"Forgive my ignorance, sir. I do not yet know your name. May I ask who your honored master is...?"
Fang Yizhi struggled to rise and offer his thanks, asking with a puzzled expression.
"I am Ling Wenyue. My master is Meng Xinghe!"
The middle-aged man answered solemnly.
Fang Yizhi was visibly startled. Ling Wenyue was a personal disciple of Meng Xinghe, the sect master of the True Martial Sect. He had reportedly entered the true self realm five years ago. Since joining the army, he had earned illustrious military honors, and the court had bestowed upon him the title of Mighty Prestige General, charging him with guarding the northwest. Fang Yizhi had never expected to meet him here.
"I... have long heard of your great name, Mighty Prestige General. It is an immense honor to meet you today!"
Fang Yizhi bowed slightly, struggling to sit up and salute him.
"There is no need for such formalities, Yi Zhi!"
Ling Wenyue stopped him, bent down to tuck in his blanket, and said gently, "We are both colleagues and fellow cultivators. There is no need to stand on ceremony. My master holds Master Li Xingzhi of your institute in the highest esteem, and I, too, have admired him for many years. Meeting you today, Yi Zhi... the disciples of the Knowledge and Practice Institute truly possess an extraordinary bearing!"
Ling Wenyue was around forty, with a square face, large ears, bold brows, and keen eyes. He wore a lake-blue silk robe, with the Suanni-Embossed Savage Lion Belt fastened around his waist. Beneath his scholarly elegance lay the distinctive toughness of a military commander. Perhaps because of his many years stationed at the frontier, his temples were flecked with gray, yet his voice was exceptionally warm and clear. After their conversation, Fang Yizhi