Chapter 372: with translation of chapter title

The unsmiling blacksmith Yang Tiejiang was an utterly sincere person to the extreme; he really boiled a pot of chrysanthemum tea so strong it was extreme, and upon taking a sip, the chrysanthemum's fresh fragrance was very strong, yet also bitter enough to make people doubt life.

But such high-concentration fire-reducing tea didn't lower everyone's fire; instead it made it blaze even more.

After dinner, Chen Wuji gathered his core commanders again, sitting in a circle to discuss tomorrow's plan; as they chatted, Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong mentioned what they had seen today.

After hearing that, even the usually calm Yang Tiejiang glared angrily and shouted, "Chop those damned bastards to death!"

He doesn't want any prisoners either!

The village stronghold Qian Fugui and Wu Bu Yong spoke of far surpasses Lian Yu.

The evil of human nature was brought to the extreme by that corrupt, pus-oozing chief commander of the Gu family.

This brought back many very bad memories for Chen Wuji.

Those memories correspond to four words: Do Not Forget National Humiliation!

Within one country, people who eat grain from the same land and drink from the same mother river have done things reminiscent of what Chen Wuji remembers.

They deserve death even more!

Chen Wuji, who usually lacks any compassion for heaven and earth, this time decided to act on heaven's behalf.

The wheels must be leveled!

Prisoners of war simply cannot exist.

……

On Que Wei Shan, less than thirty li from Baiquan Village, the mountain stronghold that Chen Wuji and his men had previously destroyed has been rebuilt sometime ago, now larger than before.

At that moment, before the Ju Yi Tang perched on the highest point, an old and a young person sat on chairs gazing at the misty mountains below; the youngster held a duck leg and nibbled it, while the elder cradled a delicate white jade wine flask, occasionally sucking a sip from its spout.

"Chen Wuji has mobilized troops, but he's still cautious, bringing only half his forces; retaking Yunan City remains difficult." The old man said with some regret.

The youngster ate the duck leg carefully, as if reluctant to finish it, each bite taking only a tiny piece, then chewing slowly to savor the flavor: "Master, even if there's no chance, let them try; if they can't reach an agreement and can't save their families, then it has nothing to do with me, Gu Wenjie—I've already given them the opportunity."

The elder nodded, "Even if we gave them away for free, we must let them go; they are other people's wives and children—how could we stop them? How could they possibly abandon them?"

"That dog Chen Wuji guarding Yunan City seems to lack everything now; I really fear that if the Li and Xue families casually produce something good, that dog will agree to release the hostages." Gu Wenjie said.

"I truly don't want them to succeed so easily; as long as their families aren't dead, these people working for me are always half-hearted, unreliable, unwilling to charge forward, unwilling to shield me from blades and arrows."

The elder smiled faintly, "It's not that easy; negotiations certainly require give and take, never a one‑shot success. But they only have five days to take control of Hezhou and secure their families, so they must weigh their options carefully."

"This ginger is still old and spicy; in terms of treachery, Master, you're half‑again better than heaven!" Gu Wenjie giggled.

He's past his voice‑breaking age, yet his voice is somewhat androgynous; when he giggles, it sounds like a girl's coy whine.

Listening to it, it's quite nice.

Looking at his face, damn, where did this freak come from!

But the old man seemed to be enjoying it, his gaze toward Gu Wenjie full of the delight of an elder's heartfelt comfort.

"The Xiao family's news has been sent out; if nothing unexpected happens, Chen Wuji will likely move against Baiquan Village in the next few days. I'm wondering whether I should give this kid a way out." The elder picked up the snake staff beside him, paced slowly, and looked at the row of girls standing behind him.

Those girls wore a variety of clothes, but all were very plain, most with patches.

Their clothing shows they come from ordinary commoner families—poor, yet exceptionally pure.

The elder examined them closely.

He looked over each girl from head to toe, slowly, bit by bit.

Sometimes he even pried open their lips to inspect their teeth.

Gu Wenjie picked up the duck leg and stood; he had been gnawing on it for a while, and more than half remained.

"Master, why leave that kid a way to live?" Gu Wenjie asked, puzzled. "With such a meticulous layout, shouldn't we be slaughtering him instead?"

"Killing to punish the heart," the elder said with a light smile.

"However, this really seems like a losing bargain. It would be more profitable to capture him, threaten his clansmen, have his family go out of the city to die for his sake, or even surrender Yunan City."

The elder said, lifting the snake staff and tapping a girl's waist, "Turn around."

The girl, frightened, let tears stream down uncontrollably, yet she dared not defy; she obediently turned around.

The elder stared intently at the girl's firm, pert buttocks, "Wenjie, this girl is good; take her to your room tonight. Don't complain that I, as your master, am being meddlesome—the old fogeys of the Gu family are useless; you can use them, but you must not rely on them as your arms."

"From now on, what you rely on as your arms must ultimately be your own offspring."

Gu Wenjie's mouth twitched, "Master, let me rest tonight; I've been going for days straight…"

Upon hearing that, the elder's face darkened: "How can you, a youngster, not even match this old man? I'm fifty‑six and still eat three meals a day, steady for dozens of days, yet you've only been at it a few days and already complain."

Gu Wenjie shrank his neck, "Master, my physique can't compare to yours; you're vigorous in old age, while I perhaps still need to grow a few more years."

"Rest tomorrow; I have high hopes for this girl—she will surely bear you a son." The elder said.

Gu Wenjie sighed wistfully, "I once thought this sort of thing wonderful, but now it's utterly bland—go to sleep, go to sleep, I'll just sleep."

The elder grunted, then slowly continued observing the other girls.

After selecting two more girls for him, he waved his staff and told Gu Wenjie, "Wenjie, send the remaining girls to the officers below; the Dayu Court has suddenly gone mad, enacting a law forcing people to give away their wives, and we must follow it as well!"

"You go yourself and tell them each of these girls is someone you personally picked out."

Gu Wenjie replied, finished the duck leg in a couple of bites, and muttered, "This duck leg is still tasty—I've eaten it for years without getting bored; why was I so curious about women before, only to lose interest so quickly?"

The elder snorted, "You little brat, you can keep saying that—but why does color come first in fragrance, aroma, and taste? This isn't something you're born knowing; ancients had rules for the ordering of each element."

"You keep spouting nonsense, old master, disrespecting your elders and corrupting your disciples." Gu Wenjie shook his head.

The elder instantly flew into a rage, "You little rabbit bastard!"