Gao Yiye arrived at full sprint, just as the words "Decree of Dao Xuan Tianzun" were being spoken. She skidded to a stop before Shansier and Shaoxing Shiye, doubled over with hands on her knees, panting like she'd just run from a tiger.
Shaoxing Shiye squinted.
"Eh? Isn't this… the First Madam of the Li Family? Why is she carrying a giant bow on her back?"
Yiye hadn't dressed in the finest clothes of the village today, but she also wasn't wearing the rough burlap from before. After several shipments of cotton from Li Daoxuan, the village women had spun and sewn piles of cotton clothing and cotton armor.
Today she wore a fitted set of blue cotton cloth—one hundred percent pure cotton, no weird fibers. Plain for someone of her "status," yes, but respectable enough that no one would immediately mistake her for a peasant girl.
Shaoxing Shiye blinked in disbelief.
"Madam Li?"
Yiye froze at the title.
Right—she was supposed to be acting like a noble lady.
Instant transformation.
Her breathing stopped.
Her hands left her knees.
Her back straightened like a board.
Her expression locked into "dignified statue mode"—the only thing betraying the illusion was a bead of sweat slowly sliding down her temple.
Shaoxing Shiye tried again.
"Just now, the arrow that flew out—"
Yiye cut him off instantly.
"Not me. I didn't do it."
Shiye stared. She was literally carrying a bow the size of a door frame.
Yiye lifted her chin in frosty arrogance, pretending not to see his suspicious look.
Shooting arrows? Her? Absolutely not. She would deny it even if dragged to the underworld.
After all, if people started believing the sacred maiden of Dao Xuan Tianzun—Madam of the Li Household—was a mischievous troublemaker, it would disgrace both the god and his "mortal incarnation," Old Master Li.
Shaoxing Shiye, master of reading faces, immediately sensed the "I will NEVER admit this" aura radiating off her. He wisely abandoned the topic and switched tracks:
"Ahem. Madam Li is elegant, refined, skilled in both pen and blade—a true blessing for Master Li. You've arrived just in time. By orders of the County Magistrate, I have come to borrow weapons to defend against the bandits. I humbly request that you—"
Yiye said nothing. Talking too much risked exposing her lack of education.
She leaned close to Shansier's ear, whispering,
"Dao Xuan Tianzun commands: lend them five hundred longbows. They're stacked in the courtyard by the watchtower. Take him there."
Shansier nodded with a pleasant smile.
"Understood."
Yiye said, "I'll go first," and without sparing Shaoxing Shiye a glance, turned and left with the full air of an aristocratic lady who didn't consider him worth noticing.
Shiye didn't dare be offended. The Magistrate himself had warned him: this woman came from a powerful background and had met more nobles than he had eaten meals. Forget treating him lightly—she barely acknowledged the Magistrate.
He bowed deeply, respectfully seeing her off.
Only when she vanished did Shansier speak:
"Madam has granted permission. Our Li Family can lend five hundred longbows."
Shiye's face lit up.
"Truly?"
"Follow me."
They walked through several corridors and courtyards until they reached the watchtower. There, stacked like firewood in the sunken yard, was a massive pile of longbows—each with limbs half a zhang long, far larger than anything used by hunters.
The only odd thing: they were… colorful.
Five colors. Ten colors. Strange materials. Strange hues.
Shansier, accustomed to Dao Xuan Tianzun's divine absurdities, wasn't fazed. The god was notorious for gifting rainbow-colored divine tools—multicolored walls, multicolored catapults, multicolored giant crossbows, even multicolored barracks for convicts.
Shaoxing Shiye, however, froze.
"What… why are these bows painted like this?"
Quick-witted, Shansier replied:
"Our Madam loves archery, but dislikes ugly bows. She insists they be painted brightly to please her eye. Didn't you notice the bow on her back? Pure emerald green."
Shiye suddenly understood.
Rich people really were different—five hundred longbows painted into gaudy toys for a noblewoman. What a waste.
"In that case, I'll summon the laborers to move them." He cupped his hands gratefully. "The Magistrate will surely remember the Li Family's generosity."
Shansier returned the gesture.
"Please defend the county well. Don't let the bandits break through."
"Of course. We'll fight to the death."
"And… please take good care of the City God Temple."
A question mark drifted above Shiye's head.
"?"
Shansier realized he'd slipped.
He quickly explained, "The Chengcheng City God Temple was founded in the Tang era. It has suffered damage many times. I can't bear to see it harmed again in war. I beg you to protect it. It is… a treasure passed down through generations."
Shiye nodded solemnly.
"Even rebels would not dare burn a sacred temple. Heaven above sees all. Fear not—the temple will be safe."
Meanwhile, on Huanglong Mountain—
A squad of bandits slid down the slope and perched atop a boulder, peering at Baijia Fort below.
Baijia Fort sat quietly under the blazing sun.
One bandit snorted.
"Hah! This fort looks sturdier than your usual village estate, but still—those walls are low and thin. We'll smash through in one hit."
Another pointed.
"Look at those big shapes on the walls, covered with black cloth. And behind the wall too. Something's hidden."
"Probably just logs and stones for defense. What else could it be? A mere landlord's fort. Even if they've got piles of rolling logs under those covers, they don't have the manpower to throw them at us."
"True. Probably just standard fortress supplies."
"Count their men."
"Already did. Fewer than ten visible sentries. Some servants of the Bai Family, and a few wearing official uniforms—must be Chengcheng's Inspector Cheng Xu stationed inside."
"Cheng Xu's a coward. Not a threat. His hundred soldiers will run the moment fighting starts. That leaves maybe a hundred or two militia inside. Nothing to fear."
"Let's report to Big Brother."
"Yeah. Time to hit them hard."
Footnotes
Longbow Shape & Size — A half-zhang bow (about 1.6 meters) is significantly larger than common hunting bows of the era, indicating serious battlefield capability.
Five-Colored Divine Artifacts — A recurring comedic motif in this novel: anything "bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun" becomes extravagantly rainbow-colored.
City God Temples — Urban protective temples honoring a guardian deity; destroying one was considered sacrilegious and politically disastrous.
Inspector Cheng Xu — Historically modeled after low-ranking military officers assigned to rural defense; many were indeed known for timidity in wartime.