The massive train—laden with both passengers and cargo—roared across the Longmen Yellow River Bridge, arriving swiftly at Hejin County.
This was as far as the railway went.
The moment the train stopped, the logistics soldiers sprang into action. Crates were unloaded from the freight cars and transferred directly onto cargo ships waiting by the docks.
The county seat of Hejin lay snug against the Fen River.
This river had once been little more than a stubborn obstacle—shallow, clogged, and unnavigable. But several years ago, Li Daoxuan had personally taken up a small shovel and dug bit by bit, day after day, widening the channel and clearing the silt.
Slow, patient work.
Thanks to that effort, this beloved "Mother River" of Shanxi had once again become navigable.
As the logistics soldiers labored, Hua Kui directed her special operations team to set up a camera, carefully capturing the soldiers' movements—the sweat, the coordination, the endless repetition.
Once finished, she immediately rushed them toward Hejin County's market square.
There, standing tall and radiant, was a massive Divine Mirror.
After coordinating with the local Mirror Management Agency and securing usage rights, Hua Kui—under the administrator's astonished gaze—calmly powered up her tablet. She connected it via Bluetooth to her miniature camera, opened the app, and transferred the footage.
Her fingers danced.
Cut.
Trim.
Overlay text.
Adjust audio.
In a flurry of deft movements, the raw footage transformed into a polished short news segment.
This clip would soon be delivered to Dao Xuan Tianzun, who would distribute it across countless tablets using methods so unfathomable they bordered on divine.
The Mirror administrator stared, stunned. "So this is how the news broadcast is made? I've only ever watched it. I never imagined it was this complicated."
Once the upload was complete, Hua Kui wasted no time and hurried back to the docks.
By then, the logistics soldiers had finished loading all supplies onto the cargo ships. Hua Kui boarded alongside them, and the convoy headed north once more.
When they reached Pingyang Prefecture, the widened river channel reached its limit.
Beyond this point, ships could go no further.
Once again, the soldiers unloaded everything—this time onto horse-drawn carriages.
Hua Kui filmed silently, capturing every detail. She then used Pingyang Prefecture's Divine Mirror to process another news clip, recording her voiceover:
"As you can see, our logistics forces endure tremendous hardship to deliver supplies to the front lines. The journey spans vast distances—first by large train, then by cargo ship, and finally by horse-drawn carriage…"
"Those of us in the rear enjoy peace and stability, free from hunger and fear. This happiness is bought with the blood and sweat of our front-line soldiers and logistics troops alike. It is hard-won—and must be cherished."
The logistics team departed Pingyang Prefecture and continued north.
The farther they traveled, the more desolate the land became.
Ruined villages.
Cracked earth.
Fields abandoned to drought.
An uneasy feeling crept into Hua Kui's heart.
Suddenly, Zhuge Wangchan barked an order:
"Hoist the Five-Colored Dao Xuan Tianzun Banners!"
At once, three brilliant banners were raised—one at the front, one in the middle, and one at the rear of the convoy.
Hua Kui asked curiously, "Why raise the flags all of a sudden?"
Zhuge Wangchan chuckled. "They announce who we are—and scare off petty scoundrels. Miss, beyond Pingyang Prefecture, there are no Divine Mirrors available."
"What?" Hua Kui froze. "The northern prefectures don't have Divine Mirrors?"
He nodded. "North of Pingyang isn't under Gao Family Village's control anymore. It's imperial territory. No Mirrors—and no factories."
She murmured, "No wonder it feels so bleak… this isn't our land anymore."
Zhuge Wangchan's expression hardened. "From here on, safety isn't guaranteed. Bandits may appear at any time. Miss, you must stay close to the convoy. Do not wander."
Hua Kui gasped. "Bandits? With a hundred carts of supplies? All that military grain—what if they try to rob us?"
Almost on cue—
A savage howl erupted from the forest ahead.
A crowd of men dressed like mountain bandit kings burst from the trees, blocking the road.
"This mountain is mine!"
"These trees belong to me!"
"If you want to pass—leave your toll!"
"Oh no!" Hua Kui cried, ducking instantly behind her guards.
Li Daoxuan's special operations team assigned to her protection numbered only twenty men, and even they tensed at the sudden ambush.
Zhuge Wangchan, however, laughed.
"Miss," he said calmly, "you seem to have forgotten something. Logistics soldiers are still soldiers. Don't underestimate us."
He raised a tin megaphone and shouted toward the bandits:
"Don't you know how to read banners? You dare rob a convoy flying the Five-Colored Dao Xuan Tianzun Banners?"
"Five-colored what?" the bandits shouted back. They were clearly greenhorns—ignorant thugs who didn't recognize Gao Family Village's banners. "Hand over your valuables! Do it now and we'll spare your lives!"
Zhuge Wangchan laughed coldly. "You want to count? Fine. We'll count too."
The bandits roared. "Our turn! We'll count to three! If you don't surrender, we'll slaughter you all!"
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
Bang!
The bandit leader jerked backward, blood spraying from his chest as he collapsed.
A logistics soldier lowered his firearm, smoke curling from the muzzle. His face was filled with contempt.
"Trash."
At once, the logistics soldiers drew their weapons. Using the freight carts as cover, they opened fire.
Bandits poured out from both sides of the road.
But the soldiers moved as if rehearsed—odd-numbered carts firing left, even-numbered carts firing right.
Gunfire thundered.
In an instant, the long convoy transformed into a massive, fire-breathing dragon, spewing death in both directions.
The bandits fell one after another, cut down mid-charge.
At first, Hua Kui was terrified.
But after watching for several dozen seconds—
Her eyes lit up.
Ignoring the arrows flying past, she dashed for her miniature camera, flipped it on, and began filming.
"Amazing! I just left the village and already caught a huge story!" she cried excitedly. "If this airs on the broadcast, the audience will go wild!"
Her guards turned pale.
"Miss! Don't run around in the middle of arrow fire!"
"Hide behind us!"
"Stop waving around like that—it's dangerous!"
"You're a disciple of Dao Xuan Tianzun! If you're injured, we won't survive the consequences!"
A disciple?
Hua Kui froze for a moment—then realized it was true.
The News Department was personally taught by Dao Xuan Tianzun.
That made her… his disciple.
Twenty shields instantly snapped into place, forming a tight protective circle around her.
From within, her soft voice still floated out:
"Soldier-brothers, please don't crowd so close… the shields are blocking my view. I can't see anything now. Could you step back just a little? This little sister thanks you sincerely."
The soldiers didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"We're fighting here!" someone shouted.
"Don't talk so gently!"
"Be a little fiercer, will you?!"