Gao Yiye spoke calmly.
"I have Dao Xuan Tianzun watching over me, how could I possibly be unsafe?"
Bai Yuan immediately responded without hesitation.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun is also a very busy divine being."
That sentence hit the table like a gentle but firm reality check.
The conversation had just reached that point when Li Dao Xuan himself finally spoke.
"Yiye, tell Bai Yuan this. Reinforcements from Gao Village Family are already on the way. Also, the Artisan workshop has already produced two cannons, I have brought them over and will hand them to him."
The moment those words were heard, Gao Yiye's expression lit up instantly.
"Sir Bai, the Tianzun has arrived…"
Bai Yuan's reaction was immediate and very enthusiastic.
"Good. Reinforcements are here, excellent. As for the cannons, we should not directly drop them here in the county."
He quickly looked around at the surrounding town.
"The people of Heyang County do not yet fully understand the Tianzun's affairs. If a giant divine hand suddenly appears from the sky, the citizens will be frightened into collapse."
Li Dao Xuan agreed calmly.
"Yes, we should not scare them. You should leave the city and find an empty area outside. I will then place the cannons there."
Bai Yuan nodded immediately.
"Understood."
No hesitation. No debate. Just instant execution.
So Gao Yiye, Bai Yuan, and San Shier led a group of over one hundred militia members out of the city at speed. Even San Shier, who had no combat role whatsoever, followed purely out of curiosity, like someone treating an impending war logistics event as a live documentary.
After confirming there were no civilians around, Bai Yuan finally gave the signal.
"This place should be safe. No one will be frightened here."
Li Dao Xuan then lowered the two stainless steel cannons.
They were heavy. Very heavy.
Along with them came a large basket of cannonballs and several bundles of gunpowder charges, all of which were not exactly "light carry items."
The militia immediately went into full operational mode.
Dozens of people pushed and dragged the cannons. Several others carefully carried cannonballs. A few more treated the gunpowder like it was unstable emotional trauma wrapped in cloth.
Then they all returned to the county.
The moment they arrived at the gate, they ran into Feng Jun again.
He had already returned, bringing along household guards, officers, and a large militia force. In a short time, he had successfully mobilized nearly all militias from surrounding villages and towns in Heyang County.
When both groups met at the city gate, Feng Jun's eyes immediately locked onto the two cannons.
He froze.
"Wait… Sir Bai, where did you get cannons from?"
Bai Yuan smiled casually.
"Didn't I say before? I would find a way to handle the cannons myself."
Feng Jun thought for a moment.
And then it hit him.
Oh. He really said that.
At the time, it sounded like exaggeration.
Now it looked like he had actually gone and acquired national-level artillery like it was a market purchase.
Feng Jun stared at the cannons again.
Something felt off.
Very off.
The color.
The cannons were not black, nor the usual dark bronze or iron green he had seen in Western artillery.
These were… silver.
Bright. Clean. Almost unreal.
"What material is this?" he muttered.
Bai Yuan did not answer directly.
"Lord Feng, now is not the time to admire cannon aesthetics. We should move quickly. Take the cannons, take the militia, and head to Qiachuan Dock."
Feng Jun snapped back to focus.
"Yes, correct. We move immediately."
With that, the entire force reorganized on the spot.
Oxen and horses were brought in. The cannons were attached to makeshift transport. Cannonballs were loaded into carts. Gunpowder was carefully secured.
Efficiency suddenly appeared out of nowhere, like panic had activated hidden productivity buffs.
The massive group began moving toward the southeast.
As they marched, Bai Yuan turned and spoke to Gao Yiye and San Shier.
"You two should remain in Heyang County. There is no need to personally go to the battlefield."
Both of them understood perfectly that they were not combat assets, so they did not insist.
Gao Yiye nodded.
"Then I will leave the one hundred militia assigned to me. Please take them as well. This is also the Tianzun's intention."
Bai Yuan hesitated for a moment.
But the moment "Tianzun's intention" was mentioned, resistance immediately became illegal.
"Understood. Please take care of yourselves."
Soon, Bai Yuan's force of one hundred Gao Village militia merged with Feng Jun's massive force of about one thousand five hundred Heyang County militia.
The combined army, nearly four thousand strong in total support elements and fighters, began marching toward Qiachuan Dock in a massive, noisy formation.
The road ahead was long.
About thirty li in a straight line.
At least half a day of marching.
Feng Jun was clearly nervous. Very nervous.
Because when he looked at his troops, he did not see confidence.
He saw numbers.
And numbers alone did not feel reassuring when the enemy had fifty thousand bandits under Wang Jiayin.
He quietly asked.
"Sir Bai, are you really confident about this battle?"
Bai Yuan smiled lightly.
"Lord Feng, there is no need to panic. We have two cannons."
Feng Jun nodded slowly.
"That is true. Two cannons…"
Then he paused.
Something in his brain caught up.
He turned slowly.
"Sir Bai… your people here… are the same people protecting the Saintess, correct?"
"Yes."
"Do any of them know how to use cannons?"
Silence.
Bai Yuan: "…"
Feng Jun's expression changed instantly.
"You brought cannons… but no artillery crew?"
Bai Yuan: "Well…"
Feng Jun stared at him for a second.
Then immediately began producing nosebleed level panic.
"This is bad. This is extremely bad. Without artillerymen, cannons are useless. Completely useless. This is finished."
Bai Yuan waved his hand quickly.
"Do not panic. A cannon is just a larger fire lance. The principle is similar to firearms. I am skilled with firearms. I once shot Fan Shan Yue from a hundred paces. There is no reason I cannot operate a cannon."
Feng Jun stared at him.
Completely silent.
Then slowly, two lines of blood began to drip from his nose.
Bai Yuan blinked.
"Lord Feng, why are you suddenly bleeding? You only do that when your emotions fluctuate."
Feng Jun wiped his nose.
"My emotions are currently extremely fluctuating. Anyone would fluctuate after hearing what you just said. Anyone. Anyone at all."
Bai Yuan: "…"
They continued marching while awkwardly discussing battlefield philosophy and accidental artillery confidence.
Half a day passed in a blink.
Qiachuan Dock finally came into view.
The site was still under construction.
A water fortress had just started forming, still far from completion.
A long wooden defensive wall had already been built, made of thick logs placed side by side, forming a curved barrier along the riverbank. It was incomplete at the top, lacking proper walkways for defenders, so it looked more like a giant unfinished fence than a fort.
It reminded Feng Jun of those large scenic barriers that block off river viewpoints for construction, except this one was clearly meant to block warships instead of tourists.
Inside the defense line, the Zhang Yuanwai from Xiazhuang had already stationed about four hundred militia.
Nearby, Wang Er Of Baishui and Bai Mao were also present with another one hundred local troops.
Further inside, thousands of laborers were still working. Some building roads, some working on cement structures, the entire dock was a chaotic mix of construction site and military staging area.
When Feng Jun and Bai Yuan's forces arrived, the total number of people on site immediately jumped to nearly four thousand.
The dock, already busy, became completely packed.
People everywhere.
Noise everywhere.
A full-scale pre-battle logistics festival, except nobody had bought tickets and everyone was slightly concerned about dying.
Feng Jun looked at the crowded battlefield and swallowed nervously.
"This is… really going to work, right?"
Bai Yuan looked at the cannons and smiled.
"With two cannons, we can follow the Shanxi general's method. Place them at the dock and bombard the enemy fleet. Sink a few ships, and the bandits will retreat on their own."
Feng Jun nodded slowly.
"Yes… with two cannons…"
Then he paused again.
Something clicked in his mind.
"Wait… Sir Bai…"
Bai Yuan turned.
Feng Jun pointed at the militia.
"Your side… these people… are they actually trained artillery operators?"
Bai Yuan: "…"
Feng Jun: "You did not bring artillery operators, did you?"
Bai Yuan: "Well…"
Feng Jun went completely still.
Then slowly said.
"This is not good. This is extremely not good."