Chapter 83 Metting Fang Yuan

Surrounded by these countless beasts and Gu worms, the enormous merchant caravan slowly made its way deeper into Gu Yue Village.

Along the way, the children of Gu Yue Village stared wide-eyed at the caravan, pointing excitedly at creatures and goods they had never seen before. For these children who had spent their entire lives on Qing Mao Mountain, the annual caravan offered a rare glimpse of the vast world beyond the mountain.

Windows on the upper floors of the bamboo houses opened one after another as villagers leaned out to watch. Some observed the unfamiliar merchants and Gu Masters with caution, while others enthusiastically waved in welcome.

By evening, a sprawling temporary market had appeared in the area designated for the caravan. Large tents of red, blue, yellow, and green stood everywhere, while countless smaller stalls filled nearly every remaining space between them.

Even after night fell, the market remained brightly illuminated and bustling with activity. Mortals and Gu Masters continuously poured in from Gu Yue Village, children ran excitedly through the crowds, and even the adults wore cheerful expressions. People gathered around stalls or entered the larger tents, while the merchants’ cries filled the streets.

To Fang Yuan, however, all this excitement was little more than noise.

“Come and take a look! Climbing Ape Strength Gu! Once used, it can permanently grant a Gu Master the strength of a climbing ape. Don’t miss this opportunity!”

“Top-grade Blue Sea Cloud Tea Bricks! Wonderful flavor and excellent food for Tea Path Gu. Only five primeval stones each!”

“Brute Strength Heavenly Beetle Gu! Activate it and temporarily gain the strength of a bull! Come and see for yourself!”

Fang Yuan moved through the crowded market without showing much interest until he suddenly stopped before one particular establishment.

Hundred Refinements Pavilion.

Fang Yuan eyes immediately sharpened. Even among large merchant caravans, shops specializing in Gu refinement were rarely seen.

There were many different professions among Gu Masters, and naturally some specialized in Refinement Path. Those willing to refine Gu, raise their rank, or improve them for others in exchange for payment were commonly known as refinement masters.

Perhaps I can have them refine that Gu for me. A Gu recipe surfaced in Fang Yuan’s memories. If he could successfully refine it, he would be able to draw out considerably more power from his Moon Path Gu Worm.

In his previous life, Fang Yuan had eventually reached Rank Six and founded the Blood Wing Demon Sect, gathering countless subordinates and accumulating a vast collection of Gu recipes. Naturally, not all of them belonged to Blood Path. Among his collection were several useful Moon Path Gu recipes.

After all, Moon Path was not particularly widespread in the Southern Border, where Earth Path and Wood Path were much more common. Central Continent, with its countless sects and flourishing cultivation paths, had produced far more Moon Path Gu Masters and consequently far more Moon Path Gu recipes.

With this thought, Fang Yuan entered the Hundred Refinements Pavilion. Only after stepping inside did he discover that the so-called pavilion was actually an enormous mushroom house.

This type of Gu house was portable. It was grown from special Gu spores planted among trees, where they absorbed nutrients from the surrounding vegetation and gradually developed into an enormous mushroom-shaped building. Its thick gray cap formed a natural roof that easily shed rainwater, while the stout cylindrical stalk below formed the white walls of the house. Around it lay numerous trees that had already withered after having their nutrients completely drained.

After entering, Fang Yuan found several counters scattered throughout the spacious interior. Various Gu and refinement materials were displayed behind them, most related to the Gu that Hundred Refinements Pavilion commonly refined for customers.

Fang Yuan swept his gaze across the counters. Most were practical Rank One and Rank Two Gu, such as Water Shield Gu, Wooden Armor Gu, and Exposure Gu. Their prices were noticeably lower than those charged by merchants who specialized purely in selling Gu.

The reason was closely related to how refinement masters conducted business. When someone commissioned a Gu refinement, the customer normally paid for all the required materials. For common Rank One and Rank Two Gu, customers were usually required to purchase enough materials for at least five refinement attempts. The refinement itself was relatively simple, so no additional fee was normally charged. Rank Three Gu were considerably more difficult and required a separate refinement fee.

The refinement master guaranteed that the requested Gu would be successfully refined within those five attempts, but the customer paid the same amount regardless of whether success came on the first attempt or the fifth. Thus, much of the profit came from whatever refinement materials remained afterward.

More importantly, skilled refinement masters possessed techniques that allowed them to refine several low-rank Gu together. A successful refinement could sometimes produce two or three additional Gu beyond what the customer had requested, and these naturally belonged to the refinement master rather than the customer. This was also why Hundred Refinements Pavilion could sell many common Gu below the usual market price.

“Need something?”

A young man behind one of the counters yawned and slowly stood up, his eyes still heavy with sleep. When he finally looked properly at the customer before him, he saw an ordinary-looking youth whose appearance would hardly attract attention in a crowd.

Yet those dark eyes were unusually deep and calm. The young man’s drowsiness immediately disappeared.

Such composure… could it really be him?

Lin Feng’s eyes widened slightly before his expression quickly returned to normal. “Esteemed guest, are you here to purchase Gu, commission a refinement, or advance a Gu you already possess?”

As Lin Feng examined Fang Yuan, Fang Yuan was also silently studying him. He’s so young, yet already Rank Three? I don’t remember someone like this being part of the caravan in my previous life.

A trace of doubt appeared in Fang Yuan’s eyes as he searched through his five hundred years of memories, trying to recall whether he had ever encountered this person before.