117: Sun Tzu's enlightenment

The next day, Chen Zhaojing lay sprawled on his custom-made throne, crafted from ten-thousand-year-old Soul-Calming Wood and embedded with three hundred and sixty-five "Calming Star Cores," his eyes unfocused...

Like a dried-up interstellar salted fish, he stared at the simulated, slowly rotating nebula pattern on the ceiling...

That cosmic vista, which once stirred his heart and ignited infinite reveries, was now, in his eyes, nothing more than an endless "production quota" that he had to fill himself!

Five years!

Five whole years!

Over eighteen hundred days and nights!

He was either "striving to produce"!

Or on his way to "strive to produce"!

He had pushed his War God Peak physique to the point where it felt like a "battle-damaged" wreck...

His kidneys?

They were no longer kidneys...

They were two super energy pumps that never stopped, permanently flashing red "overheat warning" lights!

His Soul?

It was no longer a Soul...

It was a storage chip on the verge of bursting, repeatedly written to, erased, and rewritten with nothing but "Guidelines for Eugenics and Child-rearing," "Emotional Management During Pregnancy," and "108 Methods for Resolving Conflicts in Large Families"!

He even began to miss the "simple" days when his grandfather forced him to memorize the million-word "Chen Family Precepts: Procreation Edition"...

Back then, he only needed to use his mouth...

But now?

His mouth? That was just a basic communication tool!

His body was the main combat equipment!

His brain was a 24/7 multi-threaded task processor!

...

"Your Highness," the voice of his personal attendant rang out like a ghost, carrying a trace of imperceptible... sympathy?

"The 'Origin Consolidation Drink' for today has arrived. The new formula includes 'extract of courtship pheromones from Jovial Star Dolphins.' Dean Mo Heng says it is intended to enhance your... subjective initiative and sense of pleasure."

Chen Zhaojing didn't even lift his eyelids, waving his hand listlessly...

A hovering robot slid over silently, carrying a tray with a cup of... bizarre liquid that constantly changed colors and occasionally emitted heart-shaped bubbles.

Chen Zhaojing took it expressionlessly, tilted his head back, and gulped it down...

In an instant, sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—various extreme flavors exploded and fused in his mouth, finally converging into a bizarre impulse that shot straight to the top of his head, making him want to immediately find a partner to pour his heart out to!

He let out a colorful burp...

Feeling both his tear glands and some strange hormone-secreting gland being strongly stimulated at the same time!

"Initiative... pleasure..." Chen Zhaojing muttered to himself, his eyes even more hollow.

"My greatest pleasure right now is just being able to stay quietly by myself for five minutes... No, three minutes is fine too!"

He felt like an overused, most expensive "Humanoid Self-Propelled Sower for Family Legacy" in the entire Universe...

Being filled every day with all sorts of strange "fuel" and "lubricant," then driven to complete one "production task" after another.

Yet he couldn't complain!

Every time he saw his grandfather's eyes full of expectation and praise...

Seeing the curve of the Family population soaring like a rocket...

Seeing the reports in the Federation media hailing him as the "backbone of the nation" and "light of civilization"...

He could only swallow all his bitter tears...

Then force out a smile that said "I can still do it," and continue to throw himself into the great cause of "production"...

"Does this count as... being kidnapped by honor?" He would occasionally have such rebellious thoughts, but they would quickly be suppressed by an even stronger sense of mission...

"For the Family!"

"For the Federation!"

He chanted silently again, trying to recharge himself!

Just then, a familiar, cheerful sound of footsteps came from outside the hall...

Chen Zhaojing gave a start, and like a conditioned reflex, instantly switched from "battle-damaged salted fish" mode to "spirited and high-spirited" mode!

He sprang up from the pressure-resistant throne, straightened his back, and forced a bright yet steady smile onto his face.

"Grandfather! Why are you here?" He stepped forward, his voice loud and full of vigor... at least it sounded that way.

Chen Jun walked in slowly with his hands behind his back.

He was glowing with health, his complexion impossibly good, and he seemed to be enveloped in an invisible Aura called "satisfaction."

He looked at his grandson, who was heroic and had a firm gaze, and the pride and gratification in his heart were almost overflowing!

These five years were the happiest five years of his two-hundred-plus-year life!

Happier than when Yun Qinglan was born!

Happier than when he saw the Tristan Empire fall!

Why?

Because in the system interface, the number representing the 【System Rank】 was jumping and soaring at an unprecedented speed!

He introspected the System panel in his mind:

【system interface】

【Rank】: Level 1 (3.88%)

...

3.88%!

In five years, it had soared from 0.13% to 3.88%!

What did this mean?

It meant he had 375 more lively great-grandchildren!

The potential of the 【Multiple Benefits】 function, once unleashed, was simply incredible!

The gender ratio was about half and half, and Chen Jun was very satisfied with this—boys and girls were both treasures!

Three hundred and seventy-five!

And that was just the direct great-grandchildren!

Those that the granddaughters-in-law were still carrying, those waiting in line to be born... After the great-grandchildren grew up...

The future was simply limitless!

Every time he saw the 【System Rank】 jump a decimal point, he was overjoyed!

Just looking at this soaring population base and the improvement in the System Rank gave him an explosive sense of security!

This was the true foundation that would remain unshaken for billions of generations!

What Star Arm Level, what Galaxy Level—in the face of an exponentially growing population, they were all just passing clouds!

As long as you give my Chen Family enough time to have kids, sooner or later, the entire Universe will become my Chen Family's private plot!

The more he looked at Chen Zhaojing, the more satisfied he was. This was the Chen Family's number one contributor!

The Pillar of Leaders sowing machine, the sea-spanning childcare official!

"Came to see you, my good grandson!" Chen Jun patted Chen Zhaojing's solid shoulder happily, feeling the surging vitality, and inwardly praised.

Su Yuan's nutrient solution and training regimen were indeed effective!

This physique could still fight for another five hundred years, right?!

"Grandfather, I'm fine! I'm doing great!" Chen Zhaojing patted his chest with a thud, trying to ignore the faint soreness in his lower back.

"For the Family, for the Federation, grandson is duty-bound!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Chen Jun said "good" three times, his face crinkling into a smile like a chrysanthemum.

He looked at his grandson's eyes, which were spirited but couldn't hide a trace of fatigue, and a trace of... pity rose in his heart.

After all, this was his own grandson he had raised; using him to death like this, was it a bit... inhumane?

"Zhao Jing," Chen Jun said in a gentle, consultative tone.

"I see you've really been working hard these past few years. How about... we stop for a bit? Slow down? Give you a vacation, rest for a year or a half?"

He had expected his grandson to be moved to tears and agree...

After all, he asked himself, if he were in his grandson's position, he would have probably quit long ago.

However—

Chen Zhaojing was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and then his face revealed an excited expression as if he had been insulted!

"Grandfather! What are you saying?!" His voice suddenly rose, carrying a near-devout fanaticism!

"Stop for a bit? Slow down? How can that be?!"

"The spreading of the Family's branches and leaves, the revitalization of the Federation's population, are at the most critical historical period! It is like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat!"

"As the eldest grandson, shouldering such a major mission, how can I slack off because of temporary fatigue?!"

"Look at the Federation's territories crying out for development! Look at those colonial stars waiting to be developed! They are all calling for more people! More of our Chen Family's Bloodline!"

"My body flows with your blood, inheriting your will! What is this little bit of hardship?!"

"Let alone a year or a half, even one day, one hour, cannot be stopped!"

"Grandson requests Grandfather to retract the order! Grandson can still fight! Grandson wants to fight to the very last moment! For the glory of the Family!!!!!"

Chen Zhaojing spoke passionately, spitting flying, the fire in his eyes burning hotter than a star!

It was as if Chen Jun asking him to rest was killing his ideals and hindering the progress of civilization!

Chen Jun: "..."

He stared at his grandson, dumbfounded, at a loss for words for a moment.

Good heavens!

My grandson... has he been fooled... er, educated a bit too much?

This ideological awareness, this spirit of dedication!!!

His original "pity" was instantly replaced by immense gratification and the thought, "This kid was really worth raising!"

"Good! Good grandson!" Chen Jun patted his grandson's shoulder hard again, his voice trembling with excitement.

"Worthy of being the seed of my Chen Family! Responsible! Bold! Grandfather is proud of you!"

It seems those "ideological consolidation classes" and "Family value immersion" were highly effective!

Chen Jun couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Just at this moment of grandfatherly kindness and filial piety, a touching moment—

"Waaah—!!! Grandfather! Your Highness! It's bad—!!!"

A cry with a heavy accent, wailing and howling, suddenly came from outside the hall!

Immediately after, a figure rushed in like a whirlwind, and with a "thump," knelt down in front of Chen Jun and Chen Zhaojing!

It was Cui Hua!

Today's Cui Hua was more plump and robust than a few years ago, her whole body exuding the charm of a mature woman and... a unique scent of nursing babies mixed with soil.

At this moment, however, her hair was disheveled, snot and tears hanging on her face, crying so heartbreakingly, as if the sky had collapsed!

"Cui Hua?! What's wrong with you?!" Chen Zhaojing was startled and quickly stepped forward to help her up.

"Get up and speak! Did Yuanyue cause some big trouble again? Did he roast some younger sister's star pet? Or did he plant some younger brother in a flower pot again?"

For his eldest son, Chen Yuanyue, who had excessive energy and astonishing destructive power, Chen Zhaojing was already used to all kinds of "surprises."

"No... not Yuanyue! It's... it's my dad and my mom! It's my hometown! That agricultural planet!"

Cui Hua was crying until she was out of breath, clutching Chen Zhaojing's arm tightly, as if clutching a life-saving straw.

"I just received a distress signal from my hometown! It says... says there's a group of damnable Blood Blade Pirate branch, heading towards our planet! They're about to arrive!"

"Wuwuwu... Those damn Star Pirates! Everywhere they go, they loot everything! Burn everything! Kill everything! My dad, my mom, and my twenty-seven younger brothers and sisters are all on that planet! If anything happens to them, I... how am I supposed to live?!!"

Cui Hua wailed loudly, her voice shaking the palace hall.

Chen Zhaojing's expression changed.

Blood Blade Pirate Group?

Although he hadn't stepped out of Bai Xi Palace in recent years, focusing entirely on "production," he was not ignorant of the outside situation.

Chu Yueyao's daily briefings often mentioned this pirate force, which was like a maggot in the bone, repeatedly harassing the northern border of the Federation.

But he never expected that these guys would dare to target the Family of Chen Zhaojing's wife!

Moving against my Family's in-laws, isn't that slapping my grandfather, Ancestor Chen, in the face?!

He was instantly consumed by rage!

A long-lost, frigid Aura belonging to a War God Peak powerhouse involuntarily erupted from him!

Although this Aura was mainly used for... well, used to assist with production, it was quite imposing when unleashed in anger!

"Outrageous!" Chen Zhaojing's sword-like eyebrows stood up. "How dare mere Star Pirates bully my Family as if there is no one here?!"

He turned, faced Chen Jun, knelt on one knee, and clasped his fists to request an order. The movement was fluid and smooth, carrying a tragic sense of determination!

"Grandfather! Your grandson requests to go to battle! I will lead the troops personally, rush to the agricultural planet, exterminate the Star Pirates, rescue Cui Hua's Family, and spread the prestige of our Family!"

A strange excitement rose in his heart—he could finally escape this suffocating production line for a while and go to a real battlefield to stretch his muscles!

However—

"Nonsense!"

Chen Jun shouted, like a thunderclap, directly blasting Chen Zhaojing's request back.

His face was so gloomy that water could drip from it!

Not because of the rampant Star Pirates, but because of his grandson's "neglect of proper duties"!

"What is your status?! You are the eldest grandson of our Chen Family! The future hope of the Federation! Where is your battlefield? It is in Bai Xi Palace! At the side of your wives! At the side of your children!"

Chen Jun pointed at Chen Zhaojing, heartbroken:

"Running off to risk your life against a bunch of low-life Star Pirates? If you get hurt or injured, damaging your foundation and affecting the future 'production plan,' who will take responsibility?! This loss is something the entire Federation cannot afford!"

"Exterminating Star Pirates is naturally a job for professionals! Your task is to stay safely in the palace and continue to contribute to the prosperity of the Family! This is the greatest filial piety! The greatest loyalty!"

Chen Zhaojing was scolded severely and wilted, whispering, "Grandson... Grandson knows he was wrong."

Cui Hua was even more desperate listening from the side, her crying growing louder: "Wuwuwu... My dad and mom..."

Chen Jun looked at Cui Hua, who was crying like a tear-stained person, and then at his aggrieved grandson. The nameless fire in his heart flared up even higher!

What a Blood Blade Pirate Group!

I wanted to close my doors and farm properly, too lazy to bother with you flies!

You, on the other hand, not only buzz at my doorstep but also dare to poop on the heads of my in-laws?!

Do you really think my Chen Family is easy to bully?!

You can slap my face, but delaying my grandson from having children is an irreconcilable blood feud!

He took a deep breath, as if to compress the rage in his chest into substance!

Then, he suddenly looked up at the empty dome of the great hall and let out an angry roar:

"Li! Qing! Shan—!!!"

The voice was like rolling thunder, piercing through the heavy barriers of Bai Xi Palace, and ringing in the ears of a certain Sword Venerable who was chugging from a wine gourd on the side!

Almost the next second after Chen Jun's voice fell—

"Chi la—!!!"

The space above Bai Xi Palace, like fragile fabric, was torn open by an invisible yet incomparably sharp Sword Qi!

Immediately after, a cyan figure, like the Milky Way pouring down from the Nine Heavens, carrying a sky-high smell of alcohol and an even more sky-high, frigid Sword Intent, descended with a boom!

"Weng—!!!"

The figure solidified, and it was none other than the Sword Venerable of the Nine Heavens—Li Qingshan!

"Ancestor Chen!" Li Qingshan's voice carried irrepressible excitement and... a hint of childish joy, as if he had finally waited for candy. "Subordinate is here! Please give your orders!"

Heaven knows how he spent these five years!

Watching Shi Yue build infrastructure flourishingly, watching Mo Heng make rapid progress in scientific research, watching Chu Yueyao manage administration in an orderly manner...

Only him! He, Li Qingshan! The Federation's strongest sword! Was almost rusting!

Every day he was either helping to refine wine or sharpening the children's toys...

He could only drown his sorrows in alcohol...

He was a sword!

A sword that should shatter stars and drink the blood of enemies!

Finally! He finally waited for the chance to strike!

He was unshaven, and there were even some wine stains on his robes...

But those eyes were terrifyingly bright at this moment, like two condensed stars. Wherever his gaze landed, space warped faintly!

He had a large, vermilion wine gourd hanging at his waist, emitting a rich aroma of alcohol, but there was no sword in his hand.

Because he himself was the sharpest sword in this world!

"Ancestor Chen!"

Li Qingshan casually cupped his hands at Chen Jun as a salute.

His gaze swept over the crying Cui Hua and the aggrieved-looking Chen Zhaojing, and he instantly understood what was going on.

He hooked the corner of his mouth into a wild and uninhibited smile, revealing a mouthful of white teeth:

"Is it those blind, long-haired Star Pirates who offended our Family?"

"You rest, have a cup of tea, and calm your nerves."

"Leave this small matter to Li!"

He patted the wine gourd at his waist, his tone as relaxed as if he were going to the backyard to chop a cabbage.

"It just so happens that Li's newly brewed 'Starry Drunkenness' is still missing a few ingredients of 'Evil Qi of the Star Core' as a primer. These Star Pirates have come at just the right time!"

Seeing Li Qingshan so reliable, Chen Jun's expression eased slightly. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Qingshan, go quickly and return quickly! Ensure the safety of the agricultural planet, especially Cui Hua's Family; not a single hair can be lost! As for those Star Pirates..."

A cold light flashed in his eyes, and he made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Understood!" Li Qingshan grinned, revealing an "I understand" expression. "I guarantee to scatter them so thoroughly that not even their quantum entangled state will remain!"

He turned, took a step, and his figure was already in the void outside the palace.

He did not immediately use superluminal travel but hovered under the starry sky, overlooking the massive Pillar of Leaders below and the boundless sea of stars in the distance.

An indescribable heroism, mixed with the smell of alcohol, poetic spirit, and sky-high Sword Intent, surged in his chest!

He suddenly pulled out the wine gourd at his waist, uncorked it, and tilted his head back to chug several large mouthfuls!

"Ha—!!!"

The strong liquor entered his throat, turning into a raging flame, igniting his poetic spirit and Sword Heart!

He casually tossed the wine gourd into the air. The gourd spun around, scattering thousands of wine-scented stars.

Li Qingshan pressed his fingers together like a sword, pointing into the depths of the starry sea, in the direction where the Blood Blade Pirates were attacking, and chanted loudly, his voice shaking the Nine Heavens:

"One sword's light chills nineteen domains, a rain of blood in the star sea for ten thousand years!"

As the first line was spoken, thousands of Sword Qi erupted from his body, turning into cyan dragons that circled his body, their roars clear and resonant!

"With a flick of a finger, ten thousand warships collapse and perish, an angry shout makes a billion demons kneel before me!"

As the second line was chanted, drunkenness and killing intent intertwined in his eyes. His Aura soared suddenly, like an unsheathed peerless divine weapon. The sharp edge was exposed, and the mere escaping Sword Intent caused the surrounding space to emit an unbearable humming sound!

"Treading on the galaxy as if on flat ground, crushing the sun and moon with my hands to trade for wine money!"

With the third line, he seemed to stir the power of the stars in the heavens. A phantom of the boundless star sea appeared behind him, with the sun and moon shining together, flickering with his poetic lines. The majestic pressure caused the protective light shield of the Bai Xi Palace below to ripple!

"Departing to crush the star pirate bandits, wherever the Green Shirt goes, he is a Sword Immortal!!!"

He practically roared the last line!

The moment the word "Immortal" fell!

"Qiang—!!!"

A sword cry resonated throughout the Universe!

It did not come from anywhere else; it came from Li Qingshan himself!

His entire person transformed into a cyan sword light traversing the starry sky!

Pure! Condensed! Domineering!

Carrying the supreme will to slay stars and slaughter gods and demons!

The sword light paused slightly, as if paying tribute to Chen Jun, and then—

"Boom—!!!"

Space shattered like a mirror!

That cyan sword light had already torn through the void and, at a speed beyond Mortal understanding, shot towards the direction of the agricultural planet!

Leaving only those four lines of poetry, like a brand, echoing above the starry sky of the Pillar of Leaders, lingering for a long time!

The sky-high heroism, frigid killing intent, and the wildness of treating thousands of Star Pirates as nothing in the poem made everyone who heard it sway in their hearts, their blood boiling!

Chen Zhaojing watched in a daze, yearning in his heart!

This is the demeanor of a powerhouse!

This is what it means to be free and unfettered in revenge!

Comparing it to his own "stay-at-home dad" life, revolving around his wives and children every day...

He suddenly felt that the "Origin Consolidation Drink" in his hand was even more bitter...

Cui Hua also forgot to cry, her mouth wide open, watching the disappearing sword light, her eyes filled with hope.

Chen Jun nodded with satisfaction, stroking his non-existent beard.

"Hmm, that old guy Qingshan writes good poetry and handles things efficiently."

He turned around, glanced at his grandson, who was still "doubting life," and his face stiffened:

"What are you still standing there for?!"

"Sword Venerable Li going to suppress bandits is his job! What about your job?!"

"Why don't you go back quickly and continue to finish today's 'Schedule Plan'?!"

"There are still seventeen wives who are not pregnant! The task is arduous, and time is tight! There is no room for any slack!"

Chen Zhaojing trembled all over, instantly pulled back from his yearning for the life of a powerhouse into the cruel reality.

"Yes... Grandfather! Grandson is going now!"

He hung his head and responded listlessly, like a toy being wound up. He turned around and walked with heavy steps toward his battlefield, which was full of "sweet burdens"...

His back was desolate, yet it carried a strange... sense of mission?

Chen Jun watched his grandson leave and then looked at the starry sky where Li Qingshan had disappeared.

He sat back in his lounge chair with satisfaction, picked up a cup of refreshing tea, and took a blissful sip...