Chapter 16

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After much persuasion, he finally managed to dispel the overly righteous yet impractical ideas of his cheap master...

Lin Sha sighed in relief, and all the fellow disciples fell silent, especially the most fiery-tempered eldest brother, Zhu Rong, whose sudden silence made everyone feel uneasy.

"Eldest Brother..."

Rarely did all the disciples have dinner at Baozhi Hall. After the meal, they gathered in small groups, whispering to each other. Lin Sha quietly found Eldest Brother Zhu Rong.

"It's you, Brother Lin. Why aren't you staying by Master's side?"

Zhu Rong plopped down on the green stone steps at the front of the hall, somewhat surprised to see Lin Sha coming over.

"Master is discussing the matter of meeting with the British fleet commander with Ya Cha Su. I can't contribute, so I came to chat with Eldest Brother!" Lin Sha laughed awkwardly and sat down next to Zhu Rong.

During dinner, the cheap master had already decided on a negotiation delegation led by himself. Ya Cha Su, who understood foreign languages, was naturally the translator, and Huang Fei Hong specifically requested Lin Sha to join as an advisor.

Lin Sha didn't want to contradict the cheap master at the dinner table, so after the meal, he proactively approached the cheap master and expressed his unwillingness to participate in the negotiations.

The cheap master naturally asked why.

Lin Sha said he didn't understand foreign languages and couldn't tolerate the arrogance of foreigners, so it would be better not to see them.

The cheap master was quite magnanimous, pondered for a moment, and agreed to his 'unreasonable' request.

Of course, he kept this matter to himself, not wanting to boast and cause the cheap master to be unhappy.

...

"Eldest Brother, are you still upset about the matter of the uncle who was shot?"

The relationship among the disciples was very good, so there was no need to hide anything and create unnecessary misunderstandings. Lin Sha didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"How could I dare to be upset?"

Zhu Rong rolled his eyes in annoyance and huffed, "You even brought up General Zuo. If I insisted, wouldn't I be seen as lacking discernment and disregarding national righteousness?"

"Not at all!"

Lin Sha chuckled and quickly flattered, "Who doesn't know that Huang Fei Hong's eldest disciple is a hero with a heart of righteousness, a well-known chivalrous hero in Foshan City?"

"You flatterer!"

Lin Sha's flattery was so sappy that Zhu Rong couldn't maintain his stern expression and burst out laughing, patting Lin Sha's shoulder.

Seeing Eldest Brother finally smile, Lin Sha secretly sighed in relief and said with a light laugh, "I'm speaking the truth, every word from the heart!"

"Alright, stop beating around the bush. I have one question for you!"

At this point, Zhu Rong's expression turned serious, and he looked at Lin Sha with great earnestness, "Lin Sha, is it really impossible for you to help the uncle who was shot get justice?"

Seeing Eldest Brother so serious, Lin Sha also answered solemnly, "It's very difficult!"

Zhu Rong's eyes lit up, instantly grasping the key point, "So it's not impossible, just very difficult?"

Lin Sha nodded slightly and said solemnly, "Given the current situation, we can't rely on the government or the authorities. The only one we can rely on is ourselves!"

"Our own selves?" Zhu Rong looked puzzled, not knowing how to respond.

...

That night, in Huang Fei Hong's bedroom

"Our own selves?" Huang Fei Hong smiled bitterly, his eyes full of reproach as he looked at Lin Sha, "Baozhi Hall only has you and your fellow disciples. What other strength do we have?"

"You're wrong, Master!" Lin Sha said firmly, "You have a force that even the Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi dares not underestimate!"

"You mean..." Huang Fei Hong was startled, his eyes widening, his breathing quickening, and his voice trembling, "The militia?"

"Exactly!" Lin Sha nodded solemnly, his eyes shining as he said, "To be precise, it should be the young and strong men of the militia, transformed from the Black Flag Army's naval forces."

"Are you crazy?" Huang Fei Hong exclaimed in disbelief.

"I'm not crazy!" Lin Sha laughed lightly, pointing to his forehead with his right index finger, baring his white teeth, "I've never been more clear-headed!"

"Do you know what kind of trouble this will cause if it gets out?" Huang Fei Hong asked angrily.

"I know!" Lin Sha lowered his eyes, his voice calm and steady.

"Do you know how much disaster it will bring to the militia if things go wrong?" Huang Fei Hong said sternly, "Even Lord Liu on the front lines in Annam will be greatly implicated!"

Lin Sha suddenly opened his eyes, meeting his cheap master's gaze without yielding, and said solemnly, "I only know that the Black Flag Army's naval forces are living in hardship. I also know that if they don't get the chance to train on ships, they will become useless!"

Huang Fei Hong was speechless, his mind drifting back to the scene when Lord Liu Yongfu entrusted the Black Flag Army's naval forces to him before leaving.

Lin Sha, feeling that this wasn't enough, continued to shock his master, "Master, do you really think that even if we do nothing, Lord Liu won't be suspected by the court and even secretly suppressed?"

"What do you mean, Ah Sha?"

Huang Fei Hong's spirit was shaken, his eyes sharp as he stared at the increasingly surprising and inscrutable young disciple, and asked urgently, "Do you know any information about the Black Flag Army and Lord Liu?"

"I'm not sure!"

Lin Sha shook his head, ignoring the cheap master's suddenly dimmed eyes and disappointed expression, and continued, "But I know that the Black Flag Army is making the French miserable in Annam, and their performance is too outstanding, which goes against the court's current policy of stability."

Huang Fei Hong was taken aback, recalling the court's policies that Lin Sha had mentioned earlier, and said incredulously, "Isn't it good to win a battle? The court can use this to boost its image in front of the foreign powers!"

"The key is..." Lin Sha chuckled, his eyes full of ridicule and disdain, his voice cold and piercing, "The victors are not the Hunan Army, the Huai Army, or the Eight Banners and Green Standard Army, but the Black Flag Army, which was reorganized from the rebels of the Heaven and Earth Society."

"..."

Huang Fei Hong was speechless for a long time. Lin Sha's words were like a dagger to the heart, leaving him with no way to refute.

"Master, wake up!" Lin Sha's lips curled into a smile of satisfaction, and he continued to fuel the fire, "The court is unreliable, and the authorities are more afraid of outsiders than of insiders. If we want to live with dignity, we must rely on ourselves!"

Huang Fei Hong's dazed eyes flickered, then he shook his head dejectedly. No one knew the situation of the militia better than he did. Relying on the militia to live with dignity was a delusion!

Since the matter had come to this, Huang Fei Hong could only bitterly explain the current state of the militia to the somewhat magical young disciple, expressing his helplessness.

"I know this!"

Lin Sha, however, smiled confidently...

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