Watching the Mountain

When Ye Shan said, "Even someone as ordinary and unremarkable as Junior Brother Xu can raise the Evergreen Sword Saint. Surely you don’t think you’re worse than him, do you?"

At that moment, Xu Ran finally understood what had been meant by having him "come over and witness it."

The whole reason he’d been summoned was just for Ye Shan to say that one line and provoke the Little Witch.

He was utterly speechless. ’So my lack of talent is something Ye Shan will just never let go of, huh?’ he thought. ’He has to bring it up every single time we meet.’

Ye Qingxue stared at Xu Ran in surprise, sizing him up curiously.

She would never doubt her senior brother’s words. Truthfully, she wasn’t interested in anyone but him. Her only impression of Xu Ran was that he’d spent months unable to learn a single Cultivation Technique; she knew almost nothing else about him.

So, she looked at Xu Ran in surprise and asked, "How did you do it? You can’t even grasp a Cultivation Technique yourself, so how did you teach someone else?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ran replied calmly, "Please forgive me, Senior, but this junior does not wish to explain."

"However, if you must ask, Senior, I can offer you a piece of advice."

"What advice?" Ye Qingxue asked, her interest piqued.

"Don’t have him call you ’Master.’ Have him call you ’Mother’ instead."

Hearing this, the Little Witch became coy and flustered. "Y-You, how can you say that? H-How could you say such a thing?"

Xu Ran said with a placid expression, "What’s wrong with it? Didn’t Senior Brother Ye Shan just say that you only need to raise the child as if he were your and Senior Brother Ye Shan’s own? If that’s the case, isn’t it only natural for him to call you Mother?"

"Well..." An intrigued expression appeared on the Little Witch’s face. Her eyes darted around, and she secretly snuck a peek at Senior Brother Ye Shan, who was standing to the side. Seeing his expression, it seemed he wasn’t angry.

So she tentatively asked, "Senior Brother, what do you think of this idea?"

Ye Shan replied nonchalantly, "It’s up to you. But I also think Junior Brother’s idea isn’t bad."

Her breath hitched when she heard that. She then took small steps forward until she was in front of Ye Shu, staring at him. After a moment’s hesitation, she spoke softly, "What... is your name?"

"Ye Shu," the little boy said slowly.

"Would... you be willing to call me Mother?"

"This child is willing. Greetings, Mother."

When she heard the word "Mother" leave Ye Shu’s lips, something seemed to explode in her mind with a great RUMBLE, and a strange feeling welled up from the bottom of her heart.

She couldn’t quite describe the feeling, but it was wondrous. And the way she looked at little Ye Shu instantly softened.

She extended her hand and said to little Ye Shu in a gentle voice, "Then from now on, you are my, Ye Qingxue’s, child. Come, walk with me."

Little Ye Shu hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached out his small hand and placed it in Ye Qingxue’s palm.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxue gently squeezed his small hand. She then turned her head to give Ye Shan and Xu Ran a nod of farewell before leading Ye Shu away by the hand at a slow pace.

When she arrived, she was alone, her face adorned with a sweet smile, like a young maiden.

When she left, a little boy was by her side, her steps light yet slow.

*

*

*

"In your eyes, Senior Brother, is the Evergreen Sword Saint really only half as impressive as you?"

After the Little Witch had left, Xu Ran looked at Ye Shan and asked.

He cared a great deal about this question.

In his view, while Zhang Zhentian might not be a match for Ye Shan in his prime, he should at least be eighty or ninety percent as good. Yet Ye Shan had just claimed he was only half as good.

As Ye Shan had said, he was the one who had single-handedly raised Zhang Zhentian; he considered himself half a brother to him. Now that he’d heard Ye Shan say such a thing, he naturally had to argue the point with him.

Ye Shan turned to look at him and said, "No. That’s just what I told our junior sister."

Only then did Xu Ran nod slightly and ask again, "In that case, in your opinion, Senior Brother, what percentage of your prowess does he actually have?"

"Ten percent, I suppose," Ye Shan said nonchalantly.

"What?" Xu Ran’s eyes widened, and he said indignantly, "Senior Brother, aren’t you being a bit too arrogant? You’re saying Junior Brother Zhang is worth only ten percent of you?"

But Ye Shan just nodded calmly and said, "Junior Brother, for that Evergreen Sword Saint to receive a ten-percent evaluation from me is already quite good. As our junior sister said, how many people in this world can even measure up to ten percent of my prowess? For me to personally say he has a tenth of my greatness is, for him, the greatest honor."

Xu Ran finally understood how the Flowing Clouds Master must have felt. He almost laughed out of sheer exasperation at Ye Shan’s words. The dignified Evergreen Sword Saint was supposed to feel honored just because this man personally admitted he was one-tenth as impressive.

He glared again and said, "But that’s the Evergreen Sword Saint!"

In the Cultivation Realm today, people only know of the Evergreen Sword Saint. How many even remember Ye Shan?

Ye Shan nodded calmly. "I know. But I am Ye Shan."

Xu Ran stared intently at Ye Shan for a long time before saying with absolute conviction, "Senior Brother, Junior Brother Zhang will surpass you one day."

But Ye Shan just shook his head calmly and said, "Junior Brother, I know you raised him yourself and have high hopes for him, but what I want to say is... he can’t do it."

By now, Xu Ran had also calmed down. He looked at Ye Shan and said with a serene expression, "I say he can."

Hearing his words, Ye Shan looked at him with some surprise. "Junior Brother, this is the first time you’ve ever shown such a confident expression when facing me."

Xu Ran nodded faintly. "Of course. Because he is my junior brother. I believe in him."

"Then let’s wait and see. I hope he can indeed do as you say. I, too, would like to see if there is truly anyone in this world who can surpass me."

"You will see that day."

*

*

*

After parting ways with Ye Shan, Xu Ran kept thinking to himself, ’I hope Zhang Zhentian lives up to my expectations and one day soundly proves Ye Shan wrong.’

He had nothing against Ye Shan personally; he simply didn’t want to see Zhang Zhentian, whom he had watched grow up with his own eyes, be belittled.

He knew Ye Shan didn’t actually mean to belittle Zhang Zhentian. Based on his understanding of Ye Shan, that statement—that his personal acknowledgment of Zhang Zhentian possessing one-tenth of his greatness was the young man’s greatest honor—was what he truly believed. He genuinely thought it was high praise.

But that was precisely what annoyed Xu Ran the most. In his eyes, Zhang Zhentian was worth far more than that; he could become much stronger.

And then, just a few days after his argument with Ye Shan, Zhang Zhentian, who had been away on a mission to hunt down Qin Yufeng, returned.

And he brought back a piece of news.

Zhang Zhentian had been defeated.

He wasn’t seriously injured; he had simply been bested in a direct confrontation.

And the one who defeated him was none other than Qin Yufeng.