Fang Ming stayed in the hamlet.
The village head arranged a small house for him near the inner wall. It was not large, but it was clean and quiet. The roof did not leak, and the door could be locked from the inside.
For mortals, this was already good treatment.
Fang Ming did not ask for more.
During the day, the villagers avoided the house. When they passed nearby, their footsteps became lighter. Occasionally, children looked over from a distance, but they were quickly pulled away by adults.
A Rank three Gu Master staying in a mortal hamlet was not a small matter.
In Gu Yue village, Rank three only meant becoming an elder.
Here, it was enough to make everyone careful.
Fang Ming sat inside the room and opened his Pouch Gu.
Primeval stones, maps, Gu food, tools, and sealed containers were arranged before him.
He first checked the Gu food.
Moon Edge Gu still had enough food for now. Sky Canopy Gu and Thunderwings Gu consumed more resources, but their food was not impossible to buy. Lightning Eye Gu needed special materials related to lightning, and this would become troublesome if he could not find a market soon.
Spring Grass Gu also needed suitable medicinal grass.
Snake Tongue Gu was easier, but not free.
Fang Ming's expression was calm.
His Gu worms were not blood path Gu. They could not be fed with any random blood. Every Gu had its own requirements. Without a source of trade, even useful Gu worms would slowly become burdens.
This was one reason he needed the caravan.
The other reason was his foundation.
Fang Ming's current Gu worms were strong, but they did not form a complete system. He had attack, defense, movement, detection, healing, storage, and some hidden methods, but most of them had been gathered because they were useful at the time.
Usefulness was not the same as harmony.
A true expert's Gu worms supported each other. Bai Ning Bing's old Gu set had all belonged to ice and water paths, so his battle strength could be displayed fully. Fang Yuan also understood this well. In the future, after leaving Qing Mao Mountain, he would head toward Shang clan city to buy and exchange suitable Gu worms.
Fang Ming looked at the map.
Shang Liang Mountain.
Shang clan city.
In Southern Border, Shang clan city was famous for trade. Gu worms, Gu food, recipes, refinement materials, information, slaves, beast parts, rare stones, and strange goods from distant places could all be found there. Righteous path Gu Masters could trade there. Demonic path Gu Masters also went there to dispose of goods.
The Shang clan was righteous path on the surface, but business cared about profit.
That was why Shang clan city flourished.
For Fang Ming, this kind of place was useful.
He could buy what he needed, sell what he did not need, and find new targets for his copy ability. A small hamlet could only give him shelter. A caravan could give him movement and trade. But a large market like Shang clan city could turn resources into strength.
Fang Ming's finger stopped on the map.
He could avoid Fang Yuan's route.
He could take another caravan, go to another region, and try to develop quietly.
This sounded safer.
But Southern Border was not safe merely because one avoided Fang Yuan. There were too many mountains, too many beasts, too many Gu Masters, and too many schemes. A person could avoid one danger and fall into another without knowing why.
At least Fang Yuan's route was known.
Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing still had to go through Bai Gu Mountain. They would not join the Shang clan caravan immediately. According to Fang Ming's estimation, he had at least a month of advantage.
A month was not long.
But it was not short either.
If he used it properly, he could reach the caravan first.
He could meet Shang Xin Ci before Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing arrived.
Fang Ming's gaze became deeper.
Shang Xin Ci was kind, but to Fang Ming, she was also an opportunity.
Through her, Fang Yuan had later entered Shang clan city and came into contact with Shang Yan Fei. Shang Yan Fei was Rank five, the Shang clan leader, and a true higher-level figure in Southern Border.
For Fang Ming, Shang Yan Fei meant resources, and possibly a Rank five copy target in the future.
If he could gain Shang Xin Ci's trust before Fang Yuan arrived, his position would be different.
Could this be called shameless?
Perhaps.
But after Qing Mao Mountain, Fang Ming no longer cared about such a small word.
Being shameless was not wrong. Stealing opportunities was not wrong either. In this world, the truly foolish thing was seeing a survival path and refusing to walk it because of fragile morals.
Besides, from Fang Ming's point of view, Shang Xin Ci following him might not be worse than following Fang Yuan.
Fang Ming still considered himself a man.
Fang Yuan had already transcended that. He was like a machine moving toward one goal, without distractions, willing to crush anything and everything in his path as long as it helped him advance.
Fang Ming did not think he was noble.
He only knew he was not Fang Yuan.
He continued looking at the map.
The road to Shang clan city also had danger.
There would be beasts, bandits, and later, the zombie crisis. But thats a danger Fang Ming was willing to take, this was different from Qing Mao Mountain.
Qing Mao Mountain's final disaster had involved Tie Xue Leng, Lord Sky Crane, the first generation Gu Yue, and a scheme buried for centuries. Fang Ming had no confidence in touching that battlefield.
A zombie horde controlled by a Rank four was dangerous, but it was still within a range he could plan around.
Especially if a caravan took most of the pressure.
Fang Ming closed the map.
His next direction was decided.
He would wait for the caravan.
He would join it, travel toward Shang clan city, and use the advantage of this one month to approach Shang Xin Ci before Fang Yuan appeared.
As for Fang Yuan himself, Fang Ming still viewed him as a treasure.
Not because of Gu worms he could copy now.
Fang Yuan's true value was knowledge.
Five hundred years of memory, Gu recipes, inheritances, regional secrets, market opportunities, cultivation experience — these were all priceless. Fang Ming could not force them out of Fang Yuan, but he did not need to.
Fang Yuan was a person who could sell anything if the benefit was enough.
If Fang Ming gathered enough wealth and strength, there would be chances to trade.
A knock came from outside.
"Lord Gu Master," the village head's careful voice sounded. "This old man has something to report."
"Speak," Fang Ming said.
"The hunters saw dust on the southeast road. It should be the caravan. According to their speed, they may arrive tomorrow afternoon, or the day after at the latest."
Fang Ming stood up and opened the door.
The village head lowered his head immediately.
"Are you certain?" Fang Ming asked.
"This old man does not dare guarantee, but it should be them. Every year, the caravan uses that road."
Fang Ming nodded.
"You may leave."
"Yes, lord."
The village head withdrew carefully.
Fang Ming looked toward the southeast.
The caravan was coming.
He returned to the room and put away the map, Gu food, and primeval stones.