The old things I repaired have become fine

Chapter 481: Little Oil Lamp, do you want to kill me? !
The heat splashes towards you.

That spear, with the weight of the young military officer and the might of his leaping forward, pierced deeply into the crocodile's chest and abdomen:
It paused for a moment when it penetrated an inch, then it penetrated deeper and deeper with unstoppable force. First the half-foot-long spear blade, then the dark chestnut spear shaft, blood flowed out along the spear shaft.

The crocodile howled miserably, and the sound reached Shen Le's ears, knocking him dizzy. He had to raise his hands to cover his ears and try his best to use his internal energy.

This was the case for people like him who were still in his memory, not to mention the young military officer who was holding a spear and attacking head-on. Shen Le stood beside the crocodile, watching the young man's face turn pale and he was about to fall;
The blood flowed down the gun barrel and then onto the palm of his hand holding the gun. The demon blood seemed to be highly corrosive. He cried out in pain and blisters immediately formed on his hand.
Just as he was about to fall, he shouted loudly, exerted force with his arms, and swung up, throwing his whole body on the gun barrel, using his body weight to press down:

Get in!
Go in!

It'll chill you to the bone!
The gun barrel made an unpleasant friction sound, and continued to move forward with difficulty. The crocodile roared with all its might, shaking its body and struggling continuously;
The tree trunk above made a cracking sound and broke completely. Seeing that the crocodile was about to fall into the water, the young military officer rushed forward, pulled out the steel knife at his waist, and stabbed it into the crack where the spear had pierced!

Stab in, twist. At the last moment before the crocodile fell into the water, he gathered his remaining strength and kicked the crocodile in the abdomen.

The steel knife came out at will, and blood splattered high, covering the whole body of the young military officer.

He only had time to raise his arms to shield his face, but his arms, chest, abdomen, and legs were all soaked in the demon blood. He couldn't even scream before he fell heavily into the water...

"Hey, this thing isn't poisonous, is it?"

Shen Le looked down nervously. From the bottom of the pond, a large school of fish emerged at some point, their scales gleaming silver, and they surrounded the crocodile that had entered the water.
They did not dare to get close, but just formed a circle and greedily swallowed the demon blood that spread in the water.

Some of the fish were too weak to fit into the inner circle, so they simply surrounded the young military officer, their fins flickering constantly, their mouths and gills opening and closing, almost poking the young military officer...

"Don't do this, don't do this." Shen Le slowly controlled himself to fall down, squatted on the water, and stretched out his hand to the young military officer.

He sank into the water, motionless, almost out of breath, and no more bubbles came out of his mouth and nose.

Shen Le wanted to reach out and pull him out, but he had no way to stir the water, no way to affect the memory in the slightest:
"Don't just focus on eating! Rescue him at least! - And those people nearby, save him! He is your comrade after all!"

At the edge of the pond, some people had already jumped into the water, gritting their teeth and swimming towards the young military officer. However, once they came into contact with the demon blood, everyone's movements began to slow down:
That thing seemed to be corrosive. Several people reflexively retracted their arms, stopped, gritted their teeth, and then rushed in again.

However, no one's speed was faster than the fish at the bottom of the water:

The fish lined up in a long team, with their silver scales connected front and back, flapping their fins, struggling with their tails, and floating to the surface of the water.

The young military officer was lifted up by their bodies, rising little by little, and finally, he floated to the surface and lay flat on the fish bridge.

"Come out! Come out!"

"The boss is floating up!"

"Pull him back!"

"Who brought the rope? Hurry up!!!"

The warriors on the shore were greatly excited. They hurriedly dragged the young military officer to the shore, carried him on their backs, and ran out of the pond, hoping to find a doctor as soon as possible to treat his injuries.

Someone on the side raised his voice and shouted:

"Don't look for a doctor first! Find a clean surface of water first! Wash him clean! Wash him clean!!!"

It was a chaotic mess. Finally, the result was good. The dragon bled out and floated to the surface again. The young men who came to fight dragged it up and carried it into the city for display.
The young military officer struggled on the sickbed for seven or eight days before he finally opened his eyes. He punched hard and made a sound of breaking wind, and felt that his martial arts skills had greatly improved.
After killing the monster and offering incense to the gods, the middle-aged official finally began the work he had been dreaming of:

Water control!

Water control!

They surveyed the terrain, reopened the old canal to divert water, raised the embankment, imitated the layout of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, and built a water diversion embankment similar to the Baopingkou, so that the water flow could be regulated by itself...

This project was huge and complicated. After the young military officer recovered from his injury, he called a group of brothers and joined the work wholeheartedly:
Running around to survey, commanding the laborers, carrying heavy sluice gates, and even driving away the little ghosts and monsters...

It can be said that the middle-aged officials had half the credit for the completion of the dam, diversion dike and canal, and the young military officers had at least 25% of the credit.

Even though it was just a water conservancy project in one county, it took three years to be basically completed.

The middle-aged official moved around for this and was appointed for another term before he was able to complete the project.

The young military officer was promoted two levels, from a junior officer to a full general, and his martial arts skills reached a new level.

Moreover, his blood-stained spear and the steel knife that stabbed into the crocodile's chest and abdomen seemed to have a strange ability:
Hanging it on the wall at night, it occasionally glows and whistles softly. Inserted at the door of the room, the evil spirits dare not approach and walk away from it...

After the water conservancy project was completed, the middle-aged official could no longer delay and was finally promoted and transferred. Before leaving, he personally designed the seal and cast a copper seal as a gift to the young military officer:

"What seal is this?"

Shen Le poked his head in and tried to observe. If his memory was correct, this copper seal was the one on the first dressing box;
Moreover, it is still intact, without a single cut in the middle, and without any damage from bumps or bruises...

However, the young military officer treasured it very much. He took the copper seal with both hands and immediately put it into the fish bag at his waist, keeping it secret from anyone.
Occasionally I would take it out in a place where no one was around, rub it gently, and look at it carefully, but I rarely turned it over to show the front.

Shen Le tried to squat down and lie down several times to look at the seal on the front, but he couldn't see it clearly. He wanted to grab the copper seal and find a piece of paper to print it and take a look, but he never had the chance...

The middle-aged official was transferred away, and the young military officer stayed there and quietly served as the garrison commander.

As time went by, the Jin people occasionally came to show off their power. The young military officer hated them, but he could not provoke a border conflict.
Until one day, there was a bolt from the blue. His superior, the Grand Marshal, the Deputy Envoy in charge of a province's finances and grain, and the Envoy for Recruiting Military States, suddenly surrendered to the Jin Kingdom and asked the Jin Kingdom to enthrone him as king!

"What? The general surrendered to the Jin people?"

"Really surrender?!"

"I haven't heard of that... Didn't the Envoy, I mean Envoy Cheng, come for an inspection?"

"Don't mention it. He's just a coward... The general didn't go to court to testify, and he didn't dare to question him. The general withdrew his guards, and he seemed to feel nothing!"

"It is said that the Grand Commandant offered the four states outside the Great Wall to the Jin people and asked them to make him king..."

The young military officer was leading troops in battle against the invading Jin army. The news was mixed and passed to the army bit by bit. He had no way to ask, nor did he have a way to write back to inquire;
However, by the time he fought hard and won a victory and returned covered in blood, the Taiwei had already sent generals to bring in the Jin troops. He ceded four states to the Jin Kingdom and proclaimed himself king.

When the young military officer got the news, he found out that his immediate superior, who was several levels above him, was actually riding in the emperor's carriage, ascending the throne, using his seat as his palace, and calling that year the first year. He was clearly plotting a rebellion!
"It is said that the imperial court is going to enthrone him as king..."

"Yes, I heard that Prime Minister Han is planning this..."

"It is said that the guy is trying to win people's hearts everywhere..."

"So-and-so shaved his head... So-and-so blinded his eyes with poison... So-and-so committed suicide by taking poison... So-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so resigned from office..."

Confusing news was spreading everywhere. The literati could only commit suicide, abandon their official positions, and flee to maintain their integrity, while the young military officers gathered a group of friends:
"What's the point of doing all this! Raise an army and kill the rebels!"

"Kill the traitor!"

"On the last day of February, raise your army!"

That night, he arranged wine and meat for the seventy-four gathered warriors to eat and drink to their heart's content. After they had a full meal, they reorganized the team and put on their armor.

He himself couldn't swallow it, so he just looked around and forced himself to swallow it:

Seventy-four people, him, his brothers, nephews, friends, subordinates, and the trusted men brought by another general, a total of only seventy-four people.

And that traitor, when he went in and out every day, was surrounded by thousands of soldiers...

One against ten is not enough. Can this military campaign be successful?
Can you come back safely?

No matter! A real man has his own ways of doing things and his own ways of not doing things. Rather than being coerced by the traitors, it is better to fight to the death!
Seeing that everyone had put on their armor and weapons, he stood up and led his brothers, older sons, and nephews into the ancestral temple to pay homage to their ancestors. After leaving the temple, he came back and told his wife:

"If there is still no news at dawn, you should make plans for yourself. I think he is dead outside and won't come back."

The shadow of the candle flickered. Shen Le looked at the woman standing in the shadow. He couldn't see her expression clearly. She just had her arms hanging down, her palms deeply embedded in the hem of her skirt.

She held her youngest son's hand, raised her head high, and said in a resolute voice:

"You kill bandits for the court, why do you care about your family? I won't insult your family! Go! Go!"

Shen Le stood at the side and saw a sharp metallic light flash gently under her palm.

With a loud bang, the door closed. The young military officer stood outside the room, his chest heaving, his eyes watering for a moment, and when he turned to face his brother, his face was already full of joy:
"Did you see that? Women are remembering the court's kindness and not sparing their lives. What should we men do?" "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The seventy-four warriors each tore off a yellow cloth and tied it around their arms. They were filled with murderous intent and looked excited:

"Kill the thief for the country!"

"Kill the thief!"

A group of people walked along the quiet street. The rebels were not prepared, and the fake palace gate was open, so they could enter without attacking. The young military officer raised his arm and shouted:
"According to the secret decree of the imperial court, An Changshi is here to pacify the rebels and order me to kill them! Anyone who dares to disobey will have his entire clan killed!"

With a loud bang, the false king's guards dropped their weapons and fled. The young military officer led his brothers and rushed into the traitor's bedroom.

The rebel got up in panic, with his head bare and feet bare, opened the door and tried to run away. But when he saw someone coming, he was so frightened that he didn't know how to resist or run away, and could only instinctively hold the door with his hands!

The young military officer led his men to rush in and killed them indiscriminately like chopping melons and vegetables.

The rebel blocked and rolled over, and suddenly he took out a knife from somewhere and slashed at him -

There was a clear sound, and the sword hit the young military officer's waist, but no blood was splashed.

The young military officer took advantage of the situation and pursued the traitor. The steel knife that had once killed a crocodile cut through iron like mud and chopped off the traitor's head without even encountering any resistance!

"Won!"

"Won!"

"The traitor has been executed!"

He mounted his horse, held the rebel's head high, and crossed the street. Suddenly, soldiers and civilians all rushed out of their houses to take a closer look, ecstatic.

The people who knelt and kowtowed cried and laughed, lying on the ground, and the cheers shook the sky. In this rebellion, no civilians were hurt, and even the morning market selling pancakes was open as usual!
"Very good, very good." Shen Le followed the horse happily, watching the young military officer show off his power and pacify the city with the head of the traitor;

Watching him return home and meet his wife's eyes, his wife let go of her skirt knife and finally revealed a pale smile;
Watching the little son scream and throw himself into his father's arms;
Watching him untie the fish bag under the lamp and take out the bronze seal:
"Eh, it's broken?"

Shen Le stretched his head to look. On the copper seal, there was a deep knife mark extending above the writing.

It seems that, somehow, it was this bronze seal, this bronze seal given by his superior as a commemoration of the flood control effort, that protected his life and enabled him to achieve success?
Shen Le was also happy for him. The young military officer could not help but become more excited. He was not happy about the honor from the court, but instead asked his superiors:
The rebel had just been killed. It was the perfect time to send troops to recover the four states outside the Great Wall that had been ceded to the Jin people by the rebel!
"I wish I could have a thousand cavalry and infantry, two hundred warriors, and ten days' worth of food!"

send troops!

send troops!

After ten battles he reached the mountain fort and high castle, and after seven days he reached Xihe, where he personally led the troops to attack the city, braving the arrows and stones!
In this battle, the dead bodies of the Jin soldiers blocked the road, and the Jiedushi led his people to flee. The young military officer was promoted to the commander of the central army in one go, and controlled the important town he had captured.

However, the good times did not last long. Not long after, the traitor's confidant wanted to avenge his master and actually sent someone to poison him!

"Ah this..."

Shen Le silently watched the whole city in mourning, the soldiers and civilians weeping, as if a close relative had died;
Silently watching the entire Vanguard Army filled with anger, almost mutiny;

He watched silently as the imperial court issued an edict to praise his loyalty and to build a temple for him. On the day the temple was completed, a long line formed at the entrance.

He watched silently as the people built a statue for him, and placed the steel knife he had used to kill the crocodile, the steel spear he had used to pierce the crocodile, and even the cracked seal on the statue, to receive incense;

Silently watching the main hall, the side halls, the corridors and the houses, the people spontaneously donated money to make clay statues of the dead soldiers and worship them in the temple;
I watched this temple silently, and the incense became more and more prosperous day by day, even surpassing the temple of the City God...

"Good people don't live long... How could he die like this..."

At this point, we can only say that according to traditional Chinese concepts, the spirits of the dead are still there, and being remembered and worshipped by a large number of people, maybe, perhaps, it is possible that there can be some spiritual response, right?
Just like Nezha’s temple, after his death, his mother built a temple for him to receive incense. If his golden body had not been shattered by Li Jing, Nezha would have been able to become a god, right?
Shen Le was speechless for a long time. His eyes dimmed and then brightened, and he returned to the studio. Row after row of clay sculptures turned their heads to look at him, their eyes green as if they had traveled through time and space:

Did you see that?
Do you understand?
Do you understand our origins, our past lives, why we became gods, and who we protect?

Shen Le closed his eyes and sighed. He reached out to the clay sculptures again, and at the same time spread his mental power to sense their power:

This time, a particularly clear feeling came into his mind. In addition to the soil, water, and plants that made up the clay sculpture;

In addition to the metal grains in the clay sculptures, the gold foil on the clay figures, and the gold and silver jewellery in the dressing box;
Besides the incense that clay sculptures have endured for thousands of years, the flames that melted these gold and silver;

In addition to the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth, and their induction to the earth and water veins, Shen Le clearly felt another very distinct power:
That is the people's admiration and respect, the people's love and expectation, the people's sustenance and instructions.

That is incense, but it is not incense. That is the power of faith, but it is not entirely the power of faith.

Simply put, it is the reward and strength that can only be gained by loving the people, loving this land, risking your life for them, fighting bravely and making sacrifices for them!
"I understand……"

Shen Le closed his eyes silently, feeling these forces surrounding him, but it was difficult for him to mobilize them or resonate with them.

I was still a stay-at-home person after all. I didn’t make any effort to help others or contribute to others.
If you are not well-known enough and don’t receive gratitude from others, you will not be able to gather people’s strength, right?

"If you can't fix it, then you can't fix it... I won't force you to help, right?" He murmured, trying to use his mental power to carefully trace the extra lines after the makeup box was repaired:

"At worst, I can learn all your powers and these talisman lines, and send them directly to the Special Affairs Bureau to let them deal with it. You guys are willing to help the Special Affairs Bureau..."

That is a state institution and part of state power.

If you have loyalty in your heart, if you can resonate with this power, then it shouldn't be difficult to lend a helping hand to the Special Affairs Bureau?

As he was thinking this, the copper sheet suddenly vibrated slightly and emitted a stream of heat. In an instant, Shen Le felt his vision infinitely stretched higher and farther, and he plunged directly into the clay sculpture:
What?
besides? !
Lines, some thick, some thin, some curved, some straight, surround Shen Le, forming a particularly complex pattern.

Shen Le stood in the center of the pattern, feeling like he was standing on a formation that was about to be activated in the next moment;
However, he instinctively felt that this formation was missing something. Maybe it was missing a key, maybe it was missing some source of power, maybe it was missing something to control it...

With these things, he could probably control the clay sculptures very conveniently, letting them go wherever they wanted and stop wherever they wanted;

Without these things, he would have to work hard to accumulate strength and rely on his own strength to drive the clay sculpture. It is very likely that he would have to rely on the copper plate to guide him so that he could move it occasionally.

What is this missing piece?

Shen Le groped forward one clay sculpture at a time. The wedding procession, from the bearers carrying the sedan chair, to the gods accompanying on horseback, to the lively drummers;
The dowry family, from the maids riding in the sedan chair, to the maids holding cats - or being cats - and following them underground, to the servants in each room;

One hundred and eight loads of dowry… The last load was a red lacquered coffin, the coffin had already shown its wooden texture, and he helped to paint it several times…

The first thing I lifted up was the small seal... the small seal...

Wait, that little seal hasn’t been repaired yet!
What exactly are the words on that small seal?

Shen Le rushed to the workbench, grabbed a few photos of Xiao Yin, and carefully added strokes to them. He traced one, shook his head, and threw it aside;
He drew another one, shook his head, and threw it aside.

After tracing seven or eight pictures in a row, I finally managed to get it to match my memory. Then I drew a grid and started from scratch:
"This word... this last word should be 'water'... So what water? Water control? The words his superior gave him are probably 'water control', right?"

It was an ancient version of a flood control commemorative medal. Shen Le took the small seal in his hand, rubbed it here and there, dipped it in the ink, and stamped it on the rice paper, then stamped it on his hand.

The copper seal was very resistant, and after a lot of effort, it still couldn't cover any words. Until Shen Le gave up, tied the copper sheet to it, and desperately input heat flow:
"If you don't obey me, I will melt you! Melt you! Melt you and make a new one!!!"

It is impossible to melt it. The bronze seal was just cut and cracked, and nothing was missing.

Shen Le guessed that if he were to repair it himself, he would probably burn the copper seal red to soften it, then throw it into some machine and try to flatten it?

Compact the crack, press it together, and then carve it out little by little, and restore it to its original shape bit by bit!

Although this method of repair will definitely get me beaten by the teacher when I return to school...

However, he could still threaten the copper seal with the words "melt it". The copper seal might have some intelligence, and it actually listened to him and gave a response:

The little seal vibrated slightly. Soon, it began to absorb the heat flow provided by Shen Le, like a whirlpool, sucking it in endlessly:

Shen Le sat cross-legged and turned the speed of the golden bead in his dantian to the fastest, but it was still not enough for it to absorb the energy. Just as he was about to be sucked to the point of being pale and emaciated, reinforcements suddenly arrived:
[Shen Le! Hold on! I’ll do it!!!]

With a crackling sound, a flash of lightning fell from the sky and struck the copper seal.

Shen Le: “…”

Little oil lamp, do you want to kill me?!
(End of this chapter)