Ray was sitting in his seat in the classroom once more.
He had an uncomfortable feeling wash over him as he felt Fang Yuans gaze on him from the back of the class.
'Why the hell is he looking at me?'
He asked with slight fear
[Fang Yuan is feeling the 'protectiveness' induced by the Gu on you. He is also choosing a way to interact with you.]
Raphael said in that monotone voice that made him slightly confused
'What do you mean, ways to interact with me?'
[Within the injected memories into Fang Yuans mind, you and Fang Yuan, in his past life became friends while he was drinking at the tavern while being depressed over his aptitude. You had comforted him saying that it was better to have a low aptitude than none.]
'So that's how it worked...'
He had wondered how the Gu worked and it seemed he got an answer
'So since we didn't actually speak at the tavern, as he did in his memories he is trying to figure out how to spark our 'brotherhood''
[Yes.]
Ray sighed and tried to focus on something else
'I have 2 Jars of green bamboo wine at home.'
He thought
The Wine he had purchased was for the liquor worm which he planned to go and get tonight.
He was still going to give the gu to Fang Yuan but he was going to make a copy for himself, and even if the liquor worm copy was made by a rank 10 Gu, it was still a liquor worm
It would still need food
There was also wild boar meat that he purchased for the White Boar Gu
Thankfully, in the inheritance ground the Jade needed to feed Jade skin gu was there already
He had spent 8 primeval stones on this but thankfully he did not make a net loss in primeval stones
The reason for this was simple
When he went to the tavern to purchase the wine, he had gone on two separate occasions during the last 6 days and when he was walking out he managed to make a little sneaky scam
When someone entered and paid for their wine or food, he had made a copy of the stone that they were holding
Unfortunately he could not stand there for to long as it would be seen as suspicious but he had managed to copy a total of 12 and a half primeval stones so now in total he had 21.5 primeval stones
A little bit more time till he could get the Gu
Yuxuan was listening to the teacher talk this time since he actually enjoyed this explanation, especially since he would be experiencing and living it
"Humans are above all creatures; Gu are the essence of heaven and earth. In this world there are thousands of species, a 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."
He smiled listening to the student asking to elaborate on the correlation between ranks and aptitudes.
The explanation was neat and well-made, but Yuxuan was struggling not to laugh
In the Gu Yue clan, there has never been the appearance of a Rank 6 Gu master, and people don't know if exists
Hah—they have a rank 6 existence in their class and soon to be rank 9 along with the other rank 9!'
He smiled as the eyes of the students came to him and some to Fang Zheng when they realized that they had the highest chances of attaining rank 5
Yuxuan actually felt quite annoyed when he saw Fang Zheng looking at him as well with that look in his eye
'Is that bastard jealous of me?'
Yuxuan felt annoyed, even for a child, in the previous life this wretch had treated Fang Yuan horribly and even in this lifetime he would try to do so and fail
And for what?
That girl Shen Cui and his aunt and uncle, whom he would soon take as his parents
Yuxuan was not a fan, not in his slightest
Many of the people who had been staring at him stopped when he put on the façade of being uncomfortable under their stares, instead, they changed their attention to Fang Yuan, who was focused on the teacher's words.
"Look at who decided to wake up."
"Yeah, I heard he stopped drinking too."
"What, does he think he can do anything with his talent?"
"Tch, his efforts are useless—he will be rank 2, and unless he has some fortuitous encounter, he will stay there with the highest rank he can reach being rank 3."
The elder watched the events unfold and felt the smallest trickle of emotion towards the boy; he was praised as a dragon soaring to the heavens only to fall like a phoenix to the earth
'Perhaps he will at least reach rank 3 in his lifetime and live comfortably as an elder in his last years.'
The elder did not give Fang Yuan any respect in the original story since he had just came to class and slept, but now with this little bit of enthusiasm, the man seemed to look at him in a slightly altered light
Ray was curious as to why he had stayed up instead of sleeping on the desk but quickly thought of an answer
'He is trying to appear like a good person to be around.'
The act of being a determined young man who aspires to reach greatness despite being a low-grade talent—if he showed enough determination would Ray not want to be his friend again?
Ray sat there looking at the teacher explain about those who were rank 5 in their clan and about how the flower wine monk had injured the fourth clan head
After a whole long while of speaking, the academy elder finally said the words that Rayhad been waiting for
"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."
Ray smiled.
...
The students were lined out outside the Gu room of the academy, as they had been given instructions on what to do
Ray moved to the back of the line on purpose to further iterate the idea that he did not enjoy being around people or induce the idea that he was not good at it.
The line moved slowly and eventually his turn came
Ray entered the large room and began to look around for the moonlight Gu
There were undoubtedly other rank 1 gu in there that he could use and use to cultivate but unlike Fang Yuan, who had settled for the moonlight Gu since he could not get the liquor worm Ray took it for another reason
The moonlight Gu was the signature Gu of the Gu Yue clan; it was also the Gu that most of the warriors and past and current elders and clan heads would choose as their vital Gu.
Taking it was the choice that would be the most approved by others as well
His eyes landed on the silver dish and picked up the crescent moon-shaped blue Gu on it and held it in his hand gently—this was his first mortal Gu
He took the gu with him out of the room and exited, seeing no one aside from the academy elder.
"What Gu did you choose, young man?" The elder inquired
Ray looked at him with a soft smile—"The vital Gu of many of our clansman, elders and clan heads."
He opened his palm and revealed the moonlight Gu
"Huhu, good choice, Yuxuan. your reasoning was good too!"
"Thank you elder." He bowed
The elder patted his shoulder and smiled - "Go, refine your gu - with your talent the chances of you getting that 20 primeval stones are higher than the rest!'
Ray smiled and nodded before walking away
He was planning to rest in the tavern for a little bit and copy a little bit of primeval stones
Not that the amount of stones would bother him for the close future.