Li Daoxuan felt relatively at ease when it came to the safety of the major cities within Shaanxi.
Every key city had already organized its own militia, and beyond that, each factory maintained militia units of its own. Their combat strength was anything but weak. Years ago, the battle at the Shanxi Steel Transport Factory had already proven just how terrifying these factory militias could be once they were mobilized.
What truly troubled him were the countless small villages scattered across the countryside.
Rural development had always lagged behind. Even in later ages, small villages often struggled to keep pace with cities, let alone during the Ming Dynasty. Many remote hamlets remained isolated, poor, and defenseless.
The civil officials of Gao Family Village had not yet reached the point where the blessings of Dao Xuan Tianzun could be extended to every distant corner of the land.
If wandering bandits were to raid these villages, the consequences would be unthinkably grim.
With that thought weighing on his mind, Li Daoxuan quickly adjusted the perspective of the diorama box toward the west.
His expanded field of view now covered most of Shaanxi. If bandits truly managed to infiltrate the province and threaten its people, he would be able to intervene directly.
He rapidly pressed the directional controls, north, south, east, and west.
Mountains and rivers of the Great Ming scrolled swiftly across the box, vast landscapes flashing by one after another, until the towering Qinling Mountains filled his vision.
Hmm?
Something was moving inside the box.
Li Daoxuan narrowed his eyes and focused. Nestled among the trees was a Qinling giant panda, clumsily hauling its heavy body up a trunk, limbs awkward yet strangely endearing.
"Good heavens," Li Daoxuan muttered, "a miniature giant panda."
He was instantly enchanted. For a brief, dangerous moment, he was seized by the overwhelming urge to take it out of the box and keep it as a pet. But reason returned just as quickly. Living creatures could not enter or leave the box. Taking it out would kill it, and the thought alone made his chest tighten.
Then another idea struck him.
If it could not come out, then he could go in.
Petting time.
Without hesitation, Li Daoxuan grabbed a mass-produced Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun figurine and gently placed it into the box, right beside the panda. In the next instant, his consciousness linked up, and with a familiar flash, he descended into the miniature world.
The silicone figure came to life, arms spreading wide as he spoke in a coaxing tone. "Come here, little one. Let Uncle give you a nice pat."
The panda froze.
Its instincts screamed danger. Whatever stood before it carried no human scent, only something alien and monstrous. With a sudden burst of ferocity, the panda swung its massive claws.
Swish, swish, swish.
In the blink of an eye, the Puppet Dao Xuan Tianzun was torn cleanly in half.
Li Daoxuan fell silent.
Petting attempt failed.
Resigned, and wisely deciding not to provoke the adorable yet deadly creature any further, he withdrew his focus and continued shifting the perspective westward, scanning the land inch by inch.
Not long after, a dense cluster of tiny figures appeared inside a narrow canyon.
Li Daoxuan squinted.
Banners bearing the character "Chuǎng" fluttered unmistakably.
It was the army of Chuǎng Wang, Gao Yingxiang.
Li Daoxuan recognized him immediately. Back at Gubei Crossing, when the original forty-two people of Gao Family Village had tried to persuade Gao Yingxiang, Li Daoxuan himself had been present, even tossing out a few sarcastic remarks at the time. He had not expected to see Gao Yingxiang reentering Shaanxi so soon.
Li Daoxuan frowned slightly.
Trouble.
What should be done about this man?
If he simply crushed Gao Yingxiang with a divine strike, Gao Yiye would surely be heartbroken. The original forty-two would also be deeply saddened. They would never blame Dao Xuan Tianzun, but they would inevitably blame themselves for failing to persuade Gao Yingxiang back then.
Yet if he did not strike him down, that was equally unacceptable.
As the supreme leader of the roaming rebel armies, Gao Yingxiang bore responsibility for countless atrocities committed by his subordinates. Charging him with war crimes would be entirely justified, and execution would hardly be excessive.
Li Daoxuan felt a rare surge of irritation.
Absolute impartial justice was something humans struggled to achieve. Even the slightest emotional bias could tilt judgment one way or another.
While he was still weighing Gao Yingxiang's fate, his perspective in the box continued to advance. Soon, his view moved ahead of the rebel army, reaching the exit of the mountain gorge.
There, on the slopes overlooking the gorge mouth, countless tiny figures lay in wait.
Li Daoxuan recognized them at once.
They were all his people.
Sun Chuanting, Flat Rabbit, Zheng Gouzi, along with a large number of Yellow Pole Military Academy students and a substantial militia force, were all hidden among the hills.
Seeing this, the tension in Li Daoxuan's chest eased, and the corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile.
"Excellent," he thought. "They are already prepared to intercept Gao Yingxiang. It seems I do not need to agonize over this decision after all. Whether Gao Yingxiang lives or dies, whether he is judged for his crimes, I will leave it to fate."
"Let us see whether he truly is Heaven-destined."
The Chuǎng army, completely unaware of what awaited them, marched out of Sanyuan Gorge.
This path truly lived up to its reputation. The hunter had not lied. Sanyuan Gorge bypassed Miaogou perfectly, slipping around Flat Rabbit's ambush and leading them smoothly to the rear of the ravine.
Of course, although Chuǎng Wang lacked true talent, he was not entirely foolish. He remained wary, sending scouts ahead to carefully search the gorge for any hidden traps.
The result was exactly what the planners intended.
Nothing.
The scouts emerged from the gorge, saw no signs of danger, and rushed back with joyful reports. Only then did Chuǎng Wang confidently lead his main force into Sanyuan Gorge.
Not a single government soldier blocked their path.
"Hahahaha, we're through!" Huang Long shouted in delight. "Brother Chuǎng Wang, we're already behind Miaogou. Order the men to shout toward the ravine."
Chuǎng Wang nodded, and under Huang Long's lead, the rebel troops raised their voices toward Miaogou.
"Hahahaha! Flat Rabbit, your ambush in Miaogou is useless now! We've already circled around behind you! Hahahahaha!"
The laughter and taunts echoed through the mountains.
Chuǎng Wang felt an intense surge of smug satisfaction.
It lasted less than three breaths.
On the hillsides outside the mouth of Sanyuan Gorge, countless heads suddenly rose into view.
The Tongguan Pass defenders revealed themselves.
The sharp, merciless cracks of flintlock rifles erupted at once, and black hand grenades arced down from above like falling stars.
The Chuǎng army had only just emerged from the gorge, their formations loose and disordered, when the ambush struck. Panic exploded instantly. There was no resistance to speak of. The rebel ranks shattered, men scattering in every direction.
Desperate screams filled the air as they tried to retreat back into Sanyuan Gorge, scrambling over one another in blind terror.
But Sun Chuanting would never leave such an obvious escape route unguarded.
The Yellow Pole Military Academy students had anticipated this long ago. Hidden mechanisms were triggered, and massive boulders, prepared in advance, thundered down from both sides of the gorge. With an earth-shaking roar, stone slammed into stone, sealing the gorge completely.
The Chuǎng army was trapped.
Gao Yingxiang drew his blade and spun around, his heart sinking as realization struck. Cries and wails filled the canyon. His men huddled together, unable to even touch an enemy, while gunfire rained down mercilessly from every direction.
"This is impossible!" Gao Yingxiang shouted hoarsely. "Impossible! I am destined by Heaven. Whenever I face hardship, the heavens must aid me. Heaven never seals off all paths. Something different must happen now. It must!"
His words had barely left his mouth when a single gunshot rang out from the distant hillside.
Bang.
A searing pain tore through his shoulder. Gao Yingxiang looked down in disbelief at the shattered armor and the blood pouring out.
He let out a shrill scream and collapsed backward.
As darkness closed in, the final images burned into his fading consciousness were Liu Zhe's body flying through the air, flung by a hand grenade before crashing lifelessly to the ground, and nearby, Huang Long crouching with his head in his hands, shaking uncontrollably in terror.