Chapter 22: Red Steel Relic Gu
On the 7th day after the caravan arrived, Fang Ming returned to the Three Star Cave treehouse again.
During these past few days, he had visited the treehouse repeatedly. The Gu displayed inside changed according to rank. Rank 1 Gu were displayed for half a day after receiving a bid, Rank 2 Gu were displayed for 1 day, and Rank 3 Gu were displayed for 2 days.
Because of this, Fang Ming did not expect everything to appear at once.
He waited.
He had already bought Wolf Strength Gu on Day 5, but his copy chance had not been used.
His target remained clear.
Red Steel Relic Gu.
Among Rank 2 Gu, few were more useful to him right now. Attack Gu, defense Gu, movement Gu, and investigative Gu all had value, but a Relic Gu that could directly raise cultivation by 1 small realm was different.
Cultivation was the foundation of a Gu Master.
A higher small realm meant more primeval essence, better quality primeval essence, and stronger endurance in battle. For Fang Ming, who already possessed several Gu but lacked time to cultivate slowly, this Gu was worth waiting for.
He entered the treehouse.
The 1st floor was still crowded.
The Rank 1 Gu on display had changed again. Fang Ming saw a few new Gu placed on the counters, while several Gu from the previous days had disappeared. Some young Gu Masters stood around, discussing prices and effects with excitement.
Fang Ming looked briefly and moved on.
Nothing there attracted him.
He went to the 2nd floor.
The number of people here was smaller than on the 1st floor, but the atmosphere was more serious. The Gu displayed here were all Rank 2, and most of the people looking at them were already Gu Masters with some savings.
Fang Ming's gaze swept across the counters.
Then it stopped.
At one counter, many people had gathered.
Behind the wooden counter sat a small Gu worm emitting a faint red metallic luster.
Red Steel Relic Gu.
Fang Ming finally found it.
The sign beside it clearly stated the starting price.
3,000 primeval stones.
This Gu could be used once to raise a Rank 2 Gu Master's cultivation by 1 small realm. With the wolf tide approaching, its value naturally rose. Many Rank 2 Gu Masters wanted it, and even those who could not afford it still came over to look.
Fang Ming stood outside the crowd and waited.
Some of the people gathered around the counter were serious bidders, but many were only watching out of curiosity. A few young Gu Masters were recent graduates, their expressions full of interest, but Fang Ming knew most of them did not have the primeval stones to compete.
After some time, the crowd thinned.
Fang Ming walked forward naturally and stood near the counter.
He looked at the Red Steel Relic Gu as if seriously considering whether to bid.
The copy began.
Fang Ming stood quietly.
His expression did not change.
A few Gu Masters beside him discussed the price.
"3,000 primeval stones is only the starting price. The final price will definitely be higher."
"With the wolf tide coming, who does not want to increase cultivation by 1 small realm?"
"Over 5,000 primeval stones should be certain. Maybe even 8,000."
Fang Ming listened without speaking.
Their judgment was not wrong.
This Gu was expensive, but its usefulness was direct. Whoever bought it could immediately improve cultivation. Compared to Gu that required practice, feeding, or a matching set, Red Steel Relic Gu was simple and effective.
While the copy continued, someone walked to the counter beside him.
Fang Ming noticed the person from the corner of his eye.
Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan's gaze landed on the Red Steel Relic Gu.
He looked at it for a few moments.
Then he turned and left.
Neither of them spoke.
Fang Ming watched Fang Yuan's departing back for a brief moment before looking back at the Red Steel Relic Gu.
He could roughly guess what Fang Yuan was thinking.
Fang Yuan wanted this Gu.
But wanting it was one thing, obtaining it was another. After buying Gu and spending primeval stones over the past few days, Fang Yuan's funds were likely insufficient. If he wanted this Red Steel Relic Gu, he had to find a method to gather money quickly.
In the original timeline, Fang Yuan would solve this problem.
That was Fang Yuan.
He would not stand there sighing over what he lacked. If he lacked primeval stones, he would find primeval stones. If the normal path was blocked, he would take another path. If a rule was inconvenient, he would use the rule from another angle.
Seeing him leave so decisively reminded Fang Ming again of the lesson Fang Yuan had given him.
What made Fang Yuan so formidable?
Was it Spring Autumn Cicada?
Fang Ming did not think so.
Spring Autumn Cicada was powerful, but in the grand scale of the Gu world, it was only Rank 6. Above it existed Rank 9 Fate Gu and many other legendary Gu. Yet in Fang Yuan's hands, Spring Autumn Cicada could create miracles and eventually shake the arrangement of the world itself.
The Gu was powerful, but the Gu alone was not the answer.
Was it his 500 years of memory and experience?
That was not the full answer either.
To mortals, 500 years was an unimaginable length of time. But in the Gu world, there were many Gu Immortals who had lived longer than 500 years. Some had accumulated more time, more resources, and more inheritance, yet most of them still could not compare to Fang Yuan.
Experience was important, but experience alone could not explain him.
What truly made Fang Yuan formidable was his nature.
Fang Yuan disdained comfort, luxury, and rest, and he was always striving, calculating, and moving toward the next step. Every situation became material for his progress, every obstacle became something to cross, and every advantage became something to turn into even greater advantage.
To Fang Ming, Fang Yuan was like an unstoppable force of nature moving toward 1 goal.
This was what fascinated him.
Fang Ming had not truly come into contact with the other venerables yet, nor did he understand what kind of people they were. But if every venerable was as formidable as Fang Yuan in their own way, then standing at their level and eventually surpassing them would be a goal worth chasing.
He did not pursue eternal life like Fang Yuan.
But he wanted to see how far this world could go.
He wanted to stand near the peak.
And Fang Yuan was the first mountain he could see clearly.
Time slowly passed.
The copy process eventually completed.
Fang Ming obtained Red Steel Relic Gu.
He left the perimeter of the Red Steel Relic Gu counter and continued checking the other Rank 2 Gu on the 2nd floor one last time.
There were attack Gu, defense Gu, support Gu, and several Gu with unusual effects, but none of them interested him enough.
After circling once, Fang Ming took his leave.
He walked out of the Three Star Cave treehouse and left the caravan perimeter.
Behind him, the caravan market was still noisy and lively. Gu Masters bargained, merchants shouted, and mortals carried goods between tents and carts.
Ahead of him, Gu Yue Village stood beneath the spring sky.
As Fang Ming walked toward the village, a faint smile appeared on his face.
He was indeed happy.
Current Fang Ming Gu StatusPublic / explainable
Moonglow Gu — Rank 2
Jade Skin Gu — Rank 1, rebought openly from the caravan
Hidden
Step on Wind Gu — Rank 2
Wolf Strength Gu — Rank 2, bought anonymously through auction
Red Steel Relic Gu — Rank 2, copied from the treehouse display
Heavenly Essence Treasure Seed Lotus — Rank 1
Bookworm Gu — Rank 1
Sold / no longer held
Liquor Worm
Blazing Eyes Gu
White Boar Strength Gu
Original hidden Jade Skin Gu