In just a few breaths, more than a dozen retainers from the Prince of Qin's household were lying scattered across the ground like discarded sacks.
None of them could get up.
And none of them had escaped with light injuries.
One man's arm hung at an unnatural angle, the joint clearly dislocated, swaying uselessly with every shallow breath he took. Another had been beaten until his face no longer resembled a face—eyes swollen shut, cheeks puffed up, skin mottled purple and black. The most miserable of all was the fellow Li Daoxuan had personally struck: his scalp had split open, blood streaming down his forehead and into his eyes, painting his vision red.
The steward was in no better shape.
Wang Tang had slammed him so hard into the ground that his bones nearly rattled apart. He staggered to his feet, clutching his chest, breathing raggedly. Rage and disbelief twisted his expression into something ugly.
"You…" he spat, pointing at them with a trembling finger. "You people are something else."
He sneered. "We wouldn't dare touch Wu Shen or Shi Kefa. But you lot?" His lips curled. "You're nothing. Just wait."
Wang Tang smiled, mild and polite.
"We'll be waiting."
The steward's face darkened. He roared, "Let's go!"
The retainers scrambled up in a panic, half dragging, half supporting one another as they fled down the street. In moments, they vanished around the corner, leaving behind only trampled snow and scattered bloodstains.
The villagers of Gao Family Village burst into laughter. Someone even whistled loudly at the retreating figures.
Flat Rabbit was practically glowing. "Wow! I never thought Dao Xuan Tianzun would personally join the fight!" he exclaimed. "When Dao Xuan Tianzun smashed that guy on the head—ah! That feeling was incredible!"
Zheng Gouzi nodded repeatedly. "Indeed. Completely unexpected."
Li Daoxuan leaned back in his lounge chair, rocking gently. The old wood creaked rhythmically beneath him. He smiled faintly, saying nothing.
So this is what it feels like, he thought.
Honestly, it's quite fun.
Much more satisfying than casually reaching down from the heavens and crushing ants.
The sensation stirred an old memory.
Thirty-Two Middle School.
Back then, there were always a few hooligans lurking outside the school gates. One day, a girl from his class had been harassed. She ran back crying, and the moment she spoke, every boy in the class rushed out.
None of them knew how to fight.
But numbers had their own kind of courage.
They surrounded the hooligans and unleashed a chaotic storm of punches and kicks. Li Daoxuan, hidden in the crowd, had managed to land two solid kicks and one punch.
Even now, the memory made him smile.
It had felt… very good.
Wang Tang glanced at him and murmured, "Dao Xuan Tianzun seems to be in a good mood. He's smiling."
Flat Rabbit laughed. "Of course! We were beating up bad people—how could Dao Xuan Tianzun not be happy?"
Zheng Gouzi chuckled. "That's true. Hehe."
Wang Tang's expression grew serious. "Next time, they won't send just a dozen men."
He continued calmly, "If I'm not mistaken, they'll bring fifty or sixty next time. And they'll be armed—clubs, staves, things meant to injure without drawing blood."
Flat Rabbit cracked his knuckles eagerly. "Then my Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord—"
"Don't use a sword," Wang Tang interrupted sharply. "Stick to weapons that don't draw blood."
Zheng Gouzi lowered his voice. "But Dao Xuan Tianzun already made someone bleed. That guy's head was pouring."
Wang Tang laughed. "Dao Xuan Tianzun used his fists."
He waved his hand. "As long as we don't brandish lethal weapons in the streets, even a cracked head counts as a reasonable brawl. Remember—nominally, we serve under Wu Shen and Shi Kefa."
His tone turned solemn. "If we cross the line, it's Wu Shen and Shi Kefa who'll be impeached. Good officials are rare. If they're dismissed and replaced with corrupt trash, that would be far more troublesome."
The others exchanged looks, then burst into laughter.
"That's true," they agreed.
That very night, heavy snow fell over Xi'an.
Behind the fertilizer shop, in the open yard, Flat Rabbit was busy sculpting a snowman.
Or rather—
A snow rabbit.
A fat one.
So plump that if it were real, it would provide a very respectable amount of meat.
He was admiring his work when Li Daoxuan emerged from the side room and waved him over.
"Rabbit Lord," Li Daoxuan called casually.
Flat Rabbit nearly jumped out of his skin. "Dao Xuan Tianzun!" he cried. "Please—please don't add 'Lord' when calling me! I can't bear such an honor!"
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Nicknames are for fun. Don't take them so seriously."
Still flustered, Flat Rabbit insisted, "Please… just call me Flat Rabbit."
"Alright," Li Daoxuan said. "Flat Rabbit, come with me. Let's slip out quietly and do some good."
Flat Rabbit's eyes lit up. "Oh? Do good deeds?"
That topic struck him right in the heart.
Li Daoxuan instructed, "Go check the last fertilizer cart. There are black bags on it. Grab one at random."
Flat Rabbit ran off immediately.
Moments later, he found the cart piled high with black bags. He reached for one casually—
—and nearly strained his back.
The bag didn't look large, yet it weighed more than two hundred jin.
He tore it open and froze.
Inside were clipped silver fragments, cut into small, irregular pieces.
Gritting his teeth, Flat Rabbit hoisted the bag onto his back and staggered out, face flushed red, breath coming in gasps. He dropped it beside Li Daoxuan.
"Dao Xuan Tianzun," he panted, "there's so much silver! I'm exhausted!"
Li Daoxuan laughed softly. "What do you think I called you for? Come on. Let's take a walk."
Flat Rabbit already understood. His exhaustion vanished instantly.
"Oh—yes! Yes!"
The two slipped quietly out of the fertilizer shop.
Though the shop looked relaxed, it was under tight security. Wang Tang had arranged patrols, wary of further trouble from the Prince of Qin's household. Guards watched not only the shop, but the surrounding streets as well.
When Li Daoxuan and Flat Rabbit left, the sentries noticed immediately.
But none dared stop them.
If Dao Xuan Tianzun wished to leave, who would be foolish enough to interfere?
Naturally, they pretended to see nothing.
Snow swirled through the streets of Xi'an, settling endlessly on rooftops and shoulders.
Li Daoxuan felt no cold.
His steel-boned, silicone-structured body ignored it completely.
But when he thought, I want to feel it, the chill instantly seeped in.
Like flipping a switch.
Convenient, he mused.
He pointed toward a narrow alley. "Look there."
Flat Rabbit stepped closer and peered inside.
Several figures were huddled together in the corner—refugees, pressed close for warmth, bodies trembling beneath thin layers of cloth.
"Give them silver."
Flat Rabbit untied the bag, scooped up a handful of clipped silver, and placed it before them.
The refugees stared in disbelief.
Then they dropped to their knees with heavy thuds, kowtowing repeatedly.
Li Daoxuan pulled Flat Rabbit away before gratitude could turn into commotion.
As they walked, Flat Rabbit whispered, "Dao Xuan Tianzun… my heart aches. Seeing suffering like this—it's unbearable."
Li Daoxuan remained silent.
Flat Rabbit continued softly, "This bag is only a bit over two hundred jin. It won't be enough, will it? I should have carried more… but my strength is too small…"
Li Daoxuan finally spoke.
"That bag is as heavy as your strength," he said.
He paused.
"That," he continued calmly, "is how many lives your kindness can reach."
Flat Rabbit stopped walking.
Li Daoxuan added, "One person who tries to save the world alone will only learn where his limits are."
Only then did Flat Rabbit truly understand.
This was not just charity.
It was a lesson.
"Come," Li Daoxuan said. "Let's keep distributing."
He continued quietly, "Do not despise what you can do just because it is not enough."
"Let them eat a few full meals this winter," he said. "That is already good."