Since Jun Moxie had learned so much, how could he possibly not know his own mother's name? Seeing the evident excitement, the kind expressions, and the raw affection shining in the eyes of these three men—as if they were gazing upon their closest kin—how could Jun Moxie fail to notice?

But what occupied Jun Moxie's mind was: Could this be too much of a coincidence?

He had just spoken his name, and immediately, he had three uncles?

Jun Moxie offered a wry smile, feeling utterly flustered for the first time in his life, and stammered, "I, well, hehe, my Third Uncle is right behind us. Yes, yes. He should be arriving any moment now, so..." He paused, glancing around. "...perhaps we should wait for him?"

"Why is he behind?" Dongfang Wenjian furrowed his brow, clearly displeased. "Why isn't he at the front?"

"Third Uncle is the Commander; naturally, he must advance with the main army. I am the vanguard," Jun the Vanguard stated, adding, "I go forth to carve paths through mountains and build bridges over rivers."

Having finished this sentence, he immediately began to sweat. Even Guan Qinghan and Dugu Xiaoku beside him couldn't help but let out suppressed chuckles. When on earth on this journey had this boy actually fulfilled the duties of a vanguard? To speak of carving paths through mountains and building bridges over rivers was simply absurd...

He had carved a path through a mountain, perhaps, but at most, it was wide enough for a single carriage. As for building bridges over water, that was pure nonsense...

"What? Jun Wuyi, that scoundrel! How dare he make my nephew his vanguard! What if something happens to him? Has he forgotten everything from back then?" Dongfang Wenqing was furious. "He has only this one son of my sister, and he still dares use him as a general! Truly outrageous! Outrageous to the extreme!"

Dongfang Wenjian and Dongfang Wendao also looked utterly enraged, rolling up their sleeves as if ready to give Jun Wuyi a piece of their mind.

The onlookers were speechless; what in the world was going on here? These three unacknowledged uncles were perhaps a little too fiercely protective, weren't they...

"Uh..." Moxie stammered, "that... that rumor about the Third Young Master of the Jun family being utterly dissolute, bullying men and women, acting like a tyrant, a complete ruffian... a**h*le... surely that isn't you, is it? Perhaps you have a cousin with a similar name?" Dongfang Wenqing was struggling for words, even formulating a theory that he himself couldn't quite believe.

Jun Moxie, Dugu Xiaoyi, and Guan Qinghan—along with the four guards standing near him—were all slack-jawed, dark lines appearing across their foreheads.

"Oh dear, big brother, that's a ridiculous question," Dongfang Wenjian expressed strong dissatisfaction with his elder brother's inquiry. "Look at our fine nephew! So handsome and tall, so young, possessing peerless skills that shock the world. Even the Third Brother suffered a crushing defeat at his hands... Does he look like some good-for-nothing wastrel who just eats and waits to die?"

"What do you mean, 'suffered a crushing defeat'?" Dongfang Wendao argued, highly offended. "I was merely teasing him because he is young and our nephew. With my skill, do you really think I could lose to a little brat like him?"

"Pah! Don't you blush even saying that? Did you even know he was our nephew before this? Stop bragging!" Dongfang Wenjian scoffed. "You lacked skill, and now you're finding objective excuses. Besides, losing to your own nephew isn't shameful. Why are you droning on and on? You lack any semblance of elder composure."

He paused. "Just like big brother, this excellent nephew has to go looking for trouble himself. I've never seen an uncle slap such a label onto his own nephew."

"I was merely asking," Dongfang Wenqing stated with authority. "You two, calm down immediately. Both of you, shut your mouths."

Jun Moxie wore an expression of deep embarrassment.

In all his two lifetimes, he had rarely felt such awkwardness. Misinterpreting intentions and showing the wrong reaction was one thing, but actually stabbing his own maternal uncle and then shamelessly boasting about his name—it turned out his name truly echoed far and wide, though it was for infamy. The Bright Moon in the Sky he certainly wasn't; it would be a blessing if he didn't end up infamous for ten thousand generations.

Dugu Xiaoyi burst into peals of laughter, clutching her stomach and shaking violently, occasionally winking mischievously at Jun Moxie, which only made her laugh harder.

Wang Dong and the other three turned their faces away, terrified that Jun Moxie would see their faces contorted from suppressing their laughter, emitting strange, choked sounds.

Even the usually most steady Guan Qinghan struggled to contain her mirth; the frostiness on her face showed faint signs of thawing. As the Jun family's daughter-in-law, she had some knowledge of her mother-in-law's family. She knew that while their name might not be widely known in the mundane world, they possessed extraordinary power. Seeing them today confirmed it: any one of these three Martial Uncles possessed the astonishing strength of the Divine Profound Realm!

While amazed, Guan Qinghan felt the deep-seated worry in her heart ease considerably. Heading toward Tiannan meant facing the Blood Soul Manor. Given Jun Wuyi's stubbornness and Jun Moxie's fiery temper, conflict was easy to provoke. Having such supreme masters accompanying them provided immense reassurance!

Jun Moxie stared, scratched his head, then dropped his hand, spread his palms, shrugged, and looked utterly innocent: "In Tianxiang City... there is indeed no other Jun Moxie. In the Jun family's third generation, besides me, there are no other male descendants... But are you certain the rumor refers to me?"

"Could it really be you!?" Dongfang Wenqing and the other two stared in astonishment. "...That rumored, utterly wicked, prodigal wastrel." "Damn it!" Jun Moxie's face darkened with fury. "Who is destroying my reputation like this? Am I that kind of person? This is utterly ridiculous, the height of absurdity! I am young, successful, charitable, handsome, and elegant. In Tianxiang City, I am revered for my virtue, truly possessing the spirit of chivalry and a steadfast heart. I am known by everyone, praised by all, who doesn't—"

Dugu Xiaoyi let out a gasp—"Ah!"—and doubled over, clutching her stomach.

After their shock, the faces of the three Dongfang men also spasmed. Dongfang Wenjian glared. "Who are you calling 'brother,' you brat? I am your uncle! Show some respect!"

Jun Moxie pulled at his hair, immensely vexed. "Your identities, well... they are pending confirmation! We must wait until my Third Uncle arrives before confirming."

The three Divine Profounds all puffed out their chests and glared, utterly frustrated. What kind of nonsense was that? Did his uncle's acknowledgment mean nothing if their status as uncles wasn't ratified by his Third Uncle?!

That night, tents were pitched. The three Dongfang men, as if it were their inherent right, unceremoniously claimed three spots.

Later that evening, Dugu Xiaoyi and Guan Qinghan sneaked out—one to keep watch, the other to bathe. Jun Moxie, lamenting the great opportunity missed, was left to reluctantly entertain his three sudden, talkative, and perhaps-not-yet-confirmed cheap uncles. He sighed mournfully, genuinely wishing he could knock them out and toss them away before their identities were settled.

Jun Moxie secretly hardened his resolve: Don't think you're safe just because you're uncles. Hmph, what of it? If I could win, I would have already made a move long ago...

Plans never keep up with reality!

The meticulous schemes Zhu Neng put into action... no matter how brilliant, they were just pretty pictures!

Unable to implement his beautiful plan, he had to force himself to stay energetic and engage in conversation.

Chatting, it turned out, was also a demanding physical activity...

"So, you say your trip to Tiannan is facing a trap? Even perhaps... a near-certain death trap?" Dongfang Wenqing's expression grew grave.

"Whether it's a trap or not is debatable, but it's true that enemies are gathering in Tiannan," Jun Moxie chuckled. "And my enemies are no ordinary people. Take Snow Wind Silver City, for example... Blood Soul Manor counts as another; as for the others... well, those little brats planted in the army camps specifically to cause trouble aren't worth mentioning."

The three drew a sharp intake of breath simultaneously. "Snow Wind Silver City is overt, but... what about Blood Soul Manor?"

Jun Moxie gave a wry smile and recounted the entire affair from beginning to end, concluding helplessly: "Sister-in-law insisted on accompanying us to Tiannan this time, purely out of worry for your uncle and me. How could I not understand her intentions? If it weren't for this... given her usual detached nature that avoids worldly strife, why would she resort to threats of death just to come to Tiannan? I realized this long ago; I am merely considering countermeasures."

"Li Juetian's bastard son actually wants to steal our nephew's wife? Damn it! He really has the gall of a leopard!" Before Jun Moxie had even finished speaking, the three Dongfang men leaped up, their faces righteous and their anger boundless!

"When we reach Blood Soul Manor, this old man won't say a word. I'll castrate that brat directly! Let him fantasize about getting above his station, let the toad dream of eating swan meat! Damn it, can't he even look in a puddle to see what he looks like?" Dongfang Wendao declared angrily, waving his hand.

Jun Moxie blinked. He never expected their reaction to be this intense.

"Moxie, the sister-in-law you mentioned... is that the cold, reserved girl who was with you today?" Dongfang Wenqing asked more cautiously.

"Mm, that's her," Jun Moxie replied casually, feeling that talking to these elders was quite dull; he was already growing drowsy.

"Alas, she is also a... pitiable child," Dongfang Wenqing sighed sadly. "It is a tragedy that her husband died before they had met many times. To live in the Jun family bearing the title of widow... for such a blossoming young woman, to waste her youth, to remain in an empty chamber—how much suffering must that be?"

Dongfang Wenjian's lean, cold face cracked into a smile. "Moxie, in my view, this girl has a full forehead and exquisite features, and an elegant figure. She is well-suited to be a man's companion; moreover, she is quite lovely, wouldn't you agree?"

Jun Moxie propped his chin with his hand, mumbling vaguely, "Isn't that right? She is quite lovely," then unconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Then that settles it; what else is there to discuss?" Dongfang Wendao clapped his hands cheerfully. "Since she's already part of the Jun family, she can't escape! If the elder nephew is gone, isn't there the younger nephew? As the saying goes, good fat shouldn't flow outside the field..."

"Shut up, Third Brother! What nonsense are you spouting?!" Dongfang Wenqing's face darkened, and he roared sternly. "What do you mean, 'good fat shouldn't flow outside the field'? Is that something a maternal uncle should say? Utterly presumptuous! Full of wild notions and baseless talk! A head full of rubbish ideas!"

Dongfang Wendao was most afraid of his elder brother. Seeing his anger, he immediately shrunk back, daring not utter another word.

Jun Moxie, however, was startled awake by the sharp reprimand. He jolted upright and asked hazily, "What... what fat shouldn't flow outside the field?"