99. The Veteran and the Carpenter’s Gift of a Name

Zhan Xiaobai was overjoyed; the light spear, one of the most practical early-game long-range weapons, had finally been synthesized. He took the Level 10 light spear from the carpenter's apprentice. Weighing ten catties, it did not feel too heavy when held with both hands. At thirteen feet in length, it looked imposing. Although the spear was crudely crafted, it was perfectly qualified as a highly practical weapon.

He jabbed it casually into the ground, leaving a hole with every thrust. Don't be fooled by the shallowness of the pits; if one were to use an iron sword or iron saber, it would take significant effort to pierce the earth. Although the spear only offered a +1 piercing effect, the results were remarkable.

Zhan Xiaobai praised them repeatedly. "Excellent! Veteran, Carpenter, you two are not only advanced craftsmen but also indispensable contributors to Xiaobai Village. I intend to reward you. Tell me what you want; as long as it is within my power, I will make it happen."

The carpenter was brimming with joy and quickly replied, "Village Chief, I do have a small request. But... it is somewhat difficult to speak of."

"Speak!" Zhan Xiaobai commanded.

The carpenter rubbed his hands together, looking bashful. "I have grown fond of a widow in the village, but I have never dared to confess my feelings to her. Since you wish to reward me, I would like to implore you to act as a matchmaker and bring us together!"

"Easily done," Zhan Xiaobai laughed heartily. An NPC falling for another NPC—this was quite an interesting affair. He turned to Li Asan and said, "Asan, you know the villagers like the back of your hand. Why don't you take charge of this? If you can't handle this match, I shall go myself."

Li Asan also chuckled. "What is difficult about that? Given the carpenter's status as an important villager and my own role as the matchmaker, this is a guaranteed success."

With the carpenter's reward settled, Zhan Xiaobai turned his attention to the disabled veteran.

The veteran hesitated, unable to speak; he did not know what kind of reward he should ask for.

Zhan Xiaobai pondered for a moment. There were very few items of value in the village to give away, so he decided to offer some spiritual encouragement. "How about this, Veteran? You have no name, and since you were a blacksmith before becoming a soldier, from now on you shall be called Tie Dabin. And for you, Carpenter, you shall be called Mu Dalu."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the system prompt appeared to all villagers: "Due to outstanding contributions, the Village Chief has bestowed names upon the villagers: the disabled veteran is now Tie Dabin, and the carpenter is now Mu Dalu."

The attribute displays for the veteran and the carpenter were updated simultaneously.

Overjoyed, they both knelt and cried out, "Thank you for your grace, my Lord!" Most ordinary NPCs were nameless; receiving a distinguished surname left them both moved to tears, and their loyalty to Zhan Xiaobai increased significantly.

Zhan Xiaobai was somewhat surprised by the result. He had only wanted to give them appropriate titles to avoid the inconvenience of calling them "Veteran" and "Carpenter." He had not expected such a positive effect on their loyalty. He quickly gestured for them to stand. After thinking it over, he decided to name the other blacksmith and carpenter apprentices as well to foster loyalty and prevent any potential defections.

He said, "The two junior apprentices learning ironwork from Tie Dabin shall be called Tie Er and Tie San. The two learning carpentry from Mu Dalu shall be called Mu Er and Mu San. As for the one learning both, he shall be called Tiemu Yi."

However, this time, the naming did not receive system recognition. Puzzled, Zhan Xiaobai glanced at Li Asan.

Li Asan shook his head and explained, "My Lord, Brother Tie and Brother Mu have worked diligently for a long time, and their cumulative contributions are high, which is why your naming was recognized. These youngsters have made meager contributions and are not yet qualified to receive such titles." He turned to the apprentices and barked, "Listen up! As long as you work hard and contribute to the village, you too will receive names from the Lord just like your masters. Do you understand?!"

The five young NPC apprentices, already excited by their masters' honors, were startled by his shout and hurriedly scrambled to reply, "We understand! We will work hard to earn our names!"

Zhan Xiaobai smiled. The system's restrictions were actually quite useful; at the very least, they served to incentivize the villagers to work harder. With the rewards settled, a heavy workload remained.

It was time to continue.

A weapon cannot simply be sold on the market the moment it is made. Selling items one by one is the style of a small workshop, not a proper business strategy.

Zhan Xiaobai wanted Xiaobai Village to become the strongest weapon production base in Longyou. To engage in large-scale trade, he had to undertake other preparations.

For mass production, weapon manufacturing must be standardized—uniform specifications, assembly-line production. Things like length, attack power, durability, materials, and design needed to be consistent. Otherwise, inconsistencies in quality would make bulk trading impossible.

To maximize profits, he also had to consider market pricing and demand.

The blacksmith shop held a small stock of iron weapons: Level 10-20 iron swords, Level 10-20 iron sabers, and Level 20 iron spears. These were the only three types of personal weapons the veteran could produce. There were also some small trinkets, like iron caltrops, but Zhan Xiaobai had no intention of selling those.

Zhan Xiaobai had the NPCs bring out the weapons. They were standard iron armaments with +2 to +3 attack power, possessing properties like "Sharp," "Cleaving," and "Piercing."

In addition to these, he had the carpenter fetch some wooden shields.

The NPCs did not know what he was planning, but they followed his instructions. In truth, Zhan Xiaobai’s goal was simple. The weapon business would be a lucrative venture, so he needed to compare the pros and cons of these items to determine the village's sales strategy. He aimed to capture a significant share of the weapon market among players in Longyou and even Xiliang.

A dozen weapons and wooden shields were laid out in the blacksmith's courtyard.

Each weapon had its own use. Long weapons were better for leveling up and reducing the consumption of health potions. Short weapons could be paired with wooden shields, using the shield's durability to partially offset the need for potions.

The materials consumed by each weapon also varied greatly.

Both the Level 10 light spear and the Level 20 iron spear were long weapons. However, the light spear could be used by Level 10 players and only required five catties of iron ore for the head. The iron spear required a Level 20 warrior to wield and consumed fifty catties of pure iron, making it highly resource-intensive.

Their market prices would surely differ vastly—one low-cost, the other expensive. Zhan Xiaobai needed to personally determine the exact differences between them.