"Haha, Shang Yazi must be absolutely livid right now." In private room number nine, Wei Yang couldn't help but laugh. "But, Brother Fang Zheng, are you really okay with not buying the Strength Gu?"
Beside him, Shang Xinci also cast a concerned gaze toward Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan smiled. "The Strength Gu is something I must obtain, but I refuse to be the sucker who pays eight hundred and ten thousand for a single Gu. I'd rather refine it myself. Eight hundred and ten thousand... is more than enough for many attempts."
"But the chances of refinement failure are very high, and it will harm you too, Brother Heitu," Shang Xinci said, her voice laced with worry.
Fang Yuan gently shook his head. He had his own plans for this matter, but he couldn't reveal them to outsiders.
"Hey! This Fang Zheng really played Shang Yazi for a fool. Shang Yazi spent a full eight hundred and ten thousand and only got a Strength Gu." The eyes of the crowd were sharp.
"That idiot Shang Yazi is nothing but an embarrassment to our young masters!" The young masters of the Shang family all wore furious expressions.
"Honestly, Fang Zheng put on a really convincing act. Even I was fooled," someone remarked.
"Spectators see clearly while the participants are lost. I noticed something was off a long time ago," someone chimed in after the fact.
"Shang Yazi is petty and vindictive, which is why he kept matching every bid. But Fang Zheng didn't get what he wanted either—both of them lost. That's why you can't let emotions run the auction," Ju Kaibei sighed inwardly.
"The only true winner is the auction house."
"The Ju family must be overjoyed—a single Strength Gu sold for eight hundred and ten thousand!"
Everyone buzzed with discussion, whispering among themselves.
But in fact, they overlooked another big winner.
That was Miss An Yu, who had suddenly risen to fame.
*Crack.*
Shang Yazi hurled the celadon cup in his hand to the ground, smashing it to pieces.
In private room number five, the servants instantly dropped to their knees with heads bowed, not daring to draw a single breath.
Shang Yazi sat in his seat, nostrils flaring, veins bulging on his forehead, his face contorted with rage.
He'd been played by Fang Zheng!
Eight hundred and ten thousand, spent on a Strength Gu he couldn't even use.
Shang Yazi felt his heart dripping blood!
In truth, he was shrewd. He had learned from that past setback—each loss brought wisdom. For over a year, he had worked diligently and managed his shops well.
But character determines fate.
He was simply a petty, narrow-minded person. Hatred clouded his judgment, and he walked straight into Fang Yuan's trap.
"Fang Zheng, Fang Zheng, if not for the Oath Poison Gu, I would kill you and tear you to shreds!!!" Shang Yazi roared endlessly in his heart.
The auction continued.
Item number fourteen. Fifteen, sixteen... eighteen... twenty-eight...
Round after round of bidding surged upward, the atmosphere growing热烈 until people quickly forgot about the clash between Fang Yuan and Shang Yazi.
"Next up is item number thirty-two—a Fourth Transformation Wind Trend Gu." The female Gu Master's voice remained crisp and pleasant.
The Wind Trend Gu took the shape of a butterfly with blue-green wings. Each time they fluttered, diamond-like sparkles materialized in the surrounding air. Naturally, it captured everyone's attention.
The Wind Trend Gu was a very special type of Gu Insect. It absorbed the vitality of living things and was born from the wind—a natural Gu. To this day, no Recipe Grandmaster had succeeded in developing a refinement formula to create one.
Recipe Grandmasters were generally divided into three major schools. The Past School studied lost formulas for strength-path, qi-path, and other Gu Insects, attempting to restore them. The Present School studied natural Gu, striving to develop refinement formulas to replicate them. And the Future School specialized in creating entirely new Gu refinement formulas.
The Wind Trend Gu was not only special in origin but also in application.
It was deployed against a group—a tribe or a clan—using an invisible force to establish a prevailing trend or habit within that collective.
In ancient times, Gu Masters used it against beast packs. For instance, to deal with a herd of Steel Needle Pigs, a Gu Master would deploy the Wind Trend Gu, and the herd would suddenly develop a habit of rubbing their entire coats against rocks.
The Steel Needle Pigs' bristles were like iron needles, serving both offensive and defensive purposes. After rubbing against rocks, the bristles gradually wore down, making the herd effortless for Gu Masters to deal with.
But later, Gu Masters gradually discovered that the Wind Trend Gu was an excellent tool for ruling tribes and clans.
Some clans lacked food yet were fond of brewing wine. After using the Wind Trend Gu to change that habit, their grain reserves grew and the clan flourished.
The Wind Trend Gu could be used not only internally but also against outsiders.
There was a famous example in history.
Two clans were at war, and the weaker side deployed the Wind Trend Gu, causing the stronger clan to suddenly develop the custom of foot-binding for women.
This drastically reduced the women's labor capacity. Female Gu Masters also suffered a severe drop in combat strength, and the clan was ultimately defeated and annihilated by the weaker family.
When all was said and done, this was a world of Gu, filled with all manner of bizarre and wondrous Gu Insects.
After her lengthy and spirited introduction, the female Gu Master announced: "The Wind Trend Gu—starting price: two hundred and sixty thousand Yuan Stones."
"Three hundred thousand." The Yi family Elder, Yi Buhui, was the first to bid.
"Three hundred and fifty thousand." Fei Luanfeng of the Fei family refused to be outdone.
"Three hundred and seventy thousand." A Recipe Grandmaster called out.
"Three hundred and eighty thousand." Wei Yang spoke up. He presided over the Wind and Rain Tower, and he hoped to use this Wind Trend Gu to make his subordinates work with greater dedication.
"Five hundred thousand!" Fang Yuan shouted once more.
The entire hall fell silent.
After being quiet for so long, Fang Yuan's voice once again reminded everyone of his clash with Shang Yazi not long ago.
"Five hundred thousand Yuan Stones for a Wind Trend Gu? Fang Zheng, you want to trick me again? Do you take me for a fool?!" Shang Yazi gnashed his teeth, hatred blazing in his eyes.