《Fei Cai's Ascension— Reverend Insanity》


 01

    It''s been an entire week since Niwas has possessed the body of a young boy named Fei Cai. Honestly, even after assimilating the memory and the language of this world, he still had to practice his own name a few times before he got comfortable with his accent and slowly matched it with his previous self''s accent.


    Fei Qing, his father, a man with broad shoulders and an equally broad chin, shoulder-length black hair, and a heroic face, stood up as his vision fell on Niwas¡ª Fei Cai.


    "How goes the training, son?"


    His voice was akin to a breath of spring in the cold Northern Plains, yet, no emotions emerged from Fei Cai''s heart.


    ''A loving and strict father. If used properly, the benefits obtained are numerous, not to mention, he is a Rank 4 Gu Master and the leader of the tribe.''


    Being a power-hungry sociopath that bordered into the levels of psychopathy, Fei Cai only had demeaning tactics swirling within his mind. Fei Cai bowed with a calm expression before looking at Fei Qing and smiling.


    "I had some troubles with the foot technique you taught me the other day, Father."


    It was a lie.


    Fei Cai never practiced his footwork. Instead, he ran laps around the tribe in the name of training to map out the entirety of the situation of the Warm Pond Valley, the location of his tribe.


    Hearing his words, Fei Qing nodded instead of getting angry. To not understand a few concepts meant that Fei Cai actually practiced. Even the reports from the scouting Gu Master detailed on how Fei Cai was improving his foundation by running laps around the tribe.


    "Hmm, the application of the footwork comes naturally. Aside from the basics, the rest needs immense practice.


    Son, today, you don''t have to feel pressured."


    Fie Qing suddenly spoke up. His expression gentle.


    "I understand, Father. To a Gu Master, his rationality is his best tool. To lose one''s calm for sadness is the worst-case scenario."


    Hearing Fei Cai''s words, Fei Qing''s eyes widened before a pleased smile finally formed on his lips as he patted his son''s back joyfully.


    "Rightly spoken, Cai''er! Don''t worry! No matter the result, your father will support you with all his foundation."


    ***


    This is the world where Gu Insects are used to cultivate the Dao. Starting from Rank 1, a Cultivator cultivates his Aperture using his primeval essence.


    The Fei Tribe was a small tribe comprised of a few hundred members that lived a shallow yet peaceful life. Although they were a small tribe, they had a solid foundation to cultivate Gu Masters.


    A Spirit Spring and healthy cultivation of numerous Hope Gu.


    Alongside a group of youths, Fei Cai moved towards the center of the tribe¡ª the restricted region with a lot of Gu Masters stationed¡ª as Fei Qing''s lead only made the gu masters surrounding a beautiful crystal lake bow their heads and salute in reverence while an old man quickly stepped forth with his arms clasping in front of him.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Tribe Leader, we all have been waiting."


    The old man named Fei Zhang¡ª one of the four elders of the tribe. He spoke softly before making way for the impassive Fei Qing as the group slowly stood in front of the lake.


    The lake itself wasn''t too deep, in fact, it was filled with a lot of moth-like insects that were clear even in such a distance.


    Fei Zhang, on the other hand, stepped up and spoke loudly.


    "Alright, youngsters! Today is the day when you all get a chance to step on the path of cultivation. The moment I speak someone''s name, he has to walk into the lake and continue moving forward.


    Is that understood?"


    The boys and girls present nodded vigorously as the Elder finally spoke out a name.


    "Fei Hao!"


    Elder Fei Zhang announced a name as a thin youth hurriedly stepped out before bowing towards the Elder and then finally making his way towards the Spring Lake filled with moths.


    The moment he stepped into the spring lake, the moths slowly turned into a wisp of light that shot towards the youth''s body before disappearing. As the teenager kept on moving forward, the moths would keep on entering the body until the youth took his eleventh step.


    After his eleventh step, the youth''s forehead was quickly filled with sweat while the surrounding moths also started to settle down.


    Seeing this, the tribe elders and Fei Qing sighed lightly before Fei Zhang announced.


    "Fei Hao, no aptitude. Step back.


    Fei Cang, move out."


    Just like that, the gathered youths slowly ventured into the lake. Out of the sixteen youths present, 4 were D Rank Aptitude cultivators, the lowest of their kind.


    While 5 distinctive youths did not have any aptitude at all.


    "Fei Cai."


    Fei Zhang spoke out the much-awaited name as all the elders rose to attention. Till now, all they had were D-Rankers or plain mortals. They finally held a sliver of hope towards Fei Cai. This even included a particularly striking Elder¡ª Fei Chang, Fei Qing''s cousin, and his greatest rival.


    Fei Cai stepped forth and performed the same ceremony before looking at the Spring Lake and moving forward calmly.


    Fearing at this stage was meaningless, so, with a confident gait, he placed his foot within the warm pool as he suddenly felt multiple moths shooting into his body.


    These moths were called Hope Gu worms. They are the essence of heaven that represents the hope of mankind by allowing human beings to activate their apertures.


    As stated in the legends, a warm current of energy traveled towards Cai''s abdominal region before disappearing mysteriously.


    Feeling the miraculous side of this new world for the first time in his life, Cai had a hard time controlling his excitement as he slowly made his step into the lake.


    3 Steps...


    17 Steps...


    24 Steps...


    ''Definitely a C Rank Aptitude... maybe B.''


    While the elders had such thoughts in their minds, Cai kept moving forward.


    39 Steps...


    44 Steps...


    By now, even Fei Qing''s calm expression was gone. Cai''er was finally into the ranks of the C Rank Aptitude, but deep down, such a low Aptitude would only guarantee him the title of cannon fodder. As a father, he couldn''t help but wish for his son to be even more talented.


    At least, B-Rank Talent, like himself. This way, Cai''er could at least hold the title of the Elder in the future.


    The moment Cai stepped his 60th step, Fei Qing sighed heavily as if the burden over his shoulder was finally revealed.


    ''Do you see this, dear? Cai''er finally has the chance to grow strong.''


    Meanwhile, Fei Cai himself started to feel a bit bloated.


    Touching his stomach, he fell into deep thought while he kept walking forth.


    ''If I am feeling stuffed, this means that the energy is definitely getting stored somewhere, but out of the senses of the human mind. At least... out of the senses of a mortal human...''


    As he took his 79th step, Cai''s entire body quivered before he felt his perception quickening as he held the sense of world slowing down. His stomach felt hot... almost scalding while a strange melody seemed to be chiming within him.


    Tuc


    A strange popping sound rang within him as the surrounding hope gu worms immediately dulled out while Cai felt a new organ within his body. Unlike other biological organs, he could feel it... somehow, sense it. It was filled... at least, more than half of the hollow organ was filled with something...


    "Fei Cai, B-Rank Aptitude!"


    Finally, the Elder''s announcement brought him out of his reverie.


    ***


    Author''s Note: According to this timeline, Fang Yuan should have already conquered the Fox Blessed Land. But since this is the part where Fang Yuan is living the life for the ''first'' time, none of the stories of canon Reverend Insanity took place.


    This means Bai Ning Bing is dead, Fang Zhang is dead, too, and Fang Yuan is currently traveling.

 02

    A/N: The story may differ significantly from canon. And I will add the legends of Ren Zu [copy paste as a throwback. In later chapters, from the mtl ones, I will form them myself. Credits to the original translator for all the material I copy from the Legends of Ren Zu.]


    ***


    Fei Cai returned to his home while his father stayed with the elders to prepare for what''s next to come. This plain was collectively known as the Northern Plains within the Gu World. A vast expanse of grassland with not a single mountain forming naturally. The weather of this continent of the Gu World shifted swiftly and even protected by shallow valleys, the changes would affect the Fei Tribe. Right now, the weather was turning cold. Everyone in the Nothern Plains knew that a tribe member would face a life-threatening tribulation every 10 years. Even Fei Cai knew of the worsening situation but didn''t let his worries affect his state of mind. Ever so casually, he sat on his coarse mattress and crossed his legs.


    With only a week within the body of a ten-year kid, Fei Cai failed to understand the genuine mysteries of the world. Yet, face to the truths, he accepted the supernatural effects of this new world and meditated. Fei Cai could ''see'' a sphere. The depths and existence of the sphere within his body felt strange. While it looked small enough to be held by a single palm, when Fei Cai peered into it, he eyes a whole new world. The internal structure of the sphere was surrounded by misty fog and a gran sea, jade green in color, spread across the globe.


    "Splendid," Fei Cai remarked with his expression finally shifting for the better.


    "So this is an aperture. The Hope of Mankind."


    Fei Cai opened his eyes and exhaled deeply. He was all too known to the legends of the First Human and his interactions with the Hope that gradually allowed all Humanity to cultivate.


    One of his oldest legends talks about the Hope Gu. In the myth, when the world was just formed, it was a land of savage wilderness. Among the wild beasts that walked the earth, the first man appeared. He was known as Ren Zu, eating raw meat and drinking blood, living a difficult life.


    In particular, there was a group of wild beasts called Predicament. These wild beasts loved the taste of Ren Zu and longed to eat him.


    Ren Zu did not have a body as strong as mountain rock, nor did he have the sharp teeth and claws of a wild beast. How could he fight with the Predicaments? His source of food was unstable, and he had to hide all day. He was at the bottom of nature''s food chain, and could barely survive.


    At this moment, there were 3 Gu that came up to him and said, "As long as you use your life to provide us, we will help you through this difficulty." Ren Zu had nowhere to go, so he could only agree to these 3 Gu.


    He first gave his youth away to the biggest Gu among the three. That Gu then granted him strength.


    With strength, Ren Zu''s life began to change. He started to have a stable source of food and was able to protect himself. He fought bravely and ruthlessly, defeating many Predicaments. But soon, he suffered and finally realized that strength was not everything. It needed to heal and be cultivated, not spent freely at his will. Not to mention when facing the entire group of Predicaments, his strength alone was too small.


    Ren Zu reflected over this lesson bitterly and decided to give his prime middle years to the most beautiful Guamong the three. And thus, the second Gu gave him wisdom.


    With wisdom, Ren Zu was able to learn how to think and reflect. He began to accumulate experience and found out that many times when he used wisdom, it was more effective than using strength. By relying on wisdom and strength, he was able to conquer all the goals that he formerly could not, and killed many Predicaments. He ate the meat of Predicaments and drank the blood of Predicaments, surviving with tenacity.


    But good things do not last, and Ren Zu was old, and would only grow older and older. This is because he gave away his youth and middle years to keep the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu. When a man is old, his muscles deteriorate, and his brain slows down.


    "Human, what else can you give us? You don''t have anything else left to provide to us," the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu said as they realized this. They left him.


    Without wisdom and strength, Ren Zu was once surrounded by Predicaments. He was old and could not run, his teeth had fallen out and could not even chew wild fruits and plants.


    As he fell weakly onto the ground surrounded by Predicaments, his heart was filled with desperation. It was at this time the third Gu said to him, "Human, take me up. I will help you escape Predicament."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Ren Zu tearfully replied, "Gu, I don''t have anything else left. See, the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu have abandoned me. I only have my old age left! While it is not as worth my youth and middle age, but if I give you my old age, my life would immediately end. Even though I am surrounded by Predicaments right now, but I will not die immediately. I wish to live a little longer, even if just a second more. So you should leave, I have nothing else to provide to you."


    But the Gu said, "Among the three I have the smallest needs. Human, if you just give me your heart, it will be enough."


    "Then I will give you my heart," Ren Zu said. "But Gu, what can you give me in return? In this situation, even if the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu returned to my side, it would change nothing."


    When compared to the Strength Gu, this Gu looked frail and was just a tiny ball of light. When compared to the Wisdom Gu, this one was only able to give out a dim white light, not beautiful in any way.


    But when Ren Zu gave it his heart, this Gu suddenly gave out endless light. In this light, the Predicaments screamed in horror: "This is the Hope Gu, withdraw! We Predicaments are most afraid of Hope!"


    The Predicaments retreated suddenly. Ren Zu was speechless, and from that day onwards, whenever he faced Predicament, he would give his heart to hope.


    ***


    Fei Cai curled his lips. Being a transmigrator, a part of him pushed the legend as a fairy tale that gave people Hope. Alas, this was just one of many chapters of the saga, and now, with an aperture within him, Fei Cai could not ignore the myths as a tale of a drunkard bard and went through the book of Ren Zu''s legends once again.


    His tiny body was garbed by a coarse tunic. It was slightly itchy, but Fei Cai bore with it. He organized all the knowledge within his mind and awaited his father''s arrival with a peaceful expression. In the tribes of the Northern Plains, there remained a strong bond between a father and his son. This continent gave no value to women, aside from them being the only source of producing heirs to pass down inheritances to. Yet, for the sake of the continuation of the tribe, it was mandatory to have at least one female in each household. If not a mother, then a wife. If not a wife, then a daughter. And if not a daughter, then a slave.


    Meanwhile, it was different between men. A father would personally teach everything to his son. If a father is not present, then, the eldest male member would teach everything to the youngest one. This was all due to the most prominent statement of the Northern Plains¡ª Women are like clothes while brothers are like our hands and feet.


    Fei Cai had nothing to say to this custom. In some places, men are treated like sex toys while women are doted upon rather fiercely in this continent. It was merely a subjective argument.


    After another uneventful hour, Fei Qing returned with a broad grin. He was a man who did not remain faithful to the customs of the Northern Plains and genuinely cared for Fei Cai''s mother.


    "Son, you have become our pride," Fei Qing stated and patted Fei Cai''s shoulder before inquiring with a carefree grin, "Which present would you like to see first? The slaves or the Gu Worms?"


    A Gu Master with Rank D and Rank C aptitude could only remain a cannon fodder. While a Rank B could easily become an Elder and with honest hard work, crown himself as the Tribe Leader with the highest priveleges¡ª Just like Fei Qing.


    Hearing Fei Qing''s words, Fei Cai replied in a soft voice, "Father, slaves, I can have plenty. But your guidance, I cannot benefit from daily. As a Tribe Leader, you have responsibilities that I cannot fathom. So, I request your guidance."


    A perfect answer that soothed Fei Qing''s ears and made the jubilant father raise his son''s present leaked out of Fei Cai''s mouth.


    "Good, good, good!"


    Fei Qing smiled and gestured for Fei Cai to sit on the carpet while taking a seat in front of him.


    "Fei Cai, the stronger the predecessor, the higher the benefits you can gain. As a tribe chieftain, I have access to almost everything. From slaves to materials. From Gu Worms to Primeval Stones. So, keep this in mind. If you want your son to enjoy similar privileges, then work hard."


    "I understand, father." Fei Cai nodded.


    Fei Qing finally took out the leather pouch tied across his waist and placed it in front of Fei Cai, "Son, this pouch contains 50 Primeval Stones. This will be your monthly stipend, and to earn more, you will complete your missions. I have taught you everything from hunting to scouting. So, the task of your cultivation will fall on your shoulders alone."


    If it was a week ago, Fei Qing would have added an additional threat to motivate his son correctly, but looking at him now, Fei Qing felt that he did not have the need to do that.


    Fei Cai silently nodded and grabbed the pouch before placing it on his laps and waited for his father to continue.


    "One of these will be your vital Gu worms. Choose carefully."


    Already loaded with information on the necessary Gu worms cultivated by his tribe, Fei Cao could instantly identify all four of the Gu worms.


    "You can only accept one of them, and the rest would be at your disposal based on your contribution to the tribe." Fei Qing added somberly.


    The four Gu worms had strange appearances. One looked like a nail-sized, green-spotted ladybug. It was a Rank 1 Acid Spit Gu. Once refined, this Gu would allow the Gu Master to shoot globules of corrosive acid from one''s mouth without damaging the mouth itself. The second Gu worm looked like a dung beetle.


    This was Rank 1 Wolf Strength Gu. This allowed the Gu Master''s body to be enhanced passively and attain the stamina and wild power of a wolf.


    The third Gu worm was akin to a stick insect with a black body. This was Swift Leg Gu. Using this Gu worm allowed the Gu masters to increase the pace of their movements.


    Alas, all of them felt stale when compared to the Gu worm that gave Fei Qing his meteoric rise in the early stages and allowed him to fell the competition.


    Still, Fei Cai looked towards his father and stated calmly. His tone was so calm that even Fei Qing failed to understand the cause of his son''s ball growing so firm!


    "Father, I demand two Gu worms instead of one."

 03

    A/N: I just confirmed it from the canon, and the battle for the supremacy would start after three years when Fei Cai is 13.


    ***


    Fei Cai''s request was immature and impudent, granted he was only 10-years-old, Fei Qing felt a need to discipline such a character. Greed affected the human mind negatively, and to correct his only son''s mentality was his responsibility.


    "Cai''er," Fei Qing began with a deep tone, "Greed is a slippery slope that one should never tread upon. Like I stated, choose one, and the others will be given to you based on your contributions."


    Fei Qing observed his son''s expression, and seeing his collected gaze, he couldn''t help but speak once again, "Cai''er, next time, I won''t be warning you." Fei Qing''s tone contained a fit of gruff anger that any parent could mobilize for their child in a moment''s notice. Feeling the impatience within his honest father''s tone, Fei Cai shook his head, "Father, I am willing to pay for the Gu worm with my stipend."


    His words made Fei Qing frown and feeling a little interested in the initiative from his son''s side, Fei Qing toned down a bit and commanded, "Continue."


    Fei Cai nodded. In his past life, though ordinary, he was ruthless to himself. He felt exhilarated by the concept of how a few laws could make a group of men mighty and the general populace helpless. Just mere words scribbled upon books bonded humans in the most inhumane manner, and Fei Cai loved that discovery. And, only when he thought that there couldn''t be a form of power more open and honest, one fortunate accident ended his miserable life dedicated to pursuing wealth and brought him to this world where might made man.


    His gaze condensed, and he pointed at the two Gu worms. The first one was the Wolf Strenght Gu. Meanwhile, the other Gu worm Fei Cai pointed at was one of the most coveted treasures of the Tribe¡ª Rank 1 Aperture Nurture Gu Worm.


    "Father, I want to exchange the Wolf Strength Gu and the Aperture Nurture Gu with my future stipends until I gain enough merits."


    His words finally doused Fei Qing''s anger with amusement. At least, his son didn''t tread down the path of a harebrained once again and proposed a method that gave the deal its intended fairness. Fei Qing stroked his hairy chin and stated with a tone that made Fei Cai realize that negotiations were off the tables.


    "You will be allowed to take the two Gu Worms only if the stipend acts an interest until you achieve the intended amount of contributions. Needless, to say, I will be the one to personally decide if your actions have redeemed the Gu worms or not."


    The Tribe system of the Northern Plains was reasonably straightforward. Aside from a few ancestral rules, Tribe Chieftains words held absolute command until a younger Gu Master overthrew the previous Chieftain and take the crown for himself.


    Fei Cai showed a troubled expression, allowing Fei Qing to understand that his son wasn''t freakishly uncanny but merely smart enough to finally speak up to him. This eased Fei Qing by a significant margin and allowed him to finally agree on the matter. The Aperture Nurture Gu was in the shape of a palm-sized furry brown spider. Its beady eyes showed a trace of consciousness, but that was it. It lay on its belly and sprawled its six limbs outwards. Once the matter was agreed to, Fei Qing stood up and allowed Fei Cai to pocket the two Gu worms.


    "Now, it is time to choose your first slave. They are waiting for you outside, son."


    Fei Qing spoke up, and Fei Cai followed his father. Opening the door, Fei Cai''s gaze landed on four kids that stood straight and proud. Each of them had different characteristics, and Fei Qing casually stated their genders so that Fei Cai could make the decision. He pointed at the two slaves to the left as females and the two to the right as males. Out of the male slaves, one looked quite healthy even if Fei Qing said that he was of the same age as Fei Cai. The youth seemed too burly for Fei Cai to accept.


    With a frown, Fei Cai stepped up and scrutinized the female slaves. They were young girls with thin bodies, round faces, and hopeful gazes. Slave trading was a flourishing market within the Northern Plains. The fact still didn''t sit satisfactorily with the recently arrived corporate lawyer, and he turned towards his father and spoke up, "Is this really necessary, Father?"


    Fei Qing observed Fei Cai and sighed. Just like his son, Fei Qing went through the same spiral of emotions. Fei Qing nodded and spoke somberly, "Be strong, Son. These all were the young masters of the tribes that I conquered. Remember, while they are slaves today, someday, if you show weakness, you could fill their shoes."


    Fei Cai turned his head. Though a sociopath that could gradually adapt to Fei Qing''s unfatherly teachings, the boy really wondered what would have happened if it was the true Fei Cai instead of him. Giving the thought not a single moment longer, Fei Cai exhaled deeply and observed the two youths as well. While a pedophile might have jumped at the chance of gaining a ten-year-old girl, Fei Cai wasn''t one, and he only felt interested by the muscular youth due to his impressive physique and his uses during the hunts.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    "Father, I''ll take Lo."


    Fei Cai wasn''t used to naming in the sense of this world and called the youth without many thoughts while pointing at him. Fei Cai''s choice managed to surprise Fei Qing once again. The upbringing of the Northern Plains made it so that the younger generation can easily accept the rituals of mating and further the bloodline. Needless to say, Fei Qing was absolutely sure that the other male Gu Masters would have selected female slaves to rut against, and the female Gu Masters are not given the right to choose slaves, so it was a significant detriment for them right from the start.


    As if the training was rooted deep within Lo''s body, the disheveled youth instantly kowtowed, "Lo greets the Benevolent Master."


    Though itched, Fei Cai grew indifferent to the puppy gazes from the other three nameless slaves and then looked at Fei Qing, "Father, I am not accustomed to the traditions. Should I allow him to wear better clothes?"


    Fei Cai''s inquiry made Fei Qing nod in acknowledgment.


    "While I didn''t bother taking a slave for myself, you can treat them any way you want. They are trained to remain loyal to their masters, and many Gu worms are used to ensure that fact. This slave can lay his life down for you. Treat this commodity as he should be."


    Fei Qing looked at the other two females and felt slightly indignant. Yet, now that his son had already proven that he wasn''t interested in the matters of the flesh right from the start, Fei Qing decided to take them away. Either way, it didn''t matter to Fei Qing. Instead of a lowly slave popping his son''s cherry, it will be his bride. With the matters of the slaves tackled, Fei Cai was left alone as his father departed. He then gazed at the kneeling Lo. "Stand up."


    Lo stood up instantly. He was a head taller than Fei Cai, and while this fact could have irked other young Gu Masters, it failed to create ripple within Fei Cai''s heart and commanded his slave to follow him inside.


    "Lo, are you acquainted with hunting?"


    Lo nodded hastily, "Yes, Master. I can skin wild beasts, and I am taught the basics of Daggers during a battle."


    Fei Cai nodded and then looked at his house, "You will clean the house. You will be allowed to eat your food after my father, and I have eaten. Also, you will accompany me in tomorrow''s hunt."


    Lo nodded, "Understood, Master."


    "I will be going to my room. I expect an impeccable result, or you will be punished accordingly." Fei Cai left with these words. He did not have to be polite to a slave with his personality altered to even give his life for Fei Cai''s convenience. And as a matter of fact, Fei Cai enjoyed it. The rush and the high brought by the thought of having the ability to control the life of a person with a single command of his. After he entered his room, he sat cross-legged once again and untied the pouch, revealing grey stones of varying sizes. These were Primeval stones condensed with a dense amount of Primeval essence. Primeval essence was the form of energy that was mobilized by the Gu Masters to activate their Gu worms.


    In summary, the jade green sea that filled 69% of his spherical Aperture was actually his Primeval essence. Fei Cai already knew what he had to do, so, he sat and meditated, slowly gaining a basic proficiency in manipulating the Primeval essence within his Aperture before willing a thin strand of Primeval essence to enter the spider-shaped Gu worm and instantly, Fei Cai felt a sturdy wall opposing the invasion of his Primeval essence. Fei Cai opened his eyes only to find the corner-most limb of the Aperture Nurutre Gu to be tainted in green from the edges.


    This was the refining of the Gu worms. Every Gu worms were living beings with their own wills. For Fei Cai to refine a Gu worm as his personal Gu, he would have to overwrite the natural will present in the Gu worm. This was a mammoth task since Fei Cai only felt a slight toll on his mental health. In the next few hours, Fei Cai continued to experiment on the procedure of refinement. His Aperture would recover slightly less than 7% every hour while a single Primeval stone could recover 20% of his essence, although, Fei Cai was sure that this rate would only fall as he cultivates further. Finally, even when Fei Cai couldn''t convert the mental toll into units, he quickly found that after exhausting the entirety of his Primeval essence, he could only cover a single limb of the Gu worm and even then, Fei Cai could feel his Primeval essence within the Gu worm fade under the constant assault of the Gu worm''s will.


    Exhaling deeply, Fei Cai simply remained within his room for the entire night and took continuous breaks after each session to cultivate and refine Aperture Nurutre Gu worm as his vital gu. Success came in the form of mind-numbing exhaustion that made Fei Cai succumb to an unscheduled sleep only to wake up early in the morning with his physically stunned with the morning crust. Rubbing his eyes, Fei Cai sat up and leaned against the wall.


    The actual method of refining a Gu worm for the ''virgins'' such as him was to slowly let his will and Primeval essence erode on the Gu worms will and exhaust the Gu worm to refine it in one swoop. Instead, just for the sake of getting a rather great headstart, Fei Cai decided to expend eight of his Primeval stones to refine the Aperture Nurture Gu in a single night. He closed his eyes and focused on the furry spider working on a thin web around the surface of the aperture walls. The spider would occasionally deescalate to dip into the ocean of Primeval essence and would climb up the string to weave its web once again.


    Every Gu worm was a living being, and just like human beings, it needed food and nourishment to survive. Usually, the ability to feed the Gu worms would severely limit the Gu Masters, especially young ones like Fei Cai. And aside from its usage, it was Aperture Nurture Gu worm''s food that made it so famous. The Gu worm only needed a slight amount of continuous stream of Primeval essence. That was it!


    Fei Cai soon rose up from his meditation. The wolf strength gu worm was still within his pocket, and after today''s hunt, Fei Cai would refine it, too.

 04

    A/N: I should make this clear that Fei Cai is later known as Ma Hong Yun, and due to a few circumstances, he gain the most excellent luck within the entire Gu World. Even the canon mc failed to kill Ma Hong Yun on many occasions.


    ***


    In this world, there weren''t methods for excretion for human beings to be smooth. There were no toilets, so, Gu Masters, mortals, and slaves defecated far in the north, literally, a kilometer away from the tribe''s camp. The matters of sexual difference mattered not and raised in a similar manner from the moment they were born, not many were ashamed by the natural reaction of their bodies. After taking a dump, Fei Cai used the Crimson Warm Grass known to overflow the Warm Pond Valley to clean his butt. Each blade of grass was as thick as a palm and naturally soft and warm. After that, he made his way towards the smaller ponds surrounding the region already flocked with children, young Gu Masters, to be correct.


    Slaves were only allowed to dip into the outermost pond that was chilly while the members of the tribes were allowed to bathe in the lakes with different temperatures based on their status. The one Fei Cai stood on the banks of was one of the warmest body of water around the tribe. A few kilometers of the radius was already cleared, so tribesmen could bathe in ease. Once again, while the status differentiated the treatment when it came to bodily needs, gender did not threaten to become a wall, and Fei Cai''s gaze drew into the scene of young boys and girls bathing together. There were even teenage Gu Masters with a curvaceous body and equally hung male counterparts.


    Removing his clothes,  Fei Cai placed them near the rest of the load and entered the bath, drawing a few stares over at his side. Fei Cai''s cousin, Fei Mang¡ª Fei Chang''s second son¡ª made his way towards Fei Cai and smiled brightly. Fei Mang was similar to Fei Cai in looks. Thin stature due to similar ages and tanned skin. Wet shoulder-length black hair clung onto his neck.


    "Fei Cai, did you ride your slave last night?"


    Fei Mang inquired with a candor that would have branded as a pervert in Fei Cai''s previous life, yet, in this world,  Fei Mang''s words only pulled mild chuckles from warm seniors and envious clicks of tongues from his peers. The female seniors, on the other hand, were mostly indifferent and sprawled across the edges of the pool, resting over the warm land while letting their exposed and toned bodies get observed by their male counterparts. None cared. Beauty was a wealth too common in this world! Even the females that joined yesterday''s ceremony felt interested and looked towards Fei Cai with curious expressions.


    "No, I chose a slave to assist me in my hunting."


    Fei Cai stated casually and dampened the mood as one of the seniors present in the bath chuckled, "You gotta liven up, Fei Cai. My father still wears my damn ear off by how your father grew to be the greatest warrior! You gotta learn to dominate!" His words pulled nods of approval from most of the seniors present, and another female senior spoke up, "He is right, Fei Cai. If you don''t practice with slaves, how will you satisfy your wife?"


    Fei Cai failed to give a shit about the horny teenagers surrounding him. One thing he did note, however, was the fact that his previous assumptions were slightly incorrect. While there were many married male members, he failed to recognize a single, married female. Even the ones who bathed alongside the group were battle-hardened Gu Masters who refused to marry anyone weaker than themselves and had already raked-up an astounding amount of reputation and contribution.


    "I can practice all this on my wife," Fei Cai exhaled deeply and leaned back with a comfortable expression when Fei Mang sighed light-heartedly and leaned beside Fei Cai, "But Fei Cai, you gotta know this! When my..." And so, Fei Mang continued to describe how he came within a young girl three times before dropping on the floor. His words instantly made the seniors snicker as even the knowledgeable peers that had no chance to get slaves sighed and shook their heads. Not amused by a kid''s inability to control his heat, Fei Cai continued to bathe silently.


    After concluding his bathe, Fei Cai wore his clothes and walked away without caring for a rather power-hungry female senior''s desire to bed him and enter the family of the Tribe Chieftain. It wasn''t his first time bathing in such a manner, and he had grown accustomed to the nature of his tribesmen. Returning to his house required a few minutes of travel, and Lo had already shown his capability by preparing Fei Cai''s hunting outfit. It was a leather tunic with beast-pelt pants and water-resistant pair of shoes.


    Donning om his outfit and eating a bowl of gree snake paste and a few pieces of dried meat, Fei Cai started to prepare the materials required for his hunt. First, he pocketed his pouch of primeval stones and wolf strength gu. Then, he latched a sac of water around his waist, and finally, he hung his bow around his arm and belted the quiver of arrows across his back. Lo, meanwhile, diligently stood beside Fei Cai and waited for his master''s instructions. Instead of a rag, Lo now donned tattered pants and shirts. His master was kind and gave him a complete outfit that allowed him to look different from the usual slaves. But, to keep Lo''s efficiency from falling due to the rising cold, Fei Cai finally gave him a pair of boots. It was low-quality at best, but at least, Lo wouldn''t become a burden once he accidentally steps on shrapnel.


    Fei Cai finally walked towards the exit of the tribe with Lo in tow. The Warm Pond Valley was regularly cleared out, and by now, not a single wild beast remained within the shallow valley. It was only in the grassland surrounding the valley could expect to hunt for a game and a wild Gu worm if someone''s luck shoots through the chart! Across his way, Fei Cai came to face many Gu Masters that were already in groups. Meanwhile, he also saw a group of three young female Gu Masters, in fact, the only three female Gu Masters that had C-Rank Aptitudes and belonged to the same batch as Fei Cai''s.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Finally, the duo walked across the pebbled path that led to the grasslands. In total, a Gu Master would need to cross a distance of a few kilometers before he could start to find and hunt. To survive each day, Gu Masters and mortals alike had to work had to earn their dinner. While a proficient Gu Master could definitely fill his own stomach rather quickly, it was feeding their Gu worms that required constant attention. The lower the rank of the Gu Worm, the more frequent the intervals in the feeding time. Reaching the vast expanse, Fei Cai recalled the general situation of the area. No other tribe had been yet found within the fifty kilometers of radius, and most of the young Gu Masters and mortals hunted in the area close to the tribe.


    Aside from the enemy Gu Masters that would wish to conquer the tribe and annex its resources, the tribe also faced dangers from wild animals that could gain the assistance of Gu worms. These were called the beast kings. In total, there were hundred-beast king, thousand-beast king, myriad-beast king, and the beast emperor. These existences rivaled against the Gu Masters, and each of them had a higher threat value attached to them when compared to the regular beasts.


    *Srrk*


    A strange sound from the left attracted Fei Cai and Lo''s attention. Camouflaged by the green shoots, an arm-sized python slithered across the ground slowly. Seeing the extremely slow snake right from the start, Fei Cai''s mood grew better. This was particular creature failed to earn a grand title and was simply called the Lucky Snake. Whoever came across the species would be extremely lucky since he didn''t need to worry about the night''s supper. Pulling out an arrow from the quiver, Fei Cai walked towards the oblivious python. Years of training kicked in and overrode the slightest bit of hesitations within Fei Cai''s mind, and he stabbed the arrow over the neck of the python, making it ''hiss'' shrilly while its thick body writhed in pain. Alas, with an arrowhead nailing it to the ground, it only felt its life fading away painfully.


    "Process it, and I want the poison sac intact."


    Fei Cai looked around while ordering Lo. Lo had a large basket strapped across his back to collect the loot and a small dagger across his waist. At Fei Cai''s command, Lo knelt near the python and, with a kind gaze, ended the snake life by cutting its head off and removing the arrow before cleaning it with one of the gargantuan blades of grass present all around them. Processing a python was a standard procedure. Lo located the anal vent and pushed his dagger alongside to cut open the belly of the python. Then, he pulled out the guts and snapped another blade of grass before wrapping the slick guts into the grass and then wrapping it using a thinner blade as a thread. Each part of the snake could be sold as precious materials, so, Lo separated the skin and then wrapped the pure flesh and skin in two different grass wrappings. Finally, he carefully cut open the area below the face and snapped the connective tissue of the poison sac and placed over a blade of grass.


    Finally, he cleaned his dagger, sheathed it, placed all the materials in his basket carefully and picked up the arrow alongside the poison sac over a layer of grass, and presented it to Fei Cai. The master did not offer any praise for a regular job and placed the arrow back into the quiver before taking the poison sac and then crushing it in between the grass, lubricating its surface with a slightly rotten stench. Then, akin to a belt, Fei Cai wore the grass. The smell from the poison was a natural fragrance that attracted Lucky Pythons. There might not be anymore in the same place, but Fei Cai did not care. He might find another free game somewhere else.


    Walking across the thick grassland, the duo kept themselves alert. This was a treacherous land, and a single mistake might leave the pair dead! After a few minutes of treading, another sound of Lucky Python that crawled extremely slowly filled their ears. Though satisfied, Fei Cai ordered Lo to take care of the python, and this time, keep the layered poison over himself. After half-an-hour, Lo''s exclamation shook the surroundings. "Master, another Lucky Python!" His expression was of unadulterated joy, but Fei Cai only gave him an impassionate glance. "Take care of it. And the next time you scream, consider your life ended."


    Lo nodded hurriedly and ended the life of their third Lucky Python and processed it within minutes. This time, Fei Cai did not bother with the poison sac and let it remain within the head. Selling it or saving it for tomorrow seemed a better move. For the next few hours, Fei Cai and Lo did not encounter any Lucky Python, but they encountered Hare-squirrels. Three in total. Instead of hunting them, however, Fei Cai decided to follow their tracks and find the source. He already had enough game to conclude the day profitable. He can now scout the area for himself and form plans. And, he still hadn''t refined the Wolf Strenght Gu and did not have any need to take a risk.


    Finally, with the orange sun setting for good, the pair returned to the tribe, which was glittered by a perimeter of torches and increased security. In reality, the daytime is far less restless than the night. In the night, the chance of getting attacked sneakily was too high, and a majority of the workforce was dedicated to keeping the tribe safe during the night. After the pair returned, they walked towards the contribution hut of the tribe, and Lo placed the basket in front of a Gu Master. He was a middle-aged man with greying hair. The man casually glanced at Lo before nodding at Fei Cai. Behind the man were stacks of wares that one could purchase. Cross-legged, the man scourged the basket. The single head of the Lucky Python was already kept by Fei Cai.


    "Oh? Three Lucky Pythons? The Tribe Chieftain is a fortunate lord!" The man commented with an astonished expression before unwrapping the contents and scrutinizing the products. He nodded and then looked at Fei Cai. "The conditions of the Lucky Pythons are adequate. There are no poison sacs, and one head is missing. It will be a total of two and a half primeval stones."


    Fei Cai nodded and then spoke up, "I will take two primeval stones and 1 kilogram of raw wolf meat. The man nodded as the price quoted was fair and completed the transaction. Fei Cai needed to keep a balance between his earning of primeval stones and materials to feed his Gu worms. Since he had given up on his future stipend until he provides a significant contribution to the tribe for his protection''s sake, Fei Cai now had to utilize the remaining of his 44 primeval stones and raise his standing within the tribe.


    Once Fei Cai returned to his home, he removed his outfit and wore slightly comfortable clothes while Lo prepared the meal. Meanwhile, Fei Cai finally took out the wolf meat and then took out the Wolf Strenght Gu from his pocket and placed it atop the flesh. As if come to life by the aroma of the meat of the wolf, the wolf strength gu started devouring the meat and only stopped when none remained. With this, the predicament of feeding the Gu worm for the next three days subsided, and Fei Cai retreated into his room once he ate his fill and brought the aimlessly crawling Gu worm alongside him.

 05

    Fei Cai observed his aperture. Aside from the Aperture Nurture Gu that spun a web for its ease, a dung beetle silently floated on over the surface of primeval essence sea. This was rank 1 Wolf Strength Gu. The Northern Plain was a chaotic region with deaths occurring at every corner. Fei Cai needed to step up on his milestone of becoming a self-dependant Gu Master, and for that to happen, he first required individual strength. Fei Cai now only had forty primeval stones left. While he took eight primeval stones to refine his vital gu, he now had a better understanding of how to handle the energy and how to deal with the mental burden that came alongside the act of refining a gu worm.


    Fei Cai finally channeled his primeval essence into the lethargic beetle and made it cover itself with a layer of a warm glow. Fei Cai, too, felt warm. This was a strange experience that he couldn''t express completely. The beast strength gu worms allow the Gu Master to permanently gain the strength of the beasts the gu worm represents. This time, Fei Cai activated the wolf strength gu and felt his body getting nurtured under the effects of the gu worm. This is a gradual process, and Fei Cai simply couldn''t obtain the strength befitting a wolf in a single session. But, he had taken his first step, and after one hour, when he felt bloated, Fei Cai finally stopped. The gu worm continued its relaxed swim while Fei Cai opened his eyes and exhaled deeply.


    The night was young, and Fei Cai did not want to stop right here. He had one of the most coveted rank 1 gu worms within his aperture, and he intended to exploit its use naturally. After fifteen minutes of plain meditation to recuperate, Fei Cai dived into his aperture once again. This time, he gazed at the jade green sea before channeling a continuous stream into the Aperture Nurture Gu worm. The path of Gu Masters was divided into five major realms¡ª from Rank 1-5¡ª and four minor realms¡ª lower, middle, upper, and peak. Right now, as a beginner Gu Master, Fei Cai was a Lower Rank 1 Gu Master, and the only way to move forward in the art of cultivation was to nurture the walls of apertures surrounding his primeval essence.


    As he mobilized the Aperture Nurture Gu for the first time, the spider-shaped gu worm let out glowing threads from the spinner and started weaving over the entire surface of his aperture. When less than 4% of his primeval essence remained, the gu worm had finally layered the surface of his aperture with blue threads and lazily descended on the tiny lake of primeval essence to dip in it and consume its food. A Gu Master had to utilize his primeval essence for a lot of things. It was used to use a gu worm, sometimes feed the gu worm, refine a gu worm, and finally, nurture the walls of the aperture. The interior of the aperture is layered with multiple walls of varying thickness and only be nurturing them, and breaking them can a Gu Master advance his rank and ascend the ladder of cultivation.


    The use of Aperture Nurture Gu was to enhance the capabilities of nurturing the walls of the aperture. The misty walls were layered with glowing threads, and now, when Fei Cai would recover his primeval essence and let the tides of his primeval essence impact against the walls, the thread would increase the effect by a 100%! In essence, Fei Cai would receive double the result with the same amount of training as anybody else. Alas, training at the same pace as anybody else never flashed within Fei Cai''s consciousness. Even with the body of a child, he remained a calculative youth.


    This world barely card for weakness. Fei Cai had already seen how the mortal humans are ''reared'' within the tribe, and the slaves are treated even worse. Like his father said, if he doesn''t want to fill Lo''s shoes, he needed to work hard, work hard, and work hard. He had an excellent gu worm right from the start, and he intended to capitalize on it to gain merits and earn more gu worms so that he can complete his first objective in the long list of mental goals. Instead of utilizing his primeval stones to refill his essence to the fill, he used three stones and let the remaining portion of his primeval essence fill up naturally. The thread form the Aperture Nurture Gu lasts for 12 hours, so Fei Cai wasn''t worried about the effects of the gu worm wearing out.


    Once his primeval essence was restored, he spent all of it by continuously manipulating the sea into forming tidal waves that collided against the walls of his aperture. With each collision, a wisp of his primeval essence would get absorbed by the aperture itself, and the impact of it grew by 100%. At first, Fei Cai wasn''t extremely proficient in forming waves to strike against the thread-layered walls, but with constant manipulation of primeval essence, Fei Cai soon started to get the hang of it. For the next few hours, Fei Cai continued to cultivate and only stopped once he depleted his primeval essence. Dawn had already touched the sky, but no matter how less of an amount of sleep he gets, it was a must. He was far more inclined to skipping his bath and ''morning crispiness'' to compensate for the extra time he devoted for his cultivation and only dip in the water when it was absolutely necessary.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Fei Cai only woke up a little after the late morning. His father had already made it clear that he would stop interfering in his matters from now on. The tribesmen of this world were reasonably straightforward. Fei Cai was on his own, and even if he had the backing of the chieftain in the tribe, it was merely paper glory. If he wanted to get access to the significant resources of the tribe, then he would have to build himself up carefully without overstepping his boundaries. Fei Cai stood up and, without caring for his appearance, donned his battle outfit and took Lo with himself to the hunting grounds of the tribe. Once they reached out, Fei Cai had Lo cut out the sac of the Lucky Python they kept from yesterday and smear it across a blade of grass before tying it over his waist.  As they moved about, Fei Cai noted the apparent difference in his movements. His gait had unconsciously changed to match the slight enhancement to his physique.


    Today, Fei Cai did not plan to linger in the grassland in hopes of encountering a Lucky Python but scout the area of the squirrels he had followed yesterday. It was a stringent task to locate the path once again, but eventually, they did come across one of the marks Fei Cai had lest and finally straightened their journey towards the nest of the rodents. Hare-squirrels were the kind of species that would have gone viral in his previous world and then gotten itself extinct pretty quickly, too. It was the perfect combination of a large squirrel, around the size of a human skull, with the features of a hare. However, in this world, that species was a game that would only get hunted sooner or later, and sooner Fei Cai wished.


    Unlike the Lucky Python, the rodents were more profitable to kill due to materials of the species being popular for gu refining. While most of the gu worms condensed within nature themselves, most of the gu worm in the human world were refined by specific materials. This was called gu refinement.  A Gu Master would follow a particular recipe and technique to combine various items and then refine a brand new gu worm. Needless to say, every Gu Master cared for their gu recipes as if their worth is higher than the gu worm itself. After all, with a gu recipe, a person can create as many gu worms as he wants as long as he has the materials and the skill.


    Fei Cai and Lo finally reached the edges of the grassland that would extend out to a dense forest. At the edge of one of the trees closer to the grassland, Fei Cai noticed as a bush of petals. The flower was green in color, and the cores of all the flowers were empty with a thick tube descending into the ground.


    "Hare-squirrels usually live in an underground forest lily. The tubes of the lilies are scented and attract the rodents while the tube leads until the stamen, which is warm and comforts rodents."


    Fei Cai thought internally. The flowers were refinement materials for rank 1 gu worm, too, and would sell well to the tribe storehouse.


    Fei Cai observed the surroundings while crouching and pushing aside fistful of the grass. He kept his gaze on the forest lilies for a while before he sent Lo out. Since this part of the forest was pretty much exposed, Fei Cai still had to understand why not a single wild beast present in the forest ruined the rodent''s humble abode. With a determined expression, Lo stepped out. His burly feet landed on the twigs around the starting of the forest, producing a crisp sound only for the nondescript pebble with a slightly weird shape to let out a soft lull that made Fei Cai dizzy while Lo instantly slumped on the ground with a peaceful expression while his snores soon rang in the area.


    After a few minutes, Fei Cai regained his bearings and looked at the source of the sound. It was the pebble nearest to the smallest of all lillies. This time, a slightly strange rodent crawled out. It had grey fur and dark green eyes. Its facial structure resembled a rat, but its size was less than a palm. This was a Shriek Rat. A type of rodent that affected the consciousness of living beings at a certain distance. The moment it saw Fei Cai looking through the gaps of the large grass, it let out a weird screech before digging back into the tube and hiding from Fei Cai. Meanwhile, Lo remained undisturbed.


    "A wild gu worm."


    Fei Cai exclaimed in his heart and looked at the pebble that did not affect the shriek rat at all. Picking one of the twigs near his feet, Fei Cai snapped it but failed to pull any reaction from the wild gu worm. It seemed like the gu worm had a specific range before it could detect the presence of what is considered a threat instinctively. Gu worms were living creatures and had the basic semblance of survival. The gu worms can identify what is harmful and what is beneficial even when it does not have any complex thoughts. And it seemed like Fei Cai was just outside the range of the gu worm,  he then knocked an arrow and targetted the bak of the tree the gu worm was right next to and fired the first round.


    Tuc!


    A loud sound spread, but the gu worm failed to react once again, and with some thoughts in his mind, Fei Cai decided to count. After a full minute had passed from the moment, the gu worm mobilized itself, Fei Cai fired another arrow and once again, the gu worm let out a strange sound, but this time, Fei Cai had already covered his ears with a cloth and reduced the effect of the sound significantly.


    Without wasting a single second, Fei Cai clocked in on the gu worm, but the moment he reached the area filled with shrubs, the pebbles sunk in and brought Fei Cai alongside him. The gaping hole enlarged enough to pull Lo in, and in a fluster, Fei Cai caught the gu worm before he lost it.

 06

    The fall was a short one, and against a pile of pebbles, Fei Cai''s and Lo''s fall was cushioned. Still, they received superficial injuries that would slightly hinder their movements. The fall also acted as the ''bang'' to wake Lo from his untimely snooze, and he, too, looked around after getting up, just like Fei Cai. With a cautious gaze, Fei Cai ignored the pain and looked around only to find himself, and Lo illuminated with daylight due to the giant hole right above their head, and the surroundings around him still remained dark. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he looked at his clenched fist. The fist unfurled only to reveal a squashed gu worm as Fei Cai felt incomparably sad. The fluctuations of his emotions subsided within a few breaths, and he cleaned his palm. Fei Cai gazed above his head and found hollow tubes leading down in this very underground chamber. Those were the tubes from the forest lillies, but he failed to find any semblance of roots or stamens. The hollow tube reached near the platform and nothing else.


    ''Where did the Shriek Rat run off to?''


    Fei Cai''s gaze flickered, and he raised his suspicions further. This place gave him an eerie feeling. He was in the light while his surroundings were covered in darkness. He only had one thought in his mind. Looking towards Lo, Fei Cai commanded with a calm expression, "Get up here and support me to reach the edge of the hole." Fei Cai still stood on the mound of the pebbles and calculated the distance between the hole and the combined height of himself and Lo. This place was full of uncertainties, and without enough preparations, Fei Cai dared not take the unnecessary risk. This world was cruel, and a single misstep had already landed Fei Cai in such a terrible position. Meanwhile, Lo slowly treaded the pile of raised pebbles carefully and finally reached at Fei Cai''s location. Dutifully, Lo knelt on one leg and clasped his palms while extending his arms towards Fei Cai.


    Placing one foot on the fists and one palm on the shoulder, Fei Cai positioned himself and let Lo propel him upwards. For a few meters, Fei Cai flew up, but before his arm could reach the edges of the hole, he descended. Lo''s expression changed greatly, and he instantly intercepted Fei Cai''s fall by getting underneath Fei Cai and cushioning the fall. With a deep sigh, Fei Cai stood up and dusted his clothes before gazing at the young man who sat up groggily.


    The first plan and the only plan of successful escape failed and gazing at the dark surroundings, Fei Cai steeled his heart and beckoned Lo to stand up and pointed at a random direction. After the fall, the pair couldn''t find the direction in which the tribe was situated, so letting Lo lead was the only method Fei Cai could come up with. The burly youth walked down the pile of pebbles with slow steps while regaining his courage as she whispered hoarsely, "Anything for master!" His body now held traces of blood, and even the act of walking made Lo clench his jaws in pain. Still, master''s order was something he couldn''t defy, and he continued forward.


    Fei Cai observed Lo until the darkness devoured the poor youth. Fei Cai stood still and waited patiently. When it came to risking his own life or his slave''s life, the answer was evident. The heavy steps of Lo echoed, making Fei Cai realize that this place was vast and hollow. The footsteps continued to echo at a calm pace. Lo was unharmed till now, and Fei Cai continued to scrutinize his surroundings. His action of gaining a physically talented slave turned out to be the right decision. Had Fei Cai lost to his momentary lust, he would not have been able to bring a female slave into the wilds with him. Not to mention the fact that it would take years for a young female slave to develop curves that could attract his eyes.


    As Fei Cai thought internally, Lo''s shrill scream rang before everything fell silent except for his ragged breathing. His footsteps grew clearer and quicker as Lo rushed to Fei Cai with a flushed expression and pointed at the direction he ventured in. His gaze was extremely bright, and he continued to point towards the direction. "Master, there¡ª that''s a gu worm!"


    Lo was a son of the defeated tribe leader and was sold to various places before he was settled alongside Fei Cai. He had slight knowledge about gu worms, and once he faces one, he was able to identify the status of the creature within the darkness. Lo''s words made Fei Cai''s gaze sharp, and he scrutinized Lo. The slaves were under the effects of gu worms that prevented them from lying to their masters. While Fei Cai indeed was Lo''s master, he was also a man with a modern background that made it harder for him to easily believe that Lo did not have the capabilities of lying to him, or trap him.


    A lawyer''s task is to find the loopholes in between context and utilize it. Fei Cai was extremely keen on such play, and he only stepped down the mound once he found no traces of insincerity. Fei Cai did not walk ahead instantly and waited for a few moments once he entered the domain of darkness. Fei Cai let his gaze adapt to the darkness, and when his surroundings grew slightly visible, Fei Cai walked in the same direction as Lo. Once again, Lo led the way and only stopped in front of a giant creature that made Fei Cai feel breathless.


    The Fei tribe was considered as a large tribe. In Northern Plain, the Tribes can be classified into four categories based on the peak Gu Master leading the tribe and the over-all foundation of the tribe¡ª Small, Middle, Large, and Super.


    Small and Mid-sized Tribes are led by Rank 3 Gu Masters of various stages, and the only difference between the two ranks is the total number of Gu Masters. Meanwhile, a tribe is considered Large only when the leader of the tribe has a cultivation of Rank 4. Meanwhile, Super Tribes were led by Rank 5 cultivators, and they had hundreds of Rank 3 Gu Masters and tens of Rank 4. The difference was sky-high! While Fei Tribe only had four elders, one of the elders¡ª Fei Chang¡ª was already a Rank 4 Lower Stage Gu Master while the tribe as a whole did not need more Rank 3 elders due to Fei Qing''s specialty.


    But, the Fei Tribe has suffered many tribulations. Even if the tribe emerged victorious, it lost too much and got its foundation scarred. According to his father, in its prime, the Fei Tribe was only lower than the Super Tribe due to the absence of Rank 5 Gu Master. In every other aspect, the Fei Tribe surpassed its peers by a considerable margin.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    One of the basic necessities that the Fei Tribe lost was the striking gu worm silently sprawled in front of Fei Cai. It was more than four meters tall and almost two-and-a-half meter high with a scaly body and face of a lizard. A disheveled mane also covered its thick neck. Fei Cai instantly recognized this gu worm.


    It was a Rank 3 Earth Lizard House Gu Worm!


    Earth lizard house gu worms were once a specialty of the Qin tribe, a Super Tribe, that used to control the entirety of the Warm Pond Valley before it fell to its competitors'' schemes and opened a space for the strongest of the Large Tribes competing for this unique habitat. The earth lizard house gu worm could dig into the ground and create an underground area. The gu worm also had a tantalizing scent that attracted rodents, and the gu worms excretion fertilized the location, allowing various natural resources to grow at a fast pace. This may be a gu worm, but its real use was not to battle but to support the life of a Gu Master. The unique capabilities of this gu worm also made its value far greater than ordinary rank 4 gu worm.


    "But it is starved," Fei Cai wondered aloud as Lo nodded at his master''s knowledge. It was Lo''s fortune that such an astute master picked him up from the dumps and provided him with patched boots! Meanwhile, Fei Cai observed the gu worm. Its eyes had lost its vigor, and its mane did not have the luster of a healthy being. The scaly body stuck onto the interior of the gu worm¡ª which was a wooden space to provide for Gu Master''s living. The poor condition of the gu worm made it evident that the master of the gu worm did not take care of it and may have already met his demise.


    Clenching his jaws, Fei Cai decided to enter the gu worm. It may take a long time to explore the region and get out of this hellhole while there may be something left by the previous Gu Master. The earth lizard house gu worm was man-made, and it must have a master. And there are only two types of Gu Master who could leave such a precious treasure in such dire straits¡ª Wealthy ones... or dead ones.


    Fei Cai walked closer to the gu worm and injected his primeval essence, making him realize that this gu worm was indeed ownerless and only had a basic will. The thin stream of primeval essence made the gu worm open its large maws, revealing a wooden door above the split-tongue of the lizard.


    "Lo, take the lead," Fei Cai commanded shamelessly. Even if the gu worm did not eat humans, Fei Cai did not feel the need to take the risk and only followed Lo when he had successfully pushed open the wooden door. Exhaling softly, Fei Cai followed Lo into the house and stepped into the long and narrow hallway that had doors to the room where the lizard''s limbs stretched out. According to the basic information of the gu worm, there should he four rooms and one toilet. Once Fei Cai entered, he found that there were two oval windows behind him that allowed him to see outside. These were the eyes of the lizard.


    Fei Cai finally walked ahead of Lo. This was a gu worm that housed a Gu Master of unknown caliber. Just the fact that the Gu Master had obtained such a precious gu worm spoke vividly about his accomplishments. Fei Cai opened the first door to the left and found it entirely empty. The wooden space was left unfurnished. With a soft sigh, Fei Cai opened the next door only to find it empty once again. When he opened the third door to the right, his sight was graced with a mattress and a few mounds of ashes. Lo stood behind Fei Cai and leaned forward by a slight amount to get a view for himself.


    Finally, as Fei Cai opened the last door, he found a clothed figure lying on the ground. His figure was stiff, and the skin was already light blue in color. While a look of horror emerged on Lo''s face, Fei Cai''s gaze shone brilliantly, and he walked forward to before kicking the back of the male''s foot harshly. A dull thud rang out, but the person remained stiff and unmoved. Fei Cai knelt near the body, and much to Lo''s surprise, Fei Cai parted the man''s legs and kicked harshly over his crotch!


    Lo shivered in fright, but Fei Cai finally felt at ease. This person wasn''t acting dead after all. A sigh of relief left his lips as he took a step back and commanded Lo, "Strip him. Search his body and clothes carefully."


    Lo nodded in a hurry, afraid that any sort of delay would reward him with a kick to his balls and stripped the man off of his clothing, revealing a fist-sized, pitch-black worm on his back with yellow streaks over its body and also found a stack of parchments tied together in the form of a diary. Other things were of no value, and Fei Cai finally smiled in delight when he gazed at the insect.


    Another gu worm!


    Fei Cai walked over the dead Gu Master''s body and gazed at the gu worm. The Northern Plain was a Continent filled with battle and deaths, and most of the time, before the corpses turn into fertilizers of the excretion of the beasts, they allow a gu worm to manifest naturally if they remain intact for a long time. Rank 1 Manure Gu Worm. This gu fed on the remains of the vegetables and corpses while leaving a trail of high-grade manure that could even produce mutated vegetation with extraordinary benefits! Without waiting, Fei Cai unceremoniously picked the squishy silkworm in his palms as it writhed in struggle and infused his primeval essence into the gu worm to refine it.


    This gu had great benefits and easy feeding requirements. Of course, Fei Cai had to refine it for himself. In front of Lo, Fei Cai sat cross-legged and continued refining the gu worm. Thinking of the situation, Fei Cai did not care deeply when he expended three primeval stones to ultimately refine the gu worm in two hours and finally let out a cloud of foul air when the black worm swam within his aperture. Fei Cai''s forehead was filled with sweat as he finally picked up the diary of the Gu Master.


    The pages contained multiple resources and a few steps that involved mixing them or crushing them. Fei Cai''s heartbeat grew wild, and his breathing turned shallow and quick. He usually did not lose his composure, but when faced with the fortune of finding two gu worms and a diary filled with Gu recipes, Fei Cai did feel slightly overwhelmed. The gears in his mind turned furiously, and he locked his gaze with Lo.


    "Put all clothes on his body once again."


    Fei Cai did not order the obvious to keep a formless pressure over Lo that this discovery was barely any worth. This would keep his mouth shut while a slave already knows what would happen if they divulge their master''s secrets.


    Finally, Fei Cai and Lo walked out of the gu worm. Now that Fei Cai knew what he was dealing with, he followed the direction in which the tail of the gu pointed. Earth lizard house gu worms were a direction bearing species and would keep the area of the opening form where they dug into the underground in their will and kept their tails pointing at that direction.


    Sure enough, after a few minutes of walk, the pair walked up an elevated path and finally pushed the thick covering of leaves away before making their way towards the tribe. Fei Cai couldn''t make the correct use of the gu worm present inside, and he had already looted the greatest treasure present inside. The moment he reached the tribe, he ordered Lo to go into the house and requested an audience with his father, who is usually dealing with tribal matters during the evening.

 07

    Fei Cai''s figure could be seen running towards the Tribal Camp. Whoever saw Fei Cai smiled and shook their heads. A kid, Fei Cai''s age, was supposed to be a ball of energy, and he had to portray wild ''joy'' for his discovery and report the existence of the ownerless gu worm to his father. He made sure to flush his face in mock excitement and kept on tapping his foot while the Rank 2 senior made him wait outside the camp and leisurely stepped inside to inform the Tribe Chieftain.


    The Northern Plains cultivated fierce warriors that only knew how to respect strength, their ancestors, and their elders. Even if Fei Cai was the Chieftain''s child, he did not have the necessary strength to evoke awe from a rank 2 Gu Master. This nature was so deeply rooted that most of the Gu Masters usually only bent their waist in front of their superiors and not their knees. This was to show respect to strength while stating that only the ancestors are worth kowtowing to. Soon, the senior came out and gestured Fei Cai to run in. Not waiting to even pay proper respect to his senior that usually bathed alone silently just to show how ''excited'' he was, Fei Cai ran into the camp and bowed to his father.


    "Father, I have discovered something¡ª"


    Instantly, as if realizing his folly, Fei Cai shut his mouth and bowed deeply.


    "Apologies, father, and greetings Elders."


    Fei Cai''s respectful tone resounded within the tent as the four elders looked at him, and his father finally nodded in satisfaction. To a father, there was nothing more proud of a moment when his son realizes his mistake and works on it to grow more mature, and this is what Fei Cai did. While he was here to make a contribution to the tribe, Fei Cai never lost the sight of his main objective¡ª to keep Fei Qing under his palms.


    There were many ways to achieve his plan of making Fei Qing agree to his decisions and support and nurture him unconditionally. This was an action that went against the norms of the culture of the Northern Plains, but to Fei Cai, these cultures barely held any meaning. With the gazes of all the elders and the Chieftain focused on him, Fei Cai stood straight and spoke with a tone that still expressed his excitement but also a slight traces of pride, "Father, I discovered a gu worm when adventuring into the grassland."


    His words instantly dampened the interest of everyone present in the camp. Unlike other locations, the tent was decorated with furs and old weapons of high significance to the tribe. After a Chieftain is dethroned, he would place its first weapon in the camp. Four blades were places on the leathery surface of the tent behind Fei Qing as he looked at his son with annoyance growing within his heart. Finding wild gu worms¡ª though uncommon¡ª was not something to be celebrated openly. Every gu worm, if used correctly, could add to the overall value of a Gu Master. These fortunes are supposed to remain silent, and yet his own foolish offspring decided to bark about it. Before any other elder could scoff or rebuke Fei Cai''s audacity to interrupt the meeting, the ''witless'' youth continued, "Father, it is a Rank 3 earth lizard house gu worm!"


    His words silenced the tribe as Fei Qing, and the other elders failed to control their expressions for the first time. Fei Chang, the second strongest Gu Master of the tribe and Fei Qing''s wiser counterpart, finally inquired, "Nephew, can you describe the situation."


    This was the most rational response to Fei Cai''s words. The youth had just entered the camp, disrupted the daily meeting, and claimed that he had discovered one of the gu worms that their tribe lacked in. Not to mention the fact that Fei Cai had just stepped into the path of Gu Master so he could have been muddled with fear and transformed a wild lizard into a gu worm. Such cases weren''t uncommon, but Fei Cai naturally understood the thought of the higher-ups. Every single Gu Master in this camp, aside from him, massacred their peers in hundreds! This achievement didn''t just stem from their battle strength but also their devious minds.


    How could it be possible for only five Gu Masters to control hundreds of Rank 2 Gu Masters and a little over thousand Rank 1 Gu Master? Through their wisdom and tactics. Making sure that his words perfectly describe the rank 3 gu worm and present it in a pathetic state, Fei Cai spoke with an anxious expression, "Uncle Chang, that gu worm''s mane has lost its luster and even the windows inside it looked muddy. The skin of the gu worm also traced the rooms within. Please, I urge you to make haste!"


    His words pulled a sense of unease as even Fei Chang felt slightly tempted. If what Fei Cai had seen was correct, then he had made a vast contribution to the Tribe. Fei Chang looked towards his older cousin¡ª Fei Qing¡ª and found that the Tribe Chieftain was already gazing back at him. Fei Chang nodded and released a sigh as the Chieftain stood up and laughed loudly.


    "I will accompany Little Cai back. The elders should stay and keep a lookout until I return. If that gu worm is indeed an earth lizard house gu worm, then the fortune of our tribe has really turned for the better."


    While Fei Qing''s thick lips spread into a wide grin, the underlying meaning of his words was apparent¡ª My son''s contribution would remain in the family. This was also the reason why Fei Cai did not bother leaving the gu worm in the wild for his own selfish use. He wasn''t just a ''nobody.'' He was the son of the Tribe Chieftain. And even if he wasn''t respected now, that didn''t mean that he could get bullied into losing his contribution to the tribe. Fei Qing''s words, meanwhile, made the four elders smile.


    "It''s just like the Chieftain said. And, a brief expedition with Chieftain might also broaden nephew''s horizon," Fei Chang accepted the decision instantly, and the others simply didn''t dare refuse. Usually, there remained an ongoing competition between Fei Qing and Fei Chang. This was, Fei Qing cannot turn the tribe into his personal power drive, and Fei Chang also cannot easily gather forces and dethrone Fei Qing due to a simple fact¡ª both of them wanted the tribe''s prosperity. The duo was in a tacit agreement that active competition benefited the tribe. Even the elders were divided into two camps. Two of the elders sided with Fei Qing, and the remaining one-sided with Fei Chang.


    Fei Qing walked forward and gestured Fei Cai to follow him and left the tent as the four elders sighed. Aside from Fei Chang, who was already a Rank 4 lower-stage Gu Master, the remaining three elders were Rank 3 peak-stage Gu Masters with top battle prowess. Still, they considered Fei Qing as a being that could challenge the tribe by himself. He was that mighty!Stolen story; please report.


    "Did you hear about Little Cai''s luck in his first hunt yesterday?"


    One of the elders¡ª Fei Sheng, spoke up while rubbing his white beard. He was the oldest one in the group, but his knowledge of gu professions was also the deepest. He was the elder of the Tribe''s treasury and the merits system, and he easily learned about Fei Cai''s extraordinary fortune of hunting three Lucky Pythons. He shared the news with others as the remaining three whistled.


    "Three pythons in a day? That''s quite a catch. I barely found one in my first month."


    A young elder chuckled. Meanwhile, Fei Chang looked thoughtful, "It isn''t his fortune only. My son told me that instead of a girl, Fei Cai accepted a youth as his slave to help him hunt."


    "Tribe Chieftain is the truly fortunate one here. Having such a sensible child."


    Fei Kao shook his head with a sigh. He was the only elder of the tribe without any marital relationship and remained unfettered.


    "That combined with the fact that he most likely chose Aperture Nurture Gu, he might become a great seed in the younger generation."


    The four elders nodded. The world of Gu Masters was crueler than the law of the jungle. It wasn''t just about the survival of the fittest, but also the wisest. The stronger the Gu Master becomes, the greater he is exposed to the world. Those who adapt to the changes become wiser in the way of society, and those who fail to adapt would be forgotten by the passage of time. As the four elders discussed cultivation and commented on the current Gu Masters that could become the pillars of the Tribe, Fei Qing, and Fei Cai walked towards the stable and stood in front of a pitch-black monster. Its height more than a meter, and there was no fur on its pitch-black skin. The creature had a horse''s face, but the sheer size could compete against two ordinary horses from Earth. Finally, instead of hoofs, the musclebound limbs of the creature ended with webbed claws that struck flat on the ground.


    There wasn''t even hair on the back of its head, and only red, thick tail flicked behind it every now and then. This was a terror horse. More specifically, this was one of the Terror Horses under his father''s command. A saddle was bound on its back, and Fei Qing quickly mounted the horse before leaning down and extending his hand towards Fei Cai.


    "Little Cai, come up. Don''t be afraid."


    Of course, Fei Cai kept an anxious expression before nodding with hesitation and settling over the saddle after his father helped him. By now, Fei Cai already knew of Fei Qing''s motives. Each time his father brought him somewhere, he would make Fei Cai do all the tasks so that he could learn. If he had ascended the beast, then it could only mean...


    "Little Cai, today, I will teach you how to properly ride on a beast. And not just a terror horse, but any beast that runs on land."


    Fei Qing said as the Terror Horse mobed without any indication or Fei Qing''s command. Its gait was slow and modest. Since the beast was enormous, Fei Cai and Fei Qing, who sat in the middle of its back, felt disturbed by the movements only by a slight amount. Under the awestruck eyes of the tribe members, Fei Cai and Fei Qing gradually left the tribe, and the moment they reached the beginning of the grassland, Fei Qing stated calmly, "All right, I will now teach you how to ride a beast without a beast enslavement gu worm. You will slowly lead me to the site of gu worm while learning the art."


    Fei Qing''s words were absolute, and Fei Cai nodded without any hesitation. What Fei Qing was teaching was something that other mortals or even Gu Masters would only dream about. Fei Cai, of course, had to learn the art. Even when the sun had started its descent, Fei Cai slowly used the reigns to direct the terror horse towards the intended opening, and when he reached the grass door that hid the entrance, Fei Qing suddenly opening his mouth and released a solid blade of air and cut the entrance from the middle.


    With growing darkness in the surroundings, the underground area looked only darker, and to tackle the issue, Fei Qing used another one of his gu worms and created a giant ball of crimson blaze over his hand before urging Fei Cai to descend in the method he had taught. Fei Cai continued the journey, and needless to say, Fei Qing was pleasantly surprised when he found the intact Rank 3 gu worm and jumped down from the horse before teaching Fei Cai how to ascend and descend a mount with a small body.


    Before entering the gu worm, however, Fei Qing injected his primeval essence into the gu worm and only nodded in satisfaction after failing to find out any problems with the gu worm. He then entered the gu worm alongside Fei Cai, and once they reached the room with the dead Gu Master, Fei Qimg turned to Fei Cai and inquired with a slight frown.


    "Little Cai¡ª"


    "Father," Fei Cai interjected and smiled happily. This was the nail that Fei Cai would pin into Fei Qing and change his posting in his father''s eyes. Mobilizing the manure gu worm and making it appear over his arm, Fei Cai continued, "while I searched the body of this dead Gu Master, I found this manure gu and refined it right here and now. I didn''t dare refine the earth lizard house gu worm because I am a rank 1 lower-stage Gu Master. It would have been selfish of me to keep this gu worm hidden from the tribe. I apologize for hiding manure gu worm from you, father."


    As Fei Qing heard his son''s reasoning, a pleasant expression, far more than the discovery of the house gu worm, touched his face, and he nodded without making any comments.


    ''Astute enough to hide the small gains from the public that would help him in the future while remaining loyal to the tribe and exposing the gu worm. Not to mention, he told the truth before I could point out the obvious tempering in the clothes of this corpse. This shows that he is filial... Little Cai is really growing up.''


    Fei Qing thought for a moment before nodding. He didn''t ask if Fei Cai found anything else. Most Gu Masters keep their treasures in storage-type gu worms, and if Fei Cai exposed the manure gu worm, then he would also have exposed any other gains. Since he didn''t, Fei Qing kept quiet about it.


    "Little Cai, did you inspect the aperture of this corpse?"


    It didn''t take a genius to understand that only a Gu Master could keep a house gu worm with him. Meanwhile, Fei Cai showed a genuine look of confusion and inquired, "Inspection? How do we inspect an aperture, father?"


    Fei Qing gestured Fei Cai to sit close to him and pulled on the arm of the corpse and stated drily, "Try and inject your primeval essence into the body and then sense for the aperture."


    Fei Cai did as instructed, and much to his surprise, he could sense the lifeless and dry aperture without a hint of primeval essence. Observing Fei Cai''s expression, Fei Qing continued, "Experienced Gu Masters can detect the stream of primeval essence, so do not try to inspect a living Gu Master''s aperture or I won''t be saving you from the subsequent troubles.


    Fei Cai nodded as the father-son pair looked around the gu worm, and Fei Qing taught how to look for any hidden treasure. This was an essential craft since Gu Masters might leave some important things in their surroundings that only the fated ones could find.


    After that, in front of Fei Cai''s slightly astonished gaze, Fei Qing refined the gu worm at a breakneck pace, and then the gu worm shrunk visibly before disappearing into Fei Qing''s aperture as the Chieftain looked towards Fei Cai and imparted further knowledge.


    "I am Peak-stage Rank 4 Gu Master. I have multiple rank 4 gu worms, and using their aura, I can suppress the will of a single rank 3 gu worm and refine it without too much expenditure of my mental health."


    There were a few critical notes that Fei Qing did not expose Fei Cai to, and continued, "Little Cai, here''s a word of advice: Practice your control over primeval essence and refine your control."

 08

    In the world of Gu Masters, each cultivator pursues Immortality. Some gradually lose their ambition and settle for mediocrity while other Gu Masters gamble their existence to achieve the goal. The concept of Immortality was just as ambiguous as it was on Earth. Even with supernatural powers, the Gu Masters, in the end, died. No matter the supremacist claims and the treatment against mortal men. Yet, the path of cultivation is to go against the heavens, and many Gu Masters, in the hope of leaving a mark and passing on the torch of their hopes, would leave inheritances. No matter how weak or how poor a Gu Master was, they would try to leave an inheritance. This was their final act of defiance and hope that someday, a Gu Master would glorify the tradition and finally achieve Immortality.


    If not to live forever, then to justify that all the sacrifices of Gu Masters were worth it. That¡ª Immortality was not just a fleeting dream but a solid reality! And, the Gu Master whose corpse Fei Cai discovered, even if he did not want to die and maybe breathed his last breath with grievances, managed to leave his mark in the form of Diary in Fei Cai''s hands. This might not be the Inheritance that the Gu Master dreamt of leaving, but this was definitely the result of years of accumulations.


    "Rank 1 Lizard Mouth Gu, Rank 1 Lizard Enslavement Gu, Rank 1 Lizard Scale Gu, Rank 2 Crimson Lizard Strength Gu..." Fei Cai read through the dozens of gu worms recipes. The list did not end till Rank 2. There were many rank 3 gu worms, and finally, there were two Rank 4 gu worms¡ª Lizard Enslavement Gu and Scale Regeneration Gu. The effects of the gu worms made Fei Cai feel slightly short of breath, but then he quickly regained his composure.


    Gu worms occurred in the natural world under particular circumstances, but more than often, Gu Masters refined their gu worms to meet their specified needs. For instance, to raise the standard of living, the Gu Masters of the previous era devised many house gu worms. Earth lizard house gu worm was just one of the many in the series, and Fei Cai now even had the recipe of refining the gu worm. According to his father, Fei Qing, the path of cultivation consisted of three different roads that needed to be treaded simultaneously¡ª Use, Refine, and Nurture.


    A Gu Master cultivates the aperture, but in reality, an aperture is merely an essential tool that allows a Gu Master to use a gu worm. Without any gu worm, a Gu Master is no different from a mortal, and without any gu worm, what use does an aperture have? So, the most significant amount of resources diverges towards the direction of gu worms. Gu worms are living creatures, and due to this, they get hungry. A capable Gu Master must know how to nurture his gu worm so that they don''t starve and also have the devious mind of using a gu worm ingeniously.


    Lastly, refining new and innovative gu worms has always been what the concept of Inheritance is for¡ª to build new gu worms on the foundation of old methods.


    Fei Cai closed the diary and snuck it into his inner tunic. While the diary filled with recipes was a fantastic fortune, Fei Cai looked at the large basket filled to the brim with dull primeval stones. Alongside a little over thirty stones in his pouch, Fei Cai now possessed a whopping treasure of more than a thousand primeval stones. Each rank of gu worm had a price range.


    Rank 1 gu worms would get sold for a little over a hundred to three hundred primeval stones. Rank 2 gu worms reached the ceiling of seven hundred primeval stones, and finally, Rank 3 gu worms reached an astonishing price of more than a thousand primeval stones. While, in public, the Tribe Chieftain announced that Fei Cai had contributed to the tribe significantly and rewarded him with a thousand primeval stones, and also removed the ''loan'' agreement that hung over Fei Cai''s neck, in reality, unknown the Tribe Elders who intentionality hid the gu worms information, Fei Cai knew better.


    Being the son of Tribe Chieftain, Fei Cai had heard his father unintentionally slipping some information. For instance, a special gu worm like the earth lizard house gu worm would fetch a price not less than 7000 primeval stones. But even when Fei Cai knew this, his heart remained as still as a pond and his expression calm. Every benefit had its limitations. Being the son of the Tribe Chieftain, Fei Cai was virtually impossible to conspire against even if he had earned 10000 primeval stones. This was the protection that came from the organization¡ª the tribe¡ª his father, led.


    But this protection came with a price. If he couldn''t be assassinated for his wealth, then the tribe¡ª the force that is keeping Fei Cai safe¡ª would keep the larger portion of the benefit. Being a part of the corporate law firm in his previous life, Fei Cai was already aware of this fact. The probable ways to break free from the shackles of the tribe, Fei Cai deduced, was to grow as influential as the Elders so that he could control the earnings of the ''larger portion'' which is digested by the tribe or raise his strength so high that he can plunder the tribe off of its benefits and live unfettered.


    Fei Cai couldn''t do any of it. Instead of letting his helplessness affect his state of mind, Fei Cai decided to make use of his wealth and reinforce his advantages to leave his peers far behind. He activated his wolf strength gu once again, and within a few minutes, a stream of warmth washed his body and allowed the meditating Fei Cai to easily feel his strength increasing. According to an hour of cultivation and comparing it to yesterday''s effect, Fei Cai had already estimated that two more sessions of cultivation would be needed, and he would gain the strength of a regular wolf.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Of course, with his gains, Fei Cai wasn''t planning to hunt in the next few days and instead, use his wealth to instantly arm himself appropriate gu worms that would have usually taken him weeks, if not months of diligence. After he had used the wolf strength gu for an hour, Fei Cai rested his mind and then proceeded to use his aperture nurture gu while picking up a single primeval stone.


    Fei Qing had made a deliberate point to advise him: Practice and refine your control over primeval essence. Had Fei Cai been an ordinary youth, then he would have complied without much deliberation, alas, Fei Cai was a transmigrator with his age disguised by the flesh of a young boy. It was only after absorbing and activating the gu worm at the same time did realize how superficial his control over his primeval essence was. The moment he activated the gu worm, he felt the surge of primeval essence dwindling, and he also felt the primeval essence within the stone retracting.


    Instead of being able to create a cycle of absorption and consumption, Fei Cai spectacularly failed to achieve the required control. This time, he was slightly stunned and humbled. From the moment Fei Cai ''arrived,'' he held a rational impression towards his surroundings and absorbing all the knowledge he could like a sponge, and this very feeling of ''quick'' growth and ''indifferent'' rationality made Fei Cai prideful unconsciously.


    Even now.


    Fei Cai had expected to quickly achieve the expected level of control, and here he sat. Exhaling deeply, Fei Cai continued with the task. One day, he would have to conquer this task, so he might as well begin now. He had time in his hand; he was feeling slightly refreshed, too.


    For another hour, Fei Cai continued the fruitless task of refining his control and finally stopped to cultivate and nurture his aperture.


    ***


    After Fei Cai had bathed, he once again began his cultivation. His expression was calm and relieved. Each session of cultivation brought waves of mental pressure that a Gu Master needed to relieve through natural actions such as sleeping. This was Fei Cai''s third day on the road of cultivation, and he had already started to form his own path of cultivation.


    In reality, it was the dead Gu Master''s diary that gave him the idea.


    Presently, Fei Cai had no foundation to innovate upon. So, all he could do was note the multiple effects he wished from a gu worm. The first effect he wrote down was¡ª lack of sleep. In the most primal nature, the act of sleeping was merely to recuperate the mental capacities. If he could invent a gu worm that could remove the wastage of time that sleeping was then his path of cultivation could become more manageable. If he couldn''t innovate a recipe to refine such a gu, however, Fei Cai made sure to search for a gu worm with similar effects.


    He only wrote this effect down to not forget about this morning''s inspiration. Next, he once again cultivated with wolf strength gu worm. Today, he would gain the strength of a wolf. Another hour passed in silent cultivation.


    Aside from status, Fei Cai''s mentality also placed him way above the norms of ordinary young Gu Masters. To Gu Masters, the cultivation of aperture is an arduous task that taxes the mind and sap on the vigor while leaving the Gu Master lonely. The effects nailed the Gu Master in hysteria if they continued for long and would need to socialize¡ª In the way of Interacting, Mating, and Battling. But Fei Cai remained calm in the face of loneliness in the long run. After a few minutes of recuperation, he observed his aperture.


    Unlike the previous wall layered with patches of mist, the thin light now covered the entire aperture and gave off the feeling of ''fullness.'' A B-Rank Aptitude Gu Master like Fei Cai would have to nurture his aperture for more than two weeks to gain a similar result. Now, with the assistance of primeval stones and a gu worm specialized in nurturing the aperture, Fei Cai could advance in his path by leaps and bounds.


    Since it was morning, Fei Cai was feeling relatively fresh and continued to nurture his aperture for more than three hours. This was the first time he committed himself to cultivation this long, and it had a slightly adverse effect on his body. His legs were numb, and his back hurt somewhat. Even if he had a virtually abundant source of primeval energy, the wealth couldn''t deal with the depletion of his mental strength and stamina.


    Not willing to deteriorate his health, Fei Cai finally stopped the morning session in the early afternoon. Stretching his limbs and lying down to recover his mobility, Fei Cai stood up and filled his pouch with primeval stones to the brim and walked out of the house. Fei Qing would usually leave early in the morning and return late in the night. He was the Tribe Chieftain, and all the benefits came with the responsibility to keep the tribe running.


    Of course, when Fei Cai moved about, there was a clear difference in his pace.


    Wolf strength gu worms effects were passive, and once fully refined, Fei Cai would gain the permanent strength of an adult wolf. Even if Gu Masters could kill such an animal with their gu worms, the effect of having a wolf''s strength to accompany their bodies permanently was a tempting endeavor and, thus, resulted in the popularity of this form of gu worm.


    Fei Cai walked out of his house and made his way across the street, flanked with tents of various quality. The tribe was divided into the inner and outer portions. The inner part was reserved for the Gu Master families and sported better quality tents while the outer ring was occupied by mortal men, and two stables were also erected to rear the unused slaves to make them mate and produce more slaves.


    In the Northern Plains, slavery is a flourishing market, and even the Fei Tribe made the best use of all the slaves. Some served mortals and Gu Masters while the remaining ones are assigned to perform various duties. Only those who are physically handicapped or unsavory to look at will be forced to mate even if they are at their dying breaths. Females will then be reserved, and the Fei Tribe used this method to finally create a sustainable cycle of slave trading.


    It wasn''t just the slaves, Fei Tribe also had a special set of gu worms, just like any other established tribe to distinguish themselves. And, using his wealth, Fei Cai wanted to purchase a few of the gu worms that would help him hunt better.


    Fei Cai finally reached a lavish tent and flapped its opening aside before entering a stuffed space.

 09

    Unlike the storage tents that allowed the Gu Masters to report and submit the various materials they hunt, the tent Fei Cai entered was a selling counter collectively controlled by the four elders and the Chieftain. The gu worms present were mostly the ones siphoned from the smaller tribes that the Fei Tribe annexed or the ones that the Fei Tribe specialize in. Instead of a carpet, the Gu Master sat behind a counter. The seller appointed was already old, and the assistant behind him was busy arranging all the jars. A heavy earthen scent filled the space, and Fei Cai took a moment to stabilize.


    He still hadn''t grown, and his physique was short, so Fei Cai had to stretch his toes to gaze above the counter and spoke with a straight face, "I am here to buy gu worms."


    "Eh? You?"


    The Gu Master opened his eyes before nodding and then took out many parchments with scribbles on it and placed it above the counter.


    "The prices are set by the Elders and are non-negotiable. Kid, the first three pages are filled with Rank 1 gu worms."


    Every Gu Master unconsciously gives off an aura that complements their ranks. There are many ways to hide such aura and hide amongst the mortals, but not many do that. Instead, they use such concealment gu worms to infiltrate enemy camps and carry out assassinations.


    Fei Cai picked the journal and flipped through it. He was not a hot-headed youth who would let a temporary fortune affect his state of mind. Fei Cai had long since straightened his priorities and secondary objectives that he needed to achieve to successfully conquer his temporary goals. Many types of gu worms were listed in the journal. The primary ones were the attack and defensive type gu worms followed by movement and storage type. The investigative gu worms were quite rare even among the list, and even when Fei Cai read through all the pages of the journal to broaden his horizon regarding the gu worms, he only found thirteen investigative gu worms.


    Right now, Fei Cai possessed three gu worms. Wolf strength gu for passive strength and greater physical prowess, aperture nurture gu for his ease in cultivation, and the manure gu he found through sheer luck. Fei Cai did not have that much of a use for the manure gu worm, but this type of support gu, which facilitates the growth of vegetation and resources, did kindle the interest of the elders of the tribe.


    Now that Fei Cai had read the journal, he was more or less familiarised with the prices of the gu worms. Placing the journal on the counter, Fei Cai asked for the only rank 1 investigative gu worm on the list.


    "I want to buy the ground eye gu worm in exchange for rank 1 manure gu."


    Fei Cai made the black worm materialize over his palm and let the seller observe the gu worm for a few minutes.


    "Ground eye gu worm is worth 380 primeval stones while the manure gu worm will be purchased for 250 primeval stones."


    The Gu Master stated softly. The price was a fair one. In the Northern Plains, the tribesmen rarely moved against each other with ill will, and even now, the old Gu Master did not try to take advantage of Fei Cai''s age. If the tribesmen do not have unity with each other, then how could they even think of prospering in such troubled lands? In the catalog, the selling price of the manure gu was 270 primeval stones, meaning 20 primeval stones will fill the coffins of the tribe as a whole. Without any objections, Fei Cai and the old Gu Master exchanged the gu worms while Fei Cai paid the remaining 130 primeval stones.


    Each gu worms on sale were already refined by the old Gu Master, so the moment they exchanged the gu worms, the two allowed the other party to improve each other''s gu worms without any resistance. Fei Cai observed the dark brown pupil eerily floating in his aperture and then walked out. This was just one of the many transactions he had in mind. Fei Cai still had a total of 879 primeval stones, and he needed two more gu worms that easily conformed to his budget.


    Yesterday''s mishap had already made Fei Cai aware of how easily he could have found the underground chamber if he had a proper gu worm, and now, with his wealth, he intended to achieve the first objective of arming himself with an appropriate set of gu worms. With a short roundtrip to his home, Fei Cai actually brought the total amount of primeval stones he would need¡ª 860¡ª in a large, covered basket and proceeded to buy two more Rank 1 gu worms¡ª copper leaf gu and yellow tongue gu. Collectively, the two gu worms cost him 859 primeval stones while Fei Cai used the remaining primeval stone to purchase the food of the two gu worms¡ª a bush of bright leaves and the tongue of a yellow python.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Since he had already fed the wolf strength gu, he could wait for two days before feeding it again, and by that time, Fei Cai wouldn''t even be needing the gu worm anymore.


    Back to his house, Fei Cai observed his newly purchased gu worms. One was in his aperture. It looked like a snake''s tongue as it kept on floating above the jade green sea of primeval essence. This was the rank 1 yellow tongue gu, a type of rare healing gu worm. Aside from that, the other two gu worms had already moved. On Fei Cai''s right wrist, there was a tattoo of a small green leaf in a circular shape. This was the rank 1 copper leaf gu, a defensive type gu worm.


    Finally, on the soft side of Fei Cai''s left palm was a tattoo of a brown eye. This was the rank 1 ground eye gu worm, an investigative type gu worm. With this, Fei Cai now planned to actually gain an immersive experience in hunting.


    After one month of the awakening of the batch of Gu Masters, Fei Tribe organizes a small competition to ignite the passion of young gu masters and make them train and fight in the wilderness even harder.


    The Beast Trials.


    In this, the young Gu Masters would have to hunt for several beasts required by the tribe. The person who achieves the target the quickest would win and, in return, would stand to gain a rare gu worm of his choice. Not only that, but the winner could also even ask for an elder''s pointers for a whole week. But the competition was cutthroat, and even the current Fei Cai had no chance in gaining the first place if he doesn''t start training his skills now.


    He wasn''t that different from other Gu Masters of his age at the moment. He was good at archery, and with the wolf strength gu, he now theoretically could fight in narrow situations too. But this was just the theory. Fei Cai needed to improve in a lot of aspects if he wished to survive in this perilous world. Cultivation of his aperture was only one of many elements. The previous failure of the inability to even control his own primeval essence now made it possible for Fei Cai to look through his shortcomings.


    Once he fed the newly bought gu worm, he decided to use his wolf strength gu once again. This might possibly be the last session with this gu worm. Unlike his previous attempts, Fei Cai did not pull a thick stream of primeval essence into the gu worm, but instead, he controlled an extremely thin stream and injected it into his gu worm. The pace at which the gu worm absorbed the primeval essence remained unchanged, but the pressure on Fei Cai built up more than usual.


    Fei Cai''s control was weak, and he would use every single chance to temper this issue regardless of the burdens he would have to face.


    These burdens were just one of the many hurdles, and if Fei Cai wished to achieve success, then he would be passing hurdles deadlier than this one.


    ***


    The next morning, Fei Cai and Lo ventured outside the tribe once again. The pair traveled through the familiar grassland and reached the forest line. In their path, strangely, the couple came across another Lucky Python. The dead python instantly filled the basket behind Lo.


    Unlike yesterday, Fei Cai''s movements had a strange vigor. His muscles seemed slightly pronounced, and his body seemed bulkier. Such a change was due to Fei Cai completely utilizing the effect of the wolf strength gu. This gu worm was wondrous. According to his father, the wolf strength gu should provide the Gu Master with the strength reaching two hundred kilograms, but, in reality, Fei Cai was a human, and no human could truly show the power of an entire wolf of this world. He was stronger than ordinary man now, but if faced with the toughness of the wolves of this world, Fei Cai was quite weak.


    But, there is a famous phrase that could describe the truth of this world.


    Humans are the spirit of all living beings, and Gu worms are the essence of heaven and earth, the heart of the world itself.


    In essence, Humans have the potential to possess the strength of every living being of this world through the use of gu worms.


    Even if Fei Cai couldn''t utilize the entire strength of a wolf at the moment, there are a few conditions that are needed to be met before Fei Cai attains the chance to demonstrate it.


    Sighing at the mysteries of this world, Fei Cai closed his eyes and injected his primeval essence into the ground eye gu worm while placing his left palm on the ground. Instantly, a brown pupil popped out of his palm, making Fei Cai feel a slight amount of pain. The brown pupils melded into the field and finally allowed Fei Cai to ''see'' the steps within the area of the 50-meter radius.


    Gu worms have mystical abilities, and in the darkness, Fei Cai could see the brightly lit footsteps of multiple animals in the grassland. He could even see a hollow structure beneath him, but the surface was thicker on his end and thinner in the region ahead. Meanwhile, as Fei Cai continued to use the gu worm, the primeval essence in his aperture depleted at a mild pace.


    Once Fei Cai had grown familiar to the gu worm, he deactivated the gu worm and opened his eyes. His left palm still felt hurt without any apparent injury, but this was merely one of the small disadvantages of using this gu worm.


    Growth and pain go hand-in-hand. If he is afraid of getting hurt, then his life would come to a sweet end rather easily.


    After scouting out the area, Fei Cai already had a target in mind. He didn''t move ahead and knocked an arrow before targetting towards his left. There, a bunny named¡ª Calm Hare sat without any sound. He was rather close to Fei Cai and Lo, but the target itself could blend into the grassland due to its green fur and the fact that the Calm Hare could live for more than 30 minutes with a single breath of air!


    While Fei Cai was not a natural warrior, his father''s deeply rooted training kicked in, and the arrow hit the target. The beast let out a pained squeal, and Fei Cai finally moved forward to collect his prize.

 10

    The cultivation path of a Gu Master is divided into three parts¡ª Using gu worms, refining gu worms, and nurturing gu worms. Each of these paths is incomparably profound and interlinked. Till now, not a single gu master, no matter how mighty, has been able to claim success in understanding any one of these paths completely. There was only one reason for the inability to achieve a real understanding of any one of the three paths, and that is¡ª Innovation.


    As long as humans live, they will innovate. Innovation is not the passion of living beings but a necessity for survival. Once the innovative spirit of a Gu Master is extinguished collectively, a calamity far greater than any beast tide or climatic change would befall the gu world. So, the inability of gu masters in understanding one of the three paths in its entirety wasn''t a show of weakness, but a virtuous strength.


    For instance, the path of refining the gu worm is filled with prerequisites of deep understanding of multiple materials and attainments, and this path can be further extended into reverse refining. Through reverse refining, a Gu Master can find the origin of a particular gu worm and its recipe.


    In the deeper sections of the warm pond valley, where hundreds of thousands of Terror Horses galloped with playful neighing, three Gu Masters sat near a series of warm ponds. They were Fei Qing, Fei Sheng, and Fei Chang. These three gu masters could be considered the most experienced out of the lot, and they sat in a large triangular position.


    Three bugs, each similar to an uncut jade, floated in front of the three Fei Tribe members. In between the triangular formation sat the earth lizard house gu worm with its limbs sprawled. The three tribesmen remained seated quietly. Through the three gu worms floating in front of them, formless vibration covered the rank 3 earth lizard house gu worm from all the sides while being unable to affect the three gu masters. Yes, they were physically impacted by the vibrations, but this kind of pain could not shake the focus of the three men. This was due to their experiences and foundations.


    In their road of cultivation, the three men have experienced pain and suffering far higher than these ''tickles.''


    Finally, after a few minutes, the rank 3 gu worms started to rot silently, and when all its body was turned into dust and blown away, four ordinary insects, the size of an adult''s palm, lay on the ground. Seeing this, the three gu masters sighed in relief and relaxed their stances. The three gu worms entered each of their apertures as they inspected the four gu worms on the grass.


    "Who would have known that the earth lizard house gu worm would use three wood path gu worms and a single lizard mouth gu worm?" Fei Chang sighed with emotions. The actual value of earth lizard house gu worm was extremely high, but the materials used were rather common wood path gu worms and a single storage type gu worm.


    Even Fei Qing''s mood improved as he looked at Fei Sheng, "Elder Sheng, I want you to mobilize ten percent of the tribe treasury and start working on the project of refining earth lizard house gu worm in batches. The task of researching additional materials for this process will also fall on your shoulders."


    Of course, Fei Qing was more than sure that aside from these ordinary rank 2 gu worms, there would be a long list of refinement material. But, using the ancestral records and comparing it with other documents seized from different tribes, this task should be quite easy. Hearing Fei Qing''s command, however, Fei Sheng showed a hesitant expression. Observing the old elder''s expression, Fei Qing snorted in displeasure and inquired with a gruff voice, "Is there something else, Elder?"


    "Not at all... it''s just that the tribe''s refinement forces have dwindled quite a bit due to continuous adventures into the wild and the enthusiasm of the decade-long event...


    With only ten percent, it would take a long time to complete the task."


    Fei Qing and Fei Chang turned to look at Fei Sheng. The two rank 4 masters knew that ten percent of the tribe''s wealth was more than enough, but the two were not true experts in the refinement of gu worms, and they did not have adequate experience to compare to Fei Sheng''s expertise. With a dark expression, Fei Qing snorted, "Elder Sheng is sensible. I''ll allow you to utilize 11% of the treasury." Fei Qing knew that the elder wanted to fill his own coffins, but he was helpless, too. As a tribe leader, he was restricted by the rules and regulations of the ancestors.


    Fei Sheng''s face was aglow, and he nodded hastily before leaving. Seeing the elder''s departing back, Fei Qing sighed deeply, "The older they get, the annoying they become."


    "Elder Cousin, this Fei Sheng is not to be underestimated. While he has sided with me, his intentions still remain to sow discord among the both of us."


    Hearing Fei Chang''s words, Fei Qing snorted, his expression now gloomy.


    "Troubled times brew deep profits. There are quite a lot of profits to be gained even by the internal elder once the tribe''s internal strife grows. We need to keep the opposition balanced so that each of us can create a foundation for the war."


    None of the tribesmen knew that the rivals from birth¡ª Fei Qing and Fei Chang¡ª were each other''s hidden supporters! The loss one suffered would benefit the other in the tribe''s internal politics, but when both of them were on the same side secretly, during each debate and opposition, they both stood to profit!Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "Elder Cousin, I will lead a portion of rank 2 gu masters to finally reign in the surrounding packs of thunder horses. It should be enough to deter the surrounding forces and unrest among the tribes eying our Fei Tribe."


    Fei Chang spoke softly with a respectful expression as Fei Qing nodded, "Take 30000 Terror Horses with you. You are more proficient in controlling the smaller tide of horses."


    "Yes, Elder Cousin."


    Once they discussed the matters of the tribe internally and played out the scenario they wished to show during the Tribal Meeting, the duo''s expression relaxed before Fei Qong took the initiative and commented with a broad smile, "How''s your little kid doing? I heard that he found a bright crow''s corpse yesterday."


    Fei Chang shook his head with a troubled sigh. "Elder cousin, that little runt is insufferable. All he has in his mind is sex, sex, and sex! I know how he feels, but compared to your son, my bastard is an animal."


    "Hahaha," Fei Qing laughed with a pleased expression. Fei Chang already had two sons. His elder son had long become the well-known talent of the tribe and made Fei Chang proud, but Fei Qing only had one son, so praising Fei Cai and lowering his own younger son''s reputation was something Fei Chang did not mind. And, the incredible part was that Fei Chang meant what he said. Fei Cai''s fortunes and bearing had long touched the actual ranks of a Gu Master and not a couple of newbies.


    Fei Qing and Fei Chang already knew that Fei Cai used his primeval stones on an investigative gu worm, healing gu worm, and a defensive gu worm while selling the manure gu, which would benefit the tribe and his own status. His moves proclaimed loyalty, and his action of not hoarding the primeval stone gestured towards his broad-mindedness even at such a young age.


    "Fei Cai is a sensible boy. He did not let the status of a Gu Master affect him, and he still keeps an appropriate distance from those young lasses." There was a warm smile on Fei Qing''s face as his gaze reflected affectionately. The exact reason Fei Qing felt proud of Fei Cai was that he did not let his young mind''s lust affect his temperament. Fei Qing was one of the variants that did not enjoy polygamy and loved their wife with all they had. Even after the death of Fei Cai''s mother, Fei Qing, rejected the marriage proposal of all the tribes and remained a single Gu Master.


    This quality was scarce in the Northern Plains.


    "The Longevity Heavens have blessed the Fei Tribe."


    Even Fei Chang smiled. The lower-stage rank 4 gu master was attracted to this very personality. This form of Fei Qing made Fei Chang loyal towards not only the Fei Tribe but also Fei Qing himself. If previously, his father had made him vow to remain a shadow to Fei Qing, then now, Fei Chang remained the shadow of the large tree willingly.


    ***


    "Good."


    Fei Cai praised Lo for the first time as his expression brightened. The calm hare is filled with rank 1 gu refinement materials, so with this catch, Fei Cai could conclude today''s hunt a success. Now, he can divert his attention to his main objective.


    Gaining experience.


    Fei Cai did not have any need to gain experience of the wildlife and fighting with wild animals with his gu worms. He, in fact, wanted to do it out of his own accord. Previously, he did not have even a semblance of a set of gu worms, but right now, he had a requisite amount of arms to try and probe the wilderness that lies ahead of this moderate grassland.


    Carefully walking through another clearance, Fei Cai did not hurry to use the ground eye gu worm. Instead, he observed the entrance of the forest for himself. This trip was to experience and learn, so he would first observe the forest with his own senses¡ª vision, smell, and hearing¡ª before activating his gu worm and then comparing the results. That way, he will learn to find specific points within a forest and utilize the gu worm once again and then compare the results.


    Fei Cai deeply understood the fact that no gu worm is perfect. The ground eye gu worms could only investigate through the ground and had a limited range. This was a forest; in here, he not only had to observe the field but also observe the barks, branches, and leaves of the trees, too.


    After a careful round of observation, Fei Cai finally activated the gu worm and then compared the result. He could not find anything of a particular around him. Then, Fei Cai made Lo take the lead. Since Fei Cai was still inept in observing his surroundings, he conveniently made Lo take the greater risk. But again, not even for a moment did Fei Cai drop his guard. He had already knocked an arrow and walked behind Lo while observing the trees. This area is known to house various sorts of reptiles¡ª Lizards, pythons¡ª and even dangerous amphibians like violet-tongued toads and greenhorn salamanders.


    Fei Cai instantly noticed a rustle and observed. He was a marksman, and hurriedly shooting an arrow would create a deadly gap of knocking the arrow once again. So, the first lesson of every marksman was to identify the target. Finally, as the sudden disturbance quietened down, Fei Cai''s gaze fell on a small claw that was uncovered by the bust, and he instantly let the arrow loose.


    Fei Cai retreated by a step silently, and Lo did the same while taking his dagger out. Before the arrow could pierce the target, with a furious snarl, a dark-green salamander with a protruding horn in the middle of its head jumped out and evaded the blow. Its eerie black pupils scrutinized Fei Cai and Lo as it targetted the weak-looking Fei Cai before pouncing at him.


    Fei Cai was still in the middle of aiming his bow when he had to retreat hurriedly while Lo let out an angry should and waved his dagger at the body of the salamander!


    CHHK!


    While the blade embedded itself into the body, Lo found that he could not take his dagger out as the wolf-sized salamander smacked Lo''s face with its thick tails and sent him hurtling back.


    Pheeeeew!


    With a sharp whistle, an arrow lodged itself in the thick neck of the salamander while the beast was gazing at Lo with flickering greed, making it howl in pain.


    Bloodied, the beast pounced at Fei Cai once again, but this time, Fei Cai was prepared. Instead of utilizing the precious time to knock the arrow, he mobilized his primeval essence into his right arm and with a beautiful swirl, a thick, round leaf, as sturdy as copper grew out of Fei Cai''s right wrist, forming a natural shield. Meanwhile, Fei Cai unsheathed the dagger he had prepared last night.


    The beast in front of Fei Cai was relatively simple, and with an appropriate distance between the two, Fei Cai could predict the landing position of the beast and rushed forward. His eyes were gleaming with battle intent that he couldn''t even muster in his previous life. Meanwhile, out of nowhere, Fei Cai felt his strength increase by leaps and bounds.


    Fei Cai held an instinctive feeling that there was a phantom of a wolf howling behind him!

 11

    *Kachhak*


    Lo had tried to tear the greenhorn salamander in vain. If a mortal could comfortably hunt vicious beasts in the Gu World, then what was the use of Gu Masters hunting animals to stock meat? Lo paid the price for his indiscretion and flew back with a swing of the greenhorn salamander''s tail.


    The poor slave only recovered his consciousness after a few breaths. From the sidelines, Lo gazed at the shocking scene. His innocent face twisted in shock and anger while his heart thrummed against his chest in anguish. This was a slave''s natural reaction that the enslaving Gu Master artificially installs into one.


    To worry once the master is injured.


    The height of a greenhorn salamander, once it stood on its hindlimbs, was similar to a young teenager. Right now, the forelimbs of the salamander clawed against Fei Cai''s shoulders. His left shoulder was pierced not too deeply, but the situation of his right shoulder was grim. Even though the rank 1 copper leaf gu worm could defend against the claw, it couldn''t bear the ruthless pierce of the dark-green horn protruding from the middle of the salamander''s forehead and ended up getting damaged in the process while Fei Cai''s right shoulder was wounded deeply.


    Lo only took the scene from his limited spectrum of emotions that revolved around Fei Cai and failed to notice the gradually vanishing phantom of the grey-furred wolf behind his master. Not to mention the bloodied arm that pierced through the underside of the salamander. That''s right, using the sudden burst in strength, Fei Cai not only stabbed his dagger successfully but also continued to pierce his entire arm, punching a bloody hole into the salamander''s body!


    "Haaah¡ª" Fei Cai''s shoulders felt warm and slightly numb. This first battle of his life turned out to be a more ''adventurous'' than he estimated. He found out that trusting a mystical gu worm wholeheartedly was a self-destructive gesture, and slightly underestimating the wisdom of even the weakest of the life form of the forest was foolhardy one. Currently, Fei Cai had a better insight into the real situation. It wasn''t only the horn that pierced his shoulder, but its jagged teeth also managed to pierce through his copper leaf gu, and if it wasn''t for the force of Fei Cai''s attack, the salamander might have even bit his neck.


    The salamander, however, was lifeless. It just breathed its last, and the pressure of the beast''s waist intensified, making Fei Cai stumble with the corpse of the salamander falling on top of him.


    At this moment, Fei Cai''s pained groan finally woke Lo from his stupor, and he rushed to his master''s side. "Ah, Master! Hang in there! I will immediately pull this beast out!" Lo proclaimed with a worried expression as Fei Cai''s voice froze Lo in his tracks.


    "No, do not pull the beast out. Take my dagger and cut its horn first."


    Looking at the bloodied palm letting go of the dagger, Lo instantly got to work and knelt beside Fei Cai. Using his master''s dagger, Lo started slashing at the base of the horn. Unlike a bony one, the greenhorn salamander''s horn was simply its hardened skin and muscles, so, after dozens of slash, Lo finally cut the horn out of the salamander''s forehead and pushed the beast aside. With this, even the jagged teeth threatening Fei Cai''s life retracted, and he could finally deactivate the copper leaf gu worm. Until now, Fei Cai had to keep on expending his primeval essence to restrict the dead beast''s final attack.


    "Master, I''ll immediately pull this horn out!"


    Lo stated once again only for Fei Cai to look at him coldly and snort.


    "The only thing you do is process the salamander and store it. Don''t let it''s damaged guts go to waste, too."


    Fei Cai commanded before sitting up with a soft groan escaping his lips. Taking the horn out meant that there would be a rather substantial hole gaping through his right shoulder. He couldn''t have that. So, Fei Cai decided to test the effectiveness of his healing gu worm before deciding anything.


    There was less than 40% essence remaining in his aperture. Once Fei Cai mobilized the yellow tongue gu worm, it flew out of his aperture and waited for a command. The yellow tongue gu, as the name suggests, was a tongue with tiny yellow groves packed tightly above its surface. Placing the gu worm on his left shoulder with a torn battle tunic, Fei Cai observed the gu worm in action.


    The tiny grooves on the gu worm''s surface produced a sticky liquid. Using this, the gu worm moved around Fei Cai''s bloodied wounds, and much to Fei Cai''s surprise, the claw mark on his left shoulder showed signs of healing at a pace visible to the naked eyes.Stolen story; please report.


    Soon, however, Fei Cai clenched his jaws. The procedure was quite painful. Every now and then, his lower limbs shuddered, and his lips trembled. The worse part was that the speed of the healing was not the best, and once the blood stopped leaking, Fei Cai stopped using the gu worm and instead placed his left palm on the ground and activated the ground eye gu worm.


    ''What is that?''


    Fei Cai needed to leave this place quickly and return to the tribe to request help from one of the healers in the tribe. He was already confident that the rank 1 gu worm in his possession couldn''t heal the puncture once he pulled the horn out. Still, the item hidden within the bush attracted his attention, and if he hadn''t used his ground eye, the object would have gone unnoticed.


    "Lo, there is something in that bush. Take it out."


    Lo had already taken his dagger out and placed Fei Cai''s near his knees. Right now, Fei Cai pointed at the bush that the mad beast jumped out from by the tip of his dagger. Once again, the terrifying aspect of this world surfaced, and Lo walked towards the shrub without missing a heartbeat. With both of his palms pushing the leaves aside, Lo found the object his master pointed out, and he brought it out.


    "Master, look at this."


    Lo opened his palms and exposed a small and exquisite cauldron. Its green surface glimmered under daylight while its four, nail-sized legs, seemed crafted in precision.


    Seeing this, Fei Cai frowned before taking it from Lo''s hands. He then looked behind Lo. The salamander was barely processed. Seeing this, Fei Cai sighed. If he remained here for a longer time, then the risk would become higher, and if he made Lo pull the entire corpse of the salamander, then he wouldn''t be able to support Fei Cai. Thinking till here, Fei Cai resolutely gave up on the body and made Lo give him a ride on his back till they reached the tribe.


    ***


    "Hmm, good enough," Fei Qing whispered in satisfaction as he took back his healing gu worm. The father-son pair was seated on the floor within their house while a bloodied horn was placed near Fei Cai.


    Fei Cai sat in front of his father with his tunic removed. Both shoulders were drenched in blood, but beneath this layer, no wounds were visible. This was the effect of a rank 4 healing gu worm! According to Fei Qing, if he had even lost his fingers, the rank 4 gu worm would have been able to restore them.


    The effects left Fei Cai in admiration towards this world, and he exhaled deeply. After selling the lucky python and the calm hare while keeping his expenditure in mind, Fei Cai''s pockets were 29 primeval stones deep. This amount was neither extraordinary or pathetic when compared to his peers. And within three hunts, Fei Cai already had five gu worms.


    "Your copper leaf gu worm would take some time to heal naturally. Gu worms only need their food to get access to nourishment. Don''t overuse it for now," Fei Qing advised before his smile broadened. "Now," he continued, "Why don''t you describe your battle? My son slew a greenhorn salamander in his third hunt. Let me hear the tale."


    Fei Cai''s gaze flashed for a moment. He didn''t wish to reveal the fact that he activated his beast phantom in the first try. He also couldn''t push all the limelight onto Lo. If a gu master was so grievously injured, how could Lo survive with mere scratches? Fei Cai''s wounds were evidence that he took care of the beast himself.


    "Father, it was the Longevity Heaven''s blessing that I could pierce the salamander. There is really no tale to tell. We were ambushed by the beast in waiting."


    Hearing him, Fei Qing shook his head.


    "Little Cai, a beast such as a greenhorn salamander, can camouflage and hide its presence within the setting of a forest. You need to be careful from now on.


    Before you sleep, I want you to go through the details of every beast surrounding the tribe, is that clear?"


    Fei Cai nodded. Although a Northern Plains tribesmen wouldn''t interfere with the growth of their offsprings, at some point, these men would realize that the blood was thicker than society''s norms after all. Fei Cai''s injuries were the point where Fei Qing admitted this fact and finally advised out of concern. Still, the Tribe''s Chieftain only showed a grin at his son''s nod and stood up.


    After Fei Qing left, Fei Cai cleaned the blood over his body while looking at the copper leaf gu devouring a mound of green pine leaves. He had just fed this gu worm yesterday, but due to its injuries, Fei Cai had to feed it again.


    After wearing a loose top, Fei Cai finally laid down his carpet and sprawled over it.


    "Master, I have prepared the meal."


    Lo knocked on Fei Cai''s door before gaining permission to enter.


    Meanwhile, as Fei Cai dug into his bowl of meat soup, Fei Sheng sat in his house with a dark expression. The interior of the room was dim, and the flickering light of the candle gave Fei Sheng an eerie feeling. In front of him, the old elder used his primeval essence to fill the rank 3 green sparrow letter gu with the contents of the tribe and the ongoing rivalry of the two ''leaders.''


    In the letter, Fei Sheng also described Fei Cai''s fortunate encounter where he was able to find an earth lizard house gu worm. The elder stated that he would do his best to delay the task by a month, but he would need some more gu worms to accomplish the task. Then, he proceeded to list the gu worms he desired. After sending the letter gu away, Fei Sheng smiled in relief before taking out a parchment.


    "Earning 11% of the treasury and four rank 3 gu worms could be so easy..."


    Fei Sheng gazed at the parchment stating the recipe of refining a rank 3 earth lizard house gu worm.


    He had this recipe all along and just used the tribe''s incomplete record to deepen his coffins.

 12

    Under the flickering light of the burning wax sticks created from rank 1 wax pillar gu aka candle, Fei Cai observed the tiny, thumb-sized cauldron. Until now, he didn''t dare commit any rash action and carefully traced his fingers across the surface of the cauldron. Though sturdy looking, the cauldron was soft to touch even if it gave off a metallic sheen. This fragility restricted Fei Cai from pinching the strange object by his thumb and index.


    Finally, Fei Cai decided to depend on his primeval essence and mobilized a thin stream of the jade green sea within his aperture. The moment his primeval essence came into contact with the green cauldron, it trembled. If it was just a tremble, then Fei Cai''s expression might not have changed. But, with every slight vibration, the surface of the cauldron was shaved off a little bit. Green particles fell on Fei Cai''s palm, and even when he had already stopped injecting his primeval essence, the cauldron kept on corroding.


    A few moments passed silently except for the strange ''whirring'' sound that the cauldron let out. The legs of the cauldron were already turned into green dust, and the intricate cauldron was in a spherical shape. The last crust of the cauldron fell off and under Fei Cai''s focused gaze, revealed a light brown insect. Its surface was exceptionally smooth as if a black screen while the head of the bug did not have any eyes but a tiny protrusion with a symbol that made Fei Cai observe the gu worm with a slightly amused expression.


    This was a gu worm, all right.


    From its surface to the rank 1 aura projected.


    But, the strangest feature about this gu worm was that the mark on the tiny protrusion of the gu worm was something Fei Cai was familiar with from his previous world. This was the sign of the ''power'' button present in many electronic devices. The round pattern with a straight line cutting from the top half and reach the center was a widely spread symbol found in remote controls, computers, and other daily use devices. Fei Cai thought for a moment before refining the gu worm. The only way to find the real use of this gu worm and trying to understand the origins would be to refine it and attain its ownership. However, unlike Fei Cai''s previous experience, the gu worm was refined instantly.


    Every single wild gu worm had a will of its own, and to refine a gu worm successfully, a gu master needs to erode the original wild will with his own primeval essence and will. This is the reason why a Gu Master needs to rest periodically while refining the gu worm into the aperture. The mental burden also depends on the rank if the gu worm. So, the instance of the gu worm allowing itself to refine easily was the strangest situation Fei Cai encountered after his reincarnation.


    The rank 1 gu worm in Fei Cai''s palm glowed softly and entered his aperture. Inside his aperture, Fei Cai found the gu worm swimming within the jade-green sea energetically.


    ''Should I use it?''


    Fei Cai thought for a moment before using the gu worm. There was no point in hesitating and wasting time after reaching this point. Injecting his primeval essence into the gu worm, it shot outside his aperture and, under his astonished eyes, penetrated into his brain! Fei Cai stopped in his tracks. Now, he didn''t dare to take any further actions without a brief period of observation. He closed his eyes and tried to sense the connection he refined with the gu worm. Sensing Fei Cai''s thoughts, the gu worm activated, and finally, the astonished gu master ''saw'' an interactive interface controlled by his own thoughts.


    It was a screen projected within his consciousness. The top right corner of the screen stated¡ª Computer Gu Worm... Initializing...


    ''Ah, hello? Mic gu test, mic gu test. Is the video recorder gu working?''


    The moment the dark, blank screen subsided, without even being able to regain his composure, Fei Cai observed a video feed transmitted to his mind. The man in question was ordinary-looking youth with short black hair that did not conform to the norms of the long-haired warriors of this world. Fei Cai was almost enamored by the unending depths of the man''s pupils, even if the stranger wasn''t present in real life.


    *Snap*


    The figure in the screen snapped and grinned, "Hmm, this should also fix the issue of my aura turning your brain into mush. Now, I know you have a lot of questions. You may not even know that people like us, who arrive from the different worlds, are referred to as¡ª Otherworldly Demons. In this computer gu, you will find all the information you need."


    The man then looked into the distance with a ponderous look. The background of the man was blurry.


    "I am not proficient in leaving inheritances yet," the man suddenly said with a shrug, "But as the first inheritance out of all the ten legacies I plan to plant, I think that I should make this equally special, considering that this is only a rank 1 gu worm."


    The man then chuckled. "Yeah, you know what, I, Thieving Heaven, am not as petty as rumored."


    A shiver ran through Fei Cai''s spine as the man''s next words made the young gu master finally lose his composure.


    "I will present this inheritance with everything."


    ***


    "Elder Cousin, how is Fei Cai?"


    Playing a round of war tactics was the siblings'' favorite way to spend their time when the tribe responsibilities did not burden them. Fei Chang pushed a lizard-faced piece forward while Fei Qing took his time to think about the next move. The higher the cultivation, the greater the accumulation needed to achieve a breakthrough. For a peak-stage rank 4 gu master, Fei Qing couldn''t breakthrough overnight. Much preparations were required, and out of them, dozen of thousands of primeval stones was bare minimum.


    Hearing Fei Chang''s inquiry, Fei Qing felt his heart tremble the moment he recalled the size of the wound and exhaled softly. He should not feel attached to his son, but what could he do? Fei Qing was just like this¡ª a concerned father before a cruel Chieftain.


    "His injuries are better. It is his defensive gu worm that needs to recuperate. Honestly, who confronts a greenhorn salamander in such a manner? He only needed to target the head."


    "Look at the situation in this manner," Fei Chang suggested, "Nephew earned a priceless experience, and today''s injury would also serve as the necessary foundation to remain cautious. It is just that..." Fei Chang hesitated slightly.


    "Pain is the natural barrier between the mighty and the mediocre," Fei Qing stated while understanding Fei Chang''s thoughts. In the long path of cultivation, pain and sacrifices are the staple product. If a Gu Master doesn''t endure pain and cannot make appropriate sacrifices, he will remain mediocre if alive at all. "I really hope Little Cai doesn''t let his battle''s reward destroy his future accomplishments. But all of this depends on him."


    Unlike the parents of Earth, no matter how warm Fei Qing was to his family, the Chieftain''s heart was set on letting Fei Cai face this situation himself. If Fei Cai doesn''t stand on his own two legs and walk forward, how could he ever dream of becoming great?Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Elder Cousin, let''s not worry too much," Fei Chang chuckled as Fei Qing made a mistake and took advantage by destroying his cannon fodder with a single move, removing a significant obstacle in the game. With a satisfied smile, Fei Chang continued, "There have been exceptions, right? Giant Sun Immortal Venerable could turn every disaster into fortune and escape unscathed! Among all the venerables, he may be the one who sacrificed the least and even managed a harem of millions of women!"


    Fei Chang exclaimed in emotion. He was full of reverence towards the Venerables of the world. Seeing his expression, the level-headed Fei Qing shook his head.


    "How can we compare to the likes of the ten Venerables?"


    Fei Qing questioned rhetorically. In the past millions of years, amongst trillions of humans, only 10 legends reached the point of invincibility. These are the ten Venerables! Even Giant Sun Immortal Venerable, who hailed from the Northern Plains, might have sacrificed many things in his life to reach his status. How can Fei Qing even compare his son to the legend that defines the current norms of the society?


    "Fei Chang, let''s not get ahead of ourselves. In this life, breaking past rank 5 is already a dream, why should we let ourselves drown in emotions?"


    Hearing Fei Qing''s words, Fei Chang awoke from his stupor and nodded with a wry expression.


    "Speaking of which, I have decided to impart my poison path inheritance to Little Nai," Fei Chang whispered his intentions of making his eldest son the successor to his methods and lifelong accomplishments.


    "This might be slightly troublesome, considering that Fei Mang has shown a decent aptitude."


    Fei Qing muttered. Unlike him, Fei Chang had two sons¡ª Fei Nai and Fei Mang. If he decides to impart his inheritance to Fei Nai, then it would create a rift between his younger son in the scenario of Fei Mang receiving nothing. Should Fei Chang split the inheritance, or impart the entirety of his legacy to both of them, then it would create a deeper scar in between the relationship of the two siblings.


    "It''s taken care of. Today, Fei Dan proposed marriage for his daughter and Little Mang. This will ensure that Fei Mang receives Fei Dan''s pointers."


    The upper-level management of the Fei Tribe was reasonably straightforward. Fei Qing led the tribe as the Chieftain, while Fei Chang acted as the most influential elder and the Chieftain''s powerful rival to keep a sense of political discord and advance the tribe through minor conflicts. Aside from this, there were three peak-stage rank 3 elders¡ª Fei Sheng, Fei Kao, and Fei Dan. Fei Kao was deeply rooted in Fei Qing''s side while Fei Sheng and Fei Dan sided with Fei Chang.


    Out of the three elders, Fei Kao was a hermit, Fei Sheng had a single daughter who was already married, and only Fei Dan seeded a daughter which, he was now willing to use as a political piece and turn the active partnership between Fei Chang into a marital relationship. This way, Fei Dan would have Fei Chang''s backing in his actions, and Fei Chang similarly profited by resolving the impending conflict between his two sons.


    Hearing Fei Chang''s words, Fei Qing smiled widely, "then congratulations are in order. Fei Dan''s daughter is not only pretty but also trained in literature. She is a mortal, too. This way, Nephew Mang can slowly assimilate Fei Dan''s foundations into yours."


    Fei Chang took the praise with a modest expression while urging Fei Qing, "Elder Cousin, it is your turn. Please."


    ***


    "Thieving Heaven... Demon Venerable..."


    Fei Cai licked his dry lips. He didn''t dare believe for a moment that a Demon Venerable, a legend that could vanquish all its foes and gain invincibility, could even smile so warmly. Not to mention the fact that the Demon Venerable stated he was leaving ''everything'' in this gu worm. What was this¡ª everything¡ª if he was telling the truth?


    His breathing quickened, and he focused on the interface within his consciousness. Just like a computer, Fei Cai could use this gu to perform various functions. The interface had a hexagonal-kaleidoscopic background with three tabs ''popping'' out¡ª Gu Worms, Information, Diary.


    With a moment''s hesitation, Fei Cai tried to open the tab of the gu worm, and based on his thoughts, it opened. Instantly, the screen grew deep grey with several thumbnails filling the screen. These were the images of the gu worms, and below the thumbnails was the name of the gu worms. On the upper-left corner, there was a conspicuous search option, and with a thought, Fei Cai wielded that option and searched for the computer gu.


    The tab changed once again, this time, a wallpaper of the gu worm depicting its image during each rank appeared. The moment Fei Cai wished to look down, the screen scrolled downwards, and the details of the gu worms were presented to him. Even lower was the recipes of refining this gu worm till rank 5!


    The very first section was comprised of a detailed log on the gu worms the Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable encountered! Only this half could turn into a treasure in the hands of a refining expert.


    Reigning a control over his excitement, Fei Cai then exited this section and proceeded to search within the¡ª Information¡ª tab.


    Otherworldly Demons.


    The collective identity of the unfortunate souls that entered this world with the memories of their past lives intact. Fei Cai then continued to gaze at the information. Much to his surprise, if he looked at one of the terms that he wasn''t familiar with, he only needed to focus on that term, and another page would pop to explain!


    What the Demon Venerable left him was a Gu World''s equivalent of Wikipedia.


    ***


    Fei Cai sported an exhausted expression, but his eyes were extremely bright. As he dipped his body into the warm pond, Fei Mang swam towards him and proclaimed loudly, "Did you know? I am marrying Elder Dan''s daughter. She is way prettier than my slave! Hehehe~"


    Fei Mang grinned foolishly while Fei Cai opened his eyes to thin slits and nodded wordlessly. There was no need for Fei Cai to reduce Fei Mang''s cheerfulness by describing the troubles of a husband. Fei Cai was married to a beautiful woman in his previous life. Sadly, this woman took the stereotypes regarding beauty too seriously by only expending wealth in fashion and other nonsense.


    After his divorce, he arrived in this world. It could be said that he gained the opportunity to attain his freedom not once, but twice!


    "Oi, Oi," Fei Nai chuckled and ruffled his younger brother''s hair, "Don''t you feel any shame marrying before your elder brother?" Fei Nai chuckled before greeting Fei Cai warmly, "Yo, little Cai. I heard from father that you won a battle against greenhorn salamander. Good going."


    Fei Cai finally opened his eyes to give this particular elder the respect he deserves. Fei Nai, age sixteen and cultivation...


    Peak-stage rank 2 Gu Master with a complete set of strength path gu worms. His rapid progress in cultivation alongside a B-rank aptitude made the surrounding Gu Master believe that he will definitely enter the ranks of elders once he conquers their trial. The trial Fei Tribe set for someone to become an elder was extremely harsh, with a high mortality rate. This was also the reason why there was not a single rank 3 gu master aside from the elders.


    A Gu Master either survives this test or dies. The cruel part was, every Rank 3 gu master had to enter this trial.


    "Elder Cousin Nai, it was a hard-earned victory."


    Fei Cai responded. Though young, Fei Nai seemed to be the type with a good head above his shoulders. During his beginning year, Fei Nai was already addicted to women, but with enough diligence, he changed the situation entirely within the next few years and finally reached the peak of rank 2 in mere six years.


    There are four minor realms in each rank¡ª lower, middle, upper, and peak. Each realm is longer to cultivate than the previous one, and without a special gu worm like aperture nurture gu, Fei Nai achieved what others would take at least 10 years! This was not a minor accomplishment. And now that Fei Cai was privy to the early life of Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable, he knew that the invincible talent had an experience far crueler and suppressed than his own.


    Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable was an otherworldly demon, too, but he was weak and ended up becoming someone''s slave!


    "A victory, nonetheless."


    Fei Nai smiled before ruffling Fei Mang''s head and chuckled playfully, "Little Mang, learn from our cousin, will you? Beauty is a commonwealth and can be found anywhere. Focus on your cultivation. And, for Longevity Heaven''s sake, just kill that slave. She doesn''t even moan properly!"


    The other gu master guffawed while Fei Cai''s lips twitched.


    According to the values he rubbed against on Earth, he should be rushing to save all the slaves that are being oppressed physically and mentally, or at least, have some thoughts to save them later. Fei Cai sneered internally.


    There was no need to save what would become a burden while opposing the mighty in the process. This is the world where a person can expose his darkest desires to the world due to his strength! Instead of letting some half-hearted value take control of his emotions, Fei Cai was much more interested in his father''s gu worms now that he could be considered a ''newbie'' in the path of cultivation.

 13

    The sudden appearance of the Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable''s legacy did not change Fei Cai''s circumstances. He was still a lower-stage rank 1 Gu Master. He was still a nobody, and he didn''t let this sort of ''empty'' treasure move him. Right now, Fei Cai stood in one of the unvisited patches of grassland. His expression was serene as he had already discovered his target. Lo crouched beside Fei Cai and hastily skinned the blossom rabbit. Fei Cai looked down at Lo and recalled his foolish actions. This was a glaring signal for Fei Cai to change his way of thinking. Subconsciously, Fei Cai had pushed away all the risk onto Lo. Whether he lived or died did not affect Fei Cai.


    But what if the threat was so extreme that it could still follow Fei Cai after dealing with Lo? For instance, a greenhorn salamander. Lo was practically useless in the previous battle. The tactic of depending on other people proved to be fatal, and Fei Cai didn''t dare commit the same mistake again. So what if he had a slave that would jump at life-threatening risks without a shred of hesitation? Could Lo defend Fei Cai? No.


    Aside from the sublime change in Fei Cai''s thinking, there was another fact that deeply disturbed him.


    As Lo continued to process the hunt, Fei Cai''s gaze suddenly flashed, and he stepped forward with a punch tearing through the air! Once again, a vicious wolf''s phantom appeared behind him, and Fei Cai''s strength surged off the charts!


    Pah!


    A soft sound echoed from the point where his fist stopped, and Fei Cai took sat on the ground with his breathing ragged and his body sweating profusely.


    ''Ten out of ten times.''


    Fei Cai muttered internally. Wolf Strength Gu, Goat Strength Gu, Python Strength Gu, and many other rank 1 beast strength gu worms passively increased a Gu Master''s strength. This is the reason why such a line of gu worms is famous in the market. After all, once the Gu Master''s power has increased, they can fight without using their primeval essence and focus on other gu worms, too. In this manner, a Gu Master can battle more efficiently.


    This type of gu worms perfectly exemplified the saying¡ª Human is the spirit of all living beings. Even when a human being is not born with high strength like beasts, he can create gu worms to attain their strength! But, the only way a human body can display a wolf''s real power is¡ª Beast Phantom.


    A beast phantom, without necessary gu worms, only appear randomly. It is purely based on luck, and here Fei Cai lay, managing to bring out a wolf''s phantom for the fifteenth time consecutively. Once Lo had concluded the task, Fei Cai stood up and walked towards another direction. The forest shouldn''t be explored without defensive gu worms, so Fei Cai walked around the grassland stealthily. Every once in a while, Fei Cai activated his ground eye gu worm and scouted the area. The pair could barely find any catch.


    "Blossom rabbit will probably be accepted for 3 primeval stones. This won''t do. My expenditure of primeval stones is already surpassing my gains. Even if I end up with another luck catch, I still need to expend primeval stones to feed my gu worms. And now, I also need materials to practice refining of gu worm and increase my control. The only way to ease the situation is to either borrow primeval stones from Fei Qing, but I have a reason to believe that he will turn this event into a lesson for me and add a high interest."


    Fei Cai mumbled while he focused on the other solution, "I could also sell my wolf strength gu. I already have the strength of a wolf, and instead of bearing the cost of feeding the gu worm and losing currency, ridding myself of this gu is far practical."


    Once this thought bubbled within his consciousness, Fei Cai stood at his place with a deep frown. He felt that the answer was hidden somewhere in between the two solutions he thought, and then it hit him! Lend!


    He could lend his gu worm and earn primeval stones.


    Unlike the denizens of this world who would try and protect even the most inconvenient trinket, Fei Cai had a broader manner of thinking when it came to materialistic items. His father¡ª Fei Qing¡ª refused to act like a natural one and sponsor Fei Cai to jumpstart him. This was a very backward form of thinking¡ª turning real-life situations into life lessons¡ª but Fei Cai couldn''t fault him. Next, his second advantage was the gu recipes from the Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable''s legacy and the inheritance of the dead Gu Master he discovered.


    Gu recipes were usually worth more than the gu worms itself. Through gu recipes, a Gu Master can continuously refine gu worms, so Gu Masters rarely sold them. If Fei Cai decides to sell one or two gu recipes, it would instantly attract unwanted attraction. Then, he could sell the wolf strength gu, but this earning would be a one-time thing. The only way to properly use his background while showing his brilliance as a young Gu Master and keep the attraction of surrounding Gu Masters to a moderate level was¡ª Lending the gu worm.


    His father''s status would deter anyone from going against the term of the loan while he could slowly build his reputation within the tribe. This reputation would, in return, help Fei Cai by making his father free of worry for him and then, Fei Cai could demand cultivation resources from the Chieftain without worrying for any underlying counter set by him.


    Even with this thought rooting within his head, Fei Cai and Lo spent a significant half of the day within the grassland. Aside from the blossom rabbit, they encountered a calm hare and a scare rat. They only managed to hunt down the calm rabbit while the scare rat was simply too agile to be caught even by rank 1 Gu Masters.


    Fei Cai earned a total of seven primeval stones. He spent one primeval stone on buying food for the wolf strength gu, and the ground eye gu. Now, Fei Cai has a net total of 21 primeval stones. To a youngster, this amount was a lot, but the Gu Masters that already had seniors in their families, this amount could barely fill the gaps of their teeth. Of course, many families restricted the number of primeval stones distributed to youngsters, but Fei Cai''s move would force them to loosen their grip over their primeval stones.


    Instead of returning to the house alongside Lo, Fei Cai simply passed the food for his gu worms to Lo and instructed him to place the package outside his door. Then, he made his way towards the inner portion of the warm pond valley. Past the bathing area was the actual warm pond valley. The tribe was erected in the only entrance of the valley to protect this unique location while hundreds of thousands of terror horses populated the inner portion of the valley.


    In the evening, many young gu masters would come to relax in this scenic region. The reputation of the terror horses was vile. These beasts ate flesh and grass alike. Most of the Gu Masters wouldn''t even be able to get close to these horses before they would jump at them. But within the valley, aside from the wild beasts, the terror horses did not harm the Gu Masters. This was not because of the beasts gaining intelligence. All these horses were under Fei Qing''s command. This was the real strength of the Tribe Chieftain! With a single thought, he can control more than two hundred thousand terror horses and lay waste to any mid-level tribe.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Once Fei Cai walked into the deeper part of the valley, he found Fei Mang and a few other Gu Masters circling two senior Gu Masters as they faced off against each other. The older Gu Masters did not use any gu worms and only relied on their fists. Silently, Fei Cai stood within the group and observed the two Gu Masters fighting it out. Once the thin one fell, the surrounding Gu Masters cheered. Sparring was one of the major sources of entertainment in this world. This event could be used to settle debts, forge connections...


    And ingeniously advertise your services.


    The moment the winner sidestepped, a rank 2 Gu Master walked up. He was thinner than the winner, but for a moment, the surrounding turned silent as everyone waited for a competitor to walk-up.


    "Is my, Fei Cang Yin''s reputation so intimidating?"


    The long-haired Gu Master smirked as the surrounding Gu Masters gulped. Fei Nai was the strongest in the younger generation, and Fei Cang Yin was his rival. Even if Fei Cang Yin isn''t competing using his gu worms, he had plenty of experience to defeat ordinary Gu Masters.


    "I would take this opportunity to learn from senior."


    Fei Cai walked up, pushing away an unlucky youth and stood in front of Fei Cang Yin. In front of the teenager, Fei Cai looked extremely short and ordinary, but seeing him, Fei Cang Yin laughed loudly. "Fei Cai, eh, well, be sure to learn well!"


    This is a warrior''s tribe, and wasting breath on pointless monologue was something smart or manic warriors were incapable of. Fei Cang Yin took a stance and waited for Fei Cai to approach while the surrounding Gu Masters grew wild!


    "Fei Cai! Beat this little Yin''s ass! If my brother can do that, you can, too!"


    Fei Mang yelled as Fei Cang Yin shook his head and continued smiling. Fei Nai was the strongest talent for a reason. Even if Fei Cang Yin was an upper-stage rank 2 Gu Master, he couldn''t handle Fei Mang''s brother for three moves! While Fei Mang and the other newbie Gu Masters cheered for Fei Cai, the other Gu Masters waited silently. They didn''t want to take part in cheering when the son of the Chieftain is beaten to a pulp.


    ''Beast Phantom has a single condition to be called forward¡ª my intent. If I don''t want to use a wolf''s entire strength, then the phantom won''t emerge. The initiative will remain in my hand... all I need to do is lure Fei Cang Yin and throw a ''lucky'' attack that also injures him critically while keeping his battle intent intact.''


    Fei Cai thought till here and slowly walked forward. He was no martial artist, but street brawls were not uncommon in his youth. Even though his movements were full of openings, Fei Cai had unconsciously grown cautious about his approach after the near-death experience with the salamander.


    ''Treat every opponent seriously.''


    He whispered internally, and instead of charging straight as the elder Gu Master expected, Fei Cai started to move around him while closing in. This was simply to annoy the youth and force him to take the first move. As expected, the patience of a teenager was something that couldn''t compete with a middle-aged man''s calmness, and Fei Chang Yin made the first move.


    "If you ain''t moving, then I''ll be forced to teach you a little harshly," Fei Cang Yin grinned and rushed towards Fei Cai before punching towards his face. Face, chest, and stomach, these three regions were already in prediction to be attacked. But prediction and action were two different concepts. Fei Cai thought of retreating, but that would mean handing the initiative to Fei Cang Yin. If he did that, all the plans would be ruined. No matter what pain is inflicted, the initiative cannot be placed on other''s hands.


    Fei Cai clenched his jaws and stepped forward while tilting his head, dodging the punch by a hair''s breadth while continuing forward. His eyes locked onto Fei Cang Yin''s astonished ones, and he landed a blow right on his abdomen.


    "Kah!"


    Fei Cang Yin wouldn''t have imagined that a rank 1 junior could have such strength, and with his experience, Fei Cang Yin knew that a finishing blow would land on his face anytime now. But that didn''t happen, and Fei Cai had already retreated. This was done to portray his ''inexperience'' while making Fei Cang Yin dance to his tune. As expected, Fei Cang Yin recollected his composure and stood straight while exhaling deeply.


    ''A newbie Gu Master should not have such strength... unless... a strength gu worm. But he is still inexperienced. Instead of landing the blow and finishing the fight, he retreated.''


    As Fei Cang Yin thought till here, he looked at Fei Cai and smiled, "You have refined a strength gu worm, right, Fei Cai?"


    Fei Cang Yin didn''t mingle much, so he still didn''t know about Fei Cai''s encounter with the salamander. His words attracted a few other seniors as Fei Cai nodded. "Senior, it is a wolf strength gu worm. I have already used it completely, and I have a passive strength of a wolf." His words instantly made the surrounding Gu Masters more interested in the fight. Seeing Fei Cai''s candidness, Fei Cang Yin laughed loudly, "Even as a rank 2 Gu Master, a strength path gu worm is uncommon for me. Good, this way, we both can fight naturally!"


    Fei Cang Yin grinned widely and rushed towards the kid. With a strength of a wolf, Fei Cang Yin no longer attributed Fei Cai as a kid, but a proper Gu Master.


    In the next few rounds, Fei Cai continued to dodge attacks, but he was hit many times. His face was already swollen, but Fei Cai didn''t dare stop right now. This was the most preferable scenario where a youngster makes a comeback with great luck and attracts everyone''s attention. As expected, once Fei Cai felt reaching his pain tolerance, he gritted his teeth and growled wildly. The sudden change of demeanor made the spectators more interested, and Fei Cai threw a punch while perfectly showcasing a youth''s impulsive nature.


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    Fei Cai roared, but his words only pulled a chuckle from Fei Cang Yin.


    Alas, the surroundings turned still when a phantom of a vicious wolf appeared behind Fei Cai.


    "A beast phantom!"


    One of the elder Gu Master was alarmed while Fei Cang Yin, who had already decided to block the blow, felt his heart shiver for a moment. Alas, it was too late, and Fei Cai intentionally punched at Fei Cang Yin''s forearms blocking his chest to minimize the total damage caused and...


    To send Fei Cang Yin flying.


    "What is that?"


    One of the female Gu Masters screamed in astonishment while the phantom raised its head high and let out a silent howl before dissipating.


    Still, Fei Cai fell on his butt and breathed deeply.


    It didn''t take long for Fei Cang Yin to sit up and lock gazes with Fei Cai. Within Fei Cang Yin''s gaze, Fei Cai could feel astonishment, confusion, and a surge of fighting intent. But Fei Cai couldn''t continue anymore for healing these wounds would already take a long time, and he had already achieved his goal. Before Fei Cang Yin stood up, Fei Cai shouted.


    "Elder, I have learned many things because of your gracious nature. This spar is my loss!"


    He accepted his defeat as the surrounding Gu Masters finally cheered!


    "Fei Cai, you dog! What was that?!"


    Fei Mang hurried to Fei Cai and helped him up as Fei Cai only breathed softly. To Fei Mang''s question, it was Fei Cang Yin who answered while his arms glowed in blue light as his injuries healed rapidly.


    "That was a beast phantom... only those with the strength of a wolf can summon it. To think that a junior has such luck."


    Fei Cang Yin wondered with a tinge of envy. Even he wanted to have such a gu worm. Even if it was rank 1, the uses of this gu worm in the Northern Plains were plenty.


    And Fei Cai decided to use this very envy against Fei Cang Yin as he laughed softly.


    "Senior is jesting. In fact, I came here to discuss a proposal regarding my wolf strength gu worm."


    "Fei Mang, I can support myself."


    Fei Cai then stood straight while walking close to Fei Cang Yin. His voice, though, was loud enough to reach everyone''s ears.


    "The market value of wolf strength gu worm is 320 primeval stones. It can even reach 350 primeval stones. So, I am here to lend my gu worm to everyone for a price¡ª 200 primeval stones."


    His words instantly made the younger Gu Masters feel weird, but most of the elder Gu Masters'' eyes brightened.

 14

    Fei Cai stepped into his house with an exhausted expression. The whole time¡ª from the beginning of spar until setting up transaction¡ª Fei Cai held the initiative in his own hands using his ''innocent'' nature by acting a little crudely. As a ten-year-old, Fei Cai''s ability to form excellent deals would be more suspicious than leaving a few trails that could be improved. These trails were explicitly left to lure a particular person. Fei Cai did not doubt that the moment he set up the transaction with Fei Cang Yin, the news would travel fast enough to reach him¡ª


    "Come, sit, son."


    ¡ª this body''s blood father, Fei Qing.


    "Father."


    Fei Cai greeted softly, not even trying to ''hide'' his injuries and exhaustion as he slumped in front of his father in a pathetic performance. That, combined with Fei Cai''s tender age, instantly softened Fei Qing''s expression as he pointed his index towards Fei Cai with a stream of orange glow leaking out and covering Fei Cai''s body. "Bear with the ich," Fei Qing stated sternly and already accustomed to his healing gu worm, Fei Cai clenched his jaws and controlled his urge to scratch all his injuries bloody. Gu worms have mystical effects, but usually, they are not omnipotent. Especially healing type gu worms. Since Fei Qing''s gu worm was ranked higher than Fei Cai''s yellow tongue gu worm, his injuries got better in a few breaths.


    "Let your body take care of the rest."


    Sensibly, Fei Qing did not restore Fei Cai''s body completely as it would affect his future growth, and at this moment, Lo walked in and quickly served the food. Before Lo, it was usual for Fei Qing and Fei Cai to enter the food camp and purchase something for themselves. It tasted better than Lo''s cooking, but to Fei Qing, as long as he got enough nutrition even in less delicious meals, it didn''t matter. The only time Fei Qing allowed himself to eat lavishly is when he hosts a special guest. Over the dinner, Fei Qing and Fei Cai remained silent.


    After the father-son pair concluded the meal, Fei Qing looked at his son with an unnatural gaze and sized him up.


    "Son, I heard your... deal with junior Cang Yin. Why did you do that?"


    In the Northern Plains, brawn was easy to train and refine. This made many Gu Masters'' parents hesitant from interfering. But whenever their child took a step towards the path of using their mind and accumulated the wisdom of life, the elderly felt a profound responsibility to interject and guide. In reality, the same parenting technique was prominent and on Earth, and Fei Cai simply used his understanding regarding parents and used for his benefits.


    Hearing Fei Qing''s inquiry, Fei Cai finally managed to pull a sheepish grin that he used to show whenever he failed in the tasks assigned by his father.


    "Father, I am assigned 50 primeval stones as my monthly stipend. After opening my aperture, I implored to borrow a gu worm with my stipend utilized as interest. This was merely an empty thought that I managed to convey after gathering my courage," Fei Cai began. He had already set a level of wisdom his father could expect from him, and if Fei Cai suddenly devolves, the situation would be too strange in Fei Qing''s eyes. Fei Cai had already taken a risk when he suddenly changed his mannerism after opening his aperture. That event allowed Fei Cai to share the blame, and now, each of his actions should contain a similar hint of wisdom. And only in a few extreme cases could he act ''impulsively.''


    "My spar with Senior Cang Yin inspired me and pulled this scene from my mind. Senior Cang Yin wants to get stronger. I want to earn more primeval stones. If we both try to interact, can''t we both get better mutually?"


    Hearing Fei Cai''s reasoning, Fei Qing''s body trembled, and he closed his eyes.


    Overwhelmed!


    That is what Fei Qing was.


    The concept of mutual benefit Fei Cai ''innocently'' tossed in his reasoning allowed Fei Qing to understand that even if his son was a little naive in his reasoning, Fei Qing didn''t dare comment or mold Fei Cai''s ''nascent'' understanding of benefits and losses. Instead, Fei Qing recollected his composure and decided to give his son pointers on his current mistakes, which, to Fei Qing''s unawareness, were intentional.


    "Your reasoning is correct, little Cai."


    Fei Qing stated softly. He then thought for a moment and inquired.


    "I heard that you set allowed junior Cang Yin to pay 40 primeval stones to use the gu worm for a session of one hour. Usually, the wolf strength gu worm would take five sessions to be used completely. Now, little Cai, do you know the mistakes you made within this agreement with Cang Yin?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Fei Qing inquired while Fei Cai frowned and intentionally hesitated.


    "M-mistake?"


    "Yes. Let me start from the beginning."


    Fei Qing crossed his arms and continued, "First, when you lend a gu worm, always gain high collateral. In your case, you could have made Cang Yin pay 180 primeval stones up front and then collect the remaining payments during each session."


    Fei Cai nodded. Internally, however, he felt uncomfortable. According to his estimation, taking 160 primeval stones upfront was already a lot. But the next moment, Fei Cai instantly realized that this amount could increase based on his father. In fact, instead of taking only 180 primeval stones, Fei Cai had already hatched another plan, but for this scheme to be successful, he would need to have a proper reputation based on this trade.


    "Second, did you ever consider if your gu worm is stolen or destroyed out of ill intentions?"


    Gu worms are incredibly fragile. An infant could snap even the gu worms that provided inhumane strength. Thus, the matters of dealing with gu worms are extremely delicate. Fei Cai, of course, knew this. Such basic information is taught to even young Gu Master, but they cannot understand its implications. Fei Cai could. He didn''t need to leave such a giant loophole exposed, but for Fei Cai to control the topics of lectures he would have to listen from Fei Qing, the young otherworldly demon let it be. Still, Fei Cai did not reply. Instead, he lowered his head with an anxious expression.


    "Little Cai... sigh. Don''t worry. It is good that you have committed mistakes in your first transaction. Cang Yin is an honorable Gu Master and would not covet your gu worm. In your next transactions, be sure to learn from these mistakes."


    Fei Cai''s eyes glowed. What did Fei Qing mean? It was a subtle hint of support. Although Fei Qing felt that this support was something Fei Cai earned, the youth knew better. This feeling of supporting one''s offspring is present in most parents. Of course, a father like Fei Qing inherently has a higher standard of expectations from Fei Cai. But this change is a qualitative one. If Fei Cai''s contribution to the Tribe by presenting the earth lizard house gu worm could be attributed to fortune, then today''s transaction is definitely a product of an incomplete, yet wise mindset.


    "Yes, Father!"


    Fei Cai spoke a little louder as he felt Fei Qing patting and stroking his head.


    ***


    Fei Cai sat on the crude mattress with his legs crossed and his brows locked in deep meditation. Within his aperture, the jade-green sea of primeval essence turned into a gushing stream that kept infusing with the aperture nurture gu. The spider continuously weaved light blue webs that covered the surface of Fei Cai''s aperture and glowed softly. These webs did not disperse even after coming into contact with the green sea and finally covered the entire sphere.


    Meanwhile, a thin stream of primeval essence stretched out of the primeval stone in Fei Cai''s hand and gradually infused into his aperture, restoring the lost primeval essence. This was a long process, but not willing to stop here, Fei Cai manipulated large waves of the jade-green sea that crashed against the walls of the aperture. The bluish web consumed wisps of primeval essence, but the effect on the aperture was exactly the double!


    To gain higher results with the same intensity of cultivation!


    Fei Cai''s thoughts gradually condensed as he continued to dual-task the process of nurturing his aperture and absorbing the primeval stones. No matter how demanding this task was, once Fei Cai got the hang of it, the probability of failure had long receded to the bottom. His existence wasn''t ordinary. As an adult, his thoughts and experience were more complex, and the hurdle of dual-task of primeval essence was conquered with mild training.


    But, after gaining one of Thieving Heaven''s true inheritance, Fei Cai understood a cruel fact.


    Not even a training 100 times more intense than the current one is enough. As a Venerable''s entire journal acting like a teacher for Fei Cai, even the multi-task dividing his concentration by more than 10 times could only be considered as an entry-level achievement.


    The rank 1 computer gu worm was also the reason why Fei Cai did not feel apprehensions in using the wolf strength gu worm as his source of establishment. The strength path of this world was slightly flawed, and dabbling without enough preparations would severely limit his growth.


    Instead, gu worms that can conjure mystical fireballs or water blades were far more effective for a rank 1 junior like himself.


    "Huff."


    Fei Cai only stopped when his mental burdens reached his tolerance and gazed at the crumbled primeval stone. With all the essence extracted, the powdered stone was extremely dull. Dusting his hands, Fei Cai slowly lay down on the mattress and closed his eyes to sleep. After all, for the next few days, Fei Cai''s morning is going to be quite early.


    ***


    As expected, Cang Yin held his part of the agreement. The elder is supposed to meet Fei Cai in the Chieftain''s house and used Fei Cai''s wolf strength gu for an entire hour.


    Wild gu worms are required to be refined by the Gu Master before they can be used. This is to flood the Gu Master''s will within the gu worms. Now that the wolf strength gu worm was already under Fei Cai''s will, he could potentially lend the gu worm and allow another Gu Master to use the gu only if he wants to. This way, if the other party tried to take advantage of the situation and use the gu worm for a longer time, Fei Cai can stop the process with ease. If he wants to, Fei Cai can also destroy the gu worm within a moment by just ''thinking.''


    This reality of gu worms further signified the natural fragility of these precious treasures.


    Once Cang Yin used the gu worm for an hour, he left while presenting Fei Cai with 40 primeval stones. Now, Fei Cai had a total of 57 primeval stones after reducing the consumption of the last night''s cultivation session.


    For the next four days, Fei Cang Yin visited the Chieftain''s house daily, and on the fifth, the moment he entered the hunt with his team, he instantly started to ravage the resources with bare hands of his.


    The act of mad hunting increased the desire of various gu masters towards strength type gu worms, and with their prices extremely high, they looked towards Fei Cai''s direction with countless thoughts.

 15

    "Hey, did you hear? Elder Fei Chan lost the troop of thirty thousand terror horses, and even 3 Gu Masters were killed in the hunt."


    "Yeah. Damn those Pa Tribe members! The group of thunder horses for the Lord Chieftain was a deadly lure to weaken our tribe''s forces."


    "If only I were there! I¡ª"


    "You would have been the first one to become horse manure. What can a rank 1 like you even do? Elder Fei Chang is a rank 4 Gu Master elite!"


    "What was that? I ain''t scared of you!"


    Fei Cai observed the two middle-aged Gu Masters with the lowest D-rank potential and digested the information. A few days have passed since Fei Chang retreated after facing a near-death defeat from one of the surrounding large tribes¡ª Pa Tribe. The news of Fei Tribe''s unsightly outcome was spread by the Pa Tribe in hopes to slowly sip on the reputation of the Fei Tribe. The effects were almost nill at the moment, but the higher-ranked members of the tribe already wore a grim expression. To the weaker Gu Masters, this was merely one of many small skirmishes. Death was the most common trait of the Northern Plains, after all. But only a few select individuals, who have survived for more than ten years knew that this was merely the opening of something greater than any tribe of the Northern Plains.


    Out of them, only one man within the tribe was qualified to smile and he did smile. Ever so wildly, at that. Within the main camp that held the tribal meeting, Fei Qing gazed at Fei Sheng. The old tribe elder was tasked with discovering the recipe of the rank 3 earth lizard house gu worm with a rather expensive compensation, and the results were satisfactory. Fei Qing read the gu recipe jotted down on the beast hide and passed it to Fei Chang. At the moment, Fei Chang''s face was slightly pale and his body trembled every now and then. This was one of the effects of the attacks within the ambush that targetted Fei Chang''s aperture. Fortunately, Fei Chang had the recipe of the gu worm with the effects that countered the poison.


    "Elder Fei Chang will be tasked with refining these gu worms." Hearing the Chieftain''s command, Fei Chang nodded plainly. Meanwhile, Fei Sheng''s eyelids twitched. If this task was handed to him, he could have exhorted another fortune out of the tribe. But this move curbed Fei Sheng''s greed, balanced the power structure of the tribe by allowing the ''rival'' faction to lead this important project. Not only that, Fei Qing and Fei Chang were true to the tribe, and with Fei Chang leading this refinement project, Fei Qing would be free from worrying over the chances of embezzlement of the tribe''s funds.


    "Now, we will discuss the changes needed to survive the upcoming war."


    He crossed his arms and gave a few commands regarding the defense of the tribe and also a restriction on the distance to be traveled during each hunt. Fei Qing then turned to the elder under his faction¡ª Fei Kao. "Elder Fei Kao, you are the most proficient in investigating the location of wild gu worms and Gu Masters. The matter of searching the surroundings for wild relic gu worms and other cultivation assisting gu worms will be left with you. The lower level relic gu worms will be placed within the store and can only be exchanged during the various hunts the tribe will mobilize."


    "Yes, Lord Chieftain." The plain-faced Fei Kao nodded. He was already a peak-stage rank 3 Gu Master. With his investigation gu worms, he could scout the surrounding 50 kilometers in two-three months and this would already bring various benefits to the tribe. Ordinarily, Fei Kao wouldn''t be asked since the wild gu worms in the surroundings would be quite low. But with the impending battle of heroes, wild gu worms would be produced in a greater number. Especially snow and ice path gu worm. While the tribe continued to tweak the rules of becoming an elder to encourage all the peak-stage rank 2 Gu Masters to participate in the test, Fei Cai entered the tent that sold gu worms and gu materials once again.


    "I want three batches of these materials."


    Fei Cai placed a list on the counter and waited for the elderly Gu Master to inspect the items. Nodding slowly, the Gu Master passed the list to his helper and computed the price. Fei Cai needed to pay to a total of 156 primeval stones and was left with 78. He then brought these materials back to his house and went outside to purchase the food for his gu worms. Once all the tasks at hand were taken care of, Fei Cai ate his fill in the evening and locked himself into his room. These past five days, not only did Fei Cai already receive multiple gestures to borrow the wolf strength gu, some of the smart Gu Masters even wanted to copy his trade. Alas, none had a backer as strong as the Chieftain and all feared that once the gu worm is lent, they might not receive it in return.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Unlike the Gu Masters filled with greed for such a trade, to Fei Cai, this was merely a short-term plan. It was easy enough for a rational Gu Master to understand that the business of lending gu worms and earning from it would soon belong to a Gu Master with strength and investment to flourish the business. The only reason Fei Cai could even dip his toe into the deep pond was due to Fie Qing''s face. If Fei Cai''s estimation isn''t incorrect, then, after the beast trials, this trade would be taken from Fei Cai and handed to an elder by Fei Qing himself.


    To the father/Chieftain, everything needs to be restricted for Fei Cai so that he is able to experience a variety of situations. Handling the sudden loss of an entire trading idea would certainly belong in one of these situations. Once Fei Cang Yin had already proven his worth and attracted a few potential customers willing to agree to Fei Cai''s revised conditions.


    Within his room, Fei Cai spread the coarse mattress and carefully separated the three batches of materials. Sitting cross-legged, Fei Cai picked a strand of thick-edge grass and started to twist the flexible material until thin scars marred the surface of the slightly dry blade of grass. Putting the material down, Fei Cai then processed a sludge of a mud sparrow and turned it into a round ball before wrapping the crumbled grass around it. Finally, Fei Cai took the round eyeball of the green wolf and crushed it within his palms before lacing the mud ball with the whitish liquid.


    ***


    "Father, are we really going to refine this gu worm with the help of young, rank 1 gu masters?"


    Fei Nai inquired with a respectful expression. Although the young genius of the tribe could understand the reasoning behind this decision, his heart still ached by the potential losses. Seeing the state of mind of his son, Fei Chang shook his head. "Little Nai, out of the three siblings, you are the elder one. Fei Cai, though capable, is far too young and Little Mang is simply not attuned with the realities of the cultivation. So, if you want to become a Gu Master with the ability to lead, you must know when to bear the loss."


    Fei Chang took out the beast hide with the recipe and showed it to his eldest son. "This rank 3 gu worm has a lot of steps. The young gu masters will only perform the first few steps. This way, the tribe will be able to identify potential gu masters with talent in refining the gu worms and use them well... the next three years, the demand of gu worms and their prices would increase. And with the war looming over our heads, we can train these refining talents, too. So, this refinement project is the best opportunity to filter the talents of the tribe."


    "But father... refining a gu worm is filled with risks. Even in the early steps, once the primeval essence is infused, a Gu Master must proceed with caution, or else the backlash of failure would be immense. Even I don''t dare refine gu worms continuously."


    Hearing Fei Nai''s worries, Fei Chang shook his head. Suddenly, his expression changed and his body shuddered. "Father!" Fei Nai hurried to support Fei Chang. The injuries dealt with Fei Chang were severe and the process of recuperation was still underway. Sometimes, the symptoms of the poison would resurface and Fei Chang could only suffer the body-numbing pain. After a few minutes, Fei Chang''s trembling body eased by a considerable margin and he could breathe freely. "Anyway, little Nai. I have called you today not only to discuss the tribal matters but also to teach you my gu methods."


    "Father... you mean?"


    Fei Nai''s eyes brightened in understanding as Fei Chang acknowledged his doubt and took out a small gu worm.


    ***


    "Success at first try?"


    Fei Cai was more than astonished. He purchased three batches of materials because he understood from the computer gu that attaining success on the first try of refining a gu worm is as hard as ascending the heavens in a single step. Even after purchasing three batches, Fei Cai still felt a little fearful that he wouldn''t succeed. All his knowledge and understanding of this gu world came from the rank 1 computer gu worm which is the inheritance of one of the top 10 invincible Gu Masters of this world¡ª Thieving Heaven. Though this knowledge was a little outdated since three more Venerables rose to prominence after the Thieving Heaven''s time, the fact remained that the overflowing talent able who is said to have stolen a precious thing from heaven failed ten consecutive tries in refining a gu worm for the first time.


    In front of Fei Cai, the muddy ball was glowing and continued to create rings of light around it before the rings dispersed akin flowing tides. He didn''t dare divert his focus and continued to infuse his primeval essence into the glowing product until the crushed grass fell off and chipped away a few places covered with the liquid of the eye. Seeing this, Fei Cai''s breathing grew in pace as the muddy ball with whitish speckles slowly crumbled internally and turned into a thumb-sized ladybug that fluttered around Fei Cai.


    He succeeded in refining a gu worm in his first try!


    Since Thieving Heaven''s information regarding gu recipes and materials was detailed but outdated, Fei Cai took four days to narrow down the gu recipes based on the materials present within the tribe. In this aspect, the computer gu worm was a godsend fortune since the ease of filtering the knowledge was quite appreciated. Finally, out of the three gu worms that could be refined, Fei Cai chose a gu worm that would assist in battles, refining, and even allow Fei Cai to indirectly investigate his surroundings.


    Rank 1 Instinct Gu Worm.

 16

    ''Am I thinking too much?'' Fei Cai rushed within the grassland with Lo tagging along. Their steps, after weeks of practice, had grown light and measured. They weren''t veterans yet, but deeming the master-slave pair a couple of newbies is also out of question. After Fei Cai knocked his arrow and struck a shriek rat in the distance, he let Lo take care of processing the catch and focused on the issue at hand once again.


    There was something wrong with Fei Cai''s body. Aside from a soul traveling and possessing the youth, there was something else that whispered... lucky. This is the only word Fei Cai could surmise his yesterday''s endeavor with. Just like the computer gu, the instinct gu worm''s location is within the Gu Master''s brain. But still, two instinct gu worms fluttered within Fei Cai''s aperture. He had prepared three sets of materials to refine the instinct gu worm, so, after refining one, he tried his hand on the remaining two sets and lo behold. A 100% refinement success rate! Instead of being pleased with himself, however, Fei Cai could only point at the veil of darkness that seemed to shroud his existence.


    A 100% refinement success rate is an achievement that even the ten invincible beings of this world couldn''t proclaim. ''Maybe this is just pure luck...'' Fei Cai''s gaze flickered as something within his mind clicked. It was some sort of premonition, but believing this extremely profound feeling, Fei Cai rolled and avoided the strike of a coil-dot python before displaying a reaction speed that far surpassed his previous life''s version''s before stabbing the tip of his dagger directly at the black dot on the python''s head and ending its life in a matter of seconds. Fei Cai barely held any emotions for such a reaction speed since he had already tested the rank 1 instinct gu worm.


    ''Instinct Gu Worm... a special gu worm that wasn''t invented by Thieving Heaven but a product of another senior cultivator by the name of Indifferent Combat Master whose inheritance Thieving Heaven inherited in his youth. It doesn''t utilize primeval essence and only needs a thin stream to connect with all the body using the brain as the medium. The best part is, whether I am lucky or not, the rank 2 version of this gu worm, flare instinct gu worm, only needs two rank 1 gu worms and a few supporting materials... it is a high possibility that I can try to refine the rank 2 version even before the beginning of the beast trials...''


    Fei Cai controlled and restricted his emotions. To utilize the rank 1 gu worm, Fei Cai needed to keep a tight reign over his emotions. The rank 1 gu worm wasn''t an omnipotent object and its greatest restriction was that the effectiveness of this gu worm lay within the fact that the user should not let their mindset get corrupted. This is one of the reasons why the creator of this gu worm dubbed himself as an ''indifferent.'' He truly had mastered his emotions to a high degree. Exhaling softly and letting Lo take care of this ''game'', too, Fei Cai directed his thoughts to the current state of the business.


    Today, Fei Cai took on a new customer, effectively earning 200 primeval stones while promising the young gu master to use his wolf strength gu worm for a total of four times. This brought Fei Cai''s reserves from 63 primeval stones to 263, giving him the wild idea of refining a rank 2 gu worm while still being a rank 1 gu master. Placing his palm on the ground and activating his ground eye gu worm to prevent any incidents like the stealthy approach of the coil-dot python, Fei Cai covered the surrounding area and finally, after clearing out all the hunts, he returned to the tribe. Now wasting any time, he bought another set of refinement materials fully knowing that this piece of information would make his father, Fei Qing, think of other methods to ''train'' him in the ways of the world. Spending a rather huge sum of 248 primeval stones, Fei Cai even got as far as to borrow his stipend early and the result...


    Was slightly within the realms of his thoughts that outrightly blamed luck for his success the previous night.


    ---


    "Again?"


    Fei Qing inquired somberly as he looked at Fei Kao''s injured body. The elder was unconscious and breathed softly as the remaining elders looked at the display with varying intensity of seriousness. Even Fei Sheng showed a sour look as Fei Chang, meanwhile, reported the situation.


    "Lord Chieftain, it is now public information that the Man Tribe has issued a hunt in our tribe''s name, riling up the nearby tribes to slowly clock in on us as. Since they can''t act without reason, the Man Tribe has given out the statement that depicts how this Warm Pond Valley belonged to their ancestors and the Fei Tribe''s predecessors simply took this valley for themselves. They even publicized few pieces of evidence in support of the statement... in essence, the Man Tribe wants to go on war against us."


    Fei Qing understood the sentiment. "By letting Fei Kao leave with his life, the Man Tribe has officially warned us. We either surrender, or go to war. Once we agree to engage in war, however, according to the rules of the northern plains, we can''t surrender unless we pay a large amount of compensation and forgot our tribe''s name... forever..." Fei Qing gave a brief reply as the surrounding in the room grew thicker. Not hearing any reply, Fei Qing nodded with a gloomy expression. "We go to war then. From now on, the tribe would remove the restriction on the number of rank 3 gu masters. All must be included to become elders. The various trials according to our tradition would be postponed until I deem otherwise."


    "Lord¡ª"


    Before Fei Sheng could refute, Fei Qing turned and focused on the man with an intensity that made the old man realize not to push his luck too much, "We have effectively transitioned into a state of war. We will reply to the enemy with violence tens and hundreds of times in intensity. According to the tribal rules, during the state of war, the final decision lay within the hands of the Tribe Chieftain. If you have anything to deny, challenge me, defeat me, and become the Chieftain."


    Leaving no room for denial, Fei Qing faced Fei Chang and gestured him to follow while leaving the gathering of the elders. Fei Qing had no doubt that his orders would be met with obedience at the end of the day. As the two ''rivals'' walked out and put some distance between the tent designated as Fei Kao''s healing chamber, Fei Qing stated plainly, letting the further plans known only to his ''shadow.'' "I will leave tomorrow. Since Pei Tribe has already entered the alliance to defeat us, we will use them as an example to deter the enemies until the beginning of the actual war. Tomorrow, I need you to begin with the production of the earth lizard house gu worm without consideration of our reserves. And, in my absence, you will treat Fei Sheng as a mole planted by other tribes. In an extreme situation, you have my blessings to exterminate him."


    "Yes, Chieftain."If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    As the two split and moved back to their families, Fei Qing finally showed a look of worry. ''Warm Pond Valley is the natural resource spot to feed my group of Terror Horses... if we are forced to leave this place then half of the tribe''s battle strength will be effectively crippled. The Pei tribe proclaims another master that has a heard of forty thousand Wood Horses... defeating them would achieve me another path to preserve my strength in an unforeseen situation.''


    As Fei Qing thought till here, he smiled bitterly, ''Ah... I cannot allow Little Cai to continue his trade after all. Though sooner than expected, the result remains the same. Now, instead of letting Fei Sheng hog another trading point, it is far beneficial to utilize the remaining strength path gu worms on the gu masters based on their contributions...'' recalling Fei Cai''s earlier purchases Fei Qing then further decided to give him a few pointers on refinement and other requirements to pursue the art of refinement if his son had such thoughts. Ordinarily, he wouldn''t commit such actions but since the change of the situation was too abrupt, Fei Qing felt that pushing his son into the impending battles without an ounce of common knowledge would be extremely stupid and counterproductive. Rules and regulations, all these concepts should dance to the tunes of human beings, not the other way around even if rules and regulations could be dated to the ancestors of all human beings¡ª Ren Zu. According to the legends of Ren Zu, after his encounter with Strength, Wisdom, and Hope Gu, the next pair of gu worms he encountered was Rule and Regulation Gu.


    ---


    The story mentioned that Ren Zu was able to escape his predicament because of hope. But eventually, he grew old and without Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu, he could no longer continue to hunt. Even his teeth fell off, making him unable to chew many wild fruits and vegetables.


    Ren Zu felt death slowly approaching.


    At this time, the Hope Gu said to him, "Human, you must not die. If you die, your heart will be lost and I will lose my only place of residence."


    Ren Zu was helpless. "Who wishes to die? But if the heavens and earth want me dead, I have no choice."


    The Hope Gu said, "There''s always hope in everything. As long as you can catch a Longevity Gu, you will be able to increase your lifespan."


    Ren Zu had heard of the existence of the Longevity Gu long ago but he waved his hand helplessly. "When the Longevity Gu stays still, nobody can detect it and when it flies, it is faster than light. How can I possibly catch it? It¡¯s too hard!"


    The Hope Gu then told Ren Zu a secret, "Human, don''t give up hope no matter what. Let me tell you, on the northwest corner of this continent, there is a huge mountain. On the mountain, there is a cave and in that cave, there is a pair of round and square Gu Worms. As long as you can subdue them, there is no Gu in this world that you cannot catch, including the Longevity Gu!"


    Ren Zu had no choice, this was his last remaining hope.


    He braved all difficulties and finally found the mountain. He then risked his life and ventured through countless dangers to ascend the mountain. On the mountain top, near the cave entrance, he used his last remaining strength to slowly make his way in.


    The inside of the cave was completely dark and one would not be able to even see their own fingers. Ren Zu walked in the darkness. Sometimes, he would bump into things not knowing what they were. This caused him to get injured and wounded all over. At times, he felt that this dark cave was huge beyond words as if this was a world of its own. He felt as if he was the only person in the area.


    He spent a lot of time but he could not walk out of the darkness. Not to mention subduing the two Gu Worms.


    Just when he was at a loss about what to do, two voices spoke to him from the darkness.


    One voice said, "Human, you''re here to catch us? Go back, for even if you had the Strength Gu, it would be impossible."


    The other said, "Human, go back, we will not take your life. Even if you had the Wisdom Gu to help you, you may not be able to find us.


    Ren Zu laid exhausted on the ground, panting. "The Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu had left me long ago and I do not have much lifespan left so I¡¯m at my wit''s end. But as long as there''s hope in my heart, I will not give up!"


    Hearing Ren Zu''s words, the two voices went silent.


    After a while, one of the Gu said, "I understand, human, you have already given your heart to the Hope Gu. You will not give up no matter what."


    The other continued, "In that case, we shall give you a chance. As long as you can say our name, we will allow you to use us."


    Ren Zu was stunned. To find their names among all the words in the world, it was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.


    Furthermore, he did not even know how many words were in their names.


    Ren Zu quickly asked the Hope Gu, but it did not know either.


    Ren Zu had no alternatives and had no choice but to randomly guess their names. He said many many names and wasted a lot of time but the darkness did not respond to him so evidently, he was wrong.


    Eventually, Ren Zu''s breath got weaker as he turned from an old man into a dying man. It was like the scene of the evening''s setting sun. The sun that would slowly descend had already been lowered halfway across the horizon, becoming a sunset.


    The food he had brought was gradually reduced, his brain becoming slower and he barely had any energy to speak anymore.


    The voice in the darkness urged, "Human, you are almost dead, so we will let you go. Using your remaining time, you can climb out of the cave and take a final look at the world. But you have offended us, and as punishment, the Hope Gu shall stay here as our companion."


    Ren Zu clenched his heart and rejected, "Even if I die, I will not give up hope!"


    The Hope Gu was very touched and answered Ren Zu''s call enthusiastically, emitting a bright light. At Ren Zu''s chest area, a light began to shine. But this light was too weak, it could not illuminate the darkness. In fact, it could not even cover Ren Zu''s entire body, but only engulfed his chest area.


    Yet Ren Zu could feel a renewed surge of energy gushing into his body from the Hope Gu.


    He continued to speak, shouting out names. But he was already muddled. A lot of names had already been said but he could not remember that and repeated them, wasting a lot of effort in the process.


    As time continued to flow, Ren Zu''s lifespan was almost over.


    Finally, when he was on his final day, he said out the word ¡®Regulation¡¯.


    A sigh came from the darkness as a voice spoke, "Human, I admire your perseverance. You have said my name, so from today onwards, I will obey your commands. But only with my brother can I aid you in capturing all the Gu in the world. Otherwise, with my ability alone, it is impossible. Thus, you should give up. You''re almost dead, you might as well use this chance to take a final look at the world."


    Ren Zu was determined and shook his head, he made use of all his time to continue speaking out names as he tried to guess the other Gu worm''s name.


    Seconds and minutes went by and soon he only had one hour left.


    But at this time, he unknowingly said the word ¡®Rule¡¯.


    Immediately, the darkness dissipated.


    The two Gu''s appeared before him. As the Hope Gu had said, one was cubic, called ¡®Regulations¡¯. The other was spherical, called ¡®Rules¡¯. Together, they made up ¡®Rules and Regulations¡¯.


    The two Gu said together, "No matter who it is, as long as they know our names, we will listen to them. Human, since you know our names already, we will be at your service. But you must remember, it is important to not let others know of our names. The more people that know our names, the more people we have to obey them. Now that you are the first to subdue us, tell us your request."


    Ren Zu was overjoyed. "Then I order you both, go and catch me a Longevity Gu."


    The Rules Gu and Regulations Gu worked together and captured an eighty-year Longevity Gu.


    Ren Zu was already a hundred years old but after consuming this Gu, the wrinkles on his face vanished and his frail limbs became muscular again. A vibrant aura of youth oozed from him.


    With a belly flop, he jumped up onto his feet.


    He ecstatically looked at his body, knowing that he had regained the body of a twenty-year-old!

 17

    The webbings derived from the rank 1 Aperture Nurture Gu shattered as the very quality if Fei Cai''s primeval essence undertook a change for the better. Instead of the remaining 3% jade green colored primeval essence, the natural regeneration of the aperture gave rise to a steady influx of light green primeval essence. Letting out a breath of relief, Fei Cai indulged himself in silent meditation for a few minutes.


    Rank 1 Middle Stage!


    In three weeks of cultivation, Fei Cai set himself firmly within the second minor realm of his Rank 1 aperture. The difference in his aperture could also be noted by the free-flowing state of his aperture walls. Instead of the weave of mist surrounding his primeval essence, Fei Cai''s aperture wall now seemed to be covered by a globe of the liquid boundary. The greatest effect brought by the breakthrough in his cultivation was that the consumption of his primeval essence when it came to utilizing his gu worms had decreased significantly.


    Alas, the breakthrough only ranked second in terms of good news for the day. After spending another fortune to buy refinement materials that would serve to challenge his negligent techniques, leaving him a stipend in debt to the chieftain¡ª his father¡ª and only 9 stones in currency, Fei Cai had managed to refine yet another gu worm. In the shape of a small lizard, nail-sized, in fact, that stuck to the aperture walls tightly, Fei Cai now possessed a rank 1 Lizard Mouth Gu worm. The function of this gu worm is to store a total of 5 kilos of weight in any form.


    The nature of the gu worm was such that if Fei Cai did think of storing any living being less than 5 kilograms in weight, they would suffocate due to lack of oxygen. In fact, Fei Cai had deliberately refused to utilize one of Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable''s methods and refined a gu worm mentioned in the diary of the dead Gu Master since Lizard Mouth Gu worm would not raise too much suspicion. This gu worm, Fei Cai had seen in the storage of the clan which justified that the Gu Worm can be found in the Northern Plains, unlike his rank 1 Instinct Gu worms.


    With the latest edition, Fei Cai now held a total of 10 gu worms of Rank 1.


    Stepping out of his room, Fei Cai was certainly surprised to see Fei Qing sitting a few steps away from the door. The sound of Fei Cai''s movement caused the Chieftain to open his eyes and even when it was closing on to the dawn, not a hint of sleepiness flashed over Fei Qing''s expression.


    "Cai''er," the man stated somberly, pointing at the cold floor in front of him without any regard for his son''s aching joints after sitting in a similar position for too long. "Father, I managed a breakthrough," Fei Cai stated outrightly, making Fei Qing focus over his son and then nod in appreciation.


    "Is it true that you have been squandering your wealth over refining materials?" With no knowledge about his son having world-shaking gu recipes, this was the only conclusion Fei Qing could reach and this was the only assumption Fei Cai would want the tribe to think. "Father, I did not wish to squander but with the Beast Trials in 5 days, I decided to utilize my primeval stones in exchange for valuable experience."


    "Son," Fei Qing sighed deeply, "I have come to inform you about the situation of the tribe. Nevermind the loss of primeval stones," his words made Fei Cai alarmed internally. His traditionalist father would never utter such words if he, or the tribe, weren''t facing a mighty ordeal and as expected, when Fei Qing began describing the war declared by Man Tribe, another Large Tribe but situated in a completely different valley, Fei Cai had to show a nervous expression even if he didn''t feel that internally, which would be a lie. However, controlling his emotions is what Fei Cai had unconsciously practiced after reaching this world.


    "I shall be leaving at the first light of dawn but before I leave for the campaign, I wish to present you these," pulling out a small scroll from the innards of his robe, Fei Qing pressed the item in his son''s hands with a compassionate expression. "Remember to work hard. I shall return within a week to witness your trials. And, nobody should know about this scroll. The primeval stones, however, you shall earn by yourself and I''ll present you with an opportunity now."


    Seeing Fei Cai pushing the scroll into his tunic, Fei Qing nodded with satisfaction and then spoke up, "Son, I want you to sell me your Wolf Strength Gu worm for 740 primeval stones."


    While Fei Qing turned the explanation into a form of coax, Fei Cai was well aware of the situation. He had never hoped to retain the business of lending beast strength gu worms. The idea was lucrative enough to benefit the whole tribe and now, Fei Qing described that the business will be handled by his competitor¡ª Fei Chang. While Fei Cai had assumed to retain the ownership of the gu worm until the beast trials, the sudden declaration of war by a tribe that wasn''t even situated within the nearby locations had caused complicated matters to rise early.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Remember, until I return, you are not to refine gu worms alongside your uncle. The project of refining rank 3 Earth Lizard House Gu worm."


    This was the first time Fei Qing had interjected in Fei Cai''s decision-making process but he nodded and accepted the terms nonetheless. The sale price of the wolf strength gu was more than twice and he knew that this was a way to suppress any indignance he might feel for the tribe. Even as a father, Fei Qing''s actions would show the charm of being a tribe leader and reveal his decision-making process. As Fei Qing left the tent, Fei Qing stood for his original task¡ª to quench his thirst and then returned to his room.


    Before succumbing to his sleep, however, Fei Cai unraveled the scroll to skip through its contents and much to his fortune, aside from a basket of 740 primeval stones which his father had prepared beforehand, Fei Qing now held a refining recipe of Rank 1 Gu Worm¡ª Enslavement.


    ---


    Unlike his calm exterior, Fei Qing''s thoughts were in turmoil. While he had always held suspicions against the tribe elder¡ª Fei Sheng¡ª an old coon whose motives seemed to have turned into leeching off the tribe and sow internal discord, the fact that Man Tribe, a tribe of equal stature to Fei situated hundreds of kilometers away would suddenly rally nearby allies into declaring war against the tribe was certainly troubling. What did the Man tribe hope to achieve? And why did the tribes surrounding Warm Pond Valley suddenly turn against one another?


    After all, aside from the harassment against the Fei Tribe, the news of annexation of Han Tribe by Pa¡ª a Mid-force tribe¡ª in a cruel fashion. However, alone and leading 120,000 horse beasts consisting of¡ª Terror Claw horses, Fire Mane Horses, and a low number of Grass-Root horses¡ª most of the force comprising of the first kind, Fei Qing alone rushed to Pei Tribe, another Mid-force tribe, with the intention of devouring them and forty thousand wood horses which would certainly cover the cost of attack and subsequent losses. His departure was only known by Fei Chang and his son and if Fei Chang had learned anything from all the games they played together then certainly, this current attack would be successful.


    When Fei Cai woke in the middle of the morning, he took a few minutes to freshen up while a few gu masters a few steps away, and taking a dump themselves couldn''t help but chatter.


    "Did you hear that Lord Chieftain has rushed to decimate the Pa Tribe? He even took more than half of his enslaved horse groups and left the Tribe in Elder Fei Chang''s charge."


    However snorting at his friend, the other Gu Master continued, "That is already the news of olden age. The trials to Elders have been removed. They said that in lights of tribulation that would occur in three years, it is time to allow other gu masters to become elders of the tribe."


    "And?" the first one didn''t seem impressed, "the trials have never barred our tribe. It only made the sense of achievement more distinguished. But to break through to rank 3 is easier said than done. Even that youth, Fei Nai, hasn''t been able to break through yet."


    The other voice turned silent while Fei Cai was already done with his business. However, he soon realized that the news regarding the denial of the trials to elder was a public buzz. Still, that didn''t stop Fei Cai from taking Lo with him to the nearby grassland once again. As things stood, the area beside the tribe still remained safe from the threat of other tribes and while the inner portion of the valley was no longer suited for training due to the beginning of mass refinement of rank 3 Earth Lizard House Gu, the surrounding grassland was now teeming with liveliness.


    Still, from the scroll, Fei Cai now understood what the ''Tribulations'' that occurred every 10 years entailed and what he should look out for. Not enemies but resources!


    He still had a few days before the beast trials that pulled every Rank 1 gu master below the age of 15 into participation. The numbers were a few digits short from a full century and in such odds, Fei Cai felt that he needed to prepare more carefully in the upcoming days. He had a defense, storage, investigative, support, and healing type gu worms with his attack type gu already utilized. Now, using the funds acquired by the sacrifice of wolf strength gu, Fei Cai would use the primeval stones filled within the Lizard Mouth Gu to purchase a suitable attack type gu worm.


    "Lo, prepare yourself," Fei Cai whispered after a slight rustle of leaves fell into his ears. Once again knocking his bow with an arrow, Fei Cai waited in his position as Lo unsheathed his dagger for the hunt. However, the expected attack did not grace the master-slave pair. With a furrow touching Fei Cai''s brows, he gestured Lo to cover the front and crouched with a muddy eye wriggling out of the inner side of his palm. Flinching slightly due to pain, Fei Cai pressed his palm against the ground and felt his vision growing dark with the footsteps around him glowing.


    Aside from his Lo''s footsteps alongside the tendrils of roots around him, Fei Cai failed to sense any form of disruption despite the sound he heard. This allowed Fei Cai to stand up, knock his bow once again instruct Lo slowly. "The target is on the grass itself. Slowly make way forward and be ready to dodge the moment you see any rodent."


    Nodding at his master''s words, Lo stepped forward with his dagger pushing away the thicket of grass. Still, a few moments of careful search did not lead to any discovery. It was as if the target had disappeared but Fei Cai didn''t rule out the possibility that he might have been wrong himself. There may be no target in front of them it could have been a mistake from his side and an error in his scouting abilities. Still, after finding adequate game worth a few primeval stones in materials, something that would be extremely appreciated by any other rank 1 gu master, Fei Cai retreated alongside Lo and with his Gu worms healthy and fed, Fei Cai decided to leave the purchase of materials and appropriate attack type gu for the next day.

 18

    Purchasing the eleventh gu worm was quite a task for Fei Cai. He realized that somehow, he now felt restricted in his options due to the Demon Venerable''s journal. The journal not only contained his experiences and tales but also described the essence of cultivation and how complicated it actually was. Every action in the path of cultivation would have drastic consequences and such is the life of Gu Masters, to oppose such consequences and bend the world to their whims. Still, Fei Cai had long realized that there are many more options greater than beast strength gu worms. However, as he went through the journal last night, a particular point of importance caught his attention.


    Thieving Heaven Demon Venerable made sure to point out that even if some paths have their own restrictions, it is in the nature of Gu Masters to overcome such hurdles and innovate methods unseen before their existence and if such a man could still admire the innovative spirit of the world, who''s to say that the restriction of beast strength gu worms couldn''t be overcome? Not only that, the Demon Venerable was only the seventh and three more venerables rose after his ''departure''. More methods were invented and many more changes were brought that is why even if the gu recipes in the inheritance were substantial gain, the most important benefit of the inheritance was the secrets of the gu world, Thieving Heaven''s experiences... and the location of other inheritances. As the Venerable stated, he left everything in this one inheritance and it was now on Fei Cai''s luck and skills to obtain these methods.


    However, far from the thoughts of monumental secrets, Fei Cai reigned his desires and gazed at the rank 1 attack type gu worms with a deep expression. The attacking methods were subpar. The exhaustion of primeval essence brought by the gu worms present was high, too, and even if he could try his hand at refining a suitable attack type gu worm, in the beast trials, he would need to keep the pretenses of having an attack method accumulated through the tribe. His purchases of refinement materials would be an alarming issue if he had shown more gu worms in his arsenal which he didn''t. Instinct Gu worms required to feed on his own blood, Lizard Mouth Gu needed to feed on a pound of insects which also happened to be the food for Yellow Tongue Gu.


    In front of the Tribe''s eyes, Fei Cai was a junior with a thirst to refine something and achieve a sense of accomplishment but now, even if he refines something, Fei Cai had no thought of displaying it to the world. He needed to purchase a Gu worm from the tribe to have it marked in the books that he, Fei Cai, had an attack-type gu worm. That was it. Finally, after a considerable amount of time, Fei Cai chose rank 1 poison arrow gu worm. Taught in the art of archery by Fei Qing at a young age and his uncle being a proficient Poison-type Gu Master, nobody would raise an eyebrow if Fei Cai decided to go with a method that utilized the combination of his blood family''s methods. Not only that but the poison arrow gu required to feed on dart-shaped poison flowers which were relatively easy to acquire and the cost of the gu worm, due to specialization and the distance restriction of 100 steps reduced the price to 180 primeval stones.


    With that, Fei Cai left the tent and perked his ears for information about his father. As expected, the raid of terror horsed brought Pei Tribe to their knees within hours, something nobody could have expected due to Fei Chang deliberately misinforming the tribe by stating that Fei Qing had traveled to wage war with Pa Tribe. While belonging to a peaceful civilization and inept at the art of war, Fei Cai soon realized the meaning of his uncle''s actions. There must be some form of an informant within the tribe planted or bribed by other tribes. Fei Chang''s actions acted as a distraction to elude Pa Tribe into tightening their defenses and lay in waiting while Pei Tribe, a tribe situated in the opposite direction, continued to assimilate their gains only to be stricken down out of nowhere.


    ---


    Fei Sheng returned to his tent after the tribal meeting sharing the fortunate news of a large amount of compensation earned as war loot by Fei Qing with the Chieftain now returning to the tribe in an orderly fashion with the Pei Tribe''s slaves. Fei Sheng held no delusions that Fei Qing would have killed the rank 4 leader and would easily enslave the rank 3 gu masters only to share them with the clan later. After all, Fei Qing was one of the most talented enslavement path gu masters with his reputation only below the Enslavement Path Masters such as Ma Zun, the Horse King.


    His warm expression shifted into a cold one the moment he entered his tent. Making way to the cultivation room, Fei Sheng cut off his connection with the outside world and fell into deep thought. ''To not even inform the group of elders, Fei Chang must hold suspicions that one of us is a traitor. Fei Kao is still resting from the ambush so nobody would be willing to accuse him. Not to mention, after the Fei Qing and Chang, Kao is the greatest and eccentric powerhouse of the tribe. Fei Dan has proposed marriage to Fei Chang and removed a better half of the suspicion, making me the prime suspect.''


    Still, without fear, he calmly analyzed, ''But I am not a pawn of Pa Tribe. And even if Fei Qing decided to attack Pa Tribe, they would fall because there is no need for me to help assist a competing tribe. This ought to clear some of the suspicions from me but I need to tread carefully now and digest my gains. It won''t be long before I reach rank 4 but I cannot stop assisting Fei Chang.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Out of all the Elders, Fei Qing was genuinely supported by Fei Kao. Not only were the two childhood friends, but they were also brothers from war. Comrades in the truest sense. The remaining two elders, including himself, supported Fei Chang. Fei Sheng did this out of the selfish motive of sowing discord between the cousins but it was taking longer than he had expected while Fei Dan, the youngest of elders, supported Fei Chang for the poison master was his mentor. ''The loss of a huge opportunity such as refining earth lizard house gu for slightly more resources was a foolish choice of mine. I let myself get led by a moment of greed. Not only that, but I also lost the business of lending strength Gu worm to Fei Dan for that very reason,'' admonishing himself, Fei Sheng cleared his mind and began cultivating.


    As he continued to cultivate, a thought finally struck him which led to a breakthrough in his act of conspiration, allowing him to think in a different direction and use other targets for his objectives.


    ---


    Instead of going out to hunt, Fei Cai receded into his room. He had the recipe of Enslavement Gu till rank seven but unfortunately, most of the materials he had never heard of. However, after receiving the gu recipe of rank 1 enslavement gu, Fei Cai realized that there were options he could utilize which he transmigrated with. The answer was simple. A comparison table. The inheritance computer gu worm seemed to work like a holographic chip that was dreamt by every youth of Fei Cai''s previous life but he could use it to his own advantage. Using the computer gu worm, Fei Cai began to filter the enslavement type gu worms and pulled their rank 1 versions in a horizontal table that marked the resources needed to refine one. Aside from his father''s gu recipe, Fei Cai compared the materials of Rank 1 beast enslavement gu, horse enslavement gu, love enslavement gu, and many more.


    If it wasn''t for Compute Gu worm, Fei Cai could have never achieved such a detailed comparison without a month of hard work, which wouldn''t be worth it or possible since he wouldn''t have so many rank 1 enslavement gu recipes.


    But as he read through all the recipes, Fei Cai soon began to find a similar type of gu materials that was now quite ordinary in nature and it brought Fei Cai great joy when he was able to form a semblance of gu recipes formed by the careful selection of gu materials that were present in the tribe. Of course, Fei Cai held no doubt that like every form of production, this recipe was merely at the beginning stages but Fei Cai had effectively cut away a few expensive materials with ordinary ones.


    To others, this might seem a task worthy of celebration, especially for their kids, but to Fei Cai, a boy with the cautious mind of a middle-aged man still in its nascent stage to understand the secrets of this world, the act of altering a few materials was not worth festivities.


    Still, the act of comparison took hours and turned Fei Cai''s joints numb and his calves tingling. With the effect of Aperture Nurture Gu still effective, Fei Cai began cultivating without minding the temporary loss of movement and the need for recuperation. He had heard about his father''s act of breaking through to the middle stages of Rank 1 aperture in two weeks and upper stages in six weeks. But Fei Cai was pushed back from cultivating due to groundbreaking inheritances which, sadly, couldn''t be brought to their full potential. With more than five hundred primeval stones stored within Lizard Mouth Gu, Fei Cai began the cultivation of his aperture alongside the refinement of his control of primeval essence. Now realizing the long-term benefit of impeccable control, Fei Cai naturally gave priority to the latter even if it causes his cultivation to hinder by a slight margin.


    Such was his life for the next two days. Fei Cai only left for hunting for three hours the next day and that was to familiarise himself with the Poison Arrow Gu. The gu worm was in the shape of a green mosquito that buzzed within Fei Cai''s aperture. The use of the gu worm was hidden between the second lock of his right index and middle finger. The moment he would knock and empty bow, he needed to send primeval essence to the dart-shaped spot on the inner side of his right index and middle finger and a venomous dark green arrow would generate to its life, ready to shoot its mark and poison it down with a moderately paralyzing venom. However, the arrow would crumble apart after traveling a hundred steps away from the user so the Gu Master needed to be adept in kiting one''s opponent be they a beast or another gu master.


    With the passive utilization of rank 1 instinct gu, the use of poison arrow gu was definitely to Fei Cai''s satisfaction. But from the guidance of Venerable, and his own experiences for that matter, Fei Cai was deeply aware of accumulating more methods to keep himself safe against most odds. With that in mind, he returned to his abode and began cultivating despite his father''s action of giving him a ''homework.'' Fei Cai wasn''t planning to refine enslavement gu. Not in the eyes of the tribe, at least. He was planning to find most of the resources in the forest and the beginning of that would be from the Beast Trials. In the next two days, the excitement of the tribe reached an overwhelming level. Even the slaves were treated kindly for the most manner and the mortals of the tribe were given adequate food to feed themselves heartily.


    After all, not only Fei Qing returned victoriously from a one-man war, he brought the coffers of the Mid-force Pei Tribe which was a mighty boon to the Fei Tribe alongside Gu Master Slaves of ranks 1-3 and an even greater lot of mortal slaves. Not only that, the loss of thirty thousand terror horses during Fei Chang''s ambush was recuperated by almost 20,000 Wood Horses reared by Pei Tribe.


    But most importantly, Beast Trials were on the verge of beginning and...


    Elder Fei Nai had joined the ranks of accomplished members of the tribe with a sudden breakthrough. But much to Fei Sheng''s indignance, Fei Nai wasn''t the only one to accomplish a breakthrough.

 19

    Once again the deep-rooted tribal system of strength recognition shone within the Fei Tribe. Being an unorthodox northling, a stern father, and a caring husband, Fei Qing still showed a side wilder than any beast and sat in the most revered seat of the tent. The large tent was filled with members only above rank 3, both masters and slaves. With Fei Qing sitting at the head of the table, Mortal women dressed in skimpy clothing for the pleasure of Gu Elders continuing to serve one dish after another, Fei Chang sat to Fei Qing''s right and Fei Kao sat to the Chieftain''s left.


    "Who knew!" Fei Qing smiled, his gaze filled with emotions that even a beautiful and mature woman standing beside the man couldn''t stir within the Chieftain''s heart. Raising his cup towards Fei Kao personally, Fei Qing grinned, "To think that you obtained blessing in disguise gu worm. Your breakthrough to rank 4 is a pleasant and welcoming surprise! May the Longevity Heavens bless us with more fortune!"


    Draining his cup, Fei Qing watched Fei Kao empty his cup, too. In the Northern Plains, a few traditions were taken quite seriously. When a Gu Master raises his cup in honor of others, the most respectful action is to drink to that toast completely. Avoidance in the matter is regarded as a deep form of disrespect and contempt. But that wasn''t all. Beside Fei Kao, Fei Chang, and Fei Qing, stood three distinct figures. Unlike the skimpy rags worn by female slaves and mortals, the three¡ª two men and woman¡ª wore an outfit equal to the elders of the Fei Tribe.


    Fei Sheng eyed the three Gu Masters with a dark expression. If it wasn''t for Fei Kao''s surprising breakthrough to rank 4, Fei Sheng would have been the one to receive a rank 3 enslaved Gu Master! However, Fei Qing had the devious mind to store unusable gu worms of the three gu masters within the tribe treasury while taking most of the gu worms and recipes for himself. After all, Fei Qing waged and won the battle alone! He killed the opponent rank 4 gu master in cold blood and brought victory to Fei Tribe!


    With the two men divided into Fei Chang and Fei Kao, Fei Qing made an astute decision to keep a tight leash on the Rank 3 Female Gu Master. In the control of patriarchal tribe such as the Pei Tribe, it was an astonishing feat for a female Gu Master to become an elder even with a rank 3 cultivation. The schemes and ordeals she must have braved through couldn''t be imagined until one stood on the opposite sides of said conspiracies. Not only that, but the only reason such a shrewd Gu Master still lives is due to her attainments in the Refinement path of Gu Worms.


    The three elders of the Pei Tribes wore modest expression and weighed their indignance deeply. Their thoughts were laid bare to their new masters but that was not punished due to tacit understanding. While they were slaves, if raised as beneficial subordinates, then the Pei Tribe Elders won''t hold back to show their support for the victor. However, if truly treated as a slave, these Gu Masters would also begin conspiring against the Tribe itself. Out of the two options, it was easy to opt for the most beneficial one.


    However, the festivities weren''t dampened by such thoughts. Instead, under Fei Qing''s lead, Fei Chang raised his cup of wine high and smiled broadly, "This is to the fortunate breakthrough of Elder Fei Kao. Just like Chieftain, I, Fei Chang, consider you a true brother!"


    "Haha," Accepting the toast with a pleasant expression, Fei Kao downed his cup once again only to be filled by a servant promptly, "Please, the celebration is not only for my breakthrough and the battle victory but also the new addition to the group of elders! To Fei Nai!"


    Fei Chang''s, Fei Dan''s, and Fei Nai''s smiles broadened. Aside from the hidden, tacit agreement of the two cousins controlling the tribe, Fei Nai was a beloved member of the younger generation. However, Fei Kao didn''t stop here. The man valued strength and honor over everything. That is why he retained his purity for not a single woman could ever best him. "This cup!" he raised, "I''ll hold until Elder Fei Nai complete the Trials to Elder. Despite the suspension of the trials, Elder Fei Nai begged for a chance to prove himself. An honorable warrior through and through."


    Putting down the cup, his cheeks flushed with excitement and alcohol, Fei Kao gazed at Fei Nai, "This cup I shall drink the moment you make all of us acknowledge your abilities, Elder Fei Nai!"


    Draining his cup, Fei Nai stood up and cupped his hands, "I wouldn''t ask for anything else. That drink shall be the only acknowledgment I will ever need, Elder Fei Kao. I hope I can stand up to everybody''s expectations!" He said while turning to the Chieftain. Such pleasant callings only made the group of elders enjoy themselves further. Taking the chance to solidify their almost marital relationship, Fei Dai, too, raised his cup in Fei Nai''s honor for the young elder''s brother would soon marry Fei Dan''s daughter.


    ---


    Fei Qing''s pleasant mood didn''t shift even when he saw Fei Cai kneeling in front of the Chieftain with a ''remorseful'' expression. "Father, I am not obedient!" Fei Cai chanted as Fei Qing sat in front of his son, cross-legged. "Son, raise your head. Your father brought glory to the tribe, don''t let it be tarnished due to a mistake," Fei Qing smiled and gestured the female elder to stand beside Lo who looked fearful of the new arrival.


    "Now tell me, what ails your mind, Cai''er?"


    Taking a deep breath, Fei Cai whispered, "It was your guidance to start refining gu worm that your recipe dictated. However, I made a different decision and decided to train my abilities in Gu Worms for tomorrow''s Beast Trials. Please admonish me, Lord Father."


    Exhaling softly, Fei Qing stated plainly. He was feeling generous and quite happy so he decided to point out the direction beneficial for his son. "Cai''er, I will recite a chapter from Legends of Ren Zu. Listen carefully."


    ---


    Ever since Ren Zu was able to get their names and subdue the Rules Gu and Regulation Gu, his first order was for them to capture a Longevity Gu.


    Rules Gu and Regulation Gu, one round and another square, worked together and could capture all the Gu in the world, a Longevity Gu was nothing difficult.


    Ren Zu used the Longevity Gu and got back his youth, becoming 20 years old again.


    But now the Rules Gu said, "Human, although you subdued us, every time you command us, it will add a rule and regulation."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Regulation Gu continued, "We can catch the Longevity Gu for you, this is the first order. Our new rule and regulation is, we will not repeatedly catch the same Gu for you."


    That means, if Ren Zu wanted to catch a Longevity Gu again, the two Rules Gu and Regulation Gu would not help.


    Ren Zu nodded, having no choice but to accept.


    He gave his second command, "Then, other than the Longevity Gu, please capture all the other ten thousand Gu in the world for me."


    Rules Gu and Regulation Gu got this command and both the Gu turned into a giant circle, encompassing the universe. Regulation Gu turned into a giant square, covering the large world.


    One square and one round formed a giant net together, enveloping the entire world.


    When they shrunk again and returned to Ren Zu, all the Gu in the world other than Longevity Gu were captured.


    Ren Zu was overjoyed, with this all the Gu belonged to him, from now on he was the ruler of the world!


    But once he opened the net, with a swoosh, a large number of worms flew outside and the Gu worms that Rule Gu and Regulation Gu worked hard to catch, all escaped fervently.


    When Ren Zu closed the net, only five Gu were left.


    "What happened?" Ren Zu was astonished.


    Rules Gu and Regulation Gu answered him, "Human, the world has over ten thousand Gu with all sorts of abilities. You have no strength or knowledge, how can you subdue them? We can only capture Gu for you, to subdue them, you have to rely on yourself to get them to work for you."


    Next, they added, "This is your second order, so we¡¯ll add a second rule and regulation --- From now on, we can only catch one Gu for you at a time."


    Ren Zu could only nod, and carefully opened the net, only showing a small gap.


    The remaining five Gu contained the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu. Seeing this, Ren Zu was overjoyed.


    He said to Strength Gu, "Strength Gu, you left me back then, do you have any regrets? If you succumb to me now, I will return you your freedom."


    Strength Gu said, "Human, you are wrong. I didn¡¯t leave not because I couldn¡¯t, but because I wanted to stay. You want to subdue me but that¡¯s impossible. I only succumb to those stronger than me, but you are out of the question. However, we can deal again, give me your youth and I will temporarily obey you."


    Ren Zu was reluctant upon hearing this, he had just gotten back his youth, was he about to lose it again?


    But he desired strength, he knew that with strength, he would get stronger and life would get easier.


    Moreover, with strength, he could subdue more Gu.


    Thus, Ren Zu accepted, and formed a second deal with it.


    Ren Zu became middle-aged at once, and the Strength Gu flew out of the web and landed on Ren Zu¡¯s shoulder.


    Ren Zu had strength, and was full of confidence.


    He said to Wisdom Gu: "Wisdom Gu, you left me back then, do you have any regrets? If you succumb to me now, I will return you your freedom."


    Wisdom Gu said, "Human, you are wrong. I did not leave not because I couldn¡¯t, but because I wanted to stay. You want to subdue me but that¡¯s impossible. I only succumb to those smarter than me, yet you are not smarter than me. But we can deal again, give me your middle age and I will temporarily obey you."


    Ren Zu upon hearing this refused to do the same deal again.


    He treasured his life more, and he also knew that once he sold his middle age, he would be left with old age. Before long, the Strength Gu and Wisdom Gu would leave him again, just like last time.


    Ren Zu refused to deal but did not want to let go of the Wisdom Gu.


    Wisdom Gu was anxious, reluctantly giving in, "Alright, Human, you win. I lost to you this time. As long as you tell me what method you used to capture me, I will admit defeat and not take anything from you, being at your disposal."


    Upon hearing this, Ren Zu was overjoyed and before the Rules Gu and Regulation Gu could stop him, he said, "I used the Rules Gu and Regulation Gu to capture you."


    Wisdom Gu laughed upon hearing, "I remembered it, so these Gu are called Rules Gu and Regulation Gu. Haha, now that I know your names, you can no longer capture me."


    Saying so, it turned into a flash of light and flew away, vanishing into thin air.


    Rules Gu and Regulation Gu begin to complain, "Human, we told you long ago that our name should be known by you alone, and not others. Otherwise, we would be used by others. Look what happened, now that Wisdom Gu knows our names, it spells trouble."


    Only then did Ren Zu realize that he was tricked by Wisdom Gu. He was anguished, for he knew he lost the only chance he had of capturing the Wisdom Gu using Rules Gu and Regulation Gu.


    ---


    The female elder''s gaze flickered as she heard the story. A sigh escaped her lips as she gazed at the father-son duo. Conflicting emotions resurged within the depths of her heart as she seemed to be recalling a few of her lasting memories. However, Fei Qing''s gaze managed to remain clear after reciting such a troubling tale. "Cai''er, you have read the Legends time and again. Each time a Gu Master reads the Legends, surprisingly, a new insight into one''s nature is gained. Tell me, what have you learned?"


    Closing his eyes for a moment and relishing the story that managed to detail upon the entirety of human beings and their nature, Fei Cai analyzed his own ''real'' situation. He couldn''t care what homework his father sets for him. Enslavement Gu could he refined with his recipe but after taking an initial step that only belonged to him. A recipe that converged from Venerable''s methods, his father''s recipe, and the Dead Gu Master''s journal, Fei Cai realized that a sense of profound knowledge lay right in front of him should he decide to step on his own.


    Similarly, Ren Zu, at the time, was indirectly bound to Rules Gu and Regulation Gu. For Fei Cai, it was his inheritances. Similar to the two gu worms in the legends, the Venerable''s gu worm stated clearly that his successor should forge a path of his own. It was not a shame to refer to the notes left by a Venerable but even if a tiny one, Fei Cai seemed to have retained the urge of holding out his own. In vague terms but with a clear mind, Fei Cai replied, "I understand, father. Human ancestor, in face of wisdom and strength, held impatience. He willingly forgot the caution of Rules Gu and Regulation Gu worm. I failed to recognize the true meaning behind your words and acted hastily."


    Impressed, both Fei Qing''s and the nameless slave elder''s gaze focused on Fei Cai. "Good," Fei Qing nodded, "Beast Trials is a hurdle that I never meant for you. Not because you are weak, but your capabilities are far higher than the middling rank 1 weakling who shall never breakthrough. Refining gu worms increases a Gu Master''s potential in a long run. This time, I shall forget the matter but next time, should I ever advise you on any topic, those instructions must be met without failure."


    Nodding silently, Fei Cai waited as Fei Qing raised his arm and gestured the Female to walk forward. "It is time for introductions. Like Lo is your slave, Pei Yang, now named Fei Yang, belongs to this household. She is a Peak Rank 3 Gu Master who submitted to our clan. In the daytime, she will accompany your Uncle in the refining procedures but after dusk, she won''t leave the house and will answer every single one of your queries regarding refining and cultivation."


    "Pleasant to meet you, Master¡ª" Before Fei Yang could complete, Fei Qing raised his gaze sternly, making the woman shiver instantly. "Woman," Fei Qing began with unconcealed coldness, "You are a subordinate of the Chieftain. Unless my head rolls, your only master will remain me. My son will earn his titles without your flowery encouragement. One word about you getting into his head, just one word, and I shall make you wish death!"


    "Apologies!" Fei Yang knelt with her expression twisting with fright. Strong she may be but never had she seen an enslavement path gu master strike a sword path gu cultivator of equal rank, the path known to have the greatest attack strength, in a few personal strikes.


    Nodding in satisfaction, Fei Qing allowed Fei Cai to retreat into his room and brought Fei Yang with him. However, instead of lust, Fei Qing''s gaze flickered with tiredness and the moment they entered the room, Fei Yang fell unconscious and Fei Qing returned to his mattress to sit cross-legged and enter a deep meditative stance.

 20

    Dusk didn''t shine upon the night skies overseeing the torch surrounded Fei Tribe but the men and women of the recently victorious tribe woke up. Young ones, especially, buzzed with excited expression despite the lack of sleep. Scouts spread out to keep a track of other tribe''s activities and their own''s during the trials. While the chances of being attacked during a trial were slim for this day was consistent with every tribe, Fei Qing still ordered the scouts to remain attentive. The time preceding great tribulation was fraught with endless misery and only by remaining prepared can a tribe avoid... losing too much.


    Outside the entrance of the Valley marked with Fei Tribe''s establishment, a group of young boys and girls, no more than fifteen in age, stood with their thin bodies covered by battle tunics, bows, daggers, and a furred shoulder guard. The total number of youths went past 150 in total but they managed to stay orderly. In front of them stood Fei Qing. Or to be precise, he sat on a Terror Horse. Unlike any other, this one was frightening in appearance and aura both. Thick neck with bulging limbs and mighty tail. Its height greater than 4 meters! The towering beast could be observed by everyone and Fei Qing alone stood in front of the young gu masters to address them.


    This was an honor belonging only to the tribe leader and even if his figure seemed to hide in the darkness of night, his words rang true.


    "Fei Tribe, I have let you down!" Fei Qing shouted with the gigantic Terror Horse snorting and smacking its hoof on the ground. "Just like my ancestors, I have stolen a portion of your future for the tribe. Just like my ancestors, I ordered every one of you to forcefully awaken your aperture at the age of ten before your potential could sustain. Even my own son suffers the fate of premature awakening just like I did and just like my father did but we stand here, still!"


    His words made Fei Cai''s gaze flicker. He seemed like any average joe within the crowd for he was neither tall nor beautiful. Even his potential, as Fei Qing stated, was supposed to be better. At least, better than 69% of the aperture being filled but...


    "But unlike other Gu Masters of different continents, we cannot wait. Every ten years, our life is subjected to the tribulations of the plains. Ice covers the skies and snow pile over the dead. Lungs freeze in desperation and little children die in cold. Hungry. Our lands are ruthless so we must be, too. Not only to ourselves, but our future, too. We may have to cut our potential," Fei Qing growled, "But we are the most feared! Take any northerner to a different continent and he''ll show you how to cut, conquer, and live."


    "He''ll show you how to spread one''s name in glory. Each of us is made better by the tribulation. Stronger! And now, Fei Tribe, these kids will prove themselves. The Beast Trials are to be fulfilled. Entire rodent kind and beasts are up for the hunt. 100 Terror horses that I let loose are up for the hunt! They shall tear you apart if you fight them unprepared. And so will you tear them apart if you have that might." With that, Fei Qing waved his hand as a small globe of flames escaped his wrists and illuminated the night sky, revealing just how terrifying the giant horse actually looked.


    "Each Terror Horse is marked with an emblem of the tribe. Rodents matter naught. This beast trial is dangerous and the rewards appropriate. However, only the three brave souls with the greatest amount of emblems can earn the rewards."


    Fei Cai''s and many other young Gu Master''s instantly locked as the Beast Trials truly turned out to be dangerous but when Fei Qing announced the reward, everyone grew excited once again.


    The third best score would net a person one Rank 1 green copper relic gu. The second best score would allow the Gu Master to chose from one Rank 1 Bishop Armor Gu, a rare defense type gu worm. Finally, the first in the trials would net that Gu Master a set of Terror Horse Gu, one of the brand gu worms of the Fei Tribe consisting of Rank 1 Terror Eyes, Night Hide, and Hoof Legs gu worms.


    But Fei Cai had removed the thought of getting the gu worms, not unless he forsakes the reputation he had tried to build or...


    Attacking another Gu Master was strictly forbidden, Fei Qing even assured that many rank 2 gu masters would remain hidden to prevent any unforeseen action from a fellow gu master but if a gu master falls prey to Terror Horses then that''s a different matter altogether.


    Once Fei Qing returned to the tribe with his most beloved prize, the gates of the tribe were shut closed and allowed the Gu Masters to wander within the grassland. The horses were said to be within 30 kilometers of the tribe but before he could leave, Fei Cai was approached by Fei Mang. With slaves not allowed to participate and help their masters, most of the young gu masters felt a little unnerved to go alone. Especially the most recent and fresh bunch.


    With most of the experienced Gu Master running along, unwilling to waste any time, and letting their competitor get a headstart, their hunt began. For the most knowledgeable in the group, this was probably their fifth beast trials and if one name came to Fei Cai''s mind who could win the Beast Trials then it was Fei Sau. An uprising talent with peak rank 1 gu cultivation and gu worms won in the last two consecutive beast trials.


    "Fei Cai, we should set traps together. My brother once told me that even the weakest of Terror Horse in your father''s horde has the strength matching peak rank 1 master. I earned that Twig Trap Gu a few days back." He explained sincerely. This was to be expected by Fei Cai regarding Fei Mang and others. The true objective of the beast trials to be conducted, this early in the fresh batch''s path, he concluded was to make the young ones realize the true danger of Gu World. The lucky ones who survive an entire day away from Tribe will be accepted with open arms and those who didn''t... their corpses won''t even be honored for a burial and their parents would remain distraught until they sire a couple more. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "All right, we''ll do it your way," Fei Cai nodded. A sum total of five gu masters began their journey deeper into the woods. It was public that Fei Cai had lost his wolf strength gu but his other purchases weren''t anybody else''s concern, allowing the other four gu masters to remain unknown about Fei Cai''s true battle strength. Not that it would have mattered. Facing Terror Horses was an unnecessary risk for an unprepared Fei Cai, however, he had the objective to battle and seek out other beasts nonetheless.


    Without a fight, he won''t get hurt, and without hurting, he won''t grow. These were words left behind by the Venerable. This was the case in Legends of Ren Zu. This was the guidance Fei Qing once imparted during a training session and this was a personal experience that Fei Cai experienced when the greenhorn salamander''s horn stabbed into his shoulder.


    "We''ll finally face a terror horse!" Fei Lu whispered, her gaze marked with excitement. Even being the only girl in the group didn''t dampen her spirit. "I''ve grown tired of finishing off pythons and rats. Their meat doesn''t taste that good and the primeval stones for their parts are low."


    "We''ll die," Fei Mang snorted. "You only have one gu worm, Fei Ban and Fei Kan, you two brothers have a total of three, one of which you share. And Fei Cai... you?"


    "Three," Fei Cai replied with a satisfied look touching Fei Mang, "Me, too. But we still can''t face a terror horse. I think we should trap a few beasts using twig trap gu of mine. Aside from that, I only have one support gu and one attack gu." The names of which Fei Mang kept to himself.


    This thoroughly surprised Fei Cai. A few days back, Fei Mang was still singing praises about how he was making his slave squeal, and then suddenly, he stopped all his antics. The slave wasn''t dead, Fei Cai knew that much. What changed, however, remained unknown to him. Still, Fei Mang''s mental growth was a visible factor.


    ---


    For the sake of ease, Fei Cai gave out the information that out of the three gu worms he supposedly refined, one of them was cultivation support gu, a public knowledge. The second one was an investigative gu, and the last was a storage gu. With his right hand gloved and covering the round leaf shape pattern of copper leaf gu alongside the dart marks of poison arrow, Fei Cai didn''t have a need to cover anything else.


    Standing up with the painfully twitching mud eyes receding into his palm, Fei Cai nodded and gave the clear. "We need to scout the surrounding trees but this place is relatively safe," he informed Fei Mang and others. As young mind dictated, the remaining in the four gu masters all had attack type gu as their main method and had to rely completely on Fei Cai. This gave him an advantage but it was an empty one. However, much to the relief of the group, the sun had started to rise with their visions gradually turning for the better.


    The sound of bowstring stretched echoed softly when Fei Cai let the arrow loose, accurately hitting a grinding mole. Yet another game to be skinned, the responsibility of which was borne by beaten and blue-eyed Fei Kan, younger of the twins. Meanwhile, Fei Lu hummed an excited tone, her fists injured which could lead any astute observer to know what transpired. Now, finally free from the ragtag discriminating undertone of the group with a few cruel punches, Fei Lu occupied a rather important role for the group. Attacking. Fei Mang would set traps. The twig trap gu was an exhaustive gu that expended a lot of primeval essence. So, Fei Ban, the elder of the twins was tasked with digging small holes using his dagger, Fei Mang would then cover the holes with intertwined roots and grass releasing from his wrist as the young boy would grunt in pain every now and then.


    Fei Cai was asked to attack alongside Fei Lu but he refused the request stating that the Ground Eye Gu worm not only took a toll on his left arm but also caused headaches. If it was true or not remained a mystery but the group had to accept the terms. In reality, Fei Cai merely wished to preserve his strength until darkness covered the skies once again. The beast trials would end tomorrow, just before dawn and they had an unsettling night to still survive.


    ---


    As the trials underwent, the tribe used the time to digest the gains from the war. Once again, most of the resources firmly belonged to Fei Qing. His authority went unchallenged after the battle and he was followed by Fei Yang, the mature, dark-haired Pei Tribe female elder now reformed into his slave. "Lord Chieftain," Fei Chang tried to stand but Fei Qing shook his head. "Your injury still affects you," he whispered, "rest."


    Then, he looked at the slightly bowing Fei Nai and nodded. "Elder Nai, it is good to see that you''re willing to assist Elder Chang but your trial awaits you." Nodding at Fei Qing''s words, Fei Nai left after exchanging a few words with his father, leaving Fei Chang with a group of rank 1 cultivators past the age of 15 with a rudimentary knowledge of refining. They all were going through the first few process of refining Earth Lizard House Gu.


    "Elder Chang, as you might have seen her yesterday, she is one of the Pei Tribe''s Elder. She goes by Fei Yang now. The reason she still breathes is due to her talent in refining gu worms and I believe that it would be best to include her in the process. She is to return before dusk but otherwise, I want you to utilize her talents to their fullest." Hearing him, Fei Yang bowed at Fei Chang, who nodded plainly.


    "I heard much about her from my one," Fei Chang stated, referring to the new slave under him. "Even though our tribes had a fallout due to the situations of the world, I believe that you won''t betray Lord Chieftain''s respect and admiration towards you. Fine, she will be allowed to inspect and guide in the process but she cannot have a direct contact with the process. Not yet, I''m afraid."


    Fei Qing nodded with an understanding expression and gestured Fei Yang to go through the refinement process and leave the two alone. Sitting beside Fei Chang, Fei Qing inquired with a whisper, "Are you worried?" His expression remained plain as if they weren''t discussing something important. Adopting a similar stance in public, Fei Chang shook his head.


    "His talents surpass mine. If he doesn''t make an elder, I''m afraid tough times are ahead of us."


    Sighing softly, Fei Qing stood up and left directly. Fei Chang had never been the one to fear for the lives of his sons. It wasn''t in his nature to do that. Battle-hardened to the extreme, he has long accepted the eventual fate of death if he fails to reach rank 5 and surpass the limits of a mortal. Not much was known about this particular subject but no rank 5 gu master could ever refute the possibility of the existence of immortals.


    On the other hand, Fei Yang gazed at the body gestures of two cousins with a twinkle in her eyes. As the rumors stated, Fei Qing and Fei Chang seemed to be in a form of brutal competition and the victory against Pei Tribe was supposed to be a blow towards Fei Chang, too. She still needed more information to make an accurate judgment but there was finally hope in her gaze.

 21

    There was plenty of game to be hunted down and eaten when it was to fill the stomachs and entertainment factor of the young rank 1 gu masters. Sitting on their backs and leaning against the trees, Fei Mang, Fei Ban, Fei Kan, and Fei Lu held their hands over their stomach while Fei Cai had been purposely keeping him hungry slightly. Fei Cai, for a fact, knew that there is a shift in beasts who hunt at night. Not only are they dangerous to ordinary gu masters, but these beasts also have sadistic tendencies due to their very nature. Gazing at the four gu masters, their lips smeared with natural oils hidden within the flesh of these beasts, Fei Cai finally wondered if he should leave them be for their own risks.


    Nobody could know for sure if what Fei Qing had said was true. But if rank 2 gu masters were keeping an eye out for the young gu masters, would they actually let the sons of elders and the Chieftain be at risk? Who''s to say that Fei Cai wasn''t being watched as we speak? Who could deny that if Fei Cai left Fei Mang, the words of his actions wouldn''t reach his father and in return, tarnish the image Fei Cai has been building as a responsible gu master? There were advantages and disadvantages to most of the actions in the world. For Fei Cai to opt the route to grow as a ''righteous'' gu master described by the Venerable, beings that focused on financial benefits brought by being an upstanding Gu Master in any clan or organization, he had the advantage of innumerable resources once his name became a form of brand. However, he would lose out on the direct and quick benefits brought by the path condemned by the righteous forces.


    When Fei Cai read through the description of the two types of Gu Masters, his gaze couldn''t help but reveal a complicated emotion. This world was too similar to Earth in these matters. Whether right or wrong, Laws always condemned criminals who sought out means unorthodox in nature. A person could lose one''s virginity by raping or slowly progress in a relationship until the partner is willing for sexual interaction. The former, more direct, being condemned by the law and the latter, slightly more orthodox in nature quite appreciative by the world. This place was similar, too.


    Shaking himself out of the more philosophical questions of lives and consequences, Fei Cai placed his arm on the ground to check his surroundings casually. He, at the moment, didn''t focus as much on the air as he did towards the sky. Night skies were prone to be approached by flying beasts that could easily prey on sleeping and tired targets. The worst part was...


    "A crowd of red-eyed ravens," Fei Cai woke the group from their satisfied stupor. If the raven wished to attack a group of gu masters was not known, Fei Cai made sure he got some of the action by fluently knocking his arrow and letting it loose straight within the drove of dark-feathered birds with one of the pair of red eyes disappearing alongside his arrow.


    *Caww*


    Screeches rang within the group. Their marks were set. And they swoop down only to find Fei Lu hurriedly taking a deep breath. Her stomach inflated at the speed of air held within her lungs and her brows remained furrowed in pain but the moment she had enough, the woman let out a torrent of gusts from her mouth, kicking a few ravens off to the air once again while Fei Cai had taken out his dagger to dodge the cruelly aimed beak of one of the ravens, his blade slashing alongside the stomach to cause the bird''s death. He had been careful not to destroy the wings since they were sold at a higher price but they still ended up getting damaged when the raven crashed down. Unlike the two, Fei Mang, and the Fei Twins had trouble keeping up with the flock.


    They slashed their blades while covering their eyes with one hand and Fei Ban''s knife would glow with each slash and a blade of light would extend 1 centimeter. That was the twin''s only attack gu worm¡ª Slash Gu worm. The two had chosen speed type gu worm as their Vital Gu worm and had troubles keeping up with the crowd collecting over them.


    Seeing their situation was turning desperate, Fei Cai let a small claw scratch at his tunic, tearing it slightly to sheath his dagger and stab a raven with the tip of his arrow before throwing the bloodied arrow akin a javelin with surprising strength that took a raven and subsequent birds along the path, easing the trio''s situation.


    "Agh!" Lu''s pained shriek echoed as a raven''s beak now stabbed into the back of her dominant palm firmly, moving its head around to injure the lass more but Fei Cai assisted once again. He wanted experience and pain, not injuries that could turn a teammate into liability and before the situation could turn out for the worse, he struck with his dagger again, a beak landing on his thigh, too. Biting his lips with a strange expression, Fei Cai continued slaughtering the ravens that were indignant by Fei Cai''s attack in the first place.


    Within a few minutes, the short-lived battle came to an end with the corpses of the ravens spread across their resting spot. The scent of blood lingered but Fei Cai knew it was only a matter of time that the puddles of blood would attract more attention and even if he wasn''t an expert in medical attention and since he hadn''t exposed the fact that a rank 1 healing type gu¡ª Yellow Tongue Gu¡ª rested within his aperture, Fei Cai simply took to the campfire needed to accommodate the eyesight of the group and placed his cleaned blade on the fire. As the flat of blade grew hotter, Fei Cai''s hands glowed and a small lizard crawled out of his aperture through a mystical gateway. It opened its maws and surprisingly, the palm-sized lizard ejected a gourd double its size and retreated into the pathway.


    "We should clean our wounds and those who can''t stop their blood, they should cauterize their wounds," he suggested. Nobody told that they had a healing type gu and needed to dress their wounds. Fei Lu flinched in pain as she cleaned her hand with wet clothe and started bandaging it with a rag. She had been wanting to ''hunt'' a terror horse from the bey beginning but now, her excitement seemed to have been satiated. Similarly, Fei Ban and Kan continued with their injuries. Nobody suspected Fei Cai to have attracted the attention of the Raven flock out of his need to gain experience. In their eyes, the group was already a target.


    Not even many amongst the rank 2 scouts knew that the Red-eyed Ravens were omnivorous. Always seen as preying on the dead, fresh ones at that, the fiend looking beasts were categorized as dangerous amongst public Gu Masters. That wasn''t the case, however. While Fei Cai tended to his own wound, his gaze turned strange once again. The moment a beak was embedded within his right thigh, a stream of pain affected him deeply but somehow, while such pain would have brought at least a few unconscious drops of tear to his eyes, the current Fei Cai didn''t flinch at the moment. His body wasn''t willing to. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The sting of the injury was harsh but somehow, to Fei Cai''s surprise, he was managing through the pain quite well. "Why are you heating your dagger?" Fei Mang inquired after a few minutes. His figure disheveled and his breathing ragged, revealing the weakness of his physique as the young boy unconsciously clenched his fists. Shame breeding within his heart.


    "For this," Fei Cai stood, flinching only by the slightest as he pulled the nearest Raven and clipped his wings with the hot blade. He slashed at the wings slowly so that the blade could also work to stop more blood from spilling since the corpses were fresh. And he had yet another hidden agenda for ''cooking'' the ravens. Seeing his actions, after a few breaths, the group began following his lead, turning their resting spot as a den of cooked meat with the scent of blood and tantalizing flesh now spreading slowly, even enchanting the young kids but their thoughts were on different things. "Fei Lu! That was amazing!" Fei Kan, the younger twin who was beaten by the girl wondered in amazement. "Was that your Gust Breath Gu?"


    "Yes," Fei Lu smiled happily, the admiring gaze of the twin brothers dampening the emotional pressure brought by the injuries. Nobody in the group was afraid of gaining scars. In the tribe, scars were proof of experimental and now Fei Lu could have some. Seeing this, Fei Mang''s expression secretly worsened. His thoughts seemed in disarray but he continued to work through the ravens. Meanwhile, Fei Cai''s senses grew alert. The frequency of Ground Eye Gu Worm''s use increased and he kept an eye out for his surroundings regardless of illuminated trees. Fei Kan and Fei Lu finally hit it off with each other and reconciled with a skinned and cooked raven only for them to come to stunned silence when a soft snort followed by a gentle neighing of a horse interrupted their silent party.


    Fei Mang''s gaze snapped open, Fei Cai''s lips curled with an anticipated gaze and the remaining trio stopped eating. Followed by the horse''s snort, the crackles and snaps of twigs followed only to reveal a pitch-black monster with deep red eyes. While murder was not written on its face, the clawed, muscular legs of the beast revealed its terrifying nature.


    Fei Lu was the first to gulp. All of her wishes of facing a terror horse up-close satiated and her gaze now fearful. Slowly, she began to fill her lungs with air and activated her gu worm. Meanwhile, Fei Mang, the closest to the horse enticed to the location with the scent now couldn''t help but slowly crawl backward. His gaze, too, full of fear. It wasn''t only the beast that made them fearful. It was the accumulation of their past actions. From battling a raven and getting injuries to realizing the dangers of the night and finally seeing salivating terror gorse eyeing them maliciously.


    Gripping his dagger, Fei Cai waited silently. His expression was calm but his heart was anything of the sort. He planned to use the scent of the ravens to attract more and more beasts until a terror horse was attracted. In his mind, this was the most optimal situation where he could face a fierce beast in a battle. The baits not only included the scent of ravens but the four gu masters, too. He would either win the battle or escape quick enough to outrun the four of them. Aside from Fei Kan and Fei Ban, who had agility type gu worms, Fei Cai was sure he could leave Fei Mang and Fei Lu behind.


    "Neghhgh!" it shrieked suddenly, the body of terror horse supported by its hind limbs while ''his'' forelimbs now kicked in the air. The dangling of its equine member sheathed revealing the gender of the terror horse as a breeding stallion. The old scars over its leathery black body revealed the nature of the horse as an old yet experienced beast but that was all Fei Cai could observe. The horse hoofed forward, kicking a gust which only licked the campfire away, and at this moment, Fei Lu opened her mouth and let another torrent of airstrike against the horse''s face harshly.


    It''s annoyed neigh echoed in the darkness but all of the gu masters retreated hurriedly, willing to stall out until their visions adapt to darkness. Meanwhile, Fei Cai hurriedly knelt and tracked the claws of the horse with his ground eye gu worm. None had fled the battle, which was partially expected by Fei Cai. The kids didn''t value their lives and only after something extreme occurs would they freeze in fear or run away, which would be a cue for Fei Cai, too.


    Seeing the Terror Horse moving forward cautiously, the twigs leftover by Fei Mang''s gu worm crackling under its limbs, Fei Cai stood and deactivated his gu worm. The darkness allowed him to mobilize the yellow tongue gu to cover his injured thigh and finally, he decided to knock his arrow with a silent poison arrow gu worm and let it loose, the tip of which easily stabbed into seemingly visionless terror horse but it wasn''t still known if the paralyzing poison would work or not. Worse, the arrow expended 20% of his essence, leaving him with a little over 30.


    "I missed," Fei Cai whispered for all to hear as the horse''s roar echoed. Feeling the dark and monstrous entity shooting towards him, the instinct gu worm kicked in with hurried bells as Fei Cai dodged timely. Finally, Fei Ban seemed to have adapted the quickest and he looked at the dark figure ''running'' over Fei Cai without any blood or thump. Grimacing, he activated his vital gu¡ª Shriek Limbs¡ª a fuzzy fur covering his legs within his pants and stretching the fabric as he shot towards the slowing down horse fearlessly. "I''m attacking!" he roared while charging, "Kan''er, support me! Fei Cai might be injured so brother Mang, look after him!"


    Surprised by the sudden leadership quality of the elder twin, the trio nodded, and even without any directions, Fei Lu charged towards the horse. She had expended her primeval essence but that didn''t mean she had lost her methods. Her hard work and hunting experience had paid off as she, too, attacked the horse with her axe!


    However, when Fei Mang reached out for Fei Cai, he found him uninjured and quickly helped him up. "Are you all right?" Fei Mang inquired as Fei Cai nodded slightly. Dirt marring his grim face as Fei Cai shook Mang off and charged towards the horse showing his ''fearlessness'' while coaxing Fei Mang to attack, too. "Fei Mang, your poison palm gu!" He shouted as Fei Mang nodded with determination and followed. Under the veil of darkness, the horse would kick back and stomp with his heavy tail capable of attacking, too. Fei Lu was the first to fall. A moment of careless caused the thick tail to smack against her head harshly, flinging her off but he had causes enough cuts to the horse''s hind calves to slow and wear it down.


    Not enough apparently. Before Fei Mang could attack the bloodied regions with open wounds using a venomous green coat slathering his palm, a surprising kick made him fly back, leaving his fate unknown. With Fei Cai behind and the twins forward, showing stunning teamwork, Fei Cai conjured yet another poison arrow gu in his arms and stabbed it deep within the left thigh of the horse. At this moment, the horse managed to clench on Fei Ban''s dagger-wielding arm only to let it go before it could tear the arm off due to pain and poison kicking in, making the horse tilt down diagonally at the loss of control of its left hind limb. Taking this chance, Fei Cai jumped by tugging the tail of the horse as support and under the Twin''s stunned eyes, followed by an enchanting and glowing phantom of a ferocious wolf, punched the horse in its head, causing the horse to fall on the ground, surprisingly, with its head intact but this all turned out due to Fei Cai''s greed.


    At the very last moment, his nature was revealed and another conspiracy emerged within the heart, making Fei Cai use his fist and damage it instead of stabbing the horse with his dagger in the head.

 22

    At the peak of dawn, the gates of the Fei Tribe opened. Just as predicted, the Beast Trials were passed without any external threat. With the Beast Trials being a tradition of the Northern Plains, interfering with one would cause a backlash which might just surpass any form of benefit derived from the attack. Unlike yesterday, Fei Qing walked out on his foot. The large Terror Horse was nowhere to be seen. Following Fei Qing were the tribe elders which included a pale-faced Fei Nai, his cheeks sunken as if he had gone through a major change but his gaze revealed a bright shine and many of his competitor rank 2 gu masters of the path finally bowed their heads in respect. Fei Nai had truly ascended the position of elder through his wits and strength, surpassing his competitors and forcing them to admit that he is better. That the competition, even if temporarily, had ended for good.


    Outside the gates were many rank 1 gu masters. Strangely, those who had the worst situation, bruised and battered, were the peak stage rank 1 gu worms. All 15-year-old. They held pouches in their hands to reveal their success and even Fei Sau, the genius the top-ranking gu master amongst the group, didn''t look well off. Every beast trials were a harsh one if the gu masters really attempted to deal with the challenge. Nodding, Fei Qing unceremoniously gave Fei Nai the task to tally the emblems collected by the Gu Masters and with a line forming from those who had achieved the task, most of the gu masters who failed to collect any, almost a hundred in number, retreated into the tribe with shameful expression.


    While Fei Nai''s expression turned severe, he continued with the task, announcing the names to the Rank 2 Gu master he appointed to note the names.


    "Fei Sau, 29 Emblems."


    "Fei Jin, 11 Emblems..."


    And just like that, many names were spoken but while the surrounding gu masters murmured Fei Sau''s name for he had, once again, won the trials. Fei Qing''s and Fei Chang''s expression worsened. Their brows locked. "Lord Chieftain..." Knowing of Fei Qing''s personality, Fei Kao whispered in deep worry. Fei Cai was nowhere to be soon. Out of almost 150 rank 1 gu master, 13 were reported dead, 21 gu masters managed to collect the emblems and the others retreated but Fei Cai... they weren''t in those reports. Tasked with scouting, Fei Kao stepped backward and pulled his apprentice to inquire a few things in a hurried voice but the answer made Fei Kao almost cough loudly.


    "Where if Cai''er?" Fei Qing inquired with a rumbling whisper. Only elders heard him but they shivered, still. Especially Fei Sheng, for various reasons. "Lord Chieftain... Fei Cai... he," Before Fei Kao could express, a loud neighing of a terror horse broke the silence. Turning their gaze towards the sound, much to the surprise of every gu master viewing the scene, five young kids slowly rode the back of a terror horse. Much like the kids, the horse did not seem to fare well but he limped towards the gathering of gu masters anyway.


    "Father! Uncle! Help Cousin Mang," Fei Cai shouted with a worried expression but at his first word, Fei Nai had already shot towards the kids. Stopping beside the horse, he looked at his brother''s mangle experience and if it wasn''t for him sitting between Fei Ban and Kan, he would have fallen innumerable times. His chest was caved in but surprisingly, his brother survived, and under Fei Chang''s dark and impassive gaze, Fei Nai quickly healed Fei Mang.


    The terror horse''s mouth was fashioned with three pieces of clothes, which explained why Fei Cai, Kan, and Ban had their torso exposed for one piece of the shirt was wrapped around the horse''s mouth tightly, the second and third were tied to the side of the loop to makeshift a bridle. Fei Qing observed everything and under the astonished gazes of everyone, after touching the head of the horse, it knelt on its own accord. Finally, Fei Cai spoke loud enough for every elder to hear him, "Fei Cai managed to tame the terror horse instead of killing it without any gu worms."


    This was all he needed to say before everyone looked at Fei Qing with a complicated expression. Nodding at everyone impassively, Fei Qing distributed the rewards to the rankers but none of them felt the taste of victory any longer. They all heard what Elder Fei Kao just said and thinking of their first trials, the three of them sighed again.


    ---


    Opening his eyes, Fei Cai found himself within his room. He hadn''t fallen unconscious but he may as well have. After a moment of silent recollection, he activated the computer gu worm and checked the description of Instinct Gu Worm once again.


    ''Instinct Gu Worm: A special type of gu worm series that is derived from wisdom path, strength path, and human path. The user of the gu worms will gain bouts of intuition in extreme situations and battles.''


    From the moment he refined this gu worm, physical battles have become manageable. He would get hurt less and his mind felt sharp after each victory. While Fei Cai understood what the ''paths'' meant, he only had instinct gu as the wisdom path gu worm but its mutated origins seem to have affected the insight of wisdom hidden within. But during the final blow against Terror Horse, many things clicked within his mind after the continuous use of Instinct Gu. He made several connections. First, he suddenly recalled a story about Fei Qing and how he tamed a beast quite naturally without any gu worms, turning a mortal danger into an opportunity and gaining his first enslavement path gu. Second, Fei Cai recalled his need to outshine everyone in the trials to gain Fei Qing''s recognition and his support without any qualms. There were many more thoughts but these two clicked as if made for each other.


    Instead of killing the Horse like everyone, if he could tame it successfully, he would be able to make Fei Qing recognize that his son wasn''t different and maybe more talented which needed to be nurtured. And the results were still pending. On the way home, Fei Qing was silent. Even during healing Fei Cai, he didn''t do much and let him keep his rather deep injuries but detoxed him, still. Slowly sitting up, his body aching, Fei Cai croaked, "Lo, help me reach the bathing ponds."


    His order was met with an effective and anxious Lo who helped Fei Cai towards the lakes. The moment they walked out of the camp, terror horse''s soft snort surprised Fei Cai but seeing that very same horse tied outside the tent, Fei Cai''s gaze twinkled. On his way, Fei Cai found a few appeasing and admiring gazes but he didn''t give any recognition to them, and after letting Lo wait far into the lakes belonging to the slave, dipped into the water to clean himself. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ---


    "How is Little Mang?" Away from public eyes, Fei Qing inquired Fei Chang with a worried expression. Nodding with a sigh of relief, Fei Chang leaned against the tree, "I am a failure as a northerner. Instead of letting my son face danger and deal with the consequences, I meddled in his path and used my vital worm on him¡ª Second Chance Poison Gu. His body is now extremely feeble due to poison but he lives. He would face a minor setback in his cultivation though but in time, Fei Dan will take care of the situation."


    "You know it is not cowardice," Fei Qing could only speak this line before growing silent.


    "I''ve known you for the longest time and even you, Elder Cousin, did not leave such a method on Little Cai," smiling sadly, Fei Chang sighed, "that boy is just like you. But let us not discuss the young ones. Time heals all wounds and this matter would turn into a lesson for Young Mang''er. It is Fei Nai who worries me."


    "The effects of Emotion Poison Gu was noticeable," Fei Qing nodded.


    "I''ve given him a good hearing but we both know that the effect of gu worm cannot crumble after one round of scolding. I''ll have to nurture that boy personally for a little while as my father did. Meanwhile, I beg you to keep wary of Fei Sheng. I found out that Fei Sheng had been trying to get close to Mang''er. My sources are true at this point."


    Fei Qing nodded with a heavy sigh. If they knew Fei Sheng''s true intentions and motives then maybe they could deal with the old elder but they didn''t. Fei Sheng had shown his loyalty to the tribe countless times and an elder approaching a young gu master did not warrant any actions. Still, Fei Sheng had a distrusting quality about himself. When Fei Chang was gone, a grim expression touched Fei Qing. He couldn''t empathize with Fei Chang for his son seemed to be impeccable in his actions.


    Fei Qing had gone through the reports received from the scouts. He now understood the entire situation of battle and realized that if it wasn''t for Fei Cai''s actions of antagonizing the bird group and then claiming the wings which were sold for meager primeval stones. This attracted the terror horse which caused the entire event of Fei Cai''s name to resound within the tribe momentarily and removing all efforts Fei Mang put in. The last statement regarding Fei Cai being a good lad by Fei Chang was sarcastic in nature.


    A rift had formed within the two cousins due to Fei Cai''s actions but that didn''t affect Fei Qing''s train of thought. He made his way back to the tribe. ''Fei Cai needed nurturing to not make the same mistakes again. But his talent in taming beasts is a fact and needs to be carefully mobilized.'' He thought silently and seeing Lo carefully tend to the old horse, Fei Qing nodded in satisfaction. It was with Fei Qing''s own efforts that a single terror horse in the middle of the tribe was calm till now.


    Entering the tent, Fei Qing stumbled onto the scene of Fei Yang placing a dish in front of Fei Cai. Seeing Fei Qing enter, the mature woman with her clothes slightly ''wide'', hurriedly stood straight and bowed but seeing no change in the expression of his son, Fei Qing nodded. "Give us some space, Yang. Go teach Lo how to tend to a horse," he stated as the woman walked out. Walking past Fei Yang, Fei Qing realized that Fei Yang had gotten her hands on scented water and was probably trying to seduce Fei Cai.


    "Son..." Fei Qing sat in front of Fei Cai, "How are you feeling?" He inquired.


    "Ashamed at my inability to help Cousin Mang," Fei Cai replied in a soft voice, his gaze still downcast. Looking at Fei Cai with a narrowed gaze, Fei Qing''s palm struck Fei Cai at a speed and impulse that even the instinct gu failed to register.


    *Pah*


    The slap rang true and Fei Cai''s head was snapped aside. Stunned at Fei Qing''s reaction, Fei Cai internally cackled but warm tears emerged from his eyes as he sobbed softly, still not looking up.


    "Do you realize why I slapped you?" Fei Qing inquired sternly. Shaking his head was all Fei Cai did to reply.


    "I struck you because you thought an injury to a fellow gu master is your fault. Did you make Little Mang follow you by forcing him?"


    Fei Cai shook his head.


    "Did you strike Fei Mang in the battle and caused his injuries?"


    Fei Cai shook his head again.


    "Then do not cry for weakness," his tone was slightly tinged with cruelty as the man imparted certain wisdom Fei Cai was already well aware of.


    "Son, listen close and bury this deep into your heart. In this world, only you and the people you choose matters. It''s is the same for me and everybody else. We cannot live for others without consequences. You can grieve for Little Mang. But you can never take somebody else''s blame on yourself. Now wipe your face. I have a present for you since you performed outstandingly in the trials."


    Saying so, Fei Qing waited as Fei Cai concluded the act with his cheeks still burning due to the sting of the slap and wiped his face. Seeing his struggle in standing up due to accumulated wounds, Fei Qing helped him up and supported him while walking to the exit. Once out, he found Lo tending to the horse, his movements now a little brisker while Fei Yang stood straight with her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face.


    "Good," Fei Qing nodded and opened his palms, revealing a blue dung beetle which was quite eye-catching. "Son, this is your reward. A rank 1 Horse Enslavement Gu. Refine it and I shall guide you through your first enslavement process right now."


    Nodding, Fei Cai sighed, "Thank you, father," his voice still soft.


    Taking the gu worm from his hand, Fei Cai refined the gu worm instantly. This gu worm belonged to Fei Qing and with his approval, Fei Cai was able to refine the gu easily. Now holding the gu worm in his palms, Fei Cai injected his primeval essence into the gu worm and directed it to interact with the terror horse.


    Seeing the scene, Fei Qing nodded with satisfaction. As it turns out, Fei Cai already had quite a bit of experience in controlling a gu work and didn''t require any guidance until the mote of light which was the gu worm interacted with the horse and entered its pitch black head.


    "Argh!" Despite preparations, Fei Cai felt his mind suffer the consequences as a groan echoed through his throat. "Keep calm. The horse has a will of its own. Amongst myriad beasts, Horses are a few that represent freedom so enslaving them is always harder. Now, coax the will of a horse which is struggling against your mental bond. Do it through communicating with your gu worm." Fei Qing instructed as the young boy calmed his breathing. His mental state was developed already and aside from the slight pain, in the beginning, Fei Cai did not feel many struggles.


    Using the gu worm, Fei Cai realized that enslaving a horse was similar to refining a natural gu worm. He didn''t need to inject his primeval essence but something more ethereal. His will. This gu worm was able to give substance to the ethereal concept of a human''s will and use it to refine the will of another being getting enslaved. The theory was of course modified in Fei Cai''s heart to match his situation but this was the gist of Enslavement Path and the process.


    Once the process was completed, the terror horse grew calm once again. This time, its eyes revealed reverence towards Fei Cai and gently moved forward, nudging its face against Fei Cai''s outstretched hand.


    ''Amazing,'' Fei Yang exclaimed to herself, ''This father-son duo are dangerous and admirable. Both of them tamed a beast a cruel as terror horses. And not only that, this Fei Qing has the heart to ruthlessly make his son form his first Enslavement bond right after a month of cultivation. Enslavement Path burdens the soul and the boy will face slight troubles in the next few days.''


    Still, her plan to try and seduce such a talented boy was not pushed away. In fact, she had now realized the boy''s value in Fei Qing''s eyes and cautioned her heart to grow discreet in the matter. Everybody wished their freedom and for Fei Yang, her current situation was a fate worse than death.

 23

    What followed next in Fei Cai''s life was a regular session of cultivation with Fei Qing. The man had explained that all the guidance he would impart about the gu paths of the world was supposed to be their bonding moment after he successfully broke into Rank 2 cultivation. But Fei Cai had shocked and raised his standing at a quick and reasonable pace that did not make Fei Qing uncomfortable. Geniuses were rare but still very real existences and Fei Cai had used his mature mentality and risk-taking nature to achieve the title. His acting skills and thick hide covering his cheeks came in hand too, he admitted.


    While Fei Cai had olden knowledge in his palms, he listened closely to his father''s words. "Gu is the essence of the world. The more we cultivate gu, the more we realize the profundities hidden within the world. But, each gu worm has its origin. We gu masters collectively call certain types of gu worms belonging to a single path. For instance, I cultivate the Enslavement Path. My gu worms are refined to enslave beasts and humans alike. I shan''t delve further into this topic because you do not need to choose a path. It is your chance to experience the mysteries of the world and then set yourself down the path. However, you need to understand the difference between a real gu expert and a novice."


    Sighing, Fei Qing whispered, "A real gu expert is a master in his path. In Northern Plains, there are enslavement paths gu masters better than me because they have refined their craft to a great degree. The actions I find trouble with are something these experts can achieve with a snap of their fingers. So, Cai''er, you need to remember that being a Chieftain of a tribe is never the end goal. There is always someone better than us and we have to strive for constant improvement."


    Fei Cai nodded silently. It''s been three days since the trials and he had recovered from his injuries quite a bit. Seeing his son''s expression, Fei Qing smiled, "Did you buy the materials to refine a rank 1 enslavement gu?" Fei Cai nodded and replied with a cautious expression, "Father, I understand that a recipe is extremely important to a gu master. So, I have purchased a few irrelevant gu materials and made Lo collect a few others from outside the tribe. This way, I can still hide the Enslavement gu from prying eyes."


    "Good, good!" Fei Qing exclaimed but soon reigned his emotions. He couldn''t let his joy corrupt Fei Cai''s train of thought. Still, Fei Qing couldn''t help but feel proud of his son. If he could, he would reward his son with a green copper relic gu to raise his cultivation instantly but he knew that such an action would destroy Fei Cai''s future. Cultivation is not only to cultivate primeval essence but also one''s character and Fei Cai, with his genius, was destined to be great only if he had the character and mentality of being one.


    "Now, off you go. The refinement techniques in the recipe are common but if you find any troubles, look for Fei Yang. She ought to return soon," Fei Qing said while sitting up. Once Fei Qing left Fei Cai''s room, the young boy sighed. He was out of primeval stones and couldn''t refine a gu worm even if he wished. To refine a rank 1 enslavement gu, he needed 70 primeval stones. That was the minimum requirement with 100 stones being enough to assure an almost 40% success rate if every other technique was used to a satisfactory level. But, Fei Cai planned to refine a gu worm still. He had specifically purchased other materials to refine a gu different from Enslavement Gu and made Lo travel into the dangerous wilderness to find a few common materials.


    It was time that he finally made the best use of Instinct Gu which was in surplus. And after enjoying the sudden inspiration from instinct gu, a method of wisdom path, in reality, Fei Cai realized why the Demon Venerable focused on the Wisdom path in the first place. Suddenly, Fei Cai''s thin physique shivered and he held his forehead. His head would ache on a few occasions after enslaving the terror horse. After consultation with Fei Qing, Fei Cai realized that this was a side-effect that affected a gu master''s soul. Unable to understand, Fei Cai sought after more knowledge and realized that the soul path was invented after Thieving Heaven''s time, which created a distinct gap in the knowledge factor for Fei Cai once again.


    ''If Fei Qing is correct, the irritation of enslaving the first beast would wear off from the soul after the first week. In the future, if I need to cultivate a few slaves, I would also need to refine or purchase soul path gu worms. What a troublesome situation. So many gu paths to cultivate, so many opportunities to find, and only a single person to achieve them.''


    Thieving Heaven, though invincible in his time, wasn''t omnipotent. He couldn''t have predicted the rise of soul path found by the next demon venerable¡ª Spectral Soul Demon Venerable! In terms of strength, theoretically, both the venerables should be equal but unlike the soul path which was used by many gu masters, Fei Cai was informed after a casual inquiry that Theft Path was quite mysterious. Public methods to the path still weren''t known to this day!


    After a moment of headache, Fei Cai closed his eyes and regained his bearings before mobilizing his primeval essence and pulling out three instinct gu worms. Back then, Fei Cai had decided to refine, or at least, try to refine a rank 2 Flare Instinct Gu worm. Unlike Rank 1 version, the Flare Instinct Gu would also affect his body passively and enforce his reflexive action but the wisdom path methods would vanish from this route of gu worm. This version utilized only two instinct gu worms and no extra resources.Stolen novel; please report.


    Meanwhile, Rank 2 Shrewd Gu worm changed the very nature of its materials. Now understanding the ''feel'' of Wisdom Path methods, Fei Cai leaned towards refining the rank 2 Shrewd Gu Worm which would make Fei Cai more concise in his actions and he would also be able to become aware of plots directed towards him. While this wasn''t the case at the moment, Fei Cai could use the gu worm to figure out various methods to increase his gains without overtly alerting Fei Qing.


    His mind set, Fei Cai took to the task. A middle-stage rank 1 Gu Master refining a rank 2 gu worm was a harsh task but Fei Cai hadn''t failed in any gu refinement until now and he had his confidence built due to the series of achievements.


    Manipulating the three gu worms, Fei Cai slowly made them move in a round shape in front of him while injecting more primeval essence to create a thin layer of primeval essence in the circular region marked by the gu worms. Next, Cai began to carefully toss the gu materials needed for refinement within that film of primeval essence acting as a refining agent for the process. In between, many times, Fei Cai had to prepare the materials using his primeval essence and this required a high control of primeval essence, which he could barely cover at the cost of exhausting himself thoroughly, making him realize the long-lasting benefit of getting better control of primeval essence.


    ---


    "Did you hear? Fei Cai finally left the tribe to hunt again. It is said that the Chieftain rewarded him with a horse enslavement gu worm to take control of the horse he tamed. Not only that, he succeeded on his first try! We all know how hard it is to enslave a terror horse!"


    "Is that it? Didn''t you see Fei Cai''s slave collecting refining materials? Not only that, Fei Cai frequented within the treasury tent, too. He might not have ousted Fei Sau but Fei Cai has become a rising star!"


    "I just saw that terror horse up close. Sigh, I hunted with Fei Lu yesterday and she told me the entire story. Fei Cai activated his beast strength and struck at a critical point but instead of killing the beast, he proclaimed that he would tame it! Do you know what he did if the Terror Horse wouldn''t obey? Kick the damn beast in the balls! The horse squealed and writhed in pain but only submitted after the seventh kick! According to Fei Lu, the beast was already bleeding down there but I looked at their group from far and found it perfectly healthy. Surely, Lord Chieftain has mysterious methods."


    Now saddled and properly equipped, Fei Cao could be seen outside the tribe with his Terror Horse. The injuries caused to the horse were healed just enough and similar to Fei Cai, the horse was going through a period of weakness. The effect of enslavement gu allowed Fei Cai to easily will the horse to commit to his commands. Honestly, Fei Cai felt exhilarating and the feeling was much more pronounced than having Lo as his slave. Not only did the horse have a rank 1 battle strength, but it was also an experienced member of the herd. Fortunately, it wasn''t as experienced as enduring the good ol'' kick to the balls but Fei Cai enjoyed riding the horseback slowly with Lo following behind. From a higher viewpoint, Fei Cai knocked his bow with a reinforced arrow, attacking yet another lucky python and made Lo retrieve the game and the arrow once again.


    While Fei Cai''s situation might look appeasing and envious, even without the newly refined rank 2 gu worm fixed within his brain, the youth could understand that he had entered into a period of stagnation. He did not have Primeval stones to continue his fast pace of cultivation. There were 3-4 ways to acquire large amounts of primeval stones once again. First, to sell a gu worm by stating he found it in the wilds, which would now be plausible due to the impending tribulation and shift in nature. The other method was to hunt regularly and accumulate primeval stones while netting it out with the feeding cost of the gu worms which had already reached an atrocious 20 primeval stones a week. The next one was unorthodox and would disrupt Fei Cai''s reputation. To lend gu worm again but this time, it would be the aperture nurture gu. However, Fei Cai did not entertain this choice too much. The last option was to strike an enemy gu master found deeper into the forest but again, Fei Cai did not play with this thought too much.


    Sending a sliver of primeval essence to the rank 2 Shrewd Gu, Fei Cai coughed in exhaustion once again. Wisdom Path and Enslavement Path were complicated gu paths that required countless support gu. Just as the first enslavement caused side-effects to Fei Cai''s soul, the use of Shrewd Gu without proper supporting gu worms to stabilize his mind, Fei Cai would feel his strength sap temporarily.


    The wisdom path was divided into three sections¡ª Thought, Will, and Emotion. Thoughts are created by a human being which clashes against each other to form a decision. In the Gu world, this process was quite literal while using gu worms. Fei Cai needed to personally utilize gu worms related to will and emotion before he could understand them but the use of Shrewd Gu, Fei Cai mastered it to some extent due to his mature mental mindset.


    The shrewd gu will process the current ongoing thoughts. Lacking a thought gu worm, Fei Cai couldn''t store his thoughts for later use and needed to use the rank 2 gu worm whenever he felt like being a few steps away from the inspiration. The thoughts regarding the primeval stones trouble clashed again, giving rise to new, mutated thoughts that may gain the advantages of the previous paths or turn out to be worse than before.


    After a few minutes, Fei Cai sighed silently. He still didn''t gain much from the use of gu but that wasn''t the gu worm''s problem. It was Fei Cai''s situation. He knew little about the tribe and only knew Fei Qing''s nature and emotions regarding him. But what about others in the tribe? What effects would his actions bring? How could he possibly know all of this if he didn''t know about the concerned Gu Masters in the first place?


    Gu worms were tools for Gu Masters. Even the famed Wisdom Path Gu Masters needed to work hard and gain more experience to predict a person''s heart based on their actions and for Fei Cai, that troublesome road had just begun.

 24

    Lo stood to prepare for supper. Meanwhile, away from prying eyes and with hours remaining in return of Fei Qing, Fei Yang once again tried to gain the youth''s favor. Boys his age were definitely curious, if not lustful, regarding the opposite gender and their sexual orientation. From what Fei Yang had gathered from the tribe, Fei Cai had proved himself to be the former kind. Of course, till now, he hadn''t shown any form of interest towards the opposite gender, even going as far as to accept Lo as his slave, a decision quite remarkable even in Fei Yang''s eyes.


    "Young master," she smiled and walked closer to the idly sitting Fei Cai. In fact, he wasn''t idle. His primeval essence was divided into two streams. One of the streams remained within his aperture and continued to morph in various shapes. This was the shape training that the Demon Venerable invented to increase the control of primeval essence. A training which Fei Cai approved of greatly. His proficiency took off at a horrifying pace that he could now steadily feed the rank 2 Shrewd Gu with his primeval essence. While he looked idle on the surface, it took only a single greeting from Fei Yang to disrupt his training.


    "Never call me Young Master," the boy grunted with displeasure flickering in his gaze. Fei Yang was beautiful and luscious, sure. But Fei Cai already knew that the world was filled with supermodels. Was there a need to aggravate Fei Qing by opting designs over his slave? Even if Fei Qing didn''t have any amorous relationship with Fei Yang, would he really allow Fei Cai to have any chances with Fei Yang, a rank 3 expert? No. Her only use was to provide experience with refinement.


    Still, a tantalizing scent drifted from Fei Yang which caused Fei Cai''s nose to twitch and his heart to shiver in fright. If he was to be a 10-year-old kid, he would have felt attracted to Fei Yang just based on her scent. After all, Fei Cai was once a young kid who was warmed up by the various gestures of mature females around in his life. It wasn''t something serious and later he realized that all of it was simply in his head. He would practically have a crush on a different woman every single day. But he had passed that phase. He married a materialistic woman and finally separated after learning the lesson paid in flesh, money, and pleasure.


    Hearing Fei Cai''s tone, Fei Yang didn''t reach closer but stayed put. In reality, like beast strength gu worms whose effects would remain within a person''s body, Fei Yang had refined and utilized a rank 1 gu worm at the beginning of her cultivation road. This turned her body''s odor tantalizing and sweet instead of sour. In fact, if it wasn''t for the gu worm only being rank 1, she would have easily seduced Fei Qing with her scent alone!


    "Then what should I address you with... er..." Fei Yang inquired awkwardly with Fei Cai looking towards her. His gaze going through her curves, making him feel moved by a tiny margin but not enough to lose his reasons and objectives. "You don''t need to call me anything. Only I will call you when I need help with refinement. I hope you can be of assistance then," Fei Cai revealed. Her experience would prove useful eventually and that is why Fei Cai simply didn''t shut her off.


    "I appreciate your trust," Fei Yang smiled and walked into the cooking region under his narrowed gaze. Fei Cai wasn''t really afraid of Lo spilling any beans. His brain was physically modified to accept his master''s orders and that would mean Fei Cai, not even Fei Qing. With a soft sigh, Fei Cai closed his eyes and continued with the training. Just a single use of rank 2 gu worm utilized more than half of his primeval essence so instead of using the gu worm, Fei Cai would allow his primeval essence to interact with the gu worm and retreat in a constant cycle.


    Hours went by with Fei Cai''s eyes gradually closing. He had drained his energy completely but he felt refreshed. His situation was still in stagnation. He earned 6 Primeval stones today and with the last three days of hunting, he had 15 primeval stones in total. He couldn''t ask for a loan or advance on his allowance due to the fact that Fei Qing had already shown great favor by regular tutoring, a rank 1 horse enslavement gu, and the terror horse itself. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Fei Cai even played with the idea of sharing a small part of recipes in his hands as a recent discovery but one use of Shrewd Gu revealed that he would not have pulled it off. First off, recipes are not unprotected. Even if they are, there are many pieces of evidence to support the existence of the former master who left it, for instance, an inheritance ground. Strangely enough, Fei Cai did receive Thieving Heaven''s true inheritance lying around but how lucky would a person need to be for that to happen?


    But the situation wasn''t truly desperate. Fei Cai simply found the constant increase and a large fund ready to be spent on cultivation quite effective. ''I can always try to refine a Heavenly Essence Treasure Lotus... but the minimum rank of the gu worm is 3. I would not even be able to fulfill its feeding requirement, much less the purchase of materials, and the spirit springs needed to refine it in the first place.''


    His thoughts then turned to increasing the effectiveness of his hunting. He was fully healed now and with a terror horse in tow, Fei Cai wished to travel into the outskirts of the forest once again. The stronger the beasts he hunts, the greater the risk and in return, the better reward he will earn. ''And with the tribulation slowly increasing the rise of water, ice, and snow path gu worms, I should try and find the gu materials for the recipes. I need to prepare for the described frozen hell earlier on.''


    ---


    The use of Ground Eye Gu Worm became ineffective during the time on the Terror Horse''s back so Fei Cai had to grow cautious when he entered the forest. Lo was prepared with a dagger in his hand clutched tightly, deeply affected by the surprise attack from a green horn salamander the last time. "Master, may I inquire something?" Lo whispered as Fei Cai decided to ignore him. Instead of using his bow, Fei Cai finally jumped off the Terror Claw Horse. Without any instinct gu to serve as a back-up plan, Fei Cai decided to use the Ground Eye Gu Worm once he felt a little strange.


    This feeling was cultivated with a month of hunting and cautious adventures and as expected, Fei Cai found a cluster of footsteps hidden by a thicket of bushes. What Fei Cai could see using the eyes was tracks of bunnies and hares. Most likely a bunch of calm hares and other rodents which did not particularly interest him. Not at the moment. One attack towards their direction would scatter them and he did not have the means to hunt all of them before their escape.


    "Ask," Fei Cai finally replied to Lo.


    "Master, why is Fei Lu pestering you?"


    "She''s a girl," Fei Cai mumbled without giving it much thought. Not all females maybe, as Fei Cai called his wife¡ª a stupid cunt, but his impression on the gender as a whole was disrupted. The women of this world were surely different and far more helpful than his old world but a few things needed adjustments. Even Fei Lu, for instance, could easily kill his previous wife despite her tender age.


    "Do not inquire about why people come near me," Fei Cai stated before jumping on the horse once again. With a movement of the bridle, the horse started to move slowly, and only after a few minutes did they stop once again. A pleased expression passed through Fei Cai as he hurriedly jumped down and activated the ground eye gu worm once again after seeing a small hall leading into the darkness. From the edges of the hole, Fei Cai even saw a dark brown tail pass by.


    The moment he activated the gu worm, he forced himself to calm down.


    After all, he found a hidden nest of a mother Earth Digger!


    With their bodies presented as small toads, the Earth Diggers lay eggs in masses, each offspring worth 2 primeval stones and an egg worth 3! The longer the time passes, the less valuable these creatures become due to the special Earth Skin Oil coated above them since their birth, which wanes after a duration, making the toads unable to dig any longer and suffocate within their birthplace, usually. This was also the reason for their rarity. A high mortality rate!


    Licking his lips, Fei Cai motioned Lo to move forward and walked behind him with a dagger in his hands, too. The area dugout was small and it was clustered quite a bit. Surely, he would strike a great hunt today, too!

 25

    Fei Qing made his way towards the refining spot in a hurry. From afar, he could already see a giant lizard intimidating a group of horses but with a single use of a controlling gu worm, he calmed the situation and after a few moments, reached the spot where Fei Chang rested. Fei Yang was tending to an injured gu master, possibly a backlash from refining the gu worm but Fei Qing''s gaze remained focus on the rank 3 Earth Lizard House Gu worm. "Elder Fei Chang," Fei Qing nodded as a pleases smile remained plastered on his younger cousin''s face, "Lord Chieftain. We managed to pull through and perfect the recipe by a small margin. Please, refine the first gu house of the tribe."


    Fei Sheng and other elders were arriving at the spot at a quick pace, their gazes trembled at the sight of one of the most deprived sections of their tribe finally being completed. A house gu worm! With such a gu house, even traveling would become easier and the living conditions for the gu masters would rise by a notch. "Considering our resources, we can refine eight more gu houses despite the failures," Fei Chang informed while Fei Qing refined the gu worm with a curious expression. "Keep it to six," Fei Qing informed, "The gu house will only be presented to the elders who have passed through the Elder''s Trial. The remaining rank 3 gu masters who are appearing now would need to purchase the gu worm from Elder Fei Chang. Will you be able to commit to such a task?"


    Fei Sheng arrived only to hear this and almost coughed blood. A tinge of regret entered his stomach even when he recalled the recent arrival of a batch of rank 4 gu worms from his mysterious supporter. Meanwhile, Fei Chang knew that this was Fei Qing''s way of putting the matter of Fei Cai''s rash action to a closure. In all rights, Fei Cai was not at fault but Fei Mang was put to a fatal risk nonetheless and while Fei Qing would never compensate the brash junior, he would keep the ''leader'' of the opposition happy enough and loyal to the tribe.


    "I am extremely grateful, Lord Chieftain," Fei Chang stood and bowed slightly. By this time, the gu worm was already refined as Fei Qing looked back, "Where is Elder Fei Nai?"


    Fei Dan chuckled, "Elder Fei Nai has followed Elder Fei Kao to see to the scouting methods. He wishes to keep a note of external threats."


    Fei Qing nodded. Fei Kao now had the support of Fei Nai and in a manner, had pulled Fei Nai into the Chieftain''s faction. This did not displease Fei Chang, in fact, made the man happier. Fei Chang had already imparted his methods to his eldest son and Fei Nai needed opportunities to make use of those methods and grow with the experience. Opportunities he would find plenty within the scouting team. Not only that, but Fei Kao now also had control over a rank 3 slave which made his team stronger by a considerable margin.


    Besides Fei Yang stood another rank 3 slave, Fei Chang''s slave. He wished to communicate with Fei Yang privately but the man only found defeat in the endeavor for Fei Yang did not give him any face. She knew the man to be quite the fighter but discretion was never his strongest suit, something Fei Qing kept in mind before enslaving him. Unlike Fei Yang, the other two rank 3 slaves were mediocre and the only reason Fei Yang breathes is due to the rank 3 gu house now moving under the Fei Qing''s control.


    "Fei Yang, enter the gu house," Fei Qing ordered as the dark-haired woman followed the instructions while the Chieftain turned to other elders and spoke up, "It would not be effective to plant the gu houses at our previous camps. I shall move my horse groups further into the valley and the spot near the Red mushroom shrubs will be the new location for the housing of the elders as they receive the gu houses. Elder Fei Chang is now responsible for the refining of gu worms and we will discuss the further matters tomorrow." He stated plainly for all the young gu masters and gu elders to hear before whistling, a shrill echo making the horses neigh and roar in obedience as they moved into the deeper section of the valley.


    ---


    Fei Cai and Lo returned on the back of the terror horse. Lo was allowed to sit only because his basket was full of game and quite heavy which made the return travel a bit difficult. Under the surprised and slightly fearful gaze of the terror horse, Fei Cai stopped in front of the resources tent and dropped down, making Lo hand him the basket and silently entered the tent. To his surprise, another young fellow was already present there. Fei Mang.


    "Oh, enjoying your new terror claw horse? You should be, right? After all, that damn horse almost killed me!" Fei Mang hissed, his eyes slightly hateful as he gazed at Fei Cai. To blame someone else for their failure is common human behavior and in Mang''s case, Fei Cai did use the boy for his goals so he didn''t mind the indignant tone. "I''ve heard that your father gave you a rare rank 1 defense gu, Ice Palm gu. That is probably because you got hurt in the trials," Fei Cai replied, making Fei Mang silent for a moment before the youth snorted and left the tent. His exclamation rang the moment he walked out, most probably due to a terror claw horse at the entrance but Fei Cai didn''t hear anything else.


    Moving forward, he presented the basket to the old gu master.


    "Oh? Struck a nest of Earth Diggers, did you? Hmm, let me see... one mother, 16 eggs, and 28 hatchlings. Good condition, too. You have grown into a better hunter. If this was your first hunt then these precious resources would have been completely butchered for their meat," the gu master commented casually while finally putting several primeval stones in front of Fei Cai. Instead of accepting the payment, he used all of the stones for food for his gu worms. There were still three days remaining to the feeding time but he stocked them into the basket anyway. The remaining Primeval stones were utilized to complete the refining materials for enslavement gu, a half of which he had purchased previously, and finally, he purchased seven completely different materials, of different paths at that.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    His purchases didn''t make much sense to the old Gu seller but it wasn''t his place to question the rising star of the tribe. Walking out of the tent with an even heavier basket. With a little over ten Primeval stones, Fei Cai left the tent on the back of the Terror Horse. He was pleased with the purchase because he had finally decided to go down the path of theft to break through his stagnated situation. Thieving Heaven created the theft path which made all the gu master cower for their gu worms and that was exactly the reason for Fei Cai''s hesitation in approaching the theft path.


    A single clue leading to him would destroy almost everything and raise countless suspicion. Thievery of gu worms, after Thieving Heaven''s disappearance, was a major threat to all the gu masters and it didn''t help that the theft gu worms were artificial and created bu gu masters using recipes. But most of all, who wouldn''t want to steal other Gu Master''s gu worms? Fei Cai mulled over the topic silently but after every passing moment, he felt more determined to take this risk, too. Gu masters aren''t the only ones with gu worms. Rare beasts within the forest may have them, too.


    His thoughts were put to an end when he saw the tent house removed with a silent Fei Yang waiting for him.


    "What is going on?" Fei Cai inquired as she looked at the basket full of gu materials with a slightly widened gaze. "The tribe has gained its first Earth Lizard House gu worm and Master has shifted himself into the gu house. He is waiting for your return," she replied softly as Fei Cai nodded and pulled the basked from Lo''s hands, snuggling it in the front and making Lo walk alongside Fei Yang as she led him slowly. With the area full of stranger gu masters, Fei Yang didn''t try to continue her methods, fearing that a single word to Fei Qing might actually end her poor life. But seeing the basket full of gu materials, she did grow calm by a small margin. She is supposed to guide Fei Cai through refinement procedures and from the looks of it, she would have some time alone with Fei Cai, after all.


    "Haha! Cai''er, come!" Fei Qing laughed and welcomed his son with a hug. Pulled and wrapped by those thick arms, Fei Cai felt stifled but he endured nonetheless. It wasn''t every day that Fei Qing showed his emotions to such an extent but after giving Fei Cai a tour of their new home, Fei Qing allotted a personal room to the boy, it was bigger than the old one and for sure, the space is bound to help Fei Cai in refinement sooner or later.


    "Son," Fei Qing smiled while Fei Yang continued to settle the room with a mattress and other belongings packed from the old tent house, making Fei Cai feel relieved by the thought of his personal belongings only within the basket and Lizard Mouth Gu worm. "I want you to understand that this house... is built based on your effort and luck. If you hadn''t reported the almost dead gu worm at the start, our tribe would not have recovered from one of the most major deficits that many tribes grow upon. So, for today, I''ll fulfill another one of your wishes. Ask if you need help with anything."


    Fei Cai turned silent. Fei Qing was smiling but he had seen this expression before. This monster in a father''s skin has always loved to test his son even before he became a gu master to cultivate his character, tests that the old Fei Cai did not understand at all, but the new one did. He was already rewarded for bringing in the gu worm. Right now, even if he demands something, Fei Qing won''t deny the request but instead, concoct some other method to make this moment a lesson of not being greedy. He didn''t care for the lecture, but did care for turning his hard work in regards to his image a waste and thus, held his hand. Anyway, with the theft path gu worm he was thinking of refining, he would soon find an end to his troubles, at the very least, for the moment.


    Denying the need of gaining anything from the gu worm, Fei Cai shook his head, "Father, how can I be this shameless? You have taught me time and again that greed is a man''s downfall. This gu worm came to life after the hard work of Uncle Chang and his methods. I cannot lay claim to someone else''s credit."


    Fei Qing''s smile broadened at the words and nodded, "If that is what you want, so be it. Now, go on and rest. I''ll get Lo to prepare a feast!"


    With Fei Qing leaving, Fei Cai sat on the mattress and considered his options. There were two theft path gu worms he was extremely interested in. The first one was rank 1 Sneak Attack Gu and the second one, Rank 1 Invasion Gu. And the thought of both the gu worms made Fei Cai feel complicated. The world didn''t know that Thieving Heaven was a low aptitude gu master who was enslaved early in his life. Not only that, falling from a high technology civilization that had invented Mechas to such a primal society confused Thieving Heaven for years. His morals were challenged at every step and that is why he turned to Theft Path and perfected it. So that he may simply steal surplus from others instead of committing horrific actions to achieve a goal.


    Fei Cai couldn''t judge any character in the world but himself and at this moment, he felt conflicted still. Originating from a greater society, a more educational one, Thieving Heaven was obsessed with completing his ''collection''. That is to say, even when he refined a gu worm of a greater rank, say 5, he would work for a few days to make a glossary and create recipes for rank 1-4. In this manner, right now, Fei Cai had an extremely precious collection of gu recipes since it didn''t only contain theft path gu worms but from other paths, too. Now, out of these gu worms, only rank 1 Sneak Attack gu worm required a material that made Fei Cai a bit disgusted.


    The corpse of a baby. It didn''t matter if it was fresh or not and even Thieving Heaven admitted that the first time he invented the gu worm, it was out of dire straits, his conditions worse and materials even horrifying than the one he had modified. "Damn..." Fei Cai whispered, for the first time feeling a little confused after arriving in the gu world. He didn''t have the same thought as held by gu masters. Instead, he was simply disgusted by the material itself. The rot, the stench, the thought of it simply made Cai''s skin crawl.


    Not to mention the fact that the northerners burned their dead, at least, the ones they could find bodies of. But the effects of sneak attack gu worm were amazing, not many gu worms able to defend against it and Fei Cai had all the materials except for a corpse. Similar to Sneak Attack Gu, the Invasion Gu also needed a material relatively hard to find. A dead gu master''s body. The rank of the gu master was relative to the rank of gu worm refined.


    "I can take a stroll to the slave farm and see if there was a miscarriage of sorts. The medical facilities of this world are not amazing, after all," He mumbled softly. He still had to make arrangements before trying to go for a baby. However, he could create a body of a dead gu master by himself. With his objectives set, Fei Cai called for Fei Yang. This was an amazing opportunity to show that he wanted some doubts cleared while avoiding any seduction from the woman''s side. This will make Fei Qing give credit to Fei Yang''s explanation once Fei Cai refined a rank 1 enslavement gu. But that still needed a few days worth of accumulation of primeval stones.


    Now, Fei Cai needed to hunt!

 26

    Baizen ventured into the woods to make his way near the Cold Pond of the forest. It was a dangerous region with many gu masters unwilling to take responsibility for. The Cold Pond caused a cluster of Icy Shards to form near its bank. This was a rather recent change to the location, less than a year, in fact. Baizen knew the meaning of this. As a D-rank aptitude Gu Master still stuck in Advance Rank 1 Gu Cultivation stage, he could be considered fairly fortune. It''s been ten years but Baizen still remembered the I y tribulation that covered the tribes completely. He was merely a 4-year-old boy, with two brothers older than him. Both dead within three months of the tribulation due to cold.


    Only he survived with his mother passing soon after and now he was alone and completely lost. Gu Cultivation, instead of bringing glory, became his burden. Marked as a talentless youth, he only served to be an errand boy, unlike other talented rank 1 gu masters with potential of breaking into Rank 2 stage. Fortunately, Fei Baizen wasn''t alone. The harshness of low aptitude inflicted many within the tribe. To this day, hundreds of gu masters failed to break out of the confinement of rank 1!


    But years of accumulation had provided him with a moderately complete set of low-tier rank 1 gu worms. Although his gu worms lacked in power and effectiveness, he made it work through sheer experience gathered over the years. Investigation gu, Attack Gu, Defense Gu, Escape Gu, and even a Battle Support Gu! Except for a healing type gu worm, Baizen could even be called cream of the crop amongst the rotten grains. Cautious and quick to his feet, Fei Baizen moved silently through the thicket, his mind solely towards reaching the Cold Lake to collect the materials and return. Many have lost their lives over this task and he didn''t wish to be one of the dead.


    He kind of hated his elder siblings, a childish remnant of his emotions before their death, but something that still motivated him not to get killed¡ª


    As his gaze fell on the shimmering lake with frost waving in the air and the surroundings remarkably barren, unknown to Fei Baizen, an arrow whistled through the air and pierced straight into his neck. It was closer to the shoulder, probably, the target had been his heart but the attacker missed. Still, Baizen couldn''t speak any longer, his momentum caused him to fall with a roll and his blood gurgled as the twist of his body caused the arrowhead to stab into his chest, locking his body in a twisted and uncomfortable position but comfort was the least of his worries.


    Pained and his mouth now filled with his blood, Baizen looked forward with hatred in his eyes yet only another tip of the arrow greeted him before stabbing him in the head.


    "Huff," Lo sighed with his body still on the dead gu master''s corpse. His forehead was drenched with sweat, making Fei Cai realize that this was probably his first time killing a human. Well, it wasn''t Fei Cai''s first time, he admitted. Not his greatest achievement but he had accidentally run over a young girl, no more than 20, who ran through the road despite the green light. The accident caused Fei Cai remorse back in the day but everything seemed blurry to him now.


    "Step aside, we have more than a minute," Fei Cai stated while walking forward and putting the arrow back into his quiver. He then placed a hand on the corpse and injected his primeval essence into Fei Baizen''s aperture. Fei Cai had been following the youth with no relative to his name for two days and decided to strike only now. He was a boisterous youth who would spill the beans about his secrets after a few drinks and that''s how he learned about the youth from Fei Lu, who seemed annoyed by Fei Baizen''s continuous pestering. Not continuing the thought to why an almost 20-year-old guy would try to woo a ten-year-old kid, Fei Cai observed the aperture.


    Baizen''s aperture had already turned stony and grey with cracks marring the surface. Unfortunately, Baizen still had the wits to destroy all the gu worms within his aperture. It only takes one thought, after all, and that is why the theft path is one of the most sought-after and feared styles of gu worms. With the initial check completed, Fei Cai hurriedly placed a small tendril mushroom over the bloodied head, two fire crackle chili on the twisted torso, and two ground shrink root over its feet. This was merely the first step and he injected his primeval essence into the materials, his training of diverging his essence into streams now coming into play but this was simply the division of primeval essence and did not bother Fei Cai too much. The tendril of the mushroom pierced into the corpse''s head, the chili sparked into tiny blazes that slowly covered the body, and the roots entered his feet while consuming the flesh from within.


    Lo, meanwhile, continued to keep an eye out for the surroundings. The temperature of the lake made many beasts avoid it but a few still visited it so choosing this barren spot was quite a risk for Fei Cai, too. Manipulating his primeval essence, Fei Cai furthered the process and soon, the blazes whittled to reveal a charred piece of flesh with a mushroom sticking out of it. Unlike its previous earthen color, the mushroom head had white and red spots and looked extremely vibrant.


    ''The first step is done. Time to leave!'' Fei Cai instantly grabbed the extreme hot piece of flesh and stored it within Lo''s basket, his hand burning in the process but he only winced. After running a few steps into the forest, the duo hurriedly changed their shoes and placed it into the basket before wearing their regular ones. The shoes back then were a size bigger easily purchased from the market and while they were running, Fei Cai released his Lizard Mouth Gu to store the shoes within it.


    The recipe needed to use the fresh corpse of a gu master, making Fei Cai apply the methods right there and then but now he needed to return to the tribe. The use of Terror Horse greatly shortened the time required to return and with Fei Qing and Fei Yang busy with their commitments, Fei Cai found the time to refine the Rank 1 Invasion Gu finally.


    ---


    Fei Cai did not know if Fei Baizen''s disappearance was marked by anybody or not. But he was sure that none spoke of him even when Fei Cai went out to bathe. His aperture now contained a small fist-shaped gu worm. It was blue in color and remained submerged within the primeval sea. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The invasion gu worm had mystical and coveted effects but the limitations were great for this gu worm. Usable only once every week, this gu worm submerges into a chosen palm which can travel through a gu master''s body and enter their aperture, the further use of the gu worm is to find the opponent''s gu worms and enclose them into a fist. This will cut the connection of the gu master and the gu worm until the fist is opened once again.


    One day had already passed after the refinement of the gu worm and Fei Cai now dressed while remaining completed unaware of the furious discussion echoing through the tribal tent of the elders.


    "I vote against hunting the Ice Pupil Wolves," Fei Dai stated somberly and gazed at Fei Kao. The tribe now held another rank 3 gu elder, a rather old one who didn''t have the heart to accept the trials of the elder, making him feel quite awkward without having a say in the conversation but with Fei Nai in front of him, also silent, the new elder felt a little relieved.


    "My pupil found traces of demonic cultivation," Fei Kao snarled, "A member of our tribe with the routine of collecting the water shards from the lake was killed and used as a refinement material. Next, the investigation was disrupted by a convenient ambush of a pack of Icy Pupil Wolves! How can it not be under the control of a gu master? Even if it isn''t under the control of gu master, the eradication of the pack would benefit the tribe!"


    The others flinched but Fei Dan stayed true to his words. He may be the youngest of the elders and the least experienced but he had his methods and remained confident in his responses. "Elder Fei Kao, we all grieve the loss of your apprentice Fei Bailin... she... had tremendous potential and as a father, I understand what you''re going through. Her death was untimely and unsavory but at this moment, allow me to present a logical point that benefits the tribe," Fei Dan stated sincerely, even bowing to show he actually meant what he said. Turning silent was all Fei Kao did as the young gu elder began.


    "Lord Chieftain, I consider the eradication of wolves short-sighted for three reasons. First, the forest is the entrance of the valley and it is the wolf pack that threatens the first wave of attack in the next War of Heroes. And the only reason why the elders before us, who, unfortunately, couldn''t survive the tribulation, left the pack to survive was due to the fact that in less than a year, the cold pond will become mating grounds for the wolf pack and cause a large number of gu worms to be found within the area naturally. Not only that, there have been reports of multiple Ten-thousand beast kings in the deeper section of the forest. Were they truly tame to a human gu master, we would have been attacked already. Elder Fei Nai, what was the name of the Gu Master who didn''t return?" Fei Dan inquired.


    "Fei Baizen, Elder Fei Dan. He had no relatives." The youth''s reply made Fei Qing sigh as Fei Dan continued, "This Fei Baizen may be targetted by a demonic gu master but I propose that instead of investigating our members, we place attention to the mortals of the tribe and scout the surroundings for external demonic gu masters. Unlike us, mortals are easily seduced by power, after all."


    Fei Dan''s reasoning did allow Fei Kao to see reason, signifying that during the worse hours of the tribe, the elders did have it in their heart to work with the opposing faction. With a course of action set already, the elders discussed a few minor changes and then dispersed with Fei Kao remaining with Fei Qing. The old elder had faced a terrible loss. Fei Bailin was simply a young girl when Fei Kao took her in and trained her in his ways but she lost her life to the beast pack yesterday. It was a surprise to everyone in the tribe which served as a caution for the survivors.


    The situation was getting worse and the need for preparation has never been greater.


    "Lord Chieftain!" A young scout burst into the tent, wheezing with a group behind him, "It''s the¡ª... There''s a rogue gu master near the entrance of the tribe! He''s attacked and killed four of my team members and is demanding to see the leader!"


    Fei Kao and Fei Qing stood up, stunned. Giving a look to each other, Fei Kao made his way to collect all the elders while Fei Qing instantly decided to mobilize the horse groups running rounds out of the tribe while preparing the groups resting deep into the valley. The sudden arrival of a rogue gu master made the whole tribe interested as many made their way towards the entrance with a group of youngsters interested, too.


    ---


    Many observed a lone gu master resting on a large rock and with the dragging marks on the ground, everyone assumed that the man had brought the rock from within the forest itself. The man wore a loose linen shirt despite the steadily dropping temperature, his silky grey hair turned out to be hereditary for there was naught a wrinkle on his face. Deep green eyes that shone brilliantly and an easygoing grin on his face while a small, palm-sized wolf sat on his shoulder with its cruel red gaze complementing its equally grey, furry body.


    From distance, Fei Cai could see Fei Qing arriving on the abnormally large Terror Claw Horse, attracting reverent gaze from others. The arrival of the Lord Chieftain brought the quick horse groups reaching cutting off the path from the opposite sides while Fei Qing''s gaze fell on the four young gu masters torn from waist down, their guts and internal organs leaking from the slices.


    "Name yourself," Fei Qing stated somberly, his voice soft and the Terror Horse silently staring at the palm-sized wolf.


    "Recently, I go by the name of Cruel Wolf Monk. That''s a nice steed, Master," Cruel Wolf Monk snickered, "I''ve got a mutated partner with rank 5 strength. They did not lie. You''ll be a great opponent."


    That was all the man needed to say to reveal the fact that he was hired help, to reveal that he knew Fei Qing''s methods and had the confidence of handling him, and to reveal that there was no other way than to battle.


    "Great," Fei Qing breathed deeply and jumped down from his steed. The Giant Terror Horse slowly made its way to the horse group and waited for the orders with Cruel Wolf Monk waiting for the first move. Suddenly, a slight tremor shook Cruel Wolf Monk''s heart as the rock underneath him exploded with a large maw appearing from below, clamping against Monk''s lower body, revealing a giant beast with earthen scaled skin and digging teeth now dripping with blood.


    "This¡ª" Cruel Monk''s pupils dilated as he looked at the Earth Lizard House Gu biting off his lower body, and from afar, Fei Cai''s expression turned wondrous. Not only him, but many also looked surprised by the giant lizard.


    "You don''t fight with honor!" Cruel Monk''s appearance had been as surprising as his demise with the knowledge of the Gu House''s refinement still not spread. Hearing his shout and action to defame his name, Fei Qing sneered, "Honor? I''ve no honor for rogues who kill young kids. And that Mutated Grey Peach Wolf is quite appealing. I thank you for your gift."


    With that, Fei Qing sent another enslavement gu onto the mutated wolf as a rank 4 expert of the northern plains fell to his death due to the slightest tinge of arrogance and relaxation. Dying at the maws of a gu worm one rank lower to his cultivation. Turning around, Fei Qing''s face was twisted in pain and his forehead was soaked with sweat but soon, the shivering wolf turned calm once again and instead of sitting near the dead gu masters, jumped up on Fei Qing''s shoulder. "Elder Fei Kao, hang the body of this Monk on the gates. I want funeral arrangements for the fallen gu scouts, this matter shall be handled by Elder Fei Long," he gazed at the newest addition to the elders before snarling, "And I don''t want to deal with these amateurs again. Either the rank 4 elders will handle this themselves, or lose their lives trying. Everyone!"


    He shouted and attracted the attention of every gu master near the gates, the horse group behind him neighing loudly and stomping their hooves simultaneously. "We are Fei Tribe. Descendants of the Huang Jin clan, the successors of the old ancestors from the Longevity Heavens! Remember that these demonic and rogue gu masters cannot compare to us. We are targetted by many tribes due to the talents brewing within the tribe and they want to cut our bloodline off! There remain less than 3 years to the tribulation. The time to work hard is now! As the Chieftain of the tribe, I am officially activating the merit board of the tribe!"


    Everyone''s gaze shone at his words except for Fei Sheng. The Monk wasn''t his doing but now, Fei Sheng understood that there was someone out there who wished to assist the Fei Tribe or... oppose Fei Sheng''s secret supporters. Either way, Fei Sheng''s position had finally become a liability for him and he needed to tread carefully from now on.

 27

    Merit Board Gu was used by all the tribes in Northern Plains extensively. It looked like a large board with thousand names written upon it. A drop of blood from each gu master of the tribe was promptly taken and dripped upon the surface of the Merit Board. Next, Fei Nai would enter the name of the Gu Master whose blood had been consumed before it would flash. In reality, Merit Board Gu was a storage type and information type gu worm. Its use was supported by a few gu elders and the objective of the gu board was quite simple. From now on, instead of selling the materials brought by the hunts, a gu master could store it within the merit board gu. The moment a material is deposited, instead of primeval stones, a gu master would receive merit points that would be marked in from of the name on the surface of the gu board.


    The Merit Board was already stored with plenty of resources and this is where the ''information'' type aspect of the gu worm is revealed. The merit points can only be exchanged through the merit gu board by taking out other resources. To use this function, a gu master must have an elder as a witness and use the extraction gu provided by the elder to extract materials and other resources provided by the tribe. The reason why merits were more popular than using primeval stones as the exchange was that it left Primeval stones solely for cultivation purposes and, merits could even be exchanged for loads of primeval stones!


    Gu worms, accumulated inheritances, and other precious materials. A few of them not affordable by primeval stones but definitely acquirable through merits. The factor by which the merits were distributed, unlike others, was not a mystery to Fei Cai. The information path depends on the link between the world. In Thieving Heaven''s words, the information path was a worldwide network, sections of which, could be accessible by various forms of gu worms. The merits were actually based on countless transactions occurring through the past, making the price absolutely fair. This only made Fei Cai more sure that by accidentally arriving in this world, he had not left the comfort of the modern world. He simply hasn''t invented it yet.


    Still, with so many precious resources, none dared to even play with the thought of stealing. A team of six rank 2 gu masters and one elder was stationed on shifts with Fei Qing taking a small term of shift, too. This showed how much Fei Qing was finally willing to invest so that the tribe could survive the enemies from all directions vying for Warm Pond Valley!


    With the task of Merit Board Gu completed, instead of continuing with cultivation, Fei Cai went to a deep slumber. From the might of the horse group, to his Fei Qing''s method of using a house gu to kill a gu master in a single move, and finally, gaining a mutated Grey Peach Wolf, Fei Cai did not have enough fortitude to keep on going for the day.


    The next day, Fei Cai readied himself for the day with menacing thoughts sponsored by Shrewd Gu colliding against each other and even more maniacal plans rising in his mind. ''With sneak attack gu, my attacking situation would balance once again but I need to refine an enslavement gu quickly. Fei Qing has already shown that only one''s mind limits the methods and if someone found a way to make Lo talk then all my hard work would be for naught.'' Thinking till here, Fei Cai cut off the expenditure of Primeval Essence into Shrewd Gu, a few seconds already costing him 36% out of his reserves.


    "Master, Lord wanted me to give you this gu worm," Lo chirped the moment he saw Fei Cai walking out of his room. With a furrow of his brows, Fei Cai took the gu worm from Lo''s hands and nodded, "Go and get dressed for the hunt. Be sure to not spill the refreshments today," his words made Lo nod furiously as he went off to get prepared for the day. This made Fei Cai realize that slowly, Lo was getting comfortable with his situation. With comfort came a certain sense of lethargy and he needed to cure Lo. With a soft snort, Fei Cai looked at the rank 1 book gu and began refining it. With his father''s will already directing it, Fei Cai instantly refined the gu worm and looked at the contents of the gu worm.


    ''It''s the merit list rewards...'' Fei Cai looked curious as he continued to gaze through all the resources stored within the merit gu board. The rank 1 enslavement gu was worth 192 Merit Points. The fact that it was within the merit board was already surprising to Fei Cai but that wasn''t even the best reward there. His eyes scrutinized the¡ª Horse Monk''s Inheritance¡ª for a whooping three million inheritance points. While Fei Cai had not been too knowledgeable about Fei Qing''s methods in the beginning, slowly, he found out that Fei Qing had been a lucky inheritor of rank 5 inheritance. Horse Monk''s Inheritance. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Fei Cai did not know what else the inheritance contained but most of the horse groups were actually received alongside the inheritance. That is how Fei Qing skyrocketed through the ranks and became a Chieftain.


    Recollecting himself, Fei Cai looked through other rewards and found eight copper relic gu worms, each worth four hundred merit points. This single-use gu worm could instantly make Fei Cai break through a minor realm, so, of course, this was a highly coveted resource.


    Instead of waiting for Lo, Fei Cai first had him pack the refreshment and for the first time, handed out the punishment to the young slave. Since he wasn''t even ready beforehand, Fei Cai made him travel without proper gear. Just a dagger latched onto his waist as he did not even wear a proper tunic or shoes for that matter. The hunt''s efficiency had been lowered but Fei Cai wanted Lo at his best. And given the current situation, with Fei Yang looking for weakness amongst the younger section of the family, Fei Cai couldn''t have Lo acting in such a manner.


    Once again, the horrors of the gu world were revealed when Lo did not show any form of dissatisfaction towards his treatment. Instead, the slave worked harder despite the obvious lack of response due to cold as if he wished to make up for his tardiness.


    Despite the slightly less speed, the master-slave''s hunt today had been a slow one. Barely finding a slightly resourceful fowl. However, instead of preparing the hunt themselves, Fei Cai took the game to the mortals stationed near the board specifically for the task and had them prepare every material out of the twin-tailed duck''s body. His merit points only increasing to 3 points.


    ---


    Violet miasma slowly entered through Fei Nai''s pores, getting absorbed by his skin. The young man''s forehead dripped with sweat and his lips trembled after every few moments. Finally, once the coat of miasma was absorbed from the pot in front of him, he finally opened his gaze as a calm look appeared on his face. Heaving a deep sigh, Fei Nai turned to look at Fei Chang with an embarrassed expression.


    "Father... I feel ashamed of my earlier actions. If only..."


    "You could have done nothing about it. My poison path takes a different approach. Instead of poisoning the body, my inheritance poisons the mind. A gu master needs a period of time to digest the gains but now, your mind is enforced and your soul strengthened. This is the nature of the poison. It is medicine. How to utilize it depends on oneself."


    Hearing Fei Chang''s words, Nai nodded with a deep expression. He experienced the same things and it was not at all easy. "Now that you have regained your clarity, I want you to focus on your cultivation with more effort. These are tough times but the use of Merit Board has boosted every gu master''s morale. Your uncle, Lord Chieftain, has also increased his overall strength after enslaving the mutated peach wolf so we cannot afford to fall back."


    "I understand, father. I will focus on merits to gain valuable gu worms and materials. I also need to refine gu worms that you could not share so that my strength can take a qualitative change."


    "It is good that you understand it," Fei Chang nodded. It was at this time when a knock interrupted the duo. "Father, may I leave for Elder Dan''s tent? He wishes to have a chat with me." The speaker on the other side was Fei Mang, Nai''s younger sibling.


    "Go ahead," Fei Chang replied casually. On the other side, an annoyed expression flashed on Fei Mang''s face as he slowly walked out. After he was given the hand of Elder Dan''s daughter, he was forced to receive Elder Dan''s teachings. At first, he felt deeply aggravated but a few days of teachings caused his horizons to be broadened and he understood many things. He even cast his female slave aside, no longer willing to spend the night with her unless he really felt the urge. But still, the trials shattered his ambitions.


    In fact, nothing had changed. Elder Dan continued to teach him with vigor, imparting his methods to the young boy daily whilst trying to make his wife seed with a son every night. But Fei Mang''s young mind couldn''t understand it. Defeat narrowed his vision once again while the pain terrified him more than ever. When Fei Mang explained the same to his father, he was subjected to torturous lectures and when found idling as his father droned, the mam delivered a tight slap. That drove the temporary estrangement to the relationship that continued to the date.


    ''Elder Fei Sheng asked me out a few days back but I was stopped by father... should I visit him now?'' Fei Mang thought as the scene of delicious roasts the old elder treated him to previously swayed over Fei Mang''s decisions heavily.


    The sight of Elder Fei Sheng ''coincidentally'' taking away a few slaves a few steps away from Fei Mang finally made the young boy decide on his course of action as he set forward to greet the old elder.

 28

    "Huff," Fei Cai heaved a deep sigh, his mind slightly tired. In the last week, he and Lo had been putting more and more effort into hunting. The use of gu worms in various situations increased Fei Cai''s overall capabilities but he still couldn''t use his Invasion Gu. Not only that, if he were actually a child, he wouldn''t have been able to manage so many gu worms in terms of feeding them. After all, Fei Cai still searched many feeding materials from the wild to not let the others, especially, Fei Qing feel suspicious. But all of this took a toll on Fei Cai. Even now, he just ended the feeding session, turning his gu worms lively once again.


    However, in return for such a depressing situation, Fei Cai held only 4 primeval stones but 76 merit points. His strength was limited and Fei Cai understood the concept of accumulation and growing resources from resources. It is the same concept as making money from more money. Fei Cai now held a considerable sum for a 10-year-old rank 1 gu master and now, he needed to scheme so that he can gain more merit points out of the earlier expenditure. In two words, the essence could be described as¡ª Correct Investment.


    "The refinement team led by Fei Chang is the most appropriate source of earning quick merit points. Unlike hunting where we have to store the resources, Fei Chang is authorized to add more merit points to the board once a gu master under him successfully reach a quota. Not only that, I can understand more about the refinement from the experience but... I will have to make a few errors along the way to hide my current streak of 100% success rate. That will make me subject to voluntary backlashes," Fei Cai pondered over the benefits and disadvantages before moving onto the next resourceful endeavor.


    "Fei Kao''s expedition team is given merit points based on the duration of the scout every day. This has already made the scouting team the most attractive choices but if I consider the Terror Horse, I would have a chance to join them. My earlier rise of reputation due to taming a terror horse might also come into play this time. But," Fei Cai''s eyes turned complicated, "Aside from the hunting experience I''ll gain, there remains a definite risk to my life. Each expedition is sure to cause injuries and ever now and then, the death of a gu master is reported."


    Finally, he thought of the last and least attractive source of merit points, but this was Fei Cai''s evaluation. In reality, being Fei Sheng''s apprentice to carry out tests of new recipes was quite an opportunity but it was far more dangerous than the two former methods. Backlashes were one of the most serious injuries a Gu master can face that even had the possibility of destroying cultivation. This possibility became a major obstruction while devising new recipes and with no method to cope up with such injuries, Fei Cai quickly discarded the third option and focused on the first one. He just needed to find the points in the process where the backlash would be least monstrous and play along.


    With that, Fei Cai walked out and greeted Fei Qing. "Father," he spoke, "May I please join Uncle Chang''s refinement team." Before Fei Qing could interrupt and reject, Fei Cai willed out a small bug. Seeing it, Fei Qing''s gaze sharpened while Fei Cai continued, "After spending six merit points, I was able to gather enough primeval stones to refine Enslavement Gu worm. Fortune favored me and granted me success on the very first try!" He stated while emulating deep emotions as if he had practiced the current speech for days instead of refinement.


    Fei Qing''s gear began to move again as he nodded slightly. "You can join your uncle''s refinement team but the required gu worms, you shall acquire yourself. Now, who do you plan to use this gu worm on?"


    "Lo," Fei Cai informed, making Fei Qing furrow his brows. "Son, it will be far better use of the gu worm if you take a rank 1 gu master as your slave. Even if the tribe won''t provide you, in time, you might just get the chance."


    "I understand. But Lo is already loyal," Fei Cai explained with childish naivety oozing through his tone, "Wouldn''t it be better if we turn him into a gu master and use the gu worm for another layer of assurance to keep him loyal?"


    Fei Qing narrowed his gaze and stared Fei Cai down for minutes. But seeing that the young boy remained silent, albeit unnerved, Fei Qing gave his consent. "A slave is like one''s property. If you wish to make Lo a gu master, you shall pay up the appropriate price, and his needs would befall upon you. Meanwhile, your allowance of fifty primeval stones would remain the same."


    Nodding and as if in deep thought, Fei Cai approached cautiously. "Then, Father... may I borrow the amount necessary? Once again, I am willing to lose out my allowance as interest until I am capable of repaying you."


    Fei Qing nodded and stood up while making his way out of the gu house, his voice lingering behind, "Then take Lo to the spirit spring. I shall convey your authenticity." As Fei Qing left, the tired look on the father''s face turned to a relieved one. He had imparted quite a bit of tricks in regards to enslavement and while he would have doubted Fei Cai''s success in the past, now, not a blemish of doubt remained in his heart. Fei Qing''s trust in his young son could be seen through earlier conversations. This was the first time Fei Qing allowed Fei Cai to have the initiative in a conversation and while it might take experience to perfect the art, Fei Cai had long surpassed the budding juniors in merely a month. Now that he thought of it, the transformation was a stunning one but as a father, he couldn''t be more proud. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Meanwhile, with Fei Cai, instead of taking Lo to the spirit spring and promote him to a gu master, the boy stepped out and made his way to the merit board. There, another rank 3 gu elder waited for Fei Cai. In fact, this was the ninth gu elder. After removal of the very deadly trials, many peak stage rank 2 gu masters let go of their worry and broke through the rank in peace. This had started to change the very foundation of the tribe. Unlike rank 1 and 2 gu masters whose needs were individuals, rank 3 gu masters had needs that befitted a faction. So, to them, merit gu was barely attractive. Instead, they consolidated their foundation and started to work to increase the rank of their gu worms and standing within the tribe to claim more opportunities. Needless to say, factions were turning more competitive in the tribe.


    Going through the merit board, Fei Cai utilized 60 merit points to procure quite a useless token from the storage. The refinement token. After the establishment of the merit board and the envious distribution of merit points in Fei Chang''s team, Fei Qing decided that to even get the chance of entering the team, one must purchase a token for the same at the cost of 60 merit points. This stopped many, but plenty continued forward. Next, after procuring a token, a rank 2 Gu Master directly under Fei Qing would keep an eye out for three days of productivity, and only then can a person join the refinement group.


    Not only that, more focus was turned on Fei Chang after he almost successfully refined another Earth Lizard House Gu worm, which made Fei Cai realize that the opportunity was limited. Once the quota of the gu house was completed, the project would be eventually disbanded!


    Now, after gaining the token, Fei Cai made his way to the inner section of the Valley with Lo beside him.


    ---


    Fei Chang''s gaze remained narrowed as he rested under the shade of the tree. However, his gu worm was activated to keep alert of the procedures going on. Even with the enslavement gu, he did not truly trust the two slaves assisting the gu masters. Fei Yang was beautiful and knew how to use beauty to her advantage. But that was the least destructive quality of hers. After all, the status of female gu masters in Northern Plains was only slightly better than mortals. However, Fei Yang turned out to be truly talented in the art of refinement. Her methods were ingenious as she did not shy away from sharing some of her old tribe''s methods. This made both, Fei Qing and Fei Chang cautious of her. But she wasn''t drained of her usefulness just yet, ensuring her life temporarily.


    Soon, one of Fei Chang''s apprentice walked up to him and bowed slightly, "Master, Fei Cai approached our camp with the refinement token."


    "Hmm, take him to the batch of recruits under inspection. Under no circumstances is he to be given favorable treatment despite his past fame and parentage. The word is, he has been purchasing quite a bit of refinement materials from the day he began cultivating so I want to see a fair environment for my nephew."


    The apprentice nodded and left away, making Fei Chang sigh. "There is this young genius who doesn''t let his father worry and then... *sigh*... there is my Mang''er who knows nothing but to make others worried. But elder cousin needed to have a blessed son for he never intended to marry again."


    On the other side, Fei Cai was brought to a group of 11 gu masters who sat cross-legged at quite a distance away. None had the time to greet each other or even pay attention to anybody else. Their foreheads were filled with sweat. Suddenly, someone lost their focus, a brown-haired gu master, as the swirl of energy in front of him disrupted. However, at the blast, no sound echoed, making Fei Cai feel extremely mystified. To his inquiry, the old gu master overseeing the situation smiled and spoke up, "Those boys and girls are covered by my gu worm¡ª Silent Dome Gu. Any sound produced in the space covered with my gu worm will be absorbed and nothing will pass. Hah! I remember those days! My father gifted me this gu worm when I was rank 1. He said that I made too much noise with my slave. Ah... youth," he rambled for quite a few minutes until he looked at Fei Cai with an impassive expression.


    "Go and sit there," the old master pointed, "and take his storage gu worm. All of the recruits are lent this gu worm. If the gu worm is damaged, the responsibility shall be borne by oneself. The refinement recipe of the parts and quota necessary is written in detail within the parchment stored in this gu. Do not expect any form of assistance unlike those who are confirmed."


    "Yes," Fei Cai bowed slightly and walked towards the appointed location. He felt phasing through something soft, as if he just jumped through a veil of condensed air. The moment he entered the domain, he felt nothing. The crisp sound of his footsteps vanished and if he wasn''t careful, Fei Cai would have tripped. Slightly unnerved, Fei Cai sat and recollected himself.


    Finally, he used the rank 1 Bud storage gu and planted it a few steps away from himself. A small bud instantly tore through the ground, creating a fist-shaped hole surrounded by yellow petals. Nodding to himself, Fei Cai pushed his hand into the hole and fished out the parchment containing the information regarding the recipe and the merit points payment per successful refinement of a step needed by other gu masters for further refinement.


    Heaving a deep sigh, Fei Cai started taking put refinement materials. The recipe wasn''t that hard and utilized gu masters'' sense of time instead. A swirl of primeval essence is to be created to mix the refinement materials. The complication in the steps would be to determine the right moment to add new material. It was like creating a grinder made of primeval essence and then adding one vegetable after another. Each successful process would be rewarded with five merit points! If the quota of 25 successes was reached, another hundred would be granted alongside the supposed 125!


    "But..." since he had already decided to hide the streak of 100% success rate which he could achieve for whatever reason, Fei Cai aimed for less than a hundred and began the steps of refinement.


    His methods and demeanor made the old gu master overseeing the situation eye Fei Cai for a few moments before he started to observe with a smile. Everybody enjoys the prospect of their tribe getting a genius and seeing Fei Cai''s refinement process, the old master, with his limited knowledge, considered the youth a genius.

 29

    After two days of constant refining, Fei Cai had encountered one disadvantage of the silent gu refinement advocated. The sound itself was a necessary component. Fei Cai had tried the same method of refinement at home and the swirl of primeval essence produced noise. Using the sound of materials being crushed, a Gu Master could refine the gu worm more accurately but this was only possible if a gu master refines in isolation. The noise, in such a large group, would become a fatal distraction. So, the process depended on one''s reaction to refinement.


    Right now, Fei Cai sat alone in the silent domain, his expression severe. The other temporary recruits looked at the silent young boy soaked in sweat with a complicated expression. "Do you think he will do it?" One of them inquired softly.


    "I don''t know. Until now, nobody has reached the bonus quota yet. Even the permanent recruits have reached that only once and that, too, was done by a rank 2 peak stage hu master! Even if Fei Cai doesn''t do it... he''s already called a genius by now. Not only in taming beast but in refinement, too."


    "Quiet!" a cane smacked the two speakers on their heads. The old gu master revealed a frenzied expression as he admonished the two. "How would you like that I watch you two with your wives and comment on how much of a genius you are in bed? The same is with refinement! If you are watching it, stay silent and enjoy the suspense!"


    The surrounding gu masters gulped. On the other hand, Fei Cai looked at the giant primeval shredder with a determined gaze. In the last two days, he was struggling with the steps he needed to take after joining the refinement team. With his success rate, he was already marked to enter the permanent team for greater benefits but Fei Cai wasn''t just satisfied yet. The change in Fei Qing''s behavior was a wave of fresh air but Fei Cai was no child. He wished for quick progress and he knew that his actions were capable of bringing him the resources needed for development at a quicker pace.


    How? By finally putting a foot down on the title of Refinement Genius firmly. Unlike what others might have in mind to keep it a low profile, after a few use of Shrewd Gu, Fei Cai realized that keeping a low profile had been more disadvantageous than the benefits at stake. With the status of the son of the Chieftain, being low profile would only make him slightly less conspicuous. After all, his existence played a major role in Tribe''s affair whether the elders conveyed it directly or not. He was the sole heir to Fei Qing and was expected to inherit the Horse Monk''s methods that his father took for himself. After all, Fei Qing did not even have a single disciple.


    But being more dazzling in his actions, Fei Qing could attract more interest. And when the merit points are all the trend in the tribe, this attraction could boost Fei Cai''s chance of survival simply by the use of his reputation. Geniuses came rarely and after a long time. Fei Cai knew he was no genius but he could act like one. And which father would want to lose an heir who also is a phenomenal genius? So, with a focused gaze, Fei Cai picked the last water straw and threw it into the shredder. Instantly, the green liquid spilled through the swirl of primeval essence as the energy collapsed inwardly, covering the powdered gu materials with the liquid and began to compress until a small cocoon was formed. This process comprised 90% of the steps needed to refine a lizard mouth gu worm and now, this half-finished process would be delivered to the other gu masters to completely refine a gu worm.


    Finally, after 25 refinement process, Fei Cai felt drained and laid back unceremoniously while the chirping of birds, chattering of surrounding gu masters, and the rustling of grass entered his ears. The Silent Domain was lifted!


    "He did it! 25 successes!"


    "I am so envious. He earned a bonus of 100 merit points but not only that, he will definitely be selected for the gu refining process of the later steps. They earn more merit points because they need to refine a true gu worm, unlike the incomplete product we are refining!"


    Under the constant bantering, Fei Cai slowly sat up and placed the incomplete product into the bud gu before taking it off the ground and making his way towards the old master. "Here," he said softly, his face pale and his eyes slightly dim, "Am I allowed to come tomorrow?" Fei Cai inquired. Three days had been passed and he needed to know if he had indeed gained the qualification to benefit from the refinement team led by Fei Chang.


    "Come tomorrow and find out," the old master stated impassively and took the storage gu from Fei Cai''s hands. Sighing and not resisting the twist of his expression, Fei Cai soon left but his actions caused another wave of gossip to spread over the tribal gu masters. But that wasn''t all, Fei Sau, another genius said to be at the same level as Fei Nai, broke into rank 2 with just 5 years of cultivation. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    But the news barely caused a ripple in Fei Cai''s heart. He now understood Fei Sau''s circumstances. His drive to become stronger was Fei Nai himself. At the beginning of his cultivation road, Fei Nai became an obsessed individual who drank and whored. None cared, however. Women were like clothes, to be worn, used, and discarded but there was one particular woman whose death haunts Fei Nai, still. Fei Sau''s elder sister. She had just begun her cultivation but her life came to a short end due to Fei Nai''s careless action in a hunt. His team died and Fei Nai survived with heavy injuries, realizing that he needed to turn over to a new side, Fei Nai then shocked the tribe with his outstanding talent.


    Fei Sau, however, resented Fei Nai and this was not a secret. The internal workings of this complicated relationship, Fei Cai did not know a lot but he felt a sense of opportunity in this particular discord. Fei Sau and Nai were dubbed as geniuses with more than just a rivalry in between them and Fei Cai held no doubt that Fei Sau would soon issue a challenge against Nai the moment they closed the distance in cultivation and capabilities. A man driven by anger and vengeance could be manipulated without the former''s knowledge itself but Fei Cai needed to make sure of many things. The first being the advantages he could gain from this particular investment opportunity.


    After all, the investment of 60 merit points in a refinement token had already earned him 410 merit points. And it would only increase if he gets selected tomorrow. Right now, he held no primeval stones but a total of 426 merit points was already quite great.


    But if that was all, Fei Cai would only feel sour. However, Lo did not disappoint him. In his bag was a total of 11 primeval stones that he earned on the hunt by himself. After awakening his aperture, Lo found out that he had an aptitude of Rank C with his aperture 55% filled. Instead of purchasing a gu worm, Fei Cai decided to wait on Lo''s vital gu worm.


    "Master, here are today''s earnings!" Lo exclaimed happily, making Nik nod. After enslaving Lo, the youth felt more like an extension to Fei Cai. And, since Lo did not resist at all, Fei Cai did not have to suffer the same soul irritation when he enslaved the Terror Horse. Gazing at the small pile of Primeval stones, Fei Cai picked six of them and grunted, "Cultivate using them. Tomorrow, I will purchase you a vital gu worm."


    He did not even need the feel to put the act that he was lending the gu worm to Lo. Lo, and the new gu worm are both his properties. Why would he have the need to put up pretenses? A stronger Lo was beneficial to him than a weaker Lo. That is all.


    "Yes, master!" Lo nodded and took the remaining 5 primeval stones, promptly returning to the kitchen to prepare the supper.


    Returning to his room, Fei Cai began cultivating. He didn''t use the primeval stones but from the morning, he had been using his aperture nurture gu steadily to cover his aperture, and now, he would reap the benefits of twice the reward at the same amount of hard work. His cultivation speed was already greater than his ''peers'' which were actually the rank 2 proficient hunters and now, Fei Cai only needed to buckle up and catch up with them.


    ---


    Fei Qing looked at the reports with a pleased expression. It wasn''t only about Fei Cai. His son surpassed his expectations but his happiness came from the fact that Fei Sau broke into rank 2. The young genius had a grudge against the old genius. The old genius who was heir to the leader of the competitive faction of the elders¡ª Fei Chang. And Fei Qing intended to use this to his own benefits. Use Fei Sau and Fei Nai''s past to reap benefits in the future. Unlike others, Fei Qing and Fei Chang knew that Fei Sau''s sister was not simply killed. Her corpse was ''used'' by Fei Nai as he lived in a moment of panic, despair, and drunkenness during a sudden ambush from a nearby tribe.


    The actions that night left such a severe impression of Fei Nai that he changed completely the next morning. The night became his darkest secret and the reason Fei Nai really chose Fei Kao was due to Fei Kao''s hermit lifestyle. Fei Nai wanted nothing to do with worldly pleasures anymore, not after the atrocious acts he had committed.


    This was something that only the three people¡ª Chang, Nai, and Qing¡ª knew and this was also the reason why Fei Chang never overstepped his boundaries. Back in the day, Fei Chang was not subservient as a necessary shadow of the tribe. He was unruly and ambitious but this piece of Nai''s act became a silent chip that slowly dulled Fei Chang''s edge until he truly became loyal to the tribe and its benefits.


    "I have located the cause of your tribe''s troubles. It is the Ma Tribe and they are backed with people... stronger than me. I have chosen to remain hidden because I choose you as my apprentice. I taught you my methods and even if I am dead, there lies hope in the Imperial Court. That is where we met in the first place and we will return there," A grim voice echoed within Fei Qing''s mind as he nodded somberly. A strange look touched his face as the voice continued, "Your son is capable. But instead of coddling him, start imparting your true methods. The Heroes'' War is cruel and the Icy Tribulation crueler and I don''t want my inheritance to die down with just you. Start simple and if your son shows talent, go along with him. Else, this Fei Sau is already going to be a good host, I might as well spawn some new heirs."


    A wry expression touched Fei Qing''s face as he chuckled, "Yes, master."


    "Hmm, good. Horse Monk was stabbed in the back previously, he will return to take revenge on his killers!"


    As it turns out, the inheritance that made Fei Qing the Lord of the tribe didn''t come from a dead gu master. While that particular individual¡ª Horse Monk¡ª may not breathe, he still lived on to this very day and he was growing impatient every day!


    ***


    A/N: I know one thing about reverend insanity fan and that is they love to reread. So, I humbly request any reader who has just started reverend insanity once again to help me. If you are reading and Fang Yuan comments about the first timeline, then, can you make a list of chapters where he says and what he says? Since this novel is based on the first timeline with five regions going to a war, it will be far more chaotic and I would feel a little assured if I have a few more details.

 30

    "Ma Tribe..." Fei Qing closed his eyes and slowly sorted out the information his dead master gathered for him. Originally, Horse Monk was a wisdom path gu master who chanced upon an enslavement path inheritance which he modified later on to create a rather cruel set of methods. Wisdom path gu masters were notorious to be the cause of many conflicts even without the knowledge of the participants of the said conflicts. Meanwhile, Enslavement Path gu masters, especially the accomplished ones, were notorious for being called the one-man army. Their beasts able to tip the scale of war towards their Ally''s favor! The mixture of both paths, the ingenious use of wisdom path to increase the control in enslavement and the enslavement path''s use of dividing one''s soul and mind to enhance the methods of wisdom path made Horse Monk gain his fame.


    Horse Monk, however, did not innovate this particular combination. Gu Masters were known to dabble into various paths and then mostly stick to at least two paths. Thieving Heaven created Theft Path through a combination of other paths while cultivating space path. Similarly, Reckless Savage Demon Venerable cultivated Strength and Transformation path. He was the inventor of the Transformation path!


    So, unknown to others, Fei Qing and Horse Monk were also adept Wisdom Path gu masters. After realizing Ma Tribe''s involvement, a Super Tribe with multiple rank 5 experts, Fei Qing figured out that the Fei Tribe was being targeted for the same reason why Fei Qing eradicated Pei Tribe. The Horse Groups!


    Ma Tribe housed one of the four first-rate enslavement path master¡ª Horse King Ma Zun. It was obvious that Fei Qing''s second-largest horse group was quite an attraction but... "They are confident enough to attack without caring for their losses. It is also the time of war. I''m afraid that they have the confidence due to legendary masters surpassing mortal gu masters. Sigh..." Fei Qing''s expression turned somber. Ma Tribe would not attack Fei Tribe just yet. They would slowly gather various banners underneath them before taking extreme actions. It gave Fei Tribe at least a year but the time was too less. Even when the Merit Board is released, the development to create a sizeable foundation would require a minimum of 17 months!


    "The simplest option is the hardest one this time around. Breaking into rank 5 will take time. Increasing the number of my horse groups will be a tough task, too," Fei Qing casually rubbed the little Wolf''s furry head. The mutated peach wolf might have rank 5 battle strength but when compared to multiple rank 5 gu masters, well-trained and cruel, the might of a single wolf will never be enough. Not to mention, Fei Qing himself fell short on the cultivation rank.


    "Hmm, using wisdom path methods is an appropriate choice but if any one of the tribe traces the method back to Fei Tribe, they will be alerted. The Fei Tribe will be pulled into conflict regardless of the methods so it is unwise to attract more attention than we already have. Fei Tribe has already shown the might so now is the time to select a few allies of our own. Benefits make the world run and to the mid-scale tribes with no source of gu houses, the Earth Lizard House Gu worm would be a major attraction. But I can''t just use that. The pot isn''t too sweet just yet. However, I also need to prioritize my demands and make the relationship beneficial for the tribe to stop the other tribes from leeching off our methods and resources."


    "Well, the first thing to do is remove the quota on the refinement of Earth Lizard House Gu worm. In fact, I will demand the materials for refinement during the alliance meeting and make them bleed a little. Hehe, this will do well enough."


    ---


    The next day, Fei Cai took Lo to the Merit Board. Right now, Fei Cai held a total of 426 merit points. And he had also chosen the Vital Gu for Lo. Out of many paths Fei Cai could peruse from Thieving Heaven''s collection, Fei Cai found one single path of gu worm quite resonating with the theft path. Of course, Space Path was filled in that library but space path materials and gu worms were extremely rare.


    Slightly bowing to his Elder Cousin on Merit Board''s duty, Fei Cai silently went through the rewards and picked up rank 1 Phantom Blossom Gu worm. The choice surprised Fei Nai but he kept his silence. He wasn''t in his emotional state any longer. Phantom Blossom Gu, though it sounded extremely extravagant only cost mere 75 merit points. Considering other gu worms, it was cheaper and far more useless. The only function of the Gu Worm was to project a phantom spring blossom with four petals and wait until it blooms and refreshes the surroundings. From an education point of view, a projection affecting reality was quite far-fetched but in the tribal situation, none cared.


    Even Fei Cai didn''t. The reason he selected the unwanted gu worm was due to a rather crucial use of its existence. In the revised refinement recipe of Sneak Attack Gu worm, a particular phantom path material is used¡ª Phantom Sprinkle Gu. But since it wasn''t available, Fei Cai devised to use the gu worm''s projection and phantom spores as a replacement for the refinement. Not only that, he had the recipe of phantom venom vine series, man-eating phantom flower series which were developed from this very gu worm.


    Looking at the small violet sprout in his hands, Fei Cai refined the gu worm himself but before he could leave, his path was cut-off by a slightly excited Fei Mang.


    "Oh, I didn''t know that slaves were allowed to cultivate, too. Is the genius of the tribe that low that he cannot find support from his own tribe members?" Fei Mang mocked with a vicious expression. Hearing him, Fei Nai''s expression changed slightly while Cai couldn''t help but observe minor changed that Fei Nai still hasn''t discovered. ''His pupils just changed shapes... instead of round and dark, they were slightly boxy. Could the change in Fei Mang''s personality have something to do with it? Too strange.''


    "I took your support, Cousin," Fei Cai smiled suddenly, his words itching against Fei Mang''s heart while Fei Nai seemed to have realized the situation among two ''kids'' would only worsen.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "You two should resolve your issues over a hunting match," Elder Fei Nai stirred with an easygoing smile but Fei Cai''s gaze brightened a bit and he nodded quickly, "That is a great idea, Elder Fei Nai. Cousin, once we compete, we can determine the winner and the victor of the match will defeat Fei Sau, gaining the right to rival the youngest Elder of the Tribe¡ª Elder Cousin!"


    Fei Nai''s cheeks paled slightly at the name of the youth in trend but Fei Mang furrowed his brows. A slightly nervous expression on his face. "What do you mean?"


    "Listen¡ª"


    With a naive and exciting burst, Fei Cai cut off Fei Nai''s intervention and spoke hurriedly, "What? You still don''t know. Fei Sau has some grudge against Elder Cousin. Elder Nai has shown me the warmth of an elder sibling, so of course, I will defeat Fei Sau one of these days!"


    Fei Mang''s expression worsened at the explanation as he hissed, "Fei Cai, stick to your slave! Elder Brother Nai is my brother!" Mang emphasized, "Only I will kill Fei Sau for even boasting to go against Elder Brother!" With a snort, the young boy left while Fei Nai let out a deep sigh.


    "Little Cousin... sometimes you speak too much. Anyway, don''t think of Mang''er wrongly. He still feels a little down after the injuries from Beast Trials."


    Fei Cai nodded and apologized before leaving the area. In fact, he had also wished to cash out green copper relic gu but all of them were already taken away. Still, acquiring Phantom Blossom Gu was already a major step in his agenda and with him finally realizing to use Fei Mang as a piece to sow discord between Fei Nai and Fei Sau, he figured out that the opportunity to be gained was Fei Mang''s unconditional support. The boy was young and naive, his actions based on short-sighted thoughts but he was still Fei Chang''s son.


    Unlike Fei Qing, Fei Chang did not intervene in Fei Mang''s life that much. In any other situation, the young gu master would have felt natural and grown into a tough warrior if he survived in the first place but that wasn''t the case this time. Fei Mang had a talented elder sibling. Fei Cai thought that no father, no matter how apathetic, could stop himself from commenting, at least, once at the progress of a talented offspring. And if the action is committed once, it will happen again.


    How would Mang feel when Fei Chang paid attention to Fei Nai but not him? Will he grow into a strong warrior? Or will he grow to resent his family in the form of psychological issues that can be twisted for one''s own benefits? Fei Cai was willing to bet on the latter and based his speech on that. Any youth with a thirst for their elder''s affected and acknowledgment wouldn''t let an outsider steal an opportunity. To Fei Mang, now, Fei Sau was the target and his defeat, an opportunity. Why would he let Fei Cai take it away from himself?


    "Hehe," Fei Cai couldn''t help but chuckle to himself, ''Now, I need to find the best use of Fei Sau that can assist my current needs. Once I have Fei Mang''s trust, I can turn him into a scapegoat if I find an appropriate target for Invasion Gu.


    Once Fei Cai reached the inner portion of the valley, he handed the refined Phantom Blossom Gu worm to Lo and made him refine his vital gu on the spot, imparting a few uses of the gu worm, and sent him out for hunt again. Meanwhile, he turned to the deeper section where the refinement group was situated.


    ---


    The scent of fresh mud pleased Fei Cai slightly as he stepped on the warm ground, unlike the colder weather near the exit of the tribe. The refinement team was situated by a warm pond to provide an optimal location. Seeing the place already filled with a few gu masters, these being the core members of the team, Fei Cai moved towards the Rank 2 peak-stage gu master tasked to oversee the situation. Even Fei Yang was visible from the distance.


    As Fei Cai reached the area, the gu master waved his hand at Fei Cai with a wide smile on his face. "Ah, Fei Cai! Come, come! Elder Fei Chang is extremely pleased with your successes. Here, we just received the orders that more Gu houses are to be refined. We have not got a second to waste. Take this bud storage gu and familiarise yourself with the process. Unlike the group here stuck with refining incomplete products, the one designed to refine complete gu worms are separated. A gu master will keep tabs on you. Here, Fei Bo, little rascal! Come, greet Fei Cai and take him to the seventh spot by the shrivel rose bushes!"


    Fei Yang observed the situation from afar and did not raise suspicion by warming up to Fei Cai in front of others. Every approach would feel suspicious unless Fei Cai takes the initiative himself and that he did not. Instead, the gu master named Fei Bo led Fei Cai to his spot while explaining the situation.


    Pei, Pa, Bai, Han, Lin, and Ma.


    These were the six tribes that were in the same region as Fei Tribe. Northern Plains is divided into seven smaller regions. The region holding Warm Pond Valley is named Tian Chuan. For the past thirteen years, Fei Tribe controlled the Warm Pond Valley but now, they were being encroached by external forces. Out of these Pei Tribe was already annexed, Pa Tribe now seemed to be in cahoots with Ma Tribe. However, Fei Qing was sure that Bai and Han Tribes had nothing to do with Ma Tribe just yet. One had only reached the level of a large-scale tribe three years before while the other was a mid-scale tribe.


    According to Fei Bo, Fei Qing had already received Bai Tribe''s allegiance. The mid-scale tribe had a dire need for such gu houses and with the war on the brink of occurring, Bai Tribe seemed to have crumbled under Fei Qing''s early persuasions.


    ''War... according to the tradition of the Northern Plains, a full-force war cannot occur until the Heroes Assembly. It takes a little time to understand the mentality of the gu masters but having a faction puts gu masters in the so-called righteous faction. Fei Qing planted dubious reasons to attack the Pei Tribe, the fact is only revealed to me to expand my horizons,'' Fei Cai thought to himself, appreciating how a person can control a situation based on one''s own method, ''with that, Fei Qing managed to warn the surrounding tribes that attacking the Fei Tribe comes at a cost. Now, until the Heroes Assembly, only a few skirmishes will occur. But, it is high time to reinforce myself again. Thieving Heaven''s inheritance, while being the most precious, is ironically useless in the short-term.''


    Once Fei Cai was made aware of his assigned spot, he sat down and slowly took out the parchment necessary to understand the refinement recipe. Many thoughts continued to flicker in his mind and he was made aware of the natural benefits of pursuing wisdom path. Thought, will, emotion. That is the essence of the wisdom path. Usually, when a youngster starts the wisdom path, his mind is considerably less affected by the choice of wisdom gu worm. But Fei Cai had almost 30 years of prior experience. His nature was complete, and his morals were set. With the use of Shrewd Gu every night, Fei Cai''s natural thinking process was slowly turning more devious and twisted. Everywhere he would look, he will start to focus on benefits to be gained but this was, in fact, one of the many hurdles in wisdom path.


    Wisdom is attained in clarity. Shrewdness is only necessary when required. Fei Cai now started to understand many cautions that Thieving Heaven listed in his personal journal. But, Shrewd Gu was necessary to develop onto the Theft Path. Completing the set of Shrewd Gu came Shrewd Will Gu, Shrewd Thoughts Gu, and Shrewd Heart Gu. But this was a situation not to be considered now.


    Closing his eyes, Fei Cai let the warm atmosphere clear his head and then observed the recipe to the detail.


    "My task is to use incomplete products to refine a rank 1 gu worm¡ª Lizard Mouth Gu. Unknown to others, I already have experience in refining this gu worm and with incomplete products present, almost 80% of the task is done. Not only that, but I am able to earn 60 merit points after successful refinement followed by a penalty of 10 merit points for failure. This is the payment for my services itself and the penalty is for the destruction of already refined incomplete products. Not only that, after reaching a success quota of 15 refinements, I will be able to earn an extra 300 merit points! It was beneficial to show my skills and talents in refinement, after all. If I had a subpar performance, I would have been stuck with earlier refinement!"


    Fei Cai analyzed his situation. Licking his lips slightly while understanding the urge to think more shrewdly and now starting to reign it under his command, Fei Cai began refining the gu worm.

 31

    "*Bzzz* Wrong answer! Your total score is 11 out of 60! How shocking! My best inheritance is placed in the hands of a useless outsider. Did your world not have simple mathematics? Chemistry? Physics? Astrology? And the Relativity Theory of Black Hole?!"


    Thieving Heaven is known to be one of the sneakiest gu masters in history. But Fei Cai knew that Ben Jie Sun aka Ben Jason was simply a hurting man who wished to return to his world. Still, the moment Fei Cai found that Thieving Heaven''s computer gu had another function¡ª Quiz¡ª he applied for it instantly. The mocks already recorded into the computer gu worm failed to affect Fei Cai as he continued to praised and admire Thieving Heaven in his heart.


    "Thieving Heaven has quoted in his journal to innovate and improve on recipes. According to him, this form of cultivation of mind brings benefits to the realm and mortal qi later. For that purpose, he left a hidden function in Computer gu worm. Quiz. The recording has explained that there are a total of three quizzes designed to enhance my knowledge and practice of gu materials, refinement. In the later two levels, there will be more subjects to be covered but that is not all. Completing one level will provide me with, according to Thieving Heaven, mastery in one path."


    Closing his eyes as the screen of the quiz slowly dissipated, Fei Cai began to go through the questions he could still remember and finally wrote them down so that he could study the effects of these materials. "But one thing is for sure. Thieving Heaven doesn''t want the inheritor of this gu worm to only develop in a single path. I still do not understand the ambition of the dead Venerable but all of his pointers and words suggest that the inheritor¡ª me¡ª needs to expand my knowledge and methods horizontally. Covering anything and everything... but... this also contradicts against the very nature of cultivation."


    After a day of refining, Fei Cai''s situation had grown vastly better. With eleven successful refinings, Fei Cai now had a total of 971 merit points. Lo''s hunt hadn''t gone well so he could only earn a pay of 7 primeval stones. In fact, Fei Cai understood that there were some bottom lines so he didn''t make Lo submit these resources into the Merit Board since Fei Qing had made it clear that this board and resources were only for Fei Tribe members. Slightly refreshed by the sudden discovery of quiz function, Fei Cai couldn''t help but smile genuinely for once.


    "From the moment I have arrived, my thoughts are constantly clouded with hubris. Arriving from a scientific world, I couldn''t help but think that natural paths such a fire or water are easy due to learning a few properties. These properties help, extremely so. But this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Out of the sixty questions, 58 of them should have been correct if followed logically but in the end, I stood corrected to 11 of them. Logic is necessary, but not to be tied down with," Fei Cai mumbled to himself. No matter how much he claimed to keep a clear mind, only through such a failure and slap in the face can he achieve his statements.


    "I have also been rushing to try and acquire various gu worms, leaving me with nothing but chumps. With the acquisition of the merit board, I can finally change that and focus on, at least one, or two paths. Get better and experienced with them before spreading my thoughts onto other paths." Thinking till here, Fei Cai recalled the list of gu worms in Merit Board once again. Of course, he could only remember the most impressionable one but for the umpteenth time, aside from his next step in refining Sneak Attack Gu, Fei Cai found himself attracted to Ice and Snow path gu worms.


    He realizes that in the coming years, the temperature of the entire Northern Plain would drop at a chilling degree, causing a rise in the appearance of snow and Ice path materials and gu worms. Not only that, to survive the tribulation, one must win wars and acquire the throne of the Imperial Court or survive the icy tribulation that will cover the lands. In such a scenario, it is not only wise but effective to cultivate Ice path.


    "It is a decision for a later time. Lo has only come in contact to a gu worm today, his use in the refinement process would require more expertise from his side... as for Fei Sau and Fei Mang..."


    Fei Cai pushed his primeval essence into rank 2 shrewd gu worm. Once again, his thoughts collided tangibly, causing Fei Cai to feel a little exhausted but the clash of multiple thoughts raised from informed decisions once again turned Fei Cai''s heart towards the rivalry of Fei Sau and Fei Nai. He finally understood the opportunity he needed and missed severely.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    A mortal named Fei Jun. After the loss of his elder sister due to mysterious reasons, Fei Sau took upon himself to take care of a young tribeswoman who had lost her parents around the same time. Next year, Fei Jun would go through her aperture openings ceremony and for that, Fei Sau had purchased two relic gu alongside support gu worms. Clearly, the youth doted on her but in Fei Cai''s heart, he didn''t take the gu masters in his mind as human but subjects. Wisdom path is far more mysterious than Fei Cai would have estimated and for that, he needed to gain experience in using the gu worms. He had now decided to lay plans for his benefit whenever he can. Whether they get ruined or erupt in success, Fei Cai cared not. To him, the process of planning and learning from his mistake was far more important.


    After an exhaustive session of thinking, Fei Cai slept eagerly and only woke up early in the morning. He had a few hours before going towards the refinement team and so, for the first time, he decided to ''pass'' through a slave farm. The slaves in northern plains can be cultivated in short numbers. It was much like a pig farm from Fei Cai''s world. A large structure was constructed with mating, birthing, and living quarters separated but he merely passed through it. The last thing Fei Cai wanted right now was to get associated with the theft of a child''s corpse but out of the three slave farms, Fei Cai chose this structure with a special intention.


    As he continued to walk, he soon entered the depths of mortal camp that turned to the rather inconspicuous shop of an old gu master who had his personal gu worms on sale. All this time, Lo continued to follow Fei Cai with a blank expression.


    In a few breaths, however, Fei Cai found himself witnessing the act of a sweet dark-haired girl in slightly dirty clothes getting ganged up by young boys. Just like the girl, the boys wore rags but unlike a pro, they only poked the girl to make fun of her. From a young age, the value of the female gender is taught to be low and that form of education had a direct impact on the lives of young gu masters.


    "Stop hurting me! Brother Sau will give you all harsh spankings! I''ll tell him!" Alas, the threat of a gu master didn''t seem to work on the set of boys. At least, not with one present in their immediate contact.


    "Ha! We know all about you! Father said that Fei Sau is a hero of the tribe! How can he care for a dirty girl like you? You clearly did something to him!" One of them shouted and raised his hand to pull on the little girl''s hair when a slender arm caught his hand and yanked him away roughly. "Scram, you lot," Fei Cai shouted as Lo took out his ''malevolent'' violet-colored gu worm for show, frightening the group of kids, including the little girl.


    "Uh, uh, Lord Gu Master, I didn''t do anything to Brother Sau! He just cares for me deeply!" The little girl instantly started bawling her eyes out when Fei Cai smiled and slowly touched the top of the girl''s head. His hand patted her head comfortingly and rubbed until her sobs softened. In the meantime, Fei Cai remained silent and when the girl''s large and wide eyes looked at Fei Cai innocently, a hint of fear still present in her gaze, Fei Cai smiled and stated softly.


    "Don''t be afraid, little girl. I believe you."


    That''s all the girl needed to hear before calming down slightly. Soon, she introduced herself slowly.


    "Lord Gu Master, I am Fei Jun. Brother Sau told me that if any Lord Gu Master ever talks to me, I have to report it to him."


    "Haha," Fei Cai laughed pleasantly, his voice clearer and warmer than earlier ''thugs''. "Tell your brother Sau that my name is Fei Cai. Anyway, can you point me to Fei Long''s shop? It is supposed to be here."


    "Ah!" Fei Jun exclaimed and blinked before pointing at a particular camp, "That''s where he lives!"


    Nodding, Fei Cai rubbed her head once again before leaving.


    ---


    After buying a gu material from the shop and separating from Lo, Fei Cai began to walk towards the inner valley with deep thought.


    ''There are various types of planning. A person can plan and develop a tribe or cause a war. From my past experience as a shop owner, I understand selling techniques and how to make things grow but causing war, that I do not understand yet. The cause of war is a grudge or an unprecedented benefit. If I wish to sow more discord within Fei Sau and Fei Nai then I will have to involve their loved ones. Fei Nai value Fei Mang and Fei Sau value Fei Jun. This can be used. But... I still feel like I''m missing something. There is a benefit for me in the form that I may gain an opportunity to steal relic gu worms from Fei Sau and learn many things from my first conspiracy. But...''


    As Fei Cai continued to mull, his gaze once again fell on Fei Yang and he was completely shocked. He realized that the feeling of incompletion didn''t come from his plan with Fei Sau and Fei Nai. But from Fei Yang. ''The way to learn more about the wisdom path is to use and create chess pieces. I have been avoiding this Fei Yang out of personal consideration but did I ever truly think of her weak? No. It is because her cultivation is rank 3. But what is a gu master without gu worms? Ordinary human. Fei Yang, maybe, for the first time in her cultivation life, is as weak as she is currently, and instead of finding a use for her, I have been festering my weakness!''


    Taking a deep breath, Fei Cai took his supplies from Fei Bo and made his way towards the refinement spot. He didn''t instantly make contact with Fei Yang. The safest space to start was still their new gu home.


    "Time to refine gu worms once again," Fei Cai regained his vigor and began to earn for the day.

 Origin

    The soft *pitter* *patter* sound of drizzle over the tents echoed as a bloodied youth slowly made his way into the Fei Tribe. He let the cold rain drench him and wash away his filth. Under the cleansing, the muddied face turned slightly fairer but still gave off a healthy complexion. Rains were rare in Northern Plains. In fact, in some of the smaller regions, no tribe could experience rain. Only in a valley''s ecology could the Fei tribe enjoy such moments. The plain-faced gu master with drenched shoulder-length hair finally entered a slightly better tent without any patched holes.


    Taking off his wet boots, the Gu Master looked at a small girl sleeping under the warmth of a blanket. She had bushy hair and a cute round face.


    ''It was just like this when we first met,'' Fei Sau recalled with a sad smile. The circumstances were the same. It was raining, the world was dark, Fei Sau was reliving his agony under the rain while poor Fei Jun was sleeping outside of one of the tents, her little body shivering with only a wet blanket on top of her. It was the day when Fei Sau heard the demise of his elder sister and Fei Jun was cast out of by her aunt once the death of Fei Jun''s parents was announced.


    It was almost instinctual that Fei Sau decided to stop feeling the pain and help the poor soul in front of him regardless of cost. For the first time, his deeply rooted arrogance against female shifted. He lost the most important woman in his life, after all. And the things he regretted was not the loss but how he treated his elder sister despite her accommodating nature. So picking Fei Jun in his arms, Fei Sau returned to his tent and nurses her back to health. They became each other''s family.


    "Umm, ah, Brother, you have returned..." Fei Jun''s soft yawn echoed as she slowly sat up with the blanket still wrapped around her. She drowsily rubbed her eyes while Fei Sau snickered, "Oh, Jun''er. You slept without eating again? You''re a woman. When will you learn to cook?" He sighed with mocking grumpiness while using a towel to dry himself. Hearing Fei Sau''s words, Fei Jun wriggled in embarrassment.


    "Oh," Fei Jun suddenly exclaimed while Fei Sau began changing into a dry tunic, "Brother, a Lord Gu Master helped me today! That smelly Kai came to pull my hair but Lord Fei Cai sent him running!"


    Fei Sau''s action grew slower. Fei Cai had left a deep impression on Fei Sau. While Fei Sau had continued to work hard and slowly raise his battle strength to the level of rank 2 gu masters before even breaking into the realm, Fei Cai had managed to tame a terror horse with peak rank 1 strength in just a single month of cultivation. Hard work in face of genius talents felt a little short and slighted. Fei Sau didn''t care for the fame Fei Cai gathered, but he cared for the completion he might face in the future.


    "Tell me everything that happened," Fei Sau sat in front of Fei Jun, his little sister, and stated seriously.


    Nodding her head, Fei Jun drafted the entire scenario with wild ''oohs'' and ''waahs'' as Fei Sau understood the entire situation. Fei Cai might have wished to purchase something from Mad Hong but came to find Fei Jun being bullied and helped her. But helping a mortal girl? Fei Sau''s impression of Fei Cai couldn''t help but improve drastically. To Fei Sau, it wouldn''t have mattered if Fei Cai had assisted someone else but when it came to Fei Jun, Sau cared a lot. She was all he had left, after all.


    ''Fei Cai... this debt, Fei Sau will carve in his heart!''


    ---


    "When you manipulate your Primeval Essence, the most notable aspect to understand is that our primeval essence''s quality is based on our minor realm. When our aperture wall is misty, the primeval essence in each rank is harder to control due to the free-flowing nature of the aperture. At middle-stage, the aperture wall is like flowing water, which reduces the chances of the control getting incorrect. Similarly, at high and peak stage, the aperture wall is more solid and requires even less intention to control Primeval Essence," Fei Yang''s voice was extremely soft and soothing as she sat in front of Fei Cai. After Fei Qing had made sure that Fei Yang didn''t have demonic intentions, he retreated back into his room while letting Fei Cai learn from Fei Yang.


    While Fei Cai''s results have been extremely appeasing, his eagerness to learn by approaching Fei Yang had improved Fei Yang''s and Fei Qing''s moods simultaneously. Fei Yang, obviously, because she wants to get closer to Fei Qing''s ''weakness'' while Fei Qing, because, he did not want his son to lose such a wonderful opportunity.


    "In the refinement process of Lizard Mouth Gu, you usually fail at the fourth step, that is related to the manipulation of Primeval Essence," Fei Yang commented after hearing Fei Cai''s ''problems''. In fact, Fei Cai''s manipulation ability is the only thing that is advancing rapidly. But since he can easily fake mismanagement in the control, Fei Cai selected the very spots that required impeccable control as his choices of failure so that he could reveal a weakness, which, in fact, wasn''t a weakness. And the spots with manipulation had the lowest quality of backlashes, making Fei Cai''s situation far better than other refiners.


    "I will work on my control," Fei Cai nodded with a grateful expression, while making sure to not overly show a sense of gratitude to keep making Fei Yang remain on her toes and not too comfortable with him. Smiling softly, Fei Yang brushed a lock of her dark hair behind her ear and revealed slightly more of her neck and collarbone. If she wore a buttoned shirt, she might have lost the top button, too, but unfortunately, she couldn''t. Her eyes narrowed and her body leaned forward slightly, once again, making Fei Cai aware of her tantalizing scent.


    "Is there anything else I can help you with?" She inquired almost as if cooing.


    "No, this is all," Fei Cai looked away with a slight change in his expression and that was what Fei Yang needed to see before she left. The moment she walked out of the door, Fei Cai''s expression turned impassive once again as he stood up. His body was, of course, attracted to Fei Yang''s methods. He got his first erection, today, too. But Fei Cai paid it no heed. Instead of cultivating of using Shrewd Gu, Fei Cai went through his storage and marked every ingredient he had to his mind. He then tried to revise as many ingredients and gu worms from the computer gu for a complete hour before starting a quiz once again. This time, the results were worse. Only 5 correct answers out of a total of 60 questions.


    But Fei Cai knew that to truly understand and learn from his mistakes, he would first need to memorize the entire library of the inheritance, which was a monumental task in itself.


    Once the quiz was completed, only then did Fei Cai began using his Shrewd Gu and started to calculate as many factors as he can. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ---


    1 Month Later.


    "Haa! Finally, the refinement tasks are completed! I had to go through so many backlashes but... it was all worth it! I have completed my gu worms set! The treasury of our tribe is amazing! Back then, I had a single rank 2 gu worm but the fortunate selection in Elder Fei Chang''s team had helped me greatly!"


    "Hahaha! Exactly! Those hunters used to laugh at our strength but we managed to surpass them easily!"


    "Not to mention, this time, we were exposed to learn many things. That is the greatest treasure!"


    "Psst, hey, look. That''s Fei Cai!" One of the gu masters grew silent as an innocent-faced young boy walked towards the exit of the valley.


    "I heard he has achieved the quotas eleven times! They all call him refining mad youth. Once, I saw him coughing blood but still refining without any stops. In the end, even the veins of his nose popped!"


    "That''s it? Did you forget the time when a backlash caused his fingers to tear only for him to accidentally use his blood and refining a rank 2 Frenzy Lizard Venom Gu? He even sold it to the merit board after earning permission and gained almost 1200 merit points!"


    "Ha! I''d say that Fei Cai has earned the most. His fame! Everybody knows about him now! He''s the talented son of Lord Chieftain, after all!"


    Fei Cai walked out under the appraising gazes of the tribesmen. His expression was calm and still while he calculated in his heart. The greatest gain for Fei Cai this month wasn''t the total savings of 26,071 merit points, neither was it the refinement exposure. It was actually the success in getting used to the Shrewd Gu! Wisdom Path was hard to cultivate and Fei Cai had it harder. He started straight from the Shrewd Gu but now, his thoughts were under his control. Not only that, but he had even memorized slightly over a hundred recipes but he needed to revise them every other day.


    The use of merit points came greatly when he needed to feed his gu worms but today, the rocketing increase of his merit points would come to an end. The quotation for Rank 3 Earth Lizard House Gu was finally met and the refinement team was disbanded. However, Fei Chang had the mind to note down a few rare talents and invite them for a small chat, assuring that if such an opportunity ever reveals itself, the group of talented refining masters would be asked first and that is the meeting Fei Cai came out from.


    Instead of hurrying to the merit board, Fei Cai returned to the gu house. He needed to freshen up and take a bit of rest. As he continued to walk, within a few moments, he came across a pleasantly smiling Fei Yang. Seeing her, Fei Cai ''had'' to smile. "Why are you waiting here, Yang?" Fei Cai inquired. One month was a long time and after determining to play around with Fei Yang, the relationship of the two grew seamlessly. But that was only an external point of view. The more he understood Fei Yang, the more cautious Fei Cai became.


    Fei Yang held high ambitions which she accidentally ''spilled'' in front of Fei Cai ''carelessly''.


    Last week, while teaching Fei Cai, Fei Yang proclaimed how he would grow to be a wonderful gu master, just like his father, and how she wished to have such a man in her life. Of course, the woman then acted and instantly kowtowed, begging Fei Cai to not tell Fei Qing she said such a thing. Ordinarily, Fei Cai would have thought that Fei Yang actually made a mistake. Taking Fei Cai for a child and letting her guard down but after a few moments of consideration did Fei Cai understand what was hidden beneath her actions.


    Fei Yang had stopped seducing Fei Cai, the change was noticeable as Fei Yang seemed to truly appreciate Fei Cai. The act of professing her romantic thoughts wasn''t to make Fei Cai aware of her interest but to measure him. Fei Yang wished to find if Fei Cai was deeply controlled by his father or not. This was a breakthrough in their relationship that Fei Cai needed. If he showed that he needed to go to Fei Qing every time he was confused, such as the time when his father''s slave accidentally professed emotions for him, then Fei Yang would try a different approach.


    However, Fei Cai earned slight respect from the mature gu master enslaved by keeping her actions a secret from his father. This was a handle that Fei Cai needed. Now, Fei Yang had started to teach some important things to Fei Cai every odd day. However, she kept many of her tribe''s secret closely guarded but it was only a matter of time before Fei Cai would be able to excavate them, too.


    "I appreciate walking with my master''s son home. And with the refinement team''s task completed, I would be stuck into the gu house so I wished to enjoy spending time with the genius of the tribe," she stated in a jesting tone.


    A few rank 1 gu masters would nod towards Fei Cai whenever he passed them. Seeing this, Fei Yang''s smile broadened as they both returned to the gu house. Once they returned, Fei Yang bowed to Fei Qing and retreated while the large man looked at Fei Cai fondly.


    "If I were your age, I would have hurried to merit board and exchanged rare gu worms. It is good that you returned instead. Go on. Rest. I have something to discuss with you."


    Fei Cai nodded and hurried on. Taking a bath and then falling asleep for almost three hours before waking up, night already descending as Fei Cai met the strange expression of Fei Qing.


    "Sigh, you must be more tired than I anticipated. Still, a fresh mind is better to digest information than a haggard one. Sit, I have much to tell you."


    As Fei Cai sat down in front of Fei Qing, released a gu worm. Fei Cai knew this one. The silent domain gu worm. Next, Fei Qing revealed a small gu worm with the aura of rank 1 revealed. Holding Fei Cai''s hand, Fei Qing placed the gu worm in his palm and allowed Fei Cai to activate the gu worm.


    "Good. This is a rare rank 1 gu worm. Pair talk gu. The true form of gu worm is 2 different bodies and can only be used once the two parts are in different gu masters. Using a bit of primeval essence, we can talk and our voices would reach in the other''s mind."


    Fei Cai expressed his surprise and used the gu worm. "Father, what do you want to tell me?"


    "I want to reveal the origin of our Fei Tribe. We weren''t always such a simple tribe. In fact, hundreds of years back, we were once a super-force of the Northern Plains. You are too young to understand the implications of being a super-force but there are other things you need to know. Father has tried everything but aside from Bai Tribe, none will ally themselves with us. So, we have to grow stronger at a quicker pace. Traditions cannot follow the trend and I want you to be able to survive the war because it might be Fei Tribe''s last."


    Fei Cai''s eyes widened slightly as he listened intently.


    "Cai''er, I will now bestow you a the first half of my inheritance. This is a test for you. This inheritance has gu worms and gu recipes but you have to be able to pass a condition before I reveal you the second and final portion of the inheritance."


    At Fei Cai''s nod, Fei Qing revealed a book gu worm. Taking it from Fei Qing''s outstretched arm, Fei Cai used the gu worm and in fact, refined it for his own use once Fei Qing permitted him. Within the book gu worm, Fei Cai found several gu recipes of soul path, wisdom path, and enslavement path. Most of them only reached as far as rank 3 but in the end, the condition of the inheritance was to enslave a beast group within the next three months. In fact, the beast group needed to have a total of 10,000 beasts!


    Unable to finally hide his shock, Fei Cai looked towards Fei Qing, waiting for an explanation. After all, this was an extreme move from the usually stable Chieftain of the tribe.


    "Son, sigh, I wish I could tell you more. If you pass the condition, I will also tell you the origin of the Fei Tribe and what lies beyond. Now, I will give you the gu worms I received when I first inherited these recipes."


    Saying this, Fei Qing waved his finger as two green copper relic gu, five rank 1 horse enslavement gu, two rank 2 horse enslavement gu, one rank 1 galloping thought gu, and one rank 1 soul mist gu appeared. Fei Cai now felt numb from shock. Looking at Fei Qing''s encouraging expression, Fei Cai soon refined all these gu worms and left the house in the dark, stating that he still needed to clear his thoughts and check on the merit board.


    ---


    Once Fei Cai left, Fei Qing leaned back against the leathery wall of the lizard house gu, heaving a deep sigh while the voice within his head belonging to Horse Monk encouraged his disciple. "You did well, Qing. It took me three weeks to deduce that Ma Tribe has the support of equally monstrous existence as other super-forces. The debt of you killing the young clan leader''s father at your youth might even implicate your son. But you cannot squander the inheritance. Giving this harsh test was the best method. Your son is a talent in refining gu worms but enslavement path demands a different form of talent."


    "Also, I have hope for your son. For such a young age to endure so many backlashes but still refine with a tough will, hehe, he has far more demonic qualities than my original body''s at his age!"


    "I understand," Fei Qing whispered while his lips twitched, "Looking in the face of death countless times, I have lost my fright but my son... I want him to live and explore the world. If Fei Tribe does not survive, I still want Cai''er to be able to see and experience the mysteries of the gu world. The elders do not know that Ma Tribe will not take gu master slaves but..." Fei Qing sighed again.


    "On that note," Horse Monk stated somberly, "My will has shrunk past my original body''s bottom line. I cannot deduce the mole hidden in your tribe. You''ll have to deduce all of it yourself."


    "I understand," Fei Qing''s gaze glimmered cruelly. Tonight, he will take the final step but he has to keep it as a trump card to surprise the demonic Ma Tribe and the mole hidden within the tribe!


    ***


    A/N: The fact about Fei Tribe being a super force is not made up but real. In the raws, it is revealed but I won''t spoil much.