A Business Without Capital

"Why stop him?" The Academy Elder raised his brows and laughed. He pointed at Fang Yuan from afar, then continued, "That boy already has the whole situation under control, and he knows exactly how hard to strike. Look at how he chops at their necks—he only strikes the left and right sides, never the back of their heads or necks. That is because he knows that striking the sides of the neck can make someone faint on the spot. Striking the back of the head or neck, however, could kill them, so he deliberately abandoned that method of attack."

"Look at these youths lying on the ground. Which one of them suffered serious injuries? None! Even if there were serious injuries, so what? With the Healing Gu Masters in our academy, could we not heal such bumps and bruises?"

"But, Elder, that boy is truly too arrogant. He is blocking the main entrance, utterly disregarding us guards. It would be one thing if we were ignored, but the crucial matter is what the clansmen will think of our academy. We are letting a mere C-grade student wreak havoc in the academy without stopping him. If word gets out, it may affect your reputation as well." The guard narrowed his eyes and offered his counsel.

"Hmph, you think that this brat ignoring you has offended your dignity, don't you?" The Academy Elder's expression darkened. He sneered as his blade-sharp gaze swept over them. The guards all lowered their heads and said in unison that they dared not.

"What is wrong with fighting? As long as no one dies, it can better stir up the students' competitive spirit and temper their fighting will. If we prohibited such fights, we would be strangling the students' passion for battle! Were there no fights in previous classes? Every class had them, and they happened frequently. It was simply that in the past, they occurred during the latter half of the year, when the youths had learned some combat methods. Once they had strength, their hands itched for a fight, and they were at just the age to be combative. Why did you not stop those people before?" the Academy Elder demanded coldly.

"Perhaps it is because the conflicts in previous classes were all one-on-one duels. There was rarely anything on such a large scale. But this Fang Yuan truly knows how to stir up trouble!" the guard captain replied.

"No, no, no." The Academy Elder shook his head. "It is because you did not dare to stop them. After the latter half of the year, Gu Masters possess combat power beyond ordinary humans. With your mere mortal bodies, what could you use to stop them? Now you want to stop Fang Yuan because you think he has only just begun cultivating and lacks strength. You also think he disregarded you and offended your dignity. But remember this: these students all bear the surname Gu Yue! They are clansmen of the Gu Yue Clan, your masters! No matter how young they are, no matter how weak they may be, they are still your masters!"

The elder's tone abruptly turned stern.

"You do not bear the surname Gu Yue. What do you calculate yourselves to be? Seeing your loyalty, we gave you positions as guards and rewarded you with a few sweet morsels. But in essence, you are still servants. Mere servants! And a servant dares to discuss his master and meddle in his master's affairs?" The elder's face was as dark as still water.

"That was not what this subordinate meant, not at all!"

"This subordinate would never dare! This subordinate would never dare!"

The guards were frightened pale as earth, and they all dropped to their knees, kowtowing without end.

The Academy Elder snorted coldly and pointed at the guard captain who had just said Fang Yuan was too troublesome. "You discussed your master. Strip him of his position as captain."

After a pause, the elder said to the others, "In half a month, we will reassess and appoint a new captain."

The other guards' eyes immediately lit up, and their hearts surged with excitement.

"A guard captain gets an extra half a Primeval Stone every month!"

"If I become captain, I will be above others. Other than the masters, who else would dare show me attitude?"

"If I became captain, how glorious would that be..."

"Enough. Why are you all standing here like posts? Get lost! Once the fight is over, go clean up the grounds!" the elder barked.

"Yes, yes, yes."

"This subordinate takes his leave!"

The guards went downstairs in a state of fearful trepidation. As they walked down the stairs, someone's footsteps went awry, and he tumbled down. At once, it set off a string of collisions and falls.

Yet cowed by the Academy Elder's authority, the guards all turned red-faced and painfully held back, making no other sound.

"Hmph, servants are like dogs. Every so often, the bones in their whole body start itching, and they must be beaten so they learn reverence. Then toss them a few dog bones of paltry profit, letting dogs bite dogs as they compete to sell their lives for my clan. One hand holding a great stick, the other holding a carrot—this is the unfailing method of those in power." Hearing the commotion downstairs, the Academy Elder sneered smugly in his heart. Then he turned and looked toward the academy entrance through the window.

More than ten students had been added to those lying on the ground at the door.

Fang Yuan stood proudly with his head held high. Across from him, three girls stood back to back, huddled together to one side.

"Y-you, don't come any closer!"

"If you come any closer, we'll shoot you with moonblades!!"

A layer of watery blue radiance appeared in their hands. Driven into a corner, they had actually mobilized their primeval essence to activate the Moonlight Gu.

Fang Yuan's body was still that of an ordinary fifteen-year-old youth. If they launched moonblade attacks, it truly would be troublesome.

But he was not afraid. He gave a disdainful sneer and advanced toward the girls step by step. "You have quite some nerve. Have you forgotten the academy rules? Gu insects are not allowed to be used in fights within the academy. Otherwise, you will be expelled. If you want to be expelled, then go ahead and make a move."

"Th-this..." The girls hesitated.

"There really is such a rule." The blue light in their hands gradually faded.

A fierce glint flashed in Fang Yuan's eyes. Seizing this opening, he suddenly charged forward. His palms swung, ruthless hands devastating flowers, and with two thuds, he chopped two of them unconscious.

One remained. Her fighting spirit had collapsed, and her knees went weak as she crumpled to the ground. Tears streamed down her face like rain upon pear blossoms as she begged Fang Yuan, "Fang Yuan, don't come over. Please, please let me go."

Fang Yuan stood over her and looked down. His cold voice carried over. "One Primeval Stone."

The girl's delicate body trembled. Realization dawned on her, and she hurriedly opened her money pouch, took out three or four Primeval Stones, and held them up in her palms to Fang Yuan. "Don't hit me. I'll give them all to you, all of them!"

Expressionless, Fang Yuan slowly extended his right hand. He used his index finger and thumb to gently pinch one Primeval Stone from the girl's hand.

The girl's delicate body shook without end. Fang Yuan's hand carried the pale slenderness unique to a youth, yet in her eyes, it was as savage and terrifying as a demon's claw.

"I said long ago that I would only take one Primeval Stone." Fang Yuan paused, then said flatly, "You may leave."

The girl stared blankly at Fang Yuan for quite a while before remembering to rise. But her limbs had gone weak, and she could not even stand.

Her heart was already filled with fear of Fang Yuan. She was so frightened that she could not muster even a shred of strength.

Seeing this scene, the Academy Elder could not help shaking his head.

Taking this opportunity to discover each student's combat talent was also one of his purposes in observing them.

Although this girl lying collapsed on the ground possessed C-grade Aptitude, with such a temperament, she could only serve as a support Gu Master, engaged in production within the clan. Forget about expecting her to take the battlefield.

"But this Fang Yuan..." The Academy Elder stroked his chin, narrowed his eyes, and a sharp light flashed within them.

He found this Fang Yuan truly interesting. Not only did he possess talent for battle, but he also knew his limits. He extorted only one Primeval Stone, which did not exceed the elder's bottom line. But if Fang Yuan had tried to extort two, that would have been going too far, and he would have had to intervene.

The academy's subsidy was only three stones to begin with. Having one extorted was no great matter. But if two were extorted, what subsidy would remain? They might as well give them all directly to Fang Yuan.

Very soon, the final group of students arrived. There were only five of them, and Fang Yuan's twin younger brother was among them.

"Brother, how could you do this?! Your nerve is far too great! You actually beat up your classmates at the main entrance and extorted their Primeval Stones!" Gu Yue Fang Zheng stared in stunned disbelief. He simply could not believe the sight before his eyes. "I advise you to quickly admit your mistake to the Academy Elder. Otherwise, after causing such a huge commotion, this is no joke. You may even be expelled!"

Fang Yuan smiled. "What you say makes a great deal of sense."

Fang Zheng let out a breath of relief. It seemed his brother had not gone completely mad. It was good that he could still listen to advice.

But he soon heard Fang Yuan add, "One Primeval Stone per person."

"What?" Fang Zheng's mouth fell open in astonishment. "Even I have to pay?"

"My dear younger brother, of course you may choose not to pay." Fang Yuan's tone was very gentle. "But your fate will be the same as theirs."

Fang Yuan pointed at the youths on the ground, some unconscious, some groaning.

"He won't even spare his own younger brother!"

"This Fang Yuan is mad, too vicious..."

"We can't beat him. A true man does not suffer an immediate loss. We should pay first and get past this crisis."

"That's right, pay the Primeval Stone first. It is only one stone, anyway. Once we return, we can report this to the instructors. He will have hell to pay!"

With examples before their eyes, the remaining youths all accepted Fang Yuan's extortion obediently, though their gazes were filled with resentment.

"Wait a moment." Just as they were about to leave, Fang Yuan called them back.

"Fang Yuan, are you trying to go back on your word?" The youths immediately grew tense.

Fang Yuan looked at the youths scattered across the ground and gave a soft sigh. "Do you think I would squat down and search them one by one?"

The youths froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. Their faces reddened one after another as they stood there hesitantly.

Fang Yuan stared at them and narrowed his eyes.

A cold gleam flashed through the slit of his eyes. The five youths' hearts lurched, and they all felt their scalps go numb.

"Fine, Fang Yuan, we understand what you mean."

"We'll help you this once."

Forced by Fang Yuan's oppressive might, they could only lower their heads one by one, search out the money pouches of the youths on the ground, and take one Primeval Stone from each. Then they gathered them together and handed them to Fang Yuan.

There were fifty-seven people in the class. Each had been extorted and robbed of one Primeval Stone, leaving Fang Yuan with fifty-six stones.

He originally had twenty stones, but had spent ten to buy several jars of Green Bamboo Wine. Adding his own subsidy and reward, he now had seventy-nine Primeval Stones on hand.

"Robbery and extortion, this kind of business without capital, is truly the most profitable." Fang Yuan tucked his suddenly swollen money pouch into his clothes and swaggered away.

He left behind a field of youths lying stiffly on the ground.

Several youths remained standing, Fang Zheng among them, staring blankly at Fang Yuan's gradually receding back.

"Move it!"

"Hurry up and get the young masters properly settled!"

"Where is the Healing Gu Master? Get him here quickly!"

The guards shouted and rushed forward in a swarm, competing to show off. For the sake of a mere captain's position, they were bursting with drive.

(P.S. There was a formatting problem yesterday, and it has now been corrected. I am deeply sorry for hindering everyone's reading. The new book has made it onto the new book rankings—well, I am very happy! This is all thanks to the powerful support of both old and new friends! I have also seen everyone's strength, and its popularity is gradually rising. This book has a distinctive style, and I hope fellow travelers of the same path will offer more support. This book will continue to be written and updated steadily. My books are always completed, so my integrity in this regard is overflowing!)