A large group of villagers were in the middle of their meal when a strange, oversized sheet of white paper suddenly descended from the sky. Startled, they instinctively grabbed their rice bowls and scattered in all directions, laughing and shouting as they ran.
"What strange gift has the Tianzun sent this time?"
"It doesn't look edible."
The A5 sheet settled flat on the ground. Its surface was covered in dense, unfamiliar diagrams. Viewed at an angle, it resembled some kind of firearm, though none of them had ever seen anything quite like it before.
Gao Yiye pointed at the paper and called out, "Li Da, that paper shows the thing you are meant to forge. Go take a look."
Li Da stood frozen.
A sheet of paper had appeared out of empty air. His mind went blank, and for a long moment he could not react at all. Only when San Shier grabbed his shoulders and shook him twice did he finally snap back to his senses.
The paper was enormous, as large as a pond from his perspective. Standing on the ground and looking at it from the side, he could only see fragments of what appeared to be a firearm, along with a confusing array of separate components. Unable to make sense of it from that angle, he hurried toward the nearby city wall and climbed to the top. The wall stood two zhang high, and from there he could finally look down on the entire sheet.
"Hmm?"
His eyes widened.
"In the center… is that some kind of new firearm? And these diagrams beside it… they show each part in detail."
Above, Li Daoxuan chuckled softly.
"That's right. It's the Chassepot rifle, a classic early breech-loading rifle. What you're looking at is its design blueprint."
In truth, Li Daoxuan had not been idle over the past few days. He had spent considerable time thinking about what kind of weapons Ming Dynasty craftsmen could realistically produce, given access to modern raw materials but limited to their existing techniques.
Eventually, he had gone to a historical military forum he frequented and posted a question anonymously.
"If you traveled back to the Ming Dynasty and only had Ming-era blacksmiths, but with access to modern raw materials, what is the most advanced weapon you could produce?"
The replies came quickly.
Reply 1: A Star Destroyer.
Reply 2: Bury the idiot above alive. Obviously an AK-47. Any random workshop can make one now. A Ming blacksmith could hammer one out.
Reply 3: Stop talking nonsense. Even if you hammer out a casing, the precision would be terrible. It would explode in your face. And where would you get proper ammunition? A rifled firearm is the safest choice. Every time traveler uses rifled guns.
Reply 4: Did you all miss the part about modern materials? With modern materials, you have rubber. That solves the gas seal problem. Why bother with simple rifled guns? Just go straight to breech-loading rifles. The Chassepot rifle is perfect. It doesn't require the extreme precision of automatic weapons. Ming blacksmiths could forge it by hand.
Reply 5: You people are thinking too small. If I went back to the Ming Dynasty, the first thing I'd do is buy a few servant girls and peek at them bathing. Bought servant girls can't resist their master. I'd enjoy myself first.
Li Daoxuan had immediately replied.
"Damn it. It's you again."
The rest of the forum joined in.
"Get out of the military history forum, you creep."
Despite the nonsense, Li Daoxuan took the useful advice seriously. With help from the forum's veteran members, he obtained detailed reference images, full blueprints, and clear photographs of every individual component of the Chassepot rifle. He printed everything onto a single A5 sheet and kept it ready, waiting for the blacksmith to arrive.
Now, Li Da stood atop the city wall, staring down at the blueprint with intense concentration.
He leaned left. Then right.
He tilted his head, squinted, and studied every detail he could.
The longer he looked, the more sweat poured down his face.
Finally, he spoke in a strained voice.
"This firearm… this humble servant… cannot guarantee that I can forge it."
Li Daoxuan answered calmly, "There is no need to pressure yourself. Do your best. I can give you plenty of time. A few years, if necessary. If you succeed, I will fulfill your dream."
That dream was simple.
Freedom from the artisan registry.
For Li Da, that single promise outweighed everything else in his life.
Yet hearing those words still filled him with unease. He raised his voice and said, "Miss, Master San Shier… it is not that I doubt you. But this task is far beyond anything I have ever attempted. I… I do not even know who this Great Master truly is. In my heart, I feel… uncertain."
Gao Yiye raised her chin and spoke loudly.
"Did you not see that sheet of paper descend from the sky just now? Jump from the wall, and you will understand who the Great Master is."
Li Da stared at her in shock.
"Jump down?"
San Shier grinned.
"Go on. Try it."
Li Da looked down.
This was a wall two zhang high.
Was this a test of courage?
He had spent years working as a blacksmith. His body was strong. If he landed carefully, he might survive without serious injury. Even if he broke a leg, it would still be worth it if it meant escaping the artisan registry.
His fists clenched.
He imagined the wall beneath his feet as the shackles of his identity. Escaping that identity had always been dangerous.
He took a deep breath.
"I'll risk everything."
He jumped.
The moment he left the wall, he prepared himself to land, ready to crouch and roll to absorb the impact.
But before he could even begin to fall, something caught him.
His feet touched a surface that should not exist.
He lost his balance and fell forward, instinctively bracing himself with his hands.
What he felt beneath his palms was unmistakable.
It felt like human skin.
A hand.
"Wha… what…"
Li Da's entire body froze in terror.
Gao Yiye shouted from below, her voice filled with excitement.
"You are standing in the palm of the Tianzun!"
Li Da's mind went blank.
High above, Li Daoxuan slowly moved his hand through the air, carrying Li Da across the sky.
From Li Da's perspective, he was flying.
It should have been glorious, but his posture ruined everything. He lay flat on his stomach, clinging helplessly to an invisible palm, completely devoid of dignity.
Earlier, San Shier had told him that the Great Master of this village was the Tianzun. At the time, those words had meant nothing to him.
Now, he finally understood.
Li Daoxuan slowly lowered his hand and tilted it slightly. Li Da slid off and landed gently on the ground.
He sat there, trembling.
Shock filled his face.
But beneath the shock, something else had taken root.
Hope.
His mind cleared.
He immediately rolled over and knelt, pressing his forehead to the earth.
"This humble servant swears to devote everything to forging the firearm you have entrusted to me. However, it is extremely complex. It may require one or even two years."
Li Daoxuan was not surprised. If Li Da could forge a Chassepot rifle in a few days, he would practically be a chosen hero blessed by heaven.
"Take your time," Li Daoxuan said. "There is no rush. While you research this firearm, you can also teach Gao Yiyi how to forge armor. If you need materials, report it through Gao Yiye. Once you succeed, your dream will be fulfilled."
He paused, then asked, "Are there any empty houses left in the village?"
Gao Yiye hesitated.
"No. The only empty house was given to San Shier's family."
"I see. Wait a moment."
Li Daoxuan walked to his refrigerator, took out a can of Pepsi, and drank it in a few gulps. After letting out a satisfied burp, he picked up a pair of scissors and cut the can in half. He carved out a tiny door and two small windows, then turned the half-can upside down and placed it carefully onto an empty spot in the village.
From the villagers' perspective, a massive object descended from the heavens.
THUMP.
The ground trembled.
When the dust settled, a strange blue cylindrical house stood in the village. The word "Pepsi" was printed on its surface, though from their perspective, the characters appeared distorted and backwards, giving it a bizarre appearance.
Li Daoxuan spoke.
"Li Da, you may live here for now. Later, I will prepare proper housing."
The villagers stared in stunned silence.
Even though they had witnessed miracles before, each new display still shook them to their core.
Mrs. San, who had been watching from the side, immediately fell to her knees and began kowtowing repeatedly, her forehead striking the ground again and again like a pestle pounding garlic.
In her eyes, there was no longer even a trace of doubt.
Only absolute faith.