"… single-shot… rifle…?"

"A child can kill a cultivator? Preposterous!"

"This mad gypsy is only here to waste our time. I ask Lord Regent to allow me to arrest this group and interrogate them. Who knows? They might be spies sent to our court by the enemy."

The final speaker, a bald, middle-aged minister, had a lecherous look in his eyes as he wantonly gazed at the leader of the merchant party.

The young woman, however, was exceedingly calm. The smile on her exquisite face never faltered, and the motions of her body showed not an ounce of discomfort.

Performing a graceful bow, she spoke. "This lowly merchant understands how ridiculous her claims might sound. However, they are not without evidence."

Raising her face, she landed her gaze upon one of the figures sitting amongst the cohort of ministers. This figure seemed to be looking at the item on the tray with a grim and wary look.

"This lowly merchant is certain that at least one of your esteemed selves has had the fortune, or should I say, misfortune," her face held a sly smile, "of coming across this weapon. Perhaps, you've heard of the word 'thunder sticks?'"

The instant her words fell, the figure with the grim and pale countenance, an older general, immediately stood up. He pointed his calloused finger at the item, trembling and weaning.

With a stuttering voice, chockful with abject horror, he said, "I—It's those things! Those horrible contraptions of the devil!!"

His fear-filled voice tore through the boisterous atmosphere, quietening their dissent.

Cupping her hands and bowing in return, the young woman spoke. "Esteemed General's eyes see right. However, I prefer the term 'miracle of engineering.'"

"Such a weapon was, after all," she scanned the crowd with a genial smile, "born under the hands of men."

The old general wanted to contest her claims but held his silence. It was true that he did not have much knowledge of the object. All he knew was of the object's frightening destructiveness and the final cries of thousands of his fallen soldiers.

More memorable, however, was the cacophonous sound of thunder that accompanied every use of the dreadful weapon.

Regent Rodriguez held his tongue as scepticism filled his mind. Levelling a heavy gaze towards the old general, he ordered. "General Arlo, explain what drives you to utter a cry of fear at the very mention of this weapon?"

The old general immediately cupped his hands and bowed his head. With a respectful, half-trembling voice, he explained. "Reporting to Lord Regent. I pray that you recall the incident from last month where we suffered disastrous losses in our secondary frontline. This servant has something to confess."

Lowering his gaze and not daring to meet that of his lord, the old general continued. "This servant… might not have been entirely honest in his reports regarding how that battle played out."

The shocking confession immediately elicited shocked expressions from the rest of the ministers.

"What!?"

"Arlo lied!? Impossible! He's more stuck-up than a virgin woman sold in the service of faith!"

"What drove him to such madness!? Is this weapon truly so fearful?"

Their collective eyes moved to the object on the tray before moving to the gorgeous merchant who sought to sell them. The raven-haired beauty met those gazes with a polite smile.

In the eyes of the ministers, however, it was no longer the soul-stirring smile of a gorgeous beauty; it was the grin of a devil!

General Arlo bore the burden of the weighty gazes cast upon him and honestly confessed. He spoke of how the battle had actually played out; how he had lost thirteen-thousand serfs, one thousand two hundred knights, and three hundred and eighty cultivators in a mere three days; how he was made to haplessly retreat; and finally, about why he had lied to his liege and the court about this battle.

"This servant knows of the expectations placed upon him by Lord Regent." Tears began spilling from the old general's eyes. "But to have met these expectations with such a loss filled me, not only with boundless guilt but also with irreprehensible shame!"

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"My liege! I felt, and still feel, ashamed! I am ashamed that I have let down my lord, led my men into their deaths, and most importantly, ashamed that I have failed my duty as a servant and a general!"

Drawing the sword at his waist, the old general presented it to the regent with both his arms and kneeled on the spot. "Lord Regent! I ask you to claim the life of this failure yourself, and request you to spare this failure's family! I know that I have failed and broken your faith in me, but I hope that Lord Regent can remember this failure's previous contributions to the Empire and find it in you to forgive this failure's family."

"This failure has sinned! However, the remainder of my family is sinless."

The old general's tear-stained words echoed heavily inside the throne room. The minister waited in bated breath for the verdict of their lord.

Regent Rodriguez heard the confessions of the old general and faced him with closed eyes. After seconds of tense, heart-pounding silence, he gave his verdict with a staid voice.

"To claim the life of a capable and experienced general, all for a moment's folly would be the height of foolishness and extremely short-sighted. I am neither foolish nor short-sighted."

Heaving a heavy breath, he uttered. "Rise, General Arlo. I have decided to forgive your moment's foolishness. A man of your talents is indispensable, given our current uncertain times."

"But do remember, such grace will not come a second time!"

The old general was moved to tears. He kneeled further and prostrated before the regent. "This servant shall forever etch the liege's grace into his mind! This servant vows to never disappoint Lord Regent ever again!"

Regent Rodriguez waved off his words of gratitude. He then asked, "Tell me, General Arlo. Are the claims of this merchant true? Is this weapon, this 'single-shot rifle,' truly as fearsome as she claims?"

At his question, General Arlo gritted his teeth and truthfully replied, "Lord Regent, having met these 'thunder sticks' in battle and having faced their destructiveness… this servant believes that the age of knights and traditional armies is over."

"The dawn of a new era is upon us; one that is decided, not by the length of one's training, but by the might of their firepower!"

"I'm afraid, the claims of this merchant are indeed true. Should we not be sunken under the waves of this new era, we have no choice but to follow its trend. I'm afraid that our acquisition of these weapons is imperative should we seek to participate… no, to retain our remaining holding in this war!"

Silence settled within the throne room. The honest truth, birthed from the experience and wisdom of a wizened general who had faced defeat, was equally as priceless as it was painful.

Regent Rodriguez sunk into quiet contemplation while the minister also stopped their chatters.

It was amidst such a woeful, contemplative silence that a voice, silken as ivory, added its thoughts. "This lowly merchant promises to add one thousand extra bullet rounds per every unit of rifle purchased and one month of free training for every thousand units of rifles purchased."

"I make this promise under the name of the heavens!"

The raven-haired beauty, sly as a fox, dealt the finishing blow.

---

At night. Within the palace grounds.

"Does Lady require anything for the night? Lord Regent has asked us servants to treat the Lady as we would him." A group of maids stood outside a door and bowed servilely.

"No, that would be all. Thank you," The raven-haired beauty replied.

Chukp! With a slight push, she closed the doors of her assigned bedchambers. Leaning her forehead against the now-closed doors, she tiredly sighed. "Haa…! What a drag."

She then turned around and walked towards the huge, flower-filled bed while disrobing herself.

Just as she neared the bed, having disrobed all her outer robes and most of her dress, she suddenly spun around and murderously pointed a hilt at a solitary recliner.

"Who goes there!?" The hilt within her hands was held steady; a practised hand reminiscent of an experienced swordsman. It was evident that the raven-haired beauty was a practitioner of the [Sword Path].

"Whoa!" A startled cry escaped the mouth of the figure seated on the recliner. The bamboo hat-wearing youth seemed surprised at the young woman's quick reaction, before moving his eyes to the hilt in her hands.

A flash of surprise shot across his eyes and genuine excitement filled his features. "This sword! It's the 'Bladeless Hilt' forged in the Eastern Archipelagos!"

With an intensity that overthrew his usual evenness, Wuzhi began to squalor about the sword. "Forged by a Supreme Master of the [Refinement Path], only seven of these swords were ever made! To think that I would have the fortune to see one, previously thought to have been lost in history, it seems that Wuzhi's visit at night is not without gain."

"Ah! Incredibly thin, irrevocably sharp, and completely transparent except for its hilt, the records do indeed speak the truth about its manufacture!"

"And, if you fail to do the same," the young woman threatened, "I would not mind letting you experience it further." She pushed the invisible blade further, causing it to inch ever closer to Wuzhi's defenceless throat.

"Speak," she asked, "who are you? And for what purpose have you infiltrated my bedchambers at night?"

Pulling himself out of his fascination, Wuzhi returned to his usual evenness. Showing her a calm and polite smile, he introduced himself. "This humble scholar is named Wuzhi and hails from the Isilda Continent. Wuzhi is the teacher and personal advisor to the young emperor."

"And pray tell," asked the woman, not lowering her wariness, "why would the emperor's teacher and personal advisor grace this lowly merchant with a visit at night?"

She then suddenly chuckled and lustfully smiled. "Don't tell me that you have fallen for me at first sight and wish to partake in my flesh?"

Keeping her sword pointed at him, she shrugged her naked shoulders and replied, "I wouldn't mind; for as long as the price is right!" The conniving smile of a typical merchant occupied her divine features.

Hearing her words, Wuzhi became speechless. He then honestly shook his head and spoke. "Not at all. Wuzhi would not dare taint our meeting with such indecent requests."

As a person who fiercely abided by his etiquettes, the very thought of such an indecent request caused Wuzhi to shiver with disgust.

"No. I simply sought to meet Lady Merchant and discuss with you, a deal!" finished Wuzhi.

Mysterious characters and calculations emerged within his argent eyes as he smiled towards the young woman.