Early in the morning, the temporary gunpowder workshop in the backyard of the Grand Commandant's mansion was already bustling with activity.
"Wait! The heat is too high!" Sun Yue quickly reminded the Mo family disciple who was refining the 'Fire Mother', "These kinds of spiritual objects are extremely delicate and need to be refined slowly over a gentle fire to bring out their full potential."
The disciple quickly adjusted the fire in the stove, and the reddish-brown ore in the pot gradually melted, emitting a peculiar luster.
"Good! That's the perfect heat." Sun Yue nodded in satisfaction. "Wait until it's completely melted before adding the saltpeter. Remember to add it slowly, don't rush it."
Xiang Lihe, watching intently, said, "So that's how it works. No wonder we failed several times before."
"That's natural," Sun Yue said, stroking his beard. "The key to controlling the heat is to proceed gradually. It's like brewing tea: too much heat makes it bitter, too little heat makes it bland. Only by getting it just right can you get its true flavor."
"Wait!" a short, old sorcerer suddenly interjected, "The way of controlling fire lies in the balance of Yin and Yang; this blind pursuit of power is not the true path."
"Bullshit!" Mo Yang immediately retorted, "What kind of twisted logic is this? Gunpowder was created for killing, why should it be concerned with yin and yang?"
"Exactly, exactly," Li Xuan echoed. "If you ask me, we should just go for the strong stuff, who cares about yin and yang?"
The old sorcerer stamped his feet in anxiety: "You youngsters only know one side of the story! If the fire is too intense, wouldn't it easily cause a mishap? What if you hurt your own people?"
Just then, Zizhen hurried over: "Old Sun, Li Xuan has found some unusual minerals and said we could give them a try."
The three arrived at the workshop next door, where they saw Li Xuanzheng and several Mohist disciples sitting around a table with several pieces of ore of various shapes on it.
"I bought this from a merchant from the Western Regions," Li Xuan said, pointing to a dark red piece of ore. "It's said to be another variety of 'Fire Mother,' even more potent."
He then pointed to another piece of ore that gleamed with a bluish light: "This one, though not as good as 'Fire Mother,' is more stable and ignites easily when exposed to fire, making gunpowder easier to set on fire."
"Interesting." Sun Yue picked up the dark red ore and examined it closely. "It's definitely a good thing. However, such a potent substance must be used in precise quantities."
"In my opinion, we can make some small samples to try first," Mo Yang interjected. "Try different proportions and see how it goes."
"The outer shell?" Everyone's interest was piqued.
"That's right," Sun Yue explained. "For example, adding some cooling ingredients can neutralize the fire element without affecting its power. It's like the alchemy furnace in alchemy, where the inside and outside are distinct."
This reminded Xianglihe: "That's right! We can add a special lining to the pottery jar."
"Nonsense!" another old alchemist jumped out. "The art of alchemy forbids greed and the pursuit of perfection. Adding this and that like this, who knows what kind of trouble you'll cause!"
"Greedy for more?" Li Xuan couldn't help but laugh. "Old sir, have you been staying in the mountains for too long? This is a weapon for war, not an elixir for cultivating immortality."
"Insolence!" The old sorcerer's beard bristled with rage. "I've been refining elixirs for fifty years; do I need a mere brat like you to lecture me?"
"Oh, please calm down," Mo Yang said, trying to smooth things over. "How about this, we each try it out and see whose method is better?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Soon, the workshop was divided into several factions: some advocated for rapid refining over high heat, some emphasized slow and gentle refining, and others insisted on the balance of yin and yang.
Just then, the wicked husband arrived at the workshop.
"How was it?" he asked with a smile, "Any new discoveries?"
"Grand Commandant, you've arrived just in time!" Li Xuan said excitedly. "We're about to conduct our first batch of experiments. These new minerals might have unexpected effects."
The wicked man nodded and carefully examined the proportions recorded in each experimental furnace. These past few days, the sorcerers had brought many ingenious ideas, giving gunpowder research a new direction.
"boom!"
Suddenly, one of the experimental furnaces exploded. Fortunately, everyone was prepared and stood far enough away that no one was injured. But the loud noise and the intense flames caught everyone's attention.
"This ratio is interesting." Mo Yang carefully examined the records. "After adding 'Fire Mother,' the color of the explosion flames changed."
"Not only that," Xianglihe added, "Look at the marks on the ground; the temperature of this flame was much higher than that of ordinary gunpowder."
Sun Yue stroked his beard and pondered for a moment: "In my opinion, this 'Fire Mother' is indeed a good thing. But to unleash its full power, it probably needs other ingredients to neutralize its potency."
"That's it!" Li Xuan slapped his thigh. "I remember now. The Western Region merchants said that this 'Fire Mother' is most afraid of cold things. If we can find a suitable neutralizing agent, perhaps we can concentrate its power even more."
The wicked man nodded repeatedly. Although these sorcerers spoke in a mystical manner, there were indeed many practical truths in their words.
"Gentlemen, what do you think of white sugar?" he suddenly asked.
"White sugar?" The sorcerers were somewhat surprised, clearly not expecting the wicked man to mention this.
"That's right," the wicked man explained. "White sugar is mild, but it melts when exposed to fire. Using it to neutralize the 'mother of fire' might yield unexpected results."
Sun Yue's eyes lit up: "Brilliant! Sugar is indeed a good thing. It not only neutralizes the strong odor but also allows the gunpowder to burn more completely."
"In that case, we could give it a try." Mo Yang also became interested. "But how much should we use? What's the ratio?"
"How about this," Zizhen suggested, "we'll divide into several groups, and each group will try different proportions. That way, we'll find the best solution quickly."
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