"Wine Worm…" Fang Yuan murmured softly as he walked to the central counter.
All he needed was this Wine Worm, plus the four types of wine — sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy — and he could refine them together into a Four-Flavor Wine Worm. Of course, this kind of joint refinement naturally carried the possibility of failure.
But if Fang Yuan didn't have a second Wine Worm in hand, he wouldn't even have the chance to try.
Life was just like this. Effort didn't necessarily yield good results or guarantee success. But without effort, failure was certain.
The Demonic Path was the same. Most who walked it excelled at cutting through thorns and forging ahead with fierce determination. In the eyes of most ordinary people, that came across as extreme and reckless.
"I was worried before about how to find a second Wine Worm. Who would have thought that fate would deliver it right to my doorstep? With the opportunity right before my eyes, how could I possibly let it go? I have to get this Wine Worm!" A gleam of resolve flashed through Fang Yuan's eyes.
"If my cultivation had reached the Fifth Transformation or Fourth Transformation, with overwhelming combat strength, I wouldn't hesitate for a second — I'd seize it and leave. Gods who block me die, Buddhas who stand in my way fall! If I were at the Third Transformation or Fourth Transformation with a rich arsenal of techniques, I could steal it without anyone being the wiser. Unfortunately, I'm only at the Second Transformation, and still at the Initial Stage…"
Fang Yuan sighed inwardly: "In that case, I'll just have to buy it honestly."
He glanced at the price tag on the counter.
"Wine Worm — five hundred Yuan Stones."
The normal market price for a Wine Worm was five hundred and eighty Yuan Stones. The listed price here was actually eighty Yuan Stones cheaper than market value.
But if Fang Yuan truly believed he could buy this Wine Worm for just five hundred Yuan Stones, then his five hundred years of previous life would have been completely wasted.
The price was set so low for a reason. Jia Fu simply wanted to attract customers and stir up the psychological urge to buy.
This tree house was clearly his property.
"Grandma! This Wine Worm is only five hundred Yuan Stones!" A young girl walked over and let out a small cry of surprise.
The girl's eyes lit up as she tugged on her mother's arm: "Grandma, tomorrow is the Opening Orifice Ceremony. Didn't you promise to give me a gift? Why don't you buy this Wine Worm and give it to me!"
The girl's grandmother was none other than a woman wearing a white sash, with a square silver plate fastened at the front. A large character for "three" was engraved upon it.
Once a Gu Master cultivated to the Third Transformation, they were automatically elevated to the rank of Elder.
However, among Elders, there were differences. Some were Elders in positions of power, holding high authority and great influence. Others were not, managing departments with slim pickings.
But this Third Transformation elder was clearly not one of those mediocre Elders.
"Guye Yao Ji…" Fang Yuan recognized her. She was the Elder of the Medicine Hall — the medicine hall was the heart of the entire clan's logistics and supply, arguably the most lucrative department of all. Guye Yao Ji held extremely senior qualifications; even before the Guye Patriarch, she could remain seated and reply without standing to bow. She was the clan's foremost healing Gu Master and had once saved the lives of numerous Elders, giving her an enormous network of connections within the clan.
"Good, good, good. If my precious granddaughter wants it, Grandma will buy it for her." The old woman's face was covered in deep wrinkles, her back hunched, one hand leaning on a walking cane. She sighed helplessly, then smiled with warm affection.
"Grandma is the best! I knew Grandma loves me the most!" The girl happily threw her arms around Guye Yao Ji on the spot, puckering her lips and planting a kiss on her grandmother's cheek.
"Then let's call the shopkeeper over, Grandma! Let's buy this Wine Worm quickly!"
Guye Yao Ji shook her head: "My dear granddaughter, Gu Insects here aren't bought like that. Grandma will teach you. Do you see that stack of paper and the brush on the counter?"
The girl nodded blankly: "I see them."
Guye Yao Ji: "Go take a sheet of paper and write down the price you're willing to pay for this Wine Worm. Then slip it into the slot on the side of the counter. If, among everyone who wants to buy it, your price is the highest, then this Wine Worm will be yours."
"Oh, so that's how it works — sounds pretty fun!" The girl picked up a sheet of bamboo paper, took up the brush, but hesitated when it came time to write.
She furrowed her cute little brows, wracking her brains for a good while, before finally pouting slightly and asking: "Grandma, what price should I write? I'm afraid if it's too low, someone else will buy the Wine Worm. But if it's way higher than everyone else's, I'll be getting ripped off."
Guye Yao Ji laughed and deliberately teased her: "If buying a Wine Worm were that easy, anyone could do it. It's all up to you, my dear…"
"Grandma!" The girl whined playfully, clinging to Guye Yao Ji's arm and shaking it back and forth.
"Alright, alright, stop shaking. Grandma's bones are about to fall apart from all that." The old woman sighed. "Grandma will fill it in for you, then."
The girl immediately bounced with a little leap and called out in a sweet voice: "I knew Grandma loves me the most!"
Guye Yao Ji took up the brush, wrote a price, and appended her name. The girl watched intently from the side.
After the old woman finished writing, she folded the paper, winked at the girl, and said: "Go on, put it in."
The girl obediently took the paper, found the square opening on the side of the counter, and slipped the folded sheet inside.
She returned to Guye Yao Ji's side and asked a bit uneasily: "Grandma, is that all we need to do?"
The old woman nodded: "That should be about it. But the world is unpredictable — perhaps someone will bid higher than Grandma. Though that price would be far too high. If anyone actually pays more than Grandma's bid, they'd have to be a fool. Don't worry, this matter is as good as settled."
"Oh." The girl nodded, her expression adorable.
"Come. Walk Grandma up to the upper floor to have a look."
"Okay, Grandma."
…
Watching the grandmother and granddaughter's departing figures, a trace of gravity flickered through Fang Yuan's eyes.
This Guye Yao Ji was indeed a formidable competitor for him — not someone to be taken lightly.
But Fang Yuan had already anticipated and prepared for this situation long ago.
The Wine Worm was precious. Though it could only benefit First Transformation Gu Masters, its ability to refine True Essence was truly exceptional. Refined True Essence meant advancing a minor realm, which in turn meant an increase in True Essence reserves — a powerful catalyst for a Gu Master's cultivation progress.
Its only shortcoming was that the Wine Worm's development potential was rather limited.