Blade - Unbound

"Commander, please punish us!"

Seeing that not a single lantern had been shot down, the two marksmen flushed red with embarrassment. They turned, dropped to one knee, and cupped their fists.

"Hahaha!" Not only was Chang Xuan not angry, he laughed heartily instead. "Back in Xianyang, I watched experts of the Taixuan Orthodox Sect use their divine abilities to shoot arrows. I never forgot the sight of every shot striking their target.

"Now that the imperial court has ordered every regional garrison to test these firearms, the technique is finally proving useful. As long as we submit this method to the court, all of you will have rendered a great service!"

Guan Wanche cupped his fists. "Lord Chang is wise. However, to avoid any unforeseen complications, it would be best to submit the memorial as soon as possible."

Chang Xuan nodded with a smile, clearly in high spirits. "Of course."

There were many sharp minds within the court. If he could think of it, then commanders in the other garrisons could certainly do the same. Being one step ahead would make all the difference.

Chang Xuan turned to the Daoist nun standing nearby and cupped his fists. "We also owe our thanks to Daoist Ziyuan. Without your help, we never would have figured out the method."

The nun was none other than Guan Wanche's junior sister. Even when thanked by a commander of the Military Surveillance Department, her expression remained cold and solemn, showing not the slightest hint of pleasure.

Instead, she spoke casually, "I only hope that Commander Chang will not forget his promise."

"Rest assured, Daoist." Chang Xuan answered seriously, "I have already requested a nationwide wanted notice. Every Military Surveillance Department across the Divine Continent will keep watch. As long as she's still somewhere on this land, she'll reveal herself sooner or later."

As he spoke, he looked at the rifles in his men's hands with obvious regret. Eventually, he sighed, "A pity these things are so expensive to produce and still require craftsmen from the Daoist sects. If they could be manufactured in large quantities, what unrest in the Divine Continent could not be put down?"

Naturally, Li Yan and the others could not hear their conversation. Seeing that the Military Surveillance Department had finished testing the rifles, Li Yan signaled with his hand and quickly retreated with Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan, disappearing into the wind and snow.

Back at the Mountain God Temple, the three remained silent for quite some time. Sha Lifei poked at the campfire before finally shaking his head. "I never imagined these new firearms could be so terrifying."

Wang Daoxuan sighed as well. "With such a divine weapon entering the world, humanity is bound to undergo great change. Whether it proves to be fortune or calamity, no one can say."

"I don't think it's ready to change everything just yet." Li Yan thought for a moment before recalling, "Firearms have existed since the Song Dynasty, yet they've never replaced swords and spears.

"When Zhou Pan died, I caught the scent of that gunpowder. It was rather unusual. I suspect some kind of spiritual material was mixed into it, making large-scale production impossible.

"Moreover, those rifles probably have their own issues as well."

His conclusion was hardly baseless. The power of the new gunpowder far surpassed ordinary black powder, yet the firearm's design itself could not continue improving indefinitely.

Material limitations alone imposed a ceiling. Weapons like those required an entire industrial system to support them. The Great Xuan Dynasty was only just entering the earliest stages of commercial development. If Li Yan's guess was correct, every rifle used by the Military Surveillance Department had been handcrafted by master craftsmen.

Sha Lifei, who had been silent until now, suddenly slapped his thigh and roared, "Brother Yan, we have to learn this weapon!"

Excitement flashed in his eyes as he continued, "I've never had much talent for martial arts. I've always worried I'd end up holding you two back. But if I master this thing, then even against a master of the Jin Transformation Realm, we won't have anything to fear!"

Li Yan smiled helplessly before nodding. "Alright."

This was exactly what he had expected. There was no such thing as a secret that could be kept forever; least of all in the jianghu, where few people cared about imperial law. Sooner or later, those weapons would find their way into the hands of the experts of the jianghu.

Once the new gunpowder and the firearms designed to use it spread, the established order of the jianghu would inevitably be overturned. A Core Jin Realm expert might one day have his head blown apart by an ordinary man with no martial talent whatsoever.

The hierarchy built upon martial arts lineages would likewise be reshaped. When the tide of change arrived, clinging stubbornly to tradition would only leave one behind.

At that very moment, the footprint left upon the Divine Fist Association's arena unexpectedly surfaced in Li Yan's mind.

Perhaps, his conclusions were not entirely correct. Perhaps Astral Jin Realm experts might fare differently...

With the Military Surveillance Department still nearby, the three naturally dared not practice with their own firearm. Before dawn broke, they hurried back to Chang'an.

What they had witnessed that night left a considerable impression on all three. However, the one most visibly affected was Sha Lifei.

The moment they returned to the courtyard, Sha Lifei shut the gate behind them and immediately pestered Li Yan, his eyes filled with eager anticipation."Little Yan, hurry up and teach me how this thing works!"

Li Yan was briefly taken aback before giving him a long look. Nodding slowly, he turned to Wang Daoxuan. "Alright. Daoist Wang, you should come too."

"... This is the powder chamber. Here's the trigger. The flint strikes here, ignites the powder, and launches the ball. The oiled cloth must be packed tightly. Otherwise the barrel could burst! When aiming, line up these three points...

"... Uncle Sha, since you don't have any divine abilities, you'll have to rely entirely on accuracy. The trick to shooting is to aim consciously, but fire unconsciously. And you also have to learn exactly where the shot lands."

Wang Daoxuan suddenly asked, "Brother, how do you know all this?"

"Uh... Honestly, it's not that different from martial arts. Don't we always talk about becoming one with the blade? It's the same with firearms."

Sha Lifei simply added, "Amazing!"

Li Yan explained everything he knew without holding anything back.

Perhaps Sha Lifei truly had a knack for it. In a very short time, he completely understood how the flintlock worked and borrowed it, spending every day tinkering with it. He became so absorbed that he even forgot about selling the relics with Luo Faqing, who eventually came to the residence personally to complain.

Wang Daoxuan, on the other hand, was far less enthusiastic. He only wanted to become proficient enough to use it as a means of self-defense in the future. In the old Daoist's eyes, the firearm was simply another spiritual artifact.

As for Li Yan, most of his attention remained on cultivation.

The previous day had yielded tremendous gains for him.

First, seeing those martial arts masters, and especially the footprint upon the arena, had only strengthened his resolve to continue pursuing martial arts, even if firearms were about to transform the world.

Second, the Northern Emperor Yin Mountain Rite's cultivation had been a complete success. Though it had been a single night, the progress equaled two or three months of painstaking cultivation.

Naturally, the technique had its drawbacks. Its greatest flaw was an unstable foundation. After every cultivation session, he would have to spend an entire month nurturing his inner deity and consolidating his cultivation.

Even so, the speed was astonishing. If things continued at that pace, he estimated that he would be able to construct the second floor of his inner temple by the next year.

Over the following days, the three took advantage of the nights to venture into the desolate mountains outside Chang'an and practice their marksmanship.

***

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Muzzle flashes flickered through the darkness as the smell of gunpowder drifted through the night.

Perhaps because of memories from his previous life, Li Yan could not bring himself to think highly of the flintlock. Its weaknesses were simply too numerous. If the powder became damp, it would fail to fire. Beyond several dozen meters, its accuracy deteriorated dramatically, and reloading was painfully slow.

Compared with the rifles used by the Military Surveillance Department, it was an entirely different class of weapon. Even so, he trained with complete seriousness.

Thanks to his amazing eyesight, arm strength, and enhanced sense of smell, he quickly developed impressive accuracy. Soon, he could reliably hit whatever he aimed at within several zhang.

Wang Daoxuan performed the worst, but he wasn't particularly interested. He only wanted to become accurate enough to hit a person within one chi.[ref]chi = 10 meters[\ref]

Sha Lifei, however, was completely enthralled. Although he lacked divine abilities and progressed much more slowly than Li Yan, he practiced over and over again, throwing himself wholeheartedly into mastering the weapon.

Naturally, trouble soon followed.

"Brother... we're out of ammunition." Holding the flintlock, Sha Lifei stared miserably at the empty ammunition pouch, feeling unbearably restless.

"Then we're out." Li Yan shook his head. "Just bear with it for the time being. The Military Surveillance Department is still investigating the gunpowder theft from the Ancient Zhou Tomb. Things are far too tense at the moment. Even if we knew where to get more, this isn't the time to take that risk."

Ammunition for this type of flintlock was not particularly complicated. It only required oiled cloth, gunpowder, lead balls or iron balls. With those three components, they could make the ammunition by hand. The only problem was sourcing the materials without arousing suspicion.

Sha Lifei scratched his head, itching all over with frustration. "Well... Alright."

In truth, even if he wanted to do something about it, he soon found himself too busy. As the New Year approached, all three became increasingly occupied.

Sha Lifei continued accompanying Luo Faqing, traveling from one wealthy household to another throughout Chang'an. The relics they carried were almost sold out.

Aside from taking on the occasional small commission, Wang Daoxuan devoted nearly all of his remaining time to preparing for the New Year. In previous years, he had always celebrated alone. He would paste a New Year's painting on the wall, replace the couplets, eat a bowl of dumplings, and consider the holiday complete.

However, things were different now. There were three people living together in a massive residence. There always seemed to be another task waiting. The house needed to be cleaned, so they hired idle workers from the neighborhood. The household guardian deities all had to be replaced, each receiving a fresh pair of couplets.

The Kitchen God received: Speak well of us in Heaven; bring auspicious blessings upon returning to Earth.

The courtyard bore: Spring fills the entire garden.

The staircase displayed: Step by step, ascend ever higher.

Beside the well hung: Draw without end; use without exhaustion.

Even the flour jar and rice bin had their own couplets: Flour as white as snow; rice as golden as jade.

Sha Lifei laughed, saying Wang Daoxuan had become just like an old housewife. The old Daoist merely stroked his beard with a smile, though traces of loneliness occasionally flickered across his eyes.

As for New Year's food, they had not prepared much themselves. A few days after Zhang Shitong delivered holiday gifts, Li Kongqing came calling as well, returning the gesture with several gifts of his own. Though the selection was small, every item consisted of premium pastries from the Prince's Manor.

Sha Lifei desperately wanted to sample them, but Wang Daoxuan confiscated them all, insisting they could only be eaten after offering sacrifices to their patriarch and the ancestors of all three men on New Year's Day.

Over the next several days, more visitors arrived one after another.

Red Yaksha came first, bringing live chickens and ducks. She explained that the villagers had given them as gifts, and since they could never finish them all, she might as well share them.

Then came representatives of the Five Trades of Chang'an. Aside from the Carriage Guild and the Canal Guild, with whom they had little contact, Feng Feiyan, Tie Shigu, and even Bai Ruoxu, the head of the Broker Guild, all sent New Year's gifts.

Naturally, they all required an appropriate return gift. Sha Lifei prepared them personally and visited every household in turn. Though he found the process troublesome, such was custom.

Li Yan, meanwhile, spent very little time back at the residence. The team for the Drum King Assembly had finally come together.

Yongning Street lay in the eastern part of Chang'an, only two streets away from the old East Market. Those who lived there were not especially wealthy, but neither were they poor.

Shopkeeper Wan was not only an elder of the Xianyang Craftsmen's Guild but also a Daoist artisan with close ties to the Taixuan Orthodox Sect. His connections spoke for themselves.

The moment word spread that he intended to compete in the Drum King Assembly, a wealthy Chang'an merchant immediately offered up his own three-courtyard mansion without hesitation.

As soon as Li Yan arrived, he spotted Zhao Luzi squatting outside the entrance. His face lit up with delight.

"Brother Zhao!"

Walking over, he wrapped Zhao Luzi in a bear hug and burst into laughter. "You rascal! The moment you left, you vanished completely. There’s not been a single word from you for months!"

Looking somewhat bashful, Zhao Luzi scratched the back of his head. "I've been staying in the mountains, leading people around searching for spirit timber. I only came out recently."

"You're not getting away today. We're getting completely drunk!" Grinning broadly, Li Yan slung an arm around Zhao Luzi's shoulders. "Come on, come on. Keep me company while I go take a look at what this Divine Tower actually looks like."

Zhao Luzi immediately shook his head, remaining rooted to the spot. "No, no."

It was an ancestral rule passed down among treasure-hunters. They believed the baleful fortune and evil influences they accumulated might be carried into another person's home, so they never entered anyone else's house.

Truthfully, both Li Yan and Shopkeeper Wan were practitioners of the Daoist arts. They could tell at a glance whether someone carried negative influences and cared little about such superstitions, but Zhao Luzi lived up to his nickname. He was as stubborn as a mule.

His father had made him swear never to enter the Qinling Mountain Range and never to leave the Guanzhong Plains. He had obeyed that oath without fail, no matter who tried to persuade him otherwise. He hadn't even disobeyed his father, much less an ancestral rule.

Left with no choice, Li Yan sighed. "Fine. Just wait here for me. And don't disappear again!"

Zhao Luzi nodded earnestly. "Mhm."

Before Li Yan had even stepped through the gate, one of Shopkeeper Wan's disciples hurried out to greet him. "Greetings, Young Hero Li!"

Bowing respectfully, the disciple raised a hand and gestured within. "Master is busy inside. Everyone else has already arrived. Please follow me, Young Hero Li."

The estate was truly enormous. The two had not yet reached the rear courtyard when surprise flashed across Li Yan’s face. He could smell something unusual coming from within. The circulating aura had subtly formed the beginnings of a geomantic formation.

Quickening his pace, he stepped into the courtyard and immediately felt his eyes light up.

The year's Drum King Assembly entry was called the Eastern Divine Tower. Despite the name, a Divine Tower was not actually a tower. It was a wooden structure resembling a shrine, though built in the likeness of a temple. Normally, it was roughly the size of a sedan chair.

During festival processions, strong men would hoist the Divine Tower onto their shoulders while beating drums and gongs as they paraded through the streets.

The courtyard was already crowded with people, but the three Divine Towers were the most eye-catching of all..

A large central one was surrounded by two smaller ones. The central tower stood over two men tall, resembling a small building. It featured a hip-and-gable roof, sweeping eaves, and interlocking wooden brackets. They were made up of four beams and eight pillars, with poles both in front and behind as thick as earthen jars.

The other two were somewhat smaller, but still considerably larger than ordinary Divine Towers.

A burly giant of a man standing in the courtyard stared with his mouth hanging open. "My goodness!"

"Senior Wan, the two Martial Divine Towers are manageable enough, but this Civil Divine Tower of yours is absolutely enormous. A normal Civil Divine Tower already requires sixteen bearers. Yours will need forty or fifty! The brothers I brought don't even come close to that number."

"Exactly!" An energetic old man with a long white beard laughed. "Brother Wan simply refused to listen. He used up every piece of fine timber he could find and even had me measure every dimension with a Lu Ban[ref]ancient Chinese master carpenter, architect, structural engineer and inventor during the Spring and Autumn period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. He is revered as the Chinese Deity of builders and contractors.[\ref] ruler to make sure each measurement was auspicious.

"You're building this to the standards of an actual temple! I warned you, but you wouldn't listen. Now look! No one's even going to be able to lift the thing!"

"What do you old fools know?!" Shopkeeper Wan snorted. "This year's assembly won't just have teams from Shanzhou. Every province is sending participants. Daoist lineages from all over will gather together, each showing off their own unique skills. If we don't go all out, won't we become a laughingstock?"

As he spoke, he patted the Divine Tower proudly. "A Divine Tower alone isn't enough to beat everyone else, so I've called in plenty of favors. Do you know why I built it so large?"

Everyone shook their heads while Shopkeeper Wan grinned and explained, "Because we're hiding people inside. When the time comes, curtains will be hung along both sides. I've invited the Huayin Zuo Opera Troupe, who'll perform their signature Eight Directions Projection Art. At night, it'll shine brilliantly, making it seem as though the gods themselves are accompanying the procession.

"The musicians will be the Xianyang Drum Troupe. They'll wear cloth armor, carry great battle banners on their shoulders, and thunder out Qin-Han War Drums to stir everyone's spirit. On top of that, we'll have my young friend Li's divine drum anchoring the formation. Just our presence alone will overwhelm the assembly!

"As for the tower bearers, that's no problem either. I've already contacted the labor guilds in both Xianyang and Chang'an. Experts are everywhere. The only trouble will be asking Brother Lu here to whip them into shape."

After hearing his explanation, everyone present became eager with anticipation.

The towering burly man clapped his hands and laughed. "Excellent! With such ambition from Shopkeeper Wan, how could we shrink back? Don't worry. When the time comes, we'll make sure this Divine Tower marches as steady as a mountain!"

Even Li Yan was taken aback. He had never imagined preparations to be on such a grand scale. His interest only grew stronger. At this rate, the procession would likely number several hundred people!

Moreover, teams from every province would compete against one another. Just imagining it was enough to know how spectacular the event would be.

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