Li Da spoke respectfully, “Reporting to the Deity. In our mortal realm, crafting firearms and blending gunpowder are tasks undertaken by two distinct types of craftsmen. This humble one is responsible only for forging firearms and lacks proficiency in mixing gunpowder. I dare not recklessly accept this task, fearing that any misstep on my part might cause an explosion with severe consequences.”

These words reminded Li Daoxuan of the “Tianqi Explosion,” and he pressed further, “Oh? What kind of craftsmans are responsible for gunpowder? Summon them and have them take charge.”

Li Da answered respectfully, “The craftsmen appointed by the imperial court to produce and manage gunpowder are called ‘gunpowder makers.’ Because private possession of weaponry among commoners is considered a treacherous crime deserving decapitation, and gunpowder is managed with extreme strictness, the court keeps these ‘gunpowder makers’ under very tight control. There isn’t a single one in our Gaojia Village right now.”

Li Daoxuan asked, “Are there any in Chengcheng County?”

Li Da shook his head, “None there either! On the rare occasions Chengcheng County requires gunpowder, it must be requisitioned from Xi’an Prefecture.”

Now Li Daoxuan understood. Only in the Xi’an Prefecture’s official workshop were there gunpowder makers, and this profession was heavily guarded by the court.

It seemed firecrackers wouldn’t be usable for the time being.

If he entrusted gunpowder management to the unprofessional and mischievous residents of Gaojia Village, they might very well cause a “Tianqi Explosion” right in the middle of the village. The thought of his little people suffering heavy casualties was unacceptable.

When playing simulation games like Sim City, disobedient NPCs often drove players to near-strokes. Li Daoxuan certainly didn’t want to introduce a giant bomb just to give the mischievous little people a chance to make him apoplectic.

Fireworks and firecrackers would remain sealed for now. Expanding into this territory would have to wait until they recruited specialized talent.

Talent!

Every advance Gaojia Village made required a corresponding talent. Without talent, they could only remain stagnant, which was incredibly frustrating.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, he spotted, in the corner of his vision, another visitor approaching Gaojia Village from outside.

A horse-drawn cart arrived before the fortress gate.

It was driven by Bai Yuan. The cart’s curtain opened, and Madam Bai and Young Master Bai stepped out.

It turned out that yesterday, when Li Daoxuan returned to his rural hometown to see his family, Madam Bai and Young Master Bai had also returned to Bai Family Fortress to reunite with Bai Yuan for the New Year. They shared their reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, and today, Bai Yuan personally drove them back to Gaojia Village.

As soon as Bai Yuan brought the cart to a halt, he abandoned his wife and child without a second thought and sprinted straight into the fortress.

Being a familiar face at Gaojia Fortress, the sentinel naturally didn’t stop him and even called out loudly from the fortress wall, “Mr. Bai, what’s the rush? Should I call Thirty-Two for you?”

Bai Yuan shouted back, “Too slow! I’ll go myself!”

He rushed in one continuous dash towards the discussion hall in the Hakka roundhouse.

At that moment, Thirty-Two was in the discussion hall studying Gaojia Village’s inventory list when Bai Yuan shot in, grabbed his arm, and urged, “Quick, quick! Give me a set of the entire ‘Elementary Math’ from first to sixth grade—all twelve volumes of the celestial text!”

Thirty-Two was stunned for a couple of seconds before suddenly understanding. He chuckled, “Ha! Mr. Bai, has your math gotten beaten by your son?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Bai Yuan’s face flushed a deep purplish-red—the color of pig liver.

Correct!

He had been lectured by his own son.

Yesterday, New Year’s Eve, Madam Bai brought Young Master Bai back to Bai Family Fortress to have the reunion dinner with Bai Yuan. Having been apart for so long, Bai Yuan naturally inquired about his son’s studies.

After casually testing him on some topics from the Four Books and Five Classics, the conversation inevitably shifted—as Bai Yuan’s talks always did—to the Six Arts of Gentlemen.

After a few stilted exchanges, Young Master Bai proudly mentioned that he was currently learning math and doing quite well.

Bai Yuan exclaimed, “Mathematics? Ha! That’s your father’s specialty! I have always been deeply proficient in the ‘Mathematics’ aspect of the Six Arts of Gentlemen. Alright, your father will test your mathematics!”

Thus began the battle between father and son.

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, problems like “chickens and rabbits in a cage”… The two traded blows fairly evenly in their mathematical duel.

Unexpectedly, Young Master Bai proved ungallant. With a swift move, he threw out fractions from the upper volume of the third-grade Elementary Math material, instantly knocking Bai Yuan senseless.

Seizing his advantage, the young master followed up with decimals from the lower volume of the third-grade material.

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division—with fractions and decimals! How intimidating was that?

Although Bai Yuan could eventually calculate the results, his methods were slow, far outpaced by his son’s speed. The outcome was unambiguous: the “Mathematics” aspect of his renowned Six Arts of Gentlemen was decisively crossed off the list.

Bai Yuan, a man fiercely protective of his pride, simply couldn’t tolerate losing to his son! Where did that leave a father’s authority?!

Therefore, early in the morning on New Year’s Day, harnessing the “Charioteering” art of the Six Arts, he personally drove his wife and son back to Gaojia Fortress. The moment he deposited the mother-son pair right by the fortress gate, he ignored them completely and dashed in, frantic to find Thirty-Two and demand the math textbooks.

Thirty-Two was greatly amused, “Mr. Bai, it’s natural that the student surpasses the master. There’s nothing to get so worked up about. Losing to your own son isn’t losing to an outsider; it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Bai Yuan fumed, “Nonsense! I am not some doddering old man! Bai Family Fortress is far from needing to be handed over to my son for management. How could I, still in my prime, concede defeat to my son? Hurry up! Hand over all twelve volumes of the celestial text immediately—the entire ‘Elementary Math’!”

Thirty-Two couldn’t stop laughing but nevertheless led Bai Yuan to the storeroom packed to the brim with textbooks.

Stacks of Hanyu Pinyin and Elementary Math, divided by grade and split into upper and lower volumes, filled the warehouse floor.

“Celestial texts! All celestial texts!”

Bai Yuan plunged into the sea of books and quickly dug out the complete set of Elementary Math. Clutching them to his chest like prized treasures, he threw his head back with a triumphant laugh, “Ha ha ha ha! The twelve volumes of celestial math tomes are finally in my grasp! Within a few days, my proficiency in the ‘Mathematics’ art of the Six Arts of Gentlemen will soar to the celestial levels of the immortal realm! No one in the mortal world will be able to withstand a single clash with me on this! Ha ha ha ha!”

Seeing Bai Yuan so arrogantly gleeful, Li Daoxuan found it amusing too. He felt a mischievous urge to deflate him. He spoke, “Yiye, go tell Bai Yuan, the path of mathematics is as vast as the sea. What he holds is merely elementary math. Beyond that lies middle school mathematics, university mathematics… He still has a long way to go.”

Gao Yiye quickly ran to relay this message.

Bai Yuan was still laughing triumphantly to the heavens when he heard Yiye’s words. He paused, momentarily stunned. Then, instead of being discouraged, his delight intensified. “So the Deity implies that once I finish mastering these twelve volumes, He will grant me even more powerful celestial texts, like Middle School Math and University Math?”

Li Daoxuan couldn’t help but be amused. This Bai Yuan… his perspective is nothing if not optimistic. I meant to discourage him, and instead it fuels his resolve.

Bai Yuan threw back his head with another hearty laugh, “Then I must master these twelve celestial volumes before me as quickly as possible! Once the Deity bestows the even greater celestial texts, I will devour them all! I shall ascend to the pinnacle of the ‘Mathematics’ art, unmatched under heaven! Ha ha ha! That confounded brat will learn—his father remained his father!”