A/N: I should make this clear that Fei Cai is later known as Ma Hong Yun, and due to a few circumstances, he gain the most excellent luck within the entire Gu World. Even the canon mc failed to kill Ma Hong Yun on many occasions.
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In this world, there weren't methods for excretion for human beings to be smooth. There were no toilets, so, Gu Masters, mortals, and slaves defecated far in the north, literally, a kilometer away from the tribe's camp. The matters of sexual difference mattered not and raised in a similar manner from the moment they were born, not many were ashamed by the natural reaction of their bodies. After taking a dump, Fei Cai used the Crimson Warm Grass known to overflow the Warm Pond Valley to clean his butt. Each blade of grass was as thick as a palm and naturally soft and warm. After that, he made his way towards the smaller ponds surrounding the region already flocked with children, young Gu Masters, to be correct.
Slaves were only allowed to dip into the outermost pond that was chilly while the members of the tribes were allowed to bathe in the lakes with different temperatures based on their status. The one Fei Cai stood on the banks of was one of the warmest body of water around the tribe. A few kilometers of the radius was already cleared, so tribesmen could bathe in ease. Once again, while the status differentiated the treatment when it came to bodily needs, gender did not threaten to become a wall, and Fei Cai's gaze drew into the scene of young boys and girls bathing together. There were even teenage Gu Masters with a curvaceous body and equally hung male counterparts.
Removing his clothes, Fei Cai placed them near the rest of the load and entered the bath, drawing a few stares over at his side. Fei Cai's cousin, Fei Mang— Fei Chang's second son— made his way towards Fei Cai and smiled brightly. Fei Mang was similar to Fei Cai in looks. Thin stature due to similar ages and tanned skin. Wet shoulder-length black hair clung onto his neck.
"Fei Cai, did you ride your slave last night?"
Fei Mang inquired with a candor that would have branded as a pervert in Fei Cai's previous life, yet, in this world, Fei Mang's words only pulled mild chuckles from warm seniors and envious clicks of tongues from his peers. The female seniors, on the other hand, were mostly indifferent and sprawled across the edges of the pool, resting over the warm land while letting their exposed and toned bodies get observed by their male counterparts. None cared. Beauty was a wealth too common in this world! Even the females that joined yesterday's ceremony felt interested and looked towards Fei Cai with curious expressions.
"No, I chose a slave to assist me in my hunting."
Fei Cai stated casually and dampened the mood as one of the seniors present in the bath chuckled, "You gotta liven up, Fei Cai. My father still wears my damn ear off by how your father grew to be the greatest warrior! You gotta learn to dominate!" His words pulled nods of approval from most of the seniors present, and another female senior spoke up, "He is right, Fei Cai. If you don't practice with slaves, how will you satisfy your wife?"
Fei Cai failed to give a shit about the horny teenagers surrounding him. One thing he did note, however, was the fact that his previous assumptions were slightly incorrect. While there were many married male members, he failed to recognize a single, married female. Even the ones who bathed alongside the group were battle-hardened Gu Masters who refused to marry anyone weaker than themselves and had already raked-up an astounding amount of reputation and contribution.
"I can practice all this on my wife," Fei Cai exhaled deeply and leaned back with a comfortable expression when Fei Mang sighed light-heartedly and leaned beside Fei Cai, "But Fei Cai, you gotta know this! When my..." And so, Fei Mang continued to describe how he came within a young girl three times before dropping on the floor. His words instantly made the seniors snicker as even the knowledgeable peers that had no chance to get slaves sighed and shook their heads. Not amused by a kid's inability to control his heat, Fei Cai continued to bathe silently.
After concluding his bathe, Fei Cai wore his clothes and walked away without caring for a rather power-hungry female senior's desire to bed him and enter the family of the Tribe Chieftain. It wasn't his first time bathing in such a manner, and he had grown accustomed to the nature of his tribesmen. Returning to his house required a few minutes of travel, and Lo had already shown his capability by preparing Fei Cai's hunting outfit. It was a leather tunic with beast-pelt pants and water-resistant pair of shoes.
Donning om his outfit and eating a bowl of gree snake paste and a few pieces of dried meat, Fei Cai started to prepare the materials required for his hunt. First, he pocketed his pouch of primeval stones and wolf strength gu. Then, he latched a sac of water around his waist, and finally, he hung his bow around his arm and belted the quiver of arrows across his back. Lo, meanwhile, diligently stood beside Fei Cai and waited for his master's instructions. Instead of a rag, Lo now donned tattered pants and shirts. His master was kind and gave him a complete outfit that allowed him to look different from the usual slaves. But, to keep Lo's efficiency from falling due to the rising cold, Fei Cai finally gave him a pair of boots. It was low-quality at best, but at least, Lo wouldn't become a burden once he accidentally steps on shrapnel.
Fei Cai finally walked towards the exit of the tribe with Lo in tow. The Warm Pond Valley was regularly cleared out, and by now, not a single wild beast remained within the shallow valley. It was only in the grassland surrounding the valley could expect to hunt for a game and a wild Gu worm if someone's luck shoots through the chart! Across his way, Fei Cai came to face many Gu Masters that were already in groups. Meanwhile, he also saw a group of three young female Gu Masters, in fact, the only three female Gu Masters that had C-Rank Aptitudes and belonged to the same batch as Fei Cai's.
Finally, the duo walked across the pebbled path that led to the grasslands. In total, a Gu Master would need to cross a distance of a few kilometers before he could start to find and hunt. To survive each day, Gu Masters and mortals alike had to work had to earn their dinner. While a proficient Gu Master could definitely fill his own stomach rather quickly, it was feeding their Gu worms that required constant attention. The lower the rank of the Gu Worm, the more frequent the intervals in the feeding time. Reaching the vast expanse, Fei Cai recalled the general situation of the area. No other tribe had been yet found within the fifty kilometers of radius, and most of the young Gu Masters and mortals hunted in the area close to the tribe.
Aside from the enemy Gu Masters that would wish to conquer the tribe and annex its resources, the tribe also faced dangers from wild animals that could gain the assistance of Gu worms. These were called the beast kings. In total, there were hundred-beast king, thousand-beast king, myriad-beast king, and the beast emperor. These existences rivaled against the Gu Masters, and each of them had a higher threat value attached to them when compared to the regular beasts.
*Srrk*
A strange sound from the left attracted Fei Cai and Lo's attention. Camouflaged by the green shoots, an arm-sized python slithered across the ground slowly. Seeing the extremely slow snake right from the start, Fei Cai's mood grew better. This was particular creature failed to earn a grand title and was simply called the Lucky Snake. Whoever came across the species would be extremely lucky since he didn't need to worry about the night's supper. Pulling out an arrow from the quiver, Fei Cai walked towards the oblivious python. Years of training kicked in and overrode the slightest bit of hesitations within Fei Cai's mind, and he stabbed the arrow over the neck of the python, making it 'hiss' shrilly while its thick body writhed in pain. Alas, with an arrowhead nailing it to the ground, it only felt its life fading away painfully.
"Process it, and I want the poison sac intact."
Fei Cai looked around while ordering Lo. Lo had a large basket strapped across his back to collect the loot and a small dagger across his waist. At Fei Cai's command, Lo knelt near the python and, with a kind gaze, ended the snake life by cutting its head off and removing the arrow before cleaning it with one of the gargantuan blades of grass present all around them. Processing a python was a standard procedure. Lo located the anal vent and pushed his dagger alongside to cut open the belly of the python. Then, he pulled out the guts and snapped another blade of grass before wrapping the slick guts into the grass and then wrapping it using a thinner blade as a thread. Each part of the snake could be sold as precious materials, so, Lo separated the skin and then wrapped the pure flesh and skin in two different grass wrappings. Finally, he carefully cut open the area below the face and snapped the connective tissue of the poison sac and placed over a blade of grass.
Finally, he cleaned his dagger, sheathed it, placed all the materials in his basket carefully and picked up the arrow alongside the poison sac over a layer of grass, and presented it to Fei Cai. The master did not offer any praise for a regular job and placed the arrow back into the quiver before taking the poison sac and then crushing it in between the grass, lubricating its surface with a slightly rotten stench. Then, akin to a belt, Fei Cai wore the grass. The smell from the poison was a natural fragrance that attracted Lucky Pythons. There might not be anymore in the same place, but Fei Cai did not care. He might find another free game somewhere else.
Walking across the thick grassland, the duo kept themselves alert. This was a treacherous land, and a single mistake might leave the pair dead! After a few minutes of treading, another sound of Lucky Python that crawled extremely slowly filled their ears. Though satisfied, Fei Cai ordered Lo to take care of the python, and this time, keep the layered poison over himself. After half-an-hour, Lo's exclamation shook the surroundings. "Master, another Lucky Python!" His expression was of unadulterated joy, but Fei Cai only gave him an impassionate glance. "Take care of it. And the next time you scream, consider your life ended."
Lo nodded hurriedly and ended the life of their third Lucky Python and processed it within minutes. This time, Fei Cai did not bother with the poison sac and let it remain within the head. Selling it or saving it for tomorrow seemed a better move. For the next few hours, Fei Cai and Lo did not encounter any Lucky Python, but they encountered Hare-squirrels. Three in total. Instead of hunting them, however, Fei Cai decided to follow their tracks and find the source. He already had enough game to conclude the day profitable. He can now scout the area for himself and form plans. And, he still hadn't refined the Wolf Strenght Gu and did not have any need to take a risk.
Finally, with the orange sun setting for good, the pair returned to the tribe, which was glittered by a perimeter of torches and increased security. In reality, the daytime is far less restless than the night. In the night, the chance of getting attacked sneakily was too high, and a majority of the workforce was dedicated to keeping the tribe safe during the night. After the pair returned, they walked towards the contribution hut of the tribe, and Lo placed the basket in front of a Gu Master. He was a middle-aged man with greying hair. The man casually glanced at Lo before nodding at Fei Cai. Behind the man were stacks of wares that one could purchase. Cross-legged, the man scourged the basket. The single head of the Lucky Python was already kept by Fei Cai.
"Oh? Three Lucky Pythons? The Tribe Chieftain is a fortunate lord!" The man commented with an astonished expression before unwrapping the contents and scrutinizing the products. He nodded and then looked at Fei Cai. "The conditions of the Lucky Pythons are adequate. There are no poison sacs, and one head is missing. It will be a total of two and a half primeval stones."
Fei Cai nodded and then spoke up, "I will take two primeval stones and 1 kilogram of raw wolf meat. The man nodded as the price quoted was fair and completed the transaction. Fei Cai needed to keep a balance between his earning of primeval stones and materials to feed his Gu worms. Since he had given up on his future stipend until he provides a significant contribution to the tribe for his protection's sake, Fei Cai now had to utilize the remaining of his 44 primeval stones and raise his standing within the tribe.
Once Fei Cai returned to his home, he removed his outfit and wore slightly comfortable clothes while Lo prepared the meal. Meanwhile, Fei Cai finally took out the wolf meat and then took out the Wolf Strenght Gu from his pocket and placed it atop the flesh. As if come to life by the aroma of the meat of the wolf, the wolf strength gu started devouring the meat and only stopped when none remained. With this, the predicament of feeding the Gu worm for the next three days subsided, and Fei Cai retreated into his room once he ate his fill and brought the aimlessly crawling Gu worm alongside him.