Chapter 296: Decision: Who Dares to Block Me?!

The Fire Qilin Army departed from the capital of Zhongzhou, following the river downstream toward the Eighteen States of Jiangnan; this route was naturally downhill, greatly conserving strength, and should have been extremely fast—but everywhere there was war, and Li Guanyi's forces had become widely known for their actions.

Along this journey, people came to join in droves; whether the originally prepared boats could even hold them was secondary—just the ceaseless flow of civilians seeking refuge drastically slowed the Fire Qilin Army's advance.

When Li Guanyi left the Academy, most of the Mohist disciples followed him; they could thus source materials locally to build new simple mechanical boats, or purchase vessels of various sizes.

This caused the number of people to swell dramatically soon after leaving Zhongzhou: on the waterway, the massive Mohist mechanical ship led the way, its deck flying the Fire Qilin Army banner.

Behind it came more Mohist mechanical ships, then ordinary merchant vessels, even fishing boats and flat-decked barges—all crowded with civilians.

This created another problem: different boats moved at different speeds. The mechanical ships were powered by mechanisms, merchant ships relied on wind, and the civilians' single-plank fishing boats were propelled solely by human effort.

Just as Li Guanyi was growing frustrated, a loud laugh echoed across the Dajiang—deep, majestic, as if connected to heaven and earth, brimming with an indescribable grandeur:

"The waters of Canglang are clear, they can wash my tassels."

"The waters of Canglang are muddy, they can wash my feet."

The fisherman on the boat set down his fishing rod, removed his bamboo hat, and stood up where sky met water—a broad-shouldered, graying-haired man, still powerfully robust; just then, a sudden gust of wind stirred the waves.

The giant leapt into the air, raised his hand, and a Jiao Dragon manifestation appeared, roaring endlessly.

The translucent blue Jiao Dragon spiraled, dispersing the gale; though the entire river churned violently, all the boats remained steady, and the aged man stepped across the water itself, radiating extraordinary presence.

The civilians believed they had seen the Water Dragon King; many fishermen turned pale.

Then they saw the Fire Qilin Army general, clad in a Daoist robe, step forward.

The old man approached, bowing with the dignity of a mountain collapsing and jade pillars toppling—yet he knelt only halfway.

Behind him, the Jiao Dragon bowed its head, solemnly speaking:

"Kou Yulie, pays homage to my lord!"

"Your humble servant, under orders from Master Yan Daiqing and Yuan Zhi, has brought my naval troops to join you!"

Those who witnessed this were speechless—the young man who had eaten with them, whose actions had always been humble and plain, now radiated an indescribable aura; Kou Yulie had arrived early, bringing the Fire Qilin Army's naval Captains with him.

"Master Yuan Zhi foresaw this difficulty you would face."

"He also knew you would not abandon these civilians, so he sent us here. He said that though the boats move at different speeds, if the flagship becomes the core, and each zone has a Captain overseeing it, linking all vessels—large and small—with ropes and iron chains."

"Externally, iron chains pull them together; internally, the martial energy of the formations binds them."

"Then they may move as one."

"We have come precisely for this purpose."

After Kou Yulie, the Wrathful Dragon King, joined, the fleet's speed finally stabilized at a standard pace—yet it still fell short of the theoretical maximum for water transport—

Because more and more ordinary civilians kept arriving, drawn by word of mouth.

The noble families flew into rage, planning to forcibly detain the civilians—but at that moment, the Emperor of Zhongzhou issued a direct decree: "The people's actions are natural; they are the people of all under heaven, not yours."

"Li Guanyi is my Heavenly Strategy Grand General. Do not obstruct him."

Due to the autumn hunt, the heads of the imperial branch lines had all been slain by the minister's divine weapons; the royal clan was in chaos. With Ji Yanzhong, a Master-level elder, present in Zhongzhou, these past days Prince Ji Zichang had rallied his strength, reformed the royal clan, and reclaimed power.

Orders were swiftly issued, and because the minister Qin Wu Hou had become too arrogant, too ruthless, whenever Fire Qilin Army soldiers heard of anyone seeking to join, several mounted riders would arrive. Just days ago, the Zhao family had refused to believe it.

They had stubbornly detained the civilians, refusing to let them leave.

When the Fire Qilin soldiers arrived, the eldest son flew into rage, drew his bow, and shot the commoners dead; then he led his men to kill the two soldiers, hoping to leave no witnesses.

Both soldiers were Second Heaven Realm cultivators.

In ordinary armies, only Entry Level cultivators served as squad leaders—but in this fully armored heavy cavalry, Second Heaven Realm was the baseline for individual combat strength. Though the noble family's deep resources had severely wounded the two armored warriors, they were hardened veterans of countless battles; they forcibly rode through, clad in heavy armor atop dragon steeds, and escaped.

The next day, five hundred heavy cavalry arrived.

Led personally by Ling Pingyang, one of the era's greatest cavalry commanders, they crushed the family; the eldest son was shot dead. After that, no one dared to obstruct them again—but Li Guanyi's reputation as a powerful minister grew ever more tyrannical, spreading wider and wider.

When they reached the waterway checkpoint through Zhongzhou, many noble families, aristocrats, generals, and even some decently born civilians gathered at the gate, whispering among themselves, watching Li Guanyi and his party with scrutiny.

The roar of the river, thunderous as lightning, silenced their murmurs; all gazed far off in shock—there, in the river, floated a colossal Mohist mechanical ship, sitting so deep in the water that though it could not match a Four Spirit-class treasure vessel, it was undeniably a main battle-class mechanical ship.

Behind it, countless vessels were linked by iron chains; a vast Jiao Dragon manifestation circled the sky. Every single boat was packed with people. On the lead vessel, a battle halberd pointed skyward, its tip hanging a crimson banner, flapping fiercely.

Ling Pingyang led a thousand iron cavalry thundering along the riverbank.

Vast, overwhelming.

"My lord approaches! Clear the way at once!"

Rather than appearing as a Fire Qilin Army dragging masses of civilians, it resembled a great general or vassal lord on a grand tour; Zhongzhou's border garrisons dared not block them, swiftly ordering passage for Li Guanyi's forces—his prestige swelled further.

But from this point onward, the true test began—

Ahead lay the territory of Ying State.

Li Guanyi's forces led tens of thousands of households; nearly all the boats in Zhongzhou had been bought up by Wen He, and the Mohist students from the Academy worked day and night, continuously crafting new mechanical ships.

Even the requirements for mechanical ships had been lowered to simply "able to carry people."

The environment was far from ideal—indeed, extremely crowded. At every stop, they immediately camped to rest, then resumed the journey the next morning. Though this slowed progress considerably, it allowed them to carry as many people as possible.

The number of people kept growing, and their backgrounds grew increasingly mixed.

There were truly destitute civilians who could no longer survive in their homelands; but also those who had committed crimes, defaulted on debts, or made enemies locally—vagabonds and ruffians seeking to take advantage—alongside diehard loyalists from major noble families.

Wei Xuancheng singled them out, one by one.

This man's eyes seemed to possess some divine ability—he could detect any flaw, then trace it to uncover entire networks.

Led by Fang Qiao, Du Ke, Wei Xuancheng, and other disciples of Master Wang Tong, they established simple rules, laws, and regulations for the journey; after reorganization, thieves, petty criminals, and those plotting treason were all identified and punished according to law.

Meanwhile, those who contributed merit received varying rewards.

Thus, the spies sent by the noble families observed: this group, which they had dismissed as a rabble of refugees, "moved with discipline, established camps without disorder; men labored, women cooked, children gathered, and students taught literature and martial arts."

"Laws were strict; not a single blade of grass was harmed wherever they passed."

Noble families traditionally upheld the principle of mutual support; throughout dynasties, even when noble families harbored grudges against each other, they would always unite when outsiders challenged their status.

Li Guanyi's actions had shaken the very foundation of the noble families.

Thus, as his party reached Ying State's borders, propaganda had already been spread: "Li Guanyi's actions are vile and shameless—he carries civilians merely to protect himself."

"Precisely because all the heroes under heaven are compassionate and benevolent, they have refrained from using force to stop him—this man exploits their benevolence, using these civilians as a shield."

Those who refrain from attacking out of compassion are truly virtuous.

Li Guanyi is a petty, stubborn man!

The person who speaks such words may seem clear-minded, but reverses cause and effect. When the famed scholar Sui Lingbo heard this, he marveled at it, then immediately understood: this family speaks thus only to smear reputations, fearing their own subjects might follow suit.

Sui Lingbo promptly went to the village and found families already packing their belongings, preparing to leave for Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin Army. The village head tried to stop them, but such a mass movement was impossible to halt.

Some were willing to abandon their homes and fields to go.

When asked, they replied: that night's cavalry is famed throughout the land; though heavy armored, they excel at swift raids. That night, Chong Dao had already taken many cities, and who knows when they might arrive?

Sui Lingbo said: "Don't you know Li Guanyi is a fraud who steals fame?"

The old farmer answered: "Oh, yes, we've heard the propaganda."

Sui Lingbo asked, puzzled: "If so, why go?"

The old farmer muttered: "I see you're a learned man. Let me tell you something: when I was young, our village had a well. Its water was sweet, and some even said it was left by immortals—drink it, and it cures all diseases."

"Of course, curing all diseases is just quackery—but it was truly delicious, and drinking it did make one stronger. Everyone went there to draw water."

"Later, the city lords said the water was bad—that it contained blood, and though tasty, it shortened life. Slowly, people stopped drawing from it."

"But the lords enclosed the well, built a large courtyard around it, and now no one can drink its sweet water."

Sui Lingbo said: "What does that mean?"

The old farmer gave him a scornful look: "What the lords say isn't necessarily true."

"When the lords say something is bad, it doesn't mean the thing is bad—they simply don't want you doing it."

"We're not very literate."

"But we're not blind."

The old farmer muttered a few more words.

Sui Lingbo said: "Aren't you afraid Li Guanyi really will use you as shields, as the families claim, and treat you as less than human?"

The old farmer laughed: "What a joke."

"You make it sound like we aren't oppressed here."

He pushed his wooden cart, shoulder-bumping Sui Lingbo aside, and cursed: "You stinking scholar, get out of the way!"

Sui Lingbo froze, then only smiled, unconcerned.

In the eighth month of the tenth year of Tianqi, the Fire Qilin Army and the people entered Ying State. Among Ying State's populace, refugees fled, seeking to join the Fire Qilin Army. Thus, Ying State's officials were furious. Unlike Zhongzhou, where bureaucratic families held little control over commoners,

Ying State imposed brutal restrictions on its people, nearly forbidding them from leaving their homes. Yet countless families lost land and kin, becoming rootless, homeless, landless refugees, wandering everywhere.

These people had no land, could not farm or grow grain, could not pay taxes, yet were forced to spend money on disaster relief. In the past, Ying State officials disliked such refugees—they refused to grant them land—

After all, that land belonged to their own clans.

They could not possibly cut flesh from their own bodies.

Nor could they abandon them entirely.

They merely kept them barely alive, turning them into cheap, cost-free labor. But now, when these refugees saw hope and wished to leave, the officials realized the problem.

They could not let these refugees leave.

To flee to the Eighteen Southern Provinces was to go where, unlike Ying State or Chen State, years of war and stalemate had left vast tracts of unclaimed land.

These refugees would quickly become respectable households.

They would become the most vital core force of any power.

They began mobilizing their influence: first, they tried to sway public opinion to lower Li Guanyi's reputation—but found it ineffective. Then, due to their own reputation, they could not possibly send troops to massacre civilians. They were trapped.

Wen He's strategy succeeded.

Li Guanyi's move was clearly cutting flesh from their own bodies.

Yet they could not attack.

If Li Guanyi, carrying his people across the river, were met by Ying State's generals who slaughtered the civilians, then the next day, Jiang Wanxiang would rage and order Jiang Su to flay alive whoever did it.

In Xicheng of Ying State, there was a garrison general named Yan Baotai, long known for his cruelty toward commoners. Land consolidation by powerful families was extreme, yet he excelled at deception, passing inspections from Ying State's capital.

He had always gotten away with it—until now. When the Fire Qilin Army arrived and the people rose in ferment, as Li Guanyi's forces passed through, he ordered the waterways blocked, deploying five thousand troops and Mo Family mechanisms to prevent passage.

When Li Guanyi appeared, Yan Baotai shouted:

"Where is Qin Wu Hou going?"

Li Guanyi said nothing. Wen Lingjun stepped forward, bowed, and replied in a calm voice:

"My lord returns to the south. General, why do you block us?"

Yan Baotai laughed loudly, not answering, then said: "Ah, it's the Wen family's Young Master! I used to be friends with your father—we drank many cups together. You don't recognize your uncle? Of course I know Qin Wu Hou's fief lies in the south."

"But this is not your Fire Qilin Army's land! This is the territory of Great Ying State—a border region. Without my lord's command, how could I possibly let you pass?!"

"Wait!"

"I shall submit a memorial to the court. If Your Majesty orders it, I will let you go. Otherwise, I cannot comply!"

Yan Baotai's stance was firm. Li Guanyi, carrying his people, refused to fight. After returning, Yan Baotai consulted his strategists: he swiftly dispatched more troops to reinforce the blockade and prevent Li Guanyi's forces from passing.

He also suppressed the people under his rule, especially the refugees.

"Even if they die, they must die under my command."

"You shall not go to the south."

"You're worthless lives. Die, and be done with it. Rebirth is a blessing—yet your actions will ruin my reputation!"

Yan Baotai seethed. His strategist asked whether he should report to court. Yan Baotai's expression turned stern: "Report to court? Our Great Ying State is already dealing with Chen State and the Tujue. If we let Li Guanyi return, won't we be raising a tiger to harm ourselves?"

"A general in the field need not obey the sovereign's every order!"

"I will not clash with Li Guanyi—I will not kill him. I will only block his path and stop him from leaving!" Yan Baotai sneered: "He leads tens of thousands of households—six or seven people per household—that's at least a hundred thousand souls."

"If they pass through Ying State and carry their people with them, how many will there be?"

"A hundred thousand households? Hundreds of thousands, with provisions, surging across—that's draining the very blood of Great Ying State to fuel Li Guanyi's rise. My lord sees it—but cannot act. Cannot stop it."

"As subjects, it is our duty to ease Your Majesty's burdens."

"Such disgraceful deeds are meant for men like me."

Yan Baotai added:

"Besides, Li Guanyi's forces are numerous—they don't need to resort to weapons."

"Every day they consume food and fodder, their ships sit deep in the water—how much grain can they possibly carry? I've heard they must resupply at every stop. Once they run out of food, these men will riot immediately—can Li Guanyi control them?!"

"When his followers starve to death, won't that prove Li Guanyi's so-called benevolent reputation is just bullshit?!"

"Moreover, autumn has arrived. Da Ying lies in the north, where the climate is bitterly cold. Starting this month, the weather will grow colder by the day. These wretched peasants wear only thin robes and linger near the river—they won't last long before catching chills."

"Once they run out of food and begin dying of chills, an epidemic will break out."

"Hmph. Li Guanyi. Li Guanyi."

Yan Baotai spat bitterly: "You think you can trample on my lord's reputation to win the world's praise for benevolence? Where in this world is there such an easy place? I won't let you succeed—you'll die trapped here, stripped of that false glory!"

Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin Army waited two days. Wen He and Wen Lingjun sighed—they had long seen Yan Baotai's intent; it was an open stratagem.

Wen He murmured: "Now we wait to see how the Lord will act."

"If we turn hostile, the road ahead will grow treacherous. The Emperor of Da Ying won't openly send troops or break the surface peace—but a sovereign, as the nation's vital instrument, won't behave like a gentleman bound by his word. Interfering with us is only natural."

"After all, if it were me, I'd do exactly this."

He sighed. "Actually, it's still better than it could be."

"At least this brat didn't sink corpses upstream. All he needed was a hundred pigs or sheep, tied with fishing nets, and let the current carry them down—no one would notice the bodies, but we downstream drinkers would all be doomed to plague."

"It won't be long before something happens."

Wen Lingjun stared at Wen He as if he'd seen a ghost.

Wen He smiled. "That trick violates Heaven's harmony—looks like the other side won't use it."

Li Guanyi stared at his cup of tea. He'd been drinking it, but after Wen He's words, he suddenly found he couldn't swallow another sip. He grimaced. "Mr., how much grain do we have left?"

Wen He replied: "We prepared plenty of dried rations. The people who joined us brought their own food. The Angry Scale Dragon King has been catching fish—stretch it, and we can last three more days."

Li Guanyi said: "Three days..."

He sat quietly.

The next day, Li Guanyi requested to meet Yan Baotai. Yan Baotai still stood atop the gate, laughing loudly: "How mighty is the Qin Wu Hou! I dare not block you, nor would I dare intercept the Fire Qilin Army!"

"You may pass—I'll personally escort you out of the pass. But these peasant rabble must stay behind."

"Don't worry—once Your Majesty's imperial decree arrives, I'll release them immediately. Hahahaha! I keep my word—I never break a promise!"

Yan Baotai's voice rang out loud. Many civilians heard it and turned pale with terror, staring at the boy. Li Guanyi exhaled, gazing ahead. Wen He, Wen Lingjun, Feng Xiao, Fang Ziqiao, Du Ke, and Wei Xuancheng all watched Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi faced a choice: abandon these civilians, or clash with Da Ying. Even if full-scale war was unlikely, the road ahead would become visibly impassable.

In the deathly silence, Yan Baotai wore a faint smile.

Li Guanyi suddenly sighed, raised his hand—and the battle spear roared. In an instant, he hurled it forward. It pierced the gate ahead, its killing aura blasting Yan Baotai off his feet.

The Qin Wu Hou's voice rang out, cold and lethal: "Fire Qilin Army—raise your spears!"

"The people do not abandon me—I will not abandon the people."

"Let me see who dares stop me!"