Chapter 1043: Chapter 287: Five Elements Restriction Awl (Added for Alliance Hierarch Li Dushan!)

On the 19th of May, Jiang Wang personally waited outside the gate of the Xia Shan Villa, welcoming a guest whose appearance left much to be desired.

There were many homely people under the sky, but the only ugly man whom Jiang Wang would treat so warmly was Lian Que, and none other.

Earlier, when Lian Que had aspired to become the Family Head, he needed to go through Jiang Wang, secretly establishing a connection with Zhongxuan Sheng and cooperating with each other in the shadows, leveraging mutual support.

Now that Zhongxuan Sheng had taken a lead and Jiang Wang’s fame had spread throughout Qi Country, there was no longer any need to hide their relationship.

Being on good terms with Jiang Wang was already a very powerful bargaining chip in Lian Que’s hands.

The Nan Yao Lian family was a sacred ground for weapon forging masters, and naturally had some kinship with the owners of some famed weapons. However, such relationships, after all, were bound to deplete over time and did not belong to conventional power.

Because "Qi Country’s armor is in Chi Yang, and Chi Yang’s armor is in Nan Yao," Lian’s family had some connections in the military, and as the armaments of Nan Yao were renowned all over, they also enjoyed widespread financial resources.

But Lian’s family itself did not have any notable powerful individuals, which was an undeniable flaw. Yin Guan, who was still at the Outer Tower Summit, had once boldly declared his intent to annihilate the Lian family, which also provided a glimpse into the family’s strength.

Hired strongmen, after all, were never as dedicated as those nurtured by one’s own family. Engaging powerful individuals who couldn’t be controlled also meant worrying about outsiders overtaking the family. Sometimes, it is easy to invite a deity in, but difficult to send one away.

Lian Que, Jiang Wang, and Zhongxuan Sheng had all discussed that the reason Lian family couldn’t produce strong individuals was due to the life token system.

How could there be strong individuals in the world whose lives were controlled by others?

But they were not the only wise ones; many others could see this point too. The reason the life token system still existed was precisely because it was the foundation of the Lian family’s stability and continuity.

It had become ingrained in the flesh and blood of the Lian family, with every elder and high-ranking family member being a vested stakeholder.

To change the life token system was to challenge the fundamental interests of all high-ranking Lian members.

To cut off one’s means of livelihood was like killing one’s parents, an essential conflict that could not be reconciled.

Even with Lian Que’s determination and Zhongxuan Sheng’s wisdom, they could only proceed cautiously.

The only way was for Lian Que to take control of the family power, then attract and nurture a group that did not leech off the family system and was deeply disgusted by the life token system, like Lian Shao, to become the new high-ranking members.

Only when this segment of power grew could there be a possibility of systemic change, an overhaul from the inside out and from the top down, to revitalize the weapon smithing sacred land without destroying the Lian family.

And the prerequisite for stopping people from leeching off the family system was to open up new avenues of wealth for them and show them a more distant future.

This was not something that could be achieved overnight.

The long-term plans for Lian Que, personally made by Zhongxuan Sheng, were still only in the contest for succession.

Of course, concerning the struggle for family succession alone, Lian Que was already in an absolutely advantageous position.

After all, the main connections of the Lian family were in the military, and the influence of the Zhong Xuan Family on the Military Affairs Hall was among the most significant in all of Qi Country.

With the support of the first heir to the Zhong Xuan Family, it would be difficult for Lian Que to lose.

Even if the current Clan Leader Lian Zhuping disliked him in his heart and Lian Luyue and others glared and scowled, they could not withstand the increasing number of elders expressing their support.

It was obvious who could bring them more benefits. Since the alliance with the Zhong Xuan Family, those soldiers who used to freeload and take while eating had decreased noticeably.

Of course, if Lian Que revealed his intention to abolish the life token system, the elders supporting him now would become his opponents.

"Here’s what you wanted."

Upon their meeting, Lian Que immediately took out an iron casket and handed it over to Jiang Wang.

He was still as straightforward as ever, except for the dream of reshaping the Lian’s family that he kept in his heart, he could hardly conceal his thoughts usually.

The casket was as unsightly as can be, with rough edges that were not smoothed out, clearly cobbled together in haste.

It would be utterly impossible for anyone to use it to wrap a gift.

Jiang Wang wasn’t bothered in the least, and as he turned to lead his guest into the courtyard, he opened the iron chest.

Inside the cast iron chest lay five transparent, hollow spikes. These five spikes were beautifully made, their raw material sourced from special bone spurs Jiang Wang had obtained by slaying a member of the Sea Clan in the Lost World. The Sea Clan individual wasn’t particularly strong, but these bone spurs were a rare find.

Having taken a look, Jiang Wang felt very satisfied, "You do know what looks good, huh."

Yan Fu was such a stickler for detail, he probably wouldn’t scorn it for being unattractive.

Lian Que murmured, "I don’t understand this type of Magic Artifact very well. It was a clan uncle I asked to help make these."

He explained, "This set of Five-Elements Restriction Spikes, when thrust into Fire Element, it restricts Fire Element; thrust into Water Element, it restricts Water Element... They fully utilize the characteristics of the raw material and can absorb all the Yuan Force of the same attribute within a five-mile radius in a single breath. Of course, there is a limit, and the limit depends on the maximum Yuan Force the Five-Elements Restriction Spikes can absorb."

"Outer Tower?" asked Jiang Wang.

Lian Que nodded, "They should be about usable."

"How much are they worth?" Jiang Wang continued, "How do they compare to Outer Tower-level water restriction talismans and similar talismans?"

Lian Que was an honest man and stated the facts, "The prices of talismans are a bit inflated right now, so these might only be worth about three to four hundred talismans. But if we’re talking about their true value, they should be worth at least a thousand water restriction talismans."

Jiang Wang nodded. After all, if the value could match that chest of talismans and prevent Yan Fu from losing out, it would be quite satisfactory.

He admired the spikes while handling them, "The craftsmanship of that clan uncle of yours is really not bad. The price for his services, based on the market price plus ten percent, can be settled directly with De Sheng Trading Company later."

De Sheng Trading Company was quite wealthy now, so Jiang Wang spoke with much more confidence.

Lian Que didn’t stand on ceremony, "Agreed."

Then he glanced at the Longing sword at Jiang Wang’s waist and grinned, "You’ve nurtured it really well!"

As Lian’s family’s most talented forging master and the creator of Longing, he could tell at a glance the changes in the sword.

Jiang Wang casually unfastened it and handed it over, "Here, take a look."

Lian Que cradled it in both hands as one would hold a child, treasuring it dearly. Longing itself showed no resistance to Lian Que, remaining silent.

The sword was his creation, and because of it, he had made his name. Naturally, there existed a certain fate between them.

"Truly great, truly great," he laughed, his grin so wide he could hardly close his mouth, "This will be known as one of the world’s famous swords!"

Previously, Lian Que had specifically designed a nurturing method for Longing and Jiang Wang had always followed that method strictly without any break.

This was also an important reason why Longing had been able to develop a Sword Spirit so quickly.

Lian Que’s nurturing method primarily utilized Divine Power Seeds.

Jiang Wang now possessed three Divine Power Seeds and could rotate them tirelessly, naturally making the nurturing even better.

A person nurtures a sword, and the sword likewise nurtures its owner.

"It’s all thanks to your nurturing method," Jiang Wang laughed, "Your timing today is perfect, I have a friend from the Beiyaduwei inviting me for drinks. Let’s go together."

Even if Lian Que wasn’t adept at socializing, he knew Jiang Wang was helping him network. The significance of relationships within the Imperial City Inspection Mansion in Qi Country went without saying.

With his heart set on remaking Lian’s family, he couldn’t just focus on forging weapons.

"Sure thing!" A polite smile immediately spread across Lian Que’s homely face.