In the main hall, the clan head Gu Yue Bo sat high in the main seat, expressionless, his eyes deep and profound.
The dozen or so other elders sat upright in their respective seats, looking at their noses and their hearts, only using their peripheral vision to obscurely scan left and right, attempting to discern some clues from the expressions of those around them.
The atmosphere suddenly became subtle.
"For Fang Yuan to be able to snatch first place, the profound meaning contained within is absolutely not simple. He actually said he picked up a bag hiding wild boar tusks on the way; these words are too fake."
"This bag could only have been prepared by someone in secret; it is an impossible feat relying on Fang Yuan alone. That is to say, someone is secretly helping Fang Yuan."
"This year's mid-year assessment is different from the past. Because dozens of Rank two Gu Masters had to be mobilized to monitor and inspect, the content of this assessment is known not only to the academy elder but also to many other elders in the clan."
"To arrange this bag in advance, it could only be one of the elders present here, or possibly even the clan head directly!"
The elders were all old and shrewd, having rolled and crawled in the political arena for many years; they immediately thought of many things.
Fang Zheng had A grade aptitude; if he was truly nurtured to Rank four, what would that be?
That would be the next generation's clan head!
Fang Yuan was Fang Zheng's older brother. Although he only had C grade aptitude, relying solely on this blood kinship, he had investment value!
For the clan head Gu Yue Bo, if he secretly helped Fang Yuan and brought him into his own system, it would also be a very good bond to maintain relations with Fang Zheng in the future.
For the elders, Fang Zheng was the only A grade genius in these years and had already fallen under the clan head's faction. If he was truly nurtured, the clan head's faction would inevitably become even more dominant. If the elders took Fang Yuan for their own use, utilizing this layer of blood relation, he would also be an extremely useful chess piece to deal with Fang Zheng in the future.
Therefore, the dozen or so people sitting in this hall all had motives to help Fang Yuan.
But who would it be?
Gu Yue Chi Lian pondered: "I didn't recruit Fang Yuan, so who is helping him in secret? Is it that old fellow Mo Chen? It's somewhat possible. Although Fang Yuan killed his family's servant, what does a servant count for? Even if they all died, there would be no heartache. It's more likely the clan head. He took in Gu Yue Fang Zheng, and then pulled Gu Yue Fang Yuan over; this way, his control over Fang Zheng would be greater! It's just… the past convention was always to recruit and accept at the end of the year. To make a move mid-year now, this is breaking the rules."
"It doesn't exactly count as breaking the rules, but this move indeed plays on the edge. Who thinks so highly of Fang Yuan, even more highly than I do?" Gu Yue Mo Chen was also thinking.
In fact, ever since Fang Yuan killed Gao Wan and sent the dismembered corpse as a gift, he had looked at Fang Yuan with new eyes and also had some thoughts of recruiting him.
But this kind of recruitment action generally occurred at the end of the year, when the students graduated from the academy.
Fang Yuan being recruited by someone in advance caught Gu Yue Mo Chen slightly off guard.
Gu Yue Bo's gaze, however, was mainly focused on the faces of the two influential elders, Gu Yue Mo Chen and Gu Yue Chi Lian.
This clan head thought more and deeper.
Fang Yuan brazenly told a lie, thereby winning first place. This behavior carried a flavor of unscrupulousness, and was even more a signal sent outwards, precisely to let you all see—I, Fang Yuan, am covered! I've been taken in early; you guys better not touch him.
Then who would this person be?
In the Gu Yue clan, the political structure was a tripod of three rival powers. Aside from the clan head, there was the Chi faction represented by Gu Yue Chi Lian, and the Mo faction represented by Gu Yue Mo Chen.
Gu Yue Bo knew clearly in his heart that he had made no move to recruit Fang Yuan. Then the biggest suspects were Gu Yue Chi Lian and Gu Yue Mo Chen.
"These two old fellows, their acting skills are getting higher and higher. Just looking at their expressions, one really can't tell. Could it be not them, but other small factions?"
Gu Yue Bo observed without leaving a trace, speculating. He did not know that the other elders were just like him, also observing, suspecting, and speculating in this manner.
The academy elder was also speculating, but he had always maintained neutrality, drifting outside of political struggles, so his thoughts were much simpler: "So Fang Yuan was recruited by a certain elder. No wonder when he was extorting, he proactively let Fang Zheng, Mo Bei, and Chi Cheng go. I estimate the one who recruited him is either the clan head, or Elders Chi Lian or Mo Chen. This is a good thing! This shows he has recognized reality and preliminarily integrated into the clan. No matter what, he is a part of the clan. In the future, when he completely integrates, he will be willing to dedicate his life to the clan!"
After a moment of silence, seeing that he could not discern any clues, Gu Yue Bo had no choice but to speak: "It is impolite not to reciprocate. Since the other party has actually started targeting Fang Zheng now, our Gu Yue clan is not easily bullied either; we must return the favor! Elder of the Dark Hall, make a plan for this matter first, then report to me."
"As you command, Lord Clan Head." The Dark Hall elder immediately nodded and accepted the order.
"As for Gu Yue Fang Zheng, I worry that encountering such a change will strike a blow to his spirit. He has A grade aptitude; his significance to our clan need not be said again. From now on, I will tutor him individually," Gu Yue Bo added.
No elder raised any objection.
Actually, many people knew that the clan head had long been secretly giving private tutoring to Gu Yue Fang Zheng. Bringing this matter up now, although contrary to the principle of fairness, had sufficient reason, and the elders could not easily stop it.
"As for Gu Yue Fang Yuan…" Gu Yue Bo deliberately dragged out his tone.
In an instant, all the elders pricked up their ears. Could it be that the clan head was the one secretly helping Fang Yuan?
Gu Yue Bo swept his gaze around; he was also observing the expressions of the surrounding elders. But he was destined to be disappointed.
Thus, he had no choice but to continue: "For him to be able to snatch first place with C grade aptitude is not easy. I will reward him with thirty primeval stones in my personal name. Academy Elder, bring a word to him, tell him to work hard properly."
"Yes, Lord Clan Head." The academy elder bowed to receive the order.
"Thirty primeval stones, what is the meaning of this superficial reward?" The elders all frowned.
"No matter who secretly absorbed Fang Yuan, these thirty primeval stones are a signal of my goodwill. After all, outside of Gu Yue, there are still the Bai village and the Xiong village." Gu Yue Bo sighed in his heart.
Fang Zheng being assassinated was an external enemy. Fang Yuan cheating was internal strife.
Dealing with external enemies naturally required tough means of counterattack. As for internal strife, the clan head Gu Yue Bo focused mainly on pacification, precisely to avoid too much internal fighting which would trigger a decline in the clan's overall strength.
"Alright, let's handle these matters like this for now. Everyone may withdraw and properly preside over the work in your hands. The clan's prosperity is inseparable from everyone's performance." Gu Yue Bo waved his hand.
"Yes, Lord Clan Head. Then we shall take our leave."
The elders walked out one after another. After a few breaths, only Gu Yue Bo remained in the hall.
He sighed deeply, kneading his two temples with his fingers.
As the clan head, he was considered the number one person with the highest authority in the Gu Yue clan, but he was not relaxed and needed to coordinate the interests of multiple parties. Even less could he do as he pleased; the factions within the clan were intertwined like gnarled roots, passed down from generation to generation living a long history, with many constraints.
Externally, he had to face the Xiong village which acted tyrannically, and the gradually rising Bai village.
Internally, he had to handle the clan's complex political struggles. Although he was middle-aged, his hair at the temples was already graying.
"In these years serving as clan head, although resources are ample, my cultivation progress has been slow; my mind has been dragged down by the tedious clan affairs. Sometimes, I really want to be a lone ranger, free and unfettered, completely relaxed. Without burdens, my steps would naturally be brisk; perhaps I could even walk further on the path of cultivation."
Gu Yue Bo sighed in his heart.
Once one entered the clan system, one had responsibilities. With responsibilities, one could not be relaxed, and could never cultivate single-mindedly again.
But conversely speaking, without entering the clan system, the clan's resources would not be supplied. Without the supply of resources, a lone Gu Master's cultivation would also be difficult to advance.
This formed a contradiction, a vicious circle.
It was this vicious circle that had imprisoned who knew how many people's futures, and buried who knew how much talent and aptitude!
Wang Da died.
Three days later, Fang Yuan received this news.
At the same time, he also found out from Jiang He that those two young hunters had indeed gone missing while hunting up the mountain. As for the hunter whose right hand was severed by Fang Yuan, he also "committed suicide" at home due to depression.
When Jiang He said these words, the gaze he used to look at Fang Yuan was extremely meaningful. He later saw Wang Da's corpse and naturally recognized his identity.
But he dared not speak Wang Da's true identity.
He was the village-stationed Gu Master, bearing responsibility. Once one entered the system, regardless of the position's height, there was responsibility.
Wang Da had become a demonic path Gu Master for over three years, yet he, as the stationed Gu Master, had failed to detect it all along. If it were truly investigated, it would be a major stain on his record, and his future in the clan would be almost ruined.
He also suppressed the suspicious deaths of those three young hunters with all his might.
"Fang Yuan, we are all acquaintances. From now on, when you buy things at my cousin Jiang Ya's shop, everything is fifty percent off!" On a certain occasion, Jiang He said this to Fang Yuan.
Everyone else was dead; the only ones who knew the truth of this matter were him and Fang Yuan. But if this matter were exposed, it would not have too big an impact on Fang Yuan.
Because he had merely killed three serfs. Even if he killed thirty, the clan would not investigate, at most giving some symbolic punishment like "a dozen or so primeval stones."
Fang Yuan naturally did not refuse Jiang He's proactive bribery. For him, Fang Yuan, this matter had been full of accidents and dangers from start to finish, but fortunately, the result was not bad.
After this event, Fang Yuan, who had no foundation in the clan, obtained half an ally and a non-existent backer.
It was this mysterious backer that draped a second protective umbrella over Fang Yuan. When he gradually appeared less weak in the future, this protective umbrella would play a key role, at least supporting his cultivation to Rank two without attracting too much suppression.
Nowadays, he could clearly feel the softening of the academy elder's attitude towards him.
A dozen days passed in a flash.
Following Gu Yue Fang Zheng and Gu Yue Mo Bei, Fang Yuan successfully advanced to the Rank one upper stage almost simultaneously with Chi Cheng.
Although the robbery and extortion continued, from then on, he no longer robbed the primeval stones of the trio—Fang Zheng, Mo Bei, and Chi Cheng. He became more and more low-profile, and his own strength was also growing rapidly at a speed several times surpassing his previous life.