GDK 734: A grand occasion
There were many small rooms built on the top of the gymnasium. Carmelita pulled Han Shuo to a secluded corner and softly asked, “What took you so long to come back?”
“I ran into some issues along the way and was held back,” Han Shuo casually explained before he asked, “Speaking of which, you came to the Celestial Pearl twice to look for me. Is there anything you want to tell me?”
“Of course there is!” Carmelita replied, “The first time I looked for you was to tell you to save some of your medicines for those two. The second time was to tell you about Andrina. You separated from her on your way back, didn’t you?”
Han Shuo’s heart skipped a beat when Carmelita mentioned Andrina. He nodded and replied, “How did you know that?”
“Andrina contacted the divine guards at Fort Verka and asked them to deliver news to me. She said that after you drew the G.o.dhunters away, while taking your friends to the City of Shadows, she ran into some trouble and suffered slight injuries. She also said that you need not worry and that your friends will arrive in the city safely.”
“Andrina is injured!” Han Shuo was almost frantic. “Did she say anything else? Did she mention who injured her?”
“She did not.” Carmelita continued, “She just wanted you to know that you don’t have to worry and that your friends are all doing fine!”
Han Shuo’s face turned dark. “I had clearly drawn those G.o.dhunters away from them. How could Andrina even get injured near the City of Shadows? Who did she come across? In the city, all the members of large family clans would know that Andrina is a member of my Celestial Pearl Pharmacy and logically speaking, would certainly not attack her. But other than the large family clans, who in the city could possibly injure Andrina? I’m baffled!”
“Don’t you worry, Andrina said that everything will be fine. I reckon they will safely return to the city soon!” consoled Carmelita.
Han Shuo nodded. He then said to Carmelita, “Thank you. If you receive any news about Andrina, please let me know as soon as possible!”
“Got it,” promised Carmelita.
“Alright. I’m going back to refine medicines. This will take some time,” Han Shuo replied and immediately headed back to the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy.
Andrina had delivered the message to Carmelita because she was aware of Carmelita’s influence in the City of Shadows. In addition, she trusted Carmelita. Most of the people in the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy were merely pharmacists. The only expert there who could fight was Akley. She had delivered the message to Carmelita instead of Akley because he was too weak and he did not possess much of an influence in the city.
On the way back to the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy, Han Shuo weighed in on whether he should go searching for Andrina or not. But in the end, after much hesitation, he decided to stay in the city. The territories under the influence of the City of Shadows was vast. It was extremely difficult to locate someone among the expansive mountain ranges and valleys, especially when Han Shuo couldn’t be sure specifically which region Andrina was in. The chances of him finding Andrina by mere luck was minute.
But above all, Han Shuo had confidence in Andrina. He was certain that if Andrina claimed that she could take his friends and girlfriends safely to the City, then she would. He planned on asking Andrina about what mishap she met after she returned.
The large family clans soon learned about Han Shuo’s return to the City. They sent men to book his medicines in advance when they heard that Han Shuo would be making a new batch of medicines. The Celestial Pearl Pharmacy was therefore filled with people. This even drove up the sale of regular medicines made by regular pharmacists.
At this point in time, Han Shuo had a private room inside his living quarters specially for him to refine medicines. Inside were large cabinets mounted to the walls, where all sort of medical ingredients could be stored. There was also a myriad of medical containers in the room, mostly for decoration purposes. Han Shuo instructed his staff that he was not to be disturbed while he was refining medicine in that room.
The two avatars inside his Cauldron of Myriad Demon did not stay idle while his main body was occupied with pellet-producing work. Both his avatars had made significant progress after absorbing divine energies from those G.o.dhunters. His avatar of destruction was on the verge of a breakthrough to midG.o.d realm. It had enough divine energy in its body and all it needed was a flash of enlightenment.
The avatar of death appeared to be able to reach mid-stage midG.o.d realm very soon. Han Shuo was elated by their progress. He thought that if he ever needed more divine energy in the future, he shall use this speedy shortcut that allowed rapid improvement – to venture around the vast mountain ranges, to hunt and consume the divine energies of the G.o.dhunters.
Time flew. Two months had pa.s.sed.
After having produced a new batch of pelleted medicines, Han Shuo finally exited from the seclusion. During the two months, his avatar of death finally broke through to mid-stage midG.o.d realm. His avatar of destruction, however, was still stuck in late-stage lowG.o.d realm.
Han Shuo internally remarked that if there was a pure divine soul of a midG.o.d of destruction that he could fuse with, the process of advancing to midG.o.dhood would be much faster.
Han Shuo’s avatar of death used to fuse with a midG.o.d divine soul in the Void. Therefore, making breakthroughs was relatively easy as long as he acc.u.mulated sufficient divine energies. It was crucial to have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the energy one cultivated in. Without having the corresponding comprehension towards the energy, no amount of divine energy would allow a breakthrough.
This also signaled the end of Han Shuo’s level-up bonanza. The divine soul his avatar of death had fused with was merely a mid-stage midG.o.d. This meant that from this point onwards, to make any improvement, Han Shuo’s avatar of death had to rely on his own effort and ability to gain a deeper understanding into the energy of death. He had reaped all the knowledge the conscious-less divine soul had to offer.
Soon after exiting from his private pharmaceutical lab, Han Shuo discovered that divine guards from various family clans were lingering around the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. Some would enter and walk around his pharmacy, and perhaps buy some ordinary medicines.
Those divine guards were excited to catch Han Shuo. They ran to greet him and expressed the immense interests their respective family clans had in his medicines.
“After three days, the medicines I personally refine will be up for sale here at the Celestial Pearl. Tell them to come at that time,” Han Shuo loudly announced to the dozens of divine guards who suddenly surrounded him.
The divine guards thanked him and hastily left, disappearing from the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy in no time. It appeared that they had gone to inform their masters of the news.
After those people left, Han Shuo went to speak with Anito, asking him to announce to everyone that after three days, other than the large family clans, any G.o.ds, with enough crystal coins in hand, could purchase the medicines he had personally refined, that is, before the stocks ran out.
Han Shuo’s plan was to grow his pharmacy’s reputation even further and overwhelm all his compet.i.tors in the city in one shot.
Those foreigners and non-aligned G.o.ds who purchased Han Shuo’s medicines would surely promote and spread the good name of his Celestial Pearl Pharmacy as they traveled around various Divine Dominions. This would be greatly beneficial to the sales of his pharmacy.
Although Anito was of ordinary strength, he was a very good helper. Thanks to his hard work, promotional scrolls were put up on every region of the City of Shadows. Many of the G.o.ds in secluded cultivation learned of this news.
The sale of Han Shuo’s medicines suddenly became the most widely discussed and antic.i.p.ated event in the City of Shadows. It wasn’t just the inhabitants of the City who showed immense interest, even the G.o.ds from foreign lands who came to conduct trade grew excited about the sale at Celestial Pearl.
***Three days later.
A seething ma.s.s of people had gathered at the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. It was as though the entire population of the City was packed like sardines in the small area around the building. Some came alone, some in groups of three to five, while some came as representatives of their family clans.
Before Han Shuo’s medicines were up for sale, the regular medicines in the pharmacy had raked in fifty to sixty thousand black crystal coins. The employees of the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy could not be busier. They would hastily help the customers checkout and restock the shelves with medicines.
Han Shuo was standing on top of the highest building of the Celestial Pearl, gazing at the crowd underneath him. He internally remarked that it would be an achievement to be proud of if he could attract such a crowd every time his medicines were up for sale.
Han Shuo did not hurry in releasing those medicines he personally refined to the public, instead patiently waiting. Finally, when it was noon, he instructed Gu Li, “It’s about time. Put the medicines I made for sale!”
“What about the members and representatives of large family clans? Do they have to stand and wait in line with the average joes?” Gu Li hesitated for a moment before she asked.
“Of course not. Arrange for them to gather at the banquet hall where that pharmaceutical conference was held. We ought to provide special treatment to these notable characters of large family clans. After all, not only will they be buying most of my medicines, but they will also be my long-term buyers!” Han Shuo replied smilingly.
Gu Li nodded, “Of course.”
Gu Li then went on to carry out his instructions. The staff filled the empty shelves with Han Shuo’s pelleted medicines that were long ready. The crowd, who had been waiting for this moment cheered loudly when they saw the medicines Han Shuo had personally refined were finally up for purchase.
The crowd was not lacking people with deep pockets. After having heard the rumors about how great of a pharmacist Han Shuo was, these people were all willing to pay big money to acquire his medicines. The shop was jam-packed in a second. The area selling Han Shuo’s personally refined medicines was particularly chaotic.
At the center of the banquet hall was a large, long, oval table where delicacies and fine wines were placed. Nearly all the powerful and prestigious characters of the City of Shadows had gathered in the hall. Portlem and Charlotte were among the party.
It was at this moment that Rugersey who had been awkwardly standing at the entrance looked to Han Shuo and asked, “Uhm, Mister Bryan, are you still holding grudges against me?”
As of late, to salvage his relations.h.i.+p with Han Shuo, Rugersey had been throwing a ton of money at the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. He would even deliver small gifts every now and then to apologize for the blunder he made the last time.
It had been a long time since the incident and Rugersey had been excessively humble and apologetic to Han Shuo since, so much so that even Andre decided to speak for him, “Bryan, just let it go already. Rugersey has done more than enough to atone for his mistakes. On the account that this is an auspicious day for the Celestial Pearl, and for my sake, let it pa.s.s, alright?”
Han Shuo had, in fact, felt no resentment since long ago and therefore, after Andre spoke, he nodded his head. Rugersey immediately put on a big bright smile on his face. He walked into the hall, found himself a seat, grabbed a gla.s.s of wine and toasted to Han Shuo, “To your good health!”
Rugersey had shown more than enough of his sincerity. Han Shuo could not give him a cold-shoulder before the public and therefore, he too raised his cup and drank to the toast. After that, he announced to the crowd smilingly, “Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby announce that I will personally refine medicines once every five years. Of the batch of medicines I have produced this time around, thirty percent will be sold to the public while the rest are reserved for every one of you in this room.”
Upon finis.h.i.+ng those words, Han Shuo clapped his hands twice. An enormous gla.s.s container was pushed into the hall. Inside the enormous container were neatly arranged medicine bottles of all colors. The prices were clearly marked.
The members and representatives of large family clans stood up excitedly and rushed to surround the container.
A group of people arrived at the entrance of the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy. They were momentarily stunned by the scene of the pharmacy overflowing with customers.
“Andrina, is this the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy that Bryan operates?” Emily, wearing an astonished expression, asked the little girl standing beside her.
Andrina nodded. She gently smiled and replied, “It is. Terrific, isn’t it?”
“It’s so crowded! It’s as though everyone in the city has gathered here. How did Bryan accomplish this? How could he attract so many people here?” Phoebe softly cried out. “I don’t remember Bryan ever excelling in business. But how could he be so remarkable at it on Elysium?”
“It’s the medicines he produces that are remarkable!” Andrina explained, “In the City of Shadows, Bryan is known as a gifted pharmacist. Every large family clan in the city scrambles to get their hands on the medicines he personally refines. From the looks of it, I reckon he is putting his medicines on sale again!”
Having been around Han Shuo for some time, Andrina was able to deduce the fact after making a quick observation.
Anito who had been guarding at the entrance immediately invited Andrina inside upon sighting her.
“Follow me, we will look for Bryan.” Andrina nodded and led the party into the campus. The mortals from Profound Continent gasped and exclaimed in astonishment at the scenes they saw along the way. They did not expect that Han Shuo would actually be in possession of such an enormous business on Elysium!