"Bang!"
"Crash!"
"Haha, it's done!"
After a loud noise, the young Taoist Ge Rufeng, his face blackened by gunpowder, excitedly ran to Zhou Fugui like the wind and shouted. Seeing that Zhou Fugui showed no reaction and sat there lost in thought, he looked at Zhou Fugui in surprise and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing," Zhou Fugui replied after being called back.
Hu Yansheng's words yesterday were like a bucket of cold water, making Zhou Fugui much more sober and understanding.
In the past, Zhou Fugui was somewhat smug. He thought the Southern Campaign was his masterpiece, but in Hu Yansheng's eyes, it was worthless. And Hu Yansheng's reasoning was sound and in line with military strategy, leaving Zhou Fugui with no room to argue.
Especially the Battle of Luyi, where Zhou Fugui led three thousand White Tiger Battalion soldiers to resist the enemy. Although he was betrayed by Albugu and others, thus causing the Xia army to attack his flank, and although Zhou Fugui's remnant forces continued to fight the Xia army, preventing them from advancing east boldly, Zhou Fugui still made a major mistake in this battle. That was, knowing that Albugu harbored resentment towards him, why didn't he guard against it in advance? He entrusted his flank to Albugu and others, only to suffer heavy losses in the White Tiger Battalion.
A foolish general can exhaust a thousand soldiers. At this moment, Zhou Fugui deeply understood the meaning of this saying.
Furthermore, Hu Yansheng warned Zhou Fugui not to get involved in the Yan dynasty's court struggles. Zhou Fugui, however, disagreed. It was not that he wanted to participate in the Yan court struggles, but that he was drawn into it unknowingly.
This sharp reprimand and profound enlightenment made Zhou Fugui realize that he was indeed not suited to lead troops, at least not yet. However, at this very moment, Zhou Fugui not only did not resent Hu Yansheng but was also extremely grateful to him.
Unknowingly, Zhou Fugui had gradually grown and matured, but he himself had not realized it.
"Nothing?" Ge Rufeng couldn't believe it. He asked, "Are you homesick? Are you thinking about the little ladies back home? You have two already, you're really not content."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhou Fugui said angrily, "You're so young, and you don't think about anything good. Why did you come here?"
"Gunpowder, it's done! This Taoist priest is here, and success is guaranteed," Ge Rufeng said excitedly and proudly with a smile. "Hehe, didn't you hear the noise?"
"Gunpowder? I heard it, I'm not deaf..." Zhou Fugui said after glancing at a pile of loose black soil not far away. "But can this thing of yours be called gunpowder? It's more like firecrackers, even worse than firecrackers."
The so-called "gunpowder" that Ge Rufeng developed according to Zhou Fugui's formula only stirred up a foot of soil and blackened his face. It didn't even loosen or collapse the nearby wall. How could it be called gunpowder?
It was far from the real gunpowder in Zhou Fugui's mind!
"Isn't this what you said?" Ge Rufeng glared at Zhou Fugui and said, "You said 'take it step by step,' and 'use less. If you use more medicine, it will surely be different.'"
"Yes, you are right," Zhou Fugui said. "But you must understand that the power of real gunpowder is world-shattering and earth-shattering. A certain amount of real gunpowder can destroy this vast city of Xuelin in an instant."
"Ah?" Ge Rufeng looked at Zhou Fugui, then at the pile of black soil, and felt that it was indeed far from satisfactory. He then turned to Zhou Fugui and asked, "But I followed your formula exactly. Where did it go wrong?"
"Not necessarily?" Zhou Fugui retorted.
"Oh..." Ge Rufeng replied somewhat embarrassed, "There are a few ingredients I've never even heard of. How can I find them? Do you have any methods?"
"I don't either," Zhou Fugui shook his head.
"You don't either? What's the use of your formula if you don't have it?" Ge Rufeng said anxiously.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Zhou Fugui smiled. "It's not that we don't have it now, but we will in the future. Just do this, and then do this, and you will have it."
"True Lord, you're saying nothing," Ge Rufeng sighed after sitting down next to Zhou Fugui.
"Haha, everything in the world requires a gradual process. Don't try to get rich overnight..." Zhou Fugui patted Ge Rufeng's shoulder and asked, "You've done very well to reach this point. But Rufeng, how has your Taoist cultivation been recently? Has it progressed?"
"Cultivation?" Ge Rufeng scratched his head and replied somewhat embarrassed, "I've been preoccupied with your stupid thing lately and have neglected it a bit..."
"You are abandoning the easy for the difficult, or rather, you are neglecting your main duties..." Zhou Fugui said. "My formula is too difficult for you right now. Why have you abandoned your Taoist arts? Taoist arts can steal the opportunities of heaven and earth, understand the principles of ghosts and gods, assist the country and bring peace to the people, save the living and relieve the dead, and originate from the Tao. The Tao cannot be separated from the law, and the law cannot be separated from the Tao. When Tao and law complement each other, they can benefit the world. If your Taoist skills and my formula can be combined..." Do you understand?"
Ancient arts combined with modern technology, this is going to be amazing, Zhou Fugui thought excitedly.
"Taoist arts can steal the opportunities of heaven and earth, understand the principles of ghosts and gods, assist the country and bring peace to the people, save the living and relieve the dead, and originate from the Tao. The Tao cannot be separated from the law, and the law cannot be separated from the Tao. When Tao and law complement each other, they can benefit the world? Are you also a member of the Taoist sect... Pfft, how could someone like you be a member of our Taoist sect?" Ge Rufeng stood up seriously and said to Zhou Fugui, "Listen closely, young man. The three religions have different branches, but they originate from the same source. My teachings emphasize tranquility as the true lineage and longevity as the great path... What did you just say? Taoist arts and your...?"
Ge Rufeng finally understood Zhou Fugui's intention and was so excited that he scratched his ears and cheeks.
"Haha, go quickly," Zhou Fugui said with a laugh.
...
"Chiyou, come here."
About twenty miles from Xuelin City, in a forest, Zhou Fugui took half a roasted sheep from his saddle and called out to the white bear Chiyou.
"Yo... yo... yo..." The white bear Chiyou let out a happy cry and ran to Zhou Fugui. After nuzzling him affectionately, it hugged the half-sheep and happily began to eat.
Because the white bear Chiyou was raised by Zhou Fugui, his war horse had also been with the white bear day and night and was accustomed to it. It was not afraid of the white bear and was leisurely eating grass nearby.
"Chiyou..." Zhou Fugui hugged Chiyou and choked out, "Are you a beast, or a fierce beast? Fierce beasts should not be raised. Your world is the snowy plains, the endless snowy plains, the dense forests, and the vast land. Therefore, today... Chiyou, do you know that I have never treated you as a beast, but only as my brother, or even my child..."
Zhou Fugui's voice choked, and he couldn't continue.
Hu Yansheng was right. Indulging in pleasures can lead to the loss of ambition, and keeping a bear in the army is a violation of military discipline. Therefore, Zhou Fugui decided to release Chiyou into the wild today, letting it return to its own world.
Zhou Fugui knew that wild animals raised in captivity since childhood would have difficulty surviving in the wild. They needed a period of adaptation before being released. But Zhou Fugui had no time for Chiyou to adapt slowly. It would depend on its own fortune. Therefore, Zhou Fugui felt extremely distressed but helpless.
"Wuwu... wuwu?" The white bear Chiyou seemed to understand Zhou Fugui's words. It stopped tearing at the lamb, turned its head, and looked at Zhou Fugui in surprise.
"Eat quickly," Zhou Fugui said, stroking Chiyou's soft fur with tears in his eyes.
After the white bear Chiyou was full, it ran around playfully. Zhou Fugui quietly led his war horse, mounted it, looked back at the white bear, and then urged his horse to gallop away.
"Roar..."
As Zhou Fugui galloped away, the angry roar of the white bear Chiyou came from behind him, filled with confusion, reluctance, and anger.
Zhou Fugui pretended not to hear, whipped his horse furiously, and galloped away. Tears streamed down his face.
...
"Halt! Who goes there?"
When Zhou Fugui returned to Xuelin City, dusk had fallen, and Xuelin City was about to close its gates. As Zhou Fugui approached the city gate, the Yan army guards who were closing the gates shouted loudly.
"A guard under the Commander!" Zhou Fugui took out his waist token and shouted back.
Xuelin City was heavily guarded. Any hesitation or delay might result in a hail of arrows.
"So it's Guard Zhou?" A Yan army gatekeeper looked at the waist token, returned it to Zhou Fugui, and asked, "Why are you returning so late, Guard Zhou? What were you doing?"
"I was on official business on the Commander's orders. What, is that not allowed?" Zhou Fugui asked with slight surprise.
As the saying goes, "A subordinate of a prime minister is also an official of the seventh rank." A personal guard of the Commander was considered a renowned general. Therefore, as long as Zhou Fugui showed his waist token, these mere gatekeepers would not ask too many questions.
"Oh, Guard Zhou, you misunderstood," the gatekeeper with a full beard said quickly. "The situation has been tense recently, and the Commander has issued a 'Camp Order,' so I asked a few more questions."
The so-called "Camp Order" was an order for all off-duty and visiting Yan army soldiers to return to their camps and await further orders, not to leave.
"The situation has been tense? What do you mean? What happened?" Zhou Fugui asked in surprise.
"That... I dare not say too much. You should go back and attend to the Grand Commander quickly." The gatekeeper pushed Zhou Fugui into the city gate and then ordered it to be closed.
You are the Grand Commander's personal guard. Don't you know? the gatekeeper wondered to himself.
The incredibly thick gate of Xuelin City creaked shut. Zhou Fugui even noticed that many obstacles, such as barricades, abatis, and caltrops, had been newly placed outside the gate to repel enemies.
What exactly happened? Zhou Fugui mounted his war horse again and slowly rode towards the rented house of Liuxia and Feiyun, pondering as he went.
After painfully resolving the matter of the white bear Chiyou, Zhou Fugui's next concern was Liuxia and Feiyun. As for whether it was painful, perhaps only he himself knew.
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