C14 Heart of Refined Iron

Becoming a territory lord was an arduous task.

A high-ranking territory lord could only appoint up to five lords of a rank two levels below them. For instance, a Duke Level Great Lord could appoint a maximum of five Count Level lords. However, appointing subordinates could significantly weaken a lord's power, so most territory lords refrained from doing so.

Another unique method of becoming a territory lord was through the voluntary transfer of territory.

Take the previous case of "I have ten houses on Blue Planet," which was a voluntary transfer. Here, 'voluntary' meant truly without coercion, as the world's rules enforced the transfer of lordship, and no person or trickery could deceive this power.

Aside from these two methods, even with the might to easily obliterate a minor territory, lordship could not be claimed through conquest.

In the realm of territory lords, each lord saw the others as potential prey, yet remained vigilant against becoming prey themselves.

To the lords, all other beings were merely stepping stones for their ascension.

Non-lord professionals, when interacting with a lord, would temper their assertiveness and tread lightly, lest they inadvertently become fodder for the lord's advancement. Unless absolutely necessary, many would avoid any dealings with a lord.

The legacy of slaughter unleashed by the early lords on the Initial Continent was etched into the memories of the indigenous people, a tale handed down through the ages. Despite later generations of lords turning their gaze to the myriad worlds and bestowing favors upon their subjects, the primal fear of lords among the natives of the Initial Continent remained undiminished.

"What are your next moves? Do you still intend to head to the southwestern region of the Huorong Principality?"

"Sir, after being pursued by the Wolfriders, we've lost most of our goods. There's no longer a reason to continue to the southwest. We plan to head straight back to Knight Finn's territory. However, sir, we've run out of supplies. Might we obtain some from your lands?"

Wang Changqing didn't respond immediately, prompting Yuh Chengye to hastily add, "Rest assured, sir, we will compensate you for your help."

Faced with the request, Wang Changqing found himself in a quandary. He was undecided about joining the Huorong Principality, and revealing his territory's location would force his hand.

Regarding the act of killing to silence someone, he wasn't capable of that just yet.

Joining a power with over 60 formidable experts might have its benefits, but he had yet to discern them. The cost, however, was substantial: surrendering 10% of his territory's output and committing troops to the wars waged by a Great Lord.

To him, forfeiting 10% of his territory's yield was trivial; its production was meager, sustained only by his hunting to subsidize it.

But the thought of sending his men to fight in the wars between Great Lords was intolerable.

His forces were so insignificant that they wouldn't even qualify as cannon fodder in the clashes of high-ranking lords. To enter such a fray would be to die without understanding how or why.

Wang Changqing had overthought this; the Great Duke of Huorong had little regard for his meager military might.

"Dear visitors from distant lands, I warmly welcome you to my domain. Regrettably, my territory lies far from here. My Mechanical Warriors have scouted this direction for over two months. Reaching my lands for supplies would require a lengthy journey, so I must apologize for the disappointment."

He had no immediate need for the shelter of a high-ranking lord, and there were no threats near his territory to justify joining the Huorong Principality.

In his heart, Wang Changqing sensed that in a world where everyone was prey, the so-called kinship among one's own kind was utterly unreliable. One could be betrayed and sold out without even realizing it.

"Esteemed Lord, the most valuable possession I have is this Heart of Refined Iron. It was commissioned by the Starlight Knight from our Black Rock Chamber of Commerce and is the primary reason for our expedition to the southwest. Given the state of our caravan, we cannot fulfill this task."

"Therefore, I implore you to accept this Heart of Refined Iron. It is the only token of gratitude I have to offer at this moment..."

When Wang Changqing declined to provide supplies, Yuh Chengye, with a heavy heart, retrieved a wooden box from the spatial device concealed within his garments. Clasping it with both hands, he presented it with reverence to the lead Mechanical Warrior.

Wang Changqing, seated in the Lord Hall and liaising with the Mechanical Warrior, paused in surprise. His initial intent was to potentially recruit some settlers, prompting his swift response to their distress call. He hadn't anticipated encountering an organized group and had braced himself for a fruitless venture. Yet, to his astonishment, they extended such courteous overtures.

Seeing that the other party had extended courtesy, he knew he couldn't afford to be petulant, lest he offend them and damage their pride.

Without hesitation, Wang Changqing had a mechanical soldier reach out its arm to take the wooden box from the other party, and he promptly opened it.

Item Name: Heart of Refined Iron

Type: Treasure

Function: Enhances the quality of ore veins and stimulates their continuous expansion.

Expansion? Purification?

Essentially, this meant having access to an inexhaustible, high-quality ore vein!

The rescue mission had turned into a windfall!

Having already gleaned a wealth of valuable information, Wang Changqing was quite pleased, but he hadn't anticipated such a generous gift.

After some thought, Wang Changqing said in a measured tone, "Deacon Yuh, I'm very pleased with your gift. As a token of my gratitude, I'll dispatch ten Level-7 mechanical soldiers to escort you safely out of the wilderness."

With Wang Changqing's promise, Yuh Chengye's anxiety was finally put to rest.

Interacting with lords, particularly in places where evidence could easily vanish, was nerve-wracking for ordinary professionals. They feared that a misstep might provoke the lord and turn them into mere 'experience points' for leveling up.

"So, Deacon Yuh, until our paths cross again..."

After assigning ten Level-7 mechanical soldiers to ensure the other party's safety, Wang Changqing instructed the remaining soldiers to escort the Heart of Refined Iron back to his domain.

"Lord Yuh, you just handed over the Heart of Refined Iron? Aren't you worried about facing repercussions from the Chamber of Commerce?"

Once Wang Changqing's ten soldiers had spread out to secure the perimeter and the caravan began to settle down, the deputy deacon, ensuring they were unobserved, whispered his concerns to Yuh Chengye.

Startled by the question, Yuh Chengye broke into a cold sweat. He quickly stood to check on the guard soldiers, and only after confirming they were out of earshot did he hiss back, "Quiet! Have you forgotten the Chamber's foremost rule?"

"Our president has made it clear: when dealing with lords, our primary directive as members of the Chamber is to avoid provoking them and to safeguard our lives. That's precisely why the Black Rock Chamber of Commerce stands among the top ten chambers within the Huorong Principality!"

"Just now, if we had somehow provoked his ire, or if he were simply in a foul mood, he could squash us like ants..."

"We don't have the luxury of choice, nor the privilege to speculate on the moods of our esteemed Lord. Our only recourse is to do everything in our power to ingratiate ourselves with him! Only by winning his favor do we stand a chance at survival..."

Despite the seemingly small gap between a Deputy Deacon and a Deacon, the roles are worlds apart. The Deputy Deacon isn't privy to the Lord's confidential matters and is tasked solely with overseeing the caravan members. In contrast, the Deacon of the Black Rock Chamber of Commerce is responsible for conducting transactions directly with the Lord.

Upon hearing a portion of the news about the Lord from Yuh Chengye, the Deputy Deacon was struck by a sobering silence. He had once believed his talents to be nearly on par with Yuh Chengye's, thinking that with a few more years of experience, he too could ascend to the role of Deacon.

Now, it was clear that he had underestimated the complexity of the position. To rise to the rank of Deacon, there was still so much more he had to learn...