As they traveled east, the moment the sun rose each day brought a fresh sense of novelty; the feeling of constantly moving toward the solar orb was truly indescribable.

However, ever since Yuwentuo remarked, "Are we, in a way, searching for the sun?" the topic was never brought up again!

Of course, Yuwentuo knew he had misspoke. For the days that followed, he was remarkably well-behaved, not uttering a single word. Only after several days, sensing everyone had forgotten the incident, did he gradually return to normal.

Yet, the chattiest one on this journey wasn't this young disciple, but rather Mino.

Ever since learning Ye Wen's sect was called Shushan, the girl had been incessantly asking questions. Her enthusiasm only spiked upon hearing that there was indeed someone named Li Xiaoyao on Mount Shu.

"Are there also a Miss Lin, a Zhao Ling'er, and others?"

"There was originally a Miss Lin, but she passed away long ago. I advise you, if you ever truly meet Senior Brother Li... Li Xiaoyao—never bring up the matter of Miss Lin in front of him!" Zhang Ling knew the inner workings of Shushan better than anyone. Because she was usually quiet and maintained a low profile, everyone felt comfortable sharing things with her, so over time, she became completely informed about everything on the mountain.

"Oh, okay, I get it!" Mino nodded, but whether she truly absorbed the advice was debatable.

Meanwhile, Ye Wen watched them chat, his own mind in complete turmoil. In the end, he could only mutter, "What the hell am I scared of! I’ll go back, soothe my junior sister properly, and then leave... It should be fine... it should be..."

Artemis, for her part, hadn't uttered anything that would give Ye Wen a headache, like, "How do you plan to solve the issue between us?" or "I'm willing to be with you, but I won't share you with other women." However, Ye Wen had mostly figured out the nature of this Moon Goddess. Despite Artemis saying nothing, it was because the woman was intensely proud, deeming such words beneath her. If she truly had intentions, she would likely act upon them decisively!

"Sigh!"

Watching the landscape blur beneath them, Ye Wen knew this problem was unavoidable; he had to face it. As for the outcome... that would have to wait.

As for their group's plan to return to Shushan, the matter had already been conveyed through the communicator function of their detection device to those on the mountain. Ning Ruxue and Huayi were overjoyed. After such a long separation, not only did Ye Wen miss them dearly, but these two women had also deeply missed Ye Wen. Had Ye Wen not indicated the situation was nearly resolved, the two might have already rushed straight to the West.

Raising his head to look at the group again, Ye Wen noticed Mino was still inquiring about matters on Shushan. He observed that when Mino heard Zhang Ling mention, "Martial Uncle Xu’s appearance surpasses that of most women in the world; few can match her beauty!" her eyes lit up with excitement, and she began drooling uncontrollably.

"That... that..." "What is the name of your Martial Uncle Xu?" Mino's eyes were practically glowing green. The few people around her felt a chill, and Yuwentuo subconsciously began to worry for the unseen Martial Uncle. Being from Earth himself, he knew that a 'fujoshi' was an utterly unreasonable being when it came to certain matters.

Zhang Ling, however, remained unconcerned. Having spent so much time together, she knew that Martial Uncle was the strongest existence on Shushan second only to Ye Wen. Furthermore, after learning the full history of Xu Xian's life, she understood: "That Martial Uncle Xu is definitely someone running on the standard protagonist template; if he were in a novel, he would absolutely be the main character!"

Although time had revealed that the protagonist template wasn't exactly rare on Shushan—and she couldn't fathom how her Master managed to gather a group of such monstrous existences around him—Xu Xian was undoubtedly one of the most prominent. Moreover, Xu Xian had received a very classical, ancient education. If any fool dared to tease him as if he were a woman, the consequences would likely be grim.

"Martial Uncle Xu's given name is Xian!"

"Xu Xian... Xu Xian... Xu..." Mino mumbled the name several times before her expression suddenly turned strange. "Why does this name sound so familiar?"

Zhang Ling tilted her head. "Perhaps because it sounds like Xu Xian [the character from the Legend of the White Snake]?"

Mino shook her head. "No... it's definitely not that reason!" She then propped her forehead with one hand. "The moment I heard this name, I felt an instinctive dislike for it—it has nothing to do with Xu Xian!"

Yuwentuo, who had been thinking for a moment, suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my! Did our sect even kidnap a member of Girls' Generation?"

This was just a casual joke. He knew his Martial Uncle Xu was a straight-up man, so he couldn't possibly be the same person as a member of some idol group. But this exclamation jolted Mino awake.

"Ah! Now I remember why I reacted with such aversion to the name! It's because it’s the same name as that female idol!" She recalled that she used to strongly dislike that group, which was the source of her immediate feeling.

The fact that her soul had been dormant for a long time after her death meant these seemingly unimportant details had been buried deep in her memory, preventing her from recalling it instantly.

"Forget it, it's just a common name. These things happen all the time anyway!" Mino tossed her hair, feigning nonchalance, but the facade crumbled after just three seconds. She collapsed onto the ground, repeatedly pounding her fists. "Why did it have to be this specific name?"

Chris looked at the clownish Mino and couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his brow. "Should I be happy for Martial Uncle? That he escaped this female wolf's clutches..." Zhang Ling shrugged. She still believed that if Mino harbored any malicious intent, Mino herself would be the one to suffer in the end. Not only was Xu Xian not someone easy to provoke, but their Martial Uncle also had a 'grown-up' watching over him! If that Lady were angered, it wasn't impossible that Mino would be swiftly executed with a single stroke.

Chatting and joking, the journey wasn't tedious, especially as they could enjoy the changing scenery of the Mediterranean below and the constantly shifting, lovely coastlines. It wasn't until they left the Mediterranean and began to see the stretch of Gobi desert, with grasslands faintly visible in the distance, that the group's spirits immediately lifted.

Zhang Ling and Chris, having flown this route to the West before, knew that seeing this grassland meant Shushan was not far off.

However, this particular stretch of the road was not entirely peaceful. Heavenly Court troops could occasionally be seen flying past. Ye Wen's party, being driven by Artemis, was often stopped and questioned by some Heavenly Soldiers, nearly provoking Artemis into a fight on several occasions.

Fortunately, the arrival of Guan Yu averted such escalations!

At that time, Ye Wen and his group were blocked by several Heavenly Court officers. This wasn't unusual, as they had encountered it a few times before. But this time, the Heavenly Court officer was inflexible, insisting that the road was sealed and impassable. If Ye Wen and the others wished to return to Shushan, they would have to take a detour.

Ye Wen and the others didn't object much; after all, it was wartime, and traffic restrictions were normal. But Artemis was not the type to endure slight without retaliation and was about to resort to force.

Luckily, Guan Yu passed by leading a detachment of Heavenly Soldiers, resolving the awkward situation!

After sending away the few patrolling Heavenly Soldiers and officers, Ye Wen stood on the carriage and exchanged greetings with Guan Ran, who was riding the Red Hare beside him. "General Guan, where are you headed?"

He had assumed Guan Yu was also out on patrol, but his demeanor suggested he was rushing somewhere important!

Guan Yu initially did not intend to say much, but after looking at Ye Wen, he felt there was no need to hide this matter. Moreover, he had already learned from Yang Jian that the Heavenly Court dared to use force against the Buddhist Sect largely because of the immense contribution Ye Wen had made. If Ye Wen hadn't gone West to mediate, the Heavenly Court probably couldn't have advanced so boldly toward the Buddhist realm without worrying about its flanks.

Therefore, this Head of the Ye Sect was an insider. Furthermore, the two were somewhat related—Ye Wen was the master of Guan Yu's descendant. Given this connection, Guan Yu saw no reason to conceal his purpose.

He pondered for a moment, then stroked his long beard and inquired, "Head of Ye, you must have encountered many Heavenly Soldier patrols along the way? Did you notice any irregularities?"

Ye Wen thought back. He hadn't paid much attention to those details earlier, but Guan Yu's mention gave him a vague idea, though still fuzzy, making it hard to grasp the core issue. It was Artemis beside him who saw things more clearly and spoke directly: "There are many soldiers, but very few leaders of sufficient strength are present!"

Ye Wen suddenly understood. Warfare in the Immortal Realm was naturally different from that of mortals. For mortal patrols or guards, ordinary soldiers sufficed. But if gods and immortals sought to launch a surprise attack, mere soldiers wouldn't be enough; they would certainly need to dispatch a general capable of commanding the situation.

Even if they couldn't repel the enemy, they should at least be able to buy time for their subordinates to send warnings and alert everyone. Yet, on his journey so far, despite encountering several batches of patrolling Heavenly Soldiers, Ye Wen hadn't seen many truly powerful Heavenly Generals.

Guan Yu then truly looked at Artemis. "The Romance says Guan Yu didn't think highly of women, but unofficial histories claim Second Brother Guan was quite fond of the fairer sex—it's hard to discern which is true. However, to Guan Yu, Artemis was merely a 'barbarian from a foreign land'; naturally, he wouldn't give her a serious look initially."

It was only when she spoke these words that he realized he had underestimated this woman. "And this is...?"

"Artemis, Goddess of Olympus, the Moon, and the Hunt!"

When Ye Wen made the introduction, Guan Yu realized this woman was the famous Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. In terms of status, Artemis was several tiers above Guan Yu. Furthermore, Artemis hadn't participated much in the previous war between Olympus and the Heavenly Court, so Guan Yu had never met her and naturally didn't recognize her. If Yang Jian had been present, he likely would have recognized her identity immediately.

However, Guan Yu's look of surprise wasn't solely due to Artemis's status. When he first learned Ye Wen was heading West, he assumed this woman was either a disciple Ye Wen had taken in the West or perhaps a concubine. Since Mount Shu had disciples from the West, and Guan Yu knew Ye Wen practiced a policy of "teaching without discrimination," he hadn't found it strange.

He hadn't expected the Head of the Ye Sect to be so influential as to have spirited away one of the main gods of Olympus, the Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt! Seeing them standing so close, shoulder to shoulder, Guan Yu wouldn't believe there was nothing romantic between them even if he were beaten to death.

Ye Wen, seeing Guan Yu's look of astonishment, guessed what was surprising him. He coughed to draw Guan Yu's attention back. "How does this matter relate to General Guan's current mission?"

Guan Yu snapped back to attention and coughed lightly to hide his awkwardness, though his already flushed face probably showed no change. He continued, "Head of Ye must know that most generals in our Heavenly Court achieved great things during their lives, were subsequently inscribed on the Investiture of the Gods, and only then became these Heavenly Generals!"

"I know that!" Ye Wen paused, then asked strangely, "But the selection criteria seem very strict. General Guan achieved his position as a Heavenly General based on the worship he received in life as the Martial Saint!"

There was also Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong; both were worshipped by mortals as guardian deities for a long time before being selected by the Heavenly Court to be placed on the Investiture of the Gods!

Otherwise, if they were simply selecting famous generals, would the Heavenly Court lack generals to command? They could probably field an enhanced company composed entirely of renowned military leaders.

However, this time, due to pressing circumstances, the Heavenly Court was finding new ways! For example, relaxing the threshold for selecting Heavenly Generals... it was like recruitment; if they desperately needed people, they wouldn't adhere to so many rules.

Hearing Guan Yu speak, Ye Wen now understood that the Heavenly Court intended to recruit a batch of generals to command the soldiers. What puzzled him was—what did this have to do with Guan Yu?

He recalled that since becoming a consecrated general, Guan Yu had served under Yang Jian, often acting as the vanguard in battle, thus being quite valued! It was one thing for him not to be leading troops on the front lines during the war against the Buddhist Realm, but why was he being sent to the rear? Unless... there was a new Heavenly General who was an acquaintance of Second Brother Guan?

"Could it be, General Guan, that you are going to retrieve an acquaintance?" Guan Yu seemed surprised that Ye Wen reacted so quickly, guessing the core of the matter within moments. Seeing his expression, Ye Wen became more certain of his speculation: "Is it Uncle Liu or Third Brother Zhang?" Based on age, those two deserved Ye Wen's respectful address!

Guan Yu gave a wry smile. "Neither!" Ye Wen pondered further. "Could it be the legendary young general in white, Zhao Zilong, Zhao Yun?" He recalled that by age, Zhao Yun would have been at least forty or fifty during the Battle of Changban Slope, yet Cao Cao in the Romance still asked, "Who is that young general in white?" It was truly exasperating! Could it be that Zhao Yun possessed an eternally youthful face? If so, Ye Wen was genuinely curious about Zhao Yun's actual appearance.

Unfortunately, Guan Yu still shook his head. "Not him either!" He sighed, "If it were Big Brother or these two worthy younger brothers, I wouldn't need to make this trip personally. I would only need to inform them of my location, and within a few days, they would certainly present themselves before me at the front lines. However, the person I need to meet this time... is proving extremely troublesome!"

"Oh?" This time, Ye Wen was genuinely curious. Judging by Guan Yu's demeanor and expression, the Heavenly Court had selected someone, but that person was clearly unwilling to become a Heavenly General. Since the Heavenly Court was short on personnel, they didn't want to let this opportunity pass, hence sending Guan Yu as the persuasive envoy. But someone capable of giving Guan Yu such a headache—could it be an enemy general? Or someone with a difficult relationship?

Zhuge Liang?

Unlikely. Zhuge Liang was an intelligent man; he wouldn't refuse such an offer.

Who else could enter Guan Yu's estimation and cause him such distress? Could it be Zhou Yu? While Zhou Yu was arrogant, surely he wouldn't refuse the position of Heavenly General?

"May I ask who it is that requires General Guan to personally persuade them?"

Guan Yu sighed. "It is Marquis Wen!"

"Marquis Wen?" Ye Wen was momentarily puzzled. Was there some great figure in the Three Kingdoms period with the surname Wen? But a second later, he realized who Marquis Wen referred to: "Lü Bu? Marquis Wen, Lü Bu?" Seeing Guan Yu nod with a troubled face, Ye Wen finally understood why Guan Yu was so troubled!

If Guan Yu had to fight Lü Bu blade-to-blade, he might not find it as difficult.

But the current predicament was that Guan Yu, who clearly didn't see eye-to-eye with Lü Bu, had to persuade Lü Bu to join their side.

What kind of person was Lü Bu? An arrogant man who held everyone else in contempt! However, this person wasn't without a weakness—being overly sentimental about romance meant he wasn't a man destined for great things! But strictly speaking as a battlefield commander, in terms of martial skill and tactical direction in a localized battle, Lü Bu was indeed top-tier (limiting to tactical command in small engagements; as for strategy... what did Lü Bu know of strategy?).

"Heh heh!" Ye Wen let out two dry laughs, acknowledging that Guan Yu had truly drawn a tough assignment this time. He could only say, "I hope General Guan’s journey goes smoothly!" and left the matter there.

He genuinely couldn't offer any help in this matter. If anything, Guan Yu and Lü Bu at least shared some tenuous 'history'; Ye Wen had never met Lü Bu and certainly couldn't run off to act as an envoy.

Moving past that topic, Ye Wen became curious about which other generals the Heavenly Court had 'auditioned' this time, besides Lü Bu. Guan Yu didn't hide the information; after all, those generals would all be assigned soon enough, and they weren't far from Shushan—they would meet sooner or later, so there was no need to conceal anything.

"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics, but they are all relatively well-known figures, many deeply revered by the people! For example, Marquis Wen—I don't know when he acquired the title God of War, which is why he was selected this time..."

Guan Yu found it inexplicable, but Ye Wen understood the key reason, muttering only, "It's all thanks to the games!" He then steered the conversation elsewhere. "In that case, shouldn't Zhang Fei, Third Brother Zhang, also have been selected?" If he asked others, they might not know the answer, but Guan Yu always kept his brother in mind. He replied, "Brother Yide's reincarnated body hasn't passed away yet, so he can't be summoned for a while! But I heard the Heavenly Court has already earmarked my brother; they are just waiting for his time to come so they can summon him to the Heavenly Court!" Ye Wen nodded, finally grasping the nature of this 'mass selection': first, they had to be famous generals; second, the person himself or his reincarnation must be deceased. If they were alive, the summoning had to wait until they passed away!

Seen this way, the Heavenly Court was somewhat humane, not simply 'fetching' them while they were alive to be put to use.

As they spoke, they arrived at Shushan. Since Guan Yu’s matter wasn't urgent, he accompanied them up the mountain to rest. Upon reaching the mountain gate, they saw a beautiful woman with unbound hair and bare feet standing there, clearly looking around for someone.