Starting from his vigorous old age, he began to conquer Liaozhai.

Cao Xiong fiddled with the short musket for a couple of moments, then looked at Wang Er and asked, "Have you tried out this short musket?"

"Uncle Cao, we've already tested it. Within 20 meters, the power can penetrate armor and shatter rocks, but beyond 30 meters, it will deviate from the target."

"Even if it hits the target, the damage isn't enough." Wang Er's voice carried an undisguised disappointment.

Cao Xiong frowned and pondered, "According to what you said, its practicality is indeed weak."

He carefully examined the short flintlock pistol's construction once more, while his mind kept replaying memories of pistols from his previous life.

Then he took out a lead bullet suitable for a short flintlock pistol from the wooden box.

Walk to one end of the yard, aim at the opposite wall, load the bullets, aim, and fire.

"Bang!"

Smoke filled the air as lead bullets struck the courtyard wall.

After practical operation, Cao Xiong had some ideas. This short musket had a greater recoil than an ordinary musket. Before the gunpowder had finished burning, the lead bullet had already flown out.

He looked at Lu Qing and Wang Er, "If you want to increase the range and power of the short musket, I have some suggestions that you may want to consider."

Lu Qing reached out and touched Cao Xiong's forehead. "Old Cao, I know you're anxious, but don't worry."

"From childhood to adulthood, when it comes to fighting, I, Lu Qing, can only admire you. But when it comes to mechanical arts, let's just forget about it."

Cao Xiong sneered at Lu Qing's anger and pushed Lu Qing's hand away, saying, "I'm not joking with you."

"Currently, the shortcomings of the short musket can be summarized in three points: powerlessness, instability, and inaccuracy."

"I think the first reason for these problems is that the barrel is too short. We manufacture short muskets for convenience, so if the length is increased further, it will not be suitable for carrying around."

"The short barrel means that the lead bullet is propelled out before the gunpowder has finished burning. Secondly, the short barrel results in greater recoil, which inevitably leads to poor accuracy for soldiers who have not yet mastered martial arts and use the gun with one hand."

"I have two solutions to this problem. The first is to increase the size of the lead bullets to reduce their sway within the barrel. However, increasing the size of the lead bullets will also increase their weight, which may significantly affect the range of a short-barreled musket."

"The second method is to try replacing the lead bullets with gunpowder pellets."

"Furthermore, the gun barrel is not only short, but also has an uneven surface. The lead bullets move back and forth in the tube. If the lead bullets are not made larger, could we use layers of sheet metal to make the gun barrel flat during manufacturing?"

After hearing Cao Xiong's words, Lu Qing and Wang Er both fell silent.

After a long while, Lu Qing suddenly slapped his forehead. "Old Cao, you're absolutely right!"

"Then let's try it as you said. First, adjust the size of the lead bullets. If that doesn't work, then adjust the level of the barrel."

"If neither of these methods works, then we should try to make gunpowder pellets."

Cao Xiong put the short flintlock pistol back into the wooden box. "If you don't have a better way, then try my method first."

After returning to the Hundred Household Office from Lu's blacksmith shop, Cao Xiong once again immersed himself in cultivation.

……

……

……

The next day at noon, Cao Xiong had just finished his cultivation and was sitting at his desk dealing with military affairs.

"Knock knock~"

Cao Xiong looked up at the door and said, "Come in."

A soldier pushed open the door and entered the barracks. "Report to the centurion, there is a seriously wounded man outside the garrison who claims to be a retainer of the Vice Minister of War. He has important business to discuss with you."

"Oh~"

Cao Xiong was puzzled. How could the retainer of the Vice Minister of War be in Guobei County and be seriously injured?

Where is he?

"The centurion is currently in the Qiu Zongqi barracks."

Cao Xiong stood up and walked towards the door. "Take me to see him."

Cao Xiong then followed the soldier directly to Qiu Ming's barracks.

He met a man who claimed to be a retainer of the Vice Minister of War. The man was about thirty years old, covered in blood, and missing his right arm.

The man lay on the bed, barely breathing, and it was clear he wouldn't live much longer.

"I am Cao Xiong, a centurion from Guobei County. I heard you wanted to see me."

Upon hearing Cao Xiong's voice, Fu Lei, who was lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes and struggled to sit up from the bedside table.

Cao Xiong sighed. Judging from the man's movements and aura, he was barely managing to circulate his internal energy before his death.

"Lord Cao, I am a retainer of Fu Tianchou, the Vice Minister of War. There were rebels causing trouble in Zezhou. We were escorting the lady and young lady to the capital, but our journey was exposed and we were chased all the way."

"My wife and young lady are in danger. They are currently still in Guobei County. Please, Lord Cao, save my wife and young lady." Fu Lei said, getting off the bed and kneeling on the ground.

Seeing that Cao Xiong remained silent, Fu Lei became even more anxious. "Lord Cao, don't worry about the trouble. I have already sent a message to Vice Minister Fu. If you save my lady and young lady, it won't be long before Vice Minister Fu sends someone to pick them up."

When Cao Xiong heard Fu Lei's first sentence, it was as if a thunderbolt had struck his mind.

He was very familiar with the name Fu Tianchou. In the Liaozhai movies of his previous life, Fu Tianchou was persecuted by Pudu Cihang.

If Fu Tianchou is a real person, then wouldn't that mean that Pudu Cihang might also be a real person?

Regardless of whether it's true or not, Cao Xiong has decided to get involved. "Tell me what your wife and daughter look like, what they wear, their age, and when and where they were kidnapped. It would be even better if you knew where the rebels went."

Upon hearing Cao Xiong's agreement, Fu Lei immediately kowtowed in gratitude, "Four hours ago, the location was near the Boli Township post station. Before I left, Madam and the two young ladies were accompanied by guards..."

"Lord Cao, I beg you."

Fu Lei's breath grew weaker and weaker, and he looked at Cao Xiong with his last breath.

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Cao Xiong nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Thank you..." Fu Lei's body finally gave way and he collapsed to the ground.

Cao Xiong looked at Qiu Ming and said, "Assemble the soldiers and search for the rebels."

"Yes, sir!" Qiu Ming hurriedly left the barracks and headed towards the drum tower.

Apart from the two small flag bearers guarding the city gate, everyone in the military camp was sent out.

Cao Xiong rode ahead alone, and after about two hours he finally arrived at Boli Township.

He searched along the official road and finally found signs of a fight in the woods about a kilometer away from the post station.

Following these traces, we eventually arrived at a location near the outer edge of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The trail disappeared here, so Cao Xiong could only choose a direction at random and continue to explore.

Not long after they walked, they heard a faint sound of fighting.

Cao Xiong quickly sped up, and when he arrived at the scene of the fight, he saw three martial artists dressed in black surrounding and killing one person.

The person being attacked was already seriously injured and was desperately protecting a girl who looked to be about thirteen years old behind him.

Cao Xiong immediately recognized that the people being besieged were Fu Tianchou's men.

He leaped from his horse, shouting, "Stop!"

The four men who were fighting were immediately drawn to Cao Xiong.

When the besieged men saw the armor Cao Xiong was wearing, their eyes lit up with excitement.