New Times, New Hell

Chapter 136 - Extra: Ghosts of the Hungry Ghost Path (End)

After making small talk, Ghost Mother finally led Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que into her room while holding the little black pig.

Ghost Mother’s previous hut had been temporarily changed into a bungalow. In the room, she had built a large petri dish made of water and mud. The fleshed great year’s main body, which had a remaining width of only about three or four meters, was joyfully swimming to and fro in the petri dish.

As an organism, the fleshed great year was very special. Though it had gained a consciousness, because its true form was only a fungus, it wasn’t actually capable of autonomous thought. After being cut open, it only instinctively burrowed into the water and soil to continue growing.

For example, after Luofeng had built it a petri dish suitable for habitation – as per the experts’ suggestions – the great year completely gave up on escaping, deciding to happily continue growing instead.

There was also a laboratory that had been built last minute inside the room. The ghosts of a few biology experts had their heads lowered in discussion. Upon seeing Yu Zhengdu and them walk in, they hurriedly stood up and greeted, “Boss Shang, Boss Yu, you guys are here so early?”

Yu Zhengdu smiled while greeting them before scanning his surroundings. He apologetically said, “The environment now is a bit crude. Everyone has worked hard.”

“It’s alright. It’s not arduous,” the expert replied. “The construction speeds here are pretty fast. There’s still two months left before the official laboratory will be finished. We’ll be able to move over then.”

After deciding to start intensively farming the fleshed great year, Luofeng had hired a few biology research experts from the Underworld and sent them to conduct studies on the great year in the Hungry Ghost Path. At the same time, basic infrastructure construction was also proceeding in this area.

“As of now, we can confirm that the great year mainly relies on absorbing microorganisms from water and organic matter from soil for survival. Our current farming method can entirely guarantee the great year’s stable growth. However, the speed is still too slow……” The expert pulled up a few slides to show the two bosses while introducing, “Next, we have two main research goals. One is to confirm the great year’s growth mechanisms. The second is to find a way to speed up the great year’s growth……”

Yu Zhengdu reminded him while listening, “The most important thing is to guarantee a healthy and effective composition. We can’t lower the product quality just to mass produce and farm the great year.”

The expert nodded. “Understood.”

After gaining an understanding of the research progress regarding the great year, Ghost Mother of Xi Mountain then led Yu Zhengdu and Shang Que away from the island in the middle of the lake to check on how the other residents of the Hungry Ghost Path were doing.

“Currently, about a hundred residents of the Hungry Ghost Path have gained the opportunity to farm the great year. In order to more conveniently share their experiences, these hundred-some residents have all moved near here,” Ghost Mother introduced while walking along. The little black pig was in her arms; it kept kicking its feet around, but Ghost Mother couldn’t bear to set it down.

Though the natural environment of the Hungry Ghost Path wasn’t too great, and though the residents of the Hungry Ghost Path were mostly muddled – usually resting in the forests or wilderness – a majority of these hundred-some residents were the other ghost mothers. There were also a few nameless hungry ghosts. They had built simple huts in the surrounding area and were farming the great year under the guidance of the experts.

Aside from great year farming, Luofeng had also imported a few soup base ingredients from the mortal realm. These were mainly some vegetables and fungi that were suited to survive in the Hungry Ghost Path. Additionally, they had stationed professional teams there to direct the other hungry ghosts in drying and other easy processing methods necessary to turn the original ingredients into the normal soup bases. After passing an official food inspection, they would be added to the Fengdu Ghost Market app for sale.

As of now, due to the popularity of the fleshed lingzhi soup base, the other soup bases were selling quite well too.

“Is farming the great year actually doing anything to help reduce the bad karma of the Hungry Ghost Path?” Yu Zhengdu curiously asked Ghost Mother.

“Yes.” But the person who answered was Shang Que. He scanned their surroundings. “The sins of the Hungry Ghost Path are being reduced as we speak.”

In actuality, Yu Zhengdu could also see through the backend server of the Life and Death Accounts that the bad karma of the Hungry Ghost Path was in the middle of being reduced.

The daily cooking and reeducation classes had done their part too. During the battle at the peak of Impasse Mountain, not only had the hungry ghosts not wreaked havoc in the mortal realm, they had actually indirectly helped. This had reduced a lot of the bad karma for the hungry ghosts. Aside from Needlepoint-Throated Hungry Ghost, who had successfully rejoined the paths of reincarnation, there were also quite a lot of hungry ghosts whose reincarnation times had decreased from tens of thousands of years to thousands or even hundreds of years.

Though this number was still very big, for the hungry ghosts, they at least had something to look forward to. Additionally, they realized that they really could compensate for their sins through doing good things. This was a very effective form of promotion.

The subsequent soup base production continuously helped the entire Hungry Ghost Path. This was also the reason why Yu Zhengdu was adamant about not raising the price of the soup base. However, he didn’t have too clear of an understanding about the details behind this concept.

“There are two reasons,” Shang Que explained to him.

In the past, everyone in the Hungry Ghost Path had been a muddled mess. Day after day, not only would they not know to do good things, they also didn’t have the means or opportunities to do good things. Because of this, they could only make up for their sins through suffering and serving time. However, after Luofeng had started farming the great year and creating soup bases, these hungry ghosts had the opportunity to compensate through labor.

Labor was already a virtue. It could naturally compensate for sins.

Yu Zhengdu had a sudden epiphany. He summarized, “Just like how the prisoners in mortal realm prisons have to labor and make crafts too.”

Shang Que smiled. “That’s the idea.”

Criminals in the mortal realm weren’t allowed to just eat and stay in prison at no cost. They needed to participate in labor reform and make a few simple crafts or something to pay for their life in prison.

The work that the hungry ghosts needed to do now was similar to this.

“The second one is the effect of the soup bases,” Shang Que continued.

Good ingredients could improve the health of the consumer, especially if the ingredient was a fleshed great year. Used with the appropriate ratios, the medicinal effects could also be increased. This was technically indirectly helping those consuming the product.

Yu Zhengdu nodded. He clenched his hand into a fist. “We must definitely continue to ensure that our food is safe.”

Ghost Mother of Xi Mountain added from the side, “However, there are too many hungry ghosts in the Hungry Ghost Path. Currently, the total production for soup bases is only so large. There are still many ghosts waiting in line. This isn’t good for group unity.”

She was already speaking about stuff like group unity…… It seemed that Ghost Mother had done quite well in her socialism classes.

“That can’t be helped,” Yu Zhengdu explained. For starters, the sales volume for Fengdu Ghost Market’s soup bases was set in stone. They couldn’t infinitely increase production. Moreover, the environment of the Hungry Ghost Path was unique. Many ingredients couldn’t be brought in. Hungry ghosts also weren’t very intelligent; the quality and speed of production was limited. From a cost perspective, it also wasn’t beneficial to blindly increase the scale of production.

How could Ghost Mother of Xi Mountain not understand these concepts? Upon hearing them, she could only sigh. “Then we can only have everyone wait in line.”

Previously, her entire life had been spent on how to help her ghostly offspring compensate for their sins more quickly so they could reincarnate. Now, she finally had a way of doing so, but it was limited because of their environment. How could she not feel that this was a pity?

It could only be said that in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, karma and consequences were just like this. The Hungry Ghost Path’s existence naturally had its own rules.

“However, we can perhaps also learn from the prisons in the mortal realm,” Yu Zhengdu suddenly said.

Shang Que and the Ghost Mother of Xi Mountain turned to look at him.

Yu Zhengdu smiled and said, “It’s not easy growing things here. However, it should at least be doable to get some cloth dolls for the hungry ghosts to add eyes to, right?”

One of the most common types of labor that mortal prisoners did: glueing eyes onto cloth dolls.

Of course, this was only an alternative name. It was mainly used to refer to those pure forms of manual labor that didn’t require too much thought.

After hearing Yu Zhengdu’s introduction, Ghost Mother of Xi Mountain’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good idea.”

The hungry ghosts were all a muddled mess. Though they now had stimulation from phones and their minds were a bit clearer, they still couldn’t think about things too often. These simple and repetitive hand crafts were very suitable. Additionally, they weren’t limited by natural conditions.

Yu Zhengdu: “Have someone arrange for it later. As for the money earned from the hungry ghosts’ crafts……”

He turned around to discuss with Shang Que: “I think we shouldn’t consider these profits as part of our company’s. What if we set up a charity fund under the Hungry Ghost Path’s name to help those in need?”

Shang Que naturally listened to him. “Okay.”

There wasn’t much profit to be made from these hand crafts. The main purpose was still to help reduce the bad karma in the Hungry Ghost Path. Doing charity was undoubtedly the better method.

“Then we’ll use the money to support nutritional lunch plans for areas in poverty.” Yu Zhengdu snapped his fingers.

Shang Que: “……Okay.”

Making the hungry ghosts earn money to support a charity nutritional lunch plan…… Honestly a genius.

Thus, the plan was decided upon. The majority of the remaining hungry ghosts could choose to participate in manual craft labor to try and reduce their own sentences.

And, after they succeeded at large-scale farming the great year, they would be able to expand this throughout the entire Hungry Ghost Path. Luofeng and the pharmaceutical company had signed a long-term purchasing contract. By then, there would entirely be no need to worry about selling their products.

Ghost Mother of Xi Mountain was so excited that she couldn’t control herself – she almost revealed her true form on the spot. The little piglet kept squealing from how hard she was squeezing it. “Wonderful, wonderful. Perhaps I’ll be able to witness the Hungry Ghost Path being completely saved during my lifetime……”

Shang Que softly chuckled. “How could it be that easy?”

Humans were originally ghosts; ghosts were also humans.

Where there were people, there would be the complexity of human nature. There would be greed, hatred, and ignorance. These would create bad karma. Thus, as long as the Chaos Realm didn’t collapse and the mortal realm remained, the Hungry Ghost Path wouldn’t disappear.

However, as long as they continuously made progress and provided education, even the most terrible locations would slowly become better.

Yu Zhengdu lamented, “Which is why making progress is the absolute priority.”

Shang Que: “……” That’s the idea.

“Oh right, Leaders, I have a small request.” Ghost Mother of Xi Mountain finally set down the black piglet and cheerily scooted close. Her expression was extremely ingratiating.

Yu Zhengdu: “What’s wrong?”

Ghost Mother took out her phone from her pocket and pulled up her notes. “These are the recipes that I’ve diligently worked out over this past period of time. I heard that our company is currently helping a few authors on the Fengdu Forum publish their books, so I wanted to ask if you guys could help me publish a cookbook too……”

Yu Zhengdu’s expression instantly changed. He hadn’t forgotten the horror of previously being at the mercy of Ghost Mother’s dark cuisine yet.

Upon noticing his hesitation, Ghost Mother couldn’t help feeling aggrieved. “What? It’s not possible?”

“It’s possible, of course it’s possible!” Yu Zhengdu righteously said. “Send the cookbook to me. I’ll have the copyright department contact a publisher for you. If no publishing company is willing to publish it, we’ll pay for it to be published ourselves!”

Ghost Mother hadn’t thought that Yu Zhengdu would value her so much. She instantly teared up from how touched she felt, once again expressed how she would definitely remain loyal to the company in the future, etc.

Shang Que was extremely lost after watching this. He lowly asked Yu Zhengdu in confusion, “Why are you……?”

Yu Zhengdu bitterly said, “I can’t be the only one to suffer! I need to have the mortal realm experience what true dark cuisine is like!”

Shang Que: “……”

It was possible that this cookbook would increase the bad karma for the Hungry Ghost Path……