He rapidly recounted everything that had transpired, leaving no opening for Artemis to ignite her fury. Then, Ye Wen looked down at the Moon Goddess cradled in his arms with an expression suggesting, "It was really that simple, nothing to make a fuss about."

"If you would set me down now, the credibility of your words would increase tenfold!"

Artemis desperately wanted to create some distance, but the arm firmly around her neck made any such maneuver impossible. Thankfully, Ye Wen made no further moves, so she didn't need to worry unduly.

"Very well!"

Ye Wen released one hand, lowering the right hand that had been supporting her lower body, allowing the Moon Goddess to free herself from his embrace. However, the moment her bare foot touched the ground, the icy chill made her frown. Only then did she realize one of her shoes was missing.

But asking Ye Wen for help or to hold her again in this situation was out of the question. She could only suppress her displeasure and stand there, then turn her gaze toward the Solar God Apollo, who was radiating brilliant light and stood in imposing majesty.

Apollo, seeing Artemis awake, seemed less composed than before. Under her direct gaze, he appeared somewhat awkward, and even his speech became hesitant. He took several deep breaths before he could articulate his words smoothly: "Sister, now that you are conscious, return with me."

"Why should I obey you?" Artemis’s expression showed none of the joy a normal girl would display upon seeing her brother arrive to rescue her. Instead, a trace of dissatisfaction even lined her brow, as if she were looking upon something utterly repulsive to her.

Apollo seemed aware of his sister's disdain for him, but he judged this moment inappropriate for discussing their personal issues. "I believe it is far more important to escort you back to your palace first. We can discuss other matters later!"

"That is your thought, not mine!" Artemis even turned her head sharply away, lacking the slightest interest in giving Apollo another look. "And I do not require your assistance!"

She had gleaned the general situation from Ye Wen, understanding that her brother had rushed over to prevent her from falling into someone's wicked clutches and had just started fighting that Easterner when she awoke.

Ye Wen stood to the side, watching the siblings argue, and suddenly felt bored!

Although he could sense that Artemis’s aversion to Apollo was deep-seated and not mere sulking, it seemed to have nothing to do with him, did it?

Turning away, he ignored the quarreling pair and walked toward his own palace, saying to Athena, who was observing the scene: "I am going to rest. I won't have any duties for a while anyway."

Athena turned back, glancing at Ye Wen as he approached the palace doors, and suddenly called out: "Oh, right, I still need to discuss the matter of the Cloths with you, as well as training the first batch of Saints. In a few days, I plan to personally select the location to build the Sanctuary; you must come with me!"

"We'll see when the time comes," Ye Wen replied, waving a hand in acknowledgment without turning his head. His opinion of the Olympian gods was sinking lower and lower. Right now, he rather wished he could find Shen Gongbao and ask if the letter delivered by the Black Tiger had reached Mount Shu.

He intensely missed the tranquil life on Mount Shu. While peaceful life could be somewhat dull, it was infinitely better than remaining in this chaotic place.

Stepping into the main hall, Ye Wen suddenly heard footsteps behind him, accompanied by Apollo’s curses: "You foolish woman, you have made the most disastrous choice since the day you were born!"

This howl reminded Ye Wen of one term: defeatist.

Though he couldn't pinpoint why, he felt that word applied perfectly to Apollo at this moment! That heart-rending roar and cursing were simply the perfect embodiment of the term.

Entering the hall, Ye Wen then saw Artemis quickly rushing up beside him. The beautiful Moon Goddess’s face was overlaid with a sheet of frost. In response to Apollo's furious curses and condemnations, she instead offered a mocking smile: "My greatest error was being born at the same time as this bastard!"

"Is it really that serious? He is your brother, after all! A twin, no less!" Ye Wen had no idea how deep the feud between the siblings ran, but he had no intention of inquiring. He merely saw Artemis running in and casually asked, "Why did you follow me in here?"

"I'm staying here tonight!" Artemis's expression was still not pleasant as she looked at Ye Wen. "I refuse to look at that man for another second!"

"You could stay in your own palace and not see him either," Ye Wen said, summoning a servant with a wave of his hand. "Where is my room?"

"Your room is this way, please follow me!"

Following the attendant, Ye Wen soon found his sleeping quarters. It was an exceptionally large, luxurious room complete with an open-air pavilion. The massive bed could comfortably fit four or five Ye Wens. The bedding, made of some unknown material, was soft and comfortable, and the room was stocked with fruit and wine, plus a separate bathroom with hot water already drawn.

"Wow, what a comfortable and luxurious room," I’ll say that’s a massive upgrade from where I slept yesterday!"

He praised it casually, then turned to look at the somewhat disheveled Artemis. "So, Your Highness the Moon Goddess, why are you still following me?"

"I am only staying here for one night. I will leave tomorrow morning," Artemis had calmed down considerably, and her earlier mild dissatisfaction with Ye Wen seemed to have vented during the argument with Apollo. Thus, she spoke to Ye Wen with rare composure.

"It won't disrupt your rest. Just go about your own business," Ye Wen replied.

"Leaving tomorrow morning?" Ye Wen didn't think that was such a good suggestion. "If so... there might be a lot of unfavorable rumors."

"The moment I stepped into this palace, those became unavoidable," Artemis had come to terms with it. The instant she stormed into this palace in anger, her status as a virgin goddess was destined to become a thing of the past. Even if the reality was otherwise, it could not alter others' perceptions.

Moreover, the now-calm Artemis realized that all of this was practically a trap set by the King of the Gods, Zeus. She had charged in like a foolish prey and personally sealed off her own retreat.

"What Huntress Goddess? It's a total joke!"

Ye Wen said nothing, nor did he look at Artemis. He simply stood on the open pavilion, gazing at the nearly overhead, dense stars.

"Sigh... this is getting increasingly melodramatic."

Looking heavenward helplessly, Ye Wen considered whether he should emulate those upright and noble protagonists: offer Artemis a warm embrace, or perhaps use some insincere action to show he was actually quite gentle, and thereby steal the woman's heart.

He trusted that the woman's current vulnerable state presented the optimal moment for an advance; even going all the way tonight might not be impossible.

"As for hitting a home run... let's forget it."

Turning, Ye Wen left the room directly without saying anything further. However, he did not return that entire night; he went to Shen Gongbao's room to settle accounts with the man who had suddenly sided with Athena.

"Did you foresee what would happen tonight?"

Shen Gongbao firmly denied the accusation but added cautiously, "However, I did suspect that Athena might employ some minor tricks."

"Why didn't you warn me?"

Shen Gongbao chuckled. "With the means possessed by Master Ye, you certainly wouldn't fear minor schemes. There was no need for me to overstep."

"Though that flattery was well-delivered, I’m still annoyed," Ye Wen grumbled resentfully, then inquired about the Black Tiger.

"The Black Tiger is still on its way. How could it arrive so quickly? Considering the time it took us to fly here, it has been quite some days!"

"Can't it fly faster on its own?"

Shen Gongbao looked somewhat embarrassed, his expression becoming very unnatural. "Actually, if it flew by itself, it might be even slower. This beast is rather fond of playing around!"

Remembering how the Black Tiger used to roam the surrounding mountains looking for amusement back on Mount Shu, Ye Wen could easily imagine what the tiger would be like without supervision.

"Don't you have any way to make it fly faster?"

Shen Gongbao shook his head. "I am powerless to do so, as the distance is simply too great!"

If the letter couldn't be delivered, the communication device Ye Wen wanted couldn't be obtained, making contact with Mount Shu impossible.

Having no friends he could genuinely talk to on Mount Olympus, Ye Wen could only wait for Mount Olympus to prepare the Saint War Game and then monitor the progress of this first Holy War—he needed to ensure its smooth progression, avoiding anything that might displease Zeus.

If Zeus were to be reincarnated and participate in this Saint War as the protagonist, Ye Wen would become the ever-present, helpful elder figure, assisting the protagonist and giving him benefits without asking for anything in return.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Ye Wen mused.

For some reason, Ye Wen suddenly recalled Master Huixin and True Man Tianyi whom he had known in the Nine Provinces World. Those two had apparently done similar things, but the protagonists they nurtured were unpopular and ultimately turned against them, resulting in True Man Tianyi's death overseas.

It was fortunate that Ye Wen, after serving as the elder figure, wouldn't suffer as tragically as True Man Tianyi. But if Zeus became displeased, what might happen next was anyone's guess.

Lost in thought, the night quickly passed. When the sun had risen considerably the next morning, Ye Wen finally returned to his room.

To his surprise, Artemis had not left!

The beautiful Moon Goddess appeared to have just finished bathing; water droplets still clung to her hair, catching the morning sunlight and emitting a faint glimmer, making the already stunning Artemis look even more ethereal.

Her long gown was also brand new, likely provided by a maid, but her beautiful feet were bare, resting on the sheepskin rug, nearly blending in with the white wool.

"Oh? You haven't left yet?"

Artemis did not expect the man to utter such a sentence upon his return. A flash of anger crossed her otherwise calm face. After taking several deep breaths, she managed to quell it. "Before I leave, there are a few things I need to discuss with you!"

"Oh, go on," Ye Wen said.

Ye Wen casually picked up a piece of fruit and rubbed it against his clothes, which looked infinitely more wretched than the fruit (this action caused Artemis's brow to furrow again), then took a large, fierce bite (Artemis turned her head away, unwilling to watch any further).

"The duel yesterday."

"Forget about that duel," Ye Wen intended to say, forget about that duel and the wager, because that was something Zeus had unreasonably forced upon them, and neither of them needed to honor that agreement.

But before he could finish, Artemis interrupted him: "No, I will not forget that duel! Especially since you destroyed my Wu Gui—and my shoe—during it." Ye Wen's Lightning Fast Fist had pulverized Artemis's Arrow Bow into dust. That bow was Artemis's most cherished weapon; besides being a bow, it could transform into a javelin, serving as her personal armament, accompanying her for countless years, having slain countless enemies and beasts. To have it casually destroyed by Ye Wen made anger inevitable. "Fine, I will compensate you with a new weapon!"

"As for the shoe... you broke that yourself, didn't you?"

Although Ye Wen's Lightning Fast Fist possessed extreme speed, and its intense light almost obscured everything happening in the field, his cultivation level allowed him to see clearly; otherwise, how could he locate the enemy to defeat them? He couldn't just rely on beams of light scattering everywhere for indiscriminate attacks, could he?

He saw clearly that Artemis’s first reaction upon seeing herself enveloped in light beams was to test her footing. But the moment she took a step, a beam of light forced her to retract it. She was only slightly slow, grazed by a beam, which is what broke the shoe.

"Besides, that shoe... seemed like just a very ordinary pair, didn't it? Wouldn't getting another pair be simple?"

"How can it be the same? Those are all properties of my Mount Olympus! What I want now is compensation from you."

Artemis's reaction made Ye Wen sigh: offending women is indeed the worst thing. Even the proud Artemis could be frustrating when she decided to be strictly factual.

"Alright, the weapon plus... a pair of shoes!"

"Good, then give me the shoes first. I need to go back now!" So, this was why Artemis had waited for him, standing barefoot on the sheepskin rug.

Seeing Artemis in that state, Ye Wen resolved to let her humiliate herself, but this problem wasn't beyond him.

"Since you insist," he said, flipping his hand, and a pair of white, strappy high-heeled sandals appeared in Ye Wen's hand. These were originally bought by Huayi; since she bought a large quantity, she had kept some with him, and they happened to be useful now.

After handing them to Artemis, Ye Wen waved his hand: "The shoes have been compensated. Farewell, beautiful Moon and Huntress Goddess! As for the weapon, I will give it to you in a few days."

Watching Ye Wen turn and disappear into the adjacent bathroom, Artemis stared at the high heels in her hand, bewildered—how was she supposed to wear this thing?

Although she could clearly discern how to put them on based on their structure, why was the sole shaped like that?

The Moon Goddess puzzled over this for a long time, then tried putting one on. After just one step, she nearly twisted her ankle. "This despicable man, did he deliberately bring out such a strange item for me?"

Angrily taking off the shoes, she put on the pair the maid had already prepared, and the Moon Goddess left Ye Wen's room immediately, returning to her palace to rest. However, she kept the high heels in her hand; in her words, "Since it's mine now, even if it's useless, I won't throw it back to that guy!"

"Ah~ Why does it feel like this woman's personality has changed?"

Soaking in the warm bathwater, Ye Wen couldn't understand the reason for such a massive change in attitude. Regardless, he wasn't interested in knowing!

After bathing and putting on the clothes provided by the servant, Ye Wen found Athena and Hephaestus, the God of Fire and Craftsmanship, already waiting for him.

Athena’s reason for bringing this god was obvious! Thus, there was little unnecessary preamble; almost the moment they sat down, they got straight to the point.

Ye Wen did not use his ring to summon the blueprints—first, because the summoning was random, and he didn't know if he would summon the required Cloth blueprints. Second, the blueprints summoned were so precise and perfect they were practically works of art, and the Cloths made from them were flawless. He didn't want to reveal something so perfect yet.

Therefore, relying on Hephaestus to forge some slightly inferior products seemed like a better choice. In any case, all Ye Wen needed to do was draw out the appearance of the Cloths; how they were to be made was his concern, not theirs!

With his formidable drawing skill, Ye Wen spent only half a day sketching the appearances of the Twelve Gold Cloths. Hephaestus trembled as he gazed at the exquisite, golden full-body armor, constantly marveling: "This is truly the most refined work of art!" Meanwhile, his mind was busy calculating how to actually fabricate these Cloths.

After finishing the drawings of the Cloths, Ye Wen aptly clapped the craftsman god on the shoulder: "These exquisite and magnificent works of art will rely on your hands to be manufactured. I believe you are the only one on Mount Olympus capable of achieving this."

"Of course, besides me, no one else can forge armor this exquisite!"

Hearing this, Ye Wen suddenly remembered he still owed Artemis a weapon. "Oh right, you know I broke the Moon Goddess's weapon, so I need you to forge one more weapon for me!"

"Oh? What kind of weapon is it?"

Ye Wen thought for a moment, then quickly sketched the design of a weapon on a blank sheet of paper—a strangely shaped weapon with a grip in the middle and blades at both ends. The overall appearance was somewhat like a crescent moon.