Iron Dynasty Chapter 5: The Spark of Technology

Northern City of Qingzhou

Beneath the walls of the city, more than thirty steppe horsemen from the barbarians gestured toward the gate, their laughter filled with scorn.

For those barbarians of the grasslands, the warriors from the Central Plains appeared feeble and timid, too scared to venture beyond their fortified walls against such foes.

Up on the battlements, three hundred troops held their positions firmly. Twenty bowmen gripped their longbows taut, ready to unleash arrows at the barbarian riders hovering just outside the gates.

“Captain Lu, the King of Qi is here.”

Near the heart of the city entrance, a towering figure over seven feet tall, with a dark complexion and dressed in scale mail, kept a sharp eye on the intruders.

He was Lu Fei, the captain overseeing Qingzhou's defenses and commanding the forces there.

“The King of Qi?” Lu Fei’s tone rumbled like a storm. “Why has he come? He’ll only stir up problems.”

The horsemen beyond the walls spotted Xiao Ming’s opulent clothing right away and buzzed with excitement—this had to be a high-ranking person.

A single barbarian yanked his horse’s reins, nocked an arrow to his bow, and fired it straight at Xiao Ming.

A piercing whistle cut the air as the arrow thudded uselessly against the wall. The gap was simply too wide; it didn’t have enough power to pose any danger. The intent was purely to startle.

Yet Xiao Ming stood firm without a flinch. Inside his thoughts, the tech crystal held endless wisdom. He understood precisely the limits of bows and arrows from ancient times, so he didn’t even consider evading it.

A peculiar look crossed Lu Fei’s face— the King of Qi seemed somehow changed this day.

“Your Highness.” Lu Fei offered a respectful bow.

“Skip the ceremonies. Tell me the situation,” Xiao Ming inquired.

The territory here was his domain—he wasn’t just the King of Qi; he also bore the rank of Grand Governor over Six Provinces, akin to the top military leader. Thus, Lu Fei, merely the Captain of Qingzhou, answered to him.

“Your Highness, up to now, just one unit of thirty barbarian riders has hung around beyond the city, unwilling to depart,” Lu Fei explained.

Xiao Ming peered outward. Those barbarian riders donned excellent scale armor, brandished recurve bows, and rode mighty, imposing steeds—they resembled crack soldiers.

By comparison, his troops sported worn-out gear, their arms corroded and blunt. Just Lu Fei’s own scale armor stood out as properly made.

“Any news from Cangzhou?” Xiao Ming started breaking down the events with his extensive insights.

“Cangzhou remains safe.”

“Odd. With Cangzhou still holding, how come these barbarian riders have shown up here?”

“It strikes me as strange too,” Lu Fei confessed. “The land around Cangzhou is rugged—it serves as the sole route across the Qinling Mountains. Any barbarian incursion would need to seize Cangzhou beforehand…”

While talking, he sensed something off—usually, the King of Qi ignored all things martial, but here he was, pinpointing the core problem with a handful of remarks.

Xiao Ming had picked up on Lu Fei’s scornful vibe toward him as soon as he reached the wall. It grated on his nerves.

Across this whole domain, Qian Dafu alone showed him proper royal deference. The rest treated him like an afterthought.

On purpose, he remarked, “In that light, Captain Lu, why not take the men out to grab them and learn the truth?”

Lu Fei’s complexion paled to a sickly hue. Though hot-tempered, he wasn’t foolish. “Your Highness, our cavalry numbers only around thirty. We might equal them in count, but they outclass us in horsemanship and archery. Venturing forth would mean certain doom.”

“Captain Lu, do you fear them? Without taking any, how else will we learn their path here?” Xiao Ming commented offhandedly.

Lu Fei’s features flushed from pale to crimson. “It’s not a matter of courage, Your Highness—such an action would yield nothing but failure…”

Xiao Ming had driven his message home. His sole aim had been to humble Lu Fei a bit. “Really? Maybe there’s a way.”

“Your Highness, this isn’t child’s play,” Lu Fei objected, convinced the King of Qi had lost his senses.

The barbarians down there showed no rush to depart. As they slid off their mounts and lounged casually near them, Xiao Ming instructed, “Call for Armory Officer Chen.”

Lu Fei wouldn’t risk defying him—lest this unpredictable royal truly compel an assault. That could only end in disaster.

Moments later, a slender fellow in a green gown stepped onto the ramparts.

“Are there iron caltrops available?”

The Armory Officer managed arms and provisions. The surest counter to riders was forcing them afoot.

Iron caltrops served exactly to cripple mounted forces.

Chen paused uncertainly. “Yes, Your Highness, though scarce—around thirty in stock.”

“Only thirty?! What exactly have you all accomplished lately?” Xiao Ming barked.

Chen offered a wry grin. “It’s no laziness, Your Highness. Yet no master forger can create without supplies. Our Armory runs short on fine iron and coal needed to craft or mend gear.”

Curse it, we lack funds. Xiao Ming almost exploded in frustration. “Round up every smith in the city then!”

He turned to Qian Dafu and commanded, “Haul every bit of iron and bronze from the royal holdings over to the Armory.”

“What?!” Qian Dafu’s expression contorted in distress.

Lu Fei parted his lips as though to interject, then held back.

“Captain Lu, watch those barbarians closely. Seems they intend to dine right beneath our fortifications before moving on.” Xiao Ming eyed the riders, now settled cozily on the earth.

These barbarians displayed complete contempt. Such behavior was a grave slight.

Despite his reluctance, Qian Dafu obeyed, collecting the bronze pots and iron tools from the estate.

Before long, the city’s twelve blacksmiths gathered at the Armory. Workers had fired up the furnaces to liquefy the gathered metals.

“Your Highness, all are assembled, yet numerous town forgers lack familiarity with iron caltrops or their creation,” Chen noted warily.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll guide them personally,” Xiao Ming replied with a cunning smile.

Confronted by this crisis, thankfully the tech crystal remained his asset.

The knowledge archive formed only part of the crystal’s role—its real strength resided in sharing information.

This sharing felt like sorcery, resembling Daoist awakening or an abrupt insight.

In essence, the tech crystal lodged within his awareness could connect to others’ thoughts, quietly instilling understanding.

Right then, Xiao Ming resembled a mainframe system. His mind acted as the connection line, feeding data to additional “systems”—the individuals.

Still, he decided fully what to share and the extent of it.

Chen gaped in surprise, observing Xiao Ming draw seven smiths apart for a short discussion. Upon rejoining the group, they dove straight into the work.

To his amazement, the caltrops they produced proved far more accurate and keen-edged than the Armory’s expert creations.

“Could this truly be the King of Qi I know?”

To Chen, the King of Qi had long been a laughingstock. Yet now, a shift had occurred.

Xiao Ming grinned inwardly, satisfied with the outcome. He’d pulled it off. By masking the knowledge share as simple guidance, the artisans thought they’d grasped caltrop forging via their own grasp.

After all, caltrops weren’t overly intricate—they dated back to the Warring States era. They consisted merely of iron spikes formed into tiny pyramid shapes.