Luochuan County was buzzing like trouble waiting to happen.
All seven team captains under the bandit chief Bu Zhan Ni had gathered together. Not long ago, Team Two's captain, Dian Dengzi, and Team Seven's captain, Ye Bushou, tore into each other in a vicious internal clash. By the end of it, both sides were shattered so badly they might as well have erased themselves.
In the bandit world, though, empty seats never stayed empty for long.
Two new captains were promoted, restoring the structure back to seven teams:
Team One, Yan Qian'er.
Team Two, Shuangchihu.
Team Three, Li Jinwang.
Team Four, Xiezi Kuai.
Team Five, Lao Zhangfei.
Team Six, Luanshi Wang.
Team Seven, Zijin Long.
A lineup like that carried real weight. Inside Luochuan County, they could walk however they liked, and nobody would dare object.
Not long ago, when Yang He had just taken office, the five frontier commands of the imperial army moved out together, sweeping across the land to suppress bandits. For a brief moment, Bu Zhan Ni had actually tucked his tail and behaved himself.
Then the Manchu forces pushed through the passes.
The five commanders were all summoned to the capital to protect the throne, and just like that, the northwest was left wide open.
No troops. No pressure.
Which meant Bu Zhan Ni was back to being Bu Zhan Ni.
He was in the middle of reviewing his forces, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, when a subordinate rushed over.
"Boss, there's a small rebel group outside the camp asking to join us."
"Small?" Bu Zhan Ni frowned. "How small?"
"Less than a thousand."
Bu Zhan Ni clicked his tongue. "Less than a thousand? What are they supposed to do, make up the numbers?"
The subordinate lowered his voice. "They're not ordinary. All of them are able-bodied men. No old, no weak, no sick. Their presence… it's strong. Not easy people."
That made Bu Zhan Ni pause.
"All able-bodied?" He raised a brow. "Now that's interesting. Fine. I'll take a look myself."
Outside the camp, he saw him.
One glance was enough.
A ruthless man.
The kind who didn't need to show off to make people uneasy.
The man cupped his fists. "I am a Chuang Jiang from Mizhi."
That man was Li Zicheng.
"I've heard that Brother Bu Zhan Ni is gathering capable men to build something big. So I've brought my fellow townsmen here to join you."
"Mizhi…" Bu Zhan Ni had heard of it well enough.
In Mizhi, seven out of ten had turned bandit. The place was practically emptied out, whole families throwing themselves into chaos like it was a natural path.
He looked past Li Zicheng to the men behind him.
Not even a thousand.
But one look was enough to make his expression shift.
Every single one stood firm, eyes sharp, faces hardened. Not the kind you could casually push around.
In a real fight, this group of a few hundred could match four or five thousand ordinary rabble.
Mizhi men. The reputation wasn't exaggerated.
A smile spread across Bu Zhan Ni's face.
"Brother Chuang Jiang, I could tell at a glance you're the real deal," he said warmly. "And your men… every one of them looks fierce."
"You coming to me? Of course you're welcome."
He paused, then added, "I already have seven captains, so I'll have to trouble you to take the position of the eighth."
"From now on, I'll call you my eighth brother. How does that sound?"
Li Zicheng cupped his fists. "Big Brother."
In the third year of the Chongzhen era, Li Zicheng led a group of Mizhi villagers into Bu Zhan Ni's ranks, becoming the captain of the Eighth Team.
This force would later shake the world.
The Old Eighth Team.
Also known as the Fengtian Changyi Camp.
One of the most ruthless forces to ever rise from chaos.
Back in Gao Village Family, the atmosphere was solemn.
Cheng Xu had returned from Huanglong Mountain.
And he brought something back with him.
Three heads.
Wang Zuogua, Feishanhu, and Dahonglang.
At the center of the village, a grand altar had been set up, with four spirit tablets placed upon it to honor the fallen "martyrs."
Gao Yiye stood in white upon the platform, acting as the spiritual pillar of the ceremony.
Bai Yuan personally stepped forward and placed the three severed heads before the tablets.
Those men had died because of him.
He owed them a proper send-off.
After the ritual was completed and the spirits were appeased, Li Dao Xuan finally spoke.
"I hereby announce that the great vendetta of Gao Village Family has been avenged."
"From today onward, the 'wartime emergency state' is lifted."
"The workshops will resume normal operations."
The villagers responded in unison, then dispersed, each returning to their duties.
Soon enough, the village came back to life.
In the distance, at the construction site, Old Nanfeng and a group of reform-through-labor convicts watched everything in silence.
Their expressions were complicated.
One of the frontier troop convicts muttered, "Four people died, and they make it this grand. On the border, we lose far more in a single battle. Never seen anything like this."
Old Nanfeng snorted. "You don't understand."
"Huh?"
"Treat the dead well," Old Nanfeng said, "and the living will feel how much they're valued."
"When the time comes to fight, they won't hold back."
The convict paused, then nodded slowly. "Got it."
"Good. Now get back to work."
At that moment, Zhong Gaoliang walked over.
Old Nanfeng immediately straightened. "Warden, sir. What instructions do you have?"
"Our militia just won a battle. You saw it, right?"
"I did. What's that got to do with us?"
"Wang Zuogua had ten thousand men. We didn't kill them all."
Zhong Gaoliang's tone remained steady.
"This battle brought back over seven thousand prisoners."
"More than five thousand of them are old people, women, and children. They'll all be sent to prison for labor reform."
Old Nanfeng froze. "Those useless types? Why keep them? Might as well kill them."
Zhong Gaoliang shot him a sideways glance. "Dao Xuan Tianzun's approach to bandits is the same as it was with you."
"The worst offenders are executed."
"The rest are given a chance through labor reform."
"Especially the elderly, women, and children. Most were forced into this. They don't even have the ability to loot or kill."
"If we slaughtered even them… do you think you'd still be alive right now?"
Old Nanfeng gave an awkward laugh. "Fair enough."
"The prison is about to expand," Zhong Gaoliang continued. "It'll become a massive facility holding over ten thousand people."
Old Nanfeng narrowed his eyes. "You want me to help manage it from the inside?"
"Exactly. That's also Dao Xuan Tianzun's will. Look up."
Old Nanfeng raised his head.
A low cloud had drifted right above him.
And then Gao Yiye, the Saintess, stepped forward with a faint smile.
"Old Nanfeng, you've been under labor reform for quite some time," she said. "Dao Xuan Tianzun sees that you're sharp."
"And since you've served in the military, you understand discipline."
"So we have an important task for you."
Old Nanfeng immediately bowed deeply. "Dao Xuan Tianzun may command as he wishes."
Gao Yiye nodded.
"From now on, Warden Zhong handles the outside of the prison."
"You… will handle the inside."
"You and your men will maintain order among the prisoners. Watch those seven thousand carefully."
"If anyone shows ill intent, plans to escape, or stirs trouble, report it in advance."
"That will count as merit. It will help reduce your sentence."
Old Nanfeng instantly understood.
A grin spread across his face.
"Leave it to me and my brothers," he said. "Everyone wants to reduce their sentence and get out as soon as possible."
"After that…"
"…we'll go work under that Ghost-Qianhu."
Chapter Trivia:
Bandit Squads: Late-Ming rebel armies often organized into numbered "squads" with personal nicknames, not ranks. Loyalty followed men, not banners.
Mizhi Reputation: Contemporary records explicitly note Mizhi's extreme participation in rebellion — not ideology, but survival.
Labor Reform Logic: Ming administrations frequently spared non-combatants for forced labor. Not mercy — manpower economics.
Memorial Rites: Small communities performed elaborate rites not for the dead, but to stabilize the living. Ritual was governance.