A True Hero Isn't Swayed By Mere Beauty
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 Konoha 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 Konoha 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 Naruto 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 Yami, 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 Yami 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 Yami regarding this matter, but to no effect – Yami 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 Yami.
Yami was just a C grade, compared to his younger brother Naruto 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 Konoha 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 Konoha 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 Elemental Mountain. He attempted to commit crimes in Konoha 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 Konoha 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, Yami 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." Yami 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 Elemental 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."
Beside the academy was a Gu room. The Gu room was not big; it was only 60 meters 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 Yami'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 Gu in this room are Rank one Gu." Yami 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." Yami 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 Konoha 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 Konoha clan. The Moonlight Gu could not be found anywhere else; it could be said that this Gu was a symbol of the Konoha clan.
Since it was all Rank one Moonlight Gu, there was very little difference among one another. Yami 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 Yami 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, Yami 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 Yami 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 Yami 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 Konoha Village, it did not help a Gu Master as much as a Liquor Worm.
After he left the Gu room, Yami headed straight for the tavern.
"Shopkeeper, two jars of aged wine!" Yami 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 Yami.
"Sir, you've come." While he greeted Yami, 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.
"Two jars of wine everyday, and it has been 7 full days already. The initial savings I had are already almost all spent," Yami 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?" Yami 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 Naruto 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."
Yami 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 Yami 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 Naruto, 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 Naruto 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, Naruto 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 Yami; facing such attention and discussion, how did his older brother deal with it?
He subconsciously started to imitate Yami, 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, Naruto 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 Yami holding the wine jars, his hair messy and clothes untidy, Naruto 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!"
Yami was emotionless; he did not say anything. The two brothers gazed at each other.
Younger brother Naruto's eyes were shining, giving off a sharp and keen feel. And the older brother Yami's two orbs were a deep black, faintly resembling a deep ancient pool. These eyes could not help but make Naruto 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 Yami was already not looking at him. Holding a jar of wine in each hand, he walked past Naruto and said in a dull voice, "What else are you gawking at? Let's go."
Naruto'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 Yami's shadow.
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 Yami carrying the two jars of wine, his Uncle Mizuki'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 Naruto, 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 Yami and Naruto each a small bag.
Yami took his bag silently.
Naruto 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. Naruto did not understand it, but Yami 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. Naruto, I wonder if you are willing?"
Naruto 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." Naruto 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 Yami and said gently, "Yami, how about you?"
Yami shook his head without saying a word.
"Big brother." Naruto was about to advise him, but Uncle, whose tone was unchanged, stopped him. "If that's the case, Yami 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 Uzumaki bloodline. Uncle here has prepared 200 primeval stones for you as financial support."
"200 primeval stones!" Naruto'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 Yami still shook his head.
Naruto 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," Yami did not give them any chance to speak again. After he finished his sentence he took his wine jars and left the hall immediately.
Naruto 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 Naruto treat him well. "
"Then your son will take his leave," Naruto 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 Yami has seen through our plot."
Among the regulations of the Konoha clan it was clearly stipulated that the eldest son at 16 years of age would have the qualifications to inherit the family property. Yami'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 Yami had also agreed to be adopted by Aunt and Uncle, then he would lose the right to inherit this fortune. If Yami 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 Naruto, and Yami only has C grade talent," Uncle heaved a sigh, feeling joyful.
"Then husband, if Yami 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 Sakura seduce Yami and scream assault, we catch him on the spot, fabricate a story about him acting wild while he was drunk. Surely we can expel Yami?"
"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.
Naruto was ushered into a room.
"Young master Naruto, the old master personally had me tidy up this room specially for you," Mebuki Haruno said with a hospitable tone. She bowed her waist, her face having a flattering smile.
Naruto 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, Naruto 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 Mebuki Haruno."
Mebuki Haruno 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 Sakura who served Yami was her daughter.
Mebuki Haruno 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."
Naruto 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." Yami 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, friendship and love for their own self-interests and benefits.
In fact kinship did not exist. In the beginning when Aunt and Uncle took in Yami and Naruto, 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."
Yami 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 a hold 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.
Yami'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.
Yami'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 Naruto 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 Naruto, the hot bathing water has been prepared for you."
Outside the door, Sakura's voice softly floated through.
Naruto's heart jolted. "Then bring it in please."
Sakura walked into the room with her waist bowed, her expression pleased.
"Your servant greets young master." Her eyes sent amorous glances at Naruto. Yami was only a C grade talent, but Naruto was an A grade talent! To be able to get a hold of him, is truly the biggest fortune!
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 Yami 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, Yami 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?"
Yami'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 Yami'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, Yami 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 Yami'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 Yami 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, Yami'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, Yami'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 Yami 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 Yami'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," Yami 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 Yami had stopped refining, the Moonlight Gu did not stop resisting; it was still driving out Yami's green coppery primeval essence.
Yami 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 Yami'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 Guis a test of one's skill in shifting his primeval essence and the patience of an enduring battle."
Yami 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 Yami, 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, Yami 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 Yami'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 Naruto, 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. Naruto 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 Yami 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 Konoha Mo Bei or Konoha 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 Naruto 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."
Yami 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 Sakura's voice, "Young master Yami, 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."
Yami 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 Sakura 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 Yami, 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 Yami'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 Yami's chest, acting like a timid and lovable woman, whispering in his ear. "Young master Yami, 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 Yami's earlobe. Because she was sitting on his lap, Yami 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." Sakura picked up the wine cup, raising her head and taking a sip. Then her eyes fixated on Yami, her small cherry lips a little opened, slowly leaning over to his mouth.
Yami's expression was indifferent, as if what was on his lap was not a young maiden, but a block of stone.
When she saw Yami's expression, Sakura 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 Yami scoffed, his tone disdainful. "So it's just a power play."
Sakura's face became stiff and she swallowed the wine in her mouth, trying to pull false flattery. "Young master Yami, what are you saying…"
Yami's eyes were emitting cold light. He stared into Sakura's eyes, placing his right hand on her snowy white neck at the same time, slowly pressing it with force. Sakura's pupils shrank and her voice was full of panic. "Young master, you're hurting me."
Yami did not answer, but his hold on her neck grew stronger.
"Young master Yami, your servant is a little scared!" Sakura already had difficulty breathing; she was looking flustered. A soft pair of hands subconsciously grasped at Yami's hand, trying to pry his hand away. But Yami'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." Yami laughed coldly, adding, "But who do you think you are, coming to use tactics on me, with the two pieces of rotten flesh on your chest?"
As he said this, his left hand climbed up her chest and ruthlessly grabbed her soft breasts, making them incredibly deformed all of a sudden.
Intense pain flared from her chest; Sakura's eyes were round and wide-opened.
The pain was so great that her eyes were full of tears. She wanted to scream, but Yami 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, Yami slowly relaxed his grip.
Sakura immediately opened her mouth and gulped in air greedily. Her breathing was too eager – resulting in a series of violent coughs. Yami laughed lightly, stretching out his palm. He gently stroked her cheek, his tone carefree as he spoke, "Sakura, do you think I can kill you, or not?"
If Yami roared at her with an evil and loud voice, Sakura might actually fiercely retaliate. But when Yami smiled and spoke in a shallow manner, his soft voice asking if he could kill her or not, Sakura felt a deep fear from the bottom of her heart.
She was scared!
She looked at Yami with terror on her face, seeing this young man smiling all over his face as he gazed at her.
At this instance, Sakura 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, Sakura 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?!
Sakura'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 are 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." Yami retracted his smile and patted her cheek, his tone plain like water.
With a sigh, he finally said —-
"You can leave."
Sakura 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 Yami.
The men hidden in the shadows looked confused when they saw Sakura 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 Sakura left, Yami 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?" Yami 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 Yami.
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 Elemental Mountain, the inn would be full of people.
Yami 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?"
Yami 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.
Yami 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 Yami 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 Yami'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?
