Fang Yuan, You Are Doomed

"I trained my basic punches and kicks for seven consecutive days, and surprisingly, I only lasted two moves against Fang Yuan before he knocked me unconscious again. Shame, what a disgrace!" Gu Yue Mo Bei's heart was filled with shame, indignation, and anger.

In the courtyard of his home, he repeatedly punched and kicked a wooden puppet, making loud thudding sounds.

Just then, a light laugh drifted over: "Little brother, do you have a deep-seated hatred for the wooden puppet? Why do you hate it so much?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Gu Yue Mo Bei's expression relaxed, and he stopped attacking, turning his head: "Sister, you're back!"

"Mhm, the clan assigned me a reconnaissance mission, and I've been out for over ten days..." Gu Yue Mo Yan replied with a smile. She was Mo Bei's older sister and was currently a mid-stage Rank 2 Gu Master.

But her expression quickly changed, a sharp glint appearing in her eyes: "Little brother, what's with the scars on your face? Who bullied you?"

"Ah, it's nothing. I just tripped and fell while walking, and bumped into something." A flicker of panic crossed Mo Bei's face as he hastily made up an excuse. He didn't want his sister to know about such an embarrassing incident. The future heir of the Mo branch family, the biological grandson of Gu Yue Mo Chen, had actually been knocked unconscious twice in a row.

Fortunately, he wasn't the only unlucky one; others had their share too.

"Oh, I see. Then you must be careful. By the way, if you're going to practice punches and kicks, this won't do. If you don't have a defense Gu, you should wrap your hands and feet with thick cloth. This way, your limbs won't get hurt," Gu Yue Mo Yan advised a few words before leaving.

"Greetings, Young Miss."

"Good day, Young Miss."

"It's the Young Miss returning, this servant pays his respects to the Young Miss."

Gu Yue Mo Yan walked with a cool, composed expression. The household servants she encountered along the way all bowed respectfully.

She reached the study and pushed the door open without announcing herself.

Inside the study, Gu Yue Mo Chen stood before the desk, his back to her, practicing calligraphy.

"You're back?" Gu Yue Mo Chen asked directly without turning around, "You've been scouting outside for over half a month, how is the wolf den situation?"

"Grandpa, how did you know it was me?" Mo Yan was momentarily stunned.

"Hmph, of everyone in the family, only you can take advantage of my doting and disregard the rules by not even knocking. Who else could it be?" Gu Yue Mo Chen's tone was one of reproach, but as he turned around, his expression was gentle, and his eyes held a smile as he looked at Mo Yan.

Mo Yan pouted: "If you talk about doting, Grandpa actually dotes on my little brother more. It's just that Grandpa is strict with him because he'll be in charge in the future, so others can't perceive this doting."

She paused, then asked again: "Grandpa, why was my little brother beaten up! I just asked him, and he lied. I can't force him, so I've come to ask you."

Gu Yue Mo Chen's expression became serious: "You haven't answered my question yet."

He put down his brush, pulled over a chair, and slowly sat down.

Mo Yan had no choice but to report: "The wolf den is almost full. At this rate of reproduction, although there won't be a wolf tide this year, there definitely will be a wolf tide impacting our village next year."

Gu Yue Mo Chen asked again: "There's basically a wolf tide every three years, this is nothing unusual. But how many Thunder Crown Wolves are there among the wolf pack?"

"About three," Mo Yan replied.

Gu Yue Mo Chen nodded, relieved. Thunder Crown Wolves were the leaders of the wolf pack and the most troublesome existence during a wolf tide's assault on the village.

Three Thunder Crown Wolves weren't too many, as there were three villages on Qing Mao Mountain. If each village had to deal with one, the pressure of the wolf tide would be greatly reduced.

"Grandpa, you still haven't told me about little brother's situation," Mo Yan asked persistently.

"It's fine to tell you. Mo Bei was beaten up, once seven days ago, and for the second time today. He was knocked unconscious at the entrance of the school. Both times he passed out on the spot," Gu Yue Mo Chen said with a chuckle.

"Who dares to be so audacious as to knock out my little brother?" Mo Yan's eyes widened.

"It's one of his classmates, named Fang Yuan. And he fought well..." Gu Yue Mo Chen chuckled heartily.

Mo Yan's eyes widened even further, and she asked in confusion: "Grandpa, what are you saying? Mo Bei is your own grandson!"

Gu Yue Mo Chen looked deeply at his granddaughter and said earnestly: "Mo Yan, you're a girl, perhaps you don't understand. Failure and shame lead to progress. Without failure, a mature man cannot be forged."

"Mo Bei being beaten is his own failure. As soon as he regained consciousness, he started asking the guards for pointers on martial arts, and this is progress. And this progress was brought about by Fang Yuan, who woke him up. As his elder sister, if you truly want to care for him, don't interfere with his growth. Fang Yuan is just a poor boy of C-grade, while Mo Bei has B-grade aptitude and has us behind him. Sooner or later, he will step on Fang Yuan."

"Leave this opponent for Mo Bei. In a woman's life, she needs family and loved ones. But in a man's life, family and loved ones are optional, but an opponent is essential. Don't go looking for trouble with Fang Yuan, understand? This is a matter for the younger generation. If you get involved, it will be an elder bullying a junior. If you break the rules and conventions, others will also look down on our Mo family."

Mo Yan opened her mouth to speak several times, but under Gu Yue Mo Chen's gaze, she finally lowered her head and replied: "Yes, Grandpa. Your granddaughter understands."

She lowered her head and withdrew from the study. Even Gu Yue Mo Bei didn't notice that her eyes had been flashing with a different light.

"Grandpa, this is how you dote on your grandson. But I, Mo Yan, also have my own way of caring for my little brother!" Mo Yan already had other plans in mind.

In the inn's dining hall, several tables were occupied, and people were eating, making the place somewhat lively.

One or two waiters carried dishes and served food, moving freely between the tables.

Fang Yuan sat at a table near the window, ordered a few dishes, and ate while gazing out the window.

In the distance, the sunset burned like fire, quietly blazing.

The sun had already set for the most part, casting a lingering final gaze upon the earth, its afterglow a reluctant turning back.

The distant mountains were already shrouded in dusk. On the nearby streets, people were returning home. Some were barefoot farmers covered in mud, some were herb gatherers carrying baskets, some were hunters carrying prey like pheasants and wild boars, and some were Gu Masters. They usually wore blue martial arts uniforms, looking capable and sharp. They had headbands tied around their heads and wide belts around their waists.

These belts were quite particular. A Rank 1 Gu Master wore a green belt, with a copper piece inlaid in the front, bearing the character "One".

A Rank 2 Gu Master's belt was red, with an iron piece inlaid in the center, engraved with the character "Two".

Fang Yuan sat by the window and observed for a while. He saw six or seven Rank 1 Gu Masters, mostly young people. There was also one Rank 2 Gu Master, a middle-aged man.

As for Rank 3 Gu Masters, they were usually clan elders. Rank 4 were clan leaders, the masters of a village.

Rank 5 Gu Masters were very rare. In the history of the Gu Yue Clan, there were only the first and fourth generation clan leaders.

"Actually, it's very simple to gauge a clan's strength. All you need to do is find a spot in the village and observe the pedestrians for an hour or so. Seeing how many Rank 1 and Rank 2 Gu Masters there are will reveal the clan's foundation and strength," Fang Yuan summarized an experience in his mind, drawing upon his five hundred years of life.

In Gu Yue village, twenty pedestrians walked the streets, six of whom were Gu Masters. Among these six Gu Masters, there was a 50% chance of one being a Rank 2 Gu Master.

It was with this kind of strength and foundation that Gu Yue village occupied one of Qing Mao Mountain's best resource points, truly making it the overlord of Qing Mao Mountain.

However, Qing Mao Mountain was merely a small corner of the vast Southern Border. Within the entire Southern Border, Gu Yue village could only be considered a lower-middle-tier clan.

"I've only just started cultivating, my cultivation is only at Rank 1 initial stage. I don't even have the qualifications to venture into the Southern Border alone. I'll need at least Rank 3 strength to travel far," Fang Yuan sighed inwardly as he took a bite of his food.

Qing Mao Mountain was too small to contain his ambition; he was destined to leave.

"Haha, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, finally found you," just then, a middle-aged man approached with a sinister grin.

"Hm?" Fang Yuan turned his head slightly to look. He saw a man with a sallow complexion and upturned eyebrows, but he was tall and muscular. As he strode forward, arms crossed over his chest, he stared down at the seated Fang Yuan, a cold glint flashing in his narrow eyes.

"Fang Yuan, do you know you're in big trouble? Hehehe, you actually dared to hit our Mo family's young master. Now the eldest young lady, Mo Yan, is looking all over for you to settle the score," the middle-aged man sneered repeatedly. He sized Fang Yuan up and down with his gaze, subtly exuding an imposing aura.