The red sun set in the west, but had not completely fallen yet.
There was still light in the sky, only that everything seemed to be covered in a layer of gray. Looking out through the window, the distant mountains were gradually closing in on a heavy blackness.
The light inside the living room was dim. The uncle and aunt sat high in the master seats, their facial expressions enveloped in a layer of shadow, making them indistinct.
Seeing the two jars of wine Fang Yuan had brought with him, Uncle Gu Yue Dong Tu's brows twisted into a knot, and he spoke: "In a flash, you are already fifteen years old. To think you both actually have Gu Master aptitude, especially Fang Zheng. Your aunt and I are both proud of you. I am giving you six primeval stones each; you two brothers, take them. Refining a Gu worm exceedingly consumes primeval essence, so you need these primeval stones."
As he spoke, a servant came over, handing Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng a small bag each.
Fang Yuan put the bag away and remained silent.
Fang Zheng immediately opened the bag to look, seeing six oval, grayish-white primeval stones inside. Gratitude instantly surged on his face. He stood up from his seat and bowed to his uncle and aunt, saying: "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. Your nephew exactly needs primeval stones to replenish primeval essence. You raised your nephew to be this big; the grace of your upbringing will be engraved in your nephew's heart, never to be forgotten for the rest of his life!"
The uncle smiled and nodded.
The aunt hurriedly waved her hand, speaking warmly to Fang Zheng: "Quickly sit down, sit down. Even though you two brothers are not our biological children, we have always raised you as our own sons. For you to show such promise, we also feel proud. Sigh, we have no children of our own. Sometimes we think, if only you could truly become our children, that would be wonderful."
These words held deep meaning. Fang Zheng did not catch it, but Fang Yuan slightly furrowed his brows.
Sure enough, the uncle continued, saying: "Your aunt and I have discussed this. We want to adopt you into our family, to become a true family. Fang Zheng, I wonder if you are willing?"
Fang Zheng paused for a moment, but a look of joyous surprise quickly surged on his face. He immediately agreed: "To tell the truth, ever since my parents passed away, this nephew has longed for the days of family reunion. To be able to become a family with Aunt and Uncle, that couldn't be better!"
The aunt's expression eased up, and she smiled: "Then you are our good son, are you still calling us Aunt and Uncle?"
"Father, Mother." Fang Zheng suddenly realized and hurriedly changed his address.
The uncle and aunt both laughed loudly.
"Good son, our efforts in raising you since you were five were not in vain. We raised you for a whole ten years." The aunt wiped away tears.
The uncle then looked toward the silent Fang Yuan, speaking mildly: "Fang Yuan, what are your intentions?"
Fang Yuan shook his head without speaking.
"Brother." Gu Yue Fang Zheng wanted to persuade him, but was stopped by his uncle.
The uncle's tone remained unchanged, and he said again: "Since that is the case, Nephew Fang Yuan, we will not force you. It's just that you are already fifteen years old, and it is time for you to establish your own household. In doing so, it will also be convenient for you to inherit the Fang family branch. Uncle has prepared two hundred primeval stones for you here, considered as financial aid to you."
"Two hundred primeval stones!" Fang Zheng's eyes instantly widened. He had never seen so many primeval stones before, and couldn't help but reveal an envious expression.
Who would have thought that Fang Yuan still shook his head.
Fang Zheng was deeply confused, but the uncle's expression changed slightly, and the aunt's face also turned gloomy.
"Uncle, Aunt, if there is nothing else, this nephew will take his leave first." Fang Yuan did not give them a chance to speak again. Leaving this behind, he picked up the wine jars and walked straight out of the hall.
Fang Zheng stood up: "Father, Mother, Brother just can't think straight for a moment, how about letting me persuade him?"
The uncle waved his hand, intentionally letting out a long sigh: "Sigh, this matter cannot be forced. For you to have this intention, as a father, I am already very comforted. Someone come, take Young Master Fang Zheng down and settle him in properly."
"Then your son will take his leave." Fang Zheng withdrew, and the living room fell into silence.
The sun completely set behind the mountain, and the living room grew even dimmer.
After a long while, the uncle's cold voice came from the dimness: "It seems this little bastard Fang Yuan has seen through our schemes."
In the clan rules of the Gu Yue clan, it was explicitly stated: a sixteen-year-old eldest son has the right to inherit the family property.
Fang Yuan's parents had passed away, leaving behind a considerable inheritance, which was being "safeguarded" by the aunt and uncle.
The value of this inheritance was not something a mere two hundred primeval stones could compare to.
If Fang Yuan was adopted by his uncle and aunt like Fang Zheng, he would have no right to inherit this property. If Fang Yuan established his own household this year at fifteen, it would also not comply with the clan's regulations on inheriting family property.
"Fortunately, we managed to rope in Fang Zheng, and Fang Yuan only has C-grade aptitude." The uncle sighed again, feeling extremely lucky.
"Then Master, Fang Yuan has made it clear he intends to become independent at sixteen. What should we do?" The aunt's tone became urgent at the thought of that inheritance.
"Hmph, since he harbors ill intentions, he can't blame us. As long as we catch him making a major mistake before he becomes independent and expel him from the household, we will strip him of his right to inherit the property." The uncle snorted coldly.
"But this little bastard Fang Yuan is very smart, how could he make a mistake?" The aunt did not understand.
The uncle instantly rolled his eyes and scolded softly: "You really are stupid! If he doesn't make a mistake, can't we frame him? Just let that girl Shen Cui go seduce Fang Yuan first, and then scream indecent assault. We catch him in the act on the spot, then falsely accuse him of sexual misconduct after drinking and being a deranged lunatic. Are you still afraid we won't be able to expel Fang Yuan?"
"Master, you still have the methods, a brilliant plan!" The aunt was instantly overjoyed.
The thick night fell, and the sky full of stars was mostly obscured by drifting dark clouds. The households in the mountain village gradually lit up their lamps.
Gu Yue Fang Zheng was led into a room.
"Young Master Fang Zheng, this is the room Master personally instructed this old servant to tidy up specifically for you." Mother Shen introduced attentively, bowing her waist, her face full of a fawning smile.
Fang Zheng looked around, his eyes lighting up. This room was twice as large as the one he previously lived in. In the center was a spacious bed. On one side by the window sill was a sandalwood desk, laid out with exquisite writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The surrounding walls had beautiful hanging ornaments. Even underfoot was not an ordinary floor, but covered entirely by a layer of soft handmade carpet.
From childhood to adulthood, Fang Zheng had never lived in a room like this. He immediately nodded repeatedly: "This is very good, truly not bad. Thank you, Mother Shen."
This Mother Shen was the person the aunt valued the most, managing the servants throughout the entire household, a steward in name and in fact.
Fang Yuan's personal maidservant, Shen Cui, was her daughter.
Mother Shen laughed heartily: "How could this servant dare to accept Your Young Master's thanks; it is what I should do, what I should do! Young Master, just eat well and sleep well. If you want anything, shake the bell by the bed, and there will immediately be servants coming up to await your orders. Master has ordered that these days, Young Master, you just focus wholeheartedly on cultivation, and leave other trivial matters for us servants to handle."
A wave of gratitude surged in Fang Zheng's heart once again. He said no more, only silently making a resolution in his heart: This time I must definitely win first place and not disappoint Father and Mother!
…
The dark clouds in the sky grew heavier, and the night became even deeper because of it. The stars in the night sky were almost entirely veiled by the clouds, leaving only a few shining with faint light, struggling in the sky.
"Uncle and Aunt should be plotting how to expel me from the household right now. In my past life, they secretly instigated a servant to provoke me, then framed me, and finally expelled me from the house. I wonder what changes there will be in this life." Fang Yuan walked on the street, sneering endlessly in his heart.
He had long seen clearly the true colors of his uncle and aunt.
But he could also understand it.
Humans die for wealth as birds die for food; whether on Earth or in this world, there are always so many people who trample on familial affection, friendship, and love for the sake of profit.
In fact, there was no familial affection at all. When his uncle and aunt adopted Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng back then, their fundamental purpose was to covet the inheritance. It was just that the two brothers, Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, had repeatedly surprised them.
"Everything is hard at the beginning; for me, this is even more so. First, I have no outstanding aptitude; second, I have no care from teachers or elders. This is equivalent to starting from scratch. My parents' legacy can be said to be a major stepping stone for me. In my past life, the legacy was snatched away by my uncle and aunt, causing me to waste a full two years to cultivate to the peak of Rank 1. In this life, this mistake cannot be made again."
Fang Yuan walked as he pondered.
He did not stay in his residence, but carried the two jars of wine, heading straight for the outside of the village.
The night sky grew increasingly gloomy, and dark clouds shrouded the starlight. The mountain wind blew howlingly, showing a trend of gradually strengthening.
The mountain rain is about to arrive.
But he still had to explore. To snatch back his parents' inheritance, he would have to wait until he was sixteen next year. And the Flower Wine Monk's legacy was something he could possibly acquire in the near future.
There were very few pedestrians on the street. The houses by the roadside revealed dim light. Some trivial household garbage, as well as tree leaves and dust, were rolled up and blown freely by the wind.
Fang Yuan's thin clothes somewhat failed to block this mountain wind, and he couldn't help but feel a chill.
He simply opened the wine jar he was carrying and took a small sip. Although it was muddy wine, after swallowing it down, a wave of warmth rose up.
This was still the first time he had actually drunk wine these past few days.
The closer he got to leaving the mountain village, the sparser the roadside houses became, and the dimmer the lights.
Ahead, it was even heavier darkness. The wind depressed the mountain forest, the tree branches swaying and howling in the night, resembling a pack of beasts roaring.
Fang Yuan's footsteps showed not the slightest hesitation. He exited the main gate of the mountain village, drifting further and further apart along the dark road.
And behind him, were the bright and glorious lights of a thousand homes.
Amidst these lights, there was a warm corner.
His brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, sat in front of the desk, reviewing the notes he took in class. The lamps in the room were bright, and the solid walls blocked out the cold wind. Beside his hand sat a cup of warm ginseng tea, its hot steam curling upward.
"Young Master Fang Zheng, the hot water for your bath has been prepared for you." Outside the door, Shen Cui's voice drifted in gently.
Fang Zheng's heart stirred: "Then bring it in."
Shen Cui carried a face full of seduction, twisting her waist as she walked into the room.
"This servant greets Young Master Fang Zheng." She looked toward Fang Zheng with eyes full of amorous ripples. Fang Yuan was just a C-grade, but Fang Zheng had A-grade aptitude. Latching onto him was the true grand fortune!