Under Bu Zhanni's banner, the seven squad leaders had finally gathered in one place.
After the internal collapse caused by Diandengzi of the Second Squad and Yebushou of the Seventh tearing into each other like starving dogs, both squads had been wiped out. Bu Zhanni promoted replacements without blinking, and just like that, the structure returned to seven.
They were now:
First Squad: Yan Qian'er
Second Squad: Shuangchi Hu
Third Squad: Li Jinwang
Fourth Squad: Xie Kuai
Fifth Squad: Lao Zhangfei
Sixth Squad: Luanshi Wang
Seventh Squad: Zijin Long
The lineup alone was enough to let them walk sideways through Luochuan.
When Yang He had first taken office, the commanders of the Five Garrisons had launched a joint campaign. Bu Zhanni had tucked his tail between his legs and pretended to be civilized for a few days.
Then the Jianzhou forces crossed the passes.
The Five Garrisons rushed east to defend the capital.
The northwest went empty.
And Bu Zhanni remembered exactly who he was.
He was in the middle of inspecting his forces, mood bright and smug, when a subordinate rushed in.
"Chief, there's a small rebel group outside the camp. They want to defect."
"A small group?" Bu Zhanni frowned. "How small?"
"Less than a thousand."
Bu Zhanni clicked his tongue. "What use is that?"
The man lowered his voice. "They're all able-bodied. No elders, no women, no sick. Their morale's solid. These aren't soft ones."
That earned a pause.
"All able-bodied?" Bu Zhanni said. "That's… interesting. I'll take a look."
He walked out of the camp and immediately saw a man who looked like trouble the moment you laid eyes on him.
"I am the Chuang General of Mizhi," the man said, cupping his fists. "I've heard Elder Brother Bu is gathering men for greater things. I've brought my fellow townsmen to throw in our lot."
Li Zicheng.
Bu Zhanni had heard of Mizhi.
Seven out of ten men there turned bandit.
The county nearly emptied itself following chaos.
He looked past Li Zicheng at the few hundred men behind him.
Didn't look like much at first glance.
Then he really looked.
Hard eyes.
Stillness that came from having survived too much.
The kind of men who didn't shout before killing.
A thousand like this could hit harder than four or five thousand ordinary rabble.
Mizhi men lived up to their reputation.
Bu Zhanni smiled.
"Brother Chuang, one look tells me you're solid steel. Your men too. If you're willing to join me, you're welcome."
"I already have seven squads. You'll have to start as the Eighth Squad leader. From today on, you're my Eighth Brother. How's that sound?"
Li Zicheng clasped his fists again. "Elder Brother."
Chongzhen Year Three.
Li Zicheng led his Mizhi men into Bu Zhanni's ranks, becoming leader of the Eighth Squad.
Later history would remember them as the Old Eight Squads, also called the Fengtian Changyi Camp.
One of the most ruthless forces ever to walk the land.
Gao Village
The air was solemn.
Cheng Xu had returned from Huanglong Mountain with three heads: Wang Zuogua, Fei Shan Hu, and Lang Si.
In the center of Gao Village, a large memorial altar had been raised. Four spirit tablets stood upon it.
Gao Yiye, dressed in white, stood before them as the village's quiet axis.
Bai Yuan personally placed the three bandit heads before the tablets.
These four had died because of him. Ceremony was the least he owed.
After the rites were finished, the spirits were considered appeased.
Only then did Li Daoxuan speak.
"I hereby announce: Gao Village's blood feud is settled. Effective today, the emergency war footing is lifted. The Workshop resumes full operation."
The villagers answered as one, then returned to their posts.
Work restarted like breath returning to a body.
In the distance, at the construction site, Lao Nanfeng and the labor reform prisoners watched in silence.
One former border soldier muttered, "Four dead, and look at the ceremony. On the frontier, a single battle kills hundreds and nobody lights a stick of incense."
Lao Nanfeng snorted. "You don't understand a damn thing."
He spat to the side.
"Honor the dead properly, and the living understand they matter. That's how you get men to fight without flinching."
The prisoner blinked. "Oh."
Lao Nanfeng glanced at him. "Think it through. If you knew you'd be remembered like that, would you hesitate when it mattered?"
The man nodded slowly. "Got it."
"Good," Lao Nanfeng said. "Now get back to work."
At that moment, Zhong Gaoliang approached.
"Lao Nanfeng. We need to talk."
Lao Nanfeng straightened immediately. "Warden, what are your instructions?"
"The militia won a major victory," Zhong Gaoliang said. "You saw it."
"I did. What's it got to do with us?"
"Wang Zuogua's force numbered over ten thousand. We didn't slaughter them all. This time, we captured more than seven thousand."
"Over five thousand are elderly, women, or children. They'll all enter labor reform."
Lao Nanfeng frowned. "That trash? Why keep them? Might as well kill them."
Zhong Gaoliang gave him a sideways look.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun's rule hasn't changed. The leaders die. The followers get tested."
"Especially elders, women, and children. Most were dragged in. They lack both intent and capacity for slaughter."
"If we killed them too, you wouldn't be standing here right now."
Lao Nanfeng chuckled awkwardly. "Fair enough."
"The prison's expanding," Zhong Gaoliang continued. "Capacity will exceed ten thousand."
Understanding dawned. "You want me to maintain internal order."
"Yes. That's Tianzun's will."
"Look up."
Lao Nanfeng raised his head. A low cloud hovered directly above him.
Gao Yiye stepped forward, smiling.
"You've spent enough time in labor reform," she said. "Tianzun finds you capable. You've served in the army. You understand rules."
"So there's a task for you. Heavy, but honorable."
Lao Nanfeng dropped to one knee. "I await orders."
"Warden Zhong oversees the prison's surface," Gao Yiye said. "You will manage what's inside."
"Keep order. Watch for unrest. Anyone plotting escape or trouble — report it."
"Each contribution counts toward sentence reduction."
Lao Nanfeng grinned.
"Leave it to me. Everyone wants out early. Then we'll go work under Ghost Qianhu."
Chapter Trivia:
Bandit Squads: Late-Ming rebel armies often organized into numbered "squads" with personal nicknames, not ranks. Loyalty followed men, not banners.
Mizhi Reputation: Contemporary records explicitly note Mizhi's extreme participation in rebellion — not ideology, but survival.
Labor Reform Logic: Ming administrations frequently spared non-combatants for forced labor. Not mercy — manpower economics.
Memorial Rites: Small communities performed elaborate rites not for the dead, but to stabilize the living. Ritual was governance.