Chapter 494
As more personnel and supplies moved about, and with various clandestine dealings taking place, firearms and ammunition were secretly traded in batches to the rebel forces.
In the ordinary course of affairs, the Lu family, represented by Lu Yuesheng, had long maintained an ambiguous, yet immensely vast, underground grey market trade with the rebel leadership.
She was responsible for assisting the rebels in fencing their spoils of war through various legitimate trade channels under her name.
Each time the insurgent army breached a city, a significant portion of the vast quantities of luxury goods they plundered would flow through her hands to distant places, exchanged for the resources needed to sustain their war.
Given Hanluo City's relatively remote location, the Great Wei, embroiled in widespread conflict, had no inclination to pay it much heed.
As long as she paid her taxes in full and spent some money to keep the assigned garrisons in her good graces, a great magnate like her, possessing her own private army, could practically do as she pleased in the area. Even consorting with rebels, a deed akin to treason, caused her little worry.
It was precisely this long-term cooperative relationship that allowed her to easily gain the trust of the rebels, prompting them to begin testing the new weapons she provided.
Otherwise, if any random person had appeared out of nowhere, brazenly proposing to the rebel leaders that they switch to such an unheard-of weapon as firearms, they would undoubtedly have been summarily ejected from the camp.
Through several victories, both large and small, these weapons—which produced a thunderous roar when used, could effortlessly tear gaping holes in human bodies, and even inflict effective damage upon the thick-skinned, coarse-fleshed lower-tier fiends—quickly garnered the attention of the common populace.
Given the caliber of soldiers in ancient peasant insurgent armies, expecting them to adhere to confidentiality regulations was unrealistic. A few minor military commanders, who were drawing pay for non-existent troops, quickly began to entertain crooked schemes, secretly selling the firearms and gunpowder obtained by fabricating headcounts to outsiders at exorbitant prices.
Naturally, this was also because Lu Yuesheng had been preparing for this plan for many years. Not only had she established connections with various rebel factions in advance, but her supply volume was in the tens of thousands, ensuring that firearms were not considered precious from the outset, but rather positioned as a new, mass-market weapon.
...
Several small-scale defeats in the anti-bandit campaigns brought firearms to the attention of the Great Wei's upper echelons.
"What are your thoughts, esteemed ministers?" Emperor Duan Dehuai of the Great Wei, seated centrally in the imperial court, waved a hand, and a guard immediately presented a firearm on a tray before the assembled officials.
The Duan family was the most powerful among the Four Great Bloodline Houses, and also the imperial clan of the Great Wei. The Emperor himself was a God-tier master, so naturally, there was no rule against weapons being brought into the imperial court.
Within the Great Wei, supernatural powers were only divided into four tiers: God-tier, Dragon-tier, Ghost-tier, and Monster-tier. These classifications primarily depicted the destructive capability of bloodline users.
The strongest God-tier could collapse mountains and ruin lands, flatten cities with a single strike, and sweep away an army of millions by themselves. The weakest Monster-tier, however, remained at a level that a squad of cold-weapon soldiers could handle; a fully armed five-man squad was enough to engage in a back-and-forth skirmish with some of the weaker Monster-tier fiends.
"Such a minor concealed weapon can only pierce the bodies of Monster-tier fiends, inflicting little damage on Ghost-tier fiends, let alone Dragon-tier or God-tier individuals protected by qi-shields. Your subject believes it is nothing to worry about."
"Your subject concurs. Firearms are merely playthings for mortals; the fundamental determinant of victory or defeat in war remains us, the bloodline users."
"Your subject concurs."
...
Initially, when news of the firearms reached them, many ministers of the Wei court were somewhat apprehensive. However, they soon discovered that the projectiles fired by these paltry things could barely harm Ghost-tier bloodline users, and so their worries dissipated.
Having been in positions of lofty superiority for millennia, all the Bloodline Houses had grown accustomed to looking down upon everything. Even if commoners leaped with all their might, they still couldn't reach their knees.
As for the succession of dynasties, that was merely a game of chess among the Four Great Bloodline Houses; whichever family was strongest would become Emperor.
"Since the rebel forces are not a concern, what are your esteemed opinions on the matter of the Soul-Snatching Demons?" The topic of firearms was lightly dismissed, and the court turned to a discussion of the Reincarnators.
Several years ago, when choosing hosts for possession, some warriors on the Void Worm (Ark) had delved deep into the front lines of the aristocratic families, attempting to secure a higher starting point.
However, to continuously masquerade as an otherworldly being for years, living within a cultural circle vastly different from their own, and never revealing any flaws, was no easy feat.
Unlike Lu Yuesheng, who mingled in the marketplace, she came from a poor family and was initially of no concern to anyone. After she gained power, she became even more reclusive, doing her best to have proxies attend public occasions. Only a few trusted confidantes knew something was amiss.
Yet, within the aristocratic families, there were many masters with photographic memories and exceptionally keen senses for people. Over time, they still noticed some abnormal details.
Following these clues, the aristocratic families eventually discovered that their internal ranks had been infiltrated!
It was only because the Reincarnators, upon discovering their identities exposed, decisively self-destructed and returned their consciousness to the Void Worm (Ark), that they avoided soul-searching and revealing more intelligence. This left the entire Wei court believing it was still a conspiracy by their old adversaries, the fiends.
"The matter of the Soul-Snatching Demons is of great importance. Many of our younger generation have been infiltrated by them. Your subject believes we should deal with this without delay!"
"Your subject observes that the pattern of their soul-snatching almost exclusively targets juniors born within the last decade. Perhaps we can start there," said Beimin Zheng, clad in crimson-blue official robes.
Regardless of the identity chosen, the Reincarnators had almost invariably selected infants and toddlers back then, as the success rate was highest. However, this also provided the aristocratic families with excellent avenues for finding evidence after the incidents came to light.
As long as they focused their investigation on bloodline users within the corresponding age range, identifying the Soul-Snatching Demons would not be a difficult task.
"But how can Secretary Beimin be certain that the Soul-Snatching Demons haven't infiltrated other individuals?" Censor Liu Jin, who often found fault with and disagreed with Beimin Zheng, pressed the question.
"The most pressing matter is to find all the Soul-Snatching Demons as much as possible. Your subject does not believe his method can uncover every single one, but it can certainly expose a significant portion," Beimin Zheng retorted, glaring fiercely at his troublesome political rival.
"Your subject proposes that the patriarchs of each family perform soul-searching techniques on their junior clansmen, searching their memories to uncover the lurking Soul-Snatching Demons."
"But how can you guarantee that the patriarchs themselves haven't been infiltrated?" Liu Jin continued his attack.
But as soon as he spoke, he realized he had misspoken. Several ministers in the imperial court were patriarchs of their respective families, and even His Majesty's own blood brother was precisely the patriarch of the Duan clan.
"Approved!" Within the grand hall, Duan Dehuai still needed to maintain his image. He simply ignored Liu Jin's challenge and approved Beimin Zheng's proposal, saying nothing further.
Nevertheless, many ministers understood clearly that the Duan brothers had an exceptionally close relationship. It seemed Liu Jin's political career was likely at its end. They, on the other hand, ought to start considering how to distance themselves from the Liu family.
PS1: Many thanks to author Mo'an Feng for bestowing the "Alliance Leader" reward...
PS2: The stock market crashed heavily these past few days, and there are many matters to handle at the company, so updates have been delayed...
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