Chapter 315: Preparing to Enter the Mountains

Throughout several days, Li Daoxuan continuously switched perspectives high above, surveying how the issue of the “returning bandits” was being handled across various regions.The situation unfolding before his eyes was extremely grim.

Over half of the returning bandits had lost all desire to reintegrate into society.

On their journey home, they either plundered or slaughtered indiscriminately.

Whenever they encountered official troops led by Fang Wushang, they pretended to have meekly accepted recruitment and surrender, claiming they only wished to return home and start anew. Fang Wushang would then refrain from attacking them. Yet, the moment Fang Wushang’s forces departed, these bandits would immediately resume their looting.

Had it not been for Li Daoxuan watching from the sky, many innocent lives in several villages would have already fallen prey to these miscreants.

Angry, he extended a giant’s hand, crushing several groups of returning bandits.

Six hundred convict laborers from the Guyuan rebel band, the Gaojia Village Militia, the cavalry camp, and the large militia organized by Bai Yuan were stationed in villages along the route. They were fighting returning bandits nearly every single day. Only after several hundred heads were displayed at village entrances near the county border did the arriving returning bandits, seeing the gruesome trophies, finally dare not cause trouble. They obediently succumbed to Gaojia Village’s offer of grain, deciding to start farming again.

Li Daoxuan dared not readily accept these men into Gaojia Village or populous areas like the county town. He feared they might revolt when his watchful gaze wasn’t upon them, resulting in the deaths of his own people.

The only solution was to settle them in remote, nearly deserted villages, isolating them from contact with genuine, law-abiding common citizens. Only this way could he prevent them from harming his people.

Then, he would send supplies of ample grain to demonstrate that survival didn’t necessitate robbery. Slowly, they might regain a normal human mindset.

Even possessing infinite grain, managing these returning bandits was this difficult for him. The Ming Dynasty court, lacking such resources, faced challenges beyond imagination.

Liang Shixian soon received reports: returning bandits around Hancheng on the Tongguan Road were rampaging wildly, committing atrocities, murdering numerous innocent common citizens. This stirred widespread resentment among Hancheng’s populace towards the “appeasement policy.”

These reckless actions inevitably provoked the wrath of the formidable official Hong Chengchou stationed in Hancheng.

Hong Chengchou adopted the exact same approach as Li Daoxuan – capturing troublesome returning bandits and executing them, displaying the severed heads at village and town entrances to intimidate those yet to arrive and dissuade them from causing disturbances.

Sadly, unlike Li Daoxuan, Hong Chengchou lacked an infinite grain supply and couldn’t pacify them with food. Even with heads displayed everywhere, he couldn’t truly control the situation. Initially cowed by the heads, the returning bandits refrained from violence. But after several days of hunger, they inevitably turned to plundering the common citizens.

There was no choice but to keep killing…

This chaos endured for several days. Only after all the He Yang bandits had “returned home” did it finally subside.

The golden autumn of October brought a bountiful harvest to Chengcheng County.

Villages and towns reaped vast quantities of grain.

A series of miraculous interventions by the Dao Xuan Deity – “hauling the Dragon King to make it rain,” “creating a lake,” “digging reservoirs” – helped the people of Chengcheng overcome the severe drought. The entire Chengcheng County now pulsed with vibrant life force.

Simultaneously, the Gaojia Village Militia, expanded to a thousand men, began preparing to enter the mountains to suppress bandits. Their aim was to avenge the four of their own who had been assassinated.

Early in the morning, Gao Yiye arrived at the militia camp gate.

Her arrival signaled to everyone that the Deity intended to oversee this mission personally.

Although preparations had spanned months, that the Deity still vividly remembered the blood debt owed to those four fallen comrades after such a long time solidified his new moniker among the troops: the “Vengeful Deity.” He effectively earned it himself.

“Yiye, have them report on the armaments.”

At the Deity’s command, the thousand soldiers of the Gaojia Village Militia formed orderly ranks on the large parade ground, ready to report.

Three hundred flintlock firearms.

One hundred grenadiers.

The remaining six hundred still wielded cold weapons.

Interestingly, without Li Daoxuan offering any design suggestions, the blacksmiths of Gaojia Village had independently developed “bayonets” for the flintlock firearms. It seemed human ingenuity operated universally; certain technological stages naturally sparked similar innovations.

After firearm soldiers complained once that their weapons became useless upon the enemy closing in, the blacksmiths racked their brains. They finally conceived the idea: simply attach a blade to the front of the firearm…

This blade couldn’t be too wide, or too thick, and mustn’t impede firing. The solution was a narrow, elongated spike. Thus, the “bayonet” came into existence.

Li Daoxuan scanned the militia ranks, using his “Focus” ability to meticulously examine their gear. He felt quite satisfied. A thousand men equipped thus, provided they avoided reckless blunders, should be sufficient to deal with Wang Zuogua and his ilk.

As for their commander, Cheng Xu? He was exceedingly unlikely to commit tactical blunders. Steady and reliable – Li Daoxuan had considerable faith in him.

“I must oversee Gaojia Village,” Li Daoxuan stated gravely. “Once you enter the Huanglong Mountains, I won’t be able to watch over you. You must fight this battle without my aid. This is a reality you must face eventually. I cannot protect you forever. Ultimately, you must rely on your own strength to win difficult battles.”

Hearing this, the militia grew uneasy.

Accustomed to the Deity’s protective gaze overhead, the news that He wouldn’t accompany them this time left everyone feeling considerably less assured.

Morale even faltered slightly.

Cheng Xu was swiftly pondering the risks. With the Deity present, victory was assured. Without Him? Wang Zuogua commanded tens of thousands – his forces intermixed with border army soldiers, defected imperial garrison troops, former imperial couriers, and others. Their fighting prowess had improved notably.

Facing ten thousand such foes with a mere thousand men, despite having firearms, absolute victory wasn’t guaranteed. Falling into an ambush leading to close combat might negate the firearms’ advantage, risking defeat. The chance of failure, Cheng Xu calculated, was at least “two-tenths” (20%).

Just then, a beautiful grandmother flew serenely across the sky ahead, trailing dozens of long, colorful ribbons, ethereal as the celestial maiden Chang’e… Ah, it was his grandmother from her youth, about twenty years old.

Was this the meaning of “two-tenths” (20%)?

Cheng Xu suddenly felt the pressure weighing down on him.

Li Daoxuan involuntarily shook his head, seeing their lackluster state.

But they had to undertake this risk. This militia needed combat experience. Sooner or later, they must be tested. He would have to let them fight independently someday. Facing that necessity against Wang Zuogua was surely preferable to confronting it against the Manchus.

“Understand this paramount point,” Li Daoxuan spoke gravely to his people. “Your lives are the absolute priority. Do not sacrifice yourselves casually merely to suppress some bandits. The timing of the suppression matters little. But your lives, once lost, are gone forever.”