The sunset was a red hue setting over the east.
The sky was still bright, but everything seemed to be covered by a shade of gray. Overlooking the window, the mountains in the distance were gradually drawing towards a heavy black color.
The light in the living room was dim. Aunt and Uncle sat high in their chairs, their faces enveloped in shadow, their expressions hard to discern.
As he saw Fang Yuan carrying the two jars of wine, his Uncle Gu Yue Dong Tu's eyebrows twisted into a knot. He opened his mouth and spoke, "In the blink of an eye, you are both 15 years old now. Since you both have the talents of a Gu Master, especially Fang Zheng, your aunt and I are proud of the both of you. I will give you both 6 pieces of primeval stones, take it. Refining your Gu consumes a lot of primeval essence, so you'll need these primeval stones."
As he said this, some servants came over and passed Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng each a small bag.
Fang Yuan took his bag silently.
Fang Zheng immediately opened his bag and looked inside to see 6 pieces of oval shaped, greyish white primeval stones. His face lit up with gratitude at once and he stood up from his seat, facing his aunt and uncle. "Thank you Aunt and Uncle, your nephew does need primeval stones to replenish my primeval essence! You have both raised me until today, this gratitude is engraved into my heart, I shall not forget it forever!" @@novelbin@@
Uncle smiled and nodded. Aunt hurriedly waved her hands and said warmly, "Sit down, sit down! Although you both are not our children directly, we have always raised you as our own. You both are able to gain a future, and we are proud of that. Alas we do not have children of our own, and sometimes we thought that if you both could really become our children it would be the best."
Her words brought deep meaning. Fang Zheng did not understand it, but Fang Yuan frowned a little.
Uncle cut in and said, "I have discussed this with your aunt. We thought of adopting you both and become a genuine, real family. Fang Zheng, I wonder if you are willing?"
Fang Zheng was stunned for a second, but the look on his face quickly emerged a joyful smile and he said, "To be honest, every since both my parents died I have longed very much for a family of my own. To be able to become a family with Aunt and Uncle, this is too good to be true!"
Aunt's expression loosened and she laughed, "Then you are our good son, shouldn't you stop calling us Aunt and Uncle?"
"Father, mother." Fang Zheng in a state of realization changed his statement.
Aunt and Uncle laughed heartily. "What a good son, not a waste of us husband and wife to raise you since you were five years old. And we have raised you for ten whole years," Aunt wiped her tears.
Uncle looked at the silent Fang Yuan and said gently, "Fang Yuan, how about you?"
Fang Yuan shook his head without saying a word.
"Big brother." Gu Yue Fang Zheng was about to advise him, but Uncle, whose tone was unchanged, stopped him. "If that's the case, Fang Yuan my nephew, we won't force you. Since you are already 15 years old, you need to start being independent, this way you will also easily carry on your Fang bloodline. Uncle here has prepared 200 primeval stones for you as financial support."
"200 primeval stones!" Fang Zheng's eyes opened wide; he had never seen so many primeval stones in his life. He couldn't help but reveal a jealous expression.
But Fang Yuan still shook his head.
Fang Zheng was puzzled, while Uncle's expression changed slightly. Aunt's face had also turned cloudy.
"Aunt and Uncle. If there is nothing else, then your nephew will take his leave," Fang Yuan did not give them any chance to speak again. After he finished his sentence he took his wine jars and left the hall immediately.
Fang Zheng rose from his seat and said, "Father, Mother. Big brother is not thinking straight, how about you let me advise him?"
Uncle waved his hand and deliberately sighed, "Alas this matter cannot be forced. Since you have the heart, as your father I am already very content. Servants, take care of young master Fang Zheng treat him well. "
"Then your son will take his leave," Fang Zheng retreated, and the living room fell into silence.
The sun set below the mountain, and the living room became darker. In a while from the darkness Uncle's cold voice emerged. "Looks like this brat Fang Yuan has seen through our plot."
Among the regulations of the Gu Yue clan it was clearly stipulated that the eldest son at 16 years of age would have the qualifications to inherit the family property. Fang Yuan's parents had passed away, leaving behind a fortune. It was being 'taken care' of by Aunt and Uncle. This inheritance was not something a measly sum of 200 essence stones could compare to. If Fang Yuan had also agreed to be adopted by Aunt and Uncle, then he would lose the right to inherit this fortune. If Fang Yuan at this year's age of 15 decided to be independent, he would also not conform to the clan's regulations.
"Luckily we managed to win over Fang Zheng, and Fang Yuan only has C grade talent," Uncle heaved a sigh, feeling joyful.
"Then husband, if Fang Yuan decides to go independent at 16 years of age, what do we do?" Aunt's tone was hysterical as she thought about the inheritance.
"Hmph, since he is acting undisciplined, then he can't blame us. As long as we catch him committing a huge mistake before he leaves us and expel him from our family, it will be counted as snatching away his right to inherit the legacy," Uncle explained coldly.
"But the brat is very clever, how would he make a mistake?" Aunt asked, puzzled.
Uncle rolled his eyes immediately and whispered angrily, "You are really stupid! If he won't make a mistake, can't we frame him instead? Just let Shen Cui seduce Fang Yuan and scream assault, we catch him on the spot, fabricate a story about him acting wild while he was drunk. Surely we can expel Fang Yuan?"
"Husband you really have a way, what an ingenious plan!" Aunt was overjoyed at that moment.
The thick colors of the night covered the sky, and the stars that blanketed the sky were mostly covered away by floating dark clouds. Each of the households in the village gradually lit up with lights.
Gu Yue Fang Zheng was ushered into a room.
"Young master Fang Zheng, the old master personally had me tidy up this room specially for you," Mother Shen said with a hospitable tone. She bowed her waist, her face having a flattering smile.
Fang Zheng looked around with a glance, his eyes shining. This room was at least bigger by two times compared to his previous room. The middle of the room was a spacious bed; beside the window was a rosewood desk with a delicate set of ink and paper. The walls were decorated with exquisite ornaments, and beneath his feet was not an ordinary floor, but covered in a layer of soft handmade carpet.
From his childhood until now, Fang Zheng had never stayed in such a room. He immediately nodded his head continuously and said, "This is very good, it really isn't bad, thank you Mother Shen."
Mother Shen was Aunt and Uncle's most highly valued person; she was in charge of all the slaves in the house and was a housekeeper who lived up to her reputation. The girl Shen Cui who served Fang Yuan was her daughter.
Mother Shen laughed, "I am not deserving of young master's gratitude, it is my duty, my duty! Young master, do not hesitate to eat well and sleep well. Whatever you want, just shake the bell beside your bed, somebody will attend to you immediately. Old master has already instructed us, so in these few days please do put all your attention on cultivating, young master. Just leave all the other chores to us."
Fang Zheng felt a gush of gratitude in his heart. He did not say anything, but deep down inside he decided, this time I must get number one and not let Aunt and Uncle down!
The dark clouds in the sky were getting heavier, and the night was getting darker. In the night sky most of the stars were covered away by the clouds, leaving a few shining with faint light, blinking away in the sky.
"Aunt and Uncle must be plotting on how to expel me from the house right now. In my previous life they secretly instigated the servants to provoke me, and then framed me. Then they expelled me from the family; I wonder if there will be any changes in this life." Fang Yuan sneered in his heart as he walked along the streets.
He had long seen clearly the true colors of his Aunt and Uncle. But he could also understand it.
Men would throw away their lives in pursuit for wealth. No matter whether on Earth or in this world, there would always be many people who would be willing to trample over kinship, friendly and love for their own self-interests and benefits.
In fact kinship did not exist. In the beginning when Aunt and Uncle took in Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, their only purpose was to seek the heritage. It was just so that the two brothers were repeatedly unexpected.
"All things are difficult before they are easy. To me this is more so of the case. Firstly I do not have outstanding talent; secondly I do not have the care of a teacher. It is equivalent to raising a family from nothing, but with my parent's legacy it can be said to be a huge advantage for me. In my previous life Aunt and Uncle stole away the heritage, and because of that I had to waste two full years to be able to cultivate to Rank One peak stage. In this life I cannot afford to make the same mistake."
Fang Yuan pondered in his mind as he walked.
Instead of staying home, he held the two jars of wine and walked towards the outskirts of the village.
The night deepened and the dark clouds obscured the star light, the mountain breeze blew, growing stronger gradually.
The mountain rain was coming. But he still had to search; to get ahold of his parent's inheritance, he would need to wait until he was sixteen. And the Flower Wine Monk's treasure was the only thing that he could get his hands on in the short run.
There were not many people on the streets. The houses along the road showed a dim light. Some small rubbish and leaves were blown away by the wind, drifting about.
Fang Yuan's thin clothing could not stop the mountain wind, and he could not help but feel a cold chill. He simply opened the wine jar, drinking a small mouthful of wine. Although it was turbid wine, but after swallowing it he felt a warm feeling rising up.
This was the first time that he actually drank wine in these few days.
The further he walked out of the village, the lesser the houses beside the road, and the dimmer the lights became. In front of him it was even darker. The wind blew heavily against the mountain forest, the branches swaying in the night, making a whistling noise that sounded like a herd of beasts roaring.
Fang Yuan's pace did not slow down. He walked out of the huge entrance of the village and out into the darkness, going further as he walked. And behind him were the bright and brilliant lights of tens of thousands of houses. In these lights there was a warm corner.
The younger brother Fang Zheng was seated at his desk, reviewing the notes that he had taken down during class. The lights in the house were shining brightly, the and solid wall blocked away the cold winds. Beside his hand was a cup of warm ginseng tea, the steam rising up from the cup.
"Young master Fang Zheng, the hot bathing water has been prepared for you."
Outside the door, Shen Cui's voice softly floated through.
Fang Zheng's heart jolted. "Then bring it in please."
Shen Cui walked into the room with her waist bowed, her expression pleased.
"Your servant greets young master." Her eyes sent amorous glances at Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan was only a C grade talent, but Fang Zheng was an A grade talent! To be able to get ahold of him, is truly the biggest fortune!
-x-X-x-
Pitter patter...
Big, heavy raindrops fell to the earth, battering the roof of the verdant bamboo house, making brittle sounds.
The surface of the pond in front of the building was full of ripples as the rain fell, the fish in the water swimming lively around, the aquatic plants swaying about at the bottom of the pond. The sky was overcast; a thick rain curtain obscured the field of vision as far as the eye could see.
In the somewhat dim room the window was open, and Fang Yuan quietly watched the heavy rainfall, sighing.
"It has already been 3 days and 3 nights."
On the night 3 days ago he had walked out of the village with two jars of wine, searching around the surroundings. But when it was late into the night it started pouring rain. Put aside him being drenched to the bones, the main point was that in the situation he could not go about searching anymore.
The rainwater would quickly wash away the wine fragrance. At the same time if he forced himself to search under such conditions, it might arouse suspicions. Although previously he pretended to become a depressed drunken person to cover up his real motives, but he knew never to underestimate the intelligence of others around him. Only a fool would think others were stupid.
Thus under this helplessness, Fang Yuan could only stop his search.
Not too mention that the moment it started raining, the rain had went on continuously. Sometimes it became heavier and sometimes lighter, but it never stopped. @@novelbin@@
"I guess in this way, I won't be able to find the Liquor worm for a short period of time. To be safe I can only choose to start refining the Moonlight Gu. While I refine it, if I can find the Liquor worm during the process it would be the best, but if I can't then this would have to do. But this matter is very common; a storm may arise from a clear sky, something unexpected may happen anytime. In this world who can do everything without obstacles in his way, having a perfect journey?"
Fang Yuan's thoughts were very calm; his 500 years of experience had long washed away the impulsiveness that he rarely had in the first place.
He closed the door and window and sat cross-legged on his bed. He closed his eyes slowly and after breathing a few times, he calmed his state of mind.
In the next moment the vision of his primeval aperture appeared in his mind. The aperture may be positioned inside his body but it was mysteriously unusual, limitlessly big and yet infinitely small. The outer layer of the aperture was a layer of light. The white light gave a thin impression, but it still supported the aperture well.
In the aperture was a sea of primeval essence. The seawater was a green copper color, the surface of the sea clear and calm as a mirror. The water level was about half the height of the aperture. The entire volume of the sea occupied 44% of the aperture.
This was the green copper primeval sea of a Rank one Gu Master, and every drop of seawater was primeval essence. It was Fang Yuan's life elementary force and the condensation of his essence, vitality and soul.
Every drop of primeval essence was precious, because it was the root of a Gu Master, and was the source of power. Gu Masters need to rely on primeval essence to refine and use Gu.
As he retreated his mind from the primeval sea, Fang Yuan opened his eyes retrieved the Moonlight Gu. The Moonlight Gu quietly sat in the middle of his palm, resembling a curved blue moon, small and crystalline.
With a simple thought, the primeval sea in his aperture tumbled and a jet of primeval essence broke from the sea surface and transferred out of the body, finally rushing into the Moonlight Gu. The Moonlight Gu suddenly radiated fiercely in blue light, slightly trembling in Fang Yuan's palm, resisting the influx of primeval essence.
Gu are the essence of heaven and earth, carrying the secrets of the world, the bearers of the law of nature. They are living creatures that live freely under the sky, each born with a will of its own. Right now with Fang Yuan trying to refine it, it would mean wiping out its will. Feeling the danger looming, the Moonlight Gu naturally resisted.
The process of refining is a very difficult one.
The Moonlight Gu was like a curved crescent moon. As the green copper primeval essence poured into the crescent, the two pointed ends of the crescent turned green. Slowly this green copper essence began to spread to the middle of the crescent moon.
In less than three minutes, Fang Yuan's face had become pale. A huge volume of primeval essence continuously poured into the Moonlight Gu, making him feel a weakness that rapidly attacked his heart.
1%, 2%, 3%... 8%, 9%, 10%.
Ten minutes later, Fang Yuan's primeval sea had used away 10% of primeval essence. Yet on the blue crystalline Moonlight Gu's surface, the points of green copper essence on the two tips of the crescent only expanded a tiny little area towards the center.
The resistance of the Moonlight Gu was immensely strong. Fortunately Fang Yuan had anticipated this earlier and did not feel surprised. He persisted and poured in more essence into the Moonlight Gu.
1%, 2%, 3%...
After another twenty minutes, the primeval sea in Fang Yuan's body was only left with 14%. The green copper essence on the Moonlight Gu had expanded slightly, the two tips of green essence adding up together covering the surface of the Moonlight Gu by about 1/12. The rest of the Moonlight Gu's surface was still the original color of light blue.
"Refining a Gu is so hard," Fang Yuan sighed as he looked at it. He broke the influx of primeval essence, stopping the refining process.
Up until now, he had been refining for half an hour, the primeval sea in his aperture consumed over more than half, with only 14% of primeval essence left. And the Moonlight Gu was only refined by 1/12 of it.
To make matters worse the Moonlight Gu was still emitting its faint blue halo. Even though Fang Yuan had stopped refining, the Moonlight Gu did not stop resisting; it was still driving out Fang Yuan's green coppery primeval essence.
Fang Yuan could clearly feel that the primeval essence that he poured into the Moonlight Gu was being pushed out, bit by bit by the Moonlight Gu out of its body. On its surface, the green copper essence at the two tips of the moon crescent was slowly shrinking.
Based on this speed of reduction, in about six hours later the Moonlight Gu would be able to completely expel all of Fang Yuan's primeval essence. At that time when he needed to refine this Gu it would make no difference from starting over again.
"Every time when refining Gu, it is just like a fight between two armies, a battle of positional warfare, or war of attrition. Even though I refined 1/12 of the Gu, I wasted three quarters of my primeval essence. When refining Gu, a Gu Master has to replenish his primeval sea while continuously engaging the refinement process, consolidating his victory. The refinement of a Guis a test of one's skill in shifting his primeval essence and the patience of an enduring battle."
Fang Yuan took out a piece of primeval stone from his moneybag as he pondered.
A Gu Master had two ways to replenish the consumed primeval essence. The first way was natural recovery. After a period of time the primeval sea would naturally replenish the primeval essence. In the case of a C grade talent like Fang Yuan, it would take about one hour to replenish 4% of primeval essence. In six hours it could recover 24% points of the total quantity primeval essence.
The second way was to absorb the natural essence directly from a primeval stone.
The primeval stone is a treasure from nature itself. As condensed natural primeval essence, while absorbing it the water level of the primeval sea was rising with a continuous speed that could be seen with the naked eye.
After about half an hour the primeval sea had been replenished back to its original volume of 44%. At this level the rising water level of the sea stopped abruptly. Even though there was still space inside the aperture, Fang Yuan could not store any more primeval essence. This was the limit of his C grade talent.
Thus from here one can see the significance of the grade of one's cultivation talent. The higher the talent, the more primeval essence the aperture can hold, and the faster the natural recovery of the primeval essence will be.
In Fang Yuan's case to refine a Gu and solidify his results, he would have to absorb primeval stones because his primeval essence natural recovery rate cannot defeat the rate of the Moonlight Gu expelling it out.
However in the case of the A grade talent Fang Zheng, he could replenish 8% of primeval essence every hour. In six hours he would recover 48% of primeval essence, and in the same time frame the Moonlight Gu could only expel away 3% points of primeval essence. Fang Zheng did not require the external help of a primeval stone. He could go on refining with a few rests in the process and successfully refine the Moonlight Gu in a few days.
That was why Fang Yuan knew from the beginning that in this test, to refine the Moonlight Gu he never had the chance to obtain the first position. It had nothing to do with a person's actual strength, as the first factor was the grade of talent.
The second factor would be primeval stones. If there was an abundance of primeval stones, without hesitation to consume, a B grade talent could also surpass an A grade talent and obtain the first position.
"In my hands are six pieces of primeval stones. I cannot compare to Gu Yue Mo Bei or Gu Yue Chi Chen, these kinds of people who have their elder family members supporting them from behind. My talent is on C grade, and cannot be compared to Fang Zheng who has an A grade talent. I never had a chance of winning in this test. Why not divert my energy and go look for the Liquor worm? If I can make the Liquor Worm into my vital Gu it would be so much better than the Moonlight Gu. Hmm? The sound of rain outside the window has gotten lighter, there seems to be a sign of ceasing. The rain has been ongoing for three days and three nights, it should be time it stopped."
Fang Yuan kept the Moonlight Gu and got down from his bed. As he was about to open the window, there was a knock on the door.
Outside the door came his servant Shen Cui's voice, "Young master Fang Yuan, its me. It has been raining straight for three days, so I brought you some food and wine. Young master can eat and drink and ease some depressed feelings."
-x-X-x-
Fang Yuan looked at the sky. The rain had stopped and it was nearing evening. He could simply eat in the lobby and set out straight for the outskirts of the village when he was done, continuing his search for the treasure of the Flower Wine Monk. Thus he replied, "I'll eat in the hall."
The inn had a dining hall; there were a dozen square tables, four long benches surrounded each table. In between the tables were huge and thick pillars that were supporting the inn. The floor was covered with big tiles of marble, but it was wet; it was hard to conceal the moisture of the mountain.
There were 3 tables seated with people. Seated by the window, an old man was drinking wine, gazing outside at the sunset, being all alone. In the middle of the cafeteria was a table seated with 5-6 hunters. They were discussing about their hunting experiences in loud voices, and at their feet were a pile of different kinds of mountain prey, like pheasants and hares.
In another corner was a table with 2 young people, seemingly discussing in secret. Their figures were hidden in the darkness, it was hard to see them, and harder to know their gender.
Fang Yuan decided to sit by the table nearest to the door. Soon after, the dishes were served on the table.
"With my C grade talent, to refine the Moonlight Gu I would need to borrow primeval stones. If my luck is good and this Moonlight Gu does not have a strong will, I would only need 5 pieces. But if it is stubborn that I'd be in trouble, probably need around at least 8 pieces."
Gu are living creatures, so it is natural for them to have the will to survive.
Some have a strong will and would always resist the refinement process; some Gu have weak will, all throughout refining they helplessly surrender; once there was no resisting, the refining process would become relaxing.
"Right now I only have 6 primeval stones on me, but I gave 2 to the innkeeper so I'm left with 4 pieces. There's not enough."
In this world primeval stones are the local currency, and the buying power is very strong. A normal family of three would spend at most 1 piece of essence stone in a month. But when it came to a Gu Master, the consumption of primeval stones was greater. Take Fang Yuan for example; just by refining Gu alone he would need an average of 7 primeval stones or so. And this is just on a Moonlight Gu, if he really did find the Liquor worm, just to refine it with Fang Yuan's grade talent, he would need at least a dozen more!
"In other words, right now my situation is – Even if I find the Liquor worm, I don't necessarily have the primeval stones to refine it. However I still need to search around, because there is a huge possibility that the Flower Wine Monk's treasure has a huge abundance of primeval stones."
This was not a difficult deduction. The Flower Wine Monk was a Rank five Gu Master after all. For such a famous strong warrior of the Demonic Faction, how could he not have primeval stones, which are the must-have item in a Gu Master's cultivation?
****
(1) Power play – tactics exhibiting or intended to increase a person's power or influence
****
"Right now everything comes down to the Flower Wine Monk's treasure. If I can find it, all my problems will be solved. If I don't find it, all these issues will greatly slow down my speed of cultivation. If that happens I'll lose out to people at my age in cultivating. I don't understand! I've spent more than a week trying to attract the Liquor worm to appear, why do I still not see it?"
Fang Yuan frowned and racked his brains. It was like putting food into his mouth, but still not knowing how it tasted (1).
Suddenly there was a loud noise, interrupting his thoughts. Fang Yuan looked at the direction of the sound, realizing that the 6 hunters seated around the table at the middle of the hall were heavily drunk. The atmosphere around them was fiery and their faces were all red.
"Brother Zhang, come, drink another cup!"
"Old brother Feng, we brothers admire your abilities! You took down a black skinned wild boar alone, what a man! This cup of wine you must drink, or else you'll be disrespecting us!"
"Thank you brothers for your sincerity, but I really can't drink anymore."
"Brother Feng can't drink anymore, perhaps you dislike this wine because it's not good enough? Waiter, come over! Give me some good wine!"
The noise was becoming louder; it was obvious that the group had drunk a lot. The waiter hurriedly went over and said, "Well good sirs, we do have good wine, but it is quite expensive."
"What, you're afraid we won't pay up?!" When the hunters heard the waiter, quite a few of them stood up and stared at the waiter. They were either big and tall or thick and burly in stature, capable and vigorous in a threatening manner, each having the courage that mountain men possessed.
The waiter quickly said, "I would not dare to look down on you brave men, it's just that these wine is really expensive, one jar costs 2 pieces of primeval stones!"
The hunters were stunned. 2 primeval stones was definitely not cheap – It was the sum of 2 months of the normal average household monthly expenses. Even though hunters earn more from hunting when compared to ordinary mortals, like how some times a black skinned wild pig could be worth half a primeval stone. However hunting was risky and a mistake could turn the hunter into prey.
To the hunters, using 2 primeval stones just to drink a jar of wine was just not worth it.
"Is there really such an expensive wine?"
"Boy, you aren't trying to lie to us right?"
The hunters were shouting about, but their voices felt a little timid, unable to back out of the situation with grace. The waiter kept telling them he wouldn't dare.
The hunter called brother Feng saw that the scene was not right, and he hurriedly said, "My brothers, let's not spend anymore. I can't drink anymore, let us drink this wine another day."
"What, you can't say that brother!"
"This is..."
The rest of the hunters were still shouting, but their voices started to fade away. One by one they sat back in their seats. The waiter was also a shrewd person. When he saw this, he knew that he was not able to sell the wine any more. However this situation hardly surprised him. As he was about to retreat, a young man's voice came from the table at the dark corner. "Hehe, hilarious. Each one of them blindly shouting for nothing. If you can't afford to buy wine, you should just obediently keep your mouths shut and go to the side!"
When the hunters heard this, one of them immediately retorted in anger, "Who said we can't afford it? Waiter, bring over that jar of wine, I'll give you the stones, two pieces of it!"
"Oh, give me a moment sir, I'll get it!" The waiter did not expect such a turn of events. He hurriedly replied and turned to grab a wine jar and brought it over. This wine jar was as big as the common jar of wine, but the moment it was uncorked, in that very instant a refreshing and mellow fragrance filled the entire cafeteria. Even the old man sitting alone at the window could not help but turn his head over when he smelled the wine aroma, and he gazed at the jar of wine.
It was definitely good wine.
"Dear guests, its not bragging. This is the green bamboo wine; the entire village only has one inn, which is us. Smell the fragrance!" The waiter inhaled deeply as he said this, his facial expression full of satisfaction and enjoyment.
Fang Yuan was moved. This inn waiter was really not boasting.
In the Gu Yue Village there were 3 taverns. The wine sold there were the common rice wine, muddy wine and other similar common wine. In order for Fang Yuan to attract the Liquor worm, he continuously bought wine for 7 days; it was naturally that he was aware of the prices.
Several of the hunters looked at the wine jar before them. They were consumed by alcohol addiction. Each of them twitched their noses and swallowed. As for the hunter who bought the wine in a moment of anger, his expression was even more interesting; a layer of remorse and anger appeared on his face.
After all this jar of wine was the value of two primeval stones!
"I was too rash and bought the wine by impulse. This waiter is not too typical. He immediately brought the wine, now the cork is unsealed. Even if I want to return the goods it is too late."
The more the hunter pondered, the more distressed he felt. He wanted to return it back, yet he was unable to do so in fear of being humiliated. At last he could only bang on the table and said with a strong smile, "Damn, this wine is good! Brothers please, drink all you want. Today this wine is on me!"
At this moment the young man at the table in the corner hissed, "How is this small jar of wine enough for six? If you have the guts then go buy a few more jars."
The hunter was furious when he heard this and stood up in a rage, his eyes fixed on the young man who spoke. "Brat, you sure have a lot of words. Come, stand up and fight me!"
"Oh? Then I will stand up." The young man got up from his seat as he heard the hunter's remark, grinning as he walked out from the shadows. His body figure was tall and thin, his skin pale. He was dressed in navy battle robes, and looked clean and neat. His head wore a blue headband; his upper body had a jacket that showed his thin and weak shoulders. The lower body had long pants, the feet were covered in bamboo sandals and the calves were tied.
The most important thing about him was the green belt on his waist. The middle of the belt was a shiny piece of copper; on the copper plate was a black "One" word.
"It's a Rank One Gu Master?!" The hunter clearly understood what this manner of clothing represented. He drew in a deep breath, the anger on his face dissipating, replaced by alarm.
He had never imagined that he actually provoked a Gu Master!
"Didn't you want to fight me? Come on then, hit me." The young Gu Master walked slowly towards the man, a playful smile on his face. But the hunter who had challenged him earlier had become frozen like a sculpture, unable to move from his spot.
"Maybe you guys can all come at me together, that works too." The young Gu Master slowly walked to the hunter's table, casually speaking.
The expressions on their faces had changed. Some of the hunters who had drunken red faces had gone pale suddenly. Each of their foreheads was drenched in cold sweat, and they felt restless, too afraid to even breathe heavily.
The young Gu Master stretched out a hand, picking up the green bamboo wine jar. He put it under his nose and sniffed, smiling. He said, "It sure smells good..."
"If my lord likes it, then please feel free to take and drink it. It is an apology from me for offending my lord," the hunter who provoked him earlier hurriedly replied and cupped his hands together before his chest, pushing a smile to his face.
Unexpectedly the young man's facial expression changed fiercely; with a loud crack the jar fell into pieces on the ground. The Gu Master looked cold as ice, his gaze sharp like a sword. He hissed angrily, "You think you have the right to apologize to me? You bunch of hunters must be really rich, even richer than me, since you guys spent 2 primeval stones to drink wine?! Do you have any idea, how upset I am over primeval stones right now! You actually dare to show off your wealth in front of me at this time! You mortals can even compare to me?!"
"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare!"
"To offend my lord, it is a heinous crime!"
"We mortals did not mean to offend you, these are our primeval stones, please accept lord Gu Master."
The hunters quickly got on their feet and took out the primeval stones they had. But how could these mortals have money, all they pulled out was just bits and fragments of primeval stones, the biggest fragment piece was no bigger than a quarter of a primeval stone.
The Gu Master did not accept these primeval stones, but he did not stop sneering. He used his hawk-like gaze and swept past the entire cafeteria. The hunters that he scanned over lowered their heads. The old man who sat at the window watching the scene also quickly turned his head to avoid the Gu Master's gaze.
Only Fang Yuan watched quietly, void of hesitation.
The clothing that this young Gu Master was wearing was the uniform that only formal Gu Masters could wear, so Fang Yuan was not qualified to wear it. Fang Yuan would only receive it from the clan after he graduated from the academy.
The word 'One' on the copper piece on the belt of the young Gu Master was to indicate his position as a Rank one Gu Master. However he was already around 20 years or so, and the aura of primeval essence that his body emitted seemed to indicate that he was Rank one upper stage.
Starting cultivation at 15 years of age and only reaching Rank one upper stage at around 20 years of age, this showed that the young Gu Master was only of D grade talent, which was a grade worse than Fang Yuan. There was a high possibility that this man was only a logistics Gu Master, not even counted as a battle Gu Master.
However even if that was the case, when facing these six brawny hunters it was more than sufficient.
This was the gap of power between a Gu Master and a mortal human.
"With power, one can be at the top. This is the nature of this world. No, actually any world is also the same, the big fish eats the small fish and the small fish eats the shrimp. It's just that this world shows it even more openly," Fang Yuan mused secretly.
"Alright Jiang Ya, you already taught them a lesson. Let's not further embarrass these mortals. If it gets out, even if you are not embarrassed, I would be," the other young person sitting in the corner voiced out.
When everyone heard the voice speak, they realized that this young person was a woman.
The young Gu Master called Jiang Ya stopped sneering as his female companion chided him. He did not even bother looking at the fragments of primeval stones that the hunters had taken out; these stones were not even the sum of two primeval stones, he was definitely not interested in it.
He flicked his sleeve and walked back to his original table. As he strode back he said maliciously, "If you think you have the guts to continue drinking, then go and drink green bamboo wine. I want to see, who still dares to drink this wine?"
The hunters all lowered their heads, acting like six obedient sons after being scolded.
The strong aroma of wine filled the entire cafeteria. The hunter who bought the wine felt his heart aching as he smelled the fragrance. After all he had spent 2 primeval stones on this wine, yet he never got to drink even one mouthful!
Fang Yuan put down his chopsticks; he had eaten enough. As he sniffed in the wine aroma his eyes flashed for a moment, then he took out 2 primeval stones and put them on the table. "Waiter, give me a jar of green bamboo wine," he said indifferently.
The whole scene froze.
The young Gu Master called Jiang Ya instantly stopped in his footsteps. The corners of his mouth twitched and he exhaled. He had just finished his warning, yet right after he was done Fang Yuan wanted the wine. This was like specially stepping over him and slapping him in the face. @@novelbin@@
He turned around and narrowed his eyes, shooting a cold glare at Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan calmly stared back, his face indifferent and void of fear.
Jiang Ya's eyes flashed and the coldness in his gaze slowly disappeared; he felt the aura of primeval essence on Fang Yuan's body. After realizing Fang Yuan's identity, he lit up with a smile and said warmly, "Ah, it's a junior brother."
Everyone else came to the realization and the looks they shot at Fang Yuan changed.
No wonder this young teenager was not one bit afraid of a Gu Master, it was because he was also one. Even though he was still attending the academy, his position was already different.
"Lord Gu Master, your wine!" The waiter scurried over, smiling all over his face. Fang Yuan nodded at the young Gu Master and took and jar of wine and walked out of the inn.
****
(1) It means that he is putting in effort, yet he cannot see the results.
****
Around 300 years ago, an incredible genius appeared in the Gu Yue Clan. He was very talented and had already cultivated to the point of a Rank five Gu Master at a young age, and even had the possibility of going further. He was famous throughout Qing Mao Mountain, had a bright future and was the pinnacle of hope and responsibility in the clan's eyes.
In the history of the Gu Yue clan, everyone spoke of him the most – the fourth clan head.
Unfortunately he sacrificed himself to protect his people and fought the equally powerful Rank five Gu Master, the demonic Flower Wine Monk. Even though he defeated the Flower Wine Monk after a fierce battle, he let the devil get on his knees and beg for mercy.
In the end he was careless and got caught by the Flower Wine Monk's sneak attack. The fourth head angrily executed the Flower Wine Monk, but due to his own heavy injuries he died an untimely death.
This tragic incident had long since circulated until today, becoming a popular story among the Gu Yue clan. However Fang Yuan knew that this story was not to be believed, because it had a very large loophole.
In his previous life, a month later from now, a drunken Gu Master who had been rejected by his lover lay down outside the village, so drunk he was like a fish. In the end because of the overflowing smell of wine, it ended up attracting a Liquor worm.
The Gu Master chased after the Liquor worm and found the remains of the Flower Wine Monk in a secret underground cave, also finding the Flower Wine Monk's inheritance. This Gu Master quickly hurried back to the clan and told them of the matter, causing a huge stir.
As the storm gradually subsided he also gained benefit from it – He obtained the Liquor worm, his cultivation increased, the girl friend who once abandoned him went back to his side and he became the talk of the village for a while.
When stories are passed down generation by generation, it is normal to change along the way. But in Fang Yuan's memories, the story of the Gu Master discovering the treasure seemed quite authentic, yet he had a feeling that the story was hiding other truths.
"I was not aware of it at first, but in these few days while I searched and analyzed on the side, I feel that something feels out of place." The night grew dark, and as Fang Yuan walked in the bamboo forest that grew around the village, he reviewed through the clues he had so far in his head.
"If I put myself in his shoes and think about it, when I discover the Flower Wine Monk's treasure why would I not take it all for myself, but go and notify the clan instead? Don't even mention sense of clan honor, everyone has greed in their hearts. What is it that would make that Gu Master betray the greediness in his heart, even going as far as to be willing to abandon all interest and profit, and report this finding to the clan's top brass?"
The truth is always hidden inside the fog of history. Fang Yuan racked his brains but he could not get the result. After all the clues he had were too few. The only two clues he had could easily be true or false, so it could not be fully relied upon.
Fang Yuan could not help but think of himself. "No matter what, after buying this jar of green bamboo wine I only have 2 primeval stones left on me. If I can't find the treasure then I'll be in grave trouble. Today shall be considered the final gamble, it's all or nothing!"
However he didn't have enough primeval stones to refine a Gu worm in the first place. So why not invest it in this wine and increase the chances of success?
If it were in the case of other people, most of them would probably play it safe and save up the primeval stones. But in the case of Fang Yuan, the efficiency of doing so was too low. He would rather take the risk and gamble.
You see, the people of the Demonic Faction love to take risks.
Right now, the night grew thicker, the spring moon shaped like a bow. Clouds obscured the moonlight, as if coating the crescent moon with a thin sheet of gossamer.
Because it just finished raining continuously for three days and three nights, the turbid energy between the mountains had been washed away clean, leaving behind the purest of freshness. This fresh air was pure like a piece of white paper, and was more effective in spreading the wine aroma around. That was the first reason why Fang Yuan was full of confidence tonight.
The previous seven days of searching was not without gain. At least it proved that the Flower Wine Monk did not die in those places. This was the second reason for Fang Yuan's confidence.
In the bamboo forest the grass was luxuriant, the white flowers endless and the green spear bamboo straight like a pencil, the forest resembling a clump of jade rods.
Fang Yuan opened the jar seal, releasing a thick wine aroma instantly. Green bamboo wine could be said as the Gu Yue Village's number one wine. This was the third reason for Fang Yuan's confidence tonight.
"With these three big reasons gathering together, if I want to succeed it has to be tonight!" Fang Yuan cheered in his heart as he slowly tilted the wine jar, pouring a small stream of wine, dripping it onto a stone. If those bunch of hunters saw this sight, they would have probably become insanely distressed. This wine is worth 2 whole primeval stones after all...
But Fang Yuan was indifferent.
The fragrant aroma quickly spread out into the night. The breeze was gentle, the faint aroma floating about and contaminating the bamboo forest. Fang Yuan stood at his spot, smelling the aroma. He waited for a while, yet he did not see any movement.
All he heard was a nightingale crying in the near distance, its sound like a string of bells. His gaze was silent. He did not feel surprised, and he moved away, walking to a spot a few hundred meters away.
In this place he did the same, pouring out a few drips of wine and waiting at the spot.
He did the same thing over and over again, moving away to a few other different locations, dripping wine a few times. After all that the green bamboo wine in the jar was only left with a bit.
"This is the last time," Fang Yuan sighed. He tipped the wine jar over, the bottom facing the sky. All the remaining wine left in the jar flowed out. The wine sprinkled over the grass, letting the green grass sway about. The wild flowers were stained with wine, slightly lowering their heads. @@novelbin@@
Fang Yuan stood with the last shred of hope in his bosom, and gazed around.
Right now the night was already very deep. A thick cloud had obscured the moonlight. The dark shadows were like a curtain, covering the bamboo grove. It was deadly silent all around, each strand of green spear bamboo standing alone, leaving a trail of lines that were straight up and down in Fang Yuan's pupils.
He quietly stood at the spot, listening to his own clear breathing. Then he felt the small hope that he carried in his chest, slowly dissipating away, becoming nothing.
"It failed after all." His heart muttered, "Today I had three great advantages gathered together, yet I still failed, not even seeing the shadow of the Liquor worm. This means that in future the rate of success will be lower. Right now I only have two primeval stones left, and I still need to refine the Moonlight Gu. I can't risk it anymore."
The end result of taking a risk was often unsatisfactory. But when the result was ideal, the profit would be impressive. Fang Yuan liked taking risks, but he was not a gambling addict, and he was not someone who was bent on gambling back what he lost. He had his own limit, he was clear about his own capabilities.
Right now, the five hundred years of life experience was telling him, it was time to stop.
Sometimes life was like this. Often it was that there was that one goal that seemed so perfect, filled with temptation. It seemed so near yet with so many twists and turns, the goal was constantly unfulfilled. It made people restless, thinking about it night and day.
"This is the helplessness of life, but it's also the charm of living," Fang Yuan laughed bitterly, turning to walk away.
It was at this moment.
A gust of wind blew, like a gentle arm, lightly brushing away the clouds in the night sky. The clouds floated away to reveal the hidden moon. The crescent shaped moon hanging in the sky was like a white jade lamp, pouring moonlight that was clear as water down onto the earth. The moonlight spilled over the bamboo forest, spilled onto the mountain rock, bathing onto the rivers and streams in the mountain, shedding onto Fang Yuan's body.
Fang Yuan was dressed in plain clothing; under the gentle touch of the moonlight, his young face became fairer. The darkness seemed to fade away in a flash, and taking its place was a field of snowy frost flowers. As if it was infected by the moonlight, the nightingale began to sing once more, but this time it was not just one, but many. Scattered among the bamboo grove, they all tweeted in response.
At the same time, a type of insect that inhabited huge mountains, the Dragonpill crickets that were active under moonlight started singing a rustling song of life. They were critters that only came out in the night. Their bodies emitted faint red light; at this moment they jumped out in droves, each of their bodies flashing with the brilliance of a red agate.
At first glance, Fang Yuan thought that these Dragonpill crickets were like jets of crimson water bouncing about, landing on the green grass and wild flowers, prancing under the moonlight in the bamboo grove.
The bamboo forest was like a conscious pond, under the moonlight the green jade colors of the spear bamboo flashed in the brilliance of light and smooth jade. The enchanting sight of the dense trees and bright flowers in spring, Mother Nature was showing Fang Yuan her immense beauty at this moment.
Fang Yuan unconsciously stopped in his footsteps, feeling as if he was in a heavenly land. He was already about to depart, but at this moment he subconsciously looked around.
The clump of wild flowers and grass that he had poured the last dredges of wine over trembled gently in the wind, remaining empty. Fang Yuan laughed at himself and took back his line of sight.
However.
Unexpectedly in the process of turning away, he saw a dot of white snow.
This bead of snow was glued to a spear bamboo pole not far away. Under the moonlight it was like a suspended round pearl.
Fang Yuan's two pupils expanded fiercely, his body trembling slightly. His heart dropped and started pumping faster each second.
It was the Liquor worm!
-x-X-x-
The Liquor worm was shaped like a silkworm, its entire body giving out pearl white light. It was a little chubby and had a cute appearance.
The Liquor worm fed on wine and could fly. When it flew around, it would curl up into a ball, and its speed was very fast. Even though it was only a Rank one Gu, but it was worth even more than a few Rank two Gu.
To make it into one's vital Gu was way more beneficial than the Moonlight Gu.
Right now the Liquor worm was glued to a bamboo pole merely 50-60 steps away from Fang Yuan. He held his breath, not closing in rashly, but slowly walking backwards.
He knew his distance was very near, but to really catch a Liquor worm directly it was an incredibly difficult task for a Gu Master who just opened the primeval aperture like him. You could say, there was totally no hope of success.
Fang Yuan's was unable to see the Liquor worm clearly, but in the darkness he could feel the Liquor worm directing its vigilance at him. He slowly backed away gently, trying his best not to disturb the Liquor worm.
He knew that if the Liquor worm was to fly away, he could never catch up with his own speed. He needed to wait until the Liquor worm drank until it was drunk, and then with its flying speed slowed down he would have a chance to catch it.
Seeing Fang Yuan retreated further away, the Liquor worm crawling on the bamboo pole stirred. The strong aroma of wine before it was so tempting, so attracting, making the worm lost in a reverie. If it had saliva, it would have long been drooling a pool of saliva around it.
But the Liquor worm was incredibly wary and vigilant. Only after Fang Yuan retreated 200 steps back did it shrink a little and bounced into the air. When it fluttered high in the air, its body curled up into a ball, looking like a small and white rice dumpling. The little dumpling swept across the air in a round arc, floating down onto the grass that was sprinkled with green bamboo wine earlier.
With delicious food right before its eyes, the Liquor worm dropped its guard. It impatiently climbed onto a flower bud filled with some wine and popped its little head in, only leaving a chubby tail on the outside.
The Liquor worm was ravenous, and the green bamboo wine was so delicious. It opened its mouth wide and inhaled, very quickly lost in the deliciousness of its food, totally forgetting about Fang Yuan.
At this moment, Fang Yuan started to approach cautiously. He could see the tail of the Liquor worm outside the flower bud. This tail was just like a silkworm's tail, chubby and rounded. The light it emitted made people think of a pearl.
At first the Liquor worm's tail was hanging outside, unmoving. Then after a while this tail started to curl upwards, showing that it was drinking really happily. At the end when Fang Yuan was only ten steps away, its tail started wagging and swinging with a cheerful rhythm.
It was totally drunk!
Seeing this made Fang Yuan nearly laugh out. He did not continue walking forward, but patiently waited. If he rushed over right now he would definitely have a huge chance on catching the Liquor worm, but Fang Yuan's intention was to have this Liquor worm guide him to the Flower Wine Monk's remains.
In a moment the Liquor worm withdrew from the flower bud. Its body was fatter and its head swayed about, resembling a drunken man. Unexpectedly it did not realize Fang Yuan's presence. It climbed up onto another bright yellow flower and perched on the stamen, feeding heartily on the wine droplets there.
This time after it had finished drinking, it finally felt full. Its body slowly shrank into a round ball and slowly flew up. When it was 1.5 meters above the ground, it leisurely flew in the direction of the deeper part of the bamboo forest.
Fang Yuan quickly followed after its trail.
The Liquor worm was already heavily drunk, making it fly slower by half of its usual speed. Even though this was the case, Fang Yuan still had to run with all his might to follow after its shadow.
The night was washing past his vision as the young teenager ran in the bamboo forest, chasing after a small bead of snow not far ahead.
The moonlight was gentle, the breeze slow and steady. In the bamboo forest that was like a clear pond, the stalks of green spear bamboo flashed past before his eyes, quickly falling behind him. The ground was a green carpet of grass, riddled with blossoming wild flowers. There were small stones with moss growing, and the yellow shoots of bamboo.
Fang Yuan's faint shadow was also speeding ahead on the ground, passing through the shadows that each stalk of bamboo cast on the earth like a black line. He tightly kept his sight on the bead of snow, gulping in huge amounts of fresh mountain air, ordering his legs to catch up in the midst of faint wine aroma in the air.
Because of his speed, the moonlight looked like water to his eyes. Light and shadow moved frequently, like he was galloping in water filled with seaweed.
The Liquor worm flew out of the bamboo forest, and so did Fang Yuan. A sea of white flowers with a yellow spot in the middle borrowed the wind from his feet, scattering their petals. A group of Dragonpill crickets resembling a flowing poem just so happened to move to the front; as Fang Yuan dashed through there was a swoosh and a red cloud bloomed before him, dispersing about a sea of red star fireflies that emerged from the cloud.
A quiet mountain stream paved with pebbles, the gurgling water surface reflecting the spring moon in the night sky; with a few splashes Fang Yuan waded across, creating thousands of silver coloured ripples.
It was a pity that this stream, after so many ages, had its beautiful and precious stones trampled upon and broken.
Fang Yuan was in hot pursuit, firmly following behind the Liquor worm. Going upward the mountain stream, he could already hear the sound of a waterfall. After he turned around a sparse forest, he saw the Liquor worm fly into a crevice in the middle of a boulder.
Fang Yuan's eyes lit up and he stopped in his tracks.
"So it's here." He panted heavily, his heart beating against his chest like mad. With this one stop he could feel his entire body covered in sweat, hot air surging throughout his body accompanying his accelerating blood flow.
Looking around, he found that this place was a shallow benchland (1).
Pebbles of various sizes covered the ground, the river surface barely covering over the small stones. There were also blocks of gray boulders scattered freely in the area.
Behind Qing Mao Mountain was a huge waterfall. The flow of the waterfall varied with the weather; it plummeted down to the earth, pounding out a deep pool. Beside the deep pool was the Bai Clan Village, a clan with powerful influence that was comparable to the Gu Yue village.
The waterfall branched out to many smaller branches, and it was apparent that Fang Yuan was facing one of the many branches of a branch. On normal occasions this benchland was dry, but due to the recent heavy rainfall that went on for three days and three nights, a shallow stream formed here.
The source of the flowing stream was from the huge boulder that the Liquor worm had entered into earlier.
The boulder leaned against a vertical mountain wall. Small waterfalls that branched away from the main waterfall were like silver pythons that flowed down the mountain wall, hitting onto the boulder. After a considerably long time the middle of this huge boulder had eroded away and formed a crevice.
At this time as the waterfall washed down, the water current gently roared. It was like a white curtain, completely obstructing the gap in the boulder.
After observing his surroundings, Fang Yuan's breathing was no longer anxious. His eyes flashed with a hint of resolve; he walked to the boulder and took in a deep breath, and then he rushed in headfirst.
The boulder gap was rather large, and two adult humans could walk side by side in it with no problems. What more to say with Fang Yuan, who was merely a 15-year-old teenage boy?
Once he rushed in, the rapid currents pressured down on Fang Yuan's body. At the same time the cold water quickly drenched him from head to toe. Fang Yuan battled against the water pressure, moving in quick steps forward. As he walked a few dozen steps, the water pressure started to lessen.
But the space in the fissure also began to shrink, and Fang Yuan could only walk sideways. His ears were filled with the roaring of the water, the top of his head was a sheet of white, and deeper into the boulder was a black darkness.
What was hiding in the darkness?
It could be a poisonous serpent, but it could also be a poisonous gecko. Perhaps it was a trap set by the Flower Wine Monk, or perhaps it was empty.
Fang Yuan could only continue forward by walking sideways, slowly edging into the darkness. The water no longer washed over his head; the stone walls were covered in moss, grazing against his skin, feeling slippery. Soon he was swallowed by the darkness, and the stone crevice became narrower, squeezing around him. Gradually even his skull could not rotate freely. Still Fang Yuan gritted his teeth and continued forward.
After walking another twenty more steps, he realized that there was a red shade of light in the darkness. At first, he thought it was an illusion. But when he blinked and focused, he began to confirm that this was indeed light!
This realization made him renew his spirit.
He continued walking for another fifty to sixty steps, the red light growing brighter. In his eyes the light slowly expanded into a long, vertical and fine seam.
He stretched out his left arm, suddenly feeling that the wall in front had bent away. Instantly he rejoiced, knowing that there was an enclosed space inside the huge boulder. With another few steps he finally rushed into this light seam.
His eyes were greeted with the sight of an approximately 80meters² wide enclosure.
"I have been walking for so long. With this distance I'd have long passed the boulder, so I should be in the heart of the mountain cliff right now." As he sized up this hidden space, he moved his hands and legs about, stretching his limbs.
The entire room was filled with dim red light, but he could not tell where the light was coming from. The stone walls were damp and covered in moss, but the air here was very dry. On the walls there was also a few withering vines. The vines intertwined with each other, weaving across half of the wall surface. There were even a few withering flowers growing on the vines.
Fang Yuan looked at the remnants of these flowers and leaves, feeling somewhat familiar.
"These are Wine Sack Flower Gu, and Rice Pouch Grass Gu." Suddenly a thought had crossed his mind and he was able to recognize these withering stems and vines.
Gu came in many shapes and forms. Some were like mineral rocks such as the blue crystal form of the Moonlight Gu. Some came in the forms of worms, such as the silkworm-like Liquor worm. There were also flowery grassy types, just like the Wine Sack Flower Gu and the Rice Pouch Grass Gu before Fang Yuan.
These two types of Gu were Rank one natural Gu. Just with pouring in primeval essence would they be able to grow. After growing up the middle of the flower would secrete flower nectar wine, and the grass pouch would grow out fragrant rice.
Fang Yuan moved his line of sight along the vines, and sure enough he discovered a heap of withered roots gathered into a ball-shaped clump at a corner. The Liquor worm was resting on the clump of dead roots, sleeping soundly. It was already within easy reach.
Fang Yuan walked over and took the Liquor worm into his arms. Then he got onto his knees and pulled the dead vines apart, discovering a pile of skeleton bones bundled inside.
"I've finally found you, Flower Wine Monk." There was a smile on his lips as he saw this.
Just as he was about to reach his hand out and strip away the remaining vines, suddenly-
"Try touching it?" A voice full of murderous intent suddenly sounded behind Fang Yuan.
-x-X-x-
In this secret cave, someone's voice loomed behind all of a sudden.
Even when it came to Fang Yuan he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing, his scalp numb.
He had been followed!
Could it be that him repeatedly going out these few days had aroused the suspicion and attention of people?
Or was it someone sent by his uncle?
In his mind he even thought of the Rank one Gu Master that he encountered in the inn, the young man called Jiang Ya.
In that short moment his mind flashed countless ideas and guesses, in addition to thinking of a solution.
Fang Yuan could feel that in the short sentence, it was full of deep murderous intent. This made him secretly groan – He was only a Rank one initial stage right now, and he did not even have a vital Gu. To a Gu Master this was the equivalent of having zero fighting ability, how was he supposed to fight?
"Too weak, too weak!" He roared in his head.
"You have already been poisoned by my Single Gate Poison Gu. Without my other Gu that acts as the counterpart to it, after seven days you will turn into pus and blood and die," the voice said behind him.
Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, his expression cold. He said in a low tone, "You want the Liquor worm? I can give it to you."
He slowly stood up, his actions careful. But at this moment, another voice appeared. This voice was full of fear, and said in a tremble, " I'll give it, I can give you anything, please just spare my life, O Flower Wine Monk!"
"Wait a minute, this is..." Fang Yuan frowned and suddenly turned around in realization. He was met with the sight of light and shadow changing and fluctuating on the wall in front of him, a picture emerging.
A lean and threatening Gu Master was standing at the top of a mountain; there was another Gu Master prostrating before him. Around the two Gu Masters was a collapsed pit, fragments and chunks of stone littering the area, showing the obvious scene of a fierce battle that just ended.
Not far away from them was a group of old onlookers, their faces filled with anger and fear.
In the middle of the scene, the victorious Gu Master lifted his head upwards and laughed loudly. "Ha ha ha, Gu Yue's hero, cultivating to Rank five at such a young age. I thought you were quite something at first, but I didn't expect you to be so unbearable. Hmph!"
The laughing Gu Master had long and thin eyes. He was dressed in long pink robes, his huge and wide sleeves swaying with the wind. The area where his robes intersected around his neck was loose and wide open, revealing his strong and pale chest muscles. The most eye-catching part of him was his bald head, shining without a single strand of hair.
"The Flower Wine Monk!" Fang Yuan immediately recognized the identity of this Gu Master.
"To compare myself to Sir Flower Wine, I'm just a fart! I must have been unwell in the head, to actually not recognize such a great person and offended Sir Flower Wine. Sir Flower Wine, please remember my clan's generous hospitality earlier and spare my life!" The Gu Master prostrating on the ground was shaking, cold sweat all over, tears and mucus mixing as he begged for mercy.
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes and carefully distinguished the two, realizing that the other Gu Master was wearing the Gu Yue clan head uniform. Looking at the appearance, it was clear that this person was the fourth generation clan leader!
As for those aged onlookers, they were probably the clan elders of that generation. @@novelbin@@
"Hehe, generous hospitality? You sure have the guts to say it! I was actually sincere in coming to trade with you, using primeval stones to buy your clan's moon orchids with a fair price. It was you who was harboring evil intentions, pretending to greet and take me in, telling me to take a seat at your banquet, intending to lace my liquor with a poisonous Gu. You all have been looking down on me way too much, I have made a living under the sky with the name of Flower Wine, how could I possibly be poisoned this way?"
The Flower Wine Monk pointed at the kneeling fourth generation clan leader, sneering, "If you cooperated fairly none of this would have happened. In the end you just wanted to use my head to raise your reputation and fame, you only have yourself to blame for dying!"
"Sir, please spare my worthless life!" The fourth generation clan head shouted in dismay, his knees scraping against the ground, he quickly crawled over to the Flower Wine Monk's feet and hugged against his thigh.
"Sir, my clan has a spirit spring which produces primeval stones, we also planted huge numbers of moon orchids in an underground cave. I am willing to take in your Enslavement Gu and become your servant, my life and death are at a whim, I am willing to devote a lifelong servitude to you sir!"
Fang Yuan watched speechlessly, while the few elders in the picture looked even more uncertain.
The Flower Wine Monk narrowed his eyes, his anger had already calmed down. His eyes flashed and he said, "Hmph, the Enslavement Gu is precious beyond reasoning, it is a Rank five Gu, do you really think I would have one? However you have been infected by my Single Gate Poison Gu, only I can cure the poison so I'm not afraid of you disobeying. Since that is the case, your clan has to give me 3,000 stalks of moon orchids every week, also 3,000 primeval stones. I will come around every now and then to pick up the goods and temporarily cure your poison, sparing your useless life."
"Thank you so much for your mercy, sir! Thank you so much for your mercy, sir!" The fourth generation clan head cried repeatedly, kowtowing non-stop. His head bled continuously as it bumped against the mountain rock.
"Hmph, stop kowtowing, I despise groveling people like you the most! What so called Gu Yue genius, strong Rank five fighter, how unworthy of your name. You better serve me properly. This is also regarding your life... Urgh!" The Flower Wine Monk suddenly cried out, his face making a horrified expression.
He kicked away the fourth generation clan head with his leg, his body swaying. He frantically backtracked a few big steps, yelling at the fourth generation clan head, "How do you still have Gu?"
The fourth generation clan head was kicked at the pit of his stomach and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He got up with a painstaking effort, his face revealing a scheming smile. "Heh heh heh, anybody has the right to punish people of the Demonic Faction! This Gu is called Moonshadow, it is the best at hiding. Even though it is only Rank four, but it has the ability to restrict the usage of the primeval sea and primeval essence. Demon, you and I have been fighting fiercely, you don't have many Gu on you anymore, how could you possibly restrain the Moonshadow Gu? Just obediently surrender and become my servant, as long as you serve me until I am happy, you will still have a chance to live!"
The Flower Wine Monk flew into a rage and roared, "To hell with you!!"
His voice had barely faltered away when his body surged forward like a bolt of electricity, a punch landing onto the fourth generation clan head's heart.
The fourth generation clan leader did not expect the Flower Wine Monk to be so radical; even if his primeval sea was threatened, the Flower Wine Monk was unwilling to compromise. A huge force came and he flew into the air, his body falling onto the ground like a broken sack.
Thump.
He spouted out a huge mouthful of fresh blood, the red liquid mingled with countless bits of internal organs.
"Have you gone mad, we could have totally settled this over a discussion..." He stared daggers at the Flower Wine Monk, his lips moving with great effort. His sentence went unfinished, for his legs gave way and his head crooked to the side. He died.
"Clan head!"
"Men of the Demonic path are all insane."
"Kill him, kill this demon. Avenge the clan leader!"
"He has been inflicted by the Moonshadow Gu, he can't just simply use his primeval essence anymore, over a time even his primeval essence will be threatened."
The elders who were watching at the sidelines all roared in fury and swarmed the area.
"Ha ha ha, all those who are looking for death, come!" The Flower Wine Monk cried into the air. Facing the elders charging at him, he rushed at them headfirst.
A fierce battle ensued and the Flower Wine Monk quickly had the upper hand. Very soon all the elders had collapsed onto the ground, some of them injured and the rest dead. Just as the Flower Wine Monk was about to finish off the surviving elders, his facial expression suddenly changed and he covered a hand over his abdomen. "Damn!"
"I'll come back in future to deal with you lot," said the Flower Wine Monk. He stared daggers at a few of the elders and his body moved like electricity as he fled into the mountain woods, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
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