Chapter 98

It turned out to be a false alarm. A group of new refugees who had fled to the settlement for shelter had accidentally caused a fire due to illegal construction. The nearby residents, already on high alert, created a commotion, but it was quickly quelled.

However, this incident also served as a wake-up call for me.

For the remaining time, after receiving the assembled samples, I decided to stay out overnight. Apart from the routine reports from home, I stayed in the newly purchased orchard near the training camp and began to intensify my experiments with several gunpowder formulas I had at hand.

During this period, I scrapped three barrels, mainly due to extreme tests on loading capacity, usage frequency, and artificial cooling. From this, I obtained basic data for three types of ammunition: three-gram iron sand, large lead pellets, and single bullets.

Additionally, some parts of the gun body loosened and fell off due to insufficient fit or slight differences in riveting and jointing. In the end, I had about thirteen guns of various lengths that were properly adjusted.

The appearance of these guns was already quite similar to the matchlocks used in modern times, although the barrel walls were still somewhat thick, limited by the materials available to me.

My basic requirement was that the long guns should have a point of impact within thirty steps, and the short guns within ten steps, concentrated within the chest target. However, the actual performance was more optimistic, with over half the accuracy and lethality at forty steps, though this was only for static shooting with a fixed support.

However, this was the result of the meticulous work of experienced masters who had accumulated a lot of fine processing over the years, and it was still a big problem for mass production and large-scale promotion.

I also tried standing and crouching shooting, and it proved that this weapon needed to form a sufficient formation and quantity to maximize its power. It would also need to be combined with bamboo spears and infantry shields to fill and cover the gaps in firepower, making it less mature for use as a single-branch unit with unified logistics and equipment.

However, I at least reduced the steps and gaps in the loading design, simplified the tools and ammunition needed to be carried, and through further refinement, there was still room for improvement. When needed, it could still achieve a surprising effect.

Perhaps I should also include the compilation of throwing fire weapons for close-range suppression. I made another note on the sand table and in my notebook.

Moreover, although the weapons I was currently working on were still front-loading, I found that there were already rubber-like products in various applications in this era, such as shock absorption in wheel hubs and axles, or waterproofing by coating fabric with glue. I believed that with time, the sealing rings needed for rear-loading guns could be produced.

During this period, I took the time to meet my former classmate and comrade-in-arms, Wuping, whose identity and position had changed significantly. We had once shared a common goal.

As I thought about this, I sized up the middle-aged man who walked in. He was only a few years older than me, but the premature signs of aging made him look much older. His cotton shirt made him appear particularly thin, but his eyes were still sharp.

He was Wuping, from a branch of a once-renowned family in Luoyang, a descendant of a declining noble family. His ancestor was said to be a key figure in the Taixing Reformation, serving for twenty-one years before dying of overwork. The Taixing Emperor posthumously honored him with the title "Wenzhong," a famous prime minister named Wuping.

His previous identity was the third-in-command of the Iron Blood Society, a secret organization of martial arts, and one of the few survivors of the 800 officers who initiated the Luoyang Incident. He had led the last few young seeds of the two schools to escape the massacre, and by chance, became entangled with me.

As the only survivor, he bore the blood and grievances of the young patriots who had been betrayed and sacrificed, and was determined to seek revenge on this era and the Luoyang court. To achieve this goal, he ultimately decided to become a force at my disposal.

However, most of the survivors who had sworn oaths and fled Luoyang with me had dispersed and pursued their own paths after my disappearance. Only a few, including him, persisted and overcame numerous difficulties to reach Guangzhou, continuing to wait for my news.

Now that I had returned safely and things were settling down, I needed to give Wuping and his comrades, who had remained loyal and steadfast, a proper explanation. It would be a waste to keep them as mere guests.

To some extent, their reliability and effectiveness were unmatched, but using people with such special backgrounds and experiences still required careful consideration.

"My promise remains valid, and the ultimate goal will never change..."

I said straightforwardly.

"Guangzhou is just a stage for me to gather strength..."

"I knew you were not an ordinary person..."

He paused and continued,

"But are you really sent by the Southern Dynasty..."

"Didn't you always want to ask me if I was sent by the Southern Dynasty to disrupt Luoyang..."

Hearing this question, I couldn't help but laugh.

"I am indeed from the Southern Dynasty, but to be a spy or a secret agent is too much of an overestimation..."

"I am just a person from the sea who admires the great names of the two academies in the capital..."

"However, do you think it would be possible for me, as a son of the Southern Sea, to go to Luoyang for further studies without a false identity..."

"I apologize, I was indeed overthinking..."

He bowed solemnly, but I stopped him.

Actually, whether he believed me or not was not important. The key was that he was willing to accept my explanation, which was enough.

"Other matters were just coincidental..."

I took a sip of water and continued,

"But since fate has brought us together, I will do my best to fulfill the promises and entrustments I made..."

"I hope you will continue to assist me as you have in the past..."

"Power, wealth, and even fame and status are all necessary for this process..."

"Perhaps we will have to do some things against our will, and even make sacrifices in terms of reputation and personal integrity..."

"Still, if you feel I have deviated from the original path, you are free to leave at any time..."

"Since I have decided to overturn this desperate and inverted world, a few sacrifices are nothing..."

Hearing this, Wuping looked at me resolutely and said without hesitation,

"Even if I am mired in filth and my hands are stained with blood, I will continue to walk this path..."

I sighed in relief. This small storm and potential trouble were temporarily over.

On their way back, they had also recruited some other people from the north who had also fled south, along with their families, totaling about forty people. With my connections and resources, they had settled down locally.

After my return, it was said that there was some division and动摇 among them due to the gap between expectations and reality, but Wuping had suppressed it.

These idealists are the most difficult to deal with. They have their own principles and are almost impossible to buy or turn. However, once you understand their motivations and direction, they can be easily driven and utilized.

"Regarding your arrangements, I have two options,"

I continued after a moment of thought.

"I am likely to obtain an official position..."

"You can serve as my advisors and assistants, helping me gather strength and influence..."

"Or you can continue as you are and establish your own organization..."

"Establish our own organization..."

Wuping's expression showed a subtle change.

"I will set up a society for them and provide financial and manpower support."

"As a nominally independent peripheral organization, they will continue to work secretly for me, recruiting and cultivating potential strength."

"You can tell the others... I respect your choice."

These two options represent two different directions. They can serve as my administrative backbone, along with the military personnel like Han Liangchen and the practical staff I have cultivated from my old domain, forming a three-pronged structure.

Or they can be sent out with the necessary funds and operational convenience to recruit and gather heroes from the marketplaces and talented individuals from the north, forming a new system.

Each option has its pros and cons, and it is also beneficial for dividing them. For a leader, a closely-knit group of subordinates is not necessarily a good thing.

After sending off Wuping, who was full of thoughts, I found a new guest waiting for me by the river where we had previously conducted our transactions. I saw the fat face of Xiao Kong Te Li Nuo, smiling broadly.

"Luosheng, how have you been..."

"Xiao Ke has some business and would like to ask for your help..."

"Cut the nonsense, do you still have the crossbows from last time..."

I said bluntly.

According to this arms dealer from afar, his supply and source were still in South India. This time, he had only brought some light goods as a kind of after-sales service. If needed, he could try to accept my order, but it would take time to arrange.

Therefore, in addition to selling me ten thousand arrowheads, he also left me over 500 pounds of refined Indian iron, not the raw iron, but the homogeneous iron ingots, clearly obtained from the mysterious creatures, which solved my immediate problem.

However, the price was not cheap. He sold this refined iron at a price higher than pure copper.

After some haggling, he had to give me some additional items like grappling hooks and fishing nets, which were useful for ship battles, as a bonus. He also complained that the strict blockade of the outer port had increased his transportation costs to Guangzhou.

By the time I returned home under the moonlight, I found a note from the Meishan Inn waiting for me at my door.