Fang Yuan stood outside Hu Immortal Blessed Land in his eight-armed zombie form. Standing over six meters tall, he looked toward He Feng Yang.
He Feng Yang wore a white robe fastened with a black belt around his waist, giving him an elegant and refined appearance. His long eyebrows, which reached all the way to his waist, added a peculiar charm that made it difficult for anyone to look away from him.
He Feng Yang frowned deeply as he looked at Fang Yuan.
"When did he become a Gu Immortal?!… How old is he, anyway? Even if he only became an immortal zombie, that speed alone is beyond belief… And he accomplished what neither my sect nor even the ten great ancient sects could achieve." He Feng Yang was genuinely bewildered.
Fang Yuan had previously sent them a message claiming that he had found a method to transport Guts Gu from Dang Hun Mountain, causing Immortal Crane Sect to become certain that a hidden backer stood behind him. Most likely, it was an organization with influence across Central Continent and at least one other region.
But even that was not as troublesome or puzzling as the situation before him now.
After receiving the message, Immortal Crane Sect did not believe Fang Yuan immediately. Only after receiving proof—the Air Sac Gu containing Guts Gu—did they finally accept it. Naturally, every supreme elder of Immortal Crane Sect was seized by an overwhelming desire for Guts Gu. They had planned to arrange a personal meeting with Fang Yuan to discuss the details of the trade, then capture him, search his soul, and enslave him.
At that point, the Guts Gu business would belong exclusively to Immortal Crane Sect!
"Fang Yuan is despicable and full of tricks… I'm in an awkward position now, and I can't be completely confident in capturing him before he retreats into Hu Immortal Blessed Land… Yes, I can defeat him, but can I capture him alive?" He Feng Yang's thoughts raced in every direction, and his expression shifted continuously along with them.
Fang Yuan watched all of this with a cold smile. He had already guessed He Feng Yang's train of thought. Nor was he foolish enough not to realize that this meeting had been a trap from the very beginning.
"Anyone else would never have dared meet Immortal Crane Sect so recklessly… But by appearing confident and completely unconcerned, they'll become even more wary of the mysterious organization backing me."
The human mind was difficult to predict, yet simple most of the time. If a killer was chasing someone who kept running, he would pursue with all his strength and never stop until the target was dead. But if that person suddenly stopped running and turned around to face the killer, the killer would instinctively become hesitant and uncertain.
Who knew whether the fleeing man had been carrying a knife all along, simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike? Perhaps that was where his confidence came from.
By following this simple logic, many problems could be avoided simply by appearing fearless and confident, causing the "killer" to hesitate. Of course, the prerequisite was possessing the strength to support such confidence.
And strength was something Fang Yuan did not lack.
Fang Yuan took out a rank four Air Sac Gu and tossed it toward He Feng Yang, speaking in an icy voice that sent chills down one's spine. "Brother He Feng Yang, you are truly courteous to request a personal meeting. To be honest, I intended to do the same. Matters of this importance deserve a face-to-face discussion… Take a look at this Gu worm. Is it satisfactory?"
He Feng Yang caught the Air Sac Gu and examined it carefully before drawing in a sharp breath. Inside were ten Guts Gu at once, unlike the previous Air Sac Gu, which had contained only a single Guts Gu.
"Fang Yuan, you truly are full of surprises… But tell me, how many of these Gu worms do you possess, and what price are you asking?" He Feng Yang wanted to know how serious Fang Yuan truly was about this deal.
Fang Yuan laughed awkwardly. "Brother He Feng Yang, I hope you won't call me greedy, but how about this… One hundred Guts Gu for Immortal Crane Sect in exchange for one and a half immortal essence stones. As for the other ten great ancient sects, I'll sell them for two immortal essence stones. After all, we're fellow disciples of the same sect."
He Feng Yang truly wanted to slap Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan was obviously extorting him!
Who in their right mind would sell one hundred mortal Gu for one and a half immortal essence stones?! That was outright robbery! Worse still, Fang Yuan had deliberately mentioned the other ten great ancient sects, making his meaning crystal clear: If you're dissatisfied, I'll simply sell to another sect. You're not my only option.
He Feng Yang forced himself to maintain his smile. "Brother Fang, don't you think your price is a little excessive?… As you know, honesty is important in business. How about one immortal essence stone for every hundred Guts Gu? We're fellow disciples of the same sect. Surely you should take that into consideration."
Fang Yuan pretended to think for a moment before roaring in his hoarse zombie voice, "Brother He, do you have any idea how much it costs to refine Air Sac Gu?!… Do you know how difficult it is to collect souls and convert them into Guts Gu?!… Not to mention all the time I spent researching and developing the Air Sac Gu recipe, and now you want to rob me?! You're robbing me! I never imagined fellow disciples of the same sect would treat each other like this!"
Fang Yuan scolded He Feng Yang mercilessly, causing the latter's face to flush bright red.
Pretending not to notice, Fang Yuan continued talking about the risks of the business, the production process, the costs involved, and how producing Air Sac Gu and loading Guts Gu into them was far more difficult than He Feng Yang imagined.
By the end, He Feng Yang had nearly forgotten why he had been angry in the first place and was beginning to believe that Fang Yuan's business really was extremely dangerous.
"Brother He, did you know that Spirit Affinity House contacted me some time ago?… Ah, let me think… Yes, they offered me something. Perhaps some kind of competition? I honestly don't remember. But the reward for winning was extremely generous… Oh, and Shi Lei from Combat Immortal Sect was very generous as well. He even gave a beginner like me more than a hundred Stone Ape pelts."
He Feng Yang knew perfectly well that everything Fang Yuan had just said was a lie.
But… what if there was even the slightest chance that it was true?
Immortal Crane Sect simply could not afford to lose Dang Hun Mountain and the Guts Gu business. In the end, He Feng Yang shouted through gritted teeth.
"We accept your price! But we must have priority in purchasing!"
Fang Yuan smiled and nodded. "Then we can use Earth Hole Gu to transport the goods. Isn't that much more convenient, Brother He?"
Fang Yuan handed the Earth Hole Gu to He Feng Yang at the very beginning of their meeting as a gesture of goodwill.
"So be it."
He Feng Yang departed immediately without even saying goodbye to Fang Yuan.
"That was rather dangerous… The price is half an immortal essence stone higher than it was in my previous life, but it seems Immortal Crane Sect already had a bottom line prepared… Perhaps ignoring them in my previous life was what triggered such an extreme reaction."
Fang Yuan did not know the exact reason, but he had several plausible theories, each with its own logic. At the moment, however, none of that was particularly important.
"The Guts Gu business is truly excellent. Although its profits are ultimately limited by the number of souls available, Hei Lou Lan and Fairy Li Shan will inevitably become tied to this business. They certainly won't want to lose it, forcing them to deepen both our alliance and their dependence on me."
To Fang Yuan, the Guts Gu business was a multi-layered scheme. The finest plans were those that achieved several objectives with a single move, and this business was one such plan.
"Speaking of Hei Lou Lan, her immortal ascension should be approaching soon… But it doesn't seem she's gone to Northern Plains' Northern Icy Plain yet to investigate it and search for Attitude Gu."
Many small details had already changed ever since Fang Yuan used Spring Autumn Cicada to return to the past. It seemed even more changes would appear in the future, gradually making his knowledge of future events somewhat less reliable.