Session 3:Please go and play

Bang, bang bang, bang, bang bang.

The rhythmic sound of the night watchman's wooden clapper echoed through the elevated house.

The sound reached Fang Yuan, who opened his dry eyes and thought to himself, "It's the fifth watch."

He had spent a long time thinking in bed last night, planning and arranging a lot of things, resulting in just over an hour of sleep.

This body hadn't started cultivating yet, so his energy wasn't abundant. As a result, waves of fatigue still enveloped his body and mind.

However, with over five hundred years of experience, Fang Yuan had long forged a will as deep as steel. This minor drowsiness was nothing to him.

He promptly pushed aside the thin silk blanket and got up cleanly.

Opening the window, he saw that the spring rain had stopped.

The fresh scent of earth, trees, and wildflowers mixed in the damp air, invigorating his mind and dispelling any lingering drowsiness.

The sun hadn't risen yet; the sky was a deep blue, on the verge of lightening.

Looking out, the stilt houses made of green bamboo and wood blended with the mountains, creating a scene of serene green.

The stilt houses had at least two floors, a unique structure for the mountain folk. The first floor consisted of large wooden stilts, with the living quarters on the second floor.

Fang Yuan and his younger brother Fang Zheng lived on the second floor.

"Young Master Fang Yuan, you're awake. Let me come up and help you wash up," came a girl's voice from downstairs.

Fang Yuan looked down and saw his personal maid, Shen Cui.

Her looks were average at best, but she dressed well, wearing a green blouse and long pants, with embroidered shoes on her feet and a pearl hairpin in her black hair. She exuded youthful vitality.

She glanced at Fang Yuan with joy, holding a basin of water as she quickly ascended the stairs.

The water was warm, prepared for washing his face. To rinse his mouth, he used willow twigs dipped in salt, which could clean and whiten his teeth.

Shen Cui served him gently, smiling warmly, her eyes full of affection. She helped him dress and occasionally brushed her ample chest against his arm or back.

Fang Yuan remained expressionless, his heart as calm as still water.

This maid was not only his aunt and uncle's spy, but she also loved vanity and was fickle by nature. In his past life, he had been deceived by her. After the aperture opening ceremony, when his status plummeted, she had immediately turned her back on him and treated him with disdain.

When Fang Zheng arrived, he saw Shen Cui smoothing out the creases in Fang Yuan's shirt, and a flash of envy and jealousy appeared in his eyes.

Living with his brother all these years, under Fang Yuan's care, he too had a servant attending to him. However, it was not a young maid like Shen Cui, but a fat old woman.

"If one day, Shen Cui could serve me like this, what would it be like?" Fang Zheng thought to himself, both wanting and fearing the thought.

Everyone in the mansion knew that their aunt and uncle favored Fang Yuan. Originally, he didn't even have a servant until Fang Yuan had requested it for him.

Despite the master-servant hierarchy, Fang Zheng didn't dare look down on Shen Cui. Her mother was Aunt Shen, the housekeeper trusted by their aunt, with considerable authority in the household.

"Alright, that's enough," Fang Yuan said impatiently, brushing off Shen Cui's soft hand. His clothes were already neat, and Shen Cui's further actions were clearly attempts at seduction.

To her, Fang Yuan's bright future, with the potential for top-level talent, meant that becoming his concubine would elevate her from a servant to a master, a significant leap.

In his past life, Fang Yuan had been deceived and even fell for this maid. However, after his rebirth, he saw through everything clearly, his heart cold as ice.

"Leave now," Fang Yuan said, not even glancing at Shen Cui as he adjusted his sleeve.

Shen Cui pouted slightly, feeling puzzled and wronged by Fang Yuan's indifference today. She wanted to say something coquettish, but the faintly discernible aura emanating from Fang Yuan intimidated her. After opening her mouth a few times, she finally said, "Yes," and obediently left.

"Are you ready?" Fang Yuan asked Fang Zheng.

His brother stood dazed at the door, looking down at his toes, and softly responded with an "mm."

He had actually woken up at the fourth watch, too nervous to sleep, and had secretly prepared early, with dark circles under his eyes.

Fang Yuan nodded, understanding his brother's thoughts from his past life, even though he hadn't known then. In this life, how could he not see through it?

But revealing it now was pointless. He instructed calmly, "Then let's go."

The brothers left their residence. On the way, they encountered many peers, in twos and threes, all heading to the same destination.

"Look, it's the Fang brothers," came a cautious whisper.

"The one walking in front is Fang Yuan, the one who writes poetry," someone emphasized.

"So that's him, expressionless and aloof, just as the rumors say," someone said, their tone sour with jealousy and envy.

"Hmph, if you were as talented as him, you could act aloof too!" someone retorted, hiding their dissatisfaction.

Fang Zheng listened expressionlessly, already used to such comments.

He lowered his head, following his brother silently.

At this moment, the sky had begun to brighten, and Fang Yuan's shadow cast onto Fang Zheng's face.

The morning sun was rising, but Fang Zheng suddenly felt like he was walking into darkness.

This darkness emanated from his brother. Perhaps for his entire life, he would never escape the huge shadow cast by his brother.

He felt a heavy oppression in his chest, even struggling to breathe. This damn feeling made him think of the word "suffocation."

"Hmph, these comments truly illustrate that the tallest trees catch the most wind," Fang Yuan thought coldly as he listened to the murmurs around him.

No wonder that after his talent was revealed to be mediocre, he faced enemies from all sides, enduring a long period of harsh treatment, disdain, and neglect.

He also noted his brother's increasingly labored breathing behind him.

In his past life, he hadn't noticed these things, but now, he saw everything clearly.

This was the keen insight gained from five hundred years of life experience.

He suddenly thought of his uncle and aunt, who were indeed shrewd. They had assigned Shen Cui to monitor him closely and given his brother an old maid. There were also other subtle differences in their daily treatment.

All of this was intentional, to provoke his brother's sense of injustice and to sow discord between them.

People do not fear scarcity but inequality.

In his past life, he was too inexperienced, and his brother too naive, falling into their uncle and aunt's trap.

Since his rebirth, with the aperture opening ceremony approaching, the situation seemed beyond repair. However, with Fang Yuan's methods and wisdom as a demonic path master, it wasn't impossible to change.

His brother could be suppressed and subdued, Shen Cui could be easily conquered, and his uncle and aunt, as well as the clan leaders, could be dealt with using countless strategies.

"But I don't want to do that..." Fang Yuan sighed inwardly.

Even if it was his own brother, it didn't matter. Without genuine affection, he was just an outsider, someone he could easily abandon.

No matter how pretty Shen Cui was, without love and loyalty, she was just a body. To take her into his harem? She wasn't worthy.

As for his uncle and aunt, the clan leaders and elders, they were just passersby in his life. Why waste time and effort to deal with these insignificant people?

He chuckled to himself.

As long as they didn't obstruct his path, they could play their own games. They weren't worth his attention.