Li Xiaoyao didn't comment on Ye Wen's odd tastes, and besides, the young man wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue himself. Seeing Ye Wen so bored he was teaching even the Great Serpent Pheasant, Li Xiaoyao considered teaching Chong Lou the techniques of the final house of the Three Divine Artifacts.

But just thinking about the dignified and mighty Chong Lou employing moves typically used by women sent a shiver down his spine, and he abandoned the notion.

"Let's not bully this poor junior apprentice brother!"

Although Chong Lou wasn't officially counted among the Shu Mountain disciples, within Ye Wen's lineage, they still shared a master-disciple relationship. And based on seniority of entry, Chong Lou had become the youngest junior apprentice brother—a fact entirely unknown to Chong Lou, who had no idea how many seniors he actually had, nor did he care.

Becoming Ye Wen's disciple was an accident in the first place. What satisfied him was that this master possessed formidable strength and was willing to impart powerful cultivation methods, allowing Chong Lou to become even stronger.

As for how brutal these techniques were, whether they would invite the jealousy or pursuit of others, or concern anyone from Ye Wen's Shu Mountain sect—none of it mattered to him! After learning Ying Zheng's true intentions, Chong Lou became increasingly convinced that only by becoming powerful himself could he possess everything.

Therefore, during these past few days, he diligently studied whatever Ye Wen taught. As time went on, Ye Wen found it awkward to continue fooling around and began teaching with sincere dedication. Li Xiaoyao, sensing his junior's earnest effort, would occasionally drop by to offer pointers or even spar with him, helping him quickly familiarize himself with these newly learned moves and skills.

One day, after sparring with Chong Lou for a while, both men simultaneously stopped their attacks, standing there panting heavily. From the beginning, where Li Xiaoyao could easily handle Chong Lou's onslaught, he was now finding it strenuous—and only a month had passed.

Li Xiaoyao was astonished by his junior's rate of progress, but Ye Wen found nothing strange about it.

"He has the aptitude, and an immensely powerful force is naturally latent within him. Even without my guidance, given enough time, he would become a formidable existence."

Perhaps worried about discouraging Li Xiaoyao, Ye Wen took a moment to explain Chong Lou's situation to his other disciple: "Moreover, his inherent strength was already close to yours. Now that he has obtained these exquisite cultivation methods and techniques, he can finally harness the power within his body effectively, which is why his progress has been so rapid."

He glanced over at Chong Lou again. The youth had already regulated his breathing and stood there, seemingly lost in thought. Judging by the way he kept looking down at his own fists, it appeared the recent spar had given him further insight, and his strength might increase again by tomorrow.

Li Xiaoyao, however, wasn't too troubled by these matters. After composing himself, he simply praised his master's discernment: "Master's eye for choosing disciples keeps getting better!"

Aside from the first few disciples taken when the Shu Mountain sect was weak and had few options, which of the disciples Ye Wen took later did not possess outstanding talent?

Even Guan Luyan, whose aptitude wasn't inherently poor, was limited by his age. Look at others like Yuwentuo, Chris—all individuals of excellent aptitude. As for Li Xiaoyao himself... though perhaps unreliable, if he dared to boast, he believed his own talent was quite high.

Ye Wen remained silent; he couldn't really argue on that point. He could only say that his luck was truly excellent, as he always managed to find disciples with superb talent, leading him to believe it had little to do with him.

In reality, Ye Wen was being overly modest. There are countless geniuses in the world, but how many are truly discovered? How many are misjudged? Ye Wen's ability to recognize aptitude immediately upon meeting someone and then selecting the most suitable path for them was a capability few possessed.

For example, take Guan Luyan; another person might never have discerned his potential! Or Chris—even if his aptitude were recognized, they might not have possessed the means to cultivate him properly. And then there were Zheng Ying and Zhang Ling, ordinary people in their original settings; without Ye Wen, they likely wouldn't have achieved what they had.

Shu Mountain had no shortage of such people, and the current prosperity of the sect was greatly related to Ye Wen's talent, a fact the man himself was unaware of.

Returning to the present, Ye Wen spent his days instructing Chong Lou, while Li Xiaoyao occasionally visited to serve as a sparring partner, or else he would spend time with the girl named Shui Yun. Ye Wen had asked this disciple if there was any deep entanglement with the young woman, but Li Xiaoyao promptly denied it.

Since then, he hadn't paid much attention to that girl, treating her as a mere acquaintance—especially since the girl showed him little respect. As an elder, he certainly wasn't going to extend himself in friendship.

So, despite living nearby, they had little interaction during this period. This situation continued until one day, it changed, the fundamental reason being trouble brought about by the girl.

"What's wrong?"

Ye Wen was instructing Chong Lou that day. After mastering the Heaven and Earth Great Shift, Ye Wen began formally teaching Chong Lou the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. He planned to teach the Blood Nerve last, as he discovered this technique did not reject other powers. This meant Chong Lou could use the Heavenly Demon Divine Art as a foundation and practice the various mysterious techniques found in the Blood Nerve.

As for the Star Absorbing Great Law, he had already imparted the key incantations to Chong Lou. Once the Heavenly Demon Divine Art was successfully cultivated, Chong Lou could integrate it himself. After explaining a few crucial elements, Ye Wen wouldn't need to spend much effort teaching; Chong Lou could practice independently.

Thus, he had time to return early today. What he didn't expect was to find a group of people already seated in the courtyard upon his arrival. The gorgeously robed Huang Quan sat there, seemingly saying something, while Shui Yun was in a state of fury, gesticulating wildly.

Just looking at the scene, Ye Wen guessed the matter involved Shui Yun, though he didn't know the specifics—even though he was a Celestial Immortal, he didn't always rely on divination arts, nor were those arts infallible enough to predict every impending fortune or disaster with certainty.

Seeing Ye Wen return, everyone stood up to greet him, Huang Quan included. Although he had pledged allegiance to Ying Zheng, in this world, strength reigned supreme, and Ye Wen held the grace of having taught him. He maintained a necessary degree of respect.

Ye Wen raised a hand in acknowledgment, then walked directly to an empty seat and sat down. Only then did everyone else resume their seats, and Xue Rengui beside him provided a summary of the situation.

It turned out the matter genuinely concerned Shui Yun, but the origin was her, though the development seemed to have veered off course!

Initially, it began with a faction in this world—the Huangfu Family, whose power Shui Yun had attempted to usurp—learning of her arrival in Qin. They sent envoys to demand that Ying Zheng hand Shui Yun over to them.

Naturally, they also demanded the boy who had killed many members of their family—Li Xiaoyao!

This demand was, on the surface, normal. Shui Yun had harbored ill intentions, making her an irreconcilable enemy of the Huangfu Family; it was natural for them to demand her return! However, the Huangfu Family was quite distant from Qin. Though both factions knew of each other, they lacked deep understanding. The Huangfu Family was powerful, situated in a more central region of this world, and naturally looked down upon the remote Qin state.

Consequently, the envoy spoke with a degree of arrogance that greatly enraged the not-so-good-tempered Comrade Ying Zheng, who, with a wave of his hand, gave the envoy a clean, swift end: he was discarded (killed).

The matter obviously couldn't end there. When the Huangfu Family learned that their envoy had been executed by Ying Zheng, they were immediately furious, declaring that the bumpkin from the countryside, Ying Zheng, needed to learn some respect. They even threatened to demand that territories between the two powers make way for the Huangfu army to pass through and directly crush Ying Zheng's Qin.

It must be said that the Huangfu Family's power was formidable. While these words incited dissatisfaction in some factions, not a single one dared to resist, and they indeed cleared the passage. Reportedly, the Huangfu army was fully mobilized, ready to march toward Qin at any moment.

On this side, Qin Shi Huang was no pushover either. He equally mobilized his troops, gathering his elite generals to prepare for a decisive confrontation with the Huangfu Family.

Put plainly, a great war was imminent, and at this point, nearly everyone overlooked the cause of this massive conflict: Shui Yun!

After hearing this, Ye Wen understood. This war was no longer simply about one woman. The Huangfu Family needed to send troops to maintain their prestige.

Ying Zheng couldn't back down, or how would he command the masters under him in the future? Especially when his ambition was to rule the world?

Furthermore, a major war at this juncture offered no drawbacks for Ying Zheng, regardless of victory or defeat—he was confident that even in defeat, it would be minor, and the opponent wouldn't gain much from him. Qin, a small, remote nation, fighting the renowned Huangfu Family, would be a significant achievement even in loss.

If he won, it would be even more extraordinary; his prestige would immediately jump several levels, and Ying Zheng could use the opportunity to annex several neighboring minor powers, especially those who cleared the path—he wouldn't even need an excuse.

Therefore, this great war benefited Ying Zheng in every way; why wouldn't he fight it?

Once Ye Wen grasped this, he even suspected that the fat man had deliberately executed that envoy in the great hall; even if the man hadn't been disrespectful, he likely wouldn't have escaped humiliation, if not death.

However, these matters held no real significance for Ye Wen. After listening, he was curiously focused on why Shui Yun had appeared so enraged earlier.

He turned his head to look at Li Xiaoyao, who immediately leaned closer and murmured, "Because she only found out about the situation when both sides were about to start fighting. She felt ignored!"

Ye Wen nodded, understanding—it was a blow to her pride!

After chatting a bit more and inquiring what Qin Shi Huang was currently occupied with, learning he was in a war council with his generals, Ye Wen didn't linger. He dismissed Huang Quan.

Once Huang Quan left, the previously silent group displayed varied expressions!

Xue Rengui sat calmly aside, saying nothing. Lu Bu let out cold sneers intermittently. Tianzhao remained silent, even pouring tea and water for the others, but a cold smile flickered in her eyes. Even Artemis looked bored and, after sitting briefly, rose to return to her room for rest.

In this atmosphere, even Shui Yun sensed something was amiss. After fidgeting uncomfortably for a while, she also remained quiet, looking around at the others with a turning head.

"What does Sect Leader Ye think?"

Finally, it was Xue Rengui who spoke. Perhaps he recognized that among those present, it was most appropriate for him to break the silence to prevent everyone from sitting in awkward quietude.

Ye Wen didn't speak, turning his teacup in his hand thoughtfully. Then he turned to Li Xiaoyao and asked, "Tell me in detail about your previous confrontations with the Huangfu Family!"

Though Li Xiaoyao couldn't guess his master's intent, he dutifully recounted the situation in minute detail. After finishing, Ye Wen let out a cold laugh: "So, the Huangfu Family initiated the lethal intent against you first?"

"Yes!" Having followed Ye Wen for so many years, Li Xiaoyao immediately understood what his master was thinking. He nodded in affirmation, then added, "The Huangfu Family is indeed overbearing in their methods. They were quite arrogant even in the Immortal Realm, causing many innocent people to suffer collateral damage!"

"Is that so?"

The smile on Ye Wen's face widened. With that confirmation, he had even less reason to hesitate. Since the Huangfu Family had carelessly provoked him, he would make this family understand the prestige of the Shu Mountain Sect!

He hadn't intended to involve himself in this world's affairs, but after careful consideration, he felt it would be better if Ying Zheng unified this world—or at least occupied the majority of the territory, leaving a few small factions willing to submit.

Of course, if there were an easier way to resolve this issue, that would be better, but he was unsure of the feasibility. Ye Wen wanted to observe the battle between Ying Zheng and the Huangfu Family before making a final decision. If things went smoothly, perhaps Shu Mountain could even establish a branch here.

"Although our Shu Mountain Sect isn't a guild, having a few more auxiliary compounds wouldn't hurt!"

With this thought, Ye Wen directly instructed Li Xiaoyao: "You should return to Shu Mountain tomorrow. I estimate Zheng Ying should be nearing completion of his current task. Ask him to bring some of his proudest achievements over! Also, tell Chris and Tommy to come as well; their cultivation requires more actual combat to improve, and this environment is more suitable!"

Hearing this, Li Xiaoyao fully grasped Ye Wen's meaning. Out of curiosity, he pressed, "Master, is our Shu Mountain Sect going to intervene?"

"Since Ying Zheng has this intention, we should give him a hand! If he can unify this realm, it won't be a bad thing for us; we still share some rapport. More importantly, anything our Shu Mountain Sect refines in the future can be traded here with Ying Zheng for things we need!"

Li Xiaoyao nodded, understanding that his master intended to broaden his avenues for wealth. He acknowledged his understanding and prepared to rest to leave the world tomorrow and make the trip back to Shu Mountain to bring those few junior brothers over. Xue Rengui would accompany him; his business here was concluded, and upon returning, he would report directly to Lady Xuannü.

As for how Lady Xuannü would deal with the lying Pomegranate Fairy, that was no longer Xue Rengui's concern. Afterwards, he planned to head straight for the Western Front. After learning about the war between the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Realm in recent days, he was itching for action.

Ye Wen was not in a rush. He continued staying here to cultivate Chong Lou, occasionally taking Artemis out for strolls. Unfortunately, there was little worth seeing in this area. The scenery could be called bizarre, perhaps, but certainly not beautiful. Consequently, Artemis had been in a poor mood these past few days. Though she didn't complain, Ye Wen sensed her strong desire to leave.

"Don't worry, this will all be settled in a few days. Once Zheng Ying and the others arrive, we'll leave!"

"Ah?" Artemis had expected Ye Wen to stay much longer after Zheng Ying and the others arrived, not that they would depart immediately upon their arrival!

He threaded his fingers through her smooth hair, gently sliding them, allowing the slightly wavy locks to slip through the gaps between his fingers as he pulled her close into his embrace: "Leave those matters to the disciples. As their master, once I issue the instructions, I can leave. There's no need to micromanage; micromanaging often leads to them performing poorly!"

"What about your new disciple?"

She was referring to Chong Lou; she knew Ye Wen had been busy teaching that disciple these past few days. Did he intend to bring Chong Lou along?

Unbeknownst to her, Ye Wen had already made arrangements: "Chong Lou... I've taught him everything necessary. The rest depends on his own efforts! Especially the Blood Nerve; I have explained all the parts he didn't understand. He only needs to cultivate slowly and doesn't require my continuous guidance!"

More importantly, Ye Wen had left a mobile phone for Chong Lou—a specialized item used internally by Shu Mountain, ensuring communication wasn't lost despite the two being in different realms. If Chong Lou had any issues, he could simply call Ye Wen.

In fact, Shu Mountain also had these phones. Ye Wen could have summoned people without sending Li Xiaoyao back, but Ye Wen couldn't be sure if, without this pretext to bring Li Xiaoyao back to Shu Mountain, the boy wouldn't find an excuse to run off entirely, leaving Claire waiting foolishly on the mountain.

"Sigh, being an elder is truly exhausting!"

Artemis listened clearly, rolled her eyes at him, and then settled back into his embrace, savoring this moment of quietude.

Unfortunately, this peace was short-lived. Before long, Ye Wen had to release her and rise to go into the courtyard, because the long-unseen Qin Emperor, Ying Zheng, had arrived.

"Greetings to the Qin Emperor. May I ask the reason for your visit, Immortal Ye..."

"Heh heh, nothing much!" Ying Zheng laughed lightly, his eyes seeming neither fully open nor closed. But as he spoke, his inherent dominance showed: "Immortal Ye, once this world is unified, what do you think about renaming it the Demon Realm?"

.....................