Looking For The Liquor Worm (Part Seven)

Fang Yuan's shadow zoomed across the ground, weaving through the bamboo shadows like black lines on a TikTok edit. He kept his eyes locked on the white bead, inhaling that fresh mountain air like it was his last vape hit, pushing his legs to keep up with the faint wine scent.

The moonlight blurred, like he was running through a water filter on a trippy video.

The Liquor worm yeeted out of the bamboo forest, and Fang Yuan followed suit. White flowers with yellow centers scattered their petals like confetti as he ran. Dragonpill crickets, like a moving aesthetic, moved in front of him; as he dashed through, a red cloud bloomed, scattering like red star fireflies on a rave dance floor.

He splashed through a pebble-strewn mountain stream, the water reflecting the moon, creating silver ripples, giving off major main character vibes.

The stream's once-aesthetic stones were now broken and trampled, giving off major "before and after" energy.

Fang Yuan kept chasing, following the Liquor worm. As he went up the stream, he heard a waterfall. Turning past a sparse forest, he saw the Liquor worm disappear into a crevice in a boulder.

Fang Yuan's eyes lit up, and he stopped dead.

"So, it's here." He panted, his heart pounding like a bass drop. He was covered in sweat, hot air surging through him, his blood racing like he just chugged an energy drink.

He looked around, finding himself on a shallow benchland, giving off major "hidden level" vibes.

Pebbles covered the ground, the river barely covering the small stones. Gray boulders were scattered around, giving off "abandoned ruins" vibes.

Behind Qing Mao Mountain was a legit waterfall, flow changing with the weather, crashing down into a deep pool. Next to the pool was Bing Chilling Village, a clan flexing the same power as Gooner Yue Village.

The waterfall branched out like a messy family tree, and Fang Yuan was facing a branch of a branch, like, a cousin twice removed. Normally, this benchland was a desert, but the recent monsoon had created a lil' stream.

The stream's source? The boulder the Liquor worm dipped into.

The boulder was leaning against a straight-up cliff. Lil' waterfalls flowed down the cliff, hitting the boulder. Over time, the boulder eroded, creating a secret tunnel.

The waterfall's current was roaring, a white curtain blocking the entrance.

After scanning the area, Fang Yuan's breathing was back to normal. He walked to the boulder, took a deep breath, and sent it.

The crevice was wide enough for two grown adults to walk side-by-side, so Fang Yuan was chilling.

Inside, the rushing water was pushing him back, soaking him from head to toe. He fought the current, moving forward. After a few dozen steps, the pressure eased up.

The space started to shrink, and Fang Yuan had to crab-walk. His ears were filled with the roaring water, the top was a white blur, and deeper in was pure darkness, giving off major "boss level" vibes.

What was lurking in the darkness?

Could be a venomous snake, or a toxic gecko. Maybe a trap set by Flower Wine Monk, or maybe it's just an empty room, a whole lot of nothing.

Fang Yuan continued sideways, edging into the void. The water was gone, but the mossy walls grazed his skin, hella slippery. He was swallowed by the darkness, the crevice squeezing tighter than skinny jeans. Even his head couldn't turn freely. Still, he kept pushing.

Twenty more steps, and he saw a faint red glow. At first, he thought it was a glitch in the matrix. But it was real!

He got a second wind, moving another fifty or sixty steps, the red glow getting brighter. It turned into a long, vertical seam.

He reached out, feeling the wall curve away. He knew there was a secret room inside the boulder. A few more steps, and he was through the seam.

He found himself in an enclosure about 80 meters wide, giving off major "hidden level unlocked" vibes.

"I've walked for ages. I must be in the mountain's core." He stretched his limbs, looking around.

The room was filled with dim red light, source unknown. The walls were damp and mossy, but the air was dry, giving off "desert oasis" vibes. Withered vines covered parts of the walls, with a few dead flowers, giving off "abandoned greenhouse" vibes.

The flowers and leaves looked familiar, like a deja vu moment.

"Wine Sack Flower Gu, and Rice Pouch Grass Gu." He recognized the dead plants, giving off "lore drop" vibes.

Gu came in many forms, they were even more numerous than the number of Pokemon that existed. Some were like crystals, like the Moonlight Gu. Some were worms, like the Liquor worm. Others were plants, like the Wine Sack Flower Gu and Rice Pouch Grass Gu.

These were Rank 1 natural Gu. They grew with primeval essence, spitting out flower wine and fragrant rice, giving off "pay to win" vibes.

Fang Yuan followed the vines and found a ball of withered roots in a corner. The Liquor worm was chilling on the roots, sound asleep, like a plushie, within easy reach, giving off "loot drop" vibes.

Fang Yuan casually strolled over, scooped up the Liquor worm like it was a stray cat. Then he kneeled down, started yanking apart the dead vines, revealing a whole pile of bonez.

"Finally found you, Flower Wine Monk, no cap." He was smirking, fr.

Just as he was about to reach out and yeet the rest of the vines, suddenly—

"Touch it. I dare you." A voice dripping with "I'm about to end your whole career" energy echoed from behind Fang Yuan.

In this secret cave, a voice just dropped out of nowhere, like a jumpscare in a horror game.

Fang Yuan's neck hairs were standing at attention, his scalp was doing the electric slide.

He'd been followed, fr!

Were his constant late-night dips raising red flags?

Or was it his uncle sending a hitman?

He even briefly thought of Jiang Ya, the Rank 1 Gu Master from the inn, giving off major "plot twist" vibes.

His brain was speedrunning through scenarios, guesses, and escape routes.

The voice was dripping with "I'm about to cancel you" energy, making him internally rage. He was just a Rank 1 noob, with no main weapon. He was basically a punching bag. How was he supposed to clutch this?

"So weak, so weak!" he mentally screamed, giving off major "rage quit" vibes.

"You're already hit with my Single Gate Poison Gu. Without the antidote Gu, in seven days you'll be a puddle of goo," the voice announced, like a villain monologue.

Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, his expression ice cold. He knew he was cooked. He said in a low voice, "You want the Liquor worm? Take it, I'm good, fam. Don't want no beef with nobody."