Chapter 29

"Did you know that in the West, there is now a warship made entirely of steel? You didn't hear wrong, it's pure steel, from the keel to the hull, all made of steel, and it uses coal as fuel. Inside the warship, there is a large boiler that relies on the power of flames to dominate the seas..."

"In North America, people have invented a technology called the telegraph, which allows people to transmit information instantly over hundreds or even thousands of miles with just a single wire connecting them..."

"There is also a spherical object that can fly in the sky, carrying people directly to the top of the clouds. Any ambush on the ground cannot escape its eyes. If a soldier on it signals with flags, even if you were Sun Wu reborn, you wouldn't be able to set an ambush against such an enemy..."

"Oh, right, there is also a very peculiar ship called a submarine, which can hide its entire body underwater and navigate, stealthily approaching the enemy, striking and then fleeing..."

Xiaole Tian spoke with great satisfaction, completely ignoring the old men who were fuming, slamming the table, and cursing. The young people were all stunned, and even the famous courtesans took out paper and pens to take notes. It was likely that the next day, someone at the Hundred Flowers Building would be telling this story, calling it "The Western Learning Master Debates the Scholars" or simply "The Westerners' Chaos Talk."

Xiaole Tian was enjoying himself, but the others were not necessarily enjoying it. Just as Xiaole Tian was talking about a heavy machine gun called the Gatling gun, Luo Hao, a scholar, suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Xiao, is what you're saying true?"

"Nonsense, utter nonsense! Look at the so-called master of Western learning you admire; it's a complete joke..." Wang Hao, another scholar, finally got a chance to speak.

Xiaole Tian took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, "You don't believe me? How about we make a bet? We can go directly to the American embassy, or I can even pay for your travel expenses to go overseas and see it for yourselves."

"If I'm lying, I swear I will never seek office, and I will also make my descendants give up the path of officialdom... But if I win, will you resign from your positions and ensure that your descendants for three generations do not pursue official careers?"

Xiaole Tian's words were like a cold wind blowing through the Hundred Flowers Building, even scaring the courtesans. In a feudal dynasty, betting one's career and the careers of one's descendants was more severe than betting one's life. For a moment, everyone was silent, even the old scholar Wang was speechless.

"What's wrong? Are you all mute now? Weren't you just so eloquent? The sage said, 'If in the morning I hear the Way, in the evening I can die content.' You're not afraid of death, but you're still attached to your positions? Ha ha ha, it turns out you're just good at talking..."

Xiaole Tian picked up the cane from the side table, raised his head, and finished the wine on the table, "I'm done drinking, I won't keep you company anymore. But let me add one more thing. This is a time of great change unseen in three thousand years. The outside world is advancing at an incredible pace, and although we used to be in the lead, we are now far behind."

"One mistake, and it leads to more mistakes. If one day the foreigners block the Dagu Port with the steel warships I described, a single shell from them could destroy the Zhengyang Gate. When a heavy machine gun capable of firing tens of thousands of bullets in an instant is mounted on the city walls, and when you all become slaves of a fallen nation, don't forget that in the spring of the fourth year of the Tongzhi era, there was a lone traveler from overseas who sincerely wanted to make the Qing Dynasty strong and to share the secrets of the foreigners with everyone..."

"If that day ever comes, I wonder who our descendants will curse! Goodbye..." With that, Xiaole Tian was about to leave.

"You stop right there! How dare you, how dare you! How can our Qing territory tolerate such a half-foreigner to act so wildly!" Old Master Wang was so angry that his beard was trembling. As a traditional Confucian scholar, his mind was deeply rooted in the old ways, and he had a complete aversion to new things.

Moreover, he was old and had seniority in the Hanlin Academy, so even the Emperor and the Empress Dowager treated him with respect. This is why he had developed a habit of relying on his seniority. Today, he came to challenge Xiaole Tian, but he didn't expect to fail and instead be lectured by this shameless half-foreigner. First, he used a terrible oath to silence everyone, and then he implied that he would be a sinner for all eternity.

This kind of insult was something the old scholar could not tolerate. His anger boiled over, and he couldn't control his words, "You, you, you... you unfaithful, unrighteous, uncivilized barbarian!"

"Abandoning your ancestors' graves and serving the foreigners, you are unfilial. Disrespecting the government and not keeping your queue, you are unfaithful. Using the foreigners' power to bully the head of the Inner Court, Lian Er, and seizing his concubine, even causing Fan Lian and his brother to split their family, you are unrighteous and unkind..."

"How can you be so shameless, living in this world? Poor Fan Lian's only daughter has become your plaything, you are a lecher... I ask you, did Lian Er have a stroke because of you? Did you already dominate Hu Niu in the Taihang Mountain caravan..."

Good grief, this really hit Xiaole Tian's sore spot. He never expected that these corrupt scholars would drag women into the matter to tarnish his reputation, and they were spouting nonsense.

This was the Qing Dynasty, the time of the strictest feudal etiquette. Once this slander was thrown at Xiaole Tian and Hu Niu, it would be impossible to clear their names. Xiaole Tian, a modern person, was not afraid of anything and did not care about such things, but Hu Niu did. She could be destroyed by public opinion, even to the point of suicide.

"Is this what the Qing Hanlin is like? Fabricating lies and using rumors to destroy someone's reputation?" Xiaole Tian was completely enraged. He exuded a menacing aura, and he was not a weak scholar but someone who could actually kill.

Xiaole Tian had already taken five lives directly. His glare and the无形的杀气 (intangible killing aura) made the scholars and courtesans in the Hundred Flowers Building feel a chill, as if a cold wind had blown through. At this moment, a man in a small private room on the top floor of the Hundred Flowers Building suddenly let out a surprised hum.

"Amazing! A scholar with a killing aura? This guy is indeed interesting..."

At this point, Wang Hao was also determined. He wasn't just here out of righteous indignation; he had received 200 taels of silver from Fan Ru to come and disrupt the event. The other scholars around him had also been paid by Fan Ru.

These hired guns jumped up, pointing at Xiaole Tian and shouting.

"Bold rogue, Brother Hui is a high-ranking scholar, how could he wrong you, a barbarian..."

"The ugly deeds you and Hu Niu did, her uncle Fan Ru has already told us. Who are you trying to hide from? Even if you can hide from the world, the sky above will not forgive you..."

"Let him come and fight, don't stop me. I, Wang Shizheng, am a man of integrity, how could I fear such a villain? I will fight him to the death..."

With that, Wang Shizheng, like a madman, tried to go around the round table to fight Xiaole Tian. The other old men quickly pulled him back, and in the struggle, a table full of food and wine was overturned.

Xiaole Tian now had a cold smile on his face. He secretly signaled to Xiao Saimen, who was in the corner of the room. The quick-witted Saimen had already started taking secret photos. The hall was brightly lit, so there was no need for a flash, and no one noticed the secret photography.

Wang Hao, like a fierce tiger, was held back, cursing and pointing, with his feet in the spilled food and drink. He had become the embodiment of justice, quoting classics and rhyming, using five thousand years of Chinese culture to battle this half-foreigner. At that moment, he had transformed into the guardian of Chinese culture, determined to protect the Qing Dynasty from Western powers.

The madam of the Hundred Flowers Building was already crying, her face streaked with tears. She never expected a literary gathering to turn into a physical fight. Tomorrow, all the brothels in Beijing would mock her.

In the Hundred Flowers Building, men were arguing, women were crying, some were cursing, and others were trying to mediate. In the chaos, several tables of banquets were overturned. In the end, it was Luo Hao and Wen Xiu, two of Xiaole Tian's staunch supporters, who took advantage of the chaos to escort the lone traveler out. They both felt guilty and kept bowing.

"Luo brother, Wen brother, you don't need to feel responsible. There are many people in the Qing Dynasty who have been driven mad by their studies. You don't need to apologize for them. In a few days, I will host a banquet at the Fan residence for the two of you." With that, Xiaole Tian got into a foreigner's carriage and left the Eight Great Alleys in a puff of smoke.

Just as the carriage started, a figure slipped in, it was Xiaole Tian's personal guard, Sima Yun. "Sima Yun, from today, you will closely monitor Wang Shizheng. Note what he eats, what he wears, who he meets, and even who he sleeps with. If he dares to insult my wife, I will make him pay!"

"Understood!" Sima Yun said without hesitation, and in a flash, he disappeared into the night of Beijing.

Xiaole Tian, the lone traveler, left, and Wang Hao, like a victorious rooster, left the Hundred Flowers Building with pride, watched by many scholars. The other scholars mostly dispersed, and some, less restrained, took beautiful women to spend the night, which was their own business.

When the Hundred Flowers Building finally quieted down, a small door in a secluded private room on the second floor opened slightly, and a pair of eagle eyes scanned the hall before retracting.

"Ninth Master, Xiaole Tian has left, and Wang Hao has also gone..."

In the private room, there was only one table of food and a middle-aged man in his forties, the so-called Ninth Master.

"He's gone?" The Ninth Master slowly rotated his wine glass, watching the amber-colored wine swirl, and muttered to himself, "Talent, truly a precious talent. Eagle, remember, keep a close eye on Xiaole Tian. Don't intervene unless his life is in danger. This is your task for the near future. Go."

As soon as the Ninth Master finished speaking, Eagle suddenly moved, and before anyone could see what happened, he had already flipped out of the window without a sound.

The room was left with the Ninth Master alone, who suddenly smiled, "Brother, I didn't plan to return to Beijing early, but I didn't expect such a remarkable man