Chapter 164

"Battalion Commander, please punish us!"

Seeing that not a single Kongming lantern had been extinguished, the two gunmen of the Commandant's Office turned bright red, turned around, knelt on one knee, and cupped their hands.

"Hahaha!"

Battalion Commander Chang Da Xuan was not only not angry but laughed heartily. "Back in Xianyang, I saw experts of the Tai Da Xuan Orthodox Sect use supernatural powers to shoot arrows, never missing their mark, and I kept that in mind."

"Now that the imperial court has asked various garrisons to test it, it's just the right time to use it. As long as this method is presented, you all will have great merit!"

Captain Guan Wantie cupped his hands and said, "My lord is wise, but to avoid accidents, it's better to submit the report early."

"That is only natural."

Chang Da Xuan was in a good mood and nodded with a smile.

There were many shrewd people in the court; he could think of it, and naturally, other battalion commanders could think of it too.

Being one step ahead made all the difference in the result.

Thinking of this, Chang Da Xuan cupped his hands toward the Daoist nun beside him. "This time, we owe it to Daoist Ziyuan for taking action; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to find the way."

The Daoist nun was precisely Captain Guan Wantie's sister.

Facing the gratitude of Chang Da Xuan, a battalion commander, she had a cold and stern expression, not a hint of joy on her face. She said in a low voice, "I only hope the Battalion Commander doesn't forget his promise."

"Daoist, rest assured."

Chang Da Xuan said solemnly, "I have already applied for the issuance of a wanted notice. The Commandant's Office in all regions will keep an eye out. As long as she is still in the Divine Land, she will eventually reveal her tracks."

As he spoke, he looked at the guns in the hands of his two subordinates and said with great regret, "It's a pity that the cost of this item is not low, and it still requires Mystic Sect craftsmen to take action. If it could be mass-produced, why worry about the world not being stable..."

Li Yan and the others naturally couldn't hear their conversation.

Seeing that the Commandant's Office was no longer testing the guns, Li Yan made a gesture, took Sha Hearing Sha Lifei and Wang Wang Daoxuan, and retreated quickly, disappearing into the wind and snow.

Returning to the Mountain God Temple, the three hadn't yet recovered.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei poked at the fire, and after a long while, he shook his head. "I never thought this new type of firearm would be so sharp."

Wang Wang Daoxuan also sighed. "With the birth of this divine weapon, the human path will surely undergo change. Whether it's a blessing or a curse is hard to predict..."

"It probably won't work for the time being."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and recalled, "Firearms have been used since the Song Dynasty, but to this day, they haven't replaced blades and spears."

"Back then, when Zhou Pan died, I smelled something special about the gunpowder; I'm afraid it was mixed with some spiritual materials, making it difficult to mass-produce."

"And that gun, I suspect, also has problems..."

He didn't say this based on empty speculation.

The power of that new gunpowder far exceeded ordinary black powder.

But the design of the firearms couldn't continue to improve.

Just the material alone limited development.

This thing couldn't be separated from a complete industrial system.

The Great Da Xuan Dynasty was currently in the budding stage of capitalism. If he wasn't mistaken, the firearms used by the Commandant's Office were all handmade by skilled craftsmen.

Slap!

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei, who had been silent, suddenly slapped his thigh hard. "Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan, this gun must be practiced!"

A flash of excitement crossed his eyes. "Old Sha, my martial arts aptitude is poor, and I'm always afraid I'll drag you all down. As long as I practice this thing well, even if I run into an Internal Strength expert, I won't be afraid!"

Li Yan gave a dumbfounded laugh, then nodded and smiled. "Alright."

These were all within his expectations.

There are no walls in the world that don't leak, and even more so for people in the martial world who ignore the law. This thing would sooner or later flow into the hands of the common people.

And the appearance of new gunpowder along with corresponding firearms would inevitably break the original order of the martial world.

A Dan-strength expert could very likely have their head blown off by an ordinary person with poor martial arts aptitude with one shot.

The seniority and hierarchy established by martial arts inheritance would also change.

Under the great tide, sticking to tradition would only lead to being eliminated.

But just at this moment, the footprint on the Shenquan Society's ring inexplicably flooded into Li Yan's mind.

Perhaps his guess wasn't entirely correct...

With the Commandant's Office around, the three naturally didn't dare to practice shooting. Taking advantage of the fact that the sky hadn't yet brightened, they hurried back to Changancheng.

What they saw last night ultimately had no small impact.

The most obvious change was in Sha Hearing Sha Lifei.

"Yan Yan Xiao Ge Yan, hurry and tell me how to use this thing!"

As soon as they returned to the small courtyard, Sha Hearing Sha Lifei immediately closed the courtyard gate and pestered Li Yan, his eyes filled with longing.

Li Yan was stunned at first, then looked at Sha Hearing Sha Lifei deeply. "Alright, Daoist, you come with me too."

"This is the powder chamber, this is the trigger..."

"The flint falls, igniting the gunpowder, shooting out the projectile..."

"The oilcloth must be packed tightly, be careful of the barrel exploding..."

"For shooting technique, you can use three points in one line..."

"Old Uncle Sha, you don't have supernatural powers, so you can only rely on accuracy. The trick to shooting is to aim intentionally but fire unintentionally. Also, you have to master the landing point of the projectile..."

"Yan Yan Xiao Ge, how do you know all this?"

"Uh... actually, it's similar to martial arts. We practice blades, don't we talk about the unity of man and blade? Practicing guns is the same..."

"Amazing!"

After explaining, Li Yan poured out everything he knew.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei perhaps really had some talent; in a short time, he had figured out how the flintlock worked and borrowed it to fiddle with it all day long.

He even forgot about selling the sarira with Luo Luo Faqing and was complained about when someone came knocking.

Wang Wang Daoxuan wasn't very keen and only sought to practice until he was proficient, so he could have a body-protection magic tool in the future.

That's right, in the old Daoist's eyes, this thing was a magic tool.

As for Li Yan, his main focus was still cultivation.

Yesterday had been a huge harvest for him.

First, he had seen those martial arts experts and the footprint on the ring, which made him more determined to practice martial arts, even though firearms were about to take the stage.

Second was the success of the "Northern Emperor Yin Mountain Method."

Don't look at this short night; it was worth two or three months of hard work.

Of course, this method also had side effects, which was that the foundation was unstable. After each cultivation, he had to keep his spirit and rest for a month to stabilize his cultivation.

Even so, it was a shocking speed.

At this rate, he estimated he could build the second layer of the tower by next year.

In the following days, the three found opportunities to go out at night and practice marksmanship in the desolate mountains near Chang'an.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the dark night, gunshots flashed, and gunpowder smoke filled the air.

Perhaps due to the influence of his past life, Li Yan really couldn't look up to this flintlock, especially since this thing had too many weaknesses.

If the gunpowder got damp, it wouldn't fire; it lost accuracy beyond a few dozen meters; reloading was too troublesome... Compared to what the Commandant's Office used, it wasn't even in the same league.

Of course, even so, he still practiced very seriously.

Relying on the eyesight and arm strength from practicing martial arts, plus his olfactory supernatural power, he soon gained accuracy, at least within a range of a few dozen meters, he could hit whatever he aimed at.

Wang Wang Daoxuan practiced the worst, and his interest wasn't very high; he only sought to be able to hit someone within a range of ten meters.

And Sha Hearing Sha Lifei was full of enthusiasm.

Even without supernatural powers, his progress was very slow compared to Li Yan, but he still practiced again and again, and he was completely absorbed in it.

Of course, trouble followed.

"Yan Yan Xiao Ge, we're out of ammunition."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei held the flintlock, looking at the empty ammunition pouch, feeling as if his heart was being clawed at, extremely uncomfortable.

"If it's gone, it's gone." Li Yan shook his head. "Just endure it for now. The Commandant's Office is still investigating the Ancient Zhou Tomb explosion case; the wind is too tight right now. Even if we can find a way, don't take risks at this time."

The production of ammunition for this kind of flintlock wasn't complicated.

Oilcloth, gunpowder, lead balls, or iron balls.

With these three, one could make them by hand.

"This... alright."

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei scratched his head, his whole body itching.

Of course, even if he wanted to do something, he couldn't care anymore.

As the end of the year approached, the three became increasingly busy.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei still hung out with Luo Luo Faqing, shuttling between the mansions of various wealthy people in Changancheng, and the sarira in his hand was almost sold out.

Wang Wang Daoxuan, besides taking on some small jobs, spent the rest of his time preparing for the New Year.

In previous years, he was alone; he would just paste some New Year pictures, change the couplets, and eat some dumplings, and that would be the New Year.

!.

But now there were two more people, and they had moved into a new house. From top to bottom, it seemed there was always endless work to do.

The house needed to be cleaned by someone, so he hired idlers from the ward...

The six gods of the house also needed to be replaced, and they were all paired with couplets.

The Kitchen God's was "Speak good words in heaven, bring down auspiciousness to the mortal world," the courtyard was pasted with "Full garden of spring light," the stairs were pasted with "Step by step climbing high," and the well was pasted with "Endless taking, endless use."

Even the flour vat and rice vat were pasted with "White as snow" and "Yellow as gold"...

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei laughed at him for being like an old woman.

Wang Wang Daoxuan just stroked his beard and smiled, a trace of loneliness occasionally flashing in his eyes.

As for the food for the New Year, it wasn't prepared at all.

A few days after Zhang Zhang Shitong sent New Year gifts, Li Li Kongqing came to the door, also returning some New Year gifts. Although the variety was small, they were all high-grade pastries from the Prince's Mansion.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei wanted to eat them, but they were all collected by Wang Wang Daoxuan, who said they had to wait until the New Year to offer them to the ancestors and the three of them before they could eat...

In the following days, people came one after another.

First was Red Red Yecha, who brought some live chickens and ducks, saying they were gifts from the villagers and they couldn't finish them, so she brought them to them...

Then it was the people of the Five Elements in Changancheng.

Except for the carriage and horse firms and the Cao Gang, with whom they didn't interact, Feng Feng Feiyan, Tie Tie Shigu, and even the Hall Master of the Yaxing Hall, Bai Bai Ruoxu, all sent people to deliver New Year gifts.

These naturally all had to be returned.

Sha Hearing Sha Lifei prepared another batch and delivered them one by one.

Although it was troublesome, this was the custom.

As for Li Yan, he was out most of the time.

The team for the Drum King Assembly had finally taken shape...

Yongning Ward was located in the east of the city, just two streets away from the original East Market. Those who lived here couldn't be counted as wealthy, but they were somewhat well-off.

Shopkeeper Wan was an elder of the Xianyang Craftsman Guild and also a Mystic Sect craftsman. He had connections with the Tai Da Xuan Orthodox Sect, so his connections naturally went without saying.

When he learned that he wanted to participate in the Drum King Assembly, a wealthy merchant in Chang'an gave up his three-courtyard mansion without a second word.

"Brother Zhao!"

When Li Yan arrived, he happened to see Zhao the Donkey crouching outside the door.

His eyes were filled with surprise. He went up and gave him a bear hug, laughing heartily. "You guy, I couldn't find you at all after you left. No news for several months!"

Zhao the Donkey was somewhat shy and scratched the back of his head. "I've been staying in the mountains, taking people to look for spiritual wood everywhere. I just came out a while ago."

"You can't leave easily today. We must drink until we're drunk!"

Li Yan was full of smiles and put his arm around Zhao the Donkey's shoulder. "Let's go, let's go. Accompany me to see what that spirit tower looks like."

"No, no. I'll just wait for you outside."

Zhao the Donkey shook his head repeatedly and stood in place, refusing to move.

This was the ancestral instruction of their "Bie Bao" lineage; they were afraid of bringing bad luck and evil energy into others' homes, so they never entered anyone else's door.

To tell the truth, whether it was Li Yan or Shopkeeper Wan, they were both people of the Mystic Sect and could tell at a glance whether there was evil energy, so they naturally didn't care.

But Zhao the Donkey was just like his name—his temper was as stubborn as a donkey.

His father had made him swear not to enter the Qin Ling Mountains and not to leave Guanzhong, and this kid strictly followed it. No matter who tried to persuade him, it was useless, let alone ancestral instructions.

Li Yan was helpless. "Alright then. Wait for me, and don't run off again!"

"Mm." Zhao the Donkey nodded seriously.

"Greetings, Little Hero Li!"

Before he even entered the door, Shopkeeper Wan's apprentice hurried out to welcome him, bending over and raising his hands. "Master is busy inside, and the helpers have all arrived. Little Hero Li, please follow me."

This mansion was truly not small. Li Yan followed the other party forward, and before he even approached the backyard, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

He could smell a special scent in the backyard.

The energy was flowing, and it had vaguely formed a situation!

He quickened his pace, and just as he entered the backyard, his eyes lit up.

The theme of this Drum King Assembly was the Dongzhuang Spirit Tower.

The so-called spirit tower wasn't a real tower but was made of wood, similar to a shrine, but it was in the shape of a spirit temple.

Generally speaking, it was about the same size as a sedan chair.

During the temple fair parade, the men would lift the spirit tower, beat drums and gongs, and set up a posture to parade through the streets.

At this moment, quite a few people were gathered in the courtyard.

Even more eye-catching were three spirit towers—one large and two small.

The large one in the middle was two people tall, looking like a small house, with a hip roof, flying eaves, and bracket sets; the four beams and eight pillars were all complete, and the front and back lifting poles were as thick as sea bowls.

The two smaller ones on the side were also larger than ordinary spirit towers.

"Good heavens!"

In the courtyard, a tall and sturdy man opened his mouth wide. "Senior Wan, the two martial spirit towers are easy to talk about, but this literary spirit tower of yours is too big."

"An ordinary literary spirit tower needs ten people, but the brothers I brought aren't that many."

"That's right!"

A white-bearded old man with a glowing face next to him laughed. "Old Brother Wan, you just don't listen to advice. You used all the good wood, and you even made me measure them one by one with a Lu Ban ruler, and all the dimensions have to be auspicious numbers."

"Building a spirit temple wouldn't even be this specification. I tried to persuade you, but you wouldn't listen. Now it's good—you can't even lift it!"

"What do you know, you old thing?!"

Shopkeeper Wan snorted. "This time, it's not just people from Shanzhou coming; teams from all states are participating. The lineages are gathering, the Eight Immortals are crossing the sea, each showing their supernatural powers. If we don't come up with something fierce, wouldn't people laugh at us?"

As he spoke, he stepped forward and patted the spirit tower, his eyes filled with pride. "A spirit tower alone won't win against others, so this time I've entrusted quite a few people. Do you all know why I built it so big?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Shopkeeper Wan laughed. "Because I want to hide people inside. When the time comes, curtains will be pulled up on the left and right sides, and I've invited the Zuo Family Troupe from Huayin. When the time comes, they will use the Eight-Direction Shadow Projection Technique. At night, it will be dazzling, like a god traveling!"

"The band is the Xianyang Luo Family Troupe. When the time comes, they will wear cloth armor, carry large banners on their shoulders, and the Qin-Han war drums will boost the prestige. Plus, there's the pressure from my Yan Yan Xiao Ge Li's divine drums, and we'll be able to suppress them in terms of momentum!"

"I don't have to worry about the people lifting the tower either. I ran to the Xianyang and Chang'an porter guilds, and there are plenty of strong men. It's just that I'll have to trouble Yan Yan Xiao Ge Lu to train them."

Hearing his explanation, everyone was eager to try.

"Alright!"

The tall and sturdy man clapped his hands and laughed. "With Shopkeeper Wan's spirit, how could we be cowards? Don't worry, we'll make sure this spirit tower is steady and stable!"

Li Yan was also shocked. He hadn't expected the battle formation to be so large, but his interest grew even stronger.

In this way, the team was afraid it would have hundreds of people.

And there were teams from other states competing.

Just thinking about it, he knew how lively it would be then...

(End of chapter)