Drifting Farther Apart

The red sun was sinking in the west, but it had not yet fully set.

There was still light in the sky, but everything seemed veiled in a layer of gray. Looking out through the window, the distant mountains were gradually drawing closer to heavy blackness.

The light in the hall was dim. Uncle and Aunt sat high in the seats of honor, their faces shrouded in shadow, their expressions indistinct.

When he saw the two jars of wine Fang Yuan had brought with him, Gu Yue Dong Tu's brows knotted into a lump. He said, "In the blink of an eye, you are already fifteen. You both actually possess the aptitude to become Gu Masters—especially Fang Zheng. Your aunt and I are proud of you. I have prepared six Primeval Stones for each of you. Take them. Refining Gu worms consumes a great deal of primeval essence; you will need these Primeval Stones."

As he spoke, a servant came forward and handed Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng a small pouch each.

Fang Yuan put away his pouch without a word.

Fang Zheng immediately opened his pouch and saw six oval, grayish-white Primeval Stones inside. Gratitude instantly appeared on his face. He rose from his seat and bowed to Uncle and Aunt. "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. Your nephew truly needs Primeval Stones to replenish his primeval essence. You raised me to adulthood; I will remember this debt of upbringing in my heart and never forget it for all eternity!"

Uncle smiled and nodded.

Aunt hurriedly waved her hand and said gently to Fang Zheng, "Sit, sit. Though you two brothers were not born to us, we have always raised you as our own sons. We are proud that you have become so promising. Sigh, we have no children of our own. Sometimes I think that if you truly could become our children, that would be wonderful."

Those words carried deep meaning. Fang Zheng did not catch it, but Fang Yuan frowned slightly.

Sure enough, Uncle continued, "Your aunt and I have discussed this. We wish to adopt you into our family and become a true family. Fang Zheng, are you willing?"

Fang Zheng was stunned for a moment, but delight quickly welled up on his face. He immediately agreed. "To tell the truth, ever since my parents died, I have longed for the days when a family could be reunited. To become one family with Uncle and Aunt could not be better!"

Aunt visibly relaxed and smiled. "Then you are our good son now. Why are you still calling us Uncle and Aunt?"

"Father, Mother." Fang Zheng suddenly understood and quickly changed his form of address.

Uncle and Aunt both burst into laughter.

"Good son, we did not raise you in vain. Your father and I have raised you since you were five—ten whole years." Aunt wiped away tears.

Uncle looked toward the silent Fang Yuan and said mildly, "Fang Yuan, what is your intention?"

Fang Yuan shook his head without speaking.

"Brother." Gu Yue Fang Zheng wanted to persuade him, but Uncle stopped him.

Uncle's tone remained unchanged as he continued, "Since that is the case, Nephew Fang Yuan, we will not force you. But you are already fifteen; it is time for you to establish your own household. That will also make it easier for you to inherit your Fang family branch. I have prepared two hundred Primeval Stones here for you, as support."

"Two hundred Primeval Stones!" Fang Zheng's eyes widened at once. He had never seen so many Primeval Stones, and an envious look could not help appearing on his face.

Yet Fang Yuan still shook his head.

Fang Zheng was utterly bewildered. Uncle's expression changed slightly, while Aunt's face darkened as well.

"Uncle, Aunt, if there is nothing else, this nephew will take his leave." Fang Yuan did not give them another chance to speak. Leaving those words behind, he picked up the wine jars and walked straight out of the hall.

Fang Zheng rose. "Father, Mother, Brother only cannot see reason for the moment. Why not let me persuade him?"

Uncle waved his hand and deliberately let out a long sigh. "Sigh, this matter cannot be forced. It is enough that you have such intentions; as your father, I am already greatly comforted. Someone, take Young Master Fang Zheng away and see that he is well settled."

"Then your son will take his leave." Fang Zheng withdrew, and the hall fell into silence.

The sun completely sank behind the mountains, and the hall grew ever darker.

After a long while, Uncle's cold voice sounded in the darkness. "It seems Fang Yuan, that little bastard, has already seen through our scheme."

The Gu Yue Clan's rules clearly stipulated that the eldest son, upon reaching sixteen, had the right to inherit the family property.

Fang Yuan's parents had already passed away, leaving behind a considerable inheritance, all of which Uncle and Aunt had been "safeguarding."

The value of that inheritance could not be compared to a mere two hundred Primeval Stones.

If Fang Yuan were adopted by Uncle and Aunt like Fang Zheng, he would lose the right to inherit that estate. If Fang Yuan established his own household this year at fifteen, that too would fail to meet the clan's rules for inheriting family property.

"Fortunately, we have won Fang Zheng over, while Fang Yuan only has C-grade Aptitude." Uncle sighed again, feeling incomparably fortunate.

"Then, Husband, Fang Yuan has plainly decided to leave and establish his own household at sixteen. What should we do?" At the thought of that inheritance, Aunt's tone grew anxious.

"Hmph, since he harbors improper intentions, he cannot blame us. As long as we catch him committing some grave mistake before he establishes his own household and drive him out, we can strip him of his right to inherit the estate." Uncle snorted.

"But that little bastard Fang Yuan is so clever. How could he make a mistake?" Aunt asked in confusion.

Uncle immediately rolled his eyes and rebuked her in a low voice, "You truly are stupid! If he will not make a mistake, can we not frame him? Have that girl Shen Cui seduce Fang Yuan first, then cry molestation. We will catch him with both man and evidence on the spot, then pin on him the charge of losing himself to lust after drinking, of being utterly devoid of conscience. Would we still fear being unable to drive Fang Yuan out?"

"Husband, you truly have a way. What a brilliant plan!" Aunt was instantly overjoyed.

The thick night spread like a blanket. Most of the stars filling the sky were obscured by drifting clouds, and lamps gradually lit up in household after household throughout the village.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng was led into a room.

"Young Master Fang Zheng, the master personally instructed this old servant to tidy up and specially clear out this room for you." Mama Shen introduced it eagerly, bent at the waist, her face piled high with fawning smiles.

Fang Zheng looked around, his eyes shining. This room was twice as large as the one he had lived in before. A spacious bed stood in the center; beside the window was a sandalwood desk furnished with exquisite brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Fine ornaments hung on the surrounding walls. Even beneath his feet was not ordinary flooring, but a layer of soft handmade carpet.

From childhood to now, Fang Zheng had never lived in such a room. He immediately nodded again and again. "This is excellent, truly excellent. Thank you, Mama Shen."

Mama Shen was Aunt's most trusted servant. She managed all the household servants and was, in name and fact, the housekeeper.

Fang Yuan's personal maid, Shen Cui, was her daughter.

Mama Shen chuckled. "How could this servant dare accept Young Master's thanks? It is only proper, only proper! Young Master, simply eat well and sleep well. If you need anything, just shake the bell by the bed, and servants will immediately come up to await your orders. The master instructed that during these days, Young Master should devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation. Leave all other trivial matters to us servants."

Gratitude surged in Fang Zheng's heart once more. He said nothing further, only silently made a resolution in his heart: This time, I must take first place and not disappoint Father and Mother!

The clouds in the sky grew heavier and heavier, and the night became ever deeper. Nearly all the stars in the night sky were covered by cloud haze, leaving only a few struggling in the air with faint glimmers of light.

"Uncle and Aunt should be plotting how to drive me out of the house. In my previous life, they secretly incited servants to provoke me, then framed me and finally drove me out. I wonder what changes there will be in this life." Fang Yuan walked down the street, sneering endlessly in his heart.

He had long since seen through Uncle and Aunt's true faces.

But it was understandable.

Men died for wealth, birds died for food. Whether on Earth or in this world, there were always so many people willing to trample family affection, friendship, and love for the sake of profit.

In truth, there had never been any family affection. When Uncle and Aunt took in Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng, their fundamental purpose had been to covet the inheritance. It was merely that the two brothers had repeatedly exceeded their expectations.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning; for me, even more so. I have neither outstanding aptitude nor the care of a master. I am practically starting from nothing. My parents' inheritance can be called a great springboard for me. In my previous life, uncle and aunt seized the inheritance, causing me to spend a full two years before reaching Rank 1 Peak. In this life, I cannot make the same mistake again."

Fang Yuan walked and thought at the same time.

He did not remain at his residence. Instead, carrying two jars of wine, he headed straight toward the outskirts of the village.

The night sky grew increasingly gloomy. Dark clouds covered the starlight, and the mountain wind howled, gradually strengthening.

A mountain storm was on its way.

Yet he still had to explore. To reclaim his parents' inheritance, he would have to wait until he turned sixteen next year. But the Flower Wine Wanderer's hidden legacy was something he might obtain in the near future.

There were few pedestrians on the street. Dim light seeped from the houses by the roadside, while bits of household refuse, fallen leaves, and dust were swept up by the wind and scattered at will.

Fang Yuan's thin clothing could not quite block the mountain wind, and he could not help feeling a chill.

He simply opened one of the wine jars he carried and took a small sip. Though it was cloudy wine, warmth rose within him after it went down his throat.

This was the first time in these days that he had truly drunk wine.

The farther he went from the village, the sparser the houses along the road became, and the dimmer their lights.

Ahead lay layer upon layer of darkness. The wind pressed upon the mountain forest; branches swayed in the night, howling and rustling like a pack of beasts roaring.

Fang Yuan's footsteps did not hesitate in the slightest. He passed through the village gates and gradually drifted farther away along the dark road.

Behind him were the bright, splendid lights of countless homes.

Within those lights was a warm corner.

His younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng, sat before a desk reviewing the notes he had taken in class. The room was brightly lit, its solid walls blocking the cold wind. At his hand sat a cup of warm ginseng tea, steam curling gently upward.

"Young Master Fang Zheng, the hot water for your bath has been prepared." Shen Cui's gentle voice came from outside the door.

Fang Zheng's heart stirred. "Then bring it in."

Shen Cui entered the room with a face full of seductive charm, swaying her waist.

"This servant greets Young Master Fang Zheng." Her eyes brimmed with tender allure as she looked toward him. Fang Yuan was merely C-grade, but Fang Zheng possessed A-grade Aptitude. Climbing onto his branch was the true road to great wealth and fortune!