Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 825 - 72: Master Li’s Pouring Oil on Fire Plan

As the saying goes, "A commoner without guilt but possessing treasures will invite disaster upon himself." Li Mingshen brought back so many books that, if one could understand and grasp the theories within, it is not difficult to imagine what kind of tidal wave they could unleash in this era.

These are not simply entries from Baidu Encyclopedia.

In the unique historical milieu of the early 19th century, the progress of human civilization could be described as evolving by leaps and bounds.

Along with advances in productivity, various social and humanistic disciplines also experienced explosive leaps forward, with new schools of thought, technological discoveries, or specialized fields emerging intermittently...

What an ordinary person learns from history textbooks is but one percent of it... Saying one percent is already an exaggeration—it’s safe to say that 99.9% of people have never even skimmed the first page of the "Ma Series Manifesto."

Blindly believing whatever self-media AI-generated articles say, people feel as though they have conquered the world.

But what Li Mingshen brought back was the real deal, brimming with substance.

This included an extensive selection of translated Western social science classics and documents, various reference books, and textbooks... For scholars of this era, translating even one or two of these works in a lifetime would already be quite a feat.

Those who haven’t done translation work fail to comprehend its difficulty. To some kids, they might even think translation teams sprout freely from their phones for free.

Besides these foreign literary materials, there were also many theories and practical discussions published by domestic experts regarding the new governmental system.

It all boils down to one question: why does this method work, while another doesn’t?

Li Mingshen himself is a teacher; no one understands the value of these books better than him.

Although he’s aged, his students’ ability to learn from this knowledge can save them ten, or even several dozen, years of detours!

But the problem is... Would the Imperial Court allow him to disseminate these theories?

When sending him back, Wang Yunxiao already predicted that trouble was inevitable for him.

However, he thought trouble would at least come in a few years—after these ideas had truly spread, creating social impact, only then would the conservatives take notice.

By that time, Wang Yunxiao would have long retreated.

Still, out of caution, Wang Yunxiao had Chen Yan place surveillance inside Li Mingshen’s home.

This was one of the abilities the Chess Herald could utilize: leaving a mark in a specific place, which enables observation or returning to that mark at any time.

In their past training in the Outer Dimension, Chen Yan had been responsible for opening the door back to the Real World using this principle.

Just moments ago, Chen Yan suddenly felt something amiss and glanced over at Li Mingshen’s house, only to see raging flames engulfing the study.

An accidental fire? Or deliberate arson?

Wang Yunxiao didn’t have time to think and immediately issued orders: "Everyone assemble! Follow me!"

Han Bin, who had been feigning death nearby, sprang up like a carp flipping in water: "What’s happening? Need help?"

"Firefighting."

"I’ll come along!"

"Absolutely not! Old Han, you stay here to watch the house!"

"What’s there to watch? You don’t even have gold bars lying around. Let’s all go together!"

Earlier, Han Bin had been faking intoxication mainly because he’d been tempted by his uncle’s suggestion.

Rationality told him not to listen to his uncle, yet emotionally, he couldn’t resist.

The Special Service Bureau repeatedly warned against acting out of emotion; protecting one’s own stronghold was far more important than helping others build theirs. If there was work to be done, it should be at home where piles of tasks awaited—no matter how unglamorous they might be.

Were it not for this, given Han Bin’s personality, he would have already gone off on his own.

How much sorrow can one endure? As much as a eunuch visiting a brothel.

No choice—we must prioritize the Big Orange.

By the time Wang Yunxiao led his team there, it was already somewhat too late. Flames from the rear courtyard of Li Mansion lit up half the sky.

The family members from the rear courtyard had already been evacuated; old and young now sat dazed on the streets.

Li Mingshen squatted in a corner with a tobacco pipe dangling from his mouth, silently puffing away. After only a few days, the old scholar’s hair, once mottled with white, had now turned starkly gray.

When Wang Yunxiao arrived at the gate, the Water Dragon Team was already fighting the fire valiantly, yet their efforts were merely a drop in the bucket, better than nothing.

Youtiao squinted, sniffing curiously at the doorway, then shot a glance toward Wang Yunxiao.

Catching his drift, Wang Yunxiao approached Li Mingshen, crouched down, and quietly asked, "Sir, what happened?"

Li Mingshen sighed deeply: "I have failed to teach wisely. Among my students emerged an ungrateful traitor who disclosed secrets and drew Fusang people with heavy bribes to obtain blueprints for machining tools. To achieve their ends, they even brought eunuchs from the palace to flaunt their influence. Ultimately, I wielded a foreign rifle to drive the pair away. But I didn’t expect..."

"Didn’t expect they’d dare to steal books? Not only that, but set fire to them?"

Li Mingshen heaved another heavy sigh and slowly nodded.

"Sir, I don’t mean to boast, but we brothers have dabbled briefly in the art of arson. Judging by the blaze at your house, it would take at least two hundred pounds of kerosene to reach this scale. Did the Fusang men come carrying fuel barrels?"

Li Mingshen looked up in astonishment, meeting Wang Yunxiao’s meaningfully charged gaze.

"Ashamed... Despite devoting my life to teaching, I’ve truly no experience in such matters. A laughable sight for Lord Wang, indeed."

"Hardly worth laughing at, sir."

Wang Yunxiao could hardly comprehend—Li Mingshen, a revered academic, surrounded by promising students, living in a time when scholars still commanded respect, wasn’t someone who could be easily bullied. Yet, a mere visit from Fusang people had left him frightened enough to burn his own house down?

Li Mingshen sighed: "Lord Wang, you’re used to eating new rice; you wouldn’t know the taste of old grain. A mere Fusang man isn’t beyond handling. But the real issue lies... Do you know how many literary aristocratic families view this new rice as venomous scorpions?"

Wang Yunxiao couldn’t help but exclaim in shock: "In this day and age, they still refuse to face reality?"

"Who says they don’t recognize reality? They’re far too aware of it. But the thoughts in their minds are one thing—the bowls in their hands are another."

Li Mingshen said coolly: "Since ancient times, there’s no such thing as ’first’ in literature, nor ’second’ in martial arts. Altering just three or five words of the Saint’s doctrines can lead to rivers of bloodshed. Let alone, in their eyes, these Western heresies that have nothing to do with the Saint’s teachings. Originally, I planned for my students and I to study behind closed doors for a while, but the news leaked so early that I have to reconsider my approach."

"What approach?"

"Feigning compliance while setting a trap, attracting them to confront each other!"

Li Mingshen’s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint grin: "If you openly promote these new books, the Governmental Office can easily suppress their momentum by labeling them forbidden books. But if these books become so prized that Fusang people would resort to arson and theft for them, it’s bound to stir plenty of intrigue and curiosity."

"Was burning your own house worth all that trouble?"

"Absolutely!"