Chapter 14: The Flower Wine Monk Inheritance - Part 2
Day 44. Dawn.
The stone arch screams.
Not sound—spiritual pressure. Every cultivator within five li feels it simultaneously, a spike of ancient power that makes essence resonate in our apertures.
The entrance is opening.
Chaos erupts instantly. Two hundred and forty Gu Masters surge forward from every direction. Bai Clan moves as coordinated units. Minor factions scramble in loose groups. Rogue cultivators sprint, desperate to reach the entrance before the organized forces monopolize position.
I hang back deliberately. Let the wave rush past me, watching patterns.
"Movement analysis: Optimal entry position already claimed by Bai Clan forward elements. Secondary positions contested by three factions. Tertiary positions available but high trap probability. Recommendation: Wait for initial casualties, then exploit aftermath."
Thirty seconds. The first death.
A Bai Clan Gu Master—young, maybe seventeen—triggers a formation trap. The ground beneath him liquefies, then solidifies instantly. He's buried to his waist in stone. Screams.
The stone keeps rising. Jaw-like protrusions emerge, grinding upward. The screaming cuts off.
Silence. Then rushing continues like nothing happened.
Seventy students. Two hundred and thirty-nine total participants.
Fang Yuan moves through the chaos like water between rocks. Never colliding. Never triggering. Every step placed with impossible precision.
He's done this hundreds of times. He knows where every trap is.
The entrance corridor funnels everyone into a narrow passage. Spatial formation—makes the interior larger than the exterior. But the transition point is a bottleneck.
More deaths. Formation traps, interpersonal violence as factions collide, territorial constructs activating. The screaming builds into a constant background noise.
I circle wide. Away from the main entrance, toward the collapsed western wall my clone identified.
Three Gu Masters argue nearby—a territorial dispute, who enters first. I activate Shadow Step Gu. Brief burst of speed and stealth. Slip past them while they're distracted.
The collapsed section looks impassable. Massive stone blocks, rubble, everything suggesting dead end.
But beneath the largest block: a gap. Barely wide enough for a person. My clone found it three weeks ago.
I squeeze through. Stone scrapes my back. The fresh scar on my ribs screams in protest. But I push through, emerge on the other side.
Empty corridor. Dust undisturbed for centuries. Quiet.
"Alternative entry successful. Probability of interference: 8.3%. Main group noise level suggests heavy combat in primary passages. Estimate: 12-15 casualties already. Recommendation: Navigate secondary passages while main force clears obvious dangers."
My hands shake. I press them against the wall until they steady.
I'm inside. I'm alive. The plan is working.
Down the corridor. Left at the junction. The mental map from my clone's memories guides each step.
Servant quarters. Exactly where the intelligence indicated.
The rooms are small, functional. Where the Flower Wine Monk's staff lived centuries ago. Nothing glamorous. Nothing the main force would waste time on while chasing legendary treasures.
Perfect for scavenging.
I search systematically. Third room: hidden compartment behind a loose wall stone. The formation protecting it is basic—I spend five minutes analyzing with Great Sage before attempting entry.
Click. The compartment opens.
Three Rank 2 Gu inside preservation jars.
Wine Preservation Gu: Useless to me. But valuable for trade.
Scent Enhancement Gu: Niche. Enhances sense of smell dramatically. Could detect poisons, track enemies, identify resources. Situational but potentially critical.
Minor Poison Resistance Gu: Immediately valuable. Given the assassination attempts and general world hostility, this could save my life.
"Total value assessment: Moderate for trade, significant for survival. Strategic recommendation: Integrate poison resistance immediately. Store others for future use or barter."
I pocket all three. The preservation jars go into my travel pack.
First success. Three Gu acquired without fighting, without dying, without drawing attention.
This is the strategy. While Fang Yuan battles toward the legendary core inheritance—the Flower Wine Monk's primary legacy, the Rank 4 Gu that everyone wants—I'll scavenge the margins. The scraps no one bothers with. The secondary resources ignored in the rush for glory.
Smaller gains. But I'll survive to spend them.
FANG YUAN
The inheritance ground's layout matched Spring Autumn Cicada memories perfectly. Fang Yuan navigated toward the central chamber where the real prize waited, eliminating obstacles efficiently.
A Rank 2 cultivator from minor clan attempted ambush. Dead in three moves.
Formation trap activated. Already bypassed through precise positioning.
Competitive faction member challenged for path priority. Deterred through demonstration of strength.
The path cleared with practiced efficiency. Five hundred years of experience condensed into flawless execution.
Mo Bei would be scavenging secondary areas by now. Smart choice. The boy had learned his place.
Let him collect scraps. I'll claim the inheritance that matters.
Deeper into the servant quarters. Fourth room yields refinement materials—low grade but functional. Fifth room contains ancient wine jars—culturally valuable but useless for combat.
Sixth room: empty.
Seventh room: I find the body.
Rogue cultivator. Dead maybe ten minutes. Poison burns across his skin, essence drained completely. A trap he triggered or a failed Gu activation.
His storage pouch still attached to his belt.
I stare at the corpse. At the pouch.
He's dead. He doesn't need it anymore. Taking it is just... practical.
My hand reaches for the pouch.
Stops halfway.
This is robbery. Desecrating a corpse. The kind of thing Fang Yuan would do without hesitation.
The kind of thing I'm becoming.
"Analysis: Deceased cannot utilize resources. Host survival probability increases 4.7% with additional primeval stones and potential Gu from storage. Ethical concerns: Noted but irrelevant to survival calculus. Recommendation: Acquire resources."
I take the pouch. Try not to look at the dead man's face while doing it.
Inside: Twenty primeval stones. One Rank 1 defensive Gu. Basic supplies.
I pocket everything.
Survival requires ugly choices. I knew that already.
But knowing and doing are different. Each compromise chips away something I used to think was permanent.
From the main passages: explosions. Screaming. The sound of large-scale combat as factions fight over primary routes.
Here in the margins: silence. Dust. Dead bodies no one will claim.
I keep moving.
Hours pass. I navigate servant areas methodically, claiming small gains:
Storage room yields basic Gu refinement tools. Kitchen contains preserved essence-rich food supplies. Guardhouse has worn but functional weapons.
Nothing spectacular. But collectively: valuable.
"Cumulative acquisition value: 7 Gu total, 80 primeval stones (60 original + 20 scavenged), miscellaneous supplies. Current standing: Above baseline, below ambitious. Assessment: Optimal progress for survival-focused strategy."
Great Sage suddenly flags movement ahead. "Warning: Large entity detected. Spiritual signature: Construct class. Estimated threat level: Significant. Recommend immediate concealment."
I press into an alcove. Hold my breath.
Heavy footsteps. Something massive moving through the corridor—ten feet tall at minimum, spiritual energy radiating like heat.
Wine Construct. Guardian left by the Flower Wine Monk to protect his legacy.
It passes within three meters. Doesn't detect me—Leaf Scent Gu masking my spiritual presence.
The footsteps fade.
I wait five full minutes before moving again. My heart hammers against ribs still healing.
Too close. Need to be more careful.
The inheritance ground shudders. Subtle vibration through the stones.
"Structural analysis: Primary inheritance claimed or major formation activated. Probability: 73.4%. Estimated time until inheritance ground destabilizes: 36-48 hours. Recommendation: Accelerate resource gathering and prepare evacuation route."
Fang Yuan found something. Or triggered something. Either way, the clock is ticking.
I have maybe two days before this place collapses and kills everyone still inside.
Time to work faster.
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