Chapter 29: The Treatment of a Hero

When Wei Wujie heard Xu Anhong’s affirmative answer, he was utterly bewildered.

Misfortune, pure misfortune! What kind of fate is this? Heaven, are you trying to toy with me, setting traps all along the way? Wei Wujie lamented inwardly.

How could it be that anyone I casually interact with turns out to be so influential? If I enter the Wei camp, will I even make it out alive? Wei Wujie seriously doubted himself.

Damn that old man, why didn’t you say so earlier! Wei Wujie silently cursed Xu Anhong in his heart.

“Master, let’s return to camp. You mentioned that you encountered the Chen army; this must be reported to the lord immediately,” Xu Anhong said, ignoring Wei Wujie’s dazed expression.

Then, he addressed the cavalry under Wang Xian’s command, “You too, hurry back to camp. After bringing Wang Xian back, take good care of him.”

Under the direction of the military officers, the Wei cavalry sped off toward the main camp, carrying the unconscious Wang Xian.

Once they had departed, Xu Anhong turned to Wei Wujie, “Master, let’s be on our way as well. This isn’t the central camp, and if we run into the Qin forces, it would be disastrous.”

Qin forces? That’s the state of Qin, isn’t it? To be honest, Wei Wujie was quite curious about the people of Qin, given their formidable reputation in his previous life.

As a dire enemy of the Qin, Wei Wujie certainly knew that meeting them now was far from ideal.

Yet, going back with Xu Anhong wasn’t appealing either; after all, he had just protected Wang Xian, even if it was out of public duty.

Moreover, Wei Wujie couldn’t possibly abandon his own men, who had suffered so much. Unlike Xu Anhong and his horsemen, his own soldiers were all infantry and couldn’t keep up.

“Old General, you go ahead. I’ll return with my brothers; I must bring them back as well,” Wei Wujie refused Xu Anhong directly. At this point, he didn’t care if he offended anyone; troubles had piled up anyway.

Xu Anhong hadn’t expected Wei Wujie’s blunt refusal and was momentarily taken aback. Even the second son probably wouldn’t reject such an invitation!

Clearly, age had made him unable to keep up with the thoughts of the young, Xu Anhong mused.

“All right, if you wish to stay with your men, I won’t insist. I’ll await your arrival at the camp,” Xu Anhong said with a smile.

“Safe travels, General!” Wei Wujie bowed, watching as the pillar of the state departed.

After a short while, only Wei Wujie and his followers remained.

“Master, why didn’t we go with General Xu?” Liu Xuanba asked, puzzled. Wouldn’t returning with such a distinguished figure be an honor?

“The old general is busy with official duties; we shouldn’t delay him,” Wei Wujie replied vaguely, unwilling to reveal his true thoughts.

He brushed Liu Xuanba aside and turned to urge the others, “Enough chatter, let’s get going. Gather the brothers and head back to camp.”

Thus, after a string of mishaps and absurdities, the Wei soldiers set out, still somewhat dazed.

When Wei Wujie returned to the ranks, he was met with cheers from all. Although they had suffered terribly before, the dramatic reversal in the end had lifted everyone’s spirits, and they praised Wei Wujie enthusiastically.

But the army needed to march, and such chaos wouldn’t do. Wang Xiu tightened his expression and commanded sternly, “All soldiers, prepare to set out and return to camp immediately.”

Only then did the soldiers fall silent, searching for their respective units.

Before the march began, Wei Wujie, unable to restrain his restless tongue, called out, “Brothers, listen well: if anyone dares bully you again, I’ll make sure they’re beaten so soundly they’ll be searching for their teeth on the ground.”

He felt no embarrassment, no guilt at boasting.

Those who understood the situation, like Wang Xiu, felt a bit awkward—such boldness! Yet, for the majority who didn’t know the details, Wei Wujie’s words were like a stabilizing force, filling them with a sense of security.

In their eyes, the Marquis of Wei was naturally the highest authority; beneath him, it should be the young master. No matter how powerful the pillar statesman or prime minister, could they compare to the future Marquis?

Wei Wujie’s actions had proven himself: everyone saw Wang Xian beaten into unconsciousness.

“Long live the young master!” someone shouted, and the crowd erupted.

Wang Xiu’s orders were swept away by Wei Wujie’s charisma; who cared about orderly marching now?

Cheering and shouting became the most important task for the Wei soldiers. Not participating meant dissatisfaction with the young master, didn’t it?

Wang Xiu was left awkward—he couldn’t simply stand aside. Shouldn’t he join in? Was the camp even their destination anymore?

Wei Wujie paid no attention to Wang Xiu’s feelings; faced with unprecedented enthusiasm, he was overwhelmed.

Wherever the cheering seemed less intense, he would ride over, stirring the crowd until it boiled, then move to another group.

Even Zheng Dali, who knew Wei Wujie best, was stunned. “Is this really the young master I know?”

“This must be a hero’s reception! No wonder so many dream of becoming heroes,” Wei Wujie murmured with a smile, watching the crowd cheer for him.

He thought to himself that he should seek out more moments to show off and win admiration—the feeling was intoxicating. He waved back at the crowd.

At this moment, Zheng Dali sidled up, furtively asking, “Master, shouldn’t we be on our way? It’s nearly dusk.”

These words had been suggested by Wang Xiu, since Zheng Dali was the most familiar with Wei Wujie.

Oh! Wei Wujie almost forgot the important matters, having gotten carried away with his bravado. He’d neglected the fact that his men hadn’t eaten since morning.

Wei Wujie immediately rode forward, took a deep breath, and looked down at the hungry soldiers.

Feigning composure, he cleared his throat and declared, “Brothers, stop for a moment! Let’s return to camp first. Once the food and drink are brought out, we’ll eat and drink to our hearts’ content—how about that?”

“Agreed!” the soldiers responded eagerly, thinking their master truly cared for them.

“Move out, move out!” Liu Xuanba called, his spirits high after venting years of frustration.

Under Wei Wujie’s personal urging, the Wei soldiers quickly formed ranks and advanced.

Along the way, they hardly seemed like men starved for a day; each was spirited, marching swiftly.

“Is this the beginning of a mighty army?” Wei Wujie murmured, watching the wolfish soldiers pass by.

Could it be that his protagonist’s aura was finally shining? Was he destined to command a powerful force in the future? Wei Wujie’s narcissism flared up again.

The soldiers’ longing for food and security had dulled their sense of hunger and fatigue.

Soon, a large fortress appeared before the Wei soldiers.

“At last!” Wei Wujie wiped sweat from his brow, gazing at the Wei camp in the distance.

Though he’d only been in this world for two days, it felt like twenty years—twenty years without security or assurance.

Finally, he’d found the Wei camp; even as a man reborn, Wei Wujie struggled to contain his excitement.

“Have the army halt,” Wei Wujie ordered, raising his hand.

Turning to Zheng Dali, he instructed, “Dali, go notify the camp guards that we wish to enter.”

“Yes!” Zheng Dali replied, running off.

The others waited, watching Zheng Dali go negotiate.

Soon, he returned, but his expression was uneasy.

“Master, it seems we’ll have to enter through the side gate,” Zheng Dali reported.

What? After coming all this way, they wouldn’t let him through the main gate? Was this a joke? He was a battle hero, after all.