The five stood on the walkway.
Gu Yue Jiao San laughed kindly and said to Fang Yuan, "Little brother Fang Yuan, your performance really impressed all of us. It seems we did a correct thing inviting you to join us. You have just graduated from the academy, and might be unclear of some things. Let me introduce you to them."
"Firstly, the clan missions, each Gu Master must complete at least one a month. The more you complete and the more perfect it is, the higher your evaluation."
"Secondly, the missions are distributed by the internal affairs hall or the external affair hall, each Gu Master can only accept one. Once accepted, they must complete it."
"Thirdly, under special conditions, a Gu Master may choose to abandon a mission, but that will cause their evaluation to fall greatly. At the same time, Rank one Gu Masters have no rights to give up, and only Rank two Gu Masters do. But they can only abandon one mission a year."
"Fourth, the clan's evaluation is very important. It concerns your future in the clan, and the higher your evaluation, the greater your future and the brighter it is."
Fang Yuan listened, nodding. These things were already memorized by him. Gu Yue Jiao San was right and did not misdirect him, but many key contents were not spoken.
"Alright, the permafrost decayed soil's mission has just been completed. Next, I accepted a wild deer hunting mission. The danger is low, so it is suitable for you to practice." Jiao San said to Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan laughed coldly in his heart, but said, "Thank you for your concern, group leader."
Gu Yue Kong Jing immediately followed up, "Little brother Fang Yuan, you should really properly thank the group leader. Although simple missions are easily completed, they have a small reward. The group leader's actions are to take care of you."
The other two female Gu Masters also spoke, "Yeah, yeah, little brother Fang Yuan, action speaks louder than words. Why don't you thank the group leader by treating him to lunch."
"Little brother Fang Yuan, you just left the academy, society is complicated. Human relationship is very important. If you don't know anything, just ask us during lunch."
Gu Yue Jiao San laughed, purposely waving his hand, "Don't put him in a spot, he just left the academy, he must be tight on primeval stones."
"How can that be! Besides, just being the first place in the year end exam gave him a hundred primeval stones as reward right?" A female Gu Master purposely said, and then showed an expression of envy, "I'm really envious of you, a hundred primeval stones is a huge sum even to us."
"Group leader, you've mistaken our little brother Fang Yuan. How can he be so stingy. Am I right, little brother Fang Yuan?" Gu Yue Kong Jing laughed heartily, as if he was very happy.
Another female Gu Master got nearer to Fang Yuan, as if they had a close relationship, saying, " Little brother Fang Yuan, a word of advice. You can choose not to suck up to us, but the group leader, you have to. You know, our group's evaluation has a portion written by the group leader. If he says you're outstanding, you're outstanding.
If he says you performed badly, it means you really performed badly."
"That's right, that's right. Evaluation is very important to us Gu Masters, we need at least an outstanding evaluation to be noticed by the higher-ups. In the future where we have sufficient achievements, we would be able to work for several years less!" Kong Jing immediately followed up.
Throughout the entire process, Gu Yue Jiao San was smiling and watching.
Finally he waved his hand with a kind expression and laughingly said, "Ah, don't speak nonsense. I am always impartial when writing my evaluation, and will not be easily bribed by you. But don't worry Fang Yuan, you are a newcomer, so now that you're in our group, I will take good care of your evaluation."
If it were a normal teenager, they would've been led by the nose by these few people, feeling touched secretly. They are bullying a newcomer's ignorance and naivety.
But Fang Yuan's iris was calm as the sea.
Group leader being involved in the member's evaluation, that was the truth. This is the clan's system, giving the authority to the group leader, so that they can manage each small group.
But it is not as severe as these people said.
For the clan evaluation, the group leader's evaluation is only a very small portion, and it is still mostly attributed to the clan's internal affairs hall.
Or rather, even if the group leader had a great influence on it, so what?
Fang Yuan didn't give a damn about the evaluation.
He had already decided—quickly raise his cultivation, reach Rank three, and then leave this place. He had never thought of staying in this clan for over a hundred years to slog his life away.
To these ignorant and lowly peasants, the evaluation was the most important thing. But to Fang Yuan, it was lower than dog shit!
Thus, their somewhat threatening tone was of no use to Fang Yuan.
"I understand what you all have said. I still have something on, so I'll take my leave," Fang Yuan after being quiet for a while, said.
Eh?
At once, the four Gu Masters showed a shocked expression.
"What is the meaning of this? Did you not hear what we said earlier?" A female Gu Master stared with her eyes wide, screaming in her heart.
"Is your comprehension ability really okay?" Gu Yue Kong Jing at this moment, really wanted to grab Fang Yuan by the collar and ask him.
Jiao San's mouth twitched.
Fang Yuan's indifference caused their self-directed performance to look like a joke. It made the scheme that they set up become a laughingstock.
Seeing Fang Yuan turning around and walking away, the fury in his heart blazed on.
"Come on Fang Yuan, don't leave so quickly, don't listen to their nonsense." Jiao San controlled his temper and conjured a smile, quickly chasing up and blocking Fang Yuan, "You're going to rent a house right? Let us go with you. I have some personal relations, I am more familiar with the rental situation."
"I am indeed going to rent a house, I can't stay at the hostel anymore, do you have any ideas?" Fang Yuan raised his eyebrows, asking calmly.
"I know a few houses that are considerably cheap, and with good location." Jiao San smiled, leading the way.
…
"My house, fifteen primeval stones a month, no second price."
"Pfft, renting my house with eight primeval stones? In your dreams."
"You must pay a deposit, 25% deposit. Other vendors are doing this too."
"My house has good Feng Shui, and its quiet at night. More importantly, it is facing the clan leader's pavilion, you know how good the location is. It is really cheap, only twenty-five primeval stones a month."
All the way until night time, Fang Yuan did not find a house to stay.
"Little brother Fang Yuan, you're too stingy. The village is only so big, the prices are all like this."
"In my opinion, you should get the house near the clan leader's pavilion, the second floor is very spacious and the scenery is nice. Little brother Fang Yuan, don't be so thrifty, it is only twenty-five primeval stones. The reward that you got is enough for you to stay for four months."
The two female Gu Masters continued to urge him on with ill intent.
Fang Yuan shook his head, "I do not have many primeval stones, I cannot be wasteful."
"Then rent an underground apartment, it's cheaper." Gu Yue Kong Jing's eyes shone with cold brilliance, suggesting.
Fang Yuan snorted in his heart, this Kong Jing has such a vile heart!
The village is already high in precipitation, and now that it is winter, the underground apartments would have poor airflow, and tenants would easily catch a cold. Even if there aren't diseases, it would cause problems in the long term.
Seeing that Fang Yuan kept his silence, Jiao San said, "Actually the big hall's first floor is good too. Co-staying with other people causes the rent to reduce as well.
Fang Yuan shook his head, "I want to stay alone, I do not like to stay with others."
Gu Yue Kong Jing snorted, saying unhappily, "You don't want this, you don't want that. I'm not trying to scold you, little brother Fang Yuan, but you're too picky and expect too much. With such high standards, it is not realistic."
Fang Yuan listened, laughing coldly in his heart while thinking, "Even if they fulfil the criteria, I would not accept any house you recommend."
His act of pacifying them was just for the sake of being careful, finding out if there are any traps.
Just as Fang Yuan was about to leave, Matron Shen appeared.
"Young Master Fang Yuan, I finally found you. The academy can no longer be stayed at, and the old master and his wife have already prepared a banquet, specifically asking me to invite you home. Staying at home is so much better, there is no need for you to go about renting houses outside," She urged.
Finally here...
Fang Yuan laughed coldly in his heart, this Matron Shen really found a good time. Finding him here at once, someone must have notified her!
Just as he had expected, the masterminds were his uncle and aunt!
And Jiao San was the chain that his uncle and aunt created to bind him.
Fang Yuan's silence looked like hesitation.
"Fang Yuan, why don't you stay at your uncle and aunt's house, why make life difficult? Renting a house will spend a lot of primeval stones." Gu Yue Jiao San spoke in a 'concerned' manner at an appropriate juncture as he looked at Fang Yuan, his eyes shining ominously.