Chapter 78: Each with Their Own Agenda

“The demon Daoist’s lair is just ahead, Brother Wang. What should we do next? Let’s discuss it,” Lei Zilin said, dressed in a dusty old Daoist robe with seven or eight patches on it.

Wang Xing’s face remained almost indifferently cold. After a long while, he finally spoke, “What should we do? Don’t we have to listen to the Holy Maiden?”

“Come on, you’re still pretending to be a saint here,” Lei Zilin sneered. “The Holy Maiden? What’s the Holy Maiden worth? Isn’t it all up to Guardian Liu?”

“Guardian Liu is sitting in his sedan chair without saying a word. You expect him to come up with a plan?”

“You talk about Guardian Liu like that, aren’t you afraid his Dharma body can hear you from a thousand miles away…”

“Bullshit,” Lei Zilin interrupted him. “I can even use the Five Thunders Heavenly Heart Righteous Method. Let’s be serious. If we break through this enclosure, don’t you want to get some benefits for yourself?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn around and sell you out?” Wang Xing said with a straight face. “Whether Guardian Liu can hear from a thousand miles away or not, he still has ears.”

Lei Zilin chuckled, “Sell me out, fine! Guardian Liu will count it as a great merit for you and reward you with a few magical artifacts consecrated by the sect master. But the position of Red Flag Incense Master of the Outer Law Hall still belongs to the nephew of Incense Master Liu’s second uncle.”

Wang Xing’s face twitched slightly. This was a sore point for him. The Outer Law Hall was the armed force of the sect, roughly the role of government soldiers. Of course, he, an outsider who had not been in the sect for long, did not dare to dream of the positions of guardian or deputy guardian below the hall master. But the sixteen Red Flag Incense Masters below were not key positions, just a level higher than ordinary incense masters. When there was a vacancy a few months ago, he had originally thought that with his merits and hard work, plus the lives of his brothers, it should be given to him. Unexpectedly, it was taken by Guardian Liu’s relative—an ordinary incense master who had never served in the Outer Law Hall. Since then, he had become cold to the sect and had been thinking of starting his own business.

Wang Xing’s face remained impassive, “What do you want to do?”

“Of course, it’s to fish in troubled waters and take advantage of the chaos,” Lei Zilin smiled slightly. He then explained his plan, but only said that he wanted a 30% share of the spoils after it was done.

Wang Xing stood up and patted the dust off his buttocks, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll just give you a stab after I get the silver? My brothers and I worked so hard to get it, why should I give you a 30% share?” He suddenly laughed, revealing a mouthful of yellow, rotten teeth. “One stab, wouldn’t that save money and effort?”

Lei Zilin laughed out loud, “If that’s really the case, then it’s just that I, Lei, have no eye for people.”

Wang Xing also smiled and gave a thumbs-up, “Good, Mr. Lei is indeed brave enough.” This smile was only for a moment, and then his face returned to that of a dead fish. “But 30% is not acceptable, 10%.”

“Thirty percent.”

“Twenty percent,” Wang Xing said. “Even so, you’re getting more than me. Any more and the brothers won’t be convinced.”

“Deal!”

“Wait a minute,” Wang Xing said slowly. “Since we’re partners in this business, we’re brothers on the same boat. No lies between brothers. You’re probably not some down-and-out scholar, are you?”

“Your Excellency is not simple,” Lei Zilin smiled. “Actually, I once served as an advisor under Marshal Mao…”

After Mao Wenlong’s death, Dongjiang was in chaos, and the generals attacked and killed each other. An ordinary advisor like him naturally couldn’t stand his ground, so he had to flee to Shandong with the Liaodong people across the sea.

“As expected,” Wang Xing took out a wine gourd from his bosom. “Sir, have a drink first. We’ll be brothers from now on.” After Lei Zilin took a sip, he said, “Now that the world is in chaos, don’t you have any thoughts, sir? Just for the sake of a thousand or so taels of silver?”

Lei Zilin smiled faintly and returned the wine gourd, “What if I do have thoughts?” He studied Wang Xing’s face for a while. “It’s just that neither you nor I are people of great fortune.”

Wang Xing actually smiled, “Well, I haven’t thought about that. But the world is in chaos, we can at least take the opportunity to have a sip of soup.”

“Just with these dozens of brothers of yours?” Lei Zilin understood his meaning.

“And these tens of thousands of refugees,” Wang Xing said. “The people in the sect don’t dare to have a falling out with the government, but we don’t care. We can just use this as a pretext to eliminate the demon Daoist, then break through Linyi, and make a big scene in the surrounding area. Won’t our brothers all be able to make a big score? How about that compared to your thousand or so taels of silver?”

Lei Zilin’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t expect this bandit leader to have such a grand plan! That’s right, these tens of thousands of refugees were excellent capital. As long as someone took the lead, there was no worry that they wouldn’t fight for their lives and attack cities and seize villages everywhere. If they could really gain a firm foothold and build up a force, the prospects would be immeasurable. If things didn’t work out, they could also take their wealth and flee. Naturally, the big brand of the Namo Liang Sect would be there to take the blame.

“In that case, the Holy Maiden still needs to be served well…”

Wang Xing nodded, “Mr. Lei is indeed brilliant.”

While the two were secretly discussing, another believer came to report that the Guardian and the Holy Maiden had summoned them for a discussion.

“Please go back and report to the Dharma chariot, we will be there right away.”

“Reporting to the Daoist priest, the refugee crowd is already less than ten li away from here!” The believer who was sent to scout rushed into his temporary command post on the earthen embankment in a panic.

Zhang Yingchen was reading a scroll. Hearing the report, he put down the book and asked, “How many people are there?”

“There are at least a hundred thousand, crowded together, too many to see the end!” the believer said, sweating profusely and gesturing.

“You may go,” Zhang Yingchen had just received a report from the special reconnaissance team, knowing that there were about 20,000 refugees coming.

Although it was not a hundred thousand, twenty thousand was still a considerable number. A number that was both happy and worrying. Not to mention the violent actions they were about to take, just feeding them after they surrendered would exhaust his reserves in a few days. He didn’t know how much grain Wang Ruixiang could transport back from Qimu Island this time. He had already sent a telegram, asking Lu Wenyan to speed up the transport of relief grain.

The problem was now right in front of him. There was no need for sighs and lamentations, only a solution.

With this principle in mind, after sending a telegram to Lord Lu of Qimu Island, Zhang Yingchen calmed down.

Compared to the future of the new Taoism, the Senate and the Executive Committee’s Engine Action to collect population was the top priority. Even for Zhang Yingchen himself, the identity of a “senator” was far more valuable than the illusory “Heavenly Master Zhang” of the future. For the transmigrator group, the “leader of the new Taoism” was nothing, not much nobler than the Jesuit priests. But as the person in charge of the Yizhou area for the Engine Action, Zhang Yingchen’s significance was completely different.

“Twenty thousand laborers,” Zhang Yingchen looked at the “Confucius Asking for Rites” on the wall and muttered, “At least it’s worth a Senate medal.”

He opened the locked box that the special reconnaissance team soldiers had brought. Inside was a portable sound system commonly seen at square dances. It was about the size of a suitcase and weighed more than ten kilograms. It was equipped with wheels and a retractable handle, had its own battery, a rated power of 120w, a peak power of 240w, and supported wireless microphones and U disk and CD playback. It was suitable for outdoor performances, meetings, and square dances. It was a very useful propaganda tool.

He had to shout to more than 20,000 refugees. Without this thing, he couldn’t control the scene at all. Of course, this could also be considered a “miracle.”

He called Liu Sanchu in, “Tell the believers to collect more firewood and ice and snow, and pile them on the embankment for later use!”

At his command, the fires under the dozen or so large pots that had already been extinguished were lit again. They were filled with ice and snow, and the relief grain was piled up like a mountain, ready to be cooked into porridge after the water boiled.

“Mingqing!” Zhang Yingchen shouted, “Change my clothes for me!”

Mingqing immediately brought the clothes. It was the same as the last time he entered the Ma family village alone: a stab-proof vest inside, a Daoist robe outside, a horsetail whisk in his hand, and a pistol at his waist.

Zhang Yingchen came out of the house. The weather today was particularly clear. The dust raised by the refugee crowd walking in the distance was clearly visible under the blue sky. Zhang Yingchen thought to himself, this time I’ll have to see if my “magic” works again.

The special reconnaissance team members had already entered their respective positions.

The young and strong men in the refugee camp had also been organized by the militia and had gone up to the embankment. They had no weapons, but each of them was holding farm tools and wooden sticks used for digging the ditch as temporary weapons.

Once the refugees outside rushed into the earthen enclosure, everyone knew what kind of fate awaited them, who had just lived a few days of stable life. So they were prepared to defend their food to the death.