Royal Road Chapter 127

Published at 4th of August 2022 12:39:11 PM

Chapter 127
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Ge Hong wasn't a careless, reckless person. On the contrary, he had an eye for detail and a lot of patience. He hadn't tried to recreate the formula exactly — a half kilogram of saltpeter, thirty grams of sulfur, sixty grams of wood charcoal — after receiving it, but had instead started with a smaller quantity of reagents and gradually experimented its effects.

Ge Hong had confirmed after a few tries that the formula was indeed inflammable, in fact it burned the moment it met fire, emitting sparks and white smoke. But putting the mixture into an alchemy cauldron had yielded wildly unexpected results: his cauldron had burst before him with a great roar. Luckily, there hadn't been very much of it in the cauldron and no one had been injured. 

Ge Hong hadn't forgotten the warning His Excellency Liang had given him along with the formula. Oh, how correct it'd turned out to be. How could it not be dangerous? It'd even blown up an alchemy cauldron. The formula was life-threatening to alchemists; who would ever use it to fire-quell a pill?

Liang Feng smiled wryly at his question, “The method originated from fire-quelling. But Zhichuan, aren't you curious as to why a meager amount of reagent was able to make your cauldron explode?”

Ge Hong startled. That's right; how had it blown up a cauldron and made such a loud noise, when it had only ever sparked and smoked in his previous experiments?

Was it because the reagents come into contact with fire under different conditions? Or was it something else? 

Disregarding everyone around him, Ge Hong quickly reentered the alchemy chamber, assembled several reagents, crudely measured them, dumped them all into a mortar, lit a piece of scrap paper, and tossed it in.

“My lord, careful!” The smoke from the alchemy cauldron not yet dissipated, Yi Yan immediately shielded Liang Feng behind him.

“It's alright.” Liang Feng laid a hand on Yi Yan's shoulder reassuringly. In a whoosh, the flame ignited the black substance, which then spurted sparks and was extinguished in a gust of wind.

Ge Hong stared into the mortar before him, frowning. After a few seconds of thought, he dumped in a mixture with the same ratio of reagents as the last, found and affixed the mortar cap, then placed a hemp string as a fuse.

This time, Liang Feng cautioned, “Zhichuan, beware.”

Hearing that, Ge Hong was even surer. He lit the hemp string and took two steps back. The string rapidly burned away, the exposed portion disappearing in short order. A moment later, there was a crisp crack from the mortar, resembling the sound of exploding bamboo. The mortar cap had been displaced and the smell of saltpeter wafted over.

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Seeing how fast Ge Hong was on the uptake, Liang Feng smiled, “You are correct, Zhichuan, it is because of the cauldron. There is air hot and cold; cold contracts, hot expands. Any sudden shift will generate force. If there is nowhere for this force to dissipate, it will burst apart the obstruction, hence the reason your cauldron exploded.” 

The theory was unheard of, but Ge Hong was an avid observer and with some ponderance realized that there was sense in what Liang Feng had said. For instance, the steam from boiling water in a pot could lift its lid. The only difference was that the change in the boiling water was slow, while the reagents' were nearly instantaneous, thus producing different reactions. 

“Meaning that this formula can be used for fire-quelling, just not in a cauldron!” Ge Hong couldn't help a little excitement at glimpsing a brand-new principle.

Frankly, it was not uncommon for cauldrons to explode, but most alchemists would assume the cause to be flaws in their procedure or Heavenly admonition for the pill they were attempting to make. No one had ever proposed that these events were produced by alchemical reagents. Saltpeter and sulfur were common pill-making ingredients, and wood charcoal was almost always used to fire cauldrons. If the mixing of those three elements were prevented, the chance of cauldron explosion would lessen considerably. What a pleasant surprise!

“Its applications extend beyond alchemy.” Liang Feng's expression became solemn. He pointed at the damaged alchemy cauldron, “If the substance can break a cauldron, then, in large enough amounts, might it split mountains or conquer cities?” 

Ge Hong lurched. Splitting mountains and conquering cities? Could the substance in his cauldron really do that? Having learned under a master alchemist, Zheng Yin, however, he'd heard plenty of rumors relating to alchemy, one of them being an incident in which a building had collapsed and an alchemist blown to smithereens because of a cauldron explosion. How much substance could an alchemy cauldron contain? If that amount were increased a hundred-fold, maybe it really could do the things His Excellency Liang claimed.

But that was completely unrelated to the Way of alchemy he sought.

A quiet moment passed before Ge Hong finally answered, “The purpose of the great Way is immortality, medicine for the masses, not that which Your Excellency speaks of.”

Whether it was splitting mountains or conquering cities, they were nearly opposite of his aspirations. What he wanted most was to save the people, accumulate merit and virtue, and find the true path to immortality. 

Liang Feng faintly shook his head, “Is there not more than a single Way? Take this formula, for example. In a cauldron, it can kill, but in the mountains it can save countless people from toiling unto death. If there is a city unassailable, it would save even more. But regardless of where it's used, the reason it explodes is eternal and unchanging. Like the rising sun and setting moon, the movement of the constellations. Is this not a Way? 'True knowledge is in the study of nature, through investigation of nature true knowledge is attained.' In uncovering the laws of nature, the Way is found.”

“True knowledge is in the study of nature, through investigation of nature true knowledge is attained” was a quote from the Book of Rites, “Great Learning.” But in Zheng Xuan's annotations, it was understood as “if you know the depths of goodness, you will come to good things; if you know the depths of evil, you will come to evil things.” Ge Hong rather disagreed with the interpretation, thinking that it put the cart before the horse and was contrary to its context. But despite his doubts, he was unable to refute it, having neither wealth nor a distinguished scholar for a mentor.

But when Liang Feng described “the study of nature” as the endeavor to delve the rules which governed nature, the one and only way to obtain true knowledge, Ge Hong felt faintly illuminated. There was nothing he loved more in life than to observe. Without meticulous observation, how would one discover the sources of all illnesses or the principles of alchemy?

It was just that he had heretofore focused on examining the effects of alchemical pills rather than the reason their constituents changed and combined. He'd been looking at a leopard through a tube, a blind man fondling an elephant, smugly self-satisfied by the wrongful notion that he had glimpsed the true knowledge of the world. Was this not the very exemplar of being distracted by craft, distanced from the Way? Merely skimming the surface was far from sufficient to turn the alchemic methods into a true Way. 

“But can this Way save lives?” Ge Hong had to ask the key question.

Liang Feng was not discouraged by his answer, in fact, he was rather gratified. If Ge Hong had not the heart to save the world, how could he have ever authored two works worthy of being passed down for generations?

“If there was a drug that could kill insects without harming seedlings, it could save thousands of acres of fertile farmland from plagues of pests. If there was a substance that fuse into metal to make it impervious, it could save the lives of countless soldiers. The greatness of the Way is in its all-encompassing breadth. Is there any question that that which nears the Way can save the people of this world?”

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Chemistry was one of the sciences that made most impact on civilian lifestyle. If, starting from now, it could separate from the ignorance of religious belief and enter a healthy development course like that of medicine or math, it too would change the world in astonishing ways. 

In the end, Ge Hong was moved by his solemn speech. If he had been a few years younger, perhaps he would've still been obsessed with officialdom, seeking a bureaucratic position, wanting to bring honor to his family. If he had been a few years older, he might have withdrawn from the world, injured by its impurities, and wanted only to seek immortality. 

And yet, he'd met Liang Feng at precisely this time, heard his impelling rhetoric. He still had dreams and ambitions, and an inextinguishable heart to save the world.

Sighing, Ge Hong said, “Your Excellency certainly doesn't seem like a Buddhist.”

The Buddhist religion never concerned itself with the here and now, only the future incarnation and release from reincarnation. Thus, as an adherent of Daoism, Ge Hong had looked down on followers of Buddhism. He thought those muddleheaded people who turned their backs on the world to be beneath his notice. But His Excellency Liang had exceeded his expectations. 

Though he was called a bodhisattva, there was never eschewal in any of his conduct. On the contrary, he radiated flourishing vitality. From his humility in associating with his lessers and his establishment of the Chongwen Academy, he was entirely unlike those pedantic, unmotivated Buddhists.

How could a person like him possibly believe in Buddhism?

The people of this era were concerned with others' beliefs, but Liang Feng wasn't and never had been.

“Whether the Buddha, Zhong Ni, or Laozi, they were all born and raised within the world. Though they were endowed by Heaven, they saw only that which their lifespan allowed. They only differ in far sight and perspective. The Way gives rise to all things and exists in myriad forms. The sages' views, like wandering a road, seem different on the surface when in fact they converge to the same destination.” Liang Feng smiled slightly, “I am no sage and dare not pass judgement on their Way. Only by listening to all can one acquire wisdom.” 

It was a shocking idea, but one that Ge Hong couldn't argue against. After all, he had used the Ruist theories he'd learned to explain Daoist axioms. If there really were thousands of Ways that lead to Truth, then what meaning was there to mind what this man believed?

Ge Hong wavered, Liang Feng pressed his advantage and bowed, “I beseech you to stay in Lu City, Zhichuan, and aid me in searching for the foundations of the Way.”

Aid him? Clearly, he was the one being aided. Ge Hong's heart pounded. Finally, he collected his sleeves and bowed in return, “By your regard, Your Excellency, I, Ge Hong, will do my utmost!”

Liang Feng let out a long breath, “It is my fortune that for an alchemy formula, I gained such a talent! Although, it must be inconvenient to practice alchemy in the mansion. Perhaps I should construct a Daoist temple in the west side of the city specially for your cultivation.” 

“I am grateful for Your Excellency's consideration. Also, given that alchemy is a convoluted process, I'm afraid I am in need of several servant boys,” Ge Hong said straightly, deciding to forgo formalities.

“That is no problem. I will assign a few intelligent children to work in the temple. Take heed, however, of the significance of gunpowder and the need for secrecy,” Liang Feng reminded.

“Gunpowder?” Derived from fire-quelling and activated by fire, the name was indeed fitting. Ge Hong chewed over the term and nodded, “Rest assured, Your Excellency, that, I understand.”

Having fought personally in great conflicts, he knew the military importance of effective weapons. If this gunpowder was used well, it might just upend heaven and earth. 

“Very good!” Relaxing, now that that matter was settled, Liang Feng genially suggested Ge Hong to refresh himself. Yi Yan frowned intently at the cracked, blackened alchemy cauldron. Was this Daoist's creation really so powerful?

Suppressing his uncertainty, Yi Yan turned away and followed Liang Feng closely, leaving the courtyard.

Chapter end