Houjia Village had never witnessed such chaos in all its years.
The women and children were still crammed inside the stone houses, hugging their knees, too frightened to step outside.
In the span of less than an hour, their emotions had been flung up and down like a broken pulley.
When Li Daoxuan first appeared and rescued them, they had finally dared to breathe again.
Then he had braced himself against the door alone, holding off more than a hundred bandits battering it from outside—and their hearts leapt straight back into their throats.
When the White Pole Soldiers charged in and drove off Yuejian Fei, they relaxed once more.
Only to be immediately surrounded by an even larger wave of bandits.
Fear returned, sharper than before.
Then reinforcements arrived.
Relief again.
Back and forth, over and over.
By now, even the strongest nerves would have snapped.
Yet through it all, one thing never changed.
No matter how the battle outside shifted, Li Daoxuan never moved from the doorway.
He stood there calmly, his back facing the women inside the house, like a human wall. Just a silhouette—but somehow, it carried an indescribable sense of security.
"Don't be afraid," Li Daoxuan said softly. "It's over now. Everything has passed."
The women froze.
"…Huh?"
They didn't cheer. Instead, they crept closer behind him, cautiously peeking past his shoulders.
Only then did they see it.
The fighting was truly over.
Beyond the village perimeter, government troops stood in orderly ranks. Armor glinted. Weapons were sheathed.
A small group of commanders, each accompanied by only a few attendants, began walking toward the village.
Fear crept back in immediately.
"Government soldiers…" one woman whispered. "They're often bad people too."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "Don't be afraid. These are good soldiers."
The women hesitated. "Are there… really such things as good soldiers?"
Li Daoxuan replied calmly, "You can't paint everyone with the same brush. Yes, many soldiers are corrupt—but even in mud, white lotuses can grow. Armies like the Qi Family Army, or the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers, are examples of genuine righteousness."
They didn't fully understand his reasoning.
Yet somehow, they believed him.
As if to prove his words, Li Daoxuan didn't step aside. He stayed at the doorway, unmoving.
Soon, Cheng Xu, Xing Honglang, Gao Chuwu, Shi Jian, Bai Mao, Wang Er, and the others arrived in turn. Each cupped their fists respectfully.
"Reporting to Dao Xuan Tianzun," they said in unison. "The strategic mission has been completed."
Only Lao Nanfeng looked miserable.
He stepped forward, head lowered. "Dao Xuan Tianzun… this subordinate failed your trust. I was unable to capture the bandit chief Zijing Liang."
Li Daoxuan laughed. "It's fine. You did well—exceptionally well. Later, I'll get you two new concert videos. Dozens of new songs."
Lao Nanfeng's eyes lit up instantly.
Now that was a reward worth its weight in gold.
He could copy the celestial maidens' songs and dances, hire singers to perform them, sell tickets, rake in tips—
Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
Glorious.
Zhang Fengyi entered from the outer perimeter, cupped her fists, and spoke, "Mr. Xiao—ah!"
She glanced around, saw there were no outsiders, and quickly corrected herself.
"Mr. Li. It turns out you had already arranged for so many subordinates to come to our rescue. If not for you, I was ninety percent certain I would have died today."
Li Daoxuan waved it off. "A small matter. Not worth mentioning."
"A life-saving grace is hardly a small matter," Zhang Fengyi said solemnly. "I, Zhang Fengyi, owe you a debt—and the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers owe you an even greater one. This kindness will be repaid."
Li Daoxuan didn't pursue the topic. Instead, he looked toward the northeast, brows slightly furrowed.
"These roaming bandits are troublesome. Even with such a wide net cast, Zijing Liang still escaped."
The generals nodded inwardly.
Roaming bandits truly are a scourge.
Defeating them was easy.
Wiping them out completely?
That was another matter entirely.
Zhang Fengyi frowned. "I've been thinking about this for a year now. We keep winning battles, yet we never eradicate them. Is it truly impossible to wipe them out?"
Li Daoxuan replied, "Roaming bandits aren't just a military problem. They're a social one."
Zhang Fengyi blinked. "?"
"To eliminate them," Li Daoxuan continued, "you must cleanse the soil that breeds them. Cutting weeds at the surface does nothing. You must dig out the roots."
Zhang Fengyi's eyes widened slightly. "You mean…"
"Only when the common people are well-fed, warmly clothed, and free from despair will banditry truly vanish."
Silence fell.
The idea sounded simple.
Yet everyone present knew how impossibly difficult it was.
Li Daoxuan turned to Cheng Xu. "Instructor He, draft a few memorials to the court. Praise Xing Honglang, Lao Nanfeng, Shi Jian, and Wang Xiaohua. See if we can get their ranks raised."
Then he looked back at Zhang Fengyi. "General Zhang, you should write one as well. Instructor He's prose might not suit your standards."
Zhang Fengyi laughed and shook her head. "How could it not? I'm a crude soldier—writing is far beyond me. Instructor He's work will surely be better."
She would regret those words in less than an hour.
After reading Cheng Xu's memorial, Zhang Fengyi felt her scalp go numb.
"Your humble servant, Lao Nanfeng, led one thousand troops from Puzhou, advancing northeast. Southwest of Qinzhou, we encountered the two-hundred-thousand-strong bandit army of Zijing Liang. Though outnumbered, this servant felt not a trace of fear…"
Zhang Fengyi stared.
Two hundred thousand?
"…The bandits divided into four armies of fifty thousand, attacking from all directions. This servant calmly planted his spear, drew his bow, and fired in every direction…"
Her lips twitched.
"Firing more than fifty arrows in succession, each struck down an enemy chieftain. One arrow slew Yuejian Fei, another Qing Bei Lang, another Jin Gang Zuan, another Yunzhong Shou…"
"Wait," Zhang Fengyi shouted. "What in heaven's name is this nonsense?!"
"…After personally slaying over fifty bandit leaders, the enemy collapsed. This servant then charged Zijing Liang's banner, dueling him for over two hundred rounds while sustaining three grievous wounds…"
Zhang Fengyi nearly screamed.
"…Summoning divine might, I pierced Zijing Liang's shoulder. Alas, due to my injuries, I could not pursue him further."
"Aaaaaaargh! Give me a pen!" Zhang Fengyi roared. "I'll write my own memorial!"
Li Daoxuan watched, thoroughly entertained.
Ah, Zhang Fengyi… still too green. You'll get used to this sort of shamelessness with time.
Zhang Fengyi picked up the pen, determined to write the truth.
Then she hesitated.
If I'm too honest… wouldn't I expose Instructor He's memorial as fabricated? What if that harms them instead?
She sighed deeply.
In the end, she wrote:
"The battle was chaotic. Your humble servant was trapped in a heavy encirclement and was rescued by Xing Honglang, Lao Nanfeng, Shi Jian, and Wang Xiaohua. I was unable to clearly observe the course of events and respectfully request His Majesty consult the memorials written by others."
She set down the pen.
…Let others write it.