Ma Tianzheng's prophecy very quickly became reality.
Two days later, a massive fleet appeared on the river outside Wuchang.
The Prefect of Wuchang grew nervous. He had no idea where this fleet came from and did not dare open the gates lightly.
Before he could make up his mind, Prince Zhu Huadie came running to the South Water Gate, Ma Tianzheng following close behind.
"Open the water gate at once!" Zhu Huadie shouted. "Let them in. They are reinforcements. Reinforcements!"
The Prefect frowned. "Reinforcements from where? Which general of the court leads them? Why have I received no notice?"
Zhu Huadie waved him off impatiently. "What do you know? They were sent by the Tianzun to save the common people."
The Prefect blinked. "What?"
Zhu Huadie excitedly waved a copy of The Tales of Dao Xuan Tianzun, Demon Slayer. "Read this and you will understand. The Tianzun, in boundless compassion, has organized a militia to rescue those in suffering."
The words White Lotus Sect flashed through the Prefect's mind.
Before he could protest, the Prince's guards rushed forward, lifted him off his feet, and politely but firmly carried him away.
"Open the South Water Gate!"
The great gate creaked open, and the militia fleet sailed into the city.
Cheng Xu stood at the bow of the leading ship. To his left was Gao Chu Wu. To his right, Zheng Daniu.
Zhu Huadie hurried over, beaming with delight. "The Tianzun's army is truly mighty and extraordinary. This prince also wishes to join."
Cheng Xu laughed. "You are sixty six years old. Best not to overexert yourself."
Yet the older a man grew, the more fervent his superstition became.
Zhu Huadie gazed at the militia with reddened eyes. He truly wanted to join. In his heart he calculated that if he made more donations to Dao Xuan Tianzun's temples, perhaps he could at least secure an honorary instructor's title.
Cheng Xu asked, "What is the situation here?"
Zhu Huadie hesitated. "Ah… this… I am not entirely sure. The Prefect should explain."
So the Prince's guards went and fetched the Prefect again.
Dragged back and forth like a sack of rice, the Prefect felt numb. He dared not offend the Prince of Chu. The previous prince had even beaten a provincial inspector to death. As for this new one, best not to test his temper.
He faced Cheng Xu. "You are a militia?"
"Yes," Cheng Xu replied with a smile. "Militia from Shaanxi, from Shanxi, from Henan, and from Sichuan. All common folk, united under the Tianzun's call to deal with the bandits."
The Prefect had already heard Zhu Huadie speak of the Tianzun these past days. He privately classified it as something akin to a heterodox sect. But unlike certain sects, this one was helping fight rebels rather than stirring trouble, so he chose not to oppose it.
"The Eight Great Kings' men have been roaming outside Wuchang," the Prefect said. "Fortunately, villagers have fled into the city. Otherwise they would have been slaughtered. But they cannot remain inside forever. The fields outside must be cultivated."
Cheng Xu nodded. "Understood. Now that we are here, leave the Eight Great Kings to us."
Could the Prefect refuse?
Clearly not.
With the Prince backing them, he had little choice but to step aside.
Boats continued pouring into Wuchang. Militia soldiers armed with firelocks swiftly took over the arrow towers, gatehouses, and key defensive positions along the walls.
Throughout the entire process, Cheng Xu did not issue a single command. The squad leaders handled everything.
The Prefect watched their discipline and felt a chill. This militia was more professional than the official troops.
At the North Gate tower, one militia soldier examined the structure, selected the sturdiest stone pillar, and began tying a thick rope around it.
The Prefect stared. "What is that for?"
He soon found out.
At the other end of the rope was a massive balloon lantern. The militia heated the air within it, and slowly, it rose above Wuchang.
High above, the wind caught it, causing it to sway. Only the long rope tethered to the tower kept it from drifting away.
The Prefect gasped. "What sorcery is this?"
Zhu Huadie was ecstatic. "Ma Zhenren, this must be what the fifteenth volume of The Tales of Dao Xuan Tianzun describes. The secret art bestowed by the Tianzun. The giant Kongming lantern. Once it rises into the sky, bandits within dozens of li have nowhere to hide."
Ma Tianzheng smiled gently. "When Dao Xuan Tianzun has leisure, he personally observes the sufferings of the mortal world from the heavens. But the Tianzun is busy. One day in Heaven equals one year among men. If he takes even a brief rest, much time passes here. He cannot watch us constantly, so he granted this giant lantern that we may keep watch ourselves."
Zhu Huadie nodded earnestly. "Quite right. How could an immortal of such dignity spend every day staring at mortals? No immortal is that idle."
At that very moment, Li Daoxuan sneezed. "Who is speaking ill of me?"
Gao Yiye, who could hear his voice, looked up at the sky and smiled. "Who would dare speak ill of the Tianzun?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Plenty of people dare. I am not invincible. Even those who are invincible still have others gossiping about them behind their backs."
Gao Yiye nodded thoughtfully.
Li Daoxuan asked, "Yiye, how do you plan to spend today?"
She smiled. "You trained two journalism students to manage Gao Family News, so I am free again. I want to visit Henan."
"What is there to see in Henan?"
"I heard you left a celestial seal in Wuyang County. You stamped the earth with it. I want to see what it looks like."
Li Daoxuan laughed. "No need to travel that far. I will stamp one for you here."
He took out his cheap market stall seal and tossed it onto the open ground beside Gao Family Village's main fortress.
A thunderous boom shook the earth.
The villagers were not frightened. They rushed forward excitedly.
"The Tianzun's immortal seal!"
"Look, it says 'Shen Si Du Xing' – Think Carefully, Act Steadfastly. That must be a true mantra."
"I want to make a personal seal just like it."
"Are you mad? Copying the Tianzun's seal is blasphemy."
"You must be new here. Everyone knows the Tianzun does not mind. Even the hero outfits sold in our village are the same style as his."
Three days later, replica seals engraved with the same four characters were selling wildly. The villagers used fine jade for theirs, far superior to the Tianzun's own cheap imitation stone.