As Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng walked back home, Fang Yuan contemplated the mysteries of this system.
As he thought of it- only one name came to mind as to who could be responsible for such.
Paradise Earth Immortal Venerable!
He had been a peaceful righteous path Gu Master, who was notable for his various formations. He did not strike out or kill his enemies, instead making it so that they could neither attack nor retreat until they gave up.
By contrast, the Venerable that came before him, Spectral Soul Demonic Venerable killed as easily as one would breathe. His reign had been marked my a loss of life on a massive scale- and it was partially because of this that Paradise Earth Immortal Venerable's reign was so cherished.
Paradise Earth Immortal Venerable had reformed countless demonic cultivators, he even had a Rank Eight Immortal Gu called 'Regret' using which he could use a move called 'Regret and Repent.'
He was a remarkable Gu Master when it came to gu formations, accomplishing things that could not be replicated even today.
It was this habit of his of 'reforming demonic cultivators' that made Fang Yuan think that he might be responsible for this system. After all, Rank 9 Gu Masters were peak existences that could accomplish much that was otherwise impossible.
These rewards and the like could be his doing.
Two new 'main mission's had popped up now.
Main Missions:
Inheritor
Description: Obtain your family's inheritance.
Rewards: ???
Flower Wine Monk
Description: Find the Flower Wine Monk's Inheritance
Rewards: ???
Both of these were things he intended to do anyway, so any reward on top was just icing on the cake.
It was clear that the system was using him, but from his experience- being used was not always a bad thing. After all, if one was being used, it implied that one had value in some way. In certain ways, a pawn could be more free than the king.
Of course, Fang Yuan would ultimately rely on no one but himself. While he was happy to reap the rewards of the system, it was clear that it had it sown ulterior motives. Not to mention, he needed to investigate it further.
Fang Zheng meanwhile, was lost in his own complicated feelings. He was now the rising star of the Gu Yue clan, though his brother wasn't far behind him.
Other people were finally noticing him as they walked down the street. For someone like him, it was a surreal experience. Something he didn't know how to deal with.
The next day, Fang Yuan skipped doing the daily quest. The system was rather angry with him it seemed due to this, constantly buzzing him with notifications, though he paid it no mind.
Ultimately, his 'counter' was reset and the reward for next day was diminished.
However, this was good- as he now knew what skipping a daily mission would mean.
The morning after the next one, there was a mortal woman wandering the streets of Gu Yue village early in the morning.
She was struggling to carry a load of firewood. Her body was not as robust as it had once been before, and now even this weight which was otherwise easy to carry in her early days felt like a heavy burden.
Yet, she had no choice but to carry this load every single day, no matter how much her body ached. One who did not work, did not eat- it was doubly so for mortals who could barely eke out their lives within Gu Yue village.
To say that mortals did not have a high standing was an understatement. They were slaves in all but name, as there was no where else they could go. The surrounding areas were dangerous and could only be explored by Rank 3 Gu Masters, usually traveling in groups. Were it not so, Fang Yuan would've set out this very day and not waited to stay within the confines of the village.
As such they had no choice but to endure the suffering of the world. This woman's husband and children had all died in the wolf tide several years back, and with no one to rely on, she had to make sure that her job, which was carrying firewood, was done on time.
Her employer would care naught for her plight; she was completely expendable, after all.
Just as she felt like her legs would not carry her any further despite how much she knew that she had to persevere for her own life's sake, she felt the load lighten greatly.
"Granny, let this one help you out," a voice filled with warmth and kindness reached her ears.
She should've protested, but was so exhausted that she couldn't in the moment. She simply enjoyed the respite from the heavy weight, and it was only after she had traveled twenty paces that she looked at the face of her benefactor.
She nearly recoiled in horror as she saw the darkness hidden deep within the young man's eyes. Those eyes... they could watch a trillion souls being snuffed out in an instant and not feel a shred of sympathy.
But, the darkness disappeared in an instant.
And also, how was it that his voice carried such warmth? How could his smile be so endearing?
No, she must've imagined the coldness in his eyes.
This young man was a Gu Master, it was clear from how he was dressed, and for someone like that to take pity upon her- he had to have a heart of gold!
"Take care," he said as they reached her destination. It had seemed so vast before, though with the load off of her shoulders, they made it in time.
"Bless you my child," the lady said, nearly brought to tears. "I don't know how to thank you..."
The man waved a hand. "It was my pleasure, there is no need for gratitude." His easygoing attitude made her even more certain that she had been wrong about him when it came to the first impression she had gotten of him.
Yes, this man carried the aura of a true hero! It was clear that her eyesight was beginning to fail her if she hadn't been able to see that immediately.
As Fang Yuan walked away, the daily quest was completed, and he saw a number of primeval stones added to his inventory.
The daily quest primeval stone reward, though nice, could not compare to the main and secret quest rewards. His aptitude was still at 46%, and he was most interested in things that could increase it. The Green Copper Relic Gu could somewhat hide his C-grade talent once he got a chance to use it by letting him leapfrog over a small realm - preferably when there was a break in the year and it would be easy to muddle things. Either that, or he would need time to find a plausible excuse as to how he had been able to find or afford it.
Barring any further increase in aptitude, what would really hasten his progress, however, would be the Liquor Worm, if he could find it.