Shi Jian was startled by the sudden voice coming from his chest.
"Good heavens—!" He instinctively looked down. "Tianzhun? When did you arrive?"
The small Cotton-Thread Dao Xuan Tianzhun sat leisurely against his armor, legs dangling, chuckling softly.
"I've been here for quite a while."
Shi Jian's heart skipped a beat.
As expected of the Dao Xuan Tianzhun … appearing and disappearing without a trace. No one ever knows when He's watching.
A chill ran down his spine.
Good thing I haven't done anything wrong.
He hurriedly clasped his fists in respect.
"Dao Xuan Tianzhun … are you saying Chen Qiyu will lose his post this time?"
"Indeed," the Cotton-Thread Heavenly Lord replied flatly.
"He lacks true ability. His achievements came largely from relying on the Gao Family Village militia. Now that he's been elevated to Grand Coordinator of Five Provinces and sent to the frontline of bandit suppression, his position far exceeds his talent."
The Heavenly Lord's thread-like mouth curved slightly.
"Without our militia backing him, what rebels can he suppress? He'll be toyed with by the bandits, make a catastrophic mistake—and Zhu Youjian will strip him of his office."
Shi Jian hesitated.
"Then… should we help him?"
The Cotton-Thread Heavenly Lord shook his head.
"His fate is his own. You need not concern yourself with it."
"Your task now," the Heavenly Lord continued calmly, "is to make proper use of the authority he left you—and to develop Northern Shaanxi."
Shi Jian's eyes lit up.
"Understood!"
Northern Shaanxi was far from peaceful.
Among all its regions, Yulin was the most chaotic.
After rebel remnants returned from Shanxi to Shaanxi, they began wreaking havoc throughout Yulin with renewed ferocity. Worse still, the Mongolian Wushen Tribe, whose pastures lay dangerously close to Yulin, frequently rode in to stir trouble—burning, looting, probing defenses.
Whenever government troops entered Yulin to suppress rebels, they found themselves caught in a miserable tug-of-war, forced to fight bandits on one side and Mongolian cavalry on the other.
Of course, the Wushen Tribe had already suffered a devastating blow.
During their last clash with the Gao Family Village firearm troops, they had endured four rounds of concentrated fire within ten breaths. Their able-bodied young men were slaughtered in horrifying numbers.
That single encounter shattered the tribe's confidence.
For a time, they didn't dare approach Yulin again.
The Cotton-Dao Xuan Tianzhun spoke again.
"I've transferred Zao Ying here. We're preparing to make a move on the Wushen Tribe."
Shi Jian sucked in a sharp breath, his expression turning grave.
"Tianzhun… do you mean we're going to wipe out the Wushen Tribe?"
"No."
The Cotton-Dao Xuan Tianzhun stitched mouth twisted into a distinctly crooked grin.
"Simply killing them would be meaningless."
"The Mongolian cavalry," he said lightly, "are excellent soldiers. Such assets should be used, not discarded."
Shi Jian blinked.
"…Used?"
"The Mongolians have long allied with the Manchus, serving as their vanguard," Dao Xuan Tianzhun said. "Rather than allowing the Manchus to wield them against us, why shouldn't we wield them against the Manchus instead?"
At that moment, realization slowly dawned on Shi Jian.
Dao Xuan Tianzhun continued, his tone patient but firm.
"I've told you many times—don't rely solely on killing. The world is vast. Governing it requires people."
"The grasslands are immense," he added. "Central Plains people cannot govern them effectively. We lack the population, the familiarity, the lifestyle."
"We need Mongolians—people who can truly manage the grasslands."
Shi Jian lowered his head.
"Understood."
With the Dao Xuan Tianzhun guiding philosophy laid bare, any lingering hesitation in Shi Jian's heart vanished completely.
After resupplying, it wasn't long before Zao Ying's Cavalry Battalion arrived.
Over the years, Gao Family Village had acquired warhorses through countless channels—trade, barter, capture. Unbeknownst to many, the Cavalry Battalion had quietly expanded to a full thousand riders.
For several years, they had traveled alongside Tie Niaofei on trade routes, escorting goods to border garrisons. They frequently passed through Xuanfu and Datong, sharpening their skills in real conditions.
Shi Jian hadn't interacted with them much before.
He genuinely hadn't realized how formidable they had become.
Seeing Zao Ying, he immediately clasped his hands.
"Instructor Zao! It's truly been a long time."
Zao Ying smiled faintly.
"Shi Jian. You're doing quite well yourself—already a Brigadier General."
Shi Jian laughed.
"That title's just for outsiders. Everyone knows that here in Gao Family Village, I'm a nobody."
As he spoke, he pointed sideways.
"But he—" Shi Jian said, nodding at the man riding beside Zao Ying, "—he's the real big shot. Your man."
Zao Ying's smile brightened instantly.
"Well said," she replied cheerfully. "Those words—your man—you used them perfectly."
Zheng Daniu, who was gnawing ferociously on a roasted lamb leg, turned his head.
"Huh?" He stared blankly. "Zao Ying has a man? Who? Where? Why haven't you introduced him to us? That's cold-blooded!"
Shi Jian shot him a look.
"You."
Zheng Daniu froze.
"Me?"
"If not you, then who?" Shi Jian snapped.
Zheng Daniu burst out laughing.
"What nonsense! We're not married. How can I be her man?"
Shi Jian pressed mercilessly, "But you've slept together, haven't you?"
Zheng Daniu nodded without hesitation.
"Of course! On the Xuanfu–Datong border it was freezing. We bunked together plenty of times."
Zao Ying was simultaneously delighted and embarrassed. Tough as she was, hearing the word slept still made her ears redden.
Shi Jian spread his hands.
"There you have it. If you've slept with her, you're responsible. Either marry her, or you're a scumbag."
Zheng Daniu nearly choked.
"There's such a rule?! Then I'd have to marry half the village! Gao Chuwu, Flat Rabbit, and so many brothers—I'd have to marry them all!"
"Thud!"
Zao Ying fell straight off her horse.
It was a hard fall.
Her equipment scattered, and a short firearm strapped to her back tumbled across the ground, stopping at Shi Jian's feet.
Shi Jian bent down, surprised.
"Oh?" He picked it up. "Huh? This firearm is much shorter than ours."
Zao Ying scrambled to her feet.
"Yes. It's a cavalry carbine."
She explained carefully.
"Dao Xuan Tianzhun provided the design. It was jointly developed by Song Yingxing, Li Da, Gao Yiyi, Xu Dafu, and others."
Shi Jian's eyes widened.
"A cavalry carbine?"
"Infantry firearms are too long," Zao Ying said. "They interfere with mounted combat. These have shorter barrels—easier to handle on horseback."
"Of course," she added, "shorter barrels mean reduced range and accuracy."
Shi Jian instantly grasped the logic.
For cavalry charging headlong into battle, long-range precision mattered far less than flexibility and speed.
Zheng Daniu grinned proudly.
"The brothers trained like mad to master these on horseback."
Shi Jian nodded.
"With weapons like this, the Cavalry Battalion will dominate the grasslands."
Then he paused.
"Wait—Daniu, weren't you part of the Armored Grenadier Battalion? Why are you here?"
Zheng Daniu sighed.
"That unit was disbanded ages ago. Firearms kept getting longer range. Our grenade throwing became pointless."
"All of us got reassigned."
His expression dimmed slightly.
"Haven't seen Gao Chuwu in ages either… wonder what he's been up to."
"Waaaah—!"
A baby's cry suddenly rang out.
A midwife rushed from a nearby room, cradling a newborn.
"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations! Your wife has given birth to a son—a big, healthy boy!"
Gao Chuwu rushed forward, grinning ear to ear. He clumsily took the child into his arms.
"Hahahahaha! I'm a father! I'll name him Gao Chu Liu!"
"STOP—!"
Xing Honglang's furious roar exploded from inside the room.
"Give the child a proper, respectable name!"