Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 374 Reception of Official Status, Evidence, and Gifts
Despite rushing and risking his life, Chen Ye managed to secure the title of "nephew." Although he felt wronged, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at surviving such a close call.

For the Sky Empire, the weight of a Sea Lord, a Sea Lord who can influence Xiyue, and a Sea Lord who can influence Xiyue and actually controls half of the White Deer Plain are completely different.

If this lord were to turn around and raze the Green Pine Kingdom to the ground, and then besiege Emerald City...

At that time, it might be his own grandfather, and their generational relationship might not even be clear.

That's how a person's psychological defenses work. Once you lose face, you can never regain it. Once you cross the line, there's no line left to speak of.

Chen Ye stood tall and straight, his knees were perfectly straight, and for a moment it gave people the illusion that his upper and lower body were busy with their own things and had nothing to do with each other.

The officials and generals from Hanhai on both sides of the council hall cast various glances at them, some curious, some scrutinizing, and some with undisguised suspicion.

As expected of a scion of a long-established aristocratic family from a great empire, Chen Ye spoke with perfect intonation and clarity, even under the astonished gazes of the audience.

"Uncle, Aunt, my name is Chen Ye, the 32nd generation direct descendant of the main branch of the Chen family of Tianqiong. I have been appointed by His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire as the General Director of the Dragon Wing Demon Suppression Division of the Empire, the Circuit Commissioner of the Eastern Frontier Southern Route Land Border Division, and the Supervisor of the Border Market Trade of the Bitao Duchy. I have been granted the title of Third-Class Star Radiance Lieutenant and the hereditary title of Earl of Anping."

"And temporarily serve as the Right Supervisor of the Imperial Bureau of Foreign Affairs, assisting in foreign affairs with the eastern countries."

"I have come to pay my respects to my uncle on the orders of the Grand Minister of the Heavenly Palace and the ancestor of the Chen family!"

Goodness, that title certainly has an aristocratic air about it.

Chen Mo smiled slightly but did not reply.

Although I had some vague guesses in my mind, the situation was still unclear, so I decided to listen to what this guy had to say.

Chen Ye didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the main course.

"The city atop the clouds of the empire has seen frequent celestial phenomena for several years, especially around the Chen family's home planet, where giant stars shine brightly, illuminating the eastern sky."

"The family's astrologer told us that this is a descendant of a celestial family that has been passed down through generations, but has ended up in the Eastern Continent!"

After rambling on and on, the gist of it was that we in the heavens didn't just discover this; we discovered it many years ago. There is this so-called giant star that is getting brighter and brighter, almost blindingly so.

The family and the empire quickly launched an investigation, arranging for all sorts of people to be involved, including astrologers, royal retainers, and legendary figures from the martial arts world. After years of painstaking investigation, they finally uncovered some clues.

It was from a very long time ago, and it took a lot of time to find the answer, but we finally got it.

You, Lord Chen Mo, are my uncle!
That's why my family quickly sent me to kowtow to you.

"On this trip, I brought with me a complete set of imperial documents, astrological prophecies, as well as many portraits, images, documents, and evidence. They have all been left behind by your guards. Uncle will check their security when you return, and you will see for yourself!"

"I have fulfilled the family's entrustment and the empire's arrangements by being able to meet you, Uncle. From now on, I will follow your instructions!"

Chen Mo frowned slightly, looking thoughtful, while Chen Ye, kneeling below, began to feel uneasy.

This "uncle" looks kind and gentle, with a refined appearance, but sometimes you can't judge a person by their appearance alone; you also have to look at what they've done.

Marquis Monroe of the Green Pine Kingdom, Emperor Gerhard of the Stream Moon Alliance, and Warlord Grum of the Orc Army... These were all renowned figures on the continent, and now they have all become his dead subordinates.

With this background in mind, Chen Mo's slightest frown exuded an almost tangible pressure.

How will this person react?

We should at least take a look at the evidence first.

Or perhaps you could ask me about the situation within the Sky Empire?
Or perhaps, they're making some outrageous demands on my celestial sphere?

Just as Chen Ye was lost in thought, Chen Mo spoke up.

"Get up first. You are guests from afar. There is no reason for you to keep kneeling!"

After inviting Chen Ye to sit down, Chen Mo didn't mention the evidence at all, but instead started chatting.

"Sit down. You must have had a long and tiring journey from the vast sea to the White Deer Plain. The weather in the White Deer Plain is still quite cold in winter, not as pleasant as the climate in the south."

"Thank you for your consideration, Uncle." Chen Ye bowed slightly. "The Sky Empire is a great power that spans from north to south. It has a relatively warm southern border and a cold northern region. I have traveled all over the country over the years and have gotten used to it."

"You speak Qiyue dialect quite fluently. I heard you also speak quite a few other languages. Have you ever counted how many?"

"Uncle, I can only usually name three or five. Although I know a little about the others, I'm not very familiar with them and can only barely understand a few!"

Chen Mo's smile grew even gentler.

"I heard that during your time in Hanhai, you even had someone teach you Xia language? How's it going? Can you understand this sentence?"

The first half of the sentence was in Qiyue language, but the second half had been changed to Dongxia language. Chen Ye took a breath, his mind racing, and still answered honestly, "I can understand some of what I hear, but I'm not familiar with speaking it, and I'm far from being able to read!"

"This is already remarkable! Tianqiong truly lives up to its reputation as a great nation, producing a wealth of talented individuals!"

“Uncle is right. Tianqiong is indeed full of heroes. However, the Eastern Continent is also full of talented people. Otherwise, our Emperor of Tianqiong would not be able to only look on from afar and sigh in vain.”

"Ha, I've heard that back when the Sky Empire was in power, taxes were levied for at least a hundred years at a time, and the people of the Eastern Continent couldn't even survive. If the Sky Empire really crosses the Dragon's Backbone, I'm afraid even our small territories will go hungry!"

Chen Ye's expression remained unchanged: "What my uncle said is indeed true. Although Tianqiong went a bit too far back then, the root cause lies with the people, not with the country."

"The former Emperor of the Sky Dome not only plundered the Eastern Continent, but also did his utmost to plunder the Sky Dome itself. At that time, half of the lords of the Eastern Continent were scions of noble families who had been exploited to the point of no return in the Sky Dome and had come out to fight for their lives."

"Now that the Heavenly Emperor is wise and the government is clean, such absurd things will never happen again under his rule. On the other hand, in the Eastern Continent, it is not uncommon for commoners to be forced to sell themselves into slavery."

"It is clear that the mistake back then was due to the corruption of the bureaucracy and their deception of the emperor. It should not be blamed on Tianqiong."

These words made Chen Mo look at him with new respect.

The two chatted like this, seemingly just casual conversation, but in reality, their words were all unintentional probing.

Seeing that the atmosphere on the field was still relatively harmonious, Chen Ye finally couldn't help but speak first and get to the point.

It's not that Chen Ye is less capable than Chen Mo; it's just that their positions are different. His core mission here is to get Chen Mo and Tianqiong connected. Chen Mo can never bring this up again, but he can't.

"Uncle, before I left, the elders of my family repeatedly instructed me to convey their longing to you when I saw you. They also hoped that you could return to the clan. The Chen family of Tianqiong is now one of the most powerful families in the empire. Their greatest wish is for the family to be harmonious and for their descendants to achieve success."

"However, the Grand Secretary also said that my uncle is a lord of a region, with countless things to do, and must be very busy. If he can't find the time, I wonder if he could write a letter and have someone send it back, so that he can still keep in touch with his family..."

Before he could finish speaking, a young man next to Chen Mo stood up.

At first glance, it was obvious that he was a human-animal hybrid, but the crisp Han Hai Ling military uniform on his body gave him a certain air of sophistication. He first gave Chen Mo a standard military salute, his voice booming and resounding.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, I haven't completed the investigation into this person's identity yet!" "My Han Hai Territory and the Tian Qiong Empire have never had any dealings. If we consider the Xia Yue Alliance, then we can even say that they are enemy forces. Therefore, the Inspectorate needs to spend some time verifying the veracity of this person's words."

He then turned to Chen Ye with a smile: "Sir, since the Lord established the Han Hai Territory, countless swindlers have come every year pretending to be relatives. The prison in the Han Hai Territory has been expanded three times because of this, and now it is almost not enough again."

"Therefore, although our lord has given you a formal reception out of respect for the heavens, identity verification is still unavoidable. Only after confirming your identity and intentions can the lord determine the next course of action."

Chen Ye suddenly had a bad feeling.

Everyone here is a shrewd person; scammers are after money. They've come to this dangerous area and given Han Hai a huge gift, so what could they possibly be scammed out of?
Even if the other party has some doubts about the Chen family's identity, they probably wouldn't doubt that he isn't a member of the Sky Dome.

"Haven't you asked yet?"

"Xia Yuanchen, deputy director of the Han Hai Inspectorate, is a lowly soldier under the lord. He has no honors or titles, and his rank is far inferior to yours."

“Um, Deputy Director Xia,” Chen Ye carefully chose his words, “how long will your verification take? As you can see, the documents, seals, and gift lists I brought are all issued by the Sky Empire, so verification should not be difficult…”

Xia Yuanchen raised his hand and looked at his watch.

"Didn't it take you decades to verify our lord's identity? Such important matters involving bloodlines, families, and even international relations cannot be rushed!"

"But don't worry, I'll get right to it!"

Chen Mo then put down his teacup and smoothed things over, saying, "Yuan Chen, our guest has had a long journey, so we must still observe proper etiquette. While we are conducting an investigation, we cannot neglect our hospitality."

"Yes!" Xia Yuanchen stood at attention and replied, then turned to Chen Ye, "Mr. Chen, I'm afraid we'll need you to rest in the guest house for a while before the investigation is completed. Of course, you are free to move around as you please, but you will need to report when you leave the city—this is all routine procedure, please understand."

What else could Chen Ye say?

"I'll follow my uncle's arrangements!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After the brief reception concluded, Chen Mo stepped back and began reviewing the materials and reports provided by the Secretariat from the Sky Dome.

Indeed, as the territory expanded significantly once again and various affairs began to increase rapidly, Chen Mo finally had his own secretariat.

Otherwise we won't be able to handle it!
Of course, she's not the kind of secretary you're imagining—fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged, with a full bust, slim waist, and black stockings.

While some successful men dream of having a secretary to handle everything and nothing else, in most cases, such secretaries are often unable to do things properly or at all when needed.

These two types are not competing for the same ecological niche. If someone actually possesses both, they are probably not a secretary, but rather a partner in some sense.

The members of the secretariat had all received full training from Dongxia's teaching videos and were regularly assessed and guided. They were truly support personnel. While Chen Mo was chatting with Chen Ye, they had already carefully examined every document that Chen Ye brought and completed a great deal of preliminary work, such as photocopying, classifying, selecting, sorting, and marking key points, and attached some analytical conclusions.

The conclusion is simple: the documents are all real, but the content... is highly likely fake.

The reason we can draw this conclusion is because the document is so rigorous that you can find corresponding supporting materials for any question you raise.

To give a simple example, during that turmoil, why was a local girl able to rescue a member of the Chen family who was caught in the vortex?
Because this person is a professional, a first-tier professional.

Then, the Sky Empire actually found this person's advancement certification document from the mercenary guild's historical materials from more than four hundred years ago!

For example, how was this person's appearance confirmed?
According to the information provided by Sky Dome, the Eastern Continent Governor's Office of the Sky Dome Empire once held a grand celebration banquet to celebrate the empire's major victory in Ironback Valley. The girl was among the invitees. At that time, in order to record this important historical moment, not only were magical images recorded on site, but a special artist also painted a huge mural for the celebration.

The mural features more than seventy figures, including this young woman. At that moment, her gaze was casually drifting towards the direction where the Chen family member was.

Unfortunately, the Magic Image Tablet was destroyed in the subsequent turmoil, but this painting, titled "The Great Victory at Tiebei Pass," was preserved by a twist of fate.

Along with the rubbing of this painting, there is also an authentication certificate from the Imperial Appraisal Master, which proves from various aspects such as material, decoration, painter's style, and provenance that this painting is indeed an ancient painting from four hundred years ago, without a doubt!

In short, to use the Secretary-General's description, this set of supporting materials is like having a professional team, like us now, using a magnifying glass to find the points of contention one by one, and then providing corresponding supporting materials for each point of contention.

Perfection, in itself, is a flaw.

After glancing at a few documents, Chen Mo knew that he really didn't need to look at them anymore.

That's so meticulous!

If he hadn't traveled from Dongxia, upon seeing this material, he might have wondered if he really had some connection with the Chen family.

If... if the Sky Empire knew the truth about me...

Could they also fabricate fake materials from Blue Star to prove that the Chen family member first traveled to Eastern Xia and became a member of Eastern Xia under an assumed name?

Then, a bunch of examples will be used to prove that your ability to travel back in time is not a coincidence, but rather that you do indeed have the genes of the Starry Continent!

Hmm, judging from this style, it's very likely!
Next came the generous gift.

This list alone is quite valuable. The scroll is made of dark gold imperial scrolls with fine silver marrow floral and bird patterns rolled around the edges. When unfolded, it has a faint shimmering light. The enchanters of the territory have seen it and added at least a number of enchantments, such as "Cleansing," "Radiance," "Tranquility," and "Soothing."

The list is divided into several major categories, the first of which is ceremonial objects related to status and identity.

A royal earl's everyday robe woven from silver scales and mithril threads, inlaid with azure star tears.

This is because Tianqiong received the information late; given the current battle situation, he should at least be a marquis.

The "Opening Frontier Sword" is engraved with cloud and mountain patterns, and the "Pacifying the Distant Seal" has a crystal plate knob.

In short, accepting this position would be tantamount to being appointed by the Sky Empire as a powerful governor-general or a high-ranking official in the outer regions.

Chen Mo casually tossed it aside.

Then comes money, spirit crystals, potions, and materials.

Needless to say, the money was the main component, and gold was the main component. Chen Mo had been plundering from his hometown in Dongxia for so long, and this quickly made up for it all.

The spirit crystals are all produced from large ruins and are of extremely high quality. As for the potions and special materials, many of them are versions that have never been seen before in the Eastern Continent. The mages of the territory are overjoyed.

If the above is something that cannot be accepted, then this part is something that cannot be left unaccepted; Master Anthony has already taken a portion into his laboratory...

Further down, there were several magical equipment, some rare and exotic items, works of art and luxury goods, and even a permanent land deed for a manor in the heart of Cloud Peak City, the capital of the Sky Empire.

Chen Mo grinned.

"Um... since the guests have come from afar, please take extra care of them."

(End of this chapter)