Chapter 100: A Triumphant Return

In the blink of an eye, Liu Wenxiu and Sun Ke-wang arrived in haste.

Liu Zongmin, now serving as Li Yi’s personal guard, held them back with his hand, awaiting orders.

"Let them in," Li Yi commanded. Liu Zongmin waved his men aside.

Upon entering, Sun Ke-wang and Liu Wenxiu saw that Zhang Xianzhong was unharmed and collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Xianzhong laughed with a touch of embarrassment, "I’m not dead yet, so why are you two so flustered? Hurry and pay your respects to Inspector Li."

Such polite language left Sun Ke-wang and Liu Wenxiu stunned. They remembered how arrogant Zhang had been just last time. It seemed that after speaking the harshest words and receiving the hardest beating, their foster father had finally been brought to heel.

Sun Ke-wang cupped his hands and said, "Benefactor, this was entirely our offense. I only ask that you do not blame my foster father; I am willing to offer my own life to pay for our transgressions."

"I, too, am willing to offer myself to atone for his sins, if only you would spare my foster father. Should there be a next life, I would chew grass to repay your kindness," Liu Wenxiu added, bowing low.

Li Yi had not expected them to offer their lives for Zhang Xianzhong. He turned to look at the man beside him. Zhang’s face flushed, and he lowered his head with a heavy, shameful sigh. He regretted his earlier arrogance deeply now.

"Inspector Li, it was my own insolence that led me to try and use the salt blocks to threaten you. That was not the act of a gentleman. I, Old Zhang, admit my mistake to you." Zhang Xianzhong held his cupped hands high, ready to kneel. For a man who valued his pride above all else, doing this in front of his foster sons was a total surrender.

Li Yi helped him up and smiled, "Great King Eight, you are shaming me with such gestures." He turned to Sun Ke-wang and the others, continuing, "Our clash on the battlefield was truly a last resort. I did not come here to suppress bandits. To be honest, are the current outlaws not just poor souls struggling to survive? Why would I want to make things difficult for them?"

Liu Wenxiu sighed, "Inspector Li speaks the truth. Behind the vermilion gates, wine and meat go to waste, while out on the road lie the frozen dead. If one had a roof over their head and a bowl of thin porridge to eat, who would choose to be a thief? Your great sense of justice is something I admire."

Li Yi ignored the flattery. He gestured for Zhang Xianzhong to sit and smiled, "The world is in chaos; the people are displaced, hungry, and cold, living worse than beasts of burden. Why is this? Is it merely because of natural disasters? It is the long-standing oppression by the gentry, the cruelty of local officials, and the brutality of the government soldiers that cause this chaos. Who is born wanting to be a thief?"

His words reached the courtyard, and both the hardened bandits and Liu Zongmin’s men drew closer, listening intently. They knew only that they could not survive, but the reasons had always been a blur to them. Li Yi’s words seemed to bring clarity to their confused minds.

Zhang Xianzhong couldn't help but ask, "Does the Inspector also feel that the world will only grow more chaotic?"

Li Yi nodded, "To speak of nothing else, Mizhi will be the first to fall into turmoil. To build his reputation, Magistrate Yan Zibin is engaging in endless extortion. The tax collection grows heavier by the day; it is not just the people—even the county clerks are suffering. His actions will only force more people into the path of banditry."

Sun Ke-wang’s eyes widened with hatred, "Those corrupt officials. If they didn't ignore the lives of the people to squeeze out taxes, so many would not be driven to this. Sooner or later, I will slaughter every one of those dogs."

Seeing Li Yi’s look of confusion, Zhang Xianzhong explained, "Ke-wang's parents were driven to their deaths by official tax collectors, and he himself was nearly sold to a butcher. I saved him only because I saw he had spirit."

"I see. Great King Eight, I will give you a fair price for the salt blocks. Keep this valley fortress; I will take my men and leave at daybreak."

"The Inspector is willing to let me stay here?" Zhang Xianzhong asked, surprised. He had expected that even if he survived the day, he would be placed under Li Yi’s control, or the salt mines would be seized.

"This fortress is your base, Great King Eight. I have no desire to occupy your nest," Li Yi laughed, confirming his decision. Though he had beaten Zhang into submission, his own force was small. Zhang still had over a thousand men scattered across the hills; seizing this place by force would only invite future trouble. Since the salt issue was resolved, he had no interest in wasting his energy on petty power struggles.

After three rounds of drinks, the sky began to brighten. Li Yi sent Liu Zongmin to assemble the troops, then walked outside, whip in hand. Zhang Xianzhong and his men followed to see him off.

In the distance, the morning glow was magnificent. Li Yi mounted his horse, looked at the rugged, imposing Zhang Xianzhong, and smiled, "Great King Eight, we have made an agreement. Do not go back on your word, or I fear I shall have to pay another visit."

Zhang Xianzhong laughed awkwardly, understanding the warning. He cupped his hands, "Inspector Li, the victor writes the rules. Since you have shown mercy today, if I, Zhang Xianzhong, return evil for good, may heaven strike me down."

"You speak too heavily, Great King Eight. When you have the chance, come to Suijin Town and we shall share a drink." With a loud laugh, Li Yi spurred his horse and galloped away.

Zhang Xianzhong watched his back for a long time, unable to recover his composure. Liu Wenxiu remarked, "Foster father, that Li Yi let us off so easily—it is truly hard to understand."

Zhang Xianzhong said in a low voice, "Regardless, he had the power to capture us for merit and reward, yet he gave it up. I respect his methods. We shall not cross him again."

Sun Ke-wang nodded, "Foster father is right. Li Yi is no ordinary man; it would not be wise to make an enemy of him."

Zhang Xianzhong glared at him, "Take the weak to mine the salt and get it to Ganquan quickly. Regardless, as long as there is silver to be made, we shall use this opportunity to recruit more men for the great changes to come."

Sun Ke-wang laughed dryly, "Foster father, is it that Wang Jiayin has sent word again?"

Zhang Xianzhong snorted, "Wang Jiayin is being besieged by government troops and cannot look after himself. It is Wang Zuogua; he is plundering south of Yan'an and wants to invite me to discuss our grand plans."

Liu Wenxiu said softly, "Foster father, the government troops are still strong. We have worked hard to build this foundation; we should wait for the world to change."

"I understand. Let us first see if Wang Zuogua can handle Hong Chengchou."

Following the reports from Mizhi Magistrate Yan Zibin, Censor Liu Zhongzhou, and Viceroy Yang He, which confirmed that the Mizhi granaries had been burned by the Tatars, the Imperial Court was furious. Fortunately, Hong Chengchou submitted a report stating he had secured one hundred thousand piculs of grain from the wealthy gentry of Yansui, fulfilling the political quota of five hundred thousand. This eased the tension in the court, which had been overwhelmed by the rebellions in Shaanxi. They branded Hong a capable official and issued an imperial reward. With his record sufficient, Hong only needed to demonstrate his military prowess to be promoted to the position of Governor of Yansui.

Wang Zuogua, while plundering in Yan'an, happened to cross paths with Hong Chengchou.

Li Yi led his troops back to Suijin Town, where three hundred garrison soldiers had now gathered. Some had fought with him before, while others had heard of his reputation and hoped to profit. They were rowdy, shouting in groups, turning the town into a chaotic scene.

By noon, Li Yi returned. The militia marched in with disciplined formation, their blood-stained blades glinting in the sunlight. Though there were only a hundred of them, their grim, lethal demeanor and steady, thunderous footsteps carried the air of battle-hardened veterans. The rowdy garrison soldiers fell silent, looking at these elite troops with awe.

A squad of cavalry charged forward. The young commander leading them, clad in iron armor and holding a tiger-tooth spear, scanned the garrison soldiers with cold, piercing eyes. None dared to meet his gaze.

"Master, you have finally returned!" Li Guo stepped forward excitedly.

Li Yi tossed the spear to him and walked forward, shouting to the garrison soldiers, "Everyone, I am Inspector Li Yi. I am glad you all came to assist, but this was a stratagem I had set. Last night, I defeated Zhang Xianzhong. The battle is over, and I fear there is no need for you to fight."

Hearing that Li Yi had defeated Zhang Xianzhong with only a hundred men in a single night, the garrison soldiers erupted into a buzz of discussion. Knowing Zhang commanded thousands, they found it hard to believe—yet, looking at the blood-stained militia, they had no choice but to trust it.

Those who had previously followed Li Yi and received rewards sighed in frustration. They had witnessed his courage and strategy and hoped to earn more silver, but they had arrived too late.

Li Yi smiled, "Guests are guests. Even if you didn't get to fight, there is still wine to be had." He looked at Li Guo, "Go to Mizhi and buy chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Find two cooks. Tonight, I shall share a bowl of wine with everyone."

Hearing there would be food and drink, the garrison soldiers finally broke into joyful smiles.