What Zhagu had told Yang Kai was that the fee for crafting one Artifact was ten thousand Ink Coins, which Yang Kai had considered more than generous. But in front of these Lords, he had doubled the figure in one breath.
The little scheme behind this was plain for all to see. Otherwise, why would he have pushed so hard to arrange this deal before? Zhagu was not one to do anything without profit.
That way, for each Artifact he forged, he would only need to hand over seven thousand Ink Coins to Yang Kai per their agreement, while he himself pocketed thirteen thousand — even more than Yang Kai, the one doing all the actual work.
From the moment Yang Kai had helped him refine those two Artifacts, Zhagu had seen a path to fortune laid out before him. As a Lord-level member of the Ink Race, how could he not yearn for a territory of his own? Yet that required a vast sum of Ink Coins. Even after having risked his life on the battlefield multiple times, it was hard to accumulate enough. But if things went well this time, his wish for a territory could truly be fulfilled.
A Lord with his own territory and a Lord without one were two entirely different things.
The great hall was filled with Lords shouting and arguing, all furious at the exorbitant price Zhagu was demanding, saying it was unbearable. Zhagu paid them no mind, strolling leisurely back to his seat and settling down with an air of calm composure. "Everyone here — each person is limited to one Artifact!"
The moment those words left his lips, the hall fell silent.
One Lord frowned. "Zhagu, what does that mean?"
Zhagu smiled. "Exactly what it sounds like."
The Lords exchanged bewildered glances, unable to understand why Zhagu had suddenly imposed such a restriction. By all reason, if the fee for crafting one Artifact was twenty thousand Ink Coins, he should want to forge as many as possible — no one would complain about making too much money.
Zhagu looked around the hall, his expression grave. "Did you all truly believe he would keep refining Artifacts for you indefinitely?"
The Lord with wings growing from his back suddenly looked as though something had clicked. "You mean to say…" As he spoke, he pointed a finger upward.
Zhagu gave a slight nod. "Over a decade ago, the Royal City suddenly began conscripting human Artifact Refiners. Every Ink Disciple with even a basic understanding of artifact refining was drafted. You all should know — I originally had an Ink Disciple under my command who knew a little artifact refining, though his skills were mediocre. Even so, he was conscripted. What the Royal City is doing, we Lords have all heard about. It concerns the great plan for the future of the Ink Race — nothing can be left to chance. Even Ink Disciples with only a passing knowledge of refining were taken. Yang Kai, who is so skilled at artifact refining — how could he be an exception? The only reason no one has come for him yet is because word hasn't spread far, and the Domain Lord is still recovering from his injuries. If my guess is correct, once the Domain Lord emerges from seclusion and learns that he is a human Artifact Refiner, he will surely send him to the Royal City to participate in that great plan. At that point, no matter how many Ink Coins you're willing to spend, you won't find anyone to refine Artifacts for you."
This reasoning was both sound and well-known, and every Lord in the hall nodded in agreement.
Having grasped the situation before them, those who had originally been reluctant to part with the twenty thousand Ink Coin fee now found themselves anxious and conflicted.
If Yang Kai really was sent to the Royal City, they truly would not be able to find another suitable human Artifact Refiner.
One Lord immediately asked, "Zhagu, roughly how long does it take him to refine a single Artifact?"
"Two or three months," Zhagu replied, glancing down at the crowd. "There are over a dozen of you here. If each of you gets one Artifact, at two to three months per piece, I can more or less guarantee that you'll all have an Artifact before the Domain Lord comes out of seclusion. That's why I imposed the limit. Of course, no one can say for certain when the Domain Lord will emerge. If he comes out early, some of you might not make the cut."
As soon as these words were spoken, an impatient Lord shouted, "Fine, twenty thousand it is! I want one Artifact!"
Another Lord quickly echoed, "I want one too!"
In an instant, the hall erupted with competing demands, Lords clamoring over one another. Zhagu received each one with a smile, agreeing to them all.
It took considerable effort to sort everything out. He told each Lord to go back, gather their resources, and prepare their payment. Only then did Zhagu see them off.
Watching them rush away with such eagerness, Zhagu felt a deep sense of satisfaction wash over him.
Within less than an hour, the first Lord returned, bringing all the necessary crafting materials along with the twenty thousand Ink Coin fee, which he handed over to Zhagu. Zhagu then personally descended into the underground cavern to meet with Yang Kai, relaying the Lord's physical stature and specific requirements.
Yang Kai committed everything to memory in silence, and once Zhagu departed, he set to work with full concentration.
In the days that followed, Yang Kai remained in the underground cavern, refining Artifacts. He had no need to worry about the resources for his cultivation — Zhagu had everything arranged. All he had to do was craft the Artifacts the Lords required, according to their specifications.
For each Artifact refined, Zhagu handed him a fee of seven thousand Ink Coins.
Day after day of artifact refining allowed Yang Kai's expertise in the craft to grow at a rapid pace.
When he had helped Zhagu refine that treasure armor, the entire process had taken two months. Now, two years later, he could complete a single Artifact in just forty or fifty days, and the quality had improved as well.
However, after all this time refining, every Artifact Yang Kai had forged was a massive offensive weapon-type Artifact — not a single piece of protective armor. It was clear that the Ink Race had a particular fondness for offensive Artifacts, while armor for preservation came second.
Over the course of two years, nearly twenty Artifacts had been produced from Yang Kai's hands, one after another.
And as time passed and the Lords exchanged news among themselves, Yang Kai's reputation as an Artifact Refiner gradually spread. More and more Lords came seeking his services, and the fee for refining Artifacts climbed steadily, eventually reaching thirty thousand Ink Coins per piece.
By that point, the Lords who had been among the first invited by Zhagu finally felt the balance restored — they even considered themselves lucky.
As for the matter of the fees, Yang Kai remained completely unaware. For the past two years, he had devoted himself entirely to refining Artifacts in the underground cavern. And even if he had known, he would not have cared much. Everything he was doing was in service of his plan. The more Ink Race members came to him for artifact refining, the wider his reputation spread, which would only make things more convenient for him in the future.