A vast number of soldiers were crossing the Xiaolangdi Yellow River Bridge.
Bai Yuan stood at the southern end of the bridge, watching as the armies led by Xing Honglang, Lao Nanfeng, and Bai Mao slowly approached him. The wind lifted the hem of his white robes, yet his posture remained relaxed.
He smiled faintly. "It's been a long time, you three."
Xing Honglang returned the smile. "Indeed, Master Bai, it has been years. Though we are separated by nothing more than a river, with one stationed in Hedong Circuit and another in Luoyang, we have not actually met in person for quite some time."
Lao Nanfeng let out a hearty laugh. "We have all been busy, have we not? If it were not for these wretched bandits stirring up trouble everywhere, we might never have gathered like this."
Bai Mao glanced toward the bridge and said in a steady tone, "This time, Dao Xuan Tianzun has ordered all of us to leave our officially appointed posts. In truth, this is no different from abandoning our positions to launch an attack. It seems he has no intention of showing the imperial court any deference."
Bai Yuan flicked open his folding fan with a crisp snap, revealing the two bold characters for "Gentleman." His eyes gleamed with conviction.
"A gentleman upholds righteousness above all else. Suppressing these wandering bandits will spare countless commoners from suffering. At a time like this, why concern ourselves with the crumbling court? Once we have completely crushed these rebels, we can settle accounts with the imperial court properly."
As he spoke, a subtle light flashed in the eyes of the other three men. For reasons they did not voice aloud, they seemed even more interested in confronting the imperial court than in dealing with the rebels.
At that moment, a thunderous rumble of hooves echoed from the northern end of the bridge.
Xing Honglang's eyes lit up. "Is Zao Ying here?"
Bai Yuan shook his head. "No. Zao Ying will not be able to join us yet. Her child with Zheng Daniu was only recently born. This is the time when her maternal instincts are strongest. It would not be appropriate for her to go to the battlefield, and Dao Xuan Tianzun would not allow it. He would never let her return home with the scent of blood still on her while nursing her child."
"Then who is it?" Xing Honglang paused briefly before realization dawned. "Lao Huihui has arrived."
Sure enough, a large contingent of heavy armored cavalry appeared at the northern bridgehead.
Both riders and horses were fully clad in heavy armor.
This was Dao Xuan Tianzun's extraordinarily enhanced armor, forged from aluminum alloy.
Originally, Dao Xuan Tianzun had not intended to grant such overwhelming advantages to the land forces. However, after considering that the navy had already received similar blessings, he decided it would be unfair to leave the army behind. They were all his people, and he believed in being impartial with his favor.
Thus, aluminum alloy armor made its appearance on the battlefield.
The material weighed only thirty percent as much as iron, yet it remained remarkably durable. Once equipped, the heavy cavalry not only retained their defensive strength but also gained astonishing speed and agility.
Lao Huihui rode forward and halted before Bai Yuan and the others. He cupped his fist in greeting but said nothing more. He was never one for unnecessary words. He simply stood there, radiating quiet authority.
Bai Yuan surveyed the gathered forces and declared, "With this, our Northern Route Army is complete. Excellent. We depart."
The Xiaolangdi militia, the Puzhou militia, the Hedong Circuit militia, and Lao Huihui's heavy armored cavalry combined into a formidable force of over twenty thousand soldiers.
When they reached the walls of Luoyang, two more armies were already prepared to move.
One was a force of government troops organized by Fan Shangzheng, the Governor of Henan. Although they were nominally imperial soldiers, in practice they were not much different from the Gao Family Village Militia, aside from slightly inferior equipment.
The other army consisted of reformed rebels under Gao Jie.
These men, along with Gao Jie himself, had attended daily classes and undergone continuous ideological reform. After several years of education and transformation, their political awareness was finally deemed satisfactory. The supervising commissar gave his approval, allowing them to participate in this campaign.
With the addition of these two forces, the Northern Army's strength approached thirty five thousand.
It was clear that this would become the principal force in the decisive battle for the Central Plains.
Meanwhile, in Sichuan, Cheng Xu was advancing on two fronts, both by land and by water.
One route was led personally by Cheng Xu, accompanied by Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu. They traveled along the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges with hundreds of small boats carrying the Gao Family Village Militia toward Wuchang.
The other route was led by Flat Rabbit, who marched alongside Zheng Gouzi, Jiang Daliang, and newly recruited Sichuan troops. They followed the ancient official road that ran parallel to the Yangtze River, steadily making their way out of central Sichuan.
A scout rode up and saluted. "Report. We have reached the easternmost boundary marker of Kuizhou. Once we cross this marker, we will have officially left Sichuan."
Flat Rabbit immediately stiffened.
"I have heard," he declared solemnly, "that no rabbit can ever leave Sichuan alive. Today, this Rabbit Master will prove that saying wrong."
The soldiers nearby cast strange looks at him, as if questioning his sanity.
Flat Rabbit paid them no mind. As long as he did not feel embarrassed, it was impossible for anyone else to embarrass him.
He waved off his personal guards and walked alone toward the boundary marker, sword in hand.
Just as he was about to step forward, a large gray rabbit burst out from the tall grass in panic and ran straight into the boundary marker with a heavy thud, dying on the spot.
The entire group fell silent.
Flat Rabbit froze mid step. "No way. Is it truly that cursed?"
An uneasy feeling spread among the soldiers. The omen was far from reassuring.
Flat Rabbit swallowed and glanced left and right, confirming that no enemies were lurking nearby.
"Impossible," he muttered. "You think you can scare this Rabbit Master? Not a chance."
Gathering his courage, he leaped decisively.
Both of his feet landed firmly on the other side of the boundary marker. He was now officially outside Sichuan.
He threw back his head and laughed loudly. "This Rabbit Master has left Sichuan alive. From now on, who dares to say that no rabbit can ever leave Sichuan alive?"
The words had barely left his mouth when a figure suddenly sprang out from the tall grass and shouted, "Die, rabbit!"
Flat Rabbit nearly jumped out of his skin. He did not even have time to draw his blade. Grabbing his ancestral sword together with its sheath, he swung it down forcefully and shouted, "Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword!"
A loud crack rang out.
The figure who had leaped from the grass was struck squarely on the forehead by the sheath and tumbled backward with a cry of pain.
Flat Rabbit stared in shock. "Gouzi?"
It was Zheng Gouzi.
He lay on the ground, clutching the swelling lump on his forehead and glaring angrily. "Rabbit, you are ruthless. I was just playing a prank, and you struck me with your sword so hard. You even used your ultimate move."
Flat Rabbit snapped back, "That was an excessive prank. You nearly scared this rabbit's soul out of his body."
Zheng Gouzi snorted. "If it does not scare the soul out of someone, what is the point of a prank? You have to frighten someone out of their wits for it to be worthwhile."
Flat Rabbit paused and considered that logic seriously. "When you put it that way, it actually makes sense."
Zheng Gouzi laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "In any case, we are out of Sichuan. Let us go deal with the Eight Great Kings."
Flat Rabbit grinned broadly. "Let's go."