Another 2 weeks passed.
By the time the merchant caravan arrived on May 10, Fang Ming's next copy chance had long since recovered. In fact, it had recovered a week earlier.
But Fang Ming did not use it immediately.
He had waited.
During these 2 weeks, Fang Ming continued cultivating. Liquor Worm gave him higher-quality primeval essence and better cultivation speed, but he was still low on primeval stones. He could not cultivate for extended periods and most of the time had to rely on his aperture recovering naturally. He had even sharply reduced his Moonlight Gu practice to save primeval essence for cultivation.
Because of this, Fang Ming surprisingly ended up with a lot of free time outside cultivation.
Martial arts training could not be forced too quickly. It had to be built slowly, step by step. The only thing left that allowed him to progress freely without harsh resource requirements was studying the academy's records.
Qing Mao Mountain's terrain, wild beast habits, wolf tide records, caravan routes, and the experiences left behind by previous Gu Masters — all of these were useful.
Near noon, the merchant caravan entered Gu Yue Village.
For a village hidden deep in the mountains, the caravan was not only a group of merchants. It represented goods, Gu worms, materials, news from the outside world, and opportunities that would vanish once the caravan left.
Fang Ming stood among the crowd and watched quietly.
Huge toads, armored worms, colorful birds, pack beasts, and guarded carts slowly entered the village. Merchants shouted, guards observed the surroundings, and villagers gathered on both sides of the road.
Fang Ming watched the caravan with interest.
To him, this was truly a novel sight: the Gu houses, the big-bellied storage Gu, and the goods brought from outside Qing Mao Mountain.
At dusk, the temporary market opened.
Tents of different colors filled the open area. Lanterns were hung high, merchants called out prices, and Gu Masters moved through the crowd with cautious eyes.
Fang Ming entered the market alone.
He walked slowly and curiously.
He first passed by stalls selling Gu food.
Moon orchid petals, dried shells, beast meat, powdered bones, strange grasses, bottled dew — there were many kinds. Fang Ming only glanced at them before continuing.
Weapon stalls came next.
Short blades, iron rods, leather armor, darts, ropes, and hunting tools were placed on rough cloth. Fang Ming did not stop for long. Weapons had value, but they were not his immediate target.
Farther in, Fang Ming entered one of the smaller Gu houses.
Gu worms were valuable, so they were not displayed casually on open tables like weapons or Gu food. The caravan's Gu were sold inside safe Gu houses, where merchant Gu Masters, guards, and protective arrangements maintained order.
Inside this Gu house, Fang Ming saw a Monkey Strength Gu.
This Gu was similar in type to Boar Strength Gu. It could strengthen the Gu Master's body and improve close-combat ability.
Fang Ming was slightly interested.
After asking more questions, he became even more interested. This Gu was superior to White Boar Strength Gu in almost every aspect.
The feeding requirement, however, was troublesome.
There were many monkey groups around Qing Mao Mountain, but unlike boars, monkeys were stronger, more agile, and far harder to mess with. If Fang Ming was not a Rank 2 Gu Master and did not have at least a Rank 1 defensive Gu, provoking monkey groups would be too risky.
The current Fang Ming was already facing trouble acquiring funds for cultivation. Adding another burden to himself for future profit was not wise.
Maybe if this Gu appeared next year, he would consider buying it.
But for now, it was outside his current scope.
He moved on.
In other Gu houses, Fang Ming also saw defensive Gu and movement Gu.
He paid attention to them, but only briefly.
Then Fang Ming noticed a Rank 1 healing Gu.
Snow Orchid Gu.
It was a good Gu among Rank 1 healing types. It had no major weakness, though it was not especially outstanding either. Its feeding requirement was also easy to satisfy.
This made Fang Ming pause.
A healing Gu would be useful for him.
After losing to Fang Yuan, Fang Ming had realized that his pain tolerance was poor. If he had a healing Gu, he could train more ruthlessly. He could accept heavier bruises, harsher martial arts practice, and more painful methods to temper his body.
Snow Orchid Gu was not bad.
But martial arts was, after all, only a supporting part of the Gu Master path. The main path of a Gu Master was still cultivation level. Slowing down his own cultivation just to train martial arts would be foolish.
After circling the market once, Fang Ming entered the rock gambling tent.
Inside, gambling rocks were piled on tables and in corners. Some were large, some were small, and some had strange patterns on their surfaces. Gu Masters stood around, choosing, arguing, laughing, or quietly observing.
Fang Ming did not come here to gamble.
He came to test a theory.
He walked toward a corner where a small pile of rocks had been placed. At that moment, there were no Gu Masters nearby.
He stood within 1 meter of the pile.
A familiar cold feeling appeared in his mind.
Advanced Copy Gu reacted.
Fang Ming sensed 3 Gu names.
His eyes moved slightly.
So it worked.
Advanced Copy Gu could detect copiable things within a 1-meter radius. If a gambling rock contained a Gu, then by approaching the rocks and checking Advanced Copy Gu's reaction, he could eventually identify which rocks held something valuable.
This method had potential.
But very soon, the weakness appeared.
2 Gu Masters walked closer to the same corner.
More reactions appeared in Fang Ming's mind.
Advanced Copy Gu did not only detect Gu hidden in rocks.
It also detected Gu carried by nearby Gu Masters.
But that was not a real problem. Fang Ming only needed to focus on the 3 Gu names he had noticed earlier: Fish Scale Gu, Rock Skin Gu, and Green Blood Gu. By moving around and picking up the rocks, he could eventually find the real stones containing Gu.
Still, Fang Ming did not hurry to act.
There was a limit to how much he could get away with. 2 rocks containing Gu was already the limit of what he could explain safely, and he would also have to buy 4 or 5 useless rocks as cover.
Fang Ming left the gambling tent to think about it.
He was in no hurry to make his move. The gambling tent still had many other rock piles that he had not checked, and even more stones were stored inside. There was no need to worry about missing the chance to obtain Gu from the gambling tent.
Fang Ming was someone who liked to plan slowly and carefully before taking action.
He also did not have enough primeval stones on hand to buy 7 gambling rocks yet.
After leaving the gambling tent, Fang Ming did not immediately return to the village.
The caravan market remained lively.
Rows of stalls stretched across the open ground, filled with Gu food, beast materials, weapons, maps, herbs, ores, and strange items from outside Qing Mao Mountain. Compared to Gu Yue Village's limited stores, the caravan had far more variety.
Inside the village, many transactions left traces. A Gu Master buying or selling something unusual could easily draw attention, especially someone like Fang Ming, who had already entered the sight of several factions.
The caravan was different.
Many Gu Masters here were merchants by nature. They gathered together for trade, safety, and profit. Jia Fu was the highest-level Gu Master in the caravan, so he had influence over large matters such as routes and general order, but he did not control every individual merchant's business.
Most caravan Gu Masters cared about profit.
As long as there was profit to be made, they did not care much about where goods came from.
This was what Fang Ming needed.
Fang Ming did not immediately enter the larger Gu houses. Instead, he moved through the market first, watching the flow of people, the goods displayed outside each shop, and the way different Gu houses tried to attract customers.
Most Gu houses had something to draw attention.
Some displayed rare Gu in the most visible position. Some placed their strongest auction items at the entrance to create noise and discussion. The Three Star Cave Gu house, for example, had already gained a great deal of attention because of the Red Steel Relic Gu. Even Gu Masters who did not have enough money to buy it still went there to look, and once they entered, they would naturally see the other Gu on display as well.
That was business.
A rare Gu was not only a product.
It was also bait.
After circling for some time, Fang Ming stopped before a Gu house called Treasure Cave Gu House.
Compared with the other Gu houses, the traffic here was clearly much thinner. It was not empty, but the difference was obvious. Gu Masters passed by, glanced inside, then continued walking. The Gu displayed here were not bad, and the starting prices were similar to other Gu houses, but there was no special Gu strong enough to pull people in.
There was no rare or famous Gu, nothing special or rare that could make Gu Masters stop and talk.
Fang Ming looked at the entrance for a moment, then walked inside.
The interior of Treasure Cave Gu House was clean and orderly. Counters were arranged neatly, and several Rank 1 Gu were placed on display, with a few Rank 2 Gu guarded more carefully deeper inside. The arrangement was not poor, but the atmosphere lacked heat.
A shopkeeper Gu Master stood behind the counter. He was a thin middle-aged man with a trimmed beard and bright eyes. When he saw Fang Ming enter, he smiled out of habit.
"Young friend, are you here to buy or sell?"
"Sell," Fang Ming said.
The shopkeeper's smile became a little more focused. "What Gu?"
Fang Ming did not answer immediately. He walked closer, then placed a fat white worm on the counter.
The shopkeeper's eyes moved.
For a brief instant, joy flashed across his face.
It disappeared quickly.
But Fang Ming saw it.
The shopkeeper picked up the Gu carefully and examined it. His movements became much lighter than before.
"Liquor Worm," he said slowly.
Fang Ming nodded.
The shopkeeper inspected it for a while longer, then placed it back down with a calm expression. "This is indeed a good Rank 1 Gu. Liquor Worm has always been popular among low-rank Gu Masters. I can offer 580 primeval stones."
Fang Ming looked at him.
"680."
The shopkeeper's expression stiffened.
"Young friend, that price is too high. Liquor Worm is useful, but it is still only Rank 1. If I buy it at 680, how much profit can this shop make after auctioning it?"
Fang Ming did not move.
"Profit?"
The shopkeeper frowned slightly. "A shop naturally has to make profit."
Fang Ming glanced around the Gu house. "Then your problem is not the Liquor Worm's price. Your problem is that no one is coming in."
The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed.
Fang Ming continued calmly, "I walked through the market before coming here. Other Gu houses all have something to attract people. Some have rare Gu, some have famous Gu, and some have auction items that people will discuss even if they cannot afford them. Your Treasure Cave Gu House has decent Gu, but nothing special. Gu Masters pass by, glance inside, and leave."
The shopkeeper's expression changed slightly.
Fang Ming tapped the counter lightly. "Liquor Worm is only Rank 1, yes, but among Rank 1 Gu, it is a premium item. Once you put it up for auction, people will come in to look. Some will bid for it. Some will lose the bid. Some will not have enough money, but after entering, they may notice other Gu on display."
The shopkeeper did not speak.
Fang Ming looked at him. "The value of Liquor Worm is not only the margin you make from selling it. Its true value is bringing people into this Gu house."
The shopkeeper's fingers moved slightly on the counter.
He was clearly listening now.
After a moment, he said, "What you say has reason, but 680 is still too much. Even if it attracts customers, this Gu house cannot buy without considering cost. 600 primeval stones."
Fang Ming smiled faintly. "600 is the normal price. If I wanted a normal price, I could sell it anywhere."
The shopkeeper's eyelid twitched.
Fang Ming continued, "I came here because Treasure Cave Gu House needs this Gu more than others. If I take it to a shop with better traffic, they will also buy it. They may not need it as badly, but Liquor Worm is not hard to resell."
"Young friend, business is not done like this," the shopkeeper said with a forced smile.
"Business is done by understanding what the other side needs," Fang Ming replied. "You need traffic. I need primeval stones. This is simple."
The shopkeeper looked at the Liquor Worm again.
His heart was clearly moved, but he was still unwilling to give in completely.
"630," he said finally. "This is the highest I can give. Any higher, and I might as well let another shop take it."
Fang Ming watched him for a moment.
The shopkeeper's expression remained calm, but his fingers had already stopped moving. His eyes were fixed on Fang Ming, clearly worried that he would take the Liquor Worm and leave.
Fang Ming did not continue pressing.
"630," he said.
The shopkeeper let out a small breath and quickly counted the primeval stones. After confirming the amount, Fang Ming accepted the pouch and placed the Liquor Worm on the counter.
The transaction was completed.
The shopkeeper carefully stored the Liquor Worm away, and his earlier calmness finally loosened a little.
"Young friend has a sharp eye for business," he said.
Fang Ming put away the primeval stones, looked at the shopkeeper Gu Master, and said, "Pleasure doing business with you."
The shopkeeper smiled helplessly. "Likewise."
Fang Ming did not stay longer.
After receiving his primeval stones, he left Treasure Cave Gu House and continued strolling through the caravan market.