Chapter 20: Caravan Arrival
Several days passed after Fang Ming returned to Gu Yue Village.
He wasn't summoned again to Internal Affairs Hall, nor was he called back to the interrogation room.
The clan did not hold serious suspicion toward him. The focus of the investigation had already shifted toward Gu Yue Shi Nan's team.
With his movement free again, Fang Ming went to an inn and bought several bottles of wine. After that, he left Gu Yue Village and headed toward the mortal village where he had returned after the wolf chase.
On the road, Fang Ming slowed his pace. After confirming there were no suspicious movements nearby, he changed direction and entered the forest, circling around the normal path before approaching the place where he had hidden his Gu worms.
The soil there looked the same as before. Fallen leaves covered the ground, and weeds grew naturally around it.
Fang Ming squatted down and dug quietly.
Soon, he recovered the Gu worms he had hidden.
Liquor Worm.
Heavenly Essence Treasure Seed Lotus.
Bookworm Gu.
White Boar Strength Gu.
Jade Skin Gu.
Step on Wind Gu.
After checking them one by one, Fang Ming returned them to his aperture.
Back then, he had hidden these Gu because the situation was unclear. If all his teammates had died and he returned alone, he might have been treated as the main suspect. His Gu could have been confiscated, and his aperture might have been checked. Explaining the origins of several Gu would have been troublesome.
But some of his teammates had survived, and the rescue teams had already investigated his route. Suspicion toward him was dispelled before it could truly gather.
In the end, he had hidden these Gu for nothing.
Fang Ming was not annoyed.
This was his nature.
He would rather waste effort than leave behind a hidden danger.
After retrieving the Gu, Fang Ming left the area and went deeper into the mountain.
Before long, he found traces of wild boars.
The first boar was killed and used to feed White Boar Strength Gu.
The second was killed as well, but Fang Ming carried it back toward the mortal village.
This time, he entered openly.
The villagers recognized him quickly. A few days ago, this young Gu Master had arrived covered in blood and exhaustion, asking for food and water after escaping from wolves. Now he had returned carrying a wild boar over his shoulder.
A few villagers looked nervous at first, but when they saw that Fang Ming's expression was calm, they gradually relaxed.
Fang Ming placed the wild boar down in front of an old villager.
"I hunted this on the way. Last time, I troubled your village."
The old villager hurriedly bowed. "Lord Gu Master is too polite. That was what we should have done."
Fang Ming nodded and did not say more.
After leaving the boar to them, he went to visit the Gu Master stationed in the village.
The man's name was Gu Yue Xu Liang. He was the one who had sent the report after Fang Ming reached the village last time.
When Xu Liang saw Fang Ming come over with wine, he laughed.
"You came all the way here with wine? It seems you recovered well."
"Barely," Fang Ming said, placing the bottles down. "That night was not easy."
Xu Liang invited him to sit. "Anyone who can return alive after being chased by wolves has enough right to say that."
The two poured wine.
Fang Ming briefly thanked him for the previous matter, but Xu Liang only waved his hand.
"That was my duty. Since you reached my station, of course I had to report it."
Fang Ming did not dwell on the topic. After drinking for a while, he casually asked about recent wolf movements, patrol changes, and whether nearby villages had seen anything unusual.
Xu Liang was stationed outside the main village, but he was not poorly informed. Patrol teams passed through this area, and emergency orders from the clan often reached outer stations quickly. He knew which roads had become dangerous, which villages had received warnings, and where wolf traces had appeared recently.
Fang Ming listened carefully.
After finishing the wine, he left the mortal village and returned to Gu Yue Village.
Weeks passed.
Fang Ming's short idle period finally ended when the verdict regarding Gu Yue Shi Nan's team was announced.
The team would be split apart.
Its members would be assigned elsewhere.
This result was somewhat different from what Fang Ming expected. He had thought at least one of them would receive heavy punishment, while the other two would also suffer some consequences.
But after seeing his new team, Fang Ming understood.
This was a political compromise.
The wolf incident had damaged the Shi faction's prestige. Fang Ming was an A-grade talent. He had nearly died while assigned to a Shi faction-controlled team, and a Rank one Gu Master had died under suspicious circumstances.
The surviving members were not heavily punished, but the Shi faction had lost exclusive control over him.
Fang Ming's new team was unusual.
It had just been formed, and its members had been pulled from different teams.
The leader was from Gu Yue Bo's faction. He was a mature Rank two Gu Master with attack, defense, movement, and investigation methods.
The Mo faction sent a female Gu Master who served as one of the team's investigative members. She also had three Rank two Gu: attack, movement, and investigation.
The Shi faction sent another female Gu Master. Her set included attack, defense, and movement.
The medicine faction sent a male Gu Master with Rank two movement and healing Gu.
Then there was Fang Ming.
Outwardly, he was the weakest.
He only showed Moonglow Gu.
After scanning the team, Fang Ming quickly understood the meaning behind this arrangement.
The factions were watching each other.
No single side could casually suppress him like before.
At the same time, Fang Ming was now being watched by everyone.
This was interesting.
The new team also took different and hard missions.
They hunted beast kings for materials, cleared small wolf groups, patrolled dangerous zones, and sometimes supported other teams in combat. Compared to the previous long and boring collection missions, these were much more useful.
Through these missions, Fang Ming saw how experienced Rank two Gu Masters cooperated. Movement Gu changed positioning, defensive Gu decided whether one could hold the front, healing Gu reduced losses, and investigative Gu often determined who seized the first move.
The more he observed, the more certain he became.
He needed investigative methods.
The wolf chase had already proved this clearly. Without investigative Gu, he had survived by relying on terrain memory, luck, and decisiveness. but this could not become a habit.
When his copy cooldown refreshed, Fang Ming chose the Mo faction female Gu Master's investigative Gu.
It was a Rank two Gu named Blazing Eyes that worked through the eyes.
Once activated, the user's eyes turnes orange, allowing them to detect warm-blooded creatures over a long range. Wolves, boars, bears, and humans all became easier to locate. Even if they hid behind trees or stones, their body heat could still expose their position.
Against lightning wolves, this Gu was extremely useful.
Fang Ming copied it successfully.
Another month passed.
Spring arrived on Qing Mao Mountain.
The coldness of winter faded, and green spread across the slopes. Flowers bloomed on the sunny sides of the hills, while the river flowed brightly under the spring light. At night, newborn dragonpill crickets chirped between the grass, and during the day, colorful peacock parrots flew across the sky.
Then, the caravan came.
Gu Yue Village became lively at once.
Fat black beetles moved slowly forward, their backs carrying people and goods. Proud ostriches with colorful feathers pulled handcarts along the road. Hairy mountain spiders crossed uneven terrain with ease, while winged snakes twisted forward and occasionally spread their wings to glide through the air.
At the front of the caravan was a Treasure Brass Toad. Its body was orange-yellow and over two meters tall.
Jia Fu sat on its back.
Soon, the caravan stationed itself near Gu Yue Village. Tents were raised, stalls were opened, and the area outside the village became crowded with Gu Masters and mortals.
Fang Ming also went to take a look.
The caravan market was far richer than the village stores. There were food, weapons, beast materials, Gu feed, maps, books, clothing, ores, herbs, and strange goods from outside Qing Mao Mountain. Fang Ming moved through the stalls at an unhurried pace, checking the goods while listening to nearby conversations and comparing the prices in silence. He paid particular attention to what Gu Masters asked for, which items sold quickly, and whether there were useful maps or records worth buying.
After walking past several rows of stalls, Fang Ming saw the Gu house.
It was a large tree standing in the middle of the caravan like a tower.
The tree was around eighteen meters tall. Its thick roots and branches twisted together like snakes, and windows opened along the surface of the trunk. Sunlight and fresh air entered through these openings, making the inside different from an ordinary tent.
This was the Rank three plant Gu, Three Star Cave.
The inside of the tree had three layers of space arranged like stores. Because it was safer than ordinary tents, the more precious goods were placed inside.
Fang Ming followed the flow of people and entered.
The first layer had rows of wooden counters, all grown from the tree itself. Gu worms were displayed behind them, drawing many Gu Masters to stop and discuss.
Liquor Worm.
Jade Skin Gu.
Whirlwind Gu.
Scar Stone Gu.
There were also several Gu compatible with Moonlight Gu.
Some Gu Masters admired the goods, some asked about prices, and some could only stand nearby with envy.
Fang Ming's gaze swept over the displayed Gu worms as he passed bye them.