The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 011 Shooting Down the Sky

Inside a thatched hut, Zhou Lun sat on a stone bench, his brows furrowed in worry.

The conditions here were absurdly poor. It was called a camp, but it was really just a place where one could barely survive. These refugees settled here, but they lacked tools and supplies. Their houses were just makeshift structures made of thatch, and the furniture inside was even worse. Most of them made do with whatever wood and stone they could find and worked out on their own.

Fortunately, it hasn't rained much in the past six months. If a downpour were to hit this house, it would probably collapse in the blink of an eye.

The thatched hut Zhou Lun is currently living in is one of the best in the entire camp. After all, after killing the previous leader, they and their group naturally took over and became the new leaders here.

Since the previous owner had already met his demise, the property he left behind, including this house, naturally belonged to Zhou Lun and his family. Zhou Lun and Li Shouyi lived in one building, while Li Shoutian and Wang Tieniu lived next door. Compared to others, at least this place had beds and tables and chairs, making it far better than those who had run away from home.

Zhou Lun was troubled, not about where to live, but about what to do next.

They originally thought that once they arrived here and hid, making a living shouldn't be a problem. They planned to hide peacefully for a while, wait for the storm to pass and the authorities to ease their pursuit, and then find a way to set off for the Jianghuai region or even the Jiangnan region.

But once they settled in, Zhou Lun discovered that the situation was far worse than he had imagined. There was practically no food in the entire camp, and the few acres of land they had painstakingly cleared were withered and drooping. All the food in the camp combined could only feed everyone for a maximum of two months. Even if they hunted some game and foraged for wild vegetables to make up the difference, it would only last for a little over three months at most.

Don't even think about the scenes in operas where a mountain bandit king drinks wine from large bowls and eats meat in large chunks. If you can even get a bowl of rice to eat each day, you're lucky.

Most of the time, even leaders like Li Shouyi and Zhou Lun ate similarly to ordinary refugees—half dry, half watery food, two meals a day, and some wild vegetables to fill their stomachs.

If this continues, they won't be able to survive for long. Once their food supplies run out, they'll starve to death in the mountains.

No wonder these runaways go out to do those risk-free businesses every few days. You can't survive in this place by just farming and hunting!

Within a few days, after Zhou Lun had figured out the situation, he too was faced with these same problems. It seemed that hiding here peacefully was not an option; he had to figure out how to survive, at least to have food.

Zhou Lun had figured out the only way out: he could follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and engage in ventures that required no capital, using that to acquire food and supplies.

But going out to rob is no joke. The reason why Zhou Lun and his men were able to replace their predecessors was twofold: first, Li Shouyi's excellent archery skills; and second, there were very few truly desperate criminals among these runaways. Most of them were poor people who couldn't make ends meet and were just trying to get by.

If they hadn't taken the initiative and caught the enemy off guard with their bow and arrows, even if the four of them were skilled fighters, they wouldn't have been able to withstand dozens of people in a head-on confrontation!

Since they were going down this path, Zhou Lun had to think things through carefully. There weren't many capable people among these runaways. If they were all cowards like before, who would kneel down and kowtow in surrender at the slightest resistance from the other side, then this business was off.

Quality over quantity is key in warfare. In this kind of low-investment business, numbers don't always guarantee success. Zhou Lun still vividly remembers the previous leader's downfall and doesn't want them to repeat the same mistake. Therefore, he's already selected a few brave and willing-to-fight individuals from among the fleeing villagers, preparing to train them specifically and build a core group. This will greatly increase their chances of success.

Choosing the right people wasn't easy. Zhou Lun not only had to pick the right people, but also give them proper training. Besides, food was scarce, and everyone was starving. Without food in their stomachs, where would they get the strength? How could they train someone who couldn't even fill their stomach?

Moreover, they were newcomers. Although they had managed to suppress the fleeing residents, truly winning their hearts and minds wouldn't be so easy. Right now, these people were only afraid of them, not genuinely devoted to them. Under these circumstances, any mishap could lead to unforeseen events.

Of the four men, Zhou Lun was the most simple-minded. If you asked him to charge into battle, he'd do it without hesitation, yelling and charging forward, risking his life.

Li Shoutian's martial arts skills were slightly inferior to Wang Tieniu's, but he was quick-witted. He was the one who saw through Zhou Lun's plan to break into the prison, which showed he was shrewd. However, being intelligent doesn't mean one can act independently. Li Shoutian was the kind of person with good execution skills but lacking in decisiveness. He was perfectly capable of being a deputy or handling tasks, but making decisions was a different story.

As for Li Shouyi, he was undoubtedly the eldest of the four, not only highly skilled in martial arts but also highly respected. Now that Li Shouyi was in the top position, it wouldn't be appropriate to let him personally handle those trivial matters, would it? So, after considering all the options, only Zhou Lun, who had experience running a company and starting a business, could reluctantly take on the task.

As the second-in-command, he took on the role of the camp's home, busy with various arrangements every day, and also racking his brains to figure out the way forward.

"Second brother!"

"Big brother!"

Just as Zhou Lun was thinking about these things, Li Shouyi's voice came from outside. The reed curtain hanging at the door was lifted, and Li Shouyi bent over and entered the house.

The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Li Shouyi, who entered the room, was covered in sweat, his bare arms and chest gleaming with a bronze hue under the perspiration. As soon as he came in, he went straight to Zhou Lun, plopped down opposite him, grabbed the water jug ​​on the table, and took a large gulp. He put down the jug, wiped his mouth, and then let out a long, heavy breath.

"Where did you go, brother?" Zhou Lun couldn't help but ask, seeing his appearance.

"I went to check on the fields and took a walk around the neighborhood," Li Shouyi replied, his brow furrowed and his expression grave.

"This land is doomed. It was originally cleared wasteland, and this damned heaven hasn't rained for so long. The crops in the field are completely ruined today. I just took a look around, and the mountain spring where we used to get water is almost dry. We'll have to walk another five miles to the mountain pond to fetch water. Even so, I'm afraid the water in the pond won't last much longer."

"Is the situation that serious?" Zhou Lun was taken aback.

Li Shouyi nodded silently. The situation was worse than he had imagined. The drought was getting more and more severe, and now not only was food a major problem, but even drinking water was almost impossible to guarantee.

If things are like this here, Li Wang Village probably isn't much better. The thought of his hometown made Li Shouyi's heart clench, but he couldn't go back to see it, not even to send someone to inquire. He could only hope the village could survive this year of disaster.

"We can't wait any longer, second brother! We have to think of something."

"Yes, I've been thinking about that too." Zhou Lun nodded, then added, "But this can't be rushed. We've only just gained a foothold, and we still don't know what these escaped people are thinking. Don't be fooled by their outward respect for you; nobody really knows what they're really thinking."

"If we're going to do this, we have to be absolutely certain of success. As long as we get off to a good start and the people here benefit, they'll naturally come to our side. Also, the other day, Morita and I picked out a few people. Ordinary people definitely won't do big things; we need people with guts who dare to take action. These guys are still a bit inexperienced, but they all seem like honest people. But we need to train them a bit more before we can really put them to use."

"That makes sense, but time waits for no one. How long do you think it will take to master it?" Li Shouyi asked.

"It will take at least ten days to half a month, otherwise it won't know how to do anything when taken out. It will be a burden rather than a help. We also need to prepare some tools. We can't just rush in with a stick, can we? Without the right tools, it won't be so easy to get things done."

"By the way, brother, I'm thinking of having Morita scout out the area for the next couple of days to gather information about the outside world. We'll be prepared here at any time, and act immediately if an opportunity arises. What do you think?"

"I have no objection. This arrangement is perfectly appropriate. Let's do it this way!"

Li Shouyi grinned; he completely agreed with Zhou Lun's idea. Indeed, Zhou Lun's arrangements and ideas were flawless.

However, Li Shouyi still had something on his mind to discuss with Zhou Lun: he planned to change his name and give himself a nickname.

Zhou Lun and his group had committed such a serious crime in the county town; barring any unforeseen circumstances, the authorities would likely have already thoroughly investigated the matter. Both Zhou Lun and Li Shouyi are now wanted criminals. It's clearly inappropriate for them to continue using their original names.

Changing their name, or even using a nickname, is essential. That way, even if they get caught doing low-risk business later, it won't be a big problem. As long as they don't run into anyone they know, who can guess their true identities?

Hearing Li Shouyi say this, Zhou Lun thought it was a good idea. Although he himself did not intend to change his name, it was indeed a good idea for his elder brother Li Shouyi to change his name and adopt a nickname.

Zhou Lun then asked Li Shouyi what name he planned to change to and what nickname he wanted to adopt.

Li Shouyi smiled and said to Zhou Lun, "Back then, my father named me Shouyi, not only because it was the 'Shou' character in the Li family name, but also because he wanted me to remember the character 'Yi' (righteousness)! Over the years, I, Li Shouyi, have believed that I have lived up to this name, but the world today has brought me to this state. Looking back, I have truly failed my father's expectations."

He sighed deeply and said, "Since upholding righteousness has become a luxury, it's better to hope that the people of this world can live in peace and prosperity, and no longer suffer. What do the people of this world want? Isn't it just these things? So from this day forward, I will change my name to Wanqing! Li Wanqing!"

"Li Wanqing? Ten thousand years of prosperity? Great! Great name!" Zhou Lun clapped his hands in praise.

"Besides this name, I've also thought of a nickname," said Li Shouyi... no, Li Wanqing. "Since Heaven has forced people into a corner, then I don't need to respect it! Now that I, Li Wanqing, am no longer an ordinary citizen, having fallen to this state, I must demand an explanation from Heaven! If Heaven doesn't give an explanation, I will use the bow in my hand to shoot down this sky!"

Li Wanqing stood up, his tone bold and unrestrained, and pointed to the bow hanging on the wall, saying to Zhou Lun, word by word, "From this day forward, my nickname, Li Wanqing, will be—Shoot! Down! the! Sky!"