Chapter 360: Demon-Slaying Tales of Dao Xuan Tian Zun, Episode 5
Bai Yuan lowered his voice. "It's more than just that. If Wang Jiayin's men spot you mid-skirmish and start bellowing, 'Wang Er, why are you fighting against us?', who knows how many on our side would hear your name. That would be disastrous."
It hit Wang Er like a bolt. He was the empire's most wanted rebel, a prime target for government forces wherever he went. If he were to join Gao Family Village, he would absolutely need to operate under an alias, ensuring they remained untroubled.
If those thousands in Heyang County heard his name, the news would spread like wildfire, leading to countless problems.
Wang Er took a piece of cloth, tied it over his face, then extended a hand. "Give me a Yellow Hat."
Bai Yuan frowned. "You should be wearing a White Hat."
Wang Er shook his head. "White Hats are for the scholars, Blue Hats for the engineers. Someone like me is fine with just a Yellow Hat."
Bai Yuan considered it, and found it hard to argue. So, he could only reluctantly agree to Wang Er wearing a Yellow Hat.
He donned a Yellow Hat and covered his face. Then, he instructed his hundred-plus villagers to do the same. With Yellow Hats and covered faces, they looked like common workers simply trying to keep dust out of their mouths and noses while on the job.
Meanwhile, Squire Zhang was busy mobilizing Heyang County's militia. Their gear was woefully inferior to Gao Family Village's; none had armor, and their weapons were a disorganized hodgepodge. Just then, they spotted the discarded Yellow Hats left behind by the thousand-plus laborers who had fled earlier.
So, the Heyang County militia all snatched up Yellow Hats to wear. These men wore no armor, only a ragtag assortment of clothing, and with the Yellow Hats on, they blended perfectly with Wang Er's group, utterly indistinguishable.
Wang Er finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was surely beyond recognition.
Li Daoxuan's view didn't extend to Qichuan Ferry, so he fixed his gaze upon the skies above Heyang County city instead.
A palpable unrest stirred within Heyang County city.
Rumors of roving bandits on the offensive sent the common folk into a panic. They didn't even know who these attackers were, yet the streets were filled with people darting haphazardly in every direction.
"Have you heard? The Magistrate has taken the militia to Qichuan Ferry."
"I hear a formidable force of bandits will land there."
"Do you know who it is?"
"I don't know," another replied, "It seems to be someone named Wang, but I hear they're even more fearsome than Fan Shan Yao."
"Good heavens, this is grave news!"
"Why go to Qichuan Ferry to block them? The Magistrate should be securing the county seat!"
"What utter hogwash! Only defend the county town? Are we to just abandon the countryside? If Qichuan can be held, then the entire Heyang County can be protected!"
A furious squabble erupted in the streets.
After briefly exchanging information through a volley of colorful insults, they all rushed to the southeastern corner of the county town, straining their eyes toward Qichuan.
But such gazing was absolutely pointless. Qichuan Ferry was over thirty *li* from the county town; how could they possibly see it? They could only simply gaze aimlessly.
Gao Yiye, San Shier, Qiu Ju, and Dong Xue—four individuals utterly incapable of combat—navigated through the chaotic throngs. Moving through such crowds felt quite dangerous, yet a peculiar, low-hanging cloud floated above their heads, a comforting presence.
Gao Yiye said, "These people don't know the Heavenly Lord is watching over them. They're thrown into disarray by the slightest whisper of bandits. Back in Gao Family Village, it wouldn't be like this."
San Shier replied, "Precisely. That's why we need to bring our comic books, Daoqing operas, and other stories here as quickly as possible. It's time for the Heavenly Lord's name to resonate across Heyang County."
A thought struck San Shier. "Saintess, how far along are you with your 'Demon-Slaying Tales of Dao Xuan Tian Zun'?"
Gao Yiye grinned. "I'm working on Episode 5!"
His curiosity piqued instantly. "What's this episode about?"
Gao Yiye launched into the tale: "In this episode, the Moon Goddess falls for the Heavenly Lord! But Marshal Tian Peng, consumed by jealousy, decided to accost the Moon Goddess. The Heavenly Lord was furious, defeated Marshal Tian Peng, and captured him, handing him over to the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor then banished Marshal Tian Peng to the mortal realm, where he was transformed into Zhu Bajie..."
"Pfft!" San Shier almost choked on his tea.
Outside the box, Li Daoxuan was happily munching on an old-fashioned fluffy cake. Hearing this, he was dumbfounded. "A 'demonic' rewrite of *Journey to the West*?" he mused. "Inserting strange plots into *Journey to the West*? What kind of horrifying fanfiction is this?" His hand involuntarily clenched, mashing the cake to crumbs. Crumbs, pulverized by his grip, rained down from above...
"Oh no!" Li Daoxuan quickly reached out to catch the cake crumbs, but he was no true deity; he possessed only mortal speed. The falling crumbs were simply too swift. He managed to snatch the larger chunks, but the powdered remnants still tumbled into the box.
An elderly resident of Heyang County was darting haphazardly down the street when he suddenly felt something thump against his head, as if a fluffy object had bounced off it.
"Who hit me with something?" He looked up and saw a multitude of odd, spherical objects, big and small, falling from the sky like a relentless shower, blanketing the city.
"What's happening?"
"Strange things are falling from the sky."
"Watch your heads!"
Some covered their heads and scurried indoors.
But others, after being hit and realizing it caused no pain, made no attempt to take cover, simply stared upwards in bewilderment.
The objects falling from the sky were surprisingly soft and airy; they caused no injury if they struck someone's head, nor would they shatter roof tiles. Their mass was clearly out of proportion to their volume, and some even had a peculiar, bouncy texture.
They fluttered down en masse, coating the entire city in moments.
The entire populace was struck dumb with confusion.
Only Gao Yiye, San Shier, and the others remained unfazed. The four looked up at the sky. "The Heavenly Lord is working his divine magic!" they whispered. The common people had never encountered cakes before. However, this was Heyang County!
A renowned culinary hub along the Yellow River!
The common people here were masters of food!
It took them only an instant to connect these heaven-sent curiosities with the concept of 'food.'
Someone exclaimed, "They look like they're made of flour!"
"I smell a rich, sweet aroma."
"And the scent of eggs inside."
"Why wonder? Just taste it and find out."
One particularly bold fellow, without a thought for poison, grabbed a piece and shoved it into his mouth. His expression transformed instantly. With a fierce, tiger-like pounce, he thudded to the ground, shielding several pieces of cake beneath him, his face a ferocious mask that dared anyone to try and snatch it.
In many places across the city, there were such intrepid samplers. After taking one bite, without a moment's hesitation, they squatted down and began frantically gathering.
Such actions were wildly infectious. Soon, almost everyone in the county town was scavenging for cake crumbs.
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