Chapter 777: The World in Turmoil

The sunlight was gentle, the breeze not harsh.

Chen Wuji wore a loose, comfortable straight-collared long robe, reclining contentedly in the lounge chair.

On the table to his left were steaming hot tea and a bit of dried fruit.

He had returned, and his whole body felt languid.

He felt utterly spent, wanting only to laze about.

Such a leisurely, contented day was actually what Chen Wuji wanted.

But alas, heaven does not follow human wishes.

Even if he harbored an intense wish to simply be a wealthy landlord, worldly affairs still drove him madly forward—to wage war, to rack his brains, to scheme and plot.

Huo Sanniang carried a tray with some delicate side dishes over, bent down to place it on the nearby table, and softly said to herself: "The edible flowers in the mountains are scarce now; I just went to town, saw some, and bought them for you. You've been campaigning all along—you surely won't have time to eat these little snacks this year."

People in the mountains hold a deep obsession with seasonal foods; if conditions allow, they must eat what's proper for the season, otherwise they'll never forget it.

Chen Wuji originally didn't have this habit, perhaps due to the influence of his previous self; he now misses these things dearly. Even when on the march at Mount Wuyang, he would treat himself to a few good meals.

Only someone who truly longs for it can understand the satisfaction of that bite.

"Please sit, my lady." Chen Wuji rose, smiling, and said, "Let me see what we have—rose-stirred eggs, crabapple stir-fried meat, forget‑worry herb, osmanthus lychee wine—quite a feast!"

"There's not much left that's edible, so I made a little—hurry and try it while hot." Huo Sanniang handed over the chopsticks with a faint smile, her eyes full of tenderness.

Chen Wuji chuckled, "My lady, please stop looking at me like that; it makes me feel as if I'm being fed by an old lady—just be natural, be natural."

Huo Sanniang blinked, "I'm quite natural already!"

"Then relax a bit." Chen Wuji said.

Hard to say, but Huo Sanniang now truly gives him the feeling of an old lady.

She's too gentle, and with that gaze, it's hard to withstand.

Huo Sanniang chuckled lightly, "You rascal, after being away from home so long, have you become unfamiliar with me?"

"Impossible; I could never be unfamiliar with anyone, let alone my lady." Chen Wuji immediately replied, "Well… how to put it? Never mind, I can't put it into words."

There is no feeling of unfamiliarity at all; it simply does not exist.

But Huo Sanniang's care for him truly gives him a sense of déjà vu, as if facing maternal love.

Huo Sanniang smiled faintly, watching Chen Wuji eat, and asked, "How does it taste?"

"A mouthful of floral sea, very refreshing." Chen Wuji praised.

This ought to be considered the unique romance of mountain folk—eating beauty straight into the mouth.

Chen Li hurried over from afar, delivering a blood‑stained memorial to Chen Wuji.

"Family Head, an urgent military report from Xie Fengxian arriving from Qiang Land!"

Chen Wuji's gaze fell on those bloodstains, "What happened?"

"Jianghu people have surrounded our scouting cavalry," Chen Li said in a low voice.

Chen Wuji's face visibly darkened, "How are the people?"

"Seriously injured, but not life‑threatening; they can be saved."

Chen Wuji took the memorial, "Where did the ambush occur?"

"Dingzhou."

After Chen Li finished, he paused slightly, "According to the messenger, your march into the Jianghu, Family Head, has provoked a backlash from the Jianghu folk; they now seem to kill our soldiers on sight."

Chen Wuji snorted coldly, "I've already given them plenty of leeway, and yet they pull this stunt? Issue orders to all garrisons: enforce strictly, punish severely—any who violate or resist are to be put to death—no exceptions!"

In the eyes of these Jianghu people, Chen Wuji seems as if molded from mud.

Again and again, they provoke him.

Fine then; let's see what waves they can still stir up.

Jianghu intelligence is always swift; Chen Wuji refuses to believe they don't understand why he's doing this, yet now they dare to kill his troops on sight.

If such a thing reaches his ears once more, then don't blame him for not asking the reason.

Wiping out this Jianghu realm is not out of the question.

Without them, the people's lives would surely be better.

Chen Li did not oppose Chen Wuji's order; after a moment he said, "Family Head, perhaps the Jianghu folk's actions are merely coincidental…"

"Shi Yi Shu, it's too early to draw a conclusion now; let's wait and see." Chen Wuji said coolly.

"But the Jianghu people are surely hostile toward me now; let's see if they can tell right from wrong. If they're all confused and muddled, unable to discern, then don't blame me for rooting them out."

"A gang that constantly opposes the government, aiming to assassinate officials—if I were still soft‑hearted, I couldn't hold Nan Jun. The notices have already made things clear enough; I'm merely clearing out those who do evil."

If one were to write this very Nan Jun into a martial‑arts novel,

he, Chen Wuji, would surely be the biggest villain—overbearing, ruthless, cold‑blooded and cruel.

But Chen Wuji believes his position and motive are without fault.

Indeed, what he's done is even somewhat merciful.

Chen Li said nothing more, only a hint of worry showing in his expression.

"Shi Yi Shu, what are you worried about?" Chen Wuji asked, raising his head.

Chen Li said, "The Jianghu in Nan Jun indeed needs a firm hand to straighten out, but I think the timing is a bit too rushed. These people can be open or hidden; once they lurk in the shadows, they'll deal a considerable blow to the newly stabilized local government."

"Shi Yi Shu, this timing isn't my choice—it's theirs!" Chen Wuji shook his head.

"They're already doing this now; they aim to assassinate not just me, but prefects everywhere have become their targets. Who would have thought that after I finish this open‑front war, I'd still have to fight them?"

Chen Li gave a slight nod.

He isn't opposing Chen Wuji's orders; he merely worries that the local government will suffer an impact.

The situation in Nan Jun has just stabilized; now is the time to rest and recuperate.

If the Jianghu people openly slaughter local officials, it will inevitably cause panic and chaos in the locality.

But he also knew that at this moment, lingering pain is worse than a sharp pain; he should use a swift knife to cut the tangled mess, thoroughly killing those arrogant, unrestrained jianghu people and eliminating their overbearing aura.

Chen Wuji opened the memorial sent by Xie Fengxian, furrowed his brows tightly, and said, "Truly a time of many troubles."

"Family Head, what trouble have Xie Fengxian and Chen Baojia run into?" Chen Li asked upon seeing the situation.

The Shiva People have indeed sent out troops!

Chen Wuji flung the memorial onto the table, and the pleasant mood of his meal instantly vanished.

Truly, having stolen half a day of leisure from life, it was just half a day, with nothing extra.

Chen Li, upon hearing this, said: "The Shiva People are inherently fickle and love to take advantage of chaos. Now the court is weak, the Lingnan prefectures are deep in war, and the Shiva People's actions are hardly surprising."