Chapter 146: Transition Equipment
Li Daoxuan was overcome by a playful whim. After all, this individual wasn't 'one of his own' yet, merely a 'wildling' of sorts.
And wildlings, he reasoned, were fair game for a bit of mischief.
True to his mischievous thought, Li Daoxuan reached a hand into the box and lightly nudged the back of the fellow who called himself "Master Rabbit."
Padi Tu was deeply engrossed in secretly learning the Guanzhong Hong Fist, brimming with excitement, when a sudden surge of force slammed into his back. He stumbled forward, landing face-first in the dirt with a loud thud.
The shock was immense. Had someone caught him sneaking a look? This could get him killed!
Panicked, Padi Tu quickly rolled several times across the ground, his mouth already forming a desperate plea for mercy. But when he glanced back, there was nothing, absolute emptiness behind him.
If he were an old villager of Gao Family Village, he might have guessed that the Heavenly Lord was merely having some fun with him. But as an outsider, he didn't fully grasp the nature of Dao Xuan Tian Zun, even though he'd heard stories during his few days working in the village.
He hadn't yet witnessed the Heavenly Lord's divine miracles firsthand, so he remained skeptical. Naturally, his mind didn't jump to the Heavenly Lord as the cause.
Padi Tu cautiously scanned behind him for a long moment, then peered left and right, confirming nothing was there. He picked himself up from the ground, dusted off his rear, and completely dismissed the incident from his mind, resuming his position to secretly observe Gao Chuwu.
Alright, one more time then.
He reached out once more, lightly nudging "Master Rabbit's" back.
Again, Padi Tu felt a powerful force shove him, sending him sprawling face-first with another loud thud. He quickly rolled clear, putting significant distance between himself and the spot. When he turned to look, well, what do you know? His backside was empty again, with nothing visible.
"Who? Who's playing tricks on your Master Rabbit?"
Padi Tu, with a dramatic flourish, drew his ancestral rusty sword. "Come out, you! I'll let you taste my ultimate technique, the My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword!"
Li Daoxuan was utterly delighted. His finger again circled behind Padi Tu and gave a gentle push.
With a "thud," Padi Tu tumbled once more.
This time, he was surprisingly prepared. In the split second of his fall, he braced himself on the ground, sprung back up, and simultaneously swung his rusty sword in a fierce chop behind him. However, Li Daoxuan's finger had already been withdrawn.
His sword sliced through empty air, and because he'd put too much force into the swing, he spun around and fell again. "Thud!" Another face-plant.
Padi Tu now realized he'd encountered a true "master"—likely a peerless expert who appeared and vanished like a ghost. He knew better than to provoke such a figure. "Can't mess with this, gotta go!" he muttered, sheathing his sword and slinking dejectedly down the hillside.
Li Daoxuan chuckled and shook his head. "You want to sneak a peek? Fine, but first, you have to be recognized as 'one of my own.' Then, if you want to learn military combat techniques, I can even find a video for you."
The thought made Li Daoxuan suddenly realize something important. "Ah, while Hong Fist is excellent, a treasure of our traditional martial arts, modern military combat techniques are the real killing arts!"
Tradition and science — he needed to embrace both wholeheartedly, giving them equal importance.
He hadn't been able to pursue this before, but now, with Cheng Xu, he could certainly give it a try.
He opened his usual historical military forum and anonymously posted a request: "Does any seasoned veteran out there have high-definition videos of military combat techniques? No blurry ones, please!"
Reply 1: "I do! 64GB HD, you bet. Here's the link: XXXXXX"
Reply 2: "Don't trust the first guy. That link's a fake, I could tell instantly. Dammit, last time it was the same link, promised me a 'certain teacher,' and I downloaded it for a day and a night, only for it to be 'Calabash Brothers.'"
Reply 3: "Alright, I'll be the good Samaritan. Click on my profile; there's a cloud drive link there for you to download."
Li Daoxuan thanked the third commenter, clicked the link, and found videos totaling over ten gigabytes – quite substantial. He started the download, letting his computer quietly process it.
Then he turned his attention back to the diorama box.
He saw Gao Yiye, clad in a red cotton jacket, her small face flushed — whether from the cold or from running, he couldn't tell. She secretly tiptoed up the hillside, reaching Gao Chuwu's back, and let out a sudden "Boo!" right next to his ear.
Gao Chuwu, deeply focused on his training, was so startled that he yelped, nearly tumbling over. He turned to see Gao Yiye and finally let out a breath of relief. "Yiye, you scared the life out of me!"
Gao Yiye burst into laughter and then dashed back down the slope.
Li Daoxuan was also amused and softly called out, "Yiye!"
"Ah? The Heavenly Lord is here?" Gao Yiye joyfully lifted her gaze. "Heavenly Lord, Happy New Year!"
To be greeted by one of his little people warmed Li Daoxuan's heart. "Yesterday, I was out visiting friends and relatives. Are you all doing well?"
Gao Yiye replied, "Oh, so the Heavenly Lord went visiting other deities' homes! Everything in Gao Family Village is wonderful, and everyone is very happy!"
Li Daoxuan instructed, "Go to the Craftsman Well now. I have something I want to discuss with Li Da."
Gao Yiye acknowledged with a cheerful sound, then stretched her little legs and sprinted towards the Craftsman Well.
Along the way, many people greeted Gao Yiye – old villagers, new temporary workers, and even a few labor reform prisoners waved at her. She cheerfully responded to each, quickly arriving inside the Craftsman Well.
Reaching the blacksmith's forge, she found Li Da under the eaves, deep in thought as he examined a spring he'd recently crafted.
Although Li Daoxuan had previously supplied him with a lighter spring, Li Da's attempts to replicate it were fruitless. He would heat the metal until it glowed red, then forcefully hammer and thin it, coiling it into shape. Yet, the finished spring would invariably lose its elasticity, leaving him utterly baffled.
This material clearly had elasticity before heating, so why did it vanish after? He simply couldn't comprehend it.
When Gao Yiye arrived, he was using both hands to flatten a small spring he'd just created. The moment he released his grip, the spring stubbornly remained flat, leaving him dejected and so frustrated he wanted to weep.
Gao Yiye announced, "Li Da, the Heavenly Lord sent me to speak with you for a moment."
Li Da quickly composed himself, shedding his mournful expression, and performed a deep bow.
Li Daoxuan wasn't upset that the spring was unsuccessful; in fact, it was entirely within his expectations. This was how scientific progress worked. Providing a sample merely offered inspiration; whether Li Da could reverse-engineer the underlying principle from it depended entirely on his ability to gradually elevate his understanding.
"Li Da," Li Daoxuan began, "I recall you mentioning you know how to make Three-Eyed Arquebuses?"
Li Da quickly replied, "Yes, this humble one can certainly make those."
Li Daoxuan continued, "It seems your research into new-style firearms will take quite a long time. Before it's perfected, it would be beneficial if our militia could utilize some transitional firearms. Therefore, I want you to teach the other blacksmiths how to forge Three-Eyed Arquebuses. From now on, they will produce those, while you continue your work on the advanced designs."
Li Da promptly bowed. "I respectfully obey the Heavenly Lord's decree!"
Li Daoxuan stated, "I shall now bestow upon you some gunpowder. Manage it carefully, and provide it to the other blacksmiths for their work on the Three-Eyed Arquebuses."
As he spoke, he began dismantling some firecrackers. "Oh, and a word of caution: the gunpowder I provide has quite large grains. Before you can use it, you'll need to grind it down into a fine powder. Be extremely careful during this process; make sure no one gets hurt or blown up."
Comments