Chapter 346: Wang Er Has Returned
Gao Yiye arrived at the blacksmith's workshop.
The workshop buzzed with fervent activity, an immense heat radiating outwards, palpable even from outside the entrance.
Not daring to simply barge in and risk causing a disturbance, she stood at the doorway and called inside: “Li Da, Gao Yiyi, are you there?”
Li Da and Gao Yiyi quickly emerged from within.
“The Heavenly Lord sent me to ask about the progress on the heavy cannons.”
Gao Yiyi’s face betrayed a hint of embarrassment. “Well... *cough*...”
Li Daoxuan sensed a problem immediately. “What’s happened?”
Gao Yiyi explained, “The manufacturing process for these cannons is incredibly complex. We’ve been at it for days, but haven’t managed to produce even a single one.”
“Oh!” Li Daoxuan murmured.
He realized that casting a heavy cannon back then wasn't something that could be churned out in a blink. Just the barrel alone required an intricate sequence of steps.
Iron cannons were prone to bursting, so the materials provided by Song Yingxing specified the use of a mixed iron and copper metal, essentially an ‘alloy.’
Given the production capabilities of the era, the difficulty of creating such an ‘alloy’ was immense. The artisans had to melt and mix iron and copper in precise proportions, a single process that consumed a vast amount of time.
Then, the blacksmiths needed to create either a sand or clay mold. This involved crafting a mold from finely tempered clay, then slowly air-drying it or carefully baking it with charcoal. The molding process alone could take anywhere from a minimum of one month to a maximum of three.
Furthermore, each clay mold could only be used to cast a single cannon.
Such a production cycle was enough to give anyone a headache.
Li Daoxuan mused, *If they continue like this, it’ll take months to produce a single cannon. My current ship alone needs twelve, and Cai Xinzhi is already making more ship models for me. Soon, I’ll need hundreds of cannons.*
*If I let them work at this pace, when will I ever get them? It’ll take until the cows come home!*
Li Daoxuan thought it over. *The blacksmiths just need to master the cannon-making techniques. The monotonous, tedious, and time-consuming casting steps don’t necessarily have to be done by them.*
*I can provide them with the cannon barrels directly.*
*I certainly can’t buy cannon barrels directly from an online marketplace!*
*What could I buy as a substitute?*
Li Daoxuan began searching an online marketplace. To his surprise, he found something called ‘capillary steel tubing’ for sale, made of 304 stainless steel, available in various specifications.
The outer diameter could go as small as 0.2mm, with a wall thickness down to 0.08mm. Larger steel tubes could basically be custom-ordered. Of course, they couldn’t be *too* thick, because beyond a certain size, they might be used to ‘manufacture gun barrels,’ and that would be a serious offense. Both the seller and buyer of such steel tubes would end up behind bars.
But if he only ordered very thin capillary steel tubing, he wouldn’t be treading a sewing machine; he could order whatever he wanted.
Li Daoxuan quickly sent a private message to the shop owner: “I want to order some capillary steel tubing. You have it in stock, right?”
The shop owner replied, “Absolutely, sir! We stock both ready-made and custom orders.”
Li Daoxuan chuckled. “Alright then. I need a batch of capillary steel tubing, 15mm long, 0.6mm inner diameter. One end open, one end sealed, with a small opening on the sealed end... Hmm! That sounds a bit abstract. Basically, I need them to resemble the structure of an ancient cannon barrel. Just search online for an image of a heavy cannon, and make the steel tubing according to that blueprint. I only need the internal structure to be similar, not the outer appearance.”
The shop owner seemed a bit confused. “Making capillary steel tubing into the structure of an ancient cannon? What kind of idea is that? Sir, your request is a bit odd. What are these even for? I can’t quite grasp it.”
Li Daoxuan retorted, “I’ll pay extra! Double the price!”
“Sir!” the shop owner chirped. “You’re not strange at all, you’re brilliant! I completely understand the design you want. I guarantee the mission will be accomplished!”
The next day, at noon...
The Craftsman Well!
Gao Yiye, accompanied by two secretaries, arrived at the Craftsman Well.
When she had visited yesterday, the blacksmiths hadn't been able to show the Heavenly Lord satisfactory progress, leaving them anxious and fearful that Gao Yiye was there to pressure them. Instead, Gao Yiye smiled. “The Heavenly Lord has commanded that you temporarily cease your efforts on the cannon barrels. The Heavenly Lord will bestow upon you a batch of celestial cannon barrels.”
“Celestial cannon barrels?” The blacksmiths were a little stunned. “Do immortals use cannons when they fight, too?”
Li Daoxuan was speechless.
Gao Yiye herself paused for a bewildered moment, then burst out laughing. “Immortals, of course, fight with celestial magic! But it’s not just immortals in heaven; there are also heavenly soldiers and generals, and heavenly soldiers need weapons too!”
The blacksmiths suddenly understood. “Ah, yes, heavenly soldiers must fight as well!”
Gao Yiye looked up. “Everyone, watch closely.”
Li Daoxuan scooped up a handful of the capillary steel tubing that had just arrived from a recent delivery. He slowly lowered them into the box. This batch of steel tubing was all 15mm long with a 0.6mm inner diameter, perfectly scaled to the size of the heavy cannons.
When he placed these items into the Craftsman Well, the artisans were dumbfounded.
“It’s... so incredibly smooth?”
“So bright, brighter than any bronze mirror.”
“Such beautiful cannon barrels.”
“Truly worthy of being celestial cannon barrels.”
“Quick, quickly bring these into the Craftsman Well! With these, we can finish the cannons right away!”
The blacksmiths cheered, wild with excitement. Seeing the Heavenly Lord present a pile of celestial cannon barrels resembling a small mountain, they thought, *By the heavens, how many cannons can we make with these? Utter bliss!*
*Now my large ships will soon be fully armed with cannons, right?*
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly saw a group of people hurrying into Gao Family Village. Leading them was Bai Yuan, followed by a band of household retainers and about a dozen men in tattered clothes. These men wore wide-brimmed straw hats and kept their heads bowed; Li Daoxuan, looking down from the sky, couldn’t see their faces.
He activated the ‘focus’ feature. Now, his view was no longer limited to a top-down perspective; he could rotate 360 degrees for a close-up look at the group. That’s when he recognized two familiar faces: Wang Er, and his trusted subordinate, Bai Mao. The other unfamiliar faces were likely the people from Wangjia Village who had followed Wang Er when he left.
A strange thought sparked in Li Daoxuan’s mind: *Hmm? Wang Er has returned?*
“Oh!”
He understood!
*Wang Jiayin must be on his way!*
They scrutinized the long-unseen Gao Family Village with expressions of childlike wonder, as if they were Alice stepping into Wonderland, or a rustic exploring a grand estate.
At that moment, Bai Yuan and his group had just entered Gao Family Village, making a direct path toward the main keep. Behind them, Wang Er’s group was utterly dazzled by the strange and wondrous sights. They hadn’t imagined that Chengcheng County, after more than two years away from home, would have transformed so dramatically.
Wang Er couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh. “How in the world was all of this accomplished?”
Bai Yuan replied, “There’s far more to marvel at, but now isn’t the time for sightseeing. Let’s head to the main keep to meet San Shier and the Saintess.”
Li Daoxuan also lowered his gaze towards the Craftsman Well and instructed, “Yiye, quickly go to the council chamber. Summon San Shier; it’s time to discuss important matters.”
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