Chapter 5: First Place
The rain stopped sometime during the night.
15 minutes before dawn, the clan academy was still quiet. Water dripped from the eaves of the bamboo buildings, falling onto the stone path outside and making it shine faintly beneath the dim sky.
2 guards stood at the entrance, wrapped in the cold mountain air. Their minds were still heavy with sleep, and neither expected anyone to arrive at such an hour.
Then footsteps came from within the mist.
One guard immediately straightened. "Who is there?"
A youth walked out from the gray dawn.
His clothes were neat, but his face was pale from exhaustion. His eyes, however, were clear.
He cupped his hands.
"Gu Yue Fang Ming. I have refined my Moonlight Gu."
The 2 guards looked at each other.
It was too early.
The academy elder had ordered them to report immediately once the first student refined their vital Gu, but even so, they had not expected someone to arrive before dawn.
After a brief pause, one guard reacted.
"Wait here. I will report to the elder."
Fang Ming nodded and stood quietly outside the academy gate.
The academy elder had still been asleep when the knocking came.
He opened his eyes with a frown. "Who is it?"
The guard outside quickly reported, "Elder, a student has refined his vital Gu."
The academy elder's sleepiness disappeared at once.
He sat up and began putting on his robe. "Is it Gu Yue Fang Zheng?"
The guard paused for a moment.
"No, elder. It is Gu Yue Fang Ming."
The academy elder's hand stopped briefly.
Then he opened the door.
Candles were soon lit in the hall.
Fang Ming stood beneath the soft light and cupped his hands when the academy elder entered. His etiquette was proper, and his words carried no obvious disrespect, but the pride on his face was not hidden well.
He was still young.
Still newly awakened.
And after taking first place, the first trace of arrogance had already begun to show.
"Student greets elder," Fang Ming said.
The academy elder walked forward and examined him carefully. His gaze soon stopped on Fang Ming's forehead, where a faint crescent mark could be seen.
The Moonlight Gu had indeed been refined.
The academy elder nodded slowly.
"Good. You refined your vital Gu before everyone else. According to academy rules, you are first in this assessment and will receive 20 primeval stones."
A guard brought over a small pouch.
Fang Ming accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you, elder."
The pouch was light, but useful. 20 primeval stones were not a large fortune, but for a newly awakened student, it was enough to support several days of cultivation and refinement.
More importantly, his name had been recorded first.
The academy elder wrote down Gu Yue Fang Ming in the first position, then looked at him again.
"Fang Ming, refining your first Gu is only the beginning. Gu refinement, cultivation, combat, Gu feeding, primeval essence control — all of these will take time to master. A momentary lead does not mean you can look down on others."
Fang Ming cupped his hands again. His etiquette was correct, but the pride between his brows did not fade.
"Student understands."
The academy elder continued, "You have A-grade aptitude, and now you have also taken first place in the first assessment. This proves your talent and effort, but talent without humility can easily become arrogance. If arrogance takes root too early, it will only make your path harder."
Fang Ming's answer came smoothly.
"Elder's teaching is correct."
His words were proper.
His tone was also proper.
But the academy elder's brows still moved slightly.
Fang Ming was agreeing too quickly. His mouth accepted the lesson, but the pride between his brows had not faded at all. He was not arguing, nor was he openly disrespectful, but the academy elder could see that these words had not truly entered his heart.
This made the elder feel a faint headache.
This year's batch had produced 2 A-grade talents. Fang Zheng and Fang Ming were both important seedlings of the clan, and both had to be educated properly. But compared with Fang Zheng, Fang Ming already showed signs of being harder to teach.
The academy elder put down the brush.
"You may return for now. Rest properly. The next lesson will begin once the students who refined their Gu have gathered."
"Yes, elder."
Fang Ming cupped his hands again and left the hall.
Outside, the sky was still dim.
He did not remain at the academy entrance waiting for others to notice him. The result had already been recorded, and the reward had already been received. There was no need to stand around seeking praise.
He hid the pouch of primeval stones in his sleeve and walked away quietly.
Not long after, another student arrived at the academy.
This time, the guards were even more surprised.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
When the academy elder confirmed the faint crescent mark on Fang Yuan's forehead, his expression became strange.
Fang Yuan was only C-grade.
For him to place second ahead of the other A-grade talent and all the B-grade students was outside expectation.
But the Moonlight Gu had truly been refined.
The academy elder could only record the result.
Second place: Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
By the time the sky brightened, Gu Yue Fang Zheng also arrived at the academy. When he learned that Fang Ming was first and Fang Yuan was second, his expression stiffened for a moment.
Losing to Fang Ming was still understandable, since Fang Ming was also A-grade.
But Fang Yuan was only C-grade.
Fang Zheng stood silently for a few breaths before entering the academy to report his result.
Later that morning, the academy posted the ranking list.
First place: Gu Yue Fang Ming.
Second place: Gu Yue Fang Yuan.
Third place: Gu Yue Fang Zheng.
The students quickly gathered around it.
Fang Ming taking first place was understandable after his A-grade result, but Fang Yuan placing second as a C-grade youth caused many whispers. Some students could not understand it, while others began to wonder whether Fang Yuan, despite his aptitude, still had some of the brilliance he had once been famous for.
The news soon spread out from the academy.
The Shi faction was pleased.
They had only recently chosen to sponsor Fang Ming with primeval stones, and he had immediately taken first place in the first academy assessment. Even without direct interference, this result still gave them face.
As for Fang Zheng, he remained an A-grade talent. Placing third in the first assessment was not a disaster, but compared with Fang Ming's first place and Fang Yuan's unexpected second, it inevitably made people talk.
Among the students, the atmosphere changed slightly.
Fang Zheng still had A-grade aptitude.
Fang Yuan, despite being C-grade, had taken second place and made others look at him differently.
But the first name on the list belonged to Gu Yue Fang Ming.
For now, that was enough.