About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all the officers had arrived, and Bai Jinglong stood up.
"After several days of fierce fighting, we finally annihilated all the invading Otherworldly Demon. Everyone here deserves credit for this."
Today, His Highness the Sixth Prince, on behalf of the Imperial Court, rewards the soldiers for their meritorious service.
After speaking, Bai Jinglong bowed to the Sixth Prince beside him and returned to his seat.
The Sixth Prince stood up, smiled, and glanced around before fixing his gaze on Chen Mu.
"The victory in this battle was largely due to the Sword Guardian Battalion, led by Chen Mu, which repeatedly turned the tide of battle and annihilated countless enemies. They deserve the greatest credit!"
Chen Mu was stunned for a moment, but quickly reacted, immediately stood up, walked to the center of the hall and bowed.
"Thank you, Sixth Prince!"
Although the Sixth Prince gave him the credit, Chen Mu was not happy; instead, he felt somewhat uneasy.
Based on what he had learned during this period, the Sixth Prince was ambitious, greedy, and insatiable. Normally, why would he hand over such a great achievement so easily?
" Chen Mu, I am now awarding you ten Rank 5 Spirit Stone as a token of my gratitude for your contribution to guarding the border."
As he spoke, the Sixth Prince tossed ten Spirit Stone, each radiating a rich green light, to Chen Mu.
According to official statements, Spirit Stone can be exchanged at a rate of 100 times for each grade and above. However, at the fifth grade, it is impossible to exchange 100 fourth-grade Spirit Stone for a fifth-grade Spirit Stone.
The higher the grade of Spirit Stone, the rarer it is, and the greater its effect on cultivators. The fifth grade is a watershed moment.
Spirit Stone of grade five and above are basically monopolized by various major forces. If you want to exchange them, you usually need two hundred or even more grade four Spirit Stone, and they are often in a state of being priced but not available.
Therefore, the Sixth Prince's move was extremely generous. Chen Mu was flattered and accepted the Spirit Stone, but his unease only intensified.
"This humble subject thanks the Sixth Prince!"
When the Sixth Prince saw Chen Mu put away the Spirit Stone, his eyes narrowed and his smile became even brighter.
" Chen Mu, are you satisfied with this reward?"
"Your Highness's kindness is most appreciated by this humble subject!"
Chen Mu felt a pang of unease, knowing that the Sixth Prince's true purpose was about to be revealed.
"Since that's the case, the imperial court has treated you quite well. If you have anything that can help the court, shouldn't you sacrifice yourself and make selfless contributions to the great cause of resisting the Otherworldly Demon?"
"This humble subject is ignorant and foolish; please enlighten me, Your Highness."
At this point, Chen Mu had no choice but to play dumb and pretend he didn't understand.
The Sixth Prince frowned in displeasure. How could he not see that Chen Mu was trying to refuse? But at this moment, he had no choice but to let Chen Mu make a decision.
"I heard from Lord Bai that you possess a batch of very powerful Rune Artifacts, which are both easy to move and have astonishing destructive power. I wonder if you could lend them to my Valiant Dragon Army?"
Chen Mu sneered inwardly. A mere ten Rank 5 Spirit Stone and they think they can take away the Rune Artifacts he'd painstakingly researched? What a clever scheme!
"Sixth Prince, please forgive me. These Rune Artifacts were a gift from my master, and I would never have dared to dispose of them without his permission."
The sixth prince's expression immediately turned extremely gloomy, and he let out a cold snort.
" Chen Mu! I've been so polite to you because of your great contributions to Absolute Sword City. Don't be so stubborn!"
A powerful pressure descended upon Chen Mu, Chen Mu gritted his teeth and desperately resisted, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Sixth Prince, how about this? I'll use the communication jade token to contact my master right now and ask for his permission."
Chen Mu is no match for the Sixth Prince now. If he angers him and is killed on the spot, it would be a real injustice.
Therefore, Chen Mu had no choice but to use delaying tactics to see if he could buy some time.
The Sixth Prince knew that Chen Mu came from the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion and was wary of the people behind him. After hesitating for a moment, he withdrew his oppressive aura.
" Chen Mu, as the saying goes, in times of emergency, one must act expediently. Now, the Otherworldly Demon are launching a massive attack on the empire's territory, and more than ten cities have already fallen. I am currently in a state of utter chaos."
If you were to aid our army today, your name would surely be recorded in history. Why must you remain so stubborn and hold onto your military power for your own benefit?
Chen Mu sneered inwardly. With your character, you can only deal with your own people. You want to make a name for yourself in history? You're dreaming.
However, he didn't dare to contradict the other party in person, and could only nod repeatedly, pretending to hesitate, but in reality he was thinking of a way to get away.
After half an incense stick's time, Chen Mu still hadn't come up with a solution, but the Sixth Prince was already getting impatient.
" Chen Mu! If you don't hand over the Rune Artifacts, you'll be going to jail with your Sword Guardian Battalion!"
I believe that after you calm down, you will make the right choice.
After he finished speaking, the Sixth Prince gave a look, and immediately some of his personal guards stepped forward and took Chen Mu away.
"Lord Bai, is this how your Absolute Sword City treats those who have rendered meritorious service?"
Chen Mu coldly stared at Bai Jinglong sitting in the back, but Bai Jinglong kept his head down, pretending not to hear, and didn't dare to meet Chen Mu's gaze at all.
Chen Mu's heart sank completely. He never expected the Haotian Empire to be so corrupt that even the generals guarding the border dared not confront the powerful. How could such an empire possibly prosper?
Just then, a powerful figure flew through the air and landed heavily at the entrance of the city lord's hall.
"Hmph, the Sixth Prince, what a show of power you have!"
"Since you wanted to arrest my disciple, why didn't you notify the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion?"
The newcomer was dressed in a gray robe, with his hair tied in a bun and a resolute face; he was none other than Master Elder Ming, Chen Mu's master.
"Master!"
Chen Mu was overjoyed.
Although the Haotian Empire is the ruler of the Central Land, they mainly manage mortal forces. Cultivators above the Core Formation Realm are generally no longer bound by the Haotian Empire's royal family, let alone the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion, which has been passed down for tens of thousands of years.
The Sixth Prince, with his extensive knowledge, sensed a powerful soul fluctuation emanating from the approaching old man, recognizing him as a cultivator specializing in the divine Divine Soul.
When he heard Chen Mu's call again, he immediately knew who the person was.
"It is said that the ' Heavenly Craft Ghost Talisman ' Elder Ming has not left the Heaven-Questioning Pavilion for decades. I never expected to meet him in person today. I am truly honored."
He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and bowed to Elder Ming.
In the cultivation world, strength is revered. Even someone of noble status must treat a powerful cultivator with respect.
Elder Ming nodded to Chen Mu, then looked at the Sixth Prince with displeasure.
"Sixth Prince, what crime has my disciple committed? Why must he be detained like this?"
The sixth prince's expression shifted, then he slapped his forehead and burst into laughter.
"It turns out that Chen Mu is a disciple of the Elder Ming. It's a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding!"
Elder Ming, I only wanted to borrow the Rune Artifacts from Chen Mu, but he made many excuses and showed no sense of righteousness.
I suspect his identity Heaven-Questioning Pavilion is fake, so I want to arrest him first to investigate. I don't actually have any malicious intent.