As dusk fell, the wicked husband was in his study reviewing gunpowder trial reports sent from various places. In the dim candlelight, he meticulously studied each technical detail, his brow furrowing and relaxing at times.
Since the homemade bombs proved their worth in the Battle of Gaoyang, various regions have been vying to replicate them. However, judging from these reports, the results have been less than satisfactory, with some even resulting in serious accidents.
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon a memorial concerning the explosion of the alchemy furnace.
This is a document from Longxi County, saying that when a sorcerer was refining elixirs, his furnace suddenly exploded violently. The force was so great that it collapsed half a house and almost set the neighbor's house on fire.
Most importantly, some peculiar mineral residues were found in the ruins afterward. The local authorities were unsure of what to do, so they reported the matter to Xianyang.
"Sorcerers...alchemy furnaces..." he muttered to himself, then suddenly his expression hardened. "That's right! During the Warring States period, there were sorcerers and alchemists everywhere. They had been refining elixirs for many years and were extremely skilled in controlling the heat and the properties of the ingredients. We even wanted to eliminate them back then. How could we have forgotten about them!"
Thinking of this, he immediately put down the bamboo slips in his hand: "Summon Zhang Erhe immediately!"
Zhang Erhe rushed over: "What are your orders, Grand Commandant?"
"Immediately send men to investigate. Find all the renowned sorcerers within the territory, whether they are alchemists or researchers of the Five Elements!" The wicked man stood up and paced back and forth, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Tell them that the Grand Commandant's office is eagerly seeking talent and is offering a hefty reward!"
"This..." Zhang Erhe hesitated, "Most of those sorcerers are eccentric, and given your previous actions... I'm afraid they won't dare to come!"
"It's alright." The wicked man revealed a mysterious smile. "Just say that the Grand Commandant's mansion has a difficult problem in alchemy that needs to be solved, and that the mansion has specially prepared a top-quality alchemy furnace and rare medicinal minerals."
“Those truly skilled sorcerers are the most curious; I don’t believe they won’t come. And also…” he added with a smile, “when you go to recruit them, bring plenty of white sugar; say it can aid in alchemy.”
Zhang Erhe suddenly understood, accepted the order, and immediately dispatched several teams to various places to search for famous scholars.
Those sorcerers who were used to practicing asceticism in the deep mountains could not help but come out of the mountains when they heard that the Grand Commandant's mansion not only had difficult problems to ask of them, but also had prepared rare medicinal materials and mysterious "sweet frost".
Several days later, more than a dozen sorcerers gathered in a side hall of the Grand Commandant's mansion.
These people had different appearances, but they all had a certain air of otherworldly elegance. Some had white hair and weathered faces; some were middle-aged and mature, with a hint of unfathomable depth in their brows; and there were a few young men who, though silent, had piercing eyes.
The most conspicuous figure was an elderly man with a long beard, said to be Sun Yue, a renowned alchemist from the Qi region. Although he was over seventy years old, he was vigorous and had bright, piercing eyes, clearly indicating that he was no ordinary person.
Beside him stood a dark-skinned middle-aged man named Mo Yang. This man was a famous fire mage in the Han region, said to be able to control all kinds of strange fires, and even the King of Han had personally consulted him.
There was also a youngest alchemist named Li Xuan, a newly emerging prodigy from Yan. He was not yet thirty years old, but he had already made great achievements in alchemy, and was especially proficient in the properties of various minerals.
"I am deeply honored that you have come from afar," the wicked man said, personally greeting everyone with the courtesy due to a junior. "As you have all heard, I have a difficult problem to solve in alchemy."
The saying "use people when you need them, discard them when you don't" is perfectly exemplified in this wicked husband. He even considered killing the other person earlier, thankfully he didn't have the chance...
"I wonder what kind of elixir the Grand Commandant intends to refine?" Sun Yue asked, stroking his beard, his eyes filled with a hint of scrutiny.
The wicked man did not answer directly, but instead had someone serve fragrant tea. This tea was also carefully prepared; it was said to be "Yunwu," a specialty of Sichuan, and was most suitable for discussing philosophy with sorcerers.
After everyone had finished their tea, he asked unhurriedly, "Have any of you encountered explosions while refining elixirs?"
Upon hearing this, the sorcerers exchanged bewildered glances. After a moment, Mo Yang spoke first: "Explosions in alchemy furnaces are common, mostly caused by improper control of the heat. However..." A glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes, "If deliberately detonated, its power can far exceed that of ordinary weapons."
"Indeed," an old sorcerer with a wrinkled face interjected. "Half a month ago, I witnessed a furnace explode in Longxi. The force was so great that it collapsed half a house."
"Oh?" The wicked husband became interested. "Do you still remember what medicinal herbs were used back then?"
"This..." the old sorcerer pondered for a moment, "...it seems to be the refining of 'Purple Gold Pill,' using realgar, cinnabar, and other substances. The most crucial ingredient is 'Fire Mother,' said to be a rare treasure from the Western Regions."
Young Li Xuan couldn't help but ask, "But what about that crimson ore that sparks when struck?"
"Indeed!" the old sorcerer exclaimed in surprise. "Young friend, you also know of this item?"
"I know a little," Li Xuan said modestly. "This 'Fire Mother' is excellent at igniting fires; it's similar in nature to sulfur, but much more potent."
The wicked man nodded repeatedly, secretly delighted. These sorcerers were indeed skilled in their own ways; perhaps they could truly bring about a new breakthrough in gunpowder research.
He then asked, "In your opinion, what kind of formula is most prone to explosion? And what kind of heat is most likely to cause an explosion?"
Sun Yue seemed to understand something, his gaze fixed intently on the wicked husband: "This old man has seen through something. Grand Commandant, you... want to research the art of explosions?"
"Haha!" the wicked man laughed loudly. "Old Sun is indeed a master! Indeed, I am currently developing a powerful gunpowder, and I hope to receive your guidance."
"Gunpowder?" The sorcerers became interested and took a few steps closer. Although most of these people lived in seclusion deep in the mountains, they had heard of the Qin army's recent reputation for using gunpowder to attack cities.
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