Liang Shixian said seriously, "In past campaigns against the bandits, those outlaws loved slipping back and forth along the borders of two provinces. When Shaanxi's troops came after them, they'd cross into Yansui, and the Shaanxi soldiers couldn't pursue. If Yansui's troops chased, the bandits would run back into Shaanxi, and again—no one could touch them."
He took a deep breath. "But now that the emperor has appointed Yang He as the Governor of the Three Frontiers, he'll command Shaanxi, Gansu, Yansui, and Ningxia. That means, even if the bandits flee across provinces, our armies can follow them anywhere. No more safe zones."
Li Daoxuan didn't need that explanation—he already understood. Liang Shixian was really explaining it for Gao Yiye, Mister Wang, Qiuju, and Dongxue.
Mister Wang nodded in realization. "No wonder the imperial campaigns always failed. The bandits only had to cross a border and—poof—back to freedom."
Liang Shixian nodded grimly. "Exactly. With this new appointment, it's clear the court finally means business. Cross-border pursuit will become normal. But that also means the bandits might scatter everywhere, and Chengcheng County could face raids more often."
Gao Yiye frowned. "So, what are you suggesting, Lord Liang?"
Liang Shixian clasped his hands to the sky. "I humbly beg Tianzun to grant additional supplies—to arm and train all of Chengcheng County's militia. We need to expand their numbers and improve their combat strength, in case of emergencies."
Li Daoxuan nearly grinned.
Oh? Expand the militia?
That was perfectly fine by him.
He'd already been thinking of expanding anyway. Back when he only oversaw Gao Village—about five thousand people—he'd created just five hundred full-time soldiers. But now, with his reach extending to the whole county and surrounding villages, his "population map" covered tens of thousands. Naturally, the army had to grow too.
And as luck would have it, Liang Shixian came asking for it himself.
Maybe the poor guy still thought Tianzun had no interest in mortal politics, that he was just a benevolent immortal feeding the hungry—never guessing this "merciful god" planned to build a new nation.
So why not borrow his hands to do it?
After all, as long as Li Daoxuan controlled their ideology, Liang Shixian would think he was training soldiers for the emperor—while in truth, he was training them for Tianzun.
Li Daoxuan smiled lightly. "Your request makes sense. Approved. I'll provide supplies. But the militias in each village and town will need a Chief Instructor—someone trustworthy. If a greedy fool takes that role, he'll just steal the resources I give."
Liang Shixian nodded thoughtfully. "True. The chief instructor must be someone of integrity."
He looked up. "Does Tianzun have anyone in mind?"
Li Daoxuan said, "Bai Yuan from Baijiabao. He calls himself a gentleman and behaves like one. He's respected by the local people, and his fortress has fended off bandit attacks more than once. He has both virtue and skill—he'd make a fine Chief Instructor."
Liang Shixian immediately remembered that man. He once faced Bai Yuan in Gaojiabao during a math debate—and lost miserably.
"If it's him, then yes—he's perfect for the job," Liang Shixian admitted. "I'll summon all the militia leaders from the villages and towns to the county. We'll hold a meeting, appoint Bai Yuan as Chief Instructor, and discuss militia expansion."
Li Daoxuan chuckled to himself.
Heh, then this big shiny "county militia" will be mine in all but name.
Liang Shixian raised his head again. "Under Tianzun's blessing, Chengcheng County has nearly recovered. But the outlying villages still suffer—like Fengyuan Town and Quangou Village. Tianzun's aid hasn't reached them yet. I dare to ask permission to allocate part of your supplies for relief beyond the county seat."
"Of course," Li Daoxuan replied easily. "Approved. Go ahead. Transport's tough in those parts—so build roads. Use labor-for-relief work; that's the best way to help."
His divine view already covered most of Chengcheng County, and he could see countless poor souls still struggling to survive. They didn't even know who Dao Xuan Tianzun was—or that there was food and work being handed out in town.
(Ming Context: In the late Ming era, communication and transport between rural villages were painfully slow. Most peasants lived and died within ten li of their birthplace, knowing little beyond their county walls.)
Li Daoxuan didn't have the time to personally appear in every village, manifesting miracles.
So once again—he'd use Liang Shixian's mortal hands.
If they paved proper cement roads, his solar-powered "Sun Bus" system could reach every corner of the county. Once that happened, integrating everything under Tianzun's order would be easy.
Liang Shixian's face lit up. Tianzun was truly generous—offering money, food, even roads. What a benevolent deity!
He bowed again, energized. "Then I shall give it my all, Tianzun! I'll see those roads stretch to every village. Just thinking about it—it feels like a work worthy of the ages!"
Two days later, early morning.
Bai Yuan rose at dawn. His maid helped him dress—a flowing white robe, a longbow on his back, and a gleaming sword at his waist.
Even in his forties, he looked strikingly handsome.
"Not bad," he murmured to himself, admiring the mirror. "Perfect look for the new Chief Instructor of Chengcheng County's militia."
Stepping out of Baijiabao, he glanced up—and saw a low floating cloud overhead.
Dao Xuan Tianzun was watching.
Bai Yuan straightened his back, cupped his fists, and bowed deeply. "Tianzun, rest assured. Watch how well I perform!"
Then he strode proudly toward the train station.
A small steam train waited there, its engine gleaming.
He didn't board the passenger car, though. Instead, he handed his horse to his trusted aide to load aboard, and went straight to the engine.
"Driving the train myself, of course," he said with a grin. "A gentleman leads from the front."
The two train engineers looked at each other, half laughing, half helpless—but they gave up their seats.
"Let's go!" Bai Yuan called out, flipping a switch. "Full speed ahead!"
The train chugged forward, wheels clattering, steam puffing high. Bai Yuan laughed with heroic pride… until the engine sputtered, slowed, and came to a stop.
"Eh? What's going on?" he blinked.
From above, Li Daoxuan burst out laughing.
"Oh no—the battery's dead. I forgot to recharge it, hahaha!"
He grabbed a sheet of A4 paper, printed a quick instruction, and manifested it into the miniature world below.
"Bai Yuan," the note read, "take your two engineers and step away from the train engine."
(Trivia: The "Sun Bus" and "micro-train" motifs reflect the novel's playful blend of modern tech and ancient China—an ongoing running gag among readers who call Tianzun the "Ming Dynasty Engineer God.")