"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."
Chapter 30
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.
Chapter 31
"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.
Chapter 32
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."
Chapter 33
"Hmm?" Mo Yan frowned, then her rage burst forth almost instantly as she suddenly understood that she had been fooled by Fang Yuan.
"You are tremendously brave to even consider lying to me!" While speaking, she stretched out her right hand to grab hold of Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan stood firmly on the spot. He raised his head and laughed, "Mo Yan, you better think this through!"
Mo Yan stopped her actions. While she still stood right outside the door, her outstretched hand paused in midair and her face showed a sign of hesitation and resentment.
Within the family, there were relevant rules. Students in the dormitories were protected, and any other person would not be allowed to intrude upon the hostel to capture the students. Mo Yan only wished to teach Fang Yuan a lesson and let him bear a taste of suffering. She definitely did not want to risk getting punished for breaking the rules.
"If it's only me who broke the rules, that would still be fine. However, if this would affect the family and even grandfather's honour…" Thinking of this, Mo Yan reluctantly withdrew her arm. She looked at Fang Yuan who was inside the house with her bloodshot eyes. If her death-stare could be converted into fire, it would burn Fang Yuan to ashes in a second.
"I never lied to you. I said I would bring you to Fang Yuan, and now you have already found him here. It seems you have something to say to me." Fang Yuan smiled faintly with his arms behind his back, ignoring the pressure of a Rank two Gu Master, fearlessly making eye contact with Mo Yan's furious gaze.
He was just a step apart from Mo Yan. One stood within the house, and one stayed outside. But this same distance had also become as far as the east was from the west.
"Hehehe, oh Fang Yuan, you sure have studied the clan rules well and thoroughly." Mo Yan, suppressing her anger, said with a sinister smile. She added, "Unfortunately for you, even while relying on the rules, all it will do for you is to stall for time. There is no way you are staying in the dormitories forever. I'll see how long you can stand hiding in there."
Fang Yuan laughed refreshingly and looked at Mo Yan with disdain. "Then all the more I want to see how long you can disturb me. Ah, it is already late. I have a bed to sleep in, but what about you? If I do not show up for class tomorrow and the elders come to investigate, what do you think I will say?"
"You!" Mo Yan flew into a rage, her fingers pointing at Fang Yuan, barely restraining herself, "Do you really think I wouldn't dare come in and take you down?"
Squeak.
Fang Yuan opened the doors of the hostel wide open, his lips breaking into a grin, his eyes dark like the abyss and his tone full of confidence as if the situation was within his grasp. He challenged Mo Yan, "Then show me."
"Hehehe…" Mo Yan calmed down instead upon seeing this. Her eyes squinted as she looked at Fang Yuan and she said, "Do you think I'd fall for your goading?"
Fang Yuan shrugged. He had already seen through Mo Yan's personality.
If he had closed the door, or even half shut it, Mo Yan had at least a 50% probability of breaking into the house. But when he purposely opened it fully, it had instead made her more wary and calm as a result. Thus there was barely any chance of her forcing her way in anymore.
Five hundred years of experience had already made him fully aware of the human nature and their weaknesses.
He grandly turned around, exposing his back fully to Mo Yan. If Mo Yan struck now, she would definitely be able to capture him in one swift action. However, Mo Yan stayed still outside the door as if there was an invisible mountain blocking her way.
Even after Fang Yuan sat in his bed, Mo Yan only stared at him in anger, gritting her teeth. But regardless of this, she did not make a move.
"This is the pathetic side of humans." Fang Yuan sat up and stared at Mo Yan who was outside looking like a fool, thinking to himself, "At times, the things preventing people from taking action is not physical difficulty, but instead it is the restrictions they have placed on themselves subconsciously."
When comparing cultivation levels, Fang Yuan was definitely not her match at this point in time. But even with her Rank two cultivation level, she could only stare at Fang Yuan and had no courage to make a move. Her distance from him was only a few steps away, and the door was wide open with no hindrance. The only thing that was truly restricting her was none other than herself.
"Humanity sought for knowledge relentlessly to understand the world and to comprehend the rules, and ultimately to use them. If one is constantly bound by the rules, thus being restricted by the very knowledge they sought, that is the ultimate tragedy." Fang Yuan took a final look at Mo Yan before closing his eyes and letting his consciousness sink into the primeval sea.
"This Fang Yuan dares to cultivate right in front of me! He is simply doing so as he pleases!" Looking at this sight, Mo Yan felt a sense of frustration erupting from her chest, making her almost wanting to vomit blood.
She badly wanted to go ahead and give him a few punches!
But she knew she couldn't.
Mo Yan suddenly felt a hint of regret. Standing outside the door, she felt the awkwardness of not being able to back down.
She was indignant to give up now, but she would be devastatingly humiliated. She mobilised her servants with the intention to come and teach Fang Yuan a lesson, yet in the end she was the one who ended up becoming the laughing stock.
Especially when there was a servant looking at her now.
"Damn it! Fang Yuan is way too uncooperative! He's too sly!" Mo Yan furiously thought and started to provoke him with all sorts of insults, hoping to force him out of the room.
"Fang Yuan you brat, come out if you're a man!"
"Fang Yuan, as a man you must own up to your own doings. Now you're being a coward hiding in that room, do you not feel ashamed of yourself?"
"Stop pretending to ignore me, get out if you know what's good for you!"
"You cowardly, spineless trash!"
Fang Yuan shut his ears and did not give a single response.
After scolding for a while, instead of venting all her anger, she felt even more irritated. She was starting to feel like a clown or a shrew; blocking the door was just way too embarrassing.
"AHHHHH, this is getting to the death of me!" Mo Yan was about to go crazy, and she finally gave up on provoking Fang Yuan.
"Fang Yuan, you can hide now, but you can't hide from me forever!" She furiously stomped the ground and left indignantly. Before leaving she gave a final order, "Gao Wan, stand there and watch him! I do not believe he will not leave the house."
"Yes, Master!" The muscular servant, Gao Wan rapidly replied and sent Mo Yan off. Within his heart he was feeling bitter – the mountain was chilly and breezy at night. He would have to stand guard the entire time, catching a cold easily like this. It was not an easy task.
Swish swoosh...
Within the primeval sea, ebb and flow of the tides raged on.
The green copper primeval essence gathered like water, forcing a tidal wave rolling about. Under Fang Yuan's mental guidance, the waves endlessly crashed towards the surrounding aperture walls.
A Rank one initial stage Gu Master's aperture walls resembled a white barrier. At this time, with the green copper primeval essence crashing towards them, it produced shadows of light, creating an indescribable feeling.
Time passed gradually and the level of the green copper primeval sea slowly declined.
From the original 44%, it dropped to 12%.
"If a Gu Master wants to raise their cultivation level, they would have to expend their primeval essence to nurture the aperture. Initial stage Gu Masters have light barriers as their aperture walls, while middle stage GuMasters have water barriers as their aperture walls and for upper stage, they have stone barriers. For me to cultivate from initial stage to middle stage, I will have to nurture the light barrier into water barrier aperture walls."
From his five hundred years of memories, Fang Yuan had complete familiarity with the current stages of cultivation, and the methods were as clear as day to him.
He slowly opened his eyes, only to see that it was already late into the night.
The crescent moon hung high in the night sky, the moonlight shining pure as water.
The door was wide open and the moonlight shone in, letting Fang Yuan think of a famous poem from Earth – On a quiet night I saw the moonlight before my couch, and wondered if it were not the frost on the ground(1).
The night winds blew with a hint of chilliness.
Fang Yuan did not have any warmth-type Gu, and with just the body of a fifteen year old, he could not help but shiver slightly.
The night in the mountain was very cold.
"Scoundrel, you finally opened your eyes. How long are you planning to be cultivating there?! Get out, you'll be punished regardless. You beat up our young master Mo Bei, so it was only a matter of time before young Miss teaches you a lesson." Seeing that Fang Yuan had woken up, Gao Wan who was standing at the door got his spirits up.
Fang Yuan squinted; it seemed that the Rank two female Gu Master had left?
"Scoundrel, did you hear me? Hurry and come out here! You have a room to stay in and a bed to sleep, but I had to stand here all night. If you don't come out any time soon, don't you believe I might just barge in?!" Seeing no reaction from Fang Yuan, Gao Wan threatened.
Fang Yuan remained unfazed.
"Scumbag, come out and surrender yourself. You've offended the Mo family, you will not have any good days from now on. Hurry and apologise to young Miss and maybe she might just forgive you." Gao Wan continued to chide.
Fang Yuan did not listen to a single word. He took out a primeval stone from his storage bag and held it in his hands, finally closing his eyes again.
Seeing that he was going to continue cultivating, Gao Wan was anxious and broke into a fit. "You mere C ranked talent, the most you can achieve in life is a Rank two Gu Master! What is there to cultivate? You are no match for the entire Mo family by yourself! Kid, are you deaf? Did you listen to a single word I said?!"