Chapter 219: I Also Need to Understand Mortal Sufferings
Gao Yiyi set up the Three-Eyed Arquebus, then grabbed a handful of gunpowder and began stuffing it into the barrel. Beside him, Xu Dafu quickly exclaimed, "Too much! A little less! Oh, too little again! A bit more!"
After several rounds of his "fine-tuning," Gao Yiyi finally mastered the correct dosage. He packed the gunpowder into the barrel, used a small ramrod to compact it, and then dropped in a tiny lead bullet.
The bullets were made of lead.
The Ming Dynasty actually suffered from a severe shortage of lead, but for Li Daoxuan, it was a minor issue. He'd bought a roll of lead wire from an online shopping site; a small snipped segment was enough for the blacksmiths to craft countless lead bullets.
Once the bullet was compacted, he inserted the fuse into the small hole on the arquebus barrel.
Gao Yiyi still felt a bit apprehensive; he'd never used one before, only heard tales. He certainly didn't dare get too close to the contraption. After lighting the fuse, he immediately gripped the wooden handle of the Three-Eyed Arquebus, extending it as far forward as possible, aiming it at the mountain wall ahead.
The fuse burned down, followed by a deafening boom.
Gao Yiyi's hand trembled, nearly going numb from the shock, almost dropping the weapon.
White smoke billowed, and everyone stared blankly: "Is it... done?"
"Wow, it made such a big hole in the rock!"
"The arquebus is truly powerful!"
"We succeeded, hahaha!"
Li Daoxuan felt a small thrill seeing the arquebus successfully test-fired. He had only ever seen the Three-Eyed Arquebus in online resources, and it was the first time he'd witnessed it firsthand—quite fascinating.
Wait a minute!
The arquebus is incredibly powerful. The Ming army seems to have quite a few. If I ever encounter troops armed with firearms and reach in to protect my people, getting hit by a few shots might actually break my skin, right?
It seems I need to get myself a sturdier pair of gloves.
Action followed thought. He casually opened an online shopping site and searched for "Infinite Gauntlet." To his surprise, there it was! And not even expensive; a good quality, metal-shelled replica was just over a hundred yuan. He quickly placed an order for one.
Gao Yiyi, having seemingly forgotten the correct gunpowder dosage, awkwardly asked Xu Dafu, "Did I grab too much gunpowder this time, or too little?"
Xu Dafu replied, "Too little, add a bit more."
Just as Gao Yiyi prepared to fire a second shot, Li Daoxuan observed this and chuckled, then spoke. "Yiye, tell Xu Dafu that gunpowder can be distributed to everyone in 'pre-measured charges,' so they won't have to worry about using too much or too little."
Gao Yiye quickly relayed the message.
"Pre-measured charges?" Xu Dafu heard the term for the first time. "What does 'pre-measured charges' mean?"
Li Daoxuan explained, "You can pre-package the exact amount of gunpowder needed for 'one shot' in paper. When Gao Yiyi comes to you next time asking for enough gunpowder for ten shots, you just give him ten small paper packets. Each time he uses one, he simply opens a packet and pours the entire contents into the arquebus. There's no need to ask you for the dosage every time. This not only reduces the time required to load gunpowder but is also much safer."
Xu Dafu's eyes lit up. "This method is excellent! I've been worried that if gunpowder falls into the hands of the 'three idiots,' they might haphazardly pack the arquebus with it, using too much and blowing themselves up. The Heavenly Lord's method of pre-measured charges is truly brilliant!"
Li Daoxuan thought to himself: *Actually, many places are already using pre-measured charges. Europe had adopted it ages ago, not even mentioning that. Japan, during the Sengoku period, had already begun using bamboo tubes to package gunpowder. Each tube held one charge, which could simply be poured into the gun barrel, greatly reducing loading time. It seemed the Jiangnan region and the northeastern border armies of the Ming Dynasty were also using pre-measured gunpowder.*
*It's just that Xu Dafu runs a gunpowder workshop in the northwest, where advanced techniques arrived slower. He probably didn't know yet.*
*But that's alright!*
*With their Heavenly Lord bestowing miraculous advantages, offering a sturdy leg to cling to, they just need to hold on. Oh, no, the little people are too small, they can't even cling to a leg; they'd only be able to dangle from the leg hair...*
Li Daoxuan went on to explain some detailed plans for "pre-measured charges" to Xu Dafu. He even printed out a copy of the "granular black powder" formula and handed it to Xu Dafu, instructing him to supervise his apprentices in producing the current black powder while also attempting to formulate the more powerful granular black powder.
Xu Dafu was overjoyed to receive the "divine prescription." Hearing that this method could produce "celestial gunpowder," he quickly rolled up the huge sheet of paper and had a few apprentices carry it back to the Gao Family Village Ordnance Bureau, where it would be carefully safeguarded.
He'd heard that this substance was even more powerful than regular black powder. Cautious as he was, he would absolutely not let anyone touch it.
After some time, the blacksmiths completed all ten test shots of the Three-Eyed Arquebus. The result of ten continuous firings was that the arquebus remained intact, with no barrel bursts.
The blacksmiths cheerfully returned to the main keep, ready to mass-produce the Three-Eyed Arquebus.
Li Daoxuan, however, spoke up and instructed, "Don't make too many Three-Eyed Arquebuses. Just a few for experimentation, practicing techniques, and testing gunpowder will suffice. The main weapon for the future must be the new type of arquebus."
The blacksmiths quickly obeyed.
Gao Yiye, her message-relaying duty complete, skipped lightly back to the main keep.
Li Daoxuan watched her bouncing around, looking quite cheerful, and couldn't resist teasing her. "Yiye, have you still been drawing these past few days?"
"I have!" Gao Yiye grinned, tilting her head back. "The second volume is almost finished."
Li Daoxuan thought: *The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon Extermination Saga, Volume Two? The first volume isn't even printed yet, and you've already almost finished the second. This young girl is certainly enthusiastic!*
*It's like some author on an online platform who hasn't even uploaded their first volume but has drafts almost finishing the second. Are you trying to defy the heavens?*
*Tsk! What's going on? Why do I really want to read it?*
*Even though the young girl's comic books are a mishmash of ideas, the plot is a complete patchwork, but they're quite entertaining to read. Li Daoxuan was genuinely curious, wondering what other elements she'd stitched together in the second and third volumes.*
*Tsk tsk, can't the woodblock carvers move faster?*
Li Daoxuan deliberately teased her, "It's not some ridiculous parody, is it?"
Gao Yiye stammered, "I drew... I drew... Well, it's something really good!"
Li Daoxuan chuckled, "Then, once it's printed, I'll have a look too."
"Ah?" Gao Yiye exclaimed, "Heavenly Lord, please don't look! You should just read the books from the celestial realm; please don't bother with these lowly earthly books."
Li Daoxuan replied, "I also need to understand the sufferings of the mortal realm."
Gao Yiye countered, "But... the sufferings of the mortal realm, you could just calculate it... a simple calculation... and it would appear..."
Li Daoxuan said, "I prefer to see it with my own eyes."
The young girl's face flushed crimson. Unable to think of what to say, she just lowered her head and fiddled with the corner of her robe.
Just then, someone came running towards them. It was Zhao Sheng, also known as Dian Dengzi, waving from a distance at Gao Yiye. "Lady Saintess!"
Gao Yiye perked up. "Mr. Zhao, are you looking for me?"
Zhao Sheng ran over, appearing very urgent, but despite running hard, he moved incredibly slowly, becoming breathless after just a few steps. When he reached Gao Yiye, he was gasping like an ox. "S-S-Saintess... I... *cough*... wanted... to ask for guidance..."
Li Daoxuan interjected, "Tell him to slow down, catch his breath, then speak. I'm genuinely worried he'll suffocate if he can't get his breath back."
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