Chapter 520: Pharmacist
Ma Yuanjin and Ma Hongcheng gazed at the two Corpse Ghouls in the courtyard. The smile on Ma Yuanjin's face deepened considerably, and a rare smile also appeared on Ma Hongcheng's face.
Corpse Ghouls were different from Corpse Puppets. In their eyes, Corpse Ghouls were quite precious, especially living ones, which held even greater value.
Ma Ling acquiring a single Corpse Ghoul on this trip would have already made them very happy. Acquiring two living Corpse Ghouls, however, was no small surprise for them.
Earlier, when they learned over the phone that Ma Ling had acquired two Corpse Ghouls, and living ones at that, Ma Yuanjin and Ma Hongcheng had been incredibly delighted. Now, seeing the two Corpse Ghouls with their own eyes, the joy in their hearts naturally intensified.
Just outside the courtyard, with Yang Haoran present, neither wished to be impolite, so they hadn't inquired about anything concerning the Corpse Ghouls.
Conversely, had Yang Haoran not been there, the father and son would likely have immediately inspected the two Corpse Ghouls.
Ma Yuanjin withdrew his gaze from the two Corpse Ghouls and then let his eyes settle on Ma Ling.
"Heh heh, no need to rush. You two siblings stay and guard the Corpse Ghouls in the courtyard for now. Keep a constant eye on them and don't let them run off," Ma Yuanjin said with a smile.
"Alright, alright, Second Brother and I will just guard them outside."
As her words fell, Ma Ling turned and walked towards the courtyard, her muffled grumbles still faintly audible.
"I'm so tired I could die. Not letting me rest is one thing, but glaring at me too? That's just too much."
Ma Ling grumbled softly, and while everyone heard her, they all pretended not to.
At this moment, Ma Yuanjin shifted his gaze to Yang Haoran.
A smile played on his face, though it carried a hint of embarrassment.
"Divine Emissary Yang, these two Corpse Ghouls were both captured by you. Are you truly intending to give them to our Ma Family? " Ma Yuanjin asked with a chuckle.
Yang Haoran could perceive Ma Yuanjin's intense desire for the two Corpse Ghouls. Not only him, but Ma Ling's father, Ma Hongcheng, felt the same way. The reason Ma Yuanjin asked Yang Haoran such a question at this moment was merely to make a final confirmation.
Although Ma Ling had said that Yang Haoran had already given the two Corpse Ghouls to their Ma Family, Ma Ling's words were merely her side of the story. Whether Yang Haoran truly intended this still needed to be confirmed by Yang Haoran himself.
Yang Haoran naturally understood the meaning behind Ma Yuanjin's smiling expression, so without the slightest hesitation, he readily nodded at Ma Yuanjin.
"I heard Ma Ling mention before that your Ma Family enjoys researching zombies, so after capturing these two Corpse Ghouls, I decided to give them to your family," Yang Haoran said, smiling as he gave Ma Yuanjin an affirmative reply.
In truth, Yang Haoran was willing to give the two Corpse Ghouls to the Ma Family for two reasons: first, Ma Ling was his friend, and second, zombies held little practical use for him at present. Thus, he had quite simply given both Corpse Ghouls to the Ma Family.
However, he naturally couldn't voice such an unpresentable reason, as speaking the truth would not only offer him no benefit but could also bring about some negative repercussions.
The same matter, if phrased differently, could yield completely different results.
Upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, Ma Yuanjin's aged face broke into a broad smile.
"Divine Emissary Yang is truly thoughtful, truly thoughtful! That girl Ma Ling was right; our Ma Family is indeed very interested in zombies! " Ma Yuanjin roared with laughter.
"Heh heh, it seems I've given these two Corpse Ghouls to the right people. It's good as long as Elder Ma likes them. I was afraid you might find Corpse Ghouls too smelly and dislike such things. Now I'm relieved," Yang Haoran said, chuckling.
"Smelly? Haha! If zombies weren't smelly, could they still be called zombies? If stinky tofu wasn't stinky, could it still be called stinky tofu? A bit of a smell doesn't matter, as long as it tastes good!"
Ma Yuanjin burst into hearty laughter. At this moment, he appeared exceptionally joyful, a happiness that wasn't feigned but stemmed from the depths of his heart.
"Father, don't just focus on being happy. Divine Emissary Yang has given our Ma Family such a grand gift; it might not be right for us to just accept it like this," Ma Hongcheng quickly reminded him in a low voice, seeing Ma Yuanjin engrossed in his joy.
Upon hearing his son's words, Ma Yuanjin instantly reacted.
"Haha, look at me! I was so caught up in my joy that I completely forgot about such an important matter. Hongcheng is right; if our Ma Family were to simply accept such a grand gift from Divine Emissary Yang, it would be truly impolite."
Ma Yuanjin burst into laughter, then once again turned his gaze to the box on the table. He asked Yang Haoran, his voice full of mystery, "Divine Emissary Yang, I wonder if you are familiar with Pharmacists?"
"Pharmacists? " Yang Haoran instinctively nodded upon hearing this, but then, as if something occurred to him, the smile on his face froze. His expression subtly changed as he looked at the box on the table, then back at Ma Yuanjin, a hint of surprise deepening on his face.
Pharmacists, as the name implied, were a profession dedicated to refining medicines. They would search for various medicinal ingredients in the natural world, then proportion these ingredients according to recipes, refining them using special techniques to ultimately obtain the desired medicines.
These medicines came in various forms: powders for internal consumption, ointments for external application, liquids that could be used both internally and externally, and pills condensed from the essences of various medicinal ingredients, commonly referred to as Dānyào in novels and films.
The medicines produced by Pharmacists, regardless of their form, fell into two categories: one for healing and saving lives, and the other for harming and ending them. It was precisely because of this that Pharmacists were viewed by outsiders as both sacred and terrifying.
"One thought for compassion, one thought for the devil"—this phrase aptly described Pharmacists.
However, all Pharmacists regarded their lifelong learning as more important than their very lives. Their skills were never passed down to outsiders, only to their closest kin. It was precisely because of this that many Pharmacists died without finding a suitable successor to their mantle, leading to the breaking of many Pharmacist lineages. As a result, Pharmacists became increasingly rare throughout the New Beginning Realm.
Had Ma Yuanjin not taken out the box on the table and simply asked Yang Haoran if he knew about the profession of Pharmacist, Yang Haoran would still have nodded in affirmation, but his reaction wouldn't have been as astonished as it was now.
The reason for his current astonishment was that Ma Yuanjin had just mentioned the box contained highly precious medicine, and now Ma Yuanjin was asking if he knew about Pharmacists. Linking these two facts, Ma Yuanjin's implied meaning became quite easy to understand.
"Elder Ma, are the medicines in this box perhaps from the hands of a Pharmacist? " Yang Haoran asked with a surprised smile directed at Ma Yuanjin.
Ma Yuanjin didn't keep him in suspense; he simply nodded decisively and opened the box in front of Yang Haoran.
Inside the box lay a porcelain bottle no larger than a thumb. The bottle was adorned with exquisite patterns, and its opening was sealed with a small red stopper. The porcelain bottle stood upright in the box, resting on a piece of yellow cloth, with half of its body protruding above the padding.
"This porcelain bottle contains the medicinal liquid refined by a Pharmacist. Don't let its unassuming small size fool you; the liquid inside is incredibly precious. While this liquid doesn't grant longevity, it's a treasure for healing injuries. Just one drop, and whether you have external or internal wounds, your recovery speed will dramatically accelerate, several times faster than healing naturally. If you carried this medicinal liquid with you, Divine Emissary Yang, you must understand what that would mean in a life-and-death battle with others, wouldn't you?"
Listening to Ma Yuanjin's cheerful explanation, Yang Haoran's face revealed a flicker of desire. It was no wonder he was tempted; if he truly possessed such a medicinal liquid, it would be akin to gaining an extra means of preserving his life.
At present, he wasn't lacking Soul Pills. In combat, the existence of Soul Pills was his greatest reliance for eliminating enemies, as they could quickly replenish his depleted Spirit Power and even boost his strength.
With sufficient Spirit Power, eliminating opponents became much easier.
However, even with Soul Pills in hand, there were still drawbacks. If his bodily injuries were too severe, even with a vast amount of Spirit Power flowing through him, his body would find it difficult to sustain itself due to the excessive damage.
Just like during the battle in Stone Forest Town, after he consumed a Soul Pill, his body was constantly replenishing Spirit Power. Yet, his injuries were too severe, leaving him unable to even return to his residence. Had he encountered another formidable enemy then, he would undoubtedly have been doomed.
To put it simply, if Yang Haoran were compared to a game character, then Soul Pills replenished his "mana. " Without mana, he couldn't unleash skills or inflict ideal damage on his target. But having only mana wasn't enough; he also needed "health," otherwise, with a single careless mistake, he might be instantly killed by an opponent due to severe injuries.
Although the Spirit Power within Yang Haoran's body could automatically heal injuries, during intense combat, the speed of self-healing relying solely on Spirit Power was entirely insufficient. If he possessed a method to rapidly heal his physical injuries during battle, it would significantly increase his win rate in combat, or one could say, his survival rate.
The medicinal liquid Ma Yuanjin had just taken out was precisely the kind of valuable item that could rapidly heal physical injuries during a fight.
Of course, the premise was that Ma Yuanjin wasn't deceiving him.
Neither he nor Ma Yuanjin were children; both were people of standing. The likelihood of Ma Yuanjin deceiving him was small, so upon hearing Ma Yuanjin's explanation, a flicker of desire immediately appeared on his face.
However, Yang Haoran quickly suppressed the desire on his face, his expression becoming somewhat hesitant for a moment.
His primary objective for this trip was to acquire a set of ideal Formation Flags from the Ma Family. Since the Ma Family also possessed considerable skill in array formations, he believed he could obtain a desirable set here, even if it meant offering a bit more in exchange.
Yet, he was truly tempted by the bottle of medicinal liquid before him, making it difficult for him to choose.
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