On the second floor of the merchant caravan, Fang Yuan, still cloaked in his black robe, sat across from Jia Fu and Jia Jin Sheng.
Jia Fu began cautiously, "Sir, what kind of offer are you here to make?"
He was a naturally wary man. The moment Jia Jin Sheng told him that a robed stranger had a proposal, he had already ordered his men to discreetly surround the area—prepared for any potential threat.
Fang Yuan, his face hidden beneath the hood, replied in a low, hoarse voice, "You can call off your dogs. If I had any intention of harming you, you'd already be dead."
As he spoke, he raised his hand, and a deep purple primeval essence swirled in the air.
"A Rank Five…" Jia Fu gasped, immediately lowering his head in fear.
"Forgive me, elder. I was blind to your status."
Fang Yuan gave a cold snort and withdrew the essence.
Jia Jin Sheng quickly stepped out to signal the guards to retreat, and Jia Fu likewise dismissed the rest of his men.
Without a word, Fang Yuan retrieved two Photo-Audio Gu and handed one to each of them.
Jia Fu activated his, and a projection lit up on the wall—a scene playing out in sound and motion.
"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."
"I'll give it, I can give you anything, please just spare my life, O Flower Wine Monk!"
"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!"
"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!"
"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?"
"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!"
As the projection played out, Jia Fu and Jia Jin Sheng sucked in a cold breath, their faces turning pale with shock.
They weren't just surprised—they were afraid. The information they had just seen was of immense value, and more importantly, they feared the method by which this mysterious robed figure had obtained it.
The video ended with Flower Wine Monk fleeing in disgrace.
Fang Yuan's voice was calm and measured. "What do you think?"
Jia Fu remained silent for a moment, then finally spoke, his tone respectful. "Elder, this information is extremely valuable…"
"But we dare not take it."
Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed beneath his hood, a trace of coldness flashing across his face. "Why?"
Beads of sweat formed on Jia Fu's forehead, dripping down as his round belly visibly trembled—evidence of his fear.
Jia Jin Sheng, while also nervous, was clearly less shaken than his brother. He wasn't intimidated by a Rank Five Gu Master; after all, his father was one as well.
But Jia Fu? He had long known he would never reach Rank Five. That knowledge made him all the more cautious.
After a tense pause, Jia Fu finally replied, his voice laced with helplessness. "We simply don't have that many primeval stones available."
Fang Yuan gave a slight nod. "How much do you think it's worth?"
Jia Fu pondered seriously for a moment, then said, "This information… it could shake the very foundation of the Gu Yue Clan. If used correctly, both the Xiong Clan and Bai Clan would pay handsomely for it."
"I estimate it could fetch around a million stones—from each village."
Fang Yuan was inwardly stunned by the number, though his expression remained unmoved.
'In my previous life, I destroyed the Photo-Audio Gu and chased after the Flower Wine Monk's inheritance without thinking twice...'
'Looks like I was influenced by Heaven's Will at the time. Tch.'
'But now... it hasn't noticed me yet. I suppose Mo Bei's sudden insults a few weeks ago were a sign—it was starting to stir.'
'After this transaction, I suspect Heaven's Will will begin paying closer attention.'
'Without the Spring Autumn Cicada, it still believes this is my first life. It has no idea this is my eighth.'
'Hehe... Heaven's Will. Just give me a few more decades. Once I become a Gu Immortal, you'll be nothing but dust in my path.'
A cold, knowing smile crept onto Fang Yuan's lips.
Fang Yuan spoke calmly, his tone firm and uncompromising. "I don't need that many primeval stones."
"Bring me three Green Copper Relic Gu, three Red Steel Relic Gu, three White Silver Relic Gu, three Yellow Golden Relic Gu, and five hundred thousand primeval stones."
Jia Fu's breath caught in his throat. "Elder… we don't possess that many Relic Gu."
Fang Yuan let out a cold snort. "Every combat-ready member of this caravan carries a Relic Gu of their rank. It's a precaution for emergencies. Don't insult me by pretending otherwise."
At those words, Jia Fu's face paled even further. The fact that this robed stranger knew such confidential details about the caravan's internal security sent a wave of fear through him. Sweat rolled down his cheeks as his fat body trembled.
"Understood, Elder," he said quickly. "Please give us a few minutes."
Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed Jia Jin Sheng and rushed out, barking urgent orders to the caravan managers. The collection of primeval stones and retrieval of Relic Gu began immediately.
Outside, the Qing Mao Mountain slumbered quietly under the moonlight. Villages lay still, unaware of the storm brewing in the shadows.
But within the merchant caravan, chaos churned beneath the surface. For Jia Fu and his men, this night was far from peaceful—it had become a sleepless, nerve-racking ordeal.