"Fine, I will show you exactly where I come from now." Ye Xiu was truly terrible at arguing with women, so he simply pulled his phone out of his pocket. Though it was merely a knock-off Apple model, it was considered high-end in this era.

"You scoundrel, you actually intend to attack me with a hidden weapon!" Hong'er's eyes were sharp, and she immediately leaped forward, attempting to knock the phone from Ye Xiu's hand with her sword. However, her thrust was intercepted mid-air by Wang Long.

"Hong'er, you must not be disrespectful to Young Hero Ye," Wang Long said with great courtesy.

Ye Xiu didn't pay them any mind and immediately opened his phone's photo album. Thankfully, it had a full charge, having just been topped up.

He thrust the phone forward. "You little imp, look here! It clearly shows Tiananmen right here—this is my country."

"Hmph, you're just a liar," Hong'er turned her head away, refusing to look at the strange object. "You're still trying to deceive me."

"What is this... chicken?" Wang Long, considered an elder and possessing broad knowledge, had never encountered such a device.

"A mobile phone... this... how am I supposed to explain that thing..." Ye Xiu's scalp was beginning to tingle; he had no idea how to explain any of it. "Elder Wang, look, it works on the same principle as your painting, only the technology involved is far superior to brush and ink."

"Ah, so it's a piece of silk manuscript of a different texture!" Wang Long believed he had grasped the concept. He reached out with both hands to cradle Ye Xiu's knock-off Apple, examining it closely. "Indeed, a fine item. The craftsman who rendered these images is truly skilled, very impressive."

"It was... taken by me... and drawn," Ye Xiu didn't want to elaborate; the more he said, the harder it became to explain.

"Magnificent! I never imagined Young Hero Ye possessed such exquisite drawing skill; this old man is truly in awe," Wang Long marveled again at the obscure young man before him, having completely missed the point of Ye Xiu’s demonstration.

"I don't deserve such praise." Ye Xiu grinned, retrieving the phone from Wang Long's hands. Hastily, he glanced at the signal bars—there was truly no reception at all. If he had known about the transmigration, he should have brought something more useful.

"Right, Elder Wang, speaking of the Ghost Valley Sect! I'm curious if those famous historical figures—did they all emerge from here?" Ye Xiu held a genuine interest in history and was relatively knowledgeable about many matters.

"Indeed, Young Hero Ye seems well-informed. These matters are secrets of my Ghost Valley Sect." Wang Long was utterly impressed by Ye Xiu by now. "To think a young hero like you knows such things; the Ghost Valley is indeed a place where dragons and crouching tigers reside."

"From books," Ye Xiu casually replied. "I'm just relatively clear on things, and I've never told anyone. Today, I feel a special kinship with you, Elder Wang, and I truly hope to learn a bit more."

"Heh, no problem at all." Wang Long stroked his beard and chuckled happily. "It is written, after all. A shooting star flashed across the sky, and Young Hero Ye descended from above. Upon first entering the Ghost Valley, you broke the Illusory Array, and now you know the matters of our ancestors so intimately. Could it truly be destiny that brings you to meet the disciples of the Ghost Valley?"

Ye Xiu didn't know what to say. He was simply grateful that the first group of people he encountered after time-traveling were decent folk, even accomplished masters. Yet, burdened by his own secrets, he felt unsure of what to do.

"Young Hero Ye. Does Young Hero Ye have something weighing on his mind?" Wang Long was indeed a true heir of the Ghost Valley. It was said that all people of the Ghost Valley were extraordinary: skilled in self-cultivation, adept at discerning human psychology, fluent in the balance of hardness and softness, masters of strategic maneuvering, possessing wisdom that pierced the heavens—it was all true.

Ye Xiu grew melancholy and said slowly, "Yes, thinking about it, so many people have left me."

"It is commendable that Young Hero Ye travels the world alone and occasionally misses his parents at home." Wang Long appreciated the young man's filial piety; though he only saw it through Ye Xiu's expression, he recognized the genuine emotion. "Good, very good."

"Elder Wang, I am an orphan, without father or mother. I only have an older sister who adopted me, and now I have lost contact with her." As he spoke, Ye Xiu's face grew distressed, and he subtly twitched his nose.

"A grown man, crying so easily! What kind of spirit is that?" Seeing the situation, Hong'er seemed to soften a little. Watching Ye Xiu weep made her feel somewhat uncomfortable too.

"Perhaps you are weary. Someone, escort Young Hero Ye to a disciple's room to rest." Wang Long understood the necessity of giving space, preventing Ye Xiu from having to weep in front of others.

"Thank you, Elder Wang." Ye Xiu could barely bear it either. He grabbed his backpack and followed a disciple toward the inner courtyard.

The bright moon hung outside the window. Ye Xiu lay alone on the bed; it was too hard, making sleep truly uncomfortable. Being alone in a strange place, especially in a historical era, felt genuinely unsettling.

At that moment, a "gurgling" sound echoed again. Ye Xiu suddenly remembered the 'Azure Phoenix' around his neck. That day, it was because of a flash of white light from his chest that he had stumbled and fallen. Could this object be related? Was his miraculous experience not as simple as it seemed?

"Knock, knock..." came a slow rapping sound at the door. Ye Xiu got up and opened it to find a disciple conveying a message that he was to join them in the main hall for the evening meal.

It’s just eating, yet they call it ‘using provisions’! Such antiquated thinking. Ye Xiu smiled wryly, but he was indeed a bit hungry. He might as well see what these people were eating; perhaps there were some delicacies he had never tried.

"Young Hero Ye, please take your seat! Come, come!" Wang Long was very courteous to him, naturally sympathetic toward the young man's plight, and fond of him all the more.

"Thank you, Elder." Ye Xiu nodded weakly before sitting at the table to Wang Long's right. He noticed, however, a man seated to Wang Long's left whom he had not seen before.

This man had finely chiseled features, his gaze brimming with killing intent, and his brow filled with sharp intelligence. Most captivating was the short sword—or perhaps dagger—beside him. A retainer with a blade! This place was formidable!

"Where are Wan'er and Hong'er?" Wang Long spoke slowly. "What are those two girls doing, fooling around while we are dining? They truly have no sense of propriety."

Wan'er? Ye Xiu only knew the annoying Hong'er; he hadn't realized there was another woman here. Could she be the sister Hong'er mentioned? Judging by the name, she must be a lovely, flowing sort of girl, haha.

"Father, no need to call us; why rush us so? We're here," Hong'er’s voice always preceded her arrival, yet her attention was fixed entirely on the man with the short sword.