After a while, in a hall.
"We pay respects to the two elders!" Fang Yuan's uncle and aunt bowed and greeted. They were very respectful and even a little afraid.
After the news of Fang Yuan becoming an elder spread, he quickly became a role model for young Gu Masters, while his uncle and aunt were left shocked and uneasy.
He had always been known as a C-grade talent, so how had he advanced to Rank three and gained elder status so quickly?
Even Gu Yue Fang Zheng, with A-grade talent, was only at Rank two upper stage.
Astonishment soon turned into fear.
They couldn't help but worry.
Remembering how harshly they had treated Fang Yuan, their hearts filled with dread.
What goes around comes around.
With his new identity as an elder, everything was different.
They were terrified he would retaliate now that he had power.
Yet in the end, Fang Yuan came to their home, bringing another elder along.
"They came with bad intentions, bad intentions!" Gu Yue Dong Tu sighed in his heart.
Fang Yuan chuckled, "Uncle, Aunt, no need to be so courteous. Although I have become an elder, I am still your nephew. Come, let's all take a seat."
After speaking, he took the main seat.
Gu Yue Chi Zhong sat down beside him.
These two seats were usually reserved for the uncle and aunt as the heads of the family.
But now, they had no complaints at all. Instead, they sat below, hesitant and filled with fear.
Such was the authority of the clan elders.
The couple exchanged uneasy glances, sitting stiffly and barely touching their chairs.
Servants soon entered carrying tea.
Gu Yue Chi Zhong maintained his silence and didn't drink. Fang Yuan, however, took a sip calmly and asked, "How has Uncle and Aunt been these days?"
Fang Yuan smiled as he spoke, but to Uncle and Aunt, it was more frightening than if he had been furious.
For Aunt in particular, remembering how she had once insulted him made her start to shake with fear.
"Sigh, life had been in upheaval due to the wolf tide. The tavern was forced to close down and the rent of the bamboo houses has been decreasing. In fact, we are so poor that we're reaching the point of starvation," Uncle said, and then tears fell down from his eyes unexpectedly.
He had once kept himself in good health, but now his face was pale, the hair at his temples had turned white, and deep wrinkles lined his skin. His troubles were even clearer after being forcibly conscripted.
Still, Fang Yuan knew his uncle had run the tavern for years and must have savings. This pitiful display was just an act to avoid revenge and stir Fang Yuan's sympathy.
Fang Yuan sneered in his mind. He greatly disliked and had no respect towards his uncle and aunt, but this didn't mean they had no use.
"Uncle, Aunt, you have taken good care of me for so long. All my current accomplishments are thanks to your guidance. Although I have not yet received the elder payout from the clan, I would still like to give you my first earnings. Please accept them." Saying this, Fang Yuan handed the money bag to his uncle. Inside were three hundred primeval stones.
"What? This…." Gu Yue Dong Tu's expression was really wonderful at this moment.
His shock was mixed with unease, edging into fear, and beneath that lay disbelief.
Aunt stood beside him, staring blankly at the money bag in Fang Yuan's hand.
What was happening?
There was no revenge as they had feared. Instead, he was offering them three hundred primeval stones.
Fang Yuan's words sounded sharp to their ears.
Phrases like 'taken good care' and 'nurturing' dripped with sarcasm, making the whole moment feel even stranger.
"What is he scheming?"
"What the heck does he want to do? How does he want to torment us!?"
Uncle and Aunt glanced at each other. Both were hesitating and didn't dare to receive the money bag.
"It is Elder Fang Yuan's filial piety, do accept it," Gu Yue Chi Zhong expressionlessly spoke from his seat.
"Yes, yes, yes." Uncle repeatedly nodded his head and hurriedly accepted the money bag. Even if he was called the hidden elder, that was nothing in front of the medicine hall elder.
He used both hands to hold the bag full of three hundred primeval stones. He normally loved money, but right now, he felt like the money bag was scalding hot and wanted to immediately throw it!
"Since uncle has received it, I will take my leave," Fang Yuan said and started leaving.
Uncle and Aunt immediately tried to see them off, but were stopped by Fang Yuan.
"Don't look anymore," At the corner, Mother Shen let out a breath of relief and said to her daughter Shen Cui.
Shen Cui's expression was gloomy, and she looked at Fang Yuan and Chi Zhong's figures from behind until they were completely gone.
"Mother, did I make a wrong choice?" She said.
An elder could take in a wife and two concubines; if she had been faithful from the start, who is to say that she couldn't be Fang Yuan's concubine at this moment.
"I really hadn't expected this. This Fang Yuan advanced to today's stage with only a C-grade aptitude!" Mother Shen helplessly shook her head, "Daughter, cheer up. Fang Zheng has an A-grade aptitude, his accomplishments won't be any less!"
"Yes," Shen Cui responded, and some luster emerged within her dark pupils.
In this world, the status of a common mortal was so petty and low!
How many things did she have that could move the great Gu Masters' hearts?
She had already given her body to Fang Zheng, that was the gamble of her life and she couldn't turn back anymore.
Four days later
Fang Yuan sat cross-legged on his bed, white and red light illuminating his face.
Two glowing orbs floated mid-air—the refinement was nearing completion.
He focused his mind to stabilize the light and kept feeding primeval stones into it.
Suddenly, the orbs disappeared and two new Gu worm emerged in his hand.
One resembled a large ladybug, with a milky-white shell dotted with black spots. Roughly the size of a grown man's fist—it was the Rank three Sky Canopy Gu.
The second resembled a crystalline piece of blood-red quartz in the shape of a crescent moon. It was the Rank three Blood Moon Gu.
Fang Yuan nodded in satisfaction, as he now had both an offensive and defensive Rank three Gu suitable for his use.
The Sky Canopy Gu was refined from the fusion of Rank two White Jade Gu and an aqua defense Gu.
While the Blood Moon Gu was refined from the fusion of the Moonglow Gu and the Blood Essence Gu. As for the refinement ingredients, he naturally extorted Gu Yue Chi Lian for it.
However, neither of these Gu were Fang Yuan's first Rank three Gu worm. His first Rank three Gu worm had been obtained directly from the clan.
After advancing to Rank three and attaining elder status, the clan granted him a Rank three Gu worm.
Fang Yuan took this opportunity to select the Thunderwings Gu.
This Gu had been claimed as loot when the elders defeated a frenzy lightning wolf. It allowed Gu Masters to manifest wings of thunder, enabling brief flight.
With the Thunderwings Gu to assist with movements, Fang Yuan's final combat shortcoming was fixed.
Not to mention, he obtained his second Rank three Gu worm from the underground Gu cave using the Prize Token, which is the Tusita Flower, a storage-type Gu.
"Now, with four Rank three Gu worms, my battle strength is at least at the lower-mid stage among Rank three Gu Masters. However, once I acquire the Chainsaw Golden Centipede, my strength will rise to the mid-high stage," estimated Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan wanted to head straight to the secret cave but restrained himself, knowing he was undoubtedly being monitored by the clan.
Realizing there was little he could do about the situation for the time being, Fang Yuan let out a quiet sigh, his expression steady and unreadable. He understood all too well that any reckless action now would only draw even greater suspicion from the clan, which was undoubtedly observing his every move. Acting impulsively would give them more reasons to interfere in his plans, something he could not afford. Suppressing his impatience, he turned away from the temptation of the secret cave and instead chose the more prudent path. With this, he stepped out to carry out his responsibilities and obligations as a clan elder, determined to maintain an unassailable front and quietly prepare for the opportunities that would come in time.