Things change

Next to the academy, there was a Gu Room. The Gu Room wasn't large, only sixty square meters. 

For a Gu Master, Gu worms were the key to their power. 

As soon as the class ended, the excited young boys swarmed toward the Gu Room. 

"Line up, go in one by one," a stern voice shouted, as there was someone guarding the entrance of the Gu Room.

One by one, the boys went in and then came out.

It was Fang Yuan's turn to enter the Gu Room.

Inside, the room was quite remarkable, with walls full of niches. These embedded square compartments were lined up side by side, some large enough to fit a large pot, and some as small as a fist.

The densely packed compartments contained various vessels: some were gray stone basins, some were green jade trays, some were delicate grass cages, and some were ceramic warmers.

In these vessels were all kinds of Gu worms.

Some Gu worms were silent, while others were noisy, making sounds like chirping, clucking, rustling, and more, forming a symphony of life.

"Gu worms are divided into nine levels, corresponding to the nine levels of Gu Masters. These are all first-level Gu worms," Fang Yuan scanned the room and instantly understood.

Generally speaking, a first-level Gu Master could only use first-level Gu worms. If they tried to use higher-level Gu worms, they would often pay a heavy price.

Moreover, Gu worms needed to be fed, and the cost of feeding higher-level Gu worms was usually not something lower-level Gu Masters could afford.

For novice Gu Masters, unless there were special circumstances, they would choose a first-level Gu worm for their first refinement.

The first Gu worm a Gu Master refined was significant, called the Life Gu, and it was bound to their life. If it perished, the Gu Master would suffer severe damage.

"Originally, I was hoping to get the wine worm of the Flower Wine Walker and refine it as my Life Gu. But now, I haven't found any trace of the Flower Wine Walker's remains, and who knows when I will. To be safe, I should choose a Moonlight Gu."

Sighing inwardly, Fang Yuan walked straight to the left wall.

On one of the upper levels of this wall, there was a row of silver plates, each holding a Gu worm.

These Gu worms were crystal clear, crescent-shaped, looking like blue crystals, exuding a serene aura against the silver plates.

The Gu worm named Moonlight was a signature Gu of the Gu Yue clan. Most of the clan members chose it as their Life Gu. It wasn't a natural Gu worm but was cultivated by the Gu Yue clan's secret method, and it couldn't be found elsewhere. It was a symbol of the Gu Yue clan.

All the Moonlight Gu were first-level, with very slight differences. Fang Yuan casually picked one and held it in his hand.

The Moonlight Gu was very light, as light as a sheet of paper. It fit in his palm, about the size of a typical jade pendant. Fang Yuan could see his palm lines through it.

After a final inspection to ensure there were no problems, Fang Yuan put it in his pocket and left the Gu Room.

Outside the Gu Room, the line was still long. The next boy in line saw Fang Yuan come out and quickly ran into the Gu Room excitedly.

If it were someone else, their first reaction after getting a Gu worm would be to rush home and refine it. But Fang Yuan didn't do this; he still had the wine worm on his mind.

The wine worm was more precious. Although the Moonlight Gu was unique to the Gu Yue village, it didn't offer as much help to a Gu Master as the wine worm.

Leaving the Gu Room, Fang Yuan went straight to the tavern.

"Boss, give me two jars of aged wine," Fang Yuan said, rummaging through his pockets and placing the remaining fragments of primeval stones on the counter.

These days, he had been coming here to buy wine and then wandering around the village outskirts, trying to lure the wine worm out.

The tavern owner, a short, middle-aged fat man with a greasy face, had already remembered Fang Yuan after these days.

"You're here again," he greeted while skillfully sweeping away Fang Yuan's primeval stone fragments with his thick, short hands.

Weighing the fragments in his hand and finding the amount satisfactory, the owner's smile became even more welcoming.

Primeval stones were the currency of this world, used to measure the value of all goods. They were also the refined essence of heaven and earth and could be used by Gu Masters to aid their cultivation.

Having both currency and commodity attributes, primeval stones were much like gold on Earth. Earth had once had a single gold standard system, and this world had a single primeval stone standard system.

In comparison to gold, the purchasing power of primeval stones was also considerable.

However, no matter how many primeval stones Fang Yuan had, he couldn't withstand this continuous expenditure.

"Two jars of wine every day for seven days. My accumulated primeval stones are almost used up." Carrying two jars of wine out of the tavern, Fang Yuan frowned slightly.

Once a person became a Gu Master, they could extract pure primeval essence directly from the stones to replenish their primeval sea in their apertures.

Thus, for Gu Masters, primeval stones were not just currency but also an aid to cultivation.

With sufficient primeval stones, the speed of cultivation could be significantly increased, compensating somewhat for the shortcomings in aptitude.

"Tomorrow, I won't have any primeval stones left to buy wine. The wine worm hasn't appeared yet. Do I really have to refine the Moonlight Gu as my Life Gu?" Fang Yuan felt a bit unwilling.

Leaving the tavern, Fang Yuan carried two jars of wine, thinking as he walked, "The academy elder said that the first one to refine a Life Gu in this assessment would be rewarded with twenty primeval stones. Now many people are probably working hard at home to refine their Gu worms and strive to be first. But refining a Life Gu greatly tests one's aptitude. Those with good aptitude have a great advantage. With my C-grade aptitude, without other means, there's no hope of winning."

At this moment, his brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng's voice sounded behind him, "Brother, you're really here buying wine again! Come with me; Uncle and Aunt want to see you."

Fang Yuan stopped, turned around, and saw that his brother no longer lowered his head when speaking.

The brothers' eyes met.

A gust of wind blew by, lifting the scattered hair of the older brother and the clothes of the younger brother.

In just a month, things had changed.

A week ago, the opening ceremony had been a significant change for both brothers.

The older brother, Fang Yuan, had fallen from grace, stripped of his genius halo. The younger brother began to shine, rising like a new star.

This change was a profound transformation for the younger brother, Gu Yue Fang Zheng.

He finally experienced what his brother felt, being the subject of hope and envy.

He felt like he had suddenly been lifted from the shadows to a place filled with light.

Every day he woke up, he felt like he was dreaming. The vastly different treatment made him feel unbelievable and extremely uncomfortable.

He was not used to it.

Going from obscurity to being closely watched and talked about.

Sometimes, walking on the street, hearing people around him discuss and praise him, he felt his face burn, his hands and feet at a loss, and almost didn't know how to walk.

In the first ten days, Gu Yue Fang Zheng inexplicably lost a lot of weight, but his energy grew stronger.

From the depths of his heart, something called "confidence" began to grow.

"This is how brother felt before, both wonderful and painful!" He couldn't help but think of his brother, Gu Yue Fang Yuan. How did his brother cope with such discussions and attention before?

He subconsciously began to imitate Fang Yuan, trying to appear expressionless, but soon realized he wasn't suited for it.

Sometimes in class, a girl's shout could make him blush, and on the road, the teasing of aunties often made him flee in panic.

He was like a baby learning to walk, stumbling through the new life.

In this process, he inevitably heard rumors about his brother—being disheartened, becoming an alcoholic, staying out all night, and sleeping in class.

At first, he was shocked. How could his brother, once so powerful and a genius, become like this?!

But gradually, he began to understand. His brother was also human; facing such setbacks and blows, despair was inevitable.

With this understanding, Fang Zheng felt a subtle sense of relief.

This sense of relief was something he didn't want to admit but undeniably existed.

The praised genius brother, who once overshadowed him, was now so downcast. This, from another perspective, confirmed his own growth, didn't it?

He was excellent; this was the truth!

Thus, seeing Fang Yuan with wine jars, disheveled hair, and untidy clothes, Gu Yue Fang Zheng felt a great sense of ease, his breath becoming inexplicably lighter.

But he said, "Brother, you can't drink anymore. You can't go on like this. You don't know how worried those who care about you are. You must pull yourself together!"

Fang Yuan remained expressionless and silent.

The brothers locked eyes.

Gu Yue Fang Zheng's eyes were bright and sharp, while Fang Yuan's were deep and dark, like ancient pools.

Such eyes made Fang Zheng feel a strange pressure. After a short while, he instinctively looked away, glancing to the side.

But when he realized this, a surge of anger rose in his heart.

Anger at himself.

What was wrong with him? Couldn't he even muster the courage to look his brother in the eye?

"I have changed, I have completely changed!"

Thinking this, his eyes sharpened and he looked again.

However, Fang Yuan no longer looked at him. He walked past, carrying a jug of wine in one hand, and said in a calm voice, "What are you standing there for? Let's go."

Fang Zheng's breathing became chaotic, and the pent-up energy in his heart had no place to vent, making him feel an indescribable frustration.

Seeing his brother walking away, he had no choice but to follow quickly.

This time, however, he did not keep his head down. Instead, he held it high, facing the setting sun.

His gaze was fixed on his feet, which were stepping on his brother Fang Yuan's shadow, step by step.