Reverend Insanity

by Srtyi

Humans are clever in tens of thousands of ways, Gu are the true refined essences of Heaven and Earth. The Three Temples are unrighteous, the demon is reborn. Former days are but an old dream, an identical name is made anew. A story of a time traveler who keeps on being reborn. A unique world that grows, cultivates, and uses Gu. The Spring and Autumn Cicada, the Venomous Moonlight G

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!"

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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!

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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!

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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!!

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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 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 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.

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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!

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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."

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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?

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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.

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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!

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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 80meters 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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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~

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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…."

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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.

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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.

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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 meters

(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.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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 _

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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.

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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.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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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!

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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.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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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.

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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!!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

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