The White Pole Soldiers moved with astonishing speed once the order was given. What had been farmland moments ago transformed into a mobilization ground. Spears were lifted, sandals tightened, banners unfurled. The mountain itself seemed to awaken.
Zhao Sheng let out a long sigh.
"This does not look promising."
He lowered his head slightly. The embroidered image of Dao Xuan Tianzun stitched onto his chest seemed to gaze forward in silent contemplation, and Zhao Sheng could not help wondering whether fate itself had chosen this moment to test Sichuan.
So the rebels had finally entered.
Of all places.
Sichuan was never simple.
Mountains folded upon mountains, ethnic groups interwoven like tangled threads, valleys that could hide armies for months, minor factions sprouting like bamboo after rain. Governing such a land required more than strength. It required patience, and even then success was never guaranteed.
There was an old saying.
When chaos spreads across the realm, Sichuan falls first. When peace returns, Sichuan settles last.
Li Daoxuan spoke quietly to Zhao Sheng.
"Watch the situation closely. I will check in frequently over the next few days."
Zhao Sheng immediately bowed his head. "Understood, Dao Xuan Tianzun."
Li Daoxuan's mood, which only moments ago had revolved around the innocent ambition of petting a panda, dissolved like mist.
He shifted his vision.
Luoyang appeared calm by comparison. Gao Yiye stood amidst thousands of labor reform prisoners, supervising the construction of the New An Ancient Pottery Factory. Tents rose in neat rows. Supplies were distributed with efficiency. Order had replaced chaos.
He moved again.
Anqing Prefecture.
Shi Kefa stood at the front lines, directing the Gao Family Village Militia against Zhang Xianzhong's advancing forces. After looting Xuzhou, Zhang Xianzhong had pushed toward Anqing, hoping to ride momentum into further conquest.
He had not expected resistance this disciplined.
Shi Kefa repelled wave after wave of assault. The militia formations held firm. Flintlocks fired in steady rhythm. The rebels failed to breach the defenses. Anqing still stood.
Li Daoxuan shifted north.
Near Changping, Wang Er, Bai Mao, and Ma Shouying were locked in fierce combat against a Qing detachment. Civilian evacuation took priority. Wang Er and Bai Mao coordinated flintlock volleys while shielding retreating families.
The Qing forces advanced behind massive shield carts, thick wooden barriers reinforced to absorb musket fire. They endured the barrage and pressed forward with grim determination.
Then Ma Shouying's Iron Cavalry Battalion burst from the flank.
At their appearance, the Gao Family Village flintlock troops ceased fire instantly. The cavalry thundered forward, slamming into the shield cart formation. Wood splintered. Formation collapsed. Confusion erupted.
Once the cavalry completed their charge and broke through, Wang Er and Bai Mao resumed firing.
Without shield protection, the Qing soldiers faltered. Musket balls tore through exposed ranks. The line disintegrated.
After surveying these fronts, Li Daoxuan felt a heaviness settle into his chest.
The empire was cracking everywhere at once. Rebellion here. Invasion there. Defense after defense stretched thin.
With the realm in such disarray, frustration coiled inside him.
He needed an outlet.
They said eating was the simplest cure for melancholy.
Perhaps a grand seafood feast would help.
His perspective leaped toward his water combat specialized Dao Xuan Tianzun avatar.
The moment the view shifted, a thunderous shout pierced his ears.
"Level One Combat Readiness!"
Li Daoxuan paused.
The avatar stood on a rolling deck.
Cannons were loaded.
Sails strained.
This was no peaceful seaside indulgence.
A colossal naval engagement was about to erupt.
At the center of the sea stood Liu Xiang's pirate fleet, more than a hundred ships packed densely together, masts crowding the horizon.
To the south, Zheng Zhilong commanded over two hundred warships. Among them loomed a massive Western three masted galleon, roughly forty meters long, likely seized from European pirates.
To the north, over forty warships of Gao Family Village formed a disciplined line under Jiang Cheng and Shi Lang.
The sea held its breath.
Li Daoxuan had arrived at the precise instant before chaos.
He felt something stir inside him.
"Well. This will do."
He leaped onto the bow and shouted at full volume.
"Do not conserve ammunition. Full firepower. Blast them!"
The sailors froze for a heartbeat.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun has arrived!"
Excitement rippled through the fleet.
"The Lord commands personally!"
"Brothers, give it everything!"
"Full firepower!"
The Gao Family Village ships rotated in unison, presenting their broadsides. Wooden gunport covers flipped open one after another, revealing rows of polished stainless steel cannon barrels gleaming under the sun.
"Fire!"
Fuses were lit. Gunners covered their ears and braced.
The sea exploded.
Cannonballs roared across the water. Solid shot smashed through hulls. Explosive shells burst into splinters and flame. Planks shattered. Water columns shot skyward. Pirates screamed as decks disintegrated beneath them.
Smoke rolled across the waves.
Li Daoxuan exhaled slowly.
"There is truly nothing like a broadside to clear the mind."
Liu Xiang needed only a single volley to understand the disparity. Charging Gao Family Village head on would be suicide.
He roared, "Break through to Zheng Zhilong's fleet! Engage at close quarters! If those Zhoushan ships fear hitting allies, they will not fire!"
The pirate fleet surged forward.
Zheng Zhilong did not retreat. His ships moved to meet them.
Hull struck hull. Grappling hooks flew. Boarding planks slammed into place. Swords rang. Muskets fired at near point blank range. The sea battle dissolved into savage melee.
Li Daoxuan frowned.
"This ruins my artillery therapy."
Without hesitation, he dove overboard.
The splash disappeared beneath cannon smoke.
From the deck, Gao sailors leaned over the railing and saw Dao Xuan Tianzun slicing through the water like a silver fish, propellers on his feet spinning at high speed.
He darted beneath the battlefield.
Ahead, a pirate who had fallen overboard swam stealthily toward the underside of a Zheng ship, dagger clenched between his teeth, intending sabotage.
The pirate sensed something and turned.
What he saw defied comprehension.
A figure moved underwater with mechanical precision, utterly unlike any human swimmer.
He inhaled sharply and swallowed seawater.
Before he could react, Li Daoxuan raised his right arm.
With a sharp mechanical whir, a harpoon shot forward and embedded in the pirate's back.
Blood blossomed red in blue water. The body convulsed twice, then drifted.
The harpoon retracted.
Li Daoxuan pushed the corpse aside and continued forward.
Above him, chaos raged. Flintlock shots cracked. Arrows pierced the surface. Men screamed and fell into the sea.
Whenever a pirate splashed down, Li Daoxuan hunted them.
Whenever a sailor from Zheng's fleet fell and still struggled to breathe, Li Daoxuan surfaced beneath them and thrust them upward toward safety.
The sea churned with violence.
His limbs stretched. His mind sharpened.
In this brutal dance of steel and saltwater, frustration finally found release.