Wang Er of Baishui led hundreds of desperate villagers in a furious charge toward Chengcheng County.
The two elderly soldiers guarding the city gates froze in terror the moment they saw the blackened faces and crude weapons of the approaching mob.
Under the Ming Dynasty's military farming system, Chengcheng County's actual garrison was not stationed within the county seat itself. Instead, the soldiers were posted more than ten miles away at a guard station, where they spent most of their time tending fields rather than training for battle. Reinforcements would never arrive in time.
Two aging gate guards against hundreds of starving rebels was not a battle. It was suicide.
Without hesitation, the two veterans scrambled into a roadside ditch. With practiced efficiency born from long years of survival, they stripped off their military uniforms and hid them beneath the dirt. When they climbed back out, they were no longer soldiers, but merely two frail, harmless old men.
By the time Wang Er and his followers reached the gates, there was no one left to stop them.
The rebels flooded into the county seat like a broken dam.
Panic spread instantly through the streets. Terrified residents slammed their doors shut and hid inside their homes, praying that the storm would pass them by.
Wang Er had no interest in ordinary townsfolk.
His target was clear.
He led his men straight toward the county yamen.
Only after the rebels had passed did a disheveled figure emerge cautiously from a narrow alleyway nearby.
It was San Shier.
He glanced left and right along the deserted street, his heart pounding, before sprinting toward the artisan quarter.
Earlier, after Gao Chuwu had escorted his wife and daughter to safety, San Shier had been preparing to seek out a blacksmith when the sound of distant battle cries erupted beyond the city walls.
Wang Er had truly rebelled.
San Shier immediately removed his long scholar's robe and changed into the coarse clothing of a household servant. He deliberately disheveled his hair and dirtied his face, transforming himself into the appearance of a weary, impoverished beggar. Only then did he dare leave his home, slipping cautiously through narrow alleys until he saw Wang Er and his rebel army storm past on the main road, their murderous intent unmistakable.
Once they were gone, San Shier forced himself to calm down and continued toward his destination.
Before long, he arrived at Artisan Street.
This part of the county was dark, narrow, and foul-smelling. Dilapidated houses leaned against each other, and open sewage ran through shallow gutters along the roadside.
Everyone who lived here belonged to the artisan class.
Blacksmiths. Carpenters. Potters.
People who worked endlessly, yet remained trapped in poverty.
After steadying himself, San Shier stepped forward and knocked on a wooden door.
Inside, the blacksmith was trembling in fear.
He had already heard the chaos outside. When the knocking came, his heart nearly stopped. He feared it might be rebels coming to kill him.
He remained frozen in silence.
Only when he heard San Shier's familiar voice whisper softly from outside did he finally gather the courage to open the door.
"Master San?"
The blacksmith stared at him in shock.
"Why are you dressed like this?"
San Shier quickly slipped inside and shut the door behind him.
"Hush," he whispered urgently. "The rebels have entered the city."
The blacksmith sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping.
San Shier lowered his voice further.
"Do not worry. Their target is the county magistrate and the officials. They will kill the magistrate, the registrar, and the yamen runners. After that, they will loot the granaries and wealthy households. They will not reach this street immediately."
The blacksmith nodded nervously.
"Then why have you come, Master San?"
San Shier looked directly at him.
"Li Da," he said calmly, "you are the finest blacksmith in Chengcheng County. You have forged weapons and armor for military officers, yet none of the officials here have ever treated you with respect. Only I have recognized your true talent."
Li Da lowered his head modestly.
It was true.
Despite his exceptional skill, he remained nothing more than an artisan.
Under the rigid social hierarchy of the Ming Dynasty, artisans ranked below commoners. No matter how talented he was, he would never receive honor or opportunity.
San Shier continued.
"I know you have always wished to escape this life."
He leaned closer.
"I can offer you that chance."
Li Da looked up in surprise.
"Come with me," San Shier said. "Serve a great and wealthy lord as his personal blacksmith."
Li Da's eyes widened.
"A great lord?"
He hesitated.
"But I am bound to the artisan registry. If I flee, the government will hunt me down."
San Shier gestured toward the chaos outside.
"The city is in rebellion. If you disappear now, everyone will assume you died in the riots. No one will search for you."
His voice softened.
"If you serve this lord well, he may even help you obtain a new household registration. You could reclaim your freedom and become a commoner once more."
Those words struck deep into Li Da's heart.
For generations, his family had been trapped in artisan status, ever since an ancestor had been captured in war and forced into service. Their descendants inherited that fate, unable to escape.
He himself remained unmarried, unable to secure a proper future.
But now…
Hope appeared.
Real hope.
"Can this truly happen?" Li Da asked quietly.
San Shier nodded firmly.
"I give you my word."
Li Da clenched his fists.
Then he nodded.
"I will go with you."
San Shier nearly laughed with joy.
At last, he had secured a blacksmith for the Tianzun.
This was far better than serving a corrupt magistrate.
Without wasting another moment, he grabbed Li Da's arm and led him outside.
The city was still engulfed in chaos. Battle cries echoed from the direction of the county yamen and wealthy estates. Screams filled the air, and smoke rose into the sky.
San Shier did not dare look back.
He knew what was happening.
He also knew he could do nothing to stop it.
All he could do was move forward.
The two men ran through the streets until they reached the city gates.
No guards remained.
Freedom lay before them.
As Li Da stepped beyond the gates, he felt as though invisible chains had finally fallen away from his body.
For the first time in his life, he was no longer a prisoner of his birth.
He was free.
And ahead of him awaited a destiny he could never have imagined.