Chapter 388: Not the Deity’s Signature Color This Time

The “high-quality weapons” that Zhang Yuanwai was talking about certainly weren’t things like bows, hand crossbows, or spears.

He meant firearms!

“How wonderful it would be to have a few cannons mounted on this fortress at Qiachuan Port,” Zhang Yuanwai rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Pair that with a hundred or so firearm soldiers, and I guarantee that the next time the bandits come, we won’t even need Brother Bai to lift a finger. I alone can send them fleeing headlong!”

Bai Yuan produced a fan, snapped it open with a flourish, revealing the characters “Gentleman,” and chuckled. “You want firearms, huh?”

Zhang Yuanwai: “Want them? Desperately want them!”

Bai Yuan: “This isn’t something I decide.”

Zhang Yuanwai was startled: “You can’t decide this, Brother Bai? You’re one of the most prominent figures in Gaojia Village!”

Bai Yuan laughed heartily: “Matters concerning firearms are decided solely by the Deity.”

Zhang Yuanwai: “…”

Bai Yuan stated: “The Deity’s words are thus: ‘Firearms are instruments of violence. From the day they were created, it was for the sole purpose of slaying enemies more efficiently. Such things, in the hands of the virtuous, can save countless lives. But in the hands of the wicked, they can plunge the entire world into ruin.'”

Zhang Yuanwai: “!”

Bai Yuan: “Therefore, the prerequisite for wielding firearms is virtue.”

Zhang Yuanwai vaguely understood something: “I see! You mean those Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention that you insisted my men diligently study, right?”

Bai Yuan smiled: “Exactly! Your men have only just begun learning this. It’s far too early for them to get firearms now. Wait until every single one of them can properly follow the Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention, and they’re no longer a chaotic mob but truly soldiers of the people. Only then will Gaojia Village naturally transport a large batch of firearms here.”

Zhang Yuanwai quickly responded: “Having a clear goal makes everything easier. Brother Bai, just you wait and see. Your little brother will train every member of this militia properly!”

Just as the two were discussing this…

Bai Yuan suddenly sensed something amiss. He snapped his head up and spotted a low cloud floating right overhead. This discovery delighted him beyond measure: “Ah! The Deity has come!”

Zhang Yuanwai, puzzled, exclaimed: “Where? I don’t see anyone?”

Bai Yuan bowed deeply towards the sky: “I never expected the Deity would grace Qiachuan Port. I utterly failed to notice Your arrival. My profound apologies for this grave lapse in protocol. As for this ‘propriety’… scratch that, scratch that.”

The cloud layer parted, and a large sheet of paper unfurled in the sky: “No matter. I am merely here to observe casually.”

Seeing this sheet appear, Zhang Yuanwai finally spotted it too and was utterly terrified. He hadn’t truly believed the Deity could manifest right above them. Words miraculously appearing in the sky were truly alarming! He hastened to kneel.

Bai Yuan said: “Stand up. The Deity dislikes people wasting time kneeling in formalities. He is exceedingly busy. When speaking to Him, be clear and concise; do not waste His time.”

Zhang Yuanwai instantly obeyed and stood up.

Bai Yuan reported: “Your humble servant reports to the Deity. As per Your command, I have been regularly coming to Qiachuan Port to oversee the construction of the fortress by the workers. Ten days ago, the cement fortress was completed. The Heyang County militia has now stationed themselves within this fort and will garrison it long-term to ward off bandits. I have also brought veteran soldiers from Gaojia Village to drill them daily in the Three Main Rules and Eight Points of Attention daily. Once their discipline and quality are improved, we shall equip them accordingly.”

Li Daoxuan displayed a large paper: “Well done indeed. With you in charge, my mind is at ease.”

Receiving the Deity’s praise brought a broad smile even to someone like Bai Yuan, an intellectual who rarely showed such unfiltered joy.

Li Daoxuan: “Now that you have established a foothold by the Yellow River, I shall bestow upon you a fine vessel as well.”

“Vessel?” Zhang Yuanwai blurted out in surprise. “Is the Deity granting us a fishing boat for catching fish?”

His reaction was understandable. The things the Deity bestowed upon Heyang County were generally related to productivity – rain, flour, road construction. So when the Deity mentioned a vessel, fishing boats were Zhang Yuanwai’s immediate thought.

Bai Yuan, however, let his gaze sweep over the few dilapidated little fishing boats moored at the port. He thought: They have fishing boats here. Old and worn, yes, but enough to sustain the fishermen’s livelihoods. The years of severe drought didn’t reach the fishermen on the Yellow River to ruin them. Their lives are secure enough. The Deity speaks of bestowing another vessel? Strange! Could it be… not a fishing boat… but a… warship? Bai Yuan suddenly felt a surge of excitement.

Then, they saw the clouds part, and an enormous vessel slowly descended from the heavens. This descending object dwarfed anything the Deity had bestowed before. A large ship. A massive ship.

Though it was still high up, Bai Yuan perceived at a glance that this vessel was at least fifty feet long. In the context of inland rivers, a vessel of this size was essentially a behemoth.

Its gradual descent left Zhang Yuanwai, the Sharp Knife Troop soldiers from Heyang County, and everyone on the dock utterly dumbstruck. The fishermen on the port voiced their shock with astonished cries: “What is that? Wow! A boat! A gigantic boat is falling from the sky!” “Is the Deity performing magic?”

“SPLASH!”

The ship plunged into the river, displacing a massive volume of water which surged outwards in waves. Li Daoxuan used his gloved giant hand to give the vessel a gentle nudge, guiding it to rest against the wharf at Qiachuan Port.

The few small fishing boats originally docked there were sent rocking wildly by the surge. Thankfully, the fishermen aboard them weren’t thrown overboard – these were men who’d spent their lives braving the Yellow River’s capricious currents. Knocking them off their boats was no easy feat. However, the sight left them all gaping, completely dumbfounded.

Before them lay a colossal vessel about fifty feet long. A typical modern swimming pool is only 25 meters long – this ship exceeded that, its size staggering. The fishermen tilted their heads back, staring up at its towering cabin structure, taking in the dozen or more cannons gleaming brilliantly under the sun. They were momentarily frozen, almost ready to drop to their knees in awe.

Zhang Yuanwai’s jaw fell open wide enough to accommodate a duck egg. He had just moments ago been pleading with Bai Yuan to install a few cannons on Qiachuan Fortress… and now, a ship sailing down from the sky equipped with a dozen cannons…? Good heavens! Had he known they were false cannons, mere decorations, he might have been furious.

Everyone present wore expressions of profound emotion and intense excitement. Only Bai Yuan wore a peculiar expression, tilting his head as if deep in thought. After quite a while, they finally heard him speak in a strange tone: “The vessel bestowed by the Deity this time… it seems… off.”

Zhang Yuanwai: “Off? How? Such an immense boat! Such an impressive craft! What on earth could seem off to you?”

Bai Yuan answered with absolute seriousness: “This boat… it has natural wood grain. Utterly strange! Why isn’t it painted in splendid multi-color? Where is the Deity’s signature rainbowed colors? This vessel possesses none of the Deity’s characteristic style. This appears irregular… Could it be… the Deity is hinting at something?”

Li Daoxuan: “…”

Zhang Yuanwai: “…”

An idea seemed to suddenly brighten above Bai Yuan’s head like a lit bulb: “I understand now! The Deity has granted us merely an unpainted vessel this time! He intends for us to paint it vibrantly ourselves! To demonstrate our reverence for Him!”