Chapter 432: No One Steals Credit
Old Zhang Fei took one look at the man before him and knew he was in for a tough fight.
This bastard was definitely an officer among the imperial troops, no doubt about it. Just look at his perfectly fitted mountain pattern armor, his textbook horsemanship — the result of long training — and the graceful movements as he swung his long spear...
“Damn it, imperial soldiers disguised as salt smugglers to ambush me!” Old Zhang Fei channeled his fury into battle, unsheathing his weapon with a flourish—an eighteen-foot snake spear. He spurred his horse forward, charging straight at Lao Nanfeng.
Lao Nanfeng burst out laughing the moment he saw the weapon. “A snake spear? Why don’t you go sing opera with that thing? Snake spears are fabrications from storytellers; the real Zhang Fei never used one. What good is that flashy piece of junk, besides looking pretty? These rebels just love their theatrics, probably had it specially forged to fit the name, didn’t they?”
Both men were mounted, closing the distance between them with astonishing speed.
Their horses met head-on. Old Zhang Fei’s snake spear was impossibly long—an eighteen-foot serpent—thrusting forward with formidable menace. Lao Nanfeng, however, wielded a standard twelve-foot long spear, putting him at a distinct disadvantage in reach.
But with a deft flick and pull of his spear, Lao Nanfeng deflected Old Zhang Fei’s weapon, sending it askew.
In that single move, their horses began to pass each other. As the two men were inches apart, Lao Nanfeng’s free hand flashed to his waist, drawing a saber and plunging it into Old Zhang Fei’s abdomen.
He didn’t bother to retrieve the blade, releasing his grip and abandoning it as the warhorses thundered past each other. Only after galloping several yards did he rein in his mount and turn back, just in time to see Old Zhang Fei’s body tilt precariously, slowly sliding from the saddle before collapsing to the ground with a dull thud.
With the head villain eliminated, the remaining rebels descended into chaos.
The bandits scattered even faster now, bursting apart in every direction.
If this had been within Li Daoxuan’s direct field of view, he would undoubtedly have intervened, using his massive hand to halt the fleeing figures and deposit them all into a labor reform camp.
But in this part of Shanxi, Li Daoxuan couldn’t yet extend his reach, and the militia here had limited manpower. It was simply impossible to capture so many fleeing rebels, so they had no choice but to let them retreat, choosing not to pursue a cornered enemy.
Lao Nanfeng returned to the stockade victorious.
Back at the stockade, the defense had also achieved a decisive victory. From the moment the warship appeared, the rebels’ will to fight had shattered. The stockade walls quickly stabilized, all bandits who had breached the defenses were eliminated, and those outside no longer pressed their assault, scattering in every direction. Gao Chuwu ordered the gates opened to welcome the cavalry back.
Lao Nanfeng swaggered back into the stockade, Old Zhang Fei’s ear impaled on his spear tip, laughing uproariously towards the sky. “Look! The bandit chief’s ear! I personally took down their leader! I don’t ask for three ranks of promotion, only to be transferred back to the Flower World Star Agency and spared from garrison duty on the frontier!”
“Ugh, that ear is disgusting! Throw it away, quick!” Gao Chuwu exclaimed, a bead of sweat tracing his temple. “It’s all bloody; don’t bring that into the camp!”
Lao Nanfeng retorted, “This is proof of my valor! What’s disgusting about it? It’s magnificent!”
Gao Chuwu shook his head. “Just remember it well; you don’t need an ear to prove it.”
Lao Nanfeng thought to himself: *You just don’t know the darkness of officialdom. When a small-fry accomplishes something, the great general above immediately wants to snatch the credit... A historian once recorded that Emperor Zhengde personally cut down an enemy soldier. Who knows which poor wretch’s credit was claimed by the emperor?*
As this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly remembered the importance of cultivating good relationships. He quickly leaned into Gao Chuwu’s ear and whispered, “General Gao, when we report this, how about we say that you and I jointly killed Old Zhang Fei?”
Gao Chuwu blinked, completely bewildered. “Isn’t that a false report? You clearly killed him alone.”
Lao Nanfeng insisted, “How can we report it like that? It *must* be said that we killed him together.”
“No, no, that won’t do,” Gao Chuwu grinned foolishly. “That guy was so weak, I could punch three of him to death. If we say we killed him together, wouldn’t that make both of us sound weak? Hahahaha! You killed him, so it’s your credit. I don’t want to be included.”
Lao Nanfeng muttered inwardly: *He actually doesn’t try to take credit from his subordinates? Hiss! Is this man... is he truly naive, or is Gao Family Village simply not like that?*
He just couldn’t fathom why Gao Family Village would operate so differently.
As he pondered, a phrase suddenly sprang to mind: “Heaven sees all.”
Lao Nanfeng grasped it in a flash: *Gao Family Village has a Heavenly Lord watching from above! Who would dare lie and usurp a subordinate’s military achievement? Would the Heavenly Lord not know?*
In Gao Family Village, what was said was law, plain and simple. The sordid practices of military life from the past were absolutely forbidden. For if the Heavenly Lord became angry, it would be far more terrifying than the emperor’s wrath.
Understanding this, a sudden lightness filled him, and he felt a profound sense of relief.
If credit was earned by genuine merit, then who was there to fear?
He plucked the ear from his spear tip. He didn’t need it as proof anymore; no one would dare, against their conscience, claim that Old Zhang Fei wasn’t his kill. With a powerful swing, he flung the ear into the turbulent waters of the Yellow River.
A monstrous fish leaped from the river, swallowed the ear in one gulp, and plunged back into the depths.
Lao Nanfeng roared with laughter, facing the river.
As he laughed, a warship sailed closer, its captain, a look of glum disappointment on his face, waved to him. “General Lao Nanfeng, I only fired one volley before the bandit army collapsed. This isn’t fun at all!”
Lao Nanfeng burst into hearty laughter. “Don’t worry! In the future, you’ll definitely be fighting the imperial navy, and even Westerners sailing massive ships from thousands of miles away will come for you to challenge. You’ll have plenty of fun then!”
Li Daoxuan, meanwhile, was gnawing on some desert sand chicken, its rich aroma a delight, making for an incredibly satisfying meal.
His field of view was currently locked onto Qichuan Ferry, as it was the busiest location lately. Not only was it handling logistical support for the “Shanxi Expeditionary Force,” but a massive blacksmith workshop was also under construction there.
The construction of the workshop was already more than halfway complete.
Large groups of Blue Hats and Yellow Hats worked side by side, the cement-built blacksmith forge possessing a grayish, geometric beauty.
Truth be told, cement architecture didn’t quite align with traditional Eastern aesthetics!
At that time, Easterners prized "exquisite artistry." Traditional Eastern buildings emphasized carved railings, painted pillars, flying eaves, and upturned corners—beauty found in intricate detail.
Cement buildings, however, couldn’t embody any of these qualities. They could only express “geometric beauty,” a distinctly Western aesthetic.
Li Daoxuan, a modern man with a diverse appreciation for aesthetics from all corners of the world, didn’t mind, but ancient people, upon seeing the colossal cement structures, would first exclaim, “So big, so sturdy!” before shaking their heads and remarking, “So ugly, so clumsy.”
Bai Yuan was, at this very moment, complaining about it!
Dressed in flowing white robes, he stood proudly by the riverbank, fanning himself. “This workshop is a bit ugly. A bit ugly indeed...” Just then, a ship’s silhouette appeared on the river. The warship was returning.
Bai Yuan’s spirits lifted. “News from Shanxi has arrived!”
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