Chapter 275: Zhendan Commodities

"Lord Sinuoli, Governor Zou invites you to the tent for a chat!" Just as Sinuoli was getting a headache over the bizarre prices, Linghu Zhengde came over with two Zhendan warriors to extend the invitation.

"Finally! I must scrape some grease off these fellow countrymen!" Sinuoli thought to himself. He had a major project like building a railway, and the more funds, the better.

"What is the reason for inviting me over so early in the morning?" Sinuoli walked into the large tent with a few guards. Both sides looked like they had a hangover, but the Zhendan side carried an unconcealable joy, while the Dwarfs were completely oblivious.

"Ahahaha! We have long admired the customs of the Western Lands, but the mountains are high and the roads are long, so we never had the chance to visit. Now that we have the fortune to meet you here, I hope you can offer some guidance." Zou Qilin made some small talk before getting straight to the point.

Sinuoli understood Zhendan, but he still feigned waiting for Linghu Zhengde to translate before replying.

"Guidance? The Sons of the Mountains don't care for such flowery formalities; if you have questions, just ask!"

"How far is the journey from here to your territory?" Linghu Zhengde decided to proceed step by step.

"It takes over ten days on foot; it can be shortened if there are transport tools or if roads are built," Sinuoli added. He was afraid that the trekking through the rainforest would scare the Zhendan merchants away.

"Is the journey here safe?" For this ocean-going merchant fleet of the Dragon, distance was not a major problem—they had already traveled all the way from Zhendan to here, so a little more distance didn't matter; relative safety was more important.

"Very safe. The spiritual vein connection between the Bone Temple and here is well-maintained, and our Lizardmen friends have a firm grasp on this route."

Sinuoli said this, though he originally wanted to tell Linghu Zhengde directly that they could land at the Bone Temple, which would be much closer. However, that would expose his needs, so it was better to wait and bring it up later.

"Very good! May I ask how much time it takes to get to Everpeak from here!" Zou Qilin instructed in Zhendan.

"Why are you asking about these things?" Although he had already grasped the situation, Sinuoli still had to put on an act.

"Ahahaha, we have no ill intentions; we just want to trade with your forces and your fellow countrymen in the Old World. The Cathayan Celestial Empire is vast and rich in resources, and there are many skilled craftsmen, so I imagine there are many things you need!" Linghu Zhengde finally stated his purpose.

"Oh? I took a tour of this Tiaya Kua, and you can't even capture the market of these Lizardmen; what makes you think you can compete in the Old World?" Sinuoli started by suppressing them.

"Is this durable?" Sinuoli reached out and tugged at it; a slight "rip" sound made everyone present feel a bit awkward.

"We live underground, and mining and fighting are inevitable, even for a king; we prioritize practicality in our attire." Sinuoli appeared uninterested.

"What about this tea? It is the star product of the southern merchant fleet; have you heard of the Tea Horse Road?" Linghu Zhengde took another brick of tea and placed it in front of Sinuoli. It was clearly specially made for easy preservation during transport.

"Besides refreshing the mind, drinking tea can aid digestion and remove greasiness, and it can also strengthen the body! In many places, from the top down, they would rather go a day without food than a day without tea!" the translator promoted the product vigorously.

"Hahaha, why would we need this? If you gentlemen come to visit my fortress, I have fine wine to treat you! It tastes mellow and is nutritious! Your liquor is strong but burns the throat!" Sinuoli declined again. He had wanted to mention coffee as a competing product, but thought better of it, as that didn't seem very Dwarf-like.

"I have heard that Dwarfs love wine as much as their lives; this tea is not worth selling!" Zou Qilin signaled for Linghu Zhengde to change the subject.

"Uh, our Zhendan firearms are also renowned far and wide. Among the items for export, the Iron Hail Gun and the Crane Gun used together cover both long and short ranges; wherever the sights point, it is like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood! And that Cannon, it truly lives up to its name—Boom! Once it hits, you'll know!"

Linghu Zhengde began to promote military hardware again. The saying goes: when the cannon fires, gold is worth ten thousand taels. Military goods are not a one-time deal; there is still money to be made from subsequent ammunition, maintenance, and so on.

"Come, come, let me see!" Sinuoli was very interested in war supplies, but after looking at the samples of the two firearms, he couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly.

"One is a short-range shotgun; the power is just so-so, but the range is really insufficient. Using this in a small space would kill a thousand enemies while suffering eight hundred losses yourself. Why does the Crane Gun look like a Shu-style Carrying Gun? It might be better to use a Tashun for defense, but it's not convenient to move or deploy!"

The Dwarf heavy crossbow and Thunder Gun were the most suitable firearms for Dwarfs, optimized continuously over thousands of years. Although the Zhendan firearms had their merits, they did not seem applicable.

As for that kind of Cannon, although the caliber was large, the barrel was short, and its power was about the same as a Cannon, and it was not very convenient to move as it required oxen to pull it.

"These firearms of yours are really mediocre! Does the Cathayan Celestial Empire not have anything more decent? I heard from merchants that there are some Terracotta Sentinels or something; do you have any for sale? Wealth and gold, I..."

"Immeasurable Qingbao Tianzun!"

"Sin, sin!"

Before Sinuoli could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the exclamations and shouts of the others.

"You, you really live up to that old saying: one cannot judge a person by their appearance! Your stature—sigh, your appetite is truly not small!" Linghu Zhengde almost resorted to a personal attack, but he finally controlled himself.

"Terracotta Sentinel guards are only possessed by true major cities; lords can only summon them after building a Sky Light Pavilion to monitor the world. As far as I know, in the entire Weidong Province, only Fuzhou City, where His Highness the Ocean Dragon resides, has that kind of national-protecting Artifact."

"The ignorant are not guilty, but it is better not to mention this matter again!" Zou Qilin set the tone.

"Then it seems we have nothing to talk about. You wouldn't want to sell me armor and weapons, would you?" Sinuoli tapped the Plate Armor on his chest.