"What?"
"The Wuguan Pass garrison fled?"
Lian Guoshi, newly appointed Governor and still buried in the routine of settling accounts and reviewing documents in Xi'an Prefecture, felt a chill surge straight up his spine the moment he heard the report. The brush in his hand froze mid-stroke.
"Wuguan Pass is only three hundred li from Xi'an," he said sharply. "Mobilize immediately! If we move fast, we might still make it in time."
He raised his voice.
"What forces are currently available in Xi'an?"
His aide answered without delay. "Xi'an has four guard units: Left, Right, Front, and Rear. Five hundred men of the Left Guard are attached to the Prince of Qin's Residence and cannot be moved. The remaining three guards are under your authority and can be mobilized."
Lian Guoshi did not hesitate.
He immediately ordered the Right, Front, and Rear Guard garrisons of Xi'an to assemble. Adding his own household guards and a hastily gathered group of local militia volunteers, he personally led the column toward Wuguan Pass.
But they had not gone far when an unease crept into Lian Guoshi's heart.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The three guard units looked nothing like soldiers.
They were farmers in armor.
Their stances were loose, their armor sat crooked on their bodies, and their formations dissolved the moment the column slowed. When a few men tried to brandish spears or sabers, their movements were stiff and awkward, as if they had never practiced beyond a ceremonial drill.
Not one of them looked capable of standing firm in battle.
Lian Guoshi's heart sank.
But he had no choice.
Wuguan Pass absolutely could not be lost—
Before he could finish the thought, a shout tore through the air.
"The rebel army has arrived!"
Five of Luo Xi's household guards came sprinting back through the pass at full speed.
"Close the gates! Close the gates now!"
"We're the last scout party—there's no one else outside! Shut the gates immediately!"
The quiet of Wuguan Pass shattered at once.
Gongs thundered from the watchtowers, their sharp metallic echoes rolling through the ravines. Gate guards heaved at the winches, chains clanking as the massive wooden gates began to descend inch by inch.
Militia soldiers who had been resting sprang up and rushed for the walls, each man moving to positions that had already been assigned days earlier.
Even Li Daoxuan—who had been "resting" in his carriage—pushed open the door and jumped down with light steps.
"Oh," he said cheerfully, glancing toward the eastern road, "excellent timing. Is the fight about to start?"
Zheng Gouzi hurried over. "Dao Xuan Tianzun, the rebel troops will arrive any moment."
"Hm." Li Daoxuan waved a hand casually. "You handle your duties. Don't mind me."
He followed his long-held principle: never issue commands without understanding the battlefield. As long as he did not interfere, the Gao Family Village Militia knew exactly what to do.
The deployment was completed swiftly and methodically.
Not long after, movement appeared on the eastern road.
At first it was just shadows.
Then figures.
Then a tide.
The rebel army did not trickle in—it surged forward like a flood, darkening the land as far as the eye could see.
At the front of their formation, two large banners snapped violently in the wind.
One read: Sweeping King.
The other: Stars-A-Plenty.
Li Daoxuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Well now," he said with interest, "new faces. We haven't met these two before, have we?"
Flat Rabbit glanced at the banners and chuckled. "Reporting to Dao Xuan Tianzun—definitely new. We've never fought them."
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Good. Then let's give them a proper introduction."
"Make them afraid."
"Make them cry."
"Make them regret ever setting foot in Shaanxi."
Sweeping King and Stars-A-Plenty were only the vanguard.
The two shared a single guiding philosophy in life:
Always be the fastest.
Fastest to seize spoils.
Fastest to retreat when things went bad.
That way, the gains were theirs—and survival was guaranteed.
So when the Dashing General finalized the strategy to march west through Wuguan Pass and re-enter Shaanxi, the two volunteered without hesitation to lead the advance.
Sweeping King squinted toward the distant pass. "That's Wuguan Pass ahead. A strategic choke point. The imperial garrison should be formidable, don't you think?"
Stars-A-Plenty burst out laughing. "Formidable? I sent scouts long ago. The guards there are useless trash. They probably fled already—hahaha!"
But before his laughter faded, he saw it.
The gates of Wuguan Pass were tightly shut.
The walls were manned.
Figures stood shoulder to shoulder atop the ramparts—no fewer than a thousand defenders at a glance.
Stars-A-Plenty's expression stiffened.
"This is troublesome," he muttered. "The terrain here is terrible—two ravines squeezing the pass. Just looking at it gives me a headache. If they hadn't defended it, that would've been ideal. But if they're holding firm, this won't be easy."
Sweeping King snorted. "What strength do mere garrison troops have? As long as Hong Chengchou doesn't show up, it doesn't matter who's inside. We'll smash this rotten pass with one charge and open the Shangluo Road."
Stars-A-Plenty laughed again. "True. Garrison troops are worthless."
Sweeping King nodded. "Still, let's test them first. Send someone to call at the gate. Maybe a few words will scare them into running."
Calling at the gate was an old tactic.
Against weak defenders, a loud challenge could shatter morale without spilling blood.
Sweeping King immediately selected a sharp-tongued subordinate known as Bold King and sent him forward.
Bold King rode his horse slowly up to the gates, lifted his head, and shouted toward the walls:
"Who commands this pass? Our Great Brother has words for you!"
On the wall, Luo Xi glanced nervously at Zheng Gouzi.
Zheng Gouzi smiled. "General Luo, we're here to support you. Naturally, you're the one defending the pass."
Luo Xi froze. "Me? But I… I lack virtue and ability…"
Li Daoxuan laughed softly. "You're the one. Go on."
With his hidden patron speaking, Luo Xi had no way out.
He gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and shouted from the battlements:
"I am the commander of this pass. Speak."
Bold King sneered. "And who are you?"
"Brigadier General—cough—former Brigadier General, Luo Xi!"
The word former made the title sting.
Bold King laughed openly. "So you're a disgraced officer? Lost your post suppressing bandits, did you?"
Luo Xi bristled. "That is none of your concern! Say what you came to say!"
Bold King's gaze flicked across the walls. "So these are your household guards and militia? Hahaha! You think these shrimp soldiers and crab generals can stop us?"
His tone hardened suddenly.
"Do you know who we are? We serve Sweeping King and Stars-A-Plenty, vanguard generals under the Great Chuang Wang! Our lord commands two hundred and fifty thousand troops!"
"Two hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Your tiny Wuguan Pass could be flattened with a flick of his hand!"
Luo Xi's face went pale.
He had known the rebels were numerous—but not this numerous. His voice wavered.
"You… you're lying…"
Behind him, Li Daoxuan chuckled quietly.
"General Luo," he said mildly, "two hundred and fifty thousand is a large number. But only a few thousand can attack this pass at once. What is there to fear?"
Luo Xi blinked.
Then his eyes lit up.
"That's right!"
He leaned forward and shouted back, confidence surging.
"What good are numbers? Only a few thousand can fight here at a time. Why should I fear you?"
Bold King looked genuinely surprised.
"Oh? Some backbone after all. But are your militias as brave as you?"
He suddenly raised his voice, letting it echo along the walls.
"Listen up! Are you really willing to die for these landlords and gentry? Are you fed? Are you clothed?"
"Come join the Dashing General! Leave the darkness and embrace the light! Glory, wealth, full bellies—it's not too late!"
The words rolled across the ramparts.
The challenge had been cast.
And the real test of Wuguan Pass was about to begin.