Vol 1 Chapter 23 (1/2)

Chapter 23 – Raising a Gu is like raising a mistress

The sun had already set.

The sunset glow was still burning in the sky. The mountains far away in the distance were covered in a thick layer of grey ash, gradually turning to black.

In the academy, a day’s cla.s.s was over. The students walked out from the academy in groups of twos and threes.

“I’m really happy today, I learnt quite a few things. Especially how I got to learn how to use the Moonlight Gu.”

“The way the moonblade flies in the air looks so cool. It’s too bad that my talent isn’t enough, so in the future I can only be a logistics Gu Master, I won’t be able to go onto the battlefield.” The young teenagers happily chatted away.

A few of them called their friends over.

“Let’s go and eat, we can drink some rice wine while we’re at it, what do you think?”

“Sure, that’s not a bad suggestion.”

“You guys go on first, I need to go to the store beside the academy’s Gu room and buy a gra.s.s puppet. It will be easy to practice at home with it.”

Fang Yuan went to the Gu room alone.

The academy’s Gu room kept quite a few Rank one Gu worms. There were many types and variations, and Fang Yuan’s Moonlight Gu was taken freely from inside.

Once in a while the students would have a free chance to pick a Gu worm. If one wanted to get extra Gu, they would need to pay up.

In this short time Fang Yuan had no wish to refine any other Gu. He walked to the building beside the Gu room – it was a small store.

In the store there were seven students, each of them negotiating over the counter with the store owner for buying gra.s.s puppets.

“It’s you, junior.” The Rank one Gu Master responsible for the store was in his twenties. When he saw Fang Yuan, he automatically greeted him while bargaining with his customers.

Fang Yuan was taken by surprise, finding out that this Gu Master was Jiang Ya. It was the young Gu Master that had taught the hunters a lesson in the inn.

“Ah, it’s you senior.” Fang Yuan nodded his head, his face expressionless.

Jiang Ya took out a gra.s.s puppet from the counter behind him, pa.s.sing it to the student who purchased it. At the same time he threw Fang Yuan a friendly smile and asked, “Did junior brother come here to buy a gra.s.s puppet as well? If you want me to leave one for you, you just need three pieces of primeval stones. These things sell like hotcakes, right now there’s only seven left, if you wait any longer there won’t be any stock left.”

Jiang Ya’s att.i.tude towards mortals was arrogant, but towards people like Fang Yuan, he was very kind and sincere.

Fang Yuan shook his head, laughing secretly as he thought, this Jiang Ya really did know how to do business. The gra.s.s puppets were made with the Scarecrow Gu. Even after including the primeval essence that was put in, the final cost should not be more than one and a half primeval stones.

“Senior, this isn’t fair. It should be first come first serve, why leave any for him?”

“Yeah, we all came early. If you want to do business you should know the rules.”

“Three pieces will be three pieces, here’s the primeval stones, give me a gra.s.s puppet.”

The youngsters in the store were all worried when they heard that th

e store only had seven puppets left. They stopped trying to negotiate, and took out their stones to buy it.

Very quickly, seven satisfied teenagers walked out.

“Does my junior want to buy a gra.s.s puppet?” Jiang Ya laughed as he asked, “It seems like they were sold out, but actually there’s still the eighth puppet stowed away below the chest. If junior doesn’t buy it now, you will miss the opportunity.”

Fang Yuan had no interest towards the gra.s.s puppet. He shook his head and pulled out a piece of primeval stone, putting it on the counter. “I want to buy ten moon orchid petals.”

Jiang Ya was stunned. He looked Fang Yuan deep in the eye, taking away the primeval stone and pulling open the counter drawer. Then he took out a paper bag, saying, “Ten pieces of moon orchid flower petals, not one less. Please make sure.”

Fang Yuan checked the goods on the spot and found no mistake with it. Finally he left the small shop.

Gu have to be fed.

A Gu Master refines Gu, uses Gu, and at the same time needs to raise Gu.

Refining a Gu was difficult; there was the risk of counterattack. Using a Gu was not easy; one needed a lot of practice. The knowledge of raising a Gu was even more extensive and profound, because there were all kinds of Gu worms and their food were exceedingly strange. Some needed to swallow soil, some needed starlight, some required tears and some fed on the clouds from nine skies.

Just by taking Fang Yuan’s current three Gu for example, the Moonlight Gu required moon orchid petals, two meals a day. In the morning and night one meal, every meal two pieces of flower petals. Meanwhile for the Liquor worm, it needed to drink wine. A jar of green bamboo wine could support it for four days. As for the Spring Autumn Cicada, it was even more peculiar as it drank straight from the River of Time, maintaining its vitality.

The River of Time supported the flow of this world. It was not far away in the sky but very near at hand, flowing by every person’s side. Every move made by every living creature required the push of time.

Time was like flowing water, hurriedly gliding forward. The River of Time was invisible and colourless, while in reality all living creatures were actually surviving and living in the waters of the River of Time.

After buying the bag of moon orchid petals, Fang Yuan went to the inn to buy green bamboo wine. The Liquor worm could also drink some turbid wine or rice wine to live. However with this kind of second-rate wine the amount it needed to drink would increase, and it would need many jars everyday. After calculating, Fang Yuan decided it would be better to buy green bamboo wine straight away. Not only would it be more worth than buying second-grade wine, it would also not arouse suspicion.

“Young sir, you’ve come.” The workers in the inn had already known Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan pa.s.sed him three pieces of primeval stones directly, saying with a familiar ease, “Give me a jar of green bamboo wine and make me a few good dishes. You don’t need to give me the change, just put it here first. At the end of the month when it amounts up to one stone, you can subtract from my bill with it.”

Even though Fang Yuan no longer stayed at the inn right now ever since he moved to the academy dormitories, he would always have a meal here when he bought wine.