chapter 8: for another day

As evening descended, the sun sank lower in the sky, its crimson light stretching out in fiery streaks across the horizon. The vibrant glow of the day softened into a warm, dimming ember, marking the end of daylight.

The streets bustled with people, especially the teenagers. The scene mirrored the morning, yet there was something different, a different atmosphere, a kind of melancholy. The air was full with a feeling of despair.

In this world, becoming a Gu Master is a rare achievement. The chance to becoming one is less than 1 in 100, maybe even less than that.

Although clans like the Gu Yue, thanks to their strong bloodlines, have significantly better chance, the number of the Gu Masters remains scarce, and not all of the teenagers in awakening ceremony could become a gu master.

This harsh reality was the main reason for the despair that casted over the entire scene.

Of course, Amidst this sea of despondent faces, a few bright ones could be seen: those were the teenagers who had successfully awakened their apertures and could become Gu Masters. This achievements had a strong transformative change in their lives and with this their future was secure.

However, those happy teens were just were a small minority compared to the many who had failed.

But In one of the many streets of Gu Yue Village, a peculiar scene unfolded. Weirdly in this part, none of those previous emotions could be felt, not emotions of disappointment from those who had failed to awaken their apertures, and not even the joy and happiness of those who had succeeded.

Instead, the clusters of teenagers were gathered, all their eyes were drawn to one side of the street, and the young teens chatters and whispers filled the streets, laughter, mockery, and envious glances, it was a complicated scene with strange mix of emotions.

Fang Zheng walked at the forefront, his posture firm and straight like a mountain. A wide, bright smile adorned his face, radiating an aura of positivity and happiness. As he passed, the teenagers on the street couldn't help but cast jealous looks at him.

But their gazes soon shifted to the figure trailing behind Fang Zheng. It was none other than his older brother, Fang Yuan.

Unlike Fang Zheng, Fang Yuan walked with his head lowered, his presence exuding an thick aura of despair that was even heavier than that of the youths who had failed to awaken their apertures.

The scene bore a resemblance to the morning, yet there were two big differences.

First, This time, Fang Zheng being at the forefront led the way with confidence, while Fang Yuan walked behind and second was the despair that he was showing, a kind of depression that dragged down the atmosphere around him, something that fz hadn't in the morning.

The surrounding teenagers, watching this since, had looks full of disdain in their eyes, their lips curled into mocking smiles.

The scene before them had effectively diverted their attention from their own disappointments. Instead of wallowing in their own failures, they found a twisted sense of relief in someone else's misery. The sight of Fang Yuan, beaten down and desperate, offered them a fleeting of comfort, a temporary escape from their own bitter realities.

"Hmph, this really disgusts me," Fang Zheng thought to himself, his eyes flashing with a hidden disdain as he observed the surrounding teenagers.

The "happiness" he displayed was nothing more than a facade.

Of course, It wasn't out of fear that the Gu Yue villagers or elders might suspect something about him; he hardly cared about them. In fact, he doubted they even had the faintest knowledge of the existence of otherworldly demons and what they are.

the only reason he maintained this act was because of Fang Yuan.

Even though he wasn't a 500-year-old demon or a experienced old man, Fang Zheng knew well enough that if Fang Yuan could somehow understand the truth about him, there was a high chance that things wouldn't go well for him.

So, he decided to behave exactly as the original Fang Zheng would.... At least how he think the original fang Zheng will do: brimming with joy over his A-grade aperture.

As they walked, Fang Zheng subtly shifted his eyes, trying to glance at Fang Yuan without fully turning his head.

Why he didn't just turned his head? Because He feared that Fang Yuan might sense something off and start to suspect him, he just decided to be more careful and don't act out of the role.

"This guy... what incredible acting. If I didn't know better, I'd actually believe he's truly depressed by what happened," Fang Zheng thought, though he couldn't clearly see Fang Yuan, but He could still feel the oppressive, heavy aura of despair that surrounded fang yuan.

Fang Zheng was genuinely impressed by Fang Yuan's ability to act this convincing. He was willing to bet that Fang Yuan's display of depression was even more convincing than the real thing.

As the brothers walked through the village, the number of youths around them gradually decreased, until at last, the two found themselves alone at the entrance to their home. Fang Zheng led the way, his pace quickening as they neared the familiar door, his "excitement" growing more apparent with each step.

When they entered the courtyard, they found not only the servants but also their aunt and uncle waiting for them.

Bright smiles appeared on their faces them as they saw the two brother coming, but those smiles quickly turned into looks of confusion.

This reaction was only natural—the scene before them was nothing like what they had imagined, it was something unbelievable.

In their minds, Fang Yuan should have been at the forefront, with Fang Zheng trailing behind, his head lowered as always—the talented elder brother and the talentless younger brother, But the reality of the situation defied their expectations.

But soon Uncle's confusion gave way to sudden understanding, and he quickly moved toward Fang Zheng, who had broad, joyful smile.

"My dear nephew, I'm proud of you," Uncle said, while hugging fang Zheng "I always knew you would shine one day."

Even Aunt, who was still quite confused, realized she needed to act now. She mimicked her husband, hugging Fang Zheng and saying some praises and words of "love", expressing how proud she was of him.

Of course, they did not neglect Fang Yuan, They gave him congratulations as well, though less enthusiastically. After all, nothing was confirmed yet—it was all based on Uncle's suspicions.

He didn't want to risk and "alienate" Fang Yuan, and in his mind, this act might provoke feelings of jealousy in Fang Zheng, stirring up hidden emotions in him.

Soon after, the family entered the house. Fang Yuan, maintaining the guise of a despondent youth, headed straight for his room without a word.

Meanwhile, Fang Zheng, determined to play his role to perfection, began to talk about what happened in the awakening ceremony to his uncle and aunt.

However, he added a few minor details and also deleted some, to make himself seem even more impressive.

He spoke as loudly and enthusiastically as possible, ensuring that the "depressed" Fang Yuan could hear every word.

To his uncle and aunt, it appeared as though Fang Zheng was deliberately trying to humiliate his brother, rubbing salt on Fang Yuan's wounds and make him even more depressed and upset.

And that was exactly what Fang Zheng wanted, It was his true aim for them to think like that, and of course the main reason was to prevent Fang Yuan from suspecting that anything was amiss—that this Fang Zheng was not the same as the one in Fang Yuan's past life.

"Hahaha! I always knew you had talent, you just needed to believe in yourself!" Uncle said, his laughter rich with pride and joy, like a father that finally saw his son's success.

Fang Zheng but at this moment forced down his disgust and stood up, feigning deep gratitude.

"Uncle, Aunt," he began, his voice full with false emotions, "I have to thank you for all you've done for me. Since my parents died, there's been an emptiness in my heart, a void that's bothered me. But thanks to both of you, that space was filled with the love, the love I needed. I've been able to continue and become who I am now because of you two. I'm truly grateful."

His voice was full of what seemed like his genuine emotions—a mixture of sadness, happiness, and a little love. But in his eyes, that couldn't be seen, betrayed the truth, brimming with disdain and disgust.

Every word, every gesture, that show of emotion was just an act, a performance crafted solely to deceive all of them, specially Fang Yuan. Fang Zheng knew he had to sell this illusion convincingly, act like a piece of shit to the extreme, so he wouldn't arouse suspicion.

After delivering his "heartfelt" speech, Fang Zheng sat down and continue to eat his meal in silence, allowing his uncle and aunt's praise to wash over him. I'm inside he was truly disgusted, but on the outside, he maintained his carefully constructed facade.

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The sky was still dim, the sun yet to fully rise, casting long shadows across the village streets.

Despite the early hour, the roads were already bustling with activity, various shop owners and business owners were busy opening their doors and start to work, the streets little by little fulling with life.

But This scene just reflected the villagers harsh life and their relentless diligence.

Amidst this sea of hardworking adults, striving to provide for their families, the younger children weren't idle either. Some assisted their parents with work, while others were already practicing for the businesses that one day they will inherit.

Yet, the most noteworthy thing was a small group of young teenagers, just These few dozen youths drew the attention of everyone around them as they made their way in a single direction, their presence standing out in the morning bustle.

"Look, look! It's them!"

"Oh, those are the B-grade talents of our village."

Among the group of teenagers, two figures stood out more than the rest. The first was a tall, strong looking youth and was quite more muscular than his peers, now he was the center of attention. Whispers followed him as he walked, but despite the admiration in other teens words about him, he didn't seem proud, but His gaze was fixed on "one of his rivals".

This "rival" was almost complete opposite of him— quite short, with a face full of pockmarks. His frail appearance made him seem almost very weaker than the others, yet there was a spark of confidence in his eyes. He stared back at the muscular youth, as if daring him to make a move.

But their little "staring contest" was interrupted by a stir in the crowd.

The murmurs and whispers grew louder, drawing the attention of everyone around. The teenagers shifted their focus, their interest captured by a new arrival.

From the direction they were now staring at, another young man was approaching.

He had just a common face with short hairs, slightly messy, but not overly so. Yet, despite his ordinary looks, there was something about him that drew all eyes.

He was Fang Zheng, and he like everyone else walked toward the academy with a wide, cheerful smile on his face.

"Ah, I hope my acting is good enough to keep Fang Yuan's suspicions away" Fang Zheng thought to himself as he walked towards the academy.

As he continued, his eyes wandered, scanning the faces around him. It wasn't long before he spotted a few familiar faces—Mu Bei and Chi Chen. Their expressions were far from welcoming; instead, they looked at him with hostility and a fierce competitive spirit.

Seeing these two fiery youths brought back memories of old days. Fang Zheng recalled a time when he, too, was full of energy, burning with a desire to prove himself, to challenge others and rise above them. But those days had faded into the past.

One say he finally forced to enter the harsh and cruel society, where reality chipped away at his youthfulness, forcing him to become more mature.

Now, there was no trace of that relentless spirit within him. The ambitious dreams had withered away, replaced by just a simple desire—to survive.

This was the difference between someone like dang yuan and him.

People like Fang Yuan were the protagonists of the story, their determination unshakable and unyielding, with great ambitions.

But Fang Zheng? He was just a side character who had already surrendered, he didn't have any great ambitions and the only thing he wanted was just to make it through, to survive another day.