Bai Yuan wasn't a native of Gaojia Village, and he didn't want to get deeply involved in Wang Er's business. After all, he needed to keep a clean distance from anything that smelled like rebellion. Seizing the moment when Gao Chuwu started babbling nonsense, Bai Yuan grabbed him by the arm, dragged him out of the courtyard, and slipped away himself — not planning to stick around for the drama.
Wang Er spoke weakly:
"Gaojia Village has helped me again and again. I owe you far too much. Precisely because of that… I must not drag you down. Brothers… carry me. We're leaving."
The last sentence was directed not at Gaojia Village, but at his own Wangjia people.
Shansier moved close to Gao Yiye and whispered, "If Tianzun is willing to protect Wang Er, then even if he stays in our village, there's no problem. The court can't possibly be stronger than a deity. The only question is: what does Tianzun intend? Should we ask him whether we ought to keep Wang Er here?"
Gao Yiye shook her head. "Tianzun has not issued a decree."
Inside the giant wooden box, Li Daoxuan was wrestling with a deeper question:
Should I decide this matter… or let the little people decide for themselves?
To the villagers, he was the unquestioned ultimate authority. One word from him and everyone would follow. In the past, he had spoken freely, guiding them through countless situations, helping them avoid unnecessary detours.
But this situation was different.
Gaojia Village had saved Wang Er's life — yet he didn't show joy. Instead, his face was full of anxiety, desperate to leave before he brought calamity on the village.
To this man — a real hero in every sense — his own life didn't matter much. He held convictions more valuable than survival. He didn't want others shielding him. He wanted to shield others.
He needed a broader world, somewhere he could continue doing righteous deeds. Hiding inside Gaojia Village under divine protection simply wasn't his path.
Li Daoxuan had centuries of extra knowledge and perspective compared to the tiny people in the box, yet even so, he felt he had no right to dictate someone else's life.
Inside the box, Shansier was still wavering.
"Yiye… should we… maybe ask Tianzun?"
But as soon as the words escaped his mouth, he slapped himself hard.
"Idiot! We can't trouble the Elder Immortal with these mortal affairs! He already protects this region — that is gift enough."
He looked around to ask Bai Yuan, only to realize Bai Yuan had disappeared the moment he dragged Gao Chuwu outside.
Li Daoxuan finally spoke.
"Yiye, tell Wang Er this: If he wishes to stay, I will protect him. If he wishes to leave, I will respect his decision."
Gao Yiye straightened up, face solemn.
"Hero Wang, Tianzun has spoken."
Wang Er listened quietly. His expression shifted strangely. He raised his eyes toward the sky — sixty-odd meters up, a low cloud floated lazily — but he saw nothing else.
"Tianzun? He is…"
Shansier explained, "Dao Xuan Tianzun, the immortal who protects this land. Everything you received from us before… all of it came from Tianzun."
Wang Er blinked, stunned. He tried to bow but couldn't move properly. So he lifted his hands and offered a trembling salute toward the heavens.
"Thank you, Tianzun… for your grace. But… please allow me to go."
Li Daoxuan sighed to himself.
As expected.
Shansier stressed, "You're not a bad person. You rebelled only because the officials stole your grain. You had reason! A man like you deserves a peaceful life. Why refuse Tianzun's kindness?"
Wang Er smiled bitterly.
"My men… they killed and burned. They didn't spare women or children. They even attacked Gaojia Village — and nearly killed me with them. How can I claim to be a good man? Do I deserve Tianzun's protection? Can I live under your shelter with a clean conscience?"
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Shansier murmured, "This world is broken… The court is wrong, the rebels are wrong… but I don't know where the problem lies. My learning is too shallow."
Wang Er replied, "Your kindness already shames me. Brothers! Why are you standing around? Lift the stretcher. We've stayed here too long. We'll only bring trouble to Gaojia Village."
The Wangjia villagers looked nervously toward the sky, then lifted the stretcher. They bowed deeply to Shansier and Gao Yiye, then carried Wang Er out the gate.
Li Daoxuan didn't stop them.
Neither did Shansier.
As they left, the villagers of Gaojia Village watched silently. Gao Chuwu took half a step forward, but the village chief yanked him back.
From their expressions alone, Li Daoxuan understood:
Most of them didn't want Wang Er to stay.
They were, after all, ordinary law-abiding villagers. When Wang Er first rose up in rebellion, he had invited Wangjia, Zongjia, and Zhengjia Villages to join him. They refused. Later, Shansier "tricked" them into coming to Gaojia Village.
From that day forward, their bodies and souls had already parted ways with Wang Er's rebellion.
A line from a film surfaced in Li Daoxuan's mind — "Nameless":
"I am a weak man, unable to adapt to this turbulent era."
Weakness is not a sin.
As long as one does not betray their country, what's wrong with being afraid?
Li Daoxuan allowed his little people to be weak — because he himself had never been a hero in real life.
Wang Er was carried out of Gaojiao Fort, across the northern slope. The labor prisoners chopping wood looked at him with shame in their eyes — but Wang Er didn't rebuke them. Without a word, he vanished into the forest with his people.
"Will they have enough to eat once they leave?" Gao Yiye fretted.
"They will!" Bai Yuan reappeared in a flash. "When we went to rescue them, we saw several grain carts left in the cave. Since Wang Er has less than half his original men now, that grain will feed them for a year or more."
Gao Yiye finally relaxed.
Seeing the scene conclude, Li Daoxuan stretched lazily and stepped away from the box. Staring at tiny people for hours was tiring. Maybe he should do a round of morning calisthenics…
Just then his phone rang.
"Hello, sir. This is Shunfeng Express. You have a package delivered to your door."
"Oh?" Li Daoxuan suddenly remembered. At dawn, a sales manager from Ningyang Toy Company had called, saying they were sending sample toys for him to use in a video shoot.
But with all the chaos in the box today, he'd completely forgotten.
"Alright, bring it up. I'm home now."