"Quick, have a taste!"

A few had already squatted down and started scooping up sand and eating it with their hands.

Some of the more wild ones even shoved their heads directly into the dirt, burrowing like animals.

Ning Zheng, who was greeting them at the door, did not expect them to start eating dirt as soon as they arrived.

He heard that this move was called "Old Man Pushing Dirt," one of the eighteen dirt-eating techniques blacksmiths must learn, and he was speechless:

"I don't even know how this became popular; they look so silly burrowing into the ground."

Soon, after chewing a few bites, these blacksmiths finally realized they were part of the Human Race and spat the dirt out.

It tasted terrible; they wanted to throw up.

"Hahaha, you fools."

"I pretended to eat it, and you guys actually went for it."

"Hilarious, I successfully lured you in."

"Hahahahaha, too funny, hahahaha, your intelligence is overwhelming. Let me count—one, two, three... seven with dirt in their mouths!"

"You beasts! Why do we start as humans and not Money Children? I want to eat Dessert Mountain too."

"This is an initiation lesson for your entry into the manor! Back in the Jiucai Rong era, everyone was tricked into believing the world had changed. Now you just got tricked into eating dirt; it's not that bad."

...

It seems this batch of blacksmiths also has honest, slightly slow people like Dizzy.

Why are all these hundred people of the Human Race?

It's because Ning Zheng has a massive reserve of Human Race meat vats, and he economizes even on Money Children.

At this moment, they quickly tidied up their appearance and feigned composure.

"Sir, we're here to work!"

"I'm super capable."

"We're here to apply for jobs!"

Ning Zheng nodded and brought them in.

This time, there wasn't much interaction but rather the simplest method—old ones leading the newcomers.

He let the other blacksmiths teach them how to do things, take tasks, work, and forge iron.

Ning Zheng wasn't very familiar with the process; they understood it best themselves.

These blacksmiths had watched [Queue to Login] many times and could get started quickly.

They chose their preferred tasks with great planning and went into the respective buildings to help and familiarize themselves with the environment.

However, the area for raising River Demons was the most crowded.

Everyone was pushing and shoving as if visiting a zoo, petting the River Demons and studying this extraordinary creature from another world.

"So real!"

"It's so dazed, hitting my cute point."

"Soft and warm, oh hehe."

"This warm River Demon can serve as a sleeping bag. Are there any juvenile ones, the size of an arm?"

"Are you a pervert?"

"You're the pervert! I meant like a hat! A cute, dazed small-eyed River Demon worn on the head can cosplay as the evolution of a Dazed Beast into the Hippo King, right?"

"Ahem, I was talking about a hat too."

"Wow, this hat is adorably cute. Just thinking about it makes it super cool."

A girl had stars in her eyes, "I also want a sleeping bag. I've meant to say, there's nothing wrong with Medical Fairy! In this cute-themed game, isn't the River Demon sleeping bag adorable? This isn't a real creature; it's just game data, and it's even made of fur. Why are you so uptight? Look at eating dirt; it's just earth-flavored chocolate."

"Exactly, you're just being fussy."

A boy agreed with this view:

"It's just crow droppings that might only be gourmet shaped like droppings. The game isn't real. If we chose the dung beetle race, with a changed diet, crows might be like an air-dropped sundae treat."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Kind of makes sense?

But wait, there's also a heavyweight figure among this batch.

Hopefully, they, like most people, just talk big and brag, not like Medical Fairy taking it seriously.

"Charge, charge, charge, raid the dungeon, capture River Demons! Everyone gets a River Demon baby!"

The manor instantly came alive with activity.

Everyone walked around, enjoying themselves.

Some were so excited after getting selected that they couldn't sleep last night, staying awake until dawn, finally able to come to the manor to work.

Lord of the Manor, I can finally serve you!

...

...

In the manager's room.

Zhang Huaping withdrew his gaze from the entrance of the manor outside the window.

Seeing those ragged Human Race people crazily gnawing on dirt outside the manor gates, the scene was extremely bizarre, and he slightly understood:

"Today is the day to increase manpower on the mountain. Demon Cultivators have captured another batch of innocent villagers to be slaves."

But judging by the looks of it, they are mostly tamed.

The old manager came with a smiling face and forced them to eat mud at the doorstep of the manor.

It must be a form of torture ritual, compelling them to abandon their dignity in anguish.

How terrifying?

It's clear just from a glance that the method of taming is very proficient!

Because there are so many ways they eat dirt.

Some do it gracefully like raising a wine glass, some scoop it up, some with their butts in the air, some crawl as they eat... clearly not their first time degrading themselves like this.

After eating, a few couldn't help but vomit violently, showing the torture within.

Cruel.

Too cruel.

She became more wary, silently shifting her gaze back to Jiucai Rong:

"We've already sold 25 pieces; according to our estimates, there are about 200 more, and then the market in Pingchang City will become saturated."

"We just received news that those noble youths who bought the blind boxes will directly resell the excess weapons to other friends, rather than holding onto them themselves."

After all, going the high-end route means bigger profits, but the circle is small and the audience limited.

Understandably so.

The bigger reason is, things are about to get unstable.

Many people won't choose to buy luxury goods, focusing more on enhancing combat power.

Though this turmoil won't sweep to this secluded Sword Casting Demon Manor, it's mainly the family power dynamics and sect changes within Pingchang City.

Anyway.

The emergence of this weapon is somewhat untimely; it might have been more popular at another time.

In times of peace, it could even have been sent across to another city for a trial sale via long-distance array once a month.

But now, it's no longer possible.

"Is the market saturation at 200 pieces?"

Jiucai Rong did not doubt the other party's market investigation capabilities.

An era started by reading surely means a highly mature business market.

To be precise to this number, these shopkeepers must have done high-precision market research in secret, detailed to personal information.

Through analyzing individual preferences, styles, and positioning in the circle of high-end young people, they figured out that about 200 people might buy.

It's crazy!

Jiucai Rong marveled at the strength of such a partner.

Jiucai Rong thought for a while, "Market saturation at 200 pieces, but with some maneuvering we can definitely sell more. We specifically made blind boxes to sell beyond market saturation."

Zhang Huaping was stunned: "How is that possible?"

Two hundred people want to buy, that's market demand.

For others who don't want to buy, how can you force them to buy?

Jiucai Rong said, "Blind boxes will give this weapon a certain investment attribute."

"We'll only release twenty boxes, limited edition."

"Publicly proclaim the production as immensely rare... gradually teasing them, then guiding the hype market to inflate prices."

Jiucai Rong explained in detail.

In summary, it's two words:

Hype!

Zhang Huaping understood the meaning.

After all, such middlemen are too common.

They speculate on the prices of Spirit Rice, Pill Medicine, talismans during wartime, even certain materials get marked up, eating the blood and sweat of loose cultivators.

The most hated group by loose cultivators.

Even now, due to unrest, these middlemen have started hoarding, with undercurrents swirling.

But this weapon can be marked up like this?

Jiucai Rong shook his head, "Blind boxes with seals can leave great operational space for the middlemen, allowing them to buy without the items instantly turning into second-hand weapons."

"They'll rush to buy batches of limited blind boxes, hoard them to sell as the first hand, or even mark up, or sell to those gamblers hoping for a big win."

"Once the market is saturated, our customers won't necessarily be those wealthy young masters, but rather those unscrupulous middlemen, inducing them to absorb a portion of the weapon stock, maximizing the potential of this series."

But the blacksmiths also don't know how effective this trick will be, so they'll just try it out.

Their sales expectation for this series is: three hundred pieces.

"I see, then do as you say."

Zhang Huaping didn't quite understand these business tactics, but getting a rough idea was enough to relay to the old shopkeeper back home.

Always seems like an impressive trick, making the old shopkeeper praise again.

But with hoarding blind boxes...

Is it only possible with blind boxes?

She didn't think much more about it and handed over the procurement booklet:

"See if there's anything you need. Recently, the prices of Embers supplies have plummeted, so if you need anything, now's the time to buy."

"Alright, please wait a moment, we'll take a look at the booklet." Jiucai Rong thought for a bit, not letting Zhang Huaping wander around outside again, since there's a bunch of lively new blacksmiths here.

Not steady enough!

No training in normal human behavior, learning to smile like a human, maintaining a cool serious demeanor...

That lively goofy vibe might scare the customers.

It doesn't match our manor's cool blacksmith image.

"Please have a seat at the clinic."

Jiucai Rong remembered that the Medical Fairy seemed very interested in purchasing goods, and informed her that she could kill some time there.

The Medical Fairy is quite reliable when it matters.

Believing she will treat her well, women will always have common topics.

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