Flat Rabbit had been riding at the head of the convoy, chest puffed out, laughter echoing loud enough to scare birds off rooftops.
Then he saw that figure.
The straw hat.
The fan.
The aura that said I am watching you misbehave.
His swagger shrank by at least thirty percent on the spot.
"Oh no…" Flat Rabbit muttered, lowering his voice. "Dao Xuan Tianzun saw me showing off again."
Zheng Gouzi snorted. "It's not the first or second time. If Dao Xuan Tianzun actually cared, your rabbit head would've been served as an appetizer long ago."
Flat Rabbit thought about it seriously.
"…That's true."
In all honesty, Dao Xuan Tianzun was absurdly tolerant of a troublemaker like him. Too tolerant, even. The kind of tolerance that made people forget how dangerous disappointment could be.
Zheng Gouzi leaned closer and whispered, "By the way… have you noticed something off about this Tianzun avatar?"
Flat Rabbit squinted. "You mean how it feels… newer?"
"This one's different from the usual," Zheng Gouzi said. "This is that one, isn't it? The special model."
Flat Rabbit's eyes lit up. "I noticed too! This is the latest version. Built by Song Yingxing, Young Master Bai the sculptor, and a whole gang of senior engineers. Fifty taels a month per person!"
Zheng Gouzi scratched his chin. "I heard it's called… Test-01?"
Flat Rabbit frowned. "What's 'Test' mean?"
Zheng Gouzi shrugged. "No idea. Dao Xuan Tianzun named it himself."
They weren't wrong.
The body Li Daoxuan was using this time was unlike any before.
This wasn't clay.
This wasn't wood.
This was the culmination of Gao Family Village's technical obsession: Steel-Boned Silicone Dao Xuan Tianzun — Test-01.
Inside was a steel skeleton—solid, precise, terrifyingly durable. The joints rotated smoothly, hands could grasp, fingers could curl. Over that skeleton, layers of silicone were applied, sculpted inch by inch by craftsmen who were very aware of whose body they were shaping.
Every contour was painstakingly realistic.
Every detail refined.
Except one.
Below the abdomen, the structure was… flat.
Suspiciously flat.
The sculptors had unanimously decided that some things were better left to imagination. Too small would be insulting. Too large would also be insulting. So they simply removed the problem entirely.
Wisdom born of fear.
This time, the clothes weren't sculpted onto the body. They were worn.
And Li Daoxuan, being Li Daoxuan, took that as an invitation.
Silks.
Fine robes.
The unmistakable look of a wealthy young master who had never been told "no" in his life.
In his right hand: a folding fan.
In his left: a birdcage.
Inside the cage sat San Shier's beloved mynah bird.
Li Daoxuan had borrowed it for authenticity.
After all, what kind of rich young master didn't walk around with a loud, ill-mannered bird?
They reached Xi'an's city gates.
Shi Kefa was already waiting.
The guards didn't inspect the convoy. They didn't even hesitate. The gates opened cleanly, smoothly, obediently.
Dozens of wagons loaded with celestial fertilizer rolled into Xi'an.
From a shadowed corner of the street, an agent of the Prince of Qin's estate watched silently. He slipped back, gestured twice, and two lackeys melted into the crowd like oil into water.
Shi Kefa had come to greet Flat Rabbit.
Instead, he found himself staring at a young master.
He looked left.
Looked right.
Something about this man felt familiar. Very familiar.
He had seen a silicone Dao Xuan Tianzun by the Yellow River.
He had seen the Dao Xuan Tianzun in Gao Family Village.
But this one wore silk, not a Daoist robe.
Shi Kefa hesitated. "And… this gentleman is?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled lightly. "Li Daoxuan. Head of the Li family. I just happen to share a name with a rather famous ancestor from the Tang Dynasty."
Hehehe.
Shi Kefa's heart jumped.
The Li family.
This Li family.
The one that owned half of Gao Family Village. The one with money, manpower, technology, and terrifying connections.
Shi Kefa clasped his hands deeply. "I never expected the Li family head to be so young."
Li Daoxuan waved his fan. "My wife is young. Would it make sense for me to be old?"
Shi Kefa paused.
That… actually made sense.
Gao Yiye was barely past twenty. She was the principal wife, not a concubine. A principal wife's age usually matched her husband's.
Yes. Perfectly reasonable.
Shi Kefa leaned in. "Squire Li, your visit to Xi'an this time—is it for…?"
"Of course I'm here to back you," Li Daoxuan said casually. "Celestial fertilizer is about people eating or starving. Letting the Prince of Qin's estate run wild would be… uncouth."
Shi Kefa felt his spine straighten.
He came personally.
That alone said everything.
This man stood above ordinary gentry. Above ordinary merchants. With Dao Xuan Tianzun behind him, he was something else entirely.
Shi Kefa lowered his voice. "As for the Prince's heir—"
"Can't get it up!"
The mynah bird screamed.
Shi Kefa nearly inhaled his own tongue.
Li Daoxuan sighed. "Ah—my apologies. The bird's owner lacks discipline."
Shi Kefa waved frantically. "No, no—forget it!"
"The Prince's heir was initially unaware," Shi Kefa continued hurriedly. "It was his subordinates acting on their own. But after Lord Wu and I impeached him, he's now fully informed—and furious. He says he'll protect his people and fight us to the end."
Li Daoxuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That bold?"
"He resents civil officials," Shi Kefa said bitterly.
"Why?" Li Daoxuan asked.
Shi Kefa sighed. "When the previous Prince of Qin died, a new one should've been enfeoffed immediately. But everyone knows what that means—land grants. Xi'an's farmland is already mostly in the Prince's hands. Granting more would've been unbearable."
"So we blocked it," Shi Kefa said. "Delayed it. Again and again."
Li Daoxuan scoffed softly.
Shi Kefa continued, "The heir believes the court owes him land and title. Taking celestial fertilizer, to increase yields, is—"
"Can't get it up! Can't even touch women!"
The bird struck again.
Sweat poured down Shi Kefa's face.
"Squire Li… your bird…"
Li Daoxuan smiled indulgently. "Charming, isn't it?"
He tapped the cage. "Good bird. Extra meat tonight."
Shi Kefa's thoughts derailed completely.
Does it eat meat? Insects count as meat? Why am I thinking about this?!
They finally reached the celestial fertilizer shop.
Or what was left of it.
Doors smashed.
Furniture overturned.
A perfect portrait of what "acting recklessly" looked like in practice.
Shi Kefa gestured. "Squire Li… I leave this to you."
Li Daoxuan surveyed the ruin.
"No problem," he said lightly. "I'll handle it."
Shi Kefa watched him carefully.
"Handle it," he thought.
Yes.
This man was definitely not a normal person.