Rare-Grade Weapons

Rare-Grade Weapons

"Qin Mo, if you really want to hunt down some good stuff, these are the only shops worth checking out. Want to go in and take a look?" When they reached a storefront, Qin Yuanze tugged Qin Mo back from his wandering thoughts and pointed it out to him.

Qin Mo looked over. The shop his best friend had indicated was rather large. A rose was painted on the sign above its entrance, along with several Latin letters. Unfortunately, Qin Mo had only known a little English in his previous life. And in the Western Continent now, speaking English was practically admitting that you were a country bumpkin.

As they pushed open the door, two young men stood waiting at the side. Their tailcoats, bow ties, and hairstyles were immaculate; their skin was pale, and their features handsome. Seeing customers enter, one of them stepped forward, a standard smile blooming across his face.

"What would our honored guests like to purchase?"

"I'm just looking around. Do you have any rare-grade weapons or armor?" Qin Mo asked as he looked over the dozen or so shelves before him. Judging by the shop's bearing, its backing was certainly anything but ordinary.

"What kind of rare-grade weapon or armor does Your Excellency require?" the attendant asked, neither servile nor arrogant. His standard smile and manner of speech were neither irritating nor impatient.

"Something for actual combat. Forget anything flashy but useless." After browsing for most of the night, Qin Mo had come to understand. Most of the so-called rare-grade weapons on the streets of the Western Continent prioritized decoration, and most of their formations existed solely to look cool. Their prices were sky-high as well. Qin Mo naturally had no intention of being a sucker.

"Please wait a moment, honored guest. The proprietor will be here shortly." The attendant glanced at the embroidered pattern on Qin Mo's cuff, then turned and entered the shop's inner room.

Bored out of his mind, Qin Mo casually browsed between the shelves, occasionally picking up a piece of equipment to inspect it. He had to admit that this shop's goods were quite practical. The inscribed formations were all relatively useful, such as Sharpness and Acceleration.

A heavy double-bladed battle axe caught Qin Mo's attention. It rested on a separate shelf piled with damaged weapons and equipment: chipped longsabers, battered armor, and the like. This double-bladed battle axe itself had a massive notch in its blade.

The battle axe was pitch-black from end to end, its dark patterns intricate yet flowing. Qin Mo examined it carefully and discovered that three formations had been inscribed upon it. One had to know that if formations did not work well together, they would interfere with one another. Inscribing multiple formations onto a single weapon required more than craftsmanship—it required an extremely profound understanding of runes. For every additional formation carved onto a weapon, its price would multiply dozens of times. A weapon with three formations was already considered epic-grade.

Qin Mo reached out to pick up the battle axe, only to find that he could not lift it at first. The axe was unexpectedly heavy. Only after exerting force a second time did he manage to lift it. When he tried channeling yuan energy into it, the process was astonishingly smooth, far beyond Qin Mo's expectations.

The compatibility between a formation and yuan energy reflected its creator's skill. A masterwork could perfectly accept its wielder's yuan energy, making the weapon almost an extension of the wielder's own body. Yet judging from its yuan energy compatibility alone, this battle axe had clearly surpassed the realm of masterworks. It was even somewhat better than Allen's Dusk Moon.

As yuan energy flowed in, Qin Mo's mind touched the depths of the battle axe. Its internal structure appeared clearly before his eyes. One of the axe's three formations could not be activated; the massive notch had likely damaged that formation. Of the two intact formations, one was a composite formation of Sharpness and Reinforcement, while the other was actually Weight Increase. As yuan energy poured in, the double-bladed battle axe grew heavier and heavier.

Qin Mo dispersed the yuan energy he had poured into it and tested the weight of the double-bladed battle axe. Without using yuan energy to strengthen his arms, he found that he could barely swing it. If he wanted to execute complex combat techniques, he would have to circulate yuan energy throughout his body to increase his strength.

Qin Mo knew his own strength well. Ever since Black Flame had transformed into Nirvana Flame at sea near Hanyang, his body had periodically been strengthened by the black radiance emitted by Nirvana Flame. His current physical strength and bodily power had increased by an unknown multiple compared to before. For a time, he had needed to be extremely careful even while walking or getting dressed, lest he crash through a wall or tear his clothes apart. Yet this battle axe still felt heavy in his hands. It had to weigh at least three hundred jin. Ordinary people simply could not use such a heavy axe; no wonder it had been tossed into this pile of junk.

"Honored guest, the rare-grade weapons you requested are ready. Please follow me." While Qin Mo was still testing the battered axe, the attendant came over and indicated that the weapons he had requested were prepared.

Qin Mo followed the attendant to a table in one corner of the shop. A middle-aged man from the Western Continent stood behind it, his elaborate formal attire emphasizing his unusual status. Qin Mo did not understand the Western Continent's noble hierarchy and could not tell what rank he held.

"Honored Heir Apparent, Hoss of the Carlos family is pleased to serve you." The middle-aged Westerner placed a hand over his chest in salute and gave Qin Mo a slight bow.

"Baron Hoss, we meet again. Whatever good things you have this time, bring them all out. Don't hold anything back!" Qin Yuanze apparently knew Hoss quite well and greeted him with a smile.

"Your Highness jested. With honored guests at my door, how would I dare keep anything hidden?" Hoss greeted Qin Mo first before exchanging pleasantries with his acquaintance Qin Yuanze. He was clearly a sharp-eyed fellow who had recognized at a glance which of the three present held the highest status.

Qin Mo ignored them and looked directly at the two boxes on the table. Polite nonsense was just nonsense. He was here to spend money; if the goods were no good, then even old acquaintanceship was worthless.

"Your Highness, these two weapons are both masterpieces of the Carlos family. As for their mysteries, you may test them personally."

Qin Mo picked up the first weapon. It was a longsword, and even its scabbard was covered in carved patterns. The handle bore dense designs that were both beautiful and prevented slipping from sweat. When he drew it from its sheath, a pool of autumn water reflected before Qin Mo's eyes, its faint patterns rippling like waves across the surface.

The sword held two formations. Qin Mo tested them. One was the most common and practical Sharpness formation, while the other was actually a Dazzling Light formation. Once infused with yuan energy, it would emit a great blaze of dazzling light. Triggered suddenly in battle, it could temporarily blind an enemy, making it impossible to guard against.

The second weapon was a pair of twin blades. Their blades were only two chi long, and their entire bodies were pink, appearing even more luxurious than the longsword. The first formation was still Sharpness, but the second was a Conceal Shadow formation. In battle, it could turn the blades into blurred afterimages. It was an extremely dangerous functional formation. It seemed the craftsmen of the Carlos family excelled at combining Sharpness formations with light-element formations.

"How much for these two sets of weapons?" Qin Mo felt that the longsword would suit Allen well, and he also greatly liked the pair of twin blades. If the price was not too outrageous, he would buy them both.

"The longsword is two thousand taels, and the twin blades are three thousand taels." Hoss quoted a price that Qin Mo had not expected.

"Five thousand taels for both? I'll take them." Qin Mo glanced at Hoss without hesitation. Whatever Hoss might be plotting, he would first get the benefits into his own hands. As for everything else, he was no good man. Eating someone clean and wiping his mouth without doing the job was perfectly normal.

"Mo... His prices are all in gold." Qin Yumu's words dumped a bucket of cold water over Qin Mo's head.

"Hoss... is that so?"

"Yes, Your Highness. These weapons are absolutely worth their price."

"So expensive! I'm buying two of them... give me a discount..." Qin Mo immediately switched into bargaining mode, making the other two cover their faces. They truly wished they did not know him.

"The imperial clan of Great Xia actually haggled like coarse servants... It truly broadens one's horizons." A pleasant female voice rang out, though her words were exceedingly harsh.