhang Ling to strike and slap at his arms without retaliation, making sure not to use any real force, thus avoiding any rebound shock.

Zhang Ling proceeded to employ every technique she knew, much like an ordinary student practicing against a wooden dummy.

Ye Wen waited for the right moment and suddenly spoke, "Please thank your superior for what happened last time…"

This sentence, in isolation, would likely elicit no special reaction from the girl under any other circumstances. But this was different. Zhang Ling was fully focused on executing her moves; startled by the words, her hand movements unconsciously changed. Her palm strike suddenly accelerated, imbued with a formidable power Ye Wen hadn't seen before, aimed directly at his flank.

Fortunately, Ye Wen was prepared. Otherwise, even if the blow couldn't injure him, it would have landed. He instantly blocked with his arm, striking Zhang Ling’s forearm just right, causing it to suddenly numb. Not only did most of the palm energy dissipate, but the strike veered off course, heading instead toward Ye Wen's shoulder.

With another quick horizontal block from his right hand, Zhang Ling's already slowed palm strike was completely neutralized. Only then did the girl realize what had happened.

"I don't understand what you mean, Principal Sir!"

Ye Wen smiled. "You understand perfectly; you're just pretending not to…"

This affair seemed unresolved, but Ye Wen chose not to press the matter further. Having confirmed the girl possessed considerable skill, he instructed her to continue her practice alone while he began instructing the other sparring students, behaving exactly like any other teacher.

When the class ended, Ye Wen still hadn't said another word to that girl, which left Zhang Ling feeling uneasy.

She had no idea that Ye Wen was avoiding her because he was busy analyzing her true purpose.

"Judging by the situation, she must be someone sent by our country. But why would a private school like mine warrant such attention from them?"

He was unaware that his actions had already drawn the attention of the 'relevant departments': a wealthy overseas Chinese businessman who purchased Liverpool FC in the Premier League, gaining massive international renown.

If that were all, it wouldn't be unusual. But this businessman was also a master of martial arts, proficient in various forms of saber, spear, and palm techniques. And that was just what was known; who knew what other skills he possessed?

As for calligraphy and painting, those were matters of national art. Ye Wen’s brushwork had already garnered significant attention, with some elders claiming his calligraphy and painting were already at the absolute top tier—meaning, Ye Wen’s artwork, if preserved, would become items of national treasure status in the future.

For such an individual to not attract the notice of certain powers was impossible. Ye Wen had considered this possibility before, but what surprised him was how quickly they had sent people. And in such a manner.

"Infiltrating as a student…"

Ye Wen had expected them to send high-level masters disguised as faculty members to his school, not students.

"Wait, there must be their people among the teachers too!"

This was almost a certainty; Ye Wen had no doubt in his judgment. Furthermore, and more critically, he was currently suspended in mid-air. The stealth talisman given to him by Zhang Hengguang was nearly depleted. His ability to remain undetected now relied on a magical incantation he learned from the Hermit of the Northern River upon leaving Mount Diancang.

This incantation was far less refined than the talisman, but infinitely more convenient to use. With a simple hand sign, circulating internal energy, and combining it with his divine sense, he could become invisible to ordinary perception. The drawback was proximity; if he got too close to individuals, he could be detected.

It was precisely because of this limitation that Ye Wen was hovering in the air—for ordinary people, the last place they would ever look was the sky, even if Ye Wen was floating directly above their heads.

His wait was not long. Ye Wen soon spotted the girl Zhang Ling and a school teacher appearing in a rather inconspicuous corner. If the other person hadn't also been a female teacher, the darkness of the spot might have led others to assume something else entirely was happening.

Frankly, even though both were women, Ye Wen’s mind strayed toward less innocent interpretations; in this current age, certain activities were no longer limited by gender pairings, let alone female-female interactions? Especially since the two were looking around furtively, like clandestine agents meeting, making misunderstanding even easier.

Ye Wen’s skill in sustained flight still needed refinement, but his ability to hover had reached perfection. He sat cross-legged as if on an invisible chair, watching the two exchange hushed words below.

"I've been exposed!"

"How could you be so careless?"

"…" Zhang Ling wanted to retort that the principal was wicked and cunning, but the fact remained that she had been exposed, meaning her mission had failed.

Noticing her silence, the female teacher continued, "You're an experienced operative; how could such an accident happen? You must have handled dozens of these tasks over the years…"

She lectured on endlessly. Ye Wen wondered if scolding people was a mandatory trait for leadership, perhaps a way to assert status and authority?

Ye Wen watched for a while until he grew bored. Having an operative infiltrate his domain and then act so imperious while scolding someone made him feel like the landlord was being utterly disregarded.

He gently descended to the ground nearby, deactivated the stealth incantation, and let out a light cough.

His small action startled the two figures, who were still muttering and had been looking up to lecture Zhang Ling. The female teacher immediately spun around and snapped, "Who's there?"

When she turned, she saw no one, which sent her into greater panic.

She had always considered herself superior and was initially displeased that she was assigned to investigate such an ordinary martial arts school. She felt she deserved a higher-level, more challenging assignment to truly display her capabilities. Over the past few months, she had covertly investigated and observed, concluding that this place was no different from any other martial arts school in the country, and perhaps even inferior. The teaching staff, save for Guan Luyan, who served as both vice-principal and instructor, consisted of people teaching very basic forms; even if they taught, they were unlikely to produce any truly exceptional disciples.

Teachers form the foundation of a student; if that foundation is weak, building a skyscraper is impossible. Thus, she had grown increasingly dismissive of this assignment. Yet today, hearing that her subordinate’s identity had been compromised filled her with alarm—and then she heard the voice...

"Sneaking around in the shadows—what kind of hero are you?"

Hearing this, Ye Wen merely let out a cold sneer and stepped out of the darkness, adding mockingly, "That statement seems rather ill-suited coming from you, doesn't it?"

Once he revealed himself, the two recognized Ye Wen, and he continued, "In my own establishment, I will behave as I please. It is you two who are skulking about…"

From above, and due to the angle, he hadn't clearly seen the face of the other agent, but now he finally got a good look, and relevant data flashed through his mind.

A liberal arts graduate, hired just a few months ago as the Chinese teacher—and, critically, someone brought in through Guan Luyan’s personal recommendation. He truly hadn't expected that he had willingly invited a mole into his midst…

"Damn it, this is truly frustrating!"