Reverend Insanity
Author: Gu Zhen Ren
Date: 2021-11-04T20:55:22.198000+00:00

Chapter 1 – The heart of a demon never has regret even in death

“Fang Yuan, quietly hand over the Spring Autumn Cicada and I’ll give you a quick death!”

“Old bastard Fang, stop attempting to resist anymore, today all of the major factions of justice have combined together just to destroy your devil lair. This place is already covered in inescapable nets, this time you will definitely be decapitated!”

“Fang Yuan you damn demon, just because you wanted to cultivate the Spring Autumn Cicada, you’ve gone and killed thousands of people. You’ve committed too many unforgivable, heinous sins!“

“Demon, 300 years ago you insulted me, took away my body’s purity, killed my entire family and executed my nine generations. From that moment onwards, I hated you with a burning passion! Today, I want you to die!”

……

Fang Yuan was in deep green robes that had been torn to shreds. His hair was disheveled and his entire body was covered in blood. He looked around.

The bloody robes waved lightly in the mountain breeze like a war flag.

Fresh blood flowed from the numerous wounds on the body. Just by standing there for a short while, Fang Yuan had already accumulated a large pool of blood beneath his feet.

Enemies surrounded him all around; there was already no way out.

It was a forgone conclusion that he would die here.

Fang Yuan understood his situation clearly, but even in the face of death his expression did not change, it was calm.

His gaze was quiet, his eyes like deep pools of water in a well, so deep that there seemed to be no end.

The major factions of justice that had surrounded him were not just the experienced elders, but also young and talented heroes. Around the heavily surrounded Fang Yuan, some were roaring, some were sneering; there were eyes that were gleaming with light, some holding onto their wounds while looking on fearfully.

They did not move; everyone was wary of Fang Yuan’s final attack.

For 6 hours this tense moment went on until the evening came, the sun casting its rays upon the side of the mountain. In that moment, it was as if the place was on fire.

Fang Yuan, who had been silent as a sculpture the entire time, slowly turned his body.

The group of warriors was suddenly alerted and they all took a big step backwards.

By now the gray mountain rock beneath Fang Yuan’s feet had long been stained a deep red. Due to losing too much blood, his face had become deathly pale; in the afterglow of the sunset, it suddenly had a brilliant luster upon it.

Looking at the setting sun, Fang Yuan lightly laughed. “The sun sets above the blue mountain, the autumn moon with the wind of spring. The morning is fine like hair and night is like snow, whether you succeed or fail when you look back there’s nothing left.”

As he said this, memories of his previous life on Earth emerged before his eyes.

He was originally a Chinese scholar on Earth who chanced upon this world. He endured a hard life for 300 years and went through another 200 years; about over 500 years of his life flew by in the blink of an eye.

So many memories that were buried deep inside the heart begun to relive themselves, sprouting into life before his eyes.

“I failed in the end.” Fang Yuan sighed in his heart emotionally, yet there were no regrets.

This end result was something he had foreseen. When he made his decision in the beginning, he had prepared himself for this.

To be a demon is to be merciless and cruel, a murderer and destroyer. There is no place in heaven or earth for such a thing – turning into an enemy to the world, still having to face the consequences.

“If the Spring Autumn Cicada that I have just cultivated is effective, I shall still be a demon in my next life!” With this thought, Fang Yuan couldn’t help but let out a big laugh.

“Wicked demon, what are you laughing about?”

“Be careful everyone, the demon is going to attack before his final moments!”

“Hurry up and surrender the Spring Autumn Cicada!!”

The group of warlords surged forward; at this moment, with a loud bang, Fang Yuan was engulfed in a blinding surge of energy.

……

The spring rain quietly rained down on Qing Mao Mountain.

It was already late in the night, a slight breeze blowing with the light rain.

Yet Qing Mao Mountain was not covered in darkness; from the side down to the foot of the mountain, dozens of tiny lights shone like a bright band.

These lights shone from tall buildings, even though it could not be said to match up to ten thousand lights, yet it was still a few thousand in number.

Situated on the mountain was Gu Yue(1) Village, giving the vast lonely mountain a rich touch of human civilization.

In the middle of the Gu Yue Village was a magnificent pavilion. A grand ceremony was being held at this moment, and the lights were even brighter than ever, radiating with glory.

“Ancestors, please bless us! We pray that this ceremony will bring many young men of outstanding talent and intelligence, bringing their families new blood and hopes!” The head of the Gu Yue clan had a middle-aged appearance, his sideburns were graying and he was clothed in ceremonial white robes, kneeling on the brownish yellow floor. His body was straight with his hands held together, eyes tightly shut as he prayed sincerely.

He was facing a tall black case; there were three layers on the case, all housing memorial tablets of ancestors. On both sides of the tablets was copper incense, the smoke rising.

Behind him were over 10 people kneeling in a similar fashion as him. They wore loose white ceremonial garments, and were all the clan’s elders, important members, and those who had much authority.

After finishing prayers, the Gu Yue clan head bent his waist with his two hands pressing against the floor and kowtowed. As the forehead knocked against the brownish yellow floor, light thuds could be heard.

Behind him, the elders and important clan members solemnly and quietly followed suit.

With this, the hall was filled with light thuds as the heads knocked against the floor.

When the ceremony was over, the crowd of people slowly got up from the ground and silently walked out of the sacred temple.

In the hallway, sighs of reliefs were heard from the crowd of elders and the atmosphere loosened up. The noise of discussion slowly rose.

“Time flies too quickly, in the blink of an eye, a year has gone by.”

“The previous ceremony feels like it just happened yesterday, I can still recall it vividly.”

“Tomorrow is the opening of the annual grand ceremony, I wonder what new clan blood will show up this year?”

“Ah, I hope that some highly talented youths will appear. The Gu Yue clan hasn’t seen a genius emerge for three years now.”

“Agreed. The Bai Village, Xiong Village these few years all had some talented geniuses appear. Especially that Bai Ning Bing from the Bai clan, his natural talent is quite terrifying.”

It was unclear who had brought up the name Bai Ning Bing, but the faces of the elders started to show worry.

The boy’s qualifications were splendid; in just a short period of two years worth of training, he had already reached the level of a level three Gu Master.

In the younger generation, he could be said as the most outstanding one. It was to the point that even the older generation could feel pressured from the promising youth.

In time, he would inevitably become the pillar of the Bai clan. At the very least he would also be an independently strong warrior. No one ever doubted this fact.

“But for this year’s youths that will be participating in the ceremony, not all hope is lost.”

“You’re right, Fang Zhi’s side has appeared a young genius. Able to start talking after three months, able to walk after four. At five years of age he was able to recite poetry, seems exceptionally intelligent, especially talented. What a pity that his parents died early, now he is being raised by his uncle and aunt.”

“Yes, this one has wisdom at a young age, also harboring big ambitions. In the recent years I have heard his creations ‘Jiang Jing Jiu’, ‘Yong Mei’ and ‘Jiang Cheng Zi’, what a genius!”

The Gu Yue clan head was the last to walk out of the ancestral temple. After slowly closing the door, he heard the discussions that were going on in the corridor among the clan elders.

He knew at once that the elders were discussing about the youth known as Gu Yue Fang Yuan at that moment.

As the head of the clan, it is natural to pay attention to the outstanding and prominent young ones. And it so happens that Gu Yue Fang Yuan was the most eye-catching one amongst the juniors.

Experience has shown that those who have photographic memory at a young age, or those who possess strength that could rival an adult, or had other great inborn talents, all had outstanding cultivation qualifications.

“If this child shows A grade potential, with great care he could even compete against Bai Ning Bing. Even if it is B grade, in future he could also become a banner of the Gu Yue Clan. But with this sort of early intelligence, the percentage of B grade is not that big, but highly possible to be an A grade.” With this thought, the Gu Yue clan head curled up his lips slowly into a smile.

At once, with a cough he faced the clan elders and said, “Everyone, the hour is late, for tomorrow’s opening ceremony you should all rest well tonight and take care of your energy levels.”

At his words, the elders looked startled. They looked at each other with a hint of caution in their eyes.

The clan head’s words meant well, but everyone knew what he was aiming to convey.

Every year to compete for these young geniuses, the elders would fight among themselves to the point of reddened ears and bleeding heads.

They should stay well rested and replenish themselves until tomorrow comes where the competition begins.

Especially with that Gu Yue Fang Yuan, whose A grade potential was extremely huge. Not counting the fact that both his parents were deceased, and also that he was one of the two only descendants of Fang Zhi’s bloodline left. If one was able to get their hands on and bring him into their own family line, with great care and training, one could secure himself a hundred years of prosperity!

“However, I’m going to go ahead and say what needs to be said first. When you compete, do it fair and square; no tricks and conspiracies are allowed, or damage to the clan’s unity. Please keep this in mind, all of you!” The clan head strictly instructed.

“We wouldn’t dare, we wouldn’t dare.”

“We’ll keep it in mind.”

“Then this is good night, please take care.”

The clan elders slowly dispersed with deep thoughts.

Not long after that, the long corridor became quiet. The wind from the spring rain breezed through the window, and the clan head lightly walked towards the window.

Immediately, he breathed in the fresh moist air of the mountain, how refreshing it felt.

This was the third floor of the garret; the clan head looked out of the window. He could see half of the entire Gu Yue Village.

Even if it was late in the night, most of the homes in the village still had lights on, which was unusual.

Tomorrow is the opening ceremony, and it affects everyone’s best interests. A kind of excited yet tense atmosphere had enveloped the hearts of the people of the clan, and thus naturally many people could not sleep well.

“This is the hopes for the clan’s future.” With the many lights dancing in his eyes, the clan head sighed.

At the very same moment, a pair of clear eyes quietly looked at the same lights sparkling in the night, full of complex feelings inside.

“Gu Yue Village, this is 500 years ago?! Looks like the Spring Autumn Cicada really worked…” Fang Yuan quietly gazed, standing by the window, letting the rain from the wind hit his body.

The use of the Spring Autumn Cicada is to reverse time. In the Ten Big Mystical Gu rankings, the Spring Autumn Cicada managed to be ranked seven, naturally it was no mere creature.

In short, it is the ability to be reborn.

“With the use of the Spring Autumn Cicada I have been reborn, going back to the time of 500 years ago!” Fang Yuan stretched out his hand, his sight fixated on his own young and soft, pale palms, then slowly clenched them, embracing the truth of this reality with all his might.

The sound of the drizzling rain hitting softly against the window sill filling his ears, he slowly closed his eyes, opening them after a long while. He sighed, “500 years of experience, it really feels like a dream.”

But he knew it clearly: This was definitely not a dream.

TL Note:

This novel has another name, Daoist Gu.

The Chinese name is 《蛊真人》pronounced as Gu Zhen Ren, Gu is the name of the mystical bugs that are used in this novel. I used the name Reverend Insanity because I felt that it fit more than Daoist Gu; the main character is by no means a saint or a good person. In fact as a warning, you can say that the MC is a pretty ruthless villain, so do expect a roller coaster coming your way.

(1) Gu Yue: It means Ancient Moon in direct translation. The clan kinda has an affinity with moon things. The ‘Gu’ used in here is a different chinese character from the mystical Gu insects.

Chapter 2 – Going back in time with 500 years of knowledge

It is said in legend that a river of time exists in this world. It supports the world’s time flow and circulation. And by using the Spring Autumn Cicada’s power, one can travel back upstream and return to the past.

There is much conflicting opinion on this mythical tale. Many do not believe in it, and some are skeptical to the truth.

Few people actually dare to believe it.

Because every time one uses the Spring Autumn Cicada one must pay with his life, letting his entire body and cultivation be the driving force to use its power.

Such a price is just too expensive, and the thing that people just cannot accept is the fact that after paying with your life, you don’t even know what the outcome is.

So even if someone has the Spring Autumn Cicada, they would not dare use it so indiscriminately. What if the rumors were fake, and it was just a scam?

If Fang Yuan were not cornered into such a state, he would also not use it so hurriedly. But now, Fang Yuan is thoroughly convinced. Because the reality of the truth has been laid before his eyes and there was no denying it. He has really been reborn!

“It’s just a pity… From the start I had wasted an absurd amount of effort, killing hundreds of thousands of people, making even the heavens furious and inciting people’s vengeance, went through suffering and multiple hardships to finally attain and refine this good Gu…” Fang Yuan thought with a sigh. Even though he had been reborn, the Spring Autumn Cicada did not come with him.

Humans are the greatest among thousands of creatures, Gu are the essence of heaven and earth.

Gu comes in thousands of shapes and sizes of strange and mysterious variety – there are too many to count. Some Gu after being used once or even twice or thrice will completely dissipate. And some Gu can be reused again and again as long as it is not used over its limits.

That said, it is probable that the Spring Autumn Cicada is one of those types that can only be used once before disappearing for good.

“But even if its gone, I can still refine another. I have done it in my previous life, why can’t I do it in this life?” After the thoughts of pity were put aside, Fang Yuan’s heart burst forth ambitious and determined feelings.

To be able to be reborn, this fact made the loss of the Spring Autumn Cicada entirely acceptable.

Not to mention he had something precious with him, so its not like he lost everything.

This precious treasure was his 500 years worth of memories and experience.

In his memories are a multitude of all kinds of treasures and precious items that no one has opened yet in this time. All the big events and incidents he can easily grasp by the veins of history. There are a countless number of figures: some are predecessors of hidden levels; some are geniuses, some people not even born yet. Also in these 500 years of life are memories of painstaking cultivation and rich combat experience.

With all these memories and experiences, he had undeniably grasped the overall situation and upcoming opportunities. With good planning and execution, he could empower the situation with great fierceness and elegance. It was not a problem now that he could take a step ahead of others, breaking the higher boundaries!

“So how do I go about this hmmm…” Fang Yuan was incredibly sensible. He collected himself together and faced the night rain outside the window, pondering. With this thought, things started to feel complicated. After thinking for a moment, his brows wrinkled deeper.

500 years of time was a rather long period. Don’t mention those long muddled memories that cannot be recalled, even remembering the hidden locations of treasures or special encounters of people were a lot, but the main issue was that the locations were separated among a long distance and had to be accessed or visited at certain periods of time.

“The most important thing is cultivation. The me right now has not even opened my Primeval Sea, hasn’t stepped on the path to be a Gu Master. I’m just a mortal! I have to hurry and cultivate, catching up to history and seize the opportunities with the best advantage.”

Not to forget, many of these hidden locations of treasures were useless without proper foundation. Instead it would just be walking into a wolf’s den, looking for death.

The problem in front of Fang Yuan right now was cultivation.

He had to increase the level of his foundation as fast as possible. If he were slow like his previous life, he would just be too late.

“To cultivate as fast as possible, I would have to borrow the resources from the clan. With the state I am right now, I have no power or ability to travel back and forth across the dangerous mountains. Even an ordinary mountain boar can take my life. If I can reach the cultivation of a Third level Gu Master, I’d have the means to protect myself and leave the mountain.”

Through the eyes of a 500 year old person who has cultivated in the Demonic Way, Qing Mao Mountain was just way too small, Gu Yue Village even feels like a cage.

But while the cage restricted freedom, the sturdy bars of the cage also brought about a certain kind of safety.

“Hmm, in this short period of time I’ll just stay in this cage. As long as I can reach Third level Gu Master, I can leave this poor mountain. Luckily tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony, I’ll be able to start training as a Gu Master soon after.”

When he thought about the Awakening Ceremony, old memories that had long been buried away in his heart resurfaced themselves.

“Talent huh…” He sneered, his gaze focused out the window.

At this moment, the door to his room was lightly pushed open and a young teenager walked in.

“Big brother, why are you standing in the rain by the window side ?”

The youth was thin, slightly shorter than Fang Yuan. His face resembled Fang Yuan’s features greatly. As Fang Yuan turned his head to look at this young man, a complicated look flickered across his face.

“It’s you huh, my twin little brother.” He raised his eyebrows, his expression returning to that of cold indifference. Fang Zheng lowered his head and looked at his own toes; this is his signature stance.

“I saw that big brother’s window was not shut closed, so I thought I’d come in here and close it. Tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony, it’s so late and you haven’t gone to bed yet big brother. If Uncle and Aunty knew, they would probably be worried.”

Fang Zheng was not surprised at Fang Yuan’s coldness. Ever since he was a small child, his older brother had always been like that. Sometimes he would wonder, maybe a genius is just like this, being rather different from ordinary people. Even though he had the same look as his older brother, he felt that he was ordinary like an ant.

They were born from the same womb at the same time, and yet why are the heavens so unfair? His older brother had been endowed with gleaming talent, while he himself was as ordinary as a stone.

Everyone around him would say, “This is Fang Yuan’s little brother-” when they mentioned him. His aunt and uncle would constantly tell him to learn from his older brother. Even when he looked into the mirror sometimes, he would feel disgusted as he saw his own face!

These thoughts had been ongoing for many years, accumulating day and night deeply into his heart. Like a giant stone pressing against his heart, these few years Fang Zheng’s head lowered more and more, and he also grew quieter.

“Worried…” At the thought of his aunt and uncle, Fang Yuan laughed silently. He could still remember clearly how the parents of this world had both lost their lives in one of the clan missions. When he was only 3 years old, he and his little brother became orphans.

In the name of upbringing, his aunt and uncle grabbed hold of the inheritance left behind by his parents while inflicting harsh treatment against his younger brother and himself.

He originally planned to just be a normal person, even planning to conceal his abilities and bide his time. However his life was difficult, making Fang Yuan have no choice but to choose to expose some of his talents.

The so-called talent is merely but a mature and intellect soul that carried a few of Earth’s popular ancient poems.

With this he managed to startle people and capture attention. Because of pressure from the outside world, the young Fang Yuan made a decision to keep a cold indifferent expression to protect himself, reducing the possibility of revealing any secrets. Over time the coldness would become a habit that he was accustomed to expressing.

Thus his aunt and uncle were no longer harsh on him and his younger brother. As the years passed and they got older, the future became more optimistic and better treatment increased. This was not lover, but a type of investment.

It’s hilarious how his little brother never saw this truth,; not only was he deceived by their aunt and uncle, he also started burying resentments inside. Although he looked like a good-natured and honest boy now, in Fang Yuan’s memories when his brother was found out to be an A grade talent the clan spent much effort in raising him with all they had. After that all the buried resentment and jealous and hate inside was released, and many a time Fang Zheng would target, suppress and make life difficult for his own older brother.

As for his own grade, it was only C grade talent.

Fate loved to play a joke.

A pair of twins – The older one only had C grade talent, but had been known as a genius for a dozen years. The younger one who was always overlooked was the one with A grade talent instead.

The results of the Awakening Ceremony had left the clan shocked. The treatment of the two brothers had suddenly reversed after that.

The younger brother was like a dragon rising up to the heavens; the older brother was like a phoenix that fell down to the earth.

After that came the many hardships and troubles from his own younger brother, the cold eyes of his aunt and uncle, the contempt of the clans people.

Did he hate it?

Fang Yuan in his previous life hated it. He hated his own lack of talent, he hated how heartless the clan was, hated how fate was so unfair. But now, with his 500 years of life experiences, using this to rethink this course his heart was actually calm, not a shred of hatred.

What was there to be gain from resentment?

Thinking about if from another point of view, he could understand his younger brother, aunt and uncle, even those enemies from 500 years later who attacked him.

The strong eat the weak, survival of the fittest; these have always been the rules of this world. Everyone has self-ambitions, always struggling to grasp the opportunities. Among all the war and killing what is there not to be understood?

500 years of life experience have long allowed him to understand all of this, with the heart that wants to gain immortality.

If someone tries to prevent this pursuit of his, no matter who it is he will kill and live through it. The aspirations in his heart were too big, stepping onto this road was to be making the world your enemy, and it was destined to be alone, destined to kill.

This was the conclusion of 500 years of life.

“Revenge is not my intention, the Demonic path does not compromise.” With that he couldn’t help but laugh and gave his younger brother a faint glance. “You can leave.”

Fang Zheng’s heart shook as he felt like his brother’s eyes were sharp like an ice blade, seemingly penetrating the deepest parts of his heart.

Under such a gaze, he felt like he was naked in the snow, unable to hold any secrets.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, big brother.” Not daring to say anymore, Fang Zheng slowly closed the door and left.

Chapter 3 : Please go aside and scram

Bang, Bang, Bang.

The patrolling night watchman banged his wooden clappers in a rhythm.

The sounds spread into the high pillar houses; Fang Yuan opened his dry eyelids while his heart silently thought, “Its already the hour before dawn.”

He had been lying in bed thinking for a long time last night. He thought up a lot of plans. He probably only slept for a little over two hours. This body has not started cultivating, his energy is not so vigorous and thus his body and mind were still shrouded in exhaustion.

However with 500 years of experience Fang Yuan had long build up deep steel-like determination. This sort of sleep-deprived exhaustion is nothing to him.

Immediately he shoved away the thin silk blanket and got up neatly. He opened the window and found that the spring rain had stopped.

The mix of fragrance of the earth, trees and wild flowers greeted him. Fang Yuan felt his head clear, the sleepiness washing away cleanly. Right now the sun had yet risen, the sky still a deep dark blue, not dark yet not bright.

Looking around, the tall houses made of green bamboo and wood contrasting with the mountain, was a sea of pale green colour.

The tall houses had at least two floors; it was the mountain folk’s unique structure of a house. Due to the mountain’s uneven terrain, the first floor is massive wooden stakes; the second floor is where the people reside. Fang Yuan and his brother Fang Zhen stayed at the second floor.

“Young master Fang Yuan, you’re awake. I will go upstairs and wait for you to wash up.” At this moment, a maiden’s voice floated up from downstairs.

Looking down, Fang Yuan saw his own personal servant – Shen Cui.

Her looks were only slightly above average, but she dressed up well. Shen Cui wore a green robe with long sleeves and trousers, had embroidered shoes on her feet and her black hair had a pearl hairpin. Her body from head to toe radiated youthful vitality.

She looked happily at Fang Yuan while carrying a basin of water, and walked upstairs. The water was at the right warm temperature and was used to wash the face. After rinsing his mouth, he used a willow twig with snow salt to clean his teeth.

Shen Cui waited gently, her face wearing a smile and her eyes lively as spring. After he was done she helped Fang Yuan dress, her plump breasts rubbing against his elbow or his back a few times during the process.

Fang Yuan’s face showed no expression; his heart was calm as water.

This servant girl was nothing but his aunt and uncle’s watcheye and was a vain heartless girl. In his previous life she enraptured him, but after the Awakening Ceremony when his status plummeted she quickly turned away her head and gave him countless disdainful looks.

When Fang Zheng came over he was in time to see Shen Cui smoothing the creases on the clothing of Fang Yuan’s chest. His eyes had a flicker of jealousy.

These years living together with his older brother, under the care of Fang Yuan he also had a servant waiting on him. However his servant was not a youthful girl like Shen Cui but a fat and wide old woman.

“I wonder which day can Shen Cui wait on me like this, wonder what it feels like?” Fang Zheng thought inside his heart, yet he did not dare to.

His aunt and uncle’s biased love to Fang Yuan was no secret to everyone. Originally he did not even have a servant to wait on him. It was Fang Yuan who decided to take the initiative and ask for one for Fang Zheng.

Although there was the status difference of master and servant, but usually Fang Zheng did not dare underestimate Shen Cui. That was because her mother was the Mother Shen(1) who stood beside his aunt and uncle. Mother Shen was the caretaker of the entire household – having full trust of his aunt and uncle, her authority was not small.

“Alright, no need to tidy up.” Fang Yuan impatiently brushed away Shen Cui’s soft small hands. His clothing had long been tidy; she was just trying to seduce him.

To Shen Cui and the brightness of her future, Fang Yuan’s possibility of having an A grade talent was huge. If she could be his concubine she would be able to elevate from servant status into master – it was quite a big step.

In his previous life Fang Yuan was deceived by her and had feelings for Shen Cui. After his rebirth he was clear as a blazing fire, his heart as cold as ice.

“You can leave.” Fang Yuan did not even look at Shen Cui as he tidied up his own sleeve cuffs. Shen Cui pouted slightly, feeling that today Fang Yuan’s puzzling behavior was rather odd and upsetting. She wanted to reply in a spoiled way but being scared by his cold and confusing nature, her mouth opened and closed a few times before she ended up saying ‘yes’ and retreating obediently.

“Are you ready?” Fang Yuan asked Fang Zheng.

His younger brother stood at the doorway, his head bowed down to look at his toes. He muttered a light ‘yes’. Fang Zheng had actually been awake since the fourth watch, too nervous to fall back asleep. He quietly got out of bed and got ready a long time ago, his eyes having black circles.

Fang Yuan nodded. In his previous life he was not clear about his younger brother’s thoughts, but in this life how could he not understand? But right now it was meaningless to him, and he lightly said, “Then let’s go.”

So the two brothers left the house. On the way they bumped into many youths of similar age, all in groups of twos and threes, quite clearly heading to the same destination.

“Look guys, those are the Fang brothers.” Their ears could pick up the small cautious talk. “The one walking in front is Fang Yuan, he’s the Fang Yuan who created the poems,” some of them emphasized.

“So that’s him. His face is expressionless as if he had no regard for others, just like the rumors say.” Someone said in a sour tone filled with jealousy and envy.

“Hmph, if you were like him then you can also act like that!” Someone coldly replied against the person, hiding a sort of dissatisfaction.

Fang Zheng listened expressionlessly. He had long been accustomed to this kind of discussion. His head low, he followed quietly behind his older brother.

By now the light of dawn had peeked over the horizon, casting Fang Yuan’s shadow over his face. The sun rose gradually, but Fang Yuan suddenly felt like he was walking into darkness.

This darkness was coming from his older brother. Maybe in this life, he would never be able to escape from the imprisoning huge shadow of his brother.

He felt a burst of pressure on his chest making his breathing difficult. This damned feeling was even making him think of the word ‘suffocate’!

“Hmph, this talk is a good example of the saying: ‘those who of outstanding talent easily bring about jealous from others’,” Fang Yuan thought with a sneer as he listened to the gossip around.

No wonder when it was announced that he had C grade talent, he would be surrounded by enemies and suffer harsh, disdainful coldness for a long time.

Behind him, Fang Zheng’s breathing got dreary and tried to stop listening.

What Fang Yuan did not manage to realize in his previous life, he could perceive with the finest detail in this life. This was the ability of keen insight that he had gained from 500 years worth of life experiences.

He suddenly thought of his aunt and uncle and how scheming they were. Giving him Shen Cui to monitor him and passing his younger brother an old wet nurse, not including other things in life that were different among them. All these actions had intentions – They wanted to cause unhappiness in his younger brother’s heart and instigate a rift among the brothers.

People are not worried about whether they receive less; people worry about whether whatever they received is undistributed well.

In his previous life his experiences were too little, while his younger brother was too foolish and too naïve, thus his aunt and uncle successfully instigated a riff among them.

After being reborn with the Awakening Ceremony before him, it seemed like the situation was difficult to change. But with Fang Yuan’s evil way of means and wisdom, it’s not like the situation cannot be changed.

His younger brother can be suppressed entirely, that young Shen Cui he could turn into a concubine early on. Not forgetting his aunt and uncle and the clan elders – he had at least several hundred ways of beating them.

“But, I don’t feel like doing that…” Fang Yuan sighed carefreely.

So what if it was his own younger brother? Without the blood relation his younger brother was just an outsider, he could easily give him up anytime.

So what if Shen Cui grew any prettier? Without love and loyalty she was just a heap of flesh of a body. Keep her as a concubine? She’s not worthy.

So what if it was his aunt and uncle, or the clan elders? They’re just passers-by in life, why waste effort and energy to beat these people?

Hehe.

As long as you don’t get in my way, then you can go aside and scram, I don’t need to care about you.

(1) Mother Shen is like a title or way to call a woman of her position.

Chapter 4 – Gu Yue Fang Yuan

The sun rises in the sky, the sun ray brilliant. The mountain fog is not very thick; the sharp rays easily pass through.

Over a hundred 15 year-old youths gathered in front of the clan pavilion. The clan pavilion was in the middle of the village, reaching 5 storeys and having sharp tilted roofs; it was heavily guarded. Before the pavilion was the square, and in the pavilion was the shrine of the Gu Yue ancestor memorial tablets. Every generation of clan head had lived in the pavilion. With every major ceremony or big incident, the clan elders would gather and discuss meetings here as well. This was the entire village’s authority central.

“Good, all of you are punctual. Today is the Awakening Ceremony; it is your life’s great turning point. I won’t say much, just come with me.” The one responsible at the moment was the elder of the academy. His beard and hair were white and he was in high spirits as he led the young teenagers into the pavilion. However they did not go up, but were led downstairs after going through the entrance of a great hall. Following down a constructed stone ladder, they went into an underground cave.

The group of youths made surprised and amazed noises. The underground cave was beautiful, stalactites sparkling with the colors of the rainbow. This light shone on the youth’s faces, the neon hues gorgeous.

Fang Yuan was mixed into the crowd, quietly observing everything that was happening. In his heart, he thought: Hundreds of years ago, the Gu Yue clan came to Qing Mao Mountain and settled down after migrating from the central lands to the South Border. It was when they found a spirit spring in this underground cave. This spirit spring produces a large number of primeval stones – It could be said that this was the foundation of the Gu Yue village.

They walked several hundred steps. It got darker and the sounds of water were faintly heard. After turning around a corner, a 3 zhang – wide(1) underground river greeted them. By now the colorful lights of the stalactites had disappeared completely, yet in the darkness the river emitted faint blue light. It was like a star river of the night sky.

The river flowed from the dark depths of the cave. Inside the crystal clear waters, one could see fish, aquatic plants and even the sand beneath the river. Opposite the river was a sea of flowers.

This was the Gu Yue Clan’s closely cultivated moon orchids. The beautiful blue and pink colored petals were like shaped like a crescent moon; the flower stems were like jade, the center of the flower shining like the sort of warm brilliance that radiates from pearls under the light. At first glance, in the dark background the flower sea looks like a huge piece of land covered in bluish green carpet dotted with countless pearls.

The moon orchid is food for a lot of Gu. This flower sea could be said as the clan’s biggest cultivation medium, Fang Yuan thought knowingly to himself.

“Wow, so pretty!”

“It really is beautiful!”

The new sight opened the young teenagers’ eyes. Each one of them had a light radiating from their gaze with excited and anxious feelings.

“Alright, listen as I call your names. Those who are called must walk through this river to the opposite bank. Walk as far as you can, of course the further you go the better it is. Are you all clear?” The elder said.

“All clear,” the youths replied. Actually before they came here, they had all heard their family members or seniors talk about it. It is known that the further you can walk, the better your talent is. Your future will also become brighter.

“Gu Yue Chen Bo.” The elder held the name list and called out the first person.

The river was wide but not deep – it covered up to a youth’s kneecaps. Chen Bo’s face was full of seriousness as he stepped into the flower sea ashore. As he did so, he could feel an invisible pressure as if there was a wall in front of him that he could not see, blocking him from walking forward. During this moment, the flowers at his feet suddenly gave off a weak white light. The light gathered around Chen Bo and entered his body. For a moment Chen Bo felt the pressure drop; the invisible wall blocking him suddenly felt softer. With this, Chen Bo gritted his teeth and mustered his strength, walking forward. He tried to force his way in stiffly, yet after three steps the wall in front of him hardened again back to the state before. Thus he could not walk any further.

As he watched this the elder sighed. While recording what happened, he said, “Gu Yue Chen Bo, 3 steps, no talent to become a Gu Master. Next, Gu Yue Zao Xie!”

Chen Bo was deathly pale as he walked pass the river back to the youths, clenching his teeth. Without the endowed talent he could live as a normal human, holding the lowest position in the clan.

His stature was shaky; it was a huge blow to him, as if reality had killed all his hopes. Many people threw him pitiful gazes, while even more had fixated stares at the second person crossing the river.

It was a pity that this youth could only walk four steps forward – he did not have talent either.

Not everyone has the natural talent to be a Gu Master. Generally speaking, it is not bad if five out of ten people have talent. In the Gu Clan, this ratio is higher, reaching six people. This is because the Gu Yue clan’s ancestor – The first generation clan leader was a famous, legendary and powerful man. Due to cultivation reasons his bloodline carried powerful genes, thus the average quality of talent in the Gu Yue clan was generally higher as they carried his blood in their veins.

With two consecutive failures, the other elders observing the scene in the dark started making ugly expressions. Even the clan head was frowning slightly. The next moment, the academy elder called out the third name: Gu Yue Mo Bei.

“Here!” A horse-faced youth dressed in linen robes lightly called as he came forth. He was tall in build, looking much sturdier than his peers. There was a brave aura about him. He crossed the river in a few steps and reached the opposite bank. 10 steps, 20 steps, 30 steps; one after another small lights entered his body. He walked until he reached 36 steps before he could finally go no further.

The youths at the riverbank watched with wide opened eyes, shocked. The academy elder happily exclaimed, “Good, Gu Yue Mo Bei, B grade talent! Come here, let me see your Primeval sea.”

Gu Yue Mo Bei walked back to the academy elder’s side. The latter stretched out his hand and put it on the juvenile’s shoulder, closing his eyes as he checked with focus. Then he retracted his hand and nodded, recording down on the paper: Gu Yue Mo Bei, primeval sea measuring six by six, can be vigorously trained.

This special talent can be measured by four grades – A grade to D grade. A D grade talent youth who is raised for 3 years would be able to become a rank one senior Gu Master, become the foundation of the family. A C grade talent youth after two years of cultivation will usually be able to become a rank two senior Gu Master, becoming the clan’s backbone. A B grade talent must be cared for. Often becoming a future clan elder, with 6-7 years of training they will become rank three Gu Masters.

And when it comes to A grade, even if it was just one, would bring great luck to the entire clan. Great care must be given; with this talent in about 10 years they can become a rank four Gu Master. At that moment they would be able to compete for the position of the head of the clan!

In other words, as long as this Gu Yue Mo Bei grows up, eventually he will become one of the elders of the Gu Yue clan. That is why the academy elder laughed happily; the elders watching in the darkness also sighed in relief, then they all turned to look at one of the elders amongst them with jealousy.

This elder was also horse-faced, known as Gu Yue Mo Bei’s grandfather, Gu Yue Mo Chen. His face was already smiling. He provokingly looked at his old nemesis and said, “What do you think? My grandson isn’t bad huh, Gu Yue Chi Lian.”

Gu Yue Chi Lian had a head full of red hair. He made an annoyed ‘hmph’, not replying to other. It was apparent that his face expression was really dark.

One hour later, half of the youths had already walked through the flower sea. There were quite a number of C and D grade talents among them, while half of those youths had no talent at all.

“Sigh, the bloodline is getting thinner. These few years the clan hasn’t had any rank four masters to strengthen the bloodline. The fourth generation clan head was the only rank five master, but in the end he perished together with the Flower Wine monk and did not leave behind any descendants. The Gu Yue clan’s later generation talents are getting weaker and weaker,” the clan head said with a deep sigh.

At this moment, the academy elder shouted, “Gu Yue Chi Chen!”

On hearing this name all the elders looked at Gu Yue Chi Lian; this was Gu Yue Chi Lian’s grandson.

Gu Yue Chi Lian had a small and short build with a face full of pockmarks. He was clenching his fist, his entire face sweating. It was evident that he was incredibly nervous.

As he walked onto the opposite bank, the little lights entered his body; after walking straight for 36 steps he stopped.

“Another B grade!” The academy elder yelled.

The youths started a commotion, sending Gu Yue Chi Chen envious stares.

“Hahaha, 36 steps, 36 steps!” Gu Yue Chi Lian shouted, proudly staring at Gu Yue Mo Bei. This time it was Gu Yue Mo Chen’s turn to have a sour face.

“Gu Yue Chi Chen, huh…” In the midst of the crowd, Fang Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully. In his memories, the clan heavily punished Gu Yue Chi Chen because he cheated during the Awakening Ceremony. In reality Chi Chen only had a C grade talent, but because his grandfather Gu Yue Chi Lian helped him fake the results, that’s why he appeared to have B grade talent.

To be honest if he wanted to cheat, Fang Yuan had a countless number of ways to do so, some ways even more perfect than Gu Yue Chi Chen’s method. If a B grade or A grade talent appeared, they would receive the clan’s huge care.

But firstly, Fang Yuan had only just been reborn. It was hard to prepare the cheating method by this condition. Secondly, even if he managed to cheat, he would not be able to fake his cultivation speed. He would be exposed by then. However Gu Yue Chi Chen was different; his grandfather was Gu Yue Chi Lian – One of the two elders with the most authority within the clan. With this Chi Lian would be able to cover up for his grandson.

“Gu Yue Chi Lian was always hostile towards Gu Yue Mo Chen, these two elders are the clan’s two biggest influential authorities. To suppress his opponent he would need his own grandson to have an outstanding talent. It is also because he was helping from behind, Gu Yue Chi Chen was able to conceal the truth for a time. In my memories, if it were not for that incident, the truth would never have been exposed.”

Fang Yuan’s eyes shone with light, his mind thinking up ways to use this knowledge to his advantage.

If he exposed the matter on the spot, he would receive a bit of reward from the clan, but then he would offend the highly powerful Gu Yue Chi Lian. This was not advisable.

Within such a short time he also could not blackmail them. Due to having low status, it would just backfire on him.

As he pondered, he suddenly heard the academy elder call out his own name: “Gu Yue Fang Yuan!”

Chapter 5 – The First Human and 3 Gu, Hopes Awakening

In that moment his surroundings went quiet. Countless numbers of eyes were on him.

It’s getting more and more exciting, Fang Yuan thought to himself with a laugh. Under the gazes of the masses, he walked across the river and reached the opposite bank.

He could feel a layer of pressure on him. This pressure came from the spirit spring deep in the flower sea. The spirit spring produced primeval qi – because the qi was too rich in here, it caused the pressure.

But very quickly from the flowers below Fang Yuan’s feet, little lights made their way up. These dots of light enveloped his entire body before finally entering him.

These are the Hope Gu, mused Fang Yuan. The person in charge did not tell them, but he knew it very clearly. Every spot of light is a Gu, known as the Hope Gu.

One of the oldest legends talk about the Hope Gu. In the legend, when the world was just formed it was a land of savage wilderness. Among the wild beasts that walked the earth, the first man appeared. He was known as Ren Zu (1), eating raw meat and drinking blood, living a difficult life.

In particular was a group of wild beasts called Predicament. These wild beasts loved the taste of Ren Zu and longed to eat him.

Ren Zu did not have a body as strong as mountain rock, nor did he have the sharp teeth and claws of a wild beast. How could he fight with the Predicaments? His source of food was unstable and he had to hide all day. He was at the bottom of nature’s food chain, and could barely survive.

At this moment, there were 3 Gu that came up to him and said, “As long as you use your life to provide us, we will help you through this difficulty.” Ren Zu had nowhere to go, so he could only agree to these 3 Gu.

He first gave his youth away to the biggest Gu among the three. That Gu then granted him strength.

With strength, Ren Zu’s life began to change. He started to have a stable source of food and was able to protect himself. He fought bravely and ruthlessly, defeating many Predicaments. But soon he suffered and finally realized that strength was not everything. It needed to heal and be cultivated, not spent freely at his will. Not to mention when facing the entire group of Predicaments, his strength alone was too small.

Ren Zu reflected over this lesson bitterly and decided to give his prime middle years to the most beautiful Guamong the three. And thus, the second Gu gave him wisdom.

With wisdom, Ren Zu was able to learn how to think and reflect. He began to accumulate experience and found out that many times when he used wisdom, it was more effective than using strength. By relying on wisdom and strength was he able to conquer all the goals that he formerly could not, and killed many Predicaments. He ate the meat of Predicaments and drank the blood of Predicaments, surviving with tenacity.

But good things do not last and Ren Zu was old, and would only grow older and older. This is because he gave away his youth and middle years to keep the strength and wisdom Gu. When a man is old, his muscles deteriorate and his brain slows down.

“Human, what else can you give us? You don’t have anything else left to provide to us,” the strength and wisdom Gu said as they realized this. They left him.

Without wisdom and strength, Ren Zu was once surrounded by Predicaments. He was old and could not run, his teeth had fallen out and could not even chew wild fruits and plants.

As he fell weakly onto the ground surrounded by Predicaments, his heart was filled with desperation. It was at this time the third Gu said to him, “Human, take me up. I will help you escape Predicament.”

Ren Zu tearfully replied, “Gu, I don’t have anything else left. See, the strength and wisdom Gu have abandoned me. I only have my old age left! While it is not as worth my youth and middle age, but if I give you my old age, my life would immediately end. Even though I am surrounded by Predicaments right now, but I will not die immediately. I wish to live a little longer, even if just a second more. So you should leave, I have nothing else to provide to you.”

But the Gu said, “Among the three I have the smallest needs. Human, if you just give me your heart, it will be enough.”

“Then I will give you my heart,” Ren Zu said. “But Gu, what can you give me in return? In this situation, even if the strength and wisdom Gu returned to my side, it would change nothing.”

When compared to the strength Gu, this Gu looked frail and was just a tiny ball of light. When compared to the wisdom Gu, this one was only able to give out a dim white light, not beautiful in any way.

But when Ren Zu gave it his heart, this Gu suddenly gave out endless light. In this light, the Predicaments screamed in horror: “This is the Hope Gu, withdraw! We Predicaments are most afraid of hope!”

The Predicaments retreated suddenly. Ren Zu was speechless, and from that day onwards whenever he faced predicament, he would give his heart to hope.

At this moment, the Hope Gu converged into a stream of light and had already entered Fang Yuan’s body. Due to the outside pressure they quickly gathered into his abdomen and collected into a group spontaneously, 3 inches under his navel.

Fang Yuan suddenly felt the pressure lessen. He began to walk forward. With every step he took, one after another the Hope Gu would fly out from the sea of flowers and enter his body, joining the ball of light. The ball of light grew brighter and brighter, but the person in charge opposite the riverbank frowned.

“This number of Hope Gu is lesser than expected.” Many elders watching Fang Yuan in the dark thought this as they saw the sight. The clan head frowned as well. This was definitely not the sign of an A grade talent!

Fang Yuan withstood the pressure, continuing to walk forward. “Below 10 steps it means that there is no cultivation talent. 10-20 steps means D grade talent. 20-30 steps would be C grade talent, 30-40 steps is a B grade talent. And 40-50 steps would mean A grade talent. Up till now, I have walked 23 steps.”

24, 25, 26… 27.

Fang Yuan counted in his heart; when he walked the 27th step he could hear a bang and in between his two kidneys the ball of light reached its limit and suddenly exploded.

This burst of energy only happened inside his body; outsiders cannot see it. Only Fang Yuan alone could feel at that moment, an earthshaking reaction. Instantly the fine hairs on his body stood up, his pores shut tight, his mind stretched to a tense limit.

Soon after, his mind went blank, his entire body becoming soft as if he fell into some clouds. His heart relaxed, his fine hairs flattening and his pores re-opened again.

In a short while his entire body was perspiring.

This entire process felt long, but it actually happened in a short time. The feeling went away as fast as it came.

Fang Yuan was blanked out for a short moment before he returned to his senses. He secretly focused his attention into his body and found that below his navel and in between his two kidneys, an aperture had formed out of thin air.

The Awakening Ceremony was a success!

This was the hope to immortality!

Chapter 6 – The road to the future will be interesting

The aperture was mysterious and unusual. Although it was located inside Fang Yuan’s body, it was at the same time, not sharing the same space with his internal organs. You could say that it was endlessly huge, yet at the same time infinitely small.

Some call it the Purple Prefecture; some call it the Chinese Pool. However many know it as the Primeval Sea Aperture. The entire body is spherical and the surface of it is covered in flowing white light, like a thin layer of light coating. It was the layer of light from the Hope Gu that previously exploded.

This thin membrane of light supported the aperture so it would not collapse, and inside the aperture was naturally, the Primeval Sea. The seawaters were smooth like a mirror, showing a greenish blue color, yet the water was dense and brought about a copper luster. Only Rank one Gu Masters can form this green coppery primeval essence, known as the green copper sea.

The height of the sea surface was not up to half of the aperture – it was only up to 44%. This was also the limitation of a C grade talent. Every drop of seawater was pure primeval essence, representing the condensation of Fang Yuan’s essence, vitality and soul. It was also the accumulation of his life potential over the past 15 years.

This primeval essence is used by Gu Masters to raise Gu. This also means that from now onwards, Fang Yuan has formally entered the route of a Rank one Gu Master. Since the aperture had opened, no more Hope Guentered Fang Yuan’s body.

Fang Yuan gathered himself and felt that the pressure before him was as thick as a wall; he could no longer walk another step forward. “Just like my previous life,” he smiled indifferently at this result.

“You can’t go any further?” The academy elder shouted across the river, holding onto a small thread of hope. Fang Yuan turned around and walked back, answering with his actions.

At this moment even the young teenagers started reacting. The crowd suddenly buzzed with chatter.

“What? Fang Yuan walked 27 steps?”

“So he was just a C grade talent?!”

“Unbelievable, only a C grade for such a genius like him?”

A great disturbance erupted from the crowd.

“Big brother…” Among them, Gu Yue Fang Zheng looked up, watching with shock as Fang Yuan returned across the river. He could not dare to believe it, his own brother was only a C grade?

He had always thought that his older brother would be an A grade talent. No, not just him, even his aunt and uncle and so many people among the clan thought the same too.

But now, the result was unexpectedly the opposite!

“Damn, he was only a C grade!” The Gu Yue clan head clenched both his fists, drawing a deep breath, disappointment in his voice.

The elders watching from the darkness had mixed reactions. Some were frowning, some lowering their head in discussion, some looking up with a sigh.

“Could the results be wrong?”

“How can that be? This method is accurate beyond reasoning, not to add that we were watching the entire time, even cheating is hard.”

“But all his actions and intelligence previously, how do you explain those?”

“Youths with higher quality of primeval sea would indeed display characteristics that surpass the ordinary man. Such as intelligence, perception, memory, strength, agility and so on. On the other hand, these characteristics do not mean that the primeval talent is definitely high. Everything will still be determined by the results.”

“Sigh, the bigger your hopes the bigger the disappointment. The Gu Yue clan’s generation now is no longer like the first generation.”

—

His socks were soaked with the icy cold waters from the river, the coldness piercing into his bones.

Fang Yuan walked with the same emotionless face, his distance getting closer and closer towards the crowd. He could clearly see the academy elder’s heavy expression, and was aware of the stares thrown at him from over a hundred youths.

These glares were mixed with amazement, shock, sneering, and some taking pleasure at this unfortunate event, some indifferent.

It was the same situation, making Fang Yuan unwillingly remember his previous life.

During that time he felt as if the sky had fallen. When he crossed the cold river he lost his footing and fell, soaking his entire body in the water, feeling so lost. No one came forward to help him up.

Those disappointed, cold expressions and gazes were like sharp knives, piercing into his very own heart. His mind was in chaos, his chest searing with pain. It was as if he had fallen from the clouds, down to the ground. The higher you stand, the harder you fall.

But in this life, as the same scene replayed itself, Fang Yuan’s heart was calm. He thought of the legend: When Predicaments come, give your heart to Hope.

And today that hope is inside of him. Even though it was not big, but it was better than those people who had totally no primeval talent.

If others feel disappointed, then let them be disappointed. What else can they do?

What does other people’s disappointments have to do with me? The most important thing is to carry hope inside my heart!

500 years of living had led him to understand that the interesting things that happen in a person’s life, happens during the process when one chases after his own dreams. There is no need to ask others around you to not be disappointed or make them like it.

Walk on your own path, let others be disappointed and unhappy however they please!

“Sigh…” The academy elder let out a deep breath and shouted, “Next, Gu Yue Fang Zheng!”

But no answer came.

“Gu Yue Fang Zheng!” The elder yelled again, the sound of his voice reverberating inside the cave.

“Ah? I’m here, I’m here!” Fang Zheng snapped out of his shock and ran out hurriedly. Unfortunately he tripped over his own foot and fell, hitting his head with a groan and tumbled into the river.

Instantly the entire cave was filled with huge laughter.

“The Fang brothers, nothing special.” The Gu Yue clan head scoffed, feeling a sort of annoyed boredom towards Fang Zheng.

“This is such a huge embarrassment!” Fang Zheng struggled and splashed in the water. The bottom of the river was just too slippery; he couldn’t get up properly. Trying his best only made him look more stupid and clumsy. His heart increasingly flustered as the sounds of laughter filled his ears.

But right at this moment, he suddenly felt a strong pull lifting him up. His head finally left the water surface and his body found balance again.

He wiped his face in a panic and focused his sight. It was actually his older brother Fang Yuan who had grasped his collar and pulled him up.

“Big brother…” He opened his mouth to say. But instead he started choking on water, ending up triggering a violent cough.

“Haha, the difficult older and younger brother of the Fang family!” Someone laughed at the riverbank. The laugher grew louder, yet the academy elder did not come out and stop it. He was deeply frowning, disappointment filling his heart.

Fang Zheng was completely at a loss on what to do, and then he heard his brother say to him, “Go on. The road to the future will be interesting.”

Fang Zheng could not help but open his mouth in surprise. Fang Yuan’s back was facing the crowd so they could not see properly, but Fang Zheng could clearly feel the calmness radiating from Fang Yuan. As his older brother spoke the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, revealing a deep and thoughtful smile.

It was obviously only a C grade talent, yet how can big brother be so calm? Fang Zhen could not help but wonder, his heart full of doubt. Yet Fang Yuan did not say any more. He patted Fang Zheng on the back, and turned and walked away.

Fang Zheng wore a stupefied expression as he walked towards the flower sea. “I never thought big brother would actually be so calm. If it was me, I’d…”

He lowered his head, walking forward absent-mindedly. Yet he did not know that he was playing out a miraculous scene. When he finally snapped out of his reverie, he was already deep in the sea of flowers, standing in a distance that no one else had reached before him.

43 steps!

“Oh my god, A grade talent!” The academy elder screamed, seeming to have lost his mind.

“A grade, really an A grade!?”

“It’s been 3 years, an A grade talented genius has finally appeared in the Gu Yue clan!”

The clan elders that were watching in the darkness were also screaming out at the same time, losing their composures.

“Well, the Fang bloodline originated from us Chi bloodline. So we Chi family will adopt in this Gue Yue Fang Zheng,” Gue Yue Chi Lian immediately announced.

“How is that possible? You old bag Chi Lian, your morals and abilities are out of order, but you’re definitely good at misleading young boys. It’s better to pass this kid to I, Gu Yue Mo Chen to raise!” Gu Yue Mo Chen roared back instantly.

“Stop arguing. No one is more qualified to raise this child than the current clan leader. Whoever has any objections is to go against me, Gu Yue Bo!” The Gu Yue clan head had gone crazy and swept his fiery red gaze over the disappointed and discouraged looks.

Translator Note: Finally, chapter 6 is over! I hope you guys are looking forward to the next chapter :>

Also if you haven’t noticed by now, and since the author mentions this in his note in chapter 1, the main character is a villain. He’s definitely cruel and very, very evil. If this is not your cup of tea, feel free to drop it… Otherwise, prepare yourselves for what’s to come in future!

Chapter 7 – A Gu Master has 9 ranks, Flower Wine leaves behind treasure

Soon a week passed.

“Humans are above all creatures, Gu are the essence of heaven and earth. In this world there are thousands of species, countless number of Gu. They live everywhere around us – In the soil, in the bushes, even on the bodies of wild beasts.”

“As humans continue to propagate and grow, the scholars of the past gradually uncovered the mysteries of the Gu. Those who have opened the aperture, using their own primeval essence to feed, refine and manipulate these Gu – people who have achieved these various purposes are what we call Gu Masters.”

“And all of you have successfully opened your aperture in the Awakening Ceremony 7 days ago. With the coagulation of the primeval sea, right now you are all Rank one Gu Masters.”

In the village academy, the academy elder talked with confidence and composure. In front of him were 57 students, seated and listening attentively.

The mystery and strength of a Gu Master had been deeply rooted in the hearts of the youths a long time ago. Thus everything that the elder taught and said, the students were very interested in.

At this moment a young teen raised his hand. With the elder’s permission he stood up and asked, “Elder sir, I’ve known this since I was small. There are Rank one Gu Masters, Rank two and so on, can you explain in more detail to us?”

The Gu Yue teacher nodded and waved his hand to ask the young man to sit down. “Gu Masters have 9 ranks, from bottom to the top – Rank one, Rank two, Rank three all the way up to Rank nine. Every rank is considered a big realm, and it is divided into 4 small realms – initial stage, middle stage, upper stage and peak stage. You have all just become Gu Masters, so all of you are Rank one initial stage.”

“If you all work hard in your cultivation, your cultivation base will naturally advance to rank two, even rank three. Of course, the higher your talent the bigger your chance of promoting.”

“For D grade talent, the primeval sea takes up about 2-3 layers of the aperture, the highest promotion reachable is Rank one to Rank two. For C grade talent, the primeval sea is 4-5 layers of the aperture. Usually the progress stops at Rank two, but with luck a small percentage of people can advance to Rank 3 initial stage. B grade talents have a primeval sea that takes up 6-7 layers of the aperture, they are able to cultivate to Rank 3, even as far as Rank 4. As for A grade talent, the primeval sea is plenty; it takes up 8-9 layers of the aperture. This kind of talent in a person is naturally the most gifted and the most suitable for a Gu Master’s cultivation, being able to reach Rank 5.”

“As for Gu Masters who are Rank 6 and above, they are all legends. I am not clear about the specifics either. In the Gu Yue clan, there has never been the appearance of a Rank 6 Gu Master, but Rank 4 and Rank 5 Gu Masters we have had before.”

The teenagers’ ears all pricked up, their eyes shining brightly as they listened.

Many of them couldn’t help but look at Gu Yue Fang Zheng who was sitting rigidly at the first row. He was an A grade talent after all. Their eyes were filled with feelings of envy and jealousy. At the same time there were some who stared at the corner at the last row of the classroom.

Leaning against the window at the corner was Gu Yue Fang Yuan, who was bent over the desk sleeping soundly.

“Look, he’s still sleeping,” someone whispered.

“He’s been sleeping continuously for a week, yet he’s still not awake?” Someone cut in.

“There’s more. I heard that he was up all night, wandering about at the edge of the village.”

“There’s been people who’ve seen it more than once, apparently he holds a wine-jar at night, dead drunk outside. Luckily these few years the village surroundings have been cleared clean, so it’s safer.” The fellow schoolmates whisper here and there, letting all kinds of small gossip spreading around quickly.

“Ah well, the blow was just too big. Someone hailed as a genius for so many years unexpectedly ending up to be a C-grade talent in the end, hehe.”

“If only it was just the case. Of all the people his own little brother was pronounced an A grade, right now being the center of attention, enjoying the best treatment. The younger brother soars up to the sky, while the older brother falls to the ground, tut tut…”

As the discussion amongst the students got louder and louder, the academy elder’s brow deepened into a frown. In the whole classroom all the teenagers were sitting respectfully, showing liveliness. This made Fang Yuan who was sleeping on his table stand out so much that it hurt the eyes.

“It’s already been a week, yet he’s still so dispirited. Hmph, initially I must have been mistaken by him, how could someone like this be a genius!” The elder thought disgruntledly. He had spoken many times to Fang Yuan regarding this matter, but to no effect – Fang Yuan still did whatever he liked. He would sleep through every class, making the elder in charge of teaching have a very frustrated headache.

“Forget it, he’s just a C grade. If he can’t even withstand this sort of blow, fostering him with that kind of temperament will just end up wasting the clan’s resources, nothing good will come out of it.” The elder’s heart was filled with disappointment towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was just a C grade, compared to his younger brother Fang Zheng who was an A grade talent, now this was someone worth the clan spending an amount of effort on raising!

While the academy elder thought about all this, he was also replying to the latest question. “In the clan history, there has been many strong masters. For Rank five masters there were two. One of them is the first generation clan head, our ancestor. He was the one who established Gu Yue Village. Another one was the fourth clan head. He had remarkable talent, and managed to cultivate all the way to the realm of a Rank five Gu Master. If it wasn’t for that despicable shameless demon Flower Wine Monk’s sneak attack, he might have been able to achieve Rank six, but who knows…”

As he said this he heaved a deep sigh. Below the platform, the youths starting shouting in a rage.

“It’s all because of that Flower Wine Monk, he was too sinister and cunning!”

“What a pity that our fourth clan leader was softhearted and benevolent, and died at a young age.”

“If only I was born a few hundred years earlier! If I saw that demon I would have torn off his ugly face.”

The fourth clan head and the Flower Wine Monk’s story is something that the entire Gu Yue clan knows.

The Flower Wine Monk was also a Rank five Gu Master, famous among the Demon faction in his time for his many years as a big flower thief. A few hundred years ago he travelled to Qing Mao Mountain. He attempted to commit crimes in Gu Yue Village, but was found out by the fourth generation clan leader in the end. After a earthshakingly huge battle, the Flower Wine monk was beaten to the point he had to beg for mercy on his knees. The fourth clan head was merciful and kind, intending to spare his life. Yet the Flower Wink Monk suddenly launched a sneak attack, successfully inflicting heavy wounds on the fourth clan head. The clan head flew into a rage, killing the Flower Wine Monk on the spot. However his heavy injuries were not curable and thus, he died.

Therefore in the hearts of the Gu Yue clansmen, the fourth generation clan head was a great hero who sacrificed his life for the village.

“Flower Wine Monk huh…” Awoken by the classroom’s noisy chatter, Fang Yuan opened his sleepy eyes.

He stretched his body and thought with resentment in his heart, this Flower Wine Monk, where did he die? Why is it that I still can’t find his legacy after searching around the entire village?

In his memories, there was a Gu Master from the clan who was brokenhearted and started drinking a lot. About two months later from now, the man was heavily drunk as he lay down outside the village. His heavy wine aroma unknowingly attracted a Liquor worm.

The Gu Master was ecstatic, fully intent on catching it. The Liquor worm hurriedly fled, and as the Gu Master was in hot pursuit after it, he followed the Liquor worm’s trail and discovered an underground hole entrance and went in.

The Liquor worm was a very precious and expensive type of Gu. The half drunk Gu Master decided to risk it and enter the hole, finding himself in a secret underground cave. After that he discovered the bones of the Flower Wine Monk and the inheritance he left behind.

When the Gu Master returned to the village, he reported his discoveries and immediately caused a big stir among the entire clan. Later on that Gu Master benefitted much from it, his cultivation base suddenly becoming outstanding. His lover who had once abandoned him before was attracted to him again, and he became the talk of the clan for a while.

“Sadly I only heard bits and pieces about this piece of news, so I don’t know where the accurate location is. It wasn’t like I knew I would be reborn again to this day. Flower Wine Monk, where in the world did you die off to?”

These few days he had been buying a lot of wine, wandering around the village as soon as night arrived. He wanted to use the aroma of liquor to attract the Liquor worm. Unfortunately he never saw the Liquor worm appear, making him feel very disappointed.

“If I could find that Liquor worm and refine it into my vital Gu, that would be so much better than the clan’s Moonlight Gu. In the blink of an eye its already April, there’s not much time left.” Fang Yuan heaved a sigh and gazed out of the window.

Under the blue sky and white 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.

Not too far away, the woods were already turning green. The tender shoots sprouted in a sea of yellow green color. Every now and then, beautiful and colorful sparrows would perch on the branches. The wind of spring blew, wrapping up the freshness of the mountains and rivers, and dispersing it into the world.

Without knowing it, the class was almost over. The academy elder finally informed, “This week I have taught you all how to contemplate and check your own aperture’s primeval sea, and how to meditate and shift around the primeval essence inside your body. Now is the time for you all to refine your vital Gu. After this class ends, you will all go to the academy’s Gu room and pick a Gu worm. After choosing your Gu, please go home and focus on refining it. When you have finally refined your Gu, then you can come back to the academy and continue attending class. At the same time, this is your first assessment. Whoever can finish this assessment first will be rewarded a generous sum of 20 primeval stones.”

T/L Note: Sorry for the delay, I’ve been busy. Here’s the long awaited Chapter 7!!

Chapter 8 – Things will always be things, but humans will change

Beside the academy was a Gu room. The Gu room was not big; it was only 60 meters² in size.

In a Gu Master’s road to cultivation, a Gu is the key to strength.

At the end of class, the excited teenagers rushed towards the Gu room.

“Form a line, enter one by one,” some voices suddenly yelled; it was natural that there were guards outside the Gu room. The youths went in one at a time and came out. Finally it was Fang Yuan’s turn to enter the Gu room.

This room was a mysterious room. The four walls all had holes; in each one of these embedded square holes were another square hole. Each of the holes differed in size, some big and some small. The bigger ones were no bigger than a an earthenware cooking pot, the smaller holes no smaller than a fist.

In the many square holes were all kinds of containers – there were grey stone basins, verdant jade dishes, exquisite grass cages, earthen stoves etc. These containers kept in all kinds of variety of Gu.

Some Gu were silent, while some Gu made a lot of noises, creating chirping, clucking, rustling sounds and so on. All these noises combined together to create a sort of life symphony.

“Gu are also divided into 9 big levels, following the same concept of the 9 rank realms of Gu Masters. All the Guin this room are Rank one Gu.” Fang Yuan glanced around, immediately aware of this.

Generally speaking, Rank one Gu Masters can only use Rank one Gu. If they used higher level Gu, these masters would need to pay an extremely heavy price. In addition, Gu need to be fed. The high cost of feeding higher level Gu was often not something lower ranked Gu Masters could afford. Thus to Gu Masters who were newcomers, they would always pick a Rank one Gu worm as their first refined Gu unless under a special situation.

There is great significance to the first Gu that a Gu Master refines – It will become their vital Gu, interconnecting their lives together. If it dies, the Gu master will suffer a huge blow.

“Alas, my original wish was to get my hands on the Flower Wine Monk’s Liquor worm and refine it as my vital Gu. But right now there are still no leads on my search for the Flower Wine Monk’s skeleton. I don’t even know when will I be able to find it, or when someone else does. Just to be safe I’ll pick a Moonlight Gu first.” Fang Yuan sighed inwardly as he walked straight along the wall on his left.

One of the top layers of the holes in this wall had a row of silver plates. In every plate was a Gu.

These Gu were crystalline and shaped like a crescent; it was like a piece of blue quartz. Against the backdrop of the silver dish, the Gu gave off a quiet and beautiful feeling.

Known as the Moonlight Gu, this variety of Gu was the local Gu of the Gu Yue clan and many of the clansmen would choose the Moonlight Gu as their vital Gu. The Moonlight Gu was not a Gu of nature; it was a breed that was cultivated with a secret method by the Gu Yue clan. The Moonlight Gu could not be found anywhere else; it could be said that this Gu was a symbol of the Gu Yue clan.

Since it was all Rank one Moonlight Gu, there was very little difference among one another. Fang Yuan casually chose one and took it. The Moonlight Gu was very light, comparable to the weight of a piece of paper. The insect occupied a small area of his palm; it was roughly the size of a common jade pendant. As Fang Yuan put it on his hand, he could see through it and gaze at the lines on his palm.

With one last look and finding nothing wrong with it, Fang Yuan put the Moonlight Gu into his pocket and walked out of the Gu room. Outside the Gu room, the queue was still quite long. As soon as the next person in line saw Fang Yuan leave, he went into the room hurriedly with excitement.

If it were others, when they got their Gu the first thing they would do, would be to take it home and quickly refine it. But Fang Yuan was not in a hurry to do so, for his mind was still thinking about the Liquor worm.

The Liquor Worm was more precious compared to the Moonlight Gu, although the Moonlight Gu was a specialty of the Gu Yue village, it did not help a Gu Master as much as a Liquor Worm.

After he left the Gu room, Fang Yuan headed straight for the tavern.

“Shopkeeper, two jars of aged wine!” Fang Yuan fished around his pockets and drew out the remaining primeval stone pieces, putting them onto the counter.

These few days he would come here and buy wine, then go around the village border and scout, intending to attract the Liquor worm so it would appear. The shopkeeper was a short and fat middle-aged man, his face oily. After these few days he had already remembered Fang Yuan.

“Sir, you’ve come.” While he greeted Fang Yuan, he stretched out a thick and short chubby hand and skillfully swiped away the primeval stone pieces. As he put them onto his palm he shifted his hand up and down and felt that the weight was correct. With this the shopkeeper’s smile deepened.

Primeval stones were the currency used in this world, used to measure the value of all commodities. At the same time it was also a condensed matter of the world’s essence, usable on oneself, and is important in helping a Gu Master in his cultivation.

As it has monetary attributes as well as usable properties, it was similar to the gold on Earth. Earth has a gold currency standard system, and in this world it was replaced with primeval stones. Compared to gold, the purchasing power of primeval stones is even more astonishing. However with Fang Yuan’s continued spending like this, no matter how many primeval stones he had it would not be enough.

“Two jars of wine everyday, and it has been 7 full days already. The initial savings I had are already almost all spent,” Fang Yuan frowned slightly as he walked out of the tavern with two jars of wine.

Once someone becomes a Gu Master, he would be able to extract primeval essence straight from a primeval stone to replenish the primeval sea in his aperture. Thus to Gu Masters, primeval stones were not just a form of currency, but also a supplement in their cultivation. With sufficient primeval stones, the rate of cultivation will increase greatly; this can make up for the disadvantages of those with lower talent grade.

“I won’t have primeval stones to buy wine anymore tomorrow, yet the Liquor worm just doesn’t want to appear. Do I really have to take the Moonlight Gu and refine it as my vital Gu?” Fang Yuan felt rather unsatisfied.

As he walked with the two jars of wine in his hand, he started to wonder. “Academy elder said, the first person who manages to refine his vital Gu will get a reward of 20 primeval stones. Right now I guess a lot of them are at home trying their best to refine their Gu and compete for the first position. A pity, refining the vital Gu is more of a test of one’s talent. Those with better primeval talent will have better advantage. With my C grade talent, without any special means I have totally no chance of winning.”

It was at this moment, the voice of Gu Yue Fang Zheng called out to him from behind. “Big brother, you really did go to the tavern and buy alcohol! Follow me, aunt and uncle want to see you.”

Fang Yuan stopped in his tracks and turned around. He found his younger brother was no longer like before, always lowering his head as he spoke. Right now the two brothers gazed at each other face to face.

A gust of wind blew, lifting up the older brother’s messy short hair, the lower hem of the younger brother’s robes swishing around.

Just a short period of one month has gone by, yet humans change.

A week after the Awakening Ceremony, a huge change came upon the older brother and the younger brother. The older brother Fang Yuan fell from the clouds, the title of genius mercilessly destroyed. And the younger brother began to bloom with radiance, slowly rising up like a new star.

To the younger brother Fang Zheng, this sort of change was earthshaking to his world. He finally tasted the feelings that his older brother used to have – the feelings of people pinning their hopes on him, the feelings when people use envious and jealous looks to gaze at him. He felt like he was suddenly dragged out from a dark corner and placed into a heaven filled with light. Everyday when he woke up, he felt like he was having a very sweet dream. The difference of how he was being treated from before and now was like day and night, making him somewhat unable to believe his reality even until now, but at the same time also strongly unaccustomed to it.

It was hard to adapt.

In a short while from being unknown to someone who was closely watched, people pointing at him all the time. Sometimes when Fang Zheng walked on the road, he would hear people around him talking about himself, voices praising him. His face would heat up and he would feel completely at a loss of what to do, his eyes trying to avoid gazes, he even almost forgot how to walk properly!

The first ten days or so, Gu Yue Fang Zheng became thinner yet his energy became more vigorous. From the inner depths of his heart, something called ‘self-confidence’ began to manifest.

“This is what big brother had always been feeling before, how beautiful and painful at the same time!”

He could not stop thinking about his older brother Gu Yue Fang Yuan; facing such attention and discussion, how did his older brother deal with it?

He subconsciously started to imitate Fang Yuan, pretending to look expressionless all the time, but quickly found that he was not fit for this kind of style. Sometimes during class, a girl’s shout could easily send him red-faced. On the roads, all the flirting from older women even caused him to flee in a hurry many times.

He was like a toddler learning how to walk, stumbling and falling as he tried to get used to his new life. During this entire process, he was unable to avoid hearing about his older brother – falling into depression, becoming a drunkard, not going home at night, sleeping soundly in class.

He felt very shocked at this. His own older brother, once a strong entity and hailed as a being of great genius, suddenly becoming like this?!

But slowly he started to sort of understand. His big brother was also a normal man after all. Encountering this kind of setback and huge blow would send anyone into depression. Along with this understanding, Fang Zheng secretly felt an indescribable happiness inside. This feeling was something he was terribly unwilling to admit, but yet it definitely existed.

His older brother who was hailed as a genius and always covering him in shadow, acting so depressed and dispirited right now. From a reverse angle, it was a testimony to his own growth, wasn’t it?

He was the outstanding one, this was the real truth!

Hence when he saw Fang Yuan holding the wine jars, his hair messy and clothes untidy, Gu Yue Fang Zheng felt relieved, his breathing also becoming a lot easier. But yet he said, “Big brother, you have to stop drinking, you cannot go on like this! You have no idea how worried the people who care about you are, you need to wake up!”

Fang Yuan was emotionless; he did not say anything. The two brothers gazed at each other.

Younger brother Gu Yue Fang Zheng’s eyes were shining, giving off a sharp and keen feel. And the older brother Gu Yue Fang Yuan’s two orbs were a deep black, faintly resembling a deep ancient pool. These eyes could not help but make Fang Zheng feel a strange oppression. Not long after he subconsciously turned away his gaze and looked somewhere else.

But when he realized it, he felt a sudden rise of anger. It was an anger that was directed at himself.

What’s wrong with you? Can’t even muster the courage to look directly at your big brother?

I’ve changed, I’ve completely changed!

With these thoughts his eyes shifted back their sharpness and he shot his gaze at his brother again. But Fang Yuan was already not looking at him. Holding a jar of wine in each hand, he walked past Fang Zheng and said in a dull voice, “What else are you gawking at? Let’s go.”

Fang Zheng’s breathing became disoriented, the strength that had accumulated inside his heart no longer able to be released. This made him experience a depression that was hard to describe.

Seeing that his older brother had walked far ahead, he could only quicken his pace to catch up. But this time his head was no longer lowered, but rose to meet the sun. His gaze was fixed on his own feet that was stepping on his older brother Fang Yuan’s shadow.

Chapter 9 – Two people who start on the same road, gradually becoming distant

The sunset was a red hue setting over the east.

The sky was still bright, but everything seemed to be covered by a shade of gray. Overlooking the window, the mountains in the distance were gradually drawing towards a heavy black color.

The light in the living room was dim. Aunt and Uncle sat high in their chairs, their faces enveloped in shadow, their expressions hard to discern.

As he saw Fang Yuan carrying the two jars of wine, his Uncle Gu Yue Dong Tu’s eyebrows twisted into a knot. He opened his mouth and spoke, “In the blink of an eye, you are both 15 years old now. Since you both have the talents of a Gu Master, especially Fang Zheng, your aunt and I are proud of the both of you. I will give you both 6 pieces of primeval stones, take it. Refining your Gu consumes a lot of primeval essence, so you’ll need these primeval stones.”

As he said this, some servants came over and passed Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng each a small bag.

Fang Yuan took his bag silently.

Fang Zheng immediately opened his bag and looked inside to see 6 pieces of oval shaped, greyish white primeval stones. His face lit up with gratitude at once and he stood up from his seat, facing his aunt and uncle. “Thank you Aunt and Uncle, your nephew does need primeval stones to replenish my primeval essence! You have both raised me until today, this gratitude is engraved into my heart, I shall not forget it forever!”

Uncle smiled and nodded. Aunt hurriedly waved her hands and said warmly, “Sit down, sit down! Although you both are not our children directly, we have always raised you as our own. You both are able to gain a future, and we are proud of that. Alas we do not have children of our own, and sometimes we thought that if you both could really become our children it would be the best.”

Her words brought deep meaning. Fang Zheng did not understand it, but Fang Yuan frowned a little.

Uncle cut in and said, “I have discussed this with your aunt. We thought of adopting you both and become a genuine, real family. Fang Zheng, I wonder if you are willing?”

Fang Zheng was stunned for a second, but the look on his face quickly emerged a joyful smile and he said, “To be honest, every since both my parents died I have longed very much for a family of my own. To be able to become a family with Aunt and Uncle, this is too good to be true!”

Aunt’s expression loosened and she laughed, “Then you are our good son, shouldn’t you stop calling us Aunt and Uncle?”

“Father, mother.” Fang Zheng in a state of realization changed his statement.

Aunt and Uncle laughed heartily. “What a good son, not a waste of us husband and wife to raise you since you were five years old. And we have raised you for ten whole years,” Aunt wiped her tears.

Uncle looked at the silent Fang Yuan and said gently, “Fang Yuan, how about you?”

Fang Yuan shook his head without saying a word.

“Big brother.” Gu Yue Fang Zheng was about to advise him, but Uncle, whose tone was unchanged, stopped him. “If that’s the case, Fang Yuan my nephew, we won’t force you. Since you are already 15 years old, you need to start being independent, this way you will also easily carry on your Fang bloodline. Uncle here has prepared 200 primeval stones for you as financial support.”

“200 primeval stones!” Fang Zheng’s eyes opened wide; he had never seen so many primeval stones in his life. He couldn’t help but reveal a jealous expression.

But Fang Yuan still shook his head.

Fang Zheng was puzzled, while Uncle’s expression changed slightly. Aunt’s face had also turned cloudy.

“Aunt and Uncle. If there is nothing else, then your nephew will take his leave,” Fang Yuan did not give them any chance to speak again. After he finished his sentence he took his wine jars and left the hall immediately.

Fang Zheng rose from his seat and said, “Father, Mother. Big brother is not thinking straight, how about you let me advise him?”

Uncle waved his hand and deliberately sighed, “Alas this matter cannot be forced. Since you have the heart, as your father I am already very content. Servants, take care of young master Fang Zheng treat him well. “

“Then your son will take his leave,” Fang Zheng retreated, and the living room fell into silence.

The sun set below the mountain, and the living room became darker. In a while from the darkness Uncle’s cold voice emerged. “Looks like this brat Fang Yuan has seen through our plot.”

Among the regulations of the Gu Yue clan it was clearly stipulated that the eldest son at 16 years of age would have the qualifications to inherit the family property. Fang Yuan’s parents had passed away, leaving behind a fortune. It was being ‘taken care’ of by Aunt and Uncle. This inheritance was not something a measly sum of 200 essence stones could compare to. If Fang Yuan had also agreed to be adopted by Aunt and Uncle, then he would lose the right to inherit this fortune. If Fang Yuan at this year’s age of 15 decided to be independent, he would also not conform to the clan’s regulations.

“Luckily we managed to win over Fang Zheng, and Fang Yuan only has C grade talent,” Uncle heaved a sigh, feeling joyful.

“Then husband, if Fang Yuan decides to go independent at 16 years of age, what do we do?” Aunt’s tone was hysterical as she thought about the inheritance.

“Hmph, since he is acting undisciplined, then he can’t blame us. As long as we catch him committing a huge mistake before he leaves us and expel him from our family, it will be counted as snatching away his right to inherit the legacy,” Uncle explained coldly.

“But the brat is very clever, how would he make a mistake?” Aunt asked, puzzled.

Uncle rolled his eyes immediately and whispered angrily, “You are really stupid! If he won’t make a mistake, can’t we frame him instead? Just let Shen Cui seduce Fang Yuan and scream assault, we catch him on the spot, fabricate a story about him acting wild while he was drunk. Surely we can expel Fang Yuan?”

“Husband you really have a way, what an ingenious plan!” Aunt was overjoyed at that moment.

The thick colors of the night covered the sky, and the stars that blanketed the sky were mostly covered away by floating dark clouds. Each of the households in the village gradually lit up with lights.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng was ushered into a room.

“Young master Fang Zheng, the old master personally had me tidy up this room specially for you,” Mother Shen said with a hospitable tone. She bowed her waist, her face having a flattering smile.

Fang Zheng looked around with a glance, his eyes shining. This room was at least bigger by two times compared to his previous room. The middle of the room was a spacious bed; beside the window was a rosewood desk with a delicate set of ink and paper. The walls were decorated with exquisite ornaments, and beneath his feet was not an ordinary floor, but covered in a layer of soft handmade carpet.

From his childhood until now, Fang Zheng had never stayed in such a room. He immediately nodded his head continuously and said, “This is very good, it really isn’t bad, thank you Mother Shen.”

Mother Shen was Aunt and Uncle’s most highly valued person; she was in charge of all the slaves in the house and was a housekeeper who lived up to her reputation. The girl Shen Cui who served Fang Yuan was her daughter.

Mother Shen laughed, “I am not deserving of young master’s gratitude, it is my duty, my duty! Young master, do not hesitate to eat well and sleep well. Whatever you want, just shake the bell beside your bed, somebody will attend to you immediately. Old master has already instructed us, so in these few days please do put all your attention on cultivating, young master. Just leave all the other chores to us.”

Fang Zheng felt a gush of gratitude in his heart. He did not say anything, but deep down inside he decided, this time I must get number one and not let Aunt and Uncle down!

The dark clouds in the sky were getting heavier, and the night was getting darker. In the night sky most of the stars were covered away by the clouds, leaving a few shining with faint light, blinking away in the sky.

“Aunt and Uncle must be plotting on how to expel me from the house right now. In my previous life they secretly instigated the servants to provoke me, and then framed me. Then they expelled me from the family; I wonder if there will be any changes in this life.” Fang Yuan sneered in his heart as he walked along the streets.

He had long seen clearly the true colors of his Aunt and Uncle. But he could also understand it.

Men would throw away their lives in pursuit for wealth. No matter whether on Earth or in this world, there would always be many people who would be willing to trample over kinship, friendly and love for their own self-interests and benefits.

In fact kinship did not exist. In the beginning when Aunt and Uncle took in Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, their only purpose was to seek the heritage. It was just so that the two brothers were repeatedly unexpected.

“All things are difficult before they are easy. To me this is more so of the case. Firstly I do not have outstanding talent; secondly I do not have the care of a teacher. It is equivalent to raising a family from nothing, but with my parent’s legacy it can be said to be a huge advantage for me. In my previous life Aunt and Uncle stole away the heritage, and because of that I had to waste two full years to be able to cultivate to Rank One peak stage. In this life I cannot afford to make the same mistake.”

Fang Yuan pondered in his mind as he walked.

Instead of staying home, he held the two jars of wine and walked towards the outskirts of the village.

The night deepened and the dark clouds obscured the star light, the mountain breeze blew, growing stronger gradually.

The mountain rain was coming. But he still had to search; to get ahold of his parent’s inheritance, he would need to wait until he was sixteen. And the Flower Wine Monk’s treasure was the only thing that he could get his hands on in the short run.

There were not many people on the streets. The houses along the road showed a dim light. Some small rubbish and leaves were blown away by the wind, drifting about.

Fang Yuan’s thin clothing could not stop the mountain wind, and he could not help but feel a cold chill. He simply opened the wine jar, drinking a small mouthful of wine. Although it was turbid wine, but after swallowing it he felt a warm feeling rising up.

This was the first time that he actually drank wine in these few days.

The further he walked out of the village, the lesser the houses beside the road, and the dimmer the lights became. In front of him it was even darker. The wind blew heavily against the mountain forest, the branches swaying in the night, making a whistling noise that sounded like a herd of beasts roaring.

Fang Yuan’s pace did not slow down. He walked out of the huge entrance of the village and out into the darkness, going further as he walked. And behind him were the bright and brilliant lights of tens of thousands of houses. In these lights there was a warm corner.

The younger brother Fang Zheng was seated at his desk, reviewing the notes that he had taken down during class. The lights in the house were shining brightly, the and solid wall blocked away the cold winds. Beside his hand was a cup of warm ginseng tea, the steam rising up from the cup.

“Young master Fang Zheng, the hot bathing water has been prepared for you.”

Outside the door, Shen Cui’s voice softly floated through.

Fang Zheng’s heart jolted. “Then bring it in please.”

Shen Cui walked into the room with her waist bowed, her expression pleased.

“Your servant greets young master.” Her eyes sent amorous glances at Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan was only a C grade talent, but Fang Zheng was an A grade talent! To be able to get ahold of him, is truly the biggest fortune!

Chapter 10 – A storm may arise from a clear sky, refining Gu is full of hardships

Pitter patter…

Big, heavy raindrops fell to the earth, battering the roof of the verdant bamboo house, making brittle sounds.

The surface of the pond in front of the building was full of ripples as the rain fell, the fish in the water swimming lively around, the aquatic plants swaying about at the bottom of the pond. The sky was overcast; a thick rain curtain obscured the field of vision as far as the eye could see.

In the somewhat dim room the window was open, and Fang Yuan quietly watched the heavy rainfall, sighing.

“It has already been 3 days and 3 nights.”

On the night 3 days ago he had walked out of the village with two jars of wine, searching around the surroundings. But when it was late into the night it started pouring rain. Put aside him being drenched to the bones, the main point was that in the situation he could not go about searching anymore.

The rainwater would quickly wash away the wine fragrance. At the same time if he forced himself to search under such conditions, it might arouse suspicions. Although previously he pretended to become a depressed drunken person to cover up his real motives, but he knew never to underestimate the intelligence of others around him. Only a fool would think others were stupid.

Thus under this helplessness, Fang Yuan could only stop his search.

Not too mention that the moment it started raining, the rain had went on continuously. Sometimes it became heavier and sometimes lighter, but it never stopped.

“I guess in this way, I won’t be able to find the Liquor worm for a short period of time. To be safe I can only choose to start refining the Moonlight Gu. While I refine it, if I can find the Liquor worm during the process it would be the best, but if I can’t then this would have to do. But this matter is very common; a storm may arise from a clear sky, something unexpected may happen anytime. In this world who can do everything without obstacles in his way, having a perfect journey?”

Fang Yuan’s thoughts were very calm; his 500 years of experience had long washed away the impulsiveness that he rarely had in the first place.

He closed the door and window and sat cross-legged on his bed. He closed his eyes slowly and after breathing a few times, he calmed his state of mind.

In the next moment the vision of his primeval aperture appeared in his mind. The aperture may be positioned inside his body but it was mysteriously unusual, limitlessly big and yet infinitely small. The outer layer of the aperture was a layer of light. The white light gave a thin impression, but it still supported the aperture well.

In the aperture was a sea of primeval essence. The seawater was a green copper color, the surface of the sea clear and calm as a mirror. The water level was about half the height of the aperture. The entire volume of the sea occupied 44% of the aperture.

This was the green copper primeval sea of a Rank one Gu Master, and every drop of seawater was primeval essence. It was Fang Yuan’s life elementary force and the condensation of his essence, vitality and soul.

Every drop of primeval essence was precious, because it was the root of a Gu Master, and was the source of power. Gu Masters need to rely on primeval essence to refine and use Gu.

As he retreated his mind from the primeval sea, Fang Yuan opened his eyes retrieved the Moonlight Gu. The Moonlight Gu quietly sat in the middle of his palm, resembling a curved blue moon, small and crystalline.

With a simple thought, the primeval sea in his aperture tumbled and a jet of primeval essence broke from the sea surface and transferred out of the body, finally rushing into the Moonlight Gu. The Moonlight Gu suddenly radiated fiercely in blue light, slightly trembling in Fang Yuan’s palm, resisting the influx of primeval essence.

Gu are the essence of heaven and earth, carrying the secrets of the world, the bearers of the law of nature. They are living creatures that live freely under the sky, each born with a will of its own. Right now with Fang Yuan trying to refine it, it would mean wiping out its will. Feeling the danger looming, the Moonlight Gu naturally resisted.

The process of refining is a very difficult one.

The Moonlight Gu was like a curved crescent moon. As the green copper primeval essence poured into the crescent, the two pointed ends of the crescent turned green. Slowly this green copper essence began to spread to the middle of the crescent moon.

In less than three minutes, Fang Yuan’s face had become pale. A huge volume of primeval essence continuously poured into the Moonlight Gu, making him feel a weakness that rapidly attacked his heart.

1%, 2%, 3%… 8%, 9%, 10%.

Ten minutes later, Fang Yuan’s primeval sea had used away 10% of primeval essence. Yet on the blue crystalline Moonlight Gu’s surface, the points of green copper essence on the two tips of the crescent only expanded a tiny little area towards the center.

The resistance of the Moonlight Gu was immensely strong. Fortunately Fang Yuan had anticipated this earlier and did not feel surprised. He persisted and poured in more essence into the Moonlight Gu.

1%, 2%, 3%…

After another twenty minutes, the primeval sea in Fang Yuan’s body was only left with 14%. The green copper essence on the Moonlight Gu had expanded slightly, the two tips of green essence adding up together covering the surface of the Moonlight Gu by about 1/12. The rest of the Moonlight Gu’s surface was still the original color of light blue.

“Refining a Gu is so hard,” Fang Yuan sighed as he looked at it. He broke the influx of primeval essence, stopping the refining process.

Up until now, he had been refining for half an hour, the primeval sea in his aperture consumed over more than half, with only 14% of primeval essence left. And the Moonlight Gu was only refined by 1/12 of it.

To make matters worse the Moonlight Gu was still emitting its faint blue halo. Even though Fang Yuan had stopped refining, the Moonlight Gu did not stop resisting; it was still driving out Fang Yuan’s green coppery primeval essence.

Fang Yuan could clearly feel that the primeval essence that he poured into the Moonlight Gu was being pushed out, bit by bit by the Moonlight Gu out of its body. On its surface, the green copper essence at the two tips of the moon crescent was slowly shrinking.

Based on this speed of reduction, in about six hours later the Moonlight Gu would be able to completely expel all of Fang Yuan’s primeval essence. At that time when he needed to refine this Gu it would make no difference from starting over again.

“Every time when refining Gu, it is just like a fight between two armies, a battle of positional warfare, or war of attrition. Even though I refined 1/12 of the Gu, I wasted three quarters of my primeval essence. When refining Gu, a Gu Master has to replenish his primeval sea while continuously engaging the refinement process, consolidating his victory. The refinement of a Gu is a test of one’s skill in shifting his primeval essence and the patience of an enduring battle.”

Fang Yuan took out a piece of primeval stone from his moneybag as he pondered.

A Gu Master had two ways to replenish the consumed primeval essence. The first way was natural recovery. After a period of time the primeval sea would naturally replenish the primeval essence. In the case of a C grade talent like Fang Yuan, it would take about one hour to replenish 4% of primeval essence. In six hours it could recover 24% points of the total quantity primeval essence.

The second way was to absorb the natural essence directly from a primeval stone.

The primeval stone is a treasure from nature itself. As condensed natural primeval essence, while absorbing it the water level of the primeval sea was rising with a continuous speed that could be seen with the naked eye.

After about half an hour the primeval sea had been replenished back to its original volume of 44%. At this level the rising water level of the sea stopped abruptly. Even though there was still space inside the aperture, Fang Yuan could not store any more primeval essence. This was the limit of his C grade talent.

Thus from here one can see the significance of the grade of one’s cultivation talent. The higher the talent, the more primeval essence the aperture can hold, and the faster the natural recovery of the primeval essence will be.

In Fang Yuan’s case to refine a Gu and solidify his results, he would have to absorb primeval stones because his primeval essence natural recovery rate cannot defeat the rate of the Moonlight Gu expelling it out.

However in the case of the A grade talent Fang Zheng, he could replenish 8% of primeval essence every hour. In six hours he would recover 48% of primeval essence, and in the same time frame the Moonlight Gu could only expel away 3% points of primeval essence. Fang Zheng did not require the external help of a primeval stone. He could go on refining with a few rests in the process and successfully refine the Moonlight Gu in a few days.

That was why Fang Yuan knew from the beginning that in this test, to refine the Moonlight Gu he never had the chance to obtain the first position. It had nothing to do with a person’s actual strength, as the first factor was the grade of talent.

The second factor would be primeval stones. If there was an abundance of primeval stones, without hesitation to consume, a B grade talent could also surpass an A grade talent and obtain the first position.

“In my hands are six pieces of primeval stones. I cannot compare to Gu Yue Mo Bei or Gu Yue Chi Chen, these kinds of people who have their elder family members supporting them from behind. My talent is on C grade, and cannot be compared to Fang Zheng who has an A grade talent. I never had a chance of winning in this test. Why not divert my energy and go look for the Liquor worm? If I can make the Liquor Worm into my vital Gu it would be so much better than the Moonlight Gu. Hmm? The sound of rain outside the window has gotten lighter, there seems to be a sign of ceasing. The rain has been ongoing for three days and three nights, it should be time it stopped.”

Fang Yuan kept the Moonlight Gu and got down from his bed. As he was about to open the window, there was a knock on the door.

Outside the door came his servant Shen Cui’s voice, “Young master Fang Yuan, its me. It has been raining straight for three days, so I brought you some food and wine. Young master can eat and drink and ease some depressed feelings.”

Chapter 11 – It’s just power play

Fang Yuan frowned slightly. Based on intuition and 500 years’ worth of life experience, he could smell a conspiracy.

His eyes flashed and he relaxed his brows. “I’m a little hungry right now, you came at the right time. Come in,” He said.

Outside the door, while carrying the food box Shen Cui smiled coldly as she heard his reply. But when she pushed open the door, her face was left with a gentle and meek expression.

“Young master Fang Yuan, the food and wine smells really good. I can smell it as I hold the box.” Her voice was sweet and had a hint of longing and flattery. She put the food box on a small table and took out the dishes, arranging them nicely. The food was indeed very fragrant and tasty. After that she took out two wine cups and poured the wine.

“Come, young master. Sit down. Your servant mustered her courage today and wants to accompany young master for a drink.” She smiled like a flower, walking to Fang Yuan’s side. Boldly she took him by the hand and pulled him over to sit at the chair by the table.

Then she sat on his thigh and leaned her gentle body against Fang Yuan’s chest, acting like a timid and lovable woman, whispering in his ear. “Young master Fang Yuan, your servant has always liked you. It doesn’t matter what grade you are, I will always wish to be beside you, rely on you, and comfort you. Tonight your servant would like to give her body to you.”

She really dressed up today.

She put on blusher, her lips like cherry powder. When she whispered in his ear, a delicate and youthful breath teased at Fang Yuan’s earlobe. Because she was sitting on his lap, Fang Yuan could feel her well-shaped figure easily. Her elastic thighs, her slender little waist and her soft chest.

“Young master, let me feed you wine myself.” Shen Cui picked up the wine cup, raising her head and taking a sip. Then her eyes fixated on Fang Yuan, her small cherry lips a little opened, slowly leaning over to his mouth.

Fang Yuan’s expression was indifferent, as if what was on his lap was not a young maiden, but a block of sculpture.

When she saw Fang Yuan’s expression, Shen Cui felt a little uneasy at first. But when her lips were just an inch away from his, she was assured, sneering in her heart. You’re still pretending, she mused.

Just at this moment Fang Yuan scoffed, his tone disdainful. “So it’s just a power play (1).”

Shen Cui’s face became stiff and she swallowed the wine in her mouth, trying to pull false flattery. “Young master Fang Yuan, what are you saying…”

Fang Yuan’s eyes were emitting cold light. He stared into Shen Cui’s eyes, placing his right hand on her snowy white neck at the same time, slowly pressing it with force. Shen Cui’s pupils shrank and her voice was full of panic. “Young master, you’re hurting me.”

Fang Yuan did not answer, but his hold on her neck grew stronger.

“Young master Fang Yuan, your servant is a little scared!” Shen Cui already had difficulty breathing; she was looking flustered. A soft pair of hands subconsciously grasped at Fang Yuan’s hand, trying to pry his hand away. But Fang Yuan’s hand was strong like iron, unable to be pulled away.

“Looks like Uncle and Aunt let you come over to seduce me and frame me? This must mean that there are already people arranged downstairs, huh.” Fang Yuan laughed coldly, adding, “But who do you think you are, coming to use tactics on me, with the two piles of garbage of rotten flesh on your chest?”

As he said this, his left hand climbed up her chest and ruthlessly grabbed her soft breasts, making it incredibly deformed all of a sudden.

Intense pain flared from her chest; Shen Cui’s eyes were round and wide-opened.

The pain was so great that her eyes were full of tears. She wanted to scream, but Fang Yuan gripped her throat so strongly that in the end she could only sob for a few times. Then she started resisting strongly, for she really was going to suffocate!

But at this moment, Fang Yuan slowly relaxed his grip.

Shen Cui immediately opened her mouth and gulped in air greedily. Her breathing was too eager – resulting in a series of violent coughs. Fang Yuan laughed lightly, stretching out his palm. He gently stroked her cheek, his tone carefree as he spoke, “Shen Cui, do you think I can kill you, or not?”

If Fang Yuan roared at her with an evil and loud voice, Shen Cui might actually fiercely retaliate. But when Fang Yuan smiled and spoke in a shallow manner, his soft voice asking if he could kill her or not, Shen Cui felt a deep fear from the bottom of her heart.

She was scared!

She looked at Fang Yuan with terror on her face, seeing this young man smiling all over his face as he gazed at her.

At this instance, Shen Cui vowed to herself that she would never forget his eyes for the rest of her life. This pair of eyes were not mixed with the slightest emotion, dark and profound, resembling a deep ancient pool that was hiding a horrifying beast.

Under the gaze of these eyes, Shen Cui felt like she was naked in the midst of ice and snow!

The person before me, definitely dares to kill me, is able to kill me…

Oh heavens! Why did I come and provoke this kind of devil?!

Shen Cui’s heart was full of remorse. At this moment she longed to turn and flee. But right now she was still on his lap; she did not dare to run away, not even able to pluck the courage to do any action.

The muscles on her entire body were tense, her gentle stature trembling. Her face was as pale as white paper and she could not utter a single word.

“Since you as a personal servant girl, have been serving me for so many years, I won’t kill you this time. Since you want to escape from slavery, go and find my little brother, he’s stupid and naïve.” Fang Yuan retracted his smile and patted her cheek, his tone plain like water.

With a sigh, he finally said —-

“You can leave.”

Shen Cui was as dumb as a piece of wood as she walked out obediently. She was afraid out of her wits, and did not know how she managed to leave the side of the devil called Fang Yuan.

The men hidden in the shadows looked confused when they saw Shen Cui come out looking so shaken.

“They actually arranged such a beautiful trap, its even more innovative than my previous life. Hehe, Aunt and Uncle, this kindness of yours I will remember deeply!”

Not long after Shen Cui left, Fang Yuan stood up and left as well. No matter what, he could not stay at this residence anymore. A wise man sees and mitigates foreseen risks, what more to say for a devil? When there is insufficient strength, only a fool would put himself in danger.

“Innkeeper, do you have any rooms available?” Fang Yuan came to the only inn in the village and asked for the price.

“Yes, yes. There is room on the second floor and third floor. Not only is it cheap, the rooms are also tidy and clean. The first floor is the cafeteria; guests of the inn can come here and eat. There is also service for asking the inn workers to bring up food to your room.” The innkeeper was full of hospitality as he entertained Fang Yuan.

This inn was the only one in the village, but the business was not very good. In fact it was somewhat deserted. Only when the annual merchant caravan came by to trade on Qing Mao Mountain, the inn would be full of people.

Fang Yuan was a little hungry, so he passed 2 full round pieces of primeval stones to the innkeeper. “Give me a good room for me to stay in, and prepare 2 jars of wine, 3-4 different dishes, return me any excess balance.”

“Done.” The innkeeper took the 2 pieces of primeval stone and asked, “Would you like to eat in your room, or dine in the hall?”

Fang Yuan looked at the sky. The rain had stopped and it was nearing evening. He could simply eat in the lobby and set out straight for the outskirts of the village when he was done, continuing his search for the treasure of the Flower Wine Monk. Thus he replied, “I’ll eat in the hall.”

The inn had a dining hall; there were a dozen square tables, four long benches surrounded each table. In between the tables were huge and thick pillars that were supporting the inn. The floor was covered with big tiles of marble, but it was wet; it was hard to conceal the moisture of the mountain.

There were 3 tables seated with people. Seated by the window, an old man was drinking wine, gazing outside at the sunset, being all alone. In the middle of the cafeteria was a table seated with 5-6 hunters. They were discussing about their hunting experiences in loud voices, and at their feet were a pile of different kinds of mountain prey, like pheasants and hares.

In another corner was a table with 2 young people, seemingly discussing in secret. Their figures were hidden in the darkness, it was hard to see them, and harder to know their gender.

Fang Yuan decided to sit by the table nearest to the door. Soon after, the dishes were served on the table.

“With my C grade talent, to refine the Moonlight Gu I would need to borrow primeval stones. If my luck is good and this Moonlight Gu does not have a strong will, I would only need 5 pieces. But if it is stubborn that I’d be in trouble, probably need around at least 8 pieces.”

Gu are living creatures, so it is natural for them to have the will to survive.

Some have a strong will and would always resist the refinement process; some Gu have weak will, all throughout refining they helplessly surrender; once there was no resisting, the refining process would become relaxing.

“Right now I only have 6 primeval stones on me, but I gave 2 to the innkeeper so I’m left with 4 pieces. There’s not enough.”

In this world primeval stones are the local currency, and the buying power is very strong. A normal family of three would spend at most 1 piece of essence stone in a month. But when it came to a Gu Master, the consumption of primeval stones was greater. Take Fang Yuan for example; just by refining Gu alone he would need an average of 7 primeval stones or so. And this is just on a Moonlight Gu, if he really did find the Liquor worm, just to refine it with Fang Yuan’s grade talent, he would need at least a dozen more!

“In other words, right now my situation is – Even if I find the Liquor worm, I don’t necessarily have the primeval stones to refine it. However I still need to search around, because there is a huge possibility that the Flower Wine Monk’s treasure has a huge abundance of primeval stones.”

This was not a difficult deduction. The Flower Wine Monk was a Rank five Gu Master after all. For such a famous strong warrior of the Demonic Faction, how could he not have primeval stones, which are the must-have item in a Gu Master’s cultivation?

(1) Power play – tactics exhibiting or intended to increase a person’s power or influence.

T/N Note: Was this chapter too dark?

Chapter 12 – Green Bamboo Wine is fragrant, Gu Master flaunts power

“Right now everything comes down to the Flower Wine Monk’s treasure. If I can find it, all my problems will be solved. If I don’t find it, all these issues will greatly slow down my speed of cultivation. If that happens I’ll lose out to people at my age in cultivating. I don’t understand! I’ve spent more than a week trying to attract the Liquor worm to appear, why do I still not see it?”

Fang Yuan frowned and racked his brains. It was like putting food into his mouth, but still not knowing how it tasted (1).

Suddenly there was a loud noise, interrupting his thoughts. Fang Yuan looked at the direction of the sound, realizing that the 6 hunters seated around the table at the middle of the hall were heavily drunk. The atmosphere around them was fiery and their faces were all red.

“Brother Zhang, come, drink another cup!”

“Old brother Feng, we brothers admire your abilities! You took down a black skinned wild boar alone, what a man! This cup of wine you must drink, or else you’ll be disrespecting us!”

“Thank you brothers for your sincerity, but I really can’t drink anymore.”

“Brother Feng can’t drink anymore, perhaps you dislike this wine because it’s not good enough? Waiter, come over! Give me some good wine!”

The noise was becoming louder; it was obvious that the group had drunk a lot. The waiter hurriedly went over and said, “Well good sirs, we do have good wine, but it is quite expensive.”

“What, you’re afraid we won’t pay up?!” When the hunters heard the waiter, quite a few of them stood up and stared at the waiter. They were either big and tall or thick and burly in stature, capable and vigorous in a threatening manner, each having the courage that mountain men possessed.

The waiter quickly said, “I would not dare to look down on you brave men, it’s just that these wine is really expensive, one jar costs 2 pieces of primeval stones!”

The hunters were stunned. 2 primeval stones was definitely not cheap – It was the sum of 2 months of the normal average household monthly expenses. Even though hunters earn more from hunting when compared to ordinary mortals, like how some times a black skinned wild pig could be worth half a primeval stone. However hunting was risky and a mistake could turn the hunter into prey.

To the hunters, using 2 primeval stones just to drink a jar of wine was just not worth it.

“Is there really such an expensive wine?”

“Boy, you aren’t trying to lie to us right?”

The hunters were shouting about, but their voices felt a little timid, unable to back out of the situation with grace. The waiter kept telling them he wouldn’t dare.

The hunter called brother Feng saw that the scene was not right, and he hurriedly said, “My brothers, let’s not spend anymore. I can’t drink anymore, let us drink this wine another day.”

“What, you can’t say that brother!”

“This is…”

The rest of the hunters were still shouting, but their voices started to fade away. One by one they sat back in their seats. The waiter was also a shrewd person. When he saw this, he knew that he was not able to sell the wine any more. However this situation hardly surprised him. As he was about to retreat, a young man’s voice came from the table at the dark corner. “Hehe, hilarious. Each one of them blindly shouting for nothing. If you can’t afford to buy wine, you should just obediently keep your mouths shut and go to the side!”

When the hunters heard this, one of them immediately retorted in anger, “Who said we can’t afford it? Waiter, bring over that jar of wine, I’ll give you the stones, two pieces of it!”

“Oh, give me a moment sir, I’ll get it!” The waiter did not expect such a turn of events. He hurriedly replied and turned to grab a wine jar and brought it over. This wine jar was as big as the common jar of wine, but the moment it was uncorked, in that very instant a refreshing and mellow fragrance filled the entire cafeteria. Even the old man sitting alone at the window could not help but turn his head over when he smelled the wine aroma, and he gazed at the jar of wine.

It was definitely good wine.

“Dear guests, its not bragging. This is the green bamboo wine; the entire village only has one inn, which is us. Smell the fragrance!” The waiter inhaled deeply as he said this, his facial expression full of satisfaction and enjoyment.

Fang Yuan was moved. This inn waiter was really not boasting.

In the Gu Yue Village there were 3 taverns. The wine sold there were the common rice wine, muddy wine and other similar common wine. In order for Fang Yuan to attract the Liquor worm, he continuously bought wine for 7 days; it was naturally that he was aware of the prices.

Several of the hunters looked at the wine jar before them. They were consumed by alcohol addiction. Each of them twitched their noses and swallowed. As for the hunter who bought the wine in a moment of anger, his expression was even more interesting; a layer of remorse and anger appeared on his face.

After all this jar of wine was the value of two primeval stones!

“I was too rash and bought the wine by impulse. This waiter is not too typical. He immediately brought the wine, now the cork is unsealed. Even if I want to return the goods it is too late.”

The more the hunter pondered, the more distressed he felt. He wanted to return it back, yet he was unable to do so in fear of being humiliated. At last he could only bang on the table and said with a strong smile, “Damn, this wine is good! Brothers please, drink all you want. Today this wine is on me!”

At this moment the young man at the table in the corner hissed, “How is this small jar of wine enough for six? If you have the guts then go buy a few more jars.”

The hunter was furious when he heard this and stood up in a rage, his eyes fixed on the young man who spoke. “Brat, you sure have a lot of words. Come, stand up and fight me!”

“Oh? Then I will stand up.” The young man got up from his seat as he heard the hunter’s remark, grinning as he walked out from the shadows. His body figure was tall and thin, his skin pale. He was dressed in navy battle robes, and looked clean and neat. His head wore a blue headband; his upper body had a jacket that showed his thin and weak shoulders. The lower body had long pants, the feet were covered in bamboo sandals and the calves were tied.

The most important thing about him was the green belt on his waist. The middle of the belt was a shiny piece of copper; on the copper plate was a black “One” word.

“It’s a Rank One Gu Master?!” The hunter clearly understood what this manner of clothing represented. He drew in a deep breath, the anger on his face dissipating, replaced by alarm.

He had never imagined that he actually provoked a Gu Master!

“Didn’t you want to fight me? Come on then, hit me.” The young Gu Master walked slowly towards the man, a playful smile on his face. But the hunter who had challenged him earlier had become frozen like a sculpture, unable to move from his spot.

“Maybe you guys can all come at me together, that works too.” The young Gu Master slowly walked to the hunter’s table, casually speaking.

The expressions on their faces had changed. Some of the hunters who had drunken red faces had gone pale suddenly. Each of their foreheads was drenched in cold sweat, and they felt restless, too afraid to even breathe heavily.

The young Gu Master stretched out a hand, picking up the green bamboo wine jar. He put it under his nose and sniffed, smiling. He said, “It sure smells good…”

“If my lord likes it, then please feel free to take and drink it. It is an apology from me for offending my lord,” the hunter who provoked him earlier hurriedly replied and cupped his hands together before his chest, pushing a smile to his face.

Unexpectedly the young man’s facial expression changed fiercely; with a loud crack the jar fell into pieces on the ground. The Gu Master looked cold as ice, his gaze sharp like a sword. He hissed angrily, “You think you have the right to apologize to me? You bunch of hunters must be really rich, even richer than me, since you guys spent 2 primeval stones to drink wine?! Do you have any idea, how upset I am over primeval stones right now! You actually dare to show off your wealth in front of me at this time! You mortals can even compare to me?!”

“We wouldn’t dare, we wouldn’t dare!”

“To offend my lord, it is a heinous crime!”

“We mortals did not mean to offend you, these are our primeval stones, please accept lord Gu Master.”

The hunters quickly got on their feet and took out the primeval stones they had. But how could these mortals have money, all they pulled out was just bits and fragments of primeval stones, the biggest fragment piece was no bigger than a quarter of a primeval stone.

The Gu Master did not accept these primeval stones, but he did not stop sneering. He used his hawk-like gaze and swept past the entire cafeteria. The hunters that he scanned over lowered their heads. The old man who sat at the window watching the scene also quickly turned his head to avoid the Gu Master’s gaze.

Only Fang Yuan watched quietly, void of hesitation.

The clothing that this young Gu Master was wearing was the uniform that only formal Gu Masters could wear, so Fang Yuan was not qualified to wear it. Fang Yuan would only receive it from the clan after he graduated from the academy.

The word ‘One’ on the copper piece on the belt of the young Gu Master was to indicate his position as a Rank one Gu Master. However he was already around 20 years or so, and the aura of primeval essence that his body emitted seemed to indicate that he was Rank one upper stage.

Starting cultivation at 15 years of age and only reaching Rank one upper stage at around 20 years of age, this showed that the young Gu Master was only of D grade talent, which was a grade worse than Fang Yuan. There was a high possibility that this man was only a logistics Gu Master, not even counted as a battle Gu Master.

However even if that was the case, when facing these six brawny hunters it was more than sufficient.

This was the gap of power between a Gu Master and a mortal human.

“With power, one can be at the top. This is the nature of this world. No, actually any world is also the same, the big fish eats the small fish and the small fish eats the shrimp. It’s just that this world shows it even more openly,” Fang Yuan mused secretly.

“Alright Jiang Ya, you already taught them a lesson. Let’s not further embarrass these mortals. If it gets out, even if you are not embarrassed, I would be,” the other young person sitting in the corner voiced out.

When everyone heard the voice speak, they realized that this young person was a woman.

The young Gu Master called Jiang Ya stopped sneering as his female companion chided him. He did not even bother looking at the fragments of primeval stones that the hunters had taken out; these stones were not even the sum of two primeval stones, he was definitely not interested in it.

He flicked his sleeve and walked back to his original table. As he strode back he said maliciously, “If you think you have the guts to continue drinking, then go and drink green bamboo wine. I want to see, who still dares to drink this wine?”

The hunters all lowered their heads, acting like six obedient sons after being scolded.

The strong aroma of wine filled the entire cafeteria. The hunter who bought the wine felt his heart aching as he smelled the fragrance. After all he had spent 2 primeval stones on this wine, yet he never got to drink even one mouthful!

Fang Yuan put down his chopsticks; he had eaten enough. As he sniffed in the wine aroma his eyes flashed for a moment, then he took out 2 primeval stones and put them on the table. “Waiter, give me a jar of green bamboo wine,” he said indifferently.

The whole scene froze.

The young Gu Master called Jiang Ya instantly stopped in his footsteps. The corners of his mouth twitched and he exhaled. He had just finished his warning, yet right after he was done Fang Yuan wanted the wine. This was like specially stepping over him and slapping him in the face.

He turned around and narrowed his eyes, shooting a cold glare at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan calmly stared back, his face indifferent and void of fear.

Jiang Ya’s eyes flashed and the coldness in his gaze slowly disappeared; he felt the aura of primeval essence on Fang Yuan’s body. After realizing Fang Yuan’s identity, he lit up with a smile and said warmly, “Ah, it’s a junior brother.”

Everyone else came to the realization and the looks they shot at Fang Yuan changed.

No wonder this young teenager was not one bit afraid of a Gu Master, it was because he was also one. Even though he was still attending the academy, his position was already different.

“Lord Gu Master, your wine!” The waiter scurried over, smiling all over his face. Fang Yuan nodded at the young Gu Master and took and jar of wine and walked out of the inn.

(1) I believe it means that he is putting in effort, yet he cannot see the results.

TN Note: It’s 7am now, I’m going to sleep and translate another chapter later if I’m not called to go to work.

Chapter 13 – The bamboo forest under the moon, a bead of snow

Around 300 years ago, an incredible genius appeared in the Gu Yue Clan. He was very talented and had already cultivated to the point of a Rank five Gu Master at a young age, and even had the possibility of going further. He was famous throughout Qing Mao Mountain, had a bright future and was the pinnacle of hope and responsibility in the clan’s eyes.

In the history of the Gu Yue clan, everyone spoke of him the most – the fourth clan head.

Unfortunately he sacrificed himself to protect his people and fought the equally powerful Rank five Gu Master, the demonic Flower Wine Monk. Even though he defeated the Flower Wine Monk after a fierce battle, he let the devil get on his knees and beg for mercy.

In the end he was careless and got caught by the Flower Wine Monk’s sneak attack. The fourth head angrily executed the Flower Wine Monk, but due to his own heavy injuries he died an untimely death.

This tragic incident had long since circulated until today, becoming a popular story among the Gu Yue clan. However Fang Yuan knew that this story was not to be believed, because it had a very large loophole.

In his previous life, a month later from now, a drunken Gu Master who had been rejected by his lover lay down outside the village, so drunk he was like a fish. In the end because of the overflowing smell of wine, it ended up attracting a Liquor worm.

The Gu Master chased after the Liquor worm and found the remains of the Flower Wine Monk in a secret underground cave, also finding the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance. This Gu Master quickly hurried back to the clan and told them of the matter, causing a huge stir.

As the storm gradually subsided he also gained benefit from it – He obtained the Liquor worm, his cultivation increased, the girl friend who once abandoned him went back to his side and he became the talk of the village for a while.

When stories are passed down generation by generation, it is normal to change along the way. But in Fang Yuan’s memories, the story of the Gu Master discovering the treasure seemed quite authentic, yet he had a feeling that the story was hiding other truths.

“I was not aware of it at first, but in these few days while I searched and analyzed on the side, I feel that something feels out of place.” The night grew dark, and as Fang Yuan walked in the bamboo forest that grew around the village, he reviewed through the clues he had so far in his head.

“If I put myself in his shoes and think about it, when I discover the Flower Wine Monk’s treasure why would I not take it all for myself, but go and notify the clan instead? Don’t even mention sense of clan honor, everyone has greed in their hearts. What is it that would make that Gu Master betray the greediness in his heart, even going as far as to be willing to abandon all interest and profit, and report this finding to the clan’s top brass?”

The truth is always hidden inside the fog of history. Fang Yuan racked his brains but he could not get the result. After all the clues he had were too few. The only two clues he had could easily be true or false, so it could not be fully relied upon.

Fang Yuan could not help but think of himself. “No matter what, after buying this jar of green bamboo wine I only have 2 primeval stones left on me. If I can’t find the treasure then I’ll be in grave trouble. Today shall be considered the final gamble, it’s all or nothing!”

However he didn’t have enough primeval stones to refine a Gu worm in the first place. So why not invest it in this wine and increase the chances of success?

If it were in the case of other people, most of them would probably play it safe and save up the primeval stones. But in the case of Fang Yuan, the efficiency of doing so was too low. He would rather take the risk and gamble.

You see, the people of the Demonic Faction love to take risks.

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.

Because it just finished raining continuously for three days and three nights, the turbid energy between the mountains had been washed away clean, leaving behind the purest of freshness. This fresh air was pure like a piece of white paper, and was more effective in spreading the wine aroma around. That was the first reason why Fang Yuan was full of confidence tonight.

The previous seven days of searching was not without gain. At least it proved that the Flower Wine Monk did not die in those places. This was the second reason for Fang Yuan’s confidence.

In the bamboo forest the grass was luxuriant, the white flowers endless and the green spear bamboo straight like a pencil, the forest resembling a clump of jade rods.

Fang Yuan 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. This was the third reason for Fang Yuan’s confidence tonight.

“With these three big reasons gathering together, if I want to succeed it has to be tonight!” Fang Yuan cheered in his heart as he slowly tilted the wine jar, pouring a small stream of wine, dripping it onto a stone. If those bunch of hunters saw this sight, they would have probably become insanely distressed. This wine is worth 2 whole primeval stones after all…

But Fang Yuan was indifferent.

The fragrant aroma quickly spread out into the night. The breeze was gentle, the faint aroma floating about and contaminating the bamboo forest. Fang Yuan stood at his spot, smelling the aroma. He waited for a while, yet he did not see any movement.

All he heard was a nightingale crying in the near distance, its sound like a string of bells. His gaze was silent. He did not feel surprised, and he moved away, walking to a spot a few hundred meters away.

In this place he did the same, pouring out a few drips of wine and waiting at the spot.

He did the same thing over and over again, moving away to a few other different locations, dripping wine a few times. After all that the green bamboo wine in the jar was only left with a bit.

“This is the last time,” Fang Yuan sighed. He tipped the wine jar over, the bottom facing the sky. All the remaining wine left in the jar flowed out. The wine sprinkled over the grass, letting the green grass sway about. The wild flowers were stained with wine, slightly lowering their heads.

Fang Yuan stood with the last shred of hope in his bosom, and gazed around.

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. It was deadly silent all around, each strand of green spear bamboo standing alone, leaving a trail of lines that were straight up and down in Fang Yuan’s pupils.

He quietly stood at the spot, listening to his own clear breathing. Then he felt the small hope that he carried in his chest, slowly dissipating away, becoming nothing.

“It failed after all.” His heart muttered, “Today I had three great advantages gathered together, yet I still failed, not even seeing the shadow of the Liquor worm. This means that in future the rate of success will be lower. Right now I only have two primeval stones left, and I still need to refine the Moonlight Gu. I can’t risk it anymore.”

The end result of taking a risk was often unsatisfactory. But when the result was ideal, the profit would be impressive. Fang Yuan liked taking risks, but he was not a gambling addict, and he was not someone who was bent on gambling back what he lost. He had his own limit, he was clear about his own capabilities.

Right now, the five hundred years of life experience was telling him, it was time to stop.

Sometimes life was like this. Often it was that there was that one goal that seemed so perfect, filled with temptation. It seemed so near yet with so many twists and turns, the goal was constantly unfulfilled. It made people restless, thinking about it night and day.

“This is the helplessness of life, but it’s also the charm of living,” Fang Yuan laughed bitterly, turning to walk away.

It was at this moment.

A gust of wind blew, like a gentle arm, lightly brushing away the clouds in the night sky. The clouds floated away to reveal the hidden moon. The crescent shaped moon hanging in the sky was like a white jade lamp, pouring moonlight that was clear as water down onto the earth. The moonlight spilled over the bamboo forest, spilled onto the mountain rock, bathing onto the rivers and streams in the mountain, shedding onto Fang Yuan’s body.

Fang Yuan was dressed in plain clothing; under the gentle touch of the moonlight, his young face became fairer. The darkness seemed to fade away in a flash, and taking its place was a field of snowy frost flowers. As if it was infected by the moonlight, the nightingale began to sing once more, but this time it was not just one, but many. Scattered among the bamboo grove, they all tweeted in response.

At the same time, a type of insect that inhabited huge mountains, the Dragonpill crickets that were active under moonlight started singing a rustling song of life. They were critters that only came out in the night. Their bodies emitted faint red light; at this moment they jumped out in droves, each of their bodies flashing with the brilliance of a red agate.

At first glance, Fang Yuan thought that these Dragonpill crickets were like jets of crimson water bouncing about, landing on the green grass and wild flowers, prancing under the moonlight in the bamboo grove.

The bamboo forest was like a conscious pond, under the moonlight the green jade colors of the spear bamboo flashed in the brilliance of light and smooth jade. The enchanting sight of the dense trees and bright flowers in spring, Mother Nature was showing Fang Yuan her immense beauty at this moment.

Fang Yuan unconsciously stopped in his footsteps, feeling as if he was in a heavenly land. He was already about to depart, but at this moment he subconsciously looked around.

The clump of wild flowers and grass that he had poured the last dredges of wine over trembled gently in the wind, remaining empty. Fang Yuan laughed at himself and took back his line of sight.

However.

Unexpectedly in the process of turning away, he saw a dot of white snow.

This bead of snow was glued to a spear bamboo pole not far away. Under the moonlight it was like a suspended round pearl.

Fang Yuan’s two pupils expanded fiercely, his body trembling slightly. His heart dropped and started pumping faster each second.

It was the Liquor worm!

T/N Note: I promised 2 chapters on Friday but I ended up having to go to work on both weekends, so sorry for the delay. I pumped this one out as soon as I could!

Chapter 14 – In the mountain crevice hides a profound theory

The Liquor worm was shaped like a silkworm, its entire body giving out pearl white light. It was a little chubby and had a cute appearance.

The Liquor worm fed on wine and could fly. When it flew around, it would curl up into a ball, and its speed was very fast. Even though it was only a Rank one Gu, but it was worth even more than a few Rank two Gu.

To make it into one’s vital Gu was way more beneficial than the Moonlight Gu.

Right now the Liquor worm was glued to a bamboo pole merely 50-60 steps away from Fang Yuan. He held his breath, not closing in rashly, but slowly walking backwards.

He knew his distance was very near, but to really catch a Liquor worm directly it was an incredibly difficult task for a Gu Master who just opened the primeval aperture like him. You could say, there was totally no hope of success.

Fang Yuan’s was unable to see the Liquor worm clearly, but in the darkness he could feel the Liquor worm directing its vigilance at him. He slowly backed away gently, trying his best not to disturb the Liquor worm.

He knew that if the Liquor worm was to fly away, he could never catch up with his own speed. He needed to wait until the Liquor worm drank until it was drunk, and then with its flying speed slowed down he would have a chance to catch it.

Seeing Fang Yuan retreated further away, the Liquor worm crawling on the bamboo pole stirred. The strong aroma of wine before it was so tempting, so attracting, making the worm lost in a reverie. If it had saliva, it would have long been drooling a pool of saliva around it.

But the Liquor worm was incredibly wary and vigilant. Only after Fang Yuan retreated 200 steps back did it shrink a little and bounced into the air. When it fluttered high in the air, its body curled up into a ball, looking like a small and white rice dumpling. The little dumpling swept across the air in a round arc, floating down onto the grass that was sprinkled with green bamboo wine earlier.

With delicious food right before its eyes, the Liquor worm dropped its guard. It impatiently climbed onto a flower bud filled with some wine and popped its little head in, only leaving a chubby tail on the outside.

The Liquor worm was ravenous, and the green bamboo wine was so delicious. It opened its mouth wide and inhaled, very quickly lost in the deliciousness of its food, totally forgetting about Fang Yuan.

At this moment, Fang Yuan started to approach cautiously. He could see the tail of the Liquor worm outside the flower bud. This tail was just like a silkworm’s tail, chubby and rounded. The light it emitted made people think of a pearl.

At first the Liquor worm’s tail was hanging outside, unmoving. Then after a while this tail started to curl upwards, showing that it was drinking really happily. At the end when Fang Yuan was only ten steps away, its tail started wagging and swinging with a cheerful rhythm.

It was totally drunk!

Seeing this made Fang Yuan nearly laugh out. He did not continue walking forward, but patiently waited. If he rushed over right now he would definitely have a huge chance on catching the Liquor worm, but Fang Yuan’s intention was to have this Liquor worm guide him to the Flower Wine Monk’s remains.

In a moment the Liquor worm withdrew from the flower bud. Its body was fatter and its head swayed about, resembling a drunken man. Unexpectedly it did not realize Fang Yuan’s presence. It climbed up onto another bright yellow flower and perched on the stamen, feeding heartily on the wine droplets there.

This time after it had finished drinking, it finally felt full. Its body slowly shrank into a round ball and slowly flew up. When it was 1.5 meters above the ground, it leisurely flew in the direction of the deeper part of the bamboo forest.

Fang Yuan quickly followed after its trail.

The Liquor worm was already heavily drunk, making it fly slower by half of its usual speed. Even though this was the case, Fang Yuan still had to run with all his might to follow after its shadow.

The night was washing past his vision as the young teenager ran in the bamboo forest, chasing after a small bead of snow not far ahead.

The moonlight was gentle, the breeze slow and steady. In the bamboo forest that was like a clear pond, the stalks of green spear bamboo flashed past before his eyes, quickly falling behind him. The ground was a green carpet of grass, riddled with blossoming wild flowers. There were small stones with moss growing, and the yellow shoots of bamboo.

Fang Yuan’s faint shadow was also speeding ahead on the ground, passing through the shadows that each stalk of bamboo cast on the earth like a black line. He tightly kept his sight on the bead of snow, gulping in huge amounts of fresh mountain air, ordering his legs to catch up in the midst of faint wine aroma in the air.

Because of his speed, the moonlight looked like water to his eyes. Light and shadow moved frequently, like he was galloping in water filled with seaweed.

The Liquor worm flew out of the bamboo forest, and so did Fang Yuan. A sea of white flowers with a yellow spot in the middle borrowed the wind from his feet, scattering their petals. A group of Dragonpill crickets resembling a flowing poem just so happened to move to the front; as Fang Yuan dashed through there was a swoosh and a red cloud bloomed before him, dispersing about a sea of red star fireflies that emerged from the cloud.

A quiet mountain stream paved with pebbles, the gurgling water surface reflecting the spring moon in the night sky; with a few splashes Fang Yuan waded across, creating thousands of silver coloured ripples.

It was a pity that this stream, after so many ages, had its beautiful and precious stones trampled upon and broken.

Fang Yuan was in hot pursuit, firmly following behind the Liquor worm. Going upward the mountain stream, he could already hear the sound of a waterfall. After he turned around a sparse forest, he saw the Liquor worm fly into a crevice in the middle of a boulder.

Fang Yuan’s eyes lit up and he stopped in his tracks.

“So it’s here.” He panted heavily, his heart beating against his chest like mad. With this one stop he could feel his entire body covered in sweat, hot air surging throughout his body accompanying his accelerating blood flow.

Looking around, he found that this place was a shallow benchland (1).

Pebbles of various sizes covered the ground, the river surface barely covering over the small stones. There were also blocks of gray boulders scattered freely in the area.

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.

The waterfall branched out to many smaller branches, and it was apparent that Fang Yuan was facing one of the many branches of a branch. On normal occasions this benchland was dry, but due to the recent heavy rainfall that went on for three days and three nights, a shallow stream formed here.

The source of the flowing stream was from the huge boulder that the Liquor worm had entered into earlier.

The boulder leaned against a vertical mountain wall. Small waterfalls that branched away from the main waterfall were like silver pythons that flowed down the mountain wall, hitting onto the boulder. After a considerably long time the middle of this huge boulder had eroded away and formed a crevice.

At this time as the waterfall washed down, the water current gently roared. It was like a white curtain, completely obstructing the gap in the boulder.

After observing his surroundings, Fang Yuan’s breathing was no longer anxious. His eyes flashed with a hint of resolve; he walked to the boulder and took in a deep breath, and then he rushed in headfirst.

The boulder gap was rather large, and two adult humans could walk side by side in it with no problems. What more to say with Fang Yuan, who was merely a 15-year-old teenage boy?

Once he rushed in, the rapid currents pressured down on Fang Yuan’s body. At the same time the cold water quickly drenched him from head to toe. Fang Yuan battled against the water pressure, moving in quick steps forward. As he walked a few dozen steps, the water pressure started to lessen.

But the space in the fissure also began to shrink, and Fang Yuan could only walk sideways. His ears were filled with the roaring of the water, the top of his head was a sheet of white, and deeper into the boulder was a black darkness.

What was hiding in the darkness?

It could be a poisonous serpent, but it could also be a poisonous gecko. Perhaps it was a trap set by the Flower Wine Monk, or perhaps it was empty.

Fang Yuan could only continue forward by walking sideways, slowly edging into the darkness. The water no longer washed over his head; the stone walls were covered in moss, grazing against his skin, feeling slippery. Soon he was swallowed by the darkness, and the stone crevice became narrower, squeezing around him. Gradually even his skull could not rotate freely. Still Fang Yuan gritted his teeth and continued forward.

After walking another twenty more steps, he realized that there was a red shade of light in the darkness. At first, he thought it was an illusion. But when he blinked and focused, he began to confirm that this was indeed light!

This realization made him renew his spirit.

He continued walking for another fifty to sixty steps, the red light growing brighter. In his eyes the light slowly expanded into a long, vertical and fine seam.

He stretched out his left arm, suddenly feeling that the wall in front had bent away. Instantly he rejoiced, knowing that there was an enclosed space inside the huge boulder. With another few steps he finally rushed into this light seam.

His eyes were greeted with the sight of an approximately 80meters² wide enclosure.

“I have been walking for so long. With this distance I’d have long passed the boulder, so I should be in the heart of the mountain cliff right now.” As he sized up this hidden space, he moved his hands and legs about, stretching his limbs.

The entire room was filled with dim red light, but he could not tell where the light was coming from. The stone walls were damp and covered in moss, but the air here was very dry. On the walls there was also a few withering vines. The vines intertwined with each other, weaving across half of the wall surface. There were even a few withering flowers growing on the vines.

Fang Yuan looked at the remnants of these flowers and leaves, feeling somewhat familiar.

“These are Wine Sack Flower Gu, and Rice Pouch Grass Gu.” Suddenly a thought had crossed his mind and he was able to recognize these withering stems and vines.

Gu came in many shapes and forms. Some were like mineral rocks such as the blue crystal form of the Moonlight Gu. Some came in the forms of worms, such as the silkworm-like Liquor worm. There were also flowery grassy types, just like the Wine Sack Flower Gu and the Rice Pouch Grass Gu before Fang Yuan.

These two types of Gu were Rank one natural Gu. Just with pouring in primeval essence would they be able to grow. After growing up the middle of the flower would secrete flower nectar wine, and the grass pouch would grow out fragrant rice.

Fang Yuan moved his line of sight along the vines, and sure enough he discovered a heap of withered roots gathered into a ball-shaped clump at a corner. The Liquor worm was resting on the clump of dead roots, sleeping soundly. It was already within easy reach.

Fang Yuan walked over and took the Liquor worm into his arms. Then he got onto his knees and pulled the dead vines apart, discovering a pile of skeleton bones bundled inside.

“I’ve finally found you, Flower Wine Monk.” There was a smile on his lips as he saw this.

Just as he was about to reach his hand out and strip away the remaining vines, suddenly-

“Try touching it?” A voice full of murderous intent suddenly sounded behind Fang Yuan.

Chapter 15 – History is written by the victorious

In this secret cave, someone’s voice loomed behind all of a sudden.

Even when it came to Fang Yuan he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing, his scalp numb.

He had been followed!

Could it be that him repeatedly going out these few days had aroused the suspicion and attention of people?

Or was it someone sent by his uncle?

In his mind he even thought of the Rank one Gu Master that he encountered in the inn, the young man called Jiang Ya.

In that short moment his mind flashed countless ideas and guesses, in addition to thinking of a solution.

Fang Yuan could feel that in the short sentence, it was full of deep murderous intent. This made him secretly groan – He was only a Rank one initial stage right now, and he did not even have a vital Gu. To a Gu Master this was the equivalent of having zero fighting ability, how was he supposed to fight?

“Too weak, too weak!” He roared in his head.

“You have already been poisoned by my Single Gate Poison Gu. Without my other Gu that acts as the counterpart to it, after seven days you will turn into pus and blood and die,” the voice said behind him.

Fang Yuan gritted his teeth, his expression cold. He said in a low tone, “You want the Liquor worm? I can give it to you.”

He slowly stood up, his actions careful. But at this moment, another voice appeared. This voice was full of fear, and said in a tremble, “ I’ll give it, I can give you anything, please just spare my life, O Flower Wine Monk!”

“Wait a minute, this is…” Fang Yuan frowned and suddenly turned around in realization. He was met with the sight of light and shadow changing and fluctuating on the wall in front of him, a picture emerging.

A lean and threatening Gu Master was standing at the top of a mountain; there was another Gu Master prostrating before him. Around the two Gu Masters was a collapsed pit, fragments and chunks of stone littering the area, showing the obvious scene of a fierce battle that just ended.

Not far away from them was a group of old onlookers, their faces filled with anger and fear.

In the middle of the scene, the victorious Gu Master lifted his head upwards and laughed loudly. “Ha ha ha, Gu Yue’s hero, cultivating to Rank five at such a young age. I thought you were quite something at first, but I didn’t expect you to be so unbearable. Hmph!”

The laughing Gu Master had long and thin eyes. He was dressed in long pink robes, his huge and wide sleeves swaying with the wind. The area where his robes intersected around his neck was loose and wide open, revealing his strong and pale chest muscles. The most eye-catching part of him was his bald head, shining without a single strand of hair.

“The Flower Wine Monk!” Fang Yuan immediately recognized the identity of this Gu Master.

“To compare myself to Sir Flower Wine, I’m just a fart! I must have been unwell in the head, to actually not recognize such a great person and offended Sir Flower Wine. Sir Flower Wine, please remember my clan’s generous hospitality earlier and spare my life!” The Gu Master prostrating on the ground was shaking, cold sweat all over, tears and mucus mixing as he begged for mercy.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes and carefully distinguished the two, realizing that the other Gu Master was wearing the Gu Yue clan head uniform. Looking at the appearance, it was clear that this person was the fourth generation clan leader!

As for those aged onlookers, they were probably the clan elders of that generation.

“Hehe, generous hospitality? You sure have the guts to say it! I was actually sincere in coming to trade with you, using primeval stones to buy your clan’s moon orchids with a fair price. It was you who was harboring evil intentions, pretending to greet and take me in, telling me to take a seat at your banquet, intending to lace my liquor with a poisonous Gu. You all have been looking down on me way too much, I have made a living under the sky with the name of Flower Wine, how could I possibly be poisoned this way?”

The Flower Wine Monk pointed at the kneeling fourth generation clan leader, sneering, “If you cooperated fairly none of this would have happened. In the end you just wanted to use my head to raise your reputation and fame, you only have yourself to blame for dying!”

“Sir, please spare my worthless life!” The fourth generation clan head shouted in dismay, his knees scraping against the ground, he quickly crawled over to the Flower Wine Monk’s feet and hugged against his thigh.

“Sir, my clan has a spirit spring which produces primeval stones, we also planted huge numbers of moon orchids in an underground cave. I am willing to take in your Enslavement Gu and become your servant, my life and death are at a whim, I am willing to devote a lifelong servitude to you sir!”

Fang Yuan watched speechlessly, while the few elders in the picture looked even more uncertain.

The Flower Wine Monk narrowed his eyes, his anger had already calmed down. His eyes flashed and he said, “Hmph, the Enslavement Gu is precious beyond reasoning, it is a Rank five Gu, do you really think I would have one? However you have been infected by my Single Gate Poison Gu, only I can cure the poison so I’m not afraid of you disobeying. Since that is the case, your clan has to give me 3,000 stalks of moon orchids every week, also 3,000 primeval stones. I will come around every now and then to pick up the goods and temporarily cure your poison, sparing your useless life.”

“Thank you so much for your mercy, sir! Thank you so much for your mercy, sir!” The fourth generation clan head cried repeatedly, kowtowing non-stop. His head bled continuously as it bumped against the mountain rock.

“Hmph, stop kowtowing, I despise groveling people like you the most! What so called Gu Yue genius, strong Rank five fighter, how unworthy of your name. You better serve me properly. This is also regarding your life… Urgh!” The Flower Wine Monk suddenly cried out, his face making a horrified expression.

He kicked away the fourth generation clan head with his leg, his body swaying. He frantically backtracked a few big steps, yelling at the fourth generation clan head, “How do you still have Gu?”

The fourth generation clan head was kicked at the pit of his stomach and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He got up with a painstaking effort, his face revealing a scheming smile. “Heh heh heh, anybody has the right to punish people of the Demonic Faction! This Gu is called Moonshadow, it is the best at hiding. Even though it is only Rank four, but it has the ability to restrict the usage of the primeval sea and primeval essence. Demon, you and I have been fighting fiercely, you don’t have many Gu on you anymore, how could you possibly restrain the Moonshadow Gu? Just obediently surrender and become my servant, as long as you serve me until I am happy, you will still have a chance to live!”

The Flower Wine Monk flew into a rage and roared, “To hell with you!!”

His voice had barely faltered away when his body surged forward like a bolt of electricity, a punch landing onto the fourth generation clan head’s heart.

The fourth generation clan leader did not expect the Flower Wine Monk to be so radical; even if his primeval sea was threatened, the Flower Wine Monk was unwilling to compromise. A huge force came and he flew into the air, his body falling onto the ground like a broken sack.

Thump.

He spouted out a huge mouthful of fresh blood, the red liquid mingled with countless bits of internal organs.

“Have you gone mad, we could have totally settled this over a discussion…” He stared daggers at the Flower Wine Monk, his lips moving with great effort. His sentence went unfinished, for his legs gave way and his head crooked to the side. He died.

“Clan head!”

“Men of the Demonic path are all insane.”

“Kill him, kill this demon. Avenge the clan leader!”

“He has been inflicted by the Moonshadow Gu, he can’t just simply use his primeval essence anymore, over a time even his primeval essence will be threatened.”

The elders who were watching at the sidelines all roared in fury and swarmed the area.

“Ha ha ha, all those who are looking for death, come!” The Flower Wine Monk cried into the air. Facing the elders charging at him, he rushed at them headfirst.

A fierce battle ensued and the Flower Wine Monk quickly had the upper hand. Very soon all the elders had collapsed onto the ground, some of them injured and the rest dead. Just as the Flower Wine Monk was about to finish off the surviving elders, his facial expression suddenly changed and he covered a hand over his abdomen. “Damn!”

“I’ll come back in future to deal with you lot,” said the Flower Wine Monk. He stared daggers at a few of the elders and his body moved like electricity as he fled into the mountain woods, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Chapter 16 – Taking as much as possible that one can take

“Try touching it?”

“You have already been poisoned by my Single Gate Poison Gu. Without my other Gu that acts as the counterpart to it, after seven days you will turn into pus and blood and die.”

“To compare myself to Sir Flower Wine, I’m just a fart! I must have been unwell in the head, to actually not recognize such a great person and offended Sir Flower Wine. Sir Flower Wine, please remember my clan’s generous hospitality earlier and spare my life!”

The scene replayed itself over for the second time on the wall. Fang Yuan remained silent; when the motion picture started to repeat itself for the third time he finally sighed faintly and said, “I see.”

This method of leaving a moving picture with sound on the wall was probably the Flower Wine Monk’s doing with the help of a Photo-audio Gu. This Gu was able to record down imagery and project it out later.

The Photo-audio Gu fed on light and sound to survive. For some unknown reason this secret cave emitted red light, while at the same time the stone crevice was connected to the outside world, so it would not completely isolate the sounds outside. Right now Fang Yuan could still hear the roaring of the smaller waterfalls. Thus the Photo-audio Gu was able to live on in this secret cave.

A moment ago when Fang Yuan ripped away the withered vines, he had probably alarmed the Photo-audio Guhiding in the stone wall. As long as one is not stupid, with mere guesswork one could tell that this moving image was authentic.

Back then, the fourth generation clan head tried to plot against the Flower Wine Monk but he failed. After he lost in the battle he tried a sneak attack; even though it repelled away the latter, he eventually died because of it. This part of history was considered disgraceful, and the remaining surviving clan elders decided to tamper with the truth.

They reversed the roles of the fourth generation clan head and the Flower Wine Monk.

The Flower Wine Monk became the one who was defeated in battle and tried a sneak attack, and later died on the spot. On the other hand, the fourth generation leader was turned into the justified and perfect hero.

But this story itself had a big loophole – The Flower Wine Monk had clearly died on the spot, so his corpse should be in the hands of the Gu Yue clan, but why was another pile of remains found?

In his previous life, the Gu Master who found it had probably been terrified after seeing the moving image. Those surviving elders had long been dead, but to prevent the truth of the Flower Wine Monk from returning, this truth was probably kept secret by the top brass of the clan.

That Gu Master realized that if he single handedly took the treasure it would be a huge risk. If people investigated and found that he was involved with the Flower Wine Monk in future, the top brass would naturally execute him. Thus after making his choice, he did not dare to hide away this treasure, but instead make a decision to notify the top brass.

By doing so it would prove his loyalty to the clan. His subsequent circumstances would also show that he made a wise choice.

However even if he did that, it didn’t mean that Fang Yuan would do the same.

“I went through a pretty rough time searching for this treasure, so I should take everything for myself. Why should I share it with others? So what if I’ve been found out? Without braving the risks, where would you get profit? That Gu master is really cowardly,” Fang Yuan smiled coldly, no longer caring about the moving image that kept repeating on the stone wall. He turned around and stretched his hand, using his strength to pull apart the dead vines and roots.

The Flower Wine Monk’s remains were also affected. It was originally intact, but right now it was being broken into several pieces. Fang Yuan could hardly care; he kicked away a piece of leg bone that was in the way and squatted again, searching through the remains.

Firstly he found a bag of primeval stones. When he opened them he only found fifteen pieces.

“Old miser,” Fang Yuan spat. The Flower Wine Monk’s outer appearance looked flashy, but unexpectedly he only had so little money put aside.

However he quickly thought of the reason – The Flower Wine Monk went through a fierce battle, add on to the fact that he got tainted by the Moonshadow Gu, so he would definitely have used primeval stones to heal his injuries. To be able to leave behind fifteen pieces was actually not bad already.

After that he found a few dead Gu remains. Most of them were flower and grass variety, and had all completely withered away. Gu are also living creatures, so they also need food to survive, and most of them are picky. Though the grass Gu and flower Gu need less food, but in this secret cave there was not even a single ray of sunshine.

And after that…

After that, there was nothing.

The Flower Wine Monk was on the same level as the fourth generation clan leader. After fighting a fierce battle, he fought with around ten elders right after. His own Gu were mostly consumed, and up to this stage as he wanted to heal his injuries, he grew the Wine Sack Flower Gu and the Rice Pouch Grass Gu here. Yet in the end because of the Moonshadow Gu he was dragged to death.

After three hundred year, the Gu in his possession also died away. The only ones left were the Photo-audio Guon the wall and the Liquor worm.

This Liquor worm was probably reliant on the Wine Sack Flower Gu and barely lived through until today. But as the Wine Sack Flower Gu withered away one by one, it also lost its food supply.

This prompted the Liquor worm to go outside and look for wild Wine Sack Flowers. Then in this night, it was attracted by the aroma of the green bamboo wine and came before Fang Yuan.

“The Photo-audio Gu can only record once, since it’s a one-time use Gu. Looks like the Liquor worm is my greatest gain here, no wonder that Gu Master decided to report to the clan. Looks like it was because the profit was too small, and not worth such a huge risk.” A sort of understanding rose into Fang Yuan’s heart.

In his memories, that Gu Master was already Rank three, while the Liquor worm was just a Rank one Gu. To Fang Yuan it was more precious, but to that Gu Master it was pretty much nothing.

However it was clear that due to his report, the clan gave him a big reward.

“Should I also tell the clan?” Fang Yuan thought for a moment, then he pushed away this idea.

The Flower Wine Monk’s treasure seemed to be just the Liquor worm and the primeval stones, but that was not the case. The most valuable thing was actually the wall that hid the Photo-audio Gu. In other words, it was the moving image that did not stop repeating on the wall.

This image could entirely be sold to other villages. Trust in the fact that the top brass of the two other villages on Qing Mao Mountain must be very interested in this sort of evidence that could strike hard onto the conviction of a clan.

What?

You said something about a sense of loyalty and honour to the clan?

I’m so sorry, Fang Yuan does not have one bit of that.

Moreover this moving image isn’t even some kind of strong force that can destroy the entire clan; it won’t do much substantial damage. The indifferent nature of the clan will also not look at Fang Yuan with importance. He needed to rely on his own hard work and find cultivation resources, in the early stage of cultivation he needed to borrow the powers around him more.

“Count on the clan? Heh heh.” Fang Yuan sneered in his heart, “How can I be so naïve like my past life.”

Do not depend on anyone; you must rely on yourself on everything in this world.

After making sure that he had ransacked every corner of the cave, Fang Yuan began his way back following the original road home.

Holding against the water pressure and squeezing past the boulder, he returned outside the mountain. Looking back at this huge boulder, Fang Yuan suddenly thought of his past life. It was said that the remains were found in an underground secret cave. But how was this place underground? It was clearly in the inside of the mountain wall.

No wonder he couldn’t find it for seven days straight even though he wasted so much effort. Looks like in his past life after the clan found out about this place, the first thing they did was to destroy the wall with the image, and then go about spreading a truth riddled with lies to mislead the clanspeople.

To be able to find this place tonight was partly due to luck, partly due to hard work, and the biggest reason would be the green bamboo wine.

This green bamboo wine was really rich, it could be said to be the best in Qing Mao Mountain. Perhaps in his past life, after that Gu Master lost his lover, the wine that he had been drinking was this wine.

But all of this was no longer important. The Flower Wine Monk’s treasure had been unearthed and ransacked by Fang Yuan; although in the end it was rather disappointing, it was also reasonable. The most important was that Fang Yuan’s original goal (Liquor worm) was in his hands, and the item he needed the most (primeval stones) was also gotten.

“Next up, I will need to set my heart on holing myself in the inn refining this Gu. As long as I have a vital Gu I can return to the academy and be qualified to stay in the academy dormitories. I’ll also be able to borrow the clan resources to cultivate. I can only stay in this inn for one or two times; if I stay too long the cost is too much.” Fang Yuan pondered, his footsteps never ceasing as he hurried back to the village.

He was originally left with two primeval stones, but now he gained fifteen pieces, so the total is seventeen pieces. But to a Gu Master, this small amount of primeval stones mean nothing.

Chapter 17 – Starting to refine the Liquor worm

“With my C grade talent, the amount of my primeval sea in the aperture is only 44%. The speed of Gu using up primeval essence is way faster than my own recovery rate. If I want to refine a Gu I would need to borrow external help, which means I need to waste primeval stones.”

“The weaker the Gu’s will, the smaller the resistance, the easier it becomes for me to refine it. However any living creature will always have the will to live. To refine the Moonlight Gu I would at least require five primeval stones, at the most I’d need eight pieces.”

“Right now to refine the Liquor worm, I would need at least eleven pieces, at the most I would need sixteen pieces.” Although the Liquor worm was also a Rank one Gu like the Moonlight Gu, but it was definitely rarer. Thus the difficulty of the refinement process also increased.

In other words, even though right now Fang Yuan had seventeen primeval stones, but just to refine the Liquor worm he would at most be left with six pieces, or at least one primeval stone.

In the night, the bright crescent gave off clear and pure moonlight. The moonlight was like the lady saint’s gentle hand, lightly stroking over the Gu Yue Village. Along the way the bamboo houses were like jade, standing in great numbers. The night breeze blew slowly.

Under this moonlight, Fang Yuan found his way back to the inn. The inn door had already closed. Fang Yuan banged on the door.

“I hear you! I hear you! Who is it, knocking on the door at this late time…” The inn worker grumbled as he opened the door, his eyes puffy from sleep.

But when he saw Fang Yuan standing at the door, all the displeasure and sleepiness from his expression changed, and he bent his waist and said with a flattering smile,” “Ah, it’s his young lordship. This little one is very lucky to be able to open the door for his lordship.”

Fang Yuan nodded his head, his expression cold with indifference, and walked into the inn.

His expression made the worker laugh in a more humble manner, and he took the initiative to ask, “My lord, are you hungry? Would you like me to notify the kitchens and make some small dishes for you as supper?”

“No need,” Fang Yuan shook his head and only ordered, “ Go and prepare some hot water for me, I would like to wash myself.”

“Yes!” The worker immediately nodded, “My lord, go on to your room first. I guarantee you, the hot water will be sent over immediately.”

Fang Yuan let out a noise of approval and went up the stairs, heading towards the second floor. The worker watched Fang Yuan’s back, his two eyes glittering in the light, revealing an expression of jealousy.

“This is a Gu Master, oh if only I had the talent to cultivate, how good that would be!” He shook his fists, sighing deeply. These words floated into Fang Yuan’s ears and he smiled bitterly in his heart.

A Gu Master had the power to transcend mortals, becoming a man above men, but in this process the price that was to be paid was also very high.

The first difficult problem was financial resources. A Gu Master needed primeval stones to cultivate, battles also required primeval stones, refining Gu also needed primeval stones, trading was also not an exception.

Without primeval stones, how could cultivation be possible?

This point was a difficult position that, being an ordinary mortal who watched from the sidelines, the inn worker would not understand.

Just like earlier in the evening, the young Gu Master Jiang Ya vented his anger and displeasure on the hunters when he dropped their wine jars. His meaning was – He himself could not bear to spend primeval stones to drink this green bamboo wine, yet these hunters who were just ordinary men actually had such money to spare!

To take a glimpse at the whole picture, just that meaning alone could tell a lot about the cultivation situation of a Gu Master. The strength of a Gu Master was great, they achieved more than a common mortal, but the price was also great. Many a time using every single piece of primeval stone needed great consideration, especially when it came to lower ranked Gu Masters. Do not be fooled by the glorious surface; in reality the life of a GuMaster is constantly strained by money.

“Not to mention, as the realm of a Gu Master increases, the resources they require also increase. Without proper backing it is very difficult for a Gu Master’s road to cultivation.” Fang Yuan thought of his previous life and had deep understanding of this reality.

He returned to his room. Just after he lit the lamp, the inn worker came up with a basin of hot water. Of course, there were cloth towels and other toiletries.

Fang Yuan let the worker leave and closed the room door. He put down the door latch, washed himself and got up to his bed.

Although his body was feeling a little tired, his heart still flared with a surge of excitement. “I finally got my hands on the Liquor worm. The Liquor worm is rarer than the Moonlight Gu, because in a sense it is a Gu that increase a Gu Master’s latent talent!”

Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed and took out the Liquor worm. The Liquor worm was still sleeping soundly. Its body size was slightly bigger than the Moonlight Gu, soft and white like a silkworm.

Under the light its body was shrouded in a layer of faint wavering light, just like a pearl’s mellow luster. Two little eyes resembling two black sesame seeds were mounted on its chubby white head, making it appear charmingly naïve.

Placed in his hand, it was not heavy. Its weight was about half a chicken egg. When smelling it carefully, its body exuded a whiff of wine aroma. This fragrance was not the aroma of green bamboo wine but the Liquor worm’s own fragrance. The smell was faint and misty, as if it was not there. Fang Yuan’s nose twitched as he inhaled the fragrance of the Liquor worm.

The wine fragrance moved straight downwards into the aperture, entering into the green copper primeval sea. The primeval sea surged and rippled for a moment, quickly absorbing in the wine. A gleam of pure and refined primeval essence was produced.

The other primeval essence had an emerald green color, shining with a metallic copper luster. However this primeval essence was a pale green, and it was more condensed than the original primeval essence. This was the primeval essence that a Rank one middle stage Gu Master could produce.

Aware of this gleam of pale green primeval essence in his green copper sea, Fang Yuan revealed a satisfied smile. “Right now my cultivation base is just that of a Rank one initial stage. But with the Liquor worm’s condensing, after the primeval essence is refined I will be able to have Rank one middle realm primeval essence. The beauty of this benefit is something that cannot be said in one or two sentences.”

But very soon, he took back his smile. “However right now I have yet to fully master the Liquor worm. It is only when I refine the Liquor worm and turn it into my vital Gu, then I will be able to freely use it and later on with maximum efficiency, refine my primeval essence.”

Thinking up to this point, he no longer hesitated and began to draw out a jet of green copper primeval essence from his primeval sea. The primeval essence tightly wrapped around the Liquor worm, bringing it into the air before Fang Yuan, and started to invade its body.

The Liquor worm felt its life at danger and woke up immediately. It began to struggle violently, using its own power to drive out Fang Yuan’s primeval essence.

“This Liquor worm has a really strong resistance.” Fang Yuan’s complexion turned grave as he felt the consumption rate of his primeval essence go beyond more than double of what the Moonlight Gu had consumed.

“No matter what, I have to refine the Liquor worm.” His two eyes flashed with a firm light as he continued pouring primeval essence into the Liquor worm.

In the room, the candles on the table quietly burned, shining a bright light in the middle of the room while the far corners of the walls were dark. The candlelight radiated on Fang Yuan’s face but he had already closed his eyes, gathering all his focus onto the Liquor worm.

A continuous jet of green-copper coloured primeval essence that resembled a jet of mist emitted out from Fang Yuan’s whole body, then it gathered together and firmly wrapped around the Liquor worm. The Liquor worm hovered in the air, its distance less than a feet away from Fang Yuan’s face. It struggled with all its might in the midst of the green copper primeval essence.

Time slipped away quietly.

As the candles burned they became smaller and the light grew dimmer. The crescent outside the window had slowly gone down, and then a new day arrived.

The morning light squeezed through the narrow crack in the window and shone into the room. It was like the window had a light edge.

Fang Yuan opened his eyes and looked at the Liquor worm in front of him. The Liquor worm’s white body had a shade of green colour. This was the result of Fang Yuan’s effort after half a night. However it was clear that this volume of green colour was not even 1% of the Liquor worm’s body.

Fang Yuan’s face looked grave. This Liquor worm’s will was way too tenacious and its resistance was incredibly strong; simply put this was beyond a Rank one Gu’s boundary.

“This Gu was most probably the Flower Wine Monk’s vital Gu. The Flower Wine Monk was a Rank five master, so this Liquor worm was originally Rank five, but because it went through all those years without enough food, pretty much full in one moment and starving in the next, so its grade also fell. Right now it is left at the level of Rank one, yet its will is still as tough as a rock!”

Fang Yuan had guessed the truth.

This Liquor worm was originally the Flower Wine Monk’s vital Gu. Its original will had been wiped clean and refined to the end; it had accompanied the Flower Wine Monk throughout all his battles, passing through the underground world.

After the Flower Wine Monk died, his strong will continued existing in the Liquor worm. Right now with Fang Yuan trying to refine the Liquor worm, it actually meant fighting against the Flower Wine Monk’s will.

This was way more difficult than trying to refine a natural Gu.

A human’s will is generally stronger than a natural Gu. When facing death humans were able to produce strength that even they themselves could not imagine. Not to mention that the Flower Wine Monk was a master of the Demonic faction. He came and went by himself, going up and down the underground world. His will was more tenacious than the masters of his level from the Righteous faction.

“To refine this Liquor worm in a month is impossible, unless there is a strong master who can use a Rank two or Rank three Gu’s breath to pressure this Liquor worm and suppress the will inside the worm’s body to the lowest limit. Under this kind of help then will I be able to do twice as much with half the effort.” As he pondered, Fang Yuan could not help but sigh.

His parents had died while his aunt and uncle were plotting against him. He himself did not have any backing, so where could he possibly find external aid?

If he had A grade talent there might still be a chance, but he was only a C grade talent. Everyone in the clan were not optimistic about him, so who would be willing to expend such energy to come and help him?

More crucially, he could not expose the existence of the Liquor worm.

There was no Liquor worm in the Gu Yue Village, and Fang Yuan was not able to explain about the origins of this Liquor worm. If it was exposed, there was a huge possibility that the top brass would find out and link it to the case of the Flower Wine Monk. It was too easy to think of a relationship between the two.

“Based on this fact, seventeen primeval stones will not be enough. I’d need at least thirty primeval stones! How troublesome, but no matter how hard it is I will still want to refine this Liquor worm.” Fang Yuan’s own will was like metal, and he was already determined to refine the Liquor worm.

The importance of the vital Gu was huge. It would greatly influence the future of a Gu Master’s cultivation direction. Although the Liquor worm was not the world’s best choice for a vital Gu, it was still much better than the Moonlight Gu. It was also the best option in Fang Yuan’s present situation.

Growl…

At this moment Fang Yuan’s stomach came up with a cry of protest.

After a whole night without sleep and putting full effort into refining the Liquor worm, Fang Yuan was naturally hungry.

“I guess I’ll go and fill my stomach first and think of a way to accumulate primeval stones.” Fang Yuan rubbed his belly and went downstairs. He went to the cafeteria and picked a seat at the corner, ordering a few kinds of breakfast dishes.

Just as he was beginning to eat, his younger brother Gu Yue Fang Zheng appeared.

“Big brother, why are you staying at the inn, why didn’t you go back home and sleep last night?” His brother was very straightforward, his tone carrying the implication that it was demanding for an explanation.

T/N: I am reworking the measurements a little, it used to be 4 by 4, but I’m starting to realize its something like 4 x 4. The measurements in this novel regarding the sea volume and aperture are just pretty confusing to me, even the people I asked were a little unsure. But I’m slowly getting an idea of it.

Apologies for the confusion!

Edit 2: All measurements regarding aperture and sea are changed to %, 4 by 4 / 4 x 4 is now 44%. Confirmed.

Chapter 18 – Let the past disperse away like smoke

Faced with his brother’s question, Fang Yuan did not speak; he continued eating his breakfast. He knew his younger brother’s character – Fang Zheng was not someone who could keep in his composure.

Sure enough Fang Zheng saw that his older brother did not even bat an eye at him, as if Fang Yuan pretended he was air. In the next moment he called out in a tone full of unhappiness, “Big brother, what did you do to Shen Cui? Ever since she came out from your room yesterday, she cried all over the place. When I comforted her, she cried even more.”

Fang Yuan looked up at his younger brother, his face expressionless. Fang Zheng frowned, staring firmly at his older brother, waiting for his reply.

The atmosphere was growing tense.

But Fang Yuan just looked at him for a second before he lowered his head and continued eating.

The younger brother Fang Zheng was immediately flustered. Fang Yuan’s attitude was clearly an undisguised contempt towards him. Under shame and frustration he banged his hand on the table, roaring loudly, “Gu Yue Fang Yuan, how can you act like this! Shen Cui as a servant girl has served you for so many years; I have seen her gentleness and care towards you. Yes, I know you feel lost, and I can understand your dejected feelings. Yeah you’re just a C grade talent, but it doesn’t mean you can vent your anger on others just because of your own misfortune. This isn’t fair to her!”

He had barely finished when Fang Yuan stood up, raising his hand in a flash.

Slap!

With a loud snap he gave Fang Zheng a solid smack.

Fang Zheng covered his right cheek, stumbling two steps backwards, his face full of shock.

“Useless bastard, what kind of tone are you using to talk to your own older brother?! That Shen Cui is just a servant girl! Just because of a lowly girl like her you would forget that I am your older brother?” Fang Yuan reprimanded in a low voice.

Fang Zheng finally reacted, his stinging pain on his face surging through his nervous system in waves. He stared wide-eyed, his breathing rough as he said in disbelief, “Big brother, you hit me? From the time I was still young until I grew up, you have never hit me before! Yes, I was found out to be an A grade talent, you were just C grade. But you also cannot blame me for it, this is all the arrangement of heaven…”

Slap!

Fang Zheng had not finished speaking, yet Fang Yuan used the back of his hand and smacked him again.

Fang Zheng covered both his cheeks with his two hands. He was stunned.

“Naïve fool, do you still remember! From young till now, how did I take care of you? When our parents died, our life was hard. During New Year, aunt and uncle only gave us both one new robe, did I wear it? Who did I give it to wear? When you were small you loved to eat sweet porridge, I would tell the kitchens to make another bowl for you everyday. When you were bullied by others, who brought you back? Not to mention a ton of other things, I don’t feel like it is worth talking about. Well, right now because of a maid, you would talk to me like this, coming to question me?”

Fang Zheng’s face was red. His lips trembled, ashamed and annoyed, as well as surprised and angry. Yet he was unable to say a single word of rebuttal.

Because everything Fang Yuan said was the truth!

“Whatever.” Fang Yuan sneered, “Since you even gave up your own biological parents and admitted someone else, what am I worth to you, as merely your big brother?”

“Big brother, how can you say that. You also know that I have always longed for the warmth of a family since I was young, I…” Fang Zheng immediately explained.

Fang Yuan waved his hand, stopping his brother from continuing. “From today onwards, you are not my little brother, and I am no longer your older brother.”

“Big brother!” Fang Zheng was surprised, opening his mouth to say more.

At this moment Fang Yuan spoke, “Don’t you like Shen Cui? Don’t worry; I didn’t do anything to her. She’s still a virgin, untouched and pure. Pass me six primeval stones and I’ll pass her to you, from today onwards she can be your personal maid.”

“Big brother, why are you…” To have his inner thoughts revealed out loud so suddenly, Fang Zheng felt a surge of panic, feeling rather unprepared.

But at the same time his heart was assured. The one thing he was worried about the most did not come true.

Not long ago in the night, Shen Cui personally served and washed him.

Even though nothing important happened, Fang Zheng could not ever forget the gentleness of that night. Every time when he thought of Shen Cui, he would remember her skillful hands and her soft red lips, and his heart would throb.

The sincere feelings of youthfulness had long planted itself in the young man’s chest, starting to grow.

Thus when he learned about Shen Cui’s unusual state last evening, a bout of anger immediately burst from his heart. He instantly gave up refining his Moonlight Gu and turned the village inside out trying to find Fang Yuan, wanting to make a statement.

Seeing Fang Zheng not replying, Fang Yuan frowned and said, “Love is very normal, be more honest. There’s no use hiding away. Of course, if you don’t want to exchange, then that’s fine.”

Fang Zheng was anxious on the spot. “I’ll exchange! Why would I not exchange. But the primeval stones on me are not enough for six anymore.”

As he said this, he took out his money pouch, his face red all over.

Fang Yuan took the pouch and found six pieces in it, but one of the stones among them was smaller than a normal primeval stone by half size. He immediately knew that Fang Zheng had absorbed the primeval essence from this stone to speed up the process of refining his Moonlight Gu. After all the more natural essence gets absorbed from the primeval stone, the smaller the stone becomes, and its weight will also become lighter.

Even though it was just five pieces and a half, Fang Yuan knew: These were all the primeval stones that Fang Zheng had in his possession right now. Fang Zheng had no savings on his own, and these six primeval stones were what Aunt and Uncle had given to him not long ago.

“I’ll keep these, you can go now.” Fang Yuan’s expression was cold as he tucked the bag away.

“Big brother…” Fang Zheng wanted to say more.

Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, speaking in a slow and leisure manner, “Before I change my mind, you better disappear from my eyes.”

Fang Zheng felt his heart tighten. He gritted his teeth, and finally turned and left. When he stepped through the doorway of the inn, he subconsciously covered his chest with his hand, feeling a wave of uneasiness. There was a feeling that was telling him that he had just lost something very important.

But very quickly he felt hot as he thought of Shen Cui, and that dreamy night. “I can finally have you rightfully as mine, Cui Cui (1).” He did not look back, and walked out of Fang Yuan’s sight.

Fang Yuan stood expressionless; he stood for a long time, then he finally slowly sat down.

The bright sunlight passed through the window, shining onto his indifferent face, making those who saw this feel somewhat cold inside. The business in the cafeteria was rather poor, and the streets grew busier with people. The noise and excitement from the bustling crowd travelled over, making the place feel quieter. The dishes grew cold. A worker came up attentively, asking if Fang Yuan would like to reheat his breakfast.

Fang Yuan did not hear it. His gaze kept shifting like a cloud, as if he was reminiscing some old memories. The worker waited for a while. But as he saw Fang Yuan in a trance, never saying a single word, he could only rub his nose and walk away bitterly.

After a long time, Fang Yuan’s eyes became focused again. The past memories in his heart were like smoke; they had already dispersed away.

He returned to reality once more. The sunlight that flowed in shone over half the table. The hot air that wafted out of the dishes had already disappeared, and the bustling noise of the crowd on the streets travelled into his ears.

He reached into his robes and patted the five-and-a-half primeval stones at his bosom, his mouth curling into a bitter and mocking smile. But the smile was quickly cast away.

“Waiter, go and reheat these dishes for me.” Fang Yuan took a look at his dishes and faintly opened his mouth, shouting away. At this moment his eyes looked so chilly.

“What! Your older brother really said that?” In the hall, Uncle frowned, his voice cold. Aunt sat aside, looking speechlessly at the fresh red handprint on Fang Zheng’s cheeks.

“Yes, when I met big brother, he was at the inn eating breakfast. The entire thing went like this,” Fang Zheng replied politely.

Uncle’s frown deepened, all condensed into 3 black lines(2).

After a few breaths he sighed and said in a solemn tone, “Fang Zheng my child, you must remember this. The maidservant Shen Cui is not Fang Yuan’s personal property; we assigned her to him. How can he use her as a trading item? If you wished for it, you should have told us earlier on. We would just assign her to you.”

“Ah?” Fang Zheng was stunned as he listened to this.

Uncle waved his hand. “You can take your leave. You gave all your primeval stones to Fang Yuan, so I’ll just give you another six. Remember, use them properly on refining your Gu and seize number one. We will be very proud of you when you do.”

“Father, your child is ashamed…” Fang Zheng was suddenly moved to tears. Uncle sighed and replied, “Just go, hurry back to your room and refine your Gu. You don’t have much time left.”

When Fang Zheng took his leave, Uncle’s face revealed a ferocious and angry expression.

Bang!

He hit the table with his palm using great force, hissing, “Hmph, this damn bastard. He actually took our workers to do an exchange, he’s really cunning!”

Aunt advised, “Husband, calm your anger. It’s just six primeval stones.”

“What do you understand, woman! This Fang Yuan is only a C grade talent, if he wants to refine the MoonlightGu he would need primeval stones. With his weak experience of a first timer, six primeval stones won’t be enough to refine it. But now that he has twelve pieces, it will be more than sufficient.” Uncle was so furious he gritted his teeth.

He added, “A Gu Master’s cultivation will very swift as long as there are enough resources and no obstacles. In two or three years, the clan will be able to produce a Rank two Gu Master. The lower Fang Yuan’s cultivation rank, the smaller his hopes of trying to seize the family inheritance one year later. Right now he is still young, just starting to cultivate. We shall hinder him and let his starting process fall behind those at his age. The academy resources are always awarded to excellent students. With his latent talent, once he falls back he won’t be able to get any resources. Without the help of resources his cultivation will fall even further. With this vicious cycle, I would like to see if he has the ability to inherit the family inheritance a year later!”

Aunt did not understand. “Even if we do not stop him, he would at most be at Rank one Middle stage a year later. Husband, your cultivation is at Rank two, why are you still afraid of him?”

Uncle was so angry he stomped and said, “Woman, you really are a case of ‘long hair but short insight’! With just my identity as the senior, should I really beat down the younger generation? If he wants to get back the inheritance, it is reasonable and cannot be stopped directly; I can only fight back using the clan rules. It is stated in the clan rules: To be head of the house at sixteen years old, the person must have at least Rank one middle stage cultivation. Otherwise it means that Fang Yuan will have no right to waste the clan resources. After I have said this, do you understand now?”

Aunt was enlightened.

Uncle narrowed his eyes, a glint in his gaze. He shook his head a little, sighing as he said, “Fang Yuan is just too smart, too cunning. He could even see through a power play. What kind of intellect is this? Scheming and calculating at such a young age, how terrorizing! Initially I was going to continue plotting against him, yet he moved out straight away. I wanted to further rely on Shen Cui to monitor and trouble him, but in the end he went away and even earned six primeval stones.”

“Alas, if he could be as stupid as Fang Zheng, that would’ve been great. Oh right, from today onwards you must treat Fang Zheng better. He is an A grade talent after all. Not to mention I can see that he has feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness towards Fang Yuan. These emotions are a good thing; they must be guided properly. I have a sort of feeling that he will become the best tool to deal with Fang Yuan in future!”

In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

In the room at the inn, there were no lights. The moonlight poured in, casting a color of frost. On the bed Fang Yuan sat cross-legged, his eyes closed. He moved his green copper primeval essence, concentrating his mind on refining the Liquor worm. On its body, a small cut had already been dyed the green color of green copper, but the Liquor worm’s will was still as tenacious as ever. It constantly struggled in the midst of the ethereal primeval essence.

Fang Yuan’s refining process was not going smoothly. It was very difficult.

“I spent two days and two nights, only resting two hours each day, and I spent twelve pieces of primeval stone but only managed to refine around 1/15 of progress. Calculating according to the time, I guess someone will succeed in refining their Gu in these few days.”

Fang Yuan could see the situation clearly. However his talent was a poor grade anyway, add on the Liquor worm that he was trying to refine having an incredibly tenacious will to live; it was even stronger than a normal Moonlight Gu. The resulting situation of falling behind was normal.

“A moment of falling behind is nothing, as long as I have the Liquor worm…” Fang Yuan’s heart was clear like a mirror, not a single trace of anxiety and discouragement in him. Suddenly, the Liquor worm curled up into a ball.

“Oh no, the Liquor worm is counterattacking!” Fang Yuan instantly opened his eyes, a hint of astonishment in his gaze. Before him, the Liquor worm had curled into a round little dumpling, fiercely giving out a blinding white light.

It was risking everything in this one last stand!

At once Fang Yuan felt a strong will coming out from the Liquor worm’s body, flowing directly through the primeval essence and descending into the primeval sea in his aperture.

The situation where a Gu counterattacked was incredibly rare. Only Gu with extremely strong will would give their all, it was either success or death. In the face of such a scenario, the usual teenager would be panicking right now.

Though he was surprised, Fang Yuan did not panic; in fact he was somewhat delighted. “Staking everything in one last attempt, this is also a good thing. As long as I can handle this counterattack, the Liquor worm’s will shall greatly weaken. However I need to put full focus into fighting back against this will, I cannot receive even the slightest outside interference. Or else that would be bad, sigh… But I hope no one will come and disturb me during this period.”

His thoughts finalized, he was ready to gather the primeval essence in his aperture, ready to accept the Liquor worm’s will. He would be entangled with it and fight it 300 rounds.

But at this moment, a miraculous event happened!

In the middle of his aperture, just above the sea high in the air, a Gu appeared.

Boom!

A mighty strong breath erupted from this Gu.

This breath was like the Milky Way pouring out, and floodwater rushing down from the mountains. Yet, it was also like a dreadful beast whose dignity was offended that opened its scarlet red eyes and looked around to see who would dare to violate its territory!

“This is the Spring Autumn Cicada?!” Seeing this Gu, Fang Yuan was completely shocked!!

(1) Cui Cui is just an affectionate way to call Shen Cui.

(2) The novel says [都凝成了一个川字], which means condensed into a 川 word (Chinese words are used to describe things sometimes)

Author’s Note: (He thanks a bunch of people)

I will keep on going forward, 3 years, 6 years, 9 years… in this period of time, some of you may leave temporarily and some will always stay. In the busy process of human life, we constantly mark our constant existence, and we all prove to each other that we have lived before.

I had imagined this sort of scenario: When we are old, you all will look at ‘Gu Zhen Ren’ this ID, and will laugh in your hearts: “Oh, its him, when I was young I have read his book before. I even gave him a recommendation vote.” Maybe I will open my previous layout and see all these familiar IDs, those that have rewarded, voted and commented before. I will reminisce the times when I was writing alone, these names were the company of my long and difficult journey, giving me warm little lights.

Right here in the book is a small little twist. Fang Yuan will begin to truly show his unique style. Those who were able to read up till here are predestined. I guarantee you right here, this book will become more and more exciting.

T/N: Thank you everyone for reading up till here, and sorry for the long wait! This was such a long chapter to translate, but it is also one of my all time favorite chapters. The sadness and meaning of this chapter has always stayed with me. As the author said, this is the ‘turning point’ and beginning of the real story… I hope you will give lots of support to the author and I hope to translate even more~

Chapter 19 – Rank six vital Gu, The Spring Autumn Cicada!

During the process of refining, the Gu counterattacked!

At this time, the Liquor worm that had inherited the Flower Wine Monk’s extremely strong will invaded his aperture, brazenly counterattacking at Fang Yuan.

This strong willpower descended from above, surging down towards the bottom of the aperture where the green copper primeval sea was. The waves in the sea tumbled, setting off bursts of high tide. Under Fang Yuan’s will, large amounts of primeval essence rose upwards to the sky and gathered together, forming a towering monster wave, brazenly accepting the incoming Liquor worm’s will.

Just as both sides were about to collide viciously in the middle of the aperture, a faint image of a Gu worm emerged in a blank area between the two energies.

This was a cicada. The cicada’s body was not large; if the Moonlight Gu was described as a blue crystal shaped like a curved moon, then this cicada would be a delicate craftwork that was made from palm wood and tree leaves by a master craftsman.

The Gu sported a brownish yellow head and abdomen. Its surface had the texture of a tree’s growth rings, as if it had witnessed countless years. On its back were two very wide and translucent wings, like two tree leaves overlapping. The wings had similar structure; this structure was like a typical net-vein leaf. The center had a coarse stem, and from this stem sprouted out a network vein of leaf lines on both sides.

The Spring Autumn Cicada!

It had been startled. It was just like a giant beast, usually hiding in its cave in a deep sleep. But suddenly it was awakened, furthermore learning that its territory had been violated.

Who dares to come into my turf and act wildly!

As if its dignity was offended, the Spring Autumn Cicada was angry and let out a whiff of aura; the aura was weak yet powerful. It was like the surging Milky Way, rolling forth with vast and mighty waves; it would sweep across mountains for ten thousands of miles, or submerge a broad desert!

To be compared to this aura, the Liquor worm’s will was like the case of an ant meeting an elephant!

The aura swept around and expanded, just like a raised invisible tsunami. The invading will of the Liquor worm did not even have the ability to withstand it; it was immediately swallowed whole by this aura.

Fang Yuan felt depressed. The green copper primeval essence that he had thrust forward with his might collided with this aura like it was a wave crashing onto a great mountain. In a moment the condensed primeval essence disintegrated and dispersed into rain, scattering down to the primeval sea.

The waves on the primeval sea rose one after another; it was like a rainstorm had just swept across, increasing its turbulence.

But after a few seconds, the Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura spread down, pressing onto the primeval sea.

Boom!

Fang Yuan felt like he heard a buzz. In an instant, the rolling waves on the sea calmed down. The Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura firmly repressed the entire primeval sea, just like an invisible mountain pressing down. The surface of the sea was calm like a mirror, not a single wave rolling about. It was like an originally crumpled piece of paper; a boundless giant hand covering over it suddenly, flattening it.

This was easily an incomparable power!

Fang Yuan felt a pressure weighing like an enormous invisible mountain pressing down on his heart. He compared it to Sun Wukong being pressed down by the Five Elements Mountain; Fang Yuan could not even mobilize a single pint of primeval essence.

However although he was shocked, he was not afraid. In fact his heart felt great joy.

“I didn’t think the Spring Autumn Cicada would actually follow me and be reborn together! So it’s actually not a one-time use Gu worm, but one that can be used again repeatedly.”

The Spring Autumn Cicada was a Rank six grade, and it was the first Rank six Gu in Fang Yuan’s previous life, as well as his last. Just to make it, Fang Yuan had used all means and resources, wasting an incredible amount of strength, using thirty years of fermenting to finally succeed.

But not long after he succeeded, when the Spring Autumn Cicada was still fresh from the oven, warriors of the Righteous faction felt Fang Yuan’s threat and gathered together to attack and kill him.

After being reborn, Fang Yuan did not find the Spring Autumn Cicada, so he thought it had died. But in reality it had fallen into a deep sleep, resting inside Fang Yuan’s body.

To travel back five hundred years in an instant was a huge blow to its vitality. It was too weak, so weak that even Fang Yuan as its master could not feel it. Right now even though the Spring Autumn Cicada had appeared, its situation was still bad.

After being reborn it had always been resting in a deep sleep. To appear right now was because it had felt the danger that the aperture was facing; it could be said that the Liquor worm’s will had awakened it.

It was weak, very weak, extremely weak.

In Fang Yuan’s memories, the original Spring Autumn Cicada was full of vitality. Its body was like a precious floorboard, giving out a warm and glossy varnish. Its two wings were verdant green, like two soft tree leaves that had just freshly sprouted.

But right now, there was a strong and deathly chill emanating from the body of the cicada. There was no shine or gloss from its body, making it feel rough and dim like dead wood. Its wings were not the colour of soft and green leaves; they were fully yellow, just like the withering leaves of autumn. The tips of its wings were slightly rolled up, a little incomplete, just like the corner of fallen leaves.

Seeing this, Fang Yuan felt both distressed and lucky. He was distressed because the Spring Autumn Cicada suffered such a heavy blow; it was barely a step away from death, just a foot away from the edge of a cliff.

The fortunate thing was, thank heavens the Spring Autumn Cicada was weak to this point, or else he would be in great trouble!

One must know, between a Gu Master and a Gu, both must complement each other, the best would be both having the same rank.

A Rank one Gu Master should use a Rank one Gu – this was the most appropriate. If the Gu’s grade was lower than the Gu Master, when the Gu Master uses it, it would be the equivalent of a strong man carrying a small stick, the strength output would be small. If the Gu’s grade was higher than the Gu Master, when the Gu Master uses it, it would be the example of a small child carrying a heavy axe, unable to wield it properly.

The Spring Autumn Cicada was a Rank six Gu, and Fang Yuan was just a Rank one initial stage Gu Master. To use an image as example, the Spring Autumn Cicada would be a mountain, and Fang Yuan would be a squirrel. If the squirrel wanted to use the mountain to beat its enemy, the squirrel would just be squashed flat by the mountain at the first second.

If the Spring Autumn Cicada was at its peak state, Fang Yuan’s weak Rank one aperture could not even tolerate it; the majestic aura of the cicada would just make the aperture burst to death.

Fortunately it was at its weakest state, so Fang Yuan’s aperture could accommodate it right now.

“I gave up the Moonlight Gu, going through all the lengths to find the Liquor worm just to refine it into my vitalGu. But in reality I already had a vital Gu from the start, the Spring Autumn Cicada is my vital Gu!” Fang Yuan’s heart was filled with emotion as he felt the close connection between him and the Spring Autumn Cicada.

The vital Gu is the first Gu that a Gu Master refines. It is terribly important, and would affect the future development of a Gu Master by a large extent.

If a vital Gu is well picked, the Gu Master’s development will become smoother. When the vital Gu is of a poor grade, to a Gu Master it would just drag down his cultivation and let peers surpass him. The more important thing is that it would affect the matter of life and death in a battle.

Fang Yuan was clear on this point, so he was not satisfied after choosing the Gu Yue village’s signature Moonlight Gu. He just had to go all the way to find the Liquor worm.

In his memory to a Rank one Gu Master, the Liquor worm was already considered a high quality pick. The Moonlight Gu was just a choice that was slightly above average.

But life is fascinating, because no one will ever know what is waiting for him or her at the next moment.

Fang Yuan had refined the Spring Autumn Cicada in his previous life. After his rebirth the Spring Autumn Cicada fell into a deep sleep, but the connection between them still existed. In fact Fang Yuan found that, as if going through the refinement of the River of Time, his connection with the Spring Autumn Cicada had grown even closer and mysterious than his previous life. It was just because the Spring Autumn Cicada was too weak, so Fang Yuan was not aware of it.

Therefore in the real sense, the Spring Autumn Cicada is the first Gu that he had refined. The only thing was that the Spring Autumn Cicada was not refined in his current life, but the result of hard work in his previous life of 500 years.

The Spring Autumn Cicada was Fang Yuan’s vital Gu.

A Rank one Gu Master, having a Rank six vital Gu!

If this sort of thing was said out loud, it is expected that no one would believe such a thing! This has already broken the limits of human cognition!

But yet, that is exactly what happened. The truth is beyond doubt.

“The Liquor worm as a vital Gu is already one of the best choices, but when you compare it to the Spring Autumn Cicada, it is just like scum on the ground! My vital Gu in this life is actually the Spring Autumn Cicada, ha ha ha….”

Chapter 20 – The academy elder is speechless

The immense joy he felt did not overcome his mind; he quickly calmed down and started to consider the consequences that the Spring Autumn Cicada would bring to him:

“The Spring Autumn Cicada’s ability is rebirth. But right now it is at its weakest state, at the instant I use it, it’ll die. However it is still a Rank six Gu, so I can totally use its aura. This won’t do any damage to its body.”

“Hee hee hee.” After he finished pondering, he closed his thoughts and opened his eyes. The Liquor worm was hovering before him, shivering in the midst of the smoke-like green copper primeval essence that had surrounded it.

Earlier because it wanted a chance to survive, desperation drove the Liquor worm risk everything on a single throw. Yet in the end its will was easily defeated by the Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura. Due to this it suffered a heavy blow, its current strength not even 1% of the original will it had.

“Spring Autumn Cicada.” With a simple thought, Fang Yuan released a small trace of the Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura. This aura pressured onto the Liquor worm’s body; the Liquor worm immediately stood still, motionless like a dead creature. Its scattered will felt the Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura; like a mouse that had run into a cat, it was frightened. It shrank into a ball and was too afraid to move even a slight bit.

Fang Yuan laughed and took the opportunity to mobilize his primeval essence. In the beginning when he tried using his green copper primeval essence to refine it, the Liquor worm’s will resisted fiercely, so it could only expand arduously bit by bit. But right now Fang Yuan’s green copper primeval essence drove straight in, flowing vigorously without resistance. There was no obstruction at all.

The green copper colour on the surface of the Liquor worm rapidly expanded. In a few winks, the once pearl-white Liquor worm was fully dyed green.

The general situation had passed; the last remains of the Liquor worm’s will was finally washed away easily by Fang Yuan’s will, dissolving into nothingness.

With that, the Liquor worm was fully refined!

Compared to the beginning where Fang Yuan had to endure hardship akin to trampling mountains and crossing ravines, the refining process right now was as easy as swallowing saliva.

A kind of mysterious and cordial feeling connected the Liquor worm and Fang Yuan together. The refined Liquor worm was like a part of Fang Yuan – If Fang Yuan told it to huddle up, it would curl; if he told it to curl into a ball it would curl into a round little dumpling. The feeling was like moving his own finger.

Fang Yuan took back his primeval essence, and the Liquor worm returned to its fat and white state. Then with a leap, it went through thin air and plunged into the middle of Fang Yuan’s aperture. When it was inside, the Liquor worm flew a distance away around the hovering Spring Autumn Cicada and entered the green copper primeval sea. On the sea surface the Liquor worm stretched its body arbitrarily; occasionally it would twist around its chubby waist, appearing comfortable as if it were bathing in a hot shower.

“With the Spring Autumn Cicada, my plans will have to change.” Fang Yuan gathered his mind away from the aperture and took out the Moonlight Gu. He repeated what he did earlier: Letting out a hint of the Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura, pressing it down on the Moonlight Gu.

As it felt the Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura, the Moonlight Gu’s will immediately surrendered, its fear so great its will could only turtle up in the furthest corner of its own body.

Fang Yuan’s primeval essence poured in. In the blink of an eye, the Moonlight Gu was dyed a jade green colour. Finally with just a simple thought, the Moonlight Gu’s will was easily strangled.

After he was done he took back his primeval essence and the Moonlight Gu returned to its original, semi-transparent, blue crystal form. He put away the Moonlight Gu; it did not enter his aperture, but instead directly dropped onto his forehead, forming a pale blue crescent mark in the middle of his brow.

The entire refining process of the Moonlight Gu from beginning to end did not take more than five minutes. Comparing the start of his difficult refining process to the situation right now, the speed was rapid and created a sharp contrast.

Not only was it very fast, the consumption of primeval essence was also very little.

For the past few days, Fang Yuan had consumed six pieces of primeval stones just to refine the Liquor worm. But tonight, while Fang Yuan could see the bottom of the primeval sea in his aperture, he did not use a single stone.

“Ha ha, with the Spring Autumn Cicada at hand, it is as easy as having a god’s help! After today all I just need to do is use its aura to pressure down, any Rank one Gu will be easily refined. Even though I only have C grade talent, I don’t need to borrow the help of primeval stones. The difference of before and now is like heaven and earth.”

Fang Yuan’s mood was joyous. Right now his situation was like pushing away the mist and cloud to see the blue skies.

Although the Spring Autumn Cicada was at its weakest point, it was still a Rank six Gu. A fallen tiger still leaves behind threat; a festered ship still has three pounds of nails (1). Just relying on its aura, Fang Yuan’s cultivation from today onwards would receive a huge driving force.

At this moment, the moon outside the window was bright and the stars were few. The moonlight flowed through the window, shining on Fang Yuan’s face.

“Initially I thought I wouldn’t be able to get number one, but the road twisted and turned unexpectedly. Time waits for no one! I must go to the academy now and receive the top prize!” Fang Yuan’s eyes glistened.

With a thought the Spring Autumn Cicada faded away from view and disappeared once more, returning to its deep slumber. Then he called out the Liquor worm and hid it away at a corner of his bed. This was to prevent the academy’s unnecessary examination.

Fifteen minutes later, in the clan academy.

The academy elder had long gone to bed, but in his dreams he could vaguely hear the sound of somebody knocking on the door. He was awoken by the noise and he opened his eyes, rather displeased. “Who is it outside there in the middle of the night?”

Instantly a voice replied in a respectful tone, “Reporting to sir elder! It is a student from this year’s batch; he has already finished refining the Moonlight Gu. You have instructed your subordinates earlier to report to you the very instant the first name appears, no matter what time it is.”

“Well… Its true that happened.” The academy elder frowned, and then he got off his bed. As he put on his robes he asked, “Which student is it that got number one this year? Is it Gu Yue Fang Zheng?”

The subordinate outside the door replied, “It seems so. The moment I heard the news I hurried over here to tell you about it, sir. It seems to be someone from the Fang family branch.”

“Hehe, counting the time, it is probably him.” The academy elder laughed lightly, confidently saying, “Who else could it be besides the A grade talent genius? All those B grade talent students would still be worse even with the help of primeval stones. Or else why would the grade of cultivation talent be so important?”

As he said this he pushed the door open and came out. Outside the door, his subordinate respectfully bowed, moving two steps backwards. “Sir is right,” he echoed.

In the hall, ten candles or so burned together, brightening up the hall. The man who had received Fang Yuan had already cleared up all doubts by now. Under the bright light of the candle fire, his face showed a stunned expression. “Wait, what did you just say? You are called Gu Yue Fang Yuan, not Gu Yue Fang Zheng?”

Fang Yuan nodded. At this moment the elder walked in from the entrance. Fang Yuan and the man stood up and turned around to greet.

When the academy elder saw Fang Yuan, his face was full of smiles. He strode over and stood in front of Fang Yuan, patting his shoulder in a friendly manner. “You did well, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, you did not disappoint me. You are indeed an A grade talent – genius! All those B grade, C grade peers of yours will never compare to you no matter how hard they try. Ha ha ha.”

Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng were twin brothers; their outer appearance was similar to a fault. Even the academy elder was mistaken.

Fang Yuan was neither haughty nor humble. He took a little step back, letting his shoulder free from the academy elder’s hand. He stared at the academy elder, his hands folded behind his back. Then he said with a faint smile, “Sir elder, you have been mistaken. I am Gu Yue Fang Yuan, Gu Yue Fang Zheng is my younger brother.”

“Huh?” The academy elder opened his mouth slightly, his expression startled. He glared at Fang Yuan doubtfully, his brow turning into a frown. After a few breaths, he finally spoke. “You are Gu Yue Fang Yuan?”

“Correct sir,” Fang Yuan replied.

“You have refined the Moonlight Gu?” The academy elder was extremely surprised. His two eyes glared firmly at Fang Yuan’s crescent mark on his forehead. His eyes were shining; he was asking the obvious.

“Indeed, that is the case,” Fang Yuan said.

“Then, you are first of your batch?” The academy elder was asking stupid questions, but he was not entirely at fault. After all, this situation was entirely out of everyone’s expectations.

One must know that he had been in charge of the academy for decades and is extremely experienced. He had seen C grade talent students contending for number one before this, but it was never this early. Not to mention that in this batch there were peers with A and B grade talent.

“If there is no one earlier than me…” Fang Yuan pretended to be in deep thought, then he rubbed his nose and continued, “Then it seems like it.”

The academy elder: “……..”

(1) It means that while spoiled/damaged, it can still be put to use.

Chapter 21 – How can it be that big brother got number one?

The sky was not yet bright, and the sun had yet to rise. The east sky just began to turn bright, the dark colours in the sky slowly fading away, the smell of the night still remaining in the air.

The streets were empty, then came the sounds of quick footsteps. The early dawn mountain air was moist, yet Gu Yue Fang Zheng did not feel the slightest cold rush; his heart was full of surging enthusiasm. His face blushed red, and now he was walking swiftly toward the academy.

“I have been cultivating hard these few days, spending two primeval stones. I did not sleep at all last night, and I’ve finally successfully refined the Moonlight Gu. I am an A grade talent and I was so hardworking. No one can be faster than me, no one! Father and mother, I told you I won’t let you feel disappointed.”

When he thought of the moment where he told his aunt and uncle about the good news earlier, they expressed happiness and relief, making Fang Zheng feel a surge of joy and pride.

“Just wait, all you clanspeople who looked down on me, and big brother. From today onwards, I shall make you all look up to me, Gu Yue Fang Zheng!”

The more he thought the more Fang Zheng felt excited. He could not help but clench his fists, and his pace quickened a little more.

He came to the academy entrance.

The academy’s two guards looked at him strangely. They asked him, “Umm, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, why are you back?”

“What, big brother was here just now?” When Fang Zheng heard them, his face showed a hint of surprise and puzzlement.

“Ah, whatever!” He would never have guessed that Fang Yuan would snatch away number one. He shook his head and cupped his hands together, his tone carrying a trace of arrogance, “Two elder brothers, I am not Gu Yue Fang Yuan, but I’m Gu Yue Fang Zheng. I have already successfully refined my vital Gu, and I am here to come and take the top prize.”

“You are Gu Yue Fang Zheng? You brothers are just too alike, no wonder the academy elder was mistaken,” the guard on the left side shouted, his eyes widening. The guard on the right shook his head and said, “You came one step too late. Just last night in the late hour, your older brother Gu Yue Fang Yuan came and met with sir elder and took the top prize.”

“My older brother!” Fang Zheng suddenly opened his eyes wide, crying out, “Wait, you said he’d gotten number one?”

How can this be! Isn’t his big brother a C grade talent?

Getting number one, this has to be a joke right?!

“It’s true. How could we possibly joke around with this matter?” Seeing Fang Zheng in disbelief, the guard seemed somewhat unhappy.

“This matter has been confirmed by the academy elder. In due course the name list will be released and announced. What’s wrong, your older brother did not tell you about it?” The other guard added.

Fang Zheng just stood silly at the door.

The truth was so much different from his imagination; right now he just could not understand what had just happened. In Fang Zheng’s heart, there were several illusions of his adversaries. Among them, the ones that brought the most threat were two – Gue Yue Mo Bei, and Gu Yue Chi Lian.

These two were of B rank talent. Behind them were the clan’s two largest family branches, and each of them had a grandfather that carried huge authority as elders, as well as sufficient financial power.

If any of these two people won first place over him, Fang Zheng’s heart and mind was still prepared. Even though he would feel a sense of loss, it was still acceptable.

But right now, the one who took away number one was not Gu Yue Mo Bei or Gu Yue Chi Lian; it was not even any of the opponents in his heart.

But it was Gu Yue Fang Yuan, his older brother!

That person with a C grade talent!

That person who fell downhill and turned dejected after the Awakening Ceremony!

That person who slept soundly in class all day!

That person who was always heavily drunk and never turned home at night!

That person who bullied Shen Cui, slapped him twice, and took all his primeval stones away!

That person who always held him down, just like a shadow entrenched in his heart!

“How can it be like this? It can’t be possible!” In a short while, Fang Zheng roared in his heart, “I was so hardworking, but he just drank everyday until he became drunk, and yet in the end he was the one who got number one, is this even fair? Why? Why?!”

The sun rose from the east, the birds chirped around, and the overflowing air of spring took over Qing Mao Mountain.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng bathed in the warm sunlight. He slowly lowered his head, gritting his teeth, looking at his own lonely shadow. The excitement in his heart had turned into a balloon that leaked air, long dissipating. Instead what took its place was the emotions of confusion, resentment, unwillingness, puzzlement, fear and other complicated feelings.

As time went by, the sun climbed higher.

The academy bulletin wall had posted a new name list, and on the list were just two names – firstly Fang Yuan, and then Fang Zheng. Following the appearance of this list, the news gradually spread out.

After hearing the news, all those young students who had been bent on refining their Gu at home after receiving one were in an uproar.

“How can it be like this!”

“If it was Fang Zheng who got number one I would still have believed it, but it’s Fang Yuan, isn’t he a C grade talent?”

“Could there have been a mistake, the A grade talent Fang Zheng actually lost to the C grade talent Fang Yuan, is this Tales from the Thousand and One Nights(1)?”

The Mo branch family home.

The greenery in the courtyard was overflowing, the fragrance of tea dancing about.

One of the clan elders of the Gu Yue clan, Gu Yue Mo Bei was sitting in front of his desk, looking at the spring scenery outside his window. He leisurely drank his tea and said, “Mo Bei hasn’t continued refining his Gu?”

The housekeeper standing at a side hurriedly replied, “After he heard about news concerning Fang Yuan in the afternoon, young master Mo Bei seemed to be deeply affected and has no mood to continue refining the Moonlight Gu. It is a pity, young master Mo Bei was just so close to succeeding. Actually, if Fang Zheng got number one it could still be ignored, but it just has to be that C grade talent Fang Yuan. So young master Mo Bei lost his interest, it can’t be helped.”

“Hmph! Do not excuse him.” Gu Yue Mo Chen snorted coldly, his face stern and his tone hard, “A Gu Master’s cultivation process is full of hardship each step, what is a small setback like this? That Fang Yuan is just a C grade, so to be able to get number one it is presumably because of luck. The Moonlight Gu that he chose must have had a weak will, so that is how he could snatch the top. If Mo Bei can’t see through this and let such a small setback get to him, then how is he supposed to be in charge of our Mo family branch in future, how can he compete with the Chi family branch? No one is allowed to advise him, let him think about it by himself!”

“Yes, master.” The housekeeper did not dare refute.

Almost at the same time, in the home of the Chi family branch.

“Sigh, Gu Yue Fang Yuan…” The clan elder Gu Yue Chi Lian gave a long sigh, his brows held down in a frown as he thought, waving his hand around. “Someone, call young master Chi Chen over please.”

In a moment, Gu Yue Chi Chen walked into the room with a lost expression, kneeling down with respect, “Your grandson greets his grandpa.”

“Seems like you already know about the news,” Gu Yue Chi Lian stared at his only direct grandson, his tone gentle. He slowly said, “I called you over to prevent you from getting influenced by this matter. You see, when refining the vital Gu, firstly one looks at the talent, secondly at the Gu worm.”

“Fang Yuan’s talent is just C grade, yet he was able to gain number one this time. This means that the Gu he chose -compared to all the Moonlight Gu your peers have – has a will that is much weaker. This is entirely due to luck. So my grandson, do not be discouraged, this is nothing really. He is just a C grade talent, though he is the same as you, but his supply of resources is not as well as yours. His road to advancement will also be harder than yours, believe your grandpa, you will soon surpass him.”

“Hence you should put away this trivial matter. Fang Yuan will not be your opponent, and is not worthy to be your adversary. Your real enemies are the A grade talent Fang Zheng and the Mo family’s Mo Bei. Do you understand?”

“Yes, thank you for your advice, grandpa. I understand. I will go now and continue refining my Gu!” Gu Yue Chi Chen had lost the sad expression on his face, replacing it with a high-spirited will to fight.

“Mmm.” Elder Gu Yue Chi Lian nodded his head, satisfied. A kindly smile emerged from his face and he said, “Good grandson. While your talent is only C grade, but you can be rest assured that grandpa will fully support you. Later on, I will come out and use the aura of a Rank three Gu worm to suppress your Moonlight Gu’s will and help you refine this Gu!”

(1)天方夜谭 – I am not entirely sure what it means here, but I only got Arabian nights from looking up the word, Baidu tells me it is the title of Tales from the Thousand and One Nights.

Chapter 22 – Dancing Moonblade

The sky was blue and clear, looking pure as if it had been washed clean. The sun was shining golden.

Puffs of white clouds floated away, and a group of colourful peacock parrots chirped as they flew beneath the blue sky, forming an arrow formation under the clouds as they soared.

This variant of colourful parrots would only appear in large groups during springtime. Their bodies were littered with feathers the colour of the rainbow, their bodies the size of an eagle. The birds had parrot beaks, while their tails were that of a peacock’s flowing long tail.

It had been ten days since the day Fang Yuan managed to acquire number one in the test to refine the vital Gu. The spring breeze blew over the whole mountain’s green grass, while the wild flowers bloomed eagerly, and the bees and butterflies danced around together. Life was surging all around; it was the wonderful beauty of spring.

The breath of spring was so strong that the tall bamboo walls surrounding the training grounds could not hold it back.

This training field occupied 3 Mu(1). The ground was flat, paved with a layer of thick and wide grey graphite. Its four sides were planted with green spear bamboo; these green poles were placed closely together side by side, straight and tall, forming a circle of green high walls.

While below the wall corners were stone as well, clumps of green grass emerged from many areas. In between the bamboo were also some wild roses, poking in from the outside, a few even climbing the wall.

Fifty-seven young teens at the age of fifteen were standing in the midst of the training field right now, formed in a semi-circle around the academy elder who was in the center, putting their focus on him.

This was a lesson to teach the students on how to use the Moonlight Gu.

“The Moonlight Gu is our Gu Yue clan’s symbolic Gu, just like the Xiong(2) House’s Bear Strength Gu, and the Bai(3) House’s Stream Gu. The majority of you on the field have chosen the Moonlight Gu as your vital Gu, so you must all watch properly. Soon I will demonstrate personally how to use the Moonlight Gu to attack. Students whose vital Gu is not the Moonlight Gu must also concentrate on me, as this classical long-distance attacking method can also be used on other Gu; the spectrum of methods one can use is very wide.”

As he spoke, the academy elder stretched out his right hand, his five fingers opening wide. He lowered his palm so that the young teens could see the center of it.

“Firstly, you use your mind to mobilize the Moonlight Gu, moving it to the center of your palm.” Following his voice, the crescent mark that represented the Moonlight Gu moved down the elder’s arm and into his palm.

“Then, you mobilize the primeval essence in your aperture, pouring it into the Moonlight Gu.” A thread of white silver coloured primeval essence gushed out from the elder’s body, so fine it was almost impossible to see. It entered the Moonlight Gu in his palm.

The academy elder was of a Rank three realm, and only Rank three Gu Masters could produce white silver coloured primeval essence. Rank one Gu Master’s primeval essence was commonly known as green copper primeval essence, while Rank two Gu Masters had theirs called red iron primeval essence. When they reached Rank three, it becomes white silver primeval essence.

Once it absorbed the thread of white silver primeval essence, the crescent-shaped mark in the elder’s hand instantly glowed brighter and brighter. Although it was daytime, it still issued a brilliant pale-blue light.

“That’s awesome!”

“How beautiful.” The youngsters could not help but let out praises of surprise and amazement when they saw it.

The pale blue light was clear like water. It flickered faintly in the elder’s palm. At first glance it would seem as if the academy elder’s hand was scooping a handful of moonlight. The academy elder smiled a little. “Now watch carefully, the last step is just like how I will do it, launching it out.”

As he said this, his widely opened five fingers slowly closed together, then he lifted his arm up and slowly moved it forward, his arm straight. Finally he waved his palm lightly in a cutting motion.

The entire movement was steady and powerful.

Swoosh.

The young students could hear a light brushing sound beside their ear.

Following the academy elder’s movement, the condensed water-like pale blue light in his palm was thrown out like that.

The light transformed into a small moonblade in the air, the faint blue moonblade only the size of a wide-open hand, the shape just like the crescent moon in the night sky. It drew a straight line in the air before it hit a grass puppet ten meters away.

A tearing sound was heard, and the grass puppet’s neck that was about thirty centimeters thick was cut clean by the moonblade. The puppet’s body swayed about, the huge head suddenly falling onto the floor.

After cutting the grass puppet into half, the moonblade immediately appeared dimmer. However it continued flying about another six meters in the air before the crescent began to gradually fade away, finally dissipating in the air.

Looking at the grass puppet’s neck again, one could see that the cut area was extremely flat, as if it was cut away by the sharpest sickle.

The youngsters were all shocked as they saw this, their eyes wide-open. A few of them even touched their own necks involuntarily, astonished by the attacking power of the moonblade.

After a short silence, the sounds of exclamation began. The teenagers had shining eyes as they stared at the grass puppet, some of them staring at the elder’s palm. A few of them were looking at their peers, talking and whispering excitedly.

Only Fang Yuan stood hidden in the crowd with a cold expression, his stature calm.

In his previous life, Fang Yuan had cultivated to Rank six, and he had created the Blood Wing Demon Sect in the Middle Kingdom. He taught tens of thousands of people, and was reputed as a giant figurehead of the Demonic faction, his fame illustrious.

The academy elder was just a Rank three Gu Master. This small trick was just child’s play to him; it would not cause any ripple of emotion in Fang Yuan’s heart.

“All those of you who have refined the Moonlight Gu, step out. Each one of you shall take a grass puppet and follow the way I just did it, throwing out the moonblade, practice attacking.”

Once the academy elder was finished, around thirty students stepped out.

In this batch the entire clan had a hundred young teens joining the Awakening Ceremony. Those who had cultivating talent were around fifty-seven. Among these students, those who had chosen the Moonlight Gunumbered around thirty-five. After going through these few days of hard work, they had all refined the Moonlight Gu. Those that were left were all D grade talents. It was not because they did not desire to refine the Moonlight Gu, but it was due to the inability of their talent, so they could only withdraw after learning of the difficulty.

To the youngsters of the Gu Yue clan, the Moonlight Gu was not a simple Gu worm, but the symbol of the clan’s glory.

Very quickly thirty-five of them stood in a row. Each of them faced forward, standing ten meters away from a grass puppet on the opposite.

Fang Yuan stood in the middle of the row, but he did not garner any attention. The practice began.

The students all stretched out their right hands, letting the Moonlight Gu move to the heart of their palm. One by one the blue crescent mark started to give out water blue light as green copper primeval essence was poured in.

But when they drew a vertical cut with their palm, only seven or eight crescents flew out. Among these crescents, some of them only appeared for a short moment before dissipating away. Some flew out for two to three meters before disintegrating into blue light with a bang. Some flew further, but the direction was severely off-course, flying straight up to the sky.

The young teens all frowned. When they saw the elder’s demonstration earlier it seemed quite easy. But when they started practicing themselves, they realised the skill required in this action. To throw out a moonblade and to have it hit on the grass puppet, it really was not that simple.

The elder had a faint smile as he watched. He saw this scene every year, and was not surprised. The remaining twenty-two students could only stand outside the field, watching jealously.

After practicing for five minutes, the youngsters were gradually able to produce moonblades. For a time in the training ground, pale-blue coloured moonblades flew about everywhere.

A few moonblades would fade halfway, a few unluckily crashing into another. Some flew out of the training field, twisting around. Those that were able to hit on the grass puppets were just a small few. Of course these were all due to sheer luck.

The academy elder started to tutor and guide each one personally.

He focused greatly on Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng and those others with good latent talent. He patiently corrected their postures, teaching them his experience. Towards those C grade talent students like Fang Yuan, he only mentioned two sentences.

Fang Yuan kept condensing the blue light in his hand. He waved his palm a few times cutting the air, but he did not release the light, pretending and acting. With the field a mess at the moment and no one focusing on himself, he moved his thoughts and released his hold on the Moonlight Gu, his palm tilting a little, making a cutting action.

In order not to raise attention, he did not focus on his own grass puppet opposite him, but aimed at the one on his left.

With a whoosh, a moonblade flew out quickly, passing through the center of chaos, drawing a straight line in the air and cutting accurately into the neck area of a grass puppet.

The grass puppet wavered for a moment, the neck area cut deeply by the moonblade. But very quickly, the green grassy area that was cut began to regrow, tangling together and healing away the wound.

Of course, this grass puppet was not a normal scarecrow. It was a Rank one Scarecrow Gu, having the nature-type ability of self-recovery.

Unless the puppet was cut into half at once, it would just recover back to normal in a short while.

“Wow, look at that crescent!”

“How cool, who threw it?”

Moonblades that were able to hit grass puppets right now were rare. Fang Yuan just casually hit one, yet it caused the most significant result so far. Thus in an instant the students outside the field gave out cries of surprise. Even the academy elder’s attention was caught, and he asked, “That moonblade just now was not bad. Was it yours?”

He looked at a C grade talent student with an enquiring eye, since that grass puppet was just opposite him.

This male student blinked his eyes, feeling somewhat bewildered as he faced everyone’s sudden gazes at him. To be honest the field was just in a chaos earlier with moonblades flying about, so even he did not know if it was he himself who threw it.

However looking at it, it probably is me? Thought the young boy. Then he nodded his head subconsciously.

The youngsters around him immediately looked at him with admiration.

“Who is he, what is his name?” Some of the girl students asked around.

“Even he can throw out a moonblade, I must not lose!” Gu Yue Mo Bei’s eyes flashed with a hint of determination.

“So it’s not big brother who threw it,” Gu Yue Fang Zheng inexplicably sighed with relief. After Uncle and Aunt consoled him, he was able to recover from the previous blow.

“Big brother, you won first place last time because your luck was good, picking a weak-willed Moonlight Gu. A Gu Master’s cultivation cannot always rely on luck, I will win you.” Fang Zheng was cheering for himself in his heart.

“You did well. Continue trying hard, seize the feeling you had earlier.” The academy elder patted the student’s shoulder, smiling as he encouraged him.

The young boy quickly showed excitement and he nodded continuously, his eyes appearing with a different luster.

The elder took the opportunity and announced, “Listen up everyone, this will be your homework. Practice well after class, in three days I will check the results. Whoever performs the best will receive ten pieces of primeval stones as the prize. Understand?”

“Yes!” The young students all shouted loudly. They could not help but be more excited when they heard about the primeval stone reward.

However only three minutes later, the moonblades that flew about in the air started to thin gradually.

“Damn, every single moonblade takes up 10% of primeval essence.”

“The consumption of the moonblade is just too much, I am just a C grade talent, my aperture can only hold 38% of green copper primeval essence. I can only throw out three moonblades.”

Those that stopped all sighed.

The academy elder was calm as he witnessed everything, but his heart sighed, “This is the benefit of those with high cultivating talent. To use the moonblade, it is simply just three words – Practice makes perfect. Those with higher grade talent are able to hold more primeval essence in their apertures, and the rate of recovery is faster, so they have more chances to practice. Those with poorer talent can also use primeval stones to make up for it, strengthening the number of practices. But those with low grade talent and have no primeval stones, though they have the mind to practice they will still be powerless. Sigh, the Gu Master’s cultivation process is just so cruel. I had just better take care of those high grade talent students.”

(1) 亩 – Mu, an ancient Chinese measurement. 1 Mu is 666 ⅔ meters²

(2) 熊家 – Xiong House, Xiong is the word for Bear

(3) 白家 – Bai House, Bai is the word for ‘white’ as in white colour

T/N: Well as per mentioned, Gu Yue clan’s Gu Yue means Ancient Moon. I will keep people and clan names in their original Chinese term but if there is any significant meaning or anything important and relevant to the story I will explain it, of course.

I’ll probably make a page in future, detailing and listing down all these names and stuff so you can refer to it anytime.

Chapter 23 – Raising a Gu is like raising a mistress

The sun had already set.

The sunset glow was still burning in the sky. The mountains far away in the distance were covered in a thick layer of grey ash, gradually turning to black.

In the academy, a day’s class was over. The students walked out from the academy in groups of twos and threes.

“I’m really happy today, I learnt quite a few things. Especially how I got to learn how to use the Moonlight Gu.”

“The way the moonblade flies in the air looks so cool. It’s too bad that my talent isn’t enough, so in the future I can only be a logistics Gu Master, I won’t be able to go onto the battlefield.” The young teenagers happily chatted away.

A few of them called their friends over.

“Let’s go and eat, we can drink some rice wine while we’re at it, what do you think?”

“Sure, that’s not a bad suggestion.”

“You guys go on first, I need to go to the store beside the academy’s Gu room and buy a grass puppet. It will be easy to practice at home with it.”

Fang Yuan went to the Gu room alone.

The academy’s Gu room kept quite a few Rank one Gu worms. There were many types and variations, and Fang Yuan’s Moonlight Gu was taken freely from inside.

Once in a while the students would have a free chance to pick a Gu worm. If one wanted to get extra Gu, they would need to pay up.

In this short time Fang Yuan had no wish to refine any other Gu. He walked to the building beside the Gu room – it was a small store.

In the store there were seven students, each of them negotiating over the counter with the store owner for buying grass puppets.

“It’s you, junior.” The Rank one Gu Master responsible for the store was in his twenties. When he saw Fang Yuan, he automatically greeted him while bargaining with his customers.

Fang Yuan was taken by surprise, finding out that this Gu Master was Jiang Ya. It was the young Gu Master that had taught the hunters a lesson in the inn.

“Ah, it’s you senior.” Fang Yuan nodded his head, his face expressionless.

Jiang Ya took out a grass puppet from the counter behind him, passing it to the student who purchased it. At the same time he threw Fang Yuan a friendly smile and asked, “Did junior brother come here to buy a grass puppet as well? If you want me to leave one for you, you just need three pieces of primeval stones. These things sell like hotcakes, right now there’s only seven left, if you wait any longer there won’t be any stock left.”

Jiang Ya’s attitude towards mortals was arrogant, but towards people like Fang Yuan, he was very kind and sincere.

Fang Yuan shook his head, laughing secretly as he thought, this Jiang Ya really did know how to do business. The grass puppets were made with the Scarecrow Gu. Even after including the primeval essence that was put in, the final cost should not be more than one and a half primeval stones.

“Senior, this isn’t fair. It should be first come first serve, why leave any for him?”

“Yeah, we all came early. If you want to do business you should know the rules.”

“Three pieces will be three pieces, here’s the primeval stones, give me a grass puppet.”

The youngsters in the store were all worried when they heard that the store only had seven puppets left. They stopped trying to negotiate, and took out their stones to buy it.

Very quickly, seven satisfied teenagers walked out.

“Does my junior want to buy a grass puppet?” Jiang Ya laughed as he asked, “It seems like they were sold out, but actually there’s still the eighth puppet stowed away below the chest. If junior doesn’t buy it now, you will miss the opportunity.”

Fang Yuan had no interest towards the grass puppet. He shook his head and pulled out a piece of primeval stone, putting it on the counter. “I want to buy ten moon orchid petals.”

Jiang Ya was stunned. He looked Fang Yuan deep in the eye, taking away the primeval stone and pulling open the counter drawer. Then he took out a paper bag, saying, “Ten pieces of moon orchid flower petals, not one less. Please make sure.”

Fang Yuan checked the goods on the spot and found no mistake with it. Finally he left the small shop.

Gu have to be fed.

A Gu Master refines Gu, uses Gu, and at the same time needs to raise Gu.

Refining a Gu is difficult; there is the risk of counterattack. Using a Gu is not easy; one needs a lot of practice. The knowledge of raising a Gu is even more extensive and profound, because there are all kinds of Gu worms and their food are exceedingly strange. Some need to swallow soil, some need starlight, some require tears and some feed on the clouds and air from the nine skies.

Just by taking Fang Yuan’s current three Gu for example, the Moonlight Gu requires moon orchid petals, two meals a day. In the morning and night one meal, every meal two pieces of flower petals. Meanwhile for the Liquor worm, it needs to drink wine. A jar of green bamboo wine could support it for four days. As for the Spring Autumn Cicada, it is even more peculiar as it drinks straight from the River of Time, maintaining its vitality.

The River of Time supports the flow of this world. It is not far away in the sky but very near at hand, flowing by every person’s side. Every move made by every living creature requires the push of time.

Time is like flowing water, hurriedly gliding forward. The River of Time is invisible and colourless, while in reality all living creatures are actually surviving and living in the waters of the River of Time.

After buying the bag of moon orchid petals, Fang Yuan went to the inn to buy green bamboo wine. The Liquor worm could also drink some turbid wine or rice wine to live. However with this kind of second-rate wine the amount it needed to drink would increase, and it would need many jars everyday. After calculating, Fang Yuan decided it would be better to buy green bamboo wine straight away. Not only would it be more worth than buying second-grade wine, it would also not arouse suspicion.

“Young sir, you’ve come.” The workers in the inn had already known Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan passed him three pieces of primeval stones directly, saying with a familiar ease, “Give me a jar of green bamboo wine and make me a few good dishes. You don’t need to give me the change, just put it here first. At the end of the month when it amounts up to one stone, you can subtract from my bill with it.”

Even though Fang Yuan no longer stayed at the inn right now ever since he moved to the academy dormitories, he would always have a meal here when he bought wine.

“Alright. Young sir please take a seat, the dishes will be sent over immediately.” The worker echoed, leading Fang Yuan to his seat. He took the cloth on top of his shoulder and gently wiped the table before leaving. Indeed as the worker said, the dishes were very quickly served.

Fang Yuan ate and calculated at the same time in his mind, “A piece of primeval stone can buy me ten pieces of flower petals. The Moonlight Gu consumed four pieces everyday. A jar of green bamboo wine costs two pieces of stones, and it can support the Liquor worm for four days. In other words just to raise and feed the two of these Gu, I would need to spend nearly one stone everyday.”

It does not seem like much, but in reality this was very costly. The monthly living expenses for a mortal family of three only used up one piece of primeval stone. From the starting of refining the Gu until today, sixteen days had already passed. Just to raise the Gu alone Fang Yuan had already spent fourteen and a half primeval stones.

“I have acquired the Flower Wine treasure, taken away Fang Zheng’s bag of primeval stones and also got the first place reward. My primeval stone assets once reached up to forty-four pieces and a half. However in the early days of refining the Gu I wasted six pieces and a half, then I used fourteen pieces and a half on feeding these Gu. My living expenses cost half a piece, and today I am probably left with twenty pieces.”

Fang Yuan took out his money pouch. He opened it and looked inside. The bag contained pieces of primeval stones inside. Each of these stones were greyish white in colour, their shapes ellipsoid and the volumes equal, the size similar to a duck egg.

After counting he found that he really only had twenty pieces left. In other words if this continued on then Fang Yuan would only be able to go on for half a month with the remaining stones he had left. He was not like his peers – they had relatives and friends to help them out, especially with the case of students like Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng who were loaded with primeval stones.

Fang Yuan could only think of a way himself.

“Uncle and Aunt have already cut off my living expenses, but every weekend the clan academy would give out three pieces of primeval stones as subsidy to every student. Looks like I would need to show off in the moonblade assessment in three days and take that ten primeval stone prize.” Fang Yuan chewed the food in his mouth while he pondered.

His current age was just at the age where the body was growing. Without realizing it all the rice and dishes had entered his stomach.

Taking up the sealed green bamboo wine jar, Fang Yuan lifted his feet and started walking, leaving the inn.

“Young sir, young sir.” The inn worker chased after him from behind and said, “Just to tell young sir something, but in less than a month the trading company will arrive to the village. By convention they would always buy the green bamboo wine in our shop. Young sir loves our green bamboo wine and always buys a few jars every week, so the innkeeper ordered me to tell young sir about this matter. The green bamboo wine in our store has limited supply, so after we sell it to the trading company I’m afraid we would be left with very little.”

“Is that the case?” When Fang Yuan heard the news, he frowned slightly. To know someone and tell apart the conversation, Fang Yuan had five hundred years of experience. The shop worker and the young Gu Master Jiang Ya spoke with similar meaning, however Fang Yuan could naturally tell the difference with Jiang Ya’s tricky words and the shop worker’s truthful words.

This matter was a little troublesome. Fang Yuan needed to feed the Liquor worm and he needed a huge amount of green bamboo wine in the long run. If this inn ran out of stock then he would have to use huge amounts of second-rate wine to feed the Liquor worm.

It was not possible for him to drink several jars a day. After a while people would be suspicious. After thinking about it, Fang Yuan took out ten pieces of primeval stones and said, “Then I’ll buy another five jars. I will need you to carry them for me and follow me to put them in the academy dormitory.”

“Alright, young sir.” The worker immediately accepted the primeval stones.

The moon orchid flower petals could only last for five days without any special storage means, so Fang Yuan would only buy a bag every time. However the green bamboo wine could be kept for a very long time, thus there was no problem with this.

A few workers followed Fang Yuan into the academy dorms and placed the wine jars under his bed, and then they bid their leave. As he saw the money pouch that had suddenly flattened down in his hands, Fang Yuan heaved a sigh.

Refining a Gu is hard, but raising a Gu is also not easy.

This is also considering the fact that he had his five hundred years of previous life experience, so he did not need to practice using his Gu, meaning that the consumption rate of primeval essence would be lessened and thus saving him a huge sum of expenses.

For those at his age around him, they would need to practice using the Moonlight Gu and would need to waste primeval essence. To increase proficiency, one would need to practice many times. When too much primeval essence is consumed, primeval stones would have to be used as a supplement since the recovery rate is too slow. To buy a grass puppet it costs three primeval stones as well. All this is money.

“Fortunately my Spring Autumn Cicada feeds on time and not anything else. Otherwise I would have long gone bankrupt, I would never be able to support it.” Fang Yuan suddenly felt very lucky.

The more high-end the Gu is, the greater the food consumption needed or the more precious and rare the food required would be, thus the more difficult it would be to keep. A normal level Rank two Gu worm would cost up to around one to two pieces of primeval stones a day.

It is good enough if the food is purchasable. There were some Gu that required food that was relatively difficult to find, some of it did not even circulate in the market.

Just like the Spring Autumn Cicada’s food being time itself, this was actually more precious. After all there was a saying, an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.

No matter how much money you have, can you buy time?

You can’t!

In theory a Gu Master can refine an unlimited amount of Gu. As long as you can refine it, whether ten, a hundred or a thousand worms is possible. You can refine as many Gu as you wish to.

But in reality a Gu Master normally only had 4-5 Gu.

Why?

The biggest reason is because it is hard to afford.

The higher the grade of the worm, the more expensive it would cost to feed and raise. It often gave a Gu Master too many difficulties to cope with, making them have unceasing headaches over it.

Another reason was – unable to use.

To use the Moonlight Gu to throw out a single moonblade attack, one would need to use up 10% of primeval essence. A C grade talent Gu Master could run out of primeval essence in their apertures after launching three to four attacks.

To raise so many Gu, wouldn’t it be a waste if one couldn’t use them anyway?

Thus in the Gu Master’s cultivation there was a saying going around: Raising a Gu is like raising a mistress.

To keep a mistress you would need to buy food, clothes, a house etc. It is very expensive and the more you have the more costly it is; a normal man cannot afford it.

Even if you keep so many, a man’s energy is limited; he cannot use them all. Would you raise them just to look at them?

When the rank of the Gu Master increases, so does the food standard of the Gu worm. Thus please refrain from seeing how a Gu Master has no limit to the number of refining Gu; in general a Gu Master only keeps around 4-5 Gu of his level.

If the number of Gu was raised higher, the Gu Master would go bankrupt!

Chapter 24 – Close Combat Gu Master

Three days later.

“Lowering your body to dodge, that is the usual technique of restraining against a flying fist. When your enemy comes and attacks you, quickly squat down and at the same time do a counterattack, striking his crotch and abdomen. Do not be afraid of a swinging fist. Usually those who come up and start swinging their fists at the first moment are people who have no brains and are impulsive and rash.”

On the martial arts field, the academy’s martial arts(1) instructor spoke while he performed actions to demonstrate. A wooden puppet’s right first swept over, and the martial arts instructor quickly squatted down, dodging the incoming attack. Then he threw a punch at the puppet’s abdomen, knocking it down with a few punches.

The students were looking at the demonstration in a circle, but most of them were lacking in spirit, showing very little interest.

The academy taught a variety of courses and this lesson was the one that taught foundation of martial arts. Using fists and legs to exert oneself was too inferior to the handsome and cool attack style of the moonblade, making almost all the students absent-minded.

“The next class will be the Moonlight Gu’s usage assessment. How have you been practicing so far lately?”

“I’m still doing good. I can do three moonblades, but only a few of them actually hit. Usually I get two blades on the grass puppet.”

“Mmm, that’s the same like me. I specially bought a grass puppet just to practice for this in these few days.”

…..

The young teens whispered to one another, their minds long gone from the lesson. They were all worried about the assessment in the next class. Just for this assessment, they had practiced hard for a long time after class, and now they were flexing their hands and feet, looking forward to the assessment.

The sounds of the students’ discussion had reached the instructor’s ear, and the martial arts coach jerked his gaze back at them, shouting, “No talking allowed in class, all of you keep your mouths shut and watch closely!”

He was a Rank two Gu master, his body rather muscular. His upper body was naked and robust, the bronzed skin littered with countless scars on it. With a loud shout he showed a threatening manner, pressing down on all the students in the field.

Silence fell in the martial arts field.

“The foundation of martial arts is the most important among important things. Especially in the early stages of a Gu Master’s cultivation, it is more important than anything else. All of you better focus your attention on me!”

After he finished scolding, the martial arts instructor called out another wooden puppet. This light yellow wooden puppet was two meters tall, its huge wooden feet making sharp sounds as it stepped on the bluestone floor tiles. The wooden puppet stretched open its arms and rushed clumsily towards the coach.

The instructor dodge its attack, then fiercely hugged its waist and used his strength to push it forward down, causing the huge and tall wooden puppet to fall to the ground. Then the instructor rode on the puppet’s waist and swung his fist quickly at the puppet’s head.

The wooden puppet resisted for a moment, then its head was smashed broken by the instructor’s raining blows. It was paralyzed on the ground, lying motionless.

The martial arts instructor stood up, his breathing calm and long as always. He explained to the students, “When facing a huge and tall enemy in close combat, do not be afraid. Ruining the opponent’s center of gravity is a type of sensible tactic to pin down your enemy. Just like how I did it earlier, you must hug the opponent’s waist, control his hips and then push forward with your strength. After that you take the opportunity and get on his body and fiercely punch at your enemy. Those with no defensive capabilities will instantly collapse.”

The students nodded repeatedly, but most of their eyes showed disapproval. The coach saw all of this and laughed bitterly in his heart.

Every batch was like this. The attitudes of these youngsters were naturally easily attracted by gorgeous things. Without personal understanding and experience, it was hard for them to understand the importance of having a martial arts foundation. In truth especially for a Gu Master in his early stage, while the basic martial arts did not look promising, it was actually more important than the blade attack.

“….Remember, in close combat, your sight must not always stare at the enemy’s eye. It should focus on the enemy’s shoulder. No matter punching or kicking, the enemy’s shoulder will always move first….”

“…In close combat your speed is very important, the speed I am talking about in this context is not the speed of your fists, but the speed of the movement of your legs….”

“….Distance is the best defense…”

“…Keep your legs elastic, then you will be able to easily burst out your strength…”

“When striking with your fists, maintain a triangle support. Otherwise you will lose your footing. The enemy has not fallen, yet instead you fell first…”

The instructor patiently explained while he demonstrated. These were all his valuable experiences that he got from sacrificing blood and tears, experience accumulated from long battles.

Unfortunately the students were unaware of this. They gradually started to whisper again, the focus of the discussion still on the next lesson’s moonblade assessment.

“This martial arts instructor is very pragmatic, but his teaching style is wrong.” Fang Yuan watched quietly among the crowd, nodding and shaking his head at times. The instructor had no discipline in his teaching; he taught completely by interest, and just taught whatever he thought of. Therefore the things he taught came out in a mess and there was a lot of complicated info. In the beginning many students listened seriously, but gradually they lost interest and diverted their attention to other aspects.

Only Fang Yuan listened meticulously all the way; while others were learning, he was revising. His combat experience was richer than the instructor, but listening to others narrating was also a way of verification in cultivation.

A Gu Master’s method of fighting is usually divided between melee and ranged. The moonblade attack is a type of ranged attack, but when strictly speaking, it is considered medium range due to its effective distance only being ten meters.

When it came to close combat Gu Masters, the martial arts instructor was the best example. Melee battle GuMasters would usually choose Gu that amplified their own body strengths and cultivate. These Gu would give them superhuman strength, agility, responsiveness, endurance etc.

Just like this martial arts instructor, his whole body was covered in bronze skin. This was of course not his own skin colour, but it was a type of copper skin Gu’s effect. The copper skin Gu would increase the Gu Master’s skin toughness and defence by a lot, letting the Gu Master be able to endure more damage.

“A single moonblade would consume 10% of primeval essence. How many times can a Gu Master throw a moonblade during battle? The number is few, especially for beginners who have difficulty forming effective blows. It can only be used as a type of trump card, the terrorizing factor is greater than its lethality. To a Rank one Gu Master, the truly useful skill would be martial arts kung fu. This is because the martial art offence is more durable and reliable. It’s a pity that this fact is something that they will not understand unless they face it with their own experience.”

Fang Yuan lightly glanced around at his peers, a faint sneer somehow forming on his lips.

The basic martial arts class was finally over. After a short rest, the student’s eyes were filled with anticipation; the academy elder was late. He waved his big hand, pointing at the row of grass puppets in front of the bamboo wall. He went straight to the subject and said, “Alright, today is the day to check the results. I want five people in a group coming up in proper sequence, using the moonblade to attack three times.”

Swoosh.

The first group of students went up, and the moonblade danced in the air. After three rounds, only nine moonblades hit on the grass puppets.

The academy elder shook his head a little, feeling slightly displeased. This hit rate was too low, the key being that among these five only two managed to successfully throw out two moonblades.

“You all better practice properly after this, especially you, and you.” The elder reprimanded in a short sentence, then he waved his big hand and said, “Next group.”

The two that were reprimanded dropped their heads and left the field in dismay. One of them was a girl, her eyes a little red and her heart grieving. She was only a C grade talent, yet she could not bear to use primeval stones to quickly recover her primeval essence. Thus in these three days she practiced very little, resulting in her unskilled throwing of the moonblade.

A Gu Master needed money to refine Gu, raise Gu; even practicing to use Gu needed cash. But where was she able to get so much money? Even though her two parents were supporting her from behind, but every family had their own problems. To be short of funds was often the dilemma that a Gu Master faced.

“Anyway I don’t have the slightest chance of getting number one. I might as well give up and save on primeval stones, that is better for me.” As she thought of this, her heart became calm once more.

There were actually quite a number of people who thought the same way as this young girl. Because of the lack of practice, many of the students performed poorly. The academy elder’s brow deepened more and more.

Fang Yuan watched, secretly shaking his head. “These people are really pitiful and sad. Just for a small amount of primeval stones, they gave up their own chance to make progress. Primeval stones are meant to be used; if you want to become a miser and accumulate primeval stones, then what did you become a Gu Master for?”

In other words, those who are shortsighted would often haggle over every penny and chase after less important things. As for those with lofty aspirations, they usually showed a tolerant and generous attitude, and had the strength to give up and let go of things.

“It’s finally my turn.” At this moment, Gu Yue Mo Bei’s horse face lit up in a confident smile all over, and he walked up to the field. His stature was stout and gave out a fierce and strong aura. After standing still he raised his hand and threw three moonblades – all three of them hit. Among the blades, two of them hit on the puppet’s chest, while the other blade hit the puppet’s left arm, shaving away a few green grass.

This result naturally caused the young teens to burst with admiration.

“Well done.” The elder’s brow slightly smoothed out.

The next group came up, Gu Yue Chi Cheng standing among them. He had a small and short body, his face full of pockmarks, his expression bringing a slight nervousness.

He sent out three moonblades continuously and all three hit on the puppet’s chest, cutting out three intertwined scars. The scars went from deep to shallow and restored back to its original appearance after a few breaths, due to the puppet’s self-healing ability.

However this outcome was already tied to Gu Yue Mo Bei’s result, and also received the elder’s praise. Chi Cheng held his head high as he walked out of the field, looking at Mo Bei defiantly in the eye on the way.

“Hmph!” Below the field, Gu Yue Mo Bei gave a cold snort, but he did not return Chi Cheng’s glare. Instead, he continued looking at Gu Yue Fang Zheng who had not gone up yet.

His heart clearly knew that the real threats were only Gu Yue Chi Cheng and Gu Yue Fang Zheng. The previous was the same like him – a B grade talent while also having the constant supply of primeval stones. The latter was an A grade talent; while Fang Zheng did not have as many primeval stones as them, but just by relying on his own natural recovery speed thanks to his grade talent, he would also be able to practice a lot in a short amount of time.

Right now Gu Yue Chi Cheng’s results have appeared, showing a tie to Mo Bei, and only Gu Yue Fang Zheng was left.

In the last few groups, Gu Yue Fang Zheng finally came up to the stage.

(1) 拳脚 – Chinese boxing but I translate it as martial arts, because firstly I’m not sure Chinese is the proper word here. This land isn’t really China and their language isn’t really Chinese, also writing Chinese boxing feels out of place here.

Chapter 25 – The light of spring is enchanting

“Is he Fang Yuan or Fang Zheng?” Some of the students were muttering; there were still people who could not differentiate between Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, the two twin brothers.

“It’s Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan is always wearing a cold expression, he would never appear tense,” someone answered.

“Oh, then there will be a spectacle. Fang Zheng is the only A grade talent from our village in three years, after all.” The crowd casted their eyes over to the field.

Fang Zheng could feel the pressure among the gazes shot at him, and this made him feel even more nervous. Standing on the stage, his fingers were trembling slightly.

He threw out his first moonblade, originally intending to aim at the grass puppet’s chest. But because he was tense, he missed – in the end the moonblade imprinted onto the grass puppet’s neck area.

The young teens instantly let out a sound of slight surprise.

They thought that Fang Zheng deliberately did it. Instead of aiming for the easiest spot which was the chest of the puppet, he went for the neck instead – this was a showcase of huge self-confidence towards his own attacking skill.

They could not help but look forward to Fang Zheng’s next move. Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng however had their complexions cast down.

Only those among the field who could see Fang Zheng’s error were the academy elder and Fang Yuan.

“How dangerous!” Looking at the moonblade, Fang Zheng exclaimed in his heart while secretly feeling lucky. He took in a few deep breaths, trying his best to calm down. Then he threw out two blades. This time he did not make any mistakes, and the two blades hit accurately on the grass puppet’s chest.

This result made the academy elder nod his head, and Mo Bei and Chi Cheng calmed down as well. Fang Zheng’s result was different from theirs, so it would all come down to how the academy elder decided to grade them.

The other students let out sounds of sighing. Fang Zheng’s later performance was not interesting, making them feel slightly disappointed.

The next few groups were not interesting either. No one was able to perform better than Mo Bei, Chi Cheng and Fang Zheng. The youngsters started to whisper around.

“At this rate, the top scorer in today’s assessment should be among the three of them.”

“All three of them managed to hit the grass puppet, I wonder who the academy elder will deem better.”

“Hold on, it’s the last group. Fang Yuan’s going up.”

“Oh, that C grade talent ‘cold genius’? Heh heh.”

Right when it was the last group, Fang Yuan finally went up stage.

“It’s that Fang Yuan….” Gu Yue Mo Bei lifted his head and looked at Fang Yuan for a moment, then he lowered his eyes uncaringly.

“Last time you got really lucky, choosing a weak-willed Moonlight Gu by accident and getting number one. Let’s see how you perform this time!” Gu Yue Chi Cheng hugged his arms, waiting to see Fang Yuan make a fool of himself.

“Big brother… This time will not be like the last. I have practiced so hard for so long, I can definitely surpass you.” Among the crowd, Gu Yue Fang Zheng pursed his lips, subconsciously clenching his fists tightly.

Previously in the assessment to refine the vital Gu, he as someone with an A grade talent actually got second position. Naturally he was not happy with this. Especially after he understood that Fang Yuan was able to win and get number one because of sheer luck, this made him even more unsatisfied. To Gu Yue Fang Zheng, being victorious over his own older brother Fang Yuan had a special and great significance.

Many gazes were gathered on Fang Yuan, and the academy elder’s sight was fixed on him as well. Fang Yuan made no emotion; his expression was cold and detached.

He stood still, primeval essence pouring into the Moonlight Gu in the heart of his palm. With a cut in the air, he struck out the first moonblade.

This moonblade flew very high. It not only went over the grass puppet’s head, but flew over the bamboo wall as well. It went on for almost fifteen meters before the light turned dim and vanished into thin air.

“Pfffft…” Someone couldn’t help but laugh out.

“This is way too outrageous, isn’t it.” Someone sneered.

“He’s indeed a genius. No wonder he managed to get number one in refining the Gu.” Another spoke sarcastically.

In the earlier years when Fang Yuan created poetry and showed early wisdom, it had already caused discontented emotions among these people. Later on when he relied on ‘luck’ and got number one in refining his vital Gu, this made them feel a layer of jealousy among their dissatisfaction.

Many of them were waiting to see a ‘good show’. They waited to see the ‘genius’ Fang Yuan reveal an embarrassing action, and this moonblade of his did not let them down.

Waves of laughter swept across the crowd.

The academy elder shook his head slightly, secretly laughing at himself. Why did he have to be so concerned with Fang Yuan for no reason? He was just a C grade and merely a boy who got number one in refining Gu because of sheer luck.

In his heart he had already made up his mind. Although Mo Bei, Chi Cheng and Fang Zheng’s results were the same, he would still pick Fang Zheng as number one.

The war between Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng was the epitome of the political struggle between the two most powerful elders in the clan. The academy elder had always remained in the center and had no intention to enter the middle of the political vortex.

The academy elder was more inclined towards the clan head Gu Yue Bo, and Fang Zheng was a set with the clan leader. Add in the fact that he had A grade talent, choosing him as number one would mean showing biased care for him, and it was something the clan’s upper authorities could accept.

A warm spring breeze blew over, the smell of flowers drifting into the training grounds. The sunlight shone down on Fang Yuan’s body, sending a lonely black shadow onto the ground.

His expression was still cold as he quietly gazed at the grass puppet ten meters away. The moonblade in his palm was giving out a faint blue light.

Of course, he had deliberately thrown the first moonblade off course. Right now he only had two chances left to act. Taking into account the academy elder’s position, to acquire number one he would have to create an outcome that exceeded everyone’s expectations in the next two attacks.

“With only two chances left to attack, it’s impossible. Big brother, I have finally won over you.” Gu Yue Fang Zheng’s eyes did not flicker as he stared at Fang Yuan. From young till old, the life shadow that his older brother had brought onto him finally faded away slowly at this moment.

Fang Zheng could feel victory so nearby. His two fists were subconsciously clenched tight, his entire body so full of excitement that he trembled slightly.

“Big brother, my victory this time is just a beginning. Next, I will keep on winning over you again and again until I banish away all the shadows in my heart. I will prove to the clan, the excellence of an A grade talent genius!” Fang Zheng told himself in his heart.

But just at this moment, Fang Yuan acted. His right palm was like a knife, splitting the void.

With a sharp tearing sound, the watery blue light shrouded in his palm was thrown out. It flew in the air, turning into a curved blue moonblade, shooting towards the grass puppet.

In just the next second Fang Yuan’s right palm lit up again in a coat of blue light. He turned his palm and shot out the third moonblade. These two attacks connected smoothly like flowing water; it was a seamless combination.

The two moonblades flew out in quick succession, the distance between the two blades less than half a meter apart in the air. Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, the two moonblades accurately hit onto the grass puppet’s neck.

“This…” Fang Zheng’s pupils shrank, a bad feeling emerging from his heart. In the next moment, the students slowly opened their mouths wide as they wore astonished expressions.

They saw that the grass puppet’s head slowly tilted to one side, then it fell off the neck and dropped onto the ground. With a bounce, it rolled two to three meters away.

Fang Yuan had beheaded the puppet!

This outcome had gone beyond the expectations of everyone on field.

“Is this luck or skill?” The academy elder frowned. This doubt hovered in the hearts of the rest of the students. For a time, the entire training ground lapsed into silence.

“How could this be…” Fang Zheng murmured. He stared at Fang Yuan blankly, the surged emotions in his heart dropping instantly, falling deep into the lowest point.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, acting as if he was oblivious to the gazes that fell onto him from the crowd.

Cluck, cluck…

Under the blue skies and white clouds, a group of peacock parrots suddenly flapped their wings and flew in mid-air. They dragged their magnificent, long and slender peacock tails, clucking in the air as they flew about playfully.

Fang Yuan stood in the center of the training field, looking up. Under the bright sunlight, the multi-coloured feathers of the birds dazzled even greater and gorgeous. His expression was indifferent, as if the person who just cut off the grass puppet’s head was not him.

“Ah, the light of spring is really enchanting..” He sighed in his heart.

Chapter 26 – The nature of all organizations

As it neared nightfall, the sun on the edge of the horizon looked like blood. The afterglow rays poured into the school where around fifty students sat upright. On the stage above, the academy elder was reading out names one by one, distributing allowance to them.

This was the academy’s weekly subsidy where every seven days allowance would be distributed. One could say it was financial aid for these young teens. After all with their capabilities, to feed and raise their own Gu was a lot of financial pressure.

“Gu Yue Fang Yuan.” The elder read aloud.

Fang Yuan got up from the seat by the window at the last row. He walked up the stage, receiving two moneybags. In one bag was three primeval stones – the clan’s allowance. The other bag held the reward of ten primeval stones.

“Work hard,” the elder said. He gave Fang Yuan a deep look. Fang Yuan had continuously achieved number one, and this had let those elders who were originally disappointed in him start paying slight attention.

Fang Yuan nodded his head and took the purse into his arms, returning to his seat.

“Damn it, he actually got number one again…” Gu Yue Mo Bei fixed his gaze onto Fang Yuan firmly, his heart rather furious.

“Those two moonblades consecutively hit the neck of the puppet. Is this because of sheer luck or real skill?” Gu Yue Chi Cheng narrowed his eyes. Since the end of the assessment until now, this question had been hovering in his mind.

It was not just him – many students unconsciously drifted their sights towards Fang Yuan. This question haunted them. Although they had lost, their hearts were unsatisfied and they wanted to question what actually had happened.

When the day was about to end, the academy elder announced a matter. “You all have been in the academy for an amount of time now, and you are familiar with how to use your vital Gu as well. In the next few days I will teach you all how to warm and nourish your aperture, advancing a Gu Master’s cultivation realm. The higher the realm of a Gu Master, the more concise your primeval essence becomes. A Rank one Gu Master has green copper primeval essence; a Rank two Gu Master has red iron primeval essence and a Rank three Gu Master possesses white silver primeval essence. A portion of red iron primeval essence is comparable to ten portions of green copper primeval essence. Similarly a portion of white silver primeval essence equals ten portions of red iron primeval essence!”

“You must all remember, the Gu are just tools that we use. Cultivation is the foundation of us Gu Masters. The higher your rank, the stronger the Gu you are able to use. In the next three months, whoever can take the lead and promote to Rank one middle stage will receive a reward of thirty primeval stones. At the same time he will be able to choose the second Gu first. After three months, we will elect a class monitor and two vice-class monitors based on the results. The class monitor will enjoy a subsidy of ten primeval stones while the vice-class monitor will have an allowance of five pieces! Alright, that’s all for today. You can all leave.”

The elder’s words made the academy burst with noise.

“Time to elect the class monitor and vice-class monitor!” Someone clenched his fist in excitement.

“The class monitor receives ten primeval stones every seven days, and the vice-class monitor gets five pieces? If I am able to be the first to reach Rank one middle stage, I will definitely be able to become the class monitor.” Another had lights in his eyes.

“The primeval stones are not the important focus. What matters here is the position of class monitor and vice-class monitor – it represents glory and places one’s identity over others. When normal students sees the class monitor they must all bow and greet him.” Gu Yue Mo Bei and Chi Cheng did not lack primeval stones, but they deemed the glory of the position very important.

“To become the class monitor, without mistake it is the first person who promotes to Rank one middle stage first! That means when big brother see me in future, he would have to bow and automatically greet me. Hold up, where is big brother?” Gu Yue Fang Zheng subconsciously looked back, but Fang Yuan’s seat was empty.

The students walked out of the academy.

“Where’s Gu Yue Fang Yuan?” Gu Yue Mo Bei wanted to look for Fang Yuan and ask him face to face. However Fang Yuan was one step ahead and had long left.

“Hmph, he sure ran away fast. Is he afraid? Looks like he got lucky again in today’s test.” Gu Yue Chi Cheng sneered.

“Whatever, it’s just ten primeval stones. I don’t need to care about this small matter, right now what’s important is to advance to middle stage and get that class monitor position.” Gu Yue Mo Bei narrowed his eyes, looking at his side where Gu Yue Chi Cheng and Gu Yue Fang Zheng were.

These two figures were his real enemy, while Fang Yuan was just a small C grade talent; he was not on par.

“In the first two times, Fang Yuan got lucky and got number one. However this time it is a cultivation test, and the focus is on the talent of cultivation. When the talent is higher by a grade, the advantage becomes much greater,” Gu Yue Chi Cheng thought, depressed in his heart. His real grade talent was only a C grade; it was only because of cheating that let him gain the illusion of having B grade.

“Just a mere class monitor and two vice-class monitor positions got them itching their fists. How hot-blooded and naïve they are at this age,” Fang Yuan sneered as he leaned against the gateway of the academy.

The so-called glory was just a valuable tool the upper levels used to motivate those below them. In the end, it was just a layer of illusionary glory, it was useless!

His five hundred years of experience had long allowed Fang Yuan to understand some of the secrets of life.

“Whether it comes to a clan, sect or demonic group, whether it is this world or earth, all organizations are like this. The high and low positions are established, making the law of promotion clear, letting those in the organization climb up non-stop from the bottom. Because chasing after profit is the nature of humans, and positions of authority often make people have superiority, creating the illusion that oneself is living a more valuable life than others.”

“Power is like the carrot dangling in front of a donkey. The desires of humans are stimulated by it, and each of them secure their personal gains with someone with authority for it. After climbing up one level, there will be a higher level. While they are busy currying favour for personal gain, their hard work is squeezed out from them and their value is exploited by the upper position.”

“In every organization, as long as there is a chain of command, it is to give serve to those at the upper ranks. The so-called class monitor and vice-class monitor position is like the smallest carrot, luring everyone else into the structure of the clan. And to stop those below from realizing the truth, those at the higher positions integrate shared values, clear-cutting the idea of glory, meritorious deeds etc. The establishment of high and low positions are made along with unequal benefits. Sometimes the use of religion is done to dominate people’s hearts.”

“This is the real truth, yet it is a pity that too many people in the world do not understand; they foolishly work hard for others. And for every organization in the world, the most fundamental of its essence is just one thing, and that is – The redistribution of resources, where the higher the position the more resources they can enjoy.”

In his previous life Fang Yuan had founded the Bloodwing Demon Sect in the Middle Kingdom, where he taught up to tens of thousands of people. He erected the positions of demon soldiers, demon generals, demon sages etc. Each position gave their corresponding benefits, letting countless people flock over like ducks, letting Fang Yuan order them around. This kind of experience allowed Fang Yuan to understand clearly the way of thinking in this principle.

“Thus any organization is just a representation, while the real basis is just one word – resources. Without food resources, one will die of starvation. Without water resources, one will die of thirst. Without cultivation resources, one will become weak and sooner or later, be bullied to death.”

“And for a Gu Master, primeval stones are the most important resource!” Fang Yuan’s two orbs were deep like an ancient pond, and as his mind reached this point the corners of his lips curled up slightly, creating the outline of a sneer.

He had long left the academy, and right now he stood at the gate entrance of the school. He saw the first batch of students coming out, gradually walking closer towards him.

“It’s Fang Yuan.”

“What’s he doing at the middle of the gate entrance?”

“Hmph, every time I see his dead dysfunctional state, I feel so pissed off.”

“Don’t worry about him, he’s probably waiting for someone.”

The young teens paid no attention to him. Just as they were about to walk over, Fang Yuan strode across and blocked them. “I’m plundering. Everyone must surrender a piece of primeval stone before they can leave.”

T/N: Robbing time. What a pain this chapter was to translate >_>

Chapter 27 – Outright extortion

The young teens were instantly shocked and angry.

“What, I didn’t hear wrongly, did I?”

“Fang Yuan, your head must have overheated and gone confused. You would actually stand at the gates of the academy and blackmail us?!”

“Have you gone mad? Who gave you the guts to put your ideas on us?”

“Scram, you’re just a petty C grade, how dare you block my way. If you don’t scram, I will send you flying with my…Urghh!”

Fang Yuan suddenly lashed out.

His right palm furiously cut forward. His movement was quick and precise, his slice of his palm hitting the left side of someone’s neck.

This unlucky teenager was totally not expecting Fang Yuan to suddenly attack him. While he was still cursing at Fang Yuan, he suddenly suffered a heavy blow. His two eyes instantly rolled up and he fainted on the spot.

“Fuck! You actually dared to strike?!” The crowd jumped, and the young teens subconsciously retreated backwards.

“Gu Yue Bei Ju fainted, what do we do?” Some of them were terrified and scared, shouting around in horror.

“What else can be done?! There’s so many of us, and Fang Yuan is alone. We should all rush at him together and beat him up.” Some people were shouting, their rage erupting.

“That’s right, he sure doesn’t know his place! How he dares to provoke us by himself. He’s definitely digging his own grave with his over-ambitiousness! Everyone get on him together!!”

Yet before they could do anything, Fang Yuan had already struck. He strode a few steps forward, rushing into the group of teenagers.

He slashed his palm and the edge of his hand cut onto a youth’s neck. The young man rolled his eyes upward and fell.

“Ahh —!” Another teen yelled loudly, swinging his fist at Fang Yuan, sweeping through the air. Fang Yuan lowered his body and dodged, then he lifted his leg and kicked the boy’s crotch area.

AHH OWWwwww—!

The youngster’s loud roar was originally sonorous and indignant, but after he took the blow his voice instantly rose higher and became sharp and shrill, filled with a kind of misery and pain.

Thump.

He covered his crotch with his two hands, his knees giving way as he dropped to the ground. He rolled around on the floor screaming loudly, the pain so great his entire body was covered in cold sweat.

Fang Yuan swung his two fists around like a tiger that had entered a flock of sheep!

He had five hundred years of battle experience, and these youngsters were just a bunch of soft green kids; they had only just started cultivating not long ago, how could they possibly be his opponents?

In the blink of an eye, Fang Yuan put down the entire group of young students. If they had not fainted, then they would be lying on the ground, the pain making them drained and their bodies hurting all over.

“What’s going on here?!” Gu Yue Mo Bei arrived and exclaimed. He saw that Fang Yuan stood at the entrance of the academy gates, and there were five to six students on the floor around him.

“This Fang Yuan, h-he wants to extort our primeval stones!” One of them lying on the floor shouted angrily while clutching his belly.

“Wow, still full of energy huh.” Fang Yuan’s expression was flat as he kicked fiercely at the abdomen of the boy who just yelled.

Oww!

The youngster immediately cried out in pain, his body curling up like a shrimp. Fear emerged from his face, his tears streaming down as he dared not to speak again.

As they saw this scene, the students that came over all felt Fang Yuan’s fierce savageness and cruelty, their hearts throbbing.

“Alright, all of you be good and hand out a piece of primeval stone. Then I’ll let you go, or else, these people on the ground here will be your fate.” Fang Yuan made a big step forward, his tone callous.

“In your mother’s face! You petty little C grade would even dare to win me, a B grade?” Gu Yue Mo Bei flew into a rage, swinging his fists as he rushed toward Fang Yuan before they knew it.

With a slight turn of his ankle, Fang Yuan swerved gently sideways and let Mo Bei’s fist fly past. Then he stretched out his left hand, lifting the index and middle finger toward the center of Mo Bei’s clavicle, accurately jabbing at the area below the throat.

Mo Bei immediately blacked out, falling onto the ground with a thump, fainting on the spot.

Hiss…

As they saw what just happened, the young students that planned to rush forward quickly stopped, each of them releasing a mouthful of cold air.

In the eyes of these youngsters, Fang Yuan’s attacks were suddenly too profound to be understood. They did not pay attention to basic martial arts, but in reality it was vaguely mentioned during class. The human body had many vulnerable parts, and several parts that Fang Yuan had struck were one of those vulnerable places. When these parts were struck, it would easily make a person faint on the spot, and a heavy blow would induce a life-threatening crisis.

However Fang Yuan had proper restraint when he attacked.

Those that he had tackled down were either knocked out or suffering in immense pain, losing the ability for combat in a short amount of time. There was no one who was really seriously injured.

This was the terror of five hundred years’ worth of combat experience!

“Are you going to give me your stones or not?” Fang Yuan did a step forward, forcing the other youths. They looked at each other for a moment, then half of them gritted their teeth while the other half roared angrily, all of them swarming towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan dodged about while striking at the same time. His cultivation base was lowly, but his realm was still there; his heart was cool as ice, his movements quick and precise.

Thump, thump…

After a few breaths, bodies fell down onto the ground again.

“It’s too vicious! Too terrible!”

“They’re not going to die, are they?”

There were still a few young girls left behind; they did not rush forward. Their eyes were open wide, and after seeing what had happened so far their bodies trembled more and more.

Fang Yuan swept his gaze to them, and their faces turned pale as they quickly waved their hands and retreated. “No, don’t come over. We’ll surrender, we’ll surrender the stones!”

After Fang Yuan received a few pieces of primeval stones, he let them go. They stumbled out of the academy gateway, while in succession several students came over.

To leave the academy, this gateway was the only route. With Fang Yuan blocking this path, he would be able to block out all the students.

“Damn, what’s going on?!” The new wave of students stared in amazement.

“Isn’t that Gu Yue Mo Bei?” Gu Yue Chi Cheng stared at the unconscious Mo Bei on the floor, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

When Fang Yuan opened his mouth and spoke, the youngsters were instantly angered and they attacked him, then they fell.

“Sir elder, we’re just going to keep watching all of this and not stop them? What if someone loses their life, how are we going to salvage the matter?” The guards were worried.

Some of the guards were indignant, saying, “This Fang Yuan has too much guts. He would actually dare to extort his classmates at the academy school gates under our eyelids. This is acting with utter disregard of the law and discipline! As long as sir gives the command, we subordinates will take away this kid.”

The violent matter of Fang Yuan blocking the gateway and openly extorting his classmates had long attracted attention since the beginning. But mortal guards had no right to punish the students, so they could only go first to the academy elder and report.

When the academy elder heard the news, he did not immediately command for them to stop it. Instead he went up the pavilion and observed from afar.

“Looks like this child has fighting talent.” The longer the academy elder watched the more interested he felt.

Fang Yuan’s use of the moonblade today had already caused some uncertainty in the elder. Right now he watched as Fang Yuan with his strength alone, making an enemy out of the entire batch of students, bearing a sort of unstoppable fighting style of graceful demeanor. With this the doubts in his heart were cleared.

In this world, there were those who were particularly keen and sharp towards battles; these were hidden gifts. They were good at fighting, and they loved battles. In the battles they were often inspired, and always created surprising and even unbelievable accomplishments.

“Ah, he’s a natural battle Gu Master. Pity, his talent is only C grade; in the end he just lacks one step of a grade.” The academy elder heaved a sigh.

“Sir, are you not going to stop this farce? Letting him go on with this nonsense, I’m afraid the consequences wouldn’t be too good.” The guards beside him had worried expressions on their faces.

T/N: They really do curse and swear in this novel, by the way. Hope you guys don’t mind the vulgarities, though that’s probably the least of your worries in future.

Chapter 28 – Capital free business

“Why stop it?” The academy elder lifted his eyebrows and laughed. He lifted a finger and pointed it at Fang Yuan who was far away and said, “This young man has taken control of the entire situation, and his attacks are fully restrained. Look at the way he cuts at the neck, he only acts on the left or right side, but never cutting at the nape. This is because he knows that striking the neck sides can make a person faint on the spot. Meanwhile attacking the area at the back of the head and neck could cause death, so he automatically abandoned that way of attacking.”

“Look at all those youths on the ground, which one of them is actually heavily injured? None! Even if they were badly hurt, so what? Are you saying that our academy’s treatment Gu Masters won’t be able to cure this sort of traumatic wound?”

“But sir elder, that child is just too arrogant. He blocked the entrance; this is obviously not acknowledging our existence as guards! Being ignored isn’t the main problem though, the important matter is how the clan will think of our academy. To actually allow a small petty C grade student make a fuss in the academy and not stop it. If word goes out, we’re afraid this might affect your reputation, sir elder.” The guard squinted as he said this.

“Hmph, in reality is that because you all were disregarded by the boy, so your own dignity feels challenged?” The academy elder was not too happy. He sneered and shot a gaze as sharp as a sword edge at the guards. They all lowered their heads, all of them disagreeing.

“What’s wrong with fighting? As long as lives are not lost, it will stir up the competitive side of the students and temper their will to fight. To stop this kind of fight is to stifle the student’s fighting passion! Was there no fighting in the past batches? Every batch had their own battles, and it happened very often. The only difference was that it usually happened in the latter half of the year when the students had already mastered some means of fighting. With strength they itched to fight, and at the same time it is an aggressive age. Why didn’t you stop those people back then?” The academy elder questioned in a cold voice.

“Maybe it was because the fights in the previous years were all single battles, there were rarely huge scale fighting like this one. But this Fang Yuan is really good at creating a disturbance!” The chief of the guards replied.

“No, no, no.” The academy elder shook his head, “That was because you all did not dare to stop it. Because after half a year, a Gu Master will have the ability to fight beyond a mortal’s strength, and with your petty mortal bodies, how are you supposed to stop it? Right now you all want to stop Fang Yuan, perhaps it is because he just started cultivating, so he doesn’t have enough power. It’s also because you feel that he ignored your existence and offended your dignity. But you must all remember, these students all bear the surname of Gu Yue! They are my Gu Yue clan’s clan members, your masters! Even if they are still of young age, no matter how weak, they are still your masters!”

The elder’s tone had turned sharply.

“Your surnames are not Gu Yue, what is your worth? Because of your loyalty, you were all given the position of guards, rewarding you with some sweet benefits. But in reality, you are still slaves. Just slaves! A slave dare give preposterous opinions of their masters, caring about the matters of their masters?” The elder’s face was dark like water.

“This was not your subordinates idea, not my meaning!”

“I wouldn’t dare! I wouldn’t dare!”

The guards were ashen-faced as they kneeled down to the ground, spouting nonstop. The academy elder gave a cold snort and pointed at the chief guard who had just called Fang Yuan a person good at creating disturbances. “You gave an outrageous comment on your master. You are relieved of your position.”

After a while, the elder said to the others, “After half a month, there will be a re-examination to determine the new chief.”

The other guards immediately had eyes that shone, their hearts pumping with enthusiasm.

“The position of chief of the guard! Every month I’ll be able to receive half a primeval stone more!”

“To be able to become the chief is to become a man above men. Aside from the masters, I dare to see who else would show displeasure at me?”

“If I became the chief, how cool that would be…”

“Alright, what are you all pestling here for? Get downstairs and wait for the battle to end, then sweep the field!” The elder roared.

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“Your subordinate takes his leave!”

The guards left in reverence and awe as they went down. One of the guards on the stairs lost his footing and fell down. Immediately there was a series of sounds implicating a chain of people falling and knocking down.

However under the academy elder’s power and influence, the guards reddened their faces and endured in suffering, not letting out a single noise.

“Hmph! Those minions are just like dogs. Every once in a while they’d get this itch to misbehave; you’d have to smack them so that they know fear and respect. Then just throw some small victories and bones to them, letting them fight amongst themselves like dogs, letting them compete amongst themselves to serve my clan with their life. To hold a stick in one hand and a carrot in another – This is the unique way of the upper echelons.” As the academy elder heard the quiet movements below, he sneered in his heart and turned his head, looking through the window and at the school gates.

A fresh group of ten or so students were on the ground at the entrance. Fang Yuan stood proudly, and there were three young girls back-to-back, huddling at a side opposite him.

“You, you-you better not come over!”

“If you come over, we’ll shoot you with the moonblade!!”

In their hands were a layer of blue radiance. It seemed like they were compelled to the point they would actually mobilize their primeval essence and use the Moonlight Gu.

Fang Yuan’s body was still that of a normal fifteen-year-old boy, and if they attacked him with the moonblade it would not do him any good. Yet he was not afraid – instead he sneered at them and walked step by step towards the girls. “You girls have pretty big guts huh, have you forgotten the rules of the school? Inside the academy fighting using Gu is forbidden, or else the penalty will be expulsion. If you girls want to be expelled, then just do it.”

“This…”The young girls hesitated.

“Indeed there is such a rule.” The blue light in their hands faded away.

Fang Yuan’s eyes flashed as he caught this opening and dashed forward, his palms waving in the air, cutting down two of them without a shadow of doubt.

Being the last one, her morale dropped and her knees turned weak. She collapsed to the ground crying heavily, begging fang Yuan, “Don’t you come over Fang Yuan, please let me go.”

Fang Yuan stared down at the young girl with a condescending look, his cold voice sounding in her ears. “A piece of primeval stone.”

The girl’s body fluttered and she quickly opened her money pouch, realization taking hold of her. She took out three to four pieces of primeval stones and held them in her palm, stretching out her hand to Fang Yuan, “Don’t hit me, I’ll give them all to you, I’ll give all my stones to you!”

Fang Yuan was expressionless as he slowly reached out with his right hand. He lifted his forefinger and thumb, gently pinching at a piece of primeval stone from the girl’s hand.

The young maiden could not stop trembling. Fang Yuan’s hand had a youth’s pale and slender form, but in her eyes his hand was horrifying like a ferocious claw of terror.

“I’ve said it earlier, I will only take one piece of primeval stone.” Fang Yuan paused for a moment, then he said plainly, “You may leave.”

The girl stared at Fang Yuan for a good while, then she finally got up. But her limbs were still weak and she could not properly stand. Her heart was already full of fear towards Fang Yuan, and she was afraid to the point that she could not muster a single breath of energy.

When the academy elder saw this, he could not help but shake his head. One of his reasons to remain an observer was to borrow the chance to see each of the student’s respective fighting talents.

This girl who collapsed on the ground was only a C grade talent, but with this kind of mentality she could only become a logistics Gu Master. She would be able to be productive in the clan, but there was no expectation for her to be on the battlefield.

“As for this Fang Yuan…” The academy elder rubbed his chin, his eyes squinting with a flash of light. He felt that Fang Yuan was very interesting. Not only did Fang Yuan possess fighting talent, he even had a sense of propriety. To just extort for a piece of primeval stone was not beyond the bounds in the elder’s heart. But if fang Yuan wanted to blackmail for two pieces, that would be too much and he would need to intervene.

The academy’s allowance was originally three pieces. To have a piece taken away would still be considered harmless. But if he extorted away two stones, then what is the point of giving out subsidy? He might as well just give everything to Fang Yuan.

Very quickly the last group of students arrived. There were only five people, and among them was Fang Yuan’s twin younger brother.

“Big brother, how could you be like this?! You are too bold, to actually beat up your classmates at the gates and take away their primeval stones!” Gu Yue Fang Zheng was wide-eyed as he looked at the scene. He could not believe what he was seeing before him, “I advice you to quickly go to the academy elder and take the initiative to admit your mistake, or else with you making such a huge matter, it’s not a joke, you might actually get expelled!”

Fang Yuan laughed and said, “You’re right.”

Fang Zheng heaved a relieved sigh. Seeing that his older brother hadn’t gone insane and could still be persuaded, that was good.

But very quickly he heard Fang Yuan say again, “Every one of you, a piece of primeval stone.”

“What?” Fang Zheng opened his mouth wide with surprise, “Even I need to pay up?”

“My dearest little brother, of course you can choose not to.” Fang Yuan’s tone was very gentle. “But you will end up just like them,” he said and pointed at those fallen on the ground. Some of them had fainted, and some of them were moaning in pain.

“Even his own younger brother isn’t spared!”

“This Fang Yuan is crazy, he’s too vicious…”

“We cannot defeat him, a wise man does not fight when the odds are against him. We better hand it over and overcome the trouble.”

“That’s right, we’ll just pass up the primeval stone first. It’s just one piece anyway, when we go back and report to the teachers, he’ll be getting it!”

With the lesson drawn from their classmate’s mistakes, the remaining youngsters obediently accepted Fang Yuan’s blackmail with gazes of defiance.

“Hold up.” Just as they were about to leave, Fang Yuan shouted at them to halt.

“Fang Yuan, are you actually going to go back on your word?” The youths started to become nervous.

Fang Yuan faced the teenagers on the ground, gently sighing. “Do you guys really think that I would squat down and search through their bodies one by one?”

The youths stared blankly, then they were hit by realization one by one. Each of them turned red in the face and stood at the spot hesitatingly.

Fang Yuan stared at them, narrowing his eyes. There was a flash of cold light in his gaze; immediately the five youngsters felt their heart beating fast, their scalps going numb at the same time.

“Alright, Fang Yuan. We understand your meaning.”

“We’ll just help you this once.”

Under Fang Yuan’s despotic aura, they could only lower their heads and search through each of the young teen’s money pouches on the ground, taking out a piece of primeval stone from each bag. Then they brought it together and passed it to Fang Yuan.

The entire class had a total of fifty-seven people. By extorting a piece of primeval stone from every single one of them, Fang Yuan held fifty-six pieces.

He originally had twenty pieces, but he spent ten to buy a few jars of green bamboo wine. Adding the number of primeval stones from his own allowance and reward, the total number of primeval stones he had in his possession amounted up to seventy-nine pieces.

“This sort of capital free business that consists of extortion and plundering is really the most profitable business.” Fang Yuan pocketed his money pouch that had suddenly expanded greatly into his bosom and strutted away, leaving behind a floor full of teenagers, lying like corpses on the ground.

And a few teenagers, Fang Zheng among them, blankly stared after Fang Yuan’s gradually disappearing shadow.

“Get out there fast.”

“All of you, faster! Arrange the little masters properly.”

“The treatment Gu Master, where is he, ask him to come over fast!”

The guards were yelling as they all rushed forward, falling over each other in their eagerness to present themselves. They willingly gave their all for the small position of being the chief guard.

Author’s Note: There were some problems with the layout yesterday, but they’ve been corrected now. Really sorry about it, I gave you all obstacles to your reading. Hmm, with my new book on the list of new books, I’m really happy; this is all due to all my new friend’s support! I’ve seen the power of you all, the popularity is also rising. Due to the uniqueness of the book’s style, I hope those of the same type will support it. This book will be written all the way, and will have stable updates. All my books have always been finished, the aspect of integrity in this matter is full drop!

T/N: Translating author notes to.. let you understand him more? And like he said, he claims to have finished all his books. At the time of this chapter I’m translating now, Reverend Insanity hasn’t ended yet. But the author has said he plans to end it this year, after 4-5 years of writing this novel! And sorry for the delay, while I do plan to push out a chapter every 2-3 days, I try not to release on the third day… Haha.

Chapter 29 – Unscrupulous (1)

“Put all the wine jars under the bed.” Fang Yuan pointed and directed four workers from the inn. In each man’s hands were jars of green bamboo wine. Right after Fang Yuan successfully extorted his peers, he went to the inn and bought twenty jars in one go.

Each jar cost two pieces of primeval stones, and Fang Yuan pumped in forty primeval stones for the sake of the Liquor worm.

The money pouch that had bulged out not long ago inflated by half in an instant, leaving thirty-nine pieces of primeval stones behind. However it was worth the money – these wine would be able to support the Liquor worm for a long time.

“Alright,” the workers immediately replied. They would not dare to show any hint of disrespect to a Gu Master. Add on to the fact that Fang Yuan had bought so much wine, he could be said as the inn’s big customer. With just a casual word before the innkeeper, the workers were able to easily put down their current activities and workload.

After the inn servants left, Fang Yuan closed the dormitory door and sat cross-legged on his bed.

It was already nighttime. The stars and moon in the sky were bright, and the night breeze flowed with a hint of scented fragrance.

There was no light in the room. Fang Yuan calmed his state of mind, letting his focus slip into the primeval sea.

The waves of the primeval sea rose and fell, the seawater giving out green copper coloured light. Every drop of seawater was the green copper primeval essence that a Rank one Gu Master specially had. The primeval sea took up 44%(2) of the entire aperture; this was Fang Yuan’s C grade talent’s limitation.

The four walls of the aperture were a thin layer of white light, supporting and encasing the aperture. In the sky above the primeval sea there was nothing. The Spring Autumn Cicada had already hidden itself away under Fang Yuan’s command, restoring itself under a deep sleep.

Floating on the primeval sea was a cute and chubby white Liquor worm. It frisked about with its heart’s content on the seawater, sometimes diving into the sea, other times shaking its head and tail, splashing and splattering water droplets around.

Fang Yuan sent a thought through his mind, and the Liquor worm immediately responded. It stopped playing and curled up into the shape of a rice dumpling, leisurely floating into the air. It rose up to the middle of the aperture and out of the green copper sea.

“Go.” Fang Yuan mobilized a tenth of his primeval essence, transforming it into a narrow flow, thrusting it all into the Liquor worm. The Liquor worm had already been refined by him, so this time it did not resist. It took in the entire jet of primeval essence and absorbed everything into its body.

Immediately the sea surface dropped by a small cut. The curled up Liquor worm turned the primeval essence into a driving force and began to radiate out white light. Inside the soft light, an enshrouding mist of wine fumes were gradually produced, finally converging into a pale white wine mist.

The wine mist was marvelous. It did not drift apart, instead enveloping around the Liquor worm.

“Rise.” Fang Yuan gave a thought, transferring another 10% of his primeval essence. The green copper seawater dived into the wine mist; as the wine mist melted into the seawater, it gradually lessened, and eventually there was no trace of it left. As for that 10% of green copper primeval essence, it also lost its general volume and was left with 5%.

However this 5% of primeval essence was even more condensed than before. The original primeval essence was a jade green, giving out a copper luster. Right now although this new primeval essence had the same copper luster, the green was a darker shade – it was pale green.

Pale green coloured primeval essence was the primeval essence that only a Rank one middle stage Gu Master would have. The Liquor worm’s use was to condense the primeval essence and increase it by a small realm rank!

A Gu Master had 9 great realms, from the bottom – Rank one, Rank two, all the way to Rank nine. Every great realm was split into four smaller realms, which were initial stage, middle stage, upper stage and peak stage.

Fang Yuan was only a Rank one initial stage Gu Master right now, but with the Liquor worm’s help he had 5% of a Rank one middle stage Gu Master’s primeval essence!

“If I want to condense out 5% of middle stage primeval essence I would need to use 20% of initial stage primeval essence. I want to convert all the 44% of my primeval sea into middle stage primeval essence, so I’d need to use around 180% of initial stage primeval essence. To reach this target as soon as possible, I’d need to borrow the help of primeval stones.”

As he thought of this, Fang Yuan opened his eyes and took out a complete primeval stone the size of a duck egg from his bag. The primeval stone was a sort of ellipsoidal shaped, translucent grey stone. As the natural essence inside it is consumed, its size would continue shrinking.

His right hand slowly closed, the primeval stone tightly clenched in his palm. He absorbed the natural primeval essence inside the stone, continuously replenishing his own aperture. The level of the sea surface that had fallen in his aperture slowly began to rise.

The primeval stone was meant to be used. Fang Yuan was not stingy by one bit, and he would not save it up.

“I do not have someone to back me up, and I do not have support from friends and family, thus I can only rely on extortion and plundering. Today was just the first time, but after this, every seven days when the academy gives out the school allowance, I will continue blocking the academy gates.”

How could robbing and blackmailing once satisfy Fang Yuan’s appetite? In a Gu Master’s cultivation, the primeval stone was the most scarce thing. As for the consequences of his plundering actions, Fang Yuan was not the least worried.

This world was not the same as Earth.

On Earth, schools would always prohibit fights to mainly stabilize harmony. But in this world, fighting was the main theme.

No matter a Gu Master or common mortal, they would fight for survival. Sometimes it would be a fight with a scary wild beast. Sometimes it would be a battle against the raging weather, and other times if could be a fight against other Gu Masters over resources.

As a result, moderate fighting was instead encouraged and advocated by people.

From young to old, from simple brawls to battles determining life and death, this was the portrayal of most of the human lives here.

This surface of this world was boundless. Just the Southern Border alone that Fang Yuan stayed in now, it was bigger than seven to eight times the entire surface of Earth itself. The living environment here was hostile and cruel, so humans would often construct mountain villages in the form of clans, holing up together.

Every now and then there would be waves of beasts, or perhaps extremely bad weather assaulting a village. The Gu Master would become the core force of a village’s protection, and every year the situation of attrition would become more serious.

Surviving requires men with strong fighting will. A clan needs battle Gu Masters, there is never too much. Moreover, Fang Yuan’s attacks were within the proper limit.

He never attacked the lower jaw, as this would easily cause the skull to fracture and cause the loss of a human life. He also never struck the back of the head. When fighting he did not use his fists or elbow, or even jabbing with his fingers, but he used his palm. The number of kicks he used could also be numbered.

The students that fell were not heavily injured; at most they were lightly wounded.

Fang Yuan was not bloodthirsty, he just treated killing as a type of means.

Every time he acted, he would have a clear goal. Whatever the type of method, whichever would let him reach his goal the fastest, he would use it. In other words, he was unscrupulous in doing things.

……

The clouds floated over, covering the moonlight. A shadow enveloped over the Gu Yue village.

The watchman banged on his clappers, prompting people to know that it was already deep in the night – Be careful of fires, be on guard of beast assaults, as well as the possibility of foreign Gu Masters sneaking into the village.

There were still a lot of lights in the village.

In the Chi family branch home, Gu Yue Chi Lian stayed in his study, the lights radiantly bright. This high authority old man spoke with a gentle tone, expressing sympathy as he asked his own grandson Gu Yue Chi Cheng, “I heard you were beaten up by that Fang Yuan today?”

Gu Yue Chi Cheng had a black right eye, and he angrily said, “Yes, grandpa. That Fang Yuan was just a petty C grade, yet he dared to act so arrogant. He blocked us all at the entrance, not caring about the friendly sentiments of his classmates, and he robbed us of our primeval stones. What’s more, the academy just opened one eye and closed one eye over the incident. It was only when Fang Yuan strode away that the guards hurried over. Grandpa, this time you have to help me expel this angry resentment of mine!”

Instead Gu Yue Chi Lian shook his head. “This is between you and your juniors. You were blackmailed to lose a piece of primeval stone, and you did not suffer heavy injuries – Grandpa cannot act without any justifiable excuse. Even if you were heavily wounded, I will not stand up for you, do you understand why?”

Gu Yue Chi Cheng was stunned. He struggled to think, and after a long while he hesitatingly said, “Grandpa, I think I understand your meaning. You are hoping that I will rely on my own strength to find my way, right?”

“You only understood one aspect.” Gu Yue Chi Lian nodded his head and added, “You must remember, you are not just an individual representative, but you are the image on behalf of our Chi family branch. For many years we have confronted the Mo family branch, and your every move will represent the hope of the future of the Chi family branch. Grandpa may help you in the shadows, but you must stand up and erect a self-reliant and strong image. Otherwise the elders who are supporting our family will not see the hope for our future, and they will abandon the Chi family.”

As he said this, Gu Yue Chi Lian heaved a sigh. “This is also why grandpa helped you to cheat and let you impersonate a B grade talent. Our Chi family needs a strong successor to hold on to those who are supporting us.”

Gu Yue Chi Cheng was then enlightened. “Grandpa, I understand now.”

Gu Yue Chi Lian shook his head. “Just understanding won’t do any good. You must work hard. Fang Yuan is just small trouble; next up you must study hard and train diligently on your basic martial arts and get your dignity back. At the same time do not forget to work hard on cultivating, promoting to middle stage as soon as possible. The best you can do is to win the position of class monitor, this will be great honor and a kind of help to our Chi family.”

“Alright, grandpa!” Gu Yue Chi Cheng replied loudly.

“Heh heh heh, this spirit is how the heir to our Chi branch should be like. Grandson, you must work hard, I will do my best to help you.”

(1) Unscrupulous – Having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair. Unethical, immoral, shameless… Will go through any means necessary to achieve or do something.

(2) 44% – Formerly known as 4 by 4 or 4 x 4.

T/N: That’s final, if anything I am clear about the measurements of the aperture sizes now. It’s all %… This was confirmed by Chinese readers. So if you remember all that ‘4 by 4’, ‘5 by 6’, ‘9 by 8’ or 4 x 4 / 5 x 6 / 9 x 8… It’s 44%, 56%, 98%.

Really sorry for any confusion regarding these measurements and aperture primeval sea sizes!

Chapter 30 – Fang Yuan, you’re robbing again?

Almost at the same moment, in another place.

“Honorary father and mother, that was pretty much how things went.” Fang Zheng stood straight, his tone respectful and cautious.

In the hall, Fang Yuan’s uncle Gu Yue Dong Tu as well as his aunt sat in their wide-back huge chairs frowning. Aunt gnawed her teeth. While feeling injustice for Fang Zheng and at the same time gloating over the matter, she said, “Fang Yuan that bastard son, him extorting others is one thing, but to think he would not even spare his own younger brother. How heartless and unfeeling! However this time with such a huge crime, I expect he will be expelled from the academy soon after this.”

“That’s enough, you should talk less.” Uncle heaved in a deep sigh and told Fang Zheng, “You only lost a piece of primeval stone, don’t worry. Go to the treasury and pick up a stone, there is no business for you here now. You must go and work hard in cultivating. With your A grade talent, becoming the first Middle stage Gu Master is a huge possibility. Do not waste the talent that heaven blessed you with, for your mother and I look forward to seeing you become number one.”

“Yes, father and mother. Your son takes his leave.” Fang Zheng left with a heart full of trepidation.

He secretly thought, “Big brother robbed all the students when he blocked the academy gates today. He created such a terrible aftermath, I’m afraid he might really be expelled. If that happens, should I plead on his case for him?”

Two voices appeared in his head.

A voice said, “No need to plead for him, he even robbed your primeval stone away although you were his own young brother. Even if he was expelled, that was his own fault. If Heaven commits a sin, it can be forgiven, but if one commits a sin himself, he deserves to die!”

Another voice said, “But he is your very own older brother, he shares a similar face, his blood thicker than water. Alright, even if you do not acknowledge him, you still must plead his case. If you do not do so, how will the outsiders look at you? I’m afraid they might think of you as a heartless and ungrateful person.”

Seeing Fang Zheng leave the hall, Aunt could not help but exclaim happily, “Husband, we cut off Fang Yuan’s living expenses. This little bastard finally couldn’t stand it and went off committing a huge error! To actually dare to block the academy gates and fight in public, not to mention extortion, this is the equivalent of provoking the academy elder. I daresay the time for him getting expelled is very near.”

However Uncle shook his head. “You think too simply of things. Fang Yuan will not be expelled, in fact there may not be any punishment.”

“Why?” Aunt was puzzled.

Uncle snorted. “Brawls and fights are encouraged as long as there are no heavy consequences. Did any students die in this fight? No.”

Aunt refused to comply. “Husband, how would you know there weren’t any casualties? There are always accidents happening from fighting.”

Uncle closed his eyes, leaning against the back of his chair. “Woman, you are really naïve. Do you really think the academy elder is just for show? When did the guards start acting? They came out at the last moment, this means that the entire scene was under control. If someone was heavily injured, they would have rushed over a long time ago, not at the last moments.”

“You are not a Gu Master, so you won’t understand. The academy does not forbid brawls among the students, but in fact they maintain an encouraging attitude towards it. The more brawls there are, the more helpful it would be for battles. Some students can even create strong bonds through fighting. The elders will not pursue this. It is already a routine. If anyone wants to take action on behalf of their offspring, it would break the rules.”

Aunt was dumbfounded as she heard this, and she replied in an unsatisfied manner, “Then nothing’s going to happen to Fang Yuan who robbed away such a huge amount of primeval stones? He’s just going to be let go like that? With such a big number of primeval stones, it will bring a lot of help to his cultivation.”

Uncle opened his eyes, his face cloudy. “What else can we do? Are you expecting me to go over by myself and snatch away all his primeval stones? However this matter is not something that we cannot exploit. For Fang Yuan to rob and extort even his own brother Fang Zheng, this is the key to his fall. Fang Zheng is an A grade talent, he will definitely be stronger than Fang Yuan one day. We will use this matter to divide and sow discord in Fang Zheng. We’ll lead Fang Zheng away from Fang Yuan for our own use!”

And with that, three days passed.

The disturbance that Fang Yuan caused from his robbery and extortion did not spread nor grow bigger, but instead it gradually died down.

No elders broke the rules and came to find trouble for Fang Yuan, and the academy elder naturally closed one eye and opened one eye, acting like nothing happened. Although in this period of time, there were two to three youngsters who refused to accept the truth of having their primeval stones taken, and they challenged Fang Yuan. But after Fang Yuan knocked them down easily, everyone became aware that if they did not train hard in martial arts, they would never beat Fang Yuan.

Among these teenagers, a burst of mass fervor towards training hard in martial arts erupted.

The martial arts instructor was overjoyed, he had never seen a batch of students so enthusiastic and dedicated towards martial arts. Before this when he was teaching, the students were all lacking in interest, yawning all day. But right now they would constantly seek advice with eyes brimming with radiating vigour.

The academy elder specially came over to inquire about his situation.

The martial arts instructor had an excited tone as he reported, “The students have been showing unexpected enthusiasm, and this change is too great. Only one student among them called Fang Yuan remains as lazy as ever.”

The academy elder laughed and patted his shoulders. He said, “This student that you speak of is the cause of the other student’s transformation.”

The martial arts instructor was puzzled. But of course the changes were more than this.

After the incident, Fang Yuan had undoubtedly become the public enemy of the entire student batch. Everyone was hostile towards him and he was isolated. No longer did anyone speak to him, and no one greeted him.

The youths exerted full force, training their basic techniques privately. With their parents’ and elders’ encouragement and inspirations, they had decided that they must reclaim their honor by their own hands.

Under the calm surface, the undercurrent was surging.

Another four days passed.

The academy elder passed out the primeval stone allowance once more, and the time for Fang Yuan to act came again.

“Fang Yuan, once wasn’t enough for you, you still want to rob away our primeval stones again?!” The students were shocked and angry as Fang Yuan blocked them at the gates once more.

Fang Yuan stood in the middle of the entrance, his hands behind his back, his expression cold and tone flat. “A piece of primeval stone per person and you’ll be spared of physical pain.”

“Fang Yuan, your bullying is excessive. I want to challenge you!” Gu Yue Mo Bei roared angrily, coming out first.

“Oh?” Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly.

Mo Bei raised his fists and rushed forward. After a few rounds, he fainted onto the ground.

“Mo Bei, you’re too useless! Watch me!” Gu Yue Chi Cheng yelled loudly and dashed towards Fang Yuan. After a transition of attack and defence, he joined after Mo Bei’s footsteps.

Fang Yuan’s battle experience was ten thousand times more than theirs; although he only started cultivating, every force inflicted was used properly. Meanwhile, this bunch of students had only started their journey. If they came at him together, they might still be able to bring him a little trouble. But with them coming up to challenge him one by one, it was more relaxing than the first time of extortion.

After fifteen minutes, Fang Yuan leisurely walked away with a bulging money bag, leaving behind a floor full of youths. Some of them were lying motionless, and some were holding their bellies or clutching their crotch as they moaned and howled.

“Brothers, time to come up and sweep the field fast!” The guards shouted and all rushed over.

T/N: Just a notice – All measurements regarding aperture sizes in all the previous chapters and especially the rate of recovery in Chapter 10 have been changed to % as how it should have been.

Chapter 31- Fang Yuan! You’re in huge trouble!

“I’ve trained hard in basic martial arts for seven consecutive days, but to think I only managed to endure 2 strikes from Fang Yuan and lost consciousness afterwards. Shame, unforgivable shame!” Gu Yue Mo Bei exclaimed, full of anguish and regret.

In the family garden, he faced the wooden puppet, unleashing punches and kicks that were resulting in resounding echoes.

Suddenly, he heard a laughing voice. “Little brother, do you have deep hatred for the puppet? Why the great resentment?”

Upon hearing this familiar voice, Gu Yue Mo Bei relaxed and stopped his attacks. He turned his head. “Sister, you’re back!”

“Uh-huh, the family council sent me out for an investigation mission which lasted more than ten days…” Gu Yue Mo Yan laughingly replied. She was Mo Bei’s blood-related sister, a Rank two middle stage Gu Master.

But soon, her face turned grim, her eyes sharply gazing at Mo Bei. “Brother, what’s the matter with those bruises on your face? Who bullied you?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I accidentally tripped and fell.” A hint of panic flashed across Mo Bei’s face as he came up with an excuse. He did not wish for his sister to know of such an embarrassing event. The truth of the Mo family’s future heir and the family head, Gu Yue Mo Chen’s beloved grandson, consecutively knocked out twice in combat. But the fortunate thing was that he wasn’t the only unlucky one. The others had suffered as well.

“Oh, you have to be more careful in that case. As for your combat training, this won’t do. You do not have a Guthat enhances your defense right now, so use thick towels to cover yourself. This will protect your limbs from getting hurt.” Gu Yue Mo Yan instructed before leaving.

“Hello, young Miss!”

“Good morning, young Miss!”

“Young Miss is back! Your servant greets you, Miss!”

Gu Yue Mo Yan hastily walked with a cold demeanor, and the servants she met on the way bowed and paid respects to her without fail.

She walked to the study room. Without any warning, Mo Yan pushed the door and entered through. Inside the room, Gu Yue Mo Chen was practicing his calligraphy art with his back facing her.

“You’re back?” Gu Yue Mo Chen asked directly without turning his body. “After investigating for half a month, what is the situation with the wolves’ den?”

“How did you know it’s me, grandfather?” Mo Yan gasped, slightly taken aback.

“Hmph, in the entire family, you’re the only person that dares to enter my room without even knocking the door once. Who else can it be besides you, my beloved granddaughter,” Gu Yue Mo Chen reprimanded, although his face showed traces of concern and warmth, and he looked at Mo Yan with a smile.

Mo Yan pouted. “When it comes to doting, you actually adore little brother more. However since he’s the future family head, you are more strict on him so others cannot sense your concern for him.”

After a while, she asked: “Grandfather, little brother was beaten up! I asked him and he lied about the situation, so I had no choice but to ask you.”

Gu Yue Mo Chen’s face turned serious. “You have not answered my question.” He put down his brush and sat down.

Mo Yan reluctantly reported, “The wolves’ den is almost full, so according to the current rate of breeding speed, although there won’t be an outbreak this year, there will definitely be a wolf tide next year at our mountain village.”

Gu Yue Mo Chen enquired again, “Generally there’s an outbreak every 3 years, so this is no surprise. However, within that hoard, how many Thunder Crown Wolves are there?”

“Around three.”

Gu Yue Mo Chen nodded, feeling assured. The Thunder Crown Wolves were the head of the pack, and were the most troublesome to deal with during an outbreak.

Three wasn’t a large number since Qing Mao Mountain had three clan villages. Each village could handle one wolf, and the pressure of the outbreak would be greatly reduced.

“Grandfather, you have not told me about my little brother’s matter yet!” Mo Yan pursued again.

“I suppose there’s no matter telling you, but he was beaten up. The first time was seven days ago, and the second time happened today. It happened in front of the school gates, and he was beaten until he sprawled on the ground and fainted on both occasions.” Gu Yue Mo Chen laughingly replied.

“Who has the guts to knock out my little brother?” Mo Yan stared, wide-eyed.

“He’s a classmate of Mo Bei called Fang Yuan. He fights really well…” Gu Yue Mo Chen sniggered.

Gu Yue Mo Yan’s eyes grew larger, and she was perplexed as she replied, “Grandfather, what are you saying? He is your own blood-related grandson!”

Gu Yue Mo Chen stared deeply at his granddaughter and spoke meaningfully, “Mo Yan my dear, you are a girl so you may not understand. Defeat and humiliation only serve as fuel for improvement. Without failure one can never develop and grow into a true, mature man.”

“Mo Bei was defeated, and that is his own failure. Once he wakes up, he will ask fighting techniques from the teachers. This is a sort of improvement, and this improvement comes from Fang Yuan, who beat him into realization. As his sister, if you really care and want to protect your brother, you should not interfere with his growth. Fang Yuan is just a boy with C grade talent while Mo Bei has B grade talent. With us supporting him, he will step over Fang Yuan and drive him into the ground eventually.”

“Leave this opponent to Mo Bei. In a woman’s life, she needs a family and a lover. But for a man, a family is not a necessity, yet what he cannot lack is a rival. Do not find trouble with Fang Yuan, do you hear me? This is a matter between the youths. If you get involved, this will be perceived as bullying. Breaking the rules like that will cause our Mo family to be looked down upon.”

Mo Yan gasped wordlessly, but under Gu Yue Mo Chen’s gaze, she finally lowered her head. “Yes grandfather, your granddaughter understands.”

She staggered out of the study room, but even Gu Yue Mo Chen did not notice – her eyes shined ominously.

“Grandfather, this is your way of loving your grandson. And I, Mo Yan, have my own methods.” Mo Yan’s heart already had different plans.

……

In the inn’s dining room, several tables were occupied and people were having dinner, thus the environment was rather lively. One or two waiters served dishes rapidly, traversing between tables.

Fang Yuan sat at the table near the windows. He ordered a few dishes and ate while gazing out of the window.

Looking out, the sunset looked like fire, slowly burning away.

Half of the sun had already set; it longingly gazed at the lands, its afterglow being the sun’s reluctance.

Far up the mountains, it was already veiled by the seeping nightfall. The streets nearby were gathered full of people who were going home. Some of them were barefooted, some muddy farmers, some of them herb pickers, some hunters holding mountain pheasants, wild boars and other animals, and some were Gu masters. They wore a blue uniform, looking clean and spirited, a headband and a waist belt completing their appearance.

The belt had a specific function, for Rank one Gu Masters it was a blue belt. There was a bronze plate at the front, and the number “1” could be seen. For Rank two Gu Masters, their belt was red, and the steel plate in the middle showed the number “2”.

Sitting at the side of the window, Fang Yuan observed that there were six to seven Rank one Gu Masters, and they were mostly young men. There was also a Rank two Gu Master, a middle aged man.

As for Rank three Gu Masters, they were the family elders. And fourth rank would be the clan head, the lord of a village.

Rank five Gu Masters were hardly seen, and in the entire history of the Gu Yue clan, there were only the first generation clan head and the fourth generation clan head who had reached this level.

“Actually, finding out a clan’s strength is very simple. Just find a spot in the village, settle down and observe the people for a few hours, see how many Rank one and Rank two Gu Masters there are and you’ll be able to see the clan’s strength and wealth.” Fang Yuan came to a conclusion with his accumulated knowledge of 500 years.

Using the Gu Yue village as an example, there were around twenty people walking on the streets, and six were Gu Masters. In these six, there was a 50% chance of having one Rank two Gu Master.

With this strength and capital, the Gu Yue Clan managed to monopolize one of the best resource locations in Qing Mao Mountain. But the mountain was just a small corner in the entire area of the Southern Border. The Gu Yue clan could only be considered as a middle-low tier clan.

“I have only started my cultivation, and with Rank one initial stage, I do not even have the qualification to roam the Southern Border. I need at least Rank three cultivation to be able to further roam the world,” Fang Yuan sighed as he consumed his dinner.

Qing Mao Mountain was too small; it could not contain his ambitions, and he was determined to leave.

“Haha, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, I have finally found you!” At this moment, a middle-aged man laughed deviously as he approached.

“Hmm?” Fang Yuan turned slightly to see a man with a yellowish skin tone and hanging brows, but he had a huge body size and developed muscles. He strode several steps to Fang Yuan with his arms folded and proudly stared at the youth who was still consuming his dinner, with a hint of hostility.

“Fang Yuan, you’ve gotten yourself into huge trouble, do you know that? Heh heh heh, you have dared to hit our young master of the Mo family, and now our young Miss is here to settle the score with you.” The middle-aged man snickered continuously. He constantly stared and sized up Fang Yuan, faintly emitting a threatening aura.

*This chapter was brought to you by Chibigen and Skyfarrow. Credits to Chibigen for helping with the translations.

Chapter 32 – Making Fun

If a normal person was stared at by this middle-aged man, they would have probably developed fear in their hearts already.

However, Fang Yuan lost interest after looking at him for a second and continued focusing on his meal, treating this man as if he were invisible.

“Who’s that guy? He wears the clothing of a family servant, and he is not a Gu Master. Why would he dare to question young master Fang Yuan?” An employee wondered as he hid at the corner of the inn, sensing that the situation may turn ugly.

“Hmph, he’s like a fox assuming a tiger’s ferocity! By using the Mo family as his backing, this servant man dares to clamor at a Gu Master. If it were any other mortal man, they wouldn’t have the guts to do this,” someone beside the employee replied in disdain.

“Even so, as a mere mortal he has the guts to cause a ruckus towards a Gu Master. Tsk tsk, this kind of experience must feel really great.”

“Tch, you shouldn’t think that a Gu Master is always high and mighty. Young Master Fang Yuan is merely a Rank one initial stage Gu Master, and he has just managed to refine his vital Gu. If they were to fight now, he may not be the opponent of this muscular and strong mortal.”

“Sigh, let’s just hope that when they fight later, they will spare our inn and the furniture.”

The employees chattered back and forth, but none dared to take a step forward, only staring from a distance.

“Eh, you still have the mood to continue eating?” Seeing as how he did not manage to intimidate or scare Fang Yuan, the muscular middle-aged man had a hint of doubt in his eyes. “Do you think I’m lying to you? There are already people reporting to young Miss and she will be here shortly. Do not attempt to run away young lad, because you won’t be able to get away. My job here is to make sure you stay put. There will be much suffering for you later.”

Fang Yuan paid no heed to the man and continued eating his meal.

The middle-aged servant frowned as he did not see a hint of panic or shock from Fang Yuan. This made him feel ignored and his pride was severely offended.

He had been a servant in the Mo family for over a decade, and he had acquired the trust of his master. Over a long period, he would naturally come to learn about the details of Gu Masters.

Rank one Gu Masters mostly relied on their physical combat skills. In battle, a Gu worm’s worth was attributed more to its deterrence factor than as a fighting force.

He knew especially that for a young Gu Master like Fang Yuan who had just started cultivating, his physical strength was far inferior when compared to a grown man. If it came down to close combat, he who had trained for many years would gain the upper advantage.

At the same time, Fang Yuan had supposedly only refined the Moonlight Gu, so at the max, he would only be able to shoot out several moonblades.

The middle-aged man was used as a sparring partner from a long time ago, so he knew deeply that if a Rank one initial stage Gu Master were to use his primeval essence to unleash the moonblade, the most it could do was cut several palm-sized wounds and cause limited damage if it managed to hit the human body.

Additionally, the man had the backing of the Mo family, so when he confronted Fang Yuan he had no fear, and was wholeheartedly trying to show off his worth to his masters so that he could be rewarded and deemed more useful to the family.

“Young lad, you sure are courageous huh?” The middle-aged man’s tone was turning unfriendly as he folded up his sleeves, revealing his well-toned and muscular forearms. His two arms were large and full of scars. The forearms had thick protruding veins and were even thicker than Fang Yuan’s legs.

The inn employees watched in fear and several customers were already getting up, paying the bills and leaving this land of conflict.

“Fang Yuan has been found?” Suddenly, the door emitted a proud, loud female voice.

Mo Yan strode forward in big steps and entered the inn. Behind her were numerous family servants.

Her body figure was decent, slightly tall and had the proper curves. But a long face like a horse’s, an inherited gene from the Mo bloodline, caused her looks to be greatly affected, and thus she was only a middle-upper tier beauty.

However, she wore a dark blue uniform, and a red belt, affixed with a square steel plate, tied around her waistline. The steel plate was engraved with a “2”.

Additionally, she had just returned from after a clan mission, so there was still lingering traces of the hardship that she had just gone through.

These added up to create a field of pressure and threat that was emitted to her surroundings. Thus, once she stepped into the inn, the entire place went silent under her aura.

“Your servant greets you, young Miss!” The middle-aged man changed his attitude completely upon seeing Mo Yan. He tried to smile charmingly and he bent his body as he walked a few steps and knelt on the floor, greeting Mo Yan.

Upon seeing this change in behavior, the workers in the inn could only stare in shock with their mouths wide-open.

The tall and muscular figure, as opposed to his humble groveling attitude, was a great mismatch, and was seemingly amusing. But the employees of the inn did not laugh as his behaviour only greatly showed off Mo Yan’s imposing pressure and status.

Some of the inn workers could not help but worry for Fang Yuan as he was their major customer. If something were to happen to him and made him unable to patronize the inn any further, it would be a huge loss.

More of them were secretly praying for Fang Yuan to surrender. If a fight really broke out and destroyed the inn’s property, that would be worse.

Mo Yan did not even take a look at the groveling Gao Wan; her eyes were fixed on Fang Yuan. She took a few steps forward and demanded in a fierce tone, “So you are Fang Yuan? You seem to be having a good meal. Hehehe, have you ever had a knuckle sandwich? I’ll give you a taste of it, it might be even more delicious.”

Even though she said that, Mo Yan did not make a move.

Fang Yuan’s actions were too calm. It was strange. Did he have any secret backers that were protecting him?

“But it shouldn’t be so, I’ve checked before coming. This Fang Yuan only has an uncle and aunt that dislike him, while both his parents are deceased, and he even got chased out of the house by his uncle and aunt. In addition, he only has C ranked talent, so how could such a weak young man have any sort of background?” Mo Yan thought in her mind.

Regardless of this, the situation was still too peculiar. She had to test and probe further. Fang Yuan laughed and squinted at Mo Yan, saying, “Who told you I was Gu Yue Fang Yuan?”

Mo Yan was momentarily stunned, then she took a look at Gao Wan.

He had just stood up, but upon seeing this he immediately knelt back down with sweat pouring out of his forehead. He stammered and could not give a coherent reply, “Master, your servant, your servant….”

They had a drawing of Fang Yuan, but they did not know that Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng were twins that looked almost identical.

“No wonder this young man looked like he had no fear. He is actually Fang Zheng and not Fang Yuan.” Mo Yan’s servants guessed in their minds.

“Fang Yuan cannot be compared to Fang Zheng. The former is merely a C ranked loner with no background. The latter however has A ranked talent and was pulled into the clan head’s faction at the Awakening Ceremony, and as long as he grows smoothly, he has a bright future ahead!” Mo Yan did not get proper a reply from Gao Wan, causing her to be even more hesitant.

At this point, the only ones who knew Fang Yuan’s identity were the inn employees. However, they could not afford to offend either parties so they only kept their mouths shut.

Fang Yuan was satiated from his meal. He stood up and glanced lightly at Mo Yan, “You want to find Fang Yuan? Come with me, I’ll bring you to the school hostel to look for him.”

“If the person in front of me is Fang Zheng, I would not want to offend him. However, even if he is really Fang Yuan, I will follow him closely on this trip so I have no fear of him impersonating Fang Zheng.” In an instant, Mo Yan made up her mind.

“Alright, I will go together with you to the school hostel. After you!” Mo Yan turned her body to make space for Fang Yuan, stretching out her arm and indicating for Fang Yuan to take the lead.

Fang Yuan laughed nonchalantly and strode forth. Mo Yan followed closely behind with her servants trailing at the back.

“So close!”

“They’re finally gone!”

“Even if they start fighting, it is none of our inn’s business anymore.”

The employees that were left behind all sighed in relief as they patted their chests.

A group of people approached the school hostel.

“Halt!”

“Stop right there, the school hostel only allows our clan’s Gu Masters to enter and leave.” The two guards at the door stopped Fang Yuan, Mo Yan and her gang.

“Insolent! Do you not recognize who I am? How dare you stop me!” Mo Yan stared at the two and screamed.

“We dare not,” the two guards hurriedly gestured.

“Young Miss Mo Yan, this guard holds you in high regards. However the clan rules are absolute, so how about this. You can bring one servant in. This is the most we can do for you.” An elderly guard politely responded.

Mo Yan clicked her tongue. Her heart was full of dissatisfaction, yet in the presence of the clan rules, she did not dare to break them.

The Mo family was prosperous, and thus they had many enemies. Do not forget that aside from the Mo family branch, there was also the Chi family to contend with. Apart from the Chi family, the clan head’s faction also wanted to get a hold on the Mo family.

“All of you stay behind. Gao Wan will follow me.” Thinking about it, Mo Yan gave her orders.

Gao Wan immediately held his chest up high with a look of joy on his face: “Thank you, young Miss for the opportunity!”

“Let’s go, junior.” Mo Yan smiled at Fang Yuan with a questioning look.

Fang Yuan remained unfazed as he led them in. He reached the dormitory door, opened the lock and pushed the door open.

He then took a step into the room and stopped.

Within the room, there was nothing extra. It was all simple furniture, and there was no one else.

Mo Yan stood at the doorstep, took a look inside and her face turned grim. “Junior, you better explain yourself well, there is no one in the room!”

Fang Yuan smiled faintly: “Aren’t I someone?”

Mo Yan stared at Fang Yuan, a glint flashing in her eyes as she suddenly seemed to have understood. “I am looking for Gu – Yue – Fang – Yuan!”

Fang Yuan snickered, “You know, I never said that I wasn’t Gu Yue Fang Yuan.”

T/N: Here’s a special double chapter release for your pleasure ? Happy weekend! The next chapter will come in two days as per normal.

*This chapter was brought to you by Chibigen and Skyfarrow. Credits to Chibigen for helping with the translations.

Donations will be opened up in the next chapter, and I wish you all well.

Thanks for all the support so far!!

Chapter 33 – Go ahead and scold away

“Hmm?” Mo Yan frowned, then her rage burst forth almost instantly as she suddenly understood that she had been fooled by Fang Yuan.

“You are tremendously brave to even consider lying to me!” While speaking, she stretched out her right hand to grab hold of Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan stood firmly on the spot. He raised his head and laughed, “Mo Yan, you better think this through!”

Mo Yan stopped her actions. While she still stood right outside the door, her outstretched hand paused in midair and her face showed a sign of hesitation and resentment.

Within the family, there were relevant rules. Students in the dormitories were protected, and any other person would not be allowed to intrude upon the hostel to capture the students. Mo Yan only wished to teach Fang Yuan a lesson and let him bear a taste of suffering. She definitely did not want to risk getting punished for breaking the rules.

“If it’s only me who broke the rules, that would still be fine. However, if this would affect the family and even grandfather’s honour…” Thinking of this, Mo Yan reluctantly withdrew her arm. She looked at Fang Yuan who was inside the house with her bloodshot eyes. If her death-stare could be converted into fire, it would burn Fang Yuan to ashes in a second.

“I never lied to you. I said I would bring you to Fang Yuan, and now you have already found him here. It seems you have something to say to me.” Fang Yuan smiled faintly with his arms behind his back, ignoring the pressure of a Rank two Gu Master, fearlessly making eye contact with Mo Yan’s furious gaze.

He was just a step apart from Mo Yan. One stood within the house, and one stayed outside. But this same distance had also become as far as the east was from the west.

“Hehehe, oh Fang Yuan, you sure have studied the clan rules well and thoroughly.” Mo Yan, suppressing her anger, said with a sinister smile. She added, “Unfortunately for you, even while relying on the rules, all it will do for you is to stall for time. There is no way you are staying in the dormitories forever. I’ll see how long you can stand hiding in there.”

Fang Yuan laughed refreshingly and looked at Mo Yan with disdain. “Then all the more I want to see how long you can disturb me. Ah, it is already late. I have a bed to sleep in, but what about you? If I do not show up for class tomorrow and the elders come to investigate, what do you think I will say?”

“You!” Mo Yan flew into a rage, her fingers pointing at Fang Yuan, barely restraining herself, “Do you really think I wouldn’t dare come in and take you down?”

Squeak.

Fang Yuan opened the doors of the hostel wide open, his lips breaking into a grin, his eyes dark like the abyss and his tone full of confidence as if the situation was within his grasp. He challenged Mo Yan, ”Then show me.”

“Hehehe…” Mo Yan calmed down instead upon seeing this. Her eyes squinted as she looked at Fang Yuan and she said, “Do you think I’d fall for your goading?”

Fang Yuan shrugged. He had already seen through Mo Yan’s personality.

If he had closed the door, or even half shut it, Mo Yan had at least a 50% probability of breaking into the house. But when he purposely opened it fully, it had instead made her more wary and calm as a result. Thus there was barely any chance of her forcing her way in anymore.

Five hundred years of experience had already made him fully aware of the human nature and their weaknesses.

He grandly turned around, exposing his back fully to Mo Yan. If Mo Yan struck now, she would definitely be able to capture him in one swift action. However, Mo Yan stayed still outside the door as if there was an invisible mountain blocking her way.

Even after Fang Yuan sat in his bed, Mo Yan only stared at him in anger, gritting her teeth. But regardless of this, she did not make a move.

“This is the pathetic side of humans.” Fang Yuan sat up and stared at Mo Yan who was outside looking like a fool, thinking to himself, ”At times, the things preventing people from taking action is not physical difficulty, but instead it is the restrictions they have placed on themselves subconsciously.”

When comparing cultivation levels, Fang Yuan was definitely not her match at this point in time. But even with her Rank two cultivation level, she could only stare at Fang Yuan and had no courage to make a move. Her distance from him was only a few steps away, and the door was wide open with no hindrance. The only thing that was truly restricting her was none other than herself.

“Humanity sought for knowledge relentlessly to understand the world and to comprehend the rules, and ultimately to use them. If one is constantly bound by the rules, thus being restricted by the very knowledge they sought, that is the ultimate tragedy.” Fang Yuan took a final look at Mo Yan before closing his eyes and letting his consciousness sink into the primeval sea.

“This Fang Yuan dares to cultivate right in front of me! He is simply doing so as he pleases!” Looking at this sight, Mo Yan felt a sense of frustration erupting from her chest, making her almost wanting to vomit blood.

She badly wanted to go ahead and give him a few punches!

But she knew she couldn’t.

Mo Yan suddenly felt a hint of regret. Standing outside the door, she felt the awkwardness of not being able to back down.

She was indignant to give up now, but she would be devastatingly humiliated. She mobilised her servants with the intention to come and teach Fang Yuan a lesson, yet in the end she was the one who ended up becoming the laughing stock.

Especially when there was a servant looking at her now.

“Damn it! Fang Yuan is way too uncooperative! He’s too sly!” Mo Yan furiously thought and started to provoke him with all sorts of insults, hoping to force him out of the room.

“Fang Yuan you brat, come out if you’re a man!”

“Fang Yuan, as a man you must own up to your own doings. Now you’re being a coward hiding in that room, do you not feel ashamed of yourself?”

“Stop pretending to ignore me, get out if you know what’s good for you!”

“You cowardly, spineless trash!”

Fang Yuan shut his ears and did not give a single response.

After scolding for a while, instead of venting all her anger, she felt even more irritated. She was starting to feel like a clown or a shrew; blocking the door was just way too embarrassing.

“AHHHHH, this is getting to the death of me!” Mo Yan was about to go crazy, and she finally gave up on provoking Fang Yuan.

“Fang Yuan, you can hide now, but you can’t hide from me forever!” She furiously stomped the ground and left indignantly. Before leaving she gave a final order, “Gao Wan, stand there and watch him! I do not believe he will not leave the house.”

“Yes, Master!” The muscular servant, Gao Wan rapidly replied and sent Mo Yan off. Within his heart he was feeling bitter – the mountain was chilly and breezy at night. He would have to stand guard the entire time, catching a cold easily like this. It was not an easy task.

Swish swoosh……

Within the primeval sea, ebb and flow of the tides raged on.

The green copper primeval essence gathered like water, forcing a tidal wave rolling about. Under Fang Yuan’s mental guidance, the waves endlessly crashed towards the surrounding aperture walls.

A Rank one initial stage Gu Master’s aperture walls resembled a white barrier. At this time, with the green copper primeval essence crashing towards them, it produced shadows of light, creating an indescribable feeling.

Time passed gradually and the level of the green copper primeval sea slowly declined.

From the original 44%, it dropped to 12%.

“If a Gu Master wants to raise their cultivation level, they would have to expend their primeval essence to nurture the aperture. Initial stage Gu Masters have light barriers as their aperture walls, while middle stage GuMasters have water barriers as their aperture walls and for upper stage, they have stone barriers. For me to cultivate from initial stage to middle stage, I will have to nurture the light barrier into water barrier aperture walls.”

From his five hundred years of memories, Fang Yuan had complete familiarity with the current stages of cultivation, and the methods were as clear as day to him.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to see that it was already late into the night.

The crescent moon hung high in the night sky, the moonlight shining pure as water.

The door was wide open and the moonlight shone in, letting Fang Yuan think of a famous poem from Earth – On a quiet night I saw the moonlight before my couch, and wondered if it were not the frost on the ground(1).

The night winds blew with a hint of chilliness.

Fang Yuan did not have any warmth-type Gu, and with just the body of a fifteen year old, he could not help but shiver slightly.

The night in the mountain was very cold.

“Scoundrel, you finally opened your eyes. How long are you planning to be cultivating there?! Get out, you’ll be punished regardless. You beat up our young master Mo Bei, so it was only a matter of time before young Miss teaches you a lesson.” Seeing that Fang Yuan had woken up, Gao Wan who was standing at the door got his spirits up.

Fang Yuan squinted; it seemed that the Rank two female Gu Master had left?

“Scoundrel, did you hear me? Hurry and come out here! You have a room to stay in and a bed to sleep, but I had to stand here all night. If you don’t come out any time soon, don’t you believe I might just barge in?!” Seeing no reaction from Fang Yuan, Gao Wan threatened.

Fang Yuan remained unfazed.

“Scumbag, come out and surrender yourself. You’ve offended the Mo family, you will not have any good days from now on. Hurry and apologise to young Miss and maybe she might just forgive you.” Gao Wan continued to chide.

Fang Yuan did not listen to a single word. He took out a primeval stone from his storage bag and held it in his hands, finally closing his eyes again.

Seeing that he was going to continue cultivating, Gao Wan was anxious and broke into a fit. “You mere C ranked talent, the most you can achieve in life is a Rank two Gu Master! What is there to cultivate? You are no match for the entire Mo family by yourself! Kid, are you deaf? Did you listen to a single word I said?!”

(1) A famous poem from Li Bai, a Chinese poet.

*This chapter was brought to you by Chibigen and Skyfarrow. Credits to Chibigen for helping with the translations.

Chapter 34 – Suppressive Beating!

Fang Yuan paid no heed to the man and started to multitask. He simultaneously absorbed the natural essence from the primeval stone and observed his aperture.

The primeval sea level which had originally fell drastically within the aperture, with help from the constant stream of natural essence, began to slowly rise up again. This form of recovery speed was inevitably slow, but Fang Yuan was in no hurry.

Cultivation was meant to be accumulative; it could not be rushed.

The urgent matter at hand was in fact the middle-aged servant outside the house.

After half an hour, Fang Yuan’s green copper primeval sea reached 44%, the maximum capacity it could hold. But this was not the end.

At this point the primeval sea showed a jade-green colour, this was only a Rank one initial stage green copper primeval essence. The primeval essence that Fang Yuan had previously used to nurture the aperture wall was no longer initial stage primeval essence. It had been turned into middle stage primeval essence, refined by the Liquor worm.

“Liquor worm.” With a thought from Fang Yuan, the Liquor worm within the primeval sea instantly flew out and hovered in mid-air, its body curling into a ball form, resembling a white rice ball.

Swoosh.

10% of his initial stage primeval essence was deployed and sent into the Liquor Worm’s body, and soon the essence was fully absorbed by it. Soon after, a surge of liquor mist emerged from the Liquor worm’s body and congregated into a lump.

Once more, Fang Yuan deployed 10% of his primeval essence and invested it into this liquor mist. Once the mist had been fully expended, the original 10% of initial stage primeval essence shrunk by half physically, and at the same time the colour changed from jade-green to pale-green.

This is middle-stage primeval essence.

“In order to advance in their cultivation, ordinary students all use initial stage primeval essence. However, I’ll be using middle stage primeval essence, and the efficiency is at least twice of theirs. Similarly, when using middle stage primeval essence to activate the Moonlight Gu and throw a moonblade, it will be far stronger than activating it using initial stage primeval essence.”

Only when all the primeval essence in the primeval sea had been converted to middle stage primeval essence did Fang Yuan open his eyes.

Time passes in the blink of an eye when cultivating, and at this point it was already midnight. The sky was no longer a pure black, but it had turned a deep dark-blue colour. The moon was no longer visible, and only a few lingering stars remained.

The door was open almost throughout the entire night, and a corner of the wooden door was already wet, showing a dark colour as the water tainted it.

The school hostel had this disadvantage, it was not as comfortable as an ordinary wooden lodge that was built above the ground (1), but it was directly built on the ground and thus it had high humidity.

Coming back to reality, Fang Yuan felt a chill down his spine. After sitting cross-legged for such a long time, both his legs felt numb. He opened his clenched right fist and scattered a handful of white stone powder.

This was the primeval stone after its essence had been fully absorbed, and what remained was only the leftover powder.

“After a night of cultivation, I had expended three primeval stones.” Fang Yuan calculated in his mind.

He had C ranked talent, but in order to pursue faster cultivation speed, he used primeval stones to replenish his primeval essence. What was more crucial was the Liquor worm, as it had been used to refine his middle stage primeval essence.

This had greatly increased the expenditure of his primeval stones.

“Although I plundered another sum of primeval stones yesterday, a night of cultivation cost me three stones. In this case, although it might seem that I have a lot of resources, it is unable to sustain me for a long time with my current cultivation speed, but this is the price I have to pay for pursuing cultivation speed and efficiency.”

Fang Yuan looked outside the room again, only to see Gao Wan, the muscular servant, squatting at a corner with his body curled up, seemingly fallen asleep.

“Looks like that Rank two female Gu Master had left long ago, leaving this Gao Wan here to keep a watch on me. Hehe.” Fang Yuan revealed a cold smile as he got off the bed and began to exercise his limbs.

Once his body had warmed up, he left the hostel.

“Lad, you finally decided to come out. So how about it? Obediently surrender and leave with me to kowtow and apologise to our young Miss.” Gao Wan’s ears caught Fang Yuan’s footsteps and he stood up immediately.

His muscular body was almost twice the size of Fang Yuan. The muscles in his body tightened and his brows knitted together, a pair of cruel eyes shining with evil light, resembling a starving hyena.

Fang Yuan expressionlessly walked towards him.

“Lad, you should have came out earlier. By coming out now, do you know how much The Great Me had to suffer by watching over you?” He snickered while approaching Fang Yuan, evidently planning something sinister.

At this moment, Fang Yuan lightly cried out, and with a ferocious leap he aimed both fists towards Gao Wan.

“Bastard, you’re courting death!!” Gao Wan’s face distorted with rising anger within him, raised his brick-sized fist and he punched towards Fang Yuan.

The fist was extremely powerful, slicing through air and the swooshing sound of the wind could be heard.

Fang Yuan’s eyes shone clear as crystal. Seeing that the fist was approaching close, he side-stepped and turned towards Gao Wan’s rear. Stretching out a finger, he struck towards Gao Wan’s waist.

Gao Wan blocked with his retracted arm – Fang Yuan did not get a clear hit, and ended up hitting onto Gao Wan’s left forearm.

Fang Yuan’s finger felt like it had hit a steel plate, painful and numb.

“This Gao Wan has already approached the limits of a mortal’s physical prowess. Right now I can only use the Moonlight Gu to fight, and without any other Gu worms to assist me, I am not his match at basic close combat!” Fang Yuan’s eyes shone and he decided quickly to give up on attacking. Instead, he retracted a few steps and pulled some distance away from Gao Wan.

In the Gu Yue village, only the Gu Yue clansmen had the rights to cultivate as a Gu Master. The outsiders, regardless of whether they had cultivation talent or not, had no rights to attend the Awakening Ceremony.

But these mortals could train in physical combat.

Just like the Gao Wan here, although he was not a Gu Master, he had trained vigorously in his punches and kicks and his basic skill was steadfast. Additionally he was a middle-aged man, and this meant being at the physical prime in a mortal’s lifetime.

Fang Yuan, other than having the Moonlight Gu to fight, had only the body of a 15 year old teenager. Be it strength, agility or endurance, he was not Gao Wan’s match.

Martial artists like Gao Wan were sufficient enough to kill a Rank one initial stage Gu Master. Even towards a Rank one middle stage Gu Master, they still posed a certain threat.

“This lad is too sneaky!” Seeing that Fang Yuan had drawn some distance between them, Gao Wan felt anxiety within his heart.

The waist was a vital point of the body, and if it was damaged by someone through brute force, the harm was not negligible. If the force was exerted beyond a point, it could also be deadly.

Gao Wan had waited outside the hostel for the entire night, and thus his body was enshrouded by the moist atmosphere, causing his reaction speed to be slightly slower. Hence the strike earlier had almost succeeded. Fortunately, although he was a bootlicker, he had trained hard in his physical ability. So at the crucial moment his body’s reflex instinctively reacted and allowed him to narrowly block Fang Yuan’s attack.

“I can’t be careless anymore! This lad behaves like a wolf, striking harsh and deviously, getting his way whenever I am even but a little careless. No wonder young master was knocked out by him twice.” Gao Wan wiped the sweat off his forehead and swept away all hints of contempt. He started to take his opponent seriously.

“If I can capture this lad, it’d be a great accomplishment. Young Miss is sure to reward me! A Rank one initial stage’s moonblade is at max only like a small dagger, so as long as it does not hit my vital points it’ll merely be a light external injury.”

Thinking of this, Gao Wan’s heart started to beat faster. Stretching out his shovel-like hands, he grabbed at Fang Yuan.

Boom boom boom!

Fang Yuan showed no fear and approached Gao Wan to engage in close combat. Exchanging punches and kicks, taking turns attacking and defending, loud impact sounds echoed through the area.

When plundering the students, he had only used his palm with his objective being to control the crowd. But now when engaging with Gao Wan, Fang Yuan had gone all out.

At times he used his fingers to jab at the eyes, sometimes strangling the throat, hitting the jaw with the base of his palm, chopping at the back of his opponent’s head, using the knee to strike the pelvic area, or using his hands to grab at the waist.

Gao Wan’s sweat poured out like a river.

Fang Yuan’s moves were all aiming at the vital points, each strike devious and deadly as if he wanted to end Gao Wan’s life right there!

Gao Wan was a mere mortal, and unlike the Gu Masters, although he trained well in his physical combat, his vital points remained vital. Mortals were unable to train their eyelids to become steel-like. This was the limits of the mortal martial arts.

In addition, Gao Wan did not dare to unleash any deadly moves on Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was a Gu Yue clansman, so killing him would incur public rage and he would be immediately executed. In fact, the Mo family will be the first to carry out his punishment. Thus his only thought was to capture Fang Yuan alive, and it would be good if he could make Fang Yuan suffer in the process of capture.

One side has apprehension while the other side had killing intent. The situation thus became Fang Yuan suppressing Gao Wan in the fight!

(1) 吊脚竹楼 – ordinary wooden lodge that was built above the ground (see image).

*This chapter was brought to you by Chibigen and Skyfarrow. Credits to Chibigen for helping with the translations.

Chapter 35 – Go Ahead and Scream!

Fang Yuan had the upper hand for now, but it could not sustain him for much longer.

Exchanging blows back and forth, he was already panting in exhaustion. In contrast, Gao Wan’s breathing was still smooth and in-sync, reflecting the huge difference in stamina between the two. At the same time, as Gao Wan exercised his limbs, his body gradually heated up while his punching speed became faster and faster. The effect of the cold that caused him to be slow and numb had worn off, displaying the true skills honed by his training for decades.

“Lad, you are unable to beat me! There are clan rules stating that within the school hostel, you are forbidden from using the Moonlight Gu. You are dead meat, doomed to be my captive!” Gao Wan laughed maniacally; his fighting experience was rich, so he attempted to use words to cause Fang Yuan’s fighting spirit to waver.

“In the end, I’m only just a teenager and my body that hasn’t fully developed cannot be compared to this servant.” Fang Yuan’s state of mind was calm as ice. Having sharpened his will for five hundred years, there was no way his fighting spirit would waver.

“Moonlight Gu!” He called out in his mind, activating his primeval essence and at the same time leaping backwards to pull away from Gao Wan.

Gao Wan wanted to chase after him, but he suddenly saw a watery-blue light emitting from Fang Yuan’s palm. His face darkened and he shouted, “Lad, you are using the Gu worm to fight in the school hostel, this is against the clan rules!”

“So what if I break the rules?” Fang Yuan sneered. He learnt the clan rules and memorised it to heart, but it was not for the sake of obeying it. Immediately, his palm slashed an arc towards Gao Wan. With a ‘ching’ sound, the blue moonblade flew towards Gao Wan’s face.

Gao Wan gritted his teeth as he raised both arms to cover his face, forming a protective shield. At the same time, he rushed towards Fang Yuan without pause, planning to endure the attack while ending the battle as quickly as he could.

The moonblade struck his arm. With a popping sound, his flesh and blood poured out under the moonlight, a wave of extreme pain hitting Gao Wan’s nerves. The unguarded man nearly fainted from the pain.

“How can this be?!” His rush towards Fang Yuan stopped, and he frightfully found out that both his limbs had been cut open with a deep wound. Fresh blood oozed out from the wound and from the side, while bloody muscles could be observed hanging around his flesh. Even the broken white bones of the forearm could be seen.

Gao Wan was shocked beyond words. “This is impossible! A Rank one initial stage moonblade, the most it could do is to lightly injure my flesh. How could it cut through my bones? Only a Rank one middle stage can do this!!”

He had no idea. While Fang Yuan was a Rank one initial stage Gu Master, due to the Liquor worm’s refining, he possessed Rank one middle stage primeval essence.

The Moonlight Gu, activated using middle stage primeval essence, emitted a moonblade far superior to the initial stage that he originally predicted.

“This is bad, this boy is weird!!” Gao Wan who was caught off-guard had already suffered a grave injury. His fighting spirit was goneand he decisively decided to retreat.

“Are you able to escape?” Fang Yuan smiled coldly as he started to give chase, the moonblades in his hands shooting out consecutively.

“Save me!!!” Gao Wan shouted out in horror as he fled, his voice travelling far out beyond the school hostel.

“What is going on? Someone is asking for help!” The voice alerted the school hostel guards who were nearby.

“It’s the Mo Family’s young Miss, Mo Yan’s servant.” The guards who arrived stopped in their tracks upon seeing the chasing scene.

“This is only a servant, there is no need for us to risk protecting him!”

“Letting him stay here was already a favour towards the Mo Family.”

“We still have to be careful, just in case he hurts Fang Yuan in desperation.”

The anxious guards all gathered around, but no one lent a hand to Gao Wan; they only observed from the sidelines.

This servant Gao Wan, even if he died, it had nothing to do with them. However if Fang Yuan died or got hurt, it would be their responsibility.

Seeing such a sight, Gao Wan despaired, he tragically screamed, ”We are all outsiders! You cannot leave me to die!”

His blood loss was getting more severe, and his speed decreased.

Fang Yuan caught up to him, his voice cold as ice, announcing Gao Wan’s death sentence, ”Go ahead and scream! It doesn’t matter how loud you do so.”

While saying that, the blade in his arm rotated, and he fired two moonblades towards Gao Wan.

Swoosh, swoosh!

The moon blades flew towards Gao Wan’s neck. The servant lost all hope, seemingly one step away into the abyss.

The next moment, he felt that his world was spinning; he actually saw his own feet, chest, back… and that severed neck.

Afterwards, total darkness awaited him.

Gao Wan had died.

Beheaded by two moonblades, his head flew away from the impact, his body pushed back 10 meters before falling. The neck area spewed out a fountain of fresh blood, dyeing the surrounding grass a blood red.

“Murder!!!”

“Fang Yuan killed someone!”

The guards could not help but scream out. They had witnessed the entire process, and they felt a sense of extreme trepidation and terror rushing all over their body.

Fang Yuan was just a weak 15 year old teenager, but he expressionlessly murdered a strong adult. This was the power of a Gu Master!

The victory had been set. Fang Yuan slowed in his footsteps and gradually moved towards the corpse.

His face was calm, as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary. This expression further sent a shiver down the guards’ spines.

Gao Wan’s head lay on the ground, both his eyes wide open, turning in his grave.

Fang Yuan stared coldly. He raised his leg and sent the head flying.

The guards’ eyelids twitched.

Fang Yuan approached the corpse and found that it was still vibrating. The blood spread through the ground, forming a small bloody puddle. He looked at Gao Wan’s injuries with a grim expression. These injuries were deep enough to expose the secret to the fact that he had middle stage primeval essence.

Once this was exposed, it’ll be quickly deduced that he had a Liquor worm, and with that the family would naturally think of the Flower Wine Monk.

Thus, Fang Yuan had to keep this secret hidden.

“But there are too many onlookers.” Fang Yuan’s gaze swept through the nearby guards; there was more than ten of them. He had less than 10% primeval essence left, so there was no way to kill them all.

After pondering for a while, Fang Yuan bent down and raised Gao Wan’s ankle, dragging the corpse away.

“Young master Fang Yuan, you can leave this to us.” The guards controlled their fear and approached Fang Yuan, politely speaking.

The respect and politeness held a tint of obvious fear.

Fang Yuan silently looked at the guards, and they all held their breaths, looking down.

“Give me the sabre,” he stretched out his hand and lightly said.

With authority in his speech, he emitted undeniable pressure.

The guard closest to him uncontrollably handed him the sabre on his waist.

Fang Yuan took the sabre over and continued walking, leaving behind a dozen stunned guards staring after his back.

The sun rose from the east, and the first ray of light shone over the mountain peak, lighting up the school hostel.

15 year old Fang Yuan, with the scrawny body of a teenager, a pale look upon his skin.

Under the sunrise, he casually walked.

In his left hand was a shiny sabre.

In his right hand, a headless corpse.

His path left behind a trail of bright red blood traces dragged out on the road.

The guards were flabbergasted, their bodies stiff due to the frightening scene.

Even as the sunlight shone on them, they could not feel a sense of warmth and light.

Gulp.

Someone among them swallowed their saliva loudly.

Author’s note: (He’s just asking for readers to recommend his book to others. Second half is just trying to motivate the readers.)

For a book that is just written, there will be people who like it and people who don’t. For those who don’t like it, there is no need to struggle/force yourselves, you can just go and read another book. For those who like it, please do your best to support the book! On the first day of the new year, I ask for recommendations, please bookmark this book! After the apocalypse, I implore everyone of the same Dao to display their strengths, gather our powers and rise up as the demonic flames, and let the people of the world see the power of us demon cultivators! In the new year, those that defend the last remaining territory of the demonic ways, let the demonic way rise up again, and become legendary!!

*This chapter was brought to you by Chibigen and Skyfarrow. Credits to Chibigen for helping with the translations.

*Donations are finally open for Reverend Insanity!! (+_+)/

Chapter 36 – Gifting a disseminated corpse!

“Did you guys hear? Fang Yuan killed someone!” A student whispered to his classmate beside him.

“I heard it too, he really killed somebody.” The classmate clenched his chest with a pale face.

“There were many guards who saw him do it. Fang Yuan was chasing after that man. That guy tried to beg for mercy but Fang Yuan paid him no heed and decapitated him immediately!”

“That’s not all. After killing him, Fang Yuan didn’t even spare his headless corpse. He dragged it back to the hostel and chopped it into a meat paste.”

“Are you for real?”

“I’m serious beyond belief. I came early this morning and I could still see the bloodstains left between the cracks of the green rock.”

“Oh man, why would I lie to you? Earlier, the Academy Elder called Fang Yuan over for this matter.”

The youths in the Academy did not pay attention to class as they held their little conversations.

To this group of 15 year olds, the concept of killing was too foreign and too scary.

They had been under the protection of the clan since a young age and had at most experienced organized sparring or simply killing chickens and dogs.

As for killing a person, it was still beyond them.

“Who did Fang Yuan kill?”

“I heard it was a family servant of the Mo branch family.”

“Yup, I’m the clearest about this matter. Yesterday, I personally saw the Mo Family’s Mo Yan bring a bunch of family servants to find trouble with Fang Yuan.”

“The Mo family, that’s not good. Mo Bei is in trouble now.”

A number of the youths turned to look at Gu Yue Mo Bei.

Mo Bei sat on his seat with a pale face – he had only heard about the news of Fang Yuan killing someone this morning. Additionally, it was the Gao Wan that Mo Bei was familiar with. As one of the more energetic family servants, Gao Wan was good at boot licking and had also put effort into his fighting skills. He was an able lackey.

A long while ago, Gao Wan had even sparred with Mo Bei for a bit. To think that he was simply killed by Fang Yuan!

It was precisely because of this that Mo Bei felt astonished. He was full of disbelief and felt twice the shock compared to the others. However, compared to his shock, he felt a greater sense of worry and fear.

Facing a murderer like Fang Yuan, it would be a lie if Mo Bei said that he was not afraid. Actually, it was not just him – the other youngsters were afraid too. When Fang Yuan had robbed them twice previously, all of them had gotten physical with him.

“I actually fought with such a ruthless murderer? To think that I’m actually still alive.” Many of them patted their chest, feeling a lingering fear.

Fang Yuan killing someone was still somewhat acceptable but the crux was that he even dissected the corpse and chopped the body into meat paste.

That was way too cruel!

The truth of such a horrifying crime had a strong impact on all of the youths’ pure and innocent minds.

Within the room, there was only the Academy Elder and Fang Yuan.

The Academy Elder sat while Fang Yuan stood. Neither of them spoke a word, causing the atmosphere to be extremely tense.

The Academy Elder silently looked at Fang Yuan and a hint of complication flashed in his eyes.

In the morning, the guards had reported to him about Fang Yuan’s murder incident. This news had made him feel both shocked and suspicious.

He was a Rank three Gu Master and was in charge of the Academy. He obviously knew the fighting strength of a Rank one initial stage Gu Master.

Fang Yuan being able to kill Gao Wan was like the weak defeating the strong.

In truth, some guards had already reported to him that Mo Yan had trapped Fang Yuan within the Academy by barging in the previous night.

Back then, he had not paid attention to the matter and had not stopped them.

He was the Academy Elder – his objective was to nurture future Gu Masters, not to protect them. As long as there were no deaths among the students, he encouraged hidden conflicts.

Mo Yan coming to find trouble with Fang Yuan was something that he was happy to see. For one, he knew that regardless of whether the fight was won or lost, it would be beneficial to Fang Yuan’s growth. Secondly, he wanted to suppress Fang Yuan’s influence.

Fang Yuan had consecutively blocked the Academy’s gates and robbed the other students. His influence was too great; it had to be suppressed.

However, he hadn’t expected that Mo Yan would return fruitlessly and that the family servant that she had left behind would be unable to beat Fang Yuan. Gao Wan even got killed by him!

In this world, strength was above all else. Killing someone was not something peculiar. Especially to a GuMaster, it was something very common.

But it was not so simple when it was a 15 year old’s first kill.

The Academy Elder vividly remembered his first killing scene. Back then, he was already a Rank two Gu Master. At the age of 19, he had killed a Gu Master from the Bai clan’s village in a conflict.

After killing the person, he vomited profusely and panicked in his heart. For a few days, he had no mood to eat and had no appetite. He could not even find peace in his sleep. The moment he shut his eyes, he would see the dead person staring angrily at him.

But looking at Fang Yuan now, his face was calm as ice. Where was the fluster? Not to mention that he had no uneasy feelings. It was almost like he had slept perfectly well last night, as if the person who killed a man was not him at all!

Especially when the Academy Elder heard more about the matter. After Fang Yuan had killed the servant, he did not spare the corpse and had even dragged it back to the dormitory to chop it into meat paste in his rage. Such vicious methods, even hearing about it was a kind of terror!

Thus, at this point, the Academy Elder looked at Fang Yuan with complicated emotions.

On one hand, he was amazed at Fang Yuan’s indifference towards life, his attitude was as steady and as cold as ice. On the other hand, he was appreciative of the fact that Fang Yuan was a born battle-freak. After familiarizing himself with the Moonlight Gu for a few days, he had managed to kill someone with it. An ordinary teenager—even those A grade talents—may not be able to achieve this. This was a talent for battle! If he was well-nurtured and fought for the clan, it would be all of their enemies’ nightmare.

Lastly, he felt worry and distressed.

Worry because after this incident, Fang Yuan’s reputation was sure to rise and it would be impossible to suppress him. Fang Yuan was way too daring; not only did he disobey the clan rules by using his Gu in the Academy, he even killed someone with it. There was a need to suppress his influence. Otherwise, how would the Elder be able to manage this Academy anymore?

Distress was because he did not know how to perfectly resolve this issue. After all, it involved the Mo family’s side.

“Fang Yuan, do you know why I called you here to meet me?” The Academy Elder used a solemn and deep voice to break the silence in the room.

“I know.” Fang Yuan nodded and replied, “I used the Moonlight Gu in the Academy, breaking the clan rules. According to the rules, as it is my first offense, I should compensate thirty pieces of primeval stones as punishment.”

He evaded the crucial point and did not mention Gao Wan’s death.

The Academy Elder was stunned for a second, he had not expected that Fang Yuan would answer like this.

His expression darkened as he coldly snapped, “Don’t try to blur things in front of me! I’ll ask you, what was the matter with Gao Wan’s death?”

Fang Yuan squinted his eyes and said, “Hmph, this Gao Wan went against his superiors, his intentions were vicious. Last night, not only did he block my room door, he even tried to kill me. In self-defense, I was forced to use the Moonlight Gu. Fortunately, I managed to kill this traitor. I suspect that there is a high possibility of him being a spy of the other mountain villages, I implore the elders to investigate this thoroughly!”

Upon hearing this, the Academy Elder frowned and became at a lost for words.

Now that Gao Wan was dead, Fang Yuan could say whatever he wanted. After all, Gao Wan was just an outsider, not a member of the clan. Even if he was dead, it would not matter to the Academy Elder. However, he was worried about the Mo family’s reaction. Gao Wan was their servant and he had died within the academy. The Academy Elder was in charge of the academy and had to give the Mo family an explanation.

Thinking for a bit, the Academy Elder stared at Fang Yuan and questioned, “Then let me ask you. Gao Wan’s corpse, how did you deal with it?”

Fang Yuan’s lips curled, revealing a cruel smile. “I diced Gao Wan’s corpse and put it inside a wooden box. When morning came, I put it at the Mo family’s back door.”

“What?!” The Academy Elder was stunned beyond words as he almost jumped from his seat.

Not only did Fang Yuan kill their family servant, he had even chopped up the corpse and placed it at the Mo family’s back door. This was blatant provocation!

To the Academy Elder who was trying to resolve this peacefully, it was a true nightmare.

Fang Yuan was just a small Rank one Gu Master, how would the large Mo family react?

Thinking of this, the Academy Elder felt a headache as the matter had already developed out of his control. This Fang Yuan was a true troublemaker.

“Sigh, since it has already happened, there’s no point in saying anymore. Leave first, the punishment will come within these few days, you should get mentally prepared.” The Academy Elder was terribly upset. He waved his hand and signaled for Fang Yuan to leave; he needed to think through this calmly to come up with a solution.

TL Note: So my person-in-charge said I can post on my site with a time delay while Qidian site has to be the first, so I’m just going to post here too anyway if that’s the case o/

– Skyfarrow

Chapter 37 – Both a compromise and a threat

Meanwhile, at the Mo family.

“What were my instructions to you? See what you did!” In the study room, Gu Yue Mo Chen slammed the table, exploding with a rage.

Mo Yan stood opposite this old man, her head lowered. Her eyes were full of shock and rage. She had also just gotten the news that Gao Wan had been killed by Fang Yuan!

That 15 year old teenager, to think he had such methods and determination. Gao Wan was the proud servant of her Mo family and Fang Yuan’s act of killing him was a blatant showing of disrespect towards them!

“Grandpa, you don’t have to be so angry. This Gao Wan was only a servant, his death is of no concern. He isn’t a Gu Yue clan member anyways. But that Fang Yuan, he is too daring, you have to ‘look at the owner before you beat the dog’. Not only did he beat our dog but he even beat it to death!” Mo Yan said indignantly.

Gu Yue Mo Chen furiously scowled, “You still have the cheeks to say that! Have your wings grown so tough now that you don’t even put my words to heart, hmm? What I told you before, you have forgotten all about it!”

“Your granddaughter dares not!” Mo Yan jumped in shock. She knew now that her grandfather was really angry and quickly kneeled down.

Gu Yue Mo Chen pointed his finger out the window and scolded, “Hmph, so what if that servant died. But now you are still showing hostility towards Fang Yuan, this is really a matter of you being short sighted and unclear of the implications! Do you know the significance of your actions? The fight among juniors is their own business. As elders, we should not interfere. These are the rules! Now that you went to find trouble with Fang Yuan, it means you are breaking the rules. I can’t tell how many people are out there now, looking at this disgrace of our Mo family!”

“Grandpa, please calm down, anger will harm your body. It’s Mo Yan fault, I burdened the Mo family. Whatever Grandpa tells Mo Yan to do, Mo Yan will do it! But your granddaughter really cannot take this lying down, that Fang Yuan is too despicable, too shameless. First, he lied to me and entered the academy. Next, he hid in the dormitory and no matter how much I scolded him, he would not come out. Once I left, he went ahead and killed Gao Wan. He is extremely sinister and despicable!” Mo Yan reported.

“Oh, is that so?” Gu Yue Mo Chen frowned. This was the first time he had heard this information and a bright light shone across his eyes.

He took in a deep breath, suppressing his rage and he stroked his beard while saying, “I’ve heard stories about this Fang Yuan. In his early years, he was able to make poems and songs, showing early intelligence. But to think that he only had C grade talent. It was difficult for him to have a good future and thus I gave up on recruiting him. But now it seems that it’s slightly interesting.”

Pausing for a second, Gu Yue Mo Chen knocked on the table and ordered, “Someone, bring that box over here.”

The servant outside the door quickly obeyed. Soon, he brought in a box. The box was neither too big nor too small but it was slightly heavy. The servant used both hands to carry it and stood beside the study table.

“Grandpa, what is this?” Mo Yan stared at the wooden box and asked doubtfully.

“Why don’t you open it and take a look?” Gu Yue Mo Chen squinted his eyes and said in a complicated tone.

Mo Yan stood up, flipped over the wooden lid and looked inside.

Immediately, her facial expression changed and her pupils shrunk to a needle-like size. She could not help but take a step back and let loose an unsuppressed scream. The wooden lid in her hand also fell to the ground.

Without the wooden lid, the thing kept within the wooden box was shown to everyone present.

It was actually a pile of flesh and blood!

The bloody flesh was obviously sliced off piece by piece and placed into the box. Bright scarlet blood had accumulated inside. There was some pale skin and flesh, while some were long strands of intestines, mixed in with a few pieces of bones, either leg bones or the ribs. In the pool of blood at a corner, there were also two fingers and half a toe floating in it.

Blech…

Mo Yan beautiful face changed color as she took another step backwards, her stomach turning as she almost vomited on the spot.

She was Rank two Gu Master and had gone out to gain experience before. Despite that, this was the first time that she had seen such a disgusting and twisted scene even though she had killed people before.

The flesh and blood in this box were obviously the corpse of a person after being minced into pieces and stuffed in.

The scent of blood burst into the air and rapidly permeated the air immediately, filling the entire study room.

Both of the family servant’s hands shook as he carried the box, his complexion pale. Although he had seen the box earlier and vomited before, he could still feel waves of palpitation and disgust as he held it now.

Among the three people in the study room, only the family elder Gu Yue Mo Chen was unfazed. He lightly looked at the contents of the box for a moment and said to Mo Yan slowly: “This box was what Fang Yuan had placed at our family’s back door this morning.”

“What, it’s really him?!” Mo Yan was extremely shocked as images of Fang Yuan showed up in her mind.

The first time she saw Fang Yuan, it was at the inn.

At that time, Fang Yuan sat near the window, quietly eating his meal. His facial features were bland and both of his eyes were dark and gloomy. His body was thin and his skin had the special paleness of a teenager.

He looked like such a normal and quiet youth. To think that he had done such a twisted and insane act!

After her initial shock came a furious rage. Mo Yan yelled, “This Fang Yuan is too outrageous, who gave him the guts to do so! To dare to do such a thing, this is a provocation towards our Mo family! I will go ahead now and bring him here to question him for his crimes!” After she said this, she headed towards the exit.

“You scoundrel, stop right there!” Gu Yue Mo Chen was angrier than she was as he grabbed an ink slab on his study desk and threw it over.

The hard and heavy ink slab hit Mo Yan’s shoulder and with a ‘bang‘ it fell to the ground.

“Grandpa!” Mo Yan held her shoulder as she called out in alarm.

Gu Yue Mo Chen stood up, his finger pointing at his granddaughter as he spoke with an extremely agitated tone, “It seems like all these years of training were in vain. You have disappointed me greatly! Against a small Rank one initial stage Gu Master, not to mention you involving so many people, but even getting led by the nose by the other party. Now that you’ve let your rage get the better of you, at this point, do you still not understand the meaning behind Fang Yuan’s actions?”

“What meaning?” Mo Yan was puzzled.

Gu Yue Mo Chen snorted, “If Fang Yuan wanted to provoke us, he would have blown up this matter, so why did he place this box at the secluded back door instead of placing it at the front door where there are many people walking around?”

“Maybe he wants to reconcile with us? No, if he wanted to reconcile, wouldn’t it be better to apologise face to face? Why must he send us this box of minced corpse, this is definitely a provocation!” Mo Yan said.

Gu Yue Mo Chen shook his head, then nodded. “He wants to reconcile, but at the same time, he is also provoking us. Placing the wooden box at the back door is his intention to reconcile. Placing the corpse inside the box, that is a provocation.”

“You see,” The old man pointed at the box, and spoke, “This wooden box is not big, and it cannot hold a complete corpse. Therefore there can only be a portion of the corpse inside. He is trying to tell us that he does not wish to blow up this matter and wants to settle this amicably. But if our Mo Family wants to pursue this matter, he will place the remainder of the corpse at our main entrance, thoroughly blowing up the issue. By that time, it would be a losing situation for both sides. The entire clan knows that our Mo family broke the rules first, and to our Mo Family’s future head, this would be seen as him being so weak since he actually required his elder’s doting and protection.”

Upon hearing these words, Mo Yan was momentarily dumbfounded. She had never expected that Fang Yuan’s actions would have such profound meaning.

“His method is really wise,” Gu Yue Mo Chen said with admiration, “With just one action, he exercised both toughness and softness, capable of advancing and retreating safely. This is just a simple wooden box but it not only expresses Fang Yuan’s intention to compromise but also his ability to pose a threat to our Mo family. And it so happens that he does hold onto the weakness of our Mo family. If the Mo family’s reputation is tarnished, what follows after will be the Chi family’s attack as well as the assault from the clan leader’s side.”

Mo Yan found it unbelievable. “Grandpa, aren’t you thinking too highly of him? Are you sure that he’s capable of this? He is only 15 years old.”

“Too highly?” Mo Chen looked at his granddaughter unhappily. “Looks like you’ve had too smooth a life in these past few years. Fostering your arrogant attitude, you are unable to clearly see the reality. This Fang Yuan was unfazed towards danger and deceived you to enter the school. Next, he used his wisdom in the face of danger and hid within the dormitory to avoid trouble. No matter what insult you threw at him he did not respond, this is his ability to calmly endure. After you left, he killed Gao Wan immediately, this is his bravery and courage. Now he sent this box, clearly showing his wisdom and planning ability. Can you still say that I thought of him too highly?”

Mo Yan listened with wide eyes as she had not expected her grandfather to praise Fang Yuan so highly. Immediately she said indignantly, “Grandpa, he only has a C grade talent.”

Gu Yue Mo Chen sighed deeply, “Yes, he is only a C grade. Having such wisdom and yet only C grade talent, it really is a pity. As long as his talent was higher, even if it was just a B grade, he would certainly become an influential member of our Gu Yue clan. What a pity, he is only a C grade.”

The old man’s sigh was full of emotion. His sigh held both regret and at the same time rejoice.

Mo Yan was silent and in her mind, Fang Yuan’s image appeared once again. Under her psychological influence, Fang Yuan’s frail expression was shrouded by a layer of mysterious and vicious shadow.

“This problem was created by you single-handedly. How are you going to settle it?” Gu Yue Mo Chen broke the silence as he started to test Mo Yan.

Mo Yan pondered for a while before she replied in a cold and aloof tone, “Gao Wan was just a servant, so there are no implications even if he dies. Fang Yuan is just a C grade, so he is also a small matter. What’s important is maintaining my Mo family’s reputation. To appease this matter, we might as well kill Gao Wan’s entire family to show the entire clan our attitude to protect the rules and regulations.”

“Mmm, you’re able to think of the big picture. Setting aside your personal emotions to defend the interests of family, this is very good. However, your method is still flawed.” Gu Yue Mo Chen analyzed her response.

“Please enlighten me, Grandpa,” Mo Yan implored.

Gu Yue Mo Chen said solemnly, “This matter was instigated by you, so I shall punish you with seven days of confinement. From now on, do not find trouble with Fang Yuan again. Gao Wan defied his superiors – a servant who dares to offend his master deserves death, so he should have been executed for his crimes! Because he is a servant of the Mo family, we are responsible for our inability to educate our subordinate and thus we shall compensate that Fang Yuan with thirty primeval stones. As for Gao Wan’s family members, give them fifty primeval stones as compensation and expel them from the clan.”

After a short pause, he continued, “For the next seven days, rest well at home, do not go out. At the same time, think about the profound meaning of why Grandpa chose to handle the matter this way.”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

Chapter 38 – Demon walking in the light

From the layers of dark clouds in the sky, the spring rain fell.

The raindrops were thin like hair. As they fell, they enveloped Qing Mao Mountain in a layer of fine mist.

The dining hall on the first floor of the inn was rather empty. There were only four tables of guests.

Fang Yuan sat at a seat by the window. A gust of wind blew, bringing with it a poetic atmosphere and the scent of flowers.

“The light rain from the sky is sleek and crisp, the color of grass is seen from afar but disappears when close.” Fang Yuan looked outside through a window and quoted a poem lightly before he turned his sights back to the inn.

Before him was a table filled with good wine and dishes. The color, smell and taste were all top notch. Especially the green bamboo wine which oozed with the fragrance of alcohol along with a hint of freshness. The dark green colored liquor sat quietly in the bamboo cup. From his angle, it shone with an amber-like luster.

A grandfather and his grandson were sitting at the table nearest to him. Being mortal humans, they wore modest clothes.

The grandfather sipped his rice wine while looking enviously at Fang Yuan. He was evidently attracted to the green bamboo wine but could not afford it.

The grandson ate his braised beans, a crunching sound emitting from his mouth as he chewed. At the same time, he pestered his grandfather, shaking his arm. “Grandpa, grandpa, tell me about the story of Ren Zu. If you don’t tell me, I’ll report to grandma that you secretly came out to drink!”

“Sigh, I can’t even drink in peace.” The grandfather sighed but his face showed a doting expression towards the child. With his twig-like arm, he patted the boy’s head, “Then let me tell you the story of Ren Zu who gave his heart to the Hope Gu, escaping his predicament of being captured…”

Ren Zu’s story was the most popular and widespread tale in this world, as well as the most ancient legend.

The old man’s story was something like this.

The story mentioned that Ren Zu was able to escape his predicament because of hope. But eventually he grew old and without Strength and Wisdom, he could no longer continue to hunt. Even his teeth fell off, making him unable to chew many wild fruits and vegetables.

Ren Zu felt death slowly approaching.

At this time, the Hope Gu said to him, “Human, you must not die. If you die, your heart will be lost and I will lose my only place of residence.”

Ren Zu was helpless. “Who wishes to die? But if the heavens and earth want me dead, I have no choice.”

The Hope Gu said, “There’s always hope in everything. As long as you can catch a Longevity Gu, you will be able to increase your lifespan.”

Ren Zu had heard of the existence of the Longevity Gu long ago but he waved his hand helplessly. “When the Longevity Gu stays still, nobody can detect it and when it flies, it is faster than light. How can I possibly catch it? It’s too hard!”

The Hope Gu then told Ren Zu a secret, “Human, don’t give up hope no matter what. Let me tell you, on the northwest corner of this continent, there is a huge mountain. On the mountain, there is a cave and in that cave, there is a pair of round and square Gu worms. As long as you can subdue them, there is no Gu in this world that you cannot catch, including the Longevity Gu!”

Ren Zu had no choice, this was his last remaining hope.

He braved all difficulties and finally found the mountain. He then risked his life and ventured through countless dangers to ascend the mountain. On the mountain top, near the cave entrance, he used his last remaining strength to slowly make his way in.

The inside of the cave was completely dark and one would not be able to even see their own fingers. Ren Zu walked in the darkness. Sometimes, he would bump into things not knowing what they were. This caused himself to get injured and wounded all over. At times, he felt that this dark cave was huge beyond words as if this was a world of its own. He felt as if he was the only person in the area.

He spent a lot of time but he could not walk out of the darkness. Not to mention subduing the two Gu worms.

Just when he was at a loss about what to do, two voices spoke to him from the darkness.

One voice said, “Human, you’re here to catch us? Go back, for even if you had the Strength Gu, it would be impossible.”

The other said, “Human, go back, we will not take your life. Even if you had the Wisdom Gu to help you, you may not be able to find us.

Ren Zu laid exhausted on the ground, panting. “The Strength and Wisdom Gu had left me long ago and I do not have much lifespan left so I’m at my wits end. But as long as there’s hope in my heart, I will not give up!”

Hearing Ren Zu’s words, the two voices went silent.

After a while, one of the Gu said, “I understand, human, you have already given your heart to the Hope Gu. You will not give up no matter what.”

The other continued, “In that case, we shall give you a chance. As long as you can say our name, we will allow you to use us.”

Ren Zu was stunned. To find their names among all the words in the world, it was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Furthermore, he did not even know how many words were in their names.

Ren Zu quickly asked the Hope Gu, but it did not know either.

Ren Zu had no alternatives and had no choice but to randomly guess their names. He said many many names and wasted a lot of time but the darkness did not respond to him so evidently he was wrong.

Eventually, Ren Zu’s breath got weaker as he turned from an old man into a dying man. It was like the scene of the evening’s setting sun. The sun that would slowly descending had already been lowered halfway across the horizon, becoming a sunset.

The food he had brought was gradually reduced, his brain becoming slower and he barely had any energy to speak anymore.

The voice in the darkness urged, “Human, you are almost dead, so we will let you go. Using your remaining time, you can climb out of the cave and take a final look at the world. But you have offended us, and as punishment, the Hope Gu shall stay here as our companion.”

Ren Zu clenched his heart and rejected, “Even if I die, I will not give up hope!”

The Hope Gu was very touched and answered Ren Zu’s call enthusiastically, emitting a bright light. At Ren Zu’s chest area, a light began to shine. But this light was too weak, it could not illuminate the darkness. In fact, it could not even cover Ren Zu’s entire body, but only engulfed his chest area.

Yet Ren Zu could feel a renewed surge of energy gushing into his body from the Hope Gu.

He continued to speak, shouting out names. But he was already muddled. A lot of names had already been said but he could not remember that and repeated them, wasting a lot of effort in the process.

As time continued to flow, Ren Zu’s lifespan was almost over.

Finally, when he was on his final day, he said out the word ‘Regulation’.

A sigh came from the darkness as a voice spoke, “Human, I admire your perseverance. You have said my name, so from today onwards, I will obey your commands. But only with my brother can I aid you in capturing all the Gu in the world. Otherwise, with my ability alone, it is impossible. Thus, you should give up. You’re almost dead, you might as well use this chance to take a final look at the world.”

Ren Zu was determined and shook his head, he made use of all his time to continue saying out names as he tried to guess the other Gu worm’s name.

Seconds and minutes went by and soon he only had one hour left.

But at this time, he unknowingly said the word ‘Rule’.

Immediately, the darkness dissipated.

The two Gus appeared before him. As the Hope Gu had said, one was cubic, called ‘Regulations’. The other was spherical, called ‘Rules’. Together, they made up ‘Rules and Regulations’.

The two Gu said together, “No matter who it is, as long as they know our names, we will listen to them. Human, since you know our names already, we will be at your service. But you must remember, it is important to not let others know of our names. The more people that know our names, the more people we have to obey them. Now that you are the first to subdue us, tell us your request.”

Ren Zu was overjoyed. “Then I order you both, go and catch me a Longevity Gu.”

The Rules and Regulations Gu worked together and captured an eighty-year Longevity Gu.

Ren Zu was already a hundred years old but after consuming this Gu, the wrinkles on his face vanished and his frail limbs became muscular again. A vibrant aura of youth oozed from him.

With a belly flop, he jumped up onto his feet.

He ecstatically looked at his body, knowing that he had regained the body of a twenty year old!

“That’s all for today, let’s go home, grandson.” The old man, having completed the story, finished his wine as well.

“Grandpa, continue telling me, what happens to Ren Zu after?” The grandson was unyielding as he shook his grandfather’s arm.

“Let’s go, I’ll tell you when there’s another chance.” The old man wore his straw hat and jacket, then gave his grandson another set that was a smaller size.

The two walked out of the inn, stepping into the rain and slowly vanishing from sight.

“Rules and Regulations…” Fang Yuan’s gaze was dark as he twirled his wine cup, looking at the liquor in his cup. His heart was touched.

Ren Zu’s legend was widespread throughout this world and there were almost no people who did not know of him. Fang Yuan had naturally heard of him too.

But no matter if it was a legend or a story, it was dependant on the knowledge of the reader. The grandfather and grandson earlier merely treated it as a story, but Fang Yuan could understand the deeper meaning.

Just like that Ren Zu.

When he did not know the rules and regulations, he explored in the dark. Sometimes he bumped into things, knocking into others, causing himself to get injured and look like a mess. And at times within a wider area, he got lost and confused, moving without a sense of direction or purpose.

This darkness was not purely black or the absence of light. Strength, wisdom and hope could not oppose it.

Only when Ren Zu knew of the rules and regulations and said their names did the darkness dissipate and invite light into Ren Zu’s life.

The darkness was the darkness of the rules and regulations and the light was also the light of the rules and regulations.

Fang Yuan switched his gaze from his cup and looked outside through the window.

He saw that outside the window, the sky was still dark, the greenery abundant and the pelting rain flying by like mist. Close by, the bamboo tall-houses were lined up in a row, extending far out. On the road, several people walked, their feet stained with the mud from the rain. Some of them wore grayish green straw coats, while others carried yellow oiled cloth umbrellas.

Fang Yuan concluded, “This world’s heaven and earth is like a huge chess board. All lifeforms are chess pieces, acting in accordance with their rules and regulations. The four seasons have their own rules and regulations, rotating between spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The flow of water has its own rules and regulations, flowing from high ground to low ground. Hot air has its own rules and regulations, floating upwards. Humans naturally also have their own rules and regulations.”

“Everybody has their own standpoints, desires, and principles. For example, in the Gu Yu village, the servants lives are cheap while their master’s lives are noble. This is a part of rules and regulations. Because of this, Shen Cui who wants to get close to the rich and affluent is doing her best to try and escape her servant status. Gao Wan tried all means and methods to please his master, using their authorities for himself.”

“As for Uncle and Aunt, they gave in to greed, wanting to hoard my parent’s inheritance. The Academy Elder wants to nurture Gu masters to maintain his position in the Academy.”

“Everyone has their own rules and regulations, every profession has its own rules and regulations, and every society and group also have their own rules and regulations. Only by understanding the rules and regulations can we see the situation clearly from the side. Gone with the darkness and embrace the light, moving around the rules with much to spare.”

Fang Yuan thought about his own situation, his heart already clear. “To the Mo family’s head Gu Yue Mo Chen, it is to protect his family branch’s prosperity and benefits. Mo Yan found trouble with me and that would be considered spoiling the rules, so for the sake of his family honor, he will not do anything to me. In fact, he might even compensate me.”

“Actually the Mo family has great influence, so if they risk their reputation and are bent on punishing me, there is nothing I can do to resist them. However, Gu Yue Mo Chen is afraid. He is not afraid of himself breaking the rules, but he is afraid that others will follow in his footsteps. In a junior’s scuffle, if the elders interfere, it would aggravate the situation. If it involved the higher ups, it’d pose a threat to the entire mountain village. Gu Yue Mo Chen’s fear lied here. What if in future conflicts, others laid their hands on his grandson Gu Yue Mo Bei? In his entire family line there’s only one male, so what would happen if he died? This kind of fear, maybe he doesn’t realize it himself. He is only subconsciously protecting the rules.”

Fang Yuan’s eyes were clear as he had the perfect grasp and understanding of the matter from start till the end.

Gao Wan’s surname was not Gu Yue. Instead, he was an outsider, a servant.

The master executing a servant was nothing to be alarmed about. In this world, it was normal.

In the case of Fang Yuan killing Gao Wan, Gao Wan’s death was not crucial. The crucial part was his master, the Mo family behind him.

“However Gu Yue Mo Chen should be able to understand my intention of compromise and threat from the time I sent a box of a minced corpse to them. This is also what I want him to think. If I’m not wrong, the Mo family will not pursue Gao Wan’s death. Of course, if I had better talent and was at least a B grade, the Mo family would feel threatened. Even with the loss of their reputation, they would want to suppress a future threat such as myself,” Fang Yuan snickered in his heart.

Strength can be relied on but weakness can also be used as an advantage.

Although Fang Yuan was in the game of chess as a pawn, he was clear of the rules and regulations, thus he already had the mentality of a player.

An ordinary character would at most be like Gu Yue Mo Chen or the Academy Elder, also knowing their own rules and regulations but unsure of their non-expertise. Being like Fang Yuan, who had a clear view of the big picture and was clear of rules and regulations was extremely difficult!

To understand rules and regulations, one has to be like Ren Zu, stumbling around in the dark and wandering about aimlessly.

At this point, strength, wisdom, and hope would be useless. One must spend a lot of time going through it themselves and gaining the experience.

For Ren Zu to be able to say out the names of the Rules and Regulations Gu, this was after spending time. Under the threat of death, he had tried countless of times.

Fang Yuan was an expert in rules and regulations due to his five hundred years of experience in from past life.

After his rebirth, he believed that he could create a brilliant future. Not because of the Spring and Autumn Cicada, not because he knew many secret troves and treasures, not because he knew what the future held.

But because of the five hundred years of experience that he had gained as a person.

Just like how Ren Zu controlled the Rules and Regulations Gu and was able to easily capture all the Gu in the world!

And Fang Yuan was so familiar with rules and regulations, thus he was able to look down upon the world and see through its truths and lies. Being meticulous and precise, or getting right to the heart of the matter. I proudly laugh as I stand on top of the world, coldly looking at the people in the world who behaved like pawns, obeying their respective rules and regulations, living their lives in a straightforward manner.

The rules and regulations of the darkness is darkness, and the rules and regulations of the light is light.

But the reborn demon had stepped foot under the path of light.

Chapter 39 – Toad Caravan Merchant

The month of May was a transition between spring and summer.

The fragrance of flowers filled the air, the huge mountains evergreen and the sunlight began to gradually release its ardent side.

Under the clear azure skies, the white clouds drifted like cotton.

On Qing Mao Mountain, the bamboo forest was straight like spears as always, pointing towards the blue sky. Weeds grew wildly everywhere, and unknown varieties of wild flowers dotted the grass thicket. As the light breeze blew, the wild grass moved to and fro, the heavy fragrance of flower pollen and the smell of green grass assailing visitors.

Halfway up the mountain was a huge number of terraced fields. Layer by layer, step by step, the soft green wheat sprouts were planted down. From afar, it looked like a verdant green sea.

On the terraced fields were numerous farmers busily working away. There were some farmers cleaning the canal for the channeling of water to irrigate the fields, while some farmers were rolling up their trousers, standing in the fields and planting sprouts.

These people were naturally all mortal outsiders as the Gu Yue clansmen would never have do these lowly jobs.

Ring, ring…

The sound of camel bells could be faintly heard in the spring breeze.

The farmers straightened their bodies as they headed down the mountain, only to see a caravan moving like a colorful worm from the mountain side, slowly showing its head.

“It’s the merchant caravan!”

“Yes, it’s already May, it is about time for the caravan to come.”

The adults caught on the situation at once, and the children stopped playing with the water and clay in their hands. Together, they energetically approached the caravan.

The Southern Borders had a hundred thousand mountains – Qing Mao Mountain was just one of them. On every mountain, there were villages after villages, which were maintained by everyone through their blood relationships and kinships.

In between the mountains, the forests were deep and ominous, the cliffs steep and full of the dangerous falling rocks. Additionally, in the complex surroundings of the forest dwelled a large number of ferocious beasts and peculiar Gu worms.

Mortals could not pass through at all. It was difficult to get past these obstacles alone, one had to at least be a Rank three Gu Master.

Because of the poor economy, trading was difficult. Thus, the most important form of trading was through the caravan merchants. Only by organizing a merchant group in such a large scale could Gu Masters come together with the power to help each other, conquering the difficulties in the traveling routes and traversing from one mountain to another.

The merchant caravan’s arrival was like a bowl of boiling water that poured into the peaceful and serene Qing Mao Mountain.

“All these past years they would come in April, but this year they only arrived in May. At least they’re here now.” The owner of the inn let out a deep breath upon hearing the news. The inn’s business was poor in the other months, so only when the caravan came could he earn enough profit to last the year.

At the same time, there was some green bamboo wine within his storage that he could sell to the caravan merchants.

Besides the inn, the business at the tavern would also boom as a result.

The caravan merchants entered the Gu Yue mountain village one by one, lead by a Treasure Brass Toad. This toad was two and a half meters tall, its entire body orange-yellow in color. The back of the toad was thick and full of warts and knots. It was like the lumps of bronze nails on ancient city gates.

On the Treasure Brass Toad’s back, thick ropes were tied around plenty of goods. At a glance, it seemed like the toad was carrying a giant backpack.

A middle-aged man with a circular face full of pockmarks sat cross-legged atop the toad. He was fat and had a large belly. Both of his eyes formed into slits when smiling. He cupped his fists as he greeted the surrounding Gu Yue villagers.

This man’s name was Fu of the Jia clan. His cultivation was at Rank four and he was the leader of the merchant caravan this time.

The treasure toad hopped slightly as it moved forward but Jia Fu who was sitting on its head was stable and steady. When the toad hopped, his height would level with the windows on the second floor of a building. Even when he was back on the ground, he was at a height greater than the first level of the bamboo buildings.

The originally spacious streets were suddenly rather packed and narrow. The Treasure Brass Toad was like a beast that intruded into the midst of a great number of bamboo houses.

After the treasure toad was a huge fat worm. It had two eyes that were similar to multi-colored glass windows, the colors bright and gorgeous. The worm was fifteen meters long, its body shape resembling a silkworm. However, the surface of the worm was covered in a thick layer of black porcelain-like leather armor. On the armor was another abundant pile of goods and merchandise, a hemp rope tied around it. In between the gaps and intervals of the goods, Gu Masters sat one by one, some old and some young.

There were also mortals who were robust and sturdy martial warriors, slowly moving forward on the ground following after a fat black beetle.

After the fat beetle, there were ostriches with brightly colored feathers, hairy mountain spiders, winged snakes with two pairs of feathered wings and so on. However, these were in small numbers, most of the creatures were toads.

These toads were all similar to the Treasure Brass Toad, but they were smaller in size and had the build of cows and horses. The toads were carrying merchandise and people, their bellies bulging as they hopped forward.

The merchant caravan wound deep into the village.

Children on the road would look on curiously with wide eyes, calling out in joy or exclaiming in surprise.

The windows on the second stories opened one after another, the mountain villagers observing the merchants from a short distance. Some had eyes that flashed with fear and some others waved their hands to express a warm welcome.

“Old brother Jia, you came a little late this year, you must have had a hard journey.” Approaching with the identity of a clan head, Gu Yue Bo came out himself to greet the leader of this year’s merchant caravan.

As Jia Fu had the status of a Rank four Gu Master, if a Rank three elder were to be in charge of receiving him, it would be undoubtedly be seen as a kind of negligence and scorn.

Jia Fu cupped his fists and sighed, “This year’s road was rather unfavorable. On the way we bumped into a group of Secluded Blood Bats and we lost quite a few good men. Then on Jue Bi Mountain we ran into a mountain fog, and we didn’t dare to continue traveling at all. So we were delayed for quite a lot of time, and caused Brother Gu Yue to wait for quite awhile.”

As they spoke, their tones were very polite.

The Gu Yue village needed the merchant caravans every year to come and trade, and the merchant caravan also needed business to make money.

“Heh heh heh, it’s good enough that you are able to come. Please, the clan has prepared food and wine, let me host a welcoming dinner for you, old brother,” Gu Yue Bo stretched out his hand and said invitingly.

“Clan head is polite, too polite.” Jia Fu was flattered.

The merchant caravan arrived at the boundaries of the Qing Mao Mountain in the early morning, and by afternoon they were stationed in the Gu Yue Village. When it was dusk, the surroundings of the village had formed into a widespread area of temporary shops and stores. All kinds of red, blue, yellow and green lofty tents were built and every inch between the tents was squeezed with numerous little street stalls.

The night was descending, yet it was still brightly lit in the area.

An endless stream of pedestrians spilled into the area from the village. There were mortals as well as GuMasters. The little children hopped around in high spirits, and the adults showed an expression of joy akin to celebrating a festival.

Fang Yuan moved along with the crowd, walking alone.

The crowd was bustling with activity, groups of people either surrounding the stalls or endlessly pouring in and out of the entrance of the tents.

The surroundings were filled with the shouts of merchants hawking their wares.

“Come, come, take a look. Top notch Blue Sea Cloud tea brick, drinking this tea makes one as cheerful as a fairy! Even if it’s not a person drinking, it can be used for feeding and raising tea Gu, it is a cheaply priced item for its value. One piece only costs five primeval stones!”

“Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu, a Gu Master who uses this Gu will be able to burst out with the strength of a cow. You can walk away, but don’t regret it!”

“Intimate Grass, high quality Intimate Grass. Everyone look at this quality, it’s as fresh as if a newly picked one. One catty for two pieces of primeval stones, very cheap price…”

As Fang Yuan heard this, his footsteps paused slightly, then he followed the sound and walked over.

He saw an ostrich pulling a handcart with two wheels. On the handcart was a heap of pastel green herbs. Every blade of grass was a meter in length, slender and long. Their average width was around that of a fingernail. On some of the pointed tips of the grass grew red heart-shaped flower buds.

The Intimate Grass was one of a Gu worm’s supplementary food type, its worth was stemmed from the fact that it could be used to pair up with a few other foods to feed a Gu worm.

For example, Fang Yuan needed to give two pieces of flower petals every meal to the Moonlight Gu when feeding it. If he mixed in a blade of Intimate Grass, the Moonlight Gu would be full just from eating one petal.

The Intimate Grass only costs two pieces of primeval stones per catty, while the moon orchid petal cost a primeval stone for every ten pieces. With a simple calculation, one would know that mixing the Intimate Grass in to feed the Gu would be more cost-effective.

“Half a month ago, because I used the Moonlight Gu in the academy to kill Gao Wan, I was fined thirty primeval stones. However the Mo family paid me thirty primeval stones later as compensation, so I didn’t really take any losses. In recent days I have robbed twice, my total number of stones amounts to 118. However, recently I continuously spent essence to refine middle stage primeval essence and nurture the four walls of my aperture, and I would use up three pieces of stones every day. Adding on the costs of feeding Gu, my own daily expenses and successively buying green bamboo wine, I have ninety-eight pieces at hand right now.”

Ever since Fang Yuan killed a person, the cruel and callous image had deeply rooted itself into the hearts of the students and for a time no one dared to challenge him. This led to his plundering becoming much easier, as every time only a very small number would dare to resist.

Fang Yuan calculated in his heart, then he moved his line of sight and continued walking deeper into the heart of the setup of temporary stores.

The Intimate Grass stall was surrounded by a group of people. They were all either Gu Masters or students, holding primeval stones 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 had no time.

“If memory serves, that Mudskin Toad should be in that store. In my previous life there was a Gu Master who got it from gambling on the first night, hence he earned big time. I must hurry, I cannot lose a great deal through trying to save a little.”

Chapter 40 – Toad Gu Slumbering Within the Purple Gold Rock

The further one walked, the more flourishing and prosperous it was. Small street vendors lessened while large tents increased in number.

There were all sorts of large tents to be seen – red, blue, green, yellow, in different shapes and sizes, several being a cylindrical shape. Some erected two door pillars at the entrance of their tents, while others hung large red lanterns instead. Inside, some tents had vibrants lights, whereas others were dim and dark.

Fang Yuan observed his surroundings as he walked, finally stopping near a grey-coloured tent.

“It’s here,” he evaluated while looking at the tent; it had two pillars at the entrance, and there were carvings on the pillars, two lines of antithetical couplet(1).

The left side wrote, “Small display of courage, obtain good fortune during the four seasons.”

The right side wrote, “ Large display of skills, obtain good prosperity in all four directions.”

In the middle there was still another line: “Luck changes with time.”

That’s right, this is a gambling den.

This gambling den took around one mu(2) of land; it was considered a large-sized tent.

Fang Yuan walked inside. Inside of the tent, there was three rows of counters on a side. On the counter were pieces of amber or fossils. Some were as big as a palm, others were as big as a face. There were also others which were even bigger; those were as tall as a person. It obviously could not fit on the counter, thus it was directly placed on the ground.

Different from the other tent shops, it was silent in here.

Several Gu masters stood before the counters, some meticulously observing rocks on the display counter while others took the fossils and rubbed it in their hand to get a feel of it. There were some that were discussing quietly with their companions, and some were discussing the price with their shop clerks.

But no matter what they discussed, they spoke softly, doing their best not to disturb others.

This was a rock gambling den.

In the Gu world, there were all types of Gu, coming with different shapes and sizes and all sorts of effects. Guworms have their respective food to consume. Without food, they can only last a short amount of time before dying.

But nature, towards lifeforms, was both uncaring and benevolent.

If they lacked food, the Gu worms still have a chance of survival. That was to hibernate, undergoing self-sealing.

For example, if the Moonlight Gu did not have Moon Orchid petals to consume, it may undergo self-sealing. It will try to maximise the conservation of its strength, like winter hibernation, falling into a deep slumber. At this time, not only would the blue glow on its body dissipate, it would also turn from a transparent crystal state into a grey rock, covered in a layer of rock shell. Eventually, the rock crust will get thicker and turn into a boulder.

Or for example the Liquor Worm, if it underwent self-sealing, it would form a white cocoon around it, curling its body and falling into a deep sleep within the cocoon.

Of course this situation of sealing and hibernating may not happen to every Gu worm. It has a small chance of occurrence, and in most cases, the Gu worm will not fall into hibernation but instead starve to death. Only a small number of Gu worms may, under specific situations, undergo self-sealing.

A few Gu Masters who accidentally obtain these sealed Gu worms’ rocks or cocoons would awaken the Guworms that were slumbering within. Thus they would have a stroke of fortune. Some of the Gu masters became successful due to this, it being a turning point in their lives. These situations happen frequently in the GuMaster world, often being fake or real rumors, giving people hopes and dreams.

The source of the idea behind this rock gambling den originated from these rumours. Of course, these rocks all looked alike on the outside. Only after opening them can one determine if there really is a Gu worm hidden inside.

“In a small-sized rock gambling den like this, nine out of ten rocks are solid core, having no Gu worms inside. Even if there are Gu worms inside the rock, they may not be living worms, most of them are dead Gu. But once someone hits the jackpot of a live Gu, under most situations, one would be able to earn a huge fortune. If the Guworm is a rare species, they either become a successful person in life or get murdered and robbed of their fortune.”

Fang Yuan was clear about this in his heart, being very familiar with the situation beyond these doors.

In his past life, he had participated in a merchant caravan before, being a clerk in the rock gambling den. Some time later, he even operated his own rock gambling den, even larger than this one; it was a medium-sized rock gambling den. He managed to con some gamblers, and also misjudged at times, allowing other gamblers to win a precious Gu worm.

Fang Yuan stood at the door for a while, taking a glance around him before slowly walking to the counter on the left side.

Behind the counter, there was a shop assistant every few metres, both males and females. On their waist hung a green coloured belt, showing that they were not ordinary people but Rank one Gu masters. Most were initial stages, while a selected few were middle stages.

Seeing Fang Yuan before a counter, a female Gu Master who was nearest by walked towards him and smiled, softly saying, “Young master, what Gu worm do you need? Every rock on this counter is sold at ten primeval stones each. If this is your first try, just for the sake of it, why don’t you go to the right counter, the rocks there are sold at only five primeval stones. If you are seeking thrills, you can go to the high-end counter at the middle, the rocks sold there are at twenty primeval stones each.”

This was an experienced female Gu Master, having worked at the rock gambling den for quite some time already.

She looked at Fang Yuan who entered, and determined that he was a student from his appearance, age and height etc.

Those that came to gamble were all Gu Masters. Students were only considered second-rate Gu Masters, just starting their cultivation. Because they’re often tight on finance due to feeding their Gu worms, where would they find the money to come and gamble rocks?

Students like this, normally they just came to take a look and to get an eye-opening experience, satisfying their curiosity. Most were only window shoppers, though if some had well to do families, they might attempt to buy one to try. But most only bought the cheapest fossil.

Thus, the female Gu Master had no expectations towards how many rocks Fang Yuan could buy.

“Let me look around first.” Fang Yuan nodded at her expressionlessly, then started to look seriously into the pile.

In his memory, it should be at this counter in this particular rock gambling den.

But it had been 500 years, it’s been too long. Many things were vague to him already, especially when 500 years of memory was a huge capacity, so to be honest Fang Yuan could not remember distinctly.

He could only vaguely recall, that during this year on the first night the caravan arrived, a lucky bird spent ten primeval stones to buy a fossil with purple gold lustre.

After he opened it on the spot, he obtained a Mudskin Toad. Afterwards this toad Gu was bought by another person, thus causing him to earn a small fortune of primeval stones.

Fang Yuan frowned after observing for a while.

On this counter, fossils with a purple gold glow numbered up to twenty. In which rock was there a hidden Mudskin Toad?

Every rock here was sold at ten primeval stones each. Right now Fang Yuan had ninety-eight primeval stones with him, and he could buy up to a maximum of nine pieces.

But realistically, he could not count like this.

In any sort of risk and gamble, one had to consider the consequences.

Fang Yuan was no longer a greenhorn, like those gamblers who thought they were blessed by heaven. Those who thought they were blessed by fate were usually those who fell under the mischief of fate itself.

“I am alone, with no relatives or friends that can help me. I have to save some primeval stones to survive, as well as to buy food for my Gu worms.” He counted and under the most basic reservation, he could buy at most seven pieces of fossils.

“This rock, the purple gold is dotted like the stars, but it’s flat as a pancake, there’s definitely no mudskin toad inside.”

“This piece has striking purple gold colour, but it is only fist sized. if there really is a mudskin toad inside, the rock should be at least 30% larger.”

“This purple gold fossil, well it’s big, but the surface is extremely smooth, while the mudskin toad’s skin is supposed to be rough and uneven, this is evidently not the one……”

Fang Yuan continued to observe and evaluate, using the method of cancellation.

When Gu worms hibernate after self sealing, they would form into a natural fossil, being undetectable from most of the world’s detection methods. The remaining detecting methods were too rough, and once used, it would instantly kill the Gu worm within that is barely alive.

Thus, when Gu Masters choose rocks, they could only rely on their guessing, experience and luck, sometimes relying on a little bit of instinct.

Otherwise, this would not be called gambling.

Of course, in this wide wide world, there are countless wonders, and one cannot exclude the fact that a detection method which is extremely gentle exists, allowing a Gu Master to know if the rock contains a Guworm.

Fang Yuan had heard of such rumors in his past life, but after experimenting, found that it was all lies.

Fang Yuan assumed privately, “If such a method really exists, it has to be a hidden legacy, controlled in the hands of a small number of mysterious people, having no impact on the gambling business.”

It was still tame around the Qing Mao mountain region, but the more one moves east, the more prosperous gambling dens become. At the Bai Tou(3) mountain region, every family village had its own gambling den. In some large-sized forts, there were even large-sized gambling dens built. The three villages that were famous for their rock gambling were Pan Shi (4) Village, Gu Mu (5) Village and Cang Jing (6) Village, where there were even mega-sized gambling dens.

These three mega-sized gambling dens each had a thousand years of history. Currently, their business was still blooming, with an endless number of gamblers. There had never been a situation of clean sweep by anyone.

Currently, the tent that Fang Yuan was in can only be barely qualified as a small-sized gambling den.

If it was any other 15 year old who came, they would definitely be confused by all the different fossils, and even if they chose it, it would be by random guessing.

But Fang Yuan was different.

Firstly, he already knew a portion of the answer from the start, thus his search range shrunk to less than thirty pieces.

Of course, to find that one rock out of these twenty odd pieces was extremely difficult as well. But using his five hundred years of experience as backing, with such a rich pool of information he picked out six pieces of purple gold fossils that best fit the criteria after observing for a while.

He had an 80% chance of confidence that the mudskin toad was hibernating within one of these six fossils!

(1) Antithetical couplet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antithetical_couplet

(2) Mu (亩): 1 Mu is 666 ⅔ meters²

(3) Bai Tou directly means White Head,(4)Pan Shi is Monolith, (5)Gu Mu means Ancient Grave and (6)Cang Jing is Pale Whale. To be honest most of these mountains will never appear again, so you don’t have to remember them.

Chapter 41: Dissecting Rocks

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“I want to purchase some rocks.” Having picked his targets, Fang Yuan said to the female Gu Master.

“Newbie!” The female Gu Master immediately thought.

Even the shittiest gamblers would pay very close observation when they wanted to buy the rocks. First they would look carefully, then place the stones in their palms and rub to feel the surface and its weight. Even after such actions, if they find that the feeling is off, they would give up. No one would say ‘purchase’ at the start.

And for such a type like Fang Yuan, who said ‘purchase’ upfront, he is undeniably a newbie who is having his first rock gambling experience.

Although the female Gu Master thought this, she did not show any difference in her expression, but continued to smile like a flower, saying softly to Fang Yuan, “Then which piece are you choosing?”

Fang Yuan pointed and said, “This piece.”

She immediately retrieved it.

Fang Yuan pointed again and said, “This piece.”

She felt perplexed, not expecting this youngster to buy two pieces.

“It seems like this youngster is the type to gamble heavily,” she evaluated mentally.

But next, Fang Yuan pointed yet again, “And this piece, that piece, I’m buying them all.”

The female Gu Master was stunned, feeling extremely surprised, she could not help but assess Fang Yuan again.

“It seems like this ordinary looking youngster has a really good family background. Otherwise, how would any ordinary Gu Master have the spare cash to spend like this?” Thinking of it, the female Gu Master’s smile became more gentle and friendly. To think that the youngster in front of her was a real customer.

This was an unexpected joy!

However, Fang Yuan surprised her once again as he pointed to the furthest purple gold rock, “Oh yeah, and those two pieces as well.”

The female Gu Master could not help but feel shocked internally, “Which young master is this from the Gu Yue Village? It looks like he’s the main family branch’s inheritor. If I can hook up with him, I may not need to stay here and slog as a shop clerk anymore.”

With this thought, the female Gu Master’s smile became even more gentle and she even looked towards Fang Yuan seductively.

Six rocks were placed in front of Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan took out sixty primeval stones and passed it to the female Gu Master.

His act of payment attracted the attention of all the other Gu Masters in the tent.

“Oh? Someone is going to rock gamble.”

“We’ve been watching for over an hour, but we haven’t acted yet. Now that someone is giving it a try, we might as well watch.”

“It’s a student, he actually took out sixty primeval rocks at once, his family must be affluent. He looks like a greenhorn, hmph, gambling rocks isn’t so easy. He’s gonna get hurt real bad.”

The Gu Masters stood on the spot, discussing softly, all directing their gaze towards Fang Yuan.

“Young master, do you want to open the rocks on the spot? Our gambling den provides free service to open the rocks.” The female Gu Master gently advised, sending seductive glances with her eyes.

Fang Yuan used the corner of his eye to take a look at the crowd, his lips curling into a mysterious smile. He waved his hand, rejecting the female Gu Master. “Purple gold is my lucky color, and this is my first time betting, it is very meaningful. I’ll open the rocks myself!”

The female Gu Master’s eyes shone brighter, thinking, this heroic demeanour, as expected of a rich young master.

Never in her dreams would she be able to imagine that Fang Yuan could be said to be kinless in Gu Yue village, a drifter with no backing, having to rely on himself for everything.

“Tsk, so what if you have money.”

“I wonder which rich kid this is, coming here to waste his parent’s hard earned money!”

“Ignorant young lad, how can one choose the rocks based on lucky color, sigh, this act is simply akin to throw primeval stones into the water, and waiting to see the ripples for fun.”

The Gu Masters in the tent lost their excitement at once. After thinking that Fang Yuan was a prodigal son, their already low expectations vanished into thin air.

Some Gu Masters even retracted their gaze and turn around to continue inspecting the fossils on the counter.

The changes to his surroundings did not affect Fang Yuan’s state of mind at all. He expressionlessly activated the primeval essence within his primeval sea, pouring it into the Moonlight Gu.

The next moment, the crescent mark on his right palm emitted a faint water-like blue light.

Fang Yuan used this right hand to grab a purple gold rock, holding it in his palm. Next he closed his fingers and slowly rubbed against the surface of the fossil.

The blue light continued to shine, the waves of light rippling like water as the purple gold rock shrunk in size, large amounts of powder from rock shavings falling out from the gaps of Fang Yuan’s fingers, landing on the carpet of the tent.

“Young master has good handiwork!” The female Gu Master took the chance and immediately praised.

“This youngster, he isn’t a good-for-nothing. What great skills.” Seeing this sight, the Gu Masters’ eyes shone across with a complicated glint. They had started to see Fang Yuan in a new light.

Fang Yuan used the blue light to rub against the surface of the rock; this was a form of meticulous usage of the Moonlight Gu. Normally, one would have to use the Moonlight Gu for two to three years to be able to reach this level.

With Fang Yuan’s age and student identity, being able to do this is really remarkable.

“See, he’s using our Gu Yue clan’s specialty, the Moonlight Gu.” Some of the Gu Masters found this and instantly felt proud, gaining affection for Fang Yuan.

“But opening the rocks with this method, it’s still too rough.” Some of the older and more experienced Gu Masters shook their heads.

The purple gold rock got smaller and smaller, from being slightly larger than a palm into the size of a fist, being gripped tightly by Fang Yuan’s fingers.

The blue light intensified as the fossil became pearl-sized. Until finally, what was left was a pile of rock powder, falling on the carpet to form a small hill.

This was a solid rock, there was no Gu worm inside.

“As expected, he’s unreliable.” The Gu Masters shook their heads.

“Young master, there’s still five pieces left,” the female Gu Master encouraged.

Fang Yuan’s expression was calm, being completely unaffected. He grabbed the second piece of purple gold rock and continued to grind. But the result of this piece was still a solid rock; there was no Gu worm inside.

The third piece was still the same.

The Gu Masters grew impatient. “Stop looking. By relying on color to pick the rocks, there’s no point in this gamble.”

“If he can get a good Gu from this, I’ll eat the pile of rock powder on the floor!” Someone laughed insultingly.

“Don’t lose heart young master, isn’t there 3 pieces left, you’re only halfway through,” the female Gu Master continued to edge Fang Yuan on.

Fang Yuan grabbed the fourth piece, and when he got it to palm size, he suddenly stopped all action.

“Oh? There’s something!”

“The rock composition changed, it’s not purple gold sediments, but a kind of ink-black colour.”

“Don’t tell me he really got super lucky from blinding guessing?”

The surrounding Gu Masters exclaimed lightly.

“Young master, you have to be careful from here onwards. Don’t make sudden movements, hibernating Gu worms are very fragile. If you use too much strength, you’ll kill the Gu worm inside.” The female Gu Master did not expect such a situation to occur. After getting stunned for a moment, she immediately advised carefully.

Fang Yuan’s movements slowed, his fingers slowly rubbing as small powder slowly fell. Continuously repeating the action with many intervals, he was no longer as fluid as earlier.

The black coloured rock powder slowly fell off, and as the rock got smaller, Fang Yuan’s movements became slower and gentler.

On the carpet, the rock powder continued to gather as Fang Yuan’s black colored rock was finally scrapped clean.

“Sigh, what a pity, it’s a rock in a rock.”

“What a waste of my emotions, I really thought there was a Gu worm inside.”

“You are all too easy to fool, is rock betting so easy? Nine out of ten are all empty, how else is the shop going to make money?”

“Young master, your luck is already not bad. Getting a rock in rock the first time, normal people cannot do it.” The female Gu Master tried another way to console Fang Yuan, similarly it was to pave way for the result that awaited him.

Getting nothing out of gambling rocks was very common, a nine out of ten occurrence. In her opinion, Fang Yuan was choosing at random, the chance of getting a Gu fossil was close to zero.

Fang Yuan smiled but did not reply, and he continued to take out the fifth rock.

He carefully grinded, and in ten breath’s time, the surface of purple gold coloured rock were all rubbed away, revealing a rough-surfaced yellow mud ball.

Chapter 42: It really is a Gu?!

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Eh?”

“Don’t tell me it’s another rock in the rock.”

“By the looks of it, probably. But it’s a little strange, this mudball is enclosed by a purple gold rock surface. The mudball surface should be compressed smoothly, so why is the surface still uneven?” The surrounding Gu Masters were perplexed.

Looking at the mudball in his hands, Fang Yuan’s expression did not change, but in his heart he was slightly moved.

He continued to grind. Under the blue watery light, the powdery sand fell off. Among the powder, there were some soil crumbs mixed in it, falling onto the pile of rock powder beside his leg.

“Don’t tell me there’s really something?!” Upon seeing this, some of the Gu Masters stared with their eyes wide-opened.

“It’s hard to say,” someone spoke with an uncertain tone.

“I feel like there is, there’s really something.” Another spoke softly.

The yellow mudball gradually decreased in size due to the friction, and when it was palm-sized, someone barged into the tent. “Young lad, hold up. I, Jia Jin Sheng, will be buying it!”

Fang Yuan’s movement came to a halt, at once , the Gu Masters in the tent all focused their attention on this person.

He looked young on the outside, his appearance around twenty to twenty-five years old. He wore a golden-coloured robe with a lace belt on his waist, and on the belt there was a square shaped jade piece. There was a word across the piece of jade, showing the letter “One”.

Evidently, this was a Rank one Gu Master.

To still be a Rank one Gu Master at twenty years old, it seems that his talent isn’t good.

But the status of this person was rather unique. Seeing him, the Gu Masters in the tent all bowed and greeted him, saying together, “Your subordinate greets you, second young master.”

“Second young master?”

“He called himself Jia Jin Sheng earlier, is he the half-brother of the Merchant Caravan Leader, Jia Fu……”

“This means to say, this rock gambling den is opened by him. But now that he appeared to interfere, it seems that he’s breaking the gambling den’s rules,” the Gu Masters softly conversed.

“That’s right, I am this shop’s shopkeeper. Little brother(1), coming out to gamble at such a young age, aren’t you afraid of your family’s scolding? I will offer forty primeval stones now to buy that mudball in your hand. What do you think? Forty primeval stones is a lot already and there may not be a Gu inside, but today I am in a good mood. Thus seeing that this is your first time gambling, I don’t want you to lose everything, so I’ll give you a portion of your capital back.” Jia Jin Sheng quickly walked in front of Fang Yuan and said.

“Forty primeval stones?” Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly and took a look at Jia Jin Sheng with the corner of his eye, coldly laughing, “It seems you want to forcefully buy the mudball fossil in my possession? Forceful purchase is spoiling the gambling den’s rules. Furthermore you’re now on Qing Mao Mountain, you want to bully a Gu Yue clansman like me in front of everyone? “

“Oh?” On hearing Fang Yuan’s last sentence, all the other Gu Masters could not take it and animosity grew uncontrollably in them as they looked towards Fang Yuan’s direction. Their expression towards Jia Jin Sheng also became unfriendly.

Jia Jin Sheng had thought a fifteen year old like Fang Yuan would be easy to deal with, easily persuaded with a few words. But to think this Fang Yuan had such capabilities, and with a single sentence, he caused Jia Jin Sheng to be in such a predicament.

Seeing the Gu Masters getting ready to interfere, Jia Jin Sheng’s expression changed immediately as he changed his tone, quickly waving his hands, “Little brother, you’re mistaken! I am the shopkeeper of this gambling den, how could I ruin my own reputation by breaking my own rules? How would I be able to conduct business in the future? Hehehe. I just found your mudball a little interesting, thus I wanted to buy it. If you do not wish to sell it, that’s fine. But if there’s nothing inside later, don’t blame me for not reminding you.”

Fang Yuan paid no more attention to him. He turned around and continued to focus on grinding the mudball in his hands.

His movements were very slow and very meticulous. Often, there was only a hint of dry soil powder falling off after a moment or so. Following his movement, a hibernating Gu worm
gradually appeared in front of everyone’s eyes.

“My god, there really is a Gu worm!”

“He really opened a Gu!”

“What the hell, this sort of method of gambling can also work?”

“This young man’s luck is off the charts, he actually managed to forcefully luck out on getting a Gu.”

Immediately, the Gu Masters’ exasperation filled the tent.

The female Gu Master subconsciously covered her mouth, being unable to believe the scene before her.

As shop clerk, along the way she had been to many mountain villages, seen all sorts of people and all kinds of customers, but she had never seen such a comedic scene.

“There is really a Gu!” Cold light flashed across Jia Jin Sheng’s eyes as he hated and regretted in his heart. The thing he hated most, was to be taken advantage of.

This gambling den that he opened, he had placed many surveillance methods. Once a customer was about to open a Gu, he’d receive the news and would normally forcefully buy it.

But now Fang Yuan was inside his gambling den, getting a Gu under his very eyes. Jia Jin Sheng could feel his heart bleeding.

What he obtained, was a toad Gu.

Its entire body was yellow from head to foot. The belly was light yellow, and its back was brownish yellow, covered with many pimply boils, full of nodules and warts which were a distinctive characteristic of the toad species. At one glance, it looked slightly horrifying.

It was not big, being only palm-sized. Holding it in the palm was akin to holding two to three eggs.

Fang Yuan’s expression was calm under all sorts of admiration, envy and exasperation, carefully deploying his primeval essence and injecting it into the toad’s body.

At this moment, the Gu was being refined by Fang Yuan.

Gu worms obtained from within fossils are normally extremely weak. Not only do they have little to no strength left, their consciousness is also lazy, leaving them defenseless and unable to resist. Thus, they can be easily refined by the Gu masters.

Upon being awakened by Fang Yuan, the toad Gu opened its eyes slowly, and its belly slightly vibrated, softly calling out.

Croak.

Its voice was soft but it made everyone’s expression very interesting.

The difference in value between a Gu that was alive against one that was dead was huge.

“It’s a live Gu, he really opened a live Gu!!” Someone rubbed his eyes, unable to believe this.

“This is the Mudskin Toad, damn it, it really is the Mudskin Toad!” Someone recognised the toad Gu’s identity and screamed agitatedly.

“This young man really has got luck, why don’t I have such luck on my side!” Someone sighed, filled with complicated emotions such as envy, jealousy and hatred.

“Young master, congratulations! This, this, this is to date, my first time seeing such a precious Gu worm!” The female Gu Master was shocked beyond words, her eyes glistening with life.

“It’s actually the Mudskin Toad! This is a rare Rank two Gu worm, its value worth five hundred primeval stones. Damn it, damn. Someone actually managed to open such a Gu worm in my shop. I’ve lost big time, big time!” Jia Jin Sheng’s face was pale as he stared daggers at the toad, his heart having a strong urge to just snatch the Gu away.

But he knew he couldn’t, for if he really did that, it would be asking for trouble.

This was not his family’s village, but the Gu Yue clan’s territory.

“Maybe I should’ve paid a bit more primeval stones, maybe he might have given it to me. That’s right, he’s just a student. If I offered a hundred primeval stones, there’s no way he’d not be moved. Why didn’t I do that?” Jia Jin Sheng was full of regret.

“No, maybe this young lad does not know his stuff. Even though he opened a Mudskin Toad, I should be able to suppress the price and buy it!” Jia Jin Sheng’s heart had renewed hope.

But at the next moment, this hint of hope was mercilessly smashed by Fang Yuan’s words.

Fang Yuan plainly looked at the Mudskin Toad in his hands, ignoring the surrounding people’s praises and shock.

He used an extremely calm tone and said to Jia Jin Sheng, “Mudskin Toad, Rank two Gu worm, requires five hundred grams of yellow soil every meal, the more fertile the soil the better. Its species is few in number and it is the necessary main Gu in refining the Treasure Brass Toad. The market price is five hundred primeval stones. Jia Jin Sheng, do you want to buy this?”

“You, actually know so clearly……” Jia Jin Sheng mumbled. After such a shock, he could not say a word.

Fang Yuan laughed lightly and continued, “If you’re unwilling, that’s fine. I’ll sell it to someone else, I’m sure someone will be interested.”

“Hold it, wait, I’ll buy it, I’ll buy it. But can’t this price be cheaper?” Jia Jin Sheng’s smile turned bitter.

Fang Yuan turned around and walked away.

Jia Jin Sheng hurriedly chased after him. “Don’t! Don’t go! I’ll buy, I’ll buy it!”

Fang Yuan had no plans to nurture this Mudskin Toad.

It was a Rank two Gu, but Fang Yuan was still a Rank one initial stage. Although it ate yellow soil, Qing Mao Mountain was full of green soil, hence finding food for it would be troublesome.

Moreover, if he does not sell this Gu worm, Fang Yuan would have to feed three Gu worms himself. Putting aside the increased primeval stone expenditure, even the current amount of primeval stones in his possession would not be enough to feed them.

Thus, Fang Yuan’s plan was to immediately sell away the Mudskin Toad, get the five hundred primeval stones and earn a fortune.

To a Rank one initial stage like Fang Yuan, five hundred primeval stones was considered a large amount already.

The transaction was quickly completed and Fang Yuan transferred the Mudskin Toad to Jia Jin Sheng in front of the crowd, at the same time accepting five heavy money bags. Each bag had a hundred primeval stones.

Fang Yuan originally had ninety-eight primeval stones, and after spending sixty on gambling rocks, he had thirty-eight left. Now, his fortune multiplied many times, and he owned five hundred and thirty-eight primeval stones.

Upon seeing this, many Gu masters turned green with envy.

Fang Yuan put the five bags in his bosom before taking the last piece of purple gold fossil and walked out of the tent.

“Young master, you’re not opening that fossil?” The female Gu Master blinked rapidly and stared at Fang Yuan’s back, loudly reminding him.

Fang Yuan paid no heed and left the gambling den without turning back.

He left behind a gang of stunned Gu Masters, staring at each other silently.

Jin Jia Sheng calling Fang Yuan little brother is a way of greeting; they are not related in any way.

Chapter 43: The final sixth purple gold rock

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The green copper primeval sea had tides rising and falling, ebbing and flowing.

Above the sea level, the Liquor worm curled into a ball, emitting the wine vapour that gradually developed into white mist.

A surge of primeval essence with a “swoosh”, rushed up against the tide and into the wine mist. When the tide receded, there was already half left, and the colour was even darker. From initial stage jade green(1), it had converted into middle stage pale green.

Middle stage primeval essence fell into the sea, but it did not mix with the initial stage primeval essence. As if it was denser, it sank to the bottom.

Thus, the situation became that the upper layer of the primeval sea was filled with initial stage primeval essence, while the lower half was middle stage primeval essence.

As time flowed, the wine mist circulated within the aperture. Under the refinement of the Liquor worm, eventually, the initial stage primeval essence continued to decrease, while the middle stage primeval essence gradually increased.

It could be seen with the naked eye where the lower layer middle stage primeval essence gradually rose, while the upper layer initial stage primeval essence continued to decrease, but also rose in sea level.

As Fang Yuan refined his primeval essence, he extracted the natural essence from the primeval stones at the same time, quickly replenishing the dwindling primeval essence in his aperture.

Finally, the 45% primeval sea in his aperture was fully refined into middle stage primeval essence.

“Much thanks to the middle stage primeval essence, or else I would not have been able to open the rocks five times in the gambling den.” Sitting in a lotus position on his bed, Fang Yuan gradually opened his eyes.

It was currently late at night.

After he walked out of the gambling den, he did not tour around any of the other shops, but instead headed back to the academy.

Although it was at the fringe of the Gu Yue Mountain Village, as a Rank one initial stage Gu master, owning five hundred and thirty eight primeval stones is still too much.

This is not only because the primeval stones were heavy and a hassle to bring around. It also attracts other people’s coveting; in another sense, it would endanger his life.

If there was a Rank one upper stage, or even a Rank two who coveted his assets, with Fang Yuan’s current ability he would not be able to contend.

“Wealth comes and goes, but humans die because of wealth, it’s pathetic. What’s laughable is that many people in this world cannot comprehend that. The boat of benefits carries many people, but has also sunk many others.” Fang Yuan’s lips curled into a cold smirk as he looked at the grey white primeval stones in his hands.

A complete primeval stone was around the size of a duck egg. But the stone in his hand, as it had been extracted of half of its essence, was an entire circle smaller.

Fang Yuan did not regret it.

Everything has its gains and losses. Fang Yuan was only a C grade talent, yet he was using the Liquor Gu to refine his primeval essence, and his primeval stones expenditure was multiple times of the people of his age. Yet it was because of this that he was able to overcome the lack of his talent. If the real cultivation pace could be counted, he would be able to rank first three.

Fang Yuan put the primeval stones back into his money bag and took out that final purple gold fossil.

He bought a total of six fossils at the gambling den and opened five on the spot, bringing the last one back with him.

His eyes shone as he activated the Moonlight Gu, grinding with five fingers, slowly dissecting the rock.

The purple gold fossil gradually shrunk under the blue ripples, and finally was grinded to nothingness, leaving behind a pile of powder on the ground.

Fang Yuan was not surprised, because in rock gambling, you lose nine out of ten times.

Even with his five hundred years of experience, he could only manage eight losses out of ten times. And in the remaining two times, it depended on whether it was a live Gu or a dead Gu.

Dead Gu had basically no value. As for live Gu, they might not be a rare type of Gu worm, and even if it was a tremendously precious Gu, one might attract a life-threatening crisis because of it.

Fang Yuan’s current cultivation level was still very low, it was at the bottom tier of the Gu Masters. The Mudskin Toad that he obtained earlier, if it weren’t for the fact that this was the Gu Yue Mountain Village, it might have been forcefully snatched away by that Jia Jin Sheng.

Gambling was never the way for developing family wealth, and in fact it was a bigger cause of bankruptcy and debt. This was not the development path that Fang Yuan wanted to take.

Although the final purple gold fossil did not have a Gu worm, Fang Yuan was not disappointed. In fact he looked at the pile of rock powder and gradually broke into a smile.

Indeed, his ultimate motive in entering the gambling den was all for this pile of rock powder. That Mudskin Toad was only something he had gotten out of convenience.

He privately opened the fossil, and other than him, nobody knew the truth of this result.

From that day forth, he could claim that the Liquor worm was awakened and subdued from the purple gold fossil.

This idea was fabulous.

Firstly, nobody could confirm what Gu worm really exists in the fossils. Who would dare say that the Liquor worm could not hibernate within the purple gold fossil? That’s completely possible!

Secondly, he had several eyewitnesses. He opened the Mudskin Toad, which would’ve left a strong impression on the Gu Masters in the gambling den.

Thirdly, even if someone relentlessly questioned him, he could push everything onto his luck. Luck was something unfathomable. Even if someone suspected that this was the Flower Wine Monk’s Liquor worm, against an excuse like ‘luck’ they’d have no idea how to argue against Fang Yuan.

Within the dark room, Fang Yuan’s expression was ominous.

One-sided covering up was akin to covering fire with paper. There would be a day where he would be exposed.

To get rid of a hidden threat like the Liquor worm, he’d have to strike first. This is Fang Yuan’s style.

Moreover, he had thought about it carefully, and in the cultivation process that was to follow, he would need to expose the Liquor worm.

“For a Rank one Gu like the Liquor worm, it is extremely precious to Rank one Gu Masters. But for Rank two Gu Masters, it is no longer compatible for them. Thus even if this was exposed, all I would get is some attention, but it would not affect the overall situation, thus becoming nothing to be concerned over. It is not like the Spring and Autumn Cicada. If the Spring and Autumn Cicada is exposed, I might die a horrible death at the very next moment.”

Five hundred years of experience in handling problems had already made Fang Yuan extremely familiar with human mentality, with their every thought clear as day to him.

“The Flower Wine Traveler’s legacy and the Mudskin Toad, among my memories these are the only two treasures here, and now that they have been obtained by me, what I can do next is only gradual and steadfast cultivation.”

Fang Yuan sighed a deep breath and relaxed his body, feeling a strong sense of fatigue engulfing him.

A Gu Master’s primeval sea cultivation could not replace sleep.

Fang Yuan pulled his blanket and lay down on his bed, his eyes still half open.

Although there were five hundred primeval stones hidden under the bed, as well as many pots of Green Bamboo Wine, he still felt a sense of urgency and danger.

These five hundred over primeval stones were already a form of limit. From flourish to decline, Fang Yuan was clear that henceforth his primeval stone expenditure would only get bigger.

But his income was mostly from extorting his classmates.

He had been increasingly feeling the growth and improvement of his classmates. Especially in the recent few extortions, Gu Yue Mo Chen, Chi Chen, and his brother Gu Yue Fang Zheng, had greatly improved in their kicks and punches. Previously he only needed one or two strikes to take them down, but now he needed five or six.

“Another three to four plunders, and their punches and kicks would’ve been polished fully. If they challenge me one by one, with my current stamina, I cannot endure that kind of round robin battle. Five hundred primeval stones might seem a lot, but with my current expenditure of four stones a day, it is actually not that much.”

“Qing Mao Mountain already has no treasures left, but nearby on the Bai Gu(2) Mountain, there is a secretly built strength inheritance of a Rank four Gu Master of the righteous path.

“Sigh, it still boils down to the Flower Wine Monk’s treasure being too little, only giving me a Liquor worm. Hmm… there is still that film image wall, maybe I can sell it to a certain merchant in the caravan…”

Fang Yuan thought as his eyelids grew heavier until he finally fell asleep.

Chapter 44: Monkey Wine, not yielding the opportunity of the Liquor worm

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

On the second day in the afternoon during lunch break, Fang Yuan went to the shopping district outside the mountain village again.

As many of them had to work in the day, there was not many villagers at the tentage area.

Fang Yuan walked to the area where the vendor was selling Intimate Grass last night, according to his memory. He reached only to see an empty cart, still on the spot. An ostrich was dragging the cart along.

It stood on the spot proudly, its body size as large as an ostrich while having the appearance of a chicken, the back of the creature bulged into a curved angle. A pair of wide wings were collected on the side of its body, the feathers splendidly bright in seven colours. The chicken head was raised tall, its huge red cockscomb like an agate crown, flashing with the luster of a gem under the sunlight.

“It seems I was still too late, the Intimate Grass was sold out. What a pity, if I were able to buy a few catty of Intimate Grass, I’d be able to save quite a bit of primeval stones.” Fang Yuan’s footsteps came to a halt as he walked away and continued to venture deeper into the area.

“Come, have a taste of the delicious wine from all the different villages. There are more than a hundred types of wine here, like the Lantern Grass Wine, the Nine Tune Wine with a strong aftertaste, the light and elegant Ancient Dragon Well, the sweet and sour Flower Rock Tune, the mouth-watering Hundred Spring Old Cellar, the rich and heavy fragrant Intoxication of Three Autumns……” In front of a blue round bucket before the tent, a shop assistant was hawking with gusto.

A light flashed through Fang Yuan’s gaze as he immediately grew interested. With a turn, he entered the wine shop.

The decor in the wine shop was very unique.

At the most inner part of the tent, there was a long counter. A Gu Master was stationed there, with tens of crystal ladybugs around the size of wicker-baskets behind him, sticking onto the tent’s cloth walls.

On the floor there was no carpet, but rather the uncovered mountain rocks and soil. Among the soil, vibrant coloured mushrooms grew.

These mushrooms had all sorts of colours, looking round and slightly cute. Some were as large as tables, while others were short like benches. They were often distributed where a large table mushroom was surrounded by a few shorter bench mushrooms.

“This is the Innocent Mushroom, purposely grown by a Gu Master. It has the ability to absorb dust and particles in the air to purify it, and it’s a type of grass Gu.” Fang Yuan could recognise the mushroom’s origins immediately upon seeing them.

He chose one of the short mushrooms and sat down. The mushroom’s surface immediately sank down a little, making Fang Yuan feel like he was sitting on a sofa like those on Earth.

“Young master, this is the wine catalogue, would you like to take a look?” A shop assistant walked over.

Fang Yuan glanced at the wine catalogue and realised that the wine here was more expensive than the green bamboo wine.

“I’ll have a cup of monkey wine.” Fang Yuan put down the catalogue.

“A cup of monkey wine!” The shop assistant turned around and shouted.

At the counter, the Rank one Gu Master heard and immediately bent down to take out a bamboo wine cup.

Next he took the wine cup and turned around, facing the tentage. On the blue tent walls were the tens of crystal ladybugs, head facing downwards and tail facing upwards, quietly latched onto the walls as if they were merely decorations for the tent.

These crystal ladybugs were also a type of Gu. Its stomach was empty, as they were often used by Gu Masters to carry precious liquids.

Their bodies were transparent, as if they were made of crystals. From the outside, one could see that within the ladybug’s stomach, different kinds of liquor could be found.

The Gu Master quickly found the crystal ladybug that contained the monkey wine among them.

He placed the bamboo wine cup at the mouthpiece of the ladybug, and gently stroked the exoskeleton of the ladybug with his other hand.

A small amount of primeval essence entered the crystal ladybug’s body, and afterwards it opened its mouth and a gush of liquor flowed into the bamboo wine cup.

The liquor splattered around in the cup until it was full.

The Gu Master placed the bamboo wine cup which was filled with monkey wine on the counter. The shop assistant who had already been waiting for a while quickly held up the cup meticulously and walked a few steps to deliver it to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan only took a tiny sip, the monkey wine was indeed a fruit liquor, being sweet and refreshing and delicate on the palate.

He stopped drinking, but instead with a thought, Fang Yuan summoned the Liquor worm.

The white and fat liquor worm turned into a flash of white light and curved an arc in the air. With a ‘plop’, it landed in the wine cup.

The wine splattered everywhere, sprinkling onto the mushroom table.

The Liquor worm joyfully beat about in the wine cup, and the monkey wine could be seen decreasing with the naked eye. In a few breaths time, the cup had dried out, with not a single drop left.

“It’s the Liquor worm!” The Gu Master at the counter shouted, his eyes sparkling. He was a Rank one Gu Master with Grade D talent, only able to follow the merchant caravan and work in this wine shop. His objective was to sightsee while finding his chances.

The Liquor worm can refine primeval essence and raise it by an entire realm. To a Rank one Gu Master, it can be said to be an extremely precious Gu worm. Isn’t this the chance he’s been painstakingly searching for?

“This young master, do you have any plans to sell this Liquor worm?” He excitedly approached, a look of sincerity in his eyes.

Fang Yuan shook his head, rejecting him with a determined attitude, getting up to leave after that.

His motive this time was to reveal the Liquor worm in his possession; he had never thought of selling it.

“Young master, young master, please hold on. I am really sincere about this, maybe we can sit down and have a discussion.” The Gu master reluctantly followed Fang Yuan to the tentage entrance but Fang Yuan did not show any response to him.

In the end he could only stand on the spot, his expression extremely regretful as he watched Fang Yuan’s rear view turn around a corner and disappear into the midst of the horizon.

……

Unconsciously, the sun gradually set as the crescent moon took its place.

In the night, the moonlight shone brightly but was overpowered by the numerous street lights in the merchant shops.

The merchant shop tonight was swarming with business. Fang Yuan was squeezed left and right as he entered, hearing all sorts of conversations inadvertently.

“The stores normally open for three days and three nights. Tonight is already the second night, by the morning of the day after, the merchant caravan would have left on their journey already. Thus, we have to hurry if we want to buy anything.”

“I saw a Golden Bell Gu yesterday, sigh, too bad it was too expensive. After haggling with the shopkeeper for a long time, it did not get any cheaper. I’ll go and take a look tonight.”

“Did you guys hear? Last night, a young man opened a Mudskin Toad and earned a profit of five hundred primeval stones!”

……

Fang Yuan listened attentively, feeling disappointment in his heart as he did not hear anything about the Liquor worm.

“The Liquor worm is only a Rank one Gu worm but it is extremely meaningful to a rank 1 Gu Master, yet it’s useless to a Rank two or Rank three Gu Master as they are unable to refine their primeval essence any further with it. Thus it is normal that no one paid attention to this. However taking the initiative to expose the matter of the Liquor worm cannot be rushed for a period of time. If I overdo it, it might end up letting the cat out of the bag.” As Fang Yuan walked, he pondered silently in his heart.

At this point, there was a hustle in front of him.

Next, Fang Yuan heard someone shout, “Quickly come and see, there’s a dishonest merchant here selling fake Gu to our clansmen!”

Anger stirred among the crowd.

“Oh? There’s something like that happening.”

“Go and see quickly, which shop dares to cheat our clansmen!”

Fang Yuan followed the crowd and moved towards the commotion as well.

What met his eyes were a group of people surrounding the mouth of a large red tent, the massive crowd swarming it. Some were curiously watching while others stared coldly, but most of the people were enshrouded with a sense of anger.

Outside the tent stood two people.

One of them was a young Rank two Gu Master, whose attire showed that he was obviously from the Gu Yue clan.

The other person had a familiar face – it was the owner of the gambling den, Jia Jin Sheng.

The young Gu Master held a black Gu worm in his hands, raising it up and shouting to the crowd, “My clansmen, this person in front of me sold me a fake Gu yesterday. Lying to me that it was a Black Boar Gu, and sold it to me for two hundred and fifty primeval stones. To think that when I got home to refine it, I realized that it was not a Black Boar Gu but simply an ordinary stinky fat worm!”

Jia Jin Sheng laughed coldly, “Don’t accuse me falsely. Since when did I tell you it was a Black Boar Gu? What proof do you have?”

The young Gu Master on seeing Jia Jin Sheng’s denial, fell into a rage and grabbed Jia Jin Sheng’s wrist, “You cunning merchant, you dare to deny it! You actually dare to lie to me of the Gu Yue clan on Qing Mao Mountain itself, are you trying to look for death?!”

“Let go of me!” Jia Jin Sheng was also furious as he flicked his wrist, slapping away the young Gu Master’s hand, “If you want to find trouble and extort money, you should find a better target. I am not afraid of you! My brother is Jia Fu, a Rank four Gu Master, what can you do to me?”

“You!” The young Gu Master stared with his eyes wide, but did not dare to take action. The name of a Rank four Gu Master was enough to intimidate him.

“Bah!” Jia Jin Sheng spat on the ground, raising his head and looked at the young Gu Master, laughing in disdain, “It was you who wanted to take advantage of the cheap Gu. Didn’t you use your brain to think, why a Black Boar Gu which can raise a Gu master’s strength, being such a rare Gu worm, was sold even more cheaply than a Liquor worm? It is normally sold at six hundred primeval stones. Did you think that you could buy one for just two hundred and fifty primeval stones? Dream on!”

“Bastard……” The young Gu Master gritted his teeth, his face flushing red as he trembled out of anger, his chest burning with the rage of humiliation.

There were chatters among the people as they got restless, discussing furiously. But no one dared to step up, for the Rank four Gu Master status of Jia Fu was like a giant hill in front of them, stabilizing the crowd.

“This lad is too vicious, what a cunning merchant!”

“No wonder he dared to be so arrogant on Qing Mao Mountain, he is actually Jia Fu’s little brother.”

“I heard that they are just half-brothers, but even with that Rank one cultivation, he is able to use this relationship to act unrestrained in the caravan.”

“What happened here exactly?” At this moment, a loud voice spoke out.

“Jia Fu is here!”

“The leader is here to settle the dispute, everyone give way.”

The discussion came to a halt as everyone separated and formed a narrow path between them.

A middle-aged Gu Master having a muscular short body coupled with a giant belly, walked in. He wore a long-sleeved yellow robe, being the leader of the merchant caravan, Jia Fu.

“Sir Jia Fu, my regards.” The young Gu Master was furious but did not dare to say anything. He forced himself to endure the anger and paid respects to Jia Fu.

Jia Jin Sheng was frozen on the spot, not expecting his brother to arrive, his face suddenly pale as anger flashed across his eyes.

This peculiar expression was captured by Fang Yuan who was observing from afar as he pondered about the situation.

Chapter 45: Clear of the schemes, unknowingly trapped in the urn

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Hello, young Gu Master, what is the problem here?” Jia Fu walked to the middle of the crowd and asked amicably.

The young Gu Master was flattered and he cupped his fists again. Looking at the surrounding clansmen, he bucked up his courage and explained the entire situation.

“So that’s what happened!” Jia Fu nodded while listening. Next, he asked Jia Jin Sheng, “Little brother, is this true?”

Jia Jin Sheng turned his head away and snorted coldly, not looking at his brother.

Jia Fu pondered solemnly.

The surrounding people were silent, not daring to interrupt his thoughts. All awaited in anticipation of his verdict.

This matter was in fact, due to Jia Jin Sheng’s scam, but the young Gu Master was also at fault for being greedy and not being vigilant himself, otherwise he would not have gotten cheated.

If Jia Fu wanted to defend his brother, with his Rank four cultivation, even the Gu Yue clan leader could not do anything.

Jia Fu thought for a while before finally speaking. “I’ve understood the situation, my brother is at fault for this matter, causing this young man to suffer a loss and buy fake products, I am really sorry!” Saying so, he cupped his fists towards the young Gu Master.

“Sir Jia Fu!” The young Gu Master was largely surprised, and quickly said modestly, “You are a Rank four Gu Master, I am merely a Rank two, this is too much for me, too much!”

Jia Fu waved his hand: “Hehe, this has nothing to do with cultivation levels, I act impartially regardless of ability. A wrong is a wrong, I apologise to you on behalf of the merchant caravan. As for compensation, how about this, you lost two hundred and fifty primeval stones, so I will compensate double that amount to you on behalf of the Jia family.”

He executed his promise immediately, as a follower took out five money bags and handed it to the young Gu Master in public.

Every money bag was filled to the brim, each containing a hundred primeval stones.

The young Gu Master took over the money bag, so overwhelmed that he could not say anything.

“However, I have a word of advice to you.” Jia Fu continued and reminded, “A Black Boar Gu is very rare, for it is able to raise a Gu Master’s strength permanently. Although it is only Rank one, it is very hard to find on the market. Every time one appears in the market, it would be bought immediately. The pricing is around six hundred primeval stones. Trying to get one with two hundred and fifty primeval stones is impractical.”

“Junior has learnt his lesson!” The young Gu Master bowed deeply to Jia Fu in gratitude.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

“Sir Jia Fu is brilliant!”

“Magnificent, as expected of Sir Jia Fu!”

“As a Rank four Gu Master, he did not make use of his status to bully the weaker party, Sir Jia Fu really is the role model of the righteous path.”

“No, no.” Jia Fu smiled, cupping his fists towards the crowd, modestly saying, “Our Jia family business bases our principles on trust and honesty. Everyone, my brother is young and foolish, liking to play pranks on others. He is actually very kind, I hope everyone can be more bearing of him, don’t take it to heart.”

The crowd’s cheers became even louder.

“Hmph!” Jia Jin Sheng’s expression was ugly as he stomped on the ground and walked into the tent. Next he walked out from the back of the tent.

Fang Yuan looked at this silently, thinking in his heart, “It seems that the image wall at the Flower Wine Monk’s place can be sold.”

The Flower Wine Monk had used a Photo-audio Gu to record the ugly acts of the 4th generation Gu Yue clan leader. Before he died, with indignance in his heart, used the Photo-audio Gu and slapped it on the wall, creating an image wall. The image wall’s images continued to loop, showing the truth to the people.

With the intention of maximizing his profits, Fang Yuan had wanted to sell this image wall long ago. He believed that the other two clan families on Qing Mao Mountain, the Bai family and Xiong family would be very interested in this image wall.

But to sell this personally would be very inappropriate. His cultivation was too weak and if he brought this image wall to the other villages, he could easily be silenced.

Even if the transaction was successful and he managed to return safely, there was no secret that would stay a secret forever, and once it was revealed to the Gu Yue’s higher-ups, he would be kicked out of the clan family at best.

In accordance to Fang Yuan’s plans, he still needed to make use of the Gu Yue clan. Thus, the safest way was to sell it to a certain merchant in the caravan. All of them were outsiders, and were not involved in the disputes among the villages, thus it was the best choice for him.

In just one day, this caravan would leave the Gu Yue mountain village and lead towards either the Xiong family or the Bai family.

Fang Yuan could reduce his risks to the minimum by selling to them; it was the safest method.

……

“One more cup!”

“Wine, where’s the wine?”

“Quickly get me the wine, are you afraid that I’m unable to pay?”

Jia Jin Sheng slammed the mushroom table as he howled.

“Young master Jia, here’s your wine!” The clerk quickly brought him his wine.

Jia Jin Sheng grabbed the bamboo cup and tilted his head and gulped the liquor.

“Good wine!” He laughed loudly, sounding coarse and bleak.

With a bang, he placed the cup on the table and howled again. “Get me another glass, I want as many as you can supply!”

The clerks did not dare to offend him and could only do as he said.

Luckily, this wine house was already full of people. Not only were the mushroom tables packed with people, even the surrounding streets were packed with people. Jia Jin Sheng’s drunkard temperament was not very peculiar in this bustling street.

Jia Jin Sheng drank cup by cup, wanting to drown his sorrows. With his back facing the crowd, no one observed that as he drank, two clear lines of tears flowed down his cheeks.

Who would know of his pain, his sorrow?

A hateful person has to have his pitiful side, conversely. Everybody had their own stories.

Amongst his brothers, he was the youngest, being the most handsome and resembling his father the most, thus being the most doted by his father. But heaven made fun of him by giving him only D grade talent.

As he grew up, he lived under the pressure of his brothers. He was indignant and wanted to resist, but with that talent, there was nothing he could do.

His father felt death approaching and wanted to split his assets. Two people were to lead a merchant caravan. They pledged to break up the family property in accordance to the results.

Jia Jin Sheng wanted to rely on his own method to acquire the family assets and the recognition of his clan. But to think that he became his brother’s stepping stone once again.

When Jia Fu appeared, he knew he fell into a trap. This was a scheme right from the beginning. But what could he do? Once he entered this caravan, he was doomed to be Jia Fu’s fodder. Rank four and Rank one was such a huge gap that he was powerless to fight again.

“Jia Fu!” He forced this name out of his mouth, his eyes burning with the flames of hatred, he was unable to take it lying down!

“Do you wish to deal with your brother? I can help you.” At this time, he heard a voice.

Jia Jin Sheng was stunned but when he turned around, he saw that for quite a while, there was someone sitting beside him.

He shook his head and blinked a few times, finally seeing who it was.

Who else if not for Fang Yuan?

“It’s you!” He stared at Fang Yuan, slightly angry, “I remember you! Lucky lad, getting a Mudskin Toad from my gambling den! You’re here to mock me?”

Fang Yuan looked at Jia Jin Sheng, his eyes cold as water. “I have a huge business, so if you wish to acquire better results and get more assets, why not listen to me?”

Jia Jin Sheng was suspicious. His back straightened and he sat up, “How do you know about the matter of the assets?”

This secret was not easily known to outsiders, but Fang Yuan was easily able to guess it.

“The Jia family’s business is not top secret, how can it evade people who wish to know?” Fang Yuan laughed coldly and thought of a memory from his previous life.

The Jia family head was a legendary figure who started from scratch. He made his fortune through the merchant caravans and revived the Jia family’s village. He gradually got old, and when he could feel that his time was up, he got his children to form a caravan in twos and according to their results, split the assets. The better they did, the more family assets they get.

But his eldest son Jia Fu and second son Jia Gui were extremely talented. After competing for six to seven years, they still could not come to a conclusion, and even after the family head died, there was no clear victor.

After the Jia family head died, there was an enormous amount of assets. While competing for the assets, the two brothers’ conflict escalated and both called in external help, causing a large scale Gu competition. Finally, the both of them died. The Jia family that had prospered quickly also failed quickly, causing people to talk about it in amazement.

Jia Jin Sheng squinted his eyes, for Fang Yuan’s explanation was irrefutable. He thought, from the time his father declared the asset distribution, it had already been two years. There are no impenetrable walls in the world, so even if someone found out about it, it’s nothing strange.

His real worry was whether this was another trap by Jia Fu. But no matter what, there was no harm listening.

Fang Yuan did not speak immediately. He surveyed the surroundings. This was the same wine cellar he came into in the afternoon. The shopkeeper operated independently, and at night, the shop was bustling with business.

Discussing here was a far safer place than a quiet environment, as it could avoid the eavesdropping of certain Gu worms.

He hooked his fingers at Jia Jin Sheng. “Lend me your ear.”

Jia Jin Sheng unhappily snorted, but still slanted his head forward.

After hearing Fang Yuan’s description, he frowned and looked at Fang Yuan coldly. “This business involves the three families on Qing Mao Mountain, and we merchants detest getting involved in other people’s disputes. Hmph, you were sent here by Jia Fu to harm me right?”

Fang Yuan had long expected for him to be suspicious. He did not bother to explain, but got up and left. “Hehe, in that case, I’ll go talk to your brother.”

Jia Jin Sheng squinted his eyes, staring at Fang Yuan. Only until Fang Yuan had left the wine shop did he lose his patience. He chased out of the tent and caught up to Fang Yuan, “Don’t go, we can have a talk.”

Fang Yuan placed both hands behind his back, staring at him from the side, coldly saying, “I know you are suspicious of me, but now that your brother has you firmly caught, you’re almost close to finished. If you choose to believe in me, there’s still hope, if not you’re doomed. Are you daring enough to take this bet?”

Jia Jin Sheng’s expression changed as he corrected and said, “Jia Fu is but only a little older, I have never acknowledged him as my brother! But you’re right, I’m taking this bet.”

Fang Yuan said solemnly, “Two thousand primeval stones, no haggling.”

Jia Jin Sheng laughed bitterly, “Too expensive, this trade involves high risk.”

“The greater the risk, the greater the rewards.” Fang Yuan shook his head, his attitude firm, “If you sell it to those two families, you will only earn much more.”

Jia Jin Sheng nodded, showing a hint of seriousness, “This I believe, for these years the Bai family has been growing fast, and an A grade talent called Bai Ning Bing has appeared recently, he has a great future ahead. Qing Mao Mountain’s situation is gradually changing. Your Gu Yue family’s dominance is wavering, and if I sell this to the Bai family, I can at least earn twice as much!”

Hearing Jia Jin Sheng’s understanding of the Qing Mao Mountain’s situation, Fang Yuan could not help but evaluate him again, thinking: ‘This Jia Jin Sheng, he is still a merchant family member after all, not those useless second generations.”

Jia Jin Sheng sighed, “Regardless of whether this is a trap, I’m jumping in. I promise you, two thousand primeval stones it is! However, I want to see the merchandise first.”

“Of course, come with me.” Fang Yuan laughed as he led the way. Jia Jin Sheng was already trapped in the urn, and the situation was fully in Fang Yuan’s grasp.

Chapter 46: Don’t think too much when killing people

Translator: Sigma Editor: Sigma

Following his memories, Fang Yuan brought Jia Jin Sheng to the cavern in the mountain.

The two entered the crack in the stone, and the path became more narrow as their vision was dyed in darkness. Jia Jin Sheng grew more vigilant as he was in an unfamiliar environment.

Finally, he could not hold it in any further, “I have a question, Jia Fu always treats people with honesty and is amicable with a good reputation. On the other hand, I lied and cheated, forcing transactions through coercion. Why did you choose to deal with me and not him?”

Fang Yuan’s voice travelled through the stone crack. “Because his cultivation is too high, so if he sees the image wall, he can choose to deal with me, or abandon the deal and just give the image wall to the Gu Yue clan head. I do not like giving the decision-making to others, furthermore I do not believe in integrity. The so-called prestigious reputation is just because the profits are small and are unable to incur his greed.”

More importantly, it was because Jia Jin Sheng’s position was special, for his cultivation was weak and he was easy to manipulate. Fang Yuan was naturally not going to mention this, of course.

“Hehe.” Jia Jin Sheng laughed dryly, his suspicions mostly gone immediately. “That last sentence really resonated within me.”

The two finally got into the secret cave.

Jia Jin Sheng saw the image wall at once, and could not help but laugh loudly, “Haha, I guessed right, you didn’t lie to me!”

Fang Yuan stood behind him, laughing lightly, not saying anything.

Jia Jin Sheng looked at the wall, seeing the changing images and the animosity between the Flower Wine Monk and the 4th generation clan leader.

He looked at it once and retracted his gaze, looking at Fang Yuan, mocking, “Your 4th generation ancestor doesn’t look that strong huh.”

Fang Yuan replied, “This is nothing. The Gu Yue clan needed a hero, thus the 4th generation became a hero. Not long after, the Bai family needs a despicable scum, so the 4th generation will become a degenerate. Hero, scum, all these are just people’s opinions.”

“Well said!” Jia Jin Sheng laughed as he surveyed the cave.

His sight was set on the corpse of the Flower Wine Monk, and he stopped for a while before saying, “What a pity, a Rank five powerhouse. You’ve gotten much benefits from him huh?”

A Rank five Gu Master’s inheritance was significant. Jia Jin Sheng’s heart beat faster upon thinking of this, and he could not help but ask.

Fang Yuan shook his head. “It’s been so long, most of the Gu are dead, I only got a Liquor worm.”

Jia Jin Sheng did not believe him. “Don’t lie to me brother, as long as this deal goes through, we are accomplices, I won’t reveal any information. Tell me honestly, what did you gain from this?”

Fang Yuan laughed coldly and did not bother replying him.

Jia Jin Sheng’s response was anticipated, and this was also why Fang Yuan chose him over Jia Fu.

Jia Jin Sheng continued to say: “At the very least, I know the Flower Wine Monk has a Thousand Li Earthwolf spider(1). That is a Rank five steed-type Gu, with a large body and is proficient in burrowing underground. The Flower Wine Monk was a demonic cultivator, and his ability to get about freely was mostly due to this Thousand Li Earthwolf spider, allowing him to escape from the righteous cultivators.”

“Oh, there’s something like that?” Fang Yuan frowned. Regarding the Flower Wine Monk, he did not have much information.

Jia Jin Sheng smugly said, “I came to your village last year and heard this legend, and I found it interesting so I went home and researched about it. The Thousand Li Earthwolf spider and Flower Wine Monk were inseparable, and in my opinion, this cave should have been dug out by the spider. Otherwise, with the Qing Mao Mountain’s rich and heavy soil, how can a cave like this form? Brother, you don’t have to conceal it anymore. The Flower Wine Monk died here so there’s definitely his Thousand Li Earthwolf spider here!”

Fang Yuan frowned even more deeply, feeling a sense of discomfort, his gaze grim, “Yes, there are no other exits here. The Thousand Li Earthwolf spider is massive, he would not have been able to squeeze out from the crack we just walked through. However, there is a possibility that the Thousand Li Earthwolf was plotted against and killed by the 4th generation. Seeing that image wall, even when the Flower Wine Monk was fighting he did not summon the Thousand Li Earthwolf spider.”

“That makes the situation even more peculiar. This cave is not formed naturally, thus it has to be created by the Flower Wine Monk. Without the Thousand Li Earthwolf spider, could there be any other methods?” Jia Jin Sheng looked at Fang Yuan suspiciously.

Fang Yuan’s frown swelled into a knot as he felt more and more uncertain. From Jia Jin Sheng’s information, he found out something: it appears as if there was a crucial point that he had missed out.

He could not help but fall into deep thoughts.

Jia Jin Sheng was thinking too, the image wall was no longer enough for him. Once he confirmed that the situation was real, he wanted to dig out the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance from Fang Yuan.

But at this time, something unexpected to the two of them happened!

The image wall which was playing endlessly, suddenly changed its image.

A gravely injured, pale bald Gu Master replaced the original video and appeared on the wall.

He weakly sprawled on the ground, his back facing the wall. His chest and limbs were deeply cut, but the strange thing was that his wounds did not bleed, as if his entire body’s blood had been drained out.

“I am the Flower Wine Monk.” The bald Gu Master laughed, his expression distorted with madness, “Future person, no matter who you are, to endure this video and let it play for nearly one hundred days, it proves that you have no good will towards the Gu Yue family. Very well, you shall be my successor! My entire inheritance is yours, but I have a condition. You must exterminate the Gu Yue clan for me. Murder the entire clan and leave no one alive!”

Jia Jin Sheng was stunned on the spot, his face frozen with shock.

“A Rank five powerhouse, the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance!”

He was stunned, and for a moment his brains were churning and thinking.

“My god! A Rank five powerhouse, what does that mean? Rank three is a family elder, Rank four is a village lord, and a Rank five is a mountain lord, able to rule over a mountain and do as he pleases! To think that in this tiny place, there is a Rank five Gu Master’s power inheritance.”

“Wait, Flower Wine Monk is a demonic cultivator, so if I inherit his powers, is it inappropriate? No, strength has nothing to do with good or evil. The Flower Wine Monk wants his successor to destroy the Gu Yue clan, but do I really have to? He’s already dead, I just have to take his inheritance and ignore those issues.”

“This is a godsend opportunity. Even with my D grade talent, if I inherit the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance, I might be able to improve my talent. Those rare talent-raising Gu worms, they might be part of the inheritance. If I inherit this fortune and become a Rank four or five Gu Master, I’d be able to contest with Jia Fu!”

“Wait! I almost forgot, there’s an outsider, what should I do?”

“Should I split the inheritance with him? No, kill him! Only by killing him can I protect this secret. Yes, I should calm him down first, and lie that we’re going to split the treasure. Getting rid of his guard, then assaulting him and killing him here. This place is so hidden, it’s great. Even if I kill him, nobody would know.”

Although he thought of all these, it was merely a moment in real life.

Having a plan, he squinted and revealed a fake smile.

He slowly turned around and faced Fang Yuan but just as he was about to speak, he saw two blue moonblades flying towards him.

His pupils dilated into the size of a pin; the distance was too small, he could not respond in time!

“You……” His voice came to a halt.

The moonblade aimed accurately for his neck, and in an instant, his skull flew into the air, fresh blood pouring out like a fountain.

After two seconds, his corpse plopped on the ground.

The scalding blood poured on the mountain walls, dyeing the withering vines red.

“Don’t think so much when killing people.” Fang Yuan looked at the corpse plainly and then shifted his gaze towards the image wall.

“To think there was such a twist here. How interesting,” He muttered as his eyes emitted an eerie glow.

Chapter 47: Jia Jin Sheng, I actually did not want to kill you

Translator: Sigma Editor: Sigma

The rain crashed down heavily.

Grey clouds covered the sky, and the continuous mountains far away blended into a mass of black ink.

The rain curtain interwove the heavens and earth together.

Crack!

The sky flashed bright abruptly, and a bolt of lightning cut across the sky like a silver snake, then in an instant it was gone.

Summer was approaching, and the end of spring’s heavy rain seemed to bring about a trace of the warmth of summer.

On Qing Mao Mountain, huge expanses of jade green spear bamboo stood tall and straight, resisting the winds and rain, the bodies of the bamboo straight like a spear as ever, the tips of the bamboo pointing towards the blue sky dome.

In the Gu Yue village, row upon row of innumerable tall-pillared houses endured against the great rain’s washing. Outside the village, the caravan had already set out on their journey once again.

“The rain is heavy, take note of the pavement.”

“Don’t fall behind, Gu Masters better pull your Gu properly, especially the fat beetle, don’t block the mountain road anymore!”

“You bunch of mortal martial fighters, better open your eyes wide and pay careful attention. Lose a single thing and you’ll be paying for that!”

There was an endless stream of shouts rising and falling in succession from the merchant caravans.

After stopping over at the Gu Yue village for three days, it was time for this merchant caravan to leave the place and follow the mountain path through Qing Mao Mountain and head for their next destination.

The heavy rain cleansed the heaven and earth, and the roads surrounding the village were paved with cobblestone, this was still alright. However after around five hundred meters the roads would turn into a muddy and narrow mountain path.

The head of the proud ostrich chicken was drooping, its colourful rainbow feathers soaking wet under the rain, sticking into clumps, becoming the example of a drenched and bedraggled chicken.

The fat beetle worm moved its fat huge body, walking extremely slow forward. The rainwater beat upon its black armor, forming streams of water flow, sliding down both sides of its body onto the earth.

The shaggy mountain spider was also drenched, and its green-black coloured fur were adhered together.

On the contrary, the toad Gu were happily calling out, carrying out the load and Gu Masters, hopping forward on the mountain. And the winged snake had already put away its wings, the thick snake’s body cheerfully travelling on the muddy water.

To protect the goods and prevent them from getting drenched wet by the rainwater, the Gu Masters were showing their magical abilities at the moment.

On a few enormous fat beetles stood Gu Masters in the middle. Their two hands were raised high, each of them having a One-stretch Golden Light Worm floating in midair one inch away from their palms.

The green copper primeval essence was like stream evaporating as it concentrated into the One-stretch Golden Light Worm’s bodies. The entire Gu flashed like a golden bean, acting as the heart, supporting a tremendous faint gold coloured bubble dome.

The hemisphere-shaped bubble dome had a rather huge scope. It was able to completely cover one fat beetle worm and still have some leftover space.

As the rain smashed upon the bubble dome, it would bounce away, just like hitting on an umbrella. However this sort of One-stretch Golden Light Worm continuously consumed primeval essence, and in the long run the Rank one Gu Masters would not be able to take it anymore.

As expected, after a while, a Gu Master shouted: “No more, my primeval essence is almost exhausted, who can take over?”

“I can!” Almost simultaneously, a Gu Master rushed forward and replaced his position.

A few Gu Masters pulling the carriages or riding the mountain spiders activated the Green Silk Gu in their bodies.

Under its influence, their hair started to grow furiously.

A normal person’s hair had at least one hundred thousand strands. A hundred thousand strands of hair, each being five to six metres, intertwining and covering the Gu Master’s body along with the steed, formed an impenetrable hair raincoat.

The Green Silk Gu was a Rank one Gu worm, often used for defense. It uses 30% of green copper primeval essence to activate, and was not a continuous expenditure type like the One-stretch Golden Light Worm.

This Green Silk Gu can be combined with the Rank one Black Boar Gu to become the Rank two Black Mane Gu.

The Black Mane Gu when activated would not only involve hair on the head, but also hair on all the pores. Within a few seconds, the Gu Master’s body would gain a black mane protective armor.

The Black Mane Gu’s advancement path was the Rank three famous Gu, Steel Mane Gu.

Other than the One-stretch Golden Light Worm and Green Silk Gu, many of the caravan Gu Masters also chose the Water Spider Gu. It can be seen that there was a thin layer of blue raincoat on their bodies.

On the raincoat’s surface, the water circulated randomly. As the raindrops hit onto the raincoat, it would immediately become part of the raincoat.

Since the Gu Masters were continuously soaking under the rain, the raincoat on their bodies would grow thicker. Every now and then the Gu Masters would have to urge the Water Spider Gu and discharge away the excess water. At this moment the thick raincoats would be reduced to the original thin layer.

As for those mortal warriors, they were constantly on the move, watching over the goods on the muddy road. Most of them wore raincoats made of straw, but in their rush and confusion the straw raincoats had limited effect from avoiding the rain, so they were already drenched wet by the rainwater.

“This accursed weather!” The warriors cursed in their hearts.

In the rainy weather, the mountain trail becomes even harder to walk on.

Under this weather, martial artists might be strong physically but they are still mortals. Once their bodies are drenched by rain and coupled with intensive labour, they would easily catch a cold. Getting a serious illness was the lightest consequence, perhaps they might catch repercussions, and if they catch a certain tough disease, it might cause them to get gravely ill and abandoned on the trip itself.

If they encounter slippery roads on the mountain trails, or encounter wild beasts and Gu worms’ attacks, they might lose their lives.

The caravan may be big, and have many Gu Masters. But every time they went on a journey, there would always be a great decrease in numbers. Mortal martial artists die the most, while Gu Masters also have injuries and casualties.

If the caravan was unlucky enough to encounter large-scale migrating beasts, they might even get wiped out completely.

Other than natural disasters, there were also human-caused problems. Among the villages, there might be those who do not welcome the caravan. Some villages like to rob the outsiders.

“We’re leaving, see you next year!” Some of the Gu Masters sat on the Gu worms and turned their bodies to bid farewell.

At the entrance of the village, many people gathered as they sent the caravan off with their gazes.

“You must come again next year!” Reluctant to see them depart, the children shouted loudly.

The adults had more complicated expressions.

“The road ahead is unforeseen. In these hard times, for those who are able to come to the village next year, how many would still be familiar faces?”

“Be it at the merchant caravan or in the village, it is not easy to earn a living.”

As the caravan left further and further, as the crowd dispersed.

The cheerful and lighthearted market atmosphere had also subsequently disappeared. The original spot that had erected tents and shops was left now with a huge mess. The grass turf had been walked upon continuously by the crowd, grassroots and mud soil trampled out. The rainwater hit on its surface, immediately forming mud and numerous little pot-holes that collected muddy water. In addition to that, there was a lot of garbage left over.

Fang Yuan stood on a secluded hillside, watching the merchant caravan from far away alone. The merchant caravan was like a fat and colourful flower python, snaking through the narrow mountain road under the grey heavy rain, slowly entering the dense mountain forest.

“Ah, the heavens are sending their blessings…” Fang Yuan sighed lightly.

He held a butter yellow paper umbrella, quietly standing in the rain.

Fang Yuan wore the most plain flax cloth garment, his body slim, his skin bringing about the pale whiteness of a fifteen year old teenager, a settled clump of clean and short black hair atop his head. The ends of his hair trembled slightly in the wind under his umbrella.

While others curse the weather, he was lamenting the timely appearance of the rain.

He killed Jia Jin Sheng last night and cleaned up the scene, but because it happened so unexpectedly, there was bound to be areas of neglect. Especially with the bloody smell, because the cave is not ventilated, the smell could not disperse easily.

With this rain, it cleaned up the air and environment, greatly reducing the chances of getting exposed by smell tracking methods. The crack was bound to have a small cascade of water flowing down, and once the fresh water vapour diluted the air, he would not be exposed for the short time being.

Of course, once time passes, the chance of getting exposed increases.

In this world there were all sorts of Gu worms, and investigative methods were abundant, even Fang Yuan only knew a portion of them.

The rain produced pitter patter sounds as it hit on the yellow umbrella. Then following the shape of the umbrella, streams of water flowed down onto the limestones beneath Fang Yuan’s feet, hitting and creating splashes.

Seeing the caravan curve into a corner, completely disappearing into the forests, Fang Yuan did not show a sign of relief, but instead looked grim.

“Although Jia Jin Sheng’s cultivation was weak and had little talent, he had a special status. The caravan’s people are all busy with business, thus no one found out that he’s missing. But once some time passes, it’d definitely be found out. By then, Jia Fu would return to investigate, and the real challenge would be then.”

“The Jia family head intentionally arranged Jia Jin Sheng and Jia Fu to be on the same caravan, he had deep intentions. In terms of cultivation, they are worlds apart. In terms of cunningness, they’re also incomparable. Such an arrangement is to inflict a blow to Jia Jin Sheng and let him be clear of reality, and live life peacefully. At the same time he is testing Jia Fu’s nature, for if he is too overbearing on Jia Jin Sheng, how can he hand the position of clan head to him?”

“Jia Jin Sheng never truly understood his father’s intentions. Although he had some intelligence, he only managed to scratch the surface of a merchant’s wits, what a pity. A pity of such a good pawn piece.”

Fang Yuan felt regrettable in his heart. With five hundred years of experience, he could easily see past the surface and understand the true nature of the situation.

When he saw the dispute between the two that night, he could tell the complicated relationship between Jia Jin Sheng and Jia Fu, and thus he had a vague plan formed in his heart from then on.

In his plan, Jia Jin Sheng was a very suitable pawn. His cultivation was weak but he held a high position in the caravan, and although he had some wits, he had little experience, thus Fang Yuan could easily manipulate him.

Once controlled, this pawn would be extremely useful.

For one, he could build a strong network of smuggling through his relationship, preparing up for usurping treasures from future killings.

Secondly, Fang Yuan could hide in the background and use the image wall to stir up conflict among the Qing Mao mountain’s three families, causing a civil war and enabling him to be able to reap the rewards.

Thirdly, Fang Yuan could rely on him to make his way into the Jia family interior. The future Jia family dispute caused a large scale Gu fighting competition, it will be a huge affair with lots of benefits to gain. Fang Yuan could make use of this to acquire the greatest reward for himself.

“My cultivation is still too low, restraining me greatly in doing things. If there was a pawn for me to use, I can do some things that I cannot attempt myself, it is not only convenient but also lowers the risk of doing so. If I get exposed, I can simply discard the pawn and stay safe myself.”

“The surrounding people know the situation well and are loyal to the family, thus they aren’t good to manipulate. Only an outsider like Jia Jin Sheng can be used more efficiently to execute my plans. Unfortunately, I did not expect the Flower Wine Monk to leave behind his power inheritance.”

The Flower Wine Monk is a Rank five Gu Master, his inheritance is definitely more valuable than this pawn.

Of course, it’d be good if he could get the best of both worlds, but in face of such treasure, Jia Jin Sheng could not longer be controlled, thus he had to be discarded.

“Nothing will go smoothly forever in this world.” Fang Yuan sighed and shook his head.

The Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance appeared and disrupted Fang Yuan’s original plans. In addition, after the changes to the image wall, the videos and images were all gone, only showing a line written in blood, telling Fang Yuan to destroy the image wall and reveal a cavern entrance. Following the trail, he would be able to get the inheritance.

The blood writing only appeared for a few breaths before vanishing, and the image wall also turned back into the most ordinary mountain wall.

Fang Yuan spent the entire night cleaning up the murder scene, and had no time to break the wall.

“Killing Jia Jin Sheng in a hurry, this would leave many problems for me in the future, and I am but only temporarily safe. Although I succeeded in getting rid of the evidence, there is bound to be trouble coming for me in the future. In this case, I would have to change my way of exposing the Liquor worm. I cannot go to the secret cave behind the wall crack either. I have to stay in the mountain village for some time to anticipate investigation in the near future.”

Fang Yuan turned around and held his umbrella, walking in the rain towards the village.

“But this is fine too. I can spend a large amount of primeval stones during this period to refine to middle stage primeval essence. Using it, I can nurture my aperture and break through into the middle stage. Once I reached the middle stage, my power will double, allowing me to get the inheritance more easily and with greater confidence.”

A demonic cultivator’s inheritance was not as mild and gentle as a righteous cultivator’s, for there was often dangerous tests and tasks, and if one cannot get through, they’d have to pay the price with their life.

“The world is hard to predict, but it is precisely this that makes it interesting.” Fang Yuan smiled coldly.

The green mountain beneath the heavy rain extended continuously and unending, its green mixed with grey, appearing stifling and heavy.

A gust of wind blew, and the raindrops inclined a little, hitting onto Fang Yuan’s shoulder and attacking him with a burst of chilliness.

He thought about Jia Jin Sheng again.

Sighing in his heart, he thought, “Jia Jin Sheng, actually I… did not want to kill you.”

What a waste of a good pawn.

Chapter 48: A little cute

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

It rained for four days before stopping.

The sun rose high into the sky, tearing away the rain curtain, seemingly like it was unveiling summer itself.

The breath of summer had faintly started to come around.

The weather became increasingly sunny and cloudless, sweeping away the sentimental breath of spring, and the temperatures slowly rose.

In the night of spring, the lively Dragonpill crickets had retreated, cowering away into the deep ground to lay eggs. The green spear bamboo specially found on Qing Mao Mountain had started to grow wildly, and nearly everyday it would show an obvious increase in height.

The grass and the trees began to change from emerald green into a dark green colour. The neverending green mountains started to look even more verdant and lush.

The weather was clear for thousands of miles, blue like a crystal.

Bang, bang, bang.

At the training grounds in the academy, sounds of punches and kicks could be heard.

After exchanging over ten blows, Gu Yue Mo Bei was kicked in the abdomen by Fang Yuan, taking five to six steps backwards, leaving the designated circle drawn in the arena.

The martial arts instructor stood before the stage and evaluated the situation. Seeing this, he immediately declared, “Gu Yue Mo Bei has exited the stage, Gu Yue Fang Yuan wins for the 33rd consecutive time!”

“Hmph, I lost to you again.” Gu Yue Mo Bei gritted his teeth, his eyes staring right at Fang Yuan, “But don’t be arrogant. One day, I will defeat you. I can already feel it, that day is nearing!”

Fang Yuan looked at him expressionlessly, and then his eyelids drooped downwards. “That kick earlier caused you to have internal bleeding. I’d advise you to treat that injury first.”

“This small injury is nothing!” Gu Yue Mo Bei was retorting halfway, when suddenly his expression changed and his throat gulped, vomiting a mouthful of blood.

His face was pale, this was the first time he suffered this level of injury! His eyes could not help but show signs of fear.

The martial arts instructor hurried over and pacified him. “Don’t worry about this level of injury, you just need to rest for a few days. Just stop practising your punches and do not do vigorous exercises during this period.”

The moment he finished saying so, two healing Gu Masters who were waiting outside rushed over and meticulously helped Gu Yue Mo Bei out.

Gu Yue Mo Bei did not dare to say anything else, but he looked at Fang Yuan deeply in his eyes, filled with anger, hatred, regret and indignance.

“Mo Bei has good martial techniques, but he couldn’t beat Fang Yuan.”

“Fang Yuan is too good, basically no one can beat him!”

“Mo Bei actually vomited blood, how scary. I don’t want to fight a guy like this.”

“Sigh, but the instructor said today is practice combat, up on the arena! Each of us needs to go up and fight once.”

The students stood outside the arena, some looking towards Fang Yuan in fear, some sighing non-stop, some were pale while others felt trepidation.

Among them, some were injured. A few held their bruised faces, some held their limbs, gasping for breath. Others laid on the ground, rubbing their thigh.

“Next!” Seeing that there were no challengers coming up, the instructor yelled.

However, no one answered. Usually those who were courageous to challenge Fang Yuan were only Gu Yue Mo Bei, Gu Yue Chi Chen and Gu Yue Fang Zheng. But these three were already beaten.

Silence swept across the students as others even retracted their steps slightly. The instructor frowned on seeing their fearful expression.

He could not help but think of the academy elder’s words: “These days, Fang Yuan has gotten too dominant, we have to suppress him. The other students cannot even raise their heads under his pressure, and if this goes on, the courage in their hearts will be simmered. Our academy nurtures courageous tigers and wolves to fight enemies, not fearful sheeps and lambs.”

“What’s wrong with all of you? No matter how strong he is, Fang Yuan is only fifteen years old, he’s one of your peers! He has the same age as you, eats the same food as you and drinks the same water. He does not have three heads or six arms, he’s not a monster! Pluck up your courage and show me the pride of the Gu Yue clan within you!” The instructor yelled, trying his best to motivate the students.

“But he is too strong, we cannot beat him.”

“The classmates who fought him are in such a pitiful state. Mo Bei got beaten until he vomited blood.”

“Fang Yuan is getting more ruthless with his strikes, instructor, we do not dare to fight him.”

The students spoke softly, weakly retorting.

The instructor was stomping with anger. These ignorant youngsters!

He was clear as a bystander. Fang Yuan had gone through thirty-three consecutive fights without any rest in the middle. Although he was constantly adjusting his breathing, his stamina had already depleted.

Fang Yuan’s attacks getting merciless proves this fact even further: He could no longer take it easy like before, he is losing control of his strength and the situation.

If someone tries harder, his fatigue will be revealed. With just a few more people, he could be defeated on the stage!

Once Fang Yuan is beaten, his dominating presence will be reduced sharply, the students courage ignited and the motive to suppress Fang Yuan achieved.

But now, the students were deterred by Fang Yuan’s tough front.

At times, what defeats a person is not a strong enemy but one’s own heart.

The instructor was anxious in his thoughts, and continued to motivate them.

But he was not good with his words. In the beginning he said these same words to ignite the hot-bloodedness in the youngsters and stirred up some challengers. But now that he had said this so many times, the youngsters are all numb already.

Fang Yuan folded his arms and stared at this coldly. Although he was standing in the center of the stage, he was acting like a complete bystander.

The instructor encouraged for ages but the students were still looking at each others, not one had moved.

The martial instructor could not help but be angry and helpless. He turned to Fang Yuan, unhappily chiding, “Fang Yuan, you’re also at fault. Your blows are getting more vicious among classmates, you should be more gentle and friendly, how can you deal such vicious blows? Be careful from now on and attack carefully. If you cause another classmate to vomit blood, I will declare your loss and evict you from the stage!”

“Instructor, you are wrong.”

Fang Yuan snorted, his gaze not showing any weakness, looking right at the instructor, “Practising and fighting, we naturally have to give it our all, otherwise how can it achieve the aim of training? Don’t tell me that when we are in battle, we also have to request our enemies to be more gentle and friendly?”

The instructor flew into a rage, “Hmph, your attacks are vicious, you are harming your classmates and you dare to use twisted logic!”

“Instructor, you’re wrong again.”

Fang Yuan laughed coldly, “You arranged this practice match and raised the winning prize to twenty primeval stones. Without your encouragement, would these people have gotten hurt?”

“Bastard!” The martial arts instructor was not good with words, and he pointed at Fang Yuan and scowled, “Do you still want the prize or not? If you argue any further, even if you get first place, I will declare you a loser! You are so uncooperative and antisocial, and you dare to argue with your teachers, you have no rights to claim the twenty primeval stones as reward!”

Fang Yuan laughed heartily. “It is but a competition that merely gives twenty primeval stones, do you think I give a damn?”

Saying so, he turned around and left. Under the class’ distraught gaze, he walked out of the center of arena.

Although he did not manage to sell the image wall, Fang Yuan still had several hundreds of primeval stones in his possession. Furthermore, his aim this time was not primeval stones.

“You!” Seeing Fang Yuan really walking down the stage, the instructor was stunned without words, showing an expression of shock and confusion.

A fifteen year old teenager, shouldn’t he be competitive and full of vigor?

Fang Yuan having such fighting talents, shouldn’t his character be even more so? How could he just back out of the competition like this?

Furthermore, Fang Yuan has no background, he should be tight on primeval stones. Why was the twenty primeval stones unable to attract him?

At this point, the martial arts instructor stood on the spot, unsure of what to do.

Fang Yuan did not step into the trap, but left the stage immediately.

The instructor suddenly realized: There was nothing he could do to Fang Yuan. With his status, he could not find problems with Fang Yuan directly, and force him onto the stage right?

The surrounding students retreated, maintaining a distance away from Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan stood on the grounds, with no one around him. With him as the center, the radius of five steps around him became a vacuum.

What a pity.

If they were beside Fang Yuan, they would hear Fang Yuan’s panting sound.

“My stamina is depleted,” Fang Yuan sighed. Although he showed an energetic outward appearance, under his clothes, his body was slightly shivering.

After all, he was only fifteen years old and had no relevant Gu worm as support. After thirty-three matches, he was close to his limits.

Although he had his rich fighting experience from his past life, during this time, the other youngsters’ combat abilities had improved significantly. From them, Fang Yuan could already feel a strengthening sense of pressure.

This kind of pressure reflected in Fang Yuan’s attacks. His attacks got tougher as he gradually lost control of his strength. Compared to the past, when they were still too weak and he could defeat them easily, the youngsters would only end up in minor injuries. But now, his control over the arena was getting weaker, thus he had to strike harder to maintain his image.

“Experience is, after all, not omnipotent. Any thoughts or technique require a body with sufficient foundation before the value can be apparent.” Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes. In actuality he had long seen through the martial instructor’s thoughts.

Fang Yuan was not surprised, as if he had expected this from the start, the academy elder’s pressure on him.

After he killed Gao Wan, the people who dared to challenge him diminished. When he extorted them, even more people oppressed by Fang Yuan’s dominance did not dare resist, and they obediently handed over their primeval stones.

After a long period, Fang Yuan’s unbeatable image would be formed. This would leave some psychological trauma in the youngsters and make them unconfident in their martial arts techniques. This was what the academy elder did not want to see. He needed Fang Yuan to motivate and force the students to improve, not to completely extinguish their passion for battle.

He wanted to see Fang Yuan’s defeat.

Once Fang Yuan was defeated, the image of invincibility that he had erected would be instantly destroyed.

At the same time, it would awaken the students’ fighting spirit. After some setbacks, it would mould their wills to be indomitable.

But to Fang Yuan, he needed this form of pressure so that he could extort primeval stones with greater ease.

If he was defeated, the youngsters would realize his weakness and attack together at once. Although Fang Yuan had ample of primeval stones in his hands, extortion was his main source of income. Without this source, he would be digging into his reserves.

Thus, Fang Yuan’s appearance in the arena and thirty-three consecutive victories was merely to maintain his deterrence towards the students, and not for the twenty primeval stones reward.

If he avoided combat from the start, it would show his weakness, and if it raged on, he would expose his weakness.

“What are you all waiting for, why is nobody getting up on the stage, go on! The first prize is twenty primeval stones, you all don’t want it anymore?” The instructor yelled after snapping out of his thoughts.

The rest of the students began to get motivated.

Fang Yuan had already left the stage, and to them, it was a huge rock off their minds.

“I’ll go!”

“I’ll come!”

Two youngsters squeezed their way up the stage and began to spar.

“Sigh, if I had known this, I would have waited and not rushed up the stage. Then I would not have been throw off the stage by Fang Yuan.”

“What a pity, to think Fang Yuan left.”

“He’s really daring, see even the instructor is at a lost for what to do with him.”

Hearing their whispers, the instructor felt his reputation crumbling. He was extremely agitated in his heart and wanted to punish Fang Yuan thoroughly. However, Fang Yuan had done nothing wrong, and leaving the stage on his own accord was allowed.

The instructor was both helpless and moody. Finally he looked at Fang Yuan and stared angrily at the latter.

Fang Yuan’s lips slightly curled up into an angle as he thought, “Such boorish methods, this instructor is a little cute.”

Chapter 49: Not afraid of Fang Yuan breaking out of their grasp

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

A pair of solemn eyes were staring at the faraway training grounds.

The academy elder stood at the window of the third storey, looking at everything that had transpired at the arena.

He frowned deeply.

The instant Fang Yuan left the stage, he felt a sense of peculiarity in his heart, not expecting Fang Yuan to do this.

“This lad, he is rather hard to catch. He is proficient in the academy’s rules, and normally will not commit any wrongdoings. Although he sleeps in class, once he is asked a question he can answer properly, leaving others with no flaws to pick on. Trying to get ahold of a weakness of his to suppress his dominance is going to be difficult.”

The academy elder could not help but develop a faint sense of loathing towards Fang Yuan.

As a teacher, he naturally liked obedient and smart students, and hated those naughty students who did not obey the rules.

But being the academy elder for so many years, his experience was extremely rich, he had seen many different types of students. Among them he had seen extremely obedient ones who followed orders without question. There were also those who caused problems day and night, constantly breaking the rules.

His heart had already become still as water, impartial to all. At the same time, he carved the phrase “as a teacher, one must treat all students fairly” onto the right corner of his desk, treating it as his motto.

He had never felt such disgust for a student.

Feeling that sense of detest in his heart, the academy elder was also slightly shocked.

In previous years, even towards the most naughty students, he was able to handle it with a big heart, tolerating their actions. But when it came to Fang Yuan, why did he lose this sense of impartialness?

He thought about it again and again, and finally realized the reason.

This lad called Fang Yuan, he had a form of arrogance in his blood!

It seemed from the fundamentals that Fang Yuan did not respect his teachers for their status. Towards the martial arts instructor earlier, he not only disobeyed him, but even rebuked him in public.

Actually, such cases of retorting against teachers were commonly seen in previous years. However, those kids always had an agitated state of mind. They were either rebellious, furious or stubborn, etc.

The academy elder was clear that the more agitated the youngsters were, the more it implied that they were fearful in their hearts.

But Fang Yuan was not.

He had no fear in his heart at all, as if he had seen through the tricks of the academy.

His expression was aloof, and even after he left the stage, his expression showed no signs of changing, as if he had done something insignificant.

Yes, he treated the matter of disobeying his teachers as a trivial matter that was insignificant!

In simple terms ——-

He was not afraid.

It was just this point that caused the academy elder to already feel unhappy, developing a sense of disgust for him.

The academy elder could endure a student more rebellious than Fang Yuan, or a teenager ten times naughtier than him. That was because these students knew fear and were moving based on their agitated emotions.

As long as they were fearful, as long as they were impulsive, they would be easily manipulated and will not go out of control.

But Fang Yuan was not.

He was calm and uncaring, not treating his teachers with reverence.

He was not respectful!

Someone who has no reverence for the clan, even if they are nurtured, how can they be useful for the clan?

“Once they appear, this sort of person, they have to be suppressed, they must be suppressed! Otherwise, his existence will create a sense of irresistibility in the students. In the long run, it will affect the others, causing them to lose their reverence for their teachers, and as the academy, how else are we going to manage the students?”

The academy elder squinted his eyes, making up the decision in his mind.

But then, his face showed a troubled expression very quickly.

How was he going to suppress Fang Yuan?

Fang Yuan had done nothing wrong, there was no weakness that he could exploit.

Fang Yuan’s cunning demeanour gave him a sense of helplessness. He had never met a student like this, one who was so familiar with the academy’s rules and regulations.

As the academy elder, he was always impartial to all students. He could not be like a slum gangster and purposely find trouble with a youngster like Fang Yuan.

He had placed his hopes on the martial arts instructor, but now he was deeply disappointed.

“It seems that to suppress Fang Yuan’s domination, we can only wait until all the other students advance to Rank one middle stage.”

A Gu Master’s advancement is mostly influenced by their talents.

With his rich experience as the academy elder, he had calculated before in his heart: the ones who had the greatest chance to advance first are Gu Yue Fang Zheng, Chi Chen and Mo Bei.

They were an A rank and two B grades respectively, and with their elders’ help behind them, they had no lack of primeval stones. No matter which one of the three, they were mostly likely to be the first to advance to Rank one middle stage cultivation.

“Gu Yue Fang Zheng, Chi Chen and Mo Bei, these three are our hopeful seeds this season.” The academy elder looked at the arena and sighed.

With his experienced gaze, he could tell: in the arena, although the students seem to be standing casually, they had subtly already split into three factions.

In one circle was Gu Yue Chi Chen and a bunch of similarly-aged clansmen, all crowding around him.

The second circle’s core was Gu Yue Fang Zheng, and the clan leader’s faction’s younger generation were subtly supporting this A grade talent genius.

The third circle was led by Gu Yue Mo Bei. He had already been treated of his internal injury and stood on the arena with a pale face. The classmates beside him were asking him about his condition.

“This is the meaning of letting them compete with each other.” Seeing the three factions, the academy elder was overjoyed and laughed.

Allowing the students free reign to compete, this was not just to nurture their battle senses, but also to prematurely choose the leader-type characters.

In past seasons, they had to wait until the end of the year to have the capacity to develop their own circles. But in this year, because of Fang Yuan’s appearance, his extortion had brought forth the divergence much faster.

Against Fang Yuan, the only ones who dared to compete against him were Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Chen.

After a long time under imperceptible influence, the other youngsters would automatically regard these three as the leaders.

As long as there were no mishaps, these three social circles would be the layout of the future family’s higher-ups.

“But these factions are still not stable. Within them, there are still students moving around. Once the three take the lead and advance to the middle stage first, I will give them the positions of class chairman and vice chairman. With that differentiation, they would gain authority, and this will strengthen their social circles,” the academy elder thought.

Of course, there was someone not within either factions.

Just one person, and that was Fang Yuan.

Getting close to stronger people is human nature. In fact, although Fang Yuan extorted the students and acted against the students, there were a number of youngsters who wanted to attach themselves to him.

However, they were rejected by Fang Yuan. To him, only those who were useful were pawns, and these youngsters had too little value.

This was also another reason the academy elder hated Fang Yuan. He was too antisocial, not willing to integrate into the team. To such people like him, the clan’s control over them was not as much as the other youngsters.

The academy elder’s gaze once again shot towards Fang Yuan in the arena.

Fang Yuan stood alone at one corner with his hands behind his back, his eyelids slightly closed, allowing the students to fight for their prize. Even with the heated competition, his expression did not change the slightest.

His surrounding was vacant, no youngster was willing to stand with him.

Very evidently, he also did not wish for these people to be near him.

Fang Yuan stood there alone, enshrouded in loneliness.

He floated outside the factions.

“But I don’t have to be too worried. This Fang Yuan is still young and can be changed slowly.” The academy elder’s gaze shone and he thought deeply.

“Next up will be the establishment of the class chairman and vice chairman. A year later, we will split into groups, creating team leaders and assistant leaders. Every academic year also has all sorts of honor and rewards, like the Small Redflower Award, Blue Neckcloth Prize and Five Outstanding Student Prize. He wants to cultivate so he needs resources, thus he has to compete for these positions and prizes. As time passes, with interaction among the students, he is bound to have kinship, friendship and love as his restraints. I don’t have to worry about him going beyond the clan’s control.”

These years, the academy elder had gradually understood something.

When a new clan member is born, they would be brainwashed by the clan.

First, they would be taught the clan’s utmost value system. Next they would go into moral education and learn about the beauty and importance of kinship, friendship, love.

After that, they would be taught honor, and in the process of growing up, many resources such as prizes would be used to attract them. Using the family’s assigned roles, they would choose and recruit the most loyal clansmen into their factions.

Do not look down on the small roles like chairman or vice chairman, for once they become one of these roles, they would be part of the clan’s administration.

Under such a system with constant influence, on one hand it brings about the benefits of having authority and the sweetness of power, while on the other hand, it brings the problem of detaching from the system. A carrot in hand and a stick in the other, who can break away from this system?

Even the wildest of people or the most lonesome ones would gradually become a part of the family. One without loyalty would also be nurtured into one with loyalty. Without kinship, friendship or love, they would still be developed.

This is the power of the system.

This is the power of rules.

This is the clan’s way of survival!

Chapter 50: Middle Stage!

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Nightfall arrived. The moon was like a silver plate, appearing among the clouds. The thinly spread stars decorated the surroundings.

Gu Yue Mo Bei stood in the courtyard, raising his head up, his eyes glistening under the reflection of the moon.

“Little brother, I heard you got injured today.” Behind him, his sister Gu Yue Mo Yan’s voice resounded.

“Sister, you are worried that after being beaten till I vomited blood today, I would have long lasting trauma?” Mo bei turned around and curled his lips.

Seeing her brother laughing, Mo Yan’s heart felt at ease. Although she had truly worried, she said instead, “No way, big sis here understands you best. Good brother, you have an indomitable will, the future head of our Mo family. How can you be frightened off by such a small injury?”

“Hehehe, I knew sister doted on me the most,” Mo Bei scratched the back of his head as he laughed sheepishly.

“You know what, sister?” Under the glow of the moonlight, this fifteen year old teenager’s eyes radiated brightly. “Although I failed this time, I heard Fang Yuan panting during the match. Back then he easily beaten me in two or three strikes with an calm and composed manner. But his gasping already revealed his weakness. He is definitely not as strong as everyone else thinks. One day, I will defeat him fair and square.”

“Good, as expected of a good man from my Mo bloodline!” Mo Yan laughed, patting her brother’s head, showing concern on her face, “However, you suffered internal injuries, so please don’t practise your martial arts these few days.”

“Don’t touch my head sister, I am already old enough.” Mo Bei shrugged his head, using an unhappy tone, “I understand what you are saying, I have a plan. These few days, I’m going to nurture my aperture walls. To completely breakthrough from initial stage to middle stage and obtain the position of class chairman, and suppress Fang Yuan’s dominance. I’ll let him know that, what truly matters to a Gu Master’s cultivation is still talent!”

“I’m glad you can think this way. I was only a vice chairman last time. If you manage to become chairman, it will fulfill my regrets too.”

“Don’t worry sister. The position of chairman, I certainly must obtain it!”

At the same time, in the Chi family.

Inside the secret room, there was only one torch, attached to an opening in the limestone walls.

The flame burned on, illuminating this small room.

One of the two elders in power, Gu Yue Chi Lian, was sitting facing his grandson, Gu Yue Chi Cheng. The two sat on a praying mat with their shadows projected on the ground, wavering with the flickering of the flame.

Gu Yue Chi Lian stretched out his hand, using his palm to touch Chi Cheng’s abdomen area.

Gu Yue Chi Chen’s face was full of anxiety, his mind entering his aperture, suppressing the ripples in his primeval sea with all his concentration.

In this world, there are no two identical tree leaves. Similarly to Gu Masters, there is no identical primeval essence as well.

Once primeval essence from an external source enters the aperture, it will result in the natural resistance of the original primeval essence in the aperture.

If Gu Yue Chi Cheng does not suppress it, and instead allows the his primeval essence to resist, it will result in a clash between the essences. Such intensive reaction can cause great damage to the aperture.

The aperture’s primeval sea is the foundation and roots of a Gu Master’s cultivation, and is of utmost importance.

Once the aperture is damaged, at the very least one’s cultivation may lower, but if it is severe, their latent talent may be lowered as well. Once the aperture is completely shattered, the Gu Master would die immediately.

After a while, Gu Yue Chi Lian gradually stopped transmitting his primeval essence, slowly taking back his hand.

Gu Yue Chi Cheng took a deep breath of relief, his tense body relaxing. “Thank you Grandfather, for nurturing my aperture and transfusing primeval essence to me every three days. It has been hard on you!”

Gu Yue Chi Lian’s forehead was full of sweat, and he sighed and said, “This is inevitable. Your talent is only C grade, so if we rely on your ability alone to rise to middle stage, it’ll take a long time. The time will usually be twice of a B grade, and four times of an A grade. In such a situation, your talent will be exposed. Thus, even if this method is dangerous, we have to use it.”

“Grandson understands grandfather’s intentions.”

“As long as you understand.” The old man sighed, “This method also has another sequela. After your aperture has been nurtured by my silver primeval essence, although the silver primeval essence has a greater effect, it is still an external source of primeval essence to you. Henceforth, even if your aperture walls change from a light wall to a water wall, it would still be mixed with my energy. The more external energy there is, the more impure your aperture will be, and this will stifle your talent, limiting your development in the future.”

Gu Yue Chi Cheng bit his lips, “Grandfather, for the future of the Chi family, I am willing to sacrifice my future prospects!”

Gu Yue Chi Lian was pleased, stroking his beard. “It is good that you have such thoughts. But the heavens always leave a glimmer of hope for you, for you are not hopeless yet. If we can find the Cleansing Water Gu, it will be able to cleanse your aperture walls and flush out all the external energies in your aperture sea, removing this sequela.”

“In addition, I have also used my relationships to search for a Liquor worm for you. This worm is able to help a Rank one Gu Master refine their primeval essence and raise it by one small realm. In this way the primeval essence that is refined will be your body’s own primeval essence and not an external one. Using this way to nurture your aperture leaves no repercussions and risks, it is a much better nurturing effect!”

Gu Yue Chi Lian was overjoyed. “Thank you grandfather!”

“However, the Liquor worm is hard to find. Among the Rank one Gu worms, the Liquor worm, boar Gu, and Bookworm etc, are all extremely rare Gu. Once they appear in the market they would be snatched up immediately. Of course, there are also some Gu in this world that are rumored to change a Gu Master’s talent. But at this age, grandfather has never seen one, only hearing occasional rumors about them.” The old man explained.

The night winds blew in gently from the windows and into the room.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng sat on his bed with his eyes shut, holding a primeval stone in both hands.

The green copper primeval sea was raging without any winds, the waves crashing towards the white aperture walls.

He has A grade rank talent, and his primeval essence occupied 80% of the aperture. His natural rate of recovery was twice of Fang Yuan!

With such godblessed advantage, he is already close to Rank one middle stage.

Phew.

A while later, Gu Yue Fang Zheng puffed out a breath of air and opened his eyes.

The moon was bright and stars sparse outside the window, the bluish green bamboo houses arranged in a line.

A scene of peace and harmony.

“Time always flies when cultivating. In the blink of an eye, it is already late into the night,” Fang Zheng muttered softly. He slowly opened his hands, and two piles of rock powder fell onto the floor in front of his bed.

After a primeval stone’s essence had been fully retrieved, it would turn into a pile of powder.

Looking at the powder pile, Fang Zheng frowned.

He took out his money bag; it was already close to empty.

Opening it, he saw three primeval stones left inside.

Fang Zheng would retrieve three pieces every seven days from the academy as resources, but since Fang Yuan would snatch a piece from him, he only had two left every week.

Uncle and Aunt would also give him living expenses, but it was also three stones every seven days.

Just with these primeval stones, how is it enough?

Fang Zheng was determined to surpass his brother Fang Yuan, thus he took the initiative to approach his uncle and aunt multiple times to beg for some primeval stones.

After many times, his aunt would look for him to have a heart-to-heart chat, telling him about how poor the family was, and how they had cash flow difficulties, having no spare money left. Since then, Fang Zheng did not have the desire to continue asking.

“Father and mother are already doing all they can to support my cultivation. I cannot make things difficult for them and ask for more primeval stones. I only have three left. I can only be more thrifty. If I use one piece a day, I’ll have enough for three days.”

“I have a feeling that in three or four days, I will definitely advance to middle stage! The only thing is, what is big brother’s progress now?” Thinking so, Fang Zheng subconsciously looked towards to academy living quarters.

“I have A grade talent, while big brother only has C grade talent. His speed is definitely slower than me. Big brother is not my match this time! Big brother, I will let you know the true power of an A grade talent!”

Thinking of this, Fang Zheng clenched his fists.

……

Academy dormitory.

Fang Yuan’s door was shut tight.

In the darkness, he was not asleep, but sitting on his bed.

A Gu Master’s cultivation cannot replace sleep. Normally at this time, Fang Yuan would already have fallen asleep.

But in cultivating earlier today, he already felt that he was just one step away from middle stage.

“I might as well not sleep tonight, I’ll rush straight for middle stage!” His eyes shone with determination.

Soon after, he shut his eyes and his mind went into the aperture.

44% of green copper primeval sea. Just a moment ago, they were all refined into pale green coloured middle stage primeval essence by the liquor worm.

“Rise.” With a thought, the peaceful green copper primeval sea began to stir.

The commotion got larger and larger, until waves were formed.

Splash, splash, splash…

The tides raced against each other, rushing towards the surrounding aperture walls.

Like crashing on a reef, most of the primeval essence would break into emerald ripples and fuse back into the sea.

A small amount of primeval essence was expended, turning into a small hint of invisible energy, penetrating into the white coloured light aperture wall.

“Rise again,” Fang Yuan thought as the emerald ripples became larger in scale. The waves earlier were like rabbits and dogs, but now they were like troops of horses, marching towards the aperture walls.

A horse-like dragon, the waves like the heavens!

The primeval essence was expended quickly, and the water level fell sharply.

Splash, splash, splash…

The waves struck relentlessly, finally resulting in a change. The white coloured wall shook suddenly, the originally mild white colour radiating an eye-piercing brilliance.

Seeing this scene, Fang Yuan was overjoyed as he knew that the crucial part had arrived, and he quickly activated all of his primeval essence to rush at the walls.

The white light grew brighter, the light rays distorted and tangling together, giving people a feeling of thickness. After more than ten breaths, white strips of light bands appeared on the light wall, and the strips collided with each other like water flowing nonstop. In the process of collision, they continued to combine and merge, forming a white flowing light.

Finally, the flowing light gathered into one piece and completely covered the light wall.

The white light dimmed, and the original white light wall of the aperture was gone, replaced by a layer of spherical shaped white water wall. The light wall’s surface was smooth with no impurities. The water wall however, was thicker than the light wall, the ripples of light flowing and flickering on it.

The primeval sea regained its peace, the aperture still having 20% primeval essence left.

“I advanced to middle stage!” Fang Yuan laughed heartily, opening his eyes.

The bright sunlight creeped in through the openings in the curtains.

Unknowingly, the night had passed, and it was already morning.

Chapter 51: Let’s see how you are going to explain this

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Fang Yuan didn’t come to class today. Look guys, his seat is empty.”

“He’s so bold! Today’s lesson is taught by the academy elder, yet he dared to not show up.”

“This is bad, the elder’s expression is ugly, it seems that Fang Yuan is in trouble. Hehehe.”

In the academy, the youngsters discussed softly. A few glanced towards Fang Yuan’s empty seat, as well as the academy elder’s darkening expression. Ever since he started the extortion, Fang Yuan stood against everyone in the class. Seeing him in trouble, all the students were excited for what was to come.

The academy elder’s expression was stiff as he explained the crux of nurturing the aperture while secretly staring at Fang Yuan’s seat.

He laughed coldly in his heart, “Fang Yuan, oh Fang Yuan. I was still worried about not being able to catch your weak point yesterday, and here you give it to me today. You are after all a fifteen year old teenager, I have overestimated you.”

His ugly expression was mostly fake. His motive was to use this opportunity to find trouble with Fang Yuan and punish him, eliminating his increasing dominance in class. Undeniably, as time passed, Fang Yuan’s dominating presence was getting stronger, causing the other students to be barely catching their breaths.

A one-sided dominance was not what the academy elder wanted to see. He wanted to see the entire class shining.

“Men!” The academy elder raised a finger and knocked lightly on the table.

“Elder, your subjects are here.” The two guards standing outside at the door entered.

The academy elder snorted in public, “This Fang Yuan is getting out of hand, being so lazy and skipping classes right under my nose. Go to the hostel and bring him here for me.”

“Yes, elder.” The guards went on their way. Seeing the guards disappear outside the door, the academy burst into discussion noises.

Numerous students joined in the conversation.

“Fang Yuan is in deep shit now,” someone said with his eyes shining brightly.

“Hehe, we have a show to watch later.” Another laughed in pleasure towards Fang Yuan’s misery.

“Big brother, you are too arrogant. This is challenging the elder’s authority. No matter what punishment it is, you had it coming.” Gu Yue Fang Zheng looked at the empty seat, sighing internally.

Bam, bam, bam!

The academy elder with a strict expression, slammed the desk thrice, “Silence, no talking in class!”

His aura at this moment was like a volcano about to erupt, causing fear in others.

Immediately, the academy fell into pin-drop silence. The students fearfully shut up, quickly getting into position. Except, although their expression was so, their thoughts were already deep into this matter.

The class continued, the youngsters not concentrating at all.

A few students by the window looked out constantly.

As time passed, after a while, footsteps could be heard at the door. Instantly the students’ ears twitched, tens of eyes showing bright expressions.

“Arriving…” The academy elder heard the footsteps too and narrowed his eyes as a result.

He had already thought of how to deal with Fang Yuan. He’ll punish him to stand outside for three hours.

Although the punishment was not heavy, it was enough for him to be humiliated.

Throughout lessons, students entering and leaving would see Fang Yuan standing there.

This way, it would ruin Fang Yuan’s image of invincibility. When the students realize that Fang Yuan was nothing special, the impact he has on them would be greatly reduced. This would result in them gaining courage and stir their competitive spirit.

The great part was, since Fang Yuan’s punishment came from the academy, this would improve the academy’s reputation.

Only with reverence will they obey.

Thus, while the method is simple, it has deep intentions underneath.

The footsteps got closer, and finally someone stood outside the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Knocking sounds could be heard.

“Hehe, I will open it!” The student near the door volunteered and enthusiastically went to open the door.

The academy quietened down, numerous eyes staring at the door.

Crack.

The door was easily opened by the student, exposing a gap.

Sunlight infiltrated from the gap. The student opening the door suddenly froze, shuddering suddenly.

“AHH!!!” He was stunned for a second before suddenly screaming, subconsciously taking a large step backwards. His body knocked onto the desk and he instantly lost his balance, falling with the table onto the ground.

The boy’s face was pale, his expression horrified, limbs trembling and unable to exert strength. Lying on the floor, he frantically tried to get up, but fell back down again and again.

“What’s wrong?!” In a moment everyone was astonished, all of them frowning deeply.

Numerous gazes curiously looked towards the door.

The door was slowly pushed opened by the person outside.

The academy elder stopped his lecture out of reflex.

What everyone saw first, was a hand on the door.

A teenager’s left hand.

A left hand with dripping blood.

A bloody hand!

Seeing this bloody hand, many of the female students covered their mouths and screamed in terror.

The door slowly opened fully.

The brightness of the sunlight pricked everyone’s eyes, causing them to squint. With the bright sunlight as his background, a dark shadow attached to a thin teenager appeared before everyone.

He didn’t know why, but the academy elder felt a strong feeling of unease in his heart.

“It’s Fang Yuan!” Someone screamed out loudly.

Everyone who had gotten used to the sunlight could clearly see who the person was.

What met their eyes was Fang Yuan, bathed in blood, standing outside the door as if he had gone through an intense battle.

His left hand slowly retracted, his right hand grabbing onto some hair, dragging along a person. The person’s left arm was entirely detached from the base. He was lying there motionless, evidently unconscious. Blood on his left shoulder gushed out.

“It’s one of the guards who went to look for Fang Yuan!” Someone recognised the person’s identity.

“What exactly happened?” Someone was going berserk.

“He murdered again, this time he killed the guards!” Someone pointed at Fang Yuan, screaming in horror, getting louder and louder, as if it would purge the terror and fear in his heart.

At once, the academy was rowdy.

Many students forgot the rules at this time, and stood up from their seats. They looked towards Fang Yuan with fear, shock, and nervous expressions.

In their imaginations, Fang Yuan would be dragged here by the guards left and right.

But the truth was —— Fang Yuan bathed in blood, his expression cool like a devil approaching. The two guards, one missing while the other lying motionless, blood oozing from his body quickly forming a puddle.

A thick scent of blood permeated the academy.

The academy elder was stunned, he did not anticipate such a scene!

After his shock, came intense rage.

The two guards were merely external martial artists. So what if they died? The academy elder did not really care.

But the crucial point was their identity. They were the academy’s guards, representing the academy’s prestige. Representing the academy elder’s face.

This Fang Yuan was simply too bold. Not only did he kill Gao Wan, now he even went and murdered the academy’s guards!

No, this isn’t just being bold. He was practically provoking, challenging the clan academy’s prestige.

The academy elder flew into a rage, pointing at Fang Yuan, screaming, “Fang Yuan! What is this? You have to give me an explanation, a good reason to spare you. If not, with the crime of murdering the guards, you will be thrown in jail, awaiting the clan verdict!”

The students all shuddered.

Even the windows trembled, the entire academy reverbing with the academy elder’s screams.

Only Fang Yuan was calm-looking, his eyes dyed a deep miasma, behaving like usual, unable to see any change in his emotions.

After looking around, Fang Yuan let go of his right arm, and with a plop, the guard’s head fell into the puddle of blood, splashing onto Fang Yuan’s pants.

He cupped his fists towards the academy elder, his calm voice echoing throughout the silent academy, “Academy Elder, I truly have something to report.”

“Speak.” The academy elder spoke with both arms behind his back, arching his head as he looked at Fang Yuan, his expression ice cold.

Laughing coldly in his heart, he thought, “Fang Yuan, you’re making more and more mistakes, increasing the severity. I’ll see how you’re going to explain yourself!”

Chapter 52: You have no choice but to accept my explanation

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Inside the academy, everyone’s attention was on Fang Yuan.

Their expressions showed shock, fear, mockery and callousness.

Fang Yuan paid no attention to these people. He looked at the academy elder with a stern expression, with his finger pointing towards the fainted guard.

“Reporting to elder, these two guards had impure motives, devious intentions! They broke into my room when I was at the crucial moment of breaking through into the middle stage. As everyone knows, a Gu Master cultivating cannot be interrupted. Especially so when one is trying to break through into higher realms. A moment of distraction would not only cause the breakthrough to fail, but their aperture would also get damaged. Thankfully my luck was good, because at the moment where they barged in, I had already stepped into the middle stage.”

“However!” Before the masses had reacted, Fang Yuan continued, “These two did not admit their mistakes earlier. To my surprise, they boasted shamelessly about wanting to get rough with me, even scolding our clan’s ancestors, lying that the act of disturbing my cultivation was the esteemed elder’s decision. Your student did not believe so, and resisted furiously. These two had strong martial arts, and I had to fight for life before finally defeating these two people.”

“But seeing as they were the academy guards, your student did not kill them immediately. I merely cut off one of his arms, and the leg of the other person. Although there was quite some blood loss, they are still alive. That is my report for this matter, please uphold justice for me, esteemed elder!” Having said so, he cupped his fists towards the academy elder.

His tone was urgent, saying a ton of information, and leaving no room for others to interrupt.

After he had finished, the surrounding people slowly started to react.

“What did Fang Yuan say earlier, I did not catch it.”

“I think he said he advanced to the middle stage!”

“How is that possible, he is just a C grade trash, to think that he actually advanced to the middle stage first.”

“He definitely lied, he is afraid of the academy’s punishment, thus he lied!”

The students discussed loudly.

When compared to Fang Yuan’s advancement to the middle stage, the two guards’ lives no longer mattered.

They were not Gu Yue clan members, who cares if they’re dead or alive?

“You said you advanced to Rank one middle stage?” The academy elder’s voice was ice cold, his expression unforgiving. “Fang Yuan, this is not a laughing matter. If you admit your wrongdoing now, I can still take into account that this is your first mistake and deal with you leniently. If you want to continue lying and attempting to cover up your mistakes, then I can tell you now, lies are easily seen through.”

Fang Yuan did not explain himself further, he laughed lightly and said to the academy elder, “Please inspect, elder.”

Even without his words, the academy elder had already moved forward.

He placed his hand on Fang Yuan’s abdomen, placing a trace of his spirit into it. Immediately he saw the inside of Fang Yuan’s aperture.

Within the aperture, there was no Gu.

The Spring Autumn Cicada had already hidden itself. A Rank six Gu is way superior than a Rank three academy elder, so if it wanted to hide, it would not be found easily.

As for the Liquor worm, Fang Yuan had placed it into the dormitory’s wine reserves, and did not bring it along.

The academy elder with his eyes shut, could see a green copper primeval sea, calm as still water.

Drops of primeval essence inside were all emerald green colours of middle stage primeval essence.

Seeing the aperture walls, the white coloured aperture walls were glowing with reflected light as if they were all made of water. Gushes of water flow rapidly moved along the wall.

Water wall!

“He really advanced to the middle stage, how is this possible?!” The academy elder shouted in his heart, a sign of shock under his calm expression. But he tried to hide it to the best of his ability, his face still expressionless.

A moment later, after he had digested this fact, he drew back his hand, speaking in a solemn voice, “It is indeed middle stage.”

The students had been holding their breaths, awaiting the results.

The academy elder’s verdict caused a huge commotion in the academy.

The students were full of bewilderment and shock, each of their faces showing immense disbelief.

Fang Yuan was only a C grade, but yet he was the first to breakthrough into the middle stage, this was against common sense!

For a Gu Master’s cultivation and breaking through realms, the most important aspect should be talent. How is this possible, a C grade was the first to advance? How would this make those A grade, B grades feel!

“This!” Gu Yue Fang Zheng’s face was pale. He was still confident last night, but now that reality sat in front of him, he was unable to accept such a fact and fell to the ground.

Gu Yue Mo Bei clenched his fists, and Gu Yue Chi Chen hatefully gritted his teeth.

The academy elder could not be easily fooled, so how did Fang Yuan manage to do it?

At once, all the youngsters stared at Fang Yuan, having one question in their hearts —— with that C grade talent, how did he advance?

The academy elder’s heart was similarly full of doubt.

Under such great empuzzlement, he ignored the idea of suppressing Fang Yuan and asked directly, “Fang Yuan, I hope you can explain this, how did you manage to advance to middle stage.”

Fang Yuan laughed silently, “Heaven rewards the hard-working, and as a result of student’s persistent training, I managed to advance smoothly.”

“Lies!”

“Tsk, if heaven rewarded the hard-working, I’d be first long ago!”

“Diligently studying and training? Some time ago, I still saw him strolling around the shop district.”

The students were evidently not satisfied with such an answer.

“Is that so?” The academy elder replied neutrally, his gaze staring at Fang Yuan, emitting pressure.

Fang Yuan’s expression was candid, making eye contact with the elder without fear.

His body was bathed in blood, his linen shirt messy, as if he had gone through an intense battle.

A pair of black abyss-like eyes, showing a kind of peacefulness, indifference, and even hiding a hint of amusement.

Seeing such a gaze, the academy elder’s heart wavered.

“This Fang Yuan, he is not afraid, not fearful, not threatened, and not shocked, how can he be interrogated by me right here? With his C grade talent, being the first to advance to middle stage, there has to be a secret. But since he does not want to say it, as the academy elder, I cannot forcefully interrogate him. It seems I can only investigate this privately.”

Thinking of this, the academy elder retracted his gaze and his cold expression became milder.

Fang Yuan however did not let the matter go, “Your student is frightened, esteemed elder. How are you going to deal with these two guards? They have lost a lot of blood, if they are not treated soon, they might die.”

“Frightened? You?” The academy elder retorted in his mind. His brows frowned deeply.

At this point, as the person in charge of the academy, he had to step forward and settle this.

“But how should I resolve this?” The academy elder could not help but feel troubled.

He silently began to think.

Fang Yuan took all of the academy elder’s change in expressions into consideration. He laughed internally; the academy elder must be really troubled now.

These two guards, they were merely outsiders, their lives cheap as grass. In normal times, no one would care if they died.

But now the situation was different, they were sent out by the academy elder. If they really died, the academy elder would lose his reputation!

Thus, the guards could not die, the academy elder is going to save them.

The part that truly troubles the academy elder is Fang Yuan’s verdict.

In his original plan, Fang Yuan first played truant, and then killed the guards. This could be said to be defying his teachers, being arrogant and self-centered. According to the clan rules, he’d be thrown into the clan jail, reflecting upon his mistakes inside.

But when adding in the matter of Fang Yuan’s advancement to middle stage, these wrongdoings became very different.

Fang Yuan played truant and killed the guards because he was cultivating. This was reasonable.

The crucial part was, he was successful in advancing to the middle stage, and became the first in this class. This allowed him to be on the side of reason.

Just what did Fang Yuan rely on to advance to middle stage, this secret would be discussed later.

Winners win all, losers lose all, the world only cares about result. No one would reprimand such an outstanding junior.

The academy elder could not execute any punishments on him.

What is the academy for? It is to nurture outstanding Gu Masters, and inject fresh blood into the clan.

Now that we have such an aspiring young man, you as the academy elder still wants to find trouble with him? That would be neglecting your role!

Just like a student who got good results, as a teacher he should be encouraging and praising him, instead of punishing and criticizing. A teacher who punishes and scolds a student for his good results is not one that would ever be recognised.

Perhaps the other elders would secretly cause problems for Fang Yuan because they fear Fang Yuan’s future prospects, or because of grudges and past grievances. But him alone, the esteemed academy elder, cannot do such a thing!

Because he is in charge of the academy, he has to be impartial, at least on the surface.

These are the rules!

“Do I just let him go like this? It was not easy finding a weakness of his.” The academy elder was indignant. He knew in his heart that all the youngsters in the academy were merely spectators of this matter.

They can only look at the matter as entertainment, but are unable to see the crucial point in this, they are unable to experience the excitement in this battle!

The truth is, this is the one time where he as the academy elder, was battling against Fang Yuan the student.

First he grabbed hold of the rules, and was bent on punishing Fang Yuan, removing his strong image in front of the other students.

Next, Fang Yuan retaliated! His actions may seem rash, but it hit the matter on the point, and with the excuse of advancing to the middle stage, he got back his argument.

As for those two unlucky guards, they were merely sacrificial pawns who were implicated by the two’s battle of wits.

“This Fang Yuan, he is too cunning! If he had really killed the two guards, I can still retaliate against him with this reason. Although his talent is lackluster, with such a meticulous and experienced method, it is hard to believe that he is just a fifteen year old. The worst part is, I cannot retaliate. No wonder back in those days, the clan had rumors about his early awakened intelligence!” The academy elder suddenly realised, he had lost.

His loss was due to his status, he was the elder in charge of the academy.

This was both his strength and weakness.

One’s strength is also one’s weakness.

Fang Yuan had understood this logic long ago!

The academy elder was both helpless and frustrated.

He had asked Fang Yuan to explain, and in actuality Fang Yuan’s explanation was full of loopholes and easily exposable.

These guards were chosen by the academy elder himself, they would not be so rash and retarded to scold the Gu Yue ancestors.

Fang Yuan’s words were on purpose, it was blatant accusation, framing and laying a trap in front of the other party!

The academy elder was clear of this, but he knew that he could not pursue the matter.

This was a trap.

Once he looked into it, the truth would be revealed, and how would he handle this matter?

If he did not punish Fang Yuan, the two guards would be pitifully framed, and as the academy elder, if he does not handle things impartially, how can anyone trust him?

If he punished Fang Yuan, that would be suppressing and displaying jealousy of the talented! To suppress a junior of the clan for two servants who were not part of the clan, this matter would trigger the unhappiness of the clansmen.

Thus, the best way to resolve this was to pretend to not see anything, and treat these two guards as discarded pieces. Admitting that they had performed a huge mistake, as well as praising Fang Yuan.

This way, the clansmen would be satisfied, and the deceived guards, without additional information, would think of this as being impartial.

If he handled the matter like this, it would give the academy elder the largest benefit.

Logic told the academy elder that this is the way to handle it. But emotionally, he could not take it lying down.

This Fang Yuan was too devious!

The academy elder not only failed to suppress Fang Yuan, but he himself became the stepping stone for Fang Yuan, getting humiliated in public!

Fang Yuan did not show the slightest respect for him and dared to oppose him like this in public, causing this esteemed academy elder to suffer such humiliation and frustration.

The point was, in future if these two guards felt indignant and wanted to reveal the truth, as the academy elder, if he wanted to maintain his image and position, he would have to be the first to step up and suppress them.

But this was all caused by Fang Yuan!

What sort of feeling is this?

For example, it would be like Fang Yuan pooping on the academy elder’s face, but the elder himself still has to praise him and at the same time, clean his butt for him. If anyone wanted to point out that there was poop on his face, he has to be the first to shut that person up.

This feeling of grievance, it was almost unbearable for the academy elder.

There was a growing urge in his heart to give Fang Yuan a few tight slaps!

But finally, the academy elder stretched out his arm and patted Fang Yuan’s shoulder.

“Good lad.” The academy elder’s face was dim like stillwater, forcing the words out of his mouth.

“It is all thanks to the academy’s nurturing,” Fang Yuan replied plainly.

The corner of the academy elder’s eye twitched.

Chapter 53: Fang Yuan, you are appointed as class chairman

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Everything was going according to Fang Yuan’s calculations.

Thereafter, the academy elder ordered the healing Gu Master to save the two guards.

The guards were saved, but they had suffered heavy injuries and were almost crippled, ending up getting fired from the academy by the elder.

Fang Yuan did not receive any punishments, on the contrary he received compliments thoroughly.

This result caused much fear in the other youngsters.

But this issue was far from over. As time flowed, the commotion spread to the rest of the clan.

Fang Yuan being the first to advance to the middle stage with his C grade talent became the after-meal gossip of the entire clan.

After meals and tea breaks, everyone was discussing this matter.

Subsequent to the initial peculiarity, everyone started to guess the secret behind Fang Yuan’s quick advancement.

“Actually, with a C grade talent, surpassing A grade and B grade to advance first into middle stage is not something that strange.”

“True, there are many methods in this world that can achieve such a thing.”

“Take the Relic Gu for example. Once this Gu is used, the aperture walls would be enhanced and it will assist the cultivation to rise by a small realm, being the easiest method of breaking through.”

…

At once, the crowd’s discussion evolved into all sorts of possible answers and methods.

As for theories about Liquor worms and external sources of primeval essence, these ideas were also naturally brought up by by many people.

If Fang Yuan revealed the existence of the Liquor worm at the start, there would not have been such a commotion. But because he hid it, this resulted in the curiosity of many people being raised.

Although it appeared peaceful, Gu Yue village had an undercurrent brewing.

Numerous eyes were watching the academy elder, all waiting for his explanation.

As the academy elder, if he did not know how a student that he had taught himself had advanced, that would be negligence of his role.

Thus, the academy elder had to give an explanation.

Days passed by.

The second youngster to breakthrough the initial stage and advance to middle stage appeared.

It was Gu Yue Mo Bei.

Soon after, with just a three hour difference, Gu Yue Fang Zheng advanced too.

He was after all, dragged down by the lack of primeval stones. Of course, there was also the reason of him being traumatised by Fang Yuan.

The third was Gu Yue Chi Chen.

Even if he had Gu Yue Chi Lian’s infused primeval essence, the method’s effectiveness was not very high and could only be performed once every three days, adding to the fact that it was very risky. But with his C grade talent, getting third position was already a success.

On the fifth day, the academy elder once again handed out subsidies.

“Gu Yue Fang Yuan.” He stood at the front, calling out Fang Yuan’s name first.

Fang Yuan stood up and walked towards him with a plain expression.

The youngsters’ attention was on him as he moved, revealing all sorts of envy, jealousy, inspection, and hatred, not one was the same.

“Today, the elder is not only handing out resources, he is also appointing the chairman and vice chairman positions!”

“As expected, the first to be called up was Fang Yuan.”

“He is the first to advance, the title of chairman belongs to him.”

“It is hard to imagine that this would be the result. Before this, I thought it would be Fang Zheng who would come first.”

“He was the first to advance to middle stage, it is so peculiar, there has to be a huge secret, but he refuses to tell us!”

“Hehe, if it was me I wouldn’t tell anyone either. Keep quiet and prosper.”

As the students conversed, Fang Yuan arrived in front of the academy elder.

“Gu Yue Fang Yuan, you are the first Gu Master to reach Rank one middle stage in this class, so this is your reward.” Saying so, he handed him a white and blue money bag.

Fang Yuan received the money bag and opened it in public, peeking inside.

“Be rest assured, there’s a total of thirty primeval stones inside, the academy would not shortchange you.” The academy elder smiled.

Frankly speaking, he would never have expected that the first youngster to advance to middle stage would be Fang Yuan.

However, Fang Yuan did not listen to the academy elder. He rarely trusted others, and only believed in himself. He checked carefully and found that it was indeed thirty primeval stones, not one less. He then placed the money bag into his bosom pocket.

The academy elder upon seeing this action, thought that his finances were tight, and could not help but smile even more brightly.

“I guessed so, he is after all a C grade talent. Rushing to the middle stage, his primeval stone expenditure had to be huge. He has no funding from anyone as well, thus he has to be tight on primeval stones. As long as he has a need for primeval stones, we’ll not be afraid of him leaving the control of the clan. Once he enters the clan’s system, he would not be able to keep that secret, so even if we can’t investigate it, one day, he will tell us.” Towards this, the academy elder was full of confidence.

The truth is, after that day, he had sent people to investigate Fang Yuan in secret. Almost everyday there would be progress in the search.

But evidently, those people had not found out that Fang Yuan has a few hundred primeval stones in his possession, and was actually rather rich.

The academy elder continued and said, “Fang Yuan, you are the first to step into Rank one middle stage, and according to the academy rules, you not only will receive thirty primeval stones as reward, but you will also gain priority in choosing your second Gu soon after. Right now, I shall appoint you as class chairman!”

“Fang Yuan was appointed as chairman after all!” Upon hearing this, a few students sighed.

“Damn it.” Gu Yue Mo Bei gritted his teeth, feeling indignant.

“Hmph!” Gu Yue Chi Chen crossed his limbs, staring at the scene coldly.

The one that was affected the most was Fang Yuan’s brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng.

His face was pale, and his expression looked uncertain, a dark cloud looming over his head. “Ordinary students, upon seeing the chairman and vice chairmen, have to bow and pay respects. With my results, I will definitely be a vice chairman. But from now on when I see big brother, I’ll have to pay my respects to him.”

“Hold on.”

But at this moment, Fang Yuan spoke.

He smiled faintly to the academy elder and said slowly, “Esteemed elder, your student here is not gifted and does not have high wisdom, hence being unable to properly take on the role of chairman. This role, should be given to talented people.”

“What? You mean you do not want to be chairman? As the chairman, you’ll get ten primeval stones every time. Are you sure you want to reject it?” The academy elder frowned deeply as he spoke. For the last tens of years of teaching, he had not seen anyone reject this position!

Actually he had already given much thought about this matter, and letting Fang Yuan be class chairman had its merits.

Once he was the chairman, he would be inside the clan system. Fang Yuan will have to carry out his duties at the same time while enjoying his treatment.

No matter what the chairman’s role was, the least he had to do was to stop extorting his classmates.

This was definitely not something a class chairman can do.

This is like before, even though the academy elder was humiliated by Fang Yuan, he still had to praise him for his excellent cultivation results.

As someone bound by the system, he would not be able to do as he pleases when handling matters, and many times he’d be left with no choice.

Of course, this was not because the academy elder was displeased with Fang Yuan extorting so many primeval stones every time.

He was thinking for the entire board of students. Once Fang Yuan becomes chairman and stops extorting, this would allow the other teenagers to have a breather under Fang Yuan’s pressure.

Next, with some push of a hand, it would result in a multiway competition among the families. As long as he can nurture the clan’s hopeful seeds – Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Chen, what is the cost of sacrificing a small role of a chairman?

And yet, although he had a good plan, the truth was very different from what he expected.

Fang Yuan rejected it!

He actually rejected it!!

Although this position is small, it is the first representation of honor among these hot-blooded youngsters.

Besides honor, as the chairman, they get ten primeval stones as resources each time!

This temptation, no youngster has ever resisted it before.

But Fang Yuan actually rejected.

Fang Yuan looked at the stunned elder, and asked him back, “Did the academy rules state that the first has to be chairman? The position of chairman, is it irrefusable?”

The academy elder replied with a cold expression, “Of course there are no such heartless rules.”

Fang Yuan laughed, “Thank you elder for your understanding.”

Saying so, he cupped his fists and walked back to his seat.

The students who saw this scene with their own eyes all flew into a commotion.

At once, the academy was lively!

“Fang Yuan actually rejected it? Are you kidding me?!”

“Is he sick in the head?”

“Not sure why he’s acting crazy, but hehe, he’s gonna regret this later.”

…

“Fang Yuan gave up on being chairman, this means I am the chairman?!” Happiness came too quickly, and the second place Mo Bei could not react in time.

Chi Chen showed a look of disbelief, he was unable to comprehend that someone actually gave up the spot of chairman, he has to be beyond stupid!

“Big brother…” Fang Zheng stared with huge eyes as he looked at Fang Yuan disappointedly.

According to his results, Fang Zheng was assured to be vice chairman.

But when Fang Yuan gave up the position, Fang Zheng felt that this position no longer had any meaning.

The academy elder’s face was dark this time, really really dark.

The last time when Fang Yuan skipped class, although he looked angry, it was just an act for the others to see.

But this time, he was in a bad mood, worse than before.

Fang Yuan gave up the position of chairman. This means he is rejecting the clan system. The elder had governed the academy for tens of years, but this was the first time he saw such a student, rejecting this huge temptation!

He wanted to invite Fang Yuan into the trap, but since he wouldn’t enter, the academy elder was helpless.

…

The giving out of subsidies ended.

Mo Bei claimed the position of chairman with his result of being second. Fang Zheng and Chi Chen each became vice chairman.

The class chairman was given ten primeval stones. The vice chairmen got five.

A few students who were not from well-to-do families were so envious that they almost drooled when seeing the three students’ primeval stones.

Chapter 54: But I am the class chairman!

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The wheel of red fire, the sun slowly sank down on the west side of the mountain range.

Its light was not eye-piercing, but it was a sort of bright and gentle ray.

The west sky was dyed a shade of blushful red, the sunset glow continuously spreading out. It was just like an imperial concubine who had just been rewarded, happily crowding around the emperor, wanting to sleep together with him. (1)

Qing Mao Mountain was engulfed entirely in a sea of rose red colour. Each of the tall-pillared buildings and houses were also draped over with a layer of golden yarn.

The surrounding forest planted around the academy seemed like it was wiped with a faint stratum of oil. The wind blew slowly, and as the students walked out of the classroom with their bosoms carrying the primeval stones that were just passed out, they were in a relaxed and calm state of mind.

“I really don’t know what Fang Yuan is thinking, to actually give up on the role of class chairman!”

“Heh heh heh, his brain is fried. I bet he thinks of killing people all day, let’s not concern ourselves with this kind of crazy guy.”

“Come to think of it, that day when he burst into the academy I was really freaked out. It was just so terrifying, I had a nightmare on the day itself after I went home.”

The students were in groups of twos and threes as they walked.

“Good day class chairman.”

“Mmm.”

“Greetings class chairman.”

“Mhmm.”

Gu Yue Mo Bei swaggered around as he walked, and wherever he went the students would bow and greet him without exception.

His face was unable to stifle the expressions of excitement and infatuation.

This was the fascination of authority itself.

Even if it was just a tiny bit of difference in status, it could also make a person even more confident in his own self worth.

Right now as the dying sun looked as red as blood, Mo Bei watched it while his heart sang, “How is it that I have never realised before, this sunset’s rosiness sure is adorable…”

“Hmph, going head over heels just because of becoming a chairman, as if it’s so amazing.” Gu Yue Chi Cheng purposely walked behind, since he just didn’t want to greet Gu Yue Mo Bei at all.

“I really have no idea what Fang Yuan is thinking about, to think he actually let go of the position of chairman. However it’s also a good thing, or else me as the third, how could I have been able to obtain the role of vice chairman?” Gu Yue Chi Cheng was confused in his heart, but he also felt happiness and relief.

“Good day vice chairman.” At this moment a normal student walked past him and immediately bowed to greet him.

“Heh heh, good day to you too.” Gu Yue Chi Cheng instantly nodded, his face full of smiles.

Once the student was gone, Chi Cheng naturally thought, “The taste of vice chairman is rather pleasant. I’m sure the feeling of being the class chairman is even better. If only I was not the vice chairman, but the chairman himself, how good that would be!”

The Chi Cheng who had just been rejoicing earlier was now already filled with insatiable greed, starting to amass expectations for the role of class chairman.

Under the system of the clan, each rank that was higher than the last was just like a carrot getting bigger than the previous one, deeply enticing him.

“Although I am only a C grade talent, but I believe that everything will get better and better.” Gu Yue Chi Cheng was full of hope for his future.

However right now, the other vice chairman Gu Yue Fang Zheng was feeling very much terrible in his heart, his face expression also quite unsightly.

“Big brother, you!” He looked wide-eyed with disbelief at the academy’s gate entrance, where a lone figure stood.

“Old rules as usual, every person one piece of primeval stone.” Fang Yuan stood while hugging his arms, his tone dull.

Fang Zheng’s mouth opened and closed a few times, then after some moments of effort he finally said, “Big brother, but I am the vice chairman now!”

“That’s true.” Fang Yuan was expressionless as he nodded, giving Fang Zheng an indifferent look, “The vice chairman receives an allowance of five pieces each time. So you should give up three pieces instead.”

Fang Zheng was flabbergasted, and for a moment he was unable to say a word.

A group of teenagers were crowding around Gu Yue Mo Bei as they walked over.

When they saw Fang Yuan blocking the school gate entrance, Gu Yue Mo Bei flew into a rage, his finger pointing towards Fang Yuan. “Fang Yuan! You sure have the guts to actually still dare hold us back?! Right now I am the chairman, and as a normal student when you see me, you should first bow and greet me!”

What answered him next was Fang Yuan’s fist.

Gu Yue Mo Bei was caught unexpected. After being hit by the fist, he could not refrain from retreating a few big steps backwards, his face full of disbelief. “You hit me, you actually dared to hit me? I am but the chairman!”

What answered him again was still Fang Yuan’s fists.

Bang, bang, bang.

After a few rounds of exchanging offensive and defensive blows, Gu Yue Mo Bei was knocked down to the floor by Fang Yuan, and he fell unconscious.

The surrounding youths were all wide-eyed as they watched, all of them unsure of how to react for a moment.

This was totally different from their imaginations!

The guards at the gate entrance had also been watching everything that happened under their eyelids. They could not help but whisper among themselves.

“Fang Yuan just knocked down the new class chairman, what do we do?”

“Salad dressing!” (2)

“What do you mean?”

“It means just watch them, then call some other guys and tidy up the place.”

“But…”

“Hey hey, you want to provoke a person like Fang Yuan? I hope you remember what happened to Wang Da and Wu Er!”

The questioning guard immediately quivered and stopped saying anymore.

The two guards at the huge gate entrance stood perfectly straight and upright. To let an incident happen right beside them, it was as if they were deaf and blind, unable to hear or see anything.

After Fang Yuan sorted out Gu Yue Mo Bei, he also dealt with Fang Zheng and Chi Cheng.

It was then that the other teenagers realised that nothing had changed. Fang Yuan was still the same old Fang Yuan, and the extortion would still continue as always.

“Each of you hand over one piece of primeval stone, vice chairmen three pieces, class chairman eight pieces.” Fang Yuan announced the new rules.

The youths could only sigh and obediently fish out their primeval stones.

When they walked out of the school gates, suddenly someone slapped his head and exclaimed loudly, “I’ve thought of it, no wonder Fang Yuan did not want the position of class chairman. He wanted to continue extorting us!”

“That’s right. Everytime he does it he would get about fifty-nine piece of primeval stones, and right now it’s gone up to about sixty-eight pieces. If he was the class chairman, he’d only get ten pieces.” Quite a few of them were enlightened.

“He’s too treacherous, too cunning, too savage!” Some of them were slapping their thighs, full of hatred and resentment.

“Sigh, this way it means that there’s nothing extraordinary about the position of class and vice chairman. They’ll also be extorted and be left with two pieces, just like the rest of us.”

It was unknown who just spoke, but when the youngsters heard it, they all could not help but turn silent.

Bang!

The academy elder slapped the table fiercely, feeling extremely furious.

“This Fang Yuan is just too absurd, what is he trying to do? To go as far as to continue extorting, taking eight pieces from the class chairman and three pieces from the vice chairman. With this, what is the difference of being a class and vice chairman in comparison with the other normal students?!” The academy elder tried his best to suppress his voice, but his tone was filled with fury.

When Fang Yuan rejected the position of class chairman, it meant rejecting his own integration into the clan’s system. In strict terms, this was a sort of betrayal towards the clan itself. This was enough to make the academy elder very angry.

Immediately after that Fang Yuan had gone to extort his fellow classmates. His handreach was getting further, and this had already gone beyond the academy elder’s bottom line. After the extortion this time, the influence of class chairman and vice chairman would be completely weakened.

Over time, the normal students would lose their respect and interest for these two positions.

While Fang Yuan’s actions this time seemed small, the meaning behind it was rather heavy.

It was pretty much using oneself’s own strength to challenge the clan’s system!

This was something the academy elder totally did not wish to see. He was raising the clan’s fresh new hopes, not the clan’s traitors. Yet despite knowing Fang Yuan had gone and challenge his baseline, he knew that he was unable to do anything to handle the matter.

If he really did, the first one who would not let him go would be the clan head. The second and third person to have opinions against him would be Gu Yue Chi Lian and Gu Yue Mo Chen.

The clan head put in all his hopes onto Gu Yue Fang Zheng, for Fang Zheng was the only A grade talent in three years. The clan leader needed a tenacious and independant genius, not a fragile and delicate flower who was cared for.

At the same time for Chi Lian and Mo Chen, they also had placed their hopes onto their own respective grandsons, hoping that their grandchildren would grow in the midst of setbacks and frustrations.

If the academy elder acted and replaced the students in punishing Fang yuan, once word got out then there would be the sayings of “Mo and Chi family’s future successors could not beat Fang Yuan and could only let the elders help them out.”

How unpleasant that would be.

This would inevitably be a huge blow towards the fame and honor of the Mo and Chi family.

Of course the academy elder was not afraid of a small little Fang Yuan, but he was instead worried that his intervention would attract pressure from the three sides – the clan head, Mo and Chi bloodline. They pretty much made up of almost the entire Gu Yue high authorities. As a lowly elder, how could he possibly endure?

“The root of this matter still goes back to Fang Yuan’s secret. What in the world did he rely on to break through to the middle stage?” The academy elder restrained the fire in his heart and shot his gaze at the three investigation reports on his table.

The first report showed extensive info about Fang Yuan’s family background.

Fang Yuan was born into a good family; there was nothing strange about his identity and his life experience was perfectly clean and spotless. Both his parents had passed away and he was taken in by his uncle and aunt. However they did not get along, and ever since he attended the academy Fang Yuan had always stayed in the academy hostel.

The second report was about Fang Yuan’s life records.

He had showed early intelligence during junior age, and was seen optimistically by the clansmen, predicted to be a possible A grade talent. Yet after the Awakening Ceremony, he was tested to be a C grade, greatly disappointing the clan.

The third report was on Fang Yuan’s recent trail.

His everyday life patterns were very simple, and he had a rigid schedule. During the day he would always be attending lessons in the academy, and in the night he would always sleep in the dormitories. He was extremely hardworking in his cultivation, and would always enter a Gu Master’s cultivation every night, nurturing his aperture. There were times he would go out to the village’s only inn to have better meals and buy wine to drink.

He had a special affection towards wine, and loved to drink the green bamboo wine. Under his hostel bed, he kept tens of pots of green bamboo wine.

The academy elder looked carefully again at the three reports, his heart forming a deeper impression of Fang Yuan again.

“Both his parents died early, and he was unable to get along with his uncle and aunt… No wonder this brat Fang Yuan does not have a sense of belonging towards the clan. He was personally crowned as a genius among all by the clansmen, yet they also personally plucked him out of the sky and threw him down to the earth… No wonder he is so wild and unruly, and so peculiarly cold and detached. His life is so simple and he is assiduous towards cultivation. This is him holding back his breath, unwilling to concede, he wants to prove his ability to the clan! Thus that is why when I suppressed him, he retaliated so fiercely…”

Once the academy elder carefully thought until this point, he could not help but heave a sigh.

The more he learnt about Fang Yuan, the more he understood Fang Yuan.

Of course, understanding does not mean forgiving. Fang Yuan went against him, offending his dignity, rejecting to be class chairman, and even extorting his classmates. These were things he could not tolerate.

Shaking the information in his hands, the academy elder frowned again. “Although these reports are detailed, they have nothing to do with Fang Yuan’s advancement secret. It has already been a few days, these people are atrocious!”

Boom, boom, boom.

At this time, knocking sounds were heard on the door.

“Come inside,” the academy elder said.

The door opened.

It was the clan head, Gu Yue Bo’s personal guard. “The clan leader has orders, esteemed elder, please hurry to the main family pavilion, there is a matter to discuss.”

“Oh, what’s the matter?” The academy elder stood up from his seat, he had felt the severity of the issue from the guard’s tone and expression.

“The Rank four Gu Master Sir Jia Fu has come back, his brother Jia Jin Sheng has gone missing!” The guard answered.

“Hiss…” The academy elder instantly drew a mouthful of cold air.

—

(1) This analogy is unique to the author. I translated as closely as possible, yeah… Something about how basically two colors in the sky blend together like an emperor ‘sleeping’ with his concubine.

(2) Salad dressing is a chinese wordplay that is very hard to contextualise. (怎么办 Zen Me Ban and 凉拌 Liang Ban, are homophones with the character ‘Ban’ so it is a phrase commonly used when people don’t know how to reply to the “How?” question.)

Chapter 55: Exactly the words I wanted to hear!

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The moon, round like a wheel, was faintly discernable among the floating clouds.

The academy elder hurriedly walked on the road, his face barely visible under the flickering moonlight.

It was hard to survive in this world, and Gu Masters going missing was a common thing. With his extensive life experience, the academy elder knew that under normal circumstances, these sort of sudden disappearances often spelled death.

Anyone can die, but Jia Jin Sheng cannot! Especially not dying in the Gu Yue Village.

His identity was special, his father being the Jia family head, his brother being the Rank four Gu Master Jia Fu.

A Rank four Gu Master has yellow gold primeval essence, and they have absurd fighting power. Within the Gu Yue clan, only the clan leader is Rank four and can match up to him, while the other clan elders were all Rank three.

The Jia family head was at an even higher cultivation level. He was a Rank five, and under his lead the Jia family rose to prosperity, becoming a large sized clan and possessing the resources of an entire mountain, with a large number of clansmen. Compared to them, Gu Yue clan was just a middle sized one.

If the two clans fought, Gu Yue village would definitely have the disadvantage.

The most crucial part was, if this matter was spread, the Gu Yue clan’s reputation would be tarnished. Many merchants are vigilant in choosing their routes. Without the interaction with merchants, the Gu Yue clan’s surplus local resources would not have an avenue to sell, and the external resources they required would not be purchasable. As time passes, they would definitely weaken.

“This matter is severe, if we do not handle it well, it would be a disaster!” The academy elder worriedly rushed towards the clan head’s pavilion.

Once he stepped into the conference hall in the clan head’s pavilion, the academy elder felt the solemn and serious atmosphere.

The main seat was occupied by the current clan leader Gu Yue Bo. The fat and short Jia Fu brought along five to six followers with him and stood at the center of the hall, adopting an accusative stance.

Under the bright light of the lamp, the solemn faces of the elders who were standing at side of their chairs were evident.

Jia Fu was a Rank four Gu Master, and since he was not sitting, these Rank three clan elders naturally did not dare to sit.

This was the deterrent force of a Rank four Gu Master.

It was also a form of respect for power.

“Greetings….” The clan elders were about to pay their respects, but they were stopped by the clan leader Gu Yue Bo’s hands.

Gu Yue Bo who had grizzled white hair was using his finger to rub his temple, a look of distress on his face, “I’m not going to say more about the matter, the clan academy is always under your supervision. Let me ask you, where is Gu Yue Fang Yuan?”

The academy elder was shocked. Internally he thought, how does this have to do with that brat Fang Yuan?

He answered politely, “At this timing, he should be cultivating in the academy hostel.”

The clan leader sighed, “Brother Jia is very suspicious now, he thinks that his brother Jia Jin Sheng’s disappearance has something to do with Fang Yuan. I order you to go and bring him here immediately.”

The academy elder shuddered in his heart. “Yes!”

He understood the severity of this issue, and hurriedly paid his respects before he turned around and left.

“Brother Jia, that Fang Yuan will be brought here immediately, have a seat.” Gu Yue Bo pointed at a seat near him and said to Jia Fu.

Jia Fu laughed bitterly, cupping his fists at Gu Yue Bo. “I apologise to Brother Gu Yue! I was really anxious then, it has already been days since I’ve seen my brother, I fear for the worst. I really cannot afford to wait.”

There are some things that, only after losing them can they be understood.

Jia Fu only realised it in these few days, the reason why his father paired him up with the burden Jia Jin Sheng for the caravan.

It was to test his nature. Seeing if he could, while suppressing his brother, remember their kinship, and at the same time take care of this little brother.

If Jia Jin Sheng was dead now, how would his father view him?

When he realized this point, he immediately held investigations in the caravan, and quickly set his target on the Gu Yue village.

He rushed back without a single break.

Now that he was standing, reluctant to sit, it was to create the impression that he was determined to get the culprit. This was both emitting pressure on the Gu Yue clan as well as giving his father a form of assurance when he return to the Jia family.

“Reporting to clan leader sir, Fang Yuan has been brought here.” Quickly, the academy elder brought Fang Yuan to the hall.

“Gu Yue Fang Yuan pays his respects to clan elder, Sir Jia Fu, and the various clan elders,” Fang Yuan said with an expressionless face.

“It’s him?” Jia Fu coldly observed Fang Yuan, at the same time, asked a female Gu Master.

This female Gu Master was the one who Fang Yuan bought the purple gold rock from at the gambling den.

“Yes, it’s him! There is no mistake,” The female Gu Master stared at Fang Yuan, saying confidently.

Jia Fu nodded. Immediately his gaze was like two steel blades, slashing at Fang Yuan. But he did not interrogate openly, for this was the Gu Yue village, thus he had to give the Gu Yue clan leader some respect.

Thus he looked towards the Gu Yue clan leader.

The Gu Yue clan leader had a serious expression. He knew that Jia Fu purposely conversed with the female Gu Master loudly; it was not only to confirm Fang Yuan’s identity, but also to assert his motive.

He was implying to the Gu Yue clan head that he had the evidence in his hands, “I have sufficient confidence, so you better not overly defend your own clansman.”

This caused some displeasure in the Gu Yue clan leader’s heart, thinking, “You Jia Fu lost your brother, it was your mistake to begin with. Now you come here to our Gu Yue village with an accusative stance, do you think my Gu Yue clan can be easily bullied? My Gu Yue clan is impartial and works around based on logic, but don’t be mistaken that this is a weakness!’

Thinking of this, he did not interrogate Fang Yuan immediately, but fiercely said to the female Gu Master, “Did you see clearly? I’m not afraid to tell you this, but Fang Yuan has a twin brother who looks extremely identical to him, are you really sure it’s him?”

The female Gu Master was just a Rank one, and under Gu Yue Bo’s pressure, she instantly showed a hesitant and nervous expression.

Jia Fu frowned and took a step forward, blocking her from Gu Yue Bo’s sight. Cupping his fists, he said, “Brother Gu Yue, I’ve always respected the Gu Yue clan. Especially the Gu Yue clan’s first and fourth clan leader, these two were Rank five powerhouses. One built the clan from scratch, where he went through tough times and created the Gu Yue family’s hundred year foundation. Another was a benevolent hero, for to protect his clan he sacrificed himself, and is worth respecting. Brother Gu Yue, as the clan leader, I believe you will act impartial, please interrogate this Fang Yuan.”

Hearing that his tone had softened, Gu Yue Bo nodded, but his heart had already decided.

If this Fang Yuan was the culprit, then he would hand him over. After all he was just a C grade, there is no loss in losing him. As long as it is able to settle this dispute.

If Fang Zheng was the one who did it, Fang Yuan also has to take the blame. Fang Zheng is an A grade genius, the only one in three years. The clan higher-ups still expect to nurture him greatly to go against that Bai Ning Bing from the Bai clan village.

“Fang Yuan, don’t be nervous.” Gu Yue clan leader smiled benevolently, using a gentle tone towards Fang Yuan, “Let me ask you, do you know any information about that Jia Jin Sheng?”

“Who is Jia Jin Sheng?” Fang Yuan looked up and said calmly.

“He’s lying!” The female Gu Master from the gambling den shrieked right as Fang Yuan finished his question.

The people in the discussion hall, upon hearing this shrieking, frowned and all looked towards her.

The female Gu Master pointed at Fang Yuan, showing an agitated expression, “It’s him, it’s him! At our gambling den, he bought six purple gold rocks, and the fifth was a mudskin toad. Young master Jia saw it and tried to use five hundred primeval stones to purchase it. This left a huge impression on me, even if a year or two passes I will not forget. Not only me, but the other Gu Masters at the gambling den saw it too.”

“Is that so…” The Gu Yue clan leader’s smiled disappeared, showing a stiff expression and dragging his question towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan only nodded now, showing a hint of nervousness, and pretended to suddenly realize, “Oh it’s him. Alright, if he’s Jia Jin Sheng, then I do know him. But after the gambling den incident, I did not see him ever again.”

“He’s lying again!” This time, it was not the female Gu Master, but a male Gu Master who called out in public.

Fang Yuan looked towards him, and as if he had recognised him, showed an expression of shock, but quickly tried to hide it.

His expression changes were reflected in everyone’s eyes.

Everyone started to ponder.

“Esteemed sirs, I am an employee at the wine shop.” The male Gu Master first cupped his fists to everyone, and then vigorously pointed at Fang Yuan, “That night, I saw clearly at the wine shop, he was sitting with young master Jia Jin Sheng, and the two secretly conversed for a long time!”

Once he said so, the hall erupted into a clammer of soft discussions.

The academy elder used a cold gaze and looked at Fang Yuan.

The Gu Yue clan master moved backwards slightly, slowly leaning on the large chair.

“How can that be!” Fang Yuan showed an obviously frantic expression, hurriedly saying, “The wine shop had so many people, how can you recognise me just like that? You might be mistaken yourself!”

“Haha, I am definitely not wrong.” The male Gu Master smiled, his gaze staring at Fang Yuan, at this moment he felt extremely confident.

“Not to mention it was young master Jia Jin Sheng who coming to our wine shop, we have to take care of him carefully. Even if it was not him, I would still have had recognised you, as you had given me a strong impression!”

Saying so, he raised his eyebrows, saying smugly, “Do you still remember? That day you came to our shop, wanting a cup of monkey wine. But you only drank a mouthful. After that you released the Liquor worm and fed the remaining monkey wine to it. I saw the Liquor worm and was very agitated, wanting to purchase it from you but you refused to sell it and walked away immediately!”

“Good, exactly what I wanted to hear.” Fang Yuan laughed coldly in his heart, but showed an expression of shock on his face, subconsciously taking a step backwards.

“Liquor worm!” The eyes of the academy elder behind Fang Yuan shone.

But quickly he frowned again, and could not help but ask, “Fang Yuan, where did you get that Liquor worm?”

Fang Yuan clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, but refusing to answer.

The surrounding clan elders flew into a rage, starting to scowl.

“Fang Yuan, do you know the trouble you’ve caused!”

“Talk, exactly what happened?”

“Tell us of what you know, own up. This Liquor worm, is it Jia Jin Sheng’s?”

“How can it be his? The Liquor worm is obviously obtained by myself! I opened it!” Fang Yuan raised his head suddenly, his expression worked up, as if he could not stand such a slander, and shouted loudly with an indignant emotion.

Chapter 56: Dispelling suspicion

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“You opened it?” Gu Yue Bo frowned deeply.

“That’s right, at this point, I shall not hide it any further!” Fang Yuan acted as if he was risking everything, speaking urgently, “I bought six pieces of purple gold rock at the gambling den, but because I did not have enough primeval essence, I only opened five on the spot. The last one, I brought back to the hostel and after opening it, I found a Liquor worm inside. I was overjoyed as I had searched up information on it before, and knew that the Liquor worm is a rare Gu worm that could supplement my lack of talent, thus I refined it on the spot.”

“Wait, you said that you bought six gambling rocks and opened a mudskin toad as well as another Liquor worm?” The clan elders upon hearing this, could not help but ask in an unbelievable tone.

“So what?” Fang Yuan answered as a matter of fact, then pointed at the female Gu Master, shouting, “She can be my witness!”

Everyone on the scene were momentarily stunned before turning to look at the female Gu Master.

The female Gu Master felt the pressure from all the gaze and did not dare to lie, so she honestly said, “It is indeed true, Fang Yuan bought six rocks and opened the mudskin toad on the fifth. He brought the sixth piece away, but I do not know what he opened inside.”

“Buying six purple gold rocks and getting two Gu worms consecutively, isn’t this luck way too good?” The clan elders mumbled.

“What’s so hard to understand? It’s luck, who knows, heh, back in the days when I gambled rocks I also…”

“Wait, Gu worms are hard to refine, why did it sound like Fang Yuan easily refined it?” Some of the family elders asked suspiciously.

“You’re muddled. Don’t you know that when a Gu is extracted from a fossil, they’re extremely weak, tittering on the brink of death? Even refining then from a lower Rank is possible. What’s so peculiar about him refining the Liquor worm?” Someone immediately answered.

Fang Yuan continued, “I refined the Liquor worm and went to the stores on the second day, I indeed went to a wine shop in the afternoon and bought a cup of monkey wine. At night, I went again and witnessed a scamming scene, Jia Jin Sheng was selling a smelly fart fat worm as a Black Boar Gu to someone in my clan. Next, Sir Jia Fu appeared and resolved the dispute.”

“I went to the wine shop again, but I did not expect to see Jia Jin Sheng drinking wine in a poor mood. I had just obtained the Liquor worm and was extremely happy, so I asked him how many primeval stones I could sell it for. Who knew that Jia Jin Sheng upon hearing my Liquor worm, wanted to forcefully buy it. I obviously rejected him, I had no intentions to sell it, only wanting to know its value. Even if I wanted to sell it, that would have to be after I am Rank two, thus I left on the spot.”

Fang Yuan’s words had brought out the matter of Jia Jin Sheng and Jia Fu’s conflict, causing the clan elders to see Jia Fu in a different light.

Under these pressuring gazes, Jia Fu coughed and asked Fang Yuan with shining eyes, “Then did my brother chase after you?”

Fang Yuan nodded, half lying, “He not only chased me, but also added an extra fifty primeval stones. But I did not want to sell it, so he was furious, claiming that the Gu Yue clan was no big deal, asking me to watch out. After saying that, he walked away. I never saw him again.”

Jia Fu nodded internally. With his understanding of Jia Jin Sheng, he definitely would have chased after Fang Yuan and gave threats as that was his style.

If Fang Yuan said he did not chase after him, that would be a lie.

But since Fang Yuan said so, this led Jia Fu to a predicament. His investigations led up only to this clue. Did Jia Jin Sheng really not search for Fang Yuan after that? Maybe he found Fang Yuan again afterwards, and as the two could not agree on the matter, he was killed by Fang Yuan —— This is entirely possible.

‘Speak, was Jia Jin Sheng killed by you!” Thinking of this, Jia Fu interrogated fiercely, attempting to pressurize Fang Yuan with his aura.

Fang Yuan denied once again, claiming that he did not see Jia Jin Sheng anymore.

Jia Fu had no other evidence, and while one side questioned intensely, the other denied. At this point, it had become a stalemate.

As Gu Yue Bo listened to their conversation, he turned displeased. That Jia Jin Sheng actually dared to threaten the Gu Yue clan on Qing Mao mountain, this was not giving the Gu Yue clan any respect! Now this Jia Fu dared to interrogate a Gu Yue clan member so intensely in front of all the Gu Yue clan higher-ups. Nevermind if he had evidence, but now that he has no evidence or proof, if this matter spread out, what would happen to the Gu Yue clan’s honour?

“Brother Jia, it’s not that I want to speak out of turn.” The clan leader interrupted his interrogation and continued, ” Jia Jin Sheng has gone missing for so many days, hope is bleak. The culprit who caused this crime definitely left behind some traces. Did brother find anything yet?”

Jia Fu stared fiercely at Fang Yuan before raising his head and sighed, “I understand brother’s words! If there were any traces, I would not have come here to find the culprit. That criminal is obviously experienced with vile methods and meticulous handling. To speak the truth, all the clues are at a dead end, and on the day we left, there was a huge rain that could have washed away all the possible blood traces.”

Gu Yue Bo smiled faintly. “Brother Jia, I heard that your Jia family has a tracing Gu worm called the Underworld Path Butterfly. It can emit soul fragrance and be implanted on Gu worms. The scent is colourless and odourless, and never fades. Your Jia family member’s Gu worms all have this scent. As long as you use the Underworld Path Butterfly, following the fragrance, you’ll be able to find the Gu worms and thus your brother.”

Jia Fu solemnly said, “I used the Underworld Path Butterfly long ago, but there was no effect. I’m sure you’ve heard that once the Gu worm dies, the fragrance dissipates. Evidently the murderer killed all of the Gu worms in my brother’s possession.

Gu Yue Bo’s words turned, “That’s strange. The murderer harmed your brother, but he did not go for the Gu worms, or for extortion to get primeval stones. The murderer killed this tiny Rank one Gu Master, what was the motive?”

Indeed, what was the motive?

Regardless of whether Jia Jin Sheng was dead, there had to be a motive, right?

If not for Gu worms nor primeval stones, then was it for love?

But if it was a crime of passion, it had to be a long term process, and Jia Fu would not have come to the Gu Yue clan. The caravan members and clansmen would fall under greater suspicion as they have a long relationship with him.

At once, the hall fell into silence.

Fang Yuan followed everyone’s gazes, and suddenly said to Jia Fu, “Maybe Jia Jin Sheng was killed by you. I heard before that your family is splitting assets, now that one brother is dead, wouldn’t you get more inheritance?”

“Shut up!”

“Baseless accusation, do not slander Sir Jia Fu.”

Immediately the family elders erupted.

Fang Yuan kept quiet immediately, his gaze shining obscurely, but his objective had been reached.

His earlier words were like a pebble that was thrown into the elders’ sea of thoughts, causing waves of ripples.

The clan elders followed this train of thought, and started to think, “Jia Fu cannot kill Jia Jin Sheng, this causes more harm to him than reward. Wait, even if he won’t do it, that does not mean others won’t…”

“The Jia family’s internal dispute!” A certain elder had a flash of inspiration and lightly muttered.

His volume was not high, but in the silent hall it could be heard clearly.

At once, the elders’ gaze shone.

“Finally, they have thought of this.” Fang Yuan’s mouth twitched, his eyelids drooping, hiding away his cold gaze.

The Jia family’s clan leader wants to split the assets and impart the role of clan leader, and because of this his children underwent intense competition, especially Jia Fu and Jia Gui, both being Rank four Gu Masters and having their own supporters.

In these few years, the Jia family situation is somewhat known by many of the mountain villages.

Jia Jin Sheng’s misfortune was too strange. Currently there was no evidence showing that Fang Yuan was the killer. It was obvious that the motivation for murder was not enough just based on the theory of killing just because of a Liquor worm. At the same time, the murderer’s actions and methods would not be so meticulous and secretive.

But if Jia Gui was the one acting in the shadows, then it could be explained.

Everyone present was a higher-up, and as someone in a position of power, there had to be something capable about them. At least for political schemes, they had great intuition and perception.

The Jia family dispute, this gave everyone’s imaginations a pair of wings.

The Jia family clan leader had arranged Jia Jin Sheng to join the caravan. One reason was to test Jia Fu’s nature, to see if he was a good brother, and only suppressed but not bully his brother.

Now that Jia Jin Sheng was in trouble, Jia Fu would be implicated, and who is the true winner?

Obviously Jia Fu’s greatest competitor — Jia Gui!

The criminal’s actions were so fluid, causing all clues to come to a dead end, this showed how experienced the criminal was. How could this be done by a fifteen year old like Fang Yuan?

All the answers were revealed at once!

The discussion hall was still silent, but the elders exchanged gazes full of meaning.

“To make someone believe in something wholeheartedly, it is not through convincing, but directing.” Fang Yuan’s keen observation allowed him to see these glances, and he laughed coldly in his heart, but his face still showed an expression of indignance and stubbornness.

Jia Fu’s face was so dark and gloomy it could drip water.

The matter of the Jia family internal dispute caused him to think of Jia Gui.

At that moment, his soul shook!

Who else had a greater motivation than Jia Gui?

No one!

“I understand now, I understand everything.” The academy elder stood behind Fang Yuan, looking at him. His eyes shone, “Fang Yuan is both lucky and unfortunate, meeting Jia Jin Sheng at the last moment. With his age of just starting to attend school, how can he get rid of all the evidence? If he had such scheming abilities, how can he show this expression of indomitability. He denied it earlier just to hide the existence of the Liquor worm.”

At this point, everyone had dispelled their suspicious towards Fang Yuan!

“Getting rid of the suspicions on me is just the first step, what happens next is crucial.” Fang Yuan was in grasp of the situation, and at this point, everything was going according to plan. He sighed internally and looked at Jia Fu.

Jia Fu looked at him too, the unfriendliness in his eyes growing obviously more intense.

Chapter 57: A gentleman’s lie

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Jia Fu was conflicted.

He had dispelled his suspicions of Fang Yuan and was certain that Jia Gui was the mastermind.

“But yet, so what if I know the truth?” Jia Fu felt anger and sadness surging, “I have no evidence at hand, so if I accused Jia Gui in front of father without any proof, father might even think I am trying to frame him!”

Jia Fu was smart, and he looked at Fang Yuan, a light flashing in his eyes.

Jia Jin Sheng had journeyed with him together, and now that he was missing, it was Jia Fu’s fault for not taking care of him! Since he could not accuse Jia Gui, he had to give his father some answer.

And this answer was in front of him!

“That’s right, if Fang Yuan is the scapegoat, it would at least help me get through this crisis. Once I get over it, I can get back at Jia Gui with twice the payback.” Jia Fu thought deviously.

He raised his pitch, interrogating Fang Yuan, “Fang Yuan, how do you prove that you did not harm Jia Jin Sheng?”

The clan elders were stunned. This is obviously your internal dispute, why are you still grabbing onto my clansman?

Only the Gu Yue clan leader looked grim, his expression turning sharp as he stared at Jia Fu.

“Fang Yuan, what proof do you have to show that you were not present at the time and did not harm Jia Jin Sheng? If you can’t prove it, you are the murderer!” Jia Fu pointed at Fang Yuan, his gaze furious as he threatened with his aura.

“He’s trying to push our clan’s Fang Yuan into being the scapegoat. How atrocious!” At this point, the clan elders had reacted and their expressions all turned unkind.

They had been fighting and scheming against each other for a long time, so if they thought about it, they would know easily about Jia Fu’s standpoint and intentions.

“Witness? Of course I do! I prepared it long ago.” Fang Yuan smiled internally, but showed an expression of shock, as if he wanted to speak but couldn’t.

“No need for others, just tell me if you do or not!” Jia Fu raised his voice again, forcing Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan showed an indignant expression, but finally gritted his teeth and said helplessly, “No.”

“Haha. Then you are —”” Jia Fu was about to declare his verdict but at that point.

“Halt!” The academy elder took a step forward and stood in front of Fang Yuan with a solemn expression, “Of course he has a witness, that would be me!”

“You?” Jia Fu asked in shock.

“That’s right, me.” The academy elder, facing Rank four Jia Fu, was slightly overpowered. But seeing Gu Yue Bo’s encouraging gaze, he gathered his courage and raised his head, “These days when Fang Yuan unexpectedly became the first to break through the middle stage, I sent my men to investigate him. His everyday activities and actions are recorded down, there was no time for him to harm Jia Jin Sheng.”

“Yes, this is it…” Fang Yuan hid behind the academy elder’s back, where no one could see his curled lips, revealing a smile.

Jia Fu’s expression was dim, he did not expect the academy elder to stand out and protect Fang Yuan.

The crucial point was, the Gu Yue clan leader did not object. This had a great meaning, for it meant the Gu Yue clan was going to protect Fang Yuan.

“I get it! I wanted to get Fang Yuan to become the scapegoat, but that was from my perspective, and I did not consider their perspective. Indeed, once Fang Yuan is criminalized, the Gu Yue clan has to bear the evil name of harming a Jia family member. From then on they will have to face the Jia family’s retribution as well as losing their own reputation. Furthermore, future caravans would not dare to come here and trade anymore, the loss is too great!”

Thinking of this, Jia Fu was anguished and wanted to slap his own head.

The Gu Yue higher-ups did have such considerations.

Fang Yuan was a C grade, so if he really harmed Jia Jin Sheng, handing him over was nothing. But the point was, now that his suspicion had been cleared, if he was handed over, wouldn’t the Gu Yue clan suffer a great injustice and lose out greatly?

Knowing that this conflict could not be resolved, Jia Fu gritted his teeth, determined to get his way. He said, “If so, why don’t you let me use the Footprint Gu. Once this Gu is used, it will show us his last 30,000 footprints on the floor.”

The academy elder scoffed in displeasure.

Jia Fu’s words meant he did not trust them. But he has no reason to stop him, thus he let Jia Fu through.

“Come and test!” Fang Yuan laughed coldly at Jia Fu, walking towards him with his head lowered.

He was confident, having predicted this. Thus, these few days he kept his activities within the village and did not go to the secret cave.

Under the Gu Yue higher-ups supervision, Jia Fu did not play any tricks.

The Footprint Gu was very peculiar, it was shaped like a person’s foot. Its material was like a translucent yogurt, giving others a feeling of smoothness, and the surface had a yellow-green luster.

Its size was small, being only palm size.

Jia Fu held it in his hands, sending primeval essence into the Footprint Gu.

The Footprint Gu became brighter, and then suddenly with a “bam” sound, exploded into a cloud of yellow green powder.

The powdery cloud enveloped Fang Yuan and spun around him before flying out of the discussion hall.

Where the powder cloud passed through, the floor would show a series of footprints.

These footprints glowed in a yellow green light around the same size as Fang Yuan’s foot. They were Fang Yuan’s footprints when he entered the discussion hall.

The footprints extended from the family head pavilion into the academy hostel and then to the academy and circulated. Other than that, it reached the mountain village’s inn.

The powder cloud became smaller as it flew, and finally at the 30,000th step, it vanished.

The results were clear, everyone had checked and knew that Fang Yuan was innocent, there were no suspicious points.

Jia Fu sighed, taking out a small jade box.

He opened the jade box, where there was only a jade piece inside.

The jade piece was a translucent emerald colour, and there was a Gu sealed inside.

This was a phasmids(1), its body long and slim, with the colour of jade, its entire body looking like a bamboo tube.

The phasmids was normally longer than a palm, but this one wasn’t, being only the size of a fingernail. On its surface, it emitted a white glow.

“Green jade as its body, white light enveloping its form, this is the Bamboo Gentleman!” At once, some of the elders recognised this Gu worm and exclaimed.

Even Gu Yue Bo was moved. He could not refrain from advising, “Brother Jia, this Bamboo Gentleman is a Rank four Gu, it is not easily refined. Why waste it here?”

Jia Fu shook his head, looking at Fang Yuan: “This Bamboo Gentleman was obtained through gambling rocks when I was young. The rock was only opened halfway before it could no longer be extracted. As everyone knows, this Gu worm is fed honesty as food, being able to detect lies from birth. Only an honest gentleman who has never lied can refine and feed this Gu.”

“Fang Yuan, you just have to open this rock and keep the Bamboo Gentleman in your aperture. Whatever I ask you, you will answer. Next, we will take out this Gu and let everyone see if it changed colour. If the Gu changes colour, you’re lying!”

“No problem.” Fang Yuan did not hesitate. He immediately opened the jade piece and did as Jia Fu instructed.

The Bamboo Gentleman appeared in his aperture and emitted a faint green glow, covering the primeval sea.

Fang Yuan felt that if he said a single lie, the Bamboo Gentleman could detect it and turn its body from green into another color.

But he only accepted it because he had his trump card.

“Spring Autumn Cicada!” With a thought, the Spring Autumn Cicada awakened and let out a trace of its aura.

This aura was overpowering, and it immediately suppressed the Bamboo Gentleman.

The Bamboo Gentleman emitted a green glow and immediately shrunk its body. Its entire body was curled up, trembling in fear. How could it have the excessive spirit to detect lies?

Jia Fu begin interrogating, with his first question hitting home, “Fang Yuan, did you harm my brother Jia Jin Sheng?”

“No!” Fang Yuan affirmed.

Jia Fu asked, “Do you have any other information about him?”

Fang Yuan shook his head, “No idea.”

Jia Fu asked again, “Did you say anything dishonest to us earlier?”

Fang Yuan shook his head again, “No.”

“Alright, you can take out the Bamboo Gentleman now.” After finishing with three questions, Jia Fu instructed Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan took out the Bamboo Gentleman, and everyone saw that it was still an emerald green colour with no changes.

The clan elders heaved a sigh of relief.

Jia Fu’s expression became milder as he kept the Bamboo Gentleman, cupping his fists towards Gu Yue Bo, “Much offense this time, brother Gu Yue.”

“No matter, the truth is what we wanted to see as well.” Gu Yue Bo waved his hand, then sighed, “But what a pity for this Bamboo Gentleman.”

The Bamboo Gentleman had the ability to detect lies and was a Rank four Gu, thus it was very valuable. But feeding and refining it was not easy. It had to be refined by an honest gentleman. If any other Gu Master had said a single lie, the refinement would fail and the Bamboo Gentleman would die on the spot.

Its food was honesty. It would reside in the aperture of an honest gentleman and consuming the gentleman’s honesty as food to survive.

Now that the Bamboo Gentleman had been opened, it was extremely weak, but it had no food to restore its strength. After being treated so harshly by Fang Yuan, its death was set in stone.

Jia Fu shook his head, looking at the Bamboo Gentleman in his head, not feeling any pity.

He said solemnly, “I have already done my best to investigate, but I received no results. This time, when I get back to the family, I will employ the divine investigator Tie Xue Leng(2), it would definitely get this matter cleared up! Goodbye.”

Saying so, he cupped his fists towards Gu Yue Bo and left, crisp and quick, with a certain elegance to it.

Seeing Jia Fu and the rest leaving, Gu Yue Bo heaved a sigh of relief and said, “You can all leave now.”

He waved at the clan elders, but suddenly thought of something and said, “Academy elder please stay back.”

Without losing a single drop of sweat, Fang Yuan walked out of the family head’s pavilion safe and sound.

(1) Phasmids: Stick-bugs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmatodea

(2) 铁血冷 – Tie Xue Leng, Tie means Metal and is the name of the Tie clan. Xue Leng means cold blood. This name will be important.

Chapter 58: The clan does not only have rules and regulations

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Clan leader, what is the matter?” The academy elder respectfully stood at a corner.

“It’s nothing much, take a seat, I have a story to share with you.” Gu Yue Bo squinted his eyes and said slowly.

“Your subordinate shall listen with full attention!” Academy elder chose to sit at the seat closest to the clan leader.

Clan leader Gu Yue Bo began his story on Ren Zu.

Some say ——

Ever since Ren Zu was able to get their names and subdued the Rules and Regulation Gu, his first order was for them to capture a longevity Gu.

Rules and Regulation Gu, one round and other other square, worked together and could capture all the Gu in the world, a longevity Gu was nothing difficult.

Ren Zu used the longevity Gu and got back his youth, becoming 20 years old again.

But now the rules Gu said, “Human, although you subdued us, every time you command us, it will add a rule and regulation.”

Regulation Gu continued, “We can catch the longevity Gu for you, this is the first order. Our new rule and regulation is, we will not repeatedly catch the same Gu for you.”

That means, if Ren Zu wanted to catch a longevity Gu again, the two Rules and Regulation Gu would not help.

Ren Zu nodded, having no choice but to accept.

He gave his second command, “Then, other than the longevity Gu, please capture all the other ten thousand Gu in the world for me.”

Rules and regulation Gu got this command and Rules Gu turned into a giant circle, encompassing the universe. Regulation Gu turned into a giant square, covering the large world.

One square and one round formed a giant net together, enveloping the entire world.

When they shrunk again and returned to Ren Zu, all the Gu in the world other than longevity Gu were captured.

Ren Zu was overjoyed, with this all the Gu belonged to him, from now on he was the ruler of the world!

But once he opened the net, with a swoosh, a large number of worms flew outside and the Gu that Rules and Regulation Gu worked hard to catch, all escaped fervently.

When Ren Zu closed the net, only five Gu were left.

“Why is this?” Ren Zu was astonished.

Rules and Regulation answered him, “Human, the world has over ten thousand Gu with all sorts of abilities. You have no strength or knowledge, how can you subdue them? We can only capture Gu for you, to subdue them, you have to rely on yourself to get them to work for you.”

Next they added, “This is your second order, so we’ll add a second rule and regulation — From now on, we can only catch one Gu for you at a time.”

Ren Zu could only nod, and carefully opened the net, only showing a small gap.

The remaining five Gu contained the Strength and Wisdom Gu. Seeing this, Ren Zu was overjoyed.

He said to Strength Gu, “Strength Gu, you left me back then, do you have any regrets? If you succumb to me now, I will return you your freedom.”

Strength Gu said, “Human, you are wrong. I didn’t leave not because I couldn’t, but because I wanted to stay. You want to subdue me but that’s impossible. I only succumb to those stronger than me, but you are out of the question. However we can deal again, give me your youth and I will temporarily obey you.”

Ren Zu was reluctant upon hearing this, he had just gotten back his youth, was he about to lose it again?

But he desired strength, he knew that with strength, he would get stronger and life would get easier.

Moreover, with strength, he could subdue more Gu.

Thus, Ren Zu accepted, and formed a second deal with it.

Ren Zu became middle-aged at once, and the strength Gu flew out of the web and landed on Ren Zu’s shoulder.

Ren Zu had strength, and was full of confidence.

He said to Wisdom Gu: “Wisdom Gu, you left me back then, do you have any regrets? If you succumb to me now, I will return you your freedom.”

Wisdom Gu said, “Human, you are wrong. I did not leave not because I couldn’t, but because I wanted to stay. You want to subdue me but that’s impossible. I only succumb to those smarter than me, yet you are not smarter than me. But we can deal again, give me your middle age and I will temporarily obey you.”

Ren Zu upon hearing this, refused to do the same deal again.

He treasured his life more, and he also knew that once he sold his middle age, he would be left with old age. Before long, the Strength and Wisdom Gu would leave him again, just like last time.

Ren Zu refused to deal, but did not want to let go of the Wisdom Gu.

Wisdom Gu was anxious, reluctantly giving in, “Alright, Human, you win. I lost to you this time. As long as you tell me what method you used to capture me, I will admit defeat and not take anything from you, being at your disposal.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Zu was overjoyed and before the Rules and Regulation Gu could stop him, he said, “I used the Rules and Regulation Gu to capture you.”

Wisdom Gu laughed upon hearing, “I remembered it, so these Gu are called Rules and Regulation. Haha, now that I know your names, you can no longer capture me.”

Saying so, it turned into a flash of light and flew away, vanishing into thin air.

Rules and Regulation Gu begin to complain, “Human, we told u long ago that our name should be known by you alone, and not others. Otherwise, we would be used by others. Look what happened, now that Wisdom Gu knows our names, it spells trouble.”

Only then did Ren Zu realise that he was tricked by Wisdom Gu. He was anguished, for he knew he lost the only chance he had of capturing the Wisdom Gu using Rules and Regulation.

Saying so, Gu Yue Bo’s story came to an end. He looked at the academy elder with a meaningful gaze.

Academy elder jumped from his seat. He had heard of Ren Zu’s story long ago, but from Gu Yue Bo’s mouth, it had a greater meaning.

His gaze shone and his heart understood. He bowed slightly at Gu Yue Bo, respectfully saying, “Clan leader, you are using this story as an analogy? Fang Yuan as the Wisdom Gu and the clan as Ren Zu. Although Ren Zu used the Rules and Regulation Gu to capture Wisdom Gu and managed to trap it, the Wisdom Gu eventually escaped.”

Saying so, the academy elder paused and thought about it for a while, before looking at Gu Yue Bo. “Sir clan leader, you want me to let go of Fang Yuan and stop pressuring him? But he’s getting more and more overboard…”

Gu Yue Bo stopped the academy elder’s words, holding out his hand, indicating for him to sit and speak.

The academy elder sat and heard Gu Yue Bo sigh, “You, your comprehension is still superb, being an intelligent person, easily getting my point. Unfortunately your grasp of the situation is still too small, you can only see that tiny plot of land in front of you. Let me tell you, the academy is a small matter, and the clan is really the important one.”

“I know what you are worried about, afraid that the other students are heavily suppressed by Fang Yuan, eventually losing the fire in their heart. Hehehe.” Gu Yue Bo shook his head, pointing at academy elder, “You’re overthinking it.”

“What do you think the clan is doing? Just relying on your academy to nurture new people? Of course not, behind every student, there’s their parents, elders, and friends. Only with these people’s support, encouragement, expectations, our Gu Yue clan’s new generation can have the confidence and motivation in their hearts.”

“Fang Yuan has indeed repeatedly exceeded my expectations, he has a hint of outstanding excellence. I have been observing Fang Zheng secretly and I have long known about Fang Yuan’s extortions, just let him continue. Use him to train Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng, these rough jades. There are many advantages in this matter, at the very least this round of students have the best fighting skills among all the previous seasons.”

Academy elder was worried, “But clan leader, excessive hurdles isn’t a good thing either, it will crush the jade. Especially that Fang Yuan has the Liquor worm now, this worm provides great help to a Rank one Gu Master. I’m worried that at the Rank one stage, under Fang Yuan’s suppression, no one can overturn the situation.”

“Then let them be unable to turn over the situation!” Gu Yue Bo snorted, showing the grace and callousness of a person in power, “This tiny setback, what does it matter? Is it scarier than death? With their family elder’s support, if they still lacked motivation, then they are not even jade to begin with and have no value to nurture. The clan has tons of new students into the academy each year, so if this season doesn’t succeed, there’s always the next. As for Gu Yue Fang Zheng, starting tomorrow night, I will teach him in secret.”

“With the clan leader’s personal teaching, that is really Gu Yue Fang Zheng’s fortune.” Academy elder licked his boots at the appropriate timing(1).

Gu Yue Bo’s expression softened as he looked at academy elder, instructing, “Do you know the reason why after so many decades, you are still the academy elder? Have greater tolerance, I know Fang Yuan infringed your dignity and made you humiliated, but do you really have to be so calculative with a junior from a younger generation?”

“I know that Fang Yuan has some earlier wisdom, but he is still a youngster and tends to be rash. If not, he would not have hurt the guards in public and caused you to be in a predicament. He was furious internally back then and that is understandable. From being hailed as genius to a commoner, it is normal to be angry at the clan.”

“He is actually very childish, you can tell from him trying to hide the Liquor worm. How can the Liquor worm be hid? He is not mature yet and is still innocent, don’t think of him as a scary being. Comparing him to the Wisdom Gu, I am thinking too highly of him. At most, he has some small intelligence, but lacks true wisdom and knowledge. If he hid the fact that he rose to middle stage silently, or accepted the class chairman position without any displeasure, that would truly be deep scheming.”

“Clan leader, your meaning is?” Academy elder raised his eyebrows.

“What I’m trying to say is, Fang Yuan is discontented with the clan, thus let him go vent his anger. An ant spitting at an elephant, will the elephant care? Emotions are meant to be let out and not bottled inside, so once he’s done venting, he will naturally fuse into the clan. Our Gu Yue clan has been around for nearly a thousand years ever since the first generation founded it. There has been countless of people who were discontented with the clan, but eventually did any of them manage to overturn the clan?”

“A clan is not just about rules and regulations, there’s also blood relation and kinship. Ren Zu wanted to use the rules and regulations to capture wisdom. Yet not only did he lose, but he also informed wisdom of the rules and regulations. There is profound meaning in this story – the rules are dead, but people are alive, and relationships are deep. If you only know how to use rules and regulations to catch people, it will only increase resentment and cause Fang Yuan to be more dissociated with the clan. Fang Yuan is only a C grade, if he’s lucky, after tens of years he’d still be a low-ranking clan elder. But he is still Gu Yue Fang Zheng’s twin brother, do you understand now?”

“Understood!” Hearing Gu Yue Bo’s final sentence, the academy elder realized at once.

“Mmm, if a family only has rules and regulations, then the family is a pile of dead objects. But if you add in blood relationship, it’ll be alive.” Gu Yue Bo nodded, “and one more sentence, I want you to remember.”

“Please admonish me, sir clan elder.”

Gu Yue Bo, with a distant gaze, looked out of the window towards the moon, “The sea can hold the water from thousands of rivers, it’s big because of its capacity. A person is great when he can be tolerant and forgiving to many other people. Remember this, and leave.”

“Yes clan leader sir, your subordinate takes his leave,” said the academy elder as he left the hall.

(1) Boot-licking basically.

Chapter 59: Regardless of Rank Three or Four, you’re all monkeys

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Tonight’s moon was especially round.

The moonlight shone splendid and like muslin, draping over the Qing Mao Mountain.

The Treasure Brass Toad would travel a hundred meters with every hop. Due to its leaping method to move forward, the precipitous and narrow mountain path was unable to serve as a limitation or hindrance to it.

Jia Fu and his crew sat on the back of the Treasure Brass Toad. After exiting the Gu Yue Village, they once again headed towards the merchant caravan’s direction.

The wind blew past their ears, and their view followed the Treasure Brass Toad as it moved up and down.

The moonlight shone on everyone’s faces and they all looked solemn, while Jia Fu’s face was cold as ice.

After a while, a close subordinate could not stand this atmosphere and asked Jia Fu, “Master, what are we going to do now? Jia Jin Sheng’s death, once master returns, how will you answer to old master? Should we find a scapegoat first…”

Jia Fu shook his head, but avoided the question, “Do you know the story of Ren Zu?”

The subordinate was stunned, not expecting this answer. At once he did not know how to reply.

Jia Fu continued, “Ren Zu had the Rules and Regulation Gu, and could capture all the ten thousand Gu in the world, obtaining strength but losing wisdom. At that point his net still contained three Gu. He opened and saw that they were the Attitude Gu, Belief Gu and Suspicion Gu respectively. Ren Zu was unwilling to let them go, thus the three Gu could only bet with him. Once Ren Zu opens the net, they would run out in three different directions, and whoever is captured by Ren Zu would be subdued. Guess, who did Ren Zu capture in the end?”

The trusted aide thought, and answered, “It’s the Attitude Gu!”

“Do you know why?” Jia Fu asked. The loyal subordinate shook his head.

Jia Fu laughed, “Because attitude means everything. No matter if father ‘believes’ or ‘suspects’, I have already displayed my ‘attitude’. Jia Jin Sheng went missing, and I immediately conducted investigations in the caravan. Once I had a clue, I rushed towards the Gu Yue clan without stop. At the village, I risked the danger of being attacked by them and interrogated them on the spot. I did not even sit down, and to prove Fang Yuan’s words, I went as far as to use the Rank four Bamboo Gentleman.”

“Once I get back, I will even spend a ton of money to employ the divine investigator, inviting Tie Leng Xue to investigate this matter. Regardless of whether Jia Jin Sheng is dead or alive, as his brother I have already done all that I should, my attitude shows everything! I have thought it through earlier, we do not need a scapegoat. We shall go back in this honest state, because I was not at fault for this matter! Finding a scapegoat, that might just be a trap by Jia Gui. If I can find a scapegoat, he can also find someone to overturn the case.”

His subordinate was shocked and said, “Master, you really suspect that young master Jia Gui was behind this?”

“Hmph, who else but him can do something so perfectly?” Saying so, Jia Fu’s face distorted, anger bursting from his eyes, “Before this, I was thinking about our blood relationship and did not do such a thing to him. But since he is so devious, I will have to pay him back an eye for an eye, don’t blame me for being unscrupulous!”

He did not know that far away in a distant place, there were a pair of eyes sending him off.

Fang Yuan stood on the hillside as he silently watched.

The view tonight was truly spectacular.

The golden yellow, round moon was high up in the night sky, shining so brightly that the entire earth was lit bright.

The nearby green mountains were verdant and lush, all kinds of flora growing about. The Man Mountain’s pine and cypress trees, as well as the Qing Mao Mountain’s distinctive green spear bamboo grew in continuous clumps, cluster after cluster. A wide expanse of dark green colour poured down in torrents from the mountaintop and flowed down to the foot of the mountain.

Faraway mountains ranged endlessly, forming a muddled heavy black shadow under the moonlight.

The tortuous and entwined mountain road resembled goat intestines as it meandered into the distance, occasionally sheltered away by the forest, stretching out all the way.

Jia Fu and his group sat atop the Treasure Brass Toad, following the mountain road as they moved forward. As they continued on the leaping toad, their figures were finally covered away by the trees.

Although the mountain terrain could not affect the Treasure Brass Toad’s speed, Jia Fu did not dare to recklessly cut through Qing Mao mountain, for if he barges into a monster horde, even with his Rank four cultivation he would still not come out unscathed. Hence following the mountain trail and moving forward is the best path.

Not long ago, Fang Yuan was standing on the hill holding an umbrella, sending the caravan off. But now he was here again, watching Jia Fu leave.

“The trouble from killing Jia Jin Sheng is finally settled.” He eyes were dark and remote while his heart was calm, a bout of peacefulness.

Even since he killed Jia Jin Sheng that night, he had been considering how to tie the loose ends.

He was clear that without base or support, if the truth was revealed, the Gu Yue clan would definitely sacrifice him. But if he just hid it blindly, the truth was bound to get exposed one day.

A smart way to lie, is to have truth and lies, some truth in his lies, and some lies in his truth.

He had to direct the trouble elsewhere!

This incident was like a chess game with two sides against each other. One side is Jia Fu’s caravan, while the other is the Gu Yue clan. In this incident, be it Gu Yue Bo, the academy elder or Jia fu, they were all pawns, heck even Fang Yuan himself was just a pawn.

To protect the pawn that represents himself, he had to use the two opposing sides and find a chance in between.

Few days ago, Fang Yuan had already started plotting.

He first made use of those two guards to come up with a good show with the academy elder at the academy. Next he hid the existence of the Liquor worm and stirred the curiosity of the clansman, gaining great attention, attracting the higher-ups. Simultaneously, he allowed the academy elder to hold private investigations.

Next, he extorted his classmates and expressed his rashness, wildness and displeasure towards the clan, “showing weakness” to the Gu Yue higher-ups.

Then he counted the days and waited for Jia Fu.

During the interrogation he displayed his immaturity and fear, which allowed him to lead the other’s thoughts by the nose. Letting them find out the “truth”.

Lastly he made use of the Gu Yue clan and Jia Fu’s opposing interests, and turned the academy elder who was suspicious of him and held investigations, into his eye witness.

The Bamboo Gentleman was a small unexpected accident, but it was still a Rank four Gu and under the Spring Autumn Cicada’s aura, the Bamboo Gentleman ironically became Fang Yuan’s greatest evidence.

Finally, Fang Yuan not only explained perfectly where he got the Liquor worm, but also pushed the blame to the innocent Jia Gui, while he himself got out of this incident without losing a hair.

“Academy elder was asked to stay behind, it seems that Gu Yue Bo is going to interfere in the academy’s matters and get rid of the plan to pressurize me. With his nature, he does have this tolerance. But his real motive isn’t me, it should probably be Fang Zheng. One of my motives for blowing up the matter was to stir a commotion and make the higher-ups notice. If Gu Yue Bo doesn’t show up, there will still be Gu Yue Mo Chen and Chi Lian who would come out to defend their reputation.”

“As for Jia Fu, he should be certain that Jia Gui is the culprit now. With the flames of revenge burning in his chest, hehe, I am looking forward to it. With my interference, their sibling conflict would be elevated. I wonder if that Gu Master competition would be brought forward?”

“Oh yes, there is still that divine investigator Tie Leng Xue. Tie Leng Xue… hmph.” Fang Yuan repeated this name, and after half a beat, lightly smiled, “Among the righteous path, this is indeed a character. Unfortunately he is riddled with official business and has a tight schedule. For this matter, it is not easy to get him to come. Jia Fu wants to show his attitude thus he has to invite him, but the time is hard to gauge, at the very least it should be arranged in two to three year’s time.”

In two to three years, he would have Rank two or three cultivation. By then, life would be in a completely different sight.

The night wind blew over with the fresh cool air of the mountains, penetrating with a kind of fragrance.

Fang Yuan breathed in, feeling more refreshed.

He looked into the distance, his field of view wide. The unrestrained mountains were picturesque, looking tranquil and auspicious under the moon.

“The bright moon illuminates among pines, the clear spring flows upon stone.” Fang Yuan lightly recited, he could not help but think of a verse from a fable from Earth.

There were a group of monkeys that pursued the moon. They saw the moon in the well, and they wanted to fish it up. The monkey from behind grabbed hold of the tail of the monkey before it, and the monkey before it grabbed ahold of the monkey in front of him. Thus this went on repeatedly until the first monkey was able to touch the water surface of the well.

Once it stretched out its hand, the water rippled and the moon disappeared.

People in this world were like this. They would see the reflection of the moon, and think that it is the real thing.

Not knowing it was just the moon in the well, the moon in their eyes, or simply the moon in their hearts.

“In this life I hope to become the real moon, rising above the mountains and heavens, toying with the clouds and seas, following the ancient times and walk in the darkness above the various heavens.” Fang Yuan’s eyes were crystal clear, and the beautiful green mountains were reflected on his pupils.

On the hill, the thin body of a teenager stood silently.

A golden moon wheel shaped like a disk suspended high in the night sky.

It has existed since ancient times, travelling through the night sky, casting the small shadow of the teenager faintly onto the limestones.

Chapter 60: Passage behind the broken wall, how can the legacy be easily obtained?

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The night sky of early summer is beautiful.

There was not a single cloud floating in the sky, and the stars flickered like crystals, shining with emotionally moving radiance.

Sandalwood crickets appeared on stage to take over the place of the dragonpill crickets, and they sang their emotional songs in the grassy bushes, creeks and tree branches.

The Gu Yue Village was radiantly lit, as if it was reflecting the bright starry sky.

One by one the dark green bamboo houses stood in the night wind, and beneath the star dome it had a tranquil and peaceful ambience.

Fang Yuan was not in the village now, but he had snuck into the secret cave among the rock cracks.

He half-kneeled on the ground, his hand caressing the image wall, his palm emitting a lump of blue-coloured moonlight.

On the image wall, the original scene was already gone, and it was now no different from the other surrounding stone walls. If Fang Yuan did not remember this position, who else would know that hidden under this image wall was Flower Wine Monk’s strength inheritance?

On a night over a month ago, the image wall transformed and the Flower Wine Monk’s secret hideout appeared. The image wall first showed a video of Flower Wine Monk bathed in blood, but proclaimed he was leaving his inheritance. Next was a line of bloody words, hinting for the discoverer to break the image wall and the cave opening would appear. Then the words vanished, and the image wall’s Photo-audio Gu’s strength was depleted, and the image wall went back to being an ordinary wall.

Although he knew about the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance, Fang Yuan did not have the time to explore it.

As it was an unexpected occurrence, he had to kill Jia Jin Sheng on the spot and was busy that night getting rid of the evidence. Towards the impending interrogation, he had to plot carefully and had restricted his activities inside the village.

Until when Jia Fu left and after the academy elder stopped his investigations, about ten days later, the attention had waded and Fang Yuan could finally sneak back into the cave.

In the aperture, the green copper sea was reducing as Fang Yuan deployed his primeval essence into the Moonlight Gu on his right palm.

The Moonlight Gu emitted a gentle moonlight and flickered continuously. Under its effect, the rock wall was shaved off slowly, and large amounts of rock powder fell on the ground.

This was Fang Yuan’s extensive control of the Moonlight Gu, the same method he used to open the gambling rocks.

Compared to opening rocks, this method was more coarse, but in breaking this thick rock wall, this method seemed a little too gentle.

This was the sixth day that Fang Yuan was using the Moonlight Gu to shave the rock wall.

On the floor was a thick pile of dark red coloured rock powder.

Logically speaking, Qing Mao Mountain’s soil was all green-coloured. But here, the soil were strangely bright red and emitted a dark glow.

But fortunately so, because of this source of light, Fang Yuan did not need to prepare a torch.

In order to avoid being suspected, Fang Yuan did not use any tools. Steel hammers and pickaxe were undoubtedly better for breaking the rock wall, but if he did, the sound of the wall breaking would reverb all over the area.

Regardless of whether the outside world would hear a faint or loud noise, Fang Yuan wanted to eliminate all such possible suspicious points.

Fine details often decided in one’s victory or defeat.

To Fang Yuan, being cautious is not just his good point, it was more like a habit to him.

In his past life he had been careless and carefree, but he quickly paid a hefty price. There is a saying that goes, ‘people get more cowardly when they age’. Yet actually this is not cowardness, but patient cautiousness. 500 years of experience ingrained the word caution into his soul.

“Puff…” Taking in a deep breath, Fang Yuan slowly stopped the transmission of his primeval essence.

He plopped onto the ground, extremely exhausted.

He had dug around three inches of thickness out of the entire slab of image wall that was the height of half a man.

Fang Yuan wiped the sweat off his forehead while exercising his shoulders and stretching his legs. Due to long hours of squatting, a sense of numbness was felt from his legs.

‘Knock, knock, knock’.

Fang Yuan bent his fingers and knocked on the rock wall.

Hearing the sound, he was slightly happy in his heart, as he could tell the wall was getting thinner.

Closing his eyes to meditate, he checked the situation inside his aperture once again.

The green copper primeval essence had less than 20% left.

“Continue working hard!” Fang Yuan grit his teeth and stretched out his right hand again on the rock wall.

The water-blue coloured moonlight sustained a glow for around fifteen minutes, then Fang Yuan suddenly halted his actions. He took out his right arm and found out that the rock wall had a small hole in it already.

He immediately stood up and kicked.

With a thunderous noise, the hole expanded and became as big as a bamboo basket.

Fang Yuan cautiously took a few steps backwards. He felt a sense of staleness emitting from the hole and permeating into this secret cave.

The secret cave’s ventilation was not good. Fang Yuan thought about it for a moment and decided to leave the rock crack, returning to the outside world.

Only after a while did he return.

The stale feeling in the cave was slightly better than earlier, and Fang Yuan continued to expand the size of the hole, sometimes using the Moonlight Gu, and at other times using his hands to dig, or his legs to kick. After a while, he finally expanded the hole into a size that he could fit into.

Looking from the hole, there was a diagonal path downwards.

The path was initially narrow, but the deeper it was, the wider it got. A person must lower their head when entering at first, but towards the latter half of the path, they are able to take large strides with straightened backs.

The cave’s walls were a weird red soil colour, emitting a faint red glow. This caused the passage’s interior to be visible.

But the path was very long and extended beyond what the eye could see. Due to the angle, Fang Yuan could not see what was at the end of the path.

He stood at the cave entrance and did not immediately step in, instead squinting and standing on the spot.

A strength inheritance was not like a legacy inheritance.

Legacy was when a Gu Master died and left behind his belongings. Those who find this legacy can find the items on the corpse.

A strength inheritance is when a Gu Master who is on the verge of death and reluctant to let his legacy go extinct, or to benefit the future generations, or wants to leave behind his last trace of existence in the world, purposely set hurdles to test the people who arrive.

Taking the Flower Wine Monk for example, he set up this inheritance with a clear objective – it is to nurture an avenger, to take revenge on the Gu Yue clan!

If the person who comes along is able to pass these trials he(she) would obtain all sorts of benefits. The person who gets through the final test would obtain the entire strength inheritance.

According to the two factions, strength inheritance is split into the righteous inheritance and the demonic inheritance.

Righteous inheritances often had exquisite design, to test the nature and character of the person. Those who fail midway, would not be in any mortal danger.

Demonic inheritance was more complex.

Those demonic cultivators were often insane and persistent, cold-blooded, or a mass murderer, unable to be assessed by normal standards.

Some demonic inheritances had trials that tested the mind. With lots of mind-boggling decisions to make, a lot of people would fall into deep and painful thoughts without getting a single result.

Some demonic inheritances were extremely simple, being a secret room with Gu worms and primeval stones inside.

Some demonic inheritances were extremely cruel, and failure midway often spelled death.

Some were more extreme – a few demonic cultivator’s inheritances were a huge lie, being a giant trap itself. They followed the rules of ‘bringing someone down with them’, and even right before dying, they would set up this trial and trick others.

“Which type does Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance belong to?” Fang Yuan thought deeply.

With his previous life’s memories, he was clear of any future famous demonic inheritances. But this one in particular, no one discovered it in his lifetime, and Fang Yuan was left unaware of the details.

“By right, the chances of a trap isn’t high. Otherwise the Flower Wine Monk would not design this image wall. But is there a hidden mechanism?”

Fang Yuan picked up a rock and threw it into the cave.

The rock rolled in the path and quickly rolled out of Fang Yuan’s sight; he could hear a series of colliding sounds echoing in the cave.

Fang Yuan fell into deep thought. The rock testing results showed that it was safe.

But he did not enter the path yet, and instead took out some rock powder and spread it around the entrance of the secret cave. At the same time, he spread a layer on the rock crack entrance.

Next, he squeezed out of the narrow rock crack and left the place.

Around a few hundred meters from the river in a hidden bush, he found the green bamboo wine that he had brought along this time. Opening the seal, he drank a huge mouthful and purposely spilled some of the liquor, getting it on his clothes and making him smell of alcohol.

Carrying the wine, he went back to the village, and upon reaching the school hostel, it was exactly midnight.

If he did not return at night often, people would get suspicious. This was better, going out early at night and returning late at night.

When finding the Liquor worm, Fang Yuan already did this, and with that background, such behaviour was not peculiar.

The stars fade and the sun appears, a night of silence.

Chapter 61: Life hanging on a grass rope

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The bright morning sun shone on Qing Mao Mountain.

In the academy, the elder spoke about important details. “Tomorrow, we are choosing the second Gu worm for refinement. Everyone here has experience in successfully refining Gu worms, and this time you can solidify your experiences. For the selection of the second Gu worm, consider it carefully. With the experience of cultivating these few days and understanding of your own body, consider it as a whole. Normally, it is best if you pair the second Gu well with your vital Gu.”

A Gu Master’s first Gu was known as the vital Gu, and once it was chosen it would be the footing stone of their development. After that, the second and third Gu worm would be nurtured upon this footing stone and decide the Gu Master’s cultivating direction.

After hearing the academy elder’s words, the youngsters began to ponder, and only Fang Yuan was sleeping soundly on the table.

He had worked hard for half the night yesterday, and after returning to the hostel, he still continued in his Gu Master cultivation, nurturing his aperture. When the sun had risen, only then did he sleep.

The academy elder looked at Fang Yuan and frowned, but did not say anything.

Ever since the clan leader spoke to him, he had adopted a ‘let Fang Yuan do as he wishes, I am not going to give a care’ attitude.

“Which Gu worm should I choose?” As the students thought about it, they subconsciously looked towards Fang Yuan.

“Speaking of which, Fang Yuan already has his second Gu worm.”

“Yeah, that is but a Liquor worm; to actually get a Liquor worm out of gambling rocks, his luck is off the charts!”

“If I had the Liquor worm, I would advance to middle stage first too huh?”

The students’ thoughts varied, having admirers and jealous people among them.

Ever since that day after the interrogation, Fang Yuan’s Liquor worm was successfully exposed. The origins of the liquor worm did not raise suspicion. The clansmen were both enlightened and also exasperated at Fang Yuan’s luck.

“Why don’t I have such luck, sigh!” Gu Yue Chi Cheng who was also a C grade talent sighed deeply in his heart.

Quite a while ago, his grandfather had asked around and tried to procure a Liquor worm for him. To think that even as a family branch’s inheritor, he was not able to have one; to think Fang Yuan managed to get the Liquor worm before him.

Compared to Chi Cheng’s envy and depression, vice chairman Fang Zheng was full of spirit.

“Brother, I will definitely surpass you.” He looked at Fang Yuan and said in his heart before looking away.

These days his eyes were shining with light, and he felt a sort of excitement towards life. His face was flushing red and his forehead was glowing, even his steps were quicker and lighter.

The academy elder saw all of it, and immediately understood that the Gu Yue clan leader had started secretly teaching Fang Zheng.

These underhand methods were obviously not for the public to know.

The academy elder turned a blind eye to this.

Soon it was night once more.

Fang Yuan entered the secret cave again.

Ring ring ring……

In his hand, a wild rabbit was struggling, and there was a bell was on its neck.

This was a wild rabbit that Fang Yuan caught on the mountain, the bell was naturally attached by him.

After a day, the stuffy smell in the secret cave has dissipated, and the air was fresh.

The cave’s passage entrance was open; it was silent inside. Fang Yuan half-kneeled on the floor as he inspected the floor. Yesterday he had sprayed rock powder all over the area, and this thin layer of powder was inconspicuous.

“The passage entrance’s rock powder is intact, thus it seems that during my absence, nothing strange has crawled out of it. The rock crack entrance does have a footprint, but that’s mine, so evidently no one else had come here.” Fang Yuan felt at ease after his inspection.

He stood up, using his hands to pull the dead vines from the wall. Next he sat on the ground and his leg was used to hold the wild rabbit in place, leaving his two hands free to weave the vines.

This was work that normal Gu Masters wouldn’t know, but Fang Yuan had too much life experience. In his past life, many a time was he so poor that he couldn’t afford to feed his Gu worms, leaving them to starve to death one by one.

For a time, he had primeval essence but no Gu worms; he became just like a mortal person, even living was difficult. Having no choice, he learned to weave the grass ropes into straw sandals, hats etc. and sold them in exchange for primeval stone fragments to feed himself.

While twisting the grass ropes in his hands, Fang Yuan’s memories resurfaced.

The anguish and suffering from back then had transformed into his soundless laughter now. The rabbit underneath his foot continued to struggle, the bell ringing nonstop.

A pair of two strings touch for long, ten thousands of twists and thousands of returns make their inseparable love numerous. (1)

Delicately and slowly, with the passing of years, letting them converge. Complications, entanglements and turns present.

Weaving the grass ropes, isn’t it just like experiencing life?

In the secret cave, the red light shone onto Fang Yuan’s face, showing his youthfulness and experience intertwining together on his face.

Time seemed to have stopped too, silently appreciating the young man weaving his ropes.

Ring ring ring…

An hour later, the wild rabbit rapidly entered the passageway, the bell on its neck ringing continuously. In a few breaths it left Fang Yuan’s field of vision.

Fang Yuan held onto the improvised grass rope that he wove temporarily, and on one end the rope was attached to the rabbit’s hind leg, dragging into the tunnel with it.

After a while, the rope stopped all movement.

But this did not mean the rabbit had reached the end of the tunnel. It could have been killed by a trap or just decided to take a rest midway.

Fang Yuan began to pull at the rope, retrieving it. The rope gradually tightened as he tugged.

On the other end, a force of strength suddenly tugged back as the rope started to move towards the cave again.

Evidently the rabbit on the other side had felt the tugging force and in its fluster, started to move deeper into the cave.

After many attempts, the rabbit finally reached the end of the path, and no matter how Fang Yuan tugged at the rope, it only tightened and relaxed.

Maybe the rabbit had reached the end of the tunnel, or maybe it had fallen into a trap and got stuck.

It was simple to test and find out the answer.

Fang Yuan started to retrieve the rope. His strength surpassed the rabbit by a mile, and eventually he dragged the rabbit out by force.

The rabbit struggled at the other end, but the rope was made from materials acquired from the Wine Sack Flower Gu and Rice Pouch Grass Gu. Although it had been dead for years, it remained sturdy unlike normal grass.

The wild rabbit was once again in Fang Yuan’s hands jumping about. Fang Yuan inspected the wild rabbit and saw that it had no injuries, then he finally breathed out in relief.

“For now, it seems that this segment of the passageway is safe.”

With this result, the rabbit thus lost its value and Fang Yuan killed it instantly, throwing the corpse on the ground.

He could not let the rabbit go, for animals also had memories. If it came back again, and like the Liquor worm, attracted outsiders, that would be very bad.

He breathed in deeply. After several tries and probes, he finally stepped into the passageway carefully.

Even with the wild rabbit exploring, there were many traps and mechanisms that specially targeted only humans. A small animal like the wild rabbit would be unable to trigger it. Thus, Fang Yuan still had to be careful.

The tunnel was straight, diagonally slanting towards the bottom. The deeper it was, the wider and taller the passage became.

Fang Yuan had to lower his head when entering at first, but after more than fifty steps, he was able to take large strides with a straightened back, and after a hundred steps, he could walk while lifting his upper arms and brandishing them left and right.

The tunnel was not that long, it was only around 300 meters. But Fang Yuan spent around two hours venturing before he finally reached the end of the path.

On the way, he was vigilant and explored step by step. At the end of the path, he was already sweating profusely.

“It is so troublesome without a detection Gu worm.” Fang Yuan wiped the sweat off his forehead and after confirming his safety, calmed down and inspected the area.

This time at one glance, he was stunned.

At the end of the tunnel, there was a huge rock. The rock’s surface was smooth and protruded towards Fang Yuan’s direction, resembling Jia Fu’s belly.

This rock alone halted Fang Yuan’s progression.

Other than this huge rock, there was nothing around Fang Yuan.

“Is it because of an accident that the tunnel path was blocked, causing this?” Fang Yuan squinted as he thought about the possibilities.

Before the Flower Wine Monk died, he was eager to set up the inheritance. He used the Thousand Li Earthwolf Spider and created a tunnel path. The path led deep within the mountains and to guide the inheritor in.

After hundreds of years, the passage was unable to withstand the corrosion of time and at one point, one of the areas collapsed due to lack of maintenance.

All sorts of accidents often happen in life.

“If this is the case, won’t I be stuck at this point?” He went forward and touched the rock. This rock was halting his progression, its size was like a door, one could only imagine its overall thickness.

Fang Yuan could use the Moonlight Gu to carve away at the rock wall, but if he wanted to grind off this huge rock, it would take at least a year or two.

“It seems like I’m forced to use tools, I’ll need to use spades and pickaxes to break the rock. Except if I do this, I might reveal some traces. The construction sounds might also travel out.” Thinking of this, Fang Yuan frowned deeply. He was weighing the pros and cons.

If the risk was too huge, he would rather give up this strength inheritance.

After all, if others found out this secret, all the plotting and acting that Fang Yuan had done would go to waste, and his life would even be in danger!

(1) Seems to be a line from a poem.

Chapter 62: Choosing Gu again in the Gu storage room

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The sun rises, signifying the arrival of another day.

The students lined up properly, faces flushed with excitement as they stood before the academy Gu storage room.

Today was the day where they would pick their second Gu!

As the first to advance to middle stage, Fang Yuan had the priority in choosing, thus he stood at the front of the queue.

Behind him was Gu Yue Mo Chen, Gu Yue Fang Zheng and Gu Yue Chi Cheng.

Creak.

The Gu storage room’s door was opened by the guards, and Fang Yuan was the first to set foot into it.

The Gu room was not big, but was a sight to behold. The surrounding walls had square holes in them, some were big but others were small, holding all sorts of containers in them.

There was rock pots, jade pots, cages made of weaved grass, and some porcelain ware.

All sorts of Gu worms, being all Rank one, were stored in these containers. The academy probably spent more than 1000 primeval stones every day just to feed these Gu worms.

Fang Yuan glanced through and found that in many containers, they were already empty, having no Gu worms inside.

The Gu worms in the storage room were replenished once a year. Previously when they were choosing their vital Gu, most of the youngsters chose the Moonlight Gu, thus the storage room had no moonlight Gu left at the moment.

The storage room had no windows, there was only a small skylight at the rooftop.

The sunlight shone in from the skylight and formed a rectangular golden image on the ground.

The first time when he entered the Gu room, Fang Yuan already had an objective and chose the Moonlight Gu immediately. But now, he had several possible targets in his mind.

Yet these targets also depended on whether there was stock in the storage room.

Fang Yuan moved along the left wall and strolled inside slowly while examining the catalogue.

Five steps later, he paused.

A square box frame near his shoulder had a bronze bowl inside, and within it was a Gu worm.

This Gu worm was like a bedbug, flat and wide with a small head, having an oval body. It was yellow-orange throughout, and emitted a faint bronze-like glow.

This was the Bronze Skin Gu, the choice for most close-combat Gu Masters. The academy’s martial arts instructor raised such a Gu, and once activated, causes the body to glow yellow, greatly raising defense.

Fang Yuan’s knowledge was deep and broad, so of course he did not have any urge for this Gu. He continued forward and saw a Stone Skin Gu.

The Stone Skin Gu and Bronze Skin Gu were similar in appearance, but the Stone Skin Gu’s body was grey instead, like an art piece made of rock.

After six Stone Skin Gu, there was the Iron Skin Gu.

Iron Skin Gu and Bronze Skin Gu were outwardly similar but with only a tiny difference. It was silently staying in a iron bowl, unmoving. It emitted a black iron-like glow around its body.

As humans have clans, so do Gu.

The three Gu that Fang Yuan saw simultaneously were all from the same series. They were similar in appearance and had similar effects.

“Iron Skin, Bronze Skin, Rock Skin, Jade Skin Gu….. if there is a Jade Skin Gu, I might as well choose it.” Fang Yuan mumbled as his heart felt a tiny flicker of expectation rising, and he continued walking.

However he was destined to be disappointed, for after the Iron Skin Gu, he saw the Beast Skin Gu.

The Jade Skin Gu and Beast Skin Gu belonged to the same series as the Bronze Skin Gu etc. But they had great difference in value – the Beast Skin Gu was the most common, even cheaper than the Rock Skin Gu, but it had more evolutionary lines and could fuse with more varieties of Gu.

The Jade Skin Gu was the most rare Gu in this series. Its market value was only second to the Liquor worm, and at times the price would fluctuate and rival with the Liquor worm itself.

Fang Yuan took a look, but he did not find a Jade Skin Gu. He was not disappointed, but laughed in relief, “Gu Yue village is just a middle-sized clan, the academy Gu storage room is only of middle tier quality. To have a Jade Skin Gu, that is rather impossible.”

The left side of the wall had already been inspected, so Fang Yuan swapped to another wall and continued strolling.

On this wall, there was mostly the Longhorn Beetle Gu.

Similar to the Skin Gu series, Longhorn Beetle Gu was a large clan among the Rank one Gu worms.

Their outer appearances were similar – they had long and circular cylinder figures, the back area having many outlines. A large part of the body was a black colour, giving out a metallic luster. It had a pair of feelers that were long and exceeded the body size; its chin was strong and it gave out screeching noises, like the sound of timber being sawed. With this, a few Gu Masters from some places would call them as the ‘sawing tree bunch’.

What first entered Fang Yuan’s vision was a Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu.

Its entire body was a red metallic colour, and it had a pair of antennae that was coarser than the usual Longhorn Beetle ones. On the top surface of the antenna there was a bamboo joint-like growth with every small interval.

This Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu was highly sought after in the market; earlier the caravan that came to the Gu Yue village had people who sold large numbers of this Gu.

The Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu gave Gu Masters temporary super strength. It had the reputation of the strength of one bull, and could sustain for five breaths.

But it had two weaknesses.

One was that every activation consumed too much primeval essence. Rank one middle stage required 10% primeval essence, but if converted to initial stage, it would consume 20%.

Another was sequela. If the Gu Master had a weak constitution, using this Gu a lot would cause their muscles to get injured, even experiencing muscle tearing. Only Gu Masters with a strong body would choose to use this Gu. A small-sized person like Fang Yuan was unsuitable for it.

Fang Yuan knew this too, and walked past the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu, continuing to look around.

“Oh? This is not bad.” He halted his steps.

It was a Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle Gu.

The beetle’s figure was a tiny bit thinner and longer than the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu, the entire body coated in dark yellow colour. Its pair of long feelers did not have bamboo joints, and the roots were yellow in colour, slowly fading into black at the tip.

The Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu could grant a Gu Master temporary strength, and this type of strength was immediate, only lasting for five breaths. But the Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle Gu could grant the Gu Master durability and allow their stamina expenditure to be greatly reduced, however it could only sustain for fifteen minutes. At the same time it had no repercussions.

Among the Rank one Gu worms, the Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle had high market value, comparable to the Moonlight Gu and only losing to the Jade Skin Gu and Liquor worm.

Fang Yuan inspected the surroundings and found that there was only one Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle.

“The Gu is not bad, but it is not compatible with me.” Fang Yuan shook his head, giving up this Gu.

Very quickly he walked and reached the corner of the wall, having finished looking at the second wall, but he was not satisfied.

The Gu in the storage room were only of this quality, and if he wanted to get lucky or get a surprise Gu, the chances were slim.

Fang Yuan turned to the third wall and continued inspecting.

On this wall, the Boar Gu were dominant.

Boar Gu was a series among the Gu worm.

There’s the Flower Boar Gu, Pink Boar Gu, Black Boar Gu and White Boar Gu.

Pink Boar Gu had the least value, almost no Gu Masters chose them. It only had one ability, and that is to gain weight. After a Gu Master injects their primeval essence, the Pink Boar Gu would change their constitution and cause them to get fat. No matter how skinny they were, they would be able to become a big fat person.

There was only two to three Pink Boar Gu in the storage room, obviously of no nurturing value.

The Flower Boar Gu was the most abundant, having a dozen at least lining into a row. These Gu worms had flower patterns on the surface, either white and black, black and pink, or white and pink. There were even some that had all three colours.

The Flower Boar Gu’s use was similar to the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu, temporarily adding strength to the Gu master.

The Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu gave one bull’s strength, and the Flower Boar Gu gave one boar’s strength. The Flower Boar Gu spent the same amount of primeval essence as the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu but could sustain for ten breaths, twice of the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu.

This was because the Gu Master gained lesser strength, thus lesser side effects.

“The Flower Boar Gu is the most common Gu worm, and it is sold most abundantly in the market. It’s price is half of the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu, truly value for money. But among the Boar Gu clan, only those two last Gu has greater value, being even more expensive than the Jade Skin Gu and Liquor worm!” Fang Yuan’s eyes showed a light of deep thoughts.

A Black Boar Gu or a White Boar Gu could sell for 600 primeval stones in the market. Once it appeared, it was often sold immediately.

The Black and White Boar Gu’s ability was to change the Gu Master’s body constitution and raise their strength permanently.

Although the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle could grant a bull’s strength, it could only last five breaths, uses too much energy to sustain and had strong after-effects.

The Black and White Boar’s strength increment, although little at a time, would be accumulative over time and once obtained, the strength would belong to the Gu Master wholly. Even if the Gu dies, this strength will still remain on the Gu Master’s body.

This is the reason why the Black and White Boar Gu’s value is higher than the Liquor

Worm.

The public recognises that the Liquor worm’s value should be slightly inferior to the Black or White Boar Gu.

The Liquor worm can only refine primeval essence, and after an intense battle, a Gu Master’s primeval essence is easily depleted. For the remainder of the battle, they can only rely on their martial arts and their physical strength. This is when the White and Black Gu show their worth; they are more reliable than the Liquor worm.

“If I can refine a Black Boar Gu or White Boar Gu, that would be good.” Fang Yuan was just imagining the scenario, but with this type of Gu storage room which only has one Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle, how can there be White or Black Boar Gu which are so rare?

He walked another round and saw all the Gu worms the room had to offer. As expected, there was nothing that truly captivated him.

At last, he retrieved a Little Light Gu at a corner of the wall.

There were five Little Light Gu in the storage room.

This Gu was oddly shaped, looking like a pentagram, and only half as large as a fingernail.

The Little Light Gu was mainly paired with the Moonlight Gu, a common assistance-type Gu worm for the Moonlight Gu. To Fang Yuan had chosen this Gu, it was merely an average option, but at least it suited his development path.

“Fang Yuan is out.”

“Geez, finally out after so long.”

“I wonder what Gu he chose?”

“He already has the Liquor worm, this is his third Gu, maybe he won’t be able to raise them properly. Hehe.”

Fang Yuan leisurely walked out of the storage room. The students were outside for such a long time and had started to become restless.

“It’s my turn! I wonder what Gu has Fang Yuan chosen?” Once Gu Yue Mo Chen saw Fang Yuan stepping out he hurriedly took big steps and entered the storage room.

He checked and found that the sole Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle was still there. Mo Chen could not refrain from becoming overjoyed, immediately taking it away.

Afterwards, Fang Zheng went in.

“I have the Moonlight Gu for offense, but I lack a defensive-type Gu worm.” Gu Yue Fang Zheng after long consideration, decided to choose a Bronze Skin Gu.

Gu Yue Chi Cheng was the fourth to enter.

“I need an evasion ability, so in future battles I will be able to hit others, but others cannot hit me. I’ll be virtually unbeatable.” He looked left and right, and finally chose a Dragonpill cricket Gu.

Chapter 63: Gifting the jade skin under the moon; white boar hidden in the ground flower

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The sun lowers and the moon rises, the signal of the arrival of nightfall.

This was one of the concealed courtyards in the Gu Yue Village.

A locust tree that stood with complicated branches and luxuriant leaves, its robust and spacious treetop that was like a jasper imperial canopy, enveloped the entire courtyard.

The moonlight was gentle like water, travelling through the leaves and branches of the locust tree, spilling into the courtyard.

A gust of wind blew over, sending the tree leaves rustling, the shadows of the tree swaying slightly.

It was under this tree that two people stood.

Gu Yue Bo used a gentle gaze and looked at Fang Zheng. “Fang Zheng, today you chose your second Gu, I wonder what it is?”

“Reporting to clan leader sir, today I chose a Bronze Skin Gu.” Gu Yue Fang Zheng stood rigid, saying with a look of admiration.

Gu Yue Bo nodded, and after pondering he replied, “Not bad, it is a good choice.”

Gu Yue Fang Zheng stood before Gu Yue Bo, his body tensed and tightened. Hearing Gu Yue Bo’s praise, he did not know how to reply for a while, so in the end he only laughed, “Clan leader, I chose randomly.”

“You think I’m not serious in praising you? No.” Gu Yue Bo stared at Fang Zheng, a smile on his face, “Do you know? From choosing a Gu, it shows a person’s disposition.”

“You chose the Bronze Skin Gu for defense. Paired with the Moonlight Gu, it is both offense and defense. This shows your pure nature. In this world, offense and defense are like frontal and ambush, yin and yang, soft and hard, this is the king’s path.”

“Gu Yue Mo Bei chose the Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle, this Gu grants stamina and allows him to sustain battle. This shows his stubborn and strong attitude.”

“As for Gu Yue Chi Cheng, he chose the Dragonpill cricket Gu, allowing him to increase his dodging ability. This shows he does not like frontal attacks, being a witty person, good at tactics, but also showed the weakness in his character.”

Gu Yue Fang Zheng was stunned after listening, for he did not expect that such a simple matter could reveal that much information and logic.

Consequently, his attitude towards Gu Yue Bo became even more respectful.

“Clan leader, what did my brother choose?” Fang Zheng thought of Fang Yuan and immediately asked.

Gu Yue Bo laughed, “He chose the Little Light Gu, this Gu is used to assist the Moonlight Gu and can make the moonblade attack stronger. This shows his extreme, active and invasive personality.”

“Indeed, big brother seems to be like that.” Fang Zheng muttered.

Gu Yue Bo took Fang Zheng’s expression into consideration and etched it into his mind.

Those who were rulers had their unique ability. Although Gu Yue Bo and Fang Zheng did not interact for long, Gu Yue Bo’s experienced gaze had already seen through Fang Zheng.

Him telling Fang Zheng about Mo Bei and Chi Cheng’s decisions had deeper meaning.

It was to help Fang Zheng analyze these two people, for he anticipated him defeating the two of them and establishing the role of clan leader with his A grade talent.

But Gu Yue Bo would not say it out loud, and would not instigate Fang Zheng’s actions.

As the clan leader, his every word and action had political implications. If he directly controlled Fang Zheng and dealt with Chi Cheng and Mo Bei, if words spread it might be misunderstood as the clan leader’s political assault. If that’s the case, the implication would be huge and it might even cause a clan dispute, harming the entire village.

There was another point – Gu Yue Bo was waiting for Fang Zheng to understand his intentions. He spent time and effort to nurture Fang Zheng, but it was not to nurture a Rank four or five fighter. A fighter without political knowledge was like a double edged sword. He needed the future leader for the clan!

“I analyzed Mo Bei and Chi Cheng’s personality for Fang Zheng, but he did not notice my intention, instead asking about Fang Yuan’s situation. It seems that he has great trauma regarding Fang Yuan, but he is also at his rebellious stage. He wants to beat Fang Yuan, that’s understandable. Sigh, if only Fang Zheng had Fang Yuan’s intelligence, I’ve seen many youngsters these years, but when it comes to political wits, Fang Yuan tops them all. It is a pity he only has C grade talent.”]

Gu Yue Bo sighed internally but his smile got even more gentle.

He took out a Gu worm from his pocket.

“This is —– Jade Skin Gu?” Fang Zheng on seeing this Gu worm, said lightly with his eyes wide open.

Gu Yue Bo said, “Compared to the Bronze Skin Gu, this Jade Skin Gu is much better, not only using less primeval essence but also gives greater defense. Fang Zheng, do you want it?”

“Clan leader!” Fang Zheng was shocked and he looked at Gu Yue Bo, stuttering, “I… of course I want it.”

“I can give it to you.” Gu Yue Bo laughed even more amicably, “But as the clan leader, I have to be impartial and cannot give it to you for no reason, thus I have a condition.”

Fang Zheng nodded repeatedly, staring widely, “What condition?”

Gu Yue Bo’s smile vanished, showing a stern expression, “I want you to be the first to breakthrough Rank one into Rank two, be the first place in terms of cultivation! And this Jade Skin Gu is your advancement reward.”

“Ah, advance to Rank two?” Gu Yue Fang Zheng hesitated for a moment. He had just become Rank one middle stage; after middle stage was upper stage, and after that there was still peak stage.

But now Gu Yue Bo wanted to him to be the first person to advance to Rank two.

“What’s wrong, are you afraid? Then I can only give this Gu to others.” Gu Yue Bo pretended to keep the Jade Skin Gu.

Fang Zheng was incited by this sentence, immediately his brain heated up as he shouted, “No, I promise you! I will defeat everyone and be the first Rank two cultivator!”

“That’s the way.” Gu Yue Bo showed his gentle smile again, placing the Jade Skin Gu on Fang Zheng’s hand.

He thought in his heart, “Fang Zheng, I know you feel inferior, but this inferiority complex is too harmful to your growth. The best way to dispel your inferiority is success. You have A grade talent, so advancing to Rank two first is your greatest advantage, and also the easiest success you can achieve. You must succeed, for if you fail even this, I would be too disappointed.”

At the same time, Fang Yuan stepped into the secret cave behind the rock crack again, getting into the end of the tunnel.

This time, he did not bring any steel spade, pickaxe or hammer, but carefully observed the surroundings. He was discouraged by this setback the previous night, and on the way back to the village he felt something amiss.

Only today in the dormitory where he used the Spring Autumn Cicada to refine the Little Light Gu did he suddenly understand the weird part of this situation.

“This huge rock blocking my path is too round and smooth, this is definitely man made. That is to say, the Flower Wine Monk purposely set this to block to path, but why did he set this hurdle at such a place?” Fang Yuan pondered.

He looked at the surroundings again.

The ground of the path was smooth and the top was curved; the walls on both sides were red soil, emitting a red light.

“Eh?” When he looked at the ground again, he found a point of suspicion.

The ground near the giant rock was slightly darker in colour. This colour difference was not very obvious and not easily found under such a dimly lit environment.

Fang Yuan knelt down, touching the ground, feeling a sense of wetness.

No wonder the colour was darker, it was wet.

But this path was so dry, where was the water coming from?

Fang Yuan grinded the soil with his fingers, finding out that the soil on this patch of earth had issues. It was very soft and loose, not lumpy like the dry red soil.

Fang Yuan’s gaze shone. Experience and intuition told him that this area had the ‘key’ that the Flower Wine Monk had hidden.

And this ‘key’ was the clue that would allow him to continue moving forward.

Fang Yuan began to dig the soil. It was loose so he did not spend much effort.

After digging for around an inch deeper, there was a peculiar fragrance rushing into Fang Yuan’s nostrils.

“This fragrance is thick and luxurious yet not common, it seems delicate and elegant, could it be…” Fang Yuan’s heart moved as he thought of a possibility, his hands moving even faster.

While digging, the area under the soil suddenly emitted a faint dark gold light.

“It really is what I’m thinking of!” Fang Yuan’s eyes shone, his hand movement becoming more delicate, carefully digging the surrounding soil away, expanding this hole.

After a while, a dark gold-coloured flower bud that was buried under the ground appeared in front of him.

It was two inches deep in the ground, around the size of a stone mill, the bud’s surface delicate and with the dark gold colour, it appeared to be mysterious and elegant.

“It really is the Earth Treasury Flower Gu!” Seeing this, Fang Yuan breathed out deeply.

He was not eager in peeling away the flower petals, but took a rest on the ground instead, wiping the soil off his hands. Then he slowly stretched his hand and pried open the dark gold-coloured petals.

The Earth Treasury Flower Gu was like the combination of a lotus and kale. Its petals were tightly knitted together with numerous thick pieces, slippery when felt. As Fang Yuan opened the petals one by one, it was like revealing thick layers of silk.

Once it left the main body, the huge dark gold-coloured petals would disperse quickly. It was like snowflakes that melted into the air.

After uncovering around fifty to sixty pieces of petals, the bud had shrunk in half, revealing the flower core.

The core’s petals were smaller and thinner, its texture becoming more smooth and fine. It was no longer like silk, but more like thin pieces of paper. .

Fang Yuan’s movements became gentler and slower, only opening a piece of petal in a few breaths.

The petals became increasingly transparent, and after a while, when Fang Yuan had opened the pieces of thin paper-like petals, he stopped his movements.

The Earth Treasury Flower Gu at this moment only had a last layer of petals left.

These petals overlapped each other, forming a fist-sized ball.

The petals were translucent, thin as paper. Inside these petals contained a golden liquid and in the middle of this liquid, a Gu worm was sleeping inside.

Fang Yuan looked intently, but he could only see a blurry shadow of the Gu worm, and he could not tell which Gu it was.

He was close to it, and his breath was blown on the flower core. The spherical flower core began to shake, the golden liquid also moving gently inside the petals.

Gu worms would die without food, and only a few Gu worms could seal themselves. To protect and conserve Gu worms, Gu Masters have had thought of many methods.

The Earth Treasury Flower Gu was one of them.

It was a one-time use type Gu, and once implanted on the ground, it could not be moved.

Its food was simple, which was earth energy. As long as it was planted on the ground, it would be able to survive with sufficient earth energy.

It only had one use, and that is to contain a Gu within the flower heart and immerse the Gu in the golden liquid.

This golden nectar could to an extent, imitate the sealing state and let Gu worms fall into hibernation.

“The Flower Wine Monk planted this Earth Treasury Flower Gu, so the Gu within has to be for the inheritor.” Fang Yuan stretched out a finger and peeled the remaining petals carefully, revealing an opening.

The golden liquid flowed out along his finger, feeling like soybean oil.

The flower core began to soften with the loss of the golden liquid. Fang Yuan moved his finger and the petals were split, allowing him to retrieve the slumbering Gu worm.

It was a cute ladybug. Only the size of the thumb’s fingernail.

Its body was a milky white colour, and if overlooked from the back, it was like a circle.

Its head only occupied a small area, while the rest of the body was its large fat stomach and bright shiny exoskeleton.

Its six tiny limbs were also cream coloured, hidden under its stomach.

“White Boar Gu!” Fang Yuan showed an expression of joy on his face.

Chapter 64: Easy to do secretly, difficult to do openly

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The temperature these few days had gotten higher.

The sun shone intensely in the afternoon, hanging right over everyone’s head.

The caravan left and the inn’s business fell again.

Fang Yuan stepped into the cafeteria, immediately attracting the attention of the shop assistants.

A familiar face rushed over and gave him a flattering smile. “Oh, young master, you’re here! Please take a seat!”

“Give me a jar of wine and cut me 600g of beef, and serve a few side dishes.” Fang Yuan strode through the cafeteria and approached the window seat that he always sat at.

The shop assistant showed a difficult expression, “Young master, my apologies but during the last time the caravan came, the innkeeper sold all of the green bamboo wine. We do not have this wine here anymore.”

Fang Yuan nodded, not feeling surprised, “Then give me a jar of rice wine and tell the innkeeper, brew more green bamboo wine this year, I am pre-ordering a hundred jars. As for how much the advance payment will be, you can count first and report to me.”

Now that the Liquor worm was exposed and did not gather any suspicion, Fang Yuan did not have to be restrained in buying wine anymore.

“Alright, I will definitely convey your words! Please be at ease young master.” The shop assistant patted his chest, sounding confident.

Soon, the dishes were served.

Fang Yuan drank and ate while staring out of the window.

In such hot weather, especially during meal times, there were few people on the streets.

The sunlight shone on the ground and the green coloured bamboo tall-houses.

A few barefooted mortal farmers carrying cement, steel spades or shoulder poles walked in front. They had just finished their farm work, and were heading home.

Two children held the bamboo frame of their windmill toy and ran about. The one behind chased while crying and shouting; it seems that the boy in front had stolen his windmill toy.

At this moment, two young Gu Masters wearing green belts walked hurriedly on the street.

“Get lost, don’t block the way!” A Gu Master pushed the farmer in front of him.

The farmers frantically gave way.

“Hmph.” The two young Gu Masters walked through arrogantly.

Fang Yuan looked with a distracted gaze in his eyes, as part of his mind was already focused on his aperture.

Within the aperture, the water wall continued to flow as his green copper primeval sea rose with raging waves.

The Liquor worm was playing around in his primeval sea, at times comfortably rolling around, and at times curling into a ball.

The Spring Autumn Cicada was in deep slumber, hiding its appearance.

The round body of the White Boar Gu spread its wings and drew circles in the sky.

The White and Black Boar Gu were equally well-known, both being precious and rare Rank one Gu worms. Their market value was even greater than the Liquor worm.

Although they had the same usage and similar appearance, their future advancement routes were greatly different.

The Black Boar Gu and the Green Silk Gu would combine into the Rank two Black Mane Gu, and then into the Rank 3 Steel Mane Gu.

But the White Boar Gu was most compatible with the Jade Skin Gu, where it would turn into Rank two White Jade Gu, and later into the Rank three Heavenly Mugwort Gu(1).

The Steel Mane Gu could let the Gu Master’s hair become tough as steel, raising both offense and defense. The Heavenly Mugwort Gu allowed the Gu Master’s body to become tough as white jade while at the same time reducing the damage from attacks such as the moonblade.

Fang Yuan was slightly happy over this.

Getting the White Boar Gu was just one aspect of it, but what made him truly happy was the Flower Wine Monk’s strength inheritance.

“The White Boar Gu can increase strength. The Flower Wine Monk set a giant rock to block the way, so it seems I need to refine this Gu and with enough strength, push the giant rock away and continue forward. This must be the first test.”

“With the Flower Wine Monk’s meticulous setup, I can infer that there has to be future inheritance trials, a second or third hurdle. Most importantly, I can confirm that he set this strength inheritance not as a trap, but with true sincerity.”

“With this inheritance, I can reach Rank three faster and leave this Qing Mao Mountain, and venture outside, gaining greater opportunities!”

What does a Gu Master need most in cultivating?

The answer is but one word — Resources.

Fang Yuan needs to cultivate, thus he needs resources. But the clan’s resources are limited, so if he wants more, he needs to fight for it.

Not only fighting for resources, he also has to be victorious.

To him, the more he fights and the more victories he obtained, the more he would reveal more of his trump cards and make others more wary.

Wariness when accumulated to an extent, would turn into suppression and hurdles blocking his path.

Fang Yuan killed a family servant, but why did the Mo family stay indifferent? Robbing the classmates, why did their family not pursue it? Fang Yuan resisted the clan and refused to be part of the system, but why did the clan leader choose to be lenient?

It is all because he is weak, because he is C grade.

They feel strong and do not feel like bullying the weak. Under the family’s system, being petty with the weak Fang Yuan not only causes them to face humiliation, it also makes others feel that the person is cold and unfeeling, ruining one’s social relationships.

Weakness was a safety umbrella that Fang Yuan had for now.

But with his continued competition for resources, Fang Yuan would appear stronger. This would make everyone start being wary of him, and begin to try recruiting him. No matter which side he chooses, he would face suppression and troubles from the other factions.

Suppression and restrictions would drag down his growing speed.

Fang Yuan was aware of his predicament, he was in a delicate position. He seemed to have offended everyone, but he had not violated any law in reality.

Yet with time, his cultivation level will rise, and conflicts will arise and worsen.

Fang Yuan knowns that this conflict would escalate, but the later it escalated, the greater benefit he would gain.

Thus, the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance was perfectly timed!

With this strength inheritance, he would have hidden resources. Using this, he could be free of the system’s control and walk his own path, cultivating at his own speed and secretly accumulate strength.

Once he was adopted into the system, he would need to side with a faction. Even if he did not want to compete, he would definitely be dragged into the political strife.

Inside the system, one is a pawn. You first have to be a proper pawn for others to use you willingly. After they trust and use you, you have the chance to climb upwards, and even during that process, you have to be careful not to become a discarded pawn.

Fang Yuan was clear of this procedure, he knew it too well. Even with his vast knowledge, there was nothing he could do to this situation. These were the rules!

The more crucial part was his C grade talent. To the clan, there was no desire in investing in him. Often he would be treated as a discarded pawn.

The most optimum progress route was to work alone. This way, he could avoid most competition. Towards the higher-ups in the village, the image he had created earlier would be sustained.

“This world’s matters, it is always easily done secretly, but difficult to do openly. Using the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance, I can cultivate and gather strength secretly without gaining attention and suppression. But the extortion has to continue, for if it stopped abruptly, it would invite suspicion, and I also need primeval stones.” Fang Yuan considered his future plans.

He really needed primeval stones.

Other teenagers of his age had only started refining and feeding a second Gu worm. He however, had also refined the Little Light Gu and recently acquired the White Boar Gu, thus having a total of four Gu worms.

Previously, he needed around one primeval stone a day just to feed the Moonlight Gu and Liquor worm. Now after calculating, he needed more than two pieces everyday just as expenditure!

If including his cultivating needs and living expenditures, he would need to use around five primeval stones a day!

Five primeval stones was enough to feed a family of three mortals for five months.

On hand at the moment, he had several hundred primeval stones, but it was not enough to sustain such an expenditure in the long run.

More importantly, the further he got, the greater his expenditure would be. Especially after advancing to Rank two, every time he tried combining Gu worms, it would be cost a huge sum.

Thinking of this, Fang Yuan felt troubled.

The matter of primeval stones was a problem, and by relying on just extortion and the resources on hand, he could only delay this problem from erupting.

Moreover, he had another problem, and that was the White Boar Gu’s feeding.

The White Boar Gu’s food was pork.

Boar, obviously referred to pigs. The Boar Gu series’ food, was all pork.

Black and White Boar Gu had huge appetites. Every five days they would need to eat around one fully grown pig’s amount of meat.

Pork in this world was not cheap, and mortals could only afford to slaughter one during the New Year celebration, and enjoy themselves. Without the large scale cultivation technique of Earth, the price of pork and beef was not something mortals could eat often. At the same time the topography of the Qing Mao Mountain was precipitous, the area of residence narrow, how much space could be allocated just for rearing livestock?

You eat what you can procure at where you live, the villagers were able to eat pork occasionally because of the hunters hunting wild boars in the mountains.

“It seems that I have to go hunting myself from now on, for pork.” Fang Yuan’s eyes shone with a glint.

Relying on the village to purchase pork, first was the expenditure of primeval stones, second was that it would attract attention. Even if you loved eating pork, how could a person eat so much in such a short period?

If he hunted himself, it would not only resolve this problem, but also alleviate his current financial stress.

“Shop assistant, bill!” Thinking of this, Fang Yuan hesitated no more, and after footing the bill, he left the inn.

These few days the academy was on break so that the students could refine their second Gu worm. Fang Yuan decided that he could use this time well. He would leave the village and scout the mountains, and then kill some wild boars and get himself some pork.

(1) Mugwort – A kind of plant. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_princeps

Chapter 65: Quickly get lost

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The mountain forest was boundless, and Fang Yuan walked through patiently.

The sunlight permeated through the huge and tall woods, shining and creating a ground of mottled and fragmentary tree shadows.

The green grass beside his feet was like a mattress, and the wild flowers bloomed with bright colours.

His ears picked up the sound of birds chirping, or the trickling of flowing water.

The further he got from the village, walking towards the outer surroundings, the more risky it was. Thus Fang Yuan was even more careful.

The wilderness was very dangerous, Gu Masters had to have at least Rank three cultivation to be able to venture the wilds alone and explore. But this did not mean they were safe, as many Rank three Gu Masters died in the wild, sometimes even Rank fours. Wild beasts, poisonous worms, human threats, and at times the weather, these were all causes of death.

However, Fang Yuan wanted to kill the wild boars which were often found around the village’s peripheral. Otherwise, the village hunters would not be able to catch wild boars.

“The environment around the village, every now and then, Gu Masters from the clan would come out and clear the area. This environment to a Rank one middle stage like me, is still safe. But I still have to be careful, wild beasts and Gu worms like to move around.”

With his experience from his previous life, Fang Yuan scouted carefully.

Time gradually passed, but Fang Yuan gained nothing.

“Damn, Qing Mao Mountain is still too big for the current me. I have no scouting-type Gu and I am not familiar with this environment, plus Qing Mao Mountain is periodically cleared up, so to find a wild boar, it is too difficult. Let’s go to the foot of the mountain!”

Fang Yuan’s scouting was unfruitful, thus he changed his mind and went to the mountain foot.

Qing Mao Mountain has three mountain villages. Gu Yue village, Xiong family village, and Bai family village. The Xiong family village was on the fore mountain, the Gu Yue mountain village was at the mountain waist, and Bai family village was at the back mountain waterfall.

Other than the three villages, there was also tens of tiny villages at the mountain foot, all being inhabited by mortals.

The three mountain villages split these small villages among themselves, being the ones controlling them behind the scenes. Once they lacked family servants, they would pick from these small villages.

But they would not choose Gu Masters.

Nurturing a Gu Master, they would only choose a clansman. Even if they knew that among these mortals were people with talent, although rare, they would still not use them.

This world was heavily sided towards bloodline, and holding power among relatives was the political stability that the clan needed.

In order to expand in size, many mountain villages had adopted outsiders into their system. Eventually their power flowed out and caused internal conflicts, thus causing the entire clan to breakdown or weaken.

No matter the world, political power was still based off military force, this is the truth.

And troops are the brute force department, representing strength. By controlling strength, one gains status and authority.

Of course, the clan’s rules are not ever constant, they also adopt new blood. Every year, there would be outsiders marrying into the clan, leaving their servant status, and the children they give birth to would be a Gu Yue, a new generation clansman.

This is like connecting a tiny stream into a spring. Do not underestimate this stream, as without it, a spring would be still, and eventually rot. With it, there would be life, and the spring would grow even stronger.

Fang Yuan’s previous servant Shen Cui was betting on this idea of marrying into a Gu Yue and leaving her servant status.

Fang Yuan left the mountain, and after thirty minutes, could see thick smoke rising from under the mountain.

After a while, he could see a wide hill in his vision, and a village around that area beside a small river.

The small villages around the vicinity were under the rule of the Gu Yue village. Although they were closeby, the small villages were not as safe, thus requiring regular clean up. For mortals to live in such conditions and manage to survive, to Fang Yuan, he naturally could accept such a fact.

“Oh?” On the mountain path nearing the village, Fang Yuan sensitively found traces on the ground. His past experience told him that this was a wild boar’s traces.

“Chase!” Fang Yuan raised his spirits as he followed the clues, getting deeper into the mountains.

Green moss spread over the stones, ancient juniper trees and tall pagoda trees completing the great forest.

Under the strong light of the sun, the mountain woods of summer was even more profound and serene. The lush underbrush suddenly moved a little.

A few deer eating the sumptuous grass looked up, vigilantly staring at the bushes, their ears twitching.

The bushes that were half a man’s height split apart, and a young man crawled out from within. His skin was pale and his black hair was short. He was wearing a modest linen shirt, it was Fang Yuan.

Swoosh.

A few wild deer were frightened, and their four thin limbs quickly moved, sprinting away. In a moment, they vanished from Fang Yuan’s vision.

“These are female deer, their fur can be shaved to make warm clothing, and deer meat is also some Gu worm’s food. If it’s a male deer, the antlers are most precious, and some are even necessary ingredients for a Gu worm’s advancement.

The wild was dangerous all over, and at the same time it had great treasures.

Fang Yuan looked at the direction that they were escaping in, and retracted his gaze. His target was wild boars, not these deer.

He continued moving.

There was the sound of buzzing.

Nearing these noises, Fang Yuan stopped in his tracks.

“Beehive.” He looked forward and saw a beehive hanging on a tree.

The bee’s nest was massive, the size was that of a wicker-basket. It appeared as a sort of greyish dark yellow colour. Outside the bee nest was a few dozen bee soldiers flying around; occasionally a few worker bees would enter and exit.

“Beehive has honey, and honey is the Bear Strength Gu’s food. Thus, the Xiong family has great demand for honey. This beehive is only a small-sized one, and the chances of producing a Gu isn’t high. If I had the Bronze Skin Gu, I could risk getting stabbed and collect the honey. What a pity.” Fang Yuan thought.

In this world, not all insects are Gu.

Gu are the spirit of the world, the body of the laws, how can it be so cheap? Among a swarm of insects, normally only the insect king is a Gu.

But that depends on their size and development, so if the swarm is too small, there is no Gu either.

Taking the beehive ahead as an example, because it is too small, there is a low chance of having a Gu.

Fang Yuan routed around this beehive and continued forward.

The traces of the wild boar was getting more evident, and Fang Yuan knew he was getting close to it, thus he became more careful, as wild boars were very dangerous.

Wild boars are not reared pig. When a mature wild boar fights with a tiger, the tiger may not win.

In this mystical world, wild beasts are not simple too.

“Oh? This situation!” When Fang Yuan finally found the wild boar, he saw that it had fallen into a huge pit. A sharpened green bamboo was situated at the bottom of the pit, where it had pierced the wild boar and was causing it to bleed.

Seeing the accumulated blood in the pit, he could tell that the boar had already been in the trap for at least fifteen minutes.

But this wild boar continued to struggle, whimpering and howling, still full of life.

“This trap is obviously set by hunters. To think I’m reaping the rewards.” Fang Yuan smiled but his expression was grim.

These traps threatened him too.

If he had fallen into it, after half a quarter of an hour, he would die.

Although the village surroundings were cleared regularly, the hunters often came to hunt and set many traps. Some could be discerned, while others were designed to be hidden, and if Fang Yuan could not discover them, he might fall into the trap.

“Any area in this mountain could have a trap buried by the hunters. But among hunters, with every trap set they would inform each other on the location. It seems I have to find an old hunter’s residence and find out about the trap locations from him. Along with the surrounding wild beasts’ activity area and with these intel, I would not have to search like trying to find a needle in a haystack.” Fang Yuan thought internally.

This was the problem of not having a scouting-type of Gu worm.

But to find a good scouting-type Gu, it was not easy.

In a short time, he could barely make do with a hunter’s intel.

With such a thought, Fang Yuan’s wrist flicked and a moonblade flew out, easily hitting the wild boar.

Whoosh!

With a light ring, the entire moonblade cut through the boar’s neck and caused a long and slender wound. Then with a plop sound, a blood fountain spewed out from it.

The spewing blood caused the wound to become bigger, and thus the blood fountain also enlarged.

The boar screeched, thrashing about with the last of its energy, until its movements became smaller and smaller……

Fang Yuan silently looked at the scene, his face calm.

The wild boar’s life faded as its eyes were staring wide and perfectly round, the muscles on its body twitching and the warm blood filling the trap hole, a thick smell of blood permeating the surrounding.

“Survival or death, this is the theme of nature.” He sighed in his heart.

At this point, human voices were heard.

“Second brother Wang, within our village, no one is better than you at hunting. Especially killing wild boars, your family’s Old Wang is the hunting king in the entire region, who would not know of his great name?”

“That’s right, second brother Wang inherited the old hunter’s abilities. To hunt a wild boar, it is naturally as good as caught!”

“Second brother Wang, why didn’t little sister Wang come with you today?”

After all the bootlicking, a grave and stern voice said, “Hmph! Hunting a wild boar, how can it show my true abilities? Today I want to kill three boars, you’ll see! Er Gou Dan, stop lusting after my sister, or I’ll thrash you!!!”

Er Gou Dan retorted, “Men and women marry when they’re of age, what’s wrong with liking little sister Wang? Moreover, I’m not the only one, which guy in your village doesn’t also fancy her too? Second brother Wang, in my opinion you are also nineteen already, you should marry a wife and have kids already.”

The voice spoke again, “Hmph, I’m a true blue man, how can I lust after such a small temptation? One day, I will leave this Qing Mao Mountain and explore the world and learn about everything under the sky, that will truly be fitting of my manly status!”

Saying so, the four young hunters walked out of the forest.

The leader hunter had a tall build, carrying a bow and arrow, his muscles bulging and his eyes full of spirit, showing a powerful aura.

When he saw Fang Yuan, he frowned and screamed, “Hmm? Which village are you from kid, how dare you try to take advantage of me Wang Er, quickly get lost!”

Chapter 66: A person’s death is akin to a pig’s death

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Get lost?” Hearing Wang Er’s words, Fang Yuan immediately broke into a cold smirk and he brandished his palm in front of him.

Swoosh.

With a light sound, a blue coloured moonblade shot forward.

At the same time, he put strength into his leg and rushed towards the four hunters.

“Gu Master?!” The hunters were stunned and shouted upon seeing the moonblade.

The moonblade had already fired over, and they rushed to evade.

Plonk.

A person did not evade fast enough, and his right forearm was hit by the moonblade. Immediately his bones and flesh split, the entire wrist and his forearm cut through and fell on the ground.

“AHHHH!”

He laid on the ground, screaming in fear and pain. His left arm was like an eagle claw gripping his right arm. His right limb spewed bright red blood non stop, quickly dyeing the floor red.

“Spare me!”

“We did not offend you intentionally!”

The other two mortals on seeing their companion’s state, went pale without a trace of blood in their face. They hurriedly got on all fours and kneeled down, kowtowing to Fang Yuan nonstop.

“Hmph, a bunch of fags, what are you afraid of? It’s just a Gu disciple!” Only Wang Er was still standing. Fang Yuan attacked without warning, and this had made him frightened and angry. His arms went behind his back, and with a swift action, he grabbed hold of the bow and arrow in his arms.

“Stop, come further and I’ll shoot you!” Wang Er retreated as he readied the arrow while screaming.

“Oh?” Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes. This Wang Er was rather intractable. Normally when mortals saw Gu Masters, they would be cowering in fear. Yet this man was able to remain calm, he must be rather bold.

Pew.

Another moonblade shot out towards Wang Er.

“Unappreciative bastard.” Wang Er snorted and killing intent rose from his heart.

He took a side step and evaded the moonblade while shooting an arrow. The arrow was fast, and with a swoosh, it reached Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan ducked, his head lowering slightly and evading the arrow as he continued rushing forward, quickly reaching Wang Er.

Wang Er bravely threw away the bow in his hand and clenched his bowl sized fist, rushing towards Fang Yuan.

He had a large build, his back strong like a wolf’s and his waist like a bee’s, and he was at least fifty centimetres taller than Fang Yuan. The sunlight shone from behind him, and as Fang Yuan rushed towards him, he could see a dark shadow hanging over his face, his eyes emitting killing intent like a wolf!

“No!!”

“Stop quickly!”

The two hunters seeing that the two were going to collide into each other, frightfully shouted.

“Die!” Wang Er’s eyes were fierce as the muscles on his face twitched, showing his sinister and insane expression, like a bloodthirsty evil wolf.

Both his fists flew towards Fang Yuan.

Boom.

His fist was fast and heavy, even cutting the wind!

Fang Yuan could see the fist getting bigger in his eyes, but his expression was unchanging as he took a side step.

Swoosh.

At the crucial moment, he avoided the fist and forcefully rotated his body, knocking Wang Er’s left hand away.

Wang Er laughed sinisterly as he waved his fist horizontally, his fist striking first, about to reach Fang Yuan’s back.

But at this moment, a bright flash of sunlight entered his iris.

His back was originally facing the sun, and now that he had turned around, the eye-piercing sunlight temporarily made his eyes hurt, and his vision went blank.

Fang Yuan smirked as he backflipped in the air, dodging Wang Er’s fist, at the same time waving his right arm.

Pew!

The third moonblade flew along the sunlight trajectory.

Wang Er’s senses tingled as he felt unprecedented danger. He turned his head around and the next moment, the eerie blue moonblade flew past.

“Be careful brother Wang Er!”

“Did he avoid it?”

The two kneeling on the ground forgot to beg for forgiveness at this moment, staring widely.

The piercing sunlight shone on their face.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down.

The surrounding sound vanished, and the world was silent.

The afternoon’s blazing sun paved a white background, and on this backdrop, Wang Er’s body became a black shadow. His body was in the air at an arc, his muscular body stretching in a crescent shape like an open bow, full of masculine appeal.

His head lowered as he tried to avoid the moonblade.

The moonblade flew like a snail in the air, its eerie blue light almost invisible under the sun’s rays.

The white background, the black shadow, and the blue moonblade — these three formed a brilliant stage for a moment full of life and death.

The moonblade flew over.

The shadow that represented Wang Er landed smoothly as it flowed with the trajectory.

He was safe and sound.

“Phew!” Seeing this, a young hunter breathed out a sigh of relief.

“He avoided it!” Another hunter was cheering internally.

But at this time!

A small piece of the shadow’s head flew out along with red fluids, separating from the shadow and spewing everywhere.

The blue moonblade gradually dissipated in the air.

That black shadow was like a broken bow, as the energy accumulated within it disappeared at once. It turned into a beautiful but sad fallen leaf, silently landing on the ground.

The two hunter’s irises shrunk into pin size.

Their mouths were agape, stretching to their bodily limits.

Splat.

The bright red fluid landed on their faces.

The two touched their faces —

Blood!

They jolted awake!

In their perception, time had returned to normal, and noise returned.

There were birds chirping, water flowing and their companion screaming while grabbing his broken arms.

“Second brother Wang…?” A hunter called, his voice full of horror. All this time, Wang Er was their leader.

“He’s dead!” Another hunter cried out, his face grim to the limit.

“Brother Wang Er is our strongest hunter. A while ago he was still talking with us, but to think the next moment he’s dead!”

“He should not have angered that Gu Master, we mortals are no match for Gu Masters!”

The two hunters were frightened and shocked, at once they were like statues kneeling on the ground.

Fang Yuan got up from the ground.

Earlier, to avoid Wang Er’s fist, he rotated his body in the air and lost his balance. After shooting the moonblade, he fell to the ground. But this fall was worth it, as Wang Er’s fist would’ve caused him to vomit blood on the spot. After all, Fang Yuan had no defensive Gu, and his body was only a fifteen year old.

Now, he stood up, other than his shoulders hurting, he had practically no injuries.

“This Wang Er is very strong, much stronger than that Mo family servant Gao Wan! If any other student encountered him, they would lose without doubt. Even a Rank one upper stage Gu Master would lose to him out of carelessness.” Fang Yuan stared at the corpse of Wang Er deeply.

Gu Masters were still threatened by genius mortal martial artists when they are at Rank one stage.

This Wang Er was truly skilled.

His archery skill was fast and stable, just relying on this it could match moonblade. In fact, the moonblade might even be inferior, as the arrow has a larger range. His fighting skill has reached the peak of mortals — a strong body with tough bones, and he was also ruthless. With Fang Yuan’s small body, it could not go head to head with him.

Thus, any other student would lose undoubtedly. Unfortunately for Wang Er, he met Fang Yuan.

Once he appeared, Fang Yuan noticed his bow and deduced that he could not fight long range with him.

The moonblade only had a range of ten meters. The bow had far greater range than the moonblade.

Thus, Fang Yuan ditched long combat. He quickly got closer and closed the gap between them, showing a physical fighting stance.

Wang Er had no choice but to discard his bow and fight physically with Fang Yuan.

But Fang Yuan did not really think of going close combat with Wang Er. He used the angle of the sun’s rays and caused a weakness in Wang Er, before shooting out his third moonblade.

He was already middle stage now, and with the Liquor worm’s refinement, the moonblade had the attack power of an upper stage Gu Master. At such a close range, with Wang Er’s weakened vision, his defeat was guaranteed.

“But this Wang Er is indeed skillful. I wanted to decapitate him, but at the crucial moment, he relied on his senses and reflexes and evaded half of my attack, causing my moonblade to cut off only half of his head.”

“Life and death is nature’s law. All living beings are equal, and everyone has their right to survive and be killed. There might be royalty and lower beings, but in face of death, a person’s death is no different from a pig’s, what’s the difference? They’re both dead.”

Fang Yuan took a final look at Wang Er’s corpse and sighed in his heart.

Chapter 67: Don’t worry, I’ll spare you

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The tree roots penetrate into the mountain soil, letting their green hands reach up towards the sky. Thick and solid tree trunks faced each other, looking similar through the distances. The exuberant branches and leaves intertwined in mid-air.

Under the surroundings of these trees was a wooden house.

The wooden house was made entirely from the solid thick barks, leaking out a type of genuine firm smell. The wooden house was not a newly built one, but it had gathered many years. Thus the house surface had green moss growing all over, and some of the tree trunks had begun to sprout out tender little branches.

Around the wooden house was a tall and great fence constructed from green spear bamboo. The back and front area was all vegetable fields, and in the middle of the fields was a man-made well.

At this time, a young and beautiful lady was drawing water from the well.

While she wore simple and plain clothing, this was still hard to mask her complexion. She was sixteen years of age, and she had a big pair of black eyes, the black and whites of her eyes clearly defined, and pure like crystals.

The sunlight penetrated through the overlapping and luxuriant tree leaves, shining onto her face, letting her skin reflect light like it was white snow, also showing a sort of transparent red flush and gentleness on her.

Her black hair hung down unruly and half-covered her cute earlobes.

The pink lips were pursed at the moment, and she was clenching her set of white perfect teeth, her face showing an expression of full concentration.

She used all her strength to pull the bucket full of water out of the well. With another breath, she moved the bucket to the ground outside the well.

“Huff!” The young girl wiped her forehead and breathed out, using her pale hand to fan her own face.

Hearing the bucket hitting the ground, the wooden house’s door opened, and an old man came out.

The old man’s hair was a mix of black and white, his face having layers of wrinkles. Although his eyes looked tired, they showed a hint of brilliance sometimes. Like an elderly tiger, although old, the tiger’s authority was still evident.

“Lass, this bucket is too heavy, I said let me carry it. Why are you secretly watering the plants behind my back again?” The elderly looked at the young girl and showed an expression of doting affection.

“Father!” The young girl sweetly called, “You were hunting until late at night yesterday, I wanted you to sleep in later today. It’s just a water bucket, look, I can carry it out, right?”

“You, always loving to act tough!” The old man’s voice was full of helplessness, but his eyes were once again doting on her.

He took a large step and got to the well, stretching out his hand and easily grabbing the bucket, “Come, lass, let’s water the plants together.”

The air was full of the smell of wild grass and flowers, and the summer’s wind blew warmly and passed by the trees, turning into a gust of refreshing wind.

The wooden house on the mountain had a vegetable field, and the girl used the pail, lowering her back to water the plants. The father was in charge of getting the water, rotating between two water buckets. The atmosphere of a loving family was evident in this tiny space.

“Sigh, I am too old, just a few buckets and I am already exhausted.” After a while, the old man stood by the well, wiping the sweat off his forehead and sighing deeply.

The young girl turned her head back, smiling like flowers, saying, “Father, you finally realized it. You’re already so old, yet you want to act tough all the time. How many times have I told you, let second brother do the hunting, you should be resting at home enjoying your life at this age.”

“Hehehe,” the old man laughed, nodding, “Relying on your second brother’s abilities, he can roam this mountain easily. With his archery skills, it even surpasses me in my youth. But I still cannot feel at ease, his heart is too wild, and with just martial art skills he wants to soar. Sigh, young men love to imagine freely, they all have this problem.”

“Father…..” The young girl dragged her words.

The old man laughed even more heartily now, his tone carrying a mischievous hint, “Oh yeah, there’s still you. You’re not young anymore, it’s time to get married. I have found a good partner for you, and with your good looks, there’s no problems with finding a good family.”

The girl’s face grew red like a tomato. Immediately she felt too embarrassed until she was lost for words.

The old man looked at the sky, imagining the great future as he sighed, “Once your second brother suffers some setbacks and curbs his nature, I will retire and never go into the mountains. Next I will find you a good family and watch you marry and have children, preferably a chubby boy. Heh heh, your father wants to take care of his grandson, that’s all I want. A person’s life is not easy, and as a hunter, how many can have a good ending? Sigh, all my partners and comrades from back then are already gone, I am all that’s left.”

“Father, you are wrong.” The young girl consoled, “What do you mean there’s only you left? You still have us.”

“Hehe, hmm?” The old man was laughing and was about to reply, but he suddenly heard a sound and turned his head.

The little entrance of the bamboo fence was broken from the outside by someone.

“You are old man Wang?” Fang Yuan’s cold expression with his eerie eyes, stepped forward with a lump of moonlight in his right arm.

The old man was shocked as he looked at the moonlight on Fang Yuan’s hand, rapidly kneeling, “This old man pays his respects to Lord Gu Master!”

“Old man Wang, your son dared to offend me, I have executed him. Bring his corpse forward!” Fang Yuan stood proudly, staring at the kneeling old man as he brought out the main topic.

His words had just finished, and two young hunters carried Wang Er’s corpse in.

Seeing this corpse, old man Wang’s body shook!

“Second brother —!” The young girl screamed pitifully, rushing forward and grabbing Wang Er’s corpse, her face flushed with tears.

“Wang family’s daughter…” The two young hunters, seeing the girl they liked crying in front of them, felt terrible. They wanted to console her, but no words came out.

“Old man Wang, I heard you’re a hunter, the best among the few villages. At such an old age, you can still hunt and get a good result every time, this is great.”

Fang Yuan paused here for a moment, and continued expressionlessly, “Draw me a map of all the traps of the nearby mountain area now, as well as the results of your observation of wild beast territories from your hunting experience all these years. Draw it for me and I will spare your son’s sin of offending me, if not… hmph.”

These villages were under Gu Yue village’s control. The villagers were all farmer slaves of the Gu Yue clan.

With Wang Er’s offense for offending his master, according to the clan rules, their entire family would be implicated!

Old man Wang’s body shook again, almost falling to the ground. An impact like this was too sudden and great to him.

“Murderer, you are the murderer that harmed my brother! You treat human lives like livestock, and you dare to confront us? I will exact revenge for my brother!!” The young girl screamed, her voice full of hatred and anger towards Fang Yuan, and she rushed towards Fang Yuan.

But she was only halfway there when she got stopped by someone.

It was not the two young hunters, but her father.

“Disgraceful wretch!” Old man Wang screamed as he gave the young girl a tight slap, sending her to the ground.

“Your second brother is dead, do you want to die too? Do you want this old father of yours to be old and alone forever?!” The old man cried profusely saying this, his body trembling furiously.

“Father!” The young girl was awakened by this, and her tears poured out. Her voice was full of sadness, unjust, pity, hatred, and helplessness.

The old man turned his body, facing Fang Yuan as he kneeled down and placed his forehead on the ground, prostrating deeply at Fang Yuan’s feet. His voice shook as he said, “Lord Gu Master, my son offended you and deserved to die! I shall draw the map for you now, please spare us with your magnanimity.”

Fang Yuan’s expression turned milder, he looked at the old man arrogantly, saying, “Be at ease, as long as you draw honestly, I will spare you. But don’t think of lying to me, for if I find any suspicious points, your lives will be forfeited!”

“I understand, this old man understands.” Old man Wang kowtowed non-stop, “Please Lord Gu Master, allow me to retrieve my brush and paper.”

“No need.” Fang Yuan waved his hand, looking at the two hunters he had forced along, ordering, “Enter the room and find paper and brush, and bring them out.”

“Yes, Lord Gu Master.” The two youngsters did not dare to rebel under Fang Yuan’s authority.

“Lord, the paper and brush are on the square table in the kitchen.” Old man Wang said.

Fang Yuan’s eyes shone but he remained silent.

The two hunters barged into the house and quickly brought out the paper and brush.

In the southern territory, the paper were specially made of bamboo, where the quality was bad and the paper was tough with green overlays. Paper like this was suited to the moist weather of the southern territorial weather.

If it was rice paper, it might be destroyed after a week due to moisture.

The old man carried the brush and kneeled on the ground, drawing out black lines, curves or dots.

He used over ten bamboo papers, before handing them all to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan looked through them and split these bamboo papers into two, handing them to the two hunters, “Take a look if there’s any inappropriate areas. Every mistake, I’ll give you one primeval stone!”

Chapter 68: There is no innocence in nature

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The two hunters took the bamboo papers, their hands trembling, eyes shining.

“This is hunter Wang’s life experience and effort. Us hunters, although we keep in contact, it is all about trap placement, we will not tell others about the wild beast distribution. This bamboo paper, it is all the information that hunter Wang had gathered since his ancestors.”

“So this valley has a herd of wild deer, haha, after I hunt these wild deer, I won’t have to worry about expenses for the next three months! Ah, this stream has a cave of mountain bears? How close, I almost hunted at this region last time, note it, I must note it all down!”

These were precious information, it could be said to be a hunter’s rice bowl!

Normally not within a generation but all the way from their forefathers, these experiences and information were obtained at the expense of their blood and lives.

But old man Wang’s family had always hunted for a living. When it got to old man Wang, he had reached the peak of his family line, the acclaimed number one hunter.

Information in the hands of such a person, is the most useful and truthful.

The two young hunters checked for nearly fifteen minutes, glossing through the map multiple times. Only after Fang Yuan rushed them did they finally hand over the bamboo paper reluctantly.

During this period, old man Wang was kneeling on the ground, his forehead touching the ground as he expressed his respect. The young girl was lying on the ground, as if she had gone lifeless.

“There is no problem, lord.”

“The trap areas in these bamboo papers are all accurate.”

The two answered.

“Lord Gu Master, this concerns me and my daughter’s life, I would definitely not lie to you!” The old man on the ground shouted as he continued to kowtow.

“Mmm, not bad.” Fang Yuan waved the stack of bamboo paper, yet suddenly his words changed, “But, I don’t believe it.”

Old man Wang jolted, raising his head, but only saw an eerie blue moonblade enlarging within the reflection of his iris.

Pew.

A skull flew into the air, fresh blood spewing all over.

“Argh!!!”

“Lord, this—!”

The two young hunters were taken by surprise. Shock and disbelief showed on their faces.

“Father—!” The young girl cried out profusely as she leapt towards old man Wang’s headless corpse, but midway, a moonblade flew towards her face.

Splat.

She fell onto the ground, lifeless.

Her beautiful face, from her forehead to her chin, slowly showed a thin red line.

The line became thicker as fresh red blood oozed out, flowing down along half of her nose and half of her lips. They flowed onto the black soil, dyeing half of her face bright red.

The other half of her face though, was still as beautiful, the skin fair and rosy. Under the bright blue sky, it seemed even more lustrous, like a work of art.

“At least she looks decent.” Fang Yuan looked at the dead girl blandly, nodding satisfactorily.

Using Rank one middle stage primeval essence, the moonblade could slice Gu. Now that he was using upper stage primeval essence, it could break bones and even cut steel!

“Wang family’s daughter!” A young hunter fell onto the ground in despair after seeing her demise with his own eyes.

“Lord Gu Master, spare us!” The other hunter feeling Fang Yuan’s faze, nearly died of shock as he plopped on the ground.

“Get up, go inside and search!’ Fang Yuan ordered, “I know that a hunter’s family always keeps a beast skin map. On top of it is the terrain, trap locations and the beast territories. Find it for me, and I’ll let you keep your lives.”

“Yes, yes, yes, we will search immediately. Give us some time, Lord Gu Master!” The two frantically got up and ran into the wooden house.

Sounds of wardrobes overturning and falling could be heard from the wooden house.

But a moment later, even though the hunters ransacked the house, there was no beast skin map to be found.

“Lord, please give me some time, we will find it right now!” The two hunters were terrified as they got more desperate and searched boorishly, smashing many furniture in the process.

“Fuck, where is it?”

“Appear, please appear!”

They muttered as their bodies shivered, their eyes getting bloodshot.

“Useless trash.” Fang Yuan slowly walked into the house.

“Lord! Lord! Forgive us, please…wahh…” The two young hunters shivered like they were electrified and fell to the ground, begging for their lives.

Fang Yuan ignored the two and observed the house.

There were four rooms in the house, a living room and a kitchen. All the furniture were in a mess, like they were ransacked.

Fang Yuan slowly stepped in, his steps producing echoes in the wooden house.

“It has indeed been searched, that shouldn’t be right. Almost every hunter has a beast skin map inherited throughout the generations, getting refined along the way, recording all the beasts territory and pitfalls. This is the livelihood of a hunter, how can they not have it?”

Fang Yuan stood pondering, “Moreover, I tested that old man Wang earlier, purposely getting the two hunters to search for paper and brush. The old man immediately called out the location of the paper and brush, probably worried that they might find the beast skin map, thus it has to be in this house!”

Fang Yuan observed the house again, and suddenly his inspiration struck as he looked at the firepit.

This firepit was connected to the chimney, used in winter to gain warmth. There was even some residue charcoal in the firepit.

Fang Yuan walked to the firepit, slowly squatting down and taking a shovel beside the firepit, digging out the charcoal.

Most of the charcoal still has their wooden shape, they were brittle and easily broken into two.

“Oh?” Fang Yuan inspected, suddenly finding a charcoal block that had a very tough material and was very heavy, not light like the other charcoal blocks.

He used the shovel to dig out this charcoal block, smashing it on the ground. The charcoal smashed into bits, revealing a bamboo tube.

The two hunters gasped at this scene.

Fang Yuan took the bamboo tube and opened it on one side, shaking it, causing a map to fall out.

The map was heavier than the stack of bamboo paper, made with a piece of white beast skin. The beast skin was huge, over a meters long and half a meter in breadth. There was black, green, red, yellow and blue lines on it, forming a complicated map.

Fang Yuan was slightly taken aback looking at it.

The map’s range was very big, extending far beyond the village’s vicinity. As a mortal, it was not easy to map out areas so far away.

His gaze focused on five spots, those with wild boar herds.

Two were small sized, two were medium sized, and there was a large sized boar herd. In the middle of the large sized herd, there was a giant red cross.

Seeing this cross, Fang Yuan snickered. On his bamboo paper, there was no such marking!

The two young hunters had also seen the bamboo paper, and found no problems. This was their own inexperience, only certain of some areas. This red cross was far beyond the village, and from this, old man Wang’s cunningness could be seen.

This was why Fang Yuan killed them.

To hunt for wild boars, he needed such a beast skin map. But he was not convinced by a map drawn by others. Only getting a “real” map like this, could it be dependable.

Fang Yuan had heard of all sorts of remarks in his past life. Just a word “scram”, was not enough reason for him to kill Wang Er.

When hearing the four hunters’ conversation beside the boar trap, Fang Yuan had already planned his murder.

Killing Wang Er reduced his opposition, and gave him reason to obtain the map. Why wouldn’t he kill him?

Fang Yuan would not kill for the sake of killing, killing is only a method. Using this method, if it can solve the problem, then why not?

The old man definitely had to die, even if he can endure the murder of his son, Fang Yuan would not be at ease. Otherwise, it would be a case of “When cutting down weeds, you must get at the roots. Otherwise, the weeds will return with the spring breeze.”

What, you said killing the innocent?

Hehe, no matter which world, as long as one lives in this world, they would be intertwined in karma, how can anyone be innocent? Humans slaughter pigs, aren’t the pigs innocent?

Big fish eats small fish, and small fish eats shrimps, in nature there is only the food chain, there is no innocence.

In this world, anybody can live, anybody can die, but nobody is innocent!

Chapter 69: Life is as cheap as grass

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The beast skin map was very thick, it was unlike paper that could be folded and carried around easily. Fang Yuan could only roll the beast skin up and put it back into the bamboo tube, where he then tied up both ends of the bamboo tube with hemp rope, and carried it on his back.

The two hunters stared firmly at the bamboo case, their eyes unavoidably showing signs of greed. They were not idiots after all — they knew the value of the map.

This beast skin map is something that Gu Masters would not even bother looking at, but to mortals, especially hunters like them, it was the most valuable treasure.

The Wang family had began to pass down this map since the time of their ancestors. Old man Wang was able to become a famous hunter, his name known throughout the vicinity and beyond; the map had much contribution to this. It was truly an authentic family heirloom.

“I’m going to ask you — in Old man Wang’s household, is there anyone else?” Fang Yuan’s gaze was dark, his tone cold as he asked.

The two young men kneeling on the ground shuddered immediately when they heard this question from Fang Yuan. They thought about what had just conspired earlier, and the greedy expressions from their faces disappeared in an instant, replaced with fear and terror.

“There is no one else, the entire family is dead, lord Gu Master!”

“Hunter Wang originally had a wife, but that was decades ago, and she was killed by wild wolves that intruded the village. Before his wife died she gave birth to two sons and a daughter. But the oldest son Wang Da died on the mountain while hunting three years ago. There is no one else in the Wang family.”

This was the immediate reply from the two young hunters.

“Is that so…” Fang Yuan narrowed his two eyes and he looked at the two men kneeling before him, knowing that they were telling the truth. When one’s life and death was in the hands of others, the probability of lying was very small.

But he asked anyway, “Did you lie to me?”

“We would not dare to lie even the slightest, lord!”

“I-I thought of something! Old man Wang actually also has a daughter-in-law, Wang Da’s old wife. But after Wang Da disappeared, his wife died due to a broken heart. That year, the village even specially sent down a chastity memorial arch! But rumour has it that Wang Da’s wife wanted to remarry, and she was actually hounded to death by Old man Wang. When you killed Old man Wang, lord, you are helping us citizens, rooting out the evil and bringing people peace!”

The other hunter quickly added, “That’s right, that’s right. Actually lord, we have long found this old Wang unfavourable. Hmph, he’s nothing special, just that he can hunt better than us. We’re all just mortals, yet he thinks he’s more special than us and purposely moved out of the village to live here. As the younger generation, we sometimes will ask him to teach us and impart his experiences, but he would just outright chase us away and never allow us to show up again near the wooden house!”

Fang Yuan listened quietly while nodding. Although these two started belittling Old man Wang in an attempt to keep their lives, he did not sense any resentment from these two men’s mouths.

Fang Yuan guessed inwardly that these two men asking to consult for hunting matters should be fake, he surmised that they were just over to covet for the Wang family’s daughter and her good looks. Yet in the end they were found out by Old man Wang and disciplined a few times harshly.

“Weeding out the wicked and let the law-abiding citizens live in peace. Enough of such bootlicking, this time I killed them because my motive was just for this beast skin map. Well, both of you have showed a satisfying behaviour, you can both go now.” Fang Yuan’s tone softened, but at the same time the right hand behind his back shone with gloomy moonlight.

The two young men kneeling on the ground felt surprise and joy once they heard this.

“Thank you so much for your mercy, lord!”

“Lord, your generosity and indulgence, we shall remember in heart forever!”

They kowtowed on the ground, their mucus and tears overflowing, sounds of dull knocking could be heard. After several knocks they immediately got up and turned to leave.

Although Fang Yuan was younger than them in age, but after witnessing firsthand what Fang Yuan was like in doing things, they were beyond fearful and terrified, wishing never to meet Fang Yuan again.

“Hold it.” Just at this moment, a voice suddenly travelled over.

The moment it finished there was a swoosh and a Gu Master jumped down from a treetop.

“You both cannot leave, tell me what happened here. All of it.” This Gu Master that just jumped down was wearing a deep blue uniform, and there was a scarlet belt with a metal plate in the middle. There was a huge ‘Two’ word carved onto the metal plate.

This Rank two Gu Master had a slim build, his two eyes slender. He wore arm protectors on his wrists, and his calves had sturdy leg bindings, his entire being radiating with a highly capable aura.

“This commoner greets lord Jiang He!” The two young men had just got up with the intention to leave, but once they saw this Gu Master they instantly knelt down again, prostrating themselves in admiration while greeting.

This Gu Master was someone they knew — it was the Gu Master stationed at the village.

Every year to reinforce their control in their surroundings, the Gu Yue Village would dispatch Gu Master down into the little villages and hamlets, stationing Gu Masters there. This would also prevent the other powers from infiltrating and at the same time strengthen their defences on their borders.

This Gu Master named Jiang He did not bother with the two hunters kneeling on the ground, instead looking straight at Fang Yuan, asking in a cold tone, “I am the Gu Master Jiang He of the Gu Yue clan who has been stationed here, you are?”

Fang Yuan laughed lightly and stretched his right palm out, where the Moonlight Gu was giving out a ball of moonlight in the middle of his palm.

When the Gu Master Jiang He saw the moonlight in Fang Yuan’s hand, his gaze softened considerably — the Moonlight Gu was the sign of the Gu Yue clan, this was something that could not be forged.

“This matter is simple actually. Old man Wang’s second son offended me, so I killed the entire family off in anger. Those two can be my witness.” Fang Yuan straightforwardly admitted with a bold and confident manner, pointing at the two hunters kneeling down at the same time.

Fang yuan was not lying, and these two hunters nodded in haste; there was no hesitation.

Jiang He stared blankly for a moment before he started laughing loudly, “You killed well! Just a bunch of measly peasant servants, to actually dare to offend their masters, they deserved to be killed!!”

But he quickly added with a change in tone, full of emotion and deep meaning, “However young junior, what you’ve done has also brought problems to me. Although Old man Wang resides far away from the masses and stayed here alone with his family, they are still villagers that I am in charge of. I was sent out from the clan and stationed here in this village, this means I’m supposed to protect the villagers and be on the alert as defence. Now that you’ve killed these few people, the number of villagers will have lessened. During the examination at the end of the year the clan’s assessment towards me will drop.”

Fang Yuan’s gaze shone, and he instantly knew that this Jiang He was using this as a pretext to extort money from him.

He laughed and said out, “This isn’t so difficult. Senior you just have to report the truth back. Just say that this entire family was killed by me, and it has nothing to do with senior whatsoever.”

When Jiang He heard this his eyelids twitched, anger rising in his heart towards Fang Yuan who did not know how to appreciate favors. His manner of speaking became extremely solemn, “Then I will have to conduct business impartially here. Junior, if you are not afraid of the clan’s investigation then report your name, I will record it in detail as how things really are on paper.”

His words brought a strong implication of threat; if it was any other youngster they would have been frightened by this statement already.

But Fang Yuan could see Jiang He’s weakness from it, and he instantly said, “Then senior shall report as how it should be. Ah right, my surname is Gu Yue, and my name is Fang Yuan.”

“So you’re actually Fang Yuan!” Jiang He’s face evidently showed astonishment for a while, “I have been hearing about you all the time from my little brother recently. You thoroughly beat up all your classmates, extorting in front of everyone, getting sixty pieces of primeval stones each time. Every time my little brother speaks of it he’s always jealous of how you can earn money so easily. Not to mention that time when you gambled out a Liquor worm and a Mudskin Toad consecutively. This sort of luck sure makes people jealous. Oh right, my little brother is Jiang Ya, you both should have met each other long ago.”

“So it’s him.” Fang Yuan nodded and admitted, “Yes, every time when I buy Moon orchid petals, I would buy them in Jiang Ya’s shop.”

“Hahaha, since this it the case then we both are acquaintances. Oh well let’s forget about it, this matter I’ll handle it!” When he said this, Jiang He clapped his chest with his hands, putting out the appearance of one with the spirit of loyalty and self-sacrifice.

He was merely using this favourable circumstance, there was no way he could have really reported the matter.

After reporting of such a thing the clan’s assessment towards him would still drop either way. You might as well just do a good turn to Fang Yuan, as for Old man Wang’s family’s death, he could just report that they were invaded and attacked by a wild beast.

It’s Old man Wang’s fault for his unconventional ways of insisting to move out of the village, building a wooden house far away from the population!

Jiang He was not afraid of the matter being disclosed, there was just a few mortal peasants around. Their lives were cheap ass grass, who cares if they died? Even if the clan found out about the cover-up they would hardly care about such a small matter.

“But junior, you have yet to graduate from the academy and do not have the Gu Master uniform like I am wearing now. If that Wang Er saw this outfit he’d know about your status as Gu Master and wouldn’t offend you. Junior you are a smart person, don’t you think so, hehe,” said Jiang He again.

Fang Yuan’s eyes flashed. Jiang He’s words had implicit meaning, and was actually warning himself — do not run out of the academy and wander around for no reason, and you better not come to the area under my jurisdiction here after today to cause trouble and kill people again.

“In that case thank you very much for your advice, senior.” Fang Yuan cupped his fists in greeting, bidding farewell to Jiang He, immediately taking his leave from here.

Chapter 70: Using the White Boar Gu

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

In the black of the night, the moon is shaped like a silver plate, hanging high in the sky spewing its watery moonlight down.

The dense woods lightly unfold their dense green leaves and branches in the summer wind. The waterfalls crash down as they flow, but the sounds are unable to cover the noises of the sandalwood crickets chirping about.

Fang Yuan stepped onto the green grass, quietly approaching a mountain boar.

This mountain boar had its head buried, puffing and snorting as it digged the emerald earth with its snout, rummaging among the soil and grass to look for worms.

The wild boar was an omnivorous animal. It not only ate worms, but also stole bird eggs and was adept at hunting wild rabbits, mice, even venomous creatures such as snakes and scorpions.

Fang Yuan crept slowly from behind the boar.

Under the bright moonlight, the greyish black fur coat of the wild pig could be seen clearly. Its body was strong and firm, the four limbs short and rough. On its back was a long and stiff mane, while atop its ears were sparse fur that was erect like needles. With all four limbs on the ground, each foot had four toes but only the two middle ones were digging against the soil. Its fail was thin and short, sometimes flinging about, chasing away the mosquitoes flying around.

Suddenly it stopped digging for its meal, rearing its head up. At the same time the boar’s sharp little upright ears quickly trembled a few times. Although Fang Yuan had managed to stop his tracks in time, this mountain boar still found him. It immediately turned around and groaned out with warning sounds.

Fang Yuan was not surprised by this. A wild animal was not like a domestic one, they were all very alert. Especially the wild boar, they had acute smell and could find bird nests that were often hidden very well.

Even if this mountain boar did not hear any noises, when Fang Yuan neared around a hundred meters away from it, it would be able to smell the his body odour and will still be able to sense Fang Yuan’s presence.

Although Fang Yuan had five Gu worms on him at the moment — the Spring Autumn Cicada, Liquor worm, Moonlight Gu, Little Light Gu and the white boar Gu, these Gu were all not able to match each other, and were incompatible.

If Fang Yuan had a Smell Lock Gu that could cover up his body odour, and another Quiet Steps Gu that concealed the noise of one’s footsteps, he could completely and silently reach up to a distance of ten steps away from the mountain pig.

However if he had these two Gu then Fang Yuan would have been keeping seven Gu worms, this would cause his primeval essence usage to be too great and he would have difficulty supporting them.

Gu Masters in general can only feed four to five Gu worms of the same rank. Thus Gu Masters usually do not move alone, but instead form small groups of five, or at the very least with three.

Among the groups, there would be someone specially in charge of detection, one responsible for advancement, one bearing the offence role, another responsible for medical treatment and someone in charge of resisting and holding back hostiles.

Fang Yuan continued without stop, getting closer to the wild boar.

The wild boar screeched lowly, the white fur on its neck standing, the symbol of its agitation.

Finally when Fang Yuan was near enough, closer than the wild boar’s acceptable range, the wild boar’s hoofs dug the ground three times before spreading its muscular four limbs, lowered its head and dashed towards Fang Yuan.

Its upper jaw was withdrawn, its lower jaw turning upwards, forming two white tusks. Under the moonlight, the tusks shone with light as it stabbed towards Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan had no defensive type of Gu worm, and if he was pierced by the tusk, his stomach would be penetrated, his intestines would be punctured and he would be heavily injured if not dead.

“Moonlight Gu.” Fang Yuan’s face was calm as he thought in his mind, causing the Moonlight Gu in his palm to absorb his primeval essence and emit an eerie moonlight glow, interweaving with the moonlight from the night sky.

The wild boar charged towards Fang Yuan as his right palm swiped across the air.

With a swoosh, the moonblade flew out and hit the wild boar in the face, causing blood to splatter all over.

The wild boar cried out loudly, turning its anger into fuel as its charge became even faster, and in the blink of an eye, it reached a few steps before Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan nimbly jumped to the side, rolling and breaking his fall.

The wild boar charged right past Fang Yuan, and with a boom, crashed into a tree behind him.

The tiny tree was only as thick as a human arm, after getting knocked by the wild boar, it received devastating damage as the tree trunk tore open and split into two.

Fang Yuan stood up, quickly getting close to the wild boar while a moonblade shot out from his right hand at the same time.

The eerily blue moonblade drew a straight line across the air as it landed on the wild boar.

The wild boar’s black fur had several thin cuts on it. The injury was very deep and bright red blood oozed out from it.

The moonblade Fang Yuan activated used up upper stage primeval essence, thus it was able to break even a human’s toughest bones in one shot. But on the boar, it could only cause such superficial injury, and not damage the bones.

A small wild boar like this was so strong, this showed how cruel the living environment was in this world!

The wild boar growled, and charged towards Fang Yuan again.

In the process of sprinting, its blood-dripping wound continued to tear open, and its warm blood poured out like water.

Fang Yuan used the same trick, taking a tumble sideways and dodged its charge.

The wild boar, although strong and very ferocious, had one weakness — it could not change directions easily. Its speed was fast, but that meant it could not alter directions easily, so this way, every one of its charges is in a straight line. As long as a Gu Master is attentive enough, it is not hard to dodge.

Boom, boom, boom.

Every time the wild boar charged, Fang Yuan would shoot a few moonblades, causing its old wounds to be overlapped with new wounds, and the angrier it got, the more blood flowed.

After a few times, its movements slowed and its growling also revealed a hint of weakness.

“Little light Gu.”

This time, Fang Yuan not only activated the Moonlight Gu, but also deployed his primeval essence and injected it into the Little light Gu.

The Moonlight Gu after being refined had always stayed in Fang Yuan’s right palm, turning into a blue crescent moon tattoo. After the Little light Gu was refined, it also resided in his right palm, turning into the shape of a five-sided star.

At this point, his dark green primeval essence entered the two Gu, the moonlight emitting an eerie blue moonlight while the Little light Gu emitted a milky white glow.

The milky white light fused into the moonlight, and the originally small lump of moonlight instantly became twice as big.

“Go.”

Fang Yuan’s right hand sweeped, and an enhanced giant moonblade flew out.

Using only the Moonlight Gu, the size was only palm-sized. But with the addition and help of the Little light Gu, the moonblade’s size doubled, and its attack range also doubled as well.

Swoosh!

The moonblade hit the wild boar on the neck, creeping into its black grey fur. It emerged from the other end and flew for about three to four meters before dissipating in the air.

Glup glup…

The wild boar stood on the spot, frozen for a moment, then blood oozed out from its injuries like a fountain.

It abruptly collapsed, half of its head cut off, washed away by the pouring blood, and only a small piece of flesh kept it together with its body.

A thick smell of blood gushed out into his nose.

Fang Yuan did not dare to hesitate, pointing a finger at the wild boar, and the White Boar Gu which was residing in his aperture instantly turned into a milky white light and entered the wild boar’s body.

Fang Yuan stood on the spot, nervously staying alert of the surroundings. Although the beast skin map said that the area was relatively safe, there were always accidents in nature, what if beasts were attracted by the smell of the blood?

After a while, the White Boar Gu flew back safe and sound.

The entire boar had shrunk in half, only leaving behind its black grey fur and the intestines under its skin. As for the meat, most of it was eaten by the White Boar Gu.

But the strange thing was, although the White Boar Gu ate pork nearly a thousand times its size, it did not change physically.

There was not even a drip of blood on it, as it maintained that milky white worm appearance.

“After this meal, I’ll come five days later to hunt boars.” Fang Yuan kept the White Boar Gu, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he took out his knife and extracted the two tusks of the boar.

The wild boar’s body had a few things of value.

The first was pork, the second was fur, and the third was its teeth.

But now the wild boar meat was mostly eaten by the White Boar Gu; its skin was full of holes due to the moonblades, being meaningless even if retrieved.

Only this pair of tusks had some value. It could be used as food for certain Gu worms which ate teeth as food, or used as a catalyst for some Gu worm’s advancement.

Fang Yuan hid the teeth in the rock crack’s secret cave before returning to the hostel.

He did not sleep immediately, but sat on his bed and started to cultivate.

Within the aperture, the primeval sea acted like waves, rising and falling.

Fang Yuan was now a middle stage Gu Master, so after using the Liquor worm refinement, he had upper stage primeval essence.

Thus, while the people his age had middle stage pale green primeval essence, Fang Yuan’s primeval essence was dark green.

Now that he killed a boar, there was only 23% of his primeval essence in his aperture.

A Rank one Gu Master was not that strong in battle. Or rather, nature’s environment was too harsh. Even if the moonblade could break bones, to kill a normal wild boar, Fang Yuan had to use 20% of his upper stage primeval essence.

“White Boar Gu.”

His eyes were shut tight, his spirit immersed into his aperture.

In the aperture, a gush of dark green primeval essence rushed up against the flow, injecting into the White Boar Gu.

The White Boar Gu immediately emitted a bright white light, and the light enveloped Fang Yuan’s body. If one looked from the outside, they would see that Fang Yuan’s body was emitting a pure white light from the inside.

Fang Yuan’s every muscle and every inch of skin, was soaked in this white light.

A feeling of numbness and itchiness was felt by him. As the white light modified his muscles, it allowed strength to be slowly infused into his body, thus gaining roots and never to be lost again.

However, after a moment, the numb feeling became pain. This pain was like getting electrocuted, from numbness to sharp pain like getting cut by razor blades.

Fang Yuan hurriedly stopped the White Boar Gu.

Anything prolonged was not good.

The White Boar Gu could not be overused, it could be applied about fifteen minutes a day. Exceed it, and extreme pain would be felt, increasingly painful.

If he continued using it despite that, a person might even die from the pain!

Chapter 71: Keeping a low profile even if one’s strength can carry a boar

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Time flies, and with the blink of an eye, it was already the middle of June.

The summer night, with the golden arc of the moon hanging high in the sky, shining its radiance on the green mountain lands.

The winds blew and the leaves danced with the moonlight. The song of the cicadas and bullfrogs were simultaneous with each other. At times the sound of a wolf howling could be heard from afar, echoing throughout the green mountain.

On a river bank, a creek was scrubbing over a piece of smooth cliff rock. Beside this bank, a battle was ongoing.

A mountain boar covered in fine and deep wounds all over kicked its legs and rushed forward once more towards Fang Yuan. The blood was pouring from its wounds, marking a road of fresh red liquid.

Fang Yuan wrestled with it, showing no signs of panic.

The wild boar was on the verge of death, but it was precisely these moments that wild beasts are the most dangerous. Using the last remaining potential of their lives, their insanity and tenacity, could cause one to get gravely injured at any careless moment.

Fang Yuan was peaceful, his black iris glowing eerily under the moonlight, showing the light of absolute calmness.

He had the experience of 500 years, a part of him was engrossed in combat, while another disengaged from the battle, and remained alert towards the surroundings.

Many times when he was hunting wild boars, other animals came to wreck havoc. At times, a wild boar, another time wild wolves, and even once a wandering tiger.

As time passed, the wild boar’s attacks gradually slowed down.

Fang Yuan’s eyes shone brightly as he took a few strides forward, getting close to the wild boar. Raising strength in his shoulder and arms, he carried and raised the wild boar in one breath.

Huff!

Fang Yuan growled as his face was puffed red, his arms stretching out and raising the wild boar high above his head.

The wild boar feebly struggled.

Fang Yuan’s body was unstable, he used all his strength to throw the wild boar.

With a boom, the wild boar was thrown onto a large rock by the river bank. It cried pitifully as sounds of its bones breaking could be heard.

It fell down from the large rock, blood oozing out from its ears, nose and mouth.

It struggled a few times before drawing its final breath.

The surroundings regained its peace.

The river water flowed endlessly, carrying the boar’s blood along the river to some far away place.

“My strength right now can compete with a boar! Tonight I’ll go try that giant rock at the passageway.” Fang Yuan stood on the spot, breathing in heavily with a hint of excitement flashing across his eyes.

These days he had used the White Boar Gu non-stop to increase the strength of his body. He could feel strongly now that his strength was getting bigger.

Back then when he fought wild boars, he could only use a kiting technique with the moonblade, but now he could even carry the wild boar, so the increment of his strength had shown great progress.

Of course, the White Boar Gu would not endless give him strength. The limit was a boar’s strength, and once he reached the limit, it would no longer grant him any additional strength.

“I can carry a wild boar now, but that does not mean I can go head to head with a boar, like how a strong man can carry another strong man, but it does not mean they have equal strength. My strength can continue to grow.”

Feeding all the pork to the White Boar Gu, Fang Yuan used his hunting knife to retrieve the boar’s teeth, and finally diced up the already heavily torn boar skin, before going into the secret cave in the rock crack.

As for the boar’s corpse, it did not need him to do anything. During the summer night, wild beasts roamed freely, and not long after, there should be wild beasts picking up the scent of the blood and rush here to clean the scene for Fang Yuan.

Or rather, even if someone found out, it was inconsequential. The wild boar’s injuries were all ‘edited’ by Fang Yuan, looking nothing like moonblade cuts.

Back to the secret cave enveloped in red light, Fang Yuan threw the two wild boar teeth at a corner.

The wild boar’s teeth collided, causing a crisp sound.

At this corner, there was already a pile of wild boar teeth. They were the results of Fang Yuan’s hunting.

Fang Yuan squirmed into the passageway, once again getting to the end of the tunnel.

Walking on the tunnel, his footsteps could be heard echoing in the cave, his vision dyed red due to the light.

Everything was unchanged; the giant rock was still there, quietly blocking his path. As for the hole created after digging out the earth treasury flower, it had already been filled up by Fang Yuan.

Haa!

Fang Yuan walked in front of the giant rock, raised both hands and pushed.

Although his face grew red with exertion, and he used all his strength, the giant rock did not move an inch.

“With my current strength, I can only carry a wild boar. But this giant rock, it is at least the weight of five to six boars. No wonder I cannot move it. The Flower Wine Monk’s strength inheritance is not that easily obtained!” Fang Yuan’s gaze shone as he estimated in his heart.

He did not give up, but instead came out of the tunnel and returned to the secret room upstairs.

Taking a bamboo tube from the corner of the wall, Fang Yuan sat on the ground and opened the lid, taking out the beast skin map and sheets of bamboo paper.

He opened the beast skin map and started to memorise it, using his fingers to draw on the traces on the map to aid in his memorization.

Ever since he had obtained the map, he had been doing this everyday.

Fang Yuan did not have a storage type Gu, he could not bring the beast skin map with him everywhere. Carrying a bamboo tube on him while battling is inconvenient too. Thus, Fang Yuan put in some effort and was prepared to stuff the entire beast skin map’s content into his head.

Some things, even if troublesome, had to be done. In a person’s life, those who did not actively resolve problems due to fearing trouble, would always face a dangerous predicament at the end. Fang Yuan understood this logic from his previous life.

“When one is young, their memory sure is good. I have already memorised more than half of this map. If I was old, I would probably forget the content while memorising this. Hehehe… of course if I had a Bookworm, I would feed this map to it, and from then on, as long as I do not lose the Bookworm, I will be able to recall this map clearly forever.”

Fang Yuan had the Liquor worm, White Boar Gu, and was now beginning to have insatiable greed, starting to crave the Bookworm.

The value of the Bookworm was quite close to the Liquor worm and White Boar Gu, all being rare species among the Rank one Gu worms. The market price was expensive and they were often sold out in moments.

In his previous life, Fang Yuan did not obtain the Liquor worm or White Boar Gu, but he accidentally obtained a Bookworm. This Bookworm eventually advanced ranks with him, and accompanied him for a whole sixty years.

“Forget it, Bookworms are rare and low in numbers, I won’t be able to get one anytime soon. To speak the truth, my current stage is way better than my previous life at this point. Last time at this period, I was still a Rank one initial stage, while the others like Fang Zheng, Chi Cheng, Mo Bei were already upper stage, far beyond me.” Fang Yuan was not someone who worried over nothing, quickly getting over it.

He was rather satisfied with his current progress.

He was a middle stage, and the others were also middle stage. With his C grade talent, he could maintain the same speed as these A and B grades, it was not easy. Much effort was given to the Liquor worm, as well as Fang Yuan’s rich cultivating experience.

The other aspect, was also due to Fang Yuan.

His act of extortion had caused the classmates to bulk up on training their physical fighting skills under the help of their elders. Unknowingly, it caused them to be distracted, reducing the time they spent on nurturing their apertures. This resulted in everyone’s cultivation level being even lower than Fang Yuan’s past life.

But even so, they were not so far from upper stage now.

Gu Masters’ early stage of cultivation was rather easy, seeing effect in a short period of time. Especially Gu Yue Fang Zheng, Mo Chen and Chi Cheng, their cultivation level had already creeped and even seemed to surpass Fang Yuan.

With constant cultivation, these three with their talent, or the support behind them, had already begun to show their advantage. The lead that Fang Yuan had due to the Liquor worm was starting to disappear.

Of course, there was also the reason of him hunting recently and using the White Boar Gu to raise his strength, or spending much of his time and effort in doing so.

“At this rate, before long, someone will advance to upper stage. The first person that achieves upper stage will get a reward of thirty primeval stones. But this reward, I do not intend to contest for it.” Fang Yuan had decided long ago.

If he abandoned the White Boar Gu now and rushed for upper stage, he might have some hopes of winning. But that was not Fang Yuan’s goal. Thirty primeval stones might be good but he did not lack primeval stones at the moment.

The bigger reason was that he needed to remain concealed and keep a low profile to reduce other people’s attention towards him, so that he can inherit the Flower Wine Monk’s strength inheritance successfully.

This is his real motive.

“The academy has all sorts of rewards, but it is just carrots to pique the student’s interest, and most importantly, it is a part of the family’s system. Fighting for these little rewards, is not what a wise person would do.”

Fang Yuan collect his spirits and gazed at the beast skin map again.

The beast skin map had two pages; one recorded the day while the other recorded the night. Many lines of different colours intertwined on it.

These lines, some were straight, some were curved, but they all had their own specific meaning. Only old man Wang would be clear of their meaning, but it is a pity he died. But even if he was alive, by forcing him to speak, he might not say the truth.

These days, Fang Yuan relied on his knowledge and experience, and according to the bamboo paper’s comparison, he had already deciphered it all.

“The red cross represents danger, a forbidden zone. The area with the red cross seems to be surrounded by wild boars, it is probably a wild boar king there. With my current strength, I’m as good as dead if I encounter one. Hmph!”

Thinking of old man Wang, Fang Yuan could not help but snort again.

This area marked with a cross was not marked on the bamboo paper. If Fang Yuan really believed the bamboo paper, he would probably die by the fangs of the wild boar king one day. This old man Wang was indeed experienced. To avenge his son, he did not have to act himself, but borrowed the wild boar king’s strength. This way, even if Fang Yuan dies, he would be able to avoid responsibility.

“But these three spots marked with a red circle, what do they mean?” Fang Yuan was perturbed.

This was the beast skin map’s final suspicious point.

Three red circles, showing three very isolated areas. They were also very far apart, and had little surrounding beasts, considered safer areas in the wild.

“The red cross represents forbidden area, but what does the red circle represent?” Fang Yuan fell into deep thoughts, “Normally, red is the most alert colour. Old man Wang marked these three areas, meaning they are important. It is a pity these areas are far, if not I would inspect them myself and find the reason.”

Chapter 72: Any organisation would also require loyalty

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The hot summer sun blazes on, the mountain winds blowing the warm winds around, Qing Mao Mountain steaming under the hot air.

In the blink of an eye, it was already near the end of June.

“Gu Yue Fang Zheng!” In the academy, the family elder called out.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng got up from his seat and came before the Academy Elder.

Under the admiring gaze of his classmates, Fang Zheng received a heavy bag of primeval stones.

“Fang Zheng, you are the first to advance to upper stage, this is your reward. Good job, continue working hard.” Academy elder smiled pleasantly, patting Fang Zheng’s shoulders.

Fang Zheng acknowledged with a grunt, his face full of excitement.

He took the money bag over with emotion and returned to his seat.

“I finally did it. The first to advance to upper stage, do you see that big brother, I finally beat you for once!”

His eyes shone with bright light as he swept his gaze over at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was sprawled on the table, sound asleep. Last night he had killed another wild boar, and after returning to the hostel, he used the White Boar Gu to improve his body and also used the natural essence within the primeval stones to refine his primeval essence using the Liquor worm. Finally, he used his upper stage primeval essence to nurture his aperture, all the way until morning.

He hurriedly ate breakfast before rushing to class, falling asleep as soon as he settled in. He was too exhausted, and Gu Master cultivation could not replace sleep.

“Hmph, even if you don’t admit it, this is the truth. Big brother, I have finally surpassed you! This is the first, and there will be a second time, a third time!”

Fang Zheng clenched his fists. This success was extremely meaningful to him. He had already broken through the dark clouds in his heart, creating and opening to allow light to penetrate in.

Even though this light was thin, it gave Fang Zheng hope and encouragement!

“Hmph, I actually lost to that Fang Zheng.” Gu Yue Mo Bei sat on his seat, arms crossed, feeling indignant.

“This is the advantage of an A grade, damn it…” Gu Yue Chi Cheng said with a dark expression. As he cultivated, he felt strongly the advantages of a good talent. Even with his grandfather Gu Yue Chi Lian’s support, plus his extremely hard work, he was still left behind by Fang Zheng.

“If only I had a Liquor worm, plus grandfather’s help, I might not lose to Fang Zheng! Those accursed Fang family brothers! Little brother is A grade, suppressing us, but the brother being a C grade has a Liquor worm. Why did all the good things in this world go to these brothers?” Gu Yue Chi Cheng felt really indignant.

“This time Fang Zheng broke through to upper stage first.”

“Of course, he is A grade talent”.

“Yeah, even Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, and Fang Yuan lost to Fang Zheng. Fang Zheng has gained all the attention this time.”

“Fang Yuan having the Liquor worm is not putting in effort. Wasting his time everyday, even sleeping in class, he might as well give his Liquor worm to me.”

The surrounding students discussed, feeling indignant in their hearts, helplessness and envy.

The academy elder called them one by one, and students went up continuously to collect their primeval stones allowance, and returned to their seats.

“Everyone quieten down.” After the allowance was given out, the academy elder used his hand to hit the table. All of a sudden, the academy became silent.

“Now, you’ve all mastered your second Gu worm and even so much as broke through into the upper stage. In the past half a year, you have all worked hard, and now you have some basics, it is time for you to train in the wilds. True battles, are not scarecrows or puppets, wooden puppets that stand there and await your attacks.

“The following mid year examination, will be held three days later, all students have to attend! The examination content is to hunt wild boars. By collecting wild boar teeth as results to record, those who collect the most wild boar teeth will get better scores. At the end of the examination, each wild boar teeth can be exchanged for ten primeval stones. Furthermore, you are allowed to hunt in groups.”

The academy elder’s words caused a commotion among the students.

“The mid-year exam is finally here!”

“Every year’s students study at the academy for a year, and there is always a mid-year exam and an end of year exam. Looking at the time, it really is time for the mid-year exam.”

“Every year’s examination content is different, to think that this year, our examination is to hunt and acquire wild boar teeth.”

“What should we do? My talent is only D grade, my vital Gu isn’t an attack-type like the Moonlight Gu, how can I hunt wild boars?”

“Didn’t you hear, the family elder said, we are allowed to hunt in groups. For those with talent that can’t make it, or those with Gu worms that aren’t suitable, we can help each other and cooperate! When we get boar teeth, we just need to share with one another, and that would work.”

“Each wild boar teeth can be exchanged for ten primeval stones, this is the academy encouraging us to hunt more wild boars, and the prize is set for that. For true market value, one primeval stone can buy twenty wild boar teeth.”

The students had varying expressions, some were happy while other fretted, some were eager to go, while others called on companions, even Fang Yuan was slightly moved.

“It changed! I remember that last year’s examination was to collect wildlife honey. To think that it changed to wild boar teeth. Is this the butterfly effect?”

A butterfly flapping its wings can cause a giant storm on the coast of another ocean. A small change in the initial conditions lead to drastic changes in the results.

Ever since his rebirth, Fang Yuan had made many changes, the conditions of his current self was vastly different from his previous life. Back then he had already been left behind by Fang Zheng and the others, but now he was adamantly at the top of the student board.

In his past life he did not kill Jia Jin Sheng, in fact they did not even meet. But this life, he did not only kill Jia Jin Sheng, he even excavated the deeper treasures of the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance.

These changes are like a butterfly flapping its wings, indirectly causing changes to the environment. The mid-year examination change is only the first of such symptoms.

“If I continue changing things, will it cause history to become completely unrecognisable as well? In that case, the advantage from my rebirth would be significantly reduced.”

Fang Yuan looked calm, but was sighing internally.

The feeling of inability and pressing urgency roamed his heart, but he quickly adjusted his mood.

“No matter what, since it has already happened, I can’t stop it. What I need to do now is to actively change myself. Even if the events are completely different at the end, I would not slow down my growth just because of such concerns!”

“In my past life I knew nothing about the future, does that mean that in my current life I lack courage? Hehe, even if the world is full of thorns, I will cut through all the thorns in my way and pave out a blood-filled path myself!”

“Every teeth for ten primeval stones, this price is very high. Should I sell all those wild boar fangs I have stocked up at the cave? But if I do, I might attract suspicion? No, according to the Gu Yue clan’s political situation, if I sell these wild boar teeth publicly, I might get screwed over.”

Fang Yuan shook his head, the risks were too big. If he really sold these teeth, what could he get in return?

A little over one hundred primeval stones?

“Wait, primeval stones aren’t important. Maybe I can use this change to construct my image again.” Thinking of this, Fang Yuan’s eyes shone brightly.

He needed to get rich secretly now, being as low profile as possible. If the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance was exposed, he might even lose his life.

But his current position was awkward.

He stood against all his classmates, being outside the system, and among the higher-ups, he was an untamable, unhappy and indignant, intelligent and cold, C grade talent teenager.

This image was not good, it literally portrayed him as unloyal. But a clan requires loyalty, in fact, any organisation requires loyalty.

No matter which world, loyalty is the value that is most sought after in clans. Loyalty to the clan, loyalty to the country, loyalty to his leader, loyalty to his loved one, loyalty to his friends etc.

As Fang Yuan’s cultivation level got higher, the higher-ups would only get more concerned, and if needed, the family may even use hard handed methods on him. At that point, Fang Yuan would be really thrown into passivity.

Fang Yuan did not like passiveness, he liked to have the control of all matters tightly in his grip.

Because of a series of events before, Fang Yuan could only operate on the go, relying on outside strength, and this image he constructed was only to protect himself in times of need.

But now that he could protect himself, Fang Yuan needed to be stronger!

Thus, he needed to change this image, letting the higher-ups think that he had given up and joined the clan system. But this conversation cannot be too abrupt, or it would be suspicious.

More importantly, joining this system is only a facade, Fang Yuan would not really join them truly, and be manipulated and restricted. He had too many secrets.

He needed large amounts of freedom, and in actuality he was still a loner in operation.

But now the mid-year exam was a chance.

“It seems I have to do some plotting, I’ll start from the extortion then.” Fang Yuan’s gaze became certain as everything fell into his scheme.

Chapter 73: The mysterious red circle marking

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“You said that during Fang Yuan’s extortion this time, although he defeated Fang Zheng, Chi Cheng and Mo Bei, he left go of them and did not take their primeval stones?” Hearing the guard’s report, the academy elder revealed a slightly shocked expression.

“I dare not lie to lord, it is indeed like this.” The guard kneeling on the ground immediately responded.

“Mm.” The academy elder did not express his opinion, and waved his hand, “I have understood this matter, you may go.”

“Your subordinate takes his leave.”

Once the guard had left, the academy elder immediately fell into deep thoughts.

He was originally concerned with this matter as he was afraid Fang Yuan would snatch away the thirty primeval stones that Fang Zheng had gotten as a reward. If that was the case, the academy’s reward system would have no meaning, they might as well give everything to Fang Yuan.

If Fang Yuan really did that, the academy would not allow it, and the academy elder was already prepared to punish Fang Yuan.

But he did not expect that not only did Fang Yuan have no intention to take the thirty primeval stones from Fang Zheng, he even let go of Mo Bei and Chi Cheng as well.

“Fang Yuan has hundreds of primeval stones on hand, he might not be too concerned with the thirty primeval stones, that is understandable. But giving up on extorting Mo Bei, Chi Cheng and Fang Zheng, what is the reason?”

The academy elder contemplated, his eyebrows gradually easing. He had understood something.

Mo Bei, Chi Cheng and Fang Zheng, they could be said to represent the three factions of the clan. Letting go of them, the meaning was that he was appealing to the three different factions. This was understandable, as Fang Yuan’s attitude change meant that he was finally willing to lower his head to the clan.

“Understandable. As he cultivated, Fang Yuan may have the Liquor worm, but the situation has gotten clearer to him. The inability of a C grade talent, after a few outbursts, and letting go of the majority of his negative feelings, he is probably rather downhearted and depressed now.”

“It seems the clan leader’s words make sense, Fang Yuan is after all a fifteen year old, how can he go against the clan’s system? Now that he has started to accept reality, once he finds the position that he belongs to, he would fuse into the clan naturally.”

Thinking of this, the academy elder breathed out a sigh of relief, his feelings becoming more cheerful.

Three days passed in a flash. Soon, the mid-year exam was here.

“Faster, faster, I’ve lured the wild boar out!” A youngster ran as he shouted out frantically.

On both his legs, there was a light green ring of swirling wind. With these two rings, it led to him having above average speed at such a young age.

However, the wild boar chasing after him became faster and faster, and the distance between them was shortening.

The scorching sun penetrated the forest and reflected on the wild boar, causing both its teeth to shine brightly.

“The wild boar is coming, hold the rope tightly!” The four ambushing youngsters quickly hid in the bushes and pulled the ropes tightly, instantly forming a tripping rope.

The speeding youngster leapt lightly, jumping over the road and continued running.

But the boar behind him tripped over the rope and fell harshly on the ground, crashing five to six meters before stopping.

“Oww!” The four youngsters were pulled along by the rope, and fell to the ground along with the wild boar.

“Strike!” The youngster running ahead turned around and shouted.

The few people lying on the ground frantically stood up, and surrounded the wild boar.

Kacha!

A small budding tree, under the impact of the wild boar, snapped in half and the tree crown fell to the ground.

“What a close shave!” Gu Yue Chi Cheng wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling lingering fear. “Luckily I managed to use the Dragonpill cricket Gu and leapt three meters to the left, otherwise this tree would’ve been my outcome.”

Pew pew pew!

Moonblade danced in the air as it hit the wild boar’s body, causing long and shallow cuts.

Gu Yue Mo Bei’s face was excited, his eyes glowing, his spirits immersed in this battle.

Half an hour later, the wild boar collapsed due to excessive loss of blood.

Gu Yue Mo Bei breathed roughly and also sat on the ground, his entire body full of mud and grass, at the same time full of sweat.

“Fighting against a living being like the wild boar is indeed different from the wooden puppet, grass puppet during practise battles. I spent thirty minutes just to kill a wild boar, I wonder how are the others doing?”

On a hidden small hill, there was a temporarily built tent. The tent blocked the punishing sun rays and casted an area of cool dark shadowy shade.

Under the cover, there was a few chairs and tables, with the academy elder sitting at the main seat. Beside him, there were other clan elders. A few Gu Masters were standing behind them.

In the surrounding forests around the tent, there were also some hidden Gu Masters.

At this time, the forest ahead had an abnormal disturbance.

Whoosh!

A Gu Master emerged from the forest like a shadow and quickly ran out, kneeling outside the tentage.

“How is the situation?” Academy elder asked.

“Reporting to Lord Elder, at this point, there are no casualties among the students.” The Gu Master quickly answered.

“Good, good.”

“An afternoon had already gone by since the mid-year exam started. To have no injuries, this is different from the past years.”

“It looks like this is all the academy elder’s effort.”

The other clan elders nodded satisfactorily, praising in turns.

The academy elder shook his head slightly, he knew the reason. This was due to Fang Yuan’s emergence, extorting his classmates, causing them to practise hard on basic martial arts, thus having such a performance.

He looked towards the kneeling Gu Master, and continued asking, “Then at this point, whose results are the best?”

The Gu Master answered immediately, “Reporting to Lord, at this point, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, Fang Zheng, Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, are leading. Chi Cheng killed three boars, Fang Zheng and Mo Bei killed five, and Fang Yuan has the most, at eight.”

“Oh? To think Fang Yuan is leading!”

“In all the years, it is a very rare sight that A and B grade talents are being suppressed by a C grade.”

“He has the Liquor worm right? That means he has upper stage green copper primeval essence, so to have such a result, it is understandable.”

“I believe that from now on, Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng would surpass him. Although he has the Liquor worm, his primeval essence recovery rate cannot compare to A, B grade talents.”

The other clan elders discussed.

“You may go.” Academy elder waved his hand towards the kneeling Gu Master. “Instruct the others, focus on their protecting job. Especially Fang Zheng, Chi Cheng and Mo Bei, pay more attention and ensure their safety!”

“Yes, lord.” The Gu Master retreated.

These outdoor combats to most students, it was really their first time. Thus, there was danger and the clan naturally has plans. Dozens of Rank two Gu Masters were concealed in the forests, controlling the safety of this entire examination. At the same time, some Rank three clan elders were staying here to anticipate sudden accidents.

The blazing sun slowly descended from the highest point in the sky, gradually nearing the north-east mountains.

The sunset glow ignited the clouds; it was the sun’s last flow of passion.

As the last sunlight shone into the forest, another wild boar fell on the ground.

“Twenty third.” Fang Yuan calculated in his heart, and then squatted down, skillfully carving out a wild boar teeth.

There was a bag on his back, inside was a large number of wild boar teeth.

At the same time, he had another bag, carrying the teeth of those boars he killed last time. These teeth were originally stored in the rock crack secret cave, and were retrieved by Fang Yuan the previous night, stored into a bag and buried in a secret location.

“I am familiar with the terrain and wild boar distribution, at the same time I have upper stage primeval essence to use the Moonlight Gu together with the Little light Gu. The others’ efficiency definitely cannot compare to me. Just with this bag on me, I can get number one easily. I wonder what expressions they would show when I take out the other bag later? Hehe.”

Fang Yuan looked at the sky; it was time to retrieve the other bag.

Thinking of this, in his head, a map showed up.

These days, he had memorized the beast skin map. Fang Yuan was clear of his current position. If he turned left and walked along the stream for fifteen minutes, he would reach the location where he buried the bag.

But when he was about to move, he hesitated.

“With my current location, I am only five to six hundred meters away from the nearest red circle marking. Such a rare chance, should I go take a look?”

Once he had the thought, it was unstoppable.

Since he had already won anyway, Fang Yuan had a lot of time left.

“That beast skin map had three red circle markings, these three locations were very important to old man Wang. It is also the only meaning that I could not decipher on the map. I’ll go see!”

Fang Yuan naturally knew that there were Gu Masters controlling the scene, but this was also why he needed evidence.

Immediately, he acted like he was going to continue killing wild boars, and moved deeper into the forest.

Seven minutes later, he arrived at the red marking location.

A treehouse was hidden among the bushes on a huge tree, and if one did not observe closely they would not be able to find it.

“This is old man Wang’s temporary residence while hunting?” Fang Yuan frowned, his heart getting confused.

He climbed into the treehouse.

When he saw the sight in the tree house, his expression changed!

Chapter 74: Solving the mystery with knowledge and discovering killing intent

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The space in the tree house isn’t large, but there were many items inside, so at one glance it seemed extremely messy.

The floor in the center had a thick dark yellow-coloured carpet.

Inside the house, there was an iron stove beside the wall, and on it there was a bronze kettle. Inside the stove there was black coloured soot, and beside it there was a small pile of unburnt dried firewood.

Despite it being summer, the nights in this mountain were still icy cold. The iron stove could maintain the entire treehouse’s warmth when lit, despite its small size.

The treehouse has two sets of windows, two to three ropes wrapped as the frame of the windows, connecting the two together in the middle of the room.

On the rope hanged several torn pieces of clothing, the torn patches pieced together. It was obviously an adult’s clothing and was still slightly damp, not completely dry from the sun yet.

The light of the setting sun penetrated the windows and shone inside the treehouse.

The treehouse was rather dark internally. At a corner there were axes and hunting knives with beast skin wrapped on the handle. On the blade there was even dark red blood traces.

On the other side of the wall, there was a piece of bamboo paper with a dagger stabbed in the middle.

There was a young man’s face on the bamboo paper — it was Fang Yuan’s appearance!

This all meant that during this short period, someone had come to the hidden treehouse and lived here. The person’s intention was obvious, his target was Fang Yuan.

The paper was stabbed by a dagger and showed his evil intent to the extremes!

Such a scenario, even Fang Yuan was taken aback.

“What does this person want, and why is he against me? No, maybe it isn’t me but Fang Zheng.” Fang Yuan’s thoughts flew all over his mind.

Fang Zheng was an A grade talent, the only one in the last three years of the Gu Yue clan, and is their only hope. If he could be truly nurtured, he would be the next figure in the clan.

But nurturing was a process.

During this process, there were calamities and human-made disasters.

Ignoring calamities, the most important was human disasters. As everyone knew, Qing Mao mountain did not only have the Gu Yue clan, but also the Bai clan and Xiong clan. These two forces would not be happy to see the dominating Gu Yue clan successfully nurturing an A grade talent.

Thus, sending assassins to get rid of him was a common thing.

In this world, there are little geniuses, and even less of those who could successfully grow up.

A grade talent Gu Masters, it was not that they did not exist. Three years ago, one appeared in the Gu Yue clan. In even earlier generations, they also appeared on occasions.

But on Qing Mao Mountain, out of the three clans in these years, there was only one successful A grade talent nurtured — the Bai clan’s Bai Ning Bing of Rank three cultivation.

Such a scenario was enough to say many things.

“This person, is he from the Bai clan or the Xiong clan? They want to get rid of Gu Yue Fang Zheng so soon?” Fang Yuan frowned, staring at the portrait.

“But why did old man Wang’s beast skin map indicate this treehouse? Was he a spy from the other forces? No, this person is obviously after me!”

Fang Yuan’s eyes shone with brilliance.

At this moment, he thought of many scenes.

The first time, it was beside the trap, and the four hunter’s conversation —

A hunter said, “Second brother Wang, you’re almost nineteen, it is time you got married and have children.”

Wang Er said, “Hmph, as a true man, how can I be lusting after such small beauty! One day, I will walk out of this Qing Mao mountain and roam the world, learn everything in the world and live up to the expectations of my male body!”

The second time was after he himself acted, Wang Er’s peculiar calmness. He pulled his bow and pointed at Fang Yuan. The others were already begging for forgiveness.

The third was when Fang Yuan was asking questions.

“I ask you, in old man Wang’s family, who else is there?”

A hunter answered, “Hunter Wang originally had a wife, but that was decades ago, and she was killed by wild wolves that intruded the village. Before his wife died she gave birth to two sons and a daughter. But the oldest son Wang Da died on the mountain while hunting three years ago. There is no one else in the Wang family.”

“I, I remember! Old man Wang actually also has a daughter-in-law, Wang Da’s old wife. But after Wang Da disappeared, his wife died due to a broken heart. That year, the village even specially sent down a chastity memorial arch! But rumour has it that Wang Da’s wife wanted to remarry, and she was actually hounded to death by Old man Wang. When you killed Old man Wang, lord, you are helping us citizens, rooting out the evil and bringing people peace!”

The other hunter quickly added, “That’s right, that’s right. Actually lord, we have long found this old Wang unfavourable. Hmph, he’s nothing special, just that he can hunt better than us. We’re all just mortals, yet he thinks he’s more special than us and purposely moved out of the village to live here. As the younger generation, we sometimes will ask him to teach us and impart his experiences, but he would just outright chase us away and never allow us to show up again near the wooden house!”

Old man Wang’s family, moving out of the village, away from people……

Eldest son Wang Da, died on the mountains three years ago while hunting……

Wang Da’s wife wanted to remarry, and was forced to commit suicide by old man Wang, and obtained a chastity memorial arch….

Old man Wang chased away all the young hunters who were trying to ask for guidance…

Old man Wang tried his best to hide the beast skin map, and on the bamboo paper, there were no such circles……

Wang Er was at such a young age, but was calm towards Gu Masters. At the same time he did not marry, and had the aspiration to surpass mortal realm in his heart……

Most importantly, the circles on the beast skin map indicated a hidden realm, there was obvious human activity in the area. At the same time this person held strong hatred towards Fang Yuan……

All the clues pieced together, if separated they were not easy to link, but once linked it was peculiar!

The more Fang Yuan thought about it, the more he felt that the mist shrouding this mystery has thinned.

The setting sun’s afterglow passed through the window and reflected upon his face, the strong light alike to the colour of blood.

The surroundings had fallen into a deadly silence, was there someone secretly peeping at him all this time?

Suddenly, Fang Yuan’s eyes lit up, his vision crossing through time and space; he had seen the truth!

“Wang Da, did not die.”

At this moment, the glow in his eyes radiated the surroundings(1).

“Not only did he not die, he even became a demonic Gu Master by chance!”

It was not that mortals had no cultivating talent, but that the clan restricted the cultivation methods from leaking out, and controlled it tightly in their hands.

But there was no absolute in this world.

Mortals could become Gu Masters as well, from accidents in the wild and encountering the Hope Gu, opening their aperture. Or inheriting a certain strength inheritance, or getting the personal guidance from a certain clan’s member.

But these Gu Masters were not accepted into the clan completely, and could only be their henchmen. Thus, they would not be satisfied and became loner Gu Masters. Their cultivation is extremely difficult. As time passed, as they competed for resources, they would have to kill snatch and murder, turning towards the demonic path.

“Because of some lucky chance, the highest possibility is that he obtained a large fortune from a certain Gu Master’s corpse and became a Gu Master three years ago. To hide from others, he sent out the fake information that he died, but no one had ever seen his corpse. Old man Wang’s family found out about this and moved out of the village, risking the chance that wild beasts might invade and lived alone, just to hide this truth.”

“But there were some problems that occurred, Wang Da’s wife did not agree and might have wanted to report to the Gu Yue clan. Wang family had no choice but to kill her, and released some seemingly real and fake information to hide the truth. Something about her remarrying, or forcing her to commit suicide to hide the truth under all these rumors.”

“Once in awhile, Wang Da would return home to stay. Thus, old man Wang had to chase those youngsters who were seeking guidance away. Wang Er after interacting with his brother had dispelled his fear of Gu Masters, and naturally developed the goal of wanting to be a Gu Master and explore the greatness of the outside world!”

“Because of the fear that Wang Da might be exposed, even at such an old age Wang Er did not get married. Wang Da could not stay in the house, thus old man Wang drew three red circles on the beast skin map, these three locations should be hidden residential areas like this. Having three hiding spots, Wang Da rotated his stay around the houses, and lived in the fringe of the three clans’ authority.”

The meaning of the three red circles was finally revealed!

Red indicated alertness, but most importantly to old man Wang, this was his eldest son’s residence. Thus, when Fang Yuan wanted the old man to draw the map, he did not indicate it on the bamboo paper, it was to protect his son. Similarly, he drew fewer red crosses, to avenge the death of his son.

“Maybe at a certain time each year, Wang Da will return home to stay for a while. When he returned, he found that his entire family was dead. After asking around, he found out it was me, thus he used the dagger to pin my portrait on the wall, so that he would exact revenge on me!”

With his previous life’s experience, Fang Yuan was almost certain this was the truth.

If it was some other power that wanted to assassinate Fang Zheng, they could be much more subtle. They did not have to develop a spy like old man Wang. After all, old man Wang lived at the mountain foot, not inside the Gu Yue village.

“To think that over a beast skin map, I provoked a murderer of the demonic faction. This world really works in wondrous ways,” Fang Yuan could not help but snicker.

He first killed Wang Er, the old man Wang and Wang’s daughter, and it was all for the beast skin map. Old man Wang was the number one hunter in the village, so his beast skin map had the greatest value.

At that time he was thinking: It’s merely three mortal lives, what’s the big deal, I’ll just killing them conveniently.

In this world, anyone had the right to live, and anyone could die just as easily.

To think that out of nowhere, a demonic way Gu Master emerged!

With regards to this, Fang Yuan did not have a tint of regret, but instead felt at ease.

If he had been too merciful at the time, in his goal to obtain the Wang family beast skin map, Wang Er, old man Wang and sister Wang would’ve been a huge disturbance. To protect Wang Da’s secret, they would not give him the real product.

Wang Er’s battle strength could exterminate an ordinary Rank one upper stage Gu Master. Old man Wang was even more experienced with age, and in terms of killing strength, he was even more of a threat than Wang Er.

Even if he had gotten the real product, old man Wang would’ve informed Wang Da, and Wang Da would’ve gotten Fang Yuan’s information immediately. No matter how he dealt with it, he would be in the shadows while Fang Yuan was out in the open. Wang Da would be having the advantage of being in control of the situation.

“Good thing I killed them at the start! Regardless of what, I have to control the situation in my own palm. This way, even if I do not get the real item, there is no loss to me, and I can even snatch other hunters’. Killing old man Wang and that girl caused Wang Da to spend a lot of time just to get my intel. Needless to say, those two young hunters must’ve already been silenced.” Fang Yuan confirmed in his heart.

There was only a few people who knew the situation, and Wang Da would not attack Jiang He. Once Jiang He is dead, the clan would send people to investigate. But if those two hunters disappeared on the mountain, it was easy to manipulate. Jiang He would not reveal an incident like this as it would affect the clan’s evaluation of him, and would even cover up the situation.

(1) ‘glow in his eyes radiated the surroundings’ is a metaphor.

Chapter 75: Resolution of the Demonic way!

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The thoughts of Fang Yuan flew all over the place in the tree house.

With the knowledge acquired from his previous life, Fang Yuan could sense Wang Da’s existence, but how was his strength?

Fang Yuan had never seen this Wang Da, but with the information at hand, there was much he could analyze from this.

“Courage is built upon the basis of strength, he had collected my information and still wants to exact revenge on me. With such a confidence, his cultivation has to be above Rank one!”

“These three years he had been moving around the three red circled areas, living on the fringe of the three clan villages. Almost everyday he faced the risk of getting discovered and purged. This shows he does not have the strength to roam outside, and roaming outside requires Rank three cultivation.

“This means that, at first evaluation, he is a Rank two.”

Fang Yuan’s eyes glinted with cold light, “Counting the time, he disappeared for three years and cultivated to Rank two now, so he should be a B or C grade talent, and his aperture should have about 40-70% primeval essence.”

“These three years, he could survive and at the same time, live at home despite Jiang He’s observation, so he has to have a stealth-type of Gu worm at work.

Information was the most important thing to a Gu Master’s showdown.

Although Fang Yuan had no investigative-type Gu worm, with his experience and knowledge, he could forcefully reverse engineer Wang Da’s cultivation level and Gu worms to a highly plausible degree.

Very quickly, his mental image of a Rank two demonic faction Gu Master appeared, carrying the hatred of his family’s murder and lurking somewhere to kill his revenge target.

“I can kill others, others can naturally come to kill me. This is nothing.” Fang Yuan laughed lightly.

In this world, anyone had the right to live, and anyone had the chance to die.

Those who kill, are bound to get killed.

Since he committed murder, he should be mentally prepared to get killed.

If he was killed like that, then he would die like that, it was nothing much, and definitely no regrets. This was the path he chose.

This point, Fang Yuan had great resolve already.This is the resolution of the demonic way!

“Wang Er wants to kill me, then in this mid-year exam, it is definitely the best chance. Normally, students would reside in the village, and with his Rank two cultivation, he cannot creep into the village, that is courting death.”

“Maybe he evaluated that I might come out to hunt. But Qing Mao Mountain is so huge, he alone has to hide his traces and also have to search for me, it is too difficult. Now that there’s this chance, he is most likely to strike.”

“He is a Rank two Gu Master, and one that has struggled for three years, living a life of danger and unknown, a demonic faction Gu Master nurtured like this. With my current battle strength, I am definitely not his match. But this does not mean that I have no chance of survival.”

Escape!

Fang Yuan instantly decided.

Nothing is too shameless if it is to survive, so if he can’t fight it, run.

For a Gu Master to make a sudden breakthrough is almost never happening. Fighting against a higher realm is possible, but that is built on the base that the Gu Master has special Gu worms.

Fang Yuan had a number of Gu worms in his possession, but the Spring Autumn Cicada was hibernating and unusable, while the Liquor worm, White Boar Gu, Little light Gu and Moonlight Gu were not trump cards to fight a higher realm.

Obviously knowing the enemy was unbeatable, yet resolving to fight to the death, that is a stupid “hot-blooded” behaviour. Even if he wins, that would not win him the favor of fate.

Fang Yuan is cautious his entire life even with trump cards, and if the chances of victory is slim, he would choose to avoid combat.

He liked to be in control of the situation, using unscrupulous methods to raise his chances to the limit. He loved fighting assured battles.

Only when he has no choice would he engage in a risky fight.

Thus, his favourite activity was to bully the weak and snatch resources to get stronger. Strong enough until he surpasses his enemies and then stomp on them afterwards, bullying the weak.

There is nothing shameless about this, those who find challenges just to prove their bravery and risk their lives to fight to the death with strong enemies, that is the real stupidity.

But unfortunately, this “quality” has been praised and recommended, because any organization needed the individual to sacrifice themselves to protect the interests of the ones in power.

One just needs to think slightly to know that survival is the prerequisite to all activities.

In order to survive and fulfill the ambitions on their heart, this is a person’s greatest courage.

Dying for aspiration, those are fools. Surviving shamelessly for their ambitions, those are true brave warriors!

On earth, Han Xin(1) endured the shame of crawling through someone’s legs, Cao Cao(2) was chased till he shaved his beard and torn his robe, Yue Wang(3) in order to live, had to eat shit to express his loyalty……

That’s why, fuck off with honor and reputation, and face!

Regardless of organization, they would applaud such a value system. The more that needed to be sacrificed, the more they would be promoted, like a military.

“Which direction should I go, the one that has the lowest chance of encountering Wang Da?” A map appeared in Fang Yuan’s mind.

“Wang Da already knows I have the beast skin map, now he should be hiding in the forest, searching for me by looking for the wild boar distribution on the map. I cannot go to these places, thus I can only move in reverse to find a chance to survive.” Thinking of this, a slightly insane route surfaced in Fang Yuan’s mind.Under the sunset in the mountain forest, tree shadows overlapped and wild grass grew abundantly.

A pair of bloodshot eyes hid deep in the shadows. His eyes burnt with hatred and anger, as if it couldn’t be doused even with a tsunami.

“Fang Yuan, I’ve finally found you…” Wang Da gritted his teeth, growling the words out from his mouth.

Under his gaze, not far away, a youngster with a thin body and pale face was traversing the forest.

With his enemy nearby, Wang Da did not act immediately, but turned his gaze to several other positions.

From each of these positions, an invigilator Gu Master was hidden.

To prevent cheating and for immediate treatment of injuries, the area nearby had around a few dozen Rank two Gu Masters hiding. There was even Rank three clan elders holding the fort on the mountains high up.

Wang Da carefully moved around the forest and collected a lot of intel.

“I want to kill Fang Yuan, so I need to get rid of these three Gu Masters first. Otherwise, once I show myself, I will be disturbed. Maybe with surprise, I can kill Fang Yuan, but I will also get killed by the Gu Masters that chase after me from there.”

“I have Rank two middle stage cultivation, and there’s 50% primeval essence in my body. I have to act first and kill these three Gu Masters, it is difficult. I have to strike consecutively in a very short period. Otherwise, once they find their companions dead, they would become alert and my traces will be exposed……”

“Shadow Follower Gu.” Wang Da closed his eyes and called in his heart.

Immediately, his body became enshrouded in a lump of darkness and could move among the tree shadows.

All was silent.

In a thick bush nearby, the Gu Yue clan’s Rank two Gu Master sprawled inside, yawning out of boredom.

“So boring, accompanying these junior students, I feel like a nanny.” This Gu Master complained softly, not feeling the shadow that was slowly creeping around him.

A pair of bony hands stretched out from the shadows.

This pair of hands was pale to the limit, the joints were huge and the ten nails were sharp and long, the nails dyed a shade of dark purple and emitted a slightly fishy smell.

“What smell is this?” The Gu Yue clan Gu Master sniffed, frowning subconsciously.

He just wanted to investigate, but it was too late.

Wang Da pounced like a snake, striking at lightning speed!

One hand covered the Gu Master’s mouth and nose, while the other stabbed from the shadows towards his back. His dark purple nails were sharp as blades, his fingers easily entering the Gu Master’s body and reaching his heart.

The fingernails were poisonous, and at that moment it invaded the heart. Through the blood, it spread all over the Gu Master’s body.

The Gu Master’s body stiffened and lost all signs of life.

Although they were both Rank two Gu Masters, one had assaulted abruptly with preparation, so before the battle even begun, it had ended.

“I used 10% of my primeval essence, 40% left.” Wang Da checked his aperture, and fused into the shadows once again.

A moment later, the second Gu Master hiding behind a rock also met his assault. His eyes shrunk to pin size as he collapsed on the ground.

The poison invaded his body, and soon he turned purple, and from his nose two streams of purple blood flowed out.

“30% left.” Wang Da chanted silently, turning into shadows again.

“Who is it!” The third Gu Master was hiding on a tree branch atop a huge tree. At the crucial moment he sensed something wrong, and at the time where Wang Da struck, he turned around and grabbed the two poisonous hands.

“Damn it!” Wang Da laughed sinisterly, his ten nails growing crazily, at once becoming five centimeters long, stabbing the Gu Master’s forearm and piercing his skin.

His forearm bled and the blood quickly turned dark purple.

“This is the Love Life Separation?!” The third Gu Master seeing this was shocked beyond doubt; the purple poison had already infected his face.

He knew he had no poison resistance Gu worm and was surely dead, thus he showed resolve on his face, shouting, “Then let’s die together!”

He opened his mouth and stretched out his tongue.

There was a crescent moon tattoo on his tongue — it was the Moonlight Gu.

A moonblade shot out and slashed Wang Da’s right shoulder, piercing through and coming out from his back.

The blood splattered.

Wang Da grunted, his body swaying a little, but the Gu Master had already passed away, with a trace of life left.

“Correct, this is Love Life Separation.” Wang Da stood on the tree branch, slowly standing up, showing a bitter smile.

Love Life Separation, the number one poison among the Rank two Gu worms! To refine it, one needs the Rank one life breath grass, widow spider, red needle scorpion and the heart of a lover.

To refine this Gu worm, Wang Da killed his own wife who loved him deeply, and dug out her heart!

“It is all for survival, I could only choose strength… this is the resolution of my demonic path!” Wang Da’s eyes were red as he stared tightly at the nearby youngster.

“I gave up on love, and only had kinship left, but you took them from me! Fang Yuan…” He growled lowly, “I want you to regret deeply all that you did!”

(1) 韩信 (Han Xin): Famous general of first emperor Han emperor Liu Bang.

(2) 曹操 (Cao Cao): Famous statesman and general at the end of Han, noted poet and calligrapher, later warlord, founder and first king of Cao Wei, father of Emperor Cao Pi, as well as the main villain of the novel the Romance of Three Kingdoms.

(3) 越王勾践 (Yue Wang/King Gou Jian of Yue): sometimes considered one of the Five Hegemons.

Chapter 76: Do you regret it?

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Kill!” Wang Da growled, ferociously leaping into the air from the tree branch.

As he was about to get near to his mortal enemy, three moonblades shot out from nowhere suddenly and intercepted him midway.

“Why is there a fourth Gu Master?” Wang Da’s heart sank, twisting his body forcefully in midair, narrowing avoiding two moonblades. The remaining one, which he could no longer evade, hit his left leg.

Bang!

Wang Da crashed onto the ground, lowering his head to look at his left leg. There was a wound, deep and long, blood already dripping all over.

“Damn……” Wang Da gritted his teeth, his heart thinking, “Shadow Follower Gu!”

Immediately, he turned into a lump of dark shadow as his speed rose drastically, moving backwards without a sound.

At this moment.

A Gu worm flew out from nowhere, at the same time an old and weary voice sounded out —

“Flash Blink Gu, explode.”

The Gu worm exploded on command, turning into a blinding white light.

The white light was unavoidable, abruptly appearing and turning the entire dark forest bright.

“Ah!” Wang Da shrieked. His body which had turned into shadows could not hide anywhere under the bright light, and went back to his human form.

Although the Flash Blink Gu was only Rank one and also a consumable type, it was the complete counter of Wang Da’s Shadow Follower Gu. Once the darkness was dispelled by the light, the Rank two Shadow Follower Gu needed to rest three hours before it could be used again.

In nature, all beings are equal, one counters another. Although the Shadow Follower Gu had very strong lurking abilities, it also had a great weakness.

After he was countered, Wang Da’s heart sank to the bottom of the valley.

This fourth Gu Master was more experienced, not only did he know which Gu to use, he also hid himself well, a true foe. More importantly, Wang Da could no longer use the Shadow Follower Gu, thus having no way to retreat.

“I am Gu Yue Sou, lad, if you surrender now, my clan might still spare your life!” A white haired, silver beard Rank two Gu Master appeared in front of Wang Da’s vision.

“Spare me, hmph, I’ll kill you first!” Wang Da knew that if it was dragged, there would be more Gu Masters appearing to deal with him, he had to kill this fourth Gu Master as soon as possible.

“My primeval essence only has 20% left, be it revenge or preserving my life, I have to kill this meddlesome old fellow first!” Wang Da picked up his spirits and jumped towards Gu Yue Sou.

Gu Yue Sou snorted. His entire body, be it hair or pore hair, grew insanely and intertwined, in the blink of an eye forming a snow white battle armor with a spiky design.

Seeing this change, Wang Da’s expression changed. The experienced Gu Master was like a porcupine, causing Wang Da to not know how to strike.

His Rank two strong poison Gu Love Life Separation, although the poison was extremely strong and deadly, it did not have strong attacking abilities, only usable as a sneak attack.

Wang Da only had Love Life Separation and Shadow Follower Gu. If he had a defensive Gu worm, he would not have gotten hit by the moonblade.

“Hmph, if I cannot deal with you, I’ll kill Fang Yuan first!” Wang Da was not stupid. The three years of living had made him cunning and ruthless.

He moved quickly, getting around Gu Yue Sou and attacking the culprit of his family’s murder.

“Dream on!” Gu Yue Sou activated his primeval essence, and his body of spikes immediately shot out two sharp pins, spiralling and flying five to six metres towards Wang Da.

Wang Da’s body shifted, narrowly avoiding the two snow white spikes.

On his hands, his ten nails were half a palm long, purple and dark, the fog state poison circulating them.

“Die!” Wang Da was already mad from battle, laughing maniacally as he rushed towards his target.

In his eyes, Fang Yuan’s face was full of shock and panic.

Killing intent had overtaken Wang Da’s brain, he could almost hear himself piercing Fang Yuan’s skin, and his indignant last breath.

“You wish!”

Seeing that he was about to succeed, another person appeared, blocking Wang Da’s way.

The fifth Gu Master rushed over from nearby!

“It’s actually the Love Life Separation?” This middle-aged man was unmoved by Wang Da’s crazy and ferocious demeanour.

Rock Skin Gu!

The middle-aged man activated his primeval essence, red steel primeval essence gushing out like smoke, his naked arms immediately turned from yellow to grey-white colour. At the same time both his arms expanded like balloons, forming a large and thick rock arm.

As both parties got closer, Wang Da’s expression became more twisted and insane. The middle-aged Gu Master had a solemn expression as he stretched out both arms to grab Wang Da.

“Trying to get me with this speed?” Wang Da showed a mocking expression.

The middle-aged man’s limbs were covered by a thick rock skin, even Wang Da’s nails could not penetrate. But the arms were really too heavy and slow. Fang Da felt that he could easily evade them.

“Really? Jade Wind Wheel!” The middle-aged Gu Master shouted, and suddenly a pair of jade-coloured cyclones circulated around his rock arm like armbands.

The rock arm’s speed immediately rose!

“How can that be… urgh!” Wang Da’s face was shocked as he was swept by the rock arm and flew away.

The middle-aged Gu Master was experienced in battle. If he had used the bee Gu Jade Wind Wheel from the start, Wang Da might not have fallen so easily.

Wang Da was sent flying by the rock arm, falling on the ground in a mess. The chest that was hit felt pain.

Puke.

He barely got up, but could not help but vomit blood.

“5% primeval essence left, I’m gonna die.” He checked his aperture, laughing bitterly. Seeing Fang Yuan near him, he showed insane resolve on his face, “Even if I die, you will join me!”

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

He ignored his injuries and rushed out.

“Block him!” The middle-aged Gu Master was a pure close-ranged fighter with no long range Gu, at once he could do nothing.

The old Gu Master had already arrived, his body’s white hair turning into finger-sized spirals as they flew like nimble snakes, extending five to six metres and reached from behind, piercing Wang Da’s body.

But Wang Da did not care, rushing out regardless.

“Die!!!” He screamed loudly, his ten fingernails already fifty centimetres long.

The middle-aged Gu Master chased after, and upon seeing this scene, his expression changed as he could no longer stop it.

Seeing that Wang Da was about to get his way, a bright blue jade light burst from the other side.

“Jade Skin Gu!” Under the pressure of life and death, Fang Zheng screamed out loudly.

Immediately, his skin was covered by a sturdy layer of jade skin.

Wang Da’s fingers were like knife blades, stabbing at him. Although the Love Life Separation did not have strong attacking ability, the Jade Skin Gu was only a Rank one Gu worm and could not block his nails.

Howl!

The elderly Gu Master seeing Fang Zheng about to die, shouted frantically and his eyes expanded. Even more snow white needles shot out and pierced Wang Da’s body.

After that, the needles worked like snakes, first piercing his back to his chest, the circulating around his neck, his arms and his legs.

Boiling blood poured from Wang Da’s body, immediately dying the white hair red.

His entire body was covered by white hair, just like the wild boar who had fallen into a trap of green bamboo spikes, stopping his charge and being unable to move.

An intense feeling of dizziness hit him. Wang Da laughed pathetically, he knew that death was impending.

How unsatisfying!

His vision was dyed blur, and on his death moment, the most vivid memory in his life surfaced again.

“Wan Er….” He subconsciously called out his wife’s name, as the knife on his hand pierced her body.

“Why?” His wife looked at Wang Da, her beautiful face showing confusion and shock, tightly staring at Wang Da’s eyes.

Wang Da’s eyes were red, as his body shivered, forcing out a word from his mouth, “Sorry.”

His wife smiled slightly, her smile full of love. There was not a single drop of hate.

“I understand,” She said.

She wanted to stretch out her right hand, touching Wang Da’s face for the last time before she died.

But in the middle, her hand dropped.

Killing his wife for her heart, and refining Love Life Separation. From then on he had strength and went on the demonic path!

Do you have regrets?

From that day on, he constantly asked himself this.

I regret it!

He regretted so much that he would rather die, thus he swore that he had to protect the remaining family members of his!

But.

But……

“If I could start from the beginning again, Wan Er, I would still do the same….” Emotional tears poured from Wang Da’s red eyes.

Fang Zheng stared at him, his body glowing with jade light.

From start to end, he was in deep confusion and suspicion.

An unfamiliar Gu Master rushed madly towards himself, and wanted to tear him to bits. But Fang Zheng did not know him.

Under the thick death aura, Fang Zheng could not move an inch. His mind was blank as he only subconsciously activated the Jade Skin Gu.

Wang Da’s nails pierced the jade skin and stabbed one centimetre in, but did not move anymore.

He died.

He was full of tears when he died.

“Its… over?” Fang Zheng breathed roughly, his eyes losing focus and seemed rather hollow.

Then, a strong sense of dizziness overcame him.

Plop.

He also fell on the ground.

Love Life Separation, the strongest Rank two poison. Although it did not pierce through all the jade skin, the poison already invaded his body.

Chapter 77: An odd coincidence

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

A wild boar almost as huge as an elephant was lying in the mudpit.

It closed its eyes shut, half kneeling and half lying, a pair of tusks clean from soil, shining like sharp blades.

The twilight reflected on its dark black fur, its huge stomach was white and with each breath, moved up and down creating a snorting sound.

Wild boar king!

Fang Yuan was several hundred meters away from it, but still carefully walked along with the direction of the wind.

“Even though I can kill wild boars now, against this wild boar king, I can only run away. Even an average Rank two Gu Master cannot kill it. If he is not clear of the Gu worms on its body, he might even fall prey to it.

King of the beasts normally have Gu worms inhabiting their bodies.

On the wild boar king’s body, there would normally be Boar Gu, such as Pink Boar Gu or Flower Boar Gu. Other than the boar species, there might also be Beast Skin Gu or Spike Fur worm.

In this world, there are all sorts of Gu worms. Normally, Gu worms reside in the bodies of strong wild beasts, and live alongside the wild beasts.

When the wild beast gets attacked, the Gu worms will sense the danger and assist the wild beast in resisting the strong foe.

This wild boar king’s body was huge, and its strength greatly exceeded the average wild boar. Fang Yuan was no match against it alone, not to mention there was at least one or more mysterious Gu worms in its body.

However, Fang Yuan’s adventure this time, was not to kill the wild boar king. It was to avoid Wang Da’s pursue.

Wang Da knew that Fang Yuan had the beast skin map, and Fang Yuan used that knowledge to his advantage. Going nowhere but instead heading towards the wild boar king’s danger marking area.

The wild boar king although dangerous, was still a beast after all, and had no human intelligence. Old man Wang as a mortal, could venture to this place and retreat safely, so why couldn’t Fang Yuan do the same?

Going on a reverse path, although seemingly dangerous, hid a way to survive instead.

As he moved even further, the wild boar king was slowly left behind by Fang Yuan. On the map, it would seem like Fang Yuan took a big circle and went around the red cross, forming a concave curve. Finally, he reached the hill where several clan elders were staying and having the mid-year assessment there on the spot.

An hour later, a youngster full of grass bits, his shirt torn in several areas and his feet full of mud, carried a bag and ran up the hill.

This pathetic looking youngster, was Fang Yuan.

“I’m finally safely back here. At this place, there are clan elders to protect me and my safety is assured. But I cannot afford to be careless.” Fang Yuan sighed in relief, and slowly ascended the hill.

The hill had a simple tentage and tens of students were nearby as the academy’s guards were collating the wild boar tusks in their bags. The few clan elders that were stationed here were missing, and only one was left.

“Why is the atmosphere so weird?” Fang Yuan frowned slightly, acutely feeling something important had occurred.

When he got near the tentage, he heard the students’ discussions.

“Did you hear, there was an assassination earlier, and several Rank two Gu Masters died.”

“Are you serious?”

“It’s true, I came here early, and I saw Gu Yue Fang Zheng carried away by several clan elders, hurrying away.”

“Gu Yue Fang Zheng is too unlucky, to encounter something like this during the exam.”

“Hehe, you don’t know huh. The target was Fang Zheng, because he is A grade talent!”

“I wonder if he’ll die?”

“Even if he doesn’t die, he’s gonna be affected. Maybe his talent might drop after that injury.”

Fang Yuan’s footsteps halted. He was clear in his heart, conjuring the truth of the matter.

“Wang Da wanted to deal with me and avenge his kin. But after I found the treehouse, I changed my route and went towards the wild boar king. Wang Da did not expect this and found Fang Zheng by accident instead. His source of information came from those hunters and he did not know that I have a twin brother. He mistook Fang Zheng as me and wanted to kill me, but was stopped by the surrounding Gu Masters who were protecting the area. Right now the question is — Did Wang Da die?”

Fang Yuan frowned tightly. Wang Da successfully escaping, Wang Da captured, Wang Da killed — these three possibilities would greatly affect his future plans and actions.

Thinking for a while, Fang Yuan decided to follow his original plan.

The academy elder’s expression was ugly, Fang Zheng was actually assassinated. Without any clues or evidence, he would not be able to guess that Fang Zheng had become Fang Yuan’s scapegoat, but thought of the Bai clan and Xiong clan!

Fang Zheng was the only A grade talent that the Gu Yue clan had for the last three years, the Bai clan and Xiong clan would naturally not let him grow. Sending an assassin Gu Master to kill him and prevent him from getting stronger, this was normal.

Even the Gu Yue clan would do something like this. Secretly sending Gu Masters and targeting the other two clan’s genius students.

“The assassin was killed on the spot, but I wonder how is Fang Zheng’s injuries?” Academy elder thought, and at this moment, his attendant brought him a piece of paper.

Academy elder received the paper, reading without paying proper attention, “In this year’s examination, the results are as follows… Gu Yue Chi Cheng sixteen tusks, Gu Yue Mo Bei fourteen tusks…”

The surrounding students’ attention were obtained. The results were clear.

D grade students, even if they worked together, they could only obtain three to four tusks. B and C grades, at most eight to nine. Those with more than ten tusks were the good performers.

The best was Gu Yue Chi Cheng with sixteen tusks. Next was Mo Bei, and as for Fang Zheng he had ten.

Gu Yue Chi Cheng showed a smug expression. He was lucky this time and encountered two wild boars fighting each other, thus he got the easy reward. Gu Yue Mo Bei was indignant, allowing Chi Cheng to surpass him.

The academy elder announced, “As such, I announce the number one student for this examination is…”

“Halt!” Fang Yuan stepped out at this moment.

“Fang Yuan, you are late. The examination ended an hour ago, according to the rules, the wild boar tusks that you obtain will be deducted by four as punishment.” Chi Cheng immediately shouted.

Fang Yuan ignored him and opened the bag on his back, grabbing the bottom of the bag and pouring out the contents.

Crash.

Dozens of wild boar tusks gathered into a pile by his feet.

“This!” Chi Cheng stared with his mouth agape.

Mo Bei and the others stared their eyeballs out at the pile.

“How can there be so many? This is too much!” The academy elder looked at Fang Yuan in disbelief, “Fang Yuan, did you hunt all these?”

Fang Yuan cupped his fists, “I only hunted a dozen tusks myself, but I found a bag that could’ve been hidden by hunters. Inside it were many wild boar tusks. I thought about it, the exam was that we had to obtain as many tusks as possible within a day, and did not specify that we have to kill it ourselves, thus I brought it here.”

Once he finished, the crowd burst into discussions.

“How can this be?”

“Way too lucky!”

“This is too fake, could the questions have leaked thus he cheated?”

The academy elder stared at Fang Yuan, looking for a while, then declared, “This exam, Fang Yuan is the first.”

…

The family head room’s atmosphere was heavy.

Gu Yue Bo sat at the leading seat, and the other dozen elders sat in two rows beside him, their faces full of rage.

“Gu Yue Yao Ji, you are the number one healer in our clan, I’m asking you how is Fang Zheng now?” Gu Yue Bo asked a clan elder.

Gu Yue Yao Ji was an old woman with a hunched back, her face full of treebark-like wrinkles.

She coughed twice, slowly saying, “Reporting to clan head, the situation has stabilized. Fang Zheng’s life is in no danger, but he is still sleeping. His talent did not drop because of this.”

“Good if the talent didn’t drop.” Gu Yue Bo breathed a sigh of relief, the asked the punishment hall’s elder, “Has the assassin’s situation been assessed?”

The punishment hall elder was not as senior as Gu Yue Yao Ji, and immediately stood up, lowering his head, “Yes, thirty-five years old, male, identity unknown, possibly a demonic faction Gu Master. He has two Gu worms, Shadow Follower Gu and Love Life Separation.”

Gu Yue Bo nodded, “Seems like an assassin, Love Life Separation… the Rank two number one poison, no wonder he could kill three of my Gu Masters.”

“Clan head, we have to investigate further! It’s either the Bai clan or the Xiong clan!” Gu Yue Chi Lian shouted, his eyes almost bursting into flames.

“Shadow Follower Gu, Love Life Separation… this is not like the Bai or Xiong clan’s pawn pieces. He might be an outside demonic faction Gu Master, wanting to get affiliated with the clans, thus being instructed to assassinate Fang Zheng to prove his loyalty. Regardless, this matter definitely has to do with the two clans,” Gu Yue Mo Chen coldly said.

These two clan elders in power, although they did not get along, once an external enemy appears, they would discard their hatred and knit tightly together.

Gu Yue Bo nodded, thinking the same himself.

Wang Da had disappeared for three years, with no traces to be found. The villagers all thought of him to be dead, thus his identity became a mystery. The Gu Yue higher-ups did not know this, they would not be concerned with a servant’s death. They placed all their attentions on the Xiong and Bai clans.

At this moment, the academy elder walked in.

“Clan leader…” He looked worried and was about to speak when Gu Yue Bo answered, “Academy elder, Fang Zheng is fine, his talent is still A grade.”

The academy elder’s face became relaxed.

“Oh yes, are the other students safe? And for this examination, how are their results, which place is Fang Zheng?” Gu Yue Bo asked conveniently.

The academy elder answered truthfully, and when he said that Fang Yuan had accidentally picked up a bag of wild boar tusks and got first place, Gu Yue Bo’s eyes shone.

The hall too went silent. The clan elders, as if they sensed it, subtly observed the atmosphere, and the originally nervous environment became slightly more peculiar.

Chapter 78: Great rewards all according to plan

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

In the discussion room, Gu Yue Bo expressionlessly sat in the leader’s seat with deep meaningful eyes.

The remaining dozen or so clan elders all sat upright, looking down, only using the corner of their eye to sweep the surroundings and discern some clues from their expressions.

The atmosphere became delicate.

“Fang Yuan getting first place, the deeper meaning behind this is definitely not simple. He actually said he found a bag of hidden wild boar tusks, this is too unbelievable.”

“This bag might’ve been prepared by someone, it is not possible for Fang Yuan to do it himself. That means someone is helping Fang Yuan in the dark.”

“This year’s mid-year exam is unlike the previous ones. We had to deploy tens of Rank two Gu Masters to invigilate the exam. Thus the contents of this examination, not only does the academy elder know, but many of the elders in the clan as well.”

“If anyone wanted to prepare this bag in advance, it can only be the clan elders present here now, or even the clan leader!”

The clan elders were all shrewd foxes. After being in the political field for years, they immediately thought of many things.

Fang Zheng was an A grade talent, if he really reached Rank four, what did that mean?

That would mean he is the next clan leader!

Fang Yuan is Fang Zheng’s brother. Even if he is only C grade, with that blood relationship, he is worth investing in!

To the clan leader Gu Yue Bo, if he helped Fang Yuan secretly, that would be bringing him into his faction, and to Fang Zheng, it was a good belt to tie him to the leader faction together.

To the clan elders, Fang Zheng who is the only A grade talent in years, has already been absorbed into the clan leader’s faction. If he was really nurtured, the clan leader’s faction would be even stronger. However, if the clan elders made Fang Yuan into their own, using this layer of blood relation, it would be a good chess piece when dealing in Fang Zheng in the future.

Thus, the ten over people in this hall, they all had the motive to help Fang Yuan.

But who?

Gu Yue Chi Lian thought deeply, “I did not recruit Fang Yuan, so who would help him secretly? Is it Mo Chen that old man, hmm, possible. Although Fang Yuan killed his family servant, but that’s just a servant, even if they all died it wouldn’t hurt him. The clan leader is more possible though, he took in Fang Zheng, so if he recruited Fang Yuan as well, that would increase his control over Fang Zheng! But… in previous years, the norm is to recruit them during the year end exam. Taking his action now during the mid-year, it is breaking the rules.”

“Not exactly breaking the rules, but it really is throwing a curveball. Just exactly who thinks highly of Fang Yuan, even more than me?” Gu Yue Mo Chen was also thinking.

The truth is, after Fang Yuan killed Gao Wan and sent the minced corpse, he changed his impression of Fang Yuan and had the thoughts of recruiting him.

But such actions only happened during the year end, after the students graduated from the academy.

Fang Yuan being recruited in advance, it struck Mo Chen by surprise.

Gu Yue Bo’s gaze was focused on Gu Yue Mo Chen and Gu Yue Chi Lian, the two elders in power.

This clan leader had greater insight.

Fang Yuan blatantly said a lie and got the first place. This action had the meaning of being fearless, thus sending a signal to everyone to show them that — I’m protecting Fang Yuan! He is now my member, and you all better not touch him.

Then who is this person?

The political field in the Gu Yue clan was split into three. Other than the clan leader faction, it was Gu Yue Chi Lian’s Chi family, and Gu Yue Mo Chen’s Mo family.

Gu Yue Bo knew that he himself did not take any actions to recruit Fang Yuan. Thus, the greatest suspect was Chi Lian and Mo Chen.

“These two old fellows, their acting is improving. Seeing their expressions, I really cannot tell. Don’t tell me it really isn’t them, but some other small faction?”

Gu Yue Bo observed carefully as he investigated. He did not know that all the elders were like him, observing, suspecting and deducing.

The academy elder was also guessing, but he had always been in a neutral position, outside of politics, thus his thoughts were simpler, “So Fang Yuan has been recruited by a clan elder. No wonder he let go of Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng while extorting, that means the one who recruited him was either the clan leader, Chi Lian or Mo Chen. This is good news! It shows that he has accepted reality and has starting integrating into the clan. No matter what, he is now a member of the clan, so once he fully integrates, he will contribute his entire life to the clan!”

After a short silence, Gu Yue Bo could not see any more clues, thus he spoke, “An eye for an eye, since the other party has started targeting Fang Zheng, our Gu Yue clan is not to be trifled with, we will show them! Dark Hall Elder, formulate a plan for this matter and report to me afterwards.”

“Yes, sir clan leader.” Dark hall elder immediately nodded.

“As for Gu Yue Fang Zheng, I’m afraid his heart might be damaged from such an encounter. He is an A grade talent, and to our clan, the status is monumental. From now on, I will teach him personally.” Gu Yue Bo said.

No clan elders objected.

Many people knew that the clan leader had already given much benefits to Gu Yue Fang Zheng in the dark. Now that he mentioned this, even though it violated the fairness rule, with sufficient reasoning, the clan elders could not stop him.

“As for Gu Yue Fang Yuan…” Gu Yue Bo dragged his words.

At once, all the clan elders paid their fullest attention. Was the clan leader hinting that he was the one helping Fang Yuan secretly?

Gu Yue Bo looked at everyone’s expression as his gaze swept through, but he was destined to be disappointed.

Thus, he could only continue, “With his C grade talent, he managed to get first place. It is not easy. Thus, in my personal name, I reward him thirty primeval stones. Academy elder, pass my word and tell him to continue working hard.”

“Yes, clan leader.” The academy elder bowed as he received his orders.

“Thirty primeval stones, such an ordinary reward, what does this mean?” The clan elders frowned.

“No matter who absorbed Fang Yuan, this thirty primeval stones is my expression of goodwill. After all, there is still the Bai and Xiong clan other than Gu Yue.” Gu Yue Bo sighed in his heart.

Fang Zheng was assassinated by external foes. Fang Yuan’s cheating was internal conflict.

Against external foes, one had to use hard handed methods to retaliate, but for internal conflict, Gu Yue Bo chose to use the soft approach, in order to avoid too much internal conflict and result in the entire clan’s strength being weakened.

“Alright, this matter will be settled like this. Everyone may leave and do all your work well, the clan’s prosperity has everything to do with your performances.” Gu Yue Bo waved his hand.

“Yes clan leader, we will take our leave.”

The clan elders left one by one, and after a few breath’s time, only Gu Yue Bo was left in the room.

He sighed deeply, using his fingers to rub his two temples.

As the clan leader, even if he was the person with the most authority in the Gu Yue clan, it did not mean that he had it easy. He needed to coordinate the interests of the different factions, and could not do as he wished. The clan’s forces were dispersed and intertwined through many generations of inheritance, and they all had long history, restricting one another.

Against outside forces, he had to deal with the arrogant and rude Xiong clan village and the gradually rising Bai clan village.

Internally, he had to resolve the complicated political conflict in the clan. Although he was middle-aged, he already had white hair all over.

“These years of being the clan leader, although I had sufficient resources, my cultivation has barely advanced. My heart is tired from all these tiresome clan affairs. Sometimes, I really want to be a lone cultivator, free and easy with no burden. That would allow me to move faster and I might travel even further in my cultivation path.”

Gu Yue Bo sighed in his heart.

As long as one is in the clan system, they had responsibilities on them. Once they had responsibilities it would not be easy to wholeheartedly cultivate.

But on the reverse, if one is not in the system, the clan’s resources would not be available to them, and without resources, their cultivation would come to a halt.

This formed a contradiction, a weird loop.

Because of this loop, many people’s futures were ruined, burying an insurmountable number of talents and geniuses.

Wang Da is dead.

Three days later, Fang Yuan got the news.

At the same time, he also heard from Jiang He that the two young hunters vanished when hunting in the mountains. As for the hunter whose right hand was broken by Fang Yuan, he “committed suicide” in his home out of depression.

Jiang He looked at Fang Yuan meaningfully when he said the news. He had seen Wang Da’s corpse, thus recognising him.

But he did not dare to say Wang Da’s true identity.

He was the stationed Gu Master, and held responsibility. As long as one is in the system, regardless of position, they had responsibility.

Wang Da became a demonic faction cultivator for three years, and Jiang He as the village Gu Master did not investigate. If they really pursued responsibility, this would become the biggest flaw in his records, and his future in the clan would be ruined.

The three hunter’s peculiar deaths were covered up by him.

“Fang Yuan, since we’re acquaintances, from now on you get a 50% discount when you purchase things from my cousin brother Jiang Ya’s shop!” During one time, Jiang He said this to Fang Yuan.

Everyone else was dead, only Fang Yuan and him knew of this matter. But if the matter was revealed, it did not have a huge impact on Fang Yuan.

He only killed three village servants, and even if he killed thirty, the clan would not pursue it, at most he would pay “tens of primeval stones” as a punishment.

Jiang He’s bribery, Fang Yuan took it with ease. To him, this matter was full of surprise and danger, but the result was good.

After this matter, Fang Yuan who had no foundation within the clan, received half an ally and also a non-existent faction supporting him.

This mysterious backer became Fang Yuan’s second safety net. When he started showing his strength gradually, this safety net would have a crucial impact, at least able to allow him to cultivate until Rank two without much opposition.

At this point, he could feel clearly the academy elder’s changing attitude towards him, into a more amicable one.

Over ten days passed in a flash.

After Gu Yue Fang Zheng and Mo Bei advanced, Fang Yuan and Chi Cheng almost simultaneously advanced to Rank one upper stage successfully.

Although extortion continued, he no longer took Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng’s primeval stones, and he started becoming more low key, while his strength grew rapidly at a speed multiple times of his previous life.

Chapter 79: Breakthrough to the sixth Gu in the inheritance ground

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Time was like a white steed that flitted past a crack, and summer left with the arrival of autumn.

In the walled-in path, Fang Yuan stood once more before the giant boulder blocking the way.

Due to the weather growing colder, he wore plain and simple garment with long sleeves. But his body figure was no longer the thin sort like how it was a few months ago.

His chest, two arms and legs, and abdomen all showed obvious muscle.

These muscles were not as protruding as a stone, but it showed as a type of streamline, matching up with Fang Yuan’s slowly growing body. Matched as well with his white skin, this gave others a type of youthful, full of vitality feeling.

“Starting from three days ago, the White Boar Gu stopped supplying me any increase in strength. That means, I already have one boar’s strength, thus reaching the Flower Wine Monk’s requirement. Today, I shall try pushing this round rock again!”

Fang Yuan’s eyes shone as he took a step forward with his right leg, his left leg at the back, forming a bow step.

His arms touched the surface of the round rock as he took a deep breath in and pushed with all his strength.

The large boulder moved under the pressure of both his arms, moving slowly, gradually gaining momentum and rolling forward.

The road before the boulder blocking the path was an inclined slope. Being turned into a round rock by the Flower Wine Monk, it was most suitable for rolling. This must have been his intention, to allow the inheritor to push the boulder upwards and move it away.

“Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps…” Fang Yuan slowly progressed, counting in his heart, “Last week, I pushed it to forty-five steps and that was the limit of my stamina, forcing me to quit. This time, I wonder how far I can push it?”

Forty steps, forty-five steps……

A while later, Fang Yuan broke his original record, but that was enough for him to feel unbearably tired.

Forty-six steps, forty-seven steps……

Fang Yuan could feel strongly, at this point his stamina was almost all gone.

Forty-eight, forty-nine steps….

He mustered all his strength and moved another two steps. Finally, he was at his limit, sweating profusely. Using his shoulder and leg to anchor the rock in place, he took a few deep breaths.

“Should I give up?” Fang Yuan could not help but have such thoughts. This inclined slope, when returning he has to expend quite a bit of stamina as well. After all, the rock has to roll down and he had to slowly release it in the process.

If he let go and ran, the rock would roll faster and faster. Fang Yuan did not want to get turned into a pile of flesh after being unable to avoid it.

But thinking for a while, Fang Yuan felt indignant. Let’s push it a few more steps.

Fiftieth step.

He suddenly felt that the pressure from the huge rock had lightened. It had actually rolled into a straight platform.

Fang Yuan pushed for a few more steps. After routing past the huge rock he found himself in a secret room.

This secret room was like the rock crack’s secret cave. He temporarily named it the second secret room.

There was nothing in the room. The four walls were a strange red soil, glowing red. On the other end of the secret room, there was a simple grey-coloured rock door. It should be the hurried product of the Flower Wine Monk.

Fang Yuan rested for a while but did not immediately open the rock door, as he had a new discovery.

He found that the ground before the rock door was slightly damp.

“Don’t tell me…” Fang Yuan had a thought. He bent down, stretching out both arms and loosening the soil.

The second Earth Treasury flower!

Fang Yuan laughed heartily, carefully peeling the flower petals and retrieving the Gu worm slumbering in the golden nectar.

Once he deployed his primeval essence, it was instantly refined.

This was a Jade Skin Gu. Its appearance was like the bedbug, flat and wide with a small head and its green body was oval in space, emitting a faint jade coloured glow.

“I obtained the White Boar Gu, and was still thinking where could I get a Jade Skin Gu so I could refine it into the White Jade Gu. To think that the Flower Wine Monk already prepared it for me,” Fang Yuan contemplated, thinking about the significance of this Jade Skin Gu.

This is Fang Yuan’s sixth Gu worm.

Although he had five already, none were defensive. Now that he had the Jade Skin Gu, he could cover up his weakness in defense.

At times, defense means offense.

This was not hard to understand. Taking for example Fang Yuan’s body. Using the White Boar Gu, his strength grew to one boar’s strength. Theoretically, with this strength, he could smash a rock in one punch, but Fang Yuan never did such a thing.

Because he knew his defense was not sufficient, so with one punch, the rock would break, but his fists would also turn bloody from the damage.

Now that he had the Jade Skin Gu, he could supplement the advantage he had in strength.Obviously, there were advantages and disadvantages.

The Jade Skin Gu had a high value, being one of the best defensive Rank one Gu. It was not easy to feed, consuming two pieces of jade rock every ten days.

Jade rock’s market price was expensive, and the source was often the problem.

Fang Zheng also has a Jade Skin Gu, but he has the clan leader’s backing, providing him with jade rocks. If Fang Yuan wanted jade rocks, he would have to buy them, and that could easily expose him.

“Originally in feeding the White Boar Gu, I had to regularly kill wild boars, and that is already troublesome. With the addition of this Jade Skin Gu, do I have to go dig in mines?” Fang Yuan laughed bitterly, seeing a new problem in front of him.

Keeping the Jade Skin Gu, temporarily nurturing it in his aperture, Fang Yuan gradually opened the rock door.

The rock door was heavy, and if Fang Yuan did not have the White Boar Gu’s boost in strength, he would not be able to move it. But now, with Fang Yuan pushing it, the door slowly opened.

The scene that was revealed to Fang Yuan caused his field of vision to expand all of a sudden.

It was no longer a narrow tunnel or a secret room, but a large spacious plot of underground stone forest.

Fang Yuan estimated at initial approximation, the stone forest’s size was over thirty Mu(1)! On earth, a standard football field was only eleven Mu.

“I should be inside Qing Mao mountain now, this underground space should be naturally formed.” Fang Yuan looked up at the stone walls.

The stone walls in this space were over sixteen meters tall, and the ceiling was also made of stone.

From the top, there were large dark red pillars erected. Each emitted a faint red glow, and so did the walls, just like the tunnel and secret room. The light although dim, allowed Fang Yuan to see some things at least.

Fang Yuan looked far, and each stone pillar was like an upside down tree, except without branches, and only leaving the stem.

The stone pillar’s surface was not smooth, and was full of dark eerie holes. Numerous pillars drooped down, forming an inverted stone forest within the mountain.

Nature had its way with things.

Fang Yuan with his immense knowledge, was not shocked, but stared at the dark holes in the pillars, frowning more intensely.

He had suddenly understood the Flower Wine Monk’s intention in placing the Jade Skin Gu.

“If I am not wrong…” Fang Yuan turned his right hand, and out came a moonblade.

The eerie blue moonblade flew through the sky in an arc, precisely hitting a dark hole in the stone pillar.

A shrill and angry sound came from the dark hole.

With a ‘swoosh’, a grey monkey flew out from the cave and leapt towards Fang Yuan.

Pow pow pow.

Fang Yuan shot three moonblades.

The monkey was in midair and could not adjust its position, but its tail was extremely agile, sweeping several times and causing its body to flip in midair. After avoiding two moonblades, it was finally hit by the third, plopping on the floor dead.

It was dead, without a drop of blood.

Only its grey body turned to stone, and in a second, its flesh and blood body became a stone monkey statue.

The statue’s posture and facial expression was just like the monkey right before it died, imitated to perfection. After two breath’s time, the stone monkey’s surface cracked, and cracks developed all over its body. Finally with a boom, its entire figure blew up into tiny rock fragments.

“It really is an underground colony of jade eye stone monkeys.” Fang Yuan knelt down, sweeping the fragments aside and taking out two jade green yellow pearls. These two pearls were the jade eye stone monkey’s eyes.

This strange animal would turn into grey rock fragments once dead, and only its eyes would turn into two jade green spherical pearls. Each were very heavy, reaching at least fifty grams.

This meant that as long as he killed jade eye stone monkeys, the Jade Skin Gu’s food problem would be resolved.

“I not only have to feed the Jade Skin Gu, I also have to continue the inheritance. Flower Wine Monk’s next clue should be hidden in this stone forest.

Fang Yuan frowned. Things had become complicated.

He tried taking a few steps forward, his eyes peeled to the stone pillar.

On his seventh step, on the pillar closest to him, numerous jade-coloured glowing eyes could be seen peeking out of the stone holes.

At once, a drop of sweat fell from Fang Yuan’s forehead.

He quickly took a step back, and the numerous eyeballs in the dark holes faded.

Evidently, each pair of eyeballs meant a jade eye stone monkey. The jade eye stone monkey was terribly agile, and to kill one Fang Yuan had to use four moonblades.

On a stone pillar, there were at least a hundred jade eye stone monkeys, and in the entire forest, who knew how many were there in total.

With Fang Yuan’s current strength, he would die from being attacked by four monkeys. If he included the Jade Skin Gu’s defense, Fang Yuan could deal with twelve monkeys at once at most.

Thankfully, these monkeys usually slept in their dark holes and ate rocks when they were hungry or thirsty. The stone pillar was their home and food. Unless he got within ten meters of them or provoked them purposely, they would not come out.

Using earth’s words, they were a bunch of neet/hikikomori monkeys.

(1) Mu (亩) – 1 Mu is 666 ⅔ meters²

Chapter 80: A surge in battle strength

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The autumn wind rustled through the air, while the red leaves drifted aimlessly.

The wild grass was dried yellow, and brilliant red or orange yellow wild fruit hung from the tree branches.

“Hurrumph!” A black coloured wild boar rushed madly with its four hooves on the ground, its mane pricking up.

There was a thick layer of fallen leaves that accumulated on the surface of the mountain.

As the wild boar rushed forward, a gust of wind was wedged between it, and the fallen leaves were sent dancing behind its body.

Fang Yuan silently stood there, showing a cold calculating expression as the wild boar got closer.

Kill!

He took a huge stride forward, and then both his legs stood firm, not dodging at all, facing the wild boar head on.

The wild boar’s two snow white tusks tore through the air with overwhelming killing intent.

Fang Yuan turned his body to avoid the tusks, his shoulder knocking onto the wild boar’s skull.

When they were about to collide, Fang Yuan’s shoulder shone with a faint green coloured light.

Jade Skin Gu!

Boom.

With a loud crash, the two collided.

Fang Yuan took three steps back, while the wild boar took one step back.

To be fair, when comparing both side’s strength, Fang Yuan was stronger. But Fang Yuan ran with both legs while the wild boar used four to sustain its force, and at the same time the center of gravity of the wild boar was lower and more stable than Fang Yuan.

However, after being harshly hit on the head by Fang Yuan, although the wild boar was still standing, its fat body was already wavering.

With a roar, Fang Yuan rushed up again, his left hand grabbing the wild boar’s tusk, his right hand raising high in the air, the light green colour jade glow forming a thin layer of protection covering his fist.

Bam.

His fist crashed strongly downwards and the wild boar screamed in pain, struggling intensely.

Fang Yuan’s muscles on his left arm tensed, and the green veins popped like centipedes encircling his arm as he restrained the wild boar with all his strength.

At the same time, his right fist continued to raise and slam down on the boar.

Bam bam bam.

Every time his fist hit the wild boar’s head, the green coloured glow on his fist would shine once.

The wild boar was smashed into oblivion by the fist, and its struggle became weaker.

“Last strike!” Fang Yuan’s eyes glowed like lightning. He loosened his upper body, his right arm stretching straight and raised to the highest point, before smashing down at full force.

The green coloured jade light stuck to Fang Yuan’s right arm and following his movement, drew a green arc in the air.

Bam.

Fang Yuan knelt on the ground on one knee, his elbow harshly whacking the wild boar’s skull. Even before the wild boar could cry out, its noise came to a stop.

An entire pig head turned deformed, the broken white skull pierced through the black skin, exposing outside. Fresh blood and brain matter slowly flowed out, and in the layers of leaf litter, it infected an area of bright redness.

The autumn wind blew.

Leaves flew about as the scent of the pig blood emanated.

“Life, is splendid just like the flowers of summer. Death, is as delicate as the leaves of autumn,” Fang Yuan muttered, appreciating this frame of scenery.

The survivor lives brilliantly while the dead is lonely and pitiful.

Dead or alive, filled with intense difference, it reflected nature’s cruelness and the excitement of life.

“No matter the world, the victor always gets all the fame, while the loser suffers defeat in the unrelentless world. Victory and loss, to me means life and death. Because I walk on the demonic path, once I lose, it means death awaits.”

Fang Yuan got close to the corpse and sat on the ground, taking out the White Boar Gu, letting it consume the meat while his consciousness entered the aperture in his body.

Within the aperture, the black green-coloured primeval sea’s tides turned and crashed, ebbed and flowed.

When the primeval sea is full, it occupied 44% of the space. After an intense battle, Fang Yuan used the Jade Skin Gu multiple times to raise his defense, and some primeval essence was expended, thus there was only 36% primeval essence left.

Counting the amount, he only used 8%, not even 10% of his total. But because this was the Rank one peak stage black green primeval essence, the expenditure was considered large.

Rank one initial stage is jade green primeval essence.

Rank one middle stage is pale green primeval essence.

Rank one upper stage is dark green primeval essence.

Rank one peak stage is black green primeval essence.

The essence was in concentration (the relative amount of a particular substance contained within a solution or mixture or in a particular volume of space.).

The Moonlight Gu’s activation required 10% of jade green primeval essence, and in terms of pale green primeval essence, it was 5%. For dark green primeval essence, it further halved, and the same went for black green primeval essence.

That is to say, 10% of black green primeval essence, was equivalent to 20% dark green, 40% pale green and 80% jade green primeval essence.

Using the Jade Skin Gu cost 8% black green primeval essence, if converted to initial stage jade green primeval essence, it would be 64%!

If Fang Yuan was still at initial stage, his aperture would only have 44% primeval essence, and halfway through using the Gu, his primeval essence would be completely expended.

“The higher the Gu Master’s cultivation, the stronger their battle strength, and this shows in the primeval essence. The higher the stage, the darker the colour of the primeval essence, and the more durable it is. My black green primeval essence was on the basis of upper stage primeval essence, refined by the Liquor worm. It is unlike Fang Zheng, who is already Rank one peak stage cultivation already.” Thinking of this, Fang Yuan’s gaze shone.

Time flies, it is already late autumn.

Two months had passed since Wang Da’s attempted assassination.

Fang Zheng was poisoned and was in comatose for seven days and seven nights. Once he woke up he was like a changed man, very hardworking and also cultivated extremely dutifully.Some people say, difficulties in life was wealth just like gold.

Regardless of whether this saying is correct, Fang Zheng did emerge from this difficulty changed and obtained much experience. He was like a raw jade, and after some polishing, he finally showed the beautiful jade quality inside.

He was the first to advance to upper stage, and not long ago, he was the first to advance to peak stage, leaving his classmates in the dust. The advantages of an A grade talent has finally started showing.

“I am not far from peak stage either, at most half a month. In fact, I have been nurturing my aperture nonstop every day, but a C grade talent really cannot compete with A and B grades, and I also have another reason…” Fang Yuan laughed bitterly without sound as he thought of it.

Once in a few days, he would have to kill jade eye stone monkeys to feed the Jade Skin Gu. At the same time, he had to search inside the stone forest to find the next clue of the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance.

The stone forest was complicated with pillars of huge rocks drooping from the ceiling. If Fang Yuan was not careful and got too close to any pillar, he would trigger the attack of all the stone monkeys.

A few times, he was chased by tens of stone monkeys and had to escape. The most dangerous time, when retreating he stepped into another pillar’s territory, and ended up having up to a hundred monkeys chasing after him.

Luckily, these monkeys were sedentary, and every time they chased after him, they would not chase too far. After a distance, they would go back to their homes and continue being sedentary.

Even so, Fang Yuan walked on the brink of death several times. During crucial times, the Jade Skin Gu’s defense came into good use.

Such investigation and exploration caused Fang Yuan to devote much time and effort, and thus became the key reason why his cultivation was advancing so slowly.

“Even so, this is way better than my previous life. The stone forest exploration is not without results either. At least I already know that the walls around the forest have no problems. That means that the next clue of the strength inheritance, should be somewhere in the forest.”

Fang Yuan continued thinking, but suddenly a shadow stepped over the dried branches and got close.

This is a wandering old wolf.

It had a brown fur coat, limping and had one eye was damaged. Only the danger and alertness of its left eye remained.

It stared at Fang Yuan tightly, its nose twitching. Wolves and dogs were the same, using their keen sense of smell, it must have been attracted by the pig blood.

Wolves were often in packs, but there were also lone wolves like this. There were competition in wolf packs as well, and to maintain the atmosphere in the pack, they would sometimes get rid of those crippled old wolves.

Fang Yuan quickly stood up and silently looked at this old wolf.

Back then when he killed a wild boar, there would be little primeval essence left in his body and that caused his fighting strength to greatly reduce. Thus when he encountered other wild beasts, he would choose to avoid them.

But these few months, his battle strength had increased tremendously, and with the Jade Skin Gu, against a crippled wolf, it was more than enough.

The unrestrained mountain trees were everywhere with their red leaves.

The setting sun illuminated the dark hour.

A person and a wolf distanced fifty steps away, silently observed each other.

In the wolf’s eye, green light shone as it showed a cruel and cunning expression. Fang Yuan’s eyes however, were dark and eerie, his black iris emanating chilling intent.

The White Boar Gu came out. It was full and returned to Fang Yuan’s aperture satisfied.

The old wolf looked at the wild boar, it had only bones and skin left, the meat was all eaten by the White Boar Gu.

The wolf’s eyes shone with green light and contracted. It first took a few steps back, then jumped into the bushes.

This wolf was still alive till today, it definitely had some intelligence. It keenly felt Fang Yuan’s danger, and decided to retreat.

Its entry and exit were both fast and abrupt.

Without the wild boar’s crashing sound, and without the tiger’s growling.

Against Fang Yuan, without a sound, the battle had started and ended.

“The main theme of life and death, such excitement born from great nature.” Fang Yuan stood on the spot, and did not give chase. This wolf did not have anything worth Fang Yuan’s attack.

Aiiee!

But the next moment, the old wolf’s crying was heard.

The wolf’s howling suddenly erupted and ended suddenly. Even so, there was a thick surge of death aura overflowing.

Crack crack.

In the bush, there were sounds of twigs being stepped on.

The sound was fearless and got closer, causing Fang Yuan’s iris to shrink.

“Able to get rid of that sneaky old wolf in a second…” His gaze became more and more chilly.

Chapter 81: Rank two Initial stage!

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The footsteps got closer, and soon the dark green trees at the side of the slope were forcefully separated. A tall man stepped forward, appearing in Fang Yuan’s vision.

He had black short hair, each strand standing straight up. The upper half of his body was naked. He had a large and thick body, the entirety of his body muscles bright red colour.

He was almost two meters tall, and during the cold autumn, he gave off the feeling of a mobile cauldron, his every breath able to raise the surrounding temperature.

On his waist, several wild beast corpses were hanged. There were foxes, wild rabbits and chickens, not to forget the old wolf who had just left.

Seeing Fang Yuan, he was slightly shocked, but quickly took large steps and walked past Fang Yuan.

“Gu Yue Chi Shan.” Seeing the large man’s back leaving, Fang Yuan thought of his name.

He was a representative of the Chi faction, having Rank two upper stage cultivation. His experiences were similar to Fang Yuan even.

This person was also very talented, having very great strength from young. At ten he accidentally beat a family servant to death, and at twelve he could hold a heavy stone grinder and played it like a frisbee.

Back then, the family all thought well of him, thinking he was an A grade. But during the awakening ceremony, they tested that his talent was only B grade.

He had an originally wild and untamable nature, looking down on everyone. But he quickly changed after this experience, becoming more mature. Even with B grade talent, he was the top student in his level.

After a year of studying, he graduated from the academy and fought his way to the top. Years later, he had already become an elite among the clan’s Rank two Gu Masters.

Happiness cannot teach a person life’s true meaning, while only pain and suffering can.

“In the clan, a youngster attends the awakening ceremony at fifteen and enters the academy. At sixteen, they graduate from the academy and form a five person group and complete the clan’s missions, at the same time inheriting the family fortune. From sixteen, they will fight and compete while continually raising their cultivation. As the missions get more dangerous, their status will also increase. Some die and some live. Some get injured, and their cultivation level drops, living a plain life thereafter. Some become a Rank three Gu Master after all the hardship and advance to clan elder, being one of the higher-ups.”

Fang Yuan’s gaze shone, thinking of many things.

The more a Gu Master cultivates, the harder it gets, and advancing becomes way more difficult. Coupled with dangerous and tough living environment, those that can advance to Rank three are few to none.

“Speaking of which, it is almost winter. That means I’ve spent almost a year at the academy. Each year there are two examinations. The first is the mid-year exam, with different contents each year. The second is the year end exam, and the contents never change, being arena fights. After the arena fight, I would no longer be able to stay at the hostel, and I would need to move out.”

Move out, but stay where?

Fang Yuan could not live with his aunt and uncle, which was what they wanted.

In this world, sixteen meant adulthood, the age to start reproduction. Coupled with Fang Yuan’s numerous secrets, he needed to live independently.

“In my previous life, after leaving the academy I was only Rank one middle stage. This time, the situation is much better, I would be Rank one peak stage by then. But with a C grade talent, coming this far is really an achievement. Although it had its costs, expending much of my primeval stones.”

Fang Yuan’s eyebrows raised, he did not have many primeval stones left.

Restricted by his talent, the primeval stones he expended for cultivation was much more than Fang Zheng, Chi Cheng or Mo Bei.

He raised six Gu worms by himself!

Furthermore, the Liquor worm’s refinement, nurturing the aperture, using the White Boar Gu to increase strength — they all needed primeval essence. After the primeval essence was used up, with a C grade recovery speed, it could not satisfy his needs, so he could only use primeval stones and retrieve the natural essence within to replenish.

Luckily he had the Spring Autumn Cicada, and also retrieved two Gu from Earth Treasury Flowers, thus refining Gu worms did not expend much of his primeval stones. This made him feel slightly better.

But after this when he leaves the academy, he needs to rent a house and get some income.

After peak stage, it was to push for Rank two. This process would spend a lot of primeval stones.

After Rank two, he still had to combine Gu worms, and each combination attempt was a hefty cost.

With all these factors, he was even clearer that his financial situation could no longer support him. Furthermore, he still had to continue feeding his Gu worms and continue cultivating.

If it wasn’t for the mid year exam where he used the wild boar tusks to exchange for quite some primeval stones and alleviated the pressure, he would not have survived till now.

“Primeval stones, primeval stones… the Flower Wine Monk did not give any primeval stones in his inheritance, what a shame. Extorting my classmates is still my most important source of income. But after graduating, the academy’s allowance would stop, and I cannot continue extorting. But if I get first for the year end exam, I can get a hundred and fifty primeval stones as reward,” Fang Yuan contemplated in his heart.

If he could get first place, the hundred and fifty primeval stones would alleviate his financial difficulty for a while.

…

Time flies, autumn leaves and winter comes.

On the arena in the academy, three stages had already been built.

Beside the stage, near the bamboo walls of the arena, there were tents and long tables and chairs.

The academy elder, clan leader and a few other clan elders were sitting below the tentage cover.

There was a little snow in the sky.

Fifty-seven students stood straight on the arena. Each of their noses were bright red from the weather, and every breath they took had steam coming out of their noses.

The academy elder spoke loudly, “In a flash a year has ended. During this year you were trained in the academy and have started to grasp the qualities of a Gu Master. Tomorrow, you will have the year end examination to test the fruits of your hard work! Not only will the clan leader and clan elders come personally to watch, your family elders and seniors will also come to observe to pick excellent performing students to join their small teams.”

“Your performances tomorrow, will to a large extent affect your future. Getting first place, not only is it a hundred and fifty primeval stones, but you also get an advantage in picking Gu worms! Now, start the final cultivation check in your academic life!”

Saying so, the academy elder nodded to a Gu Master beside him.

The female Gu Master received the instructions and called out the name from the list, “Gu Yue Jin Zhu!”

A young girl walked towards the Gu Master with a nervous expression.

The Gu Master stretched out her hand, touching the young girl’s abdomen. She closed her eyes to feel, then opened her eyes and declared, “Gu Yue Jin Zhu, Rank one middle stage. Next, Gu Yue Peng.”

One after another, youngsters went up to check. Then they walked back down and returned to the group.

Their expressions varied, some were happy while others were upset.

The worst result was naturally Rank one initial stage, all being the D grade talents.

A large number of the students were Rank one middle stage, and little of them were B grade, mostly C grades.

“Gu Yue Chi Cheng.” The middle-aged female Gu Master called.

From the group, the shortest Gu Yue Chi Cheng puffed his chest and walked out.

After checking, the female Gu Master opened her eyes, “Gu Yue Chi Cheng, Rank one peak stage!”

Up till now, this was the first Rank one peak stage Gu Master.

The clan elders present turned their heads.

Some elders recognised, saying lightly, “This is Chi Lian’s grandson, having B grade talent, no wonder.”

Outside the tent, the youngsters also commented.

“Chi Cheng is Rank one peak stage, I wonder if Mo Bei is too? They are rivals after all.”

“Being able to advance to peak stage, they are all A and B grades. Sigh, we C and D grades encounter bitterness that cannot be envied.”

“Hmph!” Gu Yue Mo Bei snorted, seeing Chi Cheng’s proud expression, he was annoyed.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng clenched his fists, his lips tightly shut, as if he was stifling in his emotions.

“Gu Yue Mo Bei.” Soon, the examiner called.

The horse-faced Mo Bei quickly walked out.

“Gu Yue Mo Bei, Rank one peak stage.” With this declaration, he walked back and stared defiantly at Gu Yue Chi Cheng when returning.

The examination continued, and the snow in the sky became smaller, until it vanished.

The cold chilly air was rather refreshing.

“Gu Yue Fang Yuan.” The middle-aged female Gu Master called.

Fang Yuan walked up expressionlessly.

Soon after, she opened her eyes, looking at Fang Yuan in shock, before declaring, “Gu Yue Fang Yuan, Rank one peak stage!”

“Rank one peak stage, did I hear wrongly? Fang Yuan cultivated to this level?” The youngsters were shocked.

“Sigh, he’s just lucky, having the Liquor worm to nurture his aperture. Even against the A and B grades, with his C grade he isn’t at a disadvantage.” Some youngsters said with envy.

Especially those C grade talents, they sourly said to console themselves, “This isn’t much. The Liquor worm cannot refine Rank two primeval essence, Fang Yuan would no longer have such an advantage anymore.”

“Even if he is peak stage, he is still a C grade, this is of no concern to us.” Mo Bei and Chi Cheng stared at Fang Yuan, but quickly turned their attention to Fang Zheng, who was still waiting for his turn.

In their hearts, only the A grade talent Fang Zheng was a competitor.

“Brother, you’ve caught me by surprise. But from now on, watch carefully…” Fang Zheng looked at Fang Yuan walking down, his eyes shone and revealed an anticipating expression.

“Gu Yue Fang Zheng.” The female Gu Master finally said.

“The A grade talent?” The clan elders focused their attention to Fang Zheng.

Fang Zheng walked out from the crowd, he could feel the pressure that these gazes were bringing him, causing him to become slightly nervous.

But when he saw the clan leader Gu Yue Bo’s smile, the nervousness in his heart melted.

He walked in front of the female Gu Master.

She shut her eyes, and then abruptly opened her eyes, saying in shock, “Gu Yue Fang Zheng, cultivation level — Rank two initial stage!”

Boom.

The youngsters erupted into a wave of discussions.

“What, he reached Rank two?!”

“As expected of the A grade talent genius.”

“Incredible, he left Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, and Fang Yuan in the dust.”

“This Fang Zheng!” At once, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng stared at Fang Zheng in shock.

“Hehehe, actually higher than in my previous life…” Fang Yuan’s eyelids drooped down as he laughed. He was not surprised, and after observing Fang Zheng’s expression earlier, he could guess the result.

“A grade talent after all.”

“The hope of our clan.”

“This is the credit of clan leader’s nurturing…”

The clan elders praised.

At once, Fang Zheng became the center of attention.

Half a year ago, Gu Yue Bo gave him a Jade Skin Gu and asked him to be the first person to advance to Rank two. He did it!

“Clan leader, I did not disappoint you, I did it! From now on, I will achieve even more, getting the approval of the clan elders and the people around me. Brother, I’ve left you behind, you are no longer the shadow in my heart. I, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, am no longer the one from back then!”

Fang Zheng yelled in his heart, his eyes shining with a kind of brilliance.

This brilliance, is called confidence!

Chapter 82: Start of the year end examination

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The sun was bright after the snow passed.

Gu Masters streamed into the academy in the morning.

“The annual year end exam has begun again. Hehehe, I wonder if the scene I saw from more than a decade ago when I graduated will be seen again.” A middle-aged Gu Master with long green hair cascading down his back stood outside the academy, reminiscing.

“Leader, get in, you love reminiscing.” The young female Gu Master beside him had blood red lips, her hands placed in the pockets of her pants. There was a blade of grass in her mouth, and she rolled her eyes.

“Hehehe, Yao Hong, don’t rush. We have to get in anyway. Since the clan leader had arranged it already, our new members have been decided long ago.” The green haired Gu Master laughed.

“The A grade talent Fang Zheng?” The female Gu Master Gu Yue Yao Hong tutted in her mouth, saying unhappily, “The clan leader’s idea is to get us to babysit him!”

“But this babysitting mission is not easy to accomplish.” The green haired male Gu Master sighed, “Nevermind, let’s go in.”

As time passed, more and more Gu Masters entered the academy doors, and stood in the arena.

These were male and female Gu Masters. There were young faces, middle-aged, and old people as well.

Gu Masters after graduating would come out and form small teams to complete the clan missions. The Gu Masters that came to the arena were all the representatives of their groups, to assess the performances of the students and absorb them into their own teams.

To the small groups, this was injecting fresh blood and expanding their group.

To the newly joined members, under the guidance and teaching of the older members, they can swiftly adapt to the new environment and more effectively complete the clan missions and result in lesser deaths.

The sun gradually rose, as the students entered the fray.

“So many people today.” The youngsters proclaimed.

“Quickly see, that is Lord Qing Shu. He is our Gu Yue clan’s number one person among the Rank two, and he is known for his mild and amiable temper.” A person pointed at the green haired male Gu Master and shouted.

“Chi Shan senior is here too.”

“That is the Mo family’s little miss Mo Yan!”

Qing Shu, Chi Shan, and Mo Yan were the rising stars of the Gu Masters, known by all students.

“Sigh, their teams are too hard to get in. I am only D grade, and my vital Gu is a Gentle Silk Spider, I am meant to be a support staff.” A youngster sighed, then asked his friend, “You?”

“Oh, I got it settled with relationships. Through the godson of my uncle’s cousin’s sister.”

…

As the students observed the Gu Masters, Qing Shu, Chi Shan and Mo Yan also observed the students.

“Oh? There are two Gu Yue Fang Zhengs.” Yao Hong saw Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, shouting out subconsciously.

The green hair male Gu Master Gu Yue Qing Shu helplessly sighed, “Did you see the information I gave you yesterday? Fang Zheng has a twin brother, they look very similar in appearance, but his brother is only C grade talent.”

“Oh so that’s the case. I seem to have heard that the one who made poems when he was young was Fang Yuan? Are we getting him into the team?” Yao Hong patted her forehead with her palm, saying whatever she thought of.

Qing Mao shook his head, “The clan leader specifically mentioned, do not recruit him. He seems to be wanting to observe something. The brothers don’t have a good relationship anyway. Even if we want to recruit him, Fang Yuan probably wouldn’t join.”

Yao Hong did not think much of it, muttering, “Among the groups, we are the publically acclaimed number one, joining us means a bright future. Any student would be interested. How could he be unwilling?”

Qing Shu laughed lightly, “That’s because you don’t know him, look at the information I sent you first.”

At this time, the clan leader Gu Yue Bo, and the authoritative clan elders Gu Yue Chi Lian and Gu Yue Mo Chen entered, getting into the seats under the tentage.

“Not only the clan leader, but also Lord Chi Lian and Lord Mo Bei are attending this year.”

Seeing this, not only the students but also the Gu Masters were excited, this did not happen in previous years.

“Nothing strange, Chi Lian and Mo Chen’s grandsons are all in this year’s class.”

“Fang Zheng is the clan leader’s successor, the hope of the future to go against Bai Ning Bing. The clan leader naturally has to observe carefully.”

Discussions were aplenty among the people.

“Perform well brother.” Mo Yan looked at Mo Bei among the people, silently praying in her heart. Her group had the most people, it was of the largest scale. Thus there were a bunch of Gu Masters around her, showing her imposing aura.

As her most intense rival, Gu Yue Chi Shan from the Chi faction was standing alone, his huge figure easily acting like a giant red tower in a sea of people, standing out extensively.

After checking out Chi Cheng, he retracted his vision.

With a speech from the clan leader, the year end exam began.

The three stages held fights at the same time.

At once, shouting noises, sounds of moonblades flying, and the sounds of punches and kicks as well as the discussions of the Gu Masters below the stages fused into a loud banter.

“This year’s physical fighting skills is high.” Soon, Yao Hong saw the difference.

“Hehehe, all thanks to Fang Yuan.” Gu Yue Qing Shu laughed.

“What do you mean?” Yao Hong did not understand.

Qing Shu explained to her.

Yao Hong exclaimed in shock after listening, “Fang Yuan this lad, he’s really daring, almost to the point of fearless. Hehehe, bullying even his own brother. This is interesting.”

She looked towards Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng from the crowd, thinking internally — Which is the elder brother and which is the younger one.

“Next, Gu Yue Jin Zhu against Gu Yue Mo Bei.” On the arena, the hosting Gu Master shouted.

Gu Yue Mo Bei leapt upwards, and Jin Zhu walked up the stage with a serious expression.

The two paid respects to each other and said no more, fighting at once. Moonblades danced in the air.

The two continued to shoot and at the same time, moving and evading nonstop.

Although a girl, Jin Zhu had good basic skills and was able to fight equally with Mo Bei for a while. But as time passed, her stamina could not keep up, and she started to be suppressed.

Finally, with her body full of sweat and having no energy left, she surrendered.

Mo Bei on the other hand was not even fazed.

“Increasing endurance Gu huh, probably the Yellow Camel Longhorn Beetle Gu….” Below the stage, Fang Yuan observed, quickly seeing through Mo Bei.

Fang Yuan had six Gu worms, but that was an exception. Among the people of his age, they all had one or two Gu worms.

Not only because of the financial stress of feeding Gu worms, but also because the Gu worm’s usage needed constant practice to accumulate experience.

Greed for more would backfire. The students only started interacting with Gu worms, and just began on their cultivation journey. Two Gu worms were enough for them to practice.

Only an exception like Fang Yuan with his rich experience from his previous life, could easily grasp every Gu worm that comes into possession and use them to the very best he can.

The exam continued.

“Damn, jumping like a rabbit!” On another stage, a youngster angrily shouted, “Gu Yue Chi Cheng, you’re not a man, do you dare to fight with me physically?!”

“Tsk, only a fool would fight close range with you.” On the stage, Gu Yue Chi Cheng laughed in disdain. He used the Scarlet Pill Cricket Gu and jumped around, his body being very agile.

His opponent only had a Flower Boar Gu. Even if he could temporarily raise his strength by one boar, it was useless. Chi Cheng would not go hand to hand with him.

Finally, he got hit by a moonblade from Chi Cheng and lost too much blood, retiring from the fight.

The healing Gu Masters below the stage quickly rushed up and treated his injuries.

As time passed, more and more students were mercilessly eliminated, and many youngsters also started to show their abilities.

Chi Cheng, Mo Bei, Fang Yuan, Fang Zheng……

Until noon.

The D grade talents were all eliminated. They had limited talent and all chose support-type Gu worms for production line or transport, which suited their lives. Thus, they had little help in battles.

“Little junior sister, your vital Gu is a Life Breath Grass right, my group needs a healer Gu Master.”

“Senior, I wish to join your group, my vital Gu is a Moonlight Gu.”

“Sorry, we are not lacking any attack-type Gu Master.”

…

The small groups quickly recruited newbies, and the students also chose the groups they wanted.

The fights on the stage did not have much visual appeal, and after a few rounds, there were not many highlights, it was even boring. This was because most people chose the Moonlight Gu, and to most people, the fight would start with shooting moonblades. Whoever expended their primeval essence first would lose.

If both parties had no more primeval essence, they would fight with punches and kicks. At the end, one will fall.

Be it students, Gu Masters, or clan elders, they got bored watching and some were about to fall asleep.

Until evening, there were only less than ten students left on the stage.

“Finally ending.” Some Gu Masters lifted their spirits, shrugging off the sleepiness.

At this moment, the Gu Master shouted, “Next round, Gu Yue Fang Zheng vs Gu Yue Mo Bei!”

Chapter 83: Sweeping strong foes, Fang Zheng displays his skills

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Fang Zheng and Mo Chen both walked up the stage.

“Fang Zheng, don’t think that I will lose just because you have Rank two cultivation! Today I will challenge and beat a higher realm.” Mo Bei gritted his teeth, his expression solemn, cheering for himself in his heart. Against the Rank two Fang Zheng, he indeed felt a strong sense of pressure.

“Come.” Fang Zheng roared, rushing out ferociously.

Mo Bei’s heart jumped, this Fang Zheng wasn’t acting according to plan. Normally, they would first shoot moonblades before using hand to hand combat. But this time, he actually rushed up immediately, and wants to fight physically?

“Isn’t he afraid of getting injured by my moonblade when exchanging punches and kicks?” Mo Bei was perturbed.

He was naturally not worried for Fang Zheng’s safety, but knew that if they engaged in close combat, with such a short distance if Fang Zheng shot a moonblade, it was unavoidable.

Mo Bei quickly took a step back, attempting to pull some distance. At the same time, he shot out a moonblade with a flick of his wrist.

Fang Zheng was unfazed, taking a tumble and avoiding the moonblade, continuing his pursuit. At the same time, a lump of lunar energy collected in his palm.

Mo Bei looked at the moonlight in his hands that hasn’t been fired and felt tense in his heart, quickly taking steps back.

Although he worked hard in close combat and also trained his moonblade, he was still inferior to Fang Zheng who was nurtured personally by the clan leader.

Mo Bei was not suited to this style of combat, and quickly fell into disadvantage.

“Eh? That side is interesting.” The battle on this arena attracted much attention.

“They’re actually fighting so closely, this Fang Zheng has guts.” Yao Hong could now discern who is Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan had a cold expression and emitted an aura of maturity, while Fang Zheng was steel-willed, radiating a sunny aura.

“It must be the clan leader’s teaching. Normally when students fight, they would be ten meters apart. Further than this distance and the moonblade would dissipate. If they fought closer than this distance, the students would not react in time.” Gu Yue Qing Shu’s gaze shone, “Fang Zheng’s battle distance now has shrunk to six meters, but his ability to avoid the moonblade is proficient. It seems that not only is the clan leader helping Fang Zheng, but Fang Zheng also put in some hard work and went through much hardship.”

“Little brother!” Mo Yan seeing Mo Bei forced into a corner by Fang Zheng, showed worry and panic on her face. She really wanted to go in and help out, giving Fang Zheng a good beating.

Chi Shan however was expressionless, only watching and not speaking. After Fang Zheng got close to Mo Bei and shortened the distance to six meters, he no longer got closer, but used the Moonlight Gu and entered a firing contest.

Mo Bei tried hard to improvise. His actions were in a mess, and many times he was almost hit by the moonblades, constantly in danger.

Fang Zheng on the other hand, already had his winning formula.

Even if he could not evade in time, he still had the Jade Skin Gu, and as long as he uses the jade green glow in time, he would be able to block the moonblade.

Seeing how Mo Bei was defenselessly beaten by himself, Fang Zheng’s thoughts flew back to a time in the past.

Under the moonlight, the clan leader taught him the evasion movements step by step, unreservedly imparting him all the experience he had.

“Clan leader, I will not let you down.” Fang Zheng’s eyes shimmered with hope, he was getting braver as he fought!

“Fang Zheng, you have the talent and the endurance, studiously training. The result is all because of your blood and sweat. This is the fruits of your hard work, continue like this, Fang Zheng. Using this aura, go and show your brilliance!” Under the tentage, the clan leader excitedly cheered on inwardly, even though he looked like he was quietly watching the fight, his lips curled into a smile.

Although Mo Bei struggled furiously, resisting adamantly, but after fifteen minutes, his entire body was full of injuries, the blood oozing out and dyeing his shirt red.

The organizing Gu Master, upon seeing such a scene, announced, “The victory goes to Gu Yue Fang Zheng.”

“I haven’t lost yet!” Mo Bei shouted loudly, his entire bloodbathed body wavering in the air. But after struggling to no end, he was forced to receive treatment by the healing Gu Masters.

“A battle of such an intensity is already beyond the graduating standard.”

“An A grade talent, is after all a genius.”

“I heard he received personal guidance from the clan leader, can he not be amazing?”

Seeing such a result, the Gu Masters below the stage praised endlessly.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng panted as he walked down the stage. Three Gu Masters came to him and healed him, while also providing free primeval stones to allow him to quickly recover his primeval essence.

After resting for a while, he recovered to his peak condition and ascended the stage again.

This time, he was against Gu Yue Chi Cheng.

Chi Cheng looked at Fang Zheng, laughing dryly, “Very good! Fang Zheng, you defeated Mo Bei that rascal, if I defeat you now, it would be killing two birds with one stone.”

He seemed very confident.

Fang Zheng’s lips remained tight, as he said nothing but rushed towards him.

“Dragonpill cricket Gu!” Chi Cheng’s thought flashed, and immediately an orange red-coloured glow came from both his legs. He leapt lightly and instantly retreated ten meters away.

The distance that Fang Zheng had just shortened was immediately lengthened.

“Hehehe.” Chi Cheng got smug and laughed, “Fang Zheng, you have no speed increasing Gu, and with your two legs, you cannot catch me. Although this stage isn’t big, it is enough for me to manoeuvre. Your tactic might have worked on Mo Bei, but against me it is ineffective.”

“Is that so?” Fang Zheng stopped his movements and stood on the spot, staring intently at Chi Cheng.

He smiled, his eyes showing iron will, shouting loudly, “Continue dodging like that, but everytime you use the Dragonpill cricket Gu, you have to use a certain amount of primeval essence. You have merely Rank one peak stage green copper primeval essence, but I am already at Rank two red steel primeval essence, three times your endurance. Your talent is inferior to me as well. At the end, you would run out of primeval essence and the loser will be you!”

“You!” Chi Cheng was shocked, he only saw his advantage but did not notice his weakness. Right now, he could not help but agree with Fang Zheng, and his fighting spirit dampened.

“What, Fang Zheng is Rank two?!” The surrounding Gu Masters gasped. The examination results were only obtained the day before, thus they were only spread among certain people, so most of the crowd did not know about it yet.

“An A Grade talent no doubt, amazing, this Fang Zheng might really be the rising star of our clan.”

“Bai clan has that Bai Ning Bing, he is really too powerful. If Fang Zheng can grow up, he might be able to resist Bai Ning Bing.”

“This lad is interesting. Getting to Rank two in the academy and with such solid basic skills, this is such an uncommon scene. No wonder the clan leader poured so much effort into him,” Yao Hong muttered.

Qing Shu replied, “The clan leader’s guidance is only part of it, don’t look down on this lad. Ever since he survived the assassination incident, he has become very hardworking, cultivating to the best of his limits, he is a good seedling, with both talent and hardwork. If he can grow up…, sigh, I feel like my burden is increasing.”

“Hehehe.” Clan leader Gu Yue Bo laughed lightly.

Chi Cheng’s weak nature was analyzed by him to Fang Zheng. Now that he saw Fang Zheng using it to his advantage, Gu Yue Bo was very pleased.

“It seems that Fang Zheng is this year’s number one.” Beside the clan leader, Gu Yue Mo Chen said.

Gu Yue Chi Lian snorted, staring at the scene intently. He obviously wished for his grandson to win and defeat Fang Zheng, that way he would win honour for the Chi faction.

But things do not go as he wished, and on the stage after getting demoralized, Chi Cheng could no longer display his 100% ability against Fang Zheng, and made continuous mistakes.

Eventually, Chi Cheng was caught with a fatal flaw, and was swept down the stage.

“Gu Yue Fang Zheng wins!” Gu Master announced.

Gu Yue Chi Lian’s face was black.

At once, Fang Zheng was famous, getting all the attention from the clan people.

“Fang Zheng beat Mo Bei and Chi Cheng simultaneously with wits and courage, it seems he is the first place this year,” Some people praised.

“Makes sense, I think well of him as well. Too bad he cannot join our group.” As the groups choose students, students are also choosing groups. A seeded student like Fang Zheng was already long booked.

“Fang Zheng is the clan leader’s faction, while Mo Bei, Chi Cheng are the Mo faction, Chi faction’s future leaders. This way, it seems that the Gu Yue Clan would be heavily dominated by the clan leader faction, suppressing the two clan elders.” Some people could see even further.

On the other two stages, the battles continued.

Fang Zheng walked down the stage long ago, hearing the people’s praises, his heart roaring as he felt himself being reborn.

Different, it was very different from before.

His heart was filled with the excitement of recognition, the anticipation of being appreciated, and the joy of being commended.

A gust of winter wind blew, and although he felt the chilly wind, Fang Zheng could only feel the sense of warmth like the summer day.

“Last match, Gu Yue Fang Zheng vs Gu Yue Fang Yuan!” A while later, an announcer shouted.

Chapter 84: Trample ruthlessly!

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The final battle, Gu Yue Fang Zheng vs Gu Yue Fang Yuan!

“Oh, interesting.”

“To think that at the end, it is a showdown between brothers.”

“Fang Zheng…” Seeing this, the clan leader’s smile faded slightly, “The greatest obstacle in your heart is your brother Fang Yuan. Go ahead and defeat him, you have red steel primeval essence while also having the Jade Skin Gu. With both offense and defense, you have the greatest advantage. Break apart this obstacle in your way, and you shall be reborn!”

The final match finally started.

The two brothers stood on the same arena, staring at each other.

The last remaining sunrays were like blood…

The light of the sunset was like a luxurious carpet for the arena.

Two very similar faces.

The little brother’s fighting spirit burned on, while the older brother’s gaze was deep as the abyss.

“Brother…” Fang Zheng’s fists were clenched as he stared intently at Fang Yuan, speaking with a firm voice,” Admit defeat! I am already Rank two, and I have over 80% red steel primeval essence. Your green bronze primeval essence is only 44%, you have no chance.”

Fang Yuan lightly looked at his brother, “You are surely clear about my primeval essence. But it’s better if you don’t spout nonsense. If primeval essence can decide the victory, what’s the point of fighting?”

Fang Zheng was stunned, but soon he raised his spirits, and his vigor could be seen burning in his eyes.

In truth, in the deepest part of his heart, he also did not want Fang Yuan to admit defeat. But Fang Yuan was his older brother after all, thus in view of their relationship he had to say it.

If not, that would be too cruel.

“Since big brother is so determined, then I have no choice but to attack!” Before he finished his sentence, Fang Zheng rushed towards Fang Yuan.

“This again!” Below the stage, Mo Bei looking at this scene, gritted his teeth. He made up his mind to harshly train himself after going back and return this humiliation tenfold to Fang Zheng!

“Fang Yuan is finished, he does not have my Dragonpill cricket Gu.” Chi Cheng folded his arms and smirked, enjoying Fang Yuan’s troubles.

Fang Zheng sprinted and instantly shortened the distance. In his hand there was a ball of moonlight.

Fang Yuan’s expression was like steel; there was not a single change as he looked at the charging Fang Zheng. He did not take a single step away but blue coloured moonlight also gathered in his right palm.

Suddenly!

Fang Yuan took a firm step after stomping the ground, and moved towards Fang Zheng instead of backing away.

“This!” Fang Zheng did not expect Fang Yuan’s movement, he panicked internally and quickly fired a moonblade.

Fang Yuan rushed quickly, and twisted his body, avoiding the moonblade by a hair’s breadth.

His expression was cold, without any shouting or aggression. But in his silence, there was an aura of absolute iciness emitting from him.

Fang Zheng subconsciously took a few steps back. His limit was six meters, but now Fang Yuan was five meters away from him. This time he had to be the one trying to increase their distance.

Dundundun.

Fang Zheng retreated while flicking his right wrist several times, sending moonblades flying to try and push Fang Yuan back.

Fang Yuan took fluid steps that were one after another, his body extremely agile. He moved intensely, and every time he managed to avoid the moonblade with no margin for error.

“This Fang Yuan is even more daring!” Yao Hong shouted.

“Such a battle, they’ve disregarded death already,” Qing Shu also exclaimed.

“Another battle maniac!” Mo Yan gritted her teeth, giving a glance at Chi Shan who was not far away.

Chi Shan was expressionless, but his eyes glimmered occasionally.

The noise from the audience stopped, they were all captivated by the battle on the stage.

The moonblades and Fang Yuan brushed past each other. From time to time there was a blue light that would reflect upon Fang Yuan’s face. His cold expression remained as it was without any change, and each time he narrowly evaded death, showing his extreme battle talent!

The clan leader and clan elders all showed a serious expression.

Chi Cheng and Mo Bei stared with their mouths wide open, looking at Fang Yuan dodging every single moonblade in an impossible manner.

How did he do it? Numerous students had a giant question mark on their heads.

Hmph, Fang Yuan who had 500 years of battle experience, how can he be compared to Fang Zheng who was only taught for a year by a Rank four Gu Master?

In Fang Yuan’s eyes, Fang Zheng was as thin as a clear stream. No matter how the stream flowed, or turned its way among the mountain rocks, he could see through it clearly to the bottom of the river.

The moonblade’s every attack was not instant, it needed a process. Fang Zheng had to flick his wrist, and that was the greatest foretelling.

In Fang Yuan’s eyes, Fang Zheng’s shoulder movement, the movement of his wrist, every step he took provided a large amount of information. Fang Zheng’s every attack, evasion and dodging was easily seen through by Fang Yuan, even as to what was going on in Fang Zheng’s head, Fang Yuan could guess to a degree.

Fang Zheng’s mind right now was flabbergasted!

Fang Yuan was the obstacle in his heart for more than ten years, the shadow quickly expanding into darkness, dragging him into the abyss.

The nervous emotion made him forget to use the Jade Skin Gu. Fang Yuan’s strong approach caused him to panic and he was unable to regain his tempo, thus not allowing him time to think.

This was the difference in experience, this was the difference between inside knowledge!

In Fang Yuan’s perspective, his inside information was even more important than the Spring Autumn Cicada, it was his greatest reliance.

He was able to not rely on the clan leader, clan leader, family, friends, or Gu worms.

He had always and only relied on himself!

In this world, only oneself is the most reliable!!

Those teammates and battle partners, they were just the masks of weaklings, the excuse to anticipate help from others.

He finally reached near Fang Zheng!

Bam.

Fang Yuan’s punch was pulled from a hidden angle, smashing right into Fang Zheng’s stomach.

Fang Zheng’s body curled as the force of the fist almost caused him to vomit. He quickly protected his head with his arms and took a large step back. At the crucial moment, it showed his steady basic skills.

“Where is he?” Fang Zheng’s eyes stared wide, looking around from the gap between his arms, trying to find Fang Yuan’s location.

“Behind!” With this thought, Fang Zheng felt a strong force at his waist.

He lost his center of gravity and fell on the ground.

But Fang Zheng had gone through tough training. With this movement he flipped around on the ground and at the same time, shot out a moonblade from his palm towards his back.

This movement was the battle experience imparted by the clan leader.

If it was a normal person, they might follow closely behind Fang Zheng. If they could not react in time, they would be hit by the moonblade. Even if the moonblade did not hit, they would be forced back.

But who was Fang Yuan? Even Gu Yue Bo could not compete with him in terms of experience.

Fang Yuan moved steadily, not giving chase. Instead, he moved in a circle and got near to Fang Zheng. The moonblade only managed to hit air.

Fang Zheng thought he was able to pull some distance and quickly stood up. He was about to reorganise himself but he suddenly heard a swoosh sound.

“This is the gust of a punch!” At that split second, Fang Zheng had such a thought.

Immediately after, he was harshly hit in the ear by Fang Yuan’s fist.

Bam.

He immediately felt his vision darken, and a strong sense of dizziness caused him to lose balance, completely collapsing on the ground.

He sprawled on the ground for over two breath’s time, and finally he recovered slightly. His vision became clearer, seeing Fang Yuan’s two feet right beside him.

He suddenly understood how ugly his situation was. He was sprawled on the ground like a dog while Fang Yuan stared at him from that high position.

“Damn it!” Fang Zheng was furious and tried to get up.

Under everyone’s eyes, Fang Yuan lifted his right leg and stepped down firmly.

Bam.

Fang Zheng’s head was harshly stepped on, like a rock hitting the stage, making a loud sound.

“Fuck!” Fang Zheng raged and tried to get up again.

Fang Yuan stared coldly, trampling down once again.

Bam.

Fang Zheng’s head hit the stage again. His scalp knocked open and blood bled nonstop.

“Damn! Damn it!!” Fang Zheng’s teeth were about to be crushed from his clenching, and the rage in his chest burned through his entire body. He raised his head again, trying to get up.

Bam.

Fang Yuan’s third step came down. This time he continued to step on his head, not letting go. Under the immense force, Fang Zheng’s face was harshly squeezed on the stage floor.

Fang Zheng’s face was almost deformed, and he breathed raggedly, struggling to no avail. He felt that on his head, there was a huge rock that would not move no matter how he struggled.

“Right, how could I forget, I have the Moonlight Gu!” Under the despair, Fang Zheng’s inspiration struck, and he thought of the Moonlight Gu.

His right palm gathered moonlight again.

But how could Fang Yuan not notice?

With a light sound, he shot out a moonblade onto Fang Zheng’s right palm.

Argh!

Fang Zheng cried out, the immense pain sending his body into a spasm like he was struck by lightning.

His palm was almost pierced through by Fang Yuan, showing his white bones. The Moonlight Gu on his palm was already struck a great blow, it was on the brink of death!

Chapter 85: Hot-blooded and cold-blooded

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“These two brothers really aren’t on good terms,” Yao Hong mumbled.

“This Fang Yuan is too cruel, treating his brother like this,” many people frowned unhappily.

“Fang Yuan is too savage, extorting our primeval stones for an entire year! Now he’s treating his brother like this,” the students gritted their teeth. Fang Yuan’s coldness forced out their hatred towards a common enemy.

“Fang Zheng, stand up, stand up! Defeat Fang Yuan.” Some unknown student shouted.

“Defeat Fang Yuan, defeat Fang Yuan!” Instantly, many youngsters shouted.

“This Fang Yuan, is indeed a hated person.” Mo Yan snorted, enjoy his predicament.

“Fang Zheng, hang in there, stand up! Defeat this monster Fang Yuan!”

“Fang Zheng, stand up. We’re with you.”

“Fang Zheng, you can do it, you can do it!”

The crowd cheered on fiercely, and sounds of encouragement entered Fang Zheng’s ears.

Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!

Fang Zheng gasped heavily. As the sounds entered his heart it gave him an unimaginable strength!

The scenes of the past played in his head.

On the streets, the clansmen’s comments.

“That’s Fang Yuan, the future genius, he is not to be underestimated!”

“Who’s that behind him?”

“Oh, probably his brother, who knows what his name is.”

Uncle and aunt laughed, “Fang Yuan, now the entire village is discussing the new poem you wrote! This is very good, uncle and aunt are proud of you.”

Fang Yuan waved his hand, saying calmly, “I only made those on a whim.”

Uncle and aunt nodded, saying to Fang Zheng, “Learn well from your brother, if you are half as talented as your brother, we would not have to worry.”

Under the moonlight, deep in the courtyard.

Clan leader Gu Yue Bo looked at Fang Zheng, saying gently, “Fang Zheng, have confidence. You must find your purpose, believe in yourself.”

“But, sir clan leader…”

Gu Yue Bo patted his shoulders, encouraging, “The shadow in your heart, others cannot dispel it for you. You can only rely on yourself. I await that day.”

The night before the year end exam.

Shen Cui looked at Fang Zheng with love in her gaze under the lamp lights, “Young master, I believe that you can get number one. I have always believed it! Work hard!”

The morning before departure.

Uncle and aunt stood at the doorstep, “Fang Zheng, after the year end exam, you would be leaving the academy. Seeing your growth, we are very happy! Go, go and show everyone the strength of an A grade!”

And……

Under the setting sun, in a dark corner, a female classmate cried profusely, “The allowance is only three primeval stones, but Fang Yuan snatched a piece away, leaving me with two. I am almost unable to feed my Moonlight Gu at this rate.”

Fang Zheng’s heart softened, “This is my primeval stone, I’ll lend it to you.”

The female classmate took the primeval stone, saying with tears, “Fang Zheng, you are too nice, please defeat your brother and end his tyranny in the academy!”

Fang Zheng was silent.

A bunch of classmates appeared in front of him.

“Fang Zheng, you are an A grade talent, you can do it.”

“Fang Yuan is too much, constantly bullying us, you are our only hope.”

“Fang Zheng, from today onwards, we’re with you, we will always support you!”

“Everyone…” Fang Zheng observed the surroundings, seeing the concerned pairs of eyes, and felt extremely touched.

Everyone…

Everyone has expectations of me.

My classmates, uncle, aunt, Shen Cui, and sir clan leader!

Everyone is waiting for me, looking at me, supporting me……

How can I lose? How can I fall here? How can I!

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

His heart pounded in his chest, and Fang Zheng’s eyes shone with brilliance.

I cannot fall here!

I will dispel the shadow and stand up!!

Fang Zheng’s fists were tightly clenched, no longer feeling any pain at this point. He felt a lion in his chest, awakening from its sleep and opening its huge mouth to roar!

Hot-blood boiled in his body.

Stand up, stand up!

Break the shadows, break the darkness!

“ARGHHHHHHHHH!” Fang Zheng opened his mouth wide to shout, his body starting to emit a green jade light.

“What’s that?” The crowd silenced.

“Jade Skin Gu!” Someone shouted.

Bam!

The students roared towards the heavens.

“Fang Zheng, you can do it!”

“Fang Zheng, we have your back!”

Finally only one last cheer remained —”Stand up! Stand up!”

“Everyone….. I can hear your voices.” Fang Zheng clenched his fist, his teeth almost crushed. Fang Yuan’s pressure was no longer so imposing, he could finally get up, slowly and steadily.

The shouting intensified.

“He’s burning with anger!!”

“He’s going to do a comeback.”

Gu Masters hearing such cheers and excitement from the crowd, were all starting to feel moved.

“That’s right, Fang Zheng, that’s right! Stand up, stand up, abandon the past, dispel the shadow and stand up, you will become a new person!” Clan leader’s eyes shone with bright light as he cheered Fang Zheng on in his heart.

“Jade Skin Gu…” Fang Yuan’s eyelids drooped. He pulled back his leg and saw Fang Zheng stand up slowly, the Jade Skin Gu’s radiance turning his face green.

Fang Zheng had always been hiding this trump card up till now and did not reveal it to anyone, thus nobody knew about it.

“Fang Zheng got up!” The crowds’ cheers exploded.

“He stood up!” Clan leader was moved, uncontrollably standing up from his seat. At this moment, he saw the rise of an A grade talent! He saw the future of the Gu Yue clan!

“I stood up, brother, I will defeat you!” Fang Zheng’s eyes burned with determination, his entire body enveloped in bright green light like he was wear a jade armor!

“Oh wow, this defense, even the moonblade can’t pierce it. It seems Fang Zheng wins.” Yao Hong raised her brows, blowing a whistle.

“Indeed, even with the Little Light Gu’s reinforcement, hitting on this barrier, it would only cause Fang Zheng’s primeval essence to be consumed faster. But comparing primeval essence expenditure, Fang Yuan is no match for Fang Zheng. After this match, Fang Zheng is going to rise!” Qing Shu laughed lightly.

“Fang Zheng had a Jade Skin Gu, but only used it now. It seems Fang Yuan’s earlier attacks confused him. But now, victory is already waving towards him.” Mo Yan folded her arms, her gaze slightly uncertain.

Time seem to have paused.

On the stage, the brothers faced each other.

The two’s distance was so close yet so far.

Fang Zheng’s firm determination, Fang Yuan’s eternal indifference.

“Little brother…” He looked at Fang Zheng peacefully, his lips curling into a smirk, “Thinking of defeating me, you’re still far from it.”

He raised his right hand, his right arm flexing, pulling into a bow shape.

“Big brother, you’ve lost!” Fang Zheng felt amused in his heart seeing Fang Yuan’s raised fist.

As long as he had primeval essence, even with the Little Light Gu’s reinforcement, the moonblade could not break the jade colour barrier, not to mention his fist? Unless he used the Flower Boar Gu or the Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu to raise his strength. But even so, he would need a defensive type Gu……

Fang Yuan did not say anything, but he used his fist to give the most straightforward answer.

The next moment, the right fist flew in the air and hit Fang Zheng harshly on the cheeks.

Bam!

After a loud crash, blood spilled as the jade light smashed to bits like broken mirror fragments dancing in the sky before vanishing.

“What?!” Fang Zheng was hit by such a shock once again, and after a stunned moment, his neck was almost broken as he hurriedly retreated.

Fang Yuan followed up closely, using a bow step and raising his left fist, pulling back and striking again upwards!

Bam!!

Fang Zheng’s other half of his face was hit by the impact, his head rising high up with blood and broken jade light flying in the air.

Bam, bam, bam!

He took three steps backwards, his ears buzzing as a dizziness ten times greater than before assaulted him.

“How can this… be!” His vision darkened, and he collapsed on the arena —

Plop.

Fang Zheng fell on the ground, the light dissipating on his body as he fainted in the next moment.

The shouts and cheers came to an abrupt end.

The happy, excited expressions of the students were still glued on their faces, unable to change due to such a shock.

The entire arena was silent.

Fang Yuan’s fists were bloody, to the point his bloody finger bones could be seen. Drops of blood fell and dripped on the stage.

Swoosh…

A cold winter wind blew, freezing away all the hot-bloodedness.

Fang Yuan’s hair wavered in the air as he stood still on the stage. It was almost as if the heavily injured person with both his fists almost crippled was not him!

He looked coldly at the surroundings with a calm expression.

Everyone was silent.

In the tentage, the clan leader was still standing, staring dumbfoundedly.

“Sorry, I’ve let you all disappointed,” Fang Yuan said lightly.

Chapter 86: Suspicion and probing

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

On the stage, Fang Zheng fainted on the ground with no more movements from him.

Fang Yuan however, continued with his cold expression, standing in the middle of the stage.

After a momentary silence, the crowds erupted.

“How can this be?” Some people hugged their heads, revealing an expression of disbelief.

“Two punches breaking the Jade Skin Gu’s defense, this-this-this…” Some people were tongue-tied.

“Too savage, even the jade light got smashed by him, does he not feel pain?” Some female Gu Masters took in a chilly breath.

“Without any defensive Gu worm and using his bare hands to break the jade light, this is true blue self-harm!” Even male Gu Masters’ eyes twitched upon seeing Fang Yuan’s hands, and were shocked by his ruthlessness.

Being ruthless to others, that is easy, but being ruthless to yourself, that is hard.

Fang Yuan using his bare hands to break the Jade Skin Gu’s defense, it was not only savage to his younger brother, but even harsher on himself!

“I’ll go take a look.” The academy elder could no longer stand it, and after saying so, he jumped onto the stage.

He first squatted down and observed the fainted Fang Zheng, sighing in relief as he found that Fang Zheng was not in a critical condition. His head just had a huge impact, causing him to fall unconscious.

“Unbelievable, with the Jade Skin Gu’s defense, he still suffered such heavy injuries from someone using their bare hands.” The academy elder was shocked internally, raising his head and looking at Fang Yuan, his eyes shining with a fierce light.

“Fang Yuan, I’ll heal you.” The academy elder stood up, taking a few huge strides towards Fang Yuan and grabbing his forearm.

Fang Yuan’s arms were in terrible condition. Not only was the blood and skin vaguely mashed, even his bones were revealed. Because of the huge impact there were also cracks on the bones.

“How intense this pain is, yet he didn’t even frown a bit.” Even if it was the academy elder, his heart shuddered seeing such injuries.

His tone was complicated, saying to Fang Yuan, “Endure it, the healing is very itchy and also very painful.”

Saying so, his five fingers spread open and emitted a wave of blue moonlight. The moonlight got brighter and caused the academy elder’s right hand to be translucent from the shine.

At a glance, the academy elder’s entire right hand was like a piece of blue jade, the blood vessels and bones were all turned into jade.

The academy elder lightly raised his right hand and covered Fang Yuan’s injured fist.

It was just like a piece of cold jade touching on an injury that was mashed with blood and flesh. Fang Yuan felt a heart-piercing pain, but he gritted his teeth and did not make a sound.

The academy elder’s hand emitted gentle moonlight and the moonlight nourished Fang Yuan’s injured spot.

On the bones, the cracks started to mend, and the flesh and skin started to grow rapidly and heal.

Fang Yuan felt an intense itching, causing him to breathe heavily.

The academy elder’s expression was calm. While healing Fang Yuan, he diverted a part of his concentration towards Fang Yuan’s arm, and also inspected his aperture.

In the aperture, the black green-coloured copper primeval essence was raging like waves in the sea.

A white and fat liquor worm was swimming and playing in the primeval sea.

The four walls of the aperture were all made of white-coloured crystal walls. This showed Fang Yuan’s Rank one peak stage cultivation clearly.

The academy elder did not look away, but continued to scan Fang Yuan’s body.

Finally, he found that on Fang Yuan’s palm, there was the Moonlight Gu and Little Light Gu.

“No other Gu worms, did Fang Yuan really use his own strength to break the defense of the Jade Skin Gu? Such strength is far beyond a mortal adult. He is only fifteen years old, how can he have such strength?” The academy elder’s eyes shone with suspicion.

“Clan elder, thank you for your treatment.” Fang Yuan took back his arm from the academy elder and shook it around.

Although there was still some pain, the injury had already healed. If this was back on Earth, such an injury would have taken a year or two to heal and would even leave some serious side effects.

This was the magical aspect of this world. Now that Fang Yuan’s arms were healed, although he still felt like they were weak when he grabbed the air or waved them around, seven or eight days later, the strengthless side-effect would disappear.

But Fang Yuan was not grateful to the academy elder. His injury could also be healed by other healing Gu Masters, and he was well aware: the academy elder’s motive was to inspect his aperture.

Fang Yuan had expected this from the start, so he left the White Boar Gu and Jade Skin Gu in the second secret cave. As for the Spring Autumn Cicada, with its Rank six status, if it wanted to hide, even the Rank four Gu Yue Bo would not find it if he inspected personally.

The academy elder did not find anything, and that caused him to frown. Although he was still suspicious in his heart, but in front of so many people, he did not have the proper opportunity to ask.

“Fang Yuan, you performed well, continue working hard.” Finally, the academy elder patted Fang Yuan’s shoulder and declared loudly, “This year’s final exam, the first place goes to Fang Yuan!”

Ever since the academy elder’s ascension to the stage, the audience watched quietly. After hearing his announcement, they started discussing fervently.

“To think that at the end, Fang Yuan had the last laugh!”

“He’s merely a C grade, but he beat the Rank two Fang Zheng who has a Jade Skin Gu, did he cheat?”

“Probably not, from the academy elder’s personal treatment and probing. If he did not find any problems, Fang Yuan probably did not cheat.”

“Fang Yuan’s fists were greatly injured, that’s normal. But as a fifteen year old, having such strength that surpasses an adult by far, isn’t it suspicious?”

“What is there to be suspicious about? There are always people who are born with strange talents. Either super strength, or super smart, actually Fang Yuan’s strength isn’t that scary, think about that guy.” The speaking Gu Master indicated at the standing Chi Shan.

People were immediately enlightened, “Oh yes. When Chi Shan was still a kid, his strength was already greater than an adult, is Fang Yuan also such a monster?”

“That has to be it. When Fang Yuan was young, he could make poems. Those poems were famous around the village back then. We thought he was an A grade, but he turned out to be C grade, but it seems heaven has other plans and compensated him with strength.”

“He is still a C grade anyway, if he was B grade he would be another Chi Shan. Hmph, nothing to be envious about, a Gu Master’s cultivation relies on their talent. If I can get a Black Boar Gu in the future, I would have even greater strength than him. That is nothing much, he can only be arrogant for a while.” Some people shrugged, speaking unconcernedly.

Fang Yuan walked down the stage, his eyes picking up the people’s discussions as he smirked coldly inside his heart.

The Liquor worm’s origin was already perfectly explained by Fang Yuan, but once the Jade Skin Gu was exposed, Fang Yuan would not be able to explain it. Thus, he had to keep this secret and could not use it in public.

As for these people’s thoughts and explanations, it was the direction Fang Yuan wanted them to go. Or rather, even if the higher-ups were suspicious, they would only be suspicious of his mysterious backer.

“Half a year ago, I risked the danger and used the wild boar tusks to create a second layer of protection at the camp. It is finally coming into play.” Fang Yuan eyes were dark like the abyss.

The Gu Yue clan leader did not sit down. He kept on standing and frowning deeply.

This matter had developed out of his control.

Fang Yuan getting first place, he did not really care much. It was just a year end exam’s first place, it was nothing significant.

He was worried about Gu Yue Fang Zheng.

Undeniably, today’s impact was too great on Fang Zheng.

If Fang Zheng was beaten completely from the start and lost the fight, so be it. But it just had to be at the point where he used his full strength and got a huge confidence boost, that he was sent sprawling by Fang Yuan’s two fists.

Such a psychological trauma might negatively impact his growth.

“Under my guidance and arrangement, Fang Zheng was the first to advance to upper stage, peak stage and Rank two initial stage, continuously gaining success and confidence. But this confidence is probably gone by now. Sigh, my hard work has all gone up like smoke.” Gu Yue Bo sighed deeply, naturally gaining a little sense of disgust and loathing towards Fang Yuan.

If Fang Yuan had lost to Fang Zheng, everything would have been perfect.

But he actually won, that is too… infuriating.

Not only the clan leader, but the other clan elders’ were also full of solemn and complex gazes.

“Fang Yuan’s strength is actually so huge, is he really a monster like Chi Shan?”

“Actually, he was strange from young, making poems when he was younger than ten, so his strength getting larger as he grew up is nothing strange.”

“But there is another possibility, and that is human action. Fang Yuan has a mysterious backer, maybe the backer assisted him.”

“But the person behind him, who could it be?”

The clan elders’ hearts were overturning, but their expressions said otherwise.

Clan leader Gu Yue Bo went silent before revealing a smile, saying, “Fang Yuan, getting first place with a C grade talent, this is an unprecedented grand feat! Becoming first place, you have a hundred primeval stones as reward and also Gu worm choosing priority. Now, I shall reward you further, you can choose any small group you want and join it. Regardless of the group, whichever one you want, just say it and you can join!”

Upon saying so, all the Rank two Gu Masters and students stared at Fang Yuan in envy.

Small groups had their differences too, and joining a good group meant a bright future. Gu Yue Bo’s reward was very generous.

“Although I made this decision on the spot, I believe the clan elders here would agree with me,” Gu Yue Bo smiled even more intensely, looking at the clan elders beside him.

With Gu Yue Chi Lian and Gu Yue Mo Chen as the head of the clan elders, all of their faces were grim and some even frowned, but no one stopped him.

Fang Yuan’s heart jumped.

Trouble had come.

Chapter 87: Attitude is the mask of the heart

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Fang Yuan could see the intentions behind such an action, this was a small probing (test) from the clan leader.

His gaze swept through the arena, the entire clan’s best performing three groups were here. The clan leader’s faction’s Qing Shu group, Chi faction’s Chi Shan group, and Mo faction’s Mo Yan group.

If it was a regular student, joining any of the three groups meant getting a huge backer, representing a bright future.

But to Fang Yuan, it was the reverse.

In the clan’s higher-up’s perception, he was already part of a mysterious faction. Joining any of the three spelt trouble.

For example, if he joined the Chi Shan faction, the Chi family obviously know they did not recruit him, so their first thought would be — Fang Yuan is a pawn of another family, but now that he’s joining our group, what intentions does he have?

Next they would think — The mysterious faction that recruited Fang Yuan earlier had already broken the rules, and now that Fang Yuan is present here, the clan leader would think that we were the ones who recruited him, so isn’t this ‘carrying the fault’ for them? That will not do, we have to arrest Fang Yuan, keep a close eye on him and investigate him! We shall find concrete evidence and reveal the mysterious backer of his.

But the truth was, Fang Yuan has no backer!

“Once I join any of the three groups, it means I am offending one out of the three biggest factions in this clan. That will definitely not do! Sigh, I originally wanted to keep a low profile and join Jiang He’s group, but Jiang He’s group is backed by the punishment hall elder. Under everyone’s watchful eye, if I join abruptly, that is inappropriate as well.” Fang Yuan inevitably hesitated.

Gu Yue Bo’s smile became even more intense, continuing, “Fang Yuan, if you don’t choose, I’ll select for you.”

The clan elders beside him watched quietly with an unmoving expression, each of them standing like statues.

“Hmph, forcing me?” Fang Yuan’s gaze shone, immediately guessing Gu Yue Bo’s next words — either throwing him to Chi Shan’s group or Mo Yan’s group.

Gu Yue Bo knew in his heart that he did not recruit Fang Yuan. To him, this act can not only remove suspicion on him but also weaken his foe, as well as reveal the mysterious faction; it was killing three birds with one stone. It was a play that could divert the problem away — although seemingly simple, it was a strategic move showing Gu Yue Bo’s experienced political ability.

“No, I must not let him dictate it. It seems I can only choose a crappy group.” Fang Yuan was about to open his mouth and speak.

Suddenly at this moment, someone spoke, “Why don’t you join our team. Our group is lacking an attacker.”

Who said that?

At once, everyone turned around towards the source of the voice.

The person speaking was neither tall or short, with dark yellow skin that made him look sickly. A pair of triangular eyes shone with brilliance.

“It’s the sickly snake Gu Yue Jiao San(1).” Someone pointed out his identity.

“Gu Yue Jiao San? It’s just a trash team with no background!” The clan leader and clan elders all showed a disappointed expression.

“Jiao San…” Fang Yuan’s eyes shone with an undetectable dark shine.

He and this Gu Yue Jiao San person had never met or spoken before, and he had no memories of such a person.

Why did Jiao San open his mouth and invite him into his team? Was it purely because he had gotten first place in the examination?

How can that be!

Only someone as childish as Fang Zheng would have such a naive thought.

But……

Since Jiao San opened his mouth and invited Fang Yuan personally, such a situation was a good breakthrough point.

“The clan’s higher-ups must be very disappointed now. Hehe.” Fang Yuan smiled thinking of this, his eyes looking downwards, hiding the brilliance in his expression.

“Then I’ll join your group,” Fang Yuan agreed on the spot, blocking Gu Yue Bo’s upcoming words.

“Is this Fang Yuan retarded?”

“Ignoring those top performing groups and joining the sickly snake’s group!”

“He must be bonkers, Jiao San’s personality, hehehe…”

The students and Gu Masters started to discuss, looking at Fang Yuan like he was a fool.

The clan leaders and elders’ expression turned dim.

Today’s probing was thwarted by this Gu Yue Jiao San! No… Maybe this Jiao San is also a pawn in this game, but no matter what, they must investigate on this Gu Yue Jiao San!

Three days later.

It had already been snowing for a day, and now that it was gradually getting smaller, pieces of snowflakes flew in the air gliding with the wind.

On Qing Mao mountain, there was a layer of white colour over it. Many branches were naked with no leaves, except the evergreen pine trees and Qing Mao bamboo, which had retained their original colours standing proudly in the snow.

A group of five people ran in the snow.

The leading person was neither short nor tall, bearing a sickly yellow skin — it was Gu Yue Jiao San.

As he ran, he turned towards the quiet Fang Yuan, smiling gently with kindness, “Fang Yuan, don’t be nervous. Although this is your first clan mission, the contents are simple. Just follow us and learn along the way.”

“Yes,” Fang Yuan lightly replied, staring forward with a solemn expression.

It was already winter.

Running on the snow, the chilly winter winds were even more intense. Every breath was like eating snow dust, chilling his entire chest.

Fang Yuan’s face was originally very white, and now that the snow shone on it, it appeared even paler. In the process of running, the snow kept falling on his short black hair, his shoulders and forehead.

What was different than before was that Fang Yuan had changed his clothes.

This was a dark blue coloured battle attire.

The attire had long sleeves and long pants, with bamboo sheets tied on his legs as wrappings, and bamboo shoes adorned his feet. On his head there was a bright blue headband, and the headband fluttered in the air as Fang Yuan ran.

On his waist, there was a loose belt.

The belt was navy blue with a bronze plate on it, carved with the number “1”; it was very much eye-striking.

This was a Gu Master’s attire, showing Fang Yuan’s status as a Rank one Gu Master.

The youngsters had to stay a year in the academy and graduate before they were allowed to wear this.

This attire had much meaning. Once worn it meant that one has transcended the realm of mortals, leaving the lowly life and stepping into the upper society, being the middle class of the entire human race. Even if Rank one Gu Masters were the bottom of this tier, from now on any mortal had to give way to Fang Yuan and pay respects to him.

Gu Yue Jiao San’s gaze continued to shine. This battle attire when worn by Fang Yuan, coupled with his cold expression, showed the atmosphere of a cool and collected person.

While running, he continued asking Fang Yuan, “We are out on a mission, and normally we would have to rush when travelling, so running is a common thing. Are you used to it?”

“I can cope.” Fang Yuan’s words were precious like gold, using the corner of his eye to look at Gu Yue Jiao San.

Jiao San’s warm and kind expression caused him to think about the legend of Ren Zu.

Words have it that Ren Zu used the Rules and Regulation Gu and obtained strength but lost wisdom, leaving behind three Gu worms. One was Suspicion, one was Trust, and another was Attitude.

Ren Zu grabbed the Attitude Gu.

Attitude Gu followed the betting rules, submitting to Ren Zu, telling him, “Human, you caught me, I can only curse my bad luck. From now on, I will be at your command. Wear me and you will be able to use my ability.”

Attitude Gu’s appearance was like a mask. Ren Zu put it on his face, but in the end he could not wear it. Even if he used a rope to tie it, it would still fall off.

“What’s going on?” Ren Zu was troubled.

Attitude Gu laughed, “I know, human, you have no heart. Attitude is the mask of the heart, so without a heart, how can you wear me?”

Ren Zu realised at once, he had already given his heart to hope.

He was heartless.

Someone who is heartless cannot wear the attitude mask. In other words, to someone with a heart/an intention, their attitude is a mask.

“This kind and warm attitude is only Gu Yue Jiao San’s mask, what is his real intention?” Fang Yuan pondered.

While the person “sickly snake” Jiao San observed Fang Yuan, Fang Yuan was also secretly observing him.

(1)Gu Yue Jiao Shan – His name Jiao Shan means three angles. Probably referring to his triangular eyes.

Chapter 88: Initial display of authority, picking on, and suppression

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

On the snow, five small groups were running.

Gu Yue Jiao San looked at the sky, saying, “The sky’s getting dark, our mission this time is to collect ‘permafrost decayed soil’. Although it is easy, it consumes too much time. We have to speed up, everyone follow me, try not to get left behind. Fang Yuan, if you are unable to keep up, just inform us. Don’t worry, you are a newcomer, we will take care of you.”

Gu Yue Jiao San smiled very amicably.

Fang Yuan nodded silently.

The other three members exchanged glances. The sky was actually still bright, Jiao San had no need to say this. In reality, he wanted to give Fang Yuan an initial display of authority.

The three knew this deep down, but did not expose him.

In actuality, these kind of authoritative displays were common. When a new member joins, the older members would usually exert their authority to get rid of the younger member’s arrogance so that it would be easier to command and control them.

“Let’s go.” Jiao San said lightly, taking huge steps and being the first to rush out.

Fang Yuan’s gaze shone, heading out with the same speed as the other three, following closely behind.

The bamboo shoes stepped on the snow, leaving behind traces of footprints.

The mountain road was full of obstacles, being difficult to manoeuvre. Especially with a layer of thick snow, it was even easier to fall down. At the same time, due to the snow cover, who knew if underneath it was sharp rocks or pitfalls?

If one stepped into a hunter’s trap, they would be even more unlucky.

Living in this world was tough. Travelling seemed easy but in fact it had much to do with experience. Many newcomers suffered due to this.

Only through a long period of training, having gone through much hardship, a Gu Master that has accumulated much experience would be able to avoid these obstacles.

The chilly winter winds blew directly towards their faces as Fang Yuan strode through the snow.

At times he took small leaps, at times he ran long distances. Sometimes he sidestepped, sometimes he climbed, following closely behind Jiao San.

The entire Qing Mao was covered by a layer of snow coat, and many of the trees had naked branches, without a single leaf.

At times, squirrels or wild deer were frightened by these people and ran away quickly.

Thirty minutes later, Jiao San stopped in his tracks as he had reached his destination.

He turned over his head, looking at Fang Yuan, smiling, and praising, “Good job! You truly are this year’s champion, following behind me and not losing your pace once.”

Fang Yuan smiled silently. This kind of authoritative display, he was clear of it. In fact, sprinting in the snow had become a “traditional event”. Many small groups used this to suppress the newcomer’s arrogance.

The two stood on the spot and waited, until the remaining three members arrived.

Puff, huff, puff……

They took deep breaths, their foreheads full of sweat, their faces red as they placed their hands on their waits, the last members plopping on the ground.

Jiao San harshly stared at them, barking, “Stand straight! Haven’t you embarrassed us enough? Look at Fang Yuan, then look at yourselves. Hmph, after this mission, go back and reflect on yourselves.”

The three immediately stood up straight, but lowered their heads. They were chided by Jiao San until they did not dare to raise their heads or rebuke him.

Only their gaze towards Fang Yuan changed.

“How strange, how can this Fang Yuan be so experienced? I did not see him fall even once!”

“Sigh, we only have normal strength, how can we compete with this monster?”

“Hmph, not only did we not get a show to watch, we even became the sacrificial lambs. This guy…”

“Enough, buck up.” Jiao San pointed forward, “This small-sized valley is our destination. Inside, there are large amounts of permafrost decayed soil for us to collect. Let’s split up here and harvest the frozen earth. An hour later, we will gather here. Kong Jing, distribute the tools.”

Jiao San had just spoken, and the male member called Gu Yue Kong Jing stood up.

He opened his palm wide and a yellow light shot out from the aperture in his abdomen, landing on his palm.

The yellow light dispersed, showing its true form. A frog with a golden back.

This golden frog was plump with a giant snow white belly, causing its entire body to look like a ball when inflated. The frog’s mouth and eyes were all at the top of its head due to this belly, being squeezed into a spot.

Fang Yuan’s gaze shone, recognising this Gu worm.

This was the Rank two Gu worm — Large Belly Frog.

Soon after, Kong Jing’s hands emitted traces of red steel primeval essence, and were absorbed by the frog.

Ribbit.

The Large Belly Frog screeched, opening its mouth to vomit out a steel spade.

The steel spade flew in the sky, turning large quickly. In the blink of an eye, it landed on the ground, becoming a large steel spade half the size of a person.

Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit……

It called for several times, throwing up a tool each time.

Eventually, the snowfield in front of everyone had five steel spades, and five wooden boxes. The wooden boxes all had two ropes for carrying.

Gu master feeding Gu worms was a large burden. Thus, Gu worms were limited in numbers. During the initial stages, it was hard to single-handedly deal with different environments, and with different intensity of troubles, Gu Masters thus often worked in groups.

In a small group, there was someone doing reconnaissance, someone for offence, someone in charge of defence, someone healing, and someone as logistics support.

The Gu Master who stood up, Kong Jing, was a logistics support Gu Master. He controlled this Large Belly Frog, which was a support Gu worm, where its belly had another space that could be used as storage space.

Of course, every Gu had its strengths and weaknesses.

The Large Belly Frog’s weakness was that not only was the storage space limited, every time it vomited an item, it had to croak once, and this was irritating. Especially when a Gu Master is hiding in the battlefield, if handled poorly, it would reveal one’s location.

Another thing was, the Large Belly Frog could not store Gu worms, and it was not immune to poison, unable to store poisonous objects.

After distributing the tools, each of the group members had a steel spade and a box in their hands.

“Let’s set off,” Jiao San waved his hand, leading the party into the valley.

Fang Yuan held the steel spade and carried the wooden box, choosing another direction.

“He is after all a newbie, rushing in like that. Hehe.”

“Is the permafrost decayed soil so easy to harvest? If he cannot differentiate it, he might get normal frozen earth, wasting his efforts.”

“The truth is, it is really difficult to differentiate. The permafrost decayed soil’s colour is around the same as normal frozen earth, especially under the cover of all the accumulated snow, so newbies can only dig relying on their luck.”

The three members seeing Fang Yuan’s backview laughed internally.

An hour later, they saw that Fang Yuan returned with an entire box of permafrost decayed soil, and were all stunned.

Including Jiao San, all their wooden boxes were only half-filled with permafrost decayed soil.

Seeing Fang Yuan’s wooden box, they were almost ashamed to show their results.

“It is all permafrost decayed soil!” A member observed carefully and was even more shocked.

“Fang Yuan, how did you gather so much frozen earth?” A female member could not hold in her curiosity and asked.

Fang Yuan’s brows raised, and the snowlight shone on his iris, showing a clear and transparent gaze.

He laughed lightly, “The academy elder said before, the permafrost decayed soil is a fertilizer created when the snow freezes the swamp. It has a tint of purple in the blackness, and is actually very smelly, but because it is frozen by the snow, it cannot be smelled. It is the Smelly Fart Fatworm’s food. At the same time it is also very fertile, often mixed in the soil to grow crops, fruits and vegetables. The clan sending out this mission, is probably because they want to use it in the underground cave and fertilize the moon orchid flowers.”

His words caused the four to be frozen on the spot.

“These theories are obviously learnt in the academy. But theory and reality are very difficult to be linked. Has Fang Yuan collected permafrost decayed soil before?” The three members looked at each other in shock.

Gu Yue Jiao San’s gaze shone, saying, “Good job Fang Yuan.”

As he praised, his usual warm and kind smile became a little forced.

Jiao San turned around, saying to the rest, “This way, our mission is completed. Everyone pass your spades and boxes to Kong Jing, and let’s return.”

When they got back to the village, it was already afternoon.

The five walked out of the internal affairs hall, Jiao San distributing the six primeval stones they earned. He got two pieces, while the rest of the members got one.

The primeval stones were so easily earned, so the members all broke into a smile.

Fang Yuan kept his primeval stone stealthily.

Only in his heart did he think, “When a newcomer joins a small group, the clan would usually give a large reward for the mission as a form of supporting the newcomer. Collecting the permafrost decayed soil mission, the reward was at most two primeval stones, but because of me there were three times more. According to logic, I should have gotten more stones. If the snow sprinting was an authoritative display, then having us purposely collect the frozen soil alone was a sign of picking on me, and the distribution of primeval stones is suppression already.”

One or two primeval was not a concern for Fang Yuan. He was only wondering strangely — he and Gu Yue Jiao San never had any interactions, so why was he suppressing him?

“Unless…” An inspiration struck Fang Yuan.

Chapter 89: A sickly snake coiling around the legs

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The five stood on the walkway.

Gu Yue Jiao San laughed kindly and said to Fang Yuan, “Little brother Fang Yuan, your performance really impressed all of us. It seems we did a correct thing inviting you to join us. You have just graduated from the academy, and might be unclear of some things. Let me introduce you to them.”

“Firstly, the clan missions, each Gu Master must complete at least one a month. The more you complete and the more perfect it is, the higher your evaluation.”

“Secondly, the missions are distributed by the internal affairs hall or the external affair hall, each Gu Master can only accept one. Once accepted, they must complete it.”

“Thirdly, under special conditions, a Gu Master may choose to abandon a mission, but that will cause their evaluation to fall greatly. At the same time, Rank one Gu Masters have no rights to give up, and only Rank two Gu Masters do. But they can only abandon one mission a year.”

“Fourth, the clan’s evaluation is very important. It concerns your future in the clan, and the higher your evaluation, the greater your future and the brighter it is.”

Fang Yuan listened, nodding. These things were already memorized by him. Gu Yue Jiao San was right and did not misdirect him, but many key contents were not spoken.

“Alright, the permafrost decayed soil’s mission has just been completed. Next, I accepted a wild deer hunting mission. The danger is low, so it is suitable for you to practice.” Jiao San said to Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan laughed coldly in his heart, but said, “Thank you for your concern, group leader.”

Gu Yue Kong Jing immediately followed up, “Little brother Fang Yuan, you should really properly thank the group leader. Although simple missions are easily completed, they have a small reward. The group leader’s actions are to take care of you.”

The other two female Gu Masters also spoke, “Yeah, yeah, little brother Fang Yuan, action speaks louder than words. Why don’t you thank the group leader by treating him to lunch.”

“Little brother Fang Yuan, you just left the academy, society is complicated. Human relationship is very important. If you don’t know anything, just ask us during lunch.”

Gu Yue Jiao San laughed, purposely waving his hand, “Don’t put him in a spot, he just left the academy, he must be tight on primeval stones.”

“How can that be! Besides, just being the first place in the year end exam gave him a hundred primeval stones as reward right?” A female Gu Master purposely said, and then showed an expression of envy, “I’m really envious of you, a hundred primeval stones is a huge sum even to us.”

“Group leader, you’ve mistaken our little brother Fang Yuan. How can he be so stingy. Am I right, little brother Fang Yuan?” Gu Yue Kong Jing laughed heartily, as if he was very happy.

Another female Gu Master got nearer to Fang Yuan, as if they had a close relationship, saying, ” Little brother Fang Yuan, a word of advice. You can choose not to suck up to us, but the group leader, you have to. You know, our group’s evaluation has a portion written by the group leader. If he says you’re outstanding, you’re outstanding. If he says you performed badly, it means you really performed badly.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Evaluation is very important to us Gu Masters, we need at least an outstanding evaluation to be noticed by the higher-ups. In the future where we have sufficient achievements, we would be able to work for several years less!” Kong Jing immediately followed up.

Throughout the entire process, Gu Yue Jiao San was smiling and watching.

Finally he waved his hand with a kind expression and laughingly said, “Ah, don’t speak nonsense. I am always impartial when writing my evaluation, and will not be easily bribed by you. But don’t worry Fang Yuan, you are a newcomer, so now that you’re in our group, I will take good care of your evaluation.”

If it were a normal teenager, they would’ve been led by the nose by these few people, feeling touched secretly. They are bullying a newcomer’s ignorance and naivety.

But Fang Yuan’s iris was calm as the sea.

Group leader being involved in the member’s evaluation, that was the truth. This is the clan’s system, giving the authority to the group leader, so that they can manage each small group.

But it is not as severe as these people said.

For the clan evaluation, the group leader’s evaluation is only a very small portion, and it is still mostly attributed to the clan’s internal affairs hall.

Or rather, even if the group leader had a great influence on it, so what?

Fang Yuan didn’t give a damn about the evaluation.

He had already decided — quickly raise his cultivation, reach Rank three, and then leave this place. He had never thought of staying in this clan for over a hundred years to slog his life away.

To these ignorant and lowly peasants, the evaluation was the most important thing. But to Fang Yuan, it was lower than dog shit!

Thus, their somewhat threatening tone was of no use to Fang Yuan.

“I understand what you all have said. I still have something on, so I’ll take my leave,” Fang Yuan after being quiet for a while, said.

Eh?

At once, the four Gu Masters showed a shocked expression.

“What is the meaning of this? Did you not hear what we said earlier?” A female Gu Master stared with her eyes wide, screaming in her heart.

“Is your comprehension ability really okay?” Gu Yue Kong Jing at this moment, really wanted to grab Fang Yuan by the collar and ask him.

Jiao San’s mouth twitched.

Fang Yuan’s indifference caused their self-directed performance to look like a joke. It made the scheme that they set up become a laughingstock.

Seeing Fang Yuan turning around and walking away, the fury in his heart blazed on.

“Come on Fang Yuan, don’t leave so quickly, don’t listen to their nonsense.” Jiao San controlled his temper and conjured a smile, quickly chasing up and blocking Fang Yuan, “You’re going to rent a house right? Let us go with you. I have some personal relations, I am more familiar with the rental situation.”

“I am indeed going to rent a house, I can’t stay at the hostel anymore, do you have any ideas?” Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows, asking calmly.

“I know a few houses that are considerably cheap, and with good location.” Jiao San smiled, leading the way.

…

“My house, fifteen primeval stones a month, no second price.”

“Pfft, renting my house with eight primeval stones? In your dreams.”

“You must pay a deposit, 25% deposit. Other vendors are doing this too.”

“My house has good Feng Shui, and its quiet at night. More importantly, it is facing the clan leader’s pavilion, you know how good the location is. It is really cheap, only twenty-five primeval stones a month.”

All the way until night time, Fang Yuan did not find a house to stay.

“Little brother Fang Yuan, you’re too stingy. The village is only so big, the prices are all like this.”

“In my opinion, you should get the house near the clan leader’s pavilion, the second floor is very spacious and the scenery is nice. Little brother Fang Yuan, don’t be so thrifty, it is only twenty-five primeval stones. The reward that you got is enough for you to stay four months.”

The two female Gu Masters continued to urge him on with ill intent.

Fang Yuan shook his head, “I do not have many primeval stones, I cannot be wasteful.”

“Then rent an underground apartment, it’s cheaper.” Gu Yue Kong Jing’s eyes shone with cold brilliance, suggesting.

Fang Yuan snorted in his heart, this Kong Jing has such a vile heart!

The village is already high in precipitation, and now that it is winter, the underground apartments would have poor airflow, and tenants would easily catch a cold. Even if there aren’t diseases, it would cause problems in the long term.

Seeing that Fang Yuan kept his silence, Jiao San said, “Actually the big hall’s first floor is good too. Co-staying with other people causes the rent to reduce as well.

Fang Yuan shook his head, “I want to stay alone, I do not like to stay with others.”

Gu Yue Kong Jing snorted, saying unhappily, “You don’t want this, you don’t want that. I’m not trying to scold you, little brother Fang Yuan, but you’re too picky and expect too much. With such high standards, it is not realistic.”

Fang Yuan listened, laughing coldly in his heart while thinking, “Even if they fulfil the criteria, I would not accept any house you recommend.”

His act of pacifying them was just for the sake of being careful, finding out if there are any traps.

Just as Fang Yuan was about to leave, Mother Shen appeared.

“Young master Fang Yuan, I finally found you. The academy can no longer be stayed at, and the old master and his wife have already prepared a banquet, specifically asking me to invite you home. Staying at home is so much better, there is no need for you to go about renting houses outside,” She urged.

Finally here……

Fang Yuan laughed coldly in his heart, this Mother Shen really found a good time. Finding him here at once, someone must have notified her!

Just as he had expected, the masterminds were his uncle and aunt!

And Jiao San was the chain that his uncle and aunt created to bind him.

Fang Yuan’s silence looked like hesitation.

“Fang Yuan, why don’t you stay at your uncle and aunt’s house, why make life difficult? Renting a house will spend a lot of primeval stones.” Gu Yue Jiao San spoke in a ‘concerned’ manner at an appropriate juncture as he looked at Fang Yuan, his eyes shining ominously.

Chapter 90: It’s just a little wind frost

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

In the hall, the lights shone brightly.

On the round dining table, the wine was already cold, and the dishes were cool.

The brilliant red candle flickered and danced, projecting the shadows of Aunt and Uncle onto the wall.

The two figures’ shadow combined into one, and swayed gloomily with the candlelight.

In front of them, Mother Shen was kneeling.

Uncle broke the silence, “To think this Fang Yuan is dead bent on going against me. Sigh, I wanted to calm him down with nice words and keep him in the house first before finding a reason to chase him out of the house. To think that he did not fall for it! He has made up his mind, rejecting my invitation without a single way to negotiate! Not even taking a step into my house!”

Aunt gritted her teeth, her expression slightly flustered, “This scoundrel is already sixteen years old, so if he wants the family fortune now we cannot deny it to him. Years ago we obtained that family fortune and it was clearly recorded in the inner affairs hall. Now that we cannot deny it, what shall we do now?!”

“Leave first.” Uncle waved at Mother Shen to withdraw, laughing coldly, “Don’t be anxious. Throughout the year, I have already been planning for this. First, to get back the assets, he needs to have Rank one middle stage cultivation. He already achieved this and is even at peak stage, and gotten number one in the exam, that is very impressive. Hehe…”

“But, to successfully obtain his family fortune, it is not so easy! Rank one middle stage cultivation is only a pre-condition. To split the assets, Fang Yuan has to apply for it, and the internal affairs hall has to approve it and send him a mission to test if he has the qualifications. This is to prevent the clan from splitting family assets nonsensically, causing internal strifes and weakening the clan.”

Aunt was enlightened, “This means that, he has to complete the mission before he can get his parents’ inheritance.”

“That’s right.” Uncle laughed sinisterly, “But the internal affairs hall’s missions are sent to groups. The family asset mission will be the same. If Fang Yuan wants to complete it, he would have to rely on the group, he cannot do it alone. The family does this to make sure that the small groups stay united and increase their cohesiveness.”

Aunt laughed loudly, “Husband, you’re too smart. Getting Jiao San to recruit Fang Yuan — this way, if Fang Yuan wants to accomplish the mission, he would need their strength. But Jiao San is on our side, so Fang Yuan can never accomplish this mission.”

Uncle’s eyes shone smugly, “Hmph, even if he cannot get him into the group, I have other ways to deal with him. Not to mention completing the mission, even if he wants to apply for the splitting of the fortune and receive the mission, it might not be possible!”

…

Nightfall arrived and the snow stopped.

Fang Yuan walked on the streets. The bamboo houses along the way were all covered by a layer of white snow.

The snow that he stepped on emitted a light sound. The cold air entered his respiratory system, causing Fang Yuan’s brain to be extremely awake.

After rejecting Mother Shen, Fang Yuan disregarded Jiao San and the group’s advice and said goodbye to everyone, leaving by himself.

“So that’s it.” He walked and thought, “Uncle and Aunt are trying to trap and delay me, causing me to lose the chance to take back my inheritance.”

“After the new year, I would be sixteen years old and be qualified to split the assets. My parents are dead, and my brother has new parents. If I am successful, the entire inheritance is mine. But to take back the inheritance, there are two crucial steps, each being extremely important.”

“The first is to apply for the mission at the internal affairs hall without any other missions at hand. The second is to complete the mission to earn the rights to inherit the asset.”

“Jiao San is in cahoots with Uncle and Aunt. Leaving aside the second step, he’s already trying to trap me at the first step.”

The clan rules state that Gu Masters can only be on one mission at a time. This is to prevent Gu Masters from hogging and causing negative competition in the clan.

Jiao San received missions consecutively. After finishing the permafrost decayed soil mission, he immediately accepted a new mission for catching wild deer.

The clan’s missions were all given to groups, that is to say, according to clan rules, Fang Yuan has to finish the deer capturing mission before applying for his asset splitting mission.

“But at that point, I believe Jiao San would just accept another new mission. As the leader, when accepting missions, he will always be a step ahead of me, causing me to be unable to accept my mission, thus always stopping me.” Thinking of this, Fang Yuan’s eyes shone ominously.

These plots and schemes were irritating, like an invisible rope blocking Fang Yuan’s progress.

But Fang Yuan did not regret entering this group.

At the arena, he was backed into a corner. Jiao San’s invitation became a way for him to be free from the predicament.

If he did not enter the team, his uncle and aunt would have other ways to deal with him, this cannot be prevented and will be hard to defend against. But now that he is in the group, he can clearly see their schemes and easily counterattack.

“Solving this problem, I have my ways. The easiest way is to just eliminate Jiao San, or assassinate uncle and aunt, then no one would compete with me over the family assets. But this way is too risky, they are all Rank two Gu Masters and my cultivation is still too low. Even if I kill them I cannot get out of the troublesome aftermath. Unless there is a good chance for me to take advantage of… but these chances are usually by luck.”

Fang Yuan could kill the servant Gao Wan and could kill old man Wang, but that was because they were mortals and servants, with life cheap as grass. Killing them was akin to killing a dog or pulling off weed, it was insignificant.

But assassinating Gu Masters is very troublesome.

Gu Masters were all Gu Yue clansmen, no matter which one dies, the punishment hall would investigate. Fang Yuan evaluated his own strength and knew there was too much risk in killing them now; he might even get killed. Even if he kills them, the punishment hall’s investigation is even more troublesome. His future actions would be spied on and they might even find out the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance.

“Attracting a much larger problem when eliminating a small problem, that is not what a wise person does. Oh? I’m here,” Fang Yuan spoke lightly, stopping at a worn out bamboo building.

This bamboo building was torn and worn out, like an old man about to die, panting for his last breath in the cold harsh winter.

Seeing this bamboo building, Fang Yuan’s face showed a trace of reminiscence.

This was the room he rented in his previous life.

In his previous life, after being thrown out by his uncle and aunt, he had less than fifteen primeval stones left and had to sleep in the streets for a few days before finding this place.

This place was too worn out and had much lower rent than other places. In addition, while other places counted the rent by months, this place calculated it by days.

“I do not know about other places, whether or not they have uncle and aunt’s traps. But my previous life’s memories tell me that at least this place is safe.” Fang Yuan rang on the door.

After half an hour, he established the renting terms and was brought to the second floor by the owner.

The floors were old, emitting dangerous and concerning sounds when stepped on.

The room had only one bed, and a blanket. The blanket had many patches but was still riddled with some holes, and the yellow cotton wadding leaked out from inside.

The head of the bed had an oil lamp. The landlord left after lighting the lamp.

Fang Yuan did not sleep, but sat on the bed and started cultivating.

As his primeval sea raged on in the aperture, every drop of primeval essence was black green.

The aperture’s four walls were a white crystal colour, in a translucent state.

Rank one peak stage.

Suddenly, the green bronze primeval sea started to have currents, like wild beasts raging and suiciding towards the four aperture walls.

Bam bam bam…

The huge waves crashed onto the aperture walls, causing the little ripples to break into small droplets before dissipating.

After a while, the 44% primeval essence sea was quickly expended, with large amounts of primeval essence used up.

On the sturdy aperture walls, there was lines of cracks.

But just cracks were not enough.

Fang Yuan wanted to break through Rank one peak stage and reach Rank two, thus he needed to break this aperture wall completely, evolving through its destruction!

Black green primeval essence continued to attack the crystal wall, and the cracks increased, forming a giant piece. At some places, the cracks were even deeper, forming very evident lines.

As he used up the primeval essence, he did not continue to use primeval essence to attack, and the crystal walls started to heal, causing the cracks to vanish.

Fang Yuan was not surprised, collecting his spirits and opening his eyes.

The oil lamp had gone out already. There was not much oil anyway.

The room was dark, with only the window providing a little bit of light through the crack.

The room had no firepit and was not warm. Fang Yuan had sat on the bed for a long time without moving, and felt that the chilliness had intensified.

His dark iris fused with the darkness.

“To breakthrough Jiao San’s lock, there is an easier and safer method. That is to advance to Rank two! Rank one Gu masters have no right to give up on missions, but Rank 2 Gu masters can do it once a year. If I advance to Rank two, I can give up on my mission and apply for the asset splitting.”

“But to breakthrough to Rank two, it is not an easy task.” Thinking of this, Fang Yuan sighed. Coming down from his bed, he strolled around in the tiny room.

From initial stage to middle stage, middle stage to upper stage, these are all small realms. From Rank one peak stage to Rank two initial stage, that is breaking through a large realm. Between these two cases there was an extremely different difficulty.

Simply put, to break the crystal wall, it needed explosive strength, forming a strong impact in a short time to smash the wall.

But Fang Yuan only had C grade talent, and the primeval sea is only at 44%. If he used his entire force to attack the wall, his primeval essence would be used up immediately.

Just like earlier, after his primeval essence was exhausted, he would no longer have the strength to continue. And the wall had recovery ability, so before long, it would heal up. Whatever Fang Yuan did earlier would have been wasted.

“Breaking the wall and reaching Rank two without special situations, one needs 55% black green primeval essence. But my talent is limited, having only 44%, thus people say that talent is the key in a Gu Master’s cultivation!”

Thinking of this, Fang Yuan slowed in his steps.

Unknowingly, he had moved to the window, thus he opened the windows casually.

Every gust of wind shook the bamboo lattice window, and when opened the snow-covered mountain greets one’s eye. (1)

Under the moonlight, the snow was like white jade, spreading out and letting the world resemble a crystal palace before one’s eyes, untainted by dust.

The snowlight shone onto Fang Yuan’s youthful features. His expression was peaceful and calm, his brow smooth, his pair of orbs looking like the ancient spring underneath the moon.

As the cold winds blew onto his face, the young man laughed, “It is merely a small bit of wind frost(2).”

(1) This is a line from a poem.

(2) Just a little wind frost: non-literal sense refers to hardship/obstacles. A pun to the obstacles that he is facing.

Chapter 91: Fang Yuan, we’re very worried about you

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

It was a night without sleep, and once day came, Fang Yuan stepped out of the room and started to purchase stuff wantonly.

The room was poorly furnished and the blankets were torn. If he lived there for long, the chill would enter his body and cause him to get sick.

Fang Yuan’s primeval stones were already half-used up, but he still had to purchase the necessary equipment. He could not scrimp on these things.

Firstly was a blanket, he had to get a large blanket stuffed with cotton, or at least two. He also needed bed sheets and a mattress.

He needed another oil lamp so that it could illuminate the room, and he needed at least two pots of lamp oil.

Thinking about it, although the room was small, it could still hold a table and a chair, thus he bought those as well.

Most importantly, it was a stove.

In the winter, if he did not have a stove to warm himself when sleeping in the room, he would still get shocked awake by the cold.

Other than these, he also bought some dry rations and some water to last around seven days’ worth.

The winter sun slowly rose, giving out languid rays of light.

Gu Yue Jiao San and the other Gu Masters stood at the North door of the village, waiting anxiously.

“Something’s not right. Last night we agreed to meet at this time and place. But it has already been fifteen minutes, and this Fang Yuan still hasn’t shown up?” A female Gu Master asked.

“Calm down and just wait. It is inevitable that a newcomer is late,” Jiao Sao laughed. He had been fretting over not having any reasons to fault Fang Yuan with, but to think he faltered on the second day.

“Never mind that we are waiting. Even the group leader has to wait for him, this lad thinks too much of himself!” Gu Yue Kong Jing complained, his tone indignant.

Half an hour later, Fang Yuan was still nowhere to be found.

Jiao San’s face was darker than night.

“This scumbag, did he remember the wrong location? We said clearly that we are meeting at the northern door,” Kong Jing said suspiciously.

“I’ll wait here, you guys go look around the different doors,” Jiao San instructed, and the three obliged.

Fifteen minutes later, they returned with no fruit.

“Did this Fang Yuan see through our ploy and left the group directly?” A female Gu Master asked.

“You think too highly of him. Even if he is the first place in the year end exam, he is still a young newbie. His age is apparent.” Kong Jing said.

Jiao San’s face was grim, “It is secondary to whether he has seen through us. The crucial thing is to find him now. I am afraid that he has left us behind and is trying to breakthrough to Rank two on his own. Once he reaches Rank two, he can abandon this mission and apply for the splitting of assets from the internal affairs hall. Find him, go and find him! The village is only so big and there are only that many rental houses, we must find him and not give him the time to breakthrough to Rank two!”

“Yes!”

……

In the room, Fang Yuan sat on the bed.

In front of him were a few money bags, and inside them was all primeval stones.

“Not enough primeval stones,” Fang Yuan sighed, his expression grim.

Primeval stones are the driving force behind a Gu Master’s advancement, and if they are lacking, the Gu Masters would need to rely on their own recovery speed for primeval essence, which would greatly reduce their cultivation speed. At the same time, without sufficient food, the Gu worms would die of hunger.

Fang Yuan’s primeval stones, during his time at the academy, it had reached the peak of being slightly above a thousand. But it could not stand up to the expenditure over time.

A same stage Gu Master up till now, only has three Gu worms.

But Fang Yuan, after getting number one in the year end exam, entered the Gu hall and chose another Little Light Gu for free.

He must choose, for if he gave up, it would invite suspicion.

Like this, he had seven Gu worms on hand!

Undeniably, this was a huge financial burden.

“If this continues, I can only hold out for two months. I must get back my family assets, that is the greatest financial support. But to get them back, the first step is to advance to Rank two.” Fang Yuan’s gaze was dark.

To Fang Yuan, advancing to Rank two was not easy.

For a Gu Master’s cultivation, first was resources, second was talent. Without talent, the path of cultivation would be difficult and their accomplishments in the future would be lower.

Talent is split according to D, C, B and A grade.

But this is only a rough distribution.

In fact, every grade has another specific differentiation.

Taking a C grade for example — the primeval essence storage in the aperture would be around 40-59%.

Fang Yuan’s primeval essence was 44%, so in the C grade range, he was only middle-lower class.

Rushing to Rank two, he needed at least 55% black green primeval essence. To an A and B grade Gu Master, this was not difficult, and to the 55-59% C grade Gu Masters, they could pass as well.

Thus, for C grade Gu Masters, once they reach a certain accumulation, most of them would advance to Rank two. Only very few can attain Rank three.

Thus, the talent could determine most people’s achievements in their lives. Fang Yuan being given the cold shoulder, he could not blame the people for being biased.

“Although my C grade talent is only 44%, if I want to break the wall and reach a new height, attaining Rank two, it is still not impossible. The easiest way is to find a talent raising Gu worm. Secondary, I can get a support-type Gu like the Liquor worm, and that can help to break the barrier as well. Lastly, I can attain the help of a higher-ranking Gu Master, but using external primeval essence has a huge backlash, unless I can get the Cleansing Gu in future to eliminate the external presence.”

Fang Yuan thought about it while using both hands to take out a primeval stone, using his fingers to rub the smooth surface of the stone.

“But the above methods are not recommended for me. I do not have any friendly Gu Master to help, and even if I do I will not let my aperture be at their mercy. Gu worms like the Liquor worm are too rare, even getting the Liquor worm was my extreme luck. As for talent raising Gu worm, I got it in my previous life and attained Rank six cultivation, and I also know where to find them, but I cannot go to those places now with my current cultivation. Even if I get them, I cannot keep them, or even use them.”

“But other than these methods, there is a final most stupid method. Using primeval stones to force it!” Thinking so, Fang Yuan’s eyes flashed as he gripped the primeval stone tightly.

Gu Master cultivation, first was resources, second was talent.

Without sufficient talent, one can compensate using resources to a degree.

“My primeval essence is only 44%, I do not have enough to break the aperture walls. But if I absorb primeval essence while attacking the walls, I can hold on much longer, and in about four to five days, I would be able to smash the walls!”

Making up his mind, Fang Yuan opened his eyes, his heart sinking into his aperture.

Green copper primeval sea raged on as the waves crashed into the aperture walls.

But this time, to prevent his primeval essence from drying up and becoming insufficient to maintain the cracks and causing the aperture to recover, Fang Yuan purposely slowed the attacking speed.

This way, the green bronze primeval essence expenditure would be greatly reduced, but the crack formation would also slow down. Despite so, Fang Yuan continued to absorb the natural essence of the primeval stones.

Primeval essence recovery has to be slightly above the crack recovery speed. This way, even if it is slow, showing less than 1% progress, there would be hope as time passes.

The only thing about this method would be that other than eating and shitting, Fang Yuan had to cultivate non-stop. The more time he wasted, the more primeval stones would go down the drain and the more his hard work would squander.

He could stop for a maximum of fifteen minutes, and after that if there isn’t any primeval essence to continue attacking, the aperture would fully recover.

Thus, once the attack began, he had to persevere until he succeeded, and cannot be disturbed. Once he stopped for too long, he would have to restart the process.

Fang Yuan did not have so many primeval stones on hand to do it multiple times.

Time flies when cultivating, and in the blink of an eye, the sun set.

Under the setting sun, Jiao San with a cold expression said, “After finding for a day, you still haven’t found him?”

“No, group leader.” Kong Jing wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, “That lad, he did not go to any of the houses we recommended, we have no idea where he is hiding.”

“Hmph! Continue searching tomorrow, we have to find him. Remember to search the inn as well, I do not believe that we cannot find him. The village is only so big, no matter where he is hiding, there has to be a trace!” Jiao San walked away in fury.

Until the afternoon of the second day, their search finally bore fruit.

A female Gu Master walked to Jiao San excitedly, reporting, “Found him, found him! Fang Yuan is at a worn-out bamboo building, and has rented the second floor. According to the owner’s description, it should be him.”

“Hmph, as I expected, he really hid himself and is trying to breakthrough to Rank two.” Jiao San laughed sinisterly, “Let’s go and make ourselves guests in his room and show him some concern. He is a newcomer after all.”

“Hehehe..….” The others also started smirking.

The four immediately came to Fang Yuan’s residence.

There was a paper on the door.

Jiao San took it down and read it. It was Fang Yuan’s handwriting, saying that he needed to go into closed door cultivation for a few days and will not leave, as he would be attempting to breakthrough to Rank two. If others saw it, they should not disturb him. If Jiao San saw it, it was a ‘request of absence’ application.

Jiao San snorted, throwing the paper away.

How can I let you advance to Rank two so successfully?

He laughed coldly, knocking on the door.

Knock knock knock.

“Little brother Fang Yuan, are you here?” He purposely said loudly, “We are here to see you, how could you not tell us about your closed door cultivation, seriously.”

There was no reply.

Knock knock knock.

Jiao San knocked loudly.

“Little brother Fang Yuan, it’s not that I want to nag at you. But you are making decisions on your own. Now that you are our group member, you should listen to instructions and obey orders, moving together. We have already accepted the wild deer hunting mission, this is specifically for you to train, so why don’t you stop first and complete the mission with us, then cultivate,” Jiao San’s eyes squinted as he said in a gentle tone, although his expression was dark.

There was still no reply.

JIao San suddenly raised his voice, “Little brother Fang Yuan, why are you not replying, did something happen to you? It is not so easy breaking through to Rank two, you can ask us for experience. Fang Yuan! Did you hear me, oh no, could it be that you fainted?”

Jiao San talked to himself, smirking coldly but his voice was full of concern and anxiety.

The other three members observed the show.

Kong Jing interrupted at an appropriate timing, “Leader, you might be right, Fang Yuan hasn’t responded after so long, let’s go in and save him!”

“Fang Yuan! Fang Yuan, quickly open the door. We’re really worried if you keep silent. If you don’t open the door, we will break in. You are our newest member, we cannot let you be in danger!” Jiao San shouted loudly.

Still, there was no reply.

Jiao San’s mouth curled, indicating to Kong Jing.

Kong Jing acknowledged and raised his foot.

With a loud BAM sound, the entire door was sent flying, crashing onto the bed!

Chapter 92: The future is in sight

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Hang in there Fang Yuan, we’re coming to help you!” Jiao San shouted with a concerned expression, taking huge steps into the room.

But the next moment, he was dumbfounded.

The room was empty, Fang Yuan was not inside.

The four became silent.

“How can this be, where is he?” Jiao Sao broke the silence, saying frustratingly.

He ‘performed’ outside the room for such a long time, but it turned out to be a one man performance as Fang Yuan was never inside.

The three looked at each other, not expecting such a result.

“This is weird, if Fang Yuan isn’t here, why would he paste that paper on the door?” Kong Jing said carefully.

“Get the landlord here now!” Jiao Sao raised his foot and sent the door flying.

“You looking for me? Hmph, I was just about to find you. Coming to my house and raising a huge ruckus, even breaking down my door. Young man, you sure are capable.” The landlord was an old man, but his tone was very firm.

Being able to own additional houses in the Gu Yue village and renting it out, he was obviously a Gu Master.

A Gu Master’s strength and status supersedes a mortal. Mortals do not dare to operate such a business. In fact, they do not own property.

The entire village’s property is owned by the Gu Yue clan. The mortals who live here are the farmers and servants of the clan.

“Senior, we are here to find a young man, he is our group member.” Facing the landlord, Jiao San controlled his temper.

An old Gu Master like the landlord, even if he is old and no longer striving for his career, he still has strong relationships and connections. Even if he is retired his ability is still not to be underestimated.

Those without human relationships and trump cards, how would they dare to do business?

This is not a peaceful era, it is full of violence and plunder.

The landlord shook his head, his tone rigid, “I do not care about my tenant’s whereabouts, but I do know that you broke my door. You need to compensate me.”

“Hehe, this is our fault, it is only right that we compensate you,” Jiao Sao laughed dryly. Although he was furious inside, he still forced himself to compensate some primeval stones and even gave some extra.

The landlord’s expression turned slightly better, “If the young man who rented this room is who you are finding, then I must tell you that he has not turned in for a day. After paying a month’s rent, he bought a huge amount of things yesterday and asked me which place sold coal cheaply. I told him that there was no need to buy coal, as there is a valley outside the village towards the north. A mine is situated there where he can excavate the coal. After thanking me, he left and never returned.”

“So that’s it.” Jiao San looked at the decorations in the room.

Indeed, the mattress and bedding was new. The table and chairs were old goods bought by Fang Yuan that were seemingly firm.

The stove was empty, it indeed did not have coal.

Jiao San breathed out slowly, being at ease.

“It seems Fang Yuan was delayed by excavating coal. Nevermind, let’s come again tomorrow.” He walked out of the room first.

But on the third day, Fang Yuan still did not show up.

Jiao San and the others stood outside the room, hesitant.

“Digging for coal, it does not need so much time. Fang Yuan wants to do closed door cultivation so maybe he dug more. But it’s been so long, could something have had happened to him while he was excavating?” Kong Jing conjured.

Jiao San nodded unnoticably, pointing towards the bed and stove, “This lad is very stingy. He paid a month’s rent all of a sudden and even bought so many things, and especially pasting that paper on the wall, he probably wanted to cultivate here. Too bad he was unlucky. These days the wolf hordes have gotten bigger, and the wild beasts around the village have gotten more active. He might have encountered some wild beasts.”

“Leader is wise!” The two female Gu Masters said at the same time, flattering him.

Jiao San laughed while raising his head, “Hahaha, I was still fretting over how to deal with him. Though we have that deer catching mission, let’s not rush out to do it. If we meet him in the wilds, we are forced to save him, right?”

“Hehehe.” The other three members started laughing.

Day four.

In the aperture, waves of black green primeval essence hit against the crystal walls relentlessly.

The translucent white crystal wall was already full of cracks, crisscrossing each other.

This is Fang Yuan’s result after working hard non-stop for three days and three nights. At most, when he really could not take it anymore, he would quickly take a meal and settle his bowels.

These days, Fang Yuan had purposely slowed the wave crashing process, and at the same time he drew more primeval essence from his primeval stones. Thus, after such a long time, the green copper primeval sea had only dropped from the 44% limit to around 20%.

As time passed, when there was only about 13% primeval essence left, the wall could no longer hold up, and had reached its limit.

Crack crack…

The originally sturdy crystal wall broke into pieces, and the fragments fell into the primeval sea, causing ripples and waves. After that, it turned into white dots and vanished into thin air.

What replaced the crystal wall, was a brand new white light wall.

This was the Rank two light wall. Although there was not much difference and it still emitted white light, it was much more glimmering that the Rank one light wall.

At the same time, traces of red primeval essence were produced in the sea and it mixed around with the black green primeval sea in the aperture.

This was the Rank two initial stage red steel primeval essence!

“Finally I did it, I broke through to Rank two!” Fang Yuan opened his eyes abruptly, the room immediately brightening up.

But a second later, a strong wave of nausea hit him.

“I went through four days and three nights of non-stop cultivating, it is too intense and my body is going to collapse soon.” Fang Yuan laughed bitterly, slowly lying down. “My cultivation was not disturbed at all, it seems that my set up at the rental house had worked. It was worth spending this sum, next I shall rest well for the night and return to the village tomorrow.”

Thinking of this, intense sleepiness assaulted him.

Fang Yuan forced his eyes to stay open and used his intense will to cover himself with the blanket.

After closing his eyes, in a few seconds, he fell soundly asleep.

The cultivation earlier had used up most of his spirit.

He slept until the afternoon of the second day.

Fang Yuan opened his eyes, feeling his spirit recovering to around half, but he was still feeling weakness in his body.

He opened the door, walking out of the room for the first time in five days.

This attracted a person.

This person had slim long eyes with a thin body — it was Jiang Ya’s brother Jiang He.

Seeing Fang Yuan, he exhaled in relief, saying, “You’re finally out! Hmph, I would have broken into the room if you still did not come out after the next few days. After all if you die here, I’d be held responsible.”

Fang Yuan laughed but did not say anything.

The winter sunlight broke through the window, shining onto his face, amplifying the trace of pale white weakness on his features.

Five days ago, he purposely asked the landlord and gave Jiao San the clues of his coal story. After that he left the Gu Yue village and went to the hamlet at the mountain foot.

Because of old man Wang previously, Jiang He was half an alliance mate of his. Using this relationship, Fang Yuan stayed a few days in the village and advanced to Rank two without any interruption.

Of course, the rock crack secret cave was much more elusive than Jiang He’s place, but it was not completely safe. Fang Yuan had to consider the possibility of Jiao San and the others relentlessly finding him, and might find the rock crack secret cave.

Although chances were slim, if the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance was found out, Fang Yuan’s life would be in danger.

Fang Yuan was a very cautious person, and he naturally would not take such risks.

At the same time, it was safer at Jiang He’s place. Even if they had a shared secret, Jiang He would not kill him to silence him.

The risks and troubles of killing a Gu Master was too great. Without sufficient benefits, Jiang He had no motivation to do it. In fact, to preserve the secret, Jiang He would even have to worry about Fang Yuan’s safety.

After all, if the clan’s punishment hall investigates Fang Yuan’s death, they might find out about old man Wang’s secret.

Seeing Fang Yuan safe, Jiang He was really relieved.

But quickly, he felt the aura of Fang Yuan and his expression changed, “To think that you really succeeded, reaching Rank two in one go!”

He was shocked in his heart. Five days ago when Fang Yuan approached him and stated his intentions, he was actually feeling disdainful in his heart.

Absorbing the primeval essence from the primeval stones and breaking through to Rank two, this kind of multitasking method was very draining on the spirit. Normally speaking, Gu Masters needed a very strong will, patience and years of cultivating experience.

Only with the experience, a Gu Master could treat the extraction of primeval essence from the stones as an instinct. At the same time, manipulating the primeval sea skillfully and causing the impact to be controlled at a degree, and it had to be perfectly calculated, just enough to match the recovery rate of the primeval essence so that the process could be sustained.

In Jiang He’s opinion, Fang Yuan had no chance of success. But to think, he did it in one go.

Fang Yuan laughed indifferently, “I was lucky. I plan to return to the village today, but before that, it would be nice if I can have a meal.”

“Hehehe, little brother Fang Yuan, since you’re here, of course I’m taking care of your meals.” Jiang He patted his chest, his attitude even more friendly than before.

Although he did not think well of Fang Yuan’s future, but now that he has advanced to Rank two, it meant that he had gone through a difficult hurdle and has the qualifications to be on par with him now.

After a scrumptious meal, Jiang He brought Fang Yuan to the entrance of the small village personally.

“Little brother Fang Yuan, be careful this time. Recently the wolf nest area has gotten slightly fiercer, causing the wild beasts to become more active. Eh, it is snowing.” Jiang He paused, then continued, “My opinion is, don’t go now. How about you stay here for another night?”

After Fang Yuan reached Rank two, he became really friendly.

But Fang Yuan was insistent on leaving, thus saying goodbye to Jiang He.

The snowflakes fell calmly, just like pure white fur that was floating down slowly.

The light of the setting sun turned the snow into a golden yellow.

Flake by flake, the snow drifted onto Fang Yuan’s head and shoulders.

In the far distance, the Gu Yue village stood upright over the mountain waist, watching over quietly.

Chapter 93: Small beast horde

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Run faster, don’t fall behind!”

“The clansmen in front are fighting a bloody battle, they are waiting for our backup.”

“Follow closely, or you will easily lose your direction in the midst of battle at night. Newcomers better pay special attention!”

On the way back to the village, there would be a five-man group from time to time running hurriedly past Fang Yuan’s side.

“Did something happen?” He had not walked for more than five hundred meters when Fang Yuan saw the thirteenth group.

He could not help but contemplate, but to be quite honest, with five hundred years’ worth of memories it was just too superfluous and messy. Mentioning this, although Fang Yuan was reborn, he had never given up any of his old memories.

Yet, much of his memories were enshrouded in a layer of thick fog, and if he tried to retrieve them by force, he would only get lost in the fog, getting more losses than benefits.

Only a few deep and powerful memories that were like sparkling and translucent pearls ran through his previous life’s five hundred years like a connected thread.

It was evident that what was happening right now, was in fact not in any of these pearls.

The life of his in the Gu Yue Village was just the beginning of the preceding period, it was just way too long ago. Besides…

“There’s a possibility that this never happened in my previous life, but because of my change, a butterfly effect happened and caused changes to the surroundings.”

Just like that, he walked while pondering. Subconsciously, Fang Yuan reached the Northern gate of the village.

By chance, there was another group about to set off.

“Eh?” On seeing Fang Yuan, only one person from this group stopped in his tracks. “Fang Yuan, why are you still here?”

“What’s wrong?” Fang Yuan raised his eyes and looked at this person. It was no other than his fellow schoolmate, Gu Yue Chi Cheng.

Chi Cheng immediately frowned and said, “Oh geez, you still don’t know yet? There’s been a small scale beast tide that formed near the village. If we let it be, it will slowly become a big scale beast tide. When that happens the villages at the foot of the mountain will be crushed. Without those lowly mortals and slaves, we’d also be in a difficult position sometimes.”

“Oh, so it’s like this?” Fang Yuan’s gaze flashed.

Being reminded like this, he was able to remember that such a thing did happen in his memories.

In this world, it was hard for humanity to survive. Every few years a beast tide would happen. Humans need resources and living space. This is no different from wild beasts and insects, they also needed such things!

To explain the beast tide as a war between wild beasts and humanity, perhaps this will be easier to understand.

Taking Qing Mao Mountain for example, every three years there would be a large scale wolf tide that attacks each of the big mountain villages.

“According to my calculations, the real outburst of the wolf tide will happen next year. However, this small scale beast tide, is a subsidiary of that. The wolf group will continue growing stronger and bigger, and this will cause the other beast groups around the area to lose their living space. As this effect accumulates, when it reaches the maximum limit, it will cause the migration of beast groups. Migrating beast groups will naturally influence other beast groups.”

“Under such an intertwined influence, there is a chance that the influence would be expanded and cause all sorts of beast groups to relocate, causing the beast tide to be formed from this matter. If this problem is not controlled in time, the tide would only get bigger. Although it is still unable to endanger the existence of the Gu Yue village, if we leave it alone, the village’s power would be greatly reduced.”

“Wait! If this is the case… Heh heh heh heh.” There was a sudden flash in his eyes, but Fang Yuan promptly cast his gaze down, hiding away the change in his eyes.

Seeing that Fang Yuan had not said anything, Chi Cheng continued to speak. “At the present time, the internal affairs hall and external affairs hall have both already given out the order to mobilize, they proclaimed this as an urgent mission. Fang Yuan, don’t you think of goofing off. Your group has already left in the morning, you must also go. But…”

As he spoke up to this point, Chi Cheng purposely dragged out his intonation, “Danger lurks everywhere during a beast wave. All kinds of wild beasts roam about, and most of all a battle in the night is way more dangerous than the day. You’re just a small little Rank one Gu Master, unlike a Rank two like me, you should be careful. Heh heh heh!”

As he said this, he purposely held his head high and puffed his chest out, stroking his own belt, his expression joyfully satisfied and proud.

His belt was no longer the green coloured Rank one belt, but a Rank two Gu Master’s red coloured belt. At the same time on top of the metal plate on the belt, there was a ‘2’ word.

It was thanks to his grandfather Gu Yue Chi Lian’s help that he ascended to Rank two not long ago.

“I just heard about this news, but since this is the case.” Fang Yuan suddenly smiled and said, “Then I’ll follow you guys and set out together. Once on the front lines I’ll leave the team and return to mine.”

“What? Urgh, who wants to bring you!” Chi Cheng folded his arms, his mouth twitching disdainfully.

Fang Yuan’s tone was distant. “The clan rule states: Gu Masters that are left behind must merge into the closest group to their location, they have an obligation to continue fighting. Chi Cheng, you don’t even know this point?”

“You!” Chi Cheng glared, just about to flare up.

“Indeed, this is the case,” Chi Shan who had been watching quietly finally spoke.

His body stature was close to two meters tall, and his figure was powerful and strong. His upper body was bare, the muscles hard and tough like metal. His entire body was covered in fiery red skin that seemed to faintly emit hot air.

Undoubtedly, he was the leader of this group.

Seeing him speak, even Chi Cheng who was the Chi faction’s inheritor, kept his mouth shut.

Chi Shan expressionlessly looked at Fang Yuan, continuing, “Let us depart, you keep up.”

His voice was low and deep, his words short and simple. There was an aura of him that caused people to hardly question him.

Fang Yuan shrugged nonchalantly, taking it as agreeing.

Chi Cheng laughed coldly, his gaze harboring malicious intentions as he looked at Fang Yuan, speaking in an emphasized, peculiar tone, “Then you had better keep up!”

Fang Yuan did not reply to him.

“Hmph, why do we have to drag him around. Just a Rank one Gu Master.” Chi Cheng mumbled to himself angrily, but since he was hindered by Chi Shan’s authority, he did not dare act impudent.

At once, a group of six people set out from the entrance, following the mountain road and running down the slope.

Gu Yue Chi Shan took the lead. He may be big-sized, but his speed was also not slow. Besides him and Chi Cheng, there were also two men and one female, their facial expressions indifferent.

As they ran, Chi Shan’s group started to display the graceful bearing of being one of the three strongest groups.

Each of them had rhythmic breathing, their footsteps fast and easy. Only Chi Cheng seemed to be in a difficult situation, but he would use his Scarlet Pill Cricket Gu from time to time, catching up reluctantly. Yet it could also be seen that he had received good teaching, for although he often staggered along the way, at least he never fell down.

When they reached the mountain foot, with one hand gesture from Chi Shan, the group swiftly stopped in their tracks.

Huff huff…

Chi Cheng had fallen behind by three hundred meters, and he was the last to catch up. His face was pale and he panted heavily, his gaze inconceivable as he looked at Fang Yuan.

During the journey Fang Yuan had always been following tightly behind, and up till now his breathing was only slightly heavy. He did not look the least bit like a newcomer who just graduated.

“Chi Cheng, remember, regulate your physical strength,” Chi Shan looked back and advised Chi Cheng. Then he swept his gaze past Fang Yuan, his eyes showing a hint of praise.

The looks that the other few group members gave towards Fang Yuan had also softened a little.

“We will be nearing the beast tide down there. Chi Cheng and Fang Yuan, come towards the middle of the team.” Chi Shan looked at the pitch-black mountain forest before him as he spoke.

This sentence let Fang Yuan reevaluate Chi Shan.

This huge boulder of a man sure had tolerance. The middle of a group is often the safest spot. Although Fang Yuan was not a person of the Mo bloodline, Chi Shan still maintained the manner of protecting a newcomer. To compare him to the sickly snake Jiao San, the latter would immediately pale in comparison.

The sky had already become completely dark, and the black clouds were in layers, causing the accumulated snow to also become dark and gloomy.

Chi Shan’s group had already changed their group formation. Their speed dropped greatly as they ran slowly through the complicated terrain of the mountain forest.

Fang Yuan and Chi Cheng were in the middle part of the group, where on the left side was the huge Chi Shan, while the right side was an old man. Behind them was a young woman with a head of watery blue-coloured long hair.

And in front of them was a male Gu Master called Chi She.

He was the reconnaissance Gu Master of this group, and he gave out hissing noises. From time to time he would stick his tongue out into the air.

Right now his tongue had a small divide in between, becoming the bright red forked tongue of a snake. As they entered deeper into the mountain forest, their surroundings started to show wild beasts violently running about wildly.

Suddenly Chi She opened his mouth and spoke, “Before us, three medium-sized animals have appeared. Suspected to be wild deer.”

“Drive it away.” Chi Shan’s expression was unchanging as he immediately gave the order.

The six-manned group did not change their direction; they continued pursuing forward. Three wild deer appeared before them, quickly changing their direction and dispersing.

Not long after, Chi She’s expression changed. “A group of medium-sized creatures. Suspected to be turtleback apes.”

“Shift,” Chi Shan said.

The small group immediately broke to the left side, bypassing this group of troublesome apes.

This was the benefit of having a reconnaissance Gu Master, he was able to anticipate and inform earlier, letting them make accurate decisions from it.

“Chi She is probably using the Snake Tongue Gu. This Rank two Gu worm can sense heat temperatures. But it has three very obvious flaws — firstly, the perception radius is small, secondly it is easily interfered with. Thirdly it cannot detect cold-blooded creatures. Yet no matter what, it is better than not having any detection. I have reached Rank two now, and in future to survive in the wild, I will also need a detection-type of Gu,” Fang Yuan thought.

Suddenly Chi She urgently spoke, “A middle-sized creature, suspected to be a white tiger. It’s found us and is quickly approaching!”

“Engage.” Chi Shang’s tone was calm and collected.

Roar!

A fierce tiger jumped out from the thicket in front of them, and the group met it head-on. Without Chi She’s warning in advance, perhaps they would be caught unprepared.

But right now, the group had long anticipated.

Firstly, the old Gu Master on the right suddenly drummed up his cheeks and then spit out a white coloured, viscous substance.

The substance abruptly expanded in mid-air, becoming a huge spider net. It used its strong viscosity and trapped the white tiger full in the face.

The white tiger struggled fiercely in the net, and Chi Shan immediately stepped forward and brandished his fist, pounding onto the tiger’s head.

His fist had a golden luster flashing through, and with a bang, the tiger’s head was smashed into pieces. The white tiger died in one breath.

The group did not stop to stay behind, but instead walked over the tiger’s body and continued forward. Chi She took Chi Shan’s place again and ran in front, taking the lead.

Through the entire process it was like moving clouds and flowing water. All the group members displayed mutual understanding.

“That entire process did not take more than three seconds. If it was me right now who was taking on that tiger alone, I would need at least five minutes to contend with.” Fang Yuan’s gaze was flashing.

These Gu Masters were also Rank two like him, but the main disparity was still Gu worms.

They all used Rank two Gu worms, and this enabled them to bring out the best in each other. However, all the Gu in Fang Yuan’s hands were still Rank one.

Gu Master, Gu Master, the word Gu is before the word Master, signifying that Gu worms have a huge impact on a Gu Master’s fighting power. (1)

“Although I have advanced to Rank two, I still need to have Rank two Gu to be able to display the fighting power of a Rank two Gu Master. However right now I do not have many primeval stones on me, I have used up a huge portion from breaking into Rank two. Refining two Gu worms together will also use up a considerable amount of primeval stones.”

As Fang Yuan thought of this, Chi She who was in front of him suddenly said, “I found the sickly snake’s group.”

(1) The Chinese like to repeat things sometimes when emphasizing something. Gu Master, Gu Master… Gu and Master! Gu is before Master, Gu is so important.

Chapter 94: Suddenly withdrawing strength

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“Found the sickly snake group in front, they are currently contesting with a large-sized wild beast.” Only half a second later, Chi She said again, this time more specific.

“What’s the situation?” Chi Shan frowned.

“There’s no mistake,” Chi She’s snake tongue continued to stretch and shrink, “Jiao San’s red lava python is the only one in the entire village, and now they are fighting against… wild boar king!”

Everyone’s expression changed.

“Wild boar king… If I want to combine Gu worms, I require the wild boar’s tusks. Undoubtedly, the wild boar king’s tusks are the most suitable.” Fang Yuan’s heart stirred, and in actuality he had the intention to kill the wild boar king from the start.

“That wild boar king?” Watery blue hair female Gu Master raised her brows.

“Other than that one, there is no other in the vicinity. But relying on just the strength of the sickly snake group to reap the wild boar king, their appetite is too big.” The old Gu Master sneered in disdain.

If Old man Wang could grasp the terrain of the mountain himself, these Rank two Gu Masters who were always roaming around on Qing Mao mountain would obviously be more familiar with it. Not eliminating the wild boar king before this, they had their reasons.

Chi Shan pondered, then said, “Go support them.”

“Hehe, I’m afraid they might not reciprocate.” The old Gu Master laughed coldly.

“Even if we do not go and support them, we still have to send someone over, right!” Chi Cheng looked at Fang Yuan, saying in an unhappy tone.

The team’s direction steered towards the left.

Although Chi Shan and the rest always looked down and did not like Gu Yue Jiao San, but as clansmen, towards outside foes, even if they had amnesty normally, they would group up and work together.

This is the cohesiveness of a clan in this world.

And especially relying on this cohesiveness could a hundred year old clan sustain itself without dying out, even becoming a thousand year old clan.

Everyone moved through the jungle in the darkness, heading towards a low-lying land.

Sickly snake group’s four Gu Masters were surrounding the wild boar king, engaging in fierce combat.

In the center, the elephant-like wild boar king was fighting with a thin and long red-coloured python.

This red giant python had dark red rock pieces all over its body, the temperature very high. It was like a thick chain coiling around the wild boar king.

The wild boar king cried out angrily, constantly rolling on the ground, its snow white tusks piercing the darkness and drawing cold light in the air.

Its body was full of big and small injuries, its tail already broken. While flipping around, it revealed its fresh red injuries, stuck to the red lava python’s body and scalded by the high temperature.

The Chi Shan group did not get closer, but observed from a distance.

Taking a few looks, the old Gu Master was enlightened, “I say, how did the sickly snake have this courage. Looks like the wild boar king was actually injured already, tsk, he sure picked up the cheap goods, this scoundrel got lucky.

“Do you guys think that this wild boar king’s body would have the Black Boar Gu?” Chi Cheng excitedly said with glowing eyes.

Fang Yuan’s expression was unchanged as he watched silently.

At this time, Jiao San and his gang also realised the situation of being watched, and immediately the support Gu Master Gu Yue Kong Jing who was the furthest away from the wild boar king left the battlefield and ran over.

“Oh, it is Lord Chi Shan. There’s no problems here now, we can handle it. There are many wild beast groups in front, they need your support.” Kong Jing said to the people.

“Hmph, what do you mean you can handle it? You’re clearly lying through your teeth, I can see that this python isn’t going to hang in there much longer.” The old Gu Master’s experienced gaze revealed the situation at once.

“You’re just afraid of us wanting to split the rewards after helping,” the watery blue long-haired female Gu Master immediately pointed out Jiao San and his gang’s intention.

“This wild boar king is yours,” Chi Shan said, looking at the old Gu Master.

The old Gu Master snorted, but he still bent down, vomiting out a piece of white sticky spider web.

The spider web expanded in the air and spread out, enveloping the wild boar king.

The wild boar king struggled intensely in the web, breaking threads after threads, but it could not get free quickly.

During this period, sickly snake Jiao San quickly got the red lava python to retreat. After that, together with the healing female Gu Master in the group, they underwent emergency battle healing on the python.

In the fierce battle earlier, the red lava python’s rock body already had some cracks. Through the healing, the cracks mended, shrinking until they disappeared.

“Fang Yuan, you should go back. You still want to depend on our group?” Chi Cheng said in annoyance.

Fang Yuan took a step out and walked out from behind Chi Shan.

Gu Yue Kong Jing was blocked by Chi Shan’s huge body earlier and did not see him. At the moment when he saw Fang Yuan, his expression turned weird.

Jiao San turned his head around and upon seeing Fang Yuan, was overjoyed at once, “Fang Yuan, you’re finally here! Quick, the spider web is not going to hold, you have huge strength, go and restrain the wild boar king and buy us time. We need time to heal the red lava python.”

Without a defensive Gu and only with Rank one cultivation, getting close to the wild boar king was nothing but risky.

Chi Shan took a look at Fang Yuan and said, “Go.”

Saying so, he took a huge step and left the place.

He kept his word; although the wild boar king had much value, he turned around and left without hesitation.

Seeing Chi Shan’s group leaving, Jiao San and the gang breathed a sigh of relief. From start to finish, they did not say a word of thanks.

Jiao San continue shouting, “Fang Yuan, hurry, the wild boar king’s strength is huge, the spider web is not going to hold out. If you perform well this time, I will not pursue the matter of you leaving the team on your own.”

“Okay.” Fang Yuan agreed, quickly getting to the wild boar king and grabbing its two huge tusks.

He used all his strength and pulled, causing the wild boar king to be suppressed, its struggling suddenly diminished.

“Good job!” Jiao San praised, but his eyes shone with cold light.

This Fang Yuan came at a good time, the small beast horde was the perfect chance!

Jiao San had never thought of killing Fang Yuan. Fang Yuan was his member, and if he died, the clan’s evaluation of him would drop. This did not suit his interests.

He only promised his uncle Gu Yue Dong Tu to slow Fang Yuan’s growth. If he could drag it beyond sixteen years old, he would obtain a fortune promised by Gu Yue Dong Tu.

The truth is, even with his scheming and intolerant nature, he did not think of killing Fang Yuan before. This is not just because after a Gu Master dies, the punishment hall would hold a thorough investigation, thus being risky, but also because of the clan’s belief — Blood is thicker than water, family comes first. This notion is ingrained into the people’s hearts. Unless there is a feud of killing one’s parents or stealing one’s wife, there is no such phenomenon of disputes.

Like how the Gu Yue clan leader once taught the academy elder, not only does the system and rules hold the clan together, there is also the thick family relationships.

Any organisation would need to have a system and values as their basic core.

“Using this opportunity, I’ll let Fang Yuan get injured and return to the village to nurse his injuries. Let’s see if he can cultivate to Rank two like that! Of course, I cannot strike personally, if I get discovered that would be bad. Since there are so many beasts in the horde anyway, I’ll borrow from their strength.”

Gu Yue Jiao San laughed coldly in his heart, but he asked, “Fang Yuan, how long can you hold out?”

“A while more, don’t worry group leader.” Fang Yuan replied with much strength.

“Very good, Hua Xing, go and plant the corrosion blood grass Gu,” Jiao San instructed while healing the red lava python.

“Yes!” A female Gu Master walked up.

She came to the side of the wild boar king and stretched out both hands, giving a thumbs up on both hands. The nails on her thumbs had a purple vine insignia coiling around.

Light red coloured red steel primeval essence gushed out and surrounded her white thumb, and entered the insignia.

The vines were brought alive immediately, extending a delicate tentacle from her nails.

The tentacles moved like snakes, extending to the wild boar king’s mouth, and then along its teeth, going deep into its stomach.

“Hehehe….” Fang Yuan covered his mouth in the darkness as it curled into a devious angle.

Others would think about kinship and not have killing intent on their clansmen, this was going against the traditional moral values of the clan. But he did not put these values into his heart.

The strength he placed on the wild boar king’s tusks suddenly vanished.

The wild boar king furiously growled and summoned all its strength. Its tusks swung in the air as Fang Yuan who was holding onto both tusks was brought along with the force and was thrown away.

The wild boar king once again turned its head, and the tusks swept through. The female Gu Master was beside it and could not react quickly enough to such a change. She was hit by the tusks and screamed in agony.

Then her slim body, after getting hit by the tusks, broke into two with a snap.

The female Gu Master flew away like a broken bag; she was swept high into the sky, and then plopped down again.

She landed on the ground, her eyes wide open. She was dead on the spot.

Chapter 95: Garbage teammate

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The female Gu Master’s body was like a ragdoll. From the waist and across it was broken, and her upper body laid on the ground, displayed at an odd angle against her lower body, the arms parallel to the ground while her legs were pointing towards the sky.

From afar, Fang Yuan also started to descend.

First, he hit the tree canopy and broke many branches before landing on the snowy ground.

He turned his body nimbly and stood up on the snowy ground. Because he had utilized the Jade Skin Gu earlier, other than some pain in his back, he was unscathed.

On the battlefield, after a momentary silence, Jiao San’s angry howl could be heard, “Fang Yuan, didn’t you say you could hold on!”

Fang Yuan laughed coldly in the dark, but suddenly his body twisted and he almost fell down. He used his hand to hold onto the tree trunk as support and was able to maintain his body balance.

He pretended to limp as if he could not walk, but his gaze swept across the surroundings to see if there was any other Gu Masters.

Against the beast horde, the Gu Masters were fighting with all they had, and could not be free enough or even have the mood to observe Fang Yuan. Even though he had been observing in secret and found no Gu Masters nearby, Fang Yuan still discreetly chose to hide himself.

From the other side, intense battle noises could be heard again.

Evidently, the wild boar king had escaped its entrapment and was fighting once again with the red lava python.

Fang Yuan shifted step by step towards them with a face of anxiety, almost falling onto the ground a few times. Dirt, soil, grass and snow were all over his body, making him appear battered and exhausted.

He finally got back to the fringe of the battlefield.

On the battlefield, three people and a pig were fighting.

The red lava python coiled around the body of the wild boar king and its two hind legs.

The wild boar king’s two front legs could only thrash around randomly, causing it to roll on the ground, sometimes struggling. With the movement of its two front legs, it knocked and crashed into things randomly.

There were even more injuries on its body now, the boiling pig blood had dyed the floor red.

Seeing Fang Yuan, the outermost positioned Gu Yue Kong Jing said, “Fang Yuan, you scum, you caused Hua Xin to die!”

“I… I didn’t mean it. But I really couldn’t hold it.” Fang Yuan shouted.

“Fuck, then why did you promise so confidently if you couldn’t. No means no, giving false promises like this will kill us all!” Gu Yue Kong Jing furiously screamed. If he was not in combat at the moment, he would go up and give Fang Yuan two tight slaps.

“S-Sorry, I won’t do it again.” Fang Yuan quickly yelled back.

“Fang Yuan, we’ll talk about this later!” Sickly snake Jiao San roared, feeling his pressure intensify. The almost dead wild boar king had flown into madness, and the red lava python had injuries and cracks all over its body.

“Kong Jing, don’t bother with Fang Yuan. Quickly take out the knife scale web!” When Jiao San saw that the red lava python was almost at its breaking point, he shouted in panic with cold sweat all over.

“Yes!” Kong Jing quickly retrieved the big belly frog and used his primeval essence, vomiting a piece of steel web.

On this steel web, there were sharp spikes and apparent blades.

“Fang Yuan, grab the other end and rush up with me, we’ll entangle the wild boar king.” Kong Jing said.

“But my leg is injured, I cannot walk!” Fang Yuan said with an anxious expression, crippling his way there.

“Useless thing!” Kong Jing with no other choice, had to do it himself, his hands dragging the knife scales web and throwing it at the wild boar king.

The wild boar king was covered by the knife scale web, causing it to cry out as fresh blood splattered.

It had predicted that its death was impending, and struggled even more fiercely. As its struggle intensified, the knife scale web’s entanglement got tighter, and its injuries worsened.

As for the red lava python, because of its rock body, it did not take much damage from this knife scale web.

“What a waste of this fur!” Jiao San said in pity.

“Finally settled.” Kong Jing breathed out in relief.

At this time, Fang Yuan shouted, “Let me help you guys!”

Swoosh swoosh swoosh.

Numerous moonblades flew out and hit the knife scale web, causing the steel threads to be torn apart. With the wild boar king’s intense struggle, the hole got even bigger and the knife scale web was torn into pieces, allowing the wild boar king to escape.

At once!

Kong Jing stared with bulging eyes, lost for words.

“What… what the fuck…” Another female Gu Master could no longer care about her feminine image and swore loudly.

“I… it seems I messed up. I wanted to help!” Fang Yuan said, sounding very sincere and innocent.

Jiao San dodged the wild boar king’s charge, rolling on the floor. Before he even got up, he shouted, “Fang Yuan—! You dumb piece of shit, see what you did! You’re simply garbage for a teammate!!!”

“Leader, you must trust me, I didn’t mean it,” Fang Yuan defended himself.

“Shut the fuck up, from now on, do nothing, wait at the corner!” Jiao San shouted, rolling again and dodging the wild boar king’s trample.

Fang Yuan snickered, but still obediently took tens of steps back.

“All of you get back!” Jiao San shouted, finally showing his true trump card as two strands of poisonous yellow air came out from his nostrils.

The poisonous air continued to come out from his nose, growing more and more until they gathered into a lump of yellow poisonous cloud.

The wild boar king and Jiao San’s shadow could be seen outside the poisonous cloud.

Kong Jing, Fang Yuan and the others observed outside the yellow cloud.

Fang Yuan said to the remaining female Gu Master, “Heal my leg, it’s injured!”

The female Gu Master flew into a rage, “My good sister is dead, and your leg is only stumped! Why don’t you go and die?!”

Fang Yuan said in grievance, “I didn’t want this to happen either.”

But his eyes shone with a trace of sharpness.

Should I act, and eliminate these people?

It is a chance to act now. In their subconscious minds, they would not expect me to have killing intention.

If the sickly snake group is exterminated, there would be fewer restrictions on me.

But…

If any Gu Master saw this process, I would fall into the abyss. The crime of killing a clansman is the most unforgivable in this world. Not only will I be executed, I would also have to face all sorts of torture for seven days and seven nights.

Death is not scary, but for such a small group, it is not worth the risk.

A pity the wild boar king is dying. After this battle the sickly snake group would be greatly weakened and their battle strength would be at the lowest, they would definitely leave the battlefield. What a pity, this was a godsend opportunity……

Fang Yuan felt regret and pity in his heart.

But he had done it to the greatest limit, and if he exceeded this, the feeling of “sabotage’ would thicken. The others were not stupid, they would notice and if other Gu Masters saw this, the risk would intensify.

Five minutes later, the wild boar king plopped onto the ground.

The yellow cloud dissipated, and Jiao San breathed loudly with a pale face. He had used his final trump card, and now he had little to no primeval essence left.

“All of you come here and dissect the corpse quickly, we will retreat after taking the spoils of the battle!” Jiao San shouted.

Fang Yuan surrounded the wild boar king and quickly began to dissect the corpse.

The wild boar king’s blood was still hot, and the smell of blood was thick. Throughout the surrounding forest that was enshrouded in darkness, there were continuous howls from wild beasts and intense battle noises.

But there were no wild beasts in this tiny battlefield.

This was the authority of the beast king.

There were rules among the wild beasts.

The thick aura of the wild boar king caused other wild beasts to shrink in fear, and if the beast horde came here, they would find their way around this region. Of course, if it was another stronger beast horde or another beast king, they would not care about the wild boar king’s aura.

At this time, pairs of blue eyes glowed in the surrounding darkness.

From other places, blood-curdling screeches and alarmed cries of Gu Masters could be heard.

“It’s the wolves, the wolf pack!”

“The lightning wolf pack actually appeared!”

“Damn it, why is there a wolf pack here, it is still not the time for the outburst of the wolf tide right?!”

“Retreat, forget the wild boar king, we have to retreat quickly!” Jiao San shouted, and the faces of the surrounding people also turned white.

One lightning wolf was not scary. But a pack of lightning wolves, even the wild boar king would have to run.

Most importantly, the lightning wolves’ durability and endurance were high. They also had great speed, being most proficient at chasing.

At such a critical moment, Jiao San could no longer care about the others, abandoning the three and running for his life.

“Group leader, wait for me,” Kong Jing shouted in panic, catching up to him.

“I do not have a Gu worm that enhances my speed, I can’t escape. Jiao San and the others have no primeval essence left, so even if they have a speed-type Gu, they can’t escape the chase of the lightning wolves!” Under the danger of death, Fang Yuan evaluated calmly.

He quickly hit the neck of the female Gu Master near him who was in a daze, causing her to faint.

Next, by dragging her, he burrowed into the wild boar king’s stomach that was cut open.

The wild boar king’s stomach was already cut open with a huge wound.

Fang Yuan squeezed his way into the bloody wild boar’s body, at the same time using the female Gu Master’s body to block away the entrance and cover up his body.

The wolf pack quickly descended, mostly chasing after Jiao San and Kong Jing, while a portion of them surrounded the wild boar king and feasted.

While Fang Yuan was inside the wild boar’s body, he could hear the wolves’ chewing and swallowing, as well as their biting, causing vibrations in the corpse.

“To think that the first beast horde had lightning wolves, this is a surprise, the clan would definitely send reinforcements. The wild boar king’s body is huge, so if the lightning wolves want to eat it completely, they would still need some time. As long as I can hold out, I would be spared from them.”

Fang Yuan pondered deeply.

Without accident, Jiao San and Kong Jing should be dead meat. They had little primeval essence and were not speed oriented, so with such a small distance, they would definitely get slaughtered by the wolves.

When people panic, they would make dumb decisions. Under the pressure of death, there are little who can remain as calm as Fang Yuan and make the most appropriate decisions.

Even if the wild boar king’s flesh was all eaten, exposing Fang Yuan who was hiding, the amount of lightning wolves that Fang Yuan would have to deal with is definitely lesser than the others. According to his experience, at most five would appear, which would be his limit. He had much greater chance of surviving.

The lightning wolves continued to chew and bite, the sound indicating that they were getting closer. The wild boar king’s flesh had mostly gone into the lightning wolves’ stomach.

If a normal person was in such a predicament, they would feel as if the seconds that were passing by were like an eternity. But instead Fang Yuan closed his eyes and took out his primeval stones, fighting against time to recover his primeval essence.

Chapter 96: For the sake of those who died

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

The primeval essence that Fang Yuan recovered while in the boar’s stomach went unused ultimately.

The beast horde this time was under the supervision of the Gu Yue higher-ups, and the lightning wolf gang was just a small accident. Quickly, the Gu Yue higher-ups gave their response.

Three clan elders led their respective teams and swiftly grasped the situation.

Merely ten minutes later, Fang Yuan could hear fighting sounds from outside the boar’s stomach, as well as the cries of the lightning wolves.

He quickly kicked the female Gu Master out, and crawled out with blood stains all over him.

Fang Yuan was naturally not afraid of the lightning wolves, but he was afraid of getting caught in the battle. If a Gu Master accidentally attacked the corpse, wouldn’t he be too unlucky, by then who can he hold responsibility for?

With a big living person suddenly crawling out from the boar’s stomach, this caused the few Gu Masters fighting the lightning wolves to be taken aback.

Fang Yuan’s entire body was a bloody mess, and his leg was still entangled in the wild boar king’s intestines. His entire body emitted a nose-piercing bloody smell, and the few Gu Masters frowned in response.

But Fang Yuan paid no heed to that, he breathed deeply in enjoyance, extending his limbs and observing the battlefield.

As he had predicted, there were five lightning wolves.

But these lightning wolves were either old or injured. They were the bottom of the pack’s hierarchy. As the wolf pack got stronger and bigger, in order to protect the young and healthy lightning wolves, the wolf king would expel all these old and sickly wolves in order to allocate resources efficiently.

These lightning wolves gathered together and rushed towards the surrounding beast groups, and under each other’s influence, eventually formed this small beast horde.

The five lightning wolves quickly had casualties under the Gu Masters’ attacks.

They were too full from eating, and their stomachs expanded, affecting their battle strength. At the same time, new arriving Gu Masters had sufficient primeval essence in their aperture and had their peak battle strength, unlike Jiao San and the rest.

Primeval essence was especially important to Gu Masters. A weakened phoenix is inferior to a chicken, with less primeval essence, a Gu Master’s battle strength would fall rapidly. And without primeval essence, they were even inferior to mortals.

Why do you think for example, the Liquor worm, Black and White Boar Gu, these Gu were so precious?

It had to do with this fact.

Firstly, with the Liquor worm, it can refine primeval essence and allow Gu Masters to store much more primeval essence. (Remember that higher tier essence is essentially double of the previous tier 88% Mid tier = 44% Upper tier)

And the Black and White Boar Gu worms gave Gu Masters strength. Without requiring primeval essence, they can unleash their worth. And for the Black and White Boar Gu, once one person has used them, they can be given to another person to use, showing great collective value in a group.

The battle continued for a while and stopped.

The five lightning wolves continued to fall, and the new reinforcement group did not venture further. Their primeval essence had been used up nearly, and their battle strength had been greatly reduced. To be safe, they stopped on the spot. As they recovered, they awaited further reinforcements.

A group of five, with the reconnaissance Gu Master keeping alert while the other three used primeval stones to recover their primeval essence, the healing Gu Master bent down and observed the female Gu Master’s corpse.

“She’s dead…” Healing Gu Master sighed deeply. Seeing his sad expression, it seemed like he knew the female Gu Master.

Fang Yuan watched coldly.

This female Gu Master which he had knocked unconscious was blocking in front of him. Now she had lost her right chest, and a leg. Her arm was also greatly injured by the wolves, eaten until the bones could be seen.

But these injuries and the massive loss of blood was not the true cause of her death.

What caused her demise, was cardiac arrest.

The lightning wolves’ bites carried electric currents with them. The currents flowed into the female Gu Master’s body while she was unconscious, and caused her to have a heart attack.

The originally beautiful and sexy body was now lying on the ground, still and unmoving. Her previous glamour was nowhere to be found, being just an ugly dead corpse now.

“She’s dead, and it is all your fault! As a man, why did you hide behind a woman? You’re a disgrace to men!” The healing Gu Master looked up, staring at Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan shrugged emotionlessly, his expression calm, “The truth is, she competed with me over the spot, but eventually I won, so I’m very glad about the results.”

“Scumbag!!” The healing Gu Master rushed up.

Bam.

Fang Yuan raised his feet and sent him flying.

Healing Gu Masters were normally weak at combat, and because of the clan rules, he did not dare to use his Gu worms. Just competing with physical strength, how can he be Fang Yuan’s match?

“This detestable guy!” Healing Gu Master crawled up with a dusty face and wanted to rush up again, but was stopped by the reconnaissance Gu Master.

“If you think I committed a crime and caused her to die, you can report it to the punishment hall, I’ll take it,” Fang Yuan said lightly as he stared at the healing Gu Master, and left.

“Damn! Damn it!” The healing Gu Master’s eyes were blowing fire as he stared at Fang Yuan’s backview, urging to rush up but was restrained by his teammates.

“Calm the hell down!”

“Even if you report it to the punishment hall, the clan won’t punish him!”

“We know you liked her, but although the clan cannot punish him, we can spread this matter out…”

Under the urging of his teammates, the healing Gu Master calmed down and lowered his head, crying.

“A boat encountered trouble, a man grabbed onto a wooden plank and was temporarily saved. At this time, another man swam up and wanted to grab the plank as well, but this plank can only hold the weight of one man, so the first man pushed the second man away so that he could be safe, causing the other person to drown in the sea. The rescued man was later tried in court but declared not guilty. This is the wooden plank incident on earth.”

“Meaning, to save oneself under forced circumstances, endangering another person’s life is no crime. On Earth, it is the Necessity Law. In this world, there are similar clan rules. This means, even if the healing Gu Master reports it to the punishment hall, I will not be punished. But….”

Fang Yuan continued to walk as he pondered. He moved in a steady pace without any rush.

Along the path that had been cleared, Fang Yuan would discover corpses, the majority of these being wild beasts of all kinds of varieties, and in the mix were some Gu Master corpses.

At the same time, there were small rescue groups rushing to the front lines. When they met Fang Yuan on the way, they would look at this bloody young man with curious and confused gazes.

Fang Yuan paid no attention to them. His eyes were a dark abyss, continuing his train of thought.

“But……” If the fact that I knocked the female Gu Master unconscious was found out, I would be tried for ‘harming a clansman’. Yet at that time, nobody should have seen it, Jiao San and Kong Jing were all looking at a different direction and rushing for their lives. Eh?”

Fang Yuan’s footsteps came to a halt.

He saw the corpses of Kong Jing and Jiao San.

The former’s body had already been eaten until it was unrecognisable, while the latter’s corpse was still well preserved.

The red lava python was already a pile of lava rocks, completely dead. And beside the sickly snake, there were a few lightning wolves’ corpses. Evidently Jiao San’s final struggle caused a huge battle.

“Good, that means that other than me, everyone else is dead.” Fang Yuan evaluated internally, feeling joy.

“This means I would have fewer restrictions around me…. Eh?” Fang Yuan stopped, he saw Jiao San’s finger twitch softly.

“Not dead, what a stubborn life…” Fang Yuan snickered, killing intent rising again.

At this point, there was tens of healing Gu Masters coming from the front.

“Quick, save the injured!”

“They are our clansmen, we have to save what we can!”

“If they are confirmed dead, retrieved their Gu worms.”

Fang Yuan’s gaze concentrated.

What to do?

They were so close, he would have to take a huge risk to kill Jiao San. Whether using strangulation or a moonblade, there will be traces.

In front of these Gu Masters, he had no time to clear the traces.

So… let him live?

Even if Jiao San is treated now, he might not survive.

NO!

“If I can exterminate Jiao San, there would be a lot lesser opposition in my way. Such an opportunity, if lost, I would have a hard time finding another one.”

Thinking of this, Fang Yuan had an inspiration.

He gradually half-kneeled beside Jiao San, removing his upper shirt and covering Jiao San’s face and upper body.

He was inside the boar’s stomach for a long time, so the pig’s blood had soaked his shirt, causing it to be heavy and wet.

He put the upperwear on Jiao San’s nose and mouth, preventing him from breathing.

Fang Yuan half-kneeled, silently watching, his expression solemn and pained.

At this point, a Gu Master came over, “Little lad, I am the medicine hall’s Gu Master, let me take a look…”

“Scram!” Fang Yuan growled angrily, pushing him away.

The Gu Master fell on the ground, but he was not angry, instead consoling him, “Little brother, my condolences! I know how you feel right now and I know how it feels to see the clansmen that you live with die in front of you. But you are covered in blood now, you must be heavily injured. For the sake of these sacrificed clansmen, you have to live properly. Come, let me heal you.”

Fang Yuan did not open his mouth. He remained silent, the lower half of his face covered in a dark shadow. He allowed this Gu Master to check his body.

The result was rather surprising. Although Fang Yuan was bathed in blood, appearing terrifying to everyone, he actually had no injuries at all!

But the Gu Master quickly collected his spirits, concentrating on Jiao San.

“I’m very sorry, the clan needs to take back the Gu worms.” The Gu Master sincerely looked at Fang Yuan, then he lifted the bloody shirt slowly off Jiao San.

Jiao San’s eyes were half open without any life in them.

The Gu Master professionally used his finger to prop open Jiao San’s eyelids, looking at his iris and then touching his neck. But he felt no pulse.

Dead.

Completely dead.

The Gu Master did not suspect anything. He sighed and placed his hand on Jiao San’s stomach.

His stomach still had some warmth and the aperture was slowly disappearing; there were no Gu worms inside.

The Gu Master looked at Fang Yuan, whether intentionally or unintentionally, “Every Gu Master’s Gu worm is stated in writing, and after a Gu Master dies, his Gu worms will be treated as an inheritance for his inheritor. Taking it for oneself is against the clan rules.”

Fang Yuan was fearless, staring right at the Gu Master, “Of course I know that. You suspect that I took the group leader’s Gu worms?”

Taking these Gu worms involved risks and trouble. If his secrets were dragged out, they would bring more loss than gain. Fang Yuan knew this, even if with the Spring Autumn Cicada he could instantly refine any Gu, it was difficult to do in the clan. It was not worth inviting such troubles for these minute gains.

Apart from than this, there was another point — with his financial status now, even if he got them, he might not be able to feed them.

To Fang Yuan’s question, the Gu Master laughed quickly, “I did not mean that! People cannot come back to life after dying, so please restrain your grief, little brother. For the sake of the deceased, you have to live even better!”

Fang Yuan gradually stood up.

He used an extremely sad and pained expression, staring at sickly snake’s corpse with rapt attention.

The night wind howled in his ears.

“You are right.” After a while, Fang Yuan broke the silence, his gaze determined, saying with an intentional meaning, “For the sake of those who died, I have to live even better than before.”

Chapter 97: Devils run amuck

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Internal affairs hall, interrogation room.

The light of the winter sun shone on the ground through the only window.

Fine dust particles slowly floated on the light pillar.

The light pillar enshrouded a chair.

Fang Yuan was sitting on that chair, bathing in the sunshine.

In the darkness ahead of him was a long table where three elders were seated.

The interrogation had already continued for an hour.

“Fang Yuan, are you sure there are no mistakes in your narration?” An elder asked.

“Yes.” Fang Yuan’s eyes were down, looking at his toes. The sunshine shone on his fair face, making him look like a white sculpture.

He had already expected this situation.

After all, all his group members had died except him.

In fact, every Gu Master would go through a certain degree of interrogation which conveniently helped the clan to gather battle statistics. But, Fang Yuan was continuously interrogated for an hour; clearly, someone was making it difficult for him from behind the scenes.

This was completely understandable.

As long as one was human and had social relations, there would be series of people involved.

“Then narrate your account on the battle situation at that time again.” The elder continued to ask.

“Okay. I used several days to breakthrough to Rank two. Upon returning to the village gate, I met Chi Shan group… and reunited with Jiao San group after finding them. At that time, they were having a fierce fight with the wild boar king…” Fang Yuan calmly narrated.

He took the initiative to reveal his breakthrough to Rank two. With no concealing Gu worm, he wouldn’t be able to conceal his Rank two aura.

Now the sickly snake and the team were dead, so he naturally fabricated the events. But, he could only conceal some main details and narrate the majority of the events as they were.

This was already the fifth time Fang Yuan narrated the events. The three elders frowned as they listened.

They couldn’t find any holes, but they knew – if it was fabricated, then there would be unnecessary details. After one kept on talking about it several times, there would naturally be holes. But after five times, although there were some differences in how Fang Yuan narrated the events, the contents were the same.

“It should be true.” The three elders communicated with each other using eye signals.

But one elder was not satisfied.

Her daughter was the sickly snake group’s healing Gu Master whom she loved dearly but ended up dying a cruel death in the wolves’ mouths. Thus she was very angry and her gaze carried coldness as she looked at Fang Yuan.

“Fang Yuan, you cut the knife scales net with your moonblades, why did you do it?” This middle-aged female elder spoke sternly.

“Because I wanted to have some contributions, but it ended up being a bad move.” Fang Yuan replied.

“Then let me ask you, did you intentionally use your teammate – the female Gu Master – as a shield when you hid in the boar’s stomach?” The elder asked again.

“I don’t know. I was very scared at that time and hurriedly tried to hide inside the boar king, but she also entered inside and fought me for the inside position. She couldn’t defeat me and was bitten to death by the lightning wolves. I am ashamed.” Fang Yuan answered.

The middle-aged female elder grinded her teeth. Fang Yuan’s answer was cunning, he only stated the fact but didn’t mention his subjective intentions at all. This made the elders who wanted to suppress him, not find any handle on him; their hearts were filled with anger but they couldn’t do anything.

Under such situation, they couldn’t judge Fang Yuan guilty.

It had already been three days since the small beast tide.

The statistics of the casualties made all the higher ups have ugly expressions.

There were losses in the past small beast tides too but they were definitely not as grave as this. The cause was the lightning wolves pack. Before, these lightning wolves packs would only appear after at least three waves of small beast tide.

The environment was dangerous in this world; survival, difficult.

From a human standpoint, to survive, apart from fighting with other humans for resources, they still had to struggle against fierce beasts and nasty weathers.

And these struggles were often very difficult.

The small beast tide was still only a prelude. The real terror would be the large wolf tide, a year after. Tens of thousands of lightning wolves would charge towards the village with the terrifyingly powerful lightning wolf king.

The female elder continued to ask several questions but she had to finally give up under Fang Yuan’s invulnerable answers.

“Then Fang Yuan, what do you plan to do from now on?” Another elder asked with deep intention.

“I plan to apply for the family assets, inheriting and continuing my family’s heritage.” Fang Yuan spoke openly, there was no need to conceal it.

Sickly snake group was destroyed and now only Fang Yuan was left. Because of this, he didn’t have to use Rank two Gu Master’s right to give up a mission and could accept the family assets mission.

The elder nodded his head then shook his head, “You didn’t understand my meaning. Apart from you, your group is no more. I can give you a suggestion: Join another group. Internal affairs hall’s missions difficulty is designed for groups, it is very difficult for a lone person to complete them. Whether it is your family inheritance mission or the compulsory monthly missions, they are both like this.”

Fang Yuan was silent.

This elder continued, “Of course, there is another option. You are already a Rank two Gu Master. You have the qualifications to become a group captain. You just need to pass the examination mission and you can build your own group. Which do you want to choose?”

Fang Yuan blinked his eyes: “I don’t know yet, I need some time to consider.”

“Then you can leave. Think it over as soon as possible. After a few days pass, it will be difficult for you to join a group,” the elder said concernedly.

Fang Yuan sneered inwardly, he wouldn’t choose any of these two paths.

He had a lot of secrets. Only by himself could he be safe and do things properly. Otherwise, wouldn’t he be annoyed to death if there were others with him all the time?

Leaving this interrogation room, Fang Yuan didn’t immediately leave the internal affairs hall but instead applied for the family inheritance mission. However, he was informed that he could only take it after three days due to the busy events recently.

Coming out of the internal affairs hall, he gazed at the sky.

It was just an ordinary winter afternoon.

The winter was bleak along with biting wind. The sky seemed to be pervaded with deep grief.

“Today is group memorial assembly. Gu Yue Jin Zhu is dead, did you know, Fang Yuan?” Mo Bei, along with a group of youths, were walking through the path.

Other than Mo Bei, there were Fang Zheng, Chi Cheng and others.

Mo Bei and Chi Cheng normally hated each other very much, but today, they seemed to forget this grievance and walked together.

“Big brother, Jin Zhu studied with us for a year. Come with us.” Fang Zheng said.

Gu Yue Jin Zhu…

A girl’s image immediately appeared in Fang Yuan’s mind.

Previously, she had been evenly matched with Mo Bei on the arena but lost because of her lacking stamina. She was a hardworking girl.

But, death didn’t discriminate between beauty and ugly.

Most people would feel pity, but Fang Yuan was indifferent as usual.

“Ah, she is dead? But dying of old or sickness, they are both normal events. After seeing it many times you’ll be indifferent to it. You guys go, I am busy.” Fang Yuan brushed past the group.

“This guy!” At once, many among the group were angered.

“He is really cold-blooded and heartless…”

“He simply doesn’t have a feeling of friendship!”

“Hehe, there is a rumor going around recently. You should have all heard it, right? The reason Fang Yuan survived was because he hid inside a boar’s stomach and used his female Gu Master teammate as a shield.”

“He is really a disgrace with no worth. He doesn’t even have the manners of a man.” Chi Cheng folded his arms and laughed coldly.

“Big brother…” Fang Zheng lowered his head and grinded his teeth.

Hearing these discussions, as Fang Yuan’s little brother, he felt shame.

Fang Yuan left and as he walked farther, the mockeries behind him gradually couldn’t be heard anymore.

His heart was calm.

“Why would insults matter to me?”

Insults were insults, what could they do?

A superficial person would be angry due to curses and would be happy due to praises.

These were just bystanders’ way of looking at you. Those who lived according to other’s point of view were really pitiful.

In fact, some people had deliberately spread the rumors to degrade Fang Yuan’s name.

Sacrificing a female teammate to protect oneself wouldn’t be subjected to punishment, but would be criticized by moral consensus.

But, this was the exact situation Fang Yuan wanted.

Once one enters the system, one would be a pawn with no freedom and must follow the system’s rules. To Fang Yuan, it was a huge obstacle, he needed resources and even more needed to be solitary.

So, he wanted to be a loner.

What if you were rejected by the crowd? Haha, only weak-hearted people would be afraid of being rejected.

If this happened on Earth, no matter who, they would end up dead. After all, two fists can’t beat four hands, social connections were the way to survival.

But in this world, if the cultivation was strong, one person could beat ten, hundreds and thousands of enemies. So what if you were rejected, just kill the ones who block your path. If you don’t have resources, snatch them.

Every world had different rules and regulations, the society structure was also bound to be different, causing the difference in human behaviours.

And in a world of martial arts, group thoughts were rather weak.

So in this world —

Devils run amuck.

Chapter 98: Difficulty of refining Gu

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

“What? That lad, he’s a Rank two Gu Master now, and even applied for the asset-splitting mission from the internal affairs hall!” Uncle Gu Yue Dong Tu’s furious and shocked voice reverbed throughout the main hall.

“That is indeed so. Although I accepted your primeval stones, I cannot do much to stop him, I only managed to tell him to collect the mission in three days. I can only stall that long for you, that is my limit.” The middle-aged Gu Master beside him said.

Gu Yue Dong Tu snorted in his heart, he could sense the hidden meaning in the internal affairs hall’s Gu Master’s words.

‘Stall for three days, it is the limit’, such words were merely an excuse to extort even more money.

“But, top priority now is still to do all I can to retain the assets. This rascal is really too troubling!” Gu Yue Dong Tu’s sweat poured from his forehead as Fang Yuan’s growth was so rapid it gave him the feeling of a heart attack.

“I came here especially to tell you this, so I’ll take my leave now.” The middle-aged man stood up to depart.

“Don’t be in such a rush, brother. There are some things I still need for you to assist me a little with.” Gu Yue Dong Tu hurriedly stood up, retrieving a money bag and stuffing it into the middle-aged Gu Master’s hand.

The male Gu Master took the entire bag of primeval stones and stuffed it into his chest pocket, his tone quickly changing, laughing loudly. “Brother Dong Tu, you are too polite. We have such a great relationship, we’ve known each other for over ten years. Don’t worry, I will prepare the toughest mission for Fang Yuan, but he might employ other Gu Masters to help him. You have to watch out for this.”

“Hehehe, you can be rest assured. Although I have retired, I still have my relationships, I’ve sent people to observe him. If that lad employs outsiders, that is against the clan rules, and I am still waiting to get a hold of his weakness. Hehe…”

“Then I am at ease, goodbye.”

“Let me send you out.”

“It is okay, please stay.”

Gu Yue Dong Tu stared at the leaving Gu Master, his smile slowly collapsing.

“This Fang Yuan, he is only C grade, how can he advance to Rank two so soon?! Dammit, what were Jiao San and the others doing! Can’t even guard against a newbie.”

“Sigh, now Jiao San and the team were all killed by the beast horde, what incompetent fools. Fang Yuan also advanced to Rank two, this way he can definitely receive the family asset mission. My previous methods to block him will no longer work. But he is now working alone, and aiming to complete the asset inheritance mission alone is really difficult.”

“No! This lad’s luck is absurd, first I got Jiao San and the rest to suppress him, and immediately the beast horde came. If he relies on this luck again and completes the mission, what then? I have to prepare for the worst!”

An old sly fox, Gu Yue Dong Tu being able to enter and leave the fighting life peacefully and live up until now, it represented success already.

Compared to the newly independent Fang Yuan, his interpersonal relationships were much stronger.

“Collecting honey wine?” When Fang Yuan received the asset mission, his eyes shone with cold glimmer.

This mission was very troublesome, it was to collect five Liang(1) of golden bee’s honey wine. Golden bees were all fist-sized with gold and black stripes, and they had a sharp stinger packed with a strong attack.

That was not all. Among normal small hives, there was only honey. Only those large or medium hives had the precious honey wine made from a large accumulation of honey.

“This mission, even for a five-man group, is very difficult. Because the number of people no longer matter, the Gu Master collecting honey wine has to have a defensive-type Gu to withstand the stings. It seems that uncle’s relationship has struck and is bullying my lack of a defensive Gu worm. Unfortunately for him… ” Fang Yuan laughed coldly in his heart.

At this point, it showed the inherent benefits of the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance.

Easy to do things secretly, difficult to do things openly.

The more one worked openly, the more their trump cards get revealed, and they become easier to trap. Conversely, working secretly helps to hide trump cards and lets others be unable to assess your situation, thus not being able to nip the problem in the bud.

“But, if I want to collect honey wine, the Jade Skin Gu isn’t enough. Jade Skin Gu is only a Rank one Gu, but if it can advance to the Rank two White Jade Gu, I would be able to do it easily.”

WIthout the need to attempt to take risks, his rich life experience allowed him to take less pointless steps.

Speaking of which, Fang Yuan is already a Rank two initial stage Gu Master, but the Gu worms on him, other than the Spring Autumn Cicada, were all Rank one Gu worms.

This situation is like a grown man who is able to wield a halberd only holding a small dagger. The dagger is unable to display the full extent of the man’s strength, and only with a halberd is it the most suitable.

Fang Yuan had seven Gu worms in his possession.

The vital Gu Spring Autumn Cicada, Moonlight Gu, Liquor worm, White Boar Gu, Jade Skin Gu and two Little Light Gu.

In this mix, the Moonlight Gu can fuse with the two Little Light Gu to form the Moonglow Gu. The White Boar Gu and Jade Skin Gu can fuse into White Jade Gu.

Moonglow Gu represents a surge in attack power, while White Jade Gu is an increase in defense.

If Fang Yuan had enough primeval stones, he would choose to refine them both. But not long ago, in order to push his cultivation to Rank two, he expended most of his primeval stones. Now, with the primeval stones on hand, it was only enough for one use.

“Undoubtedly, choosing to refine the White Jade Gu is a better choice. With the White Jade Gu, I can retrieve the honey wine. And with the White Jade Gu, I can advance better in the Flower Wine Monk’s inheritance. But if this fusion fails, the results will be dire. My finances are on the brink of collapse, so without the White Jade Gu, I cannot get my parent’s assets. Stuck at this point, it will greatly slow my growth.”

Fang Yuan felt a subtle pressure.

He knew that he was at a crossroad, and if this fusion succeeds, the future is bright. If he fails, then he would fall into the abyss. To get back to the current point, he would need even more effort in management and spend a longer time.

……

“Gu Masters use their primeval sea as the base, and Gu worms as the method. Gu is a Gu Master’s necessity, without Gu they are not Gu Masters. Other than their own cultivation, Gu Masters also have to refine, nurture and use Gu.”

In the room, clan leader Gu Yue Bo meticulously explained to Fang Zheng.

“Refine, nurture, and use. These three aspects, whichever one is also a huge knowledge trove. Even if you spend an entire lifetime, you cannot completely finish it. On the aspect of refining Gu, you already know how to refine a Gu and make it yours. But this is only a single refinement. There is also the more important aspect of fusion.

“Through fusion, you can fuse multiple Gu worms into one with a higher rank. This is the evolution of life. Fang Zheng, you are already a Rank two Gu Master, but your Gu worms are all Rank one. It is time you refine a Rank two Gu worm.”

Fang Zheng asked, “Clan leader, how do I do fusion?”

Gu Yue Bo said, “To fuse, you have to know the recipe. Some Gu worms cannot be fused together. Through many eons of trial and error, and endless failures, our ancestors have come up with several recipes. Our Gu Yue clan has the most in-depth research with the Moonlight Gu, and we now have two Rank five recipes on hand.”

“What is a Rank five recipe?”

“In accordance to this recipe, through multiple fusions, one can finally refine up to a Rank five Gu worm. Fang Zheng, you have one Jade Skin Gu and a Moonlight Gu on hand, it satisfies the condition for one of the Rank five recipes. If you follow this recipe, you will get the Rank five Gu eventually — Moonlight Treasure King Gu!”

“Moonlight Treasure King Gu?” Fang Zheng’s face was full of desire.

“Hehehe, telling you about a Rank five Gu now is still too early. Come, take out your Jade Skin and Moonlight Gu, I’ll teach you how to fuse these two Gu into the Rank two Moon Raiment!”

Saying so, Gu Yue Bo’s expression turned solemn, “The most important thing about fusing Gu is parallel thinking, fusing your consciousness. The Moonlight Gu and Jade Skin Gu in your hands now have no wild consciousness anymore, overwritten by your own consciousness. What you have to do now is to fuse these two thoughts together.”

“Fuse together?” Fang Zheng blinked, confused.

Gu Yue Bo smiled, “No worries, practise more, you will be able to grab hold of this feeling. Let’s begin.”

“Mm.” Fang Zheng nodded, and under Gu Yue Bo’s guidance, his light red-coloured red steel primeval essence rose like smoke, enveloping the Jade Skin Gu and the Moonlight Gu in midair.

Fang Zheng shut his eyes, feeling and manipulating the two Gu worm’s consciousness.

Gu Yue Bo was outside watching, and saw the Jade Skin Gu and Moonlight Gu circling each other like two planets.

As the consciousness fused, the distance between the two Gu worms shortened.

After three hours of continuous tries, their consciousness was finally controlled by Fang Zheng, and fused together perfectly.

At once, the Jade Skin Gu and Moonlight Gu both erupted in a bright white light.

The two lights linked together, forming a lump as big as a face.

“Maintain this condition, and throw primeval stones into the light.” Gu Yue Bo advised.

Fang Zheng took out a primeval stone and threw it into the light.

Strangely, after throwing the primeval stones in, the stones turned into a surge of pure natural essence, completely fusing with the lump of light. Only rock powder remained, scattering on the bed.

“Continue throwing until the Rank two Gu is complete.” Gu Yue Bo said.

Fang Zheng was about to throw a second piece, but at this point, the light disappeared, and the two Gu flew in two opposite directions like they were pushed away ruthlessly by each other.

The fusion failed.

“Damn, I forgot to maintain the fusion of the consciousness earlier.” Fang Zheng immediately realized his mistake.

“No worries, failing at the start is normal.” Gu Yue Bo consoled, but reminded, “But be careful, you cannot fail too many times, if not both the Moonlight and Jade Skin Gu will perish.”

Fang Zheng recalled back the Jade Skin Gu and Moonlight Gu, and found cracks on the Moonlight Gu’s surface, while the Jade Skin Gu looked like it was weakened.

His heart sank, feeling the difficulty of refining Gu.

(1) Liang – one Liang is 31.25grams.

(2) So to make it clear just in case: 炼蛊 – refine Gu, 合炼蛊 – fusion/fusing Gu. Fusion is part of the process of refining a Gu.

Chapter 99: Human, not God

Translator: Skyfarrow Editor: Skyfarrow

Crash…

Great waves tumbled in the primeval sea, rising up and down.

The sea was light-red in color. This was not the green copper sea of a Rank one, but a red steel sea.

The aperture was covered with a layer of light coating; this was the appearance of Rank two initial stage.

The whole red steel primeval essence sea occupied 44% of the aperture. Above the sea, the Spring Autumn Cicada appeared.

After going through a year of recuperation, it had already somewhat recovered.

Previously, there was no shine from its body, it looked rough and dim like withered wood. Now, it had some gloss to it.

Its two wings had been like the yellowed and withered leaves of autumn and the tips had been damaged. Now, there was some green to it and there were black leaf lines on its tips, making a complete arc without any previous defect.

“Spring Autumn Cicada, spring and autumn… I see now, it needs to experience the changes of spring and autumn to recover. Since rebirth, a year has passed by, which means a turn of spring and autumn, and so it has recovered.”

Fang Yuan looked at the Spring Autumn Cicada and this thought rose within him, increasing his understanding of the Spring Autumn Cicada by another stage.

A Gu Master needs to refine, nurture and use Gu. Among them ‘use’ was further classified and contained myriads of variations. Fang Yuan had been in contact with the Spring Autumn Cicada all the time; his comprehension of the Spring Autumn Cicada was slowly accumulating and deepening.

“But the Spring Autumn Cicada is still weak, it has only moved a few steps away from nearing death. I can only use its aura to suppress Gu worms and increase the efficiency of single refining. As for fusing, it won’t be of any help.”

There were mystical Gu worms that raised the success rate of fusion. Everything had their own specialties; the Spring Autumn Cicada possessed the ability of rebirth.

Other than the Spring Autumn Cicada, there was the fat Liquor worm which was curled up in a round ball, floating and playing around in the sea.

The ladybug-like White Boar Gu and the Jade Skin Gu which had green jade color were revolving around each other.

Fang Yuan opened his eyes and slowly unfolded his right palm. In it were the imprints of a crescent moon and two five-sided stars.

They were precisely the residence of the Moonlight Gu and the two Little Light Gu.

Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed, his line of sight falling on the bed sheet.

There were three money bags on the bed sheet; two were bulging and one was mostly thinned out. Apart from this, there was also a snow-white tusk from the wild boar king. It looked like an elephant’s tusk, lying close to Fang Yuan’s leg on the bed sheet.

Sickly snake group had used all their strength to kill the wild boar king, but they met with the lightning wolf pack’s attacks and the majority of the skin and flesh of the wild boar king had been eaten away by the lightning wolves. The two snow white tusks were thus the most valuable spoils of war.

According to the clan’s rules and regulations, Fang Yuan – being one of the members in killing the wild boar king – received one of the wild boar king’s tusks.

Fang Yuan looked at these items, his expression was heavy. “I don’t have much primeval stones left and it is only enough for one fusion. After this fusion, no matter success or failure, my financial condition will drop. But if I don’t fuse it now, my primeval stones will only last for twelve or so days and I will even lose the chance to fuse.”

Fang Yuan was raising seven Gu worms so he had a large financial burden. And because of his C grade aptitude, he had to repeatedly use the Liquor worm to quickly improve his cultivation. Thus, his primeval stone consumption was more than an ordinary Gu Master’s.

Recently, he no longer used primeval stones to recover the primeval essence in his aperture. The red steel sea in his body now was all recovered by its natural self-recovery rate.

Fang Yuan was already beginning to cut the primeval stones consumption; he couldn’t misuse them after calculating his expenditures.

The current situation was like he was about to fall off a cliff. He could only grab on to the wild grass at the side of the cliff to stabilize his body without falling.

But as time passed, these lifelines would be continuously used up. If he didn’t take any risks, it wouldn’t take long for him to fall off the cliff.

What he had to do now was to use these lifelines and climb up the cliff with all his strength.

If he succeeded, he could seize the opportunity to obtain the family inheritance and ascend to another level and it would be a whole new scene in front of him.

If he lost, he would drop down and in trying to climb up to this stage again, he would need to spend large amount of time and energy.

“No matter what happens, let’s begin.” Fang Yuan took in a deep breath and focused his gaze.

White Boar Gu, Jade Skin Gu!

The two Gu worms followed his will, drilling out of his aperture and floating in front of Fang Yuan.

“Fuse!” Fang Yuan shouted inwardly. White Boar Gu and Jade Skin Gu suddenly emitted dazzling lights and directly bumped into each other.

This was a silent bump, but it created a ball of light.

The white light was more dazzling than before.

This showed that Fang Yuan’s two consciousness were fusing.

Fang Yuan used his consciousness to maintain the white ball of light white taking out primeval stones from the bag and throwing them into the ball of light.

The primeval stones were engulfed by the ball of light and only rock powders remained, scattering on the bed. Each time the ball of light swallowed a primeval stone, its edges would expand a little.

The ball of light absorbed the natural primeval essence and became bigger and bigger.

Gradually, it changed from the size of a washbowl to a grindstone size.

“Almost there.” Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes; he decisively threw the wild boar king’s snow-white tusk into the ball of light.

If anyone were to witness this scene, they would be astonished. The secret recipe of fusing White Boar Gu and Jade Skin Gu to form White Jade Gu was well known and circulated for over thousand years, but no one had ever heard of adding in a wild boar king’s snowy tusk.

However, not being used in the past doesn’t mean that it won’t be in the future.

One hundred and fifty years from now, a Gu Master would improvise this recipe; he discovered that adding a wild boar’s tusk would greatly increase the fusion success rate.

Fang Yuan had five hundred years of experience, he naturally knew of this trick.

The snowy tusk was thrown into the ball of light and a fantastic transformation happened immediately.

The previously dazzling light turned softer. The light that was blindly shooting off everywhere now had a movement pattern to it, naturally changing between light and dark.

Under Fang Yuan’s gaze, the ball of light slowly shrunk and finally dissipated into the air.

Instead of the Jade Skin Gu and White Boar Gu, there was now a completely new Gu worm calmly hovering in front of Fang Yuan.

It was like an oval pebble, its whole body was completely white; this white was not pale like Xuan paper and was not milky white like milk, but was a kind of moist white like that of the luster of jade.

This was — Rank two White Jade Gu!

Only now did Fang Yuan let out a mouthful of turbid air, his heart relieved.

You might think that this process looks simple. It is not.

First, the consciousness merging needed multitasking.

Drawing a circle with one hand and a square with another is called dual tasking. A lot of people cannot even do this, let alone the highly difficult multi-tasking.

One can only achieve multi-tasking after years of hard cultivation, suffering through countless defeats and setbacks, and even then one would still need some talent.

Fang Yuan could do this so proficiently because of his five hundred years of deep experience; not a hint of his experience was fake or forged.

Second, was understanding and knowledge of Gu worms.

The deeper the Gu Master’s understanding of Gu worms, the higher the success rate of fusing.

This point, in about three hundred years from now, would be a widely recognized knowledge.

Thus, the longer you use Gu worms, the greater the probability of success in Gu fusion.

Third, was the correct and original recipe.

For example, this time, adding the snowy tusk was like the finishing touch, increasing the success rate by 20%. Its efficiency was extraordinary.

Some recipes were widely spread in this world, but there were many recipes which people would collect and weren’t circulated.

Such as in the Gu Yue village, the recipe of refining Moonlight Gu was held by a small number of elders and successive generations of clan leaders.

Especially those rank five and above recipes. They would be hidden and treasured like their lives. Many Gu Masters would not spread these recipes until death.

But even with these three points, there was no absolute guarantee of success. Even a person like Fang Yuan who had five hundred years of memories, plentiful experiences, deep understanding of Gu worms, could multitask and knew a lot of recipes, had a possibility of failure when fusing Gu worms.

One can only say that his failure rate is lower.

Fusing Gu worms was an evolution of life, a type of creation. It condensed time to the extreme, making the long evolution process bear fruit in an instant.

On earth, only gods could do this.

This was no doubt a miracle of life. Gu Masters making divine intervention with a mortal body, how could it succeed every time?

If it succeeded every time, that would not be human, but god.

Table of Contents

1: The heart of a demon never has regret even in death

2: Going back in time with 500 years of knowledge

3: Please go aside and scram
4: Gu Yue Fang Yuan
5: The First Human and 3 Gu, Hopes Awakening
6: The road to the future will be interesting

7: A Gu Master has 9 ranks, Flower Wine leaves behind treasure

8: Things will always be things, but humans will change

9: Two people who start on the same road, gradually becoming distant

10: A storm may arise from a clear sky, refining Gu is full of hardships

11: It’s just power play

12: Green Bamboo Wine is fragrant, Gu Master flaunts power

13: The bamboo forest under the moon, a bead of snow

14: In the mountain crevice hides a profound theory

15: History is written by the victorious

16: Taking as much as possible that one can take

17: Starting to refine the Liquor worm

18: Let the past disperse away like smoke

19: Rank six vital Gu, The Spring Autumn Cicada!

20: The academy elder is speechless

21: How can it be that big brother got number one?

22: Dancing Moonblade
23: Raising a Gu is like raising a mistress
24: Close Combat Gu Master
25: The light of spring is enchanting
26: The nature of all organizations
27: Outright extortion
28: Capital free business
29: Unscrupulous (1)
30: Fang Yuan, you’re robbing again?
31: Fang Yuan! You’re in huge trouble!
32: Making Fun
33: Go ahead and scold away
34: Suppressive Beating!
35: Go Ahead and Scream!
36: Gifting a disseminated corpse!
37: Both a compromise and a threat
38: Demon walking in the light
39: Toad Caravan Merchant

40: Toad Gu Slumbering Within the Purple Gold Rock

41: Dissecting Rocks
42: It really is a Gu?!
43: The final sixth purple gold rock

44: Monkey Wine, not yielding the opportunity of the Liquor worm

45: Clear of the schemes, unknowingly trapped in the urn

46: Don’t think too much when killing people

47: Jia Jin Sheng, I actually did not want to kill you

48: A little cute

49: Not afraid of Fang Yuan breaking out of their grasp

50: Middle Stage!

51: Let’s see how you are going to explain this

52: You have no choice but to accept my explanation

53: Fang Yuan, you are appointed as class chairman

54: But I am the class chairman!

55: Exactly the words I wanted to hear!

56: Dispelling suspicion

57: A gentleman’s lie

58: The clan does not only have rules and regulations

59: Regardless of Rank Three or Four, you’re all monkeys

60: Passage behind the broken wall, how can the legacy be easily obtained?

61: Life hanging on a grass rope

62: Choosing Gu again in the Gu storage room

63: Gifting the jade skin under the moon; white boar hidden in the ground flower

64: Easy to do secretly, difficult to do openly

65: Quickly get lost
66: A person’s death is akin to a pig’s death
67: Don’t worry, I’ll spare you
68: There is no innocence in nature
69: Life is as cheap as grass
70: Using the White Boar Gu

71: Keeping a low profile even if one’s strength can carry a boar

72: Any organisation would also require loyalty

73: The mysterious red circle marking

74: Solving the mystery with knowledge and discovering killing intent

75: Resolution of the Demonic way!

76: Do you regret it?

77: An odd coincidence

78: Great rewards all according to plan

79: Breakthrough to the sixth Gu in the inheritance ground

80: A surge in battle strength
81: Rank two Initial stage!
82: Start of the year end examination

83: Sweeping strong foes, Fang Zheng displays his skills

84: Trample ruthlessly!
85: Hot-blooded and cold-blooded
86: Suspicion and probing
87: Attitude is the mask of the heart

88: Initial display of authority, picking on, and suppression

89: A sickly snake coiling around the legs
90: It’s just a little wind frost
91: Fang Yuan, we’re very worried about you
92: The future is in sight
93: Small beast horde
94: Suddenly withdrawing strength
95: Garbage teammate
96: For the sake of those who died
97: Devils run amuck
98: Difficulty of refining Gu
99: Human, not God