"Yes, however, I don't think as a young man you will be interested in this type of thing." The peddler said while reaching over towards the center of the table to retrieve an odd thick oval palm-sized plain carved container that looked like a stone but not quite like a stone.
He handed the container to Liu Tián Qǔ and said, "This device can only be gifted to a woman because only a woman can open it." Causing Liu Tián Qǔ to freeze for a heartbeat before she continued to look at the container in a nonchalant manner.
"What exactly is it?" Liu Tián Qǔ asked with deep curiosity.
"This kind of stone can only be found in the heart of the Asledan sea. It is called a blue sea stone. It is hollowed out by the holy monks of the Asledan East Mountain Temple. A Shaman and an Oracle then bless it. Afterward, it is then sent to a Priest of the Rolling Seas Temple who finishes the crafting of it and administers the final blessings on it." The peddler said.
"Each female warrior in Asledan is given one. Inside of it is an oval shape conical device made using grasses and rushes sewing the coils together, creating a tight weave. It's then soaked in water, making it almost watertight. After that, it is then treated with a special resin made by the monks. Creating a relieving device that the female warrior uses when they need to relieve themselves during a campaign. After each use, it is replaced into the blue sea stone. The stone then activates and sanitizes the device keeping it clean."
Immediately the Go Girl Female Urination device that Liu Tián Qǔ owned in her past life popped into her head. Liu Tián Qǔ mostly used it when she went camping and when she had to used the restroom when out and about. She hated putting her butt anywhere near a public toilet. "This is an interesting device. I will take it. I wish to gift it to a friend. How much is it?"
"These devices are not common, even in Asledan. They are only gifted to the female warriors upon initiation by a Shaman or Priest after receiving their blessings and approval to begin their service. This will cost 7,000 taels of silver." The peddler said.
With a smile, Liu Tián Qǔ said, "Okay, I will take it." Before saying, "I am also looking for a gift for a 7-8 years old boy who is being punished under confinement in his courtyard for two months. Do you have anything that may relieve him of boredom for a while?"
"Yes, I do," the peddler said with a smile. Reaching underneath the table, he pulled out two long thick rectangular beautiful dark stained wooden boxes with intricate carvings on them. One was much wider than the other. The peddler set the boxes in a small space on the table. He opened the boxes to reveal beautiful brass looking telescope spyglasses.
One was a singular nautical brass looking telescope spyglass, and the other was a nautical brass looking double-barrel telescope spyglass. The peddler said, "These spyglasses were crafted in the lower southern part of Nadeline in a fishing village by a sea master craftsman. For the singular nautical brass telescope, spyglass is 12000 taels of silver. For the nautical brass double barrel telescope, spyglass is 17000 taels of silver."
"How many of the nautical double brass barrel telescope spyglass you have?" Liu Tián Qǔ asked with eyes that shine with great excitement. She didn't need anyone to tell her how precious and rare these spyglasses were in ancient times, she already knew.
"I only have four of the nautical double brass barrel telescope spyglass left, and one of the singular nautical brass telescope spyglasses left." The peddler said with a wide smile before saying, "I also have compasses crafted by the same craftsman. This compass is newly invented. I have yet to sell one, so I have six of these compasses for sale."
In suppressed excitement, Liu Tián Qǔ said, "I will take all the spyglasses." Before asking, "May I see what your compasses look like?"
Reaching under the table once more, the peddler pulled out a plain square wooden dark stain box. He opened the box and took out the compass and handed it to Liu Tián Qǔ. Liu Tián Qǔ was much surprised to see the compass the peddler gave her. She thought the peddler would pull out the ancient Chinese lodestone compass with the spoon in the middle. Instead, the compass the peddler gave Liu Tián Qǔ looked more like the Weldon pocket compass and sundial. Except it was bigger and seemed to be made of gold.
The compass-sundial had a lid and a hinged gnomon. The sundial plate displayed the numbers in black and was cut away to a 5mm outer edge, allowing the compass rose to be viewed through a glass cover. The compass rose was divided into the basic 16 wind rhumbs with a separate dial showing 360°. South was marked by a dragon. The center of the rose shows a 32-point star. A black metallic double-needle pointed to both north and south with gold letters denoting both directions.
Liu Tián Qǔ immediately decided to take them all, "How much are they? Give me a good price, and I will take all of them."
"I will give you a discount of 20,000 silver taels for each compass." The peddler said with a wide smile and a glint in his eyes.
However, Liu Tián Qǔ didn't bother haggling with the peddler. She knew very well the value of spyglasses and compasses in ancient times. These were devices that not many could buy even if they had the money. These were devices that were hard to get your hands on. "I will take them all." Liu Tián Qǔ said before asking, "Do you have anything else interesting or unique?"
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"I think you may be interested in Falcon beads." The peddler said as he reached over towards the center of the table and retrieved what looked to be a red round lacquer box with a beautiful landscape carved onto the outside of the box. The peddler opened the box, holding the lid to the box he passed the box to Liu Tián Qǔ.
Accepting the box, Liu Tián Qǔ looked in the box. Resting on gold silk, she saw what appear to be three burnish small red beads the size of a juniper berry. Along with what looked to be two burnish red jade small columns the size of a carved Chinese stone seal. Liu Tián Qǔ looked up at the peddler who had a slight smile on his face. "What exactly is this, and what is its function?"
"These are called Jade Falcon Beads. A Falconer and Shaman created it in the heart of the Dolani Desserts in the midwest of the Sunken Lands. It is designed to send a message to anyone anywhere in the word no matter where they may be via a messenger bird."The peddler said, smiling at Liu Tián Qǔ shocked face.
Pointing a box, he said, "The material used to craft the Jade Falcon Beads is called burnish red jade in the Dolani Desserts. The Falconer would feed the falcon bead to a falcon. It can also be used on any messenger bird. The beacon must be given to the receiver of the message. The receiver must activate the beacon by uncapping it." The peddler demonstrated by uncapping one of the burnish red jade that looked like a carved Chinese stone seal. He uncapped it the way one would uncap a tube of lipstick revealing a small round blood red jade the size of a marble that was attached to the other half of the burnish red jade column. The blood-red jade began to release a soft red glow.
"It is designed that the falcon or messenger bird always fly to the beacon that is furthest away. So it would fly to the receiver of the message. After receiving the message, the person who received the message would then press down on the beacon to deactivate it. Which automatically activates the second beacon, sending the messenger bird directly back to the sender." The peddler demonstrated by pressing down on the marble-sized blood red jade of the beacon in his hand. The red glow went away, signaling the deactivation of the beacon. However, it automatically caused the cap of the beacon in the box in Liu Tián Qǔ's hand to automatically release. A faint glow was seen coming from under the cap.
Replacing the beacon in his hand back in the box. The peddler picked up the second beacon. He fully removing the cap that had already unlocked itself to show a glowing marble-sized blood red jade. The completely shocked Liu Tián Qǔ recovered her wits enough to hurriedly exclaim, "I want it! How many of these do you have I will take them all!"
"I only have this one left," The peddler said, shaking his head in amusement at Liu Tián Qǔ.
Liu Tián Qǔ felt a pinch of pain in her heart when she heard that. Plans that began crowding into her head immediately crashed and burned. With a mournful sign, Liu Tián Qǔ said, "I will take it."
"First, I must caution you on the use of the Jade Falcon Beads if the messenger bird is flying a long distance. You must take care to feed it well and allow it to rest before sending it on the return trip. The beads are designed to help the body of the bird to generate strength and energy. However, there have been known cases when a messenger bird has died in flight due to exhaustion." The peddler caution Liu Tián Qǔ in a neutral voice with a serious face.
"If that happens you will lose the bead in the bird. If at any time you wish to expel the bead from a live bird. Using any of the beacons, give the blood-red jade a full twist. It will call forth the bead from the body of the live bird. In a short amount of time, the bird will poop out the bead. Clean the bead well before using it again. If it is a dead bird, you will have to cut the bead out of the bird."
"Okay, calculate everything and give me the total. I will pay now." Liu Tián Qǔ said. She was happy with her new findings. It was apparent to her now that things worked a bit differently in the Northern Lands. However, she had no complaints.
After calculating everything the peddler said. "That will be 234,000 taels of silver."
"I will take medallion and one nautical double brass barrel telescope spyglass for now. Please have everything else sent to the Liu Residence." Liu Tián Qǔ said and explained where the Liu residence was located and how to get there.
Liu Tián Qǔ took out two 1000 gold certificates and handed it to the Peddler and a thick purse with the equivalent of 50,000 taels of silver in silver certificates in it and passed it to the peddler telling him to keep the change. That was some of the money she got from the sack, so to her, it was free money.
As Liu Tián Qǔ made her way down Veiled Mountain. She came across a small cave, using the excuse of resting for a moment. She was able to enter the cave and secretly remove the thick stack of certificates from the sack.
It turned out that not all of the certificates were Silver certificates. There was a total of the equivalent of 16700 gold in gold certificates and the equivalent of 325000 silver in silver certificates. There were even empty purses in the sack. She was able to divide the certificates between the purses found in the sack and hide them in her clothing.
Before exiting the cave and continuing to melded ore was a very lucrative job. The smugglers were obviously doing exceptionally well for themselves. Too bad they died an untimely death.
Liu Tián Qǔ paid the peddler and waited for the peddler as the peddler counted out the money and wrapped up the medallion and the nautical double brass barrel telescope spyglass she wanted to take with her. As she waited, her eyes fell on an exquisite cloud blue ring with flecks of gold sparkling through it.
Pointing to the ring, Liu Tián Qǔ asked the peddler, "What kind of ring is that?"
"Ah that," the peddler said after looking at what Liu Tián Qǔ pointed to. "Honestly, I don't know. I found that ring several years back while journeying through a desert in The Sunken Lands. If you want it, I'll give it to you free since you tipped generously."
"Okay, I will take it," Liu Tián Qǔ said while looking at the ring with a look of deep interest.
After completing her transaction with the peddler, she told him if he ever runs across any good stuff. When he comes to the Tolling Lands come to see her at her residence. Liu Tián Qǔ then bidded the peddler farewell and went shopping in the bookstore. After paying for a ton of supplies in the book store. Liu Tián Qǔ requested for the book shop owner to have everything delivered to the Liu Residence and explained where it was.
While in the bookstore she also wrote out a brief letter to Little Dumpling. She told him of Sōng Shǔ and the blind horse and why she named the horse Wēi Guāng. She even drew a quick picture of the horse for him to see. Liu Tián Qǔ told him of the peddler and explained the use of nautical double brass barrel telescope spyglass. She then teased him by saying to him she has more gifts to send to him. She will soon send them to him.