Hu Axiong patted Cao Zheng on the shoulder; this was the signal to make his move.
Cao Zheng tilted his head, completely oblivious to the danger, and asked, "Boss Hu, when are we going to rescue my third brother?"
Hu Axiong's smile was warm and friendly, showing no trace of his murderous intent.
"Soon, you will be able to see your third brother."
"Really? You..."
Cao Zheng's mouth was open as if he wanted to say something, but his head could no longer be tilted back.
Hu Axiong had already broken Cao Zheng's cervical spine with brute force, and Cao Zheng died without even being able to groan.
"Of course it's true! Go and have a get-together with your third brother now!"
Hu Axiong threw away Cao Zheng's body, clapped his hands, and stood up.
At the same time, Hu Aguang and other bandits also took action.
Most of the soldiers died before they could even react.
Even those who reacted before they could get up were also killed.
These soldiers were already weak in combat, and having escaped the fire, their injuries were already more severe than those of the bandits. They were no match for the bandits.
The corpses scattered on the ground indicated that Hu Axiong would never be able to return to Linchuan County.
Regardless of how Cao Qiang died, since he followed him out and is now gone, Cao Sen will never forgive him, nor will the Cao family.
After dealing with the last soldier, Hu Aguang approached Hu Axiong and asked, "Brother, what should we do next?"
Hu Axiong's face was sinister: "Chenxi, I'm not done with you yet. Let's go and join King Wen. I heard that King Wen is recruiting soldiers. Let's go. I don't believe that with our skills, we can't make a name for ourselves."
"Okay, I'll do as my brother says."
"Listen to the boss."
These bandits no longer bothered to look for their mounts and headed straight out of the mountains.
Chenxi looked up at the raging fire on the cliff top, the flames were soaring and the smoke was so thick that it could be seen from miles away.
"Aunt Leng, you've really stirred up quite a fire."
When Chenxi's fire reached up, he could see that the flames were extremely large, and guessed that it was set by Leng Aofu.
"Of course, I added something extra."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Look, this is the kerosene."
Leng Aofu took out a well-sealed jar from her backpack.
Open the jar and let Chenxi see.
Chenxi saw that the jar contained a viscous, dark brown liquid with a pungent, rotten egg smell.
Where did it come from?
Shenxi was very excited.
This is petroleum, a very high-quality fuel, which can also be used as a lubricant and solvent.
So this era was called kerosene.
Shenxi recalled that the name "petroleum" originated from an official who predicted that "this substance will surely become widely used in the world."
She forgot the official's name, but he was right. In her new century, oil was indeed widely available. Its presence was ubiquitous in daily life, and it had become an indispensable strategic and livelihood resource.
If oil were available and could be extracted in large quantities, it would be an epoch-making advancement.
Leng Aofu did not expect Chen Xi to be so excited.
"This was given to me by a friend from the martial arts world. He only gave me two cans, and I carry them with me every day because I'm afraid of breaking them."
Logically speaking, according to the development of the dynasty in her previous life, during the Han Dynasty, people in northern Shaanxi had already discovered and used petroleum, "the water contains petroleum... it burns extremely brightly", and it was used for lighting.
Some people even used petroleum as fuel to boil salt, which was a major advancement in the salt industry. It wasn't until the Qing Dynasty that large-scale mining and application began.
By the Song and Yuan dynasties, mining had begun. In addition to lighting, it was also used to treat livestock diseases and to extract carbon black for ink production.
By the Ming Dynasty, it had become widely used and was being used by ordinary people to lubricate and repair vinegar and water vats.
Shenxi still remembers that during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang used petroleum asphalt to make "fireballs" as a powerful weapon for attacking cities and capturing strongholds. The "fierce fire oil" of the Song Dynasty is often mentioned in history and novels, and the role of petroleum in the military is self-evident.
However, in this fictional era she lived in, she was never able to find any records about oil, nor did she hear about its applications.
At least in Bian'ai County, she didn't find any exploitable oil. This might be because she hadn't traveled far enough, or because others didn't recognize oil. Or perhaps there simply wasn't any exploitable oil in Bian'ai County.
However, since Leng Aofu has oil, it must have already been used by someone, just on a very limited scale.
Shenxi was a little reluctant to part with this jar of oil; it would definitely have many uses in the future.
Now that she's found out, we absolutely can't let her get away with it.
"Aunt Leng, where did you get your friends from?"
Leng Aofu shook her head: "How would I know? It was just a gift between friends. They just told me that this thing was hard to come by and that I shouldn't use it casually."
Leng Aofu felt heartbroken about the entire can she had used: "I set a whole can of oil on fire just for you."
Shenxi smiled wryly: "Alright, once I find a place where I can mine this stuff, I'll return ten jars to you."
"Okay, you said it. But seeing how much you cherish it, I'll ask around for you later. I have many friends all over the country."
It's a deal.
"Of course. I, Leng Aofu, will always keep my promises, no matter what else I may make."
Shenxi returned the jar to Leng Aofu; no matter how much she liked it, it wasn't hers anymore.
"Aunt Leng, this thing needs to be stored carefully. Don't always carry it around. Also, it's best to seal it in an iron bucket, not this jar, it's too fragile."
Leng Aofu carefully carried the jar on her back and asked with some curiosity, "Chief Shen, it seems you know a lot. Many of my friends in the martial arts world don't recognize what this is."
Shen Xi replied confidently without any qualms, "Of course, I am very knowledgeable and learned. I know everything from astronomy to geography, and there are very few things I don't know."
This statement is not an exaggeration. In the new century, with the information explosion, any information can be found, and there are many channels to obtain information.
Shenxi also enjoys going out and exploring, and has consulted countless materials.
Leng Aofu: ......
This Chief Shen is really not modest.
The guards and the common people of Luzhuangzi: ......
Our leader is truly learned and knowledgeable; I admire him greatly!
Shenxi knew that this forest area was quite large, and it would probably burn for a long time. He hoped that the fire would be completely extinguished before they starved and died of thirst.
He wouldn't starve or die of thirst, but Chenxi was feeling unbearably hungry and thirsty.
Zheng Ankang handed Shen Xi a small bottle of water.
They came out lightly equipped, without bringing any food or drink.
This small bottle of water actually belongs to a villager.
"Sir, have some drinks first, and I'll find you something to eat later."
The villagers probably had nothing to eat either. Who would have thought that once they came out, they wouldn't be able to get back for a while?
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