Chapter 111: Will Never Admit It
Sacred Monday, Fourth Update
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The moment Gao Yiye heard the Heavenly Lord's decree, she also arrived, breathless, before San Shier and the Shaoxing scribe. She had run quite fast, her breath still uneven, and now she bent at the waist, hands on her knees, panting heavily.
The Shaoxing scribe fixed his gaze upon her. "Why, isn't that... Madam Li?" he thought, bewildered. "And why is she carrying such a large bow on her back?"
Gao Yiye wasn't wearing the finest clothes in the village that day, but neither was she dressed in coarse, rough hemp. Li Daoxuan had provided cotton on several occasions, and the village women had diligently spun and woven a great deal of cotton fabric. From this, they had fashioned not only numerous sets of cotton armor but also many comfortable cotton garments.
Gao Yiye was currently clad in a rather form-fitting, azure cotton outfit—pure cotton, a luxury no one in this era would have recognized as free from synthetic blends. While the ensemble might have appeared a bit simple for her esteemed role as "Madam Li," it nonetheless prevented anyone from instantly perceiving her as someone of low standing.
The Shaoxing scribe stared at Gao Yiye, utterly dumbfounded. "Madam Li?" he mumbled.
Gao Yiye, hearing him address her as Madam Li, was startled as she remembered the role she was supposed to play. She instantly switched to "dignified mode." Her panting ceased, her hands left her knees, and her back straightened instantly. She held herself rigidly, not a muscle twitching, as if frozen in a painting. Only a trickle of sweat, slowly sliding down her temple, betrayed that the "painting" hadn't truly come to a halt.
The Shaoxing scribe began, "That arrow just now..."
The Shaoxing scribe mused inwardly, *But you're carrying such a large bow on your back...*
Gao Yiye tilted her head back, feigning an air of indifference, and pretended not to understand the Shaoxing scribe's suspicious gaze.
The matter of that arrow? She would never admit it, not even if it killed her.
Otherwise, people would think the Heavenly Lord's Saintess, Madam Li, was just a mischievous girl. And then both the Heavenly Lord and Master Li, his earthly incarnation, would simultaneously lose face.
The Shaoxing scribe's ability to read people was first-rate. Seeing her determined "never to admit it" expression, he quickly dropped the topic, casting it to the winds, and started anew. "Ahem, Madam Li, so graceful and beautiful, capable in both literary arts and martial skills—truly, Master Li is blessed. You've arrived at just the right moment. I've been dispatched by His Honor, the Magistrate, to the Li household to borrow some weapons to combat the bandits. I hope, Madam..."
Gao Yiye dared not speak at length, fearing she might betray her lack of formal education.
She leaned close to San Shier's ear and whispered, "The Heavenly Lord has commanded that we lend him five hundred longbows. They're already piled in the courtyard in front of the watchtower; you take him there to retrieve them."
San Shier smiled. "Understood!"
"Then I'll take my leave," Gao Yiye stated.
With that, she completely ignored the Shaoxing scribe, turned on her heel, and walked away, projecting an air of immense pride, as if she didn't consider him worth her attention.
The Shaoxing scribe dared not take offense. He'd been told by His Honor, the Magistrate, that this woman came from an illustrious family, having encountered high officials and noble personages more times than he could count. Forget a mere scribe like him; she didn't even afford the magistrate much regard.
The scribe cupped his hands and bowed slightly, respectfully seeing Madam Li off.
Only after Gao Yiye was well out of earshot did San Shier smile faintly and say, "Madam just mentioned that our Li family can lend out five hundred longbows."
The scribe's face lit up with joy. "Truly?"
"Follow me," San Shier instructed.
He led the scribe through several passages and courtyards until they reached the watchtower. In the courtyard before it, they found a massive pile of longbows, all fine quality, each with limbs many feet long, considerably larger than the light bows carried by hunters.
The only peculiar thing was the bows' strange material and their vibrant, almost garish, colors.
San Shier, long accustomed to the Heavenly Lord's divine gifts, was not surprised in the least. The Heavenly Lord frequently bestowed colorful, even gaudy, divine objects—rainbow-hued city walls, brightly-colored catapults, flamboyant ballistas, and even the houses for the labor reform prisoners were vibrant and flashy. Once one got used to it, it ceased to be strange.
But the Shaoxing scribe's mouth fell open in astonishment. "Huh? These bows... why are they painted like this?"
San Shier, quick-witted, replied, "Our Madam particularly loves archery, but she dislikes ugly bows. They simply *must* be painted in vibrant colors to please her. Didn't you notice just now? The bow she was carrying on her back was also emerald green."
The Shaoxing scribe's eyes widened in sudden realization. *Ah, powerful families truly are something else! Even the Madam's playthings are so extravagant. Five hundred longbows, all painted like this for a woman to play with—it's nothing short of scandalous waste!*
"Since that is the case, I will call for civilian laborers to transport these bows away," the Shaoxing scribe declared, clasping his hands. "The Li family has repeatedly come to our aid; His Honor, the Magistrate, will surely not forget your benevolence."
San Shier also clasped his hands, speaking with utmost seriousness. "Please, you must guard the county town diligently. Do not let those bandits break in."
The scribe returned the gesture. "That goes without saying. We will certainly defend it with our lives."
"And be sure to protect the City God Temple!" San Shier added.
A perplexed frown slowly creased the scribe's brow. He looked utterly baffled.
San Shier realized his slip of the tongue and quickly recovered. "The Chengcheng County City God Temple, built during the Tang Dynasty, has been damaged countless times. I truly cannot bear to see it ravaged by war once more, which is why I urge you to protect it. This is called 'cherishing a treasured possession.'"
The scribe shook his head with a sigh. "Even if the rebels are utterly lawless, they wouldn't go as far as to set fire to a Daoist temple. The gods are watching from above; what people do, heaven sees. Rest assured, San Shier, the City God Temple will be fine."
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Meanwhile, on Huanglong Mountain.
A small squad of bandit soldiers slid down the slope, coming to a halt on a large rock overlooking Bai Family Fortress below.
Bai Family Fortress stood quietly, bathed in the scorching sunlight.
After a few assessing glances, one bandit chuckled. "This Bai Family Fortress is sturdier than an ordinary local manor, but it's nothing remarkable. Its walls are short and thin; we can breach them with a single strike."
Another bandit pointed. "Look closely, there are some huge objects on the walls of Bai Family Fortress, covered with black cloth. I can't tell what they are. And look, there are more behind the walls too."
"Can't tell what it is," the first bandit muttered, "but it's huge."
The bandit who had been scouting earlier scoffed. "What else could it be? It's just a gentry's family fortress. Even if those black cloths are hiding a large number of rolling logs and thunder-stones, they don't have enough men to actually hurl them at us."
"You're right! They're likely just typical defensive supplies, such as rolling logs and thunder-stones."
"Count the heads inside," urged the second bandit.
"I've already counted," the scout replied. "There are fewer than ten sentries visible in the open. From their clothes, a few are Bai Family Fortress's retainers, and the others are wearing official military uniforms. Cheng Xu, the Chengcheng County military inspector, should be stationed within the fortress."
"Cheng Xu is a coward, not worth worrying about. His hundred-plus soldiers will flee at the first sign of battle. So, in this fortress, there are at most one or two hundred local militia—nothing to fear."
"Go back and inform our Big Brother!"
"Time for a big haul!"
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