5 Ch 5 - Liquor Worm
Under the dark sky and black clouds, verdant mountains stretched into the distance. In the vicinity was a bamboo grove. This was Qing Mao Mountain's unique spear bamboo, each bamboo stick as straight as a line, the ends of the bamboo exceptionally sharp like the tip of a spear.
Currenly it was night time on the day of Awakening Ceremony. The academy was supposed to start by tomorrow.
Mo Bei had plans to take the Flower Monk Inheritance for himself. Although, it would affect Fang Yuan's development, it would be better for him that Fang Yuan is weak at earlier stages. Mo Bei just had to take care that Fang Yuan does not lose out much. Otherwise, he won't be able to predict the future.
"Also, if Fang Yuan died, Heaven's will, Venerable's plan and Fate War would go awry. It would then come upon me to fulfill this but I am not capable. The world would be in great chaos."
Mo Bei searched around his whole room and found his savings of 1200 Primeval Stones. This was enough for him to carry out his plans. He pocketed 30 stones, filled his bag with some useful items such as pickaxe, gloves and clothes and left the home.
After he left the home, Mo Bei headed straight for the tavern.
"Shopkeeper, 5 jars of green bamboo wine!" Mo Bei fished around his pockets and drew out 10 primeval stone pieces, putting them onto the counter. He clearly remembered that this special wine only will lead the liquor worm to come out.
The shopkeeper was stunned since paying 10 primeval stones for a wine was a very rare scenario. Very few people in the clan could afford paying even 1 primeval stone for such luxury.
After purchasing the wine, just as he was about to head to the bamboo forest that grew around the village, he saw Fang Yuan coming in the tavern.
Their gazes met for a second and then Fang Yuan turned to the shopkeeper to purchase the wine.
Mo Bei hurriedly left without giving Fang Yuan a second look. He did not want to create suspicions.
However, he did not know that Fang Yuan was frowning slightly. Based on his intuition and 500 years' worth of life experience, he could smell a conspiracy.
Mo Bei had rough idea about the place where Fang Yuan found the liquor worm based on his memories of the novel.
Right now, the night grew thicker, the spring moon shaped like a bow. Clouds obscured the moonlight, as if coating the crescent moon with a thin sheet of gossamer.
It was raining slightly and Mo Bei suspected that there's a chance that he might not find liquor worm. Nevertheless, he had to give it a try.
In the bamboo forest behind the mountains, Mo Bei opened the jar seal, releasing a thick wine aroma instantly. Green bamboo wine could be said as the Gu Yue Village's number one wine. Even Mo Bei was attracted to the smell of wine himself.
He forced himself to remember the reason for coming here today. He slowly tilted the wine jar, pouring a small stream of wine, dripping it onto a random stone similar to how Fang Yuan had done. He was not sure whether the place was correct or not or whether what would happen if he bumps into Fang Yuan. This was something he left to fate.
The fragrant aroma quickly spread out into the night. The breeze was gentle, the faint aroma floating about and contaminating the bamboo forest. Mo Bei stood at his spot, smelling the aroma. He waited for a while, yet he did not see any movement.
Right now the night was already very deep. A thick cloud had obscured the moonlight. The dark shadows were like a curtain, covering the bamboo grove. Mo Bei went around the bamboo forest and spread the green bamboo wine all around.
He was sure that the aroma from 5 Jars of bamboo wine were enought to bring out the liquor Worm. Just as he finished pouring out the 4th Jar, he felt movement near one of the spear bamboo pole where he poured the wine earlier.
A figure the shape of a suspended round pearl was glued to the spear bamboo pole. It was the Liquor worm!
The Liquor worm opened its mouth wide and inhaled, very quickly lost in the deliciousness of the bamboo wine. It's tail started wagging and swinging with a cheerful rhythm.
Mo Bei waited for it to be drunk and after that followed the liquor worm to Flower Monk Inheritance hideout.
The description of the hideout was similar to what he had read in the novel as he saw the Liquor worm fly into a crevice in the middle of a boulder.
The crevice was hidden by waterfall. Behind Qing Mao Mountain was a huge waterfall. The flow of the waterfall varied with the weather; it plummeted down to the earth, pounding out a deep pool. Beside the deep pool was the Bai Clan Village, a clan with powerful influence that was comparable to the Gu Yue village.
Mo Bei walked to the boulder and entered the gap behind the waterfall. It was wide enough for him to easily enter. He was drowned in the waterfall. He knew that this is the place since it matched with the description he read. He planned to stay here all night since it would be dangerous if he left and came into contact with Fang Yuan. He could lose both the inheritance and his life.
He walked forward for some time before coming into contact with a red shade of light in the darkness.
Going forward, his eyes were greeted with the sight of an approximately 80 meters wide enclosure.
There he saw the corpse of Flower Monk and found some Gu remnants but he could not remember the name of those Gu's and was not able to identify them. The Liquor worm was resting on the clump of dead roots, sleeping soundly. It was already within easy reach.
Mo Bei hesitated a bit but then picked up the liquor worm. He was from Earth and no person would like to pick up a worm by their bare hands. However, for the sake of being strong and returning home, he gave up his dignity.
Just as he expected, a voice came from behind him "Try touching it?"
Video of the fight between 4th Generation clan Head and Flower wine was playing on wall. Mo Bei already knew the whole story and hence ignored it.
He started refining the Rank 1 Liquor Worm in his hand.
He had B Grade talent with 74% primeval essence sea filled in his aperture. He started to infuse primeval essence into the drunk liquor worm. Since the liquor worm was totally drunk, it did not resist the inflow of primeval essence.
Mo Bei currently had a jar of green bamboo wine and 20 primeval stones left. He spent the whole night infusing Primeval essence into the liquor worm and finally managed to refine it after using the 18th stone.
Even after his faster natural recovery and high usage of primeval stones, it took him 8 complete hours to refine his first vital gu - Rank 1 Liquor worm. The sun was not out yet. This was not the first time that he sat continuously at one place focusing on something.
He used to read RI novel for hours and hours on days and during one of the times when a major arc was ongoing in RI (referring to Volume 5), he had even spent 2 continuous days reading the novel without sleep and even when performing other daily activities such as eating and drinking. He had even thought of writing a RI fanfic. Who knew he would actually end up in one?
He had been reprimanded by his parents for his unhealthy activities and hence his internet access was taken away. He did not get to read RI or other novels for the next month. He remembers that time as one of the worst experiences.
At the moment, he was feeling jealous of Fang Yuan's Rank 6 Spring Autumn Cicada which could easily refine any Gu below Rank 4 within a second just with it's aura and infuse the primeval essense to clear out the remnant will easily.
'I wonder if I also can somehow use that aura. Anyways, now I don't have to worry about reaching Rank 2 and even Rank 3 to an extent since I also have the recipe for Rank 2 Four Flavored liquor worm. Also, if I can fully utilize the Flower Monk Inheritance, I can definitely become much stronger.'
"If I had not read the novel, just coming back here after 100 days would be enough to get the inheritance. But I now know that the wall behind the Photo-audio Gu is the one containing the true inheritance of this Gu Master. I should also take these Gu worms with me back to home even if I don't know their uses."
