"Eh?"
"It can't be another stone within a stone again, right?"
"Looking at it, it should be. But it's a bit strange, this yellow soil is wrapped inside the hard purple-gold stone skin, it should have been compressed smooth, so how come the surface is bumpy and uneven?" The spectating Gu Masters were puzzled.
Seeing the yellow mud ball in his hand, Fang Yuan's expression remained unchanged, but his heart stirred slightly.
He continued to rub and grind it, the blue light shining like water, and the mud fell as powder. Within the powdery mud, there were still quite a few dirt clods mixed in, dropping successively onto the pile of stone powder at his feet.
"There couldn't actually be something inside, right?!" Seeing this point, some Gu Masters widened their eyes in amazement.
"Very hard to say." The tone of some people became uncertain.
"I feel like there is, it seems there really is." Someone called out softly.
The yellow mud ball was gradually ground smaller, and right when it was approaching the size of a palm, a person suddenly barged into the tent: "Kid, take it easy. I, Jia Jinsheng, am buying this mud ball!"
The movements in Fang Yuan's hands came to a halt, and for a moment, the Gu Masters in the tent all focused their gazes on this person.
This person had a young appearance, roughly between twenty to twenty-five years old. He wore a long golden robe with a silk belt tied around his waist, and in the middle of the belt was inlaid a square jade piece. Within the jade piece, there was a horizontal jade pattern, forming a rare "One" character.
Obviously, this was a Rank one Gu Master.
Over twenty years old and still a Rank one Gu Master, it seemed his aptitude wasn't very good.
However, this person's status was somewhat special. Seeing him, the Gu Masters in the tent all bowed and saluted, saying in unison: "Subordinates greet the Second Young Master."
"Second Young Master?"
"He just called himself Jia Jinsheng, could it be that he is the half-brother of the caravan leader, Jia Fu…"
"So that means this rock gambling casino should be opened by him. But for him to rashly step out and interfere now, it seems he's breaking the casino's rules."
The Gu Masters began to discuss quietly.
"That's right, I am the manager of this shop. Little brother, coming out to gamble on rocks at such a young age, aren't you afraid your family will pursue the matter and scold you? Right now, I offer forty primeval stones to buy the mud ball in your hand. How about it? Forty primeval stones is already a lot, there might not even be a Gu worm inside. It's just that this young master is in a good mood today, and considering it's your first time gambling on rocks, I don't want you to lose all your capital, so count this as giving you some of your money back." Jia Jinsheng walked briskly in front of Fang Yuan and said.
"Forty primeval stones?" Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, cast a sidelong glance at Jia Jinsheng, and sneered, "It seems you want to forcefully buy the fossil mud ball in my hands? Forceful buying is breaking the casino's rules. And it's even on Qing Mao Mountain, are you intending to publicly bully me, someone surnamed Gu Yue?"
"Hmm?" Hearing Fang Yuan's last sentence, the other Gu Masters present could no longer stand still. Unknowingly, a sense of shared enmity rose within them, and they swarmed towards where Fang Yuan was. The gazes directed at Jia Jinsheng also became unfriendly.
Jia Jinsheng originally thought a fifteen-year-old youth like Fang Yuan would be relatively easy to deal with, and that he could sway his mind with just a few words. He hadn't expected Fang Yuan's methods to be so formidable; with a single heavy sentence delivered lightly, he had plunged him into an unfavorable situation!
Seeing the posture of the Gu Masters swarming forward, Jia Jinsheng's expression instantly changed. He altered his tone, hurriedly waving his hands and saying: "Little brother, you misunderstood! I am the manager of the rock gambling casino, how could I tear down my own stage and break my own rules? Would I be able to do business in the future if I did that? Hehehe. I just saw that your mud ball was interesting and wanted to buy it. If you won't sell, then forget it. But later if there's nothing inside, don't blame me for not reminding you beforehand."
Fang Yuan ignored him, turned his head, and focused on rubbing the mud ball in his hand again.
His movements were very slow and meticulous. Often, only after a moment would tiny strands of dry mud powder sprinkle down.
Following his actions, a dormant Gu worm gradually revealed itself before everyone's eyes.
"My heavens, there really is a Gu worm!"
"He really opened out a Gu!!"
"Are you kidding me, gambling on rocks like this actually works?"
"This youth's luck is exploding, to actually forcefully bump out a Gu worm through sheer luck."
For a time, exclamations of amazement spread repeatedly among the Gu Masters.
The female Gu Master subconsciously covered her mouth, looking at this scene in disbelief.
Since she became a shop assistant, tossing and turning through many villages, she had met all kinds of people and numerous customers, but she had never seen such a dramatic scene.
"There really is a Gu worm as expected!" A cold light flashed through Jia Jinsheng's eyes, and he hated it inwardly. He was narrow-minded and prone to jealousy. His favorite thing to do was to take advantage of others, and what he bitterly hated and detested the most was being taken advantage of by others.
He had opened this rock gambling casino and arranged strict informants inside. Once a customer seemed about to open out a Gu worm, he would appear upon getting the news and usually forcefully buy it.
Now, right in his casino, right under his nose, Fang Yuan was opening out a Gu worm. Jia Jinsheng felt his heart dripping blood.
What was opened out was a Toad Gu.
Its whole body was a sickly yellow, its belly pale yellow, and its back brownish-yellow, full of bumps and covered in warts unique to toads. At first glance, it looked somewhat creepy.
It wasn't large, only the size of a palm. Resting in the palm, it was like holding two or three eggs.
Amidst various gazes of amazement, envy, and jealousy, Fang Yuan's expression was calm. He carefully mobilized his primeval essence, injecting it into the toad's body.
Instantly, this toad was refined by him.
Gu worms obtained by opening fossils were all extremely weak. Not only was there very little strength left in their bodies, but their wills were also chaotic and muddled, completely lacking the ability to resist, allowing them to be easily refined by a Gu Master.
The Toad Gu was awakened from its slumber by Fang Yuan. It slowly opened its eyes, its belly bulged slightly, and it let out a soft cry.
Croak.
Although this sound was faint and weak, it abruptly made the expressions of everyone else present become extremely colorful.
The difference in value between a living Gu and a dead Gu was quite massive.
"It's a living Gu, he opened out a living Gu!!" Someone rubbed their eyes, unable to believe it.
"This is the Mud Skin Toad, damn it, it really is the Mud Skin Toad." Someone recognized the identity of the Toad Gu and roared in agitation.
"This kid struck the jackpot. Why don't I have this kind of luck!" Someone sighed, emotions complex, mixing envy, jealousy, and hatred.
"Young Master, truly congratulations to you. This, this, this is the most precious Gu worm I have seen so far!" The female Gu Master was so excited she was somewhat incoherent, her eyes sparkling.
"It's actually the Mud Skin Toad! This is a rare Rank two Gu worm, worth a full five hundred primeval stones. Damn it, damn it. To think someone opened out such a Gu worm in my shop. I took a huge loss, a massive loss!" Jia Jinsheng's face was pale as he stared fixedly at the toad, a strong urge welling up in his heart, wanting to snatch it over.
But he knew he couldn't; if he really did that, he would be courting death.
This wasn't his clan's village, it was a foreign land, the territory of the Gu Yue clan.
"Perhaps if I offered a few dozen more primeval stones, he might have transferred it to me. Right, he's just a student. If I offered up to one hundred primeval stones, I wouldn't have to worry about him not being tempted. Why didn't I do that?" Jia Jinsheng's chest was filled with remorse.
"No, maybe this kid doesn't know its worth. Although he opened out this Mud Skin Toad, I should be able to suppress the price and acquire it!" A sliver of new hope surfaced in Jia Jinsheng's heart.
But the next moment, this sliver of hope was ruthlessly shattered by a series of words from Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan looked indifferently at the Mud Skin Toad resting in his hand, regardless of how others exclaimed in admiration and envy.
Using a calm tone, he said to Jia Jinsheng: "Mud Skin Toad, a Rank two Gu worm; every meal it consumes a jin of yellow mud, the more fertile the yellow mud the better. Its numbers are scarce, and it is the necessary main Gu to refine the Treasure Brass Toad. Market price is five hundred primeval stones. Jia Jinsheng, do you want to purchase it?"
"You, to actually know so clearly…" Jia Jinsheng's lips trembled. Hit by a blow like this, he was almost speechless for a moment.
Fang Yuan chuckled lightly and continued: "If you aren't willing, then forget it. I'll just sell it to someone else, I believe there will be people buying."
"Hold on, hold on. I'm buying, I'm buying. Just, can this price be a bit cheaper?" A bitter smile surfaced on Jia Jinsheng's face.
Fang Yuan turned around and started to walk away.
Jia Jinsheng hastily chased after him: "Don't! Don't leave. I'm buying, I'm buying it!"
Fang Yuan had no plans to nurture this Mud Skin Toad.
It was a Rank two Gu worm, and currently, Fang Yuan was only at the Rank one initial stage. Although it ate yellow mud, Qing Mao Mountain was full of green soil, making it very troublesome to get food for it.
Furthermore, if he didn't sell this Toad Gu, Fang Yuan would have to single-handedly feed three Gu worms at the same time. Not to mention the increased consumption of primeval stones, the primeval stones currently in his hands were simply not enough to feed them.
Therefore, Fang Yuan's goal all along had been to sell the Mud Skin Toad, obtain five hundred primeval stones, and make a profit.
Five hundred primeval stones, to a Rank one initial stage Gu Master like Fang Yuan, could already be considered a massive sum.
The transaction was completed quickly. Fang Yuan transferred the Mud Skin Toad to Jia Jinsheng in public, simultaneously receiving five heavy money bags. Inside each money bag were exactly one hundred primeval stones.
Fang Yuan's original capital was ninety-eight primeval stones. Gambling on rocks cost sixty, leaving him with thirty-eight. Like this, his assets instantly multiplied several times over, possessing five hundred and thirty-eight primeval stones!
Many Gu Masters personally watched this scene unfold, their eyes turning red.
Fang Yuan stuffed all five money bags into his chest, picked up the last purple-gold fossil, and leisurely walked out of the tent.
"Young Master, are you not going to open this primeval stone of yours?" The female Gu Master blinked repeatedly, shouting a reminder while looking at Fang Yuan's back.
Turning a deaf ear, Fang Yuan left the rock gambling casino without looking back.
Leaving behind a group of astonished Gu Masters, looking at each other in silence.