Luo Xi had long heard that Shi Jian's private army was sustained by the wealth his so-called "uncle," Shi Laosi, earned from publishing books. Back then, when he had discussed it with Yansui Governor Chen Qiyu, the two of them had been filled with disbelief and awe—after all, who in this world could truly amass such wealth merely by writing books?
Yet Luo Xi had never imagined that he would encounter the true master behind Shi Laosi's fortune right here in Xi'an.
He fixed his gaze on Li Daoxuan's face, studying it carefully. The longer he looked, the stronger the sense of familiarity became. Suddenly, realization struck him like lightning.
"Ah? You—!" Luo Xi blurted out. "You're the one! The one whose likeness is embroidered on the chests of Shi Jian's soldiers!"
No wonder the face had felt familiar.
Only now did Luo Xi finally understand. Every soldier under Shi Jian bore this man's portrait stitched onto their uniform. Before, Luo Xi had never grasped its meaning. He had assumed it was some strange symbol or military custom.
But the truth was simple.
This man was the true patron.
Shi Laosi had grown rich through publishing because of him, and out of gratitude, had ordered his benefactor's image embroidered onto the soldiers' clothing—so that every man in the ranks would remember who fed them, armed them, and paid them.
Overwhelmed, Luo Xi's eyes instantly reddened. Without another word, he rushed forward and clutched Li Daoxuan's leg tightly.
"Esteemed Sir! Please, you must save my Luo family!"
"Enough, enough—stand up," Li Daoxuan said calmly. "There's no need to rush back just yet. The rebel army won't reach you so quickly. Remain here in Xi'an. Shi Jian's men will arrive soon."
Luo Xi felt as though a mountain had been lifted from his chest. Overjoyed, he repeatedly bowed. "Thank you! Thank you! May I ask how I should address you?"
"My surname is Li," Li Daoxuan replied. "Everyone calls me Master Li."
Meanwhile, in the capital, Shi Jian received an imperial appointment—he was promoted to Brigade General.
Emperor Zhu Youjian had always been generous to civil and military officials who rendered meritorious service in suppressing bandits. In earlier years, Hong Chengchou had leapt directly from Grain Intendant to Yansui Governor on the strength of his achievements.
Now, Shi Jian was experiencing a similar meteoric rise.
Zhu Youjian dismissed Brigade General Luo Xi from his post and, without hesitation, promoted Shi Jian in his stead. Along with the appointment came a detailed list of rebel leaders currently active in the region—names that had already appeared in earlier memorials.
Handing the list over, Zhu Youjian said earnestly, "These rebels crossed the river from northwestern Shanxi and have now returned to Shaanxi. I entrust this matter to you, my beloved Shi. Wipe them out completely, and you will not go unrewarded."
After reading through the list, Shi Jian could only smile bitterly.
At that moment, the Dao Xuan Tianzun, who had been standing near Dragon Gate Ferry, once again lowered his hand and descended from the mountaintop.
Shi Jian immediately stepped forward and saluted respectfully. "Greetings, Dao Xuan Tianzun. What are your instructions?"
Li Daoxuan explained the situation in detail—the Rebel King's advance toward the border of four provinces, and how Luo Xi's name could be used to mobilize the Gao Family Village Militia stationed there.
Shi Jian pondered briefly, then asked, "If this humble general personally goes to Shanyang County, what of Northern Shaanxi?"
"Split your forces," Li Daoxuan said without hesitation. "You will go to Northern Shaanxi to deal with the rebels who crossed the river. Have Zheng Gouzi lead a detachment to Shanyang County."
Shi Jian and Zheng Gouzi replied in unison, "As you command."
They immediately began organizing their troops.
Shi Jian took seven hundred seasoned veterans along with one thousand three hundred newly recruited soldiers and marched toward Northern Shaanxi.
Zheng Gouzi, meanwhile, was assigned the same number—seven hundred veterans and one thousand three hundred recruits—and ordered to proceed to Shanyang County.
Fortunately, the recent movie screenings had proven extremely effective. Young men from Gao Family Village had flocked to enlist, eager and enthusiastic. Manpower was no longer scarce. Otherwise, splitting the forces would have been impossible, and they might even have needed reinforcements from Shanxi.
Zheng Gouzi led his two thousand men onto the train. Along the way, the soldiers ate hot pot, sang songs, and joked loudly. Before they even realized it, they had arrived in Xi'an.
The moment Zheng Gouzi stepped off the train, he spotted a familiar figure waiting on the platform.
His face lit up instantly.
"Flat Rabbit!" he shouted.
Flat Rabbit burst into laughter. "Doggy!"
The two charged toward each other and—thud!—simultaneously punched each other in the stomach. Both men doubled over in pain, curling up like cooked shrimp as they groaned for quite some time.
Once the pain subsided, they struggled back to their feet, laughing heartily.
"Old friend," Zheng Gouzi said, "long time no see!"
Flat Rabbit grinned. "I heard you're leading troops to Shanyang to fight the rebels."
"That's right," Zheng Gouzi replied.
"Hehehe," Flat Rabbit chuckled. "The Dao Xuan Tianzun has graciously allowed me to go along. That's why I've been waiting here for you. With this Flat Rabbit joining the army, we could face a hundred thousand enemies without fear, hahahaha!"
Zheng Gouzi was genuinely delighted—but his words came out differently. "With you coming along, our combat strength will drop by a hundred thousand men!"
They both burst into laughter again.
Zheng Gouzi then asked, "If you leave Xi'an, who'll manage the businesses here?"
Flat Rabbit waved his hand casually. "Of course Wang Tang—Old Wang's adopted son. That kid's getting more capable by the day. To be honest, all I do is cause trouble. He handles everything else."
Zheng Gouzi laughed. "That's true. You're an uneducated illiterate who knows nothing. I never understood why the Dao Xuan Tianzun put you in charge of Xi'an's businesses."
Flat Rabbit guffawed loudly. "That's because this Flat Rabbit is a great hero, you see! With sleeves clean as the wind, I walk through a garden of desires and emerge unstained. This Flat Rabbit can suppress all evil influences in Xi'an City!"
"All you do is talk big," Zheng Gouzi scoffed.
As they joked, Wang Tang—who had accompanied Flat Rabbit—thought silently to himself:
Flat Rabbit isn't just boasting this time. He really can resist corruption. If he hadn't taught me that lesson back then, I might have already fallen into bribery and rot.
Wang Tang stepped forward and clasped his hands respectfully. "Flat Rabbit, Uncle Doggy, I wish you both a smooth journey and swift victory. You can safely leave Xi'an Prefecture to me."
Zheng Gouzi frowned. "Hold on—something's wrong with that. How did I suddenly drop a generation? He's 'Master,' and I'm 'Uncle'?"
Wang Tang quickly explained, "The 'Master' in Flat Rabbit's name is just part of his title, not a generational rank. Even the Dao Xuan Tianzun sometimes calls him Flat Rabbit."
Zheng Gouzi wiped his brow nervously. "That won't do. From now on, you'll call me Master Doggy."
Wang Tang laughed. "Alright, alright—Master Flat Rabbit, Master Doggy. Please rest assured and set out."
The two old friends, truly delighted to see one another again, wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders and walked out of the train station together.
Waiting outside were Wu Shen, Shi Kefa, and Luo Xi.
Luo Xi, who already knew Zheng Gouzi, was overjoyed. "Brother Zheng! You've finally arrived!"
Zheng Gouzi clasped his hands politely. "Brigade General Luo."
Luo Xi looked embarrassed. "Don't call me that anymore. I've been dismissed—now I'm just a commoner. Call me Brother Luo."
Zheng Gouzi nodded. "General Shi bears imperial orders to suppress the rebels in Northern Shaanxi. He dispatched me to assist you."
"I understand," Luo Xi said quietly. "Without a Ministry of War transfer order, he can't move freely. He can only send his private soldiers."
Lowering his voice, Luo Xi asked anxiously, "Brother Zheng… how many men did you bring? A thousand? Five hundred? Please don't tell me it's only two or three hundred…"
Zheng Gouzi smiled and gestured behind him. "Look at the train."
Luo Xi turned—and his breath caught.
Soldiers were pouring out of every single carriage. All were armed with flintlock rifles. Their numbers seemed endless, filling the entire platform.
For the first time in a long while, Luo Xi felt genuine hope.