The merchant caravan arrived in May.
By the time the news spread through Gu Yue Village, the originally quiet mountain settlement had already started to change. Mortals left their work to look down the mountain path. Children ran along the roads, shouting excitedly. Even Gu Masters who usually stayed inside their homes opened their windows and looked outside.
For a village hidden among mountains, a caravan was not merely a group of merchants.
It was the outside world.
Qing Mao Mountain was surrounded by dangerous forests, steep cliffs, wild beasts, and Gu worms. Ordinary mortals could not travel far. Even low-ranked Gu Masters would hesitate to cross the mountains alone.
Because of this, the arrival of a caravan always carried special meaning.
Goods that the village lacked.
Gu worms that the clan did not raise.
Materials from distant mountains.
News from outside.
And opportunities that would disappear once the caravan left.
Fang Ming stood among the crowd, watching as the caravan entered the village.
At the front was a huge orange-yellow toad carrying goods on its back. Behind it came fat armored worms, large toads, colorful birds, strange beasts, and martial guards walking with steady steps. Some Gu Masters rode atop the beasts, while others sat beside the merchandise, their eyes moving over the villagers with practiced caution.
The scene was lively, but Fang Ming's heart was calm.
He had waited for this.
His copy chance had already recovered.
Originally, he had planned to use it on Fang Yuan's fighting experience. That would have been useful. After the academy gate incidents and moonblade assessment, Fang Ming knew his weakness clearly.
But Fang Yuan would not disappear.
The caravan would.
That was why he had held back.
At dusk, temporary shops and tents filled the open area outside the village streets. Red, blue, yellow, and gray tents stood close together. Lanterns were hung high. Merchants shouted prices, children ran between adults, and Gu Masters moved through the crowd with guarded expressions.
Fang Ming entered the market alone.
He did not hurry.
The first thing he saw was Gu food.
Moon orchid petals, dried insect shells, powdered bones, strange grasses, bottled dew, and pieces of preserved meat hung from stalls or sat in wooden boxes. The prices were not low, but many Gu Masters still gathered around them.
Feeding Gu was unavoidable.
A Gu Master who could not feed his Gu would eventually lose strength no matter how good his aptitude was.
Fang Ming paused briefly before a stall selling Intimate Grass. This grass could be mixed with moon orchid petals to reduce the Moonlight Gu's feeding cost.
Useful.
But not worth copying.
He bought a small amount and moved on.
Next came weapon stalls.
Short blades, iron rods, leather armor, darts, nets, and hunting tools were spread on rough cloth. Some were ordinary mortal weapons. Others had traces of Gu refinement, though their quality was not high.
A merchant saw Fang Ming's academy robe and immediately smiled.
"Young master, this dagger is light and sharp. Perfect for self-defense. Only two primeval stones."
Fang Ming glanced at it and shook his head.
A dagger could be useful, but not decisive.
He needed something that could change his path, not decorate it.
Farther in, the stalls became more valuable.
A bronze-skinned guard demonstrated a strength-type Gu for a small crowd. With one punch, he cracked a thick wooden board. The viewers exclaimed, and the merchant beside him shouted the price loudly.
Fang Ming watched for a moment.
A strength Gu was tempting.
Close combat was his weakness. If he copied a Gu like that, his body would gain an immediate advantage. It could help him resist Fang Yuan's extortion, win fights, and protect himself in danger.
But after a moment, Fang Ming moved on.
The source would be a problem.
If an academy student suddenly possessed a strength Gu without buying it openly, questions would come. If he bought it openly, the price would be high and everyone would know. If the academy inspected his aperture and saw an unexplained Gu, he would need an answer.
Even if he solved that, feeding it would become another burden.
A useful Gu that could not be used openly was not truly useful.
It was a hidden weight.
The next tent displayed defensive Gu.
One created a thin layer of bark over the skin. Another formed a faint stone membrane around the arm. A third looked like a small beetle and was said to harden the back and chest for a few breaths.
Fang Ming looked at them carefully.
Defense was important.
A single mistake in the Gu World could mean death. A defensive Gu could save his life at a critical moment.
But the same problem remained.
He was still in the academy.
He was not leaving the village for missions yet. He was watched more than ordinary students because of his A-grade aptitude and the Shi family's investment. If he owned a defensive Gu, he either had to hide it completely or explain where it came from.
Hiding it meant it could not help him openly.
Explaining it meant exposing resources he should not have.
Fang Ming left the tent.
Movement Gu appeared next.
This time, his steps slowed.
Movement meant survival.
A Gu that increased speed, improved footwork, or helped escape danger could be more valuable than a direct attack. In the future wolf tide, in clan conflicts, in wilderness travel, movement could decide life and death.
For a few breaths, Fang Ming seriously considered it.
Then he rejected it too.
Movement Gu were not cheap to feed. They also required practice. More importantly, if he suddenly displayed unusual movement ability during academy fights, others would notice immediately.
Right now, he did not need a Gu that helped him run.
He needed to grow.
He needed to shorten the road toward Rank three.
The caravan market grew brighter as night deepened.
Fang Ming continued walking.
He saw healing powders, minor poison materials, beast skins, Gu cages, storage pouches, wine jars, and stalls where merchants boasted about goods from distant mountains. Some items were real, some exaggerated, and some were clearly traps for inexperienced buyers.
He listened more than he spoke.
The more he saw, the more cautious he became.
The caravan was full of opportunities.
But most opportunities had hooks.
His copy system could give him something without paying the price to buy it, but it could not erase all consequences afterward.
If he copied carelessly, he might gain a treasure that he could not use, could not feed, or could not explain.
That would be foolish.
As he passed a gambling tent, Fang Ming paused.
Rock gambling.
He knew there was a valuable Gu hidden among the fossils here. A Mudskin Toad, if his memory was not wrong. Fang Yuan would likely come searching for it.
Fang Ming considered entering.
This was a public opportunity, safer than the Flower Wine Monk inheritance. If he could use his memory to take the Gu first, he could gain profit without entering the wilderness.
But after standing there for a while, he did not go in.
His memory was incomplete.
He remembered the opportunity existed, but not the exact fossil. Without enough certainty, gambling would cost too many primeval stones. And even if he succeeded, the Mudskin Toad was not what he needed most.
It was valuable.
But not his best choice.
Fang Ming turned away.
A moment later, his attention was caught by two Gu Masters speaking near a larger tent.
"That Red Steel Relic Gu is really being shown tonight?"
"Only shown, not casually sold. Something like that is meant for clan elders and wealthy Rank two Gu Masters. Students should not even think about it."
"Of course. A Gu that can directly raise Rank two cultivation by a small realm—who would sell it cheaply?"
Fang Ming's footsteps slowed.
Red Steel Relic Gu.
His eyes became still.
This was different from the other options.
A defensive Gu could protect him now, but would bring feeding costs and suspicion.
A movement Gu could help him escape, but he could not use it openly.
A Green Copper Relic Gu could boost Rank one cultivation, but that was too immediate. If he advanced too suddenly, others would ask questions. He was already close to middle stage; using such a thing now would be wasteful and suspicious.
But Red Steel Relic Gu was different.
He could not use it yet.
That was exactly why it was suitable.
It was a future resource.
A card to be hidden until Rank two.
After reaching Rank two, he would be allowed to take missions. With missions came income, trade, and excuses. If he later revealed faster progress, he would have more room to explain it.
More importantly, relic Gu did not need long-term feeding.
It was a consumable cultivation resource.
Use it once.
Gain progress.
No burden afterward.
Fang Ming stood in the crowd, listening quietly as the two Gu Masters moved away.
The answer became clear.
He did not need the most eye-catching Gu.
He did not need the Gu that helped him win one academy fight.
He needed the Gu that shortened the distance to Rank three.
Red Steel Relic Gu.
If the caravan truly had one, then this was the best target for his copy.
The problem was distance.
He had to be within one meter.
And because this was a Rank two cultivation Gu, copying it would not finish instantly. He would need time. How much time, he did not know.
Fang Ming looked toward the large tent ahead.
Two guards stood at the entrance. The people going in were not ordinary students. Most were adult Gu Masters, and a few wore elder-family tokens.
Fang Ming adjusted his expression.
He could not rush.
He could not stare too long.
He could not look like a thief who had already chosen his prey.
He was an A-grade academy student backed by the Shi family. That identity was not only a chain. Sometimes, it was also a key.
Fang Ming walked toward the guarded tent.
A merchant at the entrance glanced at him. "Young master, this tent displays higher-grade goods. Browsing is allowed, but touching is not."
Fang Ming nodded calmly.
"I understand."
He stepped inside.
The light in the tent was softer than outside. Goods were placed with more space between them. Gu cages, jade boxes, sealed containers, and small display cases sat on separate stands. The merchants here spoke in low voices, and the customers were more restrained.
Fang Ming's gaze moved slowly across the displays.
Then he saw it.
A small red Gu sealed inside a transparent crystal container, resting on a black wooden stand. Its body had a metallic sheen, like a drop of red steel condensed into insect form.
Beside it was a wooden tag.
Red Steel Relic Gu.
Rank two.
Fang Ming's heartbeat quickened once, then returned to normal.
He did not walk straight toward it.
Instead, he looked at two other displays first, asked a simple question about a healing powder, and listened to the merchant's answer. Only after that did he move closer to the black wooden stand.
One step.
Then another.
The container was now within arm's reach.
Within one meter.
The familiar cold feeling appeared in his mind.
Target detected: Red Steel Relic Gu.
Monthly copy available.
Begin copying?
Fang Ming lowered his eyes slightly.
Yes.