53: Shen Jiying (Please collect and read)

Chapter 53 Shenji Camp (Seeking Collections, Seeking Readership)

Shenji Camp.

It was a troop specially split off from the imperial guards by Zheng Yi, trained using modern methods and weapons.

The number of personnel was small, only a little over a hundred people, but every single one of them was an elite.

Most importantly... every single one of them was equipped with firearms!

These firearms had been manufactured day and night over the past few months by Ministry of Works officials such as Minister Zhan Liang and Lei Shitou.

To this end, Zheng Yi specifically cleared out a large-scale factory in the suburbs of the capital, arranging imperial guards and Jinyi Guard to guard it.

Any craftsmen entering or leaving had to undergo three rounds of inspection procedures to strictly ensure its secrets.

Furthermore, under Zheng Yi's instigation, that area had gradually been transformed into a large-scale ordnance factory.

Over twenty guard posts were added within a five-kilometer radius, along with mobile patrols to strictly ensure its safety and secrecy.

A portion of the finished products from the artillery factory was now beginning to supply Shenji Camp.

Looking at Minister Zhan Liang's report, Zheng Yi's mind wandered with myriad thoughts.

"I originally wanted to use Shenji Camp to deal with Wu Country's Black Mountain Pass, but it seems I have to change targets first."

"Your Majesty! Currently, our ordnance factory can produce over 150 Thunderbolt Mines daily, while Red Barbarian Cannons can only be produced at a rate of one every ten days, along with firearms like Divine Fire Launchers and Poison Dragon Divine Fire Launchers."

Zheng Yi interrupted Minister Zhan Liang and asked, "What is the total inventory right now?"

Minister Zhan Liang thought for a moment and replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, there are over 2,400 Thunderbolt Mines, five Red Barbarian Cannons, and over 400 Divine Fire Launchers and Poison Dragon Divine Fire Launchers."

"It's just that due to metallurgical technology reasons, the production of Red Barbarian Cannons is very slow."

Divine Fire Launchers and Poison Dragon Divine Fire Launchers were another type of weapon developed by Ministry of Works officials based on the characteristics of Red Barbarian Cannons and fierce fire oil.

Externally they looked like Red Barbarian Cannons scaled down several times, but they contained gunpowder and fierce fire oil inside, resembling oversized fireworks.

For instance, the Poison Dragon Divine Fire Launcher was divided into five layers in total, loaded with five poisonous pellets, reaching a range of about ten zhang, and anyone struck by it would die instantly.

This gadget was equivalent to a knock-off version of a 'shotgun'.

Not only that, Zheng Yi also specially established a 'Research and Development Fund.'

As long as someone in the Ministry of Works could develop firearms with high lethality, they could receive monetary rewards and even promotions.

Look at that, just about a month after the ordnance factory was built, several different types of artillery had come into existence, and research and development were still ongoing.

It seemed that humans in every world were the same; only war could stimulate the advancement of scientific and technological progress.

Gunpowder was also a kind of scientific and technological advancement!

"It is enough."

Zheng Yi said concisely, "You may withdraw first, and continue to accelerate the artillery production of the ordnance factory."

"Understood!"

Minister Zhan Liang left, and Zheng Yi summoned Little Gui Zi over.

The current Little Gui Zi was already an inner court eunuch, deeply trusted by Zheng Yi.

Two months ago, Chen Liancang discovered that Little Gui Zi had good Aptitude and made an exception by recruiting him into the Shadow Guard.

As he was now, he was already a Third Grade Martial Artist.

"Little Gui Zi."

Little Gui Zi immediately knelt on the ground: "this servant is here."

"How have you been doing staying in Shenji Camp?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, this servant has already familiarized himself with the inside and outside of Shenji Camp."

"Very good."

Zheng Yi tossed out a token and said, "This is the token of Shenji Camp. Take them out to execute a mission, and I will have the Jinyi Guard cooperate with you."

"Understood!"

Little Gui Zi respectfully took the token and examined it: "Your Majesty, I wonder what this servant's mission is..."

"Make a trip to Wu Province."

"Wu Province?" Little Gui Zi's heart stirred: "Understood!"

"Withdraw, for the specific mission go find Ma Jinwu, the two of you cooperate."

Zheng Yi waved his hand: "If this mission is handled brilliantly, I intend to establish the Eastern Depot. By then, you will be the first Superintendent of the Eastern Depot."

Little Gui Zi's eyes suddenly lit up brightly.

Eastern Depot?

Although he didn't know what it was, being valued so much by Your Majesty, it must be very important.

"Understood! Your Majesty, Little Gui Zi will definitely handle this mission brilliantly!"

Little Gui Zi quickly left, while Zheng Yi's gaze turned somewhat icy.

"Yu Jian Villa, Yu Jian Villa... Mere Martial Forest Sect, yet for meager profits they actually dare to sell weapons to the rebels, truly damned!"

"The Jinyi Guard has already investigated clearly that inside Yu Jian Villa there is merely one Grandmaster Realm Martial Artist and two First Grade Realm Martial Artists. Who gave you the courage? You actually dare to oppose me!"

...

Half a month later.

Wu Province, late at night, outside Yu Jian Villa.

Over a dozen figures suddenly appeared in the dense forest.

They were tall and short, old and young, male and female, and dressed differently, but every single one of their gazes was extremely fierce and cruel.

"Hehe... I was wondering who it was; it turns out to be the 'Black Cloud Twin Fiends' couple."

Suddenly, a voice rang out, and immediately a white-browed elder suddenly looked towards the couple on the left.

"I didn't expect that even the two of you have become the running dogs of the court!"

"Giggle..."

The woman chuckled and said: "What running dogs? Everyone is just out to make a fortune."

"The court offers a high price, so of course we must risk our lives for the court!"

"Don't you think so, Senior White-Brow?"

"Hehe..."

The white-browed elder sneered: "This old man is a Gold Medal Offering of the Great Yu Hall of Offerings; what qualification do mere Jinyi Guard have to mobilize me?"

"Hall of Offerings?"

"As expected of Senior White-Brow, the rest of us can only walk within the Jinyi Guard, tsk tsk tsk..."

"Golden Body Arhat Chen Jingang, the Three Ghosts of Old Crow Valley, as well as the Red-Refining Female Fiend, the Green Valley Devil Doctor..."

"This group of people are all Evil Path figures renowned throughout the Martial Forest; how did they all get co-opted by the Great Yu Dynasty?"

"Hehehe... Third Grade Martial Artists, the Great Yu Dynasty is willing to offer 500 taels of offerings per month, and every mission will also grant heavy rewards, as well as exchanges for Cultivation Techniques and Secret Manuals stored by the Great Yu royal family."

"With this kind of treatment, who knows how many Martial Forest peers broke their heads trying to get in..."

"Eh? Brother Lin, you came too?"

More than a dozen people whispered among themselves. However, everyone shared a unified identity, and they had all heard of each other's reputations, quickly becoming familiar with one another.

Among this group of people, naturally the white-browed elder was the leader.

A Gold Medal Offering of the Hall of Offerings—that was a First Grade Realm Martial Artist!

Someone asked: "Senior White-Brow, what did the Jinyi Guard gather us at Yu Jian Villa for?"

"Could this mission be targeting Yu Jian Villa!"

"Although the overall strength of Yu Jian Villa is not strong, they are after all a group of blacksmiths. At least twenty percent of people in the Martial Forest hold precious swords forged by them, this..."

"Yeah, have the Jinyi Guard eaten the heart and gall of a bear and leopard to dare move against Yu Jian Villa?"

"Unclear. Once Yu Jian Villa sends out distress signals, it can summon at least over thirty First Grade Realm powerhouses, as well as Grandmaster Realm Seniors..."

White-Brow shook his head and said: "Hush!"

"This old man only received the mission to summon you all, waiting for Yu Jian Villa's signal. Once the signal is spotted, we charge in."

"Word has come down from above for this mission: you can plunder freely yourselves, and take away everything you can carry!"

"However..."

As the white-browed elder spoke, the gazes of the surrounding Martial Forest figures all turned blazing hot.

Plunder freely?

Take away everything you can carry?

This...

As expected of the Great Yu Dynasty, fucking generous indeed!

"However what, Senior White-Brow, hurry and tell us!"

"Relying just on the dozen or so of us to plunder Yu Jian Villa? You must be courting death!"

"Are you stupid? Besides us, there must be other people. Didn't you see that not even a single Jinyi Guard is here."

"That's true... I seemed to have just seen Madam White and her few paramours; that madam is a First Grade Realm powerhouse..."

The white-browed elder shook his head, gave a dry cough, and drew the attention of the dozen or so people back over.

"Word has come from above: you can take other things away, but the Secret Manuals recording Yu Jian Villa's metallurgy and sword-forging techniques must be handed over!"