Fortune Across the World

Chapter 166: Facing Peril, Who Will Stand Together? (Part 1)

Luckily, Ding Qiyu had already arranged for enough gunpowder and materials to be brought back by the palace disciples when she designed the Shenji Arrows; otherwise, they would have had to go through great trouble to source materials at the last minute.

Ding Qiyu quickly improved the exhaust structure at the back of the Fiery Rain. Although the effect was not perfect, at least it wouldn't leave people in a messy state. She then worked tirelessly, without sleep, to produce more Fiery Rain, Shenji Crossbows, and Shenji Arrows. The disciples sent to help, though not skilled in carpentry, were assigned repetitive tasks that didn't require much technical expertise. Eager to protect their home, the participating female disciples were highly motivated, resulting in efficient production.

Meanwhile, on Le Zhuyi's side, Zhenxiao Sect's men attempted to harass them a few more times. With not enough mechanisms and Sister Han injured, Le Zhuyi personally went out to battle twice. As soon as Ding Qiyu's group produced finished products, they were sent to the "front line." With enough Fiery Rain mechanisms, they could hold Danying Mountain and quickly repel the invading enemies.

Zhenxiao Sect hadn't anticipated Qianli Palace possessing such a powerful secret weapon. Helpless against the Fiery Rain mechanisms and suffering heavy losses, they retreated to their camp to devise new strategies.

The enemy's predicament provided Qianli Palace with an opportunity to switch from defense to offense. After much deliberation, Le Zhuyi decided to strike back before Zhenxiao Sect could come up with new plans.

Ding Qiyu agreed they should seize the initiative immediately. However, due to the Fiery Rain's inability to distinguish between friend and foe, it could only be used defensively. To take the offensive, they needed to enhance the Fire Whip. Recalling how Shenji Arrows' explosions triggered the enemy's thunder beads, Ding Qiyu had a sudden inspiration. If the Fire Whip could ignite sparks, Qianli Palace's skilled disciples could use it to directly hit the enemy's thunder beads, turning the whip into an "ignition device," causing the enemies to "self-destruct."

Ding Qiyu discussed her idea with Zhuyi and added a metal wire to the Fire Whip, connected to a trigger. A row of flint spikes was placed at the whip's end. When the "ignition" trigger was not activated, the flint remained inside the whip, making it indistinguishable from the original. Once activated, the flint spikes would pop out, creating sparks through friction with the metal wire, igniting external gunpowder. The whip's material wouldn't catch fire, and its length ensured the wielder wouldn't be harmed by the enemy's exploding thunder beads.

After personally testing the new Fire Whip, Le Zhuyi glanced at Ding Qiyu, who was intently working on small mechanisms in the courtyard. Ding Qiyu was completely absorbed, her brows furrowed, her lips lightly pressed together, exuding calm command, much like her composure when directing the Fiery Rain against the enemy. To Le Zhuyi, Ding Qiyu radiated an indescribable allure. Zhuyi looked away, focusing on securing her whip, her eyes softened with a tenderness she reserved for no one else.

The new whip tests were successful, and the Fire Whip lived up to its name, truly igniting fire. Ding Qiyu assigned personnel to produce the small components for the whip handles, finalizing modifications herself, quickly deploying them for widespread use.

The three Zhenxiao Sect blasting sites were far apart, forcing them to camp in separate locations. That day, Le Zhuyi personally led disciples armed with the newly improved Fire Whips to attack Zhenxiao Sect's first camp.

Though worried, Ding Qiyu remained at the bamboo courtyard, responsible for crafting more whips. Lost in thought, she was suddenly interrupted by a female disciple calling, "Master Ding?"