Chapter 1163: An Idea
After Yang Haoran conceived the idea of making the Myriad Ghost Grotto self-sufficient, he promptly conveyed this thought to Tang Shi.
Upon receiving Yang Haoran’s command, Tang Shi immediately set about addressing the matter. He began by selecting from his own subordinates, for at that time, the number of ghosts under his command was already considerable, and their strength quite formidable. It wasn't out of the question that some among them might have been skilled artifact refiners in life.
However, his requirements were quite high. Half-baked artifact refiners who only knew a smattering of the craft were entirely outside his consideration. He sought artifact refiners who had been proficient in life—not necessarily full-time professional refiners, but at least those who had made significant achievements in the field.
Precisely because Tang Shi's demands were high, during the initial selection process, he only managed to pick five artifact refiners from his existing subordinates whom he deemed satisfactory. As for the other five, Tang Shi acquired them later through various means, rather than selecting them from the outset.
With these ten artifact refiners, the Myriad Ghost Grotto's demand for Smiling Face Masks and skins was gradually met, and Yang Haoran hadn't worried about the matter for a long time since.
Tang Shi noticed the satisfaction on Yang Haoran's face, then continued to speak.
"Currently, our Myriad Ghost Grotto's artifact refiners only craft skins and Smiling Face Masks, so ten artifact refiners are perfectly sufficient. However, considering that the number of people in our Myriad Ghost Grotto will increase in the future, and thus the demand for skins and Smiling Face Masks will also rise, your subordinate has constructed twenty artifact-refining stone chambers. The remaining ten artifact-refining stone chambers, just like the spare medicine-refining stone chambers, are fully equipped and ready for use at any time."
Yang Haoran smiled and nodded, indicating to Tang Shi that he understood. Flicking off some ash from his cigarette, he then asked Tang Shi with a smile.
Hearing this, Tang Shi quickly replied.
"Not just Smiling Face Masks and skins; other artifacts that our Myriad Ghost Grotto members can use are also being refined, such as ghost-capturing artifacts and the like."
Normally, ghosts wouldn't carry any ghost-capturing artifacts because when one ghost encounters another, it's a single word: fight! If they win, they devour the opponent; if they lose, they are devoured by the opponent. There's simply no need for ghost-capturing artifacts.
However, members of the Myriad Ghost Grotto are different. When carrying out missions, their targets are often ghosts, but it's not always necessary to devour them. They are forbidden from devouring targets; this is a regulation of the Myriad Ghost Grotto.
As for why such a rule exists, it's not because Tang Shi is soft-hearted, but because Yang Haoran requires a large number of souls. Regardless of their realm, all souls fall within Yang Haoran's needs. To bring back as many souls as possible for Yang Haoran, the Myriad Ghost Grotto established this regulation.
Precisely because of this, ghost-capturing artifacts have also become essential for Myriad Ghost Grotto members. However, these artifacts are quite different from those used by exorcists; they are specialized artifacts that can be utilized by ghosts.
Of course, in addition to ghost-capturing artifacts, the Myriad Ghost Grotto also specifically refines other types of artifacts. These artifacts are also only suitable for ghosts, but they are not weapons of great destructive power; rather, they are necessary auxiliary items, or to put it plainly, small trinkets.
At that moment, Yang Haoran’s words first made Tang Shi think of these auxiliary artifacts, so he immediately gave Yang Haoran an affirmative answer.
However, in response to his answer, Yang Haoran gently shook his head.
"Haha, I wasn't referring to those small, auxiliary items."
Tang Shi paused slightly upon hearing this, as if something had occurred to him.
"Does master mean. . . ?"
Yang Haoran smiled faintly, then replied.
"Haha, I'm sure you understand what I mean. But there's no need for you to do so right now. For the time being, your artifact refiners only need to meet the Myriad Ghost Grotto's current requirements. As for whether I'll have them refine other artifacts beyond what the Myriad Ghost Grotto needs, I'll inform you when the time comes."
From Yang Haoran’s words, it wasn't hard to tell that he had other ideas. As for what those specific ideas were, since Yang Haoran didn't explicitly state them, Tang Shi couldn't know. However, he wasn't foolish enough to ask further questions, and instead quickly nodded in affirmation.
Of course, Tang Shi was naturally curious, and this led him to make some conjectures. However, he also knew that his master commanded many organizations, and there were indeed those that required various artifacts to enhance their combat effectiveness. Thus, for a moment, he couldn't be certain of Yang Haoran's true intentions.
"Oh, right, I have an idea. I'm not sure if it's feasible or not."
After Tang Shi respectfully assented, Yang Haoran spoke to him with a faint smile. Tang Shi, who hadn't yet emerged from his curiosity, heard Yang Haoran's words, and his curiosity instantly intensified a few notches.
Although his curiosity grew even stronger, Tang Shi didn't forget his place because of it. Thus, he didn't answer haphazardly, but instead responded with considerable tact.
"Since master has brought this up to your subordinate now, I believe master has already made a decision. With master's wisdom, your subordinate does not believe there will be any issues with master's decision, even if your subordinate does not yet know what master's so-called idea truly is."
Tang Shi's words were impeccable, yet they weren't flattery towards Yang Haoran, but rather sincere truth. This was because he had followed Yang Haoran for quite some time, and his understanding of Yang Haoran had reached a considerably deep level. Thus, he knew that any decision Yang Haoran made was naturally the result of careful deliberation.
Spoken to in such a manner by Tang Shi, Yang Haoran showed no sign of embarrassment. His expression unchanged, he responded with a faint smile.
"Haha, you're right. I have indeed made a decision regarding this idea in my mind, but I still want to hear your opinion. On one hand, it's because of your intellect, and on the other, because you will be needed to implement this matter when the time comes."
Tang Shi’s eyes immediately lit up upon hearing that he would be needed to implement this matter. He then quickly said to Yang Haoran with respect.
"Master, please speak!"
At this moment, Tang Shi felt a surge of excitement. Although he didn't yet know what Yang Haoran's idea was, nor what task Yang Haoran needed him to implement, in his view, the more numerous and important the tasks Yang Haoran entrusted to him, the more it demonstrated Yang Haoran's regard for him. And this was precisely what he desired!
"Before I tell you, first answer me a question. You've been in charge of the Myriad Ghost Grotto for quite some time now. How do you think we can maximize the overall strength of the Myriad Ghost Grotto in a short period? Of course, there's no need to mention lavishing resources; if that were the answer I wanted, I wouldn't need to ask you."
Yang Haoran asked with a smile. Tang Shi's brows furrowed slightly; Yang Haoran's question had truly stumped him.
After pondering for a moment, Tang Shi gently shook his head at Yang Haoran.
"Your subordinate is dull-witted and cannot think of a good way to achieve this in such a short time."
It wasn't that Tang Shi had no ideas or suggestions at all. It was simply that, being unsure of Yang Haoran's current thoughts, he dared not speak carelessly.
Hearing Tang Shi say this, Yang Haoran somewhat understood Tang Shi's thoughts. Tang Shi had followed him for quite some time; Tang Shi had a deep understanding of him, and he likewise had a deep understanding of Tang Shi. Therefore, he had some conjectures about what Tang Shi was thinking at that moment.
Precisely because he could somewhat guess Tang Shi's thoughts, he didn't force Tang Shi to elaborate.
"I'm thinking of cultivating a group of Spirit Mediums. What do you think?"
Yang Haoran smoked, his gaze still fixed on the stone doors of the row of artifact-refining stone chambers in the distance, and spoke with a faint smile. Both his tone and his demeanor were casual, as if he were discussing a trivial matter.
However, these words, upon reaching Tang Shi's ears, caused him to jolt violently, and a stormy tumult arose in his heart. His usually composed expression underwent a drastic change in that instant!
Who was Yang Haoran? Yang Haoran was an Underworld Official, and moreover, one of the Guardians of the Underworld Office—a bona fide high-ranking figure within the Underworld Office.
And who were Spirit Mediums? Spirit Mediums were mortal enemies of the Underworld Office, as incompatible as fire and water. They were currently locked in an irreconcilable struggle with the Underworld Office, clearly vowing not to rest until the Underworld Office was annihilated and replaced. Between the two, it had always been a stance of "if you live, I die; if I live, you die."
Yang Haoran, as one of the forty-five Guardians of the Underworld Office, actually wanted to cultivate Spirit Mediums. How could Tang Shi not be shocked by this?
Although Yang Haoran was currently facing away from Tang Shi, Yang Haoran could sense Tang Shi's shock. This was because, after he spoke those words, Tang Shi's usually steady breathing suddenly became heavy. From this, it was clear that Tang Shi's emotions had undergone a significant shift.
Yang Haoran turned around and looked at Tang Shi with a faint smile. As expected, Tang Shi's face was indeed filled with horror.
However, Tang Shi was also someone who had weathered great storms, and coupled with his resolute and iron-blooded character, he had long held a high position after joining Yang Haoran. So, even though his heart was profoundly shocked, when Yang Haoran turned around to look at him, he immediately recovered from his astonishment.
"Master, if we truly do this, once the Underworld Office learns of it, master might. . ."
Although Tang Shi had recovered from his shock, it didn't mean that the shock in his heart had vanished. Quite the opposite, the astonishment in Tang Shi's heart not only persisted but had grown even more intense. Because of this, his mind wasn't as clear as it was when calm, leading him to utter words he would absolutely never say when fully composed.
In response, Yang Haoran's expression didn't change in the slightest. He merely looked at Tang Shi with a faint smile and countered with a question.
"Haha, tell me, if the Underworld Office knew I was the master of the Myriad Ghost Grotto, how would they deal with me?"
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