Chapter 955

Lin Elder's words convinced Yang and Gou.

The three then discussed in detail how to allocate troops, where to start first, etc., finalizing the matter and deciding to descend the mountain at dawn today to avoid endless worries.

Chen Wuji was right beside them at this time; they dared not linger, fearing that Chen Wuji would discover their whereabouts.

After the three finished their discussion, an old man with a slightly hunched back stood up on the roof of the nearby crude meeting hall, brushed off the dust on his buttocks calmly, and leapt down from the granary roof like a ghost, evading the patrolling sentries and disappearing into the mountains.

In Chen Wuji's military camp.

After reporting to the Personal Guard, Third Master Lu walked into the Zhongjun Camp where only one oil lamp was lit.

Chen Wuji was reading under the oil lamp.

He was reading the sages' classics; having felt muddle-headed from studying military texts, he decided to switch his focus, using these classics to elevate his moral standards so that fewer people would criticize his morality.

"Marquis, I really found something good—there's a stronghold in the mountains." Third Master Lu entered the tent, smiling amiably.

Chen Wuji put down his book and couldn't help laughing. "How big is the stronghold? It probably isn't that large. Those people look not too bright, observing our military camp with torches in the dead of night—do they really think we're blind?"

That distance wasn't far; even with his eyesight, he could faintly see the torches' light, let alone an expert.

"Marquis, you guessed wrong—the stronghold is quite large, and the three big fish observing our army's camp from the mountains are still there." Third Master Lu said, "The stronghold's forces number about seven or eight thousand, its buildings nearly fill the entire valley, and it stores a huge amount of grain—likely the enemy commander's base."

"When I tailed them, I happened to hear the stronghold's chief and two others discussing how to fight this battle; from their tone, the two were of the same rank as the chief, and though they seemed at odds, they eventually agreed."

"Those two didn't bring troops up the mountain, just some experts; but even those experts in that manor couldn't detect me standing beside them."

Chen Wuji felt slightly surprised, "Damn, it's like seeing a ghost—three chiefs secretly holding torches to spy on my Daying? Someone of their status making such a basic mistake—looks like they were destined to face this calamity from me."

Third Master Lu shook his head, "I deliberately observed in that forest; the woods are dense, so the view from inside out is mostly blocked—they perhaps didn't realize that looking from outside in and inside out are different."

"Whether to speak or not, they are indeed talented; I should thank them for giving me this opportunity." Chen Wuji laughed happily.

The great army had just entered the territory, and on the first day they actually encountered such good fortune.

Third Master Lu pulled out a copper pipe from his bosom, gave a simple smile, and said to Chen Wuji, "Marquis, I'm going to light up a pipe."

"Third Master, do as you like—" Chen Wuji stared at the Old Master's pipe and asked, "What are you putting in there?"

"Golden silk smoke." Third Master Lu, with the poise of an old hand, pressed the tobacco into the pipe, leaned forward to light it with the oil lamp, took two puffs with a soft 'puff-puff' sound, sighed contentedly, and instantly wore a look of bliss.

This is exactly the state of an old smoker who finally gets a smoke after a long abstinence.

Chen Wuji was very familiar with it.

"Those folks up the mountain have stashed plenty of this; I grabbed a bag of it—top-quality golden silk smoke, better than what I grow myself." Third Master Lu said.

"When I left home, I brought only a little, and I lost it on the road; I've been looking for a place to buy it lately but found none. Today, by chance, I discovered a large quantity of tobacco leaves in the enemy's stronghold."

"Please excuse the commander, I haven't smoked in a while and seeing this I really can't resist. In the mountains I worried the enemy would track me by smoke, so I didn't dare light up, and now I'm dying for a smoke."

Hearing this, Chen Wuji also felt a little itch.

He knew that in this era, even A Furong existed, so tobacco leaves must exist too; these two things, though not born from the same womb, are like close siblings—if you have one, the other is never far away.

Perhaps this item also has some special nature, which is why he had never found it.

"Third Master, let me see the tobacco leaves." Chen Wuji reached out and said.

Third Master Lu took off the tobacco pouch and handed it over, saying, "Marquis, rest assured, this is golden silk smoke, not A Furong—I've been smoking it for over ten years, I won't mistake it."

Chen Wuji opened it, looked, smelled it, and confirmed it was tobacco shreds.

The craftsmanship is rough, but it's not the kind of garbage smoke where the stem is mixed in.

Chen Wuji tore off some paper, pinched a bit of tobacco, and placed it inside.

He only knew how to roll this dry tobacco from helping his grandfather roll it as a child; back then he was the Old Master's human automatic cigarette roller.

He also learned to smoke at that time.

However, he was young then, had no addiction, and just tried a couple of puffs out of curiosity with the Old Master.

After all these years, Chen Wuji thought he had forgotten, but as soon as he picked it up, muscle memory kicked in—in just a few motions he formed a thick‑headed, thin‑tailed dry smoke, trimmed the ends, lit it on the oil lamp, and took a satisfying puff.

So comfortable!

Exactly this flavor.

Although it doesn't taste as good as paper cigarettes, in this era a single puff of a rolled cigarette is already heavenly—who needs a bicycle, let alone worry about conditions?

Third Master Lu looked astonished at Chen Wuji's actions and said, "Marquis, you actually smoke tobacco shreds—what method is this?"

"Rolled cigarette—my own method, more satisfying. Third Master, you can try it when you have time." Chen Wuji said, "Third Master, do you know why tobacco shreds are so hard to find?"

Although he hadn't sent people to search extensively, he truly hadn't seen this stuff anywhere he'd been.

"Few people smoke it, so naturally even fewer grow it." Third Master Lu said.

"I also learned of it by chance, then liked it, and had a friend from the north send me seeds to grow myself. In the markets I've never seen this item; at the very least, Nan Jun doesn't sell it."

However, I heard that more people in the northern lands smoke this stuff, but I don't know if it's true.

Because of Lu San Ye's pouch of tobacco, their talk gradually drifted off.

Until Chen Wuji finished smoking one cigarette, Lu San Ye also knocked the second pot of ash onto the soles of his feet, then Chen Wuji brought the topic back: "San Ye, how does the bandit chief plan to fight this battle with me?"