After Wang Er finished speaking, the tent fell into a deep, uncomfortable silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
The kind where everyone suddenly becomes very interested in the floor, the ceiling, or their own sleeves.
The air turned thick, like overcooked porridge.
But honestly, Wang Er had expected this.
He knew very well that once those words came out, there was no way things would stay normal. Wang Jiayin was going to think about it, and not just for a moment. This kind of decision needed chewing, digesting, and probably a bit of internal screaming.
Wang Er cupped his fists calmly.
"My piece is said. I'll go rest. Brothers, take your time and think it through."
He turned and left without waiting for a reply.
Back in his own camp, he found a quiet corner, wrapped himself in his cloak, and lay down like a man who had just casually tossed a bomb into a room and decided to nap afterward.
Inside the main tent, time dragged.
Only after quite a while did Wang Jiayin finally speak.
"Alright, brothers. Say something. What do you think?"
Chuang Wang and Zijin Liang exchanged a glance.
Both of them were clearly thinking the same thing:
This is trouble. Let someone else step on the mine first.
So neither spoke.
Wang Jiayin's brother-in-law, Zhang Liwei, jumped in first, voice sharp.
"Wang Er has already grown a different heart."
Wang Guozhong, a clansman, followed immediately.
"We sent him south to open the route from Qiachuan Wharf to Huanglong Mountain. What did he do? Took a stroll and came back. Didn't open the road, didn't fight properly, and instead went off to talk to some Guyuan rebel army."
He let out a cold snort.
"What's that supposed to mean? That we're not as capable as them? That we should listen to them instead?"
Wang Jiayin's face darkened.
Zhang Liwei leaned in.
"I say we kill him. If we let him keep spreading this nonsense, he'll shake the army's morale. And if he runs off to that Guyuan group, a lot of men who followed him might go with him."
Wang Guozhong nodded hard.
"I agree."
Wang Jiayin did not answer immediately. He turned instead to Chuang Wang and Zijin Liang.
"And you two?"
They had been trying very hard to look like decorative furniture, but now they had been dragged into the spotlight.
Chuang Wang cleared his throat.
"I think... when doing big things, one should have some tolerance. If Wang Er thinks the Guyuan rebels are better, let him go. No need to kill him. Otherwise, word gets out, and it damages our jianghu reputation."
Zijin Liang nodded.
"I agree with Brother Chuang. We're not a single iron plate. Everyone here leads their own camp. No one truly commands the others. If we kill Wang Er just because he wants to leave, what will the other leaders think?"
He began counting on his fingers.
"Mantianxing, Shangtianlong, Wang Laohu, Duxinglang, Hao Lin'an, Liu Liu... all of them will start wondering if they're next."
The tent grew even heavier.
That argument hit home.
Everyone here had brought their own people, their own villagers, their own core followers. Every leader was a small kingdom. Kill one for wanting out, and suddenly everyone starts sleeping with one eye open.
Zijin Liang spread his hands.
"Better to let him go cleanly. Big world out there. Maybe we meet again as brothers."
Wang Jiayin exhaled slowly.
That made sense.
Uncomfortable sense, but still sense.
Finally, he spoke.
"Fine. It's decided. If Wang Er wants to join the Guyuan rebels, we won't stop him. We'll show brotherly loyalty. No need to let the jianghu say we lack tolerance."
Zhang Liwei immediately panicked.
"Brother-in-law, you can't be soft like this!"
Wang Guozhong added, "Better to kill him now and avoid future trouble. Kill the chicken to warn the monkeys."
Wang Jiayin waved his hand.
"Enough. I've made my decision. Leave."
The two men had no choice but to withdraw, though their faces looked like they had swallowed something bitter.
Once outside, Zhang Liwei lowered his voice.
"Brother Wang, you agree he should be killed, right? Letting him go will only cause trouble later."
Wang Guozhong nodded.
"Let's do it ourselves. Quietly. Once he's dead, what can big brother do? He won't turn against us over a corpse. You're his brother-in-law, I'm his clansman. He won't dare."
Zhang Liwei grinned.
"I'll bring a few trusted men."
"Same here."
They each gathered three to five loyal followers, careful not to attract attention, and pretended to be inspecting the camps as they moved.
Soon, they reached Wang Er's camp.
There he was, lying on his side in the corner of a broken wall, wrapped in his cloak like a man deeply asleep.
The two exchanged a glance.
No more hesitation.
"Now!"
Their men rushed forward, blades flashing.
Several sabers came down at once.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
The sound was wrong.
Not flesh. Not bone.
Stone.
They froze and looked closer.
Under the cloak was not Wang Er.
It was a bundle of rocks.
Zhang Liwei's eyes bulged.
"Damn it!"
Wang Guozhong cursed.
"He saw this coming!"
From behind a distant tree, half a face peeked out.
It was the Eight Kings of the Western Camp.
He had followed them quietly, just to watch the show.
Now he could not help but chuckle under his breath.
"Two idiots. Useless in success, disastrous in failure. With fools like these around, Wang Jiayin is doomed sooner or later."
He had originally considered staying with Wang Jiayin's forces.
Now he changed his mind.
Better to build his own path than get dragged down by stupidity.
Without a sound, he slipped away into the darkness, taking his men north.
---
Meanwhile, at Qiachuan Wharf.
Zhang Yuanwai arrived with Heyang County's militia.
He immediately spotted Bai Yuan standing by the riverside, talking to a group of ragged, suspicious-looking people.
These were, of course, Bai Mao and the villagers of Wang Family Village.
They had been waiting here for an entire day.
Wang Er had not returned.
That alone said everything.
He had taken all the boats and forbidden them from following, leaving Bai Mao with nothing to do except wait, worry, and slowly lose his sanity.
Zhang Yuanwai frowned.
"Brother Bai... who are these people?"
Bai Yuan turned and smiled.
"Ah, Brother Zhang, you're here. No problem. These are villagers from Wang Family Village in Cheng County. They've been wandering outside for over two years and only just returned."
Zhang Yuanwai's brain short-circuited.
Wandering for two years?
What kind of wandering was that?
He coughed awkwardly, clearly imagining all kinds of illegal career paths.
Bai Yuan waved it off.
"No need to overthink. They're good people. Since your militia is here, start building a temporary camp by the wharf. Use wood first. Once laborers arrive, we'll reinforce it with concrete and turn it into a proper fortress. Then this place will be secure."
That made perfect sense.
Zhang Yuanwai immediately started shouting orders.
The militia rushed to cut wood, haul logs, and erect a crude wooden wall. It was not pretty, but at least it was something.
Bai Mao saw this and quickly rallied his people.
"Everyone, move! Help them build!"
The hundred villagers jumped in, eager to do anything other than stand around worrying.
---
As for Zhang Xianzhong...
His early history was a mess.
Records about him contradicted each other left and right. Even the exact time he joined the rebellion was unclear.
Most accounts said he rose in response to Wang Jiayin, but he rarely actually acted alongside him.
Most of the time, he operated alone.
Probably because he could read and write, had some education, and even composed poetry.
Trying to blend into a group of illiterate bandits was like putting a scholar in a pig pen. Sooner or later, something was going to feel wrong.
On top of that, he was ruthless.
The kind of ruthless that made other rebel leaders quietly step back and reconsider their life choices.
At the beginning, he had only about three hundred men.
Then the number grew.
And grew.
And kept growing.
Until eventually, he became a force powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with Li Zicheng himself.
History had already begun to shift.
And the storm was just getting started.