Banquet of schemes

I'm checking in today because something sudden has happened! Today is the celebration of Fang Zheng's birthday! And I have been invited! What?! Why was I invited? Why the fuck are they even throwing a celebration at this time?!

Most people might not see through this farce, but I know exactly what is going on. Well, kinda? I have multiple most-likely options to choose from! All are equally possible, so I can't say with 100% guarantee!

The only 100% in these theories is, that this is the clan leader's doing. Now, why would he invite me, Fang Zheng's enemy/rival(hah!) to his birthday celebration. Also, his birthday is 11th of November. I can, with 100% certainty, say today is not the 11th of November.

It is most likely a formal gathering to test all the elders and hidden elders of our clan. See how loyal they are and what new cards they have up their sleeves.

The second most likely options is, that Fang Zheng needs allies his age. I have high pitential, a lot of capital and have made some really good connections thanks to my strength cultivation hall. Roping me into his future faction will be beneficial for the clan leader's faction.

The third one is the option I am wishing for. The spirit spring has dried up, so I will most likely be asked to "kindly" hand over my assets and sacrifice for the clan.

The good news is, that is exactly what I want! If I get asked to hand over my assets, I can demand compensation and ask for the 200+ moonlight Gu worms, which I can then turn into 400 Gu points and buy the damned Fate Flipped upside down Gu!

I hope he tells me to hand over my assets! I need the 100% talent to come to me before the wolf tide or the war begins.

The fourth option is, that he is going to formally declare war on the Xiong clan and inform the big-wigs of our clan about it. The wolf tide has begun in a smaller scale, so the Xiong clan is expending a lot of resources defending.

This is the most opportune moment to strike, as they will have to deal with two enemy attacks and the Gu Yue clan's objective is the spirit spring, so no mercy will be given to the Xiong clan.

I am already rank 2 middle stage, but that isn't nearly enough to help me fight off the wolf tide and live through the war.

I'll be able to reach at least upper stage of rank 2 with diligent cultivation before the true wolf tide begins and I will refine the four flavours liquor worm, so my primeval essence amount would increase by 4 times!

I'd rather get 100% talent now and then fight in the huge battles to come. Enough about scheming and other complicated shit! I'll do that on my own time!

I bought a rank 1 jade skin Gu and gave it to Fang Zheng as a birthday gift. I bought it from the clan, not my system.

The other guests at this birthday celebration are The Mo clan head, along with Mo Bei and Mo Yan, the Chi clan head along with Chi Cheng and some other elders with their own children in tow. The medicine hall bitch is also here.

The reception was pretty extravagant. I was escorted into the clan leader's mansion and that is it. I literally did nothing else.

There were no games to play and have fun, just some high-society gathering with boring old men and women being boring old men and women.

I went to talk with people like Mo Bei, but they were more annoying. I can hold intelligent conversation with the old people, but they keep looking at me as if I am some rare variant beast inside a zoo and I hate it!

I was dying of boredom, so I just sat down in a corner and started getting drunk. My alcohol tolerance is quite strong. I am 1.75 meters of giant muscles, so it is hard for me to get drunk on the same dosage of alcohol as a normal person.

I think, I mite be a bits drunk. No worries mite, I'm all good. The mane event is son to begin, so I butter sober up a bit. A clad drink will do the job all fine!

Okay, I'm back! I crunched on a bit of ice and cleared my head. It's been like 3 hours now and I feel so out of place with these people.

Fang Zheng is just standing around the clan elders and sometimes says something, that was obviously prewritten aaand he is walking over to me! Why is he coming towards my table?

Fang Zheng sat next to me and looked at me with displeasure. I am 100% confident the clan leader put him up to this! For what reason, we will find out now! "Why are you antagonizing me?! I know you banned me for that single week, so I wouldn't have the time to finish cultivating my strength before the year end battle. You are obviously helping my brother, so answer me this, why?"

I laughed at his directness. Yup, those courteous words were 100% prerecorded responses. He is showing his natural low-class nature. I think I understand the reason the clan elder put him up for this, so I'll play along "Simple, your brother pays me! Also you abandoned your dead parents and took your aunt and uncle as your new parents. Kind of a dick move if you ask me."

Fang Zheng stared at me and said "My brother pays you?" I nodded and said "Ya, he paid me quite a bit to stall your progress and make sure you wouldn't win the competition. He also paid me enough to be first on the appointment board.

You, on the other hand, were just a convenient punching bag for me to make money off of. You overestimate yourself if you think annoying or humiliating you is more important to me than profit. I am just a businessman... Doing business.

If you paid me enough, I'd even bully Fang Yuan for you!"

The revelation of how unimportant and insignificant he is kinda shut down Fang Zheng's brain for a few seconds. Hearing how his biggest rival doesn't even care about the supposed rivalry just deflated him to such an extent. I could barely contain my schadenfreude and continued crunching on my ice to hide my smile

I ate some more ice and the crunching sound finally woke him up and he walked away with a dazed expression. TBH, Fang Zheng is gonna get what's coming to him and get owned by Fang Yuan, so I don't need to interfere with him at all.

Just seeing how miserable he looks is enough to satisfy me.

The banquet lasted quite a while and the elders kept going in and out of the clan leader's private room. I felt like a conspiracy was going on, but then I was called and entered the room.

The room was quite small. Only 1 desk and 2 chairs. Clan leader sat on the chair furthest from the door and I sat on the one closest.

Time passed slowly as his old and wrinkly face looked at me and he said "Youngster Nem, you have amassed quite a fortune from your strength cultivation hall. It is one of the most popular buildings and almost 1/10 of the Gu Yue clan's Gu masters have signed up. The price is also very cheap and I would like to personally thank you for your contribution to the clan!"

I smiled and cupped my hands "It is nothing, clan leader! I am only doing what a member of the Gu Yue clan should do, nothing more nothing less." He understood my intentions and I could see it from the small twitch in his left eye.

I basically told him "I have already done so much, don't you feel any shame asking me to do more? I am only a youngster and you have other people to ask for help!" He knows I am not willing to contribute any monetary wealth to the clan and can't ask me to, because then his reputation would take a huge motherfucking hit!

People will say stuff like "This kid is barely of age and he has already contributed so much, doesn't the clan leader feel any shame forcing him to give even more?" His reputation would take a huge hit if he tries to ask me directly for money, but he is desperate because of the spirit spring drying up and has no other choice.

The clan leader sighed and said "You are too humble. The contributions you have in our clan is already quite big, but a clan is a community and everyone should do as much as possible! All elders must contribute equally and help the growth of our clan! I must also reward you for all you have done! I have prepared a special rank 2 Gu worm called horizontal crash Gu! It is a rank 2 Gu and would help you out greatly!"

Sly old man! He is trying to swipe all of my contribution under the rug by giving me a measly rank 2 Gu, thinking I will be naive and accept it, cuz I reallllllyyy fucking want that Gu!! Gimme, gimme, gimme!

Hold yourself back! Breath in, breath out! You can buy it from your system. The potential profit and reputation gain far outweigh this small rank 2 Gu! Hold it in!

I did the Chinese saluté thing with a bent back and the fist and palm together and said "I thank clan leader for his kind gesture, but I do not deserve such a reward. I have barely done anything for the clan and such a "GREAT" reward is already too extravagant for me.

If there is nothing else, I will take my leave and head home. I need to continue cultivating. I am on the verge of breaking through to Middle stage, so I need all the time I can find to cultivate! I apologize for the offending you, but I hope clan leader understands my intentions!"

The clan leader gave up all pretense and shameless came up to where I was sitting before I could even stand up and said "I agree that your contributions aren't much to speak of compared to the other elders, but I want to help such an outstanding youngster out. If our clan ever needs help in the future, I will come to a noble member, such as yourself."

This old fart is too shameless! I was being humble, but he used it to degrade me and force on me an agreement. If I decline, I break character and my future gain might decrease, but if I agree, I will have to contribute even more in the near future, which is exactly what I want!

Reverse psychology motherfucker! Now I can finally complete my objective and get out of here, but I can't show my joy now! If I do, all of my plans go down the drain!

My left eye twitched slightly and I quickly closed it to "hide" my "displeasure" and did the Chinese salute thing again and said "I thank Clan leader for his hospitality. Now, if I may offend you, I would like to take my leave."

The clan leader let me out and I left the mansion, full of forced looking smiles and joy! As soon as the wolf tide begins, he will ask(demand) I contribute my wealth to the clan, so I will, in exchange for 200+ moonlight Gu worms of course!

This way it would seem like I am giving the clan leader face, showing I am more considerate than him and more selfless than him as well and act as if I am a saint! His reputation will become a stepping stone for my rise!

Reputation Gu is quite powerful. It can help a person cross over an endless abyss in the form of a bridge, but it is too fragile. One wrong step along the way and the bridge might collapse. Some reputation Gu are so strong they can tank 2 or 3 wrong steps, but directly having 2 reputation Gu face off can only result in one of the 2 swallowing the other and becoming stronger!

I will come out victorious and achieve my goal! I will use the clan leader's reputation as a stepping stone and reap all the benefits! Reputation, Gu points and 100% talent!

The cultivation thing was mostly a lie. I have already broken through to middle stage, but other people don't need to know that!