Once the envoy rode away, there was no longer any doubt.
War was coming.
The stronghold immediately shifted gears.
Weapons were checked.
Walls inspected.
Firearms counted and redistributed.
Everyone knew what that envoy's departure meant.
Lao Nanfeng, however, did not join the bustle.
Instead, he wandered over to Gao Chuwu and Xing Honglang, hands clasped behind his back, a sly grin slowly creeping across his face.
"General Gao," he said cheerfully, "it's time we sent out an envoy of our own."
Gao Chuwu raised an eyebrow.
"Another one? To run over to Wang Guozhong's camp and curse at him?"
He thought for a moment, then added earnestly,
"If that's the plan, I recommend Flat Rabbit. He's very good at provoking people."
Lao Nanfeng shook his head.
"No. Not to Wang Guozhong."
He leaned in slightly.
"To Yang He."
Gao Chuwu froze.
Xing Honglang blinked once.
Both of them looked completely lost.
Seeing their expressions, Lao Nanfeng laughed softly.
"Yang He is already on his way to pacify us," he explained. "Wang Guozhong doesn't know this. And earlier, you deliberately didn't tell him either."
Xing Honglang nodded slowly.
Lao Nanfeng continued,
"If we had simply told Wang Guozhong, 'We've already accepted pacification and Yang He is coming,' then he wouldn't dare attack us."
"But," he said, spreading his hands,
"we chose not to say anything."
"If fighting breaks out later, on the surface, we'll be in the wrong."
At that moment, Tie Niaofei poked his head out from nearby.
"So what if we're in the wrong?" he scoffed.
"Why do we care whether the officials think we're right or wrong?"
Lao Nanfeng smiled.
"This isn't only about the officials," he said calmly.
"It's about Boss Xing's reputation."
The room quieted.
"Outlaws live by reputation," Lao Nanfeng continued.
"If we act without justification, who will respect us? Who will dare to join us in the future?"
He snorted.
"We'd become another Wang Guozhong—
a man infamous across the land for betraying his sworn brother."
"Even if we're enemies of Wang Jiayin," Lao Nanfeng said coldly,
"we still despise Wang Guozhong."
His words landed heavily.
Xing Honglang was an old-school outlaw leader.
For people like her, blood could be spilled—but honor could not be discarded.
If you acted without reason, other outlaws would abandon you without hesitation.
She frowned slightly.
"Sending an envoy…" she asked,
"can that really fix this?"
Lao Nanfeng nodded.
"We send an envoy to Yang He," he said.
"And we tell him this:
'Wang Guozhong came to attack us.
We desperately tried to inform him that we had already accepted pacification and that Supreme Commander Yang He was on his way.
But Wang Guozhong refused to listen.
He insisted on attacking because he wanted to eliminate us, fearing we'd join the court and threaten his position.'"
Xing Honglang's eyes lit up.
"So afterward," she said slowly, "all the blame falls on Wang Guozhong."
"Yes," Lao Nanfeng replied.
"Because we contacted Yang He first, showing sincerity.
Yang He will never believe that we wanted to fight."
"It will clearly look like Wang Guozhong provoked the conflict on purpose."
Lao Nanfeng chuckled.
"And imperial officials?"
"They're creatures of habit. They'll believe us instantly."
"After all," he added lightly,
"this is the same Wang Guozhong who betrayed Wang Jiayin.
Who in the world would believe him?"
Xing Honglang laughed.
"Hehehe… truly a vicious plan."
Gao Chuwu, however, looked horrified.
"Isn't this…" he said slowly,
"just… lying to people?"
Lao Nanfeng shrugged.
"Not only lying," he said cheerfully.
"It's also the wicked filing the first complaint."
"Utterly devious."
Gao Chuwu's eyes widened.
"Such a wicked thing…"
"Are we really going to do it?"
Lao Nanfeng spread his hands.
"We're dealing with villains," he said.
"Is it really wrong to use slightly villainous methods?"
Gao Chuwu hesitated.
"But… but…"
His brain refused to cooperate.
He turned to Zhan Seng, who stood nearby.
"Master," Gao Chuwu asked earnestly,
"is deceiving people like this right or wrong?"
Zhan Seng sighed deeply and pressed his palms together.
"Amitabha," he said.
"The Buddha does not judge good and evil solely by immediate suffering or joy."
"He judges whether an action benefits the continuation of the future."
"If deceiving people here benefits the world,"
"then it is the correct action."
"And if refusing to deceive leads to catastrophe,"
"then that cannot be called compassion."
Gao Chuwu stared blankly.
If he could understand that,
he wouldn't be Gao Chuwu.
He turned helplessly to the small figure on his shoulder.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun," he asked earnestly,
"should we deceive people?"
The Dao Xuan Tianzun let out a long, wooden sigh.
"Sometimes," the Dao Xuan Tianzun said slowly,
"one must walk a crooked path to reach a righteous destination."
Gao Chuwu's eyes lit up.
"Oh! I understood that!" he exclaimed.
"Daoist teachings really are easier than Buddhist ones!"
Zhan Seng smiled bitterly.
"Amitabha… this has nothing to do with Daoism or Buddhism.
It's merely that this humble monk's cultivation is shallow."
"I cannot see as deeply as the Dao Xuan Tianzun."
Lao Nanfeng cut in,
"First get your 'Amitabha' right before talking about cultivation."
Zhan Seng beamed.
"Excellent! Excellent!"
Lao Nanfeng leapt back in alarm.
"Don't say that to me!" he shouted.
"It gives me chills!"
Zhan Seng froze, confused.
That very night, their envoy departed—
riding against Yang He's expected route,
intent on intercepting him halfway and filing their complaint first.
Meanwhile…
Wang Guozhong's envoy returned to camp and reported everything.
Wang Guozhong had never truly expected Xing Honglang to surrender.
The envoy had merely been a formality.
Now that it was over, he grinned savagely.
"She refused the toast and chose the forfeit," he snarled.
"Then don't blame me for being impolite!"
"Muster the troops. Prepare to march!"
The envoy hesitated, then added,
"Her firearms are dangerous. From dozens of feet away, she shot my hat off with one shot. Old Zhang Fei was also defeated by her firearms."
Wang Guozhong laughed.
"Firearms? Muskets, that's all."
"When I fought government troops," he said smugly,
"I learned how to deal with them."
"Shielded carts."
"Hehehe… now we are the government."
"Have the Puzhou Magistrate conscript laborers immediately.
Build shielded carts overnight."
"They're simple. With soldiers helping, fifteen will be ready in three days."
Late at night, the Yongji Water Fortress slept.
Then—
A man in coarse linen ran desperately to the outer wall.
The sentry spotted him instantly, bow drawn.
"Who goes there?!"
"Don't shoot!" the man cried.
"I'm a carpenter from Puzhou City!"
"I ran thirty li after dusk!"
The sentry narrowed his eyes.
The man gasped,
"I've received kindness from Boss Xing and Boss Tie Niaofei."
"Wang Guozhong has conscripted artisans to build shielded carts and trebuchets overnight."
"They're meant to attack this fortress!"
The sentry's face hardened.
"My message is delivered," the man said urgently.
"I must return now."
"Please… you must win."
"My livelihood depends on you."
He turned to leave.
"Wait," the sentry called.
A silver ingot flew down from the wall.
"Take this," the sentry said.
"When the battle is over, come back."
"There will be greater rewards."
Sometimes—
Walking a crooked path
is the only way to keep the road ahead straight.