Chapter 688: Truly Impressive Skill
The person Yang Haoran suddenly thought of was Ye Zhiqiu!
Why did he suddenly think of Ye Zhiqiu at this critical moment? Because Ye Zhiqiu was a Demon Hunter, and many Demon Hunters knew how to forge Demon Weapons.
Yang Haoran once heard Ye Zhiqiu mention that he had "some" understanding of forging Demon Weapons. As for whether Ye Zhiqiu's statement was genuine or just humble, Yang Haoran couldn't be sure, but based on his understanding of Ye Zhiqiu, he felt the latter was more likely.
Whether it was humility or the simple truth, involving Ye Zhiqiu might genuinely resolve this issue. If Ye Zhiqiu could use the method of forging Demon Weapons to create the Smiling Face Masks, using demon hides and furs as materials, their quality would instantly skyrocket, and their durability would surely exceed his wildest imagination.
With that thought, Yang Haoran immediately left his study and found Ye Zhiqiu in his bedroom. He first handed over the pig demon's corpse to Ye Zhiqiu, then explained his intentions.
Upon hearing that Yang Haoran wanted to trouble him with forging some masks, Ye Zhiqiu's face immediately showed a puzzled expression. However, he didn't ask further questions or refuse, simply nodding in agreement.
"When do you need them? " Ye Zhiqiu asked Yang Haoran, taking a swig of strong liquor.
"The sooner the better. I'm quite urgent," Yang Haoran replied with a smile.
Ye Zhiqiu's bedroom wasn't small to begin with, so the sudden appearance of a furnace didn't make it feel cramped.
This furnace bore some resemblance to Feng Xiao's pill refining cauldron, used for concocting Dānyào, but there were many subtle differences.
Yang Haoran had personally seen Feng Xiao's pill refining cauldron, but this furnace Ye Zhiqiu had just produced was his first time seeing it.
"Is this. . . a device for forging Demon Weapons? " Yang Haoran asked, somewhat unsure.
Although the furnace before him had some similarities to Feng Xiao's pill refining cauldron, Yang Haoran didn't assume it was one, after all, Ye Zhiqiu wasn't a Pharmacist.
"This is a Refining Cauldron," Ye Zhiqiu replied. "It's an essential tool for us Demon Hunters to forge Demon Weapons. It's also needed to refine demon cores into Demon Spirit Liquid. In the eyes of us Demon Hunters, it's just as important as a Pharmacist's pill refining cauldron."
Although Yang Haoran hadn't seen a Demon Hunter's Refining Cauldron before, he hadn't guessed its function incorrectly.
Next, Ye Zhiqiu inquired about Yang Haoran's specific requirements for the Smiling Face Masks. Yang Haoran took out one of the Smiling Face Masks and handed it to Ye Zhiqiu, telling him to simply follow the design of the old Smiling Face Masks.
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhiqiu asked no more questions. Instead, he formed hand seals, and a surge of Star Spirit Power erupted from his body, pouring into the Refining Cauldron.
As the Star Spirit Power infused the Refining Cauldron, flames spontaneously ignited, instantly setting the entire cauldron ablaze. The temperature in the bedroom surged dramatically at that very moment.
Ye Zhiqiu remained unhurried. With a wave of his hand, he set up a restrictive barrier, enveloping both the Refining Cauldron and the two of them within it.
With the appearance of this restrictive barrier, the indoor temperature stopped rising and gradually began to fall. However, Yang Haoran and Ye Zhiqiu, enveloped within the barrier, didn't feel the temperature decrease; instead, they felt it growing hotter and hotter. Fortunately, neither of them was an ordinary person, or they would surely have suffered ill effects from such intense heat.
After setting up the restrictive barrier, Ye Zhiqiu retrieved a beast hide from his independent space. This was no ordinary hide; it was a demon's hide, as a faint trace of Demon Qi could still be sensed emanating from it.
Compared to ordinary beast hides, demon fur was incomparably superior in quality. The former's toughness and other capabilities far surpassed those of common hides, and some demon hides even possessed special abilities.
After some processing, Ye Zhiqiu peeled off a small piece from this hide. This piece wasn't large, roughly the size of an adult's face. It certainly looked like a human face, but only approximately so, as it merely had a vague facial outline, a far cry from the finely crafted Smiling Face Masks.
Ye Zhiqiu offered no explanation. After checking the temperature within the Refining Cauldron, he tossed the hide, which had only a rough facial outline, into the cauldron. Then, he sat cross-legged on the spot, closed his eyes tightly, and rapidly formed hand seals.
"You go about your business first. I'll let you know when the masks you want are ready," he said.
Yang Haoran had no idea how long it would take Ye Zhiqiu to successfully forge them. After all, he was an outsider in this field, and Ye Zhiqiu hadn't explained, so he had no concept of the time required.
However, since Ye Zhiqiu had already spoken, he naturally couldn't say much. Anyway, he wouldn't understand anything by staying there, so he simply nodded, left one of the Smiling Face Masks, and exited Ye Zhiqiu's bedroom.
By having Ye Zhiqiu forge the Smiling Face Masks, some of his secrets would naturally be exposed. He had once intended to keep this particular secret to himself, telling no one, but now it seemed rather difficult. Setting aside other matters, at least the secret of the Smiling Face Masks could no longer be kept. Others might not know who the master behind the Smiling Face Masks was, but Ye Zhiqiu now did.
Given Ye Zhiqiu's personality, he definitely wouldn't ask Yang Haoran too many questions, nor would he proactively mention this matter to others when he had nothing else to do. Thus, even if Ye Zhiqiu knew about the Smiling Face Masks, Yang Haoran felt relatively at ease about him.
Of course, even if Ye Zhiqiu were to actively inquire about the purpose of the Smiling Face Masks, Yang Haoran wouldn't say much. At least at this stage, he wouldn't voluntarily discuss the matter of his ghost operatives with others.
Yang Haoran returned to his study, consulting some information in the Underworld Iron Tome while quietly awaiting Ye Zhiqiu's reply. About an hour later, a knock sounded on his study door.
Sensing the Star Spirit Power emanating from the door, Yang Haoran knew the visitor was certainly Ye Zhiqiu. He was somewhat surprised; could Ye Zhiqiu have completed the task so quickly?
Carrying his surprise, Yang Haoran waved his hand, opening the study door. Ye Zhiqiu didn't stand on ceremony with Yang Haoran; without a word, he walked directly into the study.
"What you wanted is done," Ye Zhiqiu announced.
Ye Zhiqiu spoke, and suddenly two masks appeared in his hand. Without another word, he tossed them directly towards Yang Haoran.
Without Yang Haoran making any visible movement, a wisp of Yin Qi materialized, coiling around the masks. The two masks paused in mid-air, then slowly descended, finally hovering side-by-side before Yang Haoran.
Gazing at the two masks before him, Yang Haoran's eyes filled with surprise. He cast a look of disbelief at Ye Zhiqiu, who was still drinking, then returned his gaze to the masks.
Both of these masks were Smiling Face Masks. One was the one Yang Haoran had left for Ye Zhiqiu as a reference, while the other was naturally the one Ye Zhiqiu had forged using his Refining Cauldron.
Yang Haoran could tell at a glance which mask had been made by the old craftsman and which had been forged by Ye Zhiqiu.
While the Smiling Face Masks made by the old craftsman were exquisitely detailed and lifelike, the materials he used were, after all, ordinary, making the finished masks appear somewhat dull.
However, the Smiling Face Mask forged by Ye Zhiqiu using the Refining Cauldron, though identical in design to the old craftsman's, possessed a greater luster. Its craftsmanship was equally meticulous, not only matching the old craftsman's skill but even surpassing it!
It was precisely because of this that Yang Haoran's gaze towards Ye Zhiqiu was filled with disbelief.
Taking both masks, Yang Haoran held one in each hand, feeling them carefully. The Smiling Face Mask forged by Ye Zhiqiu felt very soft and comfortable to the touch, and was incredibly flexible. The Smiling Face Mask made by the old craftsman was significantly inferior by comparison.
Originally, Yang Haoran had harbored some doubts about Ye Zhiqiu's skill, and his demands weren't particularly high—he just wanted something that wasn't too unsightly. However, after seeing the finished Smiling Face Mask, he was utterly awestruck by Ye Zhiqiu's craftsmanship. Setting aside the materials, in terms of artistry alone, he was considerably superior to that old craftsman.
"Your skill and your speed have utterly astonished me," Yang Haoran said, setting down the two masks and looking at Ye Zhiqiu, unable to help but praise him with a laugh.
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