Chapter 1162: Self-Sufficiency
Even after a Pharmacist died, though their physical body was gone, their memories did not vanish. All their previous memories and experiences remained. Picking up their old profession again, while somewhat troublesome, was by no means impossible to accomplish. If a Pharmacist couldn't resume their craft after death, then the Underworld would never have Ghost Doctors.
It wasn't just Pharmacists; other professions were the same. After death, as long as their power increased and they weren't just ordinary spirits completely devoid of strength, resuming their previous craft was entirely feasible. Of course, if a soul entered reincarnation and was reborn, that would be a different matter. In such a case, even their memories would be wiped away, making it impossible to pick up their old profession again.
Since the establishment of the Myriad Ghost Grotto, Tang Shi had discovered a total of two Ghost Doctors among his subordinates. He knew that Yang Haoran had always been keen on recruiting Pharmacists, so when he found the first one, he reported the matter to Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran didn't take this Pharmacist from the Myriad Ghost Grotto, primarily because Yang Haoran was an Underworld Official, while this Pharmacist was a ghost. If he were to bring this Pharmacist into the open, it would inevitably attract gossip and could even bring trouble upon himself. He was no stranger to this. When Xiujuan first started following him, he had already drawn quite a lot of gossip, and even Luo Yao, the Guardian, eventually inquired about the matter. If Luo Yao hadn't overlooked it, he would have been punished without a doubt.
Now, everyone knew there was a ghost like Xiujuan by his side, and there were even rumors that Xiujuan was his relative, which was why he kept her close. Over time, others had grown accustomed to a ghost like Xiujuan being by his side and had long since found it commonplace. However, if he were to have one or more additional ghosts accompanying him, the nature of the situation would change. Even as a Guardian now, he would still invite considerable trouble upon himself. After all, he knew very well that some people were always waiting to find fault with him. Out of caution, he naturally wouldn't do such things.
But if the Ghost Doctor were to be kept in the shadows, there would be even less need to take them from the Myriad Ghost Grotto. Since they would need to remain in the shadows even if taken, it would be better to simply leave them in the Myriad Ghost Grotto. This way, their safety could be fully guaranteed, and they could also concoct specific medicines required by the Myriad Ghost Grotto under Tang Shi's arrangements.
Therefore, Yang Haoran didn't disturb the Ghost Doctors of the Myriad Ghost Grotto. Not only did he leave them be, but he also informed Tang Shi that in the future, if he discovered similar talents—be they Pharmacists or masters of any other craft—as long as they weren't living people, they could all be kept within the Myriad Ghost Grotto. As for how to arrange these special talents, it would be entirely up to Tang Shi to decide.
With Yang Haoran's words, Tang Shi kept this Ghost Doctor in the Myriad Ghost Grotto, making him the first Pharmacist of the Myriad Ghost Grotto.
Despite having only two Pharmacists, Tang Shi had prepared eight medicine-refining stone chambers here. This approach was, of course, a preparation for a rainy day, getting ready the sites for future Pharmacists to concoct their medicines. From this, it was clear that he had great confidence in the Myriad Ghost Grotto acquiring more Pharmacists.
Not only did he believe this, but Yang Haoran also shared the same conviction.
“Heh, eight medicine-refining stone chambers, isn’t that a bit too few? ”
Yang Haoran looked at the eight neatly arranged medicine-refining stone chambers in the distance and asked Tang Shi with a smile.
“Replying to Master, although the large mountain where the Myriad Ghost Grotto is located has been hollowed out due to expansion, we can still expand underground, and the surrounding mountains can also become areas for your subordinates to develop! ”
Tang Shi replied respectfully. Yang Haoran understood his meaning instantly, so he nodded with a smile, said nothing further on the matter, and instead strode on, continuing his leisurely stroll.
A moment later, Yang Haoran's gaze fell upon another row of stone doors. Though these stone doors were similar in size to those of the medicine-refining chambers, and their carved patterns were no different, the carving in the center of each door was not a gourd, but a mask. Yang Haoran was intimately familiar with this mask, as it was the unique Smiling Face Mask of the Myriad Ghost Grotto, an essential item for every member of the Myriad Ghost Grotto!
The number of stone doors in this row far exceeded that of the medicine-refining chambers. Yang Haoran counted them; there were twenty stone doors neatly arranged, presenting a rather magnificent sight from afar. When Yang Haoran saw the Smiling Face Masks on the stone doors, and recalled Tang Shi's previous report to him regarding a certain matter, he already guessed what these eight stone chambers were used for.
“Heh, these stone chambers must be artifact-refining chambers, right? ”
Yang Haoran took a puff from his cigarette and asked with a smile. Tang Shi nodded respectfully in response.
“Master is correct. These twenty stone chambers are indeed our Myriad Ghost Grotto’s artifact-refining chambers, and currently, ten of them are already in use. ”
Ten artifact-refining chambers were already in use, which meant Tang Shi currently had ten artifact refiners among his subordinates, several times more than the number of Pharmacists. In the New Beginning Realm, the number of professional artifact refiners was not high, but it was still considerably more than Pharmacists. As for non-professional artifact refiners—those who understood the way of artifact refining but weren’t as proficient as professionals—their numbers were simply too vast.
For example, quite a few Demon Hunters knew how to refine artifacts, as they needed to forge Demon Weapons. Some Exorcists and members of the Demon Cult also understood the art of artifact refining, as they needed to forge their respective ritual artifacts and demonic artifacts. However, among these individuals, some were truly proficient in the art, while others were merely half-baked.
Whether professional artifact refiners or amateur enthusiasts, they all had some degree of artifact refining skill. Therefore, in the New Beginning Realm, there were far more people who could refine artifacts than those who could concoct medicine. It was precisely for this reason that the Myriad Ghost Grotto had far more artifact refiners than Pharmacists.
All members of the Myriad Ghost Grotto, including Tang Shi, its top leader, were without exception ghosts. Therefore, whether it was ritual artifacts or Demon Weapons, while not entirely useless to them, their utility was pitifully small. It wasn't that there were no artifacts of considerable use to ghosts, but they were very few. Both Yang Haoran, as an Underworld Official, and Tang Shi, as a Ghost King, were well aware of this.
Since they were aware of this, why would the Myriad Ghost Grotto still cultivate artifact refiners, even specially selecting an area and carving out twenty independent artifact-refining stone chambers? Naturally, there was a reason behind this.
While the ghosts of the Myriad Ghost Grotto didn't have much use for many artifacts, they did require skinsuits and Smiling Face Masks, as these were essential items for members of the Myriad Ghost Grotto. As the number of Myriad Ghost Grotto members increased, so did the demand for skinsuits and Smiling Face Masks. Moreover, it was perfectly normal for skinsuits and Smiling Face Masks to get damaged during missions, and once damaged, they naturally needed repair or replacement. Thus, the Myriad Ghost Grotto's demand for skinsuits and Smiling Face Masks naturally grew even larger!
Previously, Yang Haoran had handled both of these essential items. When the Myriad Ghost Grotto was first established, Yang Haoran had the skinsuits custom-made in the Underworld, while the Smiling Face Masks were carefully crafted by skilled artisans.
Although the Smiling Face Masks at that time were exquisitely made, they suffered from shortcomings in materials and crafting techniques. As a result, besides being delicate and aesthetically pleasing, their only remaining function was to conceal one's face. Beyond these two points, they had no other use, possessing neither defensive capabilities nor special abilities.
Of course, at that time, Yang Haoran's requirements for the Smiling Face Masks were indeed limited to facial concealment. While meeting this requirement, it was naturally a good thing if they could be made more exquisitely. His demands for the Smiling Face Masks were not high then.
But that was merely his thinking at the time. As his strength grew, his status and position rose, and his financial resources became more abundant, his demands for the Smiling Face Masks were no longer limited to exquisite appearance and facial concealment. He wanted the Smiling Face Masks, while retaining those two qualities, to also possess certain defensive capabilities. If they could have decent special abilities, that would naturally be even better. Therefore, the Smiling Face Masks had to undergo a change.
As for skinsuits, customizing too many of them in the Underworld was, in the end, a hidden danger. To completely resolve this hidden danger, he certainly couldn't continue ordering skinsuits from the Underworld. He had to find someone proficient in refining artifacts to specially refine skinsuits for him. Only then could this hidden danger be thoroughly eliminated.
So, after some consideration, Yang Haoran decided to entrust both the refining of skinsuits and the production of Smiling Face Masks to Ye Zhiqiu. As Ye Zhiqiu was a Demon Hunter and also knew how to refine artifacts, entrusting these two tasks to him was indeed an excellent choice.
However, after Ye Zhiqiu took over, although the Smiling Face Masks he refined were far more durable than the initial ones, their defensive capabilities were still far from Yang Haoran's ideal standard, let alone possessing practically useful special abilities.
This was only one problem, and in Yang Haoran’s view, it wasn’t an insurmountable one. As long as he thoroughly discussed the matter with Ye Zhiqiu and found suitable materials, resolving this issue wouldn’t be too difficult in Yang Haoran’s opinion. However, another problem gave Yang Haoran a massive headache.
This problem was the increasing number of Myriad Ghost Grotto members, which led to a growing demand for both skinsuits and Smiling Face Masks. Ye Zhiqiu alone couldn't possibly refine enough to meet the Myriad Ghost Grotto's needs. That was why Yang Haoran decided to make the Myriad Ghost Grotto self-sufficient.
This approach would not only solve the Myriad Ghost Grotto’s supply issue but also completely eliminate all hidden dangers, making it extremely secure. Furthermore, this method saved Yang Haoran time and effort, as he wouldn't need to run between two places.
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