Chapter 97: Wang Dachui

Training a qualified archer requires at least three years, but training a gunner who knows how to fire a cannon only takes three hours.

If one wants to train elite gunners who hit the target every time, it naturally requires a large amount of ammunition and long-term, day-in and day-out training.

However, if one does not demand high precision and only requires gunners capable of hitting near the target, three days is enough.

Firearm troops can be formed quickly and exert powerful combat effectiveness, but firearm troops consume far more supplies than cold-weapon troops.

If Meng Yifan wants to train firearm troops, he must prepare a large quantity of Bird Guns, Cannon, gunpowder, and projectiles.

From the Warehouse of the county government office, Meng Yifan found a total of over one hundred Bird Guns, plus over one hundred captured from the battlefield, and the forty or fifty he already had, he could scrape together a total of three hundred Bird Guns, barely enough to arm three hundred soldiers.

Meng Yifan also wanted to go to the Heishi outside the city to buy Bird Guns, gunpowder, and other supplies, but ever since the battle with the government began, the Heishi outside Luolong County had disappeared, and no one came out to sell things anymore.

Meng Yifan knew that for that Heishi to have been able to operate, Lv Dazhi and the Three Great Gangs must have been behind it; now that Lv Dazhi had been finished off, the Three Great Gangs all wanted to see Meng Yifan stumble, so naturally, they would not continue to sell Bird Guns.

There were originally places in the city that sold Bird Guns, but those had long since closed their doors; Meng Yifan had people open the doors, but the interiors were already empty, and no one knew when the owners had taken the Bird Guns and gunpowder and disappeared.

Meng Yifan had Silver Note but nowhere to buy Bird Guns, though he now had three hundred Bird Guns on hand, which was just enough to make do; his firearm troops mainly needed a large number of Elm Cannon and Congreve rockets.

These two things were Meng Yifan's great lethal weapons.

The production method for the Elm Cannon was the simplest; one only needed to find some people who knew carpentry to manufacture them in large quantities.

The technical requirements for Congreve rockets were relatively much higher; one had to find some professional blacksmiths.

Meng Yifan sent people to conscript the blacksmiths in the city, only to discover that the skilled blacksmiths in the city had mysteriously disappeared.

"Bastards!" Meng Yifan cursed in anger; he could figure out with his toes that the disappearance of the blacksmiths in the city definitely had to do with the Three Great Gangs hiding in the shadows.

These scoundrels, although they did not jump out to confront him head-on, were pulling the firewood from under the cauldron, restricting Meng Yifan's development at every turn.

"Once my army is trained, the first thing I will do is clean out the vermin like the Three Great Gangs." Meng Yifan suppressed the anger in his heart, knowing that his strength was currently insufficient and he could not yet go to war with the Three Great Gangs.

Manufacturing Congreve rockets required iron cannon barrels, conical arrowheads, and corresponding stabilizing spiral fins; these things looked simple, but without blacksmiths, they truly could not be made.

Meng Yifan paced back and forth in the county government office in anxiety; he arranged for people to post notices in the city offering high rewards to hire blacksmiths, but no one applied; it seemed the blacksmiths in the city had all been secretly controlled by the Three Great Gangs, which was quite troublesome.

Just as Meng Yifan was anxious and frustrated, Meng Yitong ran over excitedly and said, "Brother Meng, didn't you ask me to clear out the prisoners in the county jail? I found an old blacksmith inside; according to him, he not only knows how to forge iron but also understands how to build cannons."

"Haha, just as I was feeling sleepy, a pillow arrived." Meng Yifan was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Quickly invite that old master over."

Before long, an old man appeared, dressed in rags, with a head of white hair and a height of only one point five meters, but his body was knotted with muscles, appearing strong and powerful.

Heavy shackles were around his neck, and iron chains were bound to his legs; every step he took, the chains would jingle loudly.

"Second Grade Lower Tier Martial Artist." Meng Yifan sensed the True Qi fluctuations on the old man and was shocked; no wonder the former government had used chains forged from refined iron to bind the old man's legs; if such a Martial Artist were to suddenly strike, the jailers in the prison truly would not be able to contain him.

Seeing Meng Yifan in the county government office, the old man said with some surprise, "What relation are you, little brat, to that corrupt official Lv Dazhi? His son? Or his grandson? You don't even look like him."

Meng Yifan laughed: "Old master, that corrupt official Lv Dazhi has already been beheaded by me, and his head is placed on the monument of heads outside the main gate of the county government office."

The old man was stunned upon hearing this, then said with great agitation: "Is what you say true? Quickly take me to see it."

Meng Yifan brought the old man to the main gate of the county government office; after seeing the head of Lv Dazhi, who had died with his eyes wide open, at the very top of the monument of heads, the old man burst into loud laughter: "Haha, well-deserved death! Lv Dazhi, you corrupt official, you have this coming today! Haha, this is truly wonderful."

After the old man laughed for a while, he began to weep, sobbing: "Tiedan, my son! Lv Dazhi is dead, and his head is displayed on the monument of heads; the great vengeance of our Wang family is finally avenged."

Meng Yitong came to Meng Yifan's side and told him about this old man.

This old man was named Wang Dachui; when he was young, he was a master craftsman in the Divine Machine Battalion of Dongchuan Prefecture; later, when he grew old, he returned to his hometown of Luolong County with his son and operated a blacksmith shop.

Wang Dachui's craftsmanship was excellent, the blacksmith shop's business was very good, and the family's life was happy and fulfilling.

But Heaven has unpredictable weather, and people have unpredictable fortunes; Wang Dachui's son had a beautiful and gentle wife named Liu Cuihua.

Once, that corrupt official Lv Dazhi passed by the blacksmith shop and inadvertently saw Liu Cuihua, who had come to deliver food to her father-in-law and husband; he was instantly struck by her beauty, and after returning, he sent people to take Liu Cuihua to his room.

Lv Dazhi first used wealth and status to tempt Liu Cuihua, then used power to threaten her; he did not expect that Liu Cuihua was a virtuous woman, and no matter how many flowery words Lv Dazhi spoke or how he used power to intimidate her, Liu Cuihua simply would not submit.

Finally, Lv Dazhi wanted to force himself upon her, and Liu Cuihua, taking advantage of a moment when Lv Dazhi was not paying attention, slammed her head against the wall and died.

Wang Dachui's son, Wang Tiedan, discovered his wife was missing; after inquiring in many places, he finally learned that his wife had been taken to the county government office, so he went to demand her back, but the yamen runners would not let him in at all.

Worried about his wife's safety, Wang Tiedan made a scene and tried to force his way in; Lv Dazhi, who was already in a rage, was disturbed and ordered Wang Tiedan to be treated as a rebel and killed on the spot.

Wang Tiedan was only a First Grade Intermediate Martial Artist; although he fought to the death, two fists could not beat four hands, and he was quickly killed by the yamen runners.

When the tragic news arrived, the white-haired man sent off the black-haired man; Wang Tiedan's mother was angered to death on the spot, and Wang Dachui took his Big Iron Hammer to avenge his family but was suppressed by Zhang Butou and his men.

Zhang Butou knew that Wang Dachui knew how to build the Shenwu Great General Cannon and was a rare talent, so he locked Wang Dachui in the prison, wanting to send people to learn the cannon-building technique from him, but Wang Dachui kept his mouth shut and taught no one.

Wang Dachui cried and laughed for a while; after more than ten minutes, his emotions finally stabilized. He looked at Meng Yifan gratefully and said, "You killed Lv Dazhi, so you are the benefactor of me, Wang Dachui. Just now, hearing that young man say that the Lord wants to find someone to build cannons, this old man is willing to help the Lord with all his might."