It actually opened a Gu?

"Huh?"

"Could it be another stone within a stone?"

"It looks like it. But it's strange, this yellow earth is encased in a hard purple gold stone shell. It should have been squeezed into a smooth shape, so why is the surface uneven?" The surrounding Gu Masters were puzzled.

Seeing the ball of yellow mud in his hands, Fang Yuan's expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred slightly.

He continued to rub, and the blue radiance flowed like water, turning the mud into powder that fell away. Mixed within the powdery mud were many small lumps, which continuously fell onto the pile of stone powder at his feet.

"Could there really be something inside?!" Some Gu Masters widened their eyes in surprise upon seeing this.

"It's hard to say," some replied with uncertain tones.

"I feel like there is, it really feels like there is," someone whispered.

The yellow mud ball gradually became smaller, and when it was almost the size of a palm, a person suddenly burst into the tent. "Kid, take it easy. I, Jia Jin Sheng, have bought this mud ball!"

Fang Yuan's hands stopped moving, and for a moment, all the Gu Masters in the tent focused their attention on this person.

The person looked young, around twenty to twenty-five years old. He wore a golden robe, with a silk belt around his waist, inlaid with a square jade piece. The jade piece had a horizontal jade pattern, forming a rare "one" character.

It was clear that this was a Rank 1 Gu Master.

Being over twenty years old and still a Rank 1 Gu Master, his aptitude didn't seem very good.

However, this person held a special status. Upon seeing him, the Gu Masters in the tent all bowed and said in unison, "Your subordinate greets the Second Young Master."

"Second Young Master?"

"He just called himself Jia Jin Sheng. Could he be that half-brother of the caravan leader, Jia Fu..."

"If that's the case, then he must be the one who opened this stone gambling establishment. But his sudden intervention seems to have broken the casino's rules."

The Gu Masters began to discuss in hushed tones.

"That's right, I am the shopkeeper of this establishment. Little brother, gambling on stones at such a young age. Aren't you afraid your family will blame you? I'll offer forty primeval stones for the mud ball in your hand. What do you say? Forty primeval stones is quite a lot, and there might not even be a Gu worm inside. It's just that I'm in a good mood today, and since it's your first time gambling on stones, I don't want you to lose everything. Consider it getting some of your capital back." Jia Jin Sheng said as he quickly approached Fang Yuan.

"Forty primeval stones?" Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, glancing sideways at Jia Jin Sheng, and sneered, "It seems you want to forcibly buy the fossilized mud ball from me? Forcible purchase breaks the casino's rules. And on Qing Mao Mountain, you want to bully me, a member of the Gu Yue clan, in public?"

"Hm?" Hearing Fang Yuan's last words, the other Gu Masters present could no longer stand by. They couldn't help but feel a sense of shared indignation and crowded towards Fang Yuan. Their gazes towards Jia Jin Sheng also turned unfriendly.

Jia Jin Sheng had initially thought that a fifteen-year-old like Fang Yuan would be easy to deal with, and could be swayed with a few words. He hadn't expected Fang Yuan to be so skilled, using words to turn a simple matter into a disadvantageous situation for him!

Seeing the Gu Masters crowding around, Jia Jin Sheng's expression immediately changed. He quickly amended his words, waving his hands. "Little brother, you've misunderstood! I am the shopkeeper of this stone gambling establishment, how could I undermine myself and break my own rules? How would I do business in the future? Hahaha. I just found your mud ball interesting and wanted to buy it. If you don't want to sell, then so be it. But if there's nothing inside later, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand."

Fang Yuan ignored him and turned his head, once again focusing on rubbing the mud ball in his hands.

His movements were very slow and meticulous. Often, after a moment, only wisps and strands of dry mud powder would fall.

As he worked, a dormant Gu worm was gradually revealed to everyone's eyes.

"My goodness, there really is a Gu worm!"

"He actually opened a Gu!"

"Are you kidding me? You can gamble on stones like this?"

"This young man's luck is through the roof, to actually force out a Gu worm with sheer luck."

For a time, exclamations of amazement spread among the Gu Masters.

The female Gu Master subconsciously covered her mouth, looking at the scene in disbelief.

She had become a shop assistant and traveled through many mountain villages, encountering all sorts of people and customers, but she had never witnessed such a dramatic scene.

"There really is a Gu worm!" Jia Jin Sheng's eyes flashed with a cold glint, and he felt a surge of resentment in his heart. He was narrow-minded and prone to jealousy. His favorite thing to do was to take advantage of others, and the thing he hated most was being taken advantage of.

He had opened this stone gambling establishment and set up a tight network of informants. As soon as a customer seemed likely to open a Gu worm, he would appear upon receiving the news and usually forcibly buy it.

Now, Fang Yuan had opened a Gu worm in his casino, right under his nose. Jia Jin Sheng felt his heart bleeding.

What was opened was a Toad Gu.

It was yellowish all over, with a pale yellow belly and a brownish-yellow back, covered in the characteristic warts of a toad. At first glance, it looked somewhat unsettling.

It wasn't large, only palm-sized. Held in the palm, it was like holding two or three eggs.

Amidst the gasps of amazement, envy, and jealousy, Fang Yuan's expression remained calm. He carefully mobilized his true essence and injected it into the toad's body.

Instantly, he refined the toad.

Gu worms obtained from fossilized stones were extremely weak. Not only was their strength almost depleted, but their consciousness was also muddled, leaving them unable to resist and easily refined by Gu Masters.

The Toad Gu was awakened from its slumber by Fang Yuan. It slowly opened its eyes, its belly puffed slightly, and it let out a soft croak.

Although the sound was faint and weak, it caused the expressions of everyone present to change dramatically.

The value difference between a live Gu and a dead Gu was enormous.

"It's a live Gu, he opened a live Gu!!" Someone rubbed their eyes, unable to believe it.

"It's a Warty Earth Toad, damn it, it's really a Warty Earth Toad!" Someone recognized the Toad Gu's identity and roared excitedly.

"This young man has struck it rich. Why don't I have such luck!" Someone sighed, their emotions complex, filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

"Young Master, congratulations! This, this, this is the most precious Gu worm I've seen so far!" The female Gu Master was so excited she was almost speechless, her eyes shining brightly.

"It's actually a Warty Earth Toad! This is a rare Rank 2 Gu worm, worth a full five hundred primeval stones. Damn it, damn it. To have such a Gu worm opened in my shop. I've lost so much, lost so much!" Jia Jin Sheng's face turned pale, and he stared intently at the toad, a strong urge to snatch it away surging within him.

But he knew he couldn't. If he really did that, he'd be walking into a dead end.

This wasn't the clan's village, but an outer territory, belonging to the Gu Yue clan.

"Perhaps I should have offered dozens more primeval stones, maybe then he would have transferred it to me. That's right, he's just a student. If I offer a hundred primeval stones, I'm not afraid he won't be tempted. Why didn't I do that?" Jia Jin Sheng was filled with regret.

"No, perhaps this kid doesn't know its worth. Even though he opened this Warty Earth Toad, I should be able to suppress the price and acquire it!" A sliver of new hope appeared in Jia Jin Sheng's mind.

But in the next moment, that sliver of hope was ruthlessly shattered by Fang Yuan's words.

Fang Yuan calmly gazed at the Warty Earth Toad cradled in his hand, ignoring the gasps and envious glances from others.

He said to Jia Jin Sheng in a calm tone, "Warty Earth Toad, a Rank 2 Gu, consumes one jin of fertile mud per meal, the more fertile the better. It is rare and is the essential main Gu for refining the Treasure Qi Brass Toad. Its market price is five hundred primeval stones. Jia Jin Sheng, do you want to acquire it?"

"You, you know so much..." Jia Jin Sheng's lips trembled. Struck like this, he almost couldn't speak.

Fang Yuan chuckled and continued, "If you don't want it, then forget it. I'll sell it to someone else, I'm sure someone will buy it."

"Wait, wait. I'll buy it, I'll buy it. But can the price be a little cheaper?" Jia Jin Sheng wore a bitter smile.

Fang Yuan turned to leave.

Jia Jin Sheng quickly chased after him, "Don't! Don't go. I'll buy it, I'll buy it!"

Fang Yuan had no plans to nurture this Warty Earth Toad.

It was a Rank 2 Gu, and Fang Yuan was currently only at the early stage of Rank 1. Even though it ate mud, Qing Mao Mountain was covered in green earth, making it troublesome to obtain food.

Furthermore, if he didn't sell this Toad Gu, Fang Yuan would have to feed three Gu worms by himself. Not only would the consumption of primeval stones increase, but the primeval stones he currently possessed were not enough to feed them.

Therefore, Fang Yuan's goal had always been to sell the Warty Earth Toad and earn five hundred primeval stones.

Five hundred primeval stones was a considerable sum for a Rank 1 early stage Gu Master like Fang Yuan.

The transaction was quickly completed. Fang Yuan publicly transferred the Warty Earth Toad to Jia Jin Sheng and received five heavy money bags in return. Each bag contained a full hundred primeval stones.

Fang Yuan's original fortune was ninety-eight primeval stones. He spent sixty on gambling stones, leaving him with thirty-eight. With this, his fortune had instantly multiplied several times, giving him five hundred and thirty-eight primeval stones!

Many Gu Masters who witnessed this scene had their eyes turn red.

Fang Yuan pocketed all five money bags, picked up the last purple gold stone, and leisurely walked out of the tent.

"Young Master, aren't you going to unwrap this stone?" the female Gu Master blinked repeatedly, looking at Fang Yuan's retreating back, and loudly reminded him.

Fang Yuan ignored her and left the gambling arena without looking back.

He left behind a group of stunned Gu Masters, who looked at each other in silence.