29

After two days of constant refining, Fei Cai had encountered one disadvantage of the silent gu refinement advocated. The sound itself was a necessary component. Fei Cai had tried the same method of refinement at home and the swirl of primeval essence produced noise. Using the sound of materials being crushed, a Gu Master could refine the gu worm more accurately but this was only possible if a gu master refines in isolation. The noise, in such a large group, would become a fatal distraction. So, the process depended on one's reaction to refinement.

Right now, Fei Cai sat alone in the silent domain, his expression severe. The other temporary recruits looked at the silent young boy soaked in sweat with a complicated expression. "Do you think he will do it?" One of them inquired softly.

"I don't know. Until now, nobody has reached the bonus quota yet. Even the permanent recruits have reached that only once and that, too, was done by a rank 2 peak stage hu master! Even if Fei Cai doesn't do it... he's already called a genius by now. Not only in taming beast but in refinement, too."

"Quiet!" a cane smacked the two speakers on their heads. The old gu master revealed a frenzied expression as he admonished the two. "How would you like that I watch you two with your wives and comment on how much of a genius you are in bed? The same is with refinement! If you are watching it, stay silent and enjoy the suspense!"

The surrounding gu masters gulped. On the other hand, Fei Cai looked at the giant primeval shredder with a determined gaze. In the last two days, he was struggling with the steps he needed to take after joining the refinement team. With his success rate, he was already marked to enter the permanent team for greater benefits but Fei Cai wasn't just satisfied yet. The change in Fei Qing's behavior was a wave of fresh air but Fei Cai was no child. He wished for quick progress and he knew that his actions were capable of bringing him the resources needed for development at a quicker pace.

How? By finally putting a foot down on the title of Refinement Genius firmly. Unlike what others might have in mind to keep it a low profile, after a few use of Shrewd Gu, Fei Cai realized that keeping a low profile had been more disadvantageous than the benefits at stake. With the status of the son of the Chieftain, being low profile would only make him slightly less conspicuous. After all, his existence played a major role in Tribe's affair whether the elders conveyed it directly or not. He was the sole heir to Fei Qing and was expected to inherit the Horse Monk's methods that his father took for himself. After all, Fei Qing did not even have a single disciple.

But being more dazzling in his actions, Fei Qing could attract more interest. And when the merit points are all the trend in the tribe, this attraction could boost Fei Cai's chance of survival simply by the use of his reputation. Geniuses came rarely and after a long time. Fei Cai knew he was no genius but he could act like one. And which father would want to lose an heir who also is a phenomenal genius? So, with a focused gaze, Fei Cai picked the last water straw and threw it into the shredder. Instantly, the green liquid spilled through the swirl of primeval essence as the energy collapsed inwardly, covering the powdered gu materials with the liquid and began to compress until a small cocoon was formed. This process comprised 90% of the steps needed to refine a lizard mouth gu worm and now, this half-finished process would be delivered to the other gu masters to completely refine a gu worm.

Finally, after 25 refinement process, Fei Cai felt drained and laid back unceremoniously while the chirping of birds, chattering of surrounding gu masters, and the rustling of grass entered his ears. The Silent Domain was lifted!

"He did it! 25 successes!"

"I am so envious. He earned a bonus of 100 merit points but not only that, he will definitely be selected for the gu refining process of the later steps. They earn more merit points because they need to refine a true gu worm, unlike the incomplete product we are refining!"

Under the constant bantering, Fei Cai slowly sat up and placed the incomplete product into the bud gu before taking it off the ground and making his way towards the old master. "Here," he said softly, his face pale and his eyes slightly dim, "Am I allowed to come tomorrow?" Fei Cai inquired. Three days had been passed and he needed to know if he had indeed gained the qualification to benefit from the refinement team led by Fei Chang.

"Come tomorrow and find out," the old master stated impassively and took the storage gu from Fei Cai's hands. Sighing and not resisting the twist of his expression, Fei Cai soon left but his actions caused another wave of gossip to spread over the tribal gu masters. But that wasn't all, Fei Sau, another genius said to be at the same level as Fei Nai, broke into rank 2 with just 5 years of cultivation.

But the news barely caused a ripple in Fei Cai's heart. He now understood Fei Sau's circumstances. His drive to become stronger was Fei Nai himself. At the beginning of his cultivation road, Fei Nai became an obsessed individual who drank and whored. None cared, however. Women were like clothes, to be worn, used, and discarded but there was one particular woman whose death haunts Fei Nai, still. Fei Sau's elder sister. She had just begun her cultivation but her life came to a short end due to Fei Nai's careless action in a hunt. His team died and Fei Nai survived with heavy injuries, realizing that he needed to turn over to a new side, Fei Nai then shocked the tribe with his outstanding talent.

Fei Sau, however, resented Fei Nai and this was not a secret. The internal workings of this complicated relationship, Fei Cai did not know a lot but he felt a sense of opportunity in this particular discord. Fei Sau and Nai were dubbed as geniuses with more than just a rivalry in between them and Fei Cai held no doubt that Fei Sau would soon issue a challenge against Nai the moment they closed the distance in cultivation and capabilities. A man driven by anger and vengeance could be manipulated without the former's knowledge itself but Fei Cai needed to make sure of many things. The first being the advantages he could gain from this particular investment opportunity.

After all, the investment of 60 merit points in a refinement token had already earned him 410 merit points. And it would only increase if he gets selected tomorrow. Right now, he held no primeval stones but a total of 426 merit points was already quite great.

But if that was all, Fei Cai would only feel sour. However, Lo did not disappoint him. In his bag was a total of 11 primeval stones that he earned on the hunt by himself. After awakening his aperture, Lo found out that he had an aptitude of Rank C with his aperture 55% filled. Instead of purchasing a gu worm, Fei Cai decided to wait on Lo's vital gu worm.

"Master, here are today's earnings!" Lo exclaimed happily, making Nik nod. After enslaving Lo, the youth felt more like an extension to Fei Cai. And, since Lo did not resist at all, Fei Cai did not have to suffer the same soul irritation when he enslaved the Terror Horse. Gazing at the small pile of Primeval stones, Fei Cai picked six of them and grunted, "Cultivate using them. Tomorrow, I will purchase you a vital gu worm."

He did not even need the feel to put the act that he was lending the gu worm to Lo. Lo, and the new gu worm are both his properties. Why would he have the need to put up pretenses? A stronger Lo was beneficial to him than a weaker Lo. That is all.

"Yes, master!" Lo nodded and took the remaining 5 primeval stones, promptly returning to the kitchen to prepare the supper.

Returning to his room, Fei Cai began cultivating. He didn't use the primeval stones but from the morning, he had been using his aperture nurture gu steadily to cover his aperture, and now, he would reap the benefits of twice the reward at the same amount of hard work. His cultivation speed was already greater than his 'peers' which were actually the rank 2 proficient hunters and now, Fei Cai only needed to buckle up and catch up with them.

---

Fei Qing looked at the reports with a pleased expression. It wasn't only about Fei Cai. His son surpassed his expectations but his happiness came from the fact that Fei Sau broke into rank 2. The young genius had a grudge against the old genius. The old genius who was heir to the leader of the competitive faction of the elders— Fei Chang. And Fei Qing intended to use this to his own benefits. Use Fei Sau and Fei Nai's past to reap benefits in the future. Unlike others, Fei Qing and Fei Chang knew that Fei Sau's sister was not simply killed. Her corpse was 'used' by Fei Nai as he lived in a moment of panic, despair, and drunkenness during a sudden ambush from a nearby tribe.

The actions that night left such a severe impression of Fei Nai that he changed completely the next morning. The night became his darkest secret and the reason Fei Nai really chose Fei Kao was due to Fei Kao's hermit lifestyle. Fei Nai wanted nothing to do with worldly pleasures anymore, not after the atrocious acts he had committed.

This was something that only the three people— Chang, Nai, and Qing— knew and this was also the reason why Fei Chang never overstepped his boundaries. Back in the day, Fei Chang was not subservient as a necessary shadow of the tribe. He was unruly and ambitious but this piece of Nai's act became a silent chip that slowly dulled Fei Chang's edge until he truly became loyal to the tribe and its benefits.

"I have located the cause of your tribe's troubles. It is the Ma Tribe and they are backed with people... stronger than me. I have chosen to remain hidden because I choose you as my apprentice. I taught you my methods and even if I am dead, there lies hope in the Imperial Court. That is where we met in the first place and we will return there," A grim voice echoed within Fei Qing's mind as he nodded somberly. A strange look touched his face as the voice continued, "Your son is capable. But instead of coddling him, start imparting your true methods. The Heroes' War is cruel and the Icy Tribulation crueler and I don't want my inheritance to die down with just you. Start simple and if your son shows talent, go along with him. Else, this Fei Sau is already going to be a good host, I might as well spawn some new heirs."

A wry expression touched Fei Qing's face as he chuckled, "Yes, master."

"Hmm, good. Horse Monk was stabbed in the back previously, he will return to take revenge on his killers!"

As it turns out, the inheritance that made Fei Qing the Lord of the tribe didn't come from a dead gu master. While that particular individual— Horse Monk— may not breathe, he still lived on to this very day and he was growing impatient every day!

***

A/N: I know one thing about reverend insanity fan and that is they love to reread. So, I humbly request any reader who has just started reverend insanity once again to help me. If you are reading and Fang Yuan comments about the first timeline, then, can you make a list of chapters where he says and what he says? Since this novel is based on the first timeline with five regions going to a war, it will be far more chaotic and I would feel a little assured if I have a few more details.