Chapter 349 — Prepared in Advance
The moment Baishui Wang Er finished speaking, a ripple of unease spread around the table.
Bai Mao was the first to snap.
"Big Brother, that's way too dangerous. Have you forgotten what happened to Zhong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu? If we're leaving, we should just ghost them. Going back to explain is asking to get backstabbed."
Baishui Wang Er shook his head.
"So because others play dirty, I should too?" His voice stayed calm, but it carried weight. "What Zhong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu did was painful—but if I sneak off without a word, I'm no better than them. That's just fifty steps versus a hundred."
Silence.
Several people nearly said it out loud.
Brother, are you stupid?
But Li Daoxuan didn't mock him. Instead, he felt something closer to respect.
Chivalry itself wasn't wrong.
What was wrong was a world that laughed at it.
When did xia—honor, obligation, keeping your word—become a punchline? Hard to say. Somewhere along the way, everyone decided profit came first, survival excused everything, and principles were for people who lost.
They forgot that some things are worth paying for—even with your life.
Li Daoxuan finally spoke.
"Let him go. But make sure he's careful. No repeat of the Zhong Guangdao incident."
Gao Yiye relayed the words. Shansier and Bai Yuan exchanged a glance, then nodded.
"Very well," Bai Yuan said. "Wang Er, go."
Baishui Wang Er cupped his fists.
"My thanks to you all."
Then his expression hardened.
"One more thing. Wang Jiayin's plan is to take Huanglong Mountain as a base. But when he passed through Yichuan County, he ran straight into Hong Chengchou. Fifty thousand men—checked by less than two thousand militia. Absolute catastrophic L."
After that beating, Wang Jiayin no longer dared to enter Huanglong Mountain through Yichuan.
"That leaves only one route," Wang Er continued. "Qiachuan Dock. Through Heyang County, then Chengcheng County, into Huanglong Mountain."
Bai Yuan's fan paused mid-swing.
"So whether you defect or not, Wang Jiayin is coming through Qiachuan?"
Wang Er nodded.
"Yes. I'm telling you now so you can prepare. If I convince him to come over, best outcome. If I don't come back…" He paused. "Be ready. Fifty thousand men is not something you can ignore."
Bai Yuan inclined his head.
"Then may you return safely."
Baishui Wang Er left Gaojia Village, crossed Heyang County, and reached Qiachuan Dock. The boats were still waiting.
He left his most loyal Wangjia Village men on shore and prepared to head north.
Bai Mao jumped onto the boat after him.
Wang Er spun around.
"Get off. You and the Wangjia villagers stay."
Bai Mao protested, "How can I let you go alone?"
"With you lot slowing me down," Wang Er said flatly, "I wouldn't even be able to run if things go south."
Bai Mao froze—then understood. He cupped his fists, stepped back, and returned to shore with fewer than a hundred old villagers.
Baishui Wang Er boarded with only the men who had joined him later and headed upstream.
Oars dipped. The small boat cut through the current. Past Hancheng. Past Yichuan. Northward to Qing Shui Bay in Yanchuan.
A ruined fishing village came into view. Bandits sprawled everywhere—sitting, lying down, hollow-eyed and exhausted.
He had found Wang Jiayin.
Wang Er stepped ashore and walked into the village.
Everything was gray. Broken. Lifeless.
For years, this was all he'd seen. He thought the whole world looked like this.
Until Gaojia Village proved otherwise.
The world wasn't doomed.
Hope existed.
But you didn't build it by wandering, looting, and burning.
You certainly didn't build Gaojia Village that way.
No more drifting. No more being a roaming bandit. That path saved no one.
With steady steps, Baishui Wang Er entered Wang Jiayin's tent.
Inside sat many people.
Wang Jiayin himself. His brother-in-law Zhang Liwei. Fellow townsman Wang Guozhong. Zijin Liang. Chuang Wang.
And two unfamiliar faces.
Both looked fierce, radiating killing intent. But when they saw Wang Er, they behaved properly.
One spoke first.
"I am the Southern Camp Eight Great King."
The other followed smoothly.
"I am the Western Camp Eight Great King. Long have I admired Baishui Wang Er. Meeting you today, your reputation does not disappoint."
Wang Er noticed it immediately.
One said I. The other said this humble one.
Same title. Very different energy.
The Southern Camp Eight Great King looked like a blunt instrument.
The Western Camp one… had read books.
Wang Jiayin laughed.
"Brother Wang, you arrived at the perfect time. These two Eight Great Kings have only recently risen and have come to join us."
Wang Er returned the greeting.
His gaze swept the Southern Camp Eight Great King. The man immediately looked away.
Then his eyes met the Western Camp Eight Great King's.
The man smiled calmly and didn't retreat an inch.
This one's dangerous, Wang Er thought.
The Western Camp Eight Great King was thinking the same thing.
Baishui Wang Er. Pure blade. Perfect vanguard. And too principled to betray you.
Wang Jiayin spoke up.
"Brother Wang, how did your journey south along the Yellow River go?"
Wang Er replied, "That's exactly what I came to discuss."
As always, he was direct. No whispering, no private scheming. He spoke openly before everyone.
"In Chengcheng County, where I first rose up, there's a group of heroes—likely former Gu Yuan mutineers. They control several villages, most of the county, and even part of Huanglong Mountain."
"They govern well. The people under them live… happily."
He deliberately avoided naming Gaojia Village.
That lesson he learned the hard way.
Harm others? Never.
But trust blindly? Also never.
Calling them Gu Yuan mutineers was safe enough.
He shared what he'd seen—their order, their prosperity, their people.
Then he said plainly,
"Brother Wang, why don't we join them? It's far better than burning, killing, and running nonstop."
—
The Western Camp Eight Great King was Zhang Xianzhong.
He had originally styled himself "Eight Great King" as well—only to discover someone else already had the same name.
Awkward.
So one became Southern Camp Eight Great King.
The other became Western Camp Eight Great King.
Problem solved.
Human creativity, undefeated in its laziness.
Trivia
Why Hong Chengchou Was Feared: Hong Chengchou specialized in disciplined local militias—small, fast, and brutally efficient. Rebel armies relying on numbers alone routinely got hard-countered by his tactics.
Qiachuan Dock's Strategic Value: River docks were logistical chokepoints. Whoever controlled Qiachuan controlled troop movement between Shaanxi's interior and the Yellow River corridor.
Eight Great Kings Naming Trend: Rebel leaders frequently adopted grand titles to boost morale and legitimacy. Duplication was common. Rebranding was… inevitable.
The Real Cost of Chivalry: Baishui Wang Er's choice to return openly wasn't naive—it was ideological. In a world where betrayal was optimal play, honor became the rarest—and most dangerous—stat to max.