Interesting... [zhongli realizes that with these descriptions, perhaps he should stop attempting to liken them to what he knows at home, as the weapons there truly cannot be used as comparison to firearms, save for how catalyst users tend to manifest their powers. it does look more like the weapons the fatui use, but he never got a good looks at those, and they clearly had a source for their projectiles.

but he focuses on the sword, because he can understand that better, even if he doesn't attempt to even put his hands on it.]

You mean to say that this sword, too, bears its own, er... Electrical energy, rather than being a medium for the wielder to channel their own power into.