Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

Old Geng was very experienced and knew the terrain of northern Shaanxi like the back of his hand. He had led teams out several times and returned safely, bringing back valuable intelligence.

Although Shuanzhu was a man of few words, he was quick and agile, and his knife skills were ruthless. He stood out in several small-scale skirmishes and gradually gained a foothold in the scout team.

Tian Ergou became Lin Fan's "errand boy"—responsible for delivering messages, collecting materials, and doing odd jobs.

This kid was clever, sweet-talking, and quick on his feet. He quickly became one of the soldiers in the camp and became Lin Fan's "eyes and ears" among the lower-ranking soldiers.

"Master Lin, Chief Liu isn't very satisfied with the knives we made. He thinks they're too slow," Tian Ergou said, leaning closer and lowering his voice, his face filled with worry.

Lin Fan was polishing a freshly quenched blade, not even looking up: "Too slow? How fast does he want it to be?"

"Leader Liu said that at least ten knives and fifty arrowheads must be made every day, otherwise it won't be enough."

Lin Fan stopped what he was doing and looked up.

Ten knives and fifty arrowheads?

Are they being treated like livestock, or are they being made into weapons like kneading dough?

"Go back and tell Chief Liu," Lin Fan's voice wasn't loud, but it was calm, "that making weapons isn't like steaming buns; it can't be rushed. Ten knives a day is possible, but the quality can't be guaranteed. If they break with a single blow on the battlefield, it'll be our brothers who die."

Tian Ergou was stunned: "Master Lin, I dare not say that. Chief Liu has a bad temper, if..."

"Just tell the truth," Lin Fan continued sharpening the blade. "If he's not satisfied, tell him to come find me."

Tian Ergou shrank his neck and ran away in a flash.

Han Jinhu, listening from the side, was somewhat worried: "Brother Lin, Liu Zongmin is General Li's most trusted leader. If we offend him..."

"It's not about offending anyone." Lin Fan put down the whetstone and checked the sharpness of the blade. "It's about being reasonable. We can't be sloppy when it comes to weapons. If we're going to stay here for a long time, we need to let people know that the knives we make are different from those elsewhere. Quality is our hallmark."

Han Jinhu seemed to understand, but seeing Lin Fan's confident demeanor, he said no more.

Sure enough, Liu Zongmin arrived in the afternoon.

He strode to the blacksmith's shop, his face grim, followed by two bodyguards, their swords drawn half an inch from their sheaths, exuding an imposing aura.

"Master Lin!" Liu Zongmin's voice boomed like thunder. "I heard you have objections to my orders?"

Lin Fan was instructing a laborer on forging arrowheads when he heard this. He stood up, wiped the dust off his hands, and remained composed and respectful.

"Chief Liu, it's not that I have a problem with this, it's just that I'm stating the facts. With our current manpower and iron resources, we can't make ten knives and fifty arrowheads a day. Even if we could, they would be substandard."

"Defective product?" Liu Zongmin sneered. "Weren't you quite capable with Wang Ziyong? How come you're no good with me?"

"Wang Ziyong repairs and patches things up, he doesn't build them from scratch," Lin Fan patiently explained. "Repairing an old knife is much easier than making a new one. There are hundreds of brothers in the camp right now, and there's a huge shortage of weapons. We can't possibly handle it all by ourselves."

Liu Zongmin stared at him for a few moments, his gaze fierce.

Lin Fan did not back down and met his gaze.

He knew that in this camp steeped in the atmosphere of the outlaws, backing down would only earn him contempt.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Liu Zongmin ultimately didn't lose his temper, and his tone softened somewhat.

"Add more people, add more materials," Lin Fan said. "Send a few more skilled craftsmen, and I'll teach them. We also need to ensure a stable supply of iron; we can't have it today and not tomorrow. In addition, we need to build a larger furnace that can process more iron at once."

"Add more men and more supplies..." Liu Zongmin frowned. "There are only so many people in the camp. All the capable fighters are preparing for battle. Where are the spare people to forge iron for you?"

"Preparing for war also requires weapons," Lin Fan said. "Without good weapons, no matter how many people you have, they're just going to their deaths."

These words were so direct that the surrounding workers held their breath.

Liu Zongmin's expression changed, and finally he snorted and turned to leave.

He took a few steps, then stopped, saying without turning his head, "I'll try my best to find you the man. As for the materials, you can ask Mr. Gu for them yourself. But I need to see at least twenty good knives in three days. Otherwise, don't blame me for turning against you."

After saying that, he strode away.

Han Jinhu breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "My God, that scared me to death. Brother Lin, you really dare to say that."

Lin Fan picked up the hammer again and continued forging the arrowhead.

"It's not that you dare to say it, it's that you have to say it. In this place, if you make people think you're easy to bully, you can forget about ever holding your head up again."

---

Three days later, the twenty knives were delivered as scheduled.

Each one has been personally quenched and tempered by Lin Fan, resulting in a sharp edge and a tough blade.

Although the iron material is still impure and there are inevitably some impurities and flaws on the blade, it is already much better than the junk that the camp used to have.

Liu Zongmin personally tested the knife, cutting through a wooden stake as thick as a bowl, without damaging the blade.

The gloom on his face eased a bit. Although he didn't say anything praising, the look in his eyes towards Lin Fan was less disdainful and more appreciative.

Gu Jun'en also came.

He picked up a knife, examined it carefully, tested the blade with his finger, and nodded, saying, "Master Lin has excellent craftsmanship. These knives are no worse than those issued to the imperial army."

"Not at all," Lin Fan said frankly. "The government troops' swords are made of good iron, repeatedly forged, with fewer impurities. Our iron is inferior, so we can only compensate with craftsmanship. They can cut and stab, but their durability is definitely not as good as the government troops'."

"That's better than nothing," Gu Jun'en said with a smile. "Master Lin, there's no need to belittle yourself. General Li said that from now on, the manufacture of weapons in the camp will be handled by you and Chief Liu. Just let us know if you need anything."

Lin Fan was secretly delighted, but remained outwardly calm: "Thank you, Mr. Gu, and thank you, General Li."

He knew that this was not just a matter of authorization, but also a responsibility.

The quality of weapons directly affects the lives of the brothers.

He cannot betray this trust.

---

The days passed by.

Lin Fan's blacksmith shop expanded from the initial two furnaces to five.

The manpower increased from the initial five to more than twenty, including several craftsmen who had defected from other rebel armies, as well as young apprentices selected from the camp.

He established a simple division of labor process—

Some people are responsible for selecting materials, some for forging, some for quenching, some for polishing, and some for assembling.

Although crude, it greatly improves efficiency.

Each day, they can produce seven or eight knives, thirty or forty arrowheads, and a small number of accessories such as spearheads and scabbards.

The arrow is of utmost importance.

Lin Fan knew that for the peasant army, which lacked long-range firepower, bows and arrows were the most important ranged weapons.

The quality of the arrowhead directly determines the lethality of the bow and arrow.

Using limited iron materials, he specially designed a triangular cone-shaped arrow that was highly penetrating and easy to manufacture.

While it couldn't be guaranteed that every arrow would pierce the soldiers' cotton armor, it was still far superior to the flat iron plates of the past.