Chapter 21: Don't Force Me to Slap You

"You... you are truly a lecher!"

Chu Yanran was both ashamed and furious, her exquisite face flushed a deep red. She raised her hand and swung another slap toward Zhao Yi’s face.

But this time, her wrist was caught firmly in mid-air by Zhao Yi.

His grip was not forceful, yet it left her unable to break free.

Zhao Yi did not dodge, nor was he angry. He simply held her wrist, his burning gaze fixed intensely upon her eyes.

His voice was serious, as it had never been before.

"Ying’er."

"I love you."

The three simple words struck Chu Yanran’s mind like a bolt of lightning.

She was completely stunned. Her raised hand remained suspended, her mind went blank, and all that existed was that pair of deep, sincere eyes.

Just as the two stood in a stalemate, the atmosphere thick with ambiguity, an ill-timed voice drifted over from not far away.

"Ahem!"

Duke An, Chu Feng, had walked over at some unknown moment. He stood a few paces away, watching them with a dark expression.

Like a startled fawn, Chu Yanran jerked her hand back. Her face was so red it seemed she might bleed, and she lowered her head, too embarrassed to look at anyone.

Zhao Yi, however, was thick-skinned. He turned around and gave Chu Feng a cheeky grin.

"Lord Duke."

"It is getting late; why not stay and have lunch with us?"

Chu Feng’s tone betrayed neither joy nor anger.

At the dining table, the atmosphere was peculiar.

Chu Yanran kept her head down the entire time, poking at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, refusing to pick up any side dishes.

Zhao Yi’s gaze, however, seemed glued to her; he made no effort to hide it, not looking away for even a second.

That look made Chu Feng’s eyelids twitch uncontrollably.

*Beauty is more appetizing than food?*

*Damn it, eat your food!*

*I’m still sitting right here!*

Chu Feng finally lost his patience. He set down his chopsticks and squeezed a sentence through his teeth.

"The old man is still sitting right here—don't force me to slap you."

Zhao Yi chuckled, withdrew his gaze, and finally began to eat his meal obediently.

***

After the meal, Zhao Yi bid his farewells and left.

He headed straight for the mountain hollow outside the city.

As he approached, he felt an air of grim discipline. In the hollow, there were dozens of men dressed in coarse work clothes, yet they could not hide their fierce, battle-hardened auras.

They stood there like unsheathed blades, their eyes as sharp as hawks'.

The brothers Li Jin and Li Yin were standing in front of the men, giving orders. Their posture actually carried a hint of a general's bearing.

Zhao Yi’s eyes narrowed as he watched.

Suddenly, he lunged forward and, without warning, threw a punch toward Li Jin’s back!

Li Jin didn't even turn his head, but his body moved as if he had eyes in the back of his head, twisting at an incredible angle to easily dodge the strike.

Beside him, the moment Zhao Yi moved, Li Yin drew the blade at his waist, the tip pointing directly at Zhao Yi’s throat!

Their movements were fast as lightning!

Only when they realized it was Zhao Yi did they stop, their faces showing panic.

"Young General!"

Zhao Yi pulled back his fist, clasped his hands behind his back, and circled the two of them twice with a smirk.

"Not bad."

"Your martial arts are quite good."

"When we were at Yanmen Pass, why didn't I see you two fight like this? Damn it, were you hiding your true strength from me?"

"You rascals! If you pull that again, I’ll make you send your underwear to Tuoba Hong of the Northern Di!"

"We’ve been wronged, Young General!"

The two brothers pulled long faces, nearly kneeling on the ground.

Zhao Yi couldn't be bothered to argue with them and swept his gaze across the hollow.

Dozens of workers and craftsmen were living in makeshift shacks and eating meager meals.

His face darkened instantly.

"You two bastards, get over here!"

He pointed at the shabby camp and lashed out.

"Is this the environment you arranged for our brothers?!"

"Right now! Immediately! Go and fix the lodging and the food! Let the brothers eat well, drink well, and sleep well; only then will they have the strength to work for me!"

After scolding them, he called over the head craftsman, Zhang.

"Master Zhang, we don't have enough manpower. Go and recruit another batch of men. Make sure they are reliable and that you know their backgrounds well. We are preparing for mass production!"

***

Having arranged these matters, Zhao Yi’s gaze fell upon the kiln fire, which was burning fiercely. The kiln mouth spewed terrifying heat waves that distorted the air. His eyes then swept over a pile of finely sifted sand used to mix cement, and his brain was struck by a flash of inspiration.

*Cement... sand... high heat...*

*Holy crap! Glass!*

*This stuff makes money way faster than cement! In this era, a piece of high-quality glassware is a treasure worth its weight in gold!*

Although he hadn't lived a remarkable life in his previous one, he had actually read a few posts about the manufacturing process of such expensive luxury goods, and he remembered the steps clearly!

This was literally a windfall from heaven!

"Master Zhang!" Zhao Yi’s voice suddenly rose, his face flushed with excitement.

Master Zhang, who was directing the workers, trotted over upon hearing him. "Young General, what are your orders?"

Zhao Yi didn't waste words; he dragged him to the pile of sand and grabbed a handful, letting it flow through his fingers. "Master Zhang, I’m going to teach you a method to turn sand into gold. Do you want to learn?"

Master Zhang was stunned. Looking at Zhao Yi’s unnervingly bright eyes, he subconsciously nodded.

"Good!" Zhao Yi lowered his voice, his demeanor becoming incredibly serious, as if he were imparting a profound secret. "Listen carefully. Split off a portion of the men and build a separate, small kiln. Remember, the kiln walls must be thick and capable of withstanding even higher temperatures than those used for cement!"

"Find the best quartz sand and grind it into the finest powder. Then, find some red lead—the kind alchemists use for refining elixirs. Mix the two in a three-to-one ratio."

"Young General..." Master Zhang was confused. "Red lead is a mineral medicine; mixing it with sand... what will that burn into?"

"It will burn into treasure!" Zhao Yi interrupted him firmly. "Do as I say! Not just red lead—go find me some verdigris, red ochre, and lapis lazuli. Grind them all into powder and keep them ready."

"If you want to burn it into an emerald-like green, add verdigris powder to the mixture. If you want a gemstone-like blue, add lapis lazuli powder!"

"When firing, the temperature must be slow at first and then fast. Once the mixture has completely melted into a viscous liquid, use an iron tube to blow it into shape, or pour it into a mold."

Zhao Yi poured out all the scattered knowledge in his mind in the simplest and most direct language possible.

Master Zhang went from initial bewilderment to shock, and by the end, his calloused hands were trembling slightly. He was an old craftsman who had been immersed in this trade for decades; much of what Zhao Yi said he had never heard of, yet the details regarding heat control, ratios, and molding all carried a logic he could not fully grasp. It didn't sound like the ramblings of a layman.

"Rest assured, Young General!" Master Zhang bowed deeply, his voice filled with excitement and awe. "Even if I have to risk this old life of mine, I will definitely burn this treasure for you!"

"Good!" Zhao Yi nodded with satisfaction, then turned his gaze toward the brothers Li Jin and Li Yin, who were listening like fools.

The smile on his face vanished instantly, and he kicked them both in the backside.

"You two idiots! Did you hear that?! We are about to be rolling in wealth!"

"Go now! Build me a perimeter wall! Make it three meters high! Line the top with broken porcelain and spikes! And dig a trench around it!"

"Outside the hollow, set up a visible sentry every fifty paces and a hidden one every hundred! Use all the veterans I had you bring! I don't care what method you use; from today on, not a single bird is to fly in here without my permission!"

Zhao Yi pointed at their noses, his spit flying.

"If there is the slightest slip-up here, or if a single word of this formula leaks out, I will twist both of your heads off, turn them into glass, and use them as paperweights in my study!"