Top-notch Little Horseman

Damn it!

This guy is amazing, absolutely amazing!

Putting everything else aside, this kid's arm strength is simply astonishing.

You should know that a single stun gun plus 12 bullets weighs 35 jin (17.5 catties).

But this kid was able to walk in holding himself up without batting an eye, not even breaking a sweat. He must have incredible strength.

If I could have a bodyguard like this, my safety would be even more guaranteed.

"Brother Ye, I've brought you the gun. It's a rare treasure, one that can be counted on one hand in the Northern Territory."

Wu Liangde picked up a sniper rifle and pointed the muzzle at Ye Chen.

"This lightning bolt gun, along with 12 matching cartridges, will cost you one tael of silver per cartridge, totaling 62 taels. Consider it a gift from your brother."

"100 rounds, is that enough? Once you've used them all up, I'll get you more, and I'll definitely give you a discount."

Wu Liangde rubbed his little hands together, his face beaming with joy.

"A lightning bolt gun?" Ye Chen chuckled and snatched the lightning bolt gun from Wu Liangde's hand.

"this one?"

He held his breath and focused intently, cocked the gun with one hand, secured the pin, raised the gun and aimed—all in one smooth motion.

His movements were even smoother than those of the most experienced musketeers in the unit.

"Captain! You actually know this trick?"

The smoker was completely dumbfounded.

That was a musket, not a sickle for harvesting hay. He had never even seen one, let alone used it.

While Wu Liangde and the Smoker were cheering for Ye Chen, the boy who was handing over the electric musket scoffed disdainfully.

"Brother, is there something I did wrong?" Ye Chen turned to the young man and asked for his opinion.

"There's nothing wrong with it, but if you really want to keep firing the electric gun like that, don't you want your eyes anymore?" The boy sniffled, looking at Ye Chen and asking.

"Er Gouzi, this is a masterpiece from Kyoto, what do you know?!"

Fearing the deal would fall through, Wu Liangde glared at the young man and shouted.

"The craftsmanship at the Kyoto Foundry has been getting worse and worse these past two years. The gap between the barrel seals is so large that once it's fired, the gunpowder will inevitably spray backward and will definitely hurt your eyes!" Er Gouzi said to Wu Liangde.

"Damn it! You little brat, don't think you're something just because you're from Kyoto!" Wu Liangde shouted angrily.

"Get out, get out, get out right now, get out of here!"

He stormed over, grabbed Er Gouzi by the ear, and dragged him out the door.

"Wait!" Ye Chen called out at that moment.

Upon hearing this, Wu Liangde stopped what he was doing, turned to look at Ye Chen, and said with a fawning smile, "Brother Ye, don't listen to this brat's nonsense. Would I, your brother, harm you?"

"I'll take it. 62 taels of silver, pay in full on the spot." Ye Chen didn't mince words, taking out the difference and placing it directly on the table.

"Wow! Brother Ye is so generous!" Wu Liangde's eyes lit up when he saw the silver on the table, and he quickly let go of Er Gouzi.

"Brother, I'm not stingy, so I'll give you a knife. Do you prefer a long knife, a short knife, or a large ringed sword?"

Ye Chen gently shook his head and said, "There's no need to give it to me. Business is business, I still want the knife, I'll charge you separately."

"However, there's a problem with this 'Lightning Bolt'. I want to modify it. After all, we're going to be working together for a long time, and you don't want me to blind myself, do you?"

"Of course, of course!" Wu Liangde said with a forced smile.

"I think this young man is quite good. How about I have him make some changes for me?" Ye Chen looked towards the door and watched Er Gouzi's departing figure.

"Uh?" Wu Liangde looked over upon hearing this, his face showing difficulty. "It's possible. Putting aside everything else, Er Gouzi's skills are absolutely top-notch."

"However, he came from Kyoto and was sent down to me as a disciple for further study. He has a very strong temper, and he might not even listen to me, his older brother."

"It's alright, as long as you agree, I'll go talk to him myself," Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Alright, since Brother Ye says so, then I will naturally make the arrangements." Wu Liangde nodded and said.

"I've decided to be your friend. If you ever need anything, just ask your brother Wu. I won't charge you for small items, and for bigger things, I'll give you a 20% discount!"

Having seen countless people, Wu Liangde could tell at a glance that Ye Chen, with his bold and magnanimous demeanor, was destined for greatness.

And so Ye Chen spent 62 taels of silver, which made even the smoker feel the pinch!

Ye Chen spent another 20 taels of silver to find a ten-centimeter-long knife and equipped the smoker with a gleaming Qi family knife.

The Qi Family Sword was developed by a famous general in the past, based on the characteristics of Japanese swords from the island nation. Its appearance is very similar, so it is often mistaken for a Japanese sword.

This Qi Family Sword was disliked by other troops besides the Qi Family Army, but in fact the two are not the same thing at all.

Japanese swords are forged using a steel-clad forging method, with an iron core inside and a high-quality steel outer layer. They are hammered and refined countless times, making them exceptionally sharp and capable of cutting through iron like mud.

However, the drawbacks of this Japanese sword are obvious. Because the entire blade is made of high-quality steel, it is difficult to repair after repeated battles when it gets chipped or broken, and it is also very expensive to manufacture.

Therefore, in the homes of island samurai, if there is a treasured sword, they will worship it like a god.

They regularly dust and oil their clothes, caring for them even more than they care for their wives.

The Qi family sword is different. It uses a steel-inlaid forging method. The blade is made of pure iron, and only the edge is made of fine steel fused with hammering. Therefore, the overall blade is heavier and stronger than the Japanese sword.

The Qi family sword has low maintenance and repair costs, making it more suitable for prolonged combat.

There's a folk saying about Qi family knives: "Good steel should be used on the blade."

"Captain, this knife costs 16 taels of silver... That's too expensive. I don't have that much money. I'll pay you back when I earn the money in the future."

The smoker held the Qi family knife he had longed for day and night, his face full of excitement, stroking the blade as if it were his own wife.

"No need. If you like this knife, consider it a gift from me." Ye Chen shook his head slightly, half-jokingly.

"But you'll have to help me kill some people in the future, okay?"

"Who do you want to kill?" the Smoker asked with utmost seriousness. "Whoever you want to kill, I'll wield the knife for you!"

"Just kidding... at least not yet. We'll talk about it if we need it in the future." Ye Chen smiled slightly. He did need a knife, and the Smoker was just the right one.

After buying the items, the next step is to deal with the people involved; this electric musket must be modified.

Ye Chen led Smoker to the main production area of ​​the foundry. The backyard connected to the artisan workshop, where eight large furnaces stood side by side, burning at the moment, and the temperature was more than 20 degrees higher than outside.

A dozen or so craftsmen, wearing aprons and shirtless, were wielding hammers, hammering and making various kinds of equipment.

Most of them were blacksmiths or apprentices recruited locally. They had no military status and their wages were meager, but the foundry provided them with three meals a day.

There's no other way; if they're not fed enough, they simply won't have the strength to swing the hammer for this kind of physically demanding work.

The little dog, about the size of a radish head, is extremely conspicuous here.

He had the largest furnace all to himself, and two burly men to serve him. It was clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

He comes from Kyoto, the most popular royal arsenal in the Qin Dynasty, Yunlai Workshop.

About six years ago, an explosion occurred at Yunlai Workshop, where more than 6 tons of gunpowder in stock were blown up, creating a mushroom cloud.

Tens of thousands of houses collapsed, and tens of thousands of people were killed or injured. In order to appease the people and govern the country, the Qin emperor had no choice but to issue an edict of self-reproach. He, who survived, was sent to the Beijing Foundry.

"Brother Er Gou, I need to trouble you with something." Ye Chen greeted him with a smile.

"I want to modify this lightning gun!"