Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

Lin Fan suddenly remembered something.

"Brother Han, who else is in your family?"

Han Jinhu paused for a moment, his eyes dimming.

"He had a wife and a child. Back in Yanchang County, he owed money to the artisans' guild and couldn't pay it back, which led to his family's ruin and death. His wife took the child and ran back to her parents' home, and they never contacted her again. Later, I heard... that her parents' home also suffered a disaster, and I don't know if they're still alive."

He paused, his voice choked with emotion: "Sometimes I still dream about them. When I wake up, I tell myself, stop thinking about it, it's no use. In this world, just being alive is good enough."

Lin Fan didn't say anything, but just patted him on the shoulder.

In this chaotic world, everyone has a story, and everyone carries a heavy past.

Being able to survive is already an incredible stroke of luck.

As for the future...

Who knows?

---

Footsteps could be heard in the distance as the guards changed shifts.

Lin Fan stood up and dusted himself off.

"Let's go, we still have a long journey ahead tomorrow. Get some rest."

The two walked back to the camp side by side, their figures gradually blending into the night.

The fire in the blacksmith's shop was still burning, like an inextinguishable hope.

Weak, yet stubborn.

---

Spring of the second year of Chongzhen's reign.

Yellow River.

The ice had not yet completely melted, and the turbid river water, carrying silt and ice fragments from upstream, surged eastward with a muffled roar.

More than 500 men under Li Zicheng, including the elderly and children, gathered at an abandoned ferry crossing on the banks of the Yellow River, driving mules and carts.

The ferry crossing has been abandoned for many years. The original dock has long since collapsed, leaving only a few crooked wooden stakes, like the ribs of a dead man, stuck in the silt.

The few remaining dilapidated boats were purchased at great expense from a nearby fishing village by Gu Jun'en's men. They were old and worn, with many rotten parts of the planks, barely reinforced with hemp ropes and wooden wedges, and were a frightening sight to behold.

"How are we going to cross the river with just these few broken boats?" Liu Zongmin's face turned ashen, and he kicked a pebble away.

The pebble fell into the Yellow River and was swallowed up by the surging water without even making a splash.

"These are all we have." Gu Jun'en said helplessly. "All the boats in the vicinity have been requisitioned by the government troops. We were only able to find these few because of a favor."

"Using connections?" Liu Zongmin sneered. "What kind of connections? Surely not some government lackey?"

"Chief Liu, you can't say that..." Gu Jun'en's expression changed.

"Enough!" Li Zicheng stopped the two men's argument. "Now is not the time to quarrel. The government troops are less than fifty li away from us, and we must all cross the river before dark. If we don't have enough boats, we'll find a way. People first, supplies second, and horses and mules last."

He looked at Lin Fan: "Master Lin, could you use your gunpowder to cross the river?"

Lin Fan thought for a moment: "Gunpowder isn't used like that. However... if there are government troops intercepting us on the other side, we can use 'Thunderbolts' for cover. But the prerequisite is that we need to get some of our men over there first and establish a beachhead."

Li Zicheng nodded and began assigning tasks.

Liu Zongmin led the first batch of elite troops across the river to establish a beachhead position.

Gu Jun'en led the second group, responsible for the elderly, women, children, and some supplies.

Li Zicheng personally led the third batch, responsible for covering the rear and securing the last supplies and horses.

Lin Fan was assigned to the second batch, bringing his team of craftsmen and all the tools and materials.

---

The process of crossing the river was more difficult than expected.

The first boat had barely left the shore when it was swept sideways by the rapids. The soldiers on board panicked, and the boatmen struggled to keep it steady.

When the boat reached the middle of the river, a wave crashed in, causing the boat to rock violently. An old woman lost her footing and fell into the river.

A young soldier nearby reacted quickly, grabbing her collar, and several men together pulled her up.

The old woman was soaked to the bone and shivering from the cold, but she managed to survive.

When the ship docked on the opposite bank, Liu Zongmin had already led the advance troops to control the beachhead.

They did not encounter any government troops, but the beach was a muddy swamp. When they stepped in, the mud reached up to their calves, making it extremely difficult to walk.

Liu Zongmin ordered people to cut down trees and lay them on the silt to barely create a simple road.

The second group began crossing the river.

Lin Fan and the craftsmen carefully carried the tools and materials onto the ship.

Anvil, bellows, hammer, pliers, whetstone, gunpowder... every single one is a treasure. If any one of them is lost, the entire team of craftsmen will have to come to a standstill.

Han Jinhu was in charge of moving the anvil, which was incredibly heavy; it was difficult for two people to lift it.

Tian Ergou clutched the leather bag containing gunpowder, his face pale with nervousness, terrified that he might accidentally fall into the river.

When the boat reached the middle of the river, it experienced another period of turbulence.

A wave crashed in, tilting the ship, and a wooden crate containing iron slid toward the side of the ship.

Lin Fan reacted quickly and grabbed the box, but the inertia caused him to fall overboard.

"Brother Lin!" Han Jinhu exclaimed, reaching out to pull him.

Lin Fan grabbed the box with one hand and grabbed at a rope on the side of the boat with the other, finally managing to steady himself.

Half of the iron in the box poured out and fell into the river.

"What a waste of all that iron..." Han Jinhu stomped his feet in distress.

Lin Fan, panting heavily, looked at the murky river water, still shaken.

"As long as everyone is alright. We can find more iron if it's gone."

The ship finally docked.

Lin Fan jumped into the knee-deep mud and water and, together with the craftsmen, carried the tools and materials ashore.

Everyone was covered in mud and exhausted, but no one complained.

The second group finished crossing in the afternoon.

When the third group crossed the river, the flags of the government troops appeared on the horizon.

"Faster! Faster!" Li Zicheng stood on the shore, urging him on sternly.

The last boat had just left the shore when the government army's cavalry arrived.

They reined in their horses on the bank, looked at the boats on the river, hesitated for a moment, and did not go into the water to pursue them.

A man who looked like an officer was on horseback, drawing his bow and aiming at the people on the ship.

"Get down!" Li Zicheng roared.

Arrows flew in with a whoosh, striking the ship's planks and sides with dull thuds.

One soldier was unable to dodge in time and was shot in the shoulder by an arrow, falling down with a scream.

After dodging several waves of arrows, the ship finally reached the shore.

Li Zicheng was the last to jump off the boat, glancing back at the opposite bank.

The flags of the government troops fluttered in the twilight, like an ominous dark cloud.

"Let's go!" he growled, leading the way toward the shore.

---

As darkness fell, the team set up camp in a sheltered mountain hollow.

The flickering campfire illuminated the tired yet relieved faces of the people.

Having crossed the Yellow River, they temporarily escaped the pursuit of the government troops.

But no one knows what lies ahead.

Lin Fan sat by the fire, drying his soaked shoes and socks.

Han Jinhu handed him a bowl of hot porridge: "Brother Lin, have some to warm yourself up."

Lin Fan took the bowl and took a sip.

The porridge was thin, but at least it was hot, and as it slid down my throat, it brought a slight warmth.

Tian Ergou leaned closer and whispered, "Master Lin, do you think... we'll be able to stay safe once we get to Shanxi?"

Lin Fan did not answer.

He gazed into the darkness in the distance, towards Shanxi.

Shanxi.

Zhang Xianzhong.

Luo Rucai.

A place where heroes from all walks of life gather.

Whether they are enemies or friends, whether they will unite or separate, no one knows.

But one thing is certain—

From this moment on, Li Zicheng's troops officially left northern Shaanxi and entered a wider world.

And he, Lin Fan, will also step into an even greater storm.

---

In the distance, Li Zicheng stood on a high ground, gazing at the southern horizon.

That was the place he left behind—Yinchuanyi in northern Shaanxi, that barren and suffering land.

He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly whispered, "One day, I will come back."

The sound was so faint that it was carried away by the wind, and no one heard it.

But the flag bearing the word "闯" (Chuang, meaning "venture") fluttered in the night wind, as if responding to his vow.

---

Late at night.

Lin Fan lay on the straw mat, gazing at the starlight filtering through the tent ceiling.

My mind is a jumbled mess, a jumble of thoughts rushing in—

Liu Zongmin's disloyalty, the appearance of Hu Laowai, the pursuit by government troops, the unknown in Shanxi...

Every single thing is like a thorn, stuck in my heart, causing a dull ache.

He turned over, forcing himself not to think about these things.

Close your eyes, and you can hear the crackling of the campfire and the deep roar of the Yellow River in the distance.

That sound, like the wheels of history, was heavy and unstoppable, crushing everything in its path.

He was just a tiny speck of dust beside the wheel.

All we can do is try our best not to be crushed.

That's it.