Knife splashing

Chapter 164: God Tower Drum Band
"Qian Hu, please punish me!"

Seeing that none of the Kongming lanterns were extinguished, the two captains' gunners' faces turned red immediately, and they turned around, knelt on one knee and clasped their fists.

"Hahaha!"

Qian Hu Chang Xuan was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled happily. “Back in Xianyang, I saw the master of Taixuan Orthodox Sect use his magical powers to shoot arrows. His arrows never missed their targets. I kept it in mind.”

"Now the imperial court has asked the guards in various places to test it, which is just right for use. Just present this method, and you will all be rewarded with great success!"

Guan Wanche bowed and said, "Your Excellency is wise, but it is a bit unexpected. It is better to submit the letter as soon as possible."

"That's natural."

Chang Xuan was in a good mood and nodded with a smile.

There are many smart people in the court. If he can think of it, naturally other guards can also think of it.

This one step faster will lead to completely different results.

Thinking of this, Chang Xuan bowed to the Taoist nun next to him and said, "This time it was thanks to Taoist Master Zi Yuan's help, otherwise we would still be at a loss."

The Taoist nun was none other than Guan Wanche’s sister.

Facing the thanks from the captain, Chang Xuan, she had a stern expression without a trace of happiness on her face. She said in a deep voice, "I just hope that the captain will not forget his promise."

"Taoist priest, don't worry."

Chang Xuan said solemnly: "I have applied for a warrant to arrest her. The local commanderies will keep an eye out. As long as she is still in Shenzhou, she will be exposed."

As he spoke, he looked at the guns in the hands of his two subordinates and said with regret: "Unfortunately, this item is very expensive and needs the work of Xuanmen craftsmen. If it can be produced in large quantities, the world will not be in turmoil..."

……

Naturally, Li Yan and others could not hear their conversation.

Seeing that the commander no longer tested his gun, Li Yan made a gesture and quickly retreated with Sha Lifei and Wang Daoxuan, disappearing in the wind and snow.

Back at the mountain temple, the three were still in shock.

Sharifei fiddled with the fire, and after a while he shook his head and said, "I didn't expect this new firearm to be so powerful."

Wang Daoxuan also sighed: "When this divine weapon is born, humanity will inevitably change. It is hard to predict whether it will be a blessing or a curse..."

"Probably not for the time being."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and recalled: "Firearms have been used since the Song Dynasty, but to this day, they have not replaced swords and guns."

"When Zhou Pan died, I smelled a peculiar smell in the gunpowder. I'm afraid it was mixed with some spiritual objects, making it difficult to produce on a large scale."

"And that gun probably has some problems too..."

He didn't just make a guess when he said this.

The power of that new type of gunpowder far exceeds that of ordinary black powder.

But the design of firearms cannot be further improved.

A single material limits development.

This thing cannot be separated from a complete industrial system.

The Daxuan Dynasty is still in the embryonic stage of capital. If I am not mistaken, the firearms used by the Duwei Division are all handmade by skilled craftsmen.

Snapped!
Sharifei, who had remained silent, slapped his thigh fiercely and said, "Brother Yan, you must practice this gun!"

A hint of excitement flashed in his eyes. "Old Sha, I don't have a good aptitude for martial arts, and I'm always afraid that I'll be a burden to you. As long as I practice this skill well, I won't be afraid even if I meet a master of Hua Jin!"

Li Yan was speechless, then nodded and smiled: "Okay."

All this was within his expectations.

There is no wall that is impenetrable, let alone those who ignore the law. Sooner or later, this thing will flow into the public.

The emergence of new gunpowder and corresponding firearms will inevitably disrupt the original order of the underworld.

A Dan Jin master may very likely be shot in the head by an ordinary person with poor martial arts aptitude.

The generational hierarchy established due to martial arts inheritance will also change.

In this tide, those who stick to tradition will only be eliminated.

But at this moment, the footprint on the Shenquan Club arena inexplicably came to Li Yan's mind.

Perhaps his guess was not entirely correct...

…………

With the presence of the Duwei Si, the three men naturally did not dare to practice with spears, and hurried back to Chang'an city before dawn.

What I saw last night did have a significant impact after all.

The most obvious change is Sharifei.

"Brother Yan, please tell me how to use this thing!"

As soon as he returned to the courtyard, Sharifei immediately closed the door and pestered Li Yan, his eyes full of desire.

Li Yan was stunned at first, then he looked at Sharifei deeply, "Okay, Taoist priest, please follow me."

"Here is the charge chamber, this is the trigger..."

"The flint falls, ignites the gunpowder, and shoots the projectile..."

"The oilcloth must be stuffed tightly, be careful of explosion..."

"The shooting technique can be a straight line of three points..."

"Uncle Sha, you don't have any magical powers, you can only rely on your accuracy. The trick to shooting is to aim intentionally and fire unintentionally. And you also have to figure out where the bullet will land..."

"How do you know all this, little brother?"

"Well...it's actually similar to martial arts. When we practice swords, isn't it about the unity of man and sword? The same is true for spear practice..."

"Great!"

After some explanation, Li Yan told everything he knew.

Perhaps Sharifei really had some talent. He figured out what a flintlock rifle was in a short time and borrowed it to tinker with it all day.

He even forgot about selling the relics with Luo Faqing and was visited by someone who complained to him.

Wang Daoxuan was not very enthusiastic about it. He just wanted to practice it well so that he could have a magical tool to protect himself in the future.

That’s right, in the eyes of the old Taoist, this thing is a magic weapon.

As for Li Yan, his main focus is still on cultivation.

Yesterday was a very rewarding day for him.

Firstly, seeing those martial arts masters and the footprints on the ring made him more determined to practice martial arts, even though the musket was about to take the stage.

The second is the success of "Northern Emperor Yinshan Method".

Even though this is just one short night, it is worth two or three months of hard work.

Of course, this method also has side effects, which is that the foundation is unstable. After each practice, one must concentrate and rest for a month to consolidate one's practice.

Even so, it is an astonishing speed.

If we continue like this, we will probably be able to build a two-story building next year.

In the following days, the three of them found an opportunity to go out at night and practice their shooting skills in the barren mountains near Chang'an.

Bang!Bang!Bang!
In the dark night, gunfire flashed and smoke filled the air.

Perhaps it was because of what he had seen in his previous life, but Li Yan really looked down upon this flintlock rifle, especially because it had too many weaknesses.

The gunpowder would not explode if it got damp, it would lose its accuracy after a few dozen meters, and it was too troublesome to load... Compared with what the Duwei Division used, it was simply not of the same grade.

Of course, even so, he still practiced very seriously.

Relying on his eyesight, arm strength and sense of smell acquired through martial arts training, he soon acquired accuracy and could hit whatever he pointed at, at least within a range of several dozen meters.

Wang Daoxuan was the worst at training and wasn't very interested in it. He just wanted to hit people within a range of ten meters.

And Sharifei was in high spirits.

Even though he had no supernatural powers and his progress was very slow compared to Li Yan, he still practiced again and again and immersed himself in it.

Of course, troubles also follow.

"Brother, we're out of ammunition."

Sharifei held the rifle in his hand and looked at the empty ammunition bag. He felt extremely upset and distressed.

"It's gone." Li Yan shook his head and said, "Just bear with it for now. The Duwei Division is still investigating the ancient Zhou tomb explosives case. The situation is too tense right now. Even if you can find a way, don't take the risk now."

The production of ammunition for this type of flintlock rifle is not complicated.

Oilcloth, gunpowder, lead or iron shot.

With these three things, you can make it by hand.

"This...is fine."

Sharifei scratched his head and felt itchy all over.

Of course, even if he wanted to do something, he couldn't do it.

As the year draws to a close, the three of them become increasingly busy.

Sha Lifei was still hanging out with Luo Faqing, moving between the mansions of various wealthy people in Chang'an City, and the relics in his hands were almost sold out.

Apart from taking on some small jobs, Wang Daoxuan spends the rest of his time preparing for the New Year.

In previous years, he was alone and would just put up New Year pictures, change the couplets, and eat dumplings, and that would be considered the New Year.

Now that there are two more people and we have moved to a new house, there seems to be endless things to do from top to bottom.

The house was looking for someone to clean, so we asked someone who was not busy in the neighborhood...

The six gods of the house also need to be replaced and accompanied by couplets.

The Kitchen God is “speaks good things from heaven and brings good fortune to the earth”. There is a sticker in the yard saying “The garden is full of spring”, on the stairs there is a sticker saying “Climbing higher and higher”, and by the well there is a sticker saying “Inexhaustible supply, inexhaustible”.

Even the flour and rice jars were labeled “white as snow” and “yellow as gold”…

Sharifei laughed at him and said he was like an old woman.

Wang Daoxuan just stroked his beard and smiled, with a hint of loneliness occasionally flashing in his eyes.

As for food for the New Year, there was no preparation at all.

A few days after Zhang Shitong sent the New Year gifts, Li Kongqing came and also returned some New Year gifts. Although the number was small, they were all high-end snacks from the royal palace.

Sharifei wanted to eat, but Wang Daoxuan took all of it away, saying that he could only eat after the New Year and offering sacrifices to the ancestor and the three people's ancestors...

In the next few days, people came intermittently.

First, the Red Yaksha brought some live chickens and ducks, saying that they were sent by villagers and they couldn’t finish eating them, so they just brought them to them…

Next came the people from the Five Elements of Chang'an City.

Apart from the carriage and horse companies and the water transport gang, with whom they had no dealings, Feng Feiyan, Tie Shigu, and even the head of the dental clinic, Bai Ruoxu, all sent people to present a New Year gift.

These naturally need to be reciprocated.

Sharifei prepared another one and delivered it to each person's door.

It's troublesome, but this is the custom.

As for Li Yan, he is not at home most of the time.

The team for the Drum King Conference has finally taken shape...

…………

Yongningfang is located in the east of the city, only two streets away from the original East Market. Those who live here are not rich, but they have some wealth.

Manager Wan is the elder of the Xianyang Craftsmen Guild and a Taoist craftsman. He is also a friend of the Taixuan Orthodox Church and naturally has a lot of connections.

When a wealthy businessman in Chang'an learned that he wanted to participate in the Drum King Conference, he gave up his large mansion with three entrances without saying a word.

"Brother Zhao!"

When Li Yan arrived, he saw Zhao Luzi squatting outside the door.

His eyes were full of surprise. He gave him a bear hug and laughed, "You, you disappeared once you left. There has been no news from you for months!"

Zhao Luzi was a little shy and scratched the back of his head. "I have been staying in the mountains, leading people to look for spiritual wood everywhere. I just came out a while ago."

"I can't leave easily today. I have to get drunk!"

Li Yan smiled and put his arm around Zhao Luzi's shoulders. "Come on, come on, accompany me to see what the sacred building looks like."

"No, no, I'll wait for you outside."

Zhao Luzi quickly shook his head and stood there refusing to move.

This is their ancestral precept of keeping treasures to themselves. They are afraid of bringing bad luck into other people's homes, so they never enter other people's homes.

To be honest, both Li Yan and Manager Wan are people from the Xuanmen sect. They can tell whether there is evil spirit at a glance, so they naturally don't care.

But Zhao Luzi is as stubborn as his name suggests, with a temper as stubborn as a donkey.

His father made him swear not to enter the Qinling Mountains and not to leave Guanzhong, and the kid strictly abided by it. No matter who could persuade him, it was useless, not to mention the ancestral teachings.

Li Yan was helpless, "Okay, wait for me, don't run away again!"

"Yeah." Zhao Luzi nodded seriously.

"Hello, Young Master Li!"

Before he even entered the door, Wan's apprentice came out to greet him, bowed and raised his hand and said, "Master is busy inside, the helpers are all here, please follow me, Li Shaoxia."

This house is really big. Li Yan followed the other party all the way forward. Before he got close to the backyard, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He could smell a peculiar smell in the backyard.

The aura circulated, and a situation was vaguely formed!
He quickened his pace, and as soon as he entered the backyard, his eyes lit up.

The name of this Drum King Conference is Dongzhuang Shenlou.

The so-called shrine building is not a real building, but something made of wood, similar to a shrine, but it looks like a temple.

Generally speaking, it is about the same size as a sedan chair.

During the community fire parade, the men would lift up the shrine, beat gongs and drums, and march through the streets.

At this moment, many people gathered in the yard.

What is even more eye-catching are the three sacred towers, one large and two small.

The big one in the middle is two people tall, and looks like a small house, with a hip roof, flying eaves, brackets, four beams and eight pillars, and the front and rear bars are as thick as bowls.

The two nearby ones are relatively small, but also larger than ordinary sacred buildings.

"Good guy!"

In the courtyard, a tall and strong man opened his mouth and said, "Senior Wan, two Martial God Towers are fine, but your Wen Shen Tower is too big."

"It usually takes sixteen people to carry the Wenshen Tower. You need forty or fifty people. I don't have that many brothers with me."

"that is!"

An old man with a white beard and a sturdy face said happily: "Brother Wan, you just don't listen to advice. You used up all the good wood and asked me to measure them one by one with a Lu Ban ruler. All the dimensions must be auspicious numbers."

"This is the standard for building a temple. I advised you not to listen. Now you can't even lift it!"

"What do you know, old man?!"

Shopkeeper Wan snorted, "This time, it's not just people from Shanzhou who are here. Teams from all the states are joining us. The Dharma veins are gathering together, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their magical powers. If we don't do something ruthless, wouldn't that make people laugh?"

As he said that, he stepped forward and patted the God Tower, and said with a proud look in his eyes: "The God Tower alone cannot defeat them, so this time I asked a lot of people to help. Do you know why we have to build it so big?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Shopkeeper Wan said with a smile, "Because we have to hide people inside, we will have to put up curtains on both sides. I have invited the Zuo Clan from Huayin to use their best Eight Directions Appearance Technique. It will be dazzling at night, like a god accompanying you!"

"The band is from the Luo family of Xianyang. They will be wearing cloth armor, carrying a large banner on their shoulders, playing Qin and Han war drums. And with my brother Li's divine drums to back them up, we will be able to overwhelm them in terms of momentum!"

"Don't worry about the people who can carry the stairs. I have traveled to Xianyang and Chang'an, and there are plenty of strong men. I just need to trouble Brother Lu to train them."

After listening to his explanation, everyone was eager to try it out.

"it is good!"

The tall and strong man clapped his hands and laughed, "Manager Wan has such courage, how can we be timid? Don't worry, we will make sure this divine building is stable when the time comes!"

Li Yan was also surprised. He didn't expect such a big scene, but he became more interested.

In this case, the team is likely to have hundreds of people.

And there are also people from other states vying for supremacy.

Just think about how lively it was then...

(End of this chapter)