Meanwhile—while Lao Zhu was off meeting Yang He and the grown-ups discussed matters that smelled suspiciously like politics—
A massive troop transport ship creaked as it nudged up against the Yongji Ferry Dock.
The hull groaned. Ropes flew. Planks slammed into place.
Then a mountain of a man leapt straight down from the deck.
Thud.
The dockboards shuddered.
Zheng Daniu landed firmly, knees bent, boots planted, looking like a human battering ram that had decided gravity was optional today. Behind him, rows of Gao Family Village militia began disembarking in orderly lines—firearm soldiers, grenadiers, packs neat, eyes alert. Five hundred men, give or take, moving with the crispness of people who'd been yelled at by the same instructors for far too long.
They had arrived under the direct order of Dao Xuan Tianzun, sent to reinforce Yongji Ferry Dock.
Their mission was simple.
Kill Wang Guozhong.
Before Zheng Daniu could even straighten up, a blur rushed at him.
Thump.
A fist slammed squarely into his shoulder.
"Hey! Daniu!" Zao Ying grinned brightly, fist still planted like she was checking the ripeness of a melon. "Long time no see!"
Zheng Daniu staggered half a step, then broke into an enormous, guileless smile. "Instructor Zao! Long time no see."
Zao Ying folded her arms, chin lifting. "Miss me?"
"Of course!"
Her eyes lit up.
Then Zheng Daniu continued, utterly sincere:
"Only you ever treated me to good food. After you left, I haven't had any good food."
"…So that's all you missed me for?" Zao Ying asked slowly.
"Huh?" Zheng Daniu blinked. "What else is there to miss?"
Zao Ying leaned closer, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Then what exactly am I to you?"
He thought hard. Really hard.
"A kind person who treats me to snacks!"
"Pfft—"
Several people nearby immediately broke into cold sweat.
The Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun stood a short distance away. Its wooden lips parted, as if about to say something profound, consoling, or at least vaguely divine.
Then it froze.
A moment passed.
Clack.
The wooden mouth closed again.
Zao Ying turned away, cheeks puffed, sulking dramatically. She took exactly three steps, counted exactly three heartbeats—
Then brightened up again.
She'd known he was like this since the first day. What was there to be angry about? An honest idiot like this was the least likely man alive to betray anyone. That alone made him precious.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a massive twist of fried dough, golden and fragrant.
"This is from Yongning Village, Zhangying Township, Shanxi," she said, handing it over with a smile. "I saved a special one just for you."
Zheng Daniu's eyes sparkled. "I knew it! Instructor Zao treats me the best!"
She tilted her head. "Am I not the woman who treats you best?"
"No!"
A vein popped on her forehead. "Who?! Who dares compete with me? I was just thinking how faithful you were!"
"My mom."
The vein instantly vanished.
"Oh." Zao Ying smiled sweetly. "Your esteemed mother, of course. Hehehe… hehehe…"
Zheng Daniu opened his mouth and crunched down, biting off half the mahua in one go. Loud chewing echoed across the dock, like a horse enjoying lunch.
At that moment, Xing Honglang and Gao Chuwu walked over.
Xing Honglang deliberately waited until the chewing reached a rhythm before speaking. "Daniu. How many troops did you bring?"
Zheng Daniu swallowed. "Five hundred firearm soldiers. Fifty grenadiers."
Gao Chuwu grinned. "Good. Our first hundred grenadiers are complete again."
The two exchanged a look, chuckled—
Then frowned.
"…Wait," Xing Honglang said. "Where's the third simpleton?"
Gao Chuwu scanned the dock. "Yeah. With this much noise, how is he not already shouting?"
"Where's flat rabbit?" he asked. "Didn't he come to see the excitement?"
Zheng Daniu scratched his head and pointed toward the ship's stern. "He's here. But he's seasick."
"…What?"
Even the Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun let out a string of amused clicking sounds.
"That fellow," it mused, "gets seasick?"
From afar, a pale figure clung desperately to the railing.
"Someone…" flat rabbit croaked weakly, leaning over the gunwale, "someone help… this Rabbit Lord… off the ship…"
Gao Chuwu laughed. "Where's Zheng Gouzi? Isn't he helping you?"
Flat rabbit gagged. "He… he stayed behind… to guard… the Saintess… urgh…"
A few militia soldiers hurried aboard and half-carried, half-dragged flat rabbit down. He retched nonstop, aura of doom radiating outward, forcing everyone nearby to instinctively step back.
They parked him on a large river rock, letting the wind hit his face.
After a while, his color returned.
And with it—
Confidence.
Flat rabbit suddenly sprang to his feet, flung his sleeves wide, and roared:
"Shanxi! Your Rabbit Lord has arrived! With this lord here, the common people shall surely be rescued from dire suffering! Rejoice! Hahahahaha!"
A little girl washing clothes paused and tugged her mother's sleeve.
"Mommy… that man looks like Chief Xing's subordinate, doesn't he? You said they were all good people. But why does he look so silly?"
The woman immediately pulled her closer.
"Even good people can be silly, dear. Don't stare too long. You'll become silly yourself."
"Oh." The girl nodded solemnly. "I won't look."
Unaware his reputation had already sunk, flat rabbit struck a heroic pose.
"If any of you have difficulties," he proclaimed loudly toward the riverside dwellings, "just come to the Rabbit Lord! There is nothing I cannot solve—with this My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword!"
He drew his sword dramatically—
It slipped.
Clink.
Bounced off a rock.
Plunk.
Straight into the river.
Flat rabbit froze. "Oh no! My ancestral treasured sword!"
He leapt after it.
"Ahhh—! This Rabbit Lord can't swim! Someone save me!"
The crowd burst out laughing.
"The water's shallow!"
"Huh?"
His feet hit bottom.
Flat rabbit stood upright, water barely reaching his waist. He'd been flailing in waist-deep water the whole time.
"…Oh."
He laughed awkwardly, bent down, fumbled, retrieved the sword, wiped it clean, and sheathed it.
The women by the river all turned their heads away.
"You really shouldn't look at that man too much," one muttered. "You'll turn silly."
Flat rabbit shuffled back. "What an inauspicious start. My fate clearly conflicts with water. Rabbits don't like water—so that's normal, right?"
Everyone nodded in unison.
"No problem there."
Then Xing Honglang added calmly,
"But you're the strategist of this relief force. You arrived in Shanxi and didn't report for duty. Instead, you acted foolish in public. That is a problem."
Flat rabbit opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Said nothing.
Cheng Xu had long understood Zheng Daniu's limits. Thus, despite Daniu being the nominal commander, all strategic authority over this five-hundred-man reinforcement force had been placed in flat rabbit's hands.
Clearing his throat, flat rabbit hurriedly recovered.
"Of the five hundred firearm soldiers," he said, voice turning serious, "two hundred are equipped with Chassepot Rifles."
That caught attention.
"Instructor He said this is their first real combat. Training is one thing—battle is another. He hopes they gain experience against Wang Guozhong. And that the frontline commanders observe the strengths and weaknesses of the Chassepot Rifle, so future tactics can be refined around it."
The Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun's mood instantly brightened.
So.
The breech-loaders were finally seeing blood.
Only two hundred—hardly a flood—but against a small fry like Wang Guozhong?
Plenty.
More than enough.
Hehehe.