Gu Yue Yao Ji had once set her sights on the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass in Fang Yuan's possession, and had used her authority to establish a policy requiring its surrender.
But Fang Yuan had advanced to the Third Transformation and become an Elder, delivering a powerful counterblow that drove Gu Yue Yao Ji into a faint on the spot, paving the way for Gu Yue Chizhong's rise to power.
Gu Yue Chizhong, newly installed and burning with ambition, had sought out Fang Yuan of his own accord, intending to persuade him to hand over the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass.
"Surrendering the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass isn't entirely out of the question," Fang Yuan said after a moment's deliberation.
As the old saying goes: times change.
Things are different now than they were before.
When Gu Yue Yao Ji had demanded the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass from Fang Yuan, that was a superior commanding a subordinate — surrender it whether you like it or not.
But now, Fang Yuan was already an Elder, second in status only to Patriarch Gu Yue Bo, and on equal footing with Gu Yue Yao Ji and the rest. Therefore, when Gu Yue Chizhong urged Fang Yuan to surrender the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass, it was no longer a superior ordering a subordinate — it was an equal transaction, an exchange of interests.
The Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass was indeed extremely valuable. It could generate Vitality Leaves, a micro revenue source that was perpetually in short supply. With the sheer number of Gu Insects Fang Yuan was currently raising, a substantial portion of their upkeep costs were sustained by this grass alone.
However, nothing in this world was truly unsellable — it was simply a matter of the benefit being too small to stir one's heart.
Precious as the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass was, why couldn't it be sold, if the price was right?
Gu Insects were nothing more than tools — means to achieve the ambitions in one's heart. Even the Spring Autumn Cicada, so what? If the situation called for it, and letting it go could net greater returns, why not do so?
To gain, one must first learn to let go.
Fang Yuan naturally possessed this kind of resolve, and so he looked toward Gu Yue Chizhong.
Gu Yue Chizhong smiled knowingly. "If you are willing to surrender the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass, then I would like to compensate you with this token."
As he spoke, he produced a token.
The token was simple in design — triangular, with smoothly rounded corners. On its front face, three characters were arranged in a tower formation: "Reward Edict." The back was similarly inscribed with three characters: "For Meritorious Service."
Reward Edict — for meritorious service.
"You are a newly appointed Elder, so there are some things you may not be aware of. This Reward Edict is specially issued to Gu Masters who have rendered extraordinary service to the clan. Even among Elders, very few possess one. With this token, you may enter the clan's underground Worm Cave and select any single Gu Insect. The Gu Insects within the cave are all rare treasures — of the top ten Gu Insects on the resource rankings, four were selected from this very underground Worm Cave." Gu Yue Chizhong explained.
Fang Yuan's interest was immediately piqued.
He was not surprised. The Guye Clan was a family that had stood unshaken for several hundred years — over such a long span of time, it was impossible that they would lack some accumulated reserves and hidden depths.
In truth, any family of sufficient age would have a hidden Gu storage site similar to an underground Worm Cave.
However, to obtain the Gu Insects within, one had to be a meritorious servant — and not just any merit, but truly great merit — while also demonstrating unwavering loyalty.
Fang Yuan had only just been promoted to Elder. He was still a hundred and eight thousand miles away from qualifying.
"I need to leave the clan, and I'll need to store my Gu Insects. This token is actually quite a good option. It's just that..." Fang Yuan harbored some concerns.
Surrendering the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass was one thing — it had indeed provided Fang Yuan considerable help, but it wouldn't be applicable going forward.
Its healing effects were not outstanding, and the Vitality Leaves it generated could not provide sustained treatment.
What Fang Yuan worried about was that even if he traded for this token and went to the Worm Cave, he might not find the ideal Gu Insect he was looking for.
Gu Yue Chizhong had been watching Fang Yuan's expressions the entire time. Misinterpreting his hesitation, he said, "The Worm Cave contains not only Third Transformation Gu Insects, but Fourth Transformation ones as well. Elder Fang Yuan, you won't lose out. If you come to regret it later, we can always trade back. It would simply take some time and need to be done in secret."
At these words, Fang Yuan raised his eyes and could not help but look at Chizhong once more.
*What a remarkable man,* he sighed quietly to himself.
A new official always burns with three fires of ambition. This Chizhong understood his own rise to power with perfect clarity — he had to compromise not only with the Patriarch, but also with the Red Branch and the Medicine Branch. Yet at the same time, he had to demonstrate his own competence.
Fang Yuan's surrender of the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass held special significance for Chizhong, and for that, he was willing to pay a steep price.
*The world is vast, and how many remarkable people there are! Under the beast tide, the old are constantly sacrificed while new faces rise to take their place. In a sense, this is the clan's cycle of renewal — and it is precisely this that keeps it vibrant and standing tall,* Fang Yuan thought.
Too many old members would cause an organization to rot and stagnate. Thus, a mechanism of elimination was the only way for an organization to sustain its life.
Gu Yue Chizhong was merely one representative of this process.
In nature, only through the survival of the fittest could vitality flourish. The human body maintained its vigor through constant metabolism. All the more reason why the Gu Insects in a Gu Master's hands should never remain static — only through change could there be progress.
With this thought, Fang Yuan proactively took the token from Gu Yue Chizhong's hand while transferring the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass to him.
Fang Yuan's willing transfer allowed Chizhong to quickly refine the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass.
He placed the grass Gu into his Empty Orifice, and only then did he breathe a great sigh of relief in his heart.
He harbored ambition. Serving as the acting Elder of the Medicine Hall was an extraordinarily important opportunity for him. If he could seize it, transitioning from acting to official was entirely possible.
But to achieve this, he would need to compromise with three parties.
But then again, politics was the art of compromise.
When Yao Ji had been in power, she couldn't do anything about Fang Yuan. But after he took over, he managed to make Fang Yuan surrender the Nine-Leaf Vitality Grass. This was not only a show of goodwill toward the Medicine Branch and a continuation of Yao Ji's former policies, but also a subtle display of his own capability.
For this, parting with a Reward Edict that had taken considerable effort to accumulate was entirely worth it!
"Lord Chizhong, our conversation has been truly pleasant. I wonder if you might have some time to continue?" Tucking the token into his robe, Fang Yuan said.
Gu Yue Chizhong's gaze flickered involuntarily, a hint of confusion crossing his face.
...
Some time later.
In the reception hall.
"Guye Dongtu and his wife pay respects to the two great Elders!" Fang Yuan's uncle and aunt bowed their heads and bent at the waist, greeting Fang Yuan and Chizhong with extreme reverence, even tinged with a trace of fear.