"Now, every problem came down to Flower Wine Wanderer's inheritance. If I could find it, all difficulties would unravel like a knife through bamboo. If I failed to find it, these problems would greatly slow my cultivation, letting my peers leave me far behind from the very beginning. How puzzling. I spent more than a week trying to lure out the Wine Worm Gu—why had there been no results at all?"
Fang Yuan frowned, lost in deep thought. He could not even taste the food entering his mouth.
Just then, a burst of clamor came from nearby, interrupting his thoughts.
Following the sound, Fang Yuan saw that at the central table, six hunters had gathered around their drinks. They were already reeking of alcohol, the atmosphere blazing hot as every one of them turned red-faced and thick-necked.
"Brother Zhang, come, another cup!"
"Brother Feng, we brothers admire your skill! You took down a black-skinned wild boar all by yourself—you're a true hero! You have to drink this cup. Refuse it, and you'll be disrespecting your brothers!"
"Thank you for your high regard, brothers, but I truly can't drink any more."
"Brother Feng can't drink anymore? Are you saying this wine is no good? Waiter, come here! Bring us some fine wine!"
Their voices grew louder and louder. Clearly, the hunters had all drunk too much.
The waiter hurried over. "Gentlemen, we do have fine wine, but it's rather expensive."
"What, are you afraid we can't pay?!" At those words, several hunters rose to their feet and glared at the waiter. They were either broad-shouldered and powerfully built, or dark, lean, sturdy, and fierce, carrying the rugged valor unique to mountain folk.
The waiter hurriedly tried to smooth things over, crying his innocence. "How would this little one dare look down on such heroic gentlemen? It's just that this wine truly is a little expensive. One jar costs two Primeval Stones!"
The hunters were all stunned.
Two Primeval Stones was no small sum—an ordinary household's living expenses for two months. Hunters earned more than ordinary mortals through hunting; sometimes, a single black-skinned wild boar could fetch half a Primeval Stone. But hunting carried risks too. If things went wrong, they themselves might become the prey.
To spend two Primeval Stones on a single jar of wine was far too wasteful for hunters.
"There's really wine that expensive?"
"Kid, you're not trying to swindle us, are you?"
The hunters shouted loudly, but their voices lacked force, tinged with the embarrassment of being unable to back down.
The waiter repeatedly said that he would not dare.
Brother Feng among the hunters saw that things were turning awkward and hurriedly tried to patch things up. "Brothers, don't spend any more. We can't drink anymore today. We'll have that wine another day."
"What are you saying, brother!"
"How could we do that..."
The other hunters called out, but their voices gradually weakened, and one by one, they sat back down.
The waiter was a shrewd fellow. Seeing this, he knew the deal was not going through.
Still, he had seen such scenes often enough and thought nothing of it. Just as he was about to leave, a young man's voice suddenly came from a table in the corner. "Heh heh, how laughable. Why are you all making such a racket? If you can't afford the wine, then obediently shut your mouths and shrink off to the side!"
Hearing this, one of the hunters was instantly provoked and shouted, "Who says we can't afford it? Waiter, bring that jar over! I'll pay you in Primeval Stones—isn't it just two?"
"Ah, please wait a moment, sir, it'll be right here!" The waiter had not expected the turn of events. He immediately seized the chance, turned around, and went downstairs to bring up a jar of wine.
The jar was only half the size of an ordinary wine jar, but once its clay seal was broken, a rich, pure fragrance of wine drifted out, filling the entire dining hall.
The old man drinking alone by the window could not help turning his head at the scent, his gaze falling upon the jar.
It truly was good wine.
"Gentlemen, this little one isn't boasting. This is premium Green Bamboo Wine, and our inn is the only place in the entire village that has it. Just smell that fragrance!" As he spoke, the waiter took a deep breath, his face full of enjoyment and satisfaction.
Fang Yuan's heart stirred. The waiter was not exactly boasting.
There were three wine shops in Gu Yue village, all selling ordinary rice wine and cloudy wine, with little difference between their varieties. Fang Yuan had bought wine for seven consecutive days in order to lure out the Wine Worm Gu, so he naturally knew the market well.
The hunters stared at the wine jar before them, their craving for alcohol stirred. Each sniffed greedily, their Adam's apples bobbing.
As for the hunter who had rashly bought the wine, the expression on his face grew even more colorful, with a hint of regret appearing.
This single jar was worth two Primeval Stones!
In a moment of impulse, I bought this wine. This waiter is too underhanded—he brought it up immediately. Now that the seal has been opened, I can't return it even if I want to.
The more the hunter thought about it, the more his heart ached. He wanted to return it, yet could not bring himself to lose face.
In the end, he slapped the table and forced a smile. "Damn it, this wine is good! Brothers, drink your fill. Today, this brother is treating!"
Just then, the young man at the corner table gave another derisive snort. "Such a tiny jar—how could that possibly be enough for six people? If you have the guts, buy a few more jars."
The hunter was needled until the veins on his forehead bulged. He sprang to his feet, furious, and glared wide-eyed at the young man who had spoken. "You little brat, you sure have a lot to say. Come, stand out here and trade a few moves with your brother!"
"Oh? Then I'll stand out." Hearing this, the young man truly rose and walked out from the shadows of the corner with a sinister smile.
He was tall and thin, with a pale face. Dressed in a dark blue martial outfit, he looked neat and capable.
A sapphire-blue headband circled his head. He wore a short top that exposed his thin shoulders, long trousers below, bamboo-leaf shoes on his feet, and leg wrappings around his calves.
Most importantly, a green cloth belt was tied around his waist. Set into its middle was a gleaming copper plate, engraved with a black "one."
"A Rank 1 Gu Master?!" The shouting hunter clearly understood what this clothing represented. He sucked in a cold breath, the anger on his face fading into fear.
He had never expected that he had provoked a Gu Master!
"Didn't you want to spar with me? Come on, act." The Young Gu Master strolled over, a teasing smile on his face.
But the hunter who had just issued the challenge stood rooted to the spot like a statue, utterly unmoved.
"Or you can all come at me together. That works too." The Young Gu Master slowly walked to the hunters' table and spoke in a casual tone.
The hunters' faces changed. Those whose faces had been flushed from drink turned pale in an instant. Cold sweat streamed down their foreheads; they fidgeted uneasily and did not dare even breathe loudly.
The Young Gu Master reached out, lifted the jar of Green Bamboo Wine, and held it beneath his nose for a sniff. Then he smiled. "It really is fragrant..."
"If Lord Gu Master likes it, please take it and drink it. Consider it this little one's apology for offending you." The hunter who had shouted the challenge hastily cupped his hands in salute, piling a smile onto his face.
Unexpectedly, the Young Gu Master's expression changed abruptly. With a crack, he smashed the wine jar onto the ground.
The Gu Master's face was ice-cold, his gaze sharp as swords. He roared in a low voice, "You think you're worthy of apologizing to me? You hunters are quite wealthy, aren't you? Wealthier than me, even—spending two Primeval Stones on wine?! Do you know I'm worrying over Primeval Stones right now? Yet you dare flaunt your wealth in front of me at a time like this! Are mortals like you even worthy?!"
"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare!"
"We offended you, my lord. Our sins deserve ten thousand deaths!"
"We had no intention of offending you, my lord. These are the Primeval Stones on us. Please accept them, Lord Gu Master."
The hunters shot to their feet as though struck by lightning and pulled Primeval Stones from their clothes. But how much money could these mortals possess? What they brought out were merely scattered fragments, the largest not even exceeding a quarter of a stone.
Yet the Young Gu Master did not take the Primeval Stones. He only continued sneering as he swept his hawk-like gaze across the entire dining hall.
Every hunter caught in his gaze lowered his head. The old man at the window table who had been watching the show also hurriedly turned away, avoiding the Gu Master's eyes.
Only Fang Yuan watched quietly, without the slightest restraint.
The Young Gu Master's attire could only be worn by official Gu Masters. Even Fang Yuan was not yet qualified to wear it; only after graduating from the academy could he receive it from the Lineage.
The "one" engraved on the copper plate of the Young Gu Master's belt indicated that he was a Rank 1 Gu Master.
But he appeared to be over twenty years old. From the aura of primeval essence emanating from him, he should have been at the upper stage of Rank 1.
He had begun cultivating at fifteen, yet by his twenties, he was still only at the upper stage of Rank 1. This showed that the young man's aptitude was merely D-grade, a notch worse than Fang Yuan's. Most likely, he was only a logistics Gu Master, not even a combat Gu Master.
But even so, dealing with six strong hunters would still be effortless.
That was the difference in strength between Gu Masters and mortals.
"With strength, one can stand high above others. That is the essence of this world. No—every world is like this. Big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp. This world merely displays it more nakedly." Fang Yuan silently sighed to himself.
"Enough, Jiang Ya. Teaching them a lesson is one thing, but don't make things difficult for these mortals. You may not find it embarrassing if word gets out, but I do." Another young person seated in the corner spoke at that moment.
Only upon hearing her speak did everyone realize that this young person was a woman.
The female companion's words left the Young Gu Master named Jiang Ya feeling deflated. He stopped sneering and did not even glance at the scattered Primeval Stones the hunters had offered up. Added together, they were not even worth two stones. Naturally, he had no interest.
With a flick of his sleeve, he walked back toward his seat. As he moved, he threw down a harsh warning. "If you have the guts, keep drinking—drink Green Bamboo Wine. I'd like to see who still dares drink it."
The hunters all hung their heads, having been scolded into six obedient grandsons.
The rich fragrance of wine filled the entire dining hall. Smelling it, the muscles on the face of the hunter who had bought the wine twitched in pain.
He had spent two Primeval Stones on that wine, yet had not taken a single sip!
Fang Yuan set down his chopsticks. He had already eaten his fill. Smelling the wine fragrance, his eyes flickered a few times. Then he suddenly took out two Primeval Stones, placed them on the table, and said calmly, "waiter, bring me a jar of Green Bamboo Wine."
The entire scene froze.
The Young Gu Master Jiang Ya immediately halted, the corner of his mouth twitching as he drew in a breath. He had just made his threat, and Fang Yuan immediately ordered that wine. Was this not deliberately tearing down his stage and slapping his face?
He turned around, narrowed his eyes, and shot Fang Yuan a cold, sinister look.
Fang Yuan met his gaze calmly, his face composed and fearless.
Jiang Ya's eyes flickered. The coldness around him gradually faded as he sensed the aura of primeval essence on Fang Yuan.
He understood Fang Yuan's identity and immediately smiled, warm as a spring breeze. "So you're a junior brother."
Everyone else came to a sudden realization, and the way they looked at Fang Yuan changed at once.
No wonder this youth was not afraid of a Gu Master. So he too was a Gu Master. Though he was still attending the academy, his nature was already different.
"Lord Gu Master, your wine!" The waiter scampered over, his face full of fawning smiles.
Fang Yuan nodded to the Young Gu Master Jiang Ya, picked up the jar of wine, and walked out of the inn.
Before you continue