Refining the Heavens (炼天)

B2, Chapter 15: The Ploy

Three days before the trip, there was a huge upheaval in the weapons market. It was during the time when Kairos' group were preparing for their trip.

The Snowdrifts' shop that usually sold limited but highly desirable weapons have introduced a new line of product.

Because Kairos could not mass produce his runic weapons, he had instead sought to make his shop exclusive from the start. And the two months that this shop had opened had attracted many of the gentry as well as those that are highly esteemed. Within such a short time, it turned into a high-class establishment that only those with a certain amount of status frequent.

But now, because of these new items, the gentry couldn't help but question Kairos' decision.

Though their function remains similar, it is evident that these new weapons with two-pronged blades are vastly inferior, especially when placed side by side.

Not only are the runes of a lower class, and the sealing abilities only one-third of what the previous products could do. Even the make are less finely crafted despite using expensive materials. In fact, when compared with the other gleaming weapons of the shop, this new line of products felt rather... shoddy.

"Well... why would I even want to touch a weapon like this?" A pompous noble in bright blue doublet half-yelled as he spattered his saliva all over the poor shop attendant, "Please tell your young boss my feedback. I believe that he should discontinue such weapons that simply demeans our status. I would not have a fork accompany me into battle!"

"It's exactly as my husband says! If he carries your new weapons out, it will only tarry our reputation and turn him into a laughingstock amongst the other nobles. Do you not know that it is only because your weapons are of the highest quality, and the top of the line among all the things the empire have, that we make frequent purchases even at the exorbitant prices you charge us!?" A presumptuous young lady spoke sharply while hugging the self-important looking man.

"I am sure that the other patrons of your establishment have also given similar feedback. Such ugly and weak weapons should be discontinued, immediately!

And as an additional free advice to your young boss. Though you may charge merely a-hundredth for it over your other products, yet it does not make this.... cutlery... appealing. At. All!"

"Surely your young boss should know selling something so cheap in his shop would not help his business but instead hurt it?"

"He must be too young, after all. Sigh. We had hope that after he joined the peerage, he would have cast off his peasant backgrounds."

As if encouraged by each other's snide remarks, the two continue giving the shop staff an earful, before finally stomping out of the shop in anger.

But for the members of the staff, they were not too offended.

In fact, the High nobles with such outbursts frequently appeared in the shop recently, and their feedbacks were more or less the same except that it only grew worse as time passed. After just a day, the number of patrons dropped to a fraction of what it was before.

All this while, the shop owner, Kairos, ignored what happened in his shop and Xuan Xian felt even more confounded.

Three days later.

The Devilheart family released a news that exploded in Saint City.

They have partnered with the enterprise titan, the Hope family and released a new, cheaper, line of product that promises to substitute the runic weapons which the Snowdrifts offer at a hefty hundred white gold each.