"All current problems boil down to the Hidden Legacy of the Wine-loving Wanderer. If I can find it, all difficulties will be easily resolved. If not, these challenges will greatly slow down my cultivation progress, leaving me far behind my peers right from the start. It's puzzling; I've spent over a week trying to attract the Wine Gu, so why hasn't it shown up?"

Fang Yuan frowned, lost in deep thought, not even tasting the food in his mouth.

Just then, a commotion interrupted his thoughts.

Fang Yuan looked towards the source of the noise and saw six hunters at the central table, already drunk and boisterous, their faces flushed and necks thick with excitement.

"Brother Zhang, come, have another drink!"

"Brother Feng, we all admire your skills. Taking down a black-skinned wild boar all by yourself—you're a real hero! You must drink this cup; not drinking would be disrespecting us."

"Thank you for your praise, brothers, but I really can't drink anymore."

"Brother Feng can't drink anymore? Is it because you think this wine isn't good enough? Waiter, come here, bring us some good wine!"

The voices grew louder, clearly indicating the hunters were quite drunk.

The waiter hurried over, "Gentlemen, we do have good wine, but it's a bit pricey."

"What, you think we won't pay?" The hunters stood up, glaring at the waiter. They were either burly and robust or lean and tough, exuding the ruggedness typical of mountain folk.

The waiter quickly reassured them, "I wouldn't dare look down on you heroes. It's just that this wine is quite expensive, costing two Primordial Stones per jar!"

The hunters were taken aback.

Two Primordial Stones were no small amount, equivalent to two months' living expenses for an average family. Although hunters earned more than ordinary mortals, sometimes a black-skinned wild boar could fetch half a Primordial Stone. But hunting was risky, and sometimes they could end up as prey themselves.

When you're just trying to make great content at pawread.com .

Spending two Primordial Stones on a jar of wine was not worth it for the hunters.

"Is there really such expensive wine?"

"Kid, you're not trying to trick us, are you?"

The hunters shouted, but their voices were a bit weak, embarrassed by the situation.

The waiter kept insisting he didn't dare.

Brother Feng, sensing the awkwardness, quickly mediated, "Brothers, let's not spend more. We can't drink anymore today; let's save this wine for another day."

"What are you saying, brother!"

"That's not right..."

The other hunters protested, but their voices gradually weakened, and they all sat back down.

The waiter, being a shrewd person, realized the sale wouldn't go through.

But he was used to such situations. Just as he was about to leave, a voice from a corner table interrupted, "Ha, how amusing. If you can't afford the wine, just shut up and stay out of the way!"

One of the hunters, provoked by these words, shouted, "Who says we can't afford it? Waiter, bring that jar of wine, I'll pay you in Primordial Stones. It's just two, right?"

"Ah, please wait a moment, sir. Coming right up!" The waiter, surprised by the turn of events, quickly responded and went to fetch a jar of wine.

The wine jar was only half the size of a regular one, but once opened, a rich and pure aroma filled the entire dining hall.

An old man sitting by the window, drinking alone, turned his head, drawn by the fragrance, his gaze fixed on the jar.

It was indeed good wine.

"Gentlemen, I'm not exaggerating. This is the finest Green Bamboo Wine, exclusive to our inn in the entire Gu Yue Village. Just smell this aroma!" The waiter took a deep breath, his face full of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Fang Yuan's interest was piqued; the waiter wasn't entirely boasting.

Gu Yue Village had three taverns, all selling ordinary rice and cloudy wine, with little variety. Fang Yuan, trying to attract the Wine Gu, had bought wine for seven consecutive days and was familiar with the market.

The hunters, drawn by the aroma, sniffed eagerly, their throats moving involuntarily.

The hunter who impulsively bought the wine looked even more regretful, a hint of annoyance on his face.

This jar of wine cost two Primordial Stones!

"In a moment of impulse, I bought this wine. The waiter was too quick to bring it out, and now that it's opened, I can't even return it."

The hunter felt increasingly regretful but couldn't bring himself to return it.

Finally, he slapped the table and forced a smile, "Damn, this wine is good! Brothers, let's drink up. This one's on me!"

Just then, the young man from the corner table sneered again, "Just this little jar of wine? How can it be enough for six people? If you're bold enough, buy a few more jars."

The hunter, provoked, stood up abruptly, veins bulging in anger, glaring at the young man, "You little brat, got a lot to say, huh? Come, step out and spar with me!"

"Oh? Then I'll step out." The young man stood up, grinning as he stepped out of the shadows.

He was tall and thin, with pale skin, dressed in a deep blue martial outfit, looking clean and neat.

He wore a sapphire headband, a short top revealing his thin shoulders, long pants, bamboo straw shoes, and leg bindings.

Most notably, he wore a blue cloth belt with a shiny copper plate in the middle, engraved with a black "one."

"A Rank One Gu Master?!" The shouting hunter clearly understood the significance of this attire, gasping in shock, his anger turning to fear.

He hadn't expected to provoke a Gu Master!

"You wanted to spar with me, right? Come on, make a move." The young Gu Master walked over with a mocking smile.

But the hunter, who had been taunting, stood frozen like a statue.

"Or you can all come at me together, that's fine too." The young Gu Master casually approached the hunters' table.

The hunters' faces changed, some turning pale despite their earlier drunken flush. Cold sweat dripped from their foreheads, and they sat uneasily, not daring to breathe loudly.

The young Gu Master picked up the jar of Green Bamboo Wine, sniffed it, and smiled, "It really does smell good..."

"If the Gu Master likes it, please take it as an apology for our offense." The hunter who had been taunting quickly bowed with a smile.

Unexpectedly, the young Gu Master's expression turned cold, and with a loud crash, he smashed the jar on the ground.

His face icy, eyes sharp as swords, he growled, "Do you think you're worthy of apologizing to me? You hunters are really rich, richer than me, spending two Primordial Stones on wine! Don't you know I'm worried about Primordial Stones right now? How dare you flaunt your wealth in front of me! You mortals dare?"

"No, we don't dare!"

"We deserve to die for offending you!"

"We meant no offense, please accept these Primordial Stones as our apology."

The hunters stood up as if electrocuted, pulling out Primordial Stones from their pockets. But they had little money, offering only small fragments, none exceeding a quarter.

The young Gu Master didn't take the stones, just continued to sneer, his hawk-like gaze sweeping the dining hall.

The hunters he looked at all lowered their heads. The old man by the window, who had been watching, quickly turned away to avoid the Gu Master's gaze.

Only Fang Yuan watched calmly, unafraid.

The young Gu Master's attire was reserved for official Gu Masters, something even Fang Yuan wasn't yet qualified to wear. He would only receive it after graduating from the academy.

The copper plate with the "one" on the young Gu Master's belt indicated his Rank One Gu Master status.

But he appeared to be in his late twenties, and the True Essence aura he emitted suggested he was at the advanced stage of Rank One.

Starting cultivation at fifteen and still only at the advanced stage in his twenties indicated a D-grade aptitude, even lower than Fang Yuan's. He was likely just a logistics Gu Master, not even a combat one.

Yet even so, he could easily handle six hunters.

This was the power gap between Gu Masters and mortals.

"With power, you can stand above others; this is the essence of this world. No, it's the same in any world, big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp. This world just shows it more blatantly." Fang Yuan mused silently.

"That's enough, Jiang Ya. Teach them a lesson, but don't make it hard for these mortals. It's embarrassing for you, and for me too," said another young voice from the corner.

Everyone realized the speaker was a woman.

Jiang Ya, the young Gu Master, felt embarrassed by his female companion's words, stopped sneering, and ignored the hunters' scattered Primordial Stones. They didn't even add up to two stones, so he wasn't interested.

He flicked his sleeve and returned to his seat, leaving a parting threat, "Go on, keep drinking the Green Bamboo Wine. I want to see who dares to drink it."

The hunters hung their heads, like six obedient grandsons.

The rich aroma of wine filled the dining hall, and the hunter who bought the wine winced at the smell, his face twitching with regret.

He had spent two Primordial Stones on the wine and hadn't even tasted it!

Fang Yuan put down his chopsticks, having finished his meal. The aroma of the wine made him pause, and he suddenly pulled out two Primordial Stones, placing them on the table, "Waiter, bring me a jar of Green Bamboo Wine."

Everyone was stunned.

Jiang Ya, the young Gu Master, stopped in his tracks, his mouth twitching in disbelief. He had just issued a challenge, and Fang Yuan immediately ordered the wine, deliberately undermining him.

He turned, narrowing his eyes, his cold gaze fixed on Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan met his gaze calmly, unafraid.

Jiang Ya's eyes flickered, his coldness fading as he sensed Fang Yuan's True Essence.

He realized Fang Yuan's identity and smiled warmly, "Ah, a fellow student."

The others understood, their perception of Fang Yuan changing.

No wonder this young man wasn't afraid of the Gu Master; he was one too. Though still in the academy, his essence was different.

"Gu Master, your wine!" The waiter hurried over, grinning obsequiously.

Fang Yuan nodded to Jiang Ya, picked up the jar of wine, and walked out of the inn.