Jiang Daliang stood off to one side, watching as the Gao Family Village Militia methodically and thoroughly thrashed Wang Wen and his men.
He did not cheer.
He did not laugh aloud.
But inside, something that had been suppressed for years burst into bright, reckless joy.
For so long, Wang Wen had strutted across the docks like a petty king. His eighty percent cut had crushed countless families. His men swaggered, shoved, cursed, beat people over small disputes.
And now he was the one being beaten.
Soon Wang Wen's sharp, panicked voice tore through the dock.
"Where is the militia? Come help! Get rid of these bastards!"
At that shout, Jiang Daliang instinctively turned his face away.
On the city wall, the hired militiamen who had been conscripted by Wang Wen all pretended not to hear.
Those who were less skilled at pretending simply fled in the opposite direction, shouting loudly as they ran, "The rebels might attack at any moment. We must guard the North Gate!"
Wang Wen's face twisted in rage.
"Fine. Fine. You want to play it like this? Just you wait. All of you. Just you wait!"
Clutching his bleeding nose, he staggered away, then broke into a run, disappearing down the street like a dog kicked out of its own yard.
Cheng Xu watched him go.
He lifted a hand and extended a single finger toward Wang Wen's retreating back, then turned cheerfully to the dockworkers.
"Everyone, come move the cargo. You will receive your wages directly from me. That Wang fellow is finished here."
The dockworkers erupted into delighted cries.
"Coming!"
"Right away!"
Even Jiang Daliang dropped his spear. The other workers followed suit, abandoning their pikes and rushing toward the ships.
This time, when they worked, their movements felt different.
There was no heaviness in their shoulders.
There was no bitterness tightening their jaws.
They carried sacks of grain, crates of goods, baskets of supplies.
And when they finished each load, they were paid in full.
No eighty percent cut.
No deductions.
No excuses.
When Jiang Daliang received his silver, he stared at it for a long moment.
This was the first time in his life, from childhood until now, that he had ever received his full wage.
For some reason, the river seemed brighter.
The wind felt cleaner.
Even Jiangbei City behind him no longer looked like a cage.
After hesitating for a while, he quietly approached Cheng Xu.
"Instructor… I have something to tell you."
Cheng Xu raised an eyebrow.
Jiang Daliang lowered his voice.
"This Wang fellow has connections. With officials. He has people backing him."
Cheng Xu smiled calmly.
"What a coincidence. We also have people backing us. And ours are stronger. Even the Prefect of Chongqing speaks to us politely. We are not concerned about Wang Wen."
Relief flashed across Jiang Daliang's face, but it did not last.
"There is more," he whispered. "Wang Wen also has the local ruffians at Tieshan Ping supporting him."
"Local ruffians?" Cheng Xu frowned. "What are those?"
Jiang Daliang explained quickly.
"They are local bandits. Ruthless. Cruel. Anyone who offends Wang Wen ends up dead. Their bodies are thrown into the river. You must be careful."
Cheng Xu's expression grew serious.
"So that is how it is."
Seeing that look, Jiang Daliang assumed he had finally frightened him.
"Perhaps you should withdraw for now," he suggested softly.
Cheng Xu blinked at him.
"You misunderstand. I am not afraid."
Jiang Daliang stared.
Cheng Xu sighed lightly.
"I am only regretting that I did not kill him just now. I merely punched him. That was too merciful."
Jiang Daliang inhaled sharply.
Cheng Xu gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Thank you for the warning. Stay out of trouble for now. Once I deal with Wang Wen and these local ruffians, I will ensure the dockworkers receive proper justice."
Jiang Daliang walked away in a daze.
Where did this man's confidence come from?
Outsiders always underestimated local power.
Always.
They thought discipline alone was enough.
They did not understand how deeply rooted local tyrants could be.
He could only sigh and return to the city wall, picking up his spear once more.
But as he stood there, he could not help observing the newcomers carefully.
The Gao Family Village Militia set up tents neatly in an open area within the city. They did not seize houses. They did not displace residents.
They brought their own provisions. They did not extort food from the gentry. They did not pressure wealthy households for "donations."
When they purchased goods in the market, they paid properly. Every coin accounted for.
They did not swagger.
They did not shout at commoners.
Even some of Jiang Daliang's own militia comrades occasionally took food without paying, believing their status entitled them.
But these outsiders did not.
The masked instructor at their head was clearly a figure of importance. He had dared strike Wang Wen openly.
Yet he did not strut about as if he owned the city.
He smiled.
He spoke politely.
He moved among the people and asked about their lives.
When he saw impoverished families without food, he arranged for congee to be distributed on the streets.
Suddenly, the poorest residents of Jiangbei had something warm in their bowls.
Jiang Daliang's mind wavered.
Could there truly be good men among the powerful?
After all this…
Should he still open the gates for the rebels?
If the rebels came, they would not distinguish between tyrants and decent men.
They would slaughter.
And that masked instructor would likely be among the dead.
Jiang Daliang felt something unfamiliar twisting in his chest.
Hesitation.
---
Tieshan Ping was once the site of Shu's military barracks during the Three Kingdoms era.
Tieshan Ping guarded the river approach to Chongqing. Any warship coming from downstream had to pass this stretch before reaching Chaotianmen.
It was a place of immense strategic value.
During the Three Kingdoms era, the Shu Kingdom had constructed a large barracks here. In another lifetime, Li Daoxuan had visited this site as a tourist, where a towering statue of Zhao Yun stood proudly against the sky.
Now, however, the barracks housed something far less heroic.
Two thousand five hundred local ruffians.
These men had once survived by robbing passing merchants. But as chaos spread and trade dwindled, they turned inward.
If merchants no longer came, they would rob their own people.
They plundered villages.
They extorted travelers.
They killed without hesitation.
Their cruelty rivaled that of roving bandits.
Such men, so vicious toward their own region, were rare even in troubled times.
Inside the main hall of the barracks, Wang Wen stood clutching his swollen face, weeping theatrically.
"Brother Ma, I was beaten."
The leader of the local ruffians was Ma Qiang.
He was not tall, barely reaching one meter sixty five. But his presence was heavy. His eyes were sharp. His expression permanently fierce.
"Who dared hit you?" Ma Qiang growled. "Do they not know you are under my protection?"
Wang Wen sniffed loudly.
"A group of outsiders. They claim to be a militia from Shaanxi. About a thousand men. They say they came to suppress bandits in Sichuan."
Ma Qiang let out a cold laugh.
"A Shaanxi militia? Coming to Chongqing to throw their weight around? Who gave them such courage?"
Wang Wen pressed further.
"He not only beat me. He changed the rules at the dock. Silver no longer passes through my hands. And you have a share in that silver, Brother Ma. You must intervene."
Ma Qiang's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph. Even if you had not mentioned it, I would intervene. Acting like a boss on my territory? He does not know his place."
He barked an order.
"Send men to scout Jiangbei City. Learn everything about these Shaanxi people."
But before his command could fully settle in the air, a subordinate rushed in from outside, face pale.
Ma Qiang smirked.
"You returned quickly."
The subordinate swallowed.
"Big Brother… it is bad."
Ma Qiang's smile faded.
"What is it?"
"The militia has already attacked the foot of Tieshan Ping."
"They say they are here to wipe us out."