Fang Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly. Drawing on instinct and five hundred years of life experience, he caught the scent of a conspiracy. A cold glint flashed through his eyes and vanished; his brow relaxed. “I was just getting a little hungry. You’ve come at the right time. Bring it in.”
Outside the door, Shen Cui carried a food box. Hearing his reply, a trace of a cold, disdainful sneer appeared at the corner of her mouth. But the moment she pushed open the door, only a docile expression remained on her face.
“Young Master Fang Yuan, the food and wine are delightfully fragrant. I could smell them even through the box.” Her voice was cloyingly sweet, suffused with an amorous allure.
She set the food box on the small table, then took out the plates one by one and laid them out. The dishes truly were delicious, pleasing both the eye and the nose. She brought out two wine cups and poured the wine.
“Come, young master, have a seat. This servant is being bold today; I’d like to share a drink with you.” Smiling radiantly, she went to Fang Yuan, boldly took his hand, and pulled him onto a stool by the table.
Then she sat directly on Fang Yuan’s lap, leaning her tender body against his chest. Nestling against him like a little bird, she whispered in his ear, “Young Master Fang Yuan, I’ve always liked you. Whatever your aptitude, I want to stay by your side, depend on you, and comfort you. Tonight, I want to give you my body.”
She was dressed to the nines today. She had dabbed on rouge, her lips pink as cherry blossoms. As she spoke close to his ear, her youthful, delicate breath teased Fang Yuan’s earlobe. With Shen Cui sitting on his lap, Fang Yuan could clearly feel her voluptuous body: her supple thighs, her slender waist, the softness of her breasts.
“Young master, let this servant feed you some wine.” Shen Cui picked up one of the wine cups, but tipped her head back and took a sip, holding the wine in her mouth. Then she fixed her gaze on Fang Yuan, her eyes glistening, her lips slightly parted as she slowly moved towards his lips.
Fang Yuan’s expression was cold, as though the maiden sitting in his lap were a statue.
Seeing Fang Yuan’s expression, Shen Cui felt a little uneasy at first. But when her lips were only a finger’s breadth from touching Fang Yuan’s lips, her unease gave way to certainty, and she sneered inwardly, “Still pretending.”
At that very moment, Fang Yuan gave a cold laugh, his voice edged with disdain. “So this is nothing but a honey trap.”
Shen Cui’s expression stiffened. She swallowed the wine and said with feigned reproach, “Young Master Fang Yuan, what are you talking about?”
Fang Yuan’s eyes glimmered with a dim, cold light as he stared into hers. At the same time, he laid his right hand on her snow-white neck and slowly tightened his grip. Shen Cui’s pupils contracted sharply. “Young Master, you’re hurting me,” she said in an alarm-tinged voice. Fang Yuan did not answer; he only tightened his grip further.
“Young Master Fang Yuan, I’m a little afraid!” Shen Cui was already a little breathless, her expression panicked. Her delicate hands instinctively landed on Fang Yuan’s, trying to pry it loose. But his hand was like an iron clamp; she could not budge it.
“It seems Uncle and Aunt sent you to seduce me and frame me. Then they should have people posted downstairs too.” Fang Yuan sneered contemptuously. “But who do you think you are, trying to seduce me? Those two mounds of rotten flesh on your chest are no better than trash.” As he spoke, his left hand climbed to Shen Cui’s chest and viciously squeezed the soft flesh of her breast, deforming it severely in an instant.
Excruciating pain shot through Shen Cui’s chest. Her eyes flew wide, tears filling them. She tried to cry out, but Fang Yuan’s hand was around her throat; all she could manage were a few muffled whimpers. She began to fight fiercely. If she did not, she would truly suffocate!
But just then, Fang Yuan slowly loosened his grip. Shen Cui immediately opened her mouth wide and greedily gulped air. Her rapid breaths brought on a violent bout of dry coughing.
Fang Yuan smiled softly and gently stroked Shen Cui’s cheek with his palm. He asked leisurely, “Shen Cui, do you think I can kill you?”
If Fang Yuan had shouted and roared at her in a harsh voice, Shen Cui might have resisted fiercely. But when Fang Yuan chuckled softly and asked her in a low, gentle voice whether he could kill her, Shen Cui felt a genuine fear.
She was afraid!
She stared at Fang Yuan in terror, at this youth smiling as he gazed at her. At that moment, Shen Cui swore she would never forget Fang Yuan’s eyes. Not a trace of emotion showed in them. They were dark and deep, like an ancient pool concealing a terrifying giant beast. Under that gaze, Shen Cui felt as if she stood naked in a world of ice and snow! The person in front of her would absolutely dare to kill her, and could kill her…
“Heavens! Why did I go and provoke such a devil?!”
Shen Cui’s heart was filled with regret. At that moment, she wished she could turn and flee. But in Fang Yuan’s arms, she did not dare flee or even make the slightest movement. Every muscle was taut. Her delicate body trembled, her face pale as paper, and she could not utter a word.
“Considering that you’ve served me as my personal maid for all these years, I’ll spare your life this time. You want to be freed from servitude, don’t you? Go find my younger brother. He’s foolish and naïve.” Fang Yuan’s smile disappeared. He patted Shen Cui’s cheek, his tone plain as water.
He sighed. At last, he said, “Leave.”
Shen Cui went out obediently, stunned like a wooden chicken. Dazed and disoriented, she had no idea how she had escaped from Fang Yuan, that devil. The people hidden in the dark exchanged puzzled looks when they saw her come out like that.
“They actually set a honey trap; that was more novel than in my previous life. Heh. Uncle and Aunt, I’ll deeply remember this kindness of yours!”
Not long after Shen Cui left, Fang Yuan stood up and went out. In any case, he could not stay in this lodging. A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall, let alone a demon lord. Without sufficient strength, only a fool puts himself in danger.
At the village’s only inn, Fang Yuan asked, “Innkeeper, do you have a room?” and then enquired about the price.
“Yes, yes. We have the best rooms on the second and third floors. They’re affordable and kept very clean. The first floor is the dining hall; you can eat here or have the staff bring a meal to your room.” The innkeeper served Fang Yuan with eager solicitude.
This was the only inn in the village, and business was poor; the place seemed rather quiet. Only when the caravans came to trade on Qing Mao Mountain each year did it become bustling.
Fang Yuan really was hungry. He tossed the innkeeper two whole primeval stones. “Give me one of the best rooms for now. Then prepare two jars of wine and three or four small dishes. Refund whatever remains, and I’ll cover any shortfall.”
“All right!” The innkeeper took the two primeval stones, then asked, “Would you like to eat in your room, or enjoy the liveliness of the hall?”
Fang Yuan glanced at the sky. The rain had already stopped, and dusk was near. He might as well eat in the hall before heading straight out of the village to explore the Flower-Wine Monk’s inheritance. He told the innkeeper, “I’ll eat in the hall.”
The inn’s first-floor dining hall had more than ten square tables, each ringed by four long benches. Thick pillars stood between them, supporting the inn. The floor was paved with marble slabs, yet remained wet with the moisture in the mountain air. There were three occupied tables in the dining hall. At the table by the window sat only an old man, slowly drinking a little wine alone as he watched the afterglow over the mountains outside the window. At the table in the very centre, five or six hunters sat in a circle, loudly talking about their hunting experiences. At their feet lay a pile of game: pheasants, wild hares, and the like. At a table in the corner sat two young people, seemingly speaking privately about something. Their figures were obscured by shadow, making it impossible to tell whether they were male or female.
Fang Yuan chose a place near the doorway and sat down. Before long, the wine and dishes were brought to the table.
“With my Grade C aptitude, I have to rely on primeval stones to refine the Moonlight Gu. If I’m lucky and its will is not tenacious, I’ll need only five stones. If it is unyielding, that will be trouble; I’ll need at least eight.”
Gu are living beings too, so naturally they have a will to survive. Some have strong wills and keep resisting a Gu Master’s refinement. Others have weaker wills, and by the end of the refining they give up in despair. Once a Gu no longer resists, refining it becomes extremely easy.
“I have only six primeval stones on me now. I’ve already given two to the innkeeper, leaving me with just four. That leaves me a little short.”
In this world, primeval stones are hard currency, with considerable purchasing power. For an ordinary family of three, a month’s living expenses amount to no more than one primeval stone. But Gu Masters consume primeval stones in large quantities. Fang Yuan, for example, needs an average of about seven stones just to refine Gu. And that is only for a Moonlight Gu. If he really found a Liquor Worm, refining it with his aptitude would cost at least another ten-odd primeval stones!
“In other words, the situation now is this: even if I find the Liquor Worm, I may not have primeval stones to help me refine it. But I still have to keep searching, because the Flower-Wine Monk’s inheritance is very likely to contain a great many primeval stones.”
This is not difficult to infer. Flower-Wine Monk was a Fifth Revolution Gu Master, a famous demonic-path expert. How could he not have primeval stones, an essential cultivation resource for every Gu Master?