Li Daoxuan blinked, and the world around him snapped into focus.
He could see everything — the timber walls, the lamplight flickering, the faint scent of smoke — and for the first time, he laughed out loud.
"Hah! Finally, I can actually interact with my people inside their little world!"
Then he paused.
"...Wait a second."
Something wasn't right.
He tried to move.
Nothing happened.
His eyes darted down, and that's when he realized — his arms were fused to his body. His legs weren't legs at all, just one solid mass of baked clay.
"Oh, come on…" he groaned inwardly. "You call this craftsmanship? I look like a bargain-bin idol from a roadside shrine!"
Before he could wallow too much, Gao Chuwu suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! Did anyone else see that? Dao Xuan Tianzun's eyes just moved!"
Xing Honglang turned, scanning the statue, her tone sharp but skeptical.
"No. Dao Xuan Tianzun didn't move a muscle."
Lao Nanfeng snorted. "It's just a clay statue, not the real Tianzun. If Dao Xuan Tianzun really stirred, a single slap would probably flatten the whole fortress!"
Zao Ying chuckled. "Exactly! Chuwu, stop seeing ghosts in daylight."
"But I swear it moved!" Gao Chuwu insisted, scratching his head.
Meanwhile, inside the statue, Li Daoxuan smirked.
"So I can move my eyeballs, huh? Interesting. If I can get the lips working, maybe I could talk too."
He wanted to try right away — but that would ruin the fun. Watching Gao Chuwu get roasted was too good to interrupt.
So, like a mischievous god in on a prank, Li Daoxuan froze his gaze and let the room settle.
A few seconds later, everyone sighed and went back to business.
Xing Honglang stepped forward, clasping her fist toward the envoy. "We've long heard of Wang Jiayin's reputation. What business brings the Heaven-Spanning Single-Stroke King's man here today?"
Li Daoxuan immediately understood. So this sharp-looking fellow was Wang Jiayin's envoy — probably the same guy who'd insulted him earlier.
Only one face in the room remained a mystery — a kindly middle-aged monk, who looked far too peaceful for this crowd.
The envoy bowed politely. "Prince Wang has long admired Chief Xing's name. He sent me regarding the matter of Bu Zhan Ni."
That name landed like a pebble dropped into still water. Everyone's brows twitched ever so slightly.
"Huh? Dao Xuan Tianzun's eyebrow just moved again!" Gao Chuwu blurted.
Xing Honglang leaned in and hissed, "Chuwu, shut it. Say one more word and you'll embarrass us in front of outsiders."
Chuwu zipped his mouth shut.
Inside, Li Daoxuan nearly burst out laughing. "Oh, this is priceless."
The envoy cleared his throat and went on. "The Prince heard that Old Zhang Fei, commander of Bu Zhan Ni's fifth company, had some friction with Chief Xing… and that Chief Xing, uh, accidentally killed him."
Li Daoxuan thought, 'Accidentally,' huh? Nice way to sugarcoat a duel to the death.
The envoy continued, putting on a face of moral grandeur. "We're all heroes of the jianghu, united in rebellion against tyranny. Fights happen, yes, but we mustn't forget our true enemy — the emperor and his corrupt officials. We should be brothers, not rivals."
He clasped his fists and bowed deeply. "So Prince Wang sent me to mediate. He hopes to ease the conflict between Chief Xing and Bu Zhan Ni."
Xing Honglang's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Tell your Prince he worries too much. I don't go looking for fights. As long as Bu Zhan Ni doesn't come barking at my gate, I won't go chasing him down. What good would it do me? It's not like he's carrying bags of silver."
"Hahaha!" Gao Chuwu laughed. "Yeah! Beat him up and he won't even drop loot!"
Then he froze mid-laugh and pointed. "The Dao Xuan Tianzun statue just… smiled!"
Everyone gave him a look that said we're ignoring you for our own sanity.
The envoy sighed, forcing patience. "Chief Xing, it's good you wish for peace. But Bu Zhan Ni is proud and hot-headed. Losing a man, he won't let it rest. He'll come for revenge."
"Then let him come," Xing Honglang said coldly. "I'm not the one who should be afraid."
The envoy's tone softened into diplomacy. "Of course, the Prince knows you're brave, Chief Xing. Still, fighting among jianghu comrades only makes the imperial dogs laugh. Better to mend fences and stand united."
Xing Honglang's patience snapped. "Enough talking in circles. What does your Prince actually want?"
The envoy smiled faintly — the kind of smile that hid ambition behind courtesy. "Prince Wang wishes for Chief Xing to join us. Once you're under our banner, Bu Zhan Ni will back down. Together, we can focus on the true enemy — the government troops. United, we'd be unstoppable."
A cold silence spread through the hall.
Everyone exchanged glances, the same thought flashing in their eyes: Ah, so this was all a recruitment pitch.
Wang Jiayin wanted to absorb them.
Inside the statue, Li Daoxuan nearly groaned. "What an idiot. Talk about overreaching."
Xing Honglang's hand twitched — she was this close to telling the envoy to shove it.
That's when the statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun stirred.
Li Daoxuan took a breath. He could sense what was about to happen — Xing's pride was flaring, and this could turn ugly fast. But in truth, neither Wang Jiayin nor Bu Zhan Ni would last long. Why waste good soldiers now when history would handle them soon enough?
Time to intervene.
He willed the statue's mouth to open. Clay cracked. Dust fell. A gritty, hoarse voice rumbled through the chamber — low, heavy, and inhuman, like thunder rolling from a mountain cave.
"...Wait."
Every head turned.
Gao Chuwu's jaw dropped. "See! See! I told you Dao Xuan Tianzun moved! And now he's talking!"
Xing Honglang didn't even look — she just flicked her foot, sending Gao Chuwu sprawling face-first into the floor.
Then she spun and dropped into a deep bow. "We pay our respects to Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
The others followed suit — Zao Ying, Lao Nanfeng, Zhao Sheng — their voices ringing together:
"We pay our respects to Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
The envoy just stood there, dumbstruck — halfway between fear and disbelief.
And inside that crumbling clay head, Li Daoxuan grinned.
"Now this," he thought, "is going to be fun."