Chapter 19: The Art of Pretending Is Truly Difficult

In the early morning, the mountain wind blew relentlessly. The Wei soldiers, who had barely slept, instinctively pulled their collars tighter and curled up further against the chill.

Not far away, on the edge of a cliff, a thin, frail youth stood facing the cold wind, gazing into the distance.

Because he wore little, his body shivered slightly in the crisp morning air.

At a time like this, who else but Wei Wuji would be in the mood to strike a pose? Only he would ignore the cold for the sake of looking nonchalant. But to be fair, if he could stand just a bit more at ease, he would truly resemble a transcendent being, rising effortlessly toward immortality.

It had been cold on the ridge since dawn, and everyone had urged Wei Wuji not to come up, lest he catch a chill. But Wei Wuji would not listen, insisting that after the recent battle, he needed some peace and quiet.

Unable to persuade him, they could only let him have his way—after all, he was the one truly in charge.

So, Wei Wuji went up to the cliff alone, not even taking a guard, letting the wind buffet him as he stood there.

At that moment, as he looked out over the vast expanse of land and sky, there was not the faintest trace of guilt or anxiety in his heart over the destruction wrought by war.

All Wei Wuji could think of was returning to the Wei army’s main camp as soon as possible, to leave behind this wandering, precarious life. Once he was truly safe, he could lay aside war, rely on his noble status, and finally enjoy a life of pleasure and ease.

“To think, I used to be a rich, handsome young lord, and now I’m reduced to this sorry, penniless state!” Wei Wuji glanced at his bedraggled appearance and mocked himself helplessly.

Perhaps fate had never favored him much—otherwise, how could such a miserable twist follow the miracle of reincarnation?

But things should improve from here, shouldn’t they? After all, they say misfortune is followed by good fortune. Comforting himself, Wei Wuji mused on brighter days ahead.

In the midst of these daydreams, a sudden voice from the cliff interrupted his reverie.

“Report!”

A scout, face flushed with excitement, rushed up to Wei Wuji and, kneeling and panting, announced, “My lord… the Chen army… the Chen army has retreated!”

What? Retreated? What did that mean—were they not planning to take revenge for last night’s defeat?

Could he have misunderstood what ‘retreat’ meant? Wei Wuji wondered.

“Explain yourself—how exactly did the Chen army retreat?” Wei Wuji pressed urgently.

He needed the details before deciding whether to rest a while longer or to take the opportunity to run.

“My lord, retreat means retreat! The Chen army has already crossed the Ling River—I saw it with my own eyes.” The scout looked bewildered, as if doubting his own intelligence—how else could one retreat, after all?

They retreated? They really retreated! Wei Wuji cheered inwardly; this was the best news he’d heard in days.

Outwardly, however, he kept a calm, impassive expression, pretending nothing could ruffle him.

He still had to maintain appearances—great men must act the part… Exhausting as it was.

“Tell me everything you saw, in detail,” Wei Wuji said as he straightened up and continued questioning.

“My lord, after our victory last night, I was ordered by the command to watch the Chen army’s movements. Except for more than two thousand cavalry who rode out, there was no further activity.

“It was only this morning that those two thousand Chen soldiers returned. Not long after, the rest of the Chen army broke camp and left.”

The scout scratched his head, looking equally puzzled, and continued, “Those Chen soldiers had barely returned when the entire army packed up and departed.”

“All of them?” Wei Wuji still found it hard to believe.

“All of them!”

The scout then looked at Wei Wuji with deep reverence. “My lord, it’s thanks to you that we drove the Chen army away.”

Wei Wuji hadn’t expected the scout to praise him so. Could his ragtag group really have routed ten thousand enemy cavalry? Even with all his vanity, Wei Wuji couldn’t claim such credit.

Could it be that he already had devoted fans? Seeing the scout’s fervent gaze, Wei Wuji wondered.

So soon, he had admirers! Compared to his former life, unloved and neglected, perhaps things really were looking up.

After confirming the Chen army’s withdrawal, Wei Wuji finally let out a long sigh of relief.

At last, he was safe—his first thought. The past days had left him so drained, he nearly lost the will to go on.

He was thoroughly exhausted, body and soul—he hadn’t felt so much excitement in several lifetimes.

“Hurry and summon all the captains, lieutenants, and commanders for me. Don’t forget Zheng Dali!” Wei Wuji quickly instructed the scout.

With such good news, he had to share it at once. Living in constant fear was simply unbearable.

Otherwise, people might call him a jinx for landing them in such dire straits, Wei Wuji thought wryly.

Of course, he was overthinking it; he had no idea how highly the soldiers now regarded him.

The scout rushed down the mountain to deliver his orders, leaving Wei Wuji alone on the cliff again.

…

Not long after, more than a dozen Wei officers arrived at the cliff.

After saluting, they were invited to sit.

“Gentlemen, the Chen army has withdrawn,” Wei Wuji announced in a steady voice.

Unexpectedly, the officers’ faces remained calm and indifferent.

“Why aren’t you happy?” Wei Wuji asked, puzzled.

The officers exchanged glances, unsure what he meant.

It was Wang Xiu who understood, stepping forward to explain, “My lord, we already know.”

Already knew? When had they learned? Recalling the direction from which the scout had come, Wei Wuji realized at once.

The scout must have spread the news as he came, making it common knowledge before Wei Wuji could announce it himself.

He had hoped to inform the officers first, to boost his own prestige. Then, he’d gather everyone together and, as the hero who led them out of darkness, put on the greatest show of his life before the assembled soldiers.

But now, everyone knew, and he might well be the last to find out.

A classic case of trying to show off and ending up looking the fool, Wei Wuji lamented inwardly.

Am I truly a transmigrator? Am I really the protagonist? Once again, Wei Wuji questioned his own destiny.

But for now, the pressing matter was to handle these officers—the silence was painfully awkward.

“Since the Chen army has fled, it’s a resounding victory for us,” Wei Wuji finally managed to say after a long pause.

After racking his brain, he continued, “Since we’ve won, it’s time to discuss rewards and promotions.

“I called you here so you can each gather your subordinates and tally up their achievements for the record,” Wei Wuji declared with a show of gravity.

It might not have been his original intent, but that didn’t diminish the effect of his words.

At once, the officers were overjoyed, dropping to their knees in gratitude, “Thank you, my lord!” Their feelings were wholly sincere.

For these officers, the more their men were credited with, the greater their own achievements would appear.

Though the Wei army was strict in discipline, its rewards were famously generous.

Now that rewards would be dispensed, their own shares would be substantial.

By that measure, though they had suffered some losses, they would return loaded with honors.

“All right, enough! Get up, all of you—show some composure!” Wei Wuji barked, seeing their unseemly excitement.

“Don’t act like a bunch of upstarts. There’ll be plenty more opportunities like this as long as you follow me!” Wei Wuji added, unable to stop himself from boasting a little.

In truth, he had no interest in leading troops or fighting battles, but he let the words slip out anyway.

“And another thing—I want to especially reward Comrade Zheng Dali!” Wei Wuji continued. After all, Zheng Dali had risked his life for him; how could he not be properly rewarded if Wei Wuji was to be seen as a wise leader?

Hearing this, the officers were baffled—‘Comrade’? What did that mean? But they understood Wei Wuji’s intention.

Zheng Dali’s merit was obvious to all and certainly deserved recognition.

“My lord…” But Zheng Dali’s eyes showed no trace of excitement.

“My lord, this was only my duty. I dare not accept a special reward from you,” Zheng Dali replied solemnly, not one to covet credit.

He added, “If you wish to reward someone, let it be the men beneath me.”

So, Wei Wuji’s attempt to show off failed yet again; his special commendation fell flat.

He signaled for the others to prepare to withdraw and return to the Wei camp, waving them away.

Zheng Dali, however, was held back—not because Wei Wuji had more to say, but because Zheng Dali should resume his duty of protection.

“My lord, let us go down as well—the wind is strong up here,” Zheng Dali said once the others had left.

Wei Wuji forced a bitter smile. No matter how strong the wind, he couldn’t make himself look dashing.

Putting on airs was truly exhausting, Wei Wuji raged inwardly.