Chapter 5, Beads in the Sleeve

And although these lethal weapons were not crafted by his own hands, they were nonetheless completed through his own efforts, and they were items he could wield independently, which brought an even greater sense of satisfaction to Ying Chong

Hmm?

8,000 taels of silver is more than enough for the heir to hire ten sixth-tier martial masters for a year. It could also purchase eight pieces of four-star ink armor, or hire someone to take the lives of over ten martial masters and martial lieutenants.

First, there was the "Sequential Blade Box". As Ying Chong pressed the mechanism, seven finely crafted flying daggers shot towards the target with a continuous "whoosh". Each dagger moved with the speed of light, making it impossible for Ying Chong to distinguish them; he could only feel the tremendous recoil force in his arm. Then, those seven flying daggers had already been embedded in the human-shaped target across from him. The nearly half-inch thick steel was actually pierced by these seven daggers, and their placement was extremely skillful

This sum of money is entirely managed by Grandfather An Xiboying on his behalf, with the majority allocated to support the private army of the Duke of An Guo's residence, while a fixed annual allowance of 10,000 taels of gold is also provided for his expenses

Therefore, Ying Chong first separated the parts for drawing, allowing several of his guards to carry them separately to various ink shops to place orders

It does not seem very complicated, and if the materials are sufficient, one might be able to make it oneself

Zhang Yi paused in his speech, a bitter smile appearing on his face: "I wonder if the heir has ever calculated how much silver was spent on making these two items? You have always been frugal with money, so why this time such extravagance?"

He was unwilling for anyone in the State of An to know about this matter, nor did he intend to disclose the complete designs of the instruments. It is evident that the various tools detailed in this "Detailed Explanation of Instrument Making" are all extraordinary and of considerable value, making it unreasonable for outsiders to benefit from them. Although the Mo family also possesses similar lethal instruments as those in the "Detailed Explanation of Instrument Making," Ying Chong had previously learned that none of them were as exquisitely crafted and demanding as these tools, and their power is likely far inferior in comparison.

Sleeve arrows, foot blades, killing magpies, and linked crossbows, among others

A surge of impulse suddenly arose within Ying Chong; he was a person of decisive action. Once this thought occurred to him, he would not hesitate

Materials of this kind will never be lacking for Ying Chong. The fief of Duke An Guo is located in Wuyang County, with a population of 37,000 households. The annual tax revenue from land alone reaches 150,000 taels of gold. Additionally, there are as many as 60,000 tenant farmers and private slaves, with 9,000 hectares of land. In today's world, one hectare is equivalent to 50 mu, so 9,000 hectares equals 450,000 mu, all of which are top-quality arable land, most of which yield an annual output of 3 stones per mu. The Ying family of Wuyang is concerned about their family reputation and does not wish to exploit the local villagers, thus they only collect rent at a ratio of 70% for the farmers. However, this still results in an annual yield of 400,000 stones of fine grain. Based on the current market price of 3.5 taels of silver for 1 stone of rice, this amounts to 1,500,000 taels of silver, equivalent to 150,000 taels of gold.

When Zhang Yi reached this point, he shook his head slightly and commented, "This thing is quite good, but it is rather expensive."

These items appear ordinary. However, Ying Chong, merely by following the descriptions in the book, could ascertain that these artifacts possess extraordinary powers, far surpassing similar items available in the market

Upon considering this, Ying Chong suddenly felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, and the excitement and joy he had felt vanished without a trace

Ying Chong may not be able to practice martial arts, but his keen eyesight is extraordinary. With just one glance, he can tell that these seven strikes, delivered at the speed of a martial arts master, would inevitably result in immediate death, regardless of the direction in which one attempts to evade them

As for the 'Hidden Blade Box', as the name suggests, it is a box that conceals flying daggers. Once activated, it will continuously shoot out seven flying daggers. According to the 'Detailed Explanation of Weaponry', within a distance of fifty steps, even a powerful sixth-tier martial master would find it difficult to escape the calamity of death.

The former is in the shape of a bamboo tube, containing a magazine and a mechanism, placed beneath the forearm. With just a lift of the hand, one hundred and eight marbles can be shot out. The loading and unloading are simple, and after use, a new magazine can be replaced in an instant. Ying Chong, being wealthy and extravagant, has prepared as many as seven magazines for this device.

Upon opening to the fourth page of "Detailed Explanation of Instrument Making," Ying Chong was captivated by the content within this book. This is no ordinary book on instrument making; it is a manual for lethal weapons! Even though it only covers the most fundamental aspects, it is still profoundly shocking.

Upon careful calculation, he spent as much as 7,000 taels of silver just on materials this time, and the processing fees paid to several workshops also amounted to over 1,000 taels. These two items alone account for one percent of his declared annual income.

Joyous occasions should be shared with others, yet at this moment, his so-called friends are absent, leaving only Zhang Yi as an observer. Ying Chong then turned his head and asked with a smile, "Er Lang, what do you think of this item?"

No, the power of this object is terrifying. Even a child with no strength to fight a chicken can slay a martial ancestor. However—

What is most captivating is that these instruments share a common characteristic: the recoil during firing is negligible

It is said that even some universities and several masters have begun to use this technique to study the fundamental principles of the structure of this world

Zhang Yi was secretly alarmed, yet he furrowed his brow: "How did the Crown Prince become so fascinated with the mechanisms of the Mo family?"

Due to the great rise of the "Mo Jiao" (School of Mo), the techniques of the Mo School have also become a prominent academic discipline in the present day. However, the doctrine of universal love and non-aggression is not favored by any ruler. In contrast, the principles of rules and mathematics are highly valued by the seven major empires of Zhongzhou, being revered as the "School of Numbers," which is the largest branch outside of the Mo School.

The casing of the 'Linked Knife Box' and the outer tube of the 'Sleeve Pearl' are not worth much. However, the equipment inside is all made of extremely expensive exotic iron and fine steel. For instance, the more than ten springs inside are crafted from rainbow gold iron. This peculiar metal is valued at one hundred taels of gold per two taels. Several gears are also made of fine gold. Previously, he was unaware of this; only now does he realize that all these materials are of sky-high prices. This peculiar metal is valued at one hundred taels of gold per two taels. Several gears are also made of fine gold. Previously, he was unaware of this; only now does he realize that all these materials are of sky-high prices.

As for the rules and mathematics required for the instrument, Ying Chong himself also possesses a foundation. His mother came from a merchant family and had remarkable accomplishments in this area. When he was six years old, she forced him to memorize the entire Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art. Although he had neglected it somewhat over the years, he was confident that he had some talent in this regard, and could pick it up again after reviewing for a day or two

Ying Chong also noticed this person's disapproval and was quite surprised: "Could it be that Er Lang looks down on this linked knife box?"

Such an item, he certainly will not make a second one, but it is quite good for showing off to those friends

Over the years, despite the seemingly endless extravagance, Ying Chong has not exhausted such wealth. Moreover, he is not a fool; he does not spend money recklessly like those who squander their fortunes. On the contrary, he is quite frugal with his expenditures. In recent years, he has invested in several businesses, acquired a few estates, and opened several stores, which have yielded considerable profits. Additionally, there are some gray income sources, such as protection fees, which are even more substantial. With the four evils rampant in the capital, it is only natural that some discerning individuals would approach him, and they are not few in number. As long as he ensures the safety of their businesses, he can receive a considerable amount of tribute each year.

At this time, Ying Chong's injuries had mostly healed, and he no longer needed to stay in bed for recovery. After assembling these two items, he eagerly set up dozens of human-shaped targets outside Cuiyi Garden and began to try them out.

The heir of Pingliang, Zhou Yan, the heir of Yongchang, Zhuang Ji, and the fourth-rank light cavalry commander, Xue Pinggui, are indeed the 'close friends' of Ying Chong, and are collectively known as the four evils or four pests of the capital.

In addition, there is the dowry left by the mother. Ying Chong's mother came from a merchant family, and her maternal grandfather was extremely wealthy. Among the dowry, there are twelve properties located on the main street of Xianyang City, along with seven estates, yielding an annual income of as much as fifty to sixty thousand gold.

Zhang Yi is the second in rank at home, and Ying Chong does not regard him as a subordinate, usually referring to him as Erlang.

For a novice in weapon forging, this task is undoubtedly as difficult as ascending to the heavens. However, with the financial backing of the Duke of Anguo's residence, Ying Chong finds the process significantly simpler. He merely needs to draw the component diagrams, specify the dimensions, and then have someone fabricate them.

There are also tools for drawing geometric figures, which can be easily collected by the Duke of Anguo. The term 'geometric tools' does not refer to the rules of propriety, but rather, 'gui' refers to the ancient tool used for drawing circles, while 'ju' refers to the instrument used for drawing squares—'gui' ensures a perfect circle, and 'ju' ensures a perfect square. The study of geometry teaches people how to calculate and draw various shapes, which is what Westerners refer to as geometry.

Reflecting again on the detailed explanation of the refining tools, the materials required for the subsequent tools are increasingly extravagant.

Ying Chong was momentarily taken aback, and then inquired about all the expenses from a nearby guard. After carefully calculating once more, he could not help but fall silent

Ying Chong initially chose to create the "Sleeve Pearl" and the "Chain Knife Box" from the "Detailed Explanation of Tools," both of which are relatively difficult to manufacture. They can be concealed within the sleeve and can take a life at the moment of activation

At this moment, Ying Chong desires something, and with just a few words, it will be delivered to him, and the time will never exceed half a day

Merely six days later, a device known as 'sleeve pearl' and another called 'linked knife box' were both completed.

As soon as this thought arose, a smile reappeared on Ying Chong's face: "By the way, have the heirs of the Pingliang Marquis come to my residence seeking me recently?"

Even though he is the heir of the Duke of Anguo and comes from a wealthy family, he still feels that he cannot bear the burden

That is also true

Currently, the techniques of the Mohist school are flourishing in the world, and there are numerous mechanisms and concealed weapons. However, those that can be used by ordinary people, like the few devices described in "Detailed Explanation of Mechanisms," are exceedingly rare.

Ying Chong felt a complete lack of interest; these two items were extremely costly, and he did not feel much when he was in high spirits. However, at this moment, being preempted by Zhang Yi, he also felt a pang of regret.

In an instant, he was beaming with joy, unable to contain his delight. He was also secretly amazed, for the "Detailed Explanation of Weapon Crafting" was indeed remarkable. With this 'Linked Blade Box' in hand, those sixth-tier Martial Sovereigns before him were practically lambs to be slaughtered.