Chapter 133: Selecting Treasures

Anle Emperor Zhao Huaili watched Chen Mo quietly for a moment before saying softly, "If you have any questions, my subject, feel free to speak them."

"Your Majesty, I am but a mere martial artist; would it not be better to let the Ministry of Rites handle the matter of the diplomatic mission?

While the officials of the Ministry of Rites may not possess great strength, if you must send someone powerful, why not use an Innate Expert instead of insisting that I go?"

Chen Mo looked quite puzzled; logically, a task like acting as an envoy to an enemy state should never fall to him.

Matters of diplomatic protocol are naturally the responsibility of the Ministry of Rites officials.

If there is concern about being intercepted and killed, it would be simpler to send an Innate Expert; why specifically choose someone like him who has no connection to such affairs?

It would be better to let him go to Luantian Valley to suppress the Demonic Path, where he could play a more significant role.

"I will not hide the truth from you, my subject; the reason I chose you is that your strength is the most suitable.

To say nothing else, Northern Li would never allow an Innate Expert from our dynasty to enter their borders at will.

Among the Postnatal Realm experts I can mobilize, you are the strongest; even when facing an Innate Expert, you have a chance to escape with your life, which is why I have made you the chief envoy."

Zhao Huaili was speaking the truth; he had already questioned the young eunuch who witnessed Chen Mo's display of power repeatedly.

If what that eunuch said was true, and Chen Mo could kill two Postnatal Realm experts in an instant, then his true combat power was definitely far superior to other experts at Acquired Perfection.

A supreme prodigy of Inner and Outer Dual Cultivation is truly terrifying once they reach this realm.

It can be said that now, apart from Innate Martial Artists and Golden Core Dashiu, no other martial artists or cultivators are Chen Mo's match.

In fact, looking across the entire Great Gan, Chen Mo is not the only martial artist with such exceptional combat power at the Postnatal Realm.

But among those Zhao Huaili can currently rely on and mobilize at will, there is only Chen Mo.

"Furthermore, there is one more point: I wish to use this opportunity to see if I can lure out those Demonic Path villains lurking in the shadows, which is why I need you to act as bait on this mission."

Zhao Huaili did not hide his thoughts but stated them directly and clearly.

In reality, this was an open conspiracy; whether Chen Mo was bait or not, those Demonic Path experts would have to intercept him.

Otherwise, once the two countries negotiated peace, Great Gan would eventually wipe them out completely once they could spare the effort.

It was only because Chen Mo was strong enough that sending him could force those Demonic Path Innate Experts or Golden Core Dashiu to act.

The Demonic Path experts are not fools; they would certainly realize that he had secretly arranged for experts to protect the delegation.

If the delegation itself lacked strength and could be easily wiped out by a few Postnatal Realm experts in a surprise attack, they would never act lightly.

"This matter is extremely dangerous; if you do not agree, I will never blame you," Zhao Huaili said in a deep voice.

The key is that if people are truly sent, regardless of their strength, they must give their all to complete the task.

If Chen Mo were truly unwilling, he could not force him into it; it would be better to send someone else.

"If you are willing to go, you may state any requests you have now, and I will do my best to grant them."

After saying this, he ceased speaking and did not even look at Chen Mo again, sitting back down at the table to process official documents.

Chen Mo did not rush to agree but considered the matter carefully.

Clearly, this was a matter of high risk and high reward.

Setting aside other rewards, going as an envoy to an enemy state is a meritorious act, regardless of whether the peace talks succeed.

Moreover, the Imperial Court could not possibly send a Fifth Rank Official as the chief of the delegation; it would have to be at least a Fourth Rank.

As long as he nodded in agreement, his official rank would start at Third Rank, the same level as his foster father.

Whether the peace talks succeeded or not, he would return as a Right Fourth Rank official; such a position would make him a high-ranking official in any province.

A single resolution, a single idea, could even have the power to influence millions of lives.

Even in the Capital City, it is not a minor position; most Six Ministries Vice Ministers hold this rank.

Beyond the official title, there would be other generous rewards.

The risks were also obvious, but it was a matter of whether he could bear them.

According to the Emperor, if he could escape from an Innate Expert with his previous strength, then with his current strength, there would absolutely be no problem.

If he took on this task, the worst outcome would be the failure of the mission, but he would never lose his life.

Conversely, if he succeeded, the benefits would be immense, and he might even gain much before the mission even began.

How to choose between the two—in just a moment, Chen Mo made his decision.

"This subject is willing to go!" With his mind made up, Chen Mo replied in a firm voice.

"Good! What requests do you have, my subject? Speak freely!" Zhao Huaili asked with a laugh.

"In reply to Your Majesty, I have a wife, and I wish to request a Title of Nobility for her."

Chen Mo bowed, his tone very earnest.

"Oh!" Zhao Huaili was slightly surprised; he naturally knew Chen Mo was married. If not for that, he would have already been considering how to bestow a marriage upon him.

He truly had not expected that the first request Chen Mo would make of him would not be for rare treasures, but to seek a Title of Nobility for his wife.

From this, it was clear that he cared deeply for his wife.

This was a good thing; only then could he feel more at ease sending Chen Mo to act as an envoy to an enemy state.

Moreover, he knew that Chen Mo's wife did not come from a prestigious family but was a commoner.

Chen Mo was now a decorated official of the Imperial Court and the current Top Scholar, yet he was still willing to seek a Title of Nobility for his wife of humble origins; this showed he was a man who valued old ties, and such a person was someone he could dare to cultivate and use with confidence.

"Very well, I grant this request. Do you have any other requests? This mission is extremely dangerous, so it is best to make more preparations."

Zhao Huaili nodded in agreement and then asked again.

To him, bestowing a Title of Nobility was not even a real request.

In his view, this was simply Chen Mo trying to ensure his wife would be provided for should he meet with an accident, which was why he had made the request.

Since he was making him an envoy to take such risks for the Imperial Court, he ought to relieve him of his worries.

"In reply to Your Majesty, I have always been in small places and lack experience; I have never had suitable weapons or armor. Therefore, I wish to request a set of weapons and armor that suit me, so that I may use them."

Chen Mo did not hesitate and continued to state his requirements.

He was indeed lacking in cultivation resources, but he also needed weapons and armor.

Most importantly, even if he were to ask for cultivation resources now, the quantity he would receive would not satisfy his next transformation.

It would be better to ask for weapons and armor, as this could increase his strength in the shortest amount of time.

Even though his Inner Qi could long since condense into armor around his body, it would naturally be safer if he had a set of high-quality armor to protect himself.

Admittedly, with his current strength, escaping with his life from an Innate Expert was no longer a problem, but one should always take more precautions; the more, the better.

Zhao Huaili smiled and nodded; Chen Mo's request was by no means excessive, and could even be called very reasonable.

Furthermore, his purpose in obtaining weapons and armor was also to better serve him.

"Come here," he called out softly toward the outside, taking an Ink Jade Token from his Huai.

The old eunuch, who had been waiting outside the palace hall, hurried in; he possessed no Martial Dao cultivation, at most having practiced external techniques, his physique only slightly stronger than an ordinary person's.

But it had to be said, the current Emperor truly had absolute trust in him.

According to information Chen Mo knew, this old eunuch had already been by the Emperor's side serving him back when His Majesty was still in his private residence.

"Take Chen County Baron to My treasury and carefully select a few suitable weapons and pieces of armor."

He gave careful instructions and handed the Token to the old eunuch.

"This humble subject thanks Your Majesty." Chen Mo bowed again and left with the old eunuch.

The secret treasury was, of course, also within the Palace City, only it did not have many Yulin Guard protecting it.

This was normal; this place was laid out with layers upon layers of Array, and if someone could truly sneak into it, then arranging more Yulin Guard to stand watch would be useless.

Or rather, if someone could be allowed to sneak to this point, it would already be a dereliction of duty by the Yulin Guard.

The old eunuch led Chen Mo through the Palace City without obstruction, finally arriving at the back door of a relatively remote palace.

A stone gate about three zhang wide had been built here, with fierce beasts like Pixiu, Suanni, and Taotie carved upon it.

On both sides of the gate, over a dozen Yulin Guard stood watch, each of them holding sharp weapons and wearing sturdy armor.

"By the Emperor's order, I am taking Chen County Baron into the secret treasury to select treasures." As the old eunuch spoke, he displayed the Token in his hand.

The Yulin Guard responsible for the watch bowed in haste upon seeing the Token.

The old eunuch stepped up to the gate and gently placed the Token onto the stone gate.

In an instant, treasure light swirled on the gate, and the carved fierce beasts seemed to come alive, a fierce aura permeating the air.

Of course, ordinary people could not perceive this aura; even those Yulin Guard on duty only had a slight perception of it.

Those with insufficient strength might not even be able to perceive it, even when disaster was imminent.

"Boom—!" The wide stone gate automatically split to the sides, revealing a narrow, long corridor.

Luminous pearls were embedded in the corridor to provide illumination.

The old eunuch stepped inside, and Chen Mo followed closely behind.

"His Majesty hasn't let anyone come to this secret treasury for some time; since he specifically asked me to bring Chen County Baron today, it seems His Majesty holds you in high regard."

The old eunuch wore a smile, his tone very easygoing.

The corridor was very long and narrow, and the old eunuch's pace was not fast.

Along the way, he told Chen Mo many things about the secret treasury; this secret treasury was built by the Grand Ancestor of the current dynasty, and the items stored inside were all collected by successive emperors.

All kinds of rare and strange objects were as vast as the sea, and no one knew how many there were.

The entire inner treasury was divided into four levels, and since the current Emperor did not specify which level of the secret treasury Chen Mo should go to.

Then, except for the last level where the Emperor's private collection was stored, Chen Mo could choose from the other three levels at will.

After walking continuously for over a dozen zhang in the corridor, Chen Mo could clearly perceive that, walking this way, they were now at least three zhang underground.

After walking a few more zhang, the view suddenly opened up.

A treasury covering an area of over a dozen mu, filled with various storage racks, appeared before his eyes.

These storage racks were all made of stone, and there were Array to ensure this place would not be damp, so even after hundreds of years, they remained sturdy.

Each stone rack had a label, clearly writing the use of every secret treasure in this secret treasury, which also made it more convenient for those who came to collect treasures to choose.

Clearly, this secret treasury was managed frequently, and all kinds of treasures were organized very neatly.

"The treasures of the first level of this secret treasury are all stored here; walking further in is the second and third levels. You may choose as you please; just let me know when you are finished."

The old eunuch said, taking a seat at an inconspicuous desk nearby.

There were account books, brushes, and ink on the desk; if anyone took treasures from here, they had to be registered in the records.

Chen Mo did not linger long on the first level and headed straight for the third level, where the most precious treasures were stored.

If he could not pick a satisfactory item on the third level, then he would go to the second level.

Walking all the way to the gate of the third level of the secret treasury, Chen Mo could not help but stop; he discovered an item that was quite to his liking.

It was a Giant Hammer, with a special material that shimmered with a jade-like, glazed luster; the hammer head was the size of a washbasin, and the handle was about three chi long and roughly the thickness of an adult's wrist.

Moreover, seven gemstones and agates of different colors were embedded in the handle, and Heaven and Earth Power faintly swirled on the gemstones; one could tell at a glance that it was quite extraordinary.

Beside this Giant Hammer, there was also a brief introduction written.

This hammer was called the Giant Spirit Hammer and was originally a pair, but the other one was accidentally lost.

If it were a pair, then this hammer could even be placed on the third level of the secret treasury.

The hammer itself weighed five hundred jin and was embedded with seven Mysterious Mountain Heavy Earth Stone; a Martial Artist could use Inner Qi to activate it, and for every one activated, the hammer would become one hundred jin heavier.

If fully activated, the total weight of this Giant Spirit Hammer would reach one thousand two hundred jin; not only that, but using this hammer against an enemy also allowed the power of a heavy mountain to suppress the opponent.

Simply put, every strike delivered with this hammer would cause the opponent to be bound by the power of a heavy mountain.

Whether the opponent spent energy to break the restraint or acted while enduring the pressure, it would have a certain weakening effect on them.

Looking at it this way, it was indeed a good treasure; the only pity was that one was missing.

However, Chen Mo decisively took it; he just happened to be missing one hammer.

In this way, this Giant Spirit Hammer and the Silver White Mirage Spirit Hammer in his hand could just count as a pair.

Although the effect of the one in his hand was slightly inferior, he was not lacking in weight for the time being, so it was quite suitable.

Taking the Giant Spirit Divine Hammer, he strode into the third level of the secret vault.

(End of this chapter)