"Congratulations, congratulations."
"Elder Fang Yuan is young and promising. You are definitely a role model for the young generation!"
"Haha, we truly anticipate Elder Fang Yuan's brilliance as we work together from now on."
The group of elders surrounded Fang Yuan and spoke customary words.
The academy elder stood at the edge of the crowd, his expression complicated as he looked at Fang Yuan.
He had never expected Fang Yuan to become an elder. In his class, he had been the most optimistic of Fang Zheng, and then Chi Cheng and Mo Bei.
But to think that the one who was the first to achieve success, was actually Fang Yuan!
"How could these little achievements of mine be compared to the elders? I still need to thank the clan's teachings for today's achievements. Academy elder, I have always engraved your words in my heart," Fang Yuan had a warm smile on, and he spoke modestly and prudently.
The academy elder hadn't expected this punk to take the initiative to greet him.
He was blank for a moment before a gratified expression appeared in his face, "Looks like you have matured a lot in these years, Elder Fang Yuan. Keep up the good work, I am proud of your achievements. The clan needs new blood like you."
Fang Yuan sincerely thanked the academy elder again and also replied to the other elders.
With his five hundred years of experience, putting on such an act was very easy.
He had a sense of propriety, his words were gentle and his attitude was humble, making all those who heard him feel like they were basking in a spring breeze.
Gu Yue Chi Lian was indifferent at this scene, but the more he observed, the more frightened he became. This Fang Yuan knew how to deal with the situation adequately, and every sentence and word were as if spoken by a veteran. Was he really just in his teens? Could he be a born politician?
The academy elder was astonished too. He thought of the academy times; Fang Yuan was so rebellious, even exploiting his own classmates. He had countless headaches due to this, but the current Fang Yuan seemed to have completely changed.
On the contrary, Gu Yue Mo Chen wasn't baffled by Fang Yuan's behaviour. After all, he already had a taste of Fang Yuan's schemes.
Right now, as he looked at Fang Yuan's cultured and gentle behaviour, becoming a focal point of the crowd, he kept on sighing that Gu Yue Chi Lian had made a great move.
The exchanges continued on for some time. But, regardless of what thoughts the elders had, the ones present there couldn't help but look at Fang Yuan in a new light. They continuously sighed that rumors were really unreliable!
In the end, Fang Yuan tactfully rejected some of the elders' invitations and left the clan head pavillion with a smile together with Gu Yue Chi Lian.
"Hmph, are you satisfied now? After pulling down Gu Yue Yao Ji, you even dragged my Chi faction into hot water!" When they reached the study room, Chi Lian couldn't pretend anymore, and the smile on his face was replaced by fury.
Fang Yuan was sitting in front of him and leisurely smiled, "You need to thank me for this. Gu Yue Yao Ji is down, this is a great benefit to your Chi faction."
Gu Yue Chi Lian's gaze flashed, "Hmph, young man, your thoughts are too simple. Chi Zhong is my Chi faction's member but his wife is of Yao faction. The clan head appointed him as the temporary medicine hall elder precisely because he wants to balance out the internal strife between my Chi and Yao faction. You, how did you find out about Chi Cheng's matter?"
At the end, Gu Yue Chi Lian suddenly asked this.
He closely watched Fang Yuan with a gaze like that of an eagle's.
Fang Yuan unconcernedly shrugged his shoulders and said, "Old man, I don't have much primeval stones on me left, give me three thousand primeval stones."
Bang.
Gu Yue Chi Lian fiercely slammed the table; he lowered his voice and roared, "Fang Yuan! Don't even think that you can extort my Chi faction just by knowing that secret. I am old and don't have long to live, so at worst I will just give up my life! Hmph, I can accept cooperating, but I will absolutely not receive any threats!"
"I won't allow what happened today to happen again! If you recklessly make enemies and pull my Chi faction into your mess, you will regret it! You really think that secret can destroy my whole Chi faction? Heh, don't be so naive."
Fang Yuan didn't reply, his gaze was ghostly as he let Gu Yue Chi Lian continue to berate him.
When Gu Yue Chi Lian had slammed the table, his aura was astonishing like that of a tiger, but as he continued to speak, his aura started getting weaker and weaker and in the end, he appeared to be in deficiency of energy, showing a lack of confidence.
Only when he no longer spoke did Fang Yuan leisurely smile and say, "Old man, don't get so angry. I am indeed short of money recently, and I am not asking these three thousand primeval stones for free, I am just borrowing them. I can even sign the receipt for loan."
Gu Yue Chi Lian snorted, he spoke slowly, "You won't lack primeval stones, you have just become an elder and don't know the preferential treatment the clan gives to the elders. As long as you are an elder, you will receive a hundred primeval stones every week.
This is the amount you receive in ordinary times, but as this is the time of the wolf tide, you will receive three hundred primeval stones as allowance."
"Not only that, you can also freely take a Rank three Gu worm. Similarly, the clan's Rank one to Rank three recipes will be opened to you. You can choose any recipe that you like and refine your Rank three Gu worm. There are also other privileges, for example: Ordinary Gu Masters can only marry one wife, but an elder can have one wife and two concubines."
"So that's it." Fang Yuan knew this of course, but he pretended it was the first time he heard it.
"But even if it is so, I still want to borrow three thousand primeval stones. You also know that I just advanced to Rank three. Refining a Rank three Gu worm consumes a great amount of primeval stones," Fang Yuan 'sincerely' said.
Gu Yue Chi Lian reflected on this.
He pondered, "With Fang Yuan's identity as an elder, he wouldn't go so far as to not pay his debt. Does he not want his reputation? If in case, he dies in the wolf tide, then wouldn't my three thousand primeval stones go to waste? Wait, won't it be better if he dies? We can continue to hide the matter regarding Chi Cheng's aptitude. But how did he learn this secret?
Is there still anyone else who knows about it? I had better lend the money to him first and lower his guard, then I can probe his secret."
As he thought up to this point, Gu Yue Chi Lian didn't insist anymore and immediately took out a brush and paper.
Fang Yuan wrote the receipt for loan and signed with his fingerprint.
Gu Yue Chi Lian called his butler and gave some orders. Soon, several money bags full of primeval stones were brought over.
Fang Yuan weighed each money bag and didn't find any problems.
He truly needed these primeval stones.
He had spent almost all his savings in refining the Man-beast Life Burial Gu. These three thousand primeval stones could be considered a timely assistance.
He had just advanced to Rank three. He needed to refine a Rank three Gu worm. Only then could he truly possess the battle and survival ability of a Rank three Gu Master.
He already had a rough plan regarding this. Three thousand primeval stones might not be enough. However, it wasn't urgent, and the Chi faction would be his great money farm.
The primeval stones he borrowed this time was only the start. If it happened once, it will happen twice; first time is difficult, but subsequently gets easier.
As for paying the debt, hehe….
Fang Yuan wasn't in a hurry to leave after getting these primeval stones, but instead smiled, "I still want to borrow something."
"Don't go overboard." Gu Yue Chi Lian was grim, but in the end, he still said, "Speak, what is it?"
"Cleansing Water Gu," Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed as he said candidly.
There was a Cleansing Water Gu on sale previously in the caravan, and if you consider who was most likely to purchase this Gu, it would be Gu Yue Chi Lian.
He used his own primeval essence to nurture his grandson's aperture and advance his cultivation. This led to there being mixed auras in the aperture, which needed to be purified by the Cleansing Water Gu.
"That is impossible!" Gu Yue Chi Lian firmly refused.
He indeed bought that Cleansing Water Gu, but he prepared this Gu for his grandson Gu Yue Chi Cheng. If he wanted to buy it again, he could only rely on fate.
"Don't refuse me so fast." Fang Yuan laughed, "I believe you—Lord Gu Yue Chi Lian, the head of Chi faction—know which is more important, a Cleansing Water Gu or Chi faction's reputation."
Gu Yue Chi Lian's face darkened completely, the aura around him turning cold as he fiercely looked at Fang Yuan, gnashing his teeth, "Fang Yuan, know what you are trying to do. You are blackmailing me, blackmailing the head of the grand Chi faction!"
"No, no, this is not blackmail, it is a discussion. I am only borrowing the Cleansing Water Gu and will return you a new one in the future. I can sign the receipt of loan for this too," Fang Yuan chuckled. However, his tone was firm and it showed his determined will.
"Don't even imagine it!" Chi Lian's attitude was also firm.
...
After an hour, Fang Yuan walked out of the Chi family manor with three thousand primeval stones and a Cleansing Water Gu.
And Gu Yue Chi Lian was sitting in the study room, looking at the two receipts—written by Fang Yuan—on the table. The indignance in his heart was like a surging river, overflowing endlessly.
Fang Yuan had a hold on Chi faction which put Chi Lian in an extremely passive situation, thus his victory was reasonable.
Three days later.
Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed, white light shining upon his face.
A white ball of light was floating in mid-air—the fusion process had reached its end stage.
Fang Yuan used his consciousness to maintain the ball of light while throwing primeval stones into it.
The ball of light suddenly faded away and a whole new Gu worm flew into Fang Yuan's palm.
Its appearance was like a big ladybug. Its semi-circular milky white carapace was decorated with dark spots.
It was quite big, about the size of an adult's fist.
Rank three Sky Canopy Gu!
"I've finally succeeded." Fang Yuan satisfiedly nodded his head, this was his second time trying this fusion.
The Sky Canopy Gu was refined from the fusion of Rank two White Jade Gu and an aqua defense Gu.
In the first try, Fang Yuan used the Water Shield Gu and White Jade Gu. But the fusion ended up a failure, resulting in the death of the Water Shield Gu.
The aqua defense Gu he used this time had been exchanged with his battle merits.
However, this Sky Canopy Gu wasn't Fang Yuan's first Rank three Gu worm. His first Rank three Gu worm was directly obtained from the clan.
After advancing to Rank three and becoming an elder, the clan would bestow them with a Rank three Gu worm.
Fang Yuan used this chance to pick a Thunderwings Gu.
This Gu was gotten as spoils of war after the elders had killed a frenzy lightning wolf. Its ability was to materialize a pair of thunder wings and give Gu Masters the ability to fly for a short duration.
With the Thunderwings Gu to assist with movements, Fang Yuan's final combat shortcoming was fixed.