Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Saltpeter, Sulfur, and Charcoal When they learned that the bodies strewn about the County Magistrate’s Office were all Small Banner Officers from the Prison Control Department, every member of the Rebel Army looked at Li Chang’an with profound terror. They hadn’t understood before why Wang Su would hand over a position as important as Rebel Leader to a wet-behind-the-ears kid. But now they knew. What kid? This was clearly a Living Yama! He’d slaughtered Small Banner Officers from the Prison Control Department as easily as chopping vegetables, leaving himself no way out. He wasn’t just highly skilled and daring—he was completely fearless of death! To dare raise the banner of rebellion under the oppressive rule of Yaoqing, these rebels, no matter how ragged, were true desperados. But even so, they were still terrified by Li Chang’an’s feat today. After finally coming to their senses, a sturdy young man in his early twenties from among the elite rebels spoke, his face full of admiration. "Commander, you are so young yet so powerful. I wonder if you could offer us some guidance on the path of the Martial Dao?!" This sturdy young man was clearly a man of uncommon courage. Because at that moment, as the other men looked at Li Chang’an standing surrounded by corpses, their expressions were a mixture of awe and fear. Only he dared to step forward openly and ask Li Chang’an for guidance in the Martial Dao. Li Chang’an smiled warmly and asked casually, "What’s your name, where are you from, and why did you join the Rebel Army?" The sturdy young man dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully. "This humble one is named Xiong Er, from the neighboring Qingpu County. My family has been hunters for generations!" "My wife was insulted by a rich young master in the county. In a fit of rage, I found a burlap sack and beat that young master to death with my bare hands!" "After many twists and turns, I ended up in Sanhuang County. As for joining the Rebel Army... at first, it was just to get a full meal. After that, it was to avenge the rich family that slaughtered my entire clan!" "I await the Commander’s orders!" As he said this, the young man named Xiong Er gritted his teeth. Li Chang’an could sense the ferocity and resentment emanating from him, as well as the budding ambition hidden in the depths of his heart. However, he didn’t expose it, nor was there any need to. ’After all, a young man joining the Rebel Army couldn’t possibly be doing it just to coast by and wait for death, right?’ ’Besides, if a young man doesn’t have a bit of ambition, can you even call him a young man?’ He smiled and said, "I can guide you in your martial arts practice, and I can even give you a method for Energy Introduction. But before that, there are still some things to be done!" ... After slaughtering the men from the Prison Control Department, Li Chang’an could finally deal with the internal problems of Sanhuang County without any worries. Previously, he had gathered his forces but not acted. Besides intentionally giving the surrounding gentry time to react so he could wipe them all out in one fell swoop, he also intended to deal with the assassins from the Prison Control Department first. Now that this group of Small Banner Officers had been annihilated, Li Chang’an wouldn’t have to worry about being assassinated or attacked for at least a month. Once the order was given, the Rebel Army, which had long been poised to strike, marched majestically toward the Landlord Alliance formed by the gentry. Soon, the Taiping Uprising Army arrived outside the estate of the first wealthy landowner. The master of this estate was named Yan Tian. His family was as renowned as Huang Sunan’s Huang Family, one of the top landowners in Sanhuang County. In this era, officials and gentry were essentially one and the same. To avoid being attacked by vagrants and commoners during chaotic times, the wealthy gentry of prominent families would build their gates and surrounding walls very high. Therefore, what the Rebel Army now had to face was an estate like a turtle shell. The Yan Family estate covered hundreds of acres. The surrounding walls alone were a full three meters high and constructed entirely from bluestone. Although the surfaces of many of the bluestones were weathered and crumbling due to the estate’s age, its defensive capabilities had not diminished in the slightest. Strictly speaking, this high wall of bluestone was even sturdier and more reliable than the brick walls outside the Sanhuang County Magistrate’s Office! Against an estate so easy to defend and hard to attack, ordinary vagrants and bandits were utterly helpless. Not to mention all the guards currently assembled inside the courtyard. The defenses were so tight that not even a fly could get in. Wang Su, on horseback, glanced at the estate’s high walls in the distance, then turned to Li Chang’an and asked, "Do you want me to make a move?" Li Chang’an shook his head. "No need!" After a moment’s thought, Wang Su spoke again, "Should we halt and build some siege engines on the spot?" Li Chang’an shook his head again. "That won’t be necessary either!" Hearing this, Wang Su said no more, his eyes flickering with a hint of appraisal. As far as he was concerned, he could only think of two methods: The first was for him and Li Chang’an to use their formidable individual martial prowess to storm the estate and break its defenses from the inside. The second was to make camp, then lead a small team with their accompanying craftsmen to the northern mountains to fell trees and build siege equipment. The safest method was naturally the second one. The first, however, came with a certain degree of risk. After all, even a Martial Artist who had cultivated their Qi to its peak was still within the realm of mortals. No one knew what the scene inside the estate was like, nor whether that group of gentry had made any special preparations. If they were surrounded by a well-prepared enemy, even a peak Martial Artist would be in danger! One person fighting against an army of thousands—that was a Realm only a powerhouse of the Martial King Level could touch. Both he and Li Chang’an were still far from that Realm. Now, Wang Su was eager to see for himself—without relying on personal might, and without large siege engines like catapults or battering rams, how would Li Chang’an break through this "turtle shell" that had been reinforced with layer upon layer of defenses? Li Chang’an didn’t keep him waiting long. Or rather, Li Chang’an had long since anticipated this outcome and prepared for it. He turned and had that group of cheap apprentices from Li Family Village bring up a crate of cannonballs the size of human heads. He then stuffed one into a crudely made iron barrel. Li Chang’an glanced around and said, "All of you, stand back. And remember to cover your ears!" Gunpowder, of course, existed in this world. However, in the hands of the Demon Qing Royal Court’s nobility, the stuff was one of the ingredients for refining Longevity Pills. Among the common people, it was generally used for making things like fireworks and firecrackers. Moreover, the gunpowder formula of this era was terrible, and its explosions weren’t very powerful. Aiming the simple cannon’s barrel at the Yan estate, Li Chang’an adjusted the angle and muttered to himself, "One part saltpeter, two parts sulfur, three parts charcoal. Add a little white sugar to give it an extra kick... I wonder if I got the ratios right?" The reason he was operating it himself was that Li Chang’an had no idea if this crudely made piece of junk would fail on him. If it were him, he would have time to light the fuse and run a safe distance to avoid injury. If it were anyone else, a bit of bad luck could mean getting maimed on the spot, and that would be getting off lightly. ...