8 Jia Fu's Discussion on Fang Yuan, the White Jade Mountain Spider Attack

Qitian arrived at the third level of the treehouse and walked towards a wall.

The wooden wall was covered with lush green leaves, densely packed together, creating a vibrant, verdant scene.

Whoosh, whoosh...

The leaves parted on their own, revealing a hidden secret door.

Fang Yuan pushed open the door and saw a winding staircase leading upwards. He stepped onto the stairs, walking up to a small study.

Inside the study, Jia Fu was focused on managing some accounts, his pen moving quickly.

Upon hearing Qitian's footsteps, Jia Fu looked up, revealing a new scar on his face. He smiled warmly. "Qitian, you've come."

"Greetings, Jia Fu. I've come to report on business," Qitian said, cupping his hands in respect.

"Please, take a seat," Jia Fu gestured to a spot closest to the desk.

After reporting on the business, Qitian spoke again, "By the way! I met an interesting young man downstairs."

"Oh? You have a good eye. Which young man caught your attention?" Jia Fu asked in surprise. After spending some time with Qitian, he had grown to realize that Qitian was a proud person, and anyone who caught his praise piqued his interest.

"He is the winner of the auction for the wine worm."

"The auction result for the wine worm hasn't come out yet, and you're sure it's him?"

"Of course, my eye for talent is sharp. After a third-turn Gu Master bid, he still bid calmly. This level of insight and composure is not something ordinary people possess. Jia Ge, you might want to recruit him soon."

Qitian knew that Fang Yuan wouldn't leave the ancient moon stronghold immediately, so his goal was simply to leave an impression on him.

Soon, the auction results for the wine worm arrived.

"Is this the young man named Fang Yuan?"

Jia Fu's gaze became complex.

"Why? Do you know him?" Qitian asked knowingly.

Jia Fu then explained the background.

"I didn't realize there was this matter. I believe the divine constable, Tie Xue Leng, will get to the bottom of this soon."

---

Three days later, after Fang Yuan successfully purchased the Red Iron Relic Gu, Jia Fu sought him out.

"May I ask what Jia Fu wants to discuss?"

Jia Fu looked at Fang Yuan and said, "I've been looking at your bids these past few days, including the one for the Red Iron Relic Gu. To be honest, your talent for business is impressive. Do you know? Every price you've bid is incredibly close to the final transaction price. Even Qitian spoke highly of you."

"Though you've only bought a Black Pig Gu, a Wine Worm, and the Red Iron Relic Gu, your bids on other Gu are only off by a few dozen Yuan Stones. Brother, would you be interested in working with me?" Jia Fu tried to recruit Fang Yuan.

"By the way, who is Qitian? Why does he know me?"

Fang Yuan also intended to gather some information about Qitian.

"Qitian? He's only one year older than you, but he's a business genius. With my help, he became a third-turn high-level Gu Master and now serves as the vice-leader of the merchant group. He recognized your exceptional qualities when you acquired the Wine Worm. What do you think? Would you be interested in working with me?" Jia Fu took the opportunity to tempt him.

"This..." Fang Yuan hesitated, then shook his head. "I appreciate your kindness, Jia Fu, but I'm not looking to leave my family."

Jia Fu thought it was because of his previous suspicion that Fang Yuan had killed Jia Jinsheng, leading Fang Yuan to be wary of him. So, he decided to bring up the matter with the divine constable, Tie Xue Leng, hoping to clear up any misunderstandings. Little did he know that Fang Yuan was the real killer and would rather not have Tie Xue Leng show up.

"Brother, I have high hopes for you. I hope you'll seriously consider my proposal." Jia Fu then offered more tempting incentives.

Fang Yuan politely declined, as it wasn't the right time for him to leave Qingmao Mountain yet.

"It's truly a waste of your talent. Here, take this token. If one day you decide to join me, this token will serve as proof, and I will welcome you anytime." Jia Fu believed Fang Yuan would come around, understanding the power of family cohesion, and wasn't surprised by the rejection.

---

In May, a time of transition between spring and summer, flowers bloomed, and the mountains remained lush and green.

The sun began to show its intense side. Under the deep blue sky, clouds floated like cotton.

The merchant group had left Qingmao Mountain over a month ago and had entered the Bai Tou Mountain region.

The farther east they went, the more casinos proliferated. In the Bai Tou Mountain region, each stronghold had a casino. Some larger strongholds had extensive casinos. Among the three major strongholds known for their gambling stones—Pan Shi Village, Gu Mu Village, and Cang Qing Village—there were even large-scale gambling stone venues.

These three large gambling arenas had been operating for over a thousand years. They were still prosperous, with gamblers constantly flocking in.

Many Gu Masters set up their Gu insects at these gambling venues. Some made a fortune, while others experienced a turning point in their lives.

Such incidents were common in the Gu Master world, with rumors, both true and false, often circulating and sparking the imagination. In the Bai Tou Mountain region, these rumors were even more rampant.

On one hand, the gambling venues spread rumors to increase their popularity. On the other hand, due to the prevalence of gambling stones, such things happened frequently.

One of Qitian's main objectives in traveling east was a legendary Gu insect found in one of the gambling arenas.

---

The bright full moon hung high in the sky.

That day, the merchant group camped near Baiyu Mountain.

Crack! Crack crack!

Strange sounds came from afar, and it seemed something was slowly approaching.

"Night raid! Night raid!"

"A swarm of Jade Spiders is coming!"

The night-watch Gu Masters noticed the Jade Spiders and immediately raised the alarm.

Within the camp, many people quickly woke up and began to stir.

"What? A swarm of Jade Spiders?"

"Aren't they just a bunch of spiders? We've encountered beast herds before."

"You must be new here. It's normal not to know. The Bladefoot Jade Spiders are bloodthirsty and warlike. Once they engage, they fight to the death. There was once a merchant group that was wiped out by a Jade Spider swarm."

"How terrifying! Then why are we taking this route?"

"Well... Jade Spiders usually don't leave their territory and rarely attack merchant groups. I guess we're just unlucky. Looks like we're in for a tough fight."

Qitian, who was cultivating, suddenly opened his eyes and became alert. He got up and left the tent.

The Gu Masters all looked serious and quickly activated their Gu insects, attacking the Jade Spider swarm.

In an instant, fireballs, ice blades, and water orbs flew through the air.

On Baiyu Mountain, several groups of Jade Spiders lurked. They were covered in jade-like skin, with eight sharp legs that resembled blades. They liked to move at night and lived in colonies. Though they were aggressive, they rarely attacked merchant groups unless they entered their territory.

Jia Fu furrowed his brows and said gravely, "Jade Spiders are hard to deal with. Everyone, stay alert. Remember, don't pursue them once the battle starts. The Bladefoot Jade Spiders have the upper hand in dense forests, so avoid fighting them in thickets!"

Crack crack!

Qitian joined the fight and faced off against a Beast King.

This Beast King was clearly larger than a regular Jade Spider, its body measuring a meter in length. Its eight legs were sharp as daggers, glowing with white light, extremely sharp. The spider moved with agility and speed.

The Bladefoot Jade Spider sensed Qitian's powerful aura and, instead of retreating, its battle intent grew stronger.

However, it didn't charge straight in. Instead, it swung its legs, sending two waves of blade-like air.

"Second-turn Blade Qi Gu!"

Qitian activated his Quick Shadow Gu to dodge the blade qi, then threw several bone spikes as he fought the spider.

Though this Bladefoot Jade Spider was powerful, it was soon overpowered by Qitian, who was a third-turn high-level Gu Master, and was killed.

"These Bladefoot Jade Spiders truly live up to their reputation. One Beast King alone has this level of strength. If I were up against a few Thousand Beast Kings, even if I won, it would be at a great cost. If I could acquire these Blade Dao Gu insects, my combat strength would greatly increase."

Unfortunately, others weren't as fortunate.

Many Gu Masters were caught off guard and had their limbs sliced off by the spider's legs. Blood-curdling screams echoed as several Jade Spiders pounced on them, tearing them apart.