The next morning, Ethan was back in his office, sitting behind his desk, intently looking at the document spread out in front of him. The page was filled with detailed information about cultivation levels, techniques, and so on. Everything was meticulously organized.
As he processed the information, his mind began to formulate new strategies, calculating the pros and cons of each possible move. There was no time to waste. The battle was just the beginning.
As for Xuan Jin, he remained in the basement, immobilized and alive, but in a state of weakness. The guards supplied him with just enough to keep him alive, without any luxuries, since he could still be useful for future experiments. Cruel, perhaps. But when facing the magnitude of what had been done to the innocent mortals, Ethan's sense of justice had no remorse.
"Master, may we come in?" said Zhao Ren from the other side of the door.
Ethan continued reading for a few more seconds, absorbing the details of the latest report, when a knock on the door interrupted him. Without looking up, he spoke, signaling for them to enter.
Zhao Ren and Shen Bao entered together and stood respectfully in front of his desk.
Ethan placed the documents on the desk and continued, "Go ahead."
"Master," began Shen Bao, his tone respectful. "Based on the information provided by Xuan Jin, we can confirm that it is Black Iron. It is a high-resistance material used in the manufacturing of spiritual artifacts. Qi cultivators mainly use it for their weapons, and occasionally, it is used as auxiliary material in the creation of more advanced weaponry for higher-level cultivators."
Shen Bao stood upright, waiting for Ethan's response.
Ethan nodded. "Continue."
Shen Bao explained, "In the operation, the muskets worked as mentioned. We didn't suffer any casualties, but their accuracy at that distance was poor. Some bullets veered off and missed the enemy."
"Also, some muskets failed on the first shot, and the reloading is a problem. If it hadn't been for the element of surprise, the enemy would have had time to engage in close combat, which would have resulted in many casualties."
Ethan nodded. He knew muskets were unreliable: slow, imprecise, and difficult to maintain.
He sighed. "I understand. I'll take care of it. I have some ideas for improvements. Bring me samples of black iron, I need to conduct tests. We also need to expand, but not in Omega Zero. You, Hu Jian, and Hu Zhan will split into three groups, each with ten Vespers. Start recruiting in remote villages and towns. Offer protection and recruit young people or anyone under 35. Train them; they will be useful. The most important thing is to instill loyalty. This will be the beginning of our future army, although it won't have a name yet. Do you understand?"
"Understood," replied Shen Bao.
Ethan directed his gaze to Zhao Ren, who had been occupied with acquiring materials and negotiating with various merchants during this time.
"Master, I've completed the task. Dragon's Breath production can be increased, and the orders for other materials are ready in warehouses across different cities, awaiting transportation."
"As for the mineral you asked me to monitor... I managed to secure a batch. Would you like to examine it to see if it's what you're looking for?" Zhao Ren said as he gave the order, and a group of Vespers entered with wooden crates.
Ethan was surprised. He hadn't expected results so quickly. Without wasting any time, he stood up.
Before him, there were four reinforced wooden crates. Zhao Ren lifted the lid of one, revealing a peculiar content: large fragments of a deep red mineral with metallic veins that reflected the light from the lamps.
"Cinnabar..." Ethan murmured, examining it closely.
Cinnabar was the natural source of mercury, a mineral composed of mercury sulfide (HgS). Its vibrant scarlet color made it unmistakable, but it also had a dangerous side.
Touching it directly without gloves or protection was not the wisest thing. Prolonged exposure could release small traces of mercury, which, in sufficient amounts, were toxic to the human body.
Ethan narrowed his eyes and turned to Zhao Ren.
"Has anyone handled this without protection?" he asked seriously.
Zhao Ren shook his head.
"From now on, anyone who handles it must wear gloves and ensure they don't breathe in any particles in case a rock crumbles."
Ethan refocused on the mineral. The presence of mercury opened up new possibilities in terms of chemistry and metallurgy, but before deciding how to take advantage of it, he needed to analyze its purity and stability.
"Well done, Zhao Ren. This will be useful to us."
He closed the box again and looked at them.
"Store it in a ventilated area, separate from other materials. I'll prepare a proper space to work on it later."
Zhao Ren nodded immediately. Ethan, for his part, began to devise how to make the most of this new acquisition in his growing arsenal of knowledge and resources.
With the cinnabar in hand, his development plans could move forward. This mineral was a key component in weapon creation, and to carry it out, he needed some basic equipment like lathes and rifling tools, which would be essential for manufacturing more precise parts. With them, he could build a hydraulic wheel using the underground river to generate the necessary power for the operation. Though the technology seemed primitive, it could be adapted and improved over time.
Cinnabar was fundamental for making bullets, as it was used in the production of fulminate, a compound made from mercury nitrate. With the cinnabar he had obtained, he just needed to dissolve the mercury in nitric acid, evaporate the excess, and mix it with ethanol and more nitric acid. Then, he would simply have to clean the mixture and let it dry, thus obtaining the necessary fulminate.
However, to achieve higher performance bullets, he had to improve the gunpowder. He couldn't continue using black powder, so he needed to produce smokeless powder, a much bigger challenge. In this aspect, nitric acid was crucial, and he had already prepared a modified still made of lead to produce it. By mixing sulfuric acid with saltpeter and heating it until it evaporated, the only thing left was to store the product in a dark place to maintain its effectiveness.
Potassium nitrate would be the next step. To obtain it, he simply needed to dissolve saltpeter in hot water, filter it, and add nitric acid. After that, by heating the mixture until it evaporated, potassium nitrate would crystallize, which would then be dried for further use.
With everything necessary in hand, smokeless powder was within his reach, but there was still much to do. Ethan knew time was not a luxury he could afford. Determined to speed up his plans, he gathered a group of Vespers and headed to the underground river. He couldn't wait any longer; progress couldn't stop now.
Xuan Fei walked through the mansion's hallways, his steps echoing on the cold stone as his mind spun, processing the newly received information. His clenched fist reflected the anger coursing through his body. He couldn't believe what he had just found out. His family's mine had been attacked.
The black iron mine that the Xuan Family exploited in the northern mountains had been attacked. This mine was not only one of the most productive in the region but also one of the most secretive. But when his collection team arrived to gather the materials, what they found was much worse than they had feared.
The mine was empty, abandoned. The team, led by one of the captains, reported signs of combat throughout the area. There were no clues. No one had survived to tell what had happened, and no one knew who could have been responsible. The attack had been precise and meticulous.
Xuan Fei stopped in front of his desk, his courage boiling inside him like a volcano about to erupt. No one, absolutely no one, dared challenge the Xuan Family on their own territory. It was an inconceivable affront. In his mind, there could only be one response: this had to be the work of one of the other families.
In the city, competition for resources was an open and stealthy war, where if there was an opportunity to weaken an enemy, they would not hesitate to seize it. What confused him the most was that, instead of occupying the mine, they had opted for a direct attack.
Why not seize the opportunity to strip the Xuan Family of a valuable resource?
"Damn them!" he muttered, gritting his teeth.
He wouldn't waste time wondering. Instead, he rose from his chair, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He knew what he had to do. Pointing his index finger at his personal secretary, the man quickly entered the room.
"Gather a few family members. I want them to send patrols to the mountains and track down every clue they can find. I don't want anything left uninvestigated. This attack must be avenged."
"Yes, boss," the secretary replied without hesitation. He knew full well how dangerous Xuan Fei's fury could be, and at that moment, the boss was like a raging bull.