Chapter 36: Obtaining the Ultimate Treasure! The Great Qian Possessing Firearm Technology

Tian Zhuang’s head flew into the air.

Even in death, Tian Zhuang never expected that Chu Feng would strike him down. Looking at the corpse, now completely devoid of life, Chu Feng patted his chest. He felt a slight sense of discomfort, but that was all. In his previous life, as a soldier, he had seen corpses before, but he had never personally taken a life.

This was not his past life. In this feudal, ancient society, Chu Feng had to find a way to eliminate all risks. The moment Tian Zhuang uttered those words, he had sealed his own fate. Deep in these mountains, he could never allow someone who posed a potential threat to his family to walk away alive.

"Wuwuwu..."

Wrapped in animal skins, Tian Xin still had no idea what had transpired. This left Chu Feng with no reason to kill her. At the end of the day, Chu Feng was a normal person; he could not slaughter others without cause. Earlier, he and Tian Zhuang had been very far from this spot, so it was impossible for Tian Xin to have heard their conversation. Chu Feng did not need to silence her. As for rescuing her? Given what Tian Zhuang was like, it was hard to imagine what kind of person Tian Xin might be. His only task now was to head down the mountain and report the matter to the town, leaving the rest for the authorities to handle.

Chu Feng approached Zhao Youtian, who was still clutching that "fire poker." Nearby, the campfire crackled and burned. Chu Feng picked up the poker and brought it to the light, finally seeing it for what it truly was.

A matchlock musket.

It could not really be called a "gun"—a term referring to firearms developed from smoothbore technology and mercury fulminate ignition. This matchlock relied on gunpowder and used the simplest of tubes. The ammunition wasn't even modern bullets, but rather a collection of iron scraps and pellets. It might have had some lethality within twenty meters, but beyond that, accuracy was a matter of luck. Past fifty meters, it had no lethality at all.

Chu Feng had originally assumed the Great Qian Dynasty was an agrarian society with primitive scientific and technological development. He hadn't expected them to have developed matchlocks. This realization sent a chill down his spine. When he had dealt with those Great Xia soldiers earlier, if they had possessed these muskets, he might not be standing here today.

It was evident that these muskets were high-end equipment, not something found in the hands of ordinary soldiers. Chu Feng opened Zhao Youtian’s black satchel and found paper cartridges filled with gunpowder, an iron rod used for ramming the cartridges into the barrel, and a slow-burning match cord for ignition. That was everything in the bag.

"Paper-cartridge loading technology? Not bad at all." Chu Feng couldn't help but smile at the sight. As a former soldier, he had some knowledge of firearms. During the Ming Dynasty in his previous life, matchlocks existed, and during Qi Jiguang’s era, the bamboo-tube loading technique was developed. When fighting the Japanese pirates, thousands of men defeated tens of thousands without a single casualty, thanks in part to their tactics, coordination, the "Mandarin Duck Formation," and the paper-cartridge loading technique. Loading a matchlock was usually a complex process, but the tubes increased the loading speed. Higher firing frequency naturally meant greater lethality. The paper cartridges used the same principle.

These were valuable items, yet they posed a dilemma.

"Wuwuwu..."

The whimpering continued. Chu Feng thought for a moment, moved the campfire closer to Tian Xin, then grabbed the satchel and turned to run. He didn't know where the brown bear had gone, but it was currently chasing a snow leopard, which had nothing to do with him. He moved at top speed, returning from the second peak to the first, and then back to Yulong Village.

By the time he reached the village, the sky was beginning to brighten. The house closest to the mountain still had its light on. Chu Feng knew that Zhou Xiaoxiao was waiting for him. This made him even less regretful about killing Tian Zhuang.

Covered in the scent of blood, Chu Feng knocked on his door. Zhou Xiaoxiao had not slept all night; she had been waiting for him. Seeing his state, she immediately covered her mouth.

"Husband..."

"Shh, don't speak." Chu Feng handed her the black bag. "Remember, hide this. The more concealed, the better. Don't let anyone find it, and don't tell a soul—not even the village chief. Do you understand?"

Looking into Chu Feng’s resolute eyes, Zhou Xiaoxiao nodded. She knew that if this were discovered, their family of three would be doomed.

"Husband... are you going out again?" Zhou Xiaoxiao asked, brushing back her hair, her face looking weary.

"Don't worry, I'm not going back into the mountains this time. I'm heading to town."

With that, Chu Feng turned and left. Alone, carrying Tian Zhuang’s broadsword, he limped toward the magistrate’s office.

The authorities were soon informed. However, the officials and soldiers did not go themselves. Chu Feng claimed that Tian Zhuang had fought a dozen bandits and was killed by them, and that he had risked his life to carry the sword back and deliver the news. Liao Zi'ang was terrified.

"Those dozen bandits were killed by a pack of wolves and a bear. I’m not sure how many died, but if you send men now, it will certainly be a great credit to you, Magistrate," Chu Feng said obsequiously. He had to define the narrative. Once it was settled, he would no longer have to live in fear.

As expected, after a moment of thought, Liao Zi'ang ordered Chu Feng to lead a team of ten yamen runners to the second peak. Chu Feng spent the entire day on the road, but he had no complaints. The runners, however, were quite disgruntled. The mountains were dangerous, and a dozen bandits were even more so; they had no desire to be there.

It wasn't until they arrived at the second peak and saw the ground littered with corpses—both human and wolf—that they finally believed Chu Feng. The men, who had been so reluctant before, suddenly scrambled to be the first to reach the scene to claim the credit.

Only Chu Feng walked silently at the back. He used a rope to bind the three dead wolves together. "Officers, may I take these three wolves?" he asked.

"Take them, take them," the runners replied without a second thought. Wolf carcasses were of no use to them. But if they brought back Tian Zhuang’s body and Tian Xin, that would be a favor owed by the wealthy Tian family!

Tian Xin was still bound in the animal skins, silent now. Whether she was dead or alive, Chu Feng didn't know, and he didn't care to get involved. Dragging the three wolves, he headed back to the village.

The entire village had been waiting. They had seen Chu Feng and the runners head up the mountain, so they knew something major had happened. Just as the villagers were speculating, they saw Chu Feng alone, dragging the three wolf carcasses, strolling back into the village.

"Brother Feng, you're a legend!" Wang Wei shouted loudly.