Taking Over the Darino Gang (2)

Just as Shui thought, the young man, Rufus, was the one actually in charge of the Darino Gang. He was one of the first members of the Darino Gang and had originally followed Darino so that he could learn about forging from him. However, after facing small setbacks while trying to find a sponsor, Darino changed to less scrupulous means and began taking advantage of his fellow crafters. Under the excuse of building a paradise for crafters to work in peace, he exploited their labour and used their works to support thugs that would do his bidding. As a crafter, Darino purely chased after rare and precious materials and as the gang's operations grew, the crafters under him were able to use some of these resources, but they still found him insufferable.

As Darino showed no sign of keeping his word to build a paradise, Rufus began working behind the scenes to overthrow him. His skill as a crafter was lacking compared to the others that were invited into their headquarters, but he had a sharp mind and was always considerate to the others whenever possible, so they were willing to follow his lead. 

They already had a plan underway to defeat Darino, but with Shui's interference they wondered if Darino had simply been replaced with a stronger obstacle. However, Rufus saw hope. Although Shui appeared even younger than he was, he doubted that someone powerful enough to defeat Darino could have been alive for such a short time. Furthermore, He could sense that Shui wasn't interested in being their boss and only wanted the benefits associated with the position. It was a bit of shame, but if Shui was willing to lend his strength in their time of need, then it could be blessing in disguise. For a moment, Rufus thought of the door in Darino's room and wondered if Shui had entered it, but he knew that whoever Darino had forced into it had never returned so he ignored the thought.

After convincing the others that it would be better to join Shui's side, Rufus faced him once more.

"If you're willing to accept our condition, then we promise to work as your personal crafters."

"Before that, what's your name?"

"It is Rufus, Sir."

"Very well, Rufus. You don't need to offer me any of your creations without compensation. If you make something I like, then I'll pay for it. I only ask that you give me whatever information that the gang collects and restrain your actions against the innocent. Do you agree?"

As a crafter himself, Shui knew how aggravating it would be to lose the product of your hard work without the proper reward, so he didn't feel inclined to exploit them. Furthermore, he was more interested in the information they could gather since they were even able to find the incarnate metal and Ore Seeking Art that had been in Sef's possession.

Rufus was surprised by Shui's generous offer, but he still hastily accepted in case he changed his mind.

"Of, of course."

"Good. Now then, what's your condition?"

"We won't trouble you for most matters, but we hope that you can lend a hand against opposition at the Sky Realm level. Only if you believe that it's manageable, naturally."

"I see. As long as you don't thoughtlessly provoke others then I don't mind doing that much."

Now that he could tap into the transcendent force within his body, Shui doubted that he would lose to anyone below the Master Realm. Even if Darino reappeared with a base cultivation at peak Sky Realm, Shui believed he could dispatch him with the same technique as before. 

"Thank you very much, Sir," Rufus replied with a small degree of relief evident on his face.

Shui nodded before adding, "By the way, are you the one that added defects to the restriction Darino made to prevent gang members from leaking information about this place."

Rufus felt his chest tighten at Shui's question, but he took a deep breath and responded while still facing him.

"Yes, as a measure to gather like-minded allies, I made a few adjustments to the technique without him knowing."

In order to systematically seal the memories of all those who came to their headquarters, Darino had tasked them with the creation of an artifact. With his ability as a forge master Darino could have done it himself, but thanks to his negligence they were able to take advantage of this opportunity. Rufus and the others worried that Shui would be hard on Rufus for his treachery, but surprisingly, Shui smiled and said, "Good job. If it wasn't for you it would have taken a while for me to find this place."

Rufus had some mixed feelings about this praise, but he accepted it honestly.

"No, I'm only glad that I was able to be useful. Now, as for our organization, would you like to select a new name for it?"

Now that Darino was dead, the name of their force was indeed misleading so Shui gave it a thought.

"Hmm, since you'll be the ones actually running it, what sort of organization do you want it to be?"

"Well, if you will forgive me for being so bold, we originally joined Darino because of his promise of building a paradise for those with production-related skills like us, so we would like to take on that task ourselves."

Shui could see the members behind Rufus nodding with pride and he also found the idea appealing. 

"That's a nice motive. Then, how about Artisan Palace? Let your territory be where praise for your works is the norm."

All of the crafters were moved by Shui's proposal and voiced their agreement even faster than Rufus did.

"It sounds splendid."

"Artisan Palace, kukuku. It makes me want to smile like a little boy."

"It certainly sounds much better than what we had before."

Rufus also showed fondness for the name, so it was decided.

"From now on, we will be called Artisan Palace, and create the paradise of crafters that we had envisioned."

"I look forward to what you will achieve. It might be a little early, but as a gift why don't I make this place more fitting for your headquarters? I can imagine that though this space is perfect for quiet thinking, it doesn't provide the best environment for testing your ideas."

"That's certainly true. Usually, we have to enter the forest to do any practical work, but what do you propose?"

"For now, follow me."

Shui dispelled the flame wall blocking the entrance and then went through it. Once he was back in the cave, he checked to see if the guard that he passed by was still present, but he couldn't sense him. Shui didn't see the need to place much emphasis on his presence either so he dismissed the concern. Shortly after Shui, the members of the Artisan Palace exited. They also noticed that the guard was gone, but once they recalled the wall that had sealed the entrance, it was simple to figure out what had happened. Unlike Shui, they were sure he was dead and though the guard had been fairly respectful to them, since he was gone there was no reason to bring him up at this time. 

Shui led them out of the cave and then began analyzing the area with his spiritual sense. There were a few small-scale offensive arrays as well as a tier 3 spirit gathering array, but that was it besides the detection and protection arrays that covered the hills. Against any ordinary foe in the Sky Realm, their preparations might have been proficient, but Shui didn't think they should be satisfied with this. For a place that would become the paradise of crafters, it was lacking in grandeur.

"Is the one who made the protection and detection arrays among you?" Shui asked.

"Yes, that would be me."

The person who responded was a monocle-wearing man with fresh grey hairs. He had a fairly slender build, but his straight posture gave him a dignified atmosphere. Shui could tell that he was confident in his ability, but he was only passable as an assistant.

"Good. I'll start by adding a concealment array to keep these hills out of sight, so help me synchronize with the protection and detection arrays."

The crafters were surprised by Shui's declaration, but he didn't wait for their reaction and began working.