Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 291 Divine Court Transaction, Xi Yue Negotiation: You Use Force!

In mid-March, Lord Chen Mo, together with Princess Liushuang, welcomed the Crowned Bishop Nash of the Mist Moon Divine Court and his accompanying delegation to the Han Hai Territory.

The two sides held cordial and friendly talks and exchanged in-depth views on bilateral relations and regional issues of common concern.

Bishop Nash reviewed the history of friendly exchanges between Rainbow City and the Vast Territory in recent years, highly praised the remarkable achievements of the Vast Territory in construction, and expressed his high appreciation for the Vast Territory's actions in resisting illegal aggression and safeguarding its territory.

The bishop repeatedly emphasized that Rainbow City cherishes its traditional friendship with the Vast Ocean Territory and hopes to further deepen cooperation on the current basis.

Lord Chen Mo pointed out that, thanks to the joint efforts and active promotion of both sides, the Vast Ocean Territory and the Mist Moon Divine Court have maintained a positive, friendly, multi-level, and wide-ranging cooperative relationship for a long time.

This mutually beneficial and healthy cooperative relationship not only serves the fundamental interests of both regions and their people, but also contributes to peace, stability and development in the entire northern region!
Looking to the future, both sides will continue to uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and push bilateral relations to a new level.

The meeting was attended by important members from both sides, including the Speaker of the Hanhai Council, Helan; Colonel Lin Zhong of the Military Affairs Department; Bishop Farrell of Rainbow Holy City; and Priest Avery, who presides over the Hanhai.

The above report is from this issue of the "HanHai Weekly".

Of course, setting aside the above-mentioned platitudes, the two sides discussed more advanced topics in a smaller meeting after the conference.

Bishop Nash of Rainbow City bluntly stated his hope to import some of the weapons from the Vast Ocean, especially the modified Starry Sky 59, as a reference.

Chen Mo nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

"However, as you know, my Vast Ocean Territory has a small population and a severe shortage of professionals. The main reason we were able to win against the invasions of the orcs and certain evil nations is because of these 'divine weapons'!"

“Bishop Farrell and I have a very good relationship, and Rainbow City has also taken good care of us in the past. I have no objection to providing a few weapons for Your Excellency to study, but there is something I need to say beforehand.”

"If, if these weapons, or rather the research results of weapons, fall into the hands of other forces, or even end up as weapons used by my enemies against me, how should this be accounted for?"

Will the Misty Moon Divine Court bear any corresponding responsibility for this?

Bishop Nash remained silent.

He didn't want to take on this responsibility!
Rainbow City conducted an in-depth analysis of this lord and came to a very strange conclusion: this Lord of the Vast Ocean is both stingy and generous. Although he seems to be very particular about every penny, you won't suffer any losses when dealing with him as long as you don't try to take advantage of him!
Yes, that's how interesting it is.

Of course, this rule only applies to the lord himself and does not apply to other officials in the Vast Ocean Territory, who are ruthless when it comes to killing people.

Now, when Chen Mo raised this question about the security of the Vast Ocean Territory, Bishop Nash suddenly dared not respond.

The weapons provided by the Vast Ocean Territory will be transported back to Rainbow Holy City, where the city's artisans and technicians will inevitably attempt to disassemble, study, and replicate them.

In the past, the generators, small appliances, Seven Luminaries Garland and Rainbow Holy City provided by Han Hai Ling have been disassembled to varying degrees, and samples have been made. However, they have not been widely used because the effects of these products can be replaced by more effective and cheaper alternatives in the Starry World.

For example, for streetlights, there is enough fluorite to keep them burning, and for refrigerators, the Divine Court has plenty of ways to create cold air!

In the eyes of master craftsmen, consuming psionic energy and consuming electrical energy are essentially the same thing. A little calculation of cost-effectiveness will show that psionic energy is more convenient to use than the unfamiliar electrical energy.

But the weapons are different.

Judging from the current combat results, there is no comparable alternative to these weapons in the Han Hai Territory in the short term.

That makes it worthwhile to conduct in-depth research and attempt to replicate it.

There's a saying in the Misty Moon Divine Court: "Gods are omnipotent!"
At the bishop level, there's also the second half of that statement: "It can't be just because divine grace isn't enough!"

In fact, since the gift of "divine grace" is "omnipotent," it can never be enough.

To conserve divine favor, the most appropriate approach is to purchase some physical weapons from the Vast Ocean, have our own craftsmen complete most of the disassembly and research, and then ask "divine favor" to handle any parts that are still beyond our ability to analyze.

However, can Rainbow City guarantee that its research will remain completely confidential? Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Don't forget, the other party is also qualified to ask for divine grace.

Once the Azure Sky Holy City learns of this, what does it matter if they spend a little more divine grace in order to strike at the Rainbow Holy City?
Today I dare to confidently vouch for Lord Hanhai, because maybe tomorrow my opponent will be able to use divine grace to forcibly dismantle and reconstruct a set of Hanhai's weapons.

Any conditions you agree to will only cause you trouble.

Having figured this out, Bishop Nash frowned deeply, his long eyebrows almost twisted together.

Chen Mo promptly offered a word of comfort: "How about we put this matter aside for now, discuss it carefully, and take things one step at a time!"

Bishop Nash nodded; that was the only way.

Changing the subject, the long-browed bishop brought up another matter.

"Then, Lord Chen Mo, we are interested in learning some undead detection spells from your territory. Is that convenient for you?"

Chen Mo's eyes widened slightly.

Can this spell be sold? Isn't it a very simple, beginner-level spell? A while ago, someone enchanted a Xia Kingdom knot with one!

Of course, the lord had a good habit of being clear about things he didn't understand.

"Given our relationship with Rainbow City, a single spell should, in principle, be transferred."

"But I don't know this spell either. Only a group of mages in the 'Return to the Cemetery' group possess this skill. I need to discuss it with them. I'll give you a definite answer later. What do you think?"

"Alright, then I'll leave it to Lord Chen Mo!"

As soon as they separated from the people from the Divine Court, Chen Mo immediately convened a meeting of the expert group. After a brief discussion, they quickly figured out the truth of the matter.

In this great battle, the undead creatures that "returned to the cemetery" in the Vast Ocean Territory also shone brightly, especially in several brilliant ambush battles, which made great contributions to the final victory of the Vast Ocean Territory.

Clearly, the Divine Court has keenly realized that undead creatures occupy an extremely important ecological niche in the tactical system of the Vast Ocean, and this tactic is very likely to be adopted and promoted on a larger scale in the future.

However, the awkward thing is that necromancers have been in decline for too long, so long that they have mostly existed as a supplementary force to mercenaries, with no record of them fighting as regular troops for hundreds of years.

This has led to the fact that even the Holy Kingdom of the Divine Court has completely forgotten the means of detecting the dead. The spells related to the dead are currently only preserved in the Land of Exile and the "Return Cemetery" in the Vast Ocean.

To put it bluntly, spells like "Undead Detection" or "Undead Creature Warning" are like encountering "pager repair" or "cartridge game production" in the current stage of society—they are obscure technologies that have become obsolete and whose information can no longer be found.

It's not necessarily difficult, but it's definitely not easy to do once you start! It will take a considerable amount of time to rebuild.

Therefore, Farrell directly suggested that since they already had a partnership with Han Hai, they might as well just spend some money to buy it, a suggestion that Nash wholeheartedly agreed with.

After understanding the cause and effect, Chen Mo thought for a moment and decisively decided to grant the Divine Court's request.

Undead detection isn't exactly a high-skill technology; it was just a way to sell it, and Chen Mo didn't even charge a fee. However, during the conversation, he inadvertently brought up the issue of the "Stone of Revelation."

When this matter was brought up, Chen Mo even had someone bring up the pair of Revelation Stones that he had previously "seized" from the Marquis.

On the blue fur-lined tray, the red was shockingly bright, and Chen Mo smiled.

Nash and Farrell both read the young lord's subtext.

My enemies have this kind of thing, but I don't. It seems that the Divine Court isn't as friendly to me as they say.
The two bishops exchanged glances several times, and finally, Farrell's scepter stepped forward with a wry smile to offer an explanation.

"Respected Lord Chen Mo, I would appreciate it if you could ask all irrelevant people to leave temporarily so I can explain the situation to you!"

"The price of using this 'Stone of Revelation' is too high for ordinary people!"

Clearly, in order to avoid causing any resentment towards the lord, Farrell had to explain in detail some "little-known facts" that only circulated within the Divine Court.

"The Seven-Eyed God governs the past and future, and all the heavens and myriad realms, and he values ​​fairness above all else."

"If you want to receive and use divine grace, you should repay the gods!"

Farrell pointed to the pair of "Stones of Revelation" in front of him, his voice tinged with a sigh.

“We priests who have long worshipped the gods have our own quota of divine grace, which can be used to summon divine grace when necessary. However, for those who have made no contribution to the gods, the price to use divine grace will be extremely high!” “Foretelling the future is one of the most powerful divine graces, and the price must be considerable. I believe Your Lordship can understand this.”

Chen Mo nodded. Indeed, divination of the future was a bit sinister. According to the traditional beliefs of Dongxia, revealing heavenly secrets would bring divine retribution...

Farrell added, "When we people in the temple use it, we are consuming our own divine grace. Although Marquis Monroe is a priest appointed by the temple, he probably does not believe in the Seven-Eyed God, nor has he made any offerings to the gods. So what divine grace could he possibly have?"

"This 'Stone of Revelation' also has another name, the 'Slate of Destiny'!"

"Without divine grace, what is consumed is the user's life, or luck!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo instantly understood. To draw an analogy, the Seven-Eyed God was like a large game company on Earth. You could spend money to in-game purchases—that is, offer up refined spiritual energy—and in return, you would receive a certain amount of game currency—that is, divine grace.

Divine grace can give you a better gaming experience, but if you haven't spent any money with the Seven-Eyed God and still want to get game items for free, then you'll either shorten your lifespan or have bad luck!

As for the Marquess of Monroe...

Could this old man have been cursed to death by this "Stone of Revelation"...?

"When your sect hands this over to others, doesn't it explain things clearly?"

"They might say that, but the bishop of Qingkong may not care much about Marquis Monroe's life or death. In reality, he would say that he should use it cautiously and cherish divine grace, saying things like, 'Fate cannot be easily predicted, only devout believers can receive divine guidance.'"

Farrell paused, then added a crucial piece of information: "Furthermore, please understand that even if Marquis Monroe were to use the 'Slate of Fate' to its fullest extent under normal, controlled usage, the depletion and consumption of the power of fate would be a relatively long process."

"Perhaps, in the calculations of the Azure Sky Holy City, the entire Emerald Duchy will fall, and the Moonlit Kingdom will be too busy to help itself. At that time, it will be time for those fierce generals of the Green Pine Family to die!"

"I just never expected that he would die in the conquest of the Hanhai!"

"Perhaps, this is part of fate!"

"..."

Alright, thanks to the bishop from the Divine Court for revealing the secret.

That afternoon, Han Hai Ling and Rainbow Holy City signed a series of framework agreements for future cooperation. The specific terms and details of the cooperation will be further refined and communicated by the specific negotiation teams of both parties, including Helan and Avery, under the guiding principles of the agreements.

After communicating with the Divine Court, Chen Mo turned to contact Xi Yue.

Sometimes, between individuals and between nations, there may be differences in strength and level of ability, but the biggest difference lies in attitude.

With Farrell acting as a war correspondent in Rainbow City and utilizing Divine Grace for real-time communication, the overall situation was basically determined even though the war was only halfway through. Therefore, it was perfectly reasonable for him to be the first to arrive at Han Hai.

However, Chen Mo was somewhat impressed that Xi Yue, a country separated by an entire dark forest and far from the war zone, was able to send a delegation that arrived in Han Hai second, bringing with it the results of handling almost all the events related to Chen Mo.

Look at their execution!

The nominal chief representative of the mission was none other than Liu Shuang's sister.

The young woman, in her early twenties, was in the prime of her youth and had inherited some of the handsome looks of Earl Liuyun. With her red lips, white teeth, and full skin, her eyes sparkled and she looked captivating. The two sisters huddled together, whispering to each other, occasionally glancing at Chen Mo and letting out a few soft laughs.

It gave Chen Mo a rather creepy feeling.

What's particularly annoying is that Xiyue didn't send Liushuang's brother-in-law along. Could it be that she overheard Liushuang's conversation when she was trying to fool me...?

Well, while the chief representative was whispering with the City Lord of Tianshuang, the second representative, an old-fashioned nobleman named Zegen, with white hair and beard but vigorous spirit, naturally took on the important task of discussing the specific details with Lord Chen Mo of Hanhai.

Chen Mo let out a soft breath and tapped the table in front of him with his middle finger.

"Let me emphasize this! From beginning to end, the Vast Ocean Territory and its army have never intervened in the war between the elves and the Stream Moon. Our relationship with the Silver Moon... and the elves of the Dark Forest has always been a normal transaction based on commercial principles."

"If we had truly given our full support to the elves, the outcome of the war would probably be very different now!"

"Understood, understood, completely understood!" Zegen's attitude was extremely humble, he almost leaned on the table, and he responded repeatedly.

"It would be best if you could understand!"

"After the elves launched their attack on Xiyue, I repeatedly emphasized to them that they must not indiscriminately kill innocent people or harm civilians. Judging from the feedback I received from the elves, they have basically kept their promise! I'm putting this out there: if you discover any improper behavior by the elves, as long as the evidence is conclusive, I will immediately sever all ties with them!"

"I know I know!"

Old man Zegen smiled broadly: "The people of the Vast Ocean Territory live the most prosperous lives in the world. As I've traveled here, the mercenary groups have been saying the same thing!"

The old man paused deliberately before speaking, word by word:

"Better to be a dog in the vast ocean than a jade man!"

"Your Lordship's compassion and benevolence are renowned throughout the world!"

Chen Mo waved his hand to stop the old man's flattery and continued, "However, I do not like your country's unbridled trampling on civilians. That's why we had the air transport to Qingze City later. Han Hai did participate in this matter, but from beginning to end, Han Hai's starting point was to save people. He did not fire a single arrow at Xi Yue's army, right?"

"Yeah!"

"It would be best if you could understand, but if you can't, there's nothing I can do!"

"I'll say it again: if the two sides are fighting a normal war and don't harm the common people, then my Han Hai Territory will never side with the elves or belittle the human race. But if your nobles are too inhuman, then..."

As Chen Mo paused slightly, Zegen's representative, who seemed to be far superior to Chen Mo in terms of age, title, and real power, once again performed a respectful salute.

"I will remember the Lord's lesson!"

"Before I left, I visited Mage Morton and asked him about the lord's temperament. Mage Morton told me that he did not like the lord at first, but the longer he spent time with him, the more he was moved by the lord!"

"My lord, you are kind-hearted, intelligent, and diligent. Mage Morton has said this many times. I knew then that you would become a famous figure in the future!"

"However, I never expected that in just a few years, you would be able to influence the fate of the Central Kingdoms of the Starry Sky!"

Damn it, they're playing the emotional card again!

Chen Mo recalled the middle-aged instructor who had been full of expectation and urged him on back then, and it seemed as if his voice could be heard again in his ears.

You deserve a much brighter future!

"The sooner the better! Let's go!"

Alright, Xiyue Federation, you've succeeded!
After a moment's thought, the lord finally gave a reply that resonated throughout the room: "...How about this, I can try to mediate and arrange a meeting with the elven representatives. Let's sit down and talk face-to-face. Let's see if we can find a feasible way to resolve the current dispute through peaceful negotiation."

The negotiation teams from both sides communicated in an increasingly harmonious atmosphere, filled with cheers.

Liushuang's sister once again brought her mouth close to the little princess's ear.

"Tsk tsk, I didn't really realize it before, but now that I see it up close, I'm sure my Shuang'er has the best taste! This brother-in-law is not only exceptionally capable, but also incredibly handsome!"

Two blushes instantly rose on Liu Shuang's cheeks, spreading all the way to her ears. She muttered in an almost inaudible voice, "What nonsense are you talking about! It's not...it's not true!"

"Oh?" The older sister blinked her clever eyes, her smile deepening. "What's wrong? Even with our little princess's charm, you can't win him over? Is he just too clueless about romance? Didn't you say you could hold him down with one hand? Or... why don't you just use force!"

"???" Liu Shuang suddenly raised her head, her beautiful eyes wide open, staring in disbelief at her sister who never fails to shock people, her face turning so red it was almost bleeding.

"Come on, don't be shy, I'll teach you..."

Chen Mo smiled and chatted idly with Xi Yue's old friend, but for some reason, he felt a chill running down his spine.

(End of this chapter)