In a cave hidden behind the waterfall, a fire flickered in the darkness. One by one, Gu worms were tossed into the flames.
Fang Yuan stood calmly, his expression indifferent as he observed the Moonlight Fire Gu absorbing the other Gu. With precise timing, he threw in the refinement materials—each added at exact intervals, corresponding to the shifting colors of the Moonlight Fire Gu: red to blue, blue to orange, orange to green, and so on.
An hour passed. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he wiped it away and looked toward the flame. A green, butterfly-shaped Gu emerged from the firelight, its wings faintly glowing.
"Refinement successful," he murmured with a faint smile.
He stored the newly refined Gu into his aperture. Then, with a single word—"Go"—he activated it. Instantly, his jade-green primeval essence surged into the butterfly's wings. As they fluttered, a colorless essence began to form within his aperture.
"10% of primeval essence converts into just 1%..." Fang Yuan frowned at the inefficiency. Still, he gritted his teeth and pressed on—continuing to channel jade-green essence into the Gu while using primeval stones to recover and replenish it, maintaining the cycle of conversion.
Three hours later, only 14% of his aperture contained the precious colorless essence.
He opened his eyes, exhaled a deep, turbid breath, and muttered under his breath, "It's time."
...
At the borders of Qing Mao Mountain, there were all sorts of large tents to be seen – red, blue, green, yellow, in different shapes and sizes, several being a cylindrical shape. Some erected two door pillars at the entrance of their tents, while others hung large red lanterns instead. Inside, some tents had vibrants lights, whereas others were dim and dark.
Clad in a black robe that concealed his face and body, Fang Yuan silently observed his surroundings and the bustling merchant caravan as he walked. Eventually, he came to a stop in front of a grey-colored tent.
"It's here," he evaluated while looking at the tent; it had two pillars at the entrance, and there were carvings on the pillars, two lines of antithetical couplet.
The left side wrote, "Small display of courage, obtain good fortune during the four seasons."
The right side wrote, " Large display of skills, obtain good prosperity in all four directions."
In the middle there was still another line: "Luck changes with time."
That's right, this was a rock gambling den.
Fang Yuan stood at the door for a while, taking a glance around him before slowly walking to the counter on the left side.
Behind the counter, there was a shop assistant every few metres, both males and females. On their waist hung a green coloured belt, showing that they were not ordinary people but Rank one Gu masters. Most were initial stages, while a selected few were middle stages.
Seeing a black robed person before a counter, a female Gu Master who was nearest by walked towards him and smiled, softly saying, "Master, what Gu worm do you need? Every rock on this counter is sold at ten primeval stones each. If this is your first try, just for the sake of it, why don't you go to the right counter, the rocks there are sold at only five primeval stones. If you are seeking thrills, you can go to the high-end counter at the middle, the rocks sold there are at twenty primeval stones each."
This was an experienced female Gu Master, having worked at the rock gambling den for quite some time already.
She looked at robed Fang Yuan who entered, and determined that he was a powerful person from his deep black eyes and his build.
"Let me look around first." Fang Yuan nodded at her expressionlessly, then started to look seriously into the pile.
Fang Yuan pointed to piece of rock and said, "This piece."
A single rock was placed in front of Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan took out ten primeval stones and passed it to the female Gu Master.
The next moment, the crescent mark on his right palm emitted a faint water-like blue light.
Fang Yuan used this right hand to grab a purple gold rock, holding it in his palm. Next he closed his fingers and slowly rubbed against the surface of the fossil.
He carefully grinded, and in ten breath's time, the surface of purple gold coloured rock were all rubbed away, revealing a rough-surfaced yellow mud ball.
Looking at the mudball in his hands, Fang Yuan's expression did not change, he just continued to grind.
Under the blue watery light, the powdery sand fell off. Among the powder, there were some soil crumbs mixed in it, falling onto the pile of rock powder beside his leg.
"Don't tell me there's really something?!" Upon seeing this, some of the Gu Masters stared with their eyes wide-opened.
"It's hard to say," someone spoke with an uncertain tone.
"I feel like there is, there's really something." Another spoke softly.
The yellow mudball gradually decreased in size due to the friction, and when it was palm-sized, someone barged into the tent. "Hold up. I, Jia Jin Sheng, would like to buy that rock!"
Fang Yuan's movement came to a halt, at once, the Gu Masters in the tent all focused their attention on this person.
He looked young on the outside, his appearance around twenty to twenty-five years old. He wore a golden-coloured robe with a lace belt on his waist, and on the belt there was a square shaped jade piece. There was a word across the piece of jade, showing the letter "One".
Evidently, this was a Rank one Gu Master.
To still be a Rank one Gu Master at twenty years old, it seems that his talent isn't good.
But the status of this person was rather unique. Seeing him, the Gu Masters in the tent all bowed and greeted him, saying together, "Your subordinate greets you, second young master."
"Second young master?"
"He called himself Jia Jin Sheng earlier, is he the half-brother of the Merchant Caravan Leader, Jia Fu..."
"This means to say, this rock gambling den is opened by him. But now that he appeared to interfere, it seems that he's breaking the gambling den's rules," the Gu Masters softly conversed.
"That's right, I am this shop's shopkeeper. Esteemed Sir, I will offer forty primeval stones now to buy that mudball in your hand. What do you think? Forty primeval stones is a lot already and there may not be a Gu inside." Jia Jin Sheng quickly walked in front of Fang Yuan and said.
Jia Jin Sheng couldn't sense any aura of primeval sense from Fang Yuan and estimated that the person infront of him is stronger than him.
"Forty primeval stones?" Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly and took a look at Jia Jin Sheng with the corner of his eye, "Forceful purchase is spoiling the gambling den's rules. Don't you understand? "
Jia Jin Sheng's expression changed immediately as he changed his tone, quickly waving his hands, "Esteemed Sir, you're mistaken! I am the shopkeeper of this gambling den, how could I ruin my own reputation by breaking my own rules? How would I be able to conduct business in the future? Hehehe. I just found your mudball a little interesting, thus I wanted to buy it. If you do not wish to sell it, that's fine. But if there's nothing inside later, don't blame me for not reminding you."
Fang Yuan paid no more attention to him. He turned around and continued to focus on grinding the mudball in his hands.
His movements were very slow and very meticulous. Often, there was only a hint of dry soil powder falling off after a moment or so. Following his movement, a hibernating Gu worm gradually appeared in front of everyone's eyes.
"My god, there really is a Gu worm!"
"He really opened a Gu!"
Immediately, the Gu Masters' exasperation filled the tent.
The female Gu Master subconsciously covered her mouth, being unable to believe the scene before her.
"There is really a Gu!" Cold light flashed across Jia Jin Sheng's eyes as he hated and regretted in his heart. The thing he hated most, was to be taken advantage of.
This gambling den that he opened, he had placed many surveillance methods. Once a customer was about to open a Gu, he'd receive the news and would normally forcefully buy it.
But now a robed man was inside his gambling den, getting a Gu under his very eyes. Jia Jin Sheng could feel his heart bleeding.
What he obtained, was a toad Gu.
Its entire body was yellow from head to foot. The belly was light yellow, and its back was brownish yellow, covered with many pimply boils, full of nodules and warts which were a distinctive characteristic of the toad species. At one glance, it looked slightly horrifying.
It was not big, being only palm-sized. Holding it in the palm was akin to holding two to three eggs.
Fang Yuan's expression was calm as he deployed his primeval essence and injecting it into the toad's body.
At this moment, the Gu was being refined by Fang Yuan.
Gu worms obtained from within fossils are normally extremely weak. Not only do they have little to no strength left, their consciousness is also lazy, leaving them defenseless and unable to resist. Thus, they can be easily refined by the Gu masters.
Upon being awakened by Fang Yuan, the toad Gu opened its eyes slowly, and its belly slightly vibrated, softly calling out.
Croak.
Its voice was soft but it made everyone's expression very interesting.
The difference in value between a Gu that was alive against one that was dead was huge.
"It's a live Gu, he really opened a live Gu!!" Someone rubbed his eyes, unable to believe this.
"This is the Mudskin Toad, damn it, it really is the Mudskin Toad!" Someone recognised the toad Gu's identity and screamed agitatedly.
"This robed man really has got luck, why don't I have such luck on my side!" Someone sighed, filled with complicated emotions such as envy, jealousy and hatred.
Fang Yuan plainly looked at the Mudskin Toad in his hands, ignoring the surrounding people's praises and shock.
He used an extremely calm tone and said to Jia Jin Sheng, "Mudskin Toad, Rank two Gu worm, requires five hundred grams of yellow soil every meal, the more fertile the soil the better. Its species is few in number and it is the necessary main Gu in refining the Treasure Brass Toad. The market price is five hundred primeval stones. Jia Jin Sheng, do you want to buy this?"
"You, actually know so clearly..." Jia Jin Sheng mumbled. After such a shock, he could not say a word.
Fang Yuan let out a soft chuckle. "Of course I would. It's just a mere rank two Gu worm."
"What? Mere rank two?" Jia Jin Sheng's voice soured, disbelief creeping in.
Fang Yuan smiled faintly, placing a hand on Jia Jin Sheng's shoulder. He leaned in and whispered, "Take me to Jia Fu. I have a far better offer than this pitiful Mudskin Toad."
Jia Jin Sheng quickly nodded, stepping aside. "Please—this way."
Without another word, he began escorting Fang Yuan, leaving the onlookers in stunned silence.
Fang Yuan didn't look back. He exited the gambling den without a glance, leaving behind a crowd of Gu Masters frozen in place, silently exchanging baffled looks.
...