Chapter 20: Burning the Midnight Oil to Finish Homework

Outside Bamboo Prefecture City, within the central army camp.

At the entrance of a military tent, two young sentries were chatting.

Sentry A: “Did you hear? The Grand Marshal is hosting a banquet in Bamboo Prefecture City for the four great local clans of the Li, Sun, Su, and others.”

Sentry B: “So what? You can’t refuse a toast and expect to avoid the penalty! Our General Yuan Chang taught them a lesson before; now they dare not skip it.”

Sentry A: “I heard General Heng Yu went into the city to attend the banquet. Why is General Yuan Chang still in the camp?”

Sentry B: “Someone has to stay behind to guard the camp. The Grand Marshal planned it well: if those locals get any ideas, General Heng Yu, renowned for his unmatched bravery, can break through the city gates, while we, led by General Yuan Chang, will storm in from the camp to ensure no mistakes.”

Sentry A: “Oh, I thought it was about favoritism. I heard General Yuan Chang is the Grand Marshal’s nephew, while General Heng Yu is his own son, and the Grand Marshal is the head of the military command.”

Before the words finished, Sentry B quickly stopped him: “Don’t babble. Someone’s coming. Your reckless mouth could get you killed.”

...Footsteps silently receded nearby...

Unbeknownst to the two young soldiers, their conversation was overheard crystal clear by Wu Fei, who was patrolling the camp.

Regarding these gossipy sentries, Wu Fei merely smiled to himself.

When it came to this matter, thinking along the lines of sowing discord, Wu Fei could see much more: after General Wu Heng Yu attended the banquet, the four major noble families of Bamboo and Shui Prefectures, having sent their own kin to serve as Wu Heng Yu’s personal guards, would encourage him to seek his father’s approval and reclaim the next military command of the Wu family, thereby ousting the villain—Wu Fei himself.

Furthermore, if they truly intended opposition, it wouldn’t be mere conjecture but would involve investing money into action—sending agents with funds to both his own and Wu Heng Yu’s camps to win friends and stir conflicts. However, these rumors were backed by stingy people; no silver was spent on bribing the squad leaders in either camp.

Wu Fei had read the “Use of Spies” chapter in military strategy texts. As Xuan Chong, with memories from a past life, he also recalled classic historical lessons, such as how Chen Ping at the dawn of the Han dynasty provoked conflict between Xiang Yu’s clan and his non-family generals—a prime example of stirring internal strife.

The core of the conflict between Xiang Yu’s clan and the outsiders was his unfair distribution of spoils.

As a general, one must guard against such espionage. If suspicion among subordinates cannot be prevented, the commander must steady himself, keenly observe who stirs the fiercest trouble, and if the conflict cannot be resolved, eliminate the instigator according to military law. Even if this only temporarily stabilizes matters, stability is paramount.

Currently, the Wu family soldiers were auxiliary troops. Wu Fei had secretly noted the camp to which these sentries belonged. Their words were far from groundless; likely, the camp leaders were grumbling about their merits being eclipsed by those of Wu Heng Yu’s unit.

Xuan Chong was a meticulous man, but as a commander, he had to broaden his mind.

Wu Fei knew that his recent actions in Bamboo Prefecture were unpopular.

He had stripped six fortresses from the four great clans, seizing enough provisions to feed the Wu army for four years. He had also forcibly collected tens of millions in military funds (protection fees) from these large clans, framed as gratitude for saving their families from bandits—with the threat of abduction and ransom if they refused.

Outwardly, these noble families smiled amiably, but behind closed doors, they could not swallow their resentment and spoke ill in secret.

Locals referred to Wu Fei as “Poison Bird,” while Wu Heng Yu was their “Auspicious Beast”—the former bringing ruin, the latter salvation.

Thus, “Poison Bird” Wu Fei had no intention of stirring local families’ tempers by attending the banquet in person.

According to Wu Fei’s “Longzhong Plan” given to Wu Hanluan, this campaign aimed to maximize the Wu army’s interests—not only to extract wealth from the two regions’ noble houses but also to recruit their talented youth, effectively binding them like stocks in a company.

So, for every “Poison Bird” like Wu Fei, there was an “Auspicious Beast” like Wu Heng Yu, creating a yin-yang contrast.

While Wu Heng Yu’s five hundred cavalry swiftly quelled rebellions with minimal bloodshed and quickly sheathed their swords, leaving behind a formidable reputation, Wu Fei was already scheming to maximize gain.

The defeated often admire the strong. Especially in regions rich in waterways and commerce, the self-styled “talented” opportunists would follow the strongest fighter—even if that fighter had once subdued them.

Xuan Chong’s memories included “Rihán,” a water-rich, commerce-heavy region, whose troops, despite rowdy behavior, remained loyal allies.

Mountainous areas, by contrast, were proud and uncompromising; when faced with powerful enemies, they often retreated into the hills. Historically, Qin’s eastern campaigns against Zhao in the Taihang Mountains were hard-fought; in modern times, the “graveyard of empires” made many great powers ache.

These reflections came from Wu Fei’s recent reading of the rare “Harmony of the People” chapter in military classics—absent any annotations in his family’s texts, yet he grasped and applied its principles.

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Across the city walls, a bright line of lights divided the scene.

At the Bamboo Mountain City banquet, amid many scions of noble clans, as spirits rose and the guests grew tipsy, the local aristocracy prepared to lead a toast.

They planned to coax General Wu Hanluan into a promise: that the “strong dragon would not suppress the local snake,” meaning he would cede the fertile town occupied by the Wu army and perhaps even ask the general to show mercy by releasing their “slaves recently plundered by bandits.”

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Wu Heng Yu stepped forward to accept the toast.

He strode to the center of the banquet hall, lifting a massive cauldron above his head. Under all eyes, he carried the heavy vessel to each noble patriarch’s table, holding it steady with one hand while ladling wine with the other.

Seeing the cauldron suspended overhead, weighing a thousand pounds, all speeches faltered.

Without doubt, the Wu family could bear such a weight to serve wine—or “accidentally” drop it. The wine arced gracefully, filling each porcelain cup with pearl-like bubbles.

After a round of toasts, Wu Heng Yu had steadied the colossal vessel over every guest’s head, earning unanimous praise.

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Two days after the banquet...

Personnel changes occurred in the Wu family’s main camp.

Locals saw that Wu Heng Yu’s impressive feat had sparked jealousy. Wu Hanluan withdrew the five hundred cavalry from Wu Heng Yu’s command, leaving him only with a ragtag force of local recruits, tasked with eradicating bandits on the roads between Shui and Bamboo Prefectures.

This appointment stirred ambitions among the local clans.

The so-called “Rebellion of the Coalition” stemmed from regional magnates growing powerful yet unable to gain proportional political power within the Da Yao system. These families amassed wealth and numerous descendants but could not place them openly.

Hence, they cultivated hidden and visible branches: the visible being respected locally, the hidden ruling the mountains and conducting illicit affairs. The youth of the visible branches might not know their hidden uncles but sensed the frequent visits from distant relatives, with elders emphasizing brotherly unity and forbidding maltreatment.

The recent rebellions were incited by these hidden branches, revealing that these local powers required the Da Yao administration to provide an outlet for their excess strength.

After Wu Heng Yu formed his separate unit, local heroes flocked to join him in suppressing bandits.

The bandits, confronted by Wu Heng Yu’s troops, scattered; a few were slain, while some forest heroes chose to switch sides.

Wu Fei, consulting historical records, noted these locals were cunning, but the Wu family was the house that controlled the table.

As chaos loomed, Wu Heng Yu recruited thousands of talents from these regions to establish himself and build his reputation.

Indeed, the post-banquet maneuvers were Wu Hanluan’s effort to help Wu Heng Yu conjure a force out of thin air.

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Regarding Wu Heng Yu’s leadership of the new unit, his words grew increasingly arrogant toward Wu Fei.

Once local peace was restored, praise for Wu Heng Yu often came paired with disparagement of Wu Fei.

Given Wu Fei’s meticulous nature, it was impossible for him to remain unprovoked by such sniping.

Yet, though irritated, Wu Fei would never act against his own interests.

Despite his annoyance, he had to remain humble, since packaging Wu Heng Yu as a “stock” for market listing was his own suggestion.

According to predictions from the Court’s Astronomy Division and various sects, a “Great Calamity” was imminent.

For soldiers, the two most vital resources in chaotic times were money and reputation.

Money fed the army; reputation recruited soldiers.

In peaceful times, money was key, sustaining a fixed-size force limited by regulations.

In turbulent times, reputation mattered more, for the faster one’s team expanded, the greater their power.

Thus, relying solely on the Wu army, the number of able-bodied men drawn was limited.

A single major defeat—for instance, losing over five hundred casualties in the central army—would cripple the Wu family’s military strength for a decade.

If over a thousand fell, the family’s fortunes would decline.

Even mobilizing all able-bodied men to the limit in chaos would only yield a core force of six thousand, with auxiliaries swelling totals to twenty or thirty thousand.

If five thousand of those core six thousand died, there would be no face left to show to the elders of Jiangdong.

Wu Hanluan was nurturing Wu Heng Yu, but the central army’s seal remained with Wu Fei because he was reliable and steady.

The son was a volatile stock; the original shares had to remain rock solid.

Returning to Wu Fei’s long-term plan: since peace had not yet shattered, the Wu family had to acquire a batch of “reputation” early.

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Several days later, someone’s tolerance was once again filled to the brim.

Hearing “Little Sparrow” again, Wu Fei comforted himself: “In the future, I’ll build my legacy with others’ sons. Good—no losses, no losses.”

He patiently persuaded himself; the irritation from being disparaged gradually eased.

Wu Fei thought: No need to take offense. Wu Heng Yu’s style involves too many risks. My task now is to preserve my troops and withdraw to my base area.

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Now, the underhand dealings to profit in Bamboo and Shui Prefectures were handled by Wu Fei.

One cannot hold two ends; Wu Heng Yu was the “idol” adored locally.

As for the locals’ rude disparagement? Wu Fei accepted it with clenched fingers cracking.

If they trampled me so fiercely, I would just take more.

Wu Fei was indeed riled by the defeated locals’ provocations. If he couldn’t rein in the flashy Wu Heng Yu, wouldn’t he handle them?

Only seventeen years old and lacking guile, Wu Fei muttered through gritted teeth: “Strip the locals bare, take thirty percent home, spend seventy percent locally! Buy and sell by force, love to buy on credit—your new master is me...”

While Wu Fei busily scribbled plans in his tent, plotting an “unequal treaty” for the region, outside the tent, Yao San Gu tilted her head, embroidering with a slight frown.

She was withdrawing two threads, but her fingertips bled.

Those two threads were silently connected to the two garrulous soldiers from before!

Yao San Gu and the Visible Daoist were emissaries of the “Immortal Sovereign” in the mortal realm.

Guiding the struggles of powerful figures amidst change was the essence of the “Immortal Sovereign’s Game.”

Just now, Yao San Gu once again attempted to manipulate the golden fate thread she had selected but failed, unsurprisingly.

However, unlike before, she wasn’t angry this time.

Earlier, her senior brother, the “Eye of the Future,” had also been counterattacked while adjusting the same golden fate thread, shrouded in a mist, losing grasp of the external environment.

He could only accompany the chosen fate bearer through this misty episode before leaving Wu Hanluan’s side.

In the darkness, Yao San Gu spread her wings; the “Eye of the Past” on her brow slowly opened, absorbing energy from the stars above.

Suddenly, an amused expression appeared: “The more difficult to enlighten a mortal, the more valuable the enlightenment.”

Clear and melodious, like stardust tinkling, laughter appeared on her face—something beyond the grasp of those lacking extraordinary wisdom.

Soon after, Xuan Chong exited the tent, carried a stool, and sat before Yao San Gu, signaling her to continue her cultivation while he borrowed the light to work.

Though the oil lamp inside was bright, the tent was stifling.

Outside, San Gu’s wings emitted a cold light—her angelic blue wings shone brilliantly.

Yao San Gu paused, staring at Wu Fei, who was busy with accounts.

Her wings radiated the “General Knowledge Light” of the Immortal Sovereign, theoretically activating any text or knowledge under its illumination.

Yet this “stubborn” one willingly allowed the divine light to shine upon his work.

She observed for a while, then stood behind Wu Fei, spreading her wings to illuminate further.

Yet Wu Fei’s writing was like black iron thread, unmoving.

In this “Red Sleeve Add Fragrance” state, Yao San Gu hesitated—should she open the Eye on her brow?

But a warning lingered in her heart.

In the end, she obediently completed the lighting for Xuan Chong.

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To outsiders: Gray hair is not just snow; meeting is truly a blessing.

Xuan Chong: “System, how’s my homework?”

He presented a “Twenty-One Articles” treaty, understandable only to people of his past era, showing off his applied learning to the system.

System: “Oh, your lamp is a good find.”

Xuan Chong nodded, feigning understanding: “Isn’t it a teaching aid?”

He already knew Yao San Gu wielded sorcery capable of beguiling minds but sensed the system could help him resolve matters, so he cautiously tested its attitude.

System: “You may use teaching aids when doing homework, but for other situations, you are responsible for your actions.”

Xuan Chong nodded obediently: “Understood. I will do my homework seriously.”

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End of the trial period.

After collecting the bamboo slips, Wu Fei said to Yao San Gu, “I’m done. You carry on.”

Yao San Gu: “General, my wings are a bit sore. Could you help me... fold them?”

Wu Fei glanced over, smiling apologetically: “Oh, sorry. My hands are sore too.”

Having confirmed she was a demoness, Wu Fei dared not provoke her further without the system’s protection.

The system had clearly noticed his mischievousness and was likely planning a lesson.

Wise Wu Fei thought it best not to give the system a bad example too soon.

So he slipped away swiftly, arriving relaxed and leaving abruptly.

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Page Three of Three.