Sun Jian strode up to the high platform and stood shoulder to shoulder with the village chief.
Just because some people didn't dare to speak up didn't mean everyone did. At that moment, a tall, thin man among the villagers stood up.
“Sun Jian, I admit that you are different now than before. You can make iron tools and heal the sick.”
"Not only do you have connections in the government, but you also have an endless supply of grain and iron farm tools. Even I, Old Cao, have to look at you with new respect."
“Normally I wouldn’t dare to offend you, but this time is different! I, Old Cao, have neither eaten your food nor received any favors from you. I’m only fed and have no family to worry about. Even if I’m begging, I would never fight bandits to the death. What does it matter if I lose my home? It’s better than losing my life!”
Old Cao is a farmer in the village who owns land, but in recent years his land has yielded no harvest. The government sent him a "war wife" two years ago, but she starved to death a few days later. Now he barely makes a living by hunting in the mountains and gathering wild vegetables.
"Yes! Sun Jian, it's not that we don't listen to you, the key is that we don't have the ability to fight against the bandits, and many people will die!"
The villagers nearby chimed in, and the scene became chaotic again.
"Quiet!"
Sun Jian stretched out his hand, signaling everyone to stop.
“I understand all your concerns, but you don’t know what methods I will use to deal with the bandits. How can you be so sure that people will die?”
"Isn't it just setting a trap and waiting for the government to send troops?"
“Those bandits all have knives and guns, and all we have at most are the iron farm tools you gave us.”
"Yes! Even if the traps are effective, the bandits outnumber us, and we're bound to suffer heavy casualties."
Listening to the villagers' discussion, Sun Jian smiled slightly and took out the "anti-personnel mine" that the system had just given him as an extra reward from his pocket.
"This is?"
The village chief, standing next to Sun Jian, was stunned when he saw Sun Jian pull the iron lump out of his pocket.
The villagers also cast puzzled glances at them.
“This is the trap I developed to deal with bandits,” Sun Jian said loudly.
"What? This lump of iron is a trap?"
"Hahaha, stop joking. What can you do with this thing? Throw it out and smash a bandit's head?"
"Sun Jian, stop joking with everyone. Your thing is so small, it's not even as useful as throwing your iron shovel."
Faced with the villagers' questions, Sun Jian remained calm and did not rush to explain; he even seemed to want to laugh.
These bumpkins have never seen the world.
Laugh all you want, laugh as much as you can, because you won't be laughing when I detonate the landmine.
"Sister Chu, what is this that my husband has taken out?" Gu Zijian looked at Sun Jian, who was holding a landmine on the stage and appeared calm and composed, with a puzzled expression.
"I don't know. I've never seen him before. Perhaps my husband has his own plans?" Chu Qingcheng trusted Sun Jian completely, believing that Sun Jian must have his reasons for doing this.
Zhou Wan'er rolled her eyes at Sun Jian, "Who knows what that guy is up to? He always has those weird and wonderful things."
"Do you guys remember the fishing rod he took out? Even though there was no hook, after dipping it into the water and doing a few things, the fish seemed to be controlled and floated to the surface on their own... Anyway, he said it worked, so maybe it really did?"
The villagers were all talking at once, and very few people believed Sun Jian.
Some villagers even hurriedly told the village chief, Sun Liang, "Village chief, the bandits are coming soon. If there's nothing else, we should go back and pack our things. We can still run now."
"Yes! I need to hurry up and gather the food. My wife has fainted from hunger several times, and I have to carry her on my back!"
"Sigh! If we don't leave now, bandits will slaughter villages and set fires. This world is simply driving people to their deaths!"
The village chief couldn't withstand the pressure any longer and whispered, "Sun Jian, if you're going to joke like this, then this old man can't help you stop everyone from fighting the bandits!"
Sun Jian wanted the immediate effect, so he called out to all the villagers who were about to leave, "Wait, everyone."
"I haven't even told you how to use this lump of iron, so how do you know it won't work?"
"There's no need to rush. Even if the bandits arrive, it will be three days from now, giving you enough time to escape. Let's take a look at their power first."
"Old Cao, take this, do me a favor."
Before the villagers could question him again, Sun Jian decisively stepped off the stage, placed the landmine in Lao Cao's arms, and then shouted to the crowd, "Who went out with a tinderbox? Bring it over so I can use it."
"Me! Me! Me!"
Old Jiang darted out from the crowd, took a tinderbox from his coarse cloth pocket, and handed it to Sun Jian.
"Everyone, watch carefully."
Without saying a word, Sun Jian dismantled the landmine's trap device, turning himself into a giant grenade, and also pulled out the landmine's fuse.
"Old Cao, you're strong. After I light it, throw it as far as you can with all your might, understand?"
Sun Jian pointed to a cluster of dilapidated, long-abandoned houses in the distance, "Throw them over there!"
"ah?"
Old Cao was still completely bewildered. Not only him, but everyone present didn't understand what Sun Jian was up to and was just watching from the sidelines.
The reason for choosing Lao Cao was that among those who advocated for the villagers to flee, Lao Cao was the first to do so. Convincing him was equivalent to convincing most of the cowardly villagers.
Secondly, although Lao Cao sometimes went hungry, he frequently hunted and ate wild game. His physique and strength were much greater than that of an average person, so he wouldn't have been so exhausted that he dropped the landmine at his feet.
"Remember, your hand must be steady, or everyone will be buried with you."
"this……"
Before Cao Cao could say "no," Sun Jian had already lit the fuse of the giant grenade with a tinderbox.
Hissing and crackling.
When the fuse was lit by an open flame, the gunpowder immediately sparked and hissed, startling Old Cao so much that his hand trembled.
Gunpowder was not a rare thing in this era; anyone with a bit of worldly experience had seen it.
During festivals or market days, even some acrobats in Hongnong County would use firecrackers to "spit fire" when performing their acts. In previous years, during peaceful times, wealthy villagers would buy gunpowder and stuff it into bamboo to use as small fireworks during the New Year.
It was only used by royalty, nobles, or wealthy families when they were refining elixirs.
However, at this time, gunpowder had not yet been fully put into use on the battlefield. People at that time did not know that this stuff could be combined with sulfur and saltpeter to make explosives, let alone that it could explode.
"Fire...gunpowder?"
When the crowd saw the flames, even a few villagers who recognized the fire gasped in surprise.
Zhou Wan'er and the others naturally recognized this thing, but before they could finish speaking, Sun Jian shouted, "Throw it away!"
Old Cao was also startled. He quickly took two steps forward, swung his arm, and threw the giant grenade.
"Get out of the way! Everyone crouch down! Cover your ears!"
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