Chapter 902: Shocking Discovery

Chen Wuji stared at the clothes he had just changed into for a long time without speaking.

You did it on purpose, right?

"If I personally act as the bait, what chance do you have?" Chen Wuji asked.

Their move has a hint of "lure the tiger away from the mountain" and decapitation tactics.

Kong Jianshi said: "Young Master, if that woman is trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain, then the people the enemy sends must be confident they can break through our defenses and approach the Young Master. To achieve this, they must be Grand Masters, and likely more than one."

"Our strength, the enemy should have some idea of it; an ordinary Grand Master coming would only be sending themselves to death, so either this person is extremely strong, or… there is more than one."

"Young Master, if that's really the case, I suggest you not act as bait; they're about to storm the camp, why take this risk?"

Chen Wuji thought, that makes sense.

Better not gamble with one's own life.

Experts who can wipe out a ten‑million‑strong army with a raise of the hand—if one of their moves grazes him, he might die. He might not die, but his brothers nearby would likely fall in droves.

"Eleventh Uncle, you and Old Kong oversee the arrangements; I'm going to sleep." Chen Wuji said offhandedly.

Damnable assassins, messing with his mood, a bunch of damnable things.

Chen Li responded with a sound, but Kong Jianshi was somewhat at a loss: "General Chen, is that it?"

"Hmm."

"……" Kong Jianshi looked a bit bewildered: "My meaning is, shouldn't we recall the soldiers? There are hardly any people left in the camp, and besides, they're in danger out there."

Chen Li shook his head with a smile: "Old Kong, don't worry about that."

"Their target is the lord; they won't lightly lay hands on ordinary soldiers, lest they scare the snake. Whether the soldiers return to camp or not won't greatly affect this battle; how we fight still hinges on you experts."

"If we gather the soldiers back to camp, it would instead alert them, forcing them to abandon the charge to assassinate the lord. Right now this opportunity is good—at least we've reacted, so we won't be caught off guard."

"They probably don't know that the Lu family also sent two Grand Masters; that's our advantage."

After Chen Li's explanation, Kong Jianshi finally felt somewhat reassured.

He didn't understand these tactical trade‑offs; he just wanted to use the most reliable method.

Chen Li patted Kong Jianshi's shoulder: "Relax—when soldiers come, generals block them; when water comes, earth dams it. We now have the power to fear no one. Grand Masters aren't as common as cabbage; even if the enemy chooses to storm the camp openly, true experts shouldn't be too many."

Kong Jianshi nodded: "Alright, I'm truly feeling inadequate now, and you know the Young Master has major complaints about our Listening Wind Pavilion. Indeed, the Pavilion has handled the tasks entrusted by the Young Master very poorly, but… I also have a headache over this."

Because of this, he hasn't slept well these past few days.

But the Listening Wind Pavilion isn't something he can decide alone.

He wields great influence in the Listening Wind Pavilion, but due to his aloof nature he has never touched the Pavilion's internal power, always serving as an attendant beside Old Zhang.

Moreover, since following Chen Wuji he has been forced to act as Chen Wuji's mouthpiece, overseeing the various mountains.

In short, he's basically a new official just taking office.

"Look, you still haven't grasped the lord's meaning." Chen Li chuckled.

"Don't you remember what the lord told you before? You are you, the Listening Wind Pavilion is the Listening Wind Pavilion! This is the lord's promise to you: no matter how the Pavilion fares, the lord will always trust you."

"A huge power structure inevitably involves intricate, intersecting complexities. Old Zhang has already handed over authority to the lord, and the lord has entrusted you with full responsibility for all affairs of the Listening Wind Pavilion—win over those you can, and don't dwell on old ties for those you cannot."

"What you can't handle, the lord still can!"

Kong Jianshi sighed wistfully: "General Chen, let's walk together; I suddenly realize there are many things I need to consult you on. Without your words just now, I would never have understood these matters, nor known where to turn."

"I don't like complicated things at all—not even in sword practice, where I dislike complex moves. What I study is a sword manual left by our predecessors, with over three hundred moves; I've only learned this one volume in my lifetime. When I first started I found it complex, and I kept reducing it; now the manual I retain has only eleven moves."

"Perhaps I should ask the Young Master to replace me—I'm truly unsuited for such complicated work!"

Chen Li followed Kong Jianshi toward the dry riverbed in the valley.

Although no water is visible, countless traces of once‑great rivers remain there.

Lying about are dry, bone‑white branches, all sorts of strange stones, and the skeletons of animals and shells that have left their houses.

"Old Kong, if I recall correctly, you were personally sent by Old Zhang, right?" Chen Li asked.

Kong Jianshi nodded: "Yes."

"Old Zhang trusts you, the lord trusts you—why don't you trust your own abilities?" Chen Li bent down, picked up a stone that looked like jade, and held it up to examine in the sunlight.

"I……" Kong Jianshi's gaze followed Chen Li's movements: "I just feel these matters are too complicated, giving me a headache, with no place to start."

Chen Li chuckled: "Old Kong, you can turn a three‑hundred‑move sword manual into just eleven moves; why can't you also simplify the intricately tangled internal forces of the Listening Wind Pavilion? Isn't your talent precisely making the complex simple?"

"The lord wants the Listening Wind Pavilion to be just that—simple, obey orders!"

Kong Jianshi stared, a flash of light suddenly appearing in his eyes; after a thoughtful nod he said: "Hearing a single word from the General is truly worth ten years of reading—now I suddenly understand."

Chen Li revealed a kindly old‑man's smile: "Just discussing, nothing lofty. Old Kong, is this stone a piece of jade?"

"It does look somewhat like it."

Just as Kong Jianshi earnestly examined the stone in Chen Li's hand, trying to tell whether it was jade, Chen Li suddenly whispered: "Over there in the woods is a person in gray robes, holding a bow—an archer. Are there still Grand Masters who play with bows in this world?"

Kong Jianshi's expression instantly turned as if he had seen a ghost.

He hadn't even noticed the person in the opposite woods…

"General… you… you too?"

Chen Li waved his hand: "No, I just happened to see it—don't worry about me, talk about that person in the woods."

Kong Jianshi suddenly became bewildered again.

Just how mysterious is the Chen clan?

The Central Army Commander who has been constantly at his side is actually a Grand Master, yet he never noticed.

This is a monster, right?!