Chapter 40: Forging the Gun

"Zzz~"

The air seemed to thicken, and An Xin felt an itch on his scalp. The hair on his wig began to float. The fine hairs on his arms stood on end, and when he brushed his hand over them, they produced a sharp, crackling static.

"It seems the item is genuine."

An Xin looked at the paper before him with pleasant surprise. He had commissioned someone to translate the Great Seal script of the "Five Thunders Method" into traditional characters, and upon returning from his inspection of the engineer battalion, he had practiced according to its general principles. Although he could not truly enter the path of cultivation without spiritual power, it had indeed drained his energy. The spiritual energy within him, converted from the Panlong Treasure Seal, had been faintly stirred, causing a surge of static electricity to build up around him, leaving his entire body feeling numb and tingling.

He stood up and brushed himself off, producing a series of dense "crackle-pop" sounds. He walked over to a screen, grasped a sword resting there, and with a "clang," drew the blade, plunging it into the floor. The static electricity from his body discharged into the metal and quickly dissipated into the ground.

"Now, all that is missing is a fundamental practice method."

An Xin’s longing for a foundational cultivation technique was so intense that he was practically burning with impatience. Once he could cultivate spiritual power and become a practitioner of Qi, he would possess inconceivable abilities and demonstrate extraordinary power. The mere thought of soaring through the skies, diving into the seas, and mastering countless transformations and techniques made his heart race. He couldn't suppress a grin, and when he let out a silly laugh, he was startled by the sound of his own voice.

He placed the original "Five Thunders Method" back into its box. Although the book was not from the pre-Qin era—the paper was not of that time—the methods themselves must have originated before the Qin, later copied down by descendants.

Just as he was holding the paper and studying it repeatedly, Master Wan gave a gentle knock on the door: "My Lord, the blacksmith Ge has arrived."

"Very well."

An Xin folded the paper and placed it back in the box. He paced out to the west flower hall and saw the blacksmith, Ge Rong, sitting in a chair. The man was burly and imposing, standing like a mountain and resting like a deep pool. He did not look like a blacksmith, but rather a general, possessing a formidable air.

Seemingly hearing An Xin’s footsteps, the man stood up. Upon seeing An Xin enter the hall, he cupped his hands in a salute: "Ge pays his respects to the Magistrate!"

"Meeting you is even better than hearing of you."

An Xin began with a compliment. This Ge Rong held no official title, yet he only offered a formal bow instead of kneeling. An Xin walked to the main seat and sat down. Though he did not hold a grudge in his heart, he didn't feel inclined to give him a warm reception either. He simply waved his hand, signaling Ge Rong to sit.

"Master Wan has spoken of you with great praise. Now that the bandit suppression campaign requires many craftsmen, I intend to appoint you as the Chief Artisan to oversee the forging of armaments. Are you willing?"

An Xin asked, getting straight to the point. He had a high tolerance for those with genuine talent who could solve his problems. If one lacked skill, it was better to keep a distance and not be an eyesore before Magistrate An.

Ge Rong glanced at Master Wan and pondered for a moment: "Will the county provide the iron ingots and other materials?"

"Naturally. Not only that, but there will be a base monthly salary of two taels of silver. For every piece of armament that meets the standard, there will be additional payment according to its type." This was a base salary plus piecework. "As for the position of Chief Artisan, the base salary is five taels per month," An Xin added.

"In that case, I have no objections," Ge Rong replied, nodding.

Although he was highly skilled, he mostly produced farm tools, knives, and arrows for hunters, and the income was not substantial. Working for the county office for a base of five taels a month was quite generous. The work would not be long-term, likely only lasting a month or two, which might interfere with the orders for his regular clients. However, since this was a summons from the county office, he effectively had no power to refuse.

"Master Wan, you may leave for now." An Xin suddenly addressed Wan Zewen.

Upon hearing this, Wan Zewen stood up, bowed to An Xin, and left the room. After he gently closed the door, his footsteps faded into the distance.

An Xin took two scrolls of paper from his sleeve. He handed one to Ge Rong and placed the other on the side table. He asked, "I need blades, spears, shields, wolf-brush lances, and leather armor for three hundred soldiers. How long will it take for you, Master Artisan Ge, to produce them?"

Ge Rong examined the drawings, lingering particularly on the "wolf-brush lance," which he had never seen before. He then said confidently: "My Lord, if I have the nearly one hundred craftsmen Master Wan mentioned, it will only take a month and a half."

An Xin nodded, picked up his teacup, and used the lid to stir the foam on the surface of the tea: "Can you forge firearms?"

Ge Rong’s expression changed, shock appearing on his face. He shook his head repeatedly: "Firearms are the heavy ordnance of the imperial court. How could I, a mere civilian blacksmith, forge such things?" Under the laws of the Great Yan, the private manufacture of firearms was a capital offense. He did not know why the Magistrate would ask this, but he felt an involuntary sense of trepidation.

"Master Artisan Ge, take a look."

As An Xin spoke, he picked up the roll of paper from the side table. Ge Rong hurriedly stood up, walked over, and took the paper. His face froze.

It was a blueprint for a musket!

The drawing was exquisite; Ge Rong had never seen such neat, concise, and beautiful technical drawings. It showed an exploded view of a completed musket, with lowercase numbers marking every individual part, while the parameters for each corresponding part were listed below. By comparing the two, one could quickly understand the function of each part and how to assemble them. The parameters below allowed for the forging of standardized accessories based on length, width, and height.

Ge Rong stood rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed entirely on the contents of the blueprint. After a long while, he finally regained his senses. He was struck not only by the innovation, standardization, and ease of use in the design of the parts, but also by the ingenuity of the musket's construction. He couldn't help but sigh: "A genius! Simply a genius! I wonder who drew this?"

"Sit down first." An Xin gestured to the chair.

Ge Rong then realized his impudence and hurriedly stepped back, saying: "My Lord, please forgive me. The precision of this drawing is unlike anything I have ever seen. I was so stunned that I lost myself in it."

"To be honest with you, Master Artisan Ge, I drew this myself."

An Xin had carefully copied it using a pencil and ruler, based on the sketches he had made in his notebook.

Upon hearing this, Ge Rong couldn't help but rub his nose, complimenting him: "My Lord’s ingenuity and novel methods are truly admirable!"

"Aside from the classics, I enjoy the study of things—military strategy, astronomy, geography, and mechanics. I am well-versed in them all," An Xin said, not blushing in the slightest while boasting. "For this bandit suppression campaign, and even for the Yu family army in Dongyang Prefecture to deal with the pirates, if they could be equipped with this firearm, it would be like adding wings to a tiger!"

Ge Rong gripped the blueprint tightly, his mind racing. He said resolutely: "Magistrate, with this drawing, I am willing to give it a try."

"Good. If you need anything, tell Master Wan at any time. But remember, manufacture the parts separately and assemble them only at the end. Keep it strictly confidential; do not let the design leak. Those who violate this will face severe punishment," An Xin instructed.