Future conflicts

"This blade path inheritance is indeed interesting but 5 million primeval stones to satisfy the curiosity of an old man with only a few remaining years doesn't seem wise, not when the old man has a promising grandson with many years ahead of him."

Feng Wang Hao sat behind a table, pouring himself tea while he respectfully talked to a young man in his 20s, even lowering himself to him despite being only a rank 3 Gu Master.

"You told the same to my uncle on your 100th birthday. Right? How much time has passed since then? 30 years?"

"27." Feng Wang Hao corrected him while pouring him tea. A snake head dropped in his cup. Its scales were extremely sharp, and it was still alive as it blinked and opened its mouth, threatening with his missing fangs that had been plucked before. "Drink slowly, it's hard on the tongue."

The young man nodded and continued. "Yet you keep buying Blade Path gu for yourself. None of your family members cultivate Blade Path or your clan. Am I right?"

Cough

The young man took a big gulp ignoring Feng Wang Hao's warning only to immediately cough, almost spitting out the tea.

"Ah…" The young man took a deep breath savoring the strange aftertaste in his mouth. "Good tea, what's the name? Are you perhaps selling it?"

Feng Wang Hao drank his cup in one gulp before speaking in his usual serene voice.

"I don't wish to be rude, especially not to Lin Wu's nephew, but what is one of Lin Clan's young masters doing here? If you truly want to sell this inheritance, why did you take a Xiao Clan caravan? Why ruin your reputation by rushing here before the caravan? Was the tariff of five percent too high? Or do you have other motives?"

Feng Wang Hao bombarded the young man with questions causing the latter to smile in defeat.

"Bladed Wind Wang Hao. I've always admired you since I was a little boy. Today I've confirmed your mind is still as sharp as your reputation."

The young man grabbed a Gu worm from his aperture and placed it on the table causing Feng Wang Hao's eyes to widen for an instant.

"Lifespan Gu" the young man spoke before Feng Wang Hao could. "Five years to be exact. It can be yours if you accept my offer."

The young man sipped more tea letting the old man process his words before continuing.

"You are right there is another motive. I wish to recruit you. Serve me like how you served Xiao Xiang for five years but unlike him and the ungrateful Xiao Clan shitting in your face in return for your loyal service of a century I will reward you accordingly not only will I help you reach rank 5 but if you help me become the Lin Clan leader I'll put a good word with the true higher-ups of my clan who knows with luck you might even become a Gu immortal of legends"

The young man slid a bookworm containing the blade path inheritance to Wang Hao.

"Here's a gift of my goodwill. There will be even better ones if you join me. The Lin Clan values loyalty and talent. As long as you have both blood relations, they mean little. Let me tell you something, do you perhaps remember when your bloodline went from producing many A-grade talents to barely producing d grades?"

"97 years ago when I killed the Gong Clan leader of that time in a duel." Wang Hao responded almost immediately. "I had my suspicions. Gong Clan is known for their curses but I never knew they would be able to affect the aptitude of a whole bloodline."

The young man served himself more tea before continuing. "The one you killed was the child of an immortal the Xiao Clan was going to give you to him to pacify him if it wasn't for our Lin Clan's first supreme elder you'd be on the doors of life and death a long time ago if you don't believe me you ca-"

The young man suddenly stopped talking. "It seems we have an extra pair of ears. Should I take care of it?"

"That pair of ears is my favorite great-grandson." Wang Hao spoke before sending a current of air that opened the window allowing a sweaty and bloodied youngster with a broken arm to climb up.

"What did you do this time?" Wang Hao asked while activating Healing Winds Gu. A gentle wind was sent towards Wang Wei, quickly enveloping him and entering from his 5 holes, quickly healing flesh, putting bones back into place, and healing them or regenerating if they were missing.

The pain was great but Wang Wei didn't even flinch and even felt refreshed in the end.

"I apologize for coming in such a hurry but we had a bit of an altercation." Wang Wei respectfully bowed down to Wang Hao in the presence of someone else.

"Lin Cheng Wu please excuse me but could you return some oth-"

"I would be a heartless person if I didn't allow a worried grandfather to look after his grandson, especially such an eccentric young man with vast talents." Ling Cheng Wu left his tea cup on the table with only the snake head remaining and walked out but not before leaving some parting words.

"Remember what we talked about? Oh, and before I forget, I'll be talking to other of my childhood heroes. Maybe some of them will be my generals and act as my much-needed support in the future war of succession."

"..." Wang Hao remained silent, understanding Lin Cheng Wu's hidden meaning. 'The early dogs eat their fill, the late dogs eat scraps.'

Once the door was closed, Wang Hao closed the window and injected primeval essence into the air preventing sound from coming out.

"Did you kill any Gu master of the clan?" Wang Hao asked without wasting time as soon as he was finished.

"You already know I'm more than satisfied with the Gu master slaves of the caravan." Wang Wei didn't hide what was already known. "But I did accidentally kill Ruo Bu's concubine."

"At least you can still control your demonic nature… you did what." Wang Hao had a headache once he heard about the Ruo family.

"Of all the concubines you had to kill, why did it have to be the concubine of the clan leader's favorite son!?" Wang Hao's serene voice quickly turned hoarse.

"Don't worry I'll take care of it. I just need to quickly break through to rank 3, and our family won't have fodder elders anymore or shamelessly have to rely on our tired ancestor." Wang Wei spoke while Wang Hao relaxed after confirming he was a c grade talent.

"The Ruo family will finally get off our backs once I reach rank 5. After all, I have no Xiao Clan's poison vow Gu agreement holding me back." Wang Wei spoke what some would consider disrespectful but it only made Wang Hao laugh.

"Haha, boy, if only I had your guts when I was your age." Wang Hao patted Wang Wei's back while he took a wind path Gu from his aperture.

"Refine this rank 1 Wind Blade Gu into your vital gu. It is the foundation of many of our family's killer moves." Wang Hao then took out blade aptitude gu.

A fate defying treasure that could change the fate of many Gu masters didn't look divine or majestic; it had the form of a rusty sword stuck in a plain stone.

"WANG WEI YOU BASTARD!!!!"

Just as Wang Wei was about to finish refining wind blade Gu, a commotion was heard outside, prompting Wang Hao to put blade Aptitude Gu back onto the safety of his aperture and check outside.

'How did he get here so fast?' Wang Wei immediately recognized the voice of Wang Cheng and panicked before his thoughts started racing in his head.

"Grandpa, what about Blade Aptitude Gu?"

Swoosh

Wang Hao ignored him and opened the window only to find a disheveled young man who once was a divine beauty now was stained with shit, had a swollen face due to bee stings and was walking with a limping leg.

"Don't give the treasure to Wang Wei; he only has C-grade Aptitude. I have a B-grade Aptitude!" Wang Cheng screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Is this true?" Wang Hao asked Wang Wei.

"Yes, he is a B-grade talent, just one percent higher than me." Wang Wei spoke the truth, knowing how much Wang Hao hated lies, but that didn't mean he couldn't twist words.

"We competed in a race whoever won would get blade aptitude Gu. I won but I didn't expect him to be a sore loser."

"Like always, Aptitude only affects cultivation, not brains." Wang Hao sighed remembering his brothers.

"Tell me, Wang Wei, if you were in my shoes, which would you pick? A potential accomplished general or a potential charming diplomat?" Wang Hao asked as he sent a wind current bringing Wang Cheng to his office.

"What's the point of being a diplomat when a demon can come and kill the entire clan?" Wang Wei asked, reminding Wang Hao of the tales of Spectral Soul Demon Venerable but Wang Wei was talking about Fang Yuan.

"Good point." Wang Hao nodded before activating Healing Winds Gu.

"AHH!!! AHH!!!" Wang Cheng fell on the ground screaming in pain while rolling on the ground but his screams slowly quiet down.

"Like you wanted I left one side of your face untouched." Wang Hao spoke his tone, already returning to his usual serenity.

"I love both of you. Of course one more than the other." Wang Hao looked at Wang Wei inciting Wang Cheng.

"Your fate will be decided by your own effort. You have until the end of the academy to be the first to complete two of my three tests. The reward will be Blade Aptitude Gu, and I'll support both of you with 100 primeval stones weekly and the bare minimum for heirs of our family, your own Gu of your choice, and a liquor worm." Wang Hao then proceeded to give his tasks.

"First whoever reaches rank 2 initial stage. Without strength everything you do is useless."

Wang Wei inwardly smiled. He had killed tens of Gu Masters obtaining their experiences naturally that included cultivating the aperture.

Wang Cheng also smiled. He was confident of his superior aptitude.

"Second, build connections. Without connections, you will be an outcast, as the saying goes. 2 fists can't rival 4 palms."

Wang Cheng smiled, confident of his charms and looking down on Wang Wei's plain looks and reputation as a murderer.

"Third, defeating the other in combat. Must I explain the reason? The strong naturally dominate the weak."

Wang Cheng frowned upon hearing Wang Hao's last request. He looked down on Wang Wei but he wasn't delusional as to think he could defeat him in combat.

"Great Gran-"

Bam!

"Ack!"

Wang Wei kicked him on the crotch from behind, raising Wang Cheng a meter from the ground and letting him fall on the floor twitching like a fish out of water.

"I won the third. I just need to reach rank 2 or be friends with the child of an elder right?" Wang Wei asked, causing Wang Hao to laugh.

"Truly the best quality of a warrior, no hesitation." Wang Hao took 3 Gu worms from his aperture. 2 liquor worms and a wind blade Gu.

"Sigh…" Wang Hao sent one of each to Wang Cheng, still on the ground with a purple face.

"Wang Wei,, have you finished refining your vital Gu?" Wang Hao handed Wang Wei the liquor worm while asking.

"If our fate is in our hands then I also want to follow my own path. Wind and blade path aren't for me." Wang Wei said planning to further earn Wang Hao's favor.

"And which will it be? Blood Path? I must admit it suits you quite well." Wang Hao jested with an amused tone not hiding his warning.

"Soul Path I want your Soul Blade Gu." Wang Hao said what he wanted without beating around the bush causing Wang Hao to laugh.

"The second most cruel path. By all means it should be suppressed like blood path." Wang Hao reluctantly handed a rank 1 gu worm possessing the shape of a cracked skull with a blade protruding out of its mouth with missing teeth.

"You are a cruel boy taking one of your grandfather's personal treasures." Wang Hao kept complaining, but inwardly, he was excited. "I will triple your allowance. Make sure not to let me down."

...

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