Inside the academy hostel room
Fang Yuan was extracting the natural essence from the primeval stones to quickly replenish the dwindling primeval essence in his aperture.
Finally, the 44% primeval sea in his aperture was fully refined into middle stage primeval essence.
"Much thanks to the middle stage primeval essence, or else I would not have been able to open the rocks five times in the gambling den." Sitting in a lotus position on his bed, Fang Yuan gradually opened his eyes.
It was currently late at night.
After he walked out of the gambling den, he did not tour around any of the other shops, but instead headed back to the academy.
Although it was at the fringe of the Gu Yue Mountain Village, as a Rank one initial stage Gu master, owning 500 plus primeval stones is still too much.
This is not only because the primeval stones were heavy and a hassle to bring around. It also attracts other people's coveting; in another sense, it would endanger his life.
If there was a Rank one upper stage, or even a Rank two who coveted his assets, with Fang Yuan's current ability he would not be able to contend.
"Wealth comes and goes, but humans die because of wealth, it's pathetic. What's laughable is that many people in this world cannot comprehend that. The boat of benefits carries many people, but has also sunk many others." Fang Yuan's lips curled into a cold smirk as he looked at the grey white primeval stones in his hands.
A complete primeval stone was around the size of a duck egg. But the stone in his hand, as it had been extracted of half of its essence, was an entire circle smaller.
Fang Yuan did not regret it.
Everything has its gains and losses. Fang Yuan was only a C-grade talent, yet he was using the Liquor Gu to refine his primeval essence, and his primeval stones expenditure was multiple times of the people of his age. Yet it was because of this that he was able to overcome the lack of his talent. If the real cultivation pace could be counted, he would be able to rank first three.
Fang Yuan put the primeval stones back into his money bag and took out that final purple gold fossil.
He bought a total of six fossils at the gambling den and opened five on the spot, bringing the last one back with him.
His eyes shone as he activated the Moonlight Gu, grinding with five fingers, slowly dissecting the rock.
The purple gold fossil gradually shrunk under the blue ripples, and finally was grinded to nothingness, leaving behind a pile of powder on the ground.
Fang Yuan was not surprised, because in rock gambling, you lose nine out of ten times.
Fang Yuan's current cultivation level was still very low, it was at the bottom tier of the Gu Masters. The Mudskin Toad that he obtained earlier, if it weren't for the fact that this was the Gu Yue Mountain Village, it might have been forcefully snatched away by that Jia Jin Sheng.
Gambling was never the way for developing family wealth, and in fact it was a bigger cause of bankruptcy and debt. This was not the development path that Fang Yuan wanted to take.
Although the final purple gold fossil did not have a Gu worm, Fang Yuan was not disappointed. In fact he looked at the pile of rock powder and gradually broke into a smile.
Indeed, his ultimate motive in entering the gambling den was all for this pile of rock powder. That Mudskin Toad was only something he had gotten out of convenience.
He privately opened the fossil, and other than him, nobody knew the truth of this result.
From that day forth, he could claim that the Liquor worm was awakened and subdued from the purple gold fossil.
This idea was fabulous.
Within the dark room, Fang Yuan's expression was ominous.
One-sided covering up was akin to covering fire with paper. There would be a day where he would be exposed.
To get rid of a hidden threat like the Liquor worm, he'd have to strike first. This is Fang Yuan's style.
Moreover, he had thought about it carefully, and in the cultivation process that was to follow, he would need to expose the Liquor worm.
"For a Rank one Gu like the Liquor worm, it is extremely precious to Rank one Gu Masters. But for Rank two Gu Masters, it is no longer compatible for them. Thus even if this was exposed, all I would get is some attention, but it would not affect the overall situation, thus becoming nothing to be concerned over. It is not like the Spring and Autumn Cicada. If the Spring and Autumn Cicada is exposed, I might die a horrible death at the very next moment."
His years of experience in handling problems had already made Fang Yuan extremely familiar with human mentality, with their every thought clear as day to him.
"Tomorrow will be the time for me to purchase quite a few materials." Fang Yuan thought deeply as he plans to refine a Gu.
Fang Yuan sighed a deep breath and relaxed his body, feeling a strong sense of fatigue engulfing him.
A Gu Master's primeval sea cultivation could not replace sleep.
Fang Yuan pulled his blanket and lay down on his bed, his eyes still half open.
Although there were over 500 primeval stones hidden under the bed, Fang Yuan knew that this wouldn't be enough for his future plans.
Fang Yuan's income mainly came from extorting his classmates.
Unlike in his previous life, Fang Yuan now had an easier time extorting his classmates, largely thanks to the White Boar Gu, which provided him with the strength of a boar.
"If not for the White Boar Gu, I will definitely struggle a bit same as last time." Fang Yuan thought as his eyelids grew heavier until he finally fell asleep.
On the second day in the afternoon during lunch break, Fang Yuan went to the shopping district outside the mountain village again.
As many of them had to work in the day, there was not many villagers at the tentage area.
Fang Yuan walked to the area where the vendor was selling Intimate Grass last night, according to his memory. He reached only to see an empty cart, still on the spot. An ostrich was dragging the cart along.
"Sure enough the Intimate Grass was sold out." Fang Yuan's footsteps continue on passing by some stores.
"Come, have a taste of the delicious wine from all the different villages. There are more than a hundred types of wine here, like the Lantern Grass Wine, the Nine Tune Wine with a strong aftertaste, the light and elegant Ancient Dragon Well, the sweet and sour Flower Rock Tune, the mouth-watering Hundred Spring Old Cellar, the rich and heavy fragrant Intoxication of Three Autumns..." In front of a blue round bucket before the tent, a shop assistant was hawking with gusto.
A light flashed through Fang Yuan's gaze as he immediately grew interested. With a turn, he entered the wine shop.
Repeating with Fang Yuan did previous, he chose one of the short mushrooms chairs and sat down.
"Young master, this is the wine catalogue, would you like to take a look?" A shop assistant walked over.
Fang Yuan glanced at the wine catalogue and realised that the wine here was more expensive than the green bamboo wine.
"I'll have a cup of monkey wine." Fang Yuan put down the catalogue.
"A cup of monkey wine!" The shop assistant turned around and shouted.
The Gu Master placed the bamboo wine cup which was filled with monkey wine on the counter. The shop assistant who had already been waiting for a while quickly held up the cup meticulously and walked a few steps to deliver it to Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan only took a tiny sip, the monkey wine was indeed a fruit liquor, being sweet and refreshing and delicate on the palate.
He stopped drinking, but instead with a thought, Fang Yuan summoned the Liquor worm.
The white and fat liquor worm turned into a flash of white light and curved an arc in the air. With a 'plop', it landed in the wine cup.
The wine splattered everywhere, sprinkling onto the mushroom table.
The Liquor worm joyfully beat about in the wine cup, and the monkey wine could be seen decreasing with the naked eye. In a few breaths time, the cup had dried out, with not a single drop left.
"It's the Liquor worm!" The Gu Master at the counter shouted, his eyes sparkling. He was a Rank one Gu Master with Grade D-talent, only able to follow the merchant caravan and work in this wine shop. His objective was to sightsee while finding his chances.
The Liquor worm can refine primeval essence and raise it by an entire realm. To a Rank one Gu Master, it can be said to be an extremely precious Gu worm. Isn't this the chance he's been painstakingly searching for?
"This young master, do you have any plans to sell this Liquor worm?" He excitedly approached, a look of sincerity in his eyes.
Fang Yuan declined him, got up and left after that.
His motive this time was to reveal the Liquor worm in his possession; he had never thought of selling it.
The Gu master reluctantly followed Fang Yuan and persuaded him, but it all falls on deaf ears.
After Fang Yuan left the wine shop, he continued on to visit several other shops to purchase some materials.
Unconsciously, after his buying spree, the sun gradually set, and the crescent moon took its place in the sky.
Under the night sky, the moonlight shone brightly, but its glow was overshadowed by the multitude of streetlights from the merchant shops.
The shops were bustling with activity that evening. As Fang Yuan made his way through the crowd, he was jostled from all sides, overhearing a variety of conversations along the way.
"The stores normally open for three days and three nights. Tonight is already the second night, by the morning of the day after, the merchant caravan would have left on their journey already. Thus, we have to hurry if we want to buy anything."
"I saw a Golden Bell Gu yesterday, sigh, too bad it was too expensive. After haggling with the shopkeeper for a long time, it did not get any cheaper. I'll go and take a look tonight."
"Did you guys hear? Last night, a young man opened a Mudskin Toad and earned a profit of five hundred primeval stones!"