Chapter 47

From then on, Will almost became Liu Jinqiu's most loyal admirer, always calling him "Doctor Liu" and running to Liu Jinqiu's place whenever he had free time. Due to the limited living conditions on the aircraft carrier, these old professors were arranged to live on shore. Will would consult them with all sorts of questions, and Liu Jinqiu would answer each one. Will's arrogance was gone, and he had become a "good old friend of the Chinese people."

Will and his group came from the nearest British colony to Ryukyu, so they arrived quickly. However, the steel-making equipment had to be transported from Britain, which would take at least a month.

The date was October 15, 1894. On this day, according to the Ryukyu calendar, it was the traditional tug-of-war festival. Emperor Shang Tai attended the ceremony, and Lin Yuan was invited as a special guest. As he watched the thousands of subjects shouting "Long live Emperor Shang Tai," he couldn't help but think of his own country, which was still under imperial rule, impoverished and weak, and had won a Pyrrhic victory in the Korean War. The officials in Beijing were once again immersed in the illusion of the Celestial Empire, while a great crisis was quietly approaching.

While Ryukyu was still basking in the warm sea breeze, the northeast of China was already bitterly cold.

Xu Feng arranged the affairs in Liu Family Village and returned to the inn where he had stayed before. Xiaotao and her group were nowhere to be found. Xu Feng thought, "This group must have some ulterior motives, so they don't want to interact with others. But they took my pilot's windproof suit. So what if they did? I don't believe they can develop an airplane from just a piece of clothing!"

Xu Feng then returned to Liu Family Village. He originally wanted to go to Beijing, where there was more information, and he might find out the whereabouts of the Beijing ship. However, the villagers wouldn't let him leave, so he had to stay. The villagers treated him like a living god and begged him to stay at their homes.

In the end, Liu Dazhuang prevailed, and Xu Feng moved into his home. As the saying goes, "rely on the mountains to eat from the mountains." There was a Jingling Mountain near Liu Family Village, and the villagers would go there to get wood for building houses. Therefore, Liu Dazhuang's house had many rooms. Liu Dazhuang lost his father at a young age and didn't get married until he was in his twenties. He lived with his mother, and the villagers called her "Liu Dama."

Liu Dama was the most热情的人，邻里之间没有不夸她的。看到儿子把活神仙“抢到”了家里，直说是祖坟冒了青烟，特意把给儿子娶媳妇用的新房腾出来给徐峰住。

徐峰住在村子里，也没有什么事情，但这样白吃白住他自己也过意不去，于是他提出，他来教孩子们念书。

村长一听，高兴极了，他们都吃尽了不识字的苦，连忙答应下来。徐峰突然想起一件事，于是问：“村长，那个景铃山的名字是怎么来的？”

村长笑道：“那个山本来叫‘金陵山’，后来不知怎的，就变成景铃山了。那山里有金子，元朝的时候那里是个金矿，后来就荒废了，不过也没人去找，金子有什么用，饿的时候又不能吃。”

说着便笑着走了。徐峰心念一转，莫非那群俄国人是在那里采金子吗？不太可能，要是那样的话，采出来的金子怎么不见往外运输呢？无论如何，那群俄国人做的事情，一定和山里的金子有关，得想办法探查一番，不能眼看着俄国人偷我们国家的黄金！

这一天，徐峰正在教孩子们认字，到了课间休息的时候，孩子们就跑出去撒欢儿。突然徐峰瞧见，几个孩子拿着树枝，跟在一个年轻人后面嬉笑着。那个年轻人散着头发，拉碴着胡子，裹着件四处露棉花的袍子，脚上的靴子已经磨破了，为了御寒，弄了些破布塞在破口处。

正在这时，刘大娘从屋里出来，赶走了顽童们，看着那年轻人心疼地说：“这个孩子怎么弄成这样，哪个娘看着不心疼！”

哪知那个年轻人说：“刘大娘，您不认识我了？”

刘大娘仔细看时，不禁老泪纵横，说：“这不是小五子吗？怎么成了这样？快去大娘家换身衣服，你这样回家不把你娘心疼死！”

小五子原是这刘家村人，几年前跟着村里长辈回山东老家看亲戚。刘大娘给他介绍徐峰：“这可是咱们找到的活神仙，村里人可指望着他打老毛子呢！”

徐峰看出小五子面上一冷，也不以为意，等到刘大娘一出去，小五子满脸怒气，压低声音对徐峰说：“不管你是哪里来的骗子，趁早滚蛋！”

没等徐峰说话，小五子接着说：“你是不是也会刀枪不入那套神功，老子亲眼见了，都是骗人的！”

徐峰笑道：“我可不会什么刀枪不入。”

小五子见到徐峰一脸的轻松，冷哼一声，满脸鄙夷，说道：“不管你会什么妖法，你要是想害相亲们，我都一个饶不了你。”

正在这时一个小男孩跑了进来，问徐峰：“徐老师，一会儿还上课吗？”

徐峰笑着对小五子说：“我要去上课了，我们一会儿再聊。”

等到徐峰上完了课，已经到了午饭时间。徐峰进了屋子，看见屋里多了一对儿眉开眼笑的老夫妇，徐峰看样子便知道他们就是小五子的父母。

小五子正在讲他的经历：“这一趟和三叔回老家，本来想多待些日子，可是老家那里出了大事，这才不得不提前回来。”

“老家那里不知什么时候，盖了一座教堂，里面有不少蓝眼睛黄头发的洋人。传说这伙洋人可邪性了，他们得了病不吃草药熬的汤，吃一些药片，听说那些药片比草药熬的汤管用，为什么管用？因为那是用中国人眼睛做的！”

“这伙洋人还会妖术邪法，能变成苍蝇臭虫，夜入民宅，做那奸盗邪淫之事。有一次，这伙洋人欺负人，买了馒头不给钱，那个卖馒头的能乐意？拉着那个洋人就去了县太爷那！你猜怎么着，杀人偿命，欠债还钱，这是天经地义啊，到哪都是这个道理，可那个县太爷见了洋人就和孙子见了祖宗似的，不仅没让给钱，反而把卖馒头的申斥一顿。”

“乡亲们自然是不干了，大家便推举会义和拳的大师兄为首领，去那教堂讨个公道！这个义和拳是当地一个习武之人的门派，那个大师兄便是他们的首领，自称能请神附体。去之前，先开坛请神，那个场面我就不说了，都是蒙人的。大师兄请了神，便说刀枪不入，他又施了法，百十个拳民也都刀枪不入。”

“这伙人便去教堂理论，不知怎的，竟和教堂里的人打了起来。大师兄带着手下，把那群洋人捉的捉，杀的杀，一把火把教堂烧了。那县太爷急忙带了兵来救洋人，那些兵手里枪一响，大师兄便被打得筛子似的。”

“其他拳民便和官兵打了起来。我三叔一见，这天要变，急忙带着我往回赶。从山东坐船，朝鲜那打仗，不能走，便从奉天那里上岸。哪知道奉天那里闹腾得更厉害，那拳民不光烧教堂，杀洋人，连卖洋货的商人，用洋货的老百姓都不放过。我三叔穿了双洋布做的袜子，便被那群人抓去，说要开膛挖心。我拼了命逃出来，衣裳银子都没了，一路讨饭这才回了家。”

众人听了一阵唏嘘，而徐峰听了最是惊讶：“没想到冲击教堂，杀洋人，除洋货这些要到1899年才发生的事情，居然现在就发生了。”

徐峰没想到的是，小五子仅仅是看到了豹子身上的一小块斑纹而已。在直隶、奉天、山东，因为教案引发的排外事件，在一个月内竟发生了几十起。传教士和乡民的一点微不足道的小事，都有可能引发流血冲突。后世的史学家称这个时期为“教案之月”。

这件事在国际上引发了深远影响。没尝过中国美味的日本人，永远吃不够的西方人，都想借着这个机会，在中国身上撕下几块肉，好好解解馋。

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Liu Dama was the most热情的人, and all the neighbors praised her. Seeing her son bring a living god home, she said it was a sign of good fortune and specially prepared a new room for Xu Feng to stay in.

Xu Feng stayed in the village, and although he had nothing to do, he felt guilty about eating and staying for free. So he offered to teach the children how to read.

The village chief was delighted. They had all suffered from illiteracy and quickly agreed. Xu Feng suddenly remembered something and asked, "Village Chief, how did Jingling Mountain get its name?"

The village chief laughed and said, "That mountain was originally called 'Jinling Mountain,' but somehow it became Jingling Mountain. There's gold in that mountain. It was a gold mine during the Yuan Dynasty, but it was abandoned later. No one looks for it now. What use is gold when you're hungry and can't eat it?"

He laughed and left. Xu Feng thought, "Could it be that the Russians are mining gold there? It's unlikely, because if they were, the gold would be transported out. Regardless, what the Russians are doing must be related to the gold in the mountain. I need to find a way to investigate and can't let them steal our country's gold!"

One day, while Xu Feng was teaching the children to read, during the break, the children ran out to play. Suddenly, Xu Feng saw a few children holding sticks, laughing and following a young man. The young man had disheveled hair, a scruffy beard, and a coat with cotton poking out everywhere. His boots were worn out, and he had stuffed some rags into the holes to keep warm.

At that moment, Liu Dama came out of the house, chased away the children, and said to the young man with concern, "How did this child end up like this? Any mother would be heartbroken!"

To his surprise, the young man said, "Aunt Liu, don't you recognize me?"

Liu Dama looked closely and couldn't help but shed tears, saying, "Isn't this Xiaowuzi? How did you end up like this? Go to Aunt Liu's house and change your clothes. You'll break your mother's heart if you go home like this!"

Xiaowuzi was originally from Liu Family Village and had gone with his elders to visit relatives in Shandong a few years ago. Liu Dama introduced Xu Feng to him, "This is the living god we found. The villagers are counting on him to fight the Russians!"

Xu Feng noticed Xiaowuzi's cold expression but didn't mind. When Liu Dama left, Xiaowuzi, with a face full of anger, whispered to Xu Feng, "No matter where you come from, you better get out of here soon!"

Before Xu Feng could respond, Xiaowuzi continued, "Do you also have that invincible martial arts skill? I've seen it with my own eyes, and it's all a scam!"

Xu Feng laughed and said, "I don't have any invincible skills."

Seeing Xu Feng's relaxed expression, Xiaowuzi sneered and said, "No matter what magic you have, if you try to harm the villagers, I won't let you off."

At that moment, a little boy ran in and asked Xu Feng, "Teacher Xu, are we having class later?"

Xu Feng smiled at Xiaowuzi and said, "I have to go teach now. We can talk later."

After Xu Feng finished his class, it was lunchtime. He entered the house and saw a couple of elderly people with happy faces. Xu Feng knew they were Xiaowuzi's parents.

Xiaowuzi was recounting his experiences: "This time, I went back to Shandong with Uncle San. We planned to stay longer, but something big happened back home, so we had to return early."

"Sometime back, a church was built in our hometown, and there were many blue-eyed, yellow-haired foreigners inside. They were said to be very evil. When they got sick, they didn't drink herbal medicine but took some pills, which were said to be more effective than herbal medicine. Why? Because they were made from Chinese people's eyes!"

"These foreigners also had black magic. They could turn into flies and bugs, enter people's homes at night, and commit all sorts of evil deeds. Once, they bullied someone by buying steamed buns without paying. The seller, of course, was angry and took the foreigner to the county magistrate. You can guess what happened. It's a universal truth that if you kill someone, you must pay with your life, and if you owe money, you must pay it back. But when the county magistrate saw the foreigner, he treated him like a grandparent and not only didn't make him pay but scolded the seller."

"The villagers couldn't stand it. They chose a leader from the Yihequan, a martial arts group. The leader claimed he could summon gods and be invincible. Before they went to the church, he performed a ritual to summon the gods, and all the followers became invincible."

"They went to the church to reason with them, but somehow, a fight broke out. The leader and his followers captured and killed many foreigners and burned down the church. The county magistrate quickly sent soldiers to save the foreigners. When the soldiers fired their guns, the leader was shot full of holes."

"The other followers fought with the soldiers. Uncle San saw that things were getting out of hand and quickly brought me back. We took a boat from Shandong, but we couldn't go through Korea because of the war, so we landed in Fengtian. But Fengtian was even more chaotic. The Yihequan not only burned churches and killed foreigners but also targeted merchants selling foreign goods and people using foreign products. Uncle San was wearing socks made of foreign cloth and was caught by them, who said they would cut him open and take his heart. I escaped with my life, losing all my clothes and money, and begged all the way back home."

Everyone listened with a mix of shock and sympathy, and Xu Feng was the most surprised. "I didn't expect that the attacks on churches, killing foreigners, and eliminating foreign goods, which were supposed to happen in 1899, are already happening now."

What Xu Feng didn't know was that Xiaowuzi had only seen a small part of the bigger picture. In Zhili, Fengtian, and Shandong, anti-foreign incidents triggered by religious disputes occurred dozens of times within a month. Even minor conflicts between missionaries and villagers could lead to bloodshed. Historians later referred to this period as the "Month of Religious Disputes."

This incident had far-reaching international consequences. The Japanese, who had never tasted the sweetness of China, and the Westerners, who could never get enough, saw this as an opportunity to carve out pieces of China for themselves.

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