The merchant caravan remained in Gu Yue Village for ten full days.
During this time, Fang Yuan secluded himself in his room, completely absorbed in the task of fusing materials and refining Gu. Among the countless resources he had acquired, some Gu worms were purchased outright, while others he refined personally through his own skill and patience.
His acquisitions were substantial.
Purchased Gu:
Rank 5 Gather Light Gu
Rank 5 Golden Armor Gu
Rank 5 Fixed Star Gu
Rank 5 Seven Shining Stars Gu
Rank 5 Inch of Time Gu
Rank 4 Under The Sun Gu
Rank 4 Inch of Time Gu
Five Rank 3 Inch of Time Gu
Rank 3 Primeval Elder Gu
Rank 3 Aura Concealment Gu
Rank 1 Cleansing Water Gu
Refined personally:
Rank 5 Regeneration Gu
Rank 5 Invisibility Gu
Rank 5 Extreme Light Gu
Rank 4 Swallow Wings Gu
Rank 3 Blood Sucker Gu
Rank 3 Golden Frost Gu
Rank 3 Shadow Steps Gu
His older Gu worms now only included:
Rank 1 Liquor Worm
Rank 1 Illuminati Gu
Rank 2 White Jade Gu
He had already sold all seventeen of his Tusita Flowers to the caravan and, in exchange, purchased another Primeval Elder Gu—one capable of storing up to one million Primeval Stones.
As for sustenance, he had planned ahead meticulously. Fang Yuan had acquired a twenty-year supply of food and nourishment materials specifically for these Gu. Given the skyrocketing prices of these resources in future, his foresight was invaluable.
When Jia Fu first glanced at the item list Fang Yuan requested, he had been momentarily stunned. The total quantity and value of the materials could sustain a major power like the Tie Clan for three whole years. To see a a single person acquire it all without hesitation left a lasting impression on him—and made him regard with respect… and a newfound wariness.
...
After the caravan vanished beyond the horizon, Fang Yuan stood alone atop the mountain, his eyes locked onto the sleeping village below.
"Today's going to be a lively night," he murmured softly, a smirk curving his lips.
Qing Mao Mountain was divided among three clans—Gu Yue, Bai, and Xiong. The Bai and Xiong clans controlled three mortal villages each, while Gu Yue ruled four.
In one quiet village, a Rank 2 Gu Master lay in peaceful slumber.
Then, without warning, a streak of white light sliced silently through the darkness and with a single swift stroke, the blade severed the Gu Master's head clean from his body.
Fang Yuan stepped from the shadows, his hand resting lightly on the lifeless corpse. The blood drained from the man's body in an instant, condensing into a glowing red droplet that hovered within Fang Yuan's aperture.
Without a sound, he melted back into the night, his Rank 3 Shadow Steps Gu hiding him as the massacre began.
All through the night, silence reigned over the village—broken only by faint flickers of white light shimmering briefly inside the homes, silent witnesses to death's quiet advance.
...
"Hey, did you hear the news?"
"What news?"
"The entire mortal village behind the mountain... it was wiped out. Everyone. Dead."
"What are you talking about?"
"I mean all the villages—not just one. Every mortal village inside the mountain has been massacred!"
"Hiss..."
"A Demonic Gu Master must've appeared!"
"Gods… let's hope he doesn't come near our clan."
"Relax. The Gu Yue clan is stronger than Bai and Xiong. We'll be fine."
"But what if this demonic Gu Master is like the Flower Wine Monk?"
"Hey, don't jinx it, idiot!"
"Ha—sorry!"
...
Meanwhile, the one responsible for the mountain-wide massacre—Fang Yuan—sat quietly in his room, eyes closed, his focus turned inward toward his aperture.
His primeval sea, once only 44% full, had now surged to 76%.
He slowly opened his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
"Blood Sucker Gu is far less efficient than Blood Skull Gu," he muttered.
"Blood Skull Gu boosts aptitude by 10% after killing a hundred blood relatives. In comparison, Blood Sucker Gu only gives a 1% increase—either after killing 60 mortals or 30 Gu Masters."
"The efficiency is pathetic."
His voice was calm, but his words were cold.
"I've already killed over two thousand mortals across these villages... and this is all I've gained?"
He paused, then chuckled faintly to himself.
"Doesn't matter. If I wipe out one of the clans on Qing Mao Mountain, that should push my aptitude to 90%."
With that thought, he pushed the matter aside and turned his attention back to cultivation.
He guided his snow silver primeval essence along the walls of his aperture, nurturing them with focused intent.
His next goal was clear—breaking through to Rank 4.
....
Gu Yue Bo paced heavily within the clan pavilion, his expression grim. Around him, the elders sat in silence, their faces tight with worry. The massacre in the outer villages had shaken them all from their slumber—and none could shake the fear that their clan might be next.
Finally, Gu Yue Bo stopped, having come to a decision. His voice was firm as he spoke.
"I will request assistance from the Divine Investigator, Tie Xue Leng."
The elders stirred. He continued, "For that, I'll need each of you to contribute 50,000 primeval stones."
"I'll also pay a visit to the Xiong and Bai Clans to request their cooperation."
An elder nodded solemnly. "Yes, Clan Leader. It's not just one village—all the mortal villages on Qing Mao Mountain have been wiped out."
"We estimate Tie Xue Leng's fee to be around a million primeval stones," another elder added. "We'll need Bai Clan's financial support to meet that amount."
Gu Yue Bo gave a slight nod. "Exactly. We, the Gu Yue Clan, are the strongest in cultivation. Bai Clan is the wealthiest, and Xiong Clan is the toughest. We'll need to stand together if we hope to survive this."
The room was silent for a moment—then one by one, the elders nodded in agreement.