Finally, a voice from the back—skeptical, disgusted—cut through the tension. "How much?"
The fat man's eyes gleamed with greed. "Three taels of primeval stone! Three—just three taels!" He held up his fingers, flashing them like a deal too good to pass up.
Three taels. Barely worth the dirt on the street.
The crowd didn't respond immediately, but then, one man scoffed loudly.
"Three taels? What a joke! For that price, I'd be better off saving up a few more taels and buying a damn horse! At least that thing can carry me, and it's worth something!"
The fat man's face turned beet-red, his features twisting with rage.
"You think you're clever, huh? A damn horse?"
"What's it gonna do for you? Ride it around, sure."
"But this woman—she can give you children. She'll work, fuck, breed, serve you however you want."
"You can't fuck a horse, can you?"
"Now, get lost if you don't know the value of a woman!"
The venom in his voice was thick. He was a rank one Gu Master, and that gave him an authority most of the crowd dared not question.
The man who had spoken faltered, shrinking under the fat man's glare. His shoulders sagged as he turned away, muttering curses under his breath.
He wasn't about to waste any more of his time on a bargain he didn't want.
Fang Yuan's gaze swept over the caged slaves and women like a blade—cold, assessing, devoid of pity.
"I'll take the whole lot," he said, voice flat, yet carrying the weight of absolute authority.
He tossed a small pouch of primeval stones to the fat slaver. The clinking sound was crude, final.
The Ge Tribe guards moved forward. Fang Yuan didn't even look at them as he gestured toward the newly purchased cargo.
"Take them to my tent. Tonight." The command was low, leaving no room for question.
The Gu Masters exchanged knowing, lustful glances.
Chains rattled as they roughly secured the slaves and women, herding them forward. Whimpers were stifled by the grim certainty of what was to come.
Fang Yuan soon entered the heart of the market, where the atmosphere was much calmer. The crowd here was thinner, with most people being Gu Masters.
Any mortals present were attendants, quietly trailing behind their masters and carrying goods. Occasionally, young masters and young ladies could be seen—those who hadn't yet awakened their apertures.
Though there were no formal guards, a subtle yet clear divide existed between the Gu Masters and the mortals, marked by an invisible barrier created by their differing statuses.
As Fang Yuan moved through the area, he was met with looks of admiration and respect from the Gu Masters around him. People would step aside as he passed.
Whispers began to circulate: "Isn't that Ge Guang?"
"He's already the leader of the Ge Tribe at such a young age."
"Not only that, he's a Rank 3 Gu Master. His future is looking incredibly promising."
...
"Forget about him." A voice low, wary sounded.
"Did you hear, the Ma Tribe has already pledged loyalty to the Hei Tribe."
"It's not just them," another whispered, glancing around.
"Fei Tribe, Zhao Tribe… half the western plains have bowed their heads. The Hei Tribe's alliance is growing like wildfire."
A cold breath of wind swept past the place.
"Strange, isn't it?" a third voice murmured.
"How easily they're being swallowed. It's like someone's guiding the pieces... from the shadows."
"I heard something," said a fourth, his tone hushed, almost reverent.
"Hei Lou Lan—he brought in an outsider. Even appointed him as an external elder."
"You think that's real?" came the skeptical reply.
"They say it's him—he's behind the flawless strategies, the perfect timing on every battlefield." A pause.
"The one who plays the board while others think they're the players."
"Those are just rumors."
"Maybe." The voice dropped to a whisper.
"But when enough lips speak the same lie… it starts sounding like truth."
"Doesn't it?"
...
The rumors were but whispers, inconsequential.
Fang Yuan's ears, honed by years of intrigue and manipulation, ignored them. His gaze was fixed elsewhere.
With a practiced indifference, he traversed the bustling market, eyes scanning every stall, every merchant. He acquired a few Gu, native to the Northern Plains.
Each purchase was deliberate, part of his endless strategy, a move in a game only he could see. No one else mattered.
When the transaction was complete, he left.
Returning to his Gu House, the familiar weight of the tent's entrance swayed as he entered. Inside, a grim sight met his eyes.
Slaves. Women. Shackled, docile, their eyes hollow with the resignation of captivity.
It was an unsettling image—but one that meant nothing to him.
Fang Yuan's gaze swept over them, cold and calculating. His expression, as always, betrayed nothing.
These were merely tools, pawns in the ever-growing machinery of his ambitions.
"Send one woman and a few slaves to each of the elders," he commanded, his voice a sharp thread cutting through the silence.
It was not a request—it was an order, delivered with an authority that left no room for hesitation.
The guard beside him nodded, unflinching, as he moved to execute the command.
From outside the Gu House, the Ge Tribe elders watched, their faces masked by the dim light.
They were all Rank 3 Gu Masters, but weak in the face of Fang Yuan's vision.
They saw only a young man, Ge Guang, barely in his prime, an appearance deceivingly immature. To them, he was a child—someone easily manipulated. And they coveted the position of clan leader, believing that through force or politics, they could unseat him.
What they failed to realize, however, was the abyss that lay behind Fang Yuan's eyes. He was no child. He was a predator who had already set the stage for their downfall, and they, unknowingly, were already trapped in his web.
After sending these women and slaves, Fang Yuan went inside his room and sat crosslegged on the ground.