Chapter 12: Rules and Regulations

Chapter 12: Rules and Regulations

Demon Walking In The Light

The sky was flexing its gloomy drip, dark clouds rolling in like they were about to drop the most depressing mixtape ever. Spring rain fell in thin, wispy strands, wrapping Qing Mao Mountain in a misty vibe. The dining hall of the inn was quieter than a Discord server at 3 a.m., with only four tables occupied.

Fang Yuan sat by the window, his sigma energy radiating like a neon sign. A breeze blew in, carrying the scent of flowers and a poetic aura. He looked out the window and muttered, "The light rain from the sky is sleek and crisp, the color of grass is seen from afar but disappears when close." Then he turned back to his table, which was stacked with gourmet food and a cup of green bamboo wine. The wine was dark green, glowing like it had been blessed by the Grimace Shake gods.

At a nearby table, a grandpa and his grandson were vibing. The grandpa sipped his cheap rice wine, side-eyeing Fang Yuan's green bamboo wine like it was the ultimate flex. The grandson was munching on braised beans, crunching loudly like he was auditioning for an ASMR channel. He tugged at his grandpa's sleeve, whining, "Grandpa, grandpa, tell me the story of Ren Zu! If you don't, I'll tell Grandma you're out here drinking again!"

The grandpa sighed, his face softening. "Alright, alright. Let me tell you about Ren Zu, who gave his heart to the Hope Gu and escaped his predicament…"

Ren Zu was out here struggling, trapped in a situation that was giving major beta energy. But then the Hope Gu hit him with the ultimate rizz, saying, "Human, you can't die. If you die, I'll be homeless."

Ren Zu was like, "Bro, I don't wanna die either, but the heavens are giving me the ultimate L."

The Hope Gu wasn't having it. "There's always hope, my guy. Go catch a Longevity Gu, and you'll be vibing forever."

Ren Zu sighed. "The Longevity Gu is faster than light. How am I supposed to catch that? It's giving impossible grindset."

But the Hope Gu dropped some lore. "On the northwest corner of the continent, there's a mountain with a cave. Inside that cave are two Gu worms—one round, one square. If you can subdue them, you can catch any Gu, even the Longevity Gu."

Ren Zu, desperate for that sigma grindset, trekked through the wilderness, dodging beasts and bad vibes until he reached the mountain. He climbed it, risking his life like he was in a hardcore parkour video. Finally, he reached the cave, but it was darker than a TikTok mod's soul.

Inside, Ren Zu stumbled around, bumping into stuff and getting hurt. It was like he was in a horror game with no tutorial. Two voices echoed in the darkness:

"Human, you're here to catch us? Go back, even with the Strength Gu, you'd fail."

"Human, go back. Even with the Wisdom Gu, you'd never find us."

Ren Zu, exhausted, gasped, "I don't have Strength or Wisdom anymore, but I've got Hope. I'm not giving up!"

The voices went silent. Then one said, "Human, you've given your heart to the Hope Gu. You're built different. We'll give you a chance. Guess our names, and we'll serve you."

Ren Zu was like, "Bro, how am I supposed to guess your names? That's like finding a needle in a haystack."

He started throwing out random names, but nothing worked. Time was ticking, and Ren Zu was fading fast. The voices urged him to leave, but he refused. "Even if I die, I won't give up hope!"

The Hope Gu glowed faintly, giving Ren Zu a last burst of energy. He kept guessing names until, on his final day, he said, "Regulation."

One of the voices sighed. "Human, you've guessed my name. I'm Regulation. But you need my brother to catch any Gu."

Ren Zu kept guessing until, with one hour left, he said, "Rule."

The darkness lifted, revealing two Gu worms—one cubic (Regulation) and one spherical (Rule). Together, they were the Rules and Regulations Gu.

They said, "Human, you've guessed our names. We'll serve you. But don't let others know our names, or we'll have to serve them too."

Ren Zu, now hyped, ordered, "Go catch me a Longevity Gu."

The Rules and Regulations Gu teamed up and snagged an eighty-year Longevity Gu. Ren Zu ate it and went from looking like a grandpa to a ripped 20-year-old gym bro. He flexed his new muscles, knowing he'd just unlocked the ultimate cheat code.

The grandpa finished his story and his wine. "That's all for today, grandson. Let's go home."

The grandson whined, "But what happens next?!"

The grandpa chuckled. "Next time, kiddo." He put on his straw hat and jacket, handing a smaller set to his grandson. They stepped out into the rain, disappearing into the mist.

Fang Yuan swirled his wine, deep in thought. "Rules and Regulations… Ren Zu stumbled in the dark until he understood them. Only then could he see the light. This world is the same—everyone's playing by their own rules, whether they know it or not."

He looked out the window, watching the rain and the people walking through it. "The Mo family, the Academy Elder, even Gao Wan—they're all following their own rules. But I've got 500 years of experience. I know the game better than anyone."

Fang Yuan smirked. "The Mo family won't touch me. They're too scared of breaking the rules. And if they do? Well, I've got my own moves."

He finished his wine, his mind clear. "This world's a chessboard, and I'm the player. Everyone else is just a pawn."

Toad Cave Merchant Incoming

The month of May was flexing its transition drip, moving from spring to summer like it was switching from a cozy hoodie to a tank top. The air was thick with the smell of flowers, the mountains were evergreen, and the sun was starting to hit like a sigma male on a mission.

Under the clear blue sky, the clouds were floating like they were on a low taper fade. Qing Mao Mountain was looking sharp as ever, with bamboo spears pointing straight up like they were trying to rizz the heavens. Weeds were growing wild, and random flowers were popping off like they were trying to get clout. The breeze was hitting, carrying the smell of pollen and grass like it was a TikTok trend.

Halfway up the mountain, there were terraced fields stacked like a green sea. Farmers were out there grinding, cleaning canals, and planting sprouts like their lives depended on it. These were all mortal outsiders, though—Gu Yue clansmen would never be caught dead doing peasant work.

Ring, ring…

The sound of camel bells floated through the air, and the farmers perked up like they just heard a new Baby Gronk drop. Down the mountain, a caravan was rolling in like a colorful worm, flexing its toad-powered drip.

"It's the merchant caravan!" someone shouted.

"Yeah, it's May. They're right on time," another added.

The adults nodded like they were in on the lore, while the kids dropped their mud pies and ran toward the caravan like it was a free Fanum Tax meal.

The Southern Border was packed with mountains, and Qing Mao Mountain was just one of them. Villages were scattered everywhere, held together by blood and kinship. The forests were deep and ominous, cliffs were steep, and the whole place was crawling with beasts and Gu worms. Mortals couldn't make it through without a Gu Master escort, and even then, it was sketchy.

Trading was tough in this economy, so merchant caravans were the main hustle. They rolled deep with Gu Masters and toads, hopping from mountain to mountain like they were on a sigma grindset.

The caravan's arrival was like dropping a nuke on Qing Mao Mountain's chill vibes. The innkeeper breathed a sigh of relief—business had been drier than a Discord mod's social life, but now he could finally sell his stash of green bamboo wine.

The caravan merchants entered the village, led by a massive Treasure Brass Toad. This toad was two and a half meters tall, orange-yellow, and built like a tank. Its back was covered in warts and knots, looking like it had been hit with the Grimace Shake of evolution. On its back was a giant backpack of goods, and sitting cross-legged on its head was Jia Fu, the caravan leader.

Jia Fu was a pockmarked, rotund man with a belly that screamed "I eat well." His eyes were slits when he smiled, and he waved at the villagers like he was the main character.

Behind the toad was a fat worm the size of a bus, covered in black porcelain-like armor. It was carrying more goods and people, followed by ostriches, spiders, and winged snakes. But the real stars of the show were the toads—smaller versions of the Treasure Brass Toad, hopping along like they were on a mission.

The kids were losing their minds, pointing and shouting like they'd just seen a skibidi toilet in real life. The adults were more reserved, some waving warmly while others side-eyed the merchants like they were about to get scammed.

Gu Yue Bo, the clan head, came out to greet Jia Fu. "Old brother Jia, you're late this year. Rough journey?"

Jia Fu sighed. "Yeah, we ran into some Secluded Blood Bats and got stuck in a mountain fog. Lost some good men too. It's been a grind."

Gu Yue Bo nodded sympathetically. "Well, you're here now. Let's get you some food and wine."

As the caravan settled in, the village transformed into a bustling marketplace. Tents and stalls popped up like mushrooms, selling everything from tea bricks to Gu worms. The air was filled with the sounds of merchants hawking their wares.

"Come get your Blue Sea Cloud tea bricks! Five primeval stones each—cheaper than a Fanum Tax meal!"

"Brute Force Longhorn Beetle Gu! Get ripped like Baby Gronk for only ten stones!"

"Intimate Grass, fresh-picked! Two stones a catty—don't sleep on this!"

Fang Yuan moved through the crowd, his sigma energy radiating like a neon sign. "Skill issue, Mo family. Should've leveled up. Oh well, time to mew and edge my way to the top. This clan ain't ready for my rizz."

He paused at the Intimate Grass stall, eyeing the pastel green herbs. "Mixing this with moon orchid petals would save me some stones. But I don't have time for this—I need to find that Mudskin Toad."

Fang Yuan had 98 primeval stones left after his recent grind. He'd been refining his aperture and feeding his Gu worms, but he knew he had to make this count. "If memory serves, that toad's in one of these purple gold rocks. I just need to find it before some lucky bird snatches it."

He made his way to a grey tent with two pillars at the entrance. The left pillar read, "Small display of courage, obtain good fortune during the four seasons." The right pillar read, "Large display of skills, obtain good prosperity in all four directions." And in the middle: "Luck changes with time."

This was a rock gambling den.

Inside, the atmosphere was quiet and tense. Counters were lined with amber and fossils of all sizes. Gu Masters were inspecting the rocks, rubbing them, and whispering to each other. Fang Yuan walked in, his eyes scanning the room like a predator.

A female Gu Master approached him with a smile. "Young master, looking to try your luck? The rocks on this counter are ten stones each. If you're new, you might want to start with the cheaper ones on the right."

Fang Yuan nodded, his expression unreadable. "I'm not here to play games. I'm here to win."

He moved to the left counter, where the purple gold rocks were displayed. There were about twenty of them, each one a potential jackpot. Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed as he began his search.

"This one's too flat—no toad here. This one's too small—no way it's hiding a Mudskin Toad. This one's too smooth—mudskin toads are rough and uneven."

He narrowed it down to six rocks, each one a potential winner. "I've got 98 stones. If I buy seven, I'll still have enough to survive. But I need to make this count."

Fang Yuan's mind raced as he weighed his options. "In my past life, I ran a gambling den. I know how this works. Most of these rocks are duds, but if I hit the jackpot, it's game over for everyone else."

He picked up one of the rocks, feeling its weight. "This is it. This has to be it."