Chapter 93: A Discussion of Gunpowder

Since the matter had already been laid bare, Chu Xiaoyu felt there was no need to keep circling it any longer. He went on, “Because you, Bi Gan, possessed a heart of exquisite sevenfold chambers, and because you set fire and burned to death every last one of that fox demon’s disciples and descendants, she bore you a deep hatred. For that reason...”

Chu Xiaoyu deliberately broke off there and lifted his teacup for a sip.

Bi Gan immediately grew anxious. “No—Sir, what happened after that?”

King Zhou, too, hurriedly pressed him. “Sir, please go on. What happened afterward?”

“Everyone, let us not rush. After all, those things happened in the past. Now that I have turned the tide, nothing like that will happen again.”

“Because you, Bi Gan, burned down the fox demon’s lair, she nursed a vendetta against you. She then used a feigned death to deceive King Zhou. Later, someone offered a scheme: they said they would need a medicinal guide, a catalyst, in order to bring Su Daji, already possessed by the fox demon, back to life.”

“So, King Zhou, you believed it all. The same adviser then said that Bi Gan possessed a heart of exquisite sevenfold chambers, and that if his heart were used as the medicinal guide, then once Su Daji drank the medicine, she could be revived. After that...”

“Uh... as for what happened after that, you all already know.”

Chu Xiaoyu’s words left King Zhou and the others sweating coldly without pause.

To use a human heart as a medicinal guide and then have someone drink it? And that would bring the dead back to life?

Was that really true? Perhaps only ghosts would know.

King Zhou stammered at Chu Xiaoyu, “S-s-sir... if Sir had not helped me turn this terrible situation around, then all those events that followed would truly have unfolded just as Sir said, one by one, upon me, would they not? Ah, this...”

By the end, King Zhou was too ashamed to continue.

To think that Royal Uncle Bi Gan would have had his heart dug out for this? Such cruelty was beyond words.

Utterly cruel. Ferociously brutal.

Bi Gan immediately shot King Zhou a fierce glare, his heart full of displeasure.

The king had actually wanted to rip out his heart for the sake of a woman? What in the world was that? He was hopelessly bewitched, beyond all cure.

“Sir, if what you say were truly to happen, then what would become of Royal Uncle Bi Gan in the end? Would he die?” Su Hu could not help asking.

Chu Xiaoyu asked in return, “Yes. According to the course of the story, Bi Gan, after his heart is removed, would certainly die. Of course, with the story now heading in a different direction, Bi Gan, you may put your mind at ease.”

No matter how heaven-defying the fox demon’s powers might be, or how formidable the goddess Nuwa standing behind her might be, what of it?

The present-day Su Daji was already trapped within this mighty natural formation, able to move only within the narrow confines of this farmstead. No matter how great her abilities, she was nothing more than an autumn locust now—able to hop and flail for a little while, but no longer capable of stirring up any real trouble.

Bi Gan leapt to his feet in excitement and bowed deeply to Chu Xiaoyu with the utmost reverence. “Bi Gan thanks Sir for reversing heaven and earth on our behalf. Otherwise, if events had continued down that path, I would have had no escape from death in the end. Please accept this bow from Bi Gan.”

His solemn gratitude made for a scene so earnest that it was almost laughable.

Chu Xiaoyu merely waved it away. “A trifle. No need to dwell on it. Back to the matter at hand: if you truly wish to strengthen your military and your state, then I do have a method that can help you.”

Advancing gunpowder by more than a thousand years would undoubtedly be the greatest invention of the Shang people—indeed, their most glorious one.

“Please, Sir, speak,” said King Zhou and the others, all listening with utmost respect.

“Gunpowder as a force multiplier.”

Chu Xiaoyu opened the subject at once. “Strictly speaking, if your Shang realm could successfully refine gunpowder, it would without question benefit humankind, curb the barbarian tribes, and advance civilization by roughly a thousand years. It could absolutely be called an outstanding contribution—the greatest of inventions.”

“Uh... gun... gunpowder? May I ask, Sir, what exactly is that?” asked King Zhou, Bi Gan, and Su Hu alike. The term was entirely foreign to them, as though they were listening to a celestial scripture.

Chu Xiaoyu felt it necessary to give them a proper explanation. “Ahem... in simple terms, gunpowder is a very special and very formidable weapon of war. You could call it a bomb, a grenade, or some kind of explosive.”

“The main ingredients are potassium nitrate, sulfur, charcoal, and similar components mixed together. Making these ingredients is not difficult, as long as one has some knowledge of physics.”

“Of course, for you all right now, it would be somewhat difficult. I can see that this sounds rather like scripture from the heavens to you, doesn’t it?”

He might as well have been playing the lute to cattle.

Chu Xiaoyu could not help but laugh at himself.

King Zhou and Bi Gan still wore bewildered expressions, but Su Hu’s face showed a very strong desire to learn more.

Su Hu could not help asking, “Sir, since you speak of this gunpowder, do you have any actual specimen of it? I would like to see it, if possible.”

“I do not have a physical sample, but I can show you a video of gunpowder exploding.”

As he spoke, Chu Xiaoyu used his phone to search for a video, then played back the principles behind gunpowder and the terrifying spectacle of its detonation, one by one.

“Ah... th-this... its power is simply too overbearing, too immense...”

King Zhou, Bi Gan, Su Hu, and the others were stunned once more.

Just a tiny thing, once lit and detonated, could unleash such a blast that shook heaven and earth.

If used in warfare between armies, how could mere flesh and blood withstand such overwhelming force?

Even bodies forged of iron would not be able to resist it.

“Sir, th-this... this gunpowder really is that formidable?” King Zhou was clearly deeply frightened; his words came out badly tangled.

Chu Xiaoyu nodded. “Yes. Gunpowder is precisely that overpowering. If your Shang realm truly can develop this sacred thing, then I can assure you of this: your realm will absolutely leap forward by nearly a thousand years and rapidly enter a civilized age. But that is only the secondary benefit.”

“The most important thing is that gunpowder, this divine weapon, can serve as support in war between nations. One man could slay a thousand enemies without any difficulty.”

“One man could kill a thousand enemies? Is that... is that really possible?” Su Hu was thrilled beyond measure, his face flushing an intense red. “Sir, I wish to learn how to make this gunpowder. I beg Sir to instruct me.”

With a sudden thud, Su Hu dropped straight to his knees before Chu Xiaoyu.