Right when Gao Village Family had just taken in Zao Ying and started putting together a cavalry unit, far away in Huanglong Mountain, another story was unfolding, one that smelled strongly of blood, grudges, and unfinished business.
Wang Zuogua had just come out of a brutal clash with Wu Zimian, the General of Yansui. Both sides had beaten each other senseless and walked away licking heavy wounds. Losses were high, tempers even higher.
Now, Wang Zuogua sat with the leaders of his four squads in a loose circle around a chunk of mountain rock, his face dark enough to scare crows out of trees.
"Damn it all," he cursed, voice thick with frustration. "I had it. I really had it. Those five hundred warhorses of Wu Zimian were practically mine already. Then out of nowhere, some bunch of bastards jumped in and snatched the duck right out of my mouth."
Miao Mei, the second-in-command, lowered her voice. "They came from the south. The strongest among them is called Guyuan Old Ghost Head. With him were Xing Honglang from Yongji and Zao Ying from Yichuan. That is no ordinary group. That is a seriously capable rebel force."
Wang Zuogua's expression tightened, but he did not spit out the usual empty curses about betrayal among comrades. No talk of "turning on our own" or "fighting fellow rebels." That kind of whining had no place here.
There were many rebel forces under heaven, but they were never one family. Clashing with each other was as normal as breathing.
At the end of the day, they were all men who lived by the blade. Black eats black. That was the rule, simple and honest.
Wang Zuogua sat there brooding for a long moment before speaking again. "If they withdrew south, they should have gone toward Cheng County, right?"
"Correct," Feishanhu replied. "South of here is Cheng County territory."
Wang Zuogua let out a low grunt. "That reminds me of something. Last year, I joined forces with Bu Zhanni and we attacked Cheng County once. Got driven back at Bai Family Fort by some strange weapons. Still remember it clearly."
How could he forget. That ridiculous "building block missile" had flipped him flat on his back. A weapon that absurd left a deep impression.
He narrowed his eyes. "Those strange bombs they used this time, the ones that explode and drop our men in groups… could those also be from Bai Family Fort?"
A thought clicked into place. He turned to Dahonglang. "Did you figure it out? How exactly did those men die so suddenly?"
Dahonglang opened his palm, revealing a small round iron pellet resting in it. "This thing. When their bombs explode, these little iron beads shoot out in all directions. Anyone hit is either dead or crippled. Nasty stuff."
Wang Zuogua, Miao Mei, and Feishanhu all leaned in to take a look. After a moment, they all shook their heads.
"How do you even defend against something like this?" Wang Zuogua muttered. "A weapon this outrageous has to be Bai Yuan's handiwork."
Dahonglang nodded without hesitation. "No doubt."
Wang Zuogua's expression turned serious. "So from now on, every time we attack Bai Family Fort, as long as Bai Yuan is there, we have to deal with this?"
"Can't fight it head-on," Dahonglang said plainly.
Wang Zuogua clicked his tongue. "So what, I just swallow this loss? Let them take my horses and walk away?"
Dahonglang's eyes flashed. "Of course not. Big Brother, this grudge must be settled. If we let this slide, the heroes of the greenwood will laugh at us."
Wang Zuogua spread his hands in irritation. "We can't fight them straight up, but we have to take revenge. So how exactly do we do that?"
Dahonglang grinned, the kind of grin that never meant anything good. "We disguise ourselves, get close to Bai Yuan, the lord of Bai Family Fort, and strike in the dark. One clean hit, and he's dead."
Wang Zuogua frowned. "Nice plan, but Bai Family Fort is locked down tight. Not exactly a place you can just stroll into."
Just then, a scout hurried over and bowed. "Leaders, we've got news. Cheng County is organizing a large militia. They are gathering several thousand men to defend against roaming bandits."
Wang Zuogua snorted. "So they are aiming that right at me, huh?"
The scout continued, "Word is, the one in charge of organizing this militia is Bai Yuan himself. He is currently in Cheng County city, gathering instructors from various villages and towns to discuss strategy."
For a split second, it looked like a light bulb popped over Wang Zuogua's head.
"He left Bai Family Fort and went to the county city?" His lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. "Heh. County cities are messy places. Refugees everywhere, people coming and going. Much easier to slip in than that fortress of his."
He turned to Dahonglang. "Fourth Brother, pick a team. I want seasoned greenwood men, real fighters. Have them disguise themselves as refugees and sneak into Cheng County. Scout the situation. If a good opportunity appears, take it. Kill that man named Bai Yuan for me."
Dahonglang laughed. "Leave it to me, Big Brother."
…
Morning came as it always did.
Li Dao Xuan woke up early, same as usual. He sat there casually enjoying a coconut-flavored golden cake while chewing on a braised egg, eyes drifting down to observe his little world and see how things were developing.
Over at Gao Village Family, everything looked peaceful.
Zao Ying had already begun forming the cavalry unit. The first batch was naturally the one hundred and twenty horse bandits she had brought with her.
These men had excellent riding skills, no doubt about that, but their equipment was a mess, and their diet had not exactly been generous. Their overall presence lacked a certain punch.
But that was hardly a problem.
Before long, carts rolled out from the artisan well, each loaded with neatly stacked gear. Over a hundred sets of armor, standardized sabers, standardized spears, and even compact hand crossbows designed for easy use on horseback.
Zao Ying took one look at the small crossbow and immediately laughed. "Why are you people so obsessed with crossbows? This thing is tiny. It doesn't shoot far, and using it on horseback is awkward."
Cheng Xu looked a little embarrassed. "Our militia is recruited from farmers. They start from scratch. None of them had combat experience before. Learning to use a bow properly takes a long time. Dao Xuan Tianzun said training bows is a waste of time. Sooner or later everything will switch to firearms anyway, so we skipped archery training altogether. That leaves us with crossbows."
Zao Ying almost made a sarcastic comment, but then she paused. Thinking back to the battle at Du Zhong Village, the firearms of Gao Village Family had indeed been impressively effective. Maybe that so-called Dao Xuan Tianzun actually had a point.
She decided not to mock it and instead smiled. "Fine. Your people can use crossbows. Mine will use bows. They already know how, so no extra training needed. No time wasted."
And just like that, the small crossbows were collectively rejected without mercy.
Cheng Xu chuckled. "If you want bows, we do not have many on hand. Miss Zao, you should head to the school and find Mister Song. Ask him to help design a good bow. Then take the blueprint to the artisan well and have it made."
"School? Mister Song?"
Zao Ying followed the suggestion and headed toward the school.
Li Dao Xuan's interest was piqued. He had not paid much attention to Song Yingxing lately. Now he was curious what that man had been up to. So he followed along to take a look.
Zao Ying entered the school, walking through the corridors. On both sides, classrooms were filled with children reading aloud, their voices rising and falling in unison.
She could not help but feel a quiet shock.
She had always known Gao Village Family had big ambitions, but she had not imagined something on this scale. What kind of grand vision did it take to build a private school this large? This was not just education. This was grooming talent for a future uprising.
Other bandit groups could not even begin to compare.
Not even close.
She picked up her pace and climbed all the way to the fifth floor, arriving at the entrance of the library.
Ming Context Trivia (Wuxia Edition):
During the late Ming, rebel leaders like Zhu Yuanzhang began as peasant bandits who built secret "utopias"—villages that mixed farming, militia training, and education. The famous motto "Build high walls, stockpile grain, and bide your time" became the playbook for both emperors and jianghu dreamers.
Jianghu Note:
Nicknames like "Da Honglang or "Old Ghost of Guyuan" aren't random—they mark one's rank and reputation in the brotherhood world. To be called "Wolf" meant ferocity; to be called "Ghost" meant you always came back alive.