Fang Yuan's brows furrowed slightly. With his intuition and five hundred years of life experience, he sensed the scent of a conspiracy.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes and then disappeared as his brows relaxed. "I'm feeling a bit hungry. You've come at the right time. Bring it in."

Outside the door, Chen Cui was holding a food box. Hearing this, a trace of disdainful sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth.

But when she pushed open the door, her face was nothing but gentle and obedient.

"Young Master Fang Yuan, the wine and dishes smell so good. Even through the food box, I could smell them," she said in a sweet, seductive voice.

She placed the food box on the small table and began to take out the dishes one by one, arranging them neatly.

The dishes were indeed a feast for the senses, both in aroma and appearance.

She then took out two wine cups and poured the wine.

"Come, young master, have a seat. This servant dares to accompany you for a drink today," she said with a flowery smile, boldly pulling Fang Yuan to the stool by the table.

Then she sat directly on Fang Yuan's lap, her delicate body leaning against his chest, whispering in his ear, "Young Master Fang Yuan, I've always liked you. No matter what your aptitude is, I want to be with you, rely on you, and comfort you. Tonight, I want to give myself to you."

She was dressed up beautifully today.

With rouge on her cheeks and lips like cherry blossoms, speaking close to his ear, a youthful fragrance teased Fang Yuan's earlobe.

Sitting in his lap, Fang Yuan could clearly feel Chen Cui's voluptuous body.

Her elastic thighs, her slender waist, and the softness in front of her chest.

"Young master, let this servant feed you wine," Chen Cui said, picking up a wine cup, tilting her head back, and sipping the wine into her mouth. Her eyes seemed to be filled with water as she gazed steadily at Fang Yuan, her small cherry lips slightly parted, slowly moving toward his lips.

Fang Yuan's expression remained indifferent, as if the girl sitting in his lap was not a person but a statue.

Seeing Fang Yuan's expression, Chen Cui initially felt a bit uneasy, but when her lips were just a finger's width away from his, she became certain and inwardly sneered, "Still pretending."

At this moment, Fang Yuan let out a cold laugh, his tone filled with disdain, "So it's just a seduction."

Chen Cui's expression froze, swallowing the wine in her mouth, she feigned annoyance, "Young Master Fang Yuan, what are you saying?"

Fang Yuan's eyes emitted a cold light as he stared into Chen Cui's eyes, his right hand resting on her fair neck, gradually applying pressure.

Chen Cui's pupils shrank, her voice filled with panic, "Young master, you're hurting me."

Fang Yuan did not respond, only increasing the strength of his grip.

"Young Master Fang Yuan, this servant is scared!" Chen Cui was beginning to struggle to breathe, her expression frantic, her delicate hands instinctively trying to pry Fang Yuan's hand away. But his grip was like iron, unyielding.

"It seems Uncle and Aunt sent you to seduce and frame me? So, they've arranged people downstairs as well?" Fang Yuan sneered contemptuously, "But who do you think you are, trying to seduce me? With those two piles of trash in front of your chest?"

With that, his left hand reached up to Chen Cui's chest, viciously squeezing the softness, causing it to deform violently.

Intense pain shot through her chest, Chen Cui's eyes widened, tears of pain welling up. She wanted to scream, but her throat was constricted by Fang Yuan's grip, leaving her only able to whimper. She began to struggle fiercely, knowing that if she didn't, she would suffocate.

But just then, Fang Yuan slowly relaxed his grip.

Chen Cui immediately gasped for air, breathing so desperately that it triggered a fit of coughing.

Fang Yuan chuckled softly, gently caressing Chen Cui's cheek, speaking leisurely, "Chen Cui, do you think I can kill you?"

If Fang Yuan had shouted angrily, Chen Cui might have resisted fiercely.

But when he asked so softly if he could kill her, Chen Cui felt a deep-seated fear.

She was terrified!

She looked at Fang Yuan in horror, at this young man smiling at her.

In that moment, Chen Cui swore she would never forget Fang Yuan's eyes. Those eyes, devoid of any emotion, dark and profound, like an ancient pool hiding a terrifying beast.

Under the gaze of those eyes, Chen Cui felt as if she were naked, standing in a frozen wasteland!

This person before her, he would absolutely dare to kill her, could kill her...

Oh heavens! Why did I provoke such a devil?!

Chen Cui's heart was filled with regret, wishing she could turn and flee.

But nestled in Fang Yuan's embrace, she dared not escape, not even daring to make a single move.

Her entire body was tense, trembling, her face as pale as paper, unable to utter a word.

"In light of you serving me as a close maid for so many years, I won't kill you this time. Didn't you want to leave servitude? Go find my brother, he's naive and foolish," Fang Yuan said, his tone as calm as water, patting Chen Cui's cheek.

He sighed and finally said—

"You may leave."

Chen Cui, like a wooden puppet, obediently walked out. She was dazed, not even knowing how she managed to escape from the devil that was Fang Yuan.

The people hidden in the shadows, seeing Chen Cui come out in such a state, looked at each other in confusion.

"They actually set up a beauty trap, a bit more creative than in my past life. Heh heh, Uncle and Aunt, I'll remember this favor well!"

After Chen Cui left, Fang Yuan stood up and walked out the door.

In any case, this place was no longer safe to stay.

A wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, let alone a devil? Without enough strength, only a fool would put themselves in danger.

"Shopkeeper, do you have a room?" Fang Yuan asked for the price at the only inn in the stronghold.

"Yes, yes, we have upper rooms on the second and third floors. They're not only cheap but also kept very clean. The first floor is the dining hall, where you can have your meals, or you can have the shop assistants deliver them to your room," the shopkeeper eagerly attended to Fang Yuan.

This inn was the only one in the stronghold, and business was not good, giving it a somewhat deserted feel. It was only bustling when merchant caravans came to trade at Green Reed Mountain each year.

Fang Yuan was indeed a bit hungry, so he tossed the shopkeeper two complete primordial stones. "Give me an upper room to stay in, and prepare two jars of wine and three or four dishes. I'll pay the difference."

"Alright," the shopkeeper said, taking the two primordial stones, then asked, "Will you be dining in your room or in the hall for some company?"

Fang Yuan glanced at the sky; the rain had stopped, and it was nearing evening. He decided to eat in the hall and then head out of the stronghold to explore the Wine-loving Wanderer's hidden legacy. He told the shopkeeper, "I'll eat in the hall."

The inn's dining hall on the first floor had a dozen square tables, each surrounded by four long benches. Between the tables were thick pillars supporting the inn. The floor was paved with large stones, but it was damp, unable to hide the mountain's moisture.

There were three tables of people in the dining hall.

By the window sat an old man sipping wine, watching the mountain sunset, drinking slowly by himself.

At the central table were five or six hunters, sitting in a circle, loudly sharing their hunting experiences, with a pile of pheasants and hares on the ground by their feet.

Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawℝead.com ].

In the corner was a table with two young people, seemingly in a secret conversation. Their figures were hidden in the shadows, indistinct, and it was unclear if they were male or female.

Fang Yuan chose a seat near the door, and soon wine and dishes were served on the table.

"With my Grade C aptitude, refining the Moonlight Gu requires the aid of primordial stones. If I'm lucky and the Moonlight Gu's will isn't strong, it might only take five stones. If it's stubborn, it'll be troublesome, needing at least eight."

Gu insects are living beings and naturally have a will to survive.

Some have strong wills, resisting the Gu Master's refinement. Others have weak wills, eventually giving up and surrendering. Once they stop resisting, refinement becomes extremely easy.

"I currently have only six primordial stones, two of which I've given to the innkeeper, leaving just four. It's not enough."

In this world, primordial stones are hard currency with strong purchasing power.

A mortal family of three could live for a month on at most one primordial stone.

But for a Gu Master, the consumption of primordial stones is significant. Like Fang Yuan, simply refining a Gu requires an average of seven primordial stones.

And that's just for the Moonlight Gu. If he were to find the Wine Gu, refining it with his aptitude would require at least another ten or so primordial stones!

"In other words, even if I find the Wine Gu, I might not have enough primordial stones to help me refine it. But I must continue exploring because the Wine-loving Wanderer's hidden legacy likely contains a large number of primordial stones."

This is not difficult to deduce.

The Wine-loving Wanderer was a Rank Five Gu Master, a renowned demonic path expert. How could he not have primordial stones, an essential cultivation resource for Gu Masters?