"Gu Yue Fang Yuan?" At the sound of this name, the elders couldn't help but exchange glances.
Yet they knew this person very well. In fact, from the very beginning, Gu Yue Fang Yuan's name had frequently echoed in their ears.
Especially after the Opening Orifice Ceremony, once he began his cultivation as a Gu Master, this child became even more troublesome, constantly causing incidents that drew attention.
"Oh, I recall. A while ago, wasn't it this kid who sold his parents' inheritance to buy a Red Iron She Li Gu?" one elder suddenly remembered.
Gu Yue Chilian and Gu Yue Mochen's expressions darkened upon hearing this.
If the Red Iron She Li Gu had been used by Chishan or Moyan, it could have helped one of them reach the peak of the Second Transformation, thereafter standing on equal footing with Gu Yue Qingshu.
This reflected on the higher-ups as a political victory for either the Mo Branch or the Chi Branch. They never expected this wastrel of a kid to ruin everything!
"However, speaking of which, this kid does have some strength. Back then on the arena, two punches broke through the defense of a Jade Skin Gu, knocked Fang Zheng flat, and won the top spot this term," an elder recalled.
This time, it was Patriarch Gu Yue Bo whose expression showed a trace of embarrassment.
Gu Yue Fang Zheng was someone he had deliberately cultivated. Fang Zheng's defeat was, in a sense, a defeat for the Patriarch's own line.
Once inside the system, anyone gets labeled with a faction. In politics, there are neutral factions, but there are absolutely no people without a faction.
"But if we're really talking about strength, I'm afraid his strength might not match yours, Chishan?" Chilian asked doubtfully.
Chishan replied respectfully: "Elders, you may not know. Fang Yuan not only bought the Red Iron She Li Gu. He also acquired a Black Pig Gu. These past few months, he's been buying wild boar meat to feed the Black Pig Gu and enhance his own strength. Once, I saw him moving boulders on a hillside, testing his own strength. I don't know what his maximum strength is. But from what I've seen, I know his strength is definitely not inferior to mine."
"So that's how it is. This kid Fang Yuan, I didn't expect him to have grown to this point," Gu Yue Bo nodded. "Then, order Fang Yuan's group to try again."
Hearing this, the Internal Affairs Hall elder rose awkwardly from his seat. "Patriarch, please forgive me. This Fang Yuan is still alone and hasn't joined any group."
"What does this mean?" Gu Yue Pro slightly furrowed his brow.
"It's like this. Ever since the first Beast Tide, the group he was in was almost completely wiped out, with only him surviving alone," the Internal Affairs Hall elder replied.
"Even so, when the groups were reformed, why wasn't he included?" another elder asked curiously.
"Sigh!" The Internal Affairs Hall elder sighed deeply. "I did instruct him about this, but he has no intention of joining a group. Honestly, I can't stand this kid. He's best at cutting corners and shirking work. Probably after inheriting that fortune, he lost his will to strive."
"Cutting corners and shirking work? That's impossible, isn't it? If he has no group, how does he complete the clan's monthly assigned tasks?" an elder questioned skeptically.
The Internal Affairs Hall elder's face completely sank. "Every month he takes the mandatory tasks. But every time he fails. His record is the worst I've ever seen, almost entirely task failure records. I've specifically sought him out to talk several times, but he remains willful and unrepentant. However, he hasn't broken any clan rules, leaving me unable to punish this stubborn and tricky kid!"
The elders looked at each other in dismay. They had never seen such an unmotivated junior before.
The more tasks he failed, the smaller his prospects within the clan.
"This kid is muddled..."
"Hmph, absolutely unbearable!"
"He's destroying his own future!"
"If I had such a lazy junior, I'd slap him to death right away!"
"Enough." Gu Yue Bo raised his hand to stop the elders' whispering, his face showing no emotion.
Gu Yue Bo's gaze swept around the room, finally pausing on the Internal Affairs Hall elder. "Issue a mandatory order. Gu Yue Fang Yuan is to go to the Swallowing River Toad and contribute his strength. This child is stubborn and unruly, and has grown too accustomed to freedom. He needs polishing. If he fails, it can also serve as a minor punishment."
"Your will be done, Patriarch," the Internal Affairs Hall elder hastily agreed.
……
The tavern was buzzing with voices.
"Did you know? Just now, the clan sent Chishan's group to the mountain foot, and they returned in failure."
"The villagers at the foot of the mountain are blocking the stockade gate, kneeling all over the ground right now."
"Hmph, these commoners, completely ignorant. What is a Swallowing River Toad? It's a Fifth Transformation Gu Insect. Did they really think hiding in the stockade would keep them safe?"
Even as they said this, the atmosphere of panic was growing ever thicker. These Gu Masters were forcing themselves to remain calm.
Fang Yuan listened for a while longer, but there was no fresh news. He was just about to get up and leave when a person walked into the tavern.
He was tall, with a broad back and a powerful build, bare-chested, his skin flushed red, muscles bulging.
It was none other than Gu Yue Chishan.
The chatter in the tavern instantly died down, countless gazes focusing on Chishan.
Chishan ignored these stares, simply scanning the room until his eyes landed on Fang Yuan.