Flat Rabbit swaggered forward and declared loudly,
"Old Luo, you can rest easy. They're just a bunch of insignificant bandits. This Lord Rabbit's sword gleams, chilling forty prefectures. If those ruffians know what's good for them, they won't even dare show their faces. But if they do, this Lord Rabbit will cut them down one by one—three days and three nights without blinking—then chop them all into mincemeat to feed the dogs."
It would have been better if he hadn't spoken.
The moment he finished, Old Luo's gaze fixed on him, as though he were examining a lunatic who had wandered in from somewhere unknown.
Zheng Gouzi could only smile helplessly.
"Lord Rabbit is acting up again."
Flat Rabbit possessed a peculiar talent. Whether facing enemies or allies, anyone who encountered him would instinctively underestimate the true strength of Gao Family Village.
Dao Xuan Tianzun had once casually mentioned that Flat Rabbit might someday be appointed Director of the Bureau of Strategic Deception. Zheng Gouzi often wondered what such a bureau would actually do, but after watching Flat Rabbit in action, he felt that the title was disturbingly appropriate.
Luo Xi stepped forward.
"Father, this relief force is extremely strong. They repelled Mongol cavalry within ten breaths. With their assistance, our chances of holding out are very good. Moreover, the Sichuan White Pole Soldiers and General Zhang Yingchang of Henan should already be on their way. Only the Hubei army's arrival remains uncertain. All things considered, we truly have a chance this time."
Old Luo stroked his white beard and pondered for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh.
"Very well. If we fail to stop them here, the bandits will once again enter Shaanxi through Shanyang County. The consequences would be unimaginable. If we can annihilate them at the junction of the four provinces, that would indeed be a great merit."
He turned and gave Zheng Gouzi a solemn bow.
"This old man thanks you in advance."
Flat Rabbit waved his hand casually.
"No need for such formalities."
Zheng Gouzi immediately scoffed.
"Old Luo wasn't bowing to you! Why are you saying that? If anyone should say it, it should be me."
Flat Rabbit blinked.
"Huh? Am I not the captain of this unit?"
Zheng Gouzi shot back,
"Since when did you develop the delusion that you're the captain?"
Flat Rabbit puffed out his chest.
"This Rabbit is the most dazzling hero here. Naturally, the captain must be me."
The surrounding people exchanged glances, utterly speechless.
There was simply no point arguing with him.
Everyone chose to ignore Flat Rabbit completely.
Zheng Gouzi turned his attention to the terrain.
"Old Luo, your manor is located at the foot of the mountain. Visibility is poor. The bandits could arrive at any moment, and defending from low ground is never ideal. Is there a suitable place to establish a garrison on Tianzhu Mountain?"
Old Luo nodded.
"Of course. Tianzhu Mountain has been a site of Buddhist and Daoist activity since the Han Dynasty. There are many temples and monasteries there, and villagers frequently go up to burn incense. The Luo family has long-standing relations with those establishments. With a single word, you can station troops there without issue."
"That's excellent," Zheng Gouzi replied. "High ground is easy to defend and hard to attack, and it gives us a clear view of enemy movements. We'll head up the mountain."
Old Luo had no objections. He immediately wrote a letter and handed it to Luo Xi, instructing him to personally lead the local militia to Tianzhu Mountain and coordinate with the monasteries to select a suitable campsite.
Afterward, Old Luo began mobilizing the local population.
The area surrounding Tianzhu Mountain was dotted with villages, and the Luo family—being the wealthiest and most influential household—had long borne responsibility for organizing militias to resist bandits.
With the Luo family issuing orders, the surrounding villages quickly sprang into action, making preparations to defend against the approaching rebels.
Meanwhile, at Gao Family Village Thirty-Two Middle School.
Despite the name "middle school," within Gao Family Village, this institution represented the highest level of learning available.
At this very moment, a large group of people inside the school were carefully connecting electrical wires.
They had successfully stripped a small section of insulation from one of Dao Xuan Tianzun's divine devices and connected their own wire to it.
Because the principles of electrical circuits had already been included in the physics curriculum, these students—true scientific prodigies—had quickly learned how to make switches on their own.
They first turned the divine generator off, disconnected the power, and installed a switch along the wire they had laid. Afterward, they turned the generator back on.
From that point on, they no longer needed to directly manipulate the divine artifact itself. With their own switch, they could control the flow of electricity through the wire.
This greatly simplified wiring work.
They had not yet mastered the production of insulated wire. Fortunately, Dao Xuan Tianzun had previously supplied rubber to solve airtightness problems for the Chassepot Rifles.
The researchers soon realized that rubber could also function as an electrical insulator. They applied for a batch from the military factory and wrapped it around the exposed wires.
With that, the wires were made safe.
To prevent curious students from accidentally touching them, tall wooden frameworks were erected, and the wires were strung high overhead.
Thus, the first utility poles were born.
Long wires were then routed into the laboratory.
Song Yingxing chuckled as he connected the wire to a small device he had just assembled.
A group of graduate students crowded around. Inside the square glass enclosure stood two carbon rods.
Song Yingxing laughed.
"Don't look at me like that. This isn't my invention. These are the designs provided by Dao Xuan Tianzun. I merely followed the instructions."
"Professor Song, what is this?" one student asked.
Song Yingxing did not answer. He simply pressed the switch.
The circuit completed.
The two carbon rods instantly erupted with blinding light.
Caught completely off guard, everyone cried out and shielded their eyes, retreating several steps.
"What is this? It's too bright!"
Song Yingxing laughed heartily.
"Success! The light bulb is a success! Hahaha! Dao Xuan Tianzun's knowledge is truly astonishing. We only followed the instructions, and it worked!"
"It's far too bright…"
"Almost unbearable to look at…"
Song Yingxing nodded.
"This is only the initial experimental version. The brightness still needs adjustment. By thinning the filament, we can control it. And of course, there's also the matter of lifespan."
He continued explaining in detail, and the graduate students hurriedly pulled out notebooks, writing furiously.
Before long, every participant had filled pages with essential knowledge.
Song Yingxing's expression turned solemn.
"The divine generator provided by Dao Xuan Tianzun produces an enormous amount of electricity. The divine mirror used for news broadcasts alone cannot consume all of it. Your task is to continue researching and find ways to fully utilize this power. We must not allow it to go to waste."
"Yes!" the students replied in unison.
"Let's begin by replacing all the oil lamps in Gao Family Village's commercial district," Song Yingxing said. "Replace them with light bulbs. Work hard."