Things Have Changed

A Gu room was set up next to the academy. The Gu room wasn't large, only sixty square meters.

For Gu Masters to cultivate, Gu worms were the key to their strength.

As soon as the class ended, the excited youths swarmed towards the Gu room.

"Line up, one by one," a roar erupted. Naturally, someone was guarding the entrance to the Gu room.

The youths went in one by one, and then came out.

It was Fang Yuan's turn to enter the Gu room.

Inside the room, there was a whole universe. The four walls were made into compartments, with these embedded square grids placed one after another. The grids varied in size, the largest no bigger than a casserole, the smallest no smaller than a fist.

In the densely packed grids, all sorts of containers were displayed. Some were grey stone basins, some were jade plates of verdant green, some were exquisite grass cages, and some were pottery braziers.

These containers housed all kinds of Gu worms.

Some Gu worms were silent, while others were very noisy, emitting all sorts of sounds like chirps, croaks, rustles, and more, converging into a symphony of life.

"Gu worms are also divided into nine major tiers, corresponding to the nine ranks of Gu Masters. These Gu worms are all Rank 1 Gu worms," Fang Yuan scanned the room and immediately understood.

Generally speaking, a Gu Master at the Rank 1 stage could only use Rank 1 Gu worms. If a Gu Master tried to activate higher-ranked Gu worms, they would often have to pay an extremely heavy price.

Furthermore, Gu worms needed to be fed, and the cost of feeding higher-ranked Gu worms was often beyond the reach of lower-ranked Gu Masters.

For new Gu Masters, unless there were special circumstances, they would choose Rank 1 Gu worms for their first refinement.

The first Gu worm a Gu Master refines holds great significance; it is called the life Gu, and the Gu Master's life and cultivation are intertwined with it. If it were to perish, the Gu Master would inevitably suffer severe injuries.

"Alas, I was hoping to get the Flower Wine Wanderer's Wine Bug and refine it as my life Gu. But now, there's still no clue about the Flower Wine Wanderer's remains, and I don't know when I'll find it, or if someone else will discover it. To be safe, I'll just choose a Moonlight Gu."

Fang Yuan sighed inwardly as he walked directly towards the left wall.

On one of the layers slightly above the wall compartments, there was a row of silver plates. Each plate held a Gu worm.

This Gu worm was crystal clear, curved like the moon, resembling a piece of blue crystal. Against the backdrop of the silver plate, it exuded a serene aura.

The Gu was named Moonlight, a clan-protecting Gu worm of the Gu Yue clan. The vast majority of clan members chose it as their life Gu. It was not a naturally occurring Gu worm but was cultivated through the secret methods of the Gu Yue clan. It was unique to their clan and could be considered a symbol of the Gu Yue clan.

All the Moonlight Gu worms were Rank 1, with extremely subtle differences. Fang Yuan casually picked one and held it.

The Moonlight Gu was very light, comparable to the weight of a thin piece of paper. It occupied only a small area of his palm, about the size of an ordinary jade pendant. Fang Yuan could see his obscured palm lines through it.

After a final look and finding no issues, Fang Yuan put it in his pocket and left the Gu room.

There was still a long queue outside the Gu room. A boy behind him, seeing Fang Yuan emerge, eagerly rushed 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 immediately. But Fang Yuan wasn't in a hurry to do so; his mind was still on that Wine Bug.

The Wine Bug was more precious. Although the Moonlight Gu was a specialty of the Gu Yue village, it was not as helpful to Gu Masters as the Wine Bug.

Leaving the Gu room, Fang Yuan went directly to the wine shop.

"Shopkeeper, two jars of aged wine," Fang Yuan patted his pocket and placed the remaining primeval stone fragments on the counter.

These past few days, he had been coming here to buy wine and then wandering around the village outskirts, hoping to lure the Wine Bug out.

The shopkeeper was a short, stout middle-aged man with an oily face. After these days, he had recognized Fang Yuan.

"Guest, you're here." While greeting him, he extended his thick, short, chubby hand and skillfully pocketed Fang Yuan's primeval stone fragments.

He then weighed them in his hand. Finding the weight to be sufficient, the shopkeeper's smile became even more cordial.

Primeval stones were the currency in this world, used to measure the value of all commodities. They were also condensed essences of heaven and earth, which could be used themselves to aid Gu Masters in their cultivation.

Possessing both currency and commodity attributes, they were very similar to gold on Earth. Just as Earth once had a single gold standard, this world had a single primeval stone standard.

Compared to gold, the purchasing power of primeval stones was quite astonishing.

However, even a large amount of primeval stones couldn't withstand Fang Yuan's continuous consumption.

"Two jars of wine every day for seven full days. The primeval stones I had saved are almost all spent." Carrying the two jars of wine out of the shop, Fang Yuan frowned slightly.

Once one became a Gu Master, they could directly extract pure primeval essence from primeval stones to replenish the primeval sea in their aperture.

Therefore, for Gu Masters, primeval stones were not only currency but also aids to cultivation.

With sufficient primeval stones, the speed of cultivation could be significantly increased, which could, to some extent, compensate for shortcomings in aptitude.

"I won't have any primeval stones to buy wine tomorrow, and the Wine Bug still hasn't shown up. Do I really have to refine the Moonlight Gu as my life Gu?" Fang Yuan felt a sense of unwillingness.

Leaving the wine shop, Fang Yuan walked with two jars of wine in his hands, thinking as he walked: "The Academy Elder said that the first person to refine their life Gu in this assessment would receive a reward of twenty primeval stones. Now, many people are probably at home, trying their best to refine their Gu worms and strive for first place. Unfortunately, refining a life Gu is extremely demanding on aptitude. Those with good aptitude have a huge advantage. With my C-grade aptitude, without any other means, I have no hope of winning."

Just then, Gu Yue Fang Zheng's voice sounded from behind him: "Brother, you've really come to the tavern to get drunk again! Come with me, Uncle and Aunt want to see you."

Fang Yuan stopped and turned around.

He noticed that his brother was no longer speaking with his head lowered as he used to.

The brothers' gazes met.

A gust of wind howled, ruffling his brother's messy black hair and blowing at his brother's clothes.

In just one month, things had changed drastically.

The Aperture Opening Ceremony a week ago had brought about immense changes for both the elder and younger brother.

Brother Fang Yuan had fallen from grace, his halo of genius cruelly stripped away. Meanwhile, his younger brother had begun to shine, rising like a new star.

This change held a world-shattering significance for his younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng.

He finally tasted what his brother had felt before, being entrusted with hope, being looked at with envy or jealousy.

He felt as if he had suddenly been lifted from a dark corner and placed in a bright paradise.

Every day he woke up, he felt as if he were living in a beautiful dream. The vastly different treatment still made him find it hard to believe, and he also felt a strong sense of discomfort.

He was not used to it.

He went from being unknown to being closely watched and talked about.

Sometimes, when Fang Zheng walked on the road and heard passersby discussing and praising him, his face would burn, his hands and feet would feel clumsy, his eyes would dart away, and he almost didn't know how to walk!

In the first ten-plus days, Gu Yue Fang Zheng inexplicably lost weight, but his spirit became even more vigorous.

From the deepest part of his heart, something called "confidence" began to grow.

"This must be how my brother felt before, it's truly wonderful yet painful!" He couldn't help but think of his brother, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, and how he had dealt with such discussions and attention.

He subconsciously began to imitate Fang Yuan, pretending to have a poker face, but he quickly realized he wasn't cut out for it.

Sometimes in the academy, a girl's shout would make him blush crimson. On the road, the teasing from aunts and older women made him flee in disarray multiple times.

He was like an infant learning to walk, stumbling as he adapted to his new life.

During this process, he inevitably heard rumors about his brother—that he had become dispirited and decadent, turned to heavy drinking, stayed out all night, and slept through classes.

He was shocked at first. His brother, such a powerful and talented existence, had become like this?!

But gradually, he began to understand a little. His brother was only human, after all. Facing such setbacks and blows, becoming dispirited was inevitable.

Along with this understanding, Fang Zheng vaguely felt an unspeakable sense of satisfaction.

This feeling of satisfaction was something he was extremely reluctant to admit, but it was undeniably there.

His brother, praised as a genius, the brother who had once suppressed him like a shadow, was now so dejected and demoralized. In a way, this was proof of his own growth, wasn't it?

He was outstanding; that was the truth!

Therefore, seeing Fang Yuan carrying a wine jar, his hair disheveled and his clothes in disarray, Gu Yue Fang Zheng felt a deep sigh of relief in his heart, his breathing inexplicably becoming much lighter.

But he said, "Brother, you can't drink anymore, you can't go on like this. You don't know how worried those who care about you will be. You need to pull yourself together!"

Fang Yuan remained expressionless and did not speak.

The brothers' eyes met.

The younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, had eyes that sparkled with sharpness. But his brother Fang Yuan's eyes were dark and deep, like a secluded ancient pool.

Such eyes made Fang Zheng feel an inexplicable sense of oppression. After a brief moment of eye contact, he subconsciously shifted his gaze to the side.

But when he realized what he had done, a surge of anger instantly rose within him.

A surge of anger at himself.

What was happening to him? Did he not even have the courage to meet his brother's gaze?

He had changed; he had completely changed!

Thinking this, his gaze sharpened, and he swept it back over.

But Fang Yuan was no longer looking at him. Instead, holding a wine jar in each hand, he walked past him, his voice flat as he said, "What are you still standing there for? Let's go."

Fang Zheng's breathing faltered. The breath he had been holding in his heart had nowhere to be released, leaving him with an inexpressible sense of frustration.

Seeing his brother walking away, he had no choice but to quicken his pace to catch up.

Only this time, his head was no longer lowered. Instead, he held it high, facing the setting sun.

His gaze was fixed on his own feet, stepping one by one onto Fang Yuan's shadow.