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Chapter 254: You Will Make the Percussion Caps

A short time later, Li Da and Gao Yiye arrived at the entrance of the Ordnance Bureau.

The Ordnance Bureau truly lived up to its name as the 'hottest' department in Gao Family Village, constantly evolving. In just a few days, a new squad of guards had appeared at its entrance, each man armed with a waist saber, their expressions grim and serious.

This was Xu Dafu’s insistence. In his own words: "Any stray spark getting into the Ordnance Bureau could trigger a huge explosion. For such a vital place, relying on just me to guard it won't do. We need more comprehensive protection, or else we’ll all eventually be blasted into the heavens by some mischievous child."

San Shier, on hearing this, deemed it a reasonable request. Consequently, a new squad of guards was hired, operating independently of the militia, solely to protect the Ordnance Bureau. No unauthorized personnel were permitted to approach.

Of course, the Saintess clearly wasn't classified as 'unauthorized personnel.' The moment she appeared, everyone respectfully bowed, for she was the direct representative of the Heavenly Lord.

Xu Dafu immediately emerged from the Ordnance Bureau to greet them. "The Saintess has arrived!" he exclaimed. "Does the Heavenly Lord have any instructions for us? Uh... even though you are the Saintess, I must ask... could you perhaps step back a little? What if, by some chance, you have a tinderbox on your person..."

A ripple of stunned silence passed through the assembled guards.

It was utterly preposterous!

Gao Yiye, far from being offended, merely chuckled and spread her hands. "Relax," she said. "I don't have a tinderbox, and neither does Li Da. We took extra care before coming, so we won't cause you any trouble."

Still, she guided Li Da a considerable distance back. Only then did Xu Dafu cautiously emerge, shutting the door firmly behind him. Everyone remained outside, conversing in the open courtyard—a rather... cautious approach to hospitality.

Even Li Daoxuan, watching the scene unfold, found himself chuckling. *This guy... he won't even grant the Saintess an exception?* Li Daoxuan mused, hovering above them. *What if I were down in the box myself, walking right up to the Ordnance Bureau's entrance? Would you dare block me then? I’m truly curious, ah, the thought of it!*

By this time, Li Da had already launched into a rambling, detailed explanation of his dilemma concerning "percussion caps."

Xu Dafu listened intently, then summarized, "So, you're telling me this gun has a spring that pushes a firing pin, which then strikes the bullet, and *bang*, the bullet flies out?"

Li Da nodded. "I've puzzled over it endlessly. How is that even possible?"

Xu Dafu picked up a twig and drew a massive bullet on the ground. He tapped its base with the twig's tip. "So, there's a percussion cap here, right?"

"Exactly!"

Xu Dafu grasped it almost instantly. "Clearly," he mused, "this 'percussion cap' must be some ingenious ignition device. The firing pin strikes it, the cap ignites, and that in turn sets off the black powder. Then, with a loud *boom*, the black powder explodes, launching the bullet from the barrel..."

With Xu Dafu's explanation, Li Da's eyes widened in understanding. "Ah, so that’s it!" he exclaimed. "But... could such a thing truly exist in this world? Something that ignites gunpowder with just a strike?"

"Of course there are!' Xu Dafu declared. 'Plenty of things create sparks when they collide, don't they? If you strike two knives together with enough force, you'll see sparks fly, won't you?'"

Li Da's eyes gleamed with revelation.

"'Flint, for instance, ignites with a single strike,' Xu Dafu continued. 'There are so many, many things that can catch fire just by rubbing or striking them. Otherwise, why would I be so terrified of you entering the Ordnance Bureau? I'm simply afraid you'll accidentally create a spark in there and send us all rocketing into the sky!'"

Li Da's eyes shone brightly once more. "I get it now! I just need to take one of these things that ignite on impact, fashion it into a percussion cap, and attach it to the base of the bullet. Then, when the firing pin strikes it, *bang*! Haha, the Heavenly Lord was absolutely right; I had to come to you for this!"

Xu Dafu's expression darkened, and he shook his head. "Brother Li Da, you’re thinking far too simply. While I just mentioned several things that can create sparks, none of them are truly reliable. You can't just strike them and expect it to work every time. Take the example of striking two knives together to create sparks: can you guarantee sparks will fly every single time? Can you guarantee their size? Can you truly guarantee that every strike will ignite the gunpowder? If you can’t, then your flintlock rifles will misfire on the battlefield, and your riflemen will simply be throwing their lives away, won't they?"

"'Caution,' he emphasized, 'when it comes to firearms, caution is paramount!'"

Li Da wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "Uh... that... that's certainly true..."

Xu Dafu declared, "I'll need to think long and hard about what material can guarantee that every single time the firing pin strikes, it produces a spark that reliably ignites the gunpowder. That, my friend, is no simple task."

Li Da asked, "So, this task falls to you to research?"

"'Nonsense, of course, I'll be the one to research it,' Xu Dafu declared. 'Developing this requires constant testing with gunpowder. Do you honestly think I’d trust *you* with gunpowder? Your home is a blacksmith's forge, sparks flying everywhere all day long. If I put a barrel of gunpowder in your house, the entire Craftsman Well would be blown to smithereens sooner or later!'"

Li Da wiped a bead of sweat. "Well... alright, then I'll entrust it to you without worry. I'll go back and continue researching the other components." Li Da departed, but Gao Yiye remained, a wide grin fixed on her face as she watched Xu Dafu.

Xu Dafu was about to re-enter the Ordnance Bureau when he noticed the Saintess still watching him with that persistent grin. A sudden realization struck him. He looked up at the sky, and sure enough, the distinctive cloud that signified the Heavenly Lord's presence hovered there.

Xu Dafu understood immediately. "Saintess," he asked, "does the Heavenly Lord have more instructions for me?"

Gao Yiye smiled. "The Heavenly Lord has something he wishes to show you."

Xu Dafu's eyes widened. "From the divine realm?"

Gao Yiye nodded. "Indeed, hehe. The Heavenly Lord said it holds the key to making percussion caps, and he believes you'll grasp it the moment you see it."

Xu Dafu was overjoyed. "Many thanks, Heavenly Lord!"

Li Daoxuan's hand descended. To make sure Xu Dafu could see it clearly, he had deliberately donned the Infinite Gauntlet. The enormous, golden hand settled before Xu Dafu, causing the gunpowder artisan to tremble with excitement. "Ah," Xu Dafu breathed, "this is the first time I've ever seen the Heavenly Lord's divine hand so close!"

Gao Yiye, nimble as a monkey, swiftly scaled Li Daoxuan's colossal hand and settled into its palm. She waved to Xu Dafu. "Come on up!" she called. "The Heavenly Lord is taking us to a distant place!"

Xu Dafu's heart pounded. "This... I... can I truly go up there? What virtues do I possess to warrant such an honor?"

Gao Yiye laughed. "Quickly, come up! The Heavenly Lord's time won't wait for your hesitation!"

Xu Dafu quickly scrambled onto the colossal hand, using both his hands and feet.

The enormous golden hand slowly rose, carrying the two tiny figures aloft. In mere moments, it transported them to the summit of a small, desolate mountain, far removed from the village.

Li Daoxuan gently set the two down. Then, from his personal stash of fireworks, he pulled out a "throw-popper." Holding it delicately between two fingers, he extended it into the diorama box, wiggling it before Xu Dafu. "Remember this object," he instructed. "This is a small device that explodes on impact. I will now demonstrate it for you."