Chapter 802

Midway through the conversation, Yuan Lao Liu's expression suddenly turned strange.

It feels like having eaten something disgusting, yet one must grit one's teeth and swallow it down.

"The origin of Wang Yu Mountain..." Yuan Lao Liu let out a long sigh, then continued, "The founding elder loved a woman, but she did not love him back; she turned and married someone else. To express his longing, the founding elder took such a name."

"Because of the founding elder's actions, later mountain department elders followed suit. Now the mountain department has several mountains, most of which are related to women. The most extravagant is Bai Ren Mountain, named because that elder allegedly had affairs with over a hundred women, to record his deeds."

Chen Wuji's mouth twitched slightly, "You can actually agree to this?"

"Actually, we didn't know at first; if we had known the origins behind these names, no one would have agreed." Yuan Lao Liu said helplessly, "These matters were only learned by me after becoming the elder of Wang Yu Mountain; it's a secret among the mountain elders."

"Elder Yuan, do you have an unrequited love for a woman?" Chen Wuji teased.

Yuan Lao Liu jumped up like an old snake whose tail had been stepped on, and quickly said, "Young Shopkeeper, I have little interest in women; all my life I have loved only the sword. Moreover, the name of Wang Yu Mountain was already set by the founding elder, so I cannot rashly change it."

Chen Wuji couldn't help but sigh, "Truly, there are Old Sixes everywhere."

"It's just picking a name, yet these people act in such unison."

"Is it only the mountain department that's like this, or do other departments have the same situation?" Chen Wuji asked.

Kong Jianshi said, "Perhaps, but we simply don't know."

"Or perhaps it's because of the founding mountain department elder; the other four departments also subdivided into many branches internally—for example, the Life Department uses celestial bodies for names, and the Medical Department uses acupoints."

Chen Wuji lowered his eyelids slightly, "Which department does not recognize me?"

"The Divination and Appearance Departments." Kong Jianshi replied, "But the Old Shopkeeper has already settled this matter almost completely; surely before long, the Young Shopkeeper will be able to fully control the Benevolent Aid Hall."

As he said this, he spoke with some caution, as if afraid of provoking Chen Wuji.

Chen Wuji merely gave a faint hum.

With Zhang Lao presiding there, he merely wanted to get a simple understanding of these matters, with no intention of intervening.

Although the Benevolent Aid Hall is a vast and mysterious jianghu power, it is not yet worth his expending great energy to delve deeply into it in order to consolidate his power within the Benevolent Aid Hall.

With turmoil across the land, as the Nan Jun Jiedu Guanchasi, if he were to become obsessed with the power struggles of a jianghu force, that would be rather foolish.

Not even neglecting the root and pursuing the trivial can describe such absurdity.

"Yu Ren is here; has the Snake Staff Elder escaped again?" Chen Wuji asked.

Kong Jianshi and Yuan Lao Liu both tightened their expressions, and Yuan Lao Liu said, "Replying to Young Shopkeeper, he indeed fled, but he hasn't gotten far yet; the elite of the Mountain and Life Departments have all been dispatched, already gripping him tightly."

"Please wait a few days, Young Master, and we will surely present the Snake Staff Elder's Head Trophy before you. Although there are not a few jianghu people around him, any obstruction would be merely a rabble, not a formidable force."

Chen Wuji asked, "Have you clarified the relationship between the Snake Staff Elder and Bu Yi Alley?"

Kong Jianshi took up this question, his expression growing somewhat grave, and said, "Young Master, according to the intelligence returned so far, Bu Yi Alley is indeed under the Snake Staff Elder's command, but he seems not to be the most direct leader. Bu Yi Alley appears to have countless connections with the Capital, and they are not merely selling information; they have other aims."

"Why is the answer so vague?" Chen Wuji was very dissatisfied with this answer.

Many questions were raised, yet none were settled concretely.

Kong Jianshi spoke solemnly, "We have captured many of Bu Yi Alley's core members, but Bu Yi Alley, a jianghu force mainly trafficking information, controls its news extremely strictly. Even those core members know very little; I have only managed to gather a rough summary to obtain this information."

"Think again of a plan." Chen Wuji said in a low voice, "If it really doesn't work, we'll eradicate them completely."

He wants to know the secret of Bu Yi Alley and the Snake Staff Elder.

But if the opponent hides too deeply, his patience is also very limited.

Regardless of what the secret is, as long as we eradicate them completely, he can remain ignorant of everything.

Kong Jianshi and Yuan Lao Liu both accepted the order.

Faced with Chen Wuji's sudden eruption of superior aura, even though they are both renowned grandmasters of the jianghu, they cannot help but feel apprehensive.

"Now that Yu Ren is dead, Master Kong, please stay by my side from now on; I need someone to inform me of the Benevolent Aid Hall's news!" Chen Wuji said.

"Yes!"

Chen Wuji resided in Xishan Village for over half a month.

During that half month, his days were peaceful and fulfilling.

Every few days he went up the mountain to stroll, bringing Afu and the Three Little Fortunes to hunt, improving their diet, then returning to handle county affairs.

With Nan Jun unified, the various provinces seemed to hit the fast-forward button; many previously sluggish matters suddenly progressed rapidly, especially the Western Provinces.

These provinces had not experienced the baptism of war; they all surrendered at the first sign of wind.

When Chen Wuji, Yu Ren, and the Qiang people were locked in a deadlock in Songzhou, these provinces still seemed to have a hint of watchfulness, their attitudes growing increasingly passive.

Now it's completely reversed; these provinces vie with each other to outdo one another, giving the feeling that they would love to lay bare their whole hearts for Chen Wuji to examine their sincerity.

Chen Wuji had originally considered giving these provinces' prefects a little color to see, but seeing this result, he temporarily halted and decided to observe further.

This is because Nan Jun currently lacks talent; there are hardly any suitable candidates to be provincial leaders, otherwise Chen Wuji could not possibly have tolerated them this long.

Aside from changes in people's livelihood and administration, Yang Pojun has also made great progress in Qiang Land.

Southwest Chu Wang Feng Linchuan gained fame in a single battle.

With three thousand light cavalry, he leveled the Zhong Qiang king's stronghold and slaughtered thirty thousand Shiva people.

The Shiva people's plot, the Zhong Qiang's scheme to found a state, were trampled to pieces by Feng Linchuan with three thousand cavalry.

What's more, the day that scoundrel Feng Linchuan chose was quite cunning.

It happened to be the day Zhong Qiang proclaimed its founding.

Zhong Qiang probably wanted to use the Shiva people as foreign aid to save face, then win over some Qiang clans to become part of their state.

They had calculated well, but unfortunately they encountered the Southwest Chu Wang.

The new king they had pushed forward, Dian Ge, was beaten to death on the spot by Feng Linchuan amid the chaotic troops; the great Shi Bi Bai Shi led the remnants southward to flee, and the Qiang state, founded just half a day earlier, fell that same day.

If the Qiang people had their own history, Feng Linchuan's name would surely resound louder than that of their king, Dian Ge.