Yi Zhangqing was escorted back to prison again.
Her little uprising turned out to be a wake-up call for Zhong Gaoliang — from now on, the prison's security had to be taken even more seriously. Management of the labor inmates must become stricter and more careful — even when it came to women, children, and the weak, there could be no negligence.
So the prison drafted new safety standards and stricter management rules.
Flat Rabbit and Zheng Gouzi, who were in charge of the whole matter, returned to the barracks afterward. Flat Rabbit was full of energy.
"Gouzi! We did another heroic deed today!"
Zheng Gouzi rolled his eyes.
"Heroic? We barely did anything. Don't act like you just saved the world."
Flat Rabbit smirked.
"Heh, you don't get it yet. What we did today brought a lot of merit."
Zheng Gouzi frowned.
"All that over one woman? I still don't get why Tianzun spent so much time talking with her. Like Lao Nanfeng said — wouldn't it have been easier to just kill her and be done with it?"
Flat Rabbit wagged his finger.
"That's where you're wrong. That woman doesn't just represent herself. She stands for all the families of the bandits — not just those seven thousand. In the future, we might defeat more bandits, maybe even the imperial troops. We'll kill plenty of enemy soldiers — bandits, Mongols, Jurchens… And all of those soldiers have families too. Those widows and kin will hate us, just like she did. There might be hundreds of thousands, even millions of them. We can't possibly kill them all, can we?
That's why—attacking the heart is better than swinging a sword."
He went on confidently:
"The way Dao Xuan Tianzun treated that woman just now — that sets the policy for how we'll handle these enemies in the future. We only need to follow that example."
That explanation finally made sense to Zheng Gouzi.
"Ah, I see now."
Flat Rabbit puffed out his chest proudly.
"Hmph! There are few under heaven as wise as your Lord Rabbit."
He was so pleased with himself that he wasn't watching where he was walking. As he turned a corner—thud!—he slammed straight into someone.
The man he bumped into was Wang Er.
Coincidentally, Wang Er, Bai Mao, and the villagers from Wangjia Village had just finished their "ideology class" and were leaving the "cultural room," heading toward the training ground.
Wang Er, who now went by Wang Laohu, had joined the Gaojia Village militia only a few months ago. He kept a low profile, knowing that his men — after years of roaming — needed to calm down and reform.
So he spent his days attending classes, studying the "Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention." Until he and his men truly learned discipline, he refused to let them leave camp.
Flat Rabbit and Zheng Gouzi rounded the corner while chatting — and bam! Flat Rabbit collided head-on with Wang Er, as if he'd walked straight into a wall. He stumbled backward and landed flat on his rear.
Wang Er immediately reached out a hand.
"Whoa there, brother! Sorry, didn't see anyone at the corner. You hurt?"
Flat Rabbit brushed it off.
"Hurt? Hah! This Lord Rabbit isn't made of paper. You think I'd fall apart from a little bump?"
He dusted himself off and stood up, only to see Zheng Gouzi covering his mouth, laughing.
"What're you laughing at?"
If it were anyone else, Zheng Gouzi might've denied it. But between brothers, there was no need to lie. He laughed aloud.
"I'm laughing at you! You've been training martial arts for so long and still go down from one tap. Hahaha, made of paper indeed!"
"!!!"
Flat Rabbit couldn't let that go.
He turned to Wang Er.
"I know you. You're the man Bai Yuan brought back from Heyang County — at the Qiachuan Wharf battle, you led a hundred militia in yellow hats."
Wang Er, hardened by years of wandering, carried himself with natural steadiness. His voice was calm and polite.
"That's right. I'm Wang Laohu. Bai Yuan introduced me to the militia. Still a new recruit. If there's anything I don't understand, please guide me, Brother Rabbit."
"You know me then?"
Wang Er clasped his fists respectfully.
"Of course. You're Flat Rabbit — everyone calls you Lord Rabbit. At Qiachuan Wharf, you threw the cannon powder packs that broke the enemy's shield line. I was truly impressed."
Flat Rabbit laughed heartily.
"Now that's a man who knows how to talk! I like you. Forget that bump — no hard feelings. But still, I've got to save some face. Tell you what, let's do it again. I'll show you how strong I really am!"
At those words, Bai Mao, standing behind Wang Er, frowned and shifted forward, ready to step in.
But Wang Er, without even looking, placed a firm hand on Bai Mao's shoulder, signaling him to stay calm.
He had met all kinds of characters in his life — especially among bandit armies, with their "wandering heroes" and eccentric fighters. He knew better than to quarrel with someone like Flat Rabbit.
He smiled mildly.
"There's no need for that, Lord Rabbit. I'm not very strong. Earlier, I was walking forward with my head down, and you were turning to talk to Brother Zheng — of course you took the harder hit. If we were both walking straight, I'd be the one on the ground for sure."
Flat Rabbit grinned.
"Hahaha! Now that's how you talk. I like you, brother. If anyone gives you trouble, just mention my name — Lord Rabbit."
With that, he pulled out a handful of coins — fifty wen, his "special bonus" for escorting Yi Zhangqing earlier. Not much, but a token of goodwill. He dropped the coins into Wang Er's hands and swaggered off cheerfully.
Zheng Gouzi followed behind, wearing a bemused look.
After they'd walked some distance, Flat Rabbit suddenly frowned.
"Gouzi… that guy calling my name, that's fine — the whole world knows Lord Rabbit! But how come he knew your name?"
Zheng Gouzi snorted.
"He used to be a famous hero around our villages. Everyone looked up to him. My elder brother even called him 'big bro.' I used to tag along when they fought back in the day. Of course he knows me.