After issuing his command, Dao Xuan Tianzun immediately shifted his co-sensing to Dragon Gate Ferry.
Shi Jian was stationed there.
In the past, Shi Jian had only been a centurion, restricted to commanding a mere thousand men, with absolutely no room to exceed that number. But after being promoted to commander, his authority expanded greatly. The rigid limits on troop numbers were lifted, replaced by broad discretion to deploy forces according to the situation in each region or settlement.
Dragon Gate Ferry, guarding the Yellow River crossing, held immense strategic importance. Naturally, it could not be left with too few troops.
Gao Family Village assigned one thousand freshly trained recruits to Shi Jian. At the same time, Zheng Gouzi, who had always followed Flat Rabbit around and found himself with little to do in Xi'an, was transferred to Dragon Gate Ferry as deputy commander.
At that moment, Shi Jian and Zheng Gouzi were addressing the thousand greenhorns when the enormous Dao Xuan Tianzun statue standing atop Dragon Gate Ferry slowly lowered its arm and descended from the mountaintop.
"Prepare to deploy troops to Yansui and relieve Yanchang County."
The moment the order was given, Shi Jian and Zheng Gouzi abandoned the orientation on the spot and moved into action.
Zheng Gouzi asked quickly, "Which of us goes?"
Shi Jian replied without hesitation, "The new recruits shouldn't be thrown straight into fighting bandits. They stay behind to guard."
Zheng Gouzi frowned. "We can't leave all of them here. Take some along to let them see real combat."
"Three hundred," Shi Jian decided. "Seven hundred veterans and three hundred new recruits."
The two divided responsibilities at lightning speed. Weapons were issued, rations prepared, and the entire garrison burst into frantic motion.
Meanwhile, deep within Huanglong Mountain.
Bus 86 continued racing alongside the messenger's exhausted warhorse.
Several labor reform prisoners leaned out the window, shouting cheerfully, "Brother, stop riding that horse. Dao Xuan Tianzun ordered you to board our bus. We'll give you a lift."
The messenger hesitated. "I… this is an eight-hundred-li urgent military dispatch…"
"All the more reason to get on," one of them laughed. "We're clearly faster than you."
That was impossible to argue with.
The messenger swallowed. "Then what about my horse?"
"Bring it along," the prisoner said cheerfully. "Look how big this bus is. We can squeeze a horse into the aisle."
The messenger was tempted.
His horse was drenched in sweat and barely able to keep going, while the bus still sped along effortlessly. At last, he clenched his teeth.
"Alright. How much do I pay?"
"Dao Xuan Tianzun gave the order," they said in unison. "Not a single coin."
The bus stopped. The messenger hurried aboard, leading his horse inside and wedging it awkwardly into the aisle between the seats.
The space was tight, and the horse snorted uneasily, but it could stand.
The messenger finally sat down.
The bus immediately started up again, wind rushing past the windows. His heart thumped wildly.
"This vehicle is incredible. So the people of Chengcheng County have been traveling through Huanglong Mountain like this for a long time?"
The labor reform prisoners laughed proudly. "That's right. Impressed?"
He was beyond impressed. He was jealous.
All this time, these people had been living like this, while he had been riding himself half to death on horseback.
The old driver handled the bus with dazzling skill. It sped along, sliding through turns and skimming across drainage channels. After some time, a fork in the road appeared ahead.
At the junction stood another strange roadside building. A sign read: Tongle Village Station.
The driver turned his head.
"Sorry, old brother messenger. I can only take you this far. You're headed for Dragon Gate, so you need to turn east. My Bus 86 route goes south. Routes are fixed. I can't change them at will."
The messenger hurriedly said, "You've already helped me immensely. My horse has rested. I can continue from here."
"No need," the driver replied. "I can't take you further, but another bus can. Wait here at Tongle Village Station. Before long, Bus 87 will arrive. Transfer to it and tell the driver it's Dao Xuan Tianzun's command."
The messenger stood there, dazed.
This was far beyond anything he understood.
Still, he followed the instructions. After getting off Bus 86, he waited in front of the small station building.
Bus 86 waved goodbye as it departed. The labor reform prisoners whistled and shouted,
"Give those upstarts Xue Hongqi, Yizuo Cheng, and One-Character King a proper beating. If you catch them alive, send them over to us for re-education. Don't be fooled by how we look now. We really care about the younger generation."
The messenger stared blankly.
Bus 86 disappeared down the road, leaving him alone at the station, feeling oddly uneasy.
Before long, another strange vehicle arrived. Bus 87 pulled to a stop at Tongle Village Station.
Inside were a driver and several labor reform prisoners, all eyeing him curiously.
"Brother, where are you from? You don't look like one of us. Outsiders actually wait for buses now?"
The messenger quickly replied, "Dao Xuan Tianzun commanded it. I need a ride."
"Oh," the driver said brightly. "Dao Xuan Tianzun's order. Get on."
One of the prisoners muttered, "What if he's pretending?"
The driver laughed. "Good point."
Just as he was about to question further, Dao Xuan Tianzun's voice sounded through subtle co-sensing.
"Take him."
The driver straightened. "As you command."
And so, the messenger transferred to Bus 87.
The labor reform prisoners were singing as the bus rolled on.
"Singing for fun, singing for play. Liu Xuande sold straw sandals, Zhang Fei butchered pigs and sold wine, Yun Chang carried tofu through the streets. Which hero didn't rise from hardship?"
The messenger listened, then said cautiously,
"Brothers, you all seem so lively. Are you villagers from nearby?"
They burst out laughing.
"Villagers? We're not worthy of that title. Only honest commoners dare call themselves villagers."
"Then… artisans?" the messenger guessed.
They shook their heads.
"Artisans earn three taels of silver a month. That's too prestigious for us."
Three taels a month.
The messenger was stunned, but he forced himself not to linger on that thought.
"Then who are you? I met people just like you on Bus 86, and they were lively too."
The prisoners laughed openly.
"We're criminals. Caught for our crimes and undergoing labor reform."
The messenger's eyes nearly popped out.
"What?!"
Who would ever believe prisoners like these?
One of them grinned.
"Brother, you don't look very lively."
The messenger sighed bitterly.
"Poorly clothed, barely fed, working harder than oxen and eating less than chickens. How could I be lively?"
The bus erupted in laughter.
"Then come join us," someone said cheerfully. "You're a commoner, not a convict. If you came here, you'd be rich in less than half a year. Chengcheng County's militia is expanding. Military pay is five taels of silver a month. A fast courier like you would be recruited instantly. You'd be elite from day one, with extra bonuses."
The messenger sucked in a sharp breath.
"Five taels? Elite soldiers get bonuses too?"
His mind was completely shaken.