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The Yard Officers surged forward. Zhou Lu suddenly pulled out a dark iron ball from his bosom, and Lin Dahe's heart raced—this was a thunderbolt used by the border troops! Just as he was about to shout, Cui Xiaoman had already snatched a bow and arrow from a nearby hunter. As she drew the string, her coarse sleeve was sliced open, revealing a small craftsman's mark on her forearm.
"Whoosh!"
The feathered arrow sliced through the air, accurately piercing Zhou Lu's wrist. The thunderbolt fell to the ground and rolled to the front of the county magistrate's sedan, causing the Counselor to wet his pants in fright. The scene erupted into chaos, and Peddler Zhang seized the opportunity to push to the front, shouting, "I’ve seen this kind of nitrate barrel on the canal! They say it’s for military supplies heading to Dengzhou Wei, but in reality, it’s unloaded for Hu merchants in the dead of night!"
The magistrate's gavel froze in mid-air. He scanned the injured villagers and finally fixed his gaze on Lin Dahe's face. "Scholar Lin, this matter..."
"I only seek the safety of my fellow villagers." Lin Dahe pulled out a prepared formula from his bosom; the sheepskin parchment was densely filled with crafting steps, though it notably lacked the crucial temperature curve. "This is the method for making glass; I wish to offer it to you, County Magistrate." He deliberately glanced at the old kiln. "I only ask that this kiln be preserved so we can make some coarse pottery for everyone."
The case was resolved surprisingly quickly. Zhou Lu was sentenced to death after autumn, Aunt Ma was exiled to Qiongzhou, and even Zhou Liangzhang, who had long been dismissed from his position, was dragged out and whipped two hundred times. The magistrate held onto the glass formula as if it were a treasure, completely unaware of the missing key information.
A celebration feast was set up in the threshing yard, with bonfire light casting a red glow across half the sky. An one-armed veteran, bandaged from arrow wounds and using Cui Xiaoman's specially made ointment for gunshot wounds, boasted about his achievements in Liaodong: "Back in Sarhu, I took down three Tatars all by myself..." Suddenly he broke into a violent cough and pulled out a cloth bag from his bosom.
Lin Dahe took it and looked inside; it was half a blood-stained bronze plaque—not an Imperial Guard badge but rather a sign of the Dengzhou Wei's military agricultural unit! The blood-splattered back bore several small characters: Yan Shen Town Nitrate Mine Map.
"What is this..."
"A madwoman gave it to me." The veteran took a swig of liquor. "That night at the charcoal kiln..."
His words were interrupted by the drunken Peddler Zhang who leaned over with a red nose. "Lin... Sir Lin... I saw something rare in Quanzhou..." He hiccupped while gesturing, "Red fruit with sharp tips... The Hu merchants called it 'foreign pepper'; if you eat it, you can breathe fire..."
Lin Dahe's heart raced. Chili peppers! Just as he was about to inquire further, a glaring warning suddenly popped up from the system: 【⚠️ This crop is involved in border smuggling! Introducing it will trigger an investigation by the Imperial Guards!】 The chili pepper icon on the screen glowed blood-red.
"That Hu merchant..." Lin Dahe asked nonchalantly, "Does he have a limp in his left leg?"
Peddler Zhang jolted awake, his drunkenness fading significantly. "How do you know? That person has connections at the Maritime Trade Office; he specializes in collecting nitrate and ironware..." He suddenly lowered his voice. "I heard he also sells blueprints for weapons!"
Cui Xiaoman's ceramic spoon clattered onto the table. Lin Dahe followed her gaze; Seventh Uncle was fiddling with the bonfire—burning pine branches were entwined with several dried red vines, just like those that Mad Old Woman used to throw into the fields!
"My father's medical book mentioned..." Cui Xiaoman's voice was as light as a feather. "These red vines and foreign peppers share a common origin; both can neutralize nitrate poison..."
The night wind swept up sparks that soared into the air, casting distorted shadows of everyone onto the earthen wall of the granary. Lin Dahe gazed at the celebrating crowd and suddenly felt that their laughter sounded distant and unreal. The system screen flickered in the firelight: 【Ultimate Task Updated: Unravel the Mystery of the Nitrate Mine Map; Remaining Time: 23:59:59】 Beneath the countdown timer, that blood-red chili pepper icon suddenly cracked open, revealing a tiny skull mark inside.
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