The atmosphere in the hall was extremely heavy.
The assembly of clan elders sat silently, their expressions cold, gloomy, or somber.
Clan leader Gu Yue Bo sat in the main seat, unable to hide the worry in his eyes: "Three days ago, a River-Swallowing Toad appeared near the villages at the foot of the mountain. It seems to have come upstream from the Yellow Dragon River and drifted here by accident. It is now blocking a river channel and sleeping inside. If we let it be, the village will be in constant danger. Honored elders, do you have any good ideas to drive away this toad?"
The elders looked at each other, momentarily silent.
The River-Swallowing Toad was a fifth-turn gu worm of immense power. With one open-mouthed spit, it could cause a great river to flow. If this matter was mishandled and it angered the toad, it could flood most of Qingmao Mountain and wash away the entire village.
After a long silence, Gu Yue Chilian spoke: "This matter is very serious and must be resolved quickly. Once news leaks out, there might be malicious people who come secretly to provoke the River-Swallowing Toad and harm our Gu Yue clan."
"Elder Chilian speaks correctly," Gu Yue Mochen nodded. Although he was Chilian's political opponent, at this critical moment for the village's survival, he completely set aside old prejudices.
After a pause, he continued, "There is an even more serious situation. Once the River-Swallowing Toad floods Qingmao Mountain, the wolf lairs will be submerged. To escape, the wolves will naturally migrate up the mountain. Then the wolf tide will break out early. We will have to compete with countless beasts for living space on the mountaintop."
Upon hearing this, the elders' faces all turned pale.
Gu Yue Bo added in a heavy tone, "Don't forget the foundation of our village. The reason the first generation ancestor established the village here was because of this spirit spring beneath our feet. If Qingmao Mountain is flooded, this spirit spring will likely be destroyed as well."
"What should we do then?"
"Alas... Even if we withstand the beast tide and survive on the mountaintop, after the floodwaters recede, the spirit spring will be gone, many beasts will die, and the surrounding land will become barren. Resources for cultivation will be severely insufficient."
"If we are going to die, let's die together. Why not ask the Xiong Family Village and the Bai Family Village for help? The three villages are tied together like three locusts tied on a string. I don't believe they won't lend a hand!"
The elders began whispering among themselves, showing signs of panic. Some were already thinking of requesting reinforcements.
"It's too early to ask for help," Gu Yue Bo shook his head, immediately dismissing the idea. "This is not yet the most difficult moment. When the first generation ancestor first established the village, a fifth-turn Blood River Python attacked the village and was killed by the first generation clan leader. Compared to the Blood River Python, the River-Swallowing Toad is much more gentle."
"It is mild-tempered and does not harm ordinary people at all. It only becomes alert when it senses the aura of other gu worms. Only after suffering severe injuries will it become enraged and spout water. I once heard from the previous clan leader some rumors about the River-Swallowing Toad..."
In the hall, Gu Yue Bo spoke eloquently, his voice calm.
The elders listened intently, and the tense and panicked expressions on their faces gradually relaxed.
"Truly worthy of being the clan leader. With just a few words, he has stabilized morale." Gu Yue Yaoji noticed the change in atmosphere, took a deep look at Gu Yue Bo, and praised inwardly.
"If what the clan leader just said is true, then driving away this River-Swallowing Toad is not too difficult," one elder spoke.
"Not necessarily," Gu Yue Bo shook his head. "These are just rumors. I haven't seen them with my own eyes, nor have I practiced them. This matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly. I think we should send a group of gu masters to try first."
All the elders nodded.
Gu Yue Chilian said, "For this task, one person from my Red Vein lineage is indispensable. If he can't do it, I'm afraid no one in our clan can."
Everyone knew who Chilian was referring to and agreed.
The clan leader Gu Yue Bo smiled slightly. "In that case, let's order the Red Mountain group to go."
...
It was early autumn, and the weather was gradually cooling down.
In the tavern by the window, Fang Yuan sat alone, quietly savoring wine.
The shopkeeper stood beside him, bowing and scraping.
"Shopkeeper, a few days ago I asked you to inquire about Bitter Shell Wine. Have you found anything?" Fang Yuan asked.
Fang Yuan was refining the Wine Worm and was missing only one 'bitter wine'. However, bitter wine was hard to find. Earlier, because of the Red Iron Relic Gu, he had become a target of attention, and wherever he went, people pointed at him. So it was not convenient to inquire about the bitter wine.
Only in recent days had the commotion gradually subsided. Perhaps bad luck turns to good — Fang Yuan stumbled upon a clue about the bitter wine.
The old shopkeeper quickly replied, "Reporting to the young master, I have heard that someone in Bai Family Village has drunk Bitter Shell Wine. The raw material for this wine is a type of shell in a deep pool. This shell is pitch-black with white ring patterns on it, like tree rings. We call it 'Bitter Shell'. Ordinary shells produce pearls, but this one eats the sand and pebbles in the water, dissolving them into bitter water. Someone opens its shell, obtains this bitter water, and uses it to brew wine. The resulting Bitter Shell Wine has a bitter and fragrant taste, very unique."
Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly. "So, Bitter Shell Wine is available in Bai Family Village?"
The shopkeeper quickly bent over: "I can't guarantee it, I just heard someone mention it. But in truth, what Bai Family Village is really famous for is 'White Grain Liquor'. That wine, together with our clan's Green Bamboo Wine and Xiong Family Village's Bear Gall Liquor, are known as the 'Three Qingmao Liquors'. As for Bitter Shell Wine... I think even if Bai Family Village has it, they probably don't have much."
"Even if they don't have much, we still need to find it," Fang Yuan thought to himself.
But this was troublesome. In recent years, Bai Family Village had been showing signs of rising, gradually shaking the traditional dominance of Gu Yue Village.
If Fang Yuan tried to enter Bai Family Village without permission, he would be killed by the patrolling Bai clan gu masters before he even reached the village gate.
Nevertheless, Fang Yuan wanted to try. After all, this Bitter Shell Wine was much more reliable than the Green Mugwort Wine, which was thousands of miles away.
Coming back from his thoughts, Fang Yuan found that the old shopkeeper was still standing by his side. So he waved his hand and said, "Alright, you may go. I have no further business with you."