@AaronMk  
To think these crossbows were used right into the First Sino-Japanese War in the late 19th century. The technology had existed back in the Warring States era which was a couple centuries before Christ.
 
 
Speaking of Qing Dynasty 8 Banners. I like that concept where “Not-China” would have bands of elite troops known as the Bannerponies. Bannercolts and Bannermares sorted into clans residing in the harsh northern lands of Manechuria.  
Also, the 8 Banners did not only consist of ethnic Manchus. But there were also Mongol and Han Chinese Banners. Except for the ones who part of the 8 Banners, Han Chinese were actually forbidden from settling in Manchuria before the 19th century.

@SeraphimDawn
 
Well to be fair it looks like they’re running around with the peasant’s crossbows, which were shit. Though even the larger military ones didn’t have much power, but were still more lethal. But they were over all bigger and probably more expensive than what the farmers would use to shoot wolves.
 
I also read about massive siege-capable chu-ku-nos. Things so big they were operated by two guys.
 
Given the concept I have in this character, even if it doesn’t have the piercing power of a western crossbow it’s not like he’s really using it to shoot at anything like the Banner Army. He’d be using it to pick off civilian or other rival gang lords.
 
And it’s not like he’d want to fight the army when he’s already a part-time bureaucrat. Like a criminal Cao Cao.

The Repeating Crossbow  
I’m quite skeptical of its stopping power.