The Ceiling of Ancient Firearms

Ren Tianye was incredibly enthusiastic.

But to everyone's surprise, Lin Zixiao was just as passionate.

He also stepped out of the crowd in quick strides, arriving in front of Ren Tianye. He grabbed Ren Tianye's hands tightly, so emotional that tears were almost welling up in his eyes.

"Brother Tianye, you are my, Lin Zixiao's, role model."

"Being able to meet Brother Tianye today is my utmost honor."

The two of them acted incredibly intimately.

Both had stepped forward several paces from their respective ranks.

This gave the entire scene a surreal, magical feeling.

The soldiers of both sides stood at opposite ends beneath the capital's city gates, leaving an empty space in the middle. The leaders of the two factions were having a cordial meeting, acting like affectionate brothers, painting a picture of universal harmony.

However, this universal harmony left Ren Tianye somewhat puzzled.

Because according to the intelligence Ren Tianye had gathered on Lin Zixiao, this man's personality was identical to his father, Lin Yi's—extremely upright and unyielding, even if he understood a bit about feigning politeness.

But...

There was no need to put on such an act just like him, right?

What was this? Did the Great Yu also have the Oscars, and he wanted to compete with Ren Tianye for the best actor award?

Lin Zixiao's next words shattered Ren Tianye's doubts: "The Northern Frontier was my father's life's work. After his passing, the Northern Frontier was left vulnerable, giving the barbarians an opportunity to march south."

"The barbarians were bound to ravage the Northern Frontier, then advance upon the Central Plains, threatening His Majesty and the realm of our Great Yu."

"If my father knew of this in the netherworld, I cannot imagine how heartbroken he would be."

"But, at this critical juncture, it was you, General, who rose up amidst the peril, defended Yunji City, and shattered the barbarians' schemes."

"Furthermore, it was you, General, who dispatched light cavalry into the steppes, leading a mere few thousand men to slaughter the barbarians until their heads rolled."

"Based on this alone, General Ren, you are a hero in my heart."

"General Ren, please accept my bow!"

Lin Zixiao truly practiced what he preached.

He immediately knelt and bowed.

To Lin Zixiao, this bow was his gratitude to Ren Tianye for guarding the Northern Frontier, but in the eyes of the bystanders, it took on a completely different meaning.

This was...

Establishing a hierarchy of superiority and inferiority!

Right upon entering the city, they were directly establishing who was the superior?

Just based on this point alone, if Lin Zixiao didn't die this time, he would be beaten into the ground in the capital in the future.

Ren Tianye was truly even more stunned.

Wait, you have nearly ten thousand brothers following behind you.

And you just bow directly to him?

Brother, no wonder you accepted Xiao Mingzhao's edict of self-reproach!

With your political acumen, even if you really became the emperor, you likely wouldn't meet a good end in the future.

However, internal monologue aside, Ren Tianye still had to maintain his Oscar-level smile. He quickly helped Lin Zixiao up and said loudly, "Ah, Brother Lin, there's no need to be so polite!"

"You and I are both doing this for the Great Yu!"

"For His Majesty!"

"This is what I ought to do!"

Ren Tianye's posture towards Lin Zixiao became even more intimate, holding Lin Zixiao's hand and personally clearing the way for him.

However, Lin Zixiao paused for a moment.

"General Ren, I also brought some things with me on this trip."

"I want to present them to His Majesty."

"It's just that I don't know if His Majesty will pay attention to them. Therefore, I would like to ask General Ren to introduce them on my behalf and urge His Majesty to take this matter seriously."

"Oh? What is it?" Ren Tianye asked despite already knowing the answer, his heart beginning to boil with uncontrollable excitement.

"Firearms!"

Lin Zixiao enunciated the word syllable by syllable.

When he said this word, his expression was solemn, as if he were reporting something capable of destroying the world.

However,

Firearms indeed possessed world-destroying might.

Ren Tianye asked with a face full of surprise, "Firearms?"

"What is that?"

"Is it something used to send signals within the city?"

"No!" Lin Zixiao said. "The things used to send signals in the city can only barely be considered the prototypes of firearms and have little use. But the firearms I brought possess the power to change the landscape of the battlefield."

"If His Majesty can utilize and develop these firearms, equipping the entire army with them, I believe that the future Great Yu will definitely use them to completely exterminate the foreign tribes!"

"Those with treacherous intentions within the borders of the Great Yu will also be blasted to death!"

Lin Zixiao crazily praised the firearms.

And explained them to Ren Tianye using more concrete examples.

"Previously, when I, Lin Zixiao, was fooling around and attacked the capital, what I used during the siege..."

"...was firearms!"

"It was the Red-Barbarian Cannons!"

"Including when your subordinate Wei Shuo was defeated by my troops, what I used was also firearms!"

"It was flintlock muskets!"

Only then did Ren Tianye reveal a slightly serious expression, saying, "That thing indeed possesses extraordinary power. I never expected that Brother Lin could actually create such a thing. It's simply unimaginable!"

"It fills me with great admiration!"

"I didn't make them..." Lin Zixiao said. "My subordinate military strategist got them from Protector Bai."

As Lin Zixiao spoke, he led Ren Tianye toward the firearms.

Ren Tianye merely took one glance and couldn't help but feel a violent shock in his heart.

After taking a flintlock musket from Lin Zixiao's personal guards to examine it, and then looking at the Red-Barbarian Cannons, the shock in his heart became even more indescribable.

What the hell...

How is this so insanely awesome?

How the hell could they produce something like this?!

Ren Tianye had also wanted to develop firearms, so he naturally knew exactly what level he could reach at most if he were to develop them in this world of the Great Yu.

The core of firearms is gunpowder.

Given the current level of productivity in the Great Yu, the absolute limit was black powder; smokeless powder was absolutely impossible to create.

Therefore, the core of the firearms had to be black powder.

The Great Yu already had this.

However, even among black powder, there were differences.

Because those who were brilliant could purify the black powder, standardize its proportions, and granulate it!

And... these firearms!

Whether it was the flintlock muskets or the Red-Barbarian Cannons.

They had all achieved this level!

This was already the ultimate development of black powder in the world of the Great Yu!

This alone was shocking enough!

What was even more shocking was that these flintlock muskets and Red-Barbarian Cannons had also reached the absolute limit of what could be manufactured in the Great Yu!

That flintlock musket was actually a rifled flintlock musket!

Muzzle-loading, flint-striking, rifled, and it could even be fitted with a damn bayonet!

The Red-Barbarian Cannons were even more incredible.

The barrel walls of these cannons were uniform in thickness, stably cast, and their calibers were of a unified standard!

This could completely support multiple cannons being concentrated and firing bombardments for extended periods of time!

This was truly the ceiling of ancient firearms!

He knew the firearms Lin Zixiao brought were extraordinary, but he truly hadn't expected them to be this extraordinary.

Ren Tianye now even felt a lingering fear!

If Lin Zixiao had been determined to attack the capital, coupled with Lin Zixiao's extraordinary military command abilities, the three hundred thousand strong army in his hands most likely wouldn't have been able to stop him.

The position of the capital's powerful minister would definitely have changed hands!

"That Protector Bai belongs to a martial arts sect called the Tongxin Alliance. However, the sphere of influence of this Tongxin Alliance is massive, especially concentrated in Yunjing City."

"It is said that Yunjing City possesses a systematic, large-scale arsenal of firearms!"

...