Section Thirty-Six: Dismemberment for a Gift

"Did you guys hear? Fang Yuan killed someone!" one student whispered to their deskmate.

"I heard too, he really killed someone." The deskmate clutched their chest, their face pale.

"Lots of guards saw it at the time. Fang Yuan chased that person, and when the person tried to beg for mercy, Fang Yuan didn't allow it and just chopped off his head!"

"That's not all. After Fang Yuan killed that person, he didn't even let the headless corpse go. He dragged it back to the dorm and chopped it into mince."

"Is that true or not?"

"It couldn't be truer. I came early this morning and even saw the bloodstains left in the cracks of the bluestone bricks."

"Hey, why would I lie to you! The Academy Elder just called Fang Yuan away because of this!"

Inside the academy, the young students were distracted, whispering amongst themselves.

Killing was still too foreign and too terrifying for these fifteen-year-old youths.

From childhood, they had lived under the protection of their families, and at most, they had only engaged in sparring or butchered chickens and dogs.

As for killing people, that was still a distant concept for them.

"Who did Fang Yuan kill?"

"I heard it was a house slave from the Mo family's branch."

"Sigh, I know this best. Last night, I saw with my own eyes that Senior Mo Yan from the Mo family brought a group of house slaves to cause trouble for Fang Yuan."

"It's the Mo family? This is bad. Mo Bei is in trouble now."

Many young students looked towards Gu Yue Mo Bei.

Mo Bei sat in his seat, his face pale. He had only just learned the news this morning. Fang Yuan actually killed someone, and he killed Gao Wan, someone he knew!

Mo Bei was very familiar with Gao Wan. He was active among the house slaves, good at flattery, and had practiced martial arts diligently. He was a capable lackey.

A while ago, Gao Wan had even sparred with Mo Bei. To think he was killed by Fang Yuan like this!

Because of this, Mo Bei's shock and disbelief were twice as strong as everyone else's.

Beyond shock, there was a sense of worry and fear.

Facing a murderer like Fang Yuan, it would be a lie to say that fifteen-year-old Mo Bei wasn't scared.

In fact, it wasn't just him; the other youths were scared too.

Fang Yuan had robbed them twice, and each of them had fought with Fang Yuan.

"I actually fought with such a brutal murderer? And I'm still alive." Many patted their chests, feeling a sense of lingering fear.

It was one thing for Fang Yuan to kill someone, but the key was that he also dismembered the body, chopping it into mince.

That was just too brutal!

Such terrifying criminal acts deeply impacted the pure hearts of the youths.

In the room, there were only the Academy Elder and Fang Yuan.

The Academy Elder sat, while Fang Yuan stood. Neither spoke, and the atmosphere was oppressive and heavy.

The Academy Elder looked at Fang Yuan silently, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

Early in the morning, guards had reported Fang Yuan's act of murder to him. This news left him both surprised and suspicious.

He was a Rank 3 Gu Master and was in charge of the academy. Naturally, he knew the combat power of a Rank 1 Gu Master.

Fang Yuan killing Gao Wan could be considered a victory of the weak over the strong.

In fact, guards had reported yesterday evening that Mo Yan had kidnapped Fang Yuan and forced him into the academy.

He hadn't paid attention at the time, nor had he intervened.

He was the Academy Elder, and his purpose was to cultivate future Gu Masters, not to protect them. As long as no student was killed or injured, he encouraged covert competition.

He was happy to see Mo Yan come to trouble Fang Yuan.

Firstly, he knew that regardless of victory or defeat, the battle would benefit Fang Yuan's growth. Secondly, he also wanted to curb Fang Yuan's momentum.

Fang Yuan had blocked the academy gates twice, robbing all the students. His momentum was too strong; it needed to be suppressed.

However, he hadn't expected that Mo Yan would return without success, leaving behind the house slave Gao Wan. And Gao Wan actually couldn't defeat Fang Yuan and was killed by Fang Yuan!

In this world, strength was paramount. Killing was not uncommon, especially for Gu Masters, it could be considered an extremely ordinary matter.

But for a fifteen-year-old youth to kill for the first time, that was not simple.

The Academy Elder remembered his own first kill vividly. At that time, he was already a Rank 2 Gu Master, nineteen years old, and had killed a Gu Master from the Bai family village during a conflict.

After killing, he vomited profusely and was filled with panic. For several days, he had no appetite and didn't want to eat. Sleep was also restless; as soon as he closed his eyes, he would see the man's eyes glaring at him in death.

Now, looking at Fang Yuan, his expression was calm and composed, with no trace of panic. There was no discomfort either, as if he had merely slept soundly last night, and he wasn't the one who had killed.

Especially when the Academy Elder heard that after killing the house slave, Fang Yuan didn't let him go. He dragged the corpse back to the dorm and chopped it into mince with multiple knives in a fit of rage. Such ruthless methods were terrifying!

Therefore, at this moment, the Academy Elder's gaze towards Fang Yuan was filled with complex emotions.

On one hand, he marveled at Fang Yuan's indifference to life, his icy-cold composure. On the other hand, he felt a bit of admiration. Fang Yuan was a natural combatant. He had only recently mastered the Moonlight Gu and could already use it to kill. Ordinary youths, even those with A-grade talent, might not be able to do this. This was talent for combat! If cultivated, fighting for the family, he would be a nightmare for the enemy.

The third aspect was worry and distress.

Fang Yuan's momentum has grown even stronger after this incident, making him difficult to suppress. Fang Yuan's audacity was too great; not only did he violate clan rules by using Gu in the academy, but he also killed someone because of it. His momentum must be curbed, otherwise, how could he manage this academy?

What troubled him was how to handle the aftermath, as it involved the Mo family's lineage.

"Fang Yuan, do you know why I summoned you?" the Academy Elder broke the silence in the room with a deep voice.

"I do," Fang Yuan nodded. "I violated clan rules by using the Moonlight Gu in the academy. According to regulations, the first violation should be punished with compensation of thirty primeval stones."

He downplayed the important issues, completely avoiding the matter of Gao Wan's death.

The Academy Elder was taken aback, not expecting Fang Yuan to answer like this.

His expression darkened, and he let out a cold snort, "Don't play dumb with me! I ask you, what happened to Gao Wan's death?"

Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed. "Hmph! Gao Wan was insubordinate and malicious. Last night, he not only blocked my door but also tried to kill me. I had no choice but to use the Moonlight Gu in self-defense and fortunately killed that scoundrel. I suspect he was very likely a spy from another mountain village. I request the elder to discern the truth!"

Upon hearing this, the Academy Elder frowned, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Now that Gao Wan was dead, Fang Yuan could say whatever he pleased. He was an outsider, not a clan member, so his death was inconsequential to the Academy Elder. However, he was worried about the Mo family's reaction. Gao Wan was a house slave of the Mo family, yet he died in the academy. As the manager of the academy, he needed to provide an explanation to the Mo family.

After some thought, the Academy Elder stared intently at Fang Yuan and questioned, "Then I ask you, how did you dispose of Gao Wan's body?"

A cruel, cold smile curved Fang Yuan's lips. "I dismembered Gao Wan, chopped him into pieces, put him in a wooden box, and left it by the Mo family's back door at dawn."

"What?!" The Academy Elder was greatly shocked, almost unable to restrain himself from standing up from his seat.

Not only did Fang Yuan kill the family's slave, but he also chopped up the body and left it at the Mo family's back door. This was a blatant provocation!

For the Academy Elder, who desperately wanted to quell this matter, this was truly devastating news.

Fang Yuan was merely a mere Rank 1 Gu Master. What would be the reaction of the powerful Mo family?

The Academy Elder felt a headache coming on, realizing the situation had spiraled out of his control. This Fang Yuan was such a troublemaker!

"Alas, since things have already happened, there's no use saying more. You may go down first. The punishment will be handed down in a few days, so be prepared," the Elder, his mind in turmoil, waved Fang Yuan away. He needed to calm down and think carefully about a strategy.