Shao wondered if it would really be okay for him to take one of those sacred treasures with him. Any one of them would be worth more than Yang Guanyu’s home. Any item he took would certainly be the most valuable thing he ever owned. After receiving his sword and uniform from the Armory, it seemed improper for him to take something.

“Is it really okay for us to take anything?” Shao asked, mostly for his own edification.

With a smile, Elder Ying said, “You risked your life to get past Disciple Fenhua. It is only natural that you are rewarded.”

Shao considered the options available to him, and he quickly narrowed his options down to the Heaven-Striking Spear, the Storage Ring, and the Armor of the Coiled Dragon. He had just received a sword; it would be inauspicious for him to acquire a superior sword before he even tested his current one.

Deep in thought, Shao figured that the Storage Ring would be a better choice for Xiahou Ren to take. Several times, Ren had reached into a pouch and pulled out a useful tool that was perfect for the present situation. A bag of tricks with infinite size would be perfect for the scholar, Shao thought. Ren could certainly use the Storage Ring to pull off any number of hare-brained schemes.

Shao looked over to Ren, expecting his eyes to be locked on the Storage Ring. If there was anything Shao had picked up during his brief friendship with Ren, it was that Ren was smarter than him. Certainly, the scholar would be thinking the same thing as Shao. Yet, Ren was looking directly at the Ring of Eternal Suffering.

Recalling Ren’s bloodline talent, Blessing of the Suffering God, Shao realized that the ring was practically made for Ren. Grimacing and thinking once more that he far preferred his own bloodline talent, Shao went back to considering his choices.

He considered the Armor of the Coiled Dragon. Shao remembered the effectiveness with which Gao Long used his iron bracers when fighting against the black wolf. The Coiled Dragon Armor could also be used for weight training, Shao realized, and the animalistic part of his brain pushed him toward it. The faster he ascended up the staircase of self-refinement, the less likely it would be for him to be caught in a fight against a much stronger opponent.

With his mind leaning toward the Coiled Dragon Armor, Shao took a moment to give the other two items the consideration they deserved. The Heaven-Striking Spear was interesting, and it would give him a ranged option that he sorely lacked, but any weapon he could take from the Lesser Treasure Hall would quickly reach the point of diminishing return. Shao didn’t intend to spend longer than a month in his current realm, and any inner disciples he’d face would have little difficulty breaking such a weapon with ki-enhanced attacks.

On the other hand, there was the Storage Ring. Such a ring was certainly useful, and it would be an irreplaceable boon in the hands of a fighter who supplemented his strength with artifice and trickery. When he got down to it, however, Shao just wasn’t that kind of fighter. Like a divine beast, he listened to his instincts and acted with little forethought when fighting.

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As Shao thought, he realized that Ren was watching him through his peripheral vision. Ren seemed to have already come to a decision, but he was waiting for Shao to make a choice before he moved.

Shao reached for one of the metallic bracers fashioned to look like a coiled dragon. He picked one up and was immediately surprised by its weight. Each bracer was nearly the weight of his iron staff. If he were to make a rough estimate, he would say that each piece of the armor was about fifty jin, meaning that the total weight of the armor was two hundred jin. Shao’s whole body didn’t weigh that much.

“Can I try this on?” Shao asked.

Elder Ying gave a brief nod, and Shao began the slow process of tying the heavy bracers to his arms and slipping his feet into the heavy boots. Once the Coiled Dragon Armor was fastened in place, Shao was pleased to find that his movement wasn’t hindered too much. Wearing the armor was like an inverted use of the Howl of the Black Wolf. His speed was reduced by about a fourth, but the fact that he could move at all was quite gratifying to Shao, considering the armor’s weight.

“Please excuse my boldness, but I would like to take the Armor of the Coiled Dragon, honorable Elder Ying.” Yang Shao bowed as he spoke.

Shao liked how the wide sleeves of his robes concealed the coiled dragon bracers. The heavy armor was surprisingly subtle under the black hakama, and the metal boots were the only visible indicators that Shao was wearing the armor.

Xiahou Ren looked at Shao as he made his choice, and a strange expression appeared on his face for a moment. If Shao didn’t know any better, he could have sworn the expression was one of resentment. The expression disappeared just as quickly as it came, and Ren said, “You already know my choice, Elder Ying. I’ll take the Ring of Eternal Suffering.”

Ren sighed heavily as he removed the Ring of Eternal Suffering from its container and placed it into his pocket.

“A responsible choice, Xiahou Bian Ren. It is quite gratifying to see a member of my own clan invest so heavily into his future. As for you, Yang Shao, you have also made a good choice. However, I feel the need to tell you that displaying the image of the dragon in public is quite dangerous. The dragon is the greatest of the zodiac beasts, and some may take offense to its display.”

Shao looked down at the Coiled Dragon Armor on his body. Any dragon motifs present on the armor were concealed by his uniform. As long as he didn’t raise his arms straight into the air or hike up his pant legs, any images of the dragon would be hidden.

“This should be fine, right?” Shao said, gesturing down to his arms and legs.

“Yes, the motif is hidden under your robes. However, you should heed my warning. When it comes time for you to clad your reputation in the edifice of a zodiac beast, do not choose the dragon. Such cultivators often fly too close to the sun and crash down to the earth on melted wings.”