A Gu room was set up next to the academy. The Gu room was not large, only sixty square meters.
For a Gu Master's cultivation, Gu worms are the key to strength.
As soon as the class ended, the excited youths swarmed toward the Gu room.
"Line up, enter one by one." An angry shout suddenly arose; naturally, there were people guarding outside the Gu room doors.
The youths went in one by one and came out.
It was Fang Yuan's turn to enter the Gu room.
He saw that there was much more to this room than met the eye. The four walls were made into partitioned cubicles, and these built-in square grids were situated right next to each other. The grids varied in size; the large ones were no bigger than a clay pot, and the small ones were no smaller than a fist.
In the densely packed grids, various kinds of vessels were placed. Some were gray stone basins, some were verdant jade plates, some were exquisite grass cages, and some were earthen warmers.
These vessels housed various types of Gu worms.
Some Gu worms were completely silent, while some Gu worms were very noisy, emitting squeaks, clucks, rustles, and various other sounds, converging into a symphony of life.
"Gu worms are also divided into nine major tiers, corresponding to the nine ranks of a Gu Master's realm. These Gu worms are all Rank 1 Gu worms." Fang Yuan swept his gaze around, instantly understanding everything clearly.
Generally speaking, a Rank 1 realm Gu Master can only use Rank 1 tier Gu worms. If they bypass their rank to activate higher-tier Gu worms, the Gu Master often has to pay an extremely disastrous price.
Moreover, Gu worms also need to be fed, and the cost of feeding higher-tier Gu worms is usually not something a lower-tier Gu Master can afford.
For a novice Gu Master, unless there is a special situation, they will all choose a Rank 1 Gu worm for their first refinement.
And the first Gu worm a Gu Master refines holds great significance; it is called the vital Gu, cultivated together with one's life. Once it perishes, the Gu Master will inevitably suffer heavy injuries.
"Sigh, I originally hoped to obtain the Flower Wine Monk's Liquor worm and refine it to become my vital Gu. But right now, searching for the Flower Wine Monk's remains has still yielded no clues, and I don't know when I will be able to find it, or if it will be discovered by someone else. Just to be safe, I better choose a Moonlight Gu."
As Fang Yuan sighed inwardly, he walked straight toward the left-side wall.
On one of the layers slightly higher up in this wall's cubicles, there was a row of silver plates. On each plate rested a Gu worm.
This Gu worm was crystal clear and curved like a crescent moon, resembling a piece of blue crystal. Against the backdrop of the silver base plate, it displayed an aura of quiet elegance.
The Gu was named Moonlight, and it was the foundational Gu worm of the Gu Yue clan. The vast majority of clansmen chose it as their vital Gu. It was not a naturally occurring Gu worm, but was cultivated through the Gu Yue clan's secret methods. It could not be found anywhere else and could be said to be the signature symbol of the Gu Yue clan.
They were all Rank 1 Moonlight Gu, and the differences were extremely minute. Fang Yuan randomly picked one up and held it in his hand.
The Moonlight Gu was very light, comparable to the weight of a thin sheet of paper. It only occupied a patch of the palm, about the size of an ordinary jade pendant. Holding it in his hand, Fang Yuan could see the concealed lines of his palm through it.
Taking one last look and finding no issues, Fang Yuan placed it in his pocket and walked out of the Gu room.
There was still a long line waiting outside the Gu room. A youth following behind saw Fang Yuan walk out and hurriedly ran excitedly into the Gu room.
If it were anyone else, upon obtaining a Gu worm, their first reaction would be to take it home and refine it quickly. But Fang Yuan was not in a hurry to do this; his heart was still preoccupied with that Liquor worm.
The Liquor worm was more precious. Although the Moonlight Gu was a specialty of Gu Yue Village, it did not provide as much help to a Gu Master as the Liquor worm.
Leaving the Gu room, Fang Yuan went directly to the tavern.
"Shopkeeper, bring two jars of aged wine." Fang Yuan dug into his pockets and placed his remaining primeval stone fragments on the counter.
Over these past few days, he had been coming here to buy wine, and then he would wander and search around the outskirts of the mountain village in an attempt to lure that Liquor worm to show itself.
The shopkeeper was a short, fat, middle-aged man with a face full of grease. After these past few days, he had already remembered Fang Yuan.
"Customer, you're here." While greeting him, he stretched out his thick and short fat hand, skillfully swiping Fang Yuan's primeval stone fragments away.
Weighing them in his hand and feeling that the amount was right, the smile on the shopkeeper's face grew a bit friendlier.
Primeval stones were the currency of this world, used to measure the value of all commodities. At the same time, they were the condensed essence of heaven and earth, and could themselves be used to help Gu Masters cultivate better.
Possessing both currency attributes and commodity attributes, they were highly similar to gold on Earth. Earth once had a simple gold standard system; in this world, it was a simple primeval stone standard system.
Comparing it to gold, the purchasing power of primeval stones was therefore truly astounding.
However, no matter how many primeval stones he had, they could not withstand this kind of continuous consumption by Fang Yuan.
"Two jars of wine every day, it has already been a full seven days. The primeval stones I accumulated previously are almost entirely spent." Carrying two jars of wine as he exited the tavern, Fang Yuan frowned slightly.
Once a person becomes a Gu Master, they can extract pure primeval essence directly from primeval stones to replenish the primeval sea in their aperture.
Therefore, to a Gu Master, primeval stones are not only a currency but also an aid in cultivation.
With ample primeval stones, one's cultivation speed can be greatly increased, which can more or less compensate for some shortcomings in aptitude.
"Tomorrow I won't have any primeval stones to purchase wine, yet the Liquor worm still delays in showing itself. Will I really have to refine the Moonlight Gu as my vital Gu?" Fang Yuan felt somewhat unreconciled in his heart.
Exiting the tavern, Fang Yuan held the two jars of wine in his hands, pondering as he walked: "The Academy Elder said that the first person to refine their vital Gu for this assessment will receive an abundant reward of twenty primeval stones. Right now, I'm afraid many people are giving it their all at home, refining their Gu worms, striving for first place. Unfortunately, refining a vital Gu heavily tests one's aptitude. Those with good aptitude have an enormous advantage. With my C-grade aptitude, and lacking any other methods, I simply have no hope of winning."
Right at this moment, the voice of Gu Yue Fang Zheng sounded from behind him: "Brother, you really came to the tavern to get drunk again! Come with me, uncle and aunt want to see you."
Fang Yuan stopped his footsteps and looked back.
He noticed that his younger brother no longer spoke with his head lowered as before.
The two brothers' gazes collided.
A gust of wind howled by, blowing up the older brother's disheveled black hair, and fluttering the younger brother's hems.
In just a short month, things remained but people had changed.
The Awakening Ceremony from a week ago was a drastic change for both the older and the younger brother.
The older brother, Fang Yuan, fell from the clouds, his halo of genius ruthlessly stripped away. Conversely, the younger brother began to radiate light, rising slowly like a new star.
This kind of change held an earth-shattering meaning for the younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng.
He finally tasted what his brother had felt in the past, having people pin their hopes on him, being looked at with gazes of envy or jealousy.
He felt as though he had suddenly been moved from a dark corner into a heaven full of light.
Every day when he woke up, he felt as if he was having a beautiful dream. The drastically different treatment made him somewhat unable to believe it even now, while also harboring a strong sense of discomfort.
Unaccustomed.
Going from being completely unknown all at once to being closely watched and pointed at.
Sometimes when Fang Zheng walked on the road and heard the sounds of passersby discussing him and praising him, he would feel his face grow hot, be at a loss for what to do, have his eyes dart around, and almost not even know how to walk properly!
Over the initial ten days or so, Gu Yue Fang Zheng inexplicably lost some weight, but his essence, energy, and spirit became increasingly vigorous.
From the deepest part of his heart, something called "self-confidence" began to breed.
"So this is how Brother felt in the past; it really is wonderful yet painful!" He inevitably thought of his older brother, Gu Yue Fang Yuan. Faced with such discussions and attention, how did his brother deal with it in the past?
He subconsciously began to imitate Fang Yuan, pretending to be expressionless, but quickly found out he was not cut out for it.
Sometimes in the academy, a single shout from a girl could make his face turn beat red. On the streets, the teasing from aunts and older women made him flee in a panic on multiple occasions.
Like a toddler learning to walk, he stumbled as he adapted to his new life.
During this process, he unavoidably heard the rumors concerning his older brother—depressed and decadent, becoming a drunkard, not returning home at night, and sleeping soundly in the academy.
At first, he was extremely shocked. His own brother, an existence so powerful and such a genius, had actually turned into this state?!
But gradually, he began to understand a little. His brother was also a normal person; encountering such setbacks and blows, it was inevitable to be depressed.
Accompanying this understanding, Fang Zheng faintly felt an indescribable sense of gratification.
This feeling of gratification was an emotion he extremely did not want to admit to, but it did indeed exist.
The brother who was praised as a genius, the brother who once suppressed him like a shadow, was now so destitute and depressed. In a reverse manner, this further bore witness to his own growth, did it not?
He was the outstanding one; this was the truth!
Therefore, seeing Fang Yuan carrying wine jars, with disheveled hair and an unkempt appearance, Gu Yue Fang Zheng let out a heavy breath in his heart, his breathing inexplicably lightening a great deal.
Yet with his mouth he still said: "Brother, you cannot drink anymore, you cannot let things continue like this. You don't know how worried the people who care about you will be; you need to pull yourself together!"
Fang Yuan remained expressionless, without opening his mouth.
The two brothers' eyes met.
The younger brother Gu Yue Fang Zheng's eyes shone brightly, revealing a sharp intent. Yet the older brother Fang Yuan's eyes were deeply dark, like a serene ancient pool.
Such eyes made Fang Zheng involuntarily feel an inexplicable suppression. Not long into their staredown, he subconsciously shifted his gaze, looking to the other side.
But when he realized what he had done, a surge of anger instantly rose in his heart.
A surge of anger directed at himself.
What was wrong with him? Did he not even have the courage to meet his brother's eyes?
I have already changed; I have been completely changed!
Thinking this, his gaze sharpened and swept over once again.
But Fang Yuan was no longer looking at him. Instead, carrying a jar of wine in one hand, he walked right past him. A flat voice drifted over: "What are you still standing there for? Let's go."
Fang Zheng's breathing became chaotic. That breath he had built up in his heart no longer had a place to vent, leaving him feeling an inexpressible depression.
Seeing his brother had already walked far ahead, he was forced to quickly step up and follow.
Only this time, his head was no longer lowered; instead, it was raised, facing toward the setting sun.
His gaze, however, was fixed on his own feet, which were stepping step by step onto his older brother Fang Yuan's shadow.