The Reversal of Heaven Begins with The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

The courtyard was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The guards were pressed to the ground by an invisible force, making it difficult for them to even lift their heads, so how could they dare to make a sound?

At such times, whether you agree or disagree, you could face certain death.

Silence is the best option; at least it can save your life for the time being.

Lin Mu waited a few moments, and seeing no one respond, he spoke calmly: "Since no one objects, then this matter is settled. Zhang Xianzong will be the new commander of Wen County."

He shifted his gaze slightly to Zhang Xianzong: "What are you still standing there for? Waiting for them to bow to you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzong immediately felt the mountain-like pressure recede like a receding tide.

He took a deep breath, forced his weak legs to stand up, straightened his disheveled military uniform, and tried his best to adopt a dignified posture.

The guards immediately felt a lightness in their bodies, exchanged bewildered glances, and finally, led by a few quick-witted ones, they all bowed and clasped their hands in greeting to Zhang Xianzong, shouting in unison:

"Greetings...Greetings, Commander Zhang!"

"Congratulations to Commander Zhang on his rise to power!"

The sounds were chaotic, filled with fear and uncertainty.

In this era, warlordism was rampant, and it was common for the ruling class to change hands frequently. It was also common for subordinates to kill their superiors and establish themselves as kings.

There are countless so-called "warlords," and they don't need any formalities; all they need is a strong fist and plenty of guns.

[Ding! Side Quest: 'Advanced' Completed. Reward: 1000 AK rifles with 10 full magazines!]

【Do you want to receive it? 】

Lin Mu silently recited "receive" in his mind.

Suddenly, a large number of rugged-looking automatic rifles with a cold metallic sheen and full magazines appeared in the system space.

These weapons are of little significance to him personally, but when used to arm a team, they are a powerful force capable of changing the landscape of a region.

Having decided to establish a foothold in this world, cultivating one's own power is inevitable; one cannot do everything personally.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless and Zhang Xianzong had actually replaced him in the blink of an eye, Gu Xuanwu felt both hatred and fear.

Seeing that pleading with Lin Mu was useless, he turned to Zhang Xianzong, who had just gained power, trying to grasp at the last straw: "Xianzong! Please help me plead with the hero! We are brothers who have sworn brotherhood. I brought you out of the village and promoted you all the way. You can't just stand by and watch me die!"

Zhang Xianzong had just tasted the wonderful feeling of having great power and was feeling smug when he heard Gu Xuanwu's plea. He slowly turned around, looked down at his former superior kneeling in disarray, and a hint of undisguised sarcasm and coldness curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Brothers?"

Zhang Xianzong's voice was filled with resentment that had been suppressed for many years. He gritted his teeth and said, "Over the years, I have advised you, charged into battle for you, managed military affairs for you, and secured the rear! If Wenxian could be captured, I, Zhang Xianzong, would have deserve credit for my hard work, even if I didn't make any great contributions!"

Zhang Xianzong's tone grew increasingly agitated, his pent-up resentment bursting forth: "But what about you? When you're happy, you boss me around, and when you're unhappy, you beat and scold me. In your eyes, I'm nothing more than a more useful dog!"

"Those leftovers you look down on, those women you've grown tired of and disgusted with, you just toss them at me like beggars! And you call it a reward!"

Zhang Xianzong's face twisted slightly with anger: "Why? You, Gu Xuanwu, are nothing but a lucky peasant, utterly vulgar!"

"In what way am I, Zhang Xianzong, inferior to you?"

"In terms of knowledge, strategy, and military command, in what way am I inferior to you?"

"Just because you were born a few years earlier, you were lucky enough to build up a team?"

"Let me tell you, Gu Xuanwu, I've been putting up with you for far too long!"

"Today, sir, you have recognized my talent and given me this opportunity; it is truly the will of Heaven!"

Only now did Gu Xuanwu truly understand that Zhang Xianzong had long harbored such deep resentment and rebellious intentions.

Knowing that begging for mercy was hopeless, despair and anger instantly overwhelmed his fear. He suddenly straightened his neck and cursed, "Zhang Xianzong, you ungrateful wretch, worse than a pig or a dog! I trusted you so much back then and treated you like a brother!"

"You harbored such a vicious heart all along! How could you do this to me? You deserve a terrible death, you passionate horse..."

"The victor is king, the loser is villain; you taught me all of that."

Zhang Xianzong coldly interrupted his curses, slowly drew his pistol, cocked it with a click, pointed the muzzle at Gu Xuanwu's forehead, and said in a chilling tone: "Your era is over. Rest in peace."

"boom!"

Gunshots rang out, and bullets whistled out of the barrel.

However, the anticipated scene of brains splattering did not occur.

The bright yellow bullet mysteriously hovered about an inch in front of Gu Xuanwu's brow, as if it had hit an invisible wall and could not advance any further.

Gu Xuanwu was so frightened that he suddenly opened his eyes. He stared at the bullet that was so close to him, spinning but unable to move forward. His pupils dilated, and his whole body was instantly soaked in cold sweat. He opened his mouth wide but could not make a sound.

Zhang Xianzong was completely stunned. Holding his gun, the smug expression on his face froze, turning into astonishment and confusion.

He subconsciously looked at Lin Mu; among those present, only this person possessed such unfathomable abilities.

"Sir, what...what do you mean by this?"

Zhang Xianzong's voice trembled slightly, a strong sense of unease rising within him.

Lin Mu, with an indifferent expression, glanced at Gu Xuanwu, who had narrowly escaped death and was still in shock, and slowly said, "Gu Xuanwu may be rude and domineering, and not a good person, but judging from his actions, he is indeed quite sincere to the 'brothers' he acknowledges."

"What he gave you against your will may be what he considers the best."

“If you don’t like it, you can say so directly or refuse politely, instead of accepting it on the surface but harboring resentment in your heart and regarding it as a great disgrace.”

His gaze shifted back to Zhang Xianzong, becoming sharp: "Such a temperament, so patient and sinister, with deep-seated resentment and malice."

"If I can offer you a high position today, but someone even stronger offers you more in the future, will you not hesitate to turn against me?"

"I've thought about it, and it's really hard to feel at ease using someone like you who can't be tamed."

"In comparison, Gu Xuanwu is more reassuring as a subordinate."

[Ding! Side quest: 'Find the traitor' has been completed. Reward: 100,000 tons of rice!]

【Do you want to receive it? 】

Lin Mu's heart stirred slightly; this reward was indeed quite substantial.

One hundred thousand tons of rice was a strategic resource in this turbulent and famine-stricken era. It was enough to feed tens of thousands of troops for many years or save countless disaster victims. Its value far exceeded that of gold.

This performance was worthwhile.

Upon hearing Lin Mu's words, Zhang Xianzong's face drained of color instantly. He finally realized that he had been manipulated by the other party from beginning to end.

The so-called appreciation and promotion were nothing but a deception to test his character!

Overwhelmed by immense humiliation and fear, he nearly lost his mind.

"You...you're playing me?!"

Zhang Xianzong cried out in disbelief.

Lin Mu's lips curled into a mocking smile: "So what if I played you? What use is there in keeping someone like you, who is two-faced and ungrateful?"

Before he finished speaking, he casually waved his hand.

The bullet, which was hovering in the air, suddenly shot back.

"Pfft!"

There was a slight muffled sound.

The anger and fear on Zhang Xianzong's face froze instantly, and a small blood hole appeared between his eyebrows, from which a trickle of blood slowly seeped out.

His eyes were wide open, as if he could not believe until his death that he had just touched the edge of power and so easily fallen into the abyss of death.

His body swayed, then he fell straight backward, crashing heavily to the ground and raising a few specks of dust.

Gu Xuanwu stared blankly at Zhang Xianzong's corpse, his feelings extremely complicated.

Having just escaped death, the immense fear and lingering dread had not yet subsided when he witnessed Zhang Xianzong's murder. This dramatic turn of events left his mind almost blank.

Lin Mu's gaze fell back on the still-shaken Gu Xuanwu: "Now, I'm in charge of Wen County. Gu Xuanwu, you'll stay by my side as my adjutant for now, to atone for your crimes. Any objections?"

Gu Xuanwu snapped back to reality.

How could they dare to utter even the slightest opinion?

The man before you is a living Yama who can take lives out of thin air and is unpredictable in his moods!

It's a miracle that I survived.

He scrambled to his feet, ignoring his disheveled state, and bowed and scraped before Lin Mu, his tone extremely respectful: "No objection, absolutely no objection, thank you for sparing my life, sir!"

"From this day forward, my life belongs to you, sir. Being able to work under you is a blessing I have earned for eight lifetimes!"

Having witnessed Lin Mu's godlike power and his ability to manipulate events at will, Gu Xuanwu (Qian Wang Zhao)'s resentment and bitterness had long since vanished, replaced by a strange sense of awe and anticipation.

During this period, it was not easy for warlords to survive. If they were not careful, they could be swallowed up by other warlords, or betrayed and assassinated by their subordinates, and die a muddled death.

Gu Xuanwu clearly understood the importance of following a capable person and living longer.

Lin Mu was fairly satisfied with Gu Xuanwu's attitude and casually patted his shoulder: "You don't need to feel wronged. Zhang Xianzong has been harboring evil intentions for a long time. Even without me today, you will surely suffer his backlash one day."

"I've rid you of this affliction, saving you from a future death without a proper burial. Say thank you."

"Thank you! Sir, your keen insight saved my life. I am deeply grateful!"

Gu Xuanwu quickly agreed, but then broke out in a cold sweat. Upon reflection, he realized that Zhang Xianzong's behavior in recent years had indeed been somewhat abnormal, but he had never thought much of it since he considered him a brother.

Looking back now, I can't help but feel a chill.

Lin Mu really did save his life.

Yue Qiluo, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, covered her mouth and yawned slightly out of boredom.

In her view, it was utterly boring for ordinary people to fight to the death for power, to stage dramas of betrayal and loyalty.

It would be more interesting to study her magical techniques.

Lin Mu noticed Yue Qiluo's impatience and said no more. He then said to Gu Xuanwu, "Clean up and gather your officers. I have something to tell you."

"Yes, sir!"

Gu Xuanwu responded loudly, then immediately turned around and roared at the still terrified guards, "Are you all deaf? Didn't you hear the master's orders? Clean this place up right now!"

"You, quickly go and inform the other brothers to assemble outside the commander's mansion immediately!"

"Anyone who dares to be late, I'll shoot them!"

The guards, as if granted a pardon, immediately sprang into action, some clearing away the bodies, others running out to relay orders, their movements swifter than ever before.

Chapter 105: Firing the Gun

Gu Xuanwu was very efficient; the open space in front of the Marshal's Mansion was soon filled with soldiers from Wen County.

Looking around, there was a dense crowd of people, but upon closer inspection, there were only about eight hundred people, not even enough to form two battalions.

These soldiers wore tattered uniforms, some even incomplete, revealing patched clothes underneath.

They stood loosely, the line was crooked, and their faces were filled with fear and confusion.

Lin Mu stood on the steps, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group of soldiers.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "With such a small force, they can only act as local tyrants in a small place like Wen County."

However, Lin Mu quickly perked up: Eight hundred it is! How many battles in history have been won by the few? Li Er seized the world with eight hundred men in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Zhu Laosi ascended the throne with eight hundred men in the Fengtian Campaign, and I, Lin Mu, with eight hundred men, can also create a bright and clear world!

The soldiers whispered amongst themselves.

Many of them were not even holding guns, but rather broadswords and spears.

They discussed the gunshots that had just come from inside the mansion, speculating about the reason for the sudden gathering.

Several officers standing in the front row were equally uneasy, most of them having already heard about the upheaval in the Marshal's Mansion.

Zhang Xianzong died, and Commander Gu became his adjutant. The one who orchestrated all of this was an unknown young man.

Lin Mu stood tall and straight at the top of the steps, while Yue Qiluo stood quietly to his side, slightly behind him.

She wore an elegant blue dress that accentuated her snow-white skin. Her bright eyes curiously surveyed the crowd below, and a faint smile played on her lips.

Gu Xuanwu stood upright on the other side of Lin Mu, trying his best to maintain his usual dignity.

But the occasional glances he cast at Lin Mu revealed an undisguised awe.

He shuddered at the memory of what he had just witnessed inside the mansion.

This young man is no ordinary person; he may truly be able to make a name for himself in this chaotic world.

"Quiet."