Chapter 1287: Deliberate Dissemination
In the time that followed, Yang Haoran spoke to the three in great detail, using both threats and various promised benefits. In essence, his message to them was simple: joining the Medicine God Society would bring no loss, but rather many unexpected advantages. However, betraying the Medicine God Society, or his Guardian District, would result in severe consequences.
There was no need to speak of the Old Crone; she had no objections to any of it. Whether before or after joining the Medicine God Society, she showed not the slightest hint of reluctance. Moreover, the benefits Yang Haoran promised genuinely seemed quite good in her eyes, so she displayed no dissatisfaction whatsoever.
The Middle-aged Man and the Young Man were not as open-minded as the Old Crone. From the very beginning, they harbored strong resistance, which was evident in their less-than-pleasant expressions throughout. However, when Yang Haoran elaborated on the specifics, neither of them spoke up. Although the benefits Yang Haoran promised didn't quite meet their highest internal standards, they were, on the whole, quite decent. Thus, both chose to remain silent.
Yang Haoran had wondered why the Old Crone, as a Medicine Spirit, had so readily accepted his invitation and decisively joined the Medicine God Society. He suspected she harbored some ulterior motive, otherwise she wouldn't have acted this way. He had intended to find an opportunity to speak with her privately and ascertain her true purpose, but before he could do so, the Old Crone herself began to explain why she had decided to join the Medicine God Society.
It turned out that after the Old Crone had broken through to the Medicine Spirit realm, every slight improvement in her alchemical skill required a vast expenditure of resources, primarily spiritual herbs. If she chose to purchase them, she lacked the substantial financial means. If she opted to gather the spiritual herbs herself, it would demand not only time but also luck, as many spiritual herbs weren't simply found just because she wished to, nor could they be found with just a bit of effort.
Furthermore, what she currently lacked most was time. Being advanced in years, her physical body was aging at an accelerating rate. Consequently, she had no time to waste on searching for spiritual herbs. Should she devote her time to finding various spiritual herbs, the time she could spend on alchemy and developing different medicines would decrease, which was not beneficial for her.
Therefore, to resolve this issue, she had already made a decision in her heart before Ye Zhiqiu found her: she would seek out a powerful force to attach herself to. While doing so would mean sacrificing some freedom, it would also grant her the backing of that power, ensuring a supply of spiritual herbs needed for her alchemy. This way, she could save the time spent searching for spiritual herbs and dedicate herself wholeheartedly to her craft.
However, minor powers were naturally outside her consideration. Since she was choosing a power to attach herself to, it had to be a major one, possessing both strength and financial resources. Small powers had limited capabilities; not only could they provide her with very few spiritual herbs, but their protection for her would also be severely restricted. Major powers, on the other hand, were entirely different.
Thus, when Ye Zhiqiu approached her, she didn't immediately refuse. Instead, she first clarified the power behind Ye Zhiqiu. Upon learning that Ye Zhiqiu was backed by Yang Haoran, and that Yang Haoran was a Guardian of the Underworld Office, she showed not the slightest hint of reluctance. On the contrary, she very straightforwardly followed Ye Zhiqiu, as she believed that Yang Haoran, as a Guardian, was perfectly capable of supporting her, a Medicine Spirit. This was precisely the outcome she desired, so naturally, she wouldn't object, let alone harbor any dissatisfaction.
The Old Crone's willingness to reveal her current predicament and her reasons for joining the Medicine God Society gave Yang Haoran a clearer understanding of the situation. It also served as a valuable lesson for the Young Man and the Middle-aged Man. As they were still ordinary Pharmacists who had not yet broken through to the Medicine Spirit realm, they had no idea how difficult further advancement would be after reaching that stage. After listening to the Old Crone's words, they gained a vague concept of this, and thus couldn't help but wonder if their forced decision to join the Medicine God Society might actually turn out to be the right one.
The Middle-aged Man and the Young Man did not, like the Old Crone, proactively disclose their current difficulties or their purpose for joining the Medicine God Society. This was because they had been forcibly brought to the Guardian District and compelled to join the Medicine God Society under Yang Haoran's threats, so they essentially had no objectives to speak of. Moreover, even if they did have some hidden purpose, given the resentment simmering within them, it was unlikely they would voice it.
Not long after, Yang Haoran summoned Xiang Chuan with a Communication Talisman. Under Yang Haoran's arrangement, the Old Crone and the other two were led away by Xiang Chuan. As they had just arrived at the Guardian District, someone needed to familiarize them with the area, and Xiang Chuan, as the vice-president of the Medicine God Society, was naturally a suitable choice.
As for Feng Xiao, the president, she had not yet emerged from her seclusion. Outsiders had no way of knowing how her breakthrough was progressing, and Yang Haoran was naturally no exception.
Of course, even if Feng Xiao had emerged from seclusion and successfully broken through, Yang Haoran wouldn't have had her personally guide the Old Crone and the other two to familiarize themselves with the Guardian District. For one, Feng Xiao's status was unsuitable; furthermore, her personality was also not a good fit.
Logically speaking, having Xiang Chuan, the vice-president, personally receive the Old Crone and the other two might seem like making a mountain out of a molehill. However, the Medicine God Society currently only had two members: Feng Xiao and Xiang Chuan. With Feng Xiao in seclusion, this task naturally fell to Xiang Chuan.
As for why he appointed Feng Xiao as the president of the Medicine God Society, besides her being the earliest Pharmacist to follow him, another reason was that Feng Xiao was the strongest Pharmacist under his command—at least for now. This was why he decided to entrust the position of Medicine God Society president to her.
While Feng Xiao didn't yet understand management, that didn't mean she never would in the future. Moreover, there was also Vice-President Xiang Chuan. Though Xiang Chuan seemed frivolous and unserious all day, Yang Haoran knew he was a clever man. With Xiang Chuan stepping up to manage the Medicine God Society, Yang Haoran wasn't 100% certain there would be no issues, but he believed the problems shouldn't be too significant.
Furthermore, the Medicine God Society was located right within his Guardian District. If any real problems arose, he could intervene and deal with them immediately. Therefore, he wasn't overly concerned about the Medicine God Society's management.
The Medicine God Society, which originally had only two members, instantly grew to five with the addition of the Old Crone and the two other Pharmacists. Although five Pharmacists wasn't a large number, the Medicine God Society had just been established, so having five Pharmacists was already quite impressive.
Yang Haoran had great confidence in his Medicine God Society. Given some time, he was absolutely confident he could transform it into a powerful organization. By then, he would not only acquire a large number of Pharmacists but also amass immense wealth. Therefore, even if it required significant initial investment, he would not hesitate.
After Xiang Chuan and the three others departed, Yang Haoran leaned back in his chair, smoking. The faint smile he usually wore was gone, replaced by a thoughtful expression. As for what he was thinking, no outsider could possibly know.
Five days later, a major event caused a sensation throughout the entire Guardian District: Feng Xiao, the president of the Medicine God Society, had emerged from her seclusion and successfully entered the Medicine Sect realm.
Given Yang Haoran's methods, if he had wished to conceal this matter, no third person beyond him and Feng Xiao would have known about it. The reason this news spread and caused such a stir throughout the Guardian District was entirely due to Yang Haoran's deliberate actions.
Because Yang Haoran had specifically instructed Feng Xiao before her seclusion, he had told her to notify him immediately upon emerging, regardless of whether her breakthrough succeeded or not, she was to contact him at the first possible moment.
Feng Xiao did not forget this. So, the first thing she did after emerging was to immediately report the matter to Yang Haoran. Upon receiving the news, Yang Haoran set aside his current tasks and met with Feng Xiao at once, learning that she had indeed successfully broken through.
Precisely for this reason, if Yang Haoran had wanted to seal off this news, it would have been a simple matter of a single command. Yet, he did not do so. Instead, he intentionally disseminated this information, in essence, to build momentum and thereby attract Pharmacists who belonged to no particular faction.
Pharmacists, too, faced numerous difficulties in their alchemy. If they were working with familiar formulas and medicines, refining them naturally presented no problems and felt straightforward. However, if they were refining unfamiliar medicines or developing new ones, the difficulty became considerable. Without guidance from an expert, some obstacles were exceedingly hard to overcome alone, even to the point of exhausting one's entire life's effort without success.
Yang Haoran did not conceal Feng Xiao's successful breakthrough to the Medicine Sect realm. Instead, he actively spread the news, aiming to leverage Feng Xiao's current Medicine Sect cultivation to attract more Pharmacists to come and seek her out, to discuss alchemical arts with each other, or to consult Feng Xiao with their questions.
If he hadn't harbored such intentions, why would Yang Haoran have proactively spread the news of Feng Xiao's successful breakthrough? Given his personality, he would surely have chosen to conceal it, just as he preferred to hide his own strength.
Yang Haoran knew well that expecting significant results from this in the short term was unrealistic. However, given enough time, it would undoubtedly have a considerable effect. This process would require a certain amount of time.
As for the three newly joined Pharmacists of the Medicine God Society, upon learning that their president had successfully stepped into the Medicine Sect realm, all of them felt a surge of excitement. Even the Young Man and the Middle-aged Man, who had been coerced into joining the Medicine God Society, were no exception, let alone the Old Crone, who had already been willing to join.
The reason the three of them were excited wasn't due to any deep affection for their president, Feng Xiao, but rather because the Medicine Sect realm was simply too astounding for them. Moreover, with Feng Xiao as their president, they could now completely seek her guidance for all the unresolved difficulties they had encountered in their alchemical arts over the years, and perhaps even find answers from her.
Even if some problems were too intricate for Feng Xiao herself to solve, given her Medicine Sect cultivation, they could still learn a great deal from her. How could they not be excited?
Amidst her excitement, the Old Crone reaffirmed that her decision to join the Medicine God Society had been correct. As for the Young Man and the Middle-aged Man, while they didn't share the Old Crone's exact sentiments, their resistance towards the Medicine God Society had considerably lessened.
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