Here is Chapter 21.
The caravan left Gu Yue Village.
The tents outside the village were taken down, the Gu houses returned to their smaller forms, and the long line of caravan beasts gradually disappeared along the mountain road. The market that had been lively for several days became quiet again, leaving only trampled earth and faint traces of wheels behind.
But some things did not leave with the caravan.
2 weeks later, news spread through the village.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan had advanced to Rank 2 middle stage.
At first, many people did not believe it.
Fang Yuan was only C-grade aptitude. Among the young Gu Masters of his batch, he had never been the one standing at the front in cultivation. That position had belonged to Fang Ming.
Fang Ming had reached Rank 2 earliest. He had entered Rank 2 nearly 3 months before Fang Yuan and around 2 months before Fang Zheng. No matter how much people disliked his temper, mocked his one-man team, or laughed at his failed missions, they still had to admit that Fang Ming had been the cultivation benchmark of their batch.
Yet Fang Yuan had stepped past that benchmark.
The reason soon followed.
Red Steel Relic Gu.
Fang Yuan had bought the Red Steel Relic Gu from the caravan and used it to directly advance by 1 small realm.
The village immediately became noisy.
Some called him foolish, saying he had wasted thousands of primeval stones on a single-use Gu. Some called him short-sighted, giving up stable wealth for one sudden advancement. Others called him a madman, because even if everyone knew cultivation was important, not everyone could throw away resources so decisively.
But after all the words were spoken, the result remained.
Fang Yuan was Rank 2 middle stage.
For a short time, this C-grade Gu Master had surpassed Fang Ming in cultivation realm.
Only then did many people think of Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng was still Rank 2 initial stage. The A-grade talent favored by the clan, placed into a proper team, and supported as the clan's future hope had not caught up to Fang Ming, and now he had been surpassed by Fang Yuan as well.
This made the matter even more awkward.
Fang Yuan's method was crude and expensive, but cultivation realm did not care about face.
He had advanced.
That was enough.
Then, 2 weeks later, another piece of news spread.
Gu Yue Fang Ming had also advanced to Rank 2 middle stage.
This time, the commotion was different.
Fang Yuan had used Red Steel Relic Gu, so his breakthrough had an explanation. Fang Ming did not reveal anything of the sort. He had simply continued cultivating behind closed doors, using his A-grade aptitude, primeval stones, and the large amount of time he had forcefully kept for himself.
That made people uncomfortable.
Fang Ming barely took missions compared with normal Gu Masters. His one-man team had long become a strange joke in the mission hall. Failed missions, delayed tasks, fines, complaints — his name had been connected to all of them.
But while others were laughing at his mission record, Fang Ming had been cultivating.
Fang Zheng, meanwhile, remained at Rank 2 initial stage.
He was in a proper team and followed the clan's arrangements, but because of that, his time was also divided by missions and duties. At his current pace, even another 3 months might not be enough to guarantee a breakthrough.
This created a rather strange piece of gossip.
The 2 Gu Masters sitting near the bottom of the mission hall rankings had both advanced to Rank 2 middle stage first, while the one walking the proper clan path was still far away from breaking through.
For a few days, the mission hall became livelier because of this.
Some Gu Masters found it funny. Others found it irritating. Fang Ming had not become a model Gu Master, and Fang Yuan was not much better in the eyes of the clan system, yet both had somehow moved ahead in cultivation.
The joke spread quickly.
Perhaps failing missions was not the problem.
Perhaps failing missions while spending all one's time cultivating was the real secret.
Of course, no one truly believed that.
But the comparison was too strange, so people could not help talking about it.
Inside his room, Fang Ming sat cross-legged on the bed.
The outside noise had nothing to do with him.
His aperture had already changed. Scarlet primeval essence moved quietly within the primeval sea, deeper and more condensed than before. The breakthrough to Rank 2 middle stage had relied on his cultivation speed and primeval stones. He had not used the copied Red Steel Relic Gu from the caravan.
That Gu was still being kept.
His aperture had only just advanced. The wall needed time to stabilize before he attacked the next small realm. Using Red Steel Relic Gu immediately would not be efficient.
Fang Ming estimated that in about 2 months, he could use a Red Steel Relic Gu to advance to Rank 2 upper stage.
Because of this, he did not copy another Red Steel Relic Gu this month.
He copied Step on Wind Gu instead.
Among Rank 2 movement Gu, Step on Wind Gu was considered upper tier. It did not allow flight, nor did it have any strange escape ability, but it improved speed, balance, footwork, and changes in direction. In forests, mountain paths, slopes, and rough terrain, this kind of Gu was extremely practical.
Fang Ming needed it.
He had strength. He had defense. Essence Storage Gu had improved his endurance. But without movement, those advantages could still be restricted. If he could not chase, retreat, or adjust position quickly, then a lone Gu Master's danger would only increase.
Next month, he would copy an investigative Gu.
After that, another Red Steel Relic Gu.
The order was clear.
Movement first.
Investigation second.
Cultivation push after that.
Fang Ming closed his eyes and continued stabilizing his realm.
2 months passed.
During this time, Fang Ming followed the plan he had set.
He copied Heat Detection Gu, a Rank 2 investigative Gu that could sense heat in the surroundings. Against warm-blooded creatures, especially wolves, it was very useful. It allowed him to notice hidden targets earlier, avoid some ambushes, and choose his prey more carefully.
After that, he copied another Red Steel Relic Gu.
He still did not use it immediately.
The Gu was prepared for the next breakthrough, not for satisfying impatience.
During these 2 months, Fang Ming spent most of his time taking wolf-related missions.
Scouting wolf movements.
Confirming traces.
Hunting isolated wolves.
Clearing old, weak, sickly, or injured wolves.
Because summer had not yet produced the conditions of the wolf tide, wolves were not frequently appearing near the village. If Fang Ming wanted to hunt them, he had to venture deeper into Qing Mao Mountain and approach their territory himself.
This was dangerous, but the danger had value.
His Rank 1 Wolf Strength Gu and Rank 2 Silver Wolf King Strength Gu both needed wolves. Official missions gave him a reason to move, a reward for acting, and a way to avoid wasting time.
For once, Fang Ming's mission record improved.
He was no longer firmly sitting at the very bottom of the mission hall rankings. His one-man team was still strange, and his reputation was still poor, but after repeatedly completing wolf scouting and wolf hunting missions, his accomplishment rate finally rose a little.
Fang Ming had not become a model Gu Master.
He had merely stopped being the mission hall's most reliable failure.
In the mountains, Fang Ming moved alone through the trees.
The summer forest was thick and humid. Leaves blocked much of the sunlight, and the ground was covered with roots, stones, and patches of damp soil.
Heat Detection Gu was active.
In Fang Ming's perception, faint heat sources appeared in the surrounding forest. Birds hiding in branches, small beasts beneath bushes, and farther away, several larger shapes moving low to the ground.
Wolves.
Fang Ming slowed his steps.
Step on Wind Gu quietly activated, making his movement lighter and smoother. He did not rush forward directly. Wolves were cunning, and even old or sick wolves could be dangerous when gathered together. Their strength was not in a single body, but in coordination.
Soon, Fang Ming saw them.
A small group of wolves rested near a slope. Most of them were thin, and one was clearly limping. Another had old wounds near its flank. They were not healthy members of a strong pack, but they were not harmless either.
Fang Ming watched for a while.
Then he moved.
A moonblade flew out first, cutting across the distance and striking the limping wolf. The pack immediately reacted. Several wolves howled and rushed toward him from different angles, trying to surround him.
Fang Ming stepped sideways, his body moving lightly over the uneven ground.
A wolf lunged.
His fist struck down.
With the heavy force of boar strength behind it, the wolf was smashed into the ground before it could bite. Another wolf tried to circle behind him, but Fang Ming had already sensed its heat. He turned, waist twisting with a sharper burst than before, and his elbow crashed into the wolf's neck.
The difference brought by wolf strength was becoming clearer.
Boar strength gave him raw force.
Wolf strength changed how that force moved through his body.
His waist, back, and limbs coordinated better. His pouncing movement became sharper. His bursts were more flexible, and his heavy strikes no longer felt as stiff as before.
The remaining wolves soon realized that this prey was not worth the cost.
With a low howl, they retreated into the forest.
Fang Ming did not chase too far.
He only needed suitable prey, not unnecessary risk.
After confirming the surroundings with Heat Detection Gu, he harvested the wolf corpses. Wolf skin, teeth, claws, and other materials still had value. The earnings were not large, but repeated over many hunts, they were enough to reduce losses and support his missions.
By the end of these 2 months, Fang Ming had gained 6 wolves' strength.
This did not simply add on top of his 8 boars' strength like numbers placed together.
The difference was qualitative.
The boar strength gave him heavy impact and crushing force. The wolf strength improved the waist, flexibility, body coordination, explosive movement, and pouncing power.
For Fang Ming, the combination was extremely suitable.
Raw force became easier to release.
Explosive movement carried heavier weight.
His close combat foundation had changed again.
After completing the use of Wolf Strength Gu, Fang Ming no longer had much reason to keep it.
So he went to find Fang Yuan.
The meeting was simple.
Fang Ming placed the Wolf Strength Gu on the table and looked at Fang Yuan.
"500 primeval stones."
Fang Yuan glanced at the Gu, then at Fang Ming.
"You have already used it. Now it is nothing but a burden to you."
"You cannot say it that way." Fang Ming's expression did not change. "Whether it is a burden to me or not is not what you should consider. What matters is whether it is useful to you."
"500 is still too high for Wolf Strength Gu." Fang Yuan's tone remained calm. "If we speak plainly, wolf strength mainly strengthens the waist. It is not as useful as wild boar strength."
"On the contrary, Wolf Strength Gu is more flexible. We are Gu Masters, not wild beasts. We will not always fight by directly colliding body against body. Better balance and stronger flexibility can be more useful than the brute strength of boar Gu."
Fang Ming paused slightly, then continued, "Besides, after using it, you can sell it again for close to the same price. You are basically getting the benefit for free."
Fang Yuan's expression remained calm.
Fang Ming did not continue speaking.
There was no need to negotiate further. That was the price. If Fang Yuan could pay, they would trade. If not, Fang Ming would rather destroy the Gu than cheaply strengthen him.
Fang Yuan was still a rival.
Letting him grow too much was not in Fang Ming's interest. That was also why, even though Fang Ming had already completely used both Wolf Strength Gu and Silver Wolf King Strength Gu, he was only willing to sell the Rank 1 Wolf Strength Gu. The Rank 2 Silver Wolf King Strength Gu would not be placed on Fang Yuan's table.
After a short silence, Fang Yuan said, "400 primeval stones and 2 vitality leaves."
Fang Ming considered it for a moment.
Vitality leaves were useful to him. He often hunted alone, and healing resources could reduce danger at important moments. Although vitality leaves were currently worth around 48 primeval stones each, their price would rise soon.
This offer was acceptable.
Both sides benefited.
"Deal."
Fang Yuan took the Wolf Strength Gu.
Fang Ming took the 400 primeval stones and 2 vitality leaves.
After leaving Fang Yuan's place, Fang Ming once again took to the streets for his usual stroll around the village, analyzing other people's Gu and remembering them for future copy references.