The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 162 A Man Using the Surname Langya (5k)

The situation was urgent, so the army moved out immediately in order to act swiftly.

When this group stopped to rest halfway through their journey.

After surveying the surrounding scenery, a lieutenant suddenly approached Wang Pingzhang, the leader of the group, and said:
“My lord, if I remember correctly, there is a thatched hut nearby, and the owner of the hut is also from the Langya Wang clan.”

Wang Pingzhang looked around with amusement and said:

"Do I still have relatives in this wretched place?"

Wang Pingzhang was appointed General Mingwei and Inspector of Yizhou.

Although he was given the rank of a fourth-grade military officer, it was because he was still relatively inexperienced. He followed the general out to earn some military merits in order to pave the way for his future.

The reason he can lead five thousand elite cavalry is not only because of his own abilities, but more importantly because he comes from the Langya Wang clan.

Giving subordinate opportunities to those from aristocratic families has been an almost tacit understanding for hundreds of years.

Anyone who doesn't comply will have a pitiful record in history, such as dying suddenly, drowning, or falling off a horse.

After a moment of amusement, he asked again:
"So which branch is it? I don't remember having any relatives in the southwest."

As soon as trouble broke out in the southwest, the Langya Wang clan's branch there hurriedly fled.

He was even the one who led the troops to meet and escort them.

Therefore, when the general went on his expedition, his family used the title of "well-versed in the affairs of the southwest" to gild his reputation.

At the time, no one, including him, thought much of it, so everyone was sending people to get their resumes gilded.

No one expected that a group of starving people would fight the emperor's elite army for so long without a clear victor.

So much so that gilding became a form of spiritual practice.

The adjutant said:
"They are important figures from Wuyi Lane!"

"What the hell?!"

The branches of the Langya Wang clan are spread all over the world, but when it comes to the nobility of bloodline, everyone has to admit that the main branch of Wuyi Lane is the most precious and precious branch.

Even he, a member of a collateral branch of the Beihai lineage, had to respectfully address anyone from Wuyi Lane as "Elder Zong."

After all, no matter how he managed to get into the military, he would only be a lowly military officer, while someone from Wuyi Lane would be a direct military governor, using civil authority to govern the military.

Even if he works his whole life, he'll only ever reach the starting point of what others do!

How could a noble person from Wuyi Lane be in such a dilapidated place?
"Are you sure you're not mistaken? Let me tell you, it's not a big deal if you're wrong, but if word gets out, you'll probably lose your official position!"

The adjutant turned pale and hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting:

“Indeed, you are a distinguished person from Wuyi Lane! I met you once when I passed by before. I was looking for an opportunity to introduce you to me, but the war is getting more and more intense every day, and you are always on the front lines, which is why it has been delayed until now!”

"You'd better tell the truth. Where is that person? Lead the way!"

Wang Pingzhang refused to believe that the main branch of Wuyi Lane could exist in this run-down place.

Now he couldn't care less about anything else and went straight to investigate.

For powerful and influential families, nothing is more important than this.

Soon, Wang Pingzhang led dozens of fast riders to the thatched hut.

The sight before him made him furrow his brow—the house was more than just simple; it was downright ugly! Wang Pingzhang had been away for so long, and this was the first time he had ever seen a thatched hut so crudely built.

To be honest, this isn't a house at all; it's clearly a crooked pile of hay! Even the walls made of straw are leaning to one side and crooked to the other!
This made him turn to look at his adjutant, saying nothing, but the meaning in his eyes was clear—do nobles from Wuyi Lane live in such a place?
The adjutant had no choice but to nod reluctantly.

Because he didn't believe it at the time, but later found that the truth was more real than iron.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard a noise coming from inside.

Wang Pingzhang took off his riding whip, intending to give the grandson who had stolen the family name a lash.

But after seeing who it was, he couldn't bring his raised hand down.

The person who emerged was adorned with jade around his waist, had a face like a peach blossom, and was dressed in magnificent robes. Standing before this crooked thatched hut, he seemed to embody the very spirit of the entire wilderness, his imposing presence so awe-inspiring that no one dared to look him directly in the eye.

This demeanor and bearing are not something a foolish man daring to impersonate a prominent family could fake.

He quickly lowered the raised whip, coughed, and asked:

"Are you from the Langya Wang clan? May I ask which branch you belong to, and who your mother is?"

The other person's eyes lit up as they looked at the newcomer and said:

"Oh my, is it Uncle Beihai who has arrived? Your nephew Wang Chengsi has been waiting here for a long time!"

Wang Pingzhang hurriedly looked at his subordinate, who shook his head repeatedly. He had never told the subordinate about Wang Pingzhang's background.

After all, there's a legitimate heir and a concubine; for an outsider to speak behind his back could be seen as belittling the superior.

After a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Wang Pingzhang dismounted and asked in a friendly manner:
"May I ask how you came to know me?"

The elegantly dressed young man immediately stepped forward and put his arm around Wang Pingzhang's shoulder, saying, "Oh dear, my father has been telling me about how Uncle resolutely went south to report to the Emperor!"

"Nowadays, the only person in the Southwest who would go to such lengths to find a place like my nephew is none other than you, Uncle!"

Upon hearing this, the other person instinctively puffed out their chest, and their smile became even more amiable as they said:
"Yes, is that so? Then may I ask who your mother is?"

The richly dressed young man waved his hand and said:
"Oh, let's not talk about that. Ever since the old man heard about your deeds, he's been urging me to come to the Southwest, saying that I should be given a title and work under the general to gain seniority. He also said that with you here, we uncle and nephew can not only look after each other, but also get our families closer together."

As he spoke, his fingers tapped lightly on Wang Pingzhang's shoulder armor, his eyes carrying a familiarity typical of scions of noble families, as if human relationships in this world were simply a matter of course.

Wang Pingzhang felt somewhat uncomfortable with the man's intimate manner, but the words "holding the imperial staff," "great general," and "two families looking out for each other" in the other man's words really captivated him.

You can often tell whether someone is in that circle or not just by listening to them speak.

He stole a glance at the beautiful jade at the other person's waist. It was mutton fat white jade, warm and pleasing to the eye. Such an item would almost certainly only be a gift from the imperial court.

Although I don't completely believe it yet, I'm already seven or eight parts convinced.

Therefore, he looked at the dilapidated thatched hut with puzzlement and said:

"Then why are you, my dear nephew, in such a peculiar place?"

After struggling for a long time, he finally came up with something unique.

The elegantly dressed young man smiled nonchalantly:
"Oh dear, I'm sorry to make you laugh, Uncle. I didn't want to follow the old man's arrangements, but I also wanted him to know that I could make something of myself without him. So, hehe, I secretly ran away and came all the way to the southwest!"

It's an abstract concept, like something out of Arabian Nights, but it's something those spoiled rich kids are capable of doing.
This made Wang Pingzhang frown.

If he didn't know about this ancestor, that would be one thing, but now that he does know, if he doesn't take care of things and something goes wrong, he definitely won't be able to escape.

But if we try to manage it, how should we manage it?

The one who was born into such a family and was given the authority to serve and be looked after must be the eldest son of the main branch.

It is truly incredibly expensive!

You said you wanted to take the official route, you're still the Grand Commander, the one who can get blocked by anyone.

Whenever they went out, a large army naturally followed.

But, but what are you doing here all by yourself?

Wang Pingzhang really wanted to say, "Are you here just to torment me?"
But he swallowed those words halfway through and changed them to:
"Oh, my dear nephew, don't worry. As long as your uncle has a breath left, he will ensure your safety!"

"With Uncle's words of reassurance, I am relieved. You have no idea how worried I have been these past few days, fearing that I might be killed and eaten by someone if I'm not careful!"

Why didn't you die on the way?
Wang Pingzhang kept muttering to himself, but on the surface he patted his chest more and more confidently.

After taking one last look at the group he had come from, he asked someone to give him a horse.

But to everyone's surprise, upon hearing the word "horse," the other person trembled and hurriedly waved their hand, saying:
"No, no, no, Uncle, there's no need. You are all brave warriors who serve the court. How can you give up your mounts to someone like me who has done nothing?"

As he spoke, he led a donkey out from behind the thatched hut:

"Uncle, look, this is the one I'm riding."

This made Wang Pingzhang nod reluctantly, and he also glanced at the donkey a few more times.

Believe it or not, in this godforsaken place where they often go hungry, this beast is actually quite sleek and handsome, even more so than their carefully raised warhorses.

This prompted the adjutant to ask curiously:
"Young Master Wang, your donkey is quite something."

The elegantly dressed young man turned around and smiled:

"That's right! I recite Buddhist scriptures to my donkey every day, so it's probably quite intelligent!"

Before he could finish speaking, the donkey "poof"ed and spat all over his face.

The scene instantly fell into an eerie, deathly silence.

Countless soldiers were desperately trying to suppress their laughter.

After a long while, the richly dressed young man wiped his face and, as if nothing had happened, mounted his donkey and laughed:
"Let's go, Uncle!"

On the way back to the main army, Wang Pingzhang couldn't help but say:
“Nephew, your uncle is on a mission to exterminate the evil cultivators. How about I assign a hundred elite soldiers to escort you back to camp?” Unexpectedly, the other party waved his hand and said:

"Hey, Uncle, I've already said I came out here to build a career! How can I hide just because I see you?"

"Besides, if something really happens, my intelligent donkey might actually be able to help!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the donkey seemed to understand, and with a "grunt," it shook its head, almost throwing him off its back.

This made Wang Pingzhang's lips twitch uncontrollably, and he finally asked:
"Nephew, we have horses to replace them. Do you really not need me to exchange this donkey for yours?"

"No, really, we don't need it. This donkey is perfectly capable!"

As they spoke, the richly dressed young man was still wrestling with the donkey right in front of them.

Wang Pingzhang looked up to the sky and sighed deeply.

Good heavens, why did you send me an ancestor?
But as soon as he looked down, he saw that the donkey and the richly dressed young man who had been fighting just moments before had both stopped and were looking at the distant sky.

"What's wrong, my dear nephew?"

The other person turned around strangely, then pointed to the sky and asked:
"Uncle, didn't you see anything?"

Wang Pingzhang looked up in surprise, but couldn't see anything unusual.

He could only shake his head and say:
“Nephew, your uncle didn’t see anything.”

The other person raised an eyebrow slightly, then turned around and asked:
"what about you?"

The other party still cupped their hands and said:

"In reply to your question, young master, we didn't see anything either!"

After receiving the reply, he moved closer to Wang Pingzhang's mount and stared intently into the horse's eyes.

Only after seeing the towering flames and a hint of inexplicable fear did he reluctantly stand up and ask:

"Uncle, are we... going to quell the demonic path?"

The elegantly dressed young man was somewhat helpless.

Is this really not a place to be leveled?
Wang Pingzhang laughed:
"Don't worry, my dear nephew. They call them heretical Taoists, but they're just a bunch of filthy things that fool the common people. We've been dealing with these guys for a long time."

He then pointed to the five thousand elite troops behind him and said:
"See these brothers behind me, Uncle? They're all experts who crawled out of piles of corpses. This sorcerer is just a novice who hasn't even amounted to anything yet; he can't cause any trouble!"

The elegantly dressed young man also turned around, looking at what appeared to be a formidable force of five thousand elite troops, and then at the fireworks that soared into the sky.

He felt as if his face was contorted and twisted into a knot.

After a long while, it all turned into one sentence:
"It's because I haven't repaid my karmic debts yet."

"Nephew, what are you muttering about?"

The elegantly dressed young man immediately smiled and said:

"No, no, this is my first time serving in the army, and I'm very excited. By the way, Uncle, could you tell me in detail about the fact that you were sent here?"

"Naturally."

After listening to everything, the elegantly dressed young man pondered and said:

"Uncle, you've been here for so long, have you noticed anything amiss?"

Wang Pingzhang chuckled and shook his head, saying:

"No."

"Really nothing? For example, has the General or some high-ranking official in the army seen any strange people? Or are there any rumors circulating in the army that shouldn't exist?"

These words made Wang Pingzhang raise his eyebrows slightly. He glanced at his subordinates behind him, who immediately understood and slowed down.

Only after there were only two sons of the Langya Wang clan remained did Wang Pingzhang ask:

"Nephew, what do you mean by saying that?"

The elegantly dressed young man said after careful consideration:

"Uncle, since I left the capital, I have indeed seen a lot along the way, and the clan has mentioned it to some extent."

Wang Pingzhang frowned even more and said:

“Nephew, please speak frankly. Although our Beihai branch and the main branch of Wuyi Lane have not been close for a long time, we are still of the same blood. You don’t need to be wary of me.”

The elegantly dressed young man smiled and said:
"There's no such thing as defense. All I want to say is, have you considered that this time it's not the usual ordinary mortal?"

Wang Pingzhang initially found it utterly ridiculous and shook his head repeatedly, but upon seeing the other party's expression, which was far from joking, his face slowly changed, and he said:
“Nephew, I don’t know what the situation is on your side, nor do I know what’s going on in the clan, but as far as I can see, nothing is beyond the reach of mortals, and there are no supernatural forces or strange phenomena.”

They've done countless things along the way, like cutting down mountains and destroying ruins.

But I've never seen anything strange or unusual.

The elegantly dressed young man produced a gilded folding fan from who-knows-where and fanned himself towards Wang Pingzhang, saying:

"Uncle, calm down. I'm just an ignorant person who hasn't seen much of the world. I just said it casually."

This made Wang Pingzhang sigh:
“Nephew, you come from the main branch of Wuyi Lane, how can you not know that there are many things you can’t just say?”

Just as he was about to say a few more words of instruction, the richly dressed young man suddenly slapped his horse's rump.

Caught off guard, he darted away in a flash.

The crowd behind him was so startled that they gave chase, but they couldn't catch up with him and his donkey no matter what they did.

Wang Pingzhang, caught between shock and rage, nearly burst into a tirade, but ultimately suppressed his anger due to the other party's status as a key figure in the clan. He tried to rein in his horse, but his usually docile steed was now completely unresponsive, galloping headlong into the distance.

"Damn!!!"

"Uncle, don't panic, your nephew is here!"

The sound startled Wang Pingzhang, who hurriedly turned his head and saw that the boy was riding a donkey, chasing after him at a leisurely pace.

How can this donkey catch up with my BMW?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he saw the elegantly dressed young man suddenly let out a strange cry at his beloved horse.

The next moment, the horse that had been galloping wildly and relentlessly, without any prompting, suddenly stopped and threw him off its back.

Suspended in mid-air, Wang Pingzhang's mind went blank, only feeling four large words resounding in his head—"My life is over!!!"

Before he landed completely, he glanced with deep sorrow and indignation at the elegantly dressed young man who had caused his death.

The angrier he got, the more he was about to curse before he fell to his death, when he suddenly felt himself crash into a soft, wet, slippery puddle. The smell of rotting grass and silt instantly filled his mouth and nose—he had fallen into a muddy swamp!

Although he was covered in mud and grime, he had miraculously survived. Wang Pingzhang struggled to his feet, hastily wiped the mud off his face, and spat a few times. Hearing the donkey braying behind him, his anger surged to his head, and he turned around to shout at it.

But as soon as he turned around, the donkey sprayed his face with spittle!
At this moment, Wang Pingzhang felt his anger surge to its peak.

But for some reason, it seemed he was destined not to speak today. The moment he opened his mouth, the richly dressed young man who had jumped off the donkey grabbed his arm and turned him forward, saying:

"Uncle, Uncle, don't rush, don't rush, look ahead!"

"What the hell are you waiting for!" Wang Pingzhang cursed inwardly, but his body was involuntarily pulled forward. What he saw struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving him frozen in place—

Because he was horrified to see a blazing flame soaring straight up into the distant sky!

"grown ups!!!"

"Sir, are you alright?"

Behind him came the chaotic, rapid sound of horses' hooves and the anxious shouts of his subordinates.

Just as Wang Pingzhang was about to ask what it was, he was horrified to find that the terrifying phenomenon, which resembled a blazing sky, had vanished without a trace!

Turning back in a daze, she saw the elegantly dressed young man with a beaming smile on his face:
"Uncle, did you see it clearly?"

Wang Pingzhang nodded blankly.

The other party smiled even more brightly:
"Now that Uncle has figured it out, then my efforts haven't been in vain!"

His subordinates hurriedly dismounted and rushed to help Wang Pingzhang, who was still in the muddy swamp.

But suddenly he pushed aside all his generals, and amidst their bewildered expressions, knelt down before the richly dressed young man and shouted:
"Please, my dear nephew, save your uncle!"

"grown ups?!"

His subordinates were completely baffled.

Did the adult damage their brain?
The elegantly dressed young man hurriedly helped Wang Pingzhang up.

"Uncle, you're making me too proud. Please get up, please get up."

"No, I won't get up unless you, my dear nephew, tell me the way out!"

The elegantly dressed young man pointed helplessly to the towering flames and said:
"Uncle, why are you asking your nephew about this? You should ask that person!"

(End of this chapter)