Beside the academy stood a Gu chamber, not large, only sixty square metres in size. In the cultivation of a Gu Master, Gu worms are the ultimate key to strength. As soon as lessons ended, the excited youths swarmed towards the Gu chamber.
“Queue up, come in one by one!” A stern shout rang out. Guards were naturally stationed outside the Gu chamber door. The youths went in one by one, and then came out. It was Fang Yuan's turn to enter.
Inside, he saw that there was far more to the room than met the eye. The four walls were carved into recesses, inset square compartments densely packed and crowding one after another. They varied in size, the largest was no bigger than a clay pot, and the smallest was no larger than a fist. Within the tightly packed compartments sat a vast array of vessels: grey stone basins, vibrant green jade plates, delicate grass cages, and earthenware braziers. In these vessels were kept all kinds of Gu worms.
Some Gu worms were quiescent and mute, while others were clamorous, emanating a din of chirps, clucks, and rustles that coalesced into a symphony of life.
“Gu worms are likewise divided into nine revolutions, corresponding to the nine revolutions of Gu Masters. The Gu worms here are all First Revolution Gu worms.” Fang Yuan surveyed the chamber, comprehending at a single glance. Generally, a First Revolution Gu Master can only use First Revolution Gu worms. Should they attempt to activate a higher-revolution Gu worm exceeding their current rank, they will invariably incur a devastating toll.
Moreover, Gu worms require constant sustenance; the cost of nurturing a superior Gu worm is frequently far more than an inferior Gu Master can bear. The very first Gu worm a Gu Master refines carries great significance; known as their vital Gu, it is inextricably bound to their life force. Should it perish, the Gu Master will inevitably suffer grievous damage.
Fang Yuan sighed inwardly even as he walked straight towards the wall on his left. Slightly higher up on the wall, on one of the levels, stood a row of silver plates. Upon each plate rested a Gu worm. This Gu worm was crystal clear and curved like a crescent moon, resembling a piece of blue crystal. Set against the silver base, it revealed a wisp of clear and ethereal aura.
Its name was Moonlight Gu, the Gu Yue clan's signature Gu. The vast majority of clansmen choose it as their vital Gu. It is not a natural Gu worm, but one cultivated through the Gu Yue clan's secret method. Found nowhere else, it can be said to be the emblem of the Gu Yue clan. All were First Revolution Moonlight Gu; the differences between them were extremely subtle. Fang Yuan picked one at random and took it in his hand.
The Moonlight Gu was very light, no heavier than a thin sheet of paper. Occupying only a small patch of his palm, it was the size of an ordinary jade pendant. Holding it in his hand, Fang Yuan could look right through it to see the obscured lines of his palm. After a final glance confirming nothing was amiss, Fang Yuan slipped it into his pocket and left the Gu chamber.
Outside the Gu chamber, the long queue was still lined up. Seeing Fang Yuan walk out, the next youth hurried eagerly into the chamber. Had it been anyone else, upon obtaining a Gu worm, their first instinct would be to rush home and refine it. Fang Yuan did not hurry; his mind remained fixed on that Liquor Worm. The Liquor Worm is more precious; although the Moonlight Gu is a specialty of Gu Yue Village, it lacks the sheer utility a Liquor Worm offers a Gu Master.
• • •
Leaving the Gu chamber, Fang Yuan went directly to the wine shop.
“Shopkeeper, two jars of aged wine.” Fang Yuan fished in his pocket and laid his last fragments of primeval stone on the counter. For the past few days, he would come here to buy wine, then wander the outskirts of the village, searching for a way to lure that Liquor Worm into the open.
The shopkeeper was a short, fat, middle-aged man, his face shining with oil. After these past days, he had already come to remember Fang Yuan.
“Honoured customer, you're here.” As he spoke, he stretched out his stubby, fat hand and deftly swept away Fang Yuan's primeval stone fragments. He hefted them in his palm, and finding the weight sufficient, his smile grew a touch more cordial.
Primeval stones are the currency of this world, used to measure the value of all commodities. They are also the condensed essence of heaven and earth, capable of being directly absorbed to aid a Gu Master's cultivation. Possessing both monetary and commodity attributes, they are remarkably similar to gold on Earth. Earth once utilised a gold standard; in this world, it is a primeval stone standard. Compared to gold, the purchasing power of primeval stones is even more astonishing. However, no amount of primeval stones can withstand Fang Yuan's continuous consumption like this.
“Two jars of wine every day for seven days straight. The primeval stones I accumulated are almost all spent.” Carrying two jars out of the shop, Fang Yuan furrowed his brows slightly.
Once a Gu Master, a person can directly extract pure primeval essence from primeval stones to replenish the primeval sea within their aperture. Therefore for Gu Masters, primeval stones are not only a currency, but also an aid in cultivation. With sufficient primeval stones, cultivation speed can increase significantly; this can more or less compensate for shortcomings in aptitude.
“Tomorrow, I will lack the primeval stones to purchase wine, yet the Liquor Worm has still failed to show itself. Must I truly refine the Moonlight Gu into my vital Gu?” Fang Yuan felt a pang of reluctance.
Leaving the wine shop with two jars of wine in hand, Fang Yuan pondered as he walked: “The academy elder stated that the first to refine their vital Gu in this assessment would be rewarded with twenty primeval stones. Presently, many are likely exerting every ounce of effort at home, refining their Gu worms to vie for first place. Alas, refining a vital Gu severely tests one's aptitude. Those blessed with superior talent possess an immense advantage. Given my Grade C aptitude, lacking alternative means, I fundamentally have no hope of victory.”
Just then, Gu Yue Fang Zheng's voice resonated from behind him: “Brother, you have truly returned to the wine shop to indulge in wine once more! Come with me; our uncle and aunt wish to see you.”
Fang Yuan stopped and turned. He observed that his brother no longer spoke with a lowered head as before.
The brothers' gazes collided. A gust of wind howled past, lifting the elder brother's dishevelled black hair and fluttering the younger brother's robes.
A mere month, yet things remained while people had changed.
A week prior, the Aperture Opening Ceremony marked a momentous change for both brothers. The elder brother, Fang Yuan, plummeted from the clouds, the halo of genius mercilessly stripped away, while his younger brother began to radiate like a nascent star, slowly ascending. For the younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, this change bore earth-shattering significance.
The clan's high hopes, which had once been entrusted to his elder brother, now fell entirely upon his shoulders. He became the focus of the clan, drawing the gazes of envy and jealousy from all around.
• • •
Each day upon waking, he felt as though he were living a beautiful dream. The vastly different treatment still left him somewhat incredulous and, at the same time, profoundly ill at ease. Unaccustomed to being the centre of attention, he was at a loss as to how to handle it.
In the past, he had been a youth of utter obscurity, never pointed at and whispered about wherever he went. Now, as he walked along the road and heard the discussions of others, he would feel his face flush, his hands and feet at a loss, evading their gazes. A dozen or so days passed, and he grew thinner, yet the fire within his chest burned ever more vigorously. A thought, in the deepest recesses of his heart, began to take root.
It turned out that being watched by everyone and admired by all was such a truly wonderful yet painful feeling, one that could bear scrutiny and attention. Instinctively, he began to mimic his elder brother, pretending to be expressionless, but he swiftly realised he was not cut out for it.
At times in the academy, a single exclamation from a girl could send him blushing crimson. On the road, the teasing of aunties would send him fleeing in disarray time and again. Like an infant learning to walk, he tottered as he adapted to his new life.
In this process, he inevitably heard rumours about his brother: dejected and dissolute, turned to drink, absent from home at night, sleeping heavily in the academy. At first, he was utterly shocked: his own brother, a being of such power and genius, had come to this?!
Yet gradually, he began to understand somewhat. Elder brother, too, was but an ordinary man; faced with such setbacks and blows, dejection was inevitable. With this understanding came a faint, indescribable thrill of pleasure within Fang Zheng. It was a pleasure he dearly wished to deny, yet it undeniably existed.
His elder brother, once lauded as a genius who had loomed over him like a shadow, now seemed so downfallen and dejected. Seen from the other side, did this not all the more attest to his own growth?
“I am exceptional. That alone is the truth!”
Therefore, seeing Fang Yuan with wine jars in hand, his hair dishevelled and clothes untidy, Gu Yue Fang Zheng breathed a fierce sigh of relief, his breathing inexplicably eased.
Yet he said: “Brother, you can't drink anymore, you can't go on like this. Don't you know how worried those who care about you will be? You need to pull yourself together!”
Fang Yuan remained expressionless, saying nothing.
The brothers' eyes met. Gu Yue Fang Zheng's eyes shone bright, revealing a sharp intent. His elder brother Fang Yuan's eyes, by contrast, were dark and profound, like a secluded ancient pool. Such eyes made Fang Zheng feel an inexplicable pressure. Before long, he subconsciously averted his gaze, looking to the side.
But the moment he came to himself, anger surged in his heart. An anger towards himself.
“What's wrong with me? Don't I even have the courage to look my brother in the eye? I have changed! I have completely changed!”
With this thought, his gaze sharpened again and swept back. But Fang Yuan was no longer looking at him. Carrying a jar of wine in each hand, he walked past him and said flatly: “What are you standing there for? Let's go.”
Fang Zheng's breathing faltered. The breath he had built up in his chest now had nowhere to go, leaving him with an inexpressible frustration. Seeing his brother already walking away, he could only hasten after him.
Only this time, his head was no longer lowered. It was raised, facing the sunset. His gaze was fixed upon his own feet, which trod step by step upon the shadow of his brother Fang Yuan.