Chapter 453: Are We Afraid of Officials?

As soon as Li Zicheng started speaking, Bu Zhan Ni became displeased. “What can’t be done? Explain yourself.”

Li Zicheng replied, “That Xing Honglang’s strength is most peculiar. She’s clearly just a salt smuggler, yet for no discernible reason, she possesses ships, cannons, and firearms. Doesn’t that strike you as absurd? I suspect that woman has mysterious forces backing her. I suspect she’s no salt smuggler at all. Likely, she’s an official soldier disguised as one, setting a trap for us to walk into.”

Bu Zhan Ni retorted, “So what if it’s the officials? Are we afraid of them?”

Li Zicheng clarified, “I didn’t say ‘officials’, I said ‘official soldiers’. We aren’t afraid of the officials, but we should fear the soldiers.”

Bu Zhan Ni scoffed, “What’s so fearsome about government soldiers? Hmph! Just a mob of riffraff! Ever since we entered Shanxi from Shaanxi, we’ve rampaged unchecked, and those soldiers couldn’t do a thing to stop us. The General of Shanxi, Wang Guoliang, is utterly incompetent. Now, he only flees when he sees us.”

Just as the two men were discussing this, a scout rushed in. “Boss! Eighth Boss! Government soldiers are approaching! The forces of Wang Chengen, General of Shaanxi, have crossed the Longmen Ferry and are heading this way!”

Bu Zhan Ni sneered coldly. “Our old acquaintance, Wang Chengen? He ‘favored’ us plenty back in Shaanxi. Imagine this persistent specter has chased us all the way to Shanxi now.”

Li Zicheng’s brow furrowed deeply.

Bu Zhan Ni laughed heartily. “I feared Wang Chengen once, but now? Not at all! He went to the capital for a stint and returned empty-handed, with no achievements to his name. The court doesn’t send him provisions or pay. His soldiers are likely half-starved! Hahaha! I have fifty thousand men here. He has a mere few thousand hungry soldiers. The advantage is clearly mine!”

No. This man is not worth following either. I need to find a leader with a sound mind to serve.

Li Zicheng clasped his fists together and withdrew.

His nephew, Li Guo, was still waiting outside. Li Zicheng grabbed Li Guo’s arm. “It’s time for us to part ways with Bu Zhan Ni.”

Li Guo exclaimed, “Huh? Why?”

Li Zicheng stated, “He’s as good as dead too. Wang Chengen, the General of Shaanxi, has crossed the Yellow River into Shanxi. We need to leave immediately. Any slower, and we won’t escape.”

Li Guo was astonished. “Is Wang Chengen that powerful? Why so afraid of him?”

Li Zicheng said, “How capable he is, I don’t know. But I know his crossing the river signals something deeply serious.”

Li Guo looked utterly confused. “Uncle, why exactly? Teach me!”

Li Zicheng explained, “Military officers of the court cannot leave their jurisdiction arbitrarily. For Wang Chengen, the General of Shaanxi, to lead troops even a single step into Shanxi is a crime of rebellion. But now he’s here. That proves one thing… the Ministry of War must have ordered him here.”

“What’s the reason for the Ministry to summon him? Isn’t it obvious?” Li Zicheng laughed coldly. “Wang Jiayin declared himself king. He stomped on the court’s tail. The court must destroy him. So they called every soldier they could muster to Shanxi, laying a massive encirclement. They intend to sacrifice Wang Jiayin in their war rites.”

Only then did Li Guo grasp the situation. “Meaning… whoever runs slowest gets buried with Wang Jiayin!”

Li Zicheng nodded. “Go, go, go! Let’s hurry!”

The two hastily departed. Shortly after, the Old Eighth Team that had followed Li Zicheng all the way from Mizhi assembled in full formation. The group quietly slipped away from Bu Zhan Ni’s forces and headed north.

When Li Daoxuan next co-sensed with the cloth doll, it was several hours later. Wang Chengen’s troops had finished constructing a pontoon bridge, crossed the Yellow River, and finally entered Shanxi.

Seated on Shi Jian’s shoulder armor, Li Daoxuan glanced back at the Longmen Ferry behind him, unable to suppress another mental grumble: Never falling for scenic tourist spots again!

At that exact moment, a rider on horseback – a scout – galloped headlong from the front towards Wang Chengen. Reaching him, he reported loudly, “Report! The main force of the bandit Bu Zhan Ni has been sighted! Approximately forty thousand strong! They are currently encamped within Hejin County!”

A cold glint flashed in the corner of Wang Chengen’s eye. “Did they ravage Hejin County?”

“Yes!” the scout confirmed. “Hejin County has been breached! The county magistrate is dead! Innumerable civilians and soldiers lie dead or wounded within the walls, rivers of blood run! They even demolished the city walls themselves!”

Hearing this, anger welled up in everyone present.

Even Li Daoxuan, perched on Shi Jian’s armor, involuntarily clenched his fists in fury — Ah, wait, he remembered, a cloth doll has no fists! He could only squeeze his round, Doraemon-like hands instead.

Wang Chengen stated, “If they had walls to defend, it might pose some difficulty. But since they tore down the walls… we have nothing to fear. Order the entire army! Proceed immediately to Hejin County!”

The army mobilized and quickened its march.

The three thousand five hundred garrison soldiers they had scraped together from who-knows-where were utter rabble. Even the mere mention of battle sent them panicking, and their marching formations dissolved into chaos. However, Wang Chengen’s own elite contingent of one thousand five hundred were invigorated. They marched at a rapid pace, and within no time, the broken form of Hejin County appeared ahead.

Without its walls, the county resembled a peeled orange, left vulnerable for flies to feast upon. The horde of bandit troops were precisely those flies, swarming chaotically around the ruined city.

Wang Chengen thrust his riding whip forward. “Rout them!”

Without a word of bluster, the government soldiers surged straight into the attack.

To their surprise, Bu Zhan Ni displayed no fear. Fifty thousand bandit troops, freshly sated within the county town, against five thousand hungry soldiers — the advantage was clearly his! He saw no conceivable way to lose. Channeling a simple ‘F2A’ command, he ordered his force to counter-charge directly against Wang Chengen!

Shi Jian and White Cat both raised their weapons, ready to charge alongside the government troops.

But then Wang Chengen’s low voice cut through: “Command group! Hold position!”

This simple command froze both men in their tracks — Right! Though nominally Captains, their actual role placed them with Wang Chengen’s personal guard, remaining in the rear command group. They could only observe the battle alongside the General; they couldn’t go charging in recklessly.

Li Daoxuan, the cloth doll, was thus also confined to observing from the rear.

Truthfully, this was his first time witnessing actual government troops in combat, presenting an invaluable learning opportunity.

He watched as the government soldiers’ pikemen pressed forward relentlessly. From the gaps between the sword-and-shield men thrust forth a mass of spears. Further back, archers nocked arrows and loosed a fierce flurry of arrows into the bandit horde.

Arrows rained down from both sides. Yet, shielded by the front rank of swordsmen and shields, the bandits’ arrows proved largely ineffective. The government volleys, however, wreaked havoc on the bandit formation, throwing them into disarray. As the distance closed to seventy or eighty paces, dozens of Three-Eyed Divine Firearms suddenly emerged from the depths of the government lines — Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! A cacophony of explosions shattered the bandit ranks further into utter chaos.

Then, from both flanks, two swift cavalry units suddenly erupted. Though small in number — merely a hundred cavalry to each side — these two units striking from the wings simultaneously plunged the already reeling bandit troops into complete pandemonium. Precisely as they were thrown wildly off balance, the government phalanx arrived. Spears jabbed relentlessly forward — bandit troops fell dead and wounded in an instant.

Wang Chengen gripped his warhorse’s reins with his left hand and raised his spear high with his right. He shouted, “Command group! Advance now!”

Finishing his command, he spurred his horse forward, charging directly at the bandit army.

Shi Jian and White Cat exchanged a look, nodded, and charged forward with equal fervor.

Perched on Shi Jian’s shoulder armor, the Cloth Doll Deity struck a pose! He thrust one hand forward! “Charge!”

He lost his footing briefly, almost toppling off.