The devil walks in the light

The sky was covered with layers of dark clouds, and the spring rain drizzled continuously.

The fine, hair-thin drizzle fell, enveloping Qing Mao Mountain in a thin mist.

The first-floor dining hall of the inn was still desolate, with only four tables of customers.

Fang Yuan sat by the window, a breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers and a sense of poetic beauty.

"The small rain on the streets moistens like oil, the distant grass appears lush but is not," Fang Yuan murmured softly as he gazed out the window before pulling his gaze back.

On the table in front of him were exquisite dishes and fine wine, the aroma and appearance were enticing. Especially the green bamboo wine, which had a fresh and mellow fragrance. The emerald green wine sat quietly in the bamboo cup, and from this angle, it emitted a warm amber-like glow.

At the nearest table to him sat an elderly man and his grandson, dressed in plain clothes, both commoners.

The old man, while sipping his rice wine, enviously looked at Fang Yuan's table. It was evident that he was tempted by the fragrance of the green bamboo wine but lacked the money to buy it.

The grandson was eating marinated fragrant beans, the crunching sound loud as he bit into them. Meanwhile, he was pestering his grandfather, shaking the old man's arm, "Grandpa, Grandpa, tell me the story of the Ancestor of Humanity. If you don't, I'll go home and tell Grandma that you sneaked out to drink!"

"Ah, can't even have a peaceful drink," the old man sighed, but a look of affection appeared on his face. He patted his grandson's head with his skinny, bony hand, "Alright, I'll tell you. It is said that the Ancestor of Humanity gave his heart to the Hope Gu and escaped the encirclement of despair..."

The story of the Ancestor of Humanity is the most widely circulated and oldest legend in this world.

The old man's story went something like this:

It is said that the Ancestor of Humanity, due to hope, escaped the predicament. But he was old and frail, lacking strength and wisdom, unable to hunt anymore, and even his teeth had all fallen out, making it hard for him to chew many wild fruits and vegetables.

The Ancestor of Humanity could feel death gradually approaching.

At this time, the Hope Gu told him, "Human, you cannot die. If you die, your heart will be gone, and I, Hope, will lose my resting place."

The Ancestor of Humanity said helplessly, "Who wants to die? But heaven and earth want me dead, and I have no choice but to die."

The Hope Gu said, "There is always hope. As long as you catch the Longevity Gu, you can gain new life."

The Ancestor of Humanity had long heard of the Longevity Gu, but he said helplessly, "When the Longevity Gu is still, no one can detect it. When it flies, it is faster than light. How can I catch it? It's too difficult!"

The Hope Gu then told him a secret, "Human, never give up hope. Let me tell you, in the northwest corner of the earth, there is a great mountain. At the top of the mountain, there is a cave where a round and a square Gu live. If you can subdue these two Gu, no Gu in the world can escape you, not even the Longevity Gu!"

The Ancestor of Humanity was at his wit's end, and this was his only hope.

He endured countless hardships to find this mountain. Braving numerous dangers, he climbed to the top. At the cave entrance on the mountain peak, with his last bit of strength, he staggered in.

The cave was pitch black, so dark that one couldn't see their hand in front of their face. The Ancestor of Humanity walked and walked in the darkness, occasionally bumping into things, injuring himself badly. Sometimes, he felt the vast, boundless darkness as if it were another world, empty except for himself.

He spent a lot of time in this vast darkness, unable to subdue the two Gu, let alone find his way out.

As he grew more confused, two voices came from the darkness.

One said, "Human, do you also wish to capture us? Go back. Even if you have the Strength Gu, you won't succeed."

The other voice said, "Human, retreat. We won't take your life. Even with the Wisdom Gu, you might not find us."

The Ancestor of Humanity, lying weakly on the ground, gasped, "The Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu have long left me. I have little life left and no way out. But as long as there is a trace of hope in my heart, I will not give up!"

Hearing his words, the two voices fell silent.

After a long while, one voice said, "I understand now. Human, you have given your heart to the Hope Gu. You will not give up, no matter what."

The other voice continued, "In that case, we will give you a chance. If you can say our names, we will obey you."

The Ancestor of Humanity was stunned. To accurately name two words from the vast sea of words was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Moreover, he did not know how many words were in the names of these two Gu.

The Ancestor of Humanity quickly asked the Hope Gu, but even it did not know.

With no other choice, the Ancestor of Humanity started guessing names. He said many names, spending a lot of time, but there was no response from the darkness, indicating he had guessed wrong.

Gradually, his breath weakened. In this cave, he aged from an old man to a dying one, like the setting sun, half fallen beyond the horizon.

His food supply dwindled, his mind slowed, and he had little strength left to speak.

The voices in the darkness urged, "Human, you are dying. We will let you go. Spend your last moments seeing the world outside. But as punishment for offending us, leave the Hope Gu here to keep us company."

The Ancestor of Humanity clutched his heart and resolutely refused, "Even if I die, I will not give up hope!"

The Hope Gu was deeply moved and responded with all its might, emitting a pure white light. A soft glow emerged from the Ancestor's chest.

But the light was too weak to illuminate the darkness, not even enough to cover the Ancestor's whole body, only his chest.

The Ancestor of Humanity felt a new, invisible strength flowing from the Hope Gu into his body.

He continued to speak names, though he was now old and confused, often repeating names he had said before, wasting much effort.

With time running out, the Ancestor of Humanity had little life left.

Finally, with only one day of life remaining, he said the word "Square."

A sigh came from the darkness, "Human, I, Square, admire your persistence. You have spoken my name, and from now on, I will obey you. But alone, I cannot capture all the Gu. So give up, you are near death, and it would be better to spend your last moments seeing the world."

The Ancestor of Humanity shook his head firmly and continued to guess the name of the other Gu.

Time passed, and with only one hour left, he unintentionally said the word "Rule."

Instantly, the darkness vanished.

Two Gu appeared before him, as the Hope Gu had described: one square, named "Square," and one round, named "Rule." Together, they formed "Rules."

Both Gu spoke in unison, "Whoever knows our names will have our obedience. Human, you have learned our names, so we will serve you. But remember, do not let others know our names. The more who know, the more we must serve. You are the first to subdue us, state your command."

The Ancestor of Humanity rejoiced, "Then I command you to capture a Longevity Gu for me."

Together, the Rules Gu captured an eighty-year Longevity Gu.

The Ancestor of Humanity, who was one hundred years old, ate the Longevity Gu, instantly shedding his wrinkles, filling out his limbs with strong muscles, and regaining his youthful vitality.

With a flip, he sprang up.

He looked joyfully at his rejuvenated body, knowing he was once again a twenty-year-old youth!

...

"That's all for today, time to go home, my good grandson," the old man finished his story and his drink.

"Grandpa, keep going, what happened to the Ancestor of Humanity next?" the grandson pestered, shaking the old man's arm.

"Let's go, I'll tell you another time," the old man put on his hat and raincoat, and draped a smaller one over his grandson.

The grandfather and grandson left the inn and walked into the rain, gradually disappearing into the distance.

"Rules..." Fang Yuan muttered, twirling his wine cup, staring into the green bamboo wine, feeling deeply moved.

The legend of the Human Ancestor is widely known in this world; almost everyone has heard of it. Fang Yuan naturally had heard of it long ago.

However, whether it's a legend or a story, different people interpret it differently. The grandfather and grandson just saw it as a story, but Fang Yuan could taste the profound meaning hidden within it.

Just like the Human Ancestor.

When he didn't know the rules, he groped in the dark. Sometimes he stumbled and bumped into things, getting battered and bruised, looking quite pathetic. At other times, he felt the vastness, falling into confusion, having no direction or goal.

This darkness was not just simple darkness; strength, wisdom, and hope could not overcome it.

Only when the Human Ancestor learned the "rules" and revealed their names did the darkness suddenly disappear, and the Human Ancestor welcomed the light.

The darkness was the darkness of the rules, and the light was also the light of the rules.

Fang Yuan shifted his gaze from the wine cup and looked out the window.

Outside, in the distance, the sky was overcast and dark, the green mountains stretched endlessly, and the fine rain fell like mist. Nearby, one bamboo stilt house after another extended outward. On the road, two or three pedestrians, their feet muddied by the rain, either wore gray-green raincoats or carried yellow oil-paper umbrellas.

Fang Yuan summarized in his heart: "This world is like a large chessboard, and all living things are chess pieces, operating according to their own rules. The seasons have rules, cycling through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Water has rules, flowing downward. Heat has rules, rising upward. Humans naturally have rules too."

"Everyone has their own position, desires, and principles. Take the Gu Yue Village, for instance. Servants' lives are cheap, while masters' lives are precious—this is the rule. Therefore, Shen Cui wants to attach herself to the powerful, going to great lengths to leave her slave status. Gao Wan does everything possible to please the masters, bullying others by relying on his master's power."

"As for my uncle and aunt, they are greedy by nature, wanting to seize my parents' inheritance. The elder of the school mainly focuses on nurturing Gu Masters and maintaining his position in the school."

"Everyone has their own rules, every profession has its own rules, and every social group has its own rules. As long as you understand these rules, you can see things clearly. Dispelling darkness and gaining light, you can maneuver within it with ease."

Fang Yuan then thought of his own situation, already planning carefully in his heart: "For the Mo Family's leader, Gu Yue Mo Chen, it is to maintain the prosperity and interests of his own line. Mo Yan causing trouble for me has already broken the rules, so to maintain the family's reputation, he definitely won't act against me. He might even compensate me."

"In fact, the Mo Family is powerful, and if they insisted on punishing me for the sake of their reputation, I would be powerless to resist. But Gu Yue Mo Chen is afraid. He's not afraid of breaking the rules himself, but worried that others will follow his example and start breaking the rules too. If elders intervene in the conflicts among juniors, the situation will escalate. If it spreads to the higher-ups, it would be a huge threat to the entire village. Gu Yue Mo Chen's fear lies in the possibility of others targeting his grandson, Gu Yue Mo Bei, in future conflicts. What would happen if his only male descendant were to die? This fear, he might not even be aware of it himself. He subconsciously wants to maintain the rules."

Fang Yuan's eyes were clear, understanding the matter thoroughly from beginning to end.

Gao Wan does not bear the surname Gu Yue; he is an outsider, a servant.

There is no issue with a master killing a servant. This is normal in this world.

Fang Yuan killed Gao Wan. Gao Wan's death was not the issue; the issue was his master, the Mo Family behind him.

"However, the box of broken body parts I sent will likely be interpreted by Gu Yue Mo Chen as both a concession and a threat. This is precisely what I want him to understand. If nothing unexpected happens, the Mo Family won't pursue Gao Wan's death. Of course, if my aptitude were one level higher, say B-grade, the Mo Family would feel threatened and would suppress me even for the sake of reputation." Fang Yuan sneered in his heart.

Strength can be relied upon, and weakness can be exploited.

Although Fang Yuan is now in the midst of the game, just a chess piece, he already has the mindset of a chess player, understanding the rules.

Ordinary people, like Gu Yue Mo Chen or the school elder, only know their own rules, separated by industries like mountains. But Fang Yuan understands the overall situation and masters the rules—how rare that is!

To understand the rules, one must, like the Human Ancestor, crawl and grope in the darkness, wandering in confusion.

At this time, strength, wisdom, and hope are not very useful. It takes time and personal experience to gain understanding.

The Human Ancestor revealed the names of the two rules after consuming much time, under the looming threat of death, and through countless attempts.

Fang Yuan mastered the rules also through his five hundred years of accumulated experience from his previous life.

Since his rebirth, he has been confident in creating a brilliant future. It's not because of the reappearance of the Spring and Autumn Cicada, nor because he knows many secret treasures, nor because he understands the general direction of the future.

It's the life experience of dealing with people over five hundred years.

Just as the Human Ancestor, having mastered the two rule worms, could easily capture all the world's worms!

And Fang Yuan, mastering the rules, can look down from above, piercing through the complexities of the world. Sometimes unraveling the tangled threads, sometimes striking at the heart of the matter. He stands tall and proud, coldly watching as the people of the world, like chess pieces, follow their own rules and proceed step by step.

The darkness is the darkness of the rules, and the light is the light of the rules.

And the reborn demon walks in the light.