Bai Yuan watched the approaching troops with a calm, measuring gaze, his expression unreadable.
Jiang Cheng sensed the chill in the air immediately. Afraid that Bai Yuan's temper might flare and complicate matters, he hurried forward first, forcing a conciliatory smile onto his face.
"Officer," he said politely, "these are all common folk displaced by the floods. They're merely sheltering here to escape the rising waters."
The leading officer's brows knit together, impatience written plainly on his face.
"Why are so many people gathered in one place?" he snapped. "Are you trying to stir up trouble?"
Jiang Cheng let out an awkward chuckle. "They have no choice. Food is only being distributed here, so naturally everyone has gathered."
He gestured toward Bai Yuan.
"This gentleman is Mr. Bai of Shaanxi, a well-known philanthropist. By coincidence, he passed near Luoyang. Seeing the people suffering, he couldn't bear it and personally organized a gruel distribution to relieve the disaster victims."
Although uncommon, it wasn't unheard of for wealthy gentry to distribute gruel during famine years.
Hearing this, the officers did not immediately doubt the story.
They looked toward Bai Yuan.
White robes. Clean and immaculate. His bearing was both elegant and aloof, carrying a faint but unmistakable sense of authority.
A flicker of unease passed through their eyes.
The leading officer clasped his hands and offered a stiff bow.
"So it's Mr. Bai from Shaanxi. Your reputation precedes you."
Bai Yuan snorted.
"My reputation precedes me? Rubbish. This is the first time you've ever heard my name, isn't it?"
The officer froze.
For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
Just a little courtesy, and he's already acting so high and mighty…
Annoyance surged in the officer's heart—but the more arrogant Bai Yuan appeared, the less the officers dared to offend him. What if they had unknowingly provoked someone far above their station?
In the end, it was the officers who forced smiles onto their faces.
"Mr. Bai jests," the officer said hurriedly. "Ahem… we merely heard there was a large gathering here and came to investigate. Since Mr. Bai is present, we can be at ease…"
He turned, clearly intending to leave with his troops as quickly as possible. His plan was obvious: investigate Bai Yuan's background first, then decide how to deal with him later.
"Hold it."
Bai Yuan's voice was unhurried, yet it cut cleanly through the air.
The officer's steps faltered. He turned stiffly.
"Does Mr. Bai have further instructions?"
Bai Yuan spoke slowly, his tone meticulously polite—and unmistakably condescending.
"Mengjin County has been flooded for thousands of li. I wouldn't complain if I never saw soldiers rescuing people; after all, one could argue that relief work isn't your responsibility."
"But bandits are running rampant, looting villages and preying on the helpless."
He looked straight at the officer.
"As soldiers, eliminating bandits is your duty. So tell me—why haven't I seen any of you doing it?"
The pressure was immediate.
The officer's heart thudded violently. A terrifying thought surfaced in his mind:
Could this man be an imperial censor? Sent secretly by the Son of Heaven to inspect the provinces?
If such a person reported him to the capital, he wouldn't even know how he died.
That single possibility shattered the officer's bravado.
"Well… ahem…" he stammered, sweat beading on his brow. "As for those water bandits… we have been suppressing them. Very diligently, in fact."
"It's just that they're hiding in Xiaolangdi. The waterways there are extremely complex—countless inlets, countless hiding places. Bandits can disappear at any moment. We're… somewhat outmatched…"
Bai Yuan's face hardened.
"Excuses."
"I don't want to hear excuses. All I see are common people suffering at the hands of pirates. Their misery is unbearable to look at."
The harsher Bai Yuan became, the more the officer collapsed.
He didn't even dare raise his head. He clasped his hands tightly and bowed deeply.
"I will return at once, muster my troops, and proceed to Xiaolangdi to eliminate the bandits. I will give Mr. Bai a satisfactory result."
With that, he practically fled.
The detachment of soldiers vanished in moments.
Bai Yuan snorted coldly.
"A bunch of useless cowards."
Jiang Cheng lowered his voice. "Mr. Bai, you frightened him for now, but once he investigates and discovers you're not a high official, he may return with a far nastier attitude."
Bai Yuan nodded. Of course he understood.
He was completely unconcerned.
"If he dares cause trouble, I'll just put a bullet in him."
Jiang Cheng's heart skipped a beat.
He dares… shoot an official?
Bai Yuan abruptly changed the subject.
"This Xiaolangdi—what kind of place is it?"
Jiang Cheng blinked. "Why does Mr. Bai ask?"
Bai Yuan replied calmly, "Qichuan Ferry and Yongji Ferry are too small."
In truth, Li Daoxuan had long since recognized this problem.
Qichuan and Yongji were ancient docks—nothing more than widened coves along the riverbank. They were suitable for wooden boats, but hopelessly inadequate for the divine ships Li Daoxuan had placed into the box.
Just a few modern vessels were enough to pack those old docks to bursting.
Worse still, Li Daoxuan's gunboats carried over a dozen cannons. Leaving them exposed along open riverbanks was a serious security risk. Any merchant ship traveling north or south could spot them at a glance.
Li Daoxuan had already discussed this with Bai Yuan:
Civilian docks and military docks needed to be separated.
Now, hearing the officer mention that Xiaolangdi's waterways were intricate and ideal for hiding pirates, Bai Yuan's interest was immediately stirred.
Wouldn't such a place make the perfect concealed military harbor?
True, it was far from Gao Family Village.
But distance was a temporary concern.
Once Gao Family Village truly rose to dominate the land, this stretch of the Yellow River's middle reaches would become its strategic heart.
Planning ahead was not only acceptable—it was necessary.
Jiang Cheng quickly began explaining Xiaolangdi.
It turned out to be a notorious rebel stronghold in the central Yellow River region.
As early as the late Eastern Han, when the Yellow Turban Rebellion erupted, the rebels had chosen Xiaolangdi as their base. They built a fortress there, exploiting the tangled waterways to evade government suppression and plunder passing merchant ships.
Through successive dynasties, pirates had never truly been eradicated from the region.
When Jiang Cheng finished speaking, Bai Yuan was secretly delighted.
Li Daoxuan, listening through the connection, was equally pleased.
This place was perfect.
Gao Family Village's navy had already outgrown Qichuan Ferry. Expanding into new territory was inevitable, and an infamous pirate den was the ideal foundation for a fortified base.
Seize it from the pirates.
Turn it into a stronghold.
It would be even more convenient than when Xing Honglang first established her water fortress at Yongji.
Far away?
So what.
Yongji had been distant once, too—and hadn't it been managed just fine?
Moreover, the ten thousand flood victims gathered here could serve as the initial workforce for construction.
Everything aligned too neatly.
Dao Xuan Tianzun spoke through the connection:
"This plan is feasible."
Bai Yuan's eyes lit up.
"Even Dao Xuan Tianzun approves? Then I won't hesitate."
Jiang Cheng also smiled.
"If we build a water fortress here, won't it be quite close to my home?"
Bai Yuan laughed.
"Perfect. I remember you're skilled in sailing. Brother Jiang, when the time comes, help manage the water fortress."
Jiang Cheng nodded firmly.
"Count me in."
With the decision made, they spread out a map and examined it carefully.
Eagle Beak Mountain, with the ruins of the ancient Yellow Turban Fortress below it, stood out immediately as the optimal site.
Before construction, however—
Dao Xuan Tianzun's voice turned cold.
"First, cleanse the pirates of Xiaolangdi. The one who escaped earlier must be found."
"He exploited disaster and brutalized the people."
"He will pay."