"The competition is truly fierce. I wonder who the final victor will be."
"I've been standing here for a quarter of an hour, and over a dozen Gu Masters have already dropped their paper slips into the counter."
"Sigh, this is a game for the rich. People like us don't even qualify to compete."
On the second floor of the tree house, Gu Masters gathered around the central counter, chatting and sighing endlessly.
As evening approached, the competition for the Red Iron She Li Gu reached its peak. Many Second Transformation Gu Masters who had been watching from the shadows seized the final moments to place their bids.
Some Gu Masters even bid multiple times in succession.
"The final victor of this contest will likely be one of Moyan or Chishan," someone speculated.
"Very likely. Moyan and Chishan are both Second Transformation High Stage. After using this She Li Gu, they could advance to Peak Stage, matching Qingshu."
"For the past few years, Gu Yue Qingshu has been suppressing them both. I refuse to believe they don't have ambitions of their own."
"Hard to say. Actually, it's not just us Second Transformation Gu Masters. Some Third Transformation Elders have bid as well. Someone saw Lady Yao Ji drop in a paper slip this morning."
"That's right, I heard about that too. Lady Yao Ji's granddaughter, Gu Yue Yaole, is participating in the Opening Orifice Ceremony this year. It seems Lady Yao Ji is planning ahead, paving the way for her granddaughter."
"Sigh, if only I had an elder who doted on me like that!"
...
Fang Yuan stood among the crowd, listening to their conversations, his gaze calm.
No one mentioned his name. In the eyes of the crowd, Fang Yuan was nothing more than a lucky lad who had just inherited a fortune. In their estimation, he was not yet worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Chishan, Moyan, or Qingshu.
"Good. The less attention on me, the smoother my acquisition of this Red Iron She Li Gu will be. But my continuous purchasing of Gu Insects these days should have drawn his attention by now."
Fang Yuan was ninety-nine percent confident he could secure this She Li Gu. He began turning to another problem.
If events truly unfolded as he expected, then his efforts over the past few days would yield a perfect result.
Time was up.
The branches and leaves on the counter suddenly grew, wrapping tightly around the She Li Gu. The green foliage obscured everyone's sight, and when the leaves unfurled again, the Red Iron She Li Gu was gone, replaced by a Fanran Gu.
The Fanran Gu resembled a flat, oval stone about the size of a palm. The top surface was slightly raised, smooth and round, forming the pattern of an eye. The bottom was flat with a rough texture.
The stone was black. The eye pattern was composed of white lines.
Approximately every two seconds, the eye on the stone's surface would blink, and the eyeball depicted by the white lines would rotate. It gave the impression that the stone was rolling its eyes.
The Fanran Gu's function was quite special.
It targeted Gu Insects, capable of decomposing a Second Transformation Gu into a First Transformation one.
For example, if Fang Yuan's White Jade Gu were decomposed by the Fanran Gu, it would revert back into a White Pig Gu and a Jade Skin Gu.
This process was known as Reverse Refining.
Fang Yuan glanced at it and lost interest. He had no use for the Fanran Gu.
The surrounding Gu Masters also began clamoring. The Fanran Gu could not replace the Red Iron She Li Gu as the center of attention.
People were curious about the final owner of the Red Iron She Li Gu.
Some sought out the merchant caravan Gu Masters on this floor. Others stationed themselves specifically at the main counter to wait.
The crowd gradually dispersed, but Fang Yuan remained standing in place, motionless.
"Young Master Fang Yuan, please come up to the third floor. Our caravan's Lord Jia Fu wishes to have a word with you," a voice suddenly reached Fang Yuan's ears.
Fang Yuan was not surprised. In this world, there were many kinds of Gu Insects capable of secret sound transmission.
Following the voice's continuous guidance, he arrived at the third floor of the tree house and walked to a wall.
The wooden wall was covered with layers of lush green leaves.
Rustle, rustle, rustle...
The branches and leaves parted automatically to either side, revealing a hidden door within.
Fang Yuan pushed open the secret door and found a compact spiral staircase leading upward.
He ascended the stairs and arrived at a small study.
Inside, Jia Fu was bent over his accounts, his brush flying across the paper.
Hearing Fang Yuan's footsteps, he looked up, revealing a fresh scar on his face. He wore a kindly smile: "Young Brother Fang Yuan, we meet again."
"Greetings, Lord Jia Fu." Fang Yuan cupped his fists in salute.