Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 109 The Divine Crossbow Appears

After several days of frenzied attacks and setbacks, the Black Mountain Army's offensive has temporarily stalled in a strange stalemate. During the day, they still send out small groups, under the cover of catapults, to conduct probing harassment and feint attacks on the walls of Starfire Fortress, but the intensity and determination are noticeably less than in the first few days. At night, they are even more vigilant, with campfires blazing and scouts moving about, clearly fearing that Starfire Fortress might repeat its old tactics or launch a night raid. Zhang Kuang seems to be licking his wounds, readjusting his tactics, perhaps waiting for news from his eastern and western flanks, or perhaps he's become somewhat paranoid due to Starfire Fortress's ever-evolving defensive measures and the rumored exceptionally sharp new swords, and dares not easily commit large forces for a reckless battle.

This brief respite was invaluable to Starfire Fortress. Repairs to the walls were accelerating, the wounded were being treated, and supplies were being replenished. But Chen Xing knew this stalemate wouldn't last long. Zhang Kuang still commanded over ten thousand troops, and once he made progress on either the eastern or western fronts, or found what he perceived as a weakness, an even more ferocious offensive could erupt at any moment. Starfire Fortress needed more, stronger trump cards to overcome its numerical disadvantage and completely shatter Zhang Kuang's siege attempt.

Just as the new ring-pommel swords began to be mass-produced and equipped with elite troops, boosting the morale of the city wall defenders, Chen Xing's attention had already turned to another key weapon that could change the offensive and defensive landscape—the crossbow, especially the powerful crossbow.

The original crossbows at Xinghuo Fortress were mainly hand crossbows operated by individual soldiers and some foot-operated crossbows. After improvements, their power and range were increased, making them particularly effective against unarmored or lightly armored targets. However, they were still inadequate against heavily armored infantry, or when it was necessary to suppress enemy siege equipment or snipe commanders from a great distance. Chen Wei and the crossbow officers repeatedly mentioned that having a larger crossbow with a longer range and greater armor-piercing power would be a tremendous asset in defending the city.

Chen Xing naturally knew that in the history of ancient Chinese warfare, the Shenbi crossbow of the Song Dynasty had reached the pinnacle of single-soldier crossbows in the era of cold weapons. Its range, accuracy, and power were unmatched at the time. The "Detailed Blueprints for the Shenbi Crossbow" were quietly displayed in the system shop, requiring 3500 points. Previously, due to a shortage of points and insufficient technical foundation, he hadn't dared to exchange for it easily. Now, with the initial success of the steel-forging method, a stable source of high-quality steel was secured, and the craftsmanship team had greatly improved their processing precision and teamwork after repeated practice, the time was ripe to exchange for it.

Without hesitation, he used his points to exchange for the blueprints. A massive influx of information flooded his mind, including not only the structural diagram of the final product, but also a complete set of processes from material selection and component processing to assembly, debugging, and even maintenance. The level of detail far exceeded his previous expectations, almost equivalent to revealing the entire century-old accumulation of a top-notch crossbow workshop from the Song Dynasty.

After digesting this knowledge, Chen Xing secretly summoned Zhou Dashan and several core craftsmen again.

The atmosphere in the highly confidential meeting room of the Craftsmanship Headquarters was even more somber than during the last discussion on the steel-forging method. On the wall hung a diagram of the Divine Arm Crossbow, redrawn by Chen Xing based on his memory and system blueprints. The complex and precise mechanism left the craftsmen, who were used to ordinary crossbows, speechless.

"This crossbow is called 'Divine Arm'." Chen Xing pointed to the blueprints, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable power. "It's a standard design with a range of over 300 paces. It uses specially made heavy crossbow bolts, capable of piercing heavy lamellar armor within 100 paces, and still posing a lethal threat within 200 paces. It requires waist strength or a simple winch to cock, so only strongmen can use it, but its power in a single shot is comparable to a small ballista."

Three hundred paces! Penetrating heavy armor! These words struck like a hammer blow to the hearts of every craftsman. The crossbows they forged had an optimal range of only one hundred and fifty paces, and their armor-piercing ability was also limited. The performance of this "Divine Arm Crossbow" was simply a leap forward across time!

"Lord of the Fortress... can such a divine object really be forged?" An old craftsman in charge of making crossbows asked in a trembling voice, both excited and fearful.

"The blueprints are here, and the principle is clear." Chen Xing tapped his temple. "There are two key points: First, the materials, especially the crossbow arm and the core components of the crossbow mechanism. They must be made of the best steel, possessing both extremely high strength and elasticity, so that they will not deform or break under repeated stress. Second, the machining precision. The fit between each component must be seamless, especially the crossbow's string-drawing and release mechanism. Even the slightest error can lead to disastrous consequences, ranging from failing to fire to the crossbow arm breaking and injuring someone."

He looked at Zhou Dashan: "Dashan, can Guan Steel production reliably supply the required quality of steel? Especially special steel materials with different hardness and toughness."

Zhou Dashan carefully examined the material requirements for each component on the blueprints, pondered for a moment, and nodded emphatically: "Yes! The beauty of the crucible steel method lies in its controllability. By adjusting the ratio of pig iron to wrought iron, the smelting time, and the quenching process, we should be able to produce steel that meets the requirements. However... this will require time for repeated experiments to determine the optimal formula."

"We have time, but not much," Chen Xing said. "The Black Mountain Army won't give us much time. I'll tell you some key points about material proportions and heat treatment; you can adjust them based on actual experiments. As for machining precision..."

His gaze swept over several veteran craftsmen renowned for their exquisite skills: "We need specially made measuring tools, fixtures, and machining methods. I can offer some ideas, such as the concept of 'standardization'—all parts of the same model must be manufactured according to uniform dimensional tolerances to ensure interchangeability. The gears and scimitars of the crossbow require new filing, grinding, and even preliminary 'milling' techniques. We can try to make simple water-powered or manually driven rotary machining tables..."

Chen Xing explained his most basic concepts about standardized production and precision machining, combining them with the conditions of the era, in the simplest terms possible. The craftsmen listened with rapt attention, sometimes suddenly enlightened, sometimes frowning, trying to digest these unheard-of ideas that seemed to open the door to a new world.

"This crossbow is of paramount importance; it is a key weapon for our Starfire Fortress to defeat our enemies in the future," Chen Xing solemnly concluded. "The research and development process will be classified as top secret. Those involved will be treated exceptionally well and their merits will be repeatedly recorded, but they must also swear an oath never to divulge it. The research and development site will be moved to a separate workshop deep within the headquarters, with additional guards deployed, completely isolated from the outside world. All necessary materials will be given priority."

"We will obey the Lord's command!" The crowd solemnly replied, feeling the heavy responsibility and honor on their shoulders.

In the days that followed, the newly designated "Divine Arm Workshop" deep within the Craftsmanship Headquarters became the busiest, most tense, and most secretive place in Starfire Fortress, aside from the city walls and battlefield. The furnaces were modified to meet the smelting requirements of special steel, and the clanging of forging was replaced by more sustained, subtle filing and grinding sounds and the clanging of adjusting components. Zhou Dashan worked almost non-stop, leading the craftsmen, following the directions provided by Chen Xing and the detailed analysis of the shortcomings of existing crossbows sent by Chen Wei, exploring and experimenting bit by bit.

Failure was commonplace. The first batch of crossbow arms, made of ordinary cast steel, broke during the test of tension; the meticulously crafted crossbow gears either jammed and failed to fire due to excessively large or small gaps in their fit, or slipped off under slight force; the specially made heavy crossbow bolts had extremely high requirements for the straightness of the shaft and the balance of the fletching, resulting in an astonishing scrap rate.

But every small step forward is exhilarating. By adjusting the steel composition and undergoing multiple tempering processes, a material formula for the crossbow arm that balances strength and elasticity was found; by using newly made simple calipers and standard templates, the consistency of parts was significantly improved; an old carpenter invented a method to use water flow to drive a grinding wheel to finely polish the grooves of the crossbow mechanism; Chen Xing even personally designed a simple "tension test frame" and "precision range" to objectively evaluate the performance of each prototype crossbow.

On the tenth day of the Black Mountain Army's siege, the north wall of Xinghuo Fortress once again repelled a medium-sized attack. While the catapults and arrows continued to wear each other down, inside Shenbifang, the first prototype of the "Shenbi Crossbow," which had basically met the design requirements, was finally assembled.

It was nearly twice the size of a regular crossbow, its arm constructed with a core of multi-layered pressed hardwood, encased in meticulously forged steel plates, resulting in a smooth yet powerful curve. The main body of the crossbow was made of hardwood, polished to an exceptionally smooth finish. The most complex mechanism was protected within a robust steel casing, revealing only the sights and sniper rifle. The entire crossbow exuded a cold, precise, and dangerous aura.

Zhou Dashan's hands trembled slightly as he personally fitted the crossbow, which embodied countless hours of painstaking effort, with a specially made bowstring made of a mixture of ox tendon and silk thread. Stringing the bow required the use of a makeshift hook fixed to his waist, and the combined strength of his entire body to complete the laborious task.

The test was conducted at a highly confidential indoor firing range. The target was set eighty paces away and covered with the most defensive double-layered lamellar armor stripped from the corpses of Black Mountain soldiers.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Xing and Chen Wei secretly came together.

"Lord of the Fortress, General Chen, please examine me." Zhou Dashan's voice was hoarse, his eyes were sunken, but he was in high spirits.

Chen Wei stepped forward, carefully inspected each part of the crossbow, and nodded. A carefully selected bodyguard with amazing arm strength stepped forward and, under Zhou Dashan's guidance, struggled to cock the crossbow, placing a specially made heavy crossbow bolt with a three-edged armor-piercing steel arrowhead into the bolt slot. He then set it up on a specially made support frame and roughly aimed through the sniper sight.

"Release it!" Zhou Dashan hissed.

"Boom——!"

A resounding, much deeper and more powerful bowstring twang than when a regular crossbow bolt was fired, echoed through the room, even causing a slight tremor in the eardrums. A dark shadow flashed, striking the target almost instantly.

"Bang!" The thick wooden target covered by lamellar armor made a dull impact. Everyone rushed forward to check.

The heavy crossbow bolt was deeply embedded in the thick wooden plank, its shaft still trembling violently. The double-layered iron lamellar armor that had been struck by the bolt was visibly dented and twisted, with a jagged hole ripped through the center by the triangular arrowhead! The arrowhead had pierced through the first layer of wood and was lodged in the second.

"Good!" Chen Wei couldn't help but shout, his eyes gleaming. He was an expert and knew the power of this arrow well. It could penetrate heavy lamellar armor at eighty paces and still have such penetrating power. If it hit an unarmored or lightly armored target, the effect would be unimaginable. If the distance was closer, or if it were a general's heavy armor with even greater protection, although it might not be able to completely penetrate it, the enormous impact would still be enough to cause serious injury or even death.

Chen Xing carefully examined the point of impact and inquired about details such as the tension of the bowstring and the estimated range. A satisfied expression finally appeared on his face. "It's a basic prototype, and the power is up to standard. However, stringing the bowstring is still too strenuous, and the rate of fire is slow; the crossbow mechanism isn't smooth enough; and the crossbow itself is too heavy, making it unsuitable for prolonged carrying. These are areas that need improvement."

He looked at Zhou Dashan and the equally excited craftsmen around him: "However, you have accomplished the most difficult step—creating something from nothing! This is a great achievement! All participants will receive double the credit! Immediately begin two tasks: First, based on the test results, optimize the design, focusing on improving the rewinding efficiency and crossbow reliability, aiming to reduce the rewinding time by 30% and lower the failure rate to below one percent. Second, after the optimization plan is finalized, begin small-batch trial production, starting with... thirty units! I want to see a 'Divine Arm Battalion' ready for actual combat by the end of the month!"

"Yes, sir! We guarantee to complete the mission!" Zhou Dashan and the craftsmen responded with a resounding roar, their fatigue completely dispelled by the immense sense of accomplishment.

When Chen Xing and Chen Wei left Shenbifang and returned to the reality of sunlight and the faint sound of war drums outside the city, their feelings were different from when they arrived.

"With this powerful weapon, we can target their officers, standard-bearers, and artillery operators when defending the city." Chen Wei had already begun planning tactics. "If we have enough of them, we can concentrate our fire and fire a volley to destroy their command nodes or key equipment, throwing their offensive into chaos."

Chen Xing nodded: "It's not just about defending the city. In future field battles, the Shenbi Battalion, positioned in advance and coordinated with infantry phalanxes, will be a nightmare for any enemy attempting a frontal assault. Zhang Kuang thinks his human wave tactics will still work, but he doesn't realize that times have changed."

He looked toward the Black Mountain Army camp to the north, his gaze seemingly piercing through the tents and soldiers, and saw the arrogant figure under that black banner, still dreaming of flattening Xinghuo Fortress.

"Let him run wild for a few more days. Once our Divine Arm Battalion is fully formed, and once the 'guests' from both the east and west have arrived..." Chen Xing's voice was calm, yet carried a chilling killing intent, "then it'll be time to let this Black Mountain Commander taste what 'technical crushing' really means."