It was nighttime, and the jade-like crescent moon adorned the sky, radiating its soft glow and illuminating the darkness with a faint but captivating light.
At this hour, Gu Yue Village was quieter than usual. Many villagers had already retreated to their homes, though it wasn't so late that the streets would be entirely empty.
A handful of people still moved through the alleys, and many shops and businesses remained open, warmly welcoming the occasional customers.
On one of sparsely populated streets in Gu Yue Village...
Following behind a fairy like beauty was Fang Zheng, his footsteps steady as he followed her.
honestly, the woman's gu master attire was strikingly thin, her figure and curves were so clear it seemed almost deliberate, as if she was showing off her charm.
If it had been any other man, they would have been unable to look away, likely staring at her graceful matured body with a lustful gaze.
But Fang Zheng wasn't like other mens—at least not in this moment.
Maybe he was following her closely and maybe his eyes was fixed on her, but his thoughts were far from the beautiful sight before him.
Instead of being lustful at the scene in front of him, fang Zheng mind was awash with excitement of something else.
"Hehe, I didn't think this would happen so soon," he thought. "It is still surprising for me, I didn't think this would happen so early. Though it isn't really my fault, after all this meeting was barely mentioned in the original novel—it was just a passing detail since it wasn't something that involved Fang Yuan..."
"But for me, this is really important. This is the best opportunity I could get, it could even be better than anything happened to me until now, and I don't even need to work much this time… hehe."
Fang Zheng grinned broadly, his steps lighter with anticipation in his heart.
To think ″that man″ would summon him so quickly, that this meeting would happen this early was beyond his expectations, much because he didn't have any proper estimated time for this meeting in mind.
After walking for around half an hour through a quiet route in the huge village—that seemed purposefully chosen by the women, to avoid encountering others—the woman finally stopped in front of a house.
And naturally, Fang Zheng came to a stop after her.
This house was big and imposing. Even just simply from looking at the exterior of the house, Fang Zheng could tell it had exceeded his uncle and aunt house in size by several times.
Suddenly at this moment, the woman turned his head towards fang Zheng with a gentle smile gracing her lips, "Don't be nervous little brother fang Zheng. Sir is a really kind man." she said, her tone warm and reassuring.
Her unexpected words caught Fang Zheng—who was deep in thoughts—off guard, but he quickly regained his composure, nodding slightly at the women words with a almost neutral expression.
Seeing fang Zheng answer, the women turned back toward the grand door of the house, then she walked up to it and knocked a few times.
"Who's there?" A sudden and firm voice came from behind the door.
Fang Zheng blinked a few time, momentarily puzzled, but a sudden realization hit him.
"Man, a big shot is truly different," Fang Zheng thought, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Though it isn't exactly something just unique to big shots, after all even uncle and aunt have servants too. Sigh, I guess different world, different customs."
As Fang Zheng pondered about the differences between his world and gu world, the woman's melodic voice rang out, answering the question from behind the door.
"It's me, Yan Mei. Open the door."
There was a brief pause, and then, just a moment after she finished speaking, the sound of the door being unlocked came to fang Zheng ears.
At the same time, in one of the three taverns of Gu Yue Village...
The tavern was quiet, its normal lively atmosphere gradually fading as the number of customers dwindled.
However, it was not yet deep in the night enough to stop people from coming for a drink, so the subdued chatter and occasional clink of cups could still be heard in the dimly lit room.
In such a time, near one of the windows at the tavern, sat Gu Yue Dong Tu and across from him was an elderly man clad in Gu Master robes with a belt around his waist prominently displaying the character ″two″.
"I'm sorry brother Dong Tu, but I can't buy your vitality leaves. I hope you can understand my situation," the old man said, his tone heavy with apology as he looked at Dong Tu.
For a moment, Dong Tu remained silent, as though carefully weighing the man's words. Then, he smiled faintly and replied, "Ah, yes, brother, i understand your situation completely..."
He paused briefly, as though choosing his next words carefully. "Sigh... I'm sorry for troubling you. It seems our paths will be... ″separated″ from now on."
saying this he deliberately emphasized the word ″separated″, implying that his words had a second meaning to it.
The old man's expression turned blank for a fleeting moment as he grasped the hidden meaning behind Dong Tu's words.
And a moment later an arrogant smirk appeared on his face as he stood up, and left without even saying a goodbye.
But just before stepping outside, he cast one last glance at Dong Tu, who was still seated at the table.
"Hmph, Nobody wants to endanger themselves to help a loser," the old man thought, sneering as he exited the tavern.
As the old man left, Gu Yue Dong Tu remained seated for a while, drinking several more cups of wine, calmly.
But the calm facade he displayed now couldn't conceal the anger and rage that was obvious on his face.
"Those bastards!" he fumed internally. "They're all the same. When you're successful, they swarm around you, flattering and bootlicking , but when you are in hard times and encounter any problem, they are the first ones that turn their backs and abandon you."
His anger surged as he thought at the old man's current betrayal.
And what was even more frustrating for him was that the old man now, wasn't just anyone—he was a long time friend.
Gu Yue Dong Tu had always believed that helping other and making them to owe you favor and thus making many connections was the real strength. He assumed that by aiding those people, they would become his strength and help him back in the future.
This was the philosophy that, the so-called righteous path was build upon: relying on collective strength rather than a person own strength.
But being extremes in any belief wasn't good and for Dong Tu, this reliance on connections he had in the clan, overshadowed his personal cultivation.
Years ago, he had given up on individual strength, choosing instead to pour his resources into making many connections in the clan.
And his efforts actually paid off, and earned him the nickname ″The Hidden Elder″, a title that inflated his ego, creating a illusion of being truly powerful in his mind.
Though in back of his mind, he knew that he wasn't truly powerful. But hearing others address him with such a nickname filled him with a sense of pride. He began to believe in this illusion, believing he was actually on par with a clan elder.
But now, when he was truly in a hard time, that illusion in his mind was shaken. The connections he had spent years building, the true strength he had always believed on—they had all vanished in an instant.
This was the harsh reality of the Gu world: without genuine strength, you were truly nothing.
Bam!
A sudden, violent noise disturbed the tavern's quiet atmosphere, drawing everyone's attention towards Dong Tu's table.
The table was no longer intact, reduced to splinters, with broken cups and shattered wine bottles mingled with those splinters, it created a chaotic mess.
For a moment, all eyes in the tavern were on Dong Tu, but after a few seconds, most of the spectators returned to the drinks and conversations they had without paying any further attention to Dong Tu.
After all, what happened had nothing to do with them—why should they care about strangers?
Though, there was still some onlookers that were hoped to witness a "good show", watching someone's misery.
But.... They were bound to be disappointed.
Soon, a few tavern workers approached Dong Tu's table.
"A-ahh... What is the problem boss?" one of the workers stammered, his voice tinged with fear.
Behind him, the other workers stood with their heads lowered, looking at the ground, they were clearly scared and unwilling to speak. It was evident that only this one had mustered some courage to step forward and speak with his boss.
Dong Tu fixed his angry gaze on the worker, who flinched under the intensity of this glare. However, instead of lashing out—as the tavern's workers themselves expected—Dong Tu merely just gave a curt order.
"Clean up this mess and replace the table. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes, sir," the worker replied hastily, he seemed really eager to comply, though it wasn't like refusing was an option.
With that, Dong Tu rose from his seat and walked out of the tavern, his steps heavy, reverberating against the wooden floor of the tavern—it was a clear display of his still lingering anger and frustration.
"Hmph, it was just another waste of time." Dong Tu muttered as he left the tavern, his voice carrying hints of his frustration.
After what happened with Yan Pei last night, Gu Yue Dong Tu didn't simply give up.
Instead, he spent the entire day going around trying to sell his vitality leaves to others using the many connection that made him to the ″hidden elder″.
But, as Yan Pei had said last night, no one was willing to purchase from him.
Those people he called ″friends″ used many Excuses to reject him, and even many of his so-called friends outright just avoided meeting him.
He felt this betrayal deeply, he had spent many years making those bounds and relationships, helping people with the expectation that they would return the favor when he needed it. But now, all of that just seemed like a wasted effort.
"Tch. I should've seen this coming," he thought, his steps heavy as he walked towards the last person that could help him—at least he hoped.
Actually, Dong Tu wasn't in a hurry to sell his vitality leaves, just because he wanted to get many primeval stones quickly; but in fact, he was also racing against time.
The thing was, that storing vitality leaves wasn't a easy thing, they couldn't just be tossed into a bag like any other normal product people see everyday.
To store vitality leaves for a long period of time, it required using special techniques, techniques that were normally in the hands of powerful factions in the clan.
And without such a faction supporting him, Dong Tu could only manage to store them for a limited amount of time.
Normally, he was cautious, producing just enough to get him some primeval stones and at the same time to avoid such a problem in storing those leaves.
But maybe recent successes had inflated his confidence by a margin, leading him to take a reckless and greedy decision and try something new for the first time, to overproduce vitality leaves.
And for producing such amount of vitality leaves he had made this time, he needed to use a large amount of primeval stones, to nurture the Nine Leaf Vitality Grass Gu and produce more and more vitality leaves.
And even worse than that, he had pushed the nine leaf vitality grass Gu beyond its limits, damaging it in the process.
It would take a long time for the gu to recover, leaving Dong Tu unable to produce more leaves for quite some time.
Still, at that time, he had convinced himself that it was all worth it. After all, vitality leaves were always in high demand in Gu Yue Village.
Even at a low price of fifteen primeval stones per leaf, his profit would be at least four times of what he had spent to produce this many leaves. And if he could sell them at the usual thirty primeval stone per leaf or more, his profits would be enormous.
But As the saying goes, man proposes heaven disposes, not everything in this world go according as one wishes.
For reasons he still couldn't understand completely, none of his usual buyers were willing to purchase any of his vitality leaves—even when he gave them with discount.
And to add more Salt to his injuries, his "friends"—those he had supported and expected to rely on—abandoned him without hesitation.
The incident in the tavern earlier was just another of such a example.
When Dong Tu told the old man they would "separate ways", it had a veiled but very obvious second meaning to it—to help me, or consider our friendship over.
And the old man's response? He left without even a word of farewell, as if all those years, all those help he got from Dong Tu, meant nothing.
Walking through the streets of Gu Yue Village, Dong Tu's face was flushed red with rage. His expression was so intimidating that no one dared to approach a radius of forty meter around him.
After some time, the cool night air soothed his temper a little as Dong Tu finally arrived at his destination.
It was a large shop with a grand sign above the entrance, reading ″Zhao's Shop″.
Pausing for a moment, Dong Tu took a deep breath, letting out a breath of turbid air, he forced a smile onto his face before stepping inside.
The first thing that came to his eyes upon entering the shop, was its simplicity. The interior lacked the usual displays that other shops often used to entice customers. No products adorned the walls. Instead, there was only a counter and a rack filled with catalogs.
Dong Tu shifted his gaze, analyzing rest of the shop, noticing that it didn't have many customers.
given the late hour it wasn't unusual, because most people would do all their purchases during the day.
However, there was something special about the customers who were present in the shop.
while their attire and clothes varied, there was a consistent detail among them, that every person in the shop wore a belt with a number inscribed at its center. The numbers ranged between ″one″ and ″two″, These belts were a mark of their status—a symbol of being a Gu Master.
In fact, the shop itself was no ordinary shop; it was one of the few Gu shops in the villagr—a place that sell gu worms to Gu Masters.
Dong Tu, then, walked further into the shop until he reached the counter.
"Oh, what a surprise! Isn't this Brother Dong Tu?"
Suddenly a voice came from behind the counter, that surprised Dong Tu.
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a bald head and a round, chubby face. He wore worn-out clothes, clothes that resembled those typically worn by the village's poor mortals and farmers. He didn't seem like much at first glance.
Dong Tu spoke to the man in a surprised tone, "Oh, Brother Zhao Di! This is unexpected. I didn't think the shop owner himself would be here to manage the counter today."
With this remark, Dong Tu revealed the man's identity—he was Gu Yue Zhao Di, the shop's owner and despite his unremarkable appearance, Zhao Di was a respected and influential figure among the lower-ranked Gu Masters in the village.
Zhao Di grinned. "Haha, I know! I usually leave the shop to my son. But he wasn't feeling well today, so I had to step in for him. Besides, it's good for the owner to check in occasionally. You can't just leave everything to the younger generation and expect it to go smoothly, haha!"
He laughed heartily for a moment before turning back to Dong Tu. "But enough about me. What about you Brother? It has been a long time since I last saw you. I've heard some news about you—that your nephew is discovered to be an A-grade talent! Congratulations brother, congratulations."
Dong Tu responded with a smile. "Haha, thank you brother Zhao Di. It was all pure luck. Who could have predicted my dear nephew Fang Zheng would turn out to be an A-grade talent? Truly, it was beyond my expectations too." He paused for a moment before adding, "I'm sure your youngest son must be just as exceptional."
At this, Zhao Di scoffed. "Hmph, I wished that was true, that boy knows nothing but how to eat and waste food. Sigh, there is nothing outstanding about that brat."
The two middle-aged men shared a laugh and continued chatting.
The conversation flowed easily, with the shop's quiet atmosphere allowing them to talk without getting interrupted by anyone. The few customers present were still browsing through the catalog, carefully weighing their decisions. After all, purchasing a Gu wasn't a casual thing for most Gu Masters; it required careful thought and planning, especially for those without a good background.
After some time, Dong Tu smoothly brought up the true reason for his visit. "Brother Zhao Di, I won't beat around the bush. I have a batch of vitality leaves, and I was hoping you could buy them."
Zhao Di's smile faltered suddenly, becoming noticeably stiff. "Brother Dong Tu, I'm afraid that won't be possible, I'm sure you know why..." he said, his tone tinged with fear and a but of sadness.
Dong Tu's expression darkened at this answer, his smile vanishing from his face.
Yet, he wasn't enraged as before,. Zhao Di was merely an old acquaintance, not someone who owed him a favor or something. Accepting rejection from him was easier to digest, though it was still disappointing for him.
This rejection hit hard, specially because Zhao Di had been Dong Tu's last hope.
Now with no one willing to buy his vitality leaves, all the primeval stones he had invested in producing them were effectively wasted, and he damaged his biggest source of income as well as what he relied on to maintain his influence in the clan—nine leave vitality grass—for basically nothing
Dong Tu sighed heavily. The only option left for now, was to identify the root of the problem—the one who he supposedly had offended.
Yet Dong Tu didn't even know where to begin. He couldn't say for certain who he had offended, but he was certain that if this person was powerful enough to do all this, Dong Tu was sure that if they wanted to remain hidden, finding them would be impossible.
At that moment, Zhao Di suddenly spoke, "Actually, Brother Dong Tu, I think I might be able to help you with your problem a little."
"Really?" Dong Tu asked, his voice filled with surprise and a hope. "Do you mean you can buy my vitality leaves?"
Zhao Di shook his head. "No, no, I can't buy them myself, you know the reason," he said, causing a flicker of disappointment to cross Dong Tu's face.
However, Zhao Di continued, "but actually, I have some information about the situation you are in."
Dong Tu's eyes brightened, and for the first time in a while, he felt genuine happiness. If Zhao Di is saying the truth and the information he mentioned turned out to be reliable, it could give him the lead he desperately needed.
"Is it really true?" Dong Tu asked, his voice tinged with excitement.
Zhao Di nodded with a smile on his face. "Yes Brother. I've been poking around out of curiosity, and accidentally I managed to uncover who's behind all this—or at least part of it."
Then, he reached under the counter and pulled out a rolled bamboo scroll.
Dong Tu's heart leapt at the sight of this, Zhao Di wouldn't go through the trouble of preparing a document if this information wasn't genuine. From what Dong Tu knew about Zhao Di, he was not the kind of man to waste effort on something this worthless just to mess with him.
Handing the scroll to Dong Tu, Zhao Di said with a chuckle, "Haha, I hope the next time you visit my shop, it's because you've solved your problems and are here to sell me those vitality leaves."
Dong Tu looked at Zhao Di with a deep, thoughtful gaze before a smile appear on his face. "I won't forget a friend who helped me in my time of need," he said firmly.
With that, Dong Tu left the shop, his steps steady with a genuine happy smile on his face.
"It was easier than I expected," Zhao Di muttered as he watched Dong Tu's figure disappear from the shop.
"Um, excuse me?"
A sudden voice snapped Zhao Di out of his thoughts. Looking up, he saw a young Gu Master standing before him, and suddenly a flattering smile appeared on Zhao Di's face. "Ah, dear customer did you choose already?, so what would you like to buy?"
Outside the shop....
the cool night air brushed against Dong Tu's face as he strolled toward his home.
"Hmm… curiosity, huh?" he muttered to himself, his expression thoughtful.
He didn't believe for a second that Zhao Di had just searched for such a information purely out of interest and curiosity.
He knew that Zhao Di must had put in genuine effort to find this information, likely he was hoping to gain Dong Tu's favor.
This suspicion was rooted in their past dealings. Zhao Di once was interest in buying vitality leaves from him.
Back then, vitality leaves were highly sought after—just as they were now—but due to the high demand and Yan Pei's interference, Zhao Di didn't have the chance to work with a owner of nine leaf vitality grass gu.
Now, with Yan Pei temporarily out of the picture, Zhao Di likely saw an opportunity to involve himself in the very profitable vitality leaf trade.
By helping Dong Tu solving his problem, Zhao Di could ensure some kind of future partnership without even directly interfering in the current mess.
To Dong Tu, Zhao Di's intentions were clear, especially from his last sentence about expecting Dong Tu to sell vitality leaves to him in the future, it wasn't just basically saying what he wants in exchange for such a information?
Dong Tu smirked slightly at the thought but quickly refocused. And Soon, he arrived at his house.
"Welcome back, Sir," said Mother Shen—the head of the servants and mother of shen Cui—who was waiting at the entrance to greet him.
Dong Tu didn't gave her any kind of answer, his mind elsewhere as he walked inside. His excitement to examine the scroll overrode all other thoughts.
He headed straight to the main hall, not even bothering to change his clothes.
The soft glow of candlelight illuminated the room as Dong Tu seated on his usual seat.
Then, with steady hands, he unrolled the bamboo scroll and began to read it.
For a few minutes, the only sound was the faint rustle of the scroll as his eyes scanned the content. But as he read further, his expression changed dramatically.
"What... How can this be?" he muttered, his voice full of shock and disbelief, "How could I even offend ″that man″? How could I have offended such a great figure?"
....
"Fang Zheng greets the esteemed clan head,"
In the spacious courtyard, Fang Zheng cupped his hands and bowed slightly, his voice brimming with utmost respect as he addressed the white-haired elderly man standing before him.
The elderly man stood facing the pond in the courtyard, his back to Fang Zheng and.... Yan Mei who was standing behind Fang Zheng in the same respectful pose, her demeanor conveying even more respect than Fang Zheng's.
The man slowly turned around, Looking at Fang Zheng as he talked, "Raise your head young man."
As Fang Zheng did as the man said, he finally saw his face.
The man was old, his face marked with numerous wrinkles and a short grayish beard, like a normal old man. Yet, his eyes held a strange, energetic light, and his aura was simply... magnificent.
He was Gu Yue Bo, the current clan leader of the Gu Yue Clan.
For a moment, Fang Zheng was awestruck by the elderly man sheer presence. The feeling reminded him of the time he had met with Jia Fu in his tent.
However, Gu Yue Bo's aura felt deeper and more profound. Was it because of his higher cultivation level? Or was it because he had lived many more years than jia Fu?
Noticing Fang Zheng's expression, Gu Yue Bo smiled faintly. "Young man, do you know why I summoned you here?"
The sudden question brought Fang Zheng to his senses again. He scrambled to form an answer, his tone hurried and unsure. "I-I don't sir. Please enlighten me."
Gu Yue Bo chuckled softly at Fang Zheng's stammering response. It was the reaction he expected. It was a normal reaction for young men that meet the clan head for the first time.
And.... It brought back memories—memories of when he was young, when he was exactly like fang Zheng, feeling equally overwhelmed at the presence of a clan leader, when he first met the previous clan leader.
Placing a hand on Fang Zheng's shoulder, the clan head spoke, "Fang Zheng, do you know what the responsibilities of a clan head are?"
For a moment, Fang Zheng was dumbfounded by the question. After some thought, he replied, "To lead the clan in the right direction and protect it as the strongest among them?"
Gu Yue Bo raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. For someone so young, Fang Zheng had given a.... Good and accurate answer. But it was just a little surprise.
"That's correct, Fang Zheng. Those are part of a clan head's duties, but they're not the entirety of it. Can you think of anything else?"
Fang Zheng hesitated before responding, "I'm sorry, sir. I can't think of anything more. I would be grateful if you could enlighten me."
Gu Yue Bo smiled warmly. "The most important responsibility of a clan head is to nurture and protect future generations. Especially..." He paused and pointed a finger at Fang Zheng. "...the future clan head."
Fang Zheng blinked several times, seemingly processing Gu Yue Bo's words and trying to understand them.
"Does that mean... I..." he began, his tone carrying uncertainly, leaving the sentence unfinished, as if waiting for Gu Yue Bo to confirm his thoughts.
Instead, Gu Yue Bo asked another question. "Fang Zheng, do you know the different grades of a Gu Master's talent?"
But there was no immediate response. Fang Zheng appeared to be lost in thoughts.
Observing his silence, Gu Yue Bo was a little taken aback. Normally, at this point, the young man would just answer his question, allowing him to then reveal the true purpose of their meeting.
This had been the usual process for him and his predecessors. But with Fang Zheng, things seemed a little... different.
After a few moments, Fang Zheng seemed to snap out of his thoughts. Cupping his fists, he said, "Sir, I understand the answer now."
"Oh, really?" Gu Yue Bo replied, intrigued.
Fang Zheng's face lit up with excitement. "Yes! The reason for your summon is now clear to me. You must want me to help you in your duty to nurture the future clan leader because of my high talent!"
"..."
For a moment, Gu Yue Bo was utterly speechless, blinking a few times as he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Behind Fang Zheng, Yan Mei was even more affected by fang Zheng's statement. Her expression twisted with shock, and she nearly stumbled on the ground, barely maintaining her balance at the last moment.
What kind of person would give such an audacious answer? Who in their right mind would think the clan head needed a young academy students help?
Meanwhile, Fang Zheng stood there with a bright, dumb smile, seemingly oblivious to the absurdity of his statement.
And now, he seemed to be awaiting words of praise from the clan head.
Seeing this, the clan head gave a bitter smile. How could this boy think like this? Did he think a clan head would summon an academy student to help with such a significant role? If that was true, then Gu Yue Clan would have been perished long ago, let alone surviving in the future.
After a caugh, Gu Yue Bo spoke with a helpless tone. "Fang Zheng... I believe you've misunderstood. What I mean is, with your A-grade talent, you are destined to become the future clan head."
Fang Zheng's face shifted to one of confusion, but after a moment, realization dawned on him. "Oh, so that's how it is..."
Watching Fang Zheng's reaction, Gu Yue Bo sighed inwardly. You only just understood it now? The boy seemed even more naive than Gu Yue Bo had heard from academy elder.
But before Gu Yue Bo could relax, Fang Zheng followed up with another statement that had again left him speechless.
"So... isn't that basically the same thing?"
"Huh?" Gu Yue Bo blinked in surprise. What on earth did the boy mean by that?
Fang Zheng continued, his tone as earnest as ever. "Doesn't this mean that sir clan head is actually avoiding his responsibilities by passing them on to someone else?"
For a second, Gu Yue Bo was speechless, again.
Yan Mei, standing silently behind fang Zheng, was similarly stunned. Both of them tried to give an appropriate response at fang Zheng absurd reasoning. But strangely it actually made sense in a way, so they couldn't come up with any answer to deny fang Zheng in that moment.
With a deep sigh, Gu Yue Bo placed a hand on Fang Zheng's shoulder once more, forcing a small smile onto his face. "Let's just move past this and get to the main topic."
If this conversation went on any longer, Gu Yue Bo felt he might actually lose his composure. He couldn't help but curse this strange tradition of acting cool Infront of the future clan head.
It had been an event every leader before him had endured—a meeting where they had been surprised, humbled, and sometimes embarrassed by the clan leader of that generation.
Even Gu Yue Bo himself had experienced it. He remembered, that in their first actual meeting he had embarrassment himself in front of the previous clan leader. But this time—now that he wants to try this himself to feel how good it is—the opposite happened—Fang Zheng's naivety and odd logic were making the current clan head feel embarrassed instead.
"Fang Zheng," Gu Yue Bo began speaking. "As I mentioned, I summoned you because you are the future clan head." He paused briefly before continuing, "With your A-grade aptitude, it is your destiny to lead the Gu Yue Clan after me."
Gu Yue Bo observed Fang Zheng's face as he delivered this news.
The boy's expression upon hearing this, could only be described as enthusiastic and full of excitement.
"Ah, yes, he's just a young man after all," thought Gu Yue Bo. "Even if he's a little foolish, words like this are bound to excite him."
Then, Gu Yue Bo continued his speech, ensuring there would be no doubt left. "Fang Zheng, you are the pride of our clan, its genius, and its future leader. It is my responsibility to guide you so that you can fully realize your potential and get stronger."
At these words, Fang Zheng's eyes glowed with determination. His voice trembled with excitement as he replied, "Yes!"
Gu Yue Bo smiled inwardly. Now this is the kind of reaction he expected.
But thebsatisfying moment was short-lived as Fang Zheng raised his hand hesitantly. "Um, sir, may I ask a question?"
"What is it?" Gu Yue Bo replied, wondering what question fang Zheng could have.
Fang Zheng hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Ummm, can I tell other about this? I mean, my family and friends at the academy too. I'm sure they'd be surprised, and it would definitely raise my statue in their heart."
For a moment, Gu Yue Bo felt his soul has left his body. Once again, this boy had managed to catch him off guard. it was reasonable wanting to share such news with family, but....did Fang Zheng just admitted he wanted to show off in front of his friends in academy?
Coughing yet again, Gu Yue Bo forced a chuckle. "Haha, little Fang Zheng, I'm afraid you can't do that."
"But why?" Fang Zheng asked with genuine curiosity.
"Because... it's a secret you must keep from others," Gu Yue Bo replied. It wasn't the best answer, but it was the only thing he could think of at the moment, to stop the boy from spreading news about tonight's meeting everywhere.
Fang Zheng nodded, accepting the explanation without protesting any further.
"Fang Zheng," Gu Yue Bo said, his tone firm. "It's too late , so we won't start your training until tomorrow. Go home and rest a little, tomorrow we will start our training."
And then Fang Zheng nodded departing and going home as per Gu Yue Bo's words.
After fang Zheng left, Gu Yue Bo let out a deep sigh,"Do I really seem like someone who avoids his responsibilities or something?"
From the side, Yan Mei, who had watched the entire exchange, struggled to suppress her laughter.
This bizarre interaction between the clan head and Fang Zheng was replaying in her mind. "What a scene..." she thought, her lips twitching as she tried to keep her composure.
Walking out of the courtyard, Fang Zheng still wore his doumb smile that he had when talking with clan leader, his face still brimming with excitement.
However, as he gained some distance from the clan head's residence, the smile on his face faded, replaced by a serious expression.
At this moment, he raised his hand to his mouth absentmindedly, but then a sudden realization struck him, and he clicked his tongue, irritated.
"Tch, I almost forgot... I already got rid of that bottle of wine," he muttered.
Earlier, when walking alongside Yan Mei, Fang Zheng had discarded the half-empty wine bottle he carried and throw it somewhere in the street.
It had truly been a waste—he hadn't even drank half of it. But it wouldn't have looked good to show up before the clan head himself while holding a bottle of wine.
Walking towards home, Fang Zheng's mind replayed the earlier events.
"Man, that was... dangerous," he thought, his gaze turning serious.
Meeting Gu Yue Bo had been more intense than he expected. For a brief moment, the sheer presence of the clan head had overwhelmed him, much like when he had met with Jia Fu in his tent. It was an unsettling and weird feeling—nothing like himself.
For a split second, Fang Zheng had been genuinely shaken. He'd almost lost his composure, for that moment he couldn't maintain his slipping facade.
That's when he had done the only thing he could think of—he played dumb.
It hadn't been his original plan, but it seemed the best option in that moment.
And there was another reason to do such a thing too. Because although he often put effort into presenting himself as "improved" and "matured", Fang Zheng didn't want Gu Yue Bo—or anyone in the clan higher ups—to exactly know his true self.
To the higher-ups, a naive, easy to manipulate Fang Zheng, was far more appealing than a sharp and calculating one.
That was the reason behind his actions this time, And truthfully speaking, Gu Yue Bo's sharp gaze had scared him a little
As Fang Zheng walked home, he was drowned in his thoughts.
What happened tonight was a unexpected events, but long before, Fang Zheng knew exactly what he needed to do in such a situation—thanks to fang yuan, scaring him the previous times.
Anyway, he knew, he must follow the path of the original Fang Zheng this time—being a naive and obedient young man—and use this guise to his advantage.
After all, Those in power often prefer to help those they perceive as easy-to-manipulate, rather than someone shrewd and difficult to control.
But Shaking his head, Fang pushed all those thoughts to the back of his mind as he walked home.
Tonight, was pretty much a success.
....
Morning arrived, and the inky darkness of the night given way to a clear, blue colored sky.
This was the time when the diligent and hardworking Gu Yue clansmen would wake up to begin their day, to just work, work and work.
Similarly, this was also when the young academy students were supposed to wake and prepare to go to academy.
Most students, driven by their enthusiasm, would wake up on their own, while some...
"Please wake up Young Master Fang Zheng," a girl's youthful and seductive voice rang out, calling fang Zheng to wake up from his sleep.
The voice reached Fang Zheng's ears, and as someone who wasn't a heavy sleeper, he woke up instantly. His bloodshot eyes opened to see Shen Cui's face that was dangerously close to his own. To the point that her warm breath, brushed against his skin.
It was Shen Cui, yet again attempting one of her tricks to seduce him.
Unfortunately for Shen Cui, Fang Zheng wasn't one to fall for her tactics. Though It wasn't that fang Zheng couldn't be tempted by a girl or anything—Shen Cui was, after all, a beautiful girl.
However, Fang Zheng simply didn't like her. So no matter what she did, even if she were to strip in front of him, it wouldn't work....Maybe.
He got up from the bed, and Shen Cui stepped back slightly to avoid any accidental collision between their heads.
"Young Master Fang Zheng, I've prepared warm water for you to wash your face," she said with a bright smile, her tone tinged with eagerness. Perhaps she was hoping for some praise from him.
But Fang Zheng paid her no attention. He stood up, stretched for a moment—doing some warm-up moves Shen Cui couldn't understand at all—and then made his way to the bathroom to attend to his morning routine.
It's worth noting that during the past month he was in this new world, Fang Zheng had familiarized himself with many things of this world, particularly its version of personal hygiene tools.
He took pride for this, specially when he Learned how to use this world version of toothbrush.
After completing this routine, he changed into fresh, new clothes by himself—he took pride for being able to do that too.
He had no intention of letting Shen Cui assist him, primarily due to her relentless attempts to seduce him. Her persistence was just irritating and annoying at this point.
Instead, he casually tossed his worn clothes from the previous night into her arms. They reeked faintly of alcohol, and it was her job to clean them now.
Going down the stairs, Fang Zheng caught Shen Cui glancing at him from behind, her expression carrying hints of disappointment over yet another failed attempt to seduce him.
Reaching the lower floor, his face had still clear signs of weariness. The previous night's late meeting with the clan leader had resulted in him, going to bed later than usual, leaving him less energetic that he normally was in the morning.
"Eh?" Suddenly be noticed something unexpected. Gu Yue Dong Tu was seated in his usual seat, just looking at a bamboo paper, with faint dark circles around his eyes, a indicator of his sleepless night.
Fang Zheng greeted him with a simple "Good morning," but when no response came, he merely shrugged his shoulders and exited the house.
His mood lightened as he stepped outside.
now he felt better than a few moments before. much like those who found joy in others misfortune, he found joy in Dong Tu's misfortune as well.
But at the same time unlike them, Fang Zheng's satisfaction came from knowing his plans of disturbing Dong Tu's business and affairs was a success.
"Now all that's left is to wait," he mused, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "When his situation worsens, I'll somehow reveal that I was behind all of this. By then, he'll come crawling to me, desperate to fix things."
And with a renewed sense of confidence, Fang Zheng began his walk to the academy.
....
It was almost around sunset and the bright sun in the sky was now a blazing doumb of fire, refusing to go down, but being force to do so by the rules of this world.
Walking towards the academy, gu yue dong tu had a serious and tired face.
He hadn't slept last night and just seated on his chair, reading the information that he got from Zhao Di and thought about what to do.
After reading the information he discovered that the situation was even worse that what he thought and somehow the clan head himself was involved in this mess.
"Though the information didn't say exactly clan head himself, but how could some low level subordinate do such a things without their owners knowing that.." dong tu thought as he was hurriedly walking, " at best case scenario, it would be just that sir clan head didn't care about such trivial things. No actually that must be the likely answer to all of this, after all how could I possibly do anything that could anger such a great figure?"
Dong Tu walked as he was giving himself hope about the situation, and soon he reached his destination.
Infront of him were two open gate and many teenagers were walking out of it.
This place was gu yue village academy, and this time Gu Yue Dong Tu came here because of the information on the bamboo paper.
Walking towards the gate, gu yue dong tu thought, "in the information Zhao Di gave me, he had specially pointed out at the academy being the place I can understand what happened ."
Soon he saw academy guards at the entrance of the academy and remembered the few last paragraph of that information, "it was written that there was one of the guards that could give me the informations I want. I think his name was..."
"Sorry brother, you know a person named Bao Ya?"
"hmmm?" Looking at the man in front of him, the guard was surprised for a moment, but soon his eyes looked at what was in the man's hand and then he gulped.
"Ah, yeah yeah, h-he is just there, there," the guard said pointing out at a direction after he quickly got a one fourth of primeval stone from Gu Yue Dong Tu's hand.
Dong Tu then walked towards the man he was looking for—Bao Ya, an academy guard.
Dong Tu then brought up a complete primeval stone as he stepped towards the guard named Bao Ya.
"Sorry brother, but you are Bao Ya?" Dong Tu asked.
"Yes I'm, what is it?" The man named Bao Ya said expressionlessly.
"Ummm Zhao Di had sended me," Dong Tu said with a serious tone.
Hearing this, the guard behavior suddenly changed, a flattering smile appeared on his face and he bowed his waist a little, "ah so esteemed lord is the person sir Zhao Di said, lord gu master must want to know what happened that nigh, right? sir Zhao Di said to me, to tell you about that night."
"That nigh?" Gu Yue Dong Tu thought as he heard the man, Zhao Di had sended him here to hear the man so this peculiar nigh must have been something important.
"Tell me what happened in whatever nigh that is," Dong Tu said with a serious voice, he was finally about to know what happened that lead to all this.
Bao Ya a then looked at Dong Tu for a moment, moving his eyes between Dong Tu's hand and his face.
Looking at this, soon Dong Tu understood what the man wanted, and given him the complete primeval stone in his hand.
Bao Ya, after getting the primeval stone, happily started to explain the story of ″that nigh″.
"so sir to start all of it, it was very late at that night and it was my turn to guard the academy in nigh, but suddenly, out of nowhere an academy student came and said that he had advanced to the rank one middle stage."
"It was a truly big news and sir academy elder said to us if anyone have come to academy saying this, we must inform him."
"After that I informed sir academy elder, it was a little scary but thankfully the news was legit so academy elder sir, didn't punish me because I disturbed his sleep."
"And then after talking with this academy student, sir academy elder told me to go and bring the first place prize."
"And before I walk out of the room, I heard sir talking with that kid about his family.."
At this part of Bao Ya's story, suddenly, Dong Tu's heart started pumping faster, he had a bad feeling about this.
But unaware of this change in Dong Tu, Bao Ya continued his story, "so I don't know what happened next but, after going back, and giving the prize to that student, there was a mention of someone by the academy elder that seemed angry at that time.... I think his name was Gu Yue Dong Tu."
At hearing his own name, Dong Tu's heart jumped, what happened? Why his name was mentioned by academy elder himself? and on top of that, why the academy elder was angry?
But suddenly a scary thought appeared in Dong Tu's mind, as he asked, "can you tell me who was the name of this student you are talking about?"
"Yes I can, he is quite famous actually."
"He is the first person that advance to middle stage and the only A grade talent of the village after many years..."
And suddenly all doubts in Dong Tu's mind were confirmed.
"Fang Zheng." Said dong tu before even Bao Ya could finish what he was saying.
Bao ya wa doumbfounded for a moment, but then he smiled, "yes it was him, the name of that boy was fang Zheng."
"Oh it seems you are talking about me,"
At this moment a sudden voice came, and as Dong Tu turned his head, he saw a familiar youth looking at him with a smile.
"Uh uncle, what brought you here? You came after me to escort me to home or something?"
Said fang Zheng as the smile on his face widened, in contrast to his uncle, who was gritting his teeth furiously.