Chapter 23: More Killing
Life Is As Cheap As Grass
Fang Yuan rolled up the beast skin map like it was a rare NFT and stuffed it into a bamboo tube. He tied the ends with some hemp rope and slung it over his shoulder like a sigma male on a mission. The two hunters stared at the bamboo tube, their eyes glinting with greed like they'd just spotted a limited-edition Fortnite skin.
"This map is our family heirloom!" one of them whispered, but Fang Yuan wasn't about to let them have it. He turned to them, his gaze colder than a Discord mod's basement.
"Is there anyone else in Old man Wang's family?" Fang Yuan asked, his voice dripping with sigma energy.
The hunters shuddered, their greed replaced with fear faster than a TikTok trend dies. "No, lord Gu Master! The whole family's dead!" one of them stammered. "Old man Wang's wife died years ago, and his eldest son, Wang Da, got clapped by a wild beast three years ago. There's no one left!"
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, scanning them like he was checking for lies in a Discord chat. "You sure about that?"
The hunters nodded frantically, their faces pale. "We swear! Old man Wang's daughter-in-law died too! She was hounded to death by him because she wanted to remarry. You did us a favor by killing him, lord!"
Fang Yuan smirked. These two were bootlicking harder than a noob trying to get carried in a ranked match. But he didn't care. He had what he came for.
"Alright, you can go," Fang Yuan said, his tone softening. But behind his back, his right hand glowed with moonlight, ready to drop a moonblade if they tried anything sus.
The hunters kowtowed like their lives depended on it (because they did). "Thank you, lord! Your mercy is as vast as the sky!" they cried, tears and snot streaming down their faces. They scrambled to their feet and bolted, hoping to never see Fang Yuan again.
But just as they were about to dip, a voice called out, "Hold it."
A Gu Master dropped down from a tree like he was doing a sick parkour move. He was wearing a deep blue uniform with a scarlet belt and a metal plate that read "Two." This was Jiang He, the Rank two Gu Master stationed in the village.
The hunters immediately dropped back to their knees, kowtowing like their lives were a glitchy game. "This commoner greets lord Jiang He!" they cried.
Jiang He ignored them, his eyes locked on Fang Yuan. "I'm Jiang He, stationed here by the Gu Yue clan. Who are you?"
Fang Yuan casually summoned his Moonrizz Gu, the moonlight glowing in his palm like a rare in-game item. "I'm Fang Yuan," he said, his tone as chill as a Discord mod banning someone.
Jiang He's eyes widened. "So you're Fang Yuan! My little brother Jiang Ya talks about you all the time. You're the guy who extorted your classmates and gambled out a Liquor worm and a Mudskin Toad. Bro, you're built different."
Fang Yuan nodded. "Yeah, I buy Moon orchid petals from Jiang Ya's shop."
Jiang He laughed, clapping Fang Yuan on the shoulder like they were old friends. "Well, since we're basically family now, I'll handle this mess for you. Old man Wang's family? Pfft, they were probably killed by a wild beast or something. Who cares? Mortals are as cheap as grass."
Fang Yuan smirked. Jiang He was clearly trying to flex his authority, but Fang Yuan wasn't about to let him rizz him up. "Thanks, senior. I'll keep that in mind."
Jiang He's smile faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered. "Just remember, junior, don't go wandering around without your Gu Master uniform. People might not know you're a Gu Master and try to clap you. Stay in the academy, yeah?"
Fang Yuan nodded, but his eyes gleamed with mischief. "Noted, senior. Thanks for the advice."
With that, Fang Yuan dipped, leaving Jiang He and the hunters behind. As he walked away, Jiang He muttered under his breath, "That kid's got more rizz than a TikTok influencer."
Testing The White Boar Gu
The moon hung high in the sky like a giant gyatt, casting its watery moonlight over the forest. Fang Yuan moved through the trees like a sigma male on a mission, his eyes locked on a wild boar digging through the dirt like it was looking for a rare Fortnite skin.
The boar was built different—its greyish-black fur glistened under the moonlight, and its tusks looked like they could clap a noob in a 1v1. Fang Yuan crept closer, his steps as quiet as a Discord mod banning someone. But the boar's ears twitched, and it turned around, its beady eyes locking onto Fang Yuan.
"Oh, you noticed me? Skill issue," Fang Yuan muttered, summoning his Moonrizz Gu. The eerie blue glow lit up his palm like a rare in-game item. The boar snorted, its tusks gleaming as it charged at him like a freight train on Red Bull.
Fang Yuan sidestepped like he was dodging a TikTok dance challenge, his moonblade slicing through the air and hitting the boar in the face. Blood splattered everywhere, but the boar wasn't done. It turned around, its eyes blazing with rage, and charged again.
Boom! The boar crashed into a tree, snapping it like a twig. Fang Yuan rolled out of the way, his sigma energy on full display. He fired another moonblade, the eerie blue light cutting through the boar's thick hide. Blood poured out, but the boar kept coming, its movements slowing as it lost more and more blood.
"Little Light Gu, let's go," Fang Yuan said, activating his second Gu. The moonlight in his palm doubled in size, and he sent a massive moonblade flying. It sliced through the boar's neck, and the beast collapsed, its head barely hanging on by a thread.
The smell of blood filled the air, but Fang Yuan wasn't done. He pointed at the boar, and the White Boar Gu flew out of his aperture, diving into the carcass. The boar's body shriveled up as the Gu devoured its meat, leaving behind nothing but fur and bones.
Fang Yuan stood guard, his eyes scanning the forest for any threats. The White Boar Gu returned, its milky white body glowing like a rare NFT. Fang Yuan stored it away and extracted the boar's tusks, tucking them into his pocket like a sigma male collecting trophies.
Back in the hostel, Fang Yuan sat on his bed, his mind focused on his aperture. The White Boar Gu glowed brightly, infusing his muscles with strength. But as the numbness turned to pain, Fang Yuan knew it was time to stop. Overusing the Gu would be like trying to grind a game for too long—it would only lead to disaster.