CHAPTER 53 - Seals

"Enough with the talk, let me show you something fun." Chen Xiang raised his eyebrows mischievously and dragged Robert to the factory entrance, where a car was already parked. 

It turned out this was what he had been eager to show Robert. 

Robert took a careful look at it. It looked just like any other car on the streets, with no exciting features like Mr. Wesley's flying, ground-skimming blue bee. However, once he got in, he realized that this thing was far more extraordinary than it seemed. 

"Brother Xiang, where are we heading next... Ah! Brake! We're going to crash! It's coming... wait?" Robert stared in shock as the wall seemed to tilt toward them, getting closer and closer. Finally, the car's front end bizarrely merged into the wall. 

Dumbfounded, he turned to Chen Xiang, waiting for an explanation.

"Haha, this is a type of spirit vehicle," Chen Xiang patted the steering wheel, explaining with a laugh. "In the past, people would burn paper effigies and money to honor their ancestors. Modern minds, though, are quicker, so we've adapted that idea into things like cars and TVs. We made some improvements, and this is what we have now." 

He parked the car in front of a building that looked like a boiler room. "This thing can phase through walls and is pretty fast, but it's afraid of water and fire, so it's only good on sunny days. Well, we're here, let's go."

After getting out, Chen Xiang made a gesture with his right hand, and Robert watched as the car transformed into a paper cutout of a car, with runes written on its back.

"Your great-grandfather probably checked your attributes yesterday, right?" Chen Xiang led Robert into the boiler room. "You can choose a weapon here for self-defense. You can order it, and pick it up when you leave, or it can be delivered by international express. By the way, did you bring enough money?"

Robert paused, confused. "Do you mean Galleons?"

Chen Xiang shrugged. "We accept RMB or gold here. Things from the Spirit realm aren't very popular with us, so they might be discounted. Of course, we also accept this kind of currency." He pulled out a golden coin.

Robert took it, looking it over. It was made of gold, with strange characters on the front and the national emblem on the back, along with an issue date.

"Where can I exchange this?" Robert asked curiously.

Chen Xiang gave him a surprised look. "The hotel where you're staying offers currency exchange services. Whether you want to convert pounds to RMB or to Dragon Coins, it's all good."

So this currency was called Dragon Coins. Robert nodded in understanding.

"You can browse first. If you see something you like, I'll pay the deposit for you, and then you can give me the rest later." Chen Xiang said, leading him to the weapon display area.

There were all sorts of weapons—knives, guns, swords, halberds, axes, sickles, hooks, forks, whips, maces, hammers, cudgels, clubs, staffs, batons, and more. Made from wood, metal, paper, ropes, fabric, or leather, it seemed like any material you could want was available here. 

Robert hesitated. "Isn't a wand enough for us?"

Chen Xiang nonchalantly replied, "It's always good to have more weapons on hand. There's always a chance of something unexpected happening. Do you know any fencing or hand-to-hand combat techniques? You can pick up some smaller items for backup."

Robert thought for a moment, then asked, "Would assassination count?"

Chen Xiang turned to him, his expression deadpan. "Is it really that dangerous in your country? Are people always thinking about how to assassinate others, even kids like you? You're already considering murder?"

No, you're wrong! It's just that my skills are only in assassination! 

"If that's the case, maybe a dagger or a short sword would be better for you," Chen Xiang said, rubbing his chin. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "I have something you'll like."

He led Robert to the swords section and pointed to a shelf.

"These are all samples. You can try whichever one you want," Chen Xiang said, pulling out a leather belt. "But this one, I think, you'll really like."

Robert instinctively swung the belt in his hand. It felt heavy and, oddly, had more... elasticity than a regular belt?

"Have you heard of a soft sword?" Chen Xiang asked, grinning. "Press this button here." He pointed to a button near the end of the belt.

Robert followed his instructions, and suddenly, the belt hardened into a sword.

Robert's eyes lit up. Wow, that seems really cool—but I feel like I've seen this before.

"Now press here." Chen Xiang pointed to what looked like a red gem on the belt buckle.

Robert pressed it, and to his surprise, the belt extended slightly. He pulled at the end, and a short sword appeared before him.

Instantly, a vision flashed through Robert's mind. He was in a magical duel, exchanging spells with an opponent. However, the opponent managed to disarm him with a spell, sending his wand flying. As the enemy smirked and lunged at him, Robert quickly undid his belt, yanked it out... 

"Ahh..." Robert gasped, the thought of that perfect move almost too much to bear. He quickly brushed the image from his mind.

"Sorry, I've got some materials. I don't know if they can be used to craft something."

"Materials?" Chen Xiang looked curiously at him. "What materials?"

Robert opened his cloth wrap and dumped out a bunch of green lizard skins, still dripping with blood. "This is the skin of a shapeshifting lizard, a magical creature that can grow and shrink. When made into pouches, it has the property that only its owner can open it. Wizards often use them as money pouches."

Chen Xiang examined the pile of lizard skin and chuckled. "You can still get away with using those space pouches at customs for the next couple of years, but once detection devices become widespread, they might not let you through anymore."

"Detection devices?" Robert's eyes widened. "Can they really detect what wizards are carrying?"

"Of course. Anything harmful to Muggles is advised to be transported through special channels. But don't worry, it's just a fee for a sealing charm." Chen Xiang shrugged.

"But I didn't have to deal with that when I flew from the UK." Robert asked, curious, "Wouldn't they just make everyone board the plane again and fly back?"

Chen Xiang paused for a moment before replying, "They'd probably just charge you a hefty fee for anti-evil charms. A specialist would visit everyone who flew with you and perform an exorcism at their homes. I'd suggest you visit the British embassy next time. Every year, we send practitioners to various embassies for exchanges. You can buy a special sealing charm there."

He scratched his head. "Of course, if you have any talent for crafting charms, you could always make your own."

Robert hesitated. "But... I don't know what my talent is."

Chen Xiang smiled. "Remember the ancestor worship ceremony? After you participate in that, you'll know."

At this point, Robert was genuinely curious. In his memory, ancestor worship was just about hiking, burning incense, offering food, and bowing. Wasn't it like that here? 

(End of Chapter)