According to market rates, the clan originally priced each vitality leaf at fifty-five primeval stones.
Although the vitality leaf was a consumable Rank one Gu that disappeared after a single use, it could save lives—something no Gu Master would ever consider too much of.
With the wolf tide approaching, the clan had raised its prices, now selling each leaf for sixty primeval stones.
In fact, not just the vitality leaf—other resources were becoming more expensive too.
Such price fluctuations reflected the instability of the times, and Gu Masters had no choice but to adapt.
However, what Qing Shu didn't anticipate was that Fang Yuan's asking price was even higher than the clan's.
"Finding it expensive? You don't have to buy it. But as far as I know, after the wolf tide, the clan will tightly control resources, and the vitality leaf would have excess demand. By then, the prices will soar again, there might not even be stock, what do you think?" Fang Yuan's tone was calm as he safely evaluated his pricing.
Qing Shu was stumped, his tone turning helpless, "You sure are clear of it. But your price raising is slightly overbearing. Aren't you afraid of offending people? If you reduce the prices, you can use the opportunity to build relationships. But if you raise prices like this, the clansmen will keep a grudge on you for earning profits this way."
Fang Yuan raised his head and laughed, "The wolf tide is nearing, I am but a small fry, I can die anyday. How can I bother with these trivialities?"
"You have long gone past the stage of a small fry, and human relationships are not trivial either." Qing Shu stared at Fang Yuan deeply, then lightly shook his head, "But everyone has their own thoughts and choices, I will not force you. However do be more careful, Lord Yao Ji will not let go so easily… Goodbye."
Qing Shu dropped the idea of buying vitality leaves altogether—Fang Yuan's pricing had deterred him. Being a calculating individual, Qing Shu didn't make purchases on impulse. He made decisions only after careful judgment. A clever man always had a value in mind, and once the cost crossed that threshold, he would walk away without hesitation.
Fang Yuan's price may have only been five stones higher, but Qing Shu wasn't just buying a single leaf. With the wolf tide expected to last a year, his usage would be constant. Over time, the expense would pile up into a significant burden.
"Thanks for your advice, take care, I shall not send you off," Fang Yuan said, watching Qing Shu leave. His heart was clear as he knew that Qing Shu would definitely be back.
That was because he had severely underestimated the true scale of the wolf tide.
In such a dire situation, death could descend on anyone at any moment, and the vitality leaf became a highly sought-after item.
In Fang Yuan's memories, prices had once soared past a hundred primeval stones.
Granted, that peak came when the wolf tide was at its most devastating.
Right now, Fang Yuan's strategy was to follow the rhythm of the times—slowly raising the price as the crisis intensified.
As days passed, the winter wind grew colder and more biting.
This year's chill was noticeably harsher for the three villages on Qing Mao Mountain.
In Gu Yue village, the crippled wolves began appearing in greater numbers around the outskirts.
The clan issued numerous missions, and nearly all were related to exterminating these wolves.
By December, the number of crippled wolves reached a critical mass, worsening the situation to an alarming degree.
One mountain-foot hamlet was even slaughtered by a large wolf pack.
Fortunately, a dozen stationed Gu Masters escaped in time.
The clan's upper echelon breathed a silent sigh of relief.
A Gu Master's death would warrant sorrow and regret that lasted half a day—mortals, on the other hand, were expendable slaves.
In this world, there were no human rights.
A single Gu Master's life was worth more than a hundred mortals—that was the common consensus. Still, injuries and deaths were inevitable. The village was shrouded in quiet sorrow, where sobs and cries echoed from dawn to dusk.
That grief-stricken heaviness hung in the air.
The crippled wolves were only the beginning.
The true wolf tide would be far worse.
More and more people came to realize that this year's wolf tide was unlike any before. Under mounting pressure, the previously stagnant negotiations swiftly moved forward.
Soon, the three-clan alliance was formed.
And one month later, at the end of winter
Alliance Slope, the site of the Three-Clan Alliance meeting.
Soft white snowflakes gently fell from the sky.
Thousands of Gu Masters had gathered here, creating a grand and imposing scene.
Alliance Slope was once just an ordinary mountain incline, but generations ago, the second clan head of the Gu Yue family forged the very first three-clan alliance here.
Since then, every alliance assembly had been held at this location.
After years of development, the slope had expanded dozens of times over, transforming into a vast town square.
The square was built against the mountain wall, where a massive stone structure stood tall.
Carved into this massive stone were depictions of buildings, complete with intricately sculpted furniture inside.
It was within this stone complex that the higher-ups of all three clans gathered for private discussions.
Beneath this stone edifice, the Gu Masters from each of the three clans stood in their designated areas, forming three large factions.
All the Gu Masters were dressed in uniform battle attire, and their cultivation levels were clearly indicated by the belts they wore.
Fang Yuan stood among them.
Fang Yuan himself had already reached Rank two upper stage. Since he knew he would be getting another red steel Relic Gu from Bai Ning Bing, he stopped nurturing his aperture and focused on creating more vitality leaves, which made him richer.
He quietly studied the scene.
The Gu Masters gathered below the stage were almost entirely Rank two.
Most of the Rank one Gu Masters had been assigned to logistics and support—only Rank two possessed the mobility and strength required for combat roles.
Rank three Gu Masters, on the other hand, were all clan elders.
For a mid-sized clan like Gu Yue, generations of accumulation had only produced a little over twenty such elders.
As Fang Yuan observed, so too did the others.
Countless eyes scanned the crowd—filled with animosity, curiosity, and caution.
The Gu Masters of the Gu Yue clan tended to be lean and wiry.
The Xiong clan's Gu Masters were brawny and muscular, their physical strength evident at a glance.
The Bai clan's Gu Masters, perhaps due to their long-term residence near the mountain's rear waterfall, had pale skin and carried a distinct Yin aura about them.
"That long hair guy is Gu Yue Qing Shu, Rank two peak stage, and is the Gu Yue clan's number one Rank two Gu Master," some pointed out.
"Mo Yan! Hmph, this wrench caused me to lose an arm. After the wolf tide, I must get revenge!!" Someone snorted in their heart.
"Woah, that girl riding on the giant bear, she should be the Xiong clan's Xiong Jiao Man. Don't be deceived by her appearance, she goes battle-crazy when fighting."
"Do you see that white fat girl? She's Bai clan's Bai Zhong Shui, a Rank two upper stage fighter, who has the Water Boar Gu. She is very promiscuous and very lustful towards men. You newbies be careful, don't get fucked by her."
The three clan's animosity and grudges had long been deep-seated.
Alliance slope's discussion noises became louder as it turned into an uproar. Many Gu Master seniors were pointing around, introducing the strong people from the other two clans to their juniors, reminding them to be careful of them.
"The traditional overlord Gu Yue clan, the newly rising Bai clan, and the never-underestimated Xiong clan…" Fang Yuan's gaze flew across the people as he stood in the crowd, observing the entire situation.
Gu Yue clan has Qing Shu, Chi Shan, Mo Yan; Xiong and Bai clan also had their outstanding Rank two elite Gu Masters.
Together with the different clan's heads and elders in the rock building, the alliance slope can be said to be filled with elites.
"I wonder which one is Bai Ning Bing? The man who symbolizes the Bai clan's rise!"
"Bai Ning Bing is already Rank three, he is definitely not among the Rank two Gu Masters."
"It seems he isn't in the rock building either."
Gradually, the discussions gathered on Bai Ning Bing.
Although Bai Ning Bing did not appear, his brilliance had already suppressed all the Gu Masters below the rock building.
"I remember that three years ago on the alliance slope, it was Bai Ning Bing who was the first to step out and start the Gu battle. In just three years, he became a Rank three clan elder, thinking about it makes me shudder."
"He rose to heaven in one step. When he was Rank two, he could defeat a clan elder in the Xiong clan, this guy has a bright future ahead."
"The point is that right now he has already grown up, and at this rate, he can become a Rank four expert and even rank five. As for Rank six…"
"Rank five is mortal, while Rank six is immortal. Rank five is already amazing. Rank six? Hmph, you are all overestimating him…."
"That might not be, who can predict the future?"