After feasting themselves, the people of the Liánhuā District—the army, the ladies, and everyone else—finally went to sleep, their bellies full and their hearts light with the promise of a new era. Jian Zhi, however, retreated to his room, where the flickering light of a single lamp illuminated the alchemical research books he had taken from Jiǔ Tù's study. The silence of the night was deep, broken only by the soft rustle of turning pages.

  In that book, he found detailed procedures for creating many metal alloys, formulas that spoke of a mind both brilliant and twisted. But one thing in particular caught his sharp eyes: a section titled "Black Powder."

  The text described a substance that could produce a sound on par with crashing thunder, accompanied by a blinding flash and a shower of sparks. Jian Zhi leaned closer, his mind igniting with possibilities. He kept thinking about this discovery, his strategist's brain already racing through applications, wondering how such a force could be harnessed and controlled. He needed to know more.

  He read through the entire night, his focus absolute, absorbing every diagram and note until the first hints of dawn painted the sky.

  As morning broke, Jian Zhi gathered everyone in the main square. The people, still buzzing from the previous night's celebration, looked to him with expectant faces. He stood before them, a figure of calm authority.

  "People of the Liánhuā District!" he began, his voice carrying easily across the crowd. "We have ended the corruption that poisoned this land. Now, in this dawn of a new beginning, we must declare what we have built. From this day forward, this land, freed from evil and immune to its return, shall be known as the 'Divine Land of Justice' (正义神州 - Zhèngyì Shénzhōu)!"

  Hearing the new name, a powerful and symbolic representation of their righteous new reign, the people accepted it with their full hearts' content. A murmur of approval swept through the crowd, solidifying into a unified sense of pride and purpose.

  Jian Zhi continued his announcement, outlining the framework of their new society. "To secure our future, we must establish specialized branches, just as we have our medical branch. We will create an Alchemic Branch, a Branch for Food & Resources Management, and a Water Branch." He then assigned the leadership roles with decisive clarity. "Captain Zhào will manage and train our kingdom's army. Yù Huái will continue her excellent work overseeing the medical branch. Scribe Wén, with Mei Lin's capable assistance, will manage the Water Branch and our intelligence efforts. I will personally oversee the Food and Resources management, as well as the new Alchemic Branch."

  He addressed the former civil servants in the crowd. "People who are used to working in government should return to their duties, carrying them out with the integrity our new nation deserves, though these new branches will operate separately." Finally, he called for volunteers. "For the Alchemic Branch, I require a group of six dedicated members and ten skilled blacksmiths."

  The clarity and vision in Jian Zhi's words showcased his natural leadership qualities. The people began to see him not just as the protector who saved them from misery, but as a true leader guiding them toward a prosperous future.

  With the announcements made, Jian Zhi immediately moved to action. He selected a group of strong men, along with Scribe Wén and Mei Lin, and led them back to the Devil's Mountain. Upon arrival, he called out, and the group of Mountain Elephants (山象 - Shān Xiàng) emerged from the trees, their immense forms a familiar sight.

  "We are going to take timber from the Giant Tree Forest (巨木林 - Jù Mù Lín) and the bamboo forest," Jian Zhi instructed, his voice echoing slightly in the mountain air. "But make sure to not take everything away. We are stewards of this mountain; take only what we need, sustainably. Scribe Wén," he turned to the older man, "we are going to construct a water pipeline system. Look at the waterfall—the water comes from the top, and the river acts as a natural channel. We will recreate that system using hollowed bamboo trunks, engineering them with gates that can be opened and closed according to our needs. The water will be stored in large containers made from the timber of the Giant Trees and sealed with an alloy of steel spider silk and copper for strength and durability."

  As Jian Zhi explained his innovative vision, Scribe Wén could only stare, his mind reeling. How could this young man conceive of such things? he wondered silently. And how far ahead can he possibly see?

  Mei Lin, standing beside him, couldn't help but be amazed by the sheer scope of his ideas. Together, they directed the men and the elephants as they began the careful work of harvesting the necessary resources from the mountain to transport back to the kingdom.

  Jian Zhi himself approached the giant trees. With his newly honed sword skills, a manifestation of his recent internal unification, he cut down the massive trunks with powerful, precise strikes. The men, with the immense help of the elephants, loaded the timber for its journey down the mountain.

  As they prepared to leave, Jian Zhi called out to Scribe Wén. "Mr. Wén, when you return, have the old throne in the palace removed. There is a throne in my cave; bring that one and place it there instead."

  Scribe Wén nodded his head, though he did not know what to expect. Curiosity led him to Jian Zhi's cave. When he stepped inside, he witnessed a magical view: the ceiling was embedded with glowing crystals that provided a soft light, illuminating a space that was surprisingly structured into different sections. And in the center stood a throne unlike any he had ever seen—crafted from the bones and skulls of the mountain's greatest predators.

  Scribe Wén stood in awe, a single thought echoing in his mind: What kind of life did this young man live here in this mountain to forge such a seat?

  Back in the Giant Tree Forest (巨木林 - Jù Mù Lín), after ensuring the timber was loaded for transport, Jian Zhi ventured deeper into the mountain alone. He moved with a predator's grace, the only sound the soft cling of the Punisher against his armor plate in the otherwise silent forest, which was filled with a fresh, clean breeze.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He was searching for the specific components mentioned in Jiǔ Tù's book: the Sun-Spark ("Yellow Crystal" - 阳燧 Yáng Suì) and the Spirit-Glow ("Cyan Crystal" - 灵辉 Líng Huī). The descriptions reminded him of the unique crystals he had seen in the mountain caves before.

  After walking nearly a hundred meters, he found the caves, their entrances shimmering with the very crystals he sought. He collected several large, raw pieces of each type and secured them in a pack before returning to the village.

  For two weeks, Jian Zhi worked tirelessly with the six alchemists and ten blacksmiths he had selected. The result of their intense collaboration was a marvel of engineering and alchemy:

  The Divine Rain (神雨 - Shén Yǔ).

  The Divine Rain was not a handheld firearm; it was a crew-served heavy weapon system, a marvel of strategic engineering designed to dominate battlefields from a fortified position. It embodied the new nation's core philosophy: superior technology used to protect its people with overwhelming, righteous force.

  Its core was a single, heavy barrel and a complex firing mechanism constructed from a silk-steel alloy—a revolutionary metal created by weaving molten stainless steel around strands of steel spider silk during the forging process. This intricate process resulted in a material that was incredibly strong, surprisingly lightweight, and capable of withstanding the immense pressure and heat of rapid fire without warping. The action worked on a mechanical, crank-operated basis, fed by a linked belt of ammunition.

  The entire system was mounted on a sturdy, two-wheeled carriage made of iron-bamboo and reinforced steel. This clever design allowed the Divine Rain to be transported quickly by a single soldier and set up rapidly on any terrain. The wheels could be locked securely, and the carriage featured extendable legs for a perfectly stable, level firing platform.

  Attached to the front of the carriage was a large, rectangular ballistic shield made of layered bamboo and hardened silk-steel alloy. This shield was designed to be angled against incoming arrows and spears, providing crucial protection for the two-person crew—a shooter and a loader/spotter—while they operated the weapon.

  Mounted on a bracket above the barrel was an advanced optical sight called the "Hawk's Eye" (鹰眼 - Yīng Yǎn). It consisted of a series of ground crystal lenses housed in a sturdy bronze tube. These lenses were crafted from the same clear, flawless crystals found in the mountain's caves, allowing for unprecedented magnification and clarity. A shooter could identify and track targets at distances far beyond the reach of any bow.

  The ammunition, named "Judgment Spires" (审判钉 - Shěnpàn Dīng), was as unique as the weapon itself. These were not simple balls. They were long, spiraled spikes crafted from the same stainless steel alloy. The spiral grooves (rifling) were carved directly into the projectile itself, allowing them to be fired from a smoothbore barrel while still achieving a stabilizing spin for deadly accuracy.

  The propellant was a special alchemical compound called "Heaven's Breath" (天息 - Tiān Xī). This black powder was a blend of:

  · Purified Charcoal as the base combustible material.· Yellow Crystal Powder ("Sun-Spark" - 阳燧 Yáng Suì) for its violent explosive force.· Cyan Crystal Powder ("Spirit-Glow" - 灵辉 Líng Huī) for a cleaner, cooler burn that reduced barrel wear and produced minimal smoke. Each cartridge was a paper tube containing a measured amount of Heaven's Breath propellant and the base of a Judgment Spire.

  When deployed, the Divine Rain was a terrifying and awe-inspiring sight. The crew would wheel it into position, lock the carriage, and angle the protective shield. The loader would feed the linked belt into the receiver. The shooter would then peer through the Hawk's Eye scope, the world narrowing to a crystal-clear circle. Upon firing, the weapon did not roar but emitted a sound like a rapid series of sharp, piercing thunderclaps. A hail of spiraling Judgment Spires would fly forth with surgical precision, capable of cutting down a cavalry charge or breaking a shield wall long before it could get close. A faint, shimmering cyan haze—the residue of Heaven's Breath—would hang in the air afterwards, the only scent left by the divine storm.

  After a successful test on the kingdom's training field, the faces of the soldiers showed only one thing: pure awe at the power and capability of their new king. Mei Lin, who had watched the demonstration with wide eyes, approached Jian Zhi.

  "My Lord," she said, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and reverence, "if we deploy this... this iron beast on the battlefield, alongside our archers and my Devil's Whisper, wouldn't our victory be certain against any smaller army? Especially when combined with your masterful, pinpoint strategies?"

  Jian Zhi replied with pragmatic calm. "It could be a decisive advantage. But we have only one. We need to produce more. Which means we need more iron. Mr. Wén," he turned to the scribe, "do we have any iron metal veins nearby? Also, the alchemy branch has created a useful gray powder that acts as a powerful mortar; it bonds bricks together almost instantly when pasted on them. It is made from limestone powder, rock powder, and other ingredients. We will need significant resources of limestone as well as iron."

  Scribe Wén stroked his beard, thinking for a few minutes before responding. "There are sources for them, but they lie outside our current borders. To obtain them, we would need to either form a peaceful alliance with Blackrock Vale (黑石谷 - Hēi Shí Gǔ) and Silent Creek (静溪镇 - Jìng Xī Zhèn) or capture those territories and make them ours. Blackrock Vale holds the iron mines we need, and Silent Creek has the limestone quarries."

  Jian Zhi took his time, silently weighing the possibilities and the chain reaction each choice would create. After a period of intense thought, he made his decision.

  "Then we will extend a hand first. Send a letter to the magistrates of both Blackrock Vale and Silent Creek. Propose a trading deal: we will exchange a portion of our abundant food resources for their raw materials of iron and limestone. If they refuse... if they do not wish to agree peacefully... then mention in the letter that they should prepare for the arrival of their new ruler."

  Scribe Wén nodded his head, a small, relieved smile touching his lips—a smile that appreciated the strategic and merciful thinking of his new king. It was as if he was saying, without moving his lips, that he was profoundly glad Jian Zhi was the one on the throne.

  Scribe Wén promptly had the notices sent to both districts. In each of the two district halls, the reaction was identical. The magistrates read the scrolls and burst into arrogant laughter. "The 'Divine Land of What?" one of them sneered. "Send back a letter ordering this upstart to surrender himself to our authority immediately."

  The two magistrates had just foolishly rejected the last mercy they would ever be offered.