As they walked through the market, Jian Long and Zhou Quan noticed a large crowd gathered in one of the side streets.
Cheers and excited shouts rose from the center of the gathering, piquing their curiosity. The two made their way closer to see what was happening.
When they arrived, they found that the cause of the commotion was a duel between two Gu Masters from different cultivation schools.
The first stepped forward.
He was a short young man dressed in tight black clothing, his eyes filled with confidence.
Raising his voice, he declared:
"You people from the South Wind School are always claiming that your Wind Path is the fastest."
Then he pointed proudly at himself.
"But we, disciples of the Hidden Shadow School, believe that the Shadow Path is unmatched in speed."
"So let's put those claims to the test."
His opponent burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"I'm ready whenever you are."
Then he assumed a fighting stance.
"The rules are simple."
"The first person to land a hit wins."
The young man in black nodded.
"Fine."
"I accept the challenge."
The two retreated several steps, while the spectators opened a wide circle around them.
A few moments later, one of the onlookers raised his hand high.
"Begin!"
The instant the signal was given, the disciple of the South Wind School shot forward.
His speed was astonishing.
His body seemed to transform into a faint green blur as he nearly vanished from sight.
Several spectators gasped in admiration.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived before his opponent and threw a punch.
But just before the strike could connect—
The man in black suddenly dissolved as though his body were made of black smoke.
He disappeared from his original position without warning.
The Wind Path disciple's eyes widened.
"What?!"
In the next instant, his opponent appeared directly behind him.
Without giving him any chance to react, he delivered a swift strike to the back of his head.
Bang!
The Wind Path disciple stumbled forward and collapsed onto the ground amid the crowd's astonishment.
Cheers erupted from every direction.
"Amazing!"
"He dodged it completely!"
"Just as expected of the Shadow Path!"
The young man in black raised both arms proudly, basking in the admiring gazes surrounding him.
Then he shouted loudly:
"Hahaha!"
"Did you see that?"
"This is the speed of the Hidden Shadow School!"
"Join our school, and your enemies won't even be able to see you, let alone catch you!"
The crowd responded with another wave of laughter and cheers.
"That man from the Wind Path was incredibly fast."
Jian Long commented as he glanced back at the dueling arena that the crowd was beginning to leave.
"In fact, his speed was close to mine when I'm flying."
Then he added with admiration:
"And yet the other man managed to defeat him so easily. He must be much faster."
However, Zhou Quan shook his head.
"No."
"The first man was faster."
Jian Long looked at him in surprise.
Zhou Quan continued:
"The other guy was simply more skilled in combat."
"That idiot turned it into a duel instead of a speed test."
"If he really wanted to prove that the Wind Path was faster, he should have challenged him to a race, not a fight."
Then he waved his hand dismissively.
"Come on. We have more important things to do than watch advertisements disguised as duels."
The two left the crowd behind and continued walking through the market.
Several minutes later, they arrived at a shop located on the corner of a street, facing two different roads. It was somewhat larger than most of the surrounding stores and appeared to be doing good business.
Behind the counter stood an elderly man with a slightly hunched back, assisted by a young man and a young woman.
The young man was in his late teens, with short blond hair and the perpetual expression of someone who was bored with life. He sat in one corner, slowly organizing merchandise as though counting the minutes until the end of his shift.
The young woman, on the other hand, was his complete opposite.
She was beautiful, energetic, and greeted customers with a bright smile.
The moment she saw Jian Long and Zhou Quan, she stepped forward and said:
"Welcome to our shop."
"How may I assist you?"
Zhou Quan answered immediately:
"I'd like a Book Gu containing introductory information about the common Gu worms used by beginners."
The young woman nodded.
"Certainly. Please follow me."
Then, as she led them further inside, she asked:
"Would you like to purchase it or rent it?"
"Rent it."
"And for how long?"
Zhou Quan casually pointed at Jian Long.
"We won't need it for long."
"As soon as this kid finishes using it, we'll return it."
"What?!"
The young woman could not hide her surprise.
At first glance, it was obvious that Jian Long was a Rank Two Gu Master.
Despite his young age, his aura was stable and powerful.
Why would someone like him need a guide intended for beginners who knew nothing about cultivation?
Her confusion deepened as she took a closer look at him.
During the month he spent in the caravan's bliss, Jian Long's appearance had become far more refined than it had been during his time in the wilderness.
His silver hair was neatly groomed, and his elegant high-quality clothes resembled those worn by the children of noble families.
Combined with the fact that he had already reached Rank Two at such a young age, he looked every bit like the talented heir of a powerful clan.
Had it not been for his missing right arm and the faint burn scars still visible on parts of his body, she would have assumed he was a pampered young master raised in luxury.
Jian Long felt embarrassed by the young woman's gaze and inwardly wished that Zhou Quan had not brought up the matter in front of her.
At that moment, the old man finally seemed to notice their presence.
He raised his head from behind the counter and shouted:
"Ban Zhao! Don't let him use the Book Gu inside the shop!"
Then he added sternly:
"I don't want the floor getting dirty again!"
The young woman rolled her eyes.
"Hah? Do you think I'm an idiot? Of course I won't."
Jian Long became even more confused.
He could not understand what using the Book Gu had to do with dirtying the shop.
Did it spray ink everywhere or something?
Before he could ask, however, Ban Zhao returned carrying the Gu worm they had requested.
It was a strange-looking creature.
It resembled a butterfly with six pairs of wings stacked one above another like the pages of a book.
Afterward, she called over the lazy blond-haired youth.
"Take them there."
The young man let out a sigh as though he had just been assigned the hardest task in the world before gesturing for them to follow him.
The three walked until they stopped in front of the men's restroom.
Jian Long froze.
"Why are we here?"
The young man completely ignored the question and extended his hand.
"Book Gu usage fee: one primeval stone."
Jian Long reluctantly paid.
The moment the youth received the stone, he turned around and left without offering a single explanation.
Jian Long stood before the restroom entrance and looked at Zhou Quan in confusion.
"Are you sure this is a respectable establishment?"
Zhou Quan smiled mysteriously.
"Just use the Gu."
Having no other choice, Jian Long injected the worm with his primeval essence.
In the very next instant—
A tremendous flood of information exploded into his mind.
It felt as though the contents of a hundred books had been forcibly stuffed into his head all at once.
Countless names of Gu worms.
Methods of feeding them.
Their classifications.
Their uses.
Their strengths and weaknesses.
Everything poured into his consciousness like a raging flood.
"AAARGH!"
He grabbed his head with both hands.
It felt as though his skull was about to burst apart.
The world began spinning around him.
The overwhelming torrent of information tangled together until he could no longer think clearly.
At that moment, he finally understood why they had brought him here.
He sprinted toward the restroom at full speed.
Blaaargh!
He vomited up his entire lunch.
Then he vomited again.
And again.
Zhou Quan stood a safe distance away, calmly observing the scene.
"Hmm."
"A normal reaction."
The headache continued to tear through Jian Long's mind while his stomach churned violently.
Hours passed before his condition gradually improved.
When he finally emerged from the restroom, his face was as pale as a corpse.
Looking at Zhou Quan with teary eyes, he spoke in an exhausted voice:
"You could have... warned me beforehand..."
Zhou Quan replied without the slightest shame:
"And I deprive you of enjoying the surprise"