"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Gunshots cracked through the damp air, sharp and decisive.
From the distance, Bai Yuan's musket fire rang out in steady rhythm. His marksmanship was terrifyingly precise—each shot claimed a life. Even at long range, he dared to fire, forcing the water bandits to lift their heads no higher than their knees.
Behind him, Bai Yuan's subordinates were far less confident.
Their aim wasn't nearly as refined, and with civilians mixed into the battlefield, they feared accidental injury. They held their fire, choosing instead to close the distance.
Fortunately—
The electric boat was frighteningly fast.
One hundred meters vanished in the blink of an eye.
As soon as the boats entered effective range, the subordinates raised their weapons.
"Bang! Bang!"
The sound of gunfire overlapped, echoing across the floodwaters. One water bandit after another fell, tumbling down the slope or collapsing into the mud.
The bandit leader's scalp went numb.
He glanced back at the approaching vessels, his first instinct screaming:
Imperial troops!
But the man standing at the bow—
White robes. Calm posture. No banners. No armor.
This doesn't look like government soldiers…
Forget it.
Escape first!
"Clear out!" the bandit chief roared. "Retreat—now!"
The remaining forty-odd water bandits turned and fled without hesitation.
The high slope was hard to attack—but retreating was easy.
They slid straight down, splashing into the water, leaping onto their boats, flipping their oars, and rowing for their lives.
"Bang!"
Bai Yuan fired one last shot, dropping another bandit mid-run.
He raised his arm. "Pursue—"
Before the order could be completed, a voice spoke through the golden thread bound to his chest:
"Rescue the people first."
It was Dao Xuan Tianzun.
Bai Yuan froze—then immediately came back to his senses.
Of course.
The common people on the high slope had been starving and freezing for days. Many were already half-dead. Chasing a handful of water bandits could wait.
He lowered his arm sharply. "Stop pursuit! Dock at the slope!"
The large cargo ship eased forward and stopped at the base of the high slope.
Hundreds of disaster victims looked down at the vessel as if gazing upon salvation itself.
Tears streamed freely.
Bai Yuan waved his hand. "Form an orderly line! Board one by one—no pushing, no panic."
"We have multiple ships. More are arriving shortly."
"As long as everyone cooperates, every single person will be rescued."
That was the final straw.
The people on the slope broke down completely.
Loud sobbing erupted, echoing across the water.
More Gao Family Village flat-bottomed boats arrived, one after another, spreading out across the flooded Mengjin region.
The waters had not receded.
Isolated patches of land dotted the yellow expanse like islands in a filthy sea.
On each island—
Starving people.
Hollow-eyed survivors.
Many had already been robbed clean by water bandits.
Their homes were submerged.
Their farmland destroyed.
Their valuables stolen.
Lifetimes of effort—gone overnight.
Some stared blankly at the sky, silently asking themselves:
What's the point of living anymore?
Seeing this, even the hardened militia felt a stabbing pain in their chests.
"If we hadn't come…" Bai Yuan sighed deeply, "none of these people would survive."
"Droughts, then floods. Disaster after disaster." He clenched his fists. "Is life really meant to be lived like this?"
Dao Xuan Tianzun's voice answered softly through the golden thread:
"Natural disasters reveal not heaven's cruelty—but the failure of those who rule."
Bai Yuan's expression hardened. "Exactly!"
"This place lies on the outskirts of Luoyang. Logically, government rescue ships should've arrived days ago."
"But not one boat came."
"These people were abandoned."
His voice dropped, heavy with suppressed fury. "Such a government… deserves to fall. It's time for someone else to sit on the throne."
Li Daoxuan heard this and chuckled inwardly.
Bai Yuan still thinks in dynasties.
If it were Young Master Bai… he'd already be thinking about something else entirely.
Self-governance.
Local autonomy.
People ruling themselves.
Too early.
Much too early.
The rescue operation continued without pause.
Gao Family Village's cargo ships patrolled the floodwaters day and night, ferrying people from island to island, delivering them upstream to dry ground outside Hengshui Town.
The refugees arrived numb, confused, convinced survival was meaningless.
Then they saw it.
Rows upon rows of rain shelters.
Huge cauldrons, steaming.
Hot food.
As soon as someone disembarked, they were handed a bowl.
Not thin grass porridge—but thick, nourishing gruel.
One sip—
Warmth spread through the belly.
Life flowed back into the limbs.
Steamed buns followed.
Bite after bite, fear melted away.
People began to cry again—but this time, it was from relief.
"Old Master Bai—you're our second parents!"
"You saved our lives!"
People knelt, kowtowed, pressed their foreheads into the mud.
Bai Yuan hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no! Don't thank me."
"The one who saved you is Dao Xuan Tianzun."
"Dao Xuan Tianzun?"
The militia sighed.
And began explaining… again.
The rescue never stopped.
Day into night.
Night into day.
Supplies ran low—but Gao Family Village's second supply fleet arrived just in time, exploiting a brief lull in the wind and rain.
The refugee camp outside Hengshui Town soon swelled to over ten thousand people.
As evening fell, another cargo ship returned, carrying thirty-odd victims so weak they collapsed the moment they disembarked.
They were saved only because Jiang Cheng, now organizing volunteer refugees, rushed over.
He helped them under shelter, scooped up gruel, fed them spoon by spoon.
Only then did their breathing steady.
Bai Yuan entered the shelter, rain dripping from his sleeves, and patted Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
"Brother Jiang—how are they?"
Jiang Cheng looked up, exhaustion clear on his face—but relief too.
"They'll live."
Bai Yuan nodded.
At that moment, a Bai Family guard ran over.
"Master! Imperial officials have arrived."
Bai Yuan frowned. "So… they finally noticed?"
Jiang Cheng spat coldly. "They didn't come to help."
"They saw ten thousand refugees gathered here and decided it looked 'unsafe.'"
"Now they want answers."
Bai Yuan snorted.
He didn't want to deal with them.
But he had to.
He motioned to Jiang Cheng. "Come."
Together, they walked toward the camp's edge.
There, a small contingent of Ming soldiers approached, armor polished, posture arrogant.
They stopped at the entrance.
One officer barked loudly, chin raised:
"What's going on here?!"
"Why are so many people gathered in one place?!"