Facing his brother's questioning, Fang Yuan remained silent, continuing to eat his breakfast. He understood his brother's temperament; Fang Zheng was not one to keep his cool.

Sure enough, seeing that his brother didn't even glance at him, as if treating him like air, Fang Zheng, with a dissatisfied tone, exclaimed, "Brother, what did you do to Chen Cui? Ever since she came out of your room yesterday, she's been crying her heart out. The more I comforted her, the harder she cried."

Fang Yuan looked up at his brother, expressionless.

Fang Zheng frowned, staring intently at his brother, waiting for an answer.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

But Fang Yuan merely glanced at him and then lowered his head to continue eating.

Fang Zheng was instantly infuriated; Fang Yuan's attitude was nothing short of blatant contempt. In his shame and anger, he slammed the table and shouted, "Gu Yue Fang Yuan, how can you be like this! That girl has served you for so many years, and I've seen how tender and considerate she is towards you. Yes, I know you're disappointed and I understand your despair. You only have Grade C aptitude, but you can't take out your frustrations on others. It's unfair to her!"

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Yuan suddenly stood up, his hand moving like lightning.

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed as he gave Fang Zheng a solid slap.

Fang Zheng clutched his right cheek, stumbling back two steps, his face full of shock.

"You ungrateful brat, what kind of tone is that to use with your own brother?! Chen Cui is just a little maid, and for her, you forget that I'm your brother?" Fang Yuan reprimanded in a low voice.

Fang Zheng came to his senses, the pain on his face transmitting sharply to his nervous system. He widened his eyes, breathing heavily, incredulously saying, "Brother, you hit me? You've never hit me since we were kids! Yes, I was tested with Grade A aptitude, and you're just Grade C. But you can't blame me for that; it's all fate's arrangement..."

Slap!

Before Fang Zheng could finish, Fang Yuan backhanded him with another slap.

Fang Zheng covered both cheeks with his hands, utterly bewildered.

"You naive fool, what do you remember? How have I taken care of you since we were kids? When our parents just died, and we lived in hardship, Uncle and Aunt-in-law only gave us one new piece of clothing for the New Year. Did I wear it myself? Who did I give it to? You loved candied porridge as a child, and I instructed the kitchen to make you an extra bowl every day. When others bullied you, who stood up for you? There are many other things, but I disdain to mention them. And now, for a maid, you speak to me like this, questioning me?"

Fang Zheng's face flushed red, his lips trembling with a mix of shame and anger, yet he couldn't utter a word in rebuttal.

Because everything Fang Yuan said was true!

"Forget it then." Fang Yuan sneered repeatedly, "Since you've abandoned your own parents and acknowledged others, what am I, as your brother, worth?"

"Brother, how can you say that? You know I've always longed for a warm family since I was a child, I..." Fang Zheng hurriedly tried to explain.

Fang Yuan waved his hand, stopping him from continuing: "From today on, you're not my brother, and I'm no longer your brother."

"Brother!" Fang Zheng was shocked, opening his mouth to speak.

At this moment, Fang Yuan spoke again, "You like Chen Cui, don't you? Rest assured, I didn't do anything to her; she's still a virgin, a young maiden. Give me six pieces of Primordial Stone, and I'll transfer her to you. From now on, she'll be your personal maid."

"Brother, how could you..." Suddenly having his thoughts exposed, Fang Zheng was flustered, caught off guard.

But at the same time, he felt a sense of relief, as his worst fear hadn't come true.

Not long ago, Chen Cui had personally attended to him during his bath.

Although nothing substantial happened, Fang Zheng could never forget that tender night. Every time he thought of Chen Cui, recalling her nimble hands and soft red lips, his heart would stir with emotion.

The feelings of youth had long been accumulating in the young man's chest, sprouting and growing.

So when he learned of Chen Cui's strange behavior yesterday evening, a surge of anger rose in his heart. He immediately abandoned refining the Moonlight Gu and searched the entire stronghold for Fang Yuan, demanding an explanation.

Seeing Fang Zheng hesitate, Fang Yuan frowned, "Love between a man and a woman is normal. Be honest; what's with the dodging? Of course, if you don't want the exchange, then forget it."

Fang Zheng immediately panicked, "Exchange, of course, I'll exchange. But I don't have enough Primordial Stones for six pieces."

Saying this, he took out his money pouch, his face flushed red.

Fang Yuan took the pouch and found six pieces inside, but one was half the size of a complete Primordial Stone. He immediately knew that Fang Zheng had extracted True Essence from the stone to quickly refine the Moonlight Gu.

As the Natural True Essence was drawn out, the stone's volume shrank, and its weight decreased.

Though there were only five and a half pieces, Fang Yuan knew this was all the Primordial Stones Fang Zheng had. He had no savings himself, and these six stones were given to him not long ago by Uncle and Aunt-in-law.

"I'll take the Primordial Stones; you can leave now." Fang Yuan's expression was cold as he tucked the pouch into his chest.

"Brother..." Fang Zheng wanted to speak.

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Fang Yuan slightly raised his eyebrows, speaking slowly, "Before I change my mind, you'd better disappear from my sight."

Fang Zheng's heart tightened, and he gritted his teeth before finally turning to leave.

As he stepped out of the inn, he instinctively covered his chest, feeling a hollow sensation in his heart. An inexplicable feeling told him that he seemed to have lost something very important at that moment.

But soon, his heart warmed as he thought of Chen Cui and that unforgettable night.

"I can finally rightfully have you, Cui Cui." Without looking back, he walked out of Fang Yuan's sight.

Fang Yuan stood expressionless for a while before slowly sitting down.

The bright sunlight streamed through the window, casting a cold light on his indifferent face.

The dining hall was somewhat deserted, and as more people filled the streets, the noise outside highlighted the silence within.

The breakfast had gone cold, and a shop assistant approached eagerly, asking if it needed reheating.

Fang Yuan seemed deaf to the question, his gaze shifting like smoke, as if lost in memories.

The assistant waited for a while, but seeing Fang Yuan in a daze without responding, he could only scratch his nose and walk away dejectedly.

After a while, Fang Yuan's gaze steadied.

The memories in his heart faded like smoke, gradually dissipating.

He returned to the present, the sunlight illuminating more than half the table. The steam from the food had long vanished, and the noise from the street reached his ears.

Through his clothes, he felt the five and a half Primordial Stones in his chest, a bitter, mocking smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

But the smile vanished as quickly as it came.

"Assistant, take this food and reheat it," Fang Yuan glanced at the meal and spoke calmly.

At that moment, his eyes were exceptionally clear.

...

"What! Your brother said that?" In the hall, Uncle-in-law frowned, his voice carrying a chill.

Aunt-in-law sat beside him, looking at the fresh red handprints on Fang Zheng's face, speechless.

"Yes, when I saw my brother, he was having breakfast at the inn, and that's how the whole thing went," Fang Zheng replied respectfully.

Uncle-in-law's frown deepened, forming a character on his forehead.

After a few breaths, he sighed deeply, speaking in a serious tone, "Fang Zheng, my child, remember, the maid Chen Cui is not Fang Yuan's private property; she was allocated to him by us. How can she be bought and sold? Besides, if you wanted her, you should have told us earlier, and we would have assigned her to you."

"Ah?" Fang Zheng was dumbfounded.

Uncle-in-law waved his hand, "You may leave now. Since you gave your Primordial Stones to Fang Yuan, I'll allocate six more to you. Remember, use them well in refining Gu and strive for first place this time; we'll be proud of you."

"Father, I'm ashamed..." Fang Zheng was moved to tears.

Uncle-in-law sighed, "Go on, go on, hurry back to your room and refine Gu; you've wasted enough time."

After Fang Zheng left, Uncle-in-law's face turned angry and fierce.

Bang!

He slammed the table hard, growling in a low voice, "Hmph, that little brat, using our people for trade, truly cunning and sly!"

Aunt-in-law quickly consoled, "Calm down, dear. It's just six Primordial Stones."

"You woman, what do you know! Fang Yuan is only Grade C aptitude; to refine the Moonlight Gu, he needs Primordial Stones. With his novice methods, six stones wouldn't be enough. But now he has twelve, more than enough." Uncle-in-law gritted his teeth in hatred.

He continued, "In Gu Master's cultivation, as long as resources are sufficient and not hindered by bottlenecks, progress is swift. In two or three years, the clan can nurture Rank Two Gu Masters. The lower Fang Yuan's cultivation, the less hope he has of reclaiming his inheritance in a year. Now, he's young and just starting his cultivation; we need to hold him back, making him fall behind his peers from the start. The academy's resources are awarded to outstanding students; with his aptitude, once he falls behind, he won't get resources, and without resources, he'll fall further behind. In this vicious cycle, how can he have the strength to inherit the family estate in a year?"

Aunt-in-law was puzzled, "Even if we don't suppress him, at most, he'll reach Rank One – Intermediate Stage in a year. You're Rank Two; why fear him?"

Uncle-in-law stomped his foot in anger, "Woman, truly short-sighted! As a dignified elder, should I fight a junior? If he wants to reclaim his inheritance, it's reasonable and can't be directly obstructed, only addressed through clan rules. The clan rules clearly state: those who want to establish a family at sixteen must have at least Rank One – Intermediate Stage cultivation. Otherwise, it shows Fang Yuan isn't qualified to waste clan resources. Do you understand?"

Aunt-in-law suddenly understood.

Uncle-in-law squinted his eyes, a sinister light flickering within. He shook his head slightly, sighing, "Fang Yuan is too clever, too cunning. Even seduction couldn't deceive him; what kind of mind is this? So young yet so scheming, terrifying! Originally, I wanted to plot against him, but he moved out directly. I wanted to use Chen Cui to monitor and interfere with him, but he sent her away and even earned six Primordial Stones."

"Sigh, if only he were as foolish as Fang Zheng. By the way, treat Fang Zheng well in the future; he has Grade A aptitude. And I can tell he's dissatisfied and unwilling with Fang Yuan. This emotion is good; it needs to be guided. I have a feeling he'll be the best weapon against Fang Yuan in the future!"

...

In the blink of an eye, another two days passed.

In the inn room, no lights were lit. Moonlight streamed in, casting a frosty glow on the floor.

On the bed, Fang Yuan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, channeling Bronze True Essence, focusing intently on refining the Wine Gu.

A small part of the Wine Gu's body was dyed a bronze green, but its will remained tenacious, struggling constantly within the mist-like True Essence.

Fang Yuan's refining process was not going smoothly; it was arduous.

"I've spent two whole days and nights, resting only two hours a day, and used twelve Primordial Stones, yet I've only refined one-fifteenth of it. Judging by time, someone might succeed in refining Gu soon."

Fang Yuan had a clear grasp of the situation.

However, his aptitude was inherently inferior, and the Wine Gu's survival will was exceptionally strong, much more so than ordinary Moonlight Gu. This lagging situation was quite normal.

"A temporary setback is nothing; once I have the Wine Gu..." Fang Yuan's mind was as calm as a mirror, without a trace of anxiety or discouragement.

But just then, the Wine Gu suddenly curled up, forming a ball.

"Not good, the Gu insect is counterattacking!" Fang Yuan's eyes snapped open, a hint of surprise flashing through them. Before him, the Wine Gu curled into a round dumpling, suddenly emitting a blinding white light.

It was making a desperate gamble!

Instantly, Fang Yuan felt a powerful will emanating from the Wine Gu, bypassing the True Essence and descending upon his Empty Aperture Primal Sea.

The counterattack of a Gu insect was extremely rare. Only those with exceptionally strong wills would fight to the death, succeeding or perishing.

If it were any other young person, they would surely panic in such a situation.

But though surprised, Fang Yuan was not flustered; instead, he felt a slight joy: "A desperate gamble is good; as long as I withstand this counterattack, the Wine Gu's will be greatly weakened. However, I must concentrate fully, resisting this will's impact without any external interference. Otherwise, it would be disastrous... I just hope no one disturbs me during this time."

Having thought it through, he was about to mobilize his Empty Aperture True Essence to meet the will head-on, ready to engage in a prolonged battle.

But at that moment, another change occurred!

A Gu insect appeared in the center of his Empty Aperture, above the Primal Sea.

Boom!

This Gu insect erupted with an incredibly powerful aura.

This aura was like a heavenly river pouring down, a mountain flood bursting forth, or a terrifying beast whose territory had been violated, opening its blood-red eyes to see who dared trespass!

"Is that the Spring-Autumn Cicada?!" Seeing this Gu insect, Fang Yuan was utterly shocked!!