Chapter 6 Strong Man

  "Gentlemen, now that you've arrived at my humble abode, please feel at ease and don't worry about anything!" Deng Zixuan said generously. Chen Jintang said: "Last time Mr. Deng lent a helping hand, we could see that he's a chivalrous and righteous person, so we won't be polite this time. This time we've come to seek refuge with Mr. Deng, just to hide out for a while until the storm passes!" "Brother Chen, if you think highly of me, then please feel at ease staying here." Deng Zixuan said somewhat urgently.

  Chen Jintang's square face shone with a red light as he said, "Deng Gongzi, let me introduce you. This white-faced brother is called the divine calculator Pei Gejin!" The white-faced man stood up and clasped his fists in greeting, saying, "Gongzi! I pay my respects!" Deng Zixuan also stood up and clasped his fists, saying, "I'm ashamed!"

  "This is Leng Mian Shashou Bai Biao, Chang Tui Wu Bao, Da Li Shi Zhang Man Cang, Fei Dao Shou Leng Yi Fei, Gui Ji Ling Wan Chuan, Shen Tou Wang Xiao Er." Everyone stood up and said: "Thank you for your kindness!" Haha! They are all talented people! Integrating my intention! Deng Zi Xuan was overjoyed and said: "Everyone, today we will drink freely and enjoy ourselves! However, Brother Chen, I still don't know what your title is?" Everyone burst out laughing.

  Bai Lian Pei Ge Jin smiled and said: "Deng Gongzi, my elder brother is called the Whistling King, he is the leader of our cavalry!" "Gongzi, it's embarrassing to say, but we have fallen to such a state, this is heaven's will. The Nian Army that swept across Jiangbei has already fallen, and their glory has been extinguished." As they spoke of past glories, everyone's face showed a somber expression. At this moment, Xiao Hong brought up the wine and dishes. "Come on, let's drink! As the saying goes, 'Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank', perhaps next year will bring good fortune and we'll have hope again." Deng Zixuan encouraged everyone.

  "Living is the only hope! Well said, let's get drunk and forget our worries!" Chen Jintang shouted loudly. The brothers clinked their cups together and before long, Deng Zixuan was unconscious. When he woke up again, it was already time for dinner, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Xiaohong's worried face in front of him. "Madam, the young master is awake!" his mother asked anxiously, "Zixuan, who are these people?" Deng Zixuan sat up, rubbing his sore eyes, and lied, "Last year, I went on an outing and encountered bandits, it was this group of heroes who saved my life, so I became friends with them!"

  "Last year you encountered robbers, why didn't you tell us when you got home?" Brother De asked in surprise. "I was afraid that the family would worry about me, and also I was afraid that if you all knew about this matter, you wouldn't let me go out anymore!" Deng Zixuan continued to lie. "Amitabha, since these good men have saved Xuan'er, we must treat them well and can't neglect them." Mother turned around and left. "Zixuan, have you thought it through? Your study expenses are already so high, and now with all these extra people, can our family afford it?" Brother De Ming was visibly dissatisfied.

  "Brother, I've caused you trouble, and for that, I'm deeply sorry. They didn't stay at our place for free. People from the jianghu world are generous with their wealth and view money as dirt. The good fellows gave me 200 taels of silver, and tomorrow I'll hand it over to you!" "I say, brother, don't be offended by my words, but I have no choice, I must think of this household. Are you certain you'll give me 200 taels of silver?" Deng Zide's face immediately lit up with a smile upon hearing this. Seeing his brother's unreserved behavior, Deng Zixuan shook his head in dismay.

  "Since Pangu opened the sky and earth, from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the present. We are the Huaxia nation, we are the descendants of the Yellow Emperor. Ancient times......" A few days later, Deng Zixuan was explaining history to the children. Outside the window, Chen Jintang and Pei Gejin were eavesdropping, and the two were clearly enthralled. Unbeknownst to them, after a long time, Deng Zixuan finished his explanation, and Chen Jintang and Pei Gejin hastily left. The two came to a secluded place, and Pei Gejin said: "Big brother! I found that Young Master Deng is not ordinary!" "What do you mean?" Chen Jintang was slightly surprised. "You see, Young Master Deng has raised 20 children around the age of ten, all with the surname Deng. He doesn't teach them the Four Books and Five Classics, but rather strange things. What's the meaning behind this?" "Are you saying that Young Master Deng is a traitor? How could that be possible!"

  "These past few days, I've observed that Deng Gongzi's behavior and speech don't match those of a scholar. Deng Gongzi has a full and robust forehead, with a radiant complexion, having the appearance of an emperor. This person is absolutely not ordinary." Pei Gejin analyzed. "That's right! I also feel that Deng Gongzi is extraordinary. Especially when I revealed our identities, Deng Gongzi seemed to be not in the least concerned and was even extremely delighted. It seems like Deng Gongzi is plotting something?" Chen Jintang muttered.

  "Big brother! What's going on here?" asked Pei Gejin. Chen Jintang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Let's go back and discuss it with the others first!" That night after dinner, Deng Zixuan walked into the ear room as usual. Before he could figure out what was happening, Chen Jintang led the way, kneeling down on the ground and saying, "Master Deng, we brothers admire your character. These past few days, we've been secretly listening to your lectures, and your vast knowledge has left us in awe. We've decided to follow you and offer our services!" Deng Zixuan was taken aback and quickly said, "Everyone, please get up!"

  "Ask the young master to agree!" Chen Jintang stubbornly refused to get up. "Alright! I agree with you all!" Seeing everyone's joyful faces, Deng Zixuan scrutinized the crowd and slowly said in a stern tone: "Those who achieve great things plan for a lifetime, not just for the moment. Since you've chosen me, you must absolutely obey my will!" "We look up to Master Deng as our leader, with no second thoughts!" "Since that's the case, I can only tell you to wait patiently for the right opportunity, don't ask, don't guess, and don't take any action. Once the time is ripe, I'll reveal everything, can you do that?" "We will obey Master Deng's orders!" The crowd replied in unison.

  "Bring the wine!" Chen Jintang picked up the wine jug and placed it on the table, while Pei Gejin arranged nine bowls in a row. Suddenly, Feidao Shou Leng Yifei pulled out a sharp knife and handed it to Deng Zixuan. In no time, the blood of the nine people mixed together in the wine jug. Chen Jintang then filled each bowl to the brim. Deng Zixuan raised his cup and said: "Nine is the largest single digit number. Our gathering today is the will of heaven. We share a common goal and swear an oath of brotherhood with our blood!" "We share a common goal, we swear an oath of brotherhood!" The crowd echoed in unison. Deng Zixuan took the lead and drank the wine dry, followed by the others.

  "Gentlemen! For now, there's nothing to do, so you'll temporarily follow my Deng family class and attend lessons. As for what we'll do later, give me some time to plan it out!" "We'll follow your arrangements, young master!" The crowd chimed in unison once again. Deng Zixuan had to be careful, so he couldn't casually reveal his plans to them. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but rather they found it hard to accept his ideas. These rebels were used to swift revenge and liked things loud and intense! For a long time, Deng Zixuan would have to tread carefully and yield to circumstances, so the process of reforming them was also part of his plan.

  That night, Deng Zixuan couldn't fall asleep. Just now Xiaohong had been bothering him for a while, but Deng Zixuan didn't have any emotions about it. By this time Xiaohong had already fallen asleep, and Deng Zixuan quietly got up and came to the window, casually pulling open the curtains. He saw a bright moon hanging high in the sky, with the remaining light of the sun shining through the window lattice and softly sprinkling in. Deng Zixuan gazed at the bright moon, and his mind began to churn again.

  The world has entered the era of hot weapons, but the Qing Dynasty has just awakened. The Manchu imperial court is worried that once modern firearms are popularized, it will pose a great threat to the safety of the imperial court. Therefore, the court strictly controls foreign guns, which is very beneficial to itself. If one wants to rebel, one must equip a nearly modernized army; otherwise, there is no chance of success. To build a modernized army, one must have its own manufactured weapons.

  Relying on buying foreign weapons is nonsense, because foreigners will cut off your source of weapons at any time. In terms of weapon equipment, we must be self-sufficient, but manufacturing weapons is not something that can be done overnight. The prerequisite is that we must have the ability to manufacture machines and technology, and we must have suitable steel and related materials. Having these conditions requires a lot of money, and it's a huge amount of silver. Thinking about silver makes Dengzi Xuan anxious again. Damn, if only there was a mountain of gold and treasure somewhere.

  Thinking of the treasure, Deng Zixuan suddenly thought of something and couldn't help but get excited. The rumors circulating in the streets wouldn't be unfounded, now that the good guys have joined forces, it's just right to make a move, must take a chance. After his excitement subsided, Deng Zixuan secretly thought: To carry out this plan, he had to make some preparations, and then he thought of someone else, planning to go find him tomorrow. Before long, Deng Zixuan fell asleep, sleeping very soundly.

  The next day, the temperature dropped slightly, and the cold air began to move south. Three people walked side by side on the road, "Deng Gongzi, what are you taking us to do so early? It seems mysterious!" Pei Gejin asked in confusion. "We're going to buy guns!" "Buy guns? We're not used to foreigners' rifles, and knives are more straightforward!" Chen Jintang expressed his puzzlement. "Even if we're not used to them, we have to use them. Haven't you learned from the defeat of the Huai Army's foreign gun squad?" "Yes! If we hadn't encountered the foreign gun squad, we wouldn't have lost so badly. Are you going to set up a foreign gun squad?" Chen Jintang was shocked!

  "Isn't that looking for death? I won't do stupid things!" "Foreign guns are too long, they will be discovered at any time. According to the Qing law, civilians who hold guns are punishable by death!" Pei Gejin was puzzled and didn't understand. Deng Zixuan smiled and said: "We're going to buy a handgun, to be exact, a revolver!" "Revolver?" The two of them couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. "Less than twenty rounds, I don't have any grasp on whether we can buy guns now, but we must try our luck."

  "Oh! Dear Deng, are you here to deposit money again?" Manager Charlie of the EWO Bank greeted with a smile. "Respected Mr. Charlie, I'm not here to deposit money, but to ask for your help!" Deng Zixuan's fluent English shocked Chen Jintang and Pei Gejin, both staring at each other in surprise. "Mr. Deng is my lucky star, bringing me good fortune, please speak!" Charlie still smiled warmly.

  "Mr. Charlie, I'd like to buy the most advanced revolver made in the US, 2000 bullets, you know, a Colt handgun!"

  Charlie was slightly surprised and asked: "Mr. Deng, as a businessman, what do you want to buy a gun for? Are you going to kill someone?"

  "Mr. Charlie, why would I want to kill anyone? It's just for self-defense. If it's too much trouble for you, then forget it."

  "But according to your country's law, privately purchasing firearms is punishable by death. Aren't you afraid?"

  "As long as you don't say anything, I think no one will know. Besides, you're a foreigner, even if someone finds out, they won't implicate you!" Deng Zixuan said with a smile.

  Charlie hesitated for a moment and said, "The revolver is very expensive, I don't know if you can afford it!" "Please enlighten me, Mr. Charlie?" "Wait a minute, I'll be right back!" Knowing he was going to be cheated but having no choice at the moment. After Charlie left, Chen Jintang asked in confusion: "Dengzi Xuan, I didn't expect you to speak foreign languages?" Dengzi Xuan smiled and said: "I learned it secretly from the priest in church. If you don't know foreign languages when dealing with foreigners, you'll be cheated. However, no one in my family knows that I can speak foreign languages, so please keep it a secret!" Chen Jintang and Pei Gejin nodded in agreement.

  Before long, Charlie came back and said: "Mr. Deng, the price is settled, nine Colt pistols, 2000 rounds of ammunition, 500 taels of silver." "Deal!" Deng Zixuan was very concise, the other party was killing you, but what could be done? 500 taels of silver! Deng Zixuan really had some heartache.

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