His plan was likely to fail, but he realized he would encounter more opportunities. Opportunities, as things stood, were something he absolutely had to pursue, so he didn't consider anything else. He truly hoped to achieve his goal, and thus didn't dwell on the myriad of situations.
"We are truly on the cusp of a storm right now. I hope you understand that caution steers the ship for ten thousand years; don't just end up ruined."
It was Si Yiran, of course, who spoke these words.
Facing his words, Ye Tiancheng clearly felt he had gained some skill. Through prolonged dialogue, he had also learned the art of sophistry.
"What's the use of you talking so much nonsense to me? The only useful thing is for us to carry out our plans."
It was evident he had identified his target and wouldn't think twice about it. In the days to come, he would become increasingly powerful, drawing ever closer to his set objective.
At this moment, before the ripples stirred in the city-state of Duogongna had even subsided, Ye Jiancheng launched a new plan: the manufacturing initiative.
The first step was mechanized agriculture.
The next day, he summoned a group of workers capable of forging. These were blacksmiths-to-be, though currently, they were still producers of bronze ware.
These individuals had no idea what outcome awaited them. When summoned, each one was unaware that they would later become pillars of society.
When they were informed of their task, astonishment spread across every face.
Among them was a man named Bao Ge, who was deeply suspicious.
He then posed his question to Ye Tiancheng.
"What exactly do you want so many of us coppersmiths for?"
In response to Bao Ge's query, Ye Tiancheng presented a plan that struck them as laughable, for Ye Tiancheng intended to mine iron ore.
"We know about this sort of thing. The charcoal fires we have are nowhere near hot enough to melt iron ore..."
As he spoke, Bao Ge's face revealed a sneer.
Ye Tiancheng had long anticipated their ridicule, so he remained remarkably composed, finding nothing amusing. Knowing this would happen, he wasn't angry with Bao Ge.
Facing this outcome, Ye Tiancheng was not discouraged. Instead, he became intensely serious. He believed that if his goal couldn't be achieved, he would appear utterly foolish. Consequently, he became even more resolute and unshakeable. Everyone who witnessed his demeanor was deeply inspired.
"If you can pay us wages and make us feel satisfied, then this matter can be done. After all, you're the one footing the bill."
As the leader of these craftsmen, Bao Ge could naturally speak for them.
Ye Tiancheng smiled faintly.
"Certainly. This demand is not excessive; it's a reasonable request."
In reality, these people were quite foolish. They didn't realize that the prevalent paper currency was merely printed paper. They were exchanging their labor value for something utterly worthless. As its circulation increased, their labor achievements could be plundered infinitely.
This was the financial effect of their era.
Only by keeping them perpetually short of money would they continue to labor indefinitely; they would never be allowed to become prosperous.
Once this plan of his was implemented, it would signify a world-altering change.
He felt no pity for others regarding such a transformation. The world was already so wretched; he might as well throw in more scrap metal to make it even more dilapidated. Doing so made him feel alive, at least capable of destruction.
The darkness hidden within Ye Tiancheng's heart was unknown to others. After all, a benevolent facade could easily lead people to mistake him for a good person. Most people judge good and bad not by delving into others' thoughts, but by making simple, intuitive judgments based on outward appearances.
Consequently, Ye Tiancheng formed an unbreakable bond with this group of craftsmen. They needed Ye Tiancheng to provide them with money, and in return, they would work diligently for him. Otherwise, they wouldn't survive.
When paper money replaced all forms of bartering, they only knew that possessing more paper money meant acquiring more material goods. However, they didn't realize they could never keep pace with the printing speed.
As soon as the printing press started, their year's worth of labor would vanish. The following year, they would have to toil tirelessly again, or they would starve.
Forced into such a state, they remained completely unaware because Ye Tiancheng had already instilled in them the notion that diligence leads to wealth.
In the days that followed, Ye Tiancheng simply adhered to his brainwashing doctrines and trained these individuals into the mold he desired. Occasionally, if there were troublemakers, he would eliminate them without hesitation to prevent them from spreading anything detrimental. These individuals often sensed Ye Tiancheng's malevolence.
Therefore, he absolutely could not allow such people to spread anything that would be disadvantageous to him. As soon as he detected even a hint of it, he had to extinguish it.
Thus, a month passed. Ye Tiancheng's primary endeavor was the extraction of iron ore, and a vast quantity of iron implements were produced by him.
Having come from a civilized era, he knew how to craft numerous tools. The weapons made from these iron implements were extremely sharp, capable of easily cleaving bronze ware.
He meticulously guarded the manufacturing process for iron, preventing others from learning it. Consequently, these craftsmen were confined by him in a place devoid of sunlight, ensuring that this secret would forever remain his.
The system, observing Ye Tiancheng's transformation, said nothing, for in this dark era, one could not survive without ruthlessness.
Benevolent individuals could never live as prosperously as Ye Tiancheng. Beneath every hypocritical facade lay a pair of blood-stained hands.
In his previous era, Ye Tiancheng had already experienced the darkness of human hearts. Thus, after transmigrating to this world, he continued to use this principle as his winning strategy for survival.
Subsequently, the four great families discovered that Ye Tiancheng possessed a peculiar ailment: iron weapons that exuded a deathly white light.
Swords, spears, sabers, halberds, axes, and hooks forged from fine iron, along with armor and equipment crafted from iron plates, were outfitted to the war divisions.
Currently, Ye Tiancheng commanded 120 warriors, each meticulously selected for their robust physique.
These carefully chosen warriors had now become his capable assistants, but he harbored no ambitions, such as ruling the entire city-state of Duogongna.
Although he lacked such aspirations, he possessed the ability to instill unease in others.
Most people considered Ye Tiancheng a disaster, eager to eliminate him. Knowing this day would come, Ye Tiancheng fearlessly regarded these individuals.
He had long known he would be resented, and the reasons for their resentment were understandable. Most people found his demeanor laughable, like a fool, but when he actually accomplished things, others realized he was an extremely formidable individual, capable of defeating anything with ease.
Those who had mocked him in the past now found themselves being mocked by him; truly, fortunes had turned.
The He family, the most junior among the four great families.
Now, they were compelled to unite. Previously, the He family had sought to curry favor with Ye Tiancheng, but now, feeling an absolute threat from the four great families, they had become fence-sitters, joining forces with the four great families to oppose Ye Tiancheng.
He Mengning, seeing her family act like fools by choosing to confront a god-like figure like Ye Tiancheng, was furious, but there was nothing she could do. After all, the family's authority was not in her hands, and she could only offer her sympathy. One dark and windy night, she went to meet Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng was happily gazing at the moonlit scenery, sipping a bowl of tea he had brewed. On the table were various pastries and fruits. He had traveled a great distance to a cliff in a forest.
The lonely night wind blew through his hair. In this world, his short hair had gradually grown long. He had also learned to tie it up like the ancients, securing it with a jade hairpin. He looked at his reflection in the forbidden mirror, finding that with his long hair and ancient robes, he looked exceptionally dashing.
"You're still in the mood to drink tea here? Do you know the four great families have united to eliminate you?"
He Mengning said to Ye Tiancheng, her tone exasperated.
"I knew this day would come, which is why my 120 armored warriors are not just for show."
"What are your 120 men? They have over 13,000 people. Even using human wave tactics, they could crush your 120 men into dust."
He Mengning truly didn't understand where he got the courage to challenge so many powerful experts. If he had even a sliver of intelligence and wisdom, he would never have made such a foolish choice.
"If I were you, I would never say such foolish things. I would run as far away as possible. After all, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. As long as you are far from the city-state of Duogongna, you will be safe."
He Mengning said to Ye Tiancheng, her voice filled with anxiety.
Ye Tianchen found it very strange. It was truly a case of the emperor not being anxious, but the eunuchs were. Why should he be worried? As someone who had transmigrated from a civilized era, how could he be defeated by these bumpkins? He still had more formidable ultimate weapons yet to reveal: gunpowder.
The invention of this substance was truly heaven-defying. Although black powder was made from saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, it was more than enough to deal with these barbarians. After all, the explosion of black powder generated immense power, capable of turning seven or eight people into charcoal.
"Seeing how unconcerned you are, do you perhaps have other methods?"
He Mengning could tell from his attitude that he already had a definitive plan.
"That's why you should never offend a powerful opponent like me, lest you fall into an even more tragic situation."
"Your verbal skills are formidable, but I don't think you can defeat over 13,000 people."
"Who said that? I will definitely employ close-quarters combat. Such a fighting style is only for those with broken minds."
Ye Tiancheng would, of course, not adopt such a foolish combat method. As someone from a civilized era, he would naturally employ civilized methods.
After all, he had already had people secretly producing black powder.
This black powder was transported to a secret location and then packed into mud.
He was, after all, someone who had studied university chemistry. He quickly produced fuses.
These were inserted into the black powder, then externally wrapped in mud. As long as these items were ignited and thrown among the enemy, they would be sent flying into the air.
On the surface, Ye Tiancheng was forging iron weapons, but in secret, he was producing what was popular in the late medieval period. However, he would not produce incendiary devices; those were not efficient. If time permitted, he would produce high-performance gunpowder, that is, TNT from his era.
If this smokeless powder were packed into iron casings and fitted with a wooden handle, it would become a standard hand grenade. The explosive power of such an item would increase tenfold, truly inspiring awe. In this era, if such a thing were introduced, it would make one seem like a god.
Of course, he couldn't produce such items at the current stage. For his long-term goals and plans, he naturally chose to develop slowly. In this dark era, if you don't want to devour others, you must at least protect yourself.
He had no intention of harming others, but he absolutely had to guard against them. Thus, Ye Tiancheng embarked on his fantastical development model.
Initially, he wanted to be a slacker, but he eventually realized that his idea was too naive. In this era, if you don't eliminate others, you will be eliminated by them. Resources were extremely scarce, and agricultural production was very backward. The most effective way for people to survive was to seize others' food.
The simplest and most brutal way to seize food was to wage war. Therefore, the city-states were in a state of constant tension with each other.
Even if they appeared to be at peace on the surface, wars would erupt as soon as the harvest season arrived. If they couldn't seize grain in the autumn, they would struggle to survive the winter.
When winter arrived with heavy snow, hunting and fishing became impossible. A foot of snow would envelop the entire world, and hibernating animals would not emerge. Consequently, the entire world seemed to fall into an apocalypse.
Autumn was a very dangerous time. From this point on, every city-state entered a state of heightened alert.
Whether one could survive depended on how much grain one possessed.
However, it was currently summer, and there was still some time before autumn, so everyone's lives were not yet disrupted by war. Wars between city-states never ceased.
There was no friendship among these people; all they had was plunder.
Ye Tiancheng soon found himself clashing with them. He had initially intended to remain neutral, but he was forced to become cunning and deceitful.
When these people fought, they would find a flat area, and both sides would array themselves. When the spring breeze blew, they would engage in mutual slaughter.
The combined forces of the four great families were numerous, appearing as a dense black mass. In terms of momentum and numbers, Ye Tiancheng's side was like a tiny ant.
However, behind Ye Tiancheng were various strange objects that the people of the four great families had never seen before. Unsure of their purpose, they looked at Ye Tiancheng with curiosity.
"Ye Tiancheng, your end has come. Surrender obediently and do not struggle pointlessly. We can spare your 120 men."
It was someone from the Yang family who spoke.
"Go to your mother's stinking ass."
Ye Tiancheng, as expected, did not speak courteously to them; his response was a string of insults.
Those people, who had intended to offer good advice, were shocked by Ye Tiancheng's retort and were instantly enraged.
What was the point of talking nonsense? They would charge forward and fight him head-on.
Yang Decheng, the leader of the Yang family, brandished a bronze weapon and shouted sternly.
Instantly, these people charged forward, dense as reeds crossing a river.
"Retreat!"
Ye Tiancheng shouted loudly. His 120 men quickly moved backward. The over ten thousand people, seeing Ye Tiancheng's men retreat before even engaging, pursued them relentlessly. However, they soon reached the area Ye Tiancheng had prepared for them. Many pits had been dug there, and a significant amount of gunpowder had been buried.
The fuses for the gunpowder extended for about three to four hundred meters. At a distance of three to four hundred meters, Ye Tiancheng gave the order, and his men ignited the gunpowder.
The fuses burned with flames, quickly reaching the pits. Just as these people rushed into the area, a deafening explosion erupted.