Chapter 406 The Unexpected Person
Seeing the muskets on the city wall aimed at them, not only Shen Yuexi, but also Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng took a step back.
Everyone is aware of the power of muskets. Bullets are much faster than arrows. There is no chance to escape or dodge. It is impossible to avoid the bullets whether you move forward or backward.
Shen Yuexi felt the hairs on her back stand up, and quickly raised her hand and shouted, "Wait a minute, wait a minute."
Xu Yan said: "Chen Yuexi, do you have anything else to say?"
Shen Yuexi took out the pistol from the cloth bag at her waist and held it up for Xu Yan to see: "Master Xu, look."
Xu Yan saw Shen Yuexi holding up something shiny and black, but he couldn't see it clearly from his high position. He asked, "What is that thing in your hand?"
"A pistol," Shen Yuexi said, "is similar to the rifles these soldiers have, but this one is even more powerful. It doesn't require reloading and can fire continuously."
Xu Yan's eyes suddenly widened.
After creating the Tiger Crouching Cannon, he went on to forge the flintlock rifle, believing it was the only one of its kind. However, the flintlock rifle had obvious drawbacks: its length made it difficult to carry, and reloading the gun after firing was a hassle. These two issues always plagued him, and he racked his brains for a long time, unable to find a solution.
The gun in Shen Yuexi's hand was not only much smaller and more exquisite, but he didn't even need to reload. This was truly astonishing. He felt like seventeen or eighteen little monkeys were scratching his heart at the same time. He patted the city wall twice and said to the gunmen around him, "Don't shoot. I'll go down and take a look."
"Master Xu, don't be fooled," a nearby gunman leaned over, "What if she's trying to lure you down so she can take you hostage?"
Shen Yuexi also heard what the gunman said and thought to herself, why are you so talkative? What kind of trouble is this nameless pawn causing?
Xu Yan stopped when he heard the gunman's words and asked Shen Yuexi, "How do you want to prove it?"
Shen Yuexi looked around and saw a palm tree standing not far away. She said to Xu Yan, "Master Xu, don't let the gunman shoot. I'll prove it to you. Okay?"
Xu Yan nodded and said, "Okay, I promise you."
Shen Yuexi gave Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng a look and slowly walked towards the big tree.
Xiao Zhuo was fine, but Xiao Beiheng was so anxious when he saw Su Mo's legs bleeding. Su Mo whispered to him, "Don't worry, Beiheng. Trust your sister-in-law." Xiao Beiheng had no choice but to stop and stare at Shen Yuexi.
Shen Yuexi was still a little worried and reminded Xu Yan as they walked.
"Master Xu, please promise not to shoot. A gentleman's word is as good as gold."
"Of course, no shooting."
"To break one's promise is what a mean person does."
"Yeah, never shoot."
"The Master said: Man..."
"Prove it to me quickly," Xu Yan patted the parapet anxiously, "I'm dying of anxiety."
Shen Yuexi walked up to the palm tree, raised his pistol, aimed at the trunk and fired a shot. The bark splashed and a small hole was revealed.
Xu Yan was stunned. He could tell that the pistol was as powerful as a flintlock rifle. After a long pause, he urged, "Can you still fire?"
"Of course, look." Shen Yuexi said and pulled the trigger again, shooting at the tree trunk again.
"That's awesome!" Xu Yan saw the green smoke coming out of the muzzle of the gun and the second crack that appeared on the tree trunk. He shouted on the city wall, turned around and ran down the city.
"Master Xu, Master Xu," the gunman reached out and grabbed him, "The master asked us to kill them. The gun is in Shen Yuexi's hands anyway. Kill them and we'll get it."
Xu Yan stopped again when he heard this.
Shen Yuexi wanted to shove the pistol right into the man's mouth, but she still smiled and said, "Master Xu, let's not talk about the crossbow. But this pistol was indeed designed by me. If you kill me, no one in this world will ever tell you how to build the mechanism inside this gun."
Xu Yan paced back and forth. He had dedicated his life to forging, taking particular pride in his ability to create astonishing ironwork, claiming he was unrivaled. Now, having seen a pistol that far exceeded his imagination, he put everything else aside. He said to the gunmen, "None of you fire. Follow me down."
"What about the master?"
"I'll naturally handle the master's situation," Xu Yan said sternly, "Put away your guns."
Xu Yan's prestige on the island was second only to Pei Jingyun. Seeing Xu Yan's decision, the soldiers had no choice but to put away their muskets. Xu Yan left the city wall and led the soldiers down to meet Shen Yuexi in person.
When Shen Yuexi placed the pistol in his hand, Xu Yan's hands trembled with excitement, tears welled up in his eyes, and he murmured, "It's amazing! It's not something from this world."
The gunman who had advised Xu Yan saw this and was about to say something more, but Shen Yuexi smiled and said, "Master Xu, we need to go into the city to find a doctor to treat my sister-in-law's injuries. My sister-in-law is Madam Pei's daughter-in-law. Although Madam Pei is angry now and told you to shoot, what if she regrets it later..."
Then her bright eyes turned and fell on the gunman: "Think about it, aren't you the ones who are unlucky?"
After a few words, the soldier was sweating profusely and suddenly stopped talking.
"Master Xu, let's go into the city," Shen Yuexi pulled Xiao Zhuo up and winked at Xiao Beiheng repeatedly, "Please don't follow us anymore."
Xu Yan held the pistol in both hands, as if it were a priceless treasure, looking at it carefully, and said, "Go ahead, go ahead."
Shen Yuexi pulled Xiao Zhuo, Xiao Beiheng held Su Mo, and the others walked into the city gate. Shen Yuexi turned back to look at Xu Yan and found that many soldiers had surrounded him. They were all craning their necks to look at their guns, and no one was looking at them. She thought it was a success and pulled Xiao Zhuo's sleeve: "Husband, let's run."
Xiao Zhuo reached out and touched the top of her head and said, "Yuexi is fearless in the face of danger. She is brave and careful. I am truly impressed by her."
Xiao Beiheng came over and said, "Sister-in-law, Momo has been bleeding. Where is the doctor?"
Looking around, Shen Yuexi noticed that while the city streets were wide, the shops on either side were all closed, with not a single pedestrian in sight. At the far end of her sight, there seemed to be a wall, its color reminiscent of the imperial walls of the capital, with the faint glimpse of the palace roof. Pointing there, she said, "Let's go ahead and take a look."
The location Shen Yuexi pointed to was the central imperial city of Guiyun City. Unlike the imperial cities in the inland capital, this one only had two palaces: the Golden Throne Hall and the Phoenix Palace, and they were half the size. The city's only medical clinic was located outside the palace gates.
Inside the clinic, Doctor Hua had just finished taking Mei Dai's pulse and said with a smile, stroking his beard, "Congratulations, Queen. Judging from your pulse, your previous cold constitution has been cured."
Mei Dai's face lit up at first, but then it became dejected. She said, "If I stay here forever, it doesn't matter whether my physique improves or not. I don't know what the situation is like in the four counties of Xiliang now."
She and Shen Lan had been imprisoned on the island for over half a month. Pei Jingyun treated them politely and didn't imprison them. Her only requirement was that they not leave Guiyun City. She considered herself extremely intelligent, but being imprisoned on this isolated island, she couldn't come up with any good plan to escape.
Chen Lan comforted her beside her, "Queen, don't worry. My sister will definitely lead the troops to rescue us. She has done so many things that we can't even imagine."
"How did they get here?" Mei Dai asked. "There's a fleet of cannons on the sea, and musketeers defending the city walls. I really can't imagine any army that could capture this city."
Shen Lan said, “How about we go find Madam Pei later?”
Mei Dai shook her head and said, "She won't agree to us leaving. She said only my sister and the others are coming..."
Before he finished speaking, a woman's urgent voice came from the street outside the door: "Doctor, where is the doctor? Come and treat my brother and sister-in-law's injuries."
Mei Dai and Shen Lan showed surprised expressions almost at the same time. They stood up and rushed out of the clinic one after another, just in time to meet Shen Yuexi and his group who were running over.
When Shen Yuexi saw Mei Dai and Shen Lan appear in front of her, she almost jumped up with joy: "Sister Mei, you are here."
Both were very excited to see each other again after such a long separation, but Shen Yuexi had no time to chat about family matters. She said to Mei Dai, "Sister Mei, why is there no one in the city? We have been running all the way. Where can we find a doctor?"
Mei Dai saw Xiao Beiheng holding Su Mo and following behind Shen Yuexi. Su Mo's legs were constantly dripping with blood, and her face was frighteningly pale. She quickly made way for the door and said, "Hurry into the clinic, the doctor is inside."
Shen Yuexi turned around and called to Xiao Beiheng, "Brother, quickly carry my sister-in-law into the clinic."
After watching Xiao Beiheng carry Su Mo into the clinic, Shen Yuexi finally felt relieved.
Chen Lan said to Xiao Zhuo, "Brother-in-law, how did you get here? How did Su Mo get injured?"
Xiao Zhuo briefly recounted what had happened, but he didn't mention his and Shen Yuexi's underwater walk, saying only that they swam ashore holding onto a plank. He continued talking until they encountered Xu Yan's musketeers at the city gate.
Shen Yuexi took over the conversation and said, "Master Xu originally didn't want us to enter the city. But I showed him something, and he let us in."
Mei Dai and Shen Lan were very curious and asked, "What is it?"
Shen Yuexi smiled and said, "Let's go in and see my sister-in-law first. I'll tell you the details later. Can this doctor treat gunshot wounds..."
She pulled the two of them into the clinic, and when she saw the scene in front of her, she was stunned.
Su Mo sat on a chair, her hands on her legs, her face filled with pain. Xiao Beiheng knelt on his knees and said to the old man standing behind the counter with his back to her, "Please save Momo quickly. If you can save her, I will repay you for all the cuts your son suffered."
The old man sighed, turned around slowly, and met Shen Yuexi face to face.
Shen Yuexi couldn't believe her eyes and exclaimed, "Doctor Hua! Why are you here?"
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