Chapter 816 - The Chief’s Bone Lock (1/2)

Chapter 816

The Chief’s Bone Lock

The leading slave master did not consent to Shao Xuan’s request right away. Instead, the slave master took a good look at the short, thin and frail-looking old slave. The slave did not appear as anything special to him.

As the biggest slave-trading organisation, all slave masters of the Bi organisation had well-trained eyes. They could tell which slave could fetch high prices and what type of slaves were useful. Those holding higher positions in the organisation were certainly much skilled in this perception. However, as a leading slave master who had sold off more slaves than the population of a tribe, he just couldn’t find anything special about this particular slave. They were ushering a huge line of slaves this time, more than half of it was healthy slaves suited for labour. Just why on earth was this Flaming Horn tribesman intrigued by this unassuming old slave?

“Do you know him?” The slave master questioned.

“He’s an old friend.” Shao Xuan did not deny it.

The leading slave master stared at Shao Xuan sceptically. Then, he turned to look at the slave again. Indeed, it was nothing strange for buyers to purchase their friends. However, something was amiss when this scenario was applied to the Flaming Horn man. Even if they knew each other, they were not on good terms. Were they enemies?

No matter how hard he pondered, the slave master just couldn’t comprehend the oddness of the situation. Despite that, the slave master gave in. They were professional slave traders, their main task was to generate a profit off selling slaves. Since the Flaming Horn tribesman was a customer, he’d sell the slave. The slave master asked for a higher price.

Mu Fa came forward and haggled with the slave master. He had frequented Chao Qiu City lots and was well-versed with slave trades. Mu Fa was clear about the appropriate prices for different types of slaves.

In the end, Shao Xuan bought the slave over with a rather dull water moonstone.

Now that they had reached an agreement, the leading slavemaster took off the beast fang shaped metal ware around his neck. The metalware was about the size of a palm.

It was a Xi*, a tool used to untie knots.

Before the emergence of metal locks, rope knots were the simplest and cheapest way to secure something. Even after wooden and rock locks had become an option, rope knots still prevailed as the mainstream. Sometimes, exceptionally complicated dead knots would be used to secure financial assets. Some knots could even produce a nine-link effect. Without the Xi, it would take at least half a day to untie the knots. When the Xi was used, one would be able to undo everything in two breaths.

If knots were the earliest locks, then the Xi was the earliest key.

[**TL Note: The Xi is an ancient awl used to loosen knots and open bottles/jars. It is also almost equivalent to an ancient can opener. Typically, people would wear these like a pendant. It can also be considered an accessory.]

ls8WY4jByymoElgwk4ho5IDrA3tc_77XJoXqftxUt2_6FNNFXRDWdjERGmLgC_Tf-yTiRwN0Cg55giYKcQ2gSuZ5qd7idvpE_GqsKV03N9zTwcrfi0hKToukNx3rWZ02uLOou67i

Slave masters of the olden days would bring their Xi-s around. It was also to show the others that- Hey! We own slaves!

Some people would even wear multiple Xi-s at the same time, just like the slave masters that were ushering the slaves. Their Xi-s were of a wide variety- Some were short and thick, some were long and thin. There were some that were straighter than the others, while those with a curve tend to be larger. Their designs varied too, some were simple and some were relatively complex. Some even had intricate patterns that were hollowed out.

Shao Xuan was rather familiar with knots. Hence, it wasn’t difficult for him to notice the hundreds of different knots used on the slaves. Almost half of it were knots Shao Xuan had never encountered. Though some of it looked simple, he was aware that these were difficult to untie.

It really was a sight to marvel at.

Different Xi-s were designed to untie different knots. The amount of Xi-s one brandished had naturally created the impression of ‘I have many slaves and many knots, that’s why I need more Xi-s’.

Slaves too were a type of asset. Slave masters were practising this behaviour to show off their wealth.

As craftsmen unleashed their creativity over the years, brilliant ideas began to pop up like mushrooms. With that came the birth of more complicated and sturdier locks. The only downside to it was its increasingly complex production difficulty and higher initial cost which resulted in higher market prices. Nobles that could afford to use metal locks would naturally experience its benefits and would gradually wean off the usage of rope knots. Other than its functional properties, the luxurious metal locks could be treated as a decoration piece that displayed the aristocracy of the noble slave masters. This was why the metal locks were very popular among the nobles.

Replaced by sturdier locks, the usual rope knots no longer needed to be dead knots. As a result, the Xi tool went gradually out of use but not completely out of sight. Till this day, Xi continues to survive through time but its function has been diminished. It was now more of an accessory than a tool.

The nobles continued to show off their privilege as a slave master through Xi accessories. Since the Xi-s were no longer used to untie knots, there wasn’t a need for it to be fully functional. Xi-s made of lovely gemstones made amazing and flashy accessories. Some female slave owners would even wear the Xi as a headpiece to stabilize their hairstyle. Hence, current Xi productions had an inclination to aesthetic rather than functionality.

Even if many slave masters still hung their Xi-s around their necks, it wasn’t necessarily utilized for its original function.

But there was a special community among the slave masters.

The people of the ‘Bi’ organisation had a soft spot for the Xi. The Xi-s were still put used to untie knots. When escorting the slaves, rope knots were still the primary restrain tool and the ropes were relatively tough as it had been specially treated.

Everyone from the Bi could tie impressive knots. Without tools, it would be a hassle to untie them. But of course, tough and sharp objects could naturally break the ropes but who would dare to shoulder the risk of offending the ‘Bi’ people? Who would dare to snatch their slaves?

On the other hand, slaves who managed to break free from their restraints were mostly hunted down by the ‘Bi’ people in various ways. Once captured, they would be punished cruelly- They’d be worked to the bone and then sold to the cannibal tribes as food.

Slaves that had fallen into the hands of the Bi rarely made it out safely.

With a scimitar-like Xi, the slave master untied one of the knots in the line of slaves and brought one end of a rope to Shao Xuan. On the other end of the rope was the restrained old slave.

“This slave belongs to you now.”

At the sight of a successful deal, the other escorting slave masters were overjoyed. They felt like this deal was absolutely worth it. They made banks and the water moon stone was a rarity around this region. It was able to illuminate and was much more valuable than regular gemstones. To earn such a gemstone from an old slave with no labour potential was not bad.

However, the slave master’s face had no expression. He felt suspicious. Though he did not regret the business deal (he was the one who accomplished it so he knew if it was a loss or a profit), his heart was unsettled. When the Bi people walked away, he had even turned around to look at the hunched-back old slave. He still couldn’t detect anything special about him.