At this moment, Chu Wu was preparing to go fetch provisions with Jun Wu Xiao. He said to the soldiers:
"Put down your weapons. There's no point in fighting this battle, so let's not fight anymore."
Hearing this, everyone also lowered their weapons. In truth, they did not want to fight with Jun Wu Xiao. This annoying opponent was someone they did not wish to face again.
A while later, Jun Wu Xiao was led to the army's provision storage. Looking at the large pile of provisions in front of him, he laughed and said:
"Ha ha ha. Thank you. Now, you can be my friend."
Chu Wu's mouth twitched slightly upon hearing this, they had just finished fighting, and now he was asking to be friends. He asked:
"Why should I become friends with you?"
"It's not easy to be my friend, you know. Even kids who wanted to play with me in the past couldn't. Moreover, fighting with you guys was quite fun. Don't you think so?" Jun Wu Xiao said.
There was nothing wrong with what he said because he had lived like an ordinary person until he was eleven years old. So, children were indeed the most recent people who wanted to be friends with him.
Unable to hold back, Chu Wu responded:
"Fun? Your idea of fun is absurd. Now you're comparing me to children. Do you realize because of you, our plan to attack the capital city was delayed?"
The soldiers rarely saw their general lose his composure and swear, but they could empathize because they would have lost it too in their place.
Soldiers rarely saw their general lose his temper and curse, but they could sympathize because they would also lose their temper if they were placed in the current general's situation.
Jun Wu Xiao casually replied:
"That's simple. I'll just help you capture the emperor of this kingdom, right?"
Chu Wu was quite surprised by this response, but he thought it could actually work. If so, he wouldn't need to waste the army's efforts fighting anymore.
He immediately clapped Jun Wu Xiao on the shoulder as if they were best friends and said:
"You truly are the best friend one could have."
Now, it was Jun Wu Xiao's turn to twitch his mouth, as he found Chu Wu's quick change of attitude astonishingly fast. But he didn't dislike it, on the contrary, he found it quite amusing.
"Good. But I don't yet know your name. My name is Jun Wu Xiao." Jun Wu Xiao introduced himself.
"My name is Chu Wu." Chu Wu replied.
Afterward, Jun Wu Xiao patted Chu Wu on the shoulder and said:
"You're quite interesting to me. More interesting than those children."
Chu Wu was on the verge of exploding, the foolish friend he had just made kept comparing him to children. He was a general, after all, didn't his dignity matter?
"Damn it, can you not compare me to children? I am already fifty years old, while your young brat looks barely twenty." Chu Wu angrily said.
Jun Wu Xiao laughed upon hearing this and replied:
"Ha ha ha, you truly have an eye for people. My handsome appearance does make me look about twenty. But who would know that I am actually thirty-seven years old?"
Initially, Chu Wu was astonished, but upon further thought, he realized it made sense. He acknowledged that one could not apply the standards of ordinary people to Jun Wu Xiao.
Suddenly thinking about their age difference, Chu Wu smirked and said, "Then you are still younger than me. Hurry up and call me 'big brother'."
Jun Wu Xiao's face darkened upon hearing this. He considered Chu Wu a friend, yet Chu Wu wanted to be his elder brother. Without another word, he immediately knocked on Chu Wu's head.
Chu Wu also felt pain and held his head, he said:
"Damn it, haven't you knocked on enough heads already?"
"Exactly, it's still not enough. I want to knock on your head a few thousand more times, okay?" Jun Wu Xiao looked at Chu Wu 'affectionately' and laughed.
At this point, Chu Wu felt a chill down his spine, fearing he'd be knocked unconscious all year round. He hastily said:
"No, no, no. I don't need to be your big brother. Friends should treat each other equally, how can we hurt our harmony over matters of seniority?"
Seeing Chu Wu concede, Jun Wu Xiao laughed and said:
"Ha ha ha. Exactly, friends are supposed to be equal to each other, regardless of age."
After joking around for a while, Jun Wu Xiao got down to business:
"How long will it take us now to reach the capital city?"
Hearing him change the topic, Chu Wu understood he was no longer jesting. Therefore, Chu Wu seriously replied:
"Perhaps about a week."
"That's not too long, then. It won't affect my cultivation too much." Jun Wu Xiao said.
Hearing Jun Wu Xiao mention cultivation, Chu Wu curiously asked:
"Jun Wu Xiao, what exactly do you do when you say 'cultivate'? Can you tell me?"
Jun Wu Xiao nodded, as it was not a big secret to him:
"Cultivation is just practicing regular exercises, quite similar to what your army does. However, I spent all day from dawn to dusk cultivating continuously for fifteen years before I could make a breakthrough."
Initially, Chu Wu felt Jun Wu Xiao was lying. But as he listened further, he understood. Ordinary people wouldn't go to such mad, dedicating their lives solely to practice.
"What benefits does a breakthrough bring?" Chu Wu asked.
"Your strength would reach about a thousand kg, your speed would triple, and furthermore, you would gain an additional fifty years of lifespan." Jun Wu Xiao explained.
Chu Wu's eyes widened in astonishment. He couldn't imagine that there truly was a way to extend one's lifespan. And that method wasn't anything outlandish, yet it required an extraordinary will and resolve, or plainly put, something only abnormal individuals would undertake.
"I think I should also practice. But I can probably only manage about four hours a day. I have a lot more to do, unlike you." Chu Wu said.
Jun Wu Xiao found this very strange. If the matter Chu Wu spoke of was about being a general, couldn't he just quit his job?
"What are you busy with? Can't you quit that job?" Jun Wu Xiao asked.
Chu Wu smiled and shook his head, then explained:
"It's not about that. Resigning from being a general is easy, but what I want to do is unify this world, to help the common people so they won't have to face war ever again."
Jun Wu Xiao understood then, this sounded more like Chu Wu's life's ambition rather than a job. And one's life's ambition isn't something easily abandoned, to do so would be akin to being dead.
"So, that's how it is. Do what you like. But if you really can cultivate for four hours a day, you still have hope for a breakthrough in the future." Jun Wu Xiao said.
Chu Wu felt encouraged by these words. Having hope was enough. He knew his task would be arduous, and human life too short, so he wasn't sure he could accomplish it. But if he could live an additional fifty years, perhaps he might.
"Ha ha, then I must strive hard." Chu Wu said.
"Ah, do you drink alcohol?" he continued.
Jun Wu Xiao asked in return:
"Does it harm health?"
"Yes." Chu Wu nodded.
"Then, if you want to die before making a breakthrough, go ahead and drink. Don't drag me into dying with you." Jun Wu Xiao immediately refused upon hearing it was harmful.
Chu Wu was startled by this response, realizing he hadn't considered this aspect. Although he occasionally drank alcohol, at this moment, in his eyes, alcohol had become poison, something to be strictly avoided.