Chapter 322: Moving Into a New Home
Why does time feel like it is flying like lightning once you stop paying attention to it?
In the Huanglong Mountain range, Cheng Xu kept sending back reports every few days. Somewhere in the mountains, they had completely crushed the bandit army of Wang Zuogua, then somewhere else in the mountains, they crushed Wang Zuogua's bandit army again. Victory after victory came so frequently that it felt like failure had been permanently removed from the battlefield.
Wang Zuogua had been beaten so badly by Cheng Xu that he was now running around Huanglong Mountain like a street rat chased by dogs, completely unable to hold any position, constantly shifting locations just to avoid being wiped out again.
With this wave of battles, the militia had essentially farmed a massive amount of experience points.
The militia soldiers, those once soft and inexperienced arquebus troops, quickly transformed from nervous rookies into seasoned firearms soldiers. Now, even when enemies charged directly at them, they could calmly reload without changing expression, their movements so smooth it looked like muscle memory carved into their bones.
This war did not only train the firearms troops, it also trained the entire logistics system.
Because the militia had been operating deep inside Huanglong Mountain for a long time, logistics naturally became a critical issue. San Shier, had to take responsibility for delivering food supplies and ammunition into the mountains.
This was the first time Gao Village Family had ever run something like this.
At the beginning, mistakes were everywhere, chaotic and messy in every possible direction. But as time passed, the logistics system gradually matured, slowly learning how to coordinate supply lines, timing, and delivery routes until it became a functioning machine of its own.
Meanwhile, Li Dao Xuan was standing on the second-floor balcony of a villa in the Zhaomushan area of Chongqing, wearing a thick down jacket as he looked out over the residential complex.
He had already visited this villa several times. It was quite good.
Detached house, two floors, private garden, private parking space, fully renovated interior. In modern terms, it was basically a place you could move into immediately after purchase.
Well, almost.
After buying it, he still needed to knock down the second-floor walls and turn the entire upper floor into an open-plan space. Only then would it be convenient to place his ever-expanding "box," which kept growing larger every time he upgraded it.
The sales agent who brought him here was quite attractive, with a charming figure and a very seductive presence, the kind of beauty that clearly knew how to use every angle of her advantage.
"Sir, have you made your decision yet? This is one of the most premium units available," the saleswoman said as she deliberately leaned closer to Li Dao Xuan, brushing her shoulder against his, letting an unspoken message seep out of every inch of her body. "If you sign with me and help me secure the commission… I will definitely repay you properly."
Li Dao Xuan chuckled lightly. "Alright, then I will sign it."
The saleswoman immediately lit up with joy. "Oh my, you really are my distinguished guest."
Li Dao Xuan continued, "Take me to see the original owner and process the transfer paperwork."
The saleswoman's excitement peaked as she naturally hooked her arm around his. This time, she pressed her body even closer, intentionally emphasizing every advantage she had, already calculating how big her commission would be if this deal went through.
More than that, she was already dreaming further. If she could marry this young wealthy man, then half of his assets would effectively become hers. That would be the real path to wealth.
As she was indulging in her fantasies of becoming a rich wife, Li Dao Xuan suddenly stepped away with a flicker-like movement, instantly putting distance between them.
"Miss, I am here to buy a house properly," he said calmly. "Do not play these kinds of games with me."
The saleswoman froze. "Huh?"
Li Dao Xuan continued, "Selling houses for commission is your job, and you deserve your earnings for bringing me here. That is fair. But if you think you can trade your appearance and take half of my life in exchange, then you are dreaming."
The saleswoman stiffened completely. So this is what a truly wealthy person looks like. Not so easy to fool. Her dream of rising into luxury society shattered instantly.
Then Li Dao Xuan said, "By the way, do you want to earn another commission?"
The saleswoman instantly perked up again. "Yes, yes, of course I do!"
Her hope reignited in a split second. Maybe this was not over yet. Maybe the handsome young rich client had changed his mind and was giving her another chance. She might still have a shot at a rags-to-riches transformation. Stay calm. Stay steady. She could still win this round.
Li Dao Xuan said, "Since you are in this line of work, you must know reliable construction teams. Help me hire one. Knock down all the second-floor walls and turn it into an open-plan space. If you supervise the project and get it done properly, your commission will not be small."
The saleswoman's newly revived hope shattered again instantly.
Her inner thoughts screamed like a broken machine. "I am such a beautiful woman standing right here, and you are not taking me home, not even pretending to consider it, and instead you want me to become your construction supervisor. Are you serious right now?"
Li Dao Xuan asked calmly, "What, not willing? Then I will find someone else."
The saleswoman immediately snapped back into reality and said quickly, "Willing, I am willing. Please let me handle this commission."
Li Dao Xuan nodded. "That is more like it. Making money through honest labor is better, is it not? Selling houses is selling houses. Do not turn the sales office into a matchmaking service."
The saleswoman was speechless.
Soon after, the original owner was brought over. Both sides signed the preliminary agreement, paid the deposit, and began handling the property transfer process. It was a full cycle of money exchanged for property rights.
This process was far from simple.
Even someone like Li Dao Xuan, who rarely went out, was dragged across various government departments, running from office to office, signing documents until his wrist felt sore and stiff. Only after great effort did the transfer finally complete.
Eventually, the ownership line on the property certificate was written with Li Dao Xuan's name.
The saleswoman looked deeply emotional. She really wanted her name to appear there too. If that were possible, she would not just be willing to act out eighteen styles of charm, she would even accept legendary techniques like the Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlit Night, the Daoist Thirty-Six Forms of Mystery, or the Forty-Eight Hands of Edo pleasure arts, anything would be fine.
Unfortunately, the handsome young rich man gave her no such opportunity.
So she could only refocus on earning her legitimate commission. She arranged construction workers, knocked down every possible wall on the second floor, and merged all rooms into a single open-plan space.
Time flowed forward rapidly.
December arrived.
Li Dao Xuan moved house.
Most furniture was transported by a moving company, but the massive box was a different problem entirely. After its previous expansion, it had become five meters long and three meters wide. Moving it normally would have been a serious headache.
Unexpectedly, the box itself did not trouble him. It revealed a "fold" function. With a simple press, the box folded back into its original compact size, about 2.5 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, roughly the volume of a large refrigerator.
Li Dao Xuan wrapped it in a black cloth and hired a freight company, telling them it was a fragile item like a large fish tank.
The workers immediately became extremely careful. They lifted it gently, loaded it into the truck, and transported it to the new house, placing it in the empty open-plan second floor.
After the workers left, Li Dao Xuan closed all windows and pulled all curtains tightly shut.
Only then did he slowly remove the black cloth covering the box.
Inside the box, the world remained perfectly stable.
Shaking the box did not disturb the internal world. There were no earthquakes, no collapsing mountains, no catastrophic disturbances. Everything inside remained calm and intact.
Li Dao Xuan pressed the expand button again.
The box expanded back into its massive viewing range, five meters by three meters, restoring his full control over the miniature world inside.
He casually checked several key locations: Bai Family Fort, Gao Village Family, Fengyuan Town, and the county city. Everything seemed stable and peaceful.
Then suddenly, he noticed a large group of soldiers entering Cheng County.
A banner was raised high in their formation, marked with a bold character: Wang.
The army of Wang Cheng'en, the Shanxi regional commander, had arrived.
There were two famous Wang Cheng'en figures in late Ming history. One was a Shanxi military commander, and the other was the eunuch who hanged himself alongside the Chongzhen Emperor.
And now, the one entering the county was the military commander.
Trivia :
1. Why militias mature so fast
Historically, irregular forces either collapse quickly or harden rapidly. There is very little middle ground. Fear does not disappear—it becomes procedural.
2. Logistics wins wars quietly
Most historical defeats blamed on "bad generals" were actually caused by late food, wrong routes, or missing shoes. Soldiers forgive many things. Hunger is not one of them.
3. Musket reload panic is universal
Early modern armies across Europe and Asia recorded identical problems: first-time soldiers fumbled reloads under pressure. Training fixed technique. Survival fixed nerves.