The tent, now a roaring pillar of flame, was cordoned off. No one dared to approach it, let alone attempt to extinguish the fire. A group of soldiers stood at a safe distance, whispering among themselves about what had just transpired.
“I was in the far tents earlier and didn't see what happened here. How did this tent catch fire? And what was that massive explosion? Why is everyone saying the God of Thunder is angry?” asked a curious soldier who had missed the event.
“Ah, you’ve asked the right person,” replied a soldier who had witnessed the scene, his voice full of dramatic flair. “Just moments ago, a lightning dragon streaked across the sky, its claws bared in a posture both fierce and majestic! The dragon’s eyes bulged with fury, and its long tail, stretching all the way to those mountains, gave a sudden lash. Then, it dove straight down from the heavens, its head slamming into that tent. In an instant, a blinding light erupted, followed by the dragon’s roar as it spat fire. Then came a loud ‘bang!’ and the dragon vanished.”
Pei Ying: “...”
“Did... did you truly see a dragon?”
“Could I lie about such a thing? If you don’t believe me, ask them; they all saw it too.”
“Uh, I suppose it did look like that.”
“See? I told you!”
Pei Ying remained standing at the entrance of the main tent, listening to the soldiers’ chatter. The complex mix of terror and inner struggle she had felt earlier subsided slightly, replaced by a sense of wry amusement.
So, this was how certain legends were born.
Once the flames had consumed the tent entirely, they flickered like a satiated beast, lazily belching out a puff of smoke before wagging their tails and retreating back into the dark abyss.
“Why is Madame standing out here?” a familiar voice called out. A tall man stood in the night, the wind catching the corner of his cloak so that it billowed like the wings of a black eagle.
Pei Ying pointed toward the charred remains. “Lightning struck and set the tent on fire just now. I came out to see.”
Huo Tingshan followed her gaze. Since no one had tried to put it out, the tent was now nothing more than a blackened patch of earth.
He had also heard the deafening explosion earlier. When he had turned toward the sound, he had seen only the glow of fire in the camp.
Huo Tingshan had witnessed a lightning strike once twenty years ago. Combined with the fact that nothing else had happened afterward, he considered it little different from ordinary thunder—except that one stayed in the sky while the other hit the ground.
As for what it meant to be hit?
It simply meant the object hit was unlucky.
The firelight illuminated her pale face. Knowing she was frightened, Huo Tingshan said, “Lightning strikes are exceptionally rare. From what I’ve seen, having it happen once is already quite a lot. Do not worry, Madame.”
“I know. It was just my first time seeing the power of a lightning strike, so I was naturally startled,” Pei Ying said softly.
Huo Tingshan took her hand, intending to lead her back into the tent, only to find her hand was excessively cold. Looking at her attire, he realized she had rushed out wearing nothing but his outer cloak thrown over her shoulders.
The men’s cloak was far too large for her. Perhaps because of her haste, the collar had slipped to one side, revealing a small, elegant curve of her collarbone.
Huo Tingshan pulled her into his arms. “If you catch a cold this time, I’ll have to tell Feng Wencheng to add extra coptis to your medicine to give you a lesson. That might stop you from running out into the freezing wind again.”
“There was so much noise just now, I didn't think of it,” Pei Ying protested quietly.
Just as they were about to return to the main tent, Pei Ying heard a distant scream of agony.
Immediately after, someone shouted, “Hold on, kid! We’re taking you to the medical camp now...”
Pei Ying froze, her head turning toward the sound. However, the camp was filled with tents and soldiers moving about; in the depths of the night, she couldn't see the speaker.
The two voices faded quickly until they were gone.
Seeing her reaction, Huo Tingshan added, “There was an enemy raid earlier. A few of our men were wounded in the skirmish, but there were no fatalities.”
In war, injuries were inevitable. To have only wounded men and no deaths was already considered a fortunate outcome.
Pei Ying gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and withdrew her gaze to follow him back into the tent. Yet, that scream seemed to linger in her ears, refusing to dissipate.
There was still time before dawn, enough for a little more sleep. As Pei Ying and Huo Tingshan lay down, the thunder gradually ceased, replaced by a heavy downpour.
The rain hammered against the oilcloth of the tent with a rhythmic pitter-patter. While the sound of rain was usually perfect white noise for sleeping, Pei Ying lay on the bed feeling exhausted yet unable to drift off.
A bold idea was gradually taking shape, accompanied by a few nagging worries.
After she shifted for the umpteenth time, the man beside her spoke. “Madame was restless during the first half of the night; are you going to be restless for the second half as well?”
Pei Ying stared blankly into the darkness above. “Huo Tingshan, what was the most brutal battle you ever experienced?”
Surprised that she would suddenly ask such a thing or have the inclination for a late-night chat, the man in the dark raised an eyebrow. Nonetheless, he answered, “That was twenty years ago. I had just come of age. The Xiongnu from the north invaded, and I led the army to meet them at Jiaoteng Pass. Many people say I wiped out fifty thousand of their elite troops in that battle, but in truth, our army suffered heavy losses as well.”
The northern lands were mostly grasslands. In such wide-open plains, many tactics were useless; the fighting was pure, raw carnage.
Pei Ying had heard Huo Zhizhang mention this before. However, in the words of the young man back then, his father had been invincible, effortlessly cutting down fifty thousand elites with his long blade like a god descended to earth.
“When that battle took place, my father happened to be gravely ill. The clan affairs were left to two elders. Little did we know, those two harbored treacherous intentions. They believed my father would likely never recover and hoped I would die on the northern battlefield. That way, they could seize power in the clan without effort. Consequently, long before I set out, they planted their own men within my ranks to sabotage me during the fight.”
This was a story of internal family strife that Huo Tingshan had never told anyone before today.
It wasn't honorable; it brought shame to the Huo family name.
Those two elders, who had once served as tutors to his father, were later dealt with in secret along with their entire lineage.
At the time, he had slaughtered fifty thousand Xiongnu, and others believed he had the chance to strike directly at the Xiongnu royal court. Only Huo Tingshan and those like Sha Ying who fought alongside him knew the truth...
They couldn't go on.
He had been wounded by a cold arrow from a traitor within his own ranks, and the weather had turned against them. There was absolutely no possibility of advancing further.
Recalling the past, Huo Tingshan sighed with emotion. “Though we won that battle, it was a bloodbath. Men I had been chatting with the day before became nothing but broken corpses wrapped in blood-soaked clothes. Some had their heads taken, lost who knows where, leaving no way to identify who they were.”
Huo Tingshan spoke these words from the heart, moved by memory, but as soon as he finished, he felt it was inappropriate.
She was already timid enough as it was.
She was afraid of the dead, and afraid of those half-dead.
Telling her these things in the middle of the night meant she wouldn't be getting any more sleep.
To his surprise, however, Pei Ying remained silent for a moment before bringing the conversation back to the present. “...This time, taking the Wuguan Road and capturing Wuguan and Lantian Pass... will there be many casualties then, too?”
Huo Tingshan spoke the truth. “Even if the enemy is completely unprepared, it is impossible for us to have zero casualties.”
Pei Ying fell into silence once more.
The quiet stretched between them, and the atmosphere grew inexplicably heavy.
“My lady, do not worry so much. I am here for everything.” Huo Tingshan pulled the woman beside him into his arms. Knowing what weighed on her mind, he continued, “Thanks to your Pei Merchant House, the pensions my Youzhou Army provides to the wounded and the families of the fallen are much higher than before. It is enough to ensure the families of the deceased can live a comfortable life for a long time.”
Pei Ying gripped a handful of his robe, the fabric wrinkling beneath her fingers.
She knew he had already done his best, but the dead were gone. No amount of compensation could bring back a human life.
“Huo Tingshan, I have something that can blast open Hangu Pass. It will make the enemy lose their will to fight before the battle even begins. In short, this item can help you achieve a swift victory, but you must promise me one thing.” Pei Ying’s knuckles turned white from the force of her grip.
Huo Tingshan froze.
Blast open Hangu Pass? How could such a thing be done?
He knew she came from another era, a place far more prosperous and powerful than the current world. Thus, despite his confusion, he never doubted her words.
“What does my lady wish for me to promise?” Huo Tingshan asked.
Pei Ying pulled away from his embrace and sat up. She reached for the black gauze bag at the corner of the bed, which contained night-luminescent pearls, and poured them all out.
In an instant, the room was filled with a soft, shimmering light. Pei Ying could clearly see the expression on Huo Tingshan’s face. She spoke each word deliberately: “I am to have full authority over the research and the division of labor. You must command everyone involved in the development to remain absolutely silent. Nothing is to be recorded, nothing is to be kept privately, and it must never be mentioned to outsiders in the future. I only wish to use it once.”
The previous strike of lightning had reminded Pei Ying of something: gunpowder.
Gunpowder was one of China’s four great inventions. Its creation could be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, but it wasn't until the Song Dynasty that it was truly utilized on the battlefield.
Items for civilian use, like sugar and soap, appearing ahead of their time mattered little. However, explosives were different. Such lethal weapons of war, if left unregulated and allowed to proliferate, would inevitably trigger a cycle of bloody conflict.
It was much like how firearms had been invented and evolved into hundreds of styles, yet China had maintained a total ban on guns, prohibiting any individual from owning one.
One had to admit that this ban fostered a sense of stability. People didn't have to worry about being suddenly attacked or losing their lives to a hail of bullets while walking down the street.
“Huo Tingshan, that item is called a ‘bomb,’ and it is derived from gunpowder. Although gunpowder will eventually appear in the future and will be used in wars, it is better for it to follow its own natural trajectory. That is the best way to prevent others from using it for personal gain and disrupting the natural order...” Pei Ying lowered her eyes.
She was torn. On one hand, there was the order of the future; on the other, there was her beloved and the many vibrant lives under his command.
Every soldier had a family. Their loved ones were waiting anxiously for a son, a husband, or even a father to return home.
If they used explosives to attack Hangu Pass, the pass would surely fall, and it would fall quickly. Those soldiers who would have died on the battlefield would instead be able to return home to their families.
Pei Ying slowly looked up, her eyes reflecting his small silhouette. “Telling you this now is a result of my own selfishness. It is because I hope for your early victory that I am bringing this into the world ahead of its time. Truthfully, I do not know if altering its trajectory is right or wrong. The future is unpredictable. Perhaps it will leak due to poor security, and any future bloodshed or broken families will be my fault. Huo Tingshan, do you understand what I am saying?”
Huo Tingshan looked at Pei Ying and saw the struggle she couldn't hide. His heart felt as though it had been plunged into boiling oil, aching with a dense, sharp pain.
For a moment, he wanted to say she didn't need to tell him. But in the end, he couldn't. Beyond being her husband, he was the commander of the Youzhou Army.
He cherished every soldier who risked their life for him. Since there was an opportunity to reduce casualties, he had to take it.
Huo Tingshan took her hand and pulled her firmly into his chest. “I promise what you ask. We will use it only once, and the formula will be sealed afterward. As long as the Huo family remains, this item will not surface again.”
After a pause, Huo Tingshan kissed the top of her head. “The source lies with me; you must not feel guilty. If ghosts truly come to haunt someone, let them come for me. I have fought south and north for years; the number of people I have killed personally is in the thousands, if not ten thousand. A few more won't make a difference.”
That night, the light in the main tent burned dimly until dawn.
***
Inside Hangu Pass.
Kong Ce stood on a high platform, looking at the distant sky. His brow furrowed deeply, and his heart sank. “The Three Enclosures shine bright in the east, and Jupiter eclipses the Great General star in the Supreme Palace. Not good, this is not good at all. How could the celestial omens have changed so much in just one night?”
Kong Ce summoned a soldier. “Go quickly and invite Grand Marshal Ji to the hall.”
The soldier replied, “Yes, sir.”
Kong Ce descended from the platform and ordered incense to be burned in different corners of the hall. He took out a string of copper coins and sat cross-legged on a prayer mat. Closing his eyes and holding the string, he chanted under his breath as he repeatedly tossed the coins onto the small table in front of him.
Ji Xianbai arrived at the hall at that moment. Seeing Kong Ce performing a divination, he did not step forward to interrupt.
Kong Ce was a disciple of Master Hanxiao and was highly skilled in the art of divination. In the past, Ji Xianbai had relied on his divinations to avoid disaster and seek fortune, gaining much from them.
The blurred chanting continued, obscure and complex. Ji Xianbai waited silently to one side, wondering why Kong Ce had summoned him, when the obscure voice suddenly stopped.
“Pfft.” Kong Ce spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. He had been kneeling on the mat, but now his spine collapsed instantly. His face turned a sickly pale green as he slumped to the side.
Ji Xianbai rushed forward in shock. “Master Kong!”
He turned to order the guards to fetch a military doctor, but as soon as he finished, his hand was grabbed by Kong Ce.
“Grand Marshal, kill Lady Pei immediately. Kill her at any cost. Otherwise... the great cause will never be achieved...” Kong Ce repeated the last few words three times. Finally, his pupils dilated, and he lost consciousness.
Ji Xianbai’s expression became unreadable, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes.
Her again. It seemed he could wait no longer.
The man stood up. The morning light filtered through the window, falling upon his feminine yet handsome face, faintly revealing a hint of regret that he kept hidden from others.
Such a great beauty. What a pity...
The physician arrived quickly and took Kong Ce’s pulse. “Grand Marshal, Master Kong’s pulse is thin and weak. His vital energy is heavily suppressed; it is a state of extreme emotional distress. I will prescribe some medicine to replenish his blood and energy. Furthermore, I must remind the Master not to let his emotions fluctuate so violently.”
Ji Xianbai told the physician to prepare the medicine.
Kong Ce wouldn't wake up for a while. Ji Xianbai recalled the bloodshot eyes Kong Ce had when he spoke those words and, after a moment of silent contemplation, turned to leave.
On his way back to the main hall, Ji Xianbai encountered a general who hurried over to report. “Grand Marshal, the Youzhou Army did not break camp today. Originally, they showed signs of moving south, but for some reason, they are now staying put. Scouts report that the Governor of Youzhou has ordered a group of men to start building boats. He undoubtedly intends to cross the river.”
As the general spoke, his joy was tinged with a look of confusion, as if he thought Huo Tingshan had gone mad.
He wanted to cross the river?
After crossing the Hongnong River, one would reach the mudflats leading to Hangu Pass. Was Huo Tingshan actually intending to attack Hangu Pass head-on?!
Could it be that the Grand Marshal’s recent tactics of sending troops to repeatedly provoke and harass the Youzhou Army had actually worked? Was that why Huo Tingshan was so incensed that he intended to launch a full-scale assault on Hangu Pass?
Ji Xianbai gave a low hum of affirmation. "It is a good thing that he wishes to attack the pass. For now, proceed according to our previous plan. Have the scouts continue their surveillance. Furthermore..."
He turned his head toward the east. From his high vantage point, he could see the mudflats and the Hulong River in the distance, its surging waters separating the two banks.
"Dispatch ten squads of scouts. Their mission: assassinate Lady Pei."
*
On the other side of the Hulong River.
Ever since she told Huo Tingshan she could make explosives, Pei Ying had been hard at work.
The commotion caused by black powder was destined to be significant, so Pei Ying did not choose a location near the military camp. Instead, she followed Huo Tingshan and two thousand Black-Armored Cavalry back toward Luoyang.
Well, not exactly Luoyang city.
They bypassed the city and headed east, finding a small hill deep within a dense forest.
Hunters often frequented these mountains, and some had built small thatched huts for emergencies. Pei Ying commandeered one of these huts to serve as her laboratory.
There was a saying from the modern world: "One part sulfur, two parts nitrate, three parts charcoal, add a spoonful of sugar for the Big Ivan." This internet slang was a simplified mnemonic for the formula of black powder.
The primary ingredients were potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal, with white sugar used as a thickening agent.
Potassium nitrate could be obtained through ancient methods of refining saltpeter. By collecting nitrate-rich soil from livestock pens or latrines, mixing it with wood ash, filtering out impurities, and then evaporating the solution to crystallize it, one could produce potassium nitrate.
As for sulfur, it was already used in medicine during this era, so she simply sent men back to the city to purchase it.
Charcoal was even simpler to obtain.
Pei Ying handled the refining of the potassium nitrate largely on her own, only occasionally letting Huo Tingshan lend a hand.
She spent a month busy in her laboratory. During this time, Huo Tingshan, who remained outside, frequently heard thunderous roars. Each massive explosion was like the roar of an earth dragon, possessing the power to rend the heavens and split the earth, leaving one’s heart trembling with dread.
Even Huo Tingshan, who did not believe in ghosts or gods, felt this way, let alone those who were staunch theists.
When the first explosion went off, he had seen a Black-Armored soldier fall to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly until his forehead hit the dirt.
Looking at the man’s posture of awe and fear, Huo Tingshan suddenly remembered the struggle he had seen in Pei Ying's eyes that night, and his understanding of her hesitation deepened.
Refined steel was a divine weapon, but its nature was truly different from these explosives.
In her words, refined steel was a cold weapon. At most, it made a blade sharper and harder. If one’s own skills were sufficient, it was not invincible—just as he had once faced Li Qiongqi in battle.
Explosives, however, were thermal weapons. Even if held by a three-year-old child, they could lay waste to thousands of men and horses.
This was something that could overturn an entire era.
"BOOM—"
Another massive explosion echoed through the forest.
Initially, the Black-Armored Cavalry were terrified, but after hearing it many times, their fear turned into excitement and anticipation.
They had seen the power of the explosives; even massive boulders were easily pulverized. If used to attack a pass, wouldn't victory be within their grasp?
Pei Ying emerged carrying a basket of iron spheres, smiling at the man guarding the door. "Huo Tingshan, they are all ready."
"You have worked hard, my lady." He took the heavy basket from her hands. "To have you by my side is my greatest fortune."
With their task complete, the two returned to the army without delay.
As soon as they arrived, Huo Zhizhang hurried over to report. "Father, the camp has been harassed several times over the past few days. Some scouts even tried to infiltrate the ranks. However, once they discovered that you and Mother were not present, they stopped coming. Ji Xianbai keeps sending men; what is he trying to do? Could he be trying to provoke you into leading a direct assault on Hangu Pass?"
On the return journey, Huo Tingshan had encountered two ambushes, but the attackers were all cut down by the Black-Armored Cavalry.
"Ignore them for now," Huo Tingshan said. "How is the shipbuilding progressing?"
"They are all finished."
