Chapter 200: We Don't Rob Good People
Bai Yuan carried a large bundle of "Middle School Mathematics," a complete set of six volumes.
This time, there were six fewer Heavenly Books, but with a casual flip, Bai Yuan found himself dizzy and bewildered. The difficulty of these six volumes surpassed the previous twelve by more than a little, so he wisely refrained from boastfully asking for more.
Carefully stowing the six mathematics volumes, he mounted his horse.
His accompanying house guards also swung into their saddles, following alongside the Solar Cars.
Several Solar Cars rumbled to life.
Leading the procession was, of course, the formidable Solar Car Number Three, a large cargo truck. Behind it were two bus-type Solar Cars, transporting over a hundred militia soldiers.
The caravan, a mix of vehicles and horses, set off towards Bai Family Fortress.
The initial stretch of road outside Gao Family Village was relatively good, allowing the vehicles to pick up some speed. However, further from the village, the road deteriorated, forcing all Solar Cars to slow to less than 30 kilometers per hour, crawling forward at a snail's pace.
Bai Yuan noticed the new masked militia instructor sitting atop the large cargo truck beside him and couldn't resist striking up a conversation: "Is your surname He? Instructor He?"
Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "Instructor He, which village did you instruct in before? I keep feeling your figure looks familiar, but I can't quite place where I've seen you."
Cheng Xu replied, "I'm from He Family Village, nestled in a small valley at the southernmost tip of Chengcheng County."
Bai Yuan brightened. "Oh, oh, oh, Instructor He from He Family Village? I remember now! We chatted in the county town. I recall it very clearly."
Cheng Xu was speechless for a moment. *You remember that clearly?* he thought, longing to deliver a punch right to the center of his smug face.
Bai Yuan continued, "The last time I visited Gao Family Village, there was no militia. I never imagined that in just a few months, the militia would be so well-organized and capable. It seems Instructor He is truly skilled."
Cheng Xu scoffed, "Pah! Mere trifle. It's all thanks to the abundant supplies provided by the Heavenly Lord that the militia has become so formidable. If it were in the past... *cough*..."
He quickly stopped himself!
He could only think these thoughts internally. In the past, when the imperial court didn't issue pay, training his hundred ragtag soldiers was an utterly grueling task.
Soon, Bai Family Fortress came into view.
Bai Yuan galloped ahead into the fortress, immediately instructing his people to unload the supplies. Divine catapults and Giant Crossbow Vehicles were swiftly set up, and the divine building block missiles were quickly assembled. The entire Bai Family Fortress buzzed with an atmosphere of fervent activity.
Cheng Xu pointed to a large pile of surplus hand crossbows, long spears, and waist sabers on the vehicle, telling Bai Yuan, "These are extra provisions the Heavenly Lord instructed us to prepare. Your militia should make good use of them too. Armor will also be provided later, but we don't have enough quantities just yet."
Bai Yuan was overjoyed, promptly bowing towards the sky. "Many thanks to the Heavenly Lord."
Various weapons, along with rice, flour, oil, and salt, were moved into Bai Family Fortress in massive quantities.
With this, Bai Family Fortress's presence grew immensely.
Bai Yuan, too, was filled with confidence. Ever since receiving the Heavenly Lord's protection, his Bai Family Fortress seemed utterly secure, no matter how he looked at it.
Let the bandits come!
Deep within Huanglong Mountain.
Dian Dengzi Zhao Sheng, captain of Bu Zhan Ni's Second Company, led over three thousand men, struggling through the dense forest.
Zhao Sheng had been truly unlucky. He was merely reading by lamplight in the Petroleum Temple when he was falsely accused of planning a rebellion. It was only thanks to his usual good nature, always helping his fellow villagers, that he had a strong foundation of popular support. Just as the bailiffs were about to seize him, a crowd of common folk surged forward, killing the bailiffs and rescuing him.
The villagers then unanimously elected Zhao Sheng as their leader, raising the banner of rebellion.
Zhao Sheng, who had always aspired to pass the imperial examinations and become an official, was now "forced onto Mount Liang," with no choice but to become an outlaw.
To be an outlaw meant adopting a bandit alias, so as not to implicate his clan.
Since Zhao Sheng had been falsely accused of rebellion while lighting lamps, he named himself "Dian Dengzi" (Lamp Lighter).
The common folk had saved him, so he naturally couldn't abandon them. He led three thousand villagers from Qingjian County, fleeing south.
Not long after, he rendezvoused with Bu Zhan Ni.
As a "newcomer to the rebellion," Zhao Sheng knew nothing of banditry. Upon meeting an old hand in the rebel world, he immediately sought a powerful patron.
Bu Zhan Ni was delighted to have a scholar join his ranks and integrated Dian Dengzi into his army, appointing him as the captain of the Second Company.
Bu Zhan Ni then adopted a strategy of dispersed raids for "foraging." His seven captains scattered in seven different directions.
The First Company captain headed towards Fengyuan Town.
The Second Company captain, Dian Dengzi, ventured into Huanglong Mountain.
As for the other five companies, they caused havoc in Luochuan County and Yijun County.
Zhao Sheng was exhausted!
He was merely a frail scholar, not some fierce bandit chief. After trudging dozens of miles through Huanglong Mountain, he felt utterly wretched. He could only ask the villagers around him, "Brothers, where are we now?"
"We're on the southern ridge of Huanglong Mountain," a hunter reported. "Crossing over from here will take us into Chengcheng County."
Zhao Sheng said, "Finally entering inhabited areas? That's wonderful! We should be able to find food now."
A villager leaned in close and whispered, "Mr. Zhao, once we enter Chengcheng County, are we going to rob everyone we see, like Bu Zhan Ni?"
At this question, Zhao Sheng's face darkened.
He didn't want to rob!
He wasn't a ruthless bandit; he was a scholar, and a good, honest man renowned throughout Qingjian County for his kindness, often helping villagers write letters, read official proclamations, and never taking anything that wasn't his.
He wasn't so vicious as to want to rob everyone he encountered.
But...
The villagers who had fled with him all the way from Qingjian County had run out of food. What could he do?
He had a responsibility to these people!
Zhao Sheng decided to deliver a speech. He chose a tall, slippery rock and began to climb, but the stone was too large and slick. He nearly fell several times before finally reaching the top. He couldn't help but think, *Being a bandit leader isn't easy; just climbing to a high spot to address all your men is exhausting.*
Standing on the rock, he cleared his throat. "Fellow villagers, I have something I must tell you all. We are very hungry now; we have no food. But we cannot rob everyone we see, especially the poor folk in small mountain villages. They are people just like us. How can we bear to kill them and steal their food?"
Silence fell upon the crowd.
Zhao Sheng continued, "We are not bad people; we are good people forced to rebel by bad people. Therefore, we cannot turn our blades on other good people. When we enter Chengcheng County, we will only rob the truly wicked rich."
A villager asked, "How will we know if a rich person is wicked or not?"
Zhao Sheng tilted his head, considering for a long time, then sighed. "I will go and speak with them. After a few sentences, I will generally be able to tell if they are good or bad."
"Report!"
A swift-footed hunter returned from the front. "Mr. Zhao, Chengcheng County is at the foot of the mountain ahead. There's a Bai Family Fortress there; it looks like a wealthy household."
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