REVEREND INSANITY
Chapter 39: Frog Caravan Traders
Chapter 39: Frog Caravan Traders
The month of May is a transition between spring and summer.
The fragrance of the flowers filled the air, the huge mountains were always green and the sunlight began to gradually release its excited side.
Under the clear blue sky, white clouds floated like cotton.
On Qing Mao Mountain, the bamboo forest was as straight as a spear as ever, leading to the blue sky. Weeds grow wild everywhere, and unknown varieties of wildflowers decorate grass bushes. As the breeze blew, the weeds moved to and fro, the dense scent of flower pollen and the scent of green grass assaulted visitors.
Halfway up the mountain was a large number of terraced fields. Layer by layer, step by step, the soft green wheat sprouts were planted. From afar, it looked like a green sea.
In the terraced fields many farmers were busy working. There are farmers who clean the channel for water channeling irrigating rice fields, there are also farmers who roll up pants, stand in the fields and plant sprouts.
These people were naturally mortal outsiders because the Gu Yue clan would never do this lowly job.
Ring, ring…
The sound of camel bells could be heard faintly being blown by the spring breeze.
The peasants straightened their bodies as they descended the mountain, only to see the caravan moving like colorful worms from the side of the mountain, slowly showing its head.
"This is a merchant caravan!"
"Yes, it's May, it's time for the caravan to come."
The adults instantly understood the situation, and the children stopped playing with water and clay in their hands. Together, they excitedly approached the caravan.
Southern Border has a hundred thousand mountains – Qing Mao Mountain is just one of them. On each mountain, there was village after village, which was maintained by everyone through their blood and kinship ties.
Among the mountains, the forest is deep and ominous, the cliffs are steep and full of dangerous falling rocks. Moreover, in the complex forest environment lived a large number of ferocious beasts and the strange Gu worm.
Mortal humans could not pass through it at all. It was difficult to cross this hurdle alone, at least one had to be a rank three Master Gu.
Due to the poor economy, trade became difficult. So, the most important form of trading is through caravan traders. Only by organizing such a large-scale group of merchants could Master Gu unite with the power to help each other, conquer the difficulties in the route of travel and traverse from one mountain to another.
The arrival of the merchant caravan was like a bowl of boiling water poured into the peaceful and serene Mount Qing Mao.
“For the last few years they will come in April, but this year they just arrived in May. At least they're here now." The innkeeper sighed deeply after hearing the news. The inn business was bad in the other months, so only when the caravan came could he earn enough profit to last a year.
At the same time, there were some green bamboo grapes inside his storage that he could sell to the caravan merchant.
In addition to lodging, the business in the tavern would also boom as a result.
The caravan merchants entered the mountain village of Gu Yue one by one, led by the Treasure Brass Toad. This frog was two and a half meters tall, its entire body was orange-yellow. The back of the frog was thick and filled with warts and knots. It was like a wisp of bronze spikes on the ancient city gate.
On the back of the Treasure Brass Toad, thick ropes were tied around many items. At a glance, it seemed like the frog was carrying a giant backpack.
A middle-aged man with a circular face full of pockmarks was sitting cross-legged on a frog. He's fat and his belly is big. His eyes formed a gap when he smiled. He cupped his fists as he greeted the surrounding Gu Yue villagers.
The name of this man was Fu of the Jia clan. His cultivation was at rank four and he was the leader of the merchant caravan this time around.
The treasure frog jumped up slightly as it moved forward but Jia Fu who was sitting on top of his head was stable and steady. When the frog jumps, its height will be parallel to the window on the second floor of a building. Even when he returned to the ground, he was at a height higher than the first level of the bamboo building.
The originally wide streets were suddenly quite dense and narrow. The Brass Treasure Frog was like a savage beast infiltrating the middle of a large number of bamboo houses.
After the treasure frog is a big fat worm. It had two eyes similar to multi-colored glass windows, the color was bright and beautiful. The worm was fifteen meters long, its body shape resembled a silkworm. However, the surface of the worm was covered in a thick layer of protective skin like black porcelain. On the armor was a pile of goods and other merchandise, hemp ropes tied around it. Between the gap and the item interval, Master Gu sat down one by one, some old and some young.
There was also a human who was a strong and sturdy martial warrior, slowly moving forward on the ground following the fat black beetle.
After the fat beetles, there are ostriches with brightly colored feathers, hairy mountain spiders, winged snakes with two pairs of feathery wings and so on. However, this was in small numbers, most of the creatures were toads.
The merchant caravan walked deep into the village.
Children on the street will look curiously with wide-eyed eyes, shout in excitement or exclaim in shock.
The windows on the second floor opened one after another, the mountain villagers observing the merchants from a short distance away. Some had eyes that radiated fear and some waved to express a warm welcome.
"Sister Jia, you came a little late this year, you must have had a difficult journey." Approaching the identity of the clan head, Gu Yue Bo came out on his own to greet the leader of the merchant caravan this year.
Since Jia Fu had the status of Teacher Gu Rank four, if a rank three elder was responsible for accepting him, it would undoubtedly be seen as a kind of negligence and ridicule.
Jia Fu cupped his fists and sighed, “This year's path is rather unfavorable. On the way we met a group of Remote Blood Bats and we lost some good people. Then at Mount Jue Bi we met with the mountain fog, and we did not dare to continue the journey at all. So we delayed it long enough, and caused Brother Gu Yue to wait long enough.”
When they spoke, their tone was very polite.
Gu Yue Village needed merchant caravans every year to come and trade, and merchant caravans also needed businesses to make money.
“Heh heh heh, pretty good you can come. Please, the clan has prepared food and wine, let me host a welcoming dinner for you, big brother, ”Gu Yue Bo extended her hand and said invitingly.
"The clan head is polite, too polite." Jia Fu flattered.
The merchant caravan arrived at the border of Qing Mao Mountain in the morning, and in the afternoon they were stationed in Gu Yue Village. By dusk, the village neighborhood had become a large area of shops and temporary shops. All kinds of tall tents in red, blue, yellow and green were built and every inch between the tents was crammed with many small stalls by the roadside.
The night fell, but it was still bright in the area.
An endless stream of pedestrians spilled into the area from the village. There are humans and GuMasters. Young children jump around in high spirits, and adults show expressions of excitement similar to celebrating a festival.
Fang Yuan moved with the crowd, walking alone.
The crowd was bustling with activity, groups of people either around the stall or endlessly going in and out of the entrance of the tent.
The surroundings were filled with the cries of the merchants peddling his wares.
“Come, come, look. The best Blue Sea Cloud tea brick, drinking this tea makes one as bright as a fairy! Even if it wasn't the one who drank, it could be used to feed and raise Gu's tea, it was a cheap-priced item for its value. One piece only cost five ancient stones! ”
“Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu, a Master Gu who uses this Gu will be able to explode with the power of a cow. You can go, but don't regret it!
“Intimate Grass, High quality Intimate Grass. Everyone saw this quality, fresh as freshly picked. One catty for two pieces of ancient stone, very cheap price.”.
The moment Fang Yuan heard this, his footsteps paused for a moment, then he followed the voice and walked over.
He saw an ostrich pulling a cart with two wheels. In the wagon was a pile of pastel green plants. Each strand of grass was one meter long, slender and long. Their average width is around the nails. At some ends of the pointed grass grow heart-shaped red flower buds.
Intimate Grass is one type of Gu worm supplement, its value comes from the fact that it can be used to pair with some other food to feed Gu worms.
For example, Fang Yuan needed to give two pieces of flower petals each meal to Moonlight Gu while feeding him. If he were to mix in a piece of Intimate Grass, Moonlight Gu would be full just by eating one petal.
Intimate grass only costs two pieces of ancient stone per catty, while moon orchid petals cost one ancient stone for every ten pieces. With a simple calculation, one would know that mixing Intimate Grass to feed Gu would be more cost-effective.
“Half a month ago, because I used Moonlight Gu in the academy to kill Gao Wan, I was fined thirty ancient stones. Yet the Mo family paid me thirty ancient stones as compensation, so I didn't really take the loss. In the past few days I have robbed twice, the total number of my stones totaling 118. However, recently I have been constantly spending essence to refine an intermediate level primeval essence and nurture my four hole walls, and I will be using three pieces of stone every day . Adding the cost of feeding Gu, my own daily expenses and consecutively buying green bamboo wine, I have ninety-eight pieces now. ”
Ever since Fang Yuan killed someone, the cruel and heartless image had been deeply rooted into the hearts of the students and for a while no one dared to challenge him. This caused his looting to be easier, as each time only a small number dared to resist.
Fang Yuan counted in his heart, then he moved his gaze and continued walking deeper into the heart of the temporary store setting.
The Intim Grass stall was surrounded by a group of people. They were all Master Gu or students, holding an ancient stone in their hands as they shouted and rushed to buy it.
It was not that Fang Yuan lacked the money to buy Intimate Grass, but he did not have the time.
“If you remember, the Mud Skin Toad should be in that store. In my previous life there was a Master Gu who got it from gambling on the first night, then he gained a lot of time. I have to be quick, I can't lose much by trying to save a little.”