Li Daoxuan simply renamed his Douyin account to "Daily Life in the Miniature World (Tilt-Shift Photography)." With this clear label displayed right out in the open, he could freely post videos that unmistakably featured a tiny miniature world without arousing suspicion.
After all, he had already declared it to be tilt-shift photography. No one would seriously suspect that he actually possessed a real miniature world inside his room.
After careful thought, he realized that the previous video of the Daoist temple construction, though authentic and pleasant, lacked excitement. If he wanted to generate a massive wave of traffic, he needed something far more stimulating and thrilling.
Naturally, that meant battle footage.
He browsed through his archive of recordings and quickly located the video capturing Wushang Mingwang's attack on Gaojia Village.
Excellent. This was the exact material he needed.
With careful editing and a touch of filter enhancement, he uploaded the clip. He added a caption: "The hardworking villagers of the miniature world were attacked by bandit forces, and everyone took up arms to defend their homeland..."
Damn it.
He really should have paid more attention during his school years. His copywriting skills were thoroughly mediocre. It was a good thing he never attempted to become a professional writer, or he surely would have starved as a bottom-tier hack.
Meanwhile, Shan Shi'er and his group were hurrying toward the county town.
No one spoke a word. Everyone remained terrified of running into bandits.
Yet fate is a fickle thing, and Murphy's law is never just an empty phrase. The more one fears something, the more inevitable its arrival becomes.
As they reached a spot roughly ten li from the village, a sudden commotion erupted from both sides of the road. Nearly a hundred figures surged out from the tree line, armed with a chaotic assortment of weapons. The moment they appeared, they blocked both ends of the mountain path, glaring hungrily at the bundles strapped to the backs of Shan Shi'er's party.
Upon seeing the hostile gazes, Mrs. Shan's immediate reaction was to clutch her heavy bundle tightly to her chest. Inside rested the jars of divine medicine, which absolutely could not fall into enemy hands.
Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu drew their swords instantly. The rest of the young men bared their weapons as well.
Yet in their hearts, they all knew that against such an overwhelming disparity in numbers, a few swords could never save them.
Shan Shi'er forced an outward appearance of calm and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Keep your eyes open and listen well! I am Shan Shi'er, strategist to the county magistrate! The men behind me are all hangers-on of the county yamen! If you dare lay a finger on us, it will be treated as open rebellion, bringing the execution of your entire clan and the confiscation of your properties. Not a single one of you will survive!"
In such a desperate situation, all he could do was bluff. He trotted out his former official title to intimidate them and portrayed Gao Chuwu's group as yamen hangers-on, hoping an official aura might scare the bandits off.
Unfortunately, Shan Shi'er's speech failed to frighten the mob. The ringleader chuckled darkly. "We even dare to kill magistrates. Do you think we care about a mere strategist?"
Hearing that, everyone broke out in a cold sweat.
However...
Shan Shi'er's eyes suddenly lit up as comprehension dawned upon him. "You... are you men of Wang Er of Baishui, followers of Hero Wang?"
The ringleader grinned. "That's right! We all roll with Big Brother Wang Er. Scared yet? Hahaha! Everyone near and far knows we slaughtered Magistrate Zhang Yaocai. How dare you try to scare me with a strategist's title? Hahaha!"
Instead of panicking, Shan Shi'er clutched at the revelation like a drowning man grabbing a straw. He shouted, "Since you're brothers of Hero Wang, everything is easy to settle! Good sir, we share old ties with Hero Wang. We're friends! You must not lay a hand on us, lest it strain your brotherhood with him."
The ringleader paused in confusion before cursing, "What kind of dogshit nonsense are you spouting? First you claimed kinship with the magistrate, and now you want to claim brotherhood with my Big Brother Wang? You clearly look like a shady character."
Cold sweat poured down Shan Shi'er's forehead. This was a matter of life and death, where a single wrong word meant certain doom. He forced an expression of absolute sternness. "Let me make things clear first. We genuinely share past ties with Hero Wang. Touch me if you dare, and your big brother will tear your bones apart."
His bluff actually managed to rattle the petty chieftain. The leader hesitated for a long moment, unsure whether to order an attack. Without his command, the other bandits didn't dare move, freezing the entire standoff in place.
At the very rear of the bandit formation, a young man quietly slipped away and sprinted toward the upper slope of the hill.
The chieftain felt a prickle of unease, genuinely afraid of offending his superior's friends. "You motherfucker must be lying. How could my Big Brother Wang share ties with a fat-bellied old fool like you?"
Shan Shi'er felt his heart hammering against his ribs, though he kept up a defiant front. "Then come over and hack me to death! Once you kill us, your big brother will chop you into eighteen pieces and hang them from a tree!"
Both sides were putting on a fierce front while trembling inside. The standoff dragged on. Tension gripped everyone. A single misstep meant immediate death.
Just at that moment, a resounding shout rang out from the distant hillside. "Lower your weapons, all of you!"
Both sides snapped their heads toward the slope. Wang Er had arrived, led by the young man who had just run off.
Wang Er strode forward with rapid, decisive steps, entering the clearing. He glanced to the left. "Indeed, they are people from Gaojia Village." He glanced to the right. "Baimao, call your men back."
It turned out the petty chieftain was named Baimao, or "White Cat." Hearing Wang Er's order, he broke out in a cold sweat.
Thank goodness. These folks really do know Big Brother, or I would have slaughtered them all.
Shan Shi'er finally exhaled his pent-up breath, his knees turning to jelly as he plopped down on his butt with a thud. Damn it all, thank goodness Wang Er is an honorable bandit chief. If anyone else had crossed our path, we would have been goners.
The surrounding bandits began to disperse, though as they retreated, their gazes still lingered longingly upon the villagers' heavy bundles. Having grown addicted to looting recently, they instinctively felt as though everyone else's belongings rightfully belonged to them. Wang Er glared at the men, and they quickly scattered like startled birds.
"Master Shan, brothers of Gaojia Village," Wang Er cupped his fists in greeting. "What brings you out here? In these turbulent times, why travel the roads carrying heavy baggage instead of staying safely in Gaojia Village? Are you tired of living?"
Shan Shi'er looked awkwardly at his wife, thinking: It's all because this woman insisted on returning to the county town. Yet since his wife's journey was meant to save mankind, aligning with Tianzun's divine command, there was no room to complain.
He cupped his fists back and replied, "We have compelling reasons to reach the county town."
Wang Er furrowed his brows in thought for a few seconds. "Since that is the case, I will escort you for a stretch of the road. Once you return from the county town to Gaojia Village, I will escort you back again. Gaojia Village showed me great kindness. I cannot allow my benefactors to meet with danger."
Hearing those words, Shan Shi'er was overjoyed. He always knew Wang Er valued honor, but he never imagined he would be honorable to such an extreme degree. This bandit chief was genuinely decent.
Filled with sudden respect, Shan Shi'er bowed deeply. "Hero Wang, a man of such noble character as yourself being forced into a life of banditry is truly... alas... what an unjust world we live in."