"Han elder brother, you truly seem to be ignoring what's happening outside—don't you know about such a major matter? Even if you're in seclusion, your master should have mentioned it to you at least." Xiao Suansuan's tone carried a hint of growing suspicion. Han Li didn't hesitate; he smoothly produced a waist plaque from his robes and extended it to Xiao Suansuan. "Han elder brother, what are you doing now? Can I possibly doubt your word? As soon as I saw you, I felt familiar—certainly we've met before, I'm sure!" He quickly glanced at the plaque with one side of his eye, confirming its authenticity, and immediately brightened his expression. "Now, may I finally hear what you have to say?" Han Li remained concerned about the issue he had raised earlier. "Of course, of course," Xiao Suansuan replied. "Oh dear, I must have offended this very person." Xiao Suansuan murmured to himself, yet on the surface, he delivered everything with full honesty and clarity. In fact, over the past few years, the conflict between the Qi-Xuan Sect and the Wild Wolf Clan has intensified. They've fought numerous battles—large and small—over several towns whose ownership remains unclear, suffering significant losses on both sides. The Wild Wolf Clan's members, trained in the methods of horse-thieves, fight with relentless courage, becoming even more frenzied once they see blood; in contrast, although the Qi-Xuan Sect's disciples are skilled in martial arts, they lack that same fierce determination and often hesitate during combat. As a result, the latter tend to suffer greater casualties. After several consecutive engagements, the senior figures of the Qi-Xuan Sect could no longer remain passive. They dispatched most of their internal disciples to participate in the ongoing series of clashes, not only to secure these vital territories but also to expose the young members to the harsh realities of the world, allowing them to gain practical combat experience and resilience. As a result, during the later engagements, the Seven Perfection Sect regained the upper hand, though the inner-door disciples suffered heavy losses—many elder seniors who went out never returned. Hearing this, Xiao Suan Dan could only sigh. Subsequently, several sect masters adjusted their strategy, assigning inner-door disciples to undertake less critical tasks and send them to other regions for experience in the outside world. After gaining some experience in the broader world of the martial world, they would then join the battles against the Wild Wolf Clan. This approach indeed significantly reduced casualties. Thus, over the past two years, this strategy has been formally incorporated into the sect's regulations, requiring all disciples to go down to the mountains and gain field experience before being granted actual positions within the sect. As a result, the elder seniors from the mountain have been largely dispatched to the lower regions. Now, either they are engaged in ongoing conflicts with the Wild Wolf Clan or they are on their training missions. On the mountain, aside from the essential guards, only the younger, unqualified disciples remain. Hearing this, Han Li suddenly understood the reason why the mountain had been different from before. A loud crash! A soft sword soared into the air. Zhao Ziling, holding his right hand where it had been injured by the force of the blow, his face pale, took several steps back, gasping for breath. He had been unable to dodge the swift, continuous attacks of his senior, Li Shi, and had been forced to use his soft sword to parry. The powerful force transmitted through the blade had sent his weapon flying. "Senior Li, truly impressive—my skills are no match," Zhao Ziling managed a smile, bowing respectfully. Cheers erupted all around. "Senior Li, what a wonderful skill!" "Senior Li, your sword techniques are superb!" "Senior Li, please guide me!" A continuous stream of voices, eager not to fall behind, rose in unison, echoing throughout the arena. Senior Li gathered his long sword, a faint blush rising on his face, just about to speak. Suddenly, his face changed, his brows furrowed as if he remembered something. With a composed demeanor, he said, "I have some urgent matters to attend to. I must be off now." Turning around, he gracefully drifted out of the arena, displaying a handsome light footwork that vanished into the pine forest beside the cliff. "Hmph! Not only is Master Li's sword technique excellent, but his footwork is also truly impressive." "Indeed!" "Indeed!" The praise echoed once again. Han Li frowned slightly. Master Li's skills were certainly commendable, but he seemed to enjoy showing off—perhaps a bit too young in spirit. As he turned to reflect, he couldn't help but chuckle with a touch of weariness. He didn't feel much older than these others, yet his thoughts always seemed old-fashioned, as though he were already a little old man. It seemed that practicing those specific mantras had aged his mindset completely. "By the way, I still don't know your name, young disciple," Han Li said, glancing at the young assistant standing by. "My name is Jin Dongbao, though Master Han just calls me 'Little Calculator'." When Han asked him his name, Little Calculator immediately became excited, clearly feeling that he had now taken root under this prominent tree. "Whenever you get sick or injured, just come to me—I'll treat you free of charge." Han patted his shoulder, glanced at the crowd now arguing again in the center of the field, and then walked straight into the pine grove without looking back. Left behind, Jin Dongbao still stood there, puzzled and lost in thought, unsure exactly what he had just said.