The sun went down.
However, the sunset glow was still burning at the edge of the sky. Looking as far as the eye could see, the distant mountains were all covered with a thick layer of gray, and were transitioning towards black.
A day of classes in the academy had ended, and the students walked out of the academy in twos and threes.
"Today was truly happy, I learned a lot of things. Especially learning how to use the Moonlight Gu."
"The moonblade flying in the air is truly too handsome. It's a pity my aptitude is insufficient, and in the future I can only be a logistics Gu Master, unable to go to the battlefield." The youths conversed with full interest.
Some people were calling their friends and companions.
"Let's go eat together, and drink some rice wine along the way, how about it?"
"Sure, what a truly good suggestion."
"You guys go first. I have to go to the shop over by the academy's Gu room to buy a scarecrow puppet, so it will be convenient to practice at home."
…
Fang Yuan came to the Gu room alone.
Within the academy's Gu room, numerous Rank 1 Gu insects were stored. There was a wide variety, and Fang Yuan's Moonlight Gu was selected from inside for free.
Every set period of time, the students would have a chance to claim a Gu insect for free. If they wanted to acquire additional Gu insects, they would have to pay.
In the short term, Fang Yuan had no intention of refining other Gu insects. He walked to the next door of the Gu room; this was a not-so-large shop.
Inside the shop, there were seven students currently bargaining with the shopkeeper over the purchase of scarecrow puppets.
"It is junior brother." The Rank 1 Gu Master in charge of the shop, looking to be in his twenties, saw Fang Yuan and took the initiative to greet him while conducting business.
Fang Yuan was slightly surprised, discovering that this Gu Master was Jiang Ya. That young Gu Master who taught the hunter a lesson in the tavern.
"So it is senior brother." Fang Yuan nodded, his face expressionless.
Jiang Ya, while taking out a scarecrow puppet from the counter behind him and handing it to a purchasing student, smiled amiably at Fang Yuan and asked, "Is junior brother also here to buy a scarecrow puppet? Should I reserve one for you? It only costs three primeval stones. This thing sells very fast. Right now there are only seven left. If you delay, there will be no stock left."
His attitude towards mortals was arrogant and abominable, but towards Fang Yuan and the others, his attitude was very cordial.
Fang Yuan shook his head, finding it funny in his heart: This Jiang Ya was quite good at doing business. The scarecrow puppet was made using a Scarecrow Gu. Counting the investment of primeval essence, the cost price was no more than one and a half primeval stones.
"Senior brother, you are not being authentic here. First come, first served. On what basis are you reserving one for him?"
"That's right, we came long ago. Doing business also needs rules."
"Three pieces is three pieces. Here are the primeval stones for you, give me the puppet."
Hearing that there were only seven puppets left, the youths in the shop all became anxious. No longer continuing to bargain, they successively took out primeval stones to make the purchase.
Soon, the seven people left satisfied.
"Does junior brother want to buy a scarecrow puppet?" Jiang Ya asked with a smile. "I said they just sold out, but actually there is still an eighth one at the bottom of the box. If junior brother does not buy it, you will miss a good opportunity."
Fang Yuan had zero interest in the scarecrow puppet. He shook his head, took out one primeval stone, and placed it on the counter: "I want to buy ten moon orchid petals."
Jiang Ya paused blankly, took a deep look at Fang Yuan, swept away the primeval stone, pulled open the drawer of the counter, and took out a paper packet: "Ten moon orchid petals, not one less. You count them."
Fang Yuan inspected it on the spot and, finding no mistakes, only then left the small shop.
Gu insects needed to be fed.
While Gu Masters refined Gu and used Gu, they also had to raise Gu.
Refining Gu was arduous and held the danger of backlash. Using Gu was not easy and required a lot of practice. The knowledge of raising Gu was even more profound and extensive, entirely because Gu insects were of all kinds and their foods were also strangely varied.
Some needed to swallow dirt, some needed starlight, some consumed tears, and some sucked the cloud qi of the nine heavens.
Taking the three Gu insects Fang Yuan currently possessed as an example, the Moonlight Gu needed to swallow moon orchid petals, two meals a day, one meal in the morning and one in the evening, with two petals per meal. As for the Liquor worm, it needed to drink wine. One jar of green bamboo wine could support it for four days. And the Spring Autumn Cicada was even more peculiar; it drank water directly from the River of Time to maintain its vitality.
The River of Time supported the operation of this world. It was not far away at the edge of the sky, but right at hand, flowing beside everyone.
Every action of all living things required the push of time.
Time flowed like water, passing quickly. The River of Time was formless and colorless, while all living things actually survived and lived within the river water of time.
After buying this packet of moon orchid petals, Fang Yuan went to the tavern again to buy green bamboo wine.
The Liquor worm could also survive by drinking some murky wine and rice wine. But once it was this kind of inferior wine, the amount it drank would be large, needing several jars every day. Fang Yuan calculated that it was better to just buy green bamboo wine directly. Not only was it more cost-effective than buying inferior wine, but it also would not arouse suspicion.
"Young master, you have come." The waiter of the tavern already recognized Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan directly tossed him three primeval stones and said with practiced ease, "Serve me a jar of green bamboo wine, and get me a few good dishes. No need for change, just leave it here first. We will settle it together at the end of the month, refunding any overpayment or supplementing any deficiency."
Although he no longer lived in the tavern now and had moved to the academy dormitory, every time he bought wine, he would eat here in passing.
"Alright. Young master, please sit here. The wine and dishes will be ready right away." The waiter responded, leading Fang Yuan to a seat. He also took out the rag on his shoulder, attentively wiped the table and stool, and only then left.
True to the waiter's words, the wine and dishes were quickly served.
While eating, Fang Yuan calculated in his heart: "One primeval stone can buy ten petals. The Moonlight Gu consumes four petals every day. One jar of green bamboo wine is worth two primeval stones and can support the Liquor worm's needs for four days. In other words, just feeding these two Gu alone will consume nearly one primeval stone every day."
This looked like little, but in fact it was already very exorbitant. The living expenses for a mortal family of three for one month was only one primeval stone.
From refining the Gu insects until now, sixteen days had passed. Just in the aspect of raising Gu alone, it had consumed fourteen and a half primeval stones for Fang Yuan.
"I obtained the Flower Wine inheritance, took away Fang Zheng's bag of primeval stones, and also took the first place reward. My primeval stone assets once reached as high as forty-four and a half pieces. But the early stage of refining Gu consumed six and a half pieces, feeding the Gu insects consumed fourteen and a half pieces, and living expenses were half a piece. Now there should be twenty pieces left."
Fang Yuan took out the money pouch, opened it and took a look. Inside the pouch were pieces of primeval stones.
These primeval stones were all grayish-white in color, each an ellipsoid, equal in volume and the size of a duck egg.
Counting them, indeed only twenty pieces were left.
That is to say, if there was no income, the primeval stones Fang Yuan had left were only enough for him to maintain for the better part of a month. He was not like other peers of his age who more or less had relatives and friends helping them. Especially students like Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng, they did not lack primeval stones at all.
However, Fang Yuan could only think of a way himself.
"Uncle and aunt have already cut off my living expenses, but every weekend, the clan academy will distribute an allowance of three primeval stones to the students. It seems that during the moonblade assessment in three days, I should display a bit and take that ten primeval stone reward." Fang Yuan pondered while chewing the food in his mouth.
At his age, he was at the time of growing his body. Unknowingly, all the food went into his stomach.
Picking up the unopened green bamboo wine, Fang Yuan lifted his feet and strode out of the tavern.
"Young master, young master." The shop waiter behind him chased up. "Telling young master a matter, in less than a month's time, there will be a caravan coming to the mountain village. According to convention, they will all purchase the green bamboo wine in our shop. Young master exclusively loves green bamboo wine and comes to buy a few jars every week. The shopkeeper ordered the little one to tell young master this matter. The green bamboo wine in our shop is limited. After selling to the caravan, I am afraid there will be very little left."
"Is that so?" Hearing this, Fang Yuan frowned slightly.
In recognizing people and distinguishing words, Fang Yuan had five hundred years of experience. The shop waiter and the young Gu Master Jiang Ya meant similar things, but Fang Yuan could naturally distinguish Jiang Ya's empty words and the shop waiter's true words.
This matter was somewhat troublesome. Fang Yuan needed to feed the Liquor worm. In the long run, the amount of green bamboo wine needed was very large.
If this tavern ran out of stock, he would probably only be able to use a large amount of inferior wine to feed the Liquor worm in the future.
It was impossible for him to drink several jars of wine a day. As time passed, it would arouse suspicion.
Thinking for a moment, Fang Yuan took out ten primeval stones: "Then buy another five jars. Call someone to carry them and go with me to put them in the academy dormitory."
"Yes, young master." The waiter hurriedly took the primeval stones.
Without a means of storage, moon orchid petals could only be kept for five days, so Fang Yuan only bought one packet each time. However, green bamboo wine could be stored for a long time, so there was no problem in this regard.
A few waiters followed Fang Yuan into the academy dormitory, placed these wine jars under the bed, and then took their leave.
Looking at the suddenly deflated money pouch in his hand, Fang Yuan sighed.
Refining Gu was arduous, and raising Gu was also not easy.
This was with him having the experiences of his previous life of five hundred years, not needing to practice using Gu insects, which meant a reduction in the consumption of primeval essence, saving a large sum of expenses.
Like his peers around him, to practice using the Moonlight Gu, they would have to consume primeval essence. To increase proficiency, they had to practice a few more times. When primeval essence was consumed too greatly and recovery was too slow, they could only use primeval stones to replenish it. Buying a scarecrow puppet cost three primeval stones. This was all money.
"Fortunately, my Spring Autumn Cicada eats time, and not other food. Otherwise I would have gone bankrupt long ago, completely unable to support it." Fang Yuan suddenly felt very rejoiced.
The more high-end a Gu insect was, the greater its food intake, or the more precious and scarce its food was, making it harder to raise. An ordinary Rank 2 level Gu insect would consume between one and two primeval stones a day.
Being able to buy food was still considered good. The foods of some Gu insects were especially difficult to find, and such goods simply did not circulate on the market.
Just like the Spring Autumn Cicada's food was time, this was actually even more precious.
As the common saying goes, an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.
No matter how much wealth you have, can you buy time?
Cannot be bought!
Theoretically speaking, the number of Gu insects a Gu Master could refine was unlimited. As long as you could refine them, ten, one hundred, or even one thousand were all fine. You could refine however many Gu you wanted to refine.
But in fact, a Gu Master usually only had four or five Gu insects.
Why?
The biggest reason was that they could not afford to raise them.
The higher the grade of the Gu insect, the more expensive the cost of feeding it. It often left the Gu Master strapped for cash, causing endless headaches over this.
Another reason was that they could not afford to use them.
Urging the Moonlight Gu to fire one moonblade attack would consume ten percent of primeval essence. For a Gu Master with C grade aptitude, activating three or four attacks would nearly exhaust the primeval essence in their aperture.
Raising however many more Gu insects, if they could not be used, wouldn't it all be raising them for nothing?
Therefore, there was a saying circulating among Gu Master cultivation.
Raising Gu is like raising a mistress.
To raise a mistress, you have to buy food, buy clothes, buy a house, and so on. It is very expensive. Raising too many is truly a huge expense, and ordinary people cannot afford to raise them.
Even if one could raise that many, a man's energy is always limited, and he also wouldn't be able to afford to use them. Raising them for nothing just to satisfy the eyes?
As a Gu Master's realm increased, the food standards for Gu insects also increased along with it. Therefore, despite there being no limit to the number of Gu a Gu Master could refine, general Gu Masters largely only raised four or five Gu insects of the same level.
If the number was a bit more, the Gu Master would go bankrupt!