When the night wind blew in from the Blue Silver Grass Sea, the windows of the workshop on the castle's top floor were still open.
The windows faced the endless silver-green sea of grass stretching into the distance. Moonlight spread a layer of fragmented silver light across the leaves, which slowly rippled beneath the night breeze.
Several drawings that had taken a long time to complete lay spread across the table, their corners slightly curled. Pencil lines crisscrossed the pages, covered in densely packed notes detailing measurements, angles, and structural specifications.
Lan Tian sat at the desk, his fingertip resting on a cross-sectional drawing of a bullet. He traced the straight line running through it from tip to tail.
He had considered it over and over again. He had repeatedly recalled the fragments of knowledge about firearms from his past life, piecing them together bit by bit until he had finally formed this barely complete design.
He had never actually brought these things out before. Once he finished the drawings, they had remained tucked away in a drawer at the corner of his workbench.
He had once believed he had plenty of time. One matter after another demanded his attention outside—the fief needed managing, medicinal herbs needed planting, Blue Medicine Hall needed operating, and he needed to cultivate Soul Power. These things had always remained low on his list of priorities.
But things were different now.
Louise and Xiao Li were both pregnant, and Ah Yin had also moved into the fief. He had more to consider than before. He needed a trump card capable of protecting his family under extreme circumstances.
He leaned back in his chair and stretched his somewhat stiff shoulders and back. His gaze fell upon the Blue Silver Grass Sea outside the window, his thoughts