Chapter 116: I've Committed It All to Memory
Ninth Update for Sacred Monday
----
Young Master Bai had been foolishly amused watching the invisible giant hand assemble the building blocks in mid-air, completely failing to note how it was put together. Now, questioned about it, his face instantly flushed a deep crimson.
He was utterly mortified.
Madam Bai, standing nearby, fumed with irritation and gave her son a resounding slap on the head.
"The Heavenly Lord teaches you to use divine weapons, yet you neglect what you should learn and instead try to mimic Blacksmith Li banging on mechanisms! How did I give birth to such a foolish son?"
Young Master Bai clutched his face, daring not retort, and meekly endured the scolding.
Madam Bai demanded, "Why aren't you apologizing to the Heavenly Lord at once?"
Gao Yiye interjected, "No need, the Heavenly Lord says there's no need to apologize. He will demonstrate it for you again. This time, you must watch carefully."
Gao Yiye announced, "Alright, the Heavenly Lord is about to begin assembling it."
The building blocks once again soared into the air, merging and re-merging in mid-air, the crisp sounds of the blocks locking together echoing ceaselessly. Before long, the Block Missile was fully reassembled.
Li Daoxuan also reached out to the hillside, retrieving the eight cannon shells and inserting them back into the missile launcher.
Gao Yiye asked, "This time, have you clearly memorized it?"
Young Master Bai raised his head, excitement gleaming in his eyes, "Reporting to the Heavenly Lord, I have committed it all to memory."
"You learned it quite quickly," Gao Yiye relayed. "The Heavenly Lord praises your intelligence."
Young Master Bai showed no particular reaction, but Madam Bai beside him was overjoyed. "The Heavenly Lord praised my son's intelligence, hahahaha! My son received the Heavenly Lord's commendation, hahahaha..."
Later, whenever Madam Bai gossiped or boasted with other women, she would tell everyone, "My son once received praise from the Heavenly Lord, who called him intelligent." She boasted about this phrase for her entire life.
As Madam Bai cackled with wild delight, Gao Yiye addressed Young Master Bai, "Tomorrow morning, the Heavenly Lord will dispatch Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu, bringing three celestial missiles along with a large quantity of shells, to Bai Family Fortress. You will accompany them to teach your father how to assemble the celestial missiles."
Despite his young age, Young Master Bai's manners were impeccable. He bowed deeply to the empty air, "I shall reverently obey the Heavenly Lord's decree! Hmph, when it comes to the 'Rites' among the Six Arts, I follow my fath—"
"Smack!" Madam Bai gave him another resounding slap on the head. "Don't follow your father's example in this regard."
----
Early in the morning, Cheng Xu rose quite early.
He was writing a memorial to the throne. Although he was a military officer, he was literate. It was just that his literary flair wasn't as good as a civil official's. He wrote in plain, conversational language, keeping a running account that, while unpolished, could explain things clearly.
"Your humble servant led a hundred soldiers to defend Bai Family Fortress against the rebel army, mobilizing civilians to cut timber and construct siege weapons such as catapults and giant crossbows, and training the local militia. A few days later, the bandits indeed arrived, covering the land, numbering over six thousand. However, your humble servant felt not an ounce of fear, first using catapults and giant crossbows to crush the enemy's morale, then leading troops in a fierce charge, routing the bandits in a single strike. The bandits abandoned their armor and fled back into the Huanglong Mountains. Your humble servant pursued the fleeing bandits for over thirty li, slaughtering countless enemies. The bandits were utterly terrified and would never again dare to invade Chengcheng..."
He wrote with rising enthusiasm, his spirits soaring with self-congratulation.
With such a monumental achievement, promotion and wealth were surely within reach, hahahaha.
Just as he was reveling in his delight, the Deputy Inspector pushed open the door and entered, whispering, "General, we've received news brought down by the mountain hunters."
Cheng Xu said, "Oh? Tell me!"
The Deputy Inspector reported, "The hunters say that after Bu Zhan Ni of Luochuan retreated to Huanglong Mountain, he has once again joined forces with Wang Zuogua of Yichuan, and both armies are now advancing towards Bai Family Fortress."
Cheng Xu exclaimed, "Damn it!"
The brush in his hand clattered to the floor. He roared in fury, "Why? The bandits suffered such heavy losses in my Chengcheng County, they shouldn't dare to come again. They should head northeast, into Yichuan County, or west, to Luochuan County, that would be fine too. Why must they insist on coming to Chengcheng County? As long as they don't come here, it's none of my damn business!"
The Deputy Inspector murmured, "Over in Yichuan County, it is said a formidable individual is garrisoned there. Hong Chengchou, the Shaanxi Grain Intendant. Wang Zuogua was thoroughly beaten by him, left utterly disgraced, and dares not oppose him, dares not enter Yichuan County. And in Luochuan County, it is said there's also a very capable inspector; Bu Zhan Ni was chased into Huanglong Mountain by him. So... so..."
Cheng Xu's face darkened as he said, "So they're picking on the soft persimmon, aren't they? I, Cheng Xu, look easy to deal with, don't I?"
The Deputy Inspector was drenched in sweat.
Cheng Xu thundered, "Where do I look like a soft persimmon? Where, exactly, do I seem like one?"
The Deputy Inspector said, "Chief, let's not get angry now. Let's think about how to deal with these two bandits. Together, they command a fighting force of three thousand. With this small Bai Family Fortress, we ultimately cannot stand against them. We should just slip away."
Cheng Xu's heart pounded with panic. "I was already planning to slip away at any moment, and I'm not obligated to defend this Bai Family Fortress. But if these bandits absolutely refuse to go to Luochuan County or Yichuan County, after breaching Bai Family Fortress, they will certainly march directly into Chengcheng County, leaving the entire county seat in ruins. Where could I, the Chengcheng Inspector, possibly flee to then? I might escape the initial onslaught, but not the ultimate reckoning. Even if I miraculously escaped that as well, when the Emperor finally demands accountability, it would still be a crime of dereliction of duty. And with that Donglin Party magistrate filing another impeachment against me, my head would certainly not be safe."
Cheng Xu looked up, and suddenly saw the Deputy Inspector's face transform into his great-grandmother's, grinning at him, "My dear great-grandson, come keep your great-grandmother company."
"Ah!" He let out a loud cry, spun around, only to see another great-grandmother standing behind him, "My dear great-grandson, your great-grandmother is so lonely."
Cheng Xu shrieked, "Aaaah!"
He collapsed with a thud onto the desk, sweat pouring down him like rain. "I'm doomed, truly doomed this time."
Just then, the shouts of the Bai Family Fortress sentries rang out from outside, "Master! Master! Gao Chuwu is here again! He's brought us more things!"
Cheng Xu let out a sound of surprise, "Gao Chuwu, the fellow who brought us those strange catapults and giant crossbows—he's here again?"
His spirits lifted instantly, and he darted out of the room like an arrow.
Indeed, the enormous, strange vehicle was once again parked at the entrance of Bai Family Fortress. This time, it was also laden to the brim, still made of that peculiar material, neither metal, nor iron, nor stone, nor wood. Only this time, it was impossible to discern what the items were; they looked like a jumbled pile of useless blocks.
From the vehicle, a young man in white robes abruptly leaped down. He appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen, very young, with not a trace of fuzz on his lip. It was none other than Young Master Bai. He looked up and loudly called out to Bai Yuan, "Father, I'm back!"
Bai Yuan took one look and immediately panicked, "Eh? What are you doing back here? This place is dangerous; hurry back to Gao Family Village!"
Comments