Chapter 1038: What to Do About This Person?
Li Daoxuan felt reassured about the safety of the major cities in Shaanxi.
Key cities had organized militias. Furthermore, every factory boasted its own militia members, and their combat prowess was not to be underestimated. The battle at the Shanxi Steel Transport Factory years ago had proven their formidable capabilities.
However, the fate of the smaller villages remained uncertain.
Rural development always lagged behind; even in modern times, small villages struggled to keep pace with urban advancements, let alone during the Ming Dynasty.
Gao Family Village's civil officials hadn't yet acquired the means to extend the Heavenly Lord's blessings to every remote hamlet.
If these villages were to suffer attacks from roaming bandits, the consequences would be dire.
Li Daoxuan hastily adjusted the diorama box's perspective westward...
His expanded field of view now covered most of Shaanxi. If bandits infiltrated the province and threatened its people, he could directly intervene to help.
He rapidly pressed the north, south, east, and west directional buttons on the box.
Hmm?
Something was moving inside the box.
Li Daoxuan focused his gaze: it was a Qinling giant panda, clumsily climbing a tree.
“Holy crap, a miniature giant panda.”
Li Daoxuan was utterly captivated; he desperately wanted to take it out and keep it as a pet. But alas, living creatures couldn't enter or exit the box. Taking it out would kill it – how could he possibly bear to do that?
Wait, if it can't come out, I can go in.
Petting time! Petting time!
Li Daoxuan quickly grabbed a mass-produced Puppet Heavenly Lord figurine, gently placed it inside the box right next to the panda, and then, with a flash, "co-sensed" and jumped in.
The silicone figure stirred to life, opening its arms to the panda: “Come here, little one, let Uncle give you a pet...”
The panda, terrified by this strange apparition, its keen sense of smell informing it that this was no human, but rather a monster, lashed out. In a flash of colossal claws, *swish, swish, swish*, the Puppet Heavenly Lord was torn in two.
Li Daoxuan: “...”
Petting attempt failed.
Li Daoxuan resigned himself to not disturbing the adorable creature, continuing to move the perspective westward, searching... and searching. As the view swept across Shaanxi, a large group of tiny figures suddenly appeared in a small canyon within the box.
Li Daoxuan squinted, seeing the 'Chuang' character banners fluttering.
It was the Chuǎng Wang Gao Yingxiang's army!
Li Daoxuan recognized Gao Yingxiang; he had been present when the original forty-two Gao Family Village figures persuaded Gao Yingxiang at Gubei Crossing, even offering a few sarcastic remarks himself. He never expected to see Gao Yingxiang entering Shaanxi again so soon.
Li Daoxuan frowned: Trouble was brewing.
How should he deal with this man? Should he simply crush him with a divine palm strike? Gao Yiye would undoubtedly be heartbroken if she knew, and the original forty-two figures would also be deeply saddened. While they wouldn't blame the Heavenly Lord, they would surely fault themselves for failing to persuade him to change his ways back then.
But if he *didn't* crush him?
That wouldn't do either; it defied both law and reason.
As the supreme leader of the roaming bandits, Gao Yingxiang was partly responsible for all the crimes committed by his forces. Charging him with "war crimes" would be entirely justified, and the death penalty would be more than warranted.
Li Daoxuan felt a wave of frustration...
Indeed, it was challenging for humans to achieve "absolute impartial justice"; even a hint of emotion during enforcement could sway their judgment.
While he hesitated over how to deal with Gao Yingxiang, he continued to shift the box's perspective. His view soon moved ahead of Gao Yingxiang, to the exit of the mountain gorge, where a group of tiny figures was arrayed in ambush on the hillside.
Li Daoxuan immediately recognized them: this group of tiny figures were all his own people.
Sun Chuanting, Padi Tu, and Zheng Gouzi were among them, along with a large contingent of Yellow Pole Military Academy students and a sizable militia force.
Seeing this, a slight smile curved Li Daoxuan's lips. "Excellent!" he thought. "My people are already organizing to intercept Gao Yingxiang. It seems I won't have to rack my brain over this. Whether Gao Yingxiang lives or dies, whether he's condemned for war crimes, I'll leave it to fate."
"We'll see if he truly is destined by Heaven!"
The Chuǎng army, blissfully unaware, emerged from Sanyuan Gorge.
This path truly was excellent; the hunter hadn't lied. The mountain gorge bypassed Miaogou, cleverly skirting around Padi Tu's ambush, and easily led them to the rear of Miaogou.
Of course, though the Chuǎng Wang was lacking in true ability, he wasn't a fool. He remained wary of deception, sending scouts ahead to thoroughly check the gorge for any hidden ambushes.
The result, naturally, was nothing!
The scouts exited Sanyuan Gorge, saw no ambushes, and reported back with delight. Only then did the Chuǎng Wang lead his main force into the gorge.
Their passage was unimpeded; not a single government soldier stood in their way.
“Hahahaha, we're out!” Huang Long exclaimed, overjoyed. “We're now behind Miaogou, Chuǎng Wang brother! Let's have our men shout in unison toward the gorge.”
The Chuǎng Wang nodded, and under Huang Long's lead, the rebel troops all began to shout toward Miaogou: “Hahahaha! Padi Tu, your ambush in Miaogou is utterly useless now! We've already circled around behind you! Hahahahaha!”
It was a truly satisfying boast.
The Chuǎng Wang felt a surge of smugness.
However, his smugness lasted less than three seconds...
When, on the hillside just outside the mouth of Sanyuan Gorge, a vast array of heads suddenly appeared.
The Tongguan defenders had made their move.
The uncompromising *bang, bang, bang* of flintlock rifles erupted, as black *hand grenades* rained down from the hillside.
The Chuǎng army had just emerged from Sanyuan Gorge, their formations still disoriented, when they were struck by such an ambush. Who could possibly withstand that? In an instant, the Chuǎng army was routed, scattered in disarray.
The panicked troops frantically tried to retreat the way they came, seeking refuge back inside Sanyuan Gorge.
But who was Sun Chuanting? He wouldn't leave such a glaring flaw for them to exploit, would he?
The Yellow Pole Military Academy recruits had long anticipated this. Mechanisms on the hillside were triggered, and massive boulders, prepared in advance, came thundering down from the cliffs on both sides of Sanyuan Gorge. With a deafening rumble of earth and stone, the gorge floor was instantly sealed, trapping the Chuǎng army.
Gao Yingxiang drew his sword and looked around, realizing he was utterly trapped. His subordinates screamed and cried all around him, unable to even lay a hand on an enemy soldier, merely huddling, weeping, as flintlock fire rained down on them from all sides of the valley.
Gao Yingxiang cried out, “Impossible! This simply cannot be happening. I am clearly destined by Heaven; whenever I face hardship, the heavens themselves should aid me! As the saying goes, 'Heaven never seals off all paths.' Something *different* must happen now. It *must*!”
No sooner had he uttered these words than a gunshot echoed from the distant hillside.
“Bang!”
Gao Yingxiang felt a searing pain in his shoulder. He looked down to see a gaping hole blasted through his armor by a flintlock, blood gushing forth.
Gao Yingxiang shrieked and toppled backward.
The last image he saw before losing consciousness was Liu Zhe flying through the air, propelled by an enemy *hand grenade*, only to land as a lifeless corpse. Nearby, Huang Long huddled, clutching his head, trembling uncontrollably.
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