Chapter 42

Xu Feng quickly pulled the big man up, who said, "I'm called Liu Dazhuang! I'm from Liu Family Village outside the city. The villagers have been looking forward to the arrival of the Heavenly God day and night, and finally, we've welcomed you! Grandfather Heavenly God, you must come to our village for a visit."

Xu Feng looked back at Xiaotao Hong, who was looking at him with a flirtatious gaze and said, "Brother, you should go. I'll go back first." With that, she turned and walked away.

Liu Dazhuang quickly called out, "Sister, come with us." But Xiaotao Hong acted as if she hadn't heard and walked away quickly.

Unable to resist Liu Dazhuang's enthusiastic invitation, Xu Feng had no choice but to follow him. Liu Dazhuang was extremely excited, pulling Xu Feng along. They covered the three-mile distance in just a few minutes. As they approached the village entrance, he began to shout. The village was small, and the news spread quickly. Soon, the entire village came out, surrounding Xu Feng like the moon surrounded by stars.

It seemed that Liu Dazhuang was well-liked and highly respected in the village. After his explanation, everyone in the village believed that Xu Feng was a Heavenly God sent from heaven. In no time, chickens and sheep were slaughtered, and a long table was set up in the center of the village. Xu Feng was naturally seated at the head of the table.

In Chinese village customs, the village chief was usually an elderly and virtuous person. This village was no exception. An old man raised his wine bowl and walked to the center of the crowd, which immediately fell silent. The old man's voice was like a bell as he said, "Today, the heavens have opened their eyes! They have sent us a Heavenly God! Ever since the Russians came, it hasn't rained, and the livestock hasn't reproduced. Today, we will fight the Russians!"

With that, he waved his hand and smashed the porcelain bowl on the ground. The sound echoed, and several young men at each table stood up, smashing their bowls on the ground and shouting, "Yes! We will fight the Russians to the death!"

The old man said, "Young men, let's eat and drink to our fill first! Tonight, we will act together and wipe out all the Russians in one go!"

Everyone started eating, and Xu Feng was stunned. When the old man sat down, he quickly asked, "Village Chief, who are these Russians you want to kill?"

The old man said, "They are monsters with crosses, always trying to convert people to their evil ways!"

Xu Feng thought for a moment and realized that the "Russians" he was referring to were likely Russian missionaries. Xu Feng was startled, knowing that the Boxer Rebellion in history was triggered by religious conflicts. It seemed that history was repeating itself.

Xu Feng asked, "How many of them are there?"

The old man said, "They have built a church at the entrance of Jingling Mountain. There are many of them, and they have many fast-firing guns."

Xu Feng thought to himself, "I wonder why this mountain is called Jingling Mountain." He wanted to ask but didn't, as there were more important things to discuss. He asked, "How do you plan to deal with the guns?"

The old man laughed and said, "Grant us some divine power, and those guns won't be able to kill us!"

Xu Feng thought that they absolutely must not fight the Russians. It wasn't that he was afraid of the Russians; he didn't want to see these simple and kind-hearted Chinese people die in vain!

So he put on a mysterious smile and said, "Village Chief, when I left the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor personally told me that now is not the time to deal with the Russians."

The old man was surprised and asked, "Did the Jade Emperor say when we can drive the Russians away?"

Xu Feng smiled and said, "That is a secret of the heavens."

The old man laughed and said, "Very well, we will follow the Heavenly God's orders and settle accounts with the Russians later!"

What Xu Feng didn't know was that the legend of the Heavenly God riding a flying jade kylin, holding the Heaven and Earth Bow and the Heaven-Shaking Arrow, helping the Qing Dynasty fight the Japanese, was spreading rapidly in Shandong, Zhili, and Fengtian. Although the details of the legend varied, it undoubtedly greatly inspired the Chinese people with the simplest patriotic sentiments. The Boxer Rebellion, which would trigger the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of China, was already on the verge of breaking out.

The Japanese were watching this turbulent land with a cold smile, waiting to reap the benefits!

Ito Hirobumi sat on a ship bound for Britain. He was quietly sitting at a table, holding an open copy of Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations." His eyes were fixed on the page, but he wasn't reading a single word. He was thinking about how to crush Lin Yuan's influence.

Using a book to inspire thought was a long-standing habit of Ito Hirobumi. His thoughts were like the endless sea outside the porthole, boundless. Finally, his thoughts began to clear, "The best strategy is to attack the mind, the next is to attack the alliances." A cold smile slowly spread across his stern face, "Lin Yuan, Qing Dynasty, I will make you die without a trace."

The ship docked at a British port, and British Foreign Secretary Kimberley was there to greet him. This time, Ito Hirobumi was visiting Britain in a private capacity, so the reception was not as formal as it would be for a state visit, giving Ito Hirobumi a lot of freedom.

Kimberley took him to the Prime Minister's office, where Lord Rosebery received Ito Hirobumi. They exchanged gifts and pleasantries, and then Ito Hirobumi pointed to a large oil painting in the meeting room and said, "I think this painting is a bit off."

The painting showed a winged youth in the center, holding a sword and pointing to his right, where a Buddha was riding a giant fire dragon. On his left were a group of watching deities. Below the painting, in German, it read: "The peoples of Europe, unite to defend your homeland and faith!" The title of the painting, embedded in the frame, was "The Yellow Peril" (literally "yellow danger," commonly translated as "Yellow Peril").

Ito Hirobumi smiled and said, "This winged youth is the Archangel Michael, the bravest warrior of God. The deities on his left are the protectors of European nations. The Buddha should represent us, Japan, and the giant dragon should represent China, right?"

Lord Rosebery frowned, thinking, "I just instructed the attendants to put this painting away before Ito Hirobumi's visit. Why hasn't anyone done it?"

Lord Rosebery smiled and said, "Mr. Ito, how can you interpret it that way?"

Ito Hirobumi smiled and said, "Mr. Rosebery, don't misunderstand. The error in the painting is that the Buddha is already under the dragon's foot. Do you understand my meaning?"

Lord Rosebery didn't quite understand this Eastern metaphor and didn't speak. Ito Hirobumi smiled and said, "Mr. Rosebery, why don't you look at this photograph." He then took out a photograph, which was of the Beijing warship, the same one that Ito Sukenaga and others had discussed.

Ito Hirobumi smiled and said, "This warship has a displacement of over 80,000 tons. I wonder if the British Empire has the capability to build such a ship?"

Lord Rosebery, though not from the navy, understood the implications of a warship with a displacement of over 80,000 tons. The British Empire couldn't build such a large ship! The ability to build such a large warship was not just about the navy and shipbuilding industry; it was about a nation's overall strength. A country that could build such a large warship would have far greater overall strength than the British Empire.

The British Empire's dominance of the world relied on its advanced technology, but this technological advantage was about to disappear. Lord Rosebery broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Where did you get this photograph?"

Ito Hirobumi said, "This photograph was taken during our war with the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty has secretly developed such advanced weapons."

Lord Rosebery looked at the "Yellow Peril" painting. He was a collector, and this painting was commissioned by German Emperor Wilhelm II and painted by a court artist. He had obtained a copy through various channels, but he never imagined that the dragon in the painting was already spewing flames, and the entire European continent, under the protection of Jehovah, was about to fall into the hands of the heathens!

Lord Rosebery smiled faintly and said, "It's time for us to join forces with the Empire of Japan!"