Seeing the number the elder held up, Fang Yuan slightly raised an eyebrow.
The Wine Worm's market price was five hundred and eighty Yuan Stones. Book Worms sometimes went slightly higher, reaching six hundred. Black and White Pig Gu were also six hundred Yuan Stones. But all of these Gu were rare First Transformation Gu. Because their numbers were scarce, their prices were high.
An ordinary First Transformation Gu was roughly two hundred and fifty Yuan Stones.
As for consumable First Transformation Gu like the Life Leaf, they were fifty Yuan Stones each.
Setting the Bone Lance Gu's selling price at three hundred and ten was already fairly reasonable. This elder from the Tong You Shop hadn't arbitrarily driven down the price.
But even so, Fang Yuan still needed to push the price as high as possible.
Bargaining was something he had already perfected in his previous life.
After just two or three sentences, the elder had no choice but to raise the price by another ten Yuan Stones per Gu.
One Bone Lance Gu for three hundred and twenty Yuan Stones.
"Good, let's settle on that price." Fang Yuan waved his hand, and a shower of light points immediately flew out from his Empty Orifice.
Fifty-six Bone Lance Gu hovered before the elder, giving the old man a small fright.
"So many..." He immediately felt a twinge of regret. Ten more Yuan Stones per Gu meant nearly six hundred additional Yuan Stones to pay out.
In truth, when Fang Yuan had been at White Bone Mountain, he had collected a full two hundred Bone Lance Gu.
But during the journey as a merchant caravan, with insufficient food, most had died. Only this many remained.
"Fifty-six Gu. That comes to seventeen thousand nine hundred and twenty Yuan Stones. I'll have someone fetch the Yuan Stones right away." The elder gathered all the Bone Lance Gu into his robes.
"No rush. Take a look at this Gu first." Fang Yuan smiled faintly and summoned a Spiral Bone Lance Gu.
"This is a Second Transformation Gu. It seems to be a... variation of the Bone Lance Gu?" A look of astonishment appeared on the elder's face.
"That's right. Through refinement of Bone Lance Gu, one can obtain the Spiral Bone Lance Gu. It possesses a drilling force. Its power is quite considerable." Fang Yuan offered the introduction at just the right moment.
The elder tested it, and just as Fang Yuan had described, he quoted a price of seven hundred and eighty Yuan Stones.
After several rounds of back-and-forth, Fang Yuan raised the price to eight hundred Yuan Stones each.
These Spiral Bone Lance Gu he had maintained well. He had twenty in his Empty Orifice.
That came to sixteen thousand Yuan Stones.
"Now look at this Gu — seven thousand Yuan Stones." Fang Yuan quoted a price and produced a Bone Thorn Gu, then gave an introduction.
The elder held the Bone Thorn Gu but didn't dare test it carelessly. He smiled bitterly: "This is a Third Transformation Gu, but it harms the enemy a thousand while damaging oneself eight hundred. The bone thorns piercing through flesh would cause excruciating pain. To use it, one would need to pair it with a healing Gu. Seven thousand is too high a price. Six thousand five hundred Yuan Stones — now that figure is just right..."
"Let's not haggle any further. I'll concede a bit — six thousand seven hundred," Fang Yuan said.
Those two rounds of bargaining had made the elder realize how difficult Fang Yuan was to deal with. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and simply gritted his teeth: "Deal."
"Then that comes to forty thousand six hundred and twenty Yuan Stones." Fang Yuan's eyes darted as he called out the precise number.
The elder suddenly bowed at the waist, performing a formal salute to Fang Yuan: "Esteemed guest, the Gu Insects you wish to sell — in all my years managing this shop, I have never seen their like. Moreover, they are interconnected, each building upon the last, seemingly from a single lineage. May I ask, do these Gu belong to the same legacy?"
Fang Yuan nodded: "Anyone with sharp eyes can see that. That's right — through a fortunate coincidence, I inherited a legacy and obtained these Gu Insects."
The elder's face lit up with joy: "If that is the case, then the esteemed guest must possess the corresponding Gu refinement recipes. Your good fortune is truly enviable. Why not sell those recipes to our shop as well?"
Fang Yuan frowned slightly.
Things were valuable because they were scarce. Bone Lance Gu, Spiral Bone Lance Gu, Bone Thorn Gu — he wasn't the only one who had them. The Bai Family had them too. Selling them was one thing.
But the complete refinement recipes — he had obtained them from the Flesh Sac Secret Chamber. They existed nowhere else in the world. Such things could not be handed over lightly.
"Any Gu Insects and recipes below Sixth Transformation are commodities with a price. But how many Yuan Stones can you offer?" Fang Yuan thought for a moment and asked.
If the price was right, the recipes weren't necessarily off the table.
He needed money.
The forty thousand Yuan Stones from selling the Bone Lance Gu and the rest was far from enough for his plans.
The elder held up two fingers: "Two hundred thousand Yuan Stones!"
Fang Yuan had sold that many Gu Insects and received only forty thousand. But invisible recipes could fetch two hundred thousand.
Teaching a man to fish was better than giving him a fish.
The method of catching fish was far more valuable than the fish itself.
Because the ability to catch fish meant an endless supply.
For the Tong You Shop, having the recipes meant Bone Lance Gu and the rest could be produced continuously.
That would turn into a long-term trading arrangement, exclusive to their shop alone. Naturally, the price for the Bone Legacy recipes would be much higher.
But Fang Yuan let out a cold laugh: "Two hundred thousand — and you have the nerve to quote that price?"
The elder's aged face flushed red. The price was indeed too low. He immediately followed up: "Three hundred thousand!"
Fang Yuan shook his head without a word and made as if to leave.
The elder gritted his teeth hard: "Five hundred thousand!"