In the entire mining area, the most powerful master who plays black powder is known as "Niu Wuzhi".

This is certainly not the real name. In order to prepare black powder to help mine ore, in this life, the "five fingers of the cow" only have five fingers left, which are irregularly distributed on the two hands. He took three apprentices, the least of whom had been for forty years, and the youngest one was fifty-eight years old, and none of them had left the school until now.

Because both the master and the apprentice feel that their skills have not yet been learned.

This group of four masters and apprentices is famous in the Xiangzhou mining area of Ruoda. Because every year they prepare black powder, they can increase the ore production in the mining area several times. From the mine manager to the ordinary miners, no one does not worship and respect them - it seems that the Tang people are more or less aware of the truth that "science and technology are the primary productive forces".

So, Niu Wuzhi and others are really good, of course, referring to temper. It is said that they can't put anything other than flint and mining in their eyes. Needless to say, even the county magistrate and others in Xiangyang County have to think hard when they talk to them-

You have to shout loudly, but not fiercely. Otherwise, as soon as Niu Wuzhi's temper comes up, he will stop picking on his son, and the entire Xiangyang County Ya will be miserable, and the iron and copper tribute task assigned by the imperial court will definitely not be handed over.

Of course, these were told to Qin Mubai by the accompanying officials. The name of Niu Wuzhi is too loud, and almost all women and children in Xiangyang County know it. From time to time, women scare children who cry in the middle of the night like this - "Cry again, cry again, and let the cow be caught!" ”

Then the child stopped crying. Tried and tested.

"Xiangyang is really Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I can't imagine that there is such a big person!" Qin Mubai was very happy after listening to it, even if he didn't have gunpowder, he had to see this "hero" who could stop children crying at night.

People saw it.

Nearly eighty years old, an extremely bad and sloppy old man. The body is thin and small, and his back is almost two heads shorter than Qin Mubai. Every trace of skin on his body was pitch black, but the few strands of hair were completely white, and he must have not been washed for a long time, and the messy locks were mixed together. Most of the teeth are open, the nose is crooked to the sky, the three fingers of the left hand are like a harpoon, and the two fingers of the right hand are like a natural victory "V" shape, which is exactly five together.

This couldn't help but remind Qin Mubai of the terrifying monster in "The Lord of the Rings", Gollum.

"Niu Wuzhi, this is a big official from the capital, and now a big hero in Xiangzhou, the commander and general of the military government, I came to you in person!" A servant yelled loudly at the ear of Niu Wuzhi.

Niu Wuzhi looked dazed, blinked a few dry and cloudy eyes, and roared louder than the servant: "The old man doesn't recognize, don't bother me, I'm busy!" ”

Everyone was stunned by his roar, but they didn't expect such a thin and short old man, but the roar was more imposing than a galloping horse, just like thunder on the ground.

"Niu Wuzhi, don't you know how to lift! The general has something to ask you for help with! The two officials began to yell into his ears, annoying him, and crossed their left harpoons and right hands on their faces respectively—

"Get out! - Or blow up your house! ”

Everyone was stunned, and goosebumps fell to the ground.

"This old man is really tough, he has played with black powder all his life, and he plays in the dark, and his temper is like gunpowder." Qin Mubai couldn't help laughing, and all the officials laughed.

Although Niu Wuzhi's ears were not good, he must have known that he was laughing at him when he saw the frame of the circle of people in front of him, and he didn't say much, he reached into his pocket and touched it, took out a tube of something half a foot long and finger-thick and shouted: "Don't get out yet?" The old man blew you up! ”

"Wow! The officials screamed in horror, and the crowd immediately retreated.

Qin Mubai also felt a chill in his heart, but he didn't run away. Instead, he took out a stack of notes and walked to Niu Wuzhi without hurrying, spread out the first page, and put it in front of his eyes to show him.

Niu Wuzhi raised his head and glanced at Qin Mubai, his eyes looked like Qin Mubai was his father-killing enemy. Then he glanced at the paper with disdain, and was suddenly stunned and attracted.

So, his eyes widened, and he moved his face to about three centimeters in front of the paper, and looked at it very carefully, line by line. Later, his expression became extremely excited, and he shouted, "Where did you come from? ”

The roar made Qin Mubai's eardrums hurt, and he really wanted to escape. Without waiting for him to answer, Niu Wuzhi threw the things in his hand casually, and the harpoon and victory were about to come and grab the things in Qin Mubai's hands.

Fortunately, his eyes were quick, and the "explosive formula and refining method" in Qin Mubai's hand dodged the attack of harpoon and victory. Niu Wuzhi was obviously a little angry, but this time he didn't get angry, but swallowed his saliva and pursed his shriveled lips, shouting, "Give it to me!" ”

"Why?" Qin Mubai said with a smile.

"Except for the old man, no one can match such a black fire thunder!"

"Isn't this recipe amazing?"

Niu Wuzhi held back his anger and nodded unwillingly: "Yes!" ”

"It's more powerful than the Black Fire Thunder you've been thinking about all your life, isn't it?" Qin Mubai deliberately provoked him.

"Then you'll have to try to find out!" Niu Wuzhi was annoyed and yelled, "Give it to me!" I don't have long to live, time is of the essence! ”

"It's okay to give it to you." Qin Mubai slowly folded the paper, but put it in his arms, patted his chest, and said, "But, you have to do things for me from now on!" ”

"Good!" Niu Wuzhi agreed without thinking about it, "As long as the black fire thunder prepared according to this method is really better than my own, I won't do it here, and I will only dispense medicine for you from now on!" ”

"Woo-Master Niu, you can't do this!" Several miners in charge heard the roar of the five fingers of the ox from afar, and they were so anxious that they hurriedly ran over.

"Stop them!" Qin Mubai gave the order, and all the officials rushed up and drew their knives, and the mine managers had to be afraid and timid, looking at this side anxiously, as if what Qin Mubai was going to take away was not a bad old man, but a wife who was about to accompany them into the cave room.

"Is it a certainty, Niu Wuzhi?" Qin Mubai smiled at him.

"Less nonsense, the recipe is here! If I can match such a black fire thunder, I will not live in vain in my life! I don't care about the rest! I must be the one who speaks, otherwise I will go to hell and be hooked by the old man of Hades with an iron hook! ”

This is an extremely vicious oath for an old man who is about to die.

So Qin Mubai nodded and said, "Bring your apprentices and tools and materials, and come with me." ”

"Good! I'll call them right away! Niu Wuzhi answered loudly, turned around, and broke through the crowd like a rabbit and jumped into the grass, and disappeared in an instant. After a while, he appeared in front of Qin Mubai with three white-haired old men, dragging two mule carts piled up, and said, "Let's go, get ready!" ”

"You're pretty cheerful. Let's go! Qin Mubai laughed and was about to leave with a group of people. The people in the mining area were dumbfounded, so they almost knelt on the ground and cried - as soon as the cow left, didn't he want to exhaust them to death? Dare to love them to work day and night, and there is no previous progress.

"I will explain the reason to the Assassin's Mansion and let the Mansion lower your tasks, rest assured, I will not embarrass you." Qin Mubai threw down this sentence and walked away.

The people in the mining area finally took a reassuring pill and settled down.

"Hey, this big official is a cow! A casual sentence can make us change between life and death! ”

Qin Mubai rented a farmhouse yard in a remote place in the suburbs, and used it as a "scientific research institute" for Niu Wuzhi and others. The tools and equipment that should be prepared, the five fingers of the ox were all brought, and the two mule carts were really loaded with a lot of things, which were unloaded and piled up all over the yard.

"As an official, send two people to run errands for our old man, cook, wash clothes and clean the toilet, give some money to buy materials, and you don't have to worry about the rest." Niu Wuzhi said angrily, "Within ten days, I will give you new gunpowder!" ”

"Ten days?" Qin Mubai furrowed his brows.

"If you have the ability, you can invite someone else! I can't figure it out in a year! Niu Wuzhi roared angrily.

"Okay, ten days is ten days. Good food, good drink, and money are enough, you just have to work hard to dispense medicine. Qin Mubai smiled, "Do you want a woman?" ”

"Roll ——!!"

Qin Mubai left two servants to serve these old men and returned to the Assassin's Mansion. and secretly sent a few henchmen and sergeants in the palace to secretly protect and keep an eye on them. The formula of this new gunpowder is tantamount to a "mass murder weapon" in this era, and if it is left outside, it will be like the disappearance of nuclear weapons, which will definitely cause panic and threat.

Then Qin Mubai replied to Li Ke that after ten days, he would decide to explore the West River Trough again depending on the situation.

"It's best to unearth the secrets there within two or three months." Li Ke said, "Because during this time, I can just go back and forth to the capital." At that time, there may be envoys from the imperial court, and Wu Meiniang and Gao Yang may also arrive. The fewer people we alarm, the better. ”

"Okay, I got it. So, see you in 10 days. I'll go back to the military mansion first, Niu Wuzhi, you bother to send someone to keep an eye on it. Qin Mubai said.

"Okay." Li Ke agreed with a solemn expression.

It seems that he attaches great importance to the secrets of Xihe Caoli. It was about the royal family, and his mind was unprecedentedly condensed, and he was very attentive.

"Then I'll go first."

"Don't worry." Li Ke suddenly stopped him and said, "There is someone who has been staying with me all the time, and you don't say anything about how to deal with it, doesn't this make me embarrassed?" ”

"You mean, Zhang Tong?" Qin Mubai furrowed his brows.

"That's it." Li Ke sighed lightly, "This kid was placed under house arrest by me in the backyard, squatting in the corner without saying a word all day long, and if he continues like this, his life will be lost in a few days." Although it is hateful for him to be a traitor, it is quite pitiful to see his appearance. When asked him what he wanted, he only said that he wanted to see General Qin once, saying that he had seen you, and he would be relieved to die. ”

Qin Mubai's heart twitched faintly, but his face was cold: "He still has the face to see me?" ”

"Forget it. People are about to die, and their words are good, so why don't you go there? Li Ke said, "It's good that he has been with you for so long, and he has worked hard before." ”

"You've opened your mouth to intercede for him, so let's see you!"

So, Qin Mubai came to the courtyard where the servants lived in the backyard, and the officials in charge of guarding opened a firewood room.

The room was messy, full of firewood and withered grass, and the light was dim and smelly. Zhang Tong was dirty and disheveled like a beggar, huddled in the grass pile in the corner, and he didn't know if he was asleep or dead, and he didn't even react when Qin Mubai walked up to him.

Qin Mubai kicked him lightly, Zhang Tong flicked all over his body, and finally woke up.

"This little vigilance is gone, are you still a hundred horses?" Qin Mubai said coldly.

Zhang Tonglun looked at Qin Mubai blankly with beads in his eyes, and muttered, "It must be a dream, it must be a dream!" ”

"Dream fart!" Qin Mubai shouted, "Zhang Tong listens to the order!" ”

"No!" Zhang Tong bounced up like a spring in an instant, and stood straight.

"Go back to Chang'an, go back to your hometown!" Qin Mubai reprimanded.

Zhang Tong was stunned, and his whole expression froze. He opened his mouth, but he didn't dare to speak.

Because Qin Mubai didn't speak, his subordinates didn't dare to talk nonsense. Qin Mubai said: "If there is a fart, let it go." ”

"General, you...... You won't kill me, you won't punish me? ”

"Nonsense. Let you go, you get out! ”

"You...... You beat me up and scolded me! Zhang Tong suddenly burst into tears and choked up, "My subordinates beg you!" Either you kill me, you want me to beat me up, you want me to scold me to death! ”

Qin Mubai looked at him and said lightly: "You don't die for your crimes, I don't need to kill you." If you want to talk about beating and scolding, since you already know in your heart what you are wrong, why should I do it again? ”

"General...... You are like this, it makes me feel more aggrieved than killing me, beating me and scolding me! Zhang Tong's tears flowed down like this, "I'm really ...... Didn't expect it! ”

"Stop talking nonsense, let's go!" Qin Mubai said coldly, "From now on, I forgot that you are a hundred horses, and I forgot to know me Qin." Hundred cavalry will also forget that there was Zhang Tong in the army. ”

With that, Qin Mubai turned around and left.

"General!! ......" Zhang Tong screamed miserably and fell to his knees together.

"I beg you! - Kill me! ”

"I'm not going to kill you." Qin Mubai threw down this sentence and left.

I said in my heart, like, even if I have disgusting sores on my hands and feet, I will not destroy my hands and feet.