Chapter 337

The construction of the inner and outer moats and their surrounding city walls utilized stone exclusively quarried from the Tieshi Mountains. Backed by the mountain range, there was no shortage of material; consequently, all fortifications along the Tieshi Mountains were built using this local stone. It was not only sturdy, durable, and reliable, but most importantly, it was inexpensive. Aside from labor costs, there were virtually no other expenses. For this reason, the two city lords, Li Gang and Wang Yuan, insisted on using Tieshi Mountain stone for the entirety of New Tieshi City, as well as for all subsequent construction and expansion projects throughout the Bohai Commandery. Once quarried, the stone was processed by specialized craftsmen near the outskirts of the Tieshi Mountains into various standardized blocks. For instance, the massive stone slabs used for the city walls measured approximately three meters long, one meter wide, and one meter thick. Each such block weighed about five tons, making them impossible to move for anyone below the cultivation level of a Greater Martial Master. Normally, Martial Practitioners at the Martial Disciple and Martial Warrior levels handled the quarrying in the outskirts, utilizing tools to mass-produce the stones before transporting them to New Tieshi City. As for the actual construction of the city walls, only Martial Practitioners at the Martial Master level could handle the placement. Naturally, this process incorporated spec…