Chapter 3976 — A Weapon That Can Evolve
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
Setting aside the question of whether ordinary weapons could truly be upgraded or not, once this notion had been spread about and accepted as common knowledge, it was certainly of tremendous benefit—at least to the artifact-forgers.
After all, artifact-forging, like pill refinement, had an absolute professional barrier around it. Outsiders had no other choice but to seek out an artifact-forger. And so, with the difficulty exaggerated beyond all measure, they could naturally and rightfully charge a hefty price whenever they upgraded a weapon for someone.
And even if some people, because of this, decided against upgrading their weapons, new weapons were always in demand, and in the end they would still have to come knocking on the artifact-forgers' door—another fine piece of business right there.
So, inside and out, once this saying spread and took root as a fixed mode of thinking, everyone would be helpless against being fleeced. The artifact-forger who first dreamed up this notion truly missed his calling—he ought to have gone into business and founded a merchant guild.
Turning it over in his mind, Wei Zhao asked again, "But even if someone with an eye to profit spread this saying back then, surely not every artifact-forger would have been of one mind. A lie is bound to be exposed sooner or later—has no one seen through it in all these years?"
"If it were a lie fabricated out of thin air, then yes, it would easily be exposed. But the trouble is, this saying isn't a thoroughgoing lie—it's half true and half false, and for outsiders whose understanding has been muddled, that makes it very hard to tell the difference. Especially once the notion has taken deep root, even if a few artifact-forgers were to step forward and explain it to them, they might not be willing to accept it. Besides, this saying benefits the artifact-forgers and harms them not at all—who would be foolish enough to step forward, smash his own rice bowl, and make himself the target of all his colleagues?" Scrap King shook his head.
Wei Zhao's interest was at once aroused. "Just how is it half true and half false? Brother Wang, could you explain it to me in detail?"
"Of course—so long as Brother Lin is willing to listen." Scrap King promptly invited Wei Zhao to sit, then explained at leisure, "In the eyes of outsiders, weapon upgrading is one vague, general concept. But in the eyes of us artifact-forgers, weapon upgrading is two entirely different concepts: one is ordinary, skill-free weapon upgrading, and the other is weapon evolution, which is extraordinarily difficult."
"What's the difference between the two?" Wei Zhao asked.
"Heh heh, the difference between them is enormous. Ordinary weapon upgrading is really no different from a common man mending a hoe or patching an iron pot—just pay a little attention to the compatibility of the materials, and simply set the upgrade material into the weapon, and you're done. There's no skill in it, and of course no great result to be had. In the end, the weapon is still the weapon and the upgrade material is still the upgrade material—someone has merely forced the two together by external means." Scrap King curled his lip.
Seeing that Wei Zhao still did not seem to understand, he gestured with his hands as he explained, "With this method, the effect is at best one plus one equals two—and often even less than two. Take this plain-steel staff of yours, for instance. After an ordinary upgrade, it would at most use the upgrade material as a medium to let it withstand foundation-establishment-level true qi. The effect would be no different from before; even if its power rose somewhat, that would only be because you were expending more true qi—nothing of much use." R1152