The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the Xiong family's expansive courtyard.
Xiong Mo stood in the center, sweat dripping from his brow as he trained relentlessly. His fists cut through the air, each punch followed by a swift kick, his body moving like a well-oiled machine. The breeze that swept through the courtyard carried with it the scent of the nearby bamboo grove, their slender stalks swaying gently as if cheering on his efforts.
The stone path beneath his feet was worn from years of practice, a testament to the generations of Xiong family members who had trained in this very spot. Around him, the high walls of the compound stood tall, enclosing the vast estate and keeping the world outside at bay.
Just as Xiong Mo landed a particularly fierce strike, a servant hurried over, his head bowed low. "Young master," he began, voice trembling slightly. "I apologize for disturbing your training, but the Clan Leader has summoned you."
Xiong Mo halted, his fists still clenched, annoyance flickering across his face. His chest heaved from the exertion, muscles tense as if resisting the interruption. Yet, upon hearing that it was his father who was calling, he quickly suppressed his irritation.
Wordlessly, he snatched the towel from the servant's outstretched hands, wiping the sweat from his face and neck.
Without another word, he turned and made his way toward his father's office, leaving the servant behind.
---
The Xiong Clan Leader's office was an imposing room, filled with relics of the past.
The walls were lined with bookshelves, each shelf filled with scrolls and ancient texts detailing the long and storied history of the clan. At the far end of the room, a large desk dominated the space, and behind it sat the Clan Leader himself—Xiong Mo's father. His presence was as commanding as ever, his broad shoulders and stern expression casting a shadow that seemed to stretch across the room.
Xiong Mo entered, bowing slightly before standing at attention.
"How is school?" his father asked, not bothering to look up from the scroll he was reading.
"It's going well," Xiong Mo replied, keeping his voice steady. He knew his father was not one for small talk, and this was simply a prelude to a more serious conversation.
His father continued, still not looking up. "And how are things with Xiong Zi Rui?"
Xiong Mo hesitated for a brief moment. Xiong Zi Rui, who was Ning Zu in reality, a name that carried weight within the clan. He had been making waves ever since his aperture-awakening ceremony, and Xiong Mo knew his father had a vested interest in the boy.
"It's… good," Xiong Mo replied cautiously. "We might even become friends."
At this, his father finally looked up, his piercing gaze meeting Xiong Mo's. "Good," he said, nodding slightly. "Befriend him. He is someone we must use for the good of the clan."
Xiong Mo stiffened slightly at his father's words. He had known that befriending Xiong Zi Rui was a strategic move, but hearing it so bluntly spoken still made him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he nodded in agreement. "Yes, Father."
The Clan Leader leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded his son. "And what of your progress with the Bear Strength Gu? Have you refined it yet?"
Xiong Mo clenched his fists slightly at the question. He had been working on refining the Bear Strength Gu for some time now, but his progress had been slow. He hated to admit it, but he was struggling.
"I haven't made much progress," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "It's… taking longer than I expected."
A small, cold smile played at the corners of his father's lips. "I see." He paused for a moment, as if weighing his next words carefully. "Then I will refine it for you."
Xiong Mo's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Father, I need to learn how to refine it myself. I can't rely on you to do it for me every time. I'll need to refine Gu on my own in the future."
His father's smile faded, replaced by a steely expression. "This isn't about learning, Xiong Mo. This is about winning. You can practice refining Gu later—right now, you need to win that competition. Not for the primeval stones, but to put Xiong Zi Rui in his place."
Xiong Mo frowned, frustration bubbling up inside him. "But—"
"No buts," the Clan Leader interrupted, his voice sharp. "You'll win the competition, and afterward, you'll have plenty of time to practice. In the meantime, practice on this."
With a swift motion, the Clan Leader reached into a drawer and pulled out a small, gleaming box, inside it was the Green Copper Relic Gu. Its metallic sheen glimmered faintly in the low light, a rare and valuable Gu that could boost a Gu Master's cultivation without any side effects.
Xiong Mo stared at it in shock. "The Green Copper Relic Gu? But… wouldn't it be better to save it for when I'm closer to reaching Rank 2?"
His father's gaze hardened. "That would be true if you were living in different times. But you're living in the same era as a monster. Do you know that Xiong Zi Rui, after only two weeks of opening his aperture, has already reached Rank 1 middle stage?"
Xiong Mo felt the blood drain from his face. "What?"
"Yes," his father said, voice low and grim. "That's the kind of talent you're dealing with. Now do you understand? You need every advantage you can get."
Xiong Mo swallowed hard. He had always known Xiong Zi Rui was talented, but this… this was on another level entirely. "I… I understand."
"Good," his father said, sliding the Green Copper Relic Gu across the desk. "Use it. Win the competition. And then you can worry about refining Gu on your own time."
Xiong Mo hesitated for a moment longer, but in the end, he knew he couldn't defy his father. "Yes, Father," he said quietly, taking the Gu into his hand.
---
Later that night, the streets of the Xiong clan's settlement were bathed in moonlight, the air crisp and cool as Ning Zu—still inhabiting the servant's body—walked toward his destination. His footsteps were slow and deliberate, his mind occupied with the complexities of his situation. Above, the stars twinkled faintly, casting their indifferent gaze upon the world below.
The servant whose body Ning Zu now controlled had been a pitiful creature, possessing the lowest possible aperture—21%. His talent was so meager that he would never advance beyond Rank 1, even if he lived to be a hundred. Worse still, he had squandered what little he had on gambling, wasting his life and resources on the slim chance of finding fortune within the mysterious gambling rocks, making his wife to decide to leave him, taking his son too.
But fate, it seemed, had smiled on him recently. While gambling with gambling rockse, rocks that might have Gu worms inside them, the servant had stumbled upon a rare find, a rank 2 Plunder Gu. It was the talk of the clan, a stroke of luck that no one could have predicted. Yet, even this was a double-edged sword. The Plunder Gu, though powerful, came with a significant flaw. It could steal a Gu from another gu master, but only if the user remained completely still while it was active. And even then, the success rate was painfully low. Each failure would result in a backlash, potentially crippling the user.
Ning Zu, however, was not deterred. He needed this Gu to complete his plans. And so, despite the limitations of the body he now inhabited, he pressed forward.
As he walked, he passed by a small bar. The laughter and chatter of patrons spilled out into the night, a stark contrast to the quiet determination that fueled Ning Zu's steps.
Inside, he spotted Xiong Wei Xu, the grandson of the clan's healing elder, slumped over a table, his face flushed from too much drink.
Xiong Wei Xu had once been a promising young master, but his failure at the aperture-awakening ceremony had crushed his spirit. Now, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol, cursing Ning Zu under his breath for his humiliating him that day.
Ning Zu took a seat at a table nearby, his face expressionless as he ordered a simple meal.
He listened to Xiong Wei Xu's drunken ramblings, noting the bitterness and resentment in his voice. It was clear that the man's pride had been deeply wounded.
As the server brought his food, Ning Zu quietly activated the Plunder Gu. He could feel his primeval essence being drained rapidly, the strain on his body growing with each passing second, so he held some primevel stones in his pocket, to replenish his essence.
The first attempt failed, and a sharp pain shot through him, causing him to cough up blood. The second attempt was no better—his ears began to bleed, and his vision blurred.
But he pressed on, determined. On the fourth try, just when he was about to give up, he felt it.
His fingers closed around the liquor worm Gu, its form warm and pulsating in his hand. A smile crept across his lips.
He had it.
He finnaly had the final material.
Ning Zu stood up, ignoring the concerned looks from the other patrons as he wiped the blood from his face. He left the bar without touching his food, the liqor worm Gu safely hidden in his hand.
Outside, the cool night air hit him, but he barely noticed. Despite the pain, he was smiling. The final piece of his plan was now in place.
Looking up at the stars, his eyes gleamed with a mixture of triumph and madness. "I can finally begin cultivating the inheritance."
Ning Zu, standing in the quiet, moonlit street, let out a long breath. His body ached, but it was a satisfying pain, the kind that marked progress.
His lips curled into a smile as he thought back to Xiong Wei Xu, completely oblivious to what had just transpired. The man was too deep into his cups to notice, slurring insults at Ning Zu as if the night would wash away the shame.
"How pathetic," Ning Zu muttered to himself as he started walking again, this time with a spring in his step. His goal was now clear. With the last material secured, his plans to cultivate the Spectral Soul inheritance were back on track.
"I can finally fulfill my promise to you," he said, his voice echoing in the empty room. "You crazy bastard… I can finally begin."
Outside, the moon hung high in the sky, casting its pale light over the Xiong clan's settlement. But Ning Zu didn't notice. His thoughts were consumed with the excitement now coursing through him.
The Xiong clan was just the beginning.
Ning Zu refined the liquor worm gu when no one was looking, then went to his orginal body's home, warped the gu I'm some bandages, and gave the worm to a servant, telling him to give it to his young master.
He returned to the servant's home, got a rope, wrote his will and how he was sorry for being the way he is, and how his son is the one who will inherit everything he has, as form of apology to him; and took his life.
That's what his son, Xiong Zhan, knew of his father, thinking he just suicided out of guilt, not knowing that his father's killer was someone who he will respect in the future.