"Gao Yiye."
At Li Daoxuan's call, Gao Yiye immediately raised her head in reverence and looked toward the sky.
From above, Li Daoxuan could clearly see her face. Her features were delicate and refined, and her cheeks carried a natural rosy flush that made her look lively and full of warmth. She was undeniably beautiful, yet she stood barely a centimeter tall inside the box, making the contrast between her appearance and her size strangely surreal.
He cleared his throat softly.
His thoughts had begun drifting somewhere inappropriate.
Refocusing himself, Li Daoxuan gave his order.
"Have Gao Chuwu go to the county town. He must find San Shier and ask him to help recruit several skilled craftsmen to return to Gao Family Village."
Gao Yiye nodded at once and quickly relayed the command.
Gao Chuwu was summoned over, and after receiving the instructions, he and the three young men who had accompanied him on the previous trip wasted no time. They ate a full meal, packed dry rations and water, and soon departed toward Chengcheng County.
With that matter handled, Li Daoxuan turned his attention to the Lego bricks beside him.
He intended to construct a defensive wall for Gao Family Village.
There was no need for elaborate architecture. He simply connected the bricks one by one, forming a long, continuous structure, then carefully lowered the completed section into the sandbox. He positioned it around the perimeter of Gao Family Village, enclosing the settlement within its boundaries.
Below, the villagers were still scattered about, gathering firewood and tending to their daily tasks.
Then suddenly, the sound of thunder echoed through the air.
The ground trembled violently.
Startled, the villagers looked up, and what they saw left them frozen in disbelief.
Massive, multicolored structures descended slowly from the heavens.
They fell with overwhelming presence, landing firmly upon the earth and surrounding the entire village in moments. Piece by piece, they formed an immense circular barrier, leaving only a single open archway that served as an entrance.
The wall stood two zhang tall, towering over every building in the village, and its thickness was equally formidable. Yet its surface was unlike stone or earth. Its material was smooth and strangely artificial, almost as though it could be cut open with a blade.
Voices erupted everywhere.
"What is this?"
"When did Gao Family Village become Gao Family City?"
"This wall looks so strange!"
"It's the color of a rainbow!"
Excitement and awe spread through the crowd.
Gao Yiye quickly climbed to the top using the protruding brick ridges as footholds. Standing at the highest point above the gate, she raised her voice so that everyone could hear.
"This is a city wall bestowed upon us by the Tianzun."
Her voice carried both authority and devotion.
"In the days ahead, bandits may come. The Tianzun has commanded us to build a wooden gate to seal this entrance and to assign guards in rotating shifts. If enemies attack, we will defend ourselves with weapons and armor."
The villagers immediately knelt or bowed deeply.
"We obey the Tianzun's command."
Li Daoxuan watched silently as they sprang into action.
Several villagers took up axes and began cutting down trees nearby. Their methods were crude but effective. They felled trunks as thick as an arm, trimmed away the branches, and laid the logs side by side. Straw ropes were wound tightly around them, binding them into a sturdy wooden gate.
At the same time, under the village chief's supervision, shifts were assigned to ensure the wall remained guarded at all hours.
Soon, two villagers stood atop the gate with bows and arrows taken from defeated bandits. They maintained serious expressions as they gazed outward, their posture stiff but determined, clearly imitating the sentries of a real fortress.
It was primitive, but it was enough.
Now Gao Family Village possessed at least a basic level of defense.
As long as they kept the gate closed and refused entry, bandits would struggle to break through. And if danger arose, they only needed to endure long enough for Li Daoxuan to intervene.
All that remained was to hope Gao Chuwu would succeed in bringing back craftsmen.
Meanwhile, outside the county yamen of Chengcheng County.
San Shier had changed into a clean scholar's robe, his appearance neat and respectable. He stepped forward and cupped his hands politely toward the guard at the gate.
Before he could speak, the guard cut him off coldly.
"The Magistrate has given orders. If you come, you are not to be allowed inside under any circumstances."
San Shier smiled calmly.
"I am not here to see the Magistrate."
The guard frowned.
"Then why are you here?"
"I merely wish to ask whether anything important has happened recently," San Shier replied smoothly. "When I served as strategist here, I treated you fairly. Surely sharing a small piece of news would not be excessive. This would simply be repaying kindness with kindness."
The guard hesitated.
Although San Shier had an annoying habit of ending his sentences with elegant idioms, he had indeed been a decent man who treated others well.
After a moment, the guard lowered his voice.
"I'll tell you this much. Two days ago, the Magistrate sent several teams to collect grain taxes from nearby villages. You opposed it at the time, and he dismissed you because of it. You remember that, don't you?"
San Shier nodded.
"I remember it as though it were carved into my bones."
The guard continued.
"The teams went to Gao Family Village, Zhengjia Village, and Wangjia Village. The team sent to Gao Family Village returned empty-handed. They did not bring back a single grain."
San Shier was not surprised.
With the Tianzun protecting them, collecting taxes there would have been impossible.
The guard went on.
"The team sent to Zhengjia Village collected only a small amount, far below the required quota. But the team sent to Wangjia Village was different."
He paused briefly.
"They beat the villagers severely, then burned down an abandoned shack to intimidate them. Under cover of night, they forced their way into homes and seized the villagers' seed grain as tax."
San Shier's expression changed instantly.
"Seed grain?"
His voice rose in alarm.
"You took their seed grain?"
His hands trembled slightly.
"That is the grain they must plant next season. Without it, they cannot grow crops. Haven't you heard the saying, 'Starve one's parents, never eat seed grain'? Taking that is an act against Heaven itself."
The guard shrugged indifferently.
"What does that have to do with us? The court is pressuring the Magistrate. If taxes cannot be collected, he suffers. And if he suffers, all of us suffer."
San Shier's face grew pale.
"It's over," he whispered. "Wangjia Village will revolt."
The guard scoffed.
"They're just villagers. What courage would they have to rebel?"
San Shier did not argue further.
He turned and hurried away.
When he reached home, he immediately gathered his wife, children, servants, and maids.
"Pack everything," he said urgently. "We are leaving the county town at once."
His wife stared at him in shock.
"Leaving? Why?"
San Shier spoke quickly.
"There has been drought for three years. The people are already starving, yet the Magistrate has seized their seed grain. This will inevitably lead to disaster. If we remain here, we will be caught in it."
His wife frowned.
"Even if villagers rebel, they would become bandits at worst. They would not dare attack the county town."
San Shier leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"You do not understand. Wangjia Village is not ordinary. There is a man there named Wang Er."
He paused briefly.
"Wang Er came from Baishui County and is widely known for his strength and reputation. With a staff in hand, dozens of men cannot approach him. His influence among nearby villages is immense."
San Shier's voice grew heavy.
"If Wang Er raises the banner of rebellion, countless desperate people will follow him. When that happens, Chengcheng County and all surrounding regions will fall into chaos."
He looked toward the distance, unease filling his eyes.
"I will not stand beneath a collapsing wall."
He turned back firmly.
"I am no longer a county official. There is nothing keeping us here. We leave immediately."