"Hello, young Gu Master. Is there a problem?" Jia Fu walked to the center of the crowd and asked amiably.
The Young Gu Master was somewhat flattered. He bowed again, glanced at the surrounding clansmen, then gathered his courage and laid out the whole matter without holding anything back.
"So that was what happened!" Jia Fu nodded after hearing him out. Then he asked Jia Jin Sheng beside him, "Brother, was that really the case?"
Jia Jin Sheng turned his head away and snorted coldly, refusing to look at him.
Jia Fu fell into thought.
The surrounding crowd was silent, not daring to disturb his deliberation. All of them craned their necks, waiting for his judgment.
All in all, Jia Jin Sheng had indeed committed commercial fraud. But the Young Gu Master was also at fault. If greed had not clouded his mind, how could he have fallen for it?
If Jia Fu had been determined to shield his younger brother, then with his Rank 4 cultivation, not even the Gu Yue Clan Leader could do anything to him.
After pondering for a long while, Jia Fu finally spoke. "I understand this matter now. The fault lies entirely with my brother. He caused this young man to suffer losses and buy a counterfeit item. I am truly sorry." As he spoke, he cupped his hands and bowed to the Young Gu Master.
"Lord Jia Fu!" The Young Gu Master was greatly taken aback and hurriedly declined. "You are a Rank 4 Gu Master, while I am merely rank 2. I cannot accept this, I truly cannot!"
Jia Fu waved his hand. "Heh heh, this has nothing to do with a Gu Master's cultivation. I have always dealt with matters, not people. Wrong is wrong. On behalf of the caravan, I apologize to you, young man. As for compensation, you lost two hundred and fifty Primeval Stones. On behalf of the Jia family, I shall compensate you double that amount."
True to his word, an attendant at his side immediately took out five money bags and handed them to the Young Gu Master in full view of everyone.
Each money bag was plump and bulging, containing one hundred Primeval Stones.
The Young Gu Master received the bags, so excited that he could not say a word.
"But little brother, this old brother has a word of advice for you." Jia Fu continued, "The Black Pig Gu is extremely rare and can fundamentally increase a Gu Master's strength. Though this Gu is only Rank 1, it is difficult to find on the market. Whenever one appears, it is usually bought up at once. Its price is around six hundred Primeval Stones. It is not very realistic to buy a Black Pig Gu for just over two hundred Primeval Stones."
"This junior has learned his lesson!" The Young Gu Master bowed deeply to Jia Fu, convinced from the bottom of his heart.
A burst of cheers rose from the crowd.
"Lord Jia Fu is wise!"
"Remarkable! As expected of Lord Jia Fu!"
"Though he is a Rank 4 Gu Master, he does not bully the weak with his strength. Lord Jia Fu is truly a model of the righteous path!"
"Not at all, not at all." Jia Fu smiled as he cupped his hands to all sides and said modestly, "Our Jia family has always based its trade on honesty, never deceiving the young or the old. Fellow villagers, my younger brother is merely young and ignorant. He likes to play tricks on people, but his heart is still kind. I hope everyone can be more forgiving, more forgiving."
The cheers around them grew even more fervent.
"Hmph!" Jia Jin Sheng's face turned ashen. He stamped his foot hatefully, turned around, and entered the tent. He then passed through it and left by the rear flap.
Fang Yuan watched coldly from the sidelines. Seeing this, his heart settled completely. It seems the image wall left behind by Flower Wine Wanderer can be sold now.
Flower Wine Wanderer had used the Sound and Image Gu to record the ugly behavior of the fourth-generation Gu Yue Clan Leader.
Before dying, he had been filled with indignation. He used the Sound and Image Gu and pressed it onto a stone wall, forming an image wall.
The scenes on the wall looped endlessly, showing the world the truest scene from that time.
Following the principle of maximizing profits, Fang Yuan had long wanted to sell this image wall. He was certain that the other two forces on Qing Mao Mountain—Bai Family Village and Xiong Family Village—would be greatly interested in it.
But it would be highly improper for him to sell the image wall personally. His cultivation was still too weak. If he brought the wall to the other villages, he might very well be murdered to silence him.
Even if the trade succeeded and he returned safely, there were no walls without cracks. Once word leaked to the Gu Yue Clan's high-level members, the lightest punishment would be expulsion from the lineage.
According to Fang Yuan's plan, he still needed to make use of the Gu Yue Clan for now.
Therefore, the safest method was to sell it to one of the merchants in the caravan. These merchants were outsiders and did not participate in Qing Mao Mountain's power struggles. They were the most ideal choice.
In another day, this caravan would set off, leave Gu Yue village, head to Xiong Family Village, and then proceed to Bai Family Village.
By selling it to them, Fang Yuan could reduce the risks of the transaction to the lowest possible level. It was the safest and most reliable method.
"Another cup of wine!"
"Wine! Where's the wine?"
"Hurry up and bring it over! Are you afraid this young master cannot pay?"
Jia Jin Sheng slapped the mushroom table hard and roared.
"Young Master Jia, your wine!" The waiter hurriedly brought it over.
Jia Jin Sheng seized the bamboo wine cup at once, raised his head, and drained it in a single gulp.
"Good wine!" He burst into laughter, his voice bleak and hoarse.
With a bang, he set the cup down heavily on the table and roared again, "Bring this lord another cup! No—bring however much you have!"
The waiters in the wine shop naturally did not dare offend him and could only comply.
Fortunately, the tavern was already packed to the brim. Circles of people sat around the mushroom tables and stools, while the surrounding aisles were packed shoulder to shoulder. Jia Jin Sheng was throwing a drunken fit, yelling and shouting, but in this bustling, deafening tent, he did not stand out much.
Jia Jin Sheng drank cup after cup, wanting to drown his sorrows in wine. His back was turned to everyone, and no one noticed that as he drank, two streams of clear tears flowed down his face.
Who could know his suffering? Who could know his sorrow?
There was always something hateful about the pitiful, and the reverse was true as well.
Everyone had a story behind them.
Among several brothers, he was the youngest and the most handsome. He resembled their father the most and was therefore favored by him. Yet heaven loved to toy with people, and he possessed only D-grade aptitude.
From childhood, he had lived beneath the oppression and exclusion of his elder brothers. He was unwilling to accept it and wanted to resist, but constrained by his aptitude, he could not do so.
Their father felt that his end was approaching and wanted to divide the family property. He had each pair of brothers lead a caravan and promised to divide the estate according to their respective results.
Jia Jin Sheng had wanted to rely on his own methods to obtain the family property and his lineage's recognition. Yet he had not expected to become his brother Jia Fu's stepping stone once again.
The instant Jia Fu appeared, he knew he had fallen into a trap again. From beginning to end, this matter had been a conspiracy. But what could he do? Ever since joining this caravan, Jia Fu had kept him firmly pinned beneath him. The enormous gap between Rank 4 and Rank 1 made him even more powerless to fight.
"Jia Fu!" He squeezed the name out through clenched teeth. Flames of hatred burned in his eyes. He was truly unwilling to accept this!
"Do you want to deal with your brother? I can help you."
At that moment, a voice entered his ears.
Jia Jin Sheng froze for a moment, then turned his head and saw that someone had somehow sat beside him.
He shook his head several times and blinked, finally seeing the person clearly.
Who else could it be but Fang Yuan?
"It's you!" He glared at Fang Yuan with some anger. "I remember you! You lucky brat—you actually opened a Warty Earth Toad from the gambling den you bought from me! Are you here to make a fool of me?"
Fang Yuan looked at Jia Fu, his gaze cold as water. "I have a major business deal. If you want better results and a larger share of the family property, you may as well hear me out."
A look of shock and suspicion immediately appeared on Jia Jin Sheng's face. His back stiffened as he sat upright. "How do you know about the family property?"
This matter had been kept secret. Outsiders could not possibly know it. Yet Fang Yuan had exposed it with a single sentence.
"The mess in Jia Family Village is no secret. How could it be hidden from the interested parties of this world?" Fang Yuan sneered, unable to help recalling events from his previous life.
The Jia family head was a legendary figure. He had risen from nothing, made his name through caravans, and revitalized Jia Family Village. Now he was an old man, feeling that his end was near. He had each pair of sons and daughters lead a caravan, intending to divide his vast estate according to their results. The better their results, the greater the share of the estate they would receive.
But his eldest son Jia Fu and second son Jia Gui were both extraordinarily capable. They competed for six or seven years without either gaining the upper hand, until the Jia family head died of old age without a victor being decided.
After the Jia family head died, he left behind an enormously vast estate. Jia Fu and Jia Gui fought over it, brothers turning against each other as their internal conflict escalated and they brought in outside aid. This triggered a massive Gu-fighting convention, and in the end, both perished together. Jia Family Village had been powerful for a time, only to quickly decline, leaving the world sighing in regret.
Jia Jin Sheng narrowed his eyes, neither accepting nor rejecting Fang Yuan's explanation. He secretly pondered, Father announced the rules for dividing the family property last year. It is already the second year now. There are no walls without cracks; it would not be strange if the matter leaked out.
What truly concerned him was whether this might be another trap laid by Jia Fu. But regardless, there was no harm in hearing him out first.
Fang Yuan did not speak immediately. He looked around. This was the very wine shop he had entered at noon. The proprietor had a knack for business, and the evening trade was nearly exploding. The tent was noisy and overcrowded.
Talking here was actually safer than in a secluded place. It could prevent the eavesdropping of certain Gu worms.
He crooked a finger at Jia Jin Sheng. "Come closer and lend me your ear."
Jia Jin Sheng snorted unhappily, but still leaned his upper body over.
After hearing Fang Yuan's account, his brows immediately knitted together. A cold gleam flickered in his gaze as he looked at Fang Yuan. "This business involves the three great villages of Qing Mao Mountain. What merchants fear most is getting involved in the internal struggles of local forces. Hmph, Jia Fu sent you to frame me, didn't he?"
Fang Yuan had expected his suspicion. He gave no explanation at all and rose to leave. "Heh heh, if that is the case, I will discuss it with your brother instead."
Jia Jin Sheng narrowed his eyes and stared at Fang Yuan the whole time. Only when Fang Yuan was about to leave the wine shop did he finally lose his composure. He rose and chased after him, catching up outside the tent. "Don't go. We can talk some more."
Fang Yuan clasped his hands behind his back, glanced sideways at him, and said icily, "I know you suspect me. But right now, your brother has you pinned down so tightly that you are nearly stripped clean. If you trust me, there is still a trace of hope. If you do not, there will be no hope at all. It depends on whether you dare gamble on this."
Jia Jin Sheng's expression changed as he corrected him, "Jia Fu is merely older than me. I have never acknowledged him as my brother! But you are right. I will gamble on this."
Fang Yuan's expression turned solemn. "Two thousand Primeval Stones. Not a stone less."
Jia Jin Sheng gave a bitter smile. "That price is too high. This business carries risks."
"The greater the risk, the greater the reward." Fang Yuan shook his head, his attitude resolute. "If you sell it to those two villages, I guarantee you will earn even more."
Jia Jin Sheng nodded, and a trace of seriousness appeared on his face. "That, I do believe. Bai Family Village's strength has expanded rapidly in recent years, and they have even produced an A-grade genius named Bai Ning Bing. His prospects are immense. Qing Mao Mountain's power structure is gradually changing. Your Gu Yue village's position as overlord has already been shaken. If I sell it to the Bai family, I believe I can earn at least double!"
Hearing Jia Jin Sheng grasp Qing Mao Mountain's situation so thoroughly, Fang Yuan could not help sizing him up again. This Jia Jin Sheng does have the background of his birth and the influence of his family. He is not some worthless fop.
Jia Jin Sheng sighed. "Whether this time is a pit or not, I am jumping in. I agree—two thousand Primeval Stones for the deal. But I want to see the goods first."
"Only natural. Come with me." Fang Yuan smiled and immediately turned to lead the way. Jia Jin Sheng had already entered the jar, and everything was firmly within Fang Yuan's grasp.
Because this is the new-book period, I generally maintain a steady two updates a day. So please do not vote with rush-update tickets, I beg you with tears rolling as I tumble about. Even if you vote, I cannot eat them. Once the book goes premium, I will increase the update speed. This book will have at least two updates every day!
The reason I dare guarantee this is because I feel that the more I write, the better it feels!
Everyone can read this book's preface, where I have already explained the reason. It seems I have found that old feeling again. The more I write, the more my hands and feet stretch freely, and the better it feels in my heart. A novel is written by its author—if the author feels good, how can the novel not feel good?
Please believe me, everyone. What comes later will feel better and better, and become more and more exciting!
Of course, if you do not enjoy reading it, then forget it. But if you do enjoy it, please add it to your collections, please do. A new book needs everyone's full support! It truly needs it desperately!
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