5 RI

Almost at the same moment, in another place.

"Honorary father and mother, that was pretty much how things went." Fang Zheng stood straight, his tone respectful and cautious.

In the hall, Fang Yuan's uncle Gu Yue Dong Tu as well as his aunt sat in their wide-back huge chairs frowning. Aunt gnawed her teeth. While feeling injustice for Fang Zheng and at the same time gloating over the matter, she said, "Fang Yuan that bastard son, him extorting others is one thing, but to think he would not even spare his own younger brother. How heartless and unfeeling! However this time with such a huge crime, I expect he will be expelled from the academy soon after this."

"That's enough, you should talk less." Uncle heaved in a deep sigh and told Fang Zheng, "You only lost a piece of primeval stone, don't worry. Go to the treasury and pick up a stone, there is no business for you here now. You must go and work hard in cultivating. With your A grade talent, becoming the first Middle stage Gu Master is a huge possibility. Do not waste the talent that heaven blessed you with, for your mother and I look forward to seeing you become number one."

"Yes, father and mother. Your son takes his leave." Fang Zheng left with a heart full of trepidation.

He secretly thought, "Big brother robbed all the students when he blocked the academy gates today. He created such a terrible aftermath, I'm afraid he might really be expelled. If that happens, should I plead on his case for him?"

Two voices appeared in his head.

A voice said, "No need to plead for him, he even robbed your primeval stone away although you were his own young brother. Even if he was expelled, that was his own fault. If Heaven commits a sin, it can be forgiven, but if one commits a sin himself, he deserves to die!"

Another voice said, "But he is your very own older brother, he shares a similar face, his blood thicker than water. Alright, even if you do not acknowledge him, you still must plead his case. If you do not do so, how will the outsiders look at you? I'm afraid they might think of you as a heartless and ungrateful person."

Seeing Fang Zheng leave the hall, Aunt could not help but exclaim happily, "Husband, we cut off Fang Yuan's living expenses. This little bastard finally couldn't stand it and went off committing a huge error! To actually dare to block the academy gates and fight in public, not to mention extortion, this is the equivalent of provoking the academy elder. I daresay the time for him getting expelled is very near." @@novelbin@@

However Uncle shook his head. "You think too simply of things. Fang Yuan will not be expelled, in fact there may not be any punishment."

"Why?" Aunt was puzzled.

Uncle snorted. "Brawls and fights are encouraged as long as there are no heavy consequences. Did any students die in this fight? No."

Aunt refused to comply. "Husband, how would you know there weren't any casualties? There are always accidents happening from fighting."

Uncle closed his eyes, leaning against the back of his chair. "Woman, you are really naïve. Do you really think the academy elder is just for show? When did the guards start acting? They came out at the last moment, this means that the entire scene was under control. If someone was heavily injured, they would have rushed over a long time ago, not at the last moments."

"You are not a Gu Master, so you won't understand. The academy does not forbid brawls among the students, but in fact they maintain an encouraging attitude towards it. The more brawls there are, the more helpful it would be for battles. Some students can even create strong bonds through fighting. The elders will not pursue this. It is already a routine. If anyone wants to take action on behalf of their offspring, it would break the rules."

Aunt was dumbfounded as she heard this, and she replied in an unsatisfied manner, "Then nothing's going to happen to Fang Yuan who robbed away such a huge amount of primeval stones? He's just going to be let go like that? With such a big number of primeval stones, it will bring a lot of help to his cultivation."

Uncle opened his eyes, his face cloudy. "What else can we do? Are you expecting me to go over by myself and snatch away all his primeval stones? However this matter is not something that we cannot exploit. For Fang Yuan to rob and extort even his own brother Fang Zheng, this is the key to his fall. Fang Zheng is an A grade talent, he will definitely be stronger than Fang Yuan one day. We will use this matter to divide and sow discord in Fang Zheng. We'll lead Fang Zheng away from Fang Yuan for our own use!"

And with that, three days passed.

The disturbance that Fang Yuan caused from his robbery and extortion did not spread nor grow bigger, but instead it gradually died down.

No elders broke the rules and came to find trouble for Fang Yuan, and the academy elder naturally closed one eye and opened one eye, acting like nothing happened. Although in this period of time, there were two to three youngsters who refused to accept the truth of having their primeval stones taken, and they challenged Fang Yuan. But after Fang Yuan knocked them down easily, everyone became aware that if they did not train hard in martial arts, they would never beat Fang Yuan.

Among these teenagers, a burst of mass fervor towards training hard in martial arts erupted.

The martial arts instructor was overjoyed, he had never seen a batch of students so enthusiastic and dedicated towards martial arts. Before this when he was teaching, the students were all lacking in interest, yawning all day. But right now they would constantly seek advice with eyes brimming with radiating vigour.

The academy elder specially came over to inquire about his situation.

The martial arts instructor had an excited tone as he reported, "The students have been showing unexpected enthusiasm, and this change is too great. Only one student among them called Fang Yuan remains as lazy as ever."

The academy elder laughed and patted his shoulders. He said, "This student that you speak of is the cause of the other student's transformation."

The martial arts instructor was puzzled. But of course the changes were more than this.

After the incident, Fang Yuan had undoubtedly become the public enemy of the entire student batch. Everyone was hostile towards him and he was isolated. No longer did anyone speak to him, and no one greeted him.

The youths exerted full force, training their basic techniques privately. With their parents' and elders' encouragement and inspirations, they had decided that they must reclaim their honor by their own hands.

Under the calm surface, the undercurrent was surging.

Another four days passed.

The academy elder passed out the primeval stone allowance once more, and the time for Fang Yuan to act came again.

"Fang Yuan, once wasn't enough for you, you still want to rob away our primeval stones again?!" The students were shocked and angry as Fang Yuan blocked them at the gates once more.

Fang Yuan stood in the middle of the entrance, his hands behind his back, his expression cold and tone flat. "A piece of primeval stone per person and you'll be spared of physical pain."

"Fang Yuan, your bullying is excessive. I want to challenge you!" Gu Yue Mo Bei roared angrily, coming out first.

"Oh?" Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly.

Mo Bei raised his fists and rushed forward. After a few rounds, he fainted onto the ground.

"Mo Bei, you're too useless! Watch me!" Gu Yue Chi Cheng yelled loudly and dashed towards Fang Yuan. After a transition of attack and defence, he joined after Mo Bei's footsteps.

Fang Yuan's battle experience was ten thousand times more than theirs; although he only started cultivating, every force inflicted was used properly. Meanwhile, this bunch of students had only started their journey. If they came at him together, they might still be able to bring him a little trouble. But with them coming up to challenge him one by one, it was more relaxing than the first time of extortion.

After fifteen minutes, Fang Yuan leisurely walked away with a bulging money bag, leaving behind a floor full of youths. Some of them were lying motionless, and some were holding their bellies or clutching their crotch as they moaned and howled.

"Brothers, time to come up and sweep the field fast!" The guards shouted and all rushed over.

-x-X-x-

"I've trained hard in basic martial arts for seven consecutive days, but to think I only managed to endure 2 strikes from Fang Yuan and lost consciousness afterwards. Shame, unforgivable shame!" Gu Yue Mo Bei exclaimed, full of anguish and regret.

In the family garden, he faced the wooden puppet, unleashing punches and kicks that were resulting in resounding echoes.

Suddenly, he heard a laughing voice. "Little brother, do you have deep hatred for the puppet? Why the great resentment?"

Upon hearing this familiar voice, Gu Yue Mo Bei relaxed and stopped his attacks. He turned his head. "Sister, you're back!"

"Uh-huh, the family council sent me out for an investigation mission which lasted more than ten days..." Gu Yue Mo Yan laughingly replied. She was Mo Bei's blood-related sister, a Rank two middle stage Gu Master.

But soon, her face turned grim, her eyes sharply gazing at Mo Bei. "Brother, what's the matter with those bruises on your face? Who bullied you?"

"Ah, it's nothing. I accidentally tripped and fell." A hint of panic flashed across Mo Bei's face as he came up with an excuse. He did not wish for his sister to know of such an embarrassing event. The truth of the Mo family's future heir and the family head, Gu Yue Mo Chen's beloved grandson, consecutively knocked out twice in combat. But the fortunate thing was that he wasn't the only unlucky one. The others had suffered as well.

"Oh, you have to be more careful in that case. As for your combat training, this won't do. You do not have a Guthat enhances your defense right now, so use thick towels to cover yourself. This will protect your limbs from getting hurt." Gu Yue Mo Yan instructed before leaving.

"Hello, young Miss!"

"Good morning, young Miss!"

"Young Miss is back! Your servant greets you, Miss!"

Gu Yue Mo Yan hastily walked with a cold demeanor, and the servants she met on the way bowed and paid respects to her without fail.

She walked to the study room. Without any warning, Mo Yan pushed the door and entered through. Inside the room, Gu Yue Mo Chen was practicing his calligraphy art with his back facing her.

"You're back?" Gu Yue Mo Chen asked directly without turning his body. "After investigating for half a month, what is the situation with the wolves' den?"

"How did you know it's me, grandfather?" Mo Yan gasped, slightly taken aback.

"Hmph, in the entire family, you're the only person that dares to enter my room without even knocking the door once. Who else can it be besides you, my beloved granddaughter," Gu Yue Mo Chen reprimanded, although his face showed traces of concern and warmth, and he looked at Mo Yan with a smile.

Mo Yan pouted. "When it comes to doting, you actually adore little brother more. However since he's the future family head, you are more strict on him so others cannot sense your concern for him."

After a while, she asked: "Grandfather, little brother was beaten up! I asked him and he lied about the situation, so I had no choice but to ask you."

Gu Yue Mo Chen's face turned serious. "You have not answered my question." He put down his brush and sat down.

Mo Yan reluctantly reported, "The wolves' den is almost full, so according to the current rate of breeding speed, although there won't be an outbreak this year, there will definitely be a wolf tide next year at our mountain village."

Gu Yue Mo Chen enquired again, "Generally there's an outbreak every 3 years, so this is no surprise. However, within that hoard, how many Thunder Crown Wolves are there?"

"Around three."

Gu Yue Mo Chen nodded, feeling assured. The Thunder Crown Wolves were the head of the pack, and were the most troublesome to deal with during an outbreak.

Three wasn't a large number since Qing Mao Mountain had three clan villages. Each village could handle one wolf, and the pressure of the outbreak would be greatly reduced.

"Grandfather, you have not told me about my little brother's matter yet!" Mo Yan pursued again.

"I suppose there's no matter telling you, but he was beaten up. The first time was seven days ago, and the second time happened today. It happened in front of the school gates, and he was beaten until he sprawled on the ground and fainted on both occasions." Gu Yue Mo Chen laughingly replied.

"Who has the guts to knock out my little brother?" Mo Yan stared, wide-eyed.

"He's a classmate of Mo Bei called Fang Yuan. He fights really well..." Gu Yue Mo Chen sniggered.

Gu Yue Mo Yan's eyes grew larger, and she was perplexed as she replied, "Grandfather, what are you saying? He is your own blood-related grandson!"

Gu Yue Mo Chen stared deeply at his granddaughter and spoke meaningfully, "Mo Yan my dear, you are a girl so you may not understand. Defeat and humiliation only serve as fuel for improvement. Without failure one can never develop and grow into a true, mature man."

"Mo Bei was defeated, and that is his own failure. Once he wakes up, he will ask fighting techniques from the teachers. This is a sort of improvement, and this improvement comes from Fang Yuan, who beat him into realization. As his sister, if you really care and want to protect your brother, you should not interfere with his growth. Fang Yuan is just a boy with C grade talent while Mo Bei has B grade talent. With us supporting him, he will step over Fang Yuan and drive him into the ground eventually."

"Leave this opponent to Mo Bei. In a woman's life, she needs a family and a lover. But for a man, a family is not a necessity, yet what he cannot lack is a rival. Do not find trouble with Fang Yuan, do you hear me? This is a matter between the youths. If you get involved, this will be perceived as bullying. Breaking the rules like that will cause our Mo family to be looked down upon."

Mo Yan gasped wordlessly, but under Gu Yue Mo Chen's gaze, she finally lowered her head. "Yes grandfather, your granddaughter understands."

She staggered out of the study room, but even Gu Yue Mo Chen did not notice – her eyes shined ominously.

"Grandfather, this is your way of loving your grandson. And I, Mo Yan, have my own methods." Mo Yan's heart already had different plans.

...

In the inn's dining room, several tables were occupied and people were having dinner, thus the environment was rather lively. One or two waiters served dishes rapidly, traversing between tables.

Fang Yuan sat at the table near the windows. He ordered a few dishes and ate while gazing out of the window.

Looking out, the sunset looked like fire, slowly burning away.

Half of the sun had already set; it longingly gazed at the lands, its afterglow being the sun's reluctance.

Far up the mountains, it was already veiled by the seeping nightfall. The streets nearby were gathered full of people who were going home. Some of them were barefooted, some muddy farmers, some of them herb pickers, some hunters holding mountain pheasants, wild boars and other animals, and some were Gu masters. They wore a blue uniform, looking clean and spirited, a headband and a waist belt completing their appearance.

The belt had a specific function, for Rank one Gu Masters it was a blue belt. There was a bronze plate at the front, and the number "1" could be seen. For Rank two Gu Masters, their belt was red, and the steel plate in the middle showed the number "2".

Sitting at the side of the window, Fang Yuan observed that there were six to seven Rank one Gu Masters, and they were mostly young men. There was also a Rank two Gu Master, a middle aged man.

As for Rank three Gu Masters, they were the family elders. And fourth rank would be the clan head, the lord of a village.

Rank five Gu Masters were hardly seen, and in the entire history of the Gu Yue clan, there were only the first generation clan head and the fourth generation clan head who had reached this level.

"Actually, finding out a clan's strength is very simple. Just find a spot in the village, settle down and observe the people for a few hours, see how many Rank one and Rank two Gu Masters there are and you'll be able to see the clan's strength and wealth." Fang Yuan came to a conclusion with his accumulated knowledge of 500 years.

Using the Gu Yue village as an example, there were around twenty people walking on the streets, and six were Gu Masters. In these six, there was a 50% chance of having one Rank two Gu Master.

With this strength and capital, the Gu Yue Clan managed to monopolize one of the best resource locations in Qing Mao Mountain. But the mountain was just a small corner in the entire area of the Southern Border. The Gu Yue clan could only be considered as a middle-low tier clan.

"I have only started my cultivation, and with Rank one initial stage, I do not even have the qualification to roam the Southern Border. I need at least Rank three cultivation to be able to further roam the world," Fang Yuan sighed as he consumed his dinner.

Qing Mao Mountain was too small; it could not contain his ambitions, and he was determined to leave.

"Haha, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, I have finally found you!" At this moment, a middle-aged man laughed deviously as he approached.

"Hmm?" Fang Yuan turned slightly to see a man with a yellowish skin tone and hanging brows, but he had a huge body size and developed muscles. He strode several steps to Fang Yuan with his arms folded and proudly stared at the youth who was still consuming his dinner, with a hint of hostility.

"Fang Yuan, you've gotten yourself into huge trouble, do you know that? Heh heh heh, you have dared to hit our young master of the Mo family, and now our young Miss is here to settle the score with you." The middle-aged man snickered continuously. He constantly stared and sized up Fang Yuan, faintly emitting a threatening aura.

-x-X-x-

If a normal person was stared at by this middle-aged man, they would have probably developed fear in their hearts already.

However, Fang Yuan lost interest after looking at him for a second and continued focusing on his meal, treating this man as if he were invisible.

"Who's that guy? He wears the clothing of a family servant, and he is not a Gu Master. Why would he dare to question young master Fang Yuan?" An employee wondered as he hid at the corner of the inn, sensing that the situation may turn ugly.

"Hmph, he's like a fox assuming a tiger's ferocity! By using the Mo family as his backing, this servant man dares to clamor at a Gu Master. If it were any other mortal man, they wouldn't have the guts to do this," someone beside the employee replied in disdain.

"Even so, as a mere mortal he has the guts to cause a ruckus towards a Gu Master. Tsk tsk, this kind of experience must feel really great."

"Tch, you shouldn't think that a Gu Master is always high and mighty. Young Master Fang Yuan is merely a Rank one initial stage Gu Master, and he has just managed to refine his vital Gu. If they were to fight now, he may not be the opponent of this muscular and strong mortal."

"Sigh, let's just hope that when they fight later, they will spare our inn and the furniture."

The employees chattered back and forth, but none dared to take a step forward, only staring from a distance.

"Eh, you still have the mood to continue eating?" Seeing as how he did not manage to intimidate or scare Fang Yuan, the muscular middle-aged man had a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Do you think I'm lying to you? There are already people reporting to young Miss and she will be here shortly. Do not attempt to run away young lad, because you won't be able to get away. My job here is to make sure you stay put. There will be much suffering for you later."

Fang Yuan paid no heed to the man and continued eating his meal.

The middle-aged servant frowned as he did not see a hint of panic or shock from Fang Yuan. This made him feel ignored and his pride was severely offended.

He had been a servant in the Mo family for over a decade, and he had acquired the trust of his master. Over a long period, he would naturally come to learn about the details of Gu Masters.

Rank one Gu Masters mostly relied on their physical combat skills. In battle, a Gu worm's worth was attributed more to its deterrence factor than as a fighting force.

He knew especially that for a young Gu Master like Fang Yuan who had just started cultivating, his physical strength was far inferior when compared to a grown man. If it came down to close combat, he who had trained for many years would gain the upper advantage.

At the same time, Fang Yuan had supposedly only refined the Moonlight Gu, so at the max, he would only be able to shoot out several moonblades.

The middle-aged man was used as a sparring partner from a long time ago, so he knew deeply that if a Rank one initial stage Gu Master were to use his primeval essence to unleash the moonblade, the most it could do was cut several palm-sized wounds and cause limited damage if it managed to hit the human body.

Additionally, the man had the backing of the Mo family, so when he confronted Fang Yuan he had no fear, and was wholeheartedly trying to show off his worth to his masters so that he could be rewarded and deemed more useful to the family.

"Young lad, you sure are courageous huh?" The middle-aged man's tone was turning unfriendly as he folded up his sleeves, revealing his well-toned and muscular forearms. His two arms were large and full of scars. The forearms had thick protruding veins and were even thicker than Fang Yuan's legs.

The inn employees watched in fear and several customers were already getting up, paying the bills and leaving this land of conflict.

"Fang Yuan has been found?" Suddenly, the door emitted a proud, loud female voice.

Mo Yan strode forward in big steps and entered the inn. Behind her were numerous family servants.

Her body figure was decent, slightly tall and had the proper curves. But a long face like a horse's, an inherited gene from the Mo bloodline, caused her looks to be greatly affected, and thus she was only a middle-upper tier beauty.

However, she wore a dark blue uniform, and a red belt, affixed with a square steel plate, tied around her waistline. The steel plate was engraved with a "2".

Additionally, she had just returned from after a clan mission, so there was still lingering traces of the hardship that she had just gone through.

These added up to create a field of pressure and threat that was emitted to her surroundings. Thus, once she stepped into the inn, the entire place went silent under her aura.

"Your servant greets you, young Miss!" The middle-aged man changed his attitude completely upon seeing Mo Yan. He tried to smile charmingly and he bent his body as he walked a few steps and knelt on the floor, greeting Mo Yan.

Upon seeing this change in behavior, the workers in the inn could only stare in shock with their mouths wide-open.

The tall and muscular figure, as opposed to his humble groveling attitude, was a great mismatch, and was seemingly amusing. But the employees of the inn did not laugh as his behaviour only greatly showed off Mo Yan's imposing pressure and status.

Some of the inn workers could not help but worry for Fang Yuan as he was their major customer. If something were to happen to him and made him unable to patronize the inn any further, it would be a huge loss.

More of them were secretly praying for Fang Yuan to surrender. If a fight really broke out and destroyed the inn's property, that would be worse.

Mo Yan did not even take a look at the groveling Gao Wan; her eyes were fixed on Fang Yuan. She took a few steps forward and demanded in a fierce tone, "So you are Fang Yuan? You seem to be having a good meal. Hehehe, have you ever had a knuckle sandwich? I'll give you a taste of it, it might be even more delicious."

Even though she said that, Mo Yan did not make a move.

Fang Yuan's actions were too calm. It was strange. Did he have any secret backers that were protecting him?

"But it shouldn't be so, I've checked before coming. This Fang Yuan only has an uncle and aunt that dislike him, while both his parents are deceased, and he even got chased out of the house by his uncle and aunt. In addition, he only has C ranked talent, so how could such a weak young man have any sort of background?" Mo Yan thought in her mind.

Regardless of this, the situation was still too peculiar. She had to test and probe further. Fang Yuan laughed and squinted at Mo Yan, saying, "Who told you I was Gu Yue Fang Yuan?"

Mo Yan was momentarily stunned, then she took a look at Gao Wan.

He had just stood up, but upon seeing this he immediately knelt back down with sweat pouring out of his forehead. He stammered and could not give a coherent reply, "Master, your servant, your servant...."

They had a drawing of Fang Yuan, but they did not know that Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng were twins that looked almost identical.

"No wonder this young man looked like he had no fear. He is actually Fang Zheng and not Fang Yuan." Mo Yan's servants guessed in their minds.

"Fang Yuan cannot be compared to Fang Zheng. The former is merely a C ranked loner with no background. The latter however has A ranked talent and was pulled into the clan head's faction at the Awakening Ceremony, and as long as he grows smoothly, he has a bright future ahead!" Mo Yan did not get proper a reply from Gao Wan, causing her to be even more hesitant.

At this point, the only ones who knew Fang Yuan's identity were the inn employees. However, they could not afford to offend either parties so they only kept their mouths shut. @@novelbin@@

Fang Yuan was satiated from his meal. He stood up and glanced lightly at Mo Yan, "You want to find Fang Yuan? Come with me, I'll bring you to the school hostel to look for him."

"If the person in front of me is Fang Zheng, I would not want to offend him. However, even if he is really Fang Yuan, I will follow him closely on this trip so I have no fear of him impersonating Fang Zheng." In an instant, Mo Yan made up her mind.

"Alright, I will go together with you to the school hostel. After you!" Mo Yan turned her body to make space for Fang Yuan, stretching out her arm and indicating for Fang Yuan to take the lead.

Fang Yuan laughed nonchalantly and strode forth. Mo Yan followed closely behind with her servants trailing at the back.

"So close!"

"They're finally gone!"

"Even if they start fighting, it is none of our inn's business anymore."

The employees that were left behind all sighed in relief as they patted their chests.

A group of people approached the school hostel.

"Halt!"

"Stop right there, the school hostel only allows our clan's Gu Masters to enter and leave." The two guards at the door stopped Fang Yuan, Mo Yan and her gang.

"Insolent! Do you not recognize who I am? How dare you stop me!" Mo Yan stared at the two and screamed.

"We dare not," the two guards hurriedly gestured.

"Young Miss Mo Yan, this guard holds you in high regards. However the clan rules are absolute, so how about this. You can bring one servant in. This is the most we can do for you." An elderly guard politely responded.

Mo Yan clicked her tongue. Her heart was full of dissatisfaction, yet in the presence of the clan rules, she did not dare to break them.

The Mo family was prosperous, and thus they had many enemies. Do not forget that aside from the Mo family branch, there was also the Chi family to contend with. Apart from the Chi family, the clan head's faction also wanted to get a hold on the Mo family.

"All of you stay behind. Gao Wan will follow me." Thinking about it, Mo Yan gave her orders.

Gao Wan immediately held his chest up high with a look of joy on his face: "Thank you, young Miss for the opportunity!"

"Let's go, junior." Mo Yan smiled at Fang Yuan with a questioning look.

Fang Yuan remained unfazed as he led them in. He reached the dormitory door, opened the lock and pushed the door open.

He then took a step into the room and stopped.

Within the room, there was nothing extra. It was all simple furniture, and there was no one else.

Mo Yan stood at the doorstep, took a look inside and her face turned grim. "Junior, you better explain yourself well, there is no one in the room!"

Fang Yuan smiled faintly: "Aren't I someone?"

Mo Yan stared at Fang Yuan, a glint flashing in her eyes as she suddenly seemed to have understood. "I am looking for Gu – Yue – Fang – Yuan!"

Fang Yuan snickered, "You know, I never said that I wasn't Gu Yue Fang Yuan."

-x-X-x-

"Hmm?" Mo Yan frowned, then her rage burst forth almost instantly as she suddenly understood that she had been fooled by Fang Yuan.

"You are tremendously brave to even consider lying to me!" While speaking, she stretched out her right hand to grab hold of Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan stood firmly on the spot. He raised his head and laughed, "Mo Yan, you better think this through!"

Mo Yan stopped her actions. While she still stood right outside the door, her outstretched hand paused in midair and her face showed a sign of hesitation and resentment.

Within the family, there were relevant rules. Students in the dormitories were protected, and any other person would not be allowed to intrude upon the hostel to capture the students. Mo Yan only wished to teach Fang Yuan a lesson and let him bear a taste of suffering. She definitely did not want to risk getting punished for breaking the rules.

"If it's only me who broke the rules, that would still be fine. However, if this would affect the family and even grandfather's honour..." Thinking of this, Mo Yan reluctantly withdrew her arm. She looked at Fang Yuan who was inside the house with her bloodshot eyes. If her death-stare could be converted into fire, it would burn Fang Yuan to ashes in a second.

"I never lied to you. I said I would bring you to Fang Yuan, and now you have already found him here. It seems you have something to say to me." Fang Yuan smiled faintly with his arms behind his back, ignoring the pressure of a Rank two Gu Master, fearlessly making eye contact with Mo Yan's furious gaze.

He was just a step apart from Mo Yan. One stood within the house, and one stayed outside. But this same distance had also become as far as the east was from the west.

"Hehehe, oh Fang Yuan, you sure have studied the clan rules well and thoroughly." Mo Yan, suppressing her anger, said with a sinister smile. She added, "Unfortunately for you, even while relying on the rules, all it will do for you is to stall for time. There is no way you are staying in the dormitories forever. I'll see how long you can stand hiding in there."

Fang Yuan laughed refreshingly and looked at Mo Yan with disdain. "Then all the more I want to see how long you can disturb me. Ah, it is already late. I have a bed to sleep in, but what about you? If I do not show up for class tomorrow and the elders come to investigate, what do you think I will say?"

"You!" Mo Yan flew into a rage, her fingers pointing at Fang Yuan, barely restraining herself, "Do you really think I wouldn't dare come in and take you down?"

Squeak.

Fang Yuan opened the doors of the hostel wide open, his lips breaking into a grin, his eyes dark like the abyss and his tone full of confidence as if the situation was within his grasp. He challenged Mo Yan, "Then show me."

"Hehehe..." Mo Yan calmed down instead upon seeing this. Her eyes squinted as she looked at Fang Yuan and she said, "Do you think I'd fall for your goading?"

Fang Yuan shrugged. He had already seen through Mo Yan's personality.

If he had closed the door, or even half shut it, Mo Yan had at least a 50% probability of breaking into the house. But when he purposely opened it fully, it had instead made her more wary and calm as a result. Thus there was barely any chance of her forcing her way in anymore.

Five hundred years of experience had already made him fully aware of the human nature and their weaknesses.

He grandly turned around, exposing his back fully to Mo Yan. If Mo Yan struck now, she would definitely be able to capture him in one swift action. However, Mo Yan stayed still outside the door as if there was an invisible mountain blocking her way.

Even after Fang Yuan sat in his bed, Mo Yan only stared at him in anger, gritting her teeth. But regardless of this, she did not make a move.

"This is the pathetic side of humans." Fang Yuan sat up and stared at Mo Yan who was outside looking like a fool, thinking to himself, "At times, the things preventing people from taking action is not physical difficulty, but instead it is the restrictions they have placed on themselves subconsciously."

When comparing cultivation levels, Fang Yuan was definitely not her match at this point in time. But even with her Rank two cultivation level, she could only stare at Fang Yuan and had no courage to make a move. Her distance from him was only a few steps away, and the door was wide open with no hindrance. The only thing that was truly restricting her was none other than herself.

"Humanity sought for knowledge relentlessly to understand the world and to comprehend the rules, and ultimately to use them. If one is constantly bound by the rules, thus being restricted by the very knowledge they sought, that is the ultimate tragedy." Fang Yuan took a final look at Mo Yan before closing his eyes and letting his consciousness sink into the primeval sea.

"This Fang Yuan dares to cultivate right in front of me! He is simply doing so as he pleases!" Looking at this sight, Mo Yan felt a sense of frustration erupting from her chest, making her almost wanting to vomit blood.

She badly wanted to go ahead and give him a few punches!

But she knew she couldn't.

Mo Yan suddenly felt a hint of regret. Standing outside the door, she felt the awkwardness of not being able to back down.

She was indignant to give up now, but she would be devastatingly humiliated. She mobilised her servants with the intention to come and teach Fang Yuan a lesson, yet in the end she was the one who ended up becoming the laughing stock.

Especially when there was a servant looking at her now. @@novelbin@@

"Damn it! Fang Yuan is way too uncooperative! He's too sly!" Mo Yan furiously thought and started to provoke him with all sorts of insults, hoping to force him out of the room.

"Fang Yuan you brat, come out if you're a man!"

"Fang Yuan, as a man you must own up to your own doings. Now you're being a coward hiding in that room, do you not feel ashamed of yourself?"

"Stop pretending to ignore me, get out if you know what's good for you!"

"You cowardly, spineless trash!"

Fang Yuan shut his ears and did not give a single response.

After scolding for a while, instead of venting all her anger, she felt even more irritated. She was starting to feel like a clown or a shrew; blocking the door was just way too embarrassing.

"AHHHHH, this is getting to the death of me!" Mo Yan was about to go crazy, and she finally gave up on provoking Fang Yuan.

"Fang Yuan, you can hide now, but you can't hide from me forever!" She furiously stomped the ground and left indignantly. Before leaving she gave a final order, "Gao Wan, stand there and watch him! I do not believe he will not leave the house."

"Yes, Master!" The muscular servant, Gao Wan rapidly replied and sent Mo Yan off. Within his heart he was feeling bitter – the mountain was chilly and breezy at night. He would have to stand guard the entire time, catching a cold easily like this. It was not an easy task.

Swish swoosh...

Within the primeval sea, ebb and flow of the tides raged on.

The green copper primeval essence gathered like water, forcing a tidal wave rolling about. Under Fang Yuan's mental guidance, the waves endlessly crashed towards the surrounding aperture walls.

A Rank one initial stage Gu Master's aperture walls resembled a white barrier. At this time, with the green copper primeval essence crashing towards them, it produced shadows of light, creating an indescribable feeling.

Time passed gradually and the level of the green copper primeval sea slowly declined.

From the original 44%, it dropped to 12%.

"If a Gu Master wants to raise their cultivation level, they would have to expend their primeval essence to nurture the aperture. Initial stage Gu Masters have light barriers as their aperture walls, while middle stage GuMasters have water barriers as their aperture walls and for upper stage, they have stone barriers. For me to cultivate from initial stage to middle stage, I will have to nurture the light barrier into water barrier aperture walls."

From his five hundred years of memories, Fang Yuan had complete familiarity with the current stages of cultivation, and the methods were as clear as day to him.

He slowly opened his eyes, only to see that it was already late into the night.

The crescent moon hung high in the night sky, the moonlight shining pure as water.

The door was wide open and the moonlight shone in, letting Fang Yuan think of a famous poem from Earth – On a quiet night I saw the moonlight before my couch, and wondered if it were not the frost on the ground(1).

The night winds blew with a hint of chilliness.

Fang Yuan did not have any warmth-type Gu, and with just the body of a fifteen year old, he could not help but shiver slightly.

The night in the mountain was very cold.

"Scoundrel, you finally opened your eyes. How long are you planning to be cultivating there?! Get out, you'll be punished regardless. You beat up our young master Mo Bei, so it was only a matter of time before young Miss teaches you a lesson." Seeing that Fang Yuan had woken up, Gao Wan who was standing at the door got his spirits up.

Fang Yuan squinted; it seemed that the Rank two female Gu Master had left?

"Scoundrel, did you hear me? Hurry and come out here! You have a room to stay in and a bed to sleep, but I had to stand here all night. If you don't come out any time soon, don't you believe I might just barge in?!" Seeing no reaction from Fang Yuan, Gao Wan threatened.

Fang Yuan remained unfazed.

"Scumbag, come out and surrender yourself. You've offended the Mo family, you will not have any good days from now on. Hurry and apologise to young Miss and maybe she might just forgive you." Gao Wan continued to chide.

Fang Yuan did not listen to a single word. He took out a primeval stone from his storage bag and held it in his hands, finally closing his eyes again.

Seeing that he was going to continue cultivating, Gao Wan was anxious and broke into a fit. "You mere C ranked talent, the most you can achieve in life is a Rank two Gu Master! What is there to cultivate? You are no match for the entire Mo family by yourself! Kid, are you deaf? Did you listen to a single word I said?!"

-x-X-x-

Fang Yuan paid no heed to the man and started to multitask. He simultaneously absorbed the natural essence from the primeval stone and observed his aperture.

The primeval sea level which had originally fell drastically within the aperture, with help from the constant stream of natural essence, began to slowly rise up again. This form of recovery speed was inevitably slow, but Fang Yuan was in no hurry.

Cultivation was meant to be accumulative; it could not be rushed.

The urgent matter at hand was in fact the middle-aged servant outside the house.

After half an hour, Fang Yuan's green copper primeval sea reached 44%, the maximum capacity it could hold. But this was not the end.

At this point the primeval sea showed a jade-green colour, this was only a Rank one initial stage green copper primeval essence. The primeval essence that Fang Yuan had previously used to nurture the aperture wall was no longer initial stage primeval essence. It had been turned into middle stage primeval essence, refined by the Liquor worm.

"Liquor worm." With a thought from Fang Yuan, the Liquor worm within the primeval sea instantly flew out and hovered in mid-air, its body curling into a ball form, resembling a white rice ball.

Swoosh.

10% of his initial stage primeval essence was deployed and sent into the Liquor Worm's body, and soon the essence was fully absorbed by it. Soon after, a surge of liquor mist emerged from the Liquor worm's body and congregated into a lump.

Once more, Fang Yuan deployed 10% of his primeval essence and invested it into this liquor mist. Once the mist had been fully expended, the original 10% of initial stage primeval essence shrunk by half physically, and at the same time the colour changed from jade-green to pale-green.

This is middle-stage primeval essence.

"In order to advance in their cultivation, ordinary students all use initial stage primeval essence. However, I'll be using middle stage primeval essence, and the efficiency is at least twice of theirs. Similarly, when using middle stage primeval essence to activate the Moonlight Gu and throw a moonblade, it will be far stronger than activating it using initial stage primeval essence."

Only when all the primeval essence in the primeval sea had been converted to middle stage primeval essence did Fang Yuan open his eyes.

Time passes in the blink of an eye when cultivating, and at this point it was already midnight. The sky was no longer a pure black, but it had turned a deep dark-blue colour. The moon was no longer visible, and only a few lingering stars remained.

The door was open almost throughout the entire night, and a corner of the wooden door was already wet, showing a dark colour as the water tainted it.

The school hostel had this disadvantage, it was not as comfortable as an ordinary wooden lodge that was built above the ground (1), but it was directly built on the ground and thus it had high humidity.

Coming back to reality, Fang Yuan felt a chill down his spine. After sitting cross-legged for such a long time, both his legs felt numb. He opened his clenched right fist and scattered a handful of white stone powder.

This was the primeval stone after its essence had been fully absorbed, and what remained was only the leftover powder.

"After a night of cultivation, I had expended three primeval stones." Fang Yuan calculated in his mind.

He had C ranked talent, but in order to pursue faster cultivation speed, he used primeval stones to replenish his primeval essence. What was more crucial was the Liquor worm, as it had been used to refine his middle stage primeval essence.

This had greatly increased the expenditure of his primeval stones.

"Although I plundered another sum of primeval stones yesterday, a night of cultivation cost me three stones. In this case, although it might seem that I have a lot of resources, it is unable to sustain me for a long time with my current cultivation speed, but this is the price I have to pay for pursuing cultivation speed and efficiency."

Fang Yuan looked outside the room again, only to see Gao Wan, the muscular servant, squatting at a corner with his body curled up, seemingly fallen asleep.

"Looks like that Rank two female Gu Master had left long ago, leaving this Gao Wan here to keep a watch on me. Hehe." Fang Yuan revealed a cold smile as he got off the bed and began to exercise his limbs.

Once his body had warmed up, he left the hostel.

"Lad, you finally decided to come out. So how about it? Obediently surrender and leave with me to kowtow and apologise to our young Miss." Gao Wan's ears caught Fang Yuan's footsteps and he stood up immediately.

His muscular body was almost twice the size of Fang Yuan. The muscles in his body tightened and his brows knitted together, a pair of cruel eyes shining with evil light, resembling a starving hyena.

Fang Yuan expressionlessly walked towards him.

"Lad, you should have came out earlier. By coming out now, do you know how much The Great Me had to suffer by watching over you?" He snickered while approaching Fang Yuan, evidently planning something sinister.

At this moment, Fang Yuan lightly cried out, and with a ferocious leap he aimed both fists towards Gao Wan.

"Bastard, you're courting death!!" Gao Wan's face distorted with rising anger within him, raised his brick-sized fist and he punched towards Fang Yuan.

The fist was extremely powerful, slicing through air and the swooshing sound of the wind could be heard.

Fang Yuan's eyes shone clear as crystal. Seeing that the fist was approaching close, he side-stepped and turned towards Gao Wan's rear. Stretching out a finger, he struck towards Gao Wan's waist.

Gao Wan blocked with his retracted arm – Fang Yuan did not get a clear hit, and ended up hitting onto Gao Wan's left forearm.

Fang Yuan's finger felt like it had hit a steel plate, painful and numb.

"This Gao Wan has already approached the limits of a mortal's physical prowess. Right now I can only use the Moonlight Gu to fight, and without any other Gu worms to assist me, I am not his match at basic close combat!" Fang Yuan's eyes shone and he decided quickly to give up on attacking. Instead, he retracted a few steps and pulled some distance away from Gao Wan.

In the Gu Yue village, only the Gu Yue clansmen had the rights to cultivate as a Gu Master. The outsiders, regardless of whether they had cultivation talent or not, had no rights to attend the Awakening Ceremony.

But these mortals could train in physical combat.

Just like the Gao Wan here, although he was not a Gu Master, he had trained vigorously in his punches and kicks and his basic skill was steadfast. Additionally he was a middle-aged man, and this meant being at the physical prime in a mortal's lifetime.

Fang Yuan, other than having the Moonlight Gu to fight, had only the body of a 15 year old teenager. Be it strength, agility or endurance, he was not Gao Wan's match.

Martial artists like Gao Wan were sufficient enough to kill a Rank one initial stage Gu Master. Even towards a Rank one middle stage Gu Master, they still posed a certain threat.

"This lad is too sneaky!" Seeing that Fang Yuan had drawn some distance between them, Gao Wan felt anxiety within his heart.

The waist was a vital point of the body, and if it was damaged by someone through brute force, the harm was not negligible. If the force was exerted beyond a point, it could also be deadly.

Gao Wan had waited outside the hostel for the entire night, and thus his body was enshrouded by the moist atmosphere, causing his reaction speed to be slightly slower. Hence the strike earlier had almost succeeded. Fortunately, although he was a bootlicker, he had trained hard in his physical ability. So at the crucial moment his body's reflex instinctively reacted and allowed him to narrowly block Fang Yuan's attack.

"I can't be careless anymore! This lad behaves like a wolf, striking harsh and deviously, getting his way whenever I am even but a little careless. No wonder young master was knocked out by him twice." Gao Wan wiped the sweat off his forehead and swept away all hints of contempt. He started to take his opponent seriously.

"If I can capture this lad, it'd be a great accomplishment. Young Miss is sure to reward me! A Rank one initial stage's moonblade is at max only like a small dagger, so as long as it does not hit my vital points it'll merely be a light external injury."

Thinking of this, Gao Wan's heart started to beat faster. Stretching out his shovel-like hands, he grabbed at Fang Yuan.

Boom boom boom!

Fang Yuan showed no fear and approached Gao Wan to engage in close combat. Exchanging punches and kicks, taking turns attacking and defending, loud impact sounds echoed through the area.

When plundering the students, he had only used his palm with his objective being to control the crowd. But now when engaging with Gao Wan, Fang Yuan had gone all out.

At times he used his fingers to jab at the eyes, sometimes strangling the throat, hitting the jaw with the base of his palm, chopping at the back of his opponent's head, using the knee to strike the pelvic area, or using his hands to grab at the waist.

Gao Wan's sweat poured out like a river.

Fang Yuan's moves were all aiming at the vital points, each strike devious and deadly as if he wanted to end Gao Wan's life right there!

Gao Wan was a mere mortal, and unlike the Gu Masters, although he trained well in his physical combat, his vital points remained vital. Mortals were unable to train their eyelids to become steel-like. This was the limits of the mortal martial arts.

In addition, Gao Wan did not dare to unleash any deadly moves on Fang Yuan.

Fang Yuan was a Gu Yue clansman, so killing him would incur public rage and he would be immediately executed. In fact, the Mo family will be the first to carry out his punishment. Thus his only thought was to capture Fang Yuan alive, and it would be good if he could make Fang Yuan suffer in the process of capture.

One side has apprehension while the other side had killing intent. The situation thus became Fang Yuan suppressing Gao Wan in the fight!

(1) 吊脚竹楼 – ordinary wooden lodge that was built above the ground.

-x-X-x-

Fang Yuan had the upper hand for now, but it could not sustain him for much longer.

Exchanging blows back and forth, he was already panting in exhaustion. In contrast, Gao Wan's breathing was still smooth and in-sync, reflecting the huge difference in stamina between the two. At the same time, as Gao Wan exercised his limbs, his body gradually heated up while his punching speed became faster and faster. The effect of the cold that caused him to be slow and numb had worn off, displaying the true skills honed by his training for decades.

"Lad, you are unable to beat me! There are clan rules stating that within the school hostel, you are forbidden from using the Moonlight Gu. You are dead meat, doomed to be my captive!" Gao Wan laughed maniacally; his fighting experience was rich, so he attempted to use words to cause Fang Yuan's fighting spirit to waver.

"In the end, I'm only just a teenager and my body that hasn't fully developed cannot be compared to this servant." Fang Yuan's state of mind was calm as ice. Having sharpened his will for five hundred years, there was no way his fighting spirit would waver.

"Moonlight Gu!" He called out in his mind, activating his primeval essence and at the same time leaping backwards to pull away from Gao Wan.

Gao Wan wanted to chase after him, but he suddenly saw a watery-blue light emitting from Fang Yuan's palm. His face darkened and he shouted, "Lad, you are using the Gu worm to fight in the school hostel, this is against the clan rules!"

"So what if I break the rules?" Fang Yuan sneered. He learnt the clan rules and memorised it to heart, but it was not for the sake of obeying it. Immediately, his palm slashed an arc towards Gao Wan. With a 'ching' sound, the blue moonblade flew towards Gao Wan's face.

Gao Wan gritted his teeth as he raised both arms to cover his face, forming a protective shield. At the same time, he rushed towards Fang Yuan without pause, planning to endure the attack while ending the battle as quickly as he could.

The moonblade struck his arm. With a popping sound, his flesh and blood poured out under the moonlight, a wave of extreme pain hitting Gao Wan's nerves. The unguarded man nearly fainted from the pain.

"How can this be?!" His rush towards Fang Yuan stopped, and he frightfully found out that both his limbs had been cut open with a deep wound. Fresh blood oozed out from the wound and from the side, while bloody muscles could be observed hanging around his flesh. Even the broken white bones of the forearm could be seen.

Gao Wan was shocked beyond words. "This is impossible! A Rank one initial stage moonblade, the most it could do is to lightly injure my flesh. How could it cut through my bones? Only a Rank one middle stage can do this!!"

He had no idea. While Fang Yuan was a Rank one initial stage Gu Master, due to the Liquor worm's refining, he possessed Rank one middle stage primeval essence.

The Moonlight Gu, activated using middle stage primeval essence, emitted a moonblade far superior to the initial stage that he originally predicted.

"This is bad, this boy is weird!!" Gao Wan who was caught off-guard had already suffered a grave injury. His fighting spirit was gone and he decisively decided to retreat.

"Are you able to escape?" Fang Yuan smiled coldly as he started to give chase, the moonblades in his hands shooting out consecutively.

"Save me!!!" Gao Wan shouted out in horror as he fled, his voice travelling far out beyond the school hostel.

"What is going on? Someone is asking for help!" The voice alerted the school hostel guards who were nearby.

"It's the Mo Family's young Miss, Mo Yan's servant." The guards who arrived stopped in their tracks upon seeing the chasing scene.

"This is only a servant, there is no need for us to risk protecting him!"

"Letting him stay here was already a favour towards the Mo Family."

"We still have to be careful, just in case he hurts Fang Yuan in desperation."

The anxious guards all gathered around, but no one lent a hand to Gao Wan; they only observed from the sidelines.

This servant Gao Wan, even if he died, it had nothing to do with them. However if Fang Yuan died or got hurt, it would be their responsibility.

Seeing such a sight, Gao Wan despaired, he tragically screamed, "We are all outsiders! You cannot leave me to die!"

His blood loss was getting more severe, and his speed decreased.

Fang Yuan caught up to him, his voice cold as ice, announcing Gao Wan's death sentence, "Go ahead and scream! It doesn't matter how loud you do so."

While saying that, the blade in his arm rotated, and he fired two moonblades towards Gao Wan.

Swoosh, swoosh!

The moon blades flew towards Gao Wan's neck. The servant lost all hope, seemingly one step away into the abyss. @@novelbin@@

The next moment, he felt that his world was spinning; he actually saw his own feet, chest, back... and that severed neck.

Afterwards, total darkness awaited him.

Gao Wan had died.

Beheaded by two moonblades, his head flew away from the impact, his body pushed back 10 meters before falling. The neck area spewed out a fountain of fresh blood, dyeing the surrounding grass a blood red.

"Murder!!!"

"Fang Yuan killed someone!"

The guards could not help but scream out. They had witnessed the entire process, and they felt a sense of extreme trepidation and terror rushing all over their body.

Fang Yuan was just a weak 15 year old teenager, but he expressionlessly murdered a strong adult. This was the power of a Gu Master!

The victory had been set. Fang Yuan slowed in his footsteps and gradually moved towards the corpse.

His face was calm, as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary. This expression further sent a shiver down the guards' spines.

Gao Wan's head lay on the ground, both his eyes wide open, turning in his grave.

Fang Yuan stared coldly. He raised his leg and sent the head flying.

The guards' eyelids twitched.

Fang Yuan approached the corpse and found that it was still vibrating. The blood spread through the ground, forming a small bloody puddle. He looked at Gao Wan's injuries with a grim expression. These injuries were deep enough to expose the secret to the fact that he had middle stage primeval essence.

Once this was exposed, it'll be quickly deduced that he had a Liquor worm, and with that the family would naturally think of the Flower Wine Monk.

Thus, Fang Yuan had to keep this secret hidden.

"But there are too many onlookers." Fang Yuan's gaze swept through the nearby guards; there was more than ten of them. He had less than 10% primeval essence left, so there was no way to kill them all.

After pondering for a while, Fang Yuan bent down and raised Gao Wan's ankle, dragging the corpse away.

"Young master Fang Yuan, you can leave this to us." The guards controlled their fear and approached Fang Yuan, politely speaking.

The respect and politeness held a tint of obvious fear.

Fang Yuan silently looked at the guards, and they all held their breaths, looking down.

"Give me the sabre," he stretched out his hand and lightly said.

With authority in his speech, he emitted undeniable pressure.

The guard closest to him uncontrollably handed him the sabre on his waist.

Fang Yuan took the sabre over and continued walking, leaving behind a dozen stunned guards staring after his back.

The sun rose from the east, and the first ray of light shone over the mountain peak, lighting up the school hostel.

15 year old Fang Yuan, with the scrawny body of a teenager, a pale look upon his skin.

Under the sunrise, he casually walked.

In his left hand was a shiny sabre.

In his right hand, a headless corpse.

His path left behind a trail of bright red blood traces dragged out on the road.

The guards were flabbergasted, their bodies stiff due to the frightening scene.

Even as the sunlight shone on them, they could not feel a sense of warmth and light.

Gulp.

Someone among them swallowed their saliva loudly.

-x-X-x-

"Did you guys hear? Fang Yuan killed someone!" A student whispered to his classmate beside him.

"I heard it too, he really killed somebody." The classmate clenched his chest with a pale face.

"There were many guards who saw him do it. Fang Yuan was chasing after that man. That guy tried to beg for mercy but Fang Yuan paid him no heed and decapitated him immediately!"

"That's not all. After killing him, Fang Yuan didn't even spare his headless corpse. He dragged it back to the hostel and chopped it into a meat paste."

"Are you for real?"

"I'm serious beyond belief. I came early this morning and I could still see the bloodstains left between the cracks of the green rock."

"Oh man, why would I lie to you? Earlier, the Academy Elder called Fang Yuan over for this matter."

The youths in the Academy did not pay attention to class as they held their little conversations.

To this group of 15 year olds, the concept of killing was too foreign and too scary.

They had been under the protection of the clan since a young age and had at most experienced organized sparring or simply killing chickens and dogs.

As for killing a person, it was still beyond them.

"Who did Fang Yuan kill?"

"I heard it was a family servant of the Mo branch family."

"Yup, I'm the clearest about this matter. Yesterday, I personally saw the Mo Family's Mo Yan bring a bunch of family servants to find trouble with Fang Yuan."

"The Mo family, that's not good. Mo Bei is in trouble now."

A number of the youths turned to look at Gu Yue Mo Bei.

Mo Bei sat on his seat with a pale face - he had only heard about the news of Fang Yuan killing someone this morning. Additionally, it was the Gao Wan that Mo Bei was familiar with. As one of the more energetic family servants, Gao Wan was good at boot licking and had also put effort into his fighting skills. He was an able lackey.

A long while ago, Gao Wan had even sparred with Mo Bei for a bit. To think that he was simply killed by Fang Yuan!

It was precisely because of this that Mo Bei felt astonished. He was full of disbelief and felt twice the shock compared to the others. However, compared to his shock, he felt a greater sense of worry and fear.

Facing a murderer like Fang Yuan, it would be a lie if Mo Bei said that he was not afraid. Actually, it was not just him - the other youngsters were afraid too. When Fang Yuan had robbed them twice previously, all of them had gotten physical with him.

"I actually fought with such a ruthless murderer? To think that I'm actually still alive." Many of them patted their chest, feeling a lingering fear.

Fang Yuan killing someone was still somewhat acceptable but the crux was that he even dissected the corpse and chopped the body into meat paste.

That was way too cruel!

The truth of such a horrifying crime had a strong impact on all of the youths' pure and innocent minds.

-----------------------

Within the room, there was only the Academy Elder and Fang Yuan.

The Academy Elder sat while Fang Yuan stood. Neither of them spoke a word, causing the atmosphere to be extremely tense.

The Academy Elder silently looked at Fang Yuan and a hint of complication flashed in his eyes.

In the morning, the guards had reported to him about Fang Yuan's murder incident. This news had made him feel both shocked and suspicious.

He was a Rank three Gu Master and was in charge of the Academy. He obviously knew the fighting strength of a Rank one initial stage Gu Master.

Fang Yuan being able to kill Gao Wan was like the weak defeating the strong.

In truth, some guards had already reported to him that Mo Yan had trapped Fang Yuan within the Academy by barging in the previous night.

Back then, he had not paid attention to the matter and had not stopped them.

He was the Academy Elder - his objective was to nurture future Gu Masters, not to protect them. As long as there were no deaths among the students, he encouraged hidden conflicts.

Mo Yan coming to find trouble with Fang Yuan was something that he was happy to see. For one, he knew that regardless of whether the fight was won or lost, it would be beneficial to Fang Yuan's growth. Secondly, he wanted to suppress Fang Yuan's influence.

Fang Yuan had consecutively blocked the Academy's gates and robbed the other students. His influence was too great; it had to be suppressed.

However, he hadn't expected that Mo Yan would return fruitlessly and that the family servant that she had left behind would be unable to beat Fang Yuan. Gao Wan even got killed by him!

In this world, strength was above all else. Killing someone was not something peculiar. Especially to a Gu Master, it was something very common.

But it was not so simple when it was a 15 year old's first kill.

The Academy Elder vividly remembered his first killing scene. Back then, he was already a Rank two Gu Master. At the age of 19, he had killed a Gu Master from the Bai clan's village in a conflict.

After killing the person, he vomited profusely and panicked in his heart. For a few days, he had no mood to eat and had no appetite. He could not even find peace in his sleep. The moment he shut his eyes, he would see the dead person staring angrily at him.

But looking at Fang Yuan now, his face was calm as ice. Where was the fluster? Not to mention that he had no uneasy feelings. It was almost like he had slept perfectly well last night, as if the person who killed a man was not him at all!

Especially when the Academy Elder heard more about the matter. After Fang Yuan had killed the servant, he did not spare the corpse and had even dragged it back to the dormitory to chop it into meat paste in his rage. Such vicious methods, even hearing about it was a kind of terror!

Thus, at this point, the Academy Elder looked at Fang Yuan with complicated emotions.

On one hand, he was amazed at Fang Yuan's indifference towards life, his attitude was as steady and as cold as ice. On the other hand, he was appreciative of the fact that Fang Yuan was a born battle-freak. After familiarizing himself with the Moonlight Gu for a few days, he had managed to kill someone with it. An ordinary teenager—even those A grade talents—may not be able to achieve this. This was a talent for battle! If he was well-nurtured and fought for the clan, it would be all of their enemies' nightmare.

Lastly, he felt worry and distressed. @@novelbin@@

Worry because after this incident, Fang Yuan's reputation was sure to rise and it would be impossible to suppress him. Fang Yuan was way too daring; not only did he disobey the clan rules by using his Gu in the Academy, he even killed someone with it. There was a need to suppress his influence. Otherwise, how would the Elder be able to manage this Academy anymore?

Distress was because he did not know how to perfectly resolve this issue. After all, it involved the Mo family's side.

"Fang Yuan, do you know why I called you here to meet me?" The Academy Elder used a solemn and deep voice to break the silence in the room.

"I know." Fang Yuan nodded and replied, "I used the Moonlight Gu in the Academy, breaking the clan rules. According to the rules, as it is my first offense, I should compensate thirty pieces of primeval stones as punishment."

He evaded the crucial point and did not mention Gao Wan's death.

The Academy Elder was stunned for a second, he had not expected that Fang Yuan would answer like this.

His expression darkened as he coldly snapped, "Don't try to blur things in front of me! I'll ask you, what was the matter with Gao Wan's death?"

Fang Yuan squinted his eyes and said, "Hmph, this Gao Wan went against his superiors, his intentions were vicious. Last night, not only did he block my room door, he even tried to kill me. In self-defense, I was forced to use the Moonlight Gu. Fortunately, I managed to kill this traitor. I suspect that there is a high possibility of him being a spy of the other mountain villages, I implore the elders to investigate this thoroughly!"

Upon hearing this, the Academy Elder frowned and became at a lost for words.

Now that Gao Wan was dead, Fang Yuan could say whatever he wanted. After all, Gao Wan was just an outsider, not a member of the clan. Even if he was dead, it would not matter to the Academy Elder. However, he was worried about the Mo family's reaction. Gao Wan was their servant and he had died within the academy. The Academy Elder was in charge of the academy and had to give the Mo family an explanation.

Thinking for a bit, the Academy Elder stared at Fang Yuan and questioned, "Then let me ask you. Gao Wan's corpse, how did you deal with it?"

Fang Yuan's lips curled, revealing a cruel smile. "I diced Gao Wan's corpse and put it inside a wooden box. When morning came, I put it at the Mo family's back door."

"What?!" The Academy Elder was stunned beyond words as he almost jumped from his seat.

Not only did Fang Yuan kill their family servant, he had even chopped up the corpse and placed it at the Mo family's back door. This was blatant provocation!

To the Academy Elder who was trying to resolve this peacefully, it was a true nightmare.

Fang Yuan was just a small Rank one Gu Master, how would the large Mo family react?

Thinking of this, the Academy Elder felt a headache as the matter had already developed out of his control. This Fang Yuan was a true troublemaker.

"Sigh, since it has already happened, there's no point in saying anymore. Leave first, the punishment will come within these few days, you should get mentally prepared." The Academy Elder was terribly upset. He waved his hand and signaled for Fang Yuan to leave; he needed to think through this calmly to come up with a solution.

-x-X-x-

Meanwhile, at the Mo family.

"What were my instructions to you? See what you did!" In the study room, Gu Yue Mo Chen slammed the table, exploding with a rage.

Mo Yan stood opposite this old man, her head lowered. Her eyes were full of shock and rage. She had also just gotten the news that Gao Wan had been killed by Fang Yuan!

That 15 year old teenager, to think he had such methods and determination. Gao Wan was the proud servant of her Mo family and Fang Yuan's act of killing him was a blatant showing of disrespect towards them!

"Grandpa, you don't have to be so angry. This Gao Wan was only a servant, his death is of no concern. He isn't a Gu Yue clan member anyways. But that Fang Yuan, he is too daring, you have to 'look at the owner before you beat the dog'. Not only did he beat our dog but he even beat it to death!" Mo Yan said indignantly.

Gu Yue Mo Chen furiously scowled, "You still have the cheeks to say that! Have your wings grown so tough now that you don't even put my words to heart, hmm? What I told you before, you have forgotten all about it!"

"Your granddaughter dares not!" Mo Yan jumped in shock. She knew now that her grandfather was really angry and quickly kneeled down.

Gu Yue Mo Chen pointed his finger out the window and scolded, "Hmph, so what if that servant died. But now you are still showing hostility towards Fang Yuan, this is really a matter of you being short sighted and unclear of the implications! Do you know the significance of your actions? The fight among juniors is their own business. As elders, we should not interfere. These are the rules! Now that you went to find trouble with Fang Yuan, it means you are breaking the rules. I can't tell how many people are out there now, looking at this disgrace of our Mo family!"

"Grandpa, please calm down, anger will harm your body. It's Mo Yan fault, I burdened the Mo family. Whatever Grandpa tells Mo Yan to do, Mo Yan will do it! But your granddaughter really cannot take this lying down, that Fang Yuan is too despicable, too shameless. First, he lied to me and entered the academy. Next, he hid in the dormitory and no matter how much I scolded him, he would not come out. Once I left, he went ahead and killed Gao Wan. He is extremely sinister and despicable!" Mo Yan reported.

"Oh, is that so?" Gu Yue Mo Chen frowned. This was the first time he had heard this information and a bright light shone across his eyes.

He took in a deep breath, suppressing his rage and he stroked his beard while saying, "I've heard stories about this Fang Yuan. In his early years, he was able to make poems and songs, showing early intelligence. But to think that he only had C grade talent. It was difficult for him to have a good future and thus I gave up on recruiting him. But now it seems that it's slightly interesting."

Pausing for a second, Gu Yue Mo Chen knocked on the table and ordered, "Someone, bring that box over here."

The servant outside the door quickly obeyed. Soon, he brought in a box. The box was neither too big nor too small but it was slightly heavy. The servant used both hands to carry it and stood beside the study table.

"Grandpa, what is this?" Mo Yan stared at the wooden box and asked doubtfully.

"Why don't you open it and take a look?" Gu Yue Mo Chen squinted his eyes and said in a complicated tone.

Mo Yan stood up, flipped over the wooden lid and looked inside.

Immediately, her facial expression changed and her pupils shrunk to a needle-like size. She could not help but take a step back and let loose an unsuppressed scream. The wooden lid in her hand also fell to the ground.

Without the wooden lid, the thing kept within the wooden box was shown to everyone present.

It was actually a pile of flesh and blood!

The bloody flesh was obviously sliced off piece by piece and placed into the box. Bright scarlet blood had accumulated inside. There was some pale skin and flesh, while some were long strands of intestines, mixed in with a few pieces of bones, either leg bones or the ribs. In the pool of blood at a corner, there were also two fingers and half a toe floating in it.

Blech...

Mo Yan beautiful face changed color as she took another step backwards, her stomach turning as she almost vomited on the spot.

She was Rank two Gu Master and had gone out to gain experience before. Despite that, this was the first time that she had seen such a disgusting and twisted scene even though she had killed people before.

The flesh and blood in this box were obviously the corpse of a person after being minced into pieces and stuffed in.

The scent of blood burst into the air and rapidly permeated the air immediately, filling the entire study room.

Both of the family servant's hands shook as he carried the box, his complexion pale. Although he had seen the box earlier and vomited before, he could still feel waves of palpitation and disgust as he held it now.

Among the three people in the study room, only the family elder Gu Yue Mo Chen was unfazed. He lightly looked at the contents of the box for a moment and said to Mo Yan slowly: "This box was what Fang Yuan had placed at our family's back door this morning."

"What, it's really him?!" Mo Yan was extremely shocked as images of Fang Yuan showed up in her mind.

The first time she saw Fang Yuan, it was at the inn.

At that time, Fang Yuan sat near the window, quietly eating his meal. His facial features were bland and both of his eyes were dark and gloomy. His body was thin and his skin had the special paleness of a teenager.

He looked like such a normal and quiet youth. To think that he had done such a twisted and insane act!

After her initial shock came a furious rage. Mo Yan yelled, "This Fang Yuan is too outrageous, who gave him the guts to do so! To dare to do such a thing, this is a provocation towards our Mo family! I will go ahead now and bring him here to question him for his crimes!" After she said this, she headed towards the exit.

"You scoundrel, stop right there!" Gu Yue Mo Chen was angrier than she was as he grabbed an ink slab on his study desk and threw it over.

The hard and heavy ink slab hit Mo Yan's shoulder and with a 'bang' it fell to the ground.

"Grandpa!" Mo Yan held her shoulder as she called out in alarm.

Gu Yue Mo Chen stood up, his finger pointing at his granddaughter as he spoke with an extremely agitated tone, "It seems like all these years of training were in vain. You have disappointed me greatly! Against a small Rank one initial stage Gu Master, not to mention you involving so many people, but even getting led by the nose by the other party. Now that you've let your rage get the better of you, at this point, do you still not understand the meaning behind Fang Yuan's actions?"

"What meaning?" Mo Yan was puzzled.

Gu Yue Mo Chen snorted, "If Fang Yuan wanted to provoke us, he would have blown up this matter, so why did he place this box at the secluded back door instead of placing it at the front door where there are many people walking around?"

"Maybe he wants to reconcile with us? No, if he wanted to reconcile, wouldn't it be better to apologise face to face? Why must he send us this box of minced corpse, this is definitely a provocation!" Mo Yan said.

Gu Yue Mo Chen shook his head, then nodded. "He wants to reconcile, but at the same time, he is also provoking us. Placing the wooden box at the back door is his intention to reconcile. Placing the corpse inside the box, that is a provocation."

"You see," The old man pointed at the box, and spoke, "This wooden box is not big, and it cannot hold a complete corpse. Therefore there can only be a portion of the corpse inside. He is trying to tell us that he does not wish to blow up this matter and wants to settle this amicably. But if our Mo Family wants to pursue this matter, he will place the remainder of the corpse at our main entrance, thoroughly blowing up the issue. By that time, it would be a losing situation for both sides. The entire clan knows that our Mo family broke the rules first, and to our Mo Family's future head, this would be seen as him being so weak since he actually required his elder's doting and protection."

Upon hearing these words, Mo Yan was momentarily dumbfounded. She had never expected that Fang Yuan's actions would have such profound meaning.

"His method is really wise," Gu Yue Mo Chen said with admiration, "With just one action, he exercised both toughness and softness, capable of advancing and retreating safely. This is just a simple wooden box but it not only expresses Fang Yuan's intention to compromise but also his ability to pose a threat to our Mo family. And it so happens that he does hold onto the weakness of our Mo family. If the Mo family's reputation is tarnished, what follows after will be the Chi family's attack as well as the assault from the clan leader's side."

Mo Yan found it unbelievable. "Grandpa, aren't you thinking too highly of him? Are you sure that he's capable of this? He is only 15 years old."

"Too highly?" Mo Chen looked at his granddaughter unhappily. "Looks like you've had too smooth a life in these past few years. Fostering your arrogant attitude, you are unable to clearly see the reality. This Fang Yuan was unfazed towards danger and deceived you to enter the school. Next, he used his wisdom in the face of danger and hid within the dormitory to avoid trouble. No matter what insult you threw at him he did not respond, this is his ability to calmly endure. After you left, he killed Gao Wan immediately, this is his bravery and courage. Now he sent this box, clearly showing his wisdom and planning ability. Can you still say that I thought of him too highly?"

Mo Yan listened with wide eyes as she had not expected her grandfather to praise Fang Yuan so highly. Immediately she said indignantly, "Grandpa, he only has a C grade talent."

Gu Yue Mo Chen sighed deeply, "Yes, he is only a C grade. Having such wisdom and yet only C grade talent, it really is a pity. As long as his talent was higher, even if it was just a B grade, he would certainly become an influential member of our Gu Yue clan. What a pity, he is only a C grade."

The old man's sigh was full of emotion. His sigh held both regret and at the same time rejoice.

Mo Yan was silent and in her mind, Fang Yuan's image appeared once again. Under her psychological influence, Fang Yuan's frail expression was shrouded by a layer of mysterious and vicious shadow.

"This problem was created by you single-handedly. How are you going to settle it?" Gu Yue Mo Chen broke the silence as he started to test Mo Yan.

Mo Yan pondered for a while before she replied in a cold and aloof tone, "Gao Wan was just a servant, so there are no implications even if he dies. Fang Yuan is just a C grade, so he is also a small matter. What's important is maintaining my Mo family's reputation. To appease this matter, we might as well kill Gao Wan's entire family to show the entire clan our attitude to protect the rules and regulations."

"Mmm, you're able to think of the big picture. Setting aside your personal emotions to defend the interests of family, this is very good. However, your method is still flawed." Gu Yue Mo Chen analyzed her response.

"Please enlighten me, Grandpa," Mo Yan implored.

Gu Yue Mo Chen said solemnly, "This matter was instigated by you, so I shall punish you with seven days of confinement. From now on, do not find trouble with Fang Yuan again. Gao Wan defied his superiors - a servant who dares to offend his master deserves death, so he should have been executed for his crimes! Because he is a servant of the Mo family, we are responsible for our inability to educate our subordinate and thus we shall compensate that Fang Yuan with thirty primeval stones. As for Gao Wan's family members, give them fifty primeval stones as compensation and expel them from the clan."

After a short pause, he continued, "For the next seven days, rest well at home, do not go out. At the same time, think about the profound meaning of why Grandpa chose to handle the matter this way."

"Yes, Grandpa."