Find the original at "pawread.com".

The next day at noon, taking advantage of lunchtime, Fang Yuan once again arrived at the merchant area outside the stronghold.

Due to the need to work during the day, there weren't many mountain folk among the tents and ground stalls at this time.

Following his memory, Fang Yuan walked to the place where the Heartfelt Herb was sold last night, only to find an empty cart parked there. The cart was pulled by a camel chicken.

It stood proudly in place, as large as an ostrich, shaped like a chicken, but with a humped back forming an arc.

A pair of broad wings were folded at its sides, its colorful feathers vibrant and dazzling.

Its chicken head was held high, and its bright red comb resembled a crown of agate, glistening under the sunlight.

"It seems I was a step too late after all; the Heartfelt Herb has already been sold out. What a pity, buying a few pounds of Heartfelt Herb could have saved quite a few Primordial Stones." Fang Yuan paused for a moment, then left the area, continuing to walk inside.

"Come, everyone, come and taste the fine wines from various strongholds. There are over a hundred kinds of fine wine here, including the excellent Rushgrass Wine, the mellow Nine-Curve Wine, the serene and elegant Ancient Dragon Well, the sweet and sour Flower Stone Grand Qu, the mouthwatering Hundred Springs Cellar, and the rich and fragrant Drunken Three Autumns..." In front of a blue barrel-shaped tent, a shop assistant was shouting energetically.

Fang Yuan's eyes flashed with interest. He changed direction and entered the wine shop.

The facilities inside the wine shop were quite unique.

At the far end of the tent was a long counter. A Gu Master was stationed there, with dozens of crystal ladybugs the size of baskets clinging to the tent's fabric wall behind him.

The ground of the tent was not covered with carpet but was exposed rock and soil, from which a cluster of colorful mushrooms grew.

These mushrooms were vibrant and round, some quite adorable. Some were as large as a tabletop, while others were as small as low stools. Often, a large mushroom would be surrounded by several small stool-like mushrooms.

"These are Innocent Mushrooms, deliberately cultivated by Gu Masters. They have the ability to absorb dust and impurities, purifying the air, and are a type of Grass Gu." Fang Yuan immediately recognized the origin of these mushrooms.

He chose a small mushroom to sit on. The surface of the mushroom immediately sank slightly, giving Fang Yuan the illusion of sitting on a sofa on Earth.

"Sir, here is the wine menu. Please see what you would like to order." A shop assistant approached him.

Fang Yuan glanced at the wine menu and found that the wines here were even more expensive than Green Bamboo Wine.

"I'll have a cup of Monkey Wine," Fang Yuan said, putting down the menu.

"A cup of Monkey Wine!" The shop assistant turned and called out loudly.

At the counter, the Rank One Gu Master heard this and immediately bent down to retrieve a bamboo cup from the counter.

He then turned around, facing the tent behind him. On the blue canvas of the tent, dozens of large crystal ladybugs clung silently, heads down, tails up, like decorations on the tent's fabric wall.

These crystal ladybugs were also a type of Gu, hollow inside, often used by Gu Masters to store precious liquids.

They were entirely transparent, as if made of crystal. From the outside, one could see what kind of wine was stored in the round bellies of the ladybugs.

The Gu Master quickly found the crystal ladybug containing Monkey Wine.

He placed the bamboo cup under the ladybug's mouthparts, then gently stroked the ladybug's crystal carapace with his other hand.

A tiny thread of True Essence flowed into the crystal ladybug, and soon, the ladybug opened its mouth, letting a stream of wine flow down into the bamboo cup.

The wine gurgled for a moment, then suddenly stopped.

The Gu Master placed the bamboo cup filled with Monkey Wine on the counter. The shop assistant, who had been waiting eagerly, carefully picked it up and quickly brought it to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan took a light sip. Monkey Wine, being a fruit wine, was fragrant, sweet, and mellow.

He didn't drink any more but instead summoned the Wine Gu with a thought.

The plump, white Wine Gu transformed into a white light, tracing a half-arc in the air before plopping into the cup.

Wine splashed, spilling onto the mushroom tabletop.

The Wine Gu rolled happily in the cup, and the Monkey Wine rapidly decreased at a visible speed. Within a few breaths, the cup was dry, not a drop remaining.

"It's a Wine Gu!" The Gu Master at the counter exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. As a Rank One Gu Master with only D-grade aptitude, he followed the merchant caravan, working in this tavern, hoping to travel and seek opportunities.

The Wine Gu could refine True Essence, enhancing a minor realm. For a Rank One Gu Master, it was an extremely precious Gu insect. Wasn't this the opportunity he had been seeking?

"Sir, would you be willing to part with your Wine Gu?" He asked excitedly, approaching with a sincere expression.

Fang Yuan shook his head, firmly refusing, then stood up and left.

His purpose in coming here was to deliberately expose the Wine Gu, never intending to sell it.

"Sir, please wait. I am sincere, perhaps we can sit down and discuss this." The Gu Master reluctantly followed Fang Yuan to the tent's entrance, but Fang Yuan gave no response.

In the end, he could only stand there, deeply regretting as he watched Fang Yuan's figure turn a corner and disappear from view.

...

Unknowingly, the sun gradually set, and the crescent moon rose into the sky.

In the night, the moonlight poured down like water, but was evaporated by the bright lights of countless shops.

Tonight, the shops were bustling with people, business as lively as ever. Fang Yuan was swept along by the crowd, various discussions inevitably reaching his ears.

"The shops usually stay open for three days and nights. Tonight is already the second night. By the morning after tomorrow, the merchant caravan will set off again. So if we want to buy something, we must hurry."

"I had my eye on a Golden Bell Gu yesterday, but it's too expensive. I haggled with the shopkeeper for half a day, but the price didn't drop much. I'll check again tonight."

"Did you hear? Just last night, a young man opened a Lumpy Earth Toad at the stone gambling ground, earning five hundred Primordial Stones!"

...

Fang Yuan listened carefully, feeling a bit disappointed as he didn't hear any news about the Wine Gu.

"The Wine Gu is only a Rank One Gu insect, significant for Rank One Gu Masters, but it can't refine True Essence for Rank Two or Three Gu Masters. So it's normal that no one pays attention. However, I can't rush exposing the Wine Gu; being too deliberate might give me away." Fang Yuan thought to himself as he walked.

Just then, the crowd ahead surged rapidly.

Soon, Fang Yuan heard someone shouting, "Come and see, there's a blackhearted vendor selling fake Gu to our tribe members!"

The crowd immediately became indignant.

"Hmm? Such a thing happened?"

"Let's see which shop dares to deceive our tribe members!"

Fang Yuan followed the crowd over.

He saw a group of people gathered at the entrance of a large red tent, packed in layers. Some were watching curiously, some stood with arms crossed, but most had a thin layer of anger on their faces.

Two people stood at the tent's entrance.

One was a young Rank Two Gu Master, clearly a member of the Gu Yue Tribe by his attire.

The other was a familiar face, the owner of the stone gambling ground, Jia Jinsheng.

The young Gu Master held a dark Gu insect high, shouting to the surrounding people, "Tribe members, it's this man in front of me who sold me a fake Gu yesterday. He deceived me, claiming it was a Black Boar Gu, and sold it to me for two hundred and fifty Primordial Stones. But when I refined it at home, I discovered it was just an ordinary Farting Fat Bug!"

Jia Jinsheng sneered repeatedly, "Don't slander me. When did I say this Gu was a Black Boar Gu? Do you have any evidence?"

The young Gu Master, seeing Jia Jinsheng's denial, became furious and grabbed Jia Jinsheng's arm, "You scoundrel, still trying to deny it! How dare you deceive your Gu Yue master on Green Reed Mountain, are you looking for death?"

"Let go!" Jia Jinsheng was also angry, shaking off the young Gu Master's hand, "You want to cause trouble and extort money, but you don't know who you're dealing with. I'm not afraid of you! My brother is Jia Fu, a Rank Four Gu Master. What can you do to me?"

"You!" The young Gu Master glared angrily but dared not act further. The name of a Rank Four Gu Master had already intimidated him.

"Bah!" Jia Jinsheng spat on the ground, raising his head to look at the young Gu Master with a disdainful sneer, "You wanted to take advantage of a bargain. Didn't you think about it? The Black Boar Gu can fundamentally increase a Gu Master's strength. It's a rare Rank One Gu insect, more expensive than a Wine Gu, usually selling for six hundred Primordial Stones. Did you think you could buy a Black Boar Gu for two hundred and fifty? Dream on!"

"Bastard..." The young Gu Master gritted his teeth, his face flushed, his body trembling with anger, his chest filled with the fire of humiliation.

The crowd buzzed with unrest, discussing among themselves. Yet no one dared to step forward; the name of Jia Fu, the Rank Four Gu Master, was like an invisible mountain, suppressing the scene.

"This guy is too despicable, truly a scoundrel!"

"No wonder he's so arrogant on Green Reed Mountain, turns out he's Jia Fu's brother."

"I heard they're half-brothers, and he's only a Rank One himself, but he abuses this connection to act arrogantly in the merchant caravan."

...

"What exactly happened here?" At this moment, a loud voice rang out.

"Jia Fu is here!"

"The leader is here to handle the dispute, everyone make way."

The discussions halted abruptly, and the crowd quickly dispersed, forming a narrow path.

A short, stout middle-aged Gu Master with a bulging belly walked down the path. He wore a long-sleeved yellow robe, the leader of this merchant caravan, Jia Fu.

"Lord Jia Fu, greetings." The young Gu Master, despite his anger, dared not act out, forcibly restraining himself and saluting Jia Fu.

Jia Jinsheng stood frozen, seemingly unprepared for his brother's arrival, his face turning pale, a flash of anger and surprise in his eyes.

This subtle change in expression was noticed by Fang Yuan, who had been observing from a distance, and he immediately began to ponder.