Early Countermeasures

The time spent reunited after a long separation made time seem to fly by.

At dusk, as the sun sank in the west, Li Dingguo and a dozen or so young Martial Artists bid a reluctant farewell to Little Bean Sprout and the others at the entrance to the Land God Temple.

"Little Bean Sprout, Red Plum!"

Li Dingguo addressed Little Bean Sprout, who stood at the front of the crowd and had led the orphan beggars here to see them off, as well as another rather tall girl. "For now, the management of these companions will be entrusted to the two of you."

"If anyone has any objections, write them down for me, then bring them to me to handle!"

"Remember this well: from now on, the sanitation here, including every one of your personal hygiene habits, must be strictly carried out according to the rules we just established!"

Li Dingguo raised his head, his gaze icy as he looked at the dozens of boys and girls before him. He shouted coldly, "All of you, remember this! From now on, all logistical work here will be under the complete management of Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum!"

"Anyone who refuses to accept it can get the hell out of here!"

"Our team has no need for anyone who refuses to follow the rules!"

"Do not let me catch anyone obeying in public while defying in private. Otherwise, the consequences are more than you can bear!"

Having said that, he swept his gaze over the silent, trembling boys and girls. Only after seeing that none of them objected did he soften his tone and say to Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum, "If you run into any difficulties during this period, go to the Wang Family Courtyard and have someone notify me."

"Starting tomorrow, our Martial Artist squad will often head outside the city for combat training."

"Over the next two months or so, I'll come by from time to time and give you further instructions."

Little Bean Sprout and Red Plum had been personally appointed by Li Dingguo that afternoon as the managers of this small group. Their main task was to oversee the orphan beggars' logistics and gradually instill discipline and unity in them from this point onward.

As for Red Plum, she was the only genius Li Dingguo had discovered among these orphan beggars who possessed a broad view of the bigger picture and handled both speech and action with clear order.

To ensure that the lives of Little Bean Sprout and the other orphan beggars would no longer be a complete mess, appointing two managers was absolutely necessary.

Making preparations now was like mending the roof before the rain came; there was no harm in it.

Otherwise, when trouble came knocking, they would be at a complete loss and everything would descend into chaos.

"Yes, Boss!"

The dozens of youths on the scene hurriedly agreed in chorus.

Li Dingguo waved farewell to everyone, then led his young Martial Artist team away at a brisk pace.

It was nearly time for dinner. They had to hurry back to the Wang Family Courtyard lest they miss a meal of Spirit Food. For them, whose cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds, that would be no small loss.

The Rebel Army's grim situation was becoming increasingly urgent. No one wanted to miss even the slightest chance to improve their cultivation and combat strength.

Night had fallen deep, yet the main hall of the county yamen was brightly lit.

Zhang Xianzhong sat upright in a large wooden chair. Looking at Zhang Kewang, who had just been summoned before him, he nodded with satisfaction. "Kewang, you've worked hard during this time."

He truly was praising him, not merely going through the motions.

The facts had proven that Zhang Kewang, with his extensive military experience, possessed genuine ability.

Ever since joining the Rebel Army and acknowledging Zhang Xianzhong as his adoptive father, Zhang Kewang had not only whipped the hundred Veteran Camp soldiers under his command into perfect order, but had also diligently completed the various miscellaneous tasks Zhang Xianzhong assigned him.

Recently, he had established his authority in the army several times. During inspections of the Rebel Army's logistical affairs, he had personally executed several minor Rebel Army leaders who repeatedly violated military orders, intimidating many soldiers and gaining an initial foothold within the Rebel Army.

Under the management of Zhang Xianzhong and Zhang Kewang, two Fourth Realm Martial Artists, the formerly chaotic Rebel Army had changed considerably. Compared with the rabble it had once been, it had made great progress.

Though it still could not be mentioned in the same breath as elite government troops, it was no longer what it had once been.

"Adoptive Father, it is this child's duty. I dare not claim credit!"

Delighted inwardly, Zhang Kewang hurriedly rose to his feet, bowed to Zhang Xianzhong, and clasped his fists respectfully. With a solemn expression, he said, "The Rebel Army has reached its current state entirely due to Adoptive Father's overall arrangements. This child has merely contributed a little of his meager strength."

"By the way, Adoptive Father."

At this point, he recalled another matter and reported, "As you instructed, I have dispatched two elite scout squads from the Veteran Camp toward Yansui Town, keeping a close watch over the main routes to and from Dingbian City."

"Once the government army comes to suppress us, we will receive word at least one or two hours before the enemy arrives."

"However..."

He voiced his concern. "I am worried because Dingbian City falls under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Commander of Yansui Town's Eastern Route."

"I have heard that Cao Wenzhao, the Deputy Commander of Yansui Town's Eastern Route, has made quite a few moves since being promoted from a Liaodong frontier army assistant general to Deputy Commander of Yansui Town this year."

"There are rumors that not long ago, Cao Wenzhao led three thousand elite cavalry beyond the Outer Great Wall without authorization and wiped out several small and medium-sized Tartar tribes near the border. He has already cowed those Tartars who repeatedly crossed the border to raid Yansui Town's Eastern Route!"

"Even the Tartars do not frighten Cao Wenzhao. If he personally leads his elite army to encircle and suppress us, then..."

Truthfully, no matter how highly Zhang Kewang thought of himself, he had no confidence in facing Cao Wenzhao head-on.

This was what had been weighing on his mind all this time.

Who knew whether he could even survive a single move against the famously formidable Cao Wenzhao?

Not to mention that Cao Wenzhao had a superlative general, Cao Bianjiao, under his command.

If he encountered someone like that, he had no confidence that he could escape alive.

And with these Rebel Army soldiers, who had only just been formed into an army, if they faced Cao Wenzhao's three thousand elite cavalry, they likely would not even endure one exchange!

He would wager that not only this newly raised Rebel Army under Eight Great Kings, but even Wang Ziyong—the nominal common leader of the many Rebel Army forces in Qin Territory, known as "Purple Golden Beam"—would absolutely be no match for Cao Wenzhao's elite cavalry, despite commanding more than a hundred thousand Rebel Army soldiers!

"Kewang, I had long since begun preparing a response to the problem you're worried about."

Zhang Xianzhong spoke calmly. "When facing such a powerful army, the only solution is to relocate in time and withdraw from Dingbian City ahead of them."

"To that end, I have ordered the Logistics Camp soldiers to begin packing and storing all money, grain, and supplies, while the Artisan Camp gives its full effort to building large horse-drawn carts and flatbed carts."

"I have set our retreat route. Before long, I will lead the soldiers in withdrawing southeast, toward the Inner Great Wall."

"The pass leading from Dingbian City to Mizhi County within the pass has already been completely abandoned. We only need to follow the official road beside the Wuding River and withdraw southeast all the way."

"After reaching Mizhi, we can turn west toward Anding City. That will take us out of Cao Wenzhao's jurisdiction, and we will no longer have to worry about him pursuing us."

"The court's lingering authority still remains. Without a troop deployment order from the Ministry of War or an imperial decree, I trust that Cao Wenzhao would not dare cross the boundary on his own and lead troops into territory outside his jurisdiction."

Zhang Xianzhong, old and calculating, had long considered the matter Zhang Kewang raised.

The only thing he worried about now was whether the scout squads they had sent out could spot the approaching court army in time and give advance warning.

As for why he did not lead the Rebel Army soldiers away from Dingbian City's territory ahead of time?

Zhang Xianzhong was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Dingbian City's current situation presented an excellent opportunity for the Rebel Army under his command to establish solid foundations.

If they left Dingbian City in advance, it would greatly affect this thorough reorganization of the Rebel Army.

Not only did the three hundred Veteran Camp soldiers need a stable environment to recuperate and build up their strength, but the large number of recently recruited new soldiers also urgently needed time to grow quickly.

The newly formed Orphan Youth Camp, upon which he had placed high hopes, needed this even more.

After repeatedly pondering the matter and weighing the gains and losses, Zhang Xianzhong had no choice but to take some risks.