Ye Wen did a quick calculation. When he left, Yue Ning was in his early twenties. He later learned Yue Ning married before he was thirty. If she conceived soon after, she would indeed have a grandson around twenty years old by now. However, the term "sole grandson" made Ye Wen recall something, though he didn't press for details or make any certain conclusions yet.

In just this short time, the situation in the square seemed to have changed again. That old master from the Wang family was now stubbornly demanding an explanation from the Shu Mountain Sect, threatening to fight immediately if they refused—this entire family was armed, and Ye Wen even noticed a group of female relatives nearby. Judging by their demeanor, if their men were all killed, they were prepared to commit mass suicide alongside them.

If the matter escalated to this degree, it would not be easily resolved. If this group were wiped out right here, the Shu Mountain Sect might never recover; the moniker of "arrogant and domineering" would be permanently etched onto their plaque, impossible to remove.

Originally, the matter had been made quite clear: summon the person, question him, and if the young man was at fault, deal with him accordingly.

But Ye Wen noticed Zhou Zhiruo frowning deeply, simply watching the Wang family without speaking.

"Senior Zhou, what is the meaning of this? Do you think my Wang family is easy to bully?"

Wang Pengzu had initially assumed this highly respected elder, Zhou, would rule justly in his favor. He never imagined the situation would turn out this way.

Ye Wen also frowned in silence. Coincidentally, someone nearby whispered, "Senior Zhou's martial arts are extremely high, but unfortunately, her decision-making in many matters is lacking... The increasing arrogance of the Shu Mountain Sect disciples over the years is honestly partly due to Senior Zhou!"

Someone nearby asked, "Doesn't the Shu Mountain Sect have other elders? Are they also unreasonable?"

That voice replied, "Senior Guo is a fair man, but Senior Guo generally doesn't involve himself in these affairs. Moreover, Senior Zhou is Senior Guo's senior martial sister, so Senior Guo naturally won't say anything!"

"What about Senior Nangong?"

"Senior Nangong has rarely moved outside since his injury. I hear his condition hasn't been great recently; who knows when..."

At this point, a sharp reprimand cut through the air: "Watch your tongue! This is Shu Mountain, after all!"

Hearing that, the voice quieted down, though he muttered, "Speaking so quietly, who could possibly hear...?"

Little did they know how profound Ye Wen's cultivation was. He heard every single word clearly. Through this man's words, Ye Wen was able to deduce the current state of the Shu Mountain Sect with considerable accuracy.

It seemed that among the current generation of the Shu Mountain Sect, either they had passed away, or they were ailing. The only ones healthy were Zhou Zhiruo and Guo Jing. Guo Jing was known to be honest and simple-minded, naturally avoiding involvement in sect leadership. Thus, the only one truly capable of making decisions was Zhou Zhiruo.

And Zhou Zhiruo was simply not suited for such a role, which explained the current predicament—a disciple caused trouble, and she didn't know how to handle it.

Ye Wen estimated that Zhou Zhiruo must have made many wrong decisions over the years, resulting in the Shu Mountain Sect acquiring its reputation for arrogance.

With this realization, Ye Wen grew even more irritated. "Is there no one sensible left in the Shu Mountain Sect?" He turned to Wu Qi and asked, "Is Zhou Zhiruo in charge of all Shu Mountain affairs now?"

His question drew the attention of everyone around him, especially since he uttered "Zhou Zhiruo" so casually, showing no sign of respect for the elder. While these martial artists were dissatisfied with some of the Shu Mountain Sect's recent conduct, they held significant reverence for this elder. Consequently, several people glared at Ye Wen with hostility.

Wu Qi gasped. He held no particular reverence for Zhou Zhiruo either, but the elder was once known as the 'Extinction Fairy' (Miejue Xianzi). Her swordsmanship was mercilessly sharp, and she never showed mercy in her actions. If this young man's disrespect reached her ears, she might very well end him with a single strike.

"Brother Ye, watch your words..."

Seeing Ye Wen pay him no mind, Wu Qi wondered if following this man was a blessing or a curse. He forced himself to speak in a low voice, "Ever since the passing of Sect Leader Yue, the Shu Mountain Sect seemed to want Yue's son to succeed as the leader. However, Sect Leader Yue's son..."

"What about him?"

"His martial arts are too mediocre, and he can't command respect! So, even though he inherited the title, major and minor decisions still require Senior Zhou to step in and make the final call, so that..."

Ye Wen understood immediately. So, Zhou Zhiruo was essentially a Supreme Sect Leader, though perhaps she never wanted that position herself, she was effectively placed there by everyone else and couldn't step down. No wonder he had never heard anyone mention the reason the Shu Mountain Sect Leader position was so murky—it wasn't vacant, but concealed, leading everyone to overlook the current occupant.

"So, the one who erred is the current Sect Leader's son?"

Wu Qi was startled. He didn't know the culprit was Yue Ning's sole grandson; he only heard it was a Shu Mountain disciple! Ye Wen had pieced this conclusion together by combining the news from the other group.

The situation seemed increasingly complicated, but Ye Wen knew the solution was quite simple, yet it couldn't be delayed like this.

Pushing aside the person nearest to him, Ye Wen strode forward and roared, "Zhou Zhiruo, how can you be so muddled?"

This booming shout immediately drew everyone's gaze. Those who had been focused on Wang Pengzu in the center froze, watching this arrogant fellow walk brazenly out of the crowd and straight toward the elder Zhou.

"How dare you!"

"Insolent dog!"

The Shu Mountain Sect disciples reacted the fastest. After a moment of stunned silence, they erupted in fury. Their master being rebuked, especially in public, enraged them. Moreover, it was by a young man who looked barely twenty, who was even calling the elder by her given name. These disciples lunged forward, intent on teaching Ye Wen a lesson, but as the words left their mouths, they found the man had vanished. They stood frozen, weapons in hand, searching frantically in all directions, some even suspecting their eyes were playing tricks and rubbing them vigorously.

It was the collective uproar of the surrounding martial artists that snapped them back to reality. Turning their gaze toward Zhou Zhiruo’s direction, they saw that the arrogant young man had somehow—in the blink of an eye—appeared right in front of their elder.

"What happened?"

"He was just over there! How did he get in front of Senior Zhou so fast?"

"What kind of technique is that?"

"Who is this young man?"

...

Ye Wen stood before Zhou Zhiruo, his face icy, and demanded, "Have you really forgotten me?"

Zhou Zhiruo stared at Ye Wen, her eyes wide with utter disbelief, muttering, "How is this possible?"

Ye Wen let out a dry laugh. He gave a slight, open-palmed gesture to his right, and in a flash, a purple glow shimmered, and a long sword radiating purple light materialized in his hand.

"This is... Sword Control Art (Yujian Shu)?"

Zhou Zhiruo's eyes widened further. Several Shu Mountain disciples, appearing to be in their forties, also looked stunned, before shouting, "Who are you? Where did you steal the supreme skill of our Shu Mountain Sect?"

Ye Wen glanced at these newcomers; they were all unfamiliar faces. He ignored them, focusing only on Zhou Zhiruo, and commanded, "Kneel!"

This statement caused another massive stir. Some speculated, "Is this person mentally unsound?" Others pondered, "Since he knows the supreme techniques of the Shu Mountain Sect, perhaps he's one of their own?"

"Even so, he can't order Senior Zhou to kneel, can he?"

As the crowd debated, Zhou Zhiruo's body wavered slightly. Then, uncertainly, she uttered, "Master?"

This word was soft, spoken without effortful projection, yet its utterance caused the entire square to fall into a deathly silence. Everyone stared, jaws agape, at Zhou Zhiruo and Ye Wen, feeling as if they had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world. Some suspected they were dreaming, repeatedly pinching their flesh, only to be driven further towards madness by the sharp pain—they were not waking up.

Most of the martial artists present were between twenty and forty years old; those nearing fifty were rare. Naturally, none of them recognized Ye Wen. Their immediate reaction was not that the Sword Immortal had returned from the heavens, but that this young man was using some kind of sorcery to confuse Senior Zhou's mind.

Even so, Zhou Zhiruo's cry was astonishing. The Shu Mountain disciples, who had been reaching for their weapons to rush forward, were paralyzed by shock when their elder uttered those words, afraid to move an inch.

Then, Ye Wen nodded. "It's a good thing you still remember me. Have you forgotten what I taught you back then?"

Zhou Zhiruo's mouth opened, feeling a momentary disorientation. But she quickly refocused, her face hardening like frost. With a lift of her hand, a long sword materialized in her grip. Ye Wen, being close, could see the word 'Extinction' (Miejue) engraved on the blade—it seemed Zhou Zhiruo had named her sword after achieving mastery in her art.

"Who are you?" she asked, still refusing to believe this was the real Ye Wen.

Ye Wen knew this was hard to explain, but he had a way to speak with facts.

Just as everyone expected the elder Zhou to have seen through the facade and prepare for a decisive strike, they suddenly saw purple energy swirl around the young man, faintly interspersed with specks of starlight. Within that expanse of purple, it looked like a purple night sky, dotted with countless stars, vaguely resembling a long river.

Simultaneously, Ye Wen swung both hands, releasing countless strands of purple Zixiao Dragon Qi sword energy. These energies did not target any specific location but revolved ceaselessly around Ye Wen. Yet, no one dared to think these sword energies were merely for show, as even from ten meters away, they could feel the terrifying sharpness of the qi.

The few disciples standing behind Zhou Zhiruo quickly retreated far away. Setting aside the overwhelming aura Ye Wen suddenly unleashed, the terrifying, revolving sword energy alone filled them with dread, causing their bodies to retreat uncontrollably.

In the entire square, only Zhou Zhiruo could barely hold her ground. The Miejue sword in her hand had already shattered and dissipated. She collapsed onto her knees, looking at Ye Wen with a mixture of confusion and helplessness.

At this moment, she was certain the person before her was indeed her Master. After all, in that brief instant, Ye Wen had displayed several sets of unique skills. Among them, the Purple Star River (Zixinghe) had almost never been shown to outsiders; he had only demonstrated it privately to his martial siblings before achieving Void Shattering (Poxu Kōngjian), never teaching it. Therefore, that technique could not be faked. The moment Ye Wen activated the qi flow of the Purple Star River, she knew this was undeniably her Master. Her earlier doubt stemmed from the fact that Ye Wen's Sword Control Art seemed different from before—it was as real as an actual sword. Back then, only when Ye Wen was on the verge of Void Shattering had he refined the Zixiao Sword to this extent, yet practitioners with sufficient cultivation could vaguely sense it was a product of condensed true qi. But the sword Ye Wen wielded now was different, which caused Zhou Zhiruo's suspicion.

Seeing this much now, she understood her mistake. Moreover, the presence of the Zixiao Dragon Qi Sword and the Purple Qi Celestial Net aura confirmed it. If someone else were impersonating him, even if they stole one or two skills, they couldn't possibly steal them all, right?

But why had her Master returned? Hadn't he already achieved Void Shattering?

As for Ye Wen's unchanged appearance, she wasn't suspicious. If she herself could remain ageless for decades, it was hardly surprising that her Master, who was infinitely stronger, could maintain his youthful appearance.

"Master!"

Upon uttering this call, Ye Wen immediately retracted his surging energy, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked down at his second disciple kneeling before him. He had intended to scold her, but seeing the look of profound relief wash over Zhou Zhiruo's face upon seeing him, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He simply said, "These years... you have suffered!"

He understood that much of the blame could not be placed on his disciple. She was never skilled at administration, yet she was forced into this position. It was natural that she couldn't manage perfectly.

"At least... she managed to preserve the inheritance of my Shu Mountain Sect and keep our sect strong..."

With a sigh, he lifted a hand and sent out a gentle stream of energy. This force forcefully lifted Zhou Zhiruo from her kneeling position. Zhou Zhiruo offered no resistance, perhaps knowing that struggling would be futile. Ye Wen's qi, though gentle, was overwhelmingly powerful, leaving her no chance to resist. In a blink, she was standing upright again.

The surrounding crowd couldn't see these subtleties clearly, but Wang Pengzu, who was relatively close, observed everything—the foundation of the Wang family in Dongzhou was built by this old man, so he naturally possessed genuine skill; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the confidence to bring his entire family to cause trouble at Shu Mountain. The moment Ye Wen unleashed his energy burst, Wang Pengzu knew this person's martial prowess was unfathomable, perhaps even beyond what this world should contain.

When Zhou Zhiruo uttered "Master," a thunderclap went off in Wang Pengzu's mind. He immediately understood that the day's affair could not end well, because he had heard that Sect Leader Ye Wen of Shu Mountain was an incomparably tyrannical figure. The Shu Mountain Sect's tradition of fiercely protecting their own originated from Ye Wen. There were even rumors that Zhou Zhiruo's somewhat unreasonable demeanor stemmed from inheriting some of her Master's temper.

In short, Wang Pengzu perceived Ye Wen as an even more unreasonable, more savage, and overbearing figure. Furthermore, this man possessed martial arts terrifyingly high and supreme—he had achieved Void Shattering and left fifty years ago, yet now he had returned. How high must his martial arts have reached?

"Perhaps... he's truly an immortal?"

Especially seeing Ye Wen's appearance, still that of a man in his early twenties, Wang Pengzu became more certain of his guess.

While he was contemplating, he saw Ye Wen address him: "You, follow me inside to talk!" Then, turning back to Zhou Zhiruo, he chided, "Muddled! Why would you handle matters right here at the entrance?" Ye Wen knew this wasn't the time for reminiscing; the immediate issue needed resolving. It looked bad to have so many people crowding the entrance to his Shu Mountain Sect.

Seeing her Master return, Zhou Zhiruo was overjoyed. The constant feeling of being suspended in uncertainty had finally vanished; she finally had someone to rely on. Although her expression remained cold, the way she walked felt entirely different from before, and the worry lines around her eyes had softened considerably.

Entering the main hall, Ye Wen strode directly to the seat of honor and waved a hand at Wang Pengzu: "Sit!" There were no further words.

However, no one objected. If this was truly Ye Wen, his seniority eclipsed everyone present. To even speak a single word to Wang Pengzu was already a display of great courtesy.

Wang Pengzu was impeccably polite, first bowing to Ye Wen: "Your junior, Wang Pengzu, greets Elder Ye!"

Ye Wen responded with a low grunt, not engaging further, but instead instructing Zhou Zhiruo, "Go call Jing'er and the others!"

Zhou Zhiruo nodded and said only, "Yes!" Then she made no further move. It wasn't that she was being disrespectful or ignoring orders, but these matters simply didn't require her action. Without even needing eye contact or gestures, other disciples rushed off to summon the required people. Ye Wen addressed Zhou Zhiruo because he didn't recognize the current disciples.

Although the Shu Mountain disciples were skeptical of this suddenly appearing ancestor, since their current elder acknowledged his identity, it was not their place to question it. They followed the elders' commands.

Moments later, the members of the Shu Mountain Sect arrived in the hall one by one, lining up according to seniority and status, facing the onlookers from the martial world standing opposite.

Guo Jing and Nangong Huang arrived later, as neither knew what was happening. As Guo Jing entered, he froze, then rushed forward several paces, peering intently several more times before calling out in disbelief, "Master?"

Ye Wen appraised his disciple. Guo Jing had not grown a beard, but his temples showed streaks of white. He appeared to be at the late stage of middle age, perhaps around forty, with slight wrinkles on his face, though not overly pronounced. His steps were steady; it seemed his cultivation had reached a considerable level. Compared to the seemingly clueless boy from before, the current Guo Jing no longer seemed so honest and simple; perhaps exposure to the wider world had sharpened his mind!

In contrast, Nangong Huang's condition appeared much worse. He already looked seventy or eighty, walking with difficulty, needing two disciples to support him into the hall. He too stared at Ye Wen with utter disbelief: "Martial Uncle?"

Looking left and right, Ye Wen sighed again upon seeing their appearances. He summoned Nangong Huang closer, placed a hand on his wrist, sent a stream of true qi into him to investigate, and asked, "What has happened to you?"

Nangong Huang noticed Zhou Zhiruo's expression and knew this person was indeed his Martial Uncle, filling him with joy. However, before Nangong Huang could answer, a young and incredibly arrogant voice rang out: "Who are you? How dare you sit in my father's seat?"