Everything was exactly within Fang Yuan's expectations.
After the incident, the academy elder ordered the healing Gu Masters to rescue those two guards.
The guards' lives were preserved, but they were left with severe disabilities and were expelled from the academy by the academy elder.
Fang Yuan did not receive any punishment; instead, he was praised entirely.
Such an outcome made the other youths feel even more alarmed and fearful.
But this matter was far from over. As time passed, the disturbance expanded to the entire clan.
Taking the lead to advance to the middle stage with C grade aptitude, Fang Yuan became a moderately sized marvel and a topic of conversation within the whole clan.
During their leisure time after meals, many people were discussing this matter.
After the initial astonishment, people started to speculate about the mystery behind Fang Yuan's advancement.
"Actually, with C grade aptitude, surpassing A grade and B grade to take the lead in advancing to the middle stage isn't really a strange thing."
"That's right, there are many methods in this world that can achieve this point."
"For example, a Relic Gu. Once this Gu is used, it can elevate the aperture walls and boost cultivation; rising by a minor realm is a piece of cake."
…
For a time, opinions varied widely, and all sorts of possible answers caused quite a clamor.
As for things like Liquor worms, foreign primeval essence, and so on, they were naturally also brought up by quite a few people.
If Fang Yuan had openly admitted the existence of the Liquor worm at the very first moment, it wouldn't have had such a sensational effect. But by covering it up like this, he invisibly hooked people's curiosity.
The Gu Yue village appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, a hidden undercurrent had already surged up.
Countless pairs of eyes were staring at the academy, waiting for the academy elder's explanation.
As the academy elder, if he didn't even know how the student he taught had advanced, that would be too much of a dereliction of duty.
Therefore, the academy elder had to provide an explanation.
Time passed day by day.
The second youth to break through the initial stage and successfully advance to the middle stage appeared.
It was Gu Yue Mo Bei.
Immediately following, with merely a three-hour difference, Gu Yue Fang Zheng also successfully advanced.
He was ultimately dragged down by the lack of primeval stones, but of course, there was no lack of the factor of being dealing a blow by Fang Yuan's matter.
The third was Gu Yue Chi Cheng.
Even though he had Gu Yue Chi Lian personally instilling primeval essence, the efficiency of this method was not high; it could only be done once every three days, and it was extremely dangerous. However, being able to snatch third place with C grade aptitude was already a success.
On the fifth day, the academy elder distributed the primeval stone subsidizes once again.
"Gu Yue Fang Yuan." Standing at the front, he called out Fang Yuan's name first.
Fang Yuan stood up and, with an indifferent expression, walked forward.
The youths' lines of sight all followed his movements, their gazes revealing jealousy, envy, doubt, inquiry, hatred, and all sorts of other things, too numerous to list.
"Today, Lord Elder is not only distributing the subsidies but also arranging the positions of class head and vice class heads!"
"Sure enough, Lord Elder called Fang Yuan up first."
"He advanced first, the class head position is going to belong to him."
"Hard to imagine it would be this outcome. Before, I thought it would be Fang Zheng."
"Him taking the lead to advance to the middle stage is truly too bizarre. There must be a major secret, but he just won't tell us!"
"Hehe, if it were me, I wouldn't tell you guys either. Making a big fortune silently is so much better."
Amidst the students whispering to each other, Fang Yuan walked up to the academy elder.
"Gu Yue Fang Yuan, you are the first Rank one middle stage Gu Master of this class; this is your reward." Saying so, the academy elder handed him a blue and white money bag.
Fang Yuan received the money bag, opened it in public, and looked inside.
"Rest assured, there is a total of thirty primeval stones inside, the academy will not shortchange you." The academy elder squeezed out a trace of a smile on his face.
To tell the truth, he had never expected that the first youth to advance to the middle stage would be Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan, however, acted as if he didn't hear the academy elder's words. He rarely trusted others; he had always trusted himself the most. He carefully inspected it and found that it was indeed thirty primeval stones, not a single one missing. Only then did he stuff this money bag into his chest.
Watching this kind of performance from Fang Yuan, the academy elder thought he was tight on money, and the smile on his face couldn't help but widen a fraction.
"That's true, he only has C grade aptitude. To charge to the middle stage, the primeval stones consumed are bound to be even more. He doesn't have financial support from others either, so being strapped for primeval stones is a certainty. As long as he has a need for primeval stones, there's no fear of him escaping control. Once he enters the clan's system, even if that secret he's keeping is unable to be investigated, there will eventually come a day in the future when he will speak it out himself." Regarding this, the academy elder was full of confidence in his heart.
In fact, ever since that day, he had dispatched people to start a secret investigation into Fang Yuan. Almost every day, the investigation made new progress.
But clearly, those people had not yet investigated it out at this time—Fang Yuan had a full several hundred primeval stones on hand, and was actually very affluent.
The academy elder continued, "Fang Yuan, you are the first to step into the Rank one middle stage. According to the academy's rules, not only will you receive a reward of thirty primeval stones, but you will also be able to have priority in picking your second Gu worm in the near future. Now, I appoint you as the class head!"
"In the end, Fang Yuan has been appointed as the class head!" As soon as these words came out, someone among the students instantly sighed.
"Hateful." Gu Yue Mo Bei gritted his teeth, very unwilling.
"Hmph!" Gu Yue Chi Cheng crossed his arms around his chest, watching coldly from the sidelines.
The one who received the biggest blow was still Fang Yuan's younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng.
His face was somewhat pale, his gaze flickering uncertainly, and a layer of dark clouds gathered in his heart: "Ordinary students have to bow and greet when they see the class head and vice class heads. Based on my results, I can definitely secure a vice class head position. But from now on, when I run into my brother, I will still have to bow in greeting."
"Wait."
But right at this moment, Fang Yuan suddenly spoke up.
He smiled faintly at the academy elder and said unhurriedly, "Lord Elder, this student has shallow talent and little learning, and is unsuited to take on the duty of class head. A position like this should be yielded to someone with talent to take on."
"What? You mean—you don't want to be the class head? Once you become the class head, you will enjoy a subsidy of ten primeval stones every time. Do you really want to refuse, are you sure?" The academy elder's brows instantly twisted into a knot. Having taught for decades, he had never seen anyone proactively decline this position!
In fact, he had also pondered it over; letting Fang Yuan take on the role of class head had its benefits as well.
Once he became the class head, it meant being integrated into the clan's system. Fang Yuan would have to fulfill obligations while enjoying the treatment.
Regardless of what the specific obligations of the class head were, at the very least, he would have to stop the behavior of extorting and robbing his classmates.
This was absolutely not something a class head could do.
It was just like earlier; even though the academy elder had his face scraped off by Fang Yuan, he still had to praise Fang Yuan due to his cultivation results.
Being within the system, one could not handle matters entirely as one pleased, and many times would even act against one's own will.
Of course, it wasn't that the academy elder couldn't stand the sight of Fang Yuan extorting so many primeval stones every time.
He was considering it for the overall student body. Once Fang Yuan became the class head, he could no longer violently bully his classmates. This would allow the other youths to catch their breath under Fang Yuan's heavy oppression.
Afterwards, by guiding the situation according to its course of development, a scene where a hundred schools of thought contend could be created. As long as seeds of hope like Fang Zheng, Mo Bei, and Chi Cheng could be cultivated, what did sacrificing a tiny class head position count for?
However, although the academy elder's calculations were good, the actual direction of events was vastly different from what he had expected.
Fang Yuan refused!
He actually refused!!
Although this position of class head was small, in the hearts of these young and arrogant youths, it represented the glory of being first.
Not only glory, but becoming the class head meant the subsidy every time was as much as ten primeval stones!
Such a temptation had never been resisted by any youth before.
But Fang Yuan unexpectedly refused.
Seeing the academy elder daze out, Fang Yuan then asked him in return, "Has the academy stipulated that it must be the first place to assume the class head? Can the position of class head not be rejected?"
The academy elder's face sank like water, "Of course there is no such unreasonable rule."
Fang Yuan laughed heartily, "Thank you for your understanding, Elder."
After speaking, he cupped his hands, stepped down, and walked back to his seat.
The students who personally witnessed this happen were instantly in an uproar.
For a time, the academy was boiling!
"Fang Yuan actually refused? Is this a mistake?!"
"Is there something wrong with his brain?"
"Who knows which nerve of his was crossed. Hehe, there will be plenty for him to regret in the future."
…
"Fang Yuan gave up becoming the class head, meaning, that I am the class head?!" The pleasant surprise came too fast, and the second-place Gu Yue Mo Bei was somewhat unable to react.
Gu Yue Chi Cheng's face was full of an expression of disbelief. He truly found it hard to comprehend that someone actually proactively gave up the class head position; truly foolish to the extreme!
"Brother…" Gu Yue Fang Zheng stared with wide eyes, looking blankly at Fang Yuan as he walked back to his seat step by step.
According to his, Fang Zheng's, results, he would definitely sit firmly in the vice class head position.
But when Fang Yuan proactively gave up the class head position, Fang Zheng suddenly felt that this vice class head position of his was so incredibly dull and tasteless.
The academy elder's face was ashen, and this time he was truly ashen.
Previously, during that time when Fang Yuan skipped class, his expression was also extremely ugly, but that was just a look he put on for others to see.
His mood right now was terrible, even more terrible than last time.
Fang Yuan giving up the class head position meant refusing to join the clan's system. Having been in charge of the academy for decades, this was the first time the academy elder had seen such a student, actually able to refuse such a massive temptation!
He had originally wanted to invite the target into an urn, but Fang Yuan just wouldn't enter. Towards this, the academy elder also had no alternative.
The subsidies were distributed to completion.
Ultimately, Gu Yue Mo Bei unprecedentedly obtained the class head position with second-place results. Fang Zheng and Chi Cheng respectively became vice class heads.
The class head's subsidy was ten primeval stones. The vice class heads' subsidies were increased to five pieces.
Some students from not-so-great family backgrounds watched these three people's subsidies with so much envy they almost drooled.