Changing the Blacksmith Shop's Racetrack

The two finished talking about "Yan Hua" and, with unspoken understanding, bypassed the manor's mess hall, heading straight for the core area: the Blacksmith Shop.

Clang! Clang! The sounds of forging were as fervent as ever.

Jiu Cai Rong walked in and greeted the other blacksmiths. They immediately put down their tools and shouted in unison, "The old steward is here!"

Then, they stopped hammering.

With great excitement, they brought out a pile of their proudest creations and laid them on the table.

Bows and arrows, crossbows, Meteor Hammers, Chains, Fang Tian Hua Jis.

In short, many types were represented.

After obtaining the crow materials, they had experienced a great surge in productivity.

And they discovered that some of the magic artifacts bore various patterns: Water Drop Patterns, Feather Patterns, Starry Sky Patterns. They were exquisite.

It was clear that some of them had mastered this pattern technology. While flashy and perhaps not practical, who could refuse such a beautiful weapon?

Given equal quality, customers would surely choose the ones that looked good!

They felt they had strong market competitiveness, but Ning Zheng quickly put them in their place.

Under their expectant gazes, Ning Zheng examined them, shaking his head repeatedly. "Only these three are勉强合格 (barely acceptable)."

Ning Zheng picked out these three.

[Unnamed]

[Trait: Swift]

[Magic Bronze Energy Storage Count: 3/3]

Ning Zheng looked at their bewildered eyes and said in a deep voice:

"These three, each can be sold for three hundred magic coins. They come with three minor spells, and the energy utilization rate of the magic bronze is 50%. This is ordinary quality."

Everyone was stunned.

Three spells a day? That's what's considered acceptable?

These were rare gems among them.

A blacksmith quickly asked, "If +3 sells for three hundred magic coins, can't I sell my +1 for a hundred magic coins?"

Ning Zheng looked speechless and patiently explained, "A raw magic bronze blank, our manor sells it to outsiders at a wholesale price of 100 to 120 magic coins. You're selling your finished magic artifact at a loss?"

The man was also taken aback and realized.

The cost of a raw magic bronze blank was 100 magic coins. Adding his forging and material costs, he'd have to sell it for at least 200 magic coins just to break even, to not lose money!

Indeed, he needed to sell it for 300 magic coins to start making a normal profit.

Calculating this way, +3 quality starts to yield profit, with three stored spells and 50% energy utilization within the magic bronze.

And a complete magic bronze has 100% utilization. The highest perfect quality is +6, which maximizes profit.

Ning Zheng continued:

"If you can achieve the +3 ordinary quality you mentioned, you can start selling them. I will contact merchants in the city to come here and purchase them."

"Of course, when they arrive, you'd best keep a low profile and not be too ostentatious."

Ning Zheng issued a warning.

After all, they had a precedent.

Ning Zheng gave them a target to strive for and then left the mountain with his briefcase. He was busy returning to work on the meat fields.

At this moment.

"Yan Hua," who had just finished selling goods at the mess hall, happened to pass by the Blacksmith Shop and heard the old steward's words. Their heart sank:

It's over!

They aren't normal living people anymore, how could they not be ostentatious?

Old steward, you have no idea!

Everyone in the manor except me has turned into a ghoul.

They're incredibly strange now.

Every time they pass by, their eyes are red, filled with desire, malice, and excitement. It's more alluring than looking at a beautiful woman, it's terrifying.

Do not let any living person come here. I, the only normal person, can only live a demeaning existence under their monstrous claws!

"Yan Hua" thought to themselves and hurried to find the old steward for help, to report the great terror within the manor.

However, Jiu Cai Rong shot them a look, and several blacksmiths suddenly grabbed "Yan Hua," preventing them from disturbing the old steward.

After all, "Yan Hua" got incredibly excited whenever they saw the old steward and chased after him. Was he having an episode?

They had to stop him.

Jiu Cai Rong secretly felt fortunate that he had only observed from afar when passing the mess hall earlier and hadn't brought the old steward to greet them.

At this moment, "Yan Hua" was held firmly in place.

He could only pitifully reach out with an "Er Kang hand" towards the doorway, his eyes brimming with tears, a mix of shock and fear.

"Don't go, don't go! Old steward, something big happened at our manor a few days ago. There were ghosts that night, they aren't living people anymore, be vigilant!"

He was quickly dragged back by the blacksmiths, their faces covered in dark, twisted smiles, and their "hee hee" laughter echoing as they stuffed a gag in his mouth.

Snap.

The door to the blacksmith shop slammed shut.

At that moment, he felt as if the hope of his life had slammed shut with the door.

It made him feel like a sheltered young maiden in a novel, surrounded by a dozen burly men, gradually falling into despair, filled with grief and indignation:

They were all ghouls, all ghouls!

Meanwhile.

Inside the blacksmith shop.

Jiu Cai Rong was silent for a moment, picking up a +3 weapon.

"It seems we can't make money by just forging like this."

He had originally thought that after painstakingly collecting crow materials, he wouldn't have to forge raw magic artifact blanks to make money and let those damned middlemen profit. He could personally craft magic artifacts to sell.

But reality was cruel.

After getting their hands dirty, they, as blacksmiths, were no match for the professionals!

That made sense.

Without a cheat, he was trying to challenge professional native blacksmiths with a casual attitude after only a few days of learning?

No competitiveness!

They needed to train more, so they could all reach +3, achieving normal quality, and perhaps be comparable to the lowest-tier blacksmiths outside, making the most basic mass-produced standard magic artifacts.

Only then could they earn a pittance in the lowest-tier magic artifact market.

More advanced magic artifacts?

Crafting better quality?

That would completely expose the gap; they couldn't compete, couldn't handle the pressure!

"Normal forging, we can't possibly compete with those old blacksmiths who make a living by forging."

Jiu Cai Rong took a deep breath and said:

"It seems we need to carve out another exclusive niche. Our manor's exclusive magic artifacts will have a market; we need to create unique products."

Su Yu Niang nodded.

If they couldn't compete normally, they'd focus on proprietary technology.

Enchanters!

They forge based on monster talents.

We forge based on spiritual root talents.

You must know, the unique talents attached to a cultivator's spiritual root are very powerful and special!

Every time we blacksmiths forge a magic artifact, a blacksmith personally jumps in. How do you intend to respond to that?

If you dare, you can also jump into the furnace yourself when you forge.

"Have the spiritual roots been collected?" Su Yu Niang asked directly.

"Almost. We've collected all the flowers and plants we've encountered in our manor so far."

Jiu Cai Rong thought for a moment, "Currently, 'Yan Hua', the travel frog, can go out to collect, and our plant varieties are still increasing."

Su Yu Niang nodded, "Collecting plants is enough. Put them in the magic coin room to be nourished by spiritual energy, turning them into low-level spiritual roots rich in spiritual energy. In a few days, I'll bring people to open the three flowers, plant the spiritual roots, and become cultivators."

"Experiment one by one! Create a spiritual root compendium, dividing them into D, C, B, A spiritual root cards, and choose a suitable spiritual root talent for forging. This will be our manor's flagship product!"

At that time, many people would die.

They were essentially Shennong tasting herbs!

But death was irrelevant; they were still thinking about producing embers.

At this rate, perhaps after forging a few hundred weapons, they would get an ember?

Self-sacrificing forging, and then a baby pops out.

This complementary mechanism was well-designed.