Gao Yiye, Shansier, Bai Yuan, Baishui Wang Er, and Bai Mao sat around the table.
Five people. Five pairs of eyes. A brief, awkward silence—heavy with history, regret, and the kind of nostalgia that only hurts after you survive it.
Baishui Wang Er broke first.
"Back then, I owed everyone here a great deal. These past few years, drifting from place to place, I kept worrying about how you were all doing. I never imagined Gaojia Village would turn into… this." He let out a slow breath. "It's honestly unreal."
Shansier nodded. "We've heard plenty about you as well. After leaving Chengcheng County, you took Yijun, pushed north, crushed the Luochuan patrol, then marched through to Yulin. After that, you joined up with Wang Jiayin, Chuang Wang, and Zijin Liang. In northern Shaanxi and the Yan-Sui region, you were basically on a full win streak."
Baishui Wang Er gave a crooked smile and shook his head.
"Wreaking havoc across the land doesn't make someone impressive. When I first rose up, it was just to help my fellow villagers vent their anger. Later, I thought—real main-character thinking—that I could save more people. Turns out…" He paused. "…I didn't save anyone. I mostly got people killed."
The table went quiet.
Above them, Li Daoxuan's lips curved slightly.
So. You finally noticed.
Baishui Wang Er had always been a man with ideals—big ones. The kind that felt correct when shouted at night with a blade in hand. Back then, he truly believed that charging out, killing corrupt officials, smashing the court, zeroing out the rich, and redistributing their wealth would somehow fix everything.
That was why Gaojia Village couldn't keep him.
Two years on the road had done what speeches never could. He'd seen things. Broken systems. Worse people. Himself included.
Li Daoxuan spoke, his tone gentle but surgical.
"So. What did you realize?"
The words passed through Gao Yiye's mouth instead. She repeated them, but the tone changed—no probing, no bait. Just honest curiosity. Her world still ended at the county walls. She genuinely wanted to know what lay beyond.
Baishui Wang Er glanced at her clear, unscarred eyes and sighed.
"Men like me… we don't save people. We just add to the body count. And the so-called heroes I met along the way?" He laughed softly, without humor. "Half of them were worse than the officials."
"They kill faster than soldiers. They rob harder than tax collectors. Officials 'eat people' as a metaphor. These guys do it as a mission statement."
Something in his gaze dimmed.
Li Daoxuan sighed inwardly.
Yeah. Welcome to the patch notes.
Baishui Wang Er continued, "Lately, I keep questioning everything I did. And then I came back here." He looked around. "Seeing Gaojia Village like this—busy, alive, people actually living—I finally understood."
"If the villagers from Wangjia Village hadn't followed me north… if they'd stayed here…" His voice dropped. "…they'd be happy."
Bai Mao jumped in immediately.
"Big Brother, don't say that. Wherever you go, we follow. That's where happiness is. Everyone believes that."
Baishui Wang Er shook his head.
"Then explain this. People from Zhongjia Village and Zhengjia Village—look at them now. Full bellies. Clean clothes. I saw Zhong Gaoliang outside earlier. Back when he followed Zheng Guangdao, he was dirt-poor. Now? Proper clothes. Clear eyes. Alive."
He looked at Bai Mao.
"Did you ever see anyone under Wang Jiayin or Chuang Wang living like that?"
Bai Mao fell silent.
Li Daoxuan pressed the advantage.
"It's not too late to turn back. Wang Er, you're already here. Stay."
Gao Yiye relayed the words.
Bai Yuan chuckled and folded his fan.
"He's right. Back when you were deciding whether to leave, I wanted nothing to do with it. Rebels were radioactive. But now?" He smiled thinly. "We've already collected enough outlaws that adding one more won't break the set."
"Former Gu Yuan mutineers. Salt smugglers. Horse bandits. Absolute menace collection. Nobody's scared anymore."
Baishui Wang Er blinked.
"…What?"
His gaze moved around the table and finally landed on Shansier.
"Third Steward, be honest—are we the rebels, or are you?"
Shansier spread his hands.
"That's what you call equal weight."
Baishui Wang Er frowned.
"What does that even mean?"
Gao Yiye frowned too.
"…What does that mean?"
Li Daoxuan also frowned.
"Wait. Am I illiterate again?"
Bai Yuan snapped open his fan, the character Junzi gleaming on its surface.
"Shansier, stop abusing idioms. 'Equal weight' comes from mathematical texts. It describes balance between quantities. Not… this."
Shansier blinked.
"Oh? It does? Huh. Didn't know that."
Everyone stared at him.
Shansier laughed.
"Details. The point is—we're all rebels. Same tier. Same heat."
The table burst into laughter.
Baishui Wang Er shook his head, smiling.
"No wonder you dared shelter me back then. You were already done respecting the court."
Shansier nodded.
"Our operation's bigger now. Not just Gaojia Village—most of Chengcheng County is under our control. We're moving on Heyang next. That's why you met Bai Yuan at Qiachuan Dock."
"And Huanglong Mountain—we're building a base there. If you stay, that mountain's perfect for you."
Baishui Wang Er's heart hit critical acceleration.
This setup was cleaner. Smarter. Actually sustainable. Way better than the chaos under Wang Jiayin or Chuang Wang.
Bai Mao didn't hesitate.
"Big Brother. Let's stay."
Baishui Wang Er nodded.
"Alright. I'll stay."
The table lit up—relief, satisfaction, restrained excitement.
Then Baishui Wang Er raised a hand.
"But not like this."
Everyone paused.
"I can't just vanish. To Wang Jiayin, Chuang Wang, Zijin Liang—that's betrayal. I have to go back. Talk to them. Convince them to come."
"If they refuse…" His voice hardened. "Then I'll say goodbye properly. Anyone in my group who still wants to follow them—I'll hand over myself."
The room fell quiet again.
Chivalry, it turned out, was still alive.
Just heavily patched, emotionally scarred, and running on borrowed time.
Trivia
Rebel Armies vs. Local Order: Late-imperial uprisings often collapsed not because of lack of courage, but because decentralized rebel groups quickly replicated the same predatory systems they claimed to oppose. Different banners, same victims.
Why Gaojia Village Works: Stability comes from logistics, production, and administration—not moral slogans. Gaojia Village controls labor, trade, and security simultaneously, which is why people eat before they revolt.
Huanglong Mountain Strategy: Mountain bases were historically favored not for romance, but for taxation avoidance, layered defense, and supply control. Geography does half the fighting if you're not stupid.
The Chivalry Problem: Traditional heroism focuses on intention. History only cares about outcomes. This chapter marks Baishui Wang Er's transition from "righteous intent" to "system awareness," which is usually the moment a rebel becomes dangerous—or useful.