Early in the morning, Li Daoxuan had just retrieved his phone from the crate. Clutching the soy milk and fried dough sticks delivered for breakfast, he eagerly tucked in.
Watching the little people perform calisthenics was genuinely amusing. Perhaps he should order the entire village to participate? But no—the elderly likely couldn’t manage. Maybe introduce square dancing instead?
Then again, square dancing caused endless disturbances and was a societal plague. Best not corrupt ancient villagers with modern nuisances.
As he pondered new activities, sentinel cries erupted from the village. Dozens scurried toward the northern fortress wall. Thirty-Two also dashed up the ramparts, peering outward.
Li Daoxuan’s finger imdiately hovered over the crate’s control panel. He pressed the “North” button.
Instantly, his view shifted to the northern hillside.
A young man in tattered clothes, sun-scorched skin gleaming darkly, stumbled downhill. Blood stained his garnts. After a few strides, he tripped, scrambled up, and lurched onward…
Li Daoxuan grinned. Expanded vision truly delivered!
He fine-tuned the controls, locking the viewpoint onto the man as he fled.
Minutes later, the man collapsed at the base of Gaojia Village’s thirty-foot fortress wall. Lying on his back, he gasped toward the defenders above: “I… serve… Brother… Wang Er…”
Exhaustion choked his words. Each syllable fought for breath.
Hearing “Wang Er” and “serve,” Thirty-Two scrutinized the figure. Recognition struck—this was the petty bandit who’d once ambushed him en route to the county town. The one bearing the bandit na “White Cat.”
Thirty-Two’s brow furrowed. He turned to Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu. “Bring White Cat inside. Now.”
The two descended the wall and circled to the gate.
Crafted by Cai Xinzi from one-milliter iron sheets, these gates manifested in the late Ming era as twenty-centiter steel plates. Village strength couldn’t budge them. Only by repurposing an ancient gate’s pulley system could they heave the doors open.
Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu hauled the man inside, propping him before Thirty-Two and Gao Yiye.
Thirty-Two demanded urgently, “Warrior White Cat, what happened?”
Gasping, White Cat wheezed, “Zhuang Guangdao… Zheng Yanfu… planned… to raid… Gaojia Village… Brother opposed them… So they… betrayed him…”
Thirty-Two: “!!!”
Villagers: “!!!”
The man continued, “Brother’s wounded… locked… in a cave… by those traitors… Wangjia Villagers… all imprisoned… Only I escaped… Begging Gaojia Village… save him…”
Thirty-Two’s face darkened like cast iron.
Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu roared, “Outrageous!”
Even the sculptors shoved through the crowd. “What? Brother Wang Er—such a good man!”
Li Daoxuan found himself frowning. Damn this cruel world. Why must good n suffer?
Alas, kindness and rcy rarely forged overlords. A righteous soul like Wang Er might command armies but never empires. Even without this betrayal… Best not dwell on ill ons.
Villagers buzzed with panicked chatter.
Thirty-Two bellowed, “Silence! This isn’t just about rescuing Wang Er. Before that—we defend ourselves.”
Everyone: “?”
Thirty-Two snapped, “Fools! Didn’t you hear? Zheng Yanfu and Zhuang Guangdao plotted to attack Gaojia Village. That’s why they turned on Brother Wang.”
Everyone: “!!!”
Thirty-Two roared, “It won’t be long before Zheng Yanfu and Zhuang Guangdao attack. Damn his mother, why are you still zoning out? Prepare for battle, prepare for battle everyone! Imdiately prepare for battle, quickly get your weapons ready!”
White Cat gasped, “It… won’t be that quick… They know Gaojia Village… has high walls… They… would only co… for a night raid.”
Those words snapped Thirty-Two awake. Yeah, we had walls three zhang high. As long as Zheng Yanfu and his lot weren’t fools, they wouldn’t charge at Gaojia Village foolishly in broad daylight. Otherwise, they would share the fate of the Supre Bright King.
A night raid?
Thirty-Two felt a bit nervous.
Gao Chuwu clamored beside him, “Third Lady, we’ve learned a bit about fighting during the day, but how do we fight at night?”
Zheng Daniu also said, “They could launch a night raid any mont, but we can’t stay up all night. What should we do?”
Thirty-Two bellowed, “I know jack shit! I’m a damn clerk, not a commander.”
The villagers around grew panicked once more.
Li Daoxuan chuckled. What was so scary about a night raid? He would just switch on the motion alert of the Surveillance Cara. Once it sensed any movent, it would sound the preset music alarm. Then he would shine a fluorescent lamp into the box, and they could instantly fight as if it were dayti.
Yet his thod was like “Deity Cheating.” If he started cheating like that early on, the villagers wouldn’t learn anything.
No need to rush for now. He would see how they handled it.
Thirty-Two hesitated repeatedly, then suddenly snapped awake. “Right, it was still early morning, far from dark. Quick, soone go to Bai Family Fortress and invite Mr. Bai Yuan over. He’s the militia instructor, he knows how to deal with this.”
Gao Chuwu said, “I’ll go!”
“Then be careful along the way,” Thirty-Two said. “Outside is very risky. If you run into bandits, don’t be brave. Flee like mad. Those bandits don’t have horses; they won’t catch you.”
Gao Chuwu grinned foolishly. “Don’t worry, I’ve eaten well lately, I’m strong. Those weaklings won’t catch .”
He grabbed so dried at wedges and a white flatbread, then dashed out of the fortified house. Gao Yiye yelled from the city wall, “Brother Chuwu, don’t run so fast right away. It’s a two-hour journey; save your strength.”
Gao Chuwu said dumbly, “Huh? Oh! Right!”
The crowd was silent.
Entrusting such an important task to a simpleton, could it be okay?
Thirty-Two spun around sharply and looked at the two blacksmiths. “The armor? How many sets do we have now?”
The two blacksmiths grinned. “Plenty now. These past days, we got cotton fabric. The won pitched in too, attaching those stored armor pieces onto cotton coats, making several sets of cotton armor.”
Thirty-Two said, “Count them fast! Hand out the armor to the toughest young fighters in the village. Quick, quick, quick! Also, stones, oil—get all that ready. Ah, right, what about our catapults?”
Zheng Daniu said, “After the last fight, the Deity took all the catapults back to heaven.”
Thirty-Two said, “For night fighting, catapults probably aren’t useful, right? Ay! I don’t really know either. Forget about that for now. Everyone, get moving! Quick, quick, quick! Do what you need to do.”
The villagers said, “But what exactly should we do?”
Thirty-Two was silent.
The scene grew awkward again.
Reviews
All reviews (0)