Buying Weapons

Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang settled the deal and prepared to head into Bitter Mist Mountain to gather Snake Spot Chrysanthemums.

That night, Qin Xiaopang went home to pack his bags and invited Li Banfeng to stay at his place for the night. Li Banfeng politely declined.

A Home Cultivator had to spend at least two hours in their home every day. That was the most basic rule of cultivation. With Qiao Yuesheng's example right before him, Li Banfeng did not dare break the rules.

They agreed to meet at the noodle shop at eight the next morning, but Li Banfeng had no watch or any other way to tell the time. By the time he reached the noodle shop, it was almost noon.

It was not that Li Banfeng was greedy for sleep. Inside the Portable Abode, there was no distinction between day and night, and the quality of sleep was simply too good.

Qin Xiaopang was anxious. "Brother Li, why did you only just get here? We need to hurry. First, we're making a trip to Inner Gully."

"What are we going to Inner Gully for?"

"To buy some handy tools."

Li Banfeng did not understand. "Aren't we going up the mountain to gather herbs? Wouldn't shovels and burlap sacks be enough? Do we need to go to Inner Gully to buy those?"

Qin Xiaopang shook his head. "There's no time. I'll explain when we get there."

After treating Li Banfeng to two bowls of Yangchun Noodles and eating eight bowls himself, Qin Xiaopang worked up all his strength, and the two ran to Inner Gully together.

Li Banfeng used thirty percent of his strength, while Qin Xiaopang barely kept up behind him. As long as a Food Cultivator had eaten his fill, both his speed and endurance far surpassed those of ordinary people, enough for him to barely keep pace with a Travel Cultivator.

Previously, Li Banfeng had spent most of a day walking slowly from Inner Gully. Now, running back, they reached Inner Gully in less than two hours.

Qin Xiaopang was too winded to speak and led Li Banfeng straight to Pailou Street.

The moment he reached this street, Li Banfeng grew somewhat nervous. The He Family Old House was nearby, and Lu Xiaolan was still inside.

Qin Xiaopang knew nothing about the He Family Old House. He was headed for Feng's General Store.

The owner of the general store was dusting the shelves with a Feather Duster. Seeing the two enter, he hurriedly greeted them with a smile. "Boss Qin, haven't seen you in a while. And this customer—thank you again for your patronage."

He recognized Qin Xiaopang, and he recognized Li Banfeng as well. Li Banfeng was still wearing the top hat he had bought here.

Qin Xiaopang had no mood for pleasantries and asked directly, "Steward Feng, got any good stuff? I'm heading out to make a run."

Qin Xiaopang's business apparently was not suitable for discussion at the counter. Steward Feng called over a clerk to watch the shop entrance and said to Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang, "Gentlemen, please come to the back room for some tea."

Li Banfeng and Qin Xiaopang followed Steward Feng into the back room. So-called back room—the shelves were even more numerous than in the front, goods piled layer upon layer in a cramped mess. If not for the tea table in the middle, it would have been nothing but a warehouse.

The three sat beside the tea table. Steward Feng brewed tea, then asked in a low voice, "Forgive me for being nosy, but may I ask what sort of business the two of you are undertaking?"

"Bitter Mist Mountain. Picking flowers," Qin Xiaopang answered directly.

After thinking for a moment, Steward Feng took a small sickle down from a shelf.

The blade was no more than ten centimeters long, and the handle was even shorter, just enough for one hand to grip.

Qin Xiaopang stared at the miniature sickle and froze for quite a while. "Steward Feng, what are you giving me this sickle for? This thing wouldn't even be good enough for harvesting wheat."

Steward Feng was equally surprised. "Boss Qin, aren't you going up Bitter Mist Mountain to pick flowers? This sickle is just right for picking flowers."

Qin Xiaopang frowned. "I didn't treat you like an outsider, yet you're treating me like a fool. If I wanted to buy a sickle, would I need to come all the way to you?"

Steward Feng looked helpless. "Boss Qin, you said you wanted to pick flowers. I brought you something for picking flowers. What did I do wrong?"

Qin Xiaopang became anxious. "Do you really not understand, or are you pretending not to? Are the flowers on Bitter Mist Mountain something you can just pick whenever you please?"

Steward Feng repeatedly shook his head. "This time, I truly do not understand. If you want the sickle, take it. If you don't, forget it."

As the two argued, Li Banfeng began to see what was going on.

Qin Xiaopang knew some of Bitter Mist Mountain's inside story, but not much.

He also understood a little of the rules of the world, but only to a limited extent.

Li Banfeng had grown up in the Welfare Institute and paid his way through university with odd jobs. He had met many people and encountered many things. At a glance, he could tell that the true old hand of the world was this Steward Feng.

Li Banfeng quickly tried to smooth things over and said to Qin Xiaopang, "Brother, I don't understand either. What exactly are you trying to buy?"

Qin Xiaopang frowned. "Weapons!"

"What do you need weapons for?"

Qin Xiaopang offered only one explanation. "The flowers are easy to pick, but the mountain is hard to come down from."

That one sentence explained the hidden circumstances.

Snake Spot Chrysanthemums were precious. Many people wanted to climb the mountain to pick flowers, and surely plenty wanted to steal them too. Qin Xiaopang wanted to buy a weapon for self-defense.

Steward Feng naturally understood what Qin Xiaopang meant. He answered with a sentence of his own. "Carry a sickle, and it is easy to come down the mountain. Carry an Azure Dragon Blade, and the road becomes hard to walk."

Li Banfeng asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The shopkeeper smiled. "Someone carrying a sickle is a farmer; someone carrying an Azure Dragon Blade is Lord Guan.

"A farmer walks with his head down. At most, he runs into one or two petty thieves. One slash, and the matter is finished.

"Lord Guan walks carrying an Azure Dragon Blade, and he must pass five gates and slay six generals. Without Lord Guan's skill, could you still make it down that mountain?"

As he spoke, the shopkeeper ran a finger over the sickle's edge. Li Banfeng truly knew good goods when he saw them and could tell this was a fine blade.

Li Banfeng said, "How much is this sickle? I'll take it."

Qin Xiaopang glared beside him. "What use is buying that? Let's look somewhere else. I've got plenty of connections."

Steward Feng did not try to keep them. "Boss Qin, then go have a look elsewhere. I do not have the weapons you want here."

This Steward Feng was a good man. He did not want to get Qin Xiaopang killed.

Li Banfeng insisted on buying the sickle. The shopkeeper named a price of five hundred, and Li Banfeng did not haggle. He was preparing to borrow five hundred yuan from Qin Xiaopang.

Qin Xiaopang was heartbroken. "Five hundred yuan for something like this?"

Li Banfeng's purse was tight, and Steward Feng could see it.

The day before yesterday, after helping him with directions, the young man had bought a top hat and a Feather Duster. Steward Feng remembered it clearly. This was a man who understood reason.

"This customer, how should I address you?"

Li Banfeng answered, "My surname is Li. My name is Li Qi."

"Boss Li, I'll let you take this blade on credit. When you return from gathering flowers, you can settle the bill."

On credit?

Li Banfeng froze.

Steward Feng's smile did not change. "You're someone who can get things done. I trust you."

Li Banfeng thanked him and accepted the sickle.

Steward Feng took a small shovel from beneath the counter. It was over ten centimeters long, and he handed it to Li Banfeng. "Some flowers put down deep roots and are hard to gather. Do you think this shovel suits you?"

Li Banfeng took the shovel, examined its shape, then felt its edge. "How much is this shovel?"

Steward Feng smiled. "In both materials and craftsmanship, this shovel is better than that sickle. By rights, eight hundred would not be expensive. You know your goods. If you think it suits you, seven hundred yuan, and it's yours."

"Seven hundred..." Li Banfeng hesitated. It was a good item, but putting another purchase on credit would be somewhat inappropriate.

Steward Feng knew Li Banfeng's difficulty. "Take it and use it first. If it feels right in your hand, bring me the money. If it does not, bring the item back."

Li Banfeng accepted the shovel and wanted to buy several cloth bags from the shopkeeper as well.

Steward Feng gave him two. "Two cloth bags will be enough. The flowers are easy to pick, but not easy to carry down the mountain."

Li Banfeng took the advice. Steward Feng smiled and said, "Is there anything else you need to buy?"

There were no windows in the Portable Abode. He could not see the sun or moon, could not distinguish day from night. Li Banfeng wanted to buy a watch.

Steward Feng took out a Pocket Watch. Its body was two sizes larger than a one-yuan coin, with a gleaming silver case bright enough to reflect a person's image.

Click!

When he pressed open the case, the white dial revealed twelve exquisite raised markings.

The crown—the winding stem for the Pocket Watch—was positioned at twelve o'clock. Steward Feng pinched the stem, twisted it several times, then pulled it out two notches.

Li Banfeng had seen this kind of mechanical watch before. Without pulling out the crown, it was used for winding. Pulled out one notch, it adjusted the time. Pulled out two notches, it adjusted the calendar.

There was no calendar on this dial, so why had he pulled it out two notches?

Tick-tock, tick-tick-tock~

The Pocket Watch emitted the sound of a music box.

What a familiar tune. He seemed to have heard it somewhere before.

A mall? A restaurant?

A distinguished guest upstairs?

Li Banfeng had worked at all those kinds of places. The tune had left a deep impression on him, yet he could never remember its name.

He had not listened to music in a long time.

The sound made Li Banfeng feel deeply nostalgic.

"How much is this watch?"

Steward Feng held up the watch chain. "A Pocket Watch from Che Man Country, guaranteed genuine or your money back. Two thousand two hundred. This one cannot be sold to you on credit."

Li Banfeng was tempted, but the price made his tongue click in shock.

Qin Xiaopang said impatiently, "What use is buying that thing? You might as well buy a clock!"

Steward Feng smiled without speaking.

Qin Xiaopang urged him to leave quickly. Li Banfeng swept his gaze over the shelves to see if there was anything else useful, when his eyes suddenly stopped on a strange object.

It was a wooden cabinet, an antique redwood cabinet about the size of two bedside tables stacked together. Three metal trumpet flowers sat atop it.

More precisely, they were not trumpet flowers. They were three horns: one very large, its opening wider than a plate, and the other two much smaller, with openings about the size of fists.

"Is that a phonograph?" Li Banfeng's eyes lit up. He had seen such things on television—a machine that played music from records.

"A phonograph?" Steward Feng shook his head. "This isn't called a phonograph."

What it was called was not important.

If there was a phonograph, that proved there was electricity.

If there was electricity, he could charge his phone.

Once he charged his phone, this world would be perfect!

Even if there was no phone signal, at least he would not need to buy a watch.

But Steward Feng's answer disappointed Li Banfeng greatly. "We do not have anything powered by electricity here. This is a gramophone. It does not use electricity."

Li Banfeng could not understand how something without electricity could make sound.

Only today did he learn that the earliest record players had nothing to do with electricity or magnetism. They relied on only two things: a needle and a record.

Steward Feng placed a shellac record on the gramophone's turntable, took a crank from the drawer beneath it, inserted it into the machine, and turned it forcefully more than ten times.

He was winding the gramophone.

Once the spring was fully wound, he flicked a catch, and the record began spinning rapidly on the turntable.

Steward Feng set the needle onto the record, and singing laced with fine crackling noise drifted from the horns.

"Floating~ clouds~ scatter,

The bright moon shines upon us,

Reunion, joy, and fulfillment,

Tonight we are drunk~"

Full Moon and Blooming Flowers.

The ancient gramophone's principle was very simple.

The record was engraved with grooves of varying depth. Those grooves had been carved as the needle vibrated along with the song.

Now, as the needle traveled through the grooves on the record, the sound created by friction recreated the singing from that time.

That was the acoustic principle of the gramophone.

The sound quality could not be called good. It was even somewhat rough.

But Li Banfeng liked the tune very much and listened with great contentment.

Unfortunately, it was a little too short. In less than three minutes, the needle slid to the end, the spring ran down, and the record stopped.

Qin Xiaopang wore a look of disdain. "What's so good about that? To listen to one song, you have to crank that handle for ages. Isn't that a pain?"

"If you don't want to wind it, you can still listen to music." Steward Feng took out a new record and placed it on the turntable.

He brought over an iron cup and poured two cups of water into the small horn beside the large horn.

Steward Feng struck a match and opened a small door on the lower right side of the gramophone.

Inside was a hidden compartment. An iron box was fixed within it, holding half a box of grease with a wick standing in the middle.

Once he lit the wick, a cluster of flames filled the entire compartment.

Li Banfeng did not know what kind of oil it was. Even from far away, he could feel its scorching heat.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The small horn on the right side of the large horn rhythmically sprayed out water mist.

The small horn on the left was responsible for adding water, while the one on the right vented steam.

What kind of operation was this?

Could it be...

The record began spinning on the gramophone.

A steam-powered gramophone?

What an intricate machine!

Li Banfeng's eyes widened. Everything he had learned over the past ten-odd years was challenged once again.

After waiting about a minute, the record's speed gradually stabilized. Steward Feng placed the needle onto the record.

"Butter~flies fly away,

My heart is no longer here,

Through the desolate long night, who will come

To wipe the tears filling my cheeks~~"

Wild Grasses and Flowers Meet Spring.

What a beautiful tune.

PS: Dear readers, an important character has appeared. Plant plenty of eyes on them!

(End of chapter)